Chapter 34: Last Name
Two weeks have passed since Ginny died. Each hour seems to weigh on the group more. At first it was easy to focus on the next battle, but as time continues and they're still waiting to know when the next attack is, they can only to think of those they're losing. The twins keep a running commentary of jokes, but a small tremor in their voice makes it easy to see they are hurting more than the rest of them.
Harry slips in the kitchen and offers Hermione a half smile as he reaches for the kettle.
"Any news?" she asks from the table as he makes himself a cup of tea. He shakes his head.
"Do we having anything stronger in the house?" he asks, opening a few cupboards.
"No, you and the twins drank the last of it six days ago," she says with a raised eyebrow. Harry shrugs and sips his tea. "How's Luna?" He sighs heavily.
"Not great," he says. "We're waiting on an attack with Bellatrix so we can take her out. She's the last name. But Luna isn't seeing any attacks that have her or at least any that can go in our favor." Harry shakes his head sadly. "She just sees people dying and nothing she can do to stop it. It's been hard."
He sinks into a chair on the other side of the kitchen table. Hermione stands and walks to him and touch his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she whispers. He merely nods.
"Tell me there is an attack soon," Tracey demands as she pushes into the kitchen. Hermione looks up at the brunette.
"Everything okay?" she asks her. Tracey rolls her eyes dramatically before searching the cupboard in front of her.
"Do we have any more sleep draught?" she asks.
"Tracey," the witch reprimands, "that's highly addictive. You can't take that every night and it's only four in the afternoon."
"I'm not taking it," she says. "Ron hasn't slept in five days. I really don't know what else to do for him." She summons a vial from the cupboard and sits down next to Harry. "I think an attack will help get his mind focused again, but...right now all he can think about is Ginny and…"
BAM. The house shakes for a moment.
"Damnit," Tracey shouts. Harry shakes his head.
"We're not the only ones going a little stir crazy waiting for another attack," Harry says, looking to the ceiling. Hermione sighs.
"I'll go talk to them," Hermione says and heads for the stairs. When she reaches the designated room, the door is laying on the floor and the hinges are missing from it and the frame. Fred bounds forward and places a hand on each of her shoulders.
"We figured it out," he says excitedly.
"Guys…" she sigh.
"No you've got to see this 'Mione," George cuts in. He holds out a box. He taps the side of it with his wand.
BAM. The box explodes and then everything is quiet, too quiet.
"Silencing charm?" Hermione wonders out loud, but she doesn't hear her own voice.
"Woah," Fred mouths, but there is no sound. There is a ringing in her head. Two red bursts of light shoot from behind her and hit the twins. They both fall to the floor. Hermione turns to see Draco standing there with his wand out. He walks towards her, his mouth moves, but there is still no sound.
Draco waves his wand around each of her ears and then there is a pop.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he mutters.
"What was that?" she asks.
"A loud noise," he shakes his head. "It damaged your ears. Don't know why they would set that off in an enclosed space. Magic has its limits even for healing, you know." She smiles sadly at the unconscious twins.
"They came here to have a more active role," she says, "but we've just been sitting for two weeks." Draco sighs and waves his wand around the twins' heads.
"They'll be able to hear, but will have a terrible headache when they wake," he says before stepping away and heading back to the library. The waiting has been testing his patience as well.
Mrs. Malfoy sits at the head of the dining table with Mr. Lovegood sitting at the foot. On one side, Tracey, Fred, and George sit. On the other side, Draco, Hermione, Harry, and Luna sit. Hermione eyes the empty seat between Tracey and Fred.
"He's still sleeping," Tracey informs. Hermione nods. As they begin to eat, only Mrs. Malfoy and Mr. Lovegood don't have an anxious edge to their movements. They have spent their days caring for the house and watching over the occupants. Mrs. Malfoy has taken up directing Kreature and the elf has never been happier. The two parents are also seen together often, the easy friendship lessening the strain of waiting while the debates keep their minds engaged. The most unlikely of friends, but it works and it eases the tension of meals.
"And what was all the noise about earlier?" Mrs. Malfoy asks the twins with a raised eyebrow. The look seems to come natural to all mothers, the one that lets you know you are in trouble before even opening your mouth. The twins cast a glance between them.
"Just making something for the next battle," George brushes off.
"And how is blowing everyone's ear drums out going to help in a battle," Draco snaps.
"Draco," Mrs. Malfoy reprimands at the same time Hermione places a hand on his forearm.
"Well that's only a small one," Fred says.
"The big one will do more damage," George continues.
"And will diorentaint," Fred add.
"How will you stop it from affecting you?" Hermione asks.
"You throw it," Fred says.
"At 'em," George finishes.
"But you have to tap it with your wand to activate," she reminds them. "So you will be affected as well." The twins look at each other.
"It's only a prototype," they say in unison. Draco rolls his eyes.
Three more days pass with the anxiety only growing. When Luna is seen out of here room for the first time outside of meals, the house itself releases the breath it had been holding.
The eight teens gather in their War Planning study.
"One name left," Luna says, placing a paper on the table. Four of the five names are crossed out.
-Antonin Dolohov-
Bellatrix Lestrange
-Fenrir Greyback-
-Travers-
-Yaxley-
Fred picks up the list, then quickly looks back to Luna after reading the remaining name.
"Bellatrix Lestrange will be part of raid happening in four days time," Luna says. Everyone's attention is pulled to the blonde girl. Draco can't help but notice the dark shadows under her eyes and the lack of the serene smile on her lips.
"There will be four strong fighters," Luna continues. "They are taking eight new recruits out to torture a muggle city."
"Any other information?" Ron asks. Scruff lines the edge of his jaw. The lines around his eyes have deepened and shadows encircle the dulled blue.
"She won't be wearing a mask. Her presence seems to incite panic for many," Luna adds without any inflection. "Otherwise, no, not really. Bellatrx is volatile and flighty and more than a little crazy. The odds of her torturing children is the even with torturing her own comrades. On top of that, there are too many variables and with each, her action shift and change. This was the best chance of survival for ours that I have found yet."
Luna looks down as the defeated words fall from her lips. Ron clenches his jaw and looks away with a stiff nod.
"Bellatrix is all of those things, but she...tends to stick to the same spells and patterns," Draco adds. He looks to Harry and asks, "If you would like, I could spend the next few days showing those. I spent much of those three years under her instruction and wand." Harry nods his approval, with lips tilted downward and tired eyes. Luna offers him a small smile.
"If there is nothing else, we should get started on that," Ron says. A round of nods and the group stands to move to the lower ballroom. Harry catches Luna's elbow as they near the door.
"Go get some sleep," he urges. She shakes her head, limp blonde strands dancing from side to side.
"I need to go see how this will change things," she responds.
"You knew he would offer," Harry guesses.
"Yes, but now that it's done, that takes other options out. Every bit makes it clearer," Luna insists. Hermione places an arm around the girl.
"Luna, you do so much," she tells her. "But you need rest. Please…"
"Hermione…" she starts. The witch in question pulls her into a hug.
"You can't see your own future," Hermione whispers. "If you could, you would know that the best odds of getting us all through this requires rest. Please." Luna nods as her friend release her.
"I'll try," she promises, before disappearing. Harry sighs and watches her.
"Thank you," he says as they set out to join the others who are already in the ballroom. Hermione shrugs with one shoulder.
"It's weighing on all of us," she says, "we need to remember that killing ourselves off gets us nowhere."
"Was it like this last time?" Harry asks.
"No," she replies. "Last time we were so cut off from the world. I never realized having no information was a gift when there was nothing we could do about it. We still got tired being cooped up and we certainly thought people were out there dying, but we didn't know-not like we do now." Harry bobs his head wearily.
In the ballroom, Draco is holding court. Six pairs of eyes watch as he outlines Bellatrix's general strategy and her favorite spells.
"At her heart, or center of whatever demon is keeping her alive, she's a sadist. She enjoys inflicting pain, probably gets off on it," Draco says.
"Too much information," Fred jabs. Draco shrugs and continues.
"But she's also powerful. She goes for hard hitting spells that cause the maximum amount of pain. She will cast spells that cause less damage just because they cause more agony. A quick death suits her little. That said, when you see her lining up these spells, you need to know what's coming next."
Draco speaks for an hour about Bellatrix. Afterwards, he demonstrates her spell chains. The damage is massive, but near nothing to the amount of pain.
"In the next couple days, I will fight with her style against each of you until you can anticipate and counter," Draco finishes.
"Her style?" George questions with his words and a raised eyebrow.
"She taught me for many years last time around, but copying and turning a style against an opponent was my...er say specialty back then," Draco answers awkwardly.
"Dinner, guys," Kreature rescues before more uneasy territory can be entered.
The others excuse themselves to their rooms after the end of dinner, but Hermione lingers.
"Miss Granger?" Mrs. Malfoy inquires when it is only her and the younger witch.
"I wanted a word," Hermione replies, unnecessarily. She nods and waits. "Your...erm…" she sighs. "Bellatrix is the next target," she blurts out. Mrs. Malfoy's breath catches in her throat and she sits back down in her seat.
"I…" Hermione starts to say, but there are really no words. She's guiltily relieved when Mrs. Malfoy raises a hand to halt her stammering. The older witch takes a slow breath and her composure returns.
"The girl I knew was lost long before even Lucius changed," Mrs. Malfoy says, with her stiffer up lip back in control. "I always held out hope that that girl would return to me one day, but I had not the delusions that she was correct. That was saved only for my husband. And if I must be honest, I've know for a long time that the girl I knew simply didn't exist anymore. I called her sister, because one does not abandon family. Still...you will not be seeing my sister die," she adds with confidence, "only the animal that took her over."
Mrs. Malfoy rises from her seat, straight back and head held high. She touches Hermione's shoulder as she heads to the door.
"Thank you for telling me," she says and then is gone.