Dark, Twisted and Time Turned

Chapter 37: Concluded and Copied

"Where are they?" Fleetwood mutters, pacing the spot in front of their library table. "Dumbledore sent them, so where are the damn papers?"

"Calm down, mate. Like the Aurors said, maybe they don't have the clearance for them." Rosier replies.

"I don't know much about the Auror department, but maybe these papers are really important? Maybe only the higher ups have access for security reasons." Lestrange suggests.

"I heard two 'maybe's in that sentence, and I don't like them." Hermione comments.

"Look, there's no way Dumbledore didn't send our papers. He has no use for them himself, so they must just be in the higher ups. If you're so concerned with it, why don't you ask Dumbledore if he remembered to send them." Rosier suggests. "I'll go ask, I'm not doing so well in his class anyways so I have an excuse to go to his office other then accuse him of keeping our research." Their dinner had gone past curfew, and it had taken all week for them finally to be able to meet as a group again. Perseus, still dripping wet from swim practice, was attempting to stay out of sight from the librarian as he dripped all over the floors and furniture.

"When? I'll go with you and wait." Chyllie adds, much to the dismay of Theon.

"Hold up, let me get this straight." They all turn to Elizabeth Rookwood, who had joined them for the evening solely because Saturday used to be when she and Ella would hangout. She too was dripping onto the floor. "You all spent weeks tracking Grindelwald's every move, mapped it, did some jazz to find the patterns that even the Ministry doesn't know, and now your papers are missing? After you tried sending them to the Ministry?"

"That's correct." Davante says, thankfully not seeming all that upset that his sister and Elizabeth were taking a very rough break. "Some of us think they're missing because some junior Aurors hadn't heard about them. Some of us think they're just too high clearance for the Aurors to know about."

"Alright, so what's the overall plan then?" Tom asks.

"Well, either Rosier goes to ask about our papers, or we seduce Dumbledore into telling us." Mulciber jokes, and Rosier raises a finger violently, opens his mouth, closes it tightly, and then sighs.

"One more comment, Cyriss. One more stupid comment and I'm throwing you in the lake." He threatens.

"I'll seduce him, who can resist these devastatingly handsome good looks?" Abraxas says, sweeping a hand through his hair. Hermione sighs.

"You're too good looking, its impossible to resist."

"A blessing and a curse." He agrees, shaking his head sombrely.

"You're going in right after him." Rosier warns.

"Lads and ladies, we were attempting to discuss a plan." Lestrange interrupts, getting them back on track as Tom had tried to do.

"I'm going to see Dumbledore tomorrow afternoon-"

"His office isn't open Sundays." Theon interrupts.

"-Monday afternoon, around two or so. Chyllie will come with me to make sure I'm not interrupted, because without an O in Transfiguration, I can kiss Master Spy job goodbye." Everyone ignores that comment. "I take interest in the map on his wall, am suddenly reminded of our papers, and ask him if they went through. He says yes, they went through without a hitch and are now being protected by Head of the Auror department, and I leave to tell you lot."

"That's assuming-"

"No assuming, Avery! Assuming makes an ass out of you and me! So, Monday, I'm going in, and I'm going to get the answers and stop everyone from panicking. The papers are fine and sent, I'm never wrong." Rosier assures.

~*~

"I was wrong!" Rosier announces, walking into the common room after an extensive meeting with Dumbledore. Three hours, extensive. "I only need an Exceeds Expectations to get my fancy spy job, not an O, so we're all good. Also, I got a few tips, some extra readings, Lestrange looks like he's going to kill me, and Rookwood too because they're best mates-"

"Sorry mate, but no one cares about your Transfiguration grades. What about the papers?"

"Oh, yea, Dumbledore says he sent them and they arrived without a hitch, and that the Ministry was very pleased to receive them and will give us some recognition after they catch Grindelwald. Also, one of our papers was very clearly tucked under a letter, so he must have copied them himself in order to... well, I don't know, but I mean he's one of the most powerful wizards alive, he can defeat Grindelwald."

"The map, it narrowed down Grindelwald's base drastically. He must finally be going to defeat him." Chyllie says excitedly. "Oh, I'm so happy these awful attacks will stop. So many of those pictures... I can never forget them." Hermione immediately thinks of the charred crib, knowing that image will be burned in her mind for a very long time. "I can't wait to be able to go to Hogsmeade again." Chyllie adds.

"I can't wait until swimming and Quidditch are no longer boxed in. It sucks ramming your broom into an invisible wall because you forgot it's there." Avery mumbles. Tom suddenly stands up and abruptly goes to his dorm, before quickly appearing with an illegal bottle of fire-whiskey and a duplicated glass.

"A toast!" He declares, filling all the glasses. "For finally completing our work, and helping to catch the greatest dark wizard of our time!" They cheer, toss back their drinks, and begin to chatter. Despite it being dinner time, the doors open, and they hurry to hide their alcohol. A sniffling cry is heard, before a very swollen, black and blue Mary Black appears, and looks startled to see them all. Abraxas is silent, taking in the whole scene- ripped robes, seemingly broken nose, black eye, scrapes on the side of her face- and Hermione watches as his eyes flash red. Lestange takes a drink from his Muddlemind, and makes Abraxas take one as well.

"Who did it, Mary?" Perseus mutters, standing to enfold the girl in his arms. "You had best bet I'll knock their lights out."

"I don't remember." She sniffs. "I remember such an odd feeling, emotionless, regret less almost. And I... I was burning papers, a big stack of papers. And then there was so much pain." She cries, wiping tears with sooty, burnt and raw hands. "And when the feeling left me I felt so sick. I ran to the bathroom and I threw up, and these girls came and kicked me out, said i didn't belong there... their boyfriends made it all hurt more." As Abraxas and Perseus plotted murder, Hermione shared a sickened look with Tom.

"I was right." He murmurs to her, tears already forming in his eyes, his body shaking. "He's back, and he's here, and he did it again."

Hermione knew in that instant that the attacks, and Grindelwald, were far from over.

A/N

Hi! It's me again, just in case you thought this was the end of my book, it is NOT. There are EIGHT chapters after this, so please please don't stop reading! Make sure to comment, I love comments. We are almost at the end, and book two is coming shortly!
XOXO
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