Steps

Footsteps. Hurried footsteps in the hall outside. They were here to confirm what he had felt. His cabinet. His most loyal.

Lord Voldemort waved his wand, swinging the chamber door open and turned to face the seven Death Eaters.

Mulciber and Karkaroff stood to the far right, Malfoy and Lestrange to the far left. So…this was no investigatory matte nor was it political. Rookwood, Dolohov and Rosier took the center. Bellatrix was not among them. So then there was cleaning up to be done.

"Report."

Dolohov took a step forward. "My Lord." A triumphant pause. "The Liverpool aurors have fallen."

Stride

Andre Rosier, Chief of Prisoner Interrogation, crossed the dank dungeon anti-chamber in three large strides. Antonin noticed that Rosier had developed his striding manner only after acquiring that particular position in the Lord's cabinet. Andre stopped at the far wall by Antonin's shoulder, then paced back toward the door at the other side in those same frustrated strides.

"What are you thinking?"

Rosier stopped, turning. "I can't get anything out of her."

"Is she an Oc—?"

"No. No shields. She's a child for Salazar's sake! What could she know?"

Antonin offered Rosier a smoke. "Orders aren't always for understanding."

Stumble

When a drunk Andre Rosier came stumbling into his chambers at three in the morning, Theodore Mulciber instantly knew that something was wrong. "Andy! What're you doing?"

Andre, ignoring his friend's surprise, slumped on the floor by the fireplace and dropped his head in his hands. "I've been at it for hours. She doesn't know anything!"

"Who?"

"Girl. From raid."

"Have you told the Lord?"

"Tried. He insists she knows. He's threatened…"

Theodore went to sit next to his friend. "To what?"

"Make Evan lead the next raid if I fail to find it all out. Ev's not ready…he'll fail."

Leap

"Jump!"

"I can't!"

The boy stood on the edge of the stone wall, looking with wide, incredulous eyes at the older wizard who, atop a very young dragon, was holding a hand out to him.

"We have to go! I can't fly her higher, she's too young. Jump to me!"

The boy shook his head. There had to be at least twenty feet between them.

The aurors were coming. He had to jump now or be taken and risk everyone else, the whole operation.

"Trust me, Anatole!"

The boy shut his eyes and leaped down to Dolohov and, ultimately, safety.

Fall

Ashley Mulciber was no stranger to the Death Eaters, since his older brother, Theodore, was one. Never had he doubted The Cause. Never, until that night.

He and Wilkes were paired in the raid with Alexander and William Tallis. The air raid, conducted on brooms, lasted a single exhausting hour. On their way back they had been ambushed by a few strangler flyers one of whom managed to hit William with a curse that knocked him off his broom. Although the ambush had barely forced them to break ranks, no one but Alex made an attempt to catch Will's fall.