~Wren~
At the Hog's Head, Albus pulled out a very large bag of Floor powder. "The pub is called the Withered Warlock," he said softly, though other than the bartender (who seemed to be asleep), we were the only ones in the pub. "Keep your cloak hoods up; we don't know who might be there to recognize us."
"Will it be open this late?" I asked.
Albus nodded. "It's a pub, Wren. Of course it will. I think it's open all night for travelers, anyway."
I sighed. Mr. Potter hadn't shown up yet, and I was starting to get worried that no one would notice we were gone until it was too late.
"I'll go first," Albus was saying. "Then Wren, then you." Astra nodded seriously, and I didn't bother arguing. Obviously, they wouldn't trust me to go first, or last, for fear that I might just leave, or apparate away as soon as I had the chance. Astra still had my wand, or I might have already tried apparating home to ask Mrs. Potter for help. As it was, I didn't have much choice except to follow Albus into the flames.
The pub we emerged in was quite a different scene than the Hog's Head. The noise was the first thing I noticed: compared to the near deathly silence we'd come from, this rowdy chatter and laughter seemed uproariously loud. Wizards and witches were gathered at the bar and around tables scattered about the room, all too caught up in their own conversations to take notice of the three shady-looking teenagers who had just flooed in. There were two fireplaces brightening the room, as well as a multitude of candles above our heads. The whole place glowed warmly and cheerfully, and almost put me at ease, but I just pulled the hood of my cloak down a little lower. I didn't recognize anyone immediately, but that didn't mean anything at all; any of these people could have worked for my uncle.
Luckily, I didn't have to bug Astra and Albus about not being recognized. They had also pulled their hoods down, shadowing their faces, and Albus was starting to weave his way toward the door. I followed, with Astra right behind me.
The night outside was a stark contrast to the pub. Though it seemed like the noise and rowdiness should have been spilling out onto the streets through the door and windows, as soon as we'd closed the door it was as if none of it had ever existed. I turned around curiously and found that the outside of the pub looked like an abandoned and probably condemned building. No light showed through the cracks between the boarded up windows, and no sounded came out of the broken panes. In fact, the only light on this street was from the stars above us, and a streetlight at the very end of the next block. Otherwise, we were surrounded by dark businesses and quiet apartments, with not a soul in sight.
Before my eyes had even transitioned to the darkness, Albus had started off to the right. I had no idea where we were going, but Albus seemed to. "About fifteen minutes," was all he said as we took a sharp right onto a more well-lit street.
Though we passed several people, and even walked past a few rather rambunctious no-maj bars (where the party was definitely spilling out onto the street), no one paid us any attention beyond a few drunk college-aged girls calling after us, saying they loved the "hot vampire" vibe Albus was giving off, and didn't we want to come party? I suggested we take our cloaks off, since they would probably draw more attention from no-majs than they were worth, but Albus and Astra both said not to risk it.
Justus Purdue's house was the third on a street of townhouses. Most of these had lights twinkling in the windows, and the streetlights lit up the road well enough that it wasn't any use hiding. We walked past it slowly, and Astra and Albus quietly argued about whether they thought anyone was home. All the lights in the front were out, and he apparently lived alone. Was the entrance to the passage actually in his house, though? Maybe it was in the garden in the back?
"Maybe that's the sort of thing you could figure out before you get here," I suggested icily. Astra told me to shut up.
They eventually decided that it would be abetter idea to check outside the house before trying to break in. Thank the Lord, honestly. I didn't bother helping as they make quick work of the flower bed out front, tiptoeing through it and making sure there weren't any hidden passages among the petunias. I just stood on the sidewalk, staring up the dark house, the pit in my stomach growing ever wider.
The sense of dread that I was feeling then rivaled last June, when I wasn't sure if Stillens would believe Zaria Hempsey's absolutely true story about me telling her I was a spy for the DA, and I was worried I might be killed. This time around, it wouldn't just be me. Why on earth couldn't Astra and Albus see reason?
"Nothing here," Albus whispered, gingerly stepping over a plant to reach the sidewalk. "Let's try the back."
I rolled my eyes. "Do you want the no-majs to call the police on us? What happens if one of them looks out their window and sees us grubbing around in their neighbor's yard?"
"I cast muffliato," Astra said. "There's nothing to hear, so why would they be looking?"
"Do you never just look out a window?"
"Not at night."
I grudgingly followed as we backtracked to the crossroad, then made our way to the alley behind the houses. There were no streetlights here. The only light came intermittently through the gates, from the windows of the houses. We dodged a few trash cans and a child's bike, before we were standing before the third gate.
"No lights on this side, either," Astra observed softly.
"I don't think he's home," Albus agreed. He reached out and gently lifted the latch of the gate. It came without a sound, and the gate swung noiselessly inward. That wasn't a good sign. A well-oiled gate probably meant it was one that was used often. My hope that perhaps Astra and Albus had misunderstood the blueprints flittered away as we walked inside the small garden, most of which was taken up by an oversized shed.
Albus grinned over his shoulder. "That looks promising." He cautiously tiptoed across the flagstones to the shed door, which had a lock on it that was no match for Albus's alohomora. It opened as noiselessly as the gate had, and instead of revealing a toolshed's interior, we found ourselves staring at a flight of stairs that descended into darkness. I felt like I was going to be sick.
Finally, they hesitated. Albus glanced over his shoulder at the house, which did look as empty from this side as it had from the front. I hadn't seen any curtains move, giving away someone who might be lying in wait. When he seemed to come to the same conclusion that I had (and looked much more pleased about it than I felt), he glanced at Astra.
Astra was just staring into the darkness ahead of us. There were a lot of things playing out across her face, and for a moment I dared to hope that she'd actually realized how stupid this all was. As much as I wanted to drive that point home, I didn't say anything.
"Astra, are you okay?" Albus finally whispered.
She slowly raised her eyes to us, to me, and began to shake her head. "You need to stay here."
I glanced at Albus, a little alarmed at how serious she seemed. What was wrong? He pursed his lips. "You know we can't leave her here. She'll go tell someone."
She glanced at him for a moment, an expression on her face as if he was distracting her. "I'll take her wand, then. She won't be able to apparate." Astra shook her head again, looking back at me. "I just really don't think you should go."
"Do you want me to just let you walk into certain death? And leave me here defenseless, against whatever of Stillens's demons might be lurking around?"
She frowned, seeming very conflicted, though I didn't feel like I understood enough of the conflict to get what was going on. "Of course I don't want to leave you defenseless..." She looked away, and scrunched up her face the way she always did when she was trying to figure out how to say something difficult. "It's not that. I just think you shouldn't be coming. We shouldn't have brought you."
Albus rolled his eyes. "So you keep saying. What's going on?"
She shook her head quickly. "I have a bad feeling about it."
I had a bad feeling about it, too, but I wasn't sure that meant much. I tilted my head. "What sort of bad feeling?"
"I don't know," she said, in the tone of someone who definitely did know.
Albus and I exchanged a glanced, and I could see my concern mirrored in his face. He was the one who spoke. "Is it something to do with your being a seer?"
That was the question I hadn't really wanted to ask. If Astra had seen something, or dreamed something, and it involved this, and me, and was bad enough that she'd rather risk me staying here than going with them, I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted to go back to Hogwarts, or go home, and hide from it all. But I couldn't just leave them. Not now.
Astra had winced at the word seer. She now sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. It's a little muddled."
"What is it?"
"Just some dreams, but they haven't been very clear."
"'Dreams'? Plural?" I frowned. She'd had a dream about me a month ago, which I'd managed to forget all about until now. Had there been more?
"Well... a couple..." Astra closed her eyes. "Like, maybe two or three in the past two days."
"The past two days?" Albus's eyes widened. "You didn't bother to say anything until now?"
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I don't really know what went on in them! Like I said, they weren't very clear."
My mouth had dropped open, and for a moment it had felt like my legs might not hold my weight. Now, though, I found myself able to shake my head. "Astra, what on earth? Why didn't you say something about that before?"
She pursed her lips. "It... I don't really know what they mean. I don't know what happened. There was a lot of yelling, and I was running. It was down this passage, I think . And I heard your voice. You were just saying 'Run,' though. I don't know."
Albus groaned. "What the hell, Astra."
She ignored him. "Anyway, I think it would be safer if you didn't come with us."
I really didn't want to come with them. In fact, everything in me before that had been saying not to go, to find any excuse to turn around, all that was screaming now, blaring out nearly anything else. However, one of the very few things that managed to get in over the noise was the conviction that if I didn't go, I was abandoning Astra and Albus. If something happened to them, it was my fault. "I'm coming with you."
"Wren..." Astra had closed her eyes again. "Please."
I folded my arms. "We can all go back, if you'd prefer that?"
"No, Wren," Albus snapped. "You know we can't do that."
"Why not? Do you really think this is going to work?"
"Yes!"
"Because you're stupid!"
Albus narrowed his eyes at me. "I'd rather be stupid and trying to do the right thing than a bloody genius who sits by and lets children be hurt."
"You're not going to be able to help them!" I gestured to the passage. "Do you really think we'll get anywhere near them before we're caught?"
"Shut up!" That was Astra, not Albus. She was holding her head in her hands, and almost seemed to be in pain. When Albus and I fell silent, she looked up. To my surprise, there was a new resolve in her eyes. "We're going. Wren, it's your choice to come with us."
"Not much of a choice." I rolled my eyes. "I can't just let you go die."
Astra winced, but nodded. "Cool. You're choosing to go." She glanced at Albus. "Ready?"
"After you." Albus gestured to the stairs, and Astra took a deep breath, like she was preparing herself. Then she descended into the blackness.
Albus was looking at me now, but I hesitated. "Can I at least have my wand?"
"In a minute," came Astra's voice from below. I bit down the urge to snap at her. After closing my eyes and saying a quick prayer that I might wake up from this actual nightmare, I started down the stairs after her.
The passage was very small, enough that Albus or Astra probably could've reached up and touched the ceiling if they'd felt like it. The floor and walls were the same cut stone that the basement of the manor was made of, and our footsteps echoed in the dark, the only sound to be heard besides our breathing. Astra and Albus both lit their wands, since it was completely pitch black. I wanted to warn them against it, but I was honestly surprised we hadn't already encountered a guard, or at least some protective spells. I had a sick feeling that our presence might already be known. I couldn't figure out why else it would have been so easy to stumble into this entrance to the heart of Stillens' operations, unless he knew we were here and wanted to see what we were doing.
"So, I think this tunnel might be enchanted," Albus said. "It should be nearly twenty kilometers to the manor, but obviously that's really impractical for a tunnel you have to walk down."
"How long is twenty kilometers?" I asked.
"A long way," Astra offered, very helpfully. I meant in comparison to miles, since I had a better idea of how long a mile was, but I suppose they probably wouldn't have known the conversion off the top of their head.
"Anyway," Albus continued, "there were some runes on the blueprints. I didn't take ancient runes, so I'm not completely sure I translated them right, but I think they said something about the tunnels becoming shorter."
"Did they look like that?" Astra asked, gesturing with her lit wand. Albus and I both looked at where she was pointing, to a ring of runes going in a circle from the floor to the ceiling and back down the other wall.
"I think so," he said after a moment, nodding slowly.
"Are you sure they're safe to cross?" I asked, my voice a whisper in spite of the fact that there didn't seem to be anyone around.
Albus hesitated for a moment, confirming that he wasn't sure, but he nodded. "Should be, yeah."
Astra shrugged. "Only one way to find out, I suppose." She stepped over the line of runes.
Nothing happened, very anticlimactically. I don't know what I'd been expecting, but Astra just turned back and shrugged. "Did that do anything?" Albus pursed his lips but didn't answer.
I stepped over next, and besides my ears popping, I couldn't tell that the runes had done anything. Albus whispered that he wasn't sure how far would be left, but it probably wouldn't be much, so we kept going.
We walked on in silence for about five more minutes, then Astra paused. "There's a bend in the passage up ahead," she whispered. "I think there might be light beyond it."
"Any people?" Albus asked.
"How should I know?" She glanced over her shoulder just to roll her eyes. "I can't hear anything."
"They can certainly hear us, if they're there," I said flatly. Astra just rolled her eyes again.
Albus and Astra extinguished the light on their wands as we drew closer, and I could see the warmth of faint candlelight bouncing off the wall where the passage turned. Astra was right; I couldn't hear anyone, or see any shadows moving in the light. That didn't keep Astra from approaching very cautiously and peeking around the corner.
"Coast's clear," she whispered, and Albus and I hurried to join her. The passage opened up just beyond the bend into a rather empty room. The candle was in a sconce by the door, casting feeble light that didn't quite reach the corners of the room. There was a chair against the far wall, and some rock slabs stacked up in a nearby corner, but otherwise there was nothing there. Albus led the way to the door, pulling. a ghostly white copy of the building plans out of thin air as he did so.
"So, I think there's a good chance the children aren't on this level," he said, pausing before we went out. "It looks like it's mainly cells and storage down here."
"I don't suppose storage of children would be included in that?" I asked.
"I think a safer bet would be to try one of the larger, unmarked rooms on the next level up," Albus explained. He pointed to a spot of the plans. "We're here. There's a flight of stairs in the next corridor, next to the entrance to the dungeon. Once we go up, we can start checking rooms. I think a lot of them are probably just for random operatives to stay in, but some of the bigger ones might be holding a couple dozen children."
I didn't bother pointing out that going directly to the floor that most likely housed "random operatives" who worked for my uncle was probably not a good idea. None of this was a good idea, and they already knew what I thought. I just sighed. "Can I have my wand now? I'd like to not be killed if we run into anyone."
Astra frowned at me for a moment. "Promise you're not going to apparate away."
"Why on earth would I do that?" I rolled my eyes. "It's a little late to try to get help stopping you, don't you think?"
She didn't seem completely convinced, but after a moment's more consideration, she sighed and handed me my wand back. "Don't do anything stupid."
"I don't need to, since you both decided to do that for me."
Albus sighed. "Merlin, Wren, we get it." He pointed to the door. "Can we just get going?"
Astra opened the door very slowly, and glanced out to make sure the coast was clear. Evidently, it was, because she stepped out and motioned for us to follow.
The corridors in the basement were not made for caution. They were lit by harsh electric lights that left no shadows to cower in. Though there weren't very many straight passages, that wasn't so much an advantage for us, since there was nowhere to hide if we did happen upon someone suddenly. The doors were all identical and locked, and I knew most of the ones on this floor had charms so they really could only be opened with the keys. There were no alcoves, and the branching corridors on this floor only led to the dungeon or more storage. The next two levels were more maze-like, sure, but that would only make it easier for us to get lost.
Albus found the way to the stairs very easily. We did run into a man I didn't recognize guarding the entrance to the dungeon, but he was asleep. We tiptoed past him rather than confront him, and he hardly stirred. Otherwise, the basement was eerily empty.
"To be fair, the other two passages open onto the second sub-level," Albus whispered as we mounted the stairs. "Maybe fewer people come the way we did?"
"Maybe Stillens already knows we're here," I suggested, though I prayed that wasn't true.
"If he knew we were here, we'd already be dead," Astra pointed out.
I wasn't sure about that. I could see him letting us think we were accomplishing whatever it was we were trying to accomplish, if only to find out what that is. I opened my mouth to try to explain that, but we'd reached the top of the stairs, and Astra shushed me before I could. She crept to the top of the stairs and paused, listening for footsteps or speaking. I sighed and waited until she finally motioned for us to keep going.
Now Albus took the lead, his ghostly map held out before him. He led the way through empty passage after empty passage, as we walked by identically spaced-apart doors. Most had names in little placards to the side. I recognized some of them, but a lot were unfamiliar. I would probably recognize many of them, but most people didn't go around introducing themselves here.
We rounded a corner, and Albus pointed to a door to our left that didn't have a placard next to it. "Let's try there first."
Astra help up her hand before he could take a step forward. "I hear something."
We all fell silent at that, and after a moment I could hear it, too. People talking, faintly, as if from behind one of the doors on this corridor. Astra frowned and slowly started following the sound. I bit my lip to keep from telling her off. It seemed like she was intentionally not looking at me, just so she wouldn't have to see me gesture for her to come back.
She walked up to one of the doors on the right side of the doorway and pressed her ear against it. I couldn't see the name on the placard, but after a moment she pulled away and looked at herself. Her eyes widened, and she whispered something that sounded inappropriate.
"What is it?" Albus asked, his voice barely audible.
She shook her head. "Nothing," she said, far too quickly for me to actually believe her. I frowned and followed her over to the door. I could hear the voices more distinctly now as I drew closer, to my dismay I recognized them before I even had a chance to see the name Caldwell next to the door. He was one of the ones loudly laughing behind that door. The second voice sounded very much like Zaria Hempsey. I suddenly felt an even stronger desire to be literally anywhere else in the world except here.
Astra put her hand on my shoulder. "They don't know we're here," she whispered. "It's fine."
"Come on," Albus hissed from across the hall. He was at the door he'd pointed out a moment again, trying to unlock it. "Alohomora isn't working," he whispered as we hurried over to him.
Astra pushed past her and pointed her wand at the lock. "Alohomora Duo," she whispered. The lock clicked, and she gestured to it with a pleased smile. "There you go."
"Thanks." Albus reached for the handle. It turned easily, now. However, the moment the door started moving, we all froze; unlike the gate earlier, this door creaked very loudly. Albus pulled his hand away from the knob, and we all hesitated. Maybe it had just sounded loud in the relative quiet?
The tone of the voices across the hall and changed slightly. I hadn't been able to tell what they were saying even before, and now they'd suddenly become softer. Was that related?
Astra cursed under her breath. "We need to not be in the middle of the hallway."
"Do you want me to keep opening the door?" Albus snapped in a whisper.
"Maybe?"
There was now the distinct sound of footsteps behind the door across the hall. I felt my heart start hammering in my chest. Astra cursed again, and Albus scrunched his eyes closed. "Astra, distraction." Then he reached forward and flung the door open at the same moment that Astra spun around and shot a spell at a door down the hall, that also flew open.
It screeched with an unmistakably loud sound, but there wasn't time to worry about that. Albus was ushering us in, and I could hear a knob turning behind us. We rushed inside, and Albus closed the door as quickly as possible, dropping us instantly into total darkness.
Astra pushed forward to lock the door with several whispered spells, then pressed her eye to the keyhole. Then we were silent. I heard the door open across the hall, and held my breath, praying Magnus wasn't smart enough to realize what that sound might have been.
"I could've sworn I heard it again," Magnus's voice came, muffled through the door but clear enough to hear. Footsteps, as they apparently stepped out into the hall.
"There's a door open down there," Zaria's voice said. "You don't think it was one of those idiot kids, do you?" Albus made a sort of strangled noise, and Astra had to clap her hand over his mouth.
Heavy footsteps walking in our direction, then the sound of the doorknob rattling. A pause, where we all held our breath. I tried not to let out too audible a sigh of relief when I heard Magnus say, "No, it's still locked."
"None of them can use magic?"
"Sure they can, but they don't have wands."
"I thought the older ones did?"
"They're not in there." Magnus's footsteps retreated from the door. They sounded like they were heading in the direction of the door Astra had opened.
"I don't know how you're putting up with babysitting," Zaria said. "Hogsmeade is better than this."
"It's not too bad," Magnus's voice came. "If you know how to have fun, at least."
"I'm not a pervert, Caldwell," Zaria snapped. To her credit, she sounded thoroughly disgusted.
"Oh, shut up. Didn't think I was such a pervert when it suited your interests."
There was a pause. "Wren Predatel isn't a kid. And I didn't ask you to do that, either."
My breath caught, and I felt Albus take my hand and squeeze it. I closed my eyes and tried not to make a sound.
"I suppose Predatel did need to be taken down a peg or two," Zaria's voice continued, further away now.
"Still does."
"Don't involve me in that."
Their voices were growing fainter, and we heard the sound of a door closing. After that, I could only hear them faintly. They must have gone into the room, whatever it was. Astra let out a breath, then lifted her wand and whispered, "Lumos."
We slowly turned around. Though Magnus had basically confirmed that Albus had been right, I wasn't sure what to expect from this room. What sort of cell was my uncle keeping dozens of children in?
To my surprise, we seemed to be in a sort of entrance-way. There were four doors, two to the left, one to the right, and one ahead. They were labelled, too. Boys, Girls, Common, and Nursery.
"What on earth," Albus whispered. He took a step forward, reaching for the door in front of us that said Common.
Astra grabbed his arm. "Is the coast clear?"
"I don't think they'd lock a guard in here," he whispered back. "Sounds like that's Caldwell's job, anyway." She nodded, then let go of his arm. He opened the door ahead of us, then led the way inside.
Again, it was the last thing I expected. We had stepped into something that seemed like a cross between a classroom and a playroom. There was no one inside, so we all lit our wands and simply stared around for a moment. To the right was a large blackboard and several rows of desks, some incredibly small. There were shelves filled with books along the wall, as well as drawers labelled with common school supplies like parchment, quills, and crayons. To the right, large, colorful rugs were spread across the stone floor, and there were several bins of toys and stuffed animals scattered around. There were a few tables with half-finished puzzles and picture books spread on them in the corner, and cheery posters tacked up to the wall. There was even a corner with an easel, which had watercolors and finger-paintings hanging behind it.
"What the hell?" Astra finally whispered. She glanced at me. "Did you know this was here?"
I shook my head, mouth still hanging open. "I'm wondering if Stillens knows this is here, honestly."
Albus was frowning. "What on earth could he possibly be trying to do?"
Astra paused, then shook her head. "It doesn't really matter, does it? We're waiting time."
"Right." Albus moved back towards the door. "Let's go try to wake up the children."
We tried to boys' door first. Astra kept her wand lit, shielded by her hand, as we walked into a very long dormitory lined with beds, most of which were occupied by sleeping children. This room was much plainer than the other had been, but not in a harsh way. Each bed had a number on a piece of paper taped to the end, but most of them also had a a name written beneath. Albus lit his wand and pointed it at the floor. He hurried off down the length of the room, while Astra simply walked up to the closest bed. I followed her, not sure what the plan was now, and watched as she gently shook the small boy in the bed awake. I looked down at the end of his bed, which only said 21, with no name. He looked like he was about four, and seemed very confused as he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and pulled away from Astra initially, but she whispered something soothing that seemed to calm him down. She somehow convinced him to get out of bed and told me to help him with his shoes, then moved on to the next bed.
I sat down on the floor next to the little boy, who was squinting at me warily in the light of my wand. I smiled hesitantly. "Hello," I whispered. "My name is Wren. What's your name?"
He just blinked at me, as if he didn't understand the question. I didn't know if it was because he was still out of it from just having woken up, or if Astra and Albus were right and Stillens was really referring to all of these children by a number. Instead of pressing the matter with the little boy, I just reached for his shoes, sitting on the floor near the end of the bed, and helped him put them on.
I'd just finished tying the laces when there was a commotion at the other end of the room. I jumped up, ready to fight someone, but all I saw was a boy clinging to Albus, talking quickly and quietly. Since that didn't seem like much of a threat, I lowered my wand.
"It's Jack!" Albus exclaimed quietly, turning to us and gesturing to the boy who had finally let go of him. He was about ten, it seemed, and though I'd never met him before, I recognized Poppy's face in his nearly immediately. We'd found Jack Stephens.
Jack tugged on Albus's hand, looking concerned. "Did they get you, too? Is Poppy okay?"
"Poppy's fine," Albus assured him. "In fact, everything's fine. We're here to rescue you."
Jack's eyes lit up. "Really? Stillens didn't get you?"
The commotion had woken up several of the other boys. The older ones were starting to get out of bed, watching us (and Jack) warily. At the name of Stillens, they all flinched or gasped. One whispered that they weren't supposed to mention him, and was backed up by several other murmurs of agreement.
The biggest, who also looked about ten, glared at us. "Who are you?"
"We're here to help you," Albus explained. "We're friends."
"Help us how?" asked another boy.
"Help you get out of here?"
Jack bounced a little with excitement, but none of the other boys seemed very pleased. One of them spoke up, "Did Ms. Hollis say it was okay?"
"Who?" Astra asked.
The boy who'd spoken (13, with the name Oliver printed below it) cowered a little. "They don't know Ms. Hollis."
"Do you know Mr. Pintor?" asked another boy who looked a little younger (8, with Ethan written below).
Astra and Albus were looking at me, but I'd never heard of any of those people. I pursed my lips, wondering if it would help or hurt if I mentioned who I was.
"Listen," Astra said, standing up. She had a small following of four or five of the youngest boys at this point. "Do any of you remember what it was like before you came here?"
"Before?" The boys all glanced at each other, eyes wide. "We're not supposed to talk about Before," Oliver supplied.
"Do you remember it?" Astra asked. One by one, the older boys shook their heads.
Jack gestured widely. "They hypnotized them all! They tried to do me, too, but I already know all about magic cause of Poppy, so it didn't work as well on me." He turned to the other boys. "Hey these are my sister's friends, so they want to help us, okay?"
A couple boys nodded, but most of them were still watching us warily. Albus pursed his lips. "How about we go try to get some of the girls, then come back?"
"You already knew you wouldn't be able to get them all, anyway," I said, rolling my eyes.
Astra glared at me, and led the way out the door. Her herd of small children followed us, but other than Jack, they were the only ones.
"Don't go in the nursery," Jack was whispering. "Mrs. Michelson stays in there with the babies, and she might wake up."
Albus pursed his lips at that; I could tell it was killing him that they wouldn't be able to get all the children out. For once, I didn't feel like reminding him that the odds were very slim that we would be able to get out at all.
The girls' room was very similar to the boys. In much the same way, we went one by one to each bed, quietly waking children. The littlest ones obeyed without question when we asked them to get their shoes on and get ready to go, but much like the boys, the older girls were resistant. Even Jack's assurances that we were friends weren't enough to convince them. Astra even tried to tell them that she was friends with Cassie, One, but that just seemed to make all the girls even more alarmed.
When all was said and done, we were standing back in the entry with nine children. The youngest was a little boy around two, falling asleep again in Astra's arms, and the oldest other than Jack was a girl who was maybe five at the most. I could tell both my friends were frustrated, and trying to hide it.
"Are we leaving?" Jack asked.
Albus let out a frustrated sigh, still frowning at the two dormitory doors. Then he nodded. "I guess so."
"Hey, this is better than nothing at all," Astra whispered. "We at least proved it can be done."
"We haven't proved anything yet," I pointed out.
"Shut up," Astra snapped. She shook her head. "Now we just need to find Cassie."
Albus didn't bat an eye at that, but I turned to stare at her, mouth open. "Are you out of your mind? We can't go upstairs."
"Don't be ridiculous," Astra said, rolling her eyes. "We're not going upstairs. I told her to come down."
Albus had been pressing his ear against the door, and pulled away now. "I think the coast is clear. We've got to be really quiet, all right?"
Most of the children nodded. Astra motioned for me to pick up another one of the smallest ones, a little girl who was yawning and blinking quickly. I picked her up gingerly, not sure how to hold a child, but she snuggled herself into my arms as if she was made to fit there. It was surprisingly comforting to be holding her. Maybe it was just that I was focused on something other than complete and utter dread for the first time since I'd run out after Astra and Albus.
Albus opened the door and led the way out into the hall. Magnus and Zaria's voices were gone, which was either a good or bad sign. I decided not to dwell on it.
We'd turned one corner when their was a distant crash, and the floor rocked a little. We all froze, not sure what had happened, when suddenly an alarm started blaring from nowhere, all around us. It sounded like it was going throughout the whole compound.
Astra turned to me, eyes wide. "What does that mean?"
"It's an alarm, Astra," I snapped, pursing my lips. The children were getting agitated.
"But is it for us?" she asked. "We didn't plan any sort of explosion."
Albus shook his head. "Nothing to worry about," he said, his voice falsely cheery. Other than Jack, the children seemed to fall for it, at least. "Let's hurry."
We picked up our pace, walking as fast as the kids could walk toward the stairs. Distantly, there was the sound of yelling and running feet, but so far no one had come near us. I didn't trust our luck as we came closer to the stairs, though.
I was right to be concerned. Albus rounded another corner, then stopped in his tracks. He cursed, and I hurried forward to see what it was.
We'd run right into Zaria and Magnus, who were staring at us in surprise about a dozen yards away, past the stairs. At the sight of me, their eyes grew even wider.
I pursed my lips, resolve fueling a courage I was surprised to find I hand. I passed the little girl I was holding to Albus. "Go. I'll hold them off."
Astra and Albus hesitated, but a couple of the children were starting to cry, so they dashed off down the stairs. I drew my wand, praying that I could hold them off at least long enough for Astra and Albus to get the children to safety.
Once they'd disappeared, I lowered my wand. I needed to at least try to keep up appearances. At the very least, it was a good stalling tactic. "I can explain."
"Doubtful," Zaria said, an odd, exultant glint in her eye, "but let's hear it."
"They... They wanted to try and rescue all these children? I didn't know they were even here," I said. "I guess Potter found out the location of the manor, and Astra and Albus managed to get it from him. I couldn't refuse to come without looking suspicious."
Zaria narrowed her eyes, stalking towards me. It was all I could do to hold my ground. "Stop lying."
"I'm not—"
"No, I'm serious. That's the most ridiculous story you've ever told. Even Astra Lestrange isn't dumb enough to try and sneak a bunch of children out of here."
"You know who is dumb, though?" Magnus asked, looming over me. "The girl who lies to us."
I glanced back and forth between the two of them, slowly backing up. "I'm telling the truth."
"You're a traitor," Zaria said. "How else can you explain this?"
I sighed. "Okay. I'll admit, that's a great question, and I should've thought of that before—" I raised my wand quickly "—Expulso!"
The door next to them exploded outward, slamming both Zaria and Magnus into the opposite wall. I took the opportunity to run forward and stupefy them both, then run down the stairs. Would I be able to explain that? No. But if I ever got out of here, I think there would be a lot more I would have to explain, anyway.
~~~~
Question of the Day: Give me your favorite Harry Potter rant!
Answer: I feel like for one reason or another I've given all my best rants on here already. I've definitely done the Snape one, and the House hate. Have I given the Dumbledore rant? If not, let me know and I'll stick it in the comments!
Vote and comment!
~Elli
Word count: 6704