Disclaimer: Hey frank, isn't that J.K. Rowlings. Yeah, she owns Harry Potter but I still apparate there once in a while.

Chapter 7: When the Bells fall silent

The Bell family were gathered for dinner when the wards around their home came under attack. There was a loud Gong and her father Joseph Bell stood as he motioned to their family.

Katie followed her father and mother to the study where he opened up a trap door and motioned them down.

"Daddy, what's going on?" Katie demanded as she started down.

"Katherine, listen to me carefully. You have to get out of here. The Dark Lord's men are here and they won't stop until we are all dead. Once you reach the end of the tunnel you must make it to Madame Bones at the Ministry. Tell her that you must get in touch with Lord Belarion. He will know what to do." her father told her.

"What are you going to do?" Katie asked.

"I will stay here to meet them." he said coolly.

"Why? You could come with me. We can all escape!" she argued.

"NO! I won't run this time. Katie, you have to go. Find your way to Lord Belarion and let him know what happened. He will care for you in my stead. Now go." he commanded and closed the door.

Katie understood what he was doing, but that didn't make it any easier. Then there was the fact that her mother wasn't going with her.

Katie knew that her mother would stand by her father no matter what and she wanted to cry and scream in rage. But she wouldn't let her parent's sacrifice be for nothing.

With that thought in mind, she took off at a dead run to reach the other end of the tunnel and make her good her escape.

When Katie reached the end of the tunnel she stopped and laid down, waiting for some sign that she could come out. Finally she succumbed to her fear driven exhaustion and dropped into a sound sleep.

Back in the Bell house, Joseph turned to his wife with a hopeful expression.

"You could go with her Marlene. Then you would both be safe." he suggested.

"No. My place is here with you. We will fight together." she said fiercely as she drew her wand and they moved to the entrance hall.

"Then let us meet this with our eyes wide open." he agreed as they stood there and waited together, the light of fierce opposition in their eyes.

That's when the front door to their home exploded inward and they banished the debris back at their attackers.

Three of the enemy screamed as they were pierced by the shards while their allies walked over them.

"Well, well, well. Lookie here. The half-blood and the jumped up mudblood have teeth." one of their attackers laughed and Joseph recognized that voice.

"Rookwood! You'll pay for this." Bell roared as he and his wife began silently casting spells at their un-wanted guests.

"No, Bell. It is you who will pay for denying my Lord his due." a cultured voice that Joseph recognized said as a spell was cast, "Sectumsempra!"

Before Joseph could move the spell took Marlene in the throat and her head slid off of her shoulders.

"YOU BASTARDS! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" Joseph cast continuously until he was exhausted.

"Good bye, Bell! I'll take good care of your little girl!" Rookwood taunted then "Sanguis furore!"

The spell hit Joseph and he could feel his blood beginning to boil in his body as he slipped to the floor by his wife and died in painful agony.

"Spread out and find the girl. Control her and we control Bell's business fortunes." Lucius Malfoy commanded as he looked around.

The Death Eaters moved through the house searching every room, but they could fin no trace of Katie.

Finally they returned to the entrance hall and joined Malfoy leaving the house.

Mulciber set the Dark Mark in the air above the house as he was the last to apparate away.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of the first Aurors to appear on the scene with his partner, Nymphadora Tonks. The surveyed the outside of the house and Shacklebolt shook his head as the others arrived on scene to begin a search for survivors as well as processing the crime scene.

"Merlin, Shack! They really did a number on this one." Tonks let out a gusting breath.

"I know, Tonks. But right now we need to find out if there are any survivors." Kingsley reminded her as they moved forward and began to help search the house.

Fifteen minutes later Tonks found a trapdoor in the study and sent a patronus to Kingsley. He joined her in the study a few minutes later and she pointed down.

"Somebody could have gotten away through here. Or they could be down there injured." Tonks suggested.

"And I suppose you want to go down and check it out?" Kingsley said with a raised eyebrow.

"The bells do have a daughter and we haven't been able to find her in the house." Tonks said with a grin at her boss.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Maybe we'll learn something." Kingsley agreed.

They descended down into the passage with their wands out and proceeding very cautiously through the tunnel, taking every precaution.

Tonks stumbled over something and lit her and with a quick "Lumos" to find Katie Bell curled into a ball on the floor, shivering.

"Shack, we've got a live one." she called softly as she reached out and touched the girl's arm.

"NOOOOOO!" Katie screamed as she started to struggle against Tonks grip on her arm.

"Easy, Miss. It's okay. We're aurors. I'm Tonks and that's Shacklebolt." Tonks said as she tried to calm the girl.

"Death Eaters! My parents! Where are my parents?" Katie rambled in her delirium.

"It's okay, miss. We'll get you to St. Mungo's." Tonks said, putting one arm around the girl's shoulders.

Finally Katie's brain caught up to everything that was sand she looked at Tonks.

"NO! No. I have to see Madame Bones. Daddy said I was to go see Madame Bones." Katie managed to get out.

"Alright, miss. We'll take you to Madame Bones. Just take it easy." Kingsley promised as he helped Tonks and the girl to stand up.

He didn't understand why this was so important but if the girl was convinced that she had to do this then he knew there had to be an important reason. They made their way back through the tunnel and Kingsley led them past the place where Katie's parents had died.

Once they were clear of the wards, Tonks side-along apparated with Katie while Kingsley followed them back to the Auror department.

Tonks escorted Katie to the Department Heads office and knocked on the door while she supported the girl who was exhausted and emotionally wrung out. Standing outside the door, Tonks leaned forward and knocked three times, just hard enough to be heard inside.

"Come in." a woman called and Tonks opened the door.

When they got inside they found a woman who was far from un-attractive with a steely disposition and a no nonsense look. Her blonde hair was worn short and she had a monocle in her eye.

"Auror Tonks. What can I do for you?" she asked as she looked up at the two of them.

"Ma'am, this is Katherine Bell. Her parents were the subject of the Death Eater attack today. She insisted that we bring her to you." Tonks explained.

"I see." Amelia started as she looked Katie over. "What can I do for you Ms. Bell?"

"Ma'am, my father is Joseph Bell. Before he died, he gave me instructions to find you. He said I was to come to you and ask you to help me find Lord Belarion. That I was to be put into his care." Katie explained, missing the way Madame Bones blanched when she heard the name.

"Is there anything else we can do, other than contacting Lord Belarion?" Amelia Bones asked, hoping the girl had another alternative.

"No Ma'am. I need to find Lord Belarion. Those were my father's last words to me." Katie said, trying to keep herself together.

Amelia let out a long-suffering sigh and looked at Katie sympathetically.

"Very well, Ms. Bell. I'll try to get in touch with Lord Belarion. It could take some time. DO you have anyplace to go in the mean time?" she asked, worried that Katie would get caught up in the system.

"No. My parents and I were the last." Katie said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

That's when Tonks decided to step in and help.

"Ma'am, I have safe place for her to stay until you can reach this Lord Belarion. She will be taken care of and well protected." Tonks said quickly.

"Very Well, Tonks. I'll leave it in your hands then. Take her statement and get her settled, then report back to work in 48 hours." Amelia ordered.

With a nod, Tonks led Katie back out of Madame Bones office to get everything arranged.

She sent a patronus to Sirius and waited.

A/N: well now. What is Madame Bones afraid of? Find out next time, maybe?