Chapter III
July 9, 1996
"Go ahead, Commander."
The auror next to him held up his hand, using his fingers to silently count down from three. As his last finger came down, anti-apparition wards snapped into place and Reductor Charms blew open the doors and windows of the small office, a half-dozen aurors storming inside.
Senio stepped over the fragments of the door, taking in the messy, disorganized appearance of the small office. He used the toe of his boot to poke at a manuscript lying on the floor, his lips quirking in amusement at the title. Still, he had a mission and needed to stay focused.
Restrained by heavy ropes, Thaddeus Perrault struggled insistently against his captors. "What is the meaning of this!? Who are you?"
"Who I am is quite unimportant. Who you are, however - well, you hardly need introducing, do you, Mr. Perrault?"
"I am an honest businessman, I haven't broken any laws. I demand to see my attorney!"
"You 'demand'? Commander, the Veritaserum." Perrault struggled more intensely, pushing hard against the ropes and tucking his chin against his chest. Two aurors held him still, forcing his jaw open, while the officer withdrew a vial of clear liquid, using a dropper to place three drops in the publisher's mouth. "Excellent, thank you very much. Now, where is Harry Potter?"
"I don't know," came the monotone reply.
"Who would know?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
"When was the last time that Harry Potter contacted you?"
"Mid-June."
"What did he tell you of his plans?"
Perrault grunted and some clarity came back to his eyes. He did not respond.
"Do you know how to contact him?"
"No."
"Then how do you communicate with him?"
"He sends me letters via Owl Express."
Senio turned to the aurors. "Give him the antidote and take him into custody."
The auror gestured to his men, and they hauled Perrault up after placing a Petrification Curse on him, dragging him out of the office and apparating him away. "How was he able to resist the potion?"
Senio, who'd been lost in thought, raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Hmm? He wasn't resisting."
"But the question about Potter's plans-"
"It was his magic, acting out of self-preservation. He is likely bound by an oath to protect Potter's secrets; it isn't an unusual arrangement in business partnerships. If he'd answered, his life would have been forfeit."
"What's our next move, then?"
"Go over Potter's history again and keep pushing. Someone knows where he is."
Alfred greeted Amelia with a light hug. "Madam Bones, a pleasure to see you."
She tousled his hair fondly. "I remember when you used to call me Aunt Amelia. Look at you now." She looked past him, greeting his parents. "Edward, Delilah. Thank you for coming."
Delilah exchanged a peck on the cheek with their longtime ally, settling onto the sofa at a gesture from Amelia and accepting a cup of tea from Mimsy. "I can't tell you how pleased I was to hear of Susan's survival. It has been such a dark time for so many years. Thank Merlin that she's all right!"
"Yes, she was grievously injured, and even still is recovering from the curse that nearly took her life."
"It is most curious, though, that you reported her death. Why hide that she lived, even from your closest friends and allies?"
Alfred nodded along with his father's question, unable to stop himself from adding a follow-up. "And why approach us about a betrothal?"
"I was- I made my decision in a moment of panic. I don't need to tell you that the Battle of Azkaban was the worst defeat Britain has suffered in centuries; Susan was at death's door, and all I could think was to take her away from all of this. I even went so far as to attempt to procure a portkey to leave the country." The adult Abbotts gasped at the very idea. "Little did I know that our vulnerability would be exploited by the ICW to mount a full-scale invasion."
Edward frowned. "Let's not be hyperbolic, Amelia. You can't deny, having spent years battling the Ministry's corruption, that poor decision-making had led us to the brink of disaster."
"Better a disaster of our own making than one inflicted on us by foreign oppressors."
"Do you think that provides comfort to the muggleborns killed by You-Know-Who? Or to the werewolves discriminated against by bureaucrats with an axe to grind? Our society was in danger long before the ICW arrived, it's just that danger wasn't shared equally."
"This isn't why we came, stop it you two!" Delilah said forcefully. "Now, where is Susan? I'd hoped to see her today."
Amelia hesitated. "She can join us soon enough. Did you have an opportunity to look over the contract?"
"We did. It's curious; no bride-price whatsoever. I can't recall ever hearing of an arrangement that so favored the groom's family. I trust that there is a reason for that?"
"Susan… she got into a bit of trouble. It's part of why I hoped to formalize the betrothal with Alfred before her survival was widely known."
"What sort of trouble?" Edward asked, though from the look on Delilah's face, she'd drawn conclusions of her own.
"She is with child."
"What! You believe you could try to entrap my son into raising a bastard by waiving the bride-price! I won't hear of it!"
Delilah put a calming hand on her husband's arm. "How far along is she?"
"Nearly four months."
"And the father?"
"He is unaware and presently indisposed." All three of the Abbott's exchanged glances with each other at that deflection.
Alfred was the next to speak. "I presume that this child will be heir to the Bones family, then?"
"Yes. Please believe me, line theft is the furthest thing from my mind. I only want to protect my niece."
Delilah seemed pleased at that response. "We certainly owe Susan for our own mistreatment of her, after we lost Hannah. She was like a second daughter to us; I know I would be willing to welcome her into our family with open arms." Edward, hearing his wife's decision, gave a reluctant nod of agreement as well.
"Excellent! Mimsy, the contract and a quill and inkpot, if you would." The elf vanished with a pop, reappearing seconds later.
"What does Susan think of this?" asked Alfred. "It seems odd that we are discussing her marriage with her upstairs, rather than sitting here with us."
"Susan is sixteen years old, and thus, has yet to reach her majority. As her guardian, I am able to sign a contract for her."
Alfred didn't like the sound of that. "Certainly, Madam, but you know as well as I that she must agree to the marriage vows of her own accord."
"You think that the Bones would break our word?" Amelia spat, "Outrageous!"
"Alfie-" Delilah began, but he cut his mother off, standing from the lounge chair and not taking his eyes off of Amelia.
"You may be able to sign for Susan, but I am no minor. I will not sign anything until I hear what Susan wants. All of this talk about protecting her sounds awfully convenient. Where is she? Present her, or I am leaving and you can bin your contract for all I care."
"Alfred!" his father exclaimed. "Sit down!"
"No! This is my life, too, and I'd just as soon not spend it with someone that hates me for forcing them into a marriage."
There was a moment of quiet after his outburst, then Amelia summoned Mimsy. "Please fetch Susan and tell her she's needed in the parlor."
They waited in awkward silence for several minutes, until finally, they heard her descent from the stairs. Susan was wearing ill-fitting robes, with mussed hair and a neutral expression, though all of the color drained from her face when she saw who was waiting for her.
"Tell me you didn't!"
"No agreement has been made. Alfred wants to hear your thoughts on this potential arrangement."
"I don't want this! No offense, Alfie, you'll make some witch very happy, but I don't love you."
He chuckled. "No offense taken. To me, you'll always be the little brat that wouldn't leave me alone when I was trying to study."
"Well," Edward said, standing up. "My son has made his decision. I think we should take our leave. Susan, it warms my heart to see you alive and well." He made his way toward the Floo and vanished soon after.
Delilah, meanwhile, approached Susan, running a hand through her hair and embracing her lightly, as though she were made of glass. "How are you feeling, dear?"
"Okay. Morning sickness is starting to fade, though I'm uncomfortable a lot."
The older woman nodded sympathetically. "Yes, with Alfred I had awful backaches. It's just a sign that your baby's growing properly."
"So it's normal? I thought it was from-, well, I mean, I'm growing, if you know what I mean." She carefully turned out of Alfred's view, opening her robes slightly, and his mother's eyes widened, before whirling to Amelia.
"Why haven't you provided her with clothing that fits? She's practically bursting out of her garments."
"It wouldn't very well do to parade her down Diagon Alley to Madame Malkin's, would it? Have you forgotten I'm trying to keep her out of the public eye?"
"Yes, of course. Would it be a problem if I were to owl you some maternity wear? Being pregnant is uncomfortable enough as it is, even with clothes that fit," she said with a side-eyed glare towards Amelia.
"Sue?" Alfred asked. "Could we talk for a moment?"
Amelia stepped between them. "She needs her rest. Thank you for coming, I'm sorry that we weren't able to come to an agreement."
"'ermione! Please, be reasonable!"
"Unless you're going to help me, go away!"
"This is not a good choice! You are making a mistake! Do you think that throwing away magic will solve your problems?"
Hermione's front door flew open, and she stormed out, pointing her finger at Fleur's face as though it were a wand. "I'll pass my OWLs, thank you very much. I don't need you or your school!"
"Please, be reasonable. Dropping out of Beauxbatons is- it is... what is the word-"
"Sane? Intelligent? The first smart move I've made since I made the mistake of coming to this country?"
"Non, that is not what I meant. What will you do once you have taken your tests?"
"I'll go home. Back to Britain."
"How?" Hermione didn't answer. "Exactly. You are angry, you are not making good decisions."
Hermione fumed. "The worst decision I made was trusting you and your father! I thought I was helping people!"
Fleur didn't back down, despite the younger woman's anger. "Was it, really? Didn't you come to me, seeking a way to protect students like yourself?"
"I did, but-"
"And this Dark Lord, wasn't he propped up by the pureblood elite, the same ones who kept the bigotry alive and well, even after 'e disappeared the first time?"
"That doesn't mean that I wanted to see the Confederation mount a coup d'etat!"
But Fleur pressed on. "The new Minister, 'is wife is a muggleborn. 'e has elevated people based on merit, not based on their blood. Yes, my father deceived you. But you cannot deny that the end result has been to the benefit of your ideals!"
Hermione glared. She refused to acknowledge the point, but Fleur was right. "You still used me."
"I did not, but I admit that my father did, yes. 'ow can I make this right?"
"I want to go back to Britain. With my family."
"I believe that can be arranged."
"Want some breakfast?"
Harry waved away Daphne's offer, watching Dumbledore examine a Hungarian newspaper. How the man was able to so seamlessly operate in a foreign land was truly a sight to behold. 'Just how many languages did the old man speak?' he wondered.
"We're close. The muggle authorities placed our next adversary less than twenty miles away."
"Which one will we be going against this time?"
"The Tainted Blight."
Daphne stepped closer to the two of them. "You're not leaving me behind this time."
Harry shrugged when Dumbledore turned to him. "She came with us for a reason."
"Very well. Fawkes!"
A flash of flame surrounded them, and in an instant, they appeared somewhere else - a very crowded somewhere else. Shouts and cries of battle rang out around them, while a thick fog permeated the area they stood.
It was no ordinary fog, an olive green gas that had all three gasping for air. Dumbledore swiftly cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, but before his wand could even swing toward the other two Harry had gasped out, "Iaó te!"
A strong gust of wind blew away the poison cloud that had hung over them like a deep fog, revealing the ongoing battle taking place. Dumbledore watched impassively, while Harry and Daphne were still bent over at the waist coughing.
A group of wizards in white linen robes, each with their own Bubble-Head Charms active, were apparating back and forth, dodging sprays of what seemed to be the liquid version of the poison. They'd apparate close and attack, then retreat. The Blight's general area of effect seemed to eat away at the Bubble-Heads, so the wizards would recast the charm after they withdrew, then apparate back into the fray.
The most surprising part of the fight, though, was that none of the wizards were using wands. Instead, they were hurling large potions vials, the size of butterbeer bottles, at the hazy, almost fluid lime-green Sibittu. The vials would burst on contact, burning at the Blight like it was acid eating away at its form.
Its attacks were slowing, becoming less frequent, and the size of the clouds and liquid bursts waning, until, with one last volley of potions, it melted away to a puddle on the ground. One of the white-robed wizards approached, pouring out the contents of multiple vials onto the remains of the Blight.
"Well done!" Dumbledore called out.
"Who are you? We are engaged in official business for the International Confederation of Wizards, move along immediately!" One of the wizards said with a heavy accent.
"You're Egyptians? In Hungary?" Harry hadn't forgotten encountering them in Iraq.
"Yes, we came at the request of the Austrians, to engage the demons that have invaded their lands. Who are you?"
Harry looked to Dumbledore, who had a pleasant smile on his face, then to Daphne, who was peering intently at two of the foreign wizards who were speaking in low tones. He followed her gaze and found the two men staring right back at him.
"We need to get out of here!" Daphne whispered.
"It's okay, you don't need to-"
"They recognize you!" She hissed, "Don't just stand there!"
"Let Dumbledore handle it." He glanced away from the Egyptians, eyes widening as he saw her violet eyes shimmer and her hands squeezed into fists. "Daphne, no, don't!"
There weren't any words spoken, no spoken call, no demand to disarm. Wands were drawn, just in time for one of the two men to fall, a serrated iron blade buried in his chest. The other cast a Killing Curse, but a pebble on the side of the road leaped upward, expanding to the size of a suitcase and blocking the spell, courtesy of Dumbledore's transfiguration.
The side of the road exploded into a short, brutal battle. The Egyptians, though, had just finished a battle and weren't adequately prepared to fight against three new opponents. One dropped from Dumbledore's stunner, his wand smoothly shifting to animate a guard rail that wrapped around three of the men. Daphne pushed another off his feet and conjured a stone wall in front of two others.
Harry, though, was unable to launch any attacks of his own, under immediate bombardment from the remaining five Egyptians, who mixed standard Blasting Hexes with more esoteric magic, unrecognizable spells that required constant adjustment to block and avoid.
The wall Daphne had conjured exploded, and she was forced to dive away from the others to avoid a Piercing Curse. At the same time, the other wizard her wall had obstructed raised his wand over his head, shouting a brief incantation in Egyptian. From above, a beam of light shot out of the sky, causing Dumbledore to wince as he was blinded by its brilliance.
With Dumbledore temporarily out of the fight, the Egyptians quickly freed their trapped colleagues. One wizard kept Daphne occupied to the side, while the other ten who were still conscious, all directed their fire against Harry.
It was nothing like the Battle of Dunfield. There, both he and his enemies were trapped beneath disapparition jinxes. Here, when he tried to counterattack, they simply vanished, reappearing in a blind spot and sending more spells. He was having to defend from all directions, all the time.
'This isn't working' he thought, blinking rapidly as sweat dripped past the rim of his glasses and into his eyes.
He chanced an apparition himself but when he appeared, the Egyptians had themselves apparated. In the time it took him to reorient himself to his opponents, an incendio lit his robes on fire and a cloud of strange insects engulfed him. He apparated again.
This time, he raised a silo of the asphalt road around himself as he landed, blocking the multitude of spells that came flying at him. Feeling an unusual sensation, he looked down and watched in horror as three of the insects that had swarmed over him burrowed directly into his flesh, the bulge of the beetles clearly visible through his forearm.
The asphalt silo around him animated, liquefying and rushing towards him like a black, suffocating wave, coming to a halt inches away from his flesh. The spells halted for a moment, as a gap large enough for Harry to step through formed in the liquid asphalt.
"You're wondering how I assumed control of your transfiguration," he commented lightly, holding his right arm over his left, showing no reaction as the scarab beetles burst out of his arm, an overpowered summoning charm pulling them through his skin into the palm of his other hand, where he crushed them in his fist. "To transfigure this much material at once requires skill and a great deal of focus."
One Egyptian with his wand raised was sweating, his face filled with visible frustration. "But focus by itself isn't enough," Harry went on, his aura swirling around him, a vortex of emerald energy. "You still need power-"
The section of road beneath Daphne's opponent shifted, and before the wizard could apparate, it exploded into an intense flame, gouts of thick black smoke obscuring the man. Harry didn't even glance in his direction, his eyes locked on the motionless wizard in front of him. "-And I find your power… lacking."
"Harry, don't!" Dumbledore cried out.
Tendrils of asphalt animated, liquefying into a disgusting brown sludge that fired out towards the Egyptians, pausing when they'd apparate, only to pursue them the moment they appeared again. Curses still shot towards him, but more intermittently now that the streams of brown sludge relentlessly pursued them.
One of the wizards collapsed, coughing and choking. Another, pausing an instant too long to observe his fellow's fate, was inundated by the brown sludge, which ignited a second later, his screams of agony horrible to witness. Quickly cast Bubble-Head Charms back in place, one Egyptian attempted to put out the fire, but the water merely spread the flame.
"Asphalt is derived from crude oil, you'll need more than just water to put it out!" He ducked under an unknown curse that solidified the liquid asphalt behind him, crumbling it to dust a second later. "A series of additives turn it into what you see before you, including the sulfur that your unfortunate friend breathed in."
The curses still came towards him, but they were fewer in number and more easily intercepted. Two more of them were blown off their feet as Daphne rejoined the battle, the liquid streams of crude inundating them and bursting aflame.
"ENOUGH!" Dumbledore, his vision recovered, cast an area-effect petrification spell that immobilized all of the combatants, before summoning everyone's wands. "Stand down, Harry."
Releasing the petrification, he approached one of the Egyptians. "Why did you attack us? We came here for the same reason as you, to stop that monster."
The man spat on the ground, furiously glaring at Harry over Dumbledore's shoulder. "You bring that thieving little monster here, and then dare to interfere when we attempt to apprehend him?"
"'Apprehend'?" Harry asked incredulously, "With lethal spells?"
"You come to our land, awaken ancient horrors, and accuse us of overreacting?" He turned his gaze back to Dumbledore. "Think hard about your association with him. The Supreme Mugwump will learn of this, and you may find yourself with a warrant of your own."
Brushing off the threat without reaction, Dumbledore held out the wands of the half-dozen remaining men. "This was all unnecessary. We are on the same side. I hope that any future encounters will end without violence."
Once the wands had been snatched from his hand, Dumbledore gestured for Harry and Daphne to approach, then summoned Fawkes and the three disappeared in a ball of flame.
July 17, 1996
Senio crumpled the after-action report from the commander of the 7th Auror's Brigade in annoyance. No sign of Potter at Longbottom Manor, and passive legilimency scans of the heir showed he was honest in his denial of any knowledge of Potter's whereabouts. More than a month of searching, and he was as close to finding him as the day he'd received this assignment.
What's more, the constant hand-holding that their Minister required was infuriating and occupied far too much time. 'It's a wonder that MacDougal manages to decide what to have for lunch without my input!' he thought in irritation. Walking past the youth seated outside the office, Senior jerked open the door and strode in without waiting to be announced.
"Minister, you requested a meeting?"
MacDougal, feeble though he may be at managing an administration, instantly caught onto Senio's mood. "Er, yes, I did."
"Well? Are you going to tell me, or need I guess?"
"Right, of course. Madam Edgecombe, my-"
"I know who she is."
"Well, Leila pointed out to me that Potter was romantically involved with the Bones heiress. The girl was killed in the Battle of Azkaban, but her aunt has scarcely made a public appearance since."
"What of it? Surely she is mourning her relative's death."
MacDougal shook his head. "Amelia Bones is the former Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She also sits on the Wizengamot and has missed every session since her niece died. Madam Edgecombe suspects that she may be harboring Potter, out of loyalty to her deceased niece."
"Indeed?" It had some potential; at least as much as he'd been able to come up with lately.
"Yes. Prior to the, er, stabilization project that brought the Confederation to Great Britain, Madam Bones was quite active in the political arena. It is unusual that she has all but disappeared since."
"I see. Yes, that sounds very suspicious. Perhaps it is time for us to take a bit more… direct action than we have to this point."
"Madam Edgecombe is waiting to lock down the Floo connection to Bones manor, once your aurors are in place."
"Then I should make haste and contact the Americans." Senio turned away towards the open door, pausing before he left to remark over his shoulder, "Good work, Minister. I appreciate your cooperation." With that, he walked past MacDougal's open-mouthed assistant and made his way toward the lifts.
Tom Riddle looked over the reports that Rookwood had assembled, detailing the patrol routes of the Americans through Diagon Alley. It was time for his resistance to draw first blood against the invaders.
He'd engaged in intensive training over the last month, poring over the Nott family library, as well as a number of loaned texts from the MacMillans and Shafiqs. In his 'first' life, he'd planned to travel the world, soaking up the knowledge of different magical cultures; having the Conservative faction, who'd opposed his alter self, open their libraries to him was far more satisfying.
After all, leaving Britain now would be passing up on a marvelous opportunity. He already had the loyalty of what remained of the Traditionalists - once open rebellion commenced, he would have the rest of the pureblood community rally behind him. By the time he'd ejected the Confederation from their shores, the people would beg him to rule over them.
An ambush of the auror patrols would take almost no effort whatsoever; what mattered though, was doing so at a moment that would rally the common people, rather than terrify them. Perhaps he could engineer some sort of abuse by the Americans?
A distinctive crack sounded outside, and Nott hurried into the Riddle mansion. "Milord!"
"What is it, Octavius?"
"Lord Diggory contacted me with an urgent message. The Americans are moving on the Bones family estate, even as we speak!"
"Really? What did the Bones do to deserve such attention?"
"His son overheard. They believe Potter to be hiding there, and plan a surprise raid."
"Do they, now? What concern is it of Diggory's?" The Bones family, to his knowledge, was independent, owing allegiance to no faction.
"Madam Bones had a long and storied career as an auror; as the former head of the DMLE, she holds the loyalty of what remaining aurors and hitwizards there are."
Riddle pondered this information. "She sounds like someone that would make a valuable addition to our forces. Send word, gather our comrades. We will make for Bones manor, and ensure the safety of Madam Bones."
Neville stepped away from the Floo, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He'd been afraid of this. The frustration had been evident on the faces of the aurors when they'd ransacked his own home. But still, to plan an assault on a grieving woman, who'd only just lost her last remaining family? His blood boiled at the very thought.
Tossing a pinch of Floo powder into the fireplace, he called out the address to Tonks' flat. Sirius appeared in the flames soon after.
"Everything all right?"
"Send word. The Americans are planning an assault on Madam Bones."
Sirius frowned but didn't seem to share his own urgency. "So? If I recall, they paid you and your grandmother a visit not two days ago."
"You don't understand. They plan to make an example out of her; they think that her withdrawal from the public eye is because she's hiding Harry."
"Amelia, sheltering Harry? Have they gone mad?"
Neville shrugged. "It's not as though the ICW has any familiarity with the political leanings of Magical Britain. It's more likely someone's set her up to settle a score. Regardless, this isn't going to be a search of the type my family endured. She's in real danger."
Sirius sighed. "I suppose it was inevitable it would come to this. Come to the Hogs Head as soon as you can. I'll rally up the troops."
Susan walked down the stairs, catching sight of her aunt reading the Prophet over a cup of tea. She raised her eyebrows at her niece, who'd given her the cold shoulder since the Abbotts visit.
"Good afternoon, dear. Would you like some tea?"
"No. I thought you'd like to know, Lady Abbott sent me some new clothes."
Amelia had the grace to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Susan. If I'd known-, well, I should have asked how you were doing." She patted the seat next to her. "Sit down with me?"
She walked over and took a seat, her posture still stiff. "I'd like to go spend some time with the Abbotts. Like when I was younger."
Her aunt gave a slow nod. "I think I could accept that, provided of course that I spoke with them about some conditions first."
"Why do you always have to try and control me! They know I'm alive, what's the problem?"
Amelia sighed. "I just don't want you apparating away when they're not looking. I haven't forgotten you learned that skill early."
"I don't even have a wand, where would I go?"
"Exactly," she replied with a level stare. "Your wand disappeared after the battle. You're defenseless."
"Can't you just-"
"Susan." Amelia interrupted, "Please, can you try to forgive me for what happened? I only want you and your child to be safe. You two are all I have left."
She looked at her aunt, seeing how she'd seemed to have aged considerably over the last several months. "You have to accept I'm not a child anymore. I'm going to be a mother soon enough, you have to trust me to make my own decisions!"
"I am really not trying to fight with you, but even you have to admit that allowing you leeway resulted in you turning up pregnant at sixteen years old. Why in Merlin's name didn't you use a Contraceptive Charm?"
"I- I never learned it. I honestly never really thought about it; I mean, I knew in an academic sense that I was taking a risk, but…" she trailed off.
"Don't they teach it at Hogwarts any longer? I learned it in my..." Amelia stopped, working out the timeline in her head. "Your Third Year. When you were in St. Mungo's; gods, Susan, I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, Auntie. Really. I know this isn't ideal, but- it's like I told you, Harry's the one. I can't regret that I'm carrying his child, even if it is a little earlier than I'd expected."
"Still, I should have-" she suddenly jumped to her feet. "Stay here."
"What? What is it?"
"Just stay here! No, in fact, come along, hurry." Susan sat in surprise at her aunt's rapid shift. "Hurry!"
They ran into the parlor, and Susan felt the beginnings of panic settle in her gut as the flames didn't change, no matter how much Floo powder her aunt threw into the fireplace. "Mimsy! Take Susan to safety!"
Tears welled up in the elf's bulbous eyes. "Mimsy cannot, Mistress!"
"Dammit! Susan, stay here. No matter what, don't come out for anyone but me. Hide! Do you understand? Mimsy, take me to the front gate."
"Auntie, wait!" But Amelia was already gone. Susan, fear spreading through her veins like ice water, ran towards the pantry.
Amelia appeared just inside the ward boundaries, Mimsy disappearing a moment later. She looked out, seeing twenty-five aurors clad in blue and white lined up at the wardline.
"What is the meaning of this?! What are you doing here?"
"Drop your wards immediately, or we will force them down!"
"By what right do you-"
She wasn't even able to finish her sentence before a cascade of spellfire impacted the wards. Amelia wasn't expecting an attack, and her wards weren't fully powered. Therefore, they crumpled almost immediately under the weight of the aurors' attack, the last several spells rocking the gates and tearing them off their hinges.
Amelia did not run the DMLE for years for no reason. Her wand was in her hand in an instant, parrying several spells and returning fire with several Explosion Hexes. She twisted to the side, then dove to the ground as a flurry of curses flew above her head. As she rose to get back to her feet, a bone-breaker impacted her shoulder, spinning her back to the ground.
A moment later, a shower of violent magic impacted her body, and she went still.
Susan crouched inside of a cupboard, listening intently for any sounds outside. Was it her imagination, or was her breathing as loud as a freight train? She tried to breathe slowly, to calm down as much as she could, but instead she just listened to the sound of her heartbeat, thudding rapidly in her ears.
There was a loud crash, and she could hear the muffled voice of Mimsy, shouting "You's not supposed to be-" and then nothing. She stifled her sobs, stuffing her fist into her mouth and trying to remain calm.
There were more sounds, footsteps loudly clambering up the stairs. Susan kept her eyes locked on the light coming in from the crack beneath the pantry door, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. She held her breath as a shadow appeared, two feet in front of the cupboard she hid inside.
If only she had a wand, or if someone were here! Why wasn't Harry here, while she hid inside a pantry, terrified for herself and their baby and Merlin-knows-who was outside, waiting to kill her? Gods, would this nightmare never end?!
"Williams, what are you doing puttering around the kitchen? Have you even cast the Human Revealing spell?"
"Huh? No, not yet. These Brits really live large, don't they? This Bones woman was supposed to be living alone, right?"
"So?"
"So look at all this food! Must be so rich, bet she buys a new boat when she gets the other one wet!"
"Or maybe she's not eating it all herself. Stand back a sec', let me-"
"What was that?"
"Did that sound like spellfire to you?"
"Weren't Smith and Berenson outside?"
Susan exhaled, gasping for breath as the shadows moved away, the two men's footsteps fading away as they ran from the kitchen. This might be it; she might not get another chance. Opening the cupboard door, she squeezed out of the pantry, taking a quick look around before running for the back door.
Throwing the door open, she made a break for the wardline. The boundaries were closer to the manor in the back than in the front, after all. Unfortunately, there were three men in blue and white robes, standing with their wands drawn, between her and the wardline.
"Halt!"
Susan didn't stop, though she dropped to the ground, rolling in the soft grass as Stunning Spells impacted the ground around her. She couldn't get away. Not from three men, not when she was unarmed.
"Don't move! Stay down, or we'll use lethal force!"
She tensed, lying on her stomach with her hands tensed in the grass by her shoulders. It was over. She'd failed, failed her aunt, failed her child.
"That's it, still as a statue. Now, identify your-"
"Bombarda!"
"Expulso!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The exchange of spells was over in a moment. Susan chanced a look upward, seeing a hand extended in her direction.
"Are you all right, Miss?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Tom Riddle, and we-" he gestured behind him, to the dozen men in expensive robes, "-are here to save Amelia Bones. Have you seen her?"
"She told me to hide, she left to find out who was-, who those men were. What's happening?"
"Don't worry, my dear, you're safe now. Are there more inside?"
"I'm not sure." She eyed him speculatively. He was a young man, tall and perhaps twenty years old, with coiffed black hair. Unlike the men who'd been firing spells at her, he didn't speak with an American accent. "There were more inside, but they left the house a few moments ago. That's when I tried to escape."
"I see. Perks, Nott, take her back to the base. The rest of you, let's move. Forward, to liberation!"
Neville rolled beneath a wide-angle Cutting Curse, bringing his wand to bear and shouting out, "Percutio!" The American fell to the ground, a shocked expression on his face as his spell drilled through the auror's chest.
"Protego!" A blue sphere sprang up around him, and two bludgeoners smashed into it. "Got to keep your head on a swivel, kid!"
Neville glanced behind him, seeing Tonks fire off a volley of stunners in return. Her shield wavered, then vanished as a Blasting Hex smashed into it. They were pinned down by four men, one having flanked them while Neville had dueled the man he felled.
This wasn't going that well. Sirius had only been able to round up Tonks, Hagrid, himself, Lee Jordan, Mundungus Fletcher, and Remus. They'd arrived and caught the guards out front by surprise, but the Americans were there in unexpected numbers and the battle had quickly turned in their favor.
Tonks raised an earthen barrier in front of them as more curses peppered their position. Neville banished the barrier, sending a cloud of dirt towards the aurors in front of them, then tossed a series of Disarming Charms against the one that had flanked them, grabbing his wand from mid-air while he dragged Tonks towards the rest of their group.
"Heya Nev!" Sirius called out with a grin, dancing between two bone-breakers. "Come on! My grandmother could aim better than you Yanks!" His wand flashed out in a looping corkscrew fashion and a vibrant yellow spell fired off, impacting one of the aurors who cried out as his robes melted away, leaving him clad only in his underpants to Sirius' mocking laughter.
Now that they were all grouped together, the aurors' counterattack was ferocious. Lee went down, his leg severed just below the hip from a particularly vicious Severing Curse. Tonks sported a broken jaw from a bludgeoner, and Mundungus was crouched down behind a section of the wrecked gates, not even bothering to return fire. Given that Amelia Bones' dead body was visible from where they battled, the entire mission was starting to feel more like a suicide run than a rescue attempt.
They needed to retreat. Neville stood up from behind his transfigured barrier, jabbing his wand forward and calling out "Šēdu!" A glowing construct flared into being before them, immediately absorbing the newest round of spells from the aurors while their group gaped at Neville in awe.
"Should we run?" he asked, peering beyond the glowing half-man, half-bull figure to where the Americans were still firing off spells. "This might be our only-"
Screams sounded from beyond their protections and everyone, even Dung, looked towards their opponents. There had been seventeen aurors, and eight of them were now on the ground. Sirius met his eyes and shrugged. "Once more into the breach, lads!" He hopped over his own protections and ran to the side, firing curses at the Americans once he cleared the glowing enchantment Neville had cast.
That was all the encouragement that the rest needed, following Sirius in his frenzied offensive. It was over in a matter of minutes, the aurors caught in a pincer, overwhelmed by spells from all sides. A group of men who had come from the direction of the manor lowered their wands once the last American fell, and a handsome young man stepped forward to greet them.
"I see that we are not the only sons of Britain that came here to strike a blow against tyranny! Come, share your names and celebrate this victory!"
They all looked uneasily at each other. Neville, with nothing else to lose, took the initiative and stepped forward. "I'm Neville Longbottom."
"Longbottom? You're a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. It's a pleasure to stand beside you in battle. I'm Tom, Tom Riddle."
A/N: Yikes! The rebellion begins! Also, how about Neville putting Sam's spellbook to use?
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone so inclined. Thanks to my wonderful reviewers, especially JustCallMeCrowley who pretty much shared my feelings towards poor, sweet Luna. Sigh.
Turns out Harry's not the only one capable of defeating demons.
What do you all think of Senio? No one's commented about his name, or those of his cohort. It's a bit 'on the nose', but what are you going to do?
Anyway, stay safe, happy, and healthy. I'll see you all next time! ~Frickles
