YAY GUYS SO MUCH EXCITING NEWS

First of all, I've decided that I'm going to break all this business up into volumes, assuming y'all want me to continue into the canon? :D Because as you may have noticed, the chapter count on this is getting OUT OF CONTROL. But anyway, I've officially hit the END of Volume I!

Second of all, I officially have enough 3/week updates to get us to like the third week of April. What's THAT about.

So yeah. That's it.

ON WITH THE MISERY NOW HAVE A NICE DAY.


20 June 1979

"You'll be all right, Edgar," Minerva said, looking around as best she could while still supporting his weight along the footpath that led to the cottage. The Bones family had been forced to relocate from their London home when their names had come up in a list of targets being tracked by the Death Eaters, and the cottage in Scotland had been given every protection the Order could think of. Minerva could see the tree that Edgar had hollowed out as a play house for the children, and knew they were close. "You're nearly home, you'll be fine."

She had been muttering platitudes for twenty minutes, her heart racing from the exertion of heaving Edgar's large body along and from the ordeal they had just escaped.

"I'm all right," he mumbled, though he was having a hard time speaking coherently; he had hit his head badly when their reconnaissance mission on a suspected hideout of Voldemort's in the ancestral home of the Averys had gone awry, and a pair of Death Eaters had pursued them through half of Yorkshire.

Minerva's face burned with pain; she had been grazed by a spell that had left a huge slash on her cheek, and her robes were torn—but other than that, she was fine. Edgar had tackled one of the masked Death Eaters and wrestled with him, and had ended up cracking his head on the ground before Minerva could disable both attackers with a few well-aimed Stunners.

Edgar was bleeding copiously from the cut on his hairline, but apart from a concussion, he seemed to be all right. He sagged a little on Minerva's shoulders. "Eleanor—" he mumbled suddenly, pointing ahead.

Eleanor Bones had come hurrying out of the cottage, her long blonde hair flying behind her as she sprinted to help Minerva. "What happened?" she asked anxiously, hefting some of her husband's weight onto her shoulder. "You should have been back ages ago…"

"They spotted us," Minerva panted, "I need to get to Albus, immediately—I don't know how, but You-Know-Who knew we would be there, he sent a pair of Death Eaters after us—he's all right, I don't think he was hit by anything," she added, helping Eleanor get Edgar settled on the couch.

"Just a bloody great rock—"

"Shh, the children," Eleanor reminded him worriedly, going to close the hall door that opened off the living room. "Oh, goodness, Minerva, your face—"

"It's all right," Minerva insisted, her heart still pounding in her chest as she touched the cut gingerly, "I'll see Poppy Pomfrey once I've gotten back to the school—if Edgar's all right, I'm going to leave him with you and get back to the castle—"

Eleanor stuffed a tea towel into her hand. She was half a head shorter than Minerva, but gave her a fierce look that plainly said she was ready to fight her on the matter. "You're not going anywhere until I've looked at that," she said ferociously, before picking up a kit of medicines and hurrying over to her husband.

Minerva dabbed at some of the sticky, drying blood on her cheek and followed her; Eleanor drew her wand and murmured a spell over the cut on Edgar's head, sealing it instantly.

"You say they knew you were there?" she asked, a little distractedly. "But you don't think—"

"I do," Minerva said grimly. "Three times in four months they've tracked down Order members. They're—" she hesitated, glancing over to the door that led to the children's bedrooms.

"They're closing in," Eleanor said, cracking open a packet of smelling salts and waving them under Edgar's nose.

"M'all right," Edgar said, flinching at the smell and opening his eyes. His color was slowly coming back; Eleanor looked in his eyes for a moment.

"No sleep for you yet, sweetheart," she said anxiously. "I'm going to make you some tea, and I'll find my remedy book. Don't let him nod off," she added to Minerva, wincing again when she saw her cheek. "I'll mend that, too."

Minerva sat down in a chair across from Edgar, who was tenderly feeling the bloody purple lump on his head. "I've got to get to Albus," she said.

Edgar shook his head gravely. "There's someone passing secrets, that much is clear."

She wiped a bit more of the blood off of her neck, where it had dripped onto her collar. "Keep what happened to us tonight to yourself," she said. "If we have got a spy—it won't do to let on that we know."

"Of course," said Edgar. "Merlin's beard, this is grim, though. First Fenwick—Caradoc's been missing for months now, and I don't think he's coming back, whatever Frank and Alice Longbottom do to track him down—"

"We can't think like that," Minerva said quietly, as Eleanor came back into the room carrying a mug and a book of home remedies.

"Minerva, before you leave, nip in the bathroom and clean off some of that blood. If anyone sees you walking through Hogsmeade like that you'll be in for it," she advised. "I'll loan you my cloak with the hood to cover the stain on your robes."

Minerva nodded once and got up, letting herself quietly into the bathroom, which stood opposite the sleeping Bones children's bedroom door. She looked at her cheek in the mirror; it wasn't a deep cut, and Poppy would be able to mend it without a trace of a scar in an instant. Minerva ran the tea towel under the faucet, wiping off the caked blood on the side of her face and her forehead, where it seemed she had inadvertently brushed her bloody sleeve.

She finished cleaning the wound, put the lights out in the bathroom, and went to the kitchen to rinse out the tea towel. It was when she bent forward to wash her hands in the kitchen sink that she spotted it.

Outside the kitchen window, in the pitch-black of the moonless night, Minerva saw a flicker of movement, just barely out of the corner of her eye. Her heart stopped dead, and, without pausing, she raised her eyes just a fraction of an inch more, just enough to see out of the filmy curtains of the window above the sink.

A tall, thin figure in a hooded cloak was staring directly at her through the kitchen window, its face obscured by shadow as it stood beside the children's treehouse.

Minerva turned off the tap, her hands shaking so hard she could barely control them—it felt as though her blood had been replaced by ice. Without moving her eyes to the window again, she set down the towel, turned away and walked from the kitchen; she could hear Edgar and Eleanor talking quietly in the next room.

In the half-second she had to be out of sight of the person watching the house, she drew her wand, producing a cat Patronus that streaked off to Hogwarts. Her heart was in her throat as she came into the sitting room.

"I can mend your cheek now, Minerva, if you're—Minerva?" Eleanor was frowning at her.

"Act as though we're having a conversation," she told them, nodding enthusiastically and lifting a wide smile onto her face that made the cut on her cheek sting. "And listen carefully. There is someone—outside," she said, keeping a firm grasp on her wand inside her pocket. She looked between Edgar and Eleanor.

Her hand was still shaking violently. "Where is your wand, Eleanor?"

Eleanor had blanched, but was forcing a huge smile and nodded quickly. "In my apron," she said, moving her hand casually to rest on the pocket on her lap.

"Edgar—are you with us?" Minerva asked.

"I'm getting there," he said, his whole body tensed. "Is it—him?"

"I don't know. I've sent word to Dumbledore," said Minerva quietly. "The Order is on its way." This was a hope, a mad prayer more than anything else, but she could see the fear in their eyes, and knew it was a reflection of her own. She got up to put away the remedy book on a nearby shelf, and as she did, she snatched another glimpse of the yard through the sitting room window.

There were two hooded figures now, standing beside the same tree.

"Go to the children, now," Minerva whispered. "Get them out of here."

They didn't need telling twice; Eleanor went immediately to Cecily and Margaret's room, and Edgar to Henry's crib. Minerva didn't turn her back to the window, though it seemed clear now that the Death Eaters knew she had seen them. Now they were simply waiting, counting on her to make the first move.

Then there was a horrible scream from Cecily and Margaret's bedroom, followed by an enormous crash and a burst of green light.

"Eleanor!" Edgar yelled, nearly barreling Minerva over as they sprinted into the bedroom.

Eleanor's body lay on the floor, her eyes wide and her hand still clutching her wand—the two little girls were backed up against the wall, screaming at the top of their voices as a hooded Death Eater, who had burst in through the window, rounded on them.

"Bombarda!" Minerva bellowed, blasting the Death Eater backwards, out of the window.

"Eleanor, no!" Edgar howled.

"Edgar, get Henry!" Minerva scooped up Cecily, dragging Margaret by the hand as she heard more windows shattering throughout the house.

Edgar vanished as Minerva heaved the sobbing little girl against her shoulder. Margaret was still screaming for her mother, but clung to Minerva's skirts as they raced into the main bedroom; Minerva sealed the door.

"Disapparate, now!" she shouted at him. "Take them and go, I'll distract them—" She fired a spell at the window, which instantly made a wall of bricks appear, blocking them in.

"They're here! They're here!" shrieked a muffled female voice on the other side of the door.

The three children were all crying; Edgar had tears streaming down his face. "Give me Cecily—"

BANG.

With the percussive force of a small artillery cannon, half the bedroom exploded, and Minerva was launched into the air. She heard the screams of the Bones children as she landed painfully somewhere in the smoldering wreckage of the half-destroyed cottage, which had burst into flames.

The entire world was spinning, and Minerva couldn't even draw breath; she rolled onto her side and spat up a large quantity of blood. Shaking with adrenaline and fear, she pushed herself up, barely noticing the way her left wrist moved in a completely unnatural way. Miraculously, her wand was still in her right hand.

"I confess, I hadn't expected this," said a very soft, cold voice.

Minerva spun around, her wand raised; she could still hear Henry, Margaret, and Cecily crying somewhere in the darkness. Voldemort, unmasked, his red eyes gleaming in the darkness, raised his wand.

"You," Minerva spat.

Other members of the Order—Alastor, Albus, Lily and James Potter, Alice and Frank Longbottom—had encountered Voldemort in wand-to-wand combat. Minerva, however, had not seen him up close in more than twenty years. None of her missions for the Order had prepared her for the predatory look in his merciless red eyes.

"Dumbledore's second in command," he said in his icy voice, his eyes wide with excitement. "Oh, I have looked forward to this. Tell me, have you sent for him already?"

Minerva slashed her wand downward, and Voldemort parried the spell, sending a jet of flame directly at her. She flicked her wand and changed the fire into a stream of needle-sharp icicles directly back at Voldemort. He Disapparated and reappeared five yards to the left before sending a jet of green light directly at Minerva. She leapt out of the way, just as they both heard a long, loud peal of insane laughter.

It was Bellatrix; Minerva could tell before they saw her. Voldemort turned on the spot and Disapparated, and Minerva sprinted as best she could in the direction of the remains of the house, where she could see bright flashes of light—with a leap of hope in her heart, Minerva realized she could still hear the children.

But the harder she ran, the more she realized she couldn't draw breath. By the time she made it to the front yard, where Edgar had engaged the other two Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange had been unmasked; both she and her counterpart were keeping up a fierce fight. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen, yet. But, before Minerva could hurry forward to help Edgar, she collapsed to her knees and coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Her vision blurring, she turned her gaze in every direction, looking for the Bones children. They were hiding in the playhouse; Minerva could hear their sobs. Edgar was focused on keeping the Death Eaters too busy to hurt them. As Minerva staggered to her feet to help him, she saw a jet of flame rocket over her head towards the tree.

Voldemort's spell hit the tree where the children were hiding, and it burst into flames, the ground beneath it erupting into an enormous ring of fire that trapped them.

Minerva raised her wand. "Aguamen—"

"Crucio!"

Whatever damage had already been done to Minerva's lungs did nothing to prevent her from screaming so loudly she could feel her body shaking from the sheer volume. It could have been hours that she twisted and screamed under Voldemort's wand, as the flames that were outside her eyelids leapt higher and higher, and lights began to burst behind her eyes.

Finally, the curse lifted, and Minerva lay shaking on the ground, her wand inches from her right hand. Voldemort was stepping over her, getting closer to where Margaret Bones was trying to help her siblings escape the flaming tree.

Edgar had subdued one of the Death Eaters, who now lay unmoving beside the burning house, but was still fighting Bellatrix. Minerva coughed up more blood and spat it on the ground, forcing herself to get onto her knees.

She pointed her wand at Voldemort's back and, unable to draw breath enough to speak, thought Expelliar—

As though he had known what she wanted to do, Voldemort turned around and flicked his wand, casually deflecting the spell. He met her eyes, looking delighted. "You cannot save them," he said coldly. "Though I welcome you to try." He flicked his wand again, and with an unbelievable crack, the burning tree collapsed—and with it, the screams of the children went silent.

"NO!" Edgar bellowed, abandoning Bellatrix and running for the tree.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screamed, and the jet of green light hit Edgar directly as he ran. His body hit the earth before Minerva with a hollow thud, and he did not move again.

"No," Minerva gasped numbly. "No—no—"

"Now you," Bellatrix said, her chest heaving with repressed laughter as she came to Voldemort's side. They each raised their wands.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Stupefy!"

No less than five more people had Apparated onto the lawn, all firing curses at Voldemort. Minerva raised her wand above her head, ready to take advantage of Bellatrix's split-second distraction, but Lily Potter had already hit her with a Stinging Hex; Alice and Frank Longbottom had engaged Voldemort, and James Potter and Sirius Black came sprinting towards Minerva.

"The children—" she gasped, tears in her eyes—she didn't know how they could still be alive, but she pointed to the remains of the burning tree. "Help—"

Sirius bounded over to the flames, starting to extinguish them with his wand.

Bellatrix fired off a streak of purple light, and Lily Potter rolled out of the way of the spell. With a roar, James started towards Bellatrix—but her Stunner didn't miss, and he was knocked out, smacking his head hard on the earth.

Lily was still getting to her feet, Sirius was dousing the flames, and Alice and Frank were furiously fighting Voldemort. Minerva couldn't stay upright anymore; her vision was blacking out with every slowing beat of her heart, and she fell forward into the grass, staring at the outline of Edgar Bones' dead body, illuminated by flames.

Dimly, she was aware of someone approaching her where she lay.

"No—Minerva!"

Minerva shut her eyes as an enormous shadow crossed over her, and she knew nothing more.