A/N: This chapter may be too much for some of your reader's sensibilities. Feel free to skip to the following one. Things will be… bloody and awful. You have been warned. Sorry in advance.
Chapter 12: A Gory New Year
The world has a special way of equalizing things. There must be good and evil, light and dark, sweet and salty, alive and dead. Emma felt undiluted fear as she fell. The kind of fear that has an inevitability to it. She wished she could turn herself around and felt a pulse of energy that twisted her body to fall back first. Accidental magic! She expected to hit the cold stone still, but she hit something warm and firm that let out an oof.
Lestrange was barely able to hold on to the broom and turned to the garden with a furious expression. "You! I shall have your head! You should be dead by now. I made that poison myself!"
She flew down, throwing curse after curse. McGonagall rushed to the nearest balcony, and her heart filled with pride when she saw Filius Flitwick walking with difficulty towards Lestrange. Minerva was about to go help her friend when she saw him. The bastard's obnoxious purple robes embroidered with gold moons and stars waved in the wind as he floated in the air. His beard and hair gave our greenish sparks. His face donned an arrogant smirk.
Augusta reached Minerva, and as they saw Dumbledore, they nodded. They would take him down or die trying. Tonks grabbed her wand and ran towards them with her mother, as did Madam Bones and Lady Greengrass. Lady Potter did a spell on her hurt leg and arm and took off after them. Their coven acted as a unit.
"Dumbledore!" Minerva bellowed. "Get down here, you coward!"
"I think not. You are not worth my time," the old wizard laughed and turned to the vicious fight between Bellatrix and Flitwick.
"Ladies, I think that we will have to make him come down," Minerva smirked. "Formation!"
The women used a spell to go down to the garden and land softly. They were spread in a triangle.
"No mercy! Now!"
As the saying goes, curses, like chickens, come home to roost. The barrage of curses thrown at Dumbledore set the bottom half of his robes on fire. He was now fighting wearing what amounted to an antiquated dress, his thin, veiny, hairy legs on display. His robes had cuts, and his beard was half burnt. Neesy, who had grown furious at Dumbledore's disrespect of the coven, pulled him down to the ground with elven magic with a sense of déjà vu. He landed on his feet, but his knees gave out a sickening crunch.
"You! You bloody elf! I haven't forgotten what you did to me!" Dumbledore pointed his wand to Neesy, who disappeared and popped behind him with a metal candle holder and jumped to bash him behind the head. He turned, dizzy, and forgetting his wand, he grabbed Neesy by the neck before she popped away again. Dumbledore squeezed the elf's neck until Dobby popped behind him and poured boiling hot oil that he had brought from the kitchen. Albus' screams distracted Bellatrix, who couldn't help the delicious thrill that went through her body. Pain, no matter who was suffering it, always excited her.
"Gellert!" Albus screamed with rage as his partner in crime watched from afar. "Do something!" as he did as many healing incantations as possible and noticed with rage from within the protective bubble he raised that the two elves had popped away.
This distraction proved enough for Charlus and Severus to join Filius side by side and triple the effort against Lestrange. Bellatrix was putting a hell of a fight for someone who had just escaped prison and had her ankle savagely broken. But soon enough, Lucius was helping Bellatrix, and the witch got reenergized by this. The Coven hit Albus from all directions, using all curses. Their combat motto was 'No mercy for the merciless.' However, Minerva was suspicious. She knew Albus's dueling skills, and he was holding back, but why? Her answer was now debating when would be a good time to intervene.
Gellert stood on the roof of the manor, looking down at Albus and shaking his head. He should intervene, but this was so much fun. That coven was something to behold. Those were the kinds of witches he needed to build a stronger magical community: fierce, fearless, and powerful. Albus would be scarred from the oil. Oh well, perhaps it was time the exterior reflected the madness within. He was about to descend, artfully standing on a broom, when the roof vanished from under him, and he fell to the mess that was the ballroom. He did a hasty spell to slow down his fall.
"Surrender your wand, or die, Grindelwald," Gankra spat. Her angry magic barely contained.
"Gankra, my queen," Grindelwald bowed respectfully. "You know very well that I cannot do that."
"After everything we did for you… You betrayed us. It is only fitting that we have the pleasure of ripping your head off, as you very well know is the punishment for treason," King Nagkrat roared.
"You can't best me, majesties. You would need to be more than bloodthirsty for that," Gellert smirked. Both royals started attacking the man with all their strength and every weapon they had. The guards joined them. Watching Gellert duel was like watching a danseur noble* in a difficult, highly technical, beautiful ballet. He twirled, jumped, twisted, ducked, turned, flew, moved across the floor, and landed with impressive grace and agility no matter what the goblins threw his way.
Eileen Prince had been seriously injured by Lucius Malfoy, and Tolanthe had put her in the weapons area with Martin and the kids. Harry and Hermione had managed to awaken her and heal Draco, but now they were tired, and they felt sick from the dark energy that surrounded the entire house. Frank and Alice had been placed outside of the ballroom by Ianthe, but she had to back her coven. Both Longbottoms had their wands, but they couldn't manage more than up to Fourth Year spells. Their cores were still mending. Martin had a hard time keeping Neville away from the door. He was kicking and screaming to go get his parents.
As soon as Harry and Hermione managed to stabilize Eileen with healing magic, Draco realized that the spell that hit him as Tolanthe opened the floor under them had been cast by his biological father. Half his back was burnt. Daphne began healing him as best as possible with the set of potions and ointments she found in a cabinet. Draco couldn't react. Although his logical brain knew that his father was a terrorist and felt no affection for him, he still couldn't believe Lucius would try to kill him.
"Neville, stop! If I let you come with me, your parents will kill me!" Martin pleaded with the boy.
"I'll go with you! We need to get them here now, and you can't do it alone!" Daphne grabbed two guns and her wand.
"Daphne, no! Your mother-"
"She will be proud of me for taking after my father, Martin," she handed him the gun. Turning to the kids and Eileen, she said, "Stay put. Harry, Draco, Neville, if someone you don't know tries to come through this door, you shoot them."
"Daphne! No one will get through this door. Shoot as a warning only!" Martin said vehemently.
"Let's go! We don't have time for this!" Daphne did a severing spell, and the long dress she had been wearing now stopped above her knees. She put on a pair of work boots that were probably Mrs. Granger's.
The boys shared a look. All of them knew how to shoot because the Grangers insisted. Harry took several handguns, charged them, and locked them, passing them around. Hermione looked miffed at Daphne for not including her in the shooting part.
"Remember, what Daniel always says: be aware of your surroundings, keep your eyes open, and your hands steady," the boy said with a confidence he did not feel.
Frank and Alice were trying to get to the living room so they could call for backup, but the road was slow for them, and they had barely managed to flee from a Death Eater when two elves noticed them and went after the masked figure. Martin pulled Daphne by the hand. They ran while crouched down to avoid being hit. When they reached the Longbottoms, Martin prayed to God and wished hard for Tolanthe to help him protect the couple and Daphne.
"Alice," he whispered and took her up in his arms. They were about to leave when Frank shouted, "Behind you!"
Carrow Jr. had been revived and was now covered in blood and soot. He looked at Daphne in a way that made her feel dirty.
"Hand over the girly for my amusement, or you will be in for a world of pain!" he instructed Martin.
Without even thinking of an alternative, Daphne quickly shot at the man four times. He ducked for the first one, but two got him. One of the shots went through his thigh and the other one lodged on his wand shoulder. He yelled in agony as his muscles made his wand fall, and the pain had him kneeling and trying to stop the profuse bleeding. Daphne kicked his chest so he would fall back.
"Girly has a name. Daphne Greengrass, you sicko!" and she stupefied him. Martin stared at her in equal parts of awe and shock. "What? The French can be handsy!" She rushed to Frank and pulled his arm over her shoulders. Martin did the same with the man's other arm. They managed to get to the basement and saw with dismay that Harry and Hermione were gone. Neville jumped towards his parents to make sure they were okay. Draco was holding Eileen's hand, looking conflicted. He wanted to go after Harry and Hermione, but Astoria begged him to stay with her, so he did.
[A few minutes before]
"We need to go help them!"
"Hermione, we can't. They wanted us here, protected so they could focus on helping everyone else!" Harry tried to pull her away from the door.
"My mother is pregnant! If anyone should be here is her!" she growled angrily, pushing Harry back.
"I k-know, but s-she wanted us here! I a-am sure she will be with us soon," the boy tried to catch his breath after the push
"You know she is in pain! You felt it too!"
"Mione, I understand, but she wouldn't want us to-"
"You don't understand! She's not your mother!" Hermione said angrily and ran out of the room. Draco and Neville gasped, thinking, she did not just say that!
Harry looked as if she had slapped him, but he shook his head and ran after her.
"Ce ne pas possible! Je ne peux pas le croire! Comment osait-elle lui dire ça?" Astoria's eyes were teary. [A/N: It's not possible! I can't believe it! How dare she say that to him?]
Draco gave her a hug. "Ne t'inquiète pas. Il sait qu'elle ne le pensait pas," he smiled a bit. Astoria nodded against his shoulder. [A/N: Don't worry. He knows she doesn't think that.]
Neville looked at both kids. He nodded in agreement but kept pacing worriedly. He hoped Martin and Daphne would get to his parents on time.
Harry and Hermione skidded to a halt as they saw goblins fighting an old wizard they didn't know. It was a spectacle. Jets of multicolored lights flying in all directions, arrows and spears being thrown, swords being wielded. It was a dance… an angry one, but still. The children stared in awe from behind a broken statue. Neither the goblins nor the man was saying any words. They grunted, groaned, and even growled, but no spell went past their lips.
"Mione," Harry whispered. "Your mom!" he pointed towards the semi-destroyed balcony. Daniel was holding Emma, semi-covering her with his body, while Sirius did some sort of shield to keep them as safe as could be. They were in a precarious position. Curses from the fighting outside were blocking any escape from the balcony to the garden, while curses and flying sharp weapons prevented them from coming inside.
"I need to get to her! We need to get her out! Tolanthe!" Hermione pleaded desperately.
The voice spoke inside their head. It sounded tired. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I am using what's left of my strength to keep the house from crumbling down. Go to the study. Speak to the Potters."
Harry stood, pulled Hermione up, and they ran in a semi crouching position.
"Harry! Hermione!" Lily was a crying mess. "I'm so glad you are safe! Are you okay?"
"What is happening out there?" James asked with a frown.
"We are under attack. Tolanthe told us you could help. We need to get to the balcony without being seen. My mom is on the ground. I think she's hurt. My dad and Sirius are with her. They are inside a protective bubble. But Sirius looks tired," Hermione replied quickly.
"Who's attacking you!?"
"Dumbledore and some of the Death Eaters from the restaurant…"
"And there's someone else. Old like Dumbledore, dressed very cool, looks like he's dancing as he fights-" Harry was interrupted by Lily's gasp as she looked into her husband's eyes. If what they thought was true, things could get much direr very quickly.
"Grindelwald," she whispered.
"But it's impossible; he's in Numengard," James' eyes widened.
"If they are back together… Merlin and Morgana, help us!" Lily said.
"Mum, Dad, I'm sorry, but we're kind of in a rush here?" Harry said quickly.
"Son, find the book The Art of War behind the desk."
Harry did as he was told. "Got it."
"Pull from the upper corner towards you," Lily continued.
"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed as the bookcase receded into the wall. A big vault door appearing in its stead.
"The combination is 31071980. Your birthday," James said.
Harry looked at Hermione for help. The vault system was the kind that you have to turn a knob to get the combination right. She pushed him to the side and did the combination. The vault opened. There was a significant amount of magical and muggle currency, jewelry, and a few boxes.
"Go inside. To your left, you will find a packed gift. It's yours, son; it's an invisibility cloak that has been in our family for generations. We were going to give it to you in your third year," James said, urging him to open it.
Harry marveled at the silky, almost wet-like consistency of the iridescent fabric. He put it on around himself and looked down only to marvel at the fact that the rest of his body was indeed invisible.
"Whoa!"
"Harry, we need to go!" Hermione pulled his arm with urgency.
"Wait!" he pulled a chair, took his parents' painting, and carefully removed it.
Hermione realized what he was doing, so she took the other side of the painting. They put it inside the vault.
"Harry, be safe. Please," his mother begged.
"I promised Emma that I would protect her and Hermione. I have to keep that promise. I love you both," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand and wrapping the cloak around them. They closed the vault, and the bookcase covered it once more.
A cutting spell hit Sirius' protective bubble and made it burst. The jet of light creating a deep gash on his chest. He looked at Bellatrix with rage as his alpha took over. His fangs lengthened, and his jaw grew. His eyes turned amber, and he howled. Remus tried to grab his husband, but the strength with which he jumped was too much. Sirius landed on the garden with ease and rushed towards his cousin before she noticed he had moved. Remus looked conflicted between protecting the Grangers and going after his husband.
"Mum!" Hermione whisper shouted.
"Hermione! Harry! What are you doing here?" Emma said with a pained grunt.
"Getting you out of here, of course!" Hermione ripped off the invisibility cloak and was about to drape it on her mom when a sudden blast from underneath made the balcony break apart from the house, and they were falling. Remus did as many spells as he could over the blinding pain in his bleeding ears. But out of nowhere, a sick-looking, unknown, rogue elf popped in and popped away with Emma before anyone could stop him.
Filius saw the balcony fall, as if in slow motion, and did lightning-speed micro-calculations as Sirius jumped towards Bellatrix, his claws out. Flitwick knew that if he didn't help Remus, those on the balcony would be seriously injured or worse. He also knew that if he protected them instead of himself, Bellatrix could kill him. In any case, he was dying. He painfully jumped to the right when Lestrange expected him to turn to the left and threw his strongest arresto momentum so the balcony would fall slowly the rest of the way.
Severus and Charlus used joint deflecting spells against Lestrange. Bellatrix screamed, first in anger that Filius had managed to avoid her curse, thanks to the other two and his own fast thinking, and then in pain as Sirius clawed an X on her entire back. She turned and buried a dagger deep in his side. She smiled evilly and pulled it out. "Thank you for the pain, you mutt!"
"Likewise, bitch!" Sirius' hands went around her waist, and his claws burrowed inside, through her skin and her muscle. He could feel her heartbeat. As Sirius was about to pull her kidneys out, One of Dumbledore's spells blasted a garden statue nearby, and it hit both cousins, knocking her out and making his head ring horribly.
Harry and Hermione held on to Daniel as they fell, and Daniel tried his best to hold them all in his arms. But out of thin air, they were falling slower, and an unknown horrifying elf ripped Emma from his hold and vanished. Once they landed with a collective grunt, Daniel tightened his hold on the children and kept them low until he heard a scream from his wife. He looked up to see a sight that would haunt him forever. Lucius Malfoy was flying without a broom, holding a barely conscious Bellatrix, and holding Emma up by a chokehold.
"I have her! Let's go!" Bellatrix roared.
Dumbledore vanished and reappeared next to Bella. Grindelwald was barely able to reach them. His body had been properly mauled by the goblins. He had deep gashes all over as well as third-degree burns. One of his arms was hardly attached to his body. He ran to the balcony after using the strongest cruelest curse he could on the queen and flew towards Lestrange and Dumbledore, narrowly missing dozens of curses thrown his way as well as three golden spears for good measure.
"Happy New Year!" Lucius cackled.
The three made an intricate wand motion, but as they were about to vanish, Narcissa and McGonagall managed to propel Tonks up into the air. Her mother jumped to pull her back, but she couldn't reach her. The Auror made her body thinner so she could move through the air better, and stretching her arms beyond a point she had ever tried, Tonks managed to wrap her arms around her aunt's midsection with all her strength right before the elf that took Emma did a protective bubble, so when they vanished with the doctor, Tonks left with them.
"Noooooooo!" was the collective scream from those able to do so.
"Albus, what were you thinking by telling Bellatrix to kidnap that woman?!" Gellert bellowed. They apparated into the bathroom of the second floor of headquarters. He bathed his semi-severed arm with strengthened dittany and applied the Granger burn salve that he had, wisely, transferred to an unmarked jar. Albus would flip about that. Gellert applied it all over his burns and marveled as new skin truly appeared.
"We need her to get something from Minerva! The stone has been moved!"
"What?! Ouch!" Gellert exclaimed as Albus healed the gashes in his body.
"I didn't have a chance to tell you before. One of our elves told me that stupid Quirrell went through all the protections only to find the Mirror of Erised! Someone is playing a dangerous game with us by hiding that stone, and I am positive Minerva knows where it is!"
"Isn't Flitwick Headmaster?"
"He quit after the troll thing," Albus groaned as Gellert did several different spells to minimize the damage done to Albus's hair and scalp as well as his neck. Once Grindelwald was done, he sighed.
"Al, hair will not grow again here. The follicles were destroyed by the oil. You need to apply burn salve every day and rest. I can almost see the muscles of your neck and shoulders."
"Those bloody elves! I will have their heads. You just wait."
Gellert took a step back to make sure he didn't miss a spot. "What is the idea of having that pregnant woman here?"
"We need more resources… and I know that both McGonagall and the Potters see her like a daughter, so they will provide-"
"They will only give us what we ask for if we return her and the baby safe and sound! Why couldn't we just take someone else? Someone less complicated? She is very far along in her pregnancy Albus. There is no clinic in the village. Robert," the man called through the door.
"Yes, master?"
"Fly to the village and get the doctor."
"Yes, sir."
"Women have been birthing alone since the beginning of time. She will be just fine," Albus shook his head with a chuckle.
"While neither of us has any particular care for women… you would do well to remember that we don't know this woman and that she was attacked and handled roughly by Bellatrix. You need to put a leash on that freak, Albus. I will change and go check on them before she causes the woman to miscarry."
"Gellert, please put me under before you leave. I will need my strength and clarity to talk to the Potters."
Grindelwald was glad that Albus requested this as he was quite tempted to do it regardless. He put Dumbledore in stasis and left. As he walked out into the hallway after changing, he saw a glimpse of possibility. Grindelwald was a seer, but no one knew this, not even Dumbledore. He saw a bloodied dead baby. Something about the scene shook him to the core. Perhaps it was the soul-piercing screams of the woman. Perhaps it was the disgusting face of Bellatrix contorting with demented joy as she licked the baby's bloody body. His visions tended to vary in degrees of intensity. This one was too much. He felt his heartbeat on his temples, and his knees felt weak. Throughout his life, he had many visions that he used as a guide to change the future. His very core told him to prevent this with all his might, and he would. He didn't know this woman. But his vision had started showing her removing the ring of… Dagworth-Granger? Wasn't she a muggle? He rushed downstairs before things went the way they did in his vision.
Draco jumped as he heard distant screaming. It sounded so final. Astoria had fallen asleep on his shoulder, but she jumped with him.
"Martin, we need to get out of here," Draco said, rearranging his wand and gun.
"Frank, Alice, can you stand?" Martin asked.
"Yes, Nev, help your mother. M-Martin, could you-?" Frank replied with a pained grimace.
"Of course, here," Martin pulled Frank's arm around his neck. "Daphne?"
"Let's switch. I am left-handed. I need to have my left hand free to hold a gun just in case," the young woman grabbed a gun and handed another one to Martin. At Frank's pleading look, she took one and put it on the man's dusty pocket. Draco and Neville helped Alice, and Astoria walked between the two sets of trios holding a stun gun with her shaky hands. When they got to the garden, it was insanity.
The coven was screaming at each other, wands pointed at each other's throats. Andromeda was blaming McGonagall for endangering Tonks. Narcissa was trying to calm her sister down, which was only making her more furious. Daniel was on his knees, his face covered by his hands, while Harry and Hermione held him. Remus was arguing with Sirius for apparently not killing Bellatrix. Flitwick was on the ground, trying to heal some of his most ghastly wounds with Dorea's help. Charlus was nowhere to be found. The goblin king roared with fury as his beloved queen took what seemed like it would be her last breaths in his arms. Her body a gory mess.
"Please, stop fighting. Someone tell us what happened," Martin pleaded, only to be completely ignored.
"Oi! Test-toi! Quiet!" Daphne amplified her voice. "C'est comme des animaux qui se batten!" [A/N: Shut up! It's like animals fighting each other!]
Father Shaw looked at the girl strangely but nodded, "You need to calm down so we can do our best to fix this. Where's Emma?"
"My crazy bitch of a sister took her!" Andromeda spat.
"Surely she wouldn't harm a pregnant woman," the priest said with a hopeful tone.
"WHAT?! She would eat her own child alive if Voldemort told her to! She is absolutely insane! Emma is not safe, and neither is my daughter, thanks to you!" Andy slapped Narcissa, making her stumble back into McGonagall's arms. "Minnie, if you weren't our High Priestess, I-!"
"Andromeda, I understand, but-"
"No! You have no children! You couldn't possibly understand how I feel! My daughter was sent to the devil's den like a lamb for slaughter!" Andromeda yelled in desperation. "You didn't grow up with that monster! Nothing is off-limits for her!"
McGonagall took a step back. That comment had hurt worse than a crucio.
"Enough! Tonks is one of our best Aurors in the training program. She can hold her own!" Amelia grunted, holding her injured side as she pulled out shards of glass from her forearm.
"A trainee! That's what she is! A child against the likes of motherfucking DUMBLEDORE and GELLERT GRINDELWALD!? You are absolutely mental!" Andromeda broke down into hysterical sobs. Her husband hugging her as tight as his own wounds would allow.
The relief Charlus felt at finding Lily and James safe within their vault was enormous. But who put them there? Lord Potter loved his ancestral home. It was mostly destroyed, but it could be fixed. Those portraits were invaluable. He told them very briefly what happened and took the two fully stocked potion kits in the vault, closed it, and went outside. Lord Potter called on his elves, and luckily, only a few were seriously injured, other than the casualties, and the other elves were tending to them. Snape had followed Charlus and took a kit from his hold, and together they limped outside where pandemonium had broken loose.
[In the study of the Unholy Headquarters]
"Unhand me, you filthy half-blood!" Bellatrix screamed as she pushed her niece away from her with what little energy was left in her body. Auror mode turned on. Gellert and Albus weren't in the room. Only Carrow, Lucius, and Bellatrix were there.
"I would have thought you missed me, auntie!" Tonks replied before Lady Carrow pushed a knife under her jaw vertically, cutting through her skin to show she was serious. Tonks knew she had to admit defeat, for now, and threw her wand to the floor. Carrow put her knife back in her holster and accioed the wand. Emma had lost consciousness and had been unceremoniously dumped on the couch -on her back, thank Merlin- by Malfoy. "What did you do to her?!"
Bellatrix grimaced as Lucius applied a significant amount of strengthened dittany to her wounds and did healing spells to her ankle. "I did nothing. She's a mudblood carrying a magical. What did you expect? Her poor wee little dirty body can't take it."
"Emma is ten times the woman you will ever be!" Tonks yelled, dropping to the floor next to the doctor to try and check her over, only to be kicked harshly on the stomach by Lucius's heavy boot. He levitated her and backhanded her harshly on both cheeks. Tonks bit her tongue to prevent herself from making a sound. Holy Merlin, that stung like a motherfucker!
"If you ever disrespect your aunt again, I will make you the evening's entertainment for the entire forces of Death Eaters! I understand you are fine with both men and women, and that will prove very useful!" Malfoy smirked, eyeing her in an intrusive way.
"If you ever do that, I swear that I will rip your cock and balls off with a jagged, rusty blade and force-feed them to you if it's the last thing I do!" Tonks tasted blood as Malfoy punched her on the nose with all his fury.
"Control this freak, Bella! It was your stupidity that allowed her to follow us!" Lucius did a spell to tie up Tonks' hands behind her back and her ankles together. She kept her head down and grew her hair so he wouldn't have the satisfaction to see her cry in pain.
"If you want to have a chance to leave here alive, you better behave. Carrow, follow me; we are needed upstairs," Lestrange ordered. "Oh, and Freak, don't even think about it. You cannot apparate. This house is not connected to the floo, and as soon as I leave this room, you two will be locked in. I shall keep your wand. If you behave, I may allow you to choose who gets to break it!" Bellatrix cackled and left.
"Emma, please!" Tonks was growing desperate. Not only was Emma still unconscious and entirely unresponsive. As the Auror checked her body over, she realized with dismay that, under the maternity dress, a trickle of blood was starting to grow thicker. "Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I can't be responsible for this! Emma! You have to wake up! Argh! I need my wand!"
The doctor moaned in pain as her eyes moving to the sides behind her closed lids. Tonks squeezed Emma's hand. "Yes! Emma! I'm here! You are not alone, but I need you to open your eyes and help me out, okay? They took my wand. I can't diagnose you without my wand!"
"N-Nymph?" the doctor's pained voice said in a throaty whisper.
"I'm right here, Emma. I got you."
"Who did this to you?" Emma tried to sit up, but Tonks kept her down.
"Fucking Lucius. But never mind me. Are you in pain?"
"Everything hurts… Am I bleeding?"
"Yes, a little. Let me try something," Tonks concentrated hard. Wandless magic was not her talent. She spent so much energy trying to control her metamorphmagus skills that she rarely had the additional energy for something so advanced as intentional spells without a wand. All she needed to know was if the baby was okay and if Emma was going into labor. It took three attempts, but she managed. The baby was head first and ready to come out. Tonks' eyes widened. Maybe her reading was wrong? She couldn't be about to give birth. The pregnancy wasn't to term.
"W-What is it?" Emma asked in a whisper.
"I don't know how to say this… Your baby is ready to come out, and it feels agitated. I wish I was wrong, Em. I-"
The door opened with a bang. A healed and impeccably dressed Gellert Grindelwald walked inside. Tonks immediately covered Emma with her body. Gellert looked at her as if hurt that she thought he would hurt her. "Nymphadora Tonks, First Year Auror Trainee due to a glowing recommendation from Remus Black nee Lupin. It is a pleasure to meet you," he said with a smile offering his hand.
"It's Remus Lupin-Black. I am Tonks, not Nymphadora, and if you are who I think you are, it is most decidedly NOT a pleasure to meet you," the Auror stayed in the same position and looked at his hand in distaste.
Gellert didn't lose his friendly expression, and his hand remained where it was. "Well, Tonks, people have called me many names. At least half of those were undeserved exaggerations, and my story has been perverted by many interests-"
"Look, I don't really care, okay? She needs a mediwitch or wizard right now," Tonks interrupted. Gellert withdrew his hand.
"Lady Dagworth-Granger," he bowed. "Delighted to finally meet the second woman to ever charm the goblin king and queen. I am sorry to say we don't have permanent medical attention yet. The witch that was supposed to join us was… detained. What can we do to make you more comfortable? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Would you like to change?"
"So now you and your people choose to be hospitable?!" Tonks pointed at her swollen face.
"I will make sure Lucius gets the exact same treatment. I apologize. I did not invite him to join us; Dumbledore did. All I want is for you and Emma to be as comfortable as possible for the circumstances," Gellert replied calmly.
Even in her pain clouded brain, something stuck out. He wasn't supposed to know who she was. Tonks apparently noticed the same thing but said nothing. "P-Please, sir, take me to a hospital. We will say n-nothing about you. We don't even know w-who you are. I n-need a c-section. This child cannot be delivered n-naturally because the p-pregnancy is high risk," Emma pleaded.
"My dear Lady, we cannot do that. Tonks knows who I am, and she works for law enforcement. I wasn't informed beforehand that you would be brought here. We are veritably in the middle of nowhere. Had I known in advance, I would have made sure we had a Healer. The closest hospital is about a day's walk away. You can only apparate into this place, not out of it. We have a vast array of potions and salves," Gellert was interrupted by an irate Tonks who stood up, and morphing her arms to be man arms, pushed him back harshly.
"Potions and salves?! Potions and salves?! She is in labor NOW! She needs medical attention! Kidnap a mediwizard from St. Mungos, I don't care! Just get her help!"
"The end justifies the means, huh?" Gellert had barely been pushed a couple of steps back.
"Only to save an innocent life!" Tonks pushed him again. Suddenly she was up in the air being choked by an invisible hand.
"How dare you touch him with your filthy hands!?" Bellatrix screamed.
"Bella, none of that. She is simply trying to help Lady Dagworth-Granger, who is currently in labor. Put her down, gently, now," Gellert said with a neutral tone. He had learned that Bellatrix had to be ordered very specifically. Otherwise, when told to put someone down, she would blast them 50 feet to let them crash against a wall.
The crazed witch's eyes looked at Emma weirdly, but she lowered Tonks down slowly. As soon as the Auror was on her feet, she had a coughing fit. Emma noticed that whoever this person was, he was scarier than Dumbledore. While Dumbledore was very transparent in his anger and actions, this man was absolutely calmed and controlled. His voice was soft and mellow. His friendly face was very believable. The baby in her womb allowed her to feel the raw magical energy coming off of this wizard. He was the kind that has all the appearance of good: smart, highly manipulative, charming.
Bellatrix rushed to Emma, fell on her knees, and licked her lips with wide eyes, "Is the little one magical?" she asked with a strange glint on her eyes.
"It is," Gellert replied. "Quite a bit of magical power in the baby too. His core is keeping you conscious. May I call you Emma?" Emma nodded weakly. "In any case, his core is too immature and will be exhausted soon."
Bellatrix looked like the cat that got the milk as she left quickly.
"Do you trust Auror Tonks?" Grindelwald asked Emma.
"With my life," she replied.
Tonks smiled weakly.
"Good. Tell us what things you need to have the baby here. I have requested the doctor from the village to be brought here. It's not a midwife, who would be ideal, but as you are a non-magical, you may be comforted by his presence," Gellert offered with a smile. He did a pain-relieving spell on Emma's belly. "That should help a bit."
"Thank you," Emma croaked.
"You can't seriously want me to do her c-section!" Tonks was aghast.
"All I want you to help the doctor help Emma, Tonks. Now, doctor Granger, what do you need?" Grindelwald insisted.
"A s-stool, a bed, b-boiled water, alcohol, gauze or hand towels, a few pillows… a sharp knife and scissors," Emma said in a weak voice.
"Emma, no! I can't! We can't!" Tonks began to panic.
"Labor is not something that can be stopped," Gellert said with a final tone. "I shall bring what you need," he turned to leave.
Emma let out a shaky breath. He was right. Once a baby was ready to come out, it was coming out. The baby doesn't care if you are in a hospital, in a car, or kidnapped. It needs out. The doctor knew that getting a c-section done by an unknown doctor in these circumstances was extremely dangerous. She could bleed out and die. In the best-case scenario, she was properly stitched and didn't die, but her wounds could still get infected. The risk those criminals had taken to get her was too high. They wouldn't do that unless they needed her… or her baby. "Wait. Why? Why am I here?"
"You are to be our bargaining chip," Gellert smiled sweetly, "We need to exchange you for something. We will not harm you. I may be many things, Ms. Tonks, but I do not mess with pregnant women or children," he left the room.
Tonks' mind was racing. Grindelwald was famous for trying to establish the supremacy of magical people over everyone else. Akin to Hitler's style but a bit different. Him not harming women or babies was unlikely, right? As the things Emma requested were brought, Tonks started having a panic attack.
Emma sat up a bit. "What's your name, s-sir?" she asked the polite wizard.
"Gellert Grindelwald at your service."
"If you could bring firewhiskey, that would be great," Emma said as Tonks helped her stand. "If someone could disinfect this room with a spell and transfigure this dress, I would be grateful."
"Of course," Gellert transfigured the room: it now had a hospital bed, and the rest of the furniture except for two chairs and a stool had vanished.
A bottle of firewhiskey appeared by the hospital bed. Tonks' shaky hands had a hard time opening it. She offered the alcohol to Emma, but the doctor shook her head.
"I requested it for you, honey. You are a nervous wreck. Aaaaaaaaargh!" Emma finished with a scream as the strongest contraction yet coursed through her.
Tonks transfigured her hands to be manly so that she could stand the strength and vicious nature of Emma's grip. She took a long gulp of firewhiskey and grimaced. A trolley with the supplies they requested appeared next to the bed. Emma's brow was covered in sweat from the conscious effort not to push.
The doctor wasn't home. Great. Just wonderful. Tonks took another large gulp and washed her hands, then sanitized them with pure alcohol. Gellert had made everyone leave. He would be outside the door in case they needed help. Emma's pained scream of "OOOOOOOUT!" made him leave so fast that anyone would have thought he apparated. Tonks helped Emma change and the doctor went back on her back applied alcohol to her lower belly and hands. Tonks put the knife's blade on the fire and then doused it with alcohol. As she was about to ask Grindelwald to numb Emma's belly, someone hit the back of her head, and she knew no more.
Bellatrix decided as soon as she knew the baby was magical that she would use the child to bring back her beloved Dark Lord. All she had to do was take out that disgraceful Auror and seal the room with a Lestrange grimoire blood ritual, and she would be the Dark Lord's favorite, lifted to great heights, and revered among all her dark brothers and sisters. She had an elf bring a pan from the kitchen and pop her silently into the room. Bellatrix bashed Tonks with one arm and silenced Emma with her other hand. Then, she caught the metamorphmagus, bound her, gagged her, and put her on the floor next to the fireplace.
Emma had never screamed without sound. It was quite a strange feeling. Her vocal cords were straining with the decibels she should have made, but no sound came out. The psycho in front of her was the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange. Narcissa and Andy had told Emma all about their twisted sister. How she would torture animals to death, torture them, her own sisters! If there was someone you didn't want to be locked alone in a room with, that was Bellatrix. To make matters worse, Emma couldn't defend herself or move from her current position, and the contractions were too harsh.
Bellatrix silenced the room, cut her palms, and drew some hasty runes in every wall and on the door. That's when Emma noticed a fishbowl-like structure with what looked like a strange small human with an old man's wrinkly face of distorted features. Around the bloody thing, several human fetuses swam inside their shriveled placentas. Emma kept screaming without sound, trying to push herself away from the witch.
"We are going to have a little chat, you and I," she said. "Girl to girl!"
Emma's body was shaking.
Bella went on. "My master, the Dark Lord," she pointed to the fishbowl. "has entrusted me with a most important task. I need to provide him with a body."
Emma's eyes grew impossibly large, then she shut them hard, tears escaping them, as another contraction hit.
"My Lord thought we would need Harry Potter, but I found an easier way. All I need is the unwilling sacrificial blood of an innocent," Bellatrix smiled, showing off her horrible teeth. "And now that you are here, I have everything I need."
Emma shook her head and kept pushing herself away in vain. Sweat was so profuse all over her body that it kept getting into her eyes, stinging them. The fishbowl's water began bubbling.
"Now, I will be getting your baby out using this," Bellatrix showed her the sharp kitchen knife. "Since I have silenced the room, I will unsilence you. I would appreciate it if you scream really loud. For my benefit," the witch smirked darkly.
The doctor would have wanted to restrain, to hold back her screams, groans, and grunts, but she couldn't. What was this nightmare going to do to her and her baby?
"Is it a girl?" Lestrange asked, getting into position to make the cut.
"W-We don't know."
"Don't know or won't say?" Bellatrix lifted a questioning brow and pressed the knife's tip above Emma's navel, drawing blood.
"DON'T KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" Emma howled in pain.
"No matter, we shall know soon enough," the witch cackled, placing the tip of the knife an inch below Emma's belly.
"Noooooo! D-Don't cut there!" Emma begged. "You will k-kill us both! I am a muggle healer. Trust me. Please!"
With great difficulty, Emma drew the cut where it should be done. Bellatrix looked at her suspiciously but placed the knife where the doctor said. Mrs. Granger knew better than to ask Bellatrix to numb the area.
"I want to hear you scream, dearie," Bellatrix began to cut.
The screams that followed would have haunted even the meanest Death Eaters, but Bellatrix was almost delirious with joy. The gory mess behind her bubbled in anticipation.
In the ruins that once were Potter Manor, Hermione, and Harry began screaming in pain. No one could understand what they were trying to say, but then again, children are not supposed to ever know what labor feels like, especially not boys. As they writhed on the floor, tears flowing, Daniel took their pulse. It was erratic. Andy was trying to diagnose the kids, but it made no sense. They can't be in labor. Morgana! Emma!
"Dan, I think Emma is in labor!" the mediwitch gasped.
"She can't be. It's too soon!" Daniel tried to calm the children to no avail. "What does your daughter know about labor?"
"The very basics," Andy said as she applied healing and numbing spells.
Severus knelt next to the children and gave them dropper fulls of pain-relieving and pepper-up potions. "Mommy!" Hermione groaned as tears kept flowing. "I'm sorry!"
"Mione, we can't-"
"We have to try!" Hermione grimaced.
The bonded pair tried to sit up only to grab their bellies. Hermione's dress had some blood that started to seep through. Harry put his hand down his abdomen and felt warm blood. What the hell?
"They cut her open!" Hermione screamed.
Andy vanished the kids' clothes, except for their underwear, and there was a superficial cut exactly where a C-Section incision would be. She couldn't heal them as much as she tried. "This cannot be happening!"
"Neesy! Can you take us to Emma?"
"I cannot feel missy Grangy," Neesy's eyes were swimming in unshed tears.
The wizards around them gasped.
"What does that mean!?" Daniel asked, agitated.
"Either, missy is too far away, or… she is not… alive anymore," Neesy said in a whisper.
"No!" Daniel ran to the nearest tree and began attacking it with fury.
A heavy silence fell over The Family. For a few minutes, no one could move. The only sounds were those of the wind, the cracking of the fire nearby, and groans of pain from all those still injured in battle. In everyone's mind, the same sentence played in a loop like a mantra: she can't be dead.
Tonks regained consciousness to the desperate pained screams of Emma Granger. The horror she felt was undiluted. Her wrists were in pain, but she didn't care. She had never tried to morph them to the size they were now. The Auror needed to have use of her hands to free her legs and attack Lestrange.
Emma felt herself growing weaker as blood gushed out of her cut. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tonks struggling with her bindings but realized that by the time the Auror got free, she would most likely be dead. Bella finished cutting, placed tissue forceps with her wand, and reached inside the filthy muggle to get the baby out. Lestrange could swear the blood smelled different. As she got the baby out, -a boy!- she realized with glee, she couldn't resist the urge to lick his face. What a decadent flavor!
Tonks threw up in her mouth a little and had a full-body chill. Such a disgusting creep. She managed to free her hands and painfully stretched her spine and arms to reach her tied-up feet. Accidental magic by the baby sent the scissors Emma asked for to land behind Tonks. The Auror cut off the bindings as quietly as she could.
"P-Please, let me h-hold him. He needs skin to skin c-contact," Emma croaked with what little strength she had.
"Don't you worry. He will not need anything before long," Bellatrix cackled as the fishbowl bubbled and changed colors, expelling nauseating steam. She cut off the umbilical cord and moved towards the Dark Lord. Someone was trying to open the door.
"Neesy, the blood, quickly!" Hermione groaned.
The elf placed her hands on the kids and felt a magical signature from either Emma or the baby. "I feel her or the little one! Minnie, Daniel, Andy, grab me!" Neesy yelled. They all rushed towards her, Severus handed them a potion kit, and in a flash, they were gone.
Bella went to the fishbowl, cut off her pinky finger, and tossed it there as she muttered incantations and allowed her blood to flow. The newborn was slippery, but the witch had a stronghold on it. Surprisingly, the baby boy was not crying, but his eyes were open. He looked at the witch with reproach as she made a deep cut on his foot but not even then did the baby cry. Unbeknownst to Lestrange, the blood that fell was both from Emma and the baby. Tonks jumped towards Bellatrix and tackled her to the ground as she was about to cut the baby's head off. This made the psycho let go of the baby, which fell to the fishbowl in slow motion.
The baby never made it to the gory mess below. The door blew off its hinges and barely missed the fishbowl. Grindelwald suspended the baby mid-air as he ran to the fishbowl. He grabbed the bloody baby, healed the cut on his foot, and rushed to the bed, placing him on the crook of his mother's neck. Emma's eyes fluttered close as too much blood had left her body. Grindelwald did everything he could, but Emma was barely alive. Fucking Bellatrix! Not only would they not receive a dime, but they would become the most hunted wizards on Earth.
Tonks didn't think as she plunged the scissors deep inside Lestrange's side. Then she repeated the same motions several times. Bellatrix laughed maniacally. Tonks kept going until the Death Eater had lost enough blood to render her unconscious, or was she dead? Tonks didn't care. Death Eaters brought the members of The Family that had, unfortunately, landed in the kitchen at wand point. Elven blood magic wasn't the most precise, and the baby's accidental magic wasn't clear either. It was rushed, full of energy and pain.
The members of The Family were ready to kill, it seemed, and with good reason. Now, Gellert was truly angry. All these bloody amateurs would ruin his plan, not to mention his life. He turned towards the door, his expression betraying the coldest of anger. He summoned all the newcomers' wands.
"Unhand them immediately!"
The Death Eaters looked at each other in confusion.
"Did you not hear me!?" Grindelwald bellowed. The criminals blanched as Gellert's raw power wave swept the room and let them go. "I did my best to stop her bleeding, but I cannot stitch her. Bellatrix locked herself in here and cut her open. I had no idea. It was never my intention for this to happen. I shall give Andromeda her wand, provided that she only uses it to help Emma."
"I promise," Andy said with desperation. She wanted to run to her daughter, but Emma needed her more. She didn't even register that he had called her by her name or that he seemed to know she was a mediwitch.
Gellert looked at the distraught man. "Lord Dagworth-Granger, go ahead."
Daniel felt as if invisible arms that were holding him back finally let go.
"Master, we must-"
"Mulciber, enough! Don't ever presume to tell me what I must or mustn't do. Professor McGonagall, a pleasure to see you again."
Minerva reigned in her caustic response, "May I help them?"
Any response from Gellert was quietened by an angry scream from within the fishbowl. The powerful wizard looked at the concoction with disgust. Damn it all to hell. Albus was right. That was one tough pill to swallow. Tom Riddle was an abomination of nature already and what Bellatrix did seemed to only make things worse. What was she thinking? Oh, right, of course: immortality for the protagonist of all her wet dreams probably. Ew.
"Grindelwald?" McGonagall urged. "My wand. Just to help them, I promise."
Gellert handed her back her wand, "Of course, madam. While I am here, no one will harm you or yours. Pick up your wounded. You will be allowed to leave as soon as Lady Dagworth-Granger is stable enough to travel," Gellert was tempted to say if she got stable, but he thought he shouldn't push people who are already about to blow up. "As for all of you, elves included, you will leave this room quietly. You will not rouse him. You will not attack anyone inside this room. Go. Now," the wizard said all this with a chilling stillness and calm tone that did not match the waves of angry magic rolling off his body. It was as if he had them all imperiused but that was impossible. Grindelwald fixed and placed the door back in place and had two elves remove the fishbowl sludge that smelled like a month-old corpse left out in the summer.
McGonagall rushed to Emma's bedside and took the baby from Daniel and began checking him all over. He seemed alive although unresponsive. His eyes were shut as if asleep, but his body was cold and shivering. The professor did the softest warming charm she could muster. Direct influence over a newborn's core was never a good idea. She walked towards the fireplace.
When Tonks turned, Minerva's heart was crushed. She was barely recognizable. Her face was so swollen that one of her eyes was almost entirely shut. Her nose was clearly broken, and her lips were split. Tonks jumped towards the professor and began bawling as Minerva cast spell after spell to reduce the swelling and pain. The closeness to the fire was helping the baby. He was no longer shivering and he would squeeze Minerva's finger softly in intervals as if to let her know he was still there.
Tonks took the baby from Professor McGonagall and held it close. Minerva started helping Andromeda and Daniel who were working incredibly fast, talking in hushed whispers. With three wands and two experienced hands, they were able to close Emma up and gave her a strengthened version of the blood replenishing potion that Severus and Narcissa had created. She stayed unconscious.
Gellert levitated Bellatrix out quietly. He really did not care for the woman before, but now, now he could appreciate what a risk she was. No wonder Albus found her deranged antics amusing. Grindelwald poked his head out. Three Death Eaters were lining the hall awaiting instructions. "Carrow, try to see if you can heal her. If you do, keep her in stasis. That's an order."
The Death Eater left, levitating Lestrange behind her. Gellert dismissed the others and closed the door.
Daniel placed the last stitch on Emma's botched incision. Clearly, it was done to cause as much pain as possible rather than get the baby out safely. Dan held Emma's hand and took shaky breaths. He prayed Emma could recover and that the baby was okay. Andy squeezed his shoulder once she was done applying a salve to prevent infection and scarring. Minerva mouthed, "She's swollen. I tried to help."
Andromeda nodded and rushed to her daughter. "Baby…"
"I'm fine, mom, really. Minnie helped."
"Of course she did. Hand me the baby, so I can check him over," Andy took him softly and ran all sorts of screenings on him. He was healthy but exhausted. No one should be this exhausted so young. He would need plenty of sleep and colostrum, but after what Emma had been through, the healer doubted she would have the ability or the strength. No matter, they would find a wet nurse if necessary.
Daniel began discarding what they had used to work on Emma and clean his wife's bloody legs. McGonagall kissed Emma's sweaty forehead as the woman blinked slowly. As the events came back to her, she began hyperventilating.
"Minnie?! The baby! Where's my baby?! Give me my baby!" she screamed, looking around her with unfocused eyes. Minerva kept holding her down with difficulty. Hell hath no fury like an angry mama bear.
Daniel moved to her side to hold her in place, "Love, don't sit up. You will tear your stitches. The baby is fine."
"No, Dan, don't lie to me! She threw him into that thing! I saw it!"
Andromeda rushed to her as soon as she finished. "Sweetie, he's right here. He's just really tired and sleeping, but he will be fine."
"Emma, I managed to slow his fall and catch him as Tonks tackled and stabbed Lestrange. Andromeda, your daughter, is remarkably brave. You must be proud."
"I am. You said we could leave as soon as Emma was stable. May we go?" Andromeda asked in her least threatening tone.
"I am a man of my word," Gellert summoned the bloodied scissors that were still on the floor, cleaned them, and said, "Portus. Please apologize to Madam Bones about the portkey. It's the safest way to get you back. You will land in Potter Manor, of course."
Professor McGonagall could not believe that he was truly letting them go just like that. "What's the catch, Grindelwald?"
"There's no catch, professor. What happened here was not what we had originally planned. This was meant to be simply a kidnapping to get funds. Nothing more. The plan was to get money in exchange for Emma's safe return. Bellatrix Lestrange did this, I believe, at the bidding of the Dark Lord. We are unsure if they communicate in a bizarre way or the voice she hears is made up by her mind, but she's a loose cannon. I play hard, but fair," he looked at the witches who were trying to remember all they had heard or lived that could disprove this but came up with nothing. He continued, satisfied, "I would never harm a pregnant woman. Tonks can tell you that since I approached them, I have done nothing but try to help and keep them safe."
"It's true," Tonks admitted, repeatedly blinking as it sunk in. It was leverage. That was why he was so kind to them. He needed to have this good precedent. What a sneaky bastard!
"Indeed," his eyes twinkled in triumph. "The portkey will not work in the house. Once you step off the porch, you will be able to use it," he handed the scissors to McGonagall. "I am well aware that apologies fix nothing, but I am sorry for what you went through, Emma. I will not be collecting life debts from you as is my right as a sign of goodwill. We will probably meet in battle again, but until then, leave with my best wishes of a speedy recovery."
Minerva nodded sharply and they left the room walking slowly, surrounding a levitating Emma and looking around for possible threats but found none. Andromeda realized that, at some point, Neesy who had been silently helping them by applying healing energy to Emma, had vanished. Where was she? They needed to leave! Once they were outside, she felt the elf's small textured hand hold hers.
"Neesy, what-?"
"Later."
They all took hold of the portkey. Professor McGonagall activated it and they were off, hoping it would really take them to Potter Manor. As they landed, the surprised screams and gasps of their loved ones let them know they were safe at last. Minerva thanked whatever it was that made Grindelwald have mercy and choose to let them go. She was keenly aware that he could have killed them many times over. She did not believe his holier than thou act, but at least they left alive.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Sorry for the delay. I had to go over this to change things back and forth to make sure it wasn't too much. -Lux-
*A danseur noble is the male equivalent of a prima ballerina.