Friday, 30 March, 22:15 GMT
Draco Malfoy looked at his Muggle wristwatch as he sat with the rest of the early evening shift in the break room of the Ministry's Law Enforcement offices. It was routine for those in the previous shift to stay back until everyone in the next shift arrives for duty.
In the room was the Old Guard, fellow Aurors Harry Potter, Pansy Zabini, and Dean Thomas sipped their last cups of tea while they waited. Harry's daughter, Ronda and Draco's son, Hans were already in the break room as well. Auror Jessica Goyle, the youngest of the three Goyle children walked briskly along side Wand Tracker Patricia Zabini into the break room.
"We have a live crime scene," Jessica rushed in as the group turned to face the new arrivals.
"Six stolen wands were used to administer the Unforgiveable Cruciatus curse," Patricia said quickly.
"Looks like you young ones will have your hands full," Draco Malfoy said as he was set to leave for the night.
"Auror Malfoy, Sir," the wand tracker said, "All of you might want to stay for this one."
"What's going on, Patty?" her mother asked.
"Six stolen wands over the past three weeks were registered into the system, which is customary, in case criminal acts are committed," the young wand tracker began. "These six wands registered fifteen minutes ago. We pinpointed the initial location of the wands and that location has been stable."
"They're still there," Harry Potter said. "Where is there, Patty?"
"A Muggle home in Chiswick on Grosvenor Road," she said, looking straight at her Uncle Draco.
"The Martinez family lives on Grosvenor," Draco took in a breath.
"Drew," Hans said, breathlessly.
"We have to go now," Ronda said as she exited the break room first. Everyone followed her to the Apparition room.
"Pansy, Jessica, and I will have Silencing duties," Harry Potter instructed. "Draco, Hans, Ronda wands at the ready."
"I'll stay back and warn the rest of the second shift," Dean Thomas nodded for them to apparate.
o-o-o
The scene they arrived at was eerily similar to the one Auror Harry Potter encountered almost thirty years ago in the same Muggle suburb. He blew out a breath as they looked around the living room.
The six Aurors had their wands ready. The Silencing wards were up. Draco looked around at the broken and overturned furniture. Ronda approached the two robed men on the floor. She knelt at the side of the bigger brute, keeping her wand at the ready while checking for a pulse. Jessica did the same for the smaller man. They both shook their heads.
The Malfoys sprung into action, running to the second floor calling for both Drew and Phillip. Father and son checked opposite sides of the staircase. They exited rooms shaking their heads, finding nobody.
Harry and Pansy checked the ground floor. There was no trace of other intruders. Everyone doubled back to the living room.
"Does anyone recognize these two," Pansy asked as she cast Priori Incantatum on the wand in the big burly man's gloved hand. The Unforgiveable curse registered as the last he cast. She pulled his left sleeve up and nodded at the older wizards.
"The Dark Mark," Draco said as he lifted the other man's sleeve.
"Junior Death Eaters?" Harry asked.
"This is Sebastian Tomlinson," Draco said as he held the young man's chin. "He was a Pureblood Slytherin, graduating fifteen years ago from Hogwarts."
"That's Alton Johnson," Jessica said nodding at the bigger Death Eater. "He was a Pure-blood Huffle Puff during my year."
"These guys took multiple counter measures," Hans said, noting the gloves and fishing out Alton's own wand in his robe. "We need to find out who their known associates are."
"We need to process this scene immediately if we want to find out where they took Drew," Ronda said.
"Alright Jessica, Ronda and I will stay to process the scene," Pansy said. "You guys need to get back to HQ to get more information on these guys."
The men nodded. They apparated back to the Ministry.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked as they appeared in the apparition room in Ministry HQ.
"I don't know. This can't be happening again," Draco said as he stopped in his tracks.
"Dad," Hans put a hand on his father's shoulder to get his focus. "You need to go get Mum."
His father finally nodded. He looked at his watch, "Her shift is about to end."
"Go, Draco," Harry nodded. "Hogwarts will need to be warned as well."
o-o-o
Friday, 30 March, 22:30 GMT
Doctor Hermione Granger-Malfoy laughed with her Emergency Room team as something funny was said, breaking up the surprising late night monotony. The platinum blonde turned the corner and walked into the waiting room area right outside of the emergency room bay. He nodded at his wife. Dr. Granger-Malfoy excused herself for the evening.
"Hey," she said as her husband kissed her on the cheek.
"Let's head to your office," her former nemesis said whilst ushering her to the room from which he had just exited.
"Draco, I drove to work," she said smiling. "Please don't tell me you're fancying a quickie."
Draco shut his eyes for a moment as they stood in front of the office of the Director of Saint Augustine's Hospital, a post that Hermione had held since the previous Director had retired five years ago. Hermione could already tell there was some sort of gravity to his visit. She led him into the office, closing and locking the door behind them.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Remember the Muggle weapons case we're working on right now?" he asked looking into her eyes.
"The threat is real then?" she asked.
"A new generation of Death Eaters is afoot. I need to get you to Hogwarts," he said readying the fireplace.
"If the threat to the Muggle population is real, I'll be of more help here in the Muggle world," she said.
Draco uncharacteristically let out a whimper, "They have her, Hermione."
Hermione's legs wobbled; knowing full well to whom he was alluding. Draco pulled her into an embrace. "They attacked Drew and Phillip at the Martinez home. We're trying to find out more about who's behind this.
"But I need to get you to Hogwarts now," Draco nodded as he led her into the fireplace and flooed in a shroud of green flames.
o-o-o
They exited the bay of flooing fireplaces in the administration wing of the castle. They weren't a few steps away when they bumped into the new Headmaster.
"Neville, we need to put everyone on warning," Draco said as they began their three-flight trek up to the Hospital Wing.
"Harry already sent us his patronus warning us about the threat," the former Gryffindor began. "We've put up the wards and the professors are bracing themselves. Ginny, Jacob and Junior are already on alert. I've also asked Heath to meet us up in the Hospital wing. They don't know the details, though."
"Dad," the younger Malfoy called as his parents hit the third floor landing.
"Jacob, Junior, Ginny," Hermione said as she gave them a group hug.
"We need to ready the wing for the injured and wounded," the Ministry Auror began. He turned to the new arrival. Heath, the new Potions Master hugged his parents.
"Heath," Headmaster Longbottom addressed the young professor, "We need you to generate the Everbleeders anti-potion from professor Snape's papers."
The young man looked at his supervisor. The rest of the Hogwarts crew also took in a collective breath knowing now how grave the situation was. He nodded and left for the lab.
"Hermione can help the medical staff," Draco tried to say as calmly as possible. He squeezed his wife's hands. "I need to get back to headquarters."
She nodded but held onto his hand for a short moment. He pulled her into a hug and whispered that everything was going to be okay. He left for the fireplaces.