Filius Flitwick walked alongside the headmaster a block away from the Granger's office. "Albus, we are being watched."
"I suppose it must be the scent of these heavenly tarts." Dumbledore buried his nose inside the large bag in his arms. He sniffed the contents for the third time. "Hand-baked bread, tarts and pies. I've haven't had these since my mother passed away."
"We should have changed our clothes. We're still in costume." Flitwick eyed the trailing children and parents with affection. He waved at some of the younger children.
"Let's give them a bit of a show while we look for a suitable apparition point." As he passed by a small toy store several children pressed their faces against the glass to have a better look. Dumbledore smiled and waved at them. "Very nice of Mick to provision us on our way back. I'm rather partial to the orange tarts myself."
"He said something about Scotland being a goodly far trip."
"As far as they know Ms. Granger goes to a boarding school in Scotland." Dumbledore eyed the lenght of the street. "Let's try the next block. Far too many people about now."
"I must know something, Albus." Flitwick tightened his hold on his own bag of pastries. "Did you put a spell on Mary before we left?"
"Do you believe I did?" Albus waved at a child waving madly from the open window of a passing automobile.
"Albus, I could feel that child's pain very strongly. A pain that muggle medicines have no effect on. Yet she fell into a deep, pain-free sleep after the second story. I ask again did you put a spell on her?"
"Only a small one. Something to help her mind ignore the pain." The headmaster sighed. "It was the only gift I could give her in exchange for what she gave to everyone else."
"What a sweet soul that child has." Flitwick said quietly.
They crossed several intersections before coming to a less busy city block more drab and seedy than the ones they had passed through. So engrossed were they in their conversation and finding a bolt hole to apparate from that they failed to take notice of a stranger standing some ways off on an opposite corner reading a paper. The stranger had kept the moving pair within sight for the last two blocks.
Providence be my gift. He's come out of his stronghold and with one of his lackeys in tow no less. I must reward Wormtail for urging me to go on a walk today. Voldemort pulled his hat lower over his face. He followed them slowly watching for any other wizards and witches that could be about. He saw no one else. His lips formed a crooked grin. I cannot resist so unexpected an opportunity to test my progress. Now what to do first?
Dumbledore and Flitwick turned into a small alleyway in between two shabby buildings. They looked up and down the short streetside making sure no muggles were around.
"This looks like a good spot." Flitwick said pulling out his wand.
"It has been a very good day, Filius." Dumbledore moved the bag to his left hand. As he retrieved his wand with his right hand, a sudden noise made him look up and back at the entrance to the alley. "Did you hear that?"
The sound came again. It was a child shouting as if in pain asking for help again and again. It came from further down in the alley.
"I don't see ... where - oh!" Flitwick felt a hard shove from behind and he stumbled a few steps forward.
"Help! Help me please!" The voice wailed more plaintive still.
All thoughts of apparating away fled from the two wizards' minds. As one they put their wands down and began to walk towards the voice.
"I want to go home. Help me!" It was a girl's voice. "It's so dark here."
They quickened their steps. The alley was growing dimmer. Their wand tips began to glow brightly as they each cast a quick lighting spell. Focusing so intently on following the child's voice another sound, a repeating whirring, barely registered on their consciousness.
"I don't want to hurt anymore." The words stopped replaced by muffled sobbing.
Flitwick saw some shadows gliding across one wall. He walked towards them. "This way, Albus."
A tall stand of corrugated boxes and other debris leaned against the wall. Between the two wizards, they managed to levitate the boxes away clearing a way towards the sobbing child. Flitwick leaned into the small aisle they created and peered in. "I see her form, Albus. I'm going to call to her."
"Come here, child, come on." Flitwick crooned. He could see the form moving.
"Go away! The bad man is always tricking me."
"No, no child. I'll take you home to your parents. Isn't that what you want?"
Another minute of coaxing proved futile. Flitwick stood up and shook his head. "I cannot say I blame her for trusting no one but -"
"If she will not come to us, then we must come to her. Let us move the rest of these boxes, Filius." In a matter of seconds, all the boxes were cleared to the side.
The two wizards approached the dark figure huddled against the wall. Their wands' glowing light illuminated in ever widening circles. Once they were close enough the light shone on a thin, dirty girl of eight or nine dressed in rags. She was curled in a fetal position on the ground. Her sobs were the only sounds to be heard.
"Come now," Flitwick approached the girl with his hand outstretched making no sudden gestures. As his hand touched the child's forearm, the illusion of the girl disappeared in a glitter of energy. Flitwick felt back in shock. "Merlin's ghost!"
A single glance between the two old friends confirmed their suspicion. They both said the spell to apparate but nothing happened. Flitwick cast a ward detect spell. Immediately all around them the signature signs of an anti-apparition ward made their presence plainly seen.
"Getting careless in my old age, Albus."
"I rather think it is because our enemy knows us too well." Dumbledore cast a longer lasting light spell bathing the immediate area around them in bright light. "Distracting us with the child while he built the ward right under our noses."
"I say we repay him in kind for his cleverness."
Reflexes of old came rushing back to their minds and bodies. Wordlessly with no wasted motions, they stood back to back wands drawn and ready. Their wait was not long. First came the sounds of a dozens of wings in motion. They braced inwardly for whatever came next. Their eyes scanned all around. Another sound dominated the first. It was a shrill shrieking whose intensity pierced their eardrums where they stood. Their aural membranes ripped under the sound's unceasing onslaught. Despite the pain and loss of balance, the two wizards stood their ground calling on old disciplines to numb the pain and keep their focus.
From the dark edge of the illuminated circle they came en masse, Voldemort's pets, streaking at and diving into the two wizards from every direction. There were many of them, big and small, and all sleek in form and speed. Dozens upon dozens they came. Dumbledore and Flitwick cast rapid fire spells offensive and defensive. The creatures relentlessly flew at their shields again and again. But shields could not be maintained for long. The creatures had to be dealt with. Who knew how many more would come?
They brought their shields down and attacked. Beams of light and missiles of energy erupted from their wands. The bats weaved and dodged effortlessly. Those offensive spells that hit their mark proved of little effect. The creatures were stunned only briefly. Around the circle, bats lay alive but motionless. Their eyes gleamed a malevolent reddish glow. Still more, the smaller more agile ones, flew about attacking the pair repeatedly. Their size made them hard to hit and even harder to defend against.
There were so many of them, so few of the wizards. The wizards could not hold them off for very long. Talons ripped at cloth. Teeth ripped at exposed flesh. Sharp wing edges grazed trails of blood on any surface they touched. Two large bats took hold of Flitwick and begun to lift him away.
Dumbledore grabbed his friend's body in his arms heedless of the creatures attacking his own body. "Not going back without you!"
The tiny professor aimed a spell at one of his attackers. "Avada Kedavra!" The spell proved fatal but at great cost. The spell drained the wizard for a while. He was already weak from his physical wounds and casting the Unforgivable taxed him more. Flitwick loosed his companion. It left his body with a loud pop and came at the second creature.
Their collision sparked a green glow where they touched. The bat shrieked and let go of its hold. As it flew away, Flitwick could see that the glow on a small part of its body had not faded. His eyes followed the bat as it began to fly erratically. It flew up then down, hit a brick wall, flew up again before plummeting down to the ground. It writhed on the ground. Green smoke curled into the air from its skin. There on its right flank was a hole clean and neat pierced completely from front to back. The bat arched once and then grew still. Amazed at this discovery, Dumbledore let loose his own companion. The two companions darted and flitted about first getting rid of the creatures closest to their hosts before going after the other creatures. Dumbledore and Flitwick returned to attacking the creatures once again.
Above on a low rooftop, Voldemort watched the scene below. Above him more of his creatures circled the neighborhood. The old man still has some fight in him. Not a bad show. Time for the second wave. His first wave was composed of the seasoned hunters fruits of his earliest experimentations in animal transmutation. The second wave stemmed from his latest and more successful experiments. They were bigger, faster and smarter. Beside him he tapped Caligula on the wing and motioned him downward. Caligula spread his enormous eight meter wingspan and took to the air. The second wave followed their leader down into the alley.
As if sensing something, Dumbledore took that moment to look up. To his horror, he saw the mass of the second wave streaking down towards him like a black tidal wave heading for shore. Dumbledore cast the most powerful shield charm. It was just in time. He could see their bared fangs already.
This second fight was more furious and intense than the first. Were the wizards younger they would have fared better. But their wounds were extreme draining them both fast while their companions were being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Dumbledore called for reinforcements.
"Fawkes! Fawkes to me!" Dumbledore fell to his knees covering his eyes with bloodied forearms. His voice almost a whisper but it was heard hundreds of miles away at Hogwarts. The phoenix appeared immediately. It attempted to help its master but Dumbledore waved his hand. "Get help, Fawkes. Tell Minerva! Go! Go!"
As soon as the phoenix disappeared, Voldemort knew that time was getting short. Dumbledore had likely called for reinforcements. He clenched and unclenched his hands. His mind exulted in victory and craved more but his body was not yet strong enough for a direct confrontation. So close! He removed himself from the roof appearing a few blocks away in study. Check. Let us see what the old man makes of this move. With a flick of his wand, he summoned his remaining pets home.
Professors McGonagall and Fawkes found the physically ravaged wizards alone and unconscious. Their companions circled them protectively. Littering the ground were dozens upon dozens of the dark creatures all dead. A minute later Mr. Ollivander as well as Professors Snape and Sinistra appeared. Sinistra kept watch while McGonagall and Ollivander used portkeys to transport the wounded back to Hogwarts. Snape examined the creatures closely. He stuffed several specimens into a bag.
"What manner of creatures are these, Severus? They look like bats." Sinistra asked. "But I've never seen any this big or this ugly."
"They WERE bats once." Snape sighed. "I suspect that we're looking at the Dark Lord's new weapon."
"They took on the headmaster and Flitwick."
"Yes and they almost won." Ollivander remarked making his way to them. "Consider how you are going to defend against these foul creatures."
"Gods! I didn't think!" Sinistra looked wildly around her. "Extremely mobile, hard to hit and ... and ... damn we have to rethink some things now!"
"They reek of dark magic and -" Ollivander hissed and his brow furrowed in thought. The two younger wizards looked at him with concern. His eyes remained closed. "It's Minerva. She wants us back at Hogwarts! Albus is awake and calling for an emergency session right now." He chuckled. "Poppy is threatening to induce a coma if he doesn't stay in bed"
Sinistra grinned. "Some things don't change."
"No, Sinistra, everything's changed." Snape said. He gestured at the creatures. "I didn't know about these things. Didn't know they were being planned."
"You can't expect to know about everything, Severus."
"Don't you see I should have been told about this. At least some bit of information ... something." Snape kicked at a creature. "This means there's another plan ... different than what I know."
"All the more reason why we need another set of eyes and ears inside." Ollivander motioned towards the dead creatures on the ground. With a quick flick of his wand, the alleyway was clean again without a trace of blood stains or bodies. "Come. Poppy won't be held at bay much longer."
In a few seconds, the alley way was deserted. If one had sharp enough ears one could have heard a faint echo. Why wasn't I told? What else don't I know?