Chapter 1

The Bearded Man

January's chill was crisp with a stinging bite. As Terry Yale walked down the sidewalk he pulled on the collar of his coat. Terry usually didn't take to London's streets late at night, but he couldn't sleep. Too much was happening, too much was on his mind and he was constantly vigilant. For an Auror, vigilance was a good thing, a skill that was greatly encouraged. But the negative side was an overactive mind, restless and unrelenting when the rest of his body was tired. So he took a walk. The leisurely pace was consoling but the bite of the cold was bitterly uncomfortable. Instead, Terry felt he was more awake than ever. The street lamps to his side, poorly illuminated the sidewalk. Hardly any lights shone through closed shades on the windows of the homes to his right. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw it; the green flash. His focus suddenly snapped like a hunting dog catching a scent. In the distance, voices could be heard. Across the street, behind the cover of trees and a brush-grown gate, was a park, emitting with the sounds of struggle. Terry sprinted into action, striding across the black street to the gate. Stopping at the black, metal bars he paused and listened. Cracks and pops filled the air, laced with an occasional growl and groan. He quickly gripped the top intersecting bar of the gate and heaved himself over it. He dropped into a roll on the grass, whipping his wand from the sheath strapped under his shoulder beneath his coat. Upon emerging from his roll, his hazel eyes had only a second to process the duel before him. Standing over the crumpled figure of a man was another, tall and broad. His long coat swayed around his shins as rotated his attacks at any of the four, dark clothed men that approached. Each of them were vicious with their attacks, waving their wands about, launching blasts from deadly spells. Terry noticed as the tall man blocked a curse from one of the attackers, the man behind him sharply whipped his wand. With deadly accuracy, Terry jabbed his wand in the attacker's direction casting a blast of red energy. The attacker was instantly thrown off his feet and flung across the park. Terry redirected his next spell to another black, robed attacker. From underneath the hood of an attacker, a silver masked face turned his direction, confirming his suspicion. Death Eaters. The dark wizard took a step towards Terry, wand held aloft over his hooded head. The blinding green jet of light surged at him but Terry sent it away with a flick of his wrist. The Death Eater persisted but Terry dodged the second attack before sending a spell of his own. The Death Eater was stunned to the ground, landing hard on his back. His hood dropped from his head, revealing long blonde hair bound in a tail. Before Terry could attack any further, the man suddenly twisted then popped into thin air.

"On your left," bellowed a strong, broad voice. Terry turned just in time to watch one of the Death Easters charge his way. The dark wizard haphazardly threw curse after curse. Terry deflected them using his own wand, with pristine technique. The tall, long jacketed man cast a spell from behind, knocking the Death Eater off his feet. Terry swerved from the tumbling wizard's path then searched about the dark, openness of the park. The final standing Death Eater looked to both Terry and the other man before suddenly launching straight into the air in a plume of black smoke. Terry watched the Death Eater's trail arch away in the night sky.

"Oh no he doesn't," Terry growled. He took off again, ignoring any gruff words coming from the tall man behind him. Terry clambered over the gate again and threw himself from the top, planting his feet firmly on the road. He watched the Death Eater's smoking trail streak just above the sidewalk. It didn't matter how strange this was, Terry went for it, following after in the cold night air. Terry's breathing ran ragged as he chased relentlessly. A mist hung eerily in the cold air, shrouding the strange activity from on looking muggles. His focus on the raging gust of darkness surging down the street was broken as it suddenly turned sharply around the corner. Within seconds, Terry darted around into the alley, splashing in a puddle without care as he ran. Still in a fully fledged sprint, he unexpectedly crashed into the fence which blocked the alley in half. He spun around, scanning furiously to catch a glimpse of his quarry. Terry quickly raised his wand but was unable to utter a word. The gust of darkness violently swooped down from above and materialized into a grizzly man. Shrouded in a dark, grime ridden robe while glaring at him with a ravening mad stare, Terry choked from the tight seizing grip from the man's dirt encrusted hand on his throat. He returned a vicious glare as the man jabbed his wand into his temple.

"You're in over your head there, meddling in other people's business," he said in a threatening growl. The man's breath was rancid. Terry tried to force an insult through his constricted windpipe but only managed a gurgling snarl. As the man cackled, Terry spotted a figure down at the edge of the alley. Careful not to attract the man's attention, Terry only acknowledged the figure from the corner of his eye. "Any last words?" the man taunted. Terry snapped his gaze to the tall man in the distance.

"Now!" he forced through the man's grip.

"Stupefy," bellowed the figure. His voice thundered in an echo down the high walls of the alley as a burst of glowing power soared in the air. The blast struck the man before he could turn and face his attacker. Terry allowed the fresh flow of air into his lungs, gasping in his struggle. He rubbed his neck gingerly as he watched the man slump onto the concrete ground of the alley with satisfaction. As Terry knelt beside the subdued man, he checked his vitals and rolled him onto his back. The other man approached him, his long billowing trench coat flowing from behind. His face was aged with creases gained only through an experienced life. Behind his bushy eyebrows were the bluest, sharpest eyes, eyes he'd seen before though couldn't quite pin down where. His face was full as was his build. His long ginger-greyed hair was pulled back into a horsetail. His entire jaw-line was submerged in a thick, trimmed beard. Had he not have came to Terry's rescue, he'd probably have mistaken him as another grisly hostile. The man stooped with a grin as he too inspected the subdued dark wizard.

"You know, what you did back there was rather handy," he said cheerily. "Name's Abe." A large hand was offered before Terry's face. Without hesitation, Terry grasped it and shook briskly.

"Terry Yale," he replied.

"Well Terrence, let's see who we have," Abe grunted as he shifted closer to the man. He reached into his coat and extracted a small palm-sized book. He opened it to a random page and touched the man's forehead with his wand. Terry glanced over Abe's shoulder and watched as a handwritten name magically scrawled across the page. "Aw, Warren Verris," Abe exclaimed. "Scrimigoure will be pleased." Terry frowned, wondering how the wizard knew of the tough as nails head of the Auror Department, Rufus Scrimigoure. "Terrence you're an Auror are you not?" he asked casually as he pocketed his book. Terry stared at Abe cautiously before answering.

"I am," he replied hesitantly.

"Thought you were, I've seen you about the Department," he said.

"Funny," Terry shot back. "Because I've never seen you before." Terry stood his ground defensively watching Abe with sudden alertness. Catching the young Auror's tone, Abe turned to glance over his shoulder.

"Calm down boy," he scoffed. "I'm no Death Eater. Though I applaud you're caution." Terry eased his rigid stance.

"Well with all these deaths and disappearances, we all need to be." Abe glanced back over his shoulder and fixed a surveying stare on him. Terry felt he recognized such scrutiny before but struggled in his mind to remember where. He then grinned at Terry through his beard. Terry's expression suddenly drooped into shock as he remembered the confrontation just minutes ago.

"The other guy, your pal, is he alright?" he asked with concern. Abe's grin then faded as he shook his head.

"No, he was killed. I already took care of his body," he assured him.

"I'm sorry," Terry mumbled.

"Don't be," Abe shot. "I'd be with him if you hadn't shown." Terry sighed. Another death and casualty to the war. Terry had graduated the final year at the Auror Academy only four years ago and had childishly high hopes for a quick end to the conflict, but like a plague, its darkness had only spread. Abe stood up finally and pocketed his wand as he cleared his throat.

"Well, if you'd excuse me, I've got to send this one away," he said as he grabbed Verris' arm and dragged him from the fence. "Good evening, Terrence." With that, both he and the incapacitated Death Eater folded into a morphed swirl and popped out of sight. A tiny wisp of a breeze kicked a discarded newspaper about from the resounding pop. Terry checked his watch on his wrist; 2:41. Terry surveyed the area around him to make sure he wasn't being watched before then disappaparating himself, leaving the alley way without a trace. A moment later, Terry appeared at the doorstep of his second floor apartment. He glanced around the hallway briefly before waving his wand at the lock on the door and stepping inside The moment the door was locked and closed, he shuffled to the couch against the wall and dropped onto the cushions. Though he shut his eyes, no sleep was ever going to fall over him that night