It was a sickly, humid evening and difficult to breath from the thickness of the air, but Harry didn't think much about it all in all. He was standing in a courtyard with three Death Eaters and one Knight, waiting. Harry watched the four wizards staring up at the sky as if they expected to see Tom arrive home precisely when they happened to be searching for him. Tom and the others weren't actually expected to be back for another hour or so, however.
All four of the Knights of Walpurgis were leaning against the rough walls of the Death Eaters' building next to Harry, glancing up at the sky nervously in turn every now and then. Two of them were engaged in conversation while the other two stood around, waiting for some other unseen Knights to swap shifts with them, to end their break. So far, it had been a long night.
The Knights were in a state of growing apprehension, though not one of them gave voice to this; instead it was written on their faces and shown in their light comments about the time or about their concerns for themselves, Tom, and the rest of Tom's followers. Despite understanding, sensing, and seeing their fear, however, Harry was for once feeling far from nervous about the wellbeing of Tom…
While he remained here, accompanied by only a few other wizards who were looking after the place, Harry was, above all else, stressed by his inability to know how the ambush of Grindelwald's Fortress was going. He knew that Tom wasn't going to get badly injured in the fight because he knew Tom was simply too strong. What worried him was what would happen if Tom ended up a little too victorious due to his strength…
Harry wanted Tom to defeat Grindelwald's People – he truly did – but there was something very alarming to him about the idea of Tom fighting with the power of six Dragons and over forty Knights at his command, attacking the Fortress without so much as a warning. Tom had the complete ability to bring down Grindelwald's peoples' defences due to the help of the newest Knights, what was more, which in itself was another massive advantage. If Tom managed to succeed completely tonight, it would mean he was indeed stronger than he was meant to be, and Harry would have even bigger issues to worry about…
Harry hoped none of the Death Eaters would die, on another note. He didn't wish for any of the Knights of Walpurgis to die either, but he understood that most of them were a little less important at this time. If one of the Death Eaters died earlier than they were supposed to, it could mean that time would change forever for Harry. If Avery, Dolohov, Macnair, Nott, Lestrange, Black, and so many others were dead before they had children, a lot would be different, and it terrified Harry…
Witches and wizards that Harry had heard about in his past – such as Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, the son of Avery, the son of Dolohov, Walden Macnair, Even Rosier, and even Lucius and Draco Malfoy – could never exist if a Killing Curse hit the wrong wizard tonight. Harry regretted having agreed to stay here for the ambush. He wanted nothing more than to know what was happening in that battle…
Rosier, Black, and Lestrange were all waiting beside Harry now. This was somewhat calming to him, when he thought about their descendants existing, but he still worried about the other Death Eaters, as well as the other battles they would all have to fight in the near future… He decided, eventually, to listen to a conversation that was going on between Black and Rosier, for a few words caught his attention.
"I'm just reminding you," Rosier told Black in response to a discussion they were having, "I'd prefer it if you didn't use my sister as your personal relief after being stuck here for so long."
"You don't have to worry," Black assured Rosier, smirking slightly, "I wouldn't treat her badly; she's my fiancée, after all. It would be a dishonour to both of our families if I used her – I'm not a fool."
"You don't need to be a fool to act ravenously, Cygnus."
"And you don't need to be so worried," Black responded, ignoring Rosier's condescending use of his first name. "I won't do anything bad to Druella."
"Good." Rosier stood quietly for a minute, scanning the sky with little enthusiasm. "You can get prostitutes for that sort of thing."
"And I will," Black added, grinning.
Rosier smiled too, in amused disbelief rather than in lewd agreement. "Do what you like, just don't disgrace our relatives."
"I won't. You can't judge me for seeking other women though," Black said, still smiling, but blatantly not quite satisfied with Rosier's vaguely disapproving reaction. "You're the one who doesn't want me chasing after Druella too much. We've been stuck here for a year now – I can't help that."
"I'm not judging you," Rosier perhaps lied. "That's merely something I find below me."
"What, sex?" Black joked.
"Prostitution. I don't see why you're so fond of it."
"I don't mean it literally," Black said.
"I should hope not."
"We all know I'm handsome enough to seek honest witches, anyway," Black smirked.
"It's a matter of repute, Cygnus, not a matter of whether or not you have sex with honest or dishonest witches."
"I've had enough practice with keeping up a good appearance thanks to Voldemort," Black reasoned. "I'm sure a few flings won't ruin my reputation as a Pureblood."
"But it's not as though any of us will be leaving this place soon," Lestrange's drawling voice added to the conversation. "This isn't the end of Grindelwald's people."
"That's true," Black agreed. He didn't sound happy to be reminded of this.
"I often wonder," Lestrange carried on in a sigh, "whether Voldemort specifically knows that we'll work harder at the prospect of being able to leave soon, to carry on real lives somewhat."
"He probably knows," Rosier commented. His voice was a bit lower than Lestrange's, which suggested he was being cautious. He probably thought that Harry wouldn't like to hear them talk about Tom like this. Harry wasn't looking at them, but Rosier still added, "He's definitely smart enough to have that worked out."
"That and a thousand other ploys," Black muttered.
"Though it's not as though anyone actually wants to leave the Dark Arts," Rosier noted. "Most of the Knights just want a break."
"For witches, mostly," Black added.
"It's cunning of Tom, at any rate, if he has such things worked out," said Lestrange. "Lust is a powerful force, after all. I don't even know how we've all survived so far."
Harry turned his head at this, before he could stop himself, which caused the three Death Eaters to glance back at him furtively. Lestrange perhaps realised or remembered in that moment that Nott had confided in Harry about some of the events that had happened in the last few months. Events, more specially, that Lestrange doubtlessly wished he hadn't remembered. Lestrange stared back at Harry, seeming very uncomfortable. Harry waited for him to look away first.
They heard the Knight laugh lightly, despite having not said a word before this. He was on the other side of the group of three Death Eaters, apparently amused by the comment Lestrange made a few seconds ago. The laugh snatched Rosier and Black's attention.
"Iz it true zhat a vizard here vonce tried to run avay for vitches und alcohol?"
"About five of them, actually," Rosier informed him. "It was when Voldemort was away for a few days. They didn't run away so much as try to sneak in and out of this land, though."
"Which is impossible to do now," Black voiced. "With all the magic protecting us…"
"I heard zhat zuh vizard who led zhe ozers out is fond of murder?"
"Yes, that would be Mulciber," Lestrange said, perhaps distracting himself from Harry now. "He's a bit deranged now, if I must be honest."
"Not surprising by this point though," Rosier murmured, "he was mental to begin with."
"Not to mention stupid."
"Voldemort iz not against zhis?"
"No," Black answered. "Not really."
"Vol–" Lestrange began, but he stopped himself and glanced at Harry again. "Our Lord, rather, sees nothing against it."
"I see, I see…"
"In spite of this, however, you shouldn't be too alarmed," said Rosier. "He won't kill anyone who isn't an enemy, even if he might fight a lot of people when he's drunk."
"When isn't he drunk, though?" Black asked, as a statement more than a question.
"When isn't he fighting?"
The Death Eaters and Knight snickered a little, despite the underlying unease attached to their discussion. Harry stopped listening soon after this. His mind began to wander to thoughts of Nott. Tom had agreed that it was a good idea to separate the two Death Eaters in Harry's house for a while, but Harry knew this was probably little consolation to Nott, who would still have to see and work with Lestrange every single day until either or both of them could perform Occlumency adequately.
Eventually Rosier, Black, Lestrange, and the Knight Harry didn't know the name of stopped talking about Mulciber and his murders, as well as the attack from Grindelwald's people that he had triggered that night five months ago. Even as the conversation ended, however, it made Harry think about how they hadn't been properly prepared for any amount of Grindelwald's people to break in back then. Being here now, without Tom again, reminded Harry of that night very clearly…
Two more Knights had joined their group, which left the three Death Eaters to talk about which two of them would join the other unseen wizards who were keeping watch. Rosier and Black decided they would go, yet before they could do so much as walk twenty meters into the darkness of Tom's land, a sound made them stop. They all heard it – the dull, distant roar that was recognisable to them all. The Dragons were near; Tom had arrived home early.
Harry's heart began beating rapidly as he stood up straighter, stepping away from the wall. He couldn't see the sky due to the light of the torch mounted high on the building above them, so he stepped forwards with the others, walking along the dark cobblestone that defined the courtyard. He scanned the sky for any sign of movement, yet could see nothing. It was pitch black.
Then, quite suddenly, the whole sky was ignited with flames. The Dragons were above them now, flying low and causing the ground to shake with the power of their roars even before the creatures flew further on and landed upon the ground. Tom was managing the first Dragon that Harry saw, to no surprise. Around him flew about fifteen Death Eaters, joined by another Dragon and another twenty wizards, before a third Dragon landed.
Since six Dragons had left Tom's land earlier, Harry was unsure whether to expect another three now. There were a lot of Death Eaters flying around from what he could see, though it was hard to tell from this distance, in the lack of light. If Tom was home early, with half as many Dragons as he was supposed to have yet all the Death Eaters present, it meant that the battle hadn't gone well. Harry felt apprehension mix with a sense of deep happiness that he chose to ignore.
Rosier, Black, Lestrange, Harry, and the Knights began heading towards the others. Even before they properly saw Tom and the Death Eaters, who were dismounting their brooms, Harry could tell that arguments were breaking out. When he met the edge of the group he saw some wizards glaring at each other, making snide comments or else glancing away in defeat. The general frustration and stress amongst the group was irrepressible, yet none were quite as agitated as Tom.
"I cannot believe you could fail me yet again!" Harry dimly heard Tom shouting at them all. "Despite all my efforts – despite the months I spent training you all – you are still evidently unable to live up to even the lowest fucking standards!"
Harry strode hastily through the crowd. He scanned all the visible faces around him, trying in vain to see who was and wasn't here…
"You've managed to make the same elementary mistakes on an even more astronomical level then before! You've cost the lives of several others in your complete incompetence – You've failed yet again! You've proven your worthlessness and your…"
Harry's pulse beat nauseatingly. Tom had just mentioned deaths, had he not? He can't have meant the deaths of any of Grindelwald's people… Harry saw Gonson and Ransom; Gibbon, Mulciber and Dolohov; Zerrissen, Macnair, and Weiß… It was impossible to distinguish who any of the hooded figures were, however. Where was Avery, Nott, Rowle, or Malfoy? Harry kept staring around at the people before him in unease…
To his relief, Nott emerged from the crowd after a minute. Harry wasn't sure whether it was coincidence or whether Nott had spotting him first, yet he didn't suppose it mattered by this point. With his mask in one hand, his other arm held up in protection, Harry could tell that Nott was hurt. He wasn't badly injured, yet he would need medical attention as soon as Tom stopped yelling at everyone.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked quietly as Nott approached him.
Nott only nodded, his eyes dropping away from Harry as soon as the gesture started. When his eyes moved up again, they glanced to the left. At this, Harry realised that Lestrange was standing next to him. The two Death Eaters stared at each other for a moment, Nott's apprehension clear.
Lestrange was unreadable, likely thanks to his lessons with Tom, yet his thoughts were clear when he turned away silently, acting as if he had seen nothing. The look upon Nott's face subtly displayed a new sort of pain. He might have forgotten about his arm entirely in that moment.
"Jonathan," Gonson greeted.
The sound of the name caught Harry's attention immediately, forcing him to turn away from Nott. Gonson was standing before him readily.
"Hello Gonson," Harry responded. "How did it go?"
"We lost two Dragons during the fight," Gonson told him. "Grindelwald's people were more than prepared for an ambush from us."
"Only two Dragons died?" Harry repeated.
"A third escaped," Gonson explained, seeing his confusion. "I think this is what angered our Lord the most."
"How did that happen?"
"They followed the slowest Dragon, attacking the Knights who were looking after it. Our Lord is furious with each of those Knights, thinking that it was their fault…"
"And you don't agree?" Harry asked, noticing something off in the way he spoke.
Gonson hesitated. "I don't think he's wrong… but I don't think anyone would have left that Dragon without a fight. It wasn't neglected."
"What about everyone who fought? Is everyone alright?"
"I think I saw one new arrival dead," Gonson began slowly, "but no one can be sure yet. Some Knights haven't returned at all – mostly those who got lost with that Dragon… Though a few did make it back."
This made sense to Harry as he glanced at the many Knights who were still refusing to take off their masks; it was an attempt to hide from a direct conflict from Tom. Harry supposed that many of them would have chosen to help control the three living Dragons as well, to avoid Tom entirely and to redeem themselves somewhat. The Dragons were being fought with in the distance, their roars still audible as they were caged and controlled.
Whilst examining the masked wizards around him as well as the glow of the Dragons' fiery breath in the distance, Harry realised that Tom had been quiet for several minutes. He appeared to be concentrating upon strengthening the protection around them all. He only stopped between his enchantments to shout scathingly at his followers. He was protecting them all. He was shutting out Grindelwald's people, who might be circling the area, following the lost Knights and Dragon…
Harry's stomach leapt in horror. Tom was closing off this land. Malfoy, Avery, Rowle and many other Knights were still flying around outside, lost with or without that Dragon. This meant that – if they weren't already dead – Grindelwald's people would be chasing them, watching them try in vain to find shelter… Harry felt numb. He was in half a mind to discuss this with Gonson, but he found that he couldn't find the words. Before he knew what he was doing, he was heading towards Tom.
"You can't lock them out!"
Harry said this by the time he was on the outskirts of a vague ring of Knights that surrounded Tom. He didn't see any of the others as he waited frantically, watching Tom open his eyes and turn slowly to look at him. Tom stared blankly for a few seconds, working out what Harry was talking about.
"I'm not about to jeopardise the safety of this entire group to save a few inept wizards, Jonathan," Tom informed him. His general irritation about the whole night could still be heard in the way he spoke, despite his quietness.
Harry took further steps towards him.
"You can't just leave them there," he said urgently, "they're not going to survive if Grindelwald's people find them."
"If they had followed my orders–"
"You can't just let your own people be killed when it's blatant you could still save them!"
"You're being irrational, Jonathan," Tom stated.
Harry didn't care even if this was partially true. If Malfoy, Avery, Rowle, or any of the others were killed, it could mean that all of history was going to change… Even at the risk of sounding too eager to save people, Harry wasn't going to allow Tom to keep the others out. He had to find a way…
"You don't have to do this…"
"It is clear to me that Grindelwald's people were following that group. It would surely lead us all to our deaths if I let them in."
"You can't know that!"
"They wouldn't have been stopped – the Dragon wouldn't likely be dead – if Grindelwald's people weren't intent upon killing us, Jonathan."
"But – but you can't do that!" Harry stammered, unable to think how he could change Tom's mind. They could already be dead… He stood, staring despairingly at Tom as waves of terror and fear washed over him. This couldn't be the end… this couldn't be how it all turned out…
Tom dropped his gaze at this, his expression impassive. He turned slightly, as if to walk away, but decided to say something more.
"It is a sacrifice well worth its reward, Jonathan. You should appreciate that I have the strength to let them go, for so many people seem to struggle to make such a decision…"
He was turning away, leaving Harry defeated.
"You don't have to do this…"
Tom still refused to look at him for some reason, choosing to gaze up at the sky now. Some of the Knights were glancing at Harry furtively and talking quietly about Tom's choice. Very few of them seemed to feel any honest remorse for the missing Knights. Harry didn't know how to argue against Tom about this. He tried to will himself into it, knowing he had no other option, but the words still did not come to him.
A deep sound seemed to pass by Harry's ears through the humid, still summer air. He looked over at the Dragons, who were all caged, but who put up a good fight despite this. They were breathing fire in any direction that had a chance of hitting a Knight or two. He couldn't really see them from this far away. He thought about the masked Death Eaters, clenching his jaw, and wondered what the chances were of Avery, Malfoy, and Rowle all still being here.
Even if they were here, what about the other lost wizards outside? Harry heard the Dragons make that odd, deep sound again, the noise seemingly ringing in his ears. Should he be putting up a bigger fight for them too, or would Tom never give in while several Death Eaters watched their conversation with interest? It wouldn't be the first time that Tom didn't listen to Harry to prove to the others that he was their leader – to lie that Harry's judgement meant nothing to him…
"What was that?" the muffled voice of a Death Eater asked behind Harry.
Harry's eyebrows creased somewhat. That deep sound wasn't coming from the Dragons he was watching. When he averted his eyes from the great beasts in the distance his deep thinking was stopped directly. The Knights were all communicating in fearful tones, aware of the peculiar sounds around them now that it had been pointed out and confirmed by others. Tom remained staring up at the sky. His was bewildered by what he saw.
Everything in view lit up with the aid of flames once more. Before Harry was truly aware of what was going on there was a ground-shaking crash, accompanied by the cry of several Dragons and the shouts of the wizards nearby, deafening him. Somehow, inexplicably, around fifteen new arrivals were landing their brooms besides a very agitated, lively Dragon. Amongst the crowd stepped forth Avery, who had removed his mask and who was opening his arms wide as if to greet the other Knights, his grin wild.
The Death Eaters were running over to greet the new arrivals, many of them blatantly relieved that they hadn't failed Tom after all, while others were just happy that Avery, Malfoy, Rowle, and so many Knights were safe. Harry watched Dolohov, Macnair, Black, and Gonson all beaming whilst they praised those who had returned. An overwhelming sense of relief was making Harry feel lightheaded, so he couldn't help but smile too.
He was walking towards the triumphant group, driven by the new sense of elation that struck him, when a glance from Tom made him stop. Through the wide grin that Harry couldn't get rid of, he saw Tom observing him blankly. They weren't far apart now. Despite all the people rushing past them, satisfied with the first real success of the evening, Tom remained staring at no one but Harry. His dark eyes burned with a mixture of what could be nothing else but anger and confusion.
Harry couldn't think why Tom was looking at him like this. The smile was fading from his face while he looked briefly at the Dragon and the Death Eaters, everything seeming slower and confusing to him. Tom's Knights had returned, victorious, with the forth Dragon alive and well. Surely this achievement should please Tom greatly, not anger or worry him? They had returned, they had evidently defeated any wizards who might have been –
Harry froze. If what Gonson said earlier was true, more wizards would be close behind Avery and the others… With the Dragon's return, it meant irrefutably that the magic protecting Tom's land had fallen. It was impossible that Avery and the others could have defeated Grindelwald's people. They were no longer safe…
Tom saw the fear in Harry's face when their eyes met again. This was perhaps what caused him to finally look towards his friends once more, as if his duties only just became apparent. A thousand different thoughts seemed to run through Tom's mind as a contemplative, tense expression crossed his face, yet he didn't show a flicker of fear. He took in a deep breath, a plan already visibly calming him.
"It would be best if you went back to my house," Tom said to Harry softly. "Start packing up the essentials the best you can. I shall meet up with you within a few minutes…"
This was a solid confirmation to Harry that they had no chance of warding off Grindelwald's people. They could neither keep this land protected by magic nor fight the many wizards who were doubtlessly so close to finding them now. Their only chance was to run away.
"How much time do we have?" Harry asked, trying very hard to keep his voice even.
"Not much," Tom responded. He was already turning to the others, seemingly trying hard to overcome a sense of anger that was being evoked by stress. "You must hurry."
Harry didn't need to be told twice. He headed off in the direction of Tom's house, hearing the change in the Knights' voices behind him as Tom stopped their celebration, telling them all to get into order again, to pack their bags, to leave this land. Harry wasn't sure whether he even had the ability to think about anything as he headed into the darkness alone, fear gripping him tightly. He couldn't see much beyond the light of his wand, which made him feel tense and disoriented by such a quick change.
In Tom's house, everything was ghostly quiet. Harry tried to ignore this as he forced himself upstairs without pausing, worrying about the Death Eaters outside. Within Tom's room, Harry tried to think what he would need. He summoned a trunk with a flick of his wand. They wouldn't be able to take much.
Robes were the first items to go into the large trunk. Then Harry began emptying out a large cabinet that Tom kept in here specifically to hold the most important plans and documents and diaries that they had to keep close. Harry was just starting to sift through some of the papers, trying to work out what was and wasn't important to keep, when he heard someone moving behind him.
It was only Tom, of course, but the shock of not hearing him enter the house caused Harry to jump up, spilling piles of parchment in all directions. He had almost reached for his wand but he tried lamely to hide this action, bringing his hand up to his head to touch his hair. He knew Tom noticed the gesture anyway.
"Did I startle you?" Tom inquired softly.
"You're too quiet," Harry mumbled as he attempted to pick up some of the papers that had fallen.
Tom smiled shortly. He then marched across the room, opening a large wardrobe where they kept a number of instruments hidden, including Tom's Horcruxes, beneath a few enchantments. "We should take as many papers as possible. It would be risky to leave much of our plans behind."
Harry took this to mean that it would be futile to try and look through the parchment now. He began levitating every book and page in sight into the trunk instead. "It's good we're living together, so we have everything here," he said distractedly. "It certainly saves a lot of… time…"
Harry stopped. He had just fallen across some writing and a few sketches at the bottom of one of the piles, which he couldn't remember having ever seen before. Most of the parchment here was relatively new, yet there were drawings near it that appeared much older, depicting the same ideas over and over again in different forms and styles. Tom had designed the Dark Mark.
The Morsmordre spellin the sky had been sketched as an ominous, gaseous form initially, but evidently thanks to the Knights' Cassiopeia tattoos Tom had decided to use a constellation-like style instead. The new sketches showed the Dark Mark amongst real stars, and if Harry looked closely enough he could see the Cassiopeia's distinctive 'W' hidden in the great Skull leering down upon the world…
"Put those in the trunk amongst the others," Tom instructed him. He had obviously noticed that Harry paused to stare down at these plans. His tone gave away no sign of any particular emotion.
Harry wanted to ask Tom why he had these sketches and why he had hidden them amongst all of the other papers, but he felt as though he already knew the answer to these inquiries. He already knew what the Dark Mark was for. All that he could do to settle his nerves, while he stood up and levitated the last of the parchment into place, was to remind himself that the older sketches suggested Tom had been thinking about the Dark Mark for quite a while now. He had been influenced by the Knights to design the mark how Harry had always seen it in the future…
He couldn't think, especially while a sense of apprehension seemed to stick sickly to him, making him feel as though he wasn't able to move fast enough in any way to hide from Grindelwald's people… They left the house after little conversation.
Tom had piled more items into the trunk, such as strange ornaments that resembled compasses, clocks, and globes, as well as items that Harry recognised such as a Sneakoscope and a Lunascope, and many books on magic (mainly the Dark Arts) that Tom wasn't willing to lose. They managed to finish packing in a matter of minutes. They arrived back to the Knights with two trunks by their sides, Harry's invisibility cloak safe in his pocket.
"You should all be ready now," Tom called to the large group gathering around him. "Anyone who cannot adequately keep up with this group shall be sacrificed… we have no time to spare. As soon as the last protection of this land falls, we have no option but to flee for our lives, together…"
–X–
They set up camp in a distant, vast forest to the east of Albania. It was a forest that Harry couldn't remember exploring before, so he assumed it was a place that Tom would have gone to had he not already found the Diadem a year ago. The trees here were all very tall, casting dark shadows at every hour while mist and fog blocked out the sun further during the day. It was eerie to say the least.
Tom had set up a tent that greatly resembled the one Harry had stayed in with Ron and Hermione five years ago (if years could truly be counted that way anymore). Seeing the similarity unsettled Harry quite a bit, but the tent took up very little space on the outside thus was easier to shield with magic, even if the four Dragons nearby did take up considerable space too. Tom would have a greater chance of keeping Grindelwald's people away with this.
On the inside there were four main rooms: a long dormitory for all the Knights to sleep in, a square room at one end that was used for meetings, and two bedrooms at the other end for Harry and Tom. It was comfortable for a temporary headquarters, but not a day went by before the Death Eaters began complaining about the lack of space. Their fearfulness stopped them from repeating these thoughts to Tom for the most part, but Harry heard them murmuring quietly about it during the day.
It was three days since arriving here when Harry was in Tom's bedroom, seated in a chair idly, having little else to do. He was as distressed as everyone else here when he thought about what might happen to them if or when Grindelwald's people found them, but instead of cherishing every moment of peace, Harry couldn't deny that he felt extremely restless. Tom was talking to Gonson and Ransom, their words meeting Harry's ears every now and then.
"We don't have enough time to train them all," Gonson was saying.
"You are aware of the fact that I have much work to do, are you not?" Tom asked the Knight irritably. "If you cannot find the time and energy to do your standard duties, I'm reluctant to ponder how you would cope with any other field of work beyond my order. By complaining so frequently about this you're merely disrupting more progress."
"But we don't have enough time to–"
"A lack of time is irrelevant!" Tom interrupted impatiently. "You must remember that a drunkard has as many hours in a day as a mastermind of any kind. It is how you spend your efforts that matters; time is a mere unit of measurement… I expect far greater work from you."
This caused the two Knights to fall silent. They didn't seem to know what to make of this claim.
"Go," Tom ordered, "and rest while you can for this evening…"
They were gone without another word. Tom began carrying on with some writing that rested in front of him, his side turned to Harry. While he concentrated on the parchment he dipped his quill in ink at a slow pace. It was distantly rhythmic.
The only thing that made watching Tom in silence interesting, beyond the fact that Harry found Tom's tranquil expression calming, was that every now and then – not often, but noticeably – the Sneakoscope on Tom's desk would begin spinning. This action disrupted all the calmness Harry found by being near Tom, yet for the last few days the movements of the Sneakoscope had been haunting Harry. Any time he was away from this room, talking to the Death Eaters, enduring meetings, or attempting to sleep, the movements of the Sneakoscope were at the back of his mind, reminding him of his past, reminding him that at any moment they could be attacked…
It had been spinning a lot today. Tom noticed it each time, glancing at it in a curious way – without fear, but with surprising anger, especially if there were a lot of Knights around at the time. Harry hadn't said a word about it yet, but he wondered nevertheless what Tom was thinking in relation to it. When it began spinning now, not stopping for what felt like a solid minute or two, Harry decided to break the silence beyond the wild hiss, nerves more than anything prompting him to do so.
"Are they closer?" he asked in a low voice, despite the fact that they wouldn't be overheard in this room.
Tom had been frozen, but now he was moving his quill carefully, mechanically, towards his inkpot again. It was as if Harry's words had given him the ability to move for the first time since the Sneakoscope started moving. "Grindelwald's people, you mean?"
"Of course, yeah."
Tom frowned a little, but Harry couldn't work out why. "It is unlikely to be related."
Harry didn't know what to make of this. He couldn't see why Tom would keep a Sneakoscope in here if it didn't help him in any way to work out if Grindelwald's people were near. "Surely the Sneakoscope would know if they were around?" Harry asked. "You can't have put up enchantments that would have stopped it's magic, that would have to be pretty deliberate."
Tom dropped his quill. Harry wasn't sure whether the action was involuntary or not, but Tom turned to face him soon after this, his eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?" he demanded.
Harry was bemused by Tom's blatant suspicion. He stared into Tom's burning eyes, wondering what he could have said wrong. "You've been distracted by that Sneakoscope since we got here," Harry pointed out indignantly. "You haven't even said a word about it, you can't be surprised that I'm curious."
Tom remained staring at him, his cynical air still apparent. The expression began to fade, however, until eventually he looked blank again, if a bit irked with himself. He continued to watch Harry as though seeing him in a completely different light.
"Of course… Please do excuse my rudeness," Tom said in a quiet voice. He was toneless. "It is, of course, natural for you to wonder about if Grindelwald's people are close…"
"Er… right…" Harry trailed off. He didn't know what else to say.
Tom rose from his chair, acting as if nothing unusual had just happened. Harry was going to continue asking about the Sneakoscope, but he thought better of it. Tom's peculiar suspicion was enough to occupy his thoughts. He stood up too.
"What are you writing?" he asked, trying to start a new conversation.
He was edging towards Tom's desk where there appeared to be a list of some sort. Before he could get close enough to read it, Tom made a movement to cut across him. Harry stared at him, perplexed.
"It's not important," Tom assured him, cracking a weak smile.
This was perhaps the most flimsy lie Harry had ever heard from Tom. "Right…"
He waited, but it took a minute for Tom to do anything more. When he raised his wand, packing up his writing without so much as a glance towards it, Harry continued to wonder why on earth Tom would be keeping a secret from him.
"It's getting rather late… you must be tired," Tom observed.
"Not really," Harry responded.
"But you must rest," Tom persisted, as if Harry had protested.
This was the first time in three days that Tom had stopped working. Despite the fact that Harry didn't know why Tom was being secretive about his writing, and despite the fact that Tom was probably right when he said that he needed rest, Harry couldn't help but want some time alone with Tom now that he had the chance…
"I'm really not tired," Harry carried on.
Tom watched him for a second, before tuning to his desk. He picked up the parchment and slid it into a drawer, ignoring the Sneakoscope, which had begun to spin again. Distractedly, he said, "Tomorrow will be another busy day."
Harry began walking towards him, letting out a breath of laughter. "I haven't had much to do these last few days."
"Tomorrow could be different," Tom reasoned. "With so many enemies attempting continuously to find us, we must be prepared for work at all times."
"Is that supposed to help me sleep?"
Tom smiled a little. He looked at Harry now. "I cannot say anything that will ease the difficulty of sleeping under the circumstances, unless I am to tell a lie… but you must sleep nevertheless."
"I don't want to," Harry told him.
"If you don't have proper rest you'll be at risk o–"
"Tom," Harry cut across quietly. He was gazing into those dark grey eyes once more. "I know you won't get to sleep either…"
He could see desire in Tom's eyes. It was rare that Harry had to initiate sex when it came to being with Tom, but this didn't stop him from trying now.
"I won't get to sleep," he said, lessening the distance left between them slowly, "and I know you won't either…"
Tom took a step back. "I have work to do."
Harry stared at him. "You've been working all day," he observed, confused. "For the last three solid days you haven't rested."
"Don't you understand how seriously we're being chased?" Tom demanded. Harry didn't understand why he was annoyed now.
"Of course I do!" Harry answered indignantly.
"Then I don't see how you can be thinking about sex," Tom remarked.
"Well… we're dating, aren't we?"
"There isn't any time for that sort of thing," Tom said, "Grindelwald's people are a threat to us at all times."
"We could stop if something bad happens," Harry commented. He personally felt as though the threat of Grindelwald's people gave them more reason to have sex now, since they were safe. He stepped towards Tom again, thinking he just needed reassurance. "They're not exactly going to show up right now–"
But Tom stepped away again. Harry wasn't used to Tom rejecting him, so he was left feeling confused as well as discouraged by this point. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a sharp pain in his chest as he watched Tom basically recoil. He didn't understand why he was acting this way.
"Another time," Tom said.
What had he done wrong, Harry wondered? Tom evidently felt as though they shouldn't have sex for some reason. Harry couldn't help but think suddenly that maybe Tom was only working endlessly to make sure he had an easy excuse to stay away. But why would he be acting this way? Harry feared for his secrets then, but he knew Tom couldn't have worked anything out. He had done nothing to make Tom suspicious… unless Tom had asked some Knights about the nonexistent organization that Harry said he had worked for…
But even then, Tom knew the two groups were likely not connected, despite their shared dislike of Grindelwald. It was natural for such organizations to form when there was a powerful Dark Wizard around and Tom knew this well. A more reasonable theory for why Tom was rejecting Harry was that Tom suspected him of helping Grindelwald's people, somehow. With the Sneakoscope, the fear of questions, and the unwillingness to let Harry know what he was writing, Tom doubtlessly felt as though there was a rat amongst his followers…
Realising this didn't help Harry much with the pain he felt at Tom's rejection, however. He wanted to ask Tom if he suspected him of being a spy, but he no longer cared, in honesty. Tom would likely lie about it. He wished his chest would stop hurting.
"Well… I guess I'll be going, then."
"Goodnight," Tom responded bluntly.
Harry left without either of them saying another word.
The next few days weren't any different for Harry except he felt more restless than ever, whilst having no desire to be near Tom much. He decided to leave the tent at least once a day, for fresh air as well as to just get away from the many wizards who were crammed into such a small space. Tom was busying himself with work, appearing more and more stressed with each passing hour. It seemed, however, that Tom wasn't ignoring Harry completely. On the seventh night in hiding, he voiced concern.
"I don't see why you wish to go outside now," Tom said, looking up from an ancient volume for the first time when Harry mentioned leaving.
"I just need some fresh air," Harry told him honestly.
"At midnight?"
"Why not?"
There was a muffled sound as Tom closed the dusty book in his hands. "You shouldn't wander far."
"I won't."
"You need a guard."
"What?"
"A guard," Tom repeated seriously. "Grindelwald's people could attack at any moment, I can't risk having you wandering off without a trace at the wrong time."
"I don't need a chaperone, Tom."
"I won't have you risking your life for a breath of fresh air, Harry."
"That's funny," Harry responded, "considering freedom is just about the only thing we're fighting for by this point."
Tom didn't pay much attention to this comment. "Take someone with you, Harry."
It occurred to Harry slowly that he could just take Nott, and that would make the both of them happy. The three of them, even… "Alright, I'll take someone with me."
"Good…"
Not much else was said.
Nott was perfectly willing to go with him when Harry asked a few minutes later. They spent the next few days talking on their walks, normally once in the morning, once in the evening. They didn't talk endlessly, yet they were able to share the silence comfortably when conversations ended. Harry never mentioned to Tom that he always took Nott along with him on these promenades, but he couldn't really think why this would be an important detail, anyway.
He talked with Nott mostly about the events going on under Tom's order, discussing everything from the Dark Arts to the sort of magic that was used to hide them all. The subject of Harry dating Tom came up every now and then, and Harry was glad of the chance to talk a little bit about some of the things that bothered him. He didn't always explain himself fully, but Nott didn't seem to mind. Nott spoke once or twice about Lestrange, yet nothing had changed concerning their steadily dying friendship.
These walks (and moreover, the talking done in them) helped Harry feel less stressed over the next few days, yet it appeared as though Tom couldn't say the same thing. He was more irritated than ever. He sat each day, analyzing his friends closely, distrustfully, and with very little patience. Harry was sure by this point that he was seeking out a traitor amongst his followers.
It was almost two weeks into setting up this place when Tom sat with Harry and a handful of Death Eaters in the meeting room. Harry didn't think much of the conversation going on, but he listened to it anyway from lack of anything else to do. There was one thing that concerned him.
"Terry is missing?" Tom repeated.
"'Seems so," Dolohov answered. "He's been gone for hours now."
"Who was on guard with him?"
"Gonson, Zerrissen, and I," said Black bravely.
"Why is it that Terry was able to go missing?"
"Well… we sort of split up."
"All of you?"
"Yes," Black admitted. "We thought it would help us cover more ground."
"You insolent fools," Tom muttered through gritted teeth. "Whose idea was this?"
The group stood around tensely. No one answered.
"Well?" Tom pressed irritably.
"It vas a group decision," said Zerrissen.
"I can't imagine why you would decide upon such an idea without my consent," Tom remarked in a hiss.
Gonson and Black glanced at each other. Tom watched them closely.
"But this is besides the point," he continued after a slight hesitation. "I haven't called you all here merely to shout at you… we must decide upon who is to replace Terry's shifts."
Dolohov sighed in disbelief, being one of three Knights here who didn't have anything to do with the missing Death Eater. The others waited for Tom to say something, appearing uncomfortable.
"No volunteers?"
"If it iz a matter of volunteering… I vould be happy to be of service, my Lord," said Zerrissen carefully.
Tom stared at him now. "That is a generous offer…" he said softly.
"I vish to help, my Lord."
"You will be working twice as much as the others," Tom informed him. "Why are you so willing to do so?"
"My Lord, I vant to help–"
"I can't imagine why someone would be so eager to help in this way," Tom said in a slightly louder voice. His eyes narrowed. "I also can't imagine why you would suggest it was a group decision to split up, especially while I know you have no reason to protect either Black or Gonson from taking the blame, had they suggested it."
"My Lord –"
"Why did you split up your group?" Tom demanded.
"I did not spit up our group, my Lord," Zerrissen said hastily, his voice an octave higher. "It vas not me–"
"Don't lie to me!" Tom shouted, glaring furiously now. Zerrissen flinched. "There is no logical reason as to why you would pretend that the four of you decided to break up for virtually no reason – there is no explanation for why Gonson and Black are silent and why a wizard would go missing on my land when there is no possible way to leave without me knowing! Tell the truth!"
"M-my Lord!" Zerrissen stammered, taking steps back now in fear. "Zhere is no reason for me to – to lie, I'm telling the t-truth, I – I'm not ly–"
"Shut up!" Harry bellowed, terrified, "I hear something."
This stopped Zerrissen's panicked words in an instant. Harry was listening hard, trying to work out where a high-pitched whistling was coming from, but before he could look around to see what it was there was a loud 'BANG!' and a terrifying scream met his ears.
Zerrissen was staggering, clutching his right arm with his left while he fell back towards the Death Eaters. The others were all drawing away from him fleetingly, confused and horrified by what they were seeing. Blood was gushing from Zerrissen's right wrist, dropping steadily down to the ground by his feet where there lay a messy, streaking pool of red liquid from where he had stepped back. Further ahead of him lay his withdrawn wand, which was still being clutched feebly by his bleeding, severed right hand.
Zerrissen was breathing heavily. His eyes were popping while he looked up at Tom, who had risen from his seat. Tom wasted no time watching Zerrissen struggle on the floor now. He used a spell to force Zerressen to stand, grabbing his right forearm tightly and causing the wizard to yell and protest in terror. The Sneakoscope was what had made the hissing noise; it seemed to shriek as it spun faster than ever before, warning the room at large of untrustworthiness.
"Dolohov, hold him back!" Tom ordered.
Dolohov did what he was told after a moment of stalling, stepping way from the stunned group of Knights to help. He grabbed Zerrissen's left arm but was reluctant to go near the right, yet Tom didn't seem to expect him to touch the wounded limb. He was holding it tightly, staring down at Zerrissen with a look of contempt.
"Why did you slit up that group?" Tom questioned, shouting to make himself heard over Zerrissen's panic.
"I – I didn't split up zhat grou –AAAAGH!"
Tom brought the tip of his wand to the edge of Zerrissen's badly bleeding arm. A faint light started and grew progressively, causing Zerrissen to howl in pain more and more. Tom was cutting up his arm now.
"Why did you kill Terry?" Tom spat.
"N-no, I d-did-didn't k-kill – AAAAAAAAGGH!"
Tom had cut about three inches up his arm by this point, causing two flaps of skin to form where the cut was being made. Harry couldn't bear to look at it while Zerrissen's robes began to get soaked with blood. Tom's left hand and wand-tip turned a dark, wet crimson.
"Tell me why you killed him!"
"I – my – my L-l-lord, I–"
"Tell me the truth!" Tom hissed, pulling the cut higher up Zerrissen's wrist, splitting the flesh and skinning him alive. Zerrissen was shaking uncontrollably, staying up only because Dolohov was holding him. "Why did you kill him? Are you working for Grindelwald's people?"
Zerrissen was shaking his head back and forth tears falling from his eyes now as he looked up at Tom.
"Answer me!" Tom ordered sharply. "Are you working for Grindelwald's people?"
Zerrissen was panting heavily now, letting out whimpers every time he exhaled. He closed his eyes. "It – it vas n-not me-e who murdered Te–"
"TELL ME THE TRUTH!"
Tom cut further than ever, perhaps by accident, and Zerrissen withered in Dolohov's grip, twisting and screaming like mad. What scared Harry more than anything else that evening was not the blood dripping from Zerrissen's arm, nor the fact that Tom was torturing him so readily, but rather that as Tom sliced open his flesh in this moment, Zerrissen was grinning madly, his cries carrying definite signs of laughter.
When Harry thought about this event at a later date he supposed it could have been the endorphins of the pain that helped Zerrissen to smile, but knowing this didn't make it any easier to think about. Tom had drawn a gash all the way up Zerrissen's forearm now.
"Z-zhey – zhey are al-almost h-he-here," Zerrissen told Tom in a crazed, pained whisper, smiling more broadly than ever. "I ch-cha-changed m-my m-mind…"
Tom was frozen, staring with wide eyes. He was breathing heavily, apparently unsure about what he should do. He let go of Zerrissen's arm finally, taking a step back. His movements were slow. The whole room was silent beyond Zerrissen and Tom's panting. Harry watched the scene numbly, time feeling as though it was standing still…
"Don't just stand there!" Tom barked to the Knights. "Gonson, Rosier, go gather and warn the others of an ambush! Dolohov, Mulciber, kill Zerrissen; he is no more use to us now. The rest of you, go outside and stay together. Now!"
All of the Knights besides Dolohov and Mulciber began heading out of the room, leaving the murder of Zerrissen to be committed without a needless crowd.
"Mulciber will enjoy this," Black comment quietly whilst leaving.
"Won't be the last death tonight, either," someone else added shakily.
They were gone in a matter of seconds. Harry could hear Gonson calling people into order in the dormitories next to this meeting room. Harry registered numbly that Tom was refusing to kill Zerrissen himself. He saw Dolohov and Mulciber slowly lowering him to the ground, preparing to kill him, while Tom left the tent. Harry followed him.
"We must put up even more defences," Tom muttered when he noticed Harry's presence. He withdrew his wand. "We won't be able to keep them at for long…"
"How – how did you know it was him?" Harry asked in concern, anxiety ripping at him more strongly than ever. "Zerrissen, I mean?"
"The Sneakoscope," Tom answered shortly. "As well as his calmness and general attitude… He was an Occlumens, to no surprise. Perhaps a Legilimens too, if he killed Terry for suspecting something…"
"How are we going to pull this off?" Harry asked, knowing this was more important now. "If Grindelwald's people had spies here, we really don't have any time."
Tom's expression was unreadable. A silence dragged on.
"Tom?"
"I must ask you to pair up with someone, Harry," Tom said quietly, not looking at him. He had lowered his wand. "I won't be able to protect you myself if something is to happen… Just know that I love you…"
"Tom," Harry said again, even more panicked now, "you – you don't have to say that yet. If we just – together – put the defences back up…"
"I'm sorry," Tom carried on, in little over a murmur now.
The forest seemed suddenly very cold to Harry. Every moment wasted seemed to haunt Harry more than the last. He didn't know what he could do. His heart was beating so fast, it hurt. The Knights were heading towards them now.
"I'll take Nott with me," Harry said.
"No."
"What?"
Tom turned to face Harry, seeming to fight with a sense of annoyance. He didn't bother repeating himself; instead he turned to the Knights who approached him.
"Macnair, accompany Jonathan tonight."
Macnair turned when called. "Of course, my Lord. I would be honoured…"
"Shouldn't you send more people to look after Jonathan?" Rosier asked. "They've been after him specifically for a while…"
"I do believe that Grindelwald's people will despise us all equally by this point," Tom responded lightly, still glancing around to count his followers. "Macnair will be enough… The rest of your should divide into pairs too."
Harry watched as the Knights follow his orders. He couldn't understand why Tom had stopped him from pairing with Nott, especially while Nott struggled for a few seconds before finally teaming up with Adelmar Dorn. Macnair seemed to be more apprehensive than any other Knight, perhaps because of Rosier's words, for he shook slightly whilst pulling a pair of black robes over a red shirt he had no time to change out of.
"My… my Lord?" Weiß said from close behind Harry. "Vhy are you not –?"
But his sentence was never finished…
Dear Readers, I'm still breathing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and I hope it wasn't a little dull…) and I hope I'll start updating more quickly! This is the best I can do for now, sadly. Again though, thank you all for your lovely reviews!
