With a sigh and slump of defeat she said, "No oaths, vows, charms or even potions. We wouldn't do that. Just... please... try to keep matters under wraps for as long as possible. The DMLE aurors are, as quickly as possible, rounding up every Death Eater they can capture. The later the news breaks, the more we'll capture. You'll be doing a great service to your country, if you do."
He frowned and thought about it for a few moments. Finally, he said, "I'll be opening my store at 8.00am tomorrow morning. That gives you tonight to officially release it to the media, who will then print it for tomorrow morning's Daily Prophet. At 8.00am, though, I open my store and will tell one and all that Lord Hardwin Peverell rescued me and others, after first killing 'You-Know-Who' and about a dozen Death Eaters. However, I will not release the identity of those others also rescued... to protect them... until you or they do."
"Thank you, for that much at least," she replied.
Apparently, Fortescue had gone home via floo and immediately greeted his wife. She only waited until just after 8.00pm before she'd decided it was enough and began to immediately contact their wider family and friends.
Within fifteen minutes the media had hints of it and within ten minutes of that, had enough to confront Bones about it.
She 'doorstop interviewed' it by way of an announcement from her outer office at 9.00pm sharp. She could have done it in the DMLE, but didn't want the journalists anywhere near that Department for the time being. Besides their getting in the way, she didn't want them aware of just who was being arrested and brought in until she'd gotten as many as possible into cells.
Before she left the DMLE, though, she temporarily appointed Master Auror Proudfoot as Acting Director and left him to it. It was his responsibility, then, to find another Acting Chief Auror to replace him as Acting Chief Auror. That's why Proudfoot jumped two spots. Bones had also told him that she'd be recommending him for the post of Chief Auror, the Head of the Aurors, once matters had settled again.
She also hoped Hammer would recover enough to return to the post of Director of the DMLE and not bitch about Proudfoot getting the Chief Auror slot.
By the time Tonks got to Grimmauld, Luna and Harry had already gone to bed. It was after 9.00pm and both felt they'd had a pretty full day. As soon as she turned up she said to Remus and Sirius, who were still up, that the story had broken over half a hour earlier and they should turn on the wizarding wireless if they wanted to hear what the WWW reported of the announcement. Sirius immediately pulled the wireless out and turned it on.
"― tuning in, less than half an hour ago Minister Bones announced that You-Know-Who, the dark lord, is dead... along with his entire supposed Inner Circle.
"We do not have the list of names, yet, but are assured it will be released once all their loved ones are first formally notified.
"Apparently, You-Know-Who and his Inner Circle were killed in self-defence by Lord Hardwin Peverell. Lord Hardwin Peverell, as the story goes, was kidnapped by You-Know-Who's forces and brought before the dark lord and his Inner Circle. "Somehow... and we've not been told how yet... Lord Peverell was able to handily defeat them all and escape. In effecting his escape he was also able to rescue over half a dozen people who had also been kidnapped by You-Know-Who's forces and were in the same place at the time.
"Minister Bones informs us she will be recommending to an Emergency sitting of the Wizengamot, scheduled for tomorrow morning, Lord Peverell for the Order of Merlin, First Class.
"For those who don't know; anyone who defeats a dark lord is, by International law set down by the ICW, to be awarded such an honour. We cannot see the Wizengamot going against this law.
"As news continues to come in we will, of course, pass it on to you... our loyal listeners. "In further news, we have learned that one of those who Lord Peverell rescued is none other than your beloved Florean Fortescue of Fortescue's Ice Creamery in Diagon Alley..."
Sirius had reached over and turned the volume down.
"Order of Merlin, First Class, eh?" he smirked. "Harry's not going to like that."
About ten minutes later two owls flew in. One was for Sirius while the other was marked for Lord Peverell care of Ms Luna Lovegood.
Sirius released both owls of their loads and said, "I'd best go disturb Harry and Luna."
Then put deed to word by rising and heading for the stairs.
"Best knock loud, Padfoot!" called Remus, smirking. "They're very likely to have silencing charms up." Sirius hesitated just a moment before he snarked back, "No kidding!"
Tonks called, "You might want to try a messenger Patronus instead, Sirius."
Coming to a sudden stop, Sirius whirled about and said, "You know what? That's a good idea." And grinned.
Standing there, he cast his Patronus, a grimm, and flicked the voice message into it. It quickly passed him as it flew upwards into the air and through the wall.
Harry and Luna were in a position on their bed where Luna was face down, head down, while Harry was face up, head up in the opposite direction - commonly referred to by a double digit number - when the Patronus galloped in from the base of the wall. It hesitated only a jot before Sirius's ethereal voice issued forth from its mouth. "Time to stop shagging like puffskeins, you two. You need to come downstairs."
"Oh, for..." said Harry, trying to get Luna off him.
She didn't want to move, though. And showed she didn't by what she immediately did with her mouth.
"Oh, God!" said Harry, feeling it. He then had to tap her on the cheek to get her to stop. That it wasn't the cheek on her face was beside the point.
When she lifted a little he said, "Come on, Luna. They wouldn't have disturbed us unless it was important."
With a whine of annoyance, Luna rolled off him and then off the bed. Standing next to it in all her glory and with her hands on her hips, she demanded, "Where's my wand? Black's getting a hexing!" Harry was already rolling out of bed himself on the other side and still chuckled at the clear annoyance in his girlfriend's voice.
After coming downstairs and with Luna first threatening Sirius, the two joined the other adults to listen to the wireless. Sirius had just waved the threat off, clearly distracted. It didn't take long for the message given earlier to be replayed, so the two still-teens could hear it.
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