Some Forest Somewhere

Holly slumped next to a tree. "No1, are you okay?" she mumbled barely audibly. No1 moaned something illegible and Holly took that as a sign of disorientation but otherwise he seemed fine. A scream made them both jump to attention and take in the scene before them.

They were in a forest and tall figures in masks and black cloaks were pointing sticks at people and those people had a variety of things happen to them. A few people had a gaping wound appear on them and they would scream in agony. A few others would fall to the ground and scream in possibly more agony. A few other people would just stiffen and die.

One cloaked figure walked purposefully towards a little girl that could've been no older than five. The figure pointed her stick to the terrified little girl. "Avada-"

"NO!" Holly sprung at the figure and tried to wrestle the stick away.

"What the-" the figure said in surprise. No1 ran into the fray and the runes on his head began to glow blue. The figure smashed Holly against a tree and flung No1 into the battle where he was swiftly caught up in other fights. The figure pointed the stick at Holly.

"SECTUSEMPRA!" the figure shouted before Holly could react. Huge gashes appeared on her and blood spilled out. Holly bit her lip as blue sparks began to dance around her body and heal her. As the last gash sowed itself together she jumped up to battle with the thoroughly surprised figure.

"How-?" the person was cut off when Holly took out her Neutrino and shot the figure. The mask fell to the ground to show a woman with heavy lidded eyes. The woman stiffened and fell to the ground as the stunning energy vaulted through her body. Holly stepped over her body and joined the fray.

There were several flashes of light and allusions running around. Probably No1's doing. Holly latched herself on another cloaked figure. The mask fell off to reveal a man with platinum blond hair. He reached behind himself and grabbed Holly. He flung her to the ground in front of him. Holly heard a crack as she landed on a rock and the sparks began to work to heal her. But the man was not about to let her heal herself.

"CRUCIO!" he shouted. Holly felt something like all her nerves were being set with white-hot fire. Holly began screaming and as if she had no control over her body she writhed on the ground. Tears streamed unnoticed from her eyes. An elf like Holly doesn't cry or scream easily. Sparks appeared on her skin but there was no injury to heal.

Just when she felt she could take no more the man lifted the curse. Holly lay gasping on the ground and looked up. The man's face had some sort of a twisted expression of pleasure. He raised the stick again. "Cru-"

He never had time. Holly picked her Neutrino up and squeezed the trigger. The blast erupted from the neutrino and blasted the man across the clearing. Holly looked at herself. The last thing had drained her magic. The next injury would stay there.

She heard someone chuckled nastily from behind her. Holly spun around to see another cloaked figure without the mask for once. He had greasy black hair and gaunt features. Before Holly could pump her gun the man made a small swish movement with his wand. A long gash appeared on Holly's stomach and she felt as if a sword had just sliced her. Blood flowed freely and leaked out no matter how much Holly tried to stop it.

The man turned away and thought her finished. Just goes to show he hadn't a clue what she was like. Holly fell on the ground but on the ground she aimed and fired at the man. He was immediately unconscious.

Holly looked down to see her blood staining the earth. Darkness determinedly tugged at the corners of her vision. She looked around and saw No1 on the ground. She could make out the rise and fall of his chest so he must have been unconscious.

Holly was still defiantly alive even though he blood flowed from a serious stomach wound. She suddenly felt cold. It was unnatural cold. She was going to die. She was never going to be with those who mattered most to her.

She vaguely noticed all the people still standing fled from the clearing. She saw other figures coming into the clearing but these figures weren't necessarily human. They hovered a few inches from the ground and they wore long tattered cloaks. Their breath rattled from their bodies in a hideous way.

One of them glided towards Holly. Tears began flowing unnoticed from her eyes. She felt cold metal stabbing her heart and in her mind's eye she saw Abbot's grinning face as he taunted her. Then her mind's eye switched to the image of the bomb strapped to her commander's chest. She saw herself shooting the little spot on the bomb and the timer going faster. She felt the same horror she had felt when she realized Julius had died. Then it switched to the despair she felt when she had thought that the commander, Butler, and Artemis had all died.

Tears began flowing faster as her mind forced her to repeat these event over and over again. The creature began to come closer to her and Holly laid her head on the ground. All her happiness was gone and with it so was her defiance against death. Her tears and blood mixed on the ground and darkness began taking over her vision. She saw someone stepping next to her and everything went black.

12 Grimmald Place

"Ow!" Artemis's hand flew to his face. He felt like his hazel eye just had a needle stuck through it. "Holly…" he whispered. Fred and George cocked their heads.

"That is the second time you mentioned her. What is wrong?" Fred asked. Artemis was quiet for a moment. He had a vague feeling of despair. He closed his eyes and concentrated everything he had on Holly. An image flickered in his mind's eye but it faded away just as fast. He opened his eyes.

"What are creatures wearing black cloaks who have the ability to make you loose all hope?" Artemis asked. Fred and George exchanged looks.

"They are dementors. They suck all happiness from you and force you to relive your worst experiences. If they have a chance they suck your soul out," they said. Artemis paled profusely. He closed his eyes again and he concentrated on Holly. He didn't know why but he had an unfamiliar desperation to connect and he had an unfamiliar certainty that he could connect. He felt a flicker. It was of fear and grief and he noticed pain, but she was definitely alive and with a soul. Relief swept through him and he opened his eyes.

Artemis, Fred and George were still in the same room but Hermione and Ron had left to try to send a letter to Harry and the adults were trying to figure everything out downstairs.

"Tell me," Artemis said. "what has been happening around here?"

Fred and George cocked their heads again. "What do you mean?" they said in unison.

"I mean, what has been happening? It is obvious this is an organization to resist someone or something. What are you trying to resist?" Artemis asked irritably.

"Don't you know about the war?" George asked.

"No, otherwise I wouldn't be asking you, would I?" Artemis said irritably.

"Okay, Okay!" Fred said.

"No need to get snappy about it!" George said.

"Sit down and we'll tell you about it." Fred said. Artemis said cross-legged on the ground and rubbed his temples. It was time to learn about this new world.