Synsopsis: Left Damyan and Albus comparing the size of their wands in the last chapter.
Thanks to T for her help with this chapter.
"He's not insane," Ekaterina chastised Severus. Her voice was low as though she wished Damyan not to hear. Though in Severus' opinion, it was highly doubtful that Damyan and his group of Dark Wizards would hear a spontaneous concert of The Weird Sisters. The Dark Wizards were in the middle of a street in bloody Manchester, busy removing their werewolf catching wardrobes and creating bloody banners. There was a standard flag that matched Damyan's surcoat that Byakko was even now hoisting to the sky. Damyan's dragon, Byakko's white tiger of the West and there were other standards he didn't recognize. Who was the man with the lion's head? The hippogriff?
"For Christmas, he's given me a werewolf wrapped in silver," Severus whispered. "Perhaps that's not quite traditional for one's first Christmas together?"
Bloody hell, the Headmaster was at Piccadilly.
The Headmaster will be bloody furious, his mind sing-songed. Bad enough that he ran, bad enough Severus had the misfortune to land in with Gellert's followers, but … Remus Lupin. The Headmaster adored the fuzzy werewolf, looked upon him as one of his most successful Dumbledore-improvement projects. Between Severus' new best mate Damyan holding Minerva hostage and Ragnarok shortly occurring in Manchester, a silver-plated werewolf would be the absolute final straw… the Headmaster would be so beyond irate with him.
The Headmaster will be bloody furious, The Headmaster will be bloody furious, The Headmaster will be bloody furious…
Flashes of what had happened and what supposedly had happened were filling his mind. Remus the wolf, growling, the wolf's saliva hot against his skin. The Headmaster was pushing him down on the ground, Severus, knowing what was about to happen, had to be physically endured, but spiritually, he sent his soul far, far away. They could hurt his body, yes, but…only his body…
Perhaps, it would be the best for Ariana… because when the Headmaster punished him, Severus wouldn't whinge and plead for leniency. Whinging only upset the Headmaster which led to further punishment for Severus. If he just took his punishment, silently as though he was Gryffindor-brave, maybe… maybe the Headmaster would stop before Ariana was harmed.
I disgust him, but he enjoyed my body, didn't he? The Headmaster visited me every night during my captivity to enjoy me… He stroke my hair, told me how good I was….
I'm so confused… did that happen?
He was adrift, watching the scene unfurl. His body continued to function, but his soul… the essence of what he was… was free to watch the raree show unfolding before him. Really, was that dark haired figure with the curly hair and beard, him? It must be, because the man was holding his left arm stiffly bent. Really, it was a rather impressive Glamour as he looked deceptively sylphlike with no trace of Ari whatsoever… no belly… no man boobs…. And anyone who knew Severus Snape at all knew that he'd never wear those particular colors. He'd certainly never stoop to wear a jumper, jeans and trainers.
But the man in the brightly colored jumper was shaking, because the frightened schoolboy had to deal with the angry Headmaster. Foolishly, he had thought he had come so far since he had fled from the Headmaster. In fact, Severus hadn't gone one step; instead, he had retreated as the mere sight of HIM had him terrified, fearful of messing his pants.
"Damyan's family was landed gentry, so he has quite a few blue-blood personality quirks. Nobility is one of them," Toma Filipov explained to Severus' physical shell. The half-giant mage was gingerly holding Lupin's silver chain as though he was holding something rather icky. "Blood protection. You came into his house in dire need of assistance. Since he took you in, he's responsible for your protection until you're capable of standing on your own two feet."
The half-giant jerked the chain and the werewolf staggered towards him.
"Wolfie? Water?" The massive mage cheerfully asked Lupin.
The exhausted werewolf nodded his head and the mage gestured. A large bowl of water appeared on the ground in front of the werewolf and a disapproving Minerva shook her head. She picked up the bowl and held it front of Remus.
"Small sips. Your throat might be swollen from the silver," Minerva warned Remus.
He nodded once and sipped small amounts of water. When Remus was done, he mouthed, 'Thank you'.
"He's not responsible for this," Minerva quietly whispered. "Believe me. He's a victim in all this, just like you."
Once more Remus nodded his head to convey his understanding, and then he mouthed, 'Scared' and 'Dora'. Then he mouthed something else, a dire prediction of Sirius Black's short future if Remus survived.
"Very well, my Brothers and Sisters," Byakko announced. "We send our Brothers Damyan and Toma in first. Then we'll make our appearance."
The Dark Wizards didn't cheer; instead they punched the air with their fists.
"Very well, Wolf, you will carry Damyan's banner," Byakko informed Remus. He motioned and a flag harness appeared around Remus' neck. "The banner drops and Toma will pierce you with the spear, Wolf. Is that understood? You may answer me."
"Yes," Remus' voice was rough.
Manchester was too damn quiet, Minerva realized. Their odd little cohort of wizards was making their way to Picadilly and Remus was stumbling. His breathing was labored and he stopped. Toma pierced him with the spear. The pricking of Remus' back caused him to fumble and nearly drop the flag. His clumsiness earned him another slash on his back and the werewolf silently screamed his agony.
Severus looked vacant. The only way to describe Severus was though his soul had decided to go on a jolly holiday, leaving the lights on, but no one at home. That wasn't a good sign. Meanwhile Ekaterina appeared unhappy and Minerva…well, Minerva was bloody furious.
"For the love of God, Toma," Ekaterina barked. "Let me carry Damyan's banner. You're not a torturer. You've got honour. There's no way he can walk and carry it at the same time. The silver's gone to his brain."
"Damyan?" Toma asked the crazy Bulgarian, who was looking seriously annoyed at how Remus was cocking up his entrance.
"Your arrival will be less than… impressive, if Remus drops your banner," added Minerva.
"Katya?" Damyan asked. His voice was oddly soft and affectionate. "Would you do me the honour of carrying my standard?"
"Yes, I will carry it," the Russian assured him. She took the banner from Remus and mouthed something to Remus.
I'm trying to do what I can for you. I can't do much.
The various Order members stood in the Gardens, and Albus motioned to his brother. Deliberately, he ignored Alastor. The Order was still digesting the tasty tidbit that he and Gellert had been teenaged sweethearts and Albus simply did not have the energy to deal with the caustic Alastor Moody right now.
"Anything happens to me…" Albus began.
"I'll get him out of there," Aberforth assured his brother. "I'll get Minnie out also."
"Thank you," was all Albus could say.
"Moody wants a word with you."
Really, was it necessary for Aberforth to grin like he was barmy?
"Yes, Alastor?" Albus asked. He struggled to keep his voice free from the annoyance he was feeling.
"I already knew about you and Gellert," barked Alastor. "I managed to settle down the rest of the Order Members by reminding them that you were only a hormonal prat when it happened. They were acting like a bunch of three years finding out the truth about Father Christmas. I told them to snap it together."
"Thank you, I think," quipped Albus.
"Is there anything else you think they should know? By that I mean, are there any more Boggarts in your wardrobe? Or is it just full of fancy clothes?" Alastor asked. "I'm expecting that if he knows anything else about you, he'll throw it out and enjoy watching what sticks to the wall. You're the better duelist, so he may wish to emotionally compromise you."
"At my age, Alastor…" Albus began and then stopped.
Where do I begin, Alastor? I was involved in my sister's death? I don't know who killed her because I'm too frightened to know the truth about that sad event? That I fear that I did it? That Minerva and I were lovers? That Severus and I were intimate? That there's a child involved in this insanity?
"We dance around in a ring and suppose. But the secret sits in the middle and knows," Albus softly quoted.
"Bloody hell, quoting Robert Frost? Very well, I'll warn them that there might be more about you coming out, but to remember what type of man you have been these past thirty odd years," Alastor growled.
"Severus is to be considered innocent in this. He is NOT to be injured. If any Order member harms him, even accidentally, they will have to explain themselves to me," was Albus' next command.
Alastor just shook his head and growled his disgust at Albus' obtuseness.
"Please, just do as I ask," Albus requested.
Remus put down one foot after another, struggling to keep up with the pace.
The silver was burning his hands and throat and it was becoming more and more difficult to swallow. Plus the repeated prickings of his skin by the silver spear was causing his back to spasm. He was also hallucinating as he noticed that Severus walked a great deal like Dora. The awkward waddle…the hand on the back.
His one brief glance at the Glamoured Severus Snape had earned him a slap across the face from Draganov. But he still noticed how Severus was favoring his back… funny, he never knew Severus had a dodgy back.
But then again, how much did he really know about Severus? Besides the fact that James Potter and Sirius Black had instinctively hated him from day one?
Nothing… nothing at all.
Facing the end of his life, Remus finally saw himself and his furry little problem in the eyes of one Severus Snape.
Karma was a bitch, and she would NOT be denied.
That had been one of Lily's favorite savings.
It was a quaint way of saying sooner or later; past deeds would come back and haunt you. Remus' mum, on the other hand, had been pure blood, wizards and witches going back to Merlin's great-great-great-granny. While she had believed that the much hallowed Rule of Three, where everything you did was returned to you three fold, was utter rubbish, she had repeatedly warned Remus, "Do what thy wilt, though it harm none."
Well, it seemed his actions against Severus were finally rebounding back on him.
Karma had decided to appear in the form of one geriatric, outlawed, foaming wizard. Severus' Personal Retribution Made Incarnate scared Remus very, very much. Not because of Damyan's reputation, but how he just seemed so damn normal. He wasn't the grandiose Lucius, the belligerent Bellatrix… his face was normal, not the leathered skinned Voldemort.
Damyan seemed perfectly sane, though somewhat grandiose in speech and manners, and the fact that he sensibly viewed Remus Lupin as a Dark Creature in Dire Need of Extermination was rather reasonable. Yes, after the Shrieking Shack incident… especially the second one… Remus certainly could understand that analysis. He had punted his potion, Peter had gotten away, Severus had gotten hurt and… he was a Dark Creature that simply couldn't be trusted to take his medication as required. Therefore, his elimination was deemed logically appropriate and long overdue.
And Damyan's seemingly irrational desire to duel with Albus?
Rather understandable.
Albus had sheltered Remus many times in his altercations with Severus. Harry, Sirius and most of the Order who were also on Damyan Draganov's List of People that would Make Severus' Life Better if They Permanently Disappeared were all under Albus' protection. Albus had first refused to mount a rescue for the captured Severus, but something… had changed his mind. Remus hadn't been able to find out WHAT had caused Albus to launch the rescue attempt, but… Severus… Severus had been a whimpering, bleeding wreck when Albus had finally gotten him freed.
It was small consolation that Remus knew that Damyan Draganov had underlined and starred He Who Must Not Be Named as requiring extra special attention.
If Remus was Severus… and Damyan had wanted him just because of his knowledge and skill, he wouldn't have trusted the mage. After all, Severus had heard the same spiel from both Albus and Voldemort… and look what it had gotten him…but… Damyan was skillfully wooing Severus. First, he had re-grown Severus' arm and now, now he was systematically removing the Very Not Nice People that had Harmed and Abused Severus.
Look what I can do for you, Severus. I can protect you. I will protect you.
"Almost there," whispered someone. "Just keep walking."
Dutifully, he nodded. He knew that he was dying, that he'd never see his son born… Maybe, he'd have blue hair?
"Good morning, Albus. So nice of you and your friends to join us," announced a male voice. "Katya? Please put my banner someplace nice, won't you?"
"Remus? What are you doing in Manchester?" That was another voice.
Albus… it was Albus. He opened his eyes to see that Albus and the Order were facing Damyan.
"They're here…" Remus mouthed. "Min… tell… him."
"Sit down," ordered a female voice. "You need to sit. I'll get you some more water."
"Right now, the werewolf is my present to Severus, Albus," explained a male voice. "You see, Severus, Albus didn't care enough about you to put a muzzle on his pet werewolf. I did."
Lupin sank to his knees and bowed his head. There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't survive this latest stunt of Sirius'.
Remus Lupin! As though he didn't have enough concerns on his weary mind, the Gods had decided to give him more. That towering mage could only be Toma Filipov, another one of Gellert's supporters which combined with the Russian witch, gave Damyan a troika. He had a dozen Order Members with him, so a fight with the troika would be bloody but short. Yet, Damyan had Minerva and Severus, and as a bonus, had somehow acquired Remus.
Lupin was in Manchester.
There were only two reasons why Remus would be there after he had been specifically warned against it. Either Sirius Black or Harry was in Manchester. With his luck, perhaps both of them were in Manchester, having a bit of tea.
"Minerva, please stay with Severus," Albus requested.
Severus didn't look healthy. Gone was his usual sharp demeanor, where he watched everything and revealed nothing. No, instead, Severus seemed dazed… was he drugged? Was the glazed look part of the bloody glamour?
The witch gave him a blistering look which also contained a warning. For the briefest moment, Albus believed he heard Minerva screaming, "Thirteen!"
Bloody hell, a coven? Did Damyan have a coven? Who the hell was bloody left from Gellert's old crowd?
"Damyan, we don't need to fight. You can just leave them," offered Albus. It was a rather generous offer on Albus' part, but he wanted Minerva, Severus and the baby and Remus out of this alive.
Damyan shook his head in disbelief.
"I don't think you understand, Albus. Severus doesn't wish to go with you. He's finally realized what an utter bastard you are." Draganov waved his hand in front of his eyes, and explained, "The veil has been lifted from my Brother's eyes. I am quite afraid that the Dumbledore veneer is looking a little worn."
There was a hiss of protest from an Order member. Hestia, Albus thought. He waved in her gesture, hoping that she'd take the gesture as the warning it was.
"Severus, I know you're angry with me," Dumbledore began. Albus didn't care that it sounded like he and Severus had a bloody lover's quarrel. He needed to get Severus away from Damyan.
"Harden your heart, Brother," warned Damyan. "The sweet sounding lies have begun. He'll promise you anything and everything. You know he will."
Severus said not a word; instead he seemed to be blankly staring ahead.
"He'll assure that all is forgiven, Severus. Warmly welcome you back, and then the abuse will begin again. It will start off with small things. In the beginning, it will only be a forgotten promise there, a little white lie, perhaps a slip of his temper. There will be a nice little party celebrating his victory. The wolf will sit on his right and the Dog Father on the left," Damyan's voice was honey smooth and sincere sounding. "He'll come back to your locked cell, carrying a tray full of delicacies and tell you that everyone missed you while you were recovering from your traumatic ordeal."
"Cell?" Albus protested. "There are no cells at Hogwarts."
"Yes, there may be a dozen pillows on your large bed, Severus. There will be wall hangings and paintings and libraries of books but it will be your gilded prison, Severus. You know how he is," whispered Damyan. "You escaped from him once; it will not be allowed to happen again."
Severus swallowed, but his eyes were still blank.
"Severus, don't listen to him," Albus began.
"Once again, Albus doesn't take note of your concerns. He easily dismisses them as being trivial. You see, Albus knows best. Albus knows the best way to handle your situation. You will need to rest, Severus. You shouldn't have any visitors because you need to regain your strength."
"I'd like to see him stop me," growled Minerva.
"She says that now, but Dumbledore will win that war," whispered Damyan. "Look at him, Brother. He likes pretty things, bright things. Anything that's ugly, anything that's painful, he doesn't like to bother with as he might get his lily white hands dirty. Did he ever mention his sister to you? She was less than perfect, Severus. She had been injured, badly maimed by Muggles. They hurt her in her mind, Severus."
There.
Severus reacted.
Severus' dark eyes darted toward Albus and then focused back on Damyan. Albus didn't like what he saw in Severus' frightened eyes. A distrust of Albus that boarded on a drowning panic. He could admit that Severus' fear of him was richly deserved, after what they had done to him, after what he, Albus, had done to him, but Damyan Draganov's vitriol was augmenting Severus' apprehension.
"And?" Severus whispered.
"Severus…" Albus began.
"She was damaged in her soul. Poor little thing, a hurt little flower and dear Sainted Albus couldn't be bothered with her. He was too busy, you see, as Gellert had attracted his interest. Gellert was bright and beautiful while Ariana… crawled in the mud and played with goats," Damyan explained. "When one views himself as a living God, a brained damaged sister is a hard bit of reality to swallow."
Alastor Moody grabbed Aberforth in mid-charge and spun him around with a quick TopsyTurvy spell.
"Severus, Damyan is a master manipulator. The man you mistakenly credit as your benefactor killed his wife and unborn child, Severus," interrupted Albus.
"I grow weary of that lie repeated and embellished as the gospel truth. It was the Muggle who killed my wife and child. And, yes, I killed him," admitted Damyan. "For I dearly loved my Dana. For someone to harm even a single strand of her hair… Albus, there's a major difference between us."
"Sanity," retorted Albus.
"Unlike you, I defend those for whom I care, while you can't be bothered. You're too busy focusing on Albus. I challenged you to a duel, and duel we shall. We shall do this properly, Albus. Pick your second and I will pick mine," Damyan announced. "But first, you and I, Albus, let's have a little chat. Good Master Flitwick can referee while we set up the parameters."
The Dark Mage turned toward Severus and grabbed his upper shoulders in an approving gesture.
"I'm so proud of you," Damyan's voice carried to Albus' ears. "You stood up to him. You didn't crawl on your belly back to him."
"That would have proven… awkward," was Severus' dry comment. He paused and then continued, "His sister, Damyan? He told me he loved her."
"It's an unhappy story, Severus," Minerva interrupted. "You should hear it from Albus."
"No, he should have already HEARD about it from Albus," Damyan retorted.
Really, he should take more of an interest in the proceedings. He just couldn't seem… to focus except for his brief spurt of bravery. His mind was screaming at him to pull it together and he just couldn't. His body was here… and THE HEADMASTER was here… an angry, fuming Headmaster… and… Severus was watching the play unfurl around him. There was Lupin with the silver sickness, Minerva… Filius and Horace were even there to watch the raree show. In the wings, there was a brigade of dark wizards waiting their cue.
He needed to focus... on his safety. He shouldn't rely on Damyan's easy assurances that he'd protect him… a trusted few had promised to protect him over the years… his mother…. Lily…. Minerva… and they had failed.
Once, he had hoped that the Headmaster would protect him, but Albus simply couldn't be bothered.
Yet, he couldn't help but ponder Ariana Dumbledore, the original…
The Headmaster liked pretty things.
He protected Black, he adored Lupin, the fuzzy wolf who could do no wrong… yet…was that a look of revulsion in Albus' eyes when he briefly glanced at the ailing werewolf? Did he step back from the werewolf so not to get his fine leather boots dirty?
What… if Damyan spoke the truth? That… Ariana… had been injured and… the Headmaster… hadn't wanted to be bothered… He was… always flashy… always being noticed…. Liked the nicer things in life… what…. What… what if… Ariana… was damaged… what if she wasn't… perfect? When he died…. And… if Ariana wasn't… bright and beautiful…what if she was dark… and damaged… like he was… how would the Headmaster react?
Would he be… ashamed… of her?
Would he put her in a little room? Fill it with all sorts of toys… so she wouldn't bother him? A benign neglect where Ari was hidden away…because she damaged… not quite comfortable with attention… as she needed to rest…. A thousand and one different reasons why Ari was best kept away from the public came to Severus' mind.
I love you, Ari. You wouldn't have to be perfect for me!
Severus had a sick feeling in his gut. Maybe… maybe… he had been wrong all long. Maybe, he shouldn't have worried so much about the Headmaster taking Ariana from him… maybe… he should have been more concerned how the Headmaster originally didn't want a damn thing to do with her….
"Come, let's sit down," Minerva requested.
Someone… Minerva… took his hand, helped guide him to a chair. Katya was chatting with Minerva about something and he just couldn't focus. He wasn't in Piccadilly…. He was home…
Home.
Spinners End and he was hiding… hiding from HIM. He was in his room, trying to hide in the small space between his bed and his wall. Ari was with him and she had wiggled her way underneath his shirt. He was holding onto her tightly.
"Why doesn't Poppa like me?" she wept.
He just held her tighter against him.
"Master Flitwick, it is an honor," the Dark Wizard urbanely commented.
His statement earned him a dismissive flick of one of Filius' impressive eyebrows.
"Severus thinks very highly of you," was his reply. "I am quite apologetic about the entire matter regarding the goldfish pond. Toma set up the wards and he just thinks BIG. Albus, you do remember Toma, don't you? You killed his twin sister, Sofia? Bright girl, pretty smile… rather on the tall side?"
Albus just gave him a wintry smile.
"Let's just set the ground rules," Albus stated. "Standard dueling rules, twelve paces apart, five rounds, five minutes per."
"Agreed," the Bulgarian agreed. "Duel to the death? Our seconds take over if we're both physically incapable of finishing the duel."
"You're not in my league," Albus tersely reminded him.
"We've both gotten older, put on some weight… I might surprise you, Albus. Plus, the fact that Severus isn't running back to you must be quite disturbing. Don't worry; I understand why you want him back, Albus. He's such a sweet kisser and quite the snuggler."
Albus continued to smile, but his blue eyes no longer twinkled.
"Draganov, taunting is not allowed according to the Rulebook," Flitwick reminded the wizard. "Do you have your second?"
"Really, it depends on Albus and who he chooses. I called him out for a duel so he makes the decision. Then I have to figure out from my vast entourage who to chose. Such an embarrassment of riches," glibly assured Damyan.
"Albus, I'll be your second," Filius offered. "I know the rules."
"Oh dear, I shan't be able to use Toma as my second then," pouted Damyan. "The height difference you know. And I can't use Katya as my second, as they outlawed male-female dueling after that horrible mismatch in 1922 where the witch handed the loser his tripes. Master Flitwick, will you be so kind as to set up the dueling area? I'll need a minute or two to find a suitable second. For my referee, I'll use Toma. Why don't you use the infamous Alastor Moody for the droll symmetry of having one-eyed referees?"
Damyan turned as thought to move away from Albus, but then he turned to face Albus.
"I really should thank you, Albus. I enjoy Severus in my bed, even when his daughter kicks me. He's so bloody appreciative over the smallest amount of physical affection. It's like he's starved for affection. I have to keep reminding the poor boy that mutual fondness is supposed to be the norm in a healthy relationship."
With that final quip, Damyan skipped… bloody skipped… towards Minerva and Severus.
"Easy," Filius warned Albus. "That exchange was supposed to upset you."
"He succeeded," Albus admitted. "I have no claims to Severus… but I would have much preferred that his new partner was Minerva."
"That's it? You're just stepping aside, Albus?" Filius chastised the younger mage.
"Filius, Severus is in dire need of someone that can help him heal. Minerva would be good for him, and I know that she always wanted children of her own," murmured Albus. "I think they would have been good together."
"TOSH!" The normally unflappable Filius Flitwick growled. "You have always been scared of Severus, even when he was a student."
"Not true. I was not frightened of Severus the student, but I was deeply alarmed by his sheer emotional penury. I feared to fail him," Albus slowly admitted. "I failed my family when they needed me and you know what happened."
"So, you thought doing nothing was better option?" growled Filius.
"No, but I had other issues. I saw Sirius as a potential Gellert, a potential convert to Voldemort's insanity, Remus as Ariana and…" Albus paused and then stopped. "I had hoped that Remus would settle those boys down. He, of the four of them, understood what it was to be on the outside."
"He was bloody twelve years old, Albus. Did you really believe that he'd stand up to his only friends? Albus, you need to get it together. Severus is a massive orb of emotional need right now. You must get over your fear of failure and bloody support him during this. And by supporting him, I mean, you let him decide what he needs from you. Don't overwhelm him, Albus. Let him breathe and let him heal. Take it one minute at a time, Albus."
"Bloody hell, he's been bad," Katya groaned. "He's bloody skipping like an utter loon."
Damyan's wild grin quickly faded but he continued to merrily prance towards them.
"I felt the Deathstick pointing towards my shoulders while I was hopping towards you like I was the bloody Hopping Pot incarnate," he growled at Toma when he finally reached the safety of his site.
"What did you say to him?" Katya asked.
"Nothing," Damyan lied which earned him snorts of disbelief from both Minerva and Katya. "We've got problems. Flitwick is his second."
Minerva managed to refrain from cheering loudly at that bit good of news. Filius was a damn fine duelist.
"His strike zone is impossible. I'll have to wear my monocle," growled the one-eyed Toma. "I might accidentally step on him. That's an automatic disqualification."
"You're not seconding me," Damyan explained. "You'll referee the match. Byakko will second me. He's the best duelist we have in a non-European dueling style plus being the closest to Filius' size. Anything happens to me, you get Severus and Katya out of here, Toma. Remember our Bond will break on my death, Ekaterina. You won't be able to reveal anything about our escapades but you also won't be tied to my body, wailing like a banshee."
"What about Wolfie?" Toma questioned.
Damyan took one look at the heavily sweating Remus and rolled his eyes. "Albus can have him. He'll be dead from silver toxicity soon enough. It seems he's more susceptible to silver than most werewolves are. Any idea when the Dog Father might be showing up? He's on my list for special attention."
No, Minerva mentally growled. She wouldn't let Remus die from silver poisoning. He needed more water in order to stay hydrated, so she carefully helped him drink more water. Remus was feverish and he rested his head against her cool hands.
"He should be here," the half-giant explained. "He might have gotten lost, but one of the little horrors must know a location spell. I can't believe how mouthy those Hogwarts brats are."
Her students weren't brats, Minerva inwardly protested. Certainly no Dark Wizard should have the nerve to call her students brats. But her students were in serious trouble if they were off Hogwarts grounds without permission. It wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend and Manchester during a Wizard War was a decidedly non-approved outing.
"Severus? How are you holding up?" Damyan gently asked Severus. He put his hand on the quiet Severus' shoulder. "Just a little longer and you'll be free of Albus."
"Tired," Severus slowly admitted. Then he softly whispered, so Remus wouldn't hear him. "Damyan… my tiredness… it's not… affecting…her? She's… healthy?"
The Bulgarian tilted his head and looked at Severus for a long moment. His eyes unfocused and then Damyan blinked and smiled.
"Busy sleeping right now. Growing is very exhausting work so she's having a bit of a kip. She's absolutely knackered but completely healthy." He held out her hand in front of Severus' face. "Look at my hand. Do you see her? She's sucking her thumb, you'll need to nip that in the bud early."
Severus intently stared at Damyan's hand. After a minute or so, his eyes widened in surprise and then he briefly smiled.
"Try to conserve your strength," was the Bulgarian's soft response. "Soon, you'll be someplace far better than here. You'll like it there as the warmth of the sun will sink into your bones. You'll be warm; I know how badly you feel the cold. Plus, she'll love splashing in the ocean when she's older. There will be a great many children her age to play with. She'll have a wonderful childhood, so much better than yours was."
"I don't believe that I'll be there for her," Severus protested. "I'm running out of time."
"Yes, you will be there," was Katya's response. "You were dying when we found you, Severus. If it wasn't for Damyan, you'd be long dead by now."
Severus nodded his head.
"Have faith, Severus," the Russian witch gently chastised him. "You're almost there."
"I know it's June, but September just seems a lifetime away," he explained. He paused before his lips twisted into his familiar mocking grin. "Thankfully, I got to see Minerva one last time. Though I must be in far worse shape than I feared. Minerva hasn't reminded me that her Lions beat my Snakes during their last Quidditch match."
"I thought it would be bad form to gloat," Minerva snipped. "Though you still owe me our wager."
Her caustic quip caused Severus to laugh. Minerva thought it was the most wonderful sound in the world.
Remus was feverish and his heart was racing along merrily. He kept his eyes shut so not to be blinded by the bright sun.
Were they talking about babies? Severus and babies? Well, maybe Severus wanted to be a father.
Remus did… well… he liked the making of babies, but he wasn't quite sure if he was up to being a Father. Arthur told him just to hang on to his hat and enjoy the ride but it was easy for someone with as many kids as Arthur had to make it sound so damn easy.
He'd never see his child born. If he did escape from this, it was too late as the silver was in his blood. He'd be dead before September.
"You've got a dozen Order members, so we don't have enough to Box the Compass, which is the traditional dueling setup." Filius reminded Albus. "You'll be the South point on the compass while Draganov's North. I will be East… and Damyan's invisible second will be West. How do you want the Order spread out? Three each positioned on the ordinates?"
Albus said nothing.
"I don't believe that he and Severus are lovers," Filius gently informed Albus. "He's quite dodgy, playing that he's off his broom. He's perfectly sane, Albus, and those comments were deliberately said. He wanted them to get under your skin and rub your soul raw."
"I know, Filius," Albus commented. "However, Severus doesn't look well."
Filius brusquely nodded his head. With a quick snap of his wand, he set up a proper dueling arena.
"Then I suggest you better win this and do so quickly," Filius tersely informed Albus. "And if you don't, I will. Let's get Alastor, shall we? I see he's warning everyone about the possibility of a coven."
"It's time," Damyan quietly announced. "Wish me luck, Katya."
He kissed his lover and then the Bulgarian grinned at Severus. "Care for a quick bit of snogging?"
"I'm afraid that you're not my type," was Severus' dry retort. Damyan ignored him and deliberately kissed Severus on both his cheeks. He then embraced Severus quickly before Severus could make his escape. Severus struggled briefly but Damyan continued to hold him close.
"Relax, I would never hurt you," Damyan assured Severus. "It will be alright, Severus. No matter what happens, be strong, my brave boy."
That advice bestowed, he scratched Grisha and Nadya, ordering the two fuzzies to stick with Katya.
He then looked at Minerva.
"I'd ask Miss McGonagall for a good luck kiss, but I think she wishes to hex off my nethers," Damyan chortled.
Instead of hexing him, Minerva held out her hand. "Thank you for taking such good care of my Severus. He was lucky to find you."
"Luck had nothing to do with it. Destination, Determination and Deliberation did," Damyan retorted.
"Wilkie Twycross would be proud to know that someone listened to him," Minerva snarked.
A rather bemused Damyan gingerly shook Minerva's hand.
"Are you going to pat the wolf on his head? You've run out of babies to kiss and kitties to tickle," Toma reminded Damyan. "It's time to duel."
"Who is his bloody second?" Alastor growled. The one-eyed former Auror wasn't even bothering to hide his disgust with Albus' tomfoolery. "Toma can't referee and second his duel."
Albus said not a word.
He was too busy reliving Damyan kissing Severus. Yes, Draganov had kissed the Russian witch but he had also buzzed Severus several times. They had embraced. Yes, Severus hadn't been exactly demonstrative… but still the entire scene was distinctively … unSeverus like.
I really should thank you, Albus. I enjoy Severus in my bed, even when his daughter kicks me. He's so bloody appreciative over the smallest amount of physical affection. It's like he's starved for affection. I have to keep reminding the poor boy that mutual fondness is supposed to be the norm in a healthy relationship."
Was he doing the right thing? Yes, he needed to get Minerva out of the current situation, but… what if Severus desired to be with Damyan?
Severus had wanted to be with him… originally. Then after everything, the damaged Severus had still been fixated on him… and now… was he sharing Damyan's bed? It wasn't that he was jealous; Albus was just deeply concerned that Damyan was exploiting a vulnerable Severus. Yes, concerned.
Not jealous.
He had no right to be jealous.
None.
"He's not bleeding from his nose yet," Filius, the true academic, cheerfully informed his taller magical brethren, as the non-blood splattered Damyan Draganov walked towards them. "No tears of blood either. Good sign, as it means that he's not berserking. The sky is still blue and cloudless. Berserkers have a tendency of disrupting the weather patterns."
"Do they now, Filius?" Alastor quipped in a 'tell me something I don't already know' tone. "I know that Gellert's covens have thirteen mages."
"Don't be a smart arse," Filius chastised his former student. "I'm just reviewing what Albus might face. Also, I've noticed that the magical nodes are wild here. They're misbehaving and just are not following the conventional node eddies."
"Think he's tapped into them?" Alastor intently questioned.
"No, I think they're just ferociously feral. A mage probably drained them dry centuries ago and left them depleted. No one's bothered with them since, so they've built up to a rather substantial power source. Plus most mages don't like dealing with nodes as they're too damn erratic." Filius then shook his head. "Albus?"
Filius cleared his throat loudly and then repeated himself, "Albus?"
"Yes? Filius? You were saying?" Albus's response was automatic.
"Alastor, go scare someone, please," Filius not so gently suggested. "I need to speak to Albus in private for a moment."
Alastor growled and stormed off. He began ordering the various Order members to their various positions, repeatedly instructing Aberforth to go to the Northeastern compass point, not the Northwestern. The two obstinate Wizards argued for a bit about where exactly Northeast point was until finally Aberforth got the point.
"What is the matter, Albus?" Filius asked.
"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," slowly admitted Albus. "I wish I knew what Severus wanted."
A gobsmacked Filius just stared at Albus for a moment and then shook his head. "This revelation of yours, Albus? It's six months too bloody late. But my question to you is… what does Albus Dumbledore want?"
"When did you take over Minerva's role in my life?" Albus dryly asked his former professor.
"When she decided to go to Prague and ended up with a case of crispy lungs," Filius reminded Albus. "Answer my question."
"I wish Severus health… physical and emotional." That was an easy answer, but naturally, Filius Flitwick was not happy with that. Filius always demanded more from the students he deemed exceptional, whether or not they were still a Hogwarts student was immaterial.
"What about your daughter? What does Albus Dumbledore wish in regards to his daughter?"
"Albus Percival Wulferic Brian Dumbledore is terribly afraid of her," confessed Albus. "He's not sure of anything besides that."
"You're afraid of a baby? You make a habit of facing Dark Wizards on a regular basis and you're afraid of a baby?" Filius questioned. "Spit up won't ruin your clothes, Albus."
"I'm terribly frightened that I will cock it all up. I'm… I'm… not good at emotions. I think it's an inherent flaw in me..."
Left unsaid was that Albus desperately wanted Minerva free from Draganov. However, of all of the current prisoners, Severus, Minerva and baby, he was only sure that Minerva didn't wish to be there.
The two Dark Wizards arrived at the dueling location. Damyan was wearing a bright smile while the half-giant Toma looked rather grim.
"I see everyone's in position," Draganov chirped. "Lovely day for a duel."
"Where's your second?" Alastor rumbled. "If you can't provide one, you forfeit the duel."
"Bloody hell, Toma. He does know the rules." The Dark Wizard mock pouted. "Where ever will I find a second? Isn't most of the Brotherhood dead thanks to Albus?"
"My sister certainly is," Toma tersely offered.
"Sweet girl," Damyan commiserated. "Had such a lovely sense of humor."
"Find one or forfeit," the short-tempered Alastor demanded. He was quite tired of Damyan's flippancy.
"You know, really, Albus. Fighting over Severus like he's a damsel in distress? Isn't that a little bit beneath you? Can't you just accept the fact that Severus has moved on?" Damyan's voice carried in the stillness of the Manchester afternoon. "I know this has crushed your ego, but really, it's not Severus' fault that you just didn't have the sexual stamina to keep a young man like him satisfied. I mean you are two hundred and forty seven years old. Good Lord, Albus, it was only the one night between you. From all accounts, it wasn't even that good. Why are you so bloody sexually obsessed with Severus?"
The Order was shell-shocked. If Alastor thought that they had acted like stunned three years olds before, this latest tidbit about Albus had them doubting their sanity. Albus and Severus? A few of the braver Order members were looking at Albus out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for Albus to deny the latest accusation.
Severus… the greasy black bat of the Dungeon and…. Albus Dumbledore… did the horizontal spellcast?
"Albus, your little Devotees didn't know? That you had decided to sleep with one of your followers? And then, the morning after, you decided to kick him out of your bed and treat him like a piece of…."
There was a bright flash of scarlet and gold in the air as Fawkes attacked Damyan. The Phoenix raked his claws deeply in Damyan's face and the Dark Wizard cursed. Toma hit Fawkes with a rapid-fired curse and the Phoenix burst into flames. The chick fell to the ground. A blue-grey cat bounded over to immediately pounce on the defenseless chick. The cat neatly picked up Fawkes in her mouth and sauntered over to Katya. The Russian witch put the Phoenix in one hand and then deliberately encircled her fingers around his neck. Albus, horrified that Damyan now had FAWKES… stepped forward one step, and then stopped when Filius put out his hand.
"Don't do anything stupid. They've got Fawkes," Filius reminded him.
"Bugger it," growled the bleeding Damyan. He had four deep and long scratches running down the left side of his face. The blood was oozing into his eye, requiring him to wipe it away. "Katya, keep the Phoenix. If you need to, use the Phoenix to make sure you're safe. Albus won't want a damn thing to happen to the bird. Bloody shame you care more about the bird than you do people. Very well, let me get my second here. He's quite anxious to see you again, Albus. "
Damyan hissed one word in Bulgarian. A fiery spark fell from the sky, down towards the earth.
Alastor began warning the Order to get into position.
"Watch it! They're doing the Hecate formation!" Alastor roared. "Bloody hell; don't tell me you don't know the counter position. I don't care how many Defense instructors you had, the counter position is just common sense defense! Places!"
Hecate. The three faced goddess of crossroads… The formation was named such due to its heavy reliance on the use of the troikas of wizards and witches… The Hecate formation reminded Albus of a time long past when Europe had burned and burned.
The sparks separated into thirteen smaller sparks which began encircling the Order. First slowly and then faster and faster until they broke apart once again, breaking off into five separate groups. Four groups of three and one lone spark. They exploded with a loud, thunderous boom, shaking the ground for miles around.
When the smoke cleared, there were twelve hooded figures with their wands extended, facing the Order. It was a tense moment, each side waiting for the other to make one wrong move.
"Damyan, this is a duel. According to the 227th edition of Iannes and Mambres' Handbook to Duels, which we agreed upon as the rulebook for this combat, there is an armistice between our two parties. Please put down your wands," Filius Flitwick politely requested. "Also, I would ask that you please remove your hoods."
With a swift gesture from their leader, the coven put down their wands and dissolved their robes. They were older, established mages, wearing dragonhide armor. All were in their magical prime, being at least seventy years old. Abus knew every damn one of them and every bloody one of them was supposed to be quite dead.
The white witch of Warsaw! The lion of…
"Recognize my friends, Albus?" Damyan interrupted Albus' thoughts. "My dearest Sister Rada? As constant as the Northern Star. Sister, please take the North position. Please reassure me that you remember Rada, Albus? You must as you killed her Sofia."
Three of the mages walked toward the North. The hawk nosed female nodded an acknowledgement to Severus.
"Brother Besem, please take the South position," Damyan requested. "Sister Amina, take the East. Brother Ilias, you will be my Western constant."
That left one Mage. The one that was still wearing his hood. He, alone among Gellert's followers, had not drawn his wand upon his arrival. He had also not removed his hood when requested. Instead, he stood alone, with his arms crossed.
"My second," was Damyan's needless explanation. "Brother, it is long past time for you to remove your mask. Let the world finally look upon you and know who you truly are."
The mage removed his robe to reveal Ishikawa Byakko. Gellert's Japanese warlock, onetime Special Adviser to the International Confederation of Wizards and now outlawed wizard, bowed his head in greeting. He was wearing antique Japanese bespelled dragonhide armor complete with matching tantō and katana . Ishikawa Byakko was a living, breathing anachronism and he was damn bloody proud of it. For too long, he had lived in the shadows, hiding his true loyalties.
"Dumbledore," he matter-of-factly commented, as though they were meeting at a Council meeting.
"Byakko?" was Albus' response. "I see you're no longer disemboweled."
"Yes, had bit of a tummy ache, but now I'm feeling much better," Byakko dryly remarked.
Bloody hell, bloody hell, Damyan had blithely informed the Order how he had seduced the Headmaster. The Order was staring at him, perceptibly sickened that his foulness had morally corrupted the Headmaster.
And…. And… Katya had FAWKES. The damn Phoenix had recklessly attacked Damyan and now a not-very amused Katya was holding the chick hostage.
"You even think of crapping in my hand, you're dead," the witch informed the Phoenix chick.
Severus was… in so much trouble…
The Headmaster and Damyan clasped their right hands while the referees invoked the various dueling rituals. The rites completed, Byakko and Filius spoke briefly before reporting to their corners. Toma and Alastor also left the two combatants alone.
"Really, old chap. This isn't necessary," Damyan announced. "You've never heard that old truth, 'If you love someone, let them go. If Severus returns to you, it was meant to be. If he doesn't, it's because you were an utter arse and you bloody terrorized Severus. You exploited him, Albus. And you let your little Devotees abuse him."
"Keep talking rubbish, Damyan. Hopefully, you'll grow winded," retorted Albus.
"Abus, I'm not two hundred and eighty three years old. I can walk and talk and not have to stop for breath. Since we've pretty much said all there is to say, I'll leave you with this. See you in hell, Albus," was Damyan's rejoinder.
The two mages stood back to back and then, following the referee's instructions, began walking the twelve long steps. That done, they turned to face each other.
And the battle for Severus began.
Serge the Serbian gestured and there was nearly a pile up of the various international wizards and witches. As it was there, there was a great many stepped on toes.
"Sparks," was his explanation. "Thirteen."
They watched the sparks fly overhead and Serge shook his head.
"Ludamilla. Go to the Bulgarians, warn them that we may have a coven of Gellert supporters," he ordered. "Come now, let's continue."
He ignored the fact that the mood of his intercontinental wizard hunting party had done a one eighty. No longer was it a festive way to spend a Saturday afternoon, chasing down a Foamer. No, now it was serious. In fact, Serge was now the only one that smiled.
He was Russian. That was explanation enough.
Voldemort was in Manchester. There was a loud explosion and he motioned for his followers to follow him.
Severus Snape was dead.
He had foiled Voldemort's plans by flatly refusing to do what Voldemort had ordered him to do. Yes, Lucius Malfoy claimed that Dumbledore was distracted by Severus' disappearance, but it wasn't good enough. He was supposed to have latched onto Dumbledore and self-destructed. He was supposed to have brought the almighty Dumbledore down. He wasn't supposed to run away and become best mates with one of Gellert's followers.
Truly, it was impossible to find good help these days.
There was a loud explosion in the distance, and Voldemort decided that would be the first location that they checked. There was a great deal of magic concentrate in that area and that usually meant DUMBLEDORE.
Above him, the sky darkened.
To Severus' surprise, the two battling titans seemed to be evenly matched. They weren't verbally casting spells, so the only sounds heard were their quickened breath and the crack as their spells erupted from their wands.
"Excellent wand rotation," Rada commented in Severus' ear. "I've never seen Damyan perform that parry better."
There was a brief splatter of applause from the various Dark Wizards as Damyan executed a furious series of underhanded castings that knocked Albus on his arse just as the round ended.
"Foul," Alastor called. "Foul, Damyan Draganov. Illegal move. It's been illegal since 1962."
Toma sadly nodded his head in agreement. Damyan growled his disgust and wiped the blood from his eye. "I'm sorry," he spat. "In 1962, I was in Zadar and had to move quickly, Severus. Couldn't keep up with the dueling regs."
"Point for Damyan Draganov however. Dumbledore did step over the line prior to the foul," Toma inserted. "Dumbledore gets the foul when the next round starts. Damyan needs to get his Phoenix induced lacerations reclosed."
Byakko met Damyan at the North location, and did a quick examination of his face, blotting his face dry with a soft cloth. The mage spoke softly to the Bulgarian and continued to hold pressure on Damyan's face.
"Severus, it's going well," Damyan cheerily assured the younger mage. "Don't get nervous, Phoenix scratches always excessively bleed. How's the stupid feather duster doing?"
"Still here," Katya said. "I gave it to Severus to Phoenix-sit. The bird kept glaring at me and I was tempted to wring its bloody neck. Is Birdie still alive?"
"Yes," Severus finally managed to say after they all turned to look at him. He had put the Phoenix chick in one of his pockets so he wasn't required to actually LOOK at the Phoenix. Looking at the Headmaster's Phoenix had reminded him too much of the Phoenix's mage.
"Time for round two," Toma announced.
Albus Dumbledore was not having a very restorative interlude between the dueling rounds. Sirius Black had arrived at Piccadilly Gardens along with HARRY and assorted other Hogwarts students.
"What are you doing here?" Albus tersely questioned. He had often regretted his too lackadaisical attitude with Sirius Black and Harry Potter, but never as much as now.
"I went after Harry," Sirius Black explained.
"And why are you here, Harry? Do you have permission to be off the grounds?" He tried to keep his voice calm, appropriate for dealing with teenagers and Sirius Black, but he knew he was failing.
"Remus?" Sirius Black interrupted. He pointed toward Damyan's little covey of Dark Wizards who had their very own silver plated werewolf mascot. "They've got REMUS? What is he doing here? What does Sniv…. Severus… have to do with Remus? Severus has always hated Remus…"
"Remus agreed to stay out of Manchester while I handled this. I am supposing that your disappearance from Hogwarts was made aware to him, so he went here to find you. Instead of finding you, Gellert's Brotherhood found him," Albus explained.
"So Gellert's Brotherhood has Remus and Minerva," Sirius began.
"And Severus. At this time, I believe him to be a hostage," Albus retorted.
"They've got Remus, Minerva and Severus. Anyone else?" Sirius Black asked.
"Fawkes," was Albus' regretful admission.
"FAWKES!" was the disbelieving chorus. "Well, what are we going to do about it?"
"I'm dueling right now," explained Dumbledore. "You're going back to Hogwarts. You've done quite enough to help this situation. I truly lack the words to properly thank you for your help. Now go."
His dry wit was completely lost on them. Minerva would have gotten it. Severus would be rolling his eyes at their obtuseness.
"Is there anything else I'm not aware of?" Sirius Black asked. "We've got Minerva kidnapped by Severus' new best friend, who you don't believe is Severus' new best mate. Fawkes is also a captive. What else is going on?"
Hestia Jones inserted herself in the conversation. The witch still looked disturbed by something and she placed her hand over Sirius' mouth.
"Please, don't ask that. You wouldn't be able to handle it," the apple cheeked witch informed Sirius. "Trust me. Please, Albus, don't answer that. He doesn't really want to know the answer."
"Time for round two," Toma announced.
Bloody hell, Albus hadn't gotten a chance to catch his breath. He hadn't gone all out against Draganov as Albus had a sneaking suspicion that shattering Damyan Draganov into a million pieces wouldn't help his case with Severus. Still, he had worked up a sweat as Damyan was exploring his defenses, attempting to find Albus' weaknesses and exploit them.
How badly did Fawkes scratch Draganov? The wounds had reopened once more and there was blood seeping out of the wounds.
Really, he was too damn old to be dueling. At least, there was a nice breeze to keep everything cool.
He fired off the first spell due to Damyan's flagrant foul of the previous round and then the duel was on. Albus lost himself in the casting of spell and counterspell when the round was paused by Alastor.
Albus blinked and then realized that there was an international conglomerate of assorted Wizards and Witches. Serge from Siberia seemed to be the defacto leader of the ragtag group.
"I don't believe that the 227th edition of Iannes and Mambres' Handbook to Duels handles this sticky wicket," Toma announced. "Perhaps Master Flitwick or Brother Byakko might be able to offer some sort of precedence for this?"
"Jeonji of Baekje's Thesis on Armistices had a brief paragraph that covered this," Filius suggested. "It really depends on who this third army's loyalties are directed. Serge, you interrupted a duel between Albus and Damyan Draganov."
The Siberian's face darkened at the mention of that name.
"We're following the traditional armistice until the match is over. Do you wish to break the cease fire?" Filius questioned.
"No," The Siberian growled. "I know damn well that I break the cease fire, line three of paragraph five of the Thesis requires that both of your armies come after my group. Albus? Do you mind if my group joins yours? We will follow your lead until the duel is over."
"Agreed," Albus stated.
The International wizards and witches merged into the Order formation, leaving the Dark Wizards unhappy with the number discrepancies.
"Shall we start this again? Albus is getting years older by the minute," mocked Damyan.
The two wizards walked back to their respective corners. They turned to face each other and they raised their wands.
"On three," Alastor announced. "One…. Two…."
Both Wizards began to mentally cast their spells when Alastor called a cease-fire.
Voldemort had just arrived in Piccadilly Gardens.
After Voldemort's arrival, Severus realized that he was no longer just merely trapped between Scylla and Charybdis, now Poseidon had decided to rise from the ocean depths to make an appearance.
"Don't inhale," Katya informed him. She broke two vials and then counted to five. "Ok, safe to breathe now."
"Good Afternoon, and who might you be?" Damyan asked. His attempts at being charmingly cheeky were ruined by the blood draining down his face.
Obviously that was not the reaction Voldemort was expecting. He was use to false bravo and terrified squeaks for mercy when he arrived. Not complete ignorance.
Damyan looked at Albus and stage whispered, "Did you shag him too? I'm detecting a great deal of sexual tension and unresolved animosity between you two."
"Good afternoon, we're in the midst of a duel between Albus and Damyan. As per Jeonji of Baekje's Thesis on Armistice, when a new army comes across the armistice, they have several options," Byakko explained, as it seemed that he also had a short fuse for Damyan's cheek. "You may go."
"I'm here for Severus," explained Voldemort. "I'll leave after he's dead."
Minerva and Katya bumped into each other as they moved to stand in front of Severus. The two witches stared each other down and then nodded their heads, deciding to stand side by side to defend Severus.
"Very well. You don't wish to leave. You may join either one of our armies," Byakko continued.
"I work alone," was Voldemort's response.
"One of our armies could join yours," Byakko stated. "We currently have sixteen of Gellert's followers here. We wish to take a more active role in current events. Perhaps, we could join your army. We could turn Severus over to you."
Oh, bloody hell. I TRUSTED YOU, DAMYAN. I TRUSTED YOU!
"I don't really need sixteen geriatric wizards." Voldemort's tone was dismissive. "I see no reason why I can't simply take Severus from you."
Byakko nodded his head once in acknowledgement of that basic truth.
"Perhaps, you may wish to change your mind about an allegiance, after a brief demonstration of our abilities. Damyan? If you would, please?"
The Bulgarian, who Severus had bloody trusted, who had betrayed him and ARI, like everyone else had in his miserable life, lifted one hand and gestured.
Nothing apparently happened and Voldemort smirked. Then when he heard the murmur of confused comments coming from Albus' army, he turned to face his followers. There were now thirteen Albuses sprinkled amongst his followers.
"Severus," a blood splattered Damyan explained. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay in tenfold, saith the Dragon. Remember, Brother, I was the one that avenged you. Not Albus, he couldn't be bothered. I know Minerva stayed her hand only in the hopes that Albus would avenge your injuries."
Then with a casual wave of his hand, he killed the Death Eaters that had violated Severus. Their deaths were slow and painful, as Damyan knew how to heal, and how to kill little by little. Voldemort did not make any effort to save his personnel which seemed to truly offend the Dark Wizards.
"And the other option is," Byakko said to Albus. "Is that our armies join forces temporarily to rid ourselves of that monstrosity. Agreed?"
Albus nodded his head once. The French began protesting, as did the Russsians, Czechs and Bulgarian aurors. The British also whinged that Albus had no authority to make an alliance with Gellert, but their protestations were silenced when Gellert's Brotherhood Apparated in the midst of Voldemort and his Death Eaters and began energetically turning the Death Eaters into chum.
And the battle began, Gellert's Brotherhood joining forces with The Order of the Phoenix and Serge's International Confederation of Wizards while the storm clouds continued to gather over Manchester.