Chapter 36- Finding Natalie
A/N: Thanks to everybody who reviewed the last chapter! The reviews are wonderful!
This chapter will be a change from the rest of the story (as you will see) but I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Besides Kaliss and Natalie, I own zero percent of the wizarding world which belongs to the genius of J.K. Rowling.
Kalissa sighed at the huge assortment of Muggle novels she had read over the past few weeks: romance, adventure, fantasy, non fictionional biographies, political rhetoric and discussion, travel books, cooking books. She already pretty much exhausted her collection of wizarding books, frequently irritating Minerva with pleas for any articles or essays about recent developments in any field of magic including divination. Since September, she had pored over hundreds of books and articles on every subject and aspect of wizarding society from the lack of evolution of the Daily Prophet to the most complicated Transfiguration theory and spellwork. Kalissa smiled. Despite her expertise in Arithmancy, she maintained a very strong interest in Transfiguration, partly due to Minerva but mainly because after studying Muggle chemistry and physics following Hogwarts, she gained a much greater appreciation of how amazingly complex the transfiguration of an object could be. Yet she could not help but note that the boredom was starting to sink into her. There was a war raging outside and there was so much she could do to help the Order rather than only providing Harry, Natalie and their friends with information about Horcruxes.
Ah, Natalie. The name as well as the image it conjured infused Kalissa with a tingling warmth. Before Natalie, she had never given much consideration to the idea of having a daughter, being consumed with the fight against Voldemort, too determined with enacting revenge on him for all the devastation and pain he had caused her family and friends. But once she rescued Natalie from the fire Bellatrix cast, her perspective changed completely. She never loved another person as much as she loved that girl. Although she was not the one to give birth to Natalie, for all intents and purposes, Natalie was her daughter.
An ebullient smile spread across her features. She could not be any prouder of the girl. She truly was a brilliant individual, not only in her tremendous intelligence and wit but the gentle compassion and openness in which she treated others. Natalie did not deserve any of the traumatic past that always hovered over her. Kalissa shook her head. Natalie deserved a mother who loved her in spite of her identity; not some deranged lunatic who cares more for blood purity and for a insidious murderer than her own daughter. Kalissa sighed. Despite Natalie's strong minded outward appearance, she was fully aware that Bellatrix Lestrange utterly terrified, angered and most importantly in Kalissa's estimation, hurt Natalie. She wanted the woman to act like a mother even though Kalissa knew that would never happen; whatever semblance of humanity the woman showed in courting Natalie's father was lost forever. Kalissa desperately wanted to protect Natalie, keep her far away from Bellatrix, not have her ever confront the woman fanatically searching for her. At the thought of Bellatrix meeting Natalie, a sudden urge to not only curse but kill the woman and end their misery filled Kalissa. Yet, she knew that for Natalie to fully remove herself from the specter of her mother, the struggle must come from within. Kalissa's advice, no matter how insistent or fierce, could only affect Natalie to a certain extent; to genuinely detach herself from the horrible maelstrom of emotion Bellatrix brought Natalie, the girl needed to summon the will and resolve in herself.
This year, though Kalissa pondered as another wave of enthusiasm rolled over her, Natalie looked to be much happier. For much of her childhood and time at Durmstrang, the girl had difficulty establishing friendships with others, no doubt in Kalissa's mind, feeling that her identity erected a barrier between her and all of her classmates. However, at Hogwarts, somehow, Natalie found people she trusted and loved. Kalissa did not know whether the change in environment rejuvenated Natalie, whether the familiarity Hogwarts always aroused opened the girl or perhaps, whether it was pure luck that the first student she encountered turned out be a boy with just as troubled as past, but also with an equally gentle and compassionate disposition. Seeing the way Harry and Natalie stared and comforted one another sent shivers racing down her spine. And there was of course Ron and Hermione who were also fully aware of Natalie's identity, accepting her and showing a genuine warmth and concern for Natalie as well. Kalissa would have preferred if Natalie asked her about telling the others her identity but she had always advised her to share this secret with others once she found people she trusted. And Kalissa knew it was not her secret to tell; the decision would always lie in Natalie's hands.
Kalissa breathed once again in frustration as she turned on the television. As much as she found Muggle television intriguing and entertaining, the alternative patterns of reading followed by watching television were becoming far too repetitive for her. She glanced over to the mess of parchment and books on her dining table; she could recheck the Arithmancy calculations that had managed to keep her occupied for a month. Her immense set of Arithmancy books had undergone a thorough examination with her investigation into the connection between Harry and Voldemort. Despite Albus' valid point about the emotional strength of the link, she still believed Arithmancy could fully explain the link; from her past descriptions of magic, she knew the parameters of the equations describing circumstantial magic could be very flexible. However, Kalissa conceded that a theoretical description of the connection was not sufficient, not for her, likely not for Natalie and surely not for Harry. She needed some type of tangible evidence to either vindicate herself or prove herself wrong and perhaps have an idea at what Albus was suggesting.
That was another problem troubling her. Albus was intrinsically a very closed off person. After learning of his terrible background, she had come quickly to accept that from him. Maintaining openness with others implied relinquishing control, making himself vulnerable to loss. It was a flaw, but one that Kalissa knew would be immensely difficult to change. With Albus, the truth was always revealed, albeit on his terms and at the moment he deemed opportune. Yet, despite his tendency to speak in equivocations and ambivalent tones, he never displayed the slightest wisp of emotion, the smallest sign of guilt at hiding the truth. With this crucial link between Voldemort and Harry, Albus was undoubtedly not giving her all the information she needed, but moreover, she detected traces of guilt and even more troubling, distress. Kalissa's heart skipped a beat when she realized that whatever he was hiding about this connection may possibly be quite agitating, even to disturb Albus' seemingly impervious ease and calmness. Perhaps, the nature of this information could explain why his attitude about Snape continued to remain so cryptic.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kalissa noticed something glowing on the dining room table. Lifting herself out of her reverie, she stood up from the settee, walking to the table. With a wave of her wand, she cleared away the parchment to reveal a glowing mirror.
Kalissa gasped in shock. That mirror had not glowed in 17 years. Kalissa quickly tapped her wand against the mirror, enunciating her name to it. Immediately, a familiar blue eye appeared. And then a sentence weaved itself onto the glass, the gold words cutting into Kalissa.
Come now. Hogwarts is in danger.
Kalissa blinked to ensure that her vision was not distorted. She tried speaking to the mirror, but the blue eye, eerily devoid of the reassuring twinkle, disappeared. Indeed, Albus had contacted her with the mirror. Something terrible must have happened at Hogwarts for him to need her, to ask her to come out of hiding. Hogwarts needed her help. Kalissa repeated this to herself; the place, where there were so many innocent children, so many of the Professors she regarded as friends, the boy who ultimately may grow into the wizarding world's savior, and Natalie.
And thinking of Natalie, she was abruptly jerked from her dazed state. She quickly changed out of her pajamas, waving her wand to send all the parchment and books on her dining room table to their proper places before checking that the wards on the house had not broken. Then, after casting a Disillusion charm on herself, Kalissa ran out of the home, entering the magical village where she lived as Loraine Kolten, a retired witch formerly employed at the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts department in the Ministry. The disguise was genuine as a Loraine Kolten used to work for the office, but now worked in Ireland. Her supposed identity allowed Kalissa to live in the magical village of Calloton, a place with many people loyal to Albus Dumbledore and who were instructed to watch for any sign of Death Eaters of Dark Magic.
Once she felt the tingle signaling that she had left the Anti-Apparation wards surrounding her home, Kalissa twisted on the spot, her mind squarely focused on the place she had spent most of her life.
Kalissa landed with a sharp crack on the edge of nthe Forbidden Forest. Her heart skipped another beat as the far too familiar Dark Mark draped the evening sky over the castle. She could see a many flashes of light coming from the Entrance hall as well as a few more flashes coming from the path that led to Hogsmeade.
She knew the Aurors would be apparating into Hogsmeade and the Death Eater attack on the village would be quickly suppressed. Though she did not require the rationalization, Kalissa started running along the path to the Entrance Hall.
A jet of blue light came zooming at her from her right. Expecting for there to Death Eaters hidden outside, Kalissa had already conjured a shield and the blue light rebounded off the shield, heading straight for its caster.
Hearing the rustling of shoes, Kalissa swept her wand as she rotated herself in a full circle. A bright yellow light flashed all over the ground, revealing all the Death Eaters ready to attack her. She saw one to her right, one in front of her to the right and another standing directly in front of the Entrance Hall. As she reversed the spell and dodged the three Killing Curses fired over her head, Kalissa imagined the three figures in her head and swept her wand again. She grinned to herself as now three orange dots appeared in the same positions the Death Eaters had stood.
Kalissa pointed her wand at one of the spots, silently casting "Aeronaugio!" Not waiting for the subsequent groan of pain and the thumping of a body on the ground, Kalissa aimed her wand at the other two scurrying orange dots who shooting spells in the complete opposite direction Kalissa stood. One after other, she silently fired two "Impedimenta" curses that successfully hit their intended targets.
Kalissa again lit the ground with her wand, looking for anymore hidden Death Eaters. She quickly waved her wand over the three fallen men, tying them together with Anti-Apparation ropes. She hit each of them with jets of blue light, making sure they were unconscious and severely weakened for a very long time. Sweeping her wand over at the lanterns on the walls of the castle, Kalissa moved her wand in a slow, complicated motion. The lanterns re-lit themselves, bringing light to the ground once again. The Aurors would at least be able to see what they were facing.
Before walking forward, Kalissa closed her eyes, composing herself. She summoned all of her hatred and pure contempt for the ideology and cruelty Death Eaters embodied, remembering all the lives they had ruined. She needed this seething, burning hatred to produce the desire for death, the desire required to cast the Killing Curse. After seeing the Dark Mark, Kalissa knew she would have to be merciless.
She continued moving to the Entrance hall. Once she reached the door, she cast a Silencing charm around herself before stepping over the threshold. At the sight before her, Kalissa gritted her teeth in anger. The entire hall looked completely destroyed. Portraits were ripped apart, suits of armor broken, windows shattered with shards of glass lying all over the floor, stones falling from cracked walls. The Order looked to have their hands full;each Order member or student was fighting one Death Eater with many holding back two.
Seeing a blond haired man wildly shooting Killing Curses in every direction, Kalissa slashed her wand at him. A jet of blue light cut through his chest, sending him falling to the ground.
That spell alerted the nearest two Death Eaters to her presence. Both immediately jerked their bodies from a blonde haired girl and a stout, brown haired boy who looked to be dodging the Death Eaters' Unforgivables with astounding agility.
"Malkae!" hissed the nearest Death Eater Kalissa recognized as Pawson. Before he could raise his wand, Kalissa had her wand pointed in his chest. She whispered, "Avada Kedavra!"
His eyes widened in surprise as the curse hit him in the chest, sending him to the ground dead.
Kalissa banished the pieces of a suit of armor onto the other screaming Death Eater. As he swiped away at the shards of armor, she sent a ball of fire that scorched his face brutally. Then to complete his misery, she struck him with a Killing curse, coldly watching the green light swallow his screaming body.
"Are you alright?" asked Kalissa kindly to the girl and boy who were staring at the two dead bodies with their mouths wide open.
They both barely nodded, avoiding her eyes. Kalissa was slightly annoyed at the fearful expressions on their faces. "Go help the Weasleys," ordered Kalissa, gesturing to the pack of red haired people taking on an equally large group of Death Eaters.
She turned around to see how the remaining Order members were faring. She spotted Remus and a pink haired girl Kalissa presumed to be Nymphadora Tonks struggling against the sneering faces of Dolohov and Rookwood.
Kalissa thrust her wand in a complex motion, focusing on the animal in her mind. Out of her wand flowed the shadow of a majestic, golden eagle that flew into those two Death Eaters, surprising them.
"Ah, Malkae, it's so nice that you've come to join the party." shrieked Dolohov, cackling in laughter. He vanished the Eagle, pointing his wand at her. "One of your old tricks I see."
Kalissa easily blocked the purple jet of light fired her way. "It looks like we still use the same curses, Antonin."
She saw Nymphadora barely get out of the way of the Killing curse shot by Rookwood.
Moving alongside them, Kalissa took over the duel, transfiguring the pieces of rubble into razor sharp knives and sending those knives hurtling at Dolohov and Rookwood.
Dolohov snarled as he swiped away the knives with his wand but Kalissa used the moment of hesitation to start her attack upon him. She noticed with a grin that a couple of knives caught Rookwood in the shoulder.
As she conjured another Eagle to bother the two, Kalissa turned to a relieved looking Remus and Tonks. "Where are the others?" said Kalissa, not keeping her eyes off Dolohov. From experience, she knew he had a surprisingly fast and accurate wand.
"A group of them, including Natalie and Minerva, are fighting the smaller pack of Death Eaters- on one of the higher floors- we do not know where," said Remus out of the corner of his mouth as he fired three stunners in succession that Rookwood blocked.
Kalissa sighed in relief. Minerva would take care of Natalie.
"I'll take care of these two," said Kalissa, taking control of the situation. "You two can go help the other group- . If they're done, tell them to come help us here."
"Go!" shouted Kalissa, noticing the hesitation on Tonks and Remus' faces.
She summoned a suit of armor in front of them to absorb the Killing curses shot by Rookwood and Dolohov, frantically motioning for them both of them to leave. Still looking at Kalissa warily, Remus and Tonks nodded before leaving.
Once Tonks and Remus started running away, Kalissa turned her full attention to the sneering faces launching curses at her.
"Just like old times, isn't it Kalissa?" snarled Dolohov, jets of yellow, blue and green light issuing from his wand.
"We must think alike," noted Kalissa disdainfully as she returned fire at the two of them, keeping up a relentless stream of curses and jinxes while blocking or sidestepping the Dark magic fired at her.
"I have to say the two of you have improved quite a bit," drawled Kalissa, winking at them.
"And you have not," sneered Rookwood, his eyes flashing maliciously.
"As always, your humility astounds me," said Kalissa scornfully.
As she founds herself in a more comfortable rhythm of deflecting curses and attacking, she realized she could not use the Killing curse; if she missed, one of the Weasleys would be in the direct line of fire. Dolohov and Rookwood were very fast as she expected and had a vast assortment of Dark curses to use on her. But she knew once she forced them to expend energy on Unforgivables, their reflexes would be slightly slower and the opportunity would present itself for her.
As she fired four Blasting curses at them, Kalissa decided on her course of action. While they easily conjured shields to absorb the impact of the curses, Kalissa aimed her wand a spot just behind them, imagining a roaring flame before muttering "Combustio!" A loud, popping sound emerged from the floor behind the two with scorching, yellow flames appearing.
Kalissa shot two more Stunners to prevent them from extinguishing the fire. While they deflected the curses, she quickly used the moment of distraction to sweep her wand in a circle at the fire, thinking "Encasio!" Immediately, the flames roared, wrapping themselves around the two men.
"What the hell!" yelled Rookwood. "Aguamenti! Aguamenti! Aguamenti!"
"That's not going to help us, you idiot," Dolohov spat, attempting to transfigure the fire into something else.
Kalissa knew the flames would not burn them although the exploding and crackling sounds of the fire along with the way the flames resembled a creature trying to swallow them would distract the two from this observation.
While they tried to ward off the flames, Kalissa fired two Cutting curses at Rookwood, the one who was not looking at her.
"Rookwood, watch out!" screamed Dolohov but he was too busy with the flames to help out his comrade. The Cutting curses connected with Rookwood's face, sending him sprawling to the ground, blood oozing from his face. She slashed her wand through the air; a yellow light swallowed Rookwood's body, knocking him unconscious.
Before Dolohov could be alerted to the fact that the fire had not burned Rookwood's face, Kalissa quickly reversed her spell, vanishing the flames before she levitated one of her transfigured knives from behind an unaware Dolohov. To Kalissa's satisfaction, he started madly shooting Killling Curses at a frantic pace. As the knife slowly glided towards him, Kalissa kept the enraged Death Eater occupied with an assortment of milder jinxes and hexes, hoping to relax him.
"I thought you enjoyed Unforgivables, Malkae?" leered Dolohov, a smile creeping onto his features though he still watched her warily.
"I'd rather make your death painful," Kalissa hissed, smiling coldly at him. And then when she saw the knife was only a few feet away, she shuffled her feet so she was directly in line with him before jerking her wand toward herself, thinking "Accio! " The knive zoomed straight into Dolohov's back.
"AHHHHHHHH!" screamed Dolohov in anguishing pain. Kalissa fired two more Cutting curses at his face, causing him to scream louder. As she prepared to kill both him and Rookwood, two more Death Eaters ran over from the Weasleys, shooting Killing curses at her.
"Bloody persistent, you lot are!" muttered Kalissa, using more suits of armor to block the Killing curses. She waved her wand in a figure eight motion, picturing a different animal than the eagle. This time, the miniature figure of a Hungarian Horntail issued out of her wand, breathing fire and hissing at the confused Death Eaters who were jumping out of the way of the flames.
"Not the smartest ones in the class, were you?" Kalissa said dramatically. She struck one of the Death Eaters in the chest with a jet of purple light. As the other one raised his wand to fire an Unforgivable at her, Kalissa slid over so that none of the Weasleys stood behind him. Before he could mutter the words, Kalissa raised her wand, hissing, "Avada Kedavra!"
His face went blank as he was encased in green light, falling to the floor, his body lifeless.
"FRED!" screamed a high pitched female voice.
Kalissa swiveled her head to see a stocky red haired boy flying high through the air, his arms flailing.
Kalissa quickly aimed her wand at him, mentally visioning a cushion of air under him to slow the fall. He floated to the floor, stumbling on his feet as he landed.
"Thanks a lot," said Fred, grinning at her sheepishly.
"Not a problem," replied Kalissa, moving over to where the Weasley children were watching their father wave his wand at the door leading to the staircase to the Astronomy Tower.
"It looks like they set up a barrier that Fred rebounded off," explained Arthur, wiping his brow.
"We had those bloody cowards cornered," said a boy, who appeared to be Fred's twin. He slapped his brother on the back. "Alright there, Fred?"
"I'm doing just dandy," said Fred jovially, casting his arm around his brother's back.
"Are you Kalissa?" said the red haired girl, looking at her curiously. Kalissa surmised that the girl was Ginny Weasley, the same person who Natalie famously hexed on the first evening of the school year.
"Yes," answered Kalissa, shaking the girl's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Arthur, need a hand there?"
"I think I know what spell they used," said Arthur, narrowing his eyes at the barrier. "It should only be a few seconds."
"Let her try, dad," said Ginny impatiently. "Didn't you see what she did to Dolohov and Rookwood?"
"Bloody brilliant!" exclaimed the twins in unison.
"Ah, got it," said Arthur excitedly. Kalissa heard the tingling which indicated the barrier had been lifted.
"We'll take care of those Death Eaters," said Arthur, looking at Kalissa. "Do you want to check on the others?"
"I don't think that's necessary," Fred stated, motioning his head behind Kalissa.
She jerked her body to see Minerva and the Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt, entering from the staircase Remus and Tonks had exited through.
"Where is everybody?" said Kalissa, rushing towards Minerva.
"Natalie is safe," answered Minerva consolingly. "I sent Nymphadora and Natalie to check on the common rooms of all the houses."
She then looked gravely at the Weasleys. "I'm afraid Bill was attacked by Greyback-
"By Greyback!" shrieked Ginny, her hands over her mouth. The smiles vanished off the twins' faces as they stared fearfully at Minerva.
"What happened, Minerva?" said Arthur, his eyes clouded, a stricken fear blanketing his face.
"Greyback did not bite him," said Kingsley firmly. "But he will have scars. Ron and Hermione took him, Remus and Fleur to the Hospital Wing."
"Remus fought off Greyback, but the curse he used exhausted him," said Minerva, exchanging a knowing glance with Kalissa. "Fleur is unconscious but is fine."
"Kingsley, Minerva and I will follow the remaining Death Eaters," said Kalissa, realizing how much time they had lost. "Arthur, can you bind these ones?"
"Go check on Bill," said Minerva firmly. "The Aurors will be coming soon."
Arthur nodded tiredly, beckoning for them to leave. Minerva, Kingsley and Kalissa all sprinted through the door, up the staircase and arrived at the landing that led to the Astronomy Tower.
As soon they stepped into the landing, three jets of green light came hurtling their way. Kalissa pushed Kingsley and Minerva to the side while she ducked below the third Killing Curse.
"There's only three of them!" shouted a stocky, female woman in a very unpleasant voice.
"Alecto Carrow," said Kalissa disgustedly, firing a Stunner at the woman.
"Ah, dear Kalissa," drawled an equally pudgy man.
Kingsley's Blasting curse barely missed him, breaking a hole in the wall.
"How I hate Aurors!" shouted the man, returning fire on Kingsley.
Seeing Minerva beginning to exchange curses with Alecto, Kalissa focused her attention on the remaining two Death Eaters guarding the door leading to the Astronomy Tower.
"I see they're recruiting very young now, aren't they?" said Kalissa, easily blocking the Stunners sent from the two masked figures. She fired a couple of Blasting curses that they barely dodged before starting a relentless barrage of jinxes that pushed them away from the door leading to the Astronomy Towr.
"Who are you?" said the bigger of the two, firing a Killing curse that missed Kalissa badly. Both of them were starting to look very nervous.
Before either of them could lift their wands again, Kalissa blinded them with a flash of orange light. She then sent the burly one crashing into the wall with a well timed "Aeronaugio."
As she aimed her wand at the smaller one, a blinding silver light pierced the room. Kalissa shielded her eyes along with all the other inhabitants. She saw a figure with black robes and long, black hair sweep through the room and past the doorway into the Astronomy Tower.
"Kalissa, watch out!" Minerva bellowed.
Kalissa immediately rotated her body in the general direction of the voice. Two Killing curses were zooming towards her from the two positions Kingsley and Minerva had situated. Kalissa dove out of the way Killing curses, hearing the padding of shoes on the ground. The Carrows were clearly trying to follow the mysterious, dark haired person into the Astronomy Tower.
Kalissa shot three Stunners in the direction of the doorway, hearing Kingsley do the same. She breathed in satisfaction when she heard a groan of pain and the subsequent thud of a body on the ground.
"Bye, bye," drawled Alecto from behind. "For another time, Kalissa!"
"Damn it!" exclaimed Kalissa. "Minerva, do you know what spell is creating this silver light?"\
"I do not know," answered Minerva in frustration.
"Doesn't Albus like using silver light?" asked Kingsley.
"Of course!" said Minerva. "This might actually be one of his spells." Kalissa heard Minerva muttering to herself for a few moments before she exclaimed, "Oh yes, that's it." The silver light quickly dissipated, flowing like a liquid into Minerva's wand.
"The black haired man we saw must have been Severus," Minerva stated in realization with a small smile. "He's the only other one Albus has taught the spell."
"Severus?" said Kingsley uneasily. "What is he doing with the Carrows?"
Kalissa had already moved to the invisible barrier, trying to determine the spells and curses that underlined this mass of air. Concluding that a Dark Mark was needed to enter through the barrier, she began experimenting with the Dark Arts protection spells she knew that would use a physical mark for entry. She had managed to determine that there were four spells holding the barrier in place and had reversed two of them.
"I do not know why Severus would be with them," said Minerva. "But he'll ensure they do not do too much damage. Need any help, Kalissa?"
"No, it's a bit trickier than the one Arthur removed earlier. I can feel the Dark magic radiating off this one- the other wall seemed to be a combination of a repelling charm and solidifying transfiguration," said Kalissa, frantically trying to think of the more obscure Dark curses. "I don't have a good feeling about this, Minerva. There's something on the Astronomy Tower that they obviously want."
"Or somebody," noted Kingsley, voicing the unspoken realization among the three.
"They will be leaving the Astronomy Tower through the other staircase, especially if they think we are still here," said Kalissa. "The one you can access from that portrait of the horse on the fifth floor. It's far away but you should two should go to that staircase while I remove the barrier."
"I was about to suggest the same plan," said Kingsley with a smile.
Minerva nodded at her. "We'll try to cut them off. Be careful, Kalissa," warned Minerva before she and Kingsley ran to the staircase on the opposite wall.
"And you too, Minerva," called Kalissa after them. She continued to run through the list of Dark wards in her mind.
"Ah, have it," said Kalissa, grimacing in disgust. The Carrows had used a particularly malicious set of curses that would have caused a person not bearing the Dark Mark to have their limbs dismembered. Tapping her wand at various points along the invisible barrier while thinking of a specific set of runes in her mind that would nullify the effects of the spells, she felt the two remaining curses lift from the doorway. Testing the existence of the barrier, Kalissa banished a stone towards it. With a sigh of relief, she saw the stone fly straight through the doorway.
Casting a Silencing charm around herself, Kalissa stepped onto the staircase, hurrying along the many flights of stairs. Once she was closer to the top of the tower, unmistakable delight and laugher reached her ears. She quickened her pace, her wand ready as she heard the scurrying sounds of footsteps. Hopefully, Kingsley and Minerva reached the other set of stairs.
Reaching the parapet where the tower opened, Kalissa groaned in frustration. It was empty; they had already left. She looked around, trying to find the source of their delight but as she decided that nothing or no one was left on the tower, a familiar boy with spectacles and untidy raven hair appeared out of thin air.
Instinctively, Kalissa pressed her wand against the boy's throat.
"It's me, Harry. I was under the Invisibility cloak" croaked the boy. "They're getting away. Let's go!"
"Who is Natalie's father?" Kalissa asked, staring straight into his eyes.
"Do you we have to do this now? It's David Claggerton. Come on, we're wasting time!"
Harry pushed past her, his hands trembling and his eyes clouded in anger. Seeing the visible shaking of his body, Kalissa wanted to ask what happened although with a sharp lurch of her stomach, she inferred that something terrible had happened. Various ideas unraveled themselves in her mind but she shook her head, trying to harden her resolve. She needed to follow Harry and find the Carrows first.
Kalissa ran after Harry, almost leaping down the stairs, ready to fire at anything that came her way. When they reached the landing she hoped Kingsley and Minerva situation, her stomach again dropped at the sight of nobody.
"The Carrows went through that door!" shouted Harry, pointing towards the door that opened onto the corridor connected to the entrance into the Greenhouses. "I'll take Snape and Malfoy."
Kalissa nodded, feeling that the Carrows of the two groups seemed like the more dangerous option.
"Be careful, Harry," said Kalissa. "Obviously, Malfoy is more dangerous than he seems."
"And Snape definitely is," said Harry savagely, a dangerous glint to his eyes.
Kalissa blinked at the way it pained him to say the name. What had Snape done? Surely, he had not killed anyone. And where was Albus? She presumed that he was still handling the Horcrux and had ordered Harry to return to the castle. Kalissa gulped as she chased after the Carrows. Albus certainly couldn't be dead? But a heaviness settled in her stomach, the dread biting at her, the immense shock and terror pushing her onto a precipice. She could not help but feel that Harry's reaction could easily explained by this fact.
She was lifted from her reverie as a jet of red light sailed over her head. She could make out the stocky figures of the two Carrows in front of her. They were coming very close to the Hufflepuff common rooms, but were not running at a fast pace.
She fired two Blasting curses at their backs. One of them barely missed Alecto while her brother blocked the other one.
As Kalissa turned the corner, she saw Kingsley, Minerva and Professor Sprout dueling three more Death Eaters outside the Hufflepuff common rooms with the aid of several of the senior students. Thankfully, the entrance was sealed.
The Carrows leapt out of the way of Kingsley and Minerva's Stunners, jumping through a tapestry that Kalissa knew led to a passage connecting to one of the Greenhouses.
"Don't worry, I'll take them," Kalissa responded to the questioning looks on Minerva and Professor Sprout's faces. She opened the tapestry, ducking her head as two jets of blue light zoomed over head into the wall above.
"Horrible aim, you Death Eaters have," breathed Kalissa, continuing to run after them. They descended the nearest staircase and arrived in Greenhouse #3.
Once Kalissa opened the door, she immediately slid her body away from the sharp thorns of a swinging cactus. She stepped onto the path that led to the exit from the Greenhouse, running after the Carrows while blocking and deflecting their sporadic hexes.
As she pushed herself out of the door, she finally had a clear view of the two Death Eaters running across the ground to the Forbidden Forest. Realizing that they were moving too fast for her to aim properly, she pointed her wand to a spot a few feet in front of her, again muttering, "Combustio!" while picturing the same roaring flame.
Kalissa smiled at the exclamations of shock and anger coming from the Carrows. Running forward to catch them, she aimed her wand at the flame, whispering, "Encasio!"
Seeing that the Carrows had now stopped, Kalissa banished a nearby tree branch straight towards them. The branch caught both of them unaware, smashing into their chests.
Kalissa vanished the fire, now only a few feet away from them. As Alecto reached for her fallen wand, Kalissa knocked her unconscious with a jet of yellow light.
Amcyus pushed himself from the ground, a furious snarl on his face. "Avada-
Kalissa had already thought of her Killing curse. The jet of green light struck him squarely on the chest, dropping his lifeless body to the ground.
Kalissa waved her wand over Alecto's body. Thin, taut ropes appeared, coiling themselves around the woman. She levitated the body to the Greenhouse, dropping it by the entrance.
As she placed Alecto's body on the ground, she heard an explosion from the front of the castle, smoke billowing into the air. Kalissa, breathing heavily, ran towards the smoke, around the Greenhouses, past the Entrance Hall and into the source of the smoke: Hagrid's burning hut.
The Death Eaters seemed to have escaped as both Harry and Hagrid were using "Agoumenti" to extinguish the flames. Imagining a blanket of water draping the flames, Kalissa waved her wand in a shape that closely replicated the box-cone shape of the house. Abruptly, the building was soaked in water and the fire extinguished.
She nodded at a very distraught Hagrid who smiled at her in gratitude.
"Did the Death Eaters leave?" Kalissa asked as she stepped past Hagrid, placing a comforting arm on his shoulder.
"Yeh," said Hagrid, gazing at his house with very red eyes. "Ruddy cowards."
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Kalissa sharply. The boy had begun kicking branches viciously, running his hands wildly through his hair.
"No, this can't be happening-it's a dream," muttered Harry to himself, sitting on the ground.
"Harry, yeh alright?" said Hagrid in concern, moving closer to the extremely agitated boy.
"It's a dream," Harry repeated, a dazed expression unfolding over his face. In a much softer, barely audible tone, he whispered, "He didn't do that, didn't fall."
"Harry, what happened on the tower?" said Kalissa quietly, the expectation of something terrible rising within her.
Harry finally looked at her. He looked about twenty years older, the lines ingrained firmly on his face, the cheeks absolutely pale, his hands trembling. But what troubled Kalissa the most was the look of pure hatred on his face.
"Snape KILLED him!" screamed Harry. As the words crashed out of his mouth, tears cascaded out of his eeys.
"Professor Snape wouldn't kill anybody, Harry," said Hagrid gently.
"I saw it," whispered Harry, his eyes a bright, vivid green.
Kalissa walked over to Harry, lifting his body with her arms.
"What happened?" Kalissa asked softly, her heart pounding against her chest. The first inklings of shock were reaching her.
"Dumbledore," said Harry, shaking. "He's d-dead… Snape k-killed him. I saw him using the Killing curse with my own eyes."
Kalissa's hold tightened on Harry. She fell from her precipice; the delicate thread of hope and expectation snapped. The terror, fear and crushing devastation she expected as soon as she heard Harry utter Snape's name became real. Shock paralyzed her. Terror gripped her. And devastation throttled her.
Then suddenly, a horrible hollowness pervaded her senses. She was drowning in nothingness, her conception of her self dissipating. Her emotions felt so inconsequential, so powerless. Some terrible force of inevitability had finally caught up with her, cutting her open. Her eyes glazed over, barely registering the noise of the crowd under the Astronomy Tower, the way in which Hagrid gaped at Harry, traces of protest still evident in his eyes.
"NOOOOO!" shouted Hagrid. He let out a terrible cry of anguish, his body convulsing with the sobs.
Both Kalissa and Harry lifted their heads to see Hagrid running madly towards the crowd under the Astronomy Tower. Kalissa closed her eyes. She needed to compose herself, force herself to see this body and then find Natalie and Minerva and tell them the terrible news.
Releasing Harry from her embrace, Kalissa held Harry's hand in her own, leading him to the crowd of people. Each step seemed to require an exceedingly amount of effort, the fear continuing to climb from her abdomen to her chest, then to her throat where it threatened to spill into her mouth. Harry, besides her, breathed slowly, his hands a parched white, his face stricken.
Once they reached the crowd and pushed through all the horrified faces, Kalissa let go of Harry's hand, gasping at the sight before her. Hagrid knelt besides the familiar white hair, purple robes, wrinkled hands and most chillingly, the blue eyes that would be without their twinkle forever.
And then, seeing those eyes, the shock left Kalissa. A grieving sadness filled her, sinking to her bones. Another friend was lost to the sea of memories. She would never see those sparkling eyes, hear the cheerful voice, sigh at the annoying equivocation and most importantly, feel the undeniable warmth radiating from his presence. He was gone to her. Another hole Voldemort created in her past. Another person to contemplate, to wonder about what could have been, to cry for the fate he never deserved. A heavy weight settled into the pit of her stomach. The aching sensation of loss again was so acute, so devouring.
Kalissa moved over to kneel besides Hagrid, casting an arm on the elbow of the half giant. She saw Harry kneel besides her. He stared with the same dazed expression at the still face. Kalissa swallowed. Death was so relentless, so merciless in its reach.
"I'm sorry, Albus," whispered Kalissa, leaning her face to press a kiss on his forehead. She gently closed his eyes, allowing herself one last caress of his face.
Memories began to unearth themselves in her mind. She remembered first meeting Albus as an excited first year. She still could not forget the security and wonder he aroused in her. She remembered her first detention with him; the bright smile and the way his eyes twinkled at her nervousness, then her frequent and animated talks with him throughout the years as a student when they both bonded in their distrust of Tom Riddle. She recalled his invitation for her to teach Arithmancy; the sheer joy that burst within her when she read the letter. And then, when she became closer to him in the struggle against her Voldemort, the complete understanding in his eyes, the patience and warmth he showed to her as she lost so much and lastly, his own complete happiness at her decision to take in and raise Natalie despite the fact that it would take her away to Bulgaria.
Kalissa swallowed, wiping the tears away from hereyes. She was certain Harry and Hagrid were also musing over their own memories. The man truly did touch everyone he met, leaving an imprint that always triggered a mystical warmth.
Harry gripped her hand. She turned her eyes to meet his slightly less troubled gaze. Understanding the question in his eyes, Kalissa nodded, helping him stand.
"Hagrid, we will be going to the Hospital wing if you need us," said Kalissa in a tone soft enough so only that he could hear.
They walked in silence past all the curious, sympathetic stares along the path into the castle. Stepping through the parting crowd in the Entrance Hall, Kalissa desperately tried to forget the source of the commotion downstairs, the reason so many students were rushing past them outside and so many more were looking at each other with frightened, shocked expressions.
Everything was so surreal. It barely registered in her mind that they were walking towards the Hospital wing, that the castle was atypically alive and buzzing with activity past midnight and that a murder had just been committed at the school. Every moment, her mind flashed to the still body and the pale, withered face, the stinging sensation of loss emerged, cutting into her. The memories tried to push and unravel themselves in her mind to forcefully remind her again of the man who they and she lost.
The man who always seemed so impervious to the hatred and violence Voldemort spread. Never once conceiting defeat, never placing his own security and protection above the more vulnerable, the ones who Voldemort would exploit. Kalissa shook her head. Natalie, Minerva and the others needed to be informed. Dwelling on her loss was selfish. She lifted her head as they arrived at the corridor leading to the Hospital wing. She needed to occupy her mind and find a thought to push those memories back.
And then, she realized with an angry surge of emotion that she had been so focused on the murder that she had yet to consider the murderer. For Albus to be killed by one of his most loyal followers…. the act seemed so astonishingly unreal to her. Cold fury mounted within her at the thought of Severus Snape. Perhaps she had been wrong about Snape. All this time, then had he lied to Albus, secretly been plotting his murder? Kalissa gritted his teeth. If she saw Snape again, the Killing curse would be on the cusp of her mouth.
But, then an unusually calmer, more puzzled sensation assuaged the contempt building in her. With a jolt, she remembered her suspicions about his reasons to turn spy and thereby his involvement in the connection between Voldemort and Harry. He undoubtedly possessed very strong feelings for Lily Evans, judging by the photograph Natalie saw. So much evidence pointed to an unwavering loyalty to Order and more importantly, Dumbledore, but now, he existed as the ruthless murderer of Albus Dumbledore. Why kill another Death Eater to save Natalie if he was always loyal to Voldemort? Why would he consistently help to save Muggles and Muggleborns without informing his master? And then the question that Kalissa could not fathom: why betray the one person who trusted him for another man who killed the woman he may have loved?
Once they opened the door of the Hospital wing, Kalissa could not help but feel that there was something that could answer all those questions, an important fact she was missing.
She spotted Minerva and Kingsley huddled together, anxiously conversing with each other at the right corner of them. As they reached the pair, Minerva rushed over to Kalissa, placing her hands on her shoulders.
"Is it true?" asked Minerva in an eerily high pitched tone. "Is Albus-
"Dead," Kalissa finished. She released Harry's hand and pulled Minerva into a tight embrace. Stroking her friend's back, Kalissa could not hold back her tears as she felt Minerva's body convulse under her hands, the tears flowing into her hair. Minerva was closer to Albus. For her, the shock would be more numbing, the sadness more painful and the devastation more acute.
Behind Minerva, Kingsley lowered himself onto the floor, a sad expression on his face. He placed his hands over his face, dropping his gaze to the floor.
"Snape killed him. I saw it…the Avada Kedavra," said Harry quietly. His voice had an unnervingly blank and hollow note.
"Is this true?" cried Minerva, pulling back from Kalissa. Despite the pained expression on Minerva's face, she could easily hear the pure shock in her voice.
"Harry saw it and Snape was with the Death Eaters if you remember," said Kalissa, staring into her friend's suddenly angry eyes.
"He lied to all of us," said Kingsley bitterly. "That coward."
"The traitor!" shrieked Minerva, her expression changing to pure outrage. "How dare he-
"Minerva, I know," said Kalissa with a grim smile. She wrapped her arms consolingly around her friend once more.
"Where is everyone else?" asked Kalissa, looking around the Hospital wing to see who was injured and if there were any casualties. She saw Madam Pomfrey attending to about a dozen students in the dormitory.
"Remus, Hermione and the Weasleys are at the back of the Infirmary," Kingsley replied somberly. "Bill was attacked by Greyback and Fleur was hit by a Death Eater's curse. One of the Death Eaters' Cutting curses struck Ron in the leg- he was bleeding quite a bit but he will be fine I think."
Harry's face paled and he looked like he was ready to run to the back of the wing, but as he turned his back, he quickly jerked his face back to Minerva. From the frantic expression on his face, Kalissa surmised that he had also noticed Kingsley's omission.
"Where's Natalie?" said Kalissa and Harry in unison.
"I sent Pomona and Horace to Ravenclaw tower to tell her and Nymphadora to return to the Hospital Wing," answered Minerva calmly. "There appeared to be no Death Eaters in that part of the castle- I suspect Bilius, with his dueling skills, may have scared them off. Knowing him, he likely sealed off the Ravenclaw common room and Natalie and Nymphadora are trapped in there with all the Ravenclaw students."
"Oh," exclaimed Harry though his gaze still flickered uneasily towards the door. Like her, he wanted to check Ravenclaw Tower for himself to ensure Natalie was safe.
Looking back towards the sealed ward at the back of the wing, Harry let out an exhausted breath. "I think I will see how the others are doing." Harry swallowed. "Do they know-
"No," said Kingsley, lifting himself from the floor. "I'll come with you."
Harry nodded at Kingsley's encouraging smile as both of them walked towards the ward.
Watching their retreating backs, Kalissa asked, "How many people were hurt or killed?
"None of the students were killed," continued Minerva, wiping her eyes. "About a dozen students were hit with some of the milder hexes; a couple of them were caught by Dark Curses. However, the injuries sustained, I do not think, are irreparable. Unfortunately, a few Aurors and a few of the Hogsmeade residents were murdered."
"Oh," said Kalissa. Another wave of sadness washed over her. "How did the Death Eaters manage to enter?"
"In the Room of Requirement, there is a Vanishing cabinet that connects to the one in Borgin and Burkes," explain Minerva, her eyes flashing angrily. "And Draco Malfoy managed to open the connection between the two."
"He did that?" said Kalissa in astonishment. "Surely, Albus must have known about the cabinet?"
"Severus surely knew," spat Minerva. She pronounced Snape's name as if it was something completely vile and detestable.
"And then, what about the Death Eaters that came into Hogsmeade?"
"Rosmerta was under the Imperius curse," said Minerva, shaking her head. "Malfoy had her under the curse
"That warrants a sentence in Azkhaban," said Kalissa furiously.
"I agree," assented Minerva. "Anyway, the Death Eaters used her to establish an apparition point in one of the rooms of the inn. The apparition was completely undetectable- silencing charms, spells that reversed the signal wards cast by the Ministry. When enough of them entered, they basically swarmed the pub and the village. Naturally, the Aurors were taken by surprise."
"What happened to Rosmerta?"
"She's alive," answered Minerva grimly. "But the Cruciatus curse was used on her- she's been taken to St. Mungo's. The Aurors said there was not any permanent mental damage but she was very traumatic."
"Oh, good," said Kalissa, breathing in relief. Her eyes darted again to the door to the hospital wing. Looking at her watch, she could not help but think with definite unease that at least one or two Death Eaters would have wandered into that part of the castle.
"Natalie will be here soon," said Minerva though her eyes also flickered worriedly to the door.
Kalissa nodded, her gaze now fixated on the door. "How did one boy cause all this mess?"
"I do not know," said Minerva in frustration.
"How did Albus not pick up on this?" continue Kalissa in disbelief. "Malfoy must have been behind the Bell and Weasley attack. Albus must-
Minerva gasped as the doors to the Hospital wing opened. Kalissa stopped speaking, her mouth wide open at the sight before her.
Three bodies drenched in blood were carried on stretchers. Two of them were Ravenclaw students and the third, to Kalissa's horror, resembled Bilius Flitwick. Pomona Sprout and Horace Slughorn followed the bodies with grave expressions on their face.
"What happened?" whispered Kalissa, her breathing hitched. All three bodies looked sickeningly twisted with large gashes and cuts spread all over their chest, legs, arms and faces.
"All three of them are alive-barely," replied Pomona, her eyes averted from the three stretchers as Madam Pomfrey immediately arrived, hustling and bustling to find more blood replenishing potions. "Whoever did this definitely employed Unforgivables as well as what looks like some very severe cutting curses."
"Ravenclaw tower?" said Minerva, exchanging a tense glance with Kalissa.
"Yes," said Pomona. "Bilius must have sealed the common room but these students and a few others were caught outside by the Death Eaters-
"Were Natalie and Nymphadora there?" interjected Kalissa, pacing around anxiously. Her breathing was becoming much faster, her nerves straining severely.
"We found Nymphadora," replied Pomona. "Some of my students are putting her and a few others on stretchers and bringing them here."
"What about Natalie?" asked Minerva sharply.
"I do not believe she was one of the unconscious students," said Horace slowly, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Oh no," gasped Kalissa. Pure dread clawed at the pits of her stomach. If no one saw Natalie, then there was only possible conclusion…
Another stretcher rolled into the Hospital wing. Two students ran behind the stretcher, guiding it with their wands. This one contained the limp form of the familiar pink haired woman.
Kalissa immediately stepped over to Nymphadora's side, stopping the stretcher with her wand. More stretchers passed her, accompanied by more students as they entered the Hospital wing to await treatment for their classmates.
"What spell was used on her?" muttered Kalissa, running over the possible curses in her mind.
"We don't know," replied one of the students worriedly. "She was the only one who wasn't bleeding but she looks badly beaten. Ennervate did not work."
"The Death Eater who did this probably regards herself or himself above those type of hexes," said Kalissa absently. None of the general awakening charms were working
She then experimented with some of the darker spells that would cause a traumatic weakening of the victim but none of those counter curses worked. Nymphadora definitely had a pulse and her muscles were not flaccid. Deciding that maybe the Death Eater struck Nymphadora with a spell which compressed the lungs, lowering the breathing rate below a level that could sustain consciousness, Kalissa pressed her wand to Nymphadora's diaphragm, whispering a simple expansion charm.
She felt Nymphadora's chest inflate under her wand, the breaths emerging once the chest oscillated up and down. Kalissa closed her eyes in relief. She heard Minerva and the two students sigh behind her.
As she waited for Nymphadora to return to consciousness, a horrible conviction filled Kalissa that something horrible was happening right now to Natalie. Drumming her fingers on the siderail of the stretcher, Kalissa exchanged several panicked looks with Minerva. She could not keep the image of a certain black haired woman out of her mind, attempting to tell herself that many of the Death Eaters would want to take away the girlfriend of Harry Potter.
After seemingly an agonizing long time, Nymphadore's eyelids fluttered open.
"Professor McGonagall?" mumbled Nymphadora with a glazed look.
"Yes, Nymphadora," said Minerva gently, placing a hand softly on her cheek. "You're in the Hospital wing now- Madam Pomfrey will take care of you. Do you know who attacked you and where Natalie is?"
Nymphadora's eyes immediately cleared in realization. "Oh no," said Nymphadora, shaking. She looked fearfully at Kalissa. "Bellatrix was there- s-she was the one who attacked the students."
"And took Natalie away," finished Kalissa, her stomach churning violently.
"No," breathed Minerva, shaking her head vehemently. "No, Natalie must be somewhere in this castle."
"Nymphadora was there, Minerva," whispered Kalissa. Trying to contain the storm of emotion growing within her, she nodded at the two students. "Thank you for letting me speak to her. You can take her to Madam Pomfrey."
As they left, Kalissa closed her eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening. She heard Minerva drop into a chair besides her, exhaling sharply. All of the plans, efforts, worries and most importantly, her resolve to protect Natalie over the past 16 years were utterly fruitless. The idea of Bellatrix eventually snatching Natalie from her, always seemed like a terrible, morbid nightmare that hovered at the fringes of her mind, but now it was clear, crushing reality. The fate she tried to prevent ever since she saw the girl as a baby had finally caught them, reminding them forcefully of its all reaching inevitability.
Fear wound itself around her chest, the cords tautening as she thought of that sinister, haughty face. The face from which Natalie wanted to see a trace of compassion yet that hope would always remain a dream. There was no daughter for Bellatrix, only a girl she could ravage and exploit for her wild satisfaction, the same maniacal happiness that imbibed a relentless desire for Voldemort.
Natalie was with her at the very moment. The woman's hungry glare must be suffocating her, the cruel taunts and savage pleasure unnerving her and the inhumane coldness devastating her.
And then abruptly, Kalissa remembered Natalie's uncharacteristically leaning into her embrace when they talked about her first meeting with Bellatrix. Natalie needed her. She was being a complete fool, wasting time when she may never find the girl again. Her feelings could wait for later. Her daughter was in grave danger.
Kalissa opened her eyes, placing her hand on Minerva's shoulder. She took a long, deep breath, mentally making a list of all the place Bellatrix would take Natalie. The woman undoubtedly planned to eventually bring the girl to Voldemort. Kalissa shuddered. If it meant sacrificing her life, she would not let Natalie fall into his control. But now, Bellatrix would surely want to spend some time with the girl, exploit their connection and satisfy her curiosity.
"Are we going?" said Minerva, standing up. She swayed slightly and Kalissa caught her easily.
"I will go," said Kalissa firmly.
"No," protested Minerva. "I am coming with-
"What about all this?" cried Kalissa, gesturing around the Hospital wing. "There's a dead body outside and you saw what Bellatrix did to the students. You will be having some very angry and worried parents. Something this bad has not happened at Hogwarts in a very long time."
Minerva gritted her teeth. "Kalissa-
"No Minerva, I can take care of Bellatrix," continued Kalissa, gripping her friend's shouders tightly and staring directly into her eyes. "If I need help, I will contact you but I know Bellatrix. She'll want to spend time with Natalie alone."
Minerva looked like she was ready to fiercely object, but then sighed. She nodded, glancing warily at all the bodies around them."Go then, now."
"I will be seeing you in a few hours," Kalissa said with a small smile before turning on her heel and walking out of the Hospital wing.
As she reached the staircase leading to the Entrance Hall, a familiar deep voice stopped her in her tracks.
"I'm coming with you."
Kalissa turned around to see Harry staring at her, his wand at his side. Blank shock no longer draped his face, but rather the unwavering determination emerged in the bright, green eyes that held her gaze and the clenched jaw.
"I heard Tonks tell you," said Harry. "Let's go."
"Harry, I know you want to save Natalie," said Kalissa in exasperation, raising her hand to stop him. "But-
"I can help you," said Harry stubbornly. "And I am not taking no for an answer. Do you think I will twiddle my thumbs in the Hospital wing and wonder if you saved her, if she's still alive?"
Kalissa gritted her teeth at him. They had already lost so much time and she did not need a prolonged argument with him. "Fine. But when I tell you to do something, do it."
"Of course," said Harry. "Where are we going to apparate from?"
Kalissa's eyes widened. With the Aurors patrolling and the large crowd outside, apparition would attract attention.
"Stand still," ordered Kalissa. Grabbing Harry's hand, she quickly waved her wand over him, imagining his body fading to a transparent and shimmering figure in the air. After replicating the same motion and thoughts for herself, she nodded when they both were almost invisible.
"Come on," said Kalissa.
Together, they rapidly descended the stairs, sidestepping the people climbing up the stairs before sprinting through the Entrance hall onto the grounds and away from the crowd gathering around Albus' body.
"By that shrub on the edge of the forest," said Kalissa, looking at a spot where none of the Aurors stood.
Once they reached the shrub, Kalissa quickly cast Silencing charms in a rectangle around them before grabbing Harry's hand and twisting on the spot, her mind on the first possible location. The one place she secured the most because it was the neighbourhood Bellatrix would most liely seek.
They silently arrived in a narrow, dark alley. Kalissa immediately looked ahead, waving her wand in a conic motion to check for any signs of magic. She let out a frustrated breath when her spell revealed no indicator of recent spells.
"Where are we?" breathed Harry, following her at a rapid pace out of the alley.
"The neighbourhood in which Natalie's father used to live," said Kalissa as calmly as she could. Returning to this area of London always aroused a distinct unease and sadness within her.
"Oh," said Harry. "You think she would come here?"
"We will see, won't he?" snapped Kalissa as she again waved her wand, checking for any signs of magic. And once again, her scan revealed no results.
They crossed the road, taking a right at the pub that Kalissa remembered visiting many times sixteen years ago. Most of the houses were well lit and a few people were walking and conversing on the street. She could hear a very loud, exuberant chatter within the pub they passed. If Bellatrix had arrived, someone would have noticed her dragging Natalie, but Bellatrix knew the neighbourhood as well or even better than Kalissa. She would know which streets were devoid of activity in the evening. After walking through a more crowded street, they finally arrived on the street where David Claggerton's house should still have stood.
She motioned her head to an empty lot on the right hand side of the street. Harry nodded with a puzzled expression and they walked quietly towards the lot.
"There's nothing here," whispered Harry though his wand pointed at the empty space.
Kalissa closed her eyes in concentration. As vividly as she could, she imagined the house she rebuilt; the exact shade of navy blue that draped the building, the white outlines of its shutters and winders, its pointed, conic shape that always appeared more wizarding than Muggle and finally, the simple warmth she always associated with the house and its inhabitant. Feeling a tingling in her arm, Kalissa let her wand flow in an elegant, graceful motion that copied the shape of the house with its image firmly planted in her mind. As she felt the magic leave her, she opened her eyes. Hearing Harry breathe in surprise, Kalissa's vision suddenly sharpened. The house appeared, completely unscathed as it had for the past 16 years.
Kalissa swept her wand over the house to check for a magical signature not belonging to her. The only signature she found belonged to her.
"She's not here," said Harry, looking in a combination of wonder and exasperation at the building.
"No," answered Kalissa though she did not expect Bellatrix to manage a way to break through all the protection charms and shields she placed around the building.
"Let's go," said Kalissa, grabbing his arm. She again twisted them on the spot, focusing on the next destination in their mind.
They landed outside a very old, withered and decrepit looking mansion. Kalissa caught Harry before he stumbled to the ground.
"Lestrange manor," answered Kalissa before Harry could answer the question.
"It does not look-
"In a living condition," completed Kalissa, gritting her teeth in frustration. She waved her wand to check for recent magic, but yet again, she found no sign of any spells. "She's not here- there is no way we could have apparated to this spot if the Lestranges or Bellatrix were using the manor."
They were losing time now. Every second they wasted, Natalie had to endure the torture of that woman. Any longer and she might decide to bring the girl to Voldemort.
Kalissa pulled Harry toward her, turning on the spot again, hoping with all her strength that this next location would be the one. They arrived in front of a brick, apartment building that looked equally as deteriorated and degraded as the previous building.
"This looks like a Muggle building," noted Harry in confusion.
"Bellatrix used to live here," said Kalissa, waving her wand over the building. When herspell revealed no magic, she took another sharp intake of breath, her heart beginning another episode of frantic pounding. Uncharacteristic cold sweat started to trickle along her neck, her previous determination wavering and desperation again sinking into her chest. There were not many other locations she knew Bellatrix frequented.
"We don't have time," said Harry, kicking a nearby stone.
"Where else?" muttered Kalissa to herself, trying with all her strength to keep the image of a certain dark haired man out of her mind.
"Ah!" cried Harry, placing his arms on Kalissa's shoulders. "What about where the Malfoys live? Bellatrix is his aunt."
Kalissa closed her eyes. "Voldemort would be there most likely. It's not exactly a place we can simply apparate to."
"We can at least see," said Harry, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Come on Kalissa, Natalie does not have time!"
"Yes," said Kalissa, the desperation truly sinking in. She did not believe Natalie would be there, at least yet, but they could wait. Only once Voldemort had Natalie under his capture, the chances of rescuing her were much smaller.
"Let's go," said Kalissa, shaking her head. She remembered the village outside of Malfoy Manor, grabbed Harry's arm and twisted again on the spot. They landed outside of a bright, vibrant pub, the chatter loud and boisterous.
"Where do we go now?" said Harry as Kalissa looked around to ensure that no one within the pub noticed their appearance.
"This way, come on, let's run," said Kalissa, motioning her head in a direction north of the pub.
As they passed the pub, a streak of grey on the door of the pub caught her attention. Kalissa immediately stopped. Harry stumbled besides her, grabbing her shoulders to steady himself.
"How could I forget," mumbled Kalissa, shaking her head in anger.
"What are you doing! We don't have all bloody day!" shouted Harry, shaking her.
"Harry, stop it!" hissed Kalissa. "We're going back."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "What are you-
Before he could complete sentence, Kalissa quickly cast the rectangle of Silencing charms around them. She then intertwined her arm with Harry's arm and rotated her body. They were squeezed again through another funnel before dropping in front of the navy blue house David Claggerton.
"Why here?" said Harry as Kalissa stepped forward, her wand at her side.
"There were no anti-apparition wards outside of the house from the last time," Kalissa answered absently. "It's quicker to apparate here."
"What are you doing?" asked Harry. He walked forward to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Are you always like this?" exclaimed Kalissa, trying to find out how her charms and spells were modified. "The house I remember had a grey streak below the window on the left. But this-
"Does not have the grey streak- it's just navy blue," finished Harry, his eyes widening.
"Precisely," muttered Kalissa, continuing to test the house to see which charms were still there. Natalie was likely in the house at the very moment.
"Someone's been interfering with the house," said Harry, his face morphing in realization. "Bellatrix is the only other person who knows about it. Natalie could be there."
"Yes. So can you please be quiet because every second it takes me to figure out how to undo these charms, Natalie may be under some horrible curse."
Harry gritted his teeth before crossing his arms across his chest.
"Thank you and stay within two feet of me so the Silencing charm on us works," said Kalissa, waving her wand in a figure eight motion around the house. Nothing occurred.
She paused to gather herself, trying to push the image of Natalie writhing under the Cruciatus curse to the back of her mind. All of the spells and enchantments she established around the home still existed yet they had been modified so as to prevent her from gaining access to the home besides seeing it. The parameters she established to define these enchantments must have been uncovered and modified yet the manipulation of these parameters likely exceeded Bellatrix's capabilities. Kalissa shuddered. There was only one other person alive who could identify those parameters.
She focused her mind on the equations she remembered creating, enunciated the incantation and performed the specific pyramidal wand movement needed to open these equations and then the specific memory of a baby Natalie that would reveal the equations to her. After a brief moment in which Kalissa began to shake in desperation at the thought of not being able to reach Natalie, the equations unraveled themselves in the air in front of them.
"What's this?" asked Harry anxiously, walking over to her side.
"Harry, be quiet," said Kalissa. As she expected, the equations had changed for the major Silencing, DisIllusionment, Anti-Detection, Intruder monitoring and detection spells wrapped around the house along with the more minor jinxes, hexes and curses she had established to block off anybody who managed to overcome the first set of spells. The modifying of the equations had changed the parameters for the conditions and terms of each spell, effectively preventing Kalissa from noticing that the house had been discovered and infiltrated. The image she saw must be the one Bellatrix, or Kalissa swallowed, Voldemort, envisioned.
"What are you going to do?" said Harry, snapping his fingers. "These are just a bunch of equations."
"They're telling me what I need to do to get in there and find Natalie," said Kalissa quietly. "Can you please let me concentrate?"
It looked like if she changed the parameters of one of these equations, the Intruder detection ward would notify Bellatrix. But modifying all of these equations at the same time and synchronizing the changes so that the Intruder detection wards were not signaled would be very difficult and more importantly, take time. There must be another way. She gritted her teeth, staring at the innocuous blue house in front of her. Her stomach churned violently at the thought of what was happening inside.
"How do we know if they are there?" said Harry, scratching his chin.
"Because these spells are changed and Bellatrix is the only other person who knows of the house," retorted Kalissa. She noticed another equation that did not belong to her; the equation for what appeared to be an anti-spell for magical signatures. Judging by the wide range of magical energy values, it looked as if the spell stretched out for a large geographic region, explaining the lack of any sign of magic within the town.
"That's not what I mean," said Harry harshly
"Then what are you saying?" said Kalissa, her voice rising. They had wasted far too much time already for him to start a silly argument with her.
"No, how do we know if Natalie and Bellatrix haven't left the house," said Harry vehemently.
Kalissa's eyes widened. "Of course," she muttered, isolating the equation not belonging to her.
"What?" breathed Harry.
"Let me figure this out," said Kalissa. This equation looked like it had an inverse. And if the equation indeed described the spell that eliminated the magical signature of Bellatrix Lestrange, then the inverse would reverse the original spell, allowing Bellatrix's magical signature to exist. Kalissa checked the parameters of the Intruder Detection wards, smiling at what she saw. Those wards were very weakly connected to the new spell; if she reversed the anti magical signature charm, the Intruder Detection alarms would likely not be activated.
"Yes," said Kalissa, the small smile still stretching her lips. Conjuring an equation calculator with her wand, she quickly determined the equation's inverse and then started changing the anti magical signature equation to its inverse.
"Why are you changing all those letters?" mouthed Harry, pacing back and forth.
"If they did leave, we'll be able to see and track them to wherever they are which is probably less guarded," said Kalissa, focusing her mind on the equation she wanted to see while moving her wand in a combination of deft, coordinated movements that expanded each variable.
"It's our best chance now Harry. If they're still in the house, I'll have to break down all the wards one by one."
After a few more minutes of frantically waving her wand and adjusting the equation, Kalissa, satisfied, stopped focusing her mind on the equation and waving her wand. She felt a tingling of air rush over them, signaling a change in the wards.
"Is that what you did?" asked Harry, looking around.
"Yes," said Kalissa with a relieved smile. She waved her wand in a spherical motion, thinking of Bellatrix. In response, a purple beam of light emanated from the front of the house. It rose into the sky directly above the house before bending straight over the rear of the building, apparently pointing to a location in a direction directly behind the house.
Kalissa's mouth dropped open in amazement. She slapped her forehead angrily.
"Of course! How did I not see that!"
"What?" cried Harry, gripping her with his shoulders.
"Come on let's go. I know where she is," said Kalissa, her eyes darkening. Only Bellatrix would take Natalie to that place. With her wand directly in front of her and Harry latched onto her, she turned on the spot.
A/N: How did you guys like the change of perspective (and also going back in time from the previous chapter)?