The Devil in Me
Hiding the Shock & the Chill in My Bones
The song title comes from the song:
Hold On by Chord Overstreet.
Meanwhile at…
Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
"Do you think we did the right thing?"
Seamus glanced around the empty dungeon corridors, "We didn't get here in time, so no, I don't think we did."
They had thought about defecting when the news came in that Astoria Greengrass had been kidnapped.
The boys had made their decision after overhearing a floo call between Augusta Longbottom and Molly Weasley. All that they could hear in the background were the screams of a 15-year-old girl in agony, and they knew they couldn't stay.
The two boys had slipped out of the castle and ran far enough away from the wards to apparate safely. Then, to avoid being tracked, they had apparated to Hogwarts in short, erratic leaps.
They intended to grab Harry and tell him everything, giving him the best possible chance when he walked into the trap that the Army of the Phoenix had left for him. But they had gotten back to the castle too late; Harry and his band of Death Eaters and supporters had already left.
"Maybe he'll forgive us when he gets back," Dean said optimistically.
Seamus looked at Dean like he was mad, "Yeah, I doubt that."
"What do we do then?" Dean asked, "Do we leave again? Try to find what's left of the Order and join up with them?"
Seamus shook his head, "What's the point, Dean? We've lost."
Dean grabbed Seamus's hand and glanced around the corridor. When he saw that it was empty, he pushed his best friend back into a secret passageway. Seamus's back hit the wall, and Dean kissed him hard; the contact calmed Seamus's nerves which had been Dean's intention.
Seamus pulled his best friend closer desperately and deepened the kiss, forgetting entirely about the war raging outside for one blissful minute.
Dean broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Seamus's, "We haven't lost, and as long as we're in this together, I won't lose hope. Let's get out of here. Ginny showed me a secret passageway that leads to Hogsmeade; we can use that."
"Then what?" Seamus asked, his voice a little breathy.
"Then we find the Order, and we fight," Dean said firmly, "We fight for what's right, for what we believe in."
His little speech had impassioned Seamus, and if he was honest, he was pretty sure he'd go wherever Dean went anyway.
With a nod, he said, "Let's go before they get back."
Prewett Castle, Wales ~ The Army of the Phoenix's HQ
The air in the war room was deathly still and quiet. They could hear the smallest creak of a floorboard or scurrying of a mouse beneath their feet. Nobody dared to speak, and nobody knew what to say to break the tension – it was thick in the air, like a fog that had clouded over everything.
In the hall behind the small band of rebels lay the bodies of those they had lost. Someone had draped blankets over them to preserve their modesty, but Molly had been unable to tear herself away from her son's body for quite a few hours.
As soon as she had, she had come to the war room to stare down at the map, and she had not moved since. The blow they had suffered today had been huge – in what was supposed to have been an ambush, a group of junior Death Eaters and school children had outflanked them. In other less tragic circumstances, it would have been embarrassing.
As the evening wore on, more members of the rebellion joined Molly in the war room. The Auror faction did so once they had patched each other up and said farewell to their fallen brother, Sorenson Cauldwell.
Percy had been by his mother's side for quite some time, unable or unwilling to say anything that might help her process her grief.
Kingsley, Maggie and Caroline were the last to join them.
Caroline sank onto a moth-eaten chair by the fire and, for once, did not object when Eddie placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze for good measure. She let her head fall into her hands, a symbol of pure defeat.
Kingsley and Maggie stood side by side – matching expressions of doom and dread on their faces. Kingsley looked down at the map, at the red dots that symbolised snatcher camps, at the two moving orange dots that were their best estimation of the dragon riders commonly used routes.
With a sigh, Kingsley placed his wand against Prewett Castle. The yellow dot there flickered, and he shook his head.
Everyone was thinking the same thing. Green dots were scattered across the map; they represented homes owned or held by traditionalist families. There were a few purple dots in the south of England that signified ruined or un-lived in homes and a tiny smattering of blue dots, representing the families who had vowed to remain neutral.
A mere six dots represented the only homes of families who were openly fighting for the light now, one of which was Prewett Castle, their headquarters.
A second yellow dot hovered over Rose Lodge, the home of the Perks family. Gareth, the head of the family, had lost his wife Dorcas [Meadowes] in the first wizarding war and had vowed to remain liberal from that day forward. However, they fought with the Order due to their opinion on such a militant stance.
The third yellow dot hung above Shacklebolt Mill, the home of Kingsley, Maggie and their family.
The fourth yellow dot floated over The Willows, the Wood family home.
A fifth yellow dot hovered above Greengrove House, the home of Andromeda and Ted Tonks, but like the Perks, they fought with the Order.
Kingsley looked at the last dot; it hovered over Castle Jones in north wales. The Jones family were helping them, funding them, but they had not yet actively joined them.
Kingsley's shoulders were slumped; he looked utterly defeated. By his side, Maggie looked just as tired with black bags beneath her bloodshot eyes. The remaining Aurors who were serving them stood behind Kingsley like loyal soldiers.
And Molly – she stood, looking down at the map. Her hands were gripping the edge of the table so tightly that her knuckles were pure white. Her entire body shook, but nobody could see her face.
Kingsley sighed and took off his badges – the Order of the Phoenix one and his Auror one. He dropped them onto the metal table, where they made a loud noise that echoed around the otherwise silent room.
"We have lost," He declared.
"That's not good enough," Molly said, her voice low and dangerous, "I can't accept that."
"It does not matter if you accept it or not; it is true," Kingsley said, his voice quieter than usual.
Molly looked up, her eyes glowing amber. Her words echoed when she spoke like two people were talking at once – one person who sounded like Molly and one with a thick Irish accent.
"WE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!"
An invisible wind whipped Molly's hair up, and before their very eyes, its colour changed to a much deeper shade of red. Her eyes glowed brighter than ever, and then she opened her mouth in the beginnings of a scream.
"Banshee!" Maggie cried.
Kingsley pushed his wife aside and yanked his wand out, uttering ancient words at high speed and thrusting his wand at Molly.
An orange light encased her, and she seemed to shift out of phase – it was like she was somewhere in-between a ghost and a real person.
Everyone froze in shock.
"I've shifted her into a different plane," Kingsley said, the strain of holding the spell showing on his face, "Get out of here, all of you! Go to Castle Jones, Maggie, beg your brother for safe passage."
The Aurors looked lost; they shared glances, unsure of what to do.
"Sir-" One of them began.
"That was an order, Lamb!" Kingsley ground out, "Go."
Eddie led the way out of the war room towards the barbican with a nod to the rest of the men.
Percy looked at Caroline, "Caroline?"
"I'll come in a minute, just go," Caroline said, the same urgency in her voice that had been in Kingsley's.
It compelled Percy to leave, which left Caroline and Maggie alone in the room with Kingsley.
Maggie looked Kingsley in the eye tearfully. She shook her head, "Kingsley-"
"Go, Maggie," Kingsley said, his voice strained, "Go to your cousin's house and get the girls."
"When you release the spell, she'll shift back into this plane, and everything that happened when she was out of phase will come with her. You will get the full force of her scream in one go," Maggie said, her voice catching in her throat.
"I know," Kingsley said, his eyes on his wife's.
"You can't, Kingsley! It's suicide," Maggie cried.
"I have to," Kingsley said, his eyes on hers, "And you know it – go."
Maggie swallowed, tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Tell Piper and Kiera that I love them and that I am sorry," Kingsley said, his eyes shifting to Caroline, "And Caroline, I love you."
Caroline was crying too. She kissed Kingsley on the cheek, "I love you too. Thank you for being my Dad when you didn't have to be."
Maggie let out a choked sob and gently kissed Kingsley's lips, "I love you, Kingsley. I love you so much."
Kingsley looked at her, his deep brown eyes filling with unshed tears, "I love you too, Maggie."
The amber force shield around Molly flickered, and Kingsley grimaced, "Go, now!"
Maggie grabbed Caroline's hand, and together, they ran from the room, following the others out of the castle through the barbican.
Kingsley fell to his knees, he could feel how drained his magic was, and he knew that soon, the banshee would breakthrough, but he held it for as long as he could to give the others the best chance possible to get out.
With the last ounce of energy, both magical and physical, that Kingsley had, he carved a hole in the floor beneath Molly then dropped his wand. The shield around Molly dropped, and she shifted back into phase, just in time to fall through the floor into the bottomless Kelpie infested lake beneath the castle.
The moment the shield dropped, the full force of her scream filled the castle. The power of it threw Kingsley against the wall and killed him instantly.
The Burrow, Devon
Abandoned cups of coffee littered the kitchen table. Arthur stared at the family clock on the opposite wall – five of the hands pointed towards 'Home'. Ginny's hand was pointed towards 'School'. Percy's was pointing towards 'Travelling', and Molly and Ron's had switched to 'Mortal Peril' not too long ago.
Hermione was the only one not sitting at the table. Instead, she was pacing the kitchen, an empty cup of coffee in her hands as she processed the events of the evening.
The clock ticked past midnight, and with a clatter, two hands fell from it. Everyone looked up, and a sob almost choked Arthur. Molly's hand and Ron's had dropped from the clock after spending hours in 'Mortal Peril'.
Bill shook his head and looked down at the table, at his stone-cold, untouched coffee.
Charlie got to his feet and walked to the window, looking out at Sarris and Lennox, who were terrorising the chicken coup – Felix was trying his best to keep them away, but every so often, he would glance around and chuck a live chicken into one of the dragons' mouths. It also made Charlie smile.
"He was only a boy," Arthur said quietly.
Hermione wasted no time defending Ron. She turned around with a fire in her eyes, "He cursed another boy in the back and killed him. I don't know what he expected after that, Arthur. They may be Death Eaters, but they have a code of honour too. They have people that they care about."
"You didn't see the way Harry screamed when Ron killed that boy," Bill agreed, his eyes dark, "He was someone Harry cared a hell of a lot about."
"And you know that had the roles been reversed, had a Death Eater cursed one of us in the back, any of us would have retaliated with murder on our minds," George confessed.
Fred nodded from his twin's side, putting his arm around his shoulder.
Arthur didn't argue with any of them. He silently placed the fallen hands into a little container on the worktop and braced himself against the sink. They could tell he was crying from how his body shook, but at first, nobody moved to comfort him.
Charlie was the one to do so in the end. He turned around and crossed the kitchen, pulling his utterly defeated father into a tight hug.
"You may have lost one son, but you have five more who love you, Dad," Charlie said quietly.
Hermione wasn't so sure about that. She narrowed her eyes to the clock as Percy's hand moved from 'Travelling' to 'Mortal Peril'. Whatever he was doing, she had a bad feeling about it.
"We can't stay much longer," She said, directing her comment to the boys, "Let's get cleaned up, grab some fresh clothes and get back on the move. We're easy to track when we stay put."
Fred and George nodded, getting to their feet simultaneously. The two boys left the room, and Hermione looked at Charlie over Arthur's shoulder, "You'll still have our back?"
"Always," Charlie promised.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and kissed him on the cheek, "Take care of yourself, Charlie."
"You too, Mione."
She turned to Bill and smiled, drawing him in for a hug, "Give Fleur our love."
"I will," Bill promised, smiling sadly at her, "Keep them alive for us."
"Of course," Hermione promised, sweeping out of the room without another word.
Castle Jones, North Wales
It was a motley crew – gathered outside of the impenetrable fortress that was Castle Jones – Maggie held her two young daughters close to her. Piper and Kiera had tears running down their cheeks. Maggie had collected them from her cousin, Hestia's, home and for added safety, she had persuaded Hestia to come back to the castle with her.
Caroline's cheeks were stained red from her tears too, and in his usual vain efforts to comfort her, Eddie was rubbing his hand up and down her back despite her attempts to bat it away.
All that remained was Lavender, who was openly sobbing and a handful of Aurors. In one night, the dark side had decimated their army, and they had lost both of their leaders.
The drawbridge into the castle lowered, and they all dragged themselves in. They were muddy and dirty, wearing thick clothes in dire need of a wash after their stay in Prewett Castle's poverty.
A man who looked like Maggie's brother watched them enter – he had the same aristocratic good looks that she did. His blonde hair was darker and shorter, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance.
Hestia was the odd one out – with her dirty blonde, braided hair, jeans and colourful cloak. She was born of noble blood, but she did not care whether people knew that or not.
"Matthias!"
A woman who looked remarkably like Maggie ran into the room – she was a little taller, and she was all made up in elegant robes, rather than the shabby old clothes that Maggie wore.
"Marietta," Matthias said, bowing his head at her, "It seems that we are the new face of the rebellion."
Maggie glared at him, "Now is not the time for your judgement, Matthias! My husband just sacrificed himself to get all of us out of Prewett Castle!"
Matthias swallowed but said nothing.
Marietta ran forward and hugged her sister. She murmured apologies and condolences, then wrapped her arms around Piper and Kiera, ushering them upstairs for hot cocoa before bed. If Maggie knew her sister, she expected that she would lace the cocoa with sleeping draughts to help the children deal with their trauma.
A man in the shadows shifted – he had shoulder-length brown hair and knowing eyes. His name was David, and he was the black sheep of the family, the Muggle-born that Marietta had married against their father's orders. Her father, Gethin Jones, had not disowned her, and although Matthias accepted David, he also made it abundantly clear that he was beneath them.
"I'm sorry, Magdalena," Matthias said stiffly.
"Sorry enough to stop hiding in your castle and fight in this war?" Maggie fumed.
Hestia grabbed Maggie's hand, "She's right, Matt. You can't sit on the side-lines anymore. We have all lost too much to this war."
A deep chuckle came from the doorway into the library. An older man in his late 60's with greying blonde hair stepped into the entrance hall, "Your cousin has indeed lost everything, her husband, her anchor. But you, Hestia?"
Hestia's eyes darkened as she looked at the man.
"You lost your darling, Emmeline," The man continued, "The girl you spent far too long having a hedonistic affair with."
Hestia's eyes flashed, "The woman I loved, Father."
"Griffin, now is not the time," David cautioned.
Griffin laughed, "Since when did the Muggle-born get a say in the affairs of this family?"
"Since I married your niece and had a son with her," David said, stepping into the room, "I have as much of a say as Kingsley did, but you don't see it that way because of my blood status, so let me ask you, how does that make us any different from the people we are fighting?"
"We are different, David," Hestia said, looking at the man. They got on well because they were the two family members who got shunned at every family gathering, "Some of us are ignorant and cruel, but most of us want an equal world, and that's what separates us from them."
David nodded and looked over at Matthias, "Will you fight, Matt?"
Matthias did not give a straight answer. Instead, he looked at Hestia, "Is this family united, Hestia?"
Hestia laughed humourlessly, "As united as it can be. I will remain here and fight alongside you, Matthias. But I will leave this castle if I continue to be treated like filth by him. I presume if he is here, his mistress and his favourite daughter are too?"
Matthias sighed, "Teagan and Gwenog are here, yes."
"And I am not his mistress," Another voice said. A woman with dark skin and thick, curly black hair, flecked with grey, glared at Hestia, "I have been his wife for 37 years."
"His second wife," Hestia said coolly, "But then again, he didn't spend too long crying over my mothers grave before he married you, did he?"
"Enough!" Matthias snapped.
The sound echoed around the hall, and everyone fell silent.
Matthias glared at them all, "I would like to assure you all that I agree. There is no other choice but for us to formally join the lights war effort. This castle will be our new headquarters, but before we can even think about acting on this – you all need to get some sleep and then we must catch up on the events that have led us to this point."
Maggie nodded stiffly and stalked from the room. Hestia sighed and jogged after her cousin.
Matthias looked at the remaining fighters, "I will show you all rooms. Caroline, my love, you remember where yours is?"
"Of course, Uncle Matt," Caroline said quietly.
Eddie put his arm around her shoulder, "Caroline-"
"Don't touch me!" Caroline snapped, pushing his arm off of her forcefully and stalking after her mother and aunt.
Nobody had noticed that, in the chaos, Percy had apparated away from Prewett Castle, but not to Castle Jones as the other rebels had.
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire ~ Lord Voldemort's HQ
Percy stood in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. This was where Yaxley had led him when he told him he had information about the Army of the Phoenix and that he wanted to relay it to the Dark Lord directly.
His hands were clasped together, sweat making them clammy. He had been waiting here for quite a while by the time Lucius emerged from a side-room and said, "The Dark Lord will see you now."
Percy swallowed and walked into a small lounge where Voldemort sat by the fire. His red eyes immediately focused on Percy, and the redheaded man breathed in sharply – his appearance was so snake-like, it was uncanny.
"Yaxley informed me that you had information," Voldemort said, his voice high and cold.
Percy nodded, "Yes. I can tell you almost anything you want to know about the Army of the Phoenix. I spent over a month with them; I know who is fighting, where they are, and everything they know."
Voldemort surveyed Percy silently for a moment, "And why should I trust you? You could be a spy; this could be an elaborate ploy to infiltrate my forces."
Percy shook his head, "No, I went there to gather information and bring it to you."
"And you honestly expect me to believe this?" Voldemort asked, "With no further proof?"
"I know you are a master Legilimens," Percy confessed. He knelt before Voldemort, "So search my head. You will see that I went there before I spoke to you so that when Kingsley inevitably probed my mind, he would see no meetings with you or no evidence that my mind had been tampered with. I'm a strong enough Occlumens to conceal my thoughts from someone as powerful as Kingsley, but not my memories."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Percy but delved into his brain anyway. He flicked through his thoughts, saw the process he had come to after his meeting with Arthur Weasley just over a month ago.
Satisfied that Percy was telling the truth, Voldemort withdrew from his head.
"And what do you desire in light of your aid to our cause?" Voldemort asked.
The Dark Lord surveyed Percy closely, "In my experience, people do not delve undercover and betray their kin out of the goodness of their heart."
"No," Percy agreed, "Which is why I want a prestigious position within the ministry."
"Hm," Voldemort said, his hand on Nagini, who Percy had just realised was by his side, "Tell me what you know, and your new position will reflect how valuable your information is. That is if it does hold any true value to me at all."
Percy told Voldemort everything – from how the army had been using Prewett Castle as a base but had not moved on to Castle Jones. To how Kingsley and Molly had been the leaders and that they had killed each other in one night. To how they were a pathetic band of rebels with no hope now.
Voldemort listened intently, and when Percy finished speaking, he looked into the fire for a long moment.
"The banshee fell to her death, you say?" Voldemort asked.
Percy nodded, "She fell several hundred feet into an underground kelpie infested lake. I doubt even she could survive that."
"You would be surprised," Voldemort said dryly, "There is a reason that the ancient texts state that only goblin made steel can defeat them."
He clicked his fingers, and the door opened.
"Yes, my lord?" Lucius asked, popping his head in.
"Call for Felix Rosier, William and Charles Weasley, as a matter of urgency," Voldemort ordered.
Lucius nodded and left the room to do so.
Percy frowned and looked at Voldemort questionably, "I believe your tale, Mr Weasley, but I am less than convinced of the banshees demise."
Realisation flooded Percy's face, and he nodded.
"You have, however, given me the news that the powerful Auror who the rest followed has perished, and I know now where the army's current headquarters are," Voldemort mused, "That is highly valuable information indeed. It does rather interest me that you were not in Slytherin house."
"I was a hat stall," Percy said, a small smirk coming to his face, "I knew the light would trust me. My father and I always argued, but my mother was the one who stuck up for me when my siblings bullied me. Everyone would expect me to lean towards her side. Kingsley searched my mind, but beyond that, they barely questioned me when I joined them."
"You may prove to be a political asset," Voldemort said, his lips quirking into a smirk, "I shall see that your transition to Junior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic goes smoothly."
Percy's eyes lit up with pride at this, and then the door opened.
"Percy?!" Two voices echoed.
Voldemort looked up at the elder Weasley brothers and Felix, "Indeed. Your younger brother has not only joined us. He has handed us the Army of the Phoenix on a silver platter. The only thing left for us to deal with is your mother."
"Our mother?" Bill asked, "She's dead."
Charlie nodded, "We have an enchanted clock that tracks our whereabouts. When someone dies, the hand falls off, and last night, her hand fell off."
"That may just mean that Molly Weasley is dead," Felix piped in, "That the banshee won the battle and took control."
Charlie's eyes widened, "But that would mean…"
"A hybrid, witch-banshee," Felix agreed, "A banshee in a witch's body with access to her magic, but with no real idea how to use it."
"She would have access to Mums memories though," Bill said, "She's been living in her head for years after all."
"It would be fuzzy at first, but in time it would all become clear," Charlie agreed, "Then we would have a banshee capable of performing magic."
"Which cannot happen, for obvious reasons," Voldemort drawled, "Deal with the situation. I do not believe even a kelpie could kill a banshee, so I require you to go to Prewett Castle and review the situation."
Charlie nodded, "We'll go right away."
Bill turned to follow him, and so did Felix.
When the trio got to the corridor outside, Charlie gripped Felix by the wrist, "You're not coming."
Felix's eyes flashed dangerously, "The hell I'm not. Do you know anything about kelpies?"
"I know as much about magical creatures as you," Charlie cautioned, moving closer to Felix.
Bill rolled his eyes at the display between the two men.
"You didn't spend a year living among kelpies before you went off to work with dragons, Charlie," Felix said, "That was me, so I'm coming with you."
Charlie pushed off Felix irritably, "Fine," he said, stalking down the corridor.
"You can't keep trying to protect me forever," Felix called after him.
"Just watch me," Charlie muttered under his breath.
At the same time, Bill walked into line with Felix and said dryly, "Just watch him."
Prewett Castle, Wales ~ Former HQ of the Army of the Phoenix
Prewett Castle had never been in good shape, but it was practically a ruin now. It looked like an earthquake had hit the castle, but they knew it was the effects of the banshee scream.
Bill broke past the enchantments easily with his Prewett blood. He blew away the odd curse that remained on the ruin to deter intruders.
Cautiously, the trio made their way across the barbican into the main hall of the castle. Blood was spattered across one of the walls, but there was no body.
"The army has been back to retrieve the bodies," Bill noted, his eyes on the considerable blood spatter.
Charlie sighed and nodded, "Poor bastard didn't stand a chance."
The three of them reached a hole in the ground and looked down; all they could see was blackness.
"Any chance of discovering what happened without going down there?" Bill asked.
"None," Felix replied. He looked around for an anchor then said, "Carpe Retractum!"
A silver rope flew from his wand and anchored itself to one of the steel light fittings.
Charlie cast a cautious look over Felix as he tied the silver rope around his waist, "Into the deep," he murmured, jumping into the hole and lowering himself down, keeping his feet on the wall as he did so.
Charlie and Bill watched cautiously, lighting up the hole as best as they could with their wands.
When Felix reached the bottom, he murmured, "Lumos."
The sight before him was hideous. The underground lake was dark red, stained with the blood of the six Kelpies that floated atop it. They were in their true form – that of a silvery-blue horse with fins. Usually, Kelpies were such beautiful creatures, but they looked like a feral creature had attacked them. They had been ripped open, their guts spilt, gaping wounds in their sides where organs and flesh had once been.
Felix tore his eyes away, biting back nausea that threatened him. He shone his wand around the underground cavern and saw a small tunnel carved by man rather than nature.
Armed with what he needed to know, Felix carefully used his feet to walk his way back up the hole to the great hall in Prewett Castle.
Charlie grabbed him and pulled him away from the hole the minute he was out, and Bill looked at him expectantly.
"Well?"
"She's not dead," Felix said, clearing his throat, "Your mother is, but the banshee isn't. Six Kelpies, ripped open, their organs missing."
Charlie's eyes darkened.
"Fuck," Bill cursed, kicking the war table over in his fury.
"There's a small man-made tunnel down there, for drainage probably," Felix added, "That's how she got out."
"How far do you think she could have gotten?" Bill asked, looking down at his watch; it was early morning.
"She'll move faster than a human, but she's not super quick like a vampire," Felix mused.
"That doesn't matter; she has access to magic," Charlie reminded them, "And while she might not know how to use it skilfully yet, I imagine she'll be capable of using it in emergencies."
"Like for a short apparition jump to get away from the castle," Felix said quietly.
Charlie nodded.
Bill let his head drop against the cold, stone wall.
"Fuck!"
Castle Jones ~ The Army of the Phoenix's HQ
The Army of the Phoenix held a mass funeral the evening after Kingsley's death – they had extracted the remains of his body, along with that of Ron Weasley and Sorenson Cauldwell - the others who had died in the onslaught.
They lit three pyres in the large courtyard of Castle Jones. They glossed over many of the formalities because of the speed of the funeral and the fact there were multiple victims.
But as the sun set behind the castle, the remains of the Order drank wine or firewhiskey and watched the pyres burn.
Caroline had taken herself away from the others, and for once, Eddie had the sense not to follow her.
Maggie's grief consumed her, and in her haste to comfort her two younger daughters, she didn't notice Caroline's absence, but Hestia did.
Her aunt sat down beside her and handed her a hipflask, "Try this; it's much stronger."
Caroline took a grateful swig then coughed.
Hestia chuckled, "Told you it was strong – it's what's left of Emmy's home-brewed batch."
Caroline looked over at her aunt – she had always called Hestia her aunt, even though technically she was her great aunt. Hestia had a look on her face, somewhere between reminiscent and sad.
"Do you miss her?"
Hestia took a deep swig and nodded, her eyes on the ground, "Yes, Caroline, I miss her every single day. She was my soulmate. When I was with her, I felt whole and fulfilled, but when she was gone…when I knew I would never see her again? A hole opened up inside of me, and nothing can fill it."
Caroline looked down – she knew that feeling. Her lost love hadn't died, but Caroline knew she could never get it back. She swallowed and looked across the courtyard at the pyres.
"I can't do this anymore, Aunt Hestia."
"I know you can't, pet," Hestia said, grabbing Caroline's hand.
Caroline looked into her aunt's sympathetic eyes.
"You're not made for war," Hestia said, gently stroking Caroline's cheek, "You're soft and caring – a lover, a Healer, not a fighter. This?" she motioned around, "This isn't the life for you."
Caroline cleared her throat and looked away from Hestia, "So you'll just let me go? You won't say anything to my mother?"
Hestia shook her head, "I'll tell her you left of your own accord and that you're okay, but I'm not going to stop you from leaving. You have a choice; nothing ties you to this life."
"Neither are you," Caroline said, sending her a sideways look, "You could come with me."
Hestia sighed and looked out at the burning pyre, "No, love, I can't. The only way I'm getting out of this war is if I go down fighting, like your step-dad. The Death Eaters killed Emmeline, and I won't rest until I've killed as many of them as I can. This life? It's all I know; it's all I've known since I lost her."
Caroline swallowed and got to her feet, "Thank you."
Hestia squeezed Caroline's hand then let go, kissing her niece on the cheek and murmuring, "Take care of yourself and stay hidden."
With a final nod and glance back to the pyre that her mother was crying by, Caroline slipped past the castle's defences.
The Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
Hermione pulled her cloak closer, frowning as she heard something in the distance. Fred and George were inside the tent, making tea while Hermione kept watch.
"Boys," She called, drawing them into the opening of the tent.
"Do you hear that?" Hermione asked.
Fred and George froze and listened closely. They could tune into their wolf-hearing even when it wasn't a full moon.
George nodded, "Snatchers."
"But Charlie always steers them away from us," Fred pointed out.
"Which means someone other than us has drawn them here," Hermione said, her hand tightening on her wand as she got to her feet.
The boys were hot on her heels, listening intently as their eyes scanned the forest ahead – their every sense was keener now, which made looking through the forest's dark gloom easier.
They saw a flash of light in the trees up ahead, the sort of bluey-white light emitted by a basic stunner.
In typical brash Hermione fashion, she ran into the woods towards it. Without a word, Fred and George followed her towards the flashes of lights and the shouts for help.
They ran through an invisible barrier that marked the edge of their enchantments. Then they saw the commotion in the clearing ahead – two snatchers had a tight grip on a girl who didn't look much older than Hermione. Another snatcher had his wand on the girl's throat.
The sight made Hermione's blood boil. With Fred and George flanking her, she walked into the clearing and sent a curse flying at his head. The snatcher dodged it and turned his wand on the trio, but they had formed their defensive duelling stance – the three of them in a back to back triangular position.
They sent three different spells out at the same time – Hermione's hit a tree and set it alight – Fred and George's combined in mid-air and uprooted the tree in a small, contained hurricane.
With a slash of Hermione's wand, she brought the tree down on top of the snatcher.
Hermione then turned to the two snatchers who were holding the girl, "Would you like to take your chances or are you going to release that poor girl and run away like sensible little boys?" she asked.
The snatchers looked at each other, let go of the girl and bolted off into the trees.
The girl fell to her knees, breathing heavily, her eyes wide with fear.
"Hey," Fred said, running forward to steady her, "It's okay. We fight the snatchers to help people like you."
George knelt in front of her, "Do you have a name?"
She nodded and pushed her hair back from her face, which was covered in cuts and mud, "Caroline."
"Alright, Caroline, I'm George," He said with a supportive smile, "This is my brother, Fred."
"I think she worked that one out," Hermione said dryly.
Caroline looked up at Hermione, who was leaning against a tree ever so calmly, surveying the scene before her.
"Hermione," Caroline said shakily.
Hermione met Caroline's eyes and recognised her through the mud and the ragged appearance, "Caroline Sumner?"
Fred raised an eyebrow, "You two know each other?"
Hermione nodded, stepping forward and pulling Caroline to her feet. She kept her hands in the older girls and murmured, "Scourgify."
"You look different all roughed up," Hermione said with a smile, "You were always so put together – high class."
Caroline smiled weakly, and Fred and George watched the display with interest.
Hermione let go of Caroline's hands and looked over at the twins, "This is Caroline; she was in the year above me at school. We studied in the library together."
Caroline's smile didn't reach her eyes when she said, "Particularly last year when you and Ron Weasley were at odds over that silly Lavender girl…but he's gone now."
Hermione nodded, narrowing her eyes slightly, "I know what happened to Ron. I was there when Harry lost control. But how do you know?"
"Until tonight, I was working with the rebellion," Caroline admitted, "But when my step-father died, I left."
"Kingsley is dead?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Kingsley is your step-father?" The twins echoed.
"He was," Caroline said, swallowing hard.
"Sorry," The twins echoed while Hermione gave them an exasperated look.
"Are you fighting for the light too?" Caroline asked, her eyes meeting Hermione's.
"We don't fight for anyone at the moment," Hermione confessed, "It's complicated, and we shouldn't discuss out in the open. We have a warded encampment closeby. You could stay if you need a safe place?"
Caroline nodded gratefully, "Yes, please."
"It's just through these trees," Hermione said, hooking an arm through Caroline's and leading her past their enchantments into the safe zone where they had pitched their tent.
"How do the Death Eaters not see your wards and send snatchers after you?" Caroline asked, looking around.
"Our brother is a dragon rider who subtly never notices our wards," Fred said.
Caroline frowned.
"But our mother and brother fought for the light, and our father won't choose a side," George added.
Hermione looked at Caroline, "You see what we mean about our stance here being complicated?"
Caroline nodded numbly.
They entered the tent, and Fred gently pushed Caroline into a chair.
"Do you know what happened to your mother?" Caroline asked quietly, "Do you know how she died?"
"She isn't dead," Hermione said.
George was busying himself with tea to hide the expression on his face. While some of the others acted like they couldn't care less about their mother's fate, he found it a little harder.
Caroline shook her head, "No, she has to be. Kingsley died, killing her. She couldn't survive the Kelpies."
"Banshees can survive many things," Hermione said, sitting down opposite Caroline and gently taking the other girls hand, "And this banshee was absolutely starving. She had been trapped in Molly for decades, and Molly never let her out to feed."
Caroline's eyes were wide, "So she's still out there?"
Fred nodded.
George pressed a hot cup of tea in a chipped cup into Caroline's hands, "And the lake underneath Prewett Castle is short six Kelpies."
"So he died in vain," Caroline whispered.
"No, Caroline," Hermione promised, "He got all of you out, so he didn't die in vain."
Caroline nodded, her hands shaking.
"Drink your tea," Hermione said softly as she cast her eyes over Caroline, "Then I'll get a bath prepared for you. Once you're all cleaned up in fresh clothes, I think you'll feel better."
Caroline nodded but said no more as she raised the cup to her lips with her shaky hands.
George took sympathy on her and whispered a calming charm. Instantly, Caroline's body relaxed a little.
George looked up at Hermione. The brunette gave him a small, approving nod then took a step closer to Fred.
"We have lost," she murmured in his ear.
Fred sighed, his hand reaching for her hip automatically. He pulled Hermione close to him, resting his head on top of hers. Over her head, he locked eyes with George.
"She's right," George said quietly, his hand on Caroline's knee as she slowly sipped her tea.
"It might be time to think about using that leverage," Hermione said, pulling away from Fred to look between the twins.
George gave Fred a nod.
Fred sighed and looked back to Hermione. He gave her a nod and said, "You're the boss, princess."
McKinnon Castle ~ The Order of the Phoenix's HQ
Seamus and Dean had managed to find the Order at one of their safe-houses. It was a castle in the north of Scotland, and ironically enough, it had once been the McKinnon family's home.
"This is where it happened," Dean had said when they first looked upon the castle, "Where they wiped out my entire family."
Seamus had taken his hand and squeezed it supportively, without saying a single word.
They had gone through security checks to get through the wards, but once Andromeda Tonks was satisfied that they were who they said they were, they were granted entrance into the castle.
Dean and Seamus were dragged into the war room and questioned about everything they knew about the Army of the Phoenix's movements. Once they had told them everything they knew, the room fell silent.
This band of rebels was just as small as the other one. Andromeda Tonks and her husband seemed to be the leaders. Andromeda stood at the head of the war table, her dark hair drawn up into a bun and her dark eyes scanning everything before them. Ted stood by her side, leaning against the table, occasionally running a hand through his messy, dirty blonde hair.
Nymphadora was sitting in an armchair by the fire.
Remus stood with his back turned to her, his contemplative eyes on the fire.
The Perks family were here too – it consisted of Gareth and his only daughter, Sally-Anne, who was the same age as Dean and Seamus and, like them, had been sorted into Gryffindor. Gareth's sister Delia was also here, with her husband Hubert Davies and their son, Roger.
The remains of the Wood family stood around the table too – Emmeline had pure white hair, not because of her age, but because it was an Ollivander family trait. It was how Harry had guessed that Luna was of Ollivander descent.
Emmeline's two children took after their father, Oliver Wood, and his younger sister, Ophelia, both had mousy brown hair and dark brown eyes.
Pacing the room with a baby girl in her arms was Lydia Jordan (formerly Greengrass) – a beautiful woman with dark blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. She was patting the almost-1-year-old on the back and murmuring soothing words to her. Next to her was her husband, Lee Jordan – a dark-skinned man with braided hair. They had eloped not long after they left school, and Rhea had been born shortly after.
"They took my sister," Lydia said quietly, "My baby sister."
"It was entirely uncalled for," Andromeda agreed, "Taking an innocent girl from a neutral family, and for what reason? To lure the Death Eaters into a trap?"
Seamus and Dean nodded.
"Their trap resulted in them losing both of their leaders in one night," Andromeda scoffed.
Dean frowned, "Their leaders?"
"Haven't you heard, son?" Ted asked, looking up at Dean, "News got to us earlier today. It seems like there's some sort of curse on the Prewett bloodline. Molly turned into a banshee and killed Kingsley."
Dean and Seamus shared a look, the sort of look that said without words, Can this get any worse?
Lydia shook her head, "I need to leave, Andi."
Andromeda looked up, "Leave? Lydia, you cannot leave."
"They kidnapped my sister," Lydia reminded them, "I need to go home to see her."
Lee scoffed, "Go home? To the father who took our daughter away from us when she was three months old, to get her tested in France for her magical ability?"
Lydia sighed, "Lee-"
"No, Lydia," Lee argued, "He did that because you had the gall to marry a Muggle-born, against his wishes. He was so sure that someone with dirty blood couldn't give you a magical child, and he was right, wasn't he?"
"We don't know that she's a squib just because he says she is," Lydia said irritably, "And I, for one, love her regardless."
"We know you do, Lydia," Andromeda promised, "But going home is incredibly risky."
"Try stupid," Lee added.
Lydia glared at him.
"Lee is right," Remus said, speaking up for the first time.
"Oh, so you do speak now, do you?" Tonks asked bitterly.
"This is not the time nor the place, Nymphadora," Andromeda snapped, "We do not air our dirty laundry publically in this family."
Tonks scoffed, "This whole family is dirty laundry, Mother."
Remus gave Tonks an irritated look and turned to Lydia, "Your sister has other family members who can care for her. You need to stay here until it is safe for you to go anywhere else."
"Why?" Lydia asked angrily, "Why do I need to stay here? What good do I do here?"
"Lydia, you need to stay here because here you are safe," Remus said softly, "Your daughter is safe. You can't guarantee your safety once you leave this castle. You have no idea how your family will react to you. You have no idea what lengths your father will go to hide his dirty laundry," he finished, looking directly at Andromeda.
Andromeda fixed Remus with a stern look, "We are here to discuss this war effort, Remus. Not that you decided to marry my daughter and get her pregnant in the middle of a war. As if the age gap were not bad enough, or your other affliction."
Remus scoffed, "Your entire problem is with that affliction."
"My entire problem is that you seem to enjoy working your way through my family members," Andromeda said coolly, "Whether that be with my cousin or with my daughter."
"You dare to suggest that-"
"Yes, I damn well dare, Remus!" Andromeda snapped.
Tonks sighed and threw her head back, "Now whose airing our dirty laundry, Mother?"
Ted placed his hand on Andromeda's back, "She's right, love. Can we get back to the crux of the meeting?"
He looked down at the map before them; it was almost identical to the one that had been in Prewett Castle.
"I have to be honest here and say what we're all thinking. I don't see how we can win this."
"Nor do I," Lydia said, her eyes on the dot that was Greengrass House. For the moment, it was still blue, implying it was the home of a neutral family.
"I think this will backfire on us, thanks to the Army's brash approach," Lydia continued, "The Death Eaters saved Astoria, and that may well be enough to convince my father to pledge his loyalty to You-Know-Who."
"If that is not enough, I believe that Potter is close to convincing your other sister," A new voice said.
Andromeda turned around with a sigh, "Severus," she said, relief flooding her.
Severus Snape bowed his head.
"My other sister," Lydia said, narrowing her eyes, "You mean Daphne?"
"She seems rather taken by Potter. His attempts to charm her have been somewhat successful," Snape said disdainfully.
"Is there any more news from your camp?" Andromeda asked.
Snape walked over to the table and looked down at the map, "Molly Weasley is dead, but the banshee within has taken control. The Dark Lord has people tracking her down as we speak. He believes we have achieved a great victory over the light."
"He's not exactly wrong," Remus said darkly, looking up at Snape, "Do you think he doubts your loyalty, Severus?"
"He has no reason to do so," Severus said stiffly, "It was, after all, I, who gave him Potter."
"We know that wasn't your intention," Tonks said, looking at the Headmaster, "But man, I wish we had a bloody time-turner."
Snape gave a brisk nod, "Quite."
Remus moved away from his wife to look at Snape, "Is this war lost?"
"I do not believe so," Snape replied, "There may be a way to gain the upper hand, but it will involve a multi-pronged attack. You will have to work with the Army to launch an attack on the homes of several prominent purebloods simultaneously."
"Guerrilla tactics," Ted mused, "Proper guerrilla tactics."
Remus nodded, "Hit them all at the same time so they can't band together to fight back."
"Indeed," Severus drawled, "I can give you the co-ordinates of the best targets, but I cannot fight with you. The Dark Lord can not discover that I am a spy."
Andromeda looked down at the map, "Working with the Army is my biggest problem with this plan."
Delia scoffed, "The Jones family have all but taken over the Army, and we know that we can trust them."
"We do not know that we can trust them simply because your husband's mother married into the family, Delia," Gareth argued.
Hubert squared his shoulders, "My mother has been a Jones for longer than she was a Davies. The family are noble and true; they will not kill unnecessarily."
"Or kidnap innocent little girls?" Lydia asked furiously.
"That was Augusta Longbottom's idea," Dean piped up, hoping that piece of information might be useful.
"And she paid the appropriate price for it," Snape drawled, "Ginevra Weasley is indeed a banshee, and she seems to have some control over her powers."
"Like mother, like daughter," Andromeda sighed.
Nymphadora scoffed, "Not always."
"Now is not the time, Nymphadora," Andromeda snapped.
Ted gave his daughter a warning look and said, "Look, we don't have to fight alongside the Army. We can dispatch them to different houses but still double our manpower."
"And it might be a good thing," Remus added, "It will show anyone who still has hope that the light is united once more."
Andromeda tapped her fingers against the map, "What homes would you have us target, Severus?"
"I would suggest that you spread out across the country, but ensure that there is no pattern to the homes you attack," Severus said, his voice low and quiet.
"Send small groups of four to five people to each home," Snape continued, "But dispatch more people to Malfoy Manor, it is the Dark Lords headquarters, and it will therefore require your best fighters."
Andromeda swallowed; it was barely visible to most people because she was already looking down at the map.
"Your sister is the Matron at Hogwarts, Andromeda," Snape pointed out, "She will not be in the Manor when you attack."
Andromeda looked up, her eyes were cold, but her tone betrayed her, "I do not care about my sister, Severus."
They all knew that she did, but none of them pointed that out to her.
"Give us co-ordinates and advice, and we will plan the rest," Andromeda added, with a note of finality.
Ted sighed and managed a small smile, "See? All hope isn't lost. We might still get these bastards, after all, thanks to Severus."
Severus did not smile. He simply nodded and pulled his cloak closer to his body, "I must return to Hogwarts. I shall be in touch."
Without another word, he turned and left, his robes billowing behind him.
* TBC *