A/N: This is book 2 of a 3 part story in the Oaths Universe. It will not make the slightest bit of sense if you have not already read book one, The Paths We Tread. This is an A/U. There are no horcruxes, and very little of the plot from books 6 and 7 will be kept.

It's taken a long time to piece this together, and I apologize for that. A combination of world events, personal events, and a demanding job have taken up most of my time and energy. Hopefully this was worth the wait.

Also… minor announcement. I have decided that after the conclusion of this 3-part series, I am going to write two prologues: one following Lily and the Marauders at the start of the war, probably to begin in their 5th or 6th years, and one following the Weasley family, mostly Bill and Arthur, as they work their illicit jobs. The Weasley one will span the longest, as I have now revealed that Bill was really working in the background from the time Harry is 7 until the start of "Paths," when he is nearly sixteen… but Arthur has been doing this for decades.

So basically… this world isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I've made it so complicated that I think I can wring that much of a story out of it. We'll see how I do.

With that said… so it begins.

~*~ALIBI

The Bonds We Break

Prologue:

Can You Hear Me

"Take the children and yourself

And hide out in the cellar.

By now the fighting will be close at hand.

Don't believe the Church and State

And everything they tell you….

Believe in me;

I'm with the High Command.

Can you hear me?"

-Silent Running by Hidden Citizens

(Original by Mike & the Mechanics)

Godric's Hollow

October 31, 1981

Christ, but she was tired.

With a weary sigh, she stepped back from the counter and placed the last dish in the drainer, one hand coming up to squeeze the back of her neck as she did so. Letting out a slow, steady breath, she shot a glance back over her shoulder, then opened the kitchen door and stepped out into the garden.

The sun was sinking down below the horizon, and she smiled as she watched the sky start to turn a soft pink. A soft rustling sounded at her feet and she felt a tickle at her ankle, and she looked down to see Serena slithering up out of the shrub to her right.

She bent down and gently scooped the little snake up in her palm, smiling as she raised Serena to eye level. The snake's head bobbed back and forth and her tongue flickered quickly as she tasted the air around them, and Lily simply waited.

"Sssssommmeeethhhinngg comesssss," the little snake hissed, and Lily's brows drew together in alarm. "I ssssmell evil."

A sudden loud pop echoed through the air, and Lily glanced up to see Peter materialize on the walkway. Hurriedly, she slipped Serena in her sleeve, greeting Peter with a smile. The pudgy man smiled back at her as he huffed his way up the walk, sweat beading up on his forehead already.

"James is asleep on the couch," she told Peter softly, and the man simply nodded at her as he passed, the door slamming shut behind him. Lily winced as she heard Harry begin to cry in his nursery, and she let out a resigned sigh and set Serena carefully back among the bushes.

Her sweet boy was clearly exhausted, and Lily forced back a surge of guilt as she looked at his still healing forehead. Crooning softly, she lifted Harry out of the crib and held him to her chest, walking across the room to sit in the padded rocking chair by the window. The cut on Harry's head was a raw angry red, the scabs just starting to peel. She pressed her lips to the spot and whispered soothingly, and the baby fussed in her arms, his eyes starting to droop.

She could hear James and Peter talking quietly, their low, serious voices carrying up the stairs. Raising her wand, she shut the nursery door with a soft click, setting a silencing spell around them. Letting out a shaky breath, she reached into her robes and drew out the small crystal, placing the tip against the cut on Harry's forehead. She felt a slight prick on her hand and winced, then closed her eyes and began to chant. A golden light began to form in the crystal, and Lily felt an awful scraping sensation along her bones.

She gritted her teeth against the sensation as she felt her power start to slowly ebb away, the light in the crystal growing brighter and brighter as she grew weaker. Closing her eyes and setting her jaw, she relaxed her hold on the crystal and felt the tip move away from her hand, then looked down at her sleepy baby and smiled. The boy was staring up at the crystal sitting on his forehead, almost cross-eyed as he tried to gaze at the golden light inside. She giggled quietly, then murmured the release spell under her breath, and held her breath as the golden light drained out of the crystal and down into her little boy, the scab on his forehead turning almost a molten red. The boy shrieked in discomfort and she felt another stab of grief, but his pain was over as quickly as it began, the light fading slowly as the sun sank below the horizon out the window.

Lily rocked her baby gently and watched his eyes flutter shut, then stashed the crystal back in her pocket and let out another shaky breath. Carefully, she flexed her hand, shaking out her fingers as the flesh protested, and she rose slowly to her feet, moving to stand by the window.

Her motor function had returned faster this time, at least, she mused as she watched the sun disappear. Maybe it would get easier over time.

But whatever it took to protect her baby… that is what she would do. Solomon himself wouldn't have included this experiment in his tomes if he thought it would fail.

A sudden movement on the pathway caught her eye and she looked down to see Peter scurrying out of the house. The shorter man looked up, meeting her gaze, and Lily watched as his face crumbled. With a sharp pop, he disappeared, and Lily felt an odd heaviness settle over her. In the gardens below, she could see Serena, the little snake raised up with her tongue sniffing the air, staring in the direction where Peter had been.

Something comes, the snake's voice echoed in her mind. I smell evil.

A sudden chill stole over her and the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Tightening her arms around her baby, Lily raised her chin and straightened her spine. The sun disappeared, twilight stealing over the gardens, and with a soft rustling sound, the cloaked figure appeared on their walk.

Lily held her breath, looking down and meeting the glowing red eyes of her murderer. Voldemort gazed back at her and smiled, and from below, she heard her husband's voice.

"Lily! It's him! Take Harry and go!"

Solomon, she thought desperately, don't fail me now.

Stepping back from the window, she placed Harry gently back in his crib. She drew her wand with a shaking hand, moving to stand between Harry and the door.

Jaw clenched and eyes hard, she waited.

Slytherin Dungeons

Hogwarts

October 30, 1996

Kids were screaming, shattered pieces of glass and porcelain littering the floor as they ran. He leaned back against the wall, his breaths slow and shallow, and watched with narrowed eyes.

Mostri, he thought with a scowl. Sure, he'd gone to the meetings, he'd flirted with that curvy red-headed Puff, but he hadn't known what he thought of it all, not really.

But now, he did. What other word could describe those who would assault children? What could he call them, but monsters?

He sank further back into the shadows, creeping along the wall until he reached a tapestry of Catherine the Great. He knew he had that damned Coin somewhere – another scream echoed, this one louder and closer, and he looked up to see a small black-haired girl stumbling past, blood dripping down her face from a huge gash on her temple. He swore under his breath and reached out, grabbing the tiny girl around her wrist, and dragged her back with him.

The pipsqueak let out a startled gasp, and he clapped his hand over her mouth, hissing at her. With a flick of his wand, the tapestry shifted, and a small glowing door appeared behind it. The door eased open and he shoved the little girl towards it, sighing tiredly as a stream of little brats suddenly appeared out of nowhere, all scrambling in behind the little girl.

Great. Now he was standing alone, guarding nearly a dozen first years in a room full of Death Eaters.

Where was that blasted Coin?

His fingers finally closed around the tiny medallion, and he breathed a sigh of relief. With a press of his wand, he sent the SOS, flinching as the fireplace ahead burst into a towering pillar of flames in the same moment.

It was pure coincidence, true… but still. Startling.

He could see Draco across the chaotic Common Room, standing with his back ramrod straight, hands clenched at his sides. Pansy stood to his right, her face twisted in a triumphant smirk. Heart thudding loudly in his ears, Blaise scanned the room.

No Daphne. No Theo.

Dolohov was holding court in the center of the room, a sickly smile on his face. With narrowed eyes, Blaise watched the man send a jet of purple light at a nearby girl – fuck, Tracy – and she collapsed, her torso splitting down the center. Her innards spilled out onto the ground and he swallowed back bile, closing his eyes and pushing away the horrible sight. From somewhere off to his left, he heard a horrified choking noise, and he looked over to see a little brunette staring at Tracy, her face pale and her hands shaking. Swallowing harshly, he gripped her wrist and pulled her towards him, clapping a hand over her eyes. With his other hand, he squeezed her shoulder, shoving her behind him towards the hidden room.

That space had to be getting crowded. What was he going to –

Long, thin fingers clamped around his bicep and he froze, his heart thudding in his chest. He'd cast the spell perfectly, he knew the Death Eaters couldn't –

"Breathe," a soft voice hissed, and his shoulders sagged in relief, his vision graying at the edges as he recognized the voice. The blurred form beside him rippled, perfect straight blonde hair and icy blue eyes coming into view. Daphne shot him a knowing look and rubbed his arm absently, her eyes going straight to the base of the stairs where Pansy still held court.

…where Draco still stood, his eyes fixed on the violence unfolding in front of them. Behind him on the staircase, a dozen masked men stood, laughing and jeering at the crowd.

"We have to get everyone out of here," Daphne whispered, and Blaise snorted.

"Where? They're in our Common room, Daph!" Blaise shot back. "Nowhere is safe."

"Somewhere is," she murmured back, her eyes still scanning the room. "And the cavalry is on its way."

"Potter?" he asked, his brow furrowed, and a vicious grin spread across his friend's face.

"Better," she replied. Raising her wand, she shot a small bolt of static across the room, hitting a young girl across the way on the shoulder. The girl jolted, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to shrink back further behind her chair against the wall. Next to her, another kid nudged her shoulder, tilting his head towards the wall and whispering. The girl set her jaw and swallowed, nodding jerkily, then turned to her right and slipped along the wall, tapping huddled dark forms on the shoulder as she went. The boy moved the opposite direction, doing the same, and within moments, there was another stream of young students easing their way towards Blaise and Daphne's hiding spot.

He swallowed roughly, shoving his shaking hands in his pockets as the men around him jeered. With a toss of his head, he forced an arrogant smirk back onto his face and let his eyes rest on a random point on the wall.

No. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of movement. Not random. There were kids there, crouched down and moving towards the other side of the room. Where the hell did they think they were going?

Someone shoved by him, jostling his shoulder, and he looked over with a sneer as Goyle passed by. The brutish teen reached out with his beefy hands and grabbed a tiny girl by the arm, dragging her to a nearby couch. Crabbe followed, his eyes alight with glee.

The little girl began to cry, and Draco swallowed again and looked away.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" a soft voice asked from behind him, and Draco glanced back to see Astoria standing there, her pretty face twisted in a scowl. The younger girl was staring at the girl pinned down by Goyle, a look of contempt on her face.

Draco made a soft noise of assent, still watching Astoria, not the – not that. Letting out a shaky breath, he cast desperately for something to say, something harsh enough to satisfy the girl's blood-thirst.

What did you expect? he thought to himself, his hands trembling in his pockets. He looked away, then back at Astoria, half-expecting her to be glaring at him – but no. The girl wasn't even looking at him anymore. Instead, she let out a delighted squeal and bounded across the room, flinging herself into Adrian Pucey's arms the second he stepped into the Common Room. The older man shot her a feral grin and spun around, pressing her to the wall, and Draco swallowed again, turning away.

Pansy's laugh cut through the din and he jerked his gaze over to the center of the room. Everything was blurring and dulling, sounds turning to a low buzz in his ears, the faces running together – but not Pansy. The black-haired girl stood out in stark relief against the surroundings, her hair swaying in an invisible breeze, her face twisted in gleeful malice. As he watched, his best friend jumped up onto a coffee table and thrust her wand forward, shouting something he couldn't quite hear. From behind a cluster of chairs, three small girls rose up in the air, clinging to each other and screaming. Their clothes began to tear, strips of skin flaying away, and Draco swallowed back bile, his eyes burning with the horror.

What did you expect? he asked himself again. Pansy laughed, her voice high and sharp, and he shook his head, taking a halting step backwards. A glance back showed that no one was behind him any longer – everyone had dispersed into the crowd to find their own entertainment. His heart thudding in his ears, he moved back until he was pressed against the wall, then quickly Disillusioned himself.

Now. What?

He had to get out of that room, that much was certain. But no one was going to save him.

And they shouldn't, a sharp voice sounded nastily in the back of his mind. This is all your fault.

Bile crept up his throat again but he shoved the voice aside, his eyes scanning the room for any escape, any ideas. A flash of movement caught his eye, a rippling near the tapestry of Catherine the Great on the other side of the room.

On the other side, near to where the kids he had spotted earlier had been heading.

Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Everyone was still occupied – no one had noticed his absence. The three girls were still floating in the air before Pansy, their heads hanging at an odd angle as they continued to cry. With a shake of his head, he slipped along the wall around the room, taking care to avoid any fallen debris –

A hand clamped around his throat and he found himself flung against the wall, the breath jarred out of his lungs at the sudden force. With an "oof," he drew in a sharp breath, his teeth rattling, and let out a low growl under his breath.

A low, feminine voice growled back, and he felt like someone had turned his blood to ice.

"Daphne," he whispered. "Daphne, please."

"This clearly isn't Draco Malfoy," Daphne's voice sounded in front of him. "He doesn't say please," she continued, her voice dripping in derision.

"But he does scare easily," Blaise's voice countered, and as Draco watched, a sudden, translucent barrier came up behind them, blocking off their small little stretch of wall. Beyond the empty space where they stood, he could see Pansy standing in a pool of blood - but the sight was blurred now, like he was looking through frosted glass.

The air in front of him rippled, and he flinched as Blaise and Daphne looked back at him. The girl's face was twisted with anger and hate, the boy's a perfect, emotionless mask.

"I – mate," he started, looking at Blaise pleadingly. The dark-skinned Italian just looked back at him, silent.

"You did this," Daphne whispered. He turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze, and he drew back in horror. Her ice blue eyes were glowing, an amber ring forming around each iris. "You did this!"

As Draco stared, the slight girl flung herself forward and collided with his chest. Draco jerked back, bracing himself, and every awful image of werewolves he had seen flashed through his mind all at once.

But she just let out an incoherent shriek and fisted her hands, and with a cry of rage, she began to brutally pound his chest with her tiny fists, tears streaming down her face. He felt something snap and a white hot pain flared in his ribs, but he didn't move.

"You did this," she cried again, "you – "

The woosh of another spell sounded around them, and suddenly Blaise jumped forward, wrapping his arms around Daphne's waist and gathering her to his chest. "Shh, cara, shh," he murmured, pulling her back, and Draco swallowed again, watching them. Blaise looked back at him silently as he nudged at Daphne, tucking her head into his shoulder under his chin. The blonde teen began to weep hysterically as Blaise held her against him.

"We need to find a way out of here," Draco said haltingly, his eyes searching Blaise's face. The other teen just stared at him blankly, then nodded at the wall behind Draco. Glancing back over his shoulder, Draco frowned.

"That's a dead end," he muttered, and Blaise snorted.

"You have a better idea?" the hot-tempered Italian demanded, and Draco shook his head.

You did this, Daphne's voice echoed in the back of his mind, and he flinched.

A sharp breath left the girl, and Daphne went rigid, her eyes fixed on the staircase on the other end of the room. Swallowing harshly, Draco glanced back to see Greyback prowling down the stairs, blood already dripping from his long, talon-like fingernails.

"That's it," Blaise muttered under his breath. "We're done." He set his face in a stoic mask and pulled at Daphne, prodding her towards the small door. The blonde girl stared at Greyback, her eyes turning a solid, glowing amber, and Draco felt the hairs on his neck stand up as a low, angry rumbling sound began to echo from the girl's throat.

Then Greyback stiffened, his eyes cutting across the room towards their hidden space, and Draco felt his blood run cold. Long, dark fingers clamped around his shoulder and shoved, and he went willingly, allowing Blaise to propel him into the cramped little room. When the door slammed shut behind them, he felt an awful, sticky sensation crawling over his skin, and a strange buzzing in his head. He shook his head violently to clear it, closing his eyes as he did so.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, only to see dozens of first, second, and third years staring at him, terror and accusation etched all over their little faces.

Ginny swore viciously under her breath as she strode down the hall, robes swirling around her ankles. The smaller redhead was completely ignoring her surroundings, her eyes fixed straight ahead and a thunderous scowl on her face. With a worried frown, Sue glanced over at Seamus then nodded, shooting a glance over at Theo as well. Luna was no better, the girl eerily quiet and single-minded, and Sue shook her head.

Clearly it would be up to them to watch for traps.

Sue understood, though. From the moment they'd gotten the distress call and looked at the Map, she had understood Ginny's rage.

They would rescue Daphne willingly. (Especially after Hannah had seen the Map and burst into tears.) Blaise, grudgingly. The younger years, without hesitation.

But the Map had clearly shown Draco Malfoy ensconced in their hiding place, and Sue was fairly certain that Gin would rather let the boy burn. Especially since he was almost definitely the one who let the Death Eaters into the fucking castle.

Maybe they could lock him in, she thought absently, casting another detection spell as they moved.

They made it through the corridors and to the dungeon level without incident, and Sue let out a sigh of relief as they stopped at a blank stretch of wall.

"There are several spells to remove the stones," Flitwick murmured, his strangely-shaped ears pointing straight up in the air, and Ginny shot him an amused glance.

"We'll just blow it up," she said with a shrug, and Luna frowned.

"There are kids in there," the airy blonde murmured, and Ginny sighed. With an imperious gesture, she stepped back, and Flitwick hurried forward, his wand pointed straight in the air and his palm cupped in front of him, pointed in the direction of the wall. The Charms Master let out a string of something Sue couldn't place, and the stones began to shimmer and vibrate in place. He jabbed his wand up in the air then drew it down in a sharp arc, bending double and nearly touching the ground, and the stones turned translucent and flew up in the air with a sudden woosh.

Ginny looked extremely unsatisfied. Shooting a wink towards the younger girl, Flitwick twirled his wand, and a fiery twister appeared in the hallway and sucked up all the stones, then vanished in a flash of light.

Ginny nodded, and Sue smirked. Weasleys and their flair for the dramatic, she thought fondly.

But her amusement vanished when she looked through the opening, meeting the eyes of a couple dozen terrified little kids. Daphne had her arms around the smallest one, the little girl trembling and burying her face in Daphne's shoulder.

She could hear the din through the door behind them, explosions and shouts and screams, and she felt something snap and wither inside of her. There were well over 80 students in Slytherin house, she knew.

And here stood not even thirty.

Her friends were silent as they gazed upon the group – the reality of how many were still trapped hitting them as well, she was sure.

"Let's go," Ginny said tersely, her face a stoic mask, and her eyes landed on Malfoy, her jaw tightening as she looked at the teen. The blond boy moved forward quickly, his eyes frantic and face pale, and Ginny stepped to the side, blocking his path. The boy froze, staring at her in horror. He swallowed convulsively as Ginny gazed back at him impassively.

"I said, let's go," Ginny repeated, and Daphne nudged the shoulder of the girl she was holding, propelling the girl forward. One by one, the children shuffled out of the space, seemingly youngest to oldest, and when they were all standing in the hallway, Daphne shot a look at Zabini then followed.

When she stepped through the opening, a sudden, horrific scream cut through the air, and Daphne clapped her hands over her mouth as the shrill voice washed over them.

"Not me, you fools!" Parkinson's nasally voice shrieked. "I'm one of you! I'm one of – "

Malfoy turned impossibly paler before their eyes, and Sue reached out and grabbed Daphne's arm as the other girl swayed on her feet. A few feet behind her, Luna began to whimper, and Sue took a step forward –

Swallowing nervously, Zabini closed his eyes then pointed his wand back over his shoulder, murmuring a silencing spell at the wall. The choking screams died off, and Daphne let out a muffled sob.

Behind her, Luna and Flitwick were hurriedly organizing the children into a line, and Luna touched Daphne's shoulder gently, pointing towards the group of kids. The blonde Slytherin shook her head, tears still welling in her eyes, then turned to the younger years and began to move among them, checking for injuries along with Luna.

Ginny was still locked in a staring contest with Malfoy, the Slytherin boy looking more and more alarmed. As Sue watched, Ginny jerked her head to the right, gesturing for Malfoy to step out of the space, and Theo and Seamus let out twin shouts of indignation.

"Weasley," Zabini started nervously, his eyes wide as he looked between her and Malfoy, "I know he's my friend, but you can't trust – "

Ginny shot him a fierce glare, then glanced back at Sue. The Hufflepuff let out a tired sigh. She had a feeling she knew what Gin was playing at - she'd seen that look in her Auntie's eyes plenty of times in the past.

It was always a trap. She shrugged casually, just as Ginny seemed to want, and held up her hands. "Do what you want," she muttered.

The rest of their group shifted horrified eyes to Sue, and she didn't move. They all fell silent, no one daring to speak.

"Come on," Ginny repeated impatiently, stepping back to allow Malfoy past. She raised her eyebrow at him in challenge, and Malfoy swallowed, then lifted his chin.

"You won't regret this," he said imperiously, stepping through the opening.

Ginny let out a vicious grin. "No," she agreed. "I won't." The moment Malfoy was fully in the hall, she pulled her arm back and clocked him right in the face, hard enough to snap one of her own knuckles. Malfoy let out a howl of pain and crumbled, blood gushing from his nose, and Ginny just jabbed her wand at him and scowled. The Slytherin boy froze in place, curled up in a ball with his hands pressed to his face.

The Creevy boys appeared out of nowhere, a grim, satisfied smile on Colin's face, and Ginny spared her friend a quick glance.

"Bring him," she instructed, and Dennis nodded at his brother's shoulder, stepping forward and drawing his wand. Long, thick ropes wound around the unconscious teen and with a grunt, Dennis levitated the Slytherin boy, setting off down the hallway. Luna shot Ginny a startled look then followed, shepherding along a small group of children with Daphne doing the same. Muttering darkly, Colin darted forward with Su Li at his side, rushing ahead of Dennis to scout the hallways and clear the way.

Zabini was staring at Ginny in open admiration as the sobbing children disappeared down the hall, and Sue bit back a smirk.

"You can go with them," Ginny said dismissively, nodding at the group as they went around a corner. Zabini shook his head.

"What are you going to do?" the Slytherin boy asked, his gaze sliding from her to Seamus, to Theo, to Sue.

"Take back your common room," Ginny said bluntly. "You're welcome."

"The four of you?" he spluttered, and Sue let out a snort. "There's a dozen Death Eaters in there! Not to mention, who knows how many others we didn't…"

"It's fine," the Weasley girl waved her hand absently. "Move."

Zabini swallowed again, and Sue watched as he set his jaw. "If you're going in there," he said slowly, "so am I." A look of determination stole over his face, fear flashing in his eyes as he straightened up from his slouched position.

"This isn't a game," Ginny shot back as Seamus shot the boy a glare. "And I don't have time for your bullshit."

"Ginny," Sue said gently. The Weasley girl shot her a glare and Sue raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently. After a moment, the girl's posture softened, and Ginny shot the Slytherin boy a scowl.

"If you die, don't expect us to weep for you," the smaller redhead groused, and Sue smiled as Blaise jerked back slightly in alarm.

"Fair enough," the Italian would-be charmer agreed after a moment's pause, and they all stepped into the room.

"Ready?" Ginny asked the others, glancing over at Seamus and Theo, and the two boys nodded, their jaws clenched.

With a shaky breath, Gin stepped forward and slashed her wand at the wall behind them, the stones reappearing and settling into place, locking them back in. She turned towards the small wooden door and smiled, and Sue reached a steady hand into her sleeve and drew out her wand.

Luna hummed softly under her breath as they rushed through the halls, the quick steps of the children echoing off the stones. Celeste flitted through the air ahead of them, the little golden moth sending her images of the hallways ahead of them. Smiling vaguely, Luna nodded to herself in satisfaction.

All clear.

They turned onto the third floor corridor, and she watched as Colin swallowed, staring at the wall still coated in blood from their first year. His brother nudged his shoulder, scowling slightly, and Colin shook his head then pushed forward, slipping into Myrtle's bathroom with a shaky breath.

"Clear!" he called after a moment, Flitwick letting out a sound of agreement. Luna stepped into the room and moved quickly towards the sinks, pulling a small stone out of her pocket as she went. With a smile, she pressed the stone to the right tap, lightly touching it with her wand, and Harry's voice echoed from the stone, a sibilant hissing filling the room.

The horrid sound of stone scraping on stone echoed on the air, and after several tense moments, the pipe down to the Chamber appeared. With a frown of concentration and a wave of her wand, Luna summoned the stairs, then gestured behind her. The children shuffled forward, and Luna squeezed the hand of the smallest boy, leading the way down the stairs.

The sinks settled back into place as Daphne stepped through with the last child, and they were plunged into darkness. Several of the children cried out, and Luna smiled.

"Come now, children," Luna said softly. "The Nargles can't sense you down here."

Luna heard Daphne snort behind her and smiled again. Clearly, she had her work cut out for her with that one.

Humming softly, she led the way down the stairs, the Parsel stone still held in her free hand.

The door exploded in a shower of wooden splinters, and Ginny felt a feral grin slide across her face as most of the room spun to stare at them. Absently, she saw Greyback slide off Parkinson's still form, stepping back and licking his lips as he stared at her. The boys tensed at her back, Sue stepping up beside her and meeting Greyback's eyes with a level gaze.

Ginny ignored them all. Ignored the group of masked men who had started to move across the room. Ignored Pucey, untangling himself from Astoria Greengrass across the room. Flint, who was cracking his knuckles and leering at Ginny.

Stepping forward, she pulled out the small crystal in her pocket and tossed it once in her hand. With a grim smile, she tossed the crystal up into the air and pointed her wand straight up after it.

"Morsmordre revelio!" she hissed, her eyes narrowed.

And just like every other Hermione Granger creation, it worked instantly.

The crystal exploded in a shower of radiation-green sparks, and men and women around the room screamed as the arms of their robes went up in green flames, falling away and leaving a glowing light over their Dark Marks. Several of the older year students were clutching blank arms, a skull and serpent floating just above their skin. Along the walls, dozens of children scurried behind chairs and couches, crouching down to hide as their tormentors screamed.

Huh. Hermione's spell had revealed even the unmarked, just like she had thought.

Ginny hoped it fucking hurt.

"Okay, everybody," she said lightly. "Make sure to share."

Then with a wild laugh, she jumped forward into the room.

Kingsley let out a slow, steady breath as his eyes locked on the door. The shouting was coming closer, the sound of hurried footsteps echoing through the air.

He should have moved her. The second they knew the Slytherin dorms had been breached, he should have moved her. She couldn't defend herself. With his free hand, he reached out and squeezed one of hers. She couldn't…

The door rattled on its hinges and he rose to his feet. He sent Hermione's cot back further into the room with a quick wave of his wand, setting the strongest Shield he knew around her and placing himself between the door and her prone form. His jaw clenched, he stared at the door, willing it to break.

The voices on the other side came closer, and he smiled grimly.

"Bombarda!" he whispered, and the door exploded in a shower of splinters and kindling. The men on the other side howled, their faces and hands scoured by the sharp fragments, and he dove forward, not wasting a moment on satisfaction. With a couple quick jabs of his wand, he felled the first three, then the next couple – but they were on their feet again in minutes. Gritting his teeth, he cast the strongest stunner he could think of, knocking them back down. And impossibly, within moments, they all stood back up.

Christ. No more kid gloves, then. With a scowl, he leveled his wand at the closest, splitting the man's neck wide open with a slash of his wand. The Death Eater gurgled and fell, clutching at his neck with his eyes wide. Turning to the next one, Shack did the same, then the next, then –

The floor began to shake and a hulking shape appeared in the doorway, the giant staring at him with beedy eyes. A huge club dragged along the ground, barbed wire wrapped around it from the base all the way up the handle. Blood streamed down the giant's hand and dripped onto the stone as he clenched his hand around the weapon, heedless of the spikes digging into his own flesh.

The club came up and Kingsley felt a gust of wind surround him as the giant swung wildly. Pitching to the side, he fell to the ground and came up in a crouch, his wand held in front of him. He pushed his wand forward and whispered under his breath, and a net formed in the air, falling down over the giant. With another jab of his wand, the giant fell to the ground, the floor rumbling beneath their feet. He held his breath as he waited, but the creature slumped down, huge eyes fluttering closed.

He let out a sigh of relief, glancing back over his shoulder to check on Hermione. He really hadn't wanted to kill the mindless brute. Poor thing didn't have a choice in being there, after all.

Hermione would not have approved.

Suddenly a shockwave hit him, and he stumbled, tripping over his own feet. Gasping, he looked up to see Dolohov standing in the doorway. The Russian had his eyes narrowed on Shacklebolt, a look of grim determination on his face. His gaze slid past Shack and settled on Hermione's sleeping form, and Shack felt his blood run cold.

Not. TODAY, he thought with a snarl, pushing to his feet. The Russian man waved his hand almost dismissively, and Shack felt himself lifting off the ground, dangling in midair like a puppet. Swallowing back his rage, Shack growled at the other man, struggling to raise his arm – it felt like he was swimming in concrete, and a sudden pressure formed around his throat. Dolohov stared at him steadily and he could see himself in his mind's eye, could see his throat crushing in, blood bubbling up out of his mouth. He choked, a feeling of dread and disbelief pouring over him.

Everything he'd survived, and he was going to be strangled to death by a two-bit like Dolohov?

He snarled again, this time managing to raise his arms, but his survival instincts overtook his logic. Wand clattering to the floor, he grasped at the invisible force around his neck, struggling to pull it away. He heard a low chuckle come from the other man and suddenly he was flying through the air, his head cracking off the stones near the ceiling. Dolohov stepped up until he was right in front of him, sliding Shack back down the wall until they were nose-to-nose.

"When I take her," Dolohov whispered. "I'll be gentle."

Kingsley felt a surge of fury, Hermione's pale face flashing before his eyes. The Russian fisted his hand on the collar of Kingsley's robes and stepped closer. "But not for you," he continued.

Kingsley swallowed, struggling against the invisible ropes holding him in place. A cold sweat broke out over his skin and he felt a panic rising up, the air stealing out of his lungs as fast as Dolohov's spell could take it. The thinner man in front of him gave a lascivious grin, and to Shack's horror, he felt the other man's hands on his belt. Shack gritted his teeth and poured his willpower into fighting against the restraints, forcibly tuning out the other man's voice. After a few moments – his belt was undone and he could feel hands on his hips – he felt the invisible force start to waver – he braced himself to pitch forward and –

A flash of white light appeared behind Dolohov and he shouted as spots appeared before his eyes. Flinching, he closed his eyes against the onslaught and felt beads of sweat forming on his skin. The pressure disappeared and he felt himself start to fall from the wall, his knees crumbling beneath him as he landed on a soft, squashy cushion.

He coughed violently, raising his suddenly free hand to massage his throat as his eyes continued to burn from the light. Bracing himself for more pain, he stilled as he realized the only sound in the room was his own harsh breathing. Slowly, carefully, he opened his eyes….

And looked up to see Hermione Granger standing before him, her eyes fixed on his face. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, smoke wafting up from her fingertips. And between them lay a pile of ash, smoldering and spitting sparks. Raising one hand, she pointed carefully at his midsection, and he felt his trousers pulled back up, his belt buckle clicking back into place.

The slight girl stepped forward, moving stiffly, and held out her hand. Kingsley felt a nervous grin spread across his face as she looked down at him, and he reached up, clasping her hand. She cupped her other hand under his elbow, and he felt his skin blister, letting out a grunt as Hermione – Hermione, the girl a third his size – pulled him to his feet.

The girl looked around the room, then looked back at him, her gaze dark and dangerous.

"Where are my boys?"

A/N: Reviews are like fireworks... awe-inspiring. ~*~ALIBI