Harry Potter and the Zodiac Charms

by PulsarDragon

A quiet night after the Chamber of Secrets changes Harry's and Ginny's relationship, mysterious new characters arrive, and a shadowy force strives to bring chaos to the world. starts in canon but will change to an AU story, Ron bashing until a certain point, Harry/Ginny, Neville/Luna, Ron/Hermione, Remus/Tonks, Sirius/Mary

26. Sirius's Mad Adventure Part II

Disclaimer: Same as always of course, don't own Harry Potter, wished I did though

Ch. 26 Sirius's Mad Adventure Part II

"Hmm, seems like we've been discovered," he sighed. "If you want to keep challenging us and experience just how much pain we can cause, the girls will be auctioned off in Novo Mesto, Slovenia in three days' time. Try to rescue them if you can, but I doubt you'll succeed."

Sirius didn't have the energy to reply as the man left his side, but before he could leave the room, the door burst open and Sirius heard the sounds of a gun going off. Something thudded against the floor and footsteps rushed over to him.

"Hey, you awake?" a new man asked, shaking the Auror.

"Who are you?" Sirius croaked, using the chair to lift himself off the floor.

The new arrival held an old-fashioned revolver in his hand, but a wand holster poked out of the long blue trench coat he wore. He was dressed in a blue button-up shirt with suspenders holding his black slacks. His short brown hair and brown eyes seemed soft and Sirius could tell that, just like him, this man probably had to beat the girls away with a stick.

"Major Jack Harper," the man grinned. "And it looks like you and I are after the same people."

"An American?" Sirius croaked, his voice sore form all the screaming..

"Born and bred, although now I live here in Europe," Jack replied with a grin, helping Sirius up into the chair his torturer had vacated. "What brings a British Auror all the way out here, and after the Klinge von Streit no less?"

Sirius tried to reply, but he felt incredibly light-headed and he swayed dangerously in his seat.

"Whoa there, none of that," Jack said, gripping Sirius by the shoulder and keeping him steady.

"Energy Draining Curse," the marauder managed to mumble.

Jack nodded, flicking his wrist to draw his wand. He performed the counter-curse on Sirius, who immediately felt a rush of energy. Unfortunately, that only exacerbated the lingering pain from the Cruciatus Curse. At least he could at least move again, even if it felt like his nerves had been scalded by hot water then flash frozen.

"So again, what brought you out here?" Jack asked.

"Investigating what the bloody hell is going on in Europe because it's spilling over and stirring our problems in Britain," Sirius answered. "And one of our own Ministry officials disappeared in Albania, so we combined the missions. Now, how did you find my team?"

"I was following that guy over there, didn't know anyone else was here," Jack admitted, indicating the old man lying on the carpet. "I don't really see anyone that could be a member of your team though except that guy over there," he continued, pointing at the slumped form of Anthony.

"They took the other two, said they were going to sell them at a slave auction in three days," Sirius replied, panic and anger gripping his heart now. "I have to go rescue her."

"Her? Well count me in," Jack said, standing up and helping Sirius to his feet. "Seems like you'll need the help."

"Would be appreciated," Sirius admitted.

They were both silent for a moment before shouts from the hallway outside the hotel room made both men jump.

"Time to run, I think," Sirius said.

"I've got a car in the hotel parking garage, we can get to it by the rear stairs," Jack said, drawing his pistol and reloading it. "I suspect all that shouting isn't the guests."

"Why do you say that?" Sirius asked, his hand on the door handle.

"Just a hunch," Jack replied with a grin. "Ready?"

"I'm always ready for some action," Sirius grinned back, wrenching the door open.

The hallway was littered with several black clad bodies, the men Jack had dispatched, but more similarly garbed men were slowly working their way down the hall. Most carried rifles at the ready, and two of them had wands out. Spotting the targets, the soldiers sent bullets and spells flying their way, forcing Jack and Sirius to take cover in separate doorframes.

"Is it always this exciting with you?" Jack yelled, leveling his revolver and shooting one black-clad attacker. He was forced to quickly take cover again as a Killing Curse impacted against the frame.

"I was about to ask you that," Sirius yelled back, firing multiple Stunning Spells at their opponents. They bounced off shields into the walls.

Sirius yelled in pain as a bullet grazed the top of his hand, leaving a small wound and blood leaking through his fingers. Another man gave a grunt and fell to the ground, a bullet from Jack ripping through his head. A ding announced more reinforcements for the Blade of Strife members as the elevator arrived. More bullets filled the air, and now there were more wizards with the enemy. Much nastier curses started smashing and splintering their cover.

Seeing that they had no way to get out of this normally, Sirius glanced down at the floor of the hallway.

"Sorry Jack, but this is gonna hurt a bit," Sirius yelled, pointing his wand at the carpet a little in front of them and giving Jack a second of warning.

"What..." Jack started to say, but he was interrupted as Sirius yelled, "Bombarda Maxima!"

Sirius's spell slammed into the floor, blowing apart the area where it landed, the walls around it, and throwing everyone backwards in a cloud of dust and splinters. Groaning, the Marauder pulled himself away from the door frame he had just been blasted into. Jack rubbed his back as he did the same. Seeing their enemies getting back to their feet, Sirius grabbed his new partner by the coat and jumped down into the hole he had just created. This was going to hurt, but he hoped rolling to alleviate the fall might help. Despite his best efforts, something cracked as they landed.

"Gotta keep moving," Jack grunted, getting to his feet and sending several rounds up into a man holding a rifle and about to shoot them from above.

"I think my leg is broken," Sirius stated, using Jack as support to get to his feet. Pain shot up his left leg.

"Ferula," Jack muttered quickly, conjuring a decent splint around Sirius's busted leg. "Let's go, my friend."

Wincing as he put weight onto his injury, Sirius ducked the two Killing Curses that flew over their heads, prompting them to start sprinting as fast as they could. As they reach the corner, they heard several of their attackers landing heavily behind them and had to throw themselves aside as a hail of bullets slammed into the wall, sending splinters flying. Both men sent spells over their shoulders to slow down their pursuers, Jack adding several bullets as well.

Grunts and thuds indicated that the two men had disabled some of their pursuers, but a bullet whizzed past Sirius's ear. The whistle unsettled him; he knew he had escaped death by centimeters.

"Arantelam!" Sirius yelled, conjuring a large web-like net over the corridor, catching their enemies on its sticky strands. Grinning as the Strife members tried to untangle themselves, Sirius hurriedly started running again as one man got his arm free and sent a green spell flying. It dripped onto the ground as it passed, eating through the floor.

Smashing their way through the door into the staircase, Jack spun around and fired several bullets down the hall as Sirius closed the door and sealed it. It only bought them some time, the green acid-like spell began eating through it.

"Down the stairs, now!" Jack yelled, yanking Sirius by his coat and pulling him down the stairs as the acid ate through the door, and several spells and bullets flew through the hole.

Throwing caution to the wind, Sirius tapped his wand against the railing of the stairs, transfiguring them into a spiral slide.

"Go!" Sirius yelled, sending more Stunning spells through the hole in the door and catching two of their attackers.

Needing no second urging, Jack leapt onto the slide, holding his wand and gun close to his chest as he disappeared down the spiral.

"Lumos Maxima!" Sirius shouted, his wand flashing brightly and temporarily blinding his attackers long enough for him to follow Jack. He knew his injured leg would not like this at all, but there was no avoiding it. Reaching the bottom, he howled in pain as his broken limb jarred into the floor, but he had to keep going.

"Almost there, my friend," Jack said, wrapping Sirius's arm over his shoulder and throwing a red spell upwards to disintegrate the stairs, stopping the pursuit for now. The two men burst open the door to the parking garage and Jack led Sirius over to a sleek silver sports car.

"An Aston Martin?" Sirius asked incredulously, though admiring the grin Jack gave as he helped Sirius into a seat.

"So I like the classics, sue me," Jack chuckled, getting into the driver seat and starting the engine. "I'm surprised you know what this car is."

"Was a bit of a car and motorcycle enthusiast, drove my parents insane that I liked something Muggle," Sirius explained as they peeled out of the garage and began winding through the streets of Salzburg. "Think we lost them?"

Before Jack could reply, two black cars slid into the road behind them.

"Nope," Jack replied, reaching towards something on the door next to him. Handing Sirius an automatic rifle, he said, "I hope you know how to use one of these."

"I'm a fast learner," Sirius replied as they raced through the streets, dodging traffic as men leaned out of the black cars and began firing.

Ducking a bit as the back windshield shattered, Sirius leaned around his seat and pulled the trigger, firing away in bursts. He could hear sirens now, but he doubted the local police could help out at all. He grinned as he caught one car's tire and it spun into the other, flipping over it and crunching against a building. The other car continued to pursue, but it was slowly falling back, smoke leaking from its damaged front.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sirius turned to say something to Jack but quickly grabbed the wheel and pulled as another black car tried to sideswipe them.

"Hey! No side seat driving!" Jack yelled, yanking the wheel back as they exited the city and emerged onto the highway.

More black cars pulled in behind, bullets whizzing around the Aston Martin, some even popping up through the floor paneling. The innocent civilian traffic was trying to avoid the pursuit, but Sirius could see accidents happening behind them and he knew this had to end soon, one way or the other.

"Jack, this is starting to hurt innocent people!" Sirius yelled, opening fire and watching his bullets riddle the front windshield of one car and kill the driver.

"Then hold on!" Jack yelled, pressing a button on the radio console. Sirius could only laugh hard as the car rocketed forward from an ejection of nitrous hitting the engine. The thrill of the chase and the adrenaline from getting shot at dulled the ache in his leg, and he was beginning to actually enjoy this. Especially this guy's bag of tricks.

'This is so stereotypical of those bloody spy movies Lily had James and I watch,' the Marauder thought. 'Why am I not surprised an American thinks this is what spies do? Oh who am I kidding, if I was spy I would make sure I had the movie gadgets too.'

The chase lasted another few minutes, but eventually Jack was able to elude the Strife members by doubling back and taking a small side road into the countryside. Pulling into an empty farm, Jack parked the car, rolling his shoulder and groaning.

"Well that was fun," he chuckled, "I do really enjoy this kind of thing."

"I think you've seen too many spy movies, but I can respect that," Sirius replied, his barking laughter filling the car before he sobered up almost instantly as a voice started shouting from his pocket.

"Padfoot! Padfoot! Answer damn it!" Remus's voice was yelling as Sirius fumbled with the mirror for a second.

"Moony! Are you okay?" Sirius asked. Out of the corner of his eye, the Marauder saw that his new ally was completely confused and intrigued by the mirror.

"We were attacked, Sirius!" Remus shouted, frustration, hurt, and exhaustion bleeding out through his voice. "Tonks and Shane are injured, and Catherine is unconscious from some spell I've never seen before. Did anything happen to your team?"

"Remus ... Anthony is dead," Sirius sighed, an intense wave of guilt and anger washing over him. "And both Mary and Jessica were kidnapped."

"Who is this group, Sirius, and why did they attack us?" Remus asked, his expression darkening and hinting at the wolf within.

"They're called the Blades of Strife," Sirius replied, "and they attacked us because we've been disrupting their operations. We took out an illegal monster breeding center in Germany and apparently they didn't like that."

"That coup we stopped in Belarus was them?!" Remus exclaimed loudly. "Over twenty people died, and even then it was touch and go for us."

"Where are you now?" Sirius asked.

"We were able to find refuge in a small village in Ukraine near Kiev," Remus said, a flash of pain crossing his face, which told Sirius his best friend hadn't escaped unscathed. "A friend of Catherine's actually is sheltering us, but I'm not sure when we will be able to move again. Tonks took a bad spell to her left arm and needs Skele-Gro and Shane had a spell explode right in front of him. He's got burns along the right side of his face and upper torso."

"Can you describe the spell your friend Catherine was hit with?" Jack said, leaning into view.

"Who are you?" Remus asked, his suspicions spiking.

"Major Jack Harper," Jack replied promptly. "And I'm the reason your friend here is still alive, saved him from being tortured and shot."

"He's an ally, Remus," Sirius said, soothing his friend's nerves. He was thinking the same thing as Remus though. Their enemies could be anywhere and anyone apparently, which didn't bode well for what was going on across the continent and for the peace.

"She was hit with a purple and green spell, knocked her out immediately," Remus said. "I thought it might be a Sensory Disabling Curse since they're so similar, but it's something I've never seen."

Jack stroked his chin for a moment, thinking.

"Does she have a cold sweat?" he asked.

"Yes, and a fever that is slowly building," Remus answered.

"If I had to guess then, she must have taken two different curses that combined," Jack said. "I would say it was a combo of Internal Boiling Curse and a Russian curse called the Son deyatel'nosti or the Sleep of Activity. It shuts down all signals beyond basic breathing and bodily functions, paralyzing the victim and reducing them into a vegetable state. I'm not sure what the counter-curse for that is, but you can eliminate the Internal Boiling Curse so she won't die, but she will need a Healer."

"That's a problem because our Healer was just kidnapped," Sirius replied, his eyes darkening as he thought about what this group had done and were planning to do to Mary and Jessica. "I think it's time we went on the offensive. Remus, we will rescue the girls, just hunker down and recover."

"Be careful, Padfoot, I don't want to lose any more friends," Remus muttered.

"Aren't I always?" the Marauder grinned as his friend rolled his eyes. The playfulness left his face though, and he growled out, "The only people who are going to lose are those bastards."

"Make them pay," Remus growled in response and he closed the link.

Jack and Sirius sat in silence for several long moments as a few snowflakes started to fall. Bringing the outside chill in through the broken windows.

"Did they say where in Slovenia?" Jack asked quietly.

"I believe the town is called Novo Mesto," Sirius whispered just as quietly. "We've got three days before the trail goes cold."

"Let's go then."

Slovenia

"Well this is the right city, but now what," Sirius grumbled from the chair he was sitting in.

He and his new friend Jack had made it to the town of Novo Mesto in record time, establishing a safe house in an apartment complex by Confounding the landlord. Sirius was stuck in the safe house while Jack left and procured some Skele-Gro from a wizard's potion shop in the town and tried to find a contact to find these bastards. It left the Marauder only twiddling his thumbs, worrying about Mary, and focusing on not punching a hole in the wall out of anger.

It was his fault that Anthony was dead. If he hadn't recruited him from Azkaban, the poor bloke would have been released eventually and still be alive. But then, he didn't know how much of the original Anthony would have survived if that had been the case, the dementors would make sure nothing was left of the old fire if he had stayed too long. He was startled out of his thoughts as the lock turned. Jack stepped into the small apartment with the potion bottle, accompanied by a grizzled older man.

"This is your partner?" the man asked gruffly as Jack handed Sirius the potion.

"Easy, Dragan, he got hurt fighting those criminals," Jack replied, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. To Sirius, the gesture seemed a bit too familiar.

"Who's your friend, Jack?" Sirius asked, gagging a bit from the burning effect of the potion. At least his leg would be right as rain in the morning.

"I met Dragan while out getting your potion, but maybe he should tell you his story," Jack said, grinning.

"The Lopatice Prepir stole my daughter," the man named Dragan explained, his features darkening. "They operate with impunity in our town while the local police do nothing to stop them. They pay off the police and in turn, they can kidnap our girls and sell them into slavery!"

"Dragan told me that they operate out of a building on the other side of town," jack said, picking up the tale. "When I told him who we were fighting against him, he leapt at the chance to strike against them."

"Before or after he got done shouting your name?" Sirius mumbled under his breath. He could tell just by the looks Dragan was giving Jack that something had happened of a more colorful nature.

"Didn't quite catch that, what did you say?" Jack asked, but the sly grin on his face told Sirius he probably had.

"I said they probably keep a ledger in their hideout to document who is on the payroll in the police," Sirius said, looking over at Dragan. "If we get that, the police will arrest the Blades of Strife as they will have lost access to their accounts."

"I vant more than that!" Dragan yelled, smashing his fist into the table. "I vant them dead! Comrades, I shall meet you in the morning and we shall kill all those in the way of our loved ones!"

Before Dragan left though, Sirius and Jack persuaded him to show them on a map of the town which building was the target. After he had gone, they went about planning their raid. Jack left the apartment again to do some recon while Sirius sat in his chair and recovered. By the time Jack returned, Sirius's leg was all pins and needles as the bones regrew. It made him antsy. This was taking too long, and he was getting anxious now.

"So from what I could gather, the girls are held somewhere in the middle of the building," Jack said, circling a section of the building that had no windows. "Best guess is that their ledger would be somewhere near there as well."

"I suspect the ledger is probably coded, knowing how these guys operate. They don't take chances," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Not at all, that's why I recommend we go in wands blazing, blowing holes in the walls so they can't prepare a proper defense," Jack replied, grinning. "Avoid the doors, plant some explosives of my own invention at key points, rescue the prisoners and grab the ledger, then get the heck out of there."

"Hold on here, who's in charge?" Sirius joked.

"You are the boss, so what's the plan?" Jack responded immediately, but cheekily.

"We'll go with yours, it's pretty good," Sirius chuckled. "First thing in the morning, we meet with Dragan again, then attack. Speaking of our new friend, how the heck did you get this information out of him?"

"Well I just said hello to him while getting your potion, he said hello back and I just rolled with the situation," Jack replied, his grin turning truly mischievous. "One thing led to another, and as I was leaving his place, the topic came up."

"Is there anyone you haven't tried to seduce?" Sirius groaned.

"Well you, but then I know that won't work," Jack chuckled. "It's not my fault people are attracted to my devilishly handsome looks and sharp wit. You used to have that problem yourself, at least for the ladies, or so I've heard."

"Ah, it's good to know I'm infamous even in America," Sirius grinned.

"What changed?" Jack asked, sitting down across from Sirius.

"It's a long, complicated story that begins in my third year of Hogwarts ..." Sirius started to explain.

The next morning, Sirius and Jack were outside the Blades of Strife building, as the former purchasing a local newspaper that catered to tourists. Flipping through it, only to cover his actual observations, they waited for Dragan to arrive.

"Where is he?" Sirius mumbled, folding his paper to check his watch. "He was supposed to be here an hour ago."

"I'm not sure," Jack mumbled back. He glanced down, then sighed before lifting the paper. "Well that would explain it."

Sirius flipped his paper over to see a small news article about the murder of a Dragan Jankovic in his apartment in a burglary gone wrong. No suspects had been found, but police were urging anyone with information to come forward.

"The Blades of Strife got to him," Sirius said, tossing the paper away. "I've had it with these bastards, time to attack."

"I'll grab the ledger, you cause a ruckus and we meet up in the cell block?" Jack asked as they crossed the street to the hideout building.

"Sounds about right, good luck in there," Sirius confirmed, pulling out his wand.

"You too," Jack agreed, arming himself as well.

Inside

Mary screamed. A bucket of freezing water had just been splashed over her slim frame, reminding her of the predicament she and Jessica had been dragged into. As soon as they had been pulled from the room, they had been blindfolded by several black clad figures and shoved into waiting cars. Mary hadn't gone quietly, even though she had been under the effects of an Energy Draining Curse. Using every ounce of energy she could muster, she had been able to subdue one black clothed figure before she had been hit over the head and knocked unconscious.

"Rise and shine, cvet," a cruel voice said.

Blinking and shivering, she looked up at the man holding a wooden bucket. He had long scars along the left side of his face, his eyes glinted with malice, and she shuddered as she recognized a sickening wantonness within them.

"Where am I? What do you want?" Mary asked, shivering on the cold floor of her cell. She noted that her robes and wand had been taken away while she was unconscious, leaving her just in a bra and knickers.

"Time for that later, cvet," the man said, coming closer to her. "I've got naročila to break you and your pretty friend before the auction, so best get started."

The man moved closer, drawing his wand and flicking it so a whip-like spell emerged from the end.

"Now this whip won't leave any physical scars, but it will shatter that strong will you have and leave marks upon your soul," her torturer explained, his voice dripping with anticipation. "Once that's done, you and I shall have some fun together. Test out the goods so to speak."

Mary glared defiantly back as he raised his hand, and the whip came cracking down across her chest. The pain was so intense, Mary immediately curled in on herself, screaming. She could describe the blows he was now raining down on her as thin sliver of the Cruciatus Curse, but infinitely more painful and breaking. She just wanted the pain to end, but her torturer continued to flay her with the spell whip.

After what felt like several hours, but probably was only a few minutes, Mary was staring blankly ahead, the whip no longer falling upon her. Her tormentor was now stripping her of what little she had left of her dignity, but she couldn't find it within herself to resist or do anything to stop him. Her will had been broken and ...

'Don't give up that easily, Mary,' a voice said in her mind that sounded like Jessica.

Mary didn't even respond to the voice in her head as the oppressor's hands glided across her bare chest, sending shivers along her body, which had long since stopped responding to the cold.

'Mary! You are far stronger than this! Get up and fight back!' the voice yelled, and inside her heart, a small spark ignited.

She could feel his hands moving down her torso, towards a spot she had reserved only for her scoundrel. The small spark that had formed flared brightly as she thought about Sirius, and she knew he would find her and rescue her.

'Yes, think about Sirius, use that feeling to fight back against the despair and emptiness,' the voice said, ever more forceful. Memories of Sirius from before, and now, filled her mind, giving her further strength.

"No," she whispered, her hand grasping around her would-be rapists hand.

"Prasca, looks like I need to beat you down more," the man snarled, drawing his wand with his other hand. The whip appeared again with a flick of his wrist.

"No," Mary whispered louder, her grip tightening on his hand.

The whip came crackling down, but her other hand shot out and grasped his wand arm's wrist, the whip smacking against the wall.

"No!" she yelled, and using the strength welling up inside her, she rolled the man onto his side, placing herself above him and wresting his wand away.

"Give back my wand, you prasca!" he yelled, throwing her back and stalking towards where she now laid, a knife appearing in his hand.

"Sectumsempra!" Mary yelled, using a spell that Lily had taught her long ago. She still wasn't sure where Lily had learned it herself, but it certainly was justified here.

The man screamed as the spell slashed through both wrists, severing his hands. He collapsed to his knees, yelling in agony. Breathing heavily, Mary slowly got to her feet and used the taken wand to staunch his bleeding.

"Now, I do believe I asked you two questions before you maliciously tortured and violated me," Mary asked, her voice deceptively calm. "Answer them properly, and I won't sever another body part, as you most definitely deserve."

"Go to hell!" the man yelled.

"Now that's not an answer I wanted to hear," she hissed, pointing her captured wand at the man's pride. "Pilacontuno!"

The man yelled and writhed in pain as she applied a patented female Marauder spell on his "boys", something she and Lily had developed to deal with the idiots at school when they acted out.

Lifting the spell, she asked, "Now, where am I and what do you want with me?"

"You're currently in the town of Novo Mesto, Slovenia and you're here because we were ordered to abduct and sell you," a cultured, but tired voice said behind her, not the whimpering of her torturer she had longed to hear. "But I can clearly see you're not like other women we've taken."

Whipping around, Mary she was pointing her wand at an elderly gentleman. His grey eyes were dull, lines creased his face, and he was wore a black suit with a red shirt and black tie that had the same S and sword pin clipped onto it that they had seen on the other Strife members. The wand in his hand pointed at her. Flanking him were two black clad guards holding shock batons.

"Put the wand down, my dear, and I can promise you will not be harmed or subjected to such treatment again," the old man said. "Refuse, and sadly we must subdue you."

"Not going to happen," Mary snarled, gripping the wand tighter.

"Very well then, take her," the old man sighed, almost dejectedly, and the two guards rushed into the room.

Dodging one shock baton, she smashed her elbow against a windpipe, feeling it give way and knocking one man to the floor, unable to breathe. The other guard charged at her, but she merely dodged again, before cartwheeling away and, while upside down, shouted, "Stupefy!" The red jet of light caught the guard and he collapsed to the ground, stunned.

"Impressive, my dear, but foolhardy," the old man said, gesturing and more guards poured into the cell.

Mary was able to take down several more guards, through both spells and hand-to-hand attacks, but she was quickly tiring and had been penned into a corner.

"You will be a most interesting addition to the auction, perhaps..." the old man started to say before the floor shook, dust falling from the ceiling.

"We've been discovered, it appears," the old man sighed. "Kill the intruders."

"No one is going to be killing any of us," a female voice said from the corridor. "Vimobligandi!"

Teal ropes of energy suddenly wrapped themselves around the guards and the old man, giving Mary the opportunity to blast them all unconscious.

"Jessica! How did you escape?" Mary asked as the young Healer stepped into the room. She was also in her underwear, and Mary was surprised to see a long streak of teal ink that spiraled along the girl's upper arm that ended in a circle on the healer's shoulder. The young girl didn't seem the type to get a tattoo.

"The person they sent to break me was a bit too clumsy and dropped his wand," Jessica explained with a shrug. "Come on, sounds like Sirius is here."

"One more question," Mary said, quickly throwing her underwear back on and crunching the nose of her torturer for good measure. "Did you happen to speak into my mind?"

Jessica gave her a quizzical look before responding, "I have no idea what you mean. That sounds rather impossible to me. How could one speak into someone else's mind?"

"I'm not sure, but I heard your voice in my head and that reminded me to resist," Mary said, looking closely at the young girl. She didn't seem to be lying, so maybe it had just been her imagination. But why did her inner will have Jessica's voice? Perhaps the other woman, as a healer, represented safety … or something.

The room rumbled again, and they could distinctly hear armored boots coming closer and closer.

"Time to move, I think," Jessica said, backing into the corridor and immediately having to counter a blue spell.

Mary rushed out of her cell, sending a Stunning Spell at one guard and knocking him out of the fight. Several guards, disregarding orders she was sure, began firing machine guns at them.

"Magnetica Scutum!" Jessica yelled, and the increasing hail of bullets were caught in a strange light blue energy.

"What spell is that?" Mary asked, never having heard of a spell to counter Muggle bullets.

"Magnet Shield Charm, Serenity developed it while we were at school," Jessica explained. "It can also do this."

Jabbing her wand forward, she made the bullets she had caught with her spell turn around and surge back at high speeds towards the men shooting at them. Many of them dropped to the ground, wounded or dead, giving the girls a chance to run along the hallway. As they ran, they would take a moment to break the locks of different cells and free the girls held within them.

Many of the girls had the same blank looks, their spirits completely crushed, but they followed Mary and Jessica as they had been trained to do now. It broke Mary's heart and caused her blood to boil to think that this was what this group was doing.

"Bombarda Maxima!" Mary yelled, blowing apart a door and sending two of their attackers flying. More guards came streaming towards them, but another explosion burst through the wall, knocking everyone onto the floor. It was much more powerful that hers had been, and several of the girls screamed, temporarily coming out of their stupors.

Two silhouettes stepped out of the smoking hole as their spells and bullets dispatching the guards that hadn't been incapacitated by the explosion. One silhouette was wearing a long coat, carrying a revolver in one hand, wand in the other. The other was much more familiar, wearing a blazer and dress pants, his wand flashing ferociously.

"Sirius!" Mary yelled, her heart soaring as she saw her love dodge a spell, and return it in kind, blasting the enemy away into the far wall.

"Oh come on, we were coming to rescue you, and you two escape yourselves?" Sirius jokingly groaned, but he still looked relieved to see her and Jessica. He couldn't look away from her, but that didn't seem to be a problem for his dueling. Spells fired over his shoulder still managed to hit their marks dead on.

"Sorry if we stopped your plans," Mary said, twirling her wrist and blasting a spell towards another guard over Sirius's shoulder.

"Who's this?" Jessica asked, putting a shield up that looked like a mirror. It caught her opponent's spell and reflected it back at him.

"Major Jack Harper," Jack answered with a grin. "Who are you?"

"Mary Macdonald and Jessica Aurori," Mary answered, blocking a spell and then hitting her opponent with a Shrinking Hex.

"Nice to meet you both," Jack replied, shooting off several bullets and forcing the guards to take cover.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, don't start," Sirius groaned.

"I was just saying hello," Jack said defensively.

"We really don't mind," Jessica giggled, and even the girls that had been held captive looked livelier as they threw glances at the major. Only Mary didn't seem taken by the mysterious Jack; she had eyes for only one man.

"He pulled the same thing a day ago and well ... you get the idea," Sirius groaned. "Then again, I certainly don't mind the current attire."

"Pig," Mary hissed, earning a laugh from her partner.

"Love you too, and along those lines, I took the liberty of breaking into their armory first," Sirius replied, pulling a bundle of shrunken clothes and two small sticks out of his pocket.

"Three minutes," Jack replied, checking his watch as the girls hastily un-shrunk their robes and got dressed. Mary in particular felt complete again as she held her own wand.

"Ah, yes, we'd best be making our exit," Sirius chuckled. "We might have rigged the place to explode in three minutes and counting- a little payback for what they did."

"Are there any other prisoners?" Mary asked as the group started running through the hallways.

"This is the only cell wing in this building," Jack answered, shooting two guards that were running towards them. "Only people left are members of the Klinge von Streit, and we might want to be gone before the police arrive."

"All too right, this way," Sirius said, casting a locator spell that created a thin line leading them towards finding an exit.

As they neared the rear exit to the hideout, Jack and Sirius took point and blasted several more guards while the girls covered the rear of the group.

'Almost there,' Sirius thought, grinning. His grinned widened even more as Mary blasted a guard all the way down the hallway into a wall. 'Looks like we made it through this after all.'

Turning the last corner, the group came to an abrupt halt. Two rows of guards stood blocking their path forward, the front row crouching with automatic rifles at the ready while the back row held wands.

Behind the guards, the old man Mary had seen before started chuckling before saying, "A valiant effort, Lord Black, but it appears your luck has run out. Surrender now, and your deaths will be quick. Refuse, and our organization will make sure each and every person you care for is killed first, in front of you, before we put you through a long and torturous death."

"Go to hell," Sirius replied, subtly checking his watch to see how much time was left before the explosives went off. One minute left.

"I've already been there," the old man chuckled darkly. "Pulling myself up from the alleys and streets of the world to a position of wealth and power was my own personal hell. But, as I feel that is your answer," he turned to the soldiers," kill them."

Time seemed to slow down as the guards drew breath to cast spells or to pull their triggers, giving Sirius clarity on what he felt his final moments would be. At least he would be dying next to Mary, but he was sorry that Harry would never see him again. His godson would probably end up back with the Dursleys. Sirius stared defiantly back at the Blade of Strife members, bracing himself for death.

Mary closed her eyes, expecting a sharp pain that would end her life and send her on to the next adventure. She could see James, Lily, and everyone else she had cared for again in just a moment. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jess tensing, tears in the young woman's eyes. She felt bad that the girl would never graduate beyond an apprentice Healer. She really shouldn't have been brought into all this craziness. Mary reached for Sirius' hand at her side.

Suddenly, a large explosion of white energy erupted in the midst of the guards. Bodies on the extreme edges of the enemy lines were thrown left and right as the crackling white energy knocked everyone over. The surrounding walls were completely obliterated. Nothing was left to note of the guards that had been in the middle of the explosion, except for a bit of smoke.

"The bloody hell?!" Sirius gasped, getting shakily back to his feet. Nothing was left, not a single piece of fabric or hair, of the old man or any of the guards around him. The guards that hadn't been disintegrated were clearly dead, the force of the spell having reduced their bones to dust. "Did you do that, Jack?"

"No, I have no idea what that was," Jack replied, helping Jessica to her feet. "Wasn't any of my explosives. Whatever it was, it was incredibly powerful."

"Maybe one of their spells backfired," Jess said, checking everyone for any injuries caused by the explosion. "It's very possible they thought they were strong enough to cast it."

"Possibly," Mary mumbled.

Deeper within the building, a rumbling started.

"Time to go," Jack yelled, pushing Jess forwards. "Timers are up, so this building is about to come down."

"Run!" Sirius yelled and everyone broke into a sprint towards the large hole in the wall caused by the explosion. Marry helped several of the young girls that had been captured. Most of them still showed signs of shock, but that was a step up from the expressionless look they had before.

They got everyone out onto the street in time to be knocked forward by the building collapsing in on itself, dust billowing out in giant clouds. Sirius's ears were ringing; all sounds were muffled and sounded far away. As his hearing returned and he got to his feet, sirens sounded from very close by.

"Time to be going," Sirius yelled to the others. "Back to the safe house."

He took Mary's hand while Jack took Jessica's, and they Apparated away just as the local police started pulling up.

As they got the girls to the safe house, Remus called again on the mirror, saying Catherine didn't have long if not treated soon, and the others had barely begun to heal. Something about their injures just wouldn't allow them to heal cleanly. Jessica had immediately leapt up and activated her emergency Portkey to go assist the injured party while Sirius quickly relayed to his best friend what had occurred with the rescue. Remus was very interested in the ledger, but he was distracted as Jessica had arrived and began fussing over everyone. Before they closed the link, Sirius asked Remus to come and join them in the safe house once everyone was cleared to travel, as it was now deemed too dangerous to go alone against the Blades of Strife.

Several hours later a blinding flash of light and a shoebox announced the arrival of the other team. Introductions were quickly made so the team was familiar with Jack, but it was apparent they wouldn't be able to do anything active for the investigation anytime soon. Jessica had been able to heal Catherine to an extent, but the Russian woman needed rest and liquids to recover her equilibrium. Tonks and Shane were still nursing some injures, but it was nothing some Skele-Gro wouldn't fix by the morning. Remus now had a new scar running across his face, but other than that he seemed fine. Tonks seemed to particularly like the new scar, and Sirius could see that even though the two had been together before, the experiences they had shared in Eastern Europe had brought them closer than ever.

The next few days they took the time to recover, occasionally going out to gather intel as Catherine's condition slowly improved. Primarily, Jack was the one who went out on these recon missions, claiming he was cultivating new contacts that might be able to feed them information about the criminals they were fighting. Tonks would occasionally accompany him, but apparently it was a Black family trait to be immune to Jack's charms. That, and an angry werewolf boyfriend that could control when he transformed and didn't require the full moon to do so, kept Jack from trying anything.

Four days passed before Catherine finally felt well enough to move around, insisting on joining Tonks and Jack on one of their recon missions. While they were out, Sirius had gone to nearby wizarding part of town and bought a veritable mountain of Chocolate Frogs. He brought them back to the safe house by the armful. He had an idea and needed to get a message out without anyway to track it.

"So why are we going through a mountain of Chocolate Frogs?" Mary asked, unwrapping one of the many packages on the small table in the safe house. "Not that I mind having this much chocolate, but we could be doing something a bit more productive."

"Stress reliever while we wait for Tonks, Catherine, and Jack to get back," Sirius mumbled secretly, looking at the card in his hand and tossing it onto a growing pile. "Damn it, another Ptolemy card."

"You know, if you aren't going to collect any of these I'll take them," Jessica said, grinning as she opened a package and pulled out a Circe card. "I'm sort of a collector in my spare time."

"Another surprising fact about the life of Jessica Aurori," Mary giggled. "I forgot to ask in all the chaos, what is that tattoo on your arm and shoulder?"

"Oh, nothing, I just thought it looked nice," Jessica said with a shrug, popping a Chocolate Frog into her mouth. "My sister got a lilac-colored tattoo of the same design on her opposite arm."

"Interesting," Remus mumbled. He kept checking his watch, and then throwing a glance at the door.

"She'll be fine, Remus," Mary said, placing a comforting hand on the werewolf's. "Tonks and Catherine can handle themselves, even if Nymphadora is a bit ... clumsy. And Jack is quite capable in his own right."

"I know, I just …" Remus started to say, absentmindedly turning the card in his over to see the picture. "Worry … Got it!"

"Yes!" Sirius yelled, nearly diving over the table and scattering packages and cards every which way.

Jessica leaned over in her chair, looking at the card.

"Dumbledore? Why were you looking for this card?" she asked, looking very confused at the two gleeful Marauders. "His is just about the most common card to pull."

"Care to share something?" Mary asked, equally confused and growing annoyed with the two best friends.

"Ever wonder how Dumbledore always knew what pranks we were pulling, how he always knew what was going on around the school and the wizarding world?" Remus asked as Sirius placed the card on the center of the table. The picture of Dumbledore scratched his nose, but continued to look serenely around the place.

"Sure, but then, he's Dumbledore," Mary said, shrugging. "It's a sort of accepted fact the old codger can tell what you're thinking."

"Yes, but his knowledge goes far beyond what he could pick up through Legilimency, which, by the way, is forbidden at Hogwarts. No, he always knows what to do," Sirius said, tapping his wand to the card as if to double-check something. He grinned as he pulled his wand away. "Good, he's paying attention."

"What are you on about?" both women asked together.

"It took James and Sirius most of our seventh year to figure it out, but they got the answer in the end," Remus chuckled. "We found out when Dumbledore was first placed on the Chocolate Frog cards, he asked for the first card of his printed as a memento. What he didn't tell anyone was he placed a highly advanced version of the Protean Charm on the master card, turning each and every card that was printed into a small window."

"So ... Dumbledore..." Jessica muttered, her eyebrows rising.

"Dumbledore can listen in on any conversation he so chooses," Sirius said with a grin. "The old devil was very clever about it, but James and I were able to hijack one of the windows once and we were able to use it to send a message to the headmaster. Gave him a right ol' laugh and ever since, we've used it as a way to pass sensitive information to him."

"What's the radius for how far he can hear?" Mary asked, alarm building in her chest.

"Anything within say a hundred meters, we never could determine that part," Sirius said, but he noticed Mary's growing alarm. "It's not illegal, dear. It's creepy, yes, but not illegal."

"One man shouldn't have that sort of ability," she mumbled. "Even if it is the headmaster."

"I couldn't agree more," the picture of Dumbledore said, causing everyone not expecting it to jump. He was now sitting in his office chair, looking over his half-moon glasses amusedly. "Sirius, I thought we agreed to keep this information private."

"Sorry, headmaster, but it couldn't be avoided," Sirius replied as Jessica got over the small heart attack she had had. "I need to get you up to speed on what's going on; it's far worse than we thought."

Sirius gave Dumbledore a quick summary of what his team had faced, while Remus would chime in with the events his group had been through. The aged wizard was silent throughout the entire tale, but his smile had faded completely to be replaced by a frown.

"This is very worrisome, Sirius," the headmaster gravely muttered. "Combined with the Death Eater stirrings, I can't believe it is a coincidence. You must find Bertha though; everything depends on what happened to her. Keep this card on you at all times. I shall strive to string the pieces together about why these terrible events are happening now. Is there anything else?"

"How's Harry doing?" Sirius asked, and Dumbledore actually smiled a bit at that.

"He and his friends discovered the Bubble-Head Charm," the aged wizard said. "They've been practicing quite a bit, but I fear young Harry hasn't quite realized what is going to be taken in a few days."

"It's Ginny, isn't it?" Sirius sighed.

"Yes, but I think that will only motivate him even more," Dumbledore said. He looked to the left, toward the door into the safe house. "I believe your friends are returning, good luck in your mission, Sirius."

The door opened as Dumbledore's card went back to its normal appearance. Catherine, Tonks, and Jack came in and they seemed rather excited about something.

"So we got some news about how we can decode that ledger," Catherine said as the team assembled around the table. "Jack was able to get ahold of one of his friends, and we learned something very interesting."

"What might that be?" Sirius asked.

"How well do you know poker, and how fast can we get to a casino resort on the coast of Montenegro?" Jack asked with a grin.

Montenegro

"I have to say, you clean up nice for a scoundrel," Mary said with a smile, straightening Sirius's bow tie in their hotel room.

Upon reaching Montenegro, the team had established a safe house in an empty suite in the scenic mountain town.

The team had checked into the hotel casino in pairs, hoping to avoid any attention from any of the Blades of Strife members that were there to participate in an exclusive upper-class poker game. Sirius, under the cover name Lord Blake Diog, had been able to buy his way into the game. Jack's contact had informed the team that a very high-ranking member of the Klinge von Streit was playing as well. Jack had also joined the game, through Sirius lending him the money to do so, just to increase their chances of winning and identifying the criminal they were seeking. The others would be scattered around the hotel, ready to intervene in case they had to kidnap the member to get whatever cipher would decode the ledger. Sirius hoped it wouldn't come to that, but was fully prepared for such an occasion.

"You clean up very well yourself, Miss Macdonald." Sirius grinned at his girlfriend. She was dressed in an elegant blue dress, her hair done up in soft ringlets. He was personally sporting a tailored tuxedo and bow tie, because, as he had told Harry, bow ties were cool.

"Now remember, there are going to be Muggles playing this game, so no magic tricks," she said, kissing him lightly.

"I don't need tricks to win poker," Sirius responded. "Let's go."

Taking her by the arm, Sirius led his date from their room and went down to casino. A roped off area with a large poker table designated where the action would be. Armed security guards in tuxedos dotted the area. Making his way through the small crowd, Sirius could see that the attendees, for the most part, were high-end members of society. Jack was chatting with Jessica, pretending to be a German baron with more money than sense. His accent wasn't half bad, either. Remus and Tonks sat at one of the blackjack tables, betting the minimum and drinking lime and tonics. Catherine was nowhere to be seen, but Sirius was certain she was here somewhere watching. Shane lounged at the private bar, watching horse races and quaffing down drink after drink. Kissing Mary's hand, Sirius took his seat at the table, the first, and waited. Other players started to filter towards the table, bringing dates or spectators to watch the obscene amounts of money being passed around.

"A pleasure to meet again, Lord Black," Gaspard Convain said, reaching across the table and shaking Sirius's hand. Sirius jumped at hearing his name, then forced a smile despite the uneasiness in his gut as he returned the Frenchman's grip. Lord Convain was just as nicely groomed as he had been at his own party, and Sirius wondered why he was so far from home. Could he be the Blade of Strife member that they were planning on gaining the cipher from?

"Lord Convain, I must say this is a surprise," Sirius replied. "I didn't know you were attending."

"A last minute invitation from a friend," Lord Convain answered. His green eyes were a bit unnerving in their intensity as they gazed at Sirius. "Might I ask why you yourself are here?"

"I fancy myself a fair hand at poker and we were in Montenegro on vacation," Sirius replied easily. It had been long enough since they'd seen each other… he hoped.

"Well, enjoy the game," Lord Convain replied smoothly.

Another player joined the table, leaving just one seat open for a last player. They didn't have to wait long as an older gentlemen took his seat. Unlike the other players, he hadn't brought a date or any spectators, just a few security guards. One guard caught Sirius's attention, as the man had a tattoo on his neck that his suit collar didn't quite hide. It revealed the hilt of a sword and the top of something that suspiciously looked like an S. This was the man he was after.

"Welcome one and all," the host for the game said, walking up with the dealer. "The game will be no limits Texas Hold'em, and the winner receives fifty million U.S. dollars as donated graciously by one of our patrons, Ian Mallory. Good luck gentlemen."

'Who just happens to have fifty million dollars lying around that he can just give away to give a poker game a large prize?' Sirius thought incredulously as the first hands were dealt. He didn't even bother to look at his cards; he folded immediately. He wanted to learn more about his opponents before he placed even a single chip down.

Several hands in, Sirius had yet to actually play a hand, even when he was on the blinds. He was gaining valuable insight into his opponents though, especially the Blades of Strife member and Lord Convain. Gaspard played as he acted; calm, collected, precise. The older man, who was simply being called Saxon, was playing very conservatively but was more active than either Jasper or Sirius. He was collecting another pot as the blinds were raised, one player leaving the table in a rage at losing all his money.

Sirius started to play hands, being risky on some and cautious on others, and his change in style threw most of the table off. It soon boiled down to just Sirius, Gaspard, and the man named Saxon at the table, all three with large piles of chips in front of them.

"I must say, Lord Black, your play style is both cautious and destructive," Gaspard said, tipping his champagne glass at the Auror. "My compliments on a well fought campaign."

"Indeed," Saxon said, his eyes flashing in recognition at Sirius's name. "Excuse me gentlemen, I find I need a break to stretch my legs. Old age and all."

Sirius recognized immediately that the man knew who he was and what he had been doing against his organization. It was about time for their plan to be set in motion.

"I agree, a five minute reprieve?" Sirius asked the host.

"Five minutes," he agreed, nodding at the dealer. "If someone is not back within that time frame, they will be eliminated from the game."

"Understood," Sirius said. Saxon was already out of his chair and moving surprisingly quickly and smoothly for an old man with aching bones. His guards accompanied him.

"Go time," Sirius mumbled to Mary as he took her by the hand and followed Saxon out. Jasper stayed behind, talking to some of the other guests.

As they followed Saxon through the lobby, the other members of their team started to subtly get up from what they were doing and fell in behind Sirius and Mary. Once they reached the first landing where no guests could be seen, wands were drawn. Saxon and his guards had disappeared around another corner. Moving cautiously down the hallway, Sirius gestured for Jack and Tonks to head up to the next floor and come down around from behind.

Peering around the corner, Sirius immediately pulled his head back to avoid a Killing Curse and all hell broke loose. Other doors on the floor burst open, revealing more guards. The entire hotel seemed to be stocked with extra men.

"It's a trap!" Remus yelled, blasting one attacker back into their room and sealing the door so the rest couldn't get out.

"He's on the move," Sirius exclaimed, popping out around the corner and blasting Saxon's two original guards. Saxon was already at the end of the hall, moving faster than a man his age should be. Chasing after him, Sirius and Catherine raced down the hallway while the other three fought the guards, the crack of spells filling the air.

Turning the corner, Saxon stopped and gestured with his hand. Sirius found himself slammed into the wall by some unseen force.

"How in the world," he grumbled, resuming the chase behind Catherine. Saxon had just gestured with his hand, no wand or spell, and thrown him into the wall. Was he like the Ericson girls?

"Stupefy!" Catherine yelled. The red beam missed the fleeing man, but as he reached the stairwell, he was blasted backwards by Jack and Tonks. They broke the door down.

"Gotcha!" Tonks said happily, binding Saxon in ropes. "What's that sound?"

"His security," Sirius replied, looking over his shoulder as Shane, Mary, Remus, and Jessica backed down the corridor. "Time for us to be going. A pity about the money, but then this is more important."

Grabbing the bound and gagged Saxon, Sirius Apparated away along with the rest of the team to a pre-determined spot. It had been specially prepared for the interrogation, with lamps and an enchanted chair with chains like the ones in the Ministry of Magic.

As Saxon was placed in the chair, the chains instantly bound him to it. Jessica ungagged him.

"This is a serious mistake on your part," he hissed at them. "Taking me will only make us hunt you more."

"I sort of figured we were on your group's kill list anyway- figured we would bump ourselves up a bit on the hierarchy," Sirius replied. "We just want one thing from you."

"You won't get a thing from me, I don't talk," Saxon laughed. "None of us do."

"I'm sure we can change that," Catherine replied sweetly, before smashing his face into a table. "See, I come from the KVB. I'm not like Lord Black here, I don't have rules about interrogations and I don't particularly care about legality."

"You don't threaten me, Catherine Azarov," Saxon chuckled. "The people I work for, they will do more to me if I talk than all of you combined."

"Then we go another route," Sirius replied, gesturing for Jessica. "I hope you have an immunity to Veritaserum."

Before he could say anything, Jessica forced the Truth Potion down his throat and made sure he swallowed it. Nothing happened for a moment, but eventually his eyes turned dull and he slouched in his seat.

"Your name?" Catherine asked.

"Saxon Umberly," he said, voice dull.

"Who do you work for?"

"The leaders of the Blades of Strife, I don't know their names."

Sirius and Catherine looked at each other. How did a high-ranking member not know the name of his employers?

"Why don't you know their names?" Sirius asked.

"They insulate themselves, only the Inner Circle know who they are," Saxon mumbled.

"Do you know anyone in the Inner Circle?" Catherine questioned.

"I answer to a man named Watcher One," he replied.

"Do you have the cipher key to the ledgers your group keeps?" Sirius pressed, disappointed that they couldn't get any more information on the group's top people.

"Yes," Saxon said, but he was clearly struggling against the potion's influence. A vein was throbbing in his neck now, prompting Jessica to take his pulse.

"Wrap it up," she muttered. "Anymore and this guy is going to pop."

"What is the cipher key?" Catherine asked.

"I ... I ... can't ... say," Saxon gasped, sweat forming on his skin. He was growing paler.

"The key! Now!" Sirius yelled.

"The key word is darkness," Saxon yelled, before he slumped in his chair. He started to mumble under his breath, "I had no choice, masters, please. They forced me."

"What is he on about?" Sirius wondered aloud.

Saxon screamed, smashing his head against the table repeatedly. The sight was rather disturbing to the entire group as he continued to yell.

"No! Masters! Please, have mercy!" he yelled, before he slumped in his seat again. His eyes were unseeing.

"He's dead," Jessica muttered, placing two fingers to the side of his neck.

"He must have had a curse on him in case he betrayed the group," Mary muttered.

"We got what we wanted though," Catherine replied. "Using the word darkness, we can decode the ledger."

"Back to the safe house then, as I'm sure the Blades of Strife will be here shortly," Jack said. "Betcha they have a way of tracking their members if they have to."

A few hours later, Sirius was flipping through the ledger, the completed cipher sitting next to him on the table. His horror deepened as he realized just how involved this group of criminals was in the affairs of Southern Europe. If they were this integrated here, the same could safely be said for other parts of Europe or even the world as a whole.

"How bad is it?" Mary asked tentatively.

"I ... I ... it's bad, Mary, very bad," he sighed, placing the ledger back on the table.

Catherine grabbed the ledger and cipher, and quickly started going through the other listings in the book.

"Oh der'mo," Catherine whispered. "They've got their claws in everything. I've never seen a group this connected. Assassinations, bribery, blackmail, human trafficking. Illegal creature breeding centers scattered throughout the region. Weapon shipments for Muggles, from Muggles, to Muggles, OF Muggles. Smuggling. It just goes on and on."

"Anything for Albania?" Remus asked.

"Only thing mentioned is something called Project Awakening, but no details," Catherine said, flipping through the pages. "Several Bosnian commanders and politicians are members ... so is the head of the KVB for Southern Europe ... so is the head of the Serbian rebels. Merlin, they've ... they've rigged this whole war in the Balkans. Every little detail is being manipulated by these guys. Even members of the UN and NATO peacekeeping force are members, or are being paid by the Blades of Strife."

"What about outside of Bosnia and Serbia?" Jack asked quietly.

"This ledger is only detailing events within Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania. Just things along the Adriatic Sea," Catherine said, placing the ledger down. "With this book though, I can guess that there is a similar one within a bank or similar stronghold throughout the different regions of Europe."

The team sat in silence, letting the daunting task ahead of them fill their minds. Sirius squeezed Mary's hand, a sinking feeling in his stomach that Bertha had probably been murdered by these people for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"It's time to wrap up this adventure; we need to find Bertha and see what exactly this Project Awakening is," Sirius concluded, slamming the ledger shut.

Albania

Arriving in Albania, the team made their way to Bertha Jorkins's last known location, her second cousin's home.

"Oh, thank the lord, the Aurors," the young woman said, bustling out of her home to meet the team. "Good to see you people are taking this seriously, more so than those bumbling idiots that buffoon Bagman sent to find her."

"Uh, yeah, sorry it took so long," Sirius said, as she dragged him into the small house, the rest of the team following with bemused looks.

"Margaret Jorkins, her second cousin on her father's side," she said, forcing Sirius into a chair. As she turned, she ran smack dab into Jack. "And who might you be?"

"Major Jack Harper," he answered, kissing her hand. "Hello."

"Hello there," she replied, blushing.

"Oh just stop," Remus sighed.

"I was just saying hello," Jack protested.

"I really don't mind at all," Margaret said, emphasizing her breast size for a moment.

"Maybe later, Margaret," Jack said with a wink.

"Anyways," Mary said, interrupting the banter before it got too far. "We were hoping you could tell us about your cousin and where she said she was going next."

Margaret blanched a little and sat down on the arm of Sirius's chair, looking embarrassed while Jack just grinned.

"Your story then," Catharine said professionally, while Jessica came up and smacked Jack on the back of the head.

"Right then," Margaret said, straightening her blouse. "I think it was mid to late June when Bertha was visiting. We were having a proper ol' time when I mentioned our aunt lived just up north past the Korab Forest. Well. She just got so excited, started spouting off all sorts of things, said she wanted to go visit. Just HAD to go on a hike through the forest.

"Mind ya, I told her not to, something been going on in those woods, something dark and sinister, but she insisted. Packed her bags and left the next day."

At this, she started to hold back some tears.

"My auntie said she never reached the house, and I never saw her again I did. I tell ya, something happened to her in those woods. They ain't right."

"There, there," Jessica said, coming over and putting a comforting arm around the woman. "We'll find her, don't give up hope."

"But, it's been months, miss," Margaret cried into Jessica's shoulder, weeping profusely. "She's dead, I know she is!"

"Perhaps it will be best if we wait outside," Remus muttered. The members of the team headed outside, leaving Mary, Jessica, and Sirius with Margaret.

It took them a little time, but eventually they were able to calm her down enough for her to tell them about an inn that was nestled close to the woods that Bertha probably stopped at. Promising her they would tell her the moment they found Bertha, they left the house and started hiking toward the inn.

"Just over this ridge here," Sirius said, running up to stand at the top. "Hopefully we'll find ... answers..."

He trailed off as he took in the sight of massive pieces of Muggle construction equipment tearing the inn apart. Large spotlights were set up to allow them to see what they were doing in the dark. Beyond that, a huge section of the forest was fenced off, barbed wire and armed guards around the perimeter. Some trees had been uprooted along the path, which appeared as though it had been widened for the large trucks that were parked nearby.

"What the hell..." Jack whispered, coming up beside Sirius.

"Margaret didn't mention anything about something this big," Mary whispered. "Construction in the middle of nowhere."

"Let's get a closer look," Tonks said, running off ahead.

"Tonks! Wait!" Remus yelled, running after her.

"She's definitely a Black," Mary laughed as the rest of the team chased after the werewolf and Metamorphmagus.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, they could see signs stating that the area was under the ownership of Prime Technologies. The workers were going about their duties, not even noticing the small group. That is, until one man caught their attention.

"Fifty vjet that inn been in my family," a man was grumbling to a foremen. "Now you Anglisht bie poshtë në and..."

The man didn't get to finish as the foremen grabbed him by the throat, and to the team's surprise, lifted the former innkeeper off the ground.

"You were compensated, be thankful you are allowed to live," the foremen said, his tones almost bestial.

"Let him go! Relashio!" Tonks yelled, her spell causing the foremen to whip back and release the innkeeper. The innkeeper fell to the ground, wheezing and rubbing his throat, but still alive.

"Stupify!" Remus yelled, forcing the foreman to the ground. "Run you fool!"

The innkeeper scrambled to his feet, but he only made it a few steps before several bullets from the guards tore through him. Jessica conjured her Magnet Shield Charm to cover the team as they advanced, firing spells at the guards and workmen. Reaching the unconscious foremen, they could see the S and sword tattooed along his arm.

"I think we found Project Awakening!" Jack yelled, firing off a shot with his revolver. A corresponding workman fell with a grunt.

"You think?!" Catherine yelled, snapping a worker's wrist before smashing him in the face with her fist.

"Expulso!" Shane yelled, blowing up one of the work machines. The explosion knocked the nearby guards and workers to the ground.

The team quickly went around, making sure the enemy was unconscious before moving to a large gate that covered the path. Nothing else stirred within the forest, but Sirius was almost certain that they would face more opposition.

Cutting the power to the gate's control systems, Jack and Shane pulled it back and the team advanced into the trees. As soon as they stepped into the forest, the sounds and sights from beyond disappeared, even the light of the fire cast from the ruined work equipment and the remaining spotlights. The trees were also far different than they had first appeared.

Large crates of munitions were stacked around dark and twisted trees, everything seemed corrupted and changed. Shadows lingered over everything, and a sense of apprehension went racing down Sirius's spine.

"A massive illusion spell," Jessica muttered, examining a thin line around the tree line. "Remus, would you say there's also a tone of silencing and fear wards tied in?"

"Indeed," Remus said, bending down and pulling out his enchanted glasses, the same ones he had used at the Quidditch World Cup. Peering through them, he scooped up some of the dirt that the line rested on. "I would even say there are Muggle-repelling spells, memory wipes for wizarding folk, and even a containment spell."

To confirm, Tonks ran past the line and disappeared for a moment, before she suddenly burst back into existence.

"Definitely an illusion and containment spell," she confirmed.

"A containment spell for what? Explosions? Sounds? What?" Jack asked, keeping his revolver leveled and glancing around.

A chill wind blew past them, causing the trees to groan and twist. Their gnarled branches clicked together, sending another shiver down Sirius's spine. Something was definitely not right about these woods. A moan of sheer pain and malice reached their ears as a Shade erupted out of the shadows.

"Containment for that!" Remus yelled, lifting his wand blasting the Shade back.

"Into the woods! Now!" Sirius yelled, the shadows coming alive as more Shades attacked from the shadows.

"Luxarma!" Mary yelled, a shield of white light appearing in front of her as one Shade attacked. The Shade screeched as it hit the small wall of light, retreating into the shadows. Getting the same idea the team conjured the small shields, moving through the woods and blocking any attack from the lurking shadow monsters.

"Where the hell did these come from?" Shane asked, bouncing a Shade back with his shield.

"I think we found the original workers for that Prime Technologies work force," Catherine said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Remus said. "I suspect these Shades were brought here, not made here. This forest has been corrupted by some dark power, and this Prime Technologies buying the land seems too coincidental."

"I think an investigation into them will follow, they're probably one of the companies tied in with the Blades of Strife," Sirius replied as the team entered a small grove. A woman was standing in front of a strange crystal obelisk, her back to them. She seemed familiar, but Shades hovering near her made it hard to see anything in detail. The crystal was an off-white, almost gray color, and it seemed to pulse with some sort of energy. It almost seemed alive in a way.

"Turn around slowly, and keep your hands where we can see them," Tonks yelled, leveling her wand at the woman.

"You shouldn't have come," the woman said, her voice sounding hollow but familiar. As she turned, the team recognized their target, Bertha Jorkins. Yet, it wasn't her. Something was horribly wrong. Her eyes were completely empty, a large hole was in her chest where her heart should have been, and her skin in general was gaunt and gray. In fact, she shouldn't have been moving or speaking.

"How is she still alive if she doesn't have her heart?" Jessica whispered, her eyes wide.

"I don't think she's supposed to be alive," Shane mumbled.

"I am not alive," she said, clearly having heard the large Scotsman. "But soon, neither will any of you. You shouldn't have come here. Now you must be... destroyed... AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Bertha let out a scream as her body shifted, growing larger. Her skin turned black and started to harden until a figure in black armor stood before them. Red eyes glowed within the helmet, a cold malevolence radiating off the creature as shadows rushed to its fist and formed a giant bastard sword. More shadows rushed to the other hand and formed a black circular shield.

"What the bloody hell is that?!" Tonks yelled.

"I've only heard of these in old legends," Remus whispered in horrified fascination as the undead knight grasped the sword and swung it around, gouging part of the earth in front of it. "That's a Revenant, an extremely powerful undead creature formed when an evil spirit filled with lust or pride takes possession of a body. But, it's impossible to make them. The spell was lost around Merlin's time."

"Well someone figured it out!" Sirius yelled as the revenant let loose a yell in some dark tongue and the shades attacked. "Jessica, Remus, we'll distract these shades and that thing. I need you to examine whatever that crystal is..."

Sirius would have said more but some force had grasped him, and he was pulled through the air towards the revenant. He struggled fruitlessly as his body slid closer and closer to being impaled upon its sword. A spell cracked out from where the group was fighting, striking the revenant and throwing it off balance just enough Sirius smashed into the armor instead of being impaled on the blade.

The revenant bashed him with its shield, throwing him backwards. Sirius landed heavily on his back, his nose bleeding profusely. The revenant moved forward, jabbing its sword down, and the Maurader had to roll to avoid being impaled.

"Expulso!" he yelled, his curse blasting the revenant. Smiling, he started to stand up before a shield came out of the dust and smashed him to the ground. The revenant was completely fine, with not even a smudge on its armor. It released a war cry and slashed down at Sirius.

"Expelliarmus!" Mary shouted, dodging a shade and blasting the revenant's sword out of its hand.

"Thanks!" Sirius yelled, throwing multiple curses at the revenant to drive it back. "Mary! Behind you!"

Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Mary spun to avoid one of the shade's claw attack before blasting it backwards. Shane fought two shades at once, throwing Expulso Curses and Incendio Charms at his opponents.

"Now this is fun!" Jack yelled. He was wielding a glowing sword that slashed away at the shadows and smoke that made up one shade, his enemy screeching in rage. Catherine was providing covering fire for Remus and Jessica as they fought their way closer to the crystal obelisk.

The revenant let out a bellow and its sword rushed back to its fist. An invisible force seemed to grab all of the team members, pulling all of them to the revenant's feet. One swipe of its sword barely missed decapitating everyone as they all darted away from the armored undead. More shades continued attacking out of the shadows.

"Incendio Maxima!" Shane yelled, a huge whirlwind of fire spouting from his wand and engulfing the shades. Nothing stopped the oncoming hordes. It seemed the entire forest was full of the shadow monsters, and the revenant was advancing towards them again.

"Any bright ideas this time, Padfoot?" Remus asked, blocking a shade as it tore at his shoulder and blasting it with a continuous stream of water.

"Working on it!" the other Marauder exclaimed, ducking a sword swipe from the revenant and backing up.

"Debilitat!" Jessica cried, a small rune appearing under the revenant that seemed to slow it down. "Hurry guys, that Paralysis Rune won't hold it for long!"

"Together then, Expulso or Bombarda, go!" Sirius yelled, pointing his wand at the armored undead.

The team shouted one of the two spells, filling the air with colorful streaks of magic. Multiple explosions threw the revenant back into the crystal obelisk, but it started to get up almost immediately. Its weapons reformed, but this time a strange purple and black aura rose from the creature itself. Sirius could feel himself tiring rapidly now, and he could see everyone else was too.

It had to be some spell of weakness or energy sapping that the revenant was casting. All the while the shades continued attacking them, their attacks leaving large gashes on the team. Sirius wanted to give up, but they had to keep fighting. Once again, he felt some invisible force grab him and pull him towards the black armored foe, and this time nothing was going to stop him from being impaled by the sword. He felt the tip start to stab into his stomach, but as he was pulled along its length and gutted, he pointed his wand right in the face of the revenant. The pain blossoming in his chest only gave him the drive and energy for one last spell.

"Expulso Maxima, you son of a bitch!" he shouted, his spell exploding the knight's head, and it threw Sirius backwards into the ground, the sword still in him.

Through hazy eyes, he saw the revenant twisting in on itself before it became the body of Bertha Jorkins again, her features at peace. And then blackness took him.

'So this is what it feels like to die,' he thought as he drifted in the blackness of his own consciousness. 'I thought it would be more painful, but that was easier than falling asleep. Can't wait to tell Lily and James that I died by getting impaled on the sword of the great undead monster that I blew up. Haha, what a way to go.'

He had just made peace with his ending when the pain flared to life again, a white light surrounding him as he lurched forward. Jessica was over him, her wand out along with some medicinal paste she had brought with her. The sword that had impaled him was lying next to her, his blood still on the blade. For a moment, as the lingering peace left him, he felt a flare of frustration toward the healer. She had denied him that blissful escape, and now he had to suffer through the pain. When reality fully returned, he realized the anger was unfounded, just his body's way of dealing with the sharp agony in his gut. They needed him here. James and Lily could wait.

For a moment the soft female voice in his ears, an echo he thought came from Jessica's murmured spells, seemed to praise him, and he thought he heard her say, "Good dog, Sirius. Harry needs you." Then noises of the forest and those gathered around him returned and he realized it was just an illusion.

"Told you I could save him," Jessica said to a distraught looking Mary. She was extremely disheveled, blood smearing her face and robes from several long gashes.

"Oh Sirius, I thought you were dead," she cried, hugging him.

"Thought I was too there," he grunted, holding her close and stroking her hair. "What happened?"

"Once that revenant was defeated, the shades all blew apart," Remus said from next to the crystal obelisk, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. The werewolf had an arm in a conjured sling, blood-stained bandages on his arm where his robes had been torn. Tonks was standing next to him and dabbing a smoking purple potion on some of his nastier cuts. "It must have been keeping them here to protect whatever this is. I've never seen crystal like this before."

"Now that was a fight," Shane grinned, a long gash across his eye that kept weeping blood.

"Shane McKissock, I told you to keep your bandages over that eyes," Jessica scolded, slapping a new bandage over it as she stood from Sirius's side.

"Ah, let it scar, gives me a rough and tumble look," the large man guffawed.

"Perimeter secure, no more shades or undead, or any Blade of Strife members nearby," Jack reported in, Catherine next to him. Both were sporting bandages and injuries, but appeared in rather high spirits. Almost too high, and Catherine couldn't seem to bring herself to look anyone in the eye.

"For the love of Merlin," Sirius groaned as he struggled to his feet, the bandages on his side making movement difficult. He winced at the sharp lingering pain. "Any other time, please."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Catherine replied icily, but her cheeks started to turn red.

"If that will be all, we need to figure out what this is," Remus said, thanking Tonks with a kiss for treating his wounds, and then going back to the crystal. "Some sort of energy storing device," he mumbled, tapping it with his wand. At any point the tip made contact, a ripple echoed out from it across the surface of the obelisk.

"But energy for what?" Jack mumbled, limping over to the obelisk. "And then, what kind of energy is it?"

"I'm not sure," Remus said, tapping it. The grove was filled with a strange note, both beautiful and hollow as it echoed around the twisted trees. "Ignis."

A stream of small sparks flowed across the crystal, and they were forced to draw back as the sparks were absorbed into the structure and it began to grow more. The pulses accelerated.

"Destroy it before it does anything else!" Shane yelled, his eyes wide as the pulses shone nearly continuously now.

"Bombarda Maxima!" Remus and Tonks yelled together, their combined spell blowing the obelisk apart in shower of crystal shards. The energy released itself in a concussive wave, throwing all of them backwards as it spread through the forest, flattening the nearest trees.

Sitting up again, Sirius shook his head and groaned as his abdomen flared with pain.

"I think we need to find out what the hell that was, and I think it starts with Prime Technologies," he said. "We need to go back to Britain. Amelia needs the report and we need to lay Bertha to rest."

"Someone killed her," Mary said, looking over at the dead woman's body.

"And it's our job to bring them to justice," Sirius said, looking around the grove. "I won't ask you all to keep helping..."

"Stop right there, Sirius Black," Jack said, holding up a hand to stop him from speaking. "I think I speak for all of us that we're in this for the long haul. I haven't had this much fun in years."

"I'm in," Jessica said with a pleasant smile. "Someone needs to keep you people patched up."

"I have nowhere to go back home, so you have my support," Catherine said with a nod.

"If we keep getting fights like these, you'll have my undying gratitude, Black!" Shane chuckled.

"And someone needs to watch your back," Remus said, grinning at his fellow Marauder.

"And you need someone to watch your back," Tonks said, with a sly wink to her werewolf. "And your front." Remus blushed.

Sirius looked at Mary, and all she did was smile at him.

"Let's head home then, we've got a lot of work ahead of us," he said.

(Scene ending suggestion following, could be inserted somewhere at the end?)

As the others set about preparing for Apparation, Sirius pulled his boyhood partner-in-crime aside. "Remus, when I was dead," he started to whisper.

The wolf held up his hand. "Stop right there, Sirius. You weren't dead."

Sirius glared at him good-naturedly. "Look, I almost was, alright? But while I was coming back from… wherever I was, I heard a voice." His friend's eyes opened wider. "Remus, she called me a 'good dog.'" He almost choked on the words.

Remus cracked a little bittersweet smile. "Lily."

Sirius nodded. "She said Harry needs me. And Remus, she's right. We have to finish this. For Harry. For Lily and James."

"We'll do it for all of them," he agreed. "For Lily and James and Harry and Bertha and that Dragan fellow and everyone back home. We'll get them Padfoot, don't you worry." Putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, Remus led the man toward their team, who waited with equal looks of determination.