July 31, 1988

Midnight chimed as blood red eyes scanned the crowd. They settled on Moody and Shacklebolt. Voldemort nodded. The Aurors twitched convulsively and collapsed to their knees before him. Thick, black hair sprouted from Moody's head. Shacklebolt grew thinner, his skin paling. The change took barely a moment. Where Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt had stood moments before, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange bowed to their lord. Both took aim into the crowd. Rodolphus' wand pointed at the Minister of Magic. Bellatrix's found Sirius.

Callie judged the distance in an instant. The Minister was closer. She darted for her. Both of the Lestranges' wands fired. Callie shot a spell at Sirius, shoving him out of the way milliseconds before the Killing Curse hit him. She barreled into the Minister, knocking her to the ground. The second Killing Curse blasted over their heads.

Callie pulled the Minister to her feet and shot a curse behind her, striking a Death Eater as he turned to attack them. "Sorry, Minister. Are you hurt?"

Bagnold shook her head. "Thank you." She straightened and made to run back into the fight.

Callie grabbed her arm, preventing her charge. "You should get out of here! It's you they want."

"I am not leaving while my Ministry-"

Callie shoved her down to avoid another curse. Rodolphus Lestrange was steadily advancing. "There isn't time!" She fired curses at Lestrange but he deflected them. The Minister began arguing again. Realizing there was no other choice, Callie grabbed her by the arm and disapparated. They landed back at the Ministry entrance. Before the Minister regained her senses, Callie pushed her inside and gave the password.

"Potter!" Bagnold shouted as Callie led her a group of worried-looking guards. "I could have your job for this!"

"Your safety is my first priority, Minister," Callie argued. She waved the guards over. "You're the best woman for this job in a time of war, and you need to stay alive." She quickly explained the situation to the guards, asking them to keep the Minister safe at all cost.

"It was a trap?" one guard asked, voice quaking. "But… nearly every Auror in the country is there tonight!"

"I know that!" Callie snapped. Her mind was still reeling with the image of Moody and Shacklebolt morphing into Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. "Protect the Minister. If they kill all of us tonight, they'll try here next. Run up every defense immediately!" She turned to the Minister. "Is the Floo network opened in your home?"

The Minister nodded. Callie ran for the nearest fireplace, seized a pinch, and tossed it into the fire. Moments later she was stepping out of a grate in a musty, unused bedroom. Shouts and screams came up from somewhere below her. She tore the door open and sprinted down the staircase.

Flashes of light shot from the wide-open doors of the ballroom. She ducked behind a pillar to get her bearings. Sirius and Bellatrix were locked a ferocious duel on the far side of the room. Wilde dispatched a still-masked Death Eater before turning to another one. Voldemort stood on top of a long, wide table, battling what appeared to be Albus Dumbledore. Callie didn't remember seeing him among the guests.

She picked a target and ran into the fight. Her opponent was a decent fighter. His curses were nasty; the force of them pushed her back several feet. Empty eye sockets in a vacant mask stared at her as she concentrated. One spell struck him in the face and blasted his mask off. She'd seen that face somewhere, she thought. The hooked nose and greasy black hair were familiar. She dodged a fast-moving, white spell and tried to get in distance.

As she was about to give a final blow, sparkling green light filled the room. A skull with a snake protruding from its mouth rose to the ceiling and passed through it. Its eerie green light shone from outside as it illuminated the sky. Callie turned to see all of the black-cloaked figured vanishing, one by one. She didn't understand. This wasn't like them at all.

Her eyes fell on Sirius, still battling Bellatrix. Something seemed wrong about the way she was fighting. They were too close. She grabbed at him with her free hand. Callie raised her wand, aiming for the witch's back. Someone jostled her from behind, making her lose her aim, and dashed past her. Bellatrix's hand finally latched around Sirius' wrist. With a triumphant smirk, she began to disappear.

Someone reached them just in time. Sirius was thrown from Bellatrix. With a horrible shriek of rage, Bellatrix clutched the person by the hair and disapparated, dragging them with her.

A shocked silence fell on the room. Callie looked to the high table, but Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. Dumbledore stood by himself. Everyone seemed to be staring around at each other, trying to make sense of the Death Eaters' sudden retreat.

The silence was broken by a violent swear. Sirius stood trembling, pale as a sheet. He seemed about to disapparate. Callie reached him and grabbed his arm.

"Are you okay?" she demanded.

He didn't answer. He turned to her with fear and anger in his eyes. "They've got her."

She'd never seen him look truly afraid before, and it shocked her. "Who? They've got who?"

"Marlene." His voice was hoarse. She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he needed. Noises rose around them as people shook themselves and began asking each other questions.

"Okay," she finally said. "We're going to get her back."

"I'll give them hell for this," he swore. A dangerous fire lit in his eyes. He shook himself, stilled, and took a deep breath. "Are you okay? I lost sight of you."

"I'm fine." She looked around. Bodies lay across the floor, some glassy-eyed, staring at nothing. Others pushed themselves up, sporting deep wounds. Aurors who weren't injured asked each other frantic questions. Someone demanded to know where the Minister was.

Callie and Sirius were separated again during the cleanup, each directing Healers, answering questions, and trying to keep a general calm about the war-ravaged room. They made a list of the people missing, and a list of the dead. It was dawn before they found themselves back in the Auror Office.

Callie saw him across the room, sitting next to Dumbledore. They seemed to be conversing about something. Sirius looked rough, maybe worse than she'd ever seen him. She grabbed a bottle of Firewhiskey and made her way over to him.

"Sirius, you've always been one of the bravest men I've known," Dumbledore was saying, "but even you cannot save everyone."

"I could at least save her," Sirius argued.

"My boy, Marlene will not be saved by rash actions. You have people who depend on you. Don't throw your life away so easily." He looked up. His twinkling eyes met Callie's. "And here is one of them now." He smiled and stood. "I have kept the Minister waiting long enough. Miss Potter, I shall leave Mr. Black in your capable hands."

Callie smiled. "Thank you for helping us, Professor," she said.

"It was a splendid coincidence that I was there," he said, but she knew it wasn't. "If you will excuse me."

Callie took the seat he vacated and passed Sirius the bottle. He took it wordlessly. She watched him drain it. His eyes were red, his suit torn. He tossed the bottle in the garbage bin several feet away and sat in silence.

"I didn't know you and Dumbledore were so close," Callie said quietly, hoping to get his mind off whatever he was agonizing over.

Sirius smiled slightly. "Well, you spend enough time in a man's office during school hours and you get to know people."

"It's Harry's birthday," Callie tried again.

Sirius smile softened. "Yeah, how could I forget? He's eight years old." He paused. "You did well, prioritizing the Minister's safety."

"Thanks." She watched him for a moment. "Sirius, what were you and Dumbledore talking about?"

He took a while to answer. She could see in his eyes that he was fighting with himself over something. "The Aurors are planning a raid on the Riddle House tomorrow, once we get Moody and Shacklebolt out of Azkaban and back to themselves. The Death Eaters took four Aurors last night, and we're going to bring them back." He paused. "I want you to stay here."

"What?" Callie asked. "No way. I'm coming."

He gave her a weary look. "Callie, it's a suicide mission."

"I know that. I'm not letting you go without me. We're partners, right?"

He cursed. "This isn't like taking down the Carrows!"

"I know that! But I'm an Auror, and this is my job. You said that together, we could take on Voldemort one day."

"I said that to make you work harder, not because I actually believe it!"

She stopped, stung. Callie looked him hard in the eyes. He glared back at her remorselessly. "Well, I'm not in training anymore," she said. "What you believe doesn't really matter; you signed off on my papers anyway. What I do isn't up to you." She stood. "I'm going to see my nephew and wish him a happy birthday before we go tomorrow. You coming?"

"I could force you to stay here," he reminded her.

"I know. But you won't."

"And why is that, Potter?"

"Because if you want to get Marlene back, you need every pair of hands you can get. I'll see you tomorrow." She walked out without another word.