Wow. I have not posted in over two months I am sure. Most of that is my fault, but I would like to shift some of the blame on certain Christmas presents coughTHESIMScough. Thanks so much to my lovely reveiwers for being so patient - that is, if you still remember I exist. So much for that.
And so, I proudly present: drumroll
Unusual Alliances
Chapter 4: The Cult
"Foaly, is there some kind of festival going on?"
The click of the keys, and then, "Nope. Nothing happening. Why?"
"Hm? Nothing… just some weird mudmen dressed up in robes.
"A cult?"
"Maybe. But they're harrasing the suspect's family. Permission for reconaissance?"
"That's much better, Short," Commander Root informed her. "Permission granted. By the way," he cleared his throat, "I've sent you some backup. They should arrive in a few hours."
"I thought it wasn't that serious, Julius," Foaly sniggered.
"Commander Root to-"
Holly turned down the volume on her headset. She couldn't hear what the odd Mudmen were saying while the two were having a go at it.
"I don't know where he is!" the petite blond woman was saying, trying to escape from her captor, a wild-looking, scraggly-haired man dressed in something that looked like a ratty black nightgown. Holly wondered that the Mudmen police hadn't picked him up already.
"You know where he is…" he gritted, shaking her by the arm, "You know-"
"Alastor! That's enough!" An old man in blue robes with long, silvery hair and beard stepped out of nowhere. He put his hand on Moody's arm and gently pushed him away from the frightened woman. Instinctively, Holly fest she could trust this man.
"Mrs. Dursely, can you tell me what happened to Harry?"
"I don't know," she sobbed. "I don't know! It was all of a sudden - there was this loud band and then we were all falling into the bloody Thames River. And then you-" she spat the word out like a curse - "came along, and did something to my husband and son so he," she pointed a shaking finger toward Moody, "could have me all to himself!"
Holly felt her gaze drawn to the still unmoving figures of Mr. Dursely and his son, and almost gasped in shock. They seemed frozen in time; the man's hand was held in front of himself as if to ward off some great evil. Both faces were grostequely carved into an almost comical expression of horror. For a split-second, Jolly wondered if she should intervene, to somehow help this woman…
"Release them, Alastor," the silver haired man commanded, staring down through his half-moon spectacles at the other man disapprovingly.
Alastor shrugged. "I was just trying to shut them up," he explained in a gravelly voice. He drew something long and narrow from his pocket with the appearance of a polished stick.
"Mobilarius…" he muttered, and suddenly the son was wrapped up in his mother's arms, weeping, and the large Mudman was standing in front of them, obviously trying to be intimidating, although he seemed to come across as frightened.
"W-what do you want with us?" he stammered.
"All we need to know is what happened to Harry."
"Him? I don't know, I wasn't watching, my son was drowning, what was I supposed to do, babysit his worthless cousin?"
"He is not bloody worthless!" Alastor roared. "The worthless one is you, Durseley." He brandished his stick threateningly, and the portly man cowered back. "If I hear-"
"Moody, that is enough!" All eyes turned back toward the silver-haired sage. "If you exhibit any further behavior or this kind, I will feel oblidged to expel you from the Order! Great Auror or not! Understand?"
Moody fell silent under the force of his anger.
"Remus," he continued, turning to address a smaller, worn-looking man, "I want you to escort these people to St. Mungo's - they have obviously suffered a great shock. Make sure they receive proper treatment. The rest of you, get word out to as many of us as you can - we're meeting at headquarters in half in hour. Please do not discuss the purpose of the meeting, I want no unnecessary panic. Ah, yes… Remus… Hand me your ht, will you?" He drew yet another polished stick out of his sleeve, and waved it over the object, muttering something under his breath. "Ready?" he asked Remus.
He nodded, and put his hand on Mr. Dursely (who flinched upon initial contact), and received his wide-brimmed, conical hat with the other.
And suddenly, all four of them were gone. Holly blinked. How… did… they do that? she wondered. Was it possible that-
"Better hope no one saw that, Albus," Alastor muttered. His eyes - one of them a vivid, electric blue, Holly now noticed - scanned the area, and the elf had barely enough time to dive behind the nearest building before his eye - which seemed to operate seperately from its mate - came to rest at the spot where Holly had just been.
The fairie crouched behind the old warehouse, wondering at her sudden instinct. What had made her think that he could see through her shield? No mere human had ever done so, with the exception of Artemis Fowl himself. Somehow, she sensed that these people could not be quite human.
"Albus, I don't like it," she heard Alastor growl. "We're being watched."
Holly could almost feel the gaze of the grizzled old man. Suddenly afraid, she shrunk back against the cold corroborated aluminum wall.
"You're right…" Albus' voice, although soft, sounded confused, odd for a man of such self-assurance. "Let's leave - Rubeus!" There was the swishing sound of a whispered conference, and then a soft pop.
Holly counted to thirty before venturing from her hiding place. They were all gone - disappeared in the same manner, she would bet, as Remus and the Durseleys. She went aloft, searching the area with eyes and ears, hoping against hope for at least a clue of their whereabouts…
There! The giant man - she wasn't sure of his name - was lumbering down an empty alleyway.
"Holly?"
I could have gone farther with this. But then, I realized that it was going to be way too long. For my attention span, anyways… :)
The next couple chappies are already written - they should be out fairly soon. Stick around!
-Emmi
