The Third Time is a Charm

Posted: 21 February 2010

Chapter 78 Here Comes the War

Salazar and Becca had decided on the traditional year’s wait as per the old pureblood ways. Even thought Salazar had been living in another section of the manor for nearly a year already, it was the custom to be engaged for a year before the wedding. In very old times, it was custom for the groom to live with the fiancé’s family so that he would know how best to take care of his wife and to get to know the in-laws. They had thought this would also give the time needed for the war to end and things to settle down when Baby Harry came to stay.

As time drew nearer and little skirmishes had started to commence, Harry often gave pause for the couple that would be tragically sacrificed by Voldemort. It had upon occasion made him quite depressed until Severus would come and cheer him up, or one of the children would crawl over to him and try to stand. For the most part, however, he was able to push it to the back of his mind.

The ladies didn’t have a meeting in January because some of them had taken extended vacations for the holidays. The next meeting was the first Monday in February and Lily and Alice were anxious to join in and see what the group had to say about their project. They had started the Potter family crest in the house in Godric’s Hollow. It was complicated but they had been able to paint it onto the basement floor with no problem. The paint was a special mix of protection herbs, flowers and roots and had to include blood from the three of them to create just the correct color. Just a drop in the case of Baby Harry, Lily had numbed his little finger and pricked it to get just the drop she needed to include him in the protection. It was mixed with water first, so all four colors of the crest would get a little bit. Then it was painstakingly mixed and brewed as a potion before the ‘paint’ could be used for the crest. Now they were at their next step and Lily was hoping Becca would go over this part so she could repeat the process at her own home.

Today they planned to go over the protection runes surrounding the crest and the correct spacing between each one.

All the ladies gathered in the basement of Mrs. Longbottom’s home, but this time Frank Longbottom was included in the meeting as his blood was needed for the crest as Lord of the family. They gathered around as Becca stirred the potions used to paint the crest onto the floor. Depending on the colors of the crest, she would add certain flowers or vegetables used as a dye to get the perfect tint; for example, using beets for red or the center of a sunflower for brown or the peddles for yellow. She would extract the left over solids from the potion and then have the ‘paint’ for the crest.

“Alright everyone listen, the perfect number for household members to give blood is three or seven. These are magical numbers and are used in many rituals. Since we have three adults here to give blood, we do not need to use Baby Neville’s. A long time owned and loyal house elf can also fill in for a family member. The more family members you use the better your protection.”

Carefully, several of the ladies painted the emblem on the floor. It didn’t matter who painted it as long as the blood had been put into the potions it would be for the Longbottom family only.

When they were finished painting, Becca then showed everyone how to set the protection runes around the symbol in the floor.

The meeting ran extra long as with the rumors of attacks coming in more and more everyday, everyone needed as much protection as possible. All the ladies stayed as Becca finished the runes and then positioned the Longbottom family so they could begin the actual ritual.

“First thing to do,” she told them, “is to obtain an unused, sterile ceremonial athame for the first time. It will help keep the ritual centered on the protection and if the dagger is used, you don’t know what it was used for. A good athame can be found in a shop in Diagon Alley, however the best are goblin made and can be obtained only through a goblin. If anyone needs one and doesn’t know how to obtain one, let me know and I will help you.”

“Now, the next …” Becca continued on for the next three hours as finally the ritual had been completed and Mrs. Longbottom now had her own Family Protection Crest instilled into the foundations of her home. Becca didn’t really think the ladies would get all this information in one day, but she would help anyone that needed it.

As the meeting came to a close, she reminded everyone they only needed to send an owl to her if they needed help in repeating what they had seen that day. It was at that time that Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom came up to her to ask a few questions.

“I was wondering if you would be willing to come and help at my home?” Lily asked. “We have already set the crest with the potion paint and just need the runes and the ritual. I can feel that the war is escalating, I don’t want anything to happen to my baby.”

“Let me clear it with my family and I will owl or floo you tomorrow. Would it be alright if I brought someone with me?” Becca asked. She knew that she would more than likely be told to take a guard with her.

“You may bring anyone you like. You may even bring the baby if you wish; he could give Baby Harry some company.” Lily said with a smile.

When Becca arrived at Prince Manor…

Becca made her way through the sitting room when she heard a voice coming from the dining area. “Where have you been young lady?” It was the voice of the stern Potions Master, one she remembered from her childhood and she almost forgot she was twenty five years old instead of five years old.

“The meeting ran late and we needed to finish Mrs. Longbottom’s Family Protection Crest.” She called from where she was. “Just a minute, let me get washed up and I will come in there to speak with you.”

She had momentarily flashed back to a time that was much simpler for her. She remembered being five years old and coming from her cousin’s house and her Great Grandfather being very upset, “Where have you been, young lady?” he had asker her in his stern potions master’s voice. “I’m sorry, Grandfather, Lizzy and I lost track of the time.” She had answered back. He had looked at her sternly and reprimanded her “Well, don’t every worry me like that again.” To which she had replied “Yes, sir.”

As Becca washed her face and hands, she noticed that she was shaking slightly from the memory. She had over a hundred such memories in a similar vein. She was always loosing track of time when having fun or in some passionate debate of some kind. She missed the old men very much. They had raised her for more than half her life.

Composing herself, Becca threw her shoulders back, looked herself in the eye and left the bathroom to go to the dining area where Harry, Severus and Salazar were sitting drinking a cup of tea.

“Hello, everyone, I am sorry I was late, but since you are here, I need to ask you something.” Becca addressed the men in front of her a little hesitantly. “I had a request today from one of the ladies at the group and she wants me to help her with her Family Crest.”

“Who is it that you want to help?” Severus interjected. He was not taking any chances with Becca after the attempted kidnapping at the bookstore.

“The Potters.” She said simply.

“Oh”

“They are in the house in Godric’s Hollow and it doesn’t have a Family Crest in the foundation of the house. They have already painted the crest; they just want a little help with the runes and ritual.”

“How did they know about the potions paint needed for that?” Severus asked.

“It’s in Rowena’s book that Lily received when she went to take the inheritance test.” Becca reminded him.

“Who are you taking as guards?” Salazar asked.

“I thought I would take Harry and the children along with three of the security elves including Sentry Dobby.”

Severus was about to make his very strong objection when he saw Harry’s face. He had wanted to meet his parents all of his life. He wanted to know what they were like and to just be able to see them face to face. Just once, and he had never had the chance. Severus, looking at the anguished face of his husband, gave a soft sigh and nodded his acceptance of the request.

One look at his husband’s exuberate expression was worth all the worry it would create. Harry was glowing.

“You will take four security elves with you and The Seven and at least one extra person. Perhaps Moony as he is their friend and perhaps Tonks, she was an auror. I know it seems like a lot of people, but you can tell the Potters that Tonks wants to learn how to do the crest and wanted to watch. The elves will be there to pop you out of there in a hurry if something happens. One elf per person and the elf must stick by you so it is within touching distance at all times.”

“I want to go.” Salazar said quietly to the others in the room. “I am not letting Becca go, unless I go too. I can accompany her instead of Tonks. I can also help with the runes and ritual.”

Just as they were finishing dinner, the Daily Prophet landed in the middle of their table. Attached to it were a portkey and a time turner. Becca looked at the paper and said, “Now this is a familiar scene.” She was reminded of the note that had mysteriously appeared when they were having their strategy meeting. “Who would send the paper to the middle of our table?”

Severus was the first one that said, “It’s from Griphook, he used a portkey and time turner to send it here. The paper is dated three days from now.”

Becca and Harry looked at the paper again as well as Salazar. Blazoned across the headlines was:

Death Eater attack
Villager of Rassendorf – Fifty Muggles Murdered – Hundreds Injured

Yesterday, at five o’clock in the evening, in a daring strike from You-Know-Who, approximately twelve Death Eaters were spotted attacking the muggle village of Rassendorf. The village has been rumored to house several squib families that had recently claimed their inheritance from Gringotts, the Wizard Bank. It only took the Death Eaters two hours to level the village as one of the wizards used a dark curse called feindfrye to burn out all the inhabitants…

“This is terrible.” Becca said. “Are we going to be able to do anything about it? Are we ready for this type of out right defense?”

“Of course we are. If the paper is three days from now then the attack is two days from now. We have time to plan some of our strategies we were talking about.” Severus said.

“Harry, go floo Gorbink and Griphook, and remember they won’t know they sent this yet. Then call the Vampire leader here and tell him to bring another warrior with him.” Severus paused and then shouted “Seamstress Sissy!” While he was waiting for the elf to show up, he turned to Salazar.

“Salazar, can you go floo Reg and Moony, and the Lupins? We’ll need some backup here at home.” Salazar nodded his head and left to use another floo.

In popped a little elf with her hair all askew, a tape measure around her neck and a pin cushion attached to her arm. She was wearing one of the PC uniforms. She bowed at the waist and said “You called Master Prince?”

“Yes, have you been able to modify the acromantula shells to vests and armor? It looks like we are going into battle.”

“Yes Master, the goblins and the seamstresses have been working on that for three months now. We even got an adjusting spell to work so they fit whoever puts a vest on.”

“How about the masks and helmets?” Severus asked. They had come up with that since they didn’t want to be seen and wanted their heads protected as well as everything else.

“Yes, Master Prince. Everything is completed and ready. We have fifty sets of the vests, battle gear and helmets with masks. There are more in production, but it takes a while to get the spells to work.”

“That’s plenty enough. I need twenty sets of the full battle armament here tomorrow. Can you manage that for me?”

“Yes, Master Prince. I will see that it is done immediately.” Seamstress Sissy popped back out to complete Severus’ commands. She had seen the paper on the table and knew the war was at hand.

Seamstress Sissy had been one of the Hogwarts elves in the other time line. She had been the one who mended the children’s clothes and helped in the laundry room. Sometimes she had even helped the children when their clothes did not fit well, but she mostly had to stay in the laundry room and out of site at the command of the Headmaster.

Now she had been educated and apprenticed with a witch seamstress for twenty years before the Prince family came into this time line. She had been a little afraid when sent twenty years further back than the rest of the family, but when Gorbink had met them and asked them what they liked to do, she had been very grateful for the opportunity to learn and serve the family this way. Now at Prince Fashions, she was head seamstress and had many other elves under her to teach and even some witches would come in and learn from her. She would not let them down, now that they were waging war against those evil wizards.

In the dining room at Prince Manor……………………

There were twelve people assembled in the room; two vampires, two goblins, two Lupins, Moony, Reg, Sal, Harry, Severus and Becca. Becca of course would not be going, but her input was invaluable at times. Of course, Severus would not admit to anyone that she was there to stave off the argument that would ensue is he didn’t let her be there. After everyone was apprised of the contents of the paper, the meeting began.

“Becca and Harry have something to do for most of the day tomorrow. It is imperative that the rest of us get set up with our battle gear. Seamstress Sissy said she would have twenty sets of battle gear here tomorrow.”

“We do not need battle gear.” Said the vampire leader.

“I understand that, and for you it is an option. I wanted to give you the opportunity to use it as it will not only protect you, but it will hide your identity. If the Death Eaters get wind of you helping ‘the other side’ they may try to come after you next. It would be a nuisance if nothing else. The battle gear is spell resistant and would not hold a tracking spell if someone was able to get one off.”

The vampire nodded his head in understanding. He would let his people to decide what they wanted to do. It was a good idea though; he didn’t want the next attack to be on his village. The Death Eater faction wouldn’t get very far in their attack, but it would be a nuisance.

Severus continued to plan with the others. “There are eleven here that can go and fight, but not everyone needs to. I would like the women at least to stay with the children, but I know Tonks is an auror and may want to go. The risk is minimal as for now, we have the element of surprise and they will not be expecting us. The Daily Prophet said that there were approximately twelve Death Eaters. I want at least twenty people to come to protect the village. I don’t exactly have much faith in all their facts. Gorbink, are our special trunks ready?”

“Yes, Severus, they are ready and will serve us well. Several of the trunks are warded so when someone is put in them, they can’t get out without knowing the parsletongue password. All the trunks have three expanded rooms so depending on how many you have captured, most should fit in two or three trunks. The other trunks we were able to get a cloaking spell to work so they are invisible. We had to use a combination of runes and spells. The warriors will use those by climbing into the box and shooting spells from it without being seen. They can then levitate the Death Eaters into the prisoner trunks we had made just for them.”

“We want this to be quick and efficient. If the paper said there were approximately twelve, we should be expecting at least twice that many.

Tonks and Remus Sr. were furiously whispering in the corner. Remus got a resigned look on his face and Tonks looked back into the room. “I am going with you. I would not miss this for the world.” Remus didn’t want her to go, as all he could think about was Teddy being an orphan. He felt like they had fought enough in the other time line, they didn’t need both of them to fight here too.

“We will have you use an invisibility cloak on top of the armor. We have two cloaks here and I think Harry should use the other one. Both of you can sneak up on the Death Eaters and push then into the trunks. We will not be sending them to the Ministry or Azkaban. It will be too easy for Voldemort to break them out.”

“Break them out of Azkaban?” Moony and Regulus said at the same time.

“He did it before in our time line, I see no reason he won’t try it again. Better to be safe than sorry. When his troops keep disappearing, he will want to get them back.”

“Your brother did it.” Harry informed the younger Black.

“My brother was in Azkaban?” Regulus was trying to wrap his brain around the first revelation. “I thought Azkaban was impenetrable and inescapable.”

“Not as much as you might think.” Severus responded.

Harry felt compelled to explain. “You brother was accused of betraying… someone to Voldemort, and then he was accused of killing muggles so he was sent to Azkaban without a trial. Although he was innocent, he spent twelve years there before he escaped in his grim animagus form. He just slipped right through the bars and left.”

Regulus looked at Harry to see if he was joking or something. The face he met was dead serious and pained. He nodded at the younger man and turned back to the group. “So when do we do this?”

“Sal,” Severus said to get the man’s attention, “do you think you can try to see, in the time mirror, where these people came into the village. We can position our people randomly, but if we can get the Death Eaters as soon as they pop in then we can minimize the risks and the injuries to the civilian people.”

Salazar, who had been quietly speaking to Becca said, “I will try when I get back to my quarters. I believe if I work at it tomorrow for several hours, we can find an open window to take a peek at what happened.”

“I believe, gentlemen and ladies, that we should send a tip to a certain reporter so that we can have better coverage of the situation. It wouldn’t hurt for people to see that Death Eater activities will not be tolerated. We will have to make sure that the Headmaster does not get the credit for the victory though. If we control the media, perhaps we can make things easier this time around.” Severus said. Everyone nodded as they thought about the possibilities.

The twelve adults stayed in the room talking for at least another hour before leaving or turning in to get some sleep. The next few days were going to be very busy.

A/N I had so many reviews for the last chapter, I couldn’t stop writing. Thank you all and another chapter will be up Wednesday. To mithrilandtj, you have to remember Sal was polyjuiced, but often times we don’t see what is in front of us because the thought never entered our mind it could be reality. To my other reviewers, than you so much and I would encourage anyone to give writing a try. I am having a great time. Special thanks to mighrilandtj, Crazy Pedantic (yes try writing, its fun), kaasan, dominique1, Kim (who sends gooey chocolate sweets by email), Jen, Mona, akayuri, forsaken_dream and nari-chan.