All for one

by midnightsstar9212

For you

56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

They were late.

He'd been expecting a report to arrive more than twelve hours ago, and yet, he'd heard nothing from his men. It was unlike them to miss a deadline, and he could not rid himself of the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

The mission had been simple enough, and his men had been sent to eliminate only one man.

Granted that Jameson was quite the wizard in his own right, but success was all but assured.

His men were perhaps the most gifted of wizards, and between them, there was not a magical conundrum they couldn't solve.

Abernathy had set them much more difficult tasks in the past, and they had always found a way to achieve the outcome he desired.

That was why the tardiness was resting so heavily upon him. He was unaccustomed to setbacks and did not know the meaning of the word failure.

"What is it?" he snapped as a knock sounded at his door.

His assistant entered and placed a few boxes on his desk.

"You have my apologies, sir, but Mr Rowley has asked that give each of these documents your personal seal," the woman explained.

"Rowley?" Abernathy asked with a frown.

His assistant, Clementine, nodded.

"He said that you were expecting them. He was quite insistent they be brought to you immediately."

"Fine, I will take a look," Abernathy returned irritably.

He didn't remember any such conversation with the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but then again, distractions had been rife recently.

Clementine left the office, and Abernathy continued to glance at the clock as he continued to pace back and forth, seemingly attempting to wear the carpet through to the bare floor.

After doing so for some time, he cursed under his breath as he approached his desk.

It would serve no purpose to be so fixated on what his team was doing, and Clementine had provided him a much-needed distraction, after all.

Removing the lid from the first box, he jumped backwards in horror, and his stomach began to turn violently.

Within, there was no sign of any documents, just a single piece of parchment resting on top of a disgusting sludge in which a severe hand was protruding.

Swallowing deeply and with a trembling hand, he removed the missive.

With every brick removed, the house comes ever closer to collapsing…It is only a matter of time before it no longer stands.

H.J

He could only stare at the slop sloshing grotesquely around the box, and he dared not open the other two that accompanied it.

His men were dead, their plan having failed, and each of them reduced to a veritable vat of human offal.

Abernathy fought the urge to vomit, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt the steely grasp of fear take hold of him.

Not only had Jameson murdered his men, but he'd also managed to breach the protections of MACUSA and manipulate one of the highest officials employed here.

The threat was more real now than it had ever been, imminent and hanging over him like the blade of a guillotine ready to remove his head from his shoulders.

(Break)

Amelia could only stare in disbelief at the enormous crater in the ground where the house she had become so fond of had been when she'd left. Nothing remained of the structure, but the debris were strewn across the land as far as the eye could see.

Beside her was a concerned Harry, who merely offered her a shrug and insincere grin as she turned towards him.

"Harry, what about the elves and the animals?"

"They're fine," he assured her. "I emptied everything out of it, and Hagrid is caring for the thestrals and hippogriffs."

Amelia nodded.

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged once more.

"I don't know. I liked our home."

"Me too," Amelia sighed, wrapping her arms around him. "You can't be left alone for two days with creating an incident, can you?" she added amusedly.

"What can I say? You keep me on the straight and narrow."

Amelia snorted, though the sadness she felt at what had happened to the house would not allow her amusement to become sincere.

They'd shared so many fond memories here, and to see it simply wiped off the face of the earth as though it had never been, broke her heart. This was where it had all begun for them, where Harry had brought her after finding her, their first kiss…

She couldn't put into words just how saddened she was by the loss of the house.

"I suppose we can stay with Edgar," she sighed.

Harry shook his head.

"That won't be necessary," he said sheepishly. "When this place was found before, I figured we would probably have to move on. I'd hoped we wouldn't, but I began preparing for it."

"You brought another house?"

Harry nodded and offered his hand.

Amelia accepted it and felt herself being pulled away from the place she'd truly considered her home.

When they arrived at their destination, she frowned as she took in the building before them.

"It's the same," she whispered.

"Almost," Harry corrected. "It's bigger than the other house, and there is more land. The best part is that it cannot be traced to me in any way. I brought the land using fake muggle documents before destroying any trace of the place ever existing. Even if someone wanted to, they wouldn't be able to even begin looking for the place."

Amelia looked around and saw the expanse of the land they were standing.

It was bigger, as was the home, but there was no replacing what had been lost.

"I know it's not the same," Harry murmured as he took her hand, "but we have the rest of our lives to make new memories and so many things to look forward to. I am sorry, Amelia. I wouldn't have done it if I felt there was another, less risky choice."

"I know," Amelia replied, squeezing his hand in response. "I'm just glad I didn't come home to you not being here. I won't lie to you, Jameson. I'm heartbroken, but I know it will be okay."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and Amelia took pity on him.

"Would you like to show me around?"

(Break)

"You suggested that he blows his house up?" Eleanor asked.

"I mean, he didn't have to," Harry replied, rubbing the back of his neck as his wife glared at him. "Shut up, Nicholas," he added, unable to ignore the snickering alchemist.

"Yes, Nicholas, shut up," Perenelle urged, looking at her husband disapprovingly.

"Amelia is going to be so upset," Eleanor sighed. "Did the two of you even think about her?"

"We did," Harry answered.

"And you decided to do it anyway?"

"We did."

Eleanor shook her head.

"You know, I always wondered what went through that head of yours, and now I've got a pretty good idea. You're reckless and would probably be deemed clinically insane if the Healers had their way."

"But we got them," Harry pointed out. "If we didn't do what we did, then he might've been killed. I wasn't happy about it, but you know what I'm like, and Harry agreed. It was our best and least risky plan."

Eleanor nodded her understanding.

"What other plans did you concoct between the two of you?" Nicholas asked curiously.

"Oh, well, you know, the usual."

"Waiting for them to breach and then fighting your way through them," Nicholas snorted. "I think blowing up the house was the better option."

"See, even Nicholas agrees!"

Eleanor released a deep breath.

"It's not that I don't think you did the right thing, given the circumstances, but Merlin, Harry, you can't just go stealing bombs from muggle military bases and blowing them up."

"We can, and we did."

Eleanor rolled her eyes at him.

"You know, it's lucky that I love you as much as I do," she mused aloud. "I can't think of many people who would be able to just accept the things you do."

"Amelia does."

"That's not the point. I would bet everything we own that she is really upset about it."

"But she'd be even more upset if Harry had been killed."

Eleanor scowled at him, and Harry chose to hold his tongue for a moment.

"It really was the best option available to us," he said gently, "and I promise that I won't make a habit of playing with muggle explosives."

Eleanor eyed him sceptically before nodding.

"Good," she replied. "The last thing anyone needs is you with that kind of thing at your fingertips."

With that, she left the room, followed by Perenelle who shot Harry a look of frustration.

Nicholas, on the other hand, gave him a double thumbs-up.

"What was it like?" he asked with a boyish grin.

"It was by far the coolest thing I have ever seen," Harry whispered gleefully.

"I wish I could've seen it," Nicholas grumbled.

"Next time," Harry promised.

Nicholas simply smirked in response and nodded his agreement before his expression sobered.

"What about Riddle?" he asked.

"Oh, I've got something in the works for Tom," Harry answered darkly. "He will get another reminder soon enough, and then another."

(Break)

It was unlike Abernathy to call a meeting unless something important needed to be discussed or something had happened that posed a significant threat to everything they had built.

Sebastien had been waiting nervously for word from the man pertaining to his efforts to eliminate Jameson, but instead of a simple missive informing him the deed was done, as was customary, he'd received an instruction to meet Abernathy in his office along with the others.

Arriving at the MACUSA headquarters, he was taken aback by the sheer number of Aurors in the foyer and the confused throngs of people being prevented from leaving or going about their business.

"What is happening?" one angry man demanded to know.

"We are investigating a security breach," the Auror he'd asked explained. "You will be able to move on when we are satisfied that there is no threat."

Sebastien did his utmost to ignore the feeling of discomfort that settled within him, and he quickly found himself beckoned forward by one of the Aurors.

"Minister Laurent, your presence is expected," the woman greeted him. "I am to escort you to your meeting."

Sebastien quirked an eyebrow but said nothing as he followed the keen woman.

For Abernathy to openly welcome him into the MACUSA building without the meeting having been officially planned was out of character, and Sebastien realised that for him to do so, the situation the man found himself in was inevitably dire.

"Laurent, take a seat," his American colleague instructed, ushering him into a nearby chair.

The others had already arrived, and each looked to be as concerned as Sebastien felt, though none more so than their host.

Abernathy had always been rather unflappable, but at this moment, he seemed to be truly concerned.

He was pale, and his usually well-groomed hair was in disarray from where he'd been dragging his hands through it.

"My men failed," he said, only just loudly enough that his words were not indiscernible.

"Failed?" Berg asked with a deep frown marring his features.

Abernathy nodded.

"This morning, I received three packages which were sent to me via internal mail. That means it came from within this building. Inside those boxes…"

He broke off and shook his head before gesturing to the three boxes on the table.

Berg stood and removed one of the lids, his eyes widening as he did so.

"My men," he whispered dangerously. "This ring, it…"

He stopped talking as he removed a severed finger from within the box. Adorning it was a distinct gold ring in the shape of a bear's head.

"I know," Abernathy whispered. "I do not know what happened, but Jameson made it within these walls. He placed Rowley, our Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, under the Imperius Curse and instructed him to send me those boxes."

"And Rowley?" Sebastien asked.

"Was found hanging in his office. Jameson forced him to hang himself when he was done."

Sebastien cursed in his native tongue, and as his gaze swept across his companions, he could see that they were just as unsettled by this development as him.

"What now?" Berg demanded.

Abernathy ceased his pacing and dragged a hand through his hair before taking a deep, calming breath.

"Jameson must be dealt with," he mused aloud. "I admit, this has rattled me. I cannot think of any other that our position was so precarious, but we have overcome adversity before, and we will do it again. I need time to think and then we can…"

He paused as the door opened, and a strong-jawed Auror entered.

The man's steely gaze shifted to each person in attendance before coming to rest on Abernathy.

"You may speak freely, Irwin."

The man nodded.

"There was no breach into headquarters," he explained. "Whatever happened to Rowley was done outside of the building."

Abernathy frowned before dismissing the Auror.

When he was gone, the Minister took a seat.

"Outside of the building," he murmured thoughtfully.

Evidently, he'd been rather concerned that Jameson had managed to get into the MACUSA building to do what he had rather than what had been done.

It was understandable.

If Jameson could enter and exit such a building undetected then none of them were safe.

The Americans took their security as seriously as any other nation, and for it to be intruded upon seemingly so easily was a rather daunting prospect.

"I need to think," Abernathy reiterated. "I will be in touch with you all shortly."

With that, he swept from the room and Sebastien and the others followed only a moment later, not exchanging a single word amongst them.

Each member of the group was undoubtedly unsettled by what had happened, though Sebastien doubted any were as quite as him.

Already he'd experienced the urge to go into hiding, to leave it all behind in a bid to remain out of Jameson's grasp, and if Abernathy did not present a plan quickly, Sebastien could not promise that he wouldn't heed the warnings of his own mind and vanish with Manon.

(Break)

He did not appreciate being made to wait.

He'd been assured by Nott that he would return shortly with another report on the movements of Dorcas Meadowes, and yet, there was no sign of the man, who was usually prompt and reliable.

"He will be here, my lord," Avery offered for the umpteenth time.

"He is almost a day late," Voldemort pointed out. "I will not tolerate such lateness, not when time could well be of the essence."

Avery nodded his understanding.

"Then I will pay him a visit," he decided, standing and vanishing into the flames of the fireplace only a moment later.

The Dark Lord clenched his fists in irritation.

Ever since he'd created his latest Horcrux, he'd become less patient, and his temper shorter than ever.

He'd always managed to present himself as a cool and charismatic individual, but recently, he felt himself losing the more humane aspects of his personality.

With the first Horcrux, the changes had been minimal, but the more he fractured and split his soul, the harder it became to remain so placid.

Had he pushed the boundaries of the magic too far?

He frowned at the thought before shaking his head.

No, there were still others he needed to create, and one more he still had in possession he intended to stash away.

He was pulled from his musings by the return of Avery, who held a box in his hands.

Placing it on the desk, the man returned to his seat.

"It is addressed to you, my lord," he informed him. "I took the liberty of ensuring it is safe to handle. Nott wouldn't want this falling into the wrong hands."

The Dark Lord frowned as he eyed the package.

Why would Nott leave it for him instead of making his expected report.

"Where was this?"

"On the desk in his study."

Voldemort shook his head as he removed the lid, his nostrils flaring in irritation at what lie within.

Heads.

There were two heads belonging to Nott and Mulciber, with a note having been nailed to the former.

Whatever had happened to both men had evidently been unpleasant, as the expressions they wore spoke of an agonising end.

With his jaw clenched, he removed the note, his fury bubbling under the surface as he read the missive.

Riddle,

Your followers will continue to die until you face me. Nott and Mulciber are only the first. Expect more to be delivered in the coming days.

There is nothing you can do to stop me. I know all who hide beneath the masks.

As a courtesy, I will even tell you whose head is coming next.

Rabastan Lestrange.

Stop me if you can.

The Serpent

"What is it?" Avery asked.

The Dark Lord slid the note towards him, and when he'd finished reading, Thomas peered into the box.

"Merlin," he whispered worriedly. "How?"

"Because he is the Serpent," Voldemort answered, already pondering what should be done about the incessant nuisance the man had become. "Send for the Lestranges."

Avery nodded as he stood.

"Do you think it is a viable threat?" he questioned. "Surely he cannot hope to get into the manor."

"He got into Nott's home," Voldemort reminded him. "How he managed it, I don't know, and he even got to Yaxley more than once."

For the first time since his campaign had begun, the Dark Lord saw a flicker of concern in the eyes of his most loyal follower.

"Better yet, send for them all. They must be reminded to take their security more seriously."

"Are you going to tell them about Nott and Mulciber?"

"No," Voldemort answered. "It would do no good to do so. We will tell them that they are on a mission and will be back when it is complete."

Avery did not seem convinced, but he didn't argue.

Instead, he left the room to do as he was bid, and the Dark Lord leaned back in his chair.

The Serpent.

He was proving to be everything he'd learned of the man and so much more, and Voldemort could not allow him to continue doing what he'd started.

No, the man needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible before he did irreparable damage to his efforts.

Well, more than he already had.

(Break)

"I am sorry about the house," Harry offered sincerely. "If there was any other way with what little time we had…"

Amelia nodded her understanding and released a deep sigh.

"I am upset about the house," she admitted. "We made so many memories there, and to just see it gone was not something I expected, but I would've been much more upset if I came home to find you dead."

"Well, that's a relief."

Amelia shot him a glare.

"Do not think for one minute that there is anything I would rather have than you with me," she said sternly.

She fell silent for a moment before turning to look at him.

"But I did really like the house."

Harry smiled sadly.

"I know," he reassured her. "I did, too, but it wasn't safe after we were found. I rather would've sold it than blow it up."

"But there's a part of you that enjoyed doing it."

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Jameson. I know you too well."

"Well, maybe a little," Harry admitted with a smirk. "The muggles really know a thing about explosives."

Amelia could only shake her head in response.

She'd not spoken of her time in Italy or anything she'd brought for the wedding. The shopping bags she'd returned with had been placed in the entrance hall of the new house and left untouched.

"When are you going to get the animals back?"

"You miss them already?"

Amelia nodded.

"I'll pay a visit to Hagrid tomorrow and bring them here. It's not so far to fly. I managed from Hogwarts to the Ministry in just a few hours on a Thestral."

"The night you lost Sirius."

Harry nodded darkly.

Their new home was much closer to Hogwarts than London.

The land he'd brought had been another farm that had fallen into disrepair, and it wasn't so far from the Yorkshire Dales.

Harry liked this part of the country and would've only left if it became necessary.

"What's that?" Amelia asked with a frown, pulling him from his thoughts.

It was something Harry had not felt for some time, and as he reached into his pocket to remove his wallet, he realised just how long ago it was that he'd last met with Ghost.

"That means I have to go," he sighed, wondering what it was the man could possibly want with him.

Ghost knew Harry was unavailable for any lengthy missions during the school term, so it was unusual for him to be summoned.

"Are you going to be home tonight?"

Harry nodded.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until the morning but I'd best see what I'm needed for. I won't be long. When I get back, we can have a look at what you spent your time in Italy buying."

"Not the dress," Amelia said firmly. "It's bad luck for you to see it before we get married."

"Not the dress," Harry agreed, making his way towards the basement where could activate his portkey.

(Break)

He'd never expected a coup of Great Britain to be easy, but Thomas Avery had not expected so few men to rattle the Dark Lord as much as the Serpent and Jameson seemed to.

Riddle wasn't troubled by the likes of Dumbledore, but the same couldn't be said for the others.

With the addition of the four figures who'd all but demolished the ranks of the giants, the resistance they faced was proving to be quite exceptional, even if the Dark Lord refused to admit it.

Jameson and the Serpent were the biggest threats they faced, and if they were not eliminated soon, the rest of the followers would begin to lose faith in their leader and the cause.

Jameson was a known half-blood and had more than held his own when he'd fought Riddle and the Serpent…

Little was known of the mysterious figure and in truth, the state of his blood mattered not.

He was an exceedingly dangerous man and continued to prove it time and again.

How he'd managed to reach both Nott and Mulciber, Thomas didn't know, but it was rather disconcerting, to say the least.

Still, the Dark Lord insisted on going on the offensive and intended to do so at the earliest opportunity.

As ever, those gathered had agreed readily with the plan, though they were not aware of what had happened to Nott and Mucliber.

"Our homes are well protected," Rodolphus Lestrange declared proudly. "I will pay any man who can penetrate our defences the sum of ten thousand galleons."

Those within the room chuckled, but none took up the offer.

Lestrange Manor was one of the most exceptionally protected buildings in the country, and only a fool would attempt to break in.

Or the Serpent.

According to Yaxley, the Serpent had visited him on more than one occasion before he'd eventually killed Yaxley and sent the remains to the Dark Lord.

"Even so," Riddle cut in sharply. "It is my recommendation that your protections are inspected and added to if necessary. We are living in difficult times, and if the Ministry suspects your involvement in our endeavours, they will raid your homes and do whatever they feel is necessary to place you under arrest. That will not do, Rodolphus."

The man sobered and nodded his understanding.

"I will do so as a priority, my lord," he responded.

"Thank you, Rodolphus, and that goes for all of you. I would not see you imprisoned for standing for what you believe in. Make no mistake, the Ministry is desperate, and they will begin to act desperately with the more successes we have. That is all for now."

Those within the room began to disperse and Thomas took his place by the Dark Lord's side.

"Do you think they will listen?" he asked.

"It is in their best interest that they do," Voldemort murmured. "The Serpent will show them no mercy, and I cannot be certain when I will meet him again to put an end to his reign of terror."

Thomas nodded.

"Do you not think it would be wise to inform the Lestranges of the threat?"

The Dark Lord shook his head.

"To what end, Avery?" he returned. "If anything, it will only urge them to do something foolish. Their egos will not allow them to believe they are targeted by a man they believe to be less than them, and they will die."

Thomas agreed with the assessment of his master.

None would mistake the Lestranges for being particularly bright, but the threat against Rabastan was too real to ignore, and Thomas couldn't help but think that leaving the two men in the dark was a disaster waiting to happen.

(Break)

Although the turmoil beneath the surface of society was not known to the masses, the effect of Jameson and the Serpent's efforts against the prominent representatives of the ICW was impossible to ignore by those with their finger on the pulse.

Fontaine and Espinosa were dead, as was Broz and Pierre Dubois. All four had been prominent members of the collective who'd been gathered by Grindelwald, and Ghost could not help but think that more would soon follow.

Berg, Abernathy, and Laurent must be growing more nervous with each death, and they would be given no choice but to take additional steps to prevent their entire organisation from collapsing.

"Ah, Jameson," Ghost greeted the man he'd summoned as he entered the office. "I see that your efforts are proving to be fruitful."

"You know about the attack on my home?"

"An attack on your home?" Ghost asked worriedly. "No, I'd heard of no such thing."

"Well, Abernathy sent his men after me along with Berg's."

"Oh dear," Ghost sighed.

Jameson nodded as a smirked tugged at his lips.

"They are all dead."

Ghost released a deep breath.

"That wasn't what I sent for you to discuss, but for them to make such a brazen move speaks volumes of the effectiveness of your campaign against them."

"What did you wish to discuss with me?"

Ghost sobered immediately as he placed a sunken trunk on the desk.

"These are some of the items we removed from Dubois' home," he explained. "Usually, these would be claimed by a relative, but given that Manon is believed to be dead and Pierre had no wife or children, it was left to us to clear the place out. We found some rather interesting things I think you should have."

"Interesting things?"

Ghost nodded.

"Most of it is coded stacks of parchment, but there are some interesting files included. It seems that Dubois was keeping tabs on past deals the group made or attempted to. There is quite the dossier for you to peruse."

"Any mention of Amelia's parents?"

Ghost shook his head apologetically.

He had not forgotten Jameson's motivation for pursuing Laurent and his ilk.

"I'm afraid not, but I expect the information here will be of use to you, nonetheless. I certainly cannot make heads or tails of it, but maybe you can."

Jameson nodded as he pocketed the trunk.

"I will see what I can do."

"Good," Ghost declared, "and do be careful. A cornered animal is often at its most dangerous."

"I know," Jameson assured him. "I do not take anything for granted when it comes to them."

He left, and Ghost quietly wished the man well.

Perhaps when he was done disbanding the diabolical group, Jameson would consent to take on more work for the department. He was quite the excellent wizard, after all, and there was always a need for men of his calibre.

(Break)

Sebastien could not relax.

Maybe it was the usually unfazed Abernathy crumbling before his eyes that had triggered his instinct to flee, but the French Minister of Magic did not believe so.

It was the danger, nothing but the danger.

It was as though it had begun enveloping him months prior without Sebastien paying it much heed, but now, it simply could not be ignored.

Fear weighed heavily upon his shoulders and within his heart, and it seemed that there was nothing to be done to alleviate it.

It often felt as though he couldn't breathe, that he even might vomit from the terror he swore was stalking him from the very shadows.

Sebastien knew that his thoughts were not rational, but when it came to Jameson and Evans, all logic, disbelief, and wonderment were to be abandoned.

The two men simply were, and they did.

Sebastien realised that he was thinking of them as something of a higher power, and he laughed humourlessly to himself, though sputtered as a stream of icy water hit him in the face.

When he wiped it away it was to see a concerned Manon staring with her wand still pointed at him.

"Have you lost your mind?" she whispered.

Sebastien shook his head.

The water had sobered him somewhat, and he certainly wasn't as gripped by fear the way he had been in the passing moment.

Nonetheless, despite the clarity, the desire to flee still remained and felt right.

"Manon, I think it is time for us to step away. It has become too dangerous and unpredictable. We are not fools, and we can see how it is all coming apart at the seams. It is only a matter of time before we are exposed, despite our best efforts."

The woman eyed him questioningly for a moment before nodding.

"I think perhaps you are right," she agreed. "It has become far too dangerous to continue on the way we have. The Serpent and Jameson…"

She broke off, and Sebastien wrapped his arms around her shoulders, relieved that she was in agreement with him.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Manon confirmed.

They would disappear much in the same way she had more than two decades prior.

Sebastien would fake his death, and whilst his country grieved for him, he would slip quietly away, never to be seen again.

He'd set aside more than enough gold, papers, properties, and anything else he could think of over the years so that their livelihood would not be impacted, and come tomorrow, all he would be losing was the influence of his position.

Or so he hoped.

Perhaps disappearing would prove to just not be enough, especially if Jameson and the Serpent suspected foul play.

No.

Sebastien could not consider such an outcome.

The entire world would believe him to be dead, and then he would live his remaining years in peace. Mostly alone, but alive and comfortable.

He could not see the same for Abernathy and the others.

They would eventually be bested and killed in the most unpleasant ways.

It was what the men pursuing them did, after all.

(Break)

Alastor guffawed uncontrollably and slapped the knee of his prosthetic leg in amusement. For Amelia, it was all too raw to find the humour in the situation, despite how ludicrous she knew it to be.

"Wait, he blew up his own house to kill the men sent to kill him?" Moody snorted. "I knew there was a reason I liked Jameson. He's an absolute lunatic."

"And I'm marrying him," Amelia sighed, unable to prevent the smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

"Come on, Bones, you wouldn't have him any other way. You fell in love with him because of the way he is. Would you prefer him to be dull and lifeless like most of the sods you see around here?"

"No," Amelia denied, "but I liked that house."

Alastor nodded his understanding.

"I know, but it will be another one of the crazy stories you will be able to tell your kids about their father. Not that there isn't enough. Aye, you could write a series of books about the things Jameson has done."

"Kids?" Amelia asked with a frown.

"You don't want kids?"

It was not something Amelia had given much thought to.

With how hectic life had been, especially since she'd met Harry, she'd not considered the possibility much, though when she did, she quickly realised that she would love nothing more than to have children someday.

"Aye, there it is," Moody broke into her thoughts with a warm smile cresting. "For what it's worth, I think the two of you would have some incredible bairns. Just don't forget about old Uncle Moody here."

"Merlin," Amelia scoffed. "With Harry as their father and you being around, I can't imagine what they will turn out like."

"Brilliant," Alastor said with a grin. "They will be brilliant."

Amelia pondered that very notion, but the daydream lasted only a passing moment as a blaring alarm began sounding in the office.

"It has been a while," Alastor huffed irritably.

Amelia nodded her agreement as Grimm stormed into the room.

"Alright, gather yourselves up and prepare to leave," he instructed. "Stop fannying around, Jenkins, and get your hide over here. Reports are that there is an attack just outside of Macclesfield. There are currently no signs of any giants or any other creatures. Riddle's mark is already in the sky, so let's get there and arrest as many of the bastards as we can. You will all be in group one, and I will send support the moment the others arrive. You leave in ten seconds. Stay safe, and don't fuck around."

"Ever the charmer," Alastor groaned as he stood, leaning heavily on his staff. "Are we sending for…"

"He will already know," Amelia snorted with a shake of her head. "He always knows."

(Break)

Once again, he was being treated to the symphony of screams of the muggles and the sound of burning buildings. There was nothing quite like it to the Dark Lord, and he revelled in the slaughter around him.

It had been too long since their last outing, and he'd missed it.

A smile crested his lips as he watched the Lestrange brothers torture a family they'd extracted from a nearby house.

The brothers believed the Dark Lord had requested they stay with him as a point of honour, but the truth was, he did not wish to take any chances.

With the threat hanging over Rabastan, Lord Voldemort was taking no chances.

That was if the Serpent even showed himself.

No.

His threats and actions were carried out in a clandestine manner and not on the battlefield.

"AURORS!"

As the warning was given, his followers began to group together, something Avery had been teaching them to do when confronted by the Ministry forces.

Thus far, those who had been picked off had been done so individually, and the Dark Lord was trying to get his men and women to fight as a more cohesive unit, which was easier said than done.

It was the familiar red hair of a certain Auror who caught his attention first.

Amelia Bones' reputation was well-earned, and she tore through a foursome of his followers with apparent ease, dropping two with a blasting curse, one with a rather vicious gouging spell, and the last with a banishing curse which sent her victim slamming into a nearby tree.

The Dark Lord's jaw tightened as he took aim, only to instinctively block a spell sent his way by the woman he intended to kill.

He slid back on his heels a few feet, and Bones seized the brief advantage by firing another plethora of spells, each as devastating as the one that proceeded it.

She was fast and did not lack the firepower required to force him to shield rather than deflect her attack.

Her next spell tore through his shield, and the Dark Lord quickly realised why it had been suggested that he kill the woman himself.

Even his very best would struggle just to match Bones, let alone best her in a fight.

Still, as good as she was, she could not hope to maintain the small amount of success she was having.

The Dark Lord had spent his life overcoming adversity, and as he watched her prepare her next onslaught, he struck.

His own spell erupted from the tip of his wand and careened towards his foe at blistering speed, though his eyes widened as it was intercepted.

However, the defence did not come courtesy of Amelia Bones.

Jameson.

It was as though the man had materialised from nothing.

He glared at the Dark Lord with an expression of loathing, but he wasted no time.

Jameson's wand was a blur as he unleashed a barrage of his own magic, and Lord Voldemort found himself back-peddling as spell after spell was hurled towards him.

The speed and power Jameson possessed was not unlike that of the Serpent, though the hate with which he wielded his magic made it only more dangerous.

There were no mocking comments or jokes forthcoming, just murderous intent.

The Dark Lord's followers were making a hasty retreat as the skill of the Aurors began to overwhelm them, and with Jameson having inserted himself into the fray, the threat the Ministry forces posed was quite real.

In a bid to slow the continuous attack from Jameson, Voldemort cast a powerful shield to take refuge behind before cutting deeply into his own palm.

Before Jameson could bring the structure down, it was bolstered by the protection of the Dark Lord's blood, ensuring it would not be easy to breach.

He smiled at the glaring man amusedly, though it was short-lived as a screaming next to him rent the air.

Turning to the source, he frowned at the sight of Rabastan tearing his mask off to reveal that he was bleeding profusely from his eyes.

As quickly as the screaming started, it stopped, and the younger of the Lestrange brothers looked at him and laughed.

"I did tell you, Tom," he hissed. "I told you he would be next."

The Dark Lord's eyes widened in shock as Rabastan screamed once more, his face purpling before his throat opened up.

The next scream that came was from Rodolphus as his brother's head hit the floor with a dull thud, and a large snake emerged from the gaping wound where it had been removed.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Tom," it promised before vanishing in a puff of black smoke.

The Dark Lord didn't know what to say or think about what he'd just witnessed, and with the efforts of his followers thwarted, there was nothing left but to withdraw and take stock of what had happened.