Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
"Today, we'll be setting the first trap," Alexander said. It was just before dawn, and all were asleep, save him.
"Please be safe, Alex," Daphne said from the tablet in his hands. It was his latest version, capable of connecting remotely to the other tablets and accessing their contents, but it also had a new security feature, one he would soon add to others: It exploded if anyone except him or Daphne used them.
"There's nothing to be worried about," Alexander reassured her. "We're being extra cautious. M and C showed me how to connect a portkey to my physical status. If I'm stunned, it will pull me to safety."
"Or killed. I know how those spells work," Daphne scolded. "I wish you could tell me who everyone was."
"You know why I can't, Daphne," Alexander said.
She sighed. "I know, I know. Operational security or whatever muggle nonsense it is."
Alexander gave her a wry smile. "That muggle nonsense is going to keep your boyfriend alive."
"It better," she warned with a mocking glare. Despite the situation, they both smiled in fond amusement at one another. "I need to get ready for classes; the Carrows are absolutely horrible to everyone."
"Can you arrange an accident?" Alexander asked perfectly serious. Daphne shook her head.
"Not with Snape as the headmaster. It feels like he's always stalking the corridors, putting students into detention. Longbottom tried some sort of rebellion, but he disappeared, no one's seen him in a week. I don't know if he's dead."
Longbottom. Gryffindor. Alexander didn't know him, but he hoped the boy was okay somewhere. It was unlikely though, given the circumstances.
"Keep practicing your wandless magic," Alexander told her. "And try to get Astoria to as well."
"I'll try, but she's almost too scared to even go to classes. I'll talk to you soon, Alex," Daphne said. She blew him a kiss before the tablet's image faded, leaving it blank.
Alexander stroked the spot where her lips were, before shrinking it and putting it in his pocket.
Exiting his small stone hut, he was surprised to find Cassandra at the fire, using magic to help her bake bread. His stomach gurgling, he joined her, taking a fresh roll and biting into it hungrily.
They were silent as they ate, but no one else seemed eager to leave the comfort of their rest to join them yet. So they sat in companionable silence, enjoying the cold morning air, and the warmth of the low fire before them.
As Alexander looked at the flames, he thought about the rest of his group, his fellow Muggle-born. Douglas Jacobs was easy to figure out; the man had lost his wife and daughter on Platform Nine and Three Quarters to the Aurors. He had gone on a rampage, injuring several Aurors before they arrested and tried him.
Mina Finkton had graduated from Hogwarts before returning to the non-magical world, going to college to study electronics and technology. She had all sorts of fascinating theories on the nature of magic, and Alexander spent many nights with her talking about the possible applications. She had been picked up by Aurors in Diagon Alley because she had wanted to get more books from the stores there.
Leo Howards had a different, tragic tale. Death Eaters had killed his non-magical wife, and when he had gone to report the crime, he was arrested for her murder. His son Oscar had tried to help him escape, only to also be arrested.
Theodora and Peggy were married, not that any government or religion would acknowledge that. Theodora worked at the joke shop in Hogsmeade, and one day she saw an Auror cut down a child. She tried to help the boy but was arrested. Peggy was arrested when she killed the Auror arresting her wife, and mortally wounding another.
James and his girlfriend were arrested and thrown into the Mudblood Relocation Camp in a sweep. While there, he was forced to watch as the "guards" tortured and murdered her. They left him in a locked room with her body for a day before finally dragging him out. Alexander felt a certain amount of kinship with the older man, and it did explain his violent tendencies.
But it was the last member of their group he knew the least about. So he would ask her.
"Why did you kill that Death Eater, Cassandra?" Alexander asked softly. There was no need for him to specify which one.
She wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her head on them as she stared into the fire. Alexander couldn't help but notice the differences in their body language, how she physically closed herself off to the world around her.
"I worked at St. Mungo's as a brewer. We go through so many potions in a day; there is an entire floor filled with nothing but cauldrons. I'm a half-blood, but it's good work, I can help people every day.
"One day, when I got off my shift, I was walking through the halls. A witch had just given birth, and her husband, a muggle, was with her. It's always so nice seeing a new family greet one another for the first time. I just had to stop and watch..." She trailed off, with pain-filled eyes.
"I suppose it was unlucky that they brought a new life in the world, the day the Dark Lord took over. The Aurors raided the hospital, and they searched every room. The moment they discovered that child's father was a muggle they," Cassandra trailed off, unable to finish.
"And then what happened?" Alexander asked after she collected herself. She drew in a deep breath before letting it go to continue.
"They killed all three of them. It was a mindless waste, completely uncalled for. They weren't a danger to anyone! But they did it anyway. So I lost it."
A dangerous smirk graced Cassandra's face. "I'm a brewer, and all brewers carry prepared potions on them. It's in case of emergencies, you see. Well, some of those potions don't react well with one another, quite corrosively, in fact, and none of those Aurors were prepared to be splattered with them.
"When they finally dragged me away, four Aurors were dissolving in acid beneath my feet. And I don't regret it one bit."
Unknown to Alexander or Cassandra, the others had awoken while they spoke and had listened in. Slowly, one by one, they came over and rested a comforting hand on Cassandra's shoulders, letting her know that she wasn't alone.
Alexander was the last to place his hand on her, and he was not ashamed of the tears that fell from his eyes. "They're going to pay, Cassandra. Even if I have to tear the world apart to do it."
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Alexander sat by a campfire, poking it with a stick. Once he was pleased with the condition of the fire, he stood up and dusted his hands off. "Voldemort," he clearly intoned.
The clearing he was in rapidly filled by six witches and wizards who Apparated in with a pop. They quickly pointed their wands at Alexander.
"Oh look, some Death Eaters," Alexander said.
"We're not Death Eaters; we're Snatchers, and we've snatched you," one man said, a vicious grin on his face. "Hand over your wand or else."
Alexander couldn't help grinning back. "Color me curious, what's the else?"
"You don't want to know," the man said nastily. The other Snatchers laughed. Alexander sighed in disappointment.
"Well, if you insist," Alexander said. He clenched his left fist.
Spells rained from the trees around the clearing, smashing into the Snatchers violently. Some lost limbs in bloody sprays, going down with screams. Others were more fortunate, cutting curses giving them a bloody but comparably less painful death. But the apparent leader was Alexander's, and he didn't hesitate to act.
Earthen hands sprang out of the ground, grabbing the man's ankles. They were dragged in opposite directions, sending the man to the ground where more hands began to trap him. An errant gesture made one of the hands break the Snatcher's wand.
By the time Alexander stepped forward, he was joined by his fellow Muggle-born, who all wore varying expressions of shock or determination. He held up a hand to stop James from killing the Snatcher he imprisoned, and the angry young man held himself back, barely. Alexander poked his prisoner with a finger and was answered with a groan.
"What are Snatchers?" Alexander asked, his eyes focused. He privately approved of his fellow Muggle-borns, as they went around, collecting wands and making sure the downed witches and wizards were dead.
"We're supposed to catch Muggle-borns," the man gasped in pain, "as well as anyone who says Volde-."
Alexander's fingers gripped the man's face tightly, preventing him from finishing his sentence. "You might want to mind your tongue, or else."
"You should listen to him. I watched him rip a man's tongue out once," James added helpfully. The man gulped as well as he could with his mouth restrained as it was.
"What happens to those you catch," Alexander asked, releasing his prisoner's mouth.
The Snatcher eyed him cautiously but seemed to think better than trying to trigger the Taboo again. "Sometimes they're taken to the courts. But most of the time, the Snatchers are paid for each wand and head we turn in," he answered reluctantly.
Alexander smiled. "I thought so. Now be honest, and I will be able to tell if you lie, if we hadn't fought back, would we be dead?"
"Why would I tell you, you're going to kill me anyway?"
"You have my solemn vow that I will not kill you if you answer me honestly," Alexander promised. James shifted beside him, opening his mouth to speak, but Alexander silenced him with a look.
"You'd be dead," the man on the ground whispered. Alexander patted his cheek approvingly.
"There, that wasn't so hard. Silencio," Alexander said, silencing the man. "So who didn't kill one?"
"Leo, Theodora, and I," Cassandra said.
"And you've already killed one. So, who wants to kill this one?" Alexander asked. The Snatcher began to struggle frantically on the ground. "Oh, don't worry! I told you, I wasn't going to kill you. Someone else is."
"Wish it was me," James growled, pushing his boot into the Snatcher's neck.
"I'll do it," Leo said. He moved over and stood over the Snatcher's head. He hesitated.
"You can do it, dad," Oscar said encouragingly. His face was splattered with blood, but he looked determined. "Do it for mom."
His son's words hardened something within him, and Leo raised his wand. James moved out of the way, leaving the Snatcher's neck clear. A flash of red light later, and it was over.
"Good job, everybody. Theodora, my order still stands. Our enemy wears another face, and we cannot let up. These Snatchers must be plucked if our people are to survive. Now everybody get back to camp and pack up. We're going to move after every ambush," Alexander ordered. James narrowed his eyes.
"Don't you mean, we need to get back to camp?" James asked. Alexander shrugged.
"In a bit. I want to leave a message for when they inevitably investigate. It'll make a bit of a mess, I'm afraid. There's no need for you all to stick around for that."
The group shared a significant look. "Theodora and I will go back and start tearing down the camp," Peggy said. "I'm not comfortable with what you intend to do."
"Go with them, Oscar," Leo ordered his son. Oscar immediately protested, but his father silenced him with a single, raised hand. "Your mother is already never going to forgive me, God rest her soul. Please, son."
Oscar lost all protest. He nodded before turning, apparating away without a word. Peggy and Theodora followed soon after.
"Good. I want to carve something in each Snatcher's chest and then tie them to those trees over there," Alexander said, pointing to the edge of the clearing.
"What do you want us to carve?" Douglas asked.
"Mudblood Brigade."
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
They laid another trap three days later. Theodora proved herself, killing two of the Snatchers. The real prize was the Death Eater that accompanied the group, who managed to defend himself. Douglas distracted the man with a fantastic display of transfigured nails, allowing Alexander to cut the Death Eater's legs out from underneath him, literally. Another curse removed the man's wand arm.
"Three of you, carve our name in the dead's chests. The rest of you go pack up camp. Cassandra, see what you can do about Mina's broken arm," Alexander quickly ordered. Peggy, Theodora, Leo, and Oscar immediately apparated back to camp.
"What are you going to do with him?" James asked as he carved Mudblood Brigade into a dead Snatcher's chest.
Alexander smashed his boot into the Death Eaters' face, bending the mask and breaking the jaw underneath. The man screamed at the new pain. "Nothing I need him to talk for," he explained, rolling up the man's left sleeve.
The Dark Mark burned angrily on the man's flesh. Alexander began to poke the skin around it, examining the area magically. The Death Eater tried to struggle, pushing his arm toward Alexander's wand, but Alexander had enough. With a quick curse, the Death Eater was missing his last limb.
"Tear apart his body with wolves, James," Alexander ordered. A few moments later, more screams filled the air, but Alexander didn't pay them any attention. Despite being detached from the Death Eater's body, the Dark Mark showed no signs of fading.
It took Alexander a few moments to realize that the Dark Mark was actually a piece of soul magic. It wasn't a soul by any stretch of the imagination, more of an imprint of someone else's soul. It seemed to pull toward some far off location, and at a constant rate. Death Eaters, it seemed, would always know where their lord was.
There also seemed to be a curse interwoven with it. A variable pain spell, one that could be changed at a whim. It seemed to only last for a small span of time, but it would undoubtedly be attention-grabbing. Alexander wondered if it was part of a messenger component.
Suddenly, the mark faded. Looking up, Alexander saw that the Death Eater it was once attached to had died, a transfigured wolf gnawing on his head. Casting a few more spells at the arm in his hand, Alexander memorized the results before throwing the limb to the wolves.
"Find anything interesting?" Cassandra asked. Before Alexander could respond, the group was alarmed by rustling bushes, and all pointed their wands toward them.
Out of the bushes walked three figures, all of whom Alexander recognized to some degree. Lee Jordan was a very notable figure around Hogwarts after all, and even someone like Alexander could recognize him. The next two, however, Alexander only knew in passing, and only since the end of his sixth year.
"Hey, Shack. If you're here for the Death Eater, he had a small accident," Alexander said with a devil-like grin. The third person, the woman who fought with Alexander and Shack at Hogwarts, eyed him warily.
"My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, and I think we should talk," Shack said, his voice deep and reassuring. He eyed the blood-soaked clearing and pile of body parts strewn around the clearing with disdain. "Preferably elsewhere."
Alexander nodded. "Sure. Let's go to our camp."
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
AN: Huh, reading this back I realize that I never wrote Alexander and Daphne making up. Let's just assume it happened off screen because I'm not going to write a filler chapter for it. Maybe a one shot one day, but to be honest, I'm not really bothered by it.
Everyone's tragic backstory: I tried to make them as diverse as possible. Some are Half-bloods, most are Muggle-born, none are Pure-blood. I figured that if the Weasley's, known Dumbledore and Potter supporters, aren't arrested in canon (wards or not) then they wouldn't be in this story. After all, they're not the Death Eater's "enemy", like the Muggle-born and Muggles are.
Mina Finkton: Just wanted to show that not all Muggle-borns were incurious about magic and modern technology mixing. Considering the location of Diagon Alley, The Ministry of Magic, and St. Mungo's is in the heart of London, and the city doesn't experience black outs, I think it's safe to claim magic doesn't stop technology from working. The real issue, I would think, is that you don't turn runes and enchantments "off", that once they're powered you cannot change them. Which is contradictory for technology. There are definite avenues where magic and technology can be blended together for a lot of interesting things. Which leads to...
Magic and Guns: If you really think about it, a gun really isn't that great of a weapon. It's reliant on ammo to be deadly, needs to be reloaded and cleaned constantly, needs training to handle properly, etc. And say you magic all those problems away, you're basically firing an unending stream of lead, that chases your enemies down to kill them. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for ridiculoius/OP/over the top uses of magic, but even that's kind of absurd to me. Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters could have been killed by a twelve year old during the Final Battle in that case, and that'd be hugely unsatisfying to read.
I'm far more interested in the idea of a magical rail gun, although the question would be "Why make it?" The weapons/combat style you fight with (and the ones I use in the story) need an appropriate enemy to fight against. A Humanity F*ck Yeah/Magic F*ck Yeah story needs a decent enemy, if you can just mow down an army in a second, why would they even be considered a threat?
Which leads to another possibility, and one I can't possibly do in this story: Both sides use the same technology/methods. Pure-bloods view the muggle world and their technologies with contempt (or grossly misunderstand their purpose, like Arthur Weasley), I can't have Voldemort suddenly conjuring RPG's to hand out to his Death Eaters. Voldemort summoning a demonic army would be a suitable counter, but that'd be breaking canon, which is what I'm trying not to do.
So no, no magiced revolver that can auto-aim, snipe giants from the moon, and give the wielder a back massage.
I hope you're all enjoying the story!