3rd Person Pov
After Harry had escaped from the graveyard with Cedric's body, Voldemort let out an angry scream, sending random sparks from his wand, hitting nearby headstones and some of the Death Eaters.
Voldemort then turned his attention to Raven, who was nearly passed out on the ground. Using his wand, Voldemort lifted Raven up and then slammed him into a nearby headstone. Blood spurted from Raven's mouth as he felt the air deplete from his lungs. Raven's face gave an expressions of pain as he struggled to breath.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Voldemort taunted. "You've been through so much tonight already. I thought you wouldn't mind a little more pain. Especially since you helped Harry escaped...you know you deserve to be punished."
Raven managed to catch his breath, but only for a few seconds before Voldemort yelled, "Crucio!" This was the seventh one he had been hit with tonight, and he felt like it might be his last. It felt like his whole body was going to split in half.
Just let it end, let me die. Raven begged in his mind.
Voldemort raised his wand, ending Raven's pain. "I think you've been punished enough...for now." Voldemort said softly. "You're clearly on the brink of death, I'm surprised you haven't died yet, your will to live is impressive."
But Raven didn't want to live anymore. He knew there was no hope of escaping in his current condition, he could barely move a muscle. "If you're going to kill, then kill me." Raven groaned. "But for the love of Merlin, shut the fuck up. No one wants to hear your evil villain speech."
"Kill you?" Voldemort questioned. "No, I'm not going to kill you." He knelt down to Raven. "Don't you remember me saying that you're my gift to Antonin Dolohov?" He stood back up, turning his back to Raven and walked slowly. "You see, Raven," He turned back to the boy, "Dolohov's going to be the one to kill you. And I'm going to make sure it's very painful for you.
"Once he's free from Azkaban, I shall deliver him to you." Voldemort grinned evilly. "He's going to cut you limb from limb, and laugh in joy at your pain. You will begging him for death! Then, he's going to behead you to finish you off." Voldemort laughed. "Once he's finished with you, we'll put the remains of your body parts into a bag and have it sent...to your mother."
Raven's breath hitched, as his eyes widened. "She's going to open the bag, and we're going to watch in delight as the sight utterly destroys her. It'll be the perfect revenge against your mother for putting Dolohov in Azkaban. She'll either die of grief, end herself, or get so angry she blindly comes after us, which will make her an easy target to finish off. Doesn't that sound wonderful? He laughed as did his fellow Death Eaters that were conscious.
Raven's breathing quickened, as did his heartbeat. He had to get out of here, he had to find a way. C'mon, Raven, you can do this, you can get out of here. He told himself. You have to make it back to Mum, you can't let them do this to her, you have to protect her.
He thought of how Barty Crouch Junior's mother died of grief because of his death, and he wasn't going to let that happen to his mother. And he know believed the vision he had in third year to be true. Dolohov was going to kill her, and he had to do everything to stop it.
Raven's brain began to rapidly think of every way he could get out of here. He wasn't going to let them harm her. He hated seeing her sad, he hated seeing her cry, and he was not going to be the cause of her sorrow.
He then calmed his breathing and his pulse, as he closed his eyes thinking of his mother. This is the way. He told himself. This has to be the only way I can get out of here. You've done it with Mum many times, you can do it yourself. Forget the pain, forget the aching, and think Mum. Remember her, remember her laugh, her smile, her love. Find your way back to her.
All of the Death Eaters had now regained consciousness and formed a circle around Raven and Voldemort. "What are your orders, my Lord?" Lucius asked.
"Take the boy and bring him with us." Voldemort ordered. "Our rein of terror...begins."
"Yes, my Lord." Lucius said as he and Macnair began to walk to Raven.
Raven opened his eyes. "Fuck you!" He flipped them off. "I'm dying on my own terms."
Crack!
Raven Disapparated.
Voldemort blasted the headstone where Raven was with his wand, causing it to explode.
"Not to worry, my Lord." Avery said. "Mordecur will not survive with his wounds."
"Do not underestimate the boy, Avery!" Voldemort hissed, turning to him. "No..." He said softly, looking up at the night sky. "Raven will return."
You continue to surprise me, Raven. Voldemort thought. It's unfortunate...I could have made you into a terrifying Death Eater.
"What's the plan now, my Lord?" Nott asked.
"We switch up the first plan." Voldemort replied. "Instead of using Raven to kill his mother...we use Wren to kill her son." He turned to Lucius. "Which I will leave in your hands, Lucius. You have access in the Ministry, so when the time is right, put Wren Mordecur under the Imperius Curse and have her kill her son...then, let her realize what she's done for only but a moment, then kill her."
"Yes, my Lord." Lucius said. "It will be difficult as that woman is strong, but I will see that it is done."
"Then let us proceed." Voldemort said.
"Thank you, come again." The store clerk, who was working late said as a pink haired woman left the shop.
"I think that's everything." She thought out loud, pocketing her purchased item. "Time to head home." She started walking down Diagon Alley, and before she prepared to Disapparate, a noise interrupted her.
Crack!
Crash!
Nymphadora Tonks instinctively drew out her wand, pointing it to the dark alley where she heard the noise. "Who's there?" She called, but no one answered. "Lumos!" Her wand illuminated the alley, and she saw the boxes that were once stacked had fallen over or were broken.
She saw a silhouette laying on the floor. "Hey, you okay?" She called rushing forward. She turned the person over and she gasped in shock at the site. "Raven..." She quickly grabbed his face. "Raven, hey, say something!"
Tears began to fill her eyes as she frantically checked to see if he was still breathing. Putting a finger under his nose, she found him barely breathing, and when she went to check his wrist for a pulse, she only touched the brick ground.
"Oh my god." Nymphadora gasped when she saw that he had no right arm. "What happened to you?" She stared in shock for a moment before realizing Raven needed her help. "C'mon." She began to lift him, using her wand to alleviate the weight. "I need to get you to St. Mungo's."
She moved as fast as she could, carrying Raven towards The Leaky Cauldron. Tears were falling from her eyes and her pink hair was now fading back to it's original mousy brown. "Stay with me, Raven."
Using her back to burst the door open, Nymphadora entered The Leaky Cauldron, and with haste, went to the fireplace. She managed to grab a handful of floo powder and dropped it saying, "St. Mungo's."
"Help!" Nymphadora cried as she entered St Mungos, gaining the attention of a male and female Healer, who were talking. Their nametags on their chests: Adelaide for the female, and Hunter for the male. "Please help!"
"Oh my god!" Adelaide gasped as she and Hunter ran towards Dora. "What happened?"
"I don't know, I just found him like this." Nymphadora sobbed, and now that she was in better lighting she saw how bad Raven actually was. His skin was pale, and he had blood stains on his robes and face. "Please help him."
"Put him here." Hunter said after he conjured a stretcher. Dora set Raven on the stretcher and they began to move him to the Emergency Ward.
"Patients name?" Adelaide asked.
"Raven Mordecur." Nymphadora replied.
"Are you family?" Adelaide asked.
"Not immediate family, but he's like a little brother to me." Nymphadora replied.
"Does he have any immediate family?" Hunter asked.
"Just his mother." Nymphadora stated.
"Contact her, I'm sure she's worried, and you'll have to remain outside for the time being." Adelaide said as they reached the Emergency Ward. Nymphadora nodded and stopped as they headed in with Raven. She used her wand to conjure a Patronus and sent a message to Wren, and sat outside to wait.
Aunty, please get her quick! Nymphadora thought worried.
Crack!
Wren Apparated in an alley close to St. Mungo's, shortly after receiving Nymphadora's message. She exited the alley and stood before an abandoned department store, with a dummy dressed in outdated styled clothing, who served as the gatekeeper. Wren talked to the dummy, which then allowed her to pass, and Wren walked straight through the window.
Wren ran up to the Receptionist's desk. "Ra-Raven Mordecur?!" She said frantically. "Where's he at?"
"Raven Mordecur was admitted into the Emergency Ward twenty minutes ago." The Receptionist said. Wren wasted no time and ran straight down the hall, ignoring the Receptionist's calls.She saw Nymphadora sitting on a chair waiting just outside the Emergency Ward. "Dora!" Wren called, running up to her.
"Aunty!" Nymphadora gasped, standing up and embracing Wren into a hug when she was within reach. Nymphadora saw how bad Wren looked. Her eyes were still red and puffy, her hair was starting to frizz, and her face was stained with tears.
"How is he?" Wren asked worried.
Nymphadora frowned. "It's bad." She said quietly, looking down.
"I have to see him." Wren said, as she started making her way to the doors.
"No!" Nymphadora objected, pulling Wren back by her arm. "You don't need to see him like this!"
"Please don't stop me, Dora." Wren said firmly. "He's my son, I have to see him." Wren slipped form Nymphadora's arm and went through the doors. Nymphadora knew how heartbroken Wren would feel when she saw Raven, so she followed.
Wren entered the room, seeing the two Healers working on her son. They were using a tube to get potions down Raven's throat, using dittany to heal his wounds and any healing spells with their wands. "Miss, you need to wait outside." Hunter said, noticing Wren.
"Raven." Wren quietly gasped, bringing a hand over her mouth when she how bad her son looked. The Healers had removed the top of his robe to work on his chest. His robes on the side were stained with blood, as was the bandage that was next to it. Raven's skin was pale and he looked exhausted and unhealthy. The thing that shocked Wren the most though, was the fact that his right arm was missing. "Oh, my baby, what have they done to you?"
Wren thought she had shed all tears earlier, but seeing her son like this caused more to break from her eyes. She quickly walked to Raven, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mumma's here."
"Miss, please you need to wait outside while we work." Hunter repeated.
"He's my son!" Wren cried.
"I understand that." Hunter said calmly, raising his hands. "But-"
"Aunty." Nymphadora said softly behind Wren, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let them work, there's nothing you can do for Raven at the moment."
Wren didn't want to leave her son's side. She didn't want to let him out of her sight again. She wanted to keep calling out to him, hoping he'd hear her voice and wake up, but she knew Nymphadora was right. She was not in the right mind to help Raven right now, and she was shaking from head to toe.
"You're right, I'm sorry." Wren said, looking down before returning her gaze to Raven. "Please, just please, help him."
"We'll do everything we can to ensure that he survives." Adelaide said.
"Thank you." Wren said to them both. The Healers gave her a comforting smile and returned to work. Nymphadora then guided Wren back out.
Nymphadora sat Wren down on one of the chairs and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in her own. "Where did you find him?" Wren asked.
"Diagon Alley." Nymphadora replied. "Aunty, he Apparated."
"What?! At his age?" Wren said surprised, gaining a nod from Nymphadora. "Then...his arm, did-did he splinch himself?"
"I don't believe so. His arm was bandaged when I found him. He had no wand on him, and he was unconscious." Nymphadora explained, then frowned. "Someone did this to him."
"Voldemort." Wren whispered.
"What?" Nymphadora questioned.
"When Harry Potter returned with the Triwizard Cup, he said that Voldemort's back." Wren explained. "I'm guessing it was a Portkey, and Raven and Cedric Diggory must've went with him when they touched it. When Harry returned, it was only him along with Cedric's corpse. Raven was no where to be seen."
"A student died?" Nymphadora asked shocked. Wren nodded with frown. "And Raven, Harry just left him?"
"No, he said Raven stayed behind so he could escape." Wren replied. "I believe him as I saw the honesty and regret on his face when he came back. I don't think he wanted to leave Raven, but he had no other choice. I don't know all the details as I didn't stay long enough to find out."
"Where did you go before I contacted you?" Nymphadora asked.
"I went somewhere alone to grieve." Wren replied, averting her eyes from Nymphadora. "I needed to be away from the crowd. You contacted me shortly after."
Nymphadora sat next to Wren rubbing her back to give her comfort while they waited. Then thirty minutes later, Adelaide and Hunter exited the Emergency Ward and walked up to them. "How is he?" Wren asked worried, as her and Nymphadora stood up from their chairs.
"He's stable." Hunter told her. Wren and Nymphadora gave a sigh of relief.
"Your son's lucky to be alive with what his body went through." Adelaide said.
"What do you mean?" Wren asked anxiously.
Adelaide and Hunter looked at each other with frowns, before turning back to Wren. "The Cruciatus Cruse." Wren's and Nymphadora's faces went pale. Tears began forming in Wren's eyes once again.
Raven was tortured? Voldemort tortured my baby? Wren thought.
"I'm sorry." Adelaide said sincerely, as Nymphadora embraced Wren into a hug, rubbing her back. Wren was sobbing thinking of how much pain Raven went through.
"Can we see him?" Nymphadora asked, still comforting Wren.
"Yes, though, he's not awake." Hunter said. "We don't know when or...if he'll wake. The rest is up to him."
"And unless either of you two know where his arm is at, he'll be without one till it's replaced." Adelaide said.
"I'll take care of that when the time comes." Wren said turning back to them. "Thank you for helping him." The two Healers gave them both a smile.
Wren and Nymphadora went into the room and straight to Raven. "Hey there, Little Bird." Wren said softly, caressing his face. He looked a little better than he did earlier. Some color had returned to his face, and the bandage around where his arm was severed had been replaced. He had stopped bleeding as the bandage was now white instead of red. He was also dressed in more comfortable clothes.
Wren grabbed his only hand, bringing it to her lips and kissing it. "Please come back to me soon, baby." She whispered. "It breaks my heart to see you like this."
"I should go and tell the school about Raven." Nymphadora said, brushing Raven's hair with her hand. She then turned to Wren "Will you be fine here by yourself while I go?"
"Yeah, I'll be okay at most." Wren said with her eyes still on Raven. "I'm not leaving his side." Nymphadora had never seen Wren look so fragile. It was like one wrong word or move and she would shatter into pieces.
Nymphadora walked over to Wren and brought her into a loving hug. "I love you, Aunty."
"I love you too, Dora." Wren said returning the hug. "Thank you for saving him."
"He'll be okay." Nymphadora assured her, separating from the hug. "He's strong, just like his mum." A small smile crept on Wren's lips. She was feeling anything but strong right now. She felt useless and hopeless. She wanted to take her son's pain away, she wanted him to wake up, but all she could do was wait. "I'll be back shortly." Wren nodded. Nymphadora kissed her forehead before leaving.
When Nymphadora left, a thought popped into Wren's mind. Alastor, why didn't you stay by my side? Alastor Moody never left her side when Qrow died, but when she thought she lost her son, he wasn't there to comfort her...he didn't say a single word to her. The conversation she had with her son about Moody acting different worried her. Did something happen to him?
Some time later, Andromeda had made it to St. Mungo's and after talking with the Receptionist, she ran to the Janus Thickey Ward on the fourth floor where Raven had been moved to. She entered the room where Raven was and her eyes fell on Wren, who was sitting beside him, holding his left hand.
"Wren!" Andromeda called, running up to her.
"Andy!" Wren gasped as Andromeda embraced her into a hug.
"Don't fly off on me like that ever again!" Andromeda sobbed. "I was so worried about you."
"I'm sorry, Andy. I needed to be alone for a bit." Wren said, and they separated. "I didn't mean to worry you."
"How is he?" Andromeda asked looking to Raven.
"Nothing's changed." Wren replied. "Did Dora fill you in?"
"Yeah, she told me he Apparated, and that he's in a coma." Andromeda said. "I'm so relieved to see him alive."
"You and me both." Wren said. "Do you know what happened?"
"I don't know what Raven and Harry went through, no." Andromeda replied. "But I do know how it happened." Wren widened her eyes and looked to Andromeda to continue. Andromeda brought a chair and sat next to Wren.
"The Alastor Moody that was teaching all year was an imposter." Andromeda explained. "It was Barty Crouch Jr., who used a Polyjuice Potion to pose as Alastor."
"What? I thought he was dead?" Wren questioned.
"Everyone did." Andromeda said. "But he wasn't, though he's suffered a fate worse than death, as Fudge gave him the Dementor's kiss and he's denying that the Voldemort is back."
"You gotta be kidding me." Wren groaned. "He's actually doing nothing about it?" Andromeda nodded. "He's going to get people killed doing this."
"I know, but, Dumbledore's reformed the Order." Andromeda stated. "Will you be rejoining it?"
"I will, these bastards will pay for what they did." Wren replied. "But right now I'm going to focus on Raven. I'm not going anywhere until he's awake and recovered. I'll have Dora fill me in on anything important."
"She's with Dumbledore as we speak." Andromeda said. "He'll likely tell her everything Harry told him, so we'll know what happened."
"Good, I need to know what he went through." Wren said. "Though, I'm almost scared to hear it. I know from what the Healers said and what I saw, Raven was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse and-," Andromeda gasped at Wren words, and Wren got up and walked around to the other side of Raven, "-he lost his right arm." She removed the covers, showing Raven's state.
"Oh my god." Andromeda said shocked, bringing her hands over her mouth. Wren covered him back up then went to sit down. Andromeda held Wren's hand, as they sat there waiting.
The room was silent for a whole hour before the door to Raven's room opened. Nymphadora, Ted, Alastor, and Dumbledore entered. Wren and Andromeda turned their attention to them.
Wren pulled her wand out and pointed it straight at Alastor. Alastor held his hands up. "Aunty, it's him." Nymphadora said.
"It's me, Wren." Moody said.
"Prove it!" Wren growled. She wasn't taking any more chances. "What were Raven's first words?"
"Constant Vigilance." Moody replied.
"How did I come up with his nickname?"
"Your lullaby."
"And what did you stop me from doing the night Qrow died?"
"I stopped you from using the Killing Curse on Antonin Dolohov."
"It really is you." Wren gasped, lowering her wand. She got up and Moody walked to her.
"I'm sorry." He said, pulling her into a hug. "It's all my fault."
"I don't blame you one bit, Alastor." Wren sobbed into his chest. "And I'm sure Raven wouldn't either. I should've noticed that it wasn't you." She pulled away.
"Well, your son certainly did." Moody said.
"What do you mean?" Wren asked confused.
"He figured out the other me was an imposter." Moody replied. "The night he was chosen as a champion, he tested him, asking him questions only I would know...but Crouch wiped Raven's memory of the event, so he managed to get away with it."
"If that bastard didn't already have his soul sucked out, I'd punch him in the nose so hard he'd look like Voldemort." Wren growled.
Moody gave a small chuckle at her joke. "Don't worry, Wren, Raven will be back, and those responsible will get what's coming to them."
"Yeah, I'll make sure of it." Wren said coldly, then turned her attention to Dumbledore. "And you!" She marched up to him. "Why didn't you do anything about it? Why did you let him compete?"
"There was nothing I could do." Dumbledore replied calmly.
"Bullshit!" Wren yelled. "I fought and I begged for Raven to be taken out of the tournament everyday before the first task. And what did you do? Not a damn thing!"
"The Goblet of Fire tied him to a binding magical contract." Dumbledore said.
"There's always loopholes to contracts!" Wren snapped. "It is your job-" She jabbed his chest with her finger, "-to ensure your students are safe! Yet, looked what happened. My son's in a coma with an arm missing, Harry Potter is likely traumatized, Cedric Diggory is dead, and Voldemort has returned."
"Even I'm prone to making mistakes, Wren." Dumbledore said.
"I understand that." Wren sighed. "But every year since he's started going to Hogwarts, Raven and his friend have been the ones who end up going through traumatic events at the end of the year. It's not the students job to protect the school, it's the staff's job, your job!"
Dumbledore looked down, understanding what she meant. "I need you to promise me, promise me you and the staff will do a better job at keeping your students safe." Wren said desperately. "Shit like this can't keep happening every year, and if it does, I will take Raven out of Hogwarts."
"I'm not sure he'd like that." Dumbledore said.
"I know." Wren said quietly. "He loves it there, he's made wonderful friends, and I want him to finish his education, but...I'm not going to lose him again."
"You won't." Dumbledore said assuringly. "I promise you, Wren, I will do better at keeping the students safer to the best of my ability."
"That's all I ask." Wren said. "Which also means keeping your pet snake on a leash." Dumbledore knew who she meant. "I know Snape despises my son because of me. He's a child in an adult's body who can't get over a grudge from what happened during our time at Hogwarts. He needs to grow up. If he hurts my son in any way...I won't hesitate to hurt him back."
"I shall let him know." Dumbledore said. "I've reformed the Order, and I'm assuming you're rejoining?"
"I am." Wren said. "But, I'm not going anywhere until Raven's recovered."
"I understand." Dumbledore said.
Wren gave him a nod then walked back over to her chair and sat down. "Do Raven's friends know he's alive?" She asked.
"Not yet." Dumbledore said. "I'm planning on telling the school news about Raven during the final feast."
"Good, I know they're worried." Wren said. "Now, tell me what happened to Raven when he faced Voldemort."
"Are you sure you're ready to hear it?" Dumbledore questioned.
"It doesn't matter if I am or not." Wren said firmly. "I have to know."
"Very well." Dumbledore said.
After telling her everything Harry told him, Wren sat up shocked. "Six times?!" Wren exclaimed. "He got tortured by the Cruciatus Curse six times?" She put her hands in her hair and began pacing. It was unknown to anyone but Raven that he had suffered through it seven times.
"Will he even remember who any of us are?!" Wren wept. "Will he even remember himself?"
"I do not think your son will be entirely the same when he wakes." Dumbledore said calmly. "But I do know that he will remember who he and all of you are. Harry said his powers protected him against both the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperius Curse."
"So you mean-"
"Yes, I'm more than confident your son will be fine." Dumbledore said. "But he will likely be traumatized by what he went through, so he'll need your full support to get through it."
"That goes without question." Wren stated.
"I must get back to the school and inform the staff." Dumbledore said getting up. "I wish your son a quick recovery."
"Thank you, Dumbledore." Wren said with a smile.
Dumbledore left and Andromeda spoke. "Wren, you should go home and get some rest."
"What? No! I'm not leaving his side." Wren denied.
"Have you seen a mirror lately?" Moody questioned. "No offense, but you look like shit." Andromeda pulled a hand mirror from her bag and faced it towards Wren.
Wren widened her eyes at her own appearance. There were bags under her red and puffy eyes, and her hair was a complete mess, she looked almost unrecognizable. "Go home and get some rest, Wren." Moody said. "I'll watch over Raven for you. It's the least I can do for what's happened. I'll contact you immediately if something changes."
"You can't help Raven if you don't help yourself first, Aunty." Nymphadora said, putting a hand on Wren's shoulder.
"You're right, it's just-" Wren said turning her attention to Raven, "-I'm afraid if I let him out of my sight, he'll disappear on me again."
"We won't let that happen, I promise you." Nymphadora said. "I'll stay here with Raven as well."
"I'll be here too." Ted said.
"And I'll help you home, and make you something to help you sleep." Andromeda said softly.
Wren smile at all of them. "Thank you, all of you." She walked over to Raven. "I'll be back soon, Little Bird." She kissed his forehead. "I love you."
Wren headed back to her house with Andromeda, and while she showered, Andromeda made her a Calming Draught along with a Dreamless Sleep Potion to help her sleep.
While in the shower, Wren thought of the names of the Death Eaters that were at the graveyard. Malfoy, Macnair, Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, and of course Wormtail.
They were there while my son was tortured. She thought. They were there watching him in pain, probably laughing at it. She clenched her fists against the shower wall. She wanted to make them pay, hurt them back, but with how Fudge is going to go about things, she needed to be careful. She couldn't risk doing anything rash and lose her job, and with the fact that she was a big target for Voldemort.
Voldemort was planning on using Raven to get to her, but that plan got foiled. It was clear that Voldemort was going to come after them again. He had his Death Eaters in disguise at his disposal to do his deeds.
If one of them got to her because of her being blinded by rage, she'd be leaving Raven behind. She'd couldn't do that to him, she wasn't going leave her son behind, he'd feel so alone without her.
She wanted to protect him, but she wasn't going to lose herself or her life along the way. So she decided that she'd avoid those she wanted revenge on and focus on staying alive for Raven. If the opportunity came to her though, she'd make them suffer.
She was going to make sure her and Raven would get through this. She wasn't going to lose someone she loved again because of war. There was still hope.
After the shower, Wren willingly took the potions Andromeda made for her and fell into slumber immediately.