The Secret War | Dramione

Chapter 9

2 Days Later

The Forest of Dean

"Move over will you."

"Careful..."

"You're stepping on me."

"Will you just turn it on?"

"Lumos."

The light lit up the tent.

Fred Weasley set down a small radio. He fiddled with the dial, trying to change the station.

Next to him, George ducked his head out of the tent flap, checking to see if they'd been followed.

"We're running out of time," said Fred. "We'll have to take him to Lupin and Tonks before morning."

At the far back of the tent Ron lay unconscious. There were bandages around his head, and deep claw marks were visible on his neck.

"But Greyback's still hiding in the woods," whispered George. "If he attacks Ron again—"

"We can't stay here," Fred retorted. "We can't heal him ourselves."

George performed a muffliato charm, then zipped up the tent. "Let's hear it then," he said, nodding at the radio.

Fred switched it on. There was the sound of static, then a crackle.

A deep, booming voice filled the tent.

"...the Battle of Hogwarts left hundreds dead, and several more wounded. Aksel Agarby, head of the Magical Alliance, led an army of thousands against You-Know-Who..."

Fred and George looked at each other anxiously.

"While the army managed to subdue the Death Eaters, the Magical Alliance failed to defeat You-Know-Who's forces completely."

The announcer cleared his throat, then went on:

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taken possession of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Inside sources report that countless muggleborns have been taken prisoner. Many were sent to the Keil Caves, forced to manufacture weapons for You-Know-Who's army. While the Magical Alliance had hoped to gain ground, they have temporarily retreated to Wales to recover their forces. As for the Order, a quarter of their members were captured and sent to Azkaban, while others were swiftly executed."

The announcer paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"And what of Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived? Many members of the wizarding community believe young Potter fled the country last summer. Yet, others are convinced he returned to Britain in disguise and fought alongside the Magical Alliance at the Battle of Hogwarts. Regardless, Potter seems to have become a ghost, a legend...as ethereal as the wind. In need of a true leader, the wizarding community is failing to cope with the loss of Albus Dumbledore..."

A vein in Fred's temple throbbed.

"Many who survived the Battle of Hogwarts left the castle grounds and apparated to London, seeking aid at St. Mungos. Shortly after their arrival, You-Know-Who blocked apparition between Scotland, England and Wales, thus isolating the regions. And his obscurement charm remains, clouding all of Britain with a grey-black substance muggle reporters refer to as the mist.

"St. Mungos is overwhelmed with the injured. Only those who stand a chance of survival are allowed inside, while the rest are left to die at the healing center's front steps. Makeshift healing stations have sprung up around the country, but many fear it won't be enough to save the wounded.

"With the ministry gone, there is no longer a squad of obliviators to modify muggle memories. Mass hysteria has gripped the non-magical population. Countless muggles have witnessed duels between wizards, or suffered attacks from the Death Eaters themselves. Dozens more have seen the effects of powerful magic. And it appears the muggles are taking matters into their own hands. Just yesterday, a muggle man fired a weapon at a witch, while the latter was trying to levitate him out of harm's way. Apparently, a group of vampires were poised to attack the unsuspecting man. Panicked muggles have killed both solitary Death Eaters and innocent wizards. Some have even killed muggles they mistakenly believed to be wizards. We warn you not to travel the streets alone at night.

"Concerns of civil unrest plague the muggle Prime Minister, and many fear it won't be long until the streets are patrolled by muggle tanks and Her Majesty's Armed Forces, but this does not seem to concern You-Know-Who. The dark wizard is hell-bent on defeating the forces of the Magical Alliance and reinstating wizard-kind without regard for the International Statute of Secrecy. He has enlisted the help of Romanian and Albanian vampires who have killed indiscriminately..."

Fred turned the radio dial again. They landed on a French muggle news station.

"Et maintenant pour le rapport de ce soir..."

George tapped the radio with his wand, and muttered an incantation that translated the words to English.

"And in tonight's evening news...the mist covering Great Britain has provoked mass hallucinations within its population. Citizens are claiming to see wizards and witches, and all sorts of magical creatures. Just last week a man shot his eighty year old neighbor claiming she was trying to levitate him against his will. And another swore he saw a dragon flying over the night sky."

The reporter let out an involuntary laugh, and seemed to address someone sitting beside him.

"It won't be long before the burnings and witch trials start eh Alexandre?"

Laughter again. Then he cleared his throat, resuming a more serious tone.

"French and Swiss scientists are studying the mist, determined to discover its mysterious properties. And the French navy is sailing around the outskirts of Britain, in continuous patrol of its borders. But no one is willing to send forces inside the country.

"Many English and Scottish cities are in ruins. And, no longer thought to be a weather anomaly, it is widely believed that a weapon of mass destruction went off in Britain. One Swiss scientist said, 'Until we can be certain of its effects, we cannot send anyone through the mist.' Some believe it is a British government experiment gone wrong, endangering Europe as a whole. The Prime Minister of Great Britain expressed his outrage yesterday in a press interview, calling these accusations outlandish: "I am in shock that our neighbors have turned a blind eye to the situation. They fail to see that this matter concerns all of us. This is a humanitarian crisis. Something must be done."

Fred switched the dial back to the wizarding station.

"...but there is a glimmer of hope. Harry Potter's close friend, Hermione Granger, proclaimed Greatest Witch of her Age, evacuated a large group of students from Hogwarts and fled the country. Some claim they hid in the forbidden forest, then commandeered a dragon, others insist they left on board a ship. Each story is more incredible than the next. But whatever their means of escape, it appears they have left the country unharmed. Their whereabouts, however, remain a mystery..."

"Fred!"

"What?"

"It's Ron, he's waking up!"

Fred and George ran to the opposite end of the tent.

"Where are we?" asked Ron feebly, pushing himself up on his elbows.

"You've woken up just in time for the news," said George excitedly. "Hermione's alive. And that means Ginny is too."

Ron lay back, his vision fogging over.

"We have to take him to Lupin now," said Fred. "We can't wait until morn—"

Fred and George froze.

They heard the sound of footsteps and the snapping of twigs.

Suddenly, the entrance to the tent was ripped open by a sharp-pointed dagger.

Fred and George raised their wands, but their blood ran cold when they saw who it was.

Bellatrix Lestrange stared at them through heavily lidded eyes, a merciless smile stretched across her gaunt face.

"There's three blood traitors in here!" she shouted over her shoulder.

A group of men rushed into the tent.

"Tie them up," said Bellatrix excitedly. "We're taking them to Greymoor Castle."

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