A Dark Time For The Light

63

There were phone messages, letters and e-mail to pick up. They now had a computer, but at Draco’s insistence, they had a laptop instead of a desktop. He’d been impressed by Alice’s personal set-up and Harry had to agree that the thing wasn’t a hulking presence taking up half a room, but a slim silver machine that could be tucked away when not in use. They’d bought well on Hermione’s advice and had a powerful machine capable of doing anything they would ever need. An e-mail from Hermione saying there was now a backlog of Demi’s wishing to join the Resistance, over two thousand so far and more logging on every day. She had engaged Tonks almost full time to dowse those that were willing. An army was well and truly taking shape.

Draco had a long letter from his mother addressed to the cadre’s mail-drop. She still said nothing of her new partner, but mentioned that she had been subjected to Moody’s dowse. One of the phone messages was Alastor shouting as usual into the phone, relating that Draco’s mother was passed to join the Underground as was her partner. Another was Narcissa herself, sounding baffled talking to a machine. She was safe. She was in London and she had taken a small Mansion flat in St John’s Wood. She left an address and a phone number, begging her son to get in touch.

There was an e-mail from Sev and Remus. “How was Italy?”. The boys grinned and phoned their two ex-teachers. “One big fuckfest, if you must know”, Draco giggled, Harry listened in, the phone on speaker, they heard Sev’s dark chuckle, “We had a great time and fucked on top of an Alp. Oh and now we have some cool clothes courtesy of my lover’s exquisite taste”, Harry laughed. Merlin!, it was good to be home again.

The penultimate voicemail message was from Alice, “The guy who was renting the Bunker on my site has done a runner and my landlord wants to re-rent as quickly as poss. Gizza ring if you’re still interested. Speak to you later”. It was a bit late now. They knew she had strict rules about time. They’d ring her tomorrow. They looked at each other, their eyes burning. Somewhere they could do Magic. They had no wands but no matter, they’d just have to try wandless. The implications were enormous. They listened to the final message on their answerphone. Alice again. “I know you guys lost your wands. Perhaps I could, erm, re-visit. You could have new ones from that shop, what was it?, Ollivander’s?. Just a thought. Gizza bell, boys. G’night”. Now they were truly stunned. They went to bed with the implications of that last message weighing heavily as they succumbed to sleep.

The next week was busy, to say the least. Harry called Alice and they arranged to meet at her own Bunker. The letting agents seemed keen, particularly when Harry mentioned paying in cash for a year’s lease, possibly two if the agent’s would forgo the viewing of a business plan and just rent the space to them. They had no plans for illegal activity, (well, not in the Muggle world, at any rate), just needed the space and as soon as possible. The agent made them an appointment and Harry folded his phone with a smug grin, then proceeded to call Draco.

Steffie watched all of this with growing excitement. She knew what her best friend was hatching. She knew the woman wanted training, needed it, since she’d found out what she was and the Bunker next to her was unexpectedly empty.

She greeted Harry and Draco fondly. “You’re not still mad at me Harry, are you?”, she purred at him, “I know I scared you but things are a lot chiller now. I see Neville every fortnight now and I’m mighty glad of the intro. You guys know some lovely people. Real people. The genuine sorts. Your Neville is a real sweetie and passionate about his crops. That’s what I like to see. Someone who loves their job, just like I do. Amongst your generation that’s hard to find, and your Neville is a real find”. Draco made a moue of surprise, but Harry grinned. “Nev’s very passionate about his crops. I’m glad we found him such a discerning buyer, who appreciates his efforts”. Alice laughed, “Harry, once again, flattery will get you everywhere”. The conversation had to close as her intercom sounded and the agents were waiting to show their premises.

The boys were astonished at the large bare space. Within the hour they had forked over large amounts of cash, feeling the old wards as they stepped into the empty space save for a few random scraps of paper that the previous occupant had left in his haste to leave.

They were now the official occupiers of unit 7 and took their leave from a stunned Alice and rode home, then diverted by mutual consent to the new home of their ex-teachers relaying the news, before heading back to their own abode. Harry had enough presence of mind to announce that there was now a safe space to practice Magic on their website before he closed down for the night and took his Dragon, willing and pliant beneath him, shrieking and crying out. Harry replied, thrust for thrust, moan for moan and filled his beloved Draco, finding sweet release deep in his lover. Then they folded against each other and spiralled down into sleep.

There’s so much noise, so much blood. The flashes of colour from the end of wands as Unforgiveables are cast wantonly about. We are caught with our breeches down. The Death-Eaters are everywhere. Who knew there were this many, but I suppose many more went to join Him as he became more powerful. I know Dumbledore is dead. His body lies at the bottom of the school steps.

In my turn I ruthlessly fling hexes and curses at the masked bastards. They are determined to wipe us all out even the purebloods. I watch as Millicent falls dead at their hands. They are being indiscriminate. She is one of their own, albeit unMarked as yet, she is still underage.

We are in the middle of our Arithmancy NEWT when the commotion begins. Teachers yelling and screaming for the pupils to hide themselves in their respective towers or dungeons, but it is patently obvious that there are far too many of them for the teachers to handle and all of the upper years stream outside, wands at the ready. In no time, the ground is littered with prone bodies. I hope that they are merely hexed but I suspect that they are dead. Fred Weasley lies unconscious, his twin twisting in agony upon the ground. Dumbledore must have had some idea about the attack because the Order are mainly here, which explains the twins’ presence.

Somehow, my wand is taken from me. I see it sail through the air. I cannot believe I have been caught with a simple Expelliarmus. It lands in a Death-Eater’s hands and is summarily snapped in half. I am more or less useless now. I can do a few wandless spells but only things I learned up to about third year. None of these will have much effect here where the Avada is being flung so carelessly. I turn tail and run back into the castle.

I find Draco on his knees beside a dead Death-Eater. He turns the dead-weight over. His own wand is cloven in two underneath the corpse. I see him throw the pieces away in disgust. Then he picks up the tail end and carefully extracts the dragon’s heartstring from it’s heart and stows it in his robes. He looks up at my approach and smiles. He still manages breath-taking beauty even while he’s covered in blood and tears. I grab his hand, pulling him up and we run. Somewhere. Anywhere.

We scurry along corridors trying to get out. I half think that we could escape this together. Hitch-hike to London and start a new life together. Then we are cornered in that blasted corridor and the Death-Eaters advance on us.

Always the same.

Always my love, screaming.

“I’ll always love you, Harry”.

“Harry, my Harry, come back to me. Wake up, love”, Draco held Harry tight, patting his face. The last parts of the nightmare leave his beloved and Harry turned into Draco’s arms and sobbed. Draco cradled Harry in his arms and rubbed his back, “You were having the nightmare again, Harry. I had to wake you. You were thrashing about”. Harry nodded against Draco’s chest, “Thanks, baby”, he whispered, then held tighter and howled louder, “I replay you being dragged away over and over”, he managed between sniffles. Draco planted kisses into Harry’s hair and rocked him. “I know, love, I know. I have that one, too. Too often. Will this ever heal?”, he asked rhetorically into the space above their bed.

“I need to get up, Dragon, and go to work. So do you”, Harry made to pull away but Draco resisted, tugging his lover back down beside him, “Oh, no you don’t, Harry. Just stay a little longer. Joe and Jace won’t mind if we’re a bit late, it’s not as if we’re taking the mickey or anything”. Harry relaxed into the hug, giving himself permission to be afraid and angry and shaky and weepy and his beloved is simply there. Holding, comforting, stroking him and murmuring endearments until the sobs subside.

Harry wasn’t that late at all, in the event, but still apologised to his Manager, who forgave him instantly and, seeing the look on the boy’s face, asked him gently what was wrong, “I haven’t been an employer for thirty odd years and don’t know when someone’s hurting, Harry. Tell me if you can”. So Harry told of his recurring nightmares of the Final Debacle. “I had one last night. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be late”. Joe’s heart went out to the lad.

He tentatively suggested, “Maybe you should write it all down, Harry, put it up on the website. You and the other full Magiques. Your memories and the nightmares. Help us all to understand. I’m on that site every night, Harry. I’ve even made an appointment with one of your Auror chappies. I’m to be dowsed in three weeks. Apparently there’s a bit of a backlog as so many of us have come forward from out of the woodwork. You don’t just have friends, you people, you have allies, people who want to help. Right now, I know it may sound daft, but if I had a sword, I’d pledge it to you. You and the others, though I know you are a leader, Harry”, he raised his face to look into his boss’ and was amazed at the fervour and passion. He felt his eyes tear again, “God, Joe. You wouldn’t believe what’s happened in the last week, I can’t tell you yet, but you may receive training, yet. You may yet be a full Magique, you know. The only real difference between us is training”. Joe laughed as he sniffed back tears, “I think we both know that the Magicians selected for your school are stronger than I am, but I would like to help, if, and where, I can”.

Impulsively, Harry hugged his boss and thanked him. Though he still dashed at his eyes as he left the office, he was happier than he had been when he arrived. He applied himself to his work diligently for the rest of the morning and related his conversation with Joe at lunchtime. Dean, Seamus, Steffie, Cellan and Alan in attendance.

The three wizards were quietly stunned. Steffie and Cellan spoke almost as one when each declared, “We want to help, too”. Steffie, it turned out was a Black belt in Karate and Cellan was just a feisty guy who didn’t like the idea of his friends being hurt, “I’ve only a pair of fists, guys, and me boots, but I’m pretty handy, if I say so meself”. Harry grinned, abashed, then slung his arms about the shoulders of his fellow wizards. “I think we’re gonna need all the help we can get, and I thank you all”. Alan shyly asked if there was anything he could do, “I mean, this is about genocide, isn’t it?. I’m Jewish and I know about that. I’m not much of a warrior, truth be told, but if there’s another role.......?”.

Harry worked like the blazes that afternoon and more than made up for his tardiness that morning. Before he left work that night, he phoned Draco and the House and suggested a Magical meeting. He left text messages on the two teacher’s phones.