Chapter 809 - Godric’s Hollow Ⅲ

Having waited until his younger brother, Aberforth finally arrived Albus Dumbledore at long last rose to his feet to commence the meeting. His long silver hair and beard glitter at his movements having been tucked into his belt. His robes are rather conservative a dark blue color with faint golden embroidery at the sleeve and hems of his robes that sweep to the floor bȧrėly permitting the tip of his high-heeled buckled boots to peek out. His child-like blue eyes solemnly gaze out from behind half-moon spectacles that hang on a long, crooked nose.

"I welcome you all to the new headquarters or our Order," Albus firmly declared causing a smarting of applause to come from the younger generation in the room. Gesturing for them to be quiet, he says, "We will begin with our Senior Auror reports, Moody if you would please."

Alastor Moody nods fiercely at Albus and begins to speak. "As you know, Damocles Belby is dead, and security has increased drastically at the Ministry. Mind you, it's not all bad as if the so-called Death Eaters do attack, well, they won't have an easy time taking over the Ministry of Magic. In addition, as previously mentioned before due to Harold Minchum untimely disappearance, corruption was found to be rampant within the ministry, and the Minister of Magic Eugenia Jenkins so to speak has cleaned the house. Plenty of folks have retired and been replaced, and those still left behind are behaving themselves for the time being."

"Far more important is that Sanderson, the former potentate of London has retired and officially turned over all criminals to the Minister of Magic," Moody carefully said not mentioning the fact that it was part of a brokered deal between the Minister of Magic and the Potentate of London. "Although, I am disheartened to see Ogden gone, Elphinstone Urquart is most certainly not easily cornered by the paper and in fact, it is often the Daily Prophet, who finds their backs to the wall."

Moody chuckled loudly at his last remark with the other Auror's in the room widely grinning at each other as well. It was a source of pride for the department for once not be the prey for the papers, but rather the predator. Oh, how the tables had turned.

"Sanderson?" Aberforth said with his brilliant blue piercing eyes narrowed behind his spectacles. "Without any coercion nor persuasion, I find that to be rather unbelievable especially considering that Mundungus Fletcher is dead." At that moment, he resembled his older brother, Albus far more than unusual despite their uncanny resemblance between the two brothers especially after Abeforth began to groom himself. Not that either brother would ever admit to such a thing.

Moody drily replies, "I find that unbelievable as well, but Sanderson has retired, and the underworld exists no more. And as for Mundungus Fletcher, it was an unbelievable accident that took the lives of countless others as the Monarch Pub burned down with them in it." He wasn't the only one who found the entire event suspicious, but if the Ministry of Magic had swept it under the rug, then there it would remain.

"Merely because there is no longer a Potentate of London that does not mean that the underbelly of wizarding society will cease to exist," Aberforth flatly murmured, before folding his arms over his ċhėst. "And what of Auror Percius Clements is he on desk leave with Belby's death?"

Moody winces at Aberforth's blunt words, before murmuring, "Aye, Urquhart thought it best that Clements take a leave of absence but Auror Clements refused. Instead, he's on desk and patrol duty with the A.P.D. members. He'll be called back after the New Year when Urquhart is satisfied that Clements is fit for duty again."

Seeing that Aberforth did not ask more on the subject, Albus gazes expectantly on the rest of the Order of the Phoenix members to begin to report. Auror Edgar Bones shakes his head and says, "The Death Eaters have been lying low and there is no active trace of them. After the raid with Damocles, they all went underground and seemingly vanished. Still, we gained much more than we lost during the raid with the exception of Damocles Belby." Everyone bows their head a little at the mention of the belated potion master in honor of his memory.

Albus glances at the other two Auror's, the two Prewett brothers, Fabian and Gideon. The two wizards shake their heads at Dumbledore signaling they had nothing to mention that had not already been mentioned before. On the other hand, Jacques Bones speaks up, "As part of the International Magical Cooperation department ambassadors from other countries have mentioned that the wave of restless magical creatures has all but returned to their previous homes, but the Dragon Keepers and others tending to magical reservations have found that magical beasts are retreating into caves and refusing to emerge even if they are hungry for days. It's been happening all along with the east side mountain range with no explicable reason to them."

"Giants," Marlene Stein drily interjected. "They must be setting a temporary abode in the eastern mountains to cross the English Channel during one of the larger winter storms. We don't have the manpower nor resources to cover the entire coast. We can only wait and watch for an entire muggle fishing village to be destroyed to indicate that the giants passed through."

"Will that truly be the case?" The pretty Dorcas meadows interrupted the voice of skepticism. "I mean, what is to say that they won't attack the old continent first much as Grindelwald did."

Aberforth's blue eyes slightly narrowed at the young witch's words. It was a seemingly innocent and rather logical question. And yet, it served to discredit Marlene Stein's observational statement.

"That is certainly possible," Marlene Stein pensively admitted. "I suppose we can't be too careful. That was a good observation, Dorcas."

"I'm just here to help," Dorcas cheekily said with a wink at Marlene causing the married witch with two young children to roll her eyes at the younger witch's antics.

The air in the room lightens up for a moment, before becoming serious again as Emmaline Vance speaks up. "With the A.P.D. now a successful and integral part of the Ministry of Magic as announced by the Minister of Magic not too long ago, there will be a database of magic signatures and scents created via the A.D.P., the Magical Brain, and Wiz Link. It is a technological achievement that we are highly looking forward to being completed. It is mostly due to the muquibs and squibs that have returned to wizarding society. Therefore, I wonder if it would not be a bad idea to permit a squib or muquib to join the order. They could offer an entire perspective that we may find ourselves lacking."

"But they would be suspectable to spells and any magical influence really," Dorcas protested. "We can't possibly ask them to put their lives in danger when they can't even protect themselves. That would positively be inhumane!"

"Maybe, but it is a thought to consider," Emmaline firmly said to her friend, Dorcas, who sheepishly smiled at her and shrugged.

"Well, if we are on that subject of recruiting new members then I would suggest Dedalus Diggle," Dorcas persuasively suggested. "Yes, I know he's rather excitable and he wears that atrocious purple hat of his to work, but he is honest and works well with his fellow, A.P.D. members. What do you have to say on the subject, Emmaline?"

Suddenly put on the spot, Emmaline blinks for a moment, before saying, "Well, he does good work, but I am not so certain that he is the reliable sort in the long run."

Not one to be so easily dissuaded, Dorcas turns her warm, brown gaze to the Headmaster of Hogwarts, "And what do you have to say on the subject, Professor Dumbledore?"

"I will have to consider the subject," Albus pensively replied tugging on his long silver beard with one hand. "And there may well be new additions to the Order, but that is a subject for another time, Miss Meadows. I would rather return to the subject on hand."

"Yes, sir," Dorcas quickly said with a sad kicked puppy dog look. The other Auror's wordlessly console her as she turns back to them.

A loud cough pulled them back to Elphias Doge, who in a nasal voice said, "What of the Dark Lord? I've been monitoring Walden McNair and Albert Runcorn. Walden Runcorn took the lowly quill-pushing job, I sneakily set up for him, but he has not had much contact with Albert Runcorn as of late. Although Albert Runcorn has been making some rather aggressive bold moves as of late when voting. They are nothing drastic, but he seems to be testing the waters so to speak."

"For what exactly?" Benjy Fetwick intelligently asked.

"Your guess will likely be better than mine, Mr. Fetwick," Elphias rasped. "You are Barty Crouch's protégé and the two were bitter rivals at one point. And one's enemy always knows one better than anyone else. So, what does Barty Crouch have to say on the subject?"

"Mr. Crouch says that Mr. Runcorn is attempting to find the weak spot in the Wizengamont," Benjy bluntly replied. "And for what purpose, he does not know, but it would be enough to swing the scale in favor or against on a crucial vote."

"That's right," Caradoc Dearborn nervously piped up as they all turned to stare at the nervous young man who only became more nervous. Shifting on his feet, he says, "Mr. Runcorn has a history of swinging crucial votes in favor or against. It is how Mr. Runcorn has risen to power by the debt owed by those that needed his ability to swing the vote in favor or against."

"That certainly makes sense," Gideon Prewett muttered out loud.

Fabian Prewett frowns and says, "And just what type of law or judgment requires the abilities of Mr. Runcorn?"

"In the past, it has been for a trial to a purposed law," Benjy earnestly replied on behalf of his friend, Caradoc, who sent him a relived expression of gratitude. "Either way, Mr. Runcorn's has always managed to do so."

There is an ominous ŀȧpse of silence in the room. Just what was Albert Runcorn planning to swing in one favor or another? It was a most troubling question as not even those among them that were politically savvy could possibly guess as to the reasoning behind the cold wizard. Whatever it was, Runcorn was confident that he would not fail.