Raylynx's POV
I burst into the Hog's Head, breathless and frantic. It was not time for my shift yet, but I had heard the news.
"Is it true?" I asked Aberforth urgently.
"Yes, I just heard the news from Albus myself," Aberforth said solemnly. "The Dark Mark showed up at Nottingham."
"That's not possible," I argued. "That area was secured only yesterday."
"Well, it's not anymore," he said gruffly.
I shook my head. "Most likely, it never was."
"The traitor," Aberforth commented, and I nodded glumly.
"But it's empty now, right?" I said. "The house they cast the Dark Mark over is empty?"
"Yes," Aberforth said, but he suddenly looked away from me.
Nervousness began to bubble in my stomach.
"Aberforth…" My tone clearly indicated that I knew he was hiding something from me.
"Mind your own business," Aberforth said gruffly.
"Not until you tell me," I said stoutly.
"She wasn't supposed to go. Albus' orders were for everyone to stay still but she disobeyed him and went anyways."
"Why?"
"She said she thought the traitor might be there and she went to capture him or her."
"Who was it?" I said, my throat going dry. "Who went?"
"Hm, what was her name again? I think it was McKinn-"
"Marlene!?" I leapt up out of my seat.
"Yeah, that's the name."
I pushed my chair away and started to run when Aberforth called out to me.
"Now, listen here," Aberforth said, raising his voice. "My brother made it clear you're supposed to stay where you are."
"To hell with his orders!" I shouted. "She's my friend! And you know why I'm going, that's why you told me she went. Don't think I don't know- the Headmaster told you not to tell me, right?"
Aberforth suddenly fell silent, and his eyes softened.
"I won't let you down," I promised, and left.
I opened the door just as Sirius Apparated on the other side.
"Raylynx, what-?"
But there wasn't any time to talk. I'd already Disapparated.
I hit the ground in front of the barren house hard. I'd been too nervous, too hasty with my Apparation.
"Ugh…" I got up off my knees and approached the house, drawing my wand out.
I climbed the stairs, wincing when one squeaked. I slowly pushed on the front door and it gave way, creaking slowly.
I entered the house, barely daring to draw breath.
It was already night and everything was pitch-black inside.
Marlene, where are you? Are you sneaking around, like me? Or are you-?
I cut off my thoughts, not allowing myself to think about what might have happened to her if she had met the Death Eaters. Pressing myself to the wall, I quickly made my way down the hallway until I came across a door on my right and stairs on my left.
Drawing a deep breath, I mentally focused on the feeling of magic, that ever-present energy flowing through me and then I mentally recited Homenum Revelio Numerus!
Suddenly, six silver lights came from the direction of the stairs swooshed in front of me.
Upstairs, there are six people in this building other than me.
I climbed my way up the winding staircase cautiously. But to my surprise, there was no sound. I hesitated. Then, there was a creak directly behind me, and a hand clapped over my mouth.
I immediately began to struggle when a low voice whispered in my ear.
"It's me, Raylynx."
I stopped struggling and turned around. Sirius looked down at me with hard eyes. "Marlene is here, isn't she?" he whispered.
I nodded. "I tried to track her, and I think that there are several people somewhere around here, Sirius."
"Homenum Revelio?" he asked.
"Yes," I confirmed. "But I can't hear anyone."
"That's because they've set up Room-Silencing Spells."
Sirius and I both turned to see James pull off his Invisibility Cloak from the bottom of the stairs. Dorcas was underneath it as well.
"Come on," James said, running up the stairs towards us.
"There's no use being quiet," he said. "Our priority is to find them as quickly as possible."
I looked worriedly at Dorcas, but she only gave me a hard look and nodded.
"James is right," she said.
We burst in through all of the doors on that top floor, but to our surprise, they were all empty.
"There are definitely people here," I said, frustrated. Time was not our friend here. The longer this serrched dragged on, the less chance there was that Marlene was holding out.
Then, Dorcas suddenly called, "Come look at this."
We ran over to the end of the hallway, where she was.
She pointed up.
There was a dark square in the ceiling, the kind that-
"It's a doorway into the attic," Sirius recognized. "Grimmauld Place has one, too."
"Everyone stand back, and be on guard," Dorcas said, pointing her wand up at the doorway.
"Bombarda Maxima!" she shouted, and the whole doorway blew open.
Five different curses immediately came pouring down from the open hole in the ceiling.
Also, the Silencing Charm had broken whatever sound barrier had been constructed around the room, and pitiful screams wrecked the air.
I grabbed Dorcas and dragged her out of the way and all five curses slammed into the floor, leaving a small crater where Dorcas had been moments ago.
"Marlene!" Sirius called. There was another blast and shout of pain. We all cringed and Sirius cursed.
"How do we get up there?" James asked frantically.
"We can't just blast the place down. It'll hurt Marlene," Dorcas said, rubbing a spot on her arm where a curse had grazed her.
"Shields," I said. "It's the only way to go. And there has to be a stepladder accessible from here someplace."
"They might have removed it," Sirius guessed.
"Then, levitation," I suggested.
The other three stared at me and I knew the whole thing sounded far-fetched, but there was no other way to do it.
"I could just give you a hand up…" James said weakly, but I shook my head.
"The following three can get up so long as the first person shields them as they climb up, but the first person won't be able to effectively shield without being blasted down and locked out." I calculated.
"Then, how are we supposed to get Marlene? They'll try to kill her as soon as they know we're here," Sirius countered.
I sighed in frustration. There isn't time for this sort-of argument!
"Enough! Send me up first!" I commanded. "Dorcas, you're best at Levitation Charms. Levitate me, fast as you can, but make it breakable so I can step forward."
"I… don't know the incantation for something that specif-" Dorcas started to say, but I cut her off and answered, "Wingardium Leviosa Amovibilius Per Praevaricationem."
At least, in theory, I thought to myself. It may not be perfect, but…
"What?" Dorcas said.
Marlene screamed again, and I grabbed Dorcas' arm roughly. "Now!"
"Right, of course." Dorcas rolled up the sleeves of her arms.
"James, cast a shield charm around me. And as soon as I'm there, Sirius, jump up and join me. You're tall enough, right?"
Sirius nodded.
"Once I'm up, I'll shield you," I told Sirius, "So get Marlene out of there as fast as you can."
"Ready?"
They all nodded. Dorcas took a deep breath and then stated clearly, "Wingardium Leviosa Amovibilius Per Praevaricationem."
James lifted his wand and murmured "Protegius Maximus."
I felt myself being lifted upwards and a silver shield spell whirled around me. I readied myself, gripping my wand tightly.
As soon as I entered the room, I stepped forward onto solid ground, breaking the spell. I was right, the spell wasn't perfect. I almost tripped forward against the spell, but I managed to pull my foot through it.
"What the-?" I heard one of the Death Eaters say, but it was too late.
Aiming carefully just beyond Marlene's left ear, I stepped forward and shouted, "Stupefy!"
The five Death Eaters scattered immediately, and my spell barely shot past Marlene.
When I saw the state Marlene was in, I growled. But I had to stay focused. Behind me, Sirius managed to climb up.
"Protego!" I said, and a Shield Charm expanded in front of us just as the Death Eaters shot curses at us.
"Run! Get Marlene!" I told Sirius, and began dueling with two of the Death Eaters. A jet of grey light grazed my shoulder and I winced at the heat that seared against my shoulder.
"Stupefy!" I yelled, but my spell merely collided with another spell and I was forced on the defensive.
However, it gave Dorcas time to be helped up by James, and she helped James to climb up quickly as well.
With the four of us, the Death Eaters had their hands busy and it was enough time for Sirius to untie Marlene and get her down.
"Raylynx!" Sirius shouted to me. "She needs healing, now!"
"Get her to-Protego! –Tonks!" I yelled back.
Dorcas' hex caught a Death Eater perfectly in the chest, and the Death Eater crumbled, unconscious.
"Nice one!" James complimented her.
"Lynx, she's not- she's not going to make it if-"
I could hear tears in Sirius' voice and I immediately rushed over to him as James covered for me.
I heard James wince in pain as a spell cut deep into his cheek and began to bleed rapidly.
Are we going to get out of this alive? I couldn't help but question, as the odds were not looking good for us. But the next minute, another of Dorcas' well-aimed Stunners caught a Death Eater, and he crumpled to the ground.
Marlene was in an awful state, but she kept trying to whisper to us.
"Marlene… hold on," I whispered as I began to cast Healing Charms on us.
Marlene whimpered but she kept repeating something softly.
I managed to stop the worst of Marlene's bleeding and poured as many spells as I knew to help dilute the poison in her bloodstream. Only Potions can do this properly, I thought grimly. Marlene, hold on. Please.
"What is she saying?" Sirius asked, casting a Shield Charm over us as a Death Eater's spell shot past Dorcas and onto us.
I leaned down to hear her words.
Slowly, I could make them out. "I…know…"
"Marlene, it doesn't… it doesn't matter," I said weakly, trying not to cry. I'm not sure if I can save her. She's lost so much blood already.
I trembled at the sight of so much red staining her body, my hands, the floor even. Her systems are shutting down.
"I… know… who…" Marlene whispered, her voice grating and forced.
"Marlene, save your strength, please," I whispered back, feeling a tear slip down my cheek.
"Sirius, get her to St. Mungo's," I said quietly. "I've done all I can do."
Sirius looked at me with grief in his eyes. "Will she…?"
I closed my eyes and looked away. "I can't say, Sirius. I can't promise anything."
Sirius nodded heavily before taking Marlene in his eyes. I cast a Shield Spell, giving him time to Apparate.
Then, suddenly, an unexpected voice rang out from below.
"James!? Marlene!?"
James drew in a quick breath in astonishment. "Lily?"
"James!" I shouted. The Death Eater's had taken advantage of his distraction to hurl a hex at him. It caught him in the stomach and he groaned in pain. I raced over and grabbed him before he fell. He was breathing heavily, and I could tell he was fighting hard not to lose consciousness.
"James, stay with me," I begged.
"I'm all right," he murmured.
Suddenly, Lily yelled and I could hear her began to shout defensive spells. More Death Eaters had come then.
"James! Help Lily!" Dorcas said, grimacing as she sent up defensive spell after defensive spell. But they were gaining on us in that already too-small space.
"Everyone, out of here!" I shouted. I knew it was reckless, but I ran forward. Hugging both James and Dorcas, I shoved us all backwards and we fell out of the hole.
"Arresto momentum!" I shouted, and we fell as a heap onto the floor.
"Move!" Dorcas shouted, and we all rolled out of the way.
"James!" I said, worried. I raced over to him, where he was slumped against the wall.
"Lily…" he mumbled.
Dorcas had raced forward to help Lily duel the two Death Eaters that had appeared.
"Lily!" I yelled. "I'll cover you! Get James home!"
Lily rushed over as I traded her spots. The remaining three Death Eaters leapt down from the attic room. Lily gasped when she saw them but she focused intensely and she Apparated fast enough to avoid them.
Yaxley- his mask had fallen off- shot a curse at them, but I immediately slashed my wand in the air, creating an air wave that distorted and redirected his spell. He sneered at me.
Anger boiled through my blood. I snarled. Yaxley, you'll pay. You'll pay for all the hurt you've done to my friends and family. If Marlene doesn't make it through…
Behind me, Dorcas had managed to bring down any Death Eater, but at the cost of being hit by a purple jet of light that melted the cloth across her stomach and left a large welt there. She gritted her teeth in pain.
"Dorcas!" I cried, but I, too, was occupied with the three Death Eaters in front of me.
I couldn't keep them all at bay- they were too quick and too many. All I could do was put up Shield Charm after Shield Charm. I was being forced back, until I was back-to-back with Dorcas.
Then, footsteps clattered up the stairs.
My heart sank. We can't take any more Death Eaters!
I let out a cry of pain as my Shield, which was still in the process of forming, was destroyed by a Stunner, and the remnants of the Stunner hit my hand, spreading numbness across my arm.
"Stupefy!" The newcomer shot a jet of red light at- The Death Eater Dorcas was fighting dropped.
"Sirius!" Dorcas said in a breath of relief. She was absolutely exhausted, and the spell that had hit her in the stomach seemed to render intensifying pain.
Sirius raced forward and grabbed her before she fell, but he called out my name, "Raylynx!"
My spell missed the Death Eater and his counterhex ripped across my leg. I hissed in pain as it felt like fire had erupted against my shin.
Sirius lifted his wand and this spell shot past me and at a Death Eater, but the Death Eater had already conjured a Shield.
Then, another Death Eater shouted, "Crucio!" His wand was pointed straight at me.
I couldn't seem to move my leg as fire raked across my shin. I tried to jump aside, or at least fall over, but it was proving impossible. The Torture Curse was going to hit me at any moment now. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, anticipating the horrific pain about to wrack my body.
Suddenly, I was shoved aside roughly. I fell against the wall and slid to the floor.
"Ahhhh!" A low, intense scream broke out, but it wasn't mine.
I opened my eyes to see Sirius writhing on the floor.
"Sirius!" I cried out, and crawled over to him.
"Stupefy!" Dorcas shouted.
Sirius opened his eyes, breathing hard.
"You will not touch my friends." Dorcas snarled in anger.
I grabbed Sirius' wand, which had fallen to the floor and feeling the pain slowly fade from my shin, I managed to get to my feet and help Sirius get up. From close up, I could see that sweat was pouring down his face and bruises sprouted across his neck. I quickly pulled him back to where Dorcas was standing.
Dorcas stepped in front of us. "No more," she said, and I could tell that she was crying despite the toughness in her voice. "No more. Not after Mad-Eye and Benjy and Caradoc and Fabian and Gideon. No more."
Raising her wand, she shouted the incantation for FiendFyre. It erupted from her wand and the Death Eaters cried out. Violent, raging fire burst into existence, and bit ferociously at the Death Eaters. One of them was incinerated in seconds. Two others were barely keeping the flames at bay, brandishing their wands desperately. Dorcas raised her wand, and the FiendFyre grew until it was almost a solid barrier between us and them.
"Raylynx, get Sirius out of here!" Dorcas cried out.
I started to respond, when through the flames, I could just make out a Death Eater lift their sleeve and press their wand tip to the snake's head.
For a moment, I felt inexpressible fear.
"Get out of here!" Dorcas repeated.
"No!" I shouted. "Something's coming!"
Then, a cloud of dark smoke erupted before us, creating an opening in Dorcas' Fiendfyre.
A dark, cloaked figure stood before us. It lifted its head.
My breath caught and my mind froze.
Those red snake-like eyes… Those waxy features…
"Voldemort," I whispered in terror and awe. My body was shaking.
"Get out of here," Dorcas said to us through gritted teeth.
"Not without you," I said, gathering strength and lifting my wand. Besides me, Sirius also raised his wand.
"It's no use," Voldemort said, his voice slithering through the air. His voice was utterly cold, like a knife's edge, and yet, despite its detachment, it promised violence. I had never heard such a cruel voice before. And the malice in his burning eyes was both terrifying and hypnotizing. I couldn't look away.
I swallowed hard and gripped my wand tighter. We have to get out of this situation. But how?
The Fiendfyre was still howling. It was rapidly incinerating the building and the remaining Death Eaters were still struggling badly to fight it. One of the Death Eaters, still masked, yelped in pain as a serpent arose from the flames and viciously bit his leg.
The Death Eater screamed in pain.
"Enough!" Voldemort said, and with a wave of his wand, the FiendFyre vanished, leaving only smoke everywhere. Such power. He vanished it with such ease.
"Enough of this," he hissed. He looked at Dorcas, his eyes turning into mere slits.
"I know you," he spoke quietly, but in a voice that seemed about to strike out at any moment. "You have killed many of my Death Eaters. You single-handedly uncovered and ruined my plan to slaughter the Muggle neighborhood. And here, you have ruined my plan of torturing information from one of Dumbledore's slaves."
Dorcas stood there with her head held high, but her wand hand was trembling. She was spent from fighting so much.
"But today, you will die," Voldemort said, in the quietest voice yet. But the certainty behind that voice was terrifying. "You- will- die."
"A shame, your pure blood split by my own hands…" Voldemort said softly. "But it cannot be helped. Didn't you ever wonder why you were not immediately killed after you uncovered my plan to slaughter that worthless Muggle village? It's because I was giving you the chance to join me. But now- no longer will I show you the mercy of Lord Voldemort-"
Dorcas let out a small laugh. "Mercy," she said scornfully. "You call yourself merciful? Look what you've done to the world around you."
"I am simply righting the world," Voldemort said quietly. "It is only becoming as it ought to have been from the very beginning."
"You're wrong," Dorcas said. Despite her trembling hand, her voice was strong. "Call yourself lord. Mask yourself until you're unrecognizable. But I will never ask for your mercy."
Voldemort looked at her with astonished eyes that quickly turned in slits.
"Suffer," he said, and with those words, a giant serpent materialized from the air. Suddenly, he spoke in a slithering tone, "SSsssSShayasss, Nagini."
Lord Voldemort, the surviving Death Eaters, and Nagini struck at the same time. Sirius and I leapt forward. Sirius' Stunner caught a Death Eater in the elbow and the Death Eater dropped his wand.
I had stepped in front of Dorcas to cast a Shield Spell against the snake, but to my utter shock, Voldemort's spell blasted my shield into pieces immediately and suddenly, Nagini was snapping in my face. I barely dodged her fangs. Immediately, her huge body wrapped around my neck. I grappled with her, quickly putting a hand up to my neck to stop myself from instant suffocation. But it was too much, she was far stronger than I dared imagine… slowly, the air was being squeezed out of my wind pipes. My eyes rolled back, but then- a shot of light hit Nagini and she fell back, hissing angrily.
Sirius grabbed me, pulling me up towards him.
"Lynx!" he cried out. "Are you all right?"
"Y-yes. Dorcas?" I tried to say, coughing heavily.
We both turned to see her dueling furiously against Voldemort.
She had managed to cast a shield strong enough to deflect the fire-like whip he had conjured into his left hand. And while remaining focused enough to hold up the Shield, she blocked another deadly hex from Voldemort. She hurled her own spell at him, but it disappeared in the huge fireball Voldemort sent at her.
"No!" I shouted, but the two Death Eaters stepped in front of Sirius and me.
"Get out of here!" Dorcas yelled at us, fighting desperately to keep from dying. But her energy was waning.
I barely dodged one of the Death Eater's Stunning Spell. Sirius shot back another hex, but it missed.
"Dorcas!" I screamed.
"Get out of here!" Dorcas shouted again. "I want you to live! Go!"
Frustration overwhelmed me. Feeling like my heart was going to burst, I yelled out a dark curse, "Acribus ignis!"
I felt something like a crack from my wand, but then a spurt of black-rimmed-gold fire shot out of my wand and directly at the neck of the Death Eater in front of me. He yelped and stepped back before it strangled him but not before blood began pouring out of neck.
"Leave them be!" Voldemort hissed from behind. "Only subdue them! Do not kill them!"
Behind the Death Eaters, I could hear Dorcas scream out in pain as Nagini bit her arm. Her shields shattered and Voldemort yell victoriously, "Avada Kedavra!"
"PROTEGO!" I screamed in utter desperation, but even as my shield raced towards Dorcas, I knew that it was too late.
No!
"Raylynx!" Sirius dove and we tumbled to the floor, just in time to miss both of the Death Eaters' curses that had been directed at me in my moment of distraction.
"Dorcas!" I screamed. "Dorcas!"
I thought I heard a last wisp of breath from, a last, final sigh… She turned in the air as the Killing Curse took hold of her...
Suddenly, a great gush of wind pushed me back. I raised my arms to block the wind, but skidded back a few steps. When the wind disappeared, I saw that Voldemort, Nagini, and all of the Death Eaters, even the unconscious and fallen bodies, were gone.
Only Dorcas' body was left behind. Her glassy eyes. Her open mouth. Her fallen wand.
Only-
"Dorcas," I choked out, falling to my knees next to her. I gently pulled her into my lap.
"You'll wake, won't you?" I asked, but the words were heavier than stone on my tongue and choked me. Suddenly, I couldn't remember how to breathe. Her eyes didn't flicker up to my face and suddenly become warmer. Her mouth didn't pull up into her quirky smile before making a witty remark.
Sirius knelt down besides me and gently closed her eyes and mouth.
"Dor…cas…" I whispered, feeling hot tears rush up and drip across my face. I hugged her in my arms and rocked her back in forth.
Sirius crouched down beside me and held me to his side.
"Dorcas, please come back. Come back to me." I said, crying thickly.
"Lynx, it's okay," Sirius murmured. "It's all right. She's gone to a place where she can't hurt anymore."
I reached out and held her now cold and limp hand and pressed it to my lips.
Then, no longer able to stand the sight of Dorcas dead, I buried my head in Sirius' shoulder as I tried to remember how to breathe again.
Dorcas' POV
Did you know, Raylynx? Did you know what my last thought was? Do you know why I fought so hard that day?
I'm not as selfless as you or as reckless as Sirius that I would sacrifice myself just to prove my bravery. And really, I was never very good at dueling. Anything that required athleticism, I wasn't good at. I was too rational to allow myself to fight against what my body told me. When my body said I was tired and needed to rest, I never challenged that message.
But my time in the Order has shown me the brightness of the future in which Lily and James, Alice and Frank, will have children, the warmth of the future in which Marlene loves Sirius, in which Sirius loves you, in which I love Jay. I didn't tell you because Jay himself wasn't prepared, but I actually knew he was going to propose to me. He was too nervous to tell me, so when I figured it out, I kept quiet. But I knew about it, and it made me really happy.
My last thoughts were simple, happy ones. I had managed to protect you, and Sirius, and Marlene, and James, and Lily, and Alice, and Frank, and somewhere back home, I had managed to protect my parents and my younger brother, Seth. My parents hated when I let them down. But in my last moment, I thought proudly, I didn't let them down this time.
And then to Jay, my darling love, the one who showed me that independence does not oppose love, but grows from it- you know my answer already, right? You know. Yes, I do- until death do us part. And perhaps even beyond- you are writer, after all, and I've heard that if one falls in love with a writer, one never dies. Keep me alive through the beauty of your mind and I shall be very happy from amongst the stars. I'll always watch over you, my love.
