Chapter 38
"USELSSSS! ALL OF YOU!" The Dark Lord snarled in rage as he walked through his own men, as they landed back in the manor and the defeat felt bitter in his mouth as he gazed at his followers all full of doubt and fear.
"I SHOULD BE RID OF YOU ALL AT ONCE!" he shouted as he walked past them, and came upon Bellatrix screaming as she held her hand.
"My lord, please I beg you! I wish to serve..." and the wand came out in a blink.
"CRUCIO!"
"AGHHHHH!" and Bellatrix began to writhe on the ground, as her screams filled the Hall.
"Even you, Bella. I expected better of you," and yet she had let that damned mudblood best her.
"Please...i wish to serve...you. Plea...."
"They were ready for us, my lord." "The House had traps set in it." "The Aurors came within minutes!" "We had no tim..."
"Silence!"
"Excuses. All of them," he whispered, as his body boiled with rage.
"You have disappointed me, but I should have expected this," and yet one of them dared to meet his gaze as he broke his word.
"We were not the only ones who failed," and the room turned chill at those words as he glared at him. HIM!
"You were there as well, and yet that boy got away..." and a few of his zealous followers had already trained their wands at this naysayer.
"You dare question the Lord's Power!" Bellatrix whispered, even with her arm cut, her belief was strong.
"I do," he repeated, as he raised a brow.
"Is that so?" and he had feared such a day, for though one of them had voiced it out, he was certain that similar doubts plagued many of them.
"Then perhaps it is time that I remind you lot what it means to be Dark Lord Voldemort....".
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NARCISSA BLACK
Leaving her home, leaving her family, had not been an easy task. But in the end, the mere thought that she was doing it for her own freedom had eased the pain. In the end, she had found herself outside that shack along with her sister as she realised that her past life was all but over.
In that moment, she had wanted to see him. She had wanted to feel his warmth, and so when she had learnt that he was not yet there, it had broken her heart. She may have left her home, but so many questions still remained unanswered.
Where was she going to live? What was she to do about school? Food? When would she meet his family? Did she even want that? Did he even want that? What would they even think of her?
So many questions. Yet none of them had mattered when that patronus had come into the room, speaking of an attack. Narcissa should have warned him. She should have written to him, given that she was aware from her father and sister's mumblings that the Dark Lord and his patrons were planning something big.
Yet she had been too preoccupied with her own life to think about anything else, and so the attack happened at the McKinnon Manor as the Dark Lord and his followers tried to retaliate against both the McKinnons and the boy who had ruined all their plans.
It was supposed to be a great victory for them, yet once again, Alder had foiled their plans as the attack turned into a failure, and all of the McKinnons managed to make out with but minor scratches, while two more of the Death Eaters found themselves under arrest.
Her own sister was on the run as well, for attacking the Aurors, yet she moved her eyes away from the report about that quickly, in case doubt began to swell in her heart.
Suddenly, the door beside her opened as Lily Evans walked out of the hospital room while everyone outside jumped to their feet.
"He is fine," she said as she wiped away the tears from her eyes, and the entire corridor drew a sigh of relief as she felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around them.
"Thank god," and to think that until a few days ago, she did not even know the person.
"You can go see him one by one," and at that the entire place turned towards her, as Narcissa looked at his mother and father.
"You should go," she said politely while Mrs. Evans simply smiled and gave her a pat on the back.
"We will, but you have been waiting for him for days. You should go," and then her eyes met her husband's, and in the few days since she had met them, they had welcomed her into their family as a daughter they had never had.
She had been afraid of meeting them, yet when she had learnt that Alder was in the Hospital, she could not hold herself back and had come to St. Mungo's at once, only to meet Lily Evans pacing in these very Halls.
The red-haired girl had been a bit surprised upon seeing her with Ted, yet after a simple explanation, she had found herself under a barrage of questions by his mother and father, who were far different than any other parents that she knew.
"No, I can wait..."
"Don't be silly," Mrs Evans chastised as she pulled her up.
"Go, and do give him an earful for all the trouble he has caused you," and she had never received such care from her own parents as she had in the last few days, as she thrust infront of the door by an enthusiastic Mrs Evans, while Lily Evans simply snickered.
"Go," the girl added.
"He is waiting for you," and so with a hopeful heart she turned the lock and walked into the room, and it smelt like their Potions classroom. Their eyes met in an instant as Alder smiled at her from the bed.
"Narcissa," and he looked paler than ever, and his hair was messy and unkempt, yet none of it mattered as all the worries and doubts that had plagued her heart ever since she had left Grimmauld Place left her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Alder," she eeked out as her feet carried him to his side, and for some unknown reason, she began to cry as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I am sorry, I know I messed up," Alder seemed taken aback by her reaction as he began trying to console her, yet the tears would not stop, as she let her heart unburden itself.
"Narcissa, Narcissa," and after a minute, as words failed him, he stopped as he simply pulled his arms around her as she let her weep in his arms, as she mourned the loss of the only family she had ever known.
"Are you ok now?" he questioned after some five minutes as her eyes ran out of tears, and she gave him a subtle nod, and then he used his arms to pull her up on the bed, as she sat there resting her head on him.
"Better," she answered.
"I am sorry I couldn't come to you the day you arrived. I had an inkling that something as off and decided to wait until morning," and Ted had given her the same explanation, and with everything that had happened she did not wish to dwell on it anymore.
"Its fine, and you were right," for the attack did happen.
"I believe you have already met my family," and he made a face as said those words and she nodded.
"I have, and they are all just as wonderful as you made them out to be," and they truly were as great and welcoming as he had said. His mother had taken her under her wing the second she had learned who she was, uncaring about her origins and family at all.
His father had been a bit reluctant at first yet as he saw her worrying about his son, he would later accompany her during the nights and then later tell her stories about his childhood to ease off her anxiety during the late nights.
"Well, that is good," he began, as she simply soaked the calm and serenity of his presence. She already knew all that had happened.
The papers had revealed everything about how he had leaked the Death Eaters' plans to the DMLE and how he had fought valiantly against the Death Eaters to protect the McKinnons.
Everyone knew the entire story by now.
"Did Andy like the House?" he asked.
"She did,"
"Good, because that is going to be my present to her and Ted for their wedding," and she stilled at that.
"Wedding?" and his eyes widened.
"He hasn't brought it up yet...." and the look on her face must have been answer enough.
"Shit...."
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ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
The attack at the McKinnons had all but confirmed that war was upon them. Dumbledore had tried to push back against this inevitability, yet in the end, he was helpless to stop Tom's ambition, and now thousands will suffer for them.
Minchum, their former Minister had resigned under great pressure, and Bagnold had replaced him. She was a formidable witch who had served for decades in the DMLE, and unlike her predecessor, she had no doubts about what she intended to do with those opposing her in this war.
"Azkaban," he repeated her answer as he found himself invited to her office, and the mere thought of that place made him shake his head.
"Is there no other option?" he asked, and the woman shook her head.
"I am not much fond of that damned place myself, but if there is anyone who deserves it, then it is these devils," and that was a dangerous rhetoric.
"They are not devils," and she scoffed.
"What else would you call them?" she countered.
"I would call them for what they are. People. Misguided. Angry. Beguiled. People," he argued for sanity as he had for years, for he looked at what the rest of the world ignored, that the people they had arrested and the ones on the side opposite to them, were just like them.
"They tried to annihilate an entire family. They have murdered thousands," and he nodded.
"I know, and they should be punished for it. But I would hope that in your quest for justice and revenge, you do not forget that the ones you condemn are a part of this society as well. That some of them are fathers, some of them are sons themselves, and that there lies a future beyond this great tension," and Bagnold nodded.
"I will, but Azkaban is the only place for them. We have no other place as secure to hold them," and by now the Ministry had arrested about half a dozen of Tom's followers, all of whom had been taken to Azkaban prison.
"Still, perhaps we should discuss..." Yet before he could finish, the door to her office was pushed open, as an Auror rushed in pale and worried.
"Minister! Minister! You need to see this...."
"There's been a breakout
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