It was a tense few weeks. The trio spent half their time on Downey Street, spying as much as they could, and the other half at Chequers Court, plotting their rescue mission and trying to avoid detection from the Death Eaters. Sarah had sent a Patronus to Kingsley to warn him of the eminent attack, but as she'd had no response, they were proceeding under the assumption there would be little help from the Order.
Though Sarah wasn't sure how to act around him (what did you say to someone who had possessed you?), Jacob did much to improve Merula's temperament. She was so happy to have him back that she nearly forgot to be horrible.
"How is your hunt for those horcrux things going?" she'd asked him, once they were safely back at the hotel.
"Brilliant," he said stiffly. "In fact, I've destroyed them all. Killed bloody You-Know-Who as well on the way up here. Figured I had time to waste, so I might as well keep you two from killing yourselves over the muggle minister."
"Going that well, huh?" asked Sarah.
"I do actually have a new lead. While I did come to help you two, I'm also interested in the Malfoys."
"You think they might be hiding a horcrux?"
"Nah. They might've been in You-Know-Who's inner circle during the first war, but they're on the outs now. Figure your mum's right about this mission being a punishment, Merula. But, Narcissa Malfoy's sister is another story. From what I've heard, Bellatrix Lestrange has moved up to You-Know-Who's number two. If he's entrusted a horcrux to any of his Death Eaters, it'd be her."
"Or Snape," said Sarah bitterly, her mouth curling into a sneer at the mention of his name. "He's proven to be a pretty devout follower. Maybe there's a bit of You-Know-Who's soul hidden at Hogwarts."
Jacob shook his head. "Too risky. Dumbledore would've found it."
While Merula amused herself with Jacob in a separate room in the evenings, Sarah would usually lie in bed and chat with Barnaby. He still wouldn't tell her where he was, but every night he would let her stay in his mind a little longer, sharing memories.
Where are you? she would ask every night, and every night he'd give her some ridiculous answer.
In Paris, he told her the night of December 23rd. On top of the I Fall Tower.
Eiffel Tower, she corrected, doing her best to spell the word out through images of letters.
That makes more sense, he replied. "I Fall" is probably not the best name for a tower.
She chuckled. I might not be around tomorrow.
I guess I can't ask why...Will you be safe?
She stared up at the ceiling. Not many safe places left in England. But I'll be careful.
I wish I could help you.
You are. It makes everything easier knowing that you are safe.
I am.
Her smile was broken by a yawn. She sensed his amusement as he told her,
Goodnight, Sarah.
Though she didn't want to leave him, she knew she should get some sleep before their plans for tomorrow.
Goodnight, B.
********************
They arrived to Chequers early the following morning. The air was bitter cold and their visibility was low due to the frost and fog that covered everything around them.
"Alright, we'll do a sweep to add protective enchantments, then meet back here," said Jacob, once they had all disillusioned themselves.
"I still think this is a dumb idea," muttered Merula.
She and Jacob had been of the belief that taking measures to protect the muggle guards and employees around the estate would do nothing but alert the Death Eaters to their presence, but Sarah had insisted. They weren't just trying to save the minister, but all lives from being taken by the Death Eaters.
So, they split up and looked for areas to place protective enchantments. It was a beautiful place, Sarah thought, as she circled the extensive grounds. There were tall hills and trees in the background, and the large house standing before her like a castle. The Labrador in her wanted to go for a run across the perfectly manicured grass, but she held it at bay.
"Looks like someone else has done the work for us," said Merula, once they had reunited. "Every muggle I came across already had some spells on them."
"Same here," said Jacob. "Aside from making the place unplottable, pretty much every protective spell I can think of has been cast on this place."
"That'll be Kingsley and the Order," said Sarah. "Let's hope they got my patronus and we'll have some more backup for tonight."
"If he had, why didn't he say anything?" asked Merula.
"Maybe he was worried we were being watched."
Jacob glanced around, then said, "Shall we go inside then?"
The Prime Minister had upped security around the house recently. They'd learned in the weeks they'd been preparing for the attack the the muggles blamed the Death Eater attacks on muggle serial killers or a secret terrorist organization. Apparently, there was even a curfew, though Sarah didn't think it was being enforced very well. There were still several people who frequenting the city streets at night.
Still, it proved easy enough to enter the house. All it took was the disillusionment charm, alohomora on the door, and a confundus charm on the man who'd seen the door open. Now, they were playing the waiting game. They all believed the Death Eaters wouldn't turn up until the dead of night, but it'd be foolish to assume such and not arrive at the estate until after the prime minister was dead.
The minister and his family were the only ones at the estate at the moment, apart from the security and staff--and Sarah and the others, of course. The children were all adult age, and they seemed nearly as anxious as the minister himself.
The kitchen staff prepared an elaborate dinner for the family. After, they exchanged a few presents around the large Christmas tree in the main sitting room, and went to be rather early. It donned on Sarah, once the house was dark and quiet, how few three people were. How could she and the others protect such a large house with so many entrances and exits, from at least six killers?
After a bit of whispered arguing, Jacob agreed to go upstairs to guard the minister and his family, while Sarah and Merula waited in the sitting room by the fire. Sarah was glad the minister's children were grown. If they were younger, they might have slipped downstairs to spy on Father Christmas coming down the chimney. What a nasty surprise they would have received.
Hours passed. The house was so deadly quiet, Sarah occasionally wondered if she'd gone deaf. But then, Merula would make some noise of impatience, causing Sarah to jump out of her skin.
Sarah waited on the far end of the room while Merula crunched by the fireplace. The plan was to cut off both exits, trapping the Death Eaters with them. As each minute passed, Sarah could feel the tightening of her chest, the quick beating of her heart. She was afraid.
She was afraid that three young wizards weren't enough to keep the evil at bay--that tonight, more than one innocent person would die. She was afraid that she would die tonight, without doing enough to stop this war, without telling the people she loved most how she felt. She was afraid the Death Eaters would take her and torture her like they had Barnaby, and that she wouldn't resist the pain and pressure like he had.
She wondered if Jacob and Merula were as frightened as her. She thought about speaking up and asking, if only to break the silence that was threatening to drive her mad. But then, the low flames in the fireplace rose. The fire turned from orange do bright green.
Sarah sucked in her breath as, one by one, six figures dressed in their black robes and donning their skeletal masks crouched under the fireplace mantle and stepped into the room. Sarah took cover behind the couch, watching. Each Death Eater had his or her wand raised as they surveyed their surroundings.
"Go on, Lucius," one of them whispered.
One of the Death Eaters stepped forward. No, Sarah thought. You all need to come through together. She remained still, as Malfoy took a few slow steps forward.
"Ahhh!"
As his left foot stepped on Jacob's invisible trap, Malfoy was hoisted to the air by his ankle to hover inches above the ceiling, swinging like the pendulum on a grandfather clock.
"Attack!" Drystan yelled.
Sarah and Merula stood up to defend themselves, but two of the Death Eaters had already escaped through the fireplace as soon as Malfoy had screamed. Merula stunned another Death Eater as Sarah fired spells at the remaining two. One fell to her knees, bound by invisible ropes, but Sarah also fell to her back after being hit by the other's knockback jinx.
By the time she stood back up, Drystan had conjured a bridge over the trap on the floor and freed Selene, who was keeping Merula busy.
"Evanesco!" Sarah shouted.
The bridge vanished, but Drystan was able to leap at the last second and land inches in front of the trap.
"Avarda Kedavra!"
She managed to jump out of the way of the killing curse, but in doing so she had made way for Drystan to proceed toward the second floor.
"Spellman!" Merula shouted.
The stunned Death Eater had been revived and was now dueling Merula along with Selene. Sarah glanced back the way Drystan had gone, swearing.
They're coming upstairs! Sarah shouted in Jacob's mind before running around the trap to help Merula.
"Watch it!" Sarah shouted, ducking as she was nearly hit by a killing curse Merula had meant for Selene.
Selene spun around to face Sarah. She raised her wand, but had to use a shield charm to block Sarah's stunning spell.
" You again!" she shouted, resorting to defensive spells as Sarah attacked. "We've been most eager to run into you!"
Sarah didn't bother to answer, she just kept firing spells at Selene. She had to hurry and put at least one of these Death Eaters out of commission so she could help Jacob defend the minister.
"Mother!" she heard Merula shout. "Mother, it's me! It's Merula!"
"Merula?" said the shortest Death Eater, her voice taught with shock. Then, "So you are a traitor after all!"
The four women battled on. Several expensive items in the room shattered, blasted by rebounding spells. The noise was horrendous. Sarah hoped putting the muggles inside the house in an enchanted sleep was a good idea; they wouldn't be alerted and come down to investigate, but they were also helpless if they were discovered.
Could use some help up here! Jacob's voice sounded.
In a minute!
Sarah had managed to get around Selene so that the Death Eater's back was to the trap. If she could just force her to take a few steps back...
"You're the one responsible for tainting my son's mind, aren't you?" Selene yelled. "We thought it must be that girl he was living with--"
Selene had to jump to the side to avoid Sarah's tongue-tying curse. Apparently, she had a lot to say and she wouldn't be dissuaded. Sarah hoped she could use this to her advantage. Just a step or two backwards now.
"You knew how powerful the Lee name is, so you sought to corrupt his heart and mind from an early age like the snake you are!"
"Your son is above corruption, despite your best efforts!" Sarah shouted.
"Mum, please!" Merula shouted.
"I'm not your mother! You are no daughter of mine!"
"Once I kill you, Barnaby will realize there's nothing left for him to fight us for. He'll rejoin his family and resume his place on the right side of history!" yelled Selene.
Sarah was too busy watching Selene's feet to see her next curse fly. She screamed as she was hit in the face by some kind of stinging hex. She felt as if her face was on fire, and her watering eyes swelled to the point of blindness. She dove to the side in a vain attempt to block Selene's next and final spell against her, but then she heard Selene yell. She heard cursing above her, suggesting she had fallen back into the trap at last.
Sarah stumbled around the side of the room, feeling at the walls, trying to avoid the trap herself and get a safe distance from Merula and her mother so she could dispel the hex on her face.
She cried out as someone grabbed her by the shoulder, but the next moment she felt as if water were being poured over her face. The pain stopped and she could clearly see Kingsley Shacklebolt pulling her aside.
Burying down her words of gratitude, she told him, "Drytsan Lee's gone up to the minister!"
"I know!"
Between the three of them, Merula's mother was no match. Before Kinglsey's stunning spell hit her though, she accidentally triggered the trap and was hoisted up toward the ceiling to swing and knock against the other two bodies.
"Upstairs," said Kingsley at once, and the two girls followed him from the room, Merula hesitating only a moment as she watched her mom dangling and kicking at her invisible bindings.
Kingsley obviously knew the way. He led them straight to the Minister's bedroom. His wife was nowhere to be seen, but the minister lay in bed, quite still. He could have been asleep, apart from his eyes, which were wide open and frozen in terror.
"No," Sarah muttered, stepping forward involuntarily. She nearly tripped over another body as she did. Jacob was lying sideways on the ground.
"Jacob!" Merula shrieked, bending over him.
"He's only petrified," said Kingsley. He waved his wand, and Jacob instantly sat up, knocking his head with Merula's as he did.
"Oww!"
"Where's the minister's wife?" asked Kingsley at once.
"Locked her in the bathroom. Where are the Malfoy's?"
"One of them's caught in your trap," said Sarah. "Where's Lee?"
Jacob pointed to the open window before jumping to his feet and sprinting from the room.
Sarah gave a last sickened glance at the minister's body before running to the window and leaping out of it. She heard Kingsley call her name, but it was too late.
"Arresto momentum!" she shouted, slowing her fall at the last second. She still thudded to the ground quite hard, spraining an ankle. She hobbled on as quickly as she could. Lee could not get away.
"Drystan Lee!" she shouted.
"Well, if it isn't Dumbledore's nameless soldier again. I've been hoping to run into you."
Sarah moved as quickly as she could toward the sound of the voice, and soon Drystan came into view. Jacob must have given him a run for his money. He was moving slow, as if in a lot of pain, and a large gash bled on the side of his face.
"Expuslo!" Sarah shouted, thrusting her wand at Drystan.
Her spell landed short. A five foot piece of ground exploded, sending chunks of dirt in all directions and obscuring Drystan in a cloud of dust and smoke. Sarah had to dive out of the way of the debris, and when she looked up again, it was to see Drystan standing over her, his wand pointed in her face.
Sarah tried to wave her wand, but Drystan batted it out of her hand.
"I'll enjoy killing you. I hoped I'd be able to tell Barnaby I was the one who ended you, just before I kill him too."
There was a loud Crack! And Sarah stumbled forward as Drystan disappeared.
"What...?"
But then she glanced behind her and saw the Kingsley and Merula were running toward her.
"Damn!" growled Kingsley.
"I'm sorry," said Sarah. She didn't just mean about Drystan escaping. "Where...where's Jacob?"
"He ran off after Malfoy," said Merula. "They must have freed themselves from the trap, and the idiot grabbed hold of Malfoy's cloak just as he disapparated."
"What?!"
"But not before they put up that," said Kingsley, gesturing above them. Sarah glanced up to see the ghostly green light forming the Dark Mark above the house. Death had been dealt in Voldemort's name once more. "I'll get that down. You two help me with damage control. We need to make sure no muggle has seen the mark or remembers it."
Sarah supposed it had been a good thing that nearly every muggle in the area had been magically put to sleep. She spent over two hours looking for any muggles who might have seen the Dark Mark, but found no one.
By the time she returned to Chequers, Merula had also returned, and the mark no longer hung in the sky. But that didn't change what had happened. Despite their best efforts, a man had died.
And the killers had gotten away.