The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

185. Finding Your Footing

Althea walked in the direction Harry, Luna, and Neville kept looking, but she had no luck finding a thestral until Neville, taking pity on her, slipped from his own and gently guided her by the shoulders to face one. Grabbing her wrist, he slowly pressed her hand to the creature's nose.

Althea smiled, gently petting it as Neville said, "I'll help you on."

"Thank you," she said, accepting his help gratefully.

It was rather jarring, riding a creature she could not see, but even so, it was a beautiful ride. The closer and closer they came to London, however, the more stressed she began to feel.

.

"It's been too long," Lucius snapped, pacing impatiently along the aisle.

"Yes, well, patience never was your strong suit," Lyra said dryly.

She was leaning against the far end of an aisle, carelessly examining her wand. Ellis was standing stock-still, listening carefully for any sound of Potter's entrance.

"What is our plan if Potter doesn't listen to reason?" Ellis asked, raising his chin slightly.

Lucius was technically in charge, but Lyra in particular had serious doubts about his abilities.

"Oh, he's sure to bring a sacrificial lamb or two, dear brother," Bellatrix said with relish, her smile wide and frenzied. "Torture's always worked for me."

Ellis said nothing, barely paying his sister-in-law a glance. He had decided his early memories of her being rather snide and bloody-thirsty were correct. He found he was even less fond of her now than he had been as a child.

"Now, we all know what to do, yes?" Ellis said, looking around at the other Death Eaters, a note of authority Lucius decidedly lacked in his voice.

"Yes, Lestrange," Avery snapped irritably. "This isn't our first ambush."

"Forgive me," Ellis said, a faint smile curling the corners of his lips as a faint hint of the amused gleam he had acquired in Egypt returned to his eyes. "I was only trying to ensure the Dark Lord's plan came to fruition."

Avery grunted.

.

"Sirius!" Amara called, banging on the bedroom door, a note of panic in her voice.

The handle wasn't budging.

"Sirius!" she shouted again, pounding on the door so hard Minnie woke and began to cry again.

Trying to keep herself calm, Amara quickly scoped her back up, rocking her gently as she tried, in her already hormonal state, to stop tears from streaming down her cheeks. Her wand was in the drawing room. Why had she left her wand in the drawing room?

"Sirius?" she tried again, knocking on the door for the third time.

When she raised her hand to try a fourth time, the door suddenly opened, revealing Eliana.

"Hey, why was the door locked?" she asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Amara said, her voice weak with relief. "Thank you. I need to go find-"

Before she could finish, Sirius rushed down the stairs, skipping two or three at a time until he finally reached them, looking pale.

"Amara, Voldemort's lured Harry into the Department of Mysteries," he said quickly. "The Order is coming here to make a quick plan and then we're all going to try and protect him. We don't know who all he brought with him."

"I have to go," Amara said. When he began to protest, she snapped, "Sirius, he is my godson too."

Sirius sighed before he said, "What about Minnie?"

Amara hesitated a moment, looking down at the sleeping child in her arms. Minnie had grown some hair in the time since her birth. It was dark and curly, rather more like Amara's than Sirius, but her eyes, her bright grey eyes, were her father's through and through.

"I'll watch her," Eliana said softly. "You're better in a fight than I am, Amara. You'll do more good than I could."

Amara looked at her, nodding slightly before she handed Minnie to her. Gently kissing the little child's head, she whispered, "I love you, Minnie."

Sirius kissed her gently, lingering slightly as though with some regret, or perhaps fear. Giving their daughter one last look, Amara and Sirius went down the stairs to the kitchen, where only a few of the Order was already waiting, the rest on their way.

.

As they landed, Neville quickly slipped off before helping Althea and Ginny off their thestrals.

"Where do we go from here, then?" Luna asked curiously.

"Over here," Harry said, pointing to a rather ordinary-looking telephone booth.

Although it was a tight fit, they soon all squeezed inside.

"Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!" Harry called.

Once Ron had done it, a cool, female voice said, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Althea Black-Lupin, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood," Harry rattled off quickly. "We're here to save someone, unless your Ministry can do it first!"

"Thank you," said the cool, female voice emotionlessly. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

There was a sound like rattling coins as seven badges fell into the metal chute. Hermione handed them to Harry as the chute began to move downward.

.

Ellis suddenly looked up, his eyes wide and alert.

"What is it?" Lucius asked, his voice tense.

The other Death Eaters also looked up with interest. Only Lyra seemed unbothered as she slowly shifted her gaze from her nails to his face.

"Something just set off my Sensory Detectors," Ellis said softly. "It could be Potter. Get into position."

Bellatrix let out a gleeful cackle.

"Remember who's in charge here," Lucius snapped, stepping forward to grab Ellis by the arm. As the Death Eaters looked uncertainly between them, however, Lucius muttered resignedly, "Get into position."

Ellis gave Lucius one look before forcing his arm out of his grip.