Chapter 164: Morning at Grimmauld Place

 

On the morning before the World Cup, Edward held a flame above his palm and tried to keep it boring.

It was no larger than a candle flame. He did not sharpen it, throw it, or let it spread across his skin. Remus had set a brass timer on the table and placed three damp cloths within reach.

"Temperature?" Remus asked.

"Warm enough to soften wax. Not enough to ignite parchment."

"How do you know?"

Edward touched the flame to a marked block of spell-tested wax. Its surface bent without smoking. Kreacher recorded the time.

A month earlier, Edward would have treated the result as the first step toward a larger fire. Now the task ended when the timer rang. He extinguished the flame and checked his fingers for heat.

Sirius entered carrying two travelling cloaks and the Malfoys' revised itinerary.

"Lucius agreed to the independent Portkey," he said. "He called it unnecessary in three paragraphs."

"Then why did he agree?"

"Narcissa."

The World Cup plan occupied one page. Edward would travel to the campsite with the Malfoys. Kreacher would remain at Grimmauld Place because house-elves were restricted from several public sections of the grounds and because someone needed to receive emergency messages. Sirius would stay nearby in his Animagus form, outside the Malfoy box but within reach of the designated exit.

If the campsite became violent, Edward would not search for the cause. He would leave through the nearest clear route with the people beside him. The emergency Portkey activated only after its case was opened and two separate tabs were pulled, preventing an accidental departure.

Remus tested Edward on the plan until he could explain it without looking.

"What if you see Peter?" Sirius asked.

"I alert security and leave."

"What if he is alone?"

"Same answer."

"What if he appears to be carrying evidence?"

"Same answer."

Sirius smiled. "I dislike how pleased I am."

The Heart-Flame Crest remained in the archive, ruined and disassembled. Edward carried no experimental object. His ordinary travel kit contained his walnut wand, two approved shield discs, a basic healing pouch, and the Portkey.

Kreacher added sandwiches.

Lucius Malfoy's carriage arrived at noon. It stopped beyond the concealment boundary, polished black wood reflecting the cloudy sky. Narcissa stepped down first and embraced Sirius with the restrained affection of cousins who had spent too long on opposing sides of family quarrels.

Lucius offered his hand. "Black."

"Malfoy."

The greeting held no warmth, but neither man reached for a wand.

Draco emerged in green travelling robes and looked Edward over. "You ignored my warning about dreary black."

"This is charcoal."

"An adventurous change."

Before departure, Lucius asked to speak with Sirius and Edward in the drawing room. Narcissa took Draco to inspect the luggage, leaving the three of them beside the covered portraits.

"I received a private warning from Dumbledore," Lucius said. "Peter Pettigrew has been seen abroad with a dangerous dark wizard and at least one unidentified accomplice. He did not provide the location."

Edward understood the question beneath the statement.

"Amelia Bones can confirm Peter is under an active search order," Sirius said. "Dumbledore told you what you need to protect your family."

"Rumours place you in Albania."

"Rumours often travel farther than I do."

Lucius looked at Edward's bandaged fingers. "And Bertha Jorkins?"

"Her death is under investigation," Edward said. "I will not discuss a witness statement outside that inquiry."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Lucius's face, followed by reluctant approval. "Very well. My own concern is the Cup. The Ministry insists the site is secure, but its confidence has become a poor measure."

They compared exit routes. Lucius had a family Portkey in the tent and two hired guards in plain robes. Sirius gave him the activation phrase for Edward's emergency device but not its destination.

"Mutual suspicion can be useful," Lucius said.

"One of your better qualities," Sirius replied.

Draco and Narcissa returned. The carriage carried them to a private arrival field near the campsite, where Ministry officials checked tickets and wands. Edward submitted to the same inspection as everyone else. Lucius did not attempt to bypass the queue.

The campsite spread across a wide Dorset valley. Tents wore national colours, miniature mascots darted between stalls, and vendors shouted over one another in a dozen languages. Edward recognized Hogwarts students among the crowd. He saw Seamus Finnigan wrapped in Irish green and Viktor Krum's face reproduced on a hat twice the size of its wearer.

For several minutes, ordinary excitement displaced Albania.

The Malfoy tent contained three bedrooms, a dining room, and more furniture than the outside dimensions permitted. Narcissa assigned the central table as the meeting point if anyone became separated. Draco immediately complained that a meeting point was unnecessary when they had seats in the top box.

"Then remembering it costs you nothing," she said.

Edward placed his Portkey case beneath his robes and confirmed that both tabs remained sealed.

Lucius noticed. "You do intend to survive my hospitality."

"It is one of my conditions."

They walked the public rows before the match. Draco bought a model Firebolt that circled his head. Narcissa chose Bulgarian ribbon for its colour while declaring no loyalty to either team. Lucius exchanged greetings with Ministry officials and foreign delegates.

At one stall, a newspaper displayed Bertha Jorkins's portrait beneath a headline announcing that her body had been recovered abroad. The article named no suspect and called the circumstances unclear.

Edward read it once. He did not argue with the vendor.

Arthur Weasley met them near the Ministry information tent. His badge assigned him to Muggle-site liaison after the match. He confirmed that Harry's group would use the southern route and that the Weasley tent held a separate emergency device.

Lucius and Arthur disagreed about almost every security choice, but they compared the children's meeting points without turning the exchange into politics. Narcissa wrote both locations on her itinerary. Edward gave Arthur the public contact phrase for Grimmauld Place, which revealed nothing about Sirius unless activated.

The cooperation was narrow and temporary. It was also the kind of conduct Edward wanted the alliance to make ordinary: people with conflicting loyalties sharing what was necessary to protect those in their care.

Draco waited until Arthur left before complaining about his robes. Edward treated that as an improvement over a blood-status insult.

A Ministry security wizard recognized Lucius and offered assurances that every entrance had been inspected. Edward asked whether the exit lanes would remain open after the match.

The wizard checked his list before answering. "Two northern lanes close for team departure. The eastern and southern routes stay open."

Edward amended his plan.

Draco stared at him. "Do you inspect exits everywhere now?"

"Since Albania."

The answer removed the joke from Draco's face.

They returned to the tent as evening light spread across the valley. Sirius, disguised as a large black dog, waited near the eastern lane and scratched once at the ground when Edward passed. The signal meant the route was clear.

Inside, Lucius poured drinks while the roar from the stadium grew.

"The Cup first," Narcissa said. "Politics can resume tomorrow."

Edward accepted a glass of pumpkin juice. For the length of a Quidditch match, he intended to let that be true.