A large wooden door was the entrance to the castle. It wasn't locked so Crispin easily pushed it open. It screeched loudly.

"Well now they know we're here..." he snickered.

Fallon looked around the entry way, scratching her neck, "I'm hungry."

Isolde rolled her eyes, "I'm partnered with idiots..."

Crispin and Fallon smiled to one another as they walked deeper into the castle. Beneath their feet was cold stone. It was slick with ice and snow. Above them was crumbling wood and stone with isicles idling over their heads. The three Aurors knew to tread carefully. One misplaced spell could send the whole place crashing down.

"This place is massive. Denis could be anywhere," Isolde studied a torn tapestry on a far wall.

"Should we split up? What if we run into trouble?" asked the young witch.

Fallon and Crispin loved a good fight, but knew they were stronger together then separated, "We stick together," answered Fallon.

"There's no way Hadrian left this entire place unguarded," Fallon muttered as walked deeper into the castle descending a staircase. Fallon touched the last step when she swallowed hard, "I'm about to eat my words."

The stone beneath their feet began to crack and crumbled away. The three Auror's rushed back up the stairs. They stopped a few stairs above the now large black hole, formerly the castle's ground floor. They held their breath and waited only seconds before they heard it. The distinct sound of tortured souls beginning to rise. Within the darkness blood red eyes began to flick open. A half decayed, skeletal hand gripped the final step, pulling with it an equally decaying former human being. It's mouth hung open loosely and its eyes stared at them. The three wizards stared at the decaying warrior and for a moment no one moved. They were sizing one another up.

"Draugrs..." whispered Crispin.

The Draugr dragged himself to his feet and stared down the Aurors. He was covered in ancient armour, a shield in his left hand and a rusted sword in his right. The dead soldier clenched his teeth together and growled.

Fallon flicked her wand and the Draugr was incinerated. But that action only caused a deadly chain reaction. Her incinerating the ambassador to the army of dead caused the soldiers lying in wait to swarm and coming sprinting from the darkness quickly over taking the the stairwell.

"RUN!" shouted Isolde and they all did as she said, bolting up the stairs into the entryway and up another set of stairs. The dead soldiers were like a swarm of locusts, dispersing every where.

"Why did you do that?!" shouted Isolde at Fallon as they continued up the stairs firing of incendiary spells behind them.

"I didn't know they would react like that!" she shouted back kicking a Draugr in the chest and setting it on fire.

"When this is over and if I'm not dead I will kill you."

"First let's survive for that threat to be validated," shouted Crispin as he came up the rear.

The burning soldier were sent hurdling down at the others to try and stay off the oncoming numbers, but nothing seemed to be holding them back. Fallon lagged behind until they reached the top of the stairs and looked beneath them. The dead army was closing in around them. The three of them had minor cuts and bruises from the Draugrs. Fallon looked over the railing and breathed heavily, wiping blood from her brow.

"What are you thinking?" Crispin shouted over the mayhem.

But she stood quietly watching the dead soldiers slowly over take them. She looked over her shoulder at them, "Go on," she said, "Find Denis." And with that she launched herself over the railing and into the abyss.

Crispin shouted her name and went to grab her jacket, but she slipped right through his fingers. He watched, almost in slow motion her disappear into the darkness. His eyes wide in horror and he could no longer see her. He continually shouted her name. His eyes continually searching for his friend and partner.

Crispin could feel Isolde pulling on his robes and faintly hear her shouting his name, but it didn't register. He was numb. He had just watched his fellow Auror jumped into sheer death. Everything came flooding back to Crispin. His senses kicked in and followed Isolde through a door which she quickly sealed behind them.

"I'm going to kill her!" he shouted slamming his fist into the door.

"Do it later," Isolde muttered, "Right now we have to find Denis."


Lisbeth had taken up residence in Fallon's flat, patiently waiting for her return, but what was 3 weeks quickly turned into 2 months with nothing from her. She was growing agitated and anxious. She had no way of connecting to Fallon's world aside from her Aunt Amelia and although the woman was kind to her she was of no help in the information department.

The young woman slept in Fallon's bed always wearing the skull t-shirt she had taken. She had noticed something on her days out in the town was that she was being followed. Lisbeth saw them around corneres, always one eye on her and the other on her surroundings. They weren't threatening, but she still felt uneasy. They weren't explained followers they were just always there until one day when of her followers finally spoke up.

She had sat down at a cafe and was sipping her coffee while tracking something on the internet.

"Ms. Salander," her name was said with such formality that at first it didn't even register that she was the one being spoken to. She looked up and saw a young man seated across from her. He was thin with jet black hair, light scruff on his face and eyes that had not seen sleep in many days. Lisbeth didn't say a word.

"My name is Moren Foulsay," he said still not getting a response, "I'm an Auror and under Fallon Calvaria's command."

He could tell the mention of Fallon's name peeked her interest and her eyes focused on him more. Making him strangely uncomfortable.

"We know that you've noticed us following you," he swallowed, "We were ordered to do so by the Ministry of Magic under the consideration of Fallon herself."

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm not the one to be disclosing that information to you," he answered sharply, "But we wanted to inform you of our presence that you are under our protection. You are to come to no harm. We will be here until Fallon's return."

"Which is when?"

"That I can not say," and with that he stood up and left her alone. Lisbeth gritted her teeth. Her eyes boring into the back of the Auror's head.


Crispin and Isolde stood in one of the castle's many towers. It overlooked the former courtyard in the center. That was the only way they had to go was down into the courtyard and after the massive army of dead soldiers they didn't know what was waiting for them outside.

The two Aurors leapt down into the courtyard landing in a large pile of snow. The joking had stopped and the seriousness of the situation settled into their skin. They didn't exchange any words. They didn't need to. The two Aurors were so well trained and in tune with one another they could reach one another with a look. The situation was dire. They didn't know if Denis was still alive, what was going to greet them next and their fellow Auror was now presumed dead.

They walked side by side across the courtyard through nearly 3 feet of snow. The decided against magic for the time being; not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. They reached a frozen pond in the center. Isolde knelt down wiping away some of the snow.

"Fuck!" she breathed.

Crispin looked down and saw the cause of her fit. Frozen under the ice were bodies. Women, children, and men. Young and old. They were frozen in the throes of death. Isolde turned away as Crispin continued to stare. Judging by their clothing they were recent deaths. The young wizard muttered something under his breath before grabbing Isolde under the arm and getting her to walk.

"Where to next?" he asked looked at a number of different entrances back into the castle. Isolde shrugged and moved to a door to their right. This part of the castle seemed to be more structurally sound. When they entered the room they found themselves in the armoury. There were still shields, swords, axes, bows and a number of other weapons lying about.

The tip of Isolde's wand illuminated the room. It was fairly massive. Enough for dozens upon dozens of soldiers to train within it's wall. They had only taken a few steps inside when they heard a massive explosion. From one of the high windows they could see the part of the castle they had just come from erupt in flames. The tower slowly crumbling. Crispin felt sick knowing there was a possibility that Fallon was in there, somewhere. We have to keep going. Keep moving. Find Denis. Crispin repeated this over and over again in his head. That was their assignment. Death was a part of their profession. But he still wasn't grasping the possibility that his friend was truly gone.

"Crispin over here!" he heard Isolde shout from a corner of the room. He rushed over to see her already descending through a trap door. He followed; wand at the ready.

"Denis?" she whispered into the darkness until her wand started to light up everything around them.

The had entered a part of the dungeon.

"Denis?" she whispered again and that's when she heard it. The rattling of chains and a low groan. There in the center of the room, chained by his wrists to the floor was Denis Tanglewood. He was ghostly pale and cowered from the light. His eyes were bloodshot and he look skeletal. He was shivering and huddled in a ball. Isolde ran to his side.

"Denis," she smiled, "We're here."

With a quick flick of her wand she broke the chains bounding him.

"Run.." he said weakly.

"What?" she looked at him.

"Run..." he choked.

A ear piercing screeched echoed all around them.

"Dragon..." Isolde and Crispin exchanged horrified looks.

"We need to move now!" Crispin shouted dragging the wilted Auror to his feet. They raced up the stairs and out into the courtyard just as the wooden floor of the training room splintered. A Hungarian Horntail broke through the floor, smashed easily through the stone wall and found them in the court yard. It roared, breathing fire into the air.

"Isolde take Denis and go!" he shouted at them.

She didn't dare argue and she immediately began to drag the helpless Auror out of harm's way.

Crispin stood his ground as the dragon bared down on him. He used a water shield to protect himself from stream of fire that came at him. He slashed his wand which caused slashes to penetrate the dragon's scaly armour. It reared back; roaring in pain. Blood poured down its chest turning the white snow and deep crimson red.

The massive dragon charged Crispin causing him to take cover behind a massive stone statue. But with a quick swipe of the dragon's talons it was gone. Crispin could feel the blood trickle from a cut to his eye.

He ran back towards the castle walls. As the dragon charged again a massive wall of snow shot up, engulfing the great beast. When the snow settled, the dragon stood frozen in place. Crispin lifted a few large pieces of stone and smashed the dragon to shards of ice with them.

The Auror raced over to Isolde and Denis and was happy to see that his sickly looking friend was still alive. But they were still missing someone; Fallon. Isolde and Crispin looked up into the still burning castle and tower. Denis was pointing to something down along the wall. The two Aurors had to squint before they realized it was a person pulling themselves to a sitting position on the wall.

"Fallon!" they shouted and made their way to her.

She was breathing heavily, covered in blood and soot. Her clothes had been burned and she was bleeding from a few places with a few burns here and there. She smiled up at them.

"Explosion," she breathed, "Unplanned."

Isolde smiled, but it quickly faded when she was blood trickle from the corner of the Auror's mouth. She knelt down and opened her shirt to find 2 puncture wounds in Fallon's side. She could smell it.

"You've been poisoned."

Fallon nodded, "Hey Denis," she smiled. Denis smiled weakly back, "You tired?" she sucked air, "Cause I'm tired..."

Fallon's vision began to get blurry and she couldn't barely hear Crispin and Isolde calling her name. She slumped and remembered only Denis's smile as she blacked out.


Lisbeth awoke at 4am to heavy banging on the door. She quickly threw on a pair of pants and opened the door to find Moren flanked by a number of unnamed Aurors.

"What?" she muttered rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"You need to come with us."

She arched an eyebrow.

"It's Fallon..." but before he could finish Lisbeth had disappeared back into the bedroom and in a matter of seconds had returned fully clothed and ready to go.

"What are we waiting for?" annoyance in her voice.

Moren nodded quickly, "Take my arm."

She grumbled, but did as the young Auror asked. When she opened up her eyes and her body steadied she found herself in the lobby of St. Mungo's. She was still flanked by at least 6 Aurors.

"Ms. Salander?" a woman wearing green robes rushed toward her, "I'm Lia Taleforth. I'm a healer here."

"Yes." she looked the woman up and down.

"You need to come with me."

"Where's Fallon?" she demanded.

"I'll explain on the way," there was urgency in the healer's voice.