"Yes, he wouldn't be able to tell Voldemort, but it would've been easy enough for Riddle to have him followed. When Snape vanishes you know the general area where the place is," Harry explained his thoughts.
"You really think it might be Snivellus?" Sirius asked.
"Got a better explanation for three Death Eaters being around there?"
Sirius couldn't answer because Tonks entered the room at that time.
"Exciting morning Harry?" Tonks asked.
"You could say that," Harry replied.
"I should have waited there and walked with you, but I was needed..." Tonks started to apologize.
"No one could have anticipated what happened Tonks," Hermione said. "We're fine; we can take care of ourselves."
"So I heard. Shack said you two took down the two Death Eaters," Tonks said.
"There were three, but Sirius handled the third," Harry said nodding over at his godfather. "Yaxley was the..."
"Yaxley?" Tonks exclaimed. "As in..."
"Yeah that one," Sirius said. "That's why you're here. If he's a Death Eater then this whole department is going to have to be scrutinized before people are trusted. Hell I remember him when I was an Auror. Just a clerk then."
"This might be a stupid question," Harry started, "but why not just have everyone roll up their sleeves? If they have the mark then they're Death Eaters."
"Not that simple," Sirius explained. "Wished it was though. We got lucky with Yaxley, he didn't have time to mask his mark," Seeing the confusion on Harry and Hermione's face he continued. "They, I mean the Death Eaters have a spell, unfortunately undetectable, that can mask their mark. That's why we never knew about Peter. Most of them wear the mark with pride and don't like to mask it unless they have to."
"Then why do what you did at the press conference," Hermione asked. "Bare your arm I mean?"
"Because most people don't know about masking. If they see a bare arm they presume the person's not a Death Eater," Sirius replied. "It was an easy way to get people in the mindset that I am innocent. Notice that Amelia didn't just take my bare arm as proof did she?"
"True."
"Moody told me that You-Know-Who also marked innocents," Tonks said.
"He did, well not real marks but impossible to tell the difference. Caused all kinds of confusion in the last war," Sirius replied. "People would find themselves wandering around with no memories of anything happening, but they'd have Dark Mark on their arms. It became hard to tell the innocents from the Death Eaters. Still a lot of people out there who aren't Death Eaters but carry what appears to be the mark."
"How did Shack know Yaxley didn't have one of those?" Hermione asked.
"All Ministry employees who were marked like that had to be registered," Sirius explained. "Yaxley would never have been promoted if he had one."
An hour passed before the door opened, but it was not Madam Bones. Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway looking at six wands pointed at him.
"Well Harry," The Headmaster started. "I hope you can now see why I took the measures I did to protect you. It is not too late for you to return to your Aunt's home."
"Over my dead body Albus," Sirius replied. "How did those Death Eaters know where to be?"
"I'm only thinking of Harry's well-being Sirius," Dumbledore replied. "As for how, I do not know. I hope Severus might be able to shed light on that."
"Did it ever occur to you that Snape might have tipped them off?" Harry asked. "He is in the Order and that is the Order Headquarters and he would know I'm there. He might not be able to tell them exactly where, but he could sure as hell tell them the neighborhood."
"Harry, you must see past your differences with Professor Snape. He has my utmost confidence."
"Well Snivellus doesn't have mine," Harry replied coldly.
"Harry please, this isn't like you," Dumbledore said.
"It is very much like me sir, I care for those I love," Harry replied. "You can tell your Potions Master that if I ever find out he was the one who almost got Hermione killed, Voldemort won't be the only one to die by my hand."
Dumbledore's eyes widened for the briefest of time before he regained himself. Then what appeared to be a look of understanding appeared on his face as he gazed at Harry. He turned to the others in the room. "Would it be possible for me to have a word with these two alone?" He asked motioning to Harry and Hermione.
"No way Albus," Sirius replied.
"I was told to protect them sir," Tonks said hesitantly.
"I understand, but you can wait just outside," Dumbledore explained. "You don't think any harm will come to them while they are in my protection do you?"
Harry was curious to what Dumbledore wanted to tell them and nodded to Sirius, Neville and Luna.
"Fine, but just so you know, if Harry suddenly decides going to the Dursleys is a good idea or something else that I know he is against, I won't rest..." Sirius didn't finish the rest of the threat. "You already know that I don't necessarily trust you."
"What? Wait, why?" Tonks asked.
....
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