Chapter Ten: Phoenix Ignition
Thrice
"It's terrible! I can't believe that retched boy was able to take my children away. How can he get away with this, Albus?" Molly wailed as she sat at the dining table of Grimmuald Place. Arthur squeezed her shoulder tightly, trying to console his wife. The twins were seated on the other side of their mother, their faces serious and their mouths quiet.
Nymphadora stood by the door, biting her lip in concentrated irritation. "They must be under some kind of dark Trans Charm, an old one that only a Pure Blood's kid would know. It doesn't seem obvious, they look perfectly normal when you look at them. The usual gloss in their eyes from a Trans Charm isn't there. It seems to make the victims loyal to the caster, they believe that he's a good guy and whatever he tells them is the truth."
"So we need to break the spell to get them to remember who the bastard is? Can't we just drag em back here?" Moody asked sullenly. He didn't like the situation any more than the rest of them but his tactics required that they hunt the lot down and put them through a disillusioning process. Not something that was practiced by anyone but Aurors, for a few good reasons.
McGonagall shook her head in disapproval. "That's not how we need to go about this. A seventeen year old boy, apparently, with the help of his friends abducted over a dozen students. Even if they have a spell that would allow them to control these students, why would they take anyone but Mr. Potter?"
Kreacher started shouting about blood traitors and filthy muggle lovers being in the house, which inevitably set off Mrs. Black. Dumbledore waited patiently for the noise to stop before he started to speak again. "They wanted help. I am more worried about the other students than I am of Harry. He was the one they wanted but the other students are expendable to them. They are nothing but shields and extra hands to make this all easier for the abductors. They won't be able to just apparent or floo to Voldemort, the ministry is watching portals already. They'll have to travel by foot. To wherever it is they're going."
"And where is that, Albus, hm? You have ears in your walls and spies in every corner; don't you have a clue what those brats are planning to do?" Moody demanded. Why didn't Dumbledore know anything about this? The Malfoy was smart but he did not think he was this smart.
The old man stroked his beard in a deep, thoughtful manner. He sighed to show how tired he was before he could speak. "I may have an idea about where they're going." The others looked at him expectantly. "Severus told me a month ago that the Death Eaters had moved to somewhere in Ukraine. I can think of only one reason for them to go there."
Minerva's face turned ashen. "The Black Sea, Nurmengard."
"Yes, I'm afraid they may be trying to get to Grindelwald. They may wish to persuade him to help them."
"But he's been trapped in that prison for years, and even if they could get to him, he would not help them. Their ideology is too different. Grindelwald didn't want to kill muggles and he would never stand for pointlessly killing wizards! Even if they were muggle bourns, he wouldn't accept it." She seemed to be trying to convince herself as much as the others. Truthfully, the only person in the room that understood the beliefs of the up-riser was Dumbledore.
"I don't know what his ideology is after all this time, perhaps he has changed for the better, or perhaps he now shares the same opinions as Tom. Either way, measures must be taken to ensure that the Death Eaters do not reach him."
"What about Professor Lupin? You said that he had defected, I still can't believe it, but he escaped. Do you think he would be able to get them through Nurmengard? Or Snape for that matter, he's gone too. They're both smart men and there are wards against wizards there but Lupin isn't just a wizard," Arthur pointed out.
Dumbledore looked down at the table with great sadness. "I know that it is hard to accept, but we must all understand. No matter how good a person is, they can be worn down. Voldemort has promised freedom to many werewolves and possibly the development of a cure. You can all see why it would be hard to refuse. I don't feel that I need to say anything in regards to Professor Snape?"
None of them protested, the man had always been rude, giving off a vibe of 'stay away, you repulse me.' It was far from surprising to any of them that he had finally left them. They had been waiting for it, honestly. Ever since his involvement had been revealed, they had been keeping a keen eye on the dark haired spy.
Tonks straightened her shoulders, "What now, sir?"
"We intercept them. Moody, you and Miss Tonks will travel to Ukraine. Guard the coast, they should arrive in a week or so by muggle transportation, longer if they are on foot, also observe if other wizards pass your way. We do not know when the Death Eaters will try to infiltrate Nurmengard but we must be ready. Minerva, we need stricter curfews and stronger protection for the rest of Hogwarts. War is coming."
Remus sat on the couch in the sitting room, most of his body had been bandaged and he was now eating chocolate bars in frighteningly rapid succession. He sipped some tea one of the students had brought him while looking pointedly from Harry to Malfoy. Harry blushed outrageously, at first he had been too worried about whether or not Remus was going to live. Now he could afford to concentrate on being thoroughly mortified. Draco refused to even entertain such thoughts, meeting the werewolf's eyes dead on. A few people had gathered when Remus had arrived, most of them gone back to bed now. Luna, Ron, Hermione, Blaise, and Pansy were still seated around the fireplace. Exos had perched herself on the mantle.
"How are you feeling now, Remus?" Hermione asked his voice full of concern.
"I'll be fine, thank you," he replied, sounding as bad as he looked.
"What happened to you, Professor?" Blaise asked, he found the whole Lycanthropy thing rather interesting. His brown eyes had observed the wounds closely as the gouges had begun to heal even as they bandaged him.
The man set down his tea with surprisingly steady hands. "Dumbledore called me into his office. He asked questions about all of you. I didn't know he knew anything until he used Crucio on me. He said he would leave me in the woods, the next moon being on the way everyone would assume I tore myself apart."
Harry's fists were clenched so hard his hands were losing color. Draco was attentive enough to grip the boy's shoulder before he could bolt up in his anger. "Why would he do this?"
"He knew that I knew." Remus answered, taking another bite of chocolate and ignoring Harry's mood. "The time is coming for war, a month or so and we'll be in the midst of battle no matter where we are. Now it's easier to kill people than to carry on a charade."
"That's no excuse!" he raged. The fire flared, lapping at the pale legs of Exos. The black haired boy covered his face with his hands, trying to control himself. Remus's eyes glanced from the doused fire to the unmoved Demon. Looking at the children, he asked, "Have you designed a training regimen?"
Pansy handed the man a sheet of paper with time slots and information. "I was working on it before you showed up."
Hermione shot her a surprised look that Pansy didn't appreciate. "What? You're not the only one with a brain in this place, Granger."
The brunet glared at the other girl, causing Blaise to snicker a bit, earning him a glare of his own that he reveled in. Ignoring his students, Remus looked the piece of parchment over. When he was finished, he stood up to approaching Exos. Giving her the parchment he gave her an expectant look before he asked. "Do you think they can be ready in this time frame?"
She met his eyes, answering curtly. "Perhaps, I do not know the abilities of the other children."
"You've spent a couple days traveling with them, what's your best approximation?"
Her red eyes ghosted over the young humans seated in the room, landing on Luna. "Yes."
Remus nodded in acceptance. "Good, then let's go to bed. I'm sure we could all use some rest. Hermione, would you be a dear and show me to a spare room?"
"Of course, do you need anything else? You were rather badly hurt."
"No, no. Just some rest." They wandered up the stairs, talking about what had happened with Dumbledore on both ends. The other students followed their example, heading off to their own beds. Draco stopped at his own door, watching as Harry passed him, instead going to Ron's room. Their eyes met before Harry closed the door, and the look was one that Draco couldn't understand. He had seen it before but still didn't know what it meant. He decided that it didn't matter if Harry didn't want to sleep with him. He had planted the seed, now he knew he would either wake with the black haired boy curled around him or screams coming from down the hall.
Exos did not go to a room or shadow, or wherever it was that she disappeared to. Instead, she walked outside the doors of the Potter house. It was nice to be under moonlight again, with darkness all around her. The frosty grass crunched under her bare feet, the weather colder than Britannia and winter coming in. She walked steadily into the thick trees, signs of the human poisons were nowhere to be seen. Inside the wizards' cut off world, things were clean and pure. Deep into the night she walked, nothing nocturnal or otherwise stirring until she saw the swish of a tail as black as the dark it walked in.
She paused, waiting for the animal to approach. At least, that's what an observer would have thought. Yet it was with more than even magical-animal intelligence that the black unicorn approached her. Its hair was silky, shining in the light of the bulging quarter moon. The animal looked emaciated with his ribs rippling out of the smooth lay of his side and every column of spine bubbling up its back, visible for all to see. The stance was sturdy despite the appearance. Exos bowed her head ever so slightly, far less than she had to her master, in acknowledgement of the beast.
"So they gave you a name, Exosatratus," the black unicorn said in a masculine toned mockery of her own voice, so very there and not at all.
Her eyes squinted at him, just slightly, as she addressed him. "I have a master, Amduscias, naming me was his right."
"Mm, I suppose it is. Surprising that there are still those of this world that can call out to us. I cannot help but think of all of them as weak. Who is it again?" he asked, swishing his tail in a distracted manner.
Her eyes narrow a little more, how he annoyed her. "Harry Potter."
"The one they go on about then. I also hear things about the one that wants his life. From what I understand, he is like us. He would be one us if not for his blood. Greedy, blood driven, immortal, he sounds like so much fun. Such twisted things, they are entertaining to watch."
"Do you intend to become involved?" she asked, standing straighter.
"Not now, probably not at all. You know I just like to watch. What about you? You intend to protect your master to the end no doubt."
She said nothing, staring at him blankly. It was a stupid question not worth acknowledging as far as she was concerned. Just because he was strong enough to leave their dimension without bidding did not make him all powerful. Just more pompous.
He tilted his head to the side, as though he would have propped it on his hand if he had had one. "I suppose it is your way. Strange that the light one allows you to be so close though. Do you think she intends to kill you?"
The velvety lips moved into a mock smirk as he saw the slight flicker of her eyes. "Hn, perhaps she does not want to kill you. Perhaps you don't want to kill her either. Are you planning to do something other than drink her, small one? It is as good as ceasing to exist you know. She will not reciprocate. Their blood burns for the shed of ours just like ours does for the blood of…well, everything else."
"You should mind your tongue, Amduscias, or she may decide to kill you instead."
He laughed like thunder at her imprudence, stomping his large hooves into the dirt. She did not move or react outwardly, inside she wished to silence him forever by taking out his tongue. After he had finished he turned away from her. "I will leave you to your new pack, small one. Be careful that he does not bring about your death. He seems to do it for all others, it would not be surprising for him to kill a Demon by mere accident."
"If I do die, I promise to see you before I depart," she replied smoothly.
He smiled at her. "Good, don't forget that you are fierceness. It may be the only thing left of you that belongs to us."
"I wish for blood just as much as you. I do not forget myself."
"But whose blood is it you're wishing for, hm?" He left her then, fading back into the trees. She burned for something to kill, to inflict pain upon, so she sought a beast to fight.
Morning came into the Potter house, gliding in as slowly as a cloud in the sky. The new residents awoke, making their beds with a flick of their wands before descending to the kitchen for breakfast. Lavender and Hannah started with pancakes for everyone, which were quickly eaten. Hermione barely noticed she was so deeply engulfed in a book about Animagus transformation. Blaise took it upon himself to remind her to eat every few minutes. She eventually smacked him for interrupting her reading, Ron laughed from across the table.
It had been just as Draco had predicted, he had woken with Harry wrapped around him. Harry ate a fair share of the breakfast, startling those that were observing. His appetite seemed to have suddenly woken from hibernation, demanding he receive sustenance. Remus was the last to be seated at the long dining table, still soar but mostly healed.
The meal passed in merriment that did not beget hunted runaways. After the dishes were done, under Hermione's supervision, they all retreated to the library. It was probably the only place in the house furnished enough for everyone to sit other than the dining room. Harry, Hermione, and Draco took the lead, standing before their class mates with Harry in the middle.
Hermione held up a stack of parchment and began to pass it out. "Here is the training schedule Parkinson has written up. It details a month of training, ideally there would be more time, but this is not an ideal situation. Exosatratus will teach us as much wandless magic as she can, we will also be learning more basic defense spells from Professor Lupin. I will continue looking into Animagus transformation."
Draco stepped forward to take his turn. "We don't know much about the situation other than that Dumbledore is aware of the Demon and Professor Lupin and Professor Snape's defection. Professor Snape is staying close to the Dark Lord-"
Harry tugged on his sleeve, causing Draco to turn to his and hiss silently, "What?"
"Call him by his name, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Calling him the Dark Lord's going to unsettle them."
The blonde sneered, "Snape is attending to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named so that we will know if he is getting close to us. It seems unlikely considering where we are. It is more likely that Dumbledore will find us first, don't be foolish and assume that one is better than the other."
Harry spoke now, "There is nothing we can do for the people still in Hogwarts at the moment other than get strong. Don't send letters to anyone; don't talk to anyone other than the people here. If you see something suspicious, report it to one of us immediately." He looked each of them in the eye, trying his best to exude determination and confidence. He didn't want them there, any of them. They weren't supposed to be preparing for a war that was his, but there was no way he would be able to make them leave. They each met his look and he suddenly felt like maybe he wasn't doomed. "Let's get started."
A/N: Amduscias- A demon, grand duke of hell. He appears as a unicorn.
Hi, I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted anything for this story. I have no intention of abandoning it though. This is the shortest chapter I've ever posted but I really wanted to give you something. I think I've made you wait about six months and that's just too long. As always, comments, questions, and corrections are welcome.
By the way, I have a poll up on my profile page. Some people have asked questions regarding the story and some of the plot devices. If you would like a Story Thus Far synopsis of Death's Children, go to my profile and vote yes or no. It will be up for about a month before I will consider the votes.