The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

A New Partner

Sarah and Diego arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place, the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, late in the night so they had less chance of being seen. 

However, when they arrived, they discovered that a meeting had just been dismissed. Sarah and Diego slunk into the kitchen, not wanting to draw attention, but soon they were accosted by a woman with spiky, bubble-gum pink hair. 

"Wotcher, Sarah!" said Tonks, Sarah's good friend from back at Hogwarts. She gave Sarah a hug before asking, "What in Merlin's name are you two doing here?"

"Uh, it's kind of a secret," said Sarah, unsure how much she should reveal about her activities of late. "What's the Order been up to?"

"Kind of a secret," said Tonks with a wink.

"Have you seen Talbott, lately?" Sarah asked. 

"Just at the office," said Tonks. They were both aurors. "He helps out where he can, but he and Penny don't want to get too involved on account of the baby."

Sarah nodded. She hadn't seen Penny since the Tri-wizard Tournament. Some godmother she was turning out to be. 

"Sarah, what brings you here? And Mr. Caplan as well?"

Dumbledore had entered the kitchen. 

"I've got news," said Sarah. "I'm sorry Professor, I didn't know everyone would be here."

"No matter," he said. "Come into the meeting room and we shall discuss."

After checking that the house had otherwise emptied of Order members, Dumbledore led Sarah and Diego into a room with a large table and over a dozen chairs. Seated at the table were Mad-Eye Moody and Snape, two of the few members who knew about Sarah's involvement. 

They sat down, and Sarah filled them in on everything that had happened since her visit to Hogsmeade. 

"Sounds like you've done a rather poor job," said Snape, his voice oiled with dissatisfaction. "Not only have you exposed yourself to Shunpike and any other Death Eaters lurking in Knockturn Alley, but you've brought Caplan here as well, to witness all of our secrets."

Sarah kept her eyes down on the wooden table. "I'm sorry," she said, more to Dumbledore than to Snape. "Death Eaters are after him. I didn't know what else to do."

"I don't know exactly what's going on here, but I want to help," said Diego. "If you're trying to protect people from You-Know-Who, that's what I've been doing too. We can work together."

There was a long silence before Dumbledore spoke again. "Very well," he said at last. "Sarah, it looks like you'll be needing a partner on your outings from now on, as the Death Eaters will now be on the lookout for you. Mr. Caplan will be that partner."

Diego gave her an excited smile, but Sarah felt guilt gnawing at her stomach. If she was going to have someone at her side, she wanted it to be Barnaby. Barnaby was just as capable of dueling as Diego, but of course, Diego had no connection to the Death Eaters. 

"What shall we do next, sir?" she asked Dumbledore, rather than returning Diego's glance. 

Dumbledore thought for a moment before answering. "As you know, many of the dementors have abandoned Azkaban." 

"Aye, so who's to guard the Death Eater scum now?" growled Moody. 

"The Dementors have been feeding on villages around the countryside. Muggle villages, mostly, but they are moving down from Scotland toward London at an alarming rate."

"So, you want us to get rid of the dementors?" asked Diego.

"Yes, and no," said Dumbledore. "While the dementors are cause for concern, we have a much larger concern at the moment, as Alastor mentioned."

"With no one to guard the prisoners of Azkaban," said Sarah, "you're worried some of You-Know-Who's followers will escape?"

"Really Dumbledore, do you think Spellman and Caplan ought to be privy to information this important?" asked Snape. 

"I trust Miss Spellman completely," said Dumbledore. Sarah felt a rush of pride, before thinking of Barnaby once more. He had once trusted her completely as well, and she had let him down, abandoned him and sent him away to a foreign land. Did Barnaby still trust her at all? Did he even think about her anymore?

Sarah gave a small jolt at Diego's voice, realizing she had tuned out of an important, top-secret conversation. 

"So, you think Malfoy Manor is the most likely place we'll find any escaped prisoners?"

"It's the best lead we have," grunted Moody. "The Manor has been used as a meeting place for the Death Eaters before, and Snape here knows the rough position of the place."

"As no one is aware of your alignment with the Order," said Dumbledore, "you will have the best chance of going unnoticed around the Manor. We want you to watch the Manor and report any suspicious activity to us. Will you be able to handle that?"

They both nodded. 

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. Everyone looked up at the sound of a knock on the door. It was Mr. Weasley.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, speaking to Dumbledore. "But I've just had some...interesting news from the Ministry."

"Not to worry, Arthur," said Dumbledore kindly. He stood up. "Severus will give you any other details you need," he said to Sarah and Diego. "Get some rest tonight, and begin in the morning."

He and Moody left with Mr. Weasley, leaving them alone with Snape's unfriendly scowl.