CHAPTER 15: THE DIVIDING LINE
"You," Snape hissed, his beady dark eyes aimed squarely at O'Bannon.
He stiffened his face and matched his old Potions teacher's gaze. "Professor. How's your head feeling these days?"
Anger lines dug into Snape's face. The reaction didn't surprise O'Bannon. The last time they'd crossed paths he'd yanked the professor into the path of a Stunning Spell, which nailed him right in the head.
"Two days. That's how long I spent in St. Mungo's because of you." Venom dripped from every word that oozed from Snape's lips.
O'Bannon shrugged. "It would have been zero days if you'da just gotten me in touch with Headmaster Dumbledore. We probably could have shut down that Longathian Tunnel a lot quicker and spared everyone a ton of stress."
Snape spread his hands flat on the table and leaned forward. "Be grateful we happen to be on the same side, O'Bannon, otherwise I would curse you until you were a drooling, quivering lump of flesh."
"Save the intimidation crap for someone you can actually scare, like a kindergartner."
Snape's entire body trembled. A sneer marred his face.
O'Bannon shot him a wry grin.
"Come on now, Severus." Lupin turned to him. "We have more important matters here than a grudge against a former student."
Snape glowered at him, but said nothing.
Everyone took their seats.
"Firstly," Lupin began. "My apologies that this took so long. We had to do a lot of research in order to determine how this creature was altered."
"What sort of research?" asked Rosa.
"I'll get to that." Lupin paused for a breath. "We did confirm that this creature is indeed a Chupacabra. As for its altered state, the examination Hagrid and I did revealed rather powerful dark magic throughout it, curses I've never encountered before."
O'Bannon's eyebrows rose. From what his British friends told him, Lupin was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they ever had. These curses had to be something mega-serious to stump him.
Lupin continued. "So, I had Hagrid go back to Hogwarts and fetch some books from the library's Restricted Section. After some extensive research, we determined that this Chupacabra had within it variations of the Vitiosus Potion, the Blood Lust Potion and the Demonica Curse."
"I've never even heard of those things," Tonks noted.
"Not surprising. A dark wizard named Mechinen came up with them about nine hundred years ago. He sought to raise an army and conquer the British Isles, but harbored a deep mistrust of all men. So he captured animals and used those potions and that curse to turn them into monsters whose ferociousness was unmatched. But he couldn't control his creations and they turned on him. As a result, the Vitiosus Potion, the Blood Lust Potion and the Demonica Curse were all banned."
"I guess someone forgot to tell You-Know-Who that." Fred frowned.
Lupin nodded. "Not only that, but it would seem You-Know-Who even improved on the potions and the curse so the Chupacabra would obey him."
"Well that's great." O'Bannon shook his head. "Now he doesn't have to recruit as hard. He can just grab some critters and voila, instant army."
"Makes you wonder why he set those things on those cows we found a few days ago," Jared said.
"I'll tell yer why," replied Hagrid, who remained standing as none of the chairs in the kitchen would support his girth. "It's instinct, is what. Yer can use all the magic yer wan', turn a pest like these Chupacabra inter utter monsters, but it's hard to get rid'a generations 'pon generations of instinct ter go after their usual prey."
"Something else we also discovered," Lupin said. "More magic I've never seen before, and curses that honestly frighten me to the core. It would appear You-Know-Who has actually found a way to conceal the dark magic in these creatures."
The breath stuck in O'Bannon's throat. He turned to Artimus, who gaped at him.
"No way." O'Bannon turned back to Lupin. "Me and Art were talking about that when we went to get Hermione. By the way, she and her folks are in Spain on vacation. Anyway, he said curses like that were next to impossible."
"For the vast majority of wizards. Unfortunately, You-Know-Who has a talent for conjuring impossible spells and curses."
"Yeah, that's what I said, too."
"The good news, though, is this concealment spell is flawed. From the looks of it, I believe the spell would only be good for a few seconds before any security wards pick it up."
"Sometimes a few seconds is all the other side needs to get the job done," Moody grumbled.
"Well said, Alastor." Lupin nodded at the old auror.
"All right." Fred sat up. "So now we know what made these Chupacabra so big and vicious. "Now how's about answering the big question?"
"How do we kill 'em?" George finished.
"That's where Severus comes in." Lupin turned to him.
Snape straightened up, lifting his head, adopting that damned air of superiority so common to Slytherins. "As is usually the case, the best solutions are often the simplest. By using parts of the Chupacabra O'Bannon, by some miracle, managed to kill, I can brew a Pest Elimination Potion."
"Bloody hell," Fred guffawed. "You came all the way from Hogwarts to tell us that?"
"Even we can mix a potion like that." George jerked his thumb back and forth between him and his twin.
"I was not finished, Weasley." Snape narrowed his eyes at the twins. "Some modifications to the mixture must be made before it is dispensed."
"Dispensed how?" asked Fred.
"Maybe we can put it into bottles and give it to the Chupacabra, but tell them it's really fire whiskey," George chortled.
"If you two would shut your mouths for two seconds I will explain." Snape's shoulders rose with an angry breath. "Once I have enough of the potion brewed, we can saturate the ground where cows or sheep or other farm animals graze. It won't harm the animal that ingests it, but it will make it poisonous to any Chupacabra that eats it."
"Turning cows into weapons. Cool." Jared grinned and nodded. "Looks like we've got this problem licked."
"Actually, farm animals won't be the only ones we give this potion to." Lupin leaned back in his chair, dropping his chin to his chest.
O'Bannon cocked an eyebrow. What the heck was this about?
Snape glanced at Lupin and rolled his eyes. "Since the Chupacabra have been altered to make them more aggressive towards people, then it stands to reason we also administer the potion to people."
O'Bannon's muscles froze. Mr. Weasley's jaw fell open. Fred and George stared at one another with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Give it . . . to people?" Artimus' voice sounded distant.
"Are you hard of hearing?" Snape scowled at him. "Obviously He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is more interested in using the Chupacabra to kill people, not animals. Giving this potion to the wizarding population might be our only chance of killing them."
"You actually want to turn people into two-legged bio-weapons?" O'Bannon came forward in his chair.
"Spare me your righteous indignation, O'Bannon." Snape regarded him coolly. "If the attack on the Diggorys is any indication, these Chupacabra will likely target wizards and witches in the more outlying areas of Britain. So giving those people the potion must be our top priority."
"And are we going to ask them if they want to take it?"
He noticed Lupin and Hagrid cast their eyes to the floor. A knot formed in his gut.
Snape continued. "I would suspect most wizards and witches would have the same irrational reaction as you. Therefore, it will be necessary to slip them this potion without their knowledge."
"You have to be joking!" Fred blurted.
"So we're going to make these people into our pawns and not even tell them about it?" O'Bannon furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Does anyone else here besides me and Fred think this is friggin' wrong?"
"Spare me your sentimentality, O'Bannon. There's no place for it when we're trying to stop the most powerful dark wizard in history from taking over the world."
"No place for being sentimental? Well, forgive me. Let's get rid of our sentiments. Hell, while we're at it, let's just chuck out our morals and our compassion and everything else that makes us human."
"This is war, lad," growled Moody. "And sometimes you have to do rather distasteful things in order to win."
"Well I think this is going too far."
"Nobody asked you what you think." Snape practically roared. "The decision is not yours, it's ours. And we will do this."
"You can do it." O'Bannon jabbed a finger at Snape. "I won't!"
"You will do whatever we tell you to do."
"Like hell. I don't work for the Order of the Phoenix. So unless you plan on using an Imperius Curse, I'm not doing this."
Snape's head quaked with fury. "If you are too squeamish to do what is necessary to defeat He-Who-Must-Be-Named, then leave!"
"Oh, so that's how it is." O'Bannon threw up his hands. "Someone disagrees with a plan like this, and your solution is to shut them up. Just squash dissent. The kind of thing You-Know-Who will do if he wins."
Snape glared at him.
O'Bannon looked around at the others. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I always thought the job of the Guild of the Light and the Order of the Phoenix was to protect innocent people, not turn them into weapons. And sure as hell not tell them we're turning them into weapons."
"Jimmy." Lupin spoke in a soft tone. "I don't like it either. But I think Severus is right. We're not asking these people to parade around as bait for the Chupacabra. But it's all too likely that these creatures will kill more witches and wizards. We need to be ready for that."
"Then just ask them to take the potion. Tell them your reasoning and let them decide for themselves whether or not they want to take it. Don't decide for them. Hell, isn't freedom one of the things we're supposed to be fighting for?"
"Your idealism isn't going to win this war." Snape curled his upper lip. "Action will. Doing whatever is necessary to kill these Chupacabra will. Or perhaps you'd rather have everyone in this room adopt your naiveté and allow these creatures to run amuck in Britain and have He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named reign supreme. Now if you're finished spewing your nonsense, why don't you run along and find Potter. The two of you can bask in the glory of your altruism while more responsible people fight this war properly."
O'Bannon slammed his fist on the table. "'Properly'?" He shot out of his cheer, seething at Snape. "You call forcing this potion on your own population proper?"
"Sit . . . down . . . now!" Snape rose, his narrow eyes locked on O'Bannon.
"Or what? You gonna give me detention? Take points away from Gryffindor House? This isn't your classroom, and I'm not your student any more. So shut your pie hole!"
Both Fred and George's jaws dropped.
O'Bannon's head snapped left to right, taking in the Order and Guild members. "We do this, what's next? Maybe kidnap the children of Death Eaters and use 'em as bargaining chips? Maybe overthrow the Ministry because they're not doing things the way we want? At what point do we start to become no better than the people we're fighting?"
"Oh, what lovely sentiment." Snape again rolled his eyes. "Here is another one. Sometimes a few innocents must be sacrificed in order to save millions. That is the reality you need to accept."
O'Bannon snorted. "When you say stuff like that, I find it hard to believe you're actually fighting against You-Know-Who. Heh! You know, it's no wonder you're still single. What woman would ever want to have anything to do with a cold-hearted bastard like you!"
A tremor raced through Snape's body. His face twisted. His eyes burned with such hatred a Killing Curse could have shot out from them.
"I . . . will not . . . tolerate . . . your . . . insolence. . . any longer!"
Snape reached under his robes.
O'Bannon went for his wand.
"DON'T YOU DARE!"
They both turned to Mrs. Weasley. Unbridled fury radiated from her plump face. "We've got more than our work cut out for us fighting You-Know-Who. We don't need to be fighting each other! AND YOU WILL NOT BE FIGHTING IN MY HOUSE!"
She glowered at both him and Snape. "Now the two of you sit down and act like civilized adults!"
Snape scowled at him. He scowled back before they both returned to their seats.
"Well I'm with Jimmy." Fred slapped the table. "Giving this potion to people without telling them about it is rubbish."
"No one asked for your opinion, Weasley."
"Too bad, Snape. You're going to get it anyway."
"Mine, too." George looked to Fred and O'Bannon. "And you can count me in with you guys."
"This is not open for a vote," Snape growled. "The decision has been made."
"Well the decision stinks!" Fred shot his old Potions teacher a harsh stare.
"I couldn't care less what you think, Weasley."
"Well I do," Mr. Weasley responded. "It's obvious some here have a moral objection to this course of action. I think it only proper that we go around the table and find out who is for giving the potion to people, and who is against it. Those against won't have to do it."
"You can't be serious." The skin around Snape's nose wrinkled. "For something like this we need all the Order members we can muster."
"I understand, Snape." Determination set in Mr. Weasley's face. "We're already forcing one decision on the Wizarding population. Let's not force another one on the people in this room. Let's at least do something . . . virtuous in this dreadful affair."
"So now we let Order members pick and choose what missions they go on?" Snape leaned toward Mr. Weasley. "You've reached a whole new height of idiocy, Arthur."
"Oi! Don't call our Dad an idiot, you greasy-haired piece of dung!" Fred leaped out of his seat. George followed suit. O'Bannon sat back, content to watch the twins pound Snape through the floorboards.
"Fred! George! Sit! Right now!" Mrs. Weasley stabbed her finger toward the floor. She then spun toward Snape. "And you. If you ever insult my husband again, I will personally throw you out of my house!"
Snape moved his jaw back and forth. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut.
"I agree with Arthur," Lupin stated.
"So do I." Moody nodded. "I don't want anyone on this mission who's not fully committed to it."
"Right then." Arthur gazed around the table. "Let's get started."
"I agree with dispensing the potion to the Wizarding population." Lupin didn't make eye contact with anyone.
"Me too." Hagrid sighed and stared at his boots.
"We'll give it to the farm animals," Fred said. "But not people."
George nodded.
"Ditto," added O'Bannon.
Bill's shoulders slumped. "I'm . . . I'm afraid I have to go along with Lupin on this."
Fred and George glowered at their oldest brother.
"I don't see where we have any choice," Moody said confidently. "We have to slip this potion to the population."
Artimus stared at his hands as he rubbed them together. "I'm . . . um, I'm going along with Jimmy."
O'Bannon smiled.
"Count me in with Jimmy and the twins." Tonks looked their way. "I think making people into weapons is going too far."
O'Bannon's heart soared knowing Tonks was on his side.
Arthur's face fell as he looked around the table. "Much as it pains me to say, I'm afraid I'll have to side with Remus and Snape on this one."
"Dad!" Fred blurted. "You've got to be joking."
"No, I'm not. Remus said it. We're not going to use anyone as bait. But given how these Chupacabra are, it's inevitable they'll attack someone else. This might be our only way to get rid of them."
Mrs. Weasley stepped over to her husband and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know this decision can't be easy for you, Arthur. I wish there was another way, too. But I'll stand by you."
The twins snorted and shook their heads.
That left two other people.
O'Bannon turned to Rosa and Jared. The cousins stared at one another, then moved their gazes to the rest of the group. He was a bit surprised they hadn't spoken up earlier. Well, whatever. He had no doubt which side of the argument they came down on.
Rosa drew a breath and stared at the table. "I . . . I'm going along with Mister Lupin on this."
"Yeah." Jared gave an unenthused nod. "Me too."
"What!" O'Bannon blinked in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"
"I'm sorry, Jimmy." Rosa eyes begged him to understand. "But all our searching is getting us nowhere. I wish it didn't come to this either. But now that we know what sort of threat these Chupacabra are, we've gotta do whatever it takes to stop them."
O'Bannon's jaw tightened. He glared at Rosa, then at Jared, who just stared at his lap.
I don't believe it. He'd known these two for well over seven years. He knew them to be good, decent people. He'd seen them stand up to bullies at Salem to protect younger, weaker students. When he returned from Hogwarts and told them about Dumbledore's request to help in the fight against Voldemort, Jared and Rosa jumped at the chance, because they knew it was the right thing to do.
How could they now do something so wrong?
O'Bannon clenched his teeth as the meeting ended with Snape announcing he would return in a few hours with a batch of improved Pest Elimination Potion. He, Fred and George aimed fiery gazes at the asshole as he strutted toward the front door. What he wouldn't give to get just one blow in on that damn unfeeling prick.
"Hey, Jimmy." Jared walked up to him, followed by Rosa. "Look, I know you're not thrilled with this plan, but . . ."
He stormed off before Jared could finish. He spotted Harry, Ron and Ginny gathered around the bottom of the staircase.
"What was going on in there?" asked Ron. "We could hear the yelling clear upstairs."
O'Bannon stomped past him without a word and headed upstairs.
"Jimmy? Yo, Jimmy!"
"Jimmy, come on."
He ignored Jared and Rosa. He just couldn't believe it. How the hell could they back something like this? How the hell could he have misjudged them so badly?
"Jimmy!" Jared called out as O'Bannon pounded into the twins' room.
"Jimmy!"
He spun around to face Rosa.
"Jimmy, come on. Don't be like this."
He drew a slow, deep breath and stared at Rosa, taking in her pleading expression.
He slammed the door in her face.
TO BE CONTINUED