Reconstruction of a Death Eater

The two Death Eaters at the top of the Alley had them pinned down against a cluster of dustbins. Remus and Mundungus exchanged glances, readying themselves. Before they could spring, a virulent yellow hex slammed into Dung's back, exploding his chest outward, spraying the wall behind him. The blast tossed Remus back against the wall, stunning him for a second, and the wolf howled, revelling in the blood and gore coating his face and side.

Horrified, Remus reined in the wolf and realised there were Death Eaters before and behind, his partner beyond help. Glancing around wildly, he spotted a ledge some twelve feet up the opposite wall and a second storey window above his head. The alley was barely eight feet wide, but there was enough space for the wolf to operate. Spraying both ends of the alley with a stream of curses, Remus thrust his wand between his teeth and took two running steps before springing up the wall. His fingers gripped the ledge, pulling his feet up level with his hands, his soft-soled boots found purchase, and he pushed off, springing outward with inhumanly strong muscles to reach the window ledge. Another mighty twist and spring sent him careening up onto the slates of the roof, seeking a hold on the steep pitch until his boot soles caught, and he crouched there, an unlikely ornament as he caught his breath.

Below, the Death Eaters were glancing around wildly, and Remus smiled toothily as he took careful aim. The first hex cut the taller of the two in half, its path slashing the second Death Eater deeply enough to make him drop his wand. As soon as he realised his aim was true, Remus turned to the other end of the alley and sent a Confundus charm in their direction as they seemed to be rallying quicker than he liked. As the Confundus hit, he sent a purple haze of smother gas after them before they could escape, and turned away.

Running along the roof ridge, he came to the next alley and jumped the gap with ease, landing lightly on the next roof peak with superb balance. Even as he straightened, a hex shrieked past his head, singeing the hair in passing. Without thinking, Remus ducked and slid down the lichen covered slates, coming to rest with his feet firmly planted on the top of a dormer window roof. Leaping from one window to the other, he avoided two more following hexes before bounding back up to the roof peak and disappearing behind a pair of chimney braces.

Peering around the terracotta chimney pot, he spotted a flap of black and grinned wickedly as he gathered enough power for an overhand cast. Using his wand as a fly fisherman dances his fly, Remus cast wide and high, the stream of power arcing up and around to flip behind the chimney brace. There was a cry of shocked pain, and the Death Eater jumped sideways to avoid the whip, only to come into full view of the lurker behind the chimneys. Grinning wolfishly, Remus physically slammed into the Death Eater, his arms wrapping around the man's waist, and he set his feet against the tiles, using them as a child uses an ice slide.

The Death Eater shrieked as he was born bodily forward with no control, the edge of the roof looming close. His feet madly scrabbled for traction, but the werewolf lifted him up, tossing him arcing and screaming into the air. Arms windmilling wildly and shrieking all the way, the black-clad foe hit the cobbles of the street three storeys below with a dull splat. He did not move again.

Remus grinned in satisfaction as he hit the guttering with both feet and jumped down the same distance, landing lightly and flexing his knees to take the impact. A hex zinged over his head, and he rolled into the shadow of a porch, the honeysuckle growing around the lattice still perfuming the air, underpinned by the smell of spent magic and blood. A sound behind the door made Remus stiffen and knock against the wood determinedly. "You bloody well stay inside, you hear!" he called loudly enough to be heard by the house's inhabitants without being heard across the street.

There was a scrabble of retreating footsteps, but Remus lost interest as a Death Eater darted into the street to kneel beside the body of the fallen. Ignoring his own safety, the black-clad idiot raised his wand and began to cast Mors Mordre. A hail of silver and blue sparks lashed out at the skull and snake symbol, tearing it to doll rags before it could even form properly. The Death Eater swore viciously and spun on a toe, casting a very Dark hex in the direction of the ducking Auror. It caught the red-clad figure in the back, a high pitched scream of agony breaking out as the Death Eater dissapparated with a wicked laugh.

Remus darted forward and stopped in shock when he realised what sort of hex was clinging to the back of the Auror. Someone else in red darted up beside him and was about to tear the hex off when Remus stopped him with a hand. "Do that and you will kill the victim," he muttered, dropping to his knees beside the prone figure and carefully raising his wand. The black hex tensed and the victim whimpered in agony, but Remus merely set a pale green light on the tip of his wand. With exquisite delicacy he began to stroke the air above the black mass with the lighted tip of his wand, as if it was nervous and shy cat. Slowly, he coaxed a tendril that was creeping up toward the victim's head to lift and curl in the air, waving slowly. Another of the tendrils lifted, joining its fellow until half the mass was swaying in the air.

Slowly, Remus encouraged the mass to move off the fallen Auror's neck, working it carefully down his spine until someone yelled 'goddamned dirty werewolf' and slammed into Remus' back. He yelped, his wand jerked the tiniest little fraction, and the black mass reacted, breaking free of the careful spell Remus had woven. The tendrils tried to reattach themselves to the fallen Auror but a shielding charm sprang up between them and the red-clad back. The last remaining tendrils tore free of the victim, ripping skin, flesh, bone and worst of all, spinal cord out as they convulsed. Remus let out a cry of horror even as the victim shuddered and went deathly still.

"You stupid fool, Dawlish! You have just killed Hestia!" someone snarled, probably Moody, but Remus was shaking too hard to notice. "Come on, Remus, can you get up? I've never seen anyone release so much of that vampire spell without damage before."

"I could have worked it free, all of it," Remus whispered, a tide of bitter gall flooding his soul. "I could have removed it all without damage! YOU STUPID FOOL!" He turned and sprang at the startled Auror, but Tonks, Shacklebolt and Moody intercepted his rush, holding him clear of the shocked and frightened idiot.

"No, Remus! He's not worth it," Tonks yelled in the werewolf's ear, his struggles lifting her off the ground despite his evident exhaustion. "Where are you hurt, Remus - you're all covered in blood."

"I'm not hurt, Mundungus was blown up so it's his and the Death Eater's I threw off the roof." Remus struggled to leash the wolf again, panting hard with the effort. "Oh Merlin, I tried, Tonks, I tried to stop the bloody hex. Was it really Hestia? Damn it, I taught her eldest her first DADA, and she still has two little ones at home, doesn't she?"

"She's still alive, Remus, you didn't fail," Tonks assured him as the inhabitants of Hogsmeade slowly began emerging from the houses around them. "Hey, Rosmerta, got a chocolate liqueur? I think he could use it about now."

The barkeeper hurriedly threw open the doors and allowed the Aurors to bring in the walking wounded while healers from St Mungo's came apparating in to check the badly injured. Both Remus and Tonks turned in the doorway of the Three Broomsticks to watch as four medi-wizards joined forces to transport Hestia, keeping her flat and still while they apparated. Rosmerta had already poured hefty shots of the liqueur ready for them as they limped up to the bar. All around them, the walking wounded were treated for minor hexes and charms, some with greater success than others. Someone called out and Tonks dragged Remus over to where a fellow Auror groped around, his eyeballs turned into small blue jellyfish that waved tentacles feebly.

Shaking his head, Remus said the counter-incantation and returned the jellies to eyeballs much to the Auror's relief. His success was noted and his expertise called upon many times in the next hour. Finally, weary to the depths of his inhuman endurance, he found a space under a table and curled into a ball for a nap. Tonks discovered him there and carefully covered him with her cloak when he failed to respond to her gentle shaking.

~~*~~

The Battle for Hogsmeade

Yesterday, open warfare broke out between the Ministry forces and the minions of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Twenty Aurors from the Ministry forces, augmented by a number of Members from the mysterious Order of the Phoenix were pitted against an unknown number of Death Eaters in a pitched battle that moved all over the streets and byways, roofs and cellars of the usually sleepy village. Our reporter at the scene said he personally saw three Death Eaters blown to pieces and two Aurors badly injured.

A broken sewer was the only thing that stopped the streets of Hogsmeade being flooded with pupils from the nearby Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Spokesman for Hogwarts, well-known personality Horace Slughorn, told our reporter that such a stroke of good fortune was a sign that the magical protections of Hogwarts looked after the pupils most carefully.

A Death Eater tried to cast Mors Mordre but was foiled by the intrepid interception of Auror Hestia Jones who was immediately the target of a terrible Flesh Devouring hex. The semi-sentient demon-based hex has not been seen since the time of Grindelwald. The only person who was able to partially remove the hex was unseen by our reporter, but we were told he was a valued member of the Order of the Phoenix. Unfortunately he was only partially successful, and Madame Jones now lies at death's door in St Mungo's security wing.

Spokesperson for the Ministry, Under-Minister Percy Weasley, said in a prepared statement that no villager lost their life and that the Aurors had the situation well in hand. There was no need to panic, and that this attack did not herald the beginning of all-out warfare between Light and Dark. Under-Minister Weasley insisted that citizens would be perfectly safe as long as they followed the Ministry Guidelines for Home Safety. When asked to comment on the continued proliferation of spurious protection charms and potions, he said, "No Comment!" and left the interview.

The captured Death Eaters were immediately shipped out to Azkaban on order of the Minister.

In the aftermath of the battle, the following statistics were gathered.

Dead: Death Eaters 5, Aurors 2, Order members 1.

Badly injured: Death Eaters 2, Aurors 5, Order members 0.

Captured: Death Eaters 3.

Missing: Aurors 1

~~*~~

Remus and Tonks floo-ed into Grimmauld Place and stumbled out of the fireplace, only to be grabbed and hugged so hard, Remus thought his ribs would crack.

"Fucking Hell, Remy, I was worried sick! Where the hell were you?" Severus bellowed furiously, attempting to shake the smaller man, but failing abysmally.

"Not very elegantly stated but succinct, you must admit," Draco drawled, eyeing the werewolf and the Auror while Hermione hurried over and wrapped a supportive arm around Tonks' slumped shoulders.

"We won, but at a price," Tonks muttered even as she let the younger girl lead her into the kitchen and seat her at the scrubbed wood table. "Dung is dead and Hestia may die yet. That fool Dawlish.... Gods, if I could get my hands around his damned throat for that trick he pulled! Remus nearly had her clear, but then he came in swinging his prejudice like the narrow-minded fool he is and.... Poor Hestia!"

Draco was very surprised when Severus wrapped both arms around Remus and laid his cheek on the top of the werewolf's head. "You're shaking Remy, did the Dark Lord Cruciatus you, too?"

"No, Sev, I'm just tired and upset," Remus assured him heavily. "It is late, people, I think we should all eat something quick and easy, then get some sleep. You two should have been back at Hogwarts hours ago. Minerva will have my head for keeping you out so long."

"You could always put her in a sack and drown her," Severus said matter-of-factly. "Well, it always crosses my mind when she is being insufferably catty."

Remus simply shook his head while Draco laughed and Hermione looked indignant. Still, the deadpan delivery served to lighten the mood and helped the weary soldiers to come to terms with the day they had served.

~~*~~

Moody stared out over the classroom, the earnest seventh-year students staring back as the silence stretched uncomfortably. For a few moments he wondered if he should just tell them all to bugger off, but then he sighed and turned to the board, scribing the lesson title in large letters. There was a rustle of parchment as the students found their places in the text book and began to read the directions. The silence grew longer and more strained, until finally he tossed down the chalk and swore fluently. The class looked up startled as he turned on one heel and glared at them all.

"As you are very well aware, there was a major battle in Hogsmeade on Saturday, one where a number of people were killed, and others seriously injured," he began leaning against the desk. "Hestia Jones - Professor Jones to you lot - was very seriously injured and is now in a deep coma in St Mungo's. If she does survive, it is unlikely that she will ever walk again, although she may have some small use of her arms, if she is lucky."

Speculation rose, people whispering to each other when he paused for breath.

"Shut up! I'm not telling you this to give you a cheap thrill or to engage your sympathies. I'm telling you the facts in an effort to impress upon you the seriousness of these lessons you all come to with absolutely no concept of how serious they are. Defence Against the Dark Arts - DADA you say as you smirk, mouthing it like baby-talk and glance over the textbook - just another set of memorised pages and learned-by-rote spells. If you meet a Boggart, you just say Riddikulus and it obediently trots off and leaves you alone. Isn't that what you think?" His voice was as deadly quiet as an assassin's blade, rasping against their nerves before he snapped his head up and snarled. "Well, they don't! And nor does a Dark opponent hang around and wait for you to page through your mental textbook to find just the right spell before they try to turn you inside out!" His wand flashed and a blanket spell whipped out over them.

Harry cast Protego without thought or conscious action, his Expelliarmus was sent wordlessly and instantly with no hesitation whatsoever. Moody had his own barriers up in an instant as a blinder spell came from Ron, a binder spell from both Hermione and Lavender, and a hacking hex from Longbottom, of all people. Malfoy ducked under the desk, a low flying Confundus trying to slip under the instructor's shield even as he moved from cover to cover. The rest of the seventh-year class were afflicted with stinging wasps which made them lose concentration and swat out frantically.

The Expelliarmus did little to distract the ex-Auror, but it was enough to allow the other four hexes a chance to succeed before Harry sent Sempora Exanguine heading toward the man's head with enough force to blast his shields apart. Moody let out a yelp as his eyes and ears began to bleed, his tattered shield falling in disarray.

"Finite Incantatem!" Hermione yelped, cancelling everyone's spells as their teacher fell to his knees, holding his head carefully. "Oh my goodness, are you all right, Sir?" she squeaked as the rest of the class gaped at the damage their fellows had wrought.

A rusty wheezing noise came from the old man as he struggled to his feet and used a cleaning spell to wipe away the blood and gore from his face and robes. "Miss Granger, I have just found a small light of hope in a field of despair - and yes, I am very well!" he said with manic cheerfulness, his wheezy laughter continuing as he stumped back to the blackboard. "So, perhaps some of you are worth keeping alive after all; perhaps some of you may even survive. Good. Harry! Why use the Expelliarmus first?"

Harry blinked uneasily. "It might have worked, and it left you vulnerable to the others' spells."

"You're a fool! Hit hard, hit first and keep on hitting until your opponent stops moving. Draco, why duck and cover?"

"Present the smallest target to your opponent, fire off a spell, then move to a new cover so that targeting spells won't find you."

"And if there is no cover handy?"

"There are always expendables, or fallen, or something to use as cover."

"Bloody Slytherin," Ron muttered angrily, glaring at the blond.

"Yes, Mr Weasley, you have a point to make?" Moody pinpointed the redhead with his magical eye.

Ron glared, then burst out. "Some of us have friends, not minions, and we don't hide behind our friends like cowardly Slytherins."

There was a low growl as Crabbe and Goyle began to rise, only to be pinned back in their seats by Moody's spell. "You have a point, Mr Goyle, Mr Crabbe?" he asked.

Vincent Crabbe ruminated for a few seconds, then spoke out quietly. "Always protect the stronger wizard so he can do the job that needs to be done, even if your protection is just to intercept incoming hexes."

"Even if it kills you?" Moody pressed quietly, a slow smile breaking out as the large youth nodded slowly. "Interesting philosophy, protect the ranking wizard so he can accomplish the mission, even to the cost of your own life. And you, Mr Weasley, would you protect a ranking wizard to the death?"

Ron opened his mouth to say 'no', then closed it again as his brow knit thoughtfully. "I don't know about ranking wizards - I can't think of anyone who is higher-ranked - but I would protect my friends, to the death if necessary."

Moody nodded, a sly smile curving his lips. "So, the topic sentence is 'Friend or minion, is there really a difference when you go into battle for a philosophy you believe in?'. Write me a fifteen-inch scroll, giving both the pros and the cons of that sentence for next week."

It was a thoughtful group of students who left the DADA classroom.

~~*~~

The Room of Requirement was an obstacle course of pillars and platforms, mock house fronts and gardens. The group filtered in and gaped around curiously as more and more of the Aurors-in-training class assembled. They all froze when Draco Malfoy swept in, Crabbe hard on his heels but both Pansy and Goyle were missing. Both Slytherins glanced around arrogantly before Moody clapped his hands and assembled them in the cleared space that mimicked Hogsmeade village square.

"Well, this is cosy," Moody muttered, glancing around at the mixed batch of sixth and seventh years that made up the DA. He had not expected Malfoy or Crabbe, but the others seemed resigned to their presence. Harry had positioned himself between Ron and the two Slytherins, Hermione taking up position on the left side of the volatile redhead. "Today we are going to practise our silent spell casting. The first person who yells a spell aloud is going to get a broken leg, do we understand each other?"

"Er, Sir, how are we to be split up?" Ernie McMillan asked nervously.

"Humm, let me see. We'll keep the trio intact, I think and put Longbottom, Luna, Crabbe and Malfoy on the same team, they can defend against the rest of you."

"But, Sir, is that fair, there are twenty of them and only seven of us," Ron complained. "And we have the enemy, too!"

"Oh, forgive me, Mr Weasley, but where does it say I have to play fair? Where does it say that the opposition has to play by the Code of Wizard's Duelling? Life is just full of not fair, if you look about you," Moody mocked as he drew his wand. "You have ten minutes to plot a strategy, then you are on your own."

"Don't cry, Weasel, Granger will protect you from the big bad Death Eaters," Malfoy taunted as they moved to the far end of the hall.

"So you admit it, do you?" Ron snarled, his fists automatically rising as Malfoy sneered at him, his arms crossed over his chest, his wand gripped negligently in one hand.

"I admit that you are a fool, certainly," Draco said in mocking tones as Weasley's face turned brick red in sheer anger, his wand coming up to attack position almost automatically. "Oh, look at that, a new wand; I wonder where your father begged that one from?"

Even Crabbe looked startled as Ron lunged and grabbed Malfoy's robes, lifting him until only the tips of his toes touched the ground. Before Crabbe could move or Harry even try to separate them, Hermione came out of nowhere, fury making her hair swirl around her head, raw magic coalescing out of thin air.

"Right, I have had it with you two! Both of you are behaving like silly little girls in nursery school! If you cannot cooperate, then I am going have to take steps!"

"He started it," the both whined in unison and Hermione half screamed in frustrated fury. There was a flash of harsh-coloured light that blinded them all for an instant. Harry didn't think; he threw himself at Crabbe in an attempt to get him out of the line of fire, only to have the much bigger boy catch him and turn his back to the explosion, protecting Harry with his bulk. Neville pulled Luna aside and wrapped her in a hug that made her giggle and immediately return it, even as she cast Protego over them both.

Hermione's squeak of dismay brought them all back to the problem at hand, but the two fighting youths were no more. Instead there was a white blonde and a fiery red-haired little girl standing in a pool of robes, holding wands and looking around in bewildered surprise. Taking a deep breath, Harry struggled free of Crabbe's hold and plucked the wands out of the little kids' hands before turning wide eyes on Hermione who was staring at her handiwork in horror.

"That was impressive," Harry said in measured tones as Moody hurried over at a limping run.

"What's going on here?" the professor demanded, taking in the sight with a growing sense of astonishment and sheer amazement. "You do this, Hermione?"

"I - I, I think I did," she gasped as the two little girls blinked at her in amazement.

"This isn't funny, Hermione," the redhead said while the blonde tapped an impatient foot.

"Well now, gather around people and have a look at this. This is what happens when a witch, or wizard, is driven to the edge of temper and they lose control of their magic. Harry, I believe you have had this happen to you before, yes?" Moody questioned but didn't pause for a reply. "When you lose your temper, magic happens in an uncontrolled way. It's usually a lot more powerful than the daily magic you do and the effects are not really controlled most of the time. What I want you all to do is think about losing your temper and how you are feeling at the time. Try to recreate that feeling, bring up the wild magic but DON'T LOSE IT; harness it, harness the power and use it in a controlled and thoughtful manner. If you can ever master this skill, then you will be unbeatable, I do promise you." Moody looked around the circle of youth and nodded decisively. "In the meantime, plan your strategy and, Hermione, see if you can get them back to normal. If not, I assume it will wear off in a few hours." He chortled at the look of horror on the two little faces, so like and yet unlike the two young men the girls really were.

"And if it doesn't," Hermione asked aghast.

"Then I suggest you ask Headmistress McGonagall to transfigure them back later."

"Oh God! I am so sorry!" Hermione said in abject apology as the two little girls stared at her.

"Give me some fudge and I'll forgive you," Malfoy said with a calculating air.

"Hah! You are going to get fat, Malfoy! Malfoy is a big pig! Malfoy is a big pig!" Ron began to tease, then stopped in shock when Crabbe simply picked him up and leaned him on his hip. "Put me down! What do you think you are doing?" There was a struggle, but Grabbe's sheer bulk smothered Ron's attempts to escape with the minimum of effort. In seconds, Weasley gave it up as a bad joke, stuck out his lip and sulked with no real effect.

Hermione smiled and picked up Malfoy as Harry chuckled and pointed to a small house at the far side of the space. "Let's get 'the girls' in there and plan some sort of strategy that isn't going to get our arses blown off. After all, we are down two soldiers."

~~*~~

The exercise was hell, but at the end they had managed not to get killed and to protect the two non-combatants. Both Ron and Draco had spent most of their time as little girls playing with the coloured inks and paper Luna had conjured for them - playing amicably, much to the surprise of the rest of the 'team'. As the spell wore off and the two slowly returned to normal, neither rekindled the open warfare there had been between them, learning to tolerate each other reasonably well. It was a fragile peace, but it was a beginning. Hermione let out a silent but heartfelt sigh of relief. Maybe there was a chance of a future with Draco after all? If her friends didn't hate him, then perhaps they would understand when the whole thing came out.