After a very thorough dressing down by Tonks and Moody for "being enablers," Yunyun and Vernon arrived back home in their own car, which had been helpfully repaired by Tonks.
"Just try not to let Megumin do anything too crazy. You lot aren't really supposed to be doing magic outside of school," Tonks told Yunyun when they arrived back home.
"Oh, um, I-I just did a little to help with the dishes," Yunyun lied. In reality she had been using magic for everything from cleaning, to cooking, to helping reinforce their home defenses when her father wasn't looking.
"You're close enough to Mad Eye here that the Trace probably won't go off, the Improper Use of Magic Office just ignores any nonsense in a five mile radius around him," Tonks said, jerking a thumb at Moody.
"Slackards," Moody harrumphed. "Can't even properly do their job."
"No, Boss, it's because if they didn't, they'd be here every five bloody minutes and Bertie told me I was your Minder anyway and to let them know if something actually happens," Tonks sighed.
"Wait, they're not to use magic outside of school?" Vernon demanded. "Should I take Megumin's wand?"
"Only if you want to toss your niece tied up and naked to a pack of slavering wolves," Moody snapped. "She just took down a Dark Lord, for the second time! There's no better way to paint a target on her back. If you ask me, her practicing that spell so she can deal with anyone who threatens her or her family is perfectly good sense, and everyone is overreacting."
"D-don't worry, dad, I-I'll make sure she's good," Yunyun promised. "She just, um, well, she really wanted to practice that spell, and I didn't think it would be so bad as long as we were far away from everyone…"
"Only if you're planning on going to the bloody moon," Tonks grumbled. "The bloody RAF and some muggle group called NATO are investigating if that was a nuclear bomb."
"Nuclear...right. I'm locking that bloody stick of hers away," Vernon grumbled. He paused, and nodded to Moody. "Thanks for helping keep the girls out of too much trouble. Sorry for the bother."
"The only thing that bothers me, Vernon, is that you were asleep instead of practicing CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Which is what led to this whole mess in the first place," Moody declared.
This led to a pitched argument between Moody and Vernon. Tonks rolled her eyes and mentioned going for takeout, while Yunyun quietly went back inside. She hated seeing her friends fighting, and while she knew that it was normal for two rivals to have a bit of a tiff, it still made her uncomfortable.
After Petunia had a bit of a melt down and insisted on checking Yunyun over, she finally escaped to her room. She wished that her friends were there, but as Megumin was in the hospital and everyone else was on Holiday, she decided to just read a nice book.
However, when she opened the door to her room, Yunyun found a bat eared house elf sitting on her bed, nursing what appeared to be several injuries.
"Oh! Hello. A-are you from Hogwarts?" Yunyun asked, smiling brightly. "I-I don't recognize you as one of m-my friends."
The elf jumped up as if guilty, dropping the roll of bandages it seemed to have pilfered from the medicine cabinet. "No, no, Dobby is not being from Hogwarts. Dobby is being the elf of Good Master Crabbe."
"Oh, you know Kazuma? H-he's my good friend!" Yunyun said, kneeling down and frowning at Dobby. They had just said no magic, but his injuries didn't appear to be more than a few scrapes and bruises. "Oh, you're h-hurt. L-let me help you."
"Dobby was trying to come in very quiet, like a good elf, but there is being many tricky traps. Good Master was not warning Dobby that the house of the Great and Glorious Potter was being so well defended."
"Um, that's my dad. H-he has a rivalry with Mr. Moody a-and they make lots of traps. I-I helped him with some of them, b-but he insists on no magic…"
"Yes, Dobby knows that The Great and Glorious Potter is being in great danger, much like Good Master Kazuma," Dobby said sympathetically.
Yunyun suddenly stiffened, and Dobby flinched away, cowering as Yunyun's eyes began to glow with a baleful light. "How is my friend Kazuma in danger!?"
"M-Master Kazuma is sending Dobby here t-to ask for h-help. H-he is needing supplies, as he is being locked in his room…" Dobby stammered.
Yunyun paused, frowning slightly. Kazuma was prone to exaggeration... "Is he just in trouble for being naughty?"
"Oh no Mistress, they is...they is…" Dobby licked his lips, dropping his voice to whisper, "They is using the Cruciatus on Good Master. His own parents! Even Dobby is not being punished so when he is a bad elf. But Dobby is a good elf! He is coming to Good Master Kazuma's friends to get help. Good Master is needing more cheetos and comics, so that he-"
"What is the Crutiatus?" Yunyun demanded, her tone suddenly harsh.
"It is a terrible curse! They is calling it an unforgivable curse, Mistress! It is painful, so painful! Dobby is hearing of wizards going insane when they is being hit with the Cruciatus. Good Master Kazuma is not being able to rise from his bed for days! This is why he is sending Dobby to-"
"So Kazuma's parents are torturing him," Yunyun summarized. "Because he is my friend, and he helped defeat Voldemort."
"Do not be saying that name!" Dobby wailed, clutching at his ears and dragging them down. "It is a wicked, wicked name! Dobby would get his fingers baked in the oven just for hearing such a name!"
"They torture you too?" Yunyun asked. "Just for helping Kazuma?"
Dobby looked down. "Dobby is not liking to speak ill of Wicked Master and Cruel Mistress, but they is willing to use the Cruciatus on their own son. They is doing even wickeder things to a poor elf like Dobby…"
"I see." Yunyun considered this, then nodded. "I will help Kazuma."
"Oh, thank you, Mistress! Dobby is needing new issues of Superman, a case of Dr. Pepper, and-"
"No, Dobby. I'm not going to send Kazuma snacks because his parents are starving him. Are they starving him?"
"Dobby is afraid so. They is only giving poor Good Master Kazuma a little bread and water, which is why Dobby is sneaking him food so he is not starving."
"Well, Megumin isn't here," Yunyun said, shaking her head. "And I can't do this on my own. I'm going to need back up…"
"What? But Dobby can be taking the food back to-"
"I'm going to call Hermione. I would call Ron or Darkness but they don't have a phone," Yunyun explained. "Then, we are going to rescue Kazuma."
"Rescue?! But...but the Crabbes is being very powerful, very powerful! They is knowing horrible curses that-"
"Dobby, I'm a Crimson Demon," Yunyun said as she headed down to the kitchen to get the phone. "I know far worse curses than something some Death Eater might use."
Dobby whimpered slightly, but followed along after Yunyun.
"Oh, hello Nipsy," Petunia said absently from the kitchen as she paged through a home security magazine. She had finally decided that if her daughter and niece were going to fight a Dark Lord, their house had best be properly prepared. Moody had been in paroxysms of pleasure while Vernon had just muttered darkly about being more worried about nosey neighbors.
"This isn't Nipsy, this is Dobby. He, um, he's another house elf come to say hello," Yunyun explained.
"Hello, mistress," Dobby said, waving shyly.
Petunia just nodded, and Yunyun went over and dialed Hermione's number.
"Grangers, Hermione speaking."
"Hermione, it's Yunyun. There's an emergency."
"I know that! It's on the news! What was Megumin thinking!? I tried calling earlier but your mum said that you were still being kept by the aurors. Look, they're serious about that whole no magic outside of school thing!" Hermione lectured. "I tried just a few simple charms last year and there was a representative from Underaged Magic office at our house in-"
"It's not that, Hermione. Kazuma is being imprisoned and tortured by Death Eaters," Yunyun interrupted.
There was silence for a moment, then Hermione asked in a weak voice, "What?"
"His elf, Dobby, came to ask me to send him food and supplies, because he's being starved and tortured. By his own parents. They used a curse called the Cruciatus on him."
"Oh no," Hermione gasped. "That's...that's what was used on Darkness's parents. It drove them insane after just a few days!"
"I know. And Kazuma is my friend. So we're going to go and rescue him," Yunyun stated.
"What? How? Maybe you should just tell Moody and Tonks, they could-"
"I'm not going to tell an adult. They'd just say it was his parents and they can discipline their child, or that he's just a Slytherin and he deserves it. And I don't have time or patience to convince them! Now are you going to help me or not?" Yunyun demanded.
"Well, of course I will. Um, Yunyun, you do realize...you're not stammering?"
"I don't have time to worry about my stammer!" Yunyun hissed into the phone. "Our friend is in danger!"
After a brief discussion, Hermione hung up. Yunyun went and got out her potions kit, and started brewing on the kitchen counter.
"What's all this then, dear?" Petunia asked.
"I'm making something for Megumin w-when she comes home," Yunyun lied, blushing slightly. "So, um, well, she feels better and maybe doesn't g-get into any more trouble…"
"Well that's nice of you. But I'm afraid your cousin is in an awful lot of trouble...Tonks was very upset, and said this is a serious charge. I saw on the news what she did. They said it was a kiloton warhead. The news says it was a gas leak, but…"
"W-well, um, Megumin was very worried about V-Voldemort attacking us again," Yunyun temporized.
"I understand, but she'll need to find some slightly less destructive magic. That sort is too dangerous," Petunia said. "I'm off to check on your father. He's gotten something called 'The Anarchists Cookbook' and was talking about building some claymores…
Yunyun nodded, then went back to her potion making. She wasn't quite as adept at the art as Megumin, but she was far better than anyone who had only mostly completed their first year of schooling should have been. After a couple of hours of work, she and Dobby had brewed up several doses of Shrinking Solution.
The doorbell rang, and Yunyun hurried to open it. "Mum, Hermione is here to pick me up, we're going out for a bit," she called.
"Oh? I don't remember-"
"Sorry, it's important, we, um, have to do something for school!" Yunyun said.
"Well, alright. You two girls behave now," Petunia called from the back garden.
At the door, Hermione had on a backpack and waved goodbye to her parents as they drove away. "They think I'm spending the night because you'd be lonely without Megumin."
"Good. Dobby, are you ready?" Yunyun asked.
"Yes, Mistress," Dobby agreed.
"Oh, another house elf?" Hermione asked, smiling at Dobby. "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger."
"Dobby is Kazuma's elf. He's going to smuggle us in. Here, I made the potion. Drink it," Yunyun encouraged.
Both girls downed a gulp of shrinking solution, and were soon no more than three inches high. Dobby carefully picked them up along with several more doses of Shrinking Solution, sticking them in a bag.
"Shh, be quiet, nice mistresses. Dobby is taking you to Good Master Kazuma's house now…"
"I feel like Alice in Wonderland," Hermione giggled as they nestled themselves between the vials of potion.
"Just remember, these are torturers who are hurting our friend. We have to be careful," Yunyun whispered.
There was a stomach churning jolt, which Megumin figured was Dobby teleporting them, then they bobbed up and down as the bag bounced in time to the elf's steps.
"Master, Dobby is home!"
"About time, I'm starving. Mum still insists that I only eat bread and water. At least this time she didn't feel like jinxing me," Kazuma's voice complained. "Did you sucker Yunyun into giving you some proper food?"
"Oh, even better, Master! Dobby is bringing you friends!"
"Huh? Look, I'm just hungry. My parents will get bored with torturing me eventually. I don't even really ache any more, and that Tylenol is-"
Yunyun and Hermione were suddenly upended, and both girl's let out squeals of panic. They spilled out onto a spongy, bouncy surface.
"Action figures? Sweet! I don't recognize these, what kind are-"
A giant hand reached down to pick up both Hermione and Yunyun, but Hermione got out her wand and shouted, "Pungo!"
A green star shot out of her wand, and Kazuma let out a deafening yowl as the hand jerked back. "Oww! What kind of action figure knows a stinging hex!?"
"I'm not a doll you great big dolt!" Hermione huffed, shifting unsteadily on the carpeted surface. "We're just shrunken!"
"Kazuma, it's us!" Yunyun explained, looking up and smiling at the giant face that was hovering over her. "We came to rescue you!"
"Huh? Wait, Dobby, what did you-"
"Dobby is bringing Good Master's friends so that they can be rescuing him!" Dobby said excitedly.
"What? You- Dobby, you were just supposed to make them feel bad for me so I could get some free stuff!" Kazuma cried. He bounced on what was apparently his bed slightly, sending both girls tumbling head over heels.
"Oh, sorry." Kazuma reached down, carefully plucking both girls up by their clothes.
"Put me down! Put me down this instant!" Hermione gasped, flailing about. Yunyun was more relaxed, and an instant later Kazuma set the miniature girls down on his nightstand.
"Ok, what the hell, you two?! You're both muggleborns!" Kazuma hissed. "My parents will literally kill you if they find you here!"
"Because I heard you were being tortured!" Yunyun said, folding her arms over her chest.
Kazuma blushed and glanced away. "Look, my parents are just...strict. It's not any of your business. I'm just bored and want some-"
"Are they or are they not using the Cruciatus on you?" Hermione demanded.
"..." Kazuma ducked his head, trying to hide tears that appeared in his eyes.
"Good Master has been crying for days," Dobby said mournfully. "He is being good and stopping cruel Dark Lord, but Cruel Master and Wicked Mistress is being oh so cruel, and treating Good Master like he is an elf!"
"They used the Cruciatus on you two?!" Yunyun gasped, turning to Dobby.
"Only sometimes. Dobby is a good elf," the poor creature said, forcing a smile on his face.
"That has to be a crime. They're torturing an innocent creature!" Hermione gasped.
"The only reason it would be a crime is that they're torturing Dobby without my permission, and he's my elf," Kazuma sniffed. "I won him off Draco in a bet a couple years ago. His dad was pissed, but mine was actually pretty pleased. But since I'm just a kid, they basically own Dobby."
"People can just torture an elf whenever they want?!" Yunyun demanded, outraged. "Nipsy never mentioned this!"
"Who's Nipsy?" Kazuma asked suspiciously.
"Nipsy is a very lucky elf, she is working for Great Master Dumbledore, who is very kind. He is giving days off and never punishing elves for anything, even when they is making mistakes," Dobby said in a wistful tone.
"Hey, I give you days off! I even told you I'd pay you for doing errands and not telling my parents," Kazuma pointed out.
"We don't have time for this," Yunyun snapped. "We-oh!"
Suddenly, Yunyun and Hermione both began to grow. Books and a lamp tumbled off of Kazuma's night stand, and the two girls ended up on a heap on the floor.
"I suppose just a sip wasn't enough," Hermione groaned, picking herself up.
"S-sorry," Yunyun apologized.
"Quiet, you two, or-" Kazuma suddenly turned in horror as the door to his room opened.
An older boy who looked about twenty started speaking even before the door was all the way open."Kazuma, I swear, if you're up to no good, I'll-"
Upon seeing the two girls, the boy reached for a wand. "Uncle Castor! Kazuma is-"
"Stupify!" Yunyun cried at the same time as Hermione shrieked, "Flipendo!"
As a result, the boy's unconscious body went pinwheeling through the air down the hall.
"Oh bugger me, now you've done it," Kazuma groaned, scrambling towards the downed boy. "We've got to get you out of here! Like I said, if my parents catch you, you're dead!"
"Um, sorry about your cousin," Yunyun said, feeling rather guilty.
Kazuma snorted as he relieved the boy of his wand. "Don't be, he's an arse. Tony's just here to keep me locked up. He'd crucio me too in a heartbeat because I'm a mugglelover. He snitched and found all my comics. Bastard burned them too!"
Kazuma gave Cousin Tony a swift kick. "Hurry, before-"
"CRUCIO!"
Kazuma fell to the ground spasming in pain as he shrieked in agony. Around the corner came the man Yunyun had seen at Wiz's shop, though now his face was distorted in rage. "You've done it now, boy. And what's this? The halfbreed mudblood bitch, and another one? Well, I can't kill my own son, but I can do for you!"
"SECTUMSEMPRA LEGIO!" Yunyun roared, and sent an invisible storm of blades down the hallway.
Mr. Crabbe swore, and transfigured a barrier with his wand, before sending a hail of minor jinxes and hexes at the girls. Yunyun and Hermione came out of the room, using a shield charm to block the spells, then firing off minor jinxes in return.
Thankfully, the attack had broken the curse on Kazuma, who lay on the floor, still.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Yunyun raged. "CONFRINGO!"
The explosion was deafening in the confined space, but it shattered the transfigured barrier and sent Mr. Crabbe flying backwards. He smashed into a grandfather clock, which fell with an enormous BONG.
"Get Kazuma," Yunyun panted. "We will-"
"REDUCTO!"
From behind them at the opposite end of the hall, a woman sent the deadly blasting curse at them. Hermione spun about and managed to redeploy her shield charm, but it shattered as the spell exploded. The splinters of wood would have cut into the girls, but Dobby was there, forming a swirling barrier in the air.
"You damned elf! I knew you were as worthless as my son!" Mrs. Crabbe raged.
"Dobby is a good elf. No hurting kind mistresses or good master," Dobby panted, struggling to hold back the spells.
"GLACIUS!" Mrs. Crabbe snarled, and Dobby was locked in a cube of ice.
"No! Incarcerous!" Hermione cried, but her spell was deflected, and then returned in kind. She fell to the floor as her opponent aimed at Yunyun.
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Yunyun shouted again, but her opponent had heard the earlier curse, and countered with a barrier.
"Expelliarmus!"
Yunyun's wand flew out of her hand, and she was picked up and flung backwards.
"You worthless halfbreed. It's you who deceived my son," Mrs. Crabbe snarled. "I'll make him kill you, then transfigure your body to be a nice little wrist watch. He can carry it around to remind himself why we don't associate with-"
"Flipendo!"
Mrs. Crabbe was knocked down, as Kazuma stood on shaking legs. "Shut up, mum. I'd never kill Yunyun. She-"
"Imperio."
Kazuma froze, his entire body locking up as his father grinned around bloodied teeth, standing up behind him. "Now you will, boy. That's it. Point the wand at the halfbreed."
"N-n-n-" Kazuma's wand slowly drifted towards Yunyun, but she suddenly sprang up, her red eyes glowing.
"I AM YUNYUN! FOREMOST FRIEND OF THE CRIMSON DEMON CLAN! YOU SHALL NOT HURT MY FRIENDS! LIGHT! OF! SABER!"
A burning blade of plasma hurled down the hall towards the astonished Mr. Crabbe. He flung himself aside at the last moment, and Yunyun's spell hit the wall behind him. It exploded, raining debris down on his head, and knocking the man unconscious.
Yunyun spun towards Mrs. Crabbe, who was scooting away from her.
"This is impossible! You haven't a wand! How could you-"
"I AM SHE WHO WILL ONE DAY LEAD THE CRIMSON DEMON CLAN TO GLORY!" Yunyun cried, posing as she formed another ball of plasma above her finger tips. "NONE SHALL HURT MY FRIENDS! NOW, TASTE THE FURY OF A FRIEND SCORNED! LIGHT OF-"
"Yunyun... she's...she's my mum," Kazuma wheezed, propping himself on one arm from where he had collapsed to the floor.
Yunyun hesitated, her spell fizzling in her hands.
"CRUCIO!" Mrs. Crabbe snarled, and Yunyun collapsed.
"No, mum, please, I-" Kazuma babbled, tears making tracks down his dusty cheeks.
Then the front door slammed open with a cry of "AURORS! EVERYONE FREEZE!"
Naturally, Mrs. Crabbe did not freeze, but after a brief defense, she took a stunner to the chest and dropped like a sack of bricks.
"Bugger me bloody and blind!" Tonks swore, looking around at the carnage. She raced over to Yunyun, flipping over the whispering girl to check for injuries. "What is going on with these children?!"
"Worry about that later!" Moody ordered. "Make sure the suspects are down, then call for medi-wizards!"
"Aren't you supposed to be retired now, Alastor?" a dark skinned auror demanded as he checked on Mr. Crabbe's limp form.
"Like hell I'm retiring when there's this much excitement! And if I have a chance to finally bag Castor and Cybella Crabbe I'm damn well doing it!" Moody declared.
The last thing Yunyun saw before she passed out was Tonk's kind face. "It's alright love, I'm here now, we'll have you to my dad in a jiff."
"M-make sure...my friends...are safe…" Yunyun sighed, and closed her eyes to rest.