A Dark Time For The Light

10

Harry asked Ron how things worked around the Bunker. “Well, mixed bloods usually have more nous so most have some sort of work or other. There’s a safe address where the others can claim dole from. Us single-bloods have to keep our heads down. We are being sought harder, so we get all the mucky jobs like trying to keep this place clean, doing the laundry and cooking and we don’t get to go topside much”. Ron raised his eyes ceiling-wards. “Harry, I’d advise you not to get out and about much either. You’re probably more sought after than all the rest of us put together”. Ron’s voice was quiet.

Harry sank his head in his hands, “What must I do?”, he intoned softly, “And what are we all going to do?. We can’t hide out forever”. Ron’s gaze was steady, “In truth, Harry, I hadn’t thought much past getting people safe. Once all that are left are back together again, then we’ll decide. I had no Master Plan for all this, Harry, not at all. The general idea was just to set up way-stations and refuges. Beyond that, I have not ventured”.

They all bowed their heads in thought. Hermione spoke up first, “We need a way to link us all together. Letters are good, but slow. Is there any money?, how does money work around here anyway?”. Ron grinned, “The workers tip up their wages and it somehow feeds all of us. They get to keep a percentage and the rest is put in a kitty. Minerva keeps the accounts. There’s not much left after feeding and clothing folk. If someone needs something for work, then we all pinch in our belts a bit and the money is found. Dean needed tools for his job and we’re getting them, slowly but surely. It’s a bit basic, really”.

Draco withdrew the bag of money that his mother had given them and tipped it onto the table, then the letter from the accountant, “I haven’t got the, er, number for the card yet, that will give me access, but Harry assures me it’s only a matter of time”. Ron’s eyes widened as he took in the figure. He looked at Draco and ran a distracted hand through his hair, “But surely, Draco, this money is yours. Yours and Ginny’s. He shook his head. “It’s not much use to us, is it?. Surely, it would be better spent helping us all out”.

Hermione’s brain was working overtime. Her many days spent in the other station had yielded fruit. “You know, there’s a working phone line on the station where me and Gin are. Probably ‘cos that rail line still works, even though the station’s not used. There’s live power there and the junction boxes are reasonably easy to reach. Is there any amongst us who can do computers and stuff. I can probably run us a free power line off”.

The purebloods looked baffled, Harry narrowed his eyes, “What are you thinking, ‘Mione?”. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she looked around at their faces. “I need to find out about the other cadres around the country, have they phone and power accessibility. We could have the Internet at all of the sites. Any that can’t can access from random Internet cafes dotted about. We can communicate. At almost the speed of light and less traceable than mobile phones. That way we’d all be a single entity split into six. We could even have a web-site, coded of course, that would at least bring the Muggle-borns to us. Might not recruit the pure-born, of course, and it should be pretty safe from old Voldy and the gang”, her laugh was dry and bitter.

She reached out an idle hand and riffled the cash lying on the table, “You know, that’d buy an awful lot of smack”, her voice was soft, with more than a hint of longing in it. She caught herself and withdrew her hand quick smart, “Take it away. Put it away. Don’t let me anywhere near money for a while”, she gulped and lowered her eyes, ashamed. Ginny threaded her arms around her beloved and pulled her close, “Ssshhh, sweetie, we’re all going to look after you, for however long it takes”, she whispered.

Draco called their attention back. “Hermione, how much would it cost to get this whaddyacallit, Internet, thingy, up and running in six places?”. She snapped back to herself as Draco tidied the cash away, “Well, we’d either need to rent phone lines or hack into previously existing ones. The latter is probably better, leaves less trace. We need electricity at all six nodes. We’d need the hardware. We could probably download most of the software for free from warez sites on the ‘Net. We need competent wires folk. I can prob’ly hack the phones. Josie and I never paid a phone bill. With the right kit, I can also hack the ‘leccy. We never paid a power bill either. We rigged free gas too, but I know sod all about computer configuration, the hardware side, networking, but once I have a set-up in front of me.....”, she shrugged.

“It could cost up to ten grand to outfit all six sites. Maybe more, but not much. Don’t go to those big box stores, you need a tiny backstreet operator who’ll do you a deal to save money. Try and get an all-in price. You’ll need someone with you who knows what you want. An upgradeable motherboard, a fast processor, large hard drives, broadband, if we can hack it, modems and restricted use, if not. E-mail accounts, cleverly disguised in false names, fake log-ins, passwords, piece of piss, really”.

She looked up to find five pairs of eyes staring at her, totally bemused. Ron spoke first, “There’s a kid. He was at Hogwart’s and ran as it closed. He works part-time in a phone shop, chipping phones, he’s a bit of a genius. He’s nicked us all the communal mobiles. He’s only fourteen, a third year Ravenclaw, Ibrahim, you need to speak to him, ‘Mione. ‘Cos it sounds like you’re the person we need for all this”.

She smiled shakily at them all, “Just don’t let me near any money, then, although I could really do with Jose’s help. She’s a fuckin’ genius. She taught me all I know”. Ginny’s hold tightened slightly at this, a small pang of jealousy curling in her gut. She ignored it.