neeeeewwwwwwww chapteeeeerrr (:

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Chapter Twenty Seven

The ride by Floo Powder was a quick one, which landed Indie and Tonks in the living room of Grimmauld Place. There was an eerie silence over the place, more so than when all the kids had been there at least. As they moved from the fireplace into the kitchen, incoherent chatter met Indie’s ears. She could tell who was speaking; Lupin, Arthur Weasley and Sirius, however she couldn’t figure out what they were saying.

“He’s not here…”
“Why would he be there?”
“Did he mention anything…”
“Tonks might know, she spoke to him last –“
“I asked; she knows nothing.”

The hand on Indie’s shoulder tensed momentarily, before it left her completely to knock gently on the open door. All talking stopped.
“Ah, Indie,” Lupin said, almost exasperated by her appearance, “I hoped you’d come at a time like this.”
“Of course,” replied the young girl, a subtle yet evident tone of disbelief in her voice, “why wouldn’t I, he’s family!”
Moving, Lupin motioned his companions and the two newcomers to sit, and took his place in Sirius’ usual seat at the table head.
“I understand that, Indie, but we believe there are greater reasons for you to be called upon,” despaired Lupin, crossing his arms, pursing his lips.
Her blue eyes became suddenly larger, as the sincerity of the situation washed over Indie. She felt her body become rigid, her mind alert; what was she into?
Granted, it would seem that the regime of Voldemort had only just begun, but Indie could see that his plans were clearly in place. And what made the situation worse was, she never saw it coming.
“Indie,” her gaze turned from an even shabbier of late Lupin, to a tired and exhausted looking Arthur, “earlier yesterday Scott headed off to the north of England, following a trail that Dumbledore himself had given.”
Dumbledore? What could be so important for him to find out that he would need to send Scott? There were plenty more experienced Aurors who could complete the task, surely!
“Scott said nothing of what it entailed, but Dumbledore assured us he would be back this morning. With Dumbledore currently off on his own errands, we have no way of knowing whether Scott’s absence is to do with the task or…misadventure.”
Talking stopped. Indie’s fear stricken look was met by all eyes in the room.
Where had her brother been going? There were only a handful of places in North England that he could possibly be headed to. Many of Voldemort’s followers were in the north, hiding in the mountains until it was safe. Azkaban’s location was virtually unknown, nor would any of the Order be sent there without company.
“We were hoping you could find him,” Sirius interjected, breaking the silence that had fallen on the room, “we’ve had no contact, no word, nothing. We’re not even sure if he’s alive –“
“Sirius!”
“Are you going to deny her the truth, Remus?!”
“Of course not, but it’s her brother that’s out there!”
“You don’t think she knows that?!” he cried, standing in outrage, “She’s not stupid! She’s not under any illusion that the world isn’t falling to pieces around her! Heck, we’re forcing her to see it with her own eyes!”
“We’re not forcing her to do anythi-“
“Don’t be such a hypocrite, Arthur! We all know exactly why she’s here, why she participates in meetings.”
“Sirius –“
“WHY SHE’S FORCED TO ENDURE NIGHTMARE AFTER NIGHTMARE, JUST SO WE CAN GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT TERROR IS COMING FOR US, THAT WE HAVE NO WAY OF STOPPING!”

No one dared to one up Sirius’ argument, and the faces on both Lupin and Arthur showed that they agreed. Here they were, trying not to tell her that her oldest brother may be dead, yet they were sending her off each week to find plans in the minds of Death Eaters and conspirators. It was all a pile of hypocrisy, and Indie knew that, really, she shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be submerged in the hate and anger of a world gone mad.

But she was.

Like in her dream, there was no escaping it. The voices were just going to keep calling and calling, haunting her, shadowing her every move.

In a world gone mad, you could trust no one.

“Sirius is right,” Indie said, standing as others in the room all remained seated, looking up at her.

“I do have nightmares. Every night. Every night I see all the horrible things from the minds of others happening to the people I love. And it’s terrifying! It’s terrifying to see what could very likely become reality, before it’s even begun!

“But like everyone else on this side, I have a reason to be a part of this battle. It’s times like this, when family goes missing, or friends get hurt, or innocent people are lost, all because we couldn’t justify WHY!


“I do it because I know I can help; because my ‘responsibility’ is saving lives. Because without me, the people I love in this world won’t make it to the future that lies beyond all this horror. Sure, we might not have what it takes to stop what’s coming, but we at least have the satisfaction of saying what we did wasn’t for the glory, or the recognition.



“It was for love.”