With a burst of smoke and heat, Draco was seventeen again, coughing up soot as he stumbled down a stone hallway. Curses fired above his head, and the sound of screaming children tore through the night, ripping through his conscience.
Then he blinked back to the present, sunlight choked by the dust. Draco was alive, unhurt, his side pressed to the cement, Harry's arms shielding him from the blast. Draco didn't need protection, but he appreciated the sentiment and gently nudged his boyfriend off with a nod of gratitude.
Cries and sirens wailed through the market. Joey was already on her feet, and Draco and Harry followed, scanning for any injured. The blast radius couldn't have been more than twenty meters, and most people within it - not many, thank Merlin - were stirring, every figure covered in the same dark gray debris. A few had blood oozing from light scratches, but mostly everyone seemed more stunned than injured.
"I don't think anyone's seriously hurt," Harry said, affirming Draco's thoughts. Green eyes flitted over those who had begun to stand, muttering and crying in shock. He turned to Draco, one hand landing on his shoulder, the other holding up his wand. "Are you okay?"
Draco nodded and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "You?"
"Yeah. Joey?"
"I think we should get out of here," Joey said worriedly. Instead of scanning her surroundings, she seemed to be staring at the gap between the remains of what used to be two market stalls; several pots, bowls, and once-colorful tassles were scattered everywhere. "That was meant for us."
Draco pursed his lips, then immediately regretted it, getting a mouthful of dust. He spat on the ground and began to clean off with a charm, the slow, methodical magic calming his racing heart. "Are you sure?"
Joey's expression turned withering.
"Stupid question," Draco amended. The chances of such a small explosion occurring right near them by accident were microscopic, assuming that explosions happened moderately often in Bangkok. He was positive they did not. "What now?"
Several things happened in quick succession. A black figure passed through the edge of Draco's vision, so swiftly he might've imagined it if he hadn't suspected they were being followed. The dust and smoke stilled as someone Apparated directly in front of them with a startling crack. All three on-edge Aurors immediately pointed their wands, and the stranger raised his hands as a sign of peace.
"Aurors Clarke, Malfoy, and Potter?"
"Who's asking?" Joey said sharply. Both had to shout - the screaming had reached a peak, and ambulances had begun to arrive at the far end of the crowded market.
"Ray Chulanont. Faraday sent you, no? We must go immediately." Draco instinctively trusted Ray; he had that sort of voice, accented, deep, and soothing. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate, melting through Draco with a glance.
Draco blinked at this thought and gripped his wand tighter even as it fell to its side. The smoke had begun to clear; if their tail was around, it wouldn't take long to pick them off from the fallen crowd.
A shadow began to saunter, half-hidden behind a dust cloud. Fear pierced deep into Draco's heart, uninvited. He exchanged a glance with Joey - she'd seen it, too.
She nodded quickly. "Now."
Without wasting another second, Ray turned and ran, the other wizards close at his heels. Ray pulled out his wand and muttered an incantation over his shoulder; Draco watched to see a hazy blue cloud balloon behind them. A confusion spell, in the nick of time, for the crowd had thickened once more and stilled, craning their necks at the dust cloud and whispering worriedly among themselves.
Ray turned right, and the motion sent his robe into a flutter, catching Draco's eye. It was ruby-red, which might have been unnerving had it not been for its gossamer lightness and the subtle gold embroidery at the edges. Underneath, he wore a green short-sleeve shirt, billowy white pants, and sandals. None of the Muggles they passed paid any mind to the unusual addition to Ray's clothes. Their gazes only lingered on Joey, Draco noticed with a twist in his stomach, if they lingered at all.
So lost in thought was Draco that he gasped in shock when Ray grabbed him by the arm. The words, Don't touch me, died in Draco's throat when a moped growled past, driven by a stout old man who seemed untroubled that he'd nearly run over someone.
"Thank you," Draco managed, and Ray's eyes only met his for a moment as he nodded.
"Almost there." He let go of Draco's arm and kept moving.
They soon reached a small, dark wooden cottage at the far side of the market, squeezed in an alley between what looked to be two divisions of the same clothes shop. Draco barely had time to register the floral carvings in the entrance pillars and the warm orange door before Ray burst in, Draco, Joey, and Harry following in quick succession.
Draco had seen plenty of magically enlarged spaces before, but it'd been so long that his mind needed more time than usual to adjust to reality. The squeezed cottage was a spacious foyer with a low ceiling, tiered floors of dark, polished wood, and stone sculptures of various gods Draco didn't recognize. A few short stone pillars had been set with cheerful, leafy bonsais. But what caught Draco's attention was the sheer amount of wizards, two dozen at least, all dressed in the same flowy, red robes, conversing quietly or practicing - Draco couldn't believe it - wandless magic. One tiny, black-haired girl, younger than he, bloomed white blossoms on a branch with her bare hands and handed it to her friend. Draco glanced at Harry - his mouth hung open.
"Come," Ray said insistently, and Draco realized they'd all slowed, watching the magic flowering around them. His senses were filled with it, the same healing pulse he'd noticed when they'd first gotten to the market.
No sooner had Ray led them to a smaller room, lined with cabinets and set with wooden stools, did Harry blurt, "How on Merlin's green earth were they doing that?"
Ray, his legs crossed and his hands folded on his knee, quizzically furrowed his brows. He blinked, and Draco noticed how long and full his lashes were. Stop noticing, he chided. "Doing what? Who?"
"The wizards out there. They didn't have any wands."
"Ah." Ray nodded understandingly. "We don't use wands to direct our magic here." From his neck, he lifted a thin, gold chain hung with a clear, sparkling gem, set in a base of carefully carved wood. In the very center of the stone, Draco spotted a flame of red - a fiber of phoenix feather, he guessed. "Amulets are more powerful. Less precise and predictable than wands, but we prefer them."
Harry tilted his head, squinting, and Draco groaned inwardly. He knew that look well. "Wouldn't you want your magic to be precise?"
"Potter, darling, please shut it," Draco muttered. Ray, whether he'd heard or not, did not bat an eye.
"I think we have more important things to attend to," Joey pressed before Ray could formulate a reply. "Such as my inability to Apparate."
Ray smiled graciously, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Of course. I prepared exactly what you need." He smoothly reached back, pulling on one of the cabinet drawers, and took out a slim vial of pale yellow potion.
"Thank you," Joey said as she took it. "Are you sure this will work? No one knows what the poison is yet."
"Please don't doubt me, Auror Clarke," Ray said gently. "That should purge anything matching Faraday's description. Once it's out, I can study it further. Maybe trace it back to whoever gave it to you."
"Purging…" Joey frowned as Ray grabbed something else from the drawer - a wide-lipped, jade basin. "Oh, God. This is going to make me puke, isn't it?"
Ray's smile turned apologetic. "It's the only way."
Joey sighed, bowing her head, and Draco thought she might have been praying. She looked up again and set her jaw. "May I use a restroom?"
"A WC?" Ray asked in confusion.
"Yes."
"Yes…Turn right from here. There is an acacia branch over the door."
"Thanks." Resignedly, Joey stood and left the room, carrying the basin as one might hold a noose.
The silence that followed was only a little awkward. Draco had no problem letting the time simmer away, but Harry seemed keen for discussion.
"Could I get a closer look at your amulet?" He asked, "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Sure." Ray walked over, bent slightly, and let the pendant dangle over his chest. Harry pushed up his glasses and leaned closer, as did Draco.
"Phoenix?" Harry asked, and Ray nodded, sending the amulet swinging. The feather's scarlet glow bounced about the gem's reflecting sides; Draco was nearly hypnotized with it. Ray smelled rather distractingly of the same spices that had been hovering around the market.
Out of curiosity, Draco leaned toward his boyfriend, trying to catch his scent. Harry smelled of sweat, soot, and cheap chamomile hotel shampoo. Draco bit back a smile. He could breathe in Harry for hours - in a decidedly not peculiar way.
Joey returned after a few minutes, her usually placid features contorted with a grimace. The basin sloshed with something truly acrid and foul. Ray, however, did not flinch as he took it and the empty vial. He swirled the bowl, raising an eyebrow at its contents. "Anyone want to look?"
Harry made a face as he said, "I suppose." Draco nodded in agreement. Disgusted as he was, he wouldn't be a good potioner if he passed up an opportunity to observe a new poison.
Ray glanced at Joey. "I got a good look already," She said vehemently.
Draco covered his mouth and nose as he peered into the basin. Swimming in otherwise ordinarily repulsive vomit was a ball of stringy black matter, fibrous and almost spider-like. One of its tendrils moved slightly, and Draco jumped back in alarm.
Joey looked positively revolted. "That came out of me."
Ray nodded gravely. He touched the sides of the basin, shaping it into a closed, narrow container. "How do you feel?"
Joey's fingers brushed absently against her lips. "I don't know if I'm better. I don't feel bad, I guess."
"I'll look closer at this," Ray said, indicating the poison. Draco could hear it sloshing about. "It may take me a few days. You are all welcome to stay; we have many rooms for visitors. You'll be well-fed and cared for."
Staying in halls filled with magic and bonsai trees, sleeping in one place, and eating Thai food sounded tempting. But England, the apartment, their old life, waited. Draco knew they were so close to going home.
And yet…Who knew what their stalker had in mind? Would the stranger follow Joey back and attack her there? Draco was sure that an academy full of Aurors could handle one enemy, but he wished he knew more about their intentions.
Joey's eyes traced the floor in thought. It was up to her, in the end.
"All this is for nothing if I still can't Apparate," She said. "I feel a little…" She stretched out her fingers as if feeling the air. "Unsteady. I'll try tomorrow and if it works, I promise we'll go back.
"I'm sorry it took this long to find a cure." Joey's gaze fixed upon the ground. "I don't know how I let this happen."
"You didn't let anything happen," Harry interjected. "Someone out there," He jerked his head, "Did this to you. Don't apologize. We're your teammates; we're honor-bound to stay. And…Well, you're our friend, too."
Joey glanced up in shock, blinking away a sheen of tears.
"Don't look so surprised," Draco said with a wry smile. "We've been through a lot together."
The corners of Joey's lips rose. "Yes. We have." Then her face fell. "We might not be done yet. That explosion was not a coincidence. The person, maybe a mercenary, sent after me obviously has a lot of resources. Considering that, and the masked witch in Cambodia…" She trailed off.
"The Following," Harry concluded. "They've got to be the ones tracking us." He turned to Ray, who had been listening with polite interest. "Do you know anything about them?"
"I have not heard of them."
"Oh."
"They wear thick robes, the same color as yours," Draco cut in. "And wooden masks carved in the shape of animals."
Recognition spread across Ray's face. "Ah, yes!" He said something in Thai Draco could barely follow, though it sounded pretty. "At least, they called themselves that a few years ago, after a goddess of compassion. Now, under new leadership, I think they have a different name. I do not know what it is."
Harry's eyes lit up. "But you know what they do? What they believe in?"
"I used to be a member." The wariness from the others was palpable, and Ray quickly added. "A long time ago, when I was a child. Forty, maybe fifty years ago, magic was experiencing an extinction in Thailand. Fire-wielders, wizards, had never needed to hide, but they were put on pedestals. Like gods. They were seen as pure, saint-like, above humanity. Doesn't make it easy to, you know…" Ray gestured vaguely. "Repopulate.
"A few representatives for us in our government decided to bring us back from the brink, to have us breed with Muggles. As fast as possible and against our will. Many thought they were building an army.
"
Now, it is not as bad, I think. We hear rumors, sometimes, of fire-wielder villages looted for powerful people. But not often. The Following, as you call them, was started by Kayala, the first leader. She was kind; she let me leave in peace. She wanted to bring Muggles and fire-wielders together in a safer, better way."
"This all matches what I heard at Hogwarts. Some people from the Following came to our school," Harry told Ray. "A few attacked. One of them talked to me on the train, asking me to join their cause; she seemed to be their leader." Harry paused, a realization crossing his face. Draco suspected what he was thinking.
"She had purple eyes. Like shattered glass," said Draco. "I don't suppose this was…?"
"Kayala," Ray confirmed. "It's strange she wanted to speak to the Chosen One, so close to the power transfer." A sudden flash of fear crossed his face.
"What?" Harry demanded.
"Nothing. Nothing, I think." Ray nervously rubbed his chin. "The timing is very strange to me. The new leader, I hear, is more ruthless. She expects more out of her followers."
"So, she's probably expecting something more out of Harry," Joey concluded, and both Harry and Draco looked at her, impressed - though Draco shouldn't have been surprised. Joey hadn't yet failed to connect the dots. Her brow furrowed. "Then…why is the Following targeting me?"
The lively, tense conversation slammed into a dead end. For once, Draco was stumped, and looking at his colleagues' faces, he reckoned they were, too. It seemed that their enemies' intentions were just as masked as their faces.
A tentative knock sounded at the door. Ray slid the poison-filled container into another drawer and called, "Come in."
The same girl that had grown white blossoms earlier sidled into the room. She glanced wide-eyed at the three Aurors, then said something in Thai.
Ray's mouth fell open. "Sweet Circe."
"What?" said the others in unison.
"She said the Following is here," Ray said, clasping his hands in distress. "Mak khae nai?"
"Sawng," The girl replied.
"Khoon hai phuak khao khao ma?"
"Mai chai."
"Dī. Thank you, Lucia." Ray faced his palms together and bowed slightly; she mirrored him before slipping out of the room. "Two members are waiting by the entrance. The academy's wards keep out any people not invited by older students or teachers." The academy? Draco wondered, but it made sense enough.
"What should we do?" He asked.
"Two wizards would not dare to attack us here," Ray said firmly. "I think it is wise to see what they want, at least."
Joey nodded, tilting her chin up bravely, though Draco could tell by her flitting eyes that she was not keen to put herself in danger again. "I agree."
The energy in the expansive foyer had changed entirely from earlier. The witches and wizards sat huddled on the steps, whispering among themselves. Young eyes ranging from ebony to honey trailed the four adults as they headed for the front door.
When Ray finally opened it, Draco gasped audibly. Under cover of Ray and Joey standing in front, Draco grabbed Harry's hand and gripped it tight. Harry responded in kind, protectively pulling him closer. His breathing had become shakier.
They recognized both masks from nearly four years ago. A fearsome boar, with carved tusks, stood slightly taller and more broad-shouldered than his companion. The other wizard's mask was carved into a serene rabbit, its eyes glittering as black as midnight.
[Translations from Thai:
"How many?"
"Two."
"Did you let them in?"
"No."
"Good."]