Chapter Twenty-Three

Severus walked into Boudreaux manor, going straight to the sitting room where Remus and Sirius were waiting, along with the rest of the order members.

"She's alive," he announced as he walked in, going to the seat beside Sirius without thought. "I do not know how long that will last if she keeps speaking to him the way that she is, though."

"What do you mean?" Molly asked, confused. "Surely she would know better than to anger him?"

"Doubtful," Sirius let out a snort. "Have you met Adeline? She could look the devil in the eyes and talk back to him."

"I am unaware of the conversation they had when she woke, but she has been moved back to the dungeons for her attitude. Ollivander is down there as well."

"When she woke up?" Remus asked, voice small.

"She was injured when she was brought in. Had a bit of a wand fight before the Dark Lord had shown up. Pettigrew hit her with a rather strong Confundus before she arrived. She had a severe concussion and a broken ankle," Severus explained, watching as Remus stood and paced a bit. "She's healed now. She spoke out against him when she woke and was knocked out before being put in the dungeon. Children, the both of them."

"Well, I'm sure she'll continue provoking him so what do we do?" Sirius asked.

"We rescue her," Remus growled out. "We should leave now, start working on the wards before storming the place."

"We are underprepared," Severus spoke up.

"I don't care!" Remus roared out, facing Severus with bloodshot eyes due to lack of sleep. "I do not care how unprepared we are! We need to get her out of there!"

"You need rest," Severus disagreed. "We can not form a plan if you are barely standing up straight."

"You don't understand," Remus growled, pacing again.

"I understand that the bond that the two of you share is stronger than any bond that anyone else in this room shares, but you are no use to her if you are sleep deprived. Adeline deserves you at your best."

"I can't sleep," Remus admitted, facing the fireplace. "I can feel her through the bond. She's injured and it's hard for her to breath. Something is wrong, Severus."

Severus waved his wand, sending a patronus to Lucius to check Adeline for wounds without speaking out loud. Remus continued pacing back and forth, seeming more and more unhinged as time passed, ranting back and forth with Sirius. Sirius was trying to remain calm, having discovered the plan already due to his connection to Severus and knowing something didn't add up. They had sworn to keep Remus and Adeline out of it, but with how Adeline had been acting, something Sirius had been keeping Severus updated on, Severus was no longer sure that keeping her in the dark had been the best course of action. It was always the two of them deceiving everyone else, not hiding things from one another. Severus worried that, once everything was over, Adeline would never forgive any of them.

Meanwhile, Lucius snuck down to what had once been a wine cellar but had been turned into illegal holding cells. He never thought he would see Adeline in such a condition. She was always so well put together, even in a wand fight. She looked broken on the floor, blood cacked on the side of her head and visible bruising on her arm. He pulled her into his arms, carrying her out of the no-magic bubble in the cell and waved his wand. Skele-Gro was magically placed in her system, along with a mild pain relief and a dizziness draught that would help with the continuing concussion. If she didn't somehow wake up by the end of the night, Lucius would get her out of the manor and to Sirius, sending Narcissa with them for their own protection.

Voldemort was pacing in Lestrange manor, which was empty except for him. Adeline's mind had been stronger than expected and he knew he wouldn't be able to break through, her memories too heavily guarded for him. She had promised him death and war. She knew about the horcruxes. He needed to check on all of them, starting with the cave.

He disappeared, appearing again on a rocky cliff edge, waves rocking against the rocks below. He flew to the opening, grabbing a bird and killing it without hesitation, the blood dripping onto the rock. He flew across the river, not disturbing the water in the process. The scorch marks were his first clue as he began to feel panic rising in his chest. He waved his wand, removing the curse from the podium after a few minutes of work. The potion disappeared and the locket remained behind, except it didn't. This locket had no dark magic residing around it, didn't call out to him like Nagini did. He picked up the locket, opening it to find a note left behind.

'To the Dark Lord. I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was us who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and given it to Adeline, who knows how to destroy it. I face death with the knowledge that, when you meet your match, my sons and wife, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.'

Voldemort let out a roar of anger, causing Harry to fall to his knees and clutch his head.

"Harry!" Aster tried, grabbing Harry's shoulder and trying to bring him back, something only their mum had been able to do in the past. "Harry! Occlude!"

"Mum!" Harry yelled, watching as Voldemort dragged her from a basement by her hair as she yelled in pain.

Adeline tried kicking out, tried fighting back. She wasn't healed enough to get away though, being dragged up the basement stairs or face being scalped by the hold Voldemort had on her. Everyone had been called to Malfoy manor, all kneeling with heads bent as Adeline tried breaking free. Severus, Lucius, Narcissa wearing Peter's face, Fenrir, Thomas, and a few others had to force themselves not to intervene, had to hold themselves still as Adeline was tossed onto the floor in the center of the circle.

She turned, looking up at Voldemort as she propped herself up on her elbows. She saw the locket in his hands and wanted to curse herself for never having gone back for it. The anger on Voldemort's face made her feel defiant as she glared up at him.

"You and your husband," Voldemort hissed. "I should have killed you both ages ago."

The locket was tossed at Adeline and she flinched as it hit her cheek with enough force to leave a bruise behind. She picked the locket up, opening it and finding Reggie's note. She smirked despite herself, looking up at Voldemort with more bravery than fear as she clutched the note in her hand.

"Yes. You should have," she agreed.

"Stand!" Voldemort demanded, tossing Adeline her wand. "We shall end this now!"

Adeline grabbed her wand, Reggie's note magically wrapping around the handle at her request, blood pumping with adrenaline.

"After I kill you, I shall kill everyone in this room who sides with you," he promised and Adeline stood slowly, still shaking from all of her injuries.

Adeline waved her wand over herself, healing a few injuries quickly before looking to Voldemort. She smirked as she curtsied to him, him refusing to bow back. She raised her wand.

Spell fire filled the room, Death Eaters backing away quickly. Spells ricocheted and everyone began running, ducking under the spells. Lucius nodded to Severus and the wards came down. Sirius, Hermione, and Draco snuck into the manor, searching for the snake as they did so. Severus rushed forward, no longer caring about his cover as he protected Adeline from two Death Eaters trying to sneak up on her so the Dark Lord could get the upper hand. Lucius and Narcissa immediately jumped in as well, moving around the room and defending Adeline, the children of Death Eaters moving with them.

Pansy screamed as she shot a killing curse at her own father, protecting Blaise as he protected Theo. Theo raised his wand, lightening forming in the room before it came crashing down, hitting seven Death Eaters and killing them instantly. The three turned then, rushing from the room to help find the snake.

As six people ran through the manor looking for Nagini, Adeline continued fighting. Her left arm was broken and she had blood seeping through a wound on her side, but she couldn't stop now. Reggie had believed in her, had believed in Harry and Aster before they'd even been a year old. She had to fight for him, for Sissy, for James and Lily and Mattheo. Thomas was by her side, fighting Voldemort with her, shocking her when he'd appeared beside her suddenly.

Their movements weren't fluid, but they weren't too fussed as they shot defensive spell after defensive spell, Lucy, Pete, and Sev at their backs and blocked any stray spells. Three of the children had fought valiantly before escaping and Adeline was beyond proud and hoped they'd made it to safety. She thought of Harry, Aster, Draco, Hermione, and Carolyn, them being the reason that she continued to fight.

Voldemort let out an angry yell, knocking everyone back as Hermione used fiendfyre to kill Nagini a few rooms over before Sirius grabbed her and Draco and disappeared. Theo, Pansy, and Blaise apparated away, going to one of the safe houses. Adeline groaned as she opened her eyes, body aching all over. Voldemort stood over her, anger clear on his features as his wand pointed down at her.

"Crucio," he hissed and Adeline was screaming in pain, body convulsing on the floor.

Cracks were heard around the room and Voldemort was thrown across the room by Tiffy. Wobky grabbed Adeline's hand, disappearing with her as others apparated away. Tiffy disappeared, appearing directly beside Adeline and Wobky in the cottage, the others running into the cottage from the woods out back. Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa, who now looked like herself, rushed up the stairs, going straight to Adeline's old room as she continued screaming in pain, having also been splinched on top of her other injuries. Thomas rushed in, pushing through the crowd and giving orders to Wobky and Tiffy, reminding them of Mattheo as he did so.

Potions were forced into Adeline's system, including the one she'd made to heal the effects of the Cruciartis. She slowly began to calm, tears still streaming down her cheeks from the residual pain. Her arm was slowly mending but it would take a few hours for it to be completed, same for her ribs. She wasn't bleeding anymore and a blood replenisher had been administrated. In the midst of her treatment, Severus was treating Mattheo, forcing potions into his system as well. Adeline's breathing slowly began to even out and she sighed, the pain finally calming enough that she could function again.

They conjured mattresses around the cottage and everyone tucked in for the night once all injuries had been healed. Blaise, Pansy, and Theo had joined them at some point, having crawled onto a mattress in the same room as Adeline and fallen asleep together. All of the students and previous Death Eaters ended up moving closer to Adeline after that before everyone was in one room, all basically on top of one another as they fell asleep, a few dreamless sleeps being given by Tiffy and Wobky in the process, the two elves having been informed of the plan by Sirius just as everything had gone wrong.

Harry was laying in his bed, silent tears streaming down his face as Aster listened at the door as Remus screamed at Sirius. Sirius said nothing, letting Remus get it out of his system now that he knew the truth.

"Where is she?" Remus finally demanded.

"She's safe," Sirius tried.

"Where?!" Remus roared.

"She'll be back tomorrow some time," Sirius promised. "Please, Remus. She's healing for the night and then she and the others will join us."

"If you think that I am allowing Fenrir Greyback anywhere near my children, you are sorely mistaken," Remus spat.

"He won't be here," Sirius shook his head. "He and his pack are hiding somewhere else. We're to send word to them if we need help."

"We don't need his help," Remus growled out. "Where is she?"

"I'd like to know that as well," Aster spoke up. "As would Harry if he wasn't in shock from having had to watch out mum being tortured by a crazed dark lord."

"She'll be here tomorrow," Sirius repeated before turning on his heel and walking away.