Harry Potter is the property of Warner Brothers and J. K. Rowling.
Gunslinger Girl is the property of Yu Aida, Gekkan Comic, and Fuji Television Network, Inc..
Falling Out of Darkness
by Joe Fenton

Chapter 2: Dressed to Kill


The sudden silence at the firing range caused Henrietta to look up from where she was showing Hermione how to reload her weapon.

Triela gave a small cry of exasperation as her assault rifle quit firing. "Stupid piece of junk. I don't know why I can't use my Winchester." She started banging the SA80 carbine against a bench.

Rico looked up from the scope of her sniper rifle. "I don't think that's the recommended procedure for clearing a jam."

Triela smiled grimly. "No, but if I break it maybe they'll let me go back to my shotgun."

Hermione twisted her wrist slightly causing her wand to spring into her hand. "Arma reparo."

Triela glanced over the now-functioning weapon. "How do you do that?"

Hermione didn't bat an eye. "It's magic."

Triela grimaced and looked over at Rico. "And you said she had no sense of humor."

Rico and Henrietta laughed as Hermione glared at the older girl.

Rico thought about it a moment. "Why do you use Latin for your spells?"

Hermione twisted her wrist again, and the wand disappeared up the sleeve of her blouse. "You don't want to use a commonly spoken language. You risk casting magic by accident."

Triela waved the assault rifle like a wand. "Gives a whole new meaning to that party was a real blast."

Henrietta giggled as Rico turned her attention back to the target.

"So what's so funny?"

Henrietta went silent and blushed slightly as Giuseppe appeared with the new handler, Sirius.

Triela covered for her roommate. "Just girl-talk." She went back to firing at her target.

Sirius smiled at Hermione. "I'm glad you're getting along with the others. Are you about ready for our magic lesson?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. She followed Sirius off the range.

Triela paused to reload. "So when can I get my Winchester back?"

Giuseppe sighed, having heard that all too frequently. "They still haven't spelled any ammunition for your shotgun. Considering how few magic users we have available, don't count on being able to use it before all this is over."

Henrietta giggled again as her friend and roommate cursed her bad luck. She turned to her handler.

"Are we going out again?"

Giusepppe nodded. "We have a briefing scheduled for this evening." He addressed all the girls. "Be at the main building at 1700 hours."


'Hermione is the only magical cyborg ready at this time, so she'll be point on this operation...'

Lucius Malfoy growled as he paced the room. Two raids had just disappeared. No muggle bodies - no Death Eater bodies - nothing but some blood and damage to indicate anything had occurred. It was just the same as the assault on Hogwarts. Lucius was now glad he had missed that. Lord Voldemort had been furious, and had taken it out on Lucius. It had taken much pain and many spells before Voldemort had accepted that Lucius had nothing to do with the apparent failure to eliminate the last of the Order.

A couple Death Eaters scurried out of the way as Lucius passed scowling. He was interrupted as another Death Eater entered the room.

"Someone just passed by the wards."

Lucius turned to a scrying mirror. "If they passed the wards, they can't be a muggle." He concentrated on the intruder. The fog in the mirror cleared to show a young girl running up the main path to the house. She was clearly a witch, the dress having a long petticoat and frills on the high collar and the cuffs on the long sleeves. Her brown hair was pulled back in a pigtail. A closer inspection showed the girl to be in distress. Her dress was dirty and torn, a couple leaves and twigs were stuck in her hair, and the pigtail was slowly coming undone. Tears were running down her face, clearly contorted in fear.

"Stay out of sight. I'll speak with the girl." He moved to the front door of the manor just as the girl started pounding on the door.

Lucius opened the door and smiled at the girl. "Peace, child. What upsets you so?"

The girl was breathing hard. "Please, sir! I need help. I got separated from me mum and dad. Muggles were chasing me! I only managed to get away because they couldn't approach your house."

Lucius tried to make his smile seem comforting. "Well, you're all right now. Tell me, who are you? I can probably find your parents for you."

The girl gave him a look of gratitude and hope. "I'm Cassie Cobblepot - Cassandra, Sir. My parents are Carter and Cassiopeia." She clasped her hands together. "Do you really think you can find them?"

He gave her a look of confidence. "But of course." He looked thoughtful. "Are your parents magic users too?"

The girl nodded. "Oh, yes sir! The finest in all Britain!"

Lucius smiled widely, but it was slightly off. The girl didn't seem to notice.

"Come in! I shall have my son show you to a room so you can freshen up while I try to contact your parents." He steered her into the manor towards the stairway. He cast a summons for Draco.

As the blond-haired boy approached, Lucius made the introductions. "Cassie, this is my son Draco. Draco, this young girl is Cassandra Cobblepot. She'll be staying with us while I locate her parents." He gave the boy pointed look. "Show her to a room - so she can clean herself up."

The boy smiled, but while the father had been able to make his smile seem sincere, the boy failed miserably. He offered his arm. "This way, please."

As they moved off, Lucius gestured to a Death Eater hiding in the shadows. "Go check beyond the wards for the muggles she mentioned. Kill anyone you find."

"What if I run across her parents?"

Lucius frowned. "I already told you - kill anyone you find."


'We know Malfoy has been holding pureblood and half-blood girls whose families tried to fight Voldemort. They place them under the Imperius Curse and sell them to Voldemort's followers as trophies. After gaining entrance to the manor, Hermione will most likely be taken to where they are. That's when the second phase begins...'

The girl was looking around in wonder as they walked down the hall. "This house is amazing! Is there anyone else here?"

The boy smirked. "You'll meet them soon enough." He motioned to a door. "Here is your room." He started to pull his wand as the girl entered the room. He moved up behind here, his wand pointed at her back.

"Imperio!" Being point-blank range, he couldn't possibly miss, so it came as a complete surprise when he did.

At the first sound, the girl dropped in a split as the curse passed over her head. She swept a leg around, taking the boy's legs out from under him. His wand bounced away as he hit the floor hard. He was still trying to get his wind back as the girl flipped to her feet.

A twist of the wrist brought her own wand to hand. Draco's eyes widened.

"Imperio."


'Once Hermione has determined the whereabouts of the girls, she'll set a spell beacon to allow Sirius to Apparate through the wards. Sirius will then take down the wards and secure the prisoners. When the wards drop, the girls will strike from the outside while Hermione strikes from the inside...'

"Expelliarmus!" The Death Eater smirked as the girl's wand skittered across the floor. He was rather surprised that the girl was still standing, but covered it as he gloated. "So what are you going to do now, little girl?"

Hermione reached under her long skirt, pulling out an SA80 L85 IW. The Death Eater's eyes bugged out as she swung the barrel his way. Bullets ripped through the wall as he dove to the side. His hand was shaking as he pointed his wand toward the girl.

"CRUCIO!"

Unfortunately for him the girl was no longer there. He kept the wand pointed ahead as he looked around franticly.

"Up here."

The Death Eater looked up to see the girl hanging from the ceiling. He didn't even have time to scream as she pushed off, spinning around with a kick that snapped his neck.

She picked up her wand and put it away, preferring to use the assault rifle.

Downstairs, the whole front of the manor exploded as the girls made multiple entry points. Death Eaters found themselves torn apart under the concentrated fire they laid down.

Lucius ducked into a room off the side, cursing silently. He prepared to Apparate when he noticed the girl he'd allowed into the manor. She was struggling with a weapon that apparently refused to fire.

"Well, at least I can kill you before I leave." He raised his wand.

Hermione was a blur as she moved. Lucius fell dead at her feet.

Triela looked in the room, noting the rifle jammed through Lucius' eye and protruding out the back of his skull.

Hermione grimaced. "You're right. These SA80's suck."

Triela turned to Hirscher as he trailed behind her, pistol in hand. "And you said she had no sense of humor."

End Chapter 2


Author's Notes: The dates don't follow canon. All dates are adjusted forward to match Gunslinger Girl, so don't bug me about GLOCK 36's or SA80 carbines not being available in 1991. Hirscher is called Hillshire in the manga. He's Triela's handler.