Prologue
Author note: This story is the seventeenth in the Magical Flashpoint series. It follows "Anything for Family".
Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own Flashpoint, Harry Potter, Narnia, or Merlin.
The night was cold and rainy, Aurors' breaths misting as they moved into position to assault the small, one-story house. Ministry cursebreakers stood at each corner of the property, casting their spells in near unison; the wards of the house flickered, providing the only light in the damp, chill evening. The two primary assault teams, positioned on either side of the house, stood muttering amongst themselves, eyeing the house rather balefully.
With a final cast, the wards flared one more time, then died with a muted crack. The assault teams moved, one team ramming down the front door, the other demolishing the back door. Shouts of, "Aurors! Everyone down!" and, "Auror Strategic Response Unit! Hands in the air!" echoed around the house, bouncing between walls and back to the Aurors.
In another location, near to the now invaded house, but well hidden, a figure forced his two captives down the stairs of what looked like a crypt; one of the girls tried to scream for help and run, but the figure simply grabbed hold of the girl and dragged her along. The other girl tried to help, yelling at the figure to let them go, but the figure backhanded her into the wall and waited for her to get up, eyes glittering with glee at the terror the two girls were showing.
A tall, broad-shouldered Auror caught sight of something through the front window of the small house and departed, by himself, to check out what he'd spotted. He moved cautiously, but quickly, heading for a dim building on the adjacent property. As he reached the property, he crouched, his eyes going hard at the sight of blood drops on the steps leading downwards.
He descended into the darkness, the flashlight on his sidearm providing enough light to see by. The crypt had several sets of stairs, but they all led to the same location, a chamber close to two stories underground, with a macabre alter and grotesque statues. As he entered the chamber, he stepped on bones; looking down, he grimaced at the piles of small animal skeletons under his boots and around him. A flash of something that wasn't bones caught his eye and he turned, shining his flashlight onto what looked like clothing. Holding his breath, he approached, letting it out as two little girls looked up at him.
"Easy, girls, you're safe now," he soothed, getting close and taking a good look at the pair. Dirt and grime marked their little faces, blood spotting the older girl's face. The younger was frightened, but physically unharmed.
Movement made the big man whirl, bringing his gun back up, and he gaped at the figure that stood in front of him, malice in the figure's eyes and an odd, triumphant gleam. The figure smirked, lifting a wand with a single, casual motion.
"You."