bait_backup | Come let the truth be shared

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Come let the truth be shared

*With yesterday's Dementor attack still fresh in everyone's mind, the Order assembles quickly and without even a breath of chit-chat, as Moody has been demanding of them for months. This improvement, coupled with copies of the Leisure Centre incident files on the coffee table, is enough to keep the room at large subdued. Most of the victims had been much too young, so many of wizarding Britain's children shuttled off to swimming lessons early Monday mornings without any mandated primary school to attend, and their small bodies lie almost completely still in the water, backs breaching the waterline as their lifeless eyes look down toward their dangling feet. Moody breaks the silence.*

Well. Time's come.

We need to use what we've got and what we know or this'll happen again, just somewhere else. The Death Eaters haven't claimed any of these, Crouch has been pointing fingers at werewolves all along, but no matter who did this, we've got to get everyone's facts on the table, see the big picture to do any good.

No more handling things on your own, or keeping sources secret. Everyone works, everyone reports. Out with it.

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*Well. That's fairly clear orders, isn't it. It has nothing to do with the dementors, but Sirius clears his throat and looks straight at Moody, ready to take the brunt of his anger..*

I've found something on my--on Regulus Black.

*He holds up the precious sheaf of papers. The jacket is as home, too small and bloodied, stuffed in a trunk in the back of the closet. There's nothing more to be learned from it, his dog-nose told him everything about pine sap and blood that could be learned, but he can't bear to do anything but keep it, hidden away even from himself.*

He's been researching someone named Tom Riddle, and he's been doing it on his own, without the help of any of the other Death Eaters or family or friends. He's been a nervous wreck lately, and he got injured, probably in Albania doing god-knows-what.

*Everyone works, everyone reports. But Peter hasn't exactly been working, not how Moody means, and doesn't have anything to report, either. He sits in uneasy silence until Sirius speaks. He knows Sirius' suspicions and knows he's been doing some spying on his erstwhile brother, though he didn't know to what end until now. Peter thought Sirius had good enough reasons, but what Sirius is saying doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything. Instead of voicing his instinct that his friend is letting his feelings get in the way of his judgment, he gives him the benefit of the doubt and latches on to one piece of his information instead.*

Albania? What's in Albania?

We don't know yet.

*Remus speaks up evenly from across the room, quiet but firm. It's an intentional self-implication, an attempt to draw at least some of Moody's anger. Sirius hadn't acted totally alone; the three of them have been tailing Regulus for months, and he's not leaving Padfoot to take the fall by himself.*

*Sirius knows what Remus is trying to do, and he wants to keep Moody's wrath on himself. He replies to Peter, but keeps Moody's face in his peripheral vision, tense and ready to give a snappy soldier's reply when the time comes.*

At a guess? Something valuable or dangerous or both. Something connected to or held by Tom Riddle.

But that's not the best part. I've gone over the papers and--well, there's no nice way of putting it. It looks like this Tom Riddle character is Voldemort. Was born to a muggle and a witch and orphaned, went to Hogwarts just like the rest of us.

*Following a stir in the room, Emmeline can't help but widen her eyes at the revelation that You-Kn--Voldemort was a halfblood. While definitely not by any means impossible, it was a dynamic she certainly wouldn't have conjured in her wildest imagination. At any rate, it was a bit difficult for her to think of Voldemort as an actual human being with parents and a tragic backstory.*

That is interesting to say the least, but I'm having a hard time figuring out why a Death Eater would even think about delving into Voldemort's personal life in the first place. I don't think he would slip any clue to his followers that his father was a Muggle.

Yeah, but he would let slip he's a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, wouldn't he? Trace that little line and you end with what Reg dug up. A whole lot of corpses and one Tom Riddle.

*He doesn't want to say Reg isn't a Death Eater, because he most definitely is, but the way everyone says it like an insult suddenly rankles with Sirius in a way that it never has before. Without Regulus' position in the ranks, they never would have found this information. He would pull Regulus out of the Dark Army in an instant if he thought he could, but all the same, they wouldn't know any of this if he weren't a part of it on the wrong side.*

*While the Order's personal ties with Severus Snape and Regulus Black have been helpful, they have come with their significant emotional burdens to the members immediately involved and Emmeline has proven that she has no issue cutting through it without beating around the bush. Especially considering the current circumstances.*

So, you believe that your brother has put his life on the line simply to study Voldemort's genealogy? If he's working alone without any other help from his fellow colleagues, I doubt that this is his sole source of this surge of bravery. Being young and idealistic does have some bounds with most people.

I don't think he's looked into Voldemort's genealogy for the sake of curiosity. But look at what that must mean--If he's questioning Voldemort, maybe he knows something we don't. Maybe he's lost the faith. Maybe we could turn him to our side. Maybe, I don't know, fuck. You don't find this sort of thing out because you trust your glorious leader. You tell me what you think this means, because I don't think it can mean anything else.

*Moody wipes his mouth before he speaks, thickly calloused fingers scraping against stubble as his mind works through the next step of this development. It's clear his calm isn't because he forgives their blunder, the dangers and stupidity of keeping secrets like this from the rest of the group is something he's made clear to everyone before, but another reminder of that is never far from the surface.

He holds out his hand for the papers and fixes his gaze on Sirius. It's not all his fault, the solidarity between him and Remus is as obvious as the noses on their faces, but this line of thought, calling the kid 'Reg' and twisting the evidence to fit a perfect scenario where questioning loyalty means that person will choose the better road in the end - it's exactly why Sirius is too close to this and why the information shouldn't have been his alone until now.*

We don't know anything for sure, Black. What is the worst mistake a person can make? Especially if the information in those papers is true.

*Off to one side Rose is watching, silent and feeling rather as though she's landed on another planet. Little Regulus Black, a Death Eater? The twitchy boy who used to make her nervous in the Common Room just looking at him? And that's another thing she's noticed - it's her first Order meeting, and she could be wrong, but damned if she isn't just about the only former Slytherin in the whole bloody group. Of course it doesn't matter, but she supposes it figures.

She'll speak up when it's her turn, if she has to, but for now she's more than willing to just watch this unfold from the sidelines, and wonder exactly how many of her old housemates they're up against, here. She debates lighting a cig; everyone says Moody's a hard-ass, and she believes it, from the five minutes she's spent in his house, so how well would that go over?*

*It is only reluctantly--very, very reluctantly--that Sirius hands over the papers to Moody.*

You don't know a damn thing more than I do.

I know that the worst thing is assuming someone else will follow the same logic as yourself. They don't, not convicted murderers of the worst sort and not your family or your friends. If you're going to know someone's thoughts, that's more than a guess of what you hope they'd think. You're just guessing.

*Moody's words hang there for a moment, and Gideon frowns thoughtfully. Voldemort. Tom Riddle. Half-blood. Interesting, that. Perceiving the looming tension, he does his best to head it off at the pass and pipes up, scratching his head affably.*

Setting aside for the moment how and why we obtained this information--is it useful to us, and if so, how?

*The question is an open one, posed to the room at large. He'd rather make at least a bit of progress before getting bogged down in a Black-Moody philosophical debate—or worse.*

Could always run at him shouting 'neener, neener, half-blood'.

*The suggestion's flippancy doesn't undermine that Fabian does, actually, think the information is dead useful, and he doesn't particularly care how Black got it. He for one isn't going to poke too closely into someone else's family messes, and doesn't think Moody really should be, either, in front of the whole Order, so he's more than happy to help Gideon lead things to more productive ends.*

*The whole group, Rose decides, is a fucking powder keg. Or at least Sirius and Moody are. Deciding to risk it, she shakes her head and makes a little 'pfft' noise, tapping a cig out of the pack in her purse and lighting up with her wand.*

*This doesn't go unnoticed by Lily, who finally speaks up.*

Something wrong?

*Well. Being noticed hadn't actually been part of the plan, for once. Still, Rose has nothing against Lily - she never took shit from anyone at school, and Rose respects that - so she decides not to be an ass about answering.*

Nope. Just...needed a smoke. This is all a little....

*Hestia looks around at everyone blankly, unsure of how to contribute. Her runic code she was developing had hit a plateau and was going dismally and she felt terribly out of place in the meeting, shifting her weight and knotting her fingers out of nervousness. She most certainly feels like she doesn't belong in this room, especially considering how many of them were Aurors, and she has no desire to have Moody's disapproval focus on her given her lack of progress on her communication code.

Hestia looks at Rose and offers a small smile of understanding. She knows what it's like to feel completely out of place. The feeling hasn't gone away. Hestia suspects it never will.*

*Neener neener, indeed. Gideon stifles a snigger and looks around the room. The question's hanging in the air, and he's trying to engage with as many of them as possible. Spotting a pair of fidgety witches by the wall--a sexy one with a cigarette and some other one--he shoots a warm, reassuring smile. As an Auror, he's used to this--but he imagines Moody can be a little hard-to-take for laywizards.

If the smile lingers on Hestia as if discovering her, and verges on the dopey, that isn't his fault. He's boosting morale. Wait, what were they talking about?*

*Hestia can feel the eyes looking at her and tries everything in her power to not acknowledge them. Down at the ground, between Lily and Rose, at her hands, back at Moody and Sirius. She finally looks up again and sees one of the twins (was it Gideon or Fabian?) staring at her – and smiling. She arches an eyebrow and tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear, somewhat sheepishly. He seems friendly enough, of course, but a girl who is used to playing invisible isn't quite acclimated to being looked at, especially so intently.

She breaks their gaze and quietly steps out of the room into the hallway to collect her thoughts. She needs to update Moody, but the last thing she wants is to hear about her failures. She already knows she isn't pulling her weight and feels out of place. Did she really need to subject herself to further ridicule and disappointment?

She sighs purposefully and pushes her hair back in exasperation, leaning back against the wall.*

*Hoping to steer things back to what's important, Sirius turns to answer Gideon.*

It's useful because it tells us Regulus isn't all peaches and cream with Voldemort. And I'm going to owl him and tell him that we know what he's doing and that we want to help, and then next meeting he'll be here standing next to me.

What?

*Remus had been with him up until now, but that comes as a shock. He's staring at Sirius as though he's gone mad, and a bit angrily, besides. They were supposed to have been working together on this. That was the deal. And more than that, of course, it's a horrible idea, not for the reasons he knows Sirius is about to get lambasted with. It's horrible because there is no way Regulus will accept, and Sirius is going to end up crushed all over again, and Remus isn't honestly sure how many times those particular pieces can be put back together.*

*Arthur's been satisfied to just listen until now, but that's a push too far. He speaks up, frowning, from where he's perched leaning against the back of an armchair.*

I'm not sure that's wise, Sirius, I'm with Lupin. I understand wanting to help your brother, but exposing the entire Order when you can't know his intentions - it's dangerous.

*It's stupid and arrogant and it won't happen like that--Sirius isn't foolish or idealistic enough to really believe it'll happen like that--but the kernel of what should be done is there.*

I'm not the best man for the job, all right, I know that, if he sees me he'll bolt--but someone should go to him, try to bring him over. It's possible. We can't just not do anything with what we've got. We can act on the information in the papers, sure, but we should also act on the fact that Reg did this, he's not all death eater anymore.

And how do you know darling Reg won't go back to his pals and sell all of us out? And don't bite my head off, I'm just asking.

*Rose hadn't planned on speaking up until it was about Mulciber, but she knows exactly what that group thinks about Sirius. She's heard it all a hundred times.*

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