Anathema nods. "...The one Sirius lent Dumbledore his old house for?"

Fay nods. "It's under the Fidelius now, like ours."

"One advantage to these meetings is having to hide less around the people at them - though we're still compartmentalizing a lot, in every direction."

"Makes sense. Are we talking about the Hallows?"

She shakes her head. "There's no need. Anyone you'll meet there will know about Sirius, at least - and Bellatrix and I talked it over, and we're going to reveal she's on our side and alive when we bring the Horcrux issue to them."

Nod.

"When are the meetings?"

"They vary, but they're mostly late in the evening or at night. The next one is one I requested, meeting this Saturday. It includes all the people Bellatrix and I feel should and can learn directly from us about the Horcruxes, and the meeting will be focused on those."

"So we'll go together?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Great."

"...How much are we telling them about - why we trust mom and all?"

"Talking about your relationship is up to you, but - we're focusing mostly on her desire to defect to our side."

"Which was because of me."

She nods a little. "Yes, but we don't have to present it that way, and we're hoping to keep the meeting focused on the results she's brought."

She bites her lip, nodding a little.

"So what story should we tell?"

"It depends on how much Anathema wants to share. I'm fully comfortable presenting Bellatrix's defection as due to her relationship with me, though."

"We're planning on hiding the way that Voldemort captured her from anyone who can't reasonably find that out themselves. It'd raise unnecessary questions, and presents a more complicated narrative."

"It would, but- people should know to be careful."

She nods a little. "That's true."

"So maybe we can find another way to bring that up? With the horcruxes and how he's using them to possess people but might not need a horcrux to subvert someone..."

She nods. "That's worth reminding people of at multiple meetings."

"That Voldemort can subvert people without possession is known, though, since he frequently did that in the last war - and Bellatrix will be speaking about her full experience to Dumbledore, Minister Bones, and Aurors Shacklebolt and Moody, in case there's any new information for them."

Nod nod.

" - Is telling the Ministry anything safe?"

"Amelia Bones isn't the entirety of the Ministry, and prior to her election she was peripheral to, though not part of, Dumbledore's group. She's about as trustworthy here as any politician could be - she won't necessarily like giving Bellatrix a full pardon, but she's acknowledged the value of doing so before, and she's receptive to restorative justice arguments."

"If you think it's a good idea, I trust you."

Anathema nods, slowly. "I do too. And I trust mom to handle herself..."