The streets darkened as the night progressed. From an aerial view the only light visible in this small deserted town was a solitary street lamp that had not yet gone out. The light flickered threatening to let go of the little light it had left. In it's dimness two figures flew down and landed on the damp concrete. The air smelled of scorched flesh and the rain that had put out the fire. One of the figures sniffed in disgust.
"I'll never get use to this." He said to his counterpart. The other man grunted in agreement and lit his wand to peer into an abandoned store front. The broken windows and splintered door frame were nothing compared to the stale decomposing corpses that lay inside.
"We're getting closer." said the first man looking down at a fresh blood streak on the ground that hadn't yet been washed away by the rain. The second man bent down to examine it. He brushed the place with his finger and looked at the blood that he had picked up.
"A day or so, this was from yesterday at the very least." The first man shivered.
"I can't wait to finish this, Rookwood is starting to piss me off. "The second man stood up.
"I know Gideon, we'll get him."
"Fabian, this is the third town that's been destroyed. I don't think he's the only one responsible for this." Fabian nodded.
"I don't think so either but it's hard to tell 'cause he is capable of this on his own." He said, Gideon growled at this. They had been tracking Rookwood and a group of death eaters for at least a month and even with the demolished muggle towns he was still untraceable. One of the things that was new however was the blood streak. This meant that the person was able to struggle. With Rookwood it was just kill, maybe ruthlessly but just plain and disgusting murder. So whoever struggled it wasn't against Rookwood.
"Who do you reckon, Mulciber?" Fabian asked as they continued on their way along the blood strewn, death ridden streets.
"Maybe." Gideon said as they passed a lamp post with a body hanging from the wiring. "That..." He said. "...is Avery's work." He said pointing at the body with his wand. Fabian sniffed again as he looked at what Gideon was pointing at. Avery was one of the more ruthless Death eaters along with Rookwood. He wouldn't just kill his victims but he would put them in a position where he could just stand back and watch them struggle for their life. Like hang them from a pole or have them drawn and quartered and all of this as slow as possible. The slow and painful death, Avery's specialty. They heard a groaning from a few feet away. Fabian increased the light from his wand to look for the source of the noise.
"There." Gideon said pointing over at a man who was trying to move but obviously couldn't. Gideon and Fabian rushed over to him to find that the man couldn't move because of the fact that he had no legs and when Gideon bent down to the man found that he had no eyes. The man jerked violently to try and get away from Gideon.
"Sir, sir, please try to be calm." Gideon said to the man. The man was shaking but seemed to understand that Gideon was not going to hurt him. "What's your name sir?" Gideon asked.
"N-N-Norman, Norman Banks."
"Okay Norman, can you tell me if you saw any of the people who did this?" Norman began to shake more violently.
"Workin' in the bar here..." Norman said pointing at the wall that he was sitting up against. "...some man, a stranger came in...askin' for people willin' to play cards..." Norman broke off panting. Fabian materialized a glass of water and handed it to Gideon who gave it to the man.
"Here drink." Norman took it gratefully. When he finished the cup he seemed to be more calm.
"The man got a couple people to play...poker I think, he didn't say what kind 'til the first person lost...then he…he killed them." The man held the cup up and Gideon refilled it. As the man drank Gideon asked.
"Did you see anyone else?" The man stopped drinking apparently in thought.
"The man who came in grabbed me he and handed me to a man outside...thin, scruffy and short brown hair." Fabian put a hand on Gideon's shoulder making him look up.
"Amycus?" Fabian asked.
"Sounds like it, unless you thinks it's Wilkes." Gideon replied.
"Who's the cards man?" Fabian asked, Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have to ask, Rookwood." Fabian nodded and Gideon turned back to the man.
"...Three men that I could hear...their were more I think though...heard another man say they was gonna sleep soon and then continue but needed to check out a big house...scratchy voice he had...then, then...my eyes..." Norman broke off.
"That's Amycus, explains the mans condition." Fabian said, Gideon nodded without looking up.
"Okay, Norman we're gonna get you some help." Norman nodded weakly. "Don't move." Gideon ordered. The two men waved their wands and the man disappeared to St. Mungo's.
"That was sloppy of Amycus." Gideon said. "You'd think he would be more careful not to leave a survivor, how many people is that?"
"Well Avery..." Fabian said pointing over at the light. "...then the cards men."
"Rookwood." Gideon said.
"Right, then a scruffy, short brown-haired man with a scratchy voice." Fabian continued.
"Amycus."
"Okay and then Mulciber, maybe." Fabian finished.
"So that's four." Gideon said. "Nobody's much of a leader in that group."
"Do you expect death eaters need a leader to provide You-Know-who with mass murder? Fabian retorted, Gideon rolled his eyes in defeat of this concept.
"Did Amycus say that they were going to sleep before continuing?" Gideon asked, Fabian nodded. "Where?"
"I don't know, "big house" maybe." Fabian said referring back to their informant. Gideon and Fabian continued to walk along the street. Their pace quickening as they brushed past the dead town. They made it to the edge of the town without seeing any other survivors. Beyond where they stood were just farms and fields that were also in the death eaters path and were scorched black. Fabian scanned the landscape before them and spotted a large farm house that obviously had been edited to fit the rusty grandeur of a death eater.
"The big house." Fabian said looking over at his brother. Gideon however was still focused on the house, Fabian looked again to see a figure walking the perimeter of it. The reason that Gideon was so focused on the man was he had appeared to have stopped which usually means.
"GET DOWN!" Gideon yelled as a spell shot their way. The blast of red light hit a tree behind them and instantly burst into flame. There were shouts and calls by the house waking whoever was in it. Before the brother's could move four cracks circled them reveling Rookwood, Avery, Amycus and Selwyn.
"Four." Gideon said softly to his brother at his back. Then a fifth crack landed a large plum of smoke only a few feet from Fabian. Fabian stared as the smoke cleared reveling Antonin Dolohov the smoke drifted off his shoulder's as he walked towards Fabian.
"Oh, should've known." Fabian said nudging his brother who looked quickly to see who he was talking about.
"Took you long enough." Dolohov said. "We thought we had lost you for a moment back there."
"You would have if you hadn't started getting sloppy." Fabian answered.
"Sloppy?" Dolohov repeated.
"Yeah, your friend Amycus left a survivor." Dolohov looked over at Amycus.
"Don't look at me like that." Amycus snapped. "It was Avery's." Dolohov growled and looked over to Avery.
"Quit pinning things on me!" Avery snapped at Amycus. "I'm not sloppy, I take care of your mistakes!" He looking back at Dolohov.
"Shut up you morons! We have a job to do." Selwyn barked. Fabian could feel Gideon tense in expectation of attack. Dolohov looked back over to Fabian.
"Time to die then, eh?" Dolohov questioned jokingly.
"After you." Fabian replied coldly. At this a string of spells echoed through the mountains and into the town as the brothers moved quickly out of the death eaters circle. They ran backwards back down into the charcoal remains of the town. Gideon dodged a blast of red light from Dolohov.
"Is that the best you've got!" He shouted at the advancing death eater. Gideon blocked a shot that Fabian missed, dodging a green light as he did so. Purple, green, red, blue filled the sky as the battle raged on. Now the brothers were no longer backing away but pressing forward. A mix of red and green light missed Fabian as he fell backwards to avoid it. Returning to his feet only to block another red light.
"Come on, give it to me!" Fabian screamed shooting a stream of red blasts at Rookwood. Rookwood sneered at him.
"Animaga Flamara!" He shouted and a blast off fire exited his wand transforming into a flaming falcon, which shot at Fabian. But before it hit him he yelled.
"Aguamenti Maxima!" And the fiery bird went out instantly. Dolohov's purple jet of light zig-zagged it's way past Gideon.
"Crucio!" Gideon shouted, hitting Selwyn in the chest. The man's enormous body size seemed to damper the effects slightly, because it only made him stop for a moment before continuing to attack.
"Confringo!" Amycus shouted pointing his wand at a pillar that was behind Fabian.
"Watch out!" Gideon cried, knocking his brother out of the path of the pillar, which in turn snagged his leg making him hit the ground. "AAAAHH!" he screamed as he tried to pull away from another pillar which was going to hit him straight on. It was blasted away by Fabian who blast that and the other pillar to allow Gideon to get up.
"Crucio!" Yelled Avery hitting Fabian in the back as he helped his brother. Fabian screamed in pain but continued to attack without pause. Avery was taken-aback by this as a jet of red shot his way, he jumped away from it summer salting onto the ground then onto his feet again. Avery was standing next to Dolohov now. Gideon shot a cruciatus curse at Dolohov who pulled Avery in front of him as a shield. Selwyn laughed at Avery who was shaking at the impacted of the spell he scowled at Dolohov.
"Grow a back bone." Dolohov growled at him. Amycus was laughing as he began to back Fabian into a wall away from his brother, shooting spell after spell at the man. Laughing madly.
"Having fun!?" Rookwood yelled at him.
"Why? Aren't you?" Amycus shouted back. Rookwood grinned.
"Absolutely!" He replied shooting a few killing curses at Gideon, who was off the ground now but limping slightly.
"Crucio!" Dolohov yelled and hit Gideon straight in the chest.
"AAHHH!" Gideon screamed.
"Gideon!" Fabian yelled. Gideon found himself on his knees but continued to fight. He returned fire at Dolohov who dodged it, hitting Avery in the groin.
"ooo...shit that's gotta hurt!" Yelled Amycus who turned to watch Avery crumple to the ground, losing focus on his target. Fabian used this to his advantage.
"Expeliarmus!" Amycus' wand flew backwards into the dark. Amycus growled and pulled out a very dull, rusty blood stained knife. "
"Expeliarmus!" Fabian yelled again this time at the knife not effecting it. A spell blocking it of release from his hand. Amycus threw it hitting Fabian in the shoulder, Fabian yelled in pain shouted.
"Petrificus Totalus!" He shouted making Amycus fall to the ground. Panting Fabian continued to aid Gideon as the other four death eaters advanced on them.
"Avada Kedavra!" Shouted Rookwood. The spell hit the stone right between the brothers heads blasting the wall apart making both the men fall to the ground, bloody gashes in their faces from the exploding rock wall. They both returned to their feet not long after, keeping the death eaters at a distance away for no chance of close attack. Selwyn unfroze Amycus who retrieved his wand and continued to advance with the others.
"Rip Intripcus!" Dolohov shouted. A jagged jet of purple zig-zagged past Gideon's shield charm hitting him straight in the stomach.
"AAAHHHHH!!!" Gideon yelled in pain hitting the ground on all fours spewing out blood.
"Gideon!" Fabian yelled, watching his brothers blood hit the cold stone ground. In the split second that Fabian had turned to see his brother fall he heard Avery yell.
"Sectum Sempra!" He turn at the sound of the spell trying to block a second to late. The spell hit him in the eye, blasting it out of his head. He screamed clutching his face where his eye had been.
"Fabian!" Gideon cried now rising from the ground and walking towards Avery. Shooting spell after spell to him and all other spells blocked as Gideon drew closer to his target. When he was right in front of Avery both wizards transformed their wands to swords battling it out with Selwyn also attacking Gideon with spells as he fought with Avery. It was clear that Gideon had the advantage, slicing Avery's ear off after only a few moments of their fight. Gideon ducked at a swing and being low at Avery's middle he spun slicing the mans stomach and as he stood he finished his spin by cutting off Avery's head, his wand returned to normal. As Gideon turned he was hit in the stomach again with Dolohov's purple lit curse making him fly backwards hitting a smoldered tree dazing him for a moment. Fabian disapparated and apparated next to Gideon so he could shield him, but Rookwood anticipated where Fabian was going to apparate to and shot a killing curse at him. The words Avada Kadavra flew threw the air as it hit Fabian in the chest and in a flash of green light he fell limp onto Gideon's lap. Gideon's eyes widened at what he was failing to believe he had just witnessed, but seeing Fabian's glazed sightless eye's staring up at him he snapped from his shock and into sorrow. He screamed and as he could not get up from the weight of his dead brother on his lap, he fought viciously from the ground. Red, green, red, green, red, red, red shot out at the four remaining death eater who were advancing up the small hill to the tree and the men beneath it.
"Sectum Sempra!" Rookwood shouted hitting Gideon's raised hand. He yelled in pain as his fingers were instantly scattered with deep cuts.
"Accio!" Selwyn yelled pointing at Gideon's wand before he could pick it back up. Gideon lay there his brother in his lap as he watched the death eaters walking slowly through the newly falling rain towards him. His eye's closing the death eaters surrounding him Dolohov in front. Gideon suddenly pulled the knife that was still imbedded in his brothers shoulder and slashed Selwyn's ankle. The wizard who was standing next to him and was the most accessible from his spot. The man yelled in pain but kicked the knife from Gideon's hand.
Gideon's face was covered in blood. From the blood which had been spilling out of his mouth and was continuing to do so. His pants were torn and his leg was broken where the pillar had landed on him. His hair sticking together in clumps from the cut on the back of his head where he had hit the tree and of course his hand which really no longer resembled one. His eye's heavy from the impact to the tree the weight of his brother crushing his broken leg. All in all he really should have been dead already. He watched Dolohov break his wand and toss it onto his brother's chest.
"Time to die, eh." He said. Gideon smiled no trace of sarcasm in it, just a genuine but sad smile.
"Nice weather for it." He said softly, blood spurting from his mouth with every word. He heard Dolohov chuckle and then heard the last words he would hear. The flash of green light lit up the dark clouded sky, followed by the Dark Mark to hold the place of mayhem and death. One by one the death eaters departed with four loud cracks.
The rain fell down upon a smoldering, ruined muggle village somewhere in London's green country. Washing away the Mud and blood from the stone streets, knocking down the stubborn pub which had been refusing to fall. Transforming the grass hills to muddy lumps among the fields. Cooling the previously burning tree to then drip onto the bodies of two men, washing away the blood which covered their faces. Making artificial tears run down Gideon's face and into his already soaked robes.
Later the glow of the Dark Mark would be gone and the small town would be re-built. As for the now forever sleeping men. They were returned to their family to be wept over and then buried.
"They will be remembered." Says one boy, trying to comfort a girl tearing over her two deceased brothers.
"They will?" She asks looking up at him, her face red and wet.
"Oh, yes…" He says. "…always." A man standing next to the two. One bright blue eye wizzing around in it's socket, part of his nose missing and a wooden leg clears his throat.
"Gideon and Fabian Prewett two of the greatest wizards of their time and died like heroes."