"You should have told me!" Sirius shouted, slamming one open palm down on the table. "I should have known where she was!"
"It was imperative for our plans that you did not," Dumbledore said calmly, his hands held together on his chest. "The Death Eaters needed to think we were fooled, and your constant worry over the girl helped us to sell it. If you had known-"
"Fuck your plans, old man," Sirius snapped, glaring at Moody and Snape, too. "She's- she's my- you should have told me!"
"I am sorry, Sirius," Dumbledore said, at least sounding like it. "Please, have a seat. There is much to discuss."
Sirius sat, but he didn't like it. There weren't many present at today's meeting; it was just those who had been planning on attending Lily's welcoming party, sans the children and the Grangers, who had all gone home upon finding out the truth, and Ashley, who had gone with them as their guard for the night. And I should have gone with them, Sirius thought, drumming his fingers on the table. I should go get her out of Malfoy Manor right now. I should take her out of the country, where nobody can ever find her.
Only, she'd probably hate that just as much.
"So, now what?" Mrs. Weasley said waspishly, her glare never once leaving Dumbledore (she'd almost been more distraught than Sirius had been, when they returned without a certain somebody in tow). "How are we getting Lily back?"
"That is the plan," Snape said casually. "That is the entire reason we arranged this fraudulent show. I only need more time to prepare-"
"You don't have any more time," Sirius snapped again. "Dumbledore, I'm only saying this once: we go to get Lily back- tonight- or I'm going myself. I'm not leaving her there. She shouldn't have even been there." Only Moody had the decency to shift uncomfortably.
"Please, listen to what Severus has to say," Dumbledore said, gesturing to Snivellous. "At the very least, before we consider our options, at least here why we did what we did."
"I'm not going to sit here and-"
"Listen," Dumbledore insisted. "Go ahead, Severus."
"Dumbledore asked me to look into freeing the girl shortly after we learned of her predicament," Snape said, nodding his head at the old man. "I came up with two options, and both have been prepared- the first, though, is this. We knew from the beginning that Crouch was disguised as the girl, and we knew that the Death Eaters wanted him to be declared not guilty. They wanted to plant a spy in our midst, not knowing that we had Hazel's home under the Fidelius. That does not matter, though- Crouch would never have been allowed to make it that far."
"Why not reveal Crouch for what he is?" Mr. Weasley asked. "We could have revealed everything."
"Lucius had countermeasures in place," Snape said. "If Crouch had been revealed before the trial, he would have been assassinated by the Death Eater's mole in the aurors- and, no, Black, I don't know who it is. What matters is that all the Ministry would have known is that a former Death Eater took Hazel's place in her jail cell- which would have given Fudge even more cause to criminalize her. He will not accept that Voldemort has returned, no matter how much evidence he is given- short of seeing the Dark Lord with his two eyes, which is something we will never be able to accomplish."
"Why not tell us?" Sirius asked through grit teeth.
"Because you're not much of an actor," Snape said with a shrug. "You would have given up the game with your lack of worry. We needed the Death Eaters to believe their plan was working, so that ours would."
"And that is?" Mrs. Weasley asked sharply. She sounded like this whole meeting would come to blows if she didn't like the answer- and Sirius would have her back in a heartbeat.
"An exchange of prisoners," Snape said. "In two days time, I will tell the Dark Lord that Crouch has been found out, and after another day, I will approach him with Dumbledore's offer."
"Voldemort will never exchange Crouch for Lily," Sirius said.
"No," Snape said, "but he would for the other prisoner."
"Delacour?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Precisely," Snape said with a nod. "I have offered to break Hazel out at a moment's notice- but she has thoroughly refused, so long as Fleur Delacour remains in Death Eater custody. When she is freed, I may move on to my other plan- and Hazel will be freed."
"You talked with her?" Sirius asked, feeling sick.
"Yes," Snape said with a hesitant glance to the head of the table, as if waiting for permission.
"Severus," Dumbledore said warningly, sending a sharp look at the greasy man. "Take care, my friend."
"I have," Snape said, this time more confidently and with a hand reaching into his robes. "And she asked me to provide a gift for you, as well. I apologize for the late delivery- she gave it to me weeks ago."
"A- what are you-"
Sirius's voice died in his throat when Snape pulled out a golden watch and slid it casually across the table.
"It came with a message, as well," he said hesitantly. "'Please.'"
"Why didn't you deliver it sooner?" Bill Weasley asked for him.
"I couldn't," Snape said, at least sounding regretful about that much. "Black would have asked too many questions, and we weren't yet ready to reveal the answers."
We, Sirius thought grimly. We. Those bastards.
Sirius picked up the watch in a trembling hand, running a thumb over the face of it. He watched as his own hand slid from 'Home' to 'Mortal Peril'- mirroring the decision he'd just come to.
"There you have it," Dumbledore said, another agitated look sent in Snape's direction. "What say you, Sirius? Will you wait?"
"No," Sirius and all four Weasleys said at the same time. That wasn't what surprised him, though- it was Moody joining in.
"We go tonight, Dumbledore," Moody said with a grunt. "We should have gone ages ago. I told you I hated this plan when you filled me in, and I won't stand by and let Hazel be a prisoner for a moment longer."
"We go tonight," Sirius said, strapping Lily's watch onto his other wrist, opposite the one she'd made for him.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, his voice sounding aged and tired now. "Severus- you have had ample time to think on the matter. It seems we need a more urgent plan. What do you propose?"
Snape hesitated before speaking, and Sirius couldn't help but notice his hand twitch back towards his robe pocket.
What else is he hiding?
"The Dark Lord has many ploys in motion," Snape said, "but the one that is consistently causing him the most issues are the Americans. In a week and a half's time, he will be travelling to the States personally, to resolve the matter one way or the other. He will be taking most of the Death Eaters with him, leaving only a dozen to guard Malfoy Manor."
"I'm not waiting a week," Sirius said darkly.
"If we do not," Snape said, "it will mean the death of all of us, let alone the two girls. A full frontal assault is not possible- not while the Dark Lord himself resides in the manor. We must wait."
"I'm not-"
"Please, Sirius," Dumbledore said, raising a hand. "You have my solemn vow: only a week more, and we will rescue Hazel from her captors."
"No," Sirius said irritably.
"I agree with Sirius," Mrs. Weasley said. "We can't wait any longer, Albus- we have to go. She's only fifteen, and- and who knows what they've been doing to her. We have to go."
"But we need a plan, first," Mr. Weasley said, his face pale as milk as he glanced at his own watch. Sirius imagined all of their hands were likely at the same place.
"What if we don't fully assault the manor?" Charlie Weasley suggested, silent up to this point. "What if we only pretend to, and Snape sneaks the two of them out?"
"Now there's something," Sirius said, leaning back in his seat. "Let us handle the hard part, Snivellous, if you're too cowardly to do the right thing."
"And how, pray tell," Snape said, his face flushing, "am I supposed to do that without compromising my position as a spy?" Snape asked.
"You can't," Moody said dismissively. "It's not an option, Black."
"It is," Sirius said. "Maybe it's time you finally pick a side for real and stop hiding behind better men."
"Is that what I've been doing?" Snape said, his face flushing. "And here I was, thinking I was providing valuable intel at great personal risk."
"The greatest asset you could have given us is my goddaughter," Sirius said, tapping her watch angrily.
"Goddaughter," Snape repeated. "I find it amusing that you would continue this farce, Black. Some father you turned out to be, refusing to acknowledge the truth. Loathsome as he was, James Potter would never have allowed his daughter to be in danger for even a single second- how regretful that he never had one."
Sirius ground his teeth together, wondering if anybody would stop Sirius if he pulled out his wand and turned it on Snape. Only, everybody was looking at him with pity or rage of their own, and he suddenly felt ashamed of himself.
I wasn't supposed to be, he thought.
"She's as good as," he said slowly, carefully choosing each word, this time touching his own watch. "This was a gift from her. 'Happy Father's Day,' she said. She had one of her own, too- ours just had me and her. She made them herself, and that's how she wanted it. She was looking forward to- to coming home, after the task, to celebrate getting through it. And we- and I- abandoned her." Sirius swallowed and turned his gaze back to Dumbledore. "We can't leave here there, Albus. I can't. I won't."
Dumbledore stared at him a long time, all the while Sirius waited for his refusal to come. There was a sadness behind those eyes, in addition the hardness he'd seen during all their other war meetings- and, then, a twinkle, as he made his decision.
"Then we best make our plans," he said with a nod towards Sirius. "We will free her."
Hermione was lying on her stomach, arms wrapped around her pillow, her face buried up to her nose in blankets and fluff. Her dog was laying at her side, slumbering away in the dark room, but sleep wouldn't come to her. If she really focused, she could even hear her dad snoring from his distant room- it was an exceptionally hot night, and they'd all kept their doors open to improve air circulation.
She was supposed to come home, Hermione thought, squeezing the pillow harder. Everything was going to go perfectly. I had a plan.
And, now, here she was, at home, alone, having to go to work tomorrow and pretend in front of the entire world that everything was alright and that her best friend wasn't trapped in the worst possible place in the world, and that she hadn't even suspected the truth. How was she supposed to explain that to Lily, once she did see her again?
Sorry, Lily, she thought, but nobody would let me in to see you, even though I asked every day, so, really, I didn't even get the chance to know it wasn't you in that cell! Of course, a little thing like permission probably never would have stopped Lily from coming, had it been Hermione in her position. The other girl fought four people at once, all by herself, just because they'd had the misfortune of deciding to bully Hermione Granger. The other girl broke her ex-girlfriend out from a Death Eater trap almost entirely by herself, without even the slightest bit of hesitation- and they'd only been seeing each other for a few weeks! Hell, when Flint and Montague took a book from a first year, Lily was fully prepared to fight them then and there to get it back- and she hadn't even known the girl prior to it!
I should be able do the same, Hermione thought, squeezing her pillow even tighter. I was a Gryffindor too, wasn't I?
Only, how? How could she manage anything the way Lily did? Lily had no Trace on her, but Hermione did. Lily was a Metamorphmagus, and Hermione wasn't. How was Hermione supposed to sneak into Malfoy Manor without being detected by either Death Eater or Ministry?
Hermione took a deep breath, pushed her blankets off of her, and then stood from her bed. Moriarty let out a little whine, she scratched him behind his ears, and then crossed quietly over to her door while walking on her toes- the last thing she needed was for her parents to wake and extinguish this little flicker of bravery before she had the chance to act on it.
I'll start by asking her again, Hermione thought as she entered the dark hallway. I'll need her approval- and help- to do anything, after all.
Sirius kept tapping his fingers on the hard wood, listening to every detail Snape shared about the manor. Lily was being held under Lucius Malfoy's study on most nights- fourth floor, left most corridor, all the way at the end, where the window overlooked the gardens and peacocks. There were no guards watching her or Fleur, as the room they shared had only one entrance, and it was kept firmly under Lucius's heavy desk. Neither girl had a wand, and they wouldn't be able to lift it from their position. But the key was that Lily was only there most nights; on nights the Dark Lord required her, the two would disappear, and nobody knew where they went except for Lucius Malfoy and Quirinius Quirrell, and the odds of either of them betraying their master were slimmer than none. Sirius could only hope that Voldemort wasn't doing anything particularly awful to Lily, because his brain wouldn't stop going to the worst possible scenarios.
The Death Eaters didn't sleep at the Manor, but they attended it in shifts. At day, the respectable half would arrive, mostly outside of their robes, as if meeting and associating with Malfoy and his lady wife, or even bringing their own children to spend time with Draco, whenever his father happened to have custody. At night, the other half would arrive, making their plans with the Dark Lord, reporting on their assignments, and otherwise guarding every potential entrance and exit to watch for both intruders and escapees.
The good thing about being in a manor was that it wasn't a very defensible position. The bad part was that it hosted one of the most powerful dark wizards to have ever lived. If Voldemort was there, the odds of success drastically went down- almost to entirely nonexistent levels. If he was there, they'd succeed only by luck. Snape had made that much extremely clear. But, if he wasn't there, then odds were Lily wouldn't be, either, and even if they did take the manor, they'd do it for no reward.
"Is the Dark Lord there now?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"No," Snape said. "But he has been missing for the last four days- three was his previous max, aside from the girl's first week at the manor. He had not repeated that length, however. Odds are, he will return tonight, with Potter in tow." Snape shrugged. "And, if not, we will have no choice but to wait until he does. I, for one, don't intend to risk my life solely on one French girl."
"I'm sure the Delacours would disagree with you," Mr. Weasley said, like only a real father could. Sirius tried not to let that thought get to him.
"I do not see them sitting here," Snape said dismissively. "The life of one girl is not worth our entire movement."
"Lily's is," Sirius said adamantly.
"If you say so," Snape said, beady eyes watching him carefully. "I am hard pressed to think of another individual worthy of taking such a risk. Truly a caring father… figure."
"Watch it, Snivellous. I'm warning you."
"Enough," Dumbledore said sharply. "You bring up an interesting idea, Severus, even if you haven't realized it. We should invite the Delacours to assault the manor with us- they may even be able to bring in more French wizards. If we delay by a few more days, we may even be able to double our numbers."
Sirius held back his protest, this time. Double their numbers would be nice- they could attack from two sides at once, force the Death Eaters to fight on different fronts, perhaps even organize a strike team to enter through an upper floor window.
Most importantly, it meant they had a better chance of saving Lily. His hand went to the watch she should have been wearing, giving it a little squeeze.
"Two days," Sirius said reluctantly. "It's worth a shot, but- but no more, Dumbledore. Two- and then we strike." He could only hope she'd forgive him for the delay. Even if she doesn't, he thought, at least she'll be alive to hate me.
"Thank you, Sirius," Dumbledore said, smiling at him. "Two days should be enough. Alastor, you will see to it personally."
"I'll need to leave now," Moody said, standing immediately. "It's a long way to France on a broom, and I doubt the Ministry will let me take a portkey."
"Be safe, my friend," Dumbledore said as he made his way to the door. "And, above all, be successful."
"Haven't failed yet, have I?" Moody said as he slipped around the corner.
"Two days, then," Snape said, standing himself. "I will go prostrate myself before the Dark Lord. He may have news for me, or I may be able to gleam some additional information to solidify our plans."
"Go," Dumbledore said, nodding his agreement. "We will continue our discussion. Send word to Kingsley and Tonks and ask them to join us- and our other members of staff, I think. We will need all our wands available for the strike, but those will do for a start."
Her dad's snoring stopped abruptly as she passed her parent's door, nearly giving Hermione a heart attack, and then restarted with a jerk. Hermione almost let out an audible sigh, then, but it probably wouldn't have mattered if she did- Moriarty had decided to be his usual annoyingly loyal self and followed her from her room.
I need to trim his nails, she thought as she listened to them tapping on the hardwood floors. He wouldn't like that one bit, but she'd struggle her way through it anyway. For now, she just dealt with the sound as she snuck her way down the stairs, leaning heavily onto the banister to keep most of her weight off her toes. The steps didn't usually creak, but it was good to be careful.
She expected to find Ashley reading on the couch, since the woman brought a book with her to guard duty, but she instead found her standing in front of the window, staring out at the dark city street like a diligent watchman. Hermione cleared her throat to announce her presence, and the woman nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Hermione!" Ashley said, her hand perched over her heart. "Didn't know you were awake."
"What are you watching for?" Hermione asked, pointing at the panes of glass.
"Oh, nothing," Ashley said, glancing out the window one more time before crossing over closer to her. "Thought I saw something, but- well- I must have just been imagining things. I'm, uh- a little on edge." Ashley crouched down and gave Moriarty a good scratch behind his ears.
Hermione nodded, and then crouched to be at the same height as Ashely, scratching her dog's back.
"Listen," she said, dropping her voice even lower. "I have a favour I need to ask."
"And what would that be?" Ashley asked, at least matching her volume. "I can't let you sneak out, if that's what you're after. The Death Eaters know where you live, Hermione, it'd be too dangerous to-"
"That's not it!" Hermione said quickly. Not yet, anyway- that'll come later. "I just- do you remember that bracelet you gave me, when- when you let me and Lily go on that- err-"
"Your little date?" Ashley said with a knowing smile. It disappeared very quickly as her brain worked it out. "I can't give you a Trace-Blocker, Hermione."
"But-"
"I'm sorry," Ashley said, cutting her off and standing to her full height. "You'll just have to trust me that the Order will get her out. Sirius won't let Lily be there, Hermione. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before. Merlin, I'll be surprised if they don't arrange an attack tonight." She chuckled, then, but Hermione could hear the worried tinge to it.
Hermione had seen him angry before, though, just two years ago, when he had Peter Pettigrew cornered in the Shrieking Shack, right after he'd found Lily being tortured by two older Slytherins. And she still saved me that same night, Hermione thought. She saved me then, and she saved me from Tom, too. I've got to do the same. I'm a Gryffindor, too.
"Please, just hear me out," Hermione said after taking a deep breath. "I've got a-"
She'd meant to tell her all about her plan, but a strong, glowing blue light from outside her window distracted her.
And then a second later, her sitting room exploded.
"I don't know," Kingsley said, scratching at his chin. "I suppose it could work. It'd be dangerous, but- well-"
"Maybe we could get a few more aurors to join us?" Tonks suggested. "Berkeley's been hinting since the trial that he's glad for the chance to kill more Death Eaters."
"Maybe," Kingsley said reluctantly. "But Berkeley's just a few months off from retirement, and that's because his eyesight's going, not for lack of ability. He won't be much use in a fight, unless we fancy friendly fire."
"But he would be useful in gathering others," Tonks said. "Nobody knows the force better than he does. He'd be able to tell us who else is willing to work with us."
"Talk to him," Dumbledore said. "Arrange a meeting for me on the morrow. I'll want to see for myself if he's worth putting the trust in."
"It'll be done," Kingsley said. "In the meantime, we should-"
He was interrupted by something coming through the ceiling. Sirius jumped to his feet and drew his wand, and the other members at the table did exactly the same. Sirius even almost blasted the source of light, up until he realized what it was. It was made of pure, soothing light, shaped like a doe. It landed in the middle of the table, head turned towards Dumbledore, and it spoke with the voice of Severus Snape.
"They are going for Granger now," it said, and vanished.
Hermione groaned and pushed herself off the ground, rolling to sit up, her head pounding. Her palm was bleeding from where it'd pressed against broken glass, but she hardly even noticed the pain over the ringing in her ears. Still, though, she stared at the red liquid pouring through her broken skin with an intense feeling of horror pooling in her stomach.
I'm bleeding, she finally realized. We're under attack. Moriarty licked her face, then, whining in fear.
She heard footsteps pounding down the stairs, but she didn't care about that right now. Her main priority was Ashley Smith, laying crumpled on the floor with her eyes closed. Hermione scrambled over to her on all fours, her shaking fingers fumbling at her neck. She relaxed a bit when she found a pulse, then grabbed her under both shoulders and started dragging her towards the hallway.
That was when her ears cleared enough to hear the shouting outside her house.
"COME OUT, MUDBLOOD!"
That was followed by another curse blasting through her wall, shredding through the family photos adorning it. Moriarty barked and then ran past her, and, finally, her parents reached the entryway, pale-faced and terrified.
"Help me!" she shouted at them. Her father ran forward immediately and took control of Ashley's body, tossing her over one shoulder and starting up the stairs.
"Hermione," her mum said, frozen in fear, face pale as the moonlight pouring in through the hole in their home. "What's-"
"Go!" Hermione said, shoving her mum bodily in the chest, That got her moving- she practically sprinted up the stairs.
Hermione made to follow but hesitated, her eyes caught on something. She scooped Ashley's wand off the ground and then ran after her parents. As they reached the top of the stairs, Hermione heard the front door smash open. She turned and ducked just as a killing curse flew over her head.
Don't look, she thought, fighting the urge to turn around. Don't check. Fight first. Check later.
"Stupefy!" she shouted. The red jet flew from the wand and struck the huge, masked Death Eater in the chest, but it wasn't enough. There were four more just behind him. Hermione jumped back and legged it up the stairs, dodging a purple curse that smashed the banister beside her, igniting it in flames of the same colour. She turned down the hallway, happy, for a brief moment, that there were no bodies waiting for her. She turned again and raised the wand towards the ceiling.
"Bombarda!" she shouted. The ceiling above her blew apart, clutter and boxes from the attic above spilling into the hallway and blocking the passage. If she was lucky, it'd be enough to slow them down at least a bit.
The Order, she thought, slowly backing down the hallway, wand still held in front of her. I need to warn the Order. How? The professors at Hogwarts are always using-
"Expecto Patronum," she said in a shaky voice. A tiny wisp of silver appeared at the end of her wand, but, otherwise, nothing happened.
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Lily joining her on the Hogwarts Express on their first day to Hogwarts, Lily being sorted into Gryffindor with her, Lily rescuing her from the Chamber of Secrets, Lily getting her wand back from Malfoy, Lily, Lily, Lily.
"Expecto Patronum," she said again, her voice stronger this time. She expected to see her silver otter again. She did not expect a magnificent, female lion to spring from her wand. She hardly had time to process it at all before it was leaping through the rubble and disappearing. She could only hope her message would reach her target. She turned and ran down the hallway, hoping to find where her parents went to hide. They wouldn't be hidden for long- but, maybe, just maybe, they could last long enough for help to arrive.
Only, then, the floor exploded from underneath her. She dropped the wand on instinct, stretching her arms out in front of her to try and cushion her fall, and only then remembered she was a witch- unfortunately, the wand was already too far to get ahold of again.
She landed, hard, on the floor below, and she felt her left wrist snap from her own weight. She clutched it tight to her chest, eyes blinded by painful tears, and looked up as two hard, leather boots scraped the ground close to her head. It was the woman, again, the same one that joined Lucius Malfoy during his previous visit.
"Hello, Mudblood," she said in that cruel, emotionless voice. "Up on your feet. You won't have them much longer. I believe I promised you a husband. Come- we wouldn't want to keep him waiting."
Hermione glanced about for Ashley's wand, but couldn't find it amidst all the broken and smouldering wood.
"I said up," the woman said, flicking her wand lazily. Hermione felt a tugging at the back of her pyjama shirt, and with a little squeak of fear, she was hauled to her feet, her limbs pulled by invisible strings. The same strings wrapped around her torso, binding her in place, no matter how much she tried to struggle out of them. She couldn't even scream- her jaw was clamped shut by some immovable force. "That's better." The woman ran a gloved hand over Hermione's bare cheek, and Hermione recoiled from the touch. "An ugly little thing," she said. "Not even fit for a House Elf. Perhaps, instead, I will marry you to a-"
"My Lord!" a Death Eater shouted, running into the room from the outside. Lucius Malfoy, Hermione thought, recognizing the voice. "The Order, they're-"
"Here, yes," the woman said lazily, moving her thumb to brush away one of Hermione's tears. "I thought they would come. I saw your lion, little cub. Come. I will have you watch while your last flicker of hope is extinguished."
She didn't even have to flick her wand. She turned, and Hermione was dragged along, as if a thick leash were tied round her neck. Hermione could hear shouting coming from upstairs, and could only hope her parents would be alright. She couldn't even turn her head to check. All she could do was stare forwards, wriggling her limbs in a vain attempt to break free, watching in horror as the woman stepped through the large hole in their wall as if it was little more than a convenient door.
Then they were outside, and Hermione could hear more shouts and screams, as well as see the flashes of light. There was rubble strewn all around the street, from her house, from the road itself, even from neighbouring buildings, and she could hear the distant whine of sirens. All sorts of colours were streaming from all sorts of directions, but it was too dark to even find the combatants, let alone make out individual faces. The woman stepped over a body laying on the pavement, and Hermione was horrified to realize it was one of their neighbours- an older muggle man, likely just leaving his house to see what all the noise was about. As her eyes darted frantically about for something else to focus on- anything but the body in front of her- a house collapsed, just across the street, and she could only watch, the screams from the rubble piercing through the din of combat. There was another, too, just a few doors down, openly burning- and, all around, the screams didn't stop.
The war had begun, and its first battle was her home. The woman pulling Hermione raised her wand to the sky.
"Morsmordre," she said.
Sirius was the first to apparate onto the streetside- he specifically volunteered for the position, and nobody had argued with it. Kingsley and Tonks wouldn't be far behind, but, even so, someone had to go first, to spring whatever trap the Death Eaters could have set for them. In this case, it was five of their numbers immediately casting the same number of curses the instant he appeared. Sirius hardly had time to get a Shield Charm up, and it quickly shattered against the sheer force of their spells, sending him flying towards the furthest pavement.
That was when Tonks and Kingsley appeared. Tonks could do little more than cast a Shield Charm of her own, but it was enough of a distraction for Kingsley to get off a couple of quick spells. The Stunner, Sirius recognized, and saw it collide with a small woman, knocking her to the pavement unmoving. The second, he didn't even see, but it must have missed its target. The other four were moving, then, and Sirius was pushing himself back to his feet, growling in frustration. Blood was streaming from a cut on his forehead, and he had to wipe it out of his eye. The Death Eaters raised their wands, he raised his, Tonks and Kingsley did the same.
And then the Death Eaters hesitated and scattered. Tonks and Sirius both sent curses after them, but Kingsley turned to face behind them.
"Albus," he said. "There are more than we expected."
"Yes, there would be," Dumbledore said, drawing his own wand from his robes and moving in a stride that was far too fast for his advanced age. Minerva McGonagall and the Weasleys, sans Molly, were right behind him, wands held in nervous hands. Molly they'd sent to fetch Madam Pomfrey and the other absent members of the Order. Pomfrey would prepare to treat whatever injuries they'd receive, assuming they could even bring back any of them. The other members would, hopefully, come to reinforce them. They'd have to hope that'd be enough. They were certain the Ministry wouldn't be coming.
They'd already be here, if Hermione's Trace was triggered, Sirius thought. Someone's holding back that information. They'd have to find out who, later, assuming any of them lived through the night.
"Get me a path," Sirius said, jogging to keep up with the main group. "I'll get them all out."
Dumbledore said nothing, instead walking faster. They'd come in at the end of the street, and, by now, the two that he and Tonks hadn't managed to incapacitate would have reached the rest of the Death Eaters. They heard a distant boom and picked up the pace. Sirius took a glance at all the dark houses around them. A few had windows lighting up as their occupants woke from their slumber. He figured it was only a matter of time before the sirens picked up. The Ministry might not be coming, but the Muggles surely would be. He had no idea how they'd explain this one away.
"Wands at the ready," Dumbledore said. "We are here. Sirius, stay with me. The rest of you, reach the house. If they are still trapped inside, save them."
"What about the muggles, Albus?" McGonagall asked, her voice shaking slightly as she glanced at the houses around them- several of which were showing their own signs of battle damage.
"Our own first," Dumbledore said grimly. "We will save who we can after, I promise you. Go- and be careful. We are all in a good deal of danger."
As if to emphasize his point, a great burst of flame flew in from their right. Dumbledore wasted no time, and moved far faster than Sirius could keep up with. Before the fire had even crossed half the street, he tore a strip of asphalt from the road and, with a quick circular motion, turned it to water. The fire hit it, and both hissed as they turned to steam. Dumbledore moved again, taking a single step further and flicking his wand forward. The steam turned to steel, to knives, and flew before him. Sirius couldn't see them, but he heard two people scream out.
Sirius saw a burst of green light come from the left, and he moved to block, but Dumbledore was already there. He pulled a street sign towards him, and the metal stretched and morphed into a shield. It broke under the force of the Killing Curse, but Dumbledore didn't seem to care. Sirius sent out a Blasting Curse of his own towards whoever cast it, and as it passed him, Dumbledore tapped it with his wand. The Blasting Curse turned from red to blue, and when it hit across the street, it exploded into ice instead of fire, stretching and covering nearly three houses and lighting up the battlefield in an eerie, blue glow, if only for a moment. Sirius saw three Death Eaters get covered in the stuff, their screams quickly snuffed out, before the street went dark again, the only light coming from flashes of spell craft and the few houses that were blazing.
Only, this time, just a second later, the light turned to a pale green, as if the moon itself decided to reappear and turn to moss. Sirius turned his gaze skyward, while Dumbledore kept his firmly on the enemy combatants. He still couldn't see the moon, but, in its place, was a great, green skull, with a serpent writhing in and out of it and hissing into the clouds.
"There," Dumbledore said, picking up his pace. "With me, Sirius. We have precious little time. We must end this before matters become worse."
Sirius brought his eyes back down and didn't need to ask where they were heading. He could see Hermione, now, being dragged along behind one, sole Death Eater. The girl was struggling and writhing in the air, following along behind the woman against her own will. Sirius could feel his stomach sink, but he didn't have time to think about where Ashley could be right now. The priority was Hermione Granger. Dumbledore had made that clear.
"If the girl dies," he'd said, when the silver lion disappeared, "we will lose Hazel Potter forever, even if we should gain her freedom."
For once, Sirius and Dumbledore were in agreement. They couldn't let Hermione die or be taken or- or whatever else the Death Eaters had planned for her, really.
They picked up the pace, but didn't make it far before Dumbledore was back to blocking and retaliating against normal Death Eaters.
"Go," he said. "I will catch up. Stall him."
Sirius said nothing. He took off running. The woman holding Hermione hostage didn't move. She watched expectantly as Sirius neared.
"I was wondering who would arrive first," she said. Her voice was oddly familiar. "I should have known it would be the father."
Sirius said nothing. He swiped his wand upwards and created a great, thin disc of light. It sawed through the air and dragged briefly on the ground, sending up pebbles and rocks as it sliced through the asphalt. The woman sidestepped it, as if she was bored, and Sirius pulled his wand back towards himself. The disc turned midair, careening back towards the Death Eater.
"I expected more from you, I must admit," she said. "Surely, you learned better from your own parents." With a casual flick of her wand, Hermione moved between her and the buzzing light saw. Sirius swore and flicked his wand downwards, dismissing his curse. Over the distant din of battle, he could hear the Muggle police sirens getting closer. They didn't have long.
The woman moved her wand slowly towards Sirius, levelling it at his chest. She said nothing, but a great, twisting, black serpent crawled from the tip of it, stretching its long body upwards. It almost went as high as the nearest house, and it was wider than Sirius's motorcycle. He swore again as the great beast dove towards him, baring and sinking its fangs into the street where he'd been standing moments before. Sirius sent a stunner at it, but it merely bounced off the serpent's thick scales. It turned and opened its maw into a great hiss, rearing back to strike again.
And then a flaming ball of light flew into its mouth, and the thing exploded, viscous, ink-like blood covering every inch of surface around them. Only a Shield Charm, not cast by Sirius, saved him from the stuff. He watched the ground as it sizzled and melted as if coated in acid.
"You have learned some new tricks, Tom," Dumbledore said, lowering his wand as he came to stand next to Sirius.
Tom? Sirius thought, looking at the female Death Eater before him. I thought- is it because he used Lily's blood? Is he a woman now?
Voldemort stared at Dumbledore for a long time before speaking, surrounded by his own Shield Charm. They were lucky Hermione had been behind him, still, or they might have lost all.
"And much more than you know," she said. "I will offer you the same chance as always, Dumbledore. Swear your allegiance to me, and you will not die today."
"We both know that isn't true, Tom," Dumbledore said with a smile. "You never were good at lying, dear boy."
"The Dark Lord always keeps his word," Voldemort said sharply. "But, so be it. It is on your head."
Voldemort attacked first. He swiped his arm quickly, and all Sirius could see was a ripple moving through the air. Dumbledore stood his ground, waiting until it was on him, then tapped it with the tip of his wand, flicked upwards, and sent it careening back towards Voldemort.
"Watch for your moment," Dumbledore said quietly, raising his wand above his head, "and do not waste your shot. You will only get the one."
Sirius nodded and moved slowly leftwards, watching as Dumbledore flicked his wand towards all the nearest street signs, one by one and at a blinding speed. They tore themselves from the ground and smashed together, forming limbs and a strange form of torso. Then, the hulk of metal ran towards Voldemort, and Sirius could almost hear it roar through the gaping, steel maw.
Voldemort raised the tip of his wand to his lips and breathed fire, turning the left leg of the golem to molten steel, and the rest tripped and broke on the ground, boiling and melting in the pool of its own body. Dumbledore pointed his wand at it and then towards Voldemort, and large, jagged stalagmites burst from the ground, covered in the red-hot liquid. For a moment, Sirius thought he'd skewered Voldemort, only the man's body turned to gas and reformed just a few feet away- thankfully, the attack stopped short of striking Hermione, although Sirius saw her try to flinch away from it.
Voldemort laughed, then, his inhuman screeching chilling Sirius to the core. There was something very familiar about it, but he didn't have the time to place it. Voldemort moved, his eyes focused solely on Dumbledore, and raised his wand above his head.
"This is what I've been waiting for!" he said, genuine excitement in his voice. "This is what I missed all those years, Dumbledore!" Voldemort laughed again and then swung his wand above his head in wide arcs, flame and sparks trailing in its wake.
"I am glad to provide amusement, Tom," Dumbledore said, not waiting for Voldemort to finish his spell. He crouched and tapped his wand on the pavement, and the ground shook and split open, cracks spreading and threatening to devour the entire neighbourhood. Sirius swore as he jumped to avoid one opening directly underneath him, but it didn't seem to distract Voldemort. He walked as if there was solid ground beneath his feet, even though it was only open air.
"You've grown weak, old man," Voldemort said, violently flicking his wand at Dumbledore. Fire leapt from his side, striking out and biting with a snake's maw. Dumbledore turned, but it caught the edge of his robe, smouldering the hem. "To think, I used to think you my equal."
"All men are your equal, Tom," Dumbledore said. "You were always a fool to believe yourself above them." The next jet of flame, he blocked by raising stone in front of him, and then transfigured it into a swarm of hornets that did little more than burn and die in the next wave of heat.
"And you are a fool for holding them so highly," Voldemort countered. The flames were growing around him, but he hardly seemed to notice, let alone care. Hermione, though- she was sweating and struggling, and there were cinders in her hair. Sirius crept closer, moving faster when her hair truly ignited, the air acrid with its burning scent.
"It is not foolish to love your fellow man, Tom," Dumbledore said, conjuring a wall of ice in a small circle around them to contain as much of the fire as possible. "It is love that gives us our power- and it is love that will thwart you at every opportunity."
Voldemort laughed again. "Save me your tired speeches, old man. We both know you care for no one."
"That is not true," Dumbledore said, eyes flicking side to side as the barrier of ice melted around him. "Even now, I care for you, for the young, bright man you once were."
"You never trusted me!" Voldemort shouted back.
"No," Dumbledore admitted, "but I always hoped you would prove me wrong and become a man greater than I."
"And I did!"
"And you failed," Dumbledore corrected, his beard turning dark from the smoke and ash. "You are my greatest failure, Tom, and it is well-past time you were corrected."
"What are you-"
Sirius moved quickly, casting a Concussion Curse at the Dark Lord. He seemed to sense something was wrong, but in his haste to destroy Albus Dumbledore, he'd lost sight of Sirius. He tried to move out of the way, but it caught him straight in the chest. He flew backwards, his head hitting the ground, hard, his mask knocked free from his face and sent skittering across the ground. Hermione fell the next moment, freed from her invisible binds, and immediately began patting down her burning hair. Sirius was running, too, wand still aimed at Voldemort's chest. His wand was still clenched in his left hand, and he was slowly, groggily, raising to a sitting position, his right hand held firmly to his head. Sirius started casting another spell, to end it all once and for all, and even started bringing his wand down, when Voldemort's hood fell, and red, vibrant hair tumbled down to his shoulders, his fingers parting slightly to show the pale skin of her forehead, where a bright, pink scar stood out, shaped like a lightning bolt.
"Lily?" Sirius said, lowering his wand.
"Sirius?" Lily said sleepily, squinting around at her surroundings. "What am I doing- where am I?" For a moment, Sirius didn't believe what he was seeing, but then her beautiful, wonderful, green eyes found his.
She looks just like her mum, he thought.
"Lily!" Sirius said, tucking his wand into his sleeve and crouching down next to her, grabbing her by her shoulders. "Lily, you're-"
Lily's eyes flashed red, and she raised her wand to Sirius's chest. He hardly had the time to react, but his arms moved on instinct, and they got in the way at the same second that Lily's wand flashed- there was a crack, and everything went black as death.