WHO: Caroline Dufort-Podmore, Becca Dunstan, Angelina Johnson, & Alicia Spinnet WHAT: Sabotage! Espionage! WHEN: February 11-13 WHERE: Various places!
Cradled in Angelinaâs hands was the runestone Caroline had just given her, the one she was meant to pass along to Becca. She felt a little guilty involving Becca, knowing what she knew now. Thinking of it, sat at the kitchen table of one of the Orderâs remaining safehouses, she almost felt like telling Caroline about Beccaâs secret just so she could get an Adultâs take on whether or not she should be involving Becca in something like this. But sheâd told Becca she wouldnât tell anyone, so she didnât.
Instead Angelina asked, âSo she sets this somewhere in the room with the goods andâŚ?â She looked up from the stone at Caroline.
â...taps her wand to it twice and say commence. Then it will start weakening the wards.â Caroline eyed up the runestone in Angelinaâs hands, her pet project for the last few days. âAnd the protections on the IDs. If she gives it two hours, it should weaken them enough that we can start working on them remotely.â She leant back on her chair slightly, considering. âMay I ask a question? Well, an additional one now.â
Angelina had been squinting down at the runestone as Caroline spoke and her gaze snapped back up to meet the other womanâs. âYeah, of course!â
âThis Becca of yours. What does she hope to get out of this?â Caroline could believe that there were genuinely selfless people to be found, people who did something purely because it was the right thing to do, and the world around them was sliding in a direction that they didnât like. But it always still somewhat surprised her when such people were found outside of the Order.
âSheâŚâ Angelina said slowly, trailing off as she set the stone on the table. âWell, when the MRC was first announced she was working in the Wizengamot before getting moved to the MRC and I know she doesnât like it, but sheâs afraid to leave because of âUmbridgeâs impactâ.â Here she employed sarcasm quotes to go along with her sarcasm. âWhich has to make you feel powerless, you know? But sheâs a good person and I think she wants to help.â
âThere are probably a few other people in her position,â Caroline mused. âAfraid to leave and wanting to do something, but not knowing where to start.â And with the Order not knowing whether they were safe to work with or not, though she left that last part unsaid. This at least was a relatively low risk venture, with much to be gained from it. âIf people do want to help us though? Iâm all for letting them have their chance.â
âMe too!â Angelina said with an enthusiastic nod. But then her shoulders slumped a bit and she drummed her fingertips against the tabletop. âDo you think sheâll be okay, though? Like, am I putting her in too much danger?â
âI donât think anyone can be truly safe as things are,â said Caroline after a pause. âAnd sheâs likely seen enough to realise as much herself. Nothing is risk-free, but she could have said âno,â and the best we can do is accept that this is a decision she made for herself.â She of course had her own people that she would prefer to keep safe from harm. And could acknowledge - with both pride and regret - that this was not her call to make, and that they had chosen differently.
âMake sure itâs clear to her that she can pull out of this at anytime though,â she added. âIf she feels that itâs too dangerous in the moment? Then itâs just not worth it. We can find opportunities at some other point.â
Angelina nodded again, more grateful than enthusiastic now. âThat makes sense. I can do that.â Her eyes fell on the stone. âShould I give her a portkey just in case? It wouldnât have to bring her to one of the safehouses.â
âDefinitely.â Caroline nodded. âDo you have one, or do you need Sturgis to make you one?â A portkey of course would definitely cause suspicion to fall on Becca, connections to be made, but if she was desperate enough to use one, then the whole point was likely moot.
âItâs okay. I can make one,â Angelina said, still staring at the stone. She looked up at Caroline again, flashing her a brief smile. âThanks for your help with this.â
âNot a problem.â Angelinaâs grin was returned. âIâm looking forward to causing Dolores all manner of trouble.â
âSo I just have to hide that,â Becca said slowly, her eyes on the runestone that Angelina was holding. It had been one thing to express wanting to help bring down any of the parts of the MRC but it all felt a bit different now that she was sitting with Angelina and Alicia with a tangible plan in place. âThatâs really it?â
Angelina nodded. âAnd tap it twice with your wand and say commence,â she said, dutifully repeating Carolineâs instructions. She didnât quite hold the stone out to Becca just yet, wanting to give her every opportunity to say no. In fact, she added, quickly, âBut you can definitely say no if you donât want to do this.â
There was a part of her that thought maybe she should take the out. But Becca wasnât sure she liked that part of her very much, not when it was the same part of her that was so complicit in the terrible things the MRC was doing. She had a reason for hiding there. It was a good reason.
But if she could do something to help, Becca knew she should. âWell you need someone to do it, though,â she said.
âWe do,â Alicia confirmed with a nod. She cast a glance between the stone and Beccaâs face, watching her expression for signs of hesitation. Theyâd talked about this before, had imagined ways she could help sabotage the MRC, but that had all been in the abstract. This was real, which meant there were real risks.
âIt should be simple enough,â Alicia said, trying to keep her words from sounding too weighty. âBut if anything does go wrong, we can help.â
âYeah,â Angelina was quick to agree. âI can make you a portkey thatâll take you wherever you feel like you need to go. Or I can ask — someone else to make one.â
Then sheâd be just another muggleborn on the run with the snatchers after her. But Becca kept that thought to herself as she offered a small smile. âWell it shouldnât be that big of a deal,â she said after a moment. âI mean, I just go in and hide it and there we go. I have access and reasons to be there. Itâs not suspicious reallyâŚâ
âNo, not at all,â Alicia agreed, meeting Beccaâs smile with a reassuring one of her own. âItâs pretty clever, actually. Once itâs there, no one will even notice. They might not realise thereâs anything going on at all until the whole thingâs over with.â
âExactly!â Angelina gave her own reassuring smile. But too much had happened for her to just leave it at that. Echoing Caroline, âBut if it ever seems too dangerous, itâs not worth it and we can figure something else out.â Still, she offered Becca the stone now.
It was only a fraction of hesitation before Becca took it, holding it in her hand and considering the weight of it all. It felt lighter than sheâd expected. Something this significant seemed like it ought to feel heavier in her hands. âIâll let you know when Iâve hidden it,â she said, looking up from the runestone. âIf I canât do it easily, Iâll wait until I can.â
âGood idea.â And as she said it, Alicia reached out to put her hand on Beccaâs arm. âThis is going to be massive — itâs a massive help. If we can get rid of the IDs, itâll change everything.â
âAnd we can take out the MRC records somehow, too,â Angelina said, managing not to sound like she knew something she shouldnât know as she said it.
âUmbridge is going to throw a fit,â Becca said after another pause, but there was a small smile that only started to grow bigger. âAnd itâll probably suck. But itâll also probably be pretty funny.â It wasnât the point, but it was kinda nice all the same.
âI almost wish I could be there to see it,â Alicia said, a broad smirk settling across her lips. âI hope she smashes all her stupid cat plates.â
Their smiles were contagious and Angelina couldnât help but smile, too. âShe super deserves it. I hope her head explodes. Now thatâs something we deserve.â
Becca glanced around the office before reminding herself that looking around was only going to make her seem suspicious. It wasnât suspicious for her to access the records room. It was only suspicious if she acted like she was about to commit a crime. (The fact that she was, basically, was entirely not the point!)
So she took a deep breath and decided it wasnât weird at all, making her way to the records room without any hesitation. The runestone sat heavily in her pocket, though she knew it was only the weight of the situation that made it feel that way. She was just going to be in and out. It wasnât going to take very long at all!
It didnât. The runestone was safely hidden, and Becca was on her way out with a (entirely superfluous) file in her arms when—
âHey!â
— she crashed directly into her coworker, sending her file tumbling all over the floor.
âIâm so sorry!â she sputtered as she knelt down to pick up the pages, trying to ignore the way her heart was racing. This was fine!! This still wasnât suspicious!!
âSup, Becks,â Lucas Vaisey said, holding out a hand to help her up. âYou okay? Working on something fun, I bet. Close to catching another mudblood, am I right??â
Becca wanted to take the proffered hand about as much as she wanted to gouge her eyes out with a spoon, but somehow found herself doing it anyway. âOh you know how it is. The more information we have the closer weâll get! Just had to check on a couple things!!â
âYeah, man. Weâre going to get all of them soon enough. Just you wait! Keep fighting the good fight, Becks!â With a wave, Lucas headed into the records room, leaving Becca nothing to do but stare at the door closing behind him while reminding herself that she was allowed to breathe.
When she headed back to her desk, she was even more sure that sheâd done the right thing.