Thirty-One Bottles of Butterbeer

7:32:02

"Hello, little one. You've been very naughty."

I stilled, my hand gripping tight around my wand, as Greyback ran his abnormally sharp nails through my tangled hair. He smelled of sweat and blood, and I bit back a scream when I felt his nose press against the back of my head. He sniffed loudly and said, "I cannot wait to see you die." His hand tightened painfully around my hair, bringing tears to my eyes. I would not cry. I would not give him that satisfaction.

I looked at Xavier's fallen form. The white marble behind his head had begun to run red, and I felt a pang of guilt. I had shoved him rather forcefully. Merlin, if he died because of me...the wizard was miraculously still conscious and, feeling the weight of my gaze, he mouthed, "Run."

Yes, well, I would run, but there was the minor inconvenience of the bloodthirsty werewolf. Still, I needed to figure a way out of this. There was no way in hell that I was going to let myself be killed when Luke was masquerading as Al.

I forced myself to still under Greyback's hold, and the werewolf let out a low chuckle, clearly thinking me paralysed with fear. "You all die the same," Greyback said, tapping his gnarled claws against my shoulder.

I felt him shift as his left hand tightened around my wand arm, wrenching it backwards. I couldn't stop a strangled sob from escaping my lips, and it was all I could manage to remain standing. Before me, Xavier looked away, wincing at the loud crack that emanated from my arm. Merlin, that had hurt. From the burning pain now spreading through my shoulder down to my wrist, the blasted werewolf had wrenched my arm from its socket.

I bit my tongue, tasting blood, and, crouching slightly, waited for the werewolf to come closer. When I felt him brush against my back, I bellowed, "BATTLE CRY!"

Then, not waiting for him to react, I shot upward, propelling my head (which, as Seth always said, was harder than any rock) into the werewolf's chin. Greyback howled, stumbling backwards, and I took advantage of the confusion to free myself from his hold. The sudden movement sent tears to my eyes as my arm dangled uselessly in front of me. I transferred my wand to my non-wand arm and, gritting my teeth against the pain, conjured the same shield from before, pinning Xavier and me against the wall.

Greyback let out a howl, and the sound was so full of rage, of hate, that I felt myself shrink. He slammed against the barrier, teeth bared, and snarled when it held. I almost wept from the strain of the magic, holding my wand clumsily in my non-wand hand, and watched as the goblins began directing hexes at the barrier. I wouldn't be able to fend them off for long. The smoke had cleared enough for me to see the dozen or so werewolves that spilled, like wildfire, into the room. At the head strode a stooped goblin, and his uneven gait was one that had haunted my dreams for six years, two months, and seven days. Ragnuk.

The goblin looked directly at me and tilted his head contemplatively. In his hands was the Elder Wand, and the sight of its dark length sent another bolt of fear through my heart. "Greyback," the goblin called, and his voice cut easily through the werewolf's grunts. "Why is this room in shambles? Don't tell me you have allowed one small witch to ruin months' of work."

The room seemed to freeze, and the werewolf, still glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, spat at the barrier. He turned deliberately towards the goblin, and Ragnuk smiled placidly. Although Greyback towered over the goblin, the wand held loosely between Ragnuk's gnarled fingers marked him as the true leader.

"Turn me," Greyback demanded, his voice hoarse, "and I will see that the witch meets a suitable fate."

Turn him? He couldn't mean - it wasn't even the full moon! That had been the one factor that had kept our forces from losing all hope for the oncoming battle. The werewolves were powerful enough in their human form. When shifted into their more beastly counterparts, they were near unstoppable, as a single scratch or bite meant a lifetime of agony.

Forcing a werewolf to shift in the absence of a full moon was impossible, but then again, Ragunk possessed the Elder Wand. At this point, I wasn't willing to bet that anything was beyond the realm of possibility.

"Fuck," I heard Xavier mutter (very helpfully) behind me.

"Yes, I am aware that we are about to have a full-fledged werewolf on our hands," I said, trying desperately not to throttle the man.

"No, not that - Luke!"

What? I scanned the crowd, my heart sinking when I heard a familiar voice say loudly, "Oh, for fuck's sake - this is taking far too long."

Luke strode out, his arm raised, and I found myself staring down the length of his gun. Horror gripped my heart tightly. If he was there, that meant he had given up the charade. If he had given up the charade, that meant...I couldn't bear to summon the logical conclusion to that thought. He smiled, and I had just enough time to think something that would have made Vane proud before his finger flexed.

Bang.

I fell to the ground instinctively, crying out as the impact sent a shudder through my injured arm. The barrier, thank Merlin, held, but the bullet left a series of cracks in the translucent shield. Ragnuk looked approvingly at the Squib. "See, Greyback?" he said. "Even a magicless man has bested you."

The werewolf snarled, looking like he wished desperately to claw the goblin's head off. I didn't have much time to devote any thought to that, however, for I saw Luke raise his gun again, his eyes cold. Numberita calculated the odds of the barrier's survival and decided that, yup, this was definitely not my day.

"Xavier," I gasped out, backing until my feet hit his chest. "Please, please tell me you can open that barrier again."

Xavier let out a grating cough. "You almost killed me," he said.

I flinched, unable to counter his statement. It was true; I'd been so overcome with shock, with fury, that I'd shoved him blindly against the wall. "I'm sorry, but-"

"Relax," he said, making a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. He pressed the marble slab again and the wall slid open behind us. Luke let out a loud cry and shot several times at the barrier, and, feeling the magic pull dangerously at my last vestiges of energy, I let it fall. I yanked Xavier up with my good arm and, pulling him with me into the tunnel, sent the wall slamming shut with my remaining reserves of energy.

Then, blinking blearily in the sudden darkness, I fainted, my head colliding sharply with the dirt ground.

0:38:39

I awoke to the entirely pleasant (not) sound of someone singing an annoyingly catchy song.

"-BOTTLES OF BUTTERBEER ON THE WALL, THIRTY-TWO BOTTLES OF BUTTERBEER ON THE WALL! TAKE ONE DOWN, PASS IT AROUND, THIRTY-ONE BOTTLES OF BUTTERBEER ON THE WALL!"

Had I died? Merlin, I hoped I hadn't - not only because, well, living was preferable, but also because I sincerely hoped that my afterlife did not consist of this off-key singing. In fact, the only person I knew who sang so horribly was...Seth. Seth!

I jolted into a sitting position, my breath hissing as the sudden movement sent splinters of pain through my arm. A thick, bright pink knit blanket pooled around my lap, and I squinted at my surroundings in confusion. I was situated in a narrow bed in a room papered with purple and gold wallpaper. A small window revealed a dusky, blue-black sky, and the room smelled faintly of antiseptic. In the distant horizon, I could just make out the first stretches of pale pink, and I felt the familiar grip of panic. How long had I been unconscious? How much time did we have left?

I looked down at my wand arm and sucked in another breath. My skin was mottled with angry red and purple bruises. I flexed my fingers experimentally, wincing when the movement triggered a fresh wave of pain. Still, at least I could move my hand, and I hadn't fainted again.

I looked to my right, breathing out a sigh of relief when I saw Xavier (unconscious, but breathing, thank Merlin) lying in a cot identical to my own. This must be a makeshift infirmary, then. But how had we gotten here?

"What-?" I said and stopped abruptly, immediately regretting the word. Minutes spent inhaling the noxious fumes had left my throat raw, and I doubled over, wheezing for breath.

"Finally," I heard a wonderfully familiar voice say. I looked over, still clutching my throat, at the bloke reclining in the bed next to mine. "I've been singing that song for ages in the hopes that it would wake you up. I started with two hundred bottles. Two hundred!"

"Hi, Seth," I croaked.

"Hi, little sis," he said. His eyes drifted to my arm, and his eyes darkened.

"I'm older than you," I interjected before he could say anything. Just this once, I wanted to maintain the illusion that we were two normal (okay, that was always going to be out of the question, but relatively safe would do) siblings in a normal world saying normal things.

"False," Seth said, sniffing imperiously. "I am a whole two minutes and forty seconds older than you."

"Thirty-one seconds," I corrected automatically.

"Aha! So you admit it! I am the mature one."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. Being near Seth never failed to make me feel better. Wait. Why was he in this makeshift infirmary? I looked at my twin closely, my stomach plummeting when I saw the bandages wrapped tightly around his chest.

"Seth. What happened?"

He followed my gaze and grimaced, his hand drifting towards his covered rib cage. "That bastard Al shot me," he said, and I felt a horrible, horrible sinking sensation. "The bloke went bloody insane after you and Vane left - didn't say a word, just took a gun out and bang."

He shouted the last bit, and I flinched as the sound echoed against the walls. Merlin, how much damage had Luke done?

"I'm lucky I made it out alive. Maisy - I don't know if you remember her, but she was the dark-haired witch who was chatting Al up earlier today - was shot in the head. She died instantly, which I guess is all we can ask for these days," my twin continued, his voice bitter. He looked at me, adding, "His eyes were the scariest part - cold, like he didn't feel a thing. He didn't even look back - just went running out the door like he hadn't just murdered someone. I knew I should have cursed him after he broke up with you back in sixth year. Adela, you know him better than most of us - hell, Merlin knows you know him better than I do, at this point. Why would he snap like that? Why would he betray his own family?"

I swung my legs over the bed. I had to set things right. Merlin, how must Al's parents be taking this? For all they knew, their son had just killed a woman - a woman whom, I remembered with a sinking feeling, I had resented only hours prior.

"Where are you going?" Seth demanded as I dragged myself to the door.

"That wasn't Al! The real Al is out there somewhere and we need to rescue him," I said, gasping for breath as I gripped the wooden doorframe for support.

My twin brother blinked. Then, his jaw setting, he stood, his arm wrapping tightly around his stomach.

"What are you doing?" I asked, watching as my twin limped towards me.

"What, you think I'm going to let my mad little sister go off and save the world alone? Not on my watch."

I felt my throat clench as tears sprang to my eyes. "Thanks, Seth," I whispered, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders.

My twin grinned. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a bloody hero," he said. "Now, let's go clear the damned fool's name."

0:26:38

We finally located the others in the living room - or, at least, what remained of the forces. Only a handful - seven witches and wizards - stood in the living room, huddled over some hand-drawn maps pinned to the wall. One of them, I noticed with considerable relief, was Vane.

She was the first to notice my presence, and the Auror looked at me with a stricken expression. She had heard about Al's supposed actions, then. I spotted Kingsley standing next to her and, gritting my teeth determinedly, marched up to the Minister of Magic.

"Al is innocent," I said loudly. Instantly, the forces quieted, and I felt the pressure of seven pairs of eyes.

Kingsley looked at me, his brow furrowed. "Explain," he ordered, his voice solemn.

I scanned the crowd, my stomach sinking somewhat when I saw Harry Potter was missing. He, of all people, deserved to know that his son wasn't a traitor. "Where is Auror Potter? Er, the elder - uh, Harry Potter, I mean?" I said with considerable eloquence.

A crease appeared between Kingsley's brows. "Auror Potter has led his troops to encircle the Ministry building," he said. "We are due to join them any minute, now, so haste is of the utmost importance."

"R-right," I stammered, squashing down my newfound awe for Al's father (I knew I would be utterly incapable of fighting in his place).

A woman with wavy red hair and determined-looking brown eyes (rimmed with red, I noticed) shouldered her way forward. "What do you mean, Al is innocent?" she demanded, her voice strained. She looked like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks and had only just learned that, well, her son was supposedly a murderer. Well, this was a wonderful way to meet the famous Ginny Potter, feared Sports editor at the Prophet and mother of the bloke I was sort-of maybe kind of (honestly, I wasn't sure of anything regarding potential relationships at this point) dating.

"It wasn't Al who came back with me," I said and, noticing Ginny's impatient glare, hurriedly shared everything Numberita had cobbled together: "When Xavier took me out to see the giants, Ragnuk must have switched Al out for Luke, a Squib I met in Eff- nevermind, that's not important. Luke must have been taking Polyjuice, but he wasn't perfect as Al - I'm ashamed to say that I noticed something was off, but I hoped it was just the effect of our weeks spent in captivity so I didn't say anything. I-I should have said something immediately, and I guess it's my fault that the girl - Maisy - was killed." This realisation summoned a fresh wave of guilt. Merlin, I should have said something the moment I felt something was off. If I had, then maybe Luke could have been stopped before he'd - he'd -

"So you kept quiet, and now my son has been in captivity for Merlin knows how long. Do you know the consequences of your foolishness? My son could be dead-"

I shrank under the force of Ginny Potter's tirade. It was true - all of it. Al could be rotting in a cellar now - or, worse, dead - and it was all due to my actions.

"I noticed it, too," Vane interjected. She gave me a small smile before continuing, "You'll have to blame me as well. I was his partner; I should have known better."

Ginny Potter looked between us, and for a moment I was afraid she would cast her infamous Bat Bogey hex on us both. Instead, she sighed, looking like she'd aged years in minutes. "No," she said wearily. "It's no one's fault."

She seemed to shake herself and, lifting her chin proudly, turned to Kingsley. "This changes things, Minister," she said firmly. "We need to get my son back."

Kingsley's expression shuttered. "Ginny, you know I must think of the well-being of the wizarding world as a wh-"

"Yes, yes, the greater good, we've all heard that before," Ginny Potter snapped, her eyes flaming. "Fine. I will not disturb your planned attack, but damned if I abandon my son for some asshat's greater good."

Seth let out a strangled cough and, when everyone turned to look at him, said, "Minister, she's got you there."

Kingsley groaned, pressing a hand to his temples. "You have not the faintest idea of where to begin looking for him," he said. "Dawn is mere minutes away. Will you really abandon the rest of society to chase someone who, and I am truly sorry to say this, is most likely dead?"

Ginny's jaw set. "What choice do I have? He is my son."

They looked at each other for several long moments, both unyielding, before the Minister sighed. "Alright," he said wearily. "I will inform your husband. And, Ginny?"

Al's mother stared at the Minister, and Kingsley, slid his cap from his head, looking more tired than I had ever seen him.

"Be safe," he said.

Ginny Potter nodded, saying, "You, too, Kingsley."

The Minister of Magic turned to me, Seth, and Vane. "I suppose you three want to find Al as well?" he asked dryly.

I nodded, Numberita conjuring a dozen rebuttals to any protest he might have -

"Very well," Kingsley said. He paused, looking at us intently, before saying quietly, "I fear this war has robbed you of the youth you so deserve."

I grinned. "Hey, grandpa," I replied blithely. "Who are you calling old?"

Kingsley blinked. Adjusted his cap. Then, finally, at the very moment I'd begun to fear a lifelong imprisonment in the Ministry prison for insulting the Minister of Magic -

"My blessings to you, Adela Lancaster. May your...unique sense of humour remain immune to these dark days," he said. Then, beckoning for the other fighters to join him, he Apparated away with a loud crack.

After he'd left, I turned to see Ginny Potter looking at me oddly.

"What?" I said, feeling somewhat squashed underneath the intensity of her gaze (well, at least now I knew where Al got his laser eyes from - although the colour might come from his father, that glare was all Ginny Potter).

"So, you're Adela Lancaster," she mused. Then, to my utter surprise, she reached forward suddenly and wrapped me into a tight hug.

"Mmrph?" I said into her shoulder.

She released me after eight oxygen-deficient seconds, and I gasped, feeling woollen tendrils stick to my tongue. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, dear. Now, off we go! We have my son to save."

I pushed away my (many) questions (what did she mean, 'wonderful to finally meet you'? Had - had Al talked about me? What had he said?) as Vane pointed out, "Kingsley had a point. We have no idea where to begin looking."

We quieted, deflating somewhat at that reminder. I frowned in thought. Then -

"Vane, where are the Squibs?"

"In the basement, why?"

"They'll know Luke better than you or I do. Maybe they can tell us where Al is!"

Ginny Potter bit her lip. "It's worth a shot," she said. She nodded to the Auror and added, "Lead the way."

Then, all too aware of the rapidly dwindling seconds, we sprinted towards the basement.

Author Note: thanks all for reading! As one reviewer mentioned, yes, I do have 0 chill buttons and, yes, the following few chapters are going to be a tad stressful haha. You all are amazing - thank you so, so much for all of your comments! They never fail to make me smile :D

I can't believe this story is already at almost 900 reviews! There are only a few more chapters left, but if it does somehow reach 1000 reviews, the 1000th reviewer will get a special, custom oneshot c;