Chapter 23: More than one MonsterNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Amelia felt the headache building as she watched the Board of Governors deliberate. The end of January came up with no signs of the Basilisk she knew was stalking the corridors. Croaker's assessment that the creature had been sealed back up by the Heir seemed to have been spot on, as all of the Curse Breakers in the Ministry hadn't been able to find any way of probing the Castle's walls, especially not with Dumbledore refusing to give them access to the wards. Even the experts called in from Gringotts, most of them familiar with cracking open tombs with some of the most complex ward schemes, hadn't managed to find anything beyond a few cursed objects in some disused classrooms. Amelia had been disappointed the object responsible for the so-called Defence Position Curse wasn't among those found, as that still left a major concern in the Castle unsolved, just below that of the current situation. Her eyes swept the Governors and she could see that many were actively considering reopening the school. She knew Julia would push for an Auror presence as a last ditch effort but at that point there was nothing else they could do. The trail had simply gone cold with all the kids at home. She hated herself for accepting that even as she wished she could keep Susan at home safely. Dumbledore looked amongst the Governors. "Shall we take it to a vote?"
Julia spoke up. "While I can see your point, Albus, the fact remains that you yourself aren't capable of securing the safety of the school. A staff member and a student, as well as a maledictus, are all petrified in your Hospital Wing. Letting you return everything to how it was in October won't solve the problem at hand. I believe that, at the very least, this incident and its unsolved status demands an Auror presence at the Castle to attempt to guard the children and continue the investigation. As much as I hate to assume the worst from our students, we can assume that one of the children is at least partially responsible for the Heir of Slytherin claim and that they have taken measures to conceal their Ancestor's secret chambers." The Board seemed to be receptive to the idea. Dumbledore was not. "Lady Greengrass, I refuse to believe our student body is capable of something like this. I also don't believe an Auror presence will be all that effective as a deterrent to the forces responsible for these attacks." Julia glared at him. "They clearly seem to be a better deterrent than you yourself, Headmaster. The two attacks were carried out with you in the Castle and no attacks happened when the Castle was being actively searched. As far as I am concerned, an Auror presence is merited."
Amelia could see the Governors warming up to the idea as several nodded to each other in agreement. Having at least two Aurors active in the Castle at all times would be time consuming, but it would hopefully help keep attacks from occurring. While she hated wasting resources, the students were worth it and Croaker had already promised her access to the two Operatives for the more dangerous mission of taking out the monster. This was the best they could get with no suspect and no beast cornered. Amelia and the rest of the Governors turned when her least favorite member of the Board spoke up. "Perhaps we could add another condition? I agree that an Auror presence, even if minimal, would be warranted, but we can't ignore the fact that our Headmaster wishes for the school to open again, on his word alone. Perhaps Dumbledore should assume full responsibility should another attack take place and step down, even if only temporarily, until the Board can make a more informed decision. It seems only fair, with his insistence that everything will be fine." Amelia narrowed her eyes at Lucius Malfoy. Hazel's own experiences pointed to the cursed item being placed on a student deliberately by a Death Eater. In her world, that had seemed to be Nott, with Lucius' blessing. Was he the sole person responsible here?
Dumbledore ran his fingers down his beard. "I am willing to accept that, though I still oppose the Auror presence." Amelia turned to him, her mind churning out possibilities. She cursed under her breath as she concluded that Hazel was bloody right about Dumbledore. The bastard was playing a game with the Death Eaters. While the school was closed, the game was stalled. He wanted the students back, or perhaps more precisely, he wanted the Heir and Harry Potter back on the grounds. The man was even willing to stick his own reputation on the line, as well as endanger his position as Headmaster to get it. Amelia spared a glance at the Board. While Dumbledore would lose some support, he clearly would retain enough that once the incident was resolved, he would come back to his post. Lucius would end up losing some respect from this and could see his position as Chairman of the Board of Governors challenged. It was all a game, played with the lives of children as collateral. Amelia grinded her teeth as the Governors agreed to a vote. The outcome was as expected, with the majority voting to reopen Hogwarts. Lucius turned to Dumbledore. "You are permitted to reopen the school but are required to host an Auror presence at the school with no interference on your part in their investigations. As the call for reopening started from you, Headmaster, you will assume responsibility should another attack take place and will be temporarily removed from your post until the matter is settled. This meeting is adjourned."
-∞-
OW February 14 1993
"Dammit it, Tom! Where did you go?" Searching a thousand year old school for a single book had proven to be a difficult task for Hazel. As a twelve year old attending classes, she was simply kept from exploring the school in an organized manner, even with her Invisibility Cloak. This was made all the more difficult with the attacks going on, with Hazel being the primary target of the suspicions, even from her housemates. Since Gryfindor House had proven to be such a disappointment in the previous year, Hazel had looked to the Hufflepuffs since the beginning of the year in the hopes of maybe finding a place to belong. The Hat had said she might have been fine there too. At first the Badgers were distant to her advances and gestures and thoroughly unaccommodating with her desire to be closer to them, but they did eventually get friendlier with her, especially Sally. That all ended catastrophically with her speaking Parseltongue and Zacharias Smith getting petrified. Of the Hufflepuffs, he and Earnie McMillan had never really gotten along with her. They constantly tried to push her away from Sally. When she tried to save Zacharias from the cobra summoned by Draco, everyone misinterpreted what she said since no one else could understand her speaking snake. That he ended up as the first victim seemed to point to her as the perpetrator. Ernie and the Hufflepuffs came after her, including Sally, for something she didn't do.
The sudden petrification of Earnie some weeks after Zacharias only made matters worse for Hazel. Dumbledore had tried to take back her Cloak from her but unfortunately for him, the Cloak seemed to have a mind of its own. It refused to be summoned by the old man, no enchantments would stick to it and best of all to her mind, it simply appeared in her hands when she willed it. She wasn't sure how the Cloak did all these things but she didn't care. It was hers. It was the one thing in the world that refused to betray her. Which was part of the reason she was hunting desperately for the book with Tom inside of it. She needed to know. Did Tom get stolen from her or did he leave her on his own will, somehow? The boy had been a friendly ear and a pleasant conversationalist the half a year that they knew each other. They just clicked so well together, especially concerning old man Dumbledore's hypocrisies. He had even shown her the inside of his world. Sure, the castle of his memories was a bit dull from the bad experiences of his time within the stone walls, but the sky had been beautiful. So why? Why did he vanish after that pleasant night together on his birthday? Surely someone had to have stolen him from her. He wouldn't just leave her like that. Especially now with all the weird attacks going on and the weird voice in the walls that kept repeating "rend, tear, kill" that only she cou-
Hazel's mind crashed as a thought entered her mind. What if she wasn't the only one who could hear the voice in the wall? What if there was one other person? Tom had asked her to speak Parseltongue to him within his world and she managed it, even if it was just barely. The smile on his face felt like she had somehow given him a real present after all. So what if what she was hearing wasn't a voice in her head but Parseltongue or a snake talking? That meant the monster was probably a snake. A snake that she had no power over. But Tom did. Tom told her Parselmouths didn't inherently have magic. It had to be developed and practiced with the right instructions. He could only know that if he had developed the magic himself. Meaning he was the bloody Heir of Slytherin. Hazel wanted to smash her head into the wall. The bastard was the Heir. He had to be doing this, somehow. Which left the how and the why. How was something she would have to leave for later. The why was what she was having a hard time figuring out. So Hazel kept searching the castle, even with everyone acting all stupid on Valentine's Day. Really, what was the point of giving someone chocolates and asking to be their Valentine in return? Snogging didn't seem all that great. Thinking she might find something in one of the abandoned classrooms in the Dungeons, she gently pulled open a door and her eyes went wide.
She quietly closed it again, and kept on walking, happy her face was covered by the Cloak. It had to be really red. It certainly felt warm enough. Guess that answered as to why they would be giving chocolates out today. She knew from some science books she had read at the library in Surrey that animals did it too but it simply didn't cross her mind that people went out of their way for it. Her relatives certainly never seemed interested in it. Shaking her head to try and get the images of the two naked upper years out of her mind, she kept searching the castle. The only thing of note that she saw was a Sixth Year Gryffindor girl sneaking into the Defence Professor's office. What could she want with Lockhart so late at night? Hazel didn't find anything else of interest until she found another petrified body on the floor. She almost slipped onto it with how wet the surrounding floor was. She cursed to herself as she saw Sally Anne Perks frozen on the ground. She knew she was going to be blamed for this since their friendship imploded under pressure from the Hufflepuffs. Careful not to be spotted, she decided she needed a break tonight and headed for her Sanctuary. Slipping quickly inside, she just barely noticed as a grate moved back into position on the floor.
-∞-
NW February 13 1993
"So that's it? Are we just giving up?" Croaker glared at Dora. "No Recruit, we aren't giving up. The Heir has a motive and he will see it through. We are simply unable to stop him right now. Amelia has secured two Aurors in the school at all times and, depending on the rotations, you two can eventually take the position and keep the search going. We simply can't devote all of our attention to this. Not now." Dora sighed as Horatio took over. "The investigation into the drugs being sold from the warehouse that Hazel marked has revealed a lead into the likely source of the modified Pepper Up Potion. To add insult to injury, the materials added to it include Coca leaves, which is a controlled substance among Muggle law enforcement. Our counterparts in the NCIS and Magical South America are not amused by this development." Hazel pulled open her folder and skimmed the notes. "Guess we have a mission to do while we wait for Tom to wake up." Hazel eyed Croaker. "We heard about the decision from the Board about reopening the school, but nothing about the victims. I know Sprout and Snape are working on a Restorative Potion at the school, but couldn't we just transport the potion from the continent?"
Croaker sat back. "That was debated in a later meeting with the DMLE and the result was disappointing. Amelia wants to awaken them to see if they have any pertinent information to share, but Dumbledore insists on handling it internally." Hazel frowned. "Wouldn't their families have something to say about that?" Croaker sighed. "They would, if they were being properly notified in the case of the boy. Filch and Mrs. Norris were both disowned by their birth families and are on their own. The boy is Muggleborn, which means that his Magical Guardian, in this case Professor McGonagall, would have final say on the matter. Amelia has tried appealing to her but the witch, while unhappy, does agree with the Headmaster in that technically the boy is safer petrified until the monster is caught. As for his muggle parents, they simply have no way of forcing the issue at all. Not without running afoul of the Statute of Secrecy, which tends to hit non-magical relatives hard with any infractions." Hazel huffed loudly. "One: that law needs to be reviewed with the UN being part of the discussion. Two: That woman should be removed as a Head of House. She is too strict to be anyone's caretaker or parental proxy." Croaker nodded. "Amelia did speak with her and Neville has seen some improvement with Gryffindor House, but clearly not enough has changed. For the moment, there is nothing left to do legally."
Dora pulled open her own mission file. "Are we making some reconnaissance missions on this warehouse first?" Horatio nodded. "We are. How is your Animorphmagus training going?" Dora blushed. "I managed to shift to a small owl but I need more practice with flying." Hazel chuckled. "Indeed. That crash into the training mats was a sight to see." Dora pouted at her partner. "All you told me was to stretch out my wings." Hazel hummed merrily. "And you did. Five seconds too late. We may need someone to cast a whirlwind spell while I show her by example." Hazel eyed Horatio who nodded. "I'll be there. R2, see if you can master that form and get another more infiltration friedly form, like a mouse, a snake or a smaller bird. The recon mission will be in at least a week. We are already contacting the relevant muggle authorities, those we know are not on the take, and are preparing for another raid. We will provide the recon information and you two will lead the assault before we send the rest in with Aurors, if required, to secure the criminals appropriately. Take this time to prepare and train adequately."
Hazel nodded and stood up as Horatio left the office, while Dora stayed behind. She eyed her boss. "You sure the DoM is ok with us being in a relationship? I know it's not against the rules but we are your only Operatives." Hazel waited by the door as Croaker leaned forward. "Partner based relationships are always a mixed bag. Your emotions will likely get in the way of rational decisions but at the same time emotions power our magic at times. Your primary order is to never leave your partner behind. That won't change with your new relationship. My request is that you two need to get better control of your emotions while under fire. You have improved a lot Tonks, but you are still skittish and Hazel is still too bloodthirsty. Work on that." Dora nodded and turned to leave before Croaker added one last comment. "And I better not hear about you two getting caught in an awkward position in a public setting." Hazel glared at Croaker from the door. "I would never." Croaker's eyes turned to Dora, who blushed. "No, but your partner has a record from Hogwarts about her last two years." Hazel eyed Dora whose hair was cycling through colors. "Dora, you and I need to add a few things to our ground rules. Come along. We also have work tomorrow." Croaker watched them leave as he shook his head, getting back to his papers.
-∞-
"So, why are we sitting here disillusioned on Valentine's Day?" Hazel sighed, the noise blocked from within a few feet away as they stood on guard in one of the corridors of Hogwarts. "Because I remembered something from my world. I am hoping I am wrong, otherwise I am going to make Amelia pay me back in spades." Dora looked at Hazel. "Is that why you gave me such a great morning today? Because you knew you might ruin our night?" Hazel looked at Dora, feeling a bit guilty. "Yeah. This is our first Valentine's together and I am pretty sure I am about to ruin any mood you might have been in tonight. Still wanted you to have something worth remembering." Dora leaned over and kissed Hazel's cheek. "Ohh, I will remember alright. Quetz practically grilled me on why I had a grin plastered on my face the whole bloody day." Hazel chuckled. "You're welcome." The two sat in silence after that as the clock clicked ever closer to Curfew for the younger years, before the one for the whole school a few hours later. Hazel motioned for Dora to drop the noise cancelling wards as they watched an older student heading towards the Defence Professor's Office door, about an hour after he returned. Hazel made herself visible as she silenced the Professor's door.
"Excuse me, may I see you for a moment, young lady." The girl looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I … have detention with Professor Lockhart." Hazel eyed her as a disillusioned Dora walked around to stand behind the girl. "Really? Because his detention registry is empty. It was so this morning and your year didn't have class with him today. How curious." The woman started shaking. "I … ahhh… I just… I am of age." Hazel eyed her. "Interesting thing to say. Which is funny because your behaviour just now wasn't entirely correct for a typical response. I am pretty sure you're currently under the effects of a compulsion and who knows how many other maladies. If you could please head towards the Hospital Wing, I will be happy to escort you." Hazel watched as the girl seemed to be fighting the compulsion until Dora flicked her wand. " Finite Enchatatum. " The girl's resistance melted away and was replaced by fear. "I… what's been happening to me?" Hazel sighed and helped the girl move along. "Nothing good. Madam Pomfrey and a Mind Healer from St. Mungos will check you out thoroughly. Dora."
Dora went ahead to contact St. Mungos as Hazel tried to keep her emotions in check. She knew if she released the girl, she would go back and slaughter Lockhart. So she waited until Dora was with her before the two stepped out of the Hospital Wing. They stood in silent vigil until the sound of a girl crying announced the door being opened behind them. The Mind Healer, a woman, looked at them both with haunted eyes. "The memory crystals, for what it's worth. I got all the wiped memories back but knowing the perpetrator, I don't see how we will get this to stick, as memories aren't admissible as evidence currently by the Wizengamot. Especially not those from less financially influential families." Hazel held the crystals. "How many more Mind Healers in St. Mungos would be willing to scan the upper years? I have a bad feeling the bastard has a type that he targeted specifically. We need them all looked after. These memories would have resurfaced on their own in fragments and there is no telling what effect they could have on the girls then. They need care now." The Mind Healer squared her shoulders. "I'll round up my department and we will be here by morning." Hazel eyed the witch as she entered the Hospital Wing, probably to Floo out of Pomfrey's office. She turned around when her partner's arm stopped her.
"Dora." Nymphadora looked at her pleadingly. "You can't kill him, Hazel. Not right now. Think! If we kill him now, nothing gets resolved." Hazel felt her blood boiling. "I am thinking, Dora. You heard her, the bastard will do everything to weasel his way out of this mess and the laws are too loose for him to face justice. He will blame the girls all for something he did, despite the evidence he instigated everything. They are all going to be ridiculed, threatened and hated, all the while being the real victims. I won't let him get away with it." Dora sighed. "I understand, Hazel. But killing him now wont help matters. Amelia needs to handle this. If he gets away, Croaker could give us the go ahead to end him. Quietly." Hazel growled. "If we go after him after he is acquitted, It won't do the girls any good. He needs to be found guilty in some way. They deserve justice." Dora eyed her. "They might not get it." Hazel thought for a second, trying to remember what magic she knew. Veritaserum wasn't forced to be taken by anyone in the Wizengamot and memories could be dismissed as evidence, even with Mind Healer verification. She remembered something from one of the books in the Chamber, something she recently reread in a gift from Croaker. She grinned, her teeth looking sharp in the low light. "Fine. I need to head home for a moment. Make sure the bastard doesn't make a break for it." Dora watched her partner head for the castle gates, certain that whatever she was getting from home wasn't going to be good. Not for Lockhart at least.
-∞-
Amelia wanted to scream. Over a dozen young women, all raped by the bastard Lockhart inside of Hogwarts. Hazel's warning had proven true and now she had to deal with the fact she had played a part in letting a serial rapist into the Castle in the first place, because she refused to forgive herself for not accepting Hazel's warning. This was all made worse by the fact the monster would walk free. Lockhart had been careful with the young women he picked. They were all of age, they were all Muggleborn and they had no real strong backers in the Wizengamot or the Ministry, despite their exemplary scores. They were simply the most vulnerable people to be targeted as they had none of the protections afforded to minors or the backing of a Head of House that would dare Lockhart to prove himself with Veritaserum or to provide his own unedited memories as evidence, lest the man be challenged to a duel. Hazel had glared at her the moment they passed each other as soon as the Courtroom was filled and Amelia couldn't bear to look her in the eye. She was silently praying that Hazel did something, anything to end the bastard within the courtroom. She deserved the humiliation it brought to her and her Department for not being able to bring justice to the victims. The man's solicitor stood up. "As all alleged evidence has been dismissed, I believe that is all? My client has a job to return to."
A woman's voice spoke up behind her, a bit muted and barely above a whisper. "Get him on the stand and ask him about every girl. Ask and make sure he answers. Get him to refute all crimes himself. You have the right." Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. "Mr. Rowle. I wish to summon your client to the defendant's chair to be questioned. As you have refused the submission of memory vials and questions under Veritaserum, neither will be requested, but your client must still answer my call and make a personal plea to all the charges." Rowle looked unconcerned and Gilderoy Lockhart stood up and sat on the chair at the center of the Courtroom. Amelia wished she could bind him with the chains. The scribe came up and placed the Wizengamot's Law registry book in front of the man. "Your oath please, binding or otherwise." Lockhart placed his hand on the Registry. "I, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin Third Class, swear to speak the truth before this Assembly." Amelia looked at the man. "Then let's get started. You are charged with the rape of a woman on the night of October 20th, 1992 within the your offices at Hogwarts. How do you plead?"
Lockhart gave his award winning smile to her and the rest of the Wizengamot. "Not guilty." Amelia pressed on, asking him for every single girl they had accounted for, their names sealed by her order. She refused to get them lynched. As Amelia passed the third accusation, Gilderoy started coughing. After the seventh, the coughs were longer and she asked if he was alright. He dismissed it and said he wanted to be done with the farce. By the twelfth accusation and denial, the man looked ill. Amelia eyed him. "Do you wish to continue?" Lockhart coughed. "Yes. I won't have these women besmirch my good name. My adoring public demands to hear the truth spoken in my own words." Amelia looked at the list of charges. "You are charged with rape of a young woman on the night of February the 12th, 1993 in your office and the attempted rape of the same girl on the night of the 14th. How do you plead?" Lockhart got as far as saying "Not-" before he started having trouble breathing. He gripped his throat as his solicitor called for a Healer. Amelia watched as the Healers in the gallery refused to come to his aid, all but one who was at the furthest back row.
Dora watched from the visitor gallery as the Healer finally reached Lockhart, who had since stopped moving. "Funny thing. Hogwarts is known as a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, yet the only classes that relate to Witchcraft are Herbology and Potions. At least, those are the only ones currently being taught. In the age of the Founders, the two branches of Magic were considered to be of equal standing, but over the centuries Wizardry became the standard. Understandable as it was easiest to teach and evaluate and everyone loves instant gratification. Witchcraft, however, is a subtler art. It requires some precise conditions at times. During the Witch Hunts, the real Witches watched as young women and older ladies were placed in mock trials and condemned for crimes they were innocent of, all for having different beliefs, opinions or more knowledge about the natural world than what a priest deemed necessary. The real witches paid the Church and Inquisitors back in full, by crafting some interesting curses. One in particular was very infamous. If a person lied after swearing to speak the truth a grand total of twelve times, they had one single chance of survival. They had to feel remorse for their crimes. No remorse, a thirteenth lie and the person would find their tongue would swell up in their throat. They would soon suffocate, killed by their own lies. As this was designed to target Inquisitors and priests, it was quite effective in eliminating the liars."
Turning to look at Hazel directly, the meaning of her partner's words sunk in. "He's going to be diagnosed with that curse and the conditions for it will be made known." Hazel grinned at Dora. "Exactly. Everyone will know he lied in the Courtroom about all the crimes he was accused of. There will be no accusations against his victims, the bastards in the stands are forced to watch as one of their largest financial donors is ruined, his estate will be charged for reparations and we all get to watch a free show as a rapist gets taken out by his own vanity. It also goes without saying: don't piss off the Healers. He might have survived if any of the St. Mungos' Healers cared to help but their Oaths bind them to not inflict harm. It doesn't, however, bind them to act. A serial rapist that has kept the entire St. Mungos' Mind Healer Department at Hogwarts for a week straight so far certainly didn't make him any friends at the hospital." Dora looked as a gurney was brought out, as well as a black cloth. She reached out and gently squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "You think Amelia will be mad?" Hazel chuckled. "She spent the entire trial wracked by guilt and self loathing since I gave her an early warning on this monster. Pretty sure she is going to be in a slightly more decent mood now, though I hope the guilt lingers. For now, let's be on our way. Croaker pushed back the raid for this. We need to get ready. Plenty of monsters need hunting, especially those that hide in plain sight as ordinary men and women."
Notes:
So, how was it? When I look back at Lockhart as an adult, I can't not think he didn't use his talents for something far worse than fraud. He was literally in a school with impresionable girls, some of whom were of age, fawning over him. With the ability to strip almost anyone of their memory, there was no way he couldn't have taken advantage of them, even those who were far too young. That no one noticed, in my mind, meant he targeted the group least likely to know something happened to them. Even if they did notice, they were the type to be ignored politically. Just because you pass a certain date on a calendar, doesn't mean you should suddenly no longer be as protected as the rest. This incident will have reprecussions. Also, just because you delay Hazel's bloodlust doesn't mean she wont get it sated. It just makes her more creative.
Next Chapter?: Some lessons are learned the hard way
I had such a productive last few days as I hit the 60 chapters mark. Not yet at the point of the climactic end, but getting there. Felt there needed to be a few more chapters in between setting up the final events. Positing this chapter a bit earlier because I want to get some sleep in. Hope you all are still enjoying the story.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.
Chapter 24: The Price of SuccessNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The screams of one of the criminals made Dora's head snap to the side as she stunned another wizard before binding his hands. She watched as a wolf clamped its jaw deep into another wizard's wrist, the noise of bones snapping making her wince as she stunned the man, the wolf vanishing into nothingness. She took quick cover as she heard a spray of gunfire, a kinetic shield ready to be casted from her wand, when the bullets stopped abruptly, followed by a body being sent her way. It crashed into the aluminum wall beside her, just before stunned them. While they hadn't exactly settled on a routine, the one she and Hazel were using currently was quite comfortable for Dora. Hazel was simply more comfortable being in the field of fire and knew how to protect herself and avoid injuries accordingly, while Dora's cautious and restrained approach meant she could follow behind her and stun the targets that got incapacitated or launched out of the way. It certainly kept most of the criminals alive, especially as Horatio asked for minimal deaths on the mission today. Dora spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and dropped back, raising a kinetic shield quickly, just as bullets bounced off the solidified magical energy. Dora grinned when she saw a red streak take the gunman down, followed by some very tight ropes.
Hazel, the enchantment beneath her faceless hood active, looked around the structure, spotting movement. "R2! Back corner, gunner making his way towards us. Wizard in the far front, trying to break through the warded wall. No other active targets." Dora nodded as she disillusioned herself, Hazel doing the same. She took out the muggle from the back with a simple stunner and bound his arms and legs. She heard a loud thump against metal and her comms light up. "R1 to BM, warehouse is secure." Dora holstered her wand as Horatio responded. "Acknowledged. Aurors and MI5 will be arriving shortly. Did we get our Priority One?" Dora and Hazel turned over the stunned wizards until Hazel replied. "Oily grey hair, pale skin and a scar over his right eye. Yup, we got him. Tried to burn his workstation before I stunned him." Horatio sighed in relief. "Glad you were taking a less lethal approach. His intel will be invaluable concerning the supplier of the rarer materials." Hazel eyed the compounds on the desk that seemed to be covering his skin, some coloration growing slightly on the potioneer. "Any idea how to stop an acid burn? I might have stunned him right into a cauldron and it spilled on him. He is alive though, just in need of a weekend stay at St. Mungos if this stuff is what I think it is." Hazel could practically feel Horatio's exasperation. "Leave him be. The Auror field medics will look at him. Gather the wizards and muggles up in groups and have them ready for the locals. ETA 2 minutes."
Dora winced as she heard a few bodies get thrown around like ragdolls. "Might want to add gently to that request, BM." Hazel hummed merrily to herself as Dora heard Horatio drop the comm, probably to avoid cursing into the open line, even though he knew Hazel wouldn't kill them. Hazel bound the wizards together, minus their potions master. She eyed the man. "Still bummed about Snape not being our Potions Master. I know he is clever enough to get this mixture made." Dora shook her head as she heard car tires screeching to a halt and apparition pops from outside the loading dock bay door. She reached for the deployable wardstone. "R2 on wardstone, waiting to disable it." She looked at her partner. "Hogwarts is already down one full time professor and you want to add another one?" Hazel shrugged. "Please, it wouldn't be vacant for long. Slughorn is still around and he would happily take all his old positions for a year or five. At least until things get dangerous. He wouldn't resist the chance to teach the Boy Who Lived." Croaker's voice came from the comms. "R1 isn't wrong. The man would jump at the chance to get any new celebrities under his belt. Unfortunately, PMSS is currently keeping his hands clean. R2, disable the ward. Aurors are on site. Retrieve the equipment and apparate out. Amelia will be down here to take your debrief with me."
Hazel sighed. "Great. Any word yet from her observers?" Dora deactivated the wardstone and carried it with her to Hazel's side. Croaker answered the question. "Nothing yet. The castle is eerily quiet. Either we spooked the Heir or the unlucky passenger took a break. Either way, we are all stuck in a holding pattern. For now, you two have permission to aparate to the nearest safe house. Amelia and Scrimgeour are also eyeing another target so keep your training up the next few days and your schedules open." Dora cursed softly as she was apparated away by Hazel. The two made their way to their respective duties in the safe house, as Dora called in. "R1 and R2 at the safehouse. Depositing wardstone and preparing for return to base." Hazel eyed Dora as she pulled out a records book. "That Weird Sisters concert?" Dora nodded as she stored the wardstone in its equipment case. "Yeah. I was hoping to get a chance to see them live again. They got a few new singles out." Hazel went and noted down the return date and time, before checking the safehouse's security footage. "R1 and R2, waiting for techs to arrive." Horatio came back on comms. "ETA 1 minute. Permission to return is granted once the package is delivered." Hazel casted a silencing spell on herself and Dora before she pulled her girlfriend into her body and smothered her mouth with a deep kiss. They parted as soon as there was a knock on the door and Hazel dispelled the silencing spells. "Better?" The shifting hair color was all the confirmation Hazel needed.
Dora had to restrain herself as they apparated back and walked through the DoM before Hazel opened her apartment door. "Evening Andromeda. How did he do?" Andromeda smiled and motioned towards Teddy. Hazel watched her son wave her wand, his eyes closed in concentration. " Expecto Patronum ." A brilliant shield of light came to life and Hazel smiled. The shield dropped after a few seconds, leaving a very winded Teddy stumbling back into the sofa. Hazel pulled him into a hug and kissed his hair. "That was great. A bit more practice and your proper wand and you should be close to a corporeal patronus." Dora blinked before she turned to her Mom. "I am seriously feeling like an underachiever with this kid around. Why does he even need to know the Patronus at almost eleven years of age?" Hazel released Teddy. "Because a messenger Patronus is quite useful and if my history repeats itself, there are going to be Dementors around Hogwarts this September. I am going to see if the other coalition kids can try it but out of all of them, Teddy has better control of his magic. Leafsby." The elf appeared. "Pretty sure we have some sponge cake in the fridge. Please have a small serving of it with whipped cream and milk ready for after Teddy leaves the shower." Hazel chuckled as Teddy yelled "Yippy!" on his way to the bathroom, with Leafsby taking the cake out and carving slices out of it in the kitchen.
Andromeda smiled as she watched the two but frowned when she saw a bit of blood on Dora's wrist. She drew her wand and checked them over. "You two are exhausted. Hard mission?" Hazel sat down as Dora went to the fridge. "No, just the usual drain from non-lethal spell chains, kinetic shields and binding conjuration. Dora is actually doing better in managing her energy." Hazel eyed her girlfriend and pouted. "Though not her stomach." Dora blushed as she pulled out some of the leftovers from Hazel's big chinese style lunch that had been stored in the fridge. "What? I'm hungry." Andromeda chuckled. "No fixing that, I'm afraid. I was at it for her whole life before giving up." Hazel sighed as she wandlessly returned the bottle of beer that Dora pulled out of the fridge. "Hey!" Hazel gave Dora a soft glare. "If you want me to finish what we started at the safe house, you're staying sober and definitely not drinking beer." Andromeda eyed her daughter whose hair went soft red. "That's my cue to leave. Be safe you two." Hazel waved at Andromeda as Dora called out "Bye Mom." She dug into her reheated meal with vigor as Teddy came out and ate his snack before heading to bed. Finally under the shower, Dora sighed in relief before she groaned in pleasure as her girlfriend joined her, cold fingers exploring her body thoroughly, her sultry voice sending shivers down her spine. "Now, where were we?" Dora closed her eyes and lost coherent thought for the rest of the night as those fingers found her more intimate spots.
-∞-
"Interesting place for a meeting, Julia." Lord Theodore Nott looked among the gathered witches and gave them all a grin. "Though I can't fault the company. A pleasure to finally speak to you on cordial terms, Augusta, Amelia." The three witches stood up and waited for Lord Nott to join them at the meeting table before everyone sat down. Amelia passed him a folder and sat back. "It should tell you that our little Coalition has a silent partner, one that is willing to lend a hand when it's required." Theodore chuckled at that and eyed Augusta. "Saul finally getting his hands dirty for once? When we were kids I always wondered if I misjudged him. He might have been a Ravenclaw, but I always wondered if there was some ambition to him. You, Augusta, I never doubted. You were a Lion to your core." Augusta smiled. "I appreciate the compliment. Sadly, my brother still refuses to deal with the politics of our world. He and his department are more interested in doing things. The laws and politics only ever seem to be in the way for them. They are, however, not opposed to seeing said laws improve if it results in a more stable society. The current state of our government is one where they are willing to intervene, when required."
Nott hummed to himself. "Like with Lockhart's trial? A few of my less than pleasant associates were quite unhappy with how things ended for the poor soul. Their words, ladies, not mine. I would have cursed him on the spot if my own daughter had been treated as such, if I had one. His death and the mess that is building around his estate has thrown a few of my less than "noble" colleagues into disarray." The glares from the witches dissipated and Julia pointed at the file. "Lockhart's case is why we are meeting. The fact a curse found and outed the bastard as guilty while our own government was likely to absolve him of said crimes is frankly an insult. It undermines our entire government's credibility and has the population on edge. While we know the conservatives love to keep the law as is, this gross and vile loophole must be closed in its entirety. Along with every other method that puts a person's wealth and position above the evidence and the rule of law. " Lord Nott opened the file and skimmed the proposal. He eyed the three witches. "I see you have been quite busy reviewing all the old laws. My fellow traditionalists won't like to see their rights curtailed." Julia nodded. "We know, which is why we need your assistance in writing it in a way that appeals to them. The need for memory based testimony verified by St. Mungos' Healers, Veritaserum testimony or written confessions under binding oaths for all future criminal trials are non-negotiable. While a person may refuse to submit their memories or statements, the ones provided by others, verified to be unaltered, should be viable testimony, regardless of the source, so long as it was acquired legally by the DMLE."
Amelia drank from her cup of tea. "What we can negotiate is a shift in the sentencing and punishments of crimes. Certain actions can be reclassified as misdemeanors, certain curses changed from guaranteed Azkaban time from the act of casting it to the impact it has on others, magical and otherwise, and so on. Quite a few people have been fined and sentenced to Azkaban for crimes and misdemeanors that were pretty harmless. This punitive measure by the Ministry must become far more balanced out with the rest of the laws. For everyone's sake." Nott raised an eyebrow as he read through more of the file. "You're advocating for quite a large judicial reform. Far more so than has been seen since the end of Grindelwald's Terror." Augusta nodded. "Indeed. While we doubt we will get wide support on these reforms, we want to see sufficient change so that cases like Lockhart's are not repeated again. Another change we are willing to add to the pile is increased oversight at Hogwarts." Theodore looked from Augusta to Julia. "I am guessing this is aimed towards the Headmaster? Lucius was quite pleased with his hollow victory the other day. Lockhart's arrest may not have ruined Dumbledore, but his image as infallible has certainly been lost." Julia growled softly. "It is directed at the Staff of Hogwarts and at the Board of Governors as well. Dumbledore's ability to freely select Professors must be curbed before we get another similar incident. It would also help in raising the education level of our students." Amelia sighed. "We also need to improve the security of the Castle. Depending on the current staff alone will be a death sentence to kids if the staff is compromised. At the same time, we can't have Aurors remain as a permanent solution. There are simply not enough of them for us to keep posted at the castle indefinitely."
Nott drank from the tea in front of him and thought about ways to spin this to the traditionalists. "Increasing the oversight of the Castle denizens shouldn't be too difficult but Dumbledore's progressives will try everything to back him up. The current incident, however, does put them all into a corner. To do nothing will anger the greater population they supposedly advocate for, especially those with children at the school. The progressives will have to decide which is more important to them: their leader's independence or their own accountability to the masses. I can see a future review of the curriculum being quite the draw towards this shift from the traditionalists side. Dumbledore's tenure as Headmaster has seen many classes cancelled, which has forced several employers to take time training potential employees themselves." Amelia nodded. "The cost effectiveness of the reforms should appeal to more neutral Wizengamot members." Augusta sighed. "The progressives will complain on Dumbledore's behalf, but the likelihood the vote will pass without their support is high." Julia eyed Nott. "So, care to try at revising our work?" Nott grinned, feeling a bit younger today. He joined the Knights of Walpurgis to effect real change in their stagnated society, even if it was with traditionalist values at their core. While this Coalition was certainly far more progressive than he would normally like, he can't deny the need for real change. Especially not now. He finally had the chance to do that without getting his grandson or his family's legacy in danger, while also helping in reshaping the world for the better, without sacrificing their culture. He finished his cup of tea and looked at the pot on the table. "Perhaps you should call for a full lunch. We will be here for a while."
-∞-
Hazel and Dora exchanged worried looks as they arrived at the forward operating post that the Head Auror had established in a Wizarding Tent somewhere in the woodlands near a large magical community in Nottinghamshire. Croaker had given them an order to help in this raid but as Hazel eyed the blueprints on the table, she grew more concerned. Dora spoke up first. "Head Auror, are you sure this is a good idea? Our Boss usually sends us in to do reconnaissance. All you have given us is a floor plan that hasn't been updated in a century." Rufus sighed. "I would love to send you two in to do a proper search of the Manor, but we simply don't have the time. Sir Louis Williamson, former Death Eater and a financier of the organization, has a warrant for his arrest after the murder of two muggles. Attempts to arrest him at his last known location proved ineffective. We know he is currently in his family's home, we believe he has a small group of guards protecting him and we have it on good authority that he is planning to leave the country by tonight. We have an acquaintance of his detained currently carrying a legally procured international portkey. While it's illegal for him to have someone else use it, we simply can't charge him for anything as no one beyond Williamson has committed any crimes yet." Hazel felt a bit of dread building up inside. "Sir, we understand the need for expediency, but charging head first like this is dangerous. I can do a quick scouting mission."
Rufus shook his head. "And in that time the man's guards have a greater chance of spotting our Aurors moving into position. We have sealed the Floo Network to the manor and are placing anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards up. They won't hold for long the moment the people inside notice them." Dora looked at Hazel and wasn't happy with the concern her partner was showing. She looked back at the Head Auror. "Sir, is there really no other option? You're putting us and your Aurors in danger over this. Our Battlemaster always covers all the possible dangers and tries to mitigate them with his strategies. This plan of attack is filled with too many uncertainties." Rufus eyed them both. "This mission was cleared by Croaker who placed you both under my command for the duration. We need you to infiltrate first, disable the wardstone if you can and cause confusion. My Aurors can take care of the rest." Hazel looked at the floor plan of the mansion. If she were a paranoid homeowner, she would position it on the hardest to reach area of the house. The manor had three floors above ground and a basement level. Which meant she would either place it on the second floor or the basement, as entry into the third floor is too easy with brooms. The basement level was the better protected of the two, but the second floor had the least amount of conventional access points and greater point of access for the homeowner.
"Please tell me you at least know if the man has an office on the second floor? A place he usually only invites allies or family into?" Rufus looked through what they had on the man. "There is indeed an office on the second floor, why?" Hazel sighed. "Because in this Manor layout, I would place the wardstone either on the second floor or the basement level. Most modern wardstone schemes are with the wardstone placed at the closest point to the Head of House's office, usually behind a covering on the wall, below a panel on the floor, or in a drawer of the desk. The older houses have the stone at the basement level. As a Death Eater, he would probably have kept the house like his ancestors established it. As a man with paranoia and self reliance, he would have altered the scheme to have the wardstone as close to his person as possible. The question is which option did he pick." Rufus looked at the floor plan. "Hard to say. He is quite the traditionalist but he values his privacy a bit." Hazel, sighed, worried about the best approach. "Last question: are there non-combatants in the house? Children, elves?" Rufus shook his head. "No, there are not. The only child is at Durmstrang in his first year, the wife is currently an assistant teacher there, with her focus being in etiquette. The last elf was sold years ago."
Dora turned to Hazel. "I think we should do it. We've hit harder targets before." Hazel turned to her. "But we knew what and who was where when we went in. We had the wards down before we engaged in combat as well. Wards designed to repel intruders from inside are rare, as are lethal wards as they would need something to seperate a friendly from an enemy easily, but there are wards that interfere with certain magical properties." Hazel looked at Scrimgeour. "The guards. Are they former Death Eaters or are they new recruits?" Rufus checked. "A mix of both and a few that were unmarked at the end of the war." Hazel sighed in relief. "Ok, so the wards won't be able to pick us as exclusive enemies by not having a Dark Mark. This still leaves us with the danger of unknown numbers and the effect the wards will have on our ability to enter and leave." Hazel looked at Rufus. "Which is why we never used charm based anti-apparition or anti-portkey wards. You don't have the means to tune them to anyone but the primary caster." Seeing Rufus shrugging her comment off, Hazel turned to Dora. "We don't have an exit strategy beyond escaping the Manor. My gut says we shouldn't do it. Not like this. I should be able to sweep the floors for the wardstone safely enough." Dora could see the reasoning behind Hazel's words, but if Croaker thought they could do it with Auror aid, maybe it was enough. "I say we should. As Head Auror Scrimgeour said, time is of the essence and causing a distraction on the inside is part of the plan. The target is a future concern of ours and the DoM's primary mission anyways."
Hazel felt certain this was a bad idea, at least for everyone else involved, but Dora's willingness and the benefits made it hard to refute. She sighed. "Then we are sticking together. No heroics and Horatio's primary order is mandatory." As Rufus got his Aurors ready to push the building, Hazel and Dora, donning their Operative gear with their face coverings on, shifted into their flying forms. Hazel took a slightly larger eagle and her claws were primed in case Dora lost control in her owl form again. After finding an open window on the third floor and taking human form again, the two began to make their way through the house, stunning and binding a few guards along the way since Rufus had asked for a non-lethal approach. Hazel cursed under her breath as her revealing charms were useless in penetrating the walls under the wards. They were running blind. She wanted to pull Dora out but the sudden shift in the wards and the shouting made it clear the Aurors had either been spotted or had attacked too quickly. They were stuck inside the building now. Hazel and Dora took several men down on their way to the second floor, binding and disillusioning most of them. Hazel noticed that any movement made the disillusionment charm more noticeable, meaning the wards had a means of countering invisible targets. Down on the second floor, Hazel tried to feel her way through the wards' magics, trying to find the wardstone, when a door opened and slammed Dora on the face. "We got infiltrators!"
Dora tried to pull back but her mind was still fuzzy from the impact as the guards started casting curses at them. She felt Hazel pull her back and down onto the ground as several curses slipped right over her where she had just been standing. She watched several curses fired back past her as she tried to recover from the hit to her head and turn herself over on the ground. More curses came at her as a shield popped up protecting her. "Get into cover, R2!" Dora cleared her head and transfigured a table into a stronger slab of stone as she fired back. More men kept popping out of the door that smashed into her face and she watched as Hazel moved up towards the opening with a duelist's shield up on her offhand, pulled something from her belt and threw it into the room, before she then sealed the door. Those guards inside remained out of the fight but several more kept coming up from the hallways. Dora tried to reposition herself but suddenly felt woozy. She looked down and paled. Her Unspeakable tactical suit had a massive gash in it and she could see a lot of blood spilling out from a deep and open wound on her abdomen. "Hazel!" Her partner launched a massive Reducto down the hallway before conjuring a wall between herself and the enemies, after which she checked on Dora. She paled too at the sight of the massive gash on Dora's body. "R1 on emergency call. Healers 1 and 2, anyone! R2 has been hit by a dark cutting curse and is losing blood rapidly!"
Hazel pushed Dora onto the ground and looked her in the eyes. "Full occlumency training, Dora. Slow everything down. Now!" Casting her diagnostic charms as Dora slipped deeper and deeper into her exercises, Hazel paled further. "Curse is Sectumsempra. I don't know the counter. Anyone!" Andromeda's voice was fast to answer, filled with concern. "I do, but it's not something I can teach you over the comms!" Horatio spoke up, anger clear in his voice as Hazel's ear throbbed in pain from his voice. "Sit-rep now!" Rufus, who had been given a comm for the mission, filled him in as Hazel resealed the hallways and pulled Dora into a room before casting a small notice-me-not on the door. She forced some Blood Replenishing Potion down Dora's throat and applied a medical dressing and a bandage onto the wound. Hazel barely caught Rufus screaming at Horatio. "We can't get in far enough to extract them. The wards are still up!" Hazel eyed Dora, noticing that she wasn't controlling her emotions well as Horatio berated Scrimgeour. She needed to get her partner out of the Manor. "Andromeda, will the Draught of Living Death keep her vitals low enough for a delayed extraction?" Her frantic "Yes!" was all Hazel needed to know. She kissed Dora, filling her with her magic. "You will be out for a bit but I promise, you will be ok." Dora nodded before she drank the potion, her blood flow slowing down to a crawl as Hazel switched out the medical dressing again.
Tired of hearing Horatio and Rufus arguing, Hazel spoke into her comm. "R1 going Dark. Prioritizing R2's extraction. H1, get everything you need at the emergency portkey arrival point to transport R2 to the Medical Wing once extraction is achieved." Taking off her ear comm device before she could hear any responses, Hazel touched the walls. The wards were reinforcing them, the outer walls even more so, to keep the Aurors out. Roof too. She had no way to safely extract Dora through them without putting her at risk. That wardstone had to go down to extract her partner safely and get her the medical attention she needed. After placing her Cloak over Dora and laying down some charm wards on her to keep her safe, Hazel drew the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone. She could feel her own magic diminishing as she started to envelop herself with the Peverell Family Magic. Taking a deep breath, her world started to shift around her. Gone were the vibrant colors of the extravagant room and curtains. Everything her eyes could see turned black, gray and white. The only source of color was Magic, a mix of colors flowing freely in a dark world. Her eyes, now turned a glowing silver, focused on the magic in the walls. As her mind began to clear of thoughts and feelings, the need to destroy the wardstone remained her main focus. She left the room as another thought began to intrude, one that threatened to consume her. She refused to surrender to it entirely, but she made sure to give it what it wanted along the way.
Every guard that appeared before her, their pulsing mass of magic, casted towards her every curse they knew. Her shields on her right hand, sustained by the content Resurrection Stone acting as a foci, batted them all away from her. Her Elder Wand, singing in absolute joy, saw curse after curse unleashed from it's tip. Hazel looked on impassively as she moved further into the building, leaving behind a trail of blood, severed limbs and withering bodies in her wake. She had no reason to spare any of them. Her Family Magic craved death and she was supplying it gladly. All she needed was to get those who shared the Family Magic out of the building. They had to be kept safe at all costs. Hazel followed the trail of the house's magic to the basement where she found a greater concentration of souls. Taking back a bit of control over herself, Hazel conjured thin metallic rods over their heads before transfiguring them, her ears filling up with screams that slowly turned to gurgling and then silence. Hazel made her way forward slowly, pulling herself further and further out of her Family's Magic, the world returning to colors as she stepped through the small forest of impaled bodies she created, the wizards and witches twitching as the spears grew thorns, roots and branches that pierced their extremities, thin pieces of sharp metal poking out of their orifices, binding the people in place from within. She reached the wardstone, feeling her magic draining quickly. " Ignis Obscuras. "
The black flames greedily devoured the wardstone as she fished out her ear comms unit and returned it to its place. As soon as the wards collapsed, she focused what little of her magic remained and apparated to Dora's side. Removing the Cloak, Hazel pulled back some of her family's magic from her. Andromeda would need a more accurate reading to heal Dora and the alieness of the Family Magic would only get in her way. She took the cold and still body of her partner into her hands and spoke into her comms at last. "R1 here. Wardstone destroyed. Extracting R2 to base." She ignored the replies she heard as she pulled the keychain off her belt and gripped it tightly as she hugged Dora. "Brigid's Blessing." The tug of a portkey almost unbalanced her enough to disorient her before she felt her feet hit solid ground once more. She felt Andromeda and the other Healer arrive at her side, casting diagnostics on Dora. Andromeda sighed in relief. "The Draught has kept her bleeding minimal and the Blood Replenish Potion did its job. She will be fine as soon as we apply the counter curse." The other Healer, a dark skinned woman with short black hair, casted a diagnostic on Hazel and frowned. "Your magic is low. Lower than normal. How are you still awake?" Hazel gave her a bitter smile. "Had a priority order to keep." She felt Quetz and Horatio arrive and they helped carry Dora on a gurney as Hazel followed slowly behind. The moment Dora was being applied the counter curse in the Medical Wing, Hazel's head hit the medical bed she took a seat on and blacked out.
-∞-
"Gods damn it all to Hell, Saul! I didn't get two Recruits to get this far into their training for you to get them killed on a blind mission!" Croaker shrunk back into his seat as Horatio turned to Scrimgeour. "From now on you are forbidden to ever give orders to any of my Operatives. I don't care that they agreed to go in, even if both had done so begrudgingly. This operation was a disaster waiting to happen and it bloody well did. I swear if any of my people had died, you wouldn't be leaving this bloody room intact." Rufus glared back at him. "The mission became a disaster because of one of them. Did you see the images we took of the crime scene? The manor's second floor and basement levels looked like a butcher's shop! The target was found impaled in the basement along with a full dozen other witches and wizards, all dead." Horatio's magic flared, making Croaker wince. "The hell that was a disaster. That is exactly what was going to happen. R1 is a lethal force equalizer and she did her bloody job when her partner went down. She could have done it a bit more cleanly but under the circumstances I can't disagree with the results. R2 is alive, her injuries are being looked after and the main threats were neutralized!"
"As is our entire case …" Amelia slammed her fist down, interrupting her Head Auror. "Enough! Rufus, next time you want to use our Aurors on blind missions like these, you run it by me first! We are probably lucky none of our people were caught in the crossfire. However, we still had five Aurors die and ten others are currently recovering from severe curse damage in St. Mungos. Things could have been a lot worse." Amelia looked at Horatio who nodded. "They could have been. R1 confirmed that what she did required her to lose most of her consciousness to achieve. She wouldn't distinguish friend from foe at all except for those who share her magic, something only two people do right now." Amelia glared at Rufus to stay quiet before she looked at Horatio. "The DMLE will try to minimize the fallout on this but there will be some questions asked, especially by the Minister and the Chief Warlock. We can't just say this was special forces work, as they will try to out your people as a threat. The deaths of forty one criminals, one being a known Death Eater who claimed the Imperius Defence, and a strong financial supporter of the Traditionalists, will cause the members to look for a threat. We need to find a way to get ahead of this mess." Croaker sighed, having already given this some thought as word of Hazel's creative way of executing people reached his ears. "The scene isn't fully cleared. Place your officers under oaths and torch the place with Fiendfyre."
Scrimgeour looked about to complain when Horatio spoke up. "Agreed. Gather what evidence you can that is paperwork and torch the building. Claim it was either a guard or Williamson himself, trying to erase any evidence before getting caught by the flames. It wouldn't be the first time someone miscalculated casting Fiendfyre." Scrimgeour shouted. "Are you two insane? Do you have any idea how much physical evidence we will lose from that?" Amelia sighed and looked at Moody. "You are unusually quiet, Alastor? Any thoughts on this whole situation?" Moody shrugged. "Not much to say. Rufus jumped the gun, I can see Croaker walking with a limp for a year at least after this and the spooks have a point. Silence the more outrageous parts of the story, gather what evidence you can, set the place on fire and leave the Operatives out of it. The truth of the raid remains close enough to the official story that it should hold up." Amelia sighed and turned to Scrimgeour. "Get the Aurors together and reapply the oath for operational security. As much as I hate this, the safety of our personnel is paramount and I can't disagree that you made a mistake in moving too fast too aggressively with regards to this case. The Operatives took their primary orders and completed them. We can't fault them for that."
Amelia watched Rufus get up and leave, before she turned to Horatio. "Your Operatives, how are they really?" Horatio sighed and sat down. "R2 was hit by a Sectumsempra curse and went a few minutes bleeding out before she noticed it. She also had some burns on her chest from a fire spell that just barely grazed her. She's currently recovering from the curse and the Draught of Living Death her partner fed her to keep her alive. The effects were a bit stronger than anticipated since she was weakened from the curse and she will remain in the Medical Wing for a week in observation. R1 is suffering from severe magical exhaustion and magical backlash, not to mention some mental side effects. We have to be careful in entering the section of the wing set aside for them as R1 is still having issues with control over her instincts. Healer Johnson almost took a curse to the face when she went to check on R2." Amelia sighed. "I promise, we will keep Dumbledore, Fudge and the Traditionalists out of this mess." Horatio nodded and watched as Amelia stood up. "We will keep a close eye on what's happening at Hogwarts, but everything has been surprisingly quiet these last few months. We will keep you apprised of any changes." Croaker nodded. "Agreed. We will get Legal on setting up a comprehensive oath for your Aurors. I will go let them know." Horatio glared at Croaker, who also stood up as Amelia left the room. "We aren't done, Saul. We have a few more things to discuss later."
-∞-
Teddy shot to his mother's side as soon as Andromeda opened the curtain. "Mom?" He hugged his mother's legs as she sat with her face in her hands besides Dora's sleeping body. He watched her lift her head up and stared at his eyes. He almost never saw his mother's with a silver coloration. Especially with that distant look as if she was struggling to recognize him. He squeezed her hands and looked at her. "Mom. It's me. Teddy. Snap out of it. Dora is ok. You're ok. You don't need the Family Magic so aggressively. Let go." Teddy watched as those eyes focused on him and saw them shift in color repeatedly between silver and green. His mother closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she looked at him and smiled. Her eyes were green again. She pulled him into a hug and he hugged her back. "Hey you. Thanks for helping me there." Teddy nodded. "I am glad you're feeling better." Pulling back from the hug, he looked at Dora before checking with Andromeda. The older witch gave him a weak smile. "She's ok, just really tired. Hazel did good work keeping her from getting worse but the medication she took will be in her system for a while. We could flush it out but it would negate the healing potions she's under for days, so we have to wait till she is better physically to clean her out."
Hazel breathed deeply. "How are you, Andromeda? I can't imagine my emergency call gave you much to be happy about." Andromeda shook her head. "No, it didn't. It was a good thing I was here or Teddy would have heard quite a few choice words from me." Hazel rubbed Teddy's hair gently. "I can imagine." Andromeda looked at Hazel. "Care to tell me why you carry Living Death with you?" Hazel blushed. "To be fair, I carry a lot of potions on me, mostly for healing. I can manage Episkey and resetting bones and dislocations, but I have a hard time healing in general so I keep a steady supply of potions on me at all times. I also keep a few other offensive potions, draughts or magical powders. Used Knockout Powder on some punks in a room last night. I know some counter curses too, but that particular one I never got the chance to learn. Everyone who knew the curse in my time besides me was dead and the counter curse went with most of them." Andromeda nodded. "Understandable. I will try and teach it to both of you, as the Death Eaters here took a liking to the curse and most can cast it. I got a few salves and ointments I want to add to your mobile Apothecary just in case." Hazel gave her a soft smile. "Sure. Just give me a few days. My magic will be out of sorts for a bit."
A soft voice spoke up from the bed. "Could you keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep. Ooomf. Who transfigured a Teddy bear and dropped it onto me? It feels heavy." Hazel sighed in relief as Teddy jumped onto the bed with Dora and hugged her. She watched as Dora hugged Teddy back. "Hey kid. Think you can let me breathe for a bit?" Teddy shuffled back to the side of the bed as Hazel leaned forward. "Hello partner. Should we add a chestplate and a helmet to the list of things to ask Q for?" Dora ruffled Teddy's hair with a smile. "Sure. What happened anyway? After my potion induced nap." Hazel leaned over and kissed Dora softly. "I ignored Rufus and got through the locals to the wardstone before breaking it and dragging you out. Your Mom took care of your wounds but it sounds like you will be out of commission for a week. You can get the long version of it from Horatio and myself, after he is done ripping Croaker a new one. The Boss apparently forgot to run the mission by our BM first." Dora yawned. "Kay. Do I get to go to my own bed for this week of rest?" Andromeda glared at Dora over Hazel's shoulder. "No. If you did, I wouldn't be sure you are sleeping properly. You're staying here for the full week." Dora blinked at her slowly before yawning again. "Kay. Nighty night, Teddy." Teddy kissed her cheek. "Night Dora." Hazel kissed Dora on the lips softly. "Pleasant dreams, partner."
Notes:
So, how was it? Jobs like these come with several dangers. One of which is people getting sent out on poorly thoughtout missions because of overconfidence or arrogance. Getting into a comfortable routine isn't always a good thing. You also got see a bit more of what Hazel is capable off and a better idea as to what she did in the first mission. Horatio might teach her to be non-lethal, but when she has to be, she will revert back to her specialty. And yes, Hazel's approach is similar to Vlad the Impaler's, though I am curious if you like her modification to the tried and tested technique. Certainly keeps the victims pinned down completely.
Next Chapter?: The Heir makes his Return
It's that time again. I have officially outlined the conclusion of the story. There are still empty scenes in between, a few more details to cover, but I can safely say that the final chapters, Epilogue included, will be around 68-69. I am one scene from finishing Chapter 60 and I couldn't sit down to write it, so I looked ahead. Was having fun tying all the loose threads together, as well as planning the future of the younger characters. So, you all have a lot to look forward to!
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.