CHAPTER 12 - Motitus, In D Major (Act 4)
9:53PM
Wringing her hands nervously, House Elf Winky barely repressed her flinches at the sounds of screaming chaos and other acts of violence being wrought just outside the tent's walls.
Her elven cognito-senses had almost immediately sensed the Dark Mark be cast into the sky, its fear-inducing magicks spreading across the entirety of the campsite. It would have been all too easy for her to take down the Mark and stop the Death Eaters in their tracks, but that violated Rules 3, 8, and 17 of the Great Game.
Lar Winky did not wish to suffer the wrath of the High Elven Council of Tal'Dorei for any disobedience, shuddering at the mere possibility.
Plus Barty Sr. had commanded her to stay put until he returned, and in the realm of Terra Firma, her master's word was law.
A chorus of agonized screams jerked Winky out of her reverie, cringing at the bellow of "AVADA KEDAVRA!" that followed. She felt a bit of bile rise, increasing the wringing of her spindly hands to calm her anxiety.
The tent entrance suddenly ruffled as someone entered, causing Winky to scuttle back instinctively…
…Before her forest green eyes widened in recognition of the intruder.
"Young Master?!"
Mr. January - mask tucked within his robes - rubbed his hand across his neck.
"Hi Winky," he replied softly, his mask of Barty Jr.'s shy earnestness snapping into place.
The house-elf made a sound somewhere between a squeal and a sob as she raced to hug the wizard's legs, squeezing him tightly. A flash of disgust flashed across the Death Eater's face, but was quickly cleared away as he tenderly patted the elf on her head.
Per Junior's memories the house-elf was doting and quite protective of him, supervising him whilst he hung around in Castle Crouch's kitchens. She would appear wherever his siblings would get too antagonistic in their dealings with their youngest brother, stopping them before they could do real damage.
Until Magnus, in a pique of jealous cruelty, ordered the house elf to refrain from her actions. As he was Heir Crouch and second-in-line of command, she was obligated to obey him.
Still, she'd warded young Barty's room to ensure that his siblings wouldn't be able to breach his sanctum sanctorum.
"I knew you weren't truly gone young Master, I knew it!" Like the former Lady Crouch she'd been utterly devastated to hear of the young Heir getting arrested and convicted as a Death Eater, unable to fathom the shy and gentle-hearted boy hurting anyone, much less his cousins and even less so with an Unforgivable. The news of his conviction and resulting incarceration in Azkaban had broken both her and the former Mistress' heart, resulting in the latter's untimely death from grief.
"Listen to me Winky." January lowered himself to be eye-level with the elf, whose humongous eyes were slightly glassy with happy tears as she gazed into the young Master's orbs.
"Oh," she whispered after a few quiet moments of staring into his light brown eyes. "You've changed, young master." With that startlingly astute statement, Winky reached forward and cupped his cheek in the manner a mother would her young child.
January flinched in spite of himself, both at the unintended gravitas of the Winky's statement and the gentleness of her touch, actively fighting the urge to toss the elf clear across the tent.
"I need you to do me a favor Winky."
She blinked. "Anything young Master!"
With a convincingly earnest smile, January retrieved a wand.
Specifically a 13⅔-inch rowan wand with dryad hair, the wand of the late Fisnik Demiri that Miss Demeanor murdered to gain access to Bartholomew Janosky in order to reawaken Mr. January.
"This is my friend's wand, I need you to keep it safe for me while I go looking for him with all of… this going on. Please Winky."
The elf looked at him askance. "I'm… I'm really not supposed to have this young sir."
"I know Winky but please , I need your help. Please don't tell anyone I gave that to you and why I did, that's an order. Just between the two of us, yeah?" He stared imploringly, subtly evoking the image of a six-year-old Junior sweetly badgering the elf for more chocolate biscuits before supper.
And like before, Winky was willing to indulge him. She took the wand from his grasp, her Lar cognito-senses registering the rumbling thrum of protective power emanating from the quasi-sentient apparatus.
"...Alright young Master, I'll… I'll keep it safe for you."
A convincingly beaming smile illuminated the wizard's face. "Thank you Winky." He sweetly patted her on the shoulder. "I'm going to go look for him, I should take no more than an hour. You can come to the tent entrance and meet us."
As overly specific as the instructions were, Winky thought nothing of it as it did not technically interfere with the elder Master's instructions.
"Have you seen your father?"
The Ravenclaw slightly stiffened at the question, successfully averting his gaze so as to not alarm the house elf with the expression of rage resulting from the mention of his sire.
"No Winky. I'll… I'll try and find him and make sure he's alright. He'll find his way back."
It was an oddly phrased statement, but Winky didn't quite catch on. She embraced Heir Crouch's legs one final time, registering his passably fond chuckles.
The two bid each other farewell, neither knowing that their paths would never cross again.
At the Same Time…
Averto made quick work of the volley of Furnunculus launched at Auror Trainee Flint by Mr. Zodiac, before a quick right dodge saw him bypass the follow-up Flipendo.
Marcus was once more bewildered at the surprisingly non-lethal spells the Death Eater favored, no more than Second Year hexes and jinxes. It was the exact opposite of his raiders' chosen arsenal, with the Cruciatus and Killing Curses used a few times over. Robards and Yaxley exchanged lethal spellfire with a cadre of four as Rossum and Proudfoot worked to put out the fire on the DMLE tent. The sooner they reestablished their base of operations, the sooner they could corral backup and get down the damned Dark Mark trapping them in the campsite.
Potter, Moody, Tonks, and Chief Auror Varens were not present on account of reporting back to the Auror Department in the Ministry, touching base with Senior Undersecretary Scrimgeour about security logistics as part of Bones' updated operating procedures for the World Cup.
Their colleagues could certainly use their help at the current time.
"COLLOSHOO! INCARCEROUS! STUPEFY!"
Mr. Zodiac parried the first, blocked the second, and dodged the third before retaliating.
With Inflatus, Impedimenta, and Locomotor Wibbly.
Marcus rebuffed the magicks away, growing more suspicious of the Death Eater's antics. It made no sense for a killer to engage an auror (trainee or otherwise) with such juvenile spells, especially given his compatriots much deadlier arsenal. Trainee Flint was increasingly suspicious that the dark wizard was attempting to lull him into a false sense of security, though to what end he did not know.
He bloody well wasn't going to let himself find out either.
A pained cry sounded from Marcus' right, signaling a duo of Bonebreakers connecting with Yaxley's wand arm and right leg. Mactasses and Stupefy followed, sending the unconscious Auror to collapse in a heap on the side of the DMLE tent. The Death Eater turned his attention towards Marcus, unleashing a barrage of Exviscera and modified Flagrante and forcing the younger Flint on the defensive.
He averted most of the magicks but failed to account for a wordless Impedimenta that caused him to stumble, leaving him open to a roar of "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Marcus froze as the soul-cleaving green light raced towards him, not registering the cry of "MUTATIO LOCUS!"
The world momentarily blurred as the position of Marcus' body was magically switched with the foot soldier who'd cast the Killing Curse, ending the latter's life.
That got everyone's attention; Robards froze in disbelief whilst Proudfoot and the remaining raiders goggled.
Two quick Exvisceras quickly felled his own men before Mr. Zodiac disapparated in thick plumes of black smoke.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?! " thundered a wide-eyed Robards, rapidly looking between Marcus, the dead men, and the spot the strange Death Eater once occupied.
"I…" Marcus looked flabbergasted and keenly horrified, voice a little shaky. "I have no bloody idea!"
His reaction temporarily satisfied Robards, but internally Trainee Flint's mind finally clicked on the reason for the bizarrely protective act of the dark wizard.
A dark wizard bearing a ghoulishly sinister ram mask .
' Da …'
In the Champions' Tent…
A sharp CLANG! of reinforced goblin steel meeting orichalcum reverberated through the air as Viktor Krum deflected the Knight-toy's attack, further dodging to the left to avoid being knocked over by the horse's head swing.
Despite the stress one would expect from such a confrontation a big part of Viktor felt excitement at this skirmish, adrenaline causing his blood to pump powerfully through his veins.
The past half hour had been spent facing off against the Knight-toy abominations, and they proved to be a considerable challenge. As expected they were immune to the most destructive spells in their collective arsenal, most glancing off the gleaming orichalcum surfaces.
Branislav even summoned ball lightning strikes with gneva na perun, but that proved to be ineffective as the force from the spell charged up its target, lending it more energy and power to be lethal.
The elder Krum refrained from trying that method again, relying on good old-fashioned swordplay to stave off the metal beastie.
As for the Death Eaters, Galahad ensured they had his full attention by not allowing them to engage with any of the other combatants who already had their hands full facing off against the Knight-toys. Four of the five-person cadre currently laid outside the tent in bleeding heaps due to parsel-enhanced Bonebreakers, Cutters, and Stunners, their wands snapped for good measure. The Knight Commander currently faced off against Mr. Inimicus, utilizing a series of evasive countermeasures in lieu of outright offense to tire the Death Eater out and capture him for interrogation.
Galahad's display was most impressive as all in the tent took notice of his prowess. Ginny was especially amazed at the use of Air and Water-based Wu-Xi-Do, internally goggling at the flawless display of A-Cobra-Awaits-the-Right-Strike .
The adults were amazed at the older wizard's speed and precision, nearly costing Percy and Yahya their heads as they paused to gape at the display. Sirius, Lucius, and Amelia were of a similar mind, knowing Riddle was quite powerful but never having witnessed the man in full combat action.
It was awe-inspiring to say the least.
The children had been commanded by the adults to not interfere as they hunkered behind transfigured steel tranches, wands at the ready just in case. If push got to shove and the adults were overrun by the Knight-toys, they'd ordered them to run for their lives.
Draco was caught between dread and panic, tasking the limits of his Occlumency to keep his heart rate steady and palms from sweating. The idea of losing his father to one of those contraptions was utterly unfathomable, fighting against the bile that accompanied the thought.
He was grateful to have Ginny beside him, though the possibility of her coming to harm was equally distressing. Despite the paleness of her visage the redhead held a stubborn tilt to her jaw and a determined glint in her oak-brown eyes, yew wand gripped in a vice.
Both Slytherins soon registered Anthony whispering under his breath as Justin looked on curiously.
"Care to share with the rest of the class?" quipped Ginny.
The Ravenclaw jerked as though coming out of a stupor. "Oh! Um, sorry about that! Just trying to practice the Inanimation Charm."
"Inanimation Charm?"
Anthony nodded at Justin's question. "Yes, that's right. It's the counter to the Animation Charm, NEWT-level that's usually taught in Sixth Year as part of the Charms lecture. It's considerably rarer since enchantment spells will eventually fizzle out, though that timeline can depend on the caster's strength and relative magical ability. Did you know that-"
"The point?" clipped Heir Malfoy.
"Oh! " The Ravenclaw blushed. "Right, so the incantation is 'Prohiberetotum Locomotor' coupled with this movement." He made sweeping right-to-left motions with his acacia wand, as though pulling something to slow it down.
"...That's a bit of a mouthful." Justin looked a bit unconvinced.
His friend shrugged. "It is, but that's the spell. I figured if we pooled our spells together and cast all at once, we could take out one of those things, or slow it down enough that the adults can
"GAAAAAAH!"
A gut wrenching scream echoed throughout the tent and directed all but Galahad and Inimicus' collective attention to a bleeding Viktor, pinned against a wall by an orichalcum sword plunged through his left shoulder.
"VITYA!" Krasimira's scream was hysterical with pure maternal panic, hazel eyes blown wide in horror as her husband and daughter mirrored her expression.
The knight viciously pulled out the sword, dripping crimson blood. It skillfully hefted the blade to deliver the killing blow right into the Bogatyr's chest.
The blade descended…
…Right into Krasimira's heart.
"MAMO! NOOOO!"
Galahad's head snapped at Heir Krum's guttural bellow, as did most of the tent's occupants.
The younger wizard gaped in abject horror as his wide-eyed mother choked and gurgled blood, flopping like a ragdoll as the sword was pulled from her body. Branislav and Iskra mimicked Viktor's reaction, the latter unleashing a maelstrom of wandless lightning strikes against the automaton as she screamed in a homicidal rage, successfully reorienting its attention towards her. Galahad's brief distraction gave Inimicus a much needed opening to apparate away to safety.
"HELP!" thundered Viktor, completely uncaring of his own grievous injury. "PLEASE!"
His cries were answered by Galahad rushing to his mother's side, dropping to a kneel to softly cradle her head in lap. A strangely melodious spell Viktor couldn't understand flowed from the wizard's lips:
"VULNERA SsSsSANENTUR … VULNERA SsSsSANENTUR … VULNERA SsSsSANENTUR …"
The Bogatyr goggled as spell's effects; the first slowed the flow of blood back into his mother's body, the second cleared the bloody residue, and the third fully knit her wounds, closing the horrendously gaping hole with nary a scar. The Knight traced his wand over the still unconscious witch's neck, registering the threadiness of her pulse.
"PARVA IMPULSsSA ELECTRICA!" Yew tapped against the witch's heart, causing her body to gently jolt. A gentle Ventus Deorsum was cast in her slightly open mouth as he performed the Shock Spell, repeating the makeshift CPR technique thrice.
Madame Krum suddenly and sharply inhaled a great gasp of air, eyes jerking wide open in shock as she resumed consciousness.
"Blagodarya…" she whispered, clasping her savior's hand tightly. He smiled before directing her to down two potions, both of which brought more color to the witch's cheeks and helped ease the lingering pain around her chest.
Viktor repeated the sentiment, sagging mercifully as Galahad repeated the healing spell to fix his wounded shoulder. A pale-faced Branislav slumped in relief at the sight of his wife and son made whole. Iskra had yet to notice, still too busy trying to wandlessly fry her mother's attacker to a metal crisp.
"Um… not to break up the moment there… BUT WE COULD USE SOME BLOODY HELP-GAH!"
Lord Black was sent sailing into the wall by his opponent Knight-toy, taking the hit meant for Minister Bones and allowing the witch to scramble back to safety.
It was the perfect opportunity for Draco, Ginny, Justin, and Anthony to cry out "PROHIBERETOTUM LOCOMOTOR!" at the attacking automaton. It shivered as the spells impacted, but unlike before, it actually slowed down! The fivesome cast the spell again, pumping more of their magic into the charm. The Knight-toy continued to slow down, looking as though it were moving in slow-motion. They repeated the spell again, causing the object's movement to crawl to a near infinitesimal pace. They sagged backwards after the third try, feeling the collective drain on their cores.
"EVERYONE!" commanded Bones with aid of a Sonorous . "REPEAT THE SPELL, AT LEAST TWO TO A TARGET!"
They followed her instructions, watching with amazement as the metal beasties slowly but surely found their movements hindered, though their orichalcum constitution certainly didnt make them vulnerable to an outright destructive attack.
Regardless, the magicals' luck finally seemed to be turning.
Naturally, Mr. Inimicus chose that exact moment to apparate in and roar "AVADA KEDAVRA!", dropping almost a dozen acid-green rubber ducks before rapidly disapparating away.
The soul-cleaving eldritch green light raced dead-center towards Bones, who froze at the sight. She registered another body grabbing and shielding her form, allowing the spell to impact his form.
It was Minister Oblansk, now dead.
The Bogatyr hadn't even hesitated.
Amelia and the Krums stared in matching horror at the man's act of self-sacrifice, mimicked by the others who stared in varying degrees of dismay.
Until Galahad's cry of "EVERYONE GET OUT, NOW! " caught their attention. The Knight Commander recognized the Toymaker's duck-bombs, and about a dozen of their number spelled a catastrophic explosion that would certainly kill them all.
Only he could stop it.
"Tom… what the-"
"No time for arguments Yahya! ALL OF YOU GET OUT, THIS INSTANT! " He jerked at his uncle-in-law's volume, taken aback by the fact that Tom was actually yelling , something he'd bever witnessed the older wizard do.
Quickly nodding Heir Kolumbiko turned and cast Diffindo at the tent, Percy coming to his right and mimicking his movement. The two wizards created just enough of an opening that would allow for a quick exit.
Lucius practically barked at Draco and Justin to get moving, the two dragging Ginny and Anthony with them as Andrew followed behind. Once his sister exited Percy took his leave, perceiving a strange beeping emitted from the acid-green ducks as their eyes began to glow.
Viktor marched over to the corpse of Minister Oblansk, applying the Featherlight Charm before hefting the man over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Together the Krums made their exit, followed by Sirius and Amelia. Lord Black chanced a last look back, wondering if this would be the last time he would ever see Riddle.
The thought made him profoundly sad.
At the last departure Galahad took a deep breath, lightly dilating his perception.
"VENTUSsS SsSURSsSUM!"
Small cradles of air formed under the bombs, cushioning the duckies but not jostling them so they wouldn't unceremoniously implode. He'd learned the hard way from the previous war that disturbing the objects when they activated absolutely spelled disaster.
Most of the spells in his considerable arsenal would not work against the infernal creations.
But there were always exceptions to the rule.
" ASsSHA HENESsS SsSEWEN SsSEWESsSEKH! "
Yew vibrated with the force of the Apophic Parseltongue spell, the very air becoming charged with the weight of the serpentine syllables slashing through the air.
The snakey parselrunes on the Knight-toys shields shivered , before they unfurled from their ouroboros formations and resumed quiescence. The toys began to audibly groan and creak as they bent in half, their full forms blurring from solid into something more liquid. He pumped more power into the Parselfiguration spell, watching with grim satisfaction as the liquefied orichalcum moved to encase the ducks in a makeshift dome.
It was perfect timing as the bombs were glowing, primed to explode.
"WEMET HESsS SsSUHET!"
The dome hardened into a protective shell just as the duck bombs exploded. Their combined concussive force caused an audible thunk-thunk-thunk of debris to clang into the dome.
It went on for almost a minute until the sounds stopped.
"NEDJESsS SsSUHET!"
The golden dome began shrinking, compressing in on itself as it contracted to become smaller and smaller. It finally condensed into a small orb that was sent sailing into Galahad's hand with a sharp flick of yew. He couldn't help but marvel at the sphere of pure solid orichalcum, at once light and heavy.
He deposited it into his inner robes pocket as he assessed his surroundings. He couldn't reveal exactly how he'd transfigured the Knight-toys and overcome the duck-bombs without risking a court-martial and possible Azkaban sentence, Galahad quickly got to work transfiguring the steel trenches into passable doubles for the automatons. Wayward silverware quickly blurred into acid-green ducks, spelled to look identical to Erasmus' creations, followed by a few choice spells that slowly eroded the Wizardspace charms.
Parsel-enhanced Vestamentarum, Impervius, and Sanuspirantes shielded Riddle's form.
In a flash, he cried out " BOMBARDA MAXxXxXxXIMA! "
From the outside, the enraptured audience watched with wide eyes as the tent imploded . Instead of the ensuing debris exploding outward, it all contracted into a tight ball, accompanied by the sound of a loud vacuum. Another loud explosion sounded as the tent once more expanded then collapsed.
"Sweet Circe above! " exclaimed Lord Parkinson. The others were of a similar mind as they goggled in varying degrees of alarmed amazement.
"...He… He couldn't possibly have survived that ?!"
Yahya flinched at Justin's statement, coils of despair curling in his gut at the possibility. Despair bloomed into dread upon realizing that he'd have to explain to his Aunt Libby that her husband died bravely giving up his life for them.
'Oh Athanasia…' The baby adored her father and was very attached to him, how the hell was he going to explain this?!
Heir Kolumbiko's distressing thoughts were halted at the sudden and strange sight of an earthen groove racing from the tent towards them. They all tensed as the adults readied their wands…
…Until the earth erupted like a geyser to reveal Tom!
The man turned in a graceful somersault before landing firmly on his feet, sharp sweeps of his wand clearing away the dirt and returning his visage to its standard pristine form. He loudly popped his Bubblehead Charm, brow quirking in amusement as he took note of his gawking audience.
"How in Nimue's left tit did you do that?!" Sirius looked completely flabbergasted.
Tom snorted out a laugh. "A bit of this and a bit of that. Best not try that at home." He winked and slashed his wand in the direction of a wayward tarp, ensuring his Labias Obscuras spell was still in effect.
"ENGORGIO. IMPERVIUSsS. LEVIOSsSO LOCOMOTOR. SsSsSAMUNNAM!"
As was the theme the others gaped at the unknown spells' effects, though Ginny's eyes grew wide in excitement.
"Did you just make a magic carpet?!" The youngest Weasley exclaimed excitedly at the hovering apparatus, eliciting a fond eye roll from Draco and a barking laugh from Sirius.
"Not quite," Tom gently responded. "But close enough. This will ferry all of you to the Liaison Program's tent, about 100 yards due south. You will be granted entrance so long as you register your magical signature in the sign-in book. There will be plenty of accommodations to settle in until that blasted Dark Mark is taken from the sky." He turned to a slightly dazed Amelia. "I can assume it's a cardinal ward scheme configuration surrounding the site?"
" Oh! Yes!" And with that she launched into a brief explanation on the warding structure the DMLE used to safeguard the campsite. "The principal node is at the Primary Portkey Point of Entrance." She nodded due east. "It's also the most elevated point of the site, so you'll have a better vantage." Her expression turned calculating. "How will you get there? And how do you propose you get that Mark down?"
In response to her first question, he pulled out his miniaturized Air Wave Gold dangling from an Unbreakable chain, casting a specialized expansion charm that returned the broom to standard form. The eyes of Ginny, Draco, and Sirius widened almost comically.
"As for your second question… I'll figure it out when I get there."
"I should come with you," stated Amelia. "I can send another Patronus missive to get a status update from Scrimgeour and Umbridge, provide backup defense, and-"
"Sorry m'am," interjected Sirius as he moved to stand directly between the pair. "You'll be coming with us to safety."
Madam Bones visibly ruffled. "I am the Minister of Magic, Auror Black and I will not cower in the midst of this crisis-"
"This is not cowering Madam." Sirius sounded uncommonly resolute, straightening to his full height to tower over Amelia. "This is following the necessary protocol outlined in the Declarative Decrees of the Establishment Treatises of the Ministry of Magic , specifically Clause 12 of Decree Three that states the Sitting Minister of Magic must seek immediate protective shelter in the midst of an enemy siege. As the seniormost and sole Auror accompanying you, it is my duty to act as your Sentry and do all in my power to protect you. We've already lost one Minister today madam, let's not add another."
Minister Bones could only gape, mouth slightly open. The others were equally gobsmacked that the notoriously playful man could be so authoritative, whilst the others (mainly Lucius and Tom) were amazed at his knowledge of bureaucratic statutes, enough to cite them verbatim.
Another moment passed before Amelia nodded, boarding the makeshift magic carpet as Sirius followed closely behind. The others soon proceeded, crouching down low to ensure everyone could comfortably fit.
"Ayde machkay, Lord Gaunt!"
Tom smiled at the chorus of Branislav and Viktor's statement as he replied with "Do skoro!", earning matching nods of respect from father and son. With a deep breath Galahad resumed control, casting a Parsel-enhanced Protego Orbis at the floating carpet.
Eyes widened as a partial protective dome sprang around them, making them resemble a giant-sized snowglobe. Another flick sent them on their way to the Program's tent.
Satisfied, Galahad mounted his broom and took off due east.
1000 Feet in the Air…
"AAAAAHHHH! "
Sheer panic was the only emotion Jim could process as he screamingly hurtled to his death.
It was nothing like flying on a broom, knowing there was the safety of an apparatus completely under his control that allowed him to maneuver the skies unencumbered by the potential death trap gravity posed. He peripherally heard his brother screaming his name, though that soon stopped.
Jim's logical mind was not in control, certainly not enough to calm down enough to cast an Arresto Momentum to slow his descent. Pure animal instinct took over, causing his rational mind to go completely blank as he desperately wished he could stop falling to his death.
And in that ironic moment of complete terror-induced calm, Heir Potter's magic formed an unbreakable psychic tether with the Animagus-within whom, after months of mandrake tea and meditations, had been waiting for his human half to awaken him.
In a blink, a shrieking Jim Potter blurred as his human body twisted and reshaped into a distinctly avian form, ink-black feathers erupting to cover transformed flesh and allowing the Animagus to blend into the night.
"BRRRRUUUWWCCK!"
The raven thrust its powerful wings as he smoothly sailed the air, impulse driving him in the direction of the forest. He was flying at around 500 feet above the ground, his perfect night-vision absorbing the sights and sounds below. The former was especially dizzying, the landscape awash in colors his human-self would never be able to describe to anyone else.
He chanced a glance at the Dark Mark above, releasing a gurgling croak at the chilling sight his psychopomp-aspect revealed.
Finally reaching the forest line he settled into a high branch of a large oak tree, surveying his surroundings. The details of all the chaos was even more intense due to the raven-vision and excellent sense of hearing, registering a handful of pale-white specters hunched over their corpses.
A deafening scream of "CHARLIE NOOOOO! " broke the bird's reverie, redirecting its attention. A bruised-face matronly redhead stood protectively in front of a group of terrified schoolchildren, watching with an anguished expression as a powerfully-built redhead man clutched at his bleeding side, nonetheless maintaining his fierce one-on-one duel with a Death Eater in a half-cracked ghoulish sheep mask.
Memories of his human counterpart supplied the animagus with the names 'Molly' and 'Charlie', coupled with a uniquely penetrating urgency to find and help them.
The raven immediately took flight in that direction, reaching his destination in no time.
"KRRRAAAA!" was the only forewarning Mr. Zodiac's foot soldier received, visible eye widening as winged death descended upon him with a vengeance. The bird viciously pecked, scratched, and swiped at his face with its beak and talons, drawing blood and screams. The dark wizard tried to retaliate with his wand, but an audible thwack from the raven's wand knocked the object away as it continued its relentless assault.
Anchoring its talons to the shrieking man's chest, the bird's beak latched on to the open eyeball and with considerable force, pulled it out of the man's head.
"AAARRGGHHH! " Blood spurted from the open hole as the raven spat the bloody orb out, immediately taking flight to land in front of a gaping Molly and her charges as the Death Eater flailed about.
Charlie shook off his disgusted gawking to cry out "INCARCEROUS! STUPEFY!", sneering in satisfaction as barbed ropes wrapped around the dark wizard before he was knocked out cold and flung some feet away.
The dragon keeper turned to the direction of the raven, cautiously approaching the creatures as he cradled his bleeding side. Once close enough he noted the bird's uncommonly green orbs and the circular markings that resembled eyeglass frames. Even stranger was the contrasting V-shaped mark amidst its crest.
"Jim?!"
The raven made a series of croaks and clicks in acknowledgement, wings lightly fluttering.
Molly's head snapped in the bird's direction, mouth dropping.
With a pained grunt, Charlie dropped to his knees to bring himself eye-level with the Animagus.
"Can you change back?" The creature's head tilted to the side as it considered the redhead's question.
"That's it," continued Charlie gently. "Focus within…find the string… focus on it…take hold of it….imagine yourself at its front and the raven at its end…"
The raven's eyes narrowed as it focused on following the wizard's instructions, and in a blink the bird blurred back into the Boy-Who-Lived.
A completely naked Boy-Who-Lived.
"GAH! " Jim rushed to cover his exposed bits, face red in embarrassment. He was saved from further humiliation as Molly draped a transfigured robe over his person. The witch then proceeded to hug the stuffing out of the boy, muttering a breathless "thank you! " as she squeezed him tightly.
Naturally Charlie's body chose that exact moment to shut down, face whitening as he collapsed.
100 Feet in the Air…
The explosive sounds of a Reducto some feet away jerked Lord Wilkes into consciousness, blinking dazedly for a few moments before realizing that he was to be an impending bloody splat on the ground.
"SSSSSSHITE!"
Gripping his broom Harry jerked upwards with a sharp grunt, narrowly avoiding crashing into a still-flaming tent. He was peripherally amazed that he hadn't fallen off his broom when he'd lost consciousness, thanking the gods for his muscle memory.
Pushing his Firebolt upwards Lord Wilkes took a few moments to assess his surroundings whilst lightly Dilating, alert for any wayward spells that would once more cause him to lose consciousness. He belatedly thought of the prototype broom his Ancient Runes research team created a few months prior, rather useful given the current situation.
"POINT ME JIM POTTER." Holly spun for a few seconds before landing due northwest. He rapidly turned in that direction, hoping he wouldn't find the mangled remains of his twin splattered against the ground.
Unbidden, the memory of him mocking his brother during his inaugural Quidditch match against Slytherin popped in his mind, recalling his churlish taunts of his twin "splattering all over the turf like a sack of overripe tomatoes".
Cringing Lord Wilkes continued his pursuit, keeping a keen eye on the direction of his wand.
About 50 yards away from his intended target, Harry registered a distinct thudding of hooves that alerted him to the presence of a Knight-toy closing in on his right.
He slipped into a Sloth-Grip Roll at the exact moment an orichalchum sword sliced through the space where his head previously occupied. He lapsed his Dilation and reoriented his form, only realizing that he failed to account for the animatron's hooves as they rear-kicked him off his Firebolt.
Both boy and broom were sent sailing, the latter landing a good six feet behind its owner. Harry was able to use The-Windmill-Turns-Steady kata to land in a graceful cartwheel and not break any major bones. He unholstered his wand once straightened:
"LABIASsS OBSsSCURASsS." He was grateful his mother had taught him the spell in their recent training sessions. He would need every possible advantage in facing off against a veritably unkillable machine.
The horse's thunderous neigh directed Harry's attention as it raced towards him, the knight's sword hefted in the jousting position.
"IMMOBULUSsSsS!" The holly apparatus visibly shuddered with the force of the Freezing Charm, but it had little effect.
"SSSHITE!"
Mactasses, Glacius, and Expulso followed in rapid succession, but the parsel-enhanced spells yielded no effect.
THUMP.
Harry successfully leapt out of the sword's way, putting some necessary distance between himself and the increasingly pissed off Knight-toy.
Thinking fast, he aimed his wand low and incanted "INCARCcCEROUSsS!"
Thick serpentine ropes bound out of his wand and wrapped around the horses' hooves, causing the entire thing to trip and keel over.
"SsSYRTESsS! "
The ground transformed into quicksand, rapidly dragging the flailing animatron downward. Once completely submerged Harry thrust his wand downward, tip in the ground:
"DURO MAXxXxXIMA!"
Solid rock sprang from the wand's end and raced towards his sand trap, transfiguring the entire thing into a large flat-rock surface that resembled a lake forged of stone.
Prince Potter took a few moments to catch his breath, slightly slumped over from the exertion of his last spell. He quickly ingested a Pepper-Up, tucking the refilled phial back into his inner robes' pocket. He was halfway to his Firebolt when he registered a strange sound.
It was the distinct rumbling of displacing earth, creating a thick groove that raced towards his direction. The ground exploded as the Knight-toy burst forward in a fury, rearing its front legs to viciously kick at the horrified boy. Though he couldn't avoid the attack, Harry had enough wherewithal to tuck himself into A-Resting-Tortoise as he was sent sailing into the trees of the adjacent forest line.
The 4th Step Water Kata allowed the Slytherin to collide somewhat gently with a tree trunk, though the impact from the orichalcum horse's hooves broke his left clavicle and upper left arm.
"Uugghh," he groaned, grateful for his Occlumency repressing the bulk of his capacity to feel the lancing pain from his broken bones.
'...Next time,' he thought as he painstakingly applied first aid. 'I'll listen to the bloody match on the Wireless!'
9:57PM
A sharp slash of aspen deflected the trio of Bonebreakers hurtling Tyrfing's way, having to duck and further dodge at the modified Incarcerous that flung barbed ropes at his form. The edge of his robes ever so slightly brushed against the blue-black flames of the Protego Diabolica circle, disintegrating upon impact.
It'd been an unexpectedly intense battle, and Tyrfing was starting to regret his decision at engaging this infuriatingly skilled opponent. The bevy of injuries he possessed was a testament to that; at least five fractured ribs, a bludgeoned and bloody face with half his mask missing, and a series of deep cuts to his left calf and upper right arm that were just shy of excruciating.
His only satisfaction was that he'd dealt damage to the witch; a broken left clavicle, singed forehead courtesy of an Acid Hex, black eye, busted lip with two missing teeth, and multiple still-bleeding cuts over her chest and arms courtesy of Hrod. The combination of a Blood Poisoning Hex and Anti-Healing Jinx imbued in the blade would infect the witch if she didn't apply first aid soon.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" he bellowed, and without waiting for the spell to connect he raced towards the witch in a running leap, Hrod hefted in Vom Tag to deliver the killing blow.
The witch merely blinked before doing something… unexpected.
She tossed her sword and wand over Tyrfing's head, allowing the Disarming Charm to impact her form with no effect. Bradamante then took off in a slight run before seamlessly bending her form backwards in Gliding-On-the-Breath-of-Zephyr , peripherally amused by the look of shocked disbelief on the Death Eater's face as she slid right under him, landing at his back. In an instant she caught her weapons midair and plunged her sword.
Right into Tyrfing's left buttock.
"AAARRRGGHH!"
A guttural scream tore from his lips as he stumbled forwards, horrified at both the act and the resulting pain.
The Knight continued her assault with three more slashes against his back and once more against his already injured calf, drawing another agonized shriek.
"DEPULSsSO!"
The still-screaming Death Eater was sharply buffeted away into the Protego Diabolica boundary. Just as he were to be incinerated by the flames he transformed into plumes of black smoke, apparating away to safety.
The witch maintained her defensive stance for a few moments, ensuring that she wouldn't be caught unaware should the Death Eater make an unexpected return. Satisfied that he was gone, Bradamante planted her sword before dropping to both knees to apply first aid. Biognosis categorized her injuries, allowing her to take stock of exactly where and how deep Hrod's cuts were.
"CARPE SsSsSANGUISsSsS DIMITISsS!"
Her fellow Slytherins and not-Yvette watched enraptured as the blood from her cuts flowed outward from her body, twisting in snakey lines at the movement of her wand before every last drop was magically Vanished. A phial of murtlap essence levitated from her inner robes and uncorked itself, sharp flicks of willow spreading the solution over her wounds. Additional first-aid healed her black eye and temporarily mended all broken bones, though Skele-Gro would absolutely be on the menu after the night's fiasco.
Once healed, she ingested Blood Replenishers and something called 'Concoction No. 14' to combat any lingering poison from the cursed blade. Pepper-Up followed, the witch lightly wincing at the steam coming out of her ears.
"EVANESsSCO!"
The Dark-Fire Shield dissipated with an audible WHOOSH! Rising, Bradamante grabbed her sword and ventured over to her enraptured audience.
"Alright there?"
Lady Greengrass rapidly blinked out of her stupor. " Yeah … yeah we're alright!" She turned to the girls and not-Yvette, who all nodded past varying degrees of gaping amazement at witnessing the depth of the redhead's skill against the infamous Lance of the Dark Lord.
"Good," replied the Knight. "The Liaison Program's tent is just over there." She gestured to the still-standing tent about fifty yards away, resembling a beacon amidst all the burning havoc. "Get in and hunker down until such a time we get that ," she gestured towards the Dark Mark "out of the sky."
"Sounds like a plan," nodded Winnie. "Hang on, where are you going?"
"To find my sons." A few swishes of willow created a holster for her sword. Reaching down her shirt she removed a miniaturized Nimbus 2000 broom on an Unbreakable chain, canceling its specialized Shrinking Charm. Once mounted she cast two Point Me spells, pleased that her sons were in the same direction.
Hopefully they were huddling together safe from the filthy Death Eaters and those blasted toys.
"Go, now."
And without waiting for a response, Bradamante took off to rescue her boys.
At the Same Time…
By some miracle, a partially healed Healer Tonks gathered enough of her wits to bellow "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" in the direction of a madly cackling Miss Ann Thorpe's Fiendfyre.
Silvery light poured from the hawthorn apparatus, resolving into an octopus !
The many arms of her corporeal protector began grappling with the daemonic-faced flames that formed amidst the fire, causing them to recoil. By her side Molly gasped at the effects, though a small part of her literary-loving mind found some amusement in a witch named 'Andromeda' having a sea-creature for a patronus.
The Hufflepuff registered the Slytherin groaning and grunting from the exertion, face pale with visible beads of sweat dotting her brow and neck as both hands shook. Despite her efforts the flames began encircling their position as they grew upwards to the ceiling, intent on consuming their target.
"We've got to stop the fire!"
Andy grunted. "C-c-can't," she panted, rapidly blinking as sweat slid past her eyes. "Only the…F-Flame-Freezing Charm works. Needs to be cast b-b-by three. H-has to be m-maintained for… for at least f-five minutes. Cools down t-the fire long enough…f-for…an overpowered…Extinguishing C-C-C-C-Charm!"
And with that final declaration Healer Tonks dropped to her knees and slumped over, utterly spent. Her patronus dissipated as her pale-faced and shivering form was half-cradled by Molly. The younger witch could only watch in horror as the accursed flames surged forth to consume them.
They were going to die.
Instinctive panic at her impending demise warred with a profound sadness in both witches at their incoming doom, the faces of their loved ones swimming to the forefront of their respective minds.
The flames were inches away…
BOOOOOOM!
BANG!
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" "STUPEFY!"
With widened eyes the Healers watched as the debris blocking the lifts was blasted apart, revealing a five-person Auror squad accompanied by The Voice of the Unspeakables!
Potter and Moody cast their patronuses that intercepted the fire set on consuming Molly and Andy, allowing for Varens, Tonks, and McManners to cast the Flame-Freezing Charm to get rid of the roiling flames altogether.
As for Saul he immediately engaged Miss Ann Thrope, who was startled at both the speed and lethality of the Unspeakable spells, an unyielding barrage of nonverbal Lacero, Mactasses, Confractus, and to her mild horror, Flagrante.
A former two-time Aurum Champion of the European Dueling League Croaker had never lost his edge, deftly ducking, dodging, and parrying Miss Ann's retaliatory magicks whilst forcing the witch into a corner.
A cry of "PEREDO HORRIBILIS!" at face-level was Thrope's last resort, disappearing in plume of black smoke as the modified Acid Hex raced through the space the Death Eater's head previously occupied.
It was perfect timing as a joint cry of " IGNEMERE TOTALUM! " sounded out. The Aurors maintained the spell for a full minute before the remaining inferno of Fiendfyre was extinguished with a loud WHOOSH!.
"MUM!"
Trainee Tonks raced to her mother's side, expertly vaulting herself over the makeshift dome to get to the witch.
"Blimey! What the hell happened here?!" Tonks' eyes were comically wide, taking up half her face thanks to her metamorphmagic abilities.
"I'm fine poppet," replied Andy, tenderly cupping her daughter's cheek as the younger witch hugged her tightly. A slight hiss escaped the Slytherin at her injuries, causing Tonks' eyes to widen as she began profusely apologizing for jostling her. Molly continued her healing efforts, methodically tracing her hawthorn wand over Andy's back.
"I don't have any potions left," lamented Healer Hooper.
"Here," Croaker thrust his own into the witch's hand.
Nodding gratefully she dispersed the potions to the Slytherin witch, peripherally registering Croaker applying healing magicks to Missy's semiconscious form.
"Tonks! With me! NOW!"
Nymphadora jerked at the sound of Mad-Eye's voice.
"Go dear, I'll be fine." Andy smiled encouragingly at her daughter, who lightly grimaced in response before joining her mentor's side. Together with McManners, the trio cast Defodio Maxima to take out the debris blocking the hallway to the Dai Llwelyn ward, mimicked by James and Jerome for the Emergency Ward's blockade.
The Voice poured a few potions down Missy's slightly open gullet, her form finally relaxing as she settled into a deep sleep.
"Here, drink these." He handed Molly and Andy Rejuvenation Draughts, watching with a gimlet eye as they quickly downed them. Satisfied, he began emergency triaging on Andy's half-healed wounds on her upper arm and back. The witch sagged in relief as the skin was mended, further sagging at the cooling sensation of the Burn-Healing Paste spread across the remnant wounds.
"Reinforcements are on their way, there has been a similar attack at the Quidditch World Cup campsite." The Healers' eyes goggled in matching horror at Saul's statement. "Aurors are stretched a bit thin at the moment, but at least the Dark Mark is down here so backup can actually apparate in and out as needed."
Plus Twenty-Six and Seventy-Eight were currently patrolling the hospital's perimeter, and neither was something a Death Eater, regardless of their breadth of dark magic, would want to face off against.
A minute later the aurors succeeded in breaching the respective blockades, only to be greeted by the booming cry of Senior Healer Finlay Prewett echoing from the Dai Llewellyn ward:
"TIME TAE DIE YE BUGGERIN' DEATH MUNCHIN' SCUM! REDUCTO!"
10:03PM
Though he loathed to admit it, even to himself, Harry was flagging in strength.
Every bit of magic and trick he knew up his sleeve seemed to be futile against the infuriatingly impenetrable orichalcum creation.
Even Levicorpus didn't work, causing the object to merely shudder whilst remaining upright.
None of his most destructive spells had worked either, and Prince Potter was nearing the end of his rope in terms of patience and strength. Attempts to summon his Firebolt were blocked by the Knight-toy physically placing itself in the way, thus preventing him from accessing his broom.
His last feasible option was a bit mad, but he was getting desperate to get the hell away from this thing. Casting the Featherlight Charm on his shoes, Harry crouched down low and took off in a running leap.
THUMP.
From his dilated perspective Harry first landed near the rear of the horse, using the resulting momentum and greater height advantage to leap into one of the adjacent tree branches, holding on tight to prevent
He turned to see an orichalcum sword mere inches from gouging out his eye, and Harry momentarily forgot to breathe at his impending demise…
…Until a sharp CLANG! of metal hitting metal as Bradamante's sword intercepted that of the Knight-toy, diverting the attack.
"MUM! "
"HARRY! Stay up there!"
She successfully parried the automaton backwards and reholstered the sword, just as willow flashed in a Parseltongue Incarcerous and Colloshoo. It was proceeded by the Inanimation Charm, slowing the automaton down.
Willow snapped up as Lily hissed a strange spell, one that made the hairs on Harry's neck stand. He didn't recognize the magic at all, though his eyes widened at the effects as the Knight-toy's joints locked and snapped, before it shivered and blurred into a liquid-like mass that slowly condensed into a small orb. A sharp "ACcCIO!" sent it sailing into Bradamante's hand, who paused to admire her work.
"...How the bloody hell did you manage that?!" he exclaimed, jumping down from the tree to come to the witch's side.
She smirked. "Magic." She dropped the object in her inner robes' pocket. With a deep breath the Knight receded as Lily came to the fore. She immediately hugged the stuffing out of her son as she fussed over him, shoving more potions down his gullet as she cast diagnostic charms. She frowned at the results.
"...Lots of first aid?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "Couldn't help it. Mum, we need to get to Jim he fell off my broom whilst we were midair-"
"I found Jim already, he's safe with the Weasleys. Poor Charlie got caught with an Organ Liquefying Curse, poor bloke had his appendix dissolved. He should be fine, but he'll need to spend a night in St. Mungo's. We all bloody do at this point." She paused before her eyes widened, brain clicking over her son's statement. "Hang on a mo'... what do you mean he fell off your broom midair?! What the hell happened?!"
Lord Wilkes winced. "I'll tell you later, c'mon! We need to go find the others!" He quickly summoned his Firebolt and mounted, his scowling mother mounting hers. The conversation was far from over but now was neither the time nor place.
As one, mother and son boarded the brooms and took off, following the direction of Lily's Point Me. The witch suddenly froze, visage slightly dumbfounded as she gazed straight ahead. Harry paused and narrowed his eyes, activating the zoom feature of his glasses.
It was his turn to gape. "Is… is that tree walking?! With them in it?!"
Exactly Three Minutes Earlier…
Despite the occasional twitch from Cruciatus exposure, Theo was somewhat grateful to be above ground. He, Hermione, and a somewhat recovered Neville were crouched within the branches of a rather mighty oak, trying to catch their breath and avoid any more clashes with Death Eaters.
Hermione was rather pale, still reeling from the events of a few minutes prior. The Death Eater she'd electrocuted was certainly dead, his body still smoking some feet away. The witchling's hands visibly shook, though there weren't any tears thanks to the occludic mantras she'd been mentally repeating since having to heal Neville.
She'd cried out in audible relief when he'd come to, crushing Heir Longbottom in one of her signature Hermione embraces, the boy wincing at being jostled. But nonetheless pleased to have his friend back. Theo had somewhat stabilized at this point thanks to a plethora of healing potions Lily demanded he kept with him at all times, sharing his stash with his two friends. It was his turn to suffer one of the witch's hugs, though he wasn't complaining.
Following Neville's lead they cast Featherlight Charms on their shoes and hauled up the tree, their current holdout point.
"We can't stay here forever, we're sitting ducks."
"Ducks aren't so bad, you know." Hermione's voice sounded reedier than usual. "Besides, we're safe up here."
"True, but for how long?" supplied Neville, gingerly bracing himself against the branch. "Harry and Jim are still out there, we're no closer to finding them still hunkered up here."
Granger's eyes widened. "Merlin, you don't think they're-" she choked before she could finish her sentence, clutching Theo's hand like a lifeline as she once more fought the urge to burst into tears.
"Where do you reckon they are?" asked Neville quietly, peeking through the leaves
"Dunno, I'm not sure… Blimey Theo you idiot!"
And with that declaration he unholstered his wand and cast Point Me Spells for Harry, Lily, and Jim. "Looks like Harry and Lily are in the same direction, so fingers-crossed they're together. Jim is close by, so all three might be together. There's strength in numbers and we'll all be safer from the Death Eaters and whatever else is out there "
"Can we get to them?"
"Not sure Mione. I have a broom but it can only hold two, not three passengers. Don't suppose you have an extra Nimbus on you, Neville?"
The boy shook his head in the negative, though he keenly assessed the tree they were hidden in.
"Well we can't just stay here while they're there! What do we do?!" The reedy lilt was back in Hermione's voice, causing Theo to squeeze her hand a little tighter to give her something else to focus on instead of delving into a full-blown panic attack.
"...I think I know how."
And to his two friends' matching shock, Neville unholstered his wand and slashed at both palms with a light Diffindo.
"Neville?! What on earth are you-?!"
"Shush. Can't talk Mione. Need to concentrate for this to work."
He braced both bloody palms against the tree's trunk, mentally envisioning its intricate vascular system from its many rings, cambium, sapwood, heartwood, and the many vessels of its roots. Not only that, he could sense its anima - its need for water and sun, its delight at the unseen wind ruffling through its many leaves, its pleasure at its roots so deeply entwined with the earth, and its potential as a wand wood tree, thanks to its position above the small fissure of the Trimontium ley line.
Just as keenly he felt its desire to protect the one who sought its refuge as it sensed the life force freely given to it. Theo and Hermione's eyes widened as the boy's blood soaked into the tree , soon followed by a peculiar thrum that made the hairs on the necks and arms stand.
For Hermione, it was uncannily similar to the sensation she'd experienced when witnessing Pandora Lovegood's mad ritual to summon the Wild.
Neville continued his efforts, eyes closed shut in concentration as the gravelly croak of Lumpen sounded in his head, memories of their sessions in the family's many greenhouses swimming to the surface of his mind:
" It's in your blood, young Master. The magic of everyone born of Longbottom blood is innately connected to the earth. It's Arboramancy, as old as Haematurgy and just as powerful. It's why magical and non-magical horticulture comes so easily to Longbottoms and only Longbottoms." The elf's tone had turned conspiratorial as his partially milky gray eyes stared rather lucidly into Neville's own. "How else could you explain being locked in a room full of Venomous Tentacula, Devil's Snare, and other deadly plants, all of which were content to play with you instead of tearing you apart? "
With a deep breath Neville's eyes flashed open as he ground out: "Go."
Instantly the tree shuddered as its roots pulled from the ground and clambered forth, rumbling the earth as it marched forth with determination. A gobsmacked Theo had enough sense to clutch a branch to keep himself steady, peripherally realizing Hermione clinging to him with a vice grip. Her golden brown orbs were blown wide in bewildered astonishment, her logical mind unable to comprehend Neville creating an Ent!
10:07PM
Despite the blank stoniness of Number 8's visage, the keen burn of fury churned in his gut at the absolute catastrophe of the night's events. It stood in tandem with grave concern for his family's well-being, hoping the Weasleys were hunkered down and safe.
The looming diplomatic disaster was one thing; international magical relations were moreso under Two and Control's purview, and he was certain they would have their hands full with the inevitable ICW Emergency Session that would be assembled in the face of this epic debacle.
He chanced a look at the remains of poor Richard Roberts, his entire body reduced to bloody chunks courtesy of the duck bomb that blew him to high hell. In addition to killing him, the explosion disrupted the ward scheme of the main Portkey Point of Entrance. Once it collapsed it weakened the other four points, allowing the Death Eaters to destroy them and surge the campsite to cast the Dark Mark, entrapping the thousands of World Cup attendees.
To 008's frustration the Death Eaters' cleverness didn't stop there; they established an additional set of wards preventing external entry on foot or via broom. Said wards were anchored to a miniaturized clown figurine, eyes glowing an eldritch green with a disturbingly feral Glasgow-grin.
Muggles' absolute hatred of Mr. Toymaker ever so slightly increased.
"Any closer?"
Thirty-Two paused in her ministrations, throwing a light glare in Eight's direction as Thirty-Eight covered his snort of laughter behind a cough.
"A bit closer than when you asked me two minutes ago." The Associate of Space Division loathed being rushed in the event of facilitating spatiothaumaturgical breaches a.k.a wardbreaking, which was, as the Unspeakable so often remarked, "very delicate work with no room for distractions".
Lightly huffing, Eight continued to stare out at the campsite as he mentally rehearsed the upcoming conversation he would be having with the aide-de-camp.
'After I practically guaranteed him that this event was entirely under control.'
While the primary targets were magical, there were four muggle casualties that fell directly under Gareth Mallory's purview, and the man would not be pleased to hear that Death Eaters were once more running amuck and wreaking violent havoc.
Especially in the aftermath of the Death Eater Menace and Azkaban Crisis.
A sudden bright flame appeared midair, causing 008 and 038 to whirl around with wands at the ready. A beat passed before the bright golden flames resolved into the form of Albus Dumbledore and his phoenix familiar Fawkes, the former outfitted in twinkling robes in shades of robin egg blue.
Thirty-Eight relaxed his form but Eight did not, maintaining his wand on the Headmaster's person.
"If your mind is in a dither and your heart is in a haze?" asked Eight stonily.
Albus smiled as he replied: "I'll haze your dither and dither your haze, with a magic phrase!"
Only then did the Director of Muggles relax, though the other two Unspeakables blinked in slight confusion at the exchange.
"Protocol, Albus."
"Understood, Eight." Much like with the Order of the Phoenix and the Knights of Walpurgis in the previous war, the Unspeakables utilized code phrases when interacting with the Headmaster to ensure everyone was truly who they claimed to be. As Albus liaised with almost all of the DoM Directors in some capacity, the code phrases became a necessity.
"We're almost finished with the breach, the Death Eaters were rather judicious in keeping us at bay." The disdain wasn't hard to miss in his tone, though the nondescript face of the Glamor Spell remained perfectly stoic.
"Excellent," Albus replied rather peppily.
"A similar incident occurred at St. Mungo's," supplied Eight, expression growing tighter.
"Control informed me, hopefully the damage incurred there isn't as catastrophic as what's happening here." The graveness of Albus' voice indicated that he believed otherwise, spurring a soothing coo from Fawkes.
Another minute passed in relative silence before a triumphant "Aha!" sounded from Thirty-Two. A few more swishes of her 14½-inch walnut wand caused the clown figurine to shiver before releasing an audible sigh, subsequently losing all of its color. A sound like paper tearing filled their ears, before the film-like shield dissipated.
Revealing Lord Gaunt.
"It's about bloody time you showed up Albus!"
The older wizard seemed entirely nonplussed, though he didn't lower his wand.
"Oh, day and night, but this is wondrous strange!"
Riddle blinked twice before replying: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in our philosophy."
Albus beamed. "Good to see you Tom! Come come, you can help me get that out of the sky."
Lord Gaunt bristled at the older wizard's overly casual tone framed as a command but nonetheless followed, exchanging respectful nods with the responding Unspeakables. A small smile broke out when Fawkes lightly bumped his head against his, trilling delightedly when Tom stroked his crest feathers.
Five Minutes Later…
Peeking out from his tent, a harried Cecil Lee flinched at the sounds of the screams still echoing around in the vast field. He'd been 'hunkered down' since the first explosion set off, grateful that he'd remembered to dose his family with Sleeping Draught that knocked them out and kept them safe from the screaming chaos.
Though the Head of the DRCMC's Werewolf Capture Unit would never admit it save threat of torture, the past hour or so had been the scariest moments of his life.
He'd received correspondence from Obediah Prewett aka Mr. Arachne a week prior to the World Cup with a set of very specific instructions. One was to make sure his tent was within a reasonably close distance to that of Director Crouch's. The other was to keep an eye on the tent after the Finals Match, as he would "know exactly what to do when the opportunity presented itself". Cecil couldn't have said no if he wanted, having been in Arachne's pocket since the early days of the previous war due to a collection of gambling debts the seemingly genial solicitor 'handled' for him.
Despite his fear and apprehension of the Potter Seneschal, he was a considerably better debtor than the goblins.
A reflexive shudder passed through Cecil's form.
Sneaking closer to the tent's entrance, his eyes landed on the incredulous sight of the Dark Mark being suffused by a pulsing golden light that seemed to come from the hillpoint marking the primary Portkey Point of Entrance. He made out the vague shapes of five wizards, though only two seemed to be casting the strange spell that caused the ethereal wolf to howl as though in pain.
A beat passed before the Mark contracted and imploded, completely destroyed. Pops of apparition and Portkeys sounded a few moments later as people started to realize they could leave.
Tearing his eyes away from the sky Cecil's gaze landed on an even stranger sight; the Crouch house-elf also staring at the strange occurrence.
Carrying a wand in her hand!
Without hesitation, Cecil marched towards the still-distracted house elf whilst bellowing:
"YOU THERE! ELF! STOP AT ONCE!"
Winky jerked in alarm, eyes further widening at the sight of the furious wizard determinedly marching towards her.
"Where did you get that wand, elf ?! You know you're not supposed to have one of those! Where on earth did you get that?!"
He continued to yell and berate the poor creature who could only stare in wide-eyed distress, inevitably drawing the attention of Dumbledore, Riddle, and the Unspeakable squadron as they descended from the entry point hill.
"CHIEF WARLOCK! Sir! Sir! Over here sir! There is a matter that requires your immediate attention!"
Albus sincerely doubted that, but the volume of Mr. Lee's voice was concerning enough, knowing it could be nothing good if the notoriously unctuous and brutish man was being this high-strung. 008 signaled to 032 and 038 to check on the other ward nodes as he broke off to search for his family and help any civilians he encountered.
"See here!" continued Cecil excitedly. "This elf has a wand on her person! That is strictly forbidden per Clause Three of the Code of Wand Use! Absolutely forbidden!" Four sets of eyes flashed to Winky, who whimpered as she took a tentative step back. "Before I confiscate the wand as is my duty given the breadth of laws broken," he paused to sneer in Winky's direction. "Would you be willing to cast Priori Incantato? I wouldn't put it past this… creature to have cast the Dark Mark that kept us all trapped here!"
"Honestly, Cecil," said Dumbledore rather brusquely as Riddle's eyes narrowed in Lee's direction. "The idea that a house elf could have cast the Dark Mark is utterly preposterous. It's more likely that she found the wand amidst all this bedlam." He turned to Winky, tone much more gentle. "Is that what happened here?"
"I did not cast the Dark Mark Mr. Headmaster sir! I don't know how! As for the wand… well… I…" She couldn't help but stutter, the magic of Heir Crouch's prior command preventing her from vocalizing how she'd actually come to be in possession of the object-in-question.
"You see here, GUILTY! I'm certain the wand will reveal the truth!"
Dumbledore crooked a suspicious eyebrow but gently pried the wand from the elf's grasp, casting the Charm to reveal what spells it had been used to cast. Immediately a much smaller version of the Dark Mark appeared over it, along with a strange whisper of "Morsmordre" echoing from the rowan apparatus.
" Aha! I knew it!" Cecil levied a scathing glare at the poor elf who wore a poignant expression of heartbreak that looked completely out of place on her face.
"I swear I did not cast that spell!" the elf wailed.
"Perfidy! Treachery! Utter duplicity! Bordering on treason! This is-"
"Enough, Cecil. I believe you've made your point quite succinctly. Please, simmer down." Lee jerked at the coldness of Lord Gaunt's tone, unable to repress the slight shudder at the near serpentine lilt to his voice and the chilling intensity of his crystalline blue orbs.
"What in Merlin's saggy y-fronts is going on here?!"
It was Barty Sr., who looked considerably worse for wear. His right arm was wrapped in a sling as he lightly hobbled, face covered in all manner of cuts and bruises. His outer robes were in tatters, and there was a particular tension in his form that strongly indicated that he'd hex first and ask questions later.
"Ah, Barty! It seems we have a rather serious conundrum on our hands!"
Lord Crouch glared, jaw lightly ticking. "The only conundrum, Cecil, is your overly familiar tone." He took a step closer to the suddenly startled man. "Now, kindly explain to me why the HELL you're harassing my valet?!"
Lee regained his bearing, sneering at the man. "I am not harassing your elf, Barty. I, in my stead as Head of the Werewolf Capture Unit under jurisdiction of the DRCMC, am exercising the letter of the law in a matter of serious concern wherein house elf is in possession of a wand! Used to cast the Dark Mark!"
Crouch looked at the man with contempt. "Spare me your theatrics about duty and concern, Cecil. When we all know the true nature of your concern has everything to do with your bitterness over my claiming the Directorship of the DIMC, which, by some absurd miracle, you were hoping to be considered for! And casting the Dark Mark?! What utter nonsense!"
The Slytherin alumnus turned bright red in outrage, both at the truth of Crouch's statement and the embarrassment of having his ambitions so publicly broadcasted.
"Be that as it may," Lee continued haughtily. "I am not the one who owns an elf found with a strange wand that was responsible for casting the Dark Mark! The same Dark Mark that trapped all of us in his hellhole and allowed those Death Eaters to lay siege to our innocent lives." He paused to imperiously adjust his, sneering hatefully at a crying Winky and a visibly seething Barty Sr. "Your elf is in direct violation of Clause Three of the Code of Wand Use, a very serious offense. At the very least, you are obligated to punish the elf by giving her clothes." Said elf keened piteously, outright weeping as Riddle leveled a surprisingly gentle look in her direction.
"Equally appropriate would be to remand her to the DRCMC custody after you free her to serve additional punishment for her crimes. And that's to say nothing of the massive fine you ought to pay as restitution for your carelessness. And that's after the DMLE tribunal that falls right in line with the severity of this violation. You know," he sneered, "since you're such a stickler for protocol!"
Senior's teeth ground at the man's audacity, doubly so that the contemptible little shite was absolutely correct. It was even more damning considering his own position as Director of the DIMC and that his elf out of all should have known better. Winky's weeping ratcheted in volume, tearing at what little remained of Crouch Sr.'s heart as Riddle and Dumbledore looked on with matching expressions of sympathy.
With a sigh, Barty Sr. knelt down close to the elf who covered her face with her spindly hands as she sobbed. "I am sorry that I must do this, Winky. You have served me and my family faithfully for many years. But I have no choice. By taking that wand, even for an innocent purpose, you have violated the law. And as punishment, I must give you-"
"Actually," interrupted Tom, raising a hand to prevent Lord Crouch from freeing his distraught elf. "I believe I have a much more amenable solution in hand." He looked upwards and prompted the others to do the same, revealing Lily Evans and Harry Potter. The two slowly descended before disembarking from their brooms, evaluating the scene at hand.
"Lord Wilkes, Seneschal Wilkes." The two returned Tom's greeting, curious about his formality. "I believe your household is in need of an elf?"
Mother and son exchanged a quick glance whilst the former mentally communicated with Riddle, their cuffs glowing in unseen tandem.
After a moment Harry nodded, gesturing for Lily to speak.
"As a matter of fact Lord Gaunt, I believe we are."
AN 1: And that's that on that! The fallout of a foreign Minister of Magic being murdered on a diplomatic envoy to Wizarding Britain will be explored in future chapters, and will serve as part of a major-ish plot point for Book 5.
AN 2: There was no other applicable context for Neville to make an Ent but this. We'll see other versions of Arboramancy in future chapters, though Neville's unique brand won't make another cameo till Book 6: Descent to Apotheosis.
AN 3: What Tom did with the Knight-toys with (Apophic) Parselfiguration ventures into Wild Magic territory, which, if evidence remained, the Unspeakables would find. An unneeded complication Tom readily avoided with his ploy.
AN 4: The spell to remove a Dark Mark will be revealed in Book 5.
AN 5: Dumbledore and 008's code phrase is from the 1949 recording of Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, which would absolutely appeal to Albus' sense of whimsy. His code phrase with Tom comes from Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 5.
AN 6: "Ayde machkay!" is a Bulgarian colloquialism for strong luck in dominating whatever task ahead, translates to "Go on, crush it!". "Do skoro" translates to "See you soon."