"Move over, Harry," Hermione's intense training took over. Most healers required a wand to cast the spells needed, but she preferred using her hands, as it gave her a better feel for the injury and how much she would need to treat it. She had controlled the bleeding from the gash in the back of his head and closed the wound in only a few moments, a task she had performed on the younger Potter more times then she cared to remember. He was groggy but alive. The blood on the linen indicated a simple scalp wound, the kind that is quite messy, but hardly life threatening, very much the same kind of injury Ginny had received from the King's Cross attack. It was still tender, but better.
"What do you remember? Think, Prongs, it's important," Hermione grilled the senior Potter after she helped him to a sitting position. She remained calmer than Harry expected.
"We had just finished breakfast," he paused and shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "Remus and Sirius had left. You three had been gone a while and Alycia wanted another stroll on the beach," James held his head in his hands and tried to collect his thoughts, still disoriented.
James sighed deeply, knowing Alycia wasn't really this young woman's mother in this world, but the resemblances and the connections were too strong to ignore.
"Then what happened?" Harry continued the questioning.
Without looking up, he simply asked, "She's gone isn't she? We were beginning to really love each other," He felt a lump form in his throat; it wasn't the type any doctor or healer could remove. He rubbed his right eye as if there were a speck of something in it.
"We don't know, we'd been back about a half hour when we realized something had happened and searched the flat," Harry told James.
"She wanted to walk on the beach," he turned to Hermione and held her hands, "You know she'd never seen the ocean until you brought her here? She never got to see the English Channel."
Hermione felt his pain, and gently kissed his hand. "She loved the sea and the beach when I was a girl. We spent summers in Nice. What happened next?"
"We were about to leave when someone pushed the door open, blew it off the hinges. I fought them, there were four of them, one was a tall man with long black hair and a crooked nose, about my age; and a younger bloke, I guess about your age, Stag; and there were two large heavy set thugs. I hit the younger guy in the face, broke his nose by the look of it. He didn't half bleed! He fell into the coffee table, shattered the bloody thing. The older bloke aimed his wand, but I knocked his aim with a well placed book. His stunner hit one of the thugs in the arm, I think he severed it just past his elbow. The young guy hit me over the head with a leg from the table while I was dealing with that black-haired git; the next thing I remember was you shaking me."
"That explains the apartment," Eileen said. "They put everything back the way they thought it was, and fixed the broken furniture, except the kitchen was out of place too."
"I believe she put up a fight, she's a feisty one," James said with a sad half-grin, he could picture her laying into one of them and the others manhandling her to the floor. The thought drained the colour from his face, and he sat there silently. Harry noticed his father's shaking hands had steadied and balled into fists, as if he were about to strike.
"So there was a struggle; whoever it was must have taken Alycia," Eileen said, with a noticeable quiver in her voice.
Harry and Hermione helped James into the front room and made him comfortable; while Eileen remained in the bedroom. She tried to clean the bloodstains from the bed linens using a cleaner and rags, but her hands were shaking too badly. The thought of simply using her wand failed to cross her mind. As the younger Potters helped James to the sofa, Harry could feel the older man shake, whether from fear or anger, he wasn't sure.
"Did … did they leave a message?" he asked tentatively.
"No, James, you know it's a death sentence when those bastards find a muggle that's involved with one of us. I'm surprised they let you live." Eileen spoke in as comforting a tone as she could manage.
The front door had just slammed open, drawing offensive postures from the three. It took only a fraction of a second for Harry to focus, and he realised Sirius and Remus had returned. He stepped in front of Eileen and Hermione's line of fire.
"What's this about a death sentence?" Sirius barked.
"Alycia's been taken," Harry informed the others. The details he related were sketchy, but the message was clear. They were known. Any attempt at a covert action to remove Voldemort from power was doomed.
The only hope would be if they could find Alycia and escape to build a new plan, but they had no idea where she was taken. Harry considered asking Steve, but their last meeting left them weary of each other.
"Prongs, describe them again, try to remember any detail, no matter how trivial," Harry asked.
"The leader was a tall man with long, greasy, black hair. He looked familiar, but his face was hidden with a white mask."
"Snape," Hermione muttered, writing the name and description as James remembered.
"The next bloke had light blonde hair, down to his shoulders. His face as covered, but I got the impression he was about your age. Even though I couldn't see his face I could see his hands, smooth as a baby's bottom, like he's never had a hard day's labour in his life."
"Hmm, are you certain? Was he so tall?" She raised her hand a few inches above Harry's head.
"Nah, he was a bit shorter, about this high," He repositioned her hand a bit lower.
"Draco, it has to be," Harry offered, as Hermione continued to transcribe the event.
"He seemed eager to please the first man, as if he was a mentor."
"These are people we know. Draco was someone we trusted," Hermione explained.
"The last two were large blokes and thick as two short planks, or they seemed to be."
"What do the Timetables have listed for Snape and Malfoy? Maybe there's an opportune time to corner them and find out what they know. It's that last two, could be Crabbe and Goyle," Hermione confided, thinking of the possibilities.
"Lucius Malfoy is Voldemort's second, but Draco and the other two are not on this list," Harry said, as he thumbed through the pages.
Eileen had sat in a chair across the room, and had remained silent the entire time. She thought maybe Steve and Chrissy would have some information in a day or two. "I can contact Steve, he'll make some inquiries and …"
"No, he had us drawn away when this happened; he's in on it as far as I can tell," Hermione hissed.
"She's right," Harry agreed. "If there's any hope, we need to raid them tonight, the timetable has meetings every Monday and Thursday at Malfoy Manor. Tonight's Thursday, so we start there."
The council of war had been interrupted by a knock on the door, drawing an array of wands. Harry held his arm up, "They wouldn't knock," He walked to the door and carefully opened it.
Steve and Chrissy stood outside; she held her wand in a defensive posture with her back to her brother facing the hall.
"Harry, they had been at our last safe house. We came to warn you that …"
"You're too late," Hermione cut in. "They took my mother, and I intend to rescue her."
"That wouldn't be advisable, not without more information, she'll be safe as long as she's not perceived as a threat. My guess is she was taken as a bargaining chip."
"In any case, we are going to rescue her tonight, are you with us?" Harry demanded.
"I would suggest extreme caution; we have no floor plans of that location."
"Really? Shall we draw one?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. "So far every building we've been in has had the same floor plan as back home, and we had spent six months living at Malfoy Manor when Ginny was …" she paused, unable to finish. She still found it difficult to think about Ginny carrying, and losing their children.
"We're very familiar with the mansion," Harry finished.
Hermione handed Chrissy an old book of matches she found in the desk, and pointed her wand at it, "Here, you both need to hold this at exactly 6:15 tonight if you plan to help us. That will bring you to a rendezvous location we've set up. We'll have copies of a floor plan then. We'll leave at exactly 6:25 PM with or without you."
The witch took the matches and slipped them into the back pocket of her shorts.
The afternoon had been spent preparing for the raid; Hermione suggested they leave Ponce Inlet permanently since they had been found. Harry endorsed the idea, and the Marauders all reluctantly agreed. Eileen was less willing to leave, this was her home, and she had ties there she couldn't break.
Harry carefully packed their rucksack; his Firebolt was still in its reduced form. His tunic from his mother's ancestor had been carefully folded and placed in the bag. It was an ancient garment that might not hold up to the rigors of combat. His invisibility cloak was left close to the top, in case it was needed.
"Darling, please put these in there as well and make sure they're safe." She handed him all the documentation they'd accumulated to date and he carefully put it in the bag, near the bottom to keep them safe. Although most was written in Parseltongue, Voldemort would able to read it, and then he might have insights that could be dangerous if they were to attempt some action in the future. Ha also added a number of sandwiches, just in case.
The afternoon dragged endlessly for one Marauder, each passing minute hung heavy in his heart. The others attempted to bolster his spirits by keeping him busy until it was time to leave. The timetable listed the normal meeting times as dusk. They planned to raid the mansion at 8:45 that evening.
At 4:51 PM, they left the apartment, watched for any onlookers, and as a group used a single portkey to return to a familiar beach.
At 4:57 PM, the door to the apartment was shattered, as a team of assassin wizards stormed inside.
At 6:15 PM, the group was joined by Steve and Chrissy, and the exact moment they arrived Harry placed a hand on each, apparating from the beachfront, ten full minutes earlier then they said they would. They arrived at the same destination as the others. A moment after arriving on the beach, another portkey was used to bring the Marauders home to wait.
The journey lasted only a twinkle in time, short enough to be untraceable. Chrissy and Steve found themselves in the ruins of an old rundown shack; the roof was blown off, one wall was gone and a pile of refuse littered the floor. The remains of the furniture and the stockpile of food had been scattered on the ground outside.
"They've been here, good," Harry said.
"Good? GOOD? They destroyed our home. They ruined what little we had."
"That means they won't return. Its one of the oldest tricks in the book, ransack the hideout and they and whoever you're looking for will move on to the next safe house. A fugitive will almost never return to a hideout that's been discovered. We should be safe here for a while."
"And what makes you such an expert on fugitive hunts, Mr. Potter?" Steve asked, in an extremely hash tone.
"Steve, it's what he does, he's a Senior Auror. We both trained for that line of work, but I followed a different calling," Hermione began to inform the new guests with the details that have been omitted for their own safety. Now they all were committed to this mission.
"If he's an Auror, how can we trust him, they all work under Lord Malfoy's direct supervision."
"That bastard is first on my list," Hermione said coldly. The meaning was lost on the others, but Harry knew the real reason she was seeking vengeance. He pulled her to the side, so the others couldn't listen.
"He's going to get what he deserves, but this is not a personal vendetta. We both have suffered because of that scum. If this is a way for you to take personal revenge, I won't allow you to come. Do you understand?" His tone was that of a commander dressing down a subordinate.
"Harry, I WON'T be treated like a first-year that's stepped out of line. He's going to get justice for what he's done in this world. I want to find my mother and if he's in the way, I'll personally slice him in half. Now, this is not because what he did to US, this is what he's doing to the people in this world." Her reply was as cold and telling as his was demeaning.
"Ooo, Stag just stepped in it now," Sirius whispered to James and Remus, to which they both nodded.
"Then, if possible, we'll let the people here pass judgment. We will do only what we have to, no more and no less. Voldemort needs to be removed and his key supporters also need to be removed. Personally, I would love to rip his head from his shoulders and crap down his neck."
"Fine. We'll try to take him alive, but no assurances past that. Now, can get this going and find my mother?"
"Good, now more important, watch yourself; I'll not let them harm you," He reached to hold her hands, and she realised from her palm he was quite scared.
"I'll be right at your side, where I belong. And Harry?" She pulled his hands around her, to let him know she understood.
"I know, you love me, right?" He said as he bent to kiss her cheek.
"Actually, I forgive you for your tone," She replied as she pulled her cheek away at the last moment and slipped from his hands.
"You forg …" he began, and started to reach for her.
"Forget it, Potter, when they get like that, best leave them alone or sleep on the sofa for a week," Steve said as he held Harry back. In a soft whisper, so only Harry could hear, he revealed a secret, "Chrissy's not really my sister."
Harry turned to him, puzzled and a light of recognition flooded his thought. "Your wife?" he asked, and Steve nodded once in reply and with a wink, turned to leave Harry standing alone.
Harry grabbed his arm, "Why the deception?"
Steve halted his exodus to answer the question. "We grew up together, close friends for years before we became involved. Her family had been killed when she was young, she was left an orphan to fend for herself. You see, she's a muggle born witch, and my family are pure-bloods, so we pretended she was one of us." He looked away in thought, and stared out the window. "I wouldn't expect you to understand what it must have been like for her. She had a difficult childhood."
"Steve, I can understand better then you, I see why you still pretend she's your sister, for her protection."
"Yes, if they discover her real past, her life could be forfeit. I've been in love with her almost since I've known her."
Harry nodded his compliance as he thought it sounded strangely familiar, and patted Steve on the shoulder. "I do understand how you feel."
Steve gave Harry a half smile, and left to prepare for the assault with Chrissy. Harry also retreated to also prepare. Harry watched Hermione prepare herself as well. She pulled her hair back and tied it into a ponytail. She repositioned her wand and tied her cloak to conceal her form. Harry was always mesmerised by her fluid movements at these practiced actions. His attention was captured for the moment, and he never noticed Chrissy slip out into the brush.
He walked back to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, love. I don't want to see you get hurt, I keep remembering that day."
"Harry, I've have a significant amount of combat training since then, I can handle this."
He kissed her cheek, and this time she didn't pull away. "I know you can. Just keep yourself safe."
Remus, Sirius and James began to mentally prepare themselves for this attack, to find Alycia. James and Remus had their wands, chipped and battered though they were. Sirius'was taken when he was attacked in the Florida apartment. It was now 6:35, nearly two hours before the attack.
Hermione noticed his missing wand, and knew he was nearly defenceless without one. Harry was still standing with her and also noticed. She turned to him and before a word was passed, he removed the rucksack from his shoulder, pulled out his invisibility cloak and spied the ancient tunic.
"Go on, wear it, I'm sure he'd be proud of you," She said.
He dropped his wizard cloak and pulled the tan tunic over his frame. He picked up the other cloak and his Firebolt, "I'll be back in half an hour. Wait here," and snapping his fingers, he disappeared with a familiar pop.
"Where did he think he was going? Sirius asked.
"We'll wait here. He's got an errand to complete," she said, as she put his cloak in the rucksack. She walked over to the pile of broken furniture, waved her wand over the pile and the broken chairs emerged, knitting themselves back together. She picked one from the lot and sat down to wait. She opened the bag and pulled an older book from a side pocket, and began to read from it.
"What's that Spirit?" James asked, it was one he'd seen before and from looking over her shoulder could tell it was in that same language and her diary. He grabbed one of the repaired chairs and sat next to his daughter-in-law from another world. The others followed suit and tried to relax.
"Just an old diary I thought might have something useful," she replied.
Remus felt a nip in the air and thought of a fire for warmth, except this was the middle of July and unseasonably warm. "You feel that?" he asked.
"What was it, Moony?"
"A chill, but it passed. Nerves I guess."
Chrissy had just slipped back, unnoticed. She walked as cautiously as she could to Steve's side and whispered to him. The both carefully drew their wands and were about to apparate out.
"It won't work, you know. This land has been charmed to only allow certain people to apparate in or out," Hermione said without raising her head. Steve and Chrissy looked at her and were about to point their wands in offence, when they flew from their hands to Hermione.
Under the manuscript she had been reading the tip of her wand was now exposed.
The Marauders watched and listened as the confrontation escalated to a distinct advantage for Hermione. Eileen sat to the side, nervously waiting; she kept a hand in a pocket, tightly griping a photograph.
"Spirit, how did you know of the charms here? Only family members by blood or marriage can apparate out." James stood and walked to her, and she stood still holding the other two wands.
"Or those specifically allowed by one of us. Prongs, that should prove to you who Harry really is," With that, there was a distinctive pop as he appeared next to her.
"Did I miss something?" He gave her a welcoming kiss and saw the extra wands in her hand. "So they tried something already?"
"Yes, Darling, just like you assumed they would," she said as she handed Harry the two wands.
"Wait, we had been warned to leave, there's an attack scheduled in the next few minutes by the militia. The commander of our network has been in contact with the resistance here."
"Try again, and make it believable," Harry scowled.
"When you found that rat and thought it was a spy, we found another in our home; that one was a spy. We alerted our command that you may have tried to leak out our information."
"Stop, Harry's not the spy." Eileen broke down, collapsed to the ground and began sobbing. "I … am."
"Why? Eileen?" Hermione asked in amazement, and stood to cross the clearing.
"They have my son. They took him a week before you showed up at my door," she mumbled as Hermione fell to her knees next to her. No matter what she may have done, she was still family.
"We can discuss this later, the hit wizards are going to be here in a moment. I for one don't want to be around when they get here," Steve said.
"Where will they strike?" Harry demanded, as he pointed a single finger at Chrissy. "Tell me or she'll be the first to fall."
"They're going to apparate here, focused on the shack," she replied.
A smile crept onto the three Potters' faces, knowing the land as they all did. "They'll find that a tad more trouble then they'll expect."
Harry took the two wands Hermione handed him and walked to the three original Marauders. "Here, I made a stop at Ollivander's for a few things, I'm sure he won't notice them gone for a while. And I tripped as many wards as I could," He handed over each of the three new wands, and they noticed an extra tucked in his belt. He then handed Steve and Chrissy their wands.
"Now, are you going to help or shall I deal with your friends on my own?"
"Harry, I may have misjudged you, but she needs to be dealt with," he said, as he pointed to Eileen. "Spies here are traditionally put to death."
"No, I won't allow that without an explanation, but I need to know how many we can expect, and any names you have."
"Hermione, you have to believe me I had no choice. They took my husband and child." Eileen quietly told Hermione, while trying to hold back her expected emotions.
"Who is he?" she asked.
"I thought you knew, Harry mentioned him before. He's a man I met here years ago. We married in secret and he's been raising our son. We were in their apartment the other day."
"Jake? Jake Stevens?" Harry asked unexpectedly.
"Y-yes. How did you know him?"
"You and Jake have been close friends in our world. So now we have three to rescue? Then we had best leave before your friends arrive."
"Wrong, Mr. Potter, I have her family," they heard from the bushes where Chrissy had been. "They are safe and secure. Now, I believe we have to revise your planned rescue. Malfoy has the woman and they have planned the usual ' entertainment'for tonight's meeting."
"Show yourself!" Harry demanded.
A tall man, with his face hidden behind his cloak emerged, with two others behind him. The three had their wands visibly holstered, to reduce the possibility of a confrontation they surely would lose. The leader lowered the hood of his cloak, and his revelation did not have the effect on Harry or Hermione that he had expected. A noticeable gasp from several others indicated his deception was successful.
"Severus Snape, I half expected to see you," Harry said. He stood his ground to see exactly what Snape's motives were.
"I also had the muggle woman under my protection too, however Lucius discovered her. He has plans to use her in one of his pathetic ceremonies tonight, to ' honour'the Dark Lord."
"He's one of them. He's taken my son! KILL HIM," Eileen ranted; Remus had held her back, restraining her.
"Yes, I have them safe. I attempted to help them, before they were found out. You do know the laws against that type of behaviour, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked the elder Potter.
"That ' woman'is my mother. And unless you intend to help us, you had best get out of my way, I never liked you much in my world, and you've given me no reason to feel otherwise," Hermione expressed her anger with gritted teeth. She was a hair's breadth from dealing with him personally.
"I can offer a safe route into the Manor, and I can offer my knowledge of the building," He now spoke to Harry, noting he had the air of authority over the group.
"We …" Hermione began, but Harry stopped her from finishing.
"We would appreciate the help, Professor," Harry finished the thought for his wife.
"Sarcasm is unnecessary. I have never taught."
"You had in our world. And it's refreshing to see your personality has not been affected," He said calmly. "According to my information we have forty-seven minutes before the meeting."
"You seem to forget I am the source of your information, and yes, there is not much time."
"Before we take one step, why are you helping us?" Hermione insisted.
"If you have not figured this out by now, then I can only assume you don't posses the intelligence to fully comprehend the situation. But to satisfy your curiosity, life has become worthless. With only a handful of people in the ruling class and no ability for those outside to excel, the ' common'people have been reduced to cattle. Knowledge has stagnated in both the wizard and muggle worlds and with the imposed blood line purities, the wizard population will become too interrelated. This is not a healthy society."
"Why, Professor, I never would have thought of you as a revolutionary. These ideas are thoughtful and insightful. This is quite out of line for you." Hermione began to build new respect for the old bane of their existence in school.
"Thank you for your wonderful endorsement," the sarcasm in his voice from years past swiftly returned. "And exactly what is your plan?"
"First, where is my mother being held?" she demanded.
"The dungeons are the most likely place. She was being processed when I left. So, yes, she would be in the dungeons until called he calls for her for the ceremony."
"And what is her role in this ceremony?" Harry asked.
"Simple, she simply has to provide one ingredient for the youth potion he requires. He has aged most ungracefully. His dark magics have drained his physical body leaving him physically altered. He requires periodic youth potions simply to survive. That is my portion of this endeavour. The one fresh ingredient required is the still beating heart of a muggle."
Visibly shaken, but still determined, she pressed for more information. "When is this to occur?"
"The ' meetings'begin at dusk; I am to prepare the potion near the end, usually two hours later, and he prefers to be in the Ministry when he takes the potion, it is a ' safe'place in his twisted mind. There is a five minute window after the last ingredient is added before the potion becomes useless. For this reason alone, the last ingredient is harvested and added there. Your best hope would be to delay the beginning of the meeting and remove the woman."
"What are Voldemort's weaknesses? He must have one we can exploit," Harry inquired.
"He derives pleasure from watching others suffer and die. No, there is nothing that can help. Unlike Malfoy's taste in women and other physical pleasures, Voldemort has none."
She turned to Harry and pulled him aside, she had an idea. She whispered her ideas and after head shaking and violent hand gestures, and a firm ' No'from Harry she turned from him and began to walk away. He grabbed her arm and they continued their discussions.
"She's giving him a rough time, Prongs; do you really want to get involved with her mum?"
"Take my word for it, that passion goes both ways, it's truly worth it."
They tried not to watch what seemed to be a personal confrontation between spouses, but the obvious fact that she had the upper hand showed through. The discussion lasted only a few more moments, and the obvious victory was evident with Harry starting to nod an approval. The end of the discussion came when the two held each other as one would hold a loved one about to go into battle.
She passed the others, but the look on her face wasn't that of a victor. She looked scared. Harry opened his pack and pulled a single object from it to be prepared.
"If you would follow me, it appears you have an anti-apparation ward on this property." With that, each member of the assault group gathered what little they had and fell into step following Snape.
"I would suggest extreme caution, everyone, have your wands ready," Harry instructed.
They left the area, most of the group was able to leave directly, Snape, his two people and the Linters would not be able to leave. They kept the information to themselves for the moment. After they walked to the nearest border of the property, Hermione fell into step next to Harry, and slipped her hand into his.
"This appears to be the spot where we arrived. Please, if you can remain silent we should be at a reasonable location." He picked up a large tree branch, long enough that all parties could comfortably grab a spot. The entire team vanished silently from the field outside Godric's Hollow to appear a comparable distance from Malfoy Manor.
They quietly made their way to a hidden tunnel under the grounds, but it was far from forgotten. "Please follow this tunnel, there will be a sealed door at the end, I trust you can open it quietly. I have to return and report that the ' attack'was successful."
Hermione stopped Snape and had a brief conversation, he also shook his head and after her insistence, he finally conceded and left the others in the tunnel with Hermione close behind him.
James watched with Sirius about to argue, but thought better of it, after having witnessed both Harry and Snape conceding to her demands. "Hey Stag, are you go …." He turned to Harry, but he too was not there.
"So this is their great plan, to leave us here?" Remus asked.
"No, we were instructed to the end of this tunnel, and then to that door. I'm certain Harry's going inside to help clear the path," Eileen stated.
"And this from the spy? And why are you here?" James asked.
"I have as much to lose, and I'm just as involved, now are we going?"
"Yes, but I want you in front, to take the first shot."
"Fine. Just stay close."
The tunnel was fairly long; obviously they had to traverse under a large portion of the grounds. The first obstacle to overcome was a barred gate, it was not locked, nor could they detect any wards. It simply seemed to be ornamental or designed to keep muggles out. The door at the end was quite solid.
First to the door, Eileen waited before pointing to the lock with her wand. As she was about to speak the incantation, James grabbed her arm. "How do we know it's clear on the other side?"
"Do we really have a choice? We'd best be ready either way," she replied. She cautiously cast the spell, and the latch clicked. She pulled the door open, and released her breath when they could see the adjacent hall was empty.
Once inside they consulted the maps Harry drew, the dungeons were to the left, but the meeting hall was to the right and up.
"She's got to still be in the dungeon, that bloke said she was being ' prepared'. If we can get to her before the meeting starts, Harry and Hermione will find out as soon as the alarm is sounded," Steve commented.
"And what of them? Are we going to leave them?" Remus asked.
"They can handle themselves, if he's truly a Senior Auror, that shouldn't be an issue," James answered, he had faith in them, the faith of a father in his son.
They continued through the twisting passageway, and began to hear voices down the hall, evidence they were on the right track.
"So you want to have a go at the bitch?" they heard one guard say to another.
"Won't that disturb the charms they gave ' er?"
"Nah, that was to keep ' er quiet. Her screamin'damn near woke the dead. If you don't want a go, then I'll be the first."
They heard the sound of cloth tearing, followed by other muffled noises. James had heard enough; he charged the room with his wand shooting spell after spell; not all were stunners. The other Marauders followed immediately behind, with Steve, Chrissy and Eileen watching for others that may try to aid the guards.
Remus and Sirius turned the corner to see a man lying in a pool of blood, naked from the waist down. His middle had received more then a stunner, a gaping wound that nearly bisected him proved to be the source of the blood. His companion stood nearby, his wand still tucked in his belt. James had pointed his wand, ready to deal a second spell that would prove just as fatal at this range.
"Prongs, no, he's not done anything," Sirius tried to halt the next spell from his friend, but the fire in James'eyes had begun to consume him. All he could see was an unconscious woman, half naked and chained to the wall.
"These animals don't deserve to live," he screamed, as he pointed his wand at the man's throat. "I'll give you one chance to live. What have you done to her?"
"Look, mate, we ' aven't touched ' er. The wards have left her out cold and Bobbie there thought to have a bit'o fun before they slit ' er up. Personally, she ain't me type, too bloody old."
" STUPEFY!" Remus shot the stunner and left the man stunned. "Get her down and let's get out of here."
"This seems far too easy, two guards? And what of the other two?" Steve asked as he and Chrissy came to the scene.
"They'll be fine, I'm certain they have a plan worked out."