CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
The Slaughter
According to Eva's instructions in the diary, she had somehow secured a fireplace for Harry, Nora, Ron, and Ginny to travel by Floo Powder to the Leaky Cauldron with. They were going to meet David—and whoever else he might be bringing along—at a nearby café. All Harry had to do was get them to the Hog's Head.
He didn't even want to know how she had managed that one. No wonder they were so attracted to each other. Both he and Eva were quite good at bending the rules.
As he led his comrades through the secret passageway to Hogsmeade, he couldn't help wondering what sort of disaster this was going to turn out to be. If the new Muggles being exposed to the wizarding world took it half as bad as David, they would still have quite an incident on their hands.
"Ew… This is where Eva has been living?" Ginny questioned as they climbed the stairs to her room. She coughed. "The smoke is absolutely suffocating."
"Mum and dad were probably suffocating her just as much," Ron replied.
Nora giggled. Eva must have recognized it and came out of her room, nearly running straight into them. Harry started to remove the cloak, but Eva stopped him. "Keep it on. And keep it down." She squeezed past the four of them and walked down the stairs, motioning for them to follow her. She peeked around the corner and into the bar, which was empty from the lack of a lunch rush.
"Watch out for the bartender," Harry whispered. "I think he can see through invisibility cloaks."
Eva nodded. "He didn't come in today. I think we're safe."
Annabelle the barmaid came out from the back kitchen. "Oh, Eva!" she called. "I'm going to run and get somethin' to eat. Want anythin'?"
"No, thanks," Eva replied. "But I'll keep an out here for you."
Annabelle nodded. "Be back in a bit."
Eva waited until she disappeared out the door and then hurried into the back kitchen. "It's safe." She moved one of the stones on the fireplace mantle to reveal a hidden, hollowed-out space. Inside, there was a metal bucket filled with what Harry recognized as Floo Powder. She took out the bucket as Harry tucked the cloak away in his backpack. The two sisters hugged in greeting, then Eva turned and addressed everyone else.
"This network is specifically for kitchens. We'll all end up in the kitchen of the Leaky Cauldron, which is probably quite busy at this time of day. Hopefully you will be able to get away unnoticed. If not, run." She smiled. "We'll meet up just outside the pub."
"So the Leaky Cauldron, then?" Ron asked, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder.
Eva nodded. "Er, someone will need to take me, as I can't travel alone. And I don't believe Nora's ever traveled by Floo Powder before."
"I'll show her," Ginny said. "Watch Ron."
As Ron disappeared into the fireplace, Harry pulled Eva aside. She was dressed in jeans and a plain heather-gray t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a lose ponytail. To Harry, she had never looked more beautiful. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
She took a deep breath. "I think so. Let's just hope things go better than last time."
"I'll be right behind you!" Ginny called as Nora ventured into the fireplace. "Are you taking Eva, then?" she asked Harry. Harry nodded. He would have to hold on to Eva like he would one of his possessions so that she would travel with them. Floo powder didn't work for Muggles alone.
After Ginny took her leave, Harry stepped into the fireplace and then carefully took Eva in by the arm. "Hold on tight," he said. She hugged him, pressing into his body as she laced her hands behind his back. "This is going to be quite a ride."
He threw the floo powder and clearly shouted, "The Leaky Cauldron." The flames flickered into green and he stepped into the fireplace, holding on tightly to Eva.
The two of them stumbled out of the fireplace, unharmed and a little bewildered, then made their way out to the streets of London without attracting anyone's attention. They met up with the others, who were huddled inconspicuously near a telephone booth.
"That was awesome!" Nora cried. "We need to get one of those."
Eva grinned and brushed some soot off the end of her nose. Harry could tell she didn't know quite what to say—they didn't even have a place to live for the summer.
She gestured down the street. "The café is just around the corner." Eva led them further down the sidewalk and then turned down another block. At the very end there was an old, dilapidated brick building that still held some humble charm. Eva held the door open for Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Nora to pass through.
The afternoon tea rush was already in full swing. Eva peeked around the groups of people until she spotted David. He raised his hand and waved her over to his table where there were a few empty seats left. There were three others with him—two young girls and a very tall man.
Eva waved back and Nora hurried over to where David was sitting. Harry thought she was going to hug David, but instead the young girl with strawberry blonde hair sitting next to him stood up and hugged the younger Finnigan sister. "Rose! You came!" Nora exclaimed.
"Didn't really have a choice," she said dryly, glancing at David.
David grinned sheepishly at Eva. "Er… I can be quite convincing. Have a seat, everyone. Pull up some chairs. I didn't know how many of you were coming." He gestured to the teapot and cups on the table and passed one out to each of the newcomers.
"Aye, me either," Eva replied, grabbing an empty chair from a table. She studied each Muggle before her. "I suppose I ought to introduce myself. I'm Eva Finnigan and, well, it's my fault you're all here." She chuckled. "But we can get to that later." She looked to Harry.
"Erm… I'm Harry Potter," he said, feeling slightly self-conscious. He could see that the tall guy was staring at the scar on his forehead. He also couldn't bring himself to meet David's eyes. If only he hadn't done that tiny bit of magic. They wouldn't be in this situation.
Ron introduced himself next. He seemed to be studying the Muggles as if he couldn't believe that he was really going to be involved in what they were planning to do.
"I'm Ginny, Ron's sister," Ginny said, her eyes aglow at meeting the new Muggles. "Nice to meet you all."
"And I'm Nora," Nora finished. "Eva's sister." She lowered her voice. "The magic one." She and Rose burst into giggles.
David continued the introduction, facing the witches and wizards. "I'm David Cayle. Eva and I have been friends for years, even before these circumstances came about." He rolled his eyes at Rose. "This is my kid sister, Rose."
"Hi," Rose said, giving a tiny wave. Now that Harry saw the two of them up close and personal, he realized that they did look like brother and sister. They both had the same brown eyes.
She looked to the girl sitting next to her, who seemed to be a little older and actually a little afraid. The girl cleared her throat. "I'm Morgan. Rose and I go to the same school."
Everyone looked at the young man sitting at the end of the table, but he didn't open his mouth to speak until David nodded at him. "My name is Sam. I used to work with David."
David turned to Eva. "You may recognize him. He used to be a stagehand at the Royal Realm."
Eva nodded. "Yes, you do look familiar, Sam." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Well, we all know why we're here this afternoon. I have to say that I am impressed with all of you and admire your courage for coming here—whether you believe or not."
"Oh, I believe," Morgan said suddenly. "I don't need all of you to convince me. Once David and Rose told me a little… well, it all makes sense."
Harry glanced around the café to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation. He didn't like how many people were around. But maybe it was better that way. If they kept speaking without actually naming what they were talking about, perhaps they could get away with it.
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked. "What makes sense?"
"A few years ago," she said quietly, "I was at my grandparents' house and they were making tea. Everything was normal until the teapot started… acting up." She smiled meekly. "I don't know why I feel stupid—I suppose you all won't think that I'm completely crazy for saying what I'm about to say… but it attacked them."
Ron nearly let out a laugh, but tried to cover it with a cough. Harry looked at him sharply. These were the kinds of stories that Mr. Weasley would tell when he came home from work.
"It… It just went wild. It burned my grandmother's arm with boiling water, and when I tried to help it came after me. I ran into the pantry and hid."
"So because of this… incident… you believe?" Harry questioned.
"No. It's because of what happened next." She leaned over the table, closer so that everyone could hear her. "A group of people… weird people, the weirdest I'd ever seen… burst into my grandparents' kitchen. They managed to stop the teapot and even treat my grandmother's burns—nearly instantly! One man pulled out this… stick. It looked like a conductor's baton. He took it and used it on my grandmother."
Ginny and Ron exchanged glances. Nora was enthralled. "Then what happened?"
"Well, my grandfather got the worst. The sugar tongs clamped his nose so hard that he had to go to the hospital. But the weird people—they just left. A few of them even disappeared into mid-air. Just "poof!" And they were gone. About ten minutes later my grandmother found me in the pantry and asked me why I was hiding. She didn't remember anything about the teapot or what had happened. Then we took my grandfather to the hospital."
"The Ministry must have missed you," Ginny said, "because you were hiding."
"The Ministry?"
She nodded. "The government. Our dad is one of the people who goes in to deal with Muggle incidents."
"Muggle?"
"That's what we call you," Ron answered. "Non-magical people."
"Not all non-magical people," Sam said quietly. "My dad—he has a special name. I can't remember what it is. His whole family is… you know, magical. But he's not. He can't do it."
"A Squib?" Nora asked.
"Yes, that's what it is. My mom left him because she thought he was crazy. But I've met that entire side of my family, and they're all crazy!" He paused, glancing around the table. "No offense, of course."
Ginny laughed. "None taken." She turned to David. "What's your story?"
David's eyes darkened. He opened his mouth, about to speak, then closed it again.
"His is too tragic," Rose interrupted. "Let's just say that he believes. My story, on the other hand, is a bit different…"
Harry studied David closely. He tried to look him in the eye and perhaps he would be able to grasp something from him, but David simply stirred his tea with his spoon. Rose went on to say that she was with her best friend, Orla Quirke, when she received her letter to attend Hogwarts.
"Orla's in Ravenclaw, isn't she?" Nora asked.
Rose nodded. "She never stops talking about her house. How they're the smartest. And how they're good at that game… I'm not sure how to pronounce it."
"Quidditch," Harry finished. "Do you speak to her on a regular basis?"
"Well, not speak. We write each other."
"Through owl post?" Harry questioned.
"Yes. It was quite a shock to see that owl chasing her around when she got her letter to Hogwarts. I'll never forget it."
So that was how David knew about owl post—his sister had apparently been receiving letters for years. He was pretty sure that Orla was breaking Ministry laws by writing to her friend, but maybe not as severely because Rose had seen the letter delivered.
"Well, I suppose I had better get started with the more serious topics," Eva began. "I know that each one of you has had a different degree of exposure to the "other" world. I'd like to go over a few things even though some of you may already be familiar with what I'm about to say."
Eva spoke softly, yet firmly, as she told the story of the wizarding world. Luckily, the afternoon crowd was thinning out and nobody seemed to be paying attention to the group of teenagers in the corner of the café. She talked about how the two worlds have coexisted with one another in, for the most part, peace. She said that wizards were not all that different from Muggles and that both races had their advantages.
"However, there is someone who threatens the delicate balance between Muggle and wizard, someone evil." She paused. "I don't mean to alarm any of you. It's just fact. A time will come when the wizarding world is in danger."
Harry frowned. She talked so confidently. He thought again to what Seamus and Hermione had said—the ominous feeling in the air. Was he just completely indifferent to it? After hearing the prophecy last year, he knew that it would come down to a battle. But he wasn't sure that they needed to bring a Muggle troop to the wizarding war.
"Despite the opinions of some people," she avoided Harry's gaze, "I believe that we can help the wizards win the battle against evil. In fact, I think that if we don't help them, the evil will then come to us. No one is safe against this… this… creature. This man who has risen from the dead and calls himself the Dark Lord Voldemort."
Ron shivered as Eva spoke. Even the Muggles gathered at the table seemed to understand the dark connotation that came when speaking the vile wizard's name. Rose leaned over and put her hand on David's arm. Harry could see gooseflesh on her skin. It was so odd to hear that name in the comfy Muggle café. There was even a tiny bell on the door that rang every time someone entered. How quaint.
"Voldemort does not see Muggles as humans. We are weaklings. If and when the time comes, I think we ought to show him otherwise. We do not need wands to…" She stopped in mid-sentence as a waitress stepped beside her with a teapot.
"Would any of you care for more tea? Or a biscuit, perhaps?"
Eva shook her head. "No, thank…"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Eva screamed as a bolt of green light whizzed past her forehead and hit the waitress next to her. Her face turned pure white as Harry, going on his instincts, flipped the table onto its side and tackled Eva to the floor. Eva had reached out for Nora and the three of them fell behind the barrier—or lack there of. Everyone immediately flew behind the table as well.
Rose started hyperventilating as David checked for a pulse on the waitress.
"What the hell is going on?" Sam cried. He was struggling to stay hidden behind the table with his long legs and broad shoulders.
"She's dead," David said.
"Oh my god," Morgan whispered. "Oh my god!"
"I don't know which one of you girls has my blood coursing through her veins. I'm afraid that, instead, I will just have to get rid of all of you!"
Harry didn't need to peer over the table to know who it was. He would recognize Lucius Malfoy's cursed voice anywhere. He could almost hear Eva's heart pounding in her chest. "He's found us," she whispered, her eyes wide and terrified. "How did he find us? Here? Now?"
Harry could only shrug. He took his wand out of his pocket and turned to Ron and Ginny. They both were looking at him for further instruction. Ron was sweating bullets, but Ginny looked unafraid.
The Muggles in the café had absolutely no idea what was going on. They were simply staring at Malfoy with their mouths open. They had no idea that they should have been running for their lives—that he would take their last breath of life away from them.
"Wait, do you know that guy?" David asked incredulously.
"Unfortunately," Ginny replied.
"But first, to prove my loyalty, I'll take care of a few innocent spectators before the main event." Harry gasped as Lucius raised his wand and cursed a young woman sitting at a table near the door. The girl who she was sitting with went to her aid as she fell to the floor. The girl tried desperately to wake her friend up. It didn't work. She looked at Lucius, then sprang for the door. But it was already too late.
"Avada Kedavra!" The girl fell to the floor, lifeless.
Harry couldn't take it anymore. Three innocent Muggles, dead in a matter of seconds. He had to get the Muggles and his friends out of there. With no more dead innocents.
"Go into the kitchen," Harry said to Eva. "Take Nora and the others and hide in the kitchen."
"Wait, what are you going to do?" Eva said. "You can't use magic, Harry. The Ministry will find out."
"The Ministry will find out anyway! There are three dead Muggles!"
"They can't all be dead," Morgan mumbled. "No way…"
"Harry, I can't let you do anything magical. You'll have your wand taken away. It's not worth it. It's not worth it at all!"
Harry turned to Eva, furious. "Just go into the kitchen!"
"No! I'm not going anywhere without you!" she said stubbornly. "Promise me you will not use your wand. Promise me."
He groaned. "I promise. Just get everyone else in there, okay?"
Harry stood up to face Lucius, his wand out-stretched. He had no plan. No protection. No magic.
"Ah, Mr. Potter. Fancy seeing you here." Another table with two people at it got up. This time, they managed to run out of the café with their lives.
As Harry studied Malfoy's outstretched wand, he could see the hand that he was holding it with also used for another purpose.
Lucius's hands were tight around Draco's throat as he pinned his son to the wall of the Slytherin common room.
"If you don't tell me where she is, boy, I will have no problem making sure that your declaration of betrayal is the last you've ever spoken in this world."
Draco shook his head, struggling in his father's grip, gasping for breath. Lucius squeezed harder. Malfoy's beady eyes were popping out of his head.
"Tell me where she is. Tell me where you saw her."
Draco finally nodded, giving in to his father's demands. Lucius let go and he fell to the floor, sucking in huge gulps of air. Draco spoke hoarsely.
"Potter. She was with Potter."
So Draco had squealed. He still couldn't outfight his father.
"He's not alone." Ron stood up from behind the table, along with Ginny. Both had their wands pointed directly at Lucius.
"Ah, and two Weasleys as well. What a nice surprise. I say, what could the three of you be doing in this café in Muggle London?"
Eva crawled to the door that led to the back kitchen and held it open. She ushered Nora, Rose, and Morgan through it, then gestured for Sam and David to follow. "Stay with them," she told David.
"We could ask you the same thing," Ginny snapped.
"I believe I already announced my purpose. I have some unfinished business to take care of."
"I'll never let you get your hands on them," Harry said.
"We'll just see about that!" Lucius raised his wand again, when suddenly, a man wearing a hairnet came out of the back kitchen.
Harry could hear one of the girls shouting, "No, sir! Don't go out there!"
But it was too late. "Crucio!" Lucius hit the man, who coiled into unimaginable pain. He screamed and squealed. "So what do you say, Harry? Shall we make a trade? One innocent Muggle for my half-breed of a daughter?"
Eva was back behind the turned over table and stood up abruptly. "I'm right here," she said. "Let him go."
Gasps came from both Ginny and Ron as they turned to look at Harry. Lucius began to laugh. "Do you think I'm stupid, girl? You're too old to be her! No, I believe she is one of those lambs in the kitchen. And your lie has cost one more slaughter. Avada Kedarva!"
The man stopped writhing in pain and collapsed on the hardwood floor, his eyes open and his face twisted in terror. Eva cried out, and then covered her mouth with both her hands to muffle her scream.
"You're not going to get away with this," Ginny said. "The Ministry will have your head!"
Lucius smirked. "The Ministry will do no such thing. Once I take care of this… oversight… I will be back in the Dark Lord's graces and have earned my honor back in the extra killings I've made tonight. He will protect me from your precious Ministry." His smirk turned into a snarl. "And I don't care if I have to go through each and every one of you to redeem myself!"
Harry was torn. He wanted more than anything to lash out with a spell to take Draco down. But if he did, he would lose his wand for sure. It was better than losing his life, but even so. Eva had just finished talking about the battle of Voldemort to come. He would surely need his wand. And he would need Ron and Ginny to have theirs as well.
He gave a nod to the two of them and then grabbed Eva's wrist. "You'll have to catch us first!" Harry took off sprinting into the kitchen. As soon as everyone was inside, he locked the door and had Sam and Ron helped him push a large freezer in front of the door.
"That will only buy us some time," Harry said. "Is there a way out of here?"
"There's a door in the back," Sam replied, "but it's locked. David is trying to pick it right now."
Ginny nodded and pulled a bobby pin out of her hair. "I'll take care of it," she volunteered as she ran towards the back of the kitchen.
"Who is that man?" Rose asked. "Is that… was that the Dark Lord?"
"If it were the Dark Lord, we'd all be dead already," Ron said ominously.
"What's he talking about his daughter for?" Nora questioned.
"I'll explain later," Eva said. "I need all of you girls to get to the back with Ginny and David and get out of here as soon as you can. Go to Mae's. We'll meet you there." She turned to Sam. "We need a plan."
"Can't… can't they just do magic and get us out of this?" Sam asked. "I mean, they're holding magic wands, for God's sake!"
Eva looked sheepishly at Harry. "It's not that easy. We just… we need to think of something to get out of this. Some good, old-fashioned cleverness."
"Well, think fast," Harry said. He had already heard Lucius the incantation to unlock the door. It was only a matter of time before he found a way to get rid of the freezer.
"He can't hit us if he can't see us, right?" Eva said. "Sam, start piling those towels and anything else you can find around the doorway." She ran to a storage cabinet. "Ron, you help him. Harry, look for matches or a lighter. We are going to smoke this place up."
Everyone sprang into action. Harry could hear Lucius cursing on the other side. He was having problems with getting his summoning charm to work through the door because he didn't know what was blocking it.
Eva returned from the cabinet with lighter fluid and some gasoline. "Stand back," she said as she doused the rags and other materials that Sam had gathered.
Harry still couldn't find anything to light a fire with.
"What am I thinking?" Sam said suddenly. He whipped out a book of matches from his pocket and handed it to Eva.
"Stand back," Eva said. She lit the match, then threw it on the debris. It ignited and smoke filled the air. The fire traveled fast, and soon it was crawling up the walls and spreading swiftly.
"Let's get out of here," Harry said. "Before he has time to put it out." He grabbed Eva by the hand and pulled her to the back, with Ron and Sam at his heels. The back door was wide open. The four of them sprinted into the open air of the back alley. They ran until they were on the sidewalk, where people were already gathered, watching the fire blaze.
"Where are we going now?" Ron asked.
"To Mae's Pub," Eva replied.
"Do you think we'll be safe there?" Sam questioned.
"I think so. Follow me."
As Eva led them briskly down the street and then made a sharp turn to the left, Harry hoped that Lucius would have done the smart thing and apparated out of that fiery mess. He kept looking back over his shoulder to make sure that he wasn't following them.
That had been one call that was far too close for comfort.