Chapter 43: Hallows Eve Ⅱ
It was close to the witching hour and yet the Atrium is deadly silent. The only sound is the eerie trickling of the waterfall from the Fountain of Magical Brethren. The night guard is away from his post on a round of the Ministry of Magic. The peacock blue ceiling seems unusually watchful while the golden moving rune symbols seem to whisper to each other.
Hiding beneath an enchanted invisible cloak, Alastor Moody clenched his wand. He and a few others wait beside the only entrance to the Department of Mystery, an unnoticeable stairway in the Atrium. Standing mere feet away are the red-head brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett. Two of Moody's most trusted Aurors, and a member of the Department of Mystery, an Unspeakable.
Despite the lack of information and the abrupt request none of Moody's three comrades questioned his sudden request. Auror Sara Vinovich's owl-like eyes narrow causing the scar running the full length down her right cheek to stretch. Her salt-peppered hair is kept short and cropped to her face so as to not be used against her.
On the opposite side of the chamber is Auror Percius Clements, a round-faced wizard with dusty colored hair and lukewarm blue eyes. Despite being rather plump Percius is quick on his feet and even quicker with his wand. More than one dark wizard had miserably underestimated the Auror only to discover his deadly charms and hexes.
Standing further back is a tired dark-haired wizard with dark eyeshadows and gaunt cheeks. The Unspeakable greatly resembled the older, haunted version of Sirius Black of another timeline. The two are in fact related, the Unspeakable is Alphard Black.
An echoing footstep draws their attention. They cease to breathe as the dreaded footsteps grow louder. None of them had dared to believe there would be traitors within the Ministry of Magic. Corruption, yes, but not such foul treachery.
The group is led by a traitor, Augustus Rockwood is known to all within the Department of the Mystery. A good-natured man with humor-filled eyes and a jolly smile. The group had passed easily through the locked doors as Augustus Rockwood whispered the correct spells to permit them to pass through.
The group stands uncaught in the midst of the Atrium. The gilded fireplaces on both sides are quiet, there is no one present including the absent night guard. The only sound is the trickling of the water fountain.
Satisfied, Rockwood gestures for six other hooded figures to follow him across the Atrium. A loud nasally Death Eater's voice can be heard snickering. "If I'd known it was this easy to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic, I would have done so ages ago," the Death Eater sneered.
"Quiet," another Death Eater hissed as he uneasily glanced around the Atrium unable to shake the uneasy feeling of impending doom.
"So, what exactly are we searching for?" A boorish-looking Death Eater asked.
"The Dark Lord is seeking for an object of power, and it is our duty as his loyal followers to find that which he seeks," Rockwood solemnly pronounced.
Suddenly Rockwood halts mid-step as his instincts scream at him to move. Augustus Rockwood rolls to the side and shouts far too late to warn, "Attack!" Bright blue bright sparks crash onto the floor to him barely missing him by mere inches.
The Five Aurors and Unspeakable step out from hiding permitting their invisible cloaks to fall to the floor. "Petrificus Totalus!" "Expelliarmus!" "Impedimenta!" "Expulso!" The four successful cast spells enchant the first Death Eater to become petrified, while another loses his wand, the third is suddenly slowed down, and the last is blasted through the air into the wall.
The remaining two Death Eaters instantly retaliate with deadly hexes. Augustus Rockwood abandons his comrades paying little heed to the plight of his comrades. As long as he reached the stairs, he would be able to reach the first chamber of the Department of Mystery. From there it would be easy to attack or escape from his foes.
Abruptly his path is blocked by the gaunt figure of Alphard Black.
Rockwood comes to a halt and arrogantly gazes at the sickly wizard. "Well, Black, out of all of our colleagues, you would have been the last I would have ever expected to be present tonight. You certainly look near death."
"Likewise," Alphard countered without pause.
The two former colleagues gaze at each other for a split second, before without hesitation pointing their wands at each other. "Confringo!" "Crucio!" They cried out at the same time.
The red sparks from Rockwood's wand smack into Alphard causing the gaunt wizard to shriek in pain. Alphard Black's body is wracked with excoriating pain. However, his spell did not fail and the dark opal-colored sparks successfully smashed into Rockwood at the exact same time. A large gaping wound tears through Rockwood's chest like a gouging dagger.
Both men fall to their knees as Rockwood gasps pressing his hand to his gaping wound. "Your hex lacked killing intent, Black. That has always been your greatest weakness, let me show you, what a real killing curse is like."
Rockwood slowly raised his wand, but Alphard had already half-closed his eyes and uttered the Unforgivable, the Killing Curse. "Avada Kedarva!"
Green-like sparks shoot out of Alphard's wand and smack right into Rockwood's chest. Rockwood in disbelief sees the image of the green-like sparks floating through the air. His body grows heavy falling over to the side as the breath of life departs from him. Even in death, Rockwood's dull gaze is fixated upon Alphard Black in blatant disbelief. A small pool of blood drains underneath Rockwood's corpse from the open chest wound.
Feeling his every muscle tremble in nerve-wracking agony, Alphard's body vividly shakes like a quivering leaf in the wind. Gritting his teeth, he feels cold sweat trailing down his body as he struggles to rise to his feet. He does not gaze at the corpse of Rockwood lest he becomes ill.
Exhausted and weak, Alphard Black limped back to his comrades. The four Aurors are still intertwined in combat with the remaining able-bodied Death Eaters. Feeling his knees starting to give out underneath him, Alphard slumps against the wall to bear his weight up.
Nearing footsteps cause Alphard to raise his wand only to see the round figure of Percius Clements appear before him. "Rest now, Alphard, we shall take it from here," he motioned for the tired Unspeakable to rest.
Too tired to respond, Alphard weakly rests his head against the wall. A spasm of coughs wracked his body as strong as the Cruciatus curse. A common symptom of his incurable illness.
With trembling fingers, Alphard reached into his robes for his medicament. His hand is heavy and clumsy taking several attempts to successfully retrieve an elegant silver case. Flipping the silver case open, there are dozens of white, round, pills with a strong scent of flowers.
The shaking of his hands caused Alphard to be unable to pick out a pill. After much effort, he clenches a pill in his palm. Without any water, he drily swallows the pill feeling it sullenly go down his throat. His coughing returned, but the enchanting effects of the pill immediately took effect. The agonizing burning in his lungs ceased and he is able to breathe despite feeling as though his lungs are still on fire.
Alphard glances around only to realize the Atrium is deadly quiet. Five Death Eaters are dead except for two. Of the two survivors, one of them is fatally wounded. "Auror's really do know how to get the job done," Alphard weakly commented.
"We only took so long, because we were trying to capture them alive," Sara Vinovich grumbled in disdain of the sniffling Death Eater before her.
"Stop your sniveling, you won't die from such a puny wound," Sara Vinovich snapped causing the Death Eater to snivel even louder until she warningly poked the Death Eater with the tip of her boot.
The fatally injured Death Eater lets out a last gurgling breath before succumbing to death. Leaning down for a closer look, Alastor Moody peers intently at the Death Eater's corpse. He furrows his eyes in recognition of the prominent wizard.
"I can't believe it," Fabian Prewett muttered in disbelief having recognized two other prominent members of the magical community among the dead. Gideon Prewett agrees with a low whistle of disbelief.
"No sense in putting off this any longer," Alastor Moody grumbled. "I don't want a single trace of tonight's encounter to be left to found in the morning."
"Is this not proof of a conspiracy?" Percius Clements protested pointing at the corpses.
"It's only proof of an attack," Moody gruffly explained. "With the Ministry already infiltrated tonight's events will only return and haunt us. No, we keep this on the down-low and close to our chests. We trust no one."
"The ministry is corrupt as it is," Percius grimly remarked before setting off to clean some of the blood off the ground.
"Worse," Sara Vinovich huffed, before folding her arms to critically study the terrified wizard at her feet. "And what about him?" She indicated to the sniveling Death Eater.
"We leave no traces behind," Moody coldly said. "Take him, we will interrogate him at a safe house. We cannot risk lingering here longer than we already have."
The Auror's in unison begins to work as a team. The Atrium is wiped clean of any scorch marks and blood. The corpses of the deceased Death Eaters are turned into ash and placed in a jar to be scattered later. They bind the Death Eater, before casting a temporary unseen charm on the bound Death Eater.
Their invisible cloaks are collected and donned. With Alphard Black in such bad shape, Percius Clements aides the agonizing Unspeakable to walk. They only pause to wait for the Unspeakable to lock the wards again before they depart from the Ministry of Magic. In the shadows, they creep and sneak away leaving in pairs to remain undetected. And so, when morning came not a single witch nor wizard found a single trace of the past evening's events.
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