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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 10, 2016 13:17:31 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 13:17:31 GMT -7
Neville didn’t feel great. He was still very much in shape, mind, but battles could tire anyone out. The tension alone would be physically draining afterward, not to mention the nearly nonstop fighting and expenditure of magical energy involved. He’d also done a lot of ducking and weaving to avoid hits, which was much harder with his larger, more muscular frame than Harry with his wiry muscles and lightning reflexes made it look, and he’d taken several hits as well (upside to being a wall of muscle, you could get right back up after hits that would put smaller people out). It all added up.
So here he was, in his office in only his pants, allowing Hannah to treat multiple scrapes and bruises, a dozen smaller cuts, one particularly nasty gash up his arm that she had decided wasn’t from Sectumsempra, and a burn on his shoulder that he’d had to swear for several minutes was not from the Fiendfyre before she allowed him to not go straight to St. Mungo’s. Meanwhile, he had parchment floating in the air, with a Protean Charm linked to the other Heads of House as they tallied their present and missing students. He’d seen Ethan’s body, hung up as a gruesome message by one Elaine Lyra Dupree, whose head he intended to mount over the doors of the entrance hall once he found her.
He glanced over at his wife and smiled, just a bit. Today had been hard—so many students kidnapped from his care, his protection. Nevermind that an army of mercenaries had stormed the place. He should have been able to stop them—he’d stopped that many people before, and this time he had the home field advantage, in more ways than one. Including Carson’s nephew, and that was the worst. Carson had lost too much already, and Neville hated that he couldn’t spare him the worry over his nephew. And worse—the other students were probably lucky that Zander was with them.
Still…even in this dark hour, Neville could still smile at the most beautiful woman in the world. “I guess you’ll have a few more scars to memorize, love.”
@hannah @alice @aurora @philiplongbottom @lestrange @henry
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 10, 2016 14:34:55 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 14:34:55 GMT -7
@superluigi64 && @hannah @philiplongbottom && @alice && @aurora && @lestrange he had to find his dad. find out what they were doing or if anything was being done now. he'd just seen sao and it had almost broken his heart. her and her family couldn't find her brother and the look on her face had gone straight through jay's heart. he'd seen her upset too often for his liking in the last few weeks and it wasn't something that he as her boyfriend was going to let keep happening. he hurried up the stairs to his father's office. his father. he couldn't fight the shudder than ran through his body as he recalled the horrible sight of his father fighting a few hours ago. he'd watched his father kill someone. it had been a fight and jayden knew the type of man his dad was but it didn't make it any easier to watch. the first time someone saw another person die was a huge thing, even if said person was on the wrong side. he ran his hand through his hair and wondered briefly where phil and alice were. he'd been with phil but when everything had ended and finished jay had gone searching for sao. the feeling in the pit of his stomach had him worried that alice might have been taken, she was the only one he hadn't seen yet. he ran up the last few steps and he moved to push the door to his father's office open. his mother and father were both there. his father was hurt and jay's thoughts suddenly turned from finding sao's brother for her to the fact his father was injured. he hurried across the room and put his hand on his father's bare shoulder, the one that didn't have the burn on it, and he swallowed. "you're going to be okay dad?" he asked as he shifted his gaze to his mom. he wanted to hug her but he knew she'd be focused on healing up he husband first so he stood there and bit his lip, kept his hand on his dad's shoulder. "i saw sao .. i want to h-help find them .. i are you going to go look? .. seamus said they couldn't find casey .. i w-want to help find them .. make who did this pay" he said, his voice fast and his words a little rambly as he blurted them out. the night had been shocking. he hated the way it had made him feel. he had felt terrified and angry and scared for his family and horrified at what he'd seen. ethan's body? he'd seen it strung up as had a lot of other students and he knew it wasn't going to be something he forgot in a while. he swallowed at the thought and brought his bandaged hand to his mouth as he stepped away from his parents, just remembering the sight enough to make him feel sick. he swallowed again as he dropped down onto the stairs in his dad's office. "how could they do it .." he said softly to no one in particular .. his mind trying to make sense of what had happened.
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 10, 2016 16:23:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 16:23:33 GMT -7
@lestrange @aurora @henry @philiplongbottom @superluigi64
It had been an incredibly long and gruesome day. Needless to say, Hannah was tired. Everyone was. Once Neville contacted her about the attack it was up to her to get the 'phone tree', as it were, going to inform the Order and the Ministry so they could go over to help. Hannah was furious, to say the least. Hogwarts was supposed to be one of the safest places, but there was no way that they could have predicted an attack of that size! Still, she kept beating herself up over the ways that she could have prevented this, just like she knew Neville was doing. And Zander, oh Zander. Just the thought of him being taken alone made her sick to her stomach. She needed to contact Carson... she needed to do so many things. If she thought about the other thirteen students... she was worried she would cease to function. From what Harry said Zander seemed to be on the same broom as that Elaine girl. That horrible girl who had murdered all those kids. She felt a tear prick her eyes but she blinked it back, continuing her work at tending Nevilles wounds. She still was going to force him to go to Mungos, after they had talked with the children and put things in order-- as much order as they could be in. When he gave her that small smile and said those words, her brow furrowed slightly and she leaned forward, kissing him lightly on the stop of the head. "Won't take me long at all," she muttered. Then her baby ran into the room and, of course, immediately started asking questions and making statements of vengeance. She let him have it out before addressing him. "Jayden, come here. Let me look at you," she set down the wash rag and the potion bottle that she had been using on Neville and reached across him to gently tug on Jaydens arm. Once she had him, She kissed his cheek, but only briefly in order to look him over. "Are you hurt?"
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 11, 2016 10:06:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2016 10:06:00 GMT -7
Alice had just left the Great Hall. It seemed most of her friends were accounted for except for one. Casey had been taken. They were all shaken up, but none moreso than James and Abigail. James for losing his best friend, and Abigail because he sister had been taken. Her twin sister. And Alice's cousin (by marriage,) Zander. He was taken too. Alice's eyes were stinging with tears as she ran automatically to the Headmaster's office, her father's office. Something was just telling her to be there. She hadn't really stopped crying since the first gathering in the Great Hall. She couldn't get the image of Ethan out of her head. How terrible she felt for him, for everyone close to him... her dorm mates were his best friends, one his girlfriend. Alice never thought she would have to experience such tragic pain and heartbreak but here she was, running off to her father's office after a battle. A battle on Hogwarts grounds.
Taking in a deep breath when she reached the passage, Alice closed her eyes as the eagle carried her up to the office. When it had stopped turning, Alice took another moment before stepping off of the platform and toward the door. When she reached the door, she stopped. She had almost knocked on it but she knew there was no need. Slowly, Alice opened the door to reveal her youngest brother and her parents. The Lestrange girls and Phil were not there yet, but she knew they were okay. Aurora was probably still with James and Phil was probably on his way with Andromeda now. Alice stood in the doorway a moment and her eyes found her father being patched up by her mother. Her eyes widened slightly, still stinging from tears. Not but a few hours ago she had just seen this man kill. It hadn't been his first time, obviously, but it had been her first time seeing people die. She knew it had to be taking a toll on him.
After a moment more, Alice couldn't just stand there any more. When her mother had taken a hold of Jayden to look him over Alice made moves to walk toward her father slowly and when she reached him, seeing his cuts and bruises and burns, her lip trembled as she slowly and gently wrapped her arms around him. She was so happy and grateful that he, and the rest of her family, were alive and okay.
@philiplongbottom @aurora @lestrange @superluigi64 @henry @hannah
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 11, 2016 14:09:10 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2016 14:09:10 GMT -7
When she finally reached the eagle/platform entrance to the Headmaster's office Aurora paused and stood alone in the quiet hallway. She wanted to cry and scream and even throw up from the stress. She wanted to sleep without all the planning and potions, look presentable without makeup, and focus without the nicotine. James had been helpful enough supplying the new habit, but it was just another thing she needed to maintain some semblance of normalcy. The attack on the school hadn't helped anything. Aurora wanted to help everyone she could, and she had, but passing out herbs and potions and smiles could only go so far against an event so big.
Her state must have affected the eagle because when Aurora did finally ride it up, the ride was slower than usual. At least the castle understood. Cold, blue eyes looked around the Headmaster's office, seeing Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, as well as Jayden and Alice. Seeing them all together, hardly a complete set, yet still close and each tending to another brought a smile to the brunette's face and a warmness to her heart. With a renewed hope, she silently approached the Headmaster's desk, offering a smile and a tired "Hey, all" when close enough.
@lestrange @philiplongbottom @alice @henry @superluigi64 @hannah
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 11, 2016 15:51:21 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2016 15:51:21 GMT -7
@philiplongbottom @superluigi64 @hannah @aurora @henry @alice
Once Andy knew that Albus was safe with his parents and siblings, Andy knew where her family was going to be congregating. She stepped outside the Hospital Wing, taking a moment to lean against the wall and have a good cry. She felt the sobs racking her body and her head starting to pound. After maybe four minutes of this, she sniffed it all back in and replaced her poker face.
As she walked toward the Headmasters Office, she wasn't surprised to see Phil not far ahead. At first she didn't say anything... but, "Phil!" she called out, jogging slightly to catch up to him. She hoped he wouldn't notice the red stains and the puffiness around her eyes. "Going to your dads office?" she asked.
With Phil in tow, they arrived, last it seemed. Andy moved away from Phil as soon as they walked in and moved to Rorys side. She just stood by her sister, not saying a word to her or anyone else. She didn't feel like she had to. She was here and she was a part of this and that was enough for now.
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 11, 2016 17:17:10 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2016 17:17:10 GMT -7
@lestrange @henry @hannah @alice @aurora @superluigi64 He was walking slowly, not really knowing where he was going. Did it matter? So many people were injured, some even missing. Ethan had died. thankfully Andy and Jayden were safe. Alice probably was. But for some reason his mind was in a haze. He had gotten off a few good shots, hitting some of the attackers, but in the end, it didn't really help his anger. The boiling anger he had toward the people that hurt Jayden. Honestly, it just made him feel worse. So, walking in misery, he was taken completely by surprise when Andy called out his name. She asked him if he was going to his dad's office. That sounded like a good idea. "Yeah, yeah that is where I am going." He said and climbed up on the pedestal with Andy. A brief image shot through his mind of the hug she had given him, warmth in the chill of the castle. But he should have known better than to think that warmth would last. As soon as they got to the top of the stairs, Andy stepped away from him. Everyone was there. His dad looked pretty beat up, and it looked like his mother had been interrupted in her bandaging of him. She was checking over Jayden, but soon she would make the rounds. That was what his mom did. She took care of everyone. Seeing Alice and Aurora there made him relax a little. They were all safe. He stood by the entrance, not moving.
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 16, 2016 14:00:58 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2016 14:00:58 GMT -7
He could tell she wasn’t very happy at the moment, though it wasn’t at him. Neville knew she wouldn’t blame him for what had happened here, even though it was his job to keep stuff like this from happening. Logically, he knew a brute-force attack of this magnitude wasn’t something one expected, but Neville was prepared to deal with those kinds of numbers. But he’d been too tied up by the enemy’s vanguard, which was clearly their goal. But he wasn’t really feeling up to logic right now. Still, he was glad she blamed him less than he blamed himself.
Jayden was the first to appear—naturally, Neville had gotten eyesight on his brood before going back to the duties of Headmaster. It wasn’t an instinct he could fight in times like this. So he knew the five of them were safe and sound inside the school. He smiled when Jay touched his shoulder and asked if he was going to be alright. “I’ve had worse injuries tending my own plants. No need to worry, Jay.” His son’s next words spilled out in a rush, talking about Seamus and Casey and Saoirse. It was true—Casey was among the missing. Seamus didn’t blame him, even though he probably should, but Neville was at least somewhat comforted by the fact that Casey was among those taken. He would protect the others, as well as he could, along with Zander. Neville would have preferred that no students be kidnapped, but they had been. At least they had some fighters with them, to help them survive until the Order could track them down.
Or, more likely, Carson. His brother-in-law was going to go on a rampage shortly, and that was probably their best chance. Harry could unravel a mystery on instinct; Ron could create an ideal strategy no matter how bad a situation; Neville could lead others and fight wars. But Carson could find people. And he would find his nephew, of that Neville had no doubt.
He let Hannah pull Jay into her arms, let the mama bear check her baby, and smiled when the oldest slowly opened the door to his office. She was almost like a zombie, the way she moved toward him for a hug. Neville smiled and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, placing the other gently on her head. “I’m alright, don’t worry about me.” He stroked her hair for a bit. He knew from other people that Carcer and Alice had been caught out alone when the attack happened, running into a small group on the grounds, but the half-giant’s magical resistance and a sudden willingness from both of them to fight had put that particular group down. “Fighting’s not all people make it out to be, is it?”
Aurora was next in line, coming in to stand near them and saying hey. Neville smiled and reached out to gently touch Aurora on the cheek. “Hey, good girl. Are you alright?” And, finally, the last of his brood showed up. Andromeda moved to stand with her sister, while Phil lingered in the doorway. It was remarkable how much he resembled Neville at that age, standing back, trying to make sure he could see everyone for as long as he could, happy just to know they were all safe and alive.
Neville gently pulled his daughter’s arms free and moved her over to sit in a chair. She wasn’t going to like what he had to say, but they all needed to know. “The attack on the castle was an attempt as a mass kidnapping. Their targets were students who had come of age. Pureblood students.” Which basically meant everyone in this room and all the Potter children. Sure, Harry and Hannah were both half-bloods, but Purebloods tended to keep to the loosest definition of ‘pure blood’ these days: four magical grandparents, which meant they all fit the criteria.
“Among the kidnapped are friends of yours. Casey Finnigan and Zander Lloyd were taken. So was Abby’s sister.” Both of them having grown up with his own children, he knew they would be devastated to learn this, and there was no way anyone in Hogwarts didn’t know Abigail Shacklebolt or, by extension, her twin.
He moved away from Alice for a moment, over to the Lestrange sisters, and put a comforting hand on each sister’s shoulder. “They also took Braelynn and Theodorus.”
@henry @hannah @alice @aurora @lestrange @philiplongbottom
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 16, 2016 19:15:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2016 19:15:00 GMT -7
@superluigi64 && @hannah @philiplongbottom && @alice && @aurora && @lestrange “I’ve had worse injuries tending my own plants. No need to worry, Jay.” no need to worry!? there was plenty of need to worry. "no need to worry?! i think there is plenty to worry about" he hadn't realised that he had said that as he thought it. hadn't been able to control the words coming from his mouth and that worried him. he wondered if it was shock. his father was hurt and he'd seen him do a few horrible things and he didn't know whether he wanted to yell at neville for doing them or if he wanted to hug him tight because he had no idea how hard it would have been for neville to do those things. he said his piece about casey and sao. sitting on the steps of the office he stared at the ground as he tried to get his thoughts together. it was flipping between anguish at what had happened and thoughts of getting even. no one had deserved what had happened to them that night, not the students and not ethan. how someone could just come in and rip someone from what they knew and their families and it .. he snapped out of his thoughts when he realised his mother had tugged him over to her so she could look at him. he'd gone from standing to sitting with no recollection of when he had stood up. he swallowed and shook his head a little, doing something he had never done before and he ducked away from her when she tried to kiss his cheek and he moved to work his arm out of her hold and step back from her. "i'm fine .. i promise. they didn't touch me" he said as he wrapped his arms over his chest and took another step back, looking up as everyone seemed to file into the room. his sister went to his father and hugged him, phil stood at the door and andy and rory were now standing by his dad's desk.
“The attack on the castle was an attempt as a mass kidnapping. Their targets were students who had come of age. Pureblood students.” “Among the kidnapped are friends of yours. Casey Finnigan and Zander Lloyd were taken. So was Abby’s sister.” “They also took Braelynn and Theodorus.” jay listened. he had known about casey of course but he hadn't known about zander. he shook his head and ran his hand through his hair with force. they had taken someone that they thought of as family. well a little more family than casey or abby, all members of the phoenix rising group but he wasn't about to blurt that. he shook his head a little though and frowned slightly. "you said pureblood students? casey isn't a pureblood. neither was ..e-ethan so why would they kill him now .. if they were targeting purebloods" he said as he looked at his dad. this had come up in conversation in the common room with him after jay's attack. people couldn't believe they would target someone who was pure blooded and now it seemed that they weren't safe from these wars any more. he just let his mind go with thoughts and idea's about what had happened. while they might not get anywhere it was a way for his mind to process what had happened. jay's mind was wild at the best of times and in situations like these he had no hope of controlling his thoughts. he moved back to sit on the stairs, a sudden wave of fatigue hitting him as he sat and ran his hand through his hair again.
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 17, 2016 10:39:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2016 10:39:41 GMT -7
@lestrange @aurora @henry @philiplongbottom @superluigi64 Hannah continued to work on Jayden until he looked better and then moved to Alice next. One by one as Neville was explaining things she went around the room, staying in business mode, to make sure that no one was seriously hurt. She was relieved to find that they had managed to stay out of the worst of it, thank heavens. She crossed back to Neville as he started saying names, and when Zander was mentioned out loud she turned away from the group for a moment, folding her arms over her chest and staring at the wall and shelves beside her. Then Jayden spoke up and she turned around slowly. Hearing his voice, seeing his face... she couldn't deal with her own emotions right now. She would handle that later. She frowned at Jayden, then nodded as he finished speaking. "Ethan was killed out of pure sport," she said, her voice coming out strong, "I don't think it had anything to do with the actual 'plot' of these people. She just...wanted to get in your heads," she said, taking a step forward. "You all have the right to mourn about this, about everything, but don't let it stop you. Don't let it change you," she glanced at Alice on those words. For some reason it just felt right to acknowledge her there. "As for why they took Casey... maybe they just took whoever got in their way too. He wasn't the only non-pureblood taken, right?" she directed her questions to Neville.
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 19, 2016 11:17:37 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 11:17:37 GMT -7
@hannah @henry @alice @superluigi64 @lestrange @aurora From his spot near the door he saw a wide range of emotions on the faces of his family. But he didn't feel any. The names of the kidnapped students fell on his ears, registered in his brain, and settled into the pit in his stomach. They piled up there next to the unknown face of Jayden's attacker. To say he was emotionless, was not completely accurate. Totally and completely consumed by one emotion, so much that nothing registered on his face... that more fit the bill. "Where did they take them?" Phil asked quietly, his voice barely audible to his own ears. The Order had shown up, too late, and tried their best to help. It obviously wasn't enough. His father had mad a valiant effort, as evidenced by the many wounds he now sported, but in the end the kidnappers still got away. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and slumped down against the wall. What was he going to do about it? He was just a 16 year-old kid. These people knew how out smart the Order of the Phoenix. What could he do?
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 19, 2016 18:40:30 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 18:40:30 GMT -7
@philiplongbottom @superluigi64 @hannah @aurora @henry @alice
Truth be told, Andy didn't want to talk about this. About everything that had happened. She didn't even want to be up there right now. When Hannah got to her Andy just shook her head. She was fine, she hadn't been touched. Maybe a few scratches here and there, but she hid them with the way she folded her arms and turned her back to the wall. No one needed to be taking care of her when people were really hurt out there. Hannah hesitated, and made that look like she knew something was up, but she accepted Andys refusal and moved on.
Phil asked what everyone was thinking, where are they? But if they knew then they wouldn’t be standing around here, would they? But she didn’t say that thought aloud. She didn’t want Phil to think she was calling him stupid. As she saw him slump against the wall, she felt the need to go to him, and even took one step. But she stopped and stayed where she was.
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 19, 2016 19:47:35 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 19:47:35 GMT -7
"I'm alive" she replied to Neville in quiet caution. She was tired, but that was too obvious to say.
Hannah might have looked to Neville with her question, but Aurora was the first to speak up. She didn't know where the students had been taken, but she was having trouble seeing why some and not others.
"No... it wasn't just Casey." she said, stepping forward a little and resting a hand on the desk. "They took Cain and Moreta, both from Ravenclaw and neither pure-blood. I never really talked to either of them beyond class, but I know that they would have been fighting back before they were taken."
She did know that Cain would have been a pure-blood wizard if it had not been for the incident with his mother, but vampirism wasn't cause for kidnapping, was it? She didn't voice that thought. She did add one observation that occurred to her in the moment.
"It might make sense that they took some of those who stood in their way." she suggested. "Marcia Hawkins was taken, and wasn't she a pure-blood? I know she had just started dating Cain. I hate to imagine what he would have done before they got him." she thought for a moment. "With Moreta, I don't know. Have we learned who was involved in fighting back? Maybe we could draw some corollaries between them and the students who were taken?"
Aurora looked to the Headmaster with concern in her eyes. She didn't want to know the answer, but the thought might help get them on the right track.
@superluigi64 @hannah @lestrange @alice @philiplongbottom @henry
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Feb 24, 2016 21:10:38 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 21:10:38 GMT -7
As her father hugged her back, Alice let out a small and muffled sob at his words. Fighting wasn't easy. She had always hoped she wouldn't have to do it but at the same time, after taking down the group of the Death Eaters with Carcer she felt more... sure of herself. She hated doing it in the moment, but now she knew she could protect her family if ever it came down to it.
Alice obliged when her father directed her to a chair, and she quickly realized it was for good reason. When he delivered his news, Alice was certain that if she had been standing up she would have fallen over. They had been targeting pureblood students of age. Not only herself, but James and Abby and Aurora and half of her friends. Her mouth fell open as she watched her father, almost unable to believe what she was hearing. Her mind seemed to blank until Jayden spoke up and at the mention of Ethan Johnson, Alice felt her heart skip a beat. He had been killed. A boy in her year had been murdered. It was finally sinking in.
The Hufflepuff stayed quiet as everyone in the room took turns speaking. She didn't have it in her to speak herself. she acknowledged her mother's words and Phil's and Aurora's but her breath now hung, listening intently for whether or not her father had an answer for where they had all been taken.
@superluigi64 @hannah @henry @philiplongbottom @aurora @lestrange
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last online Apr 23, 2024 13:58:05 GMT -7
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Mar 5, 2016 12:35:20 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2016 12:35:20 GMT -7
Had to hand it to his children—they were quick to realize that the story of targeting Purebloods wasn't entirely true. His wife was right about the attackers wanting to get into their heads—and while he would not allow Elaine's message to trip him up, it was still true. It was his job to protect the students, and he had failed. Nevermind that there was no real way to prepare for a surprise attack of that magnitude. He should have been prepared anyway. He would beat himself up over it later, though. There was too much to do to take time to contemplate his failure right now. He listened to the others speaking, noting that Alice was oddly quiet. For all her snarly attitude, she was the least prone to true violence in the family. And he knew, oh how he knew, that this was something that could never be undone. Alice would be a fighter for the rest of her life...whether she liked it or not. And she would need time to accept that. But it was better to find out now rather than later. He was surprised to see Andy being quiet too, though. But it was a different quiet. And it was odd that the fiery girl had a lid on her emotions now of all times. Neville decided to keep an eye on her for the next few days just in case.
Neville nodded at Rory's question. “Some of it has to do with the students who were fighting back. Miss Jaeger is a strong and determined duelist and is quite confrontational. Taking an enemy combatant alive both reduces the number of people you must fight and gives you another hostage to use. It may also be that the mercenary we captured did not know the whole story. This attack was...very well planned.” He sighed. It was, he supposed, time to address the situation. None of his children had ever see nhim fight before, although he had likely been described in unfavorable terms to the Lestrange girls by their parents. Jayden, he knew, was probably much more affected by what he'd seen than the others. “The reason for the numbers is simple in hindsight. A large number of mercenaries were hired to attack the castle as one big group. Hit-and-run with superior numbers was the only possible way to pull this off. Smaller numbers, or a slower attack, would have failed. And the mercenaries were promised a fortune in gold upon success, a fortune that few people could hope to pay out to so many.”
“That is because they never intended to pay this small army.”
He sighed and walked over to Hannah, running his hands along her shoulders before he wrapped her up in a hug that was as much for him as for her. “Before today, you didn't know. History lessons can give you cold facts, but to actually understand what it means to say I had the highest kill count at the Battle of Hogwarts...well. You cannot understand it until you see it. So you never understood what I am in war. But your mother knows. And whoever hired these people knows. They...knew, when they did this, that most of them would perish here at the castle. And when they returned to their employer, the rest would be killed off as well. The one flaw in this plan was that they didn't know Harry was here. If they had, they likely would have waited, or sent even greater numbers. It was meant to be a balancing act—enough to succeed at their task, not enough to return in numbers too great to be wiped out. They still nearly failed, simply because Harry was here.”
Whoever had arranged things was extremely clever to determine the numbers and time needed so perfectly. But throwing away people in this amount was...barbaric. Not surprising, but barbaric nonetheless. “The person behind all this had a very good measure of how much damage I can do, and prepared accordingly. Aurors are currently headed to the rendezvous point that our prisoner gave us, but likely all they'll find is evidence of Disapparition or Portkeys, and there's no way to track where they went.”
Which did not mean they were out of options just yet. You didn't lose a fight just because you got knocked down, you only lost if you stayed down.
And they were already on their feet to go another round.
@hannah @alice @aurora @philiplongbottom @lestrange @henry
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