Chapter 31

AN: This chapter was Beta'd by Sedition and Lord Shiva. Big ups to both of them.

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Under a moonless night, a group of fifteen walked through rows of abandoned tents, their steps quick and hurried.

Behind them burnt the lands of Dartmoor; silent screams mixing with muffled agony of a people who'd come here to enjoy and celebrate, but received death and destruction as a parting gift.

Leading the group with her wand held high, and a bright Lumos upon its tip—the only source of light in the whole ministry camp—was one; Alice Longbottom. The Auror-turned-healer's eyes flickered cautiously through the shadows, her senses wide open to detect any movements; magical or mundane.

They were travelling in a rough sphere of people, with the eldest eight taking the edges; which, apart from Alice, included the Weasley and Tonks family heads, as well as Bill, Charlie, and Percy.

The mood was grim and gloomy amongst the group, a grave silence dominating their minds thoroughly. They treated any sudden noise as an alarm that might suddenly bring forth an army of death eaters out of the shadows.

But—while clearly more serious than usual—that same level of utter grimness was not shared by the 7 children who were inside the rough circle.

So it shouldn't have come as a surprise when one of them decided to finally break the silence, carrying a certain innocence only a child can.

"Where is everyone?" Rose Potter whined in despair and uncertainty, the dark silence too much for her prankster heart.

This was not a prank, she knew of course, but she wished it was one; wished a bunch of funny looking people to suddenly pop out of the tents and surprise them with a loud 'Huzzah! Tis' all a joke!', while the ominous darkness is defeated by a plethora of fireworks that would never make her feel so…helpless and fearful.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

There was a round of hushes and hisses from the older children, making her shut up with an annoyed click of her teeth.

Her question sent the adults thinking however, and Alice judged that it would be better if the children weren't such a tight knot of tense nerves.

It could lead to panic at the lightest of surprises.

"Everyone went home, Rose." She answered the girl quietly, her eyes still scanning their surroundings. "As we are about to do n—."

A sudden movement in the back—followed by a curse—startled her, and she whirled around with her wand raised—as did the two beside her, only to see Ronald Weasley pushing himself to his feet—having taken a nasty tumble down the road—rubbing his knees as he scowled back at his twin brothers. "What d'you do that for?"

"My sincerest apologies!" Fred solemnly bowed, a hand resting on his chest.

"And mine too, little brother!" His twin nodded.

"But you mustn't blame us, brother dear!"

"The night is too dark, you see?"

"Boys!" Molly Weasley snapped from the very back, cutting off the other twin's response. "Not now!"

"Oh c'mon mum," Fred whined. "It really was an honest mistake this time."

"Then have some care and don't make such mistakes!" The woman scowled, before sighing grimly. "Not right now."

Wincing, the twins gave their brother a hand up, looking suitably chastised.

But it did manage to lighten up the group's mood a little, driving the uncomfortable silence away as hushed conversations broke out amongst them.

They weren't happy conversations of course. How can they be? Knowing they were leaving behind so many of their own. Though some in the group carried a faint hope that perhaps some of the missing ones may turn up soon.

The group soon entered deeper within the camp, passing by a tattered tent that barely held onto its sign of 'Apothecary'

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Charlie Weasley whispered, his eyes flickering around the tents with well justified paranoia. "Let's just look for a fireplace within one of these tents and get out quick."

Alice shook her head. "That might take even longer. Not all tents here have a fireplace, and not all fireplaces are connected to the Floo network. Moreover, some of the wards are still intact. Dismantling them will waste too much time."

They soon passed through a series of tents that looked to be plundered and looted.

"Merlin, this is so awful." Charlie muttered, his own wand burning with a much less intense Lumos as he waved it at one of the shredded pavilions. "Could've been chilling in Romania with the rest of my team. We were supposed to arrive a week later, you know? When all the craze would be over and the country quietened down a bit. Damned Quidditch, always makes us stupid."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"Minister's tent." Alice replied after a moment. "I have the ward's permission to enter, and I know for a fact that she had a fireplace installed early in the month."

Similar conversations broke out amongst the group. But while the others started pushing the uncomfortable silence away, that wasn't true for the supposed Boy-who-Lived.

No, Jacob Potter held onto the silence like a shield, thwarting any attempts to break it as he malded over in ugly angst.

When his mother and aunt had been called upon, a part of him had been rearing to join them.

Voldemort was here, in this very stadium. How could Jacob be safely tucked away in his house when his mortal enemy had finally arrived?

It made no sense.

And yet, try though he might, he hadn't been able to get any words out of his mouth then. That chilling tone his mother had taken at Voldemort's name had left him shaken to the core.

Things were serious, he knew. And playing the hero might endanger the lives of others.

So he'd kept quiet.

Yet now, he couldn't help but feel he'd stopped himself out of cowardice. When he looked around himself, he saw not the grim faces of the people, but their bodies covering him like a shield, almost like they were worried he was the target today.

'They're treating me like a helpless child.' A part of him snarled.

Yet, that's exactly how he'd acted earlier in the day, hadn't he? When the crowd went ham over Grindelwald's announcement, Jacob had cowered under the seats like the rest; helpless and terrified. It wasn't until the adults of the group started reigning in the situation that Jacob finally remembered he was meant to be a leader.

'Even Hermione had contributed to their escape,' He seethed. 'Suggesting plans and ideas that the adults actually took under consideration.'

And yet, he'd just gone with the flow and let himself be dragged around.

All the months and years of practice he'd put in his dueling for this very instance, and here he was; letting himself be led away from the battlefield—like a glass vase too precious to drop.

But the adults weren't much better, were they? He doubted they'd have accepted any of his suggestions in the first place.

'Did they all forget that I've already faced Voldemort!?' He fumed in his mind. 'Where were they then!? Why did they not help me when I was just a naïve eleven-year-old!? But now, when I can finally defend myself, they treat me like a child!?'

His fists curled up tight, brows trembling in anger and frustration.

"You alright, mate?" His best friend leaned forward to glance at him.

Jacob jerked his head away, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Yea. Doing just great."

Even Ron sounded worried for him. He should've been the one that Jacob could confide in with anything. His friend had been there for him when needed; through thick and thin, many times in life-threatening adventures. He should know exactly what Jake was capable of.

And yet…even he took Jacob to be a helpless princess?

How many times had he beaten the odds again and again over the years? How many crazy feats of accomplishments had he achieved till now? Saving the Philosopher's stone from Voldemort—even if he'd only just stalled for time till Dumbledore arrived. Killing the Basilisk that made even the headmaster piss his pants—though his brother's unintended help was quite valuable as well.

How was this any different? Voldemort was here; weak and powerless. Grindelwald will be busy dealing with the Aurors, surely no better time could there be to end Voldemort?

'But why do you need to be there?' A slimy voice whispered its logic. 'What could you possibly do that they can't?'

His nails dug into his palms in frustration.

'I have to be there!' He bellowed back. 'I know I do! No matter how much they try to hide the fact, I know I'm supposed to be the one to end him!'

Jacob wasn't stupid, contrary to what everyone around him seemed to think. He knew there was some hidden Prophecy that made Voldemort do what he did. He'd heard the hushed whispers and subdued conversation of the Order members, whenever they gathered in the house and everyone thought he'd gone to sleep.

His parents, Aunt Bella, Uncle Lupin, the Longbottoms, the Weasleys, and the Tonks…they all knew something. Something related to him and Voldemort that they didn't want to share.

'And why do they get to decide that!' Jacob snarled.

Why do they get to decide his fate!? They had no right to hide anything like this, and yet, everything Jacob knew was through his own efforts…and a little help from his invisibility cloak but that doesn't matter!

What mattered was, like always, they treated him like a child, and hid from him things that he had the right to know.

And now they were all paying the price for his ignorance.

A cluster of raised voices startled Jacob suddenly, breaking through the clump of angst brewing in his chest and forcing his attention ahead.

Only then did the boy realize—while he was busy brooding on his lonesome, a commotion had started in the group.

A commotion involving Bill Weasley.

"What do you mean Dora won't be arriving!?" Bill's furious words echoed through the dark camp, worry and distress shining with stark clarity. "We can't leave without her!"

"And Harry too!" Dorea Potter piqued in. "Mom and Bella failed to find him in the stadium. We can't just leave him!"

"We aren't leaving anyone." Alice Longbottom stressed as their group finally came to a stop in front of the minister's tent. "Only you are. I will be staying behind to look for Harry. As for Nymphadora, she is with the Minister. Moreover, she is an Auror now, she can take care of herself."

"Auror initiate." Bill corrected, turning around. "And I know exactly what she is capable of. Trust me, she has no business being around the likes of Grindelwald and You-Know-Who."

"Where are you going?" Jacob called after him, realizing this might be his chance.

"Stadium, of course."

"Bill don't be a fool, son." Arthur Weasley pushed through from the back, his hand clamping onto his son's shoulder. "You'll just create more problems for the Minister. You know how stubborn Dora can be when her mind is set."

"I can be just as stubborn if I want to be." Bill shook off his father, his jaw set in determination. "I'll bring her back, trust me. Kicking and screaming if I have to."

The words hung in the air awkwardly, forcing out a wince from the redhead as he glanced at Andromeda Tonks—who was giving him a death stare, lips pressed thin—realizing how it may have sounded to the woman and her husband.

But he need not have worried about her, for it was a different mother who made everyone else wince.

"William Weasley!" Molly bellowed, and the chilly air suddenly got even colder. "Care to say that again young man!?"

"Mum…." Bill groaned. "You know I didn't mean it literally."

"It matters little how you said it, Bill." Andromeda stated, solemn and judging. "What matters is that you have no right to dictate my daughter's actions. And after what happened today, I doubt she'd ever let you. As much as I want to hide her away in safety, she is her own person now. It would be better for you to realize this, and soon."

Frowning, Bill opened his mouth to reply but the words just wouldn't come out. Eventually, he simply turned away in dismissal. "Whatever the case, I am going back. Even if I fail to convince her, I can't just scamper off like a scared rat."

'Like you, he means.' A voice needled Jacob, and in a sudden burst of Gryffindorish bravery, he made up his mind.

"I'm coming with you." He announced firmly, moving towards Bill.

Now, Jacob expected many things; a clear cut rejection, a few complaints and protests, and maybe, just maybe…a hesitant acceptance.

What he did not expect was an explosive reaction that ranged throughout the group.

"Absolutely not!"

"I knew you would say that!"

"Jacob mate, I really don't think you sh—

"Don't be stupid, dum dum—"

As the people kept talking over each other loudly, Jacob's brain was on the verge of short-circuiting.

'Shut up!' He wanted to scream. 'This is my decision!'

Why did he find himself so hesitant then!?

With a renewed sense of righteous determination, Jacob opened his mouth to give everyone a piece of his mind, when it happened.

It started with Alice suddenly whirling around, a yell of fearful caution on her tongue, her wand aiming towards the shadow—shooting a quick stunner—before changing mid-air to point at Ginny Weasley.

Everyone stood shocked when the former Auror stunned the youngest Weasley—who was just beginning to raise her wand.

"They're Imperius'd!" Was the only thing Alice could get out before Percy Weasley and Ted Tonks started firing into the group, their eyes cold and glazed.

Panic ensued; the children started yelling out in confusion while the adults tried to run damage control. Spells flew through the air, their natural glow the only thing that enabled everyone to see mere flickers of the world around them through sudden flashes of light.

Unbeknownst to everyone, three cloaked figures slipped into the group—all carrying brooms—using the panic and darkness as their cover to surround the Boy-Who-Lived.

In normal times, three opponents would never be able to do true harm to a group consisting of seven Order members. But scattered and panicked as they were, not even Alice could do anything until it was too late.

Through all this, Jacob Potter was crouching his way out of the group, his wand clutched tightly, and heart beating like a drum.

'This is it! This is my chance!' His blood sang to him, his eyes using the flickers of spell-light to search for the enemies in the dark.

Unfortunately, he was unable to put up a single bit of resistance when a stunner hit him in the back out of nowhere—putting him out of commission. A pair of hands caught his fallen body and whisked him upon the broom in all the chaos.

No one even heard a grunt over the screams and yells of the chaotic group, and in no time, the three figures had mounted their brooms and torn off into the open sky.

Alice Longbottom was the only person with enough presence of mind to sense something was wrong. Her eyes squinted past the sudden flashes of light, trying to peer into the darkness, when she caught sight of the brooms leaving for the air.

"No!" She yelled out, her wand sending spells randomly in the air but hitting nothing.

There was nothing they could do. The spell radiance did not illuminate the sky, their range too small. As soon as the brooms had left the land unhindered, they'd lost any sign of Jacob.

Alice made one last attempt, trying to Accio the brooms back—one of the few spells that did not need aiming. But it did require a clear visualization of the target, and Alice had no way of knowing which broom carried the boy. Her spell managed to drag back one of the brooms—the surprised Alliance member unable to shield against the summons—making it crash away into the darkness.

But the other two had already vanished into the skies by then.

"Damn it!" She cursed in frustration, feeling useless, her legs suddenly losing strength.

When the dust settled and things went quiet, five bodies were lying on the ground, stunned. Hermione and Ron were stunned by their own Imperius'd members; Ginny, Ted, and Percy—all of whom were promptly disarmed and captured.

"…What happened?"

"They were Imperius'd…"

"…The unspeakable curse…"

"Who did this!?"

"…the enemies…are they?…"

"…Where are they?"

The whispers and mutters of the group started anew, confusion and panic still gripping their hearts.

"Where is Jacob?" Dorea's question finally quietened the confused murmurings.

Sighing, Alice stood back up, pushing herself to her feet. "Gone. They were after him, and they succeeded."

"Oh Merlin…first Harry, now Jacob…"

"Mum is gonna be really pissed." Rose muttered, and the group's chattering picked up again.

"Enough!" Alice snapped, moving towards the Minister's tent. "I will go after him, but first, all of you need to leave now…?"

The subject of her confusion lay inside the tent; a destroyed fireplace, looking specifically torn apart to prevent anyone from leaving.

"Well…" She sighed, moving out. "Or not, I guess."

She quickly searched through the few tents that she knew possessed a fireplace, but all were the same; their wards dismantled and fireplaces broken.

When she glanced back at the gathered group—their faces weary and tired, barely hiding the growing fear and despair—she couldn't help but think that Fate was being especially cruel to them.

"I'm afraid we must go back to the stadium."

No one said anything, knowing the truth behind her words. They could hear the crowd of people outside trying to break into the Ministry camp now, growing louder and louder by the second. In little to no time, this place would be just as compromised as the rest of the lands outside.

Thus, they must willingly walk back towards the maws of their hunters, hoping against hope for some miracle that might show them a way out.

For if not, death would be a certain outcome for them.