Chapter 63
AN: Um, so I'm back. Sorry, I know it's been a very long time. I can't say how regular my updates will be as I am also determined to finish my Reading story which I have once again continued to email to those who have asked. Due to that I will be finishing two chapters of that story (which take me longer to write) before writing a chapter of this, so there will be at least a few days between updates.
I just wanted to make something clear, I do not support JK Rowling, her belief hurts people like me, but I have made the decision to separate her from 'My' Harry Potter, that is what this story is, my Harry Potter.
Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think.
For a few seconds Albus, Mie and the other teenagers comprehend Gellert's words and as realisation comes to them, they realise how bad that is.
"It's a hot summers day, the beach is going to be packed," Mie says worried, realising that there is most likely going to be a lot of death a lot of people being hurt.
"During the summer both muggles and magical people spend time at the Tinworth beach, co-mingle and have fun together, the muggles choosing to be oblivious to all the magic that is being used around them," James explains, having experienced that himself, and everyone knows that explains why Voldemort would choose to attack that place at this time.
"Who told you?" Albus ask, wanting all the information.
"Mr Crouch, he didn't want to tell me, but he was desperate for you to know," Gellert tells Albus, being pretty sure that Crouch actually telling him what is going on shows how desperate he is.
"This is bad," Lily says, saying what they are all thinking, and Albus quickly casts several message Patronus's while Mie walks over to a shelf and grabs a random paper weight, one large enough that they will all be able to hold onto.
"Dad, catch," Mie says, throwing the paperweight at him, as she knows he is the best person to create an illegal portkey, and Albus catches the paperweight with ease.
As Albus is creating the Portkey everyone in the room moves closer and works to make it so they are touching the portkey with at least one finger. Looking around Albus makes sure that everyone is touching the portkey in some way.
"Beach," Albus says once he is sure that everyone is touching the portkey and seconds after he says the words everyone disappears thanks to the Portkey.
Moments after they left the house that the teenagers now share they arrive at the beach in Tinworth, and they arrive to a scene of chaos. Death Eaters, Mie suspecting due to how many are present that it's not just those who have the mark but those who are supporters fighting, are attacking, people are fighting back, or running; and no matter if they are running or fighting people are being hurt and killed.
Without waiting for instructions, as they don't need them to know what they have to do, all the teens start to fight back, doing everything they can to help, to protect, to save lives. Exchanging looks, not using Legilimency but it is almost like they have, Albus and Gellert, start to work in perfect unison to do what they can to help in bigger ways, to protect the most amount of people as possible including protecting those who are getting the killing curse sent at them by putting objects in the way.
A few moments after Albus, Gellert and the teenagers arrive the rest of the Order arrive, and they join they fight. While Mie is doing her best to fight back, she is also searching for some kind of clue that Regulus is apart of the fight so that she can not only make sure he is okay, but also to get information about what the goal is of this attack is to just cause chaos or whether there is a point of the attack, as she knows that that will affect how she responds.
Sending several stunners to a couple of Death Eaters Mie sees a young child, looking to be less than four years old, trying to make herself as small as possible, knowing what needs to be done Mie, sending various curses as she goes, hurries to the little girl.
"Hi, it's okay," Mie says getting to the little girl, and curses fly over them, so Mie uses her body to protect the little girl.
"I'm scared," The girl says to Mie, crying,
"I know, it's okay, I'm going to keep you safe," Mie promises, and she uses magic to non-verbally summon a piece of corrugated iron from one of the destroyed beach structures, "Sweetheart, what's your name?" Mie asks, casting a shield charm to try and protect them, but she knows that it won't protect against a lo fo the spells that are being used.
"Kayla…" The Girl says through her teers.
"Hi Kayla, my name is Annemie," Mie says and as she does, she sees green light coming towards them, so she quickly uses magic to cause an ice box to get in the path, getting destroyed by the spell. "I need you to do something for me," Mie says to the little girl. "I need you to hide under this okay, it will keep you safe until I can come back," Mie tells the little girl, referring to the iron.
"You're leaving me?" The girl asks, looking upset.
"I have to, there are a lot of people being hurt, I need to help them," Mie tells the girl, knowing she has to do more. "Stay under here, and I'll come back to you, I promise," Mie tells the young girl, and after seeing a hesitant nod Mie helps the girl hide beneath the iron and once, she is hidden, protected in the bast way she can be at the moment, Mie stands up, and as she does, she finds that arms are suddenly around her.
"It's me, it's okay," Regulus's voice says as Mie starts to fight back, but as she hears Regulus's voice, and realises that it is his arms around her, he stops. "Get your dad and Gellert to cast an anti-apparition spell, it's the best chance we have to capture a lot of Death Eaters," Regulus tells Mie in a rush voice as he knows they don't have long before someone notices what is going on, and he also knows that only Albus and Gellert can cast a spell that has to be so vast and complex. "Make it look good," Regulus says to Mie, knowing that she will know what that means.
"I'm sorry," Mie says, before using her wand to cause Regulus to be blasted backwards, knowing that he cut her with a slight slicing charm as she blasted him, to make it look good.
Looking around Mie quickly casts a couple of charms and moves objects in positions so they block dangerous spells, while searching for her father and Gellert in the sea of people.
"ALBUS!" Gellert's voice yell and Mie quickly turns to where the yell came from just in time to see Albus hit with a spell, while Gellert watches from nearby, but to Mie's relief the light of the spell is not green. Doing what she needs to do to protect people and herself Mie hurries to her father and Gellert.
After about two minutes Mie gets to where Gellert is checking Albus to see that his arm is bleeding hesitantly.
"Dad, are you okay?" Mie asks worried.
"Better than others," Albus answers, like there is no issue with the fact that his arm is bleeding so heavily.
"We've got to prevent apparition, it's the best way to capture as many people as possible," Mie tells her father and Gellert. "I don't know how to do it for an area this large," Mie says, looking between her father and Gellert.
"We can," Gellert says, exchanging looks with Albus. "But we're going to need a couple of minutes to do it," Gellert informs Mie, knowing that why that is occurring they are going to be sitting ducks.
"I'll keep you safe," Mie says, and she moves into position to protect her father and Gellert while the two of them take hands, and start to perform the incredibly complex, and vast spell.
As soon as several of the higher ranked Death Eaters, the ones paying attention including Regulus, see Gellert and Albus take hands they realise what they are likely going to do, and so they start aparating away. While the members of the Order don't completely understand why the Death Eaters are disappearing, because they are so focused on the fight that they don't see what Albus and Gellert are doing, they do realise the implications and so they start to use spells that will incapacitate the Death Eaters so that they cannot apparate away.
After a few seconds Mie isn't at all surprised when attacks start to be focused on Albus and Gellert, so Mie focuses all her attention on protecting them. Honestly, Mie isn't at all surprised when there are flashes of greenlight coming towards her father, her, and Gellert, and so Mie quickly moves to put objects, as many as possible, to block the paths of the spells, causing multiple explosions, and making sure that while she is still protecting her father and Gellert she doesn't remain in the same spot. Unsurprisingly the explosions get the attention of multiple Order members and so they use the fact that the Death Eaters who are still present are focused on Mie, Albus and Gellert, to allow them to cast spells to subdue the Death Eaters, either with spells or magically created ropes/chains.
The second Albus and Gellert's spell takes effect is clear as the air feels thick and it is clear that no one will be able to magically teleport and by pure chance the spell is cast just as Aurors from the ministry arrive, and join in on the subduing the remaining death eaters.
"Annemie, are you alright?" Albus asks his daughter.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Mie assures her father. "Kayla," Mie suddenly says, to the confusion of both Albus and Gellert, and Mie starts to run to where she left the little girl.
Dodging spells and Death Eaters trying to run on foot, Mie hurries to where she left Kayla, as she approaches where she left the little girl Mie knows right away that something is wrong, and feeling dread rise up inside of her Mie gets to the iron and lifts it revealing the little girl. From the second she sees her Mie feels horror and guilt rise up inside of her, but she still bends down and checks for a pulse, while she isn't surprised when she discovers that the little girl has no pulse it still devastates her, and Mie collapses to her knees and starts to cry.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Mie says to the little girl as she cries.
"Mie?" A voice asks about a minute later and Amelia squats down next to her.
"I promised I'd protect her," Mie says, her voice breaking, and Amelia hugs her friend, offering her comfort as Mie is overcome with guilt.
While the Death Eaters who remained at the beach are getting captured Regulus and a group of senior Death Eaters that include both Bellatrix and Lucius have apparated back to where Voldemort is.
"What do you mean the others have been captured?" Voldemort asks, in a deathly quiet voice.
"It was Dumbledore and Grindelwald My Lord," Rockwood says. "They cast a spell to make it so no one could disaparate from the Beach," Rockwood explains.
"That had to stop fighting to do that, why didn't anyone kill them?" Voldemort asks, looking between his highest-ranking Death Eaters, his most trusted.
"We tried," Bellatrix answers. "Annemie Dumbledore was protecting them, My Lord," Bellatrix tells him, actually sounding nervous as she knows how he is going to react.
"Leave me," Voldemort says, in a hiss voice.
"My Lord…" Regulus starts to say.
"LEAVE ME!" Voldemort exclaims and as none of them want to face his anger Regulus and the other Death Eaters hurry out of the room.
While the Ministry and the Aurors are dealing with the captured Death Eaters the Order, Albus and Gellert have been transported to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing where both Madam Pompfrey and the members of the order who aren't seriously hurt are healing those who are more hurt. Feeling pretty numb Mie doesn't even react as Alice heals her relatively minor injuries.
"I'm done Mie," Alice tells her.
"Thank you," Mie says, not completely sure what Alice said, but she knows she deserves a thank you.
"I'm going to go help Madam Pomfrey," Alice says before walking away from her friend, as while Mie clearly isn't okay right now Madam Pomfrey needs her more, but that doesn't mean she won't check on her friend when she is able.
After Alice walks away Mie looks around the hospital wing and as she does she sees Gellert standing alone, watching as Albus gets his arm healed but at the same time attempts to heal Benjy, wanting to make sure he is okay as she knows she's not, Mie walks over to Gellert and without a word stands next to him, offering him silent support, honestly after everything that just happened she isn't sure there is anything she can say.
"It's time," Gellert says a few moments after Mie stood beside him, both of them knowing exactly what he is talking about, and Mie tenses.
"Are you going to tell him?" Mie asks Gellert, not asking if he is sure because she already knows the answer to that, and as Kayla's face comes to the front of her mind, she is sure too.
"In time," Gellert responds a level of guilt to his voice that only Mie picks up on.
"You mean once you've put in motion things that can't be undone," Mie realises, not completely sure how she feels about that.
"It's necessary," Gellert responds.
"MIE! Need your help!" Remus's voice yells.
"Be Careful, Gellert," Mie tells him before starting to walk away.
"Annemie," Gellert says, and Mie turns back around. "I'm doing this for him… for you…. For the greater good," Gellert informs Mie, needing her to know that.
"I know. Like I said, be careful, Gellert," Mie tells him before walking away leaving Gellert to ponder both the situation around them and what he is going to do.
Many hours later Mie is sitting on the bed in the attic room she shares, while Amelia is asleep in her bed Mary and Emmaline are both still at the hospital wing as while they have both been completely healed Madam Pomfrey wanted them both to stay in the hospital wing to make sure they are completely okay.
For a while if anyone were to look at Mie, they would think she was mediating, or just completely zooned out, but the fact is that she is waiting. Finally, after a while of waiting wait Mie has been waiting for occurs and a message from Regulus appears in her potions textbook.
Hi. I'm okay. You have no reason to apologise, I'm so sorry, how are you?
Reading Regulus's message Mie feels incredibly relieved to know that he is okay and quickly starts to type back.
I wasn't badly hurt. What's going on? Why did he attack the beach?
Mie asks and she waits for Regulus's response.
He wanted to cause chaos. He knows that both Muggles and Magical people co-exist in harmony at Tinworth during the summer. He wants people to second guess whether they spend time with muggles. It was a random attack to cause terror.
Regulus's message says and Mie frowns as she reads it.
So, he's getting desperate.
Mie realises.
He's also furious that people got caught.
Regulus's message says and as soon as Mie reads that she feels concern rise.
Are you okay? Do you need an out?
Mie asks, and as she waits for Regulus's message Mie almost feels like her heart is in her throat as she waits for the response.
I'm okay. I don't need an out. We've dealt a blow. No one realised we talked. We've just got to wait and see what comes next.
Regulus's message said and Mie knows there is a heads up she needs to give a heads up as she knows that Regulus's position will allow him to be able to help, subtly of course.
Gellert's said it's time, he's going to put it in motion.
I know you're worried about what that will lead to, but it may be perfect timing. He just got his followers arrested because he was reckless. It's might be just the time to make it work…. You didn't really answer if you are okay. Are you?
Reading Regulus's message Mie knows that that Regulus's is right about what Gellert is going to do, but that doesn't help with how concerned she is, how worried she is about his safety, and honestly she isn't sure how to respond to the second part of Regulus's message.
Mie? Talk to me. Are you okay?
And even though it is only a written message Mie can practically hear Regulus's voice and she can't bring herself to lie to him.
I promised a little girl I would protect her…. she died.
As Mie sends the message tears come to her eyes but she quickly wipes them away because she feels like she no right to cry, she got an innocent little girl killed.
Oh Mie, I'm so sorry. I would tell you that it's not your fault, but I know you well enough to know that you won't believe me. What I will say is that you did everything you could, and that's all we can ask.
It feels like I should have done more,
Mie sends back.
I know.
Regulus sends back and as he does both Mie, and Regulus hear warning beeps.
That's time. We need to end this conversation…. I love you. What happened isn't your fault.
Mie reads and despite everything she manages to smile slightly.
I know. I love you too. It's not your fault either.
Mie sends back and once she does both she and Regulus do what they need to do to secure the message system that they created.
After she finishes talking to Regulus Mie puts her potions book away and pulls out everything she needs to work on her plan to send the books to an earlier point in the timeline she is from as Mie knows she isn't gong to sleep; honestly she doesn't want to.