Chapter 22

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Martha's voice came from the air in front of them. "Wait, what spell is that?"

"It's a kind of a magical DNA spell. If they're using that, then they will find the heir—whether or not he or she wants to be found."

Her breath hissed in between her teeth. "Stay here. I'm going to get help." She moved away and Rose felt the Doctor jump away from her, his arms reaching out. "What are you doing?"

"I've got to get you out of the ward. If you'd just left, they'd know."

"Fine. But hurry." He muttered the charm again and the air flashed orange momentarily, and she sighed out her thanks before Rose could hear her footsteps hurrying off.

She held out her arm and the Doctor bumped into it again, trailing his fingers down until he could clasp her hand. Rose tugged on it and pulled him closer. "How long will this take?"

"Not as long as we need."

"Let's interrupt them, then."

"Rose, I'm not going to chance it."

She snorted softly. "Why not? They're just two people."

His hand moved up to grip her shoulder and he hissed in her ear, "One of which is a Death Eater, and most likely spent time in Azkaban. No, Rose. I'm not going to risk it."

"Then we let them finish what they started?"

"Until somebody else gets here, yes."

"But that's—"

"I'm not going to risk you like that, Rose."

She muttered a phrase and felt the muffling thickness of a sound ward raise around them. "'Risk' me? Doctor, what about the rest of the world? Any rite the Death Eaters are this eager to complete can't mean anything good."

"And you think getting yourself killed will help any—" he broke off as a pulse of magic thrummed through the air, setting his teeth on edge and raising the hairs on Rose's arms. "That's not supposed to happen yet."

"What isn't?" The raspy voice came from behind them, and they spun to see Professor Snape standing behind them, panting for breath.

Rose's jaw dropped. "What are you doing here?"

"Who do you think set that monitoring spell, foolish girl? Now are you going to unveil yourselves, or shall I?"

"Oi!"

The Doctor frowned as he melted them back into view. "But I broke that spell!"

Snape pinched the bridge of his considerable nose. "I weep for our future. It's the first rule of manipulation, Mr. Mott—let your target think they have what they want." He scowled at them. "Now you can stop with the meaningless questions and tell me what I need to know."

Another pulse throbbed through the air, and the Doctor flinched. "That. That's not supposed to be happening yet."

Rose elbowed him. "Maybe try explainin' what 'that' is." Snape snorted in amusement as the Doctor scowled at her.

"It's akin to a DNA test, but expanded to also deal with the magical essence of the wizard or witch involved. Unless… of course. Oh, how could I be so thick?"

She pursed her lips. "You wanna share with the class, Doctor?"

"They aren't just looking for Voldemort's heir. They have the other half, as well. That's why it was triggered so much sooner than I had anticipated."

The spell pulsed again, and Rose frowned. "The other half…?"

Snape sighed. "The mother." His eyes narrowed. "Whoever she was, this didn't happen with Voldemort's permission."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "So how in Merlin's name did it happen?"

The older man's jaw tightened. "I intend to find out."

Another pulse, and Rose frowned. "That was closer together than before."

The Doctor nodded distractedly. "As the spell works through the genetic permutations, the pulses will become more frequent. You'll know when it finds the right combination."

Snape snarled, "They won't." He stepped around the corner, breaking through the proximity charm and Rose's sound ward. A nearly feral cry came from the Death Eater, and Snape's voice rolled around the corner to them. "Rodolphus. I might've known."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'll have to ask him how he does that sometime."

Rose threw him an annoyed glance as she followed Snape around the corner. "Not the time."

Koschei focused on them as they rounded the corner, his eyes wide and his lips pulled back in a snarl. Snape was dueling with Rodolphus Lestrange, the spells passing back and forth in a blinding flurry of light. He pulled out his wand, stepping around the diagram sketched on the floor. Another pulse echoed through them, and he snapped a spell in their general direction. The Doctor pulled Rose away before the hissing purple light could hit, and they both stumbled into the wall. Koschei shot a glance at the dueling pair in black and snapped out, "Lucy!"

Pulse

The blue-eyed house-elf who had stolen the Doctor's bag popped into existence, bowing. "Yes, Master?"

"Out. Now."

Pulse

"Sorry, that isn't going to happen." Koschei spun at Hermione's voice, sending an orange spell crackling through the air. She dodged easily, and Sarah Jane Smith and Martha came running around the corner to join her, panting.

Koschei snarled and sent more spells at them, glaring at his house-elf. "Let's go, you pathetic creature!"

Pulse

"Told you, that isn't going to happen." A waist-high house-elf stepped out from behind Hermione, glaring at Lucy, and she sent him a very false smile. "Hogwarts elves tend to dislike it when others encroach on their territory, you see."

Pulse

The elf snarled and launched itself at Lucy. "The Rosier elf will leave NOW!"

Pulse

She shrieked and tried to pop out before it could reach her, but no matter how many times she gestured, she stayed firmly in place. The Hogwarts elf grabbed her shoulders and vanished, and Martha and Hermione managed to bind Koschei and pocket his wand. Sarah Jane had joined Snape, and as Koschei was restrained they managed to knock out Rodolphus.

Pulse

Pulse

Pulse

The diagram Koschei had sketched out lit up, and a wave of magic exploded from it. It flooded through all of them, leaving a harsh buzz like the air before a storm. Hermione tugged on Koschei's ropes. "He's still restrained, at least—" she gasped.

The Doctor was glowing a brilliant gold.

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