The Death brought two Pucks and a Storm
The news of Ginvera Weasley’s death broke across the continent in a flurry of owls all delivering the Daily Prophet. It was shortly followed by a small paragraph stating that the remaining Weasleys would require time to grieve and requested that the public leave them be.
Some assumed it was to put things in order as the family would require a new lord, if any survived at all.
When Sirius read the news, he swallowed hard, rubbing his face and locked himself away in his study to drink. The Weasleys had been a good family and great friends; they didn’t deserve this.
When Harry heard the news from a rather gossipy rose bush, he nodded and continued his way into the forest, Hedwig above him circling lazily. It wasn't that he wasn’t upset, he hadn’t dealt too much with death and Grimmsby had shown him the other side far too many times to have any effect on him. Still he felt awful for the twins, they had been loyal and now they were like him, alone.
Not completely alone but they were hurting and he knew it. He wished he knew the right words to say.
Hello, are you the bunny child?
Harry spun around, vines at the ready, only to come face to face with a young girl so pale she was almost see through. She wore strange glasses and radish earrings that paired well against the white blonde of her hair.
Are you the bunny child? The girl cocked her head, expecting an answer. It was then that Harry noticed how her voice echoed but she hadn’t spoken.
“Aye, and you are?”
A raven with a message, from an ally of sorts.
Harry took a step back, his vines still trained on the girl. His Da had told him about the Fae Folk. He was sure this girl was one of them. The girl rolled her eyes, raised her arm and with a sudden motion, they fell away back into the earth.
“What the fuck?! Who are ye?!”
A raven with a message.
Harry backed into a tree, breathing heavily as he formulated several ways to escape. If she was Fae, he would have to be clever. If she was a ghost, he needed some kind of miracle. The pale girl sighed-the first voice she’d made- and stared at Harry.
The green grows dark, those who swore protection of the light will fall and darkness and war will fester the earth.
Harry shook-he knew that a prophecy was not to be taken lightly. Grimmsby had taught him that. He committed it to memory, swearing he would find a way.
“Pitch Black is sealed! You must know that!”
The green grows dark, those who swore protection of the light will fall and darkness and war will fester the earth.
“Hey! Ye can’ just tell me tha’ and nothin’ else! Hello!”
The green grows dark, those who swore protection of the light will fall and darkness and war will fester the earth.
“Who the hell sent ye?!”
The girl smiled, the corners of her mouth rising almost as if on puppet strings, her lips spread apart revealing pure white teeth, “Now you are asking the correct questions, bunny child.”
Harry clamped his hands over his ears; the Sheila's voice was everywhere! It echoed and bounced off of every tree and rock and leaf, filling his brain and swirling around before bouncing off elsewhere.
“Sorry, I forget you all have sensitive hearing-is this better?”
Harry blinked, finding himself on the ground and that Fae girl standing far too close for comfort. “Yes, thanks,” he accepted her hand and she pulled him up with surprising strength.
“So who are you?”
“Currently or ?”
“I don’ even know how ta ask that? It’s too..whateva’ yer comfortable with?”
She giggled, her mouth showing far too many teeth for a normal girl. “I am Luna Lovegood, this time anyways.”
“Lovegood?”
“Yes, bunny child?”
Before Harry could ask anything, Luna turned around and clapped her hands, “Ohh! He’s here!”
“Who?”
A frenzied and disheveled Gale burst through the tree line, dragging a very flustered Aster by the foot. His fur was mucked up and fluffed out with streaks of dirt and several twigs stuck in it.
“Gale, I oughta tan yer hide fer-“
“DA!”
Aster perked up and barely had time to catch himself let alone Harry as the teen threw himself at his Da. Aster quickly wrapped his arms around his son, lifting him up and swinging him around; both of them laughing and crying. Aster spent no time in chinning his kit, replacing the long lost scent of home back. He was pleased to see that the Clan markings hadn’t faded nor had his colorful choice of hair. His kit was thinner, less tan and Aster had half a mind to ring Sirius’ neck.
“Good to see the reunion. I was almost afraid I was too late, but when Ginvera died, I realized things were still in motion,”
The two were so caught up in each other that they had almost forgotten about Luna, who was perched on a rock that hadn’t been there before. She was sitting cross legged, looking far too at home to be normal. Aster’s eyes widened, as he shoved Harry behind him, “What in the name of MiM are ye doin’ ‘ere, Puck?!”
Luna blinked, tossing her long hair behind her shoulder and smirked, “I see my brother has made quite a name for himself in this place. I figured he must’ve when that Shakespeare guy wrote about him-didn’t think it was still popular. How are you doing, Edelweiss?”
“Well as ca’ be consider you lot,”
Harry burst away from his Da, pointing at Luna, “Yer a Puck?!”
Luna sighed, “I am one of many who bear the title Puck. It’s much easier than my real name, you’d need to dislocate your jaw to even pronounce the first part of it properly-“
“Sister, what on earth are you doing? Playing with mortals again? I thought you had enough with the dragon child?”
Xenophilius Lovegood calmly walked through the tree line, draped in long white robes with colorful cords holding it closed. He was barefoot and did not seem to mind the dirt beneath his feet. He took a seat next to Luna.
“Don’t look so surprised, Edelweiss, I’ve always wanted a chance to play daddy. Can’t let Oberon have all the fun.”
“Brother, the prophecy has been delivered-“
“Wait a mo’! Luna-Puck whoeva’ ya are! You neva’ said who it was from!”
Luna smiled brightly, “A fellow by the name of Neville Longbottom asked me to deliver it.”
Harry looked confused for a moment, “That can’ be-Neville’s dead.”
“I assure you bunny child, he’s not as dead as you may believe. Oh and one more thing, Edelweiss,it’s time. You can not dally a moment longer.”
“Come sister, let us take our leave.”
Luna hopped off her perch and followed Xenophilius happily weaving between her brother’s arms and the trees. Aster watched them until they disappeared into nothingness.
Harry looked at his Da, who had his gaze fixated on the spot the other two had just occupied.
“Da?”
Aster turned to answer, when a new voice called out into the night,
“HARRY!”
Sirius Black was in the forest.
—————————————————————
Draco and Marcus stood suddenly from their seats, plates and cups clattering to the floor. Moments later, Fenrir, Rabastan and Bellatrix burst through the door; Hermoine in tow. Lord Voldemort said nothing, feeling the disturbance much like the others had.
“What was that?!” Bellatrix exclaimed, eyes searching for her husband.
“He is in the laboratory, finishing Severus’ potions.”
Bellatrix visibly deflated and took shaky steps into a chair.
The entire room was quiet, all occupants ready and waiting for any news.
A single red envelope flew through the floo, stopping in the center of the kitchen table, before it opened itself, revealing teeth and a long serpentine tongue.
“If you have received this letter, it is to inform you that I, Alastor Moody, have died in the line of fire.”
A collective gasp came from the occupants, Lord Voldemort watched the envelope and waited.
“My Lord, you were correct, there’s something out here…I-oh gods!”
The letter sputtered, coughing up bits of paper, speckled across the table like blood.
“This is worse than we thought! We must evacuate the magickal wor-“
The letter paused once more, heaving a long breath and coughing more paper.
“Moody here, the village is gone, there are no survivors…whatever they are, I-I-I don’t understand! They keep coming back! These are not inferí!”
“I-I-I-take too….blood loss…”
The letter took a long desperate gulp of air as it struggled to finish its message,
“…an h-h-honor tooo…serve you, M’Lord…”
Voldemort stood to rise to leave, when a new voice joined the dying breath of Alastor Moody.
“You really should have stayed away, Alastor, huddled away with your theories and constant vigilance business-a true shame nonetheless. You shall be missed, my dear friend,”
Voldemort hissed as the voice he hated more than anything else filled the room.
Albus Dumbledore.
A sudden and sickening wet crack exploded from the letter, sending it into several pieces. The occupants jumped back and the sound of tears filled the kitchen.
Hermoine held her head in hands, freely sobbing. Alastor had been her mentor during her time here, training her and promising he’d return to train her more. He told her she’d have a place within the Aurors. He had given her a letter of recommendation after all. Draco and Marcus collapsed into their chairs, too stunned to speak and unaware that their own tears were rolling down their cheeks. Bellatrix had disappeared to the laboratory, unable to stay in the same room with that horrid letter.
Fenrir sat stunned on the floor, head bowed in both respect and mourning for a lost friend.
Lord Voldemort stood, unable to stay seated any longer. Albus had crossed the line this time. Alastor had been the Dark’s greatest secret- a spy so in the Light’s spotlight few would ever think the man himself was darker than most. Alastor had personally trained many of the Dark’s wizards himself under the guise of the Auror special training-the Hit Wizards. Voldemort had considered the man a trusted ally and friend, almost family. Now he’d lost both.
Albus Dumbledore would truly pay. Voldemort would see it to the end.
—————————————————————
“Harry?! Where are you? Come on Kiddo!”
Harry looked at his Da desperately, almost pleading. Before Aster could answer, a white haired figure dropped out of the sky, “Hey bab-HARRY?! Aster, what are you-“
“It’s not what it looks-“
“Gale dropped ‘im!”
“Harry!”
Harry’s face paled horribly, Sirius sounded closer. Hedwig landed on Aster’s shoulders, tugging him into the depths of the wood.
“Hedwig, not now! Stop it!”
“HARRY! Hurry up! There’s a storm coming!”
“A storm?” All three of them looked up at the sky which had been a bright clear blue and was now a storming black swirling mass of clouds and lightning. Aster narrowed his eyes, “Jackie?”
“Yea?”
“This ain’t you right?”
Jack shook his head vehemently, gripping his staff tightly. Aster sniffed the air around them, catching strange scents swirling in between the masses of storm clouds. Lightning danced across the sky, briefly illuminating everything around them including one very panting, very exhausted Sirius Black.
“YOU! What are you doing with him?!”
Harry stepped in front of his Da, arms outstretched, his Clan markings glowing brightly, “No! He’s my Da! You stay back!” He growled.
Sirius looked hurt, torn between obeying Harry and rushing at him. Aster sighed, moving to speak with a torrent of rain came down upon them.
“What the hell?!”
“Damnit!”
Jack quickly twirled his staff, freezing the rain and creating a shield above them, for a moment. In an instant that the shield had been formed, it had splintered away into nothing.
“Harry! Now!”
“Right Da!”
Aster and Harry’s clan markings began to glow, as thick vines tore through the earth, weaving a large covering over them, keeping the rain away. However much like Jack’s shield, the vines too, quickly withered and died.
“Protego Maxima!” From Sirius’ wand burst a reflective surface, covering them quickly. With a quick burst of charm work, Aster, Jack and Harry found themselves dry and warm.
“I don’t know what’s going on! We have to get back to the house now!”
Harry paused, eyes searching the skies for a splash of white against them, “HEDWIG!”
The group waited before a familiar cry echoed just above them. Hedwig was soaked to the bone, nestling herself against Aster. She nearly took off Sirius’ hand when he cast the drying and warming charms on her.
“Bloody bird,” he muttered as he led the ragtag group back towards the house.
The rain continued in torrential sheets, gales of wind buffeting them at every opportunity. By the time they arrived, Harry had taken his shoes off completely, Jack had stripped his hoodie which was nothing more than heavy wet plaster on his skin and Aster had more mud on him than fur. Sirius had struggled between holding the charm and the desire to shift into his animagus form. At least his clothing would be somewhat dry if he had.
“MIPS!”
A young house elf appeared, dressed in a gray smock dress and bowed low, her long nose grazing the floor.
“Aye sir?”
“Could you get the fireplace going and prepare some hot tea and sandwiches? We’ve got guests,”
Mips looked at the guests, raised an almost nonexistent eyebrow, “Do ye require newspaper as well, Rabbit?”
Aster closed his eyes, morphing into his a human form, “if ye mean ta read, bring it, anythin’ else yer insinuating, ye ca’ forget the whole thing,”
Mips turned on her heel, muttering about the strange guests her master kept.
“Sorry about her; she’s not animal friendly, got attacked when she was younger,”
Aster rolled his eyes, and took the nearest chair next to the fire, warming himself up. Harry sat next to his Da, cuddling up to him, Aster draped his arm around his kit. Jack stood a way away from the roaring fire, content to let the rain dry up on his body. His hoodie remained by the fire, drying up.
Mips returned with several trays of hot tea and small sandwiches in due time before exiting the room, leaving Sirius to serve the guests.
She is almost as bad as Kreacher!
Dishing out adequate portions, Sirius sat back in a large armchair and waited, watching the storm. He was sure there had been no warning of a storm today or any day this week. It was supposed to be clear skies and warm weather and yet, the storm outside only seemed to be picking up in intensity.
Something was very wrong. He watched Aster and Harry and Jack-a habit he could never break from his Auror days. He knew how to read people and their collective body language spoke of one thing-the storm was only the beginning.