A/N: WARNING! This story is rated M for Mature.
Birthdays and Terrorists
July 31st
Yawning, Harry climbed the stairs to the library. He was still in his pajamas and had promised his brothers to get dressed as soon as he finished breakfast, but he was almost done with his Herbology essay recording the experiment they had conducted with Devil's Snare. In fact, the whole of the small little garden behind Grimmauld Place had been transformed into his many Herbology projects. Hopefully it would be enough for Harry to pass the Third year Herbology exam. Birthday or not, he really needed to get that done. The surprise everyone had cooked up could wait ten minutes.
Opening the door, Harry gasped as a wave of water crashed into his knees and quickly rose over his thighs, hips, torso… In less than three seconds, he and the room were completely submerged. Harry floated there, trying not to panic and expel all his air. Then the water was gone and he stood soaking wet, dripping onto the carpet of the completely dry library. Scowling, heart hammering in his chest, Harry stomp/squelched to the top of the stairs.
"Sirius! You're dead meat!"
Laughter drifted up the stairs from more than one source.
"Duo!" he exclaimed surprised. "You helped?"
"Did Prongslet go into the library like he promised he wouldn't?" Sirius called up sweetly.
Harry flushed. "I was just checking on something really quick! You could have killed me!"
"Hey!" Duo appeared at the foot of the stairs and smirked up at Harry. "I'd never let you get hurt. I had Quatre try it out on Sirius first. He was perfectly fine, if wet."
That didn't appease Harry in the slightest. He crossed his arms and glared. Drowning first thing in the morning was definitely not fun.
"Go get dressed," Duo ordered, laughing again. "You look like a wet puppy."
Muttering to himself, Harry gave in and slopped his way to his room. He peeled off his soaked pajamas and quickly dried off with a discarded towel he found on the floor. By the time he'd brushed and braided his hair, got dressed, and put his shoes on, he was smiling. Harry had to admit he did deserve it for stopping in the library when he'd promised he wouldn't, and maybe he'd learn a good spell out of it. There had to be a way to breathe underwater. Remus would know.
Good spirits restored, Harry leapt onto the banister and slid down to the second floor, jumping off just in time before being flung into the wall. He jumped up on the banister once more to slide down to the first floor where his brothers and his two teachers waited for him. Even Wufei was there, having taken the day off.
Harry flew off the banister and ran to Wufei, hugging him tight.
The Chinese man grunted as he hugged Harry back. "Don't let making it to your fourteenth birthday go to your head, little brother," he scolded playfully. "Keep it up and you won't see fifteen."
Harry laughed and pulled away, smiling up at his family. "So where are we going?"
Sirius waggled his finger in Harry's face. "Not so fast. It's a surprise. Here. Everyone put these on." He held out a pile of plain black Wizarding robes, which Heero accepted and began to pass them out to everyone.
Harry quickly pulled the robe on. "We're going out into the Wizarding world?" After the fiasco at Diagon Alley, he'd been certain his brothers wouldn't let him set foot into a Wizarding populated zone except for Hogwarts.
Remus came forward and gave the teen a low-hanging Wizarding cap. "This should help."
Harry put it on and glared when Duo started snickering.
"Not to worry, Harry. You look absolutely adorable," Quatre reassured, pulling the teen to his side.
Harry made a face but made no effort to move away. In fact, he leaned into Quatre's side. "I'm fourteen. I'm not supposed to be adorable."
"Tough," Trowa replied. He moved to Harry's other side so that the teen stood between him and his husband. "Ready?" he asked, putting a hand on Harry's slender shoulder.
"Ready," Harry answered, smiling once more.
The Gundam pilots all crowded close, pulling Remus and Sirius with them so they were all huddled together. A long scarf was pressed into the middle and everyone grabbed hold. Heero double checked that everyone had a good grip and gave a sharp nod to the wizards.
"And away we go!" Sirius called loudly.
There was a sharp jerk and then they were spinning fast through what felt like zero gravity. Harry bit back a scream when gravity returned suddenly twice as strong and they were flung to the ground. Harry's legs buckled and he pulled Quatre and Trowa down on top of him. Duo was laughing, bouncing around and asking if they could do that again.
"Are you okay, Harry?" Quatre asked, helping the teen to his feet.
"I'm fine," he promised, blushing with embarrassment.
The summer sun beat down out of a cloudless blue sky, way stronger than anything produced by the sky panels on the colonies. Harry looked around the wide cobblestone plaza they stood in. Sculpted trees were strewn about decoratively and groups of families, friends, and lovers moved about the plaza, talking and laughing. They were all heading toward the massive cast-iron gate across the way. A word was worked into the metal at the top: Avalon Zoo.
"Wow!" Harry breathed.
"You like it?" Duo asked, grinning.
"You know I do." Harry caught his hyper brother in a hug. "Thank you."
"Aw. No problem kid," Duo said happily, tugging gently on Harry's braid.
Heero reached over to fix Harry's hat, and Harry snaked an arm around his waist, turning the hug into a three-way.
"Come on! Let's check out all the magical creatures!" Sirius called, breaking into a run.
Harry pulled away from his brothers and chased after the wizard. "Wait for me!"
Duo gave a whoop and chased after the two, leaving Quatre, Trowa, Heero, Wufei, and Remus to follow at a quick walk.
"I hadn't realized we brought three kids," Remus remarked jokingly.
"Hadn't you?" Quatre asked with a smile.
Remus chuckled. "Maybe I did, at that."
The day was amazing, filled with incredible animals like Chimeras, Pegasus, Cerberus, and a herd of hippogriffs. Almost as amazing was the vegetation that decorated the park. There were flowers that changed colors based on the mood of the person standing closest to them and weeping willows that sung soft melodies. Everything was perfect until they arrived at the herpetarium.
The eight of them had spread out into the dimly lit cave-like structure, staring at the glass walls that showcased several different habitats and several species of magical snakes. Harry was nearly pressed against the glass as he stared into a habitat that looked like the inside of a volcano; one half consisted of hot lava and the other layers and steps of snowflake obsidian.
A snake lay coiled up around a pile of eggs on the black, ash-flecked stone. The snake was thin and pale-grey with glowing red eyes. The plaque posted to the side informed Harry that ashwinders lived only a couple of hours. They were birthed from their egg, which caused a massive flare of fire that often burned down the homes or storage units of those trying to catch or transport them, fed from their own birth fire, and laid some more eggs, only to die shortly after.
Harry felt a pang and gently touched the glass. "That's so sad," he whispered, staring at the snake.
The ashwinder's head lifted. "Who speaks to Ash?"
Harry's eyes widened. The plaque hadn't said they could talk! "Um. I do. Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."
The snake reared back, red eyes blazing in obvious anger. "What is sad about Ash? I have the softest scales and a deadly bite! Wizards fear my fire!"
Harry flushed in embarrassment. "I just felt sad you won't see your babies."
Ash seemed to relax a little and draped her head over her eggs. "She will know my Great moment. Each life we live we are called to discover one Great moment. Our eggs will remember that moment and all the Great moments that came before."
"Wow!" Harry exclaimed. "That is amazing. What was the Great moment that came before you?"
The snake preened a bit, but before it could answer, a high-pitched scream split the air. Harry spun around, heart pounding, to find a girl younger than him trembling in terror. "Oh, Merlin…" the girl's mother whispered, horror clear in her voice and eyes. She grabbed her daughter up in her arms and sprinted for the exit. Heero acted instantly. He grabbed the woman's arm, making her scream, this one louder than her daughter's. Remus was casting Silencing wards and a barrier across the entrance. Quatre quickly Stunned both the woman and the child. Duo was helping Heero guide the two to the floor. Trowa had a hand on Harry's shoulder, while Wufei stood guard, watching everything and ready to act at a moment's notice.
Harry stood there, panting in shock, heart pounding like a machinegun in his chest.
"Sirius," Heero called, looking up at the wizard with a completely blank face. "Memory Charms. Now."
Harry felt his stomach drop in horror. He stared at the innocent child and the protective mother lying helplessly on the ground. It seemed so… wrong. Why did it matter that he could talk to snakes? Sirius had warned him in the Pensieve, but he'd forgotten with everything else to deal with. Forgotten because it seemed so… benign. Snakes were animals. Animals had no capacity for evil. Only humans were capable of that. So why?
Tears brimmed in his eyes behind his glasses as he watched Sirius crouch down and put his wand to the woman's temple. "Obliviate."
Harry flashed back to the night of his kidnapping, when he thought his family was being murdered right in front of his eyes. His stomach churned and he had to swallow hard to prevent himself from vomiting. It was finished quickly, and Harry pulled away from Trowa.
"What's the big deal?" Duo wanted to know, voice loud and full of attitude like always. He marched right up to the two still-shocked wizards and put his hands on his hips. "I think it's pretty awesome he can talk to animals."
"It's a Dark skill!" Sirius rasped with a hot glare. "Only Dark Lords can do it!"
Remus' wide, shocked eyes and pale face indicated agreement with that statement. He stared at Harry for a second as if seeing him for the first time, and Harry knew what he was thinking.
"Like Voldemort," Harry stated in a dead voice. His brothers took a step closer to him, almost protectively, but Harry was feeling extremely claustrophobic. He couldn't stand to look at the girl and her mother for a second more. Practically running, he dodged his family and burst through Remus' wards.
Duo, Quatre, and Trowa hurried after the distraught teen while Heero's deep blue eyes pinned Remus in place, making the older wizard nearly bend his knees in submission.
"We were just shocked," Sirius whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry. It came out all wrong. Of course we don't think Harry's Dark; I don't care what he can and can't do."
"As soon as we return to the house, you will look up all you can about Parseltongue," Wufei spoke from beside Heero, voice even and low with warning. "Sirius, you will find at least one example of Parseltongue being used in a positive manner to be shared with Harry by tomorrow. Remus, I want to know if Harry could have this ability legitimately or if it is something he has gained due to his connection to Voldemort."
"Yes, of course," Remus quickly agreed, still feeling the weight of Heero's gaze.
"I'll try my best," Sirius promised.
Wufei nodded and swept from the room, his robes flaring out behind him. Heero waited a minute more before following.
Sirius and Remus shared a glance and let out a huge breath. That was a close call.
Harry made his way through the happy crowd. Just minutes ago, he was one of them. Now he felt cold and alone. He knew better than to run away this time, though. He walked slowly through the crowd, arms wrapped tight around his torso, until he came to a bench under the shade of soft purple trees. Duo landed heavily next to him while Quatre crouched down, placing his hands on Harry's knees. Trowa stood close enough to be a comfort but kept his eyes on the crowd, ensuring their safety.
"Harry, you're not Voldemort. It is not a slight to your character that you are connected to him through an unwanted magical bond," Quatre began, saying what had been said before.
"But it is a slight to my character that I can feel what he does!" Harry insisted like he always did. "That I can feel honest enjoyment while murdering somebody."
Duo had had enough. No more playing nice and sensitive, it wasn't getting through to Harry. "Fine. You're just like Voldemort," he spat angrily and flung his arm out at the crowd of innocent people around them. "Go ahead. Start killing them. I bet you'll laugh when that girl in pigtails dies. Or that pregnant woman, I bet she'll pop like a cherry!"
"Duo!" Quatre gasped.
Harry bit his lip, silent tears falling down his pale face.
Duo stared back, unrelenting. "Well… Aren't you going to do it? I bet you could let that snake out of its cage. It would burn this place to the ground, right? Let's do it." A grin stretched his face. "It'll be fun."
"No," Harry moaned and shook his head in denial.
"Because you can't. You're horrified at the thought of killing people. You feel sick and frightened," Quatre spoke, golden sparkles rising off his hands as he used his empathy. "You aren't him, Harry. You just get inside his head sometimes. I understand that. I know what it's like feeling other people's feelings like they're your own. I know how confusing it is. But I promise you, no matter what you feel under the influence of someone else, no matter how real it seems, it's not you. You have five brothers who look out for you and would never let you turn into something you're not. Don't let Voldemort take that from you. Don't let him ever make you forget who you are."
Harry flung his arms around Quatre's neck, making his brother fall backward so that he was sitting on the ground. Quatre didn't mind. Golden blond hair rustling in the wind, he held Harry close with a warm smile on his face. Duo smiled back, relief in his eyes, and flung his braid back over his shoulder. He'd grabbed it unconsciously when he'd attacked Harry with his words. It had been risky, but it had paid off.
"Come on. I feel like ice cream!" Duo exclaimed, making Trowa roll his one visible eye.
"How does that sound, Harry?" Quatre asked, pulling away enough to brush some stray strands of hair out of Harry's face.
"It sounds good," Harry answered with a watery smile. He looked up at Heero and Wufei, at Sirius and Remus and Trowa, and then over at Duo and Quatre. "Thank you. For everything."
"Let's get you up," Remus said and offered his hand to pull Harry to his feet.
…
August 22nd
Screams of terror, of pain, rang through the night; a song that set His blood aflame, His feet to dancing. Power wreathed His shoulders, an unholy halo of sickly green lightning that crackled and leapt from His body, leaving the utter silence of death in His wake. People ran around like animals, panicked and squealing, trying futilely to escape. He laughed as He walked, passing His Death Eaters raping and killing children, women, and men.
"Feast, My followers," He bellowed joyfully. "Feast on their flesh! Bathe in their blood! The world shall know My name and tremble! They shall fear Lord Voldemort and His Death Eaters!"
Black-hooded warriors lifted their voices in answer, hungry wolves howling at the blackened moon.
A girl, no older than ten, crouched trembling against a dead man's body. Smiling gruesomely, He lifted His arm; a long, spidery finger crooked and glorious Dark magic hooked into her soul. Terror-wide eyes blanked, the girl staring emptily as she rose to her feet and walked forward. She was small and flat-chested with blood smeared on her soft cheek. Such a pretty picture…
Oh so gently, He caressed her blonde hair. "Go, child. Render them all unto the void," He purred lustfully.
The child with dead eyes began to grin. The grin stretched so wide it almost split her now distorted face in two. With inhuman grace, she twisted and leapt ten feet, landing on a woman's back. The two tumbled to the ground, and a high-pitched shriek pierced the air as the child tore into the woman with her bare teeth.
Crossing the killing field, Voldemort walked up to the burning coliseum where just hours before the world's best Quidditch teams had fought for eternal glory. A path opened up before Him, walls exploding inward with a push of Dark power. There in the center, just as He'd ordered, knelt the Bulgarian and Irish teams. Five Death Eaters stood guard around them, wands quivering with the echo of powerful Crucio's. The scent of pain and urine saturated the air, and He smiled benevolently on His chosen before turning His attention to the soon-to-be victims.
"You have your governments to blame for your fate," He told the weak, helpless men staring up at Him in mortal terror. All except for one, that is. The youngest on the Bulgarian team had eyes of pure anger. "They stupidly trusted the Ministry when they promised protection. Such foolish men to believe that I, the world's most fearsome Dark Lord, could be kept out." He flung his arms wide and bellowed, "I am GOD!"
A twist of his hand, a stabbing motion of his wand, and the brooms that were scattered about the pitch hovered off the ground. Another toss of his hand and the players were flung up high, shrieking in terror. The brooms snapped vertical and rocketed through the sky like demonic arrows. Each one pierced a Quidditch player through their lower abdomen and out their mouths; their pig-like screams silenced in a spray of blood. They hung there, cruelly and gruesomely impaled, frozen in their unholy perfection for others to find.
Throwing His head back, He laughed. The beauty of His art truly transcended anything mortal. Moving his wand in a complicated pattern that left deep red light trails floating through the air, Voldemort looked straight across the stadium. He smiled, letting all His unholy joy show, and flung his arms out wide.
"I, Lord Voldemort, hereby swear on my life and magic that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is safe from attack by Me and mine as long as Harry Potter resides within its walls!" Eyes moving across the space where He knew the spectators would stand, He lowered His voice into a dangerous hiss. "Let My will be done!"
A pulsing flash of red light snaked around His body. The binding wrapped around him like a boa constrictor, weighing Him down with the vow. Voldemort shrugged to settle the weight more comfortably. He was immortal. No weight was too much for His great power to bear.
The sound of quiet cursing drew His attention. His smile gentled as He took in the young Bulgarian. "I spared your life because you are useful to Me. Tell them, tell the world, these Isles are My domain. Interfere and you will die. Try to offer assistance and I will come and destroy you."
The boy fumbled the portkey a Death Eater threw at his head, but was soon whisked away from the hellish scene.
"Go join your brothers," Voldemort ordered His followers, for there was nothing left to guard here.
…
August 23
The sun had risen, bringing with it an end to Harry's suffering. Trowa bathed Harry's face, washing it of the blood, sweat, and tears that had spilled throughout the night. The slender teen lay unconscious in his bed, having fallen silent after nearly three hours of thrashing in the throes of the violent vision. As soon as Quatre confirmed that Harry was alone in his head and sleeping naturally, the others had reluctantly broke into two teams for reconnaissance and damage control missions.
Wufei and Heero had gone to see Commander Une and Relena, hoping to uncover whatever had happened and how the Muggle and Magical governments would respond. Quatre, Duo, and Remus went to Hogwarts to check in on Dumbledore and his Order, to see what they were doing and how they could assist. Trowa was left behind to take care of their little brother. As for Sirius…
Sirius had been missing since the day before the attack. Trowa and the others thought it a high probability that Sirius had been forced to participate in the attack. There were only two options if that were true. Either Sirius had played his part well enough and was now a full-fledged Death Eater, or he had failed and was dead or captured. Only time would tell.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, a damp cloth in hand, Trowa gently washed away the evidence of Harry's tears. "Hush, little one. You're safe now. I'm here," the green-eyed pilot promised. There was such pain and heartache on the child's face that Trowa gave a sad sigh and lay down on the bed, pulling Harry into his protective arms. "I'm here," he whispered again, hoping that some part of Harry could hear him. "You're not alone, Harry. Your family's with you."
xXxXxXx
"I don't understand how you can let him join the meetings! He brought you to trial for one million galleons!"
"Peace, Severus," Dumbledore soothed. "We need all the help we can get to defeat this Darkness. I care not how one comes to the Light, my boy, as long as they get there in the end." Sparkling blue eyes peered at the Potion's Master over half-moon spectacles. "I believe you should know that better than most."
Severus scowled at the young men standing behind the ancient wizard. The one with chestnut hair twisted into a long braid grinned back, making Severus' glare darken. Fortunately, it was the more politically correct of the offending party to step forward into the breach.
"Greetings," Winner said in a charming tenor. "I am sure most of you are aware, I am Quatre Winner, a French-Arabic wizard new to the British Wizarding world. I apologize for the legal attack I lead against Mr. Dumbledore, but it served a purpose beyond the obvious. I assure you we are working toward the same goal; the utter defeat of the terrorist known as Voldemort." Winner paused, sweeping his deep blue eyes over the assembled group as a collective gasp went round the room. Once everyone fell silent again, he continued, a look of utmost concern on his face. "It will take time to earn your trust, but for now I believe we need to discuss the most recent attack and our next moves."
"Quite right, my boy!" Dumbledore said with ridiculous cheer for the situation. He waved a hand at the three seats left empty at the round table. "Please have a seat."
"What about him, then?" Charlie Weasley asked, gesturing at the so far silent Duo Maxwell. Severus smirked, pleased that the others weren't accepting this outrage without question.
Winner turned to look back at his companion. "This is Duo Maxwell. He is a trusted friend with insight I assure you will only benefit our cause."
Maxwell's grin got impossibly wider, and there was something in the depths of his eyes that gave even Severus pause. Despite his petite stature, this man was dangerous.
"How dare you come here," a low voice started from the back. "How dare you put Albus on trial when you were the ones who acted criminally! You murdered two of our number! I had to bury a comrade and a friend because of you!"
"Dedalus…" Dumbledore began, but shockingly Winner cut him off.
The blond stepped closer to the table. "I was not aware that we had killed anyone that night. I am deeply sorry for your loss," Winner spoke with compassion that even Severus did not think was feigned. "However, this is war. Everyone in this room knows the risks. My brothers and I had no way of knowing the attentions of the group that assaulted us that night. We were wholly ignorant of the war here or the Order. We reacted in self-defense. Nothing I can say or do will bring those two people back, but I can turn our skills to your side. I can help make the future those two men risked their lives to see into a reality."
"Thank you, my boy." Dumbledore stepped up next to the blond and set a wrinkled hand on his shoulder. "That is all anyone can ask of you. Please sit. We have other things of great import to discuss. Shacklebolt, what is the death toll?"
"Seventy-two men, fifty-nine women, and forty-five children were killed. Almost all showed signs of some level of torture before death. One hundred and seventy-six in all," he reported grimly. "Fifty-three of that number were tourists from other countries, mostly from Bulgaria and Germany. Fortunately, none of the visiting dignitaries or persons of interests were killed. All managed to escape in time."
Dumbledore nodded, face grave and solemn. "How have the foreign ministries responded?"
"They've put a ban on all travel and trade to the British Isles. They are cutting all ties and refusing support."
"Cowards!" Emmeline Vance spat furiously, tears in her eyes.
"Though this is not the best news," Dumbledore scolded gently. "It is to be expected."
"What we need to do is keep wizards from gathering in one place like that again," Winner spoke, surprising everyone.
Severus glared hotly. "By your own admission, you were until recently ignorant of the Wizarding world. What makes you think you have any useful insight?"
Winner stared into Severus' eyes and only Severus' many years as a spy prevented him from showing discomfort. He was almost thankful when Winner's companion spoke, allowing him to turn his attention elsewhere.
"We may have been ignorant of the Wizarding world," Maxwell all but purred, that too-wide grin still on his face. "But I assure you we know all about war."
Severus was about to say something cutting when Bill Weasley spoke up. "I apologize on behalf of my comrades," the eldest Weasley son spoke with utmost respect. "They do not know your skills. I, personally, am very glad to have you on our side. I know in time the rest will be as well."
Dumbledore sat there with twinkling eyes and a proud smile while the rest of the Order gaped at the usually quiet young man. Even Severus was taken aback by the redhead's whole-hearted support.
Maxwell laughed. "Our reputations precede us, huh?"
Bill inclined his head and turned to the others. "I can vouch for these two. They are extremely skilled in warcraft and we will greatly benefit from any assistance they give."
"Hear that, Cat?" Maxwell asked with another laugh. "We've got fans even here."
Winner gave Maxwell a quelling glance before answering Bill's rather shocking statement of support. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley. We appreciate your understanding."
"Yes. Thank you, Bill," Dumbledore seconded. "Now what were you saying, Mr. Winner, about gatherings?"
"By gathering together at a preset time you hand Voldemort a powerful weapon." Again everyone flinched at the Dark Lord's name. "In reality, Voldemort…" Another flinch but smaller this time. "…is simply a terrorist, something common and mundane. He needs to terrify the populace. Fear prevents everyday witches and wizards from thinking rationally. Without fear it is all too clear what Voldemort really is."
Severus frowned as there was little to no reaction to the use of the Dark Lord's name. He knew what this man was doing, and he nearly exploded with fury. There was a reason why people did not say His name. It gave Him power; it could even draw His attention. And these fools were trying to train the Order – whose meetings had to be kept secret from the Dark Lord – into not fearing to voice His name!
Oblivious to Severus' rising anger, Winner continued to spin his spell on the room. "Despite his above-average magical power, Voldemort is a criminal who wants to deconstruct the government with only a handful of followers to carry out his wishes."
"Cat's right!" Maxwell chimed in. "Dumbledore here is more powerful than Voldie. And the lawful citizens of your community far outnumber the Death Munchers. Voldie's only getting away with his tantrum because we let him. Because we fear him! He wants to weaken the defenses we have in place protecting what's really important. Things like the Ministry, or Hogwarts, or the shopping districts and banks. If we crumble, then those defenses aren't worth anything, and it's only a matter of time before we're all crushed under Voldie's feet."
"What are you suggesting?" Minerva asked stiffly into the silence. She alone – besides Severus – seemed immune to the charm of these two men.
Winner turned and gave the elderly witch a smile. "I recommend that the Wizarding world avoid crowded places. I recommend setting up a means of communicating to the common populace that is faster than a newspaper or owls. I recommend arranging for teams to spread the knowledge of how to build the strongest wards possible around their homes: Blood Wards. And where possible, we need those teams to help erect these wards. Optimally, every single Wizarding family should have at least one dwelling protected for their family to retreat to in safety. And lastly I recommend the construction of detection wards in key places so that the Order is alerted immediately to the presence of violent or aggressive magic. We need to respond quickly and efficiently to further Death Eater attacks. The more attacks that are thwarted, the less the populace will fear, and the weaker Voldemort will become."
Dead silence. Even Severus had nothing to say to such nonsense. Even if the Death Eaters numbered no more than thirty wizards, the Order was even less than that. How in the world did Winner expect any of those things to be accomplished inside ten years let alone soon enough to be useful in the war? They were fools, utter fools.
Dumbledore beamed cheerfully around the room. "Well, my friends. Any ideas?"
Everyone began talking at once. So busy was he fuming at the idiocy of the Order and these so called experts that Severus didn't sense the danger until it was too late. A sharp pain went up his side, making him gasp quietly and hold very still as the familiar feel of cold steel piecing his flesh assailed his senses and practically set his magic blazing around him in shock.
"Don't move," a whispered voice hissed dangerously into his ear from behind.
Trembling with pain and adrenaline, Severus' eyes flashed around the room. Maxwell was missing. In the chaos, he hadn't noticed the demented man moving, had not felt the man come up behind him. No matter the chaos, no matter how distracted, even when Severus had been near death, never had anyone ever been able to sneak up on him with malicious intent, and cold terror sent chilled sweat to bead on his face.
"Move a millimeter and your kidney will be bisected and a major artery severed. So I suggest very strongly that you… Stay… Still…" the voice continued, growing darker and less amused as the seconds passed. "I remember you, Snape. You attacked us on the Eiffel Tower and, according to Harry, were responsible for the false memory implanted in our minds."
Severus opened his mouth only to slam it shut as the blade was brutally twisted in his flesh. A wave of pain washed through him and only locking his knees kept him from collapsing. Sweat was now rolling down his face and dampening his robes. Blood began to soak the material at his side.
"You attacked Harry again at Hogwarts," the voice continued with malice. "You continue to attack us now." Lips brushed his ear and Severus nearly flinched. "This is your last warning, Snape. Continue to threaten me and mine… And I will kill you..."
The blade slid free of his body, spilling yet more blood. Severus nearly growled, his heart racing in his chest. He had no idea what he was going to do. Shout to the room and reveal the killer in their midst… Attack with wand, magic, and fury… Magically remove the weapon from the monster and slit his throat with it… Something violent, he was sure. But then he turned and met the diamond hard eyes of Duo Maxwell.
He'd seen the letter sent to Dumbledore. The signature had claimed this man was a demon. Severus no longer doubted the outrageous title, and he felt his throat tighten with mortal terror. Death – real, implacable, eternal death – lay in the young man's eyes. Severus stared into true darkness for the second time in his life and it stared back with an ice cold intent that he knew better than to test. His years as a Death Eater had trained him well and had him submitting instantly, self-preservation coming before all else.
Severus would not reveal Maxwell now and would not challenge him openly in the future, but he would work against them in any way possible from the shadows.
Maxwell seemed to read this from Severus' eyes, but instead of anger the demented smile returned. "I'm glad we've come to an understanding then." A casual glance down at Severus' bloody side. "You might want to clean up."
Severus turned and strode from the room, giving no hint to the agony in his side or the lightheadedness that began to assail him from blood loss. Maxwell was dangerous indeed. More than he could have ever guessed. He wouldn't forget it again.
xXxXxXx
Heero stood on the field where the attack had taken place. The ground wet with blood was churned up from concussive attacks. The smoldering remains of tents and stands dotted the landscape and the coliseum stood soot-stained and crumbling. Fortunately the bodies had all been removed, but Heero had seen pictures.
Officials and officers from the Wizarding world moved mechanically through the wreckage, evidencing shock. Some even stood weeping. This level of destruction was extreme, and they were clearly unfamiliar with seeing such horror. Heero, unfortunately, was all too familiar. In fact, this came close to the horrors he'd seen perpetrated by a squad of mobile suits - (huge robotic bodies piloted for the sole purpose of death and destruction). However, the Gundams Heero and the others had piloted were even worse. After all, there had been survivors from the Quidditch World Cup. Gundams left no survivors.
Flashes went off behind Heero's eyes – of the Chang compound being destroyed, leaving Wufei the sole survivor of his entire Clan – of the Maxwell church where Duo had been an orphan being bombed killing every single child, nun, and priest – of Quatre destroying a whole colony, which was a small world unto itself, under the effects of the Zero system – of Heero destroying a charter plane packed full of peace diplomats thinking it was full of enemy officers – of Trowa destroying military bases in their entirety filled with soldiers and civilians alike.
This Voldemort wasn't yet as destructive as some of those scenes, but it came close. Close enough for Heero to feel the steel-like mindset from the war return to him. Instinctively he side-stepped and the gentle hand that had been about to land on his shoulder fell short. Emotionless, he stared at Wufei, waiting for information.
"Don't go Zero," Wufei ordered in a low undertone. "It is not time. Harry is waiting for us at home."
"Do you have the specs of the attack?" Heero asked in a monotone.
Dark black eyes narrowed in Wufei's angular face, creating a fearsome glare. "Yes," he answered, nearly growling. "But because magic is so unpredictable and versatile it will be nearly impossible to create a simulation of what happened here. Fortunately, Harry was a witness. We can interrogate him."
For a nanosecond, Heero actually considered that option before snapping out of the inhuman Zero mindset. It was an unfortunate side-effect of the war; a second persona birthed after he had successfully operated under the Zero system long-term. Luckily, only certain combat situations brought it out in him.
Closing his eyes, Heero opened them again to see that the anger had drained out of his friend, leaving understanding in its wake. "Thank you," he said softly, clasping Wufei's shoulder.
Wufei nodded and quickly changed the subject. "What do you think about the vow? Should it be made public?"
Heero's frown became deeper. They had just come from the coliseum where the ghostly image of their enemy stood dead center, repeating his decree in a magical loop. After considering the possible consequences of keeping the message secret, he believed it should be publicized the way Voldemort wanted it. "It would be good to keep the children in a safe zone."
"If he holds true to his word," Wufei muttered.
"Voldemort is a classic megalomaniac with a god complex. He honestly believes his word cannot be contradicted. In a sense, Voldemort himself is his most faithful follower. He'd remain true to the vow even without the magical binding."
Wufei stood straight-backed, his hands clasped behind him. "I hate letting him dictate the rules. He destroyed the Space Port and airports to keep Harry here. Now he demands that Harry be at Hogwarts or the children held there will be in danger. We need to start dictating our own terms or we'll never win this war."
Heero nodded. "Quatre is working on that with the Order, and we already supplied Commander Une and Relena with the same strategies. If anyone can get the magical Ministry to fall in line, it will be them."
Together, they began to move across the field, taking in the damage and destruction with near photographic memory. They needed clues on the identities of the Death Eaters. There might be something in this mess that would give them a starting point. If Sirius had indeed succeeded, the information he could give them would be priceless. There was a high probability that inside information will be the difference between them losing and winning the war.
xXxXxXx
Duo crept through the dark house, a slight shadow among many. Looking like an agile dancer, he flowed down the stairs without a single creak or groan of wood. Dim light spilled down the short hallway, illuminating the foyer and destroying Duo's cover. Still, even without darkness, the two wizards sitting in the kitchen didn't sense his presence when he pressed himself flat against the wall, just outside the doorframe.
"You look terrible," Remus whispered.
"I feel terrible. Lena was right. The things I did…" Sirius' voice was choked and hoarse.
"But you're Marked. You're in," Remus said to console him.
A barked laugh full of bitterness and pain escaped Sirius. "Yeah. I'm a full-fledged Death Eater now. I'm just like those bastards that killed James and Lily."
"Siri…"
Suddenly, Sirius spoke and his voice, though worn, was strong and unwavering. "I don't regret it. I already have good information to tell the boys. I know their next target and I know when."
"Where?"
"The Death Eaters are going to hit all the major banks, but the main attack will be Gringotts at Diagon Alley and the shops there. The Dark Lord's going to try and collapse the Wizarding economy. And it's going to happen soon. Around Halloween. "
Duo faded back down the hallway and quickly made his way up the stairs. He'd only known something was up when he heard Remus' door open and close, and the sounds of someone trying to sneak instead of just walking normally through the house. When he reentered his room, Duo found Heero leaning against the wall, ready for action. He shot his lover a wild grin.
"Sirius is back. Says the next main target is Diagon Alley and Gringotts. They'll be smaller attacks at banks throughout the United Kingdom. We can grill him for more details in the morning."
Heero relaxed his stance and pulled Duo into a loose embrace, resting his chin on the braided-pilot's head. "I'm glad he returned in one piece."
"Not up for another wild rescue mission that we're famous for?" Duo asked, laughing as he towed his lover back to bed.
"A few of those were a little too close for comfort," Heero muttered. He was specifically thinking about the time Duo and Wufei had been locked into a room where all air was cut off, a rather torturous means of execution.
"Don't think about it," Duo advised and pulled Heero into a passionate, open-mouthed kiss.
Chapter end.
A/N: Next chapter Hogwarts! Yaaaaayyyyyy!
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