On the Turning Away

Early in the week, Nathaniel sent word to Gwen, asking if she could stop by his home in Los Angeles. There was no mention of the surveillance system, but the urgency in his words made it clear to her that he’d gotten her the supplies, and wanted them to be taken off his hands as quickly as possible. To have stated so in the letter would’ve been dangerous, had it been intercepted by Death Eaters or had his owl gotten into the hands of authorities who could potentially grow curious as to how he’d gotten in his hands on such expensive equipment. Gwen wasted no time in going to America. She grabbed her coat, along with an enchanted book bag, and held Nathaniel’s owl closely as she apparated them both to his home.

It wasn’t long before she was standing on his front porch. She took a moment to compose herself, to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and when she felt ready enough, she lifted her hand to the door and knocked twice. On the other side of the door, there was the stirring of life. Manuel was the one in the house area, having been sprawled out on the couch as he watched a Quidditch match from South America. When he heard the knock, he sat up, his head turning in the door’s direction. Had there really been a knock or was he imagining it? The three knocks that followed the previous two, answered his question. There was someone at the door. Slowly, he stood up, throwing on the grey shirt that he’d discarded when he’d plopped down on the couch, as he made his way towards the door.

Outside, Gwen glanced over her shoulder, her gray eyes filled with amazement as she took in the scene before her. There were people walking around, bright smiles adorning their faces as they laughed happily. Those people were so at peace, their faces so relaxed. They weren’t afraid of walking down the street. Not afraid that they might be kidnapped or killed. Los Angeles was a completely different world from England. In her native land, wizards and witches only stirred out of their homes if it was absolutely necessary. They seriously debated whether or not leaving their house to go to a shop to pick up groceries or cleaning supplies, was worth it. In the streets of England there was fear. In America there was laughter.

“That you, Gwen?” spoke Manuel when he opened the door.

“Hello Manuel.” She redirected her attention to the doorway. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“It is,” he agreed, stepping forward and wrapping her into a welcoming embrace. “How’ve you been?”

“As well as I can be,” she replied, following him into the house. “Here’s your owl. Nathaniel sent him to me and I figured I’d just bring him back instead of having him fly all the way back. Sorry for just showing up. Did he tell ya that I was stopping by?”

“Yeah, Nate did. Didn’t say it’d be today, but he told me to be on my guard, and to call him when you got in.” He closed the door behind him. “Come on; make yourself a home, while I go get him. He’s in the backyard, chopping a tree that’s been annoying him.”

“A tree, annoying him?” she asked.

Manuel nodded. “That’s the same look I gave him when he told me, but Nate get’s an idea in that head of his and won’t stop until he does it. Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you, I'm fine.”

“I'm gonna give you something to drink, so you might as well have a say as to what it is.”

Gwen had forgotten how friendly Manuel was. “Can I get some water, please?”

“I’ll be right back with the water and Nate.”

A seat was taken on the nearby couch, from there her eyes danced across the room. Their house was always surprisingly clean and tidy. Nathaniel had always been very tidy growing up, having helped his father keep, the house clean, but the same couldn’t be said for Manuel. Manuel hated cleaning inside. The dishes were his enemy, and sweeping and mopping made him shake his head. He preferred to cook and to keep their yard looking nice. Though, every once in awhile, Nathaniel meddled with the yard, saying that it would look better that way, but he only ever created a mess that Manuel would have to fix.

It wasn’t long before Nathaniel walked in. He was shirtless and sweaty, but despite that, there was still a bright smile on his face. He cared deeply for Gwen. She was the best friend that Adelaide had, and was watchful and considerate of his younger sister, whom he worried about.

“Knew you’d get here as soon as you got the letter,” he told her, smile still intact. “Here’s some water, Manny said you were thirsty.”

“Thank you.” She lifted the glass and took a sip.

Nathaniel wiped the sweat from his brow. “I hope you’re well. You look a little tired.”

“Everyone’s a little tired,” she replied. “But I'm fine, really. So is Adelaide. Her apartment’s really coming together very well. The security there is extraordinary.”

“It is,” he agreed, taking a seat, as well as motioning for hers to take one. “I think the security’s was put me at ease about her living over there. That and the fact that you’re over there,” he said.
“I know for a fact you’d lock her up in a closet if it meant keeping her safe.”

She chuckled. “I actually threatened her with doing that awhile back.”

“Did you have to do it?”

“No, thankfully no,” she rested her glass on her knee. “Nate, I'm truly grateful for what you’ve done for the cause. I know how serious it is to take government property.”

“I didn’t do it for the cause. Did it for you,” he told her. “Ada’s lost too many of her loved ones. And if I can help keep you safe, then I’ll gladly do it. As for the surveillance equipment, I’ve got them in my office. I took the finest set we had, which I hope will cater to your needs very well. With it, you don’t have to be at a close distance to hear what they’re saying. You can be miles off; it’s all very high tech. We’ve improved on the technology that our muggle counterparts at the FBI have. That reminds me, I’ve also gotten you a computer. It’s not new, but Manuel and I bought a new one for the house, so you can have our old one to use it for the surveillance.”

Gwen was taken aback by how much he’d done. All she’d expected from him was equipment, not for him to get her the best equipment out there as well as a computer, even if it was previously owned.

“I don’t know I can ever repay you for all this.”

“You don’t have to.” He reassured. “Just make sure to keep an eye on Adelaide. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, but sometimes she’s rash and I just don’t want her getting into trouble.”

“I give you, my word that I’ll keep her safe.”

“Thank you.” He stood from the couch. “I think we should head over to my office to get you your things. I’ve taken the liberty into putting everything in an enchanted box. You can shrink it and throw it in your bag, if you don’t want to be seen carrying it. Uh, if you have troubles with the computer, just bring it to us, Manny’s very handy when it comes to fixing them so he can have that checked out for you.” He stopped in front of a door and opened it. “Step right in. I’ve got your box on the desk. Right here,” he picked it up. “Here you go. Everything should be inside. Do you want to give it a quick double check?”

“No, I trust you.” that was one of the few times that she’d said it recently.

Nathaniel smiled. “Is there anything else I can help out with?”

“I couldn’t possible ask for you to do anything else. You’ve done more than enough for me as it is.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, softly. “Look, I don’t know how things are in war, we’ve not been in a wizard war in America for decades, but I'm sure things over there are incredibly difficult, and finding people to trust and confide in must be nearly impossible. I have resources here that can be of use. If need be. So if you ever need anything, anything at all, please don’t, hesitate, in apparating here at any hour or having Adelaide get in contact with me.”

“You Thirlby’s sure do have a knack for being helpful.”

“We’ve got our dad to blame for that.”

“Don’t think blame is the right word choice, I fancy I’d thank him for it.” Gwen took the box from him. “Reckon it’s time I head back to England. Have some plotting to do with a few gents.”

Nathaniel saw her to the porch, reminding her that they were always there for her. A few words of thanks were given to him, and then, she apparated back to the home she shared with her father. Henry was fast asleep when she walked inside, he’d started taking after naps, something that she thought was odd, but since he didn’t sleep much at night, it only made sense for him to sneak in an hour or two of sleep. His strange sleeping behavior would change soon. It all depended on whether or not the surveillance system was properly set up, because if everything went as planned, he wouldn’t be up most of the night, worrying about whether or not his daughter was going to come home alive.

As quietly as she could, she crept towards her room, careful not to bump anything or make any unnecessary noise that would wake him. Once inside, she set down her book bag, took the box out and returned it to its normal size. She stared at it with curious eyes. The contents of the box were going to change everything. They’d be able to spy on the Dolohov brothers from inside their own home, hear whatever they discussed, and witness whatever they did. She hoped that with the aid of the cameras and microphones, they would find out more about Ignatius Blishwick and learn information that could help end the war. The mere thought of England returning to what it once was brought a smile to her face. She’d love to see Diagon Alley’s streets bustling with people, to not worry when her father went to work in the mornings.

If she thought hard enough she could remember what Diagon Alley was like before Voldemort returned. Her recollections were hazy since she hadn’t been there since she left for America, but she could remember the smell, the liveliness of the shops, the ice cream shop her parents took her to whenever they ran errands there. She’d never really thought those instances were all that memorable, that was just what they did as a family, but now that her mother was dead, she appreciated those moments they’d shared. She was thankful that her parents had doted on her even when she acted like a typical teenager that just wanted her space. They’d given her memories that would get her through the hard times that lay ahead.

“I’ll avenge you, mum,” she whispered, tears stinging at her eyes. “I’ll make him pay for what he did to you, to dad . . . to me.” A sharp breath was taken, her emotions threatened to overpower her sense. “Focus,” she whispered to herself. “There’s equipment that needs expecting, letters that need writing. There’s no time for crying, no time.”

Crying was a luxury she could not afford. To dwell on her misery, when there was much to do would be selfish of her, reckless. Her mind was required elsewhere, her attention was necessary to the Order, her abilities a weapon at their disposal, she was at their command. The skills she’d picked up over the years were now there’s, so she had to be ready at all times, constantly prepared to fight, immersed in work, because every moment that passed, was a moment that Voldemort grew stronger. Gwen, now perfectly composed, began the careful process of taking out the equipment. There were ten cameras in total, each small enough to be inconspicuous, the microphones were even smaller than the cameras, they would be easier to conceal. She inspected each element, and then did a trial run, placing them all around her house so that she could see whether a clear image would appear on her computer screen, and if the sound would be clear.

The audio-visual quality was remarkable, infinitely better than what she’d expected it to be. She wasn’t sure as to how the camera and microphones worked, technology had never truly been a forte of hers, but she was content to know that the images and audio would be saved onto her computer, and that she and Remus would no longer have to brave the elements in order to watch the Dolohov brothers. They would now be able to do it from the comfort of her old playroom, which she had converted into a personal study that would do well as their base of operations.

After having checked and double checked all the equipment, Gwen pulled out a piece of parchment from her drawer, and began to scribble down a few lines for Remus. The note was brief, stating only that he should pay her a visit for tea, that she’d bought a new type that he might like. The note was folded, sealed, and sent off with her owl. It wasn’t long before Remus returned, looking ragged as ever, but in his eyes there was a glint of hope.

“Can it be true?” he asked her, following her up the stairs to her room. “Do you truly have it?”

“I do,” she replied, her own face relaying her excitement. “I’ve just finished inspecting all the elements in it. We have everything Remus, the cameras, the microphones, we even have a computer!”

“A computer?” he’d never seen that muggle contraption.

“Yes, it’s a muggle invention, and we can use it to view the video stream, as well as to hear the audio. It’ll also store all of that.” Gwen paused. “Have you truly never used a computer?”

“No, can’t say I have.”

“Right, well, I’ll show you how to properly use one. That way we can alternate being on it. I’ve placed the equipment in my old play room; I’ve turned it into a study area for us to work from. Unless you think there’s someplace else you wish to do the surveillance.”

“No, this is fine.”

“Brilliant,” she held the door open to the study. “This is us. I daresay it’s a lot cozier than the forest.”

“That it is. Also look, we’ve got chairs.”

“No more standing around for us,” she said pulling up a chair for him to sit. “Well, that’s if we manage to bug the house properly.”

“We will.” He reassured. “I’ve been thinking that it might be wiser for us to enlist the help of a few other Order members. Perhaps, Bill and I believe it would be wise of us to enlist Dumbledore for this particular mission. That way if something were to go wrong, we would have him to fall back on.”

“I suppose it would be wise to have him there, just in case. But Bill?” she said his name, questioningly. “Do you really think he’s up for that? Surveillance is one thing, but actually fighting against them, well, I don’t know if he’s at that level.”

“Have you forgotten what happened in the highlands? Bill proved himself there.”

She didn’t want to admit that he had. Being around him put her on edge.

“I think Evangeline would be a better fit. Her combat style is swift, she didn’t second guess her actions, and not to mention, she has more experience.”

“That may be so, but Evangeline is spending her evenings patrolling the village that was attacked.”

“So Bill?” she said after quite sometime.

“Bill,” he agreed. “He already knows the terrain, which makes him ideal in case a fight breaks out and we find ourselves forced to scatter. We’ll discuss the particulars of the matter, where we’ll be placed and all that, once we develop a plan of attack, as well as a diversion to get them out of their house. It’ll be quite the endeavor.”

“Yes, quite,” agreed Gwen. “But it’ll be tolerably manageable.”