Chapter 13
ALASTOR MOODY
War was upon them. Full-fledged and deadly war.
And the people who had the power to do anything were simply too blind to do anything of value. Their new Minister, Harold Minchum, had come into power with a promise of reform, yet he was surrounded by Voldemort's inner circle, who continued to hobble him and any of his reforms.
And that was the harsh truth that kept Alastor awake at night, for this was the greatest difference between this war and the one they had fought against Grindelwald. For back then, they faced an enemy easily recognisable, and not afraid of showing their face.
They faced a revolutionary who walked in the open, whose supporters walked in the open. Yet this Voldemort was different. He was far more shrewd and dangerous, for he had yet to come into the open and reveal himself.
He hid himself in the shadows and whispers, while his supporters did the same, slowly but surely hollowing out the Ministry.
That was why he had gone to Dumbledore, not because he needed him. Because, if there was anyone who could push this monster into the open, it was him, yet the old fool refused to see beyond the school, and was too lost in his guilt and sanctimonious bullshit to do anything.
"So, that's a no from Albus," said Edgar, and the boy was young and had been a trainee under him but a few years ago. Yet now, he sat in front of him, in an office much bigger than his.
And why wouldn't it be? After all, Edgar Bones was the Deputy chair of the DMLE, second only in command to Bagnold, the Head, who was said to have different ambitions nowadays.
"A full fat resounding no," and Edgar's shoulders sagged in defeat as he sipped his tea.
"Why?" he asked, and Alastor could give him the actual reason, but Alastor was too angry to do so.
"Because he is an old fool who refuses to see the truth," and without him, they were wasting their time. Minchum may have good intentions, but the idiot was wholly useless.
They needed someone capable to lead them against this evil bastard, and Albus was the only one who could do it. But he refused to listen to them.
"There has to be a way to convince him," Bones asked, and Alastor knew but one way.
"Maybe, but until we do..."
And suddenly he heard a rapid knock on the door as Edgar frowned and picked up his glasses.
"Come in," he whispered, and an Auror stepped in, pale and afraid, and Alastor was on his feet even before he had uttered anything as he asked.
"Where?" and Edgar had realised what was happening as well, the young trainee answered with a single name.
"Cokeworth," and with a single nod, Alastor vanished as his body twisted and turned until his feet hit the ground again, as he appeared in the industrial city with a pop. The skies were dark, and the dark clouds covered the full moon, as they hung unnaturally over a particular House, shaped into the form of a skull, with a snake coiling out of its mouth.
"The Mark," he whispered, as he walked towards the home, wand out, ready to bring down any idiot still left. But as he stood outside the home, he saw nothing but destruction.
The door had been torn up, and the walls had been destroyed, and an ominous, dark, and evil presence hung over the house as he stepped into it.
It was a ruined the House. The walls had splatters of blood on them, and he ground his teeth as he saw bodies hanging in the air.
Half a dozen bodies, of men, women hanging there, dead and cold, and he heard half a dozen pops behind him, as Edgar arrived with the Aurors and walked into the House.
"Merlin's Beard!" he cursed as he saw the dead, paling at the sight as Alastor ground his teeth.
"Priori Revelio," and the incantation spread over one of the victim's body, as Alastor shuddered at the spells that had been used on her.
"The three unforgivable," he whispered as Edgar bit his lip and turned towards a redhead.
"Go and take care of the Mark. I will handle the bodies," and the young boy was quick to run out as Alastor stared at the dead in anger and hate.
"If you don't want to, I can take ca..."
"No!" Alastor barked, forgetting their ranks in his rage as he turned away from Edgar and walked out of the House.
"Where are you going?" Edgar asked, not making an issue out of his temper.
"To show this to an old fool," and Edgar understood his intentions, as he closed his eyes and felt his body twist and turn again.
This time, he appeared in an open field, and as he opened his eyes, a massive castle stood in front of him. he walked through the doors and walked through those Halls once again until he was in his office again.
"Alastor, what brings you here, old frie..."
"You need to come with me," and he did not let him finish, as those blue eyes narrowed.
"What happened?" Albus asked softly.
"I want to show you the cost of your neutrality and inaction," and for a second, Albus did not say anything.
"You owe me that much, Albus," and he nodded and rose from his chair, and reached for his hand.
"Where to?" he asked.
"Cokeworth," and the wards shifted, and he apparated for the third time as they landed in the industrial city, and the skies were clear now, and the full moon illuminated the streets, as he led him to the House, where the Aurors had repaired the outside.
Edgar was waiting for him outside and seemed surprised to see Albus.
"Professor," he greeted, and Albus nodded as Alastor led him to the inside, where the blood still remained. The bodies still remained, and as Albus saw them hanging in the air, cold and lifeless, his face paled.
"You are responsible for this, Albus. Your inaction killed them, and the hundred others that I have laid my eyes on them," Alastor warned him.
"So, do nothing for all I care. But remember that the blood of all these Muggles will rest on your hands...."
0000
MARLENE MCKINNON
"Who is she?" she asked again, as the entire school gathered for dinner. A couple of weeks had passed since the attack, and for the last ten days or so, the hostilities between House Gryffindor and House Slytherin had begun to simmer away, as peace once more returned to the Halls and corridors of Hogwarts.
But not to her mind.
"Aghh, again," Alder groaned, as she gave him her most innocent smile.
"How many times do I have to tell you that she is Pandora?" and that was a lie, and they both knew it.
"And I am telling you that you cannot fool me. She is not Pandora," and of course, she was not.
"That girl can hardly keep her words straight, and she is infatuated with that Xeno guy from her House. So, stop trying to fool me, and tell me who she is," and they all knew that quite a few students came to the club using disguises.
It had been Alder who had spotted them at first, and ever since then, he had made up a secret system to locate all such people and discover their secret identities.
"You know the rule," he reminded her, and she did. But this was not about that; ever since he had first set foot in Hogwarts, girls from all houses had thrown themselves at him, both literally and figuratively.
And why wouldn't they?
Alder Evans, despite his heritage, was a damn catch. He was blonde with thick, luscious hair and had sharp, angular features that made him look like Royalty. Yet he had never once acted on any such advances, until now that was.
For the last four sessions, he had been attached to the hip to that girl, and it was not Pandora that much she knew.
"Is it a boy?" and he spat out the juice at her words, as the whole table turned towards him.
He quickly reached for the wand and used Scourgify as the stains all vanished. He then wiped his face with a handkerchief as he eyed her in surprise.
"What?" he asked.
"I said, is it a boy?" and he was so taken aback that he kept blinking owlishly, which meant only one thing that she was wrong.
"How? Why? What the hell, McKinnon?" he was lost for words, and she shrugged.
"I don't know. You have never shown interest in any girl before, maybe you like boys," and she wouldn't judge him for that.
"I don't," he retorted.
"Ok, then tell me who she really is," and he pushed away his plate and stood up with a groan.
"I am going back to the dorm," and she called out to him.
"Ok. I won't push, at least eat your dinner," but he was long gone, and perhaps it was wrong of her to be so persistent.
But she had no choice. Alder was kind. He gave them so much and asked for nothing in return, and now he had the entire blood purists coming after him. He may be naive enough to trust a girl, but McKinnon was not such a fool.
The mere fact that the girl was hiding her identity made it so that she was a pureblood, or more accurately, a Slytherin, for no other House had to use such measures, and she could not trust them.
Any of them.
"What happened to Alder?" Lily sat down with her, and though they were twins, they each had their own lives and interests and had some sort of an accord to keep out of each other's lives.
She thought about it, but in the end knew that Lily might be the only other person who would see the things just like her.
"Your brother's in love and I fear that someone might be making a fool of him," she spoke bluntly, as Lily's eyes widened.
"What?" Lily asked.
"Pandora," she clarified.
"I think she is a Slytherin and is trying to entrap your brother," and Lily shook her head.
"Alder's many things, but he is not a fool. He wouldn't let a girl do that to him," and she raised a brow.
"I could say the same thing for Potter," she retorted, as Lily was quick to reply.
"I am not making a fool out of him," she challenged, and maybe she was not.
"People can be very stupid when they think that they are in love," McKinnon whispered back, her own eyes drifting to the grey-eyed boy laughing like an idiot with his friends, as Lily nodded.
"Maybe, but Alder..."
"Is a boy," she cut in.
"And a kind one at that," she added, and Lily had no retort to that, as she stared at her food for some time.
"What is the plan then?" she asked, as McKinnon found herself an ally in her mission.
"We find the girl behind the mask of Pandora Lovegood," and Lily raised a brow.
"How?" she asked, and McKinnon pointed towards the Marauders and smiled wildly.
"Using them...."
0000
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