Blurred Lines Mods (blurred_mods) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2008-09-14 01:08:00 |
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BFOB - Group Log Part 1
Who: A fuckload of people
Where: Hogwarts & environs
When: 11p-1a 13 September
What: A fight
Rating: R
Status: Mostly complete
PART 1 OF 8
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [summary]
Overview of Events
Dumbledore 'called away on urgent business' (11.00p)
Death Eaters arrive
At 11.10p 13 September, death eaters apparate into Hogsmeade, setting off curfew alarms.
DMLE Forerunners
At 11.20p 13 September; when the curfew patrol fails to report in, Rufus Scrimgeour, Elle Abercrombie, and Octavius Pepper set up a DMLE alert and head to the scene, where they are confronted with the backsides of wave 2!death eaters ... and the front sides of the Dark Army. Crap.
Death Eaters break through the gates
At 11.40p 13 September
At 11.50p 13 September
DMLE support arrive
At 11.55p 13 September
Order arrives
At 12.05a 14 September, The Order arrive and break into groups to help those who need help; healers from St Mungos also arrive
At 12.10a 14 September, The Dark Army is driven out & the Death Eaters begin destroying the grounds
At 12.20a 14 September,
At 12.40a 14 September,
DE Retreat
At 12.50a 14 September,
At 1.00a 14 September,
Threading
1. 11.10p Death Eaters Arrive
"ROLPH! I swear to Merlin I will curse your soul to hell! I am not staying behind and feeling useless, and wondering if my brothers and sister are dead. I am going!" Chloris crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at her brother as if she could cast the Killing Curse without using her wand, "You cannot, in no way, tell me I cannot go! You're going to need as many Healers there as possible, and you know it and I will not let you treat me like a child!"
Chloris was, of course, concerned for the welfare of her child and had practically snuck away from Hephaestus to be here; however, she believed in the Cause, and wasn't about to let her family go to battle without her, "This is ridiculous, Rolph! You're letting our sister go, but not me? Honestly?!"
"No means no!" Rodolphus did not mince words - and right now, on the eve of a damned battle - he was not going to waste time coddling his sister, who seemed to be indulging in a self-righteous outrage that was, if not admirable, annoying as hell. It was made only worse by the surrounding stares of the other girls (and Mulciber, who was lost amidst the wash of black robes in his periphery), for Rodolphus did not consider this the most model behaviour for a woman in his sister's condition. "And in case you hadn't noticed," he went on roughly, "Corbina is not pregnant and therefore is not risking the health of her child."
But he knew that tack wouldn't work with Chloris - she'd just get higher pitched (as if that could drown out the fact that she was pregnant) and demand until she turned blue. "Does your husband know you're here?" He demanded, frowning down at her.
Chloris had her arms crossed so tightly, her skin was white where she gripped her biceps. She knew she wasn't acting in the same decorum as she normally would in a situation where others were watching, but this was a completely different situation. She had the same strength, determination, and ambition as her other siblings, it just manifested itself in different ways. But now, now she was determined, and if meant taking down Rodolphus herself, no matter how extremely unlikely that goal was, she was going to do it.
"You think I'm foolish enough to risk my child's life? If, and I mean if, unless you plan on failing to epic proportions, I will retreat before the others if necessary and apparate home. I am not a fool, Rodolphus!" She pressed her lips together in a fine, angry line as she debated whether or not to tell him the truth, "He knows I wanted to be here, yes."
It said something of Chloris's fortitude that Rodolphus's glower, which would have withered many men, did not evoke so much as a flinch. He didn't believe for half a second that Hephaestus Burke would allow his precious bride to a battle when she bore their child, and though part of him longed to simply brute force her into agreeing with him (how easy it would be to simply tie her up and leave her on a chair for Thubana to find), using her husband as leverage seemed a far easier route.
"Really? So if I were to send him an owl this moment he would tell me you are to go to battle with his blessing?" Manipulation was not his forte, to be certain, but Rodolphus was no fool.
"There's a battle, that's probably already started, and you want to waste your time with an owl?" Chloris, in fact, was not afraid of Rodolphus' glare. Of course, she was giving him the same glowering look, so it wasn't quite so surprising, "Have I ever disobeyed my husband's wishes before, Rolph? Why would I do it now?" Truth was, Hephaestus hadn't even told her not to go, because it had just been assumed that she would not go. So while she hadn't exactly disobeyed him, she hadn't received his permission either, "Can we please get out of here? Now!?"
"No." And against Rodolphus's better judgement, he went for his wand. Incarcerous. There simply wasn't time for this absurdity, and he was getting damned tired of arguing in front of a rabble of girls - lovely and patient though they were. Ropes swept from his wand and bound his sister's arms tight to her sides, and before she could begin screaming - for, oh, she would scream, he strode forward and guided her into a chair.
"Mother will be in soon. Try and behave for five minutes."
The sheer shock of her brother turning his wand against her sent Chloris speechless for a few moments before she realised just what he was doing, "Rodolphus Lestrange, you horrible man! How dare you do this! I am a grown woman, your sister, and you treat me like livestock? You bastard!" As the obscenity fell out of Chloris' mouth, she decided that she'd better give it up before Rodolphus seriously hurt her, and she sat back in the chair, fuming. She remained silent, glaring at her brother (and sometimes Corbina as well for not sticking up for her), and she stayed that way until after they left... then she would shriek like a banshee for their mother.
"I suppose we are all ready to leave then," Narcissa directed towards Rodolphus. She spoke with complete serenity, as though she had not just witnessed Chloris just scream at her brother and call him a bastard. Honestly, Chloris ought to see that he was looking out for her best interests. But at the same time, she avoided meeting Corbina's gaze entirely. Giggling would be a most improper course of action at this point in time, especially considering how relieved she secretly was that Chloris would not be accompanying them. Narcissa busied herself with checking over their group one more time instead. Hair pinned up, various medical supplies, masks... excellent. She was terribly nervous, of course, but maintaining composure was necessary. "Good-bye," she said to Chloris with a smile, fluttering her fingers.
Looking around, having been skulking off to one side while Mrs. Burke had been raging, Demetrius straightened up. He had volunteered to stay with the women tonight and make sure nothing happened to them, he didn't fancy rushing to battle and playing the hero tonight. "Ladies, let's move over this way," he said, indicating to the door that led out of the room where Mrs. Burke was currently...tied up. "...Please," he added hastily.
Seph had kept quiet as her aunt argued with her brother, eyes widening as he actually tied her up. A part of her wanted to step forward and protest, but at the same time- well, she was pregnant and needed to look out for her own health as well. She cast a quiet glance to Chloris before looking back to the other women, Demetrius, and Rodolphus, moving with them toward the door. She was more than ready for this, having collected all of the items she had collected and stored in her own home and gotten them ready for this outing. Her wand was in place, hair pinned back and she mentally went over every healing spell she knew. She was nervous- a little more than she would dare to admit to anybody- and terribly excited for it all.
Likewise Astra felt the same as Persephone, insides wound tightly in jittery anticipation for what was to come. She at least had been reading about healing charms for several months now, disregarding the last few weeks when wedding plans and social politics had dominated her thoughts, and she was looking forward to putting them to good use, but-- she had no desire to see any of her friends hurt. Unfortunate, it was rather a prerequisite to practising healing.
Watching the fighting had made Jacq intensely uncomfortable, not only because it was so uncouth but because she was embarrassed to see her mentor acting so out of turn, and the man she admired as a paragon of the virtue she subscribed to yelling at a woman. After Rodolphus bound Chloris to the chair, she spent several moment simply rooted in place, unable to believe that Rodolphus had hexed his sister and that Chloris had said something so filthy outloud to the head of her family. At the sound of Narcissa's voice, she snapped out of her stupor and followed the group of women, casting one last sympathetic and apologetic look over her shoulder to Mrs. Burke.
Julianne stood beside Jacqueline and despite their difference in views, she found it comforting to be beside her sister nevertheless. Her focus had been on the fact that she was there to heal her friends and family friends, the ones that put their heart and soul into protecting them, their society, their beliefs. She had been preparing herself through reviewing all of her past notes (from Defence Against the Dark Arts, ironically enough), old books, reading new ones, going over her hexes and even more so, she was preparing herself mentally.
Juls had never seen real battle before and the mentions of it were, apparently, hid from the pureblood ladies so she didn't quite know to what extent this war had gone on till. Having Rodolphus Lestrange initially lead them made her feel secure, nevertheless, and Juls was determined to prove her worth and aid in any way possible. Returning to Hogwarts would be an odd feeling, as she had left only months before, especially since she seemed to have changed so much already over the summer. Following Demetrius lead, the corner of Juls' lips curled up only slightly as she saw Narcissa wave Chloris good-bye. Not even Jacq and she acted like this.
Corbina was somewhat well known for having a fantastic poker face. Not only did it come in wonderfully in times of card-playing, it helped her hide emotions that she knew better than to allow herself to express publicly. However, watching Rodolphus actually tie Chloris up as a means to stop her ridiculous hissy fit was almost too much, and Corbina saw fit to sliding on the mask that they would all be wearing for the duration of the fight early. There was only so long she could go without smirking. Although clearly the main reason was that they really should begin to become adjusted to wearing a mask before they were in the middle of a battle. Really.
"You must forgive my sister," Rodolphus said brusquely as the ladies (and Demetrius) removed themselves to another room. "She is devoted to our cause and it is a shock to be unable to support us in our time of need." He did not apologise for himself, however, because Rodolphus rarely, if ever, felt any remorse for his actions - much less the need to apologise for them. So, back to business. "All masks must be on before we apparate, all hair tied back, all masks marked so that we are able to distinguish you during battle. If you are feeling ill, faint, or otherwise disinclined to travel, it is imperative that you speak now. We will be apparating as a group, but it is still exceedingly dangerous to travel thusly if you are suffering some ailment. Mrs Malfoy will see to your organisation once we are through the tunnel."
---
Feeling something that was likely a living thing crawl over her foot, Narcissa shuddered violently for what felt like the hundredth time and bit her tongue to keep from making any noise. She had no intention of jeapordising the mission or causing Rodolphus, who was ahead of her, any annoyance. But at the same time, she could not help but wish there had been an easier way to do this. Yes, she was supposedly in charge of organising the group once they were outside of the tunnels, but hopefully that would not include things that crawled and this much mud. Her cloak was absolutely ruined by this point, as were her shoes. And the mask was stifling. How on earth did Lucius manage to wear one so often? Plus, the medical supplies she was carrying was terribly heavy. I absolutely loathe tunnels, she thought to herself as the rounded yet another turn. They had to be reaching their destination soon- Narcissa had no sense of how much time had passed, but it felt like a millenia.
Rodolphus loathed the tunnel from the moment he stepped into it; he didn't care about dirt or the stifling aura - but he was simply too damned tall to navigate with any sort of ease, and was bent so far that it almost seemed he carried the earth above them upon his ba. An occasional pause backward to make sure the ladies were keeping up was stalled by a vision of Narcissa Malfoy struggling under the weight of her medical supplies and he hesitateda moment - but not long enough to cause a humorous but otherwise inefficient break in the procession. "Let me take that, Narcissa."
"Thank you," Narcissa said with much relief, handing him some of the supplies. The slow realisation that the tunnel was a good foot or two short for Rodolphus was amusing enough to cause her lips to twitch slightly, an expression that was luckily hidden by the mask she was now wearing. Asking how much further they had left was very nearly on the tip of her tongue, but she decided to say nothing. They would get there when they got there.
Evangeline had not said much since Apparating at the Lestrange Manor but she did have other things going through her mind. The idea of the oncoming fight, for one thing, was driving her to distraction. Eva knew she shouldn't worry, of course. Walden was competent enough when it came to duelling but that didn't stop her from fretting about his wellbeing. Their mother would be inconsolable if anything had happened to him. Nevertheless, Eva came to her senses when they began making their way through the tunnel. It was apparent that she was having a much easier time than, say, Rodolphus who seemed to have stooped so low that he looked as if he was bowing. It was a comical sight but she wasn't about to test his patience with any more jibes, especially after that row with Chloris. Eva hitched the pack of medical supplies up her shoulder and tried to keep up with the others' strides.
Corbina was not exactly all too fond of the tunnel they were navigating through either. Oh, she had no isses with the creepy and the crawly. Those were facts of life, and there were greater things holding her attention at the moment. However, that did not make tripping through a dark, narrow-roofed space that she was too tall for feel any more welcoming. "Are we there yet?" Corbina asked, throwing her voice as best she could so that the somewhat "annoying" question would not automatically be pinpointed on her. It was the sort of terrible thing that her sister would have asked; it was doubtful that Corbina would be suspected anyway.
Demetrius was bringing the rear of the ridiculous procession they had formed, and while he was nowhere near as stooped as Mr. Lestrange, he was hunched over rather uncomfortably. He really loathed the tunnel. It seemed to be full of filth and insects and probably rats too. It was revolting, to say the least. He didn’t have the nerve to ask how much longer it would be, personally, but when he heard one of the women ask what they were all thinking (he had a vague idea of who may have asked, but he wasn’t going to incriminate anyone), he perked up a little, promptly hitting the top of his head on a protruding rock. Biting back a few choice curses, he stooped back down. “It’s probably not too much farther,” he said vaguely. “Give it another five minutes, perhaps,” he added.
"I would think the answer to be an obvious one --," Rodolphus growled back - vague irritation vastly amplified by the tunnel, "-- Corbina." As if he didn't know his own sister's voice - particularly when she was the person he saw most often (second to Bellatrix of course). "Ten more minutes." Something large and furry ran across the wall of the tunnel - just beyond his periphery. If those women started screaming ...
Rodents. Persephone hated rodents-- especially rats and- ew. She didn't really have so much of a problem with snakes or insects or whatever else they might find in this tunnel, though she was fairly certain that she didn't want to be wandering this place every weekend. It was far warmer than she thought it might be; she could feel every drop of sweat as they trailed down her neck, into her dress, along her arms. She squirmed just slightly, silently wondering the same question that Corbina asked and breathed a slight sigh of relief, adjusting the pack of supplies over her shoulders. Her thoughts wandered to her husband, and for a brief moment she was almost glad that he'd remained at home and refused to get too involved; it was just one less thing to worry about.
The entire hike through the tunnel was fast becoming irritating to Eva. She had little patience for skulking beneath the ground while rodents and insects cavorted along the walls. Evangeline wrinkled her nose in disgust, as something scurried on the path alongside her. Her wandlight fell on a rather large rat with matted fur. She glanced at the other women first before muttering a quiet, "Stupefy." The thing keeled over and slumped on the ground. Eva could almost hear the squealing around her so she waved her wand in a low sweeping movement to push the rat further from wandlight. This was by far the most uncomfortable ten minutes she had endured.
"Nice, Evangeline," Anzhelina smiled.
Shockingly, she wasn't bothered by the damp darkness of the tunnel. She had a strong enough constitution to allow her to step past the rats and spiders without flinching, squealing or feeling unnecessarily queasy. All the same, the stuffiness was incredibly stifling, and she would be glad to be greeted by the cool night air once they reached the other side. Of course, she felt a bit apprehensive about what would be on the other side. She knew her father would be out there somewhere, and his safety, or lack thereof, was in the forefront of her mind.
As Julianne made her way through the tunnel, she had done her best to ignore the musty air and odd critters that ran past her feet and kept her eyes focused on Rodolphus ahead. Somewhere, she heard 'ten more minutes' and with that small motivation, she continued on. With her wand out, Juls flinched slightly at the sight of the rat. She considered throwing a sleeping curse on the creature before deciding that the rat didn't deserve any hexes for walking along its own home. What made Julianne jump was the stupefy that Evangeline threw at the rat, although she immediately tried and compose herself. She took a look around making sure no one had noticed her train of thought and shock before continuing on.
At her twins start, Jacqueline groped across the gloom for her hand, squeezing it tightly in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. She was trying not to think of damp, or to think of rats or the battle to come. She was distracting herself by translating Cicero from Latin to Greek in her head, anything that would take up most of her available brain space and crowd out her fear.
--
Mask over his face, wand prepared in his hand, Severus Snape apparated into Hogsmeade near to the designated Apparation point near the Lestrange Library. The bizarre squeezing sensation was over, and he was instantly glancing around them. One by one other Death Eaters were popping in, and Severus kept his eyes open for a guard, someone who might notice they were here. It was not as if he were expecting that they would go unnoticed – no, that was not likely. But the longer they could go without being noticed by the Ministry or by one of the Vigilantes the fewer deaths and injuries there would be, and while that might not please some of his colleagues, the fewer the better, so far as Severus was concerned. There had been enough of them in the past two months to last him for most of his life.
Severus was also discovering one of the side-benefits to learning occlumency was keeping his emotions under control in even unpleasant situations. And as he looked around at his colleagues and companions, he was well aware that they were moving into a situation that had the potential to be far different from the last battle with shop owners and hitwizards in Diagon Alley. This battle was at Hogwarts and the last time he’d been inside those gates he’d been a child still: naïve to the brutality of the world and hopeful that his life in the upcoming seven years would be better than the past seven had been. So far, that had been a fruitless hope, but Severus didn’t plan on dying before the next six were up. If it was to be fruitless all the way through, he was still going to be alive to know it had been at the end of those seven years.
His mind closed, his wand ready, Severus stepped beside Regulus and Barty. Aquila was there too, and Marius, but they were two Severus was going to steer clear of fighting next to. The battlefield had no place for internal disputes so far as Severus was concerned, but he was also not going to trust his life to either of the two of them. The younger two wizards might have been younger, and well, less experienced, but Severus trusted them more, and himself the most. He’d been training for this for weeks. This was the test. This was the point where he stood up and did what he had to do, regardless. Stay focused, don’t waver, do not get caught, and if at all possible make certain you don’t kill anyone you care about.
Regulus could feel the adrenaline pulsing in his veins as he stood beside the others at their designated Apparition point; he scarcely noticed Severus arrive and step toward where he and Barty were standing silently, opting rather to wade through his thoughts and steel himself for the attack. He had filled up his free time with no less studying than he had inflicted upon himself during his preparation for NEWTs, and he would not stop until he had proven to his superiors once again that he was deserving of the second tier position he had previously held – that he was a promising and contributing member that was still worthy of being valued. Every success was one step closer to his redemption in the eyes of his comrades, and there would be no more mistakes.
He had survived August without a touch of tragedy or failure touching him personally, and although he loathed for his friends to suffer, he could not help but pull at strands for the confidence that this would go just as flawlessly as all of their missions as of late. It was nearly two weeks into September without any tragedies. That had to be a good sign, of course, and while taking on Hogwarts was ambitious, they certainly possessed that quality, and they were going to take the ideas into successful fruition. It was just as large and imposing as ever, but there was a distinct feeling of detachment as they prepared to carry out destruction. Whatever it took, Regulus would comply, and whilst shifting and restraightening his robes, he proceeded to calm himself to a silent determination.
The night was mild, and Lucius could already smell the potential for murder on the air as he stood ready. He felt invigorated, absolutely prepared for anything that came his way tonight. Let them duel him, he would just strike them down. His mask was securely in place, and his wand was raised in preparation. Casting around, he noted that they seemed to be alone. Not that that would be the case for long, of course, but he hoped that they would be able to make it within the Hogwarts grounds before company did join them. He had not been back to the school since his own days there as a student, and it would be nice to see it again, in a twisted sort of way.
The fact it was Hogwarts, however, concerned him slightly. This was no Diagon Alley. If injured, he couldn't just apparate out. It was kill or be killed tonight. He must focus entirely on the task at hand, and not let anything distract him. Not even Narcissa, as loathe as Lucius was to let her be on the scene. Not that it was his decision, of course -- the fact that he would rather she stayed at home was neither here nor there. She could make her own decisions. Exhaling deeply, he started to move forward as the Death Eaters started to move out of Hogsmeade and towards the school gates.
Walden stood as still as he could as they waited. He tried to imagine what they all looked like, standing in the dark with their robes and masks. They were just a handful of the terror that was to be brought upon the world that night. They were just one of the acts.
He pulled in a deep breathe and closed his eyes for a short moment. He just needed to take a mental step back to prepare himself for what was to come. He loved battle. It sent a rush of adrenaline pulsing through his body that made him feel like he was twenty years old again, ready to tackle the world all by himself. Of course now he was not alone. He had his brothers around him. Men whom he trained with and boys who they trained. It was an ongoing cycle that was put into action in order to restore the balance.
His eyes opened again and he looked through the mask, wishing that it would all just start.
Something would happen tonight, some... revelation, some death of an inconvenient belief, something. Battles in the dreamscape were always significant, and one in which he was surrounded by the people who symbolised his strengths and his confidence in himself was sure to be even more so. Antonin waited quietly, wand at the ready, the mask settled firmly over his face.
Soon, it would begin. And he would know.
2. 11.20p DMLE Forerunners (Rufus, Elle, Pepper vs. Fenrir, Tabby, Aaron, Clara, Dorian, Nick)
For the love of all that was holy -- "Pepper!" Rufus bellowed; Elle was around the corner in the breakroom, but he knew she would hear the commotion and appear momentarily. Patrol not reporting in on curfew breaks could only mean one thing: trouble. As he dragged on his cloak, bagel in teeth and wand in pocket, Rufus squinted at a map of Hogsmeade. Best place to apparate in times of desperation? Ugh. "We have multiple curfew alarms in Hogsmeade and the patrol hasn't checked in."
Pepper's resolution to work no later than 11pm on any given night had lasted about two and a half weeks. He wasn't going much over, it was true, it had barely been ten-- well, alright, quarter of an hour. Maybe twenty minutes. And as it turned out, this was a good thing! Possibly not for his health, but for checking on the patrols, and his job security and standing and such, which was always good, really, unless he died. Which he was absolutely not planning on doing. He also was absolutely not looking at Rufus' bagel kind of longingly, because it had been a while since dinner and while he wasn't exactly hungry-- no, patrols were missing, food could wait, shit was probably hitting fans somewhere.
Elle sprinted from the breakroom, the alarms ringing through her ears. She hated the curfew alarms, but when she saw the look on Rufus' face, she knew this wasn't a false thing. She looked at the map of Hogsmeade Rufus was also looking at and gestured, "Apparate in behind the Three Broomsticks? It's not the greatest place, but it's more concealed than some of the other places." She eyed the map again and then looked at Rufus and Pepper in turn, "Who's on curfew? Who's not checking in?"
"And if nothing's wrong we can stop for a pint," Pepper added, then held up his hands to forestall any 'not the time' glares that might be directed at him in the next couple of seconds.
"Hm." Rufus ripped off a piece of bagel (though he kept the largest chunk for himself), and handed it to Pepper before devouring half of what he had left. "Two of your boys," he said, nodding to Pepper. "Pathkendle and... Higgs. No. Higgens. Hitchens." He really wished someone would create a map that showed how many people were in Hogsmeade and where but then people cried about privacy and rights - well what about security? What about safety? He hated going into situations blind. "Three Broomsticks is good. We should have some leverage here," he pointed, "and here."
Elle's adrenaline had already started to pump, which was probably a good thing, given what they were just about to go into. Entering a situation blind was never something any of them wanted to do, but sometimes they just didn't have a choice, "Don't suppose you want someone to pop in there and then instantly pop back? See what we might see so we're not exactly flying completely blind?" It was a long shot, and she doubted Rufus would fly for it, but she was willing to suggest something that might give them an upper hand.
Ooh, bagel. Pepper shoved the food a little inelegantly in his mouth, watching the Aurors discuss the map as he rearranged his robes, pulling out the silver knife so it would be more easily accessible in case of werewolf and fastening them properly over his street-wear. By the time he'd managed to swallow and clear his mouth for speaking Elle had finished making her suggestion. "By the time you're there long enough to get bearings you might 's well stay," he pointed out.
"Once you pop in, they'll have your position, which makes it more dangerous than just entering and moving." Unfortunately. Maybe it was just kids. Maybe Pathkendle and Hitchens had taken an early night to get a stout. Maybe Hogsmeade was overrun with werewolves. Rufus had a headache already.
"I have silver powder if you want to keep it on you. A good oppugno might come in right handy if we come up against any werewolves. Death Eaters... well. Protect yourselves - but if we can bring in more of these bastards and put them to trial, it's better than outright killing them."
Well that just wasn't fair, but... well, Pepper supposed Rufus was right, really, especially after their last farce of a mass trial. Besides, it probably said something unhealthy to run around killing people for fun, even if it was technically self-defence in a civil war. "I should be good with the big fuck off silver knife," he shrugged, though admittedly he had to be in close range for that. Still, there was flagrante-ed arrows and flocks of birds and incendio for long distance. "We should get moving before the pub closes."
Elle clenched her jaw for a moment. Werewolves. She hoped to God it wasn't werewolves, she'd had enough of the lately. However, she held out her hand, "I'll take some silver powder. It can't hurt. Us, I guess." She glanced at Pepper for a moment and then looked away. She had to keep her head on straight. She'd done so well since arresting Neil and subsequent joke of a trial, and she wasn't about to lose it now because of the possibility that she would be facing werewolves.
She unlatched her wand from her forearm and nodded to the other two, "I'm ready when you both are." When they both were, she nodded and headed with them toward the lift.
When the lift doors opened, Millicent was half a step out, reading a lavender-coloured memo, before she jerked to a halt, her head coming up and her eyes wide. Whatever she had actually been coming to the DMLE floor about - and let's face it, it was probably just an excuse to escape the stuffy confines of the Minister's floor, which she still wasn't used to - it fled in the moment it took her to look around the assembled group and feel the all-too-familiar atmosphere. "What's happened?" she demanded, memo crumpling up forgotten in her hand.
"Your good and reliable hit wizards haven't reported in," Pepper informed her, resisting the urge to jitter with impatience. It was possible he was still slightly annoyed about her sending Pathkendle and Hitchens to his flat, just a little. "We're going to check it out."
"Where? And what time were they supposed to check in?" Millicent may step to the side, clearing the way out, but it was obvious - from the quick movement of her hand towards her wand, from the tilt of her chin and the focus of her eyes - that that's just so that they can lead the way. As far as she's concerned, she's just joined this little group.
"At eleven," Rufus replied, peering over at Millicent like she was crazy. "And, your ministerliness, you are not authorised to walk into a potentially hostile situation. We need you here, alive, and preferably kicking." And that was that, and if she thought she was getting in this lift, he'd bloody stun her.
"Oh, arse," the respected Minister of wizarding Britain declared. A precisely two-second consideration of the seriousness of Rufus Scrimgeour on this particular topic had Millicent turning her hand away from her wand, holding it up to wave them towards the elevator. "Go. Go! Keep me advised; I'll co-ordinate the support."
If by co-ordinate you mean lead. And she did.
As they moved from the DMLE floor to the lift and from the lift to the atrium, Rufus gripped his wand tightly, journal tucked just inside his coat so that he could immediately inform Millicent of the situation. "All ready?" And with a soft barrage of pops, they were gone.
Fenrir looked over the small group that he was taking him with him and narrowed his eyes. He would have preferred to take more but Voldemort didn't want the extent of the Army being known. In that spirit he'd only chosen those who he'd given journals to, those who had made themselves known to the wizarding world. There would be no surprise at seeing them and that would protect the rest of the army until Voldemort wanted to unleash them in full.
Fenrir made a mental note to speak to Rodolphus at some point about that. There was a lot of restlessness growing among the army. Not discontent, at least not truly discontent. More frustrated anticipation. They looked around and saw their numbers, saw the wolves, the vampires, the trolls, the hags, the giants and wanted to see the whole lot in action. They wanted to fight. They wanted to win. The occasional scuffles were starting to increase in number and ferocity. He wasn't overly concerned; wolves scuffled as part of the dominance hierarchy and certainly no one was challenging him. But they needed to be let loose, even if it was just a small group. They needed to know they were going to be allowed to fight.
He dismissed those thoughts with a shake of his head and prowled forwards, his eagerness for the fight ahead bringing his more feral instincts to the fore. "I can only take one at a time," he growled. "Or I risk splinching us both. Who's first?"
Tabitha was eager to participate in her first large scale battle. Sure, they have attacked muggles and parks before, but this was different -- not only would some of the Dark Army be here, but the Death Eaters as well. The full moon was so close; such a perfect time, making her all the more excited to get things started. She waited beside her husband, watching Fenrir as he shook his head and then came closer to them. As soon as he finished speaking, Tabitha came forward immediately, grinning widely. "I'll go with first," she said, dreading having to put up with this 'apparating' business again -- at least it never lasted for very long.
Fenrir gave Tabitha a nod and took hold of her arm. He pulled his wand out and concentrated hard on where he needed to go then apparated them both there. He gave a tiny sigh of relief when he saw the post office to one side and the Three Broomsticks across the street in front of them. He let go of Tabitha then turned and pointed towards the nearest houses. "Get in the shadows and stay out of sight until I've got everyone here," he ordered. "Don't give in to temptation. If you give us away before time, you'll answer to Voldemort." He frowned in concentration and apparated back to the army camp. "Who's next?" he barked. "Come on. We don't have too much time."
Dorian was mostly glad to be out and doing something. He still hadn't gone out and "made friends" or anything with, well, any of the others in Fenrir's camp outside of the few vampires he caught in passing on his way in and out, but he had seen the others that he was to be with tonight before. He couldn't say that he trusted them, but it was either sit back and let things happen around him, or get in on this battle. He watched as Tabitha left with Fenrir- God, that magic and apparating business never failed to make him squirm a little- and waited, hands in his pockets. Once Fenrir returned, he stepped forward, wanting to get this part over with. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could get all of this started, right? "I'll go."
Aaron had been watching over the vampires surreptitiously; the little one seemed sort of... distractable? He didn't want any of them wandering off before the real fun started, after all.
"I'll go after him," he spoke up, after Dorian volunteered. "Then I think Clara and Nick bringing up the rear."
He didn't think leaving Clara on her own was the best idea, somehow. Sure, she could take care of herself, and sure, she looked tiny but could pack a punch, but there was no point in leaving her alone and risking her getting distracted by the moonlight or whatever shit it was she got caught up in.
In general, Aaron's fears were probably rather founded, but at least for now Clara was very much focused on the upcoming fight. This was fun, this was something exciting, and playing with the wolfs, and biting people and blood and chaos and fear and giddy headiness, and she didn't want to miss that for all the moonlight and creatures hiding in the air she could find. Granted she was not looking forward to the appar-thing, because it was squeezy and tight like it was trying to squash her all up, but that wouldn't last very long and then she could wipe off the twitchy-itchiness it caused and eat people.
"Good," Fenrir said shortly. he stalked over and took Dorian by the arm, concentrating hard before apparating them both to Hogsmeade. He looked around and saw where Tabitha was lurking. "Go and join Tabitha," he ordered. "Stay out of sight until I get everyone here." He stepped away from Dorian and apparated back to the army encampment, cursing silently at the time this was taking. He hated apparating other people. Once he was back at the amp, he didn't hesitate and simply grabbed Aaron's arm and apparated again. He repeated that process with Clara and Nick then took a moment to shake his head and settle himself down again once he and Nick were at Hogsmeade. He shoved his wand back into his sleeve then gestured sharply for the other to join him. "Come on. We need to head around this direction." He point towards the side of the Three Broomsticks and started striding in that direction. He didn't bother with too much in the way of subtlety. The other Death Eaters should be here by now and be in position. The need for stealth was almost over.
In comparison to the tense, excited atmosphere pervading the motley group of assorted creatures, Nicholas Harrow looked very, very calm. His arms were at his side, his eyes serene and gaunt frame following orders with ease. The only clue that hinted at his building euphoria was a twitch at his lips, as if he was threatening to spill into laughter at any moment. Not that he would. Nick had perfect control of himself, after all... although he very quickly discovered that the spin of apparation was not to his tastes in the slightest.
It was strange; he had always yearned for a wand when he had first discovered the magical world, but now, with determination in his fingers and bloodlust in his mouth he was disdainful of the possibility of magic. He wanted to feel a more visceral victory than a simple spell could provide. Nick's steps were silent as he glided toward the Three Broomsticks, and he couldn't help but erupt into a foul grin when he smelled the scent of life inside. Not long now.
Tabitha had waited patiently for Fenrir to bring the others, even as impatient as she felt. But she could wait -- the battle was not going anywhere, and she would have her turn. She recognised the presence of the vampires, but generally ignored them, smiling when Fenrir apparated Aaron to the group and waiting for them all to join her where she had hidden in the shadows. She followed the group in the direction of the Three Broomsticks when they began to move, and she licked her lips, almost tasting the blood she would be spilling tonight already.
Though Pepper's patrols rarely took him as far north as Hogsmeade, his increasingly more frequent visits to the Hog's Head did, and he was still familiar enough with the village that he could orientate himself almost immediately when they arrived. The back of the building next to them belonged to the Three Broomsticks, a pub he avoided now due to the too-family-friendly-for-him atmosphere, and-- there was movement nearby, a small group perhaps, on the side of them... that was closest to Hogwarts school. That was probably un-good. Gesturing to the others, he nodded that way, switching his blade to his right hand just in case; it was always preferable to take people by surprise and hex the hell out of them from a distance, but these things were always about preparation and just-in-cases.
Rufus cast a pre-emptive protego and moved out from safety long enough to collect their surroundings - long enough to recognise that the shadowed figures ahead of them were not the patrol, and long enough to recognise that there were several of them. And if he wasn't very much mistaken, that was Fenrir Greyback ... hell. "We have four - five - bearing in from eight o'clock," he muttered in hushed towns, pulling his journal out long enough to scribble a note to Millicent - without taking his eyes off the group. He pulled back a step. "Fenrir Greyback. You are under arrest by the authority of the Ministry of Magic." Yeah, that'd work. He readied himself against a building, not even vaguely optimistic that the group would come quietly.
Oh, yes, because that was going to work. Now that Rufus had so kindly alerted the group to their presence Pepper threw himself back against the wall with a soft curse, weaving a couple of defensive spells to go with the Auror's protego and trying desperately not to glare at him. At the very least he could use the time before Fenrir's response to do that, though if was a group of werewolves, or even a couple of vampires, it was going to be physical attacks they had to worry about more.
Fenrir had his wand in his hand as he led his group towards the school. He was the only one capable of magic and he would need to keep them intact until they got to the right place. Once they were there, well... it was every creature for itself. Movement off to one side caught his attention and he held one hand out to stop the others as he raised his wand. He was surprised to actually recognise the voice that spoke next - Rufus Scrimgeour. Spouting the most amusing tripe he'd heard in a long. Clearly Scrimgeour had been spending too much time with Millie.
"Oh no, I give up," he said in a mocking tone. He then pointed his wand in the direction of Scrimgeour's voice. "Actually, no, I don't. Incendio!" He gestured to those with him with his free hand. "Clara, Dorian, Nick, spread out and try and flank them. Aaron, Tabitha, stay close to me. I'll shield us until we can close in on them." With that he flung up the strongest Protego he was able to manage, depending on the two werewolves to get close enough to be covered by it.
Aaron laughed at Rufus's proclamation, obeying Fenrir and sticking close. He was looking forward to this, more than he'd thought he would. A good, proper fight, finally.
People! That was quicker than Clara had expected and she perked up a little at the prospect of a fight. These people sounded like they were policemen, though, and that would be harder than normal people, even people who could do spells, but that was okay. She was good at hiding in the shadows. They wouldn't see her. Ducking away from the group, she flattened herself against the wall of the building on the left, slinking around it, all grey and still and blended in. Her heart didn't beat to give her away, didn't send out signals of warm blood and life to anyone nearby. She was a neutral spot on the unconscious radar of the brain. She was silent, she was lethal, she was the darkness that fed on the living, and she was certain she'd be able to feed tonight.
Elle threw herself against the wall and cast protego as well, her heart racing as soon as she realized who was in the group ahead of them. She had to force herself to calm down. Those bastards were there though. She recognized them from the posters, from the files... she knew. Tabitha and Aaron Pryce, the bastards who ruined Alastor's life and her own in the process. She wanted them now, but she needed to cool it. There was something electric in the air, something big happening, and she knew it. She noticed however, as the group split off and she nodded to Pepper, "They're flanking." She adjusted herself to face Fenrir and his cohorts, her eyes narrowing. They needed to be closer. Just a touch closer...
Tabitha obeyed Fenrir's command, staying close to him so the three werewolves could get closer to what she could only assume was the law enforcement. She was disappointed her previous targets were nowhere to be seen, but she was always happy to make new friends. But she waited with coiled hunger, until Fenrir commanded them to attack or their soon-to-be prey attacked them first.
Fenrir waited only long enough for Tabitha and Aaron to join him then he strengthened the protego as much as he could. He didn't watch the vampires slip away, they didn't need him giving away their positions and besides they were good at that kind of thing. he didn't need to worry about them. Instead he started an implacable pace forwards, relying on the spell to protect them. He wasn't an overly good wizard but he could do a good shielding spell. He wanted to get them close enough to attack physically and to negate the wands and magic as much as possible.
Werewolves at the front, vampires sneaking round behind... oh, this was promising to be an interesting night. Pepper acknowledged Elle's warning with a slight nod, half turning (trusting the other two to protect that side) to see if he could make out where the dead things had got to. They might be surrounded, but at least they only had two sides open to be attacked from, and he doubted any of the vampires had magical ability. Hopefully he'd be able to take them easily enough. He kept his wand in his left hand - he didn't intend on them getting close enough that he'd need the knife, but he could cast spells almost as easily from that side anyway, so there was really no harm in being careful. Setting up a minor shield charm, something he could hold easily without too much effort, he followed it with a lumos to light the area and remove any advantage the vampires might have had.
With a wave of werewolves coming in one direction and thin figures he hadn't quite gotten an eye on disappearing into the shadows, Rufus decided that shelter was the best course of action. He could get himself out into the open and do a reasonable job, but who knew how long it would take for back up to come. Wedged between the healers and the three Broomsticks he maintained the safest position, where he could hold out the longest, but he'd be trapped with very little leeway for apparating out.
Well bugger - it wasn't as if he had much time to make a decision. Sliding back into the shadow of the Three Broomsticks, Rufus cast an alert ward behind him. There wasn't much room for error - but it would give him a split second to react if someone came up behind. As for the werewolves... "CONFRINGO."
Clara did not know what the spell the ginger man was casting was meant to do but she didn't think it was going to be something good. If it was just Tabby she wouldn't care, but Fenrir and Aaron were nice to her, and she snarled silently, glancing around the small group of humans to figure out the best way to get past the other two and get at that one, the one that seemed to be in charge. She could feel Nick and Dorian nearby... and then Tabby lunged at the blonde girl, oh, wonderful distraction!! Taking her moment, she pounced, leaping through the air to come up behind the in-charge-man, fast, fast, don't turn around, so much easier to bite you from behind.
Fenrir grunted and staggered as Scrimgeour's spell hit his protego shield. It promptly collapsed but he no longer cared. He could see Clara coming up behind Scrimgeour and a feral smile broke out on his face. He quickly threw a stunner and a stinging hex in Scrimgeour's direction then charged at him with a howl, ducking and weaving to any further spells. He wanted to keep the man distracted from Clara's presence and if he got to tear a chunk or two out of him all the better. He hoped that Tabitha and Aaron would have the good sense to either get up in the faces of the others or to get themselves out of harm's way. This fight was going to be unpleasant unless they could close in.
Sweet merciful mother of Merlin; Rufus could hear the sound of his alarms firing behind him, even as Fenrir cast - ironic, really, given that he seemed so utterly against anything witches and wizards stood for - and then, Lord, he was flying at him. It was a split second of deciding which was worse, and he chose Fenrir, violently lashing back at the stunner (and unfortunately taking the stinging hex straight to the stomach) and crying "DEPULSO" to throw back the vicious beast.
But he could already feel the vampire behind him, all limbs and anger and tiny little fingers - oh and teeth. With a growl, he pulled himself from her grasp, using the opposite side of the building as leverage and waiting - just waiting for her to step out of the shadows.
Clara pouted a little as she was shaken off, the taste of blood on the tip of her tongue, but not enough, not thick and rolling down her throat. The stupid man moved faster than her usual prey and he was lots bigger than her too and it wasn't fair. At least Fenrir was helping her, even if it did make the boss-person flail about trying to defend himself. Licking her lips delicately, she swallowed the taste of his blood, steadying herself to find the absolutely perfect balance before leaping forward again, determined to get a better grip on him this time.
Rufus didn't bother with magic toward Clara; he erected a wall upon Fenrir's side - one that would hold long enough for him to raise a shield and then lunge toward Clara as well; she was frighteningly fast, but compared to her, Rufus had bulk on his side - and with a vague, wry amusement that this sort of physical encounter hearkened back to quidditch - threw an elbow toward the creature (he had to think of her as a creature - for he could not abide the notion that he was physically attacking a young girl).
No magic!! Oh that was lovely, it was wonderful. Clara felt a small rush of good-feeling towards the human, though not so much of one that it wouldn't stop her trying to eat him. The survival of the fittest said nothing about kindness or convenience. He was much, much bigger than her though, and she would have to rely on her speed and reflexes to beat him. Ducking out of the way of the blow, she darted round to come at him again from the side, lashing out with crooked fingers to dig into whatever flesh or fabric fold would give her a hold.
Dorian nodded at Fenrir's order and ducked into the shadows, swift and silent. He could feel a surge of adrenaline as he heard the others confront those magical people, and he clenched his fist for a moment before releasing it, taking a deep breath. He moved forward, a little away from the group and a smile spread across his face as he eyed another man, not much taller than him, moving toward him. He held a light, and Dorian rolled his eyes-- he hated those wands, really, and he waited just a few more moments before lunging out at him.
There-- Pepper caught the movement, light flickering as he attempted to switch the lumos for a stunning spell, though not fast enough - those things moved quickly, faster than he was used to, and he had to step back as the vampire nearly barreled into him. Well, fuck. Luckily the wand movement for lumos was easy, even with his off-hand, and he re-cast it to give himself a few seconds to get the bastard off him, kicking out at the man's legs to unbalance him so he'd have a moment to bring his knife up between them. For the first time he was really glad that he'd spent all week in the training room, and (not for the first time) that he had more of a focus on close combat than some of the other hit wizards. At least he could say he was in shape for this.
He stumbled as the man's foot made contact with his legs, and his hand shot out to catch his wrist as it swung up. He caught the glint of metal and silently prayed that it wouldn't cut him. He quickly pulled himself from his thoughts as he made a fist and swung at the side of the man's head. He winced at the light from the end of the wand but didn't draw back-- he could stand it for now.
Starting to get the hang of how quickly the vampire moved, Pepper was still caught by the wrist-- but not so firmly that he couldn't quickly twist his hand around, knife flashing as it arced through the air with the movement as he wrenched free and forcing the thing to take a step back. Ducking to avoid the blow, it struck him glancingly, enough to nudge him slightly off-balance; he had to move his left foot back to compensate and mentally swore at himself for the momentary retreat. He had to be on the offensive, not the defensive, or he'd just be left trying to hold the damn thing off until reinforcements arrived, and that was not how he rolled. Pressing forward again, he swung the knife in swishing arcs in front of him, the metal reflecting the light of his lumos - oh, how he wished for more hands, or a second wand, or something like that.