Chapter 1216: Shelter No. 1
Chapter 1216: Shelter No. 1
"Are we really moving there?"
In the humble living room of the Weasley residence, Mrs. Weasley, upon hearing the good news, looked at Arthur with uncertain eyes, seeking the answer she desired from her husband's face.
Just a few hours earlier, Mr. Weasley had received a notification from the Ministry of Magic informing them that their family was on the second batch of the list of those allowed to move into the Ministry's shelter.
"Well, I heard that it's a large house that can accommodate hundreds of families," Arthur replied, equally perplexed, but continued to share what he knew. "That large house is protected by the Fidelius Charm, so even Voldemort himself can't get in."
"But...wouldn't it be uncomfortable for hundreds of people to live under one roof?"
Mrs. Weasley couldn't quite picture such a scenario, and she had grown accustomed to their current home.
If it was a matter of safety, their current residence at 12 Grimmauld Place, protected by the Fidelius Charm, was equally secure.
"I heard the Ministry is secretly stockpiling large quantities of food there," Arthur paused, recalling the rumors he had heard, "and apparently, Albert is the Secret-Keeper for that location."
In truth, when Arthur had received the notification, he too was uncertain and hesitant about whether to accept the Ministry's offer to move into the large house protected by the Fidelius Charm.
According to Kingsley, the rooms weren't particularly spacious, but they would be sufficient for a family of four or five. More importantly, it offered safety.
There would be no worries about returning home one day to find the Dark Mark hanging overhead. The fact that the Aurors' families resided there and that the building was constantly patrolled and guarded by Aurors assured its security.
"What do you think?"
Molly was still undecided, so she left the decision to her husband.
"I think we should move there," Arthur said, "Even though the rooms might be a bit small, safety is paramount, and many others will be moving there too. We'll be neighbors!" The main reason Arthur considered moving was because Dumbledore was the Secret-Keeper for Grimmauld Place, and it wasn't ideal to stay at Sirius' place indefinitely, especially since he was now the Head of the Department for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. He should support the Ministry's efforts.
Well, he also benefited greatly from this opportunity.
"Kingsley also suggested that we move there," Arthur added, noticing his wife's continued gaze. After a brief pause, he continued, "It doesn't matter as much for others, but our family is part of the Order of the Phoenix, and we need to consider our safety."
"Why don't we wait for Bill to come back and discuss this with him as well?" Mrs. Weasley remained unconvinced and, after much hesitation, decided to seek her son's opinion.
"I think we should move in."
During dinner, after hearing his parents' conversation, Bill agreed with Kingsley's suggestion.
"I understand it's safer there, but..."
"There's no doubt that this is a preparation made by Albert and Scrimgeour in anticipation of the Ministry possibly falling under Voldemort's control in the future," Bill patiently explained to his mother. "The current peace is only temporary, and the dark forces will undoubtedly return. So we must be prepared. Remember, we're all members of the Order of the Phoenix, and sometimes safety takes precedence over everything else."
"Alright then!"
Mrs. Weasley was finally persuaded by her son. If the Death Eaters truly intended to target members of the Order, the Weasley family would undoubtedly be high on that list.
Forget about the notion that the Death Eaters wouldn't kill pure-bloods—those were lies they told themselves. Especially now, after being dealt such a blow by the Ministry, they harbored a fierce grudge, and it was questionable whether the Weasleys would even be considered pure-blood in their eyes! The next morning, the Weasley couple arrived at the designated location in the Ministry using the door key. A large tent had been set up ahead, and many Ministry employees were lined up with their families outside. Several squads of Aurors patrolled the area, ensuring the safety of those present.
"I thought you might have changed your mind."
Kingsley stamped the temporary residence permit and indicated for them to sign their names on it.
"There are so many people here today. Is that house really big enough for all of us?" Arthur looked around at the crowd and couldn't help but ask.
"Don't worry, you'll see for yourself soon enough. By the way, take this with you," Kingsley handed the temporary residence permit to Arthur, "Go over there, and they will guide you inside. Show them this permit, and you'll receive the key to your room."
With that, he waved his hand, signaling for Arthur to make way for the next person in line.
Holding the permit, Arthur, along with Molly, made their way through the tent toward another tent where they queued up. As they stepped inside, they were astonished to find various Dark Magic detectors. The Aurors thoroughly inspected them with the detectors before allowing them to pass.
"They're certainly thorough!"
Molly was taken aback by the Ministry's cautious measures.
"I suppose they're just being extra careful," Arthur said understandingly. "After all, we're talking about the safety of hundreds of families. They can never be too cautious."
After entering the other tent, they unexpectedly ran into Pius Thicknesse, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Give me your temporary residence permit."
"Oh, here you go."
Arthur quickly handed over the permit, and after the other party signed it, he gestured for Arthur to take a key from the large box.
"Alright, go line up over there for now, and they will call you out later."
There were a few people queuing up in front of the tent, all of whom were high-ranking executives in the Ministry of Magic, at least at the director level. After Scrimgeour proposed the shelter plan, many people had temporarily fled here to avoid potential dangers.
No one wanted to trust the Death Eaters' scruples, especially since standing out while everyone else hid would make them easy targets.
"Amos."
Arthur was surprised to see his neighbor.
"Cedric has been targeted by a Dark Wizard, and Minister Scrimgeour probably thinks that our family will likely become a target as well. Fortunately, there happened to be an extra spot in the shelter, so our family got allocated one." Amos explained to Arthur.
Mr. Diggory actually didn't know that they were able to secure a spot here because Cedric had asked Albert to pull some strings with Scrimgeour.
After all, Cedric had already been marked, and if the Death Eaters ever went too far, they might do something foolish like using the Diggory family to threaten Cedric. They had already experienced that kind of trouble once, thanks to Peter Pettigrew.
"Next family."
An Auror parted the tent curtain and shouted inside.
Each time they called for the next family, someone would leave the tent. When it was finally the Weasley couple's turn, Arthur finally understood what was going on.
"Over here," Moody called out in a hoarse voice.
"What's going on?" Molly whispered.
"Don't talk."
Moody slipped a wrinkled piece of parchment into Molly's hand and prompted in a low voice, "Take a look at it quickly and memorize what's written there."
This scene felt familiar, as they seemed to have gone through something similar when they first entered 12 Grimmauld Place.
After silently reciting the content on the parchment, the couple couldn't help but widen their eyes, as the house before them far exceeded their expectations.
"Don't just stand there gaping, get inside!" Moody retrieved the parchment and urged them on.
"Oh, okay..."
"This place is huge!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she looked at the hotel before her, "Now I understand how it can accommodate a hundred families."
"This is a Muggle-built building, and as you know, they like constructing these large structures, what do they call them... skyscrapers," Arthur analyzed, "But I heard this used to be an abandoned hotel, I just didn't expect it to be this massive."
The couple quickened their pace and as they ascended the steps into the hotel, they found it bustling inside. The entrance led directly to a security room, where several Aurors were on duty. Arthur greeted a few of them whom he knew, and then led Molly inside. In the grand lobby of the hotel, a group of about twenty to thirty people were gathered, and an Auror was speaking to them. Arthur recognized the leader as Tonks.
"Alright, now that everyone is here, follow me."
Tonks handed a hotel map to Arthur and gestured for the group to follow her.
"From now on, you can only enter the shelter directly using Disapparition. There's a designated entrance for that over here." Tonks led them to the hotel's underground parking lot and pointed to a large section that had been cordoned off, "This is the only area in the entire building where Disapparition is permitted."
"Can't we just Apparate in from outside?" Someone asked curiously.
"That would be risky." Tonks warned, "If Death Eaters are lying in wait outside, you might be finished before you even realize it, and you could bring unnecessary trouble to everyone here."
"There will be at least five wizards stationed here at all times. Anyone returning from outside will be inspected to ensure that no one entering or exiting this place poses any threat. You know what I mean—the Unforgivable Curses." Tonks cut off any further questions.
"This place will continue to be expanded, and it will serve as your activity area." Tonks led the group to the designated area and continued her introduction, "Cooking is not allowed here, but you can have your meals in the cafeteria, which is right over there."
"Are we supposed to eat here from now on?"
Everyone looked a bit uneasy, as they couldn't afford to eat at the Leaky Cauldron regularly.
"Yes, but don't worry, there are food subsidies provided, and the prices are even lower than you might expect. Also, the kitchen is currently recruiting temporary chefs, so if you're a good cook, feel free to sign up. You can also help out with some chores; you know what I mean—there are no house-elves here, so we need to hire some temporary staff to help manage things. In any case, don't worry about the cost."
Tonks proceeded to introduce the specifics of the shelter to the group.
Everyone was surprised to discover that the Ministry of Magic had already expanded the area, and its size was comparable to that of a small town. There were shops and even a bar, but the activity area was restricted to the shelter, which made them feel a little confined.
(End of Chapter)
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