(Warning: This chapter contains some scary images. But I stick by what I said – there will be a happy ending...)
Chapter 12: The Great Battle
"Gone?" repeated Voldemort, sounding mildly surprised. "Gone before you got there?"
"Yes, my lord." Regulus was breathing hard. "I looked around the area for them, but I found nothing..."
His voice choked off as Voldemort flicked a finger in his direction.
"I do not appreciate being lied to, Regulus," said Voldemort silkily, watching the boy claw at his throat. "Now, try again."
Another flick, and Regulus gasped in air desperately.
Why would he lie? Danger was watching the scene with narrowed eyes.
I don't know...
"My lord, it's true, I swear!"
"On your magic?"
Regulus looked suddenly horror-struck.
"Come, now, you try my patience, boy. Do you swear on your magic that your brother and the Mudblood were gone before you ever arrived in the room where they were?"
What's the significance of swearing on his magic?
If he lies, he loses it. And he must be lying – look at him. Regulus was perceptibly shaking, and his scent had the acid tinge of fear.
But why doesn't he tell the truth? What could he have done that's so bad he doesn't dare tell about it? And why is that Death Eater staring at us?
I don't know, to all three. Can you tell who it is?
I'm not sure...
"I swear on my magic," said Regulus suddenly. "I swear they were gone before I got there."
Voldemort shook his head. "Not good enough. You know the proper forms – the Blacks teach their children well, even if some of those children go astray later. Swear it correctly, or I shall be forced to use other methods of exacting the truth from you."
Regulus gulped. "I, Regulus Alphard Black, do swear on my magic..." He looked around the room, as if hoping someone would step forward and tell him to stop. "That my brother, Sirius Black, and the Mudblood girl he says he loves were not in the room where I left them when I arrived there a second time. If I do lie, may my magic desert me and I live out my days as a Muggle. So I speak, so I intend, so let it be done."
He closed his eyes and braced himself, as if waiting for a lightning bolt to hit him.
Nothing happened.
"Very clever," said Voldemort, advancing on the boy. "Very clever indeed – a nice use of wordplay. But I think I will see for myself..."
He stopped a few feet from Regulus and stared directly into the boy's eyes.
He looks like a mouse being hypnotized by a snake. What's going on?
Voldemort's probably a Legilimens. That means he can... not exactly read minds, but catch the general drift of people's thoughts. And look into their memories – in this case, he's probably looking into Regulus' memories of the last few minutes. While we're waiting, any progress figuring out who that is?
No. Sorry. The Death Eater hadn't stopped staring at them – if that was what it meant that his mask was turned steadily towards them – since Regulus had run into the room. He was the only one not watching the tableau of the two wizards eye to eye, Voldemort's red ones inscrutable, tears leaking from Regulus' grey...
"A life debt," said Voldemort softly, breaking contact. Regulus collapsed where he stood, his whole body shaking. "You owed your brother your life. Why did I not know of this?"
"My lord, I did not know!" Regulus was on his hands and knees now, apparently not even daring to look up. "My lord, please... I had no choice... please..."
"Please? Please, what?"
"Please... let me live..."
"Let you live," repeated Voldemort speculatively. "Yes, I think perhaps I shall. Get up, Regulus. I will not kill you."
Regulus stared at his master in astonishment.
"Up, I said." Voldemort waved Regulus to his feet.
Regulus scrambled up, looking pathetically eager. It was so like Sirius' adorable puppy look that it made Danger want to cry. "My lord, anything – command me – I will do it..."
"Very well." Voldemort gestured again –
And the shields surrounding Remus and Danger were abruptly around Regulus as well.
"Feed my newest pets," said Voldemort, tone filled with malicious amusement, as Regulus backed away from the wolves in horror and the rest of the Death Eaters howled with laughter. "I'm sure the male is quite put out that his erstwhile meal has instead become competition..."
Danger looked back at Remus. What do we do now?
Stalk him, chase him around a while. They want a show, let's give them one.
What do we do when they figure out we're not going to hurt him?
Let's worry about that when we get there...
"My lord," said a smooth voice. It was the Death Eater who had been observing them – and it was a familiar sound to Danger. "May I speak?"
"Of course, Lucius."
Damn it, of course, I'm so stupid! That's Malfoy!
"My lord, it strikes me that all is not as it should be with these creatures," said Malfoy, waving at Remus and Danger. "Both of them show the signs of lycanthropy. Yet our information – from that so-reliable Master Black – indicated that not this girl, but another, was the female werewolf he met on the Hogwarts grounds."
I'm not so sure we aren't going to hurt him. Remus got slowly to his feet, eyes fixed on Regulus. Now we know who the spy was at Hogwarts, the one who told Voldemort about me and Evanie, and who we all cared about... Regulus must have gone out that night to try and gather information, and got a little more than he bargained for...
"As well, the girl transformed before your spell struck either of them, my lord, suggesting that her transformation was under her control. But no werewolf can choose when to change, and a werewolf she certainly is..."
What – I am not!
Maybe not, but – hold still.
Danger stayed where she was, feeling Remus' eyes sweep over her.
I don't know how it happened, but you're not in true wolf shape anymore. Look at your tail. It's tufted, like a kneazle's.
Danger twisted to look at her newest appendage. Or like yours.
Yes. And your snout is blunter than it was, and... oh, a lot of little things, nothing huge. But this is not the form you started out with. Remus sighed heavily, aloud as well as in his mind. For better or for worse, a lot changed when you jumped in the way of that spell.
"As well, they demonstrated happiness when hearing the news of the escape of their friends. No werewolf would be able to understand language so well, or show such emotion because of it."
You know, this guy is really starting to get on my nerves...
"And finally, neither of them has made any move to attempt to attack us. Your shields, if you will pardon my saying so, my lord, might stop a true werewolf, but would not deter it. It would continue attempting to breach the shields until injuring or exhausting itself, or succeeding."
"True," said Voldemort thoughtfully. "And neither of them, as yet, has made any move to attack Master Black... what are you suggesting, Lucius?"
"I am suggesting nothing, my lord. Merely pointing out facts."
"Indeed. Would you care to make a suggestion?"
"About what, my lord? What is happening here, or what should be done next?"
"Either. Both, preferably."
"About what is happening, I have not any idea in the world, my lord," said Malfoy frankly. "I was under the impression that nothing made any difference to a werewolf in its animal form – that it would and must always attack the nearest human, regardless of barriers or obstacles in its way. Yet there they sit, perfectly calm." Malfoy's hand rose to his chest, hovering near the catch of his robes. "With your permission, my lord, I would end their calmness."
"You wish me to lower the shields?"
"Not lower, my lord. Merely breach them for a moment or two. That should be all the time needed to rouse one of them to a killing frenzy."
"With the Cruciatus, no doubt." Voldemort laughed. "A man after my own mind, Lucius. Very well, prepare yourself."
Get back! Remus leapt forward and grabbed Danger by the scruff, dragging her backwards. If anyone here undergoes the Cruciatus, it's me.
Oh, wonderful. You, the actual werewolf here, who might just possibly revert under the pressure of pain. Danger freed herself with a twist and tug. I distracted you from Regulus once, but I'm not sure I could do it again – not in these close quarters...
"My lord!" shouted another voice from outside the shields.
What now? Both wolves turned to look at the Death Eater who stumbled into the room, clutching his side.
"My lord, we're under attack! Dumbledore and his people – I don't know how they found us – they're inside already, sending out scouting parties, I barely escaped!"
"Everyone, to your positions for defense!" ordered Voldemort. "Lucius, remain here until you have dealt with the problem." A wave of a hand, and a small hole appeared in the shields, large enough to send a spell through. "Then join us." With a barely-audible pop, he Disapparated. Waves of cracks signaled the Disapparation of the Death Eaters. Within moments, the wolves, Regulus, and Malfoy were alone in the room.
Malfoy began, softly, to laugh. The sound grew louder and louder, echoing off the stone walls. "Vengeance," he said in the midst of his laughter. "Vengeance will be so sweet..."
"What did I do?" begged Regulus, who was pressed against the shields as far from Remus and Danger as he could get. "Please, sir, what?"
"Not you, boy, you don't matter." Malfoy removed his mask, revealing his ever-sneering face. "Them. And the question is not, what did they do, but, what would they have done?"
Do you have any idea what he's talking about?
Nope. Not a one.
"The Dark Lord shared with me some of the particulars of the worlds he viewed in the scry," said Malfoy, beginning to walk lazily around the shields. "Some of the more enjoyable ones, of course. I especially liked the one where I obtain a guardian for my house and grounds. An animal guardian, but with the intelligence of a human, and with a magical collar which makes it thoroughly loyal to me and mine, and thoroughly dangerous to others..." He laughed again. "I volunteered to capture you, werewolf, so that I might see my future slave. Perhaps I shall acquire your female as well and have a matched pair – what do you think of that?"
Remus bared his teeth. Never.
"But for another reason as well. I also learned some of the more distressing possibilities. Worlds in which my master rises to power slowly – worlds in which he falls, to return to glory only many years in the future, if ever. And in one of those worlds, a terrible tragedy befalls me."
Regulus was staring at the man, fascinated.
"My house is ruined," said Malfoy icily. "My name dragged in the dirt. I become an object of public ridicule, a common criminal, sent to Azkaban, there to be forgotten and decay. My wife takes her own life. And my son and heir, a child of four, is stolen by my enemies. Stolen by you." It was a virulent hiss.
He saw us steal his son? But he doesn't even have one yet...
"I have seen it, seen how you raise him in your filthy, unnatural ways. By the time he is seven, he no longer thinks he is human – and at the age of ten, he no longer is. You," he glared at Danger, "see fit to change him, on a whim, into the form of an animal." He looked away, then back at her, face calmly arrogant once more. "The Dark Lord refrained from showing me any more, to spare me unnecessary pain."
Set your mind at rest, Blondie. Danger scratched her ear with one hind leg. I wouldn't touch anything you spawned with a twenty-foot pole.
That doesn't make any sense, though. Remus was watching Malfoy circle them. Why would we do that? Not taking his son, but doing things like that to him?
Remus, he's probably making it up on the spot. Don't take it too seriously.
"So. For that insult to the house and line of Malfoy, I can now take my revenge." Malfoy's smile broadened. "Pre-emptive revenge. I will enjoy this."
Remus interposed himself between Danger and the hole in the shields. I can take it. Just stay back.
Like hell. Danger jumped over him instead of bothering to go around. I may look like a werewolf, but I'm not one, and you are. I won't likely lose control, and you will.
But...
Can you stop being gallant long enough to think, please?
Where do you keep the whetstone?
What?
For sharpening your tongue.
Shut up.
"Decide quickly, which of you it is to be," Malfoy warned them, waggling his wand at them. "I will be needed at the defenses, once Master Black has been taken care of..."
Regulus whimpered as Remus walked carefully over towards him and sat down, then lay down. I still don't like it, he said. But you're right, we can't afford to have me out of control. So it's all yours.
Danger faced the hole in the shields and growled deep in her throat. Bring it on, arsehole.
Malfoy aimed his wand through the hole. "Cru–"
He was cut off by a large chunk of brick slamming into the side of his head.
What in the world? Danger wheeled around.
"Score!" James Potter erupted triumphantly into the room. "Got him!"
James! Remus was on his feet again. Nice throw! Oh, that's right – he can't hear me. He looked downcast. I forgot.
Danger snickered. You're cute when you're stupid.
That's good, considering the amount of time I seem to spend being stupid.
"Moony?" James stared through the shield. "That you?"
Remus nodded.
James' eyes widened. "All right, you did not just answer me. Did you?"
Another nod. Lily was beside James now, staring into the enclosure.
"All right, I guess you did. Who's your friend?"
"It's Granger," volunteered Regulus. "She turned into a wolf before the Dark Lord hit them with the spell."
"What spell?" asked James.
"It was supposed to turn Lupin into the werewolf and keep him that way, all the time."
Lily gasped.
"But Granger jumped on him, and it hit both of them. I don't know what it did to them. But they haven't hurt me."
"Yet," said Lily darkly. She went to her knees beside the shield. "Remus – Danger – is it really you?"
Both wolves nodded, getting as close to her as they could.
"God, it is – James, look at their eyes – it's really them, they're both wolves." Lily looked shaken and more than a little horrified. "Can you change back? Become human again?"
Remus looked at Danger. You know, I hadn't thought of that.
Comment about being stupid having already been made, no reason to remake it.
Thank you. Remus looked back at Lily and shrugged.
"Try. You have to try. Please."
All right, but I'm not sure how much good it's going to do... Remus stepped away from the shield and closed his eyes. A moment passed.
The problem is, I don't know what I ought to be doing, he confessed to Danger. How do you turn back from Animagus form?
Concentrate hard on what it's like to be human. Two legs, standing upright, hands, face, colors, speech...
Remus stood stiffly for a moment, then relaxed. Nothing's happening, he said. Maybe you should try.
Maybe I should. Danger took his place in the middle of the shields and closed her own eyes, concentrating on her own familiar human body. Hair that never stayed where she put it, teeth which had needed both her parents' skill to look as good as they did – being able to run down stairs without being afraid of falling headfirst, or reach something on a high shelf – being able to reach something at all, with her hands – handicrafts, her knitting and crochet work, in all the brilliant colors which she currently couldn't see –
Anything? she asked silently.
No. Nothing.
Danger opened her eyes and sighed. Paws, long-furred paws, which somehow weren't quite as delightful as they had been the first day she'd seen them. She padded back to the edge of the shields, shaking her head.
"That's what I was afraid of." Lily was blinking back tears now.
"What?" asked James in bewilderment. "Moony can think, he's got his mind, he's not attacking anyone – that's wonderful–"
"But he'll never be human again! Don't you understand? They're trapped, both of them! They'll be wolves the rest of their lives, unless Dumbledore or McGonagall or someone can change them back..." Lily's voice broke, and she covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly. James put his arm around her, looking in at Remus and Danger, who sat and looked back at him.
I wish she'd dry up, said Danger a bit wistfully. She's likely to start me off if she's not careful.
Only one problem, said Remus.
What?
Wolves can't cry.
Danger whined unhappily. Damn it, you had to bring that up... now I want to even more...
There was a thud as Regulus fell to the floor.
Outside the shields.
James snatched up the wand Lily had let drop and was holding it on him before Regulus even had his breath back. "All right, how'd you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Get out."
"I did?" Regulus stared at the shields, then at James. "I don't know. I was just leaning on them, and then I was out."
"What are they supposed to stop? Just spells, or physical stuff too?"
"Spells and physical attacks."
Physical attacks, said Danger slowly. Attacks – but he wasn't attacking it. He was just leaning on it. So it let him through... I wonder...
Let's try. Very slowly, Remus slid a paw forward towards the shield.
It passed through.
Remus wolf-grinned at Danger. Slow and steady wins the race. Let's get out of here.
Sounds like a plan.
A flicker of movement at the corner of her vision made Danger turn to look. Then she howled in alarm. James, look out!
"Expelliarmus!" shouted Lucius Malfoy, his wand pointing at James.
The wand flew from James' hand and clattered against the far wall as the spell knocked him to the ground. Lily stifled a scream with her hands over her mouth.
"How excellent." Malfoy's face was disfigured by a bleeding cut and what would probably be an amazing bruise later, but he was still sneering. "You have no idea how much my master will honor me for this, Potter... he might have liked to do it himself, but he will be just as happy to have the threat removed..."
"The threat of what?"
"Of you. Or rather, your child."
"Child?" James looked stunned. "I don't have a child."
"No. But you will. And that child will be, at the very best, a nuisance to my master. At the worst, his downfall. And now..." Malfoy's smile was sickening. "Now it will never be."
Danger was halfway out of the shield, Remus a little more, but they wouldn't be free in time to save James – Lily was where Malfoy could see her, she couldn't do anything – Regulus was still staring around at everyone, apparently unable to make any decision –
Malfoy raised his wand. "Avada–"
A hoarse, croaking cry interrupted him, as something huge and black dropped between him and James, beating at his face with its wings –
Wings?
It snatched the wand from Malfoy's hand with its talons before flapping away –
Snape!
What? Remus stared at the thing now circling the ceiling of the round room. Danger, that's a bird – looks like a raven –
It's Snape. In Animagus form. I told you he'd done it too.
That's right, you did. I'd forgotten. Remus squirmed slightly, moving himself a few inches more forward. He flies pretty well.
The raven landed several feet away from the group and retransformed. Snape drew his own wand and pointed it towards Malfoy, stopping the man in his tracks. "Don't," he said laconically. "Potter, are you all right?"
"Fine, thanks." James got to his feet with Lily's help.
"All debts between us are now canceled."
"True."
"And I have your wand, as it happens." Snape reached into his robes with his left hand and extracted several wands. "As well as yours, Evans, and Lupin's and Granger's – if you know where they can be found–"
"They're right there," said Lily, nodding at the two wolves, Remus already all the way out of the shield, Danger just extracting her tail. "But I don't think they'll be able to use their wands."
Snape regarded them. "Obviously not. Stupefy," he said as an aside, dropping Malfoy, who had been trying to sneak away.
Not bad. Snape's better with a wand than he lets on.
Snape was distributing wands now. "Didn't you bring Sirius'?" asked James as he pocketed his own. "Or Letha's, or Wormtail's?"
"I have already had the pleasure of meeting with them, Potter, and returning their wands to them." Snape Summoned the wand Malfoy had taken from James. "They are currently taking part in the battle. I was planning to return as soon as I had found you."
"Why?" asked Lily curiously. "You don't like us, you never have. Why come to find us, or help us?"
Snape looked at her. "Disliking you is one thing, Evans. Leaving you alone and unprotected, without even a wand, in the stronghold of the Dark Lord, is something I would not wish on my worst enemy."
Which James actually is...
"Besides, every able-bodied fighter will make a difference in this battle. We should return."
"I want to help," said a voice. Everyone jumped.
Regulus Black had gotten to his feet. "I want to help you," he repeated. "I want to fight with you."
"And why should we trust you?" demanded James. "You turned your own brother over to the Death Eaters – what's changed your mind now?"
"Sirius could have let me die in February," said Regulus in a rush. "But he didn't. They could have killed me just now." He looked at Remus and Danger, sitting side by side. "And they didn't. But the Dark Lord wanted me dead just for doing what I didn't have any choice about doing." He looked back at James. "I have a better chance of surviving if I'm on your side."
James looked at the ceiling. "I'm going to regret this," he said to no one in particular, and turned to Snape. "Give him that wand you picked up. It's off some Death Eater or other, Wormtail scrounged it for us."
"Are you certain about this?" asked Snape, his cold black eyes meeting James' hazel levelly.
"No. But like you said, we need all the help we can get."
A moment passed. Then Snape gave a curt nod and tossed the wand to Regulus. "I will be watching you," he warned the younger boy. "One treacherous move and you spend the rest of the battle bound and gagged."
"I understand." Regulus looked toward the door. "Where are they fighting?"
"Through most of the house by now, I am sure. We need only follow the sound."
Danger cocked her head. He's right. Dimly, she could hear crashes and bangs, voices screaming or shouting out incantations. Come on, let's go bite some Death Eater arse.
Just be careful not to bite anyone on our side. We don't know how contagious we are...
True. All right, I'll try to be careful.
"You first, Reggie," said James, waving the younger boy out of the room with his wand. "Then you two." He indicated Remus and Danger. "Then you, Snape, then us."
"Still don't trust me, Potter?" Snape asked coolly. "And after I saved your life."
"No, but I think I'd be better at rear-guard," said James. "Since I am planning on being an Auror."
"As you like." Snape fell into line behind the wolves.
Danger turned her head slightly at a noise from the round room and saw ropes burst from James' wand, binding Malfoy where he lay.
Good idea. Every man down is another one we don't have to fight.
She broke into a loping run, matching Remus stride for stride.
The battle was long and protracted. Both sides had set up temporary headquarters where they could plan their next attacks and bring their wounded for field care. Evanie's hands, although not able to hold a wand for combat, could manage one well enough to do some of the simpler Healing spells. And she could administer potions and bind up wounds as well as anyone.
James and Lily, Remus and Danger, and Snape and Regulus had arrived a bit over an hour ago, she thought. James had been through once for a cut on his forehead, and Snape for a burn to his left arm, but both of those had been easily treated. Peter, though, her beloved Peter, had been hit with some curse that caused terrible internal bleeding, according to Aletha. His best chance was to lie perfectly still and not get too excited.
Oh, of course. No one gets excited on a battlefield.
Worse, the curse meant Peter couldn't transform, since the use of magic would only worsen the bleeding. He'd be dead within a minute if he did. Aletha had prescribed a light Sleeping Potion, one that wouldn't harm him, to keep him as quiet as possible, and Evanie had given it to him herself.
She sneaked a look at her watch. It would be midnight in just five minutes.
What a way to spend the first night of my summer...
Someone screamed behind her. She whirled just in time to see masked and robed figures appearing in the room, five, ten, more –
They must have figured out where we were and Apparated in –
She drew her wand, prepared to fight as best she could, as some of their own people rushed in to help stem the tide.
Sirius shielded Aletha as she dashed for the entrance to the rooms where the Order of the Phoenix (a nice name, that, he thought) had set up camp. She turned, once inside, and covered his run to the door.
We've been fighting pretty much constantly since we got loose...
The two Death Eaters who had been bringing the news of the attack to Voldemort had nearly run the six friends over in the hallway. In the commotion of the fight, James and Lily had disappeared, and one of the Death Eaters had also gotten away. The remaining four had opted to try to find the rescue party – which was obviously not just a rescue party, they realized as soon as they saw how many people were present.
Dumbledore must think we have a chance at beating Voldemort, now that we're into one of his strongholds.
Snape had seen them behind the Death Eaters' lines and flown over to bring them their wands. Together, the five of them (even Evanie had managed) had fought their way to the other side, where they had been unofficially inducted into the Order of the Phoenix. They'd been fighting ever since.
James and Lily had showed up later, with Remus and Danger in tow, and the two wolves were really cutting a swath through the Death Eaters, since they both seemed to have partial immunity to hostile spells. Sirius had been surprised to see their other companions, but Regulus had been fighting beside them without showing any signs of turning on them, and Snape was picking off Death Eaters faster than almost anyone.
And now, the Dark wizards were inside the Order's temporary headquarters. There were screams, sounds of breaking glass –
And just as Sirius burst into the room that was being used as an infirmary, one Death Eater shouted a horribly familiar incantation and, with a huge rushing sound, sent a jet of green light directly towards a small figure lying on a cot, eyes closed.
"NO!" screamed a voice, and Evanie flung herself across the room.
It seemed impossible that she could make so long a leap in time. But, somehow, she did it.
The light impacted on her chest instead of Peter's. She fell limply to the floor.
"Constringo!" shouted Aletha, and the Death Eater flew across the room and hit the wall, wrapped in ropes as thick as Sirius' wrist. It might be overkill, but Sirius matched her feelings perfectly. His spells had never been so strong, nor so violent.
The one girl who's ever cared for him – and now she went and died for him –
He whipped around to pick off another Death Eater and spotted someone. Regulus was standing against the wall, staring at Evanie's lifeless figure on the floor.
Never mind him now – they just keep coming, don't they? More and more masked figures were appearing in the rooms, the Death Eaters must have sent everyone they had – but the Order was winning, they were taking them out –
And then suddenly everything was quiet. People looked around at each other.
"Is that it?"
"Did we win?"
"Stay alert, everyone," said Dumbledore, appearing in the doorway. "Do not let your guard down."
Sirius looked across the room and, with a rush of relief, saw James stand up from where he had been lying. His face was a bit bloody, but he looked otherwise all right. Lily was coming out from behind the bed where she'd taken cover – Aletha was going to see what she could do for the wounded – Remus was wiping his claws (another way werewolves differed from true wolves was in having sharp retractable claws, like cats did) on a spare sheet – Danger was pulling someone out from under a bed, an unconscious Death Eater, Sirius saw as the masked face was revealed, unconscious or dead...
Peter stirred on his bed.
Oh, now that's ironic. Battle goes on around him, he doesn't turn a hair. But now that it's over...
He crossed the room and gently lifted Evanie from the floor, setting her on the cot beside Peter.
"Padfoot?" said a wobbly voice.
"Hey, Wormtail," Sirius said without turning around.
"What happened?"
"They got in here. There was a battle. But I think we won."
"Oh. All right. What happened to Selene?"
Sirius turned to look at Peter. His friend was lying on his side, looking at Evanie with such mingled worry and devotion in his eyes that Sirius was tempted as never before to lie through his teeth.
But that won't change anything. Nor will it help.
"I'm sorry, Wormtail," he said. "I'm really sorry."
"Sorry? For what?" Peter laughed breathily. "She's not... dead. Is she?"
Something nudged Sirius' leg. He looked down.
Remus stood beside him, a sheet in his mouth and his eyes full of understanding and sorrow. Sirius accepted the cloth, his throat suddenly very tight.
"I'm sorry, Peter," he said again, and draped the white sheet over Evanie's body.
(A/N: Yes, I'm aware that I'm a horrible, terrible person. So you don't have to tell me that in reviews. And I'm aware that a happy ending does not usually involve killing off a main character, even one so recently added as Evanie. However, are you aware of why I made such a point of what time it was? Let me know if you are... or if you're not... or if you like compasses... just review! Please! If you give me lots of review love, I might just be able to write the big long "End of the End" chapter that I know you've all been waiting for tomorrow!)