Children of Sin

Chapter 37

"I knew it!" Bellatrix cackled madly, "the Dark Lord is too powerful to be defeated."

Rodolphus and Rabastan shared Bellatrix's excitement, maniacal glee displayed on their faces.

"Damn it," Fleamont cursed, horrified that the man his son (and daughter-in-law) died trying to stop was back.

"He's stooped low," Dumbledore sighed sadly, "Tom has reached for magics that destroy the balance."

"You better get those kids out of there," Antiope warned Larissa anxiously, before turning to Leanne, "and you also need to leave in the future. Being a blood traitor with that psychopath around is incredibly dangerous."

"Hopefully Beauxbatons will immediately take them home," Larissa said worriedly.

"What's going on?" Damian asked as they were shepherded back to the carriages.

"Questions later, Damian," Madam Ballard responded strictly, clearly stressed out, "we need to evacuate you all before we can figure things out."

The Beauxbatons students, despite the chaos, manage to make it back to their carriages, where they all anxiously await the headmistress' explanation. Damian, noticing Victor in the crowd of students, quickly joins him.

"Where's Layla?" Damian asks his younger brother, desperately hoping that Victor would know.

"I don't know," Victor replied, worry filling his heart.

"Didn't she go off to help Leta's kid?" James voiced quietly, still worried for the safety of his own future child.

"She did," Euphemia confirmed, "I hope that they can find her and nothing happens."

"Madam Ballard!" Damian calls out, attracting the teacher's attention, "Layla is missing."

"What?" Madam Ballard froze. She thought they had evacuated all the students; how had one student been missed.

Madam Ballard steeled her nerves, and turned to the room. "Is anyone else missing?" She asked, turning to the rest of the students.

"Marcus Dolayer," one of the seventh years, Amity Ferson, said quietly, "I can't find him anywhere."

"I'm going to go find them." Madam Ballard turned to address the students, "no one can leave, is that understood?"

"Of course Madam," the students responded. With that, the charms teacher rushed out of the carriage to go and find the missing students.

"I wonder where Layla went," Lily whispered to Marlene.

"Me too," Marlene whispered back, "but I'm sure she's fine wherever she is. She's a powerful witch after all."

"She'll be alright," Damian tried assuring his younger brother, "she's our little sister; she's too tough to get hurt."

"She'd bite them before they could harm her," Victor laughed wetly, barely concealing his worry.

"Likely in her animagus form," Damian added and the two wince, "I would not want to be bitten by a leopard."

"Wherever she is," Victor said, much more at ease, "I'm sure she can take care of herself."

"What's happening?" Layla asked the Hogwarts matron, "why is there such a commotion?"

"So she took Flora to the matron," Euphemia sighed in relief, "thank Merlin both of them are alright."

"Give me a moment," Madam Pomphrey hurriedly replied, rushing around the office in a state of slight panic, "dreamless sleep, dreamless sleep, where is it?"