Chapter Thirteen Heartbreak
Max's, now Harry's, group was called back from their errand. Upon seeing her little brother, Alex burst into tears, ran after him, and picked him up in a big bear hug, "Don't you ever leave me again."
Max hugged her back, "Count on it, Alex."
She wiped her tears, "When I heard… I mean, you were gone, but when they told us there was a murder, I feared you… you know, you were gone forever."
Max shook his head, "No, but I was there."
Cragmont hobbled on up, "Well, let's hear it then, who took the old codger down?"
Max swallowed hard. The look on Justin's face, it was pure malice. He killed, in cold blood, and he would do it again. But Justin was family, always, "It was Death Eaters."
The crowd gasped in horror, although Max found that stupid. Who else would put the Dark Mark in the sky? Really, people, keep up.
He turned back to Alex, her eyes wet with hope, "What's it mean? All your research into Justin's movements. We could not put it together."
Max's head spun; there was so much to take in. Justin was everywhere on earth, pitted between two sides of an upcoming wizard war. He must have wanted to see Alex, but he had to keep her safe. Max knew what that was like. He looked at the faces around him, Ginny and Harry, Ron and Hermione, Neville was by himself, and strangely so was Luna, though she was standing right beside him. Stevie was missing.
He took a breath. He had to protect Alex, even if it meant breaking her heart, "It means that Death Eaters have Justin."