User: confusion_fall (posted by ministrymadness) Date: 2010-01-02 14:15 Subject: Waiting, waiting, and more waiting. New Year's Eve. Security: Public Mood: anxious

Kingsley Shacklebolt wanted the holidays to be over: for the last three weeks he had been stalking around the Ministry, attending secret meetings, mobilizing both Aurors and Order members, sifting through intelligence, and waiting. The waiting was killing him. Three weeks ago, the Ministry got wind of a Death Eater plot. They didn't hear specifics, just that it was going to be something new and something big during the holidays.

Officially, the Ministry wasn't taking the rumor seriously, not enough evidence. Unofficially, Amelia Bones, Kingsley, and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement had met privately to discuss the possibilities. Kingsley told the others that he'd handle the security concerns, providing the Minister an opportunity to let the Order do its work without acknowledging that it existed. She agreed to sort the clean up, if any was needed, and Magical Law Enforcement was tasked with providing backup.

Kingsley had spent most of Christmas holed up in the Order's "command center" at the Burrow, waiting. Nothing had happened and the waiting continued until New Year's Eve. With Tonks and Ginny, he'd prepared a sizable list of possible New Year's Eve targets. Each target had a magical sensor placed on it that would alert them if the Death Eaters used dark magic nearby.

The Burrow was the launching ground for all Order activity. Kingsley was in charge of this mission because it required close work with the Ministry and McGonnagall couldn't be seen at the sight of a Death Eater attack if it became a public spectacle. In the command center room, Ginny was tasked with directing "traffic", using an enchanted map of Britain that allowed her to monitor the status and location of Order members, Aurors, and key Wizards, Witches, Muggles, and potential targets. She was also armed with a large mirror for communiques.

Other Order members waited patiently (or not so patiently) at the Burrow for engagement orders.

"Alright, listen up people, it's getting close to midnight. If we get the word that an attack is underway, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Ronald, and I will be the first wave in. Ginevra will then signal the Ministry who should arrive about two minutes later. The remainder of the Order will be on standby in case we lose containment or receive multiple attacks. Remember, minimize contact with Muggles and Ministry officials. We don't want to make it more difficult than necessary to cover our tracks. Questions?"