The Resolution
- Chapter Two -
The Aurors headquarters within the Ministry of Magic was pleasantly populated that night.
A group of off-duty Aurors had gathered at the long conference table to file paperwork (which undoubtedly, had to be their least-favourite part of the job). Their coffee mugs were strewn across the vast table along with countless papers. They chatted quietly to alleviate the tediousness of the work, with the scratching of quills interrupting their conversation every so often.
Another middle aged Auror sat in a nearby office, he glanced every so often at his colleagues, but mostly continued to murmur softly to himself. He gently flicked the pages of one of the many case files he had before him, his dark brown eyes drinking in every shred of information. They flicked tirelessly across the pages. His mousy hair was messy from his discarded cap, and his navy blue robes were rumpled against his thin frame.
He barely heard the oncoming footsteps.
"Austin?"
The Auror startled – wand suddenly at the ready. He looked up to see the twinkling eyes of the Hogwarts Headmaster, and realized he had his wand pointed directly at the heart of the tall warlock.
"Merlin, you spooked me, Professor Dumbledore." Austin shook himself, and quickly stowed his wand in the pocket of his robes. He rubbed his face tiredly, and rose to greet him properly.
Dumbledore chuckled, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Being an Auror makes you jumpy, does it not?"
Austin smiled wanly. "You've no idea, sir."
"Come, take a break." The headmaster gently guided the man from his office doorway to the other Aurors.
"I was looking for Alastor…" the headmaster trailed off. "But pulling you away from that dreadful paperwork seems to be my new goal. Besides – " Dumbledore smiled, "Alastor is probably avoiding this filing work in favour of a nice glass of Firewhiskey."
Austin laughed softly, and the other Aurors who now sat before them smiled broadly at the Headmaster as he guided their comrade over.
Dumbledore was always a welcome sight of reassurance and justice at the headquarters.
They rose, some setting down cups and others making a few final notes before coming to greet him.
A stout wizard came up first, grinning at his old headmaster. "Hello sir, we- " The man froze – his typically open expression, growing slack. Caution and a glint of worry shone in his eyes. His mouth was open with words he had failed to say, and his tanned skin growing slightly pale. He stared over Dumbledore's shoulder, his wand slowly materialising out of his robes.
The Headmaster turned, eyebrows raised quizzically.
The telltale glowing light of a Patronus was filling the room, and the noise of an unsettled scuffle of Aurors tensing and pulling their wands out to point at the odd glow.
A shape of an animal appeared – a wolf. It's silvery tail of light following it. It paced the room urgently, ears tipped back in fear and bright eyes wide.
A soft, rough voice filled the silence: "We've been captured. Fleetrock Forest. I repeat, we've been captured. It's the Hanleys."
The wolf stopped to stare at the Aurors before abruptly being snuffed out.
The desperation of the quiet, feminine voice reverberated in the room.
"…Fleetrock… Near the place we've been watching? Where the damn cloaked psychos have been going?" A muscular wizard snarled suddenly. He slammed the table with a huge hand, and disappeared with a sudden crack.
"Oh my…No…" a young female Auror whispered incoherently. She suddenly apparated.
"Alert the others!" her partner snapped. He too, was gone from the conference room.
Austin breathed in a shaky breath before turning to the still, tall frame of Dumbledore beside him. "I've heard of them…The Hanelys I mean. I'll go tell the rest of us." He moved quickly – rushing to the doorway. Before apparating he turned to the old Headmaster, his gaunt face was serious. "Are you going –"
A crack resonated.
Dumbledore was already gone.
He appeared in a dark forest… Or what was left of a forest. Trees were strewn across the ground. He deftly moved around the sad shape of many broken saplings, travelling to where the dancing light of wands aglow lay ahead.
His periwinkle robes stirred the leaves ever so slightly. He came to a great oak and was met by a troubled, young female Auror.
"Dalhousie," he addressed her softly, "where have they gone?"
She shook her head, trembling slightly with emotion and her blonde locks swayed. She looked up to the great man before her. His eyes were a cold blue flame – like gas on a burner. His face was illuminated by the moon, so that his pained expression was evident.
"We heard them disapparate as soon as we showed up…" she said bitterly.
Dumbledore's piercing eyes surveyed the bodies that were clumped across the forest floor.
Some – if not all, were cloaked figures: Dark Wizards that were undoubtedly killed by the Hanely family.
He recognized the mangled body of Richard Hanely to his right. His body was slumped, defeated. It was clear they had ruined his dignity before his death.
He grimaced slightly at the sight of Alexis Hanely gripping her dead son. She wasn't too far off from her husband. Just like in her school days, they were never too far apart. Even now, in death, her face was the mask of defiance, just as it was then. She clutched her dead boy even when she was dead herself. He stared blankly from her iron grip.
Dumbledore ripped his gaze away, and moved slowly on… Moving around the bodies of men.
He saw two girls – judging by their fighting suits to be Hanelys – laying together not too far from an immense oak.
He sighed softly and moved towards them. Dalhousie followed, watching with subdued horror.
The cracks of more Aurors apparating resounded through the forest. The calls and gasps of people discovering the scene becoming a hum as more of them came to help the distress call.
Dumbledore shook his head in deep sadness as he saw the still form of one of the girls. Her light brown hair was splayed across the leaves. Her springy curls, so familiar to Dumbledore because she had inherited them from her mother, his former pupil, were dripping blood. Her still form was intertwined with who he presumed to be her sister.
Their hands were locked.
This girl, her sister, had deep brown hair like her father. It was pulled into a dishevelled braid. She gripped her sister with a strange ferocity. While her light haired sibling's face seemed peaceful – a faint smile on her bloodied lips and her wide blue eyes staring blankly at her sister – the dark haired girl's face was contorted with pain and determination. Her eyes seemed to be squeezed in concentration, and her mouth took in a shaky breath.
She was tense. Her muscles tightened, and locked as if to receive a blow.
Dumbledore stared in wonder as she moved ever so slightly. She pulled in yet another wretched breath and squeezed her dead sister's hand. The bones of her knuckles were a stark white. The girl turned her beaten head to look up at Dumbledore, who felt a fierce respect for this young woman taking hold of him.
Her eyes widened as she saw him – the same striking blue as her mother. He smiled ever so slightly at her.
"You came," she breathed softly.
He nodded to her calmly. Her eyes closed, and she lolled to the side. Once again she was focused entirely on her breathing.
He kneeled down beside her. This little fighter… This pint-sized survivor…
Dalhousie, who had stood quietly watching this unfold in front of her with wonder, had begun to run to the others. "She's alive! The daughter is alive!"
The Aurors who were pulling back the cloaks and prodding at the bodies of the wizards, erupted in cheers, followed by a wave of questions.
"Rowan's alive?" one of the older Aurors cried delightedly.
There was a sudden burst of conversation, cheers and calls to one another, as the Aurors processed the news.
Dumbledore gently pulled the girl's hand away from her sister, with all the tenderness he could possess. The girl – Rowan – he corrected himself, moaned softly at this. He picked her up carefully in his arms and held her close so she wouldn't jostle too much as they Disapparated.
He paused to glance at her strained expression.
"I'll make sure it stays that way," he murmured softly to her, before disappearing with a crack that echoed through the forest.
A\N: Bit of a transition chapter, but I felt as though the first encounter between Dumbledore and Rowan needed to be shown. Thank you for reading! I appreciate it greatly!