Chapter 40: The Edge of War
He was in a sort of a trance.
Transformed into an emotionless, heartless weapon, a mere metal vessel come here to do the Lord's bidding. Nothing shook his focus, nothing swayed him from tonight's Purpose. This was his mission, and that's what he had come here to do.
Everything was muffled and blurry, as if slowed down by the weight of hatred he held in his chest as he watched her, his wand aloft.
A tear had just rolled down to her chin as she stared back, transfixed in fear. But despite her current state of mind, she refused to look away. Eyeing him resignedly, she said the only four words that she knew might save him. "You're a wonderful child."
But Regulus had already cast the spell.
"AVADA... KEDAVRAAA!"
A streak of green light shot out of his wand and struck her straight in the head, wiping the smile out of her eyes at once. Her frail body flew backwards and slammed painfully into the wall behind her before crashing to the floor.
The tea mug in his hand clanged noisily against the wooden stair as Richard watched his wife get thrown off her feet and drop to the floor, her eyes staring back lifelessly.
"ELIZABETH...!" he screamed, dashing towards her and picking her up in his hands, a mad panic streaking through him. "Are you alright? Dear lord, what's happened? Lizzy, look at me..." he shook her frantically. Whipping around, he looked desperately at Regulus for help. "Help her! Help her, please...!" he pleaded, not even realising that the boy had raised his hand once again. "Please! Call the hospital, Regulus! I'll go get Angela...!"
But Regulus was not listening. His eyes were still clouded, gripped with the strain of his Mission, making him one of the most dangerous people to be around in this very instant. Because, despite being only fourteen, all Regulus saw was a helpless forty-three-year-old-man at the end of his wand tip, kneeling on the floor, not even attempting to guard himself. Closing his eyes, he did what he came here to do.
Shutting the man's screams out completely, Regulus impassively repeats the spell one more time.
THUD!
Richard Williams's body fell to the floor, shrouding the room in silence.
A flash of light blazed through his eyes, slapping him out of his reverie.
Shaking off the fog clouding his vision, Regulus finally breathed normally, coughing back to his senses at last.
And he sees what's in front of him, the shambles of his choices, staring lifelessly back at him, an uncomfortable void forming in his stomach.
Nothing moved. Not even the leaves on the trees outside, almost as if the world around him was rendered mute in shock too.
Realisation dawned.
Looking down, he realised his wand was still shuddering lightly from the freshly-cast spell, confirming his doubts.
It was over. Mission nearly accomplished...
Regulus paused, his own breaths echoing in his ears now, his brain finally comprehending the weight of what he had actually done.
They're gone. He said to himself. They're actually dead. They're dead.
Beads of sweat burst out of his pores, and his face grew suddenly hot. Blood rushed to his head as he swayed in shock.
So soon...
They were gone in just a blink of an eye...
Merlin, Regulus. They're really... gone? His breaths were coming out in short bursts now. They're gone. You killed them... And a bolt of terror shot up his spine as the words echoed through mind. I killed them... I killed them! I... KILLED THEM?! he roared in disbelief, willing himself not to burst out crying — willing himself not to scream out in spine-chilling dread.
MERLIN, what have I done?! How did I do it?! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?! he screamed internally, pulling at his own hair.
But the more he tried to piece together what, or rather HOW, it had happened, the more he felt himself sink into a state of insanity. He had no recollection of how he had got here, how he could look them dead in the eye when they stood there pleading for their lives, HOW he could will himself to do what he had done!
"I didn't do it... I don't know how... What's happening to me? It wasn't me..." he sobbed helplessly. "I didn't do it. IT WASN'T ME!"
But it was you, a silent voice spoke in his head.
"No."
Yes.
"But I didn't even know what I was doing..." Fat tears ran down his face.
But it was still you. Whether you like it or not...
His hands shook feverishly as reality rammed into him.
But you must be proud, Reg. You did it. You did what the Lord wants.
A war of emotions clashed with each other, tearing him apart to pieces.
It's what the Lord wants... It's what the Lord wants, it's what the Lord wants, it's what the Lord wants! he screamed desperately to himself. The Dark Lord knows best... He's doing this for the Greater Good. This is for the good! It's for the good!
A rankled sob escaped him as the little boy fought with his own conscience. But you loved them! a tiny voice screamed at him from afar. They were your real parents, Reg! They loved you very, very much... ARE THEY REALLY GONE?! Gone to NEVER come back?! it shrieked as he continued to stare helplessly at the empty, kind faces of the only two people in the world who still believed there was any goodness left in him. WHY DID YOU DO THIS, REG? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! OH, SALAZAR, HELP ME!
Spinning on the spot in mad panic, he cried out loud in mind-numbing pain, his voice echoing through the silent night. Sobbing miserably, he clutched at his chest to make the pain go away, but the longer he stood watching them, the more excruciating it got. But even in this state, incredibly, his mind CRUELLY reminded him of his still pending mission.
One more to go... it told him, making him look up at Angela's bedroom window, tears streaming down his face.
I'm counting on you, Reg. Amycus's voice rang through his head, making him howl louder in helplessness.
He's dangerous, Reg, his brother's voice rang through his mind.
Sobbing uncontrollably, he let his hand fall to his side feebly. I'm sorry, Sirius. I have to do this. He's counting on me. I love him... He sobbed terribly into his hands. Angela needs to go too or he would hurt Amycus... His cries were getting more and feral now. "I'm sorry, Angie..." the boy wept, alone, cold and scared to death now. "I'm so sorry for everything."
Reluctantly, he got up, his knees almost buckling under him. He took a step forward when —
WHOOSH!
A pearly white cloud of dust streaked down and crashed into the ground several feet behind him.
Regulus whipped around to find a shadow of a wizard appearing through the smoke.
"Who's there?!" the wizard yelled crisply.
Regulus had no time to react, let alone panic, because another streak of smoke hit the ground beside him, making him jump out of his wits now.
"WANDS UP! NOW!" screamed the second voice from his right, his wand aloft too.
"Are you underage?!" the first voice boomed, moving closer.
"I've got him, Auror Oramaex!" the second voice boomed from next to him. "It's only a boy!"
"Don't be a FOOL, Auror Avebras! A Killing Curse has been wielded less than ninety seconds ago! CALL FOR BACKUP NOW!" Oramaex roared inching closer to the lawbreaker.
The mission. My mission...! A whine of panic streaked through Regulus's head, as he stood there shaking in fright.
"What's your name? SPEAK UP!" screamed Avebras, his wand pointed straight at his head now. "And DON'T you dare try any tricks, because I will blast your head right off!" he yelled, inching closer.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Without thinking, Regulus shoved his hand into his pocket, tipped the top off the vial and emptied the contents into his mouth, before either of the Aurors could even catch their breaths.
"Avebras, WATCH OUT! GRAB THAT THING OFF HIS HANDS!" bellowed Oramaex, but it was too late. A thick, black smoke had already burst out of Regulus's skin, making the two Aurors hurtle backwards and smash into the walls behind them in impact, the smoke engulfing and choking them entirely.
"Aaaarggh!" Regulus let out a shrill scream as he writhed on the spot in pain, the smoke nearly burning him alive, sizzling and bubbling against his skin, making it dissolve into a thick black liquid. Eyes watering, he felt his knees buckled and drop to the ground in a heap of black, hot lava, the anguish rendering him dizzy.
"THAT'S DARK MAGIC! GET HIM, AVEBRAS!" Oramaex coughed once more, but his eyes widened in shock as he watched the young boy literally liquefy in front of them.
Avebras leaped forward and held the remainder of Regulus's melting head in his hands only to drop it like a hot iron. "MY HANDS! MY HANDS!" he screamed, as the black liquid feasted on his flesh and eroded sections of his skin right off, exposing the bones beneath it, much to his utter horror. "HELP! HEEELP! MY HANDS ARE GONE! MY HANDS ARE GONE!" he roared, as the last of the black liquid evaporated and vanished right in front of their eyes.
The Auror's screams of agony echoed through the silent night even as more white streaks of smoke slammed into the ground around them, securing the tiny little Muggle house from danger.
- O -
The door slammed shut behind them, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake.
The candles in the greenhouse dimmed a bit from impact before flickering back to life again, washing them with a bright yellow glow all over.
And quite oddly, a bizarre heaviness crept up her shoulders and tugged at the knot forming in her heart, one she somehow knew had nothing to do with what had gone down here, a couple of minutes ago.
There couldn't be any other explanation to it. Because Isabella knew that, unlike Claiborne, she wasn't the type to get traumatised by Lucius's behaviour. Neither was she, like Lily, invested enough to break down completely over a fallen friendship. But somehow the pain in her heart was veritable enough to make her blink back tears of agony, and she didn't even know what or why...
Clenching her teeth to shut out the pain, she turned around and looked at the blissfully unaware, gleeful face of Sirius Black, still lying on the floor, sporting a bloodied lip and a painful gash on the forehead.
Trying to steady her breaths and act normal, she regarded him mock-chidingly. "You found all that amusing, didn't you?" she asked from her crouched position next to him, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.
Sirius grinned back sheepishly. "Don't mind me if I do," he said, giving her hand a good squeeze, his eyes twinkling handsomely. "Nothing can bring me down today. Not even Malfoy," he burbled, getting up on his elbows and eyeing her thirstily. When she rolled her eyes though, he shook his head solemnly, his smile waning. "No joke, Iz. I'm surprised I didn't bloody well destroy him entirely when he spoke to you like that..."
And Isabella's breaths steadied just for a second in deep endearment for the raven-haired boy. "Why, thank you, Black," she smiled, rubbing his cheek adoringly and prompting him to kiss her fingers in return. "So kind of you to spare him your fists," she mused, making him chuckle uncontrollably.
"Well..." Sirius purred, looking semi-drunk in yearning for her, "I owe it all to the goodness of my baby's heart, you know...?" he chortled, springing up to a sitting position and pulling her into a bone-crushing kiss, one that she gladly gave into. She desperately needed him to make this strangely crushing pain in her chest go away. "No... I mean... honestly..." he grinned, between kisses, "I'm a changed man..." he mumbled, pulling her on to his lap and melting into her embrace now. "You cancel out the dickhead in me, y'know?" he guffawed, making her burst out laughing, despite the lump in her throat.
"Well, we'll see if this 'Changed Man' survives another two days," she chuckled, holding him in an idyllic stare.
Sirius wound his hands around her and pressed her into him. "Kiss him everyday and he'll stay forever," he muttered, making her heart melt. Because for the first time ever, an unusual warmth seemed to spread between them, an invisible tenderness that somehow bonded them like never before. A second later, however, his smile disappeared, almost as if he could see through her fake smiles. Regarding her concernedly for second, he sighed. "What's the matter, Iz? Look, I am sorry for what happened today. I didn't want any of this, you know?" he said, looking deep into her eyes. "I honestly didn't want you at the cost of you losing a good friend. Even if it's Malfoy," he added, rubbing her warmly on the side. "Are you going to be alright?"
Isabella paused feeling absolutely deflated. Wordlessly, she simply burrowed into his shoulder, fighting the odd dread gripping her heart and splicing her giddy...
"I dunno, but I'm just glad I have you by my side now..." she finally mumbled, and felt his hands reassuringly wrap tighter around her. "I'll figure everything else out..."
She heard him smile. "There's my girl," he hummed proudly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Strong and fierce..." he said, lifting her chin up to face him. "My very own little Ice Princess, aren't ya?" he whispered, beaming down at her. "Baby, look. There's nothing in this world you can't handle by yourself... Literally nothing. But... Promise me you'll give me something to help you with from time to time at least?" he asked. "I would GLADLY whack him back to his senses if you like, y'know?" he wiggled his eyebrows mischievously, bringing a wide smile to her face.
"Would you really?" she asked playfully.
"Hell, yes," he growled, wiping her face with his thumb simultaneously.
"Aww... My knight in shining armour ready to slay the dragon for me," she joked, pressing a teasing kiss to his cheek.
Sirius, though, snorted in response. "Your Seventh Knight some would say... but whatever," he guffawed, and the two of them ended up laughing in each other's arms now. "Honestly, though, are you really okay?"
"I am," she replied. "I just, I don't know what I'm feeling. But I know it has nothing to do with Lucius."
"That's all I need to know."
"So," she said, looking around at their unfinished Shrivelfig barrels. "Are we abandoning detention today?" she scoffed, sliding off of him.
Sirius sniggered. "You bet my broom, we are," he nodded enthusiastically and jumped up to his feet.
"Sprout's going to be so mad," she wheezed, taking his outstretched hand.
"If she's mad, she's mad! Probably slap us with more detention, but who cares?" he chuckled genially, pulling her up to he feet too. "Anything to get more detention with you!" he smirked, smackering her loudly on the neck.
But just then, Isabella remembered something very important. "For Godric's sake! Sirius...! What are we going to tell the rest of our herd about US when we get back?!" she asked frightfully, making him burst out laughing.
"I dunno, what d'you want to do?" he grinned, shrugging on his backpack.
"Tell them, I reckon?"
"That's what I thought too! Good Godric, this is going to be fun! Imagine the look on their faces. Just an hour ago, we left the Common Room as mortal enemies only to return as —"
"— Mortal enemies who now have a tendency to do each other from time to time?" she suggested cheekily, making him double up with gut-wrenching laughter now. "WHAT? Izzy Williams with a sense of humour?!" he gushed, heaving for breath now. "Golly, how'd I get this lucky!" he squawked, his perfect hair bouncing delightfully.
Isabella frowned comically. "You know, that was exactly what Ryan had told me too last year?" she gasped as he flung his arm around her shoulder and led her towards the exit. "Said that's what made his hair knot in his sleep."
Sirius spluttered with laughter. "Ah, Evantrap. A lad with fine taste is all I can say," he guffawed when suddenly, a deafening siren ripped through the glass walls of the greenhouses, making them stop dead in their tracks. A chill ran up their spines when they heard the collective sounds of students screaming in the distance reached them, signalling something terrible was happening in their wake...
And even if they couldn't see it, they could literally feel the whole castle come alive, with everyone in it scurrying about in panic in amidst the death bells. Exchanging looks of absolute alarm, the pair of them dashed outside into the chilly night only to hear the distant clanging of iron bars as if every gate to ever exist inside the stone castle was being slammed shut all at the same time, the loud siren still blaring through the grounds.
"What is going on?!" she shrieked, beside herself in fright.
"Dunno," he shrugged. "We better hurry, though!" he breathed, grabbing her hand in his and setting off on a run.
"SIRIUS! IZZYYY!" someone suddenly screamed at them from afar, making the hairs on her hand stand on end.
"JAMES! Oh, thank Merlin! Where're they?" Hagrid's voice suddenly boomed from their left, even as the silhouette of James Potter grew larger and larger against the backdrop of the castle.
"They're there! In the greenhouses! They had detention!" they heard James roar back to Hagrid, as the massive half-giant and the bespectacled boy galloped towards them from the North Tower.
"Hagrid! James?! What's going on, what's all this about?!" cried Isabella as all four of them met in the middle, panting and coughing.
"Nuthin' ter worry, Izzy. Don' you worry abou' nuthin' —!"
James's eyes widened in panic. "— No, wait! Hagrid —!"
But Hagrid wasn't listening. "— NUTHIN'S 'appened, I'm sure," he continued, reassuring a completely oblivious Isabella. "I'm goin' there meself right now! Dumbledore's orders! I'll take care o' e'rything!" rasped Hagrid, heaving for air.
Isabella blinked rapidly. "Go where? Take care of what?! What are you talking about, Hagrid?"
James jumped in. "— Nothing! Everything's fine —!"
But Hagrid spoke over James once again. "— Why, to the Cottage o' course —?"
"— THEY DON'T KNOW YET, HAGRID!" James finally screamed out in alarm, over and above the ear-splitting sirens, shutting up the gamekeeper at once. But he didn't wait for the half-giant to even react. "Get going, get going! I'll explain everything to them later! Please just hurry, Hagrid —!" he pleaded.
"— O' course! 'Course, righ' away!" Hagrid boomed shakily and dashed towards his hut. "Take care o' her until I return!" he added over his shoulder and James nodded disconcertedly. "An' all three o' yer, get inside righ' away!"
James nodded and waved his hand reassuringly at their gamekeeper. When he turned back towards his friends, though, he was met with absolute incredulity from the silent pair of them.
Sirius looked murderous now. Breathing in so he doesn't ram his fist through the ground, he looked James squarely in the face, shaking slightly from the forced calm. "What... the fuck... is going on?" he asked quietly, his hand crushing the bones in Isabella's fist now.
"James...?" Isabella asked, the knot in her chest growing tighter and tighter by the second.
James, though, merely stared at her looking absolutely crestfallen and sick with dread. His expression was unreadable, but it was more than evident that he was holding back a truckload of emotions behind those dark brown eyes.
Wordlessly, he wrenched his glasses off and surprised them out of their skin when he stepped forward and threw his arms around Isabella, pulling her into a giant hug.
"James...?"
"No, you listen to me," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "You're family. Alright? We love you and we will always, ALWAYS be there for you no matter what."
A shiver ran up her spine, as she stood there still enveloped in James's arms. "What's happened, James? Why're you saying all this?" she asked, swallowing the painful lump forming in her throat, her hand still tightly wrapped inside Sirius's.
"Nothing," she heard him say. "Nothing's happened... I just want you to remember this, though," he said, finally letting go and holding her at arm's length, his eyes round and wide in trepidation. "You're never alone," he repeated and Isabella fought a sob bursting in her throat. "You never will be..."
"Prongs..." Sirius started, looking ready to blast someone's face off right now.
"Not now, Pads," James said, wiping his eyes and replacing his glasses. "We have to head upstairs. Right now. It's not safe here," he said, trying to grab Sirius by the forearm and urge him forwards, but Sirius screamed, "NO!" roughly shrugging his hand off. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL'S GOING ON?!" He glared dangerously into James's face.
"Pads, for Merlin's sake —!"
"I'M NOT MOVING AN INCH TILL YOU TELL ME, PRONGS!"
James whipped around, eyes blazing with fury. "DO YOU WANT TO GET ATTACKED TOO?!" he bellowed, shutting Sirius up entirely, his voice ringing across the grounds.
The boys glowered daggers at each other, looking dangerous at the very least, but something about what James had said seemed to hit Sirius hard in the head. And although the fierceness in his face never left him, Sirius's breaths suddenly steadied, much to Isabella's bewilderment.
Still heaving, James jerked his head. "For my sake. Let's just get inside first?" he muttered as Sirius stared on, fuming in anger and trepidation. Nodding discreetly, he slung an apologetic arm around Sirius's shoulder, an unspoken understanding coursing between them. "Let's go," he muttered and dragged him forwards. Sirius, whose hand hadn't left Isabella's for even a second, knit his fingers with hers to give her reassurance as they ambled towards the castle.
Except, she was convinced something terrible had in fact happened...
Cowering in heart-stopping terror next to Sirius, Isabella imagined the worst. Hagrid had let slip that he was going to the Williams' Cottage... James wants her to know she would 'never be alone'... And Sirius is swimming in second-hand distress for her... All this could mean one thing and one thing only. Except she couldn't even say it to herself. She didn't want to believe it. Because she wouldn't survive it...
Silent tears of grief ran down her face.
Her mind was imploding on itself, but her body was completely paralysed in contrast, trapping her in a world of utter agony. Because she could do nothing about her parents' faces flashing through her mind in quick bursts, their kind faces ripping up her soul and tearing her apart entirely. The numbness that devoured her was nothing like anything she had experienced before, because a piece of her was literally on fire, burning and dying helplessly, and yet, here she was, still walking, still breathing, and still suffering through inexplicable pain...
"Is it just them...? Or Angie too...?" Isabella shook, hardly even having the energy to speak.
James nearly broke down at those words but somehow managed to put on a brave face as they ascended the stairs in the Entrance Hall.
Everything from then on was a blur.
Shapes and lights botched her vision as she vaguely perceived the frighteningly foreboding inside of the castle; nearly every archway was locked shut with fat iron bars and the ear-splitting siren blared even more here, jarring through her skull. Distant shuffling of shoes and shouts of orders from professors and prefects alike could be heard from the upper floors, and strange faces of witches and wizards she had never seen before sped past her, barking out instructions at James as they passed them. It took a while for her to realise that they were indeed Aurors, stationing themselves within the castle already... So the whole school was officially locked down once again.
She felt Sirius veer her through a deserted corridor when a muffled voice rippled through her and shook her awake.
"WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING, STROLLING THROUGH THE CORRIDORS AT SUCH A TIME?! GET BACK INSIDE YOUR TOWER!" Flitwick squeaked at them from the first floor corridor, making them jump up in fright.
"Right away, Professor!" James called and dragged the pair of them up the changing staircases.
"Do we at least know who's behind all this...?" she heard Sirius ask.
"Voldemort, obviously," James's voice came floating by, as if from under a well, as he dragged them around a corner. "The son of a bitch's done it this time, Pads. So much has happened in the last hour. His followers, the Death Eaters, hijacked the local radio station and proudly announced to the world on the wire that their fucking 'Lord' has..." he clenched his jaw in annoyance. Isabella looked up lifelessly, her heart lurching in pain once again. "...Has at last begun his mission of 'cleansing' the magical world of its filth; whatever that means... We all heard with bated breath as Lestrange, your cousin, cackled in the background and declared that the War between the Dark and the Light has officially begun," James stated, casting Sirius a regretful look.
"None of this is real," Sirius uttered, shaking his head disbelievingly. "It can't be..."
"I didn't think much of it too, until McGonagall came streaking into our Common Room, banning us all from leaving the tower," James paused and nodded feverishly at the stunned faces of Sirius and Isabella. "She didn't say more than that, but word on the street is that the bloody wanker has apparently made an open declaration of his hatred for Muggle-Borns and Half-Bloods. He doesn't want them to be a part of our world... Says he doesn't mind wiping out the whole magical community if required... It literally means the end of Magic, Pads. It's literally that fucking big, this whole thing..."
Sirius gaped back dumbfoundedly. "Obviously every pureblood family's going to bow to him now, traitors or not, aren't they? No one in their right mind would risk watching innocent people lose their lives no matter how much they disagree with this bastard..." He grit his teeth painfully.
James stared blankly into the distance, searing in mind-numbing rage. "It won't be long before this whole thing blows over entirely..." he said, licking his lips dreadfully. "But I'm not giving in," he suddenly asserted, giving Sirius a determined side glance. "My parents won't give in! And neither will you, Pads! We won't let this scumbag terrorise us into submission!" James ground out fiercely. "We'll go into hiding. Underground, anywhere! I'm fighting this knobhead, Pads," he bent forwards to look at her. "I am fighting back, Izzy!"
Isabella's head lurched at the sudden mention of her name, as she looked up, her eyes watering nonstop. Swallowing the gut-wrenching pain that she harboured in her throat, she watched James wipe his face once more and look at her determinedly, his mouth twitching with emotion. "I'm fighting back," he stated plainly one more time. "For you. And Lily. And Alice. And EVERYONE else! You lot belong with US! You make us who we are. You make us extraordinary. I'm not giving in," he declared again, vehemently shaking his head.
Biting the inside of his cheek, Sirius fought to maintain composure too. "So we're officially at war now?" he asked quietly.
"Yes."
Sirius froze as if his heart skipped a beat. "What... started it?" he stuttered, squeezing Isabella's hand unconsciously as they came face to face with the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?"
But James didn't say anything and hung his face, wrought with despair and exhaustion. Pushing his glasses up his sweaty nose, he mumbled, "Fortuna Major."
The portrait swung open and revealed the distraught inside of their Common Room, but the three of them didn't move yet.
"Prongs?" Sirius asked again, hardly even breathing.
James looked up. "We have the first casualties of War, Pads," he said, his lips hardly moving. "And the bastard's..." he gulped listlessly, his voice shaking uncontrollably, "hit it really close to home..."
Isabella's face glistened.
Sirius graced her a look and shook his head fiercely as if to say nothing's happened, wiping her face with his T-shirt simultaneously.
"I'm not coming in," Isabella mumbled, disintegrating entirely in fear now, because somehow the Gryffindor tower made it all seem far too real than it had been till now.
James's eyes widened. "We have to go in, Izzy, it's dangerous out here... We could easily be outnumbered!" he muttered urgently.
And Isabella finally burst into tears, shrivelling up and collapsing into him entirely. "I'm scared, James. I can't face them all... I can't do any of this right now! I just want to go home... Take me home, please. I can't be here..." she sobbed uncontrollably, barely managing to stand as he struggled to hold her up by her arms, his heart breaking for her.
"I'll take you home, Izzy, I promise," James lied, wrapping his hands around her and patting her head soothingly as she bawled her eyes out giddy. Exchanging unspoken messages of peril with Sirius, he gestured wildly at him while comforting Isabella at the same time. "We'll sneak out without anyone knowing, okay...?" he said, rubbing her warmly on the side, but low-key panicking for their safety at the same time. "But first let's get inside, please?" he asked, nodding fervidly down at her, as if seeking her approval. When she reluctantly agreed, he quickly ushered her towards the portrait hole and lifted her right off her feet, determined to get her in somehow before she changed her mind.
Sirius clambered in first and turned around, as if ready to collect her as James carefully slid her in through the hole.
Every face in the Common Room whipped around at their arrival and a burst of chaos broke out at once.
"THERE THEY ARE!" she heard someone mutter as several students sprang up to their feet and rushed towards them, their faces screaming in panic.
"IZZY! Oh, thank Merlin," Lily cried and threw her hands around her, even as Claiborne, Mary and Alice bunched around her frightfully.
Only then did Isabella realise that the rest of the room behind them was in a state of absolute chaos. The Common Room was teeming with practically EVERY student from every year shuffling about in panic, all in their pajamas. The clinking of glasses and plates suggested that dinner at the Great Hall had been cancelled tonight. Pillows and bedspreads were strewn across the carpeted floors. Owls were flying in and out the windows, adding to the flurry. House prefects were throwing out orders to the first, second and third years to align themselves to one of the corner of the room while the rest of the sixth and seventh year students maintained a log of every student in their House and worked on the logistics.
"Ah, mate, what took you so long?!" Isabella heard Edgar Bones demand over all the ruckus, as he came jogging towards them.
"Yeah, we were worried sick, man! What happened?" rasped Ryan Evantrap, as all of the seventh-year boys broke away from their duties and worriedly crowded around Sirius and James.
"We er... Got stopped by a couple of times on the way," James explained breathlessly.
"What d'you mean stopped by? Who stopped you?" Daniel Willets quizzed.
"They were Aurors, right? I fucking knew it!" Puck Oleus swore under his breath.
"Are we really surrounded by Aurors?" Oliver Wharton asked.
"Yeah, mate, they're everywhere," James replied hastily, pushing his glasses up.
"Blimey! How the hell's Walker going to drop in tomorrow then?" Puck asked, looking aghast at Daniel.
"What? Walker's coming?" Sirius demanded.
"Yeah... He and Benkley actually. He Floo'd in a few minutes ago saying he's coming here at the crack of dawn tomorrow to see you and Williams," said Puck.
"But... Why didn't he just Floo in here tonight?" Julius Freckle asked.
"Because the Floo Network is personally manned by Drudalf himself, remember?" Daniel stated.
"But... Why's he keen on meeting me?" Sirius asked, frowning at the bunch of seventh-years.
Peter looked at James. "So you haven't told him yet," he stated plainly, making Isabella break away from Lily and turn towards the boys.
The rest of the boys exchanged worried looks with each other. "Go ahead," Daniel allowed, nodding in understanding and patted James and Sirius off. "We'll be here if you lot need anything," he said, ushering his classmates away from them to give the sixth-years some privacy. "Alright, Clare, do we have a headcount...?" he called out and disappeared into the brouhaha ensuing behind them.
When Sirius shot James a quizzical look, he merely jerked his head towards their usual corner by the fire. "Where's Remus?" James asked, as the lot of them bunched towards the fireplace.
"Prefect duties with Frank and a few others," Peter replied.
Isabella, though, mutely turned towards the terror-stricken faces of Lily and Claiborne, hardened and numb from grief. "Is it really what I think it is?" she asked quietly, a sudden bout of bravery taking over her now.
"We won't say a word until we have solid proof of anything, Iz," James interjected, even as Alice took her hand in hers and rubbed it reassuringly. "As for you," he turned towards Sirius, "the reason the castle has been barricaded is because there's a fear that... well, Drudalf thinks a student has managed to... escape out of Hogwarts..." he said and eyed his best friend grimly.
Sirius merely clenched his jaw in disbelief, his eyes twitching in volition. "Regulus."
James and Peter mutely exchanged looks. "We don't know for sure, though, Pads," Peter admitted. "Frank and Moony have gone to look up exactly that."
Sirius, however, didn't seem to need confirmation. He knew; and he looked like he would gladly punch through a wall in frustration now. Shock, disgust, anger and fear took turns to play in his eyes as he looked over at Isabella who, surprisingly, was growing stronger by the second. Somehow, being surrounded by people who love her gave her the strength to live through her biggest nightmare; she didn't feel helpless and weak anymore... She was ready; for anything.
Sirius seemed to understand this and a flash of relief washed over him. But their moment of reverie lasted only a second, because all of a sudden, the portrait hole burst open once again and in stepped a crisp-looking McGonagall still in her nightgown, wearing a look that suggested absolute exigency. Everyone in the Common Room stirred uneasily, grim with fear.
Without waiting a second longer, she started spluttering out instructions. "It is official! All students are to remain inside the Gryffindor tower until further notice!" she bellowed, looking at each of them warningly. "A certain Dark Wizard has risen and the lives of Muggle-Borns and Half-Bloods are in GRAVE danger. Students are NOT allowed to go wandering off in the corridors for the sake of their own safety! Everyone is expected to remain indoors, NO EXCEPTIONS! House Prefects, you are to be on duty and ensure EVERYTHING is under control UNTIL you receive further instructions from me!" she said, her steely serious voice booming across the room.
A chill swept through the room. All the chatter had died and a look of horror got replaced on the students' faces. Finally, she turned towards the group of sixth-years who sat in the right corner of the room, and spoke, but this time her voice was slightly softer.
"Miss Williams, Mr. Black. The two of you need to follow me to the Headmaster's office... I am afraid we have received grave news," she said, her voice quivering slightly as she struggled to maintain composure.
Sirius froze.
Isabella, though, merely stared back, paralysed and devoid of all emotions. She was ready.
"What's happened, Professor?" asked Puck, scrambling to his feet, looking prepared enough to bite the bullet himself and shield Sirius and Isabella from harm.
McGonagall shook her head pitifully. "I'm afraid it's solely their burden to carry, Mr. Oleus, but thank you for showing me that they have you to care for them," she sighed heavily, stretching her hand to beckon at Sirius and Isabella to follow her.
Sirius mutely glanced at Isabella's fear-ridden face before bravely taking her hand in his and leading her out of the Gryffindor Common Room behind McGonagall. As soon as they stepped outside, she could hear the room immediately burst into silent murmurs of terror.
The pair of them mutely followed their Head of House all the way down to Dumbledore's office in deathly silence.
"Lemon Drop" McGonagall said when they reached the stone gargoyle, and the Griffin statue sprang to life at once, spiralling upwards. Isabella realised that McGonagall had avoided meeting their eye during the entirety of their journey, because in contrast, when Dumbledore saw them, he rose at once, his expression grim.
Dumbledore never stood up to welcome anyone visiting him in his office.
Nodding in greeting, he mutely pointed at the chairs in front of him, inviting them to take their seats.
Her hand still securely clasped in his, the pair of them sat down and braced themselves for the worst.
Dumbledore sat back in his high-backed chair, whilst McGonagall stood a little behind them, hardly even daring to breathe.
The old wizard surveyed them for a minute before speaking. "Sirius... Isabella. What I am about to say may come as a shock to you both, but I request your forbearance and composure for the next five minutes as I brief you on the latest developments," he said and waited until he had their full attention. "As you may be well aware, the magical community has been grappling under terror strikes by Dark forces for over a decade now, led by the Dark Lord or You-Know-Who as he has come to be known of late. Until today, the attacks on innocent witches and wizards seemed like random acts of violence inflicted purely to instil fear in our hearts. However, what has happened today is slightly different, and..." he sighed and paused, as if searching for the right words. "In plain words it has unfortunately gotten grievously personal this time," he said, and suddenly looked sullen. "It's almost as if he knew how to finally get my attention..."
And a sweep of remorse and exhaustion seemed to cross the old wizard's face.
McGonagall let out a raspy sound from her corner as the two of them exchanged a woeful glance.
"You both must also be well aware of the growing number of Death Eaters in recent times," Dumbledore continued, purely for the sake of breaking the silence it seemed, "followers that he is gathering by any means, it seems. In all frankness, even I was taken aback when I realised You-Know-Who does not seem to care who he took under his wing, as long as the person carried out his bidding successfully..." Dumbledore grated, a hint of rage burning in his eyes. "What I mean to say is that," he paused to pinch the bridge of his crooked nose before speaking again, "I have recently come to understand that he's been accepting witches and wizards into the ranks of Death Eaters irrespective of whether they are Underage or not... And it looks like many of the followers are right here with us, inside Hogwarts."
Sirius's jaw dropped and Isabella looked shocked beyond words.
Dumbledore, Isabella noticed, was watching Sirius, his brilliant blue eyes twinkling with sadness.
"Sirius, your brother Regulus, I suspect, is one of them," he finally said, sending shivers down Sirius's spine. "Professor Slughorn reported to me about an ago back that the boy was missing and, minutes later, we received graver news," he said and this time, turning towards Isabella. "Isabella, my dear, I do not know how to pass this news on to you, but it has to be done," he muttered, gently placing his hand over hers. "I want you to be brave from this second on," he said, even as an involuntary tear rolled down her eye. "My dear, your house has been attacked," Dumbledore paused, speaking in short sentences, trying to give her the time to absorb and embrace the reality. "We believe a Death Eater showed up at your house around an hour agp... Isabella, your parents were murdered."
A stunned silence followed that.
Nobody moved. Or breathed.
And Isabella's strong resolve slowly melted away, getting reduced to fat tears welling up in her eyes as Dumbledore's words rang through her mind again and again. She didn't know what to think anymore... Life itself seemed pointless all of a sudden...
With her lips quivering uncontrollably, she managed to put on a brave face and croaked out a, "And Angie?"
Going by the slightly relieved expression on Dumbledore's face, the knot in the pit of her stomach seemed to ease just a little. "Angela is still alive and well, according to reports I have received till now at least," he nodded sympathetically. "The Aurors on site seemed to believe she has escaped and has gone into hiding... We're still looking for her whereabouts. Hagrid's on the case even as we speak," he informed listlessly. "In normal circumstances I'd have gone there myself, but this situation is a little different, I'm afraid... There is a chance that You-Know-Who might attack the school in my absence too, and I couldn't risk that. I am needed here... More so for you than anyone else. And that, my dear, is the only reason I stayed back."
"And..." Sirius began, his voice choking in his throat, "you think R-Regulus... might have committed this... You think he, my brother, did this...?" he stuttered, unable to keep a straight face.
Dumbledore exchanged another harrowing look with McGonagall before turning back to Sirius. "I'm really sorry, dear boy."
A wrangled sob escaped Isabella as she collapsed into her hands, crying out in relief about her sister. "Why's all this happening, professor?" she asked. "What did my parents ever do to anyone...?" she wailed helplessly.
"Wizards like Voldemort, do not need a reason, my dear," said Dumbledore as he gently patted her head. "Although, I suspect multiple motives as to why your house, in particular, was chosen. "One, because of the impact it would have on Sirius, seeing as he is One Half of the Cursed Pair. Two, because he wanted to make a statement that was loud enough to get every head looking in his direction with fear... And three, to somehow get me into the equation. He knew I'd not turn a blind eye to his wrath anymore if he used one of my own Underage students to commit a ghastly crime of this nature, a crime targeted at another of my students... Basically, he wanted to plunge us all into a full-blown War between the Dark and the Light sides and he is, unfortunately, successful in that regard..."
Still sobbing, Isabella turned to her left and found Sirius looking oddly still, staring into nothingness, except his mind seemed to be somewhere very far. "We have to leave, professor," he suddenly said, grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her up.
"Sirius," Dumbledore began.
"To our Common Room, professor," Sirius interjected distractedly. "I just... Izzy might need some time alone... And I, I want to be there for her and..."
"Sirius, I know how tempting it would be act to on impulse in such scenarios, but dear boy, we do not even know what's coming..."
"...Of course, professor! No monkey business, I know... I just... Can we please just go?"
A moment passed when Dumbledore regarded him with open distrust. But the earnestness on Sirius's face seemed to make him give in. "Of course you can. And Izzy," he said, making them turn around, "if the area has been secured, I may make arrangements for you to return home as soon as possible... Just thought you should know."
She mutely nodded and allowed herself to be dragged out of Dumbledore's office, the two of them running at top speed back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Sirius, what...?"
"You'll see, baby," he replied, throatily. "Fortuna Major!" he roared, jolting the Fat Lady out of a deep slumber.
"You don't need to shout everything!" she wrung out, swinging open.
Dashing into the Common Room, Sirius ran straight towards the sixth-years' fireside. Everyone jumped up at their sight, but Sirius was in no mood to provide updates or acknowledge Remus and Frank's presence too. "We're leaving, Prongs! We need to find Angela, she might be in great danger!" he barked, much to everyone's bewilderment. "Give me your Invisibility Cloak —" he rattled, pacing frantically.
Remus blinked confusedly. "Pads, what...?"
"I honestly DO NOT have the time to explain, Moony!"
"Pads, CALM DOWN! You can't just leave! We need to think this through —!" Frank began.
"— THERE ISN'T ANY TIME, FRANK! Regulus has murdered Izzy's parents, and now he may be after Angela!" he screamed out and a collective gasp resounded around him, as nearly everyone in the Common Room sprang up to their feet in alarm. And soon enough, an ear-splitting commotion broke out, as several first and second-years girls started screaming their lungs out in terror.
"No, no, no! Everyone, calm down! Nothing's happened!" shouted Remus, scrambling to the centre. "He doesn't know what he's talking about!" he roared, desperately appealing to the masses while stabbing Sirius with a murderous glare.
"Did that Slytherin boy actually kill her parents?" squeaked Aldrich Spells, a third-year student.
"Are we all going to get killed too?" Emily Dawnsmith squealed.
"I WANT TO GO HOME!" cried Amanda Mist
"Nobody can go home! The castle's been barricaded, remember?!" howled Xeophilius Lovegood. "We're all going to DIE here!" he cried out helpfully.
"SHUT UP! EVERYONE!" bellowed James, jumping on to a table and towering above them all, a stunned hush following his words. "Everyone will shut up and stay out of the way while we figure this out! Understood?" he said loudly, glowering at them and commandeering over them with the ease of a sailor. "NO one is going to get hurt and NO ONE NEEDS TO PANIC as long you stay INSIDE THE TOWER and follow the prefects' instructions! IS THAT CLEAR?"
"Yes..." came the feeble response from a few students.
"And you," James said turning towards Sirius, "you're not leaving Hogwarts, Pads, it's not safe," he bluntly dismissed him off.
Sirius's jaw dropped. "I fucking don't care! Angie's ALL alone out there and the Aurors aren't doing CRAP about getting her back, Prongs!"
"WE WILL GET HER BACK SOMEHOW, BUT I FORBID YOU FROM LEAVING THE CASTLE!" James shouted, flatly drawing the argument to a close. When Sirius looked like he was a second away from punching him squarely in the face, he added, "Look, we have NO eyes into what the situation is like down there, no count of how many Death Eaters the Aurors are fighting, and no idea if You-Know-Who himself is present! Heck, we don't even know where Angela and Regulus are currently! We've had enough casualties to last us a lifetime tonight, I don't intend on adding your name to the list too, Pads!" he bellowed decidedly.
Sirius looked shocked. "You've GOT to be joking! This is about someone's LIFE and you decide to wear a skirt and grow a fucking conscience NOW?! The fuck's WRONG with you, Prongs?!"
"NOTHING! UNLIKE YOU, I AM JUST DONE BEING RECKLESS!"
"LADS, PLEASE!" Daniel cut in, roughly shoving the two glaring boys away from each other. "This is not about you two, it's about a HELPLESS LITTLE MUGGLE GIRL AT THE EYE OF THE FUCKING STORM!" he roared, shutting them up finally. "Let's first TALK about this like adults, shall we?! In the hallway, everyone, NOW! he screamed, forcing the older students through the narrow door and into the large hallway where the stairs to the dorms upstairs were located.
The minute the door closed behind them and were out of earshot from the younger students, Daniel turned around. "Let's think of all the different ways we can get to her first, shall we?" he said sensibly.
"Thanks, Dan," Frank wiped his brow in relief. "Now, come on, what are our options, eh?" he asked, giving James a calming shake.
"Well, we could Floo Walker with the details... He could gather up the lads and go find her?" Julius suggested.
"No, that won't work. Walker wouldn't even know where to start looking, Freckle," Claiborne shook her head.
"Blimey. If only I could telephone and let Ed and Al know!" Isabella sniffed.
"They wouldn't stand a chance against the Death Eaters if there are more out there, Izzy," said Frank.
"We need a way to discreetly locate her and bring her to safety, and fast!" Alice said, thinking deeply.
"The only way we could do that is if we send a Patronus perhaps," Remus said. "But I doubt anyone here can conjure up a corporeal Patronus..." he said, looking around at the seventh-years lads, all of whom shook their heads.
"Er... I can," said Lily.
Everyone whipped around to face her timid hand that had gone up.
James's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "You can conjure up a Patronus?" he asked incredulously.
"Even I still can't do that!" gasped Remus, looking genuinely impressed.
"Okay, OKAY! Less talk, more action, people!" Sirius roared impatiently, not forgetting to give Isabella a reassuring squeeze. "Lily, let's move, we've lost a LOT of time already!"
Lily nodded feverishly and the rest of them spread out as she waved her wand and took aim, her face screwed up in fierce concentration; the weight of pressure was more than evident on her terrified face.
Isabella watched with bated breath. She had never seen anyone produce a Patronus, not from such close proximity at least. This had to work.
But Lily didn't seem to think it was a problem at all as she flicked her wand.
"Expecto PATRONUM!" she screamed.
A silver wisp of smoke shot out from the tip of the wand. Before they knew it, the silver smoke had solidified to form a massive deer that galloped about and cantered around the stunned hallway. Everyone around her let out a low gasp, watching the glowing deer like moths to a flame. "Go get her... Find Angela!" Lily commanded, although she didn't need to, because her Patronus seemed to know what its mission was already. Leaving a silvery mist in its wake, the large-eyed doe soared high into the air before hurtling towards the window and shot out through the glass like a bullet, showering the onlookers with a burst of silver dust that blinded them temporarily.
An unsettling silence feel around them as they recovered from the afterglow of that encounter.
"There," Lily breathed, dusting her hands and looking flushed red in the face. "That ought to do it..." she smiled falteringly at Isabella.
Only issue was the boys, including Edgar, gaped dumbfoundedly at what they had seen a moment ago. "A... Doe," Remus mused, trying to contain the surprise in his voice.
Peter glanced at James, stifling a violent smirk bursting at his lips, while Frank and Sirius gaped on with their jaws hanging open. James looked troubled and breathless, and frankly, mad with shock, but seemed to recover just as quickly. Claiborne glanced at Isabella confusedly.
"Right... So," James cleared his throat breathily and adjusted his spectacles, as if waking up from a trance. "So that's — That's done. Now all we have to do is... is wait," he stuttered, eyeing Lily tentatively, his mind quite noticeably fulminating to bits now.
"Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick..." Isabella wheezed, her stomach churning painfully in fear. "I just want her to be alright," she breathed, as Claiborne wrapped her hands around her.
"It's going to be fine, baby, I promise," Sirius muttered, pressing his lips to her forehead (Claiborne's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise).
But not a second after those words left his lips, a hair-raising noise of several fists banging against their entrance door reached them, making her heart jump into her throat.
"Mate, open up, open up, open up!" someone screamed from outside, and everyone glanced at each other in fright.
Rushing out of the hallway and into the Common Room once again, the older students looked around in panic as the banging on the portrait door continued.
"Open up, lads!"
"That sounds like Vernon!" Frank gasped and leaped forwards. "WHO'S THERE?" he bellowed.
"It's me Béchanac! Something's happened, mate, open up!"
Frank graced Remus with a petrified look. "Quickly! Are you the President of the Mud Club?" he roared.
There was a pause. "What? NO! I got fired last year, remember?"
"JUST CHECKING! Opening!" Frank cried and pushed the door open.
"I DO NOT APPRECIATE GETTING BANGED ON LIKE THIS!" Isabella could hear the Fat Lady screeching in her frame even as Vernon Béchanac, Samuel Willows, and Lance Whittaker, along with seventh-years, Viktor Jigger and Kingsley Robins, bolted inside, heaving for air.
"Viktor, Kingsley?! What are you lads doing here?!" Frank demanded, rushing to his friends' side, but the boys didn't say anything and mutely ushered the bunch of sixth-year Gryffindors into the hallway beyond the Common Room and away from the rest of the House.
Shutting the door behind him, Vernon turned around. "Code Red situation," he panted. "Explosions in Hogsmeade... We suspect Death Eaters..."
"WHAT?" yelled James and Remus at the same time.
"Well — IS SOMEONE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT?!" Edgar roared.
Lance nodded. "McGonagall, Flitwick, Drudalf and Dumbledore," he simply said. "They've left Slughorn and Sprout in charge of Hogwarts."
"But that's not even the worst part," Kingsley jumped in. "Mate, Slughorn's discreetly informed us that several more Slytherin lads are missing from the dungeons. We don't know if they've left the castle somehow... or if they're still inside prepared to..." he glanced nervously at Frank, "to attack us."
A collective gasp went up.
"He wants to keep this a secret because he doesn't want the Aurors stationed in the castle to think he's abetting this whole operation too...!" said Viktor, before Sirius could even open his mouth.
"Blimey, this is getting out hand hand faster than I can spell trouble..." Peter mumbled.
"So, we're being ambushed inside and out," Isabella declared, grimly. "They've caught us at the worst possible moment and are attacking us from everywhere, aren't they? Thought we wouldn't fight back..."
Sirius whirled around, looking aghast. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your Horkumps there, Iz! You're in no state to fight or anything..."
"OF COURSE, I AM!" she shrieked back, eyes blazing with fury. "What, he thought if he attacked my house and killed my parents, I'd be too weak to strike back and succumb to his WAND?!" she bellowed, shaking in rage now. "I'M NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND LET HIM WIN, SIRIUS! I'm going to fight back. For my parents' sake at least! WE ALL ARE!" she yelled, fuming on the spot.
James, who had seated himself on the steps up to the boys' dorms, merely stared back at her expressionlessly, while the others looked to him for directions. "We are," he stated plainly and stood up, his eyes hardened with determination. "Of course, we are."
"That's what I thought!" Vernon gritted out, nodding his head vehemently.
But Sirius mostly looked unconvinced for Isabella's sake.
"Okay, Vern, give us the details," James demanded, whist sagely dismissing off Sirius's apprehensions. "How many missing, what years are they...?" he asked, pulling Sirius into the circle.
"Okay. So we've checked the log of all the Houses. And about twenty two students in all are reportedly 'missing' from their Common Rooms. Most of them from Slytherin. To make matters worse, the list includes a couple of first and second year students from other Houses who are missing too!" he said, nodding feverishly at the company. "I have a bad feeling about this, 'cause the whole lot could be a bunch of Death Eaters for all you know and we have no way to find out!"
Sirius, James and Remus stood deep in thought for a minute before Sirius asked, "Have you checked their blood-status?" making James go wide-eyed and point and nod vigorously at Sirius as if to say, 'Good point!'
Frank, who stood there with a parchment in his hand, looked at the list immediately. "Avery... the Carrows, Black... Dolohov... Gibbon, Rookwood..." he went down, scanning the list of all the Slytherin boys. "All pure-bloods, mate," he said finally looking up. James and Sirius exchanged knowing looks, confirming their suspicion. "Oh, and er... I'm sorry, Evans, but Snape's name is in here too."
Lily looked unfazed, almost as if she knew it as a fact. "Don't be sorry."
"Okay, how many non-Slytherins?" James asked, furtively casting Lily an apologetic glance.
"Eight. Most of them under thirteen years old," said Frank.
"Ah, mate, we need to find them and bring them back to safety!" Kingsley gasped.
"Merlin, I've a bad feeling about this..." Edgar croaked. "D'you reckon they're being held hostage or something? I mean they could be anywhere, how're we going to find them all!"
"Well, we can check that for you!" Remus exclaimed, pulling out a long, tattered old parchment, and shrugged contritely at his friends as if to say he had no choice. And oddly enough, Sirius, James, and Peter didn't seem to mind and rushed forwards. Pointed their wands at the parchment and the four of them said in unison, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Much to the bewilderment of the other boys and girls around them, the blank piece of parchment slowly started to reveal crimson blotches of ink that twisted and churned to form the map of Hogwarts. Upon closer look, Isabella realised clumps of dots bunched together in various parts of the castle were actually names of every inhabitant of the school!
Most of the dots could be seen huddled together in the four Houses' quarters. However, there definitely were some stray dots moving around the castle.
Viktor shot Frank an incredulous look. "You knew about this?" he demanded, pointing at the Marauder's Map.
"Of course he did, he's our brother," James smiled, patting the taller boy genially on the back. "Alright, I recognise some of these names," he said, pointing at some of the stray dots. These dots here could be names of the Auros stationed in the castle too, so we must be very careful before approaching any of them!"
"So, what's the plan?" Vernon asked, sitting next to Kingsley on the steps.
"We find them all," James muttered grimly. "Discreetly. We split up in groups and report back in one location at the same time. If one of us doesn't return, we need to sound the alarm," he said and beckoned at Sirius to give him the golden compass that he held in his hand. Tapping it with his wand, he conjured up ten other lookalikes of the compass in the blink of an eye and distributed them to the rest of the company. "If anyone's in trouble, just the click the button here and the alarm in all of our compasses will go off! It will also accurately point us to your location, so one of us will DEFINITELY get to you no matter what..."
"So, we're really doing this?" Remus asked hesitantly.
"James, what about McGonagall's orders?" asked Lily, albeit half-heartedly.
"They want us to be Aurors, don't they? We're taking the A.P.E.s for a reason. THIS is that reason, Lily. So, yes, we're definitely doing this," he nodded decidedly.
As if turned on by a switch, everyone jumped up in response at once, bursting into conversation about what each of them were going to do.
In the meanwhile, Sirius glanced over at Isabella, worry etched on his features. "You sure about this, baby?" he muttered, ignoring the commotion behind him and knotting his fingers with hers, standing like a rock in front of her.
Getting up on her toes, she held his face and kissed him. "I love you, Sirius."