Harry Potter

The Aftermath

Chapter 7

The Longbottoms

January 8, 2018

Early morning the sun just starting to creep up over the horizon Marie's charms went off to warn her of an approaching person. She jumped out of bed grabbed her wand and made her way down the stairs just as a knock happened on the door. Marie caught her breath then opened the door with her wand up like always. "Who are you and what do you want?" she asked abrasively.

"Is my son and his wife here?" an Older lady with a green set of robes on and and awful hat asked.

"Who are you looking for?" Marie asked with a pit in the bottom of her stomach.

"My son Frank Longbottom and his wife Alice, they said they were coming to see you last night and they never came for Neville, I have him with my neighbor right now while I came to find them." Mrs. Longbottom said as she stared at Marie coldly.

"They left last night to go get Neville. You saw...oh crap you're not even the same one from last night..." Marie said to Mrs. Longbottom then over to the guard standing on her porch by the door.

"I took over at 5 this morning." the guard said with a quick shrug.

"Have you contacted the Ministry maybe they went back to work?" Marie asked curiously they had said they would help her but she really didn't think they would do that last night she was grasping at straws.

"I went to the Ministry first they haven't been seen there since they left to come here yesterday. So you were the last to see them did they say anything to you about going somewhere else?" Mrs. Longbottom asked curiously hoping for some kind of clue to where her son was but wasn't very hopeful with this Death Eater Lover.

"No they said they needed to get back to Neville. They seemed eager to get back to him." Marie said wondering where they could have gone.

"Very well thank you for your time." Mrs. Longbottom said then turned to go back down the stairs.

"Please notify me when you find them." Marie said as she watched the older woman walk down the stairs.

"I'll send word to you." Mrs. Longbottom said at the bottom of the stairs then turned and walked away.

Marie shut her door, locked it, and rebuilt her charms. 'I don't trust the Ministry to find them.' she thought as she went back up the stairs to change. She opened her bed room window then walked away out of sight of anyone being nosy and looking in, she transformed into a beautiful owl with a mix of light brown and dark brown feathers on its head, back, and wings. The front was a gorgeous snow white. And she took to the air through the window and out of sight.

Marie knew the way they had headed so she flew that direction after taking a wide swing around her own house away from the guard posted there he would be there for several hours more and had seen her inside so she should be safe for a while at least anyway.

She got a good ways down Diagon Alley before she spotted new damage on one of the buildings and she landed by it curiously. 'This was dark magic...' she thought as she spun her head around curiously looking around at the rest of the ally right around her and she noticed another mark down a side alley so she took fight again.

Marie fallowed small marks like that for what seemed like hours 'Apparently Frank and Alice gave them one hell of a fight.' she thought then landed on the edge of a roof top. She heard a high pitched scream that of a woman then a deeper one of a man and she took flight immediately flying as fast as she could. She flew through an open upper loading door to a deserted barn and there she saw Frank and Alice writhing in the floor with four Death Eaters standing over them with wands pointed at the two.

"Where is our Dark Lord?" A tall woman asked with wild black curly hair screeched out angrily as she finally had the others lift the curse from them.

"He's dead... we've told you..." Alice whimpered as she looked up at the crazed woman.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! CURCIO!" The woman screamed at them as she resumed her attack on the poor Longbottoms. The other three also resumed their attack on the poor tortured couple.

Marie landed lightly behind a pillar then transformed back into her normal form then spun around the pillar and stunned the youngest of the group one she recognized at Barty Crouch Jr. She spun back behind cover before the others could locate her, this was going to be hard three against one but damn it she was going to try.

Deep breath in with her wand at the ready she spun back around to drop to the floor as a spell was shot at her and she fired back with another stunning spell then rolled back under cover. 'There not playing around.' she thought as she looked at the damage caused by that last curse. She ducked out of cover running for the stairs down as she fired several more disarming charms and stunning spells. In the process she noticed that the torture of Frank and Alice had stopped but they were now unconscious.

"Where is our Lord?" the woman screeched again but this time at Marie.

"Rotting in Hell if we are all lucky!" Marie retorted as she jumped over the rail about the half way down the stairs to avoid the big guy making his way to the stairs.

"Our masters not dead!" The woman lashed out at Marie with the Curiciatus curse which missed luckily enough Marie had tripped and fell behind a broken down farm cart.

Marie jumped up and stunned the guy by the stairs trying to make his way over to her then ducked back to cover crawling away to a different cover she stood up behind the pillar holding up the loft deep breath in she sneaked a peak to find the last guy she would deal with the woman in a minute but where was he. He had been there beside her a moment ago too late she heard some movement to her right and she was struck in the face and send flying to the floor, the last guy had hit her with his fist.

Marie hurt like hell but she rolled and staggered back up to her feet to keep moving to make a harder target to hit. She was glad she had moved cause the spot she had landed it exploded with a shower of old hay as another curiatus curse just barely missed her.

"Your friends aren't very helpful." the woman said with an evil laugh as she began torturing the poor Longbottoms again.

"STOP IT!" Marie screamed at her as she finally hit the other man square in the chest with a stunning spell then spun around to the woman wand up and ready but she had made the fatal mistake of standing still and she realized that as excruciating pain hit her all over and her knees began to buckle she clung to her wand as she began to go down to the ground she forced one eye open pointed her wand at the woman with all her strength and fired a stunning spell which the woman dodged easily but it broke her concentration on Marie.

"It hurts doesn't it?" the woman cackled as Marie limped behind cover and slid to the floor panting hard trying to get her body to work again.

"Damn it if I don't finish this soon the others will start waking up." Marie said to herself as she looked up at the ceiling above her as she finally began catching her breath. 'Here we go...' she thought as she slipped out from cover again bent double to get to the broken cart.

"I want to know where my master is tell me or I will kill one of them!" The woman said as she pointed her wand down at Frank and Alice.

"He's bloody gone you frikin nut job!" Marie said from behind the cart as she spied between the wheel and the cart it self. "Your master is nothing more than a murder. How'd he find the Potter's anyway?" she asked trying to get proof from this crazy woman.

"Didn't you hear? My cousin Sirius is said to have give him the information needed." The woman said and laughed again.

"LIAR!" Marie screamed as she jumped up out of hiding and fired several stunning spells at the woman as she now ducked for cover.

"Ah my dear cousin's lover, what a find I've made today you will be worth a lot to my lord." the woman said and laughed again as she jumped up and attacked Marie who was no longer where she had been so the woman looked around confused only to find Marie in front of her grabbing her robes and pulling her across a bail of hay to pin her to the floor.

"Sirius didn't give Voldemort any information I know that for a fact! Now tell me who did?" Marie said pointing her wand down at the woman as she held her in place.

"Guess what? Your right but I'll never tell you who did and I'll always, always say it was Sirius when someone asks!" the woman said with a wicked grin on her face.

"You evil bitch." Marie said angrily then stood up and stunned the woman. She looked around and found enough rope to tie them all up but one was gone the first one she had stunned was no where to be found so she just shrugged. She used her wand to inscribe a message at in the wood at their feet.

We are Death Eaters, we have captured and tortured Frank

and Alice Longbottom for information regarding our

masters location until they were rescued by a friend

and taken to St. Mungo's. There were four of us, the fourth

escaped.

Marie took the woman's wand and shot the Dark Mark into the sky then instantly grabbed Frank and Alice and apperated to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries where she told them they had been tortured with the Curiatus curse for a long period of time before being rescued to inform the Ministry. She left the hospital and made it to a deserted area as quickly as she could then transformed into her owl form and took flight she needed to get back to her home before anyone asked questions.

Marie flew back around her house the long way to get back to her open bedroom window without being seen, being an unregistered Animagus had it's perks and down sides. She flew in through her window and over out of sight and transformed again to her human form and walked over to the window and locked it. She went to go bathe to get the barn smell off of her thinking sadly what had happened to her friends and only allies in the fight for Sirius' rights.

After she had bathed and redressed for the day she made her way down to the kitchen to make breakfast she ate alone like she had over the past few months without Sirius or any of her friends. She made her way back up stairs cause it was about time for the post and the upstairs windows were the only ones available to be opened for a delivery.

She sat and waited for a long time 'Post is really late today.' she thought with a frown since it was almost lunch time, then got up opened the window and walked over gathered up the clothes that needed to be washed and began that chore for the day. By the time she had the washings dried and ready to be put away she made her way back up stairs and she found a newspaper on her bed.

"About time bloody bird." Marie said aggravated as she sat the laundry down and went over and opened the paper to see a picture of Frank and Alice Longbottom front and center.

Death Eater Attack

Frank and Alice Longbottom Auror's for the Ministry of Magic

was brutally kidnapped and tortured for information on the Dark

Lords whereabouts sources inform this paper that the couple was

saved by the Ministry and taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for

Magical Maladies, and Injuries.

Close family member of the couple have shared that the couple

isn't doing well at all, they are in observation with little chance

of improvement. It is unlikely that they will be able to return

to duty but she is grateful for the Ministries diligence in

finding her family and rescuing them in such a fast amount

of time. The young couple has a baby boy a little under a year

and a half old. More information to follow as it becomes

available.

"Little chance of improvement...If only I would have got there sooner give them hope perhaps this could have been avoided." Marie said to herself as she threw the paper to the side and laid back on her bed. 'I can't keep this up everyone is gone, hates me, or get's hurt. What's wrong with me, what have I done to deserve this, I don't understand if I'm being punished for something then just punish me leave everyone else alone.' she thought as she looked up at the ceiling with tears welling up in her eyes.

Charms went off announcing another person coming to her house and with a sigh she pushed herself up off the bed and walked down the stairs she drew her wand like always. She opened the door just as a man was about to knock he was looking down at her over his half moon glasses glancing down at her wand then back up to her. "What do you want?" she asked bluntly as she lowered her wand.

"May I come in?" Dumbledore asked lightly motioning into the house.

"Why not, shut the door behind you." Marie said with a frown then turned and walked away gathering up the tea and biscuit tray from the night before. "I'll make tea." she said coldly then walked into the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a small bagel and some warm tea and sat that down in front of Dumbledore on the Coffee table.

"It's a lovely home you have Miss Willis it's quite dark though." Dumbledore said as he looked around at the living area at all the pictures of Marie and her friends.

"Our home is lovely thank you. And the darkness fits my current mood, what do you want Dumbledore?" Marie said putting an emphasis on Our meaning she still believed this home was her joint home with Sirius.

"Ah yes the Ministry has asked me to speak with you about your visit with the Longbottom's last night." Dumbledore said as he sat down with a cup of tea that he pored himself.

"What the prudes at the Ministry don't want to deal with little old me? Afraid I'll bring up Sirius' innocence again are they?" Marie asked sarcastically as she crossed her legs and arms glaring at Dumbledore.

"Probably." Dumbledore said simply as he sat his cup of tea down. "What did the Longbottom's come here for last night Miss Willis?" he asked curiously.

"It's none of your business nor the Ministries but they came to see how I was doing. Which is more than I can say for you." Marie said bitterly as she continued to glare at him.

"I see so you didn't discuss anything of importance?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he just watched her unfazed by her anger.

Marie snorted. "Important to who? You or me?" she asked as she rolled her eyes at him.

"The Ministry Miss Willis." Dumbledore said in explanation.

"Nothing I say is of any importance to that bunch of backstabbing lairs." Marie said as she stood up and walked away from him to stop and stare at a picture of all her friends. "If you must know we were discussing Sirius' innocence and how I should move on but I can't these guys were everything to me, why can't you people see that? All I've asked for is a trail for him." she said as she reached up and touched Sirius sadly.

"Did you know where the Longbottom's were going next?" Dumbledore said trying to steer the conversation back to what he had came here for.

"They were going to get Neville, he's the same age as Harry you know." Marie said sadly as she looked back over at Dumbledore.

"Yes I do know. So they had no other intentions of stopping anywhere that you know of?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he watched her.

"No." Marie said simply as she glared at him again, he seemed to have no feelings what so ever on the matter. "Two children are left to fend for themselves, how does that make you feel?" she asked angrily.

"Two? Neville has his grandmother, and Harry has his family I don't understand your question." Dumbledore said as he looked at her curiously.

"The only Family Harry has... you didn't put that boy with those people did you?" Marie asked as she walked back across the room to stand over him angrily. "Those muggles deny magic they hate it! Do you not understand the torment my lil Harry will face growing up being a wizard in that household?" she asked as she continued to glare down at him from across the coffee table.

"Harry will be well taken care of I have seen to that." Dumbledore said with a dismissive wave.

"Bull shit." Marie spat out at him angrily as she turned and walked over to the mantle and watched young Harry zooming around on his toy broom. "He'll never have what he need's with those awful muggles, they hated James and Lily what makes you think they will love Harry?" she asked as she picked the picture up and smiled at the young happy child.

"His protection is paramount above all else." Dumbledore said as he picked up his tea cup again after rewarming the liquid with fresh tea.

"You're so wrong Dumbledore and you don't even understand." Marie said sadly as she stared down at the picture understanding the hard life that Harry would now have being Magical in a magic hating home.

"I'm not here to discuss Mr. Potter's residence Miss Willis." Dumbledore said simply trying to drop the subject.

"You're not here to discuss anything. You're here to interrogate me like I tortured them. All I can tell you is what was printed in the paper this morning, that and Mrs. Longbottom came here before sun up looking for the two of them. I told her the same thing I told you. When Frank and Alice left here they were going to get Neville and they seemed rather eager to go get him." Marie said as she turned back to face Dumbledore while clutching the picture of her and Sirius with Harry zooming around on his broom to her chest.

"And you never left this house?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he looked at her over his half moon glasses.

"Are you accusing me of something? If you are spit it out." Marie said as she glared at Dumbledore again.

"Just simply inquiring." Dumbledore said simply as he continued to look at her.

"I didn't hurt them!" Marie said angrily as she sat back down on the chair across from him never letting her eyes wonder from his down to the picture in her lap.

"I believe that. But did you leave the house to say, go save them?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he took a sip of his tea.

"The paper said the Ministry saved them, what a surprise that's a lie. If your asking me that then that means the Ministry didn't save them. Besides how could I leave with my own personal guard out there?" Marie said with a smirk then a wave at the door to the guard keeping her under house arrest.

"I believe a resourceful young woman such as yourself could find a way around a single guard." Dumbledore said as he put his cup down on the coffee table again.

"Don't you have Hogwarts to attend too? Why are you really here, since when do you do the bidding of the Ministry just because they don't want to deal with someone?" Marie asked with a frown as she watched him suspiciously.

"Hogwarts is in good hands Professor McGonagall can handle the school. As for why I'm here I wanted to see if you had anything you wanted to tell me about last night's and today's incident?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he looked at her again over his half moon glasses like he knew something she didn't.

Marie had the distinct feeling that he knew she had saved them but was unwilling to say she had defied the government to do it. "No, nothing." She said as her eyes slid away from his for the slightest of moments before returning.

"I see, should you think of anything send me an owl." Dumbledore said as he stood up watching her closely noticing how her eyes shot to him for the briefest of moments.

"I'll do that." Marie said as she stood back up and walked over tot he mantle to put the picture back up. "Have you thought anymore about Sirius' situation?" she asked curiously as she heard him begin to walk towards the door.

"I have." Dumbledore said as he stopped by the front door.

"And?" Marie asked curiously without glancing back at him but she watched him in the refection of the mirror above the mantel.

"Miss Willis, your fight for him will not change his fate. By your own admission he probably went there to kill Mr. Petigrew. He was arrested for that murder and the murder of 12 muggles there is nothing I can do to change that fact. I implore you to drop this quest of yours." Dumbledore said as he turned his head to look at her a sadness in his eyes.

"You still don't understand. I need to know what happened, I need the reasons for what transpired. Sirius never killed anyone before, he hated the Death Eaters for their blatant disrespect for life and their constant use of the Dark Arts. As it stands right now I can never accept what has happened and what the Ministry has done to him. I need to talk to him to hear him say it because I don't' believe it happened the way the Ministry says it did. I don't even believe that Peters dead the little rat is probably in hiding letting Sirius take the fall for all of this because without Voldemort to protect him he would be in danger we would hunt him down and make him were my friends Dumbledore they were all I had left, I can't rest until I know for sure the responsible one has paid for their treachery." Marie said as she finally turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry Miss Willis there is nothing I can do." Dumbledore said then reached for the door.

"Can do or will do Professor there is a big difference." Marie said just as the door began to open hoping her plea would sway him some how.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Dumbledore said then walked out of the house shutting the door behind him.

"I doubt that." Marie mumbled to herself as she began cleaning up the the coffee table again going back into the kitchen at the back of the house.