Chapter 23: Fortune's Hostages
"We are here; you can let go now," Severus said.
Rose opened her eyes, but did not loosen her grip on him. She found herself in a field at the edge of a gloomy forest. An ancient hut of wattle and daub crouched further down to her left where a cultivated lawn petered out into wild grasses. The sky was cloudy, the air moist with a chill of approaching winter. Striding toward them were Dumbledore and Hermione. Catching sight of them, Rose finally released her grip. Severus reached around his neck and pulled out a silver chain, which he pulled over his head and placed around her neck. It was Elizabeth's emerald pendant. Rose stroked the stone and felt that it was intaglio, but there wasn't enough light that she could make out the carving. She tucked it into her shirt as her goddaughter and the Headmaster came within speaking distance.
"Severus, I've put the Grangers up in Hagrid's hut. The approaches to Hogwarts are blocked. Hermione will escort Rose to the hut and stay with them as security," Albus Dumbledore was not even breathing hard, but Hermione was. "Rose will wear Harry's cloak as a further precaution. If you will follow me, we have some unwanted guests to repel."
Hermione wrapped Rose in the Invisibility cloak, and the two women set off for the hut.
"What exactly has been going on, Albus?" asked Snape.
"Bellatrix LeStrange is here with some of the criminal element. They attacked under her command in Hogsmead, burned down some shops and terrorized the villagers, who suffered only minor injuries, smoke inhalation and contusions, mostly. While the staff set out with the Seventh Years to guard and patrol Hogsmead, the attackers surrounded Hogwarts. The wards are holding, and the Floo system is secure, so all we have to do is capture them." Albus spoke while jogging back towards the castle.
"Bella must be insane to think she can accomplish anything. Perhaps she wishes for death." Severus Transfigured his Muggle attire to wizard's robes. As the castle came into view, they slowed and took cover in the shrubbery. "I don't see anyone."
Dumbledore cast a Discovery charm. "There's no one here. The siege is abandoned."
Hermione was moving as fast as she could towards Hagrid's hut, while Rose followed, struggling to keep covered with the cloak while not tripping on it. There was no sign of life, no smoke from the chimney, no faces at the windows. Hermione slowed and then ducked into the woods. With softly muttered incantations and strokes of her wand, Hermione searched for an answer.
"What's the matter, Hermione?" Rose panted.
"Hagrid didn't come to the door," Hermione said. "And the fire is out. I think we'd better go back to the professors."
"Your parents are supposed to be in there." Rose was getting alarmed. This was a situation that she was completely unequipped to handle. "Can you tell if there are any people inside?"
"No, I can't pass the wards." Hermione bit her lip. "Stay here, and stay covered. I am going to the back door. Perhaps I can peek in a window."
"You had better take this cloak, then," ordered Rose. "Unless you can make yourself undetectable. I'll stay in the bushes."
Hermione thought very hard. "All right, but don't come out unless I give the password: your daughter's name." Wrapping herself in Harry Potter's cloak, Hermione vanished from Rose's sight.
Rose was quietly crouching in a thicket when she heard a twig snap. She crouched even lower and stopped breathing. "Allez allez in free" called a woman, who sounded both playful and deranged. "I see you, dearie, come out now and you'll stay in one piece." Rose did not move. "No? Very well, take her prisoner, gently now." Two thugs grabbed Rose by the arms, lifting her out of the bushes. "Another Muggle! The woods are full of them this time of year. Let's take her back to the hut and stash her with the others."
Rose was frog-marched into Hagrid's hut. There were John and Melanie and Hermione Granger, bound with cords. Otherwise the hut was empty. With the addition of Rose, the two men holding her, and the woman in charge, the room became quite crowded.
"Now, who might you be?" asked the woman. "Let me introduce myself, first: Bellatrix LeStrange, fresh out of prison and looking for a helping hand to get back on my feet." Rose was silent. Bella raised her wand. "Imperio!" she cried. The green flash of the Unforgivable curse surrounded Rose, but did not touch her. Instead, it intensified, pulsing, and struck Bella and her thugs, so that they dropped to the floor unconscious.
"Rose! Snatch their wands!" cried Hermione.
Rose did as she was told, with direction from the captives. "Where is a knife? I'll cut you loose."
"That won't work, Auntie, the bonds are magical. Just bring me the wands. That one, the redwood, that's mine. Put it in my right hand." Hermione soon freed herself and her parents, bound the attackers, and cursed them into a petrified and unconscious state. "What did you do, Auntie? Why did the spell backfire?"
"I don't know." Rose felt drained, beyond the effects of fear.
"Mum, Dad, where's Hagrid?" Hermione was taking charge of the situation.
Rose didn't stay upright long enough to hear the answer. She sank to the floor in a faint, as Dumbledore, Severus and Hagrid burst into the hut.
"We are here; you can let go now," Severus said.
Rose opened her eyes, but did not loosen her grip on him. She found herself in a field at the edge of a gloomy forest. An ancient hut of wattle and daub crouched further down to her left where a cultivated lawn petered out into wild grasses. The sky was cloudy, the air moist with a chill of approaching winter. Striding toward them were Dumbledore and Hermione. Catching sight of them, Rose finally released her grip. Severus reached around his neck and pulled out a silver chain, which he pulled over his head and placed around her neck. It was Elizabeth's emerald pendant. Rose stroked the stone and felt that it was intaglio, but there wasn't enough light that she could make out the carving. She tucked it into her shirt as her goddaughter and the Headmaster came within speaking distance.
"Severus, I've put the Grangers up in Hagrid's hut. The approaches to Hogwarts are blocked. Hermione will escort Rose to the hut and stay with them as security," Albus Dumbledore was not even breathing hard, but Hermione was. "Rose will wear Harry's cloak as a further precaution. If you will follow me, we have some unwanted guests to repel."
Hermione wrapped Rose in the Invisibility cloak, and the two women set off for the hut.
"What exactly has been going on, Albus?" asked Snape.
"Bellatrix LeStrange is here with some of the criminal element. They attacked under her command in Hogsmead, burned down some shops and terrorized the villagers, who suffered only minor injuries, smoke inhalation and contusions, mostly. While the staff set out with the Seventh Years to guard and patrol Hogsmead, the attackers surrounded Hogwarts. The wards are holding, and the Floo system is secure, so all we have to do is capture them." Albus spoke while jogging back towards the castle.
"Bella must be insane to think she can accomplish anything. Perhaps she wishes for death." Severus Transfigured his Muggle attire to wizard's robes. As the castle came into view, they slowed and took cover in the shrubbery. "I don't see anyone."
Dumbledore cast a Discovery charm. "There's no one here. The siege is abandoned."
Hermione was moving as fast as she could towards Hagrid's hut, while Rose followed, struggling to keep covered with the cloak while not tripping on it. There was no sign of life, no smoke from the chimney, no faces at the windows. Hermione slowed and then ducked into the woods. With softly muttered incantations and strokes of her wand, Hermione searched for an answer.
"What's the matter, Hermione?" Rose panted.
"Hagrid didn't come to the door," Hermione said. "And the fire is out. I think we'd better go back to the professors."
"Your parents are supposed to be in there." Rose was getting alarmed. This was a situation that she was completely unequipped to handle. "Can you tell if there are any people inside?"
"No, I can't pass the wards." Hermione bit her lip. "Stay here, and stay covered. I am going to the back door. Perhaps I can peek in a window."
"You had better take this cloak, then," ordered Rose. "Unless you can make yourself undetectable. I'll stay in the bushes."
Hermione thought very hard. "All right, but don't come out unless I give the password: your daughter's name." Wrapping herself in Harry Potter's cloak, Hermione vanished from Rose's sight.
Rose was quietly crouching in a thicket when she heard a twig snap. She crouched even lower and stopped breathing. "Allez allez in free" called a woman, who sounded both playful and deranged. "I see you, dearie, come out now and you'll stay in one piece." Rose did not move. "No? Very well, take her prisoner, gently now." Two thugs grabbed Rose by the arms, lifting her out of the bushes. "Another Muggle! The woods are full of them this time of year. Let's take her back to the hut and stash her with the others."
Rose was frog-marched into Hagrid's hut. There were John and Melanie and Hermione Granger, bound with cords. Otherwise the hut was empty. With the addition of Rose, the two men holding her, and the woman in charge, the room became quite crowded.
"Now, who might you be?" asked the woman. "Let me introduce myself, first: Bellatrix LeStrange, fresh out of prison and looking for a helping hand to get back on my feet." Rose was silent. Bella raised her wand. "Imperio!" she cried. The green flash of the Unforgivable curse surrounded Rose, but did not touch her. Instead, it intensified, pulsing, and struck Bella and her thugs, so that they dropped to the floor unconscious.
"Rose! Snatch their wands!" cried Hermione.
Rose did as she was told, with direction from the captives. "Where is a knife? I'll cut you loose."
"That won't work, Auntie, the bonds are magical. Just bring me the wands. That one, the redwood, that's mine. Put it in my right hand." Hermione soon freed herself and her parents, bound the attackers, and cursed them into a petrified and unconscious state. "What did you do, Auntie? Why did the spell backfire?"
"I don't know." Rose felt drained, beyond the effects of fear.
"Mum, Dad, where's Hagrid?" Hermione was taking charge of the situation.
Rose didn't stay upright long enough to hear the answer. She sank to the floor in a faint, as Dumbledore, Severus and Hagrid burst into the hut.