Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Hogwarts was quiet. Exams were almost here, and the rest of the castle was either asleep or studying for them. Not Alexander though, he walked the halls of Hogwarts unable to sleep, some unseen tension keeping him from slumber.
The night was peaceful, even though his thoughts were not. Daphne's revelation over Tracey's fate had left twisted feelings in Alexander, chief among them guilt. He had met Lord Nott, Theodore Nott's father, back in his third year. Just before he saved Daphne, in fact. He had thought little of the man in years, only disgust at how he viewed Muggle-borns and werewolves. But now the specter of the past came forth once more to bite him in the ass. What cruel irony!
Tracey Davis had been friendly toward him, and an even better friend to Daphne, which put her before a majority of the witches and wizards Alexander had met thus far. Her death needed action, reprisal, but the question was how. It wasn't as if Death Eaters would storm Hogwarts, giving him a convenient chance to enact revenge.
"Death Eaters in the castle!" Peeves the Poltergeist shouted. He flew through the air above Alexander like a perverse messenger. His message echoed through the halls of Hogwarts.
It only took Alexander a moment to understand what was happening, that somehow Death Eaters must have gained access to Hogwarts. The how didn't matter as much as the what, and the what was that he had the opportunity to find a Death Eater to interrogate for information. He dashed down the halls.
He immediately came across spellfire, a pair of Death Eaters fighting Professor Flitwick. The tiny professor moved like a demon-possessed, his wand darting before him handily, blocking and turning aside the curses his two foes cast. Alexander drew his wand and thrust it forward violently.
Alexander's magic answered his demand. It leaped forward, picking up loose stones that had fallen from the walls and threw them violently at the two Death Eaters. They were unprepared for an assault on another front and suffered severely for it. In their brief moment of distraction, two red spells came from Professor Flitwick's wand and slammed into them, throwing them back and stunning them. The hall was silent.
"Mr. Dantes, what are you doing out?" Professor Flitwick asked, trying to catch his breath.
"I'm looking for Nott," Alexander replied, stepping forward and ripping off the two men's masks. Unfamiliar faces looked back at him. Neither was Lord Nott.
"Mr. Nott should be asleep in his dormitory, as should you!"
Alexander couldn't help the brittle, harsh laughter that came from his throat. He turned to give the Head of House Ravenclaw a dark look. "I haven't slept in Ravenclaw Tower for years. I know I shouldn't be surprised you didn't know, but somehow I am. Besides, I'm not looking for that Nott. I want his father."
Professor Flitwick seemed stunned that one of his students wasn't sleeping in the dormitory provided. "What do you want with Lord Nott?"
Alexander picked up the wands belonging to the Death Eaters and, after a moment's contemplation, snapped them. He ignored Professor Flitwick's gasp as he dropped the broken pieces on their chests. "He killed Tracey Davis."
"Ms. Davis withdrew from Hogwarts this past winter! She isn't dead!" Professor Flitwick protested. Alexander let out a mirthless laugh.
"I'd trust her best friend's opinion over yours any day of the week, professor," Alexander sneered. He began to walk away.
"Mr. Dantes, wait! You must let us handle this."
Alexander turned but didn't halt his pace. "Like you handled my first year? I am not going to turn my cheek to murderers and bullies, Flitwick. I've been at their mercy before, never again."
Professor Flitwick sputtered, but Alexander was already gone. Hogwarts was invaded, and the foolish professor was chiding his student instead of repelling invaders. Alexander moved forward carefully but with purpose. The hunt was on, and he had no time to waste.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
As Alexander descended the floors of Hogwarts, he came across more signs of battle. It seemed as though the Death Eaters had somehow entered at the top of the castle and fought their way downward, causing a great deal of damage. As Alexander neared the library, he could hear spellfire up ahead and readied himself.
Peeking around the corner, he found three Death Eaters fighting two unknown people. The duo fought well, watching one another's backs, but so did the Death Eaters. If nothing changed, then the pair would be overrun and most likely killed. Fortunately for them, Alexander was there.
As he strode around the corner, the tall, black man caught his eye. Alexander gave him a short nod and used magic to pick up debris. He sent it at the three Death Eaters, but something must have given him away as one managed to shield the storm. Alexander found himself dodging out of the way of a vicious looking orange curse.
Three on three, they dueled. Alexander lacked someone to watch his back like the duo across from him, but at least he only had to focus on one enemy. The man Alexander faced was slippery; he seemed fond of using the debris to block spells before banishing the remains at Alexander. Unfortunately for the Death Eater, the pair watching his back weren't as crafty.
The two unknowns worked well together, dominating first one Death Eater, then the other, sending the pair off to the side, stunned. A Banishing Charm to a rock smacked into the third Death Eater, concussing the man and putting him out of the fight. Wary of being attacked by the unknowns, Alexander cautiously approached.
"Ministry Aurors, identify yourself!" the tall, black man demanded. His partner, a stern-looking woman with dark hair, kept her wand trained on Alexander. Alexander found himself respecting that, a witch possessing common sense.
"Alexander Dantes, Ravenclaw sixth year. How did the Ministry get here so fast?" Alexander asked. It was highly convenient.
"Take care of this Shack, I'm going after the rest," the woman said. The man gave her a nod, and the witch strode past Alexander, apparently no longer deeming him a threat. Alexander eyed her but didn't make a move to stop her, although he kept his magic at the ready.
"We got lucky. We were told hours ago something might happen tonight, so we were stationed on the grounds in case of an attack. We weren't expecting an attack from the inside the castle though," the Auror named Shack explained. He glanced at the Death Eaters unconscious around them and pocketed their wands. "Kid, I need a favor. Can you watch over these three while I go stop the others? Time is of the essence."
"Of course," Alexander readily agreed. "Go save the day, Auror."
Shack walked past him, clapping him on the shoulder as he passed. "Thanks, kid, I won't forget this. Stay safe, and keep an eye out for more!"
Alexander nodded. At least Shack was marginally more intelligent than Flitwick. Still, Alexander waited until his footsteps faded before turning his attention to the three Death Eaters on the ground before him. He ripped off the mask of the closest one, one of the ones who was stunned but didn't recognize his face. But the second wizard, the one Alexander was fighting and who had been concussed, was truly rewarding.
After all, it wasn't every day you met your girlfriend's father.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Daphne had shown Alexander a picture of her family, and it was obvious that while she took after her mother's looks, Astoria took after their father. Still, the man's eyes were unfocused, and Alexander needed information. He tapped his wand sharply on his temple, casting a mild healing charm designed to lessen brain swelling.
It worked, causing the man's eyes to slowly steady. It did nothing to alleviate the pain from having a rock smashed into his head, but Alexander wasn't particularly inclined to care about his comfort at this time.
"I need information, Greengrass," Alexander said, the moment the man's eyes focused on him. Greengrass glared up at him.
"I'm not telling you anything!" Greengrass said. His hands were blindly feeling out for his wand.
"You will tell me where Nott is," Alexander said, unconcerned with the wandering hands. The Aurors had taken the wands of all three Death Eaters, but Alexander didn't feel like revealing that information.
Greengrass sneered. "You must be a Mudblood. He's a lord, boy, as am I! Pay us the proper respect we're due!"
"You're a Death Eater. Worse, you watched Tracey Davis, your daughter's best friend, be murdered. You deserve no respect," Alexander replied flatly. That seemed to take all the fight out of the downed man, causing him to deflate.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, boy," Greengrass said. "The Dark Lord, he's..."
"A Dark Lord. A being who wants slaughter, torture, and to dominate everyone through pain and misery. He brands you like cattle, orders you to fight his enemies, and you obey. You're a lord of nothing, Greengrass, not even your own fate," Alexander said harshly.
"Shut up, Mudblood!" Greengrass roared, surging to his feet. He raised his hands high to beat Alexander with his own two fists, but the young man was ready for it. A sharp jab of the wand in his hand sent the man flying back to crash in the wall.
"You wizards are pathetic without your wands," Alexander said, unconcerned by the sudden violence. He kneeled in front of the heavily breathing man, tapping his dead wand between thoughtful fingers. "I want information, and you will give it to me."
"I cannot betray the Dark Lord," Greengrass growled. Alexander smiled at that.
"But you can betray each other. Tell me where Nott is, and I'll let you live."
"Ha! You don't have it in you, boy."
Alexander raised one, unimpressed eyebrow. Without taking his eyes off Greengrass, he jabbed his wand at the unmasked Death Eater, sending a hissing bolt of orange light into his chest. It immediately began to melt, as if acid had been poured on it, and woke the man. He twitched and rolled frantically, but Alexander did not cast the counter spell, allowing him to die after a few, pain-filled moments.
"I've killed Death Eaters before. I've killed bullies. It's how I met your daughter, Daphne, in fact," Alexander said, slowly rising to pace.
"What?" Greengrass whispered, confused at the sudden shift of topics.
Alexander nodded. "Oh, yes! It was at the end of our third year. Daphne had been cornered in Hogsmeade by Argo Gibbon, Kevin Rowle, and Albert Tripe. The three boys had designs on her, you see. But they weren't expecting me to come along." He prodded the third Death Eater with his foot, double-checking that he was still unconscious. Satisfied, he continued.
"You know, it was just a few minutes prior that I met Lord Nott. He was searching for a Muggle-born werewolf; I hope the girl escaped him. But I'm getting sidetracked, your daughter is what matters, as I'm sure you'll agree," Alexander said, leaning against the wall across the hall from the panting Death Eater.
"They didn't manage to do much before I got to them—a Silencing Charm, and pulling off her robes but not the rest. But you know, I don't like bullies. Never have. So I might have been a little extreme with how I solved the situation. They're Pure-bloods after all, and who would believe a Mudblood," Alexander chuckled darkly, "over them? Even if their victim was another Pure-blood."
"No, I knew if I wanted justice, I'd have to do it myself. Do you remember what happened at Hogwarts three years ago?" Alexander asked.
"No," Greengrass replied, his voice small and horrified.
"The Dementors don't ring a bell?" Alexander smiled at the look of alarm that caused. "Yes, I fed them to the Dementors. Your daughter has a will power that you lack. She stood beside me and watched as those three beasts were sucked soulless. She's a magnificent witch."
"Yes, she is," Greengrass agreed, his voice soft.
Alexander waited patiently for the man to say something, anything at all, but the moments passed them by. He considered killing the still unconscious Death Eater, rationalizing it was a needless risk, but just as he stepped toward him, Greengrass spoke.
"Don't," he ordered.
"Why?" Alexander's answer was sharp and to the point.
"Because he's the one you're looking for, that's Nott."
Alexander frowned but ripped off the last Death Eater's mask. Greengrass spoke the truth. There lay Lord Nott, unconscious, and within Alexander's reach.
He twirled his wand thoughtfully but turned his attention back to Greengrass. Just one more loose end.
"I suppose you'll kill me now," Greengrass said.
"Will you be able to keep a secret from the Dark Lord?" Alexander asked, already sure of the answer.
"No, he has a way of knowing you're hiding something, and he isn't kind when he rips it out," Greengrass said, shuddering unpleasantly. "One cannot even run from him, the marks betray us, and the punishment is even worse."
Alexander considered that carefully. "Will he punish Daphne and Astoria if you die here tonight?"
Greengrass was silent for a long time as he contemplated that. The sounds of magical battle renewed, and there was a long, drawn-out scream of rage. Neither man moved from their spot.
"No. My wife's a fervent supporter, and she'll drain our coffers to support that monster. Daphne and Astoria will be left alone, although Daphne will be pressured to take the Dark Lord's mark upon graduation." Greengrass rubbed his arm as if it were unclean.
Alexander nodded; that was what he expected. "Any final requests?" he asked. The sounds of battle intensified.
Lord Greengrass staggered to his feet so he could stare Alexander in the eye. "No, nothing I'd ask of a Mudblood anyway."
"Ah, a final insult," Alexander shrugged, putting his wand away. "I suppose I'll return the favor."
Lord Greengrass barely had the time to look confused before Alexander's magic slammed into him, holding him against the wall. Alexander waited until horrified comprehension filled Lord Greengrass's face before casting a violent red spell from his hand. It slashed through Lord Greengrass's chest, cutting him to the bone, and slashing the stone on either side of him. He fell to the floor in a bloody heap.
Alexander kneeled by the dying man and held his head up by the hair so he could look into horrified eyes. Lord Greengrass opened and closed his mouth, trying to speak, but only blood came up. As the sounds of battle faded, so too did the light in his eyes, and the head Alexander held became dead weight. He let it fall.
Standing over the body of his father's girlfriend, Alexander felt nothing. These men were a danger to the world, by virtue of their mark alone. They were a symbol of hate, just as cruel as the one that marred their arms, and they couldn't be allowed to live. He moved toward the fallen Lord Nott and contemplated waking him up before he killed him, letting him know why he had to die. But the moment passed, and Alexander levitated a large piece of broken statue over the man's head. He let it fall.
Alexander considered leaving his victims there, to be discovered once all was said and done. But he let the thought pass and brought his magic to bear. With a sweep up his hand later, the three bodies were rapidly decomposed, magic accelerating the natural world's laws. The bodies became filth, the filth became muck, the muck became dirt, and the dirt became dust. Another wave of his hand banished the dust far away, never to be seen by human eyes.
And as he walked away, Alexander embraced the feeling of satisfaction that came from avenging Tracey's death.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Albus Dumbledore was dead. Of all the things Alexander expected to discover hours later, that was not one of them. Somber students whispered among each other, speaking of Death Eaters, Dumbledore, and death. More than a few noted the absence of Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, and the rumors grew wilder.
The children of Hogwarts were scared, Alexander decided. They had discovered their school was no longer a safe haven, unassailable from enemies, a place of learning. The halls would forever be tainted, their memories bitter from what had happened here. And it was only the beginning.
Alexander did not doubt that the Muggle-born and Half-blood students were in danger. He was in danger, but he had never been in a war. Would there be raids? Armies lining up and trading spells? Would there be disappearances during the night and random searches throughout the day? He just didn't know.
But he knew he had to prepare. He had to hide food and water, plot out escape routes, and above all, fight. He knew his foes, but he didn't know where they were hiding. He would search for them, attack them in the places they felt secure, killing them, and making their comrades tremble in fear.
The who, what, and how were so simple. But why was Alexander so sure of this, so confident that he would have to fight? Experience.
Ever since he entered the wizarding world, he was viewed as an invader. He was attacked, harassed, tortured. His family was murdered before him, slaughtered like animals, and he was left for dead. He didn't know it, but the bullies of his youth were training him for his future, and he wasn't going to fail.
A swish of blonde hair caught Alexander's eye. He followed it around a corner, seeing it vanish into his private rooms. He entered and was unsurprised to see Daphne Greengrass sitting there, her arms wrapped around herself and trembling slightly. The moment her eyes fell upon Alexander, she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He slowly returned the embrace.
He held her silently as tears fell from her eyes. His heart ached at what he was about to do, but he knew he had to. Proper relationships had no secrets.
"Daphne, we need to talk," he said gently, rubbing her back. She nodded into his jaw. "You need to look at me."
That got Daphne to pull back, her eyes alert with concern and fear. "What's wrong?"
"Something happened, and you need to know," Alexander said. So he told her, of fighting the Death Eaters, finding her father, and their conversation. And after a brief moment of hesitation, he told her how her father died, and why.
"He wouldn't have been able to hide me besting them from the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters would have targeted me for defeating Pure-bloods, so I-"
"Murdered my father to protect yourself," Daphne finished. Her tone was sharp, and her whole body shook with suppressed emotion. Hard feelings between family aside, Alexander still killed her father.
"Yes," Alexander said, knowing that denial would make it worse. "I am sorry, Daphne."
She slapped him, as hard as she could, across his face. Alexander barely turned back when her other hand slapped his other cheek. Despite how it stung, Alexander did not back away or cry out; he knew he deserved this and so much more.
"He chose this," Alexander tried to say, but Daphne raised her hand to cut him off.
"Stop. No. You chose this. You chose to kill him! You killed my father, Dantes! Don't you dare say he chose this!"
"He did. We both did. We both knew why it had to be done. I'm not saying I didn't, but your father knew what he was doing. In the end, he chose to die!"
Daphne began to back away, shaking her head in refusal. "I don't believe you."
"Daphne, please." Alexander stepped toward her.
"No! Stay away from me! I don't ever want to see you again!" Daphne shouted, running out of the door. It slammed with a shut behind her.
Alexander felt as though a hole had been ripped through his chest, filled with the cold dread of a Dementor. He wanted to chase after Daphne, but his legs refused to move. Alexander felt lost, adrift in a storm, with a terrible looming specter over him. He felt even worst than the night his family died.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
AN: End of Year Six.
I hope you're all enjoying the story!