Chapter 21
Rescue Unfolded
Without any further hesitation I rushed into the study, where both Aunt Becky and Uncle Richard were.
"They're in trouble!" I panted. "Harry, Ron, Morgan, Hermione... they are walking into a trap and about the be attacked by Death Eaters!"
Aunt Becky looked at me horrified. "What? How do you know this?"
"Lenora told me... just now in the fireplace. I guess she could be lying, I don't know... it's Lenora, but she could be telling the truth and if she is, they're all walking right into a trap as we speak!"
"Did she say where?" Uncle Richard asked in a more level tone.
I glanced down for a moment to recall. "The Department of Mysteries."
He glanced at Aunt Becky before saying, "That makes sense. We know You-Know-Who is after a prophecy located there."
We heard a pop from the fireplace in the living and all rushed there. Mrs. Brody had entered apparently with Floo Powder.
"Becky..."
"Is it true?" she demanded before Mrs. Brody could finish. "Are the kids in trouble?"
She nodded. "Severus came and told us Harry believes Sirius is in trouble, but Sirius is with us right now. It's a trap, Becky!"
Uncle Richard nodded towards both of them. "We have to go, quickly."
"Don't worry, Melanie," Aunt Becky said to me, gently but firm. "We'll take care of this. We will get your friends to safety."
"What... You can't expect me to wait here!" I stammered in an outrage. "Not while people I care about are in trouble!"
"Oh Melanie," she said in a doleful breath. "It's just too..."
"What... dangerous? Isn't that why I've been working so hard on defense magic this year? For times like this!" I declared firmly. "I cannot... will not wait idly aside and do nothing. You know I won't."
"Melanie..."
"And Morgan... he's the first person I've felt this way about... if something were to happen to him and I wasn't there... I have to fight sometime. You can't protect me from everything for the rest of my life."
Aunt Becky took in a breath and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Okay."
For a moment, I could not move, I was so taken aback. "Wait... really?"
She smiled and glanced at Uncle Richard who appeared just as shocked.
"Really?" He questioned with a raised brow.
"Yes," she insisted, firmly, looking between him and me. "You've seen what he has learned to do since she came back. Richard, she can do spells we both struggled with at her age. She's just as advanced, if not more so, than some of the Aurors we work with now. We need her."
I saw Aunt Becky's eyes began to glisten with tears and started to feel my own warm up. It would be one thing if she merely allowed me to come because I insisted. But it became more than that. She claimed she needed me to help them fight. She believed in me.
I hugged her tightly. When my gaze fell to Mrs. Brody and smiled and said, "My son is lucky to have met you."
Aunt Becky looked into my eyes intently and asked me, "Are you ready for this, Melanie?"
I nodded eagerly. "More than ever."
xXx
We were instantly attacked the moment we arrived at the Department of Mysteries. I managed to fight off the ones that attacked me but soon found myself separated in an isolated hallway.
I slowly walked through with a firm grip on my wand, breathing heavily. I could barely see ahead. The building was made of sleek black tire. I wanted to use my wand for light but that would make it too easy for Death Eaters to spot me.
For a while, there was only silence, just the sound of my own breath, but then my ears caught sound of someone else's breath. It was more short and staggered, like a wounded animal. I picked up my pace and followed the sound. I walked into a nook at the end of the hall and found Morgan pressed against the wall. He looked pale, as though he grew ill.
"Morgan!" I knelt beside him.
"Melanie," he panted. "How did..."
"Lenora told me where you guys went," I answered, "and she told me it was mostly likely a trap. But don't worry. The Order came with me, including your mom. Everything's going to be okay."
Morgan sat up straighter. "Lenora... she actually came to you for help?"
I shrugged and gave him a twisted grin. "You were wrong about her. She wasn't going after you to get closer to me. She actually does genuinely care about you. Luckily right now, that worked in our favor seeing as she helped me get to you."
He shook his head and inched away.
I frowned. "Morgan's what's wrong?"
"You need to get away from me!" he insisted, breathing heavily once again. "You have to go, Melanie. It's not safe around me!"
"What do you mean? Morgan, what happened?"
He raised his left arm. Right above his wrists were two tiny dots that appeared like bite marks.
"Mars Lane... he's a vampire. Fully transformed, vampire."
I gasped, throwing my hand over my mouth. That's what Lenora was trying to warn me about.
"He bit you?"
He nodded, letting out a hollow chuckle. "Maybe if he knew his daughter fancied me, he'd have gone easier."
"I doubt that," I muttered trying to get my thoughts together. "He just bit you once, right? That means you're only infected. You have to die to fully transform."
I wished I paid better attention during our lessons on vampires. Not many of them exist so I did not find it necessary at the time.
"Melanie, please," Morgan pleaded. "Get away... I'm feeling... hungry..."
I shook my head and placed my arms on him. "I won't leave you no matter..."
My right hand got too close. Morgan's teeth sunk into my wrist. His eyes widened at what happened.
"Melanie..."
I looked at the blood on my hand, breathing in slowly. "Morgan... Mars Lane didn't actually murder you, right?"
His head sunk but he still managed give me one shake. "No, but it's a full moon. Those infected with vampire venom can infect others..."
I really should have paid attention during class. My veins began to tingle. I could actually feel my own blood flowing through my body. My skin started to feel cold but it was not a bad feeling.
Morgan still had his distraught 'What have I done' look on his face but I knew there was no time.
"Morgan, listen to me," I said, firmly. "We have to go. The others need us, so pull yourself together and get up!"
"Melanie, do you even understand what's happening to us?"
"Yeah, we're infected, but not transformed so as long as we stay alive then we're good."
He continued to look at me in disbelief.
"Fine," I declared standing up. "If you won't help me then you can just wait here. I'm going to help save our friends!"
As soon as I started walking I heard him behind me.
"Feeling better?" I asked.
"I think so," he said with a softer pant in his voice. "I think it was just the shock. You're handling it way better."
I could still feel my blood tingle. It felt as though my skin could sense everything nearby without touching. I did feel lightheaded but oddly stronger. I just hope I do not get hungry...
"They need us now," I stated, simply. "There's no time for freak-outs."
"You're right, but now I'm kind of worried your aunt is going to kill me."
I shook my head and chuckled. "Nah, she's well familiar with things in this world so she won't kill you. She might yell at you a bit and maybe send you a howler for a Christmas card but she won't kill you. Now my mum... she might kill you."
Morgan forced a laugh.
We heard crashing from another room and both rushed towards it.
"That's where all the prophecies are kept," Morgan informed me.
"That's what they want," I recalled from earlier.
We found everyone else had already met up. Harry fought aside Sirius and Lupin. Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville were nearby. With the Order, our side seemed to have the upper hand.
I saw Aunt Becky blast a Death Eater against the wall, but another prepared to attack her from behind. Without a second thought, I raised my wand, blasting him. The spell felt even stronger than before.
Aunt Becky rushed over to me. "Melanie!"
I quickly embraced her and shot a spell at another Death Eater.
"Nice one!" She said with a beam as she fired another spell against a Death Eater behind me.
"You too," I replied with a grin.
We continued to fight. I stayed by her side. I saw Morgan had gone over to fight beside his mother.
"If we can just pin them all down, then they'll be arrested," Aunt Becky said to me.
"Then let's take them all down," I agreed, pointing my wand towards Mars Lane, "one by one."
Before he had a chance to react, I shot him down.
"That was impressive!" She exclaimed, pride filled in her voice. "He's one of the quicker ones."
I smirked. "I'm quick too."
My wand still raised, I did not think about the blood dripping down my wrist. Aunt Becky's eyes widened at the sight.
"Melanie," she started to ask slowly, "What happened?"
I quickly lowered my hand. "It's not that b... we can discuss it later, okay."
She tilted her head and started to shake it. "Melanie..."
"Seriously, later is better. Trust me, I'm fine."
I could still see the distress in her expression but she nodded. "Later."
We continued to fight. Lucius Malfoy had lost the prophecy so desperately desired. After it shattered on the ground, it seemed we were about to win. One Death Eater still fought especially fierce. Bellatrix Lestrange. I remembered her from the article about escaped Death Eaters. Sirius had told me he was her cousin.
She attacked Sirius but he held his ground. His attacks were strong. He even taunted her a few times. Bellatrix continued to shoot blast at him but her first two missed. The third, however, hit him right in the chest. He slowly fell back, vanishing behind a veil.
I felt my chest tighten as I heard Aunt Becky draw in a choked breath.
"What happened to him?" I asked in a hushed tone. "Where did he go?"
Aunt Becky shook her head. "He's... he's gone, Melanie."
My breaths sharpened. "What? What do you... he can't be..."
Lupin tried to restrain an enraged Harry, but he broke free and went after Bellatrix Lestrange. Despite Aunt Becky's protest, I ran after him. I could not let Harry go after her alone.
As I got closer, I could hear her chants, 'I killed Sirius Black.' By the time I reached them, Harry had his wand pointed at her.
"Crucio!"
The spell merely gave her a startle rather than torture. She informed him one who uses the Crutiatus curse must mean it and take pleasure from it.
I shot a blast at her but she was too quick. Her retaliating spell knocked me to the ground. Harry rushed over to me.
"Melanie, you need to get out of here, please. I can't lose anyone else."
"You won't," I insisted as he helped me up. "We can take her. It's two against one."
We prepared to fight but Harry suddenly lashed out in pain, clutching his forehead.
"Harry?"
"He's here!" Harry gasped, still in agony.
I did not need to ask who he meant. Within the next moment, Voldemort himself emerged. Harry remained in such pain he could not get up. I gripped my wand.
"Nicely done, Bellatrix," he said, barely shooting her a glance. "You have proven your loyalty."
His deadly eyes moved to me.
Before he could speak, I gritted, "You haven't won yet, Voldemort."
He appeared slightly started to hear his own name. I tried to appear brave, but my heart started racing the moment those words left my lips.
Voldemort chuckled. "Oh how like your father you are. I suppose I owe you the same deal I gave him. Join me."
I lifted my wand. "I'd rather die fighting you."
His deadly arm raised his own wand. "That can easily be arranged."
This was the moment, the very same moment Andre had, his last moment. He fought until the very end. Now, it appeared I just might mirror the same fate.
I took in a final breath, while my entire body chilled. "Expeliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green light passed my spell, coming right for me, but it did not hit me. Instead the deadly spell passed me, claiming another victim. I turned and felt tears boil in my eyes once I saw the body on the ground. It was Aunt Becky.
My body grew heavier and heavier as I dragged my feet towards her. This could not be real. I kept blinking as I knelt down beside my aunt. I reached my arm out to touch hers but it felt stiff and cold. I felt tears filling up but they froze, blinding my vision. No part of me could move. Nothing would ever be the same.