Chapter 12 – Black Blooded
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Previously on The Forgiven: Liar regained all of his memories, which include the location of where Kingsley and the Longbottoms were being held. Meanwhile, the captured Aurors are tortured by the Lestranges and Crouch Jr.
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(At Ministry Headquarters)
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Dumbledore and Crouch Sr. worked desperately to locate the captured Aurors. They summoned all the manpower they had at their disposal. Workers on their day off, the Order of the Phoenix's former members, even retired law enforcement answered the call. Three of their best had been taken, and they were no short on zeal when it came to getting them back.
Perhaps on poor judgment, Crouch Sr. remained insistent they avoid using lethal measures. Some voiced dissenting opinions, but the doubts vanished in the face of more pressing problems.
In the middle of all the rushing and message sending, a strange, white mist flickered in front of Dumbledore's vision and then slipped away.
After making sure no one was paying attention, the old wizard entered an empty office. The silver wisp appeared before him, taking a more condensed form.
It was a penguin Patronus belonging to Norse. And instead of talking, the bird fell on its belly and began sliding through the air, shining words appeared to spell out Norse's message.
Dumbledore followed the letters with a frown. He had to stop himself from giving a Forgiver's order to force them to return to base. The message read by the time he received the Patronus, the Forgiven would be well on their way to rescuing Kingsley, and deep inside a Death Eater fortress. It would have carried more risk to call them back now.
With a heavy sigh Dumbledore read the last part of the letter, which detailed the villa's location.
Before he went to notify Crouch, he whispered a few words to three individuals who weren't in the room.
"I invoke my right as Forgiver and hereby order the Forgiven to…"
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(Outside the Lestrange Villa)
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I don't see anything.
Norse's words floated by.
"That would be the work of a modified Fidelius Charm. Only those who've been to the villa can see it or enter the premises," Liar answered.
Annoying scum Death Eater who crafted such cowardice.
"That would be me, but yes, thank you for the compliments."
The Forgiven spied on the Death Eater stronghold from behind a small hill a few hundred feet away. It was as close as they could get while avoiding detection.
"Grimm, how about you?" Liar asked.
Their leader shook her head.
"Even though I saw it in your memories, and walked inside it, the charm still works. Can't see a damn thing, much less enter."
"The hard way it is, I suppose. Await my signal."
And with that, Liar Disapparated and reappeared within the fortress grounds. He cast all manner of concealment charms and stealthily maneuvered himself through the villa. After scouting the positions of the patrolling Death Eaters, he found a spot with the least amount of presence. Once in position, he contacted Grimm and Norse.
"North East section. Aim for the rippling part. You must be quick. The barrier will regenerate shortly after."
"Got it," Grimm responded.
The plan was to have Liar weaken the shield from the inside, while Grimm and Norse attacked from the outside. With simultaneous spells on both ends, the protective charm for the section would fail momentarily. In the time it took the shield to regenerate, the two witches would rush in before it closed.
Grimm turned to Norse and tossed her a broom.
"We get one crack at this. Fly like hell and cast your best spell."
I have just the one.
On his end, Liar pointed his wand up.
"Finite Incantem."
A colorless thread flowed from the wizard's wand to the shield above. When the string made contact, the invisible bubble covering the villa began to ripple.
The waves were sighted by Grimm and Norse, and they quickly mounted their brooms. The two bolted up and made fast for the barrier. As the witches flew at break neck speed, they concentrated on the spells they would unleash.
Grimm noticed Norse falling behind and looked back at her. The glowing witch was drawing something intricate in the air that appeared to be an ancient rune. Before Grimm could ask her what she was doing, Norse finished the "inscription".
She touched the middle of the hammer-like emblem with her wand, and the design dispersed. The wand in her hand instantly crackled with electricity and splintered into nothing. Shortly after, the symbol Norse had drawn appeared overhead and etched into the sky itself. Black clouds formed to give the glowing inscription contrast, and the air circuited with electricity enough to make people's hair stand on end.
Day instantly turned to night.
As Grimm and Liar stared wide eyed at the spectacle, a great hum resounded for miles out. All gusts of wind halted and the air became still. In the quiet eeriness, something broke down from the dark ceiling.
A titanic spear of lightning fell on the part of the shield Liar had been weakening. The weapon of pure energy smashed through the defenses and demolished one of the watch towers below. Not only was that section's protection down, but so were the others around it.
Descendant of Thor, alright… Grimm thought, while she cleared out her ears.
The blue haired witch put her wand away as she didn't need it anymore, and she and Norse quickly soared through the damaged barrier.
They reunited with Liar, and Grimm began issuing instructions to them all.
"From the looks of it, they don't know where we are or how many we are. Norse, you will act as decoy and destroy the security enchantments so the Ministry can clean up easier when they get here. Try to make it look like there's more than just you out here."
I may need more wands.
Grimm frowned and handed over some of her spares. Norse seemed delighted at the idea of going as berserk as she wanted. Grimm almost thought she heard an audible sound of glee.
The leader then continued.
"Liar and I are going to get Kingsley and the Longbottoms. Our main threats are the Lestranges, especially Bellatrix—bonkers, that one. Crouch Jr. too, while we're at it. You run into more than one of them at a time, you come find us. No fighting a handicap, understood?"
Norse nodded reluctantly at the thought of having to retreat.
"We all have our assignments. No one is allowed to be stupid and nobody is allowed to fock up and die. Now, let's get this shit over with."
""Let's get this shit over with~"" Norse and Liar gave a sarcastic cheer.
The three grasped each other's hands and then separated.
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While Norse enacted her distraction, Liar and Grimm were easily able to navigate themselves through the villa. Luckily enough, the security enchantments and sigils were left unchanged from Liar's memories.
After avoiding some sparse patrols, the pair of Forgiven made it down a spiraling stone staircase to the door of the dungeon. As the two stood before the threshold, Grimm turned to Liar.
"Alright. Are you ready for this?"
"I am."
"He's your father. You still think you can—"
"You saw my memories. Do you think I still see that man as my father?"
The witch nodded and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid. I'm pissed."
"Hmph, not bad for your last words. We'll make sure to carve it on your gravestone." Grimm broke into a wide grin.
"'Bad jokes and sarcasm in the face of death' seems a tad more appropriate."
They both readied their wands for what lay ahead.
Eyes sharp with a slight bracing of the teeth.
They took a deep breath and blasted the door down, ready to curse any Death Eater as soon as they were in sight.
They crossed the threshold and entered the room, but before they could fire a spell, they saw Bellatrix and Rabastan with their wands aimed at the Longbottoms on the floor.
Grimm and Liar felt a spike of rage jolt their heart rates, but forcefully fought it down. It was a rescue mission. They couldn't afford to give in to their emotions, for one false move would spell the end for the Longbottoms.
"I'm giving you one chance! STAND DOWN!" Liar bellowed.
"Lynus…?! What are you doing?!" Rabastan shouted in confusion.
"ONE CHANCE! And that's the remaining bit that calls myself your son."
The two Death Eaters made no movements. They only continued to stare wide eyed at the intruders for a moment.
It was Bellatrix who brought the awkwardness to an end with a scream.
"LYNUS, YOU TRAITOR!"
"Now, now, Auntie Bell. Let's try not to commit to anything stupid—er than what you are thinking."
Grimm let out a short laugh.
They all turned to her.
"Sorry. 'Auntie Bell'. Hah." The Forgiven leader moved her eyes without rotating her head. "Kingsley. You alright, over there?"
"I'm fine! But the Longbottoms! They—!"
"We'll save them." Grimm shifted her sight to the two unconscious Aurors on the floor and back to the Death Eaters. "As soon as they surrender."
"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, LITTLE GIRL!" Bellatrix howled.
"Look, you rabies ridden wench. We're not above using Unforgivable Curses on you. We've got direct lines of sight, while your wands are aimed down. There's no scenario in this where you come out on top."
Rabastan and Bellatrix looked ready to pull their wands away from their hostages, which was exactly what Grimm wanted. But as bloodthirsty as they were, they also knew the importance of keeping control of their emotions. Their wands remained aimed on the hostages.
It was a difficult stalemate.
The four locked into a life or death match that hinged on the slightest of movements. A small inadvertent twitch, an out of place breath, a moment of impatience or hesitation—that was all it would take to decide victory and defeat.
Meanwhile, they heard the battle rumbling upstairs.
"Lynus!" Rabastan tried to create an opening. "I am your father! You would disobey your own parent?!"
"I've never thought of you that way since you let he-who-must-not-be-named kill my mother!"
"She was a traitor! Your mother abandoned you and I for a MUGGLE! An example had to be made!"
"Are you mental?! Do you hear yourself right?! Yeah, I'm raw about her ditching me, but she didn't deserve what happened!" Liar grimaced. "…And running away from your problems is the last thing I could criticize anyone about."
"LYNUS!"
"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!"
The four magi standoff intensified. Both sides were hastily devising possible plans to tip the odds in their favor. With outstretched arms, they all began to feel the burden it put on their muscles.
The static pose they held ate away at their nerves and joints. Sweat traveled down their bodies and into their eyes, but they refused to so much as blink. All their willpower poured into having their wands ready for the slightest opening.
The first sign of weakness showed in a most unexpected way.
Bellatrix's hand gave an almost unnoticeable tremor.
"Arm getting tired? You've been torturing the Longbottoms, I see, so I bet you're more spent than we are," Grimm sneered.
Bellatrix growled and reaffirmed her stance.
In the hollow dungeon, the sounds of distant explosions reverberated ever nearer.
While the quiet war waged between them, it would come almost completely down to luck.
If Bellatrix and Rabastan tired out, or showed the slightest break in concentration, it would be Grimm and Liar's victory. If the upstairs battles drew close enough and Death Eaters arrived in the dungeon, it would be Bellatrix and Rabastan's.
The four could only wait for fortune to favor one of them.
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While her comrades were fought silently downstairs, Norse's battle was the complete opposite.
The glowing witch skipped off the ground and kicked the walls, while using her broom to propel her forward. She darted around pillars, banking tight turns to take cover from the flurry of enemy spells chasing her. All along the way, the witch continued to advance to the security enchantments.
She had taken down three so far. Only two more remained.
Norse arrived at the base of a watch tower, which housed one of them. According to prior experience, there would be at least five Death Eaters guarding it on the top floor. The witch found the task took too long the first time round, so she decided to take a different approach.
Norse pointed her wand at the tall building.
Fulgur TOTALUM!
The tower started to resonate a light similar to a giant firefly. As if attracted to the glow, veins of burning yellow pulsed from the sky and struck the tower from all angles. Like the old story of Babel, the building collapsed from top to bottom. The thunder bolts traced acupuncture points from the roof down to its foundation.
When the destruction was complete, Norse saw the villa's shield weaken significantly. She looked down at the wand that was burned of all its life and tossed it aside. Norse pulled a new one and made her way to the final hidden enchantment Liar mapped out.
With the elimination of the last security measure, her assignment would be fulfilled, and she would be free to join her comrades. Norse's lips pulled into a smile as she veered her broom into the family study room. It was in there, the final enchantment would be found.
Or at least, it should have been.
She rechecked the memories and images Liar had given her to make sure she was in the right place. There was no doubt about it. Someone had the brains to figure out the Forgiven knew exactly where the security charms were, and moved the last one.
Norse cursed.
As far as her detection skills went, they would not be up to the task of tracking the artifact on her own. It was times like this the witch relied on either Liar or Grimm.
With Death Eaters closing in on her location, Norse had to think fast. Determine where they took the artifact and head there. She closed her eyes and began running through the memories Liar imparted on her. At the same time, she tried to come up with her own predictions.
If I were to move an important object, where would I place it?
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Where do Mad Eye and Dumbledore hide the Forgiven?
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….FOCK—!
Norse grit her teeth and kicked her broom off with enough force blow away the surrounding furniture.
The shining witch made a dash for the underground basement with mad haste.
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In the dungeon, where the four magi continued their standoff, something caught Liar's attention.
While trying to reveal as little as possible on his expression, the wizard communicated with Grimm telepathically.
"We have a situation, boss."
"What is it?"
"Rudolphus and Crouch Jr. just tripped one of my detection charms on the staircase. The two of them will be joining us soon."
"And Norse?"
"Also on her way. Just tripped the same charm shortly after."
"Even if she gets here in time, three wands against four, huh? Not fond of those odds."
"Nor am I."
Grimm thought on it for a moment.
"….I've got an idea, but it's going to be really tricky."
"I do love tricks."
"Establish Legilimens with Kingsley and then Norse when you can. This is going to go fast."
Grimm explained her plan and felt Liar's mind cringe and squirm.
"Tricky doesn't even begin to describe how mental that plan is."
"You have a better one?"
"No. But what you're suggesting is like threading a needle on a moving broom, while on fire and underwater with four people at the same time."
"Then we thread the bloody needle! We've trained enough. We're good enough!"
"…..Okay, done. You can imagine their reactions. Kingsley's just about shite his cloak and Norse is all smiles."
"Alright, then. My mark."
"Oooohhh kay."
"3…
2…
…1."
With great apprehension, Liar and Grimm lowered their wands with slow, purposed timing. Even this simple act, they had to do with mind numbing precision. Their hearts beat so hard, they threatened to burst from their chests.
In the few seconds that dragged on, the two became completely defenseless.
Bellatrix and Rabastan looked at them confounded before they decided to take advantage. They changed targets from the Longbottoms to the Forgiven. Bellatrix loosed the Killing Curse, while Rabastan opted for a stunning spell for his son.
Before the projectiles hit, Liar barely brushed Grimm's arm and instantly Disapparated them beside the chained Kingsley. The feat only doable because the wizard had been hard concentrating beforehand, normally impossible to accomplish with another person in tow.
As the two hostile spells moved through the empty space where Liar and Grimm once were, they narrowly missed Rudolphus and Crouch Jr., who just appeared in the doorway. Behind them, Norse sprang her ambush, provoking a two on one battle with the element of surprise on her side.
Meanwhile, Bellatrix and Rabastan turned their sights to Grimm, Liar, and Kingsley. Grimm handed the Forgiver a wand, and they both met their opposing foes.
In the middle of the chaos, Liar made use of the split off attentions. Able to Apparate instantly when alone, he swiftly ported over to the Longbottoms on the floor. It would take a moment to concentrate on Disapparating two people at once, but Grimm and Kingsley would buy him the time he needed.
Simultaneous events happened all at once. Norse shot a wide range spell that knocked the wind out of Crouch Jr. and Rudolphus. Bellatrix and Rabastan fired Killing Curses at Grimm and Kingsley, who both conjured a concrete barrier to block the attack. Liar was able to Apparate the Longbottoms back beside his comrades, in the meantime.
While everyone was engaged in their own wizard duels, Liar began treatment for the Longbottoms.
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What is this…
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WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!
"Liar?! What's wrong? You know you're shouting this through Legilimens, right?" Grimm answered back.
"It's the Longbottoms! They're—They..!"
The boy broke into a cold sweat as he linked his mind to the unconscious married couple. With a heavy heart, he shared what he uncovered. All of the Forgiven felt simultaneous senses of horror and dread.
They perceived the minds of the Longbottoms in ruin. No form of clear thought was present. Only pain and damage.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THEM?!" Grimm cried.
Something snapped inside her. A familiar lock in her heart clicked opened. From the depths crawled all the sinister impulses she held back, the creatures injected venom into her blood. She felt her veins pump poison. Her darkest emotions released, intoxicating her—making her blood run black.
Grimm viciously thrust her wand in the direction of Bellatrix with hatred in her eyes. Her teeth biting her lips bloody.
"CRUCIO!"