Monday, November 07, 2011

Be Careful What You Wish For….

Disclaimer: See Part One

By:Fire Wolfe Not Betaed read at your own risk

Part 36 All talk no action

The pompous Auror hit the ground with a solid thunk. Tonks watched this and began to chuckle. She had wanted to do that ever since she had begun her training. Dawlish was the kind of man that gave the Auror Corps a very bad name. It was a wonder so many death eaters and their like escaped with buffoons like that running investigations. Tonks understood that sometimes it was unavoidable the need to alter memories. She personally hated it and did it as infrequently as possible. She could not justify the invasion. While the wizarding world had to be protected she knew most muggles would ignore what they saw. Her dad had explained this to her. Altering memories actually increased the danger. Because if the process had not been done properly and she knew full well it took a light hand something Dawlish never had it would cause memory flashes.

Muggles like all humans would then look for what that memory was. Where as if they got a plausible explanation they just moved on with their lives and forgot all about it. She had seen this happen first hand when she and her mother and father had been out shopping in Muggle London when she was 5. A bout of accidental magic had turned her hair pink. Her father had quickly explained to their Muggle friends that his daughter had poured pink dye on her blonde hair. They had believed it and moved on. It was one of the reasons Tonks often turned her hair pink because it was a very fond family memory. Plus it drove the staid by the rule Aurors nuts.

To say that the other Aurors were shocked by Buffy's action was a major understatement. Wands had been leveled at her quickly. There was a loud pop as several more Aurors arrived. One of them happened to be Mad Eye Moody and he quickly defused the situation. He chuckled when he learned that the 5 foot 2 inch Buffy had laid out the 6 foot 5 Auror with a single well placed punch. It proved his matra and he used it as an impromptu training.

"While her method was unusual Miss Summers did the right thing. We have to gather witness statements and find out what happened before we begin to wipe memories. Auror Tonks is also right in protesting. We have procedures for a reason. Now, you lot gather the Death Eaters and let the healers do their work. Anyone who does not like to follow orders can of course request a transfer. I believe Senior Under Secretary Umbridge has requested several Aurors to act as body guards for both her and the Minister."

This threat stopped most of the Aurors from protesting. As they drifted back to help the healers Moody turned to Buffy and gave her a dark look. "While I understand what you have done you have broken the law. I also know that not one of you has registered your animal forms."

"Yeah, well that creep was about to mind rape these people. They have been traumatized enough. No one has the right to do that to anyone." Buffy said matching his stare. "Er...well that's kind of not our fault. The thing is only Willow, Xander and Oz knew about what forms they had and have shifted. We ah...well it just kind of happened."

Giles stepped up and said. "You are quite correct Auror Moody. We will of course register our forms." He was cleaning his glasses suddenly appearing sheepish. "That is to say that we all just shifted now. Until this afternoon we all knew we might have forms but, to be honest we had not really intended to shift just yet."

Alastor "Mad Eye" Moodywas rarely if ever caught off guard. He lived up to and upheld the motto Constant Vigilance. He was in fact if he was honest paranoid beyond reason. He was of course still alive because of that fact. Even his extreme paranoia had not saved him from being kidnapped and impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr. for an entire year. To say he was shocked would have been the understatement of the century. He blinked and looked at the man called Rupert Giles raising his good eye. "That was your first shift? You had no idea what you would be did you."

Cleaning his glassed now to hide his nervousness Giles nodded. He hated being young again. He felt like he was being called to the carpet by his father which was never a good feeling. It really did not matter that deep down he knew he was an adult and well past the time when he should be answering to anyone. However, right this moment with the old Auror staring at him he felt like a young man again. Hell he felt like a boy in short pants. "We had to defend the non-nagicals."

Moody snorted at that. 'He had to admit it was impressive. However, he also knew it was merely shock and surprise that won the day. There would be no way the Death Eaters would ever again underestimate this motley lot. They were many things but stupid was sadly not one of them when it came to tactics.' "They won't make the same mistakes again you know."

Giles looked away. Sadly he had to agree. Victory had been easy enough but, and this was a big but it had happened because the Death Eaters had not expected competent fighters to be there to stop them. Surprise had been the key to their victory and he knew it was now lost to them. They would never be underestimated again.

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Oz moved to Willow and Kennedy. He could tell both women were tired and he knew that Willow's lover had been injured. "Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, a bit I think that it could have been worse. Thanks for the idea of shifting though. I would never have considered it. It let me back into the fight. "Kennedy pulled Willow into her arms and kissed her hard then pulled back and gently pushed her to Oz. "I think that we will all need to have a deep talk soon. But, for now kiss her already. I know you want to. It's about being alive and I can for the moment live with it."

Willow blushed and slipped into her Oz's arms. He smelled of blood and gore but she did not care it was Oz. He had saved her and more importantly Kennedy. She had never loved him more than right now. Because he had shown he loved her and was willing to work on their lives and relationship. Because he could have let Kennedy be killed but, instead risked his own life so her love could be safe. That was devotion and Willow was determined now to make it work...for all of them.

Kennedy smiled at Willow's blush she saw Oz wink at her and knew deep down that the final stumbling block was gone. They both loved Willow and because of that they would find a way. She sighed I guess we will make this work somehow.

"I am proud of you Percy." Arthur Weasley said softly to his third eldest he could not believe how brave his son had been and he told him that. "You did well and acted bravely a true lion."

Percy watched the group with care. He could not believe they had faced Death Eaters so calmly and more or less won. He was not a brave man. Percy would fight like all people when he had to but, frankly he wondered why he had ever been sorted into the House of Lions. He faced his father and said softly. "I was terrified Father. I thought you or mother or the children would be hurt. I don't know how I ever was sorted as a Gryffindor?" He had heard his father's praise but did not feel worthy of it.

Buffy slipped away from Giles and went over to the clearly concerned and worried redhead. "Courage is about acting even when it is not popular or when you are scared. You earned your place Mr. Weasley."

"I'm not so sure. I do believe however that you and your friends would have made fine Gryffindors."

"Maybe, then again sometimes it's not about courage but rather doing the right thing." Buffy said.

Percy nodded and began to think that just maybe these people might be useful allies.

TBC…