"Now, onto recent news!" Lee said. "Rapier?"
"If you've noticed a reduction in Ministry crackdowns over the past day and a half, then you're not alone!" said Fred. "It's not just your imagination; we've received reports from all over the country of known Death Eaters deserting their posts and leaving the difficult job of oppressing us to the Heliopaths Legion!"
"Though unconfirmed, we've received intelligence from a trusted source that Oleandra Greengrass has assassinated the Chief Death Eater!" George said. "So, it's probably safe to say you can remove her name from your list of known Death Eaters and their sympathisers!"
"While I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet, something certainly seems to have spooked the Death Eaters, and Oleandra and her friends seem to be at the centre of it all," said Lupin. "The Order of the Phoenix has already confirmed that the Rosiers have fled overseas, and that the Malfoys have gone into hiding."
"In other news, it seems the Goblins have revolted… again. Though, the story may be more complex than it first lets on," Lee went on. "This morning, The Daily Prophet reported that a fringe sect of extremist, human-hating Goblin terrorists was responsible for the terrible explosion that tore through St Mungo's in the early hours of yesterday morning, but some Healers claim that the Death Eaters had already evacuated the hospital when it happened. For their own safety, we'll keep the identities of the Healers who contacted us a secret."
"It's obvious to anyone with a functioning brain what the Death Eaters are trying to do!" said Fred. "It's clear they attacked the hospital themselves and framed it on the Goblins, to justify the brutal purge of Gringotts yesterday."
The truth was that Oleandra was responsible for the spell that had carved an enormous gash into St Mungo's, but she wasn't about to cry from the rooftops that she went around destroying hospitals.
"They're trying to divide us, to pit Wizards and Witches against Goblinkind, but we mustn't let them!" said George. "Divide and conquer is straight out of the Chief Death Eater's handbook, so, to any Goblins who might be listening… not all of us are your enemies!"
"The winds of changing are blowing," said Lupin. "But that being said… I urge our listeners not to take any unnecessary risks until we can confirm the Chief Death Eater's death. Those who have lived through the First Wizarding War will know this is not the first time he has faked his death to draw us out into the open."
"But in the meantime, now is the time for a spot of civil disobedience!" Fred added. "The Death Eaters aren't watching! Deface monuments! Have a party! Stun a Heliopath and lock them in your basement!"
"But don't kill them!" George added hastily. "They're just Muggle-Borns who have been brainwashed all their lives! They're just as much the victims as we are!"
"And that's about all the time we have tonight," Lee said. "Oh, right. Romulus, you wanted to pass along a few words to your wife?"
"You know the sound of my voice," Lupin said softly. "If you're out there… I'm sorry. Please come home soon, I miss you."
"Unless anything unexpected happens, we'll be back next week at the same time with another episode of Potterwatch. The next password will be 'Wolf Pup,'" Lee concluded. "Stay safe out there, but always keep an eye out for opportunities to undermine the Ministry. Good night!"
With the end of the broadcast, the radio went silent, the light behind its tuning panel gradually dimming until it went out.
"The roast is getting cold," Tracey said, slicing a hunk of meat and placing it on Oleandra's plate before ladling a generous portion of gravy and green peas beside it. "The meat will seize up, so eat up quickly!"
Deep in thought, Oleandra mechanically cut up the slab of meat placed in front of her while Tracey hungrily tucked into her own plate. It was just as well she hadn't gone after all; she hadn't planned on Lupin being at the broadcast, and with Tonks married to him, he would no doubt have realised she wasn't his wife after only a few words.
In fact, Oleandra found it quite a relief that Lupin had been there to act as a voice of reason and temper the Weasley twins' expectations. Voldemort now had everything he needed to restore himself, so it would have been disastrous if the Potterwatch broadcast had drawn Order of the Phoenix sympathisers out into the open when the Dark Lord inevitably returned to full strength.
The sounds of quiet mastication filled the room. Tracey had overcooked her roast a bit, and the meat was tough and hard to chew. In the future, Oleandra thought to herself, she'd have Spoopey cook for them. Or at least have her teach Tracey how to cook properly.
"…you're awfully quiet tonight," Tracey said after a while. "Is something you heard on Potterwatch bothering you?"
Oleandra dabbed her lips with a serviette, wiping off some gravy. Lupin's heart-wrenching message to his wife was haunting her, but she didn't want to talk about it. Instead, she opted to change the subject.
"Well, actually… I'm the one who brought down half of St Mungo's," Oleandra admitted. "Using your spell… or rather, the spell inspired by your idea. I finished it on my own in my spare time."
A long, long time ago, Oleandra had tasked the members of the Starshower Club to create a brand-new runic spell based on a constellation of their choice.
Initially obtained during his solo adventures in Nidavellir behind her back at the beginning of their fourth year at Hogwarts, Oleandra had stolen from Draco Malfoy's mind the Insigil of Lindorm, which she and the other girls had used to repel Voldemort at the conclusion of the Battle in the Department of Secrets. The spell was based on the Draco constellation.
Oleandra had invented the Aquamirror Epitomising the Stars, which she had created based on Aquarius, the Water Bearer constellation, and Daphne had created the Seven Sisters Strike, based on the Pleiades star cluster. As for the Grand Chariot that had carved a hole into St Mungo's… it had been Tracey's idea, but Oleandra had completed it for her.
"Oh, but I'm not saying you're to blame for me destroying half the hospital!" Oleandra said nervously. "It was the Death Eaters' fault for standing in the hospital when I fired my spell, really. Besides, they had already emptied it out beforehand, so no harm done, right?"
Tracey stared at her suspiciously.
"I'm sure you had your reasons, but…" her eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling you haven't told me everything yet?"
Oleandra's shoulders slumped.
"It's also sort of my fault that the Goblins are revolting… Well, they're always revolting to look at, so I suppose I should say, rebelling."
Tracey giggled.