The Temple of Le Fay

It was dreadful. Excruciating. One of the worst moments of Harry Potter's entire life, which was saying rather a lot. He was pinned helplessly where he sat, unable to move more than a few inches without one or the other of his captors turning and leering at him with huge, evil grins. Harry knew that they were enjoying every second of his discomfort, and that Ginny Weasley would be suffering too. But he knew that Ginny and him just had to stick it out. Besides, things weren't quite as bad as he'd feared.

Mr Weasley hadn't asked about his prospects yet.

Mrs Weasley hadn't made any remarks about weddings.

It was just that Ginny's brothers seemed to be taking up the role of surrogate parents with far too much gusto. They were peppering him with questions from every angle, even Ron Weasley, who knew nearly as much about Harry as Harry knew about himself. And the six of them were enjoying every last second. Even stable, straight-as-a-ruler Percy had joined in on the teasing for once.

"Harry, if you please," Bill choked out, tears streaming down his face. "Tell me, what exactly was it that attracted you to our baby sister?"

"Do tell us, Harry," Percy added. "After all, we only have our sister's best interests at heart."

"Of course," Fred Weasley interjected, delighted to be able to wind Harry up after having to suffer in near silence whilst at school. "We wouldn't want her to be going around with any unsuitable types, after all."

Harry groaned. Would the whole summer be like this? He looked across the table at Ginny and Ron. Ginny seemed to be trying to disappear under the table, while Ron was grinning a touch maliciously. Harry brightened somewhat when he realised that Hermione would be coming to the Burrow in a few weeks. At least then the burden would be shared out a little.

*

Eloise Midgen ran, her breath coming in short gasps. Her leg ached, slashed by a jagged shard of glass from her smashed window. She tried to ignore the blossoming pain that coursed through her body with every step she took. Chancing a glance behind her, she shivered, choking out a sob as she saw the Dark Mark hanging over her home.

"Mum. . . Dad. . . Nicky. . ." she sobbed. Then her breath caught in her throat as someone came out of her front door. The man looked round him, and then spotted her. Eloise turned to run, steeling herself for the impact of a curse between her shoulder blades.

She took half a step, before hitting something solid in her path. She staggered backwards, and then threw herself to the ground as a deep voice roared "Stupefy!"

There was a moment of silence, and then strong hands gripped Eloise around the arms, hauling her easily upright. She screamed, and kicked out, her foot hitting something solid and wooden, sending another jolt of pain along her already damaged leg.

"Easy now, girl," said the man holding her. "Calm down. I'm here to help. I'm an Auror. Took out that piece of scum, didn't I?"

Eloise stopped struggling long enough to look back over her shoulder. She saw the man lying on his back in the middle of the road. Turning back, she looked up at the man holding her.

"Professor Moody?" she asked, bewildered.

"Aye, lass. Moody's the name. Not that I was ever your Professor, but that's neither here nor there. No, what's important is that we got to you."

"But, Mum. . . Dad. . . My brother. . ." Eloise tailed off.

"I think we were in time," Moody said shortly. He looked up, over Eloise's shoulder, and nodded.

"Dedalus? What happened inside?" he asked.

"Yes, we got them all," another man replied. Moody released Eloise, and she turned to face the second speaker. He was a short, balding man with a face that looked like he laughed a lot. As he spoke, he took a collapsible top hat from inside his cloak, banged it against his arm to extend it, and placed it upon his head.

"All of them?" Moody asked. "One of them got out," he said pointing toward the man that he had stunned.

"Yes, he got the jump on Raymond, but the others are inside."

"And the family?" Moody growled. Dedalus smiled.

"All safe and well, although Mrs Midgen is somewhat hysterical," he replied.

"They're okay?" Eloise asked, sniffing.

"Yes, lass," Dedalus said, smiling even wider. "A bit shaken up, but then this sort of thing'll do that to a person. No permanent damage, though. I understand that your brother is starting Hogwarts this year? Well, he'll have a story to tell and no mistake."

"Now then. . ." Moody said. "Best to get you back inside, yes? Coagulus," he said, pointing his wand at Eloise's leg. She looked down, and watched the blood trickling down her shin slow, and scab over. "It'll hold until we get you a decent medi-wizard," Moody said. "Useful field spell, that one. You might remember it, Miss Midgen."

"Never a wrong time for learning something new, eh Moody?" Dedalus said cheerily. "Ah, they're bringing out the prisoners."

Several sullen faced men were being taken from Eloise's home as they approached. She looked up, watching the Dark Mark shimmer in the night air, and shuddered. Looking down, she saw one of the attackers eyeing her contemptuously.

"Filthy Mudblood," he snarled. Moody growled at him, but the young man glared defiance.

"No, you won't silence me old man. We may have been taken, but a dozen will rise to take our place. The Dark Lord has risen, greater and more terrible than ever before, and he will save us from your prisons." He glared at Eloise. "And I personally will make sure you pay, Mudblood."

He spat at Eloise, but a nearby wizard waved his wand, and the spit vanished in a puff of mist. Dedalus ushered Eloise past the prisoners, who were being unmasked by the other Aurors.

"Don't recognise even one of them," Moody snarled. "Didn't even have the Mark on their arms. Not even real Death Eaters."

"Times have changed since last we fought together, Alastor," Dedalus said. He sighed. "We have grown old. Voldemort for these youngsters isn't as terrifying a prospect as we may have wished to believe."

"Ye're only as old as the filth ye're putting behind bars, Dedalus," Moody said matter-of-factly. "And not a man jack of them was over thirty. They were school children last time around. I thought Dumbledore taught 'em better than that."

"Evil ever tempts, my friend," Dedalus said as they walked through the front door. "Now, Eloise, I think you can go and be with your family again."

Eloise limped into the kitchen, where other members of Moody and Dedalus' team were tending to her family. Her parents enfolded her in a warm embrace, and for a second, Eloise felt safe. Then she remembered the snarling face of the young man who had cursed at her, and tried to spit in her face. She looked around her home, which bore the evidence of the wild curses and jinxes used by the attackers, and her thoughts lingered on the wild face, and she shuddered.

Would she ever feel truly safe again? As she buried her face in her father's shoulder, she thought of her school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and thought of how that must surely be the safest place to be. In a little over a month, she would return there, and Nicky too.

She looked around the kitchen again, and screwed up her face to try and head off the onslaught of tears she could feel welling up. She couldn't wait to go back.