Chapter 38: Heart Stops

June 27, 1945 Numrangard Prison somewhere in Germany…

The days had turned into weeks and everyone felt certain the end was near. They knew it was the end of the war although no one knew who'd win. Katherine, Percival, and Benjamin had been able to get themselves transferred to the group at the front where Albus and Minerva were.

To say Katherine had been irate would have been an understatement and for her first week in camp everyone stayed well and clear of her. Now though she was a part of the team. It was possibly because she was one of the few that could fluently translate French, Italian, and German.

Currently the group of those in charge was trying to find a way into the hideout they were hoping held Grindelwald. This home was just yards from Numrangard.

"I think if we had a proper distraction we could drop in from above," Percival stated looking over the plans of the broken down manor.

"Yeah but what kind of distraction besides a frontal battle wouldn't get people killed?" Head Auror Thomas Bane asked.

"I think I may have that answer," Katherine replied sticking her head in the tent, "If you men would step outside please."

Bane, Benjamin, Percival, Alastor Moody, and Albus exited the tent to find Katherine standing over six rather frightened looking dancers.

"We caught them on their way to the building sirs. Apparently they were hired to entertain the men there," Auror Victor Dodger stated.

"They all speak broken English," Katherine added and pointed to a woman in a tight purple get up that looked like something out of Arabian Nights.

"This one's name is Elsa and the followers that hired her requested she and five others come to the home in these get ups to dance for them. I figure five women here can go with her instead as she is the only one they know," Katherine added.

"I'm willing. I wish protect my girls," Elsa stated. She had dark blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"That could work," Bane nodded, "Victor ask around and find us five women who can fit these costumes."

The young auror nodded and hurried to the other tents.

"She be good. She has right look if you change hair," Elsa replied boldly standing. She was eyeing Katherine up and down appraisingly.

"That wouldn't work. I'm sure every one of those men are on the look out for her," Percival shook his head; "McGonagalls and Dumbledores are on Grindelwald's top hit lists."

"Of course with a few charms I could pass off…I'll do it!" Katherine stated.

"Kate!?" Benjamin stated.

"Ben we have to help in anyway we can. Besides if any of those men get fresh they'll get a swift kick in…"

"Okay let her go," Bane said cutting the woman off.

"Mother…Mother I just hear. I want to volunteer," Minerva stated hurrying to the group.

"No absolutely not I draw the line! Enough is too much Minerva," Benjamin snapped angrily.

"Actually…Actually Minerva would be perfect," Katherine stated as the wheels in her mind turned.

"What?" Percival and Benjamin and Albus blinked. Katherine spoke a few words to Elsa in German and the woman nodded enthusiastically.

"Minerva grab a girl and get dressed," Katherine stated.

Minerva smiled brightly and grabbed the nearest girl hurrying to her tent.

"Katherine what are you planning?" Benjamin asked.

"I had a brain storm. Auctioning a pureblood virgin and her pureblood mother to Gellert himself," Katherine stated.

"Aunt Kate he already knows you he won't bite," Albus stated.

"And I don't want Minerva to have to…"

"Boys! Boys trust me on this. If Gellert is in that manor I can get him to come out. Plus with a quick hair and eye charm he won't remember me and he certainly won't see Min if I do the same to her," Katherine stated.

The men looked at each other at a loss. What could they do?

"All right but you better not let anything happen to my Half Pint," Benjamin warned.

"I swear it," Katherine nodded giving him a light kiss as she gathered Elsa and all the other girls and hurried off.

"Mother I'm scared," Minerva hissed as she and all the other women were in the hall waiting to be called to the men.

"I'd consider you a fool if you weren't. Just be quiet and do exactly as I say," Katherine stated.

Minerva nodded as two men came toward them.

"Ah nice…Elsa you told Jermaine you had two for the Master. Who is it?" a man called; Vaughn asked.

"I found beauty rare. She still virgin and her mother is more beauty. Your master could have much sustaining," Elsa replied. She waved her hand and Katherine came forward holding Minerva's hand.

Katherine wore red pantaloons with a red off the shoulder brazier like top and golden slippers. Her hair was now bleach blonde and her eyes made blue green.

Minerva wore a similar costume but in green. Her hair was also blonde and her eyes were also blue green.

"Hmmm nice…very nice," Vaughn nodded, "The master would likes these two."

"I ask double. I found them…they purebloods like he likes. Trace them back very far," Elsa stated.

"We'll see. Bernard you take the others. You two come with me," Vaughn replied licking his lips as he looked at Minerva hungrily.

Katherine squeezed her daughter's hand as they headed up the bombed staircase into a darken library.

"What do you want?" a voice hissed from across the room where a man in green robes stood.

"I brought you a clean pureblood and her mother. The mother is even more beautiful than the girl sir," Vaughn stated.

"I knew a woman so beautiful the sun paled. She was a hapless blood traitor though," Gellert stated turning.

His eyes roamed the two women standing their and he smirked.

"You can go now Vaughn," he stated.

The man bowed and left the room shutting the door behind him.

"So you're a virgin are you child?" Gellert asked.

Minerva frowned and looked at her mother who nodded at her and pushed her forward.

Gellert circled the girl running a hand up and down the child's arm as he did so.

"You're very young," Gellert observed, "still a child."

He came over to Katherine and stared at her.

"I see you're quite tall and curvy," Gellert stated running a hand over her stomach, "Oh and you're fertile."

Katherine smiled at him.

Meanwhile Albus, Bane, and Benjamin were coming around the back while Moody and Percival were on the roof. One of the holes in the roof showed down all the way into a sitting room where the girls were dancing for the men. Some were getting really touchy and two of the girls weren't feeling it.

When Abigail Porter screamed the men jumped from the ceiling and landed on two knocking them out cold. From there all hell broke loose as people fought with wands, daggers, and anything they could.

Gellert had Katherine pushed against a wall as his hand trailed over her.

"I'll seed you first so the girl can see how it's done."

"Okay but I warn you Ben won't like it," she smirked.

"What?" he asked and his eyes burned with rage as before him her eyes darkened several green shades and her blonde curls turned blacker than night.

"Katherine," he hissed. His hand quickly went around her throat as he reached for his wand and found it gone.

"Meet my daughter Minerva. Quite a clever kitten," Katherine smirked.

"Let go of my mother," Minerva stated. She had her wand and his aimed at the man's back.

Gellert released Katherine and slowly turned around smiling at the girl.

"Child don't be foolish. Give me my wand before anyone gets hurt," Gellert replied holding his hand to her.

"I think not," Minerva replied.

"Very well," Gellert sighed as he waved his hand and the girl slammed into the wall. Minerva was knocked dazed and dropped the man's wand.

"Minerva run!" Katherine shouted as she hit Gellert hard in the back and grabbed her daughter jumping out of the window.

Both women landed on the ground with shouts and shots of guns and spells firing over them. The manor was over run with the good guys and the bad guys as the final wizarding battle took over.

"Get to camp," Katherine shouted pushing Minerva toward the woods and she ran off to help her husband.

Minerva had at first meant to listen to her mother but shouts of someone calling for help had her running into the thick of the battle on the grounds.

Dawn was breaking and the battle was coming even more heated as the troops were wearing down on both sides and powers were waning.

"Look at the pretty witch," one of the cloaked figures laughed.

"Aye Thomas that she is," the other chuckled.

Katherine had long since lost her wand in battle and was fighting slowly with a dagger and her wandless magic. She was rightly about out of strength. Her costume had barely anything left to it. She was heaving as she watched the two men circle her.

"Katherine!" Benjamin shouted as he shot down a wizard and started running toward his wife.

Thomas turned at the sound and it gave Katherine the chance to flip over him and grab him to her as a shield as she heard the other man shoot the killing curse. Thomas fell down dead as Katherine threw her dagger into the other man's chest and he too fell.

"Katherine!" Benjamin shouted as he grabbed his wife holding her close.

"Where's Minerva?"

"I sent her back to camp hours ago," Katherine heaved.

He nodded and shot a spell behind her as a man fell down.

"Where's Percival and Albus?" she asked.

Ben was about to answer when they heard a shout of, "Minerva run!"

"Minerva!" the two gasped and ran toward the prison where the shout had come from.

"Face it Albus you've got nothing left and the child can't help you," Gellert laughed summoning Minerva's wand.

"She can't even do wandless magic."

"Leave her out of this," Albus growled as his magic surrounded him.

"Oh but I can't. She's Katherine's child. You remember Katherine, Albus. She's the bitch that wouldn't let you live up to your true potential," Gellert stated.

"Shut up Gellert!" Albus shouted shooting a stunning spell.

"Oh Albus that wasn't good sportsmanship," Gellert chuckled.

"Sectemsempra!" Albus shouted and Gellert wasn't fast enough to dodge the spell as it sliced his leg.

"You bastard!" Gellert snarled.

Minerva watched in a fearful fascination as the two wizards fought each other tooth and nail using any and everything around them to attack each other. She screamed in fear when Albus was hit by a rock dagger that embedded itself in his wand arm disabling it.

Both men turned at her scream and Gellert smirked as he mumbled in German and shot a strange purple light at her. Minerva saw the light and was far too afraid to even move.

"Minerva!" Benjamin and Katherine shouted seeing the light.

In a split second decision Katherine apparated in front of her child and took the full brunt of the curse as Benjamin summoned Minerva to him.

With Gellert distracted Albus took his wand in his left hand and shot two spells in quick sequence that disarmed Gellert and hand him on the ground. Albus won!

But Benjamin and Minerva were too focus on the unmoving form with blood pooling around her middle. Tears fell from both their eyes and years later Benjamin would tell people his heart stopped for some seconds as he stared at his wife.