The following day found Hermione on her way to Nott Manor to have dinner with Theo. Julian had told her before she left that the raid on the Alliance's plane was successful and Sydney had managed to get the information that would destroy the Alliance permanently. The Covenants assets had been frozen world-wide as of that morning and Julian had received word that Elena Derevko had been killed in the ensuing shoot-out near her home in Moscow. Hermione was relieved that so far, everything seemed to be going according to plan.

When Hermione entered Nott Manor, she moved into the dining room, but there was no sign of Theo, which she'd thought odd. Calling for Mippy, Theo's elf, the sweet little House Elf 'popped' into the room. "Yes Missy Hermione, whats can I dos for you?"

"Is Theo home Mippy? I was supposed to meet him here for dinner?"

"No's Missy. He's not comes home yet. Mippy mades dinners for yous both, and Master should be here's soon."

Smiling softly at the elf, Hermione thanked her, told her she didn't need anything and headed for the library to wait for her brother to get home. After she'd been reading for a while, Hermione heard the floo go off downstairs and grabbing her wand, she headed downstairs, excited at seeing Theo. When she entered the drawing room, Hermione's face turned to ash as she saw Dolohov and McNair grinning manically at her. Throwing up a 'protego totalum' and firing off several hexes at once...the room exploded in a cacophony of light as spells ricocheted off the bookshelves. Hermione sent a cutting curse at McNair, along with a successive 'petrificus' and watched as the man fell back and crashed into a table. Yelling for Mippy and telling her to find Theo, Hermione's defense faltered monetarily and a slicing hex got through her shield, cutting her shoulder and causing her to shout in pain.

Strengthening her shields, she fired off a 'glacius' at the floor while sending off a 'melofors' simultaneously, but Dolohov was quick and ducked out of the way.

"Give up...Mudblood!" Dolohov snarled and sent an 'enervate' back at McNair. Hermione sent a 'reducto' at the wall behind both Death Eaters and it exploded...then she tried to apparate...but anti-apparition wards had been placed...fuck! That meant that they'd probably closed the floo network too. Luckily elves could get through most wards...and sure enough a second later a 'pop' sounded outside the drawing room and Theo rushed in with his wand at the ready...sending off several dark curses Hermione had never heard before. McNair was unconscious, but Dolohov was fighting like a madman and just when it looked like Theo was getting the upper hand, the Russian sent a curse his way which caused Hermione to push her brother to the ground as the curse grazed her arm and the curse erupted like fire, causing her to scream in pain. Theo sent a 'conjunctivo' that blinded Dolohov momentarily before he sent the man crashing back to the wall with a 'reducto' that blasted Dolohov off the ground and knocked him unconscious.

Binding both men quickly, Theo opened the floo and dismantled the anti-apparition wards that the Death Eaters had placed before sending his patronus to Draco and Potter...telling them to come quickly. Seconds later more 'pops' were heard and Draco came running in, his face turning to ash as he saw the devastation within the room. Potter followed soon after and Theo, who had placed a 'stasis' spell over his sister, lifted her up and floo'd directly to St. Mungo's screaming for help.

Healers rushed out and placed Hermione on a gurney, taking her to the Spell Damage Ward, to determine just what curse she'd been hit with. Theo paced outside the ward, worried for his sister and wondering just what Dolohov and McNair were doing at Nott Manor. He'd changed the wards after the war, so that no one but Family could get through the wards without permission. The only thing he could think of, was that Hermione didn't reset the wards when she'd entered. Probably didn't think about it...and like an idiot, Theo didn't think anyone had ever mentioned that Dolohov, McNair, Rowle and Rookwood had escaped from Azkaban after Hermione had disappeared three years ago. No one had seen hide nor hair of any of the escaped Death Eaters for over a year, and with this Rambaldi mess taking precedence of the MLE, they had become complacent and now his sister was paying the price...again!

Theo didn't know how long he'd been sitting there in the waiting area, but he was eventually joined by Draco, Blaise and Potter...who were all looking a bit worse for wear.

"How's she doing, mate?" Blaise was the first to speak up. Draco had been beside himself and wanted to 'avada' both Dolohov and McNair, but Harry had told him to leave it be.

"I haven't heard anything. I don't know what happened...Mippy came and got me telling me that Hermione was under attack. When I got home, there was a full blown war raging in the drawing room. Hermione was bleeding but somehow she was holding her own...Dolohov...he sent off a curse my way and she pushed me, taking the hit herself." Theo felt tears rolling down his cheeks, while his friends all looked at him in sympathy.

"That sounds like Mione." Harry said proudly before sighing softly and pushing up his glasses...then decided to tackle the elephant in the room. "Do you want me to notify Sark? He's probably going to wonder where Mione is and frankly, I'd rather he find out from me than from one of his superiors...because you know he will come looking for her."

Draco glared over at Potter mutinously, while Theo just groaned. Fucking Sark! He hadn't given the man a single thought. Looking over at his best mate, who was pouting spectacularly, Theo gave Potter a dismissive nod and didn't bother to say anything more on the subject. Harry nodded in return and headed out to Muggle London. He knew where Sark's residence in Hyde Park was, but he wasn't looking forward to having this particular conversation with the assassin.

It didn't take Harry long to find his way to Julian Sark's home. When he knocked on the front door, Julian answered almost immediately, looking surprised to see him standing there.

"Is it Mia?"

Harry nodded. "She was attacked this evening at Nott Manor. She is at our hospital as she was hit with an unknown curse."

Julian invited Harry to step inside. "Is this a place I can visit her at?"

Harry sighed, but nodded reluctantly. "Yes...I can take you there."

"Let me grab a few things." Julian left for a few minutes, and then came back dressed in a fancy Italian suit.

"You won't need your gun, Sark." Harry scowled unhappily.

"I think I'll be the best judge of that, Mr. Potter." Julian smirked. "Who attacked Mia?"

"They were former Death Eaters that had escaped from Azkaban nearly two years ago. Both men are in custody and are being interrogated as we speak."

Julian sighed in understanding. "Then let us head to this hospital."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and shrugged uncomfortably. "I could apparate us...it would be faster but you'd need to unload your weapon."

Julian gave Harry a considering look. "What is apparition...oh...that thing you do when you disappear into thin air." Harry nodded, while Julian chuckled. "I saw Mia do it once...looked like fun."

Harry's mouth hung open at Sark's assessment and went to tell him that side-along apparition often left the passenger quite nauseous. Watching Sark unload his weapon temporarily, Harry smirked mischievously...if the blonde assassin wanted to apparate, who was he to say no.

Holding out his arm, Julian gave him a dubious look, but took it nonetheless. In a flash, Harry apparated out of Julian's home and into the waiting area at St. Mungo's. When they'd 'popped' into view, Theo and Draco looked up to see Harry standing there with a widely smiling Julian Sark, who looked like a kid in the proverbial candy store. All three wizards gaped at the blonde assassin in shocked disbelief.

"That was quite the experience, Mr. Potter. Much more efficient than traveling by car, or plane I'd imagine." Julian nodded to Mia's brother and Draco Malfoy, who was openly glaring at the assassin in anger.

Harry, who just seemed perplexed, couldn't help but ask. "Has Mione apparated with you before?"

Shaking his head in the negative, Julian seemed completely unruffled. "No...that was definitely a first for me."

At the admission, Theo coughed in astonishment while Draco just growled. "Oh, well that's fine...then..." Harry drifted off, not sure what to make of the situation. Most witches and wizards got very sick the first time they did side-along apparition. Harry remembered the first time he'd done so with Dumbledore the summer before his sixth year. He hadn't gotten visibly sick, but he'd definitely felt queasy for a while afterwards.

"Have you heard anything about Mia?" Julian inquired to her brother.

Shaking his head despondently, Theo sighed. "No...no one will tell us anything."

Julian nodded and sat down across from Theo. "Did you recognize the spell he utilized?"

Theo shook his head. "No...Dolohov was always very creative and most of his curses were his own...as well as the counter-curses."

At the mention of the Russian wizard's name...Julian hissed in anger. "Dolohov...Antonin Dolohov? The wizard who cursed Mia back when she was in school?" Julian turned to Harry, his blue eyes sparkling dangerously.

"Mia told you about Dolohov?" Harry sputtered out inelegantly.

"Yes...she did. I thought that man was in your prison."

"Escaped...about two years ago. Inside job, the guards who helped them were low level followers of Voldemort. They were all put away in Azkaban." Harry offered.

Julian scowled angrily. "You people seem to have a difficult time keeping your prisoners incarcerated."

Draco scoffed and then sneered at the blonde assassin. "As if you don't have a history of escaping every place you've ever been held prisoner."

Sark smirked proudly. "That is true...however, there were extenuating circumstances."

"Isn't there always with you?" Draco glared hatefully.

"You're missing the point here, Mr. Malfoy...and while I appreciate your concern for Mia, your misplaced affections do you little credit. Perhaps now is not the time for such sentiment as we need to determine how to best help Mia."

Draco lunged for Sark, but Theo held him back. "Drake, stop this! As much as I hate to admit it, Sark is right. We need to figure out how to help my sister."

Julian gave Theo a considering look. "How likely is it that this Dolohov has the necessary information to help Mia?"

"Highly likely." Theo stared firmly.

"And do you know who sent him to attack Mia? What was the end goal? To kidnap her?"

Harry looked apoplectic. "You think this has something to do with Rambaldi?"

"You don't?" Julian inquired. "Until I know for sure otherwise, I am going to assume that any attack on Mia is directly related to this Rambaldi mess. Furthermore, I would imagine you have the means at your disposal to get this man to talk? Truth serums?" Harry nodded, impressed with Sark's deductive skills. "Is he susceptible to these interrogation techniques?"

All three men looked completely dumbfounded by the question, while Julian just rolled his eyes in disbelief. After a few moments of consideration, Draco decided to speak.

"Dolohov was one of the Dark Lord's most faithful followers and as such was immune to most forms of interrogation, including Veritaserum. His curses were all of his own design, and he was a powerful Occlumens, which is a person able to conceal their thoughts...which means that Legilimency, which is the ability to read minds...most likely won't work on him."

Julian's gaze narrowed at the blonde wizard. "You seem to be intimately familiar with the man, Mr. Malfoy. Why is that?"

Draco grimaced tightly and glared back at the Muggle. "That's really none of your concern, Sark."

Julian sat back and thought about everything he'd learned about Mia in the time he'd known her. She'd been in a war, been on the run from Death Eaters, captured...tortured..." Julian's eyes narrowed even more as he watched the man sitting across from him. To Draco Malfoy's credit, he gave very little away, but Julian knew there was something he was missing. Glancing over at Mia's brother, he seemed controlled, but Mr. Potter was clearly uncomfortable.

"You were on the wrong side of the war...weren't you? You were a Death Eater?" Julian sneered menacingly.

Draco gave Theo a quick look but nodded once. "I was, not by choice..."

Sitting back, Julian contemplated a few variables and then shook his head in disgust. "Mia was tortured...by a crazed woman who was a loyal follower of that madman." Draco twitched subtly, but it was there and Julian caught it. "She was tortured in your home? Were you there Malfoy? Did you watch it happen?"

Draco's face paled in horror and Theo flinched visibly, while Harry just coughed uncomfortably. Julian lunged at the blonde wizard and in a flash, had him pinned against the wall with his gun at the man's throat. "You are lucky we are in hospital, otherwise I'd kill you where you stand. How can you claim to love Mia, when you watched her being tortured...watched as another carved that horrid name into her arm."

"Fuck you Sark." Draco choked out. Harry and Theo were stunned immobile and didn't know what to do.

"Sark," Harry pleaded, "Mione wouldn't want you to hurt Draco...she's forgiven him...you need to let him go mate."

Julian slowly backed off the blonde wizard, his gaze not leaving the other man until he'd holstered his gun back into his coat. At that moment, Healer Higgs came out to talk to the small group.

"Mr. Nott...is everything alright here?"

Theo nodded. "Yes, Healer Higgs. How is my sister?"

"She was hit with an unknown curse. There seems to be some kind of residual dark magic that hit her in the arm and it's causing some issues with her magic. Her own magic is fighting it off, but we can't seem to isolate the curse directly. I'm not sure how long her own magic will be able to fight this off before she succumbs...we have her in stasis...which has slowed down the progression considerably."

Theo nodded, looking over at Potter who was running his hands though his messy black hair in agitation. "How much time before the damage becomes irreversible?"

"I'd say you have a week, at most." The Healer said softly. "We may be able to induce coma if needed, but that may only buy an additional day or two."

Theo sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Thank you Healer Higgs, we will get back to you when we get more information."

The Healer nodded politely and left the four men to their thoughts. Julian looked at Harry and then Mia's brother. "I would like to make a suggestion."

Theo was a bit skeptical, but nodded. "Alright Sark, let's hear it."

Julian's face took on a predatory quality that made Theo uncomfortable. "I am well versed with interrogation techniques...Muggle interrogation techniques. I sincerely doubt that Dolohov would be able to withstand my methods for long. I am requesting you turn him over to MI-6...we have a secure facility here in London. I can make arrangements to have him transferred to our facility...I will have him broken within 72 hours."

Theo glanced at Draco, who was giving the assassin a condescending look. "You really think you'll be able to break a man in four days, who was stuck in Azkaban with dementors for 15 years and didn't break..."

Julian's smile was feral. "You are most welcome to come and watch...find out for yourself. I can make the formal request to your Minister of Magic. But something tells me the man will do whatever it takes to save Mia." Julian handed Harry his encrypted phone. "Press #1 when you have authorization. I will meet you at my home and give you something to sedate the wizard for transport."

Harry was wary, but nodded in agreement. "Just one thing...what you're going to be doing...is it going to end up killing Dolohov."

Julian just rose an eyebrow and smirked, leaving the three men to wonder what kind of man Julian Sark really was and exactly what he was capable of.