Chapter Two
Palm Harbor, Fl.
Louis arrived at Derek's at a quarter past eight, his nerves a jumbled mess. He'd never been this nervous before.
"Louis! Dude, about time!" Derek laughed in greeting, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"How are your parents?" Louis asked. Derek's parents were muggles who had been floored that their son had magical potential. Yet the couple couldn't have been nicer to the wizarding community, even fitting in well.
"Oh, they're manning the punch bowl. They don't want it getting spiked," Derek sniggered. "By the way, Sarah's over there chatting with Diana."
"Oh… uh… Thanks," Louis replied nervously. Derek winked.
"Anytime," He said as Louis walked into the house. The home was packed with Southeastern Students laughing and sipping hot chocolate and punch. He found Sarah, and approached after briefly checking his appearance.
"Sorry to interrupt, Diana. May I borrow Sarah for a moment?" Louis grinned, all confidence and charm. Diana nodded with a meaningful look at her friend. Louis caught Derek's eye and nodded. Derek gave a thumb up before lighting up a Dr. Filibuster's firework, effectively distracting the crowd.
"Sarah, there was something I wanted to ask you," Louis said, his voice almost drowned by the cheers Derek's display was earning. Sarah smiled brilliantly, catching Louis' breath.
"My answer is yes," She replied sparing Louis the effort of asking what they both knew he had wanted to. Louis blinked briefly, his mind stalling out before comprehension dawned on him. He pumped a fist in the air in triumph. Sarah laughed and closed the gap between them. Taking a fistful of Louis' shirt, she kissed him. Sudden gasps filled the room. Louis smirked against Sarah's lips before parting, rolling his eyes. He had expected everyone's reactions would be over the top.
"Yeah, yeah…" He began. He was silenced midsentence. No one was even paying attention to the two of them. All eyes were fixed on one spot in the winter night sky. Louis followed their gazes thinking that everyone was looking at a larger filibuster display. He noticed no one was smiling.
Glowing acidic green, like a scar across the black was the Dark Mark. Louis' heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
"Oh my god…"Sarah whispered.
"That's over my home!" Louis gasped. He pushed his way through the crowd, out the French doors, and into Derek's backyard.
"LOUIS, DON'T!" Derek exclaimed, grabbing his friend by the shoulders to stop him from disapparating. "Louis, are you crazy? There could be Death Eaters! Your parent's are Aurors! They can handle themselves," Derek snapped. Louis ignored him, shoving his friends hands of his should. He glared at Derek, but the act did nothing to hide his panic from his friend.
And he was gone.
Sarah and Derek glanced at each other.
"We can't let him go alone," Derek sighed. Sarah had a determined expression on her face as she pulled her wand out of her jeans.
"What are we waiting for?"
Derek nodded grimly. "Everyone stays here! No one is leaving until the morning." Derek directed his orders to the rest of his guests "Remember what Blackwell says, stay alert!"
And with that he took Sarah's hand and they Disapparated.
Louis apparated on the corner of his street. He saw the glowing Dark Mark clearly as it hovered ominously in the pitch black sky. He gripped his wand tightly and raced to his home, slinking through the shadows to avoid detection. His home was destroyed. Half the roof was blasted away, and the windows were blown out. Louis gritted his teeth. Louis took a moment to judge the best way to get into the house without detection, and then he crept into his side yard.
From his location crouched beneath a window he could hear voices inside, laughing. Louis slipped inside the crumbling remains of his home. He inched his way down the darkened hall towards his living room and was greeted by his worst nightmare.
Ten Death Eaters were wreaking havoc on every item in the home. A hand clasped over Louis' mouth, stifling a potential shout of shock.
"Shhhh…" a familiar voice whispered gently. Louis was released. He turned and saw none other than Professor Blackwell, looking grim and even a little angry.
"What are you doing here?" Louis hissed. Blackwell pointed to the sky above, indicating the Mark. Louis peered around the corner again. In the center of the room lay his parents' still bodies.
"Well done, Deveraux. These two have escaped us three times already," A Death Eater praised. "Come and receive your reward." Louis' eyes widened in horror. Blackwell placed a hand on his student's shoulder.
"What is it?" The professor asked. Louis glared at a tall dark haired man who wore a smug, self-satisfied smile as he rose from his languid position on the couch and approached the Death Eater who had spoken. The man extended his left arm, rolling up the sleeve of his robe. Louis watched as the masked Death Eater raised his wand.
"Morsemordre," the Death Eater hissed, and suddenly a writing black tattoo of the skull and snake appeared on Deveraux's arm.
"That man worked with my parents! He's an Auror!" Louis hissed at his professor, trying hard not to scream in rage. He gripped his wand in white knuckled fury. "He was their friend!"
The weight of Deveraux's betrayal felt like a stab to Louis. Blackwell guessed Louis' thoughts and whispered. "Don't do anything foolish, Louis. He will pay for his crimes, eventually, I swear. But now is not the time for vengeance." He took a hold of Louis' shirt and started leading, more like dragging, the distraught 17 year old back the way he had come. In their struggle, Louis tripped over debris and a huge wall of shelves came crashing to the floor.
"LOUIS, RUN! JUST RUN!" Robert Blackwell shouted. The Death Eaters shouted in surprise, racing into the hall and seeing the Adult and a young man fleeing. Curses were illuminating the hall like a terrible Fourth of July display. Blackwell whirled around, his black robes billowing behind him exclaiming "Stupify!"
The two foremost Death Eaters were thrown back, unconscious, into the others, buying time for the two to escape. As the two slipped from the house, they heard the shouts grow louder, the death eaters getting closer.
Louis sprinted faster than he ever had before down the street, his teacher beside him.
"Louis!" the Familiar voices of Derek and Sarah spurred Louis on until he had passed the apparation line his family had made. The Dark haired youth spun around with his wand raised. He could see Deveraux in the lead of the pack of Death Eaters approaching. He caught the Ex- Auror's eye.
"This ain't over, you Son of a Bitch!" Louis howled in rage, firing off a warning shot, tears streaming down his cheeks. Then Blackwell grabbed his wrist and Louis was surrounded by the familiar pressure of side-along apparating.