Chapter 49
OPERATION PESTICIDE
Diagon Alley became very crowded when I lead my former study group, current fighting force, there to be ready for our first offensive. Each member was wearing a bullet-proof vest and gloves made of the Basilisk skin that had lain in the cavernous part of the Chamber of Secrets for centuries. Basilisk skin was as strong and magic resistant as dragon skin, making it immensely useful in war. Unfortunately, there had not been enough skin to make full suits for everyone, but I was wearing one. I had every intention to lead from the front, and therefore I would be targeted more than anyone else.
Karkaroff stood next to me, as did Flint. Cedric and most of my other study group lieutenants were also present, as well as Ethan Jugson who had come at my request, bringing with him many Slytherins who had graduated from Hogwarts within a few years, six of whom had Muggle military training. Once everyone would have arrived, I would have gathered a force of more than two hundred. Voldemort had put almost the entire Britain on its knees with a much smaller group whose members had been only slightly more experienced in combat situations. Now he had almost nothing, but I had the element of surprise on my side for a while.
Lucius, Theodore and Robert had not yet arrived, and as I waited, I heard the sound of an Apparition from the nearest Apparition Point. I turned to look, ready for a fight, but the newcomers were Harry, Remus and a tall, black-haired man.
"Here we are," Remus said, not sounding very enthusiastic.
"Good. You might not be the only Order member to seize this opportunity to take the fight to Voldemort. I sent Fred and George to inform Arthur and Bill. We might make the Order split apart, and I wouldn't mind it at all."
"I have brought some help as well," Remus said and gestured the black-haired man to come forward. "You remember when I told you about my trying to find out the truth about Sirius Black? Well – it turned out I was right. He's innocent, it was Peter who betrayed James and Lily…"
"This is Sirius Black?" I asked, studying the unknown man.
"He's on our side, Tom," Harry said firmly. "And he's my godfather."
"Remus has told me about you, Valedro," Black said. "I've got to say, I'm impressed with what you're doing right now."
"You're not one of those who blindly follow Dumbledore, I take it?"
Black gave a short, bark-like laughter.
"After he wasn't interested at all about my case? Nope!"
"Well, I hope you're not upset that we will be cooperating with a few former Death Eaters," I said. "Here they come."
Lucius, Theodore and the other defectors were striding hastily towards me from the direction of Gringotts. Remus watched their approach with great trepidation, his hand close to the pocket where he kept his wand.
"I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered.
"Their involvement is imperative for our success. It is for the Greater Good."
"Could you please stop saying that? It was –"
"I know it was Grindelwald's motto, but he was never truly for the Greater Good. I am, and I refuse to stop doing what is right just because someone might get upset by historical associations."
Lucius eyed the people around me with a hint of contempt in the corner of his mouth.
"Mr Valedro, I strongly suggest we begin at once," he said. "Tom Riddle is no doubt already preparing to ward his hideouts against us. We do not have much time."
"That's why we will split our forces and attack simultaneously as many of his hideouts as possible," I said. "You will accompany me on an attack on Lestrange Manor. Theodore Nott will lead an attack on Walden Macnair's house in Upper Flagley and Charles Nott on Simon Avery's house near Hogsmeade. Which other hideouts should be targeted?"
"Alecto and Amycus Carrow offered their house in Kent for the use of Riddle," Lucius said. "Thorfinn Rowle's house in Norfolk was warded after the Azkaban breakout, but I am not sure what it was planned for. Mulciber's house was discovered by the Ministry after the war, but his secondary residence in Anglesey remains a Death Eater hideout. Death Eaters who have been given the Dark Mark after Riddle's return are Stephen Gibbon, Corban Yaxley and John Selwyn. Gibbon and Yaxley live in Knockturn Alley, Selwyn in Tinworth, Cornwall."
"Robert Jugson senior will lead our attack on the Carrow house," I decided, "and junior on Rowle's house. Crabbe will take a group led by Karkaroff to Mulciber's secondary residence and Goyle a group lead by Flint to Selwyn's house. As for Knockturn Alley…"
"Gibbon and Yaxley are housing many new recruits," Robert Jugson junior said. "I've already contacted those of them that I know personally and told them to get the heck out of there. However, the fight will be fierce."
"Yeah," said Black. "I've become very familiar with the criminal underworld of wizarding Britain, and as of late, I've noticed many fishy blokes assembling regularly in Knockturn Alley."
"And our forces will be stretched thin if we carry out so many simultaneous attacks," I said thoughtfully. "Very well, we will deal with Knockturn Alley later. Once you've cleared your targets, return here."
"There is also Fenrir Greyback's 'pack' of werewolves," Remus reminded me. "They are hiding in the Welsh mountains."
"And they are ready to attack if the order comes," Theodore added. "We should not underestimate them; many of them are fully trained wizards and can Apparate, for instance. Then there are also the giants who have been coming from the Caucasus Mountains, but I am not as concerned about them. They cannot mobilise so fast."
"I will send an invisible flying patrol to keep an eye on the werewolves," I said. "That way we will know at once if they move out. They are of greater threat than the criminals in Knockturn Alley and will be dealt with first. Still, also Knockturn Alley must be watched just in case."
"Give the orders and let us move," Lucius said impatiently. "There are people watching us, and it is entirely possible that Riddle might learn of our meeting from one of them and launch a surprise attack on us at any moment."
There was much truth in his words, so I used the Sonorus Charm on myself and gave the orders to my little army.
"Show no hesitation!" I ended the briefing. "If they fight back, you must curse them down – no quarter."
The troops replied in affirmation and quickly began to Disapparate from the alley, grasping the arms of the former Death Eaters to be guided to their destinations. I turned to face my group and found myself face to face with Hermione who looked concerned.
"Tom," she said with a slightly wavering voice, "I joined your campaign in order to stop Voldemort and the genocide he wants. I do not want participate in anything that uses similar methods!"
"Our campaign is not genocide," I said, "more like – pesticide. Everyone who still stands with Voldemort has chosen his fate. Rest assured, we will give them one opportunity to surrender. If they won't, they will have chosen death – suicide in which we will only be the weapon."
Hermione did not seem completely convinced, but she did not argue anymore, and the group began assembling around Lucius.
Lestrange Manor was located in a remote place near the windy west coast of Ireland. There was a wide park around it with huge ancient trees blocking the view from the outside even from those who were able find the place. It seemed the park had not been maintained at all after Edmond Lestrange's death in 1979, and the formerly neat lawns had become a dense jungle of saplings taller than a man. Fortunately, every member of my army was equipped with a broomstick, and we flew over the impenetrable vegetation.
"We are inside the wards!" Lucius said as he flew as the spearhead of our attack. "And look! Riddle has already sent people here to change the wards! Quick, if they are able finish what they are doing, we will be repelled from here very violently."
There was a small group of wizards standing near the gloomy, dilapidated manor in the middle of the park. They were all gesturing in a hurry, carefully coordinating the movements of their wands, as if conducting an invisible orchestra. I recognised it as powerful enchanting at once. Luckily, Voldemort was not there, the most important of the hideouts known to Lucius, which meant he was probably in his secret headquarters, giving my army almost free rein for the moment.
"They are not all Death Eaters," Lucius said, peering through the foliage of an oak. "The man in charge is Thorfinn Rowle, but the rest are mercenaries of some sort, sympathisers mainly from the continent."
"Are there any other Death Eaters stationed here?" I asked.
"Only Wormtail," Lucius said.
"Finally!" Sirius Black growled from behind me.
With one swift wave, my group of twenty-six fighters flew over the trees nearest to the manor. Our first volley of Stunning Charms felled four of the mercenaries before they could react, but then Rowle was already bellowing orders, and the fight began. There were still five mercenaries remaining, and they backed towards the entrance of the manor and fired curses.
I had arranged my forces so that the best casters of offensive spells were at the front, followed closely by those more proficient in defensive spells. This way Shield Charms could be produced without needing to halt the attack, and with us outnumbering them so severely, we had the upper hand.
"Jam their logistics and communications!" I ordered, and a few of my Charms experts began to place around the manor the Anti-Apparition Anti-Portkey Wards and the Anti-Floo Jinx as well as the runes that created the ward that Moody had used at his place to prevent the Protean Charm from working.
Ten members of my group, those who I had judged the least capable fighters, remained circling the manor and were ready to stop anyone trying to flee, and the rest followed me as I soared towards the entrance. Lucius, who knew the layout of the building, was right behind me, and after them came Remus, Black and twelve students, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny among them.
One of the mercenaries had been stationed in the entrance hall. He was shaking with fear, but managed to cast some feeble curse at me as I flew through the doorway. Several Stunning Charms knocked him over, and I tied him with the Incarcerous Spell for good measure.
"We will interrogate him afterwards," I said. "Prepare for indoors combat."
"There are three doors here and stairs to the upper floor," Remus said. "We will have to split up too much for my liking."
"Just wait," I said and turned into my Animagus form.
There were some things that even the Supersensory Charm and the Infrared Seeing Charm could not accomplish, and one of them was the incredibly keen senses of smell and sight of a snake. As I observed the entrance hall, I could see the faintly glowing doorknob that had been used a moment earlier and the smell trail of half a dozen people leading through the door. None of the other doors stood out like that.
I returned into my human form, pointed at the right door and said, "That one."
"Nice Transfiguration," Black said.
"Oh, I think I should thank you for it," I said. "I learned this art from your worm-tailed friend who, I was told, learned it from you."
We rushed through the door to the next room, a dusty, once-elegant dining hall. There were three more doors, and I chose the right one the same way as the first one, and we attacked the family museum behind it. Rowle and the four mercenaries were there, furiously casting curses at the fireplace in an attempt to break the Anti-Floo Jinx.
"Stop!" I cried. "I have no quarrel with you foreign…"
My peaceful offer was turned down with five curses blasting against me. We managed to deflect them all and then began our attack. I produced two Whips of Malice and occupied two of the mercenaries. Lucius demonstrated his frightening proficiency in duelling by forcing Rowle back, and Remus and Black attacked the last two mercenaries. As the rest of the group were attentive and cast Shield Charms whenever one of the enemies had an opening, we were winning very quickly.
Rowle realised his disadvantage and fought without caring even about his own health. He had been sentenced to Azkaban because of the many mass murders he had committed during the previous war, and now he unleashed all his bloodlust. Tables, glass cabinets and suits of armour, not to mention a chandelier, were tossed around as projectiles, destroying the heirlooms of the House of Lestrange. The museum became a death-trap, and one of the mercenaries was unlucky enough to be killed by the chaos Rowle caused.
We tried to stop him with a volley of spells, but he barricaded himself behind a large table in a corner, grabbed the last mercenary by the throat and used him as a living shield. Then he just continued his attacks.
"Amplio Gravitas," I said and pointed at the ceiling above him. It groaned loudly and then collapsed. Rowle tried to escape the corner, but as the ceiling fell on him, his neck was left between the edge of the table and the falling rubble, breaking his spine and killing him.
The last mercenary was left whimpering under the debris.
"Disarm and interrogate him," I said to two of the seventh-year students of my group. "Others, spread out and be alert for surprises. I will search the rest of the place."
"There is a basement," Lucius said. "The stairs down are in the next room."
He guided me through a dark gallery into a steep stairway. The cold, moist stone walls were so close to one another that it was impossible to descend the stairs without brushing against them. The stairs ended in a dimly lit space with a very low ceiling being held up by pillars. The air smelt of mould and a variety of potions.
I advanced slowly with Lucius. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Remus and Black came down after having checked the rest of the first floor rooms, and together we were able to find vast storages of potions and ingredients, most of which we could use ourselves.
Something rustled close to me as I was studying the potions, and I instinctively cast a Stunning Charm, but the cause of disturbance had been just a rat – no, not just a rat, but a rat with a silver foreleg. Grinning, I grabbed it and turned towards the others.
"Ron," I said, "I know I promised you'd get Scabbers back in good health, but it won't be my fault if his health deteriorates during his reunion with Padfoot, Moony and Prongs's son."
"Whatever," Ron said, and I tossed the rat to Black who had a savage expression on his face.
I continued with Lucius to the farthest corner of the basement and found massive piles of gold. It seemed Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange had withdrawn most of their savings from Gringotts after I had been there with Bellatrix in January. No doubt it had been the wealth of the House of Lestrange that Voldemort had used when recruiting mercenaries from the continent.
"Your mother is the sister of the late Edmond Lestrange, is she not?" I asked Lucius. "No, don't answer that. I witnessed the first steps of her romance with your father, after all. Anyway, she is the legal heiress of the House of Lestrange, and all this gold belongs to her. Why wouldn't you relocate it someplace where my brother won't come looking for it?"
"Yes, this gold is rightfully ours," Lucius said and got to work.
Once everything was done at Lestrange Manor, we attacked the anchor stone of the wards of the place and totally dismantled the magical protections. This way, even if Voldemort came back there at some point, it would take a long time for him to turn it into a fortress again, and I would be sending someone to check the manor every day.
The surviving mercenaries knew nothing of great importance. Lucius sent them to the cell in the cellar of Malfoy Manor, and we departed, heading to my army's rendezvous point on a random field. There we had a meeting of each strike force after the missions had been completed.
Every attack on Voldemort's hideouts had been successful. Our casualties were zero; some people had suffered minor injuries, but they had already been healed. Cormac McLaggen's robes had caught fire, but thanks to the Potion of Salamander's Essence, he had not been hurt. Avery's house had been empty, but the rest guarded by criminals and mercenaries. All wards had been dismantled, and Voldemort had been forced even further into a corner.
Harry had got his revenge for his parents being betrayed and Sirius Black for his imprisonment, and it was time to give Remus his revenge too. After a very brief break, almost my entire army left for Wales where we, each of us riding a broom, surrounded the forest that Fenrir Greyback had chosen as the campsite of the werewolves he ruled with an iron fist.
Alarmed shouts broke out when the werewolves noticed us flying above them, but we were quick to place Anti-Apparition, Anti-Portkey and Anti-Floo Wards around the campsite. Before any spells were fired, Remus cast the Sonorus Charm on himself and addressed his kin.
"Listen to me! I am Remus Lupin, a werewolf like you. I have spoken to many of you about this before and I will do so one more time. Lord Voldemort is not the tiniest bit concerned about your rights and well-being, he just wants to use you to achieve his personal goals. Do not be his pawns; it will do you no good. We give you this opportunity to leave this place peacefully."
Some of the werewolves started to debate heatedly, but a mighty howl undoubtedly by Fenrir Greyback silenced them. Well, if they respected ruthless power, I might make a real impression on them.
"My name is Tom Valedro!" I said, voice amplified. "My forces outnumber yours severely. Make no mistake; I will have no qualms about cutting you down if I have to. If you surrender and bother me no more, I will leave you be. If you choose to fight, you choose to die. I give you five minutes. Those who come out, slowly and hands up, will be free to go. If you bring me Fenrir Greyback's head, I will reward you and do my best to ensure that the Ministry will no longer consider you monsters."
A few werewolves, a dozen or so, broke apart from their pack running, then slowed down and stepped through the boundary of the wards with their hands up. Some apparently decided to attack Greyback, for there were shouts and flashes of light under the foliage, but they were violently cursed by the pack leader.
"Take your positions, quickly!" Greyback snarled.
"Your five minutes just went down to one!" I said. "Last chance to live! Do not waste it!"
A couple more werewolves panicked and left the pack, but were fired at by Greyback's loyalists. I waited until the time was up and then started the attack, and my army quickly followed suit. Everyone was using the Infrared Seeing Charm, making it easy to spot the werewolves even when they tried to take cover from bushes and branches. Curses were fired up and down, but as my study group had learned, it was very difficult to hit a fast flying target. We had every advantage in the fight.
The barrage lasted only for a minute before no more curses were fired up from the ground. I descended carefully and landed next to the fire pit at the central clearing of the campsite. Everything was blasted apart, a few tents were on fire and Fenrir Greyback sprawled on the ground, injured and without his wand. I tied his hands behind his back and stepped closer, Harry coming with me. He looked revolted.
"Do you have any plans you'd like to share with us?" I asked the werewolf.
"I wouldn't tell you even if I knew," Greyback growled.
"There has to be a reason you have gathered here," I said. "You must've received some orders from your master – to be ready to attack."
"Do you think I fear you more than I fear the Dark Lord?"
"Maybe you should. Look at you now!"
"Ha! I know your lot," Greyback barked. "You have nothing to threaten me with. I noticed how most of your people used the Stunning Charm instead of anything lethal. You're weak! The Dark Lord will free me in no time, and then I will continue hunting you."
"That is exactly why I don't take prisoners," I said, smirking. "So long, Fenrir."
"What are you doing?" Harry interrupted me as I pointed my wand at Greyback. "You can't kill him! That goes against everything Dumbledore believes in! We are better than them!"
Greyback chuckled maliciously.
"Dumbledore should have never led any war effort," I said. "This is war, and casualties are unavoidable. Trying to save lives is often counter-productive. Dumbledore's softness is a weakness that has caused many deaths. We would've faced many fewer mercenaries if the Lestranges had been executed at the end of the last war, because then Voldemort wouldn't have had the funds to hire anyone. Someone may yet die because of it. How many innocent lives are you willing to sacrifice for Greyback?"
Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times. When no words came out, I turned to face Greyback again. The werewolf's smirk was gone, and his eyes looked worried.
"Diffindo," I said softly.
The Severing Charm decapitated the werewolf instantly. As blood poured out from the stump of his neck, I turned back towards Harry. He stared at Greyback's corpse, shocked. He needed to see this in order to become someone who could help me ridding the world of Voldemort and Dumbledore.
"Let Voldemort come here and find the remains of this pack," I said. "We have at least one more battle to fight today. Knockturn Alley awaits!"
The atmosphere in Diagon Alley had changed drastically after our forenoon meeting. Fewer people were walking down the alley and some shops were closing ahead of time. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement seemed to be present in large numbers.
"Report," I said to the seventh-year student whom I had tasked with keeping an eye on Knockturn Alley from above.
"Our activities have not gone unnoticed, sir," he said and handed me the Evening Prophet.
"Outbreak of violent skirmishes," I read aloud as my lieutenants gathered around me in midair. "Minister Fudge expresses his concerns about attacks on civilians."
"The entire Upper Flagley heard it when we dismantled the wards of Macnair's house," Theodore said. "And many villagers witnessed us hunting down the fleeing criminals afterwards."
"The same happened with us in Tinworth," Flint said. "The Prophet must've had a reporter there."
"Even though Avery's house was empty, the wards were strong, and breaking them caused quite a noise in the highlands as well," Charles said.
"And the Ministry knew we would come back here," Lucius said and pointed towards Gringotts.
A group of Aurors approached on brooms slowly, keeping their distance. They were being led by John Dawlish, one of the Aurors I had met when breaking into the Black townhouse two years previously.
"You there!" Dawlish shouted. "The Ministry of Magic has declared wizarding London a Special Enforcement Area. No meetings of more than five people at a time. We also have a huge number of reports of violations of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, and it seems obvious to me that the young members of your group are the ones who committed these violations!"
"Stay back," I replied. "We are here to fight the followers of the Dark Lord Voldemort, not you, but if you try to stop us, we will fight back. Besides, you do not have the numbers to arrest but a small portion of us."
Dawlish clenched his jaw furiously, but acquiesced. He flew some distance further back, but remained vigilant with the other Aurors.
"Normal procedure of jamming logistics," I said and a few dozen of my troops left to fly above the houses along Knockturn Alley, placing wards. Once it was finished, I took a position at the end of the alley and used the Sonorus Charm again.
"Residents of Knockturn Alley! This alley is hereby declared a war zone. Come out of your homes, slowly and carefully, and keep your hands up. Those of you who do so are free to leave unharmed. Those of you who stay choose to stand against us. Many people have done so today alone, and they ended up regretting it."
Again, those not devoted to the cause of the Dark Lord fled in panic. Many witches and wizards came out of the buildings along the alley and approached us fearfully, among them at least two werewolves whom we had just let go in Wales. Some goblins were there doing some black market trade, but they left without particularly vocal protests. The small hag community of Knockturn Alley came out of their cellars as well, and I spotted a vampire hiding from daylight under a large parasol as he left. However, with my magically heightened hearing I noticed that in many houses there were still people inside, whispering in agitation. A group of seventh-year students flew invisibly from house to house and marked each one with a number indicating how many people appeared to be inside.
"We have to split our forces again," I said. "Each house will be stormed with superior numbers. Yaxley has a big house; I will lead the attack on it. Some must stay here to keep the Aurors at bay."
After a few minutes the flow of people and beings stopped, and I gave the signal to attack. My army rushed into attack with the movements of experts; in the Room of Requirement I had created a battlefield that represented an urban environment, and we had learned from experience how it was best to attack a fortified house. The criminals recruited by Voldemort put up a fight, but as we threw tear gas grenades and Dungbombs through every window, they quickly ran out into the open and were easy pickings for our flying fighters.
But as we approached Yaxley's house near the far end of the alley, I heard many of the criminals reciting the incantation of the Bubble-Head Charm. There had to be someone competent and resourceful leading them, hopefully another Death Eater.
Curses were fired from the windows of Yaxley's house. We fired back, tearing apart most of the façade of the building, and I led a group of the most hardened fighters through the door. Lucius, Theodore, Karkaroff and I all had Whips of Malice ready, and as we entered the entrance hall full of enemy combatants, we let loose such a whirlwind of destruction that I had never seen anything like it. More army members came in after us, and the enemies were quickly defeated. They were criminals and mercenaries, no Death Eaters to lead them, but some had fled through a door deeper into the building.
"It's cold in here," Harry noted.
"They may have some potions simmering," I said. "There are a few that require a cold environment. Let's stop them before anything foul is unleashed against us!"
I ran to the door and kicked it open. Horrible, wintry cold draft blew against me, but I ran onward, suddenly seeing very cold colours with my Infrared Seeing Charm. There were many shadowy shapes in there, and I was suddenly concerned about running into a trap. The shapes let out a coarse laughter and started a counter-attack.
"Avada Kedavra!" I yelled, pointing at one of the shapes, but it dodged easily.
Harry was right beside me, his face distorted with fury.
"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled as well, felling one of the enemies. "Crucio! Az-reth!"
Fiendfyre erupted in infernal fury, illuminating the dark hall in crimson light. Finally, I saw the enemies: they were monsters, looking crueller and filthier than any human being I had ever seen. Some of them were retreating through another door.
"Push forward!" I cried. "Kill them all! Avada Kedavra! Crucio!"
I lunged through the door, shattering it with a wordless curse. I made just one glimpse at the room behind it, and came to a halt.
It was a huge, rectangular hall with a cavernous ceiling and a round pit at the centre. Stone benches descended in steep steps like an amphitheatre towards a dais at the bottom, and on the dais was an ancient archway with an endlessly rippling veil. The hall was full of people… and suddenly I recognised everyone there.
There was Myrtle, the girl whose ghost haunted the bathroom with the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, glaring at me with deadly hate. Gilderoy Lockhart was there too, toying with the wand I thought was in my rear pocket. Next to him stood the Muggle murderer who I had used to break the curse of the ring Horcrux. Bellatrix was there, and Snape, and Umbridge, all grinning viciously… Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Quentin Travers… even Thorfinn Rowle and Fenrir Greyback had somehow made it there.
"Avada Kedavra!" I snarled and sent the green bolt of the Killing Curse at Greyback, but he did not bother even to dodge: the bolt struck him and had no effect whatsoever.
Someone laughed contemptuously. There were still two more people in the hall, just next to the archway: Augustus Rookwood and someone whom he had forced on his knees.
"How nice of you to join us, Tom," Rookwood jeered. "You will now witness my plan coming to fruition! Surely you know who this is?"
He forced the prisoner's head up, and I saw the snake-like face of Voldemort.
"Your other self, son of a Squib and a Muggle!" Rookwood cackled. "The Dark Lord born to those without magic, now fulfilling his destiny!"
Before I could react, Rookwood raised his hand high. He held aloft a dreadful sacrificial dagger and then plunged it into Voldemort's heart. Light flashed, ground trembled and the Veil fluttered as though in a hurricane.
Rookwood kept laughing, and I watched in horror as a dark shape took form on the others side of the Veil. It stepped through, and once again I saw Death in his full otherworldly glory. His red eyes scanned the hall, and as the people I thought I had killed dissipated, he declared in a thunderous yet ethereally musical voice,
"There is no escape. Bow before the god of death, mortals, for I have come to claim this world!"
"Tom!" I heard Harry's voice shouting frantically.
Death locked his eyes upon mine.
"You thought you could escape me, Tom Riddle," he said and strode forwards. "Do you remember our first encounter? Would you like me to make it come true? I wonder how many millennia you will stand looking at the dead world before my realm begins to feel appealing to you."
"Hold on, Tom!" Harry's voice echoed again. "Expecto Patronum!"
Bright light flowed into the hall, but I stood frozen, just staring at Death as he approached.
"Hopeless!" Death bellowed and took my arm into his icy grip. "Life is fleeting, death is the fate of all things!"
"It's just a Dementor!" Harry cried. Finally, I managed to turn to look, and I saw him running, the bright silver stag galloping beside him. I turned to look the other way again, and I saw Death grimacing as he tugged my arm.
"Your fate is sealed! The end of days is upon you!" he said, his voice frighteningly hypnotising.
"Expecto Patronum!" I tried and waved my wand, but as always, I did not feel anything but endless misery. The only spell to save me from the horrible demons of all negative feelings was beyond me.
The shining stag leapt over me and rammed Death with its antlers, and suddenly I could see clearly again: it was not Death that had grasped me, but a black-cloaked monstrosity. Its hood was down and a hellish mouth to nothingness was but inches from my face. Repulsed, I turned away and realised that I was lying on a dirty basement floor. As the Dementor was repelled, warmth flowed into my shaking limbs and I felt slightly less miserable.
"This is bad!" I heard Remus saying. "They are already in league with Dementors! Azkaban is still full of Voldemort's loyalists even after the Death Eaters escaped in January."
Harry and Ginny helped me on my feet again. All triumph and enthusiasm about our successful initiative had disappeared, but I forced myself to play the role of the commander again.
"Is the alley secured?" I groaned.
"Yes, sir," Flint said. "We caught Stephen Gibbon. He is unconscious, but we're ready to interrogate him with Veritaserum. Yaxley fled before we managed to catch him."
"We faced fifty criminals and mercenaries, and some of them were killed," Derrick added.
"Why don't we call it a day?" Remus suggested. "It's getting late, everyone is tired, and we don't even know what to do next. We have to find Voldemort's headquarters before we can start the next attack."
"Sounds reasonable," I mumbled. "We will have a briefing at seven o'clock in the morning."
Before then I would eat a ton of chocolate and try to find my motivation again. Rookwood's taunts continued to ring in my ears, and I was afraid of what Voldemort might do when I would get him cornered. Who knew, perhaps Rookwood had given him a secret weapon that would actually make my vision come true…
Albus Dumbledore sat in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts and studied the chessboard. With a twist of the Elder Wand, he moved many of the white pieces to surround the black queen and the remaining black pawns; but the white king stayed where it stood. Then, he changed the colour of these renegade white pieces to grey to symbolise their alliance with the defected Death Eaters led by Lucius Malfoy. After a brief deliberation, Dumbledore Transfigured one of the grey pawns into a knight. Tom Valedro deserved this recognition for his ability to create chaos.
The black king stood alone in a corner.
Posted on the 28th of June, 2021.
The next chapter will be posted on the 29th of June, 2021.