A Dark Time For The Light

99

The Aurors were the first out of the vans. Alastor at the front of the house and Tonks at the rear. There was a tense silence, “The Recognition wards have changed, to allow this shower in here. I’m just going to remove them. Shouldn’t take me more than a few minutes”, came a gruff voice in everyone’s headset, then another, “There’s seven Apparation spots in his garden and one of them is his own. I’ll just disable them. Might take a few minutes”.

They all waited, slipping out of the vehicles, stamping their feet and stretching. They were on random streets, some expecting to travel through back gardens to get to the house. They all recognised Tony’s voice, “Take your positions. Move up to the house”. For many this involved silent and scratchy tumbles through prickly hedges until they saw their friends gathering, surrounding the House.

There was the sound of faint music emanating forth and there was a giggle to Harry’s left in the dusk, Hermione. “We left the radio to test the system”, was the comment. They were all hiding in the shrubbery around the house and Tony’s voice was loud and clear, “Burglar, go and do your thing. Get us in there”.

Hermione wrapped herself in Harry’s invisibility cloak and made her way across the darkening grass. In another of the vans were two who hadn’t debarked yet. Cellan was their driver. One of his passenger’s breaths seemed to be awfully deep. At this signal, the other man fastened a heavy metal chain and collar about the man’s throat and wrapped several turns around his hand and arm. Cellan watched through the rearview mirror. Nothing yet, just an agitated Remus, but the late sun was still up although heading bedwards, allowing the night in and the full moon to sail in a pitch dark sky.

Then as the light failed, Cellan watched in his mirror as Severus stripped his Wolf for the change, showing him the two needles he had left, “In case I need to tranquilise you”, he heard the murmur as Severus nuzzled his lover’s ear, “See you tomorrow”, kissed him thoroughly then the last vestiges of daylight melted away to leave the full moon riding high.

****

Hermione worked quickly and silently at the doors and got both open. In another five minutes she had the French window open, then she stepped to the window of the breakfast room. A simple sash. In seconds she had broken the lock, lifting the window slightly. This just left the large banqueting room where all the Death-Eaters were currently enjoying supper and wine.

****

Then Cellan watched, fascinated, as he saw a full turn of a werewolf, then heard a message in his ear, “I’m in to the two main doors, just the French windows. Keep a lid on Remus until I send word. Burglar out!”.

****

They all waited, sitting in the vans on the hot night, sharing water, hearing the transmissions bounced back to them, breaths coming fast. Then they heard that howl, from the guts, from less than 200 yards away. This was the real signal. The wards were dismantled as were the Apparation spots around the property. They had more than a hundred Death –Eaters completely trapped. And they didn’t know it yet.

Conversations picked up by the microphone were all tinged with anxiety. Someone murmured, “I wish he’d let us install a fucking telephone or something, they are a ruddy sight faster than owls”. Another voice snapped, “What?, and disrupt the traditions of centuries?. Don’t be a fool. We start to use their gewgaws and next thing you know, you’re wanting tro marry one. That way disaster lies”. The first conversant wasn’t put out, “Rubbish. Sometimes we have to move with the times. Even Tom has electricity in this house and it would help to know what’s happened to the total of eighty one people who have, to all intents and purposes, completely disappeared. They may have been arrested or something by the Muggle Police. Maybe we should round up an elite squad and go after them”.

****

They began to climb out of the vans. Everyone was either issued with a ski mask or a balaclava. “Don’t put them on until you’re in position, we don’t need to frighten the neighbours. Make sure all your phones are on. Are the first unit ready?”, Tony issuing instructions to all, “Then move in quietly. There’s a noisy dog about two doors from you, Unit 3. You may have to silence it somehow”, he received a reply in the affirmative.

He received confirmation that the first groups were in place, then sent the rest out fanning around the perimeter of the property. The wolf howled, nearby and caused everyone to shiver. Alice muttered, “Is there anything you can do to shut him up, Sev? I love him to bits but we can’t have him scaring them off. I mean, we don’t know if there’s an Apparation point inside”. Alastor cut in, “I can’t read one, but there’s definitely a Floo connection inside, the chimney is at the rear of the House, not in the room they are all gathered in. I’d say at a pinch, that it’s the kitchen fireplace”. Alice cast a puzzled look at Harry, “Another form of Wizard transport, but you can only step in the fire one at a time, so it’s slow. I’ll explain more later”, he whispered.

They were crouching in the shrubbery just beside the front door. Alice had declared at the planning meeting that no way was she climbing through frigging windows, so the main unit were going in through the front door. The main unit consisting of Harry and Draco with Alice and Neville, Minerva, who was already building her shields, Hermione and Ginny, now masking up. Hermione handed out latex gloves to any that wanted them, “Best not to leave fingerprints”. Alice smiled and declined. “I clean these each time they are used and if we’re threatened with a bust by the law, we just smear the handles with soil and ditch ‘em”.

Hermione snapped on a fresh pair, the last a bit shredded from frantic lock-picking. Her hair was sticking to her head from her previous endeavours. Ginny grasped her face in the dark and kissed her soundly, “Love you”, she mouthed, so the phone wouldn’t pick it up and broadcast it. They all waited as the property filled up with shadowy shapes flitting amongst the shadows around House and garden.

Then Severus was quietly instructed to bring Remus on his choke chain, to bring up the rear of the front group, they heard him growl deep in his chest as they entered the property. Severus murmured into his headset, “What’s happening inside the house?”. Alice peered at the tiny screen in her hand, “They’re just drinking and someone is handing out cigars. This may be a signal for the ladies to leave. We’d better move”. Tony barked, “No!. Get the ladies separated. Less for us to work with as a group. There’s what?. Twenty, twenty-two women?”. Hermione replied, “I counted twenty three out of a hundred and five”. Tony thanked her, “Okay, unit two move in to assist. Unit four split like we arranged. ‘A’ unit assist 2 and 5. ‘B’, fall in with unit 3 at the East side”. They all moved to obey. Silence fell as various people watched the women exit the room in a laughing gaggle.

“Aurors”, came the next command, “Start to build these silencing things, please. We don’t want all of Mundane London to call in any reports of gunshots, do we?”. This earned him dry chuckles from all around. “The women have gone into the front parlour”, Hermione reported. “How long do you Aurors need to erect the silencung wards?”. Tonks bright tones, “About five minutes”. Harry muttered, grinning, “Good on ya, Tonks”, everyone could hear her soft infectious chuckle and hear both Aurors murmuring incantations as they built a wall of silence to hem them all in. As London went silent all around them, the atmosphere closed in.

Harry took the opportunity to grab Draco to him. Both put their fingers over their phone mics then kissed passionately, earning giggles from Hermione and Ginny and a knowing, “I know what you mean, boys”, from Minerva before she did the same with Hortense now at her side. They released each other, boys and women, and donned their headgear. Wands were drawn, kissed for luck. Harry took the gun out of his waist band as he saw Alice do the same. They heard a click from behind them and knew that Severus had drawn his own weapon. They all loaded a clip and four clicks were heard, four magazines sliding into place. Hermione kissed the barrel before standing down her weapon, her hand loosely at her side, her wand at the other, She chuckled, “I feel like that woman in that computer game, the one with the big tits and the cute shorts, armed to the teeth”.

This earned soft laughter from all around. Ron snorted, “I wish I had…er…one of those weapons, too”. Alice murmured, “Sorry, mate, I could only rustle up four, and I think they’re in the most capable hands”. What she didn’t tell them, was that all of the drivers except Cellan, plus her own husband were packing full automatics if required. Alice never went anywhere without backup!!

Tony commanded silence of them all and the airwaves went quiet in an instant. The only sounds to be heard was the light breeze riffling the tree tops and the low growl, a constant, in Remus’ throat. Severus crouched beside his Wolf and planted a kiss between his ears, then toyed with the now-silky ears, then took Remus’ snout in his hand and turned it, allowing his wolf to lick his face, his eyes closed, hearing the excited little yips and guttural growls, feeling the heat radiating from his canine lover, letting his hand wander to the animal’s chest and rubbing with his knuckles, which made Remus want to fall over onto his side and roll over onto his back. Severus backed off with another kiss to the creature’s cheek, standing, and hearing the beast’s small whines of disappointment.

Hermione nudged Ginny and they both watched the little display, “Told you he’s done him in Wolf mode”, she muttered below the hearing of her phone mic. Ginny couldn’t help herself, she laughed aloud, to hear a barked, “Silence!!”, through her earpiece.

“The ladies are ensconced in the front room, now. I think it’s time. Good luck everyone. Units four ‘B’, five and six , are you in place?”. He heard the ‘aye’s. “Unit’s one, two and four ‘A’, are you in place?”. More ‘aye’s. “Unit three, are you in place?”, the affirmative. “Burglar, Aurors and the Wolf?”. “Yep, all ready”, came the reply.

“THEN GO!! GO!! GO!!”, the shout in everyone’s ear.

As they entered the front door, Unit 4a and half of unit 2 were sent to take care of the ladies, then as the other ten entered the banqueting room it was to see the green light of hexes and curses flying around, striking Death-Eaters caught completely off guard. Then Hermione turned, as if in slow motion, and saw the familiar white hair beneath the half-mask, the haughty sneer, the wand starting it’s descent to aim at her as her gun arm raised and lowered flicking off the safety as it descended then, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM!!. One to groin, one to gut, one to heart, and Lucius Malfoy dropped like a stone.

There were masked people all around, pouring in through the windows, aiming wands and stout sticks. Ron saw Dean snake out a steel whip that sliced a portion of cheek from a Death-Eater’s face. They ducked and wove. Lavender was dragged to the ground by Hortense as she aimed an Avada Kedavra at a tall Death-Eater, too slow to counter it. The man dropped to the floor, his eyes dull, blood pouring from his nose, the girl just had time to turn and thank her when she aimed her wand over the older woman’s shoulder and killed the person prepared to shoot someone in the back, “And to think people actually wanted to join this miserable shower”, she muttered as both women parted and continued to fight, curses and hexes ringing around them. Lavender flicked her wand and another Death-Eater died slowly from the strangulation hex she cast. She ripped his mask off and enjoyed watching the life leave his eyes.

Alice homed in on her own target, dodging Cruciatus and Avada’s, her eyes glittering. She made her way to the end of the table, then stopped. Harry was already there, Neville at his side. All three glared down at their prize. Voldemort hadn’t had time to rise, he cowered in his chair, facing two guns and three wands. The room’s chaos was tuned out by all three of them, they had their prize in their sights. They all glanced at each other. Neville grinned and cast a total body-bind, “I know this goes against all my ideas about fair play.... but this is war and stuff fair play”, and stepped away.

The other two bowed slightly, then Alice stepped up, shoving the barrel of her weapon into Voldemort’s cheek. “This is for my mother, DADDY”, she hissed and watched his eyes widen in fear. She then ruthlessly raped his mind. He tried feebly to put up shields but she shredded them, then mentally ‘told’ him who her mother was. They stared at each other, he had no doubt of who she was. “My child? My own. My heir. Then all this will be yours. The power. The prestige. You are the greatest Witch alive”. Alice smirked, “I don’t think so. That honour goes to another. The one who got us all in here tonight. These are for my mother”, she straightened and fired off two disabling shots to the gut and groin. She bowed and ceded to Harry.

The evil bastard was writhing in agony and no-one was stepping up to help. His cohorts were either dead or bound and then his worst nightmare came true. Harry Potter stepped up, ripping off his balaclava, “I want to see your eyes as you die”. He lifted his wand and everything fell silent around him. He pointed it between Voldemort’s eyes and shouted, “This is for my parents, and Sirius and everyone else whose deaths you have caused by your megalomania”, he took three deep breaths, “AVADA KEDAVRA!!”. And all three watched the light go out in his eyes. Alice murmured, “Time to let Remus in”, into her headset, then there was the sound of breaking glass as Remus leapt clean through the window, shards flying around him and landed on the table, skidding to a halt before Voldemort’s corpse, still warm. He howled long and loud and proceeded to rip Voldemort’s throat out.

It was only then that the three turned to the rest of the battle, disgusted but exulting at Remus’ actions, but quite unable to watch. The room and the large table were littered with bodies. Draco made his way to Harry’s side casting an eye over Voldemort being fed on by the werewolf, his own father dead, slumped beneath the table, then he caught sight of his mother lying injured propped against one wall, Jenny tending to her, he rushed to her, “Use a levitating spell. Voldemort’s dead. Get her to Poppy in Unit three’s van. The medical gear’s all there”. Jenny nodded and got her lover out of there, muttering into her headset that she needed Poppy. There was still fighting but it was sluggish and tired. Between them, Harry and Draco had counted three fatalities on their side and twenty seven serious injuries which Poppy Pomfrey was working flat out to cure.

Due to the surprise nature of the attack, the other side had not fared so well, thirty six were dead in all and the rest body-bound and under strong Silencing charms. There were bodies and blood everywhere as the moon set, the false dawn just starting to lighten the sky. The victors re-grouped on the lawn. “Okay, what the frig do we do now?”. Alice glanced around at the weary faces, “Well, we’ve got two choices. We can hand this lot over to the Ministry, which probably means they’ll be walking the streets again fairly soon, or, I, erm, have a contingency plan”, she glanced around nervously, “If I do this, it’s going to cost a lot of money, like one and a half million, but we rid the Wizarding world of these scum. It looks like a gang thing, no-one really looks into it, the Police, I mean”.

They all knew of what she spoke. Harry shook his head and Draco held onto him, “No, Dragon. I can’t countenance killing in cold blood, especially as they’re all under curses, and anyway”, he added pragmatically, “We can’t afford it, even with the money we have. We gave so much away”. Hermione ventured with a polite cough, “Harry, your Gringott’s vaults will be opened again. What’s a few mil Galleons to us lot?”. He turned appalled eyes on his friend. This was the champion of House-Elves for God’s sake. “Hermione!!”, he exclaimed. Draco murmured, “She’s right. We need to get rid of this blight or they’ll come back, wreak more havoc, and always try to get you. I’d like that to stop. Have some kiddies. Have a life. With you. Without fear, without looking over our shoulders”.

Harry sunk his weary head into his hands, then looked up at all the expectant faces around, then nodded, looking down. Alice lifted his face, forcing their eyes to meet, she pushed his mind’s defences aside then fed him the last thoughts of the man who had reduced the Wizarding world to fawning sycophants. A lust for power and prestige that had left the Wizarding world bereft of life, reduced as it was to a few hundred souls, now reduced still further. Harry’s eyes looked more and more panicked until she relaxed her gaze. Draco was beside him in an instant, “What’s she doing?”. Harry blinked and nodded, “Convincing me. She just put stuff in my head”, he battled the tears and lost, “Go! Go and do it”, he finally decided, “We’ll cover the fees, somehow”.

In actual fact, no-one was in any rush for the fees, because when Alice had told her old friends of the bind that the Magical world found itself in, they all pledged to help, but if there was a butty in it, then, hey, but this was serious, and all the cash they asked for they were going to get. As the weary cohorts made their way back to the vans, the drivers all slid off into the early dawn, slipping past the wards. As the Magicals all piled into their vehicles vaguely wondering where their drivers were, Harry looked guiltily back to the house and despite the silencing charms, imagined he could hear the repeated thumps of 5 guns killing the rest of the captives.

Their driver appeared, man or woman, who knew, climbed into the cab, asked, “Is everyone here?”. When he/she received a ‘yes’, the person peeled away from the kerb, an excellent driver. As the vans all pulled away, there was a hurried conversation in German between Alice and her friends. They all talked a moment, then Alice counted down, “Fier, Drei, Ein”. Alice pressed a button on her phone. There was a ground-shaking whump and the house of Voldemort was destroyed by a huge almost soundless explosion

Harry and Draco’s eyes widened, “What was that?”, as they saw the smoke spiralling up into the early morning sky. Alice patted their knees, “Plastique. There’ll be nothing left by the time the law get there”. The driver handed Alice a cloth bundle over the back of the seat and the woman went to stash it under the seat. Harry, his interest piqued, asked, “Dare I ask what that is?”. Alice grinned and opened it, “An AK-47. All the drivers had one each. They took care of the prisoners then laid explosives and blew up the house. Come on, guys, my three favourite little words, and they aren’t ‘I love you’”, she smirked.

Draco started to laugh, “Backup, backup and backup”.

The driver headed straight back to the Bunker. The others all met there, that being their mistress’s orders. She didn’t humiliate any of them before the tired folk tipping out of the vans. She simply kissed each one, except Cellan, who was still gobsmacked from having had a werewolf in his van. It beat workmates wittering on about Manchester United, especially as he was an Arsenal fan!. He climbed out of the cab, “Are we having a party, or what?”, he enquired, even as the other drivers all disappeared. “No, the party will be in a few days. We’ll let you know”. He knew when it was ‘Magical’s only’ time and did one, squealing out of the car park.

Remus was leaning against Severus, tipping his mouth up for a kiss, “I like Mundanes”, he said, apropos of nothing. Severus kissed him back, “I like Mundanes who turn out to be powerful Magicals”. He glanced at Alice who stalked away to the rear of her Bunker and climbed the ladder, the others following after if they wished.

Alice instructed whoever was still on the ground to schlepp up the beer in her fridge and various folk appeared over the parapet of the Bunker for the impromptu gathering. Even the injured now had some measure of healing, mainly hex-burns where spells had missed and all eventually made it up onto the roof of Bunker 8. Tony dropped beside his exhausted wife and passed her a can, “I’m gonna get back, love. I’ll see ya when I see ya?”. Alice kissed him and buried her face in his shoulder for a moment. “You were fucking brilliant tonight, babe. Yeah, I need to be with everyone tonight. We all need to talk stuff over. Jesus, love, these are mainly just kids and they’ve all killed. I want to be on hand, you know?”. Tony held her, kissing her hair, then rose, “’Night everyone. You know where I am, love, if you need me”. Alice blushed and grinned and Tony disappeared down the ladder. She watched as the Harley sped off the complex, a slight smile on her face.

Hermione’s cough was awkward, but it brought Alice back to her senses. She patted the patch of roof beside her and the two sat, “So tell us. What was the explosion?”. Alice climbed wearily to her feet and pointed her wand to her throat murmuring a Sonorus, and caught everyone’s attention.

“Many of you are wondering at the explosion as we left tonight. The house of Voldemort is no more as are the prisoners we took. I had my drivers move in after you left. They shot them all then laid explosives, and blew the place up, not before placing drugs and paraphernalia that will link the whole thing to gang activity, this is to cover us from the Law, the Mundane Law, I should say. As of tonight, you are free again, we are free again. A hundred and eight people died tonight, three from our side. Our casualties were small and I’m proud to have fought alongside you all, you are all so brave and our world is rid of a major scourge, and that’s all I can say right now”, as she sank down again, her voice faltering.

A hundred and eight people!. The thought hammered in her brain, until she heard the comment from Seamus, “Hey, Alice, fancy bein’ the new Minister of Magic? I’d fuckin’ vote for yer”, she glanced up to see the boy hoist his can at her, then in shock, she saw more cans hoisted, then folk standing, then slow handclaps, then a scream, “We did it, guys”, from a girl, who knew, then applause, then whoops and cheers and everyone was on their feet that could manage it and embraces and hugs and kisses were being exchanged and the tension levels plummeted as more cans were opened and shared. Alice muttered to Severus, “Damn, I should have bought champagne, beer seems so plebeian”. Severus laughed, “You sound just like Draco used to”, then hugged the woman hard, “We couldn’t have done this without you, girl”, he murmured. She laughed, “Bollocks. We couldn’t have done this without all of us. Hermione is one of the most skilled criminals I’ve ever met. It was the love, Sev, that’s what tied us all together. Why we’ve all been able to work together, not to mention the magic”, she winked, her mood lightening.

Harry overheard all this and stepped in, “I’ll admit, Alice, I did think you had an aganda, but you are a joy to work with”. Alice tipped her head on one side, “Nice ‘Avada’, Harry”, then squeezed him to her briefly, then hugged Draco just a fraction longer. The blond murmured in her ear, “Alice, how did you get your drivers to, erm, do that, you know, kill people?”. Alice sat them all down. Severus gathered a dopy Remus to him and held him, “Yes, I also would be intrigued to know”, he quirked a black brow at her. Hermione and Ginny had gathered with them, “Well. You know I’m the backup queen?”, they all laughed,. “I planned this weeks ago. If you guys weren’t going to do anything then I would. But as to why, we’re not a hit squad or anything, though I will admit, we have untertaken, shall we say, certain commissions, for large amounts of money. No, it’s more complicated than that”.

She looked around the small group sitting around her, Draco and Harry, Severus and Remus and the two girls, then grinned evilly, “I have a long-standing contract that I made with these people many years ago. I keep them safe and they do my bidding, no questions asked. I don’t have to justify myself and I don’t have to explain. I say ‘jump’ and they ask, ‘how high?’. They are my slaves. Steffie isn’t, she’s my best mate, and Cellan is your mate, but the other three are. They depend on me for their thrills and to get them out alive and I provide it. That’s why I’m such a backup junkie. More lives than mine rely on the outcome”.

Hermione’s brow knotted, “Slaves?. I’m not sure I understand”. Alice tipped her head back and laughed. “Oh, yes you do, Hermione. What about Josie?, she follows your lead implicitly”. Ginny looked shocked for a moment until she remembered the same comment from Josie’s own lips. “She’s right, you know. Josie did actually say that to me, the exact words, when I was trying to understand the dynamic between you two”. Alice grinned, “You can be a Domme in more areas than the bedroom, you know, Hermione. The relationship I have with these folk isn’t directly sexual, though I’ve no doubt it feeds into their sexual lives, but I neither have, nor want, a sexual relationship with them, but when I need them, then they are there, willing to take whatever I dish out. I get the job done, no fucking about, and they get their adrenalin rush, not to mention the odd butty”.

Draco shook his head,. “That’s really weird”, was his only comment. Alice snickered, “I’m a complicated person, Draco. Never think you have me pinned down”. Severus remarked dryly, “As if anyone could”, and smirked. Alice merely smirked in turn and hoisted an eyebrow, “Quite”, was her only comment.

The group dissolved laughing, even Remus, who woke up at the gales of laughter round him, blinking sleepily as he sat up, surprised to find himself on the roof of Alice’s bunker. She reached over and hugged him, “Welcome back, Remus. You were great back there. Get Sev to tell you all about what happened. God’s teeth, your breath pongs”, and she released him offering her can, “Take the taste away?”, she enquired as he took the can and quaffed deeply. He belched politely, a hand before his mouth, “Gods, that’s better. Any more?”. Someone tapped his shoulder with a cold can. Dean. He thanked the boy and took it, it disappeared as quickly, “Mmm, that’s what I needed, a long drink after a good meal. My mouth tastes like a cess-pit”, he held a hand up, “I don’t really want to know who I ate”, but this couldn’t stop Terry from remarking, “Did you enjoy Voldemort’s throat?, I was dead jealous when I watched you rip it out”.

Remus’ eyes grew round. “Oh, Merlin”, he breathed, “Tell me I didn’t?.....”, his voice trailed off as he closed his eyes. The accompanying silence made his eyes flick open again, to see the ring of sombre nods. Neville had wandered over, sitting with the others as they parted and gave him room, “Yeah, Remus. I body-bound him, Alice shot to maim, twice, Harry killed him and you ripped his throat out. Between us, he’ll never come back. Especially when the house was blown up as we left”.

Severus filled Remus in, “That’s a hundred and five Death-Eater dead and eighty-odd bound and under curses, though I suspect that when Pansy gets back to Manchester, the casualty numbers will rise. I can’t see her letting the Ministry have them”. Alice shook her head, “Me either. That’s the wee dark-haired girl with the bob?”. Ginny nodded. Alice laughed, “Another Domme”. She noticed Draco shudder and decided to ask him about it later.