The Eighth Year Universe
Love Wins
Any Minute All the Pain Will Stop
The chapter title comes from the song:
Patience - Take That
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies
Sunday 29th of August
Noon
Most of the Healers in this building had been working for over 24 hours. They were getting by on coffee breaks and short snoozes. But that was nothing new; they were all used to long, gruelling shifts.
Clara still hadn't gone home, and she knew that she needed to. She was well aware that her mother-in-law had Sorenson's body on her dining room table while she avoided her problems here.
Her daughters were probably worried. They knew their father had been working yesterday, and they were clever girls; they would have their suspicions. Clara felt sick when she thought about it, about how she would tell Josie and Cora that the worst had happened.
She felt a little faint, so she gripped the railing and took a breath. They were at home with the house-elves, but at 14 and 15, they could look after themselves for the most part anyway. Sage was there too; Cassie and Oscar had hung around when they came to pick her up earlier yesterday morning.
Clara supposed Oscar was in Diagon Alley now, searching through the rubble. It was precisely the sort of thing he would do because he was so much like his father. A sob escaped her at that thought, and she grabbed the nearest door handle, praying that the on-call room was empty.
It wasn't – Ginny was in there, sitting on the bed with her feet on the ground and her head in her hands.
"Sorry," Clara said, her voice breaking, "I didn't know anyone was here – sorry."
"No," Ginny said. She looked up tearfully, "It's fine, sorry. I should have locked the door."
Clara hovered there for a moment, and Ginny sniffed, "Did you lose a patient too?"
Clara shook her head. She shut the door and leant against it, "No. Did you?"
Ginny nodded and looked down at her hands – her fingers were woven together, and she was gripping herself so tightly that her knuckles were white.
"She was 13 years old," Ginny said quietly, "And I spent hours trying to save her, but…" she shook her head.
Clara sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I watched her grow up," Ginny said in a strained whisper, "I'm the Matron at Lupin House and May…she came there when she was four years old. She was going to cure Lycanthropy, that's what she always said. She became an orphan when her father killed her mother and went to Azkaban, he was a werewolf, and she was going to cure Lycanthropy so that there would be no more children like her."
Ginny looked up at Clara with tears streaming down her cheeks, "She was a Hufflepuff, a beautiful, lovely, kind girl. How is that fair?"
Clara shook her head and looked down at her own hands, "I don't know," she admitted.
They were silent for a moment, then Clara said it out loud.
"My husband is dead."
Ginny looked up sharply, "Oh…Oh, I didn't…I'm so sorry."
Clara swallowed and nodded, "He was a good person, a good dad. He got his girlfriend pregnant in his seventh year. She had the baby and wanted nothing more to do with it, and Sorenson raised that kid. Oscar is all grown up now, with a child of his own, and Sorenson was so proud of him for doing things right, getting married then having the baby."
Clara's voice broke, "And now he's not going to see her grow up. Just like he's not going to see our daughters grow up, he won't see them finish school, or get married, or have children of their own."
Ginny reached over and took Clara's hand.
Clara's voice shook, "Because he's dead. Sorenson is dead."
Despite not knowing Clara at all, Ginny pulled the other woman into a hug and encouraged her to cry. The weight of the past 24 hours was heavy on all of them, after all.
The only way they would get through this was together.
When Ron woke up, the first thing he was aware of was the pain. He heard a groan fall from his lips, followed by a sharp cry and then George's voice was there in the background.
"He's in pain, do something!"
There was a vague apology that Ron didn't hear, then the pain faded to a dull ache, and he opened his eyes, his surroundings hazy at first.
"George?" He croaked.
"Yeah, I'm here," George said, and Ron felt a hand on his shoulder.
He let out a breath and blinked until his brother's face came into view. He looked okay if a little pale.
"Felicity," Ron said.
George swallowed.
"She's…." Ron searched his brothers face, "She's gone. Isn't she?"
George could only nod. He sat down by the edge of Ron's makeshift bed and looked his brother in the eye.
"It took them a long time to find her body," He said quietly, "It was….she was….underneath the rubble of the Leaky Cauldron."
Ron swallowed hard and blinked back tears. He tried to nod, but whatever potions he was on numbed everything, so he couldn't.
"I knew it," He whispered, "As soon as the explosion went off, something in me just knew. It was…it was why I didn't…why I couldn't….Ginny knew too. She stopped me from going into the Leaky."
George nodded, "Harry said it was instant. She was in the kitchen when the explosion hit. She held a shield charm for long enough to let the squibs escape, then it fell, probably less than a minute after the explosion so…."
His breath caught, and he rubbed his eyes, "You would have felt it instantly because she died quickly, like…Fred did."
Ron swallowed and closed his eyes.
"Did we lose anyone else?"
"Yeah," George replied quietly, "A hell of a lot of people, Sorenson Cauldwell among them."
Ron's eyes snapped open, "No. Please tell me he didn't die in the Leaky trying to get her out."
George shook his head, "He died saving kids from a collapsing building just like…Percy would have."
Ron diverted his gaze up to the roof, "I lost my leg, didn't I?"
"Yeah," George returned glumly.
"Do the kids know yet?"
"No, I think Mum and Dad are telling them now," George replied, "They were here for a while until Charlie eventually managed to make them go home."
Ron nodded, "Thanks for telling me, George, but…could you give me a minute to…you know?"
George watched him warily, "Ron - "
"I promise, I'm not gonna do anything stupid," Ron assured his brother, "I just need a minute."
And George understood that, so he nodded and left the little cubicle where Ron's bed was located. As he crossed the threshold where the door should have been, he heard his brother sob, and he had to pause and close his own eyes as his emotions overwhelmed him.
"Haven't we been through enough?" He muttered, not sure who he was talking to.
"You okay, love?"
George opened his eyes and looked at the woman in the cubicle across from Ron's. She was wearing a pink fluffy dressing gown and sitting up in her bed.
He looked at her and shook his head.
She patted the chair next to her bed and said, "Come have a cuppa tea."
George crossed the room and peered in, "How did you get a kettle in here?"
"My daughters a Healer here, got a pretty big job, so her name gets me things," She said, "Only I ain't magical, but if you conjure up a cup, there's enough in the kettle."
George smiled and conjured up a mug, "Linda Corner, by any chance?"
Linda grinned and nodded, "You know my Lilly?"
George chuckled and nodded, "I do. She made me a cup of tea after my brother died in the Battle of Hogwarts, actually."
Linda pressed the hot tea into George's hands and said, "That's because I taught her that a hot cuppa tea can cure a thousand ails."
George smiled slightly and looked up at her, "Thank you," he said softly.
Linda smiled in her carefree way and said, "Anytime. The boy in there, is he your brother?"
"Ron?" George asked. He nodded, "He's my youngest brother, yeah."
"He was going with my Lilly for a while," Linda mused, "Didn't end too well."
"No…I…I know that," George admitted, "I was there when they broke up."
"Hm," Linda nodded, "Still, he saved me and my youngest daughter Gracie. The least I can do is make you a cup of tea. Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll be fine," George said with a nod, "Physically, anyway. But his wife, Felicity, she was the landlady of the Leaky, and she….didn't make it."
He shook his head and swallowed, "They have three kids. Gideon and Fabian are about to go into sixth year, and Genevieve, she's only 14."
Linda reached forward and took George's hand. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to, and George appreciated her company more than he knew how to say.
After her conversation with Ginny, Clara decided to go home; the time had come. She hit the showers, scrubbed her body and stood under the hot water for longer than she needed to.
Then she eventually dragged herself out, got dressed and shoved her Healers robes into her locker.
That was when the locker room door opened, and Susan stepped in. She had gotten changed since the events that had transpired in the alley, but she didn't look like she had gotten any sleep.
"I'm going home," Clara said the moment she saw the redhead.
Susan shook her head and returned, "No, you're not."
Clara frowned over at Susan. They had been friends for years; they had become close when Percy and Sorenson partnered up as Aurors. After Percy's death, they had gotten closer because Sorenson was forever dropping by to help out with things that Susan could do. But still, she'd never had a father to show her how to polish a broom or replace the broom bristles on one, so she let Sorenson be that guy for Addison and Alyssa.
And, of course, Clara had been there to drink wine with her while Sorenson did that.
"You can't go home right now," Susan said as she reached out and grabbed Clara's hand, "Because everything there is going to remind you of him, and that's going to hurt. I know that it will."
Clara nodded tearfully.
"So you're coming home with me," Susan said simply.
"But the girls - "
"The girls are already at Bones Manor," Susan interjected, "Sadie and I went to the house and told them. Oscar took it badly. He went to Diagon Alley to make himself useful, and…well, Cassie thinks to push down his own pain."
"Like Sorenson would do," Clara said with a nod. Her voice came out strained because her throat felt tight.
"Cassie is at the manor with Sage," Susan said softly, "We don't think she quite grasps what's happened yet."
"No, she wouldn't," Clara whispered, "She's only - "
Susan watched Clara carefully.
" - she's only six," Clara sobbed, lunging forward to hug Susan.
Susan had been expecting it, so she pulled Clara close and blinked away her tears, "I know," she murmured as she let Clara cry.
"Josie…and Cora…" Clara managed to get out between sobs.
"They're upset," Susan murmured, "Caroline gave them some hot chocolate lined with a mild sleeping draught so that they got some sleep, though."
Clara drew back and sucked in a shaky breath, "I need to see them."
Susan nodded and dropped her hand to grab Clara's, "Let's go."
"Okay," Clara murmured, letting Susan drag her out of the hectic hospital.
The Burrow
Ron's children weren't stupid. They were well on their way to becoming adults, and they knew that both of their parents worked in Diagon Alley, where the attack had happened. They hadn't seen either of those parents since, and they had noticed that their grandparents were doing everything they could to stop them from listening to the WWN.
It was for that reason, when Molly and Arthur sat them down at the table, that they already knew what had happened on some level.
Freddie hovered in the doorway, saying nothing, but rubbing his bloodshot eyes. He'd barely slept either, and he hadn't been able to see his father in the hospital yet because of how chaotic the place was.
Arthur took a breath and looked at the three children sitting at the kitchen table in front of them. Gideon and Fabian (known to everyone as Dean and Ian) were identical like Fred and George had been. They both had the signature Weasley red hair and the same blue eyes as Ron. Dean was tapping his foot anxiously under the table, and Ian was rapping his fingers against the tabletop. Next to them was Genevieve (like Ginny, known only as Evie to those who didn't want a bat bogey in an uncomfortable place).
Looking at Evie was a little harder right now because she had so much of Felicity about her. Her hair was red, like her brother's, but her freckles were just like those on her mother's face. Her face shape and her slightly darker blue eyes were just like Felicity's too.
"You're smart kids," Arthur said solemnly, "You know that something's not right. You know about what happened at Diagon Alley yesterday and today….we had our fears confirmed."
"Mum's dead, isn't she?"
Molly let out a choked sound, but Arthur just swallowed and nodded, "Yes, Dean. She is."
Evie's eyes filled with tears, "Is Dad okay?"
"Dad's okay," Freddie said as he stepped forward, "But the hospital is full right now, so nobody is really allowed in or out, which is why we can't see him. He's lost a leg, but he's going to be okay."
Evie nodded, and a long silence filled the kitchen.
"Did Mum…Did it hurt her?" Ian asked quietly.
"No," Molly choked out, "No, sweetheart. They say it happened very quickly."
Ian nodded and looked down, and Dean grabbed his hand under the table.
Evie let out a little sob, and Freddie stepped forward to envelop her in a hug. Nobody commented on Freddie being out of place because Felicity wasn't his mother. They just stood in the kitchen together, the pressing silence threatening to crush them all.
St Mungo's
When Charlie woke up, someone had moved him into a smaller cubicle in the same area. He panicked initially and tried to push himself up.
"Ron!"
"Shh," A familiar voice hushed, "Ron is okay."
Charlie blinked and looked at Astoria. Then he hissed in pain as his arm began to sting.
"Lie back down," Astoria said, gently manoeuvring him backwards, "It got infected. You need to rest it. They gave you a lot of morphine."
"Hm," Charlie groaned. He felt nauseous, so he closed his eyes and lay silently for a moment until the feeling passed.
"Thought you were in Rome?"
"I was. I came back as soon as I heard about the attack," Astoria said softly.
Charlie didn't say anything at first.
"Where's Ron?"
"They organised this area a little more," Astoria said with a wave of her hand, "Those who are going to need to stay in hospital and will need a room found for them are now over there, closer to the elevator. Those who can go home once they're not high – like you – were moved to this side."
"Huh," Charlie sighed, "Does he know about Felicity?"
"Yes," Astoria said, her voice very small, "He knows."
Charlie opened his eyes, "How is he?"
"He's falling apart, and he wants to see his children more than anything else," Astoria replied honestly. Her blue eyes, which were often so cold, met Charlie's, and they shone with emotion and sympathy.
"But they won't allow more than one visitor at a time, and that visitor must be over age," Astoria continued, her voice low, "It's for security purposes. The ministry considers the threat to wizardkind to be very high right now, meaning…another attack is highly likely."
Charlie swallowed hard.
"And the Minister has stepped down, so we're being run by an interim council under the Minister as proxy right now," Astoria added with a shake of her head, "The world is falling apart, Char."
"Yeah," Charlie said, reaching for her hand with his good arm.
Astoria took it and intertwined her fingers through his. She brushed Charlie's hair away from his face, brushing her thumb over an old burn above his eyebrow. The moment was so intense that Charlie met her eyes.
"And I nearly lost my entire family," Astoria said, her voice a whisper, "While I was hundreds of miles away…."
She shook her head and said, "I think I need to spend a little more time at home."
Charlie held her gaze, "Is that because I nearly died?"
"Yes, Charlie, it's because you nearly died," Astoria said, her eyes burning into his, "And as much as I act like a stone-cold bitch most of the time, I do love you."
Charlie smiled slightly and nodded, "I love you too."
Astoria leant forward and brushed her lips against his, "You think we can actually make this relationship work with both of us in the same country?"
"Hm," Charlie hummed, "If you don't nag at me when I let the dragons in the house, we might be okay."
Astoria laughed and nodded tearfully, "Deal," she said as Charlie deepened the kiss.
A few floors down, Lilly came around feeling a bit less nauseous than she had the last time. As everything came into focus, she saw someone hovering in the doorway.
She blinked and smiled weakly, "Hey, Michael."
Michael smiled back at her, "Hey. How are you doing?"
"I feel like I'm on a cocktail of pain potions and that I'm gonna throw up," Lilly replied with a weak laugh, "Apart from that, fantastic."
Michael chuckled, "Yeah, you are on a cocktail of potions. If you weren't, you'd be screaming in pain right now."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Lilly murmured, "I have a pretty amazing pain threshold."
"I know you do, but even you couldn't withstand what's going on right now," Michael said. He sat down on the edge of her bed.
Lilly raised an eyebrow at him, "Which is?"
Michael looked down at her foot, "I had to cut away a lot of infected flesh then remove the affected osseous tissue."
Lilly's eyes widened, "The bone?"
"Just a layer of it, but you know how painful bone and tissue regrowth is," Michael explained, "And there's a lot of that going on in your foot right now."
Lilly looked at him in disbelief, "Michael…that's….we wouldn't do that for anyone. It's against procedure. According to the rule book, regrowing osseous tissue when an amputation would suffice is a waste of time because it's cosmetic, not the quickest way to preserve a patient's life. It…it must have taken hours, without a break either because the work has to be meticulous and continuous."
"You're right. We wouldn't do it for anyone, but you're not just anyone," Michael admitted, "You're Lillian Longbottom, the best trauma healer this place has seen for a long time. You revolutionised this hospital, and if you lost your foot, there was a pretty big chance you couldn't do this job anymore. You know how long we're on our feet for. You know how much running about there is."
Lilly nodded.
"This hospital can't afford to lose you," Michael said softly, "And it shouldn't have to, not after all you've done for it."
Lilly swallowed, "Michael, I'm not worth that."
Michael cocked his head at her, "Well I think you are, your mum thinks you are and Neville defininitely thinks you are so stop being modest and just say thank you."
Lilly chuckled and nodded, "Thank you."
Michael smiled and patted her good leg, then got to his feet, "Now, as your Healer, I'm telling you that you need to get some rest."
"Wait," Lilly said as Michael walked away, "What about Mum and Grace? Are they okay?"
"They're fine," Michael assured Lilly, "Gracie is with your kids at the refuge centre. Last time I checked in on her, she was telling some kids off for drawing on Headmaster Nott while he slept."
Lilly chuckled at that, and Michael smiled.
"And your mum is upstairs in the recovery ward. She's a patient herself, but she's making tea for everyone and chatting to all and sundry about their woes and worries."
Lilly grinned and shook her head, "Of course she is."
"Poplars own answer to Claire Raynor."
Lilly laughed again, "Agony Aunt to anyone who will take her advice, yeah. That's Mum."
Michael smiled fondly, "She's fine, and you will be too. Daphne's been here with you for hours. She just disappeared to check in with Harry and Neville, so I suspect she'll be back soon. Until then, rest."
"Okay," Lilly conceded, "And Michael, I mean it – thank you."
Michael nodded, "Family is family," he said simply before he slipped out of the room.
Potter Manor
It was late by the time the Potter family came together again. When Daphne stepped into the house, Harry pulled her into his arms and kissed her, then he drew back and asked, at the same time as Neville,
"Where's Lilly?"
Daphne kissed Neville on the cheek and frowned.
"You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"No?"
Daphne sighed and rubbed her eyes, "Lilly's in the hospital. She broke her ankle, fixed it dodgily, then worked on it for hours. It got infected pretty badly, and if it hadn't been for Michael working on her for a few hours in the OR, she would have lost her foot."
Neville paled and Harry shook his head, "That idiot!"
"Woah!" Daphne cut in, "You don't get to call anyone else an idiot for being heroic! Look at the fucking state of you!"
Harry glanced down, he was covered in minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. He shrugged and admitted, "I figured Lilly could sort it when she came home. It's fine anyway, nothing really hurts."
Daphne rolled her eyes, "I'll sort you out in a minute and Neville – I know you want to see Lilly, but there's no rush. She'll be asleep. They've got her dosed up on some crazy pain potions, and she's doing fine. I promise. I've been with her pretty much since it happened. I was also helping out at the hospital, my healing skills are basic, but I was able to be an extra set of hands."
Neville still looked anxious to get going to see Lilly, and Daphne understood why. But she had to know what was happening in the wider world.
"Where have you two been?"
"Diagon Alley," Harry answered, "I'm not long back. I showered, then came down and met Neville here."
"I've been at the morgue," Neville said with a sigh.
"How bad is it?" Daphne asked quietly.
"The estimated death count is getting close to a hundred," Neville replied.
Harry rubbed his eyes, "There are still at least 50 people missing."
"And the hospital is overflowing," Daphne said with a shake of her head, "This is just…."
"The worst disaster to hit this country in a very long time," Harry finished, "Hermione resigned."
"I heard on the WWN," Daphne admitted, "And she had to. A Minister couldn't survive something like this."
"No, but still…." Harry shook his head, "Where does that leave us now?"
"In the middle of a war," Daphne replied quietly.
They were silent for a moment, then Daphne asked, "Where are the kids?"
"Andrea is helping out at the refuge centre," Harry replied with a yawn, "Al's in bed. He's been at the morgue helping Neville and some other volunteers. Thea is with your mother, who I may or may not have told Neville about before I told you."
Daphne didn't even roll her eyes. She just nodded and said, "Of course you did."
"And Teddy is on a small island off Greece with no access to the prophet or radio signal, which I am so fucking grateful about," Harry finished.
Neville nodded his agreement, "My three are still at the refuge centre. I was just about to go and pick them up."
"I'll do that, and I'll pick Gracie up as well," Daphne said, "Linda has a concussion, so she's still in the hospital, and Michael is working."
Neville nodded, "Can I go to see Lil?"
"Yes, but only you," Daphne said. She gave Harry an apologetic look, "The rules are pretty strict – only one visitor at a time right now."
"Because we're effectively in lockdown," Harry said darkly, "No international apparition or floo travel into the country is permitted because the security level is the highest it's been since the first war with Voldemort."
"I think we're beginning to see how easy we got it in the second war," Neville said dryly.
Daphne nodded her agreement, "They were saying in the hospital that it's very likely there will be another attack and…. school is due to go back on Wednesday."
"That won't be happening," Harry promised, "They will announce me as the new Headmaster on Monday, and I'm going to state that the Hogwarts term will run from the 1st of October to the beginning of July this year. Students have died or lost their parents or siblings. We need time to grieve as a nation."
Daphne nodded and pushed herself up to kiss him. Harry returned the kiss and pulled her close, cherishing the touch after the awful few hours they'd just had.
When she drew back, she pulled Neville into a hug, and the taller man sighed against her neck.
"We'll be okay," he promised.
But for the first time in a long time, Daphne wasn't sure that she believed him.
The Hermione Granger School for Young Witches and Wizards
Hermione was exhausted, and she wanted to be in her own bed more than anything else. But more than that, she needed to see her family, and she strongly suspected that none of them were at the castle.
Surely enough, she found them at the refuge centre doing what they could to help this hall of children who looked entirely lost.
Theo was handing out water, and Sadie was sitting with a little blonde girl in her arms. Draco was talking quietly with one of the older boys,.
Some of the Potter clan were here too, Andrea was telling stories to a group of the younger ones. Some distance away, Thea was leaning against Lareina, half-asleep as her grandmother brushed her hand through her hair.
That made Hermione freeze for a moment.
"You look exhausted, my love."
She jumped when she felt the hand on her shoulder, but then she realised it was just Narcissa.
Hermione looked up, "Since when is Lareina Greengrass alive?"
"I have no idea," Narcissa said, her eyes lingering on the other woman, "But I learned a long time ago not to judge others before giving them a chance to explain themselves. She and I may have had different opinions about Cygnus, but Thea has been at the heart of our best interests today."
"Is she okay?" Hermione asked.
Narcissa shook her head, "She is young, seeing death and violence like this….it changes a person. You have seen what it did to Draco."
And me, Hermione thought, but she didn't vocalise that.
Instead, she just nodded.
"You handled your resignation with grace and dignity," Narcissa said, giving Hermione's shoulder a slight squeeze, "I was very proud."
Hermione was too tired to put on a false smile. She nodded and said, "Thank you, but right now, I just want to see my family. Do you know where the kids are?"
Narcissa nodded, "Ella and Charlus are doing what they can to help in Diagon Alley, and Ada and Dora are still with Lotus at Cauldwell House. Cas is at the castle, he hasn't left his room since it happened. I did try but…we all grieve in our own way."
"Yes," Hermione sighed, her eyes finding Draco's across the hall, "Sorry Narcissa, I just need to talk to him."
Narcissa nodded, dropping her hand from Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione crossed the room with a heavy sigh and looked sympathetically at Sadie as she passed.
"How is everyone?"
Sadie shrugged and spoke quietly so as not to awaken the girl in her arms, "Susan took Clara and the kids to Bones Manor. She's looking after them, and I think Ada and Dora are keeping my mother going."
Hermione nodded; of course she was. She knew first-hand how close the partners of Auror partners could get. You bonded over that shared fear you both had that one day, the love of your life might walk out of the door and never step back through it again.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, her eyes meeting Sadie's.
"No," Sadie replied. Her voice broke, and she gently shifted the little girl onto the floor then got to her feet, "No, but I will be."
Hermione frowned but followed Sadie to the top of the hall, where Theo and Draco were whispering about something. When they saw their other halves, they fell silent.
"Were you talking about my dead brother or Hermione's resignation?" Sadie asked dryly.
Theo shook his head and pulled Sadie into a hug, "Neither," he promised.
Draco sighed and kissed the top of her head, then pulled Hermione towards him. He kissed her lightly and murmured, "How are you?"
"As dreadful as you, I expect," Hermione murmured.
Hermione drew back from Draco, and Sadie sighed. She drew back from Theo and pulled something from her pocket. She had wrapped it in a green and white checked napkin, and Draco took it from her with a frown.
"What is this?"
"It's a decoy detonator," Sadie said simply, "Sorenson found it in-between the ice cream parlour and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
"Where the first explosion went off," Draco realised.
Sadie nodded, "He threw it to Lilly just before he died, and he told her to tell me that 'it was him,' which Clara didn't understand, but I do."
"No…" Hermione breathed.
Draco swallowed and opened up the napkin, "Not him…."
Theo growled and shook his head, "That motherfucking bastard! How is he alive?"
"Quite easily, probably," Sadie said dryly, "Nobody actually checked that the ashes were his, and even if they were, he could have done a Pettigrew and chopped a hand off then burned it."
"So he's Lazarus?" Hermione asked in disbelief, "Your father?"
"He certainly seems to be involved," Sadie said coldly, "And he just killed his own son."
Theo shook his head again and pulled Sadie close. She didn't cry or break down though; she just hardened as she tended to do when things got hard. Those of them who had been through the war with her knew that. And Hermione remembered the way she had reacted to Theo's 'death' all of those years ago too.
"I'll take it into the ministry first thing tomorrow," Draco promised. He fought a yawn, "But right now, I think we all need to go home and rest up."
"I can't," Theo said, "These kids still don't have anywhere to go."
Hermione conjured up some camp beds and said, "Then we stay here. But Draco's right. We need some rest. I've just had to declare a state of emergency because, while I've resigned, until the emergency council can elect a new Minister, I still call the shots."
"It has been 40 years since someone called in a state of emergency," Draco said quietly.
"Only because the Ministers were too fucking cowardly to call it during the second war with Voldemort when they should have," Theo muttered.
Hermione nodded her agreement, "We're in lockdown. Nobody enters or leaves this island, and St Mungos is in isolation mode – that means minimal visitors and tighter security measures. Everyone who can work from home is being advised to, in order to stop the ministry being full in the case of another attack."
She shook her head and looked at Theo, "Diagon Alley is under lock and key until the completion of the investigation, and we have advised the new Headmaster of Hogwarts to delay the start of term. I suspect he'll heed my advice, and the term will start on the 1st of October. Right now, I wouldn't be surprised if they attacked Platform 9 ¾ on the 1st of September."
Theo's jaw set, "It's disgusting. Look at these kids, probably all orphaned."
Hermione looked out at the kids; there were probably around 20 of them in the hall.
"The latest death toll sent to me was at 97," Hermione said quietly, "The hospital is overcapacity, which means there has to be at least 100 injured and last I heard, there were still 50 people missing."
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "This attack must have touched every member of the wizarding community in this country. There's not going to be a single person who doesn't know someone who has died or was injured in Diagon Alley yesterday, and that's the point."
He looked at Hermione, "Whoever did this, whether it was the Saboteurs or Lazarus…they did it to scramble us. They want us to be down on our knees, which means they're planning something. This isn't the big attack, it's a distraction, and it has completely shattered us."
"A distraction from what, though, Draco?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," Draco admitted, "But I can't help feeling that this is all linked to the prophecy. If we're right, then it's going to happen in less than a month, and this feels like the bad thing that we all sensed coming."
"The storm is here," Theo agreed, "We've just got to weather it together now."
He reached for Sadie's hand, and she nodded, squeezing it tightly.
"Like we have done with every other storm," She agreed quietly.
Draco and Hermione's eyes met over their heads, and they both nodded. They thought of it more politically than Sadie and Theo, but that didn't make the other two wrong.
"We will," Hermione said.
"Always," Draco agreed.
- TBC -
