"... do hereby sentence you, Lucius Malfoy-"
She could feel how the entire room held their breath.
"To a lifetime of imprisonment in this world, or until you can be taken before the Ministry of Magic to be sentenced according to Wizarding Law." Cassidy could hear Remus breathing a sigh of relief beside her, but she wasn't finished yet. "And, for the safety of the elves of the Woodland Realm who are to be your jailers, you will have your memory wiped."
Malfoy's head shot up and his eyes glared daggers into Cassidy, but she wasn't fooled. She could feel the fear emanating off of him in waves. He was terrified and he had a right to be so. Memory charms were a tricky thing.
"Cassidy," Remus' tone was sharp, but he was cut off my Thranduil.
"So it shall be done," he waved his hand and the elves on either side of Malfoy dragged him to his shaky feet and carried him to the dungeon. "He will be locked in the cell previously belonging to your companion."
"Thank you, I'll be down shortly to perform the wipe. I will do my best to remove any memories of magic from him."
Thranduil nodded and dismissed the semi-formal court that had formed. Legolas and Aragorn left together, presumably to whisper about what had just occurred. But Cassidy took off walking briskly down the corridors. She assumed that she was heading in the direction of the chambers that were assigned to her, but in all honesty she wasn't quite sure. She just needed to move.
Remus was close behind her. Despite him having a longer stride, he was rushing to keep up with Cassidy's rapid pace as the black cloak that she still wore trailed behind her in a billow of silent fabric.
"Cassidy," his voice was firm. "Cassidy, wait. You know we need to discuss this."
Thankfully, it seemed that Cassidy did indeed head in the proper direction for she soon found herself facing her door. She entered, but didn't have time to close it before Remus slid in. She did her best to ignore him and pulled a small charm off her bracelet, enlarging it to reveal a book on charms. She began flipping through it.
"Cassidy Oleander, we both know that this is a poor idea."
"It's done Remus, I've made my decision and I'm sticking to it."
"And what decision is that? You wish to rob him of his memories? Do you remember what happened to Gilderoy Lockhart?" Cassidy tried to ignore him as she found the chapter labeled "Memory Charms: Uses and Practice" and scanned her eyes across the page. "Don't forget Cassidy, I was your teacher and I remember that as much as you've mastered charms, you never did practice memory charms because of how much you hated them."
"Well I'm practicing now."
"Cassidy, your emotions on these are too strong and you know what that does to your magic. Ever since-"
"Don't," she snapped, suddenly her entire focus on Remus. It wasn't until she took a few calming breaths that she realized that she had her wand pointed at him. She slowly lowered it. "Don't talk about that... just don't."
"I'm sorry," he sighed heavily and took a seat on the wooden chair across from her. "But please, you know you shouldn't be performing this spell. I-"
"I would lend you my wand if I could, but it's a bit tempermental. It really doesn't like other handlers and honestly it's more likely to blow up the forest then perform for you."
"I always thought Beech was reasonably supple?" Remus was momentarily taken aback.
"But Acacia isn't," she replied with a shrug. She was back to flipping through her books and very pointedly not looking at Remus.
"What? I didn't know Ollivander even made-"
"Well he did, and it picked me. My first was Beech and was destroyed the night my parents were murdered because I was dumb enough to leave it in my bedside drawer. A few days later my aunt took me to Olivander's for a new one and it picked me. I don't think I've ever been without it since."
"That's besides the point," Remus suddenly shifted back to their original topic. "Cassidy, this is wrong and you know it."
"Well what do you want me to do Remus?!" She finally gave up on attempting to read as she threw her hands into the air. "Should I just let him sit in his cell, practicing wandless magic until he can escape? What if his wand isn't really broken? What if he finds the pieces and fixes it? It took him a few hours with the elves to convince them to imprison you and treat him like some visiting lord. Do you really want to risk him running around this world at full strength?" Cassidy took a deep breath, her eyes skittering off to the side where he bag hung from the best post. "Maybe... maybe I should just kill him."
"No," Remus moved around the table so he was back in Cassidy's line of sight. "No, you can't do that. Dumbledore wouldn't-"
"Dumbledore sent me on missions that even you don't know about." Cassidy paused. "I've killed before and I'm just endangering this world by leaving him alive now."
"No, no, he-" Remus was shaking his head as his mind wrestled with Cassidy's words. "It doesn't matter what you've done before. If you kill him in cold blood then you risk turning as dark as he is. You become no better than him and-"
Cassidy had enough.
"Then I'm performing this charm and whatever happens is no less than he deserves," she snapped, her temper flaring as she resisted the urge to tighten her grip on her wand.
Breath. In. Out.
Release your anger.
Focus.
Cassidy's mind ran over the calming exercises that she was taught as she closed her book and stood up, walking towards the door. Remus was probably right about her emotional state, but waiting wasn't going to change anything. As much as she hated Lucius, as much as she'd done before... she didn't know if she could look a man, chained and defenseless in the eye as she killed him. She was too afraid that it would prove Remus' word's to be correct- she was afraid for what she might not feel.
Remus was still standing there by the little table, his arms crossed and his foot tapping the ground. The expression on his face wasn't the anger that she expected, it was something far worse- disappointment. Cassidy brushed it off and opened the door, informing the guard standing outside that she was ready. She turned back to Remus one more time.
"I can't risk leaving him without an assurance that he won't repeat the damage that he's already done. I'm sorry, but I've made my choice."
She walked briskly out the door and didn't look back.
"Sometimes I wonder why my father even lets you into this realm," Legolas shook his head lightly as he sipped his wine. Aragorn laughed good naturedly as the jibe as he too sipped his cup. "First," Legolas continued to speak. "You bring a strange creature for me to guard on the whims of a wizard." Aragorn nodded along as Legolas spoke. "Second, you travel in the companionship of an ill tempered 'Witch' who reveals our Wizard to be evil and a monster that we captured to be a Man."
"Tis not my strangest visit," Aragorn replied with a shrug that resulted in both of them laughing.
"Really Estel, my father is beginning to think you do this on purpose," although his words were severe, Aragorn could see the twinkle in his friend's eyes.
"So is mine."
"I'm offended," Legolas gasped, though his tone was anything but. "How could you ever say such a thing about me? What trouble did I ever bring to Imladris?"
"Hmmm... should I make a list?" Aragorn's smirk grew as he spoke. "What about the time you went on a hunting trip with two perfectly healthy twins and returned with one bearing two broken limbs and another missing his horse."
"That's not fair," Legolas exclaimed. "That was all technically Elladan's idea and the horse did turn up eventually."
"It was Elladan's idea but you picked a pack of wargs instead of simple wolves," he replied.
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence for a while, both reluctant to discuss what they really needed to. They would much rather regale old stories from their travels and adventures back in more peaceful times than discuss the darkness that they faced ahead. But, darkness was indeed spreading. The Necromancer who had once been driven out seemed to have returned for Mirkwood was growing ever more dark. The spiders were spreading and more and more were they organizing and encroaching close to the elvish settlements. The Halls of Thranduil may be safe, but the outlying homes and villages were under constant threat.
"I can't stay long this time," Aragorn finally said, breaking the peace and bringing the burden of reality back. "I must reunite with the Dunedain. We are guarding the boarders of the Shire."
"The Halflings?" Legolas' curiosity was peaked.
"Mithrandir believes that there is a great danger to them, the darkness is rising and the Wizard suspects that it will soon turn its Eye to the Shire and the peaceful creatures who live there."
"And so you have been appointed their guardian?"
"For now."
"You walk a strange path, my friend."
"I think we may all find ourselves walking such strange paths in the days to come."
They both drank to that.
"Thank you both for this information, your courage may well turn the course of this war," Dumbledore smiled warmly at the still trembling pair.
A knock sounded on the door and a tall, red-haired wizard poked his head in.
"Are you ready sir?"
"Perfect timing as always Bill," Dumbledore smiled as Bill opened the door wider, allowing the Fletkins' children in. They ran to their parents and clutched to them. "Bill here is going to take all of you to a safe house in North America and get you settled in. When all this is through, you can return to England... but not until it is truly finished."
"Thank you sir," Mr. Fletkin shook Dumbledore's hand firmly and the old wizard nodded.
"It's the least we could do."
Mrs. Fletkin finished drying her eyes and held one child in each arm. Her husband kissed each youth on the head before wrapping a protective arm around his wife's shoulders. They were a little worse from wear as they had only just changed into another set of clothing before speaking with Dumbledore and telling him all that they knew of Ministry employees under the thumb of Voldemort. But, they were alive and they were rescued before Voldemort arrived to torture the information out of them. Mr. Fletkin had received a few rather nasty gashes, but other than that he was well enough.
"Alright folks, is everyone ready?" Bill was clearly pushing as much enthusiasm into his voice as possible as he held out a chocolate box. "Everyone hold tight. Chocolate frogs."
And with the password the family and Bill Weasley were whisked away.
The door opened a second time, this time though with no knock. It was Alastor Moody, his wooden leg and staff making a distinct clunking sound as he walked brusquely through the door. He plopped down on the chair across from Dumbledore, his roaming eye doing a quick scan of the entire room before he pulled out a flask and took a long drink.
"She's gone then," he stated without preamble. Some might have asked such as a question, but not Moody. He was the type to skip past denial and straight to acceptance. One loses soldiers in a war... that's just how they go.
"I'm afraid so, we'll have to inform the others at the next meeting... she will be missed." Dumbledore's voice was slow and heavy with sorrow. "I presume that I should also inform Miss. Lovegood. They were close."
Moody took another swig of his, presumably fire-whiskey filled, flask before he made a sound something along the lines of a 'hrmph.'
"You could've made that announcement yesterday when you concocted this hair brained plan." His roaming eye was still always scanning the room. "She was as good as dead then."
"I had hoped-"
"You had hoped that she would succeed and she did. The Fletkins are reunited and we have a list of names that'll cripple His chances to infiltrate our protection of Potter. The girl changed the tide of the war and died to do it." In any other, the words would have sounded as an accusation. Indeed, Molly Weasley would certainly have some things to say about Dumbledore authorizing such a mission at the next meeting, but that was a concern for another day. With Moody, these words were simple facts and said in a tone that implied that he would've done much of the same if he were placed in Dumbledore's shoes. They were both Wizards of war.
With his piece seemingly said, Moody stood and marched to the door, pausing once he got there. He turned slightly to Dumbledore with his hand on the doorknob.
"One more thing... Lupin hasn't check in yet."
"Since when?" Dumbledore's brow creased with concern.
"Since the meeting yesterday afternoon. No one's seen him sense."
"Perhaps he is busy," Dumbledore said, an air of ease that most would have difficulty seeing through.
"Perhaps," Moody, not at all convinced, muttered back before he left.
Dumbledore was left sitting there in the kitchen, idly stirring his overly sweetened tea. He carefully pulled back his sleeve and examined his ruined hand. It was almost time, the war was drawing to a close and soon, it would be just Harry and his two most loyal friends. The Order would do everything they could to set them up for victory. It seemed that Cassidy just completed her part, soon he would complete his.
A note on Acacia wand lore from Ollivander: "A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted"
A note on Beech wand lore from Ollivander: "The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant."