Harry Potter and the Dreamer of Fears

Chapter 17 - Silence of the Battle

The Dementors were everywhere, Marion noticed.  Spawns were also milling around, attacking anything that moved, their shapeless maws opened and saliva dripping down bit into the ground, slightly acidic.  They gave out little cries of yearning, hungry for some flesh or whatever they could feast their maws on.  Marion took one glance back at the retreating forms of the students, praying that they at least would be able to get to safety.  She didn't know where her brother was but could feel him somewhere close, battling, or helping defend the students if spawns came too close.

A sudden wail that buzzed through her ears, making her teeth rattle, fill the air and she whipped around, just in time to see shapeless creatures, dressed like Dementors, but floating in the air, hovering over The Three Broomsticks.  They had no eyes, only gaping sockets where eyes used to be.  Their mouths hung long and black mists kept foaming out of their elongated mouth.  Faydes.  That's what they were.  Marion never expected Voldemort to summon these hideous creatures.  The last time she had fought one was way back when she was just fresh out of Auror training school, and even then, they were very hard to kill.  If Voldemort did send Faydes and Spawns, no...there was no question that Voldemort was behind all this...then he was, in reality, launching an assault on Hogwarts.

"Moody!  Faydes!" she yelled to the elder Auror, who was busy firing off a few sparks to dislodge some Spawns that were attaching themselves onto windows of the nearby shop.

"We know, Sadow," Figg's croaky voice spoke up next to her and she nodded.  It was going to be a joint effort on their part to defeat the Faydes.  "Let's do it."

"Covering you," Marion replied, drawing out her wand, alder--ten inches-stiff, good for advance spells-hair of a centaur dipped in unicorn's blood-very hard to handle when using advanced and dark spells.

Together they approached The Three Broomsticks cautiously.  Marion hastily scanned the interior of the pub and saw that at least, none of the Spawns had gotten inside, neither the Dementors, but most of the patrons of the bar had either fainted or were about near fainting from so many Dementors crowding around the outside, trying to get in to give them the Kiss.

"Expecto Patronum!" she yelled, as her centaur once again, appeared, charging towards the Dementors, scattering them.  Joined by Figg's Patronus, a lynx, both batted away some Dementors.

"Fiere!" Figg cried out, and her Fiere, a lion, roared, scattering the rest of the Dementors.

"Icelii," Marion summoned another different kind of Patronus, this one the exact opposite of the Fiere, as it was pure ice, and a lady with the face similar to the goddess Artemis walked towards the Dementors, then suddenly shattered and became deadly stakes of ice.  Marion pulled up her wand and used her right hand to direct the ice stakes.  They stabbed into numerous Dementors, killing them.  A sudden tingling warned her of the impending danger and she turned and flicked her wrist, sending ice shards to three Dementors, who had escaped Figg's Fiere and Patronus, and they instantly screamed then fell to the ground, misting as their bodies rotted away.

"Sadow!" Figg's cry was strangled and Marion turned to see the older Auror desperately trying to kick away a Fayde that had taken its attention on them.

"Get away from her!" she yelled, then flicked her wand once more, "Buscao!"  A blue-green light shot from her wand then hit the Fayde who fell back slightly then turned its sightless gaze on her.

"This little one is feisty, eh?  Wishing to die so early, Young One?" the Fayde hissed at her and she stared at it stonily.  "Do you not answer to a challenge, Young One?" it taunted.

"I only answer to this," she whispered then held her wand up, keeping her gaze on the Fayde at all times.  She knew of wizards and witches who had took one fraction of a second of their gaze off of the Fayde and paid the highest price for it.  Death.  "Fulmus!" lightening crackled around her wand and she directed a bolt towards the Fayde, which jumped aside then disappeared from her sight.

Marion closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, knowing that Figg would cover her as she dealt with the Fayde.  Found you, she silently whispered to herself then suddenly snapped open her eyes and turned.  Her fist met the Fayde's gut, and it staggered back, winded.  "Avada Kedavra!" she quickly summoned the Killing Curse and the green bolt of light hit the Fayde square in the stomach, instantly killing it.  She suddenly sucked in a quick breath as she felt a part of her, maybe her soul or something, but something from her that disappeared...and after effect of the Killing Curse.  She shook her head to clear the slight dizzy wavy that rolled over.  She hadn't performed the Killing Curse in such a long time, almost a few years, and she needed to get used to the effects quickly.

"Coronum!" she regained her balance and turned, blasting some Spawns away, eliminating the rest of the Spawns that had crept up to The Three Broomsticks.

Checking her surroundings, she saw that the rest of the Aurors were handling the other Spawns, Faydes, and Dementors with slight ease, then glanced at Figg who was opening the door to The Three Broomsticks and sticking her head in to check on the hostages.

"Figg," she called to the elder Auror, "hold fort here.  Moody told me to check the Shack.  I'll be back in a few."

"Roger that Sadow," Figg replied.

Marion turned to the Shrieking Shack and walked briskly towards it.  She didn't feel the need to run, but something urgent was ushering her to the Shack.  Arriving there, the distance sound of various battles far away, she looked up at the imposing, but rickety building.  She cast a scanning spell and found that there were no fresh Spawn or Fayde trails and approached the door.

Opening it with a wave of her wand she slipped inside and shut it behind her.  "Resillio," she cast a dampening spell that would only allow Aurors to pass through into the Shack, allowing no other creature or student to enter as the spell while she kept it up.  "Lumos," she summoned some light and the tip of her wand glowed slightly, giving her a circle of light.  Placing her left hand on top of the wand, she muttered an incantation and took the ball of light off of her wand.  Tossing it up, the ball of light became a mote, and followed her as she proceeded up the rickety staircase.

She silenced her footsteps and scanned the area with her sharp eyes, watching and listening for any signs of Spawns or Faydes.  Outside, the sounds of muffled battles and of spells cast were none of her concern.  She knew that Moody, more advanced in spells and ways of fighting Dark Creatures would be able to handle whatever bunch was out there.  What she couldn't fathom was that right after Halloween, maybe even just a few days into the November month, the Dark Lord had begun to attack them.  They sure were caught completely off guard, but Marion had expected the spells and barriers Dumbledore and the other guardians of the school had long ago erected would be able to ward off even the slightest of attacks.

Unless of course, there was a mole within the school, designed to break the barriers slowly, allow different Dark Creatures or Dark means to get in and harasses the students and teachers.  To a point in which no one would be able to trust each other.  That was one reason she supposed as she poked her head into one room and her mote lighted the area, showing no signs of Spawns or Faydes.

Another could be the fact that the security around the school was just a myth...something to deter the Dark Lord from attacking, to make him hesitate.  But that wasn't really feasible as with the Apparating passwords that Dumbledore had given to them.  Which could mean that someone was feeding passwords and important information, which led to her original thought: a spy.

Marion had a feeling that there was a spy at Hogwarts, someone with outside access to resources that the Aurors and other wizarding folks would not touch.  Which meant big trouble in the long run.  It seemed that the spy was designed to chip away at Hogwarts' defenses slowly, making everyone doubt each other, making no one trust.  Trust is the most important thing we ought to have right now...if we can't trust each other, then the Order of the Phoenix and wizarding community would fall eventually to Lord Voldemort's maniacal schemes, she thought darkly as she frowned, standing in the middle of the hall.  There was only one more room left for her to check and so far she hadn't spotted any signs of Spawns or Faydes.

She climbed down the last set of stairs and opened the creaking door slowly.  Letting her light mote float in first she saw that the room was very dusty and had cobwebs everywhere.  There were white sheets draped across the furniture, but even the sheets were a dull gray, covered by layers of dust.  Looking around, she stepped in and shut the door behind her.  Her eyes traveled through worn walls, the wallpaper hanging off, paint peeling in various places.  Suddenly her mote floated down and she saw a trap door off to one side and walked over to it.  Placing a hand on the musty handle of the door she closed her eyes and felt for any signs of Dark Creatures.

Her eyes suddenly flew open as she froze, hearing a skritt skritt of claws, scraping in the door.  It was a trap.  She slowly stood up and backed away from the trapdoor slowly...until she heard another skritt skritt of claws within the room.  It wasn't a trap, it was an ambush.

The Spawns had lured her in and she was going to have to fight her way out.

Marius Sadow quickly spun around, his eyes scanning the area.  Even though he had only half completed his Auror training, he felt that it was at least good enough for him to survive whatever Lord Voldemort threw at him.  He hated the Spawns and really feared them.  They were disgusting and vile creatures that didn't have a conscience.  All they only did was eat...and he never liked their shapeless maws.  He felt that all things in the world had to have some form, but what scared him was the fact that Spawns were just...just...a chilling sight to see.

He didn't know how his sister could pull off staring and facing down those creatures; he knew that he sure couldn't.  I guess that's with the Auror training she got...damn they're invincible.  Well, except when the Dark Lord cornered them and sent his Death Eaters after them...  He worried for the day that Voldemort would corner his sister and then kill her...he didn't know what he would do without her.  Only just a few years ago, during the quiet times of the early 1990s, he was relaxed and not worried for his sister's life, but now...with the Dark Lord's rise to power growing day by day, he wasn't too sure.

"Come on kids, let's move," he urged a couple of Ravenclaw third years to move along with the group heading back towards the school.  So far, there were no signs of Spawns in the area but Marius knew that the peace couldn't last too long.

Just then, a low wailing sound reverberated through the area, bringing his head around to see a black-cloaked creature, floating a few inches above the ground.  Its elongated skeletal face was staring straight at them, and its eye sockets were bloodied from recent killings.

"What in bloody hell is that?" he muttered slightly as he stared at it, and then suddenly noticed that the students had also stopped, staring at the floating creature.  He spun around at them, angry, "What are you still gawking at?!  Get moving!  Run!"

They didn't seem to hear him so he pointed his wand over their heads and fired a few red sparks to startle them.  Then gave him one slightly scared look before taking off, a surge of black cloaks.  He turned back around and rolled up his sleeves.  It had started to rain and grow darker, but Marius didn't really care as he faced the Dark Creature.  What creature was this that Voldemort had sent out?  He had never even seen it or heard of it.

"I am...hungry," the creature hissed, moving towards him, its bony-claw-like hands reaching out for him.

"Stay away!" he shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" The silvery outline of a fox scrambled from his wand and leapt towards the creature, its lithe form twisting and shimmering.  But the creature suddenly flicked its clawed hand and Marius winced slightly as he heard the slight yelp of his Patronus tearing in half, the spell dissolved.

"Damn this to bloody hell," he muttered underneath his breath as once again the creature came towards him.

"Coronum!" another voice shouted to his right and he blinked in surprise as he saw the middle aged Jamison Sterling racing towards the creature, wand drawn out.  White balls of light emerged from the tip of his wand as they arced towards the creature.  "Ye better watch out for the Faydes, eh, Marius?" Sterling grinned then frowned as the Fayde appeared from the explosion the balls of light created, seemingly unharmed.

"I spit on those creatures, hmph," the flaming orange-haired wizard turned to him, "A Fayde.  Ye don't see them too often.  If the Dark Lord is employing their service, he must have one helluva bloody army behind him."  "Hit it with powerful spells.  This creature can deflect Patronuses and Fieres.  Don't know about the Ice-Guardian spell, though only a few select Aurors can cast that."

"Roger that," Marius replied setting himself up as he watched the Fayde warily.

"Oh yah...don't close ye eyes unless ye really have to.  Those Faydes love to kill ye the second ye close your eyes," Sterling warned and Marius suppressed a sense of anger.  Just who the hell did Sterling think him for?  A junior Auror-in-training?  Of course, he knew the first rules of fighting Dark Creatures.  Never close your eyes.

"Castilini!" he shouted, summoning up fireballs to the palm of his hand.  His short travel around Europe made him see some different spells the wizards and witches of other countries used.  Extending his right hand forward, he flicked a few fingers and fireballs ranging from pebble-size to a good stone size shot out and towards the Fayde.

"Artensio!" Sterling cast something to which Marius hadn't seen before.  From the orange-haired man's wand, blue fire also shot out, expect it was in a very concentrated jet.  Personally, Marius thought the spell looked like a flamethrower, as he had seen a few Muggles use it when repairing metal things.

The Fayde staggered underneath the waves of fire-type spells then suddenly straightened and its eyes flashed.  "Do not tempt me," the creature hissed then suddenly raised a bony finger, "Tempest."

It was as if suddenly harsh winds blew into his face and he raised his cloak to shield himself from the winds.  He grunted slightly against the force of the wind and closed his eyes to keep the particles of sand and dirt from blowing into his eyes.

"Marius!" was the only warning that he heard from Sterling before he felt a bony claw grab onto his neck and lift him up, choking him.

Just as abruptly, the winds stopped and he struggled against the grip the Fayde had latched onto him when he had closed his eyes for a second.  He felt the blood rush from his head as the Fayde squeezed tighter, its bloodied sightless eye sockets staring up at him.  He could dimly see Sterling racing to his aid, but unable to cast anything that could potentially harm him.

"Stay away Auror, if you want this one to live," the Fayde hissed.

"G-Go..." Marius could see dark spots in the light of his vision and could even hear the bones in his neck beginning to crack, "do...it."

It all happened so fast that Marius didn't even see it.  There was a blinding flash and the pressure holding him up was suddenly released so fast that he didn't have time to catch himself on his feet and crumpled to the ground.  He coughed; massaging his neck then looked up and smiled grimly.  The Fayde was face down, dead in its own pool of yellow blood.  Looking beyond the Fayde he saw Sterling, face up.

Marius staggered to the Auror and saw that without a doubt he was dead.  "I'm sorry," he whispered to the Auror's lifeless form before kneeling down and closing Sterling's still opened eyes.  He felt numb inside.  It didn't have to happen this way; Sterling didn't have to die fighting a Fayde.

Getting up, he looked around and headed back up the path towards where the students were still running towards Hogwarts.  He hoped that he didn't have to encounter any more Faydes as they scared him.

Marion stifled a cry of pain as another claw raked her back, leaving a criss-cross mark of two Spawns that had managed to get through her defensive spells.  She suddenly held up her left palm as two spells impacted a bluish shield that she had around her.  Though it was strong enough to deflect most spells, it wasn't able to deflect any physical attacks.  All Aurors who had advanced to the intermediate stage were taught how to erect magic shields and then to increase the power of deflection through concentration and skills of casting and deflecting at the same time.  It was complex training for her as she only managed to keep her shield confined to herself and not be able to protect others like Figg or Moody were able to.

"That's it now I'm pissed," she muttered to herself as she held her wand up high, "Lethargius!" she whispered, putting her shield down for a fraction of a second just as the spell ricochet off the walls, targeting anything that moved.  She kept her shield around her as the spell hit the Spawns and as once as they were fast, they suddenly slowed down, unable to move.  "Priori Incantem," she waved her wand and the spell suddenly disappeared.  That only left a Spawn that was still moving in its normal pace.

"Imperio," her spell hit the Spawn dead on and it froze, staring at her with docile red eyes, if they could be called docile she snorted silently to herself.

"Destroy your companions," she ordered the Spawn who willingly complied and turned around towards its slow moving companions.

"Finite," it said and a yellow light washed over the rest of the Spawns.  Silence filled the air then the sudden thunder of the Spawns falling to the ground, all dead.

The lone Spawn turned back towards her its eyes waiting for another command.  Marion lifted her wand and pointed straight at the Spawn's shapeless maw, "Avada Kedavra," she said in an indifferent voice and a jet of green light burst from her wand and it the Spawn right in the middle of its maw.

The Spawn collapsed to the ground, dead, and Marion didn't felt bothered by the after effects of casting the Killing Curse.  She turned her attention towards the open trapdoor and jumped into it.  Pointing her wand upwards she muttered a spell that sealed the trapdoor, not allowing any Spawns or Faydes to come in after her and moved down the dusty low tunnel.

She had a feeling that a few Spawns went through this secret passage, but to where did the passage lead?  She waved a hand in the dusty air and squinted upwards as she saw what looked to be roots and the semi-cloudy night.  A skritt skritt above, where the roots were, alerted her and she tensed, expecting an attack.  What she didn't expect was the sudden whomp and the harsh piercing cry of a Spawn being sent far away.  Another whomp then another piercing cry...

The Whomping Willow! She now knew where she was.  So this is the passage that leads to the Shrieking Shack...but why here of all places? She wondered as she tentatively tucked her wand back into the deep sleeve pocket of her robes and climbed up.  She looked up to see the tree's branches swishing back and forth and chewed her lower lip.  She had heard that a kid by the name of Davey Gudgeon a small mousy little student a year behind her at Hogwarts had nearly lost an eye trying to run to the Willow and back without getting whacked upon.

It wouldn't be wise for her to get hit by the tree's branches, not if she was to pursue the Spawns, but she knew that either way, some of them were probably going to make a run for the frontal doors of Hogwarts, which was totally unprotected at the moment except by various defensive spells she knew the Spawns would probably have little time of getting through.

She hoisted herself up then suddenly ducked as a branch came flying her way.  Weaving in and out of the roots and branches that tried to knock her down, Marion finally breathed a sigh of relief as she made it away from the Willow.  No way in bloody hell I'm repeating that stunt again, she made herself promise as she broke off into a run towards the front of the school where she could dimly see the lithe forms of Spawns making a move towards the doors.

As she approached the doors, she cast a quick cloaking spell on her shield while keeping her magic shield close to her body and slipped past the Spawns.  They were advancing upon the door slowly and she wanted to surprise them.

Suddenly one of the stopped and sniffed the air then chattered to the rest.  Marion knew that her cover was blow and disarmed the cloaking spell.  "Get through me and you get to take on the school," she said then pointed her wand at the nearest Spawn.

"Coronum!"

Harry ushered a few of the straggling first years that wanted to escape the group and run back to Hogsmeade to look at the battles that the Aurors and teachers of the school were fighting against Voldemort's Dark Creatures, up the second staircase in many to the seventh floor of Hogwarts.  He glanced worriedly behind him to see Hermione and Ron steering another two Gryffindor second years, one whom was Dennis Creevey, up the stairs behind him.  Dennis was piping to Hermione about how much he would kick those Dark Creatures' butt and would love to give them a good, "knocking in their arses."

Behind them was Sirius, grim faced and wand out.  Professor Lupin had been escorting them, but fallen behind to stop a few Spawns from ambushing the group and Harry didn't know if he had gotten rid of them or not.  He was about to round to the third set of stairs when a huge BANG! pounded against the doors of Hogwarts and he glanced at both Hermione and Ron who stared back at him.

"Stay here guys," he ordered the first year while looking directly at Dennis who looked slightly jittery, "I mean it."  Turning to his friends he gestured quickly, "Come on, let's follow Sirius, he might need our help."

The three of them dashed the second flight of steps and suddenly halted as they nearly collided with Sirius and Professor Sinistra, who was escorting some of the older Ravenclaws in light of Professor Flitwick taking care of the younger Ravenclaws.

"Looks like a build up of magical power," Professor Sinistra commented lightly, peering down through her owl-like spectacles at the door to which Harry's eyes widened in surprise.  The door was bulging outward towards them and looked to burst at any moment.

"Then there's someone stopping it I presume," Sirius and Sinistra cautiously went downstairs, not even noticing the three of them until Sirius turned slightly, "you three better get back upstairs, especially you Harry.  I don't want you guys to fight this one.  Protect the younger ones and get Dennis Creevey away from here.  He's been itching to fight these Spawns and Faydes."

"But Sirius-" Harry started to protest when the door suddenly shattered with wood flying everywhere.  He ducked as a few shards flew towards them then glanced up to see a black figure rolling to the base of the first staircase then kneeling and something bluish-green went up around the figure and the Spawns that came pouring in after the figure.

"Marion!" Sirius dashed down the stairs, followed closely by Sinistra who had drawn out her wand and was pointing it at the blue-green dome.  Harry saw that the Spawns were trying to get out of the dome, but were unsuccessful and tried to shoot spells instead to break the barrier.  The spells had no effect except to ricochet around the shield.  He didn't realize that he had moved down near where Sirius and Sinistra were standing around the edge of the dome, pounding on it.

"Let us in Sadow!" Sinistra said.

"It's a shield," Harry heard Marion reply, her voice slightly warped from the dome's effects, "if I let it go, then these Spawns will escape.  Can't let the run amok in Hogwarts."  She suddenly shot a few spells at the Spawns, turning their attention towards her.

"You won't be able to fight all of them!  You'll die from the sheer number of them," Sirius' implored to her, "let the shield go.  We'll hit them as they come."

"You seem to forget that not all the students are in their Common Rooms," Marion replied coolly as she blasted a Spawn apart within the shield-dome she had placed around her and the Spawns.  "If I die, then at least I take a few out with me and leave you the rest."

Harry froze at her singular statement.  This was the side that he had never seen in his professor.  This was the Auror, rational and willing to give up all just to defend the school.  Were all Aurors like this when pressed into battle, or was it just Marion?

"Sadow!" a new croaky voice spoke up and Harry turned slightly to see Mad-Eye Moody clunking up along with a few other bloodied and bedraggled Aurors, Marius and Professor Lupin among them.  "Let go the shield, we'll handle it."

"Roger that Moody," Marion replied then just as suddenly the blue-green shield disappeared and the Spawns that were remaining suddenly leapt out in all directions.

Harry heard Ron and Hermione give small cries of surprise behind him and he turned to see a Spawn that had landed behind them, its jaws dripping with acid.  He was about to cast the same spell he used back during the beginning of the attacks when a new voice spoke up.

"Aelanius!" Cho stood on the landings in between the second and first staircase, her wand drawn out and her face a grim mask.  The Spawn that had been staring at them blew into fine dust, showering them with its particle form.

"Thanks," Harry started before Cho pointed her wand again, at him, and muttered the same spell again.  Some invisible breezed past his cheek and the yelp of a Spawn then sudden pop told him that a Spawn had been creeping up behind him, now fine dust.

"Watch your back Harry," she replied and he nodded gratefully.

"That the last of `em?" a young roguish voice spoke up near the group of Aurors that were standing at the entrance hall and he turned to see a dark brown haired man, who looked to be in his late twenties, early thirties, with piercing blue eyes and a grin from ear to ear, holding a wand as its tip still smoked slightly.  Near his foot was the remains of a fried, burnt Spawn, still smoking.

A suddenly piercing cry came from above and Harry looked up to see a Spawn, spiraling down towards Marion who was in the midst of picking herself off from the floor.  He shouted a warning just as she snapped her head up and he recoiled slightly at the cold fury burning in her dark blue eyes, his shout dying on his lips, as she held her wand up.  "Avada Kedavra," she said and a green jet of light burst from the tip of her wand and hit the Spawn square in the stomach.  The Spawn immediately dropped; scream cut off in mid-air, and landed on the ground of the entrance hall with a sickening thump.

"Yes...I think so," Figg came through the splintered door of Hogwarts and following behind her was another group of Aurors.  "We've got losses to report," she said in a grim voice.

"That's not all.  I think there's a spy at Hogwarts," Marion spoke up, picking herself off from the ground and batting Sirius' hand away from her as he tried to help her up, "I'm not that fragile, Black."

"But you are injured," Dumbledore suddenly spoke up, appearing from behind Figg's group, McGonagall behind him.  "I want all those who are injured to report to Madam Pomfrey, no questions please," he held up a hand to stall protests coming from the various Aurors, Marion included, "the Ministry has sent its other Aurors to check on Hogsmeade and various surroundings and I had Hagrid go into the Forbidden Forest to warn the other creatures to help us keep guard.  Voldemort would not try anything like this again."  If Dumbledore gave any sign that he had heard Marion's protest of a spy at Hogwarts, he didn't respond or reply to it.  Instead, he said, "I will come and talk to each of you individually when you have recovered or tended to your wounds.  Those teachers that have not been injured to severely please wait in the Great Hall."

Apparently, that was the signal for the Aurors to either Apparate to a different area or to move in the general direction of the Hospital Wing, moving up past Harry and the four of them, whispering and talking to each other.  He made a move to head back to his dorm when Dumbledore stopped them.

"Miss Chang, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, please come down here," Dumbledore's voice betrayed no emotion so Harry and the rest of them walked slowly down the stairs.

"Professor," Cho spoke up timidly, "was that Professor Marion using..."

"Yes, she used the Killing Curse," Dumbledore didn't really looked pleased at the fact, but seemed to accept it, "I ask of all of you not to tell the other students of this incident.  Professor Sadow is an Auror, one of them guarding the school.  In fact, she is one of Crouch's infamous Aurors, allowed to use the Unforgivable Curses.  Though I don't think she would appreciate the fact that word of her being one of Crouch's Aurors would be public knowledge, I do respect her judgment in being an Auror.

"But on a lighter note, your training is coming along quite well, Miss Chang.  Perhaps we can expect another Auror to join our ranks in a few years?" Dumbledore cracked a small smile and Harry stared at Cho who blushed slightly.

"You're training to be an Auror?  Now?" Ron breathed in awe.

"Um...yes.  Professor Sadow is tutoring me in the rudimentary skills at the moment," Cho replied, looking slightly uncomfortable and pleased at the same time with the attention she was receiving.

"Yes and I dare say that her advancement on spells and charms has been improving," Dumbledore added then gestured up the stairs, "now off to your Common Rooms, all of you."

Harry was reluctant to leave, but did so as Dumbledore headed to the Great Hall.  He glanced around and shivered slightly at the sight of the dead bodies of Spawns.  Watching Marion use the Killing Curse was enough to unsettle something in his stomach and he realized that as of now, things were getting dangerous.  He just hoped that in light of the attack, things would at least calm down so everyone could catch their breath.  But something in the back of his mind told him that this was just only the beginning.

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