Sorry this is a little late everyone. I'm about to start school and I've got some important exams coming up soon, so the next few chapters might be a little sporadic. I hope you enjoy it!

First Strike

Or perhaps, to confess that you yourself are worried and frightened? You need your friends, Harry. As you so rightly said, Sirius would not have wanted you to shut yourself away.

-Albus Dumbledore

Max was steadily eating his way through a serving of French fries when Magnus drifted into Taki's. His cat eyes scoured the room for a moment before landing on Alec. He hurried over to their table, Alec scooting over to make more room.

"So, mommy and daddy not letting the little ones out to play?" Magnus asked with a smile, but his voice was serious. He saw Max staring at him and winked.

"They think we're in danger," Alec sighed, and stared down at his hands, embarrassed. He didn't like coming off as anything less than an adult to Magnus.

"Well, Voldemort did target a member of your family," said Magnus slowly, "and there is that whole war with Valentine."

"We're leaving for Alicante soon," said Alec suddenly. "My parents told us that the Clave has called this big meeting, and we're going to have to go to discuss Valentine."

Magnus stared at Alec. "Do they really think running and hiding behind their wards is going to keep Valentine out?"

"No, but they're going to do it anyway," Alec said. "That's the real reason they want us to stay in the Institute. They think we're going to run off and look for Jace."

"You are trying to do that, though, aren't you?" Magnus looked from Isabelle to Alec and Max peeked at his siblings, wondering if they really were going to rescue Jace.

"We're hoping you might be able to clear that up for us," said Isabelle promptly. "The school he's going to. You said you don't know where it is, but it there any way you could find out?"

"I figured you would be looking for answers," Magnus sighed. "And I have been looking, though, like I said before, the school is hard to find."

"Did you find it?" Alec asked at once.

"There are mentions of it everywhere," Magnus began, "and most say it's in Scotland, but that's no really the problem. Places like Hogwarts are under multiple concealing enchantments. It's not like the Institute," he said, seeing Isabelle open her mouth. "The Institute is a physical place that exists in both worlds. Places like Hogwarts are Unplottable. It doesn't exist on any maps, and even if we somehow found it, and were standing outside it, we still couldn't see it. It would look like an abandoned castle or, more likely, we'd never find it. There are repelling charms that make you forget what you see the moment you see it, or you suddenly have to be somewhere that you forgot. The school is going to be too well hidden."

"But if we go there," said Alec slowly, "I mean, it's not like we won't find it. And it doesn't matter how powerful their wards are. If we go inside the castle, I'm sure we'll see it for how it really is."

"Alec, they're at war," Magnus said. "I'm sure they've got up protective spells around the perimeter."

"We could breach them," Alec said reasonably.

Magnus raised one eyebrow. "Have you met Albus Dumbledore? He's an extremely talented wizard."

"Jace is my brother," Alec repeated with a certain gravity that made Magnus glance up at him.

"So you tell me," Magnus sighed. "How soon are you leaving for Idris?"

"The end of the month," said Isabelle with a dark look. "I feel like a coward, running from shadows while Jace and Clary are off somewhere fighting Dark warlocks."

Magnus considered them. "I don't really think I'm going to find anything as to the location of the school, but I might be able to find some land marks nearby that can direct us. But even if I could, I take it your parents are going to stop you from leaving the city, let alone their protection."

Isabelle frowned, truly annoyed at her parents unnecessary protection. "Then we won't tell them till we're gone."

Magnus wondered if he would be charged by the Clave for kidnapping young shadowhunters if he took them to Hogwarts, and then laughed about it. "Somehow, I feel like that plan never works."

"I want to see Jace," Max interjected, bored of the conversation and done with his French fries. "I want to see the school too! All this magic…what's it like?"

Magnus blinked at the small boy with the round glasses. "It's not demon magic like mine; there's no darkness to it. Imagine if shadowhunters could do magic with their runes. At least, that's what I've always thought." Alec thought he heard a small note of bitterness in Magnus's voice.

"Is it powerful?" Max asked. "Would Jace be an even better shadowhunter if he trained there?"

"There's no way of knowing, though I'm sure it won't hurt him to be able to able to apparate."

"Apparate?" Isabelle wondered.

"To disappear in one place and reappear in another instantly. Without a portal," said Magnus.

"They had something when they came," Isabelle mused. "They called it a port-something."

"Portkey," Magnus offered. "Yes, that's more like a portal. Useful, too. That's for long distance travel."

"How do you get one?" Alec asked suddenly. "Could we use a portkey to get to the school?"

"I doubt it," Magnus said simply. "I'm thinking that portkeys won't get past whatever charms are up around the school, and besides, I don't know how to make one. There's a spell for it."

"Could a portal get us there?" Alec asked next.

"I doubt it," Magnus said again. "If Voldemort really is back, then the headmaster is going to go to great lengths to protect the school. Our best chance is, as I said, find a land marker and hope to navigate on foot."

Isabelle didn't look too pleased at the thought of trekking anywhere, but she merely nodded. Max was staring hard at the warlock. "Can I come too?"

Isabelle gave him an apologetic look. "It might be best if you stay behind."

"But-"

"Max, it's too dangerous," Alec said sternly. "Whatever is out there, it's not for young shadowhunters."

"That's not fair!"

Alec looked pleadingly to Isabelle, but Magnus intervened. "There's no guarantee we're going anywhere. I can't even begin to imagine where to look, so let's not get our tempers up, alright?"

Max shoved his empty plate in front of him, angry, but Isabelle ordered him a smoothie and he had hard time glowering through the whipped toppings. They stayed a while longer, mostly so Alec could speak to Magnus and because Isabelle didn't want to go back to the Institute, but after an hour, Max's eyes were lidded and he was nodding off.

"I'll call you," Alec said, picking Max up. "Keep us updated on anything with the school."

"Let me know if your travel plans change, though I can assume your parents are going to be asking me to make the portal." Magnus stretched, catlike, and Isabelle caught Alec admiring him from the corner of her eye. She smirked when Alec gave him a brief hug at the entrance to the diner.

"And when is it going to be official?" Isabelle asked once Magnus was out of earshot.

"Izzy, don't," Alec said heavily.

She sensed his dour mood and shoved her hands in her pockets. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I think it's good you found someone. And, let's admit it, if you were going to go for a warlock, it might as well be the high warlock."

Alec managed a faint smile, more for her benefit than his. "And what about you? Have you talked to Simon lately?"

Isabelle looked away into the distance. "I told him about Clary and Jace. He's a bit distraught, but if we find them, I'm sure he'll come right around."

Alec shifted Max's sleeping body. "You know what I meant."

"I'm not having the boyfriend talk with you, Alec-"

"Then have it with me, poppet."

Isabelle and Alec froze at the sound of the voice. They hadn't been paying attention to the scenery before, too engrossed in their thoughts of Hogwarts, but ahead of them, clear as day, a man was leaning against the wall of a building. He was hunched over, his face, hidden by his hat, but they saw his hands were in his pockets. Isabelle felt for her whip, and Alec shook Max awake. The man titled his head ever so slightly, and they saw that his eyes were glowing yellow. His mouth curled up in a tight smile, revealing startlingly white, very sharp, teeth.

"Who are you?" Isabelle asked clearly, her voice carrying around them. They noticed, unsettlingly, that they seemed to be on an abandoned street.

The man stood up straight, but his face was still hidden by the hat. "We have an acquaintance in common, and I'm a bit keen for news of them." He had an accent, one similar to the men who had come for Jace, and Alec suspected that if he wasn't with their lot, he was one of the men looking for his brother.

"I don't think we have any shared friends," said Alec in a measured voice. He was too aware of Max, curled in his arms, and didn't want a fight to ensue.

"True, I wouldn't call them friends, but I'm sure you've seen them." The man took a few steps toward them, slow, prowling steps. "One of them is a girl, small thing with red hair. Clarissa. The other's a boy, blond, good with knives. Jon-"

"Shut up about Jace," Isabelle snapped, and flicked her wrist so the whip uncoiled.

"Jace, is it?" The man laughed. "The Dark Lord will like to know that. Yes…but you're his sister, aren't you?" He lifted his head a little, presumably to peer at Isabelle. "We could use you well, little girl. I bet your brother would come running for you."

Isabelle smiled like a razor. "I bet you'll go running from me."

"I like them young," the man replied with a laugh that made Max shudder.

"You should run if you know what's best for you!" Max called, chin raised defiantly.

The man's face snapped in Max's direction, and Alec thought he heard a snuffling sound. "I always liked children…most tender flesh I ever get. Soft and smooth, and the look in their eyes just before I take the first bite-"

Isabelle's whip flashed though the air, cutting his sentence short. The man ducked, but his hat was sliced in two, and when he came up again, they saw his face. It was oval shaped, with a straight stern nose and a pair of small, round eyes that looked oddly luminescent in the faint moon light. His long hair was slicked back off his face, and his beard and sideburns were sparse. He had a hungry look about him, and when he smiled, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

"What are you?" Isabelle whispered, unable to fully understand the man before her. Every sense was telling her it was a werewolf, but she'd never seen one like him before.

"A little shadowhunter's worst nightmare," he replied, and jerked his hand free from his overcoat; his fist was wrapped around a small stick, which he raised to them. "I hear the Clave doesn't teach you about magic, I hear you don't know how to defend yourself. Is that true, poppet?"

In response, Isabelle flicked her wrist again and the whip snapped through the air. It cause the man's arm but he snarled and slashed the wand through the air. A moment later, a burst of red light came hurtling their way and Alec and Isabelle scattered to avoid the blaze. Max screamed and grabbed Alec tighter, while Isabelle struggled back up to her feet.

"Was that a bit much for you?" the man asked, throwing back his head, ignoring the blood dribbling down his arm. "Let's try again. I'll even let you have the first go."

Alec didn't wait. He sent a dagger spinning through the air at the man, but he waved his wand lazily and the blade stopped mid air.

"Now, did you really expect that to work?" he asked slowly, admiring the airborne blade.

"Run, Izzy," Alec croaked.

"What, and leave you with him?" Isabelle demanded, snapping her whip again as the man stepped beyond the blade and it clattered to the ground. "No, you take Max and go, I'll stay behind and hold him off."

"Quickly, quickly," teased the man. "Think fast."

Another blast came this way, bright green this time, and where it hit the wall of a building, a large hole formed. Isabelle gaped at the damage for a moment before she felt Alec grab her arm and drag her away, but she stumbled over her own feet. It didn't do either of them any good, though; they hadn't gone ten steps when the man reappeared before them, his teeth bared.

"Where to run, where to run?" he asked, snapping his wand at a trash can that went soaring through the air and almost crashed into Alec. "I can't understand why Bella couldn't get her hands on your filthy, little friends; it's not like you put up much of a fight."

Isabelle lashed out with her whip again, and this time, it found its mark, leaving a bloody welt on the man's face. More in surprise than anything, the man reached up and gingerly touched his face before turning an ugly look on her.

"You're going to regret that, you little shadowhunter bitch." He raised his wand and this time, twisted it in a strange motion. Her whip uncurled from her arm and shot through the air to his hand. "There's going to be plenty of time for regretting. I'll make sure of it."

Isabelle and Alec stared, aghast. It seemed like the only way to fight effectively would be hand-to-hand combat.

"So, who wants to go first, hmm? I mean, we'll have to torture all three of you for information, but it's always so nice to have a volunteer. Big brother? Brave sister?" His eyes landed on Max. "Or the little one?"

"Stay back!" Isabelle warned, lifting her fists. It had been a while since she'd done any true hand-to-hand combat, but she was trained in it, and she had no doubt she was at least faster than the man.

"Or what?" he sneered. "You think fists work any better against magic than weapons?"

"No, but this might."

Alec spun about in time to see Magnus appear from the shadows behind them, hands raised, a blue fire leaping from his palms. The flames shot like a bullet and hit the man, who staggered back, snarling and cursing. Magnus grabbed Alec with one hand, Isabelle with the other, tugging them back the way they'd come.

"Hurry. You can spend the night at my apartment."

"What was that?" Isabelle panted as they ran to keep up with Magnus' long strides.

"A servant of Voldemort," he said grimly.

"Harry, there's no way of knowing what Malfoy did in that shop," Hermione said later that night. They had left Diagon Alley and, after a filling dinner, had hurried into the boys' room for discussion of Malfoy and his trip down Knockturn Alley. Jace and Clary had been rather surprised when everyone had congregated there, Clary especially had wanted to relax, but it seemed that the children had their own secret meetings.

"He showed Borgin something on his arm," said Harry, ignoring Hermione. "Something that scared him. I'm telling you, it's the Dark Mark."

"Come on," said Ron, a little uncertainly. "You really think You-Know-Who is going to make Malfoy a Death Eater? I mean, Malfoy?"

"His dad is one, and I'm sure he's just dying for the chance to prove himself," Harry said firmly. "Now that his dad's in prison, I bet he's taking his place!"

"Harry, that's insane," said Hermione. "Lord Voldemort wouldn't want some underage wizard in his army. He's get better servants."

"Malfoy is a Death Eater," Harry repeated, looking at them both.

Jace cleared his throat in what could have been a polite cough, but Clary knew better. "You plan to share any background information with the rest of us, or are we just going to sit here and agree with you?"

"Sorry," said Harry suddenly, noticing Jace and Clary for the first time. "Draco Malfoy is that boy you ran into in Madam Malkin's."

Jace raised his eyebrows. "Should I have punched him then?"

"Couldn't hurt," said Ron reasonably.

"Let me explain," said Harry, and gave a quick history of Malfoy and his father, and what he had seen while they had been buying their owl and Mrs. Weasley had been exploring the joke shop.

"So, you think this kid is a new member of Voldemort's circle?" Clary asked slowly.

"I just don't think Lord Voldemort wants children-"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jace said swiftly, thinking of Valentine. "My f-Valentine offered me a place in his army."

"Yes," said Hermione, a little testily, "but you're really well trained, aren't you? Malfoy's not exactly top of our class."

"He might use him as a spy," Jace said next, Harry nodding his head in agreement. "The Inquisitor thought I was for Valentine."

"But you weren't," Clary reminded him. "She was just obsessed with her son."

It was strange for Jace to discuss the previous Inquisitor, now that he knew of their shared blood. Some of his emotions must have registered on his face because Clary said quickly, "Besides, Valentine and Voldemort aren't the same. We don't know what Voldemort wants."

They continued to discuss it a bit, but Harry was still certain that Malfoy was a Death Eater, supported by Jace, and the others thought it was a bit of a stretch. In the end, Hermione gave up and pulled out one of her new books, and Clary politely asked her about Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Ron and Harry watched the two girls, Ron with a bit more interest than Harry, and Jace absently picked through his new course books.

"You excited?" Harry asked Jace, watching the other boy closely. His face, Harry began to think, was almost completely emotionless, and Harry wondered, slightly envious, how he could train his features to look so detached. It might have come in useful when he was practicing Occlumency.

"It'll be nice to get out of this house," Jace said.

"I heard Mum going on about cleaning out the master bedroom." Ron shuddered. "That's where Sirius keeps Buckbeak."

Jace and Clary looked up at this. "Buckbeak?" Clary asked.

"He's a hippogriff," said Harry. "He was supposed to be executed, for attacking Malfoy actually, back in our third year, but we helped him escape."

"How? And what is a hippogriff?" Jace asked in quick succession.

"It's a bit of long story," said Hermione. "But you can meet Buckbeak if you want; hippogriffs are kind of these half horse, half bird animals."

"Half horse, half bird," Clary repeated.

"No really, how did you help him escape?" Jace asked again.

Harry shrugged and launched into the story of their third year: the escape of Sirius of Azkaban, his multiple appearances at the school, Buckbeak's attack, and the night they discovered Sirius was innocent. Towards the end, even Jace's carefully trained face was looking a bit shocked, and Clary's mouth was hanging open.

"You traveled back in time and saved Buckbeak so you could rescues Sirius from having his soul sucked out," Clary said, blinking at him. "You were thirteen and you traveled through time."

"Well, it was Dumbledore's idea," said Harry defensively.

Jace closed his eyes, thinking. What had he been doing when he was thirteen? He'd been training, albeit, he'd been excelling at his lessons, but he'd still been in the classroom. He'd spent every day either reading, practicing runes, or training; he hadn't been allowed to hunt demons until he was fourteen, and that with Robert or Maryse, and it wasn't until he was fifteen that he and the Lightwoods could go out alone.

I was thirteen, I'd been training; they were thirteen, they'd been saving people's lives and traveling through time. It was a hard reality to swallow that a Downworlder's childhood could have been more exciting, more dangerous, and more meaningful than his.

"So, Buckbeak is here?" Clary said, her eyes glowing.

"Upstairs," chuckled Harry. "Sirius keeps him in his mother's room, come on, I'll show you."

Jace and Clary followed Harry's heels up to Sirius's mother's room, not quite sure what they were expecting to see. Harry paused outside the door, catching both their eyes.

"So, hippogriffs are really proud, more proud than any other animal I've ever met-"

"More than Valentine?" Jace interjected quickly.

Harry smiled. "One day, we'll introduce the two, and let them have at it. But you have to bow when you meet him, and if he bows back, you can touch him."

"And don't blink too much," Hermione added. "They don't trust people who blink too much."

"Right," said Clary, and nodded toward the door.

Inside was the strangest thing Clary had ever seen, even though she had been told what a hippogriff was. Stretched out on the bed, head resting on its scaled talons was Buckbeak. He was the size of a horse, and indeed, his back half was that of a horse, grey speckled with black hair, and a wispy tail that curled around the bed post. Two large feathered wings pressed against his sides, and a proud arched neck supported an angular head with a beak and the sharp, yellow eyes of a hawk. Upon hearing the door open, Buckbeak snapped his head around to face them and released a sharp cry. Clary and Jace remained in the door, but Harry entered the room and stroked Buckbeak's head. His eyes closed lazily, and he hummed like a cat.

"This is Buckbeak, if you want to make your introductions," Harry said, gesturing to them.

As one, they both bowed, faces turned up, waiting for Buckbeak to respond. His keen eyes switched between Jace's face to Clary's with a sharp certainty that reminded Clary of Razz. After a moment, Buckbeak pulled himself off the bed and bent his knees into a bow. Harry smiled bit more.

"Now, you can pet him if you like."

"Jace, have you ever heard of something like this?" Clary asked, rubbing Buckbeak's head.

"No, this isn't something we ever really studied," he said, staring at the yellow eyes and running his hands over the feathers and fur at once. "This is amazing, though."

"Imagine riding him," Clary murmured.

Jace thought of his flying motorcycle with regret. "Bet it's a bumpy ride."

"Once you get used to it, it's not so bad, actually." Jace spun around, having not heard Sirius arrive. He smiled benignly at Jace's surprise. "Molly wanted me to ask you if you or Clary, or both of you, wouldn't mind spending some time with Nathaniel and Madeline. Apparently you're quite the charmer; Nathaniel agreed to move in with Remus and take Madeline with him."

Jace gave Buckbeak one more pat on his beak before leaving the room, Clary, curious, in tow. They headed to Nathaniel's room while Harry and Ron waved them off, saying they'd wait up. Jace knocked softly, waiting for Madeline to answer, and when she did, he saw her eyes dart to Clary, looking wary, but perhaps a little delighted at having a girl to talk to.

"Hello, Madeline," said Jace with a smile for her benefit. "I brought my friend Clary along today for you to meet. She's a shadowhunter too."

Madeline looked Clary over with care, and decided, after a few moments, that she deserved to be in the room, because she moved aside to allow her in. Clary gave her a sweet look, but Madeline was more focused on the boy who was sitting up in bed, and she jumped up to join him after closing the door. Clary looked over and spotted him and felt herself blush; he wasn't unattractive, but the bandaging on his shoulder must have covered a very painful wound.

"Nathaniel?" Clary asked, though she knew it was.

He seemed to check at being addressed by Clary, and she realized, that, like Jace, he was actually very polite where women were concerned. "Yes. You must be Clary."

"It's nice to meet you. I've heard all about you and your sister," she said, hoping it was a bland enough statement not to anger him.

"It's a small house, so I'm sure," he answered gruffly. "Your boyfriend didn't mention much of you."

Clary preened just a little at being addressed as Jace's girlfriend. "Yeah, well, I think he was worried I'd meet you and leave him." Jace glowered and Madeline giggled shrilly, but Clary just shook her head. "My, um…stepdad is a werewolf."

Nathaniel started. "You're a shadowhunter, aren't you?"

"Yeah, well, I'd rather have a werewolf than my real father, any day," she said confidentially and Nathaniel looked surprised. Clary stared down at her feet. "I recently found out my dad is…Valentine. Valentine Morgenstern."

Nathaniel blinked but wasn't able to recover from his shock in time for Clary to not see his mild disgust. "I didn't know he had any children."

"Yeah, neither did I," smirked Clary. "You see why I prefer a werewolf?"

"Yeah, I guess," Nathaniel shrugged, but it didn't make him feel much better knowing he'd only be preferred to Valentine Morgenstern. "Why did they bring you here?"

"Voldemort is looking for us," Clary said, and for some reason, this was funny to her. "Four months ago, I didn't even know shadowhunters existed, and now I'm stuck on the run from my father and some wizard I don't even know."

"You didn't know you were a shadowhunter?" Madeline asked loudly.

"My mom ran away from my father when she was still pregnant with me," Clary said dismissively. "Then, one night, I went out and saw Jace and his friends kill some demon; it was a bit like a crash course in shadowhunting."

Nathaniel smiled and Madeline laughed. "Now, you're going to learn to be a witch!" she cheered. "Do you want to?"

"Maybe," Clary mused. "It would make my life a lot easier if I could flick a wand and have my room clean. My mom always yelled at me because I left my paintbrushes everywhere."

Madeline looked a bit forlorn at the idea of having a mom. "My mother wasn't really home all that often, but Nathaniel and I used to stay up late, and he'd read my demonology books to me."

"I guess that's kinda a bed time story," Clary laughed.

"You can paint?" Madeline asked next, and before Clary could answer, snatched up a piece of paper and pencil and handed it to Clary. "Show me. Draw something."

Clary took the paper uncertainly. "What do you want?"

"A wolf. A big wolf."

Clary carefully set the pencil to paper, and before long, Madeline had joined her, watching intently while she traced the figure. As she worked, Jace joined Nathaniel on the bed.

"I figured your sister might like her," he murmured.

Nathaniel watched Clary work. "She's a nice girl. I'm surprised she'd be seen with you," he snickered.

Jace smiled, but there was something painful in his expression. "I am too."

Nathaniel perceived a deep sadness in Jace, and he wondered what the boy was thinking. "Well, if you ever find another shadowhunter girl who wouldn't mind a werewolf, you let me know."

Jace thought of Isabelle. "You'd be surprised. I heard that Madeline is coming with you when you move in with Mr. Lupin."

"Yeah, I guess I couldn't…leave her," he said stiltedly.

"Better to have your family with you," Jace said. You hypocrite. You left Alec and Isabelle without a thought.

"I feel guilty. I agreed to take her with me because I didn't want to go alone," he admitted quickly.

"She didn't want to be alone either," Jace reminded him. "Besides, it's not like she doesn't have a future. If Clary and I can actually do magic, why couldn't she? Maybe she'd even like the school."

Nathaniel's face darkened. "Our parents would never forgive me if I let her become a witch. It's like I'm throwing her future away."

"Well, with the way the Clave is heading, maybe it's better she isn't part of it." Jace thought of Valentine and how sure he had seemed that night on the boat; he'd had the Sword, he'd had the Cup, and he had his destiny. He could still remember Valentine's rage against the Downworlders, and how he considered anyone associated with them to be undeserving of the Angel. He thought of himself, right now, in a house of wizards, adopted by a wizard, going to a wizard school. "She might be better off here."