Moly Tea
Minnie and her mother followed Harry to the Great Hall where an assembly of Aurors had congregated. There was at least a dozen of them, each doing different jobs.
Some were looking over architecture transcripts floating in the air. Another set had pictures that would change between suspects and victims.There was one who was inspecting wands and repeating over and over different spells that were useful for duels.
Minnie was fascinated, her eyes didn't know where to look. In other circumstances, this would be amazing.
It seemed only Professor Temperance had remained to try and help the Aurors. The other teachers had rightly decided to protect the students on the train. Professor Temperance was seated beside a man at one of the tables who was pulling pressed herbs from a bag.
"Samantha, Minnie?" Professor Temperance asked with wide eyes, "I'd be sure you'd both be on the train."
"No," Her mother said standing straighter.
Harry sent her mother a terrifying side eye, "She made a few very strong arguments."
"Threaten to stun him?" Temperance asked with a smirk.
"Hex." Her mother chortled as Duke climbed into her pocket.
Temperance held out her hand to the man beside him, "See Selwin, I told you Fyre would whip Potter into staying behind."
The man, Selwin, reached out an olive colored hand with a single Galleon, "Yeah, but you didn't bet the kid was staying, so I'll only give you half."
"Potter, is that wise?" Atticus Marwood asked after running up to them, "Having a kid here?"
Harry raised both eyebrows at Marwood.
"Sorry, I am asking the wrong person." Marwood said before looking at Minnie's mum, "Samantha"
"Atticus." Her mother nodded and reached up for a hat that wasn't there. Minnie was surprised her mother greeted this man with both casual discussion and admiration.
"I wish I could say it was nice to see you in these sorts of situations." Atticus admitted with a look around the room. "We're going to get Neville back."
Her mother pursed her lips in response.
"You going to help us Minnie?" Temperance asked before whispering to Selwin, "Makes sense, she's got an amazing Patronus charm."
"Sure, that's why she's here." Harry said before putting his wand to his throat. His voice became amplified, "Everyone, we have a real suspect now. His name is Lark Crawford. He is possibly the one at the center of the Dementor's attacks. We need to find out immediately everything we know about him. He is apparently a master of enchantments and until recently worked for the New York Glass. I need someone dispatched to the Daily Prophet immediately and I need someone to put out a warrant for his arrest."
Everyone around them began scurrying. They ran like rats on a wheel, each moving quicker at their task than previously.
Harry took the wand from his throat, "Samantha, perhaps we should talk a bit more about Crawford?"
"I suppose I can't avoid it." Her mother nodded awkwardly looking back at Minnie.
"Away from Minnie, I think you would like a few of these questions to remain private." Harry suggested making her mother's face contort. Her nose flared and a flush raced across her face.
"I think that is appropriate." Her mother nodded to Minnie, "Stay with Professor Temperance please Minerva."
"Of course mum." Minnie said before seeing that Professor Temperance was patting the seat beside her.
"Come on dear." Professor Temperance smiled hesitantly, "Minnie this is Selwin Burton, he was in my year during school and we went through the academy together. We were both potions specialists."
"Good to meet you." Minnie greeted.
"Yeah, bet you wish it were under better circumstances." Selwin said as he began pulling bundles of dried Moly from his pouch, "Enchantments, damnit, should have considered before."
"Selwin, she's a kid, watch your tongue." Professor Temperance scolded.
"I'll say whatever the hell I feel like Carolyn." Selwin stuck out his tongue, "Especially since I'm obviously under prepared."
"Moly." Minnie looked over the plants as he piled them. "To make a tea to counter enchantments?"
"Yeah, bloody shame we don't have more. If we find everyone, alive I mean, it could take a lot of tea." Selwin barked as he continued pulling from his bag.
He was right, there wasn't nearly enough if there was over a dozen people to help.
"The greenhouses have more." Minnie suggested. "Loads more."
"How much?" Selwin asked looking Minnie over.
"At least eight or nine bundles worth." Minnie said hoping her dad would be ok enough to keep growing them.
"Excellent. I will go and harvest some. Then when I get back, hopefully I can recruit you both to make the tea with me." Selwin asked looking first at Minnie then to Temperance.
"Minnie's a natural at potions. She can certainly help." Temperance said with a weak but proud smile towards Minnie.
In any other situation, Minnie would have felt proud her teacher was complimenting her. In this moment, Minnie kept feeling guilty. Everything was in fact her fault. She was the catalyst, she'd let Crawford in.
Selwin returned in less than an hour, his arms full of Moly. During that time Harry and the other Aurors had gathered everything they had available about Crawford. The Daily Prophet had been preemptively shut down and the search party had returned with no findings.
Minnie, Temperance and Selwin had just begun brewing the tea in a cauldron Selwin produced from his bag when Harry began discussing Crawford's motivations behind each Professor taken.
"Lulu was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Harry said as his team took notes, "Flitwick and Hayward would have both easily removed charms and enchantments if placed upon victims. They were obvious targets to dismantle."
"Why not take me then?" Temperance asked over the crowd as she cut Moly.
"You mentioned your quarters have a password, he only took those who's rooms weren't protected by passwords. The portraits have confirmed that a dark haired man visited them." Harry continued, "Samantha you mentioned you don't have one on your room."
"No, Neville likes to be available if there is an emergency." Her mother looked back at Minnie, "And our youngest is prone to nightmares."
Alice had often cried out in the night, fearful of dark creatures in her dreams.
"His motivation behind taking Neville seems the most obvious." Harry looked directly at Minnie's mum.
"I mean, it's not like he couldn't have hurt me last night when he took-" Her mother exclaimed with a groan, "It's not like I don't sleep beside my husband every bloody night."
"It's a plausible motivation." Harry took both of Samantha's hands keeping her from shaking more.
"I'm not his goal."
"Samantha."
"No, if he wanted to hurt me, he would have just hurt me. He wouldn't have taken Nev. He could have killed me right there."
"Not unless he wanted you alone and vulnerable." Minnie spoke up a little from her place stirring the cauldron, "He wrote in one of his books that it is much better revenge to hurt someone a person loves, rather than simply hurt them. He wants to see you in pain mum."
"She's right." Harry explained, "He wants to hurt you, it's why he took Neville."
Her mother became silent but shook her head, she curtly removed her hands from Harry's. She tipped her head to the side, making her neck crack like the snap of a twig.
"The only victims I can't seem to figure out are Hooch and Hickory." Harry rubbed his neck.
"I think I know why." One of the Aurors with curly hair atop his head mentioned, he fixed his glasses before explaining, "The broomsticks are all missing from Hooch's inventory. Maybe an escape plan?"
"Good thinking Kersey." Harry nodded to him. "Now for Hickory."
"Is there something in the Library he needed?" Minnie asked without thinking as she helped Selwin siphon the tea into little pipets, "A book?"
"Kid, you are lucky you are here, don't butt in please." Marwood scolded with a scratchy voice.
"Sorry." Minnie looked back down to the cauldron.
"Marwood, she's trying to help, she's been more help than you so far." Harry smarted back to Marwood, "Let the kid alone."
Professor Temperance giggled to herself before whispering to Selwin, "I think Harry is certainly not the person to judge about age."
"Considering the bloke fought bloody Voldemort when he was eleven." Selwin answered as he took another pipet.
"I need a team to search the library." Harry instructed causing a set of aurors to run, Professor Temperance included.
Minnie continued helping Selwin. The tea smelled incredible, like wednesday evenings in the springtime. As Minnie stirred, she prayed her dad was alright. Her thoughts kept stirring like the potion. There was an incredible fear inside of her. All she could think about was the possibility her dad was dead.
The air had a chill to it, even as Minnie stood beside the fire.
Selwin went to grab another vile of tea and the air around him began to look foggy.
Minnie's eyes drifted to the Great Hall's windows, they were becoming iced. Minnie decided there must be an ice storm outside.
"Minerva Aine" Her mother called to her, "Come here, now."
Minnie looked up to her mother who's face was contorted by fear. Harry beside her had a similar expression, you could see both of their breathes circling in the air like a twisting cloud.
Minnie abandoned her stirring and ran to her mother's warm arms. Selwin waved his wand causing the tea to continue its steep.
"Duke, tend the fire." Her mother instructed, causing the little dragon to fly over to the large cauldron.
The room was still, like a frozen lake. No one moved as the lights all went out.
Duke blew a small fire directly bellow the cauldron, keeping the fire blazing. In the light of the fire, Minnie noticed every remaining Auror pull out their wand. Her mother's once warm hands were now like a statue's, without any heat at all.
A chattering sound came humming from the hallway. It sounded like a thousand breaths, but not of air, more like a breath one might take under water. Minnie's skin felt cold.
"Get out your wand Minnie." Harry instructed before muttering, "Expecto Patronum."
A silver stag stepped forth from his wand, basking in a beautiful silver light.
The rest of the aurors chided in a chorus, "Expecto Patronum."
Minnie had once been to a muggle zoo before. Harry and Ginny had taken her, Albus and Lily when Minnie was still very little. There had been so many animals, each special and beautiful in their own right. Her tiny toddler mind thought there couldn't have been a more incredible sight than all the animals she beheld while she ate a large lolly and giggled with her Godmother.
This felt similar, but it even fascinated her older mind. The many translucent animals brought a small warmth and sounded like the ring of a bell. Snakes, wolves, dogs, cats, horses and a great many other animals began striding towards the entrance of the Great Hall.
"Expecto Patronum." Her mother whispered, causing a tiny Hedgehog to emerge. Minnie had never seen her mother's Patronus. Her mother intently stared at the little animal with a little smile.
Minnie realized she should help, she thought back to her day under the willow tree with her family. The lion roared forth from her wand but nodded to the small hedgehog.
Her mother turned her attention to the lion, "It suits you Minnie."
"Why?" Minnie asked.
Her mother said nothing, but tears began lining her eyes again. She closed her eyes, forcing the tears to recede.
The clattering noise began to increase as the hedgehog and lion joined the other silver animals at the entrance.
Minnie could only barely make out the hooded figures that floated past the hall. They weren't running, but they looked like they were being driven off.
More silver animals followed the hooded creatures, obviously driving the figures away.
Once the figures were out of sight and the clattering disappeared. Light began returning to the room, the fire Duke had been tending was no longer the only source of heat and the windows came unfrosted.
Everyone's charms began to dissipate and the Aurors who had left for the Library returned.
"I don't think he just took Flitwick out of fear. I think he needed his charm work." Temperance yelled in to everyone. She leaned against the doorway, her short spiky hair falling about her eyes. "A whole damn passageway opened up in the library and obviously the Dementors sort of, well they came spilling out."
"A what?" Harry asked in a tone above the silence everyone remained locked in.
"A passageway sir. I think the missing people are at the end of it."