On a Mission

Thaor took a deep breath before throwing on his night cloak. He slipped his wand out of his sleeve and conjured his death eater mask before stepping out into the road. He walked briskly towards Sparks, he had a mission, and he was going to carry it out.

Thaor got to sparks, and nonverbally cast fiendfire on the building. Mosmordre Thaor said, sending the dark mark high into the sky.

Thaor hid in a tree, waiting for Khaat to come out of the building.

Khaat and Brian had taken the kids out to eat, and since Sparks was like a home away from home, it was where they had chosen. The place was buzzing with the chatter of the dinner crowd, and the place was packed--with a good portion of the crowd at this hour being some of her faithful regulars. The regulars who had watched her kids go from newborns to toddlers that sometimes behaved themselves at the table and sometimes made dinner a food fight. Tonight, the kids were being good for a change, delighted with chicken nuggets and chips.

And then the room burst into a roar like the fires of hell. Chaos erupted. Some of the witches and wizards fled immediately. Some took a moment longer to figure out what was going on.

"Oh, God!" Brian was on his feet, wand drawn, staring upwards. Khaat followed his gaze. The fire was taking form as a vicious dragon. A fiendfyre. And it was targetting her. "Get behind me!" Brian told her. A group of witches drew their wands and slid a stone room divider in front of Khaat to buy her a moment. It wouldn't last long.

"You can't defeat it! Its after me!" she told him. "Get the kids and get out of here. I'll buy us some time."

"What!" he exclaimed. "No!"

"Go!" She insisted. Some of her regulars dashed over and each snatched one of her kids from their high chairs. An older wizard pulled at Brian's arm, prepared to help him get all the tiny tots out safely.

"Do as she says," he told Brian.

"Take them to my father!" she said, thrusting Abbey into Brian's arms. He kissed her quickly.

"I'll come back for you," he said, looking at her like he might be seeing her for the last time. She nodded and began firing at the flame dragon just to draw its attention temporarily for her family and her remaining customers to get out safely. He and the others apparated out, leaving her standing in her beloved bistro which was engulfed in flames. The smoke was getting thick around her, and burning debris was falling everywhere. She knew she could not begin to battle a fiendfyre. It was beyond her. She debated for a brief moment what she would do--until her clothes caught fire. She found herself stumbling, coughing and choking and gasping for air, out into Diagon Alley and falling down on the brick street, wondering how long it would take for the dragon to follow her and finish her.

Thaor watched as his plan unfolded, everything went according to his plan, he knew Khaat would stay and try to save everyone else. He swooped out of the tree and walked over to her, putting out the flames on her clothes.

Still wearing the mask, his perriferial vision was slightly impaired, so he looked around to make sure no one was around, or watching, there was a man standing about 40 yards away, Thaor turned his wand on him Avada Kedavra he murmered, killing the only witness.

Thaor bent over and picked Khaat up, then apparated them both to Death Manor, leaving the fiendfyre behind to destroy Diagon Ally.

Brian had come with a hoard of people, and they were carrying his terrified grandchildren to the safety of his farm. A rare breech of his security spells. Brian had spilled the news in an angry sentence as Kate stepped in to take the children and to help their friends calm the tots.

"Go," Kate said, not needing Robert to say anything. Robert grabbed his cloak and tossed it on and snatched up his wand. He and Brian apparated back to Diagon Alley. The place looked like a bomb had gone off at the beloved bistro. There wasnt' much left. Bodies littered the street like some sort of masscre had happened. A crowd of witches and wizards had died in the streets. Onlookers and fire victims both.

"Khaat!" Brian was ready to leap into the flames to go get her. Robert grabbed tight to his arm and, with his wand, he fired his trademark lion patronus. There were just too many friends that knew the lion not to respond. And tonight, the patronus seemed to be angry--running, ready to fight. But then, Robert was angry. Staring into the flames he saw the head of the dragon. It was still searching. He took a step forward and the dragon attempted to breathe jets of flame at him. Robert blocked the flame with his shield, but it didn't put out the flame.

This was not the work of someone new to fiedfyre spells. This was someone very experienced. And it was not going to be just snuffed out with a bucket of water or an aguamente. No, this would take some doing. What he did know for sure was that Khaat could not possibly still be alive if she were in the ruins of the restaurant. But if she had gotten out, what on earth had happened to her.

"Go look for her. Check for clues! Find something!" Robert ordered Brian fiercely, eyes glued to the mystical dragon of fire.

After making sure Khaat was secure at D'eath Manor, he changed his clothes, and robe, and apparated to Diagon Ally, it looked as though all would be lost. What the hells happened? He yelled to Robert as he ran up to him.

Thaor put up his occlumency to make sure no one would be able to get into his mind, and if they did, they would believe Thaor knew nothing of the werabouts of Khaat, or what happened here tonight.

What can I do to help Robert? Thaor asked, shielding his face from the dragon, who breathed fire at the pair.

"Find Khaat," Robert said, glad to see Thaor there. "She's missing. Help Brian look for her." The dragon fired again at Robert and Robert fired a efensive spell back, realizing he was just a bit distracted to try to undo the fiendfyre. Undoing that spell did take concentration. It was a bit like an unforgiveable. One had to mean it. And that concentration and energy directed into one place.

Until then, until he could focus, he needed to simply keep the others safe. The only person that Robert had personally known that made fiendfyres look easy was Albus Dumbledore. But that was the thing. Dumbledore made everything look far easier than it really was.

And right now, Robert had his hands full. The fire was spreading to the neighboring shops and Sparks was gone. Khaat was missing. And bodies of innocent men, women, and children filled the street. He had no idea if Khaat was amongst them or not. Or if she had not managed to get out or had been destroyed by the dragon.

"Brian! Report!" Robert shouted.

"Nothing!" Brian said, frustrated. As much as Robert heard the frustration in Brian's voice, for every person Brian checked that wasn't Khaat, the more hope Robert had that she was still alive.

Louis was having an average day, he had woken up early to go to work, which looked weird, only an eighteen year old Auror, in the Department of Law. He had done everything he was supposed to do, patrol the streets, look for Death Eaters, nothing much, just like the usual days. He walked out of the ministry of Magic, to take, his break. Get lunch at Sparks, go walking around for a bit. Maybe buy something for his family, at the Shell Cottage. Then he had already planned out what he would do after work. He would go with some Auror buddies to the Leaky Cauldron. Though he wasn't the drinking age, or so he thought, he could pass the drinking age, with his buddies. Yeah, just a normal average day in Louis world................... And that's when the world went crazy.

And explosion went off, kids, women, and men were screaming. Louis was caught of guard, and then realized someone had sent Fiendfyre. "I hate that God Forsaken spell!" He had some.... Bad memories with that spell. As he helped people get out of there, as any Auror should do. He looked up to see a lion Patronus. He remembered that Patronus from somewhere. Ah, yeah, it was Ministers Patronus. That meant the minister was there. He ran over to where Sparks used to be. Louis looked in horror as he saw dead bodies on the street, women, men, and children. Once he saw the children, Louis clenched his fists, knowing that he would find the person who did this, and demise him. He walked over to Robert, he knew him from the Order, and the fact that Robert was somewhat his boss.

He looked over to see Thaor, and Brian. Wait Thaor? He remembered him from somewhere. Yeah, he was the 'best' teacher, sarcasm intended. Louis had gotten himself into some sort of a brawl with a Slytherin kid named Zakk. There is where he had first realized Lucy had feelings for him. After fighting with the boy in the classroom, another girl had joined in. Then Thaor had joined, Louis could keep up with a three on three, except one on his side, was so shy, she couldn't even fight. That's when Sophia had shown up. Bless the lord for her, or they would've been toast. But Louis didn't think highly of Thaor, admittedly since that day, Louis hated the bastard.

Louis looked at Robert, he was sure Robert knew Louis was an Auror, and if not, then he would find out. "Hey, Robert," Louis said panting, as he had just ran a really fast sprint to there. As he found his breath, "What can I do to help?!"

"Get those onlookers safe!" Robert said. "This could well take out more than just Sparks. Get them back and watch in case it spreads. Send anyone with injuries to St. Mungos at once. And Louis--keep an eye out for Khaat. We can't find her. We dont know if she got out." He didn't want to say the next words but they had to be said. "I don't know if she's alive or not."

He turned and saw the street was starting to fill with horror stricken citizens, eyes wide with unbelief and terror. Some were just utterly frozen as they looked at the flames and the carnage around them. Such a tragedy. Such a waste. Brian had told him at the farm that the fiendfyre had been after Khaat. So much death because someone--again--had an axe to grind against his family. His heart ached, but he didn't dare let that show right now. But he swore whoever had done this would die. He had to shut away his heart and his feelings right now to do the job at hand.

Louis listened at what Robert said and nodded. "We need to find a way to contain this, but also not letting it die. We don't want an Ashwinder on our hand." Louis explained, wondering if this was the first time studying had ever helped. An Ashwinder was a snake that came out of the ashes of dying fire. It layed super hot eggs, and survived. But he had heard rumors that it was deadly, which didn't surprise him, as most snakes in the wizarding world were deadly. He looked at Robert when he said they couldn't find Khaat. "What? No." Louis said. Khaat was a respected member of the order, like most people where, but Khaat was somewhat his friend. As they had lunch years ago in Sparks, before it became infested with dead bodies and fire.

He turned to the people, "Sonorus!" He exclaimed, and put his wand on his cheek. "EVERYONE OUT! NOW!" He yelled, as his wand had made his voice become louder. As he took a look at the dead bodies, he realized something. "Hey, there are still people there!" Louis yelled, as he put his jacket overhead a,d looked at bodies that weren't burned, and people trapped under wood. Getting a couple of kids, men, and women out. Then there was one body, "It's not burned!" He said. The body was pointing at a tree 40 yards away from it, and it wasn't burned to death. He ran over and checked for a pulse, no pulse. Someone had hid by that tree. It was obvious it had been a Death Eater or Dark Follower, and from experience, both where cowards. Just Death Eaters needed to kill to show authority,.

"This is probably a Death Eaters idea, obviously, and since it is. Do you think it could've taken Khaat?" Louis said, "Catching her off guard."

James threw his head back, feeling the pleasant burn against his throat as the firewhiskey made its way down. It had been another tough practice at the stadium, and James had been eager to relax with a drink. On any other day, he would have relaxed at the pub near his home in Godric's Hollow, however tonight he had desired to eavesdrop the latest gossip in the Wizarding World. Though it was rarely anything of significance, there was always a small chance of obtaining some small nugget of information gold by listening in to the conversations of others.

So far, there had been nothing of use over-heard tonight, and James was just thinking about calling it a day; when the door that lead out to the brick wall, used to enter Diagon Alley, flew open and hit the wall with a resounding 'CRACK!'

"THEY'RE KILLING EVERYONE!" a crazed-looking witch shouted, waving her arms to gain everyone's attention, "The whole place is on fire and they've killed everybody!"

The witch collapsed in a dead faint, having succumbed to her shock. The silvery form of a lion-shaped Patronus barreled from behind her into the room. It stood there for a moment, then moved on, presumably to find more help.

"The minister is involved?!" James thought to himself, shocked at seeing the Patronus.

James whipped out his wand and strode into the back courtyard with the brick wall. He hurriedly tapped three bricks up and two over from the dustbin to gain access into Diagon Alley. Once out on the street, it was not hard to find the center of commotion. James merely followed the frightened outcries, and moved in the direction that people were running from. When he got closer to the source of destruction, James' mouth tightened grimly as he saw the unmistakable crumpled forms of bodies in the street.

James paused to take in the scene. Someone had set Sparks afire with Fiendfyre, and had set the Dark Mark above the place. Anger burst in James' heart. He had been expecting the Death Eaters to make a move at some point, but not one so grandiose. James saw the minister standing in the street, and began to make his way towards him. On the way, he snapped a group of wizards out of their reverie, and suggested they make their way up and out of Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron if they were not able to apparate.

"What happened here?" James asked, directing his question towards the small group of people with the minister; keeping his eyes warily on the dragon-shaped Fiendfyre.