If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @
[ https://www.patreón.com/fictiononlyreader ]
The link is also in the synopsis.
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
The peaceful magical village of Hogsmeade was one of the most sought real estate in the country because of its unique "all-wizard" village status. There were many settlements in the country with only magical population residing in them, but most of them had a non-magical nearby and thus had to exercise caution in how they conducted their lives because of the laws imposed by the Ministry. Then there were magical villages with no non-magical in the vicinity— but none ever reached the level of activity or even size as Hogsmeade.
What Hogsmeade had working for it was the fact that it was located nearby Hogwarts. The records were unclear which came first— the school or the village, but there was no doubt that both were built around the same time. As the popularity of Hogwarts grew with parents sending their children to the castle for studies, Hogsmeade's status also grew. To protect the young future of the magical society, vast lands around Hogwarts were charmed to keep non-magical away, thus granting Hogsmeade the same environment. In the current day market, a small apartment in Hogsmeade could be exchanged for an excellent bungalow mansion in some of the posh areas around the nation. But was there something special happening in the village? No. Hogsmeade was like any other typical town with homes, shops, and people living their everyday lives. Even the businesses in Hogsmeade weren't high-grade, catering to the super-elite as one would expect from a place with such high property prices. How could they? They were standing beside Hogwarts, which housed students who couldn't afford that sort of money. It was a literal university town.
The only reason why Hogsmeade was so highly coveted was because of prestige. Having a property overlooking Hogsmeade was a luxury only a few had the honor to. All of Hogsmeade had been bought up when it was cheap, hundreds of years ago, and there were only occasional sales which led to ownership rights passing over.
However, in recent times, Hogsmeade had seen some bad times. It was in 1612; during that time, the goblin rebellion had broken nearby, and the village had served as headquarters for the human side. Then Hogsmeade had seen a stretch of peace and safety— until the First Wizarding War, where not even Hogsmeade could escape Voldemort's reign of terror and had often seen Death Eaters and Auror skirmishes. Things settled down when the Dark Lord was vanquished, and it was more than a decade after that Hogsmeade had again come under attack, this time by the hands of Novellus Accionites, who had killed residents, only to be rescued by the infamous Invisible Vigilante.
That was five years ago.
Today, Hogsmeade was at peace. As the morning greeted the village with its first ray of sunshine, the people of Hogsmeade rose up and started their days. Charmed shovels could be seen shoveling snow off the building fronts and onto the sides. Bakeries and eateries began preparing for the day before they opened up the shop. Soon, people from outside the village arrived in the village for work as the residents also left for their jobs.
"It's awfully crowded today," said Russ, a resident. He looked around the crowded pub and could see more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones.
"I met Balter on the way; he said he and the missus couldn't get a seat at Larry's— everything's occupied," replied Julian. "Is there some sorta festival today or somethin'?"
"I don't think so." Russ walked to an outsider in the pub who was laughing with his buddies at a table and asked, "Hey, mate. Is there a festival today? I live here, and oh boy, I'm seeing an awful lot of new faces today."
The man turned to Russ and spoke with a jovial smile. "Something like that, mate. Today's a day to be happy about. Everyone here is celebrating!"
"I can see that," Julian half-chuckled as he gazed at the sole bartender moving his hand and wand quickly to serve. "Never thought this place would be as busy as Three Broomsticks. . . oh lord, I can't even imagine how Three Broomsticks looks like now."
"I know!" the man laughed. He patted Russ on his shoulder and spoke, "You ain't getting anywhere today, mate. How about you take a bottle two home and tuck yourself in after a good buzz. That's all you're going to get today."
Russ frowned and shrugged the man's hand off his shoulder. He looked down at the man who was still smiling, but now that seemed a tinge sinister.
"Knock it off," one of the man's friends at the table intervened. He gave the man before turning to Russ. "Sorry about that. He didn't mean; he gets like this when he gets drunk. How about we buy you a round. Anything you like at the bar, please take it as an apology from us."
"Forget it," Russ scoffed. He glared at the man who raised his beer mug to him with a smile. Russ leaned his weight forward and clenched his fist but saw the people around the table shift. He clicked his tongue, turned away, and walked out with furious steps.
"We apologies again," came a voice from behind, but Russ ignored it.
"People have no manners these days," Julius spoke outside the pub.
"Urgh! I want to sock that bastard's teeth in," Russ spat and kicked the snow on the ground.
"Don't be like that. Let's go to me home; I've some great Ember Scotch we can have. That'll get the heat out yer head."
The promise of scotch made Russ agree nicely with a dash of grumbling that Julian listened to while nodding with a smile. Russ took a look back at the pub and couldn't but question himself why he was feeling a heaviness at the bottom of his heart.
. . .
Inside the bar, the 'friend' gave a cold glare to the man who had picked up a fight. "What was that? Didn't I clearly give you instructions not to stand out, which means not doing this shit," he said acidly.
"I-I'm sorry."
"You should be. If you screw it up, I'll have your head before mine gets lopped off." The scolded man clenched his fists below the table and nodded. "Cut off your drinks; I need all of you sharp and ready. I don't want to hear that you bought an alcohol-expunge potion with you."
Others at the table gave side looks to the man. Not only had he ruined the mood of the table, but he had also ruined their 'celebratory' drinking.
As the clock wound down, the residents left for their homes, but unlike usual, where there will be only a few a person or two, the bar was still full of people chatting, drinking, and eating. The bartender looked at everyone from behind his counter and glanced at his sole employee, who was also surprised at the number of people still remaining.
The bartender announced, "Last call, gentlemen, it's already after midnight. Get your last drinks, and then it's time to leave. We're closing down for the night."
"Don't be like that, mate; the night has just started," shouted someone.
"No," the bartender spoke sternly, "it's the last call; after that, everyone's getting the fuck out. . . ." He trailed off as he noticed how the bar had gone silent, and not a single voice outside his own could be heard. Suddenly, he noticed the dozen-upon-dozen pairs of eyes were on him— all the people in his pub were all looking at him without exception. "W-What is this?" He took out his wand and pointed it at everyone. "Get out at once, or it won't be pretty. . ." He was looking at one side of the bar, so he didn't notice when two red zaps of spell light hit him and his employee.
The 'friend' from the table got up and cracked his neck as he walked to a spot from where he could see everyone in the bar and everyone could see him. He took out his wand and tapped it on his face for his muscles to wriggle and twitch furiously. The hair color changed from black to blonde, and the body shape turned leaner and gained a couple inches.
Instead of the average bloke, Augustus Rookwood was standing in front of the people. ""I'm happy to see that I can count everyone that was supposed to be here is here," he said. "But now that everyone has had their share of drinks and had fun for the day, it is time for everyone to get to work and start what we came here for." He pointed his wand at the unconscious two and chanted— "Imperio"— then he shifted the wand a little and repeated the same. "What are all of you waiting for? Let's start."
The chairs in the bar scraped against the wooden floor as people stood up. They immediately began moving as a trained unit— two men dragged the two unconscious men into the back; some went upstairs while most men exited the pub from the front and back. Outside, the Death Eaters began pouring out from different buildings and moved across the village, and soon they positioned themselves all across the village in what seemed a strategic position. They were on rooftops, on street corners, in front of different buildings, and even inside some buildings. It was late at night, and not many residents were roaming outside; those out on the streets were immediately shot down with stunners and harsh ones to those who tried to resist. All of it happened with zero commotion.
Augustus Rookwood looked up at Hogwarts castle with his hands behind his back. The castle was dark throughout; the lights turned off everywhere to discourage students from roaming around after curfew. He observed the castle for ten minutes, but not a single light was turned on inside.
"Sir, everyone is in position."
Rookwood nodded to the man, who was now dressed in Death Eater attire. Rookwood pulled up his right sleeve to reveal the inky Dark Mark; he tapped it with his wand, and it was as though the tattoo was pulling blood as it turned a blood red. There was a pop, and Rookwood and his subordinate both bowed their head.
Voldemort gazed up at the Hogwarts castle with his red eyes. "Is everything ready?" he asked.
"Yes, my Lord. In and outside the village and around the castle as well. . ."
"Give the order to Westen to cut the Floo."
Rookwood raised his head and walked away to the nearest building that the Death Eaters had occupied and announced, "Get me the MagiFax." Immediately a MagiFax was rolled up to him. He took a sheet from his coat, placed it on the scanner, and dialed the WMF-id to send the instructions. "Where's the Floo in this building," he asked. He was guided upstairs and found a simple fireplace with a normal fire burning inside it. He pointed his wand at the fire, and it turned a deep green.
Then he waited. Soon, a minute passed, then two, and when the third minute passed, one of the subordinates spoke, "Should we go check on him?"
Rookwood raised his hand and pointed at the fireplace. The green flame began to flicker as though it was struggling against a gust of wind. The green color started to fade until it was a ghost-green, and then in a split second, the fire abruptly turned orange.
Rookwood walked out of the building and back to Voldemort. "The Floo is down, my Lord. We can begin."
Voldemort raised his wand, and with a long wand movement, white domes became visible over the buildings, but then they turned murky like milk. The wards were disabled by the Dark Lord himself.
Rookwood raised his wand. He breathed out and waved his wand with a spell on his breath; the wand tip glowed amber, and starting from the wall nearest to him, every piece of built structure turned into a metallic red. Every brick, paint coating, tile, marble, and building material changed color.
His eyes went to a pair of men standing in front of a house. One of them pointed his wand at the door, and a spell later, the door was blown up inside. They rushed inside, and within a minute, spell lights glowed out from the cracks in the curtains. And he knew that it was happening all across Hogsmeade.
Rookwood's attention was taken away when a silver light shot above his head into the air. He turned back and saw magic being shot out of Voldemort's wand. A chain of silver magic shots followed, and a silver dome began to form in the sky, spilling towards an area so vast that it covered everything around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.
Up in the castle, a light came on.
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
Voldemort - Dark Lord - I'm tired of waiting.
Augustus Rookwood - Ex-Unspeakable - Going to add taking over a village to my resume.
FictionOnlyReader - Author - Okay. . . things are now definitely moving.
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.
The link is in the Bio!
Just like always,
Review, comment, add to the library, and share this fic.
Thx
If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @
[ https://www.patreón.com/fictiononlyreader ]
The link is also in the synopsis.
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
Dumbledore opened his eyes to darkness.
He laid still for a split second; for that brief moment, his mind was at peace and quiet— but as the next beat clicked in, a dam broke loose. He felt an ocean of magic flood his 'sixth' magical sense, sending his mind buzzing with thoughts. The amount of magic was something he hadn't felt in ages. . . not since he had dueled against Grindelwald. His heart thumped in his chest as he knew that there could be only one who could cause so magic that his own magic tingled, sounding its discomfort, demanding for this threatening presence to be stopped.
Dumbledore got up from his bed and walked to the window and the curtains parted to show him the source of the terrible magic he was feeling. In the sky, a giant silver translucent cover of magic spilled outwards, forming a dorm that arched over Hogsmeade. . . and Hogwarts itself. Pulsating steaks of silver magic rose up to the sky leaving behind a soft ghost-ish trail that began at the Hogsmeade.
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened. He raised his hand; his outer robe fluttered to him, and his wand flew in his arm. He turned and yelled, "Gibby!" A Hogwarts house-elf appeared in the room; she lay on the floor and slowly got up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Wake up the professors— all of them. Tell Minerva to raise Hogwarts defenses. It's an emergency; tell them to have their wands ready."
Dumbledore's stern, out-of-place tone zapped Gibby's sleep in an instant. She could barely utter an acknowledgment before Dumbledore vanished away from his room— no one could Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts, but being Dumbledore had its exceptions.
The moment Dumbledore appeared outside on the Hogwarts ground, he briskly made his way to the gate that opened to Hogsmeade, and the moment he appeared next to the bricks, the grip on his wand tightened. Voldemort stood a few paces away, holding his wand up, shooting magic into the sky, building the dome that was growing at an alarming rate. Dumbledore saw Augustus Rookwood looking towards Hogsmeade, where he saw the flashes of magic lighting up the houses and streets mixed in with the occasional shout and scout that were extinguished before they could even get their anguish out.
When Dumbledore looked away, his shocked eyes away from Hogsmeade to Voldemort, the Dark Lord's eyes also moved to Dumbledore. The two opposites met eyes, and for a moment, the time seemed to slow down as the two juggernauts took in the presence and attention of the other.
"Dumbledore," Voldemort started. Rookwood turned at the sound and trained his wand at Dumbledore. "I expected you to arrive much earlier. Is the corrosion of time finally catching up with you? Needed the old man's sleep? I think I can see new wrinkles by your eyes."
"What are you doing, Tom?" Dumbledore raised his wand.
He got a smirk in return. Voldemort bent his elbow as if pulling on something taut before thrusting his wand arm up with force. Magic saturated the environment as Voldemort's wand tip matched the brilliance of a star; the repeating bursts of magic going up in the sky akin to skyshot fireworks were replaced by a thick tractor beam forming a pillar to the sky. The growth in the sky raced, making the previous speed look like a snail's crawl. The silverish canopy that formed over shed a silverish light on the ground, replacing the moonlight on a new moon night.
Voldemort kept his eyes on Dumbledore and pointed his wand at the old Headmaster. "This is the start of the end, Dumbledore," he said and cast a yellow spell that gleamed of death. Dumbledore's body tensed as he casted his shield and aimed it outside the Hogwarts boundary. Voldemort's dark curse was stopped from entering Hogwarts. Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as he watched the dark magic eat away at his shield, turning his magic into an ugly sludge dripping down and sizzling on the ground.
Dumbledore stepped closer to the threshold and touched his wand to a brick in the boundary wall. The space between the bricks glowed blue and magic shot up from the wall, and magical glowing blue ethereal bricks began forming a cover over Hogwarts with Voldemort's dome hanging a height over it.
"The boy's time has come to an end, Dumbledore," said Voldemort, "might as well hand him over— and while at it, I think it will be best for everyone that you surrender your life to me after I'm done with him." He raised his wand again, and a bright red pulse burst out. The red light struck the silver dome, and a ring of red travelled out on the dome's silver. "No one is leaving until I get what I want, and all of this over and buried into the ground."
As if coordinated, multiple bursts of pulsating magic rocketed towards the sky from areas around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. They met Voldemort's dome and became a part of it. The silver glowed brighter than ever, and the dome's growth and construction hastened as it bled downwards faster.
"No one is leaving. . . and neither is anyone coming in now," Voldemort gave Dumbledore an eerie smile that made his already menacing face more threatening.
"Tom, you. . ." Dumbledore's words hitched in his throat. His eyes switched between the magic in the sky, Voldemort and Hogsmeade.
"Dumbledore!" called a squeaky voice. Flitwick came running on his little feet, and the rest of the faculty staff followed behind at a distance back. Flitwick's feet came to a skidding stop before he intended to stop; he gasped when he looked at the sight outside Hogwarts. The rest of the professor's reactions were identical. "Dumbledore. . . the Dark Lord, the magic in the sky, the Death Eaters. . . what is happening?!" the half-goblin asked in a stunned tone.
". . . Has Minerva begun priming the defenses?" asked Dumbledore.
"S-She has."
Dumbledore turned to his peers and employees and announced, "Voldemort and the Death Eaters have surrounded the castle. . . we are now trapped inside," he sighed at the gaps. "But they won't be able to come inside as long as the Hogwarts defense stands."
"That won't be for long," everyone looked at Voldemort. The Dark Lord stepped forward and walked to just in front of Dumbledore and the Hogwarts faculty— they were separated by the magic dome, but despite that, they could see the other party very clearly. Voldemort stared at Dumbledore as he spoke, "How are you doing today, Lily Potter?"
Lily standing among the faculty group dressed in her night clothes, stared at Voldemort with a fearful expression.
"How's your son?" he continued. "He must have grown since the last time I saw him. Seventh year. . . a wizard of age— from a boy to a young man. . . I have been late, haven't I? Let him stay alive for too long. But now that I'm here, I shall remedy that."
"You-You stay away from my children."
Voldemort finally looked at her, and the red eyes shone menacingly. Dumbledore stepped in between both of them, breaking the eye contact between the two.
"You can't keep defending them, Dumbledore. There will be a time when you and your magic slips. . . and on that day, I'll be waiting. . . waiting for you to make a mistake and open the door to the school to me so that I could teach the children important life lesson. . . to kneel in the presence of greatness such as myself."
The silver dome flashed in a brilliant, burning magnesium white light before dimming to the point where it was no longer available. "That does it; it's just the both of us now," said Voldemort.
Dumbledore pursed his lips as again, for the umpteenth time, before turning away from and facing his faculty. He looked to the Bill Weasley and said, "Can you keep an eye on them, William? You do not have to worry; the shield will keep you safe as long as you stay behind them."
"Yes, sir," said the youngest of the Hogwarts professors.
"Thank you," smiled Dumbledore reassuringly. "Pomona, please keep Willian company." The Herbology Head of Hufflepuff readily agreed and stationed herself near the blue shield ward with her wand ready.
The rest of the Hogwarts group left and moved to the castle. There were no words exchanged on the way— even though all had questions, the moment Dumbledore had turned, his smile had disappeared, making them hold their tongues. When they entered, they were greeted by a startled McGonagall.
"Albus, what is happening?! Why—"
"Voldemort and the Death Eaters are at our doors, Minerva," said Dumbledore. "They have taken over Hogsmeade, taken the people hostage. Voldemort has cast barrier magic around the castle and the village— and from his words, it has created isolation— no one's going to come in or go out. We can consider Ministry help out of the question for the moment— not until they or we figure out how to get rid of it." Dumbledore stopped in the middle of the Entrance Hall and remained silent with his eyes closed. He asked, "How much food do we have?"
"For a week or so. . . we can stretch it to ten days," said McGonagall.
Dumbledore opened his eyes. "I do not like that number. We need more food. . . But before that, we need to alert the Aurors."
"The Floo is down."
"Of course they are," he sighed. "I doubt owls will work either. House-elves?" he asked.
"Gibby can't go out; we are truly trapped," she said. "What about Fawkes?"
"We can try, though I doubt it will work. He's not going to be happy being cooped in the castle."
Lily entered the conversation and suggested, "How about we use MagiFax? I know of an emergency line for family members in the Aurors Office. They'll respond immediately."
"Please do so," said Dumbledore, and Lily ran away.
"What should we do about the children?" asked Flitwick.
Dumbledore followed Lily with his eyes until she was out of sight. "Lock the doors and windows. Not a single child should venture out of the castle walls until we let them know about the situation. We will need help. The older students will have to take care of the younger ones. I will need a talk with the Prefects; the Head of House will talk to everyone fifth-year above. . . And I repeat, no one goes out."
"The Dark Lord," asked Slughorn, still wearing his sleeping cap on his head, "what does he want?"
"For me to be dead. . . along with Harry Potter," Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin Head of House. "Don't even think about it, Horace. Giving Potter won't solve any of this."
"I wasn't thinking about it," said Slughorn, his eyes shifting to the professors. "Then what should we do?"
"Voldemort will try to breach our defenses. I do not know long it would hold him back," at their level, there was no telling, "so we either need to break their enclosure, or we need to prepare to defend against them in case they break through."
"D-Defend, how many Death Eaters are there?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "I do not know, I only saw Augustus Rookwood, but I'm sure he has brought all of his lieutenants along with him," some terrible names passed through his and everyone's minds. "Along with those people, there are many more, many-many more— we will be severely outnumbered." He looked his worried employees in the eye, "But do not despair just yet. They might have the higher number, but we this castle. A stronghold to help us defend and protect." Dumbledore's eyes steeled in resolve. He had children to protect, and he would do anything to accomplish that goal.
In the shadow of the night, Hogwarts had turned into a battlefield. However, the following morning that had a lot to offer of its own.
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
Voldemort - Dark Lord - Children make great bargaining chips.
Albus Dumbledore - Headmaster - I was having a pleasant dream. . . only to wake up to a nightmare.
FictionOnlyReader - Author - How was this one?
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.
The link is in the synopsis!
Just like always,
Review, comment, add to the library, and share this fic.
Thx
bình luận đoạn văn
Tính năng bình luận đoạn văn hiện đã có trên Web! Di chuyển chuột qua bất kỳ đoạn nào và nhấp vào biểu tượng để thêm nhận xét của bạn.
Ngoài ra, bạn luôn có thể tắt / bật nó trong Cài đặt.
ĐÃ NHẬN ĐƯỢC