Chapter 23
The Advanced Guard
Lyra sat at the table, along with the rest of the Order. Today, they would finally welcome Aries Shorthorn back into the world of the living. The man had suffered enough. He was grateful to Lyra and Sarah, for helping him. Without worrying much about their own lives. He said, he owed them everything, he had. Zeus had agreed. He too had changed, after his brother had been returned to him.
Aries Shorthorn, was quite unlike his brother. He wasn't one to keep his head down and follow orders. He would rather be the first to stand up and point out the flaws in the system. He was a jovial and funny chap. Always looking for ways, to provide a good joke in serious situations. He was just so full of life. He was kind and empathetic. He loved teasing his younger brother, but was also very protective of him. And even after going through so much, at such a young age, he was ready to fight the good fight.
Lyra was impressed by his zeal and sense of accountability. She made sure she was available, whenever he needed her. His magic was still recovering and seemed volatile. So Lyra, taught him a few tricks, she had learnt from the coven.
The meeting concluded and Lyra stayed back. She gathered her things, before she could approach, Dumbledore, for their meeting with Tessra. They had an update for their American counterparts. Snape was asked to wait back, as well. He was crucial to deliver the information about the inner workings of the army that Voldemort was building. It so happened, that Voldemort wasn't just recruiting humans anymore, dementors and giants had recently joined his cause. Lupin, who had been trying to infiltrate the Werewolf clans, in England, was also asked to sit in.
Snape and Lyra, were whispering in hushed voices. She was discussing, what Tessra Jones could be like. It was supposed to be just the four of them. However, recently, Sirius Black, had been an unwanted presence, when Lyra was in the house. She had managed to ignore his insistent need to constantly be in her space and talk to her. He had never been rude, or anything like that. And after, she had been debriefed by Albus on his situation, she had grown softer towards him as well. But having someone frequently interrupt your space was annoying.
Sirius stood behind her, waiting for her to finish her conversation with Snape. Lupin called out to him many times, to ask him to leave, so that the meeting could begin. But he simply ignored his best friend.
"Are you quite done, Snape?" Sirius snapped at Severus, who threw him an angry glare.
Lyra who had been talking to Severus quite urgently, lost her cool.
"Is there something you need, Sirius? This is a closed-door meeting. I don't believe your presence is required." She half-snapped at him. She tried her best to put on a polite tone. She could see, Snape, smirk at Black. Which possibly made, Sirius, grow more agitated.
"You know…for an auror, and someone so accomplished…you shouldn't be revealing much to him. After all…he's still a death eater!" Sirius spat looking at Snape, who drew his wand at the insult.
"I may be a death eater, Black. But, at least, I am of some use. Unlike you, roaming around the house, contributing nothing, but their unintelligent opinions on what others should be doing!" Severus sneered. Both men took a step towards each other, sandwiching Lyra in the middle.
"You sure, have a lot of say to her…don't you, Snape? Maybe, you should keep your distance…" Sirius stated.
"Maybe, you should mind your own bloody business, Black. Why don't you run along and let the people who are actually making a difference, do their job!"
"Funny, you should talk about making a difference, Snape. You sure made a difference for the Potters. So much so, that they aren't with us, anymore!" Sirius spat; his wand now gripped tightly in his hand. Snape had already shoved his wand tip deep into Black's shoulder, while Sirius stood with a defiant smirk on his face.
"You shouldn't trust him, Lyra. You won't know, when he'll sell your soul too, just like he did with, Lily...!"
Black was cut-short and sent flying backwards. Remus stood quickly and approached his friend who had taken a nasty fall. Blood flowed freely from an open gash on Sirius's head and onto his beard.
"What's wrong with you?!" Lyra snapped, glaring at Snape. Aghast that he had responded in such a juvenile manner. He just looked at her like she wouldn't understand, and then walked away from there.
Lyra made her way to Sirius. She opened up her satchel that was hanging on a chair he had toppled. Pulling out a small container, she first cleaned the wound with a cleansing spell and then looked at it closely. She could feel his eyes roaming freely to her low-cut shirt and the Phoenix tattoo that partially peeped out from under it.
Lyra opened a small container and began gently applying some healing salve. Soon, the bleeding stopped and the cut began to slowly fill in. She handed him the container and then stood. His eyes quickly darted from her breasts to her face, a smirk on his lips. She offered him, her hand and pulled him up.
"Use it twice for two days. Otherwise, you'll have a scar for the rest of your life." She said closing her satchel.
"I've scars all over. If you'd like to help me heal them too." Replied Sirius, smiling mischievously. His response made her grit her teeth.
Albus walked back into the room, as Sirius turned to leave upon Remus's insistence. He looked around and his eyes darted between Sirius and Severus.
There was a lot he wanted to say, to stop this madness. They were on the same team. They needed to put their differences aside and start working towards their shared cause. Sirius however, quickly left the room, before Albus could say anything.
Lyra however, turned to Severus.
"You could have really hurt him. Merlin, knows if he has a concussion!" She stated concernedly. Albus and Remus looked on.
"Black doesn't need a concussion to behave the way he does. Besides, what I do with, Black, is my business. I don't need your support or your permission. And you clearly seem to be helping him out more than necessary. Perhaps, going above and beyond your medical capacity...too?" Severus snarled at her. Lyra's nostrils flared in anger. She couldn't believe what he had just insinuated. She felt insulted that he…after spending so much time with her during their night shifts, could think so little of her.
"If you're quite done, giving away your unsolicited opinions, then shall we begin our meeting?" Lyra almost yelled and then stepped away.
She quickly twisted her ring, activating its alchemic properties and snapped her fingers to produce a fire portal. Tessra appeared minutes later, along with a few other members of the 27. She introduced them to the members of the Order, and the meeting carried on.
As July progressed towards its final weeks, things moved at a faster pace. The Order had begun to successfully complete certain tasks set upon them. They were gathering momentum in their fight against Voldemort. A meeting was finally set up, on Sirius's behest. The topic of bringing, Harry Potter, to the headquarters was broached upon, for what felt the 50th time.
Lyra wasn't opposed to the thought either. Knowing what she knew, about Potter's history (that the teenagers in the house divulged in detail). She felt, perhaps, it made sense to have the boy be with friends, who loved him. Rather than, keeping him alone and imprisoned with a bunch of muggles, who only saw him as some kind of burden.
Lyra had just entered the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was shooing away her gang of children. They whined and moaned about the grave injustices, she put upon them by not letting them stay. A sharp motherly look made them dash out quickly.
Lyra chuckled, as Mrs. Weasley huffed around the place. She shook her head and smiled at her.
"These children! I told Arthur, we should have stopped with just one. He seemed to want to build his own bloody quidditch team!" Said Molly exasperatedly. Lyra laughed heartily at her comment.
"You know sometimes, I wished I had a career. I'd have made an excellent healer…" Molly said wishfully. Lyra looked at her, with an amused look on her face.
"You make an excellent mother, Molly. I find, that's probably one of the most complicated, yet, unrewarding professions of all. You've aced it, with all your children. I don't think that's a small feat." Lyra replied.
Molly blushed at the compliment and took her seat next to Lyra. She then waved her wand, behind her head and things began to move magically. In a matter of seconds, there were two steaming cups of tea, floating in front of each woman. Lyra smiled and accepted it gratefully.
"See! I would have never been able to do that. Not without burning the house down." Lyra chuckled over her teacup. Molly blushed and waved her away shyly.
Soon, the room piled up with the rest of the Order. The meeting began, with Sirius placing the proposition to bring Harry home in front of the room. Lyra noticed, Snape rolling his eyes. They darted towards her. He had noticed her staring at him. They locked eyes and Lyra looked away quickly. Still slightly hurt from what he had meant earlier.
Lyra and Severus, had been spending a lot of time together. Most nights, they'd receive night shifts, where they had to stay awake and make sure to answer to any emergencies. Lyra had practice of working through the night, having taken on a more than manageable caseload as an auror. She had learnt the art of conserving her energy and refuelling with power naps. Severus on the other hand, seemed like he hardly ever slept. Possibly, riddled by insomnia in the nights, and having to leave for meetings that Voldemort called at odd hours. He mostly caught up on sleep during the afternoons and early mornings. Catching up on eight hours, seemed to be enough to last him a day or two.
Having to spend nights with each other, in the beginning was hard. Neither trusted the other. Neither of them, trusted people to begin with. But as nights went by, they learned to tolerate each other. Even possibly, respect each others skills, and the more time they spent together, the more they learnt from each other. Their conversations were intelligent and mindful. Their banter kept them going. They had built a level of comfort for each other. Becoming what the other members called, unlikely friends. Unlikely, because, no one knew why, Lyra seemed to want to be around him. No one knew, how she did it either. He was nasty and callous to everyone, even her. And she seemed to enjoy it. Giving it back to him in an equally wicked way. Which oddly enough, he accepted gracefully. Their pairing was exceptionally strange. To be fair, for most of them, anyone remotely connected to Snape was strange. And Lyra, as they all knew, was a bizarre character to begin with. Why Snape was tolerant of her, they couldn't understand. But they worked well together, and they didn't care about anything else. Honestly, who had the time to bother about Snape? The children ran from him. The order members were uncomfortable around him. Remus was probably, the only other member who was decent to Snape. But then again, Remus was nice to everyone! Only Sirius, really had a problem with Snape and Lyra spending an awful amount of time together. However, everyone knew, Sirius had developed feelings for Lyra.
Sirius finished presenting his case, as Dumbledore opened it to the floor for a vote.
Should Harry Potter be brought to headquarters?
The question was simple and most of the Order were of the opinion, that it wouldn't really make a difference. They cast a vote that morning, that perhaps after the boy's fifteenth birthday, he'd be brought here. An Advanced Guard was formed to deliver the boy, just to make sure there were no mishaps or Death Eater attacks on his way there. Lyra volunteered to join the same.
Fate seemed to have other plans for young Mr. Potter though. That faithful Sunday, when most people were catching up on some afternoon downtime. Minerva sat in the kitchen creating lesson plans for the upcoming year. Lyra's phoenix had perched herself on a chair next to Minerva. Albus found it amusing, that Burst had taken a liking to Minerva, just as Lyra had.
Albus, stepped out of the fireplace. Minerva looked up to see him as Burst squawked announcing his arrival. They hadn't spoken after what had transpired that night. He had promised to spend some time with her. However, every chance they had got, he would be pulled away into urgent conversations.
This time, he was there, just for her. Albus placed a cup of tea next to Minerva. He smiled at her gently, his hand rested on her knee. She accepted the tea and looked at him expectantly, hoping he'd start the conversation.
Albus seemed too nervous, to say anything. He somehow, gathered some courage, after taking a sip from his own cup.
"We should discuss…what happened that night…" He began.
"I agree." Replied Minerva. He licked his lips nervously, expecting the worse.
"I...don't want you to...feel like this is some obligation, Albus. I...I love you, but I don't want you to feel like you have to make up for..." She began firmly. He chuckled at her and held her face up with his finger.
"I love you, Minerva. I…know…the many years of pain, I've caused isn't going to vanish in days. And...you...you are not an obligation, my love. You are a necessity in my life. One that I have been foolishly pushing away. I never saw it clearly, Minerva. But in all those years, contemplating what our lives could have been has made me want for nothing but this. I was hoping…you'd accept this...accept me again. You don't have to...if you are not ready. But, I know I am. Far more than, I was last time." He said digging into his pockets looking for something. He pulled out a small ring box. Minerva's eyes went wide. Was he truly asking her, what she thought he was? He opened the box; it was her ring. The ring she had left behind in the apartment they had shared, years ago.
Minerva was stumped for a few minutes as multiple thoughts ran through her head. There were so many things, that Albus didn't know, she had done. If discovered, they would affect their new-found peace, just like it had before. Minerva knew, this was her only chance at getting him back though. Of fate, finally turning her way. Of making her life, better with him in it. Although, she had to pause and think, of what the repercussions of saying yes, would be. Minerva had a strong feeling, it would devastate him. If the truth did unfold, after she said yes, she knew his reaction would break them apart unkindly. And this time, there would be no coming back from it. She bit her bottom lip in contemplation, and then she did something she hadn't done in very long. She decided to be selfish, for however long this would last. Minerva felt like, after all those years of self-inflicted suffering, she deserved this. She deserved to be loved by this man, and he deserved to be loved by her.
"…perhaps we could go back, to where we left off." He said, waiting for her to respond.
The expectation in his eyes, gave her even more strength, to go through with her wants. Minerva gently picked up the ring. She remembered the night he had given it to her. They'd both come home from a mission together, tired to the bone. Yet, he had insisted that they go out to get ice-cream. She had whined and moaned about it, but had given in, knowing what a big sweet tooth he had. He had bought her a chocolate cone and stuck the ring through the bottom. The cheesy bastard!
"What do you think, Minerva?" Albus asked nervously.
She looked away from the ring and then at him. She hadn't expected him to propose. She thought, they'd have a peaceful conversation, to see if there was any future for them, in such a time. She hadn't expected, this. She didn't say anything for a few minutes. But he waited with bated breath, for her to reply!
"Where's my ice-cream?" She asked gently, a beautiful smile crossed her face.
Albus's eyes glistened with joy, as they broke the silence with laughter. There she was. The Minerva, he knew and loved. The snarky goddess, who had stolen his heart. After years, she was back with him. He promised himself, never to let her go again.
"I swear, I'll buy you everything from Florean's…just put it on." He said resting his head against hers as she put on the ring coyly.
"I'll hold you to it!" She replied pulling his lips into a long kiss.
Their private moment was short-lived. The fireplace in the kitchen suddenly burst to life. They instantly broke apart. Arabella Figg's head, appeared in the roaring fire.
"Dumbledore…?" Mrs. Figg called urgently, stretching her neck looking for him. Albus stood and walked over to the fireplace. Minerva followed suit.
"What is it, Arabella?" He asked urgently.
Mrs. Figg, had been told to keep an eye on, Harry Potter, through the summer. She wouldn't have risked appearing in the fireplace, unless it was urgent.
"Harry Potter was attacked by dementors about an hour ago!" She said trying to calm her nerves.
"What?! Is he alright?" Minerva yelled, sounding extremely worried about the young boy, who had secretly become her favourite student. He reminded her of his parents.
"It was a normal morning, blinding hot day! I noticed the boy, walking towards the playground alone. He was surrounded by his stupid cousin and his cronies. Then, everything got cold. That's when I rushed out to find him, in a deserted underpass. His cousin, was almost kissed by a dementor. Did you know the boy can produce a corporeal patronus?!" Stated Mrs. Figg, extremely impressed by Harry's skills.
"We must bring him here immediately, Albus! You can't possibly leave him there with those horrible muggles!" Minerva said angrily. She pulled on his robe sleeve demandingly. Albus seemed to nod in agreement. Especially, after what Mrs. Figg added.
"Minerva is right, Albus. If the dementors could find him. I'm sure the death eaters, won't be far behind. He's not safe here, not anymore."
Three evenings later, Lyra returned to the headquarters, while eating a large Chip Butty, that she had picked up on her way. When she stepped into the house, she was engulfed by a sudden sea of chaos. The rest of Harry Potter's guard, were sitting in the living room and charting out a plan. Tonks pulled Lyra in urgently and shut the door behind her.
Lyra stood there eating her sandwich as Alastor Moody and Minerva McGonagall argued about the best flight path. A map of London, lay open in front of them, with multiple crosses and circles on it. Lyra bit into her sandwich absent-mindedly.
"This path is littered with muggle homes, some even living in those tall glass buildings. We'd never get out of there without being spotted!" Minerva hissed.
"Our ideal path should be to cut across all this and fly fast back to headquarters over the Thames!" Minerva insisted. Moody wasn't convinced, but after most of the others agreed with Minerva, he grudgingly gave in.
They then began to prepare for the flight. Picking up their broomsticks, they were about to walk out the door.
"Are you just going to step outside, onto the crowded muggle street, with a bunch of broomsticks and fly off?" Lyra asked with her mouth full.
The rest paused; Moody shook his head at the realisation that all of them had seemingly forgotten the most basic thing. They were in the middle of bloody London!
"We could just use Arabella's fireplace." Suggested Minerva. Pushing her previous option at Moody. Trying one last ditch attempt to convince her paranoid friend to take the easy route.
"No! That's off limits! We don't know, who could be tracking it. Especially, if so many of us, just happen to floo to the exact same fireplace at the exact same time! She's already risked sticking her head in once to contact us. We can't afford another slip!" Moody snapped at her, as if she had suggested the most ridiculous thing of all.
"…like I always say…" Moody began.
"Constant Vigilance!" Tonks and Kingsley chorused, teasing him. Moody grumped.
Lyra followed them out. They all looked at her oddly.
"Marks! Where the hell is your broom?" Moody snarled at her.
"I...don't need a broom. I have a phoenix, remember?" She said as Burst landed on her shoulder.
"The bird...can't...you know the plan Marks! We all fly there together! Everyone sticks to the plan! No exceptions!" He snapped at her.
Lyra rolled her eyes and spoke to Burst, instructing her to stay in the skies as a backup.
Finally, they stuck to the initial plan and stepped out of the house with shrunken broomsticks, looking for a deserted area to take off from.
Once they were in the air, Moody made sure they flew at a greater height. They could not risk being seen by muggles.
Lyra hadn't used a broomstick in a long time. She had played Quadpot at AIMS, and even quidditch with her team at the Annual MACUSA Inter-departmental Games. She was decent at flying, but having used Burst as her sole means of transportation, had made her rusty. For Lyra this ride was enjoyable, at least once she got a grip on the old broom. The sun had just set and its remnants basked in the horizon, creating beautiful hues in the sky. They approached Surrey, as darker clouds obstructed their view and the weather at such a height, wasn't no longer conducive for flight. Lyra felt her hands freezing, on the broom handle. The moisture in the atmosphere had turned to sharp crystals, due to the dementors having been there. They began to form small cuts over her hands and face. It seemed like the others, faced a similar issue and much to Moody's annoyance, they began their descent earlier than he had anticipated.
Minerva directed operations, once they were on ground. It was still raining, and the group was now soaking wet. Thankful, since this was a suburb, everyone seemed to be wrapped up in their homes. Their cars in their driveways, curtains drawn with gentle lights streaming out of their windows. Some, even ready for supper, already at seven.
Lyra looked at the group, walking in front of her. The peculiar bunch followed Minerva in soaking robes. Most not having had the time, to change into muggle wear. All except, Lyra, who seemed to only be comfortable in muggle clothing. Which for her, wasn't odd. But she knew, most found it rather informal and unnecessary.
For the British magical community, wearing robes was a cultural thing. A mark of respect, discipline and some sort of evidence perhaps, that they were wizards. You could easily tell, a pure blood from a muggle-born. Their sense of dressing, usually gave away their status and power too. And it was definitely done on purpose. In America, people hardly paid their clothes much attention. Of course, you couldn't go to work, wearing muggle clothes. They had comfortable uniforms for that. But at get togethers, with friends, and even in formal settings, people just chose to wear muggle clothing. It was simpler, lighter, and rather fashionable too. It didn't matter, what your blood status was, and it was easier for people to fit in and just get out, whenever they pleased.
They were fine, mixing with the muggles, or no-majs' as they were called in America. But this, was of course, over the course of years and hard work, of many American wizards who fought to change their statutes of secrecy. To be more inclusive and give wizards the freedom they required. It was no longer illegal for wizards to marry muggles, as long as the muggles were accepting of their partner's predicament. Of course, if they weren't, that meant the department of Magical and No-Maj Corporation, would be paying the Muggle a visit.
However, this didn't mean, Americans, did not discriminate. Yes, a lot of them, were open-minded about mingling with the muggles. But there were an equal number across the continent, who would readily agree with the Dark Lord's ideologies. Which was what scared Tessra Jones the most. It did not take much to persuade people and tip the current balance. The leader of the 27 Coven, knew she needed to keep the equilibrium and make sure, that no such forces would harm the magical community in America.
Minerva stopped outside one house. This was probably one of the only square houses which looked closed, there was no car in the driveway, no lights in the front lawn or in the house, not even a faint bulb shone.
"Are you sure, this is the right place, Minerva?" Moody asked sternly.
Minerva glared at him for suggesting she was mistaken. She then unlocked the front door, with her wand and the team stepped inside. Kingsley shut the door and they began to explore the house. The sudden noise of a plate breaking tore through the silence. It made them all instantly, pull their wands out. Tonks sounded a quick apology and stepped out of the kitchen. Moody began to chastise the young auror, for her clumsiness as they heard footsteps on the staircase.
"Put your wand away boy…before you poke someone's eye out!" Stated Moody with a smile on his face.
Harry stood there in shock. There was a mismatched group of wizards in his living room. Their faces were lit by what looked like a large dancing flame in one of their hands.
"Lyra Marks?!" Harry called in extreme surprise; his mouth hung open. He knew, he had called for urgent help. But neither Ron, Hermione or Sirius, could have possibly, been able to get Lyra Marks to come ferry him to safety!
"Harry Potter?!" Lyra called back, with an amused smirk on her face.
"We'll greet each other later! Remus…we need to know, if that's really him and not some death eater impersonating him!" Moody said professionally.
"For the love of Merlin..." Snapped Minerva.
"Professor McGonagall? Professor Moody? Professor Lupin?!" Harry wondered dumbfounded. Looking at them with the same amount of confusion, as he had Lyra.
"Harry…what form does your Patronus take?" Remus asked.
"A stag…" Harry replied instantly.
"It's him." Remus said smiling at the boy.
"What—What are you doing here?" Harry asked coming down the stairs. He finally saw the other people in the room. Most of them, he didn't recognize.
"Rescuing you, of course. Now we haven't got much time! Once we get the signal…we'll be out of here." Ordered Moody sitting down on the kitchen table, his magical eye spinning quickly in its socket.
"Get me a glass of water would you, Harry. Need 20/20 vision for this. Can't afford any errors..."
Harry did what he was told. He had so many questions, for them. Why was there a group of such mismatched people here? Where were they going? Was he really going to be expelled from Hogwarts?
"Go on…best get packing!" Moody ordered.
"I'll come help you…" Offered Tonks as she followed Harry to the room.
Lyra stood in the living room, looking at the wall full of wrestling trophies and a table full of pictures. Some of them, were of an oddly paired couple, who didn't complement each other at all. Others were with the couple with a young beefy boy. Lyra frowned. It was odd that there was not a single picture of Harry anywhere. It was as if, he didn't even live here. There was no evidence of his residence. Lyra felt a pang of familiarity between her and the boy. She too, had never known her real parents. But she had been lucky enough, to have been raised by a wonderful family, who loved her a lot!
Lyra grit her teeth. She knew what this meant though. Having faced a similar faith, at the hands of Grandma M, who always treated her like she was less, like she was never a part of their family.
"Very clean, aren't they? These muggles." She said out loud. She didn't just mean their house, but the image they were trying to portray, they were pretending to be a normal family, people who didn't know much about anything apart from their normal non-magical lives.
"Yes, and rather fascinated with the many ways in which they can live free of labour. I wish, the wizarding world would accept electricity as a concept. It would make things a lot simpler." Remus replied as he finished sealing the letter, he was to leave behind for the boy's family.
"They really seem to be trying their best, to pretend, like he doesn't exist." Said Lyra, picking up a picture of the family of three smiling at her smugly.
Remus walked up to see, what she was looking at. He understood her point. In fact, he found it disturbing as well, but there wasn't much he could do or could have done about it.
"What's taking so long?!" Moody barked angrily, as he stood up in a huff.
"Calm down, for Merlin's sake, Alastor!" Minerva snapped rolling her eyes at him.
"We're here…we're here!" Tonks sang hurriedly. She walked down with a trunk and owl cage floating in front of her, followed by Harry who was pocketing his wand and holding his broomstick.
"DON'T PUT YOUR WAND THERE, BOY! IT COULD IGNITE! —better wizards than you, have lost their buttocks because of it. It's elementary wand handling—don't they teach you this in school?" Moody snapped, looking from Harry and then to Minerva, as if to chastise her for the young man's lack of wand etiquette.
"Right! Potter…have you got everything? Trunk? Broomstick? Both buttocks? Shall we, step outside then?" Minerva asked smoothly.
Everyone in the room chuckled under their breath. Moody pushed past Minerva, muttering that her smart-ass mouth was not appreciated at this critical point.
The night outside was still. There were many dark clouds in the sky, but the stars twinkled freely, without the moon to steal their shine away, which was a good thing, seeing that there was a werewolf in the mix.
"Potter…you are to follow me. Tonks, will be right behind. While Minerva, Remus and Kingsley will be circling Marks at different points. Stay the course everyone. Under no circumstances, do we break rank! And don't break position, if one of us is killed!" Moody said seriously.
"Is he always like this?" Lyra asked Remus who chuckled softly.
"No one is going to die, Moody! Merlin…could you be any more cheerful?" Replied Minerva sarcastically, from Lyra's side making her laugh heartily as they shared a sneaky smile.
"Right! Marks! You know what to do…" Moody stated gruffly as Lyra nodded. She pulled out a vial from her jacket and uncorked it. She then walked over to Harry and smiled. He looked at her in confusion. She then yanked out a few strands out of his messy hair. He yelped in pain and watched her add some of it into the potion.
"Polyjuice?" Harry frowned. Lyra gagged as the potion didn't sit too well with her.
"Disgusting shit…" She said as she began transforming into him.
"It was Professor Snape's idea…hoodwink any death eaters who might be on our trail." Minerva offered kindly as Harry frowned at the mention of his least favourite professor.
He watched as Lyra Marks shrunk down to his height. Her gorgeous auburn hair now replaced with his messy black. Her twinkling blue eyes transformed into his deep green ones. Her feminine features now remodelled to look like his face.
"Merlin…you've got worse eye-sight than I do!" She muttered, tapping her wand over his glasses as a duplicate fell into her open palm.
As Moody's stern command echoed through the air, a burst of red sparks illuminated the darkened sky, signaling Lyra and her team to mount their brooms. On the next volley of crimson light, they pushed themselves off the ground, rising into the night.
Lyra soared through the air, her gaze locked onto the group. She wished for the mission to conclude swiftly, as she longed for a moment of solitude. She couldn't quite fathom the necessity of such an intricate strategy, but Moody seemed determined to exercise utmost caution.
They retraced the same path as before without any extraordinary obstacles hindering their flight. However, as the lights of London drew closer, the skies turned treacherous. Out of the corner of her eye, Lyra witnessed the calmness around them shatter into chaos.
Dementors swarmed them from all directions, launching relentless attacks.
"What the hell..." Lyra muttered to herself, raising her wand, her thoughts leaning toward conjuring a Patronus.
"NO!" Remus's warning cut through the ruckus. He reminded her that she was still playing the role of a decoy, and revealing her Patronus would jeopardize their entire plan. Minerva, Kingsley, and Remus veered away from her, focusing on battling the encroaching Dementors.
Lyra's intense concentration remained fixed on Moody, Tonks, and Potter. Moody appeared to have taken control of the situation and was guiding Potter to safety, while the four of them remained to confront the Dementors.
Suddenly, a sinister emerald bolt of light streaked past her face, prompting Lyra to whip her head around to locate its source. Her heart pounded in her chest as she found herself isolated from the rest, swallowed by an immense dark cloud, where wisps of shadows danced past.
Among the shrouded figures, she spotted one Death Eater with a glinting silver mask.
"Expelliarmus!" She shouted, her voice filled with determination, effortlessly disarming the assailant who was forcefully hurled away.
Lyra soon comprehended Moody's choice of spell for this perilous situation. The instant she cast the spell, an eerie, hissing voice whispered the boy's name.
"Harryyyy...Potter..."
Frantically, Lyra scanned her surroundings, desperately seeking the source of the voice that had called out from the obscurity.
Then, his form materialized from the darkness, floating in front of her broom with a malevolent smile, his devilish red eyes locking onto hers. If she had ever faced the specter of death, it was now. With a swift motion, she spun her broom, attempting to flee from his menacing presence. His sinister laughter enveloped her, and she abruptly lost control, feeling her broom plummet uncontrollably toward the earth.
With a deafening crash, she landed in a dimly lit alley. Somehow, she managed to conjure a cushioning charm moments before hitting the cobblestone street, preventing a more catastrophic fall. Groaning in agony, she clutched her wand and her dislocated jaw, determined to push through the pain.
Lyra tried limping away but clouds of black smoke blocked her exit. Spells flew towards her from every end.
She managed to cast a protection shield around her that deflected the spells. But she could feel the pain in her jaw shadow her alert mind.
Death eaters converged on her, but she twisted her ring and created a ring of fire that engulphed them in flames and left them writhing on the ground in agony. None were spared by the merciless flames that continued to burn on her hand, threatening to devour anyone who came any closer.
Only, one dark figure stood undeterred. Lord Voldemort, looked at her with his head crooked to the side.
"So, you're Dumbledore's latest sacrificial lamb. Thrown to me, to distract me from my vengeance?"
Lyra stood straighter as she waved her wand over her jaw, cracking it back into place. She twisted it to feel the pain leave her face as she spoke.
"I think you'll find, that I can be quite a tough mouthful…" She smirked. He chuckled at her amusedly.
"Crucio!" He snarled.
The spell hit her in the chest. She writhed down to her knees. When the spell was lifted, Lyra, looked up to match eyes with him. He waited for her to get back on her feet. Lyra waved her hand as a wave of fire flew towards him. He dodged it. But she continued, to weave patterns with her hands, configuring forth a whirlwind of fire, keeping him from flying or disapparating away.
However, she paused, as she felt her body transform back to her natural self. As the fire started receding, a shaken Voldemort, immerged from the smoke and looked at her with comprehension dawning in his eyes.
"An elemental mage!" He hissed.
"Ancient…magic…you'll never possess…" She panted with a smirk.
"Are you ready to face your death tonight? She asked him, steeling herself for the next onslaught.
"I am beyond death; I am beyond your wildest comprehension." He hissed laughing.
"Do you want to see the extent of my magic?" She asked, curious to see what lengths he would go to, to destroy her
"Are you brave or just simply foolish…?"
"Foolish enough, to be the one who kills you?"
"I have cheated death before." He retorted.
"So…have I…not a great feat it seems!"
"The last time for you was against a one-year-old child. Do you want to see what a member of the 27 Coven can do to you? Are you so sure, you will cheat death again, or meet it this time?"
"You have spirit!" Voldemort replied, the wheels of his mind turning to process the new information he had gleaned.
"You've ventured farther into the depths of magic than a witch who supposedly fears the dark side." He remarked.
"Have I?" She retorted, a taunting edge to her voice.
"Or have I simply embraced it?"
"Embraced it?" He couldn't help but laugh.
"If you had truly embraced it, this would have been a very different battle, and my Death Eaters would be more than just burnt bundles." He sneered.
"Why waste my time hacking at the body when I can strike at the head?" Lyra snapped with a smirk.
Voldemort was visibly rattled by her confidence. He prepared to cast another killing curse, but before he could raise his wand, Lyra moved with the swiftness of an Auror seasoned in a thousand battles, initiating her fiery whirlwind once more. All he could do was to desperately fend off the flames that threatened to consume him.
As formidable as she was, Lyra knew she couldn't maintain this level of magic indefinitely. She could feel her power waning, her body struggling to endure. Her hands were scorched by the relentless fire, making it increasingly difficult for her to go on.
"ENOUGH!" He snarled as his magic forced Lyra to the ground.
"Why fight a war that's not yours...?" Voldemort inquired as Lyra looked at him.
"Magic...magic for good." She replied, reciting the motto of the 27 Coven.
"Tessra Jones sends her bravest to die for a cause that isn't even hers? No, she's not that foolish! There's something else, something that keeps you here!" Voldemort retorted, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"It's my destiny..." Lyra spat defiantly. He scoffed.
"We are the architects of our own destiny. Your little magical book may spin grand tales, but ultimately, the choice is yours! Tonight's battle has been enlightening...I might have tried to persuade you to join me, but I doubt you share my convictions."
"You don't know me..." She stated, laughing sarcastically at his offer.
"And neither do you know yourself!" He responded, observing her with curiosity.
His words struck a chord, and Lyra stumbled, her eyes widening as she realized that somehow he had penetrated her occluded mind.
"Don't worry...your mental barriers are formidable, stronger than my need to delve into your thoughts, at the moment. However, you are not as powerful as you might think, girl!" He smirked.
"You seem to forget who you're dealing with..." Voldemort retorted, his wand moving swiftly to place Lyra under the influence of the Imperius Curse.
"Now, bow so that I can witness the light leave your eyes..." He chuckled as the powerful curse overcame her will. She knelt on the cold, cobblestone ground, prostrating in front of him against her will.
Lyra, her head defiantly held high and a defiant smirk still gracing her face, welcomed her looming fate. If this was the way she would meet her end, she refused to grant him the satisfaction of seeing her fear.
Voldemort raised his wand, preparing to utter the final curse that would end her life. But before he could release it, a massive fireball hurtled toward him. From the heart of the flames emerged a phoenix, and following in the bird's wake, stepped forth his most formidable adversary—Albus Dumbledore.
"I see you've finally come to her rescue...in time, this time, Dumbledore." Voldemort snarled, his lip curled in disdain. Dumbledore remained silent, positioning himself in front of Lyra, shielding her from whatever malevolent intentions the Dark Lord harbored.
"This is not the last you will see of me...girl!"
With a flourish of his cloak, Voldemort vanished in a shroud of smoke, his Death Eaters following suit.
"Lyra..." Dumbledore called to her as he felt her slump to the ground, her breath labored from the ordeal.
"I'm so fucking tired of dodging death, Albus." She murmured, her voice trembling. He gently took her hand in his and offered her a reassuring smile. Then, with a firm grip on Burst's tail, Dumbledore transported them both back to headquarters.
After a few hours, and a narration of what went down. Lyra and Dumbledore sat at the table smoking.
"It was Minerva, who raised the alarm of your disappearance. And your phoenix that sensed the danger you were in. Burst brought me to you in time." He said taking a drag, as he poured them both a glass of fire whiskey.
"She's saved my skin too many times, to know when to come get me. Although, I feel like she's caught on to my nasty habit of showing up late everywhere." She chuckled.
"Lord Voldemort knows of The Coven's involvement now. Tessra will have to be warned." Lyra said seriously as Albus looked her over his glass, studying her.
"You know you were very close to dying tonight, Lyra…you seem so unfazed by this encounter." He wondered.
"When you've survived death by fire twice, only to be cursed with being burnt some more, I feel like I have a lot more life left in me. Death isn't really that interested in pulling me in yet." She replied arrogantly.
"Here's to not dying…once more…?" She said raising her glass as Dumbledore chuckled in exasperation.
Someone walked into the kitchen as their heads turned.
"Lyra!" Minerva screamed. She threw her arms around the woman and sighed in extreme relief.
"Minerva…" Lyra chuckled as she patted the woman lightly. Minerva refused to let go, the more she clung onto Lyra, the more different she felt. Lyra didn't know why, but the feeling of being hugged by Minerva didn't feel foreign to her. She gave into it. It comforted her immensely. It comforted her so much, that she began to feel herself being brought to tears.
Minerva pulled away from her. Checking her face, her hands that were bandaged, her hair.
"Minerva, what are you doing?" Albus asked looking at her oddly.
"Checking to see if she's alright? Merlin…I thought, I lost you tonight!" Minerva replied holding Lyra's face gently. Their eyes met. A fierce look covered her eyes. Then it shifted. It fell into a look that Lyra had been subjected to many times. A look that Minerva had given her all through last year. As if, she was dying to say something. She let go of Lyra and continued to gaze upon her with a pressed smile.
Lyra took a deep breath. When she had first noticed that look, Lyra had brushed it off as something else, and she constantly kept doing that. This time though, something snapped in her. She needed to know.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that, Minerva?!" Lyra asked frowning.
Minerva's face fell, she now frowned in confusion.
"Looking like what?"
"At first, I thought I was imagining it…but it's like every time we share…I don't know…a moment of some sort…you look at me like this…"
Minerva's mood shifted, which made Lyra more suspicious.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She shook her head.
"You look at me like, there's something you're dying to say…but for some reason, you never end up saying it. There's something that's bothering you. I don't know what it is…but I wish, you'd tell me."
Minerva clenched her jaw tightly.
"It's nothing. You're tired and you're imagining things, Lyra. I'm going to go check on the rest. You should go get some sleep."
With that pointed remark, Minerva left Lyra and Albus in the kitchen.
"You saw it too, right? It was like she looked at me, with this weird look…and then she just yelled at me…what's up with her?" Lyra questioned him.
"Minerva McGonagall, works in mysterious ways, my dear." He replied shrugging and smiling. He then poured them another shot of fire whiskey.
AN/- Hope you're enjoying it so far. Let me know if you have any thoughts :)