Project Integare
Prologue – Part 2
Disclaimer: The setting and canon characters are J. K. Rowling's, I'm simply lending them for a while. Justus is canon and even has his own chocolate frog card (well deserved, too). Lena, however, is mine. But you'd want her as much as you'd want Ara to be honest.
The resistance in this part of the city was far greater than expected, the must be getting close now, he thought. Three weeks chasing the pair and they turn up here, not two nights after his people were here flattening the place, it was typical of this war. At least the bombing had left fewer places for them to hide; even now he could see one of his men giving the affirmative to a sighting.
"What we got, Arkadiy?"
The Russians had been too busy with battles on their own front to send help over most of this war, or so they said, but now the Ministry had started trying to round up the rest of Grindelwald's lackeys, these two in particular, you couldn't move for Russkis. Arkadiy wasn't too bad though, at least he spoke English.
"Several students and the woman. Moronova."
"Thought her name was Shapal, that the pair got married yonks back." No kids though apparently, except those 'students' of hers.
"Da, but it is easier to pick between the two this way, Justus. She has done enough to need separation."
"Fair enough," he didn't have time to argue names when the target of his hunt was in sight, "where's the other one? Shapal, Pieter, whoever."
The Russian looked through his binoculars again and shrugged. "He's not there."
"Damn it! We'll have to go in anyway, no point in losing her."
"Da."
The newcomer wrinkled his nose at the smell in the room; the chalk from the blackboard had mixed with the char outside and the morning's rain to give the place the stench of destruction. Rather fitting, he thought, considering the year's events so far in this place. A least he wouldn't be here long, he only had to pass his message along and then he could be on his way, any more time spent here would mean his absence being noticed at home and that would never do.
Passing the blonde-haired children sat at mismatched tables - a quick glance at their work showed family trees of all things, admittedly he did approve though – he reached their teacher at the front.
"A message, from Lyta," he said, passing the woman a small scroll. He'd included his own missive in there too.
"Thank you, Foma." The woman gave him a sleepy-eyed glance, dismissing him. "Pieter is around; I shall make sure he receives this as well."
"Of course." He was only too happy to leave; the black robes he could see out the window were only too recognisable. He'd just have to see if Lena made it to the meeting in the letter. No doubt she would.
"When you have finished your task, you may go." Seventeen pairs of blue eyes in angelic faces looked up at her briefly before continuing to work. It was at times like this she was almost at peace with the world; a room full of perfect beings… well, almost. It was a shame they were Muggles, but still, one could not have everything.
Only a few had left when the pounding on the door began.
"Shapal, come out! We know you're in there!" She recognised the voice well; Justus Pilliwickle had hounded her all over Europe and now he was just the other side of that piece of wood. It struck her fancy that she'd like to see his face before he died.
She watched the children as they took out their weapons - Muggle yes, but no less inferior for it for once – and stood in front of her. In good timing as well, as the Aurors chose that time to breach the room.
Lena waited just long enough to see her pursuer and the shock on his and the soldiers' faces as they realised they had waited a moment too long to attack. She smiled faintly when the first one of them went down under her students' knives and at their realisation that these children had absolutely no compunction about what hey were doing to, what were in their minds, inferior beings.
As she Apparated out, she had no qualms herself about leaving the children to their fate… They were only Muggles, after all.