(I'm not claiming anything that was made by J.K Rowling, who would want someone stealing their characters! Everything is hers except Lemercier.)
12. Tonight
Lemercier Castle was a beauty, with it's old walls, and multi colored glass planes, no one would know that something sinister slept within it's walls. That years of hate, betrayal, murder, and lies had built and held together the framework. Cassandra arrived right after her meeting with Harry Potter, brooding over the conversation. She dismissed her servants and the house elves, giving them all nothing and watching them all disapparate without wishing her good luck or saying goodbye.
She spent her day walking through the many rooms, to her father's room, her mother's closet still filled with lavish robes and her jewelry in closed wooden boxes. The dining hall where the Lemerciers would host countless parties, the servants quarters down in the dudgeons, where it was cold, dirty, and damp. The tour around the castle took up most of the daylight, the last room to investigate was the Lemercier Library. Pushing the two heavy oak doors, she walked in the air rushing out of the room smelled of cigars and old parchment. Walking towards the middle she spun around, inhaling the smells and the two levels of books. This was her favorite room, and her grandfather's. It held so much history, history on Hogwarts, Britannia, and Roma. The history of the Lemerciers and her grandfathers prized scrolls on the magic of Queen Mab, written entirely in Latin. How many days did she spend with her grandfather, translating the ancient script, and rewriting it if done incorrectly? This was where she learnt of the pupil Tom Riddle, there was even reports and essays he had written stored within the shelves.
Rising her wand arm she, she made a graceful loop, and at once fire erupted on a stack of books. Turning around she repeated the process, and again and again, so that the room was roaring with life. The smell of burning parchment, and wood took hold of her senses. Exiting the Library she went to each room, a total of 20 and repeated the same process. By the time she was finish the castle was aflame, and wood creaked and moaned as if it was feeling the pain being inflicted upon it. Rising her wand above her, a jet of red erupted from her wand, to the ceiling. The sounds of breaking rock and stone echoed throughout the castle. Then as if nothing happened, she closed her eyes and disapparated.
"Ready yourselves lads," Moody whispered as he came upon a fresh group of aurors, all them giving the old one eyed man a shaky smile. Moving around the great hall, he said the same to another and another, his cane clanking against the cold stone floor. The wounded were all moved out and transported to St. Mungos or to their loved ones for care.
"You will be placed in groups of four, and you are in charge of them." A woman announced, surrounded by a group of black robed healers, the sign of a healer stamped across their back. They were pale, their hands gripping their bags which was filled with readied potions, and herbs. "Do not try to save them, if they are near death. You keep to your group at all times."
Just close above the great hall, in a tower Harry, Remus, Tonks, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Collins with a few other aurors stood around a map. Harry was whispering to Collins and Remus with Ron listening, while Hermione and Ginny kept Gregory busy. "Right here, she said that it could allow a mass of apparitions but it must be within the circle. I should have entered the manor through the back way by then." Moving his wand across the home made map, which he made from the images of Malfoy manor, he continued. "These passages all lead to Voldemort, but I will be taking the one from Cassandra's rooms." His wand trailed from a fireplace opening through a tunnel and then exiting through a room, labeled 'Voldemort's atrium'. Listening patiently Remus had a few interjections about the positioning of the men. Finally finishing his plan, Harry glanced over at Ginny who stared back, Gregory playing with her hair.
"Do not come back for me, I will come to you." His heart broke when Ginny listened to his words, a stream of tears running down her cheeks. He could hear Hermione in the background taking shaky breaths.
"Alright Harry... We'll do that." Ron whispered, nodding at his best friend he straighten himself up and made his way to his silently crying wife, and their sleepily child. Nodding his goodnights and his arm around Ginny's waist they proceeded out of the tower towards their private chambers. His family. His loving devoted wife, and his handsome son. They entered the rooms, with Harry closing the door quietly as possible.
A/N:
The first half of the chapter, which is dedicated to Cassandra happened right after the meeting with Harry Potter. The bottom half is mid December, the day before the 'last battle'.
Yes it's ending pretty soon.