McKay (scribbulus_ink) wrote in time_of_storms, @ 2005-09-20 15:34:00 |
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Entry tags: | chronological, joint |
July 12, 1997
Original poster: black_cauldron
Music:White Wedding, by Billy Idol
The Death Eaters were widely dispersed as they circled the Burrow, and Severus could barely see the people flanking him to either side, the darkness of their robes allowing them to blend easily into the shadows of the trees. Two blank, anonymous masks of white, hiding their identities from friend and foe alike. Of course Severus knew who they were, having been in the strategy session which had designed this attack. He had held nothing back, no information he knew about the Burrow, the Weasley family, the members of the Order who would be there; he couldn't afford to. Voldemort's intelligence on the wedding had come from a source Severus didn't know of, and he couldn't risk appearing to be less than totally committed to the total destruction of his former allies.
The plans were fairly simple, all things considered. Surround, divide, cause as much chaos and destruction as possible. But, first and foremost, follow the main rule: leave Potter for the Dark Lord.
Severus scowled behind his mask. Hopefully Lupin had gotten the fools to believe him, and they were prepared for the attack. If not... well, if not, then a great many people were going to die today. At least if they did, it wouldn't be Severus' fault; hopefully that would be some comfort to his already abused conscience.
A sharp whistle pierced the air - the signal to advance. Not glancing again at his compatriots, Severus started forward, wand out. For good or ill, it had begun.
The afternoon sky was clear with no sign of rain to mar the day, only puffs of white clouds against a backdrop of bright blue as the summer sun shone down on the The Burrow.
At least one thing is going right today, Remus thought as he gripped his wand, his eyes scanning the edge of the forest for any sign of movement. He sniffed the light breeze, catching a faint whiff of an unfamiliar scent mingled with sharp pine and rich loam, but he couldn't rely too much on his nose, not with so many guests he didn't know.
He glanced around, feeling out of place and terribly conspicuous. He was wearing his dress robes, the nicest he had, but even they were shabby, the cuffs and hem frayed and the formerly dark blue faded to a nondescript shade that was hardly flattering. But he couldn't dwell on his appearance at the moment, not when an attack might be imminent.
Arthur and Bill had placed wards all around the property, setting them up far enough away from the house to give plenty of advance warning, and several of the "guests" were actually Aurors; they weren't members of the Order, but the Ministry had sent them for added protection, for which Remus - and Arthur and Molly as well, no doubt - was grateful.
Molly had outdone herself with the preparations. It was an outdoor wedding, and she had arranged for a wedding arch covered in ivy and white roses, and there were pale pastel flowers and white draperies everywhere. The guests were arranged in rows of plain white chairs divided into two sections, between which a long white runner carpet served as an aisle for the bride.
Only the bride was an impostor.
Tonks had changed her hair, making it long and blonde like Fleur's, and she was dressed in a makeshift wedding gown with a veil obscuring her face so none of the attackers would suspect she wasn't Fleur.
The guests had been warned and briefed on where to run for safety if there was an attack, and Fleur herself was sitting in the front row beside her family with her shining hair hidden under a shapeless cap and dressed in plain clothes, looking grim-faced. As a member of the Order accustomed to fighting Death Eaters, Bill had declared he could take care of himself, but he and Arthur had talked Fleur into allowing a decoy, arguing that the Death Eaters would likely target her first. She had agreed, but she had also insisted on being allowed to participate in the battle.
"I am capable of defending myself and those I love!" she declared, and she had steadfastly refused to hide in the house until the attack was over. Privately, Remus admired her attitude, and he doubted someone with that much stubborn pride would collapse in panic in the heat of battle. Between Fleur and Molly, Voldemort and his followers were going to pay for disrupting Fleur's special day.
There were many sharp cracks of displaced air, as half of the twenty Death Eaters Disapparated, reappearing among the guests with wands out. The rest of them, including Severus, closed in quickly, intending to surround the entire party and prevent anyone escaping by running. Severus heard furious cries, but he wasn't certain if they came from the wedding guests or the Death Eaters, for suddenly there was a barrage of magical energy flashing back and forth in a furious blaze.
He must have warned them... and how amazing - they must have listened, Severus thought, rushing in with the remainder of the attackers. He couldn't hold back; he had to make this look good. Otherwise, if he survived, his position would be lost. And so he ducked a red bolt of energy that came flying at him, turning and firing back with a Petrificus to freeze his attacker. He didn't even pause to see who had thrown it; his eyes were busy scanning the crowd, intent on finding two people - Remus Lupin and Harry Potter.
It was not good that Lupin came first in his thoughts, perhaps. By rights, Severus should be finding Potter and making certain that the young idiot got away before Voldemort made his entrance. But he couldn't help looking automatically for a head of honey brown hair, ignoring everyone else until he found it. Yes, there Lupin was, and, thankfully, still alive. Severus couldn't acknowledge that, of course, but now he could focus on his real objective: keeping Harry Potter alive.
Although the Death Eaters appeared in the midst of the guests, they met with resistance. Even some of the guests who weren't Aurors or members of the Order drew their wands and fired off hexes and curses; the rest flung themselves to the ground, some screaming, some weeping, some pleading for their lives. Molly was a red-haired Valkyrie, shrieking with indignation as she flung hexes at the intruders, and Fleur fought her way to Bill's side.