17 April: Oaths and Wards Who: Fabian Prewett and Molly Weasley What: Testing for a new oath + Burrow ward strengthening When: 17 April Where: The Burrow Warnings: None
It was beginning to become a sort of thing around the Burrow that Molly have ‘business meetings’ with other adults while the kids were around. Getting Bill and Charlie out of the house was easy; getting them out of the house and watching the twins and Ron was more of a challenge. Ron wasn’t going to go blabbing any information about the Order anytime soon, but the twins would repeat anything they heard these days just because they could. So one had to be particularly careful what was said around whom.
So when she agreed to have Fabian stop by and take a look at the wards and also go over whatever changes they were trying to make to the oath, it was fairly important to watch what was being said. Especially when everyone was interested in catching their uncle up on their latest adventures.
When the boys had finally had enough time gossiping with Fabian, she shooed most of them outside to play so that they could speak more plainly. Ron sat on the floor drooling and babbling at his stuffed hippogriff.
Fabian had his full kit with him in his work valise, which was a sharp leather briefcase worthy of carrying with his office suits. For Order business, he carried a ripstop nylon backpack with a separate set of tools. Better not to mix the two. The backpack would have been more appropriate here, as it was safer from infant drool and the excesses of childish interest. Not that any of the children could get in without a wand, never mind all the privacy enchantments that Fabian had put on it over the years.
He'd spent close to an hour listening to tales of toy battles, recent events of Wee Wizards gatherings, and pen pal news from Brazil. Fortunately the boys could rattle on at length and he wasn't required to say much other than about the pen pal, who had apparently invited Bill to Brazil. If Fabian could figure out a way to make that happen, with or without his parents' help, he was going to do it.
But now the biggest risk to Fabian's briefcase was Ron's drool: the other end with the nappy wasn't allowed too close to it. "So, assuming that we're actually by ourselves--" and he snapped up a privacy charm to ensure it "--where do you want to start? Wards or oath business? I got a list from Moody of what he'd done and added. Looks pretty solid but we have some experimental wards we've been working on that we can weave into the work. I don't think they'll be needed but it can't hurt."
Molly bustled around the kitchen, cleaning up after a mid-morning snack as she listened to her brother. “Wards would be good. As long as there is a guarantee that nothing will go snapping off at the children when they’re too close to the property line, I can’t see why we shouldn’t try it, experimental or no.
“Moody was helpful, of course; I’m very grateful for the Order’s quick response to the article, especially after they drudged me into the Ministry for questioning with no real evidence.” She sighed and leaned against the counter with her hand on her swelling stomach. “It just seems like you can’t trust anyone to do their jobs properly anymore.”
"Just because You Know Who is gone doesn't mean there aren't arseholes out there, even in the Auror Office." Especially in the Auror Office, he did not say. Fabian's lack of love for the Aurors other than Moody was no secret; he'd never forgiven them for letting him leave instead of trying to salvage him. It wasn't why he'd joined the Order but it was part of why he'd felt the call to do it. "They still haven't called me in formally, which just tells you what a lot of bollocks it is.
"What we were thinking about putting on the house won't be anything dangerous. I know Moody's work and it's solid. What I want to do is put something in with what he did, so if anyone has a go at his wards, it'll trigger ours. They might be able to silence one set but not the others, so double safety. Plus, with any luck, we can find out who it was that tried to tamper with the wards and keep them from coming back."
Molly sighed. “I know. And I think you lot should keep an eye on that Burke girl. She obviously had nothing prepared and wanted to rattle me. Considering her outlandish claims, I’d say she is definitely one of the arseholes.” The experience had rattled her, but she’d done her best to live up to her Hogwarts house and not let it show -- to that bird, anyhow. “I still wonder if they’re going to go after Sirius,” she said offhandedly.
“So basically you want to do with the wards what you are hoping to do with the oath? Double layered-protection? Are you worried the oath is going to fail because Dumbledore is missing? Or has something… happened?” Ron gurgled on the floor and started to crawl around the kitchen. She cast a cushioning charm around him for when he inevitably bumped into the furniture.
"Nothing new except what's been in the news. I don't know of anything behind the Mark--no actual murder--but bringing terror back would be enough for some of them." Fabian watched Ron head straight for what was either the table leg or his mother's foot and bounce off. Amusement quirked one corner of his mouth. "This is more of a broad precaution. Honestly I don't think anyone would even come for you but they might try to get at the house to try to scare you. And we don't want any more scares with number seven on the way."
She never would understand why people thought sowing misery was helpful to any cause, but then she wasn’t like them so maybe she was beyond comprehending it. “Well, at least the children were safe. It doesn’t make me terribly enthusiastic about sending Bill there next year.” Molly was going to be hard pressed to let any of them out of the Burrow at this rate. “Okay. If you think it’s best then we’re going to do it. And don’t remind me,” she said as she held her stomach. “With our luck it’ll be twins again.”
Fabian touched his hand to his heart in an impression of their Aunt Lucretia, who came by her pearl-clutching naturally through her Black ancestry. "Oi! Twins are brilliant. I'm sure Fred and George will agree on that point too as soon as they're old enough to understand the sentiment.
"Anyroad," he added more seriously, "about Bill. Gid and I actually need to go up to Hogwarts to ask a few questions and do a little research. Just wanting to make sure we have all our Is dotted and Ts crossed kind of thing to hand off to our friends in the Auror Office when they go to trial. Maybe you could go up and talk to Professor McGonagall about what they're doing for the school and we could come with? I'm told this is the time of year that parents get tours, since the students are away."
“Twins are a bloody menace and double the work when it comes to rearing them. Fred and George are brilliant, but I don’t want to go through that again. Especially not two boys.” She was still a little sad that she was going to have another boy as it was -- not that she would love him any less.
Molly raised an eyebrow at her brother at this. “You want to use Bill as an excuse to get into Hogwarts? You know if we go he would want you to tell him about whatever you got up to while you were there. If you two are going to come you’ll have to spend at least some of that time with him or he’ll be mopey for ages.” She was easily dancing around whatever Fabian was not saying, mainly that they were up to some sort of Order business. Whatever it was, she didn’t need to know.
"Professor McGonagall is offering a tour; it's a standard thing. But we can go into Hogsmeade after and spend a bit time faffing about. Go to Honeydukes, take him to the Three Broomsticks for a meal, our treat. Make a real outing of it and give him plenty of Uncle time,” Fabian agreed. "And something later for Charlie, and Percy if he's wanting some as well. They're old enough now, particularly Bill and Charlie, and they'll be needing some extra attention from us with you and Arthur so busy with the littles."
Ron had wandered a little closer to him and Fabian leaned down to add, "And you too, if you want it, but you're still in the drool and stinky nappy phase. We'll get on better when you can talk."
Molly was mostly appeased by that. She knew that they had to take the chances when they had them, but she didn’t want her kids to be used in Order ploys like pawns. She might feel a little warmer to them after all the attention they’d given the Burrow, but she wasn’t going to let them use her children. “Okay. Let’s do it then. I’m sure the other boys will want to as well but we’ll cross that bridge when it’s closer. It’s hard enough to give them all individual attention like they deserve; I don’t want Bill’s big start at Hogwarts to be overshadowed with his brothers tagging along on his first trip.”
She laughed when he addressed Ron, who was wide-eyed and hanging on Fabian’s every word. He opened his mouth as if to speak but only blew spit bubbles and started to laugh at himself and repeat the process over again. “I’m sure he’s excited to hear more stories,” Molly mused.
What Fabian would really have liked to do with the older two was take them over to Prewett House so they could get to know their grandparents, and particularly their grandfather, but he knew better than to say such a thing to Molly. He was not the family peacemaker.
Instead, he reassured her: "We try not to tell them scary stories. Just wild ones that are funny."
“Oh, I know,” she said with a quick smile. “Only the ones that are completely true, of course.”
She bent over with a little difficulty to pick up Ron and hold him on her hip. “Alright, do you need me to do anything for the wards outside of wrangling children out of the way?”
"Not for this," Fabian said, standing up and picking up the valise. "I can do it all from the outside, layered on top of Moody's work. And then I'll administer the test oath I want to give you with a secret, and Gid can try to get the secret out of you. Sound good?"
Ron babbled and reached out toward his uncle as if in answer. She gave a nod. “Ron says yes, so how can I refuse?”