MTL NOVEL Chapter 9: Chapter 9:
2nd December
Hermione woke to a scream.
It wasnt unusual. She quite often rose to the shouts of petrified soldiers waking from night terrors and screams of people calling out to loved ones that'd been murdered in battle.
This scream was different. It was agonised; a blood-curdling wail of pain.
The scouts must've been back from their mission.
Hermione shot out of bed, snatching her wand and satchel from her bedside table, and sprinted to the infirmary. "What happened?" she shouted as soon as she crossed the threshold into the makeshift hospital. Her hands automatically dove into her bag for pain potions she kept there.
"Sneak attack near Manchester," a young healer named Kirsty, said, her voice trembling as much as her hands while she tried to pin down the writhing wizard beneath her. "They... they tried to disarm one of his bases but it was a trap."
The wizard thrashed when Kirsty added Essence of Dittany to the burnt flesh around his shoulder. He gnashed his teeth together, and hissed as the sting of the medicine interacted with his injuries.
Hermione stood beside his cot. "I'll take this one," she said, jutting her chin to the other beds of injured soldiers. "Go tend to the others."
Kirsty released a heavy sigh. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Thank you." She quickly schooled her expression, and then turned and ran to one of the injured, her dark blonde hair poking in every direction as she went.
Hermione surveyed the wizard on her bed, trying her best to drown out the screams around her.
Cormac McLaggen was almost unrecognisable. His skin was severely burnt. Scorched flesh covered half his face and the crisp ivory bone of his cheek and eye socket were visible. The left half of his body was burnt beyond repair, meaning he would have little use of his left arm and leg. There wasn't a healing charm in the world strong enough for that type of extensive nerve damage. She just hoped she could repair enough tissue in time so he wouldn't lose them completely.
"What spell did this?" Hermione asked.
"I...it was... eugghhh!" McLaggen squeezed his eyes closed, screaming in pain when Hermione cast a charm to disinfect the wound on his shoulder. "MOTHER FUCKER, IT HURTS SO MUCH!"
"Please calm down, try to breathe. I can't get you an antidote if I don't know what spell caused this."
"Wasn't - eughhhhh - wasn't a spell!"
"Then what was it?"
"The dragon- FUCK!... the dragon was back!"
Hermione looked at Cormac's burnt face and froze. "Black Shadow?"
"Yes," he panted, writhing in agony. "Bla-black Shadow was there!"
Hermione had only seen it once. If the ace up the Order's sleeves was muggle machines, then Voldemort's was Black Shadow.
The dragon was an exceptionally large beast. It had pure black scales, eyes that seemed to glow like Satan, and a wingspan akin to that of a football field. It was twice as big as the Iron Belly she'd ridden while looking for Horcruxes, maybe even three times as large.
It was only ever ridden by the male Demon Mask.
The dragon had earned its name by its gargantuan size. The only warning it was ever present in battle was the giant, demonic-looking shadow on the ground before the field was eclipsed in searing heat.
Seamus had survived an attack by Black Shadow once. Had the common sense to hide under a pile of bodies when the beast flew overhead a final time to check for survivors. He said its flaming breath was hellfire itself. Hotter than anything he'd ever come across. It'd melted the strongest iron, disintegrated bodies to ash and left nothing alive. He said its roar made the very earth shake, and the sound of its wings beating against the air was comparable only to loud claps of thunder. Unforgiving. Heart-stopping.
If Black Shadow was being utilized on the field more, then The Order was fucked.
12th December
"I have a bad feeling about this," Tonks whispered as she drew a calming breath, concentrating on changing her hair from the vibrant shade of orange it currently resembled. They couldn't afford to be seen right now.
"You worry too much." Hermione craned her neck around the side of the lighthouse, trying to get a better view. "We'll be fine. Medusa has been gathering intelligence on this for weeks. It's a simple in and out mission."
"You trust him?"
"Yes. He's never been wrong before."
Tonks nodded. She fiddled with the edge of her sleeves and tapped her boot to the earth. Her nerves were tangible, almost crackling around her. She hated being away from Teddy - hated it considerably more since Lupin's death - but she was a fighter. She refused to stay at home while other people put themselves in danger.
"Ron is going to be so angry," Tonks murmured as she drew her wand. "He didn't want you to go on another mission so soon. You know he's going to kill you, right?"
Hermione snorted quietly. "He doesn't get a say in what I do. He has his own family to worry about now."
"He does," Tonks agreed. "But he cares about you. He just wants to keep you safe."
Safe in my cage more like. Hermione shook the thought away and tapped the coin in her pocket with the edge of her wand.
"Are the others ready?"
When the coin burned twice in response, Hermione nodded.
The Muggle armies had been keen to get involved with this raid. They wanted to retaliate after their own officers were taken as hostages a few weeks ago, but later decided against it. This operation required stealth and patience. They needed to be silent and unnoticeable while they laid the trap, and helicopters and tanks were not exactly the quietest things in the world.
Ten Order members had been selected for this mission, Hermione and Tonks included. Harrison Waters, Kyle Elliott, Josh Rhodes, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Robert Marks, Lee Brookes, and Xander Lowe.
The plan was simple enough and involved everyone working in pairs. The group was already scattered in a circle on the field, wands drawn and concealed under a few layers of magic to make them completely invisible.
Hermione and Tonks were hidden behind the lighthouse a few paces back, acting as scouts. Once the Death Eaters were in the middle of the circle, surrounded on all sides, the attack would start.
The strategy was to disarm as many Death Eaters as possible, and then go after the carriage to retrieve the girls. No Anti-Apparation wards were set up; they needed a quick getaway once the girls were free.
Shacklebolt had given firm instructions that there was to be no killing curses on this mission. No guns. No bombs. No lethal hexes. 'It's a rescue mission, simple as that,' he'd said. 'No need for fatalities'. Hermione didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed a fraction at her when he gave the order.
She and Shacklebolt were usually on the same page when it came to killing; neither liked it, but both thought it was necessary. Apparently, Shacklebolt was going to appease Harry on this mission. She wondered how long it would last.
Voldemort had chosen a different means of transportation this time. After the tunnels were used against his soldiers during the last raid, he'd chosen a more open route for this task. The Death Eaters were transporting the girls via foot across the coastline, and the interception point for this mission was the White Cliffs of Dover.
Normally, the Death Eaters travelled by Apparition or Portkey, but slaves and priceless artefacts complicated matters. Those methods left the Death Eaters vulnerable, made it harder to cast hexes and transfigure shields to protect whatever they were carrying. The uncertainty of Apparation risked damaging fragile cargo, and the risk of splinching was increased tenfold if the 'cargo' in question was fighting and clawing and trying to escape.
Voldemort didn't like taking risks like that, not with objects of such importance. He'd rather risk the lives of his generals than damage an object he wanted. Would rather chain up the artefact or slaves, throw them in a carriage and have his soldiers march them across the continent - and the Order planned to use that to their advantage.