Break In At The Leaky
Date: Wednesday, 20 September, 2000
Time: 11:00 p.m. and later, after Closing
Location: The Leaky Cauldron
Characters Involved: Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, various NPC’s, by invitation only
Rating: R for violence
He’d been laying low for long enough that all of his funds were gone. There wasn’t a Sickle to be had in any of his pockets, let alone a Galleon. Two Knuts; that was all he had, and the empty stomach to go with it. He’d played it smart after he’d escaped from the battlefield. He’d gone so completely to ground that it was possible everyone had assumed he was dead. He’d been patient, patient and wily, hiding in out of the way places he’d found during various raids and tasks the Dark Lord had given him to complete over the last several years. He’d even found muggle places to escape notice, but those were so distasteful to him that he’d finally come back to where he could breathe, away from those humans who were no better than animals, back where there were wizards.
He’d been expecting Snape or at the very least Malfoy to call him out of the shadows and into the light for the next chapter of their glorious cause. Not right away, of course; but once Snape had been released from Azkaban, and then Malfoy as well, his hopes had risen. Then he’d been certain that the Dark Lord’s forces would regroup and work towards the next phase of the inevitable: the domination of the world by the Purebloods. It would be after the Order of Merlin travesty. That event would really mark the end of the last skirmish and allow the Ministry of Magic, dullards that they were, to be either lulled into a false security, or purchased into one. Then, surely, the new era of effort would begin and he would be summoned to help, protected and given valuable work to do for the cause.
Only two weeks after the Order of Merlin the news of Bellatrix LeStrange’s release from St. Mungo’s broke and he became convinced that the time was ripening and would yet yield fruit of the Dark Lord’s efforts. Yet spring turned into summer with no call to arms, no summoning, no word of the work of the Dark Lord at all. As summer came to a close and Hogwarts opened, he despaired.
Snape was back at Hogwarts as if the second war had never taken place. Malfoy was back at his Manor as if the second war had never taken place. Bellatrix LeStrange was there, too, and keeping a lower profile than she had while incarcerated in St. Mungo’s.
He set off for London, staying in Knockturn Alley, a place where you can get anything for the right money. And then the money ran out; along with his patience. Desperate for funds to either seek others who had avoided capture or take up residence somewhere far, far away, he hatched a plan. The Leaky Cauldron was not only a gateway into Diagon Alley, it also appeared to be flourishing in this post-war era. The till must be very healthy indeed if the constant activity there was any indication; plus he could have his dinner and eat it too, as it were.
Certain of success, he entered the Leaky Cauldron as a late evening customer and ate a fine meal before leaving his table and heading for the loo, but ending up in the cellar hiding amoung the casks and storage bins until closing time. It seemed all too easy. He’d help himself to the profits, leave with no one the wiser and be off for parts unknown. Depending on the take he’d be far away or just holed up around London until the dust settled. Either way, he had his exit route primed and waiting in convenient, close and covert Knockturn Alley. A few choice memory charms and he’d be safely away.
Time: 11:00 p.m. and later, after Closing
Location: The Leaky Cauldron
Characters Involved: Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, various NPC’s, by invitation only
Rating: R for violence
He’d been laying low for long enough that all of his funds were gone. There wasn’t a Sickle to be had in any of his pockets, let alone a Galleon. Two Knuts; that was all he had, and the empty stomach to go with it. He’d played it smart after he’d escaped from the battlefield. He’d gone so completely to ground that it was possible everyone had assumed he was dead. He’d been patient, patient and wily, hiding in out of the way places he’d found during various raids and tasks the Dark Lord had given him to complete over the last several years. He’d even found muggle places to escape notice, but those were so distasteful to him that he’d finally come back to where he could breathe, away from those humans who were no better than animals, back where there were wizards.
He’d been expecting Snape or at the very least Malfoy to call him out of the shadows and into the light for the next chapter of their glorious cause. Not right away, of course; but once Snape had been released from Azkaban, and then Malfoy as well, his hopes had risen. Then he’d been certain that the Dark Lord’s forces would regroup and work towards the next phase of the inevitable: the domination of the world by the Purebloods. It would be after the Order of Merlin travesty. That event would really mark the end of the last skirmish and allow the Ministry of Magic, dullards that they were, to be either lulled into a false security, or purchased into one. Then, surely, the new era of effort would begin and he would be summoned to help, protected and given valuable work to do for the cause.
Only two weeks after the Order of Merlin the news of Bellatrix LeStrange’s release from St. Mungo’s broke and he became convinced that the time was ripening and would yet yield fruit of the Dark Lord’s efforts. Yet spring turned into summer with no call to arms, no summoning, no word of the work of the Dark Lord at all. As summer came to a close and Hogwarts opened, he despaired.
Snape was back at Hogwarts as if the second war had never taken place. Malfoy was back at his Manor as if the second war had never taken place. Bellatrix LeStrange was there, too, and keeping a lower profile than she had while incarcerated in St. Mungo’s.
He set off for London, staying in Knockturn Alley, a place where you can get anything for the right money. And then the money ran out; along with his patience. Desperate for funds to either seek others who had avoided capture or take up residence somewhere far, far away, he hatched a plan. The Leaky Cauldron was not only a gateway into Diagon Alley, it also appeared to be flourishing in this post-war era. The till must be very healthy indeed if the constant activity there was any indication; plus he could have his dinner and eat it too, as it were.
Certain of success, he entered the Leaky Cauldron as a late evening customer and ate a fine meal before leaving his table and heading for the loo, but ending up in the cellar hiding amoung the casks and storage bins until closing time. It seemed all too easy. He’d help himself to the profits, leave with no one the wiser and be off for parts unknown. Depending on the take he’d be far away or just holed up around London until the dust settled. Either way, he had his exit route primed and waiting in convenient, close and covert Knockturn Alley. A few choice memory charms and he’d be safely away.