"No doubt they're gone," Ron spoke as the company ran, "Plenty of time to have apparated."
"We still have to try," his father stated.
As the four wizards reached a quieter part of the place, seemingly inhabited by nothing but trucks and machinery, familiar voices were heard shouting.
"I don't care about your damn father or your taste for revenge," Gerald spat. "Get out of our way."
Taking one final skip, Harry laid eyes on Gerald and Oliver just as Draco, wand raised, called on an incendio charm, throwing the explosion at the person he presumed to be Lucius' murderer. Gerald, glaring angrily at his opponent, threw a hand out into 'Aguamenti,' and successfully drowned the flames.
The two wizards stood a maximum of six feet apart with Oliver several more behind his friend, taking the opportunity to grab his own wand. Malfoy was already beginning to throw another attack when the incoming team distracted him from his goal.
"Stop, both of you!" Harry ordered from the other side of his own wand.
Arthur, Ron, and Hermione were all armed as well.
Draco scoffed, not at first willing to cease the attack, "What? I'm not allowed to defend myself?" he growled at the auror.
Harry stepped forward, eyes watching as Oliver seemed to loosen hold on his own weapon. Gerald didn't move...not even to look the newcomers' way.
"Gerald Davis," Harry spoke to rouse the wizard and answer Draco's 'concern' in the same breath, "You're under arrest. Lower your hands and come with us."
"What is your reason for this?" Oliver tucked in, coming to the defense of his bandmate.
"Evidence of his practice in the dark arts including a testimony from one Lucius Malfoy gives reason for his arrest," Harry answered determinedly.
The statement eased Draco, who smirked, pulling his hand slowly away from its point at Gerald. The elder white haired creature remained unmoved.
"Don't make this difficult, Gerald," Harry warned, "You are outnumbered."
"Ger, just-" Oliver walked slowly up behind his friend, attempting to calm the wizard who appeared to be working himself into a panic.
But it did nothing.
In a quick swoop that surprised all of the other wizards including Oliver himself, Gerald grabbed his friend forcefully, and threw his body...almost hitting Draco in the process.
The thrown man yelped. Draco aimed his wand again, calling out 'stupefy!' as an enraged Gerald bolted forward, deflecting the spell with a flick of his hand.
Malfoy frantically lit his wand to take down Gerald, but at that time the dark wizard was already upon him, taking tight hold of the younger man's wrists. Draco yelled and dropped his wand as his attacker began forcing him to bend his arms backward.
Twisting both himself and Draco around in a dance that worked well in keeping him away from clear shots from the aurors and their allies, Gerald kept bending the man's arms until Malfoy's angry yells turned into screams of agony.
The sound of bones cracking pierced the air, sending chills through the lead auror's being. Desperately moving and scurrying about, Harry and the others found it difficult to get a good view of their target. Gerald had stopped hurting Draco, but kept using his body to aid in protecting himself.
A few stray spells leapt from Ron and Hermione, though mostly, their wands just shone in multiple colors without anything further coming of them. It wasn't until Oliver had reached his feet were they able to see the situation better.
The man jumped onto his friend's back, grabbing his shoulders, and pulling him away from his enemy. When Gerald released Draco, letting the wizard crash into the ground, they saw that both of his arms had been broken in two- breaks near the middle of both forearms.
The skin was torn and bleeding and the cracked bones could be seen poking through the mess of tissue. The wounded man kept his arms curled into his chest as he rolled over on the grass. As he sobbed in pain, eyes were back on Gerald who had pushed back against his friend, throwing him down once more.
And the sight gave them all pause...caused hesitation in stopping the necromancer. Because before them, the mostly human person had changed...shifted.
Grindelwald's experiment kept the body of a man, but its arms had lengthened, thinned, and ended in incredibly long claws that dripped with Draco's blood. His short white hair had thickened...and peering though the strands...were blood red eyes where icy spheres had been.
Gerald ceased his human movements, head twitching oddly to the side like a predator as his sites set on his enemies...the ministry employees.
The creature took one step forward. It was slow and hesitant. It was as if he didn't want to move, but his own body was fighting him...pushing him to go.
"Stamatiste, apla stamatiste," Oliver was standing again and had rushed to the front of this monster version of his friend, hands up in a calming motion as he spoke reassuringly to him. His words were of the same tongue as Lucius' ghost. "Me xereis. Empistepsou me. einai entaxei..."
Gerald blinked his eyes rapidly, stilling himself though his chest heaved more and more. His breathing turned into panting and the blades where his fingers had been, twitched. He didn't move...but neither did he change.
"Stupefy!" Harry ordered his wand to come alive with green magic and fly to the creature.
Hermione, being an expert on inhuman creatures, was unsure what it would take to make Gerald fall, so she gave the same incantation. Both the auror and the witch hit this new monster with their spells. Neither Gerald nor Oliver reacted quickly enough to counter.
Gerald's mouth came open in a yell, revealing several pointed teeth just as the spells struck, furling him unconscious to the ground, not far from the fallen Malfoy.
Oliver jumped to his friend's side, kneeling next to him and putting his eyes on Harry, who was slowly approaching them with his troupe. All kept wands lifted.
"Harry, he didn't mean-" Oliver stammered nervously, then begged, "Please don't."
"I'm sorry," the auror placated, still somewhat shaken, "We don't have another option anymore."
Hermione fell to Draco's side, whispering incantations to diminish the pain and help his wounds to heal. Malfoy was hushed, completely taken aback by the events.
"Oliver, please step away from him," Harry continued softly as the man kept holding onto his sleeping friend.
He shook his head back and forth and he stayed where he was, gripping Gerald's now human arms, the large tattooed melding of the dark mark and the Deathly Hallows laying in plain view.
"I'm sorry," Oliver breathed, gazing down at the man...beast in his arms, "But I can't," he said as he set sight back on Harry.
The lead auror's eyes widened as he realized too late that the musician had tightened his hold and was transporting himself and Gerald away from the scene.
The apparating was too sudden and too fast for further action. Instantly, the remaining band members were gone and with no clue as to where.
"That boy is getting himself into a lot of trouble," Arthur mused. "I hope he knows who he's chosen to fight for..."
Harry rolled his eyes in aggravation, turning to Hermione still nursing Draco's wounds, "I do too...and I hope he's right..."
"Greek, yah?" Ron piped, "Oliver didn't seem surprised about all this, now did he?"
"No, he didn't," Hermione began helping Draco up. "I guess Gerald was finally honest with him."
"That's it Potter! Enough of this secrecy," Draco was talking again, "I hope you know I'm making everything public."
"Draco, if it weren't for you, we'd have Gerald in custody right now," Harry shot back.
"And you wouldn't have two broken arms," Ron added.
Malfoy furiously tried to bottle his rage, but his face, head, and arms twitched angrily showing it nonetheless. He stared back between Harry and Ron and it was obvious his brain was fuming from attempts to put together a proper response.
"Just do us this favor and be patient for once," Harry asked. "You'll be the first to know when more is known...when we have him...and when it's time for others to know. I give you my word. Besides...your father might need Gerald to fix whatever is holding him back."
Draco sighed angrily, "Very well," he muttered, breaking away from the group. "I have someone who will tend to my injuries. I expect to hear from you soon."
And with that, he walked away. It seemed like the entire ordeal had been perfectly timed. Just as he disappeared, a couple of unaware muggles came into view, giving the wizards odd looks, but never ceasing from their path. In after thought, it probably would have been best to refrain from saying the part about his father.
"How do we go about finding them now?" Ron asked. "They have funds to hide themselves somewhere, but do you think they'll just vanish?"
"Somehow it seems unlikely," his father said. "Besides his brother, are there any other ties you know of?"
"No," Harry sighed. "But at this point they're running from us, MACUSA, and a hidden order of vampires. They're running out of options."
"Perhaps he'll end up giving into their demands so he and Oliver will have somewhere...and even get Brad back if he's still alive," Hermione thought.
Harry exhaled sharply, "It's likely no use, but we should start with checking in at their home, with Stephen, and their manager. Hermione," the auror turned to the witch, "Get in contact with the minister. Tell him what is happening and see if there has been any advancement concerning the poison in the Durmstrang robbers."
"Right," the witch nodded, glancing around before disaparating away herself.
"Mr. Weaseley," Harry kept on with instructions, "Can you accompany us to Dunsfold?"
"Of course," Arthur responded.
The three wizards started walking away from the lot upon seeing that more people had wandered about. It took them only a handful of minutes of strolling to find another safe spot which they used to disapparate from London and into Dunsfold, not far from the home of Stephen and Mary Smith.
The trio kept their heads about them, careful to stay aware of their surroundings as they walked up to the door, knocking, and impatiently waiting for an answer. A few moments passed without response, so the lead auror rapped again.
This time, the door was opened by Mary, whose smile fell upon seeing who the company was, their disheveled appearances did not help. "What's wrong? Is Ollie OK?" her expression immediately filled with worry.
"Is Stephen around?" Harry questioned.
"He-he's just inside," she stammered, "Please come in."
The woman stepped out of the way and let the three men from the ministry inside. The home was cozy and clean and Mary led them to a small den where Stephen sat on a couch, reading a piece of parchment.
Upon the company's entrance, he lifted grave eyes to them. He didn't stand, but motioned for them to take seats.
"This is a quick visit, sir," Harry informed, "We will need to go immediately."
"I understand," the man's voice was flat, his mind was elsewhere. "What happened?"
The lead auror paused only a moment before taking the wizard's gaze and answering, "We tried to arrest Gerald in London today. He was rendered unconscious, but Oliver...disappeared with him. We're looking for them both now."
"Oh my goodness," Mary walked to take a stand behind the couch and her husband. She put a hand over her mouth with the exclamation.
Stephen sighed, shaking his head. "Someone sent me this note," he lifted the paper in his hand for the auror to take. It arrived earlier today...after the festival had started."
Harry took the letter, reading it silently as his brother and father in law looked over and did the same.
When there's nowhere left to go, I'm always here to help. Return to the scene of your crime.
~ Little Brother