Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To anamigellar: Please don't kill me or I won't be able to tell the rest of the story. To LilyBlack18: Yes, Ginny. To scrappy8: Thank you and omg, yes! To Wolf's scream: I think Malcolm and Graham were both brave and desperate, yes. Yes, a potion of bloodlust. To manugonzalezu: Well, please don't go into cardiac arrest, just wait patiently for the new chapter LOL. To notthatchhavi: Thanks. I think Andromeda and Ted probably had the cutest love story. Bellatrix put Harry's blood in the potion. What does Snape want? That is the question. To Tiegdalewills15: Haha, yes, at least Slughorn isn't dead. To The Booknerds: Thank you! I am proud of how I end chapters actually, it is one of my good skills. To ahlem stelena: Impressed and terrified is how I feel when I write, so I think both are acceptable. To PeevesTwinBrother: No, I don't hate you. I'm so confused :(
To DeadFish37: Voldemort didn't just want Slughorn for the potion as you will see. To Nobothersgiventoday: Thank you! I love that I shocked so many people with that last line! To Calamity Ganon: Thank you! That's a lot of zeroes after the one, I'll take it! To ValGrey02: Thank you! I enjoy giving them little scenes together. Fixing the Ginny thing soon… well… To Speedyconzalis: Thank you! Always happy to keep things interesting. To alix33: Yes, Auror cuffs can only be removed by an Auror. They limit one's magic and keep them from Apparating. To minerdude: Thank you! To GoldenPotterFan: Aww, that's so sweet about your niece, and to be fair, the story isn't over yet. To Coolck28: Thank you! Dumbledore is not dead. And yes, the Death Eaters are very vile! To mehnoya01: Haha, you're not allowing me to drown Hinny's ship like that! This made me chuckle! To Arctoid32: A little angst is good for the soul! To Guest: Thank you! I'm honoured that you've been reading from the beginning and you think it keeps getting better.
To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! I will definitely take epic. To Tnt: I am on discord in the Harry/Ginny server, the Ron/Hermione server, and the GinnyLovers server with the username Breanie. I'm not very active in the servers, but if someone needs to get a hold of me I'm around. To Nightwing2013: Conniving son of a Muggle just killed me! But yes, Snape is… special, isn't he? To Chintan: Thank you! Glad I can bring on the intensity! To Dianne: Ha, I did always promise they would be alive but you're right, I never said they would be together, but I think you know I'm not that cruel? No, Ginny hasn't become a werewolf. Yes, Harry bleeding and struggling to get to Ginny… Dumbledore is still alive and we'll find out more about him soon. I love Ron and thought it was fun to have him being annoyed while awed that someone would fancy him — thanks to Sam for that addition! I forgot about that bit with Peeta in the Hunger Games, so I guess this is a little similar, but different as you will see. And no, Ginny's not a vampire either. To Guest: I have written more and I will continue to write more. To Seriously Sam: Yes, Hufflepuff Hero! Haha, you would not want to go second! Of course the brothers are going to take care of their family! Haha, you hope Snape survives to get tortured some more!
To Haridra: Thanks! I'm grinning at the thought that you screamed while reading! To WInkingSkeever: Thank you! To Guest: Thank you for saying the chapter was clever. To gemini614: Bonus chapters are fun, aren't they? I agree, Ted and Andromeda should do more for the war. Yes, Snape could have killed McGonagall, but he didn't. He is doing something. To coloredwords: Yes, it is all the same day lol, but I can see what you mean, so much at once. To pix25: Uh oh is a fair assumption. To Rusty-malla Hayek: As a reviewer said a few chapters ago, cliffhanger season is coming. *shrugs* To Lady Scribat: Thank you! I'm blushing! To GryffindorHealer: Hahaha, how does one follow that chapter with a comment, well asking about the Chudley Cannons is a great start! To Mizfitz22: Thanks! I will take it as a compliment that you blew through the chapter that quickly. Yes, Dumbledore can be quite naive. To to_read: Thank you. To Fanfis01: Thank you! To kyciona: Cruel? A little, but it's all for a good cause. Your entertainment *winks* To potterheaded_hipster: Haha, glad you still love it despite my monster ways. To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! And we'll have to see who can help figure it out. To AQuickRead91: Poor Snape and Slughorn… well, poor to one of them LOL. To briana_t: I love that you're feeling so many different emotions! I hope you like what comes next!
Thanks to Sam for giving me some helpful advice.
I don't own the bits of this scene from Half-Blood Prince, that belongs to JKR.
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIX:
Fred Apparated to Diagon Alley and rushed straight into Gringotts. To his luck and surprise, Fleur was grabbing her bag and heading out for the night.
"Fleur!"
She turned at the sound of her name. The moment her eyes met his, he knew that she knew something was wrong as her eyes went from surprise to desperation. "Non, non, non!"
Fred grabbed her arm as she reached for him. "Stop! I don't know the details, but it's bad, Fleur."
Fleur clutched his arms tightly. "Take me to him, maintenant!"
Fred held her close as they Apparated straight to St Mungo's. Percy was already there with Molly and when they saw Fleur, Molly let out a loud sob.
"Where's Bill?" Fred demanded. "What happened?"
"He's alive," Percy said, wrapping his arm around his mother and letting her cry into his shoulder. "He was attacked by a werewolf."
Fleur froze, her blue eyes wide in horror. "'E… is 'e a wolf?"
"No," Percy told her. "It wasn't a full moon, but they attacked him and… his throat… the healers say that it's a miracle that he even survived. Zee saved his life."
Fleur pushed past Percy, ignoring Fred as she rushed through the doors. She made it halfway into the hospital room before she gasped. Bill's handsome face was covered in blood-stained bandages leaving only one side of his nose and one eye available for her to see. Bandages covered his throat and his left shoulder as well.
Fred put his hand on her shoulder, but she ignored him and pushed forward, falling to her knees next to his bed. "Fleur…"
Fleur shook her head, taking Bill's hand between her own and kissing his fingers. "I am 'here, mon chéri. When you wake, I am 'ere. Je t'aime."
Molly came into the room, taking the chair on the other side of Bill's bed. She fluffed the pillow under his head, tears rolling down her cheeks before she sat in the chair again. She squeezed Percy's hand gratefully when he came to stand beside her.
"What did the healers say?" Fred asked, his eyes on his eldest brother.
"Scarred," Percy whispered. "Badly. Werewolf bites leave scars, impossible to heal. His face was… scratched, the nails leave scars if they draw blood, but the throat… the healers did what they could in terms of the bite, but it's his voice, Fred."
"He can't speak?" Fred exclaimed in shock.
"We don't know," Molly whispered. "Not until he wakes up. His larynx was crushed and sometimes it can be healed and others…"
"He was in a lot of pain and he lost a lot of blood," Percy continued. "They put him in a magical coma to induce healing. We won't know anything more until he wakes in the morning."
"His handsome face…" Molly said, tears in her eyes. "He will be scarred forever by that monster! His face, his neck, his shoulder… they tore into him like savage beasts! My handsome boy! Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks... it's not r-r-really important... but he was a very handsome little b-b-boy… always very handsome... and he was g-g-going to be married!"
"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur exclaimed, suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean, 'e was going to be married?"
Molly raised her tear-strained face, looking startled. "Well — only that —"
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" Fleur demanded. "You theenk, because of these bites, 'e will not love me?"
"No, that's not what I—"
"Because 'e will!" Fleur said, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silvery blonde hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill from loving me!"
"Well, yes, I'm sure," Molly said, carefully. "But I thought perhaps — given how — how he…"
"You thought zat I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps you 'oped?" Fleur said, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how 'e looks? I am good-looking enough for ze both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! It does not make him any less handsome, only more so!"
Molly nodded, tears in her eyes and then she reached across the bed to grasp Fleur's hands in hers. "I was wrong. You are the perfect match for him. I am so grateful that he has you in his life, Fleur. You make him so happy. I'm sorry for… thank you."
Fleur's eyes were brimming with tears. "He makes me very 'appy, too."
"Our Great Auntie Muriel has a very beautiful tiara — goblin-made — which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair," Molly said, quietly.
"Merci," Fleur said. "I'm sure zat will be lovely."
Fleur reached out to stroke Bill's hair away from the bandages, taking his hand in hers again and kissing it. Molly kept her eyes on her, sniffling.
Fred met Percy's gaze and rolled his eyes and the curve of his brother's lips made him grin. At least his mother had finally seemed to come around on Fleur, Bill would be pleased to hear it. He let his gaze look down at the bandages covering his eldest brother and he shoved his hands into his pockets.
He hoped George was having better luck at Hogwarts.
~ ASC ~
Tonks kept her wand lit in front of her as they kept their eyes peeled in the tunnel. The secret passage had been ten steps down from the top of the tower, three of the stones in the wall pushed inwards to reveal a doorway. The doorway led to a winding staircase that seemed to go on forever. Snape's blood was the only indication that the man had even gone through here. She looked back at Misha, but he had the same look on his face that she knew was on hers.
How had he vanished?
McGonagall's cat had taken half of his leg and yet he'd somehow managed to race through a secret passage and down the winding stairs as if he wasn't injured. Snape was a lot stronger than she'd given him credit for.
By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, the tunnel veered to the left and that's where the blood trail ended. The room looked abandoned, like no one had been there in decades. Cobwebs hung from the stone and the old empty shelf and desk in the corner told her that it must be an on office or classroom. The door at the end was open, but there was no one in sight.
Snape and Lestrange had both vanished.
"Do you think that they had another portkey? They couldn't have Apparated as we're still in the castle?"
Misha grunted as he inspected the doorway. "Possibly."
He used his wand to retrace the steps, watching the golden footprints appear and disappear the way that the two Death Eaters had gone. He frowned at the small prints that had appeared next to them.
Tonks' eyes fell on the them as well and she cursed under her breath. "House elf."
"Indeed," Misha said. "But vho? Someone is helping them. Vho vould have a house elf at their disposal?"
"Lestrange, Malfoy, Selwyn, Avery… any of the old wealthy families," Tonks said as she ticked them off on her fingers. "I just didn't think that they were smart enough to use them, given that most of them are too self-centred to consider the power of a house elf."
"And Snape?"
Tonks' eyes darkened. "I don't know. Playing double agent means a lot of things, but this… I don't know and that makes me more nervous than I'd like to admit. I mean, he left with them and the fact that Nyx attacked him…"
Misha pushed open the next door. "Vell, until ve know for sure, let us find a new vay out of here."
Tonks agreed with that. They kept going, walking through the corridors until they came out in a back corner of the dungeons. The door closed behind them, blending in with the wall and she found herself standing outside of Snape's office.
"He knew that this was here. Right by his office? It's not a coincidence."
Misha nodded and broke the lock on Snape's door, his wand raised. He paused in front of the open door, his eyes locked on something inside.
"Auror Lupin, there's something in here that you might vish to see."
"Pixie," Andromeda said when her daughter came into the room. "We can explain."
Tonks took in the two young boys who were chained to the chairs, both of them passed out, their arms bleeding.
"Mum, Dad? What the hell is going on?"
~ ASC ~
Snape swore as he landed on his behind, Rabastan still partially holding him up. He nodded in thanks to the house elf who had helped them before Rabastan yelled for Dominic Pucey to come and take a look at him. The elf belonged to Lestrange and Snape was shocked that the man had even thought of calling him to help. But Snape had been in no shape to get out on his own. He never would have made it down the stairs if Rabastan hadn't been there.
That blasted cat, who McGonagall always claimed was just a sweet little thing, had taken his bloody leg off! He looked down, his face turning green at the sight of nothing below his left knee.
He didn't deserve this!
By the time he was levitated into a bed, he had passed out.
When he woke, there was a white bandage wrapped around the bottom of his left knee and his leg tingled. It tingled in a way that told him that it didn't really believe it was gone either.
"Snape. Sorry to say that without the leg, I can't re-attach it. And while re-growing bones is easy enough, replacing whole limbs is another story," Pucey told him. "Seems I am forever the bearer of bad news when it comes to re-attaching body parts."
Crouch snickered from the other side of the room. "He's talking about Rudy. Our lovely Bella cut off his bollocks. You should see it, dearie, there's nothing swinging between his legs anymore."
Snape paled and took a slow breath before he turned to look at the healer. "How soon can I walk?"
Pucey stared at him. "Soon."
Snape sat up in the bed when Voldemort stormed into the room, wincing at the pain it caused him. "My Lord."
Voldemort's eyes dropped to his injured leg before he spoke. "Two werewolves were killed and one of the giants, but the goal was to get Dumbledore and Slughorn. Bellarosa said that Slughorn brewed the potion?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"And where is he?"
"Dead. I threw off him off of the Astronomy Tower."
Voldemort stared at him for a long moment, the slits in his face where his nose should have been flaring. "Did I ask you to kill him, Severus?"
Snape hesitated a moment before he answered. "No, my Lord."
"And yet you threw him off of the Astronomy Tower after I specifically gave you instructions to bring him to me after he brewed the potion."
"My Lord, it was not easy to take him with me. He would have been compromised and he —"
"Crucio!"
The curse tore through him and Snape bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, but to his credit he did not scream.
"If I wanted him dead, Severus, I would not have gone to the lengths that I did for you to Imperius him."
"My Lord, he —"
"Crucio!"
The curse tore through him a second time and this time, he was unable to contain the scream that ripped from his throat.
"I wanted to speak with him, to find out something that only he could have told me and now he's dead. The one task I gave you, Severus, and you disobeyed me in this way."
"Yes, my Lord," Snape panted as Voldemort lifted the curse. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I—I acted rashly in my haste."
Voldemort stared at him for a long moment. His wand twirled between his long fingers as Crouch licked his lips next to him. "What do you think, Bart?"
"Crucio him again, my Lord. He should be punished for his disobedience."
Voldemort merely nodded and Crouch's wand gleefully pointed at Snape.
Snape screamed. He screamed again and again and again until Voldemort placed his hand on Crouch's wrist and he lowered his wand.
"Thank you, Bart, that's enough."
Crouch smiled adoringly at Voldemort. "It was my pleasure, my Lord."
Voldemort's wand slid through his fingers. "I ordered you to Imperius Slughorn. I ordered you to Imperius him and to force him to brew the Bloodlust Potion to distract Potter. Then, what were you to do next, Severus?"
"I was to bring… Slughorn to you, my Lord," Snape panted. His body was still twitching from the curse and his throat was hoarse from his screams.
"Yes, yes you were. You were to give the portkey to Donna then, you were to make sure that the potion was administered, and then bring Slughorn to me. In fact, you were to make sure that Slughorn arrived before Dumbledore, were you not?"
"My Lord, there was no way for me to take him with me. They all hopped on brooms and it was only Rab and I left."
"Do not make excuses," Voldemort said. "I don't wish to hear how you failed me. I wish to know why you did not follow my simple instructions. Slughorn was on the causeway. You cursed him. You took him to Hogwarts where he was to finish the potion you started while you made sure that Potter was distracted. Donna ensured that was possible by opening a doorway in the castle to allow a few of my friends to enter. You were instructed to make that blood traitor bitch drink the potion, and then you were to tell Dumbledore that the castle was under attack before you brought Slughorn to me. What part of that wasn't clear?"
"My Lord, the attack was… ask Crouch, they put up a fight and things got behind."
Crouch lowered his eyes. "It's true, my Lord. Potter and his friends… they weren't helpless. It took three of us to contain his girlfriend. It took us longer than it should have to reach the Astronomy Tower. The magic he performed, it was…"
"It was what, Bart?" Voldemort asked, sharply.
Crouch carefully met the red gaze of Voldemort. "It was… he fought with lightning bolts, my Lord. He's powerful and the spells he used… I haven't seen the likes of it before outside of… Dumbledore."
The last word came out as a whisper and Voldemort's eyes narrowed.
"You will not be rewarded tonight, Bart."
Crouch's face fell.
"Go find the author. Tell him to finish before he meets me in the throne room in one hour. I want to see what he's done so far. It will help me clear my head before I see to our new guest."
"Yes, my Lord," Crouch said, hurrying from the room.
Voldemort's red eyes fell back on Snape when the door closed behind Crouch. "To say that I'm disappointed would be an understatement. However, you did think ahead. You knew that if you left him there, Dumbledore's precious Order might learn something that we don't need them to. It was a bold move, Severus, a very bold move… but a smart one. I always did appreciate your intelligence."
"Thank you, my Lord," Snape said breathlessly, pain still shooting through him.
Voldemort nodded. "The potion should keep those fools occupied while we deal with Dumbledore. In the meantime…"
A blue flash rose over Snape's leg; a moment later, a silver limb appeared where his leg once rested, forming into a perfect foot and looking exactly the same as the leg he had just lost.
"I don't let my followers suffer needlessly," Voldemort declared.
"Thank you, my Lord," Snape said. "It's beautiful."
"We lost Pritchard and Baddock today," Voldemort told him. "The boys were green, but their losses will still be felt. Thankfully they both impregnated their wives before going off so their linages are safe. Alecto is heartbroken that she lost her husband, naturally, but she will make do. The other one will be consoled as well, whatever her name is. We'll find a place for her to go and have the child safely. She's of no use to me here. Rest, Severus. Tomorrow, I'll have some work for you to do."
Snape hardly felt assured by the Dark Lord's words, but when he looked down at his new leg, he was grateful. He just wondered what he was going to be required to do for his gift.
~ ASC ~
Zee let out a partial scream as Ginny's nails dug into Harry's wound, tearing the flesh even more. She ran towards Harry as his eyes widened in shock just as George grabbed Ginny and physically pulled her off of him. Harry was gasping in pain, blood pouring from his side and onto the stone. Zee fell to her knees beside him, tugging his head into her lap as she reached out to try to stop the bleeding.
"Remus! Help me!"
Remus dropped to her side, his hands moving to cover the gash as he pointed his wand at it. He muttered a charm to seal it and Harry gasped in shock. "He's lost a lot of blood. Poppy will need to look at him to make sure that there was nothing internal."
When his golden eyes met hers, Zee knew that he was thinking the same thing. Why on earth had Ginny torn into him like that?
They both turned to look over at Ginny. George was holding her from behind and still fighting the hellion in his arms. She was doing everything that she could to break free, her eyes raging in hatred towards Harry. Ron stepped in front of her, his hands grabbing her arms.
"Ginny, stop! What's wrong with you? That's Harry! Stop!"
Her brown eyes were full of hatred and revulsion as she fought George's embrace. Her red hair in its messy ponytail was slapping around her face; she was almost snarling.
"Ginny!" George exclaimed, grasping her arms more firmly. He spun her around, pinning her against the wall hard enough to make her teeth rattle and blocking her view of Harry. "Ginny, it's George! Look at me!" His fingers grabbed her chin tightly. "Ow! She fucking bit me!"
Ron grabbed her arms, pinning them against the walls as well. "No biting! Merlin, Ginny, stop!"
George's grip tightened on her chin. "GINNY!"
She growled, but her eyes finally landed on his and they softened. "George?"
"Ginny, are you all right?"
She blinked. "George... something's wrong."
"I know, Nevra," he whispered. He bundled her into his arms, holding her close. Ron still clutched one of her wrists. "Just take deep breaths, slow breaths. You can do it."
She did as he instructed, not questioning that he was holding the back of her head to keep her face buried in his chest.
Harry stared at George's back as Zee's fingers stroked through his hair "What's wrong with her?"
The sound of his voice made George tense and Harry could see that she was struggling in his arms again.
"Harry, don't speak," Remus told him.
George wrapped his arm tightly around his sister's waist, but Harry's voice had triggered something. Ginny was struggling in his arms again. Ron grabbed her once more, trying to help George hold her steady. She was making a sound almost like a growl. Theo grabbed her wand off the ground and stunned her. She collapsed back into George and he caught her, lifting her into his arms.
"What the fuck just happened?" George demanded, adjusting to the sudden dead weight in his arms. "Harry, why does my sister want to kill you?"
"Ginny," he whispered before he passed out.
Zee ran her fingers through his hair, her eyes on Remus. "What happened?"
Remus shook his head. "I don't know."
Hermione pointed to the potion that was frozen on the floor. "Do you think that they gave this to her?"
Anthony bent down to examine it as well, frowning. "It's not a potion that I recognize by sight. Let's take some of it."
Flitwick found an empty vial in Slughorn's cloak and tossed it over to them. "Bottle it carefully and don't let it touch your skin. Until you know what kind of potion it is, it's better to be safe."
Anthony caught it, carefully levitating the potion up from the stone to fill the vial. Hermione used her own wand to return the rest of the potion to the cauldron.
"How can you figure it out?" Theo asked.
Anthony pocketed the vial. "By carefully dissecting it. Unless Professor Slughorn over there can answer our questions."
Flitwick shook his head. "Not any time soon, I'm afraid. He needs to be properly examined by a healer."
With two quick flicks of his wand, Flitwick had two stretchers ready with both Slughorn and McGonagall stretched out on them. Nyx growled.
"You can stay with her, Nyx," Flitwick said and the large tiger-zouwu seemed to agree before she followed the floating stretcher down the stairs.
Remus conjured a stretcher for Harry as they carefully levitated him onto it as well. "Zee, keep your hands on his side, he's still bleeding quite a lot."
"Professor, Anthony and I are going to work on this potion. Will you let me know when Harry wakes?" Hermione asked.
Remus nodded. "I will. Ron, George, get Ginny downstairs as well. I think the further we keep her away from Harry the better, at least until we know what's going on."
"What is it? Why she is so angry at Harry?" Ron demanded, his gaze moving back and forth between Remus and Zee.
George's brow furrowed. "What kind of potion would make her violent only towards one person? If it was to make her feral or something, why would she only attack Harry?"
Remus looked between the stunned Ginny in her brother's arms before he spoke. "Bloodlust."
"I thought that was extinct," George said. "Not to mention illegal."
"I doubt legal matters much to the Death Eaters," Neville said. "What's a bloodlust potion?"
"Its a potion that makes the drinker feel bloodlust for the person targeted. It's incredibly dangerous and well… we need to find out what ingredients were in that cauldron. George, you better get your sister down to Madam Pomfrey."
George nodded as he immediately carried Ginny down the stairs of the Astronomy Tower with Theo and Ron on their heels.
"Hermione, Anthony, see what you can make of that. If I'm right, a bloodlust potion is extremely dangerous for both the drinker and the intended victim. Until we know what was in the potion, we can't be sure of anything," Remus said.
"They need blood for it to work properly," Zee said, her fingers still running through Harry's hair.
Remus lifted a blood-stained hand off of Harry's side. "I don't think that was a problem. It could have even been why they attacked him so violently in the first place, a need for his blood."
Zee frowned, her hand still holding Harry's side. "We need to find out what was in that bloodlust potion and we need to find out fast."
"If Tonks and Misha find Snape, it would bring us one step closer," Remus said.
Zee's eyes met his. "Or Horace."
Remus shook his head. "He's going to be a while, not to mention that he was under the Imperius Curse. It could take ages for him to remember everything accurately. What do you think, Fil?"
"I think that we need to get to the hospital wing," Flitwick said before he headed down the stairs, following the stretchers that he was levitating of Slughorn and McGonagall.
Remus nodded as he followed Zee and Harry down, urging Neville to come behind him. He had a feeling that nothing was quite as simple as they thought it was.
~ ASC ~
Crouch's tongue slid across his bottom lip as he watched Lockhart. The blond man was naked, enjoying his prize with great joy and gusto before he grunted and climbed off the bed.
"Good boy," he purred, taking a handful of the boy's hair. "Now lick me clean."
Crouch giggled and Lockhart only looked at him over his shoulder as the boy did as instructed. When he was clean, he shoved the boy back and grabbed his trousers, letting himself into the hall.
"Something you need, Bart?"
Crouch shrugged. "Was bored, thought I'd come check on you. I heard the book is going well and that the Dark Lord gave you a gift as a reward."
Lockhart accepted the brandy that Crouch offered him as he spoke. "He did. He's a Muggle and fourteen."
"You and your love of young boys."
Lockhart's eyes gleamed. "Next time I want someone younger."
"How much younger?"
"Younger," Lockhart said simply. "As to the book, it's coming along rather famously. I'm honoured that the Dark Lord is letting me write his story. I'm heading into his worldly travels now. He said that he will speak with me more about it later tonight. Until then, he's been pleased with how I've written his formative years. The tale of a young boy, abandoned at birth, but knowing of the great destiny that he was going to have. A boy with the power of the gods. It's going to be my best work yet."
Crouch nodded. "Have you come up with a catchy title yet?"
Lockhart smiled. "I rather like The Heir of Slytherin by Gilderoy Lockhart or Slytherin's God by Gilderoy Lockhart. But it's still a work in progress. What can I do for you, Bart?"
"Nothing," Crouch said. "I just like to watch you break them."
Lockhart's winning smile made him look innocent. "You naughty thing." He sipped his brandy. "I heard that the Dark Lord has captured Dumbledore tonight."
"You heard right," Crouch said. "He's in one of the dungeon cells."
"Has the Dark Lord gone to see him yet?"
Crouch shook his head. "No. He said that he wants to speak to Dragomir more first. It's important that he gets it just right."
Lockhart smirked. "I can't wait to see Dumbledore get whats coming to him. After he humiliated me like that; sent me to Azkaban like a fucking criminal! It wasn't like I killed people."
"No, you just took credit for their accomplishments and fucked some of your students."
Lockhart drank his brandy deeply. "I'm clearly the better face of those accomplishments and the students wanted it. I'm a celebrity and they wanted exactly what I gave them. Now if you'll excuse me, Bart, I think I'm ready for another round with my young friend."
"Can I watch?" Crouch asked, eagerly.
Lockhart chuckled. "Sure. I've always loved having an audience."
He finished his drink, placing the empty goblet on the table before he headed back into the room. The boy whimpered when he saw him and Crouch licked his lips in glee. There was nothing that he enjoyed more than a good show.
~ ASC ~
By the time they entered the hospital wing, Ginny was already sectioned off in a far corner with the curtain closed. Zee carefully placed Harry down onto one of the beds to let the matron examine him.
Remus watched as Madam Pomfrey examined Harry. It didn't take her long to examine the gash in his side and determine that he was going to be all right. She adjusted Remus' healing, healed his broken ribs, and added a flourish that sealed the wound a little tighter before she forced Blood Replenishing Potions into Harry's system. It had taken some work with him being passed out, but once they were applied, she nodded.
"He will have another scar or two, but I think that it will fade over time," Madam Pomfrey assured them.
Zee immediately sat in the chair next to his bed, her hand moving to brush his hair out of his eyes. "How long will he be out?" She put his glasses on the table next to him before she kissed his forehead.
"A while," Madam Pomfrey said. "Remus, perhaps you could get him out of those filthy clothes?"
Remus nodded and closed the curtain. He put Harry's two wands on the table and carefully undressed his son, his eyes moving over the bandaged cut along with the other scrapes and nicks he seemed to have accumulated in the battle. He put the pyjama bottoms on him and then he opened the curtain.
"He has a few other scrapes, Poppy."
The matron immediately bent over to inspect them, using her wand to clean them. Once she was satisfied that there would be no infection, Zee tucked him in, pressing her lips to his forehead again.
"How's Slughorn?" Remus asked.
"Alive," Madam Pomfrey said. "Filius was able to pull him up before he plummeted from the tower, but it did cause him to have a heart attack. I'm monitoring him now."
"Will he be all right?" Zee asked, her eyes on the man sleeping in the bed across from Harry.
Pomfrey nodded. "I believe so, but he will need to rest. He's not out of the woods yet. He's no spring chicken after all."
"And Minerva?" Zee asked, her eyes on unconscious woman in the bed with the large tiger-zouwu sprawled out at her feet.
"Two stunners to the chest!" Pomfrey exclaimed. "That woman is a goddess! She'll be all right, but I'm afraid that it will be a bit before we get her up and moving the way she'll want."
"Her heart?"
"Strong as an ox," Pomfrey assured them. "But her heart will need some rest as well. I'm sending her and Slughorn off to St Mungo's to get proper rest and treatment."
Remus' eyes moved to where the calf was lying on the bed on the other side of Slughorn. The torn flesh just under the knee, the black boot… Nyx had dropped it at her mistress' feet like a trophy. He hadn't heard anything from Tonks or Misha since they had gone into the secret passage, but he couldn't understand how anyone could get very far after having their leg torn off.
Zee followed his gaze. "Is there a reason that we're keeping that?"
"If we find him, he might want it back," Flitwick said darkly. "I need to find Sprout and some of the other professors. We're down a few and I need to make sure that the students are doing all right. Thankfully, the Death Eaters seemed to be on a mission and didn't do too much damage to the rest of the school. Remus, I'd appreciate a hand with Minerva, Slughorn, and Snape down."
Remus nodded as he stood up. "I'll grab Hagrid as well. How did they get in, Fil? Who told them about the passageway?"
Flitwick pursed his lips. "I'm still working on that. That tunnel was caved in so someone has been working on this for a while. Where's Albus? Has anyone seen him?"
Remus shook his head. "I don't know. He vanished from the causeway when Slughorn did, but when we got here…"
"They took him," Zee whispered. "Which means that Voldemort has Dumbledore and Dragomir and he can finally get what he wants."
Remus didn't like the sound of that. He didn't like the sound of that at all.
~ ASC ~
Pansy looked up when Greg came into the house, her eyes immediately taking in his dusty robes, checking for any sign of blood. She didn't want to admit the relief that she felt at seeing that he was fine.
"What happened? Where were you?"
"Hogwarts," he said, pulling his dusty robes off and tossing them on the chair. He unbuttoned the first three buttons on his shirt before he untucked it from his trousers and sat down.
Pansy frowned. "Hogwarts? Why?" When he didn't answer her, she plopped herself into his lap. "Tell me."
Greg sighed, his arms coming around to hold her in place. "We had to get some ingredients from Snape's stores and they were having Slughorn brew some potion at the top of the Astronomy Tower."
"Who? Why?"
"Bellatrix, Bellarosa, Selwyn, Rabastan, Crouch, Abel, Adrian, all of them."
"What kind of potion?"
Greg shook his head. "I don't know. They had the Weasley girl."
"Ginny Weasley?" At his nod, she bit her bottom lip. "Potter?"
"Don't know. We were just there to get the ingredients and then they told us to leave straight off. Baddock and Pritchard were nowhere in sight. I think some of the Aurors picked off a few others. I think… I think they were giving her whatever was in the cauldron. I don't know. Bellarosa ordered Bole and I to leave before that happened."
Pansy frowned. "What would they want with that blood traitor?"
Greg shrugged as Pansy stood up, pacing in front of him.
"What kind of ingredients did you take?"
Greg looked pensive as he tried to remember. "Frog spleen, bloodflower seeds, nettles, rose petals, and adder's tongue. Oh, and Bole grabbed the entrails of a dog."
Pansy scrunched up her nose. "I don't know what any of that means. Did they already have ingredients?"
Greg nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know what kind. Bole said something about it being an important distraction for Potter."
"Why would they want to distract Potter?"
Greg shrugged.
"You need to ask more questions, Greg," Pansy said in disappointment. "I never know what's going on!"
"Trust me, that's better for the both of us," Greg said.
Pansy ignored this and sat in the chair across from him.
Greg cleared his throat. "Let's not think about Hogwarts, okay? What did you do today?"
Pansy thought about demanding more answers, but she knew that it wouldn't get her anywhere. She doubted her husband knew anymore than what he was saying as it was. "I ordered more material for my designs, so that should be arriving soon. Daphne will be coming to stay with us so that she can help me work on the new designs. Oh, and your mother is coming over for dinner again. Can you please tell her that we're not naming the baby Gregory the III?"
He nodded. "I can do that. You and Daphne can work in Apricity Lane now if you want. The supply room is all set up."
Pansy squealed in delight. "We can! Greg, it's going to be wonderful! I'll need you to move everything I've made so far to the shop. Aunt Margeurite sent a few boxes of things as well, but I've been so busy that I might not even need them. I really want to only sell my own designs as much as possible."
"Okay."
"Since you're home now, let's move everything over." She waved her wand, levitating the first box and he stood up, lowering her arm.
"I'll do it. You don't want to do too much with the baby."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "I can levitate boxes, Greg."
He gave her a look before he picked up the box in his strong arms and walked it out of the room. Pansy sighed, of course, she wasn't going to complain if he did it for her. She watched him lift box after box, using his wand only when necessary to shrink it all down into three large boxes. He grunted as he picked them up and Disapparated with them to the shop.
Sometimes, she liked having a big strong man around.
But she couldn't help but wonder what it was that the Death Eaters had been doing at Hogwarts and what exactly they needed to distract Potter from.
~ ASC ~
Tonks stared at her parents.
This was the last place that she had expected to stumble across them, let alone find them with two unconscious teenagers with bloody arms chained to chairs. Misha's wand was still raised next to her, but she knew that he was waiting for her to make a decision.
"Mum, Dad, what the hell is going on?"
"Pixie," Andromeda said, putting her hands up. "It's not what you think."
"Trust me when I say that I don't know what the hell I think right now," Tonks exclaimed. "Why are they chained up? What are you even doing here?"
Ted used his wand to remove the chains from the boys. "We've removed their Dark Marks."
Tonks' eyes widened. "You — what?"
"Blaise Zabini. He showed us how it was done and we performed it on these boys. They need to be kept safe and in protection now," Andromeda told her. "Voldemort will believe them to be dead. Help us bring them somewhere safe."
"Where?" Tonks asked in disbelief.
The fact that her parents had decided to remove the Dark Marks from two young boys didn't surprise her nearly as much as it should have.
"Our home is good," Ted told her.
Tonks felt like she wanted to argue, but the look on her mother's face told her it would be pointless. "Who are they?"
"Malcolm Baddock and Graham Pritchard. They're both only fourteen years old," Andromeda said.
Tonks nodded, understanding. "Let's get them to Shoreditch." She levitated both of them onto stretchers and nodded towards Snape's fireplace. "The Floo should work."
Ted walked across the room to kiss his daughter's cheek. "We got this. Go, do your job."
She waited for them to disappear into the fire before she turned to Misha. "I think being with my parents is the best place for those boys right now."
"I agree. Let them deal vith them until ve figure out vhat's going on here. Ve can get that story later. Snape is gone."
Tonks looked around his office before she frowned. "Do you think that he knew they were in here? It seems like an odd place for them to choose on their own?"
Misha's eyes met hers. "I think that your mama and papa have much to explain. Come. Let us go find Harry and the others. There's damage control to deal vith."
Tonks followed Misha out of Snape's office, but she couldn't help but wonder just what exactly Snape had been up to tonight. She had a feeling that she was missing part of the story; she just didn't know what side of the alliance that he was playing on. The fact that she wasn't entirely sure only left her with more questions.
They met Atwell, Proudfoot, and Savage on the main floor.
"Lupin, we've captured three DE's, but no one to brag about, I'm afraid," Savage claimed.
"Marcus Belby, one of the missing Hogwarts students from the Christmas holiday was left tied up with a note that said 'Scout,'" Atwell said.
"Harry took care of him," Tonks told her. "My nickname for him is Scout."
Atwell grinned. "Nice job, then! Does he want to be an Auror?"
"Yeah, he does," Tonks said.
Savage nodded. "Well, Belby may not be much of a catch, but it's a start. We also have Holden Ledbury here. He was found with his legs crushed behind that wall over there and an unknown DE with severe burns covering most of his body was found over there."
"No ID?"
Atwell shook her head. "No, and unfortunately his silver Death Eater mask melted to his face, but he's alive."
"Well, let's get him to a healer then and we can book him afterwards," Tonks said. "Any word from Kingsley?"
Savage scratched his goatee. "He was dealing with the mess on the causeway. I heard that there were a few casualties, but no names have been released yet. Not to mention the clusterfuck that is the dead bodies littering the cliffs and shore."
"And we have one dead giant," Proudfoot said. "Aurors were taking in who they could from there, but we're hoping a few more DE's are captured as it would help put us another step ahead."
"Do you know how many Death Eaters were in the castle, Lupin?" Atwell asked.
"A dozen from what I've gathered. Slughorn and McGonagall were both injured along with Harry Potter and a few other students. This attack was secondary."
"Agreed," Misha said. "They had a goal in mind and it vas called distraction. Any news on Dumbledore?"
"No," Proudfoot said. "He vanished from the causeway and no one has seen him since."
Tonks didn't like the sound of that. "Do we think that they took him?"
Savage looked at her in disbelief. "Dumbledore? He's too smart to be taken!"
"No one is too smart for that," Misha said. "A man of his age, if proper steps vere taken… da, I think that they knew exactly vhat they vere doing."
Savage cleared his throat. "If Dumbledore is missing… if You Know Who has captured Dumbledore of all people…"
"We're royally fucked," Proudfoot finished.
Tonks hated to agree with her coworkers, but they were right. Without Dumbledore, they had just lost an important ally in this war and if Voldemort succeeded in doing the unthinkable, in killing him… what would they do without Albus Dumbledore?
"Lupin, your husband was taking Potter to the hospital wing," Proudfoot said. "I'll let King know that you'll be along later if you want to go check on him."
"Thanks, Maverick," Tonks said, turning towards Misha.
The two of them left the Aurors to their work and headed down the hall towards the hospital wing. She found it bustling and saw that most of the beds were full. A few students had been injured from the explosion of the tunnel opening. Most were superficial cuts and bruises, two had broken a wrist, and one a leg. Madam Pomfrey was patching them up quickly and sending them on their way.
Misha made his way through the students to the bed where Zee was sitting with an unconscious Harry. "Zahira."
"Papa," Zee said, standing to hug him. "Did you find him?"
"No," Tonks said, sitting on the edge of Harry's bed. "He and Lestrange both disappeared. We think with a house elf. He lost a lot of blood and if Lestrange hadn't waited for him, we would have got him."
"So, what does this mean?" Zee asked. "Has Snape turned on us?"
"We don't know," Tonks admitted. "But it certainly looks like he picked a side. What happened?"
Zee brushed her curls away from her face. "We have no idea. Snape threw Slughorn off of the Astronomy Tower, but Flitwick managed to save him. The fall caused him to have a massive stroke from the shock of it all. Snape hit Minerva with two stunners back-to-back straight to the chest. The pressure of the blunt force caused something called a myocardial contusion, but Pomfrey believes that she will pull through with rest. Healers from St Mungo's were called to take them to the hospital as they need more care than Pomfrey can provide. Remus went off with Flitwick to take control of the school and the students. And Ginny… they gave her what we believe was a bloodlust potion and now she wants to kill Harry."
Tonks blinked. "Ginny wants to what now?"
Zee nodded. "She went mad! Feral! She tried to attack him, dug her nails right into his wound and… it took both Ron and George to calm her down. She's in the bed in the far corner. They gave her a calming drought and a sleeping potion to knock her out. George is going to take her back to his flat as soon as they finish gathering her things. Until we know what kind of potion she was given, we can't risk her having any contact with Harry."
"And Harry?"
"He'll be all right when he wakes. Two broken ribs, gash on his side, cuts all over his arms and legs from vines according to Theo. He lost a lot of blood, but he's doing well. He just needs to rest. Ginny tore open his side and he's confused and hurt… I can't imagine what he's feeling right now," Zee explained.
Misha frowned, his hand running over his beard. "Bloodlust potion?"
She nodded. "It's what we think. Hermione and another student named Anthony, took the potion we found on the Astronomy Tower and are examining it now. Hermione thinks that she can break down the ingredients, but it's going to take time."
"Exact ingredients, dochka," Misha said. "They must be exact. Bloodlust potions are potent and powerful and vithout the exact measurement of each ingredient, ve vill never know exactly vhat she vas given."
"He's right, Zee. That's one of the first things that we learn as an Auror is that potion ingredients are key. You can know that a potion needs boomslang skin, but you have to be aware of how much is used whether it's half a leaf or a quarter. And in something like this… precision would be key."
Zee frowned, moving to sit in the chair next to Harry again. "How are we supposed to figure something like that out? Who knows how long Slughorn will be out and he was under the Imperius Curse on top of it… he might not even remember what he put in the potion."
Misha squeezed his daughter's shoulder. "Ve vill figure it out, dochka. Harry is a strong young man and he vill fight for her."
Zee reached back to squeeze her father's hand. "Yes, Papa. He will."
Tonks shoved her hands into her pockets. "I'm going to find Remus and see if they need any help before I head back to the Ministry. We have a lot of i's to dot and even more t's to cross when it comes to dealing with this mess."
"Any news on Bill?"
Tonks shook her head. "I haven't heard anything. Send word if anything changes."
She touched Harry's arm to let him know that she was there before she turned to find her husband. She had a lot of work to do.
~ ASC ~
When Bill woke up, he felt like his whole face and shoulder were on fire. It was like his blood was burning on the surface and it made him groan, but that sent pain to his throat so sharply, he gasped for breath.
"Non, be still, mon chéri," Fleur said.
He blinked, trying to see through the bandages on his face. Then his view was full of her. That beautiful, breathtaking face, those blue eyes full of tears and joy. Her lips brushed his.
"I will get ze 'ealer."
Bill grasped her hand in his, his eyes pleading. He was afraid to ask how bad it was, but she only smiled.
"'ou will live."
Then she kissed his hand and disappeared from his view.
The healer came in a moment later and began to slowly remove the bandages from his face and shoulder. He could feel the stickiness of the wound coming off with the bandage and he winced, his lips pursed. The healer was examining the shoulder first before he turned his head to and fro, but he didn't say anything. Then he tilted Bill's head back, examining his throat and when his thumb brushed over the larynx, Bill hissed.
The healer took his wand, pointing it at his throat and a soft warmth covered him, but only for a moment.
"As I told you, Miss Delacour, his larynx will have to be healed in stages. Too much at one time is too much of a risk. Mr Weasley, I suggest that you don't try to talk. Just rest and let us take care of you. You can apply the ointment again, Miss Delacour."
The healer stood up and passed a container to Fleur before he turned his attention back to Bill.
"You're not the first one to come in from a werewolf attack and even worse, not the first to have it happened on a regular night. I do know that you will not turn. However, the nails and bites will cause scarring. The wounds are dangerous, but without the full moon, the curse will not pass to you."
The relief that washed through him almost made him feel ashamed. He had fought side by side on the causeway with werewolves. But the bitter relief was still sweet to think that he wouldn't have to become what they did.
"You will be scarred," the healer continued. "And you might have some wolfish tendencies. Maybe a preference for your meat to be a little undercooked and a few others, but you will not turn. I'll be back in two hours to try to heal that larynx again."
Fleur watched him go before she sat on the bed next to him, opening the jar of ointment. "I guess I will 'ave to do all ze talking for us. Stay still et let me apply zis."
Bill didn't speak. He just watched her put her beautiful fingers into the thick yellow ointment and when she gently began to apply it to his face, he tried not to wince. The ointment was cold and smelt of aloe and garlic. He grabbed her wrist in his hand and she bent her head to kiss his fingers.
"Je t'aime."
He mouthed the words back to her and she smiled, pressing her lips to his.
"Je t'aime," she repeated before she continued to apply the ointment without another word.
Bill couldn't help but wonder just what it was that Fleur wasn't telling him and without a voice to ask, it worried him even more.
~ ASC ~
When Harry woke, the sight of Zee sleeping in the chair next to him, her wild curls covering her face, made him smile. He fumbled for his glasses and a hand reached out to pass them to him. He recognized the tall blurry frame of Remus and he nodded in thanks.
"Thanks. What happened?"
Remus ran a hand over his face and sighed. "That's a loaded question. Where to even begin. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Harry said. Then his eyes widened as he remembered what had happened before he passed out. "Wait — Ginny?"
"She's sleeping it off," Remus said. He pulled out his wand and performed a quick privacy charm around Harry's bed before he leaned forward to speak. "Physically she's okay. We're working on it, Harry, but right now you can't be anywhere near her for the time being."
"Why? What's going on?"
"She was given a bloodlust potion. It makes her... the potion makes her want to kill you. You can't even be in the same room as her. George took her back to his flat in Diagon Alley as we decided that having her stay on at Hogwarts isn't a wise move right now."
"Slughorn?"
"He's okay," Remus said as he told him about Slughorn, McGonagall, and Dumbledore. "We don't know where Dumbledore is."
Harry frowned. "And Snape?"
"We assume with Voldemort. He and Lestrange escaped and as Nyx took part of Snape's leg off, we're assuming that he's incapable of getting word to us at this point. Thanks to you, we captured three Death Eaters. And then there's Ted and Andy."
"What about Ted and Andy?"
"They removed the Dark Mark from two young Death Eaters and are harbouring them in their home as Voldemort now believes them to be dead."
"Crouch?"
"Not one of them."
Harry swore and dragged his fingers through his hair. "So, now what?"
Remus sighed. "I wish that I had better news for you. Dora is working on the Death Eaters that we do have, but unfortunately none of them are exactly high-ranking followers, and I'm afraid that they're not going to have any new information for us, if any. The DMLE is dealing with the mess that is the causeway. And Flitwick and I are running the castle."
"What happened on the causeway?"
"Nothing good," Remus said as he told Harry what had happened. When he got to the part about the Inferi Army rising from the sea, Harry's eyes widened.
"They came from the sea?"
Remus nodded. "Yes. Voldemort obviously has been amassing them for some time. They came from ship wrecks because the amount of dead that arose… it was a blood bath. Only fire can take care of Inferi and as you know, controlling fire is one of the hardest tasks one can do. Once we set the spark, there's no going back. Once the Inferi attacked, the wolves, vampires, and Death Eaters took off along with the giants and I let Greyback get away."
"How?"
"He was… I went to save Dora."
"Tonks was in danger," Harry said. "Of course you went to her! You can't blame yourself for that!"
"Yes, but I still shouldn't have let him get away. If I would have just tossed him off that bloody cliff he wouldn't have attacked Bill."
"Bill was attacked?"
Remus tapped his fingers on his knee. "By Greyback. I didn't see it as Dora and I were entangled in another fight, but he… mauled him. Bill can't speak. His larynx is quite a mess, but he's doing all right otherwise. Percy sent word about an hour ago. He will be scarred, but he won't turn. They're working on his voice. Zee saved his life."
Harry tried to imagine fighting an army of Inferi amongst werewolves and vampires and the image was terrifying. If he had seen someone attacking Ginny, he would have turned away as well. But he knew that Remus was beating himself up over it. He knew how disturbed and deranged Greyback was and he knew how much Remus wanted him dead after everything that he had done to Remus in the past. Not to mention the way that he had been stalking and taunting Tonks over the past few months.
"We tried to hold them off here in the castle. They came out of that secret passage that's been caved in for years. I was looking for Ginny on the Marauder's Map and recognized the names of the Death Eaters. Ron and I were coming back from the pitch and we tried to hold them off."
"You did hold them off," Remus assured him. "This attack on Hogwarts, it was a distraction. They wanted Dumbledore and Slughorn and as far as I know, they believe Slughorn's dead which means that they got what they wanted. As to how they got in… someone told them about the passageway being blocked. Someone took the time to move the rocks, to let them know that they needed to come through that way and I don't think it was Snape which leads me to believe that there's another spy in the castle."
"But you don't know who?"
Remus shook his head. "No. But the only person unaccounted for is Carthaginian."
Harry frowned. "Professor Carthaginian?"
"We can't find her. In fact, there's no trace of her, Harry. Flitwick reached out to her fiancé, Leonardo Fannucci, and he isn't even engaged to her. He's engaged to a woman named Belladonna Brambilla."
"But… he came to the Yule Ball with her back in fourth year?"
Remus nodded. "He did which tells us that he's in on the con. Fannucci is one of Rome's top fashion designers and I've heard rumours that he's a pureblood elitist, but never anything concrete about him being a supporter of Voldemort. But if Brambilla is Carthaginian, that's another story."
"Is that significant? I don't recognize the name."
"Yes," Remus said. "Brambilla is one of the oldest pureblood families in Italy and I know of only one other person with the same name. Brambilla was the maiden name of Bellarosa Zabini."
Harry's eyes widened. "As in Blaise's mother?"
Remus' fingers continued to tap on his knee. "As in one in the same."
"Did Blaise know?"
Remus leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. "I don't know. This is all speculation as it is, but the name… the Brambilla sisters were known for their beauty. I remember Monty and Fee talking about the Brambilla-Zabini wedding in Italy and how it was going to be the biggest event of the season. Zabini went to school here in England, but his family lived in Italy. Bellarosa never attended Hogwarts. She went to Durmstrang so if Brambilla is her sister, that means she knew Professor Draogmir."
Harry looked over at Zee as she stirred before he turned back to his father. "So, what does it all mean? Was she here spying on us this whole time?"
Remus shrugged. "I don't know, Harry. Flitwick and I are looking into it. In the meantime, you get some rest."
Harry looked like he was going to protest as Zee took his hand.
"Listen to Remus," Zee said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "You need your rest, sweetie. You scared ten years off of my life with the amount of blood you were losing."
He nodded. "I'm sorry, Zee."
She kissed his forehead. "When Remus and I learn anything else new, we will fill you in. In the meantime, sleep. It's only three in the morning. Sleep and heal. You broke two ribs. Again. Not to mention the scratches and cuts and blood loss you underwent. You've landed yourself with another scar."
Harry grinned sheepishly. "What's another one, really?"
"Not the point, young man," she said, sternly.
His smile widened. "You can't even say that with a straight face."
Zee tapped his nose with her finger before she pulled his glasses off. "Go to sleep, Troublemaker. Heal. When you come home, I'm going to want some help with Leo and Mina and you won't be able to do that if you're not healed."
Harry sighed as he settled himself back down in the hospital bed. "What about Ginny?"
"You will have no contact with her until we can figure this thing out," Zee told him. "It's for your own safety as well as hers. Did Remus tell you that Hermione and another student are looking into the potion?"
"But how long will that take?"
Zee bent her head and kissed his forehead again. "A while. The moment we know anything, I promise you that you'll be the first to know."
Harry sighed and reluctantly closed his eyes as Zee tucked him back in. When she kissed his cheek again, he opened one eye.
"You're not going to stay here all night, are you? Mina and Leo need you at home."
"I just wanted to see you wake up. I'm going to head back home. Remus will be staying at the castle if you need him. Now, go to sleep."
"If by at the castle, you mean by his bedside, yes, that's where I'll be," Remus said as Harry rolled his eyes.
"I'm okay, honest."
"We know," Remus said. "Now, go to sleep."
He closed his eyes again, soothed by the feel of her fingers gently threading through his hair and tried to shut off his brain. But he couldn't help but worry about Ginny, about Dumbledore, and everything else.
Had Snape fully turned to Voldemort?
How were Andy and Ted were removing Dark Marks?
Was Carthaginian really a spy?
What did it mean for Dumbledore to be missing?
What was he going to do about Ginny?
It was only when Pomfrey came over and insisted that he drink dreamless sleep potion that he was finally able to quiet his mind.
And it was only when sleep overtook him did Zee finally head home and leave him to rest as Remus firmly stayed by his bedside dozing in the chair.
~ ASC ~
Crouch was grinning from ear to ear as he let himself into the dungeon cell. The sight of Albus Dumbledore chained and shackled to the wall made him squeal.
"My, my, my, how the mighty have fallen!"
"Good evening, Bart," Dumbledore said, calmly. "It's very kind of you to come visit me."
Crouch scoffed. "I'm hardly here to visit you, Dumbledore."
Dumbledore only stared at him, his piercing blue eyes seeming to bore into him. "Then why have you come?"
"You were bested by the Dark Lord! How does it feel?"
"Was I? Perhaps I am merely where I am supposed to be."
Crouch sneered. "I rather doubt that."
He flicked his wand and the chains holding Dumbledore slid higher, forcing the old man to his feet, arms above his head, his toes brushing the stone and Crouch grinned.
"More comfortable?"
Dumbledore only stared at him, his piercing blue eyes on his as if he could see right through him. Crouch fought the urge to fidget in discomfort.
"The Dark Lord is going to show you why he's the greatest wizard to ever have lived," Crouch exclaimed. "He's going to show the world why he's greater than Albus Dumbledore. You were fooled for years and he's about to prove it."
Crouch flicked his wand again and the runes in the stone lit up.
"Have to make sure they're strong. I wouldn't want anything to mess with them."
"I don't have a wand, Bart," Dumbledore said. "Surely you're not nervous that I could still defeat you without one?"
Crouch licked his bottom lip. "Crucio!"
Dumbledore didn't make a sound as his body twitched and shifted in the chains from where he hung from the ceiling. When the curse lifted, Crouch grinned.
"No, I'm not nervous. I can't wait to watch the Dark Lord destroy you. It will be the most wonderful sight. Don't worry, Bellarosa and Belladonna will be here to watch. You can hear all about how they fooled you for so long."
Dumbledore panted as the door closed behind him and Crouch clapped his hands together, grinning at Rabastan.
"We have Albus Fucking Dumbledore locked in a cell."
Rabastan laughed. "We do. The Dark Lord is speaking to Lockhart about his travels for the moment while everyone regroups. Until we're needed again, let's go to France."
Crouch grinned. "Your wife?"
Rabastan nodded. "She's starting to get a bit fat from the baby, but she'll love it when we both fuck her at the same time. We can make your wives watch while they wait their turns."
Crouch cackled, looping his arm through Rabastan's. "I can't wait. Let's go have ourselves a party."
Neither of them looked back as Dumbledore was left alone in the cell, chained and hanging from the ceiling, limbs still twitching from the Cruciatus Curse as the runes vibrated around him.
End Author's Notes:
Death Eaters in the castle
1. Bellatrix Lestrange
2. Barty Crouch Jr
3. Rabastan Lestrange
4. Woodrow Selwyn
5. Abel Rowle
6. Bellarosa Zabini
7. Adrian Pucey
8. Marcus Belby
9. Holden Ledbury
10. Greg Goyle
11. Lucian Bole
12. Unknown DE
13. Snape
14. Carthaginian/Brambilla?
This is the end of what can be considered Part Eight. Chapter 277 will start Part Nine which is essentially, seventh year. I know, I can't believe it either!
Part I — Chapters 1-49: Harry's first year with his dads
Part II — Chapters 50-61: Harry growing up with a family, ages 7-11
Part III — Chapters 62-73: First year
Part IV — Chapters 74-105: Second year
Part V — Chapters 106-143: Third year
Part VI — Chapters 144-179: Fourth year
Part VII — Chapters 180-222: Fifth year
Part VIII — Chapters 223-276: Sixth year
Part IX — Chapters 277-present: Seventh year
Thank you for reading and please review!