The Dark Lord hit the ground with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snake-like face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and the boy stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell
And suddenly, Thicknesse felt his mind clear. The pink fuzz which had surrounded his thoughts for so long wafted away, and he saw the battle before him for the first time as himself. He felt the ropes binding him as he looked down at his robes; black, and beneath them he felt heavy curse-damping plates. In front of him, a shocked boy stood before the body of an old, bald man, and somehow he felt he knew them both. Ah, if only his mind would clear a little more! People all around him were running, screaming or… no, they were cheering. Some form of celebration. Perhaps one of them would set him free and explain it all?
"Relashio.'"The ropes fell from Thicknesse's body and he looked around to see a tall blond man offering him a hand. A man he remembered…
"Yaxley? What's happening?" and suddenly a horrible memory hit him. "Yaxley, I remember, you…"
"You must be confused, minister." his Head of Magical Law Enforcement said smoothly, pulling him to his feet and handing him back his wand. "We'll have you back in your right mind soon enough. Imperio."
And suddenly, everything was clear.
"What do we do?"
Yaxley ignored the panicking Death Eater, focussing on tapping at the map in his hand.
"The Dark Lord's dead, the Lestranges are dead, we're finished, they'll get us for sure, I can't stay out of Azkaban this time, what do we do Yaxley?" Crabbe senior trailed off into a self-pitying whine and Yaxley impatiently snapped his map down.
"You're quite right, Crabbe. You can't stay out of Azkaban. After being caught and imprisoned for the attack at the Department of Mysteries, the entire wizarding world knows perfectly well that you haven't been operating under the Imperius Curse. Without the Dark Lord's protection, you'll be in Azkaban within a month." Yaxley looked back down at the map, as if he had merely been idly discussing the weather. Behind him, Thicknesse stood guard, his wand raised and a vague, happy expression on his face.
"So what are we going to do?"
"Do? Not much you can do, really. Run, perhaps? The wards should let you apparate about half a mile that way." The man gestured vaguely, not even looking up.
"But what about you? What are you going to do?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Yaxley airily. "I think I'll stay here for the moment, it's fairly pleasant."
Crabbe Senior goggled at the unruffled Head of Law Enforcement. He's gone mad he thought to himself, his fingers twitching on his wand. The cogs in his head turned as he heard the sound of voices coming closer. If he stayed here, with Yaxley, they would get him for sure. If he ran, he'd have a chance.
"Right. I'll go then." Yaxley made a condescendingly encouraging noise from where he sat. "See you later, I suppose?" Another non-committal noise. With a last astounded look, Crabbe turned, squared his shoulders and began walking briskly away from the castle, not even sure entirely where he was going. At this point, the 'from' was far more important than the 'too'.
Yaxley looked up from his map at the Death Eater, studying him for a few seconds as strode off. A pity he thought to himself, twirling his wand in his fingers. Finally, he stood up.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"Stop! Friendly! Don't curse us! Friendly!"
The auror team hesitated as the men advanced on them, their hands up. With a hand gesture from their leader, they all took a knee, still keeping their wands trained on the black-robed figures before them. As they got closer, their faces were suddenly recognisable.
"Minister?"
"That's right!" said Thicknesse happily, his hands still over his head.
"Not just him," said the tall man beside the Minister for Magic. "Horsley, wasn't it?"
The leader of the auror team looked at his department head in shock. "Yes, sir. Might I ask…"
"Of course, Horsley. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you this earlier; spies everywhere, you know. I, along with many other high-level ministry employees, have infiltrated the Death Eaters and tonight have been able to bring about the Dark Lord's downfall at the hands of Undesirable Number One. You have arrived at the perfect time. With both forces nearly exhausted, we should be able to sweep them up and finally bring peace to Britain. Today," said Yaxley, taking the surprised auror by the shoulders, "is a great day. Or at least it will be. How many of you are there?"
"Seventy-five, including us. Forty-eight aurors, three in the command group and a double-strength doorbreaker section. We were only expecting Potter's forces, had prepared for a battle within the castle. There should be a few hundred Enforcers flying in too, though they won't be here for at least half an hour, and I can't speak for their reliability."
"I see. Not to worry, the remaining Death Eaters are very spread out and should be simple to deal with. If anything, your job's easier now. Who's your commander?"
Horsley looked relieved at the opportunity to pass responsibility up the command chain. "Captain Lewis, sir. Would you like to speak to her?" he said, proffering a small hand mirror.
"Thank you," said Yaxley, taking it and holding it up "Captain Chastity Lewis." A hard-looking woman's face appeared in the glass. "Hello captain. I don't imagine you were expecting to see me."
GENERAL ORDER: The Dark Lord's forces have been scattered across the area and are currently leaderless. Attempt to do as much damage as possible without risking yourselves or the primary mission. Be advised that large numbers of Ministry infiltrators are present in the Death Eater ranks, be sure to get positive ID before using any killing or permanently disabling curses. Any Death Eater who has been imprisoned is safe to eliminate. The grounds around Hogwarts are currently playing host to many dangerous wild animals, including giants, acromanatula and centaurs. Avoid these where possible, attacking only when strictly necessary. 'Snatchers' present in the area may be on our side or the Dark Lord's, do not engage unless attacked but be extremely wary.
Pro-Potter forces have been severely weakened by the battle and should be easy to destroy. The majority remain within the castle, with a few scattered about the grounds. A large contingent appears to be arriving from Hogsmeade, but Magical Law Enforcement Squad personnel arriving on the scene should be able to deal with them. Mission objectives remain the same, kill or capture Harry Potter and his various lieutenants in the so-called 'Order of the Phoenix.' Remember, many of his forces will be children bullied or imperiused into serving him, so be careful with your curses. I don't want unnecessary blood on my hands.
Auror squads are to form a cordon around the Doorbreaker section and any Ministry infiltrators discovered on the way. The castle itself is badly damaged, which will provide more entry points but increases the risk of us missing resistance nests. Make sure the path behind the Doorbreakers is cleared thoroughly.
Good luck, everyone.
GENERAL ORDER ENDS.