They were seated around a campfire in a large cavern. Somebody had pitched the tents and set up the protective enchantments, but Sarah remembered none of it, only Dumbledore's bloodstained body as she stared into the fire.
"I told you to go home," hissed Talbott, disturbing the peace of their collective misery.
"And I told you you, 'no,'" said Penny.
"Sophie--"
"Is safe with my sister."
"What if we'd both been killed? I'm not having my child grow up without both her parents!"
"And I'm not having her grow up in a world where muggles, her family, are hunted down and killed for sport! Not if I can do anything about it."
Silence.
"It's not like it matters much now anyway, does it?" asked Tulip, the fire dancing in her brown eyes. "You-Know-Who's won."
Eight pairs of eyes slowly fell upon Sarah. She almost smirked, realizing they were expecting her to make some heroic speech, as she'd done each time they'd faced impossible odds inside a Cursed Vault. But words seemed to have left her, as the life had left Dumbledore's body.
"That doesn't sound like the words of the infamous vigilante," she said at last to Tulip.
Tulip smiled grimly. "The Vigilante's dead. Didn't you see the Prophet? As soon as I stopped dumping Death Eaters at the minister's doorstep, they printed some cock-and-bull story about the heroic Aurors cornering me. Apparently, I put up such a fight that I had to be taken down."
Another string of silence.
"My brother is alive," said Elena quietly.
"Did you see him?" asked Barnaby.
"No, but Amycus Carrow recognized me. Just before I cursed him, he yelled, 'Its that Andrel girl. Won't your brother be proud to know what you're up to these days.'"
"So, he's back with the Death Eaters?"
"I suppose he is."
"Are you going to go after him?" asked Jacob.
Elena shook her head in uncertainty. "He's the only family I have left," was all she said.
"You have us," said Barnaby. "We're your family now."
Elena nodded, but she stared into the fire, and Sarah knew was certain her thoughts rested on one thing.
Sarah looked at Jacob. "I don't suppose you can do for Dumbledore whatever you did to yourself."
It was the first time she'd spoken to him since she'd declared he was no longer her brother.
He shook his head. "It has to be done in advance. And the kind of magic you'd need...Dumbledore would never..."
Sarah nodded. She understood. She'd seen Jacob's lifeless body that night in R's headquarters. She'd felt his cold, stiff hands, seen eyes glassy and devoid of soul. No magic could reawaken the dead. No good magic, anyway. Whatever Jacob had done to be sitting here now, Dumbledore never would have done it. No, Dumbledore was at peace, blissfully free of all the people who depended on him.
Unable to stand the suffocating weight that hung around them all, Sarah stood and retreated to the back of the cavern, away from the warmth and light of the fire.
Dumbledore gone. She'd accepted it now, but she still couldn't understand it. How could it be? Which of the Death Eaters had been able to best him? How could any of them still be alive if Dumbledore, so much more powerful and wise then they, was not?
She sensed movement behind her and turned.
"That was some rallying speech you gave back there," said Merula.
"Do I always have to give the speeches?" she asked.
"I mean, you always do."
"I guess I don't have much to say at the moment."
"I've noticed that. What's the matter with you, Spellman? Normally, you constantly make my ears bleed with all your noble, heroic talk, but not anymore. What happened? The fire inside that keeps you going has gone out, and I'm not the one who quenched it, which is even more annoying. I saw the runework on that coffin, a simple blood curse. Yet, it nearly killed you. That's not the Sarah Spellman I know."
Sarah clenched her fists.
"I guess I haven't been feeling myself lately," she murmured. "You know, with the end of the world going on."
Merula swallowed. "Yeah, well I'm gonna need you to get over it soon. We've got work to do."
"Since when have you ever cared about how I'm feeling, Merula?"
Merula smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, and in the dark it was quite unsettling.
"This, contrary to every little thing at school, isn't about you. Not in the whole, at least. My father is dead. Died in Azkaban. My mother is as good as dead, too. I'm sure some of those Death Eaters recognized me. She'll be questioned, tortured, and killed."
"I'm sorry," said Sarah, but Merula just shook her head.
"Lee's right, curse him for it. You lot are, have always been, more of a family than my parents ever could be. And it's because of Lord Voldemort." Sarah fought not to flinch at the sound of the name, but Merula plowed on, oblivious. "I'm not going to be a pawn for someone's political agenda anymore. I'm only interested in protecting what I care about, and avenging what I've lost. Making those who have wronged me suffer for it."
"By 'those' you mean the Death Eaters?"
"Of course! My parents couldn't have been greater supporters for Voldemort's cause, but when I joined, my mother was horrified! She as good as told me she'd rather have stayed in Azkaban than be back where she is now. So, I'm going to get her out if I still can, and if not, I'll make each and everyone of them pay. That's why I needed to find you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you. Why else do you think I let Jacob take me from my house? Why do you think I insisted we lug Barnaby along with us for months? Because I knew eventually, they'd lead me to you."
Sarah stared at Merula. The firelight behind her gave her such a spooky effect that Sarah remembered for the first time in years the nightmares she used to have of the awful bully in Slytherin who called herself the Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts.
"I don't trust much, I never have, but one thing I do trust is that you'll always be there to do the right thing. So, I'll be there with you when this chaotic mess of a journey leads us to the Dark Lord, and I'll be there to help you take him down."
Her speech finished, Merula huffed, then spun on her heels to go sit back down next to Jacob at the fire. Jacob put an arm around her. Sarah shook her head. Merula was right about one thing. This whole thing was one chaotic mess. She could feel something inside her change though, a small spark had been relit. She knew the feeling well. It was the fire inside her that pushed her to keep uncovering the cursed vaults, despite the dangers and the threats. Threats only fueled the fire.
Of all people, how had Merula been the one to ignite that spark? Sarah still didn't trust her, or anyone that slept in her tent, for that matter. But she was right. She, Sarah, was going to have to get it together, because at the end of it all, she would be there to face Lord Voldemort.
Just not tonight.
She sat back in her place beside the fire and thought of Albus Dumbledore. At some point, she must have fallen asleep right there in front of the fire, as she tried to recall every kind, wise word he'd ever said to her.
Someone must have carried her to her bed, for she woke the next morning tucked in and fully clothed.
***********
Barnaby was the last person at the fire that night. After taking Sarah to her own bed, he remained as still as the rocky cavern surrounding him as the embers burned low.
No more Dumbledore.
He couldn't imagine Hogwarts without the Headmaster. Where would he be now if Dumbledore hadn't gone easy on him all those times Snape had demanded his expulsion? What would have happened if Dumbledore hadn't convinced him not to drop out of Hogwarts after third year? He'd probably still have been at the Astronomy Tower tonight, but he'd have flown the scene as one of the people responsible for the death of the greatest wizard who ever lived.
He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm and looked at the skin there. It was smooth and bare. He recalled nightmares of looking down at the arm and finding the Dark Mark set into the skin. Sometimes the skull morphed into his father's face, or the had the evil, red eyes of Lord Voldemort. The snake would hiss with laughter as he tried to scratch the mark away. Some nights, Barnaby would wake to find his arm red and bleeding as he'd actually scratched it in his sleep.
Barnaby sighed, cast agumenti to ensure the fire was put out, and returned to his tent.
He'd assumed the others would all be asleep, but Elena was seated at the table when he entered, her head bent low over a book as she read by the light of her wand. She scribbled on a piece of parchment with a quill. The book came from a shelf nearby, all books about the Dark Arts, many of them stolen directly from Hogwarts's restricted section.
Barnaby decided not to ask her what she was doing; he was suddenly overcome with exhaustion. He climbed into bed, and fell asleep almost instantly. It felt like only a few seconds had passed when Elena shook him awake. It was still dark, but he sat up and rubbed his eyes as she stared at him.
"Barnaby," she whispered. "I need your help."
"Sure, what's wrong?"
"I need to find my brother."
Barnaby nodded. "Okay, how do we do that?"
"I don't know. I suppose we just start looking."
"Right now? Leave the others?"
Elena sighed. "Adrian is the only family I have. I know you think of these people as family, but they don't accept me. The only person I can rely on is you, and the only person Adrian can rely on is me. I do not wish to leave the group, yet. I still have many things to learn from Jacob. But, should the opportunity arise, I want you to help me save my brother from the Death Eaters."
The desperate tone in her voice made him slightly queasy, but she'd been the only one to accompany him when he left in search of Merula.
"Okay," he said. "I'll help you."
"Will you promise?"
"I promise."
Elena leaned forward. The silence around them seemed to stiffen, like they were trapped by an invisible wall.
"Will you make the Unbreakable Vow?"
Barnaby blinked. "Why? Don't you trust me?"
"If I could fully trust you, you would have said yes immediately," she said. "I need to know I can count on you when it matters most."
"It's just...you die if you break an unbreakable vow."
Elena stepped back. "Are you planning on breaking it?"
"No...but suppose I forget? I forget lots of things, ask anyone."
"You won't forget this, Barnaby. Every moment my brother remains in the hands of those monsters, he becomes more like them. He will be lost to me forever. I can't let that happen, but I can't do this alone. I need you. Will you swear to help me?"
No, screamed every muscle and nerve in his body. Of course, not. This is too much. She can't ask this of you.
His voice came out in a husky breath.
"Yes."
********************
Sarah knew it was early when she woke up; though it was impossible to tell in the dark cavern. She hadn't woken naturally, but at the sounds of someone rustling in the tent. She shot up when she heard the tent flap open. Sarah scrambled out of bed to follow whoever had exited.
"You're leaving?"
Diego spun around, wearing a pained expression.
"I think its for the best," he said. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I made a fool of myself. I still want to help fight against You-Know-Who, but I don't think I can do it like this anymore. I think I should be alone for a bit."
"You can't go off alone!" said Sarah.
"I'll be alright. If Jacob can stay hidden by himself for that long, I can."
"But you can't leave!"
She stepped forward to grab his arm, to will him to understand. So many people had left her. Her heart couldn't take one more. Not now.
Diego smiled sadly and pushed her hair, a scraggly mess from her sleep, back from her face.
"I don't want to, but...it's just too painful for me to stay."
*****************
"This is a stupid idea," said Jacob, after his eyes scanned the list of demands Barnaby was about to swear his life on. "But, its your funeral. I'll say this though," here his eyes became sharp as knives and he pointed a finger at the pair of them. "If anything you do puts me or my people in danger in any way, I'll kill you before the Unbreakable Vow even gets the chance."
"Understood," said Elena.
She grabbed hold of Barnaby's sweating hand, and Jacob held his wand over them.
Elena spoke.
"Barnaby Lee, will you do everything you can to help me rescue my brother?"
"I will."
A rope of fire erupted from Jacob's wand and wrapped around their hands. The fire didn't burn, but Barnaby felt like it did. Like the fiery snake had injected him with venom that was now shooting through his bloodstream and into his heart.
"Will you help to keep my brother safe from anyone, friend or foe, that might wish him harm?"
"I will."
A second string of fire appeared, wrapping around their joined hands as well.
"And, should you be forced to choose between the good of your friends here and the good of me and my brother, will you choose us?"
Barnaby's had twitched. Elena tightened her grip on him, worried he might try and pull away. Barnaby closed his eyes. He felt something inside him break, like a string that was keeping him tethered to something good and warm had snapped. He'd be floating through space if not for the infernal chains that tied him to Elena.
"I will."
******************
"I'm sure we'll see each other soon," said Diego. He kissed the top of Sarah's head, then pulled his arm gently from her grip.
As he stepped away, Sarah had to clutch at her head. She was overcome with distress, and she knew it wasn't entirely her own. Someone nearby was feeling so lost, so desperately anxious and upset, that her natural-born legilimency had picked it up. Their pain mingled with her own, and the agony was so strong she nearly collapsed.
"Wait!" she called to Diego.
She ran the few steps need to catch up with him, lunging at him as he turned around. She kissed him, pouring all her loneliness and desperation into him. Tears fell from her eyes and landed on his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss.
When he finally pulled away, he was out of breath. He pressed his forehead against hers.
"Did you...was that...never mind, I don't really care right now."
And he kissed her again.
*****************
When the three chains disappeared, Barnaby could still see the imprints of them burned into his eyes.
Jacob stalked off, back to bed.
"Thank you," said Elena.
She reached up on her tip toes to kiss him. Barnaby picked her up to meet his lips. She kissed him passionately, and Barnaby thought he might have heard her whisper that she loved him, but he'd never felt more alone in his life.
When she was gone, he pulled up the sleeve of his arm again. The skin was still bare, but he could see the imprints of of the chain there. He went to touch the arm with his fingers, but stopped short, afraid of being burned.