Back to Magic- Chapter 11

Chapter 11- The Three Broomsticks

Madame Rosmerta had not yet gotten over being Imperiused by a student during the last school year, and her simmering anger played a large part in galvanizing the citizens of Hogsmeade into fortifying their village against the dark arts.

She still ran her pub along strict rules for the most part, but now she was offering free room and board to those wishing to avoid the Death Eaters, who were getting more and more open about their activities. The very thought of them made her fists clench and her eyes go cold.

Sitting near the doorway at the table with Fred and George Weasley, who were surprisingly, not dressed in their usual flambouyant manner, Nymphadora Tonks hid a smile behind a swig of butterbeer. "There she goes again," she said, nodding her head a little toward the pub's owner. "Everytime she thinks of Draco Malfoy and what he did to her, she goes all stiff like that. If you don't want to be hexed by an angry woman, don't mention the name Malfory around here. I'm dreading the day she realizes my mum's sister is married to one."

"Oh, I think we'll be gone before our curiosity gets the better of us," Fred said and glanced at Rosmerta. "Look at that, George. She looks just like Mum when she does that!"

"Quiet!" admonished Tonks. "Don't let her see you watching." She had another swallow of butterbeer. "As I was saying before I interrupted myself, Remus is at the castle. He sent word that Hagrid is there with the house elves and the ghosts, and yeah, the enchantments around it are working. I knew Remus wanted to come here and wait for Harry. He's positive Harry'll come here. It's what they call a no-brainer in the Muggle world. My dad's favorite catch phrase."

She shrugged. "Well, if you know Harry at all, it's true."

"So, I guess we aren't uniquely intelligent after all, Fred," said George.

"Can't be," Fred agreed, "if everyone has figured that out. I had such high hopes for our deductive reasoning being above par."

"And we worked it out so well, too. Harry disappears, then our Ron, bless him, does a vanishing act right under the nose of the ministry, followed shortly by Herminone Granger. Add it all up and it equals Hogwarts." George paused. "Funny, there aren't a dozen Death Eaters attacking us about now. Certainly, Snape and the young-" he whispered dramatically, "Malfoy" and raised his voice again, "will have figured that out, too."

"Even if they did, Hogsmeade is the safest place to be just now. Madame Rosmerta has organized the townspeople to set enchantments around the village, too. With the whole population of witches and wizard helping, we're as safe as can be, until You-Know-Who shows in force, any road."

Fred looked down at the table top. "We'll help you stand guard while we're here, Tonks," he said, as if he didn't want to see her reaction to him being so serious.

"Yeah," added George, looking towards the fireplace. "We will."

She didn't smile but she wanted to. "Get settled in then. I'll be at the train station. The clock tower offers a really good view of the castle gates."

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Well that concludes Chapter 11. Come back tomorrow for the finale of our 12 part story!!