Chapter Seventy-Two: Preparations
Breathing raggedly, Lottie looked down at her Mark. Jets of flaming pain shot up her arm and wound across her shoulders. The Death Eaters were being summoned”why? She swung her feet off the hospital wing bed and stood up.
Something was wrong”she knew it; the Dark Lord would not have summoned them all otherwise. Lottie looked quickly over her shoulder and rolled down the sleeve of her pajamas to cover her Mark, though its presence still burned clearly into her skin.
She rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm up, picked up her wand on the bedside table, and headed off. She left the hospital wing like a ghost. As she passed through the corridor to the staircase, she stole a glance out the window, where a heavy snow fell in earnest. The black December sky was speckled with only a few stars; most of them were swallowed by clouds.
Descending the stairs to Palmyitor’s office felt oddly final. Perhaps it had something to do with the burning Mark. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it meant something monumental. She reached the familiar door to find it already ajar.
Clynalmoy stood in the frame with his back to her. He and Palmyitor weren’t saying anything, but gazing at one another in a dumb silence. Lottie looked, not at them, but at the living space between them. It danced with tension and was lit up by emotions.
“Rowe.” Palmyitor noticed her first and broke the connection by turning her eyes sharply to Lottie. Her appearance was startling. Her graying hair had been hastily pulled into a bun so that several wisps stood up on end. Purple bags framed her eyes which divulged an unusual amount of feeling. If Lottie didn’t know better, she would say that the old professor was about to cry.
Clynalmoy turned around as well. He looked equally as frazzled in his own quiet way. His light, troubled eyes had lost any hint of joy. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all; a tie hung loosely from his neck in an attempt to look presentable, but his wrinkled shirt and robes suggested that these were the same clothes from the day prior.
“What are you doing here?” Palmyitor snapped.
“I”er”” Lottie glanced at Clynalmoy and rushed past him into the office. She reached the top of Palmyitor’s desk and leaned in so he couldn’t hear. “The Mark,” she whispered.
Palmyitor gazed at her blankly. “Yes?”
Lottie fumbled with the left sleeve of her pajamas and pulled it up to reveal the black skull. “It’s burning.”
“Rowe, I have one too.” Palmyitor got to her feet. “Don’t you think I didn’t notice?” She made to sweep around the desk to Clynalmoy, but Lottie stepped between them.
“But it’s darker than it’s ever been.”
“I noticed.”
“But”” Lottie exhaled sharply in frustration. “It’s never called me”how many times have you been called by mistake? The Dark Lord means business if he’s gathering everybody.”
“We are aware of the situation, thank you very much.” Palmyitor dodged around Lottie and went to stand by Clynalmoy. “We are doing our jobs here. We run the war, not you, Rowe, so why don’t you just go back to the common room?”
Lottie frowned. Something was wrong, very wrong. The way Palmyitor spoke”she and Clynalmoy were running the war. Someone was missing. “Where is Professor Maelioric?” she asked slowly, afraid to hear the answer.
Palmyitor turned around to face her. “It’s none of your business, Rowe””
“You said that you’re”” she pointed at Palmyitor and Clynalmoy “”doing your jobs. Is Maelioric not doing his?”
“Rowe, we are having a meeting””
“It’s about him, isn’t it?” Lottie flourished her left arm to put the Dark Mark in the light. Clynalmoy winced visibly. “That’s why they’ve all been summoned. Something happened.”
“Rowe, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Naesa.” Clynalmoy spoke quietly, like he always did, but his in voice was something Lottie had never heard before. “Naesa, we should show her. She’s proven to be useful before”and if anything, we can just move on once she knows.”
Palmyitor looked at him as though he had suggested murder (though, admittedly, she might have been more enthusiastic about that). “Ryan,” she said sharply, “we are going to have a meeting with the students tomorrow. Nobody gets special treatment.”
Lottie would have laughed if the situation were not so serious. Clyanlmoy picked up on this irony too and just cocked his head at her. There was a prolonged pause in which Palmyitor and Clynalmoy had a noticeable stare down. It was no contest. Palmyitor was the queen of intimidation”but for some reason, she turned away.
“Fine,” she said. “Whatever you say, Ryan.” She reached into her pocket, glaring at Lottie the whole time. Out of it she pulled a thin piece of wood. It was a wand, but not Palmyitor’s. “Here.” She handed it to Lottie.
Lottie examined it, frowning. It was somehow familiar, though she couldn’t say whose it was. The wand was long and made of dark, sturdy wood. Smudges and chips gave away its apparent age.
“It is Fornax’s.”
Lottie looked up from the wand to look at Palmyitor. Something was very wrong. “Why do you”where is he?”
Palmyitor looked toward Clynalmoy, who sighed heavily. “We”we’re not sure.”
“What?”
“We’re not sure, Rowe. What don’t you understand?” Palmyitor spat. “He’s not in his room”he won’t respond to a Patronus. The wand came by owl””
“What?”
“It was how mail was delivered before”they’re not used anymore.” Palmyitor sat back down behind her desk and rested her forehead in her hand. “They’re not even tamed anymore, as far as I know. We certainly don’t do it.”
“That means…” Lottie’s mouth sagged open as she thought. If the wand did not come from someone with Alsemore, it had to come from the Death Eaters. “The Dark Lord.”
Palmyitor looked up from her desk slowly. “Very good, Rowe. That’s the conclusion we came to as well.”
“Okay,” Lottie said. “Why were you going to wait until tomorrow to have a meeting? We should organize a meeting now to get people in on the mission.”
Palmyitor’s face did not move. “What mission, Rowe?”
Lottie stared at her. She wheeled around to Clynalmoy who stood with a hand shielding his eyes. Lottie sighed and turned back to Palmyitor. “What”what”the mission to rescue him.”
Palmyitor and Clynalmoy glanced at each other. Palmyitor’s gaze was cold as always, but Clynalmoy’s was unusually steely. They stood in silence for a long time. Lottie furrowed her brow at this and looked between them. “What”you mean”you aren’t going to do anything?”
Palmyitor just pursed her lips. Lottie turned to Clyanlmoy who was staring at the floor. “Are you serious?”
“You wouldn’t understand, Rowe.”
“I wouldn’t understand? Understand what? The fact that you’re letting your best friend die?”
“This is war, Rowe.”
“And Maelioric is the best fighter we have.” Lottie laughed even though she didn’t find anything humorous. “We can’t afford to not have him.”
“And we can’t afford to send soldiers on a death mission to try to get him back.” Palmyitor rubbed a weary hand over her forehead. “You are wrong, Rowe. You do not understand. We know”we all discussed it”if one of us were to be kidnapped or killed, the others will not”cannot afford to”go on a rescue mission. It would cost too much.”
“But he’s your friend.”
“Rowe,” Clynalmoy said without looking up. “There are things that are more important. For all we know, Fornax might”might already be dead. What we must focus on is the castle.”
“The castle?”
Clynalmoy looked up. His eyes swam with sorrow, but he set his face bravely. “Fornax is”was”the Secret Keeper. If he dies, every person who ever knew the Secret becomes a Secret Keeper in turn.”
“Everyone?”
“Every single person. If there truly is a traitor who had access to the castle, he can tell the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters.”
Lottie stood for a moment in the impact of that statement.
“Understand now?” Palmyitor snapped. “We’re in serious jeopardy”and we can’t sacrifice everything just for Fornax.”
“The Dark Lord can get in?”
“Yes, Rowe.” Palmyitor got to her feet and pulled out her wand as though she were expecting a Death Eater to barge in that very moment. “Our most important task right now is to fortify the castle”use any other spells we can to hold them at bay.”
Lottie’s stomach churned. “Do you think we can keep them out permanently?”
Palmyitor’s eyes darkened. “No.”
Clynalmoy crossed his arms and glanced at Lottie. “You can help, though, Rowe. We need to do this as soon as possible”tonight. We were going to send out a team to start this job now.”
“I want to be on it.”
“Good, because you are.” Palmyitor started towards the door. “We are going to get the others and explain it to them. Wait here.”
Palmyitor and Clynalmoy left and let the door shut behind them. Lottie stood for a moment under the pressure of everything she had just learned before melting to the floor against the front of the old desk.
The Dark Lord was going to get into the castle. It was inevitable”unavoidable. They probably would all die. Lottie put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. She was going to die, soon. They were not ready to take on the Dark Lord. She thought of the first years, of the professors, of Andrea”did they know that this was their last day alive?
But there was the possibility”one shining possibility. Lottie twisted the hem of her pajama pants without thinking about it. All of the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes were destroyed”and as far as they knew, he had no idea. By coming to the castle, he was putting himself in a very vulnerable position. Was it possible that he could finally be killed?
The office door opened. Palmyitor came in, followed by a trail of students”Lottie recognized every single one. Devin Hackett, Edgar Payne, Julianne and Andrea stood in the doorway. Lottie looked carefully at them. She had seen them in passing for the time she had been back, but had not really spoken with anybody. They all stood in their pajamas.
“Right,” Palmyitor said, glancing at all of them coldly. “We need to act fast. The castle has been put in extreme jeopardy and we need to put up as many protective spells as we can. The Fidelius Charm has been broken, so it is likely that the Dark Lord’s followers are mobilizing right now.”
Nobody spoke. They all seemed too horror-stricken to even think. Lottie looked dully at them”the fear that had filled her was an unavoidable aching thud”not the waves of boiling terror that they were surely experiencing with this new information. Andrea shifted her weight.
“We are going to split up,” Palmyitor said after a pause. “Ryan’s students are already taking the southern border, so take everything on the front half of the grounds, got that? Anything you can think of”magical or otherwise.”
Everybody nodded. Lottie thought she saw tears in Julianne’s eyes. They stood there statically. Palmyitor watched them for a moment before turning to her desk and beginning to scribble fruitlessly on a long sheet of parchment. That was their cue to leave, but nobody moved for a good moment.
Lottie finally led the group. She pushed herself to her feet and left the office, knowing full well that that might have been her last time ever seeing it. She walked through the threshold and numbly up a flight of stairs to the entrance hall. She didn’t look behind her, but she knew that everybody followed.
Once in the entrance hall, she took a sharp right to the front door. She pushed it open with her shoulder and walked into the night.
The frigid December wind cut through the thin fabric of her pajamas. She didn’t shiver, but walked on, down the front steps. Her boots crunched in the thick snow, and her pants dragged along through the ice.
She turned to the others to decide the plan, but saw that Devin, Edgar and Julianne had already turned to the left and split off as a group. Lottie glanced at Andrea who was left and saw her shiver as a sharp wind blew snow onto their sides.
“Let’s go, then,” Lottie finally said, jerking her head to the right. Andrea didn’t answer, but lit her wand and pushed past Lottie. Lottie lit her own wand and glanced up at the winter sky as they walked. The Death Eaters could arrive at any minute”she wondered whether she would ever see the sun rise.
A sharp creaking sound brought her attention to Andrea in front of her. A tree a few feet away swayed ominously while Andrea jabbed her wand in the direction of its trunk. This went on for a minute until, with a sharp sound, the tree fell to its side. Snow exploded from the collision and sprayed both Lottie and Andrea in the face.
“Care to help?” Andrea growled as she walked along the edge of the fallen tree.
“With what?” Lottie laughed sharply. Her breath formed a cloud before her. “I don’t think they’ll stop just because they stub their toes on a tree.”
“We’re making a barricade, Lottie.” Andrea turned her back and faced another tree nearby. “We can put guards there to slow them down.”
“That sounds stupid. The guards will just be killed.”
“We’re all going to be killed, Lottie.” Andrea turned to her quickly. “Okay? It’s just a matter of time.”
“If you’re that hopeless, why don’t you just give up?”
“Shut up, Lottie,” Andrea shouted. “I’ve had it with you. What are you even talking about? We’re fighting because that’s what we do. So just help me”or leave.”
Lottie didn’t say anything but glared at her. After a moment, she spun around and walked to another part of the boundary, just within earshot of Andrea. She flicked her wand and murmured incantations, casting shield charms.
She heard the massive, deafening noise of another tree falling. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Andrea move to fasten the two trees into a barricade, but turned away to focus on her own spells.
“What are you doing?” called Andrea from the top of the rubble.
“What do you mean?” Lottie growled. “I’m protecting””
“This is my spot.”
“It couldn’t hurt to have a shield as well, could it?”
“We don’t have time, Lottie.” Andrea’s voice cracked. Lottie looked up just to see her looking determinately into the distance.
“Whatever,” Lottie said. “You have these ten feet”I’ll do the rest of it.”
She glanced up, waiting for Andrea’s scathing comment, but it never came. Andrea still looked out into the distance, her brow furrowed and her mouth gaping open slightly.
“Okay,” Lottie said. “Ignore me. I don’t care. But don’t just stand there”at least do something useful.”
“Shut up.” Andrea turned to her sharply and extended a quivering hand to point into the black distance.
Lottie strained her eyes and looked into the darkness. She couldn’t make it out, but something was definitely moving. Whatever it was”it was alone, dashing from tree to tree.
“It’s probably just a bird or something,” Lottie said and continued casting charms. She took a sharp breath and her stomach plummeted. The shadow moved again, coming close enough for Lottie to make out a silhouette. “It’s human,” she hissed. The panic that seized her gave her legs the speed to move to Andrea’s barricade and clamber halfway up.
Andrea, who sat at the top, glanced down. “I thought you said this was a stupid idea””
“This is not the time.” Lottie inched up the pile of wood and peered over the top. The figure was close enough now for Lottie to see the gleam of its Death Eater mask in the moonlight.
“You have to go tell Palmyitor,” Lottie whispered.
“Me? This is my barricade. Why don’t you go?”
Lottie shot her a sharp glare. “Yeah?” she hissed. “Then what are you going to do? We have to get information out of him and none of the spells you know will be good enough.”
Andrea set her jaw but could not think of anything adequate to argue back. “Okay,” she finally conceded, “but don’t get yourself killed, okay? I’ll be really angry if you do.”
Lottie glanced at Andrea for a moment and noticed hot tears rolling down her face and tripping off her chin. “Okay,” she said. “I won’t.”
Andrea nodded and slowly clambered down the rubble while Lottie climbed up. Lottie glanced into the night; the Death Eater was so close now that Lottie could see straw colored hair falling out of his hood. He stared at the barricade, waiting.
Holding her breath, Lottie flicked her wand. “Incarcerous.” Ropes wrapped around the Death Eater, who promptly lost his balance and fell over into the white snow. Lottie nodded at Andrea, who took off towards the caste.
From the top of the barricade, Lottie clambered down the side of the rubble and, halfway down, jumped into the icy snow. She took off at a run to find the Death Eater face down and straining against the ropes.
With her foot, Lottie pushed his shoulder to roll him over. He strained further against the bindings, but Lottie paid this no mind. “How did you get here?” she hissed.
The Death Eater didn’t say anything. His impassive mask remained eerily blank. “How did you get here?” Lottie again punctuated her question with a sharp kick to his side. Still, there was silence.
Frustration growing, Lottie flicked her wand and with a blast, the Death Eater’s mask flew off. The boy’s face underneath was familiar, though it had grown much darker since Lottie had last seen it. “Bran,” she growled.
She remembered her mother begging for mercy, and him destroying her with a swift curse. She remembered him leaping through the air, howling with joy after the kill.
“Talk,” Lottie shouted, delivering another kick. This time her boot made contact with his face. She knew magic would probably work faster, but causing the pain herself was so much more satisfying.
“What?” Bran asked. His formerly high voice had become gruff and unfeeling. His mouth was filled with blood.
“How did you get here?”
“Apparated, didn’t I?” Bran chuckled, sending shivers up Lottie’s spine. “Your little defensive charms don’t work anymore.”
“Who told you the secret?” Lottie demanded.
Bran just laughed and spat at her, showering the snow with scarlet.
“Who told?” Lottie yelled again. “I’m warning you””
“Does it even matter?”
“Crucio!”
Bran’s screams brought out the frail boy that Lottie once knew. His confined body shook and writhed until Lottie lifted her wand.
“Who told you the secret?”
“You’re going to die anyway,” Bran snarled. “And you’re going to kill me anyway. Why should I tell you?”
“Why am I going to die?” Lottie asked, though she knew full well what he was implying. “What are you saying?”
“They’re coming.”
“Crucio!”
Bran screamed again and Lottie waited thirty seconds before lifting her wand. When she did, the boy lay panting. Blood stained his chin and cheeks and his eyes were shut, waiting for his sentence.
It was futile. Lottie realized this. Bran had become too consumed by the Dark Arts. He would never tell her what she needed to know. Dying like this was practically an honor for him.
Another image of her mother’s death flashed through Lottie’s mind and her heart filed with rage. “Crucio,” she hissed. She watched Bran’s struggles greedily, willing him to suffer as much as her parents had”more than they had”to pay the debt.
After a minute, she lifted her wand again. Bran was shaking now”either from fear or from the cold. “You’re ruthless,” he hissed. He meant it as an insult, but Lottie did not let it scathe her.
“Avada Kedavra.” There was a green flash of light in the darkness, and Bran was left staring lifelessly up at the moon with glazed eyes.
Lottie lowered her wand and took a breath. She stared at the boy’s body for just a moment before turning around and running up to the castle.
When she pushed open the front door, a hush fell over the crowd of people gathered there. They all turned to Lottie who gazed back at them. This was everyone”every student, every teacher”all gathered to fight. Even the first years stood with their wands out, with the sort of determination that only a child could have.
Slowly, people started speaking again. Teachers were addressing groups of students in rushed voices. Lottie trotted up to Palmyitor who stood apart, watching mutely.
“They’re coming,” Lottie said.
Palmyitor turned to her slowly. “We know that, Rowe.”
“No”I mean”they’re coming right now. Andrea and I just stopped a Death Eater who was sent ahead””
“You have him?”
“He’s dead. I killed him.” Lottie looked away, deciding not to witness the rage that grew on Palmyitor’s face. She saw Andrea standing nearby, silent in the chaos.
“Rowe, we had to question him. We have to figure out who the traitor is.”
“Does it matter?” Lottie said coldly. “Really”does it?” She took a few steps towards Andrea. “They’re coming either way and we’re all going to die either way. So forgive me for avenging my parents.”
“Rowe,” Palmyitor snarled. Her face was so contorted that Lottie wouldn’t have been surprised if steam had risen from her nostrils. “You will never learn will you? You must learn to control your emotions.”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Lottie turned her back swiftly and walked over to where Andrea stood, watching the scene. She didn’t say anything; she couldn’t think of anything to say.
“You killed him?” Andrea finally asked, turning her clear eyes in her direction. “You actually killed someone?”
Lottie looked at her shoes. She felt like she was going to throw up. “I’ve killed a lot of people, Andrea.” The words were more of a confession than a fact; she spoke as though apologizing.
Andrea turned to face the crowd. It was beginning to break up now. Teachers were leading groups of students”of soldiers”to various places in the castle; some were going outside to act as guards. The entrance hall was nearly empty by the time Andrea spoke again. “I’ve got”I’ve got to go,” she said. She didn’t look at Lottie. “I’ve got to do something useful.”
“Okay.”
Lottie stared determinately ahead as Andrea transformed. After a moment, she saw a light brown sparrow take off out of the corner of her eye. Once the bird was gone, she just stood there numbly, unable to decide exactly what to do.
“Rowe.” Clynalmoy walked towards her from the top of the staircase. She just watched hm. “They’re going to be here any minute. What are you doing?”
Lottie shrugged. “Waiting.”
“Go do something helpful,” he said, his voice unusually harsh and loud. “We just sent messages to the people who are out on missions”hopefully they’ll be here soon. They’re Apparating to the dungeon.”
“Colm?” Lottie asked, looking up. “Is Colm coming?”
“He was sent a message.”
“Did he respond?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean””
“Where are they coming into the castle?” Lottie asked.
Clynalmoy took a breath and quickly said, “The dungeons”we need somebody down there to organize. It could be a great ambush.”
Lottie heard none of it. The moment he said the dungeons, she took off, clambering down the two flights of stairs. If she was going to die, she at least would see Colm first. And who knew”maybe he could protect her.
She passed the Palmyitor clock and took a sharp left to delve even deeper underground. She was halfway down the final flight of stairs, when there echoed a deafening BOOM.
The whole castle trembled with the noise. Lottie lost her footing and fell down the steps, landing heavily on her back. BOOM. The castle shook again. Lottie slowly pushed herself up, looking up the stairs to the ground floor, the source of the noise.
There were screams now. Yells and cries mingled together; Lottie was too far away to distinguish. She glanced to the corridor where the others would be Apparating and back up the stairs.
Now was the time to fight. Now was the time to do something to protect the school. Lottie looked back at the dark corridor. Here she could be safe for at least a little while. Here she could see Colm. But what would that do for her? The Death Eaters would get here eventually.
Lottie gulped down a few quick breaths and began to ascend the stairs, up to the fight.
Halfway to Infinity by Eponine
Chapter Notes: Thanks to my awesome beta, coolh5000!
This chapter is dedicated to my great uncle. RIP, Alan--you will be missed.