Chapter 33
The Raid
"Everyone will go in pairs so in case one of you gets hit, your partner could still drag your unlucky ass back to the manor!"
They had apparated atop a hill overlooking a small, innocuous looking village. The type you can find scattered all over the countryside. He turned again to scrutinize the village, looking out for vantage points from which they can swoop in, inflict as much damage as possible, achieve their objectives and get away without a hitch. Drawing up a quick plan in his mind, he started to giving orders to the Death Eaters in their pairs, telling them their attack points and which houses to inspect and destroy.
He glanced at a lone Death Eater standing next to him, who up until now have been so quiet.
"I suppose I'm your partner for tonight." Aurelia spoke.
"Yes,' he replied a little awkwardly. He knew it was her but all the same, no one could tell her apart from the other Death Eaters in her heavy black robes and mask. "We will be doing the main assault,' he continued now looking down at the village. 'We'll take that house, right in the heart of the village. I have a hunch that that is where our target is hiding." He finished, glancing sideways at her now as she nodded in acknowledgement.
"Who?"
"Our friendly muggle-loving minister." He replied, smiling at her under his mask.
Somehow, a part of him hoped that she would notice the preferential treatment he is giving her compared to the other Death Eaters. He felt like they had gotten to know each other more intimately lately. They had shared so many conversations and Rod marveled at her vast knowledge. She was unlike any other one of Rod's regular 'catch'. He had finally found someone of the opposite sex whose intelligence surpasses his own which he has always thought impossible and if it ever did happened, he would dislike it very much. Not hate, just dislike.
Now it seems to Rod that he has been very wrong indeed. Aurelia was the most fascinating creature he had ever known and it was her intelligence that had drawn him to her.
He turned his attention now to the other Death Eaters, trying to re-focus himself.
"Alright, remember to be on your guard. Let's try to go for a zero casualty rate this time lads…' he paused now, coughing slightly as he half glanced at Aurelia. 'and lady,'
Turning around to face the village down below, he gave them the signal. "Let's kill."
Like a plague, the Death Eaters swarmed into the village infecting everything as they pass through. Fire began enveloping the entire village. The once sleeping little town now no doubt has been awakened from its slumber. Anarchy has taken over.
Rod stayed back and watched as his other Death Eaters took apart the entire village. 'Took apart' was an understatement, it was more like ravaging. He licked his lips, he could already taste the victory.
"Let's go." He said, more to himself than to Aurelia. He felt her presence behind him as he led the attack. His target house was left untouched amidst the burning wreckage of what used to be homes.
"Expulso!" he roared, pointing at the house with his wand, causing a tremendous explosion of debris from the inside of the house. The walls had no doubt caved in causing the roof now to fall to the ground as if fallen from grace. By now, he had half-expected its tenants to come rushing out unless they're injured or dead. However, to his surprise, not a soul came running out. He glanced around him now. He could see his fellow Death Eaters standing around their own work, made up of rubble and debris. They too were obviously confused by the lack of victims available. No one, not one witch or wizard apart from the Death Eaters was present.
It suddenly dawned on him: It's a trap.
"Get out! Get your asses out of here! It's a trap! Get out!" Rod started barking orders, telling his Death Eaters to leave but it was much too late as the Order members had started to swarm in, outnumbering them 2 to 1. They were surrounded.
He started to look around for Aurelia but she was no where to be seen. A wave of panic swept over him as the fear of knowing that she might have been captured came to him. He dodged an oncoming spell which narrowly missed him as he countered his attacker with his own spell.
He was outnumbered and he was well aware of that. He would be lucky if he could just escape this deathtrap. He kept throwing spells in all directions, hoping it would hit an Order member. Flashes of brilliant light filled the night air as killing curses counter disarming curses, making it hard and impossible to see clearly. For a while, his mind went to Bella. If only she were here, they would definitely make it out of there, possibly with injuries but, very much alive. They just make a great dueling team. They complement each other so well.
He dodged another spell, repelling it with his own. He started to turn around, trying to get away to some other place with less Order members. He needed to find Aurelia. But as he turned, someone threw a spell at him making him fall backwards onto the hard ground. As he was succumbing to his defeat, Rod thought he saw someone who looked vividly familiar; if only he could put a name to the face. He was struggling not to pass out too quickly, but he was fighting a losing battle. The pain had gone, he felt nothing. It was as though his senses had died but only this time, he wasn't totally at a loss for he could finally put a name to his face: Hans Dietrich.
Over on another side of the world
"My Lord,' Bella called out to him. 'Aren't you even going to tell me where we are?"
He was moving in a very quick pace as if he was in a hurry. She was panting slightly as she tried to keep up with him. When he suddenly realize that she was falling behind, he walked over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him to make sure she was in step with him. It was quite dark and Bella was glad that he had held on to her hand. They must have landed a distance away from their intended destination which could only mean that they are not really in friendly territory. They are avoiding "eyes".
"We are in Iceland,' he said as he glanced at her.
"Iceland?' she echoed him. 'What happened to all the ice?" she wondered out loud, looking at the ground at the lush green grass they were walking on.
He ignored her remark, too distracted in trying to make sure they were going in the right direction to even comment on it. She realized she must have made a stupid remark as she had seen the way he had rolled his eyes. She just kept on walking by his side as fast as her legs could carry her.
"We're here." He said softly, without looking at her but at the sight before them.
Bella stared at it, blinking her eyes a few times before her gaze started moving from him to the emptiness before them. It was empty. Nothing.
"My Lord…." She started to say trailed off when a funny looking house slowly started to manifest itself from a background of an empty field when the Dark Lord uttered a spell:
"Aparecium."
Bella watched in amazement at the little house that is slowly taking its own time to reveal itself. It looked as though it had been swallowed by the ground and now the earth itself is throwing it back out. The entire house is covered with earth and grass except for its tiny windows and door.
"Come Bella,' he said as he smiled to her. 'Time to meet the tenants."
"The tenants, my Lord?" Bella asked.
"Yes, you'll find them very entertaining. They won't be very hospitable but you'll soon understand why. Come." He said as he released his grip on her hand and led the way towards the 'earth' house.
Lord Voldemort wasn't exactly a 'knocking' type person. Just like Bella, he preferred to start and end things with a bang and that was exactly what he did. The front door was blasted open, turning it into a thousand splinters. Bella heard a woman's voice cry out, obviously shocked at the sudden intrusion of her home.
Bella had her wand out in front of her s she went into the 'living room' of the house as directed by the Dark Lord. Her first impression of the house was that it wasn't a house. It was more like a cave, a place of hide-out. The ceiling was low and the walls were layered with turf. The only good thing about the house that Bella noticed was that it didn't need a fireplace to keep warm.
She bent down to look at photos on a small side table. Picking one out from the many that had been placed there; she saw a happy looking family of five, smiling up at her. She recognized the man in the picture and a sneer formed on her lips.
This is where Potter had stashed away his family. My Lord has brought me here to reunite the 'Pottys'.
A chuckle escaped her lips at the sheer thought of the look on Potter's face when he finds out we have that they have captured his beloved wife and children. Suddenly, a shriek was heard from another room in the house. She started walking in the direction of the voice.
"Crucio!' came the Dark Lord's voice. She walked toward the kitchen entrance and heard a sickening thud which she knew was the sound of someone falling to the ground. She walked through the doorway and saw Voldemort standing over an unconscious body of a red-headed woman. 'I hate witches who are so weak.' He said with a look of disgust on his face as she came into the kitchen.
"Have you found the kids?" he asked her with a softened expression on his face.
"I'll go look." She started to turn but he stopped her.
"No,' he began. 'She must have hidden them somewhere. It would take too long to look."
He lifted the unconscious body almost effortlessly off the floor and slung it over his right shoulder. Next, he pointed his wand to another wand on the floor which must have belonged to Potter's wife, and sent it flying across the room. It hit against a wall and broke in three places. Satisfied, he looked at Bella and said, "Come."
They both walked out of the tiny house, leaving the door wide open and Bella already knew what she was supposed to do. She raised her wand to the house and said, "Confringo."
The house exploded into flames and Bella couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight. Somehow, it gave her comforting sense of satisfaction. At once, they could hear voices, tiny voices, children's voices. Sure enough, the remaining tenants of the house began to rush out, their hands linked to each others', coughing and wheezing as a result of breathing in the thick smoke that had polluted the once clean air.
They looked up to the two figures standing before them. The wizard was scary looking, almost inhuman and he had their mother slung over his right shoulder. The witch had a kindly face but the way she was sneering at them made them panic. These must be the people their parents had warned them about. What are they to do now?
Bella saw the panic look on the face of the oldest child. Still, he had courage enough to stand in front of his other younger siblings, protecting them as he boldly pointed his wand to the intruders. Before he could do anything, his wand suddenly flew out of his hand.
"Hello James, Albus, Lily." The scary-looking man spoke.
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