Chapter Forty-One
Disclaimer: I do own the OCs and the Guardian Program and the other things that being a Guardian entails.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
There are going to be a lot of OCs, but the focus is going to be on Freya.
Enjoy!
HARRY POTTER
Harry watched Freya carefully through a two-way glass panel. Harry had brought Freya into the Ministry and had taken her down to one of the empty integration rooms. Luckily no one had questioned him on the way into the rooms of who Freya was and why she was there. This investigation into Lance was delicate and he couldn't risk anyone knowing what was happening until he was ready to. While escorting Freya into the Ministry, Harry had made sure to take off the magic draining cuffs from Freya's wrists as he didn't see a need for them in the first place and it would look suspicious. They were highly illegal and he had no idea how Lance had got a hold of them in the first place which only heightened his disdain for Lance. Harry had left Freya in the room for the moment while he waited for Hermione and Ron to get there as he wanted them present so they could help out. Harry had sent his Patronus because he didn't want to risk anything intercepting his message. As Harry watched Freya, he couldn't help but notice how calm Freya was being, as though she wasn't bothered about the whole ordeal. Even hardened criminals couldn't keep their composure once they entered these rooms.
The door opened and Ron and Hermione stepped in. "You said you had more information?" Hermione said, getting straight down to business. Just by seeing Harry's Patronus she knew that something was happening. She and Ron had rushed over as quickly as they could, curious to know what Harry needed them there for.
"I have," Harry said, looking back over to Freya.
Ron and Hermione followed his gaze and saw Freya. Hermione gasped and her eyes widened, "How did you manage to get her to come with you?" Hermione studied Freya with a close eye and she too was in awe with how composed Freya was.
"James told me that the mark on the back of her neck was gone so she could speak with us," Harry said with a frown on his face. Harry didn't fully understand what that meant but it had been the green light he had been waiting for. However, Harry didn't like how James was somehow involved with all of this but it couldn't be helped. Harry mentally reminded himself to have a chat with James after everything had calmed down.
Ron frowned as he turned to look at Harry, "James is involved?"
Harry nodded his head, "He is, he is the one who told me to get to Freya before Lance did. It appears as though she has turned against him and wants to bring down the Guardian Program," He said, looking over to his two closest friends.
"How do we know this isn't a lie?" Ron asked, looking at Freya with guarded eyes.
"It seems as though Lance has killed some people close to Freya, that's why she's willing to speak with us," Harry explained, thinking back to what James had told him. James had spoken very fast and Harry had almost struggled to understand what James was saying but he had got an idea of what James was trying to convey and he knew that he needed to act fast. His suspicions had been confirmed when he confronted Lance and saw him nearly cast the Killing Curse on a minor.
Hermione frowned, "He's killed people? How has this not been picked up before?" She asked in an incredulous tone.
Harry was about to answer when Freya cleared her throat. Harry, Ron and Hermione all turned their heads and found Freya staring at the glass, where they were all standing. Harry turned to look at his friends, "I think she's ready to speak," He said, walking to the door that connected the two rooms. Hermione and Ron followed him, ready for this interview to take place.
Freya watched them enter the room, her stormy grey eyes locked onto Hermione and Ron, "I will only speak with Harry Potter," She said immediately. She had agreed to speak with James' dad, there hadn't been any mention of anyone else.
Ron and Hermione shared a look. They didn't know how to feel at this point, but Ron did feel slightly offended. Ron wasn't used to being refused to be present when interviewing someone. However, Hermione was a bit more understanding, she knew that having three Auror's in the room could be overwhelming.
"They stay. You want my help then you need to co-operate." Harry said firmly.
Freya stared at Harry, her stormy grey eyes meeting his deep green eyes. They both stared at one another, neither one willing to give in.
"I don't trust them," Freya said, her face blank of any emotion. To an extent, Frey trusted Harry because she knew he could help her and stop Lance. But she had been betrayed by too many people to trust others so blindly. She wasn't going to blindly trust Hermione or Ron just because Harry trusted them or because they were War Heroes.
Hermione and Ron both frowned, that wasn't the usual response they got from people they were trying to help
Harry sighed, seeing that he was getting nowhere fast. "Fine, but one of them stays," He said, relenting slightly. He could see that Freya wasn't going to give in and he had realised his mistake by not asking her first how she would feel about more than one person being present in the interview. Usually, Harry wasn't so willing to give in to people's demands but he realised that this was a special case.
Freya nodded her head, finding this option better than having all three of them there. "I want Hermione Weasley to stay," She said, looking at Harry and then Hermione.
Hermione nodded her head and sat down next to Harry, opposite Freya.
"I'll be nearby," Ron said, leaving the room. He went back to the room they had been in previously so he could watch the interview.
Now that Ron was gone, Freya's eyes landed on Harry. "What has James told you?" She asked. She wanted to know how much James had been able to tell his father so she could fill in those blanks. There hadn't been much time for James to tell his dad everything and Freya didn't want to have to repeat things he already knew.
Hermione looked at Harry, waiting to hear what James had told him.
"He said you were part of the Guardian Program and you were willing to speak to me because the mark on the back of your neck was gone. He asked me to save you from Lance too," Harry explained, thinking back to what his son had said.
Freya nodded her head. It would seem as though she would have to explain more than she expected to, but she wasn't surprised. James had to act fast to get her away from Lance and for that she was grateful. If it wasn't for him, Freya was sure that she could have been dead by now.
"What is the Guardian Program?" Hermione asked.
Taking in a deep breath, Freya began the story. "Around nineteen years ago, after the Second Wizarding War, there were concerns that the War Heroes children would get targeted by those still loyal to Voldemort. Then, Death Eaters began sending threats to the main families,"
"Why didn't we know about this?" Hermione interjected immediately, looking to Harry for answers. This was the first she had ever heard about her family or other families receiving threats from Death Eaters and she did not like being left in the dark about this. Hermione had thought that she, Harry and Ron would receive some backlash but had been surprised when they didn't receive any and now, she knew why.
Harry was about to open his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Freya. "Kingsley Shacklebolt had them intercepted before they reached your families," Freya said, looking at Hermione and Harry. She didn't appreciate that she was being ignored, she may be young but she knew more than most people did.
Frowning, Harry made a mental note to speak with Kingsley once this was all over.
"Due to the high level of threats, Lance proposed an idea to Kingsley called the Guardian Program. Where someone would be assigned to each War Heroes child and protect them. Lance planned on using Ex-Death Eater's children – he hated Death Eaters with a passion and this was his form of revenge. Kingsley was led to believe that Voldemort had a child and that child would seek revenge on your children. However, this reason was false. Voldemort did not have a child but Kingsley was made to believe that he did and that's how Lance was able to push forward the Guardian Program. However, what he never told Kingsley was that the Guardians were expendable. We Guardians could be killed and easily replaced; we were not important. However, if any harm were to come to the charge, there would be serious hell to pay. The Guardian would more than likely not survive the punishment, because Lance would make sure he was the one who gave the punishment personally." Freya spoke, feeling herself slip into her usual role as a Guardian. She had explained this on many occasions to the younger Guardians who arrived on their first day. For new Guardians, this information was terrifying and a few Guardians had run away after being told this, all to be caught and be brought to Lance for punishment.
Silence consumed the room as Harry and Hermione took this information in. On the outside, Harry was the picture of calmness, but on the inside, Harry was livid. He was livid that a department in the Ministry like this was able to exist in the first place and had gone undetected for some time. Hermione was just as angry, but she was mostly horrified how careless Lance seemed to care for the lives in his department.
"Are you a Guardian?" Harry asked, swallowing his anger so they could continue with the interview. It was a very hard pill to swallow, but he needed to focus on what was happening at the moment. He had thought that if there was any information regarding Voldemort, then he would have been informed. The fact that Kingsley had kept the slim chance of Voldemort having a child a secret, infuriated him to no end, even if it did turn out to be false.
Freya nodded her head, "Yes, I have guarded James for six years,"
Harry cursed aloud as he stood up from his seat. He began pacing around the room, trying to calm himself down. Harry began to mentally berate himself, how could he have not noticed this department? How had he not noticed that people were watching their children? Briefly, Harry looked at Freya and a new wave of anger hit him. Freya was a child, the same age as his son. The very thought of James having to endure the same thing made Harry want to hurt something. How could any parent allow this to happen? How could Kingsley allow this to happen in this first place?
Seeing that her friend was distressed, Hermione took over and turned to Freya. "Why doesn't anyone know about this? Surely someone would have noticed." The fact it was only now being found out was astonishing and horrifying at the same time.
Gently, Freya touched the burn mark on the back of her neck, "There is something known as a Guardian Mark. One is placed on a Guardian to keep them quiet. If we try and tell anyone outside the program, then we experience pain worse than the Crucio curse. We can only speak about it to certain people and Lance can activate it at any point. We can't remove the Guardian Marks ourselves because it has defensive spells that prevent that, but I managed to find a way around it." The burn on her neck hurt and it still radiated a lot of heat, but even when she was in pain, she had never felt better.
Hermione appeared concerned as she looked at Freya, "And how did you remove yours?" Hermione was almost hesitant in asking because she didn't have a good feeling about it.
"I burned it off," Freya answered plainly.
Harry faltered in his pacing as he turned to look at Freya, "Why would you do that?" He asked in concern. To think that a child would have to burn themselves to get rid of a mark was terrifying to think about.
"With the mark gone, Lance can't control me. I'm free," She answered, her voice soft, conveying how she felt about the situation. Freya had never been free. She was born so her parents could have a second child in the Guardian Program and have more glory on the Williams' name. That was her only purpose in her mother's eyes, but now Freya was free of that cursed mark.
Reaching into her pocket, Hermione took out a golden pendant. "Freya, do you know what this is?" She asked, moving the pendant closer to Freya.
Upon seeing the pendant, Freya's eyes widened, "Where did you get this?" She whispered lowly in shock. Gently, Freya took the pendant in her hands and looked at it carefully. Turning it around, Freya saw the name Lucy Fisher and felt her heart clench. Lucy had barely been a Guardian for a few months before Lance had killed her. Lucy had defied Lance and had paid the price with her life, she had been a very brave Hufflepuff to stand up to Lance in front of everyone.
"During the Christmas party, I snuck into Lance's office and found a vault of these. I duplicated one and researched the name and found nothing," Hermione admitted with a frown. She had spent hours looking for a Lucy Fisher but had found nothing. Hermione had searched for all the other names she had found and again came up with nothing. The only thing that came up from the last names were adults and when searched even further, it showed that those adults didn't even have children, something Hermione highly doubted. Under close inspection, she had noticed that the information looked fake as if someone had tampered with them.
Freya shook her head, "You wouldn't have. These pendants contain a powerful memory charm in them so it stops anyone from remembering us. It's how we've gone undercover for so long and that's why our charges don't remember us. We blend into the background and guard from the shadow. However, it seems that the memory charm doesn't work on trained Auror's, one of its few loopholes. After Lance has killed a Guardian, he takes their pendant back and keeps it as a trophy." She explained, taking out her own pendant from her pocket. She pushed it over to Hermione so she could have a look at it.
Hermione examined Freya's pendant and noticed that name Freya Williams was engraved into the gold. "Why does yours have more gems?" Hermione asked, remembering that none of the other pendants had as many gems on them.
Wetting her lips, Freya answered. "A gem represents a year of successful guarding your charge. I am the longest lasting one,"
"How old was Lucy Fisher before she was killed," Harry asked suddenly, making the two females in the room look at him. Harry had a bad feeling, as though he probably didn't want to know the answer but he needed to know.
Freya pushed her lips together, "Twelve years old. She had only been a Guardian for a few months." Lucy was one of the newbies that arrived with Connor and Miles. She had been in charge of guardian Lorcan Scamander but she hadn't lasted very long.
It took everything inside Hermione not to gasp in shock.
Harry clenched his fists as he turned to face Freya and Hermione. "I've heard enough. We're arresting Lance now," He said, making a move for the door. This had been the final straw for him, but he didn't realise that Lance had killed far more people and far younger children in the past.
Panic consumed Freya as she stood up, "You can't, not yet!" She yelled out, knowing that she needed to act fast.
Harry stopped dead in his tracks, "Why?" He questioned, turning to face Freya.
"The other Guardians still have the mark on them. If you arrest Lance, he'll activate the self-destruct spell in the mark and kill all the others." Freya said quickly. She had only recently given Cordelia, Ryan and Rebecca the Celestial Crystals and she was certain they hadn't gotten rid of their marks just yet so she didn't want to risk it. One wrong move could result in Lance getting rid of the evidence that could very well get him punished, but it needed to be done delicately. Freya couldn't risk the other Guardians lives so easily at this point, they too deserved a chance at freedom.
Harry cursed loudly, going back to his pacing. "So, we can't even arrest him," He wanted nothing more than to make Lance pay for his crimes but that little bit of information had stopped everything. Harry would need to make an iron tight case against Lance where there was zero doubt of his crimes. However, the only way they could do that would be to catch him in the act, otherwise, it was Freya's word against Lance's word. It didn't help that Lance was a well-respected man within the Ministry and it wouldn't look good for Freya.
Turning back to the situation, Hermione turned to face Freya again. "Why is that you don't seem to exist in any records. We've searched everywhere and your name doesn't come up anywhere," Hermione asked with furrow brow. They had even searched Hogwarts registry and found no record of Freya Williams attending Hogwarts at all, which Harry and Hermione knew to be a lie.
"Lance made sure we were erased from everything. He tampered with records so we don't exist." Freya answered.
Hermione nodded her head and considered everything Freya had said. "Thank you for telling us this, and I am sorry that this has happened," She said, reaching over and taking Freya's hand in hers and squeezed it. Hermione was infuriated to know that something like this had been going on without them even knowing. This had probably been the worst case that Hermione had worked on in a while. Hermione was terrified to know that people like Lance were out there and he had got away with it for as long as he had.
Freya looked at the hand that was holding hers and found it oddly comforting. No adult had ever apologised to her before about the Guardians. McGonagall looked at Freya and the others in sympathy and pain, but she had never outwardly apologised. Her parents didn't seem to care that she was in this situation and Lance offered no comfort – not that she would ever take it from him.
"But this is going to be difficult to bring forward. If we can't arrest Lance without him killing the other Guardians, then we're a bit stuck at the moment," Hermione said with a frown. She wanted to help Freya desperately and she wanted Lance to be dealt with the appropriate punishment, but the question was, how.
Harry looked at Hermione, "We need to catch him in the act, that's how we do it."
"But Harry, how are we going to do that? He's going to be on his best behaviour because he saw you take Freya away," Hermione answered back.
Freya shook her head, "No, he won't. Lance is unpredictable but I know him. He will try and come kill me to get rid of any evidence. He knows he can't get me through the Guardian Mark anymore, so he'll more than likely visit me." Freya explained calmly. She knew that soon, Lance would enter the Ministry and try to kill her. There was no way he was going to let her go without a fight. Lance was unpredictable but to a point where he was now predictable in her eyes.
Harry nodded his head, "That's where we can catch him," If they caught Lance in the cells at the bottom of the Ministry, it would work. The cells were laced with special magic which negated all magic power. No spells, seals or potions could be used down there. Essentially, it made people Muggles and it drove people mad at times, especially the Purebloods. They could place Lance in a cell and the other Guardians would be safe.
"We need to have a pretty good reason to place Lance in a cell," Hermione commented with a thoughtful expression. She was wondering what exactly Lance's crimes would come under. There was too many and it made it hard to generalise it.
Freya's eyes lit up at this, "I have a reason," She said, a smirk growing on her face.
Hermione and Harry turned to face Freya.
"Lance has prison cells at the bottom of his mansion. He asked me to go and get another Guardian that betrayed him. While I was there, I found Caitlin Finnegan and Gretchen Thomas, alive." Freya explained, remembering how she had found them. It was then she realised that Lance had been the one to kidnap them and Kyle and Nina had paid the price.
Harry and Hermione looked at one another, alarm and shock on their faces. "And you're sure of this?" Harry asked, moving closer to Freya.
Freya nodded her head, "I saw them with my own eyes. I'll even take Veritaserum potion," She answered confidently. Lance had no idea that she knew either, so it was very unlikely he would hide or even move them.
Hermione's eyes lit up, "That will work," She said with a small grin. With that bit of information, she had formed a plan in her head. She didn't know what it was, but Hermione trusted Freya's word and she knew that the younger girl was telling the truth. Once they caught Lance in the Ministry, they could arrest him, place him in a different cell and investigate him under the suspicion of kidnapping. Lance would then have no choice but to co-operate and give them access to his mansion, where they could investigate. That would give them time to build a strong case against him that he couldn't squirm his way out of.
Seeing the look in his friend's eyes, Harry nodded his head. "I agree. In the meantime, we'll have a healer look at the back of your neck and continue this interview later." He had seen the angry burn mark on the back of Freya's neck and it took everything in him not to wince. The burn looked nasty and, on its way, to becoming infected. It needed to be seen too immediately, their interview could wait an hour until the burn mark was treated.
"We'll also move you to a nicer cell," Hermione reassured with a smile. "Do you need anything?"
Freya slowly nodded her head. "Is… there any chance I can see James?" She asked hesitantly. There was an ache in her chest and Freya knew that it was the soul-bonding, wanting James to be near her. But she also wanted James there because he always managed to make her feel better.
Harry blinked slowly, "You want to see James?" Of all the things she could have asked for, Harry was not expecting Freya to ask to see his son.
"Are you and James close?" Hermione asked curiously.
Freya flushed under their stares.
Suddenly, it all clicked in his mind. "You two are together, aren't you?" Harry asked, a grin appearing on his face. It would account for his son's frantic behaviour and how desperately he wanted Harry to help Freya.
"We are, yes," Freya said with a small smile.
Hermione smiled, not missing how happy and content Freya looked. In the times Hermione had observed the younger girl, Hermione had never seen her so relaxed and almost shy. "But how does he remember you? You said the pendant contains a powerful memory charm?" Hermione asked, thinking about the situation for a moment.
Harry looked at Freya, also curious for answers.
With pursed lips, Freya explained. "Because I have been a Guardian a while, James has been consistently exposed to a powerful memory charm the entire time. It was bound to have a side effect. Unfortunately, it nearly broke his mind. However, before that could happen, I tried to heal him but accidentally ended up using ancient magic and now James and I have begun the process of Soul Binding," It hadn't been that long since it happened and Freya could remember that night very well.
Hermione's eyes widened, "Soul Binding?" Ancient magic like that hadn't been used for a long time and it was not very common for it to happen anymore. It was also shocking that someone as young as Freya had managed to accomplish it.
"James is one of the few people who know everything because I told him it. It was one thing Lance didn't think of when making the Guardian Mark," Freya explained, feeling slightly smug that she had managed to find a loophole in Lance's Guardian Mark.
After a few moments of silence, Harry chuckled. "Oh, Ginny is going to have a field day about this," He said, amusement in his eyes. Ginny had been worried about James for a while and she didn't like his playboy ways, but she wasn't going to be happy with this bit of information.
Hermione snorted while rolling her eyes, "That's an understatement," Just like her mother, Ginny had a fierce temper on her. Ginny would not be happy to find out that her sixteen-year-old son has started a Soul Binding with anyone – which essentially made him married. James was still her little boy and Ginny was fiercely protective over him and all her children.
"You're not angry?" Freya asked, looking to Harry. She thought that he would have more of a reaction and have an issue with the whole situation, but he looked amused more than anything and it was confusing. This had been the one reaction she wasn't prepared for.
Harry shook his head, "No, I am not. You've helped my son a lot, and for that I thank you. Besides, James is rather protective of you from the looks of it," If the looks James had been giving Lance was worth anything, it showed how much James cared for Freya. Harry found it more adorable than anything. While Harry wasn't happy about James being involved with everything, he couldn't help but feel thankful to Freya to saving his son.
Freya watched Harry for a moment, trying to decipher whether his words were genuine or not. When she deemed them genuine, Freya nodded her head, feeling happier.
"Besides James, would you like for us to get in contact with anyone, like your parents?" Hermione suggested kindly.
Freya immediately shook her head, "No, don't tell them. They're very big Lance supporters, if you do, they'll kill me before Lance could." She said grimly, thinking about what her mother's reaction would be if she found out she had just spilt out the secrets of the Guardian Program, and to Harry Potter of all people. Her mother hated Harry with a passion, he had defeated Voldemort and now he was going to take Lance down. She didn't know how her father would react but she found she didn't care.
Hermione and Harry shared a look, neither one surprised by this tidbit of information. Ron had pointed out at the Christmas part how there was no love in Vivienne and Rupert's eyes when they looked at Freya. To hear this just confirmed everything they had thought and it was saddening.
"Let's take you to see a Healer," Hermione said, standing up. Freya nodded her head and also stood up, letting Hermione lead her out of the room.
Once they were gone, Ron walked out of the other room with a blank expression on his face. He had seen and heard the entire thing.
Harry flopped down on the chair. "I can't believe this has been going on for nineteen years and we didn't know about it," He said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He thought the Ministry had improved but he was wrong. He also couldn't believe that Kingsley Shacklebolt that allowed this to happen under his watch.
"Something doesn't seem right," Ron said with a frown on his face.
Looking up at his friend, Harry furrowed his brows, "What do you mean?" He asked, feeling confused.
Ron shook his head, "Everything just seems too convenient. The very person we needed to speak with, willingly comes with us. Things that she described, just doesn't sound real." Ron said, looking at him, hoping that Harry would agree with him.
"Did you know hear what she was saying? She couldn't say anything because of the mark." Harry answered back, even more confused than before. He began wondering if Ron had even watched the whole interview in the first place.
"I don't know. I just think if the treatment was that bad, maybe she would have stepped forward sooner," Ron commented while shrugging his shoulders.
Harry thinned his lips, "Ron, the situation she has been through isn't an easy one. We will never understand her, but we can help her." He was beginning to feel a little annoyed at his friend. There were times that Ron could be a narrowminded and sometimes it was a wonder that Hermione hadn't killed him yet, but Ron was his friend nonetheless.
Ron fell silent as he thought about everything.
"Do you think she's lying?" Harry asked, standing up from his sitting position.
Ron opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped when Hermione entered the room again. "Whose lying?" Hermione asked, looking at the two of them with a confused expression. She didn't know what she had just walked in on but it seemed as though Harry was annoyed and Ron seemed blasé.
Harry looked at his female friend. "He thinks Freya was exaggerating what happened." He said, sending a pointing glance at Ron.
Ron shrugged his shoulders, "I just think it wasn't as bad as she's making it out to be, otherwise she would have come forward sooner,"
Hermione glared at him and placed her hands on her hips. "Ronald! How blind can you be?" Hermione believed everything that Freya was saying, it was too horrifying to be a lie. The fact Ron even believed it to be a lie was outrageous to her.
"Sorry, it is just hard to get my head around," Ron muttered lowly.
Harry sighed and nodded his head, "I understand. It's not easy but we need to help her and the others too," He said, sending a smile in Ron's direction.
Slowly, Ron nodded his head and smiled, "You're right,"
Hermione looked down at her watch and saw that it was nearly later afternoon. "On the way to the Healers, Freya said Lance would probably strike at night when there were fewer people around." She looked back up to Harry and Ron.
"Makes sense," Harry nodded his head in agreement, "We'll set up guards at the door. We can split the shifts."
Hermione and Ron nodded their heads. "Will the three of us be enough?" Ron asked.
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, "Actually, there is another person who could probably join us."
HARRY POTTER
Later that night
Freya was sat in her cell, laying on the bed which was a lot comfier than she had been expecting. She had been in with the Healer for nearly two hours and unfortunately, the Healer had said the burn was going to scar because Freya hadn't been seen to sooner. However, Freya didn't mind. She was quite proud of the burn mark on the back of her neck. After a Healer had seen to her burn mark, Harry had escorted her back to the interview room where she stayed for hours so Harry and Hermione could continue their questioning until they got all the information they needed. After the questioning, Harry had brought her to a nicer cell, one that didn't get used very often and it was a fair distance from all the other cells. Just like all the other cells, this room was coated in a particular spell which negated all spells and this brought some comfort to Freya. It was a very simple cell, a single bed, a mirror and a window. Harry had informed her that they were going to be guarding her room so they could catch Lance in the act. Two Aurors would be standing outside the room and Harry, Hermione and Ron would stay in the room with her to protect her. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get to see James until tomorrow or until Lance was caught because Harry didn't want to risk his son getting in the crossfire and Freya understood this.
A knock on the metal door brought Freya from her thoughts. "Yes," Freya said, sitting up from her laying down position. She was expecting either Hermione or Ron and she mentally hoped that it was Hermione. She found she enjoyed the woman's company and Freya found herself warming up to Hermione.
The door opened, revealing Draco Malfoy.
Freya stared at Draco with a blank expression, but on the inside, she was feeling confused. Harry hadn't mentioned anyone else being involved with the stakeout. "What are you doing here?" Freya asked bluntly.
Familiar grey eyes stared right back at her, "Potter asked me to join in with the stakeout. He said that more hands would be helpful." Draco said, looking very much out of place.
Slowly, Freya nodded her head, "Okay," She found that she didn't mind Harry telling other people about the Guardians. It was better that more people know about it. The Guardian Program had been a secret for far too long anyway.
Saying nothing, Draco closed the door behind him and he sat down on the only other seat available in the room, a single wooden stool. Draco sat down, his posture was perfect, giving away his Pureblood roots instantly. Only Purebloods were taught to stand and sit like they owned everything in the room. It was something Freya had been trained to do since birth.
"Did he tell you everything?" Freya asked, watching Draco with a close eye.
Draco nodded his head, "He did,"
Freya stared at him for a moment, "But why would he ask you to help watch me?" She was curious as to why Draco had been asked in the first place. If Freya thought Harry would get in contact with anyone to assist them, Draco wouldn't have been first on the list.
Frowning, Draco answered, "Harry seemed to be under the impression that we could understand one another," When Harry had approached him, Draco had thought him to be joking, but then he realised how serious Harry was. Draco had assisted Harry by providing him information on the Williams' child and hadn't expected to see him again, but when Harry had explained there was another Williams child that needed help, Draco's interests had been peaked.
Arching a brow, Freya looked at him, "I suppose Death Eaters and Guardians are similar. Being controlled by a crazy, power-obsessed man who has an unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter," She said, smirking slightly at her analysis.
Draco smirked in return, "Not bad,"
Freya's smirked widened, "I know,"
Both sat in comfortable silence, watching one another. Draco stared at Freya, fascinated by her and her story. Whereas Freya was staring at Draco because she couldn't help but notice how much alike Lucius and Draco looked. Draco genuinely looked exactly like his father with shorter hair – and healthier due to not being in Azkaban for many years.
"My family visited your father in Azkaban every year," Freya said.
At the mention of his father, the amused glint in his grey eyes left immediately. "Is that so," Draco said, appearing uncaring about this news. Draco had not spoken to his father in years, not ever since the trials where he and his mother had been acquitted. Neither he nor his mother mentioned Lucius – it was as though he never existed. His mother couldn't even stand being in the Malfoy manor and stayed in one of the many properties that the Malfoy's owned. When Draco and his mother saw one another, it was always away from the Malfoy Manor and he couldn't blame his mother. It had taken Draco a while before he felt comfortable in the manor again after Voldemort had used it as his base of operations.
Freya nodded his head, "They did. I even went with them this time," Freya said, remembering the visit well. She had been surprised she was allowed to attend and confused about where they were going.
Draco said nothing, his grey eyes revealing nothing about how he felt.
"He asked about you and Scorpius," Freya said. She could remember how desperate Lucius had been for some information.
Draco tensed slightly, not expecting her to say this.
"He was offered a way out of Azkaban, but he didn't take it," Freya asked. Lance had offered a deal to Lucius but he turned it down. When he had done that, Freya respected him because he had done what many people hadn't, he rejected Lance. It was a wonder that Lucius had lasted as long as he did in Azkaban but it just showed how desperately Lance wanted Lucius on his side.
"What was the offer?" Draco asked calmly.
Freya looked Draco directly in the eyes, "Lance offered him a chance to get out of Azkaban and return him to his former glory. In exchange, Lucius would have had to give up you and Scorpius to the Guardian Program. Lance wanted to make Scorpius a Guardian and take control of the Malfoy finances. But he turned him down." In one of Lance's many drunken rants, he had disclosed this bit of information to Freya and her parents, which was why her parents visited Lucius every year. However, it was unknown to Freya if her parents had visited Lucius more than once a year.
Draco tensed in his seat, not knowing what to do. He had not been expecting Freya to say that at all. He had no idea that his father had been given an out and he hadn't taken it. Draco had assumed that if his father had an opportunity to get out of Azkaban, he would have taken it and run as fast as he could. However, after the shock, came rage. Draco was angry that Lance had wanted to use his family – his son. There was no way Draco would let that happen. "Did he say why?" Draco asked with a composed expression, though there was a glint of irritation in his eyes.
"He said he could see the similarities between the Guardians and the Death Eaters and he wanted nothing to do with them. He said he made the mistake of selling out his family once and he wasn't going to do it again," Freya said, watching Draco's every reaction. A normal person wouldn't notice the subtle changes in Draco's movements, but she was a trained Pureblood herself so she could see them a mile away.
Draco inhaled sharply and he closed his eyes in disbelief. "Did he really say that?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Freya nodded her head, she was about to answer but a loud noise interrupted her. Draco and Freya turned to look at the door where they heard the noise, it sounded as though someone had just fallen over. Draco stood up from his seat, his hand instinctively reaching for his wand even though he knew magic wouldn't work down in the cells. Freya instantly recognised the sound; the sound of a dead body hitting the ground. She had heard that sound many times within the Guardian Program and it was a sound that haunted her nightmares.
"He's here," Freya whispered, not wanting Lance to hear her speak to anyone.
Nodding his head, Draco softly walked over to the door and stood to the side of it. There was nowhere for him to hide in the cell, but when the door was opened, it created the perfect hiding spot. Draco stood on the right side of the door, so Lance wouldn't see Draco when he walked in and he would assume that he was alone with Freya. Draco reached into his pocket and took out a little device; a Muggle device. It had a single red button that when pressed, would send a signal to Harry and his friends, alerting them of Lance's presence. Hermione had been the one to give him this and had explained it to him patiently what it did. For a moment, Draco was amused, if only his father could see him now, conversing with a Muggleborn and using a Muggle device. If he had been alive, Lucius would have had a heart attack there and then.
Freya watched him, her body tensed and poised to pounce. Even she found herself reaching for her wand out of instinct even when she knew that magic was practically useless down in the cells. Instead, Freya reached down into her boot and took out her two knives. The magical properties they had were useless, but they were still sharp and could be used as a weapon. Freya slides the knives up the sleeves of her red hoodie and waited with baited breath.
That's when the door handle of the metal door began to jangle. It moved up and down in a frantic motion and it only made Freya grip onto the knives in her sleeves tighter. Lance was trying to make his way into the room.
Draco watched the handle carefully, the button in his hand. He needed to make sure it was Lance before he pressed the button.
The door swung open, Draco put up his arm to make sure the door didn't slam into him and he made sure to stay quiet. Now that the door was covering him, Draco peaked through the crack of the metal door and instantly recognised Lance Johnson. With the suspect in sight, Draco pressed the red button on the Muggle device and waited. Draco peeked around the door to look at Freya and nodded his head, letting her know that help was on the way.
Freya subtly nodded her head, while her gaze was trained on the figure in front of the doorway. "Hello, Lance," Freya said with a blank expression. She was not going to show him how unnerved she was because she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
Lance grinned at her, "Freya." There was a maddening glint in his icy blue eyes. His posture was hunched over, his hair frazzled and windswept. His clothes were crumpled and there were holes in his coat. He looked nothing like the man he was before; dignified, in control and calm.
Freya toyed with the cool metal up her sleeves. She was waiting for Lance to make the next move and she knew it wouldn't be long either. She knew that couldn't use magic down in the cells and this comforted her because he wouldn't be able to just kill her instantly. It gave her a proper chance of fighting back.
Lance instantly took out his wand and pointed it at Freya, "Avada Kedavra!"
Draco tensed behind the door, his fists clenched. That very spell brought back memories of when Voldemort stayed in the Malfoy Manor. It was haunting to see the similarities between Lance and Voldemort. Draco breathed in deeply, mentally reminding himself that spells didn't work down in the cells so he knew that Freya was safe.
Freya looked at Lance blankly, mentally sighing in relief when there was no green jet of light and she was still alive. She was sure that in his rush to try and kill her, he had been completely ignorant to the magical restrictions in the room. But now, they had their evidence. Lance had just tried to cast the Killing Curse on her, and Draco had witnessed this.
Lance looked confused and for a moment, panic flashed in his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, Lance lowered his wand and mentally cursed himself. "Have you told them anything?" Lance demanded, his gaze hardening as he stared at Freya.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Freya smirked, feeling confident. She knew that help was coming, but she just needed to wait for it. If she could stall Lance for a while then it would give Harry, Hermione and Ron enough time to get there.
Lance growled lowly under his breath, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "Tell me, or I will kill you." He threatened his voice like venom. He fully intended to carry out his threat in due course but he needed some information first.
Freya returned his glare with her own, "You don't get to tell me what to do anymore, you bastard," She hissed lowly, mentally praising herself. She had always wanted to say that to him and now was her opportunity. While having the Guardian Mark, she was under his complete control and now no one could control her.
Something inside Lance snapped as he charged at Freya, letting out a yell in anger. Freya jumped up from the bed she was sitting on, only to be trapped between Lance and the stone wall behind her. Lance grabbed her shoulders and violently pushed them into the wall and Freya winced at the force, feeling her shoulders ache at the sudden use of force. Freya stared at Lance with a blank expression, watching as he shallowly panted, the anger consuming him.
"How dare you defy me?!" Lance yelled in her face, spit flying everywhere. "You are mine!"
Freya frowned, not liking the feeling of spit on her face and it made her feel disgusted. Her grip on her knives tightened, she didn't appreciate him being this close to her and she wanted him away from her. However, she needed to wait until someone caught him in the act. She needed Harry or Hermione there to arrest him. Draco didn't have the power to arrest Lance and she knew that Lance would pay no mind to Draco being in the room.
Draco had been watching everything and he had seen enough. He didn't care if he didn't have the authority to arrest Lance. "Lance Johnson, back away from her," Draco said, stepping out from his hiding spot. His grey eyes trained on Lance and where his hands were holding onto Freya. He couldn't idly stand by and let Lance manhandle a minor, it was too sickening to let happen.
Lance jumped at the sound of another voice. He turned around and saw Draco, standing at the entrance of the room. "And what are you going to do about it?" Lance asked mockingly, a smug grin on his face.
Draco's jaw clenched at Lance's audacity.
Lance turned back around to face Freya, completely ignoring Draco. Lance did not see Draco as a threat but as an annoyance. However, when Lance turned back to face Freya, he felt something sharp press against his neck.
"Get away from me." Freya hissed lowly, pressing one of her knives against Lance's neck. She did not want him anywhere near her and he was testing her patience. Having Lance in her personal space was making her testy and uncomfortable, even his aftershave made her want to vomit. She didn't care anymore about having someone catch Lance, she just wanted him away from her immediately.
Lance stilled where he was, not expecting for Freya to fight back. "You won't do anything," Lance said, his smirk growing bigger. "If you hurt me, I will activate the mark and all the other Guardians will die."
Draco stilled where he was, Lance's words causing some worry. Draco knew that there was no way that Lance could do that, but that didn't stop the feeling of dread of the fact Lance held the lives of children in his hand. It was unnerving to know how willing Lance was to get rid of the other Guardians as though he didn't care.
Freya arched a brow, "And who says I care about that?" She was bluffing but she didn't care anymore. She very much cared about the lives of the other Guardians but she couldn't let Lance know this because he would use this against her.
For a moment, Lance faltered. His grip on Freya's shoulders slackened in his shock and that's when Freya took her opportunity. Freya raised her knee and slammed it into Lance's private area as hard as she could. Lance yelled in pain, the scream high pitch and shrill as he crumpled to the ground. Draco dived in, grabbed Lance and flipped him to the ground. Draco grabbed Lance's wrists and twisted them behind his back, his knee digging into Lance's back so he couldn't move. Lance moaned in pain, withering on the ground but no one paid any attention to him.
"Good job, Freya," Draco said, looking at Freya with a proud expression, his grey eyes lighter.
Seeing Lance trapped, Freya felt herself relax as she leaned against the wall. "We got him," She whispered lowly, feeling her strength leave her.
Just then, Harry, Hermione and Ron ran into the room, all out of breath. "Is everyone okay?!" Harry asked frantically, looking around the room in alarm. When he had received the alert, he had jumped up straight away and tried to get there as fast as he could.
Hermione ran over to Freya, "Did he hurt you at all?" She asked, checking Freya over with a critical eye.
Freya smiled slightly and shook her head, "I'm okay," There was a sting in her right shoulder but she didn't pay it much mind. There was something about Hermione's worry that warmed Freya's heart. People didn't often worry about her because they expected her to be great at everything and not to get hurt. It was nice actually, weird but nice.
"Check her shoulders, Lance grabbed them rather hard," Draco said, looking over to Freya and Hermione. He had heard a sound when Lance had grabbed Freya's shoulders and he wanted to make sure it was okay.
Hermione arched her brows at Freya, not happy that Freya didn't tell her the truth.
"What happened?" Harry asked, looking to Draco for the answer.
"He came like she said he would," Draco answered, tightening his grip on Lance when Draco felt the man move underneath.
Ron walked out of the room for a moment and checked on the two dead Aurors outside. "They're dead. Did he do this?" Ron asked, looking at Lance with disdain.
"We heard them drop before he tried to open the door, so I assume that he did," Draco answered back, his grey eyes trained on Lance. He wasn't letting the man move without Draco knowing it. There was no way that Draco was letting him escape.
Lance growled lowly, "Let me go, you incompetent fool!" He wriggled furiously, trying to get free, but winced when pain radiated from his private area where Freya had kneed him.
Ron scoffed, "Not a chance in hell,"
Harry examined Freya and then Lance. "Lance Johnson, you are under arrest for multiple murders and the kidnapping of Caitlin Finnigan and Gretchen Thomas," He said, taking out magic draining cuffs and placing them on Lance with Draco's assistance. He found the cuffs to be ironic and he couldn't help but use them. However, Harry did believe Lance to be a risk and he wasn't taking any chances.
Lance's eyes widened, "Kidnapping?!" His head whipped over to Freya and looked at her in shock. There was no way that she could have known what he did. He hadn't told anyone about Caitlin and Gretchen.
Freya met his gaze and smirked, "You lose, old man."
Rage consumed Lance as his icy blue eyes darkened. "I'll kill you!" He began to struggle more furiously, his gaze trained on Freya with a dark intensity that promised death if he ever got his hands on her.
Draco, Harry and Ron restrained Lance, neither one letting him get anywhere near Freya. Hermione stood up and took Lance's wand and put it in her pocket so it could be stored away. Now without his wand, Harry, Draco and Ron took Lance away to be put in another cell far away from Freya.
"What will happen now?" Freya asked, looking to Hermione for answers.
Hermione looked at her and smiled, "He will be investigated. We can now search for his home and we will take these findings to Kingsley." Things were going according to plan and Hermione was relieved that no one had got majorly hurt.
Freya nodded her head, finding the whole situation unreal.
"Now, let's have a Healer look at your shoulders," Hermione said with a gentle smile. Hermione walked over to the door with Freya following close behind her.
As they walked, Freya could still hear Lance screaming to be released and it brought her satisfaction that he was going to get what he deserved.
HARRY POTTER
Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I had quite a lot of fun writing it.
Just a little warning, any updates for a while are going to be a lot slower. I am in my last year of university and I have a lot to do and I need to put some effort into my work now. I am not abandoning this story by any means.