Fallen Warrior

"Hagrid?"

Arthur struggled raising himself from the debris of metal and leather that surrounded him, his hands sinking into inches of muddy water as he tried standing up.

He didn't understand as to why Voldemort stopped following him, but he was still worried that he'd pop up again at any moment.

Something hot and wet was also trickling down his face from his forehead.

As he was crawling out of the pond and stumbled to the great, dark mass on the ground that he knew to be Hagrid, Arthur heard a phoenix call and saw Fawkes landed next to him.

"Fawkes…." He said, feeling relief upon seeing him.

"Who's there? Is it Pendergast? Are you Arthur Pendergast?"

Arthur didn't recognise this unfamiliar man's voice. But then a woman shouted "They've crashed, Ted! Crashed in the garden!"

Arthur's head was swimming as he saw Fawkes lean his head down at him.

"Hagrid." Arthur said as his knees buckled and he blacked out.

The next thing he knew, he was now lying on his back, and on what felt like cushions. And he was surprised to find that he felt fully healthy with no lingering pain, excluding his scar, which was still throbbing.

He opened his eyes to find himself on a sofa in an unfamiliar, lamplit sitting room. His rucksack was on the floor a short distance away, wet and muddy.

Arthur then spotted Fawkes on the sofa arm by his head, looking down at him. That's why he felt fine: his tears.

"Thanks, bud." He said gratefully, reaching up and rubbing his index finger against his beak, making the phoenix coo softly.

Arthur then finally noticed that they weren't alone as there was a fair haired, big bellied man watching him anxiously. This made Arthur remember Hagrid.

"Before you ask, Hagrid's fine, son." The man said, reading his expression. "The wife's seeing to him now. How are you feeling? Anything broken? Your phoenix healed you up completely, though I don't know about your internal parts. I'm Ted, by the way, Ted Tonks - Dora's father."

"I'm fine, thanks." Arthur said as he sat up slowly.

"Voldemort -"

"Easy, now." Ted said. "I know you're healed, but that was a nasty crash you just had. What happened, anyway? Something go wrong with the bike? Gideon overstretched himself again and his Muggle contraptions?"

"No." Arthur shook his head as his scar now pulsed like an open wound. "Death Eaters ambushed us."

"Death Eaters?" Ted said sharply. "What d'you mean, Death Eaters? I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight, I thought -"

"They knew. Either someone betrayed us or they extracted the plan from someone in the Order." Arthur explained his ideas.

Ted Tonks looked at the ceiling like he could see the sky above.

"Well, we know our protective charms hold, then, don't we? They shouldn't be able to get within a hundred yards of the place in any direction."

Arthur now knew why Voldemort stopped and vanished, The motorbike crossed the barrier of the various charms from the Order.

Arthur stood up so he could go and find Hagrid, but he barely stood up when a door opened and Hagrid squeezed through it, his face covered in mud and blood, limping but miraculously alive.

"Arthur!"

He knocked over two delicate tables and an aspidistra and covered the floor between them in two strides, pulling Arthur into a hug that would've cracked his ribs.

"Blimey, Arthur, how did yeh get out o' that? I thought we were both goners."

Arthur was about to reply as they broke off when he noticed a woman having entered the room behind Hagrid.

For a second, he thought he was looking at Bellatrix Lestrange. But as he examined her, he realised that she was someone else entirely, just with a resemblance to the female Death Eater: she had light and soft brown hair and her eyes were wider and kinder than Bellatrix's. Remembering what he learned of the Black family from Sirius, she was Andromeda.

"Hello, Andromeda." He greeted her with a nod.

"Hello, Arthur. What happened to our daughter? Hagrid said you were ambushed; where is Nymphadora?" She asked him.

"I don't know. We got separated from the others, so we don't know what happened." Arthur replied as Ted handed him his wand.

Both Andromeda and Ted exchanged looks, a mixture of fear and guilt consuming Arthur as he looked at their expressions. If the others died, especially Mike, it would be all his fault for consenting with the plan by giving his hair for the Polyjuice Potion.

"The Portkey." He then said, remembering the plan. "We need to get to Merlon Manor. We can send word if Tonks is okay."

"Dora'll be okay, Dromeda." Ted said. "She knows her stuff, she's been in plenty of tight spots with the Aurors. The Portkey's through here." He added to Arthur. "It's supposed to leave in three minutes, if you want to take it."

"Yeah. I know Fawkes can take us, but I'd like to still use it, just in case." Arthur replied as he seized his rucksack and swung it onto his shoulders. "You know what, I'll tell your daughter to send word when she shows up."

He didn't look at Andromeda as he was led out of the room by Ted down a short hallway and into a bedroom with Fawkes following him. Hagrid then came in after them, bending low to prevent hitting his head on the door lintel.

"There you go, son. That's the Portkey."

Ten pointed to a small, silver backed hairbrush that lay on the dressing table.

"Thanks." Arthur said, reaching to place a finger on it, ready to leave. Then Hagrid placed his forefinger on it and the hairbrush started glowing bright blue.

Then, with a jerk behind the navel, like an invisible hook and line dragged him forwards, Arthur got pulled into nothingness, spinning uncontrollably with his finger glued to the Portkey as he and Hagrid were hurtled away from Ted Tonks.

Seconds later, Arthur felt his feet slam onto hard ground and fell on his hands and knees in front of Merlon Manor.

He heard screams.

Throwing aside the hairbrush that was no longer glowing, Arthur got up to his feet, swaying a bit, seeing both Martha and Mary Merlon running out the front door as Hagrid, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered laboriously onto his feet. Fawkes also appeared next to Arhtur from a burst of flame.

Arthur also heard an owl hooting loudly before Athena landed onto Arthur's shoulder.

"Athena, you're okay!" He said, so happy to see she made it.

"Arthur? You are the real Arthur? What happened? Where are the others?" Martha cried.

"No one else is back yet?" Arthur frowned, his good mood now gone.

His answer was etched on Martha's pale face.

"The Death Eaters were waiting for us." Arthur said. "They surrounded us the moment we took off. They were tipped off. We separated from the others. Four Death Eaters chased us as well. And Voldemort soon caught up to us -"

His tone made Martha understand that he didn't know what happened to her sons.

"Well… thank goodness you're alright." She said, pulling him into a hug, one that he felt he didn't deserve.

"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Martha?" Hagrid said shakily. "Fer medicinal purposes?"

She would've summoned it by magic, but she instead hurried back into the manor, clearly to hide her face.

Arthur turned to Mary, who answered his unspoken demand for information.

"David and Tonks were supposed to be here first, but they missed their Portkey, as it came back without them." She said, pointing over at a rusty oil can that lay on the ground nearby. "And that one…" She pointed at an ancient plimsoll. "...should've been Jack and Dad's. They're meant to be second. You and Hagrid third. Then…" She checked her watch. "...if they make it, Kevin and Lupin should be here in a minute."

Martha reappeared with a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid, who uncorked it and drank it all in one.

"Mum!" Mary shouted as she pointed at a spot several feet away.

A blue light appeared in the darkness, which grew larger and brighter before Lupin and Kevin appeared, spinning before falling.

Arthur knew right away that something was wrong.

Lupin was supporting Kevin, who was unconscious with his face covered in blood.

Arthur ran right to them, Athena taking off from him and joining Fawkes to one of the upper floors of the manor, and seized Kevin's legs.

Together, he and Lupin carried Kevin into the house and into the sitting room, where they laid him on one of the sofas.

With the lamplight falling on Kevin's head, Mary retched and Arthur flinched because one of Kevin's ears was missing. The side of his head and neck were coated in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.

But when Martha bent over her son, Lupin grabbed Arthur by his upper arm and dragged him, not gently, right up against a wall as Hagrid entered.

"Oi!" Hagrid said indignantly. "Le' go of him! Le' go of Arthur!"

Lupin just ignored him as he pointed his wand right into Arthur's face, who looked enraged and shocked.

"What creature sat in the corner, the first time Arthur Pendergast visited my office at Hogwarts?" He said, giving Arthur a small shake. "Answer me!"

"A BLOODY GRINDYLOW!" Arthur roared, shoving Lupin back with all his strength and aimed his wand at him. "WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but I had to check." Lupin replied tersely. "We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an imposter."

"So why aren' you checkin' me?" Hagrid panted.

"You're half-giant." Lupin said as he looked up at Hagrid and Arthur lowered his wand. "The Polyjuice Potion is designed for human use only."

"Voldemort only caught up with me towards the end. He didn't know which one was actually me at the beginning. If he was in on the plan, he'd know from the start that I was with Hagrid."

"Voldemort caught up with you?" Lupin said sharply. "What happened? How did you escape?"

Arthur then explained what happened: how the Death Eaters pursued them and recognised he was the real Arthur, that they abandoned the chase and summoned Voldemort, who appeared just before he and Hagrid reached Tonks' parents'.

"They recognised you? But how? What had you done?"

"Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the Knight Bus, was among them. I recognised that he was under the Imperius Curse and… I Disarmed him."

Lupin looked aghast.

"Arthur, the time for Disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least Stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"

"If I Stunned him, Stan would've fallen hundreds of feet to his death! Besides, Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago!" Arthur snapped at him defiantly as Lupin reminded him of the pompous, annoying and sneering Zacharias Smith from Hufflepuff.

"Yes, Arthur…" Lupin said with painful restraint. "...and a great number of Death Eaters witnessed that happening! Forgive me, but it was a very usual move then, under imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"

"SO I SHOULD'VE JUST KILLED AN INNOCENT VICTIM, IS THAT IT?" Arthur roared back at Lupin, furious at the idea of killing him.

"Of course not." Lupin said. "But the Death Eaters - frankly, most people! - would have expected you to attack back! Expelliarmus is a useful spell, Arthur, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"

Lupin made Arthur mad with what he's ultimately hinting at.

"NO! I'm not going to blast people out of my way all because they're there. I'm not going to sink to Voldemort's level." He snarled.

Lupin's retort was lost.

The room was silent while Hagrid went and sat at a chair that collapsed beneath his weight.

"Will Kevin be alright?" Arthur finally asked.

Any and all frustrations Lupin had with Arthur drained away at the question.

"I think so, although there's no chance of replacing his ear, not when it's been cursed off -"

There was scuffling outside.

Arthur and Lupin dived for the front door and sprinted outside.

There were two figures appearing from the path between the trees to the manor and Arthur saw it was Chrys, who was returning to her normal appearance, and Shacklebolt, both clutching a bent coat hanger.

Chrys flung herself into Arthur's arms, though Shacklebolt didn't show any pleasure at the sight of any of them. Over her shoulder, Arthur saw him raise his wand at Lupin's chest.

"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?"

"Arthur is the best hope we have. Trust him." Lupin said calmly.

Shacklebolt then turned his wand to Arthur, who turned into his Animagus form while Lupin said "It's him, I've checked!"

Alright, alright!" Shacklebolt said as Arthur turned back to human form and stowed his wand back beneath his cloak. "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"

"So it seems, but apparently they did not realise that there would be eight Arthurs." Lupin replied.

"Small comfort!" Shacklebolt snarled. "Who else is back?"

"Only Arthur, Hagrid, Kevin and me."

Chrys stifled a small moan from behind her hand.

"What happened to you?" Lupin asked Shacklebolt.

"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one…" He reeled off. "...and we saw You Know Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through, but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can -"

"Fly on his own." Arthur said. "He chased after me and Hagrid."

"So that's why he left - to follow you!" Shacklebolt said. "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"

"Arthur behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike." Lupin replied, making Arthur glare at him.

"Stan?" Chrys said, flabbergasted.

"Under the Imperius Curse." Arthur told her.

"But I thought he was in Azkaban." She said, which made Shacklebolt let out a mirthless laugh.

"Chrys, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers' hood fell on when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's Kevin?"

"He lost an ear." Lupin told him.

Chrys gasped in horror.

"Let me guess, Snape?" Arthur growled.

"Yes. He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep Kevin on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."

Silence fell between them as they all looked up at the sky.

Soon, though, a bright blue light appeared and both Mike and Sam appeared, landing on their knees and with them discarding a worn briefcase.

Arthur ran up to MIke, helping him up and grabbed his Firebolt.

"When and where did we have our first kiss?" He asked Mike, who frowned somewhat at the question.

"At Grimmauld Place during the Christmas holidays in our fifth year." Mike answered and Arthur instantly embraced him before sharing a kiss.

"What happened?" Lupin asked Sam, who was straightening his clothes.

"We were able to manoeuvre and evade some Death Eaters through a forest. Mike shot a Stunning Spell at Dolohov in the face." Sam explained, which made Arthur grin proudly at his boyfriend.

"Where's Kevin?" Mike asked, noticing his absence.

"Arthur, give us a hand!" Hagrid called from the door.

Arthur instantly ran his way into the manor with Mike and Sam on his tail and they entered the sitting room, where Martha and Mary were still tending to Kevin. Mike and Sam gasped upon seeing Kevin's injury, which was staunched, thanks to Martha. In the lamplight, they saw a clean, gaping hole where Kevin's ear used to be.

"Did Snape do this?" Mike asked.

"Yes. With his own spell." Arthur growled. "Is he okay?" He then asked Martha.

"I can't make it grow back. It's Dark Magic. Thankfully, he's alive." She replied.

"Thank God." Sam said.

"Who else made it back?" Mary said.

"Chrys and Kingsley." Arthur replied.

"Thank goodness." Mary whispered.

They all then heard someone grunting after hearing them being punched.

"I need to see my son, Kingsley, so back off!"

Arthur had never heard Ben be that angry since his fight with Lucius a Flourish and Blotts. He and Jack stormed their way to the sitting room, both pale but uninjured.

"Ben!" Martha gasped. "Thank God!"

"Kevin?" Jack said softly as he walked to his brother while Ben looked like he was holding back tears. Arthur had never seen Jack be this way.

Probably due to being roused by the sound of Jack and their father's arrival, Kevin stirred awake.

"Hey, Kev… you okay?" Jack asked as he kneeled down beside him.

Kevin's fingers groped for the side of his head.

"Saint-like." He murmured.

"What?" Jack croaked, his voice cracking.

"Saint-like." Kevin repeated as he opened his eyes and looked up at him. "I'm holy. Holey, geddit?"

Martha sobbed while colour flooded Jack's face.

"Of all the ear related jokes you can come up with, you go with holey? Ridiculous." Jack said, shaking his head in astonishment.

"Whatever." Kevin grinned. "At least we can be told apart, other than our hair."

He then looked around.

"Hey, Arthur, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Arthur grinned with relief that he was okay.

"Wait, where's David and Rob?" Kevin then said as he looked around.

"They're not back yet." Martha told him, making his grin fade.

Arthur and Mike decided to give the family some privacy and went outside to join the others.

"David and Tonks should've been back by now." Mike said. "I know that their Aunt Edna's home isn't that far from here."

Arthur didn't say anything as his fear for people to die had increased the longer they waited for the others, Arthur had to hold Mike's hand to keep him steady.

Shacklebolt strode back and forth, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Hagrid, Chrys and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, all gazing upwards in silence. They didn't look round when the two joined them.

The minutes dragged on into what felt like years. The slightest noise made them all jump and turn to the whispering bush or tree, hoping it was one of the missing Order members appearing unscathed -

A broom had then materialised directly above them, streaking towards the ground -

"They're here!" Chrys screamed.

Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere.

"Remus!" Tonks cried as she staggered off the broom and into Lupin's arms. His face was set and white, looking unable to speak. David swayed slightly as he made his way to Arthur, Mike and Chrys.

"You're alright." He said as he and Chrys embraced each other tightly.

"I was so worried." Chrys whimpered.

"I'm okay… I'm okay." David said, patting her back.

"David was great." Tonks said warmly, relinquishing her hold on her husband. "Wonderful. Stunned a couple of the Death Eaters, one straight to the head, the other in the crotch, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom -"

"Brilliant." Chrys said, gazing up at David with her arms around his neck.

"I have my moments." David smirked. "Are we the last back?"

"No." Mike said. "There's still Rob and Fleur and Moody and Fungus."

Arthur looked over his shoulder to see Mary in the doorway, looking relieved to see David. Then he remembered something.

"Tonks, make sure you send word to your parents when you have the chance, they're worried about you."

Tonks nodded.

"So what kept you? What happened?" Lupin asked her, sounding almost angry at her.

"Bellatrix." Tonks replied. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Arthur, Remus, she tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her, I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rodolphus and Rabastan… then we got to David's Auntie Edna's and we'd missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us -"

A muscle jumped in Lupin's jaw. But he nodded, while unable to say anything else.

"So what happened to you lot?" Tonks then asked, turning to Arthur and the others.

They all recounted their stories of what they went through while the continued absence of Rob, Fleur, Moody and Mundungus lay upon them like frost and was hard to ignore.

"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street. I should have been there an hour ago." Shacklebolt finally said after one last sweeping gaze up at the sky. "Let me know when they're back."

Lupin nodded. And with a wave to the others, Shacklebolt walked away into the darkness to the path. Arthur was able to hear the faintest pop as he Disapparated just beyond Merlon Manor's boundaries.

Martha and Ben raced out of the front door with Mary and Sam behind them. The two parents hugged David before turning to Lupin and Tonks.

"Thank you, both, for our sons." Martha said.

"Don't be silly, Martha." Tonks said at once.

"How's Kevin?" Lupin asked.

"What happened?" David asked with a frown.

"He lost -"

The end of Sam's sentence was drowned out by a general outcry: a Thestral just soared into sight and landed a few feet from everyone. Rob and Fleur slid off its back, looking windswept, but okay.

"Rob, you're alright." Martha said with relief as she ran to him and hugged Rob. But he looked right at his father with a grave look.

"Moody's dead."

No one said a word or moved. Arthur felt like he was being swallowed by the ground and falling forever.

"We saw it happen." Rob said, Fleur nodding with tear tracks glittering on her cheeks in the light from the open front door. "It happened just after we broke from the circle. Moody and Fungus were close to us. They were heading north as well. Voldemort - flying without a broom or a Thestral - went straight for them. Fungus, that scumbag, panicked and cried out. Moody tried stopping him, but he had Disapparated like a coward. Voldemort's Killing Curse hit Moody right in the face, making him fall backwards off his broom and - there wasn't anything we could do, nothing. There were half a dozen of them chasing us -"

Rob's voice broke, not wanting to continue.

"Of course you couldn't have done anything." Lupin said.

Everyone there just stood looking at each other.

Arthur just found it hard to comprehend the idea of Moody being dead. It just seemed too impossible. He was supposed to be the greatest Auror of all time, so strong, brave and tough….

At last, it dawned on everyone that, though no one said it, there was no point to stay out waiting outside any more.

So in silence, everyone followed Ben and Martha back inside Merlon Manor and into the sitting room, where Jack and Kevin were talking.

"Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" Jack asked as he noticed the grave expressions on everyone's faces.

"Moody's dead." Ben informed him and Kevin, who both joined in with their grave expressions.

No one seemed to know what to do. Tonks started crying silently into a handkerchief. Arthur knew that this was because she and Moody were close, being his protege, after all.

Hagrid sat down on the floor in the corner and dabbed his eyes with his tablecloth sized handkerchief.

Rob then walked to where the alcohol was stored and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey and glasses.

"Here." He said, waving his wand, making fourteen full glasses soar through the room to everyone, holding the fifteenth aloft. "Mad-Eye Moody."

"Mad-Eye Moody." They all said and drank.

"Mad-Eye Moody." Hagrid echoed, a little late, with a hiccough.

The Firewhiskey was like battery acid as it went down Arthur's throat. It burnt feeling back into his body,

"So Mundungus disappeared?" Lupin said after draining his glass in one.

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. Everyone looked tense, watching Lupin, wanting him to go on yet slightly afraid of what he'd say.

"I know what you're thinking." Rob said. "I was wondering about it, myself, on the way here, because it was like they expected us. I'm unsure if Dung did betray us. They didn't know there would be eight Arthurs, which confused them once we appeared. He did suggest that part of the plan. So why would he not tell them the most crucial part? It could be a case of him panicking. He didn't even want to be involved in the first place, but Moody forced him and Voldemort went right for them. That would make most panic."

"You Know Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to." Tonks sniffed. "Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Arthur to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away, he switched to Kingsley…."

"Yes, and zat eez all very good…" Fleur snapped. "...but still eet does not explain 'ow zey knew we were moving Arthur tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date but not ze ;ole plan."

She glared at everyone, tear tracks still etched on her beautiful face, silently daring them all to contradict her.

No one did, though. The only sound that broke the silence was Hagrid hiccoughing from behind his handkerchief.

Arthur glanced at him, who had risked his life to save Hagrid, someone who he trusted and loved, though he did once get tricked into giving Voldemort into giving crucial information in exchange for having a dragon egg.

"Fungus did betray us." He said aloud, making everyone look at him, all surprised. "He may not have told them about the most important part of the plan, but he still would've told the Death Eaters that I was being moved tonight. He's just like Wormtail, only concerned with keeping himself alive over being by our side. And unlike him, I actually trust all of you."

Silence followed his words as everyone looked at him. Arthur simply sipped some more Firewhiskey.

"Well said, Arthur." Jack said unexpectedly.

Arthur noticed that Lupin wore an odd expression as he looked at him, like he was pitying him.

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" He coolly spat.

"No, I think you're like John…" Lupin replied. "...who would have regarded people like Mundungus as not worthy of having as an ally. And that it was the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends."

Arthur turned his head away, knowing that Lupin was reminding him of how his father trusted Pettigrew, who betrayed him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lupin turned away, set down his glass on a side table and addressed Rob "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether -"

"No, I'll come." Rob said at once.

"Where are you going?" Both Tonks and Fleur said in unison.

"Mad-Eye's body. We need to recover it." Lupin told them.

"It can't wait." Rob said, noticing that his mother was about to argue. "Would you want the Death Eaters to take his body?"

No one argued after that. The two said goodbye before leaving.

Everyone dropped into chairs or the free sofa. Only Arthur stood.

"I need to go, as well." He told everyone, making them all look at him.

"Don't be silly, Arthur. What are you talking about?" Martha asked.

"I can't stay here." He said, rubbing his forehead as it was prickling again, which hasn't happened in over a year.

"Staying here will only make things worse. I can't -"

"Don't be silly!" Martha said. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safe and sound. Which worked. And Fleur agreed to get married here and not in France, and we've arranged everything so that we all stay together and look after you -"

Arthur was flabbergasted, she just didn't understand, which he thought she would.

"If Voldemort realises I'm here -"

"Why would he?" Martha asked.

"There's over a dozen places that you might be at now." Ben said. "He has no way of knowing which safe house you're in."

"But I'm not worried for myself! And he's going to infiltrate and control the Ministry sooner or later, meaning he'd find out!" Arthur argued.

"We know that." Ben told him. "But leaving now would make our efforts tonight be in vain and pointless."

"Yer not goin' anywhere." Hagrid growled. "Blimey, Arthur, after all we wen' through ter get you here?"

"Which includes my ear." Kevin added, sitting up.

"I know that -"

"Mad-Eye wouldn't want -"

"I KNOW!" Arthur roared, launching the glass in his hand at a wall, smashing into pieces.

He felt like he was being blackmailed. It was like they thought he didn't know what they did for him, didn't understand that it was the very reason he wanted to leave as soon as possible, before any more suffer on his behalf.

A long and awkward silence filled the atmosphere as his scar continued prickling and throbbing.

The silence was finally broken by Martha as she got up and left.

"We should give Athena, Goliath and Fawkes something to eat."

"Wait 'til it get out yeh did it again, Arthur." Hagrid then said. "Escaped him, fought him off when he was right on top of yeh!"

"It wasn't me." Arthur replied. "It was actually my wand. It acted on its own accord."

The few moments of silence was interrupted by Chrys. "That's impossible, Arthur. You had to have done magic without meaning to, reacting instinctively."

"No, Chrys." Arthur shook his head. "I wasn't able to tell where Voldemort was. I felt my wand spin in my hand and found him, shooting a spell at him. I don't even recognise the spell. I never made gold flames before."

"Are you sure?" Ben asked as he had a thoughtful look on his face.

"I'm sure. I was barely able to hold onto it. It was like a magnetic force lifted it." Arthur replied, though he could tell that many of the others didn't believe him, that he just came up with it.

His scar was now starting to burn. He now felt angry and frustrated. But it didn't feel like his own anger.

It now seared with pain. He kept himself from moaning and muttered about needing fresh air.

He made his way outside, seeing the Thestral look at him as it rustled its enormous bat-like wings and continued grazing.

Arthur stopped some distance away from the manor, looking at the trees that surrounded the manor as he rubbed his pounding forehead, thinking of Dumbledore.

He knew Dumbledore would've believed him instantly. He'd even explain or logically theorise why his wand acted independently, since he always had the answers, or at least, educated guesses. He knew of wands, as he explained the connection between Arthur's and Voldemort's wands.

But like Moody, Sirius and his parents, Dumbledore was gone and would never tell him any more. He could never talk to him again.

Out of nowhere, the pain in his scar reached an all time high, and as he clutched his forehead and closed his eyes, he heard a voice screaming in his head.

"You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand!"

In his mind, a vision exploded of an old man lying in rags on a stone floor, releasing a horrible, drawn out scream of unbelievable agony.

"No! No! I beg you, I beg you…."

"You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!"

"I did not… I swear I did not…."

"You sought to help Pendergast, to help him escape me!"

"I swear I did not… I believed a different wand would work…."

"Explain, then, what happened. Lucius' wand is destroyed!"

"I cannot understand… the connection… exists only… between your two wands…."

"Lies!"

"Please… I beg you…."

Arthur saw Voldemort's white hand raise his wand and he felt his surge of vicious anger, watching the frail old man on the floor writhe in agony -

"Arthur?"

It was over as quickly as it came. He stood shaking in the darkness, his heart now racing and his scar still tingling. It took him several moments to realise that Mike, David and Chrys were at his side.

"Arthur, you okay?" Mike asked, seeing Arthur's face.

After taking a moment to collect himself, he explained to them what he just saw. And when he finished, David looked horrified and both Mike and Chrys looked concerned.

"I thought that it stopped." Mike said. "You'll have to rely on Occlumency again from now on."

"No." Arthur shook his head, realising how useful these insights can be now. "Dumbledore told me that Voldemort won't bother trying to possess me unless he wants to endure nothing but agony. And seeing what he's doing just might help out."

The three exchanged looks, realising he was right. He just hoped that these didn't happen too often, as it was painful and unbearable.

There's no turning back now. This is the start of the end.