Chapter Fourty-Seven
Confronting the Faceless 💀 CompleteMay 2, 1998
"They're your family after all"
Aiden doesn't go to the Hog's Head right away after getting both Goat and Python's messages. No, he has a job to complete first before he can go fight - he needs to funnel everyone through the Floo system to where they want to go.
He sends the message to Aberforth, telling him to keep the passage to Hogwarts open until everyone is through, and then he Apparates to the Dearborn manor to get to work.
Scorcha is arguing with Menna in the foyer when he arrives, though they're far from the only two people present. Despite his initial reluctance, Gareth has ended up turning the manor into a full-time, safehouse which currently houses about half a dozen refugee Muggleborns, many of whom Aiden spots lingering by the stairs or in doorways off the foyer.
Gareth himself appears only moments later in a rush of robes. "You're not going to fight and that's final Menna." He says firmly. "Your mother is right, you're too young and too out of practice."
Scorcha looks over at Gareth thankfully, and spots Aiden as she does. "Oh! Aiden, you're here." She smiles and he gives her a quick nod in return.
"You all got the message I assume, and I'm here to help anyone who wants to fight get to where they want to go, whether that's the Ministry or the school. I exchanged a few messengers with Goat and he's holding open a passage to Hogwarts until the last fighters are through." He says briskly. "Anyone underage will stay here at the manor with Scorcha, and obviously no one is obligated to fight. No one will think any less of you if you stay here and hold down the fort."
Scorcha immediatley shifts into professional mode, something Aiden has become quite familiar with in the past months and he's pleased to see it now. They'll be able to get this done quickly and efficiently.
"Alright, Menna you gather everyone currently here in the house, Aiden you'll stay by the Floo to direct anyone through as they arrive and send them to their preferred destination. Gareth, you send a message out to the other safehouses to send all their fugitives here before deciding anything. We have plenty of room for them don't give me that look."
Aiden laughs slightly - Scorcha hadn't even needed to look at Gareth to know he wasn't too pleased with his assigned role, but despite the grumbling Gareth does pull out his wand and begins doing as instructed.
It all goes more smoothly than Aiden could have hoped, but it's still been a good half hour since he'd Apparated in when the last of the fighters has been sent off to their requested location. Most people had wanted to go to the school, of course, but there had been several as well who headed to help at the Ministry. Finally, all that's left is him and Gareth, Scorcha having herded all the people who had chosen to stay behind up the stairs to find them rooms for the night.
"You're not coming through." Aiden says, not really asking.
Gareth shakes his head. "My brother died for the last war, and here we are seventeen years later and what's changed? I'm not giving my life for this when it can be better used elsewhere." He eyes Aiden critically. "I always figured Tanner was the touchy-feely risk-taking type between the two of you." He adds after a moment. "You've changed a lot since school."
"So have you. It has been over twenty years you know." Aiden points out with a wry grin. "And besides, I need to be with my family. And I think," He adds with a more knowing look, "You need to be with yours."
Gareth flushes and huffs out a breath, but he doesn't deny it. "Don't die out there Case, you're the only one who can get rid of this invasive system you've set up once all this is over." He says instead, and Aiden grins.
"I'll try not to. See you around." And with that he finally steps through the fireplace and stumbles out into the Hog's Head Tavern.
He ends up walking right into an argument between Aberforth and a slightly plump, older witch. A third, younger wizard is watching them with clear amusement.
"We must seal the passageway!" The woman insists. "We don't want any Deatheaters getting down it!"
"Well obviously you crazy old coot but-" Aberforth cuts off when he sees Aiden step out of the fireplace. "Well good, there you are. Everyone through then?"
"We're all clear." Aiden comfirms. "You can close the passage now Ab." He carefully avoids using Aberforth's code name - this woman is obviously not Underground and depending on how this fight goes they may still need the group working with some semblance of secrecy afterwards. And he doesn't know what to think of the smirking Asian man who's now watching him with a sharp, curious gaze.
The woman eyes him suspiciously. "And you are?" She asks.
"Aiden Case, Floo Network Engineer. I was helping get people here who wanted to help, but everyone is through now." He explains, being honest without actually revealing anything.
"There now, don't you feel like a right fool Augusta?" Aberforth sneers, and Aiden leaves them to bicker (and the other man to snicker) some more as he makes his way through the open portrait hole he spots behind the bar. It's not hard to figure out that this is the way into the school.
A young red-haired girl is pouting in one of the chairs as Aiden steps through, and she eyes him cautiously, immediately jumping up and pulling out her wand.
"Give me one reason not to hex you." She threatens.
Aiden puts up his hands despite instinct telling him to pull out one of the two wands he currently has on his person. The hair clearly gives away that this must be one of the Weasleys, which means they're on the same side, which means he doesn't want to antagonize her.
"I'm on your side." He says. "Aberforth told me about the fight and I wanted to come help."
She doesn't look completely convinced, but some of the initial hostility does ease. "Aberforth is telling a lot of people about the fight." She says, and Aiden gets the sense that the phrase has some deeper meaning he's not privy to, so he doesn't reply.
After a long moment they hear squabbling coming up the passage behind Aiden, and Aberforth and the woman - Augusta, Aiden recalls Ab calling her - clamber out into the room.
"And now you can seal it you old windbag, since you don't seem to trust that Ryuu can do it just fine from his end." Aberforth grumbles. "Really, think I don't know what I'm doing I knew perfectly well what I'm doing." He stomps past Aiden who attempts a wave but isn't surprised when it's ignored.
"Calling me an old windbag, he was old when I was in school." Augusta grumbles, turning to Aiden. "You sure no more of your folk, whoever you are, are going to be needing the tunnel?" She checks. "Wouldn't want to wall out reinforcements."
Aiden sees the girl finally putting her wand away at Augusta's words, and he relaxes slightly. "All good, I made sure I came through last." He confirms. "There might be some underaged kids who try to sneak in actually, so it's probably best to seal this up and keep them safe."
The girl makes a noise of derision but both adults ignore her, and Aiden heads out into the castle, which is already buzzing with people rushing about making preparations.
Aiden scans for anyone he recognizes, hoping they'll be able to tell him where Logan is. He spots a few school robes, but they're all Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, no one he knows well enough to walk up to.
Luckily (unluckily? He has to talk to a stranger now) one of the people rushing by ends up approaching him first.
"You're here to help, right?" The woman asks, then continues speaking without actually waiting for an answer. "Great, the barrier just fell, they're going to need help on the grounds, let's move."
"I'm actually looking for my... my ward." He says awkwardly as he stumbles after her down the hallway. "Do you know where the Hufflepuff students are?"
"Nope, everyone divided up after the evacuation." She replies, not missing a beat, "The kids are scattered around."
That's the last she speaks, dragging him along behind her like he's tethered to an invisible string despite him not actually having to follow her. He just isn't quite sure what else to do at this point.
Then they run into their first band of Deatheaters and Aiden doesn't have time to think about anything that isn't defending against the onslaught of spells and curses thrown their way.
He loses sight of the woman who'd brought him along, and he does worry slightly about her safety, but then reinforcements show up and the battle becomes a lot more manageable.
He's out of practice with his wand work though, more accustomed to paperwork and detail adjustments these days than full-on duels, so he finds himself being saved at multiple points by the witches and wizards around him, and after what's probably only a few minutes but feels like a lifetime he's feeling pretty useless and embarrassed.
He does get a few spells off, even makes contact with one of them, but he still finds himself sticking close to the other fighters (who he assumes must be the Order of the Phoenix - one of the Healers, Setter, had mentioned them once when she and Aiden had crossed paths at the Dearborn Manor and this seems like the sort of fight they'd be present for) and hiding behind shield charms far more often than his ego appreciates.
But from his sheltered position he notices something - there's a crack running up the wall just where the majority of the attacking force is entering from. Maybe the key isn't to take them out one by one - maybe they can do it in one fell swoop.
Gripping his wand, he drops his shield and points - not at the attackers, but at the crack - and fires a blasting curse.
He barely flings up his shield in time to avoid the massive explosion that follows, but it's well worth it - the majority of their aggressors are buried under the rubble.
"Brilliant job!" Someone congratulates him. "Though now we're going to have a tough time getting in."
Aiden glances over to find a Gryffindor student studying the collapsed wall with a frown.
"Did you need to get in?" He asks politely, unsure of what else to really say in response to that.
The boy - man? It's hard to tell since he's short and very badly bruised so his facial features are difficult to make out, but if he's here fighting he must be over seventeen - tilts his head. "I need to get everyone who can cast a corporeal patronus out onto the grounds. There are dementors coming."
Aiden tenses. "Dementors?"
"Mm." The boy (he's going with boy, the robes mean he's still in school) either doesn't register the slight panic that slips into Aiden's tone or he's so used to it that it doesn't phase him. Aiden vainly hopes it's the former. "You don't happen to be able to cast a corporeal patronus, do you?" He asks after a moment.
Aiden grimaces. Not anymore. "No, sorry. I might be able to make another door though, if that would help. Although I'm actually looking for a student as well - would it be alright if I went with you once we get through this?" He gestures at the mess in front of them, and the boy grins.
"Sounds like a plan mate. I'll just get out of your way then." The boy agrees cheerfully, stepping aside as Aiden raises his wand again.
A moment later he's carefully pulled a section of the wall away, and he tosses it down a different hallway where it appears there are no combatants. It's now that he notices the rest of the people he'd been fighting with have scattered, probably looking for other Deatheaters to take down.
The boy whistles. "Color me impressed."
"Well, I'm not much good in a fight." Aiden admits sheepishly, and the boy laughs.
"That's alright, I've got us covered there. Who did you say you were looking for?" He asks as they peer through the new hole to check for any Deatheaters before hurrying through and heading towards the sound of fighting.
"I hadn't. I'm looking for my ward, Logan Griffith. Do you know him?"
The boy grins. "Yeah! You must be Aiden then. I'm Seamus Finnigan, we're in the same year. Logan was a huge help with the DA this year, you should be proud of him."
Aiden smiles in return. "I am." He says simply.
Seamus continues to lead the way, wand up and eyes darting around for any aggressors even as he continues talking. "I'm pretty sure he went with Ernie and the other Hufflepuffs to help around the grounds so this team up is good for both of us - I'm looking for Ernie myself. He's kind of a know-it-all but he means well, and he's really consistent with casting corporeal patronuses."
Seamus, Aiden is learning quickly, either really likes hearing the sound of his own voice or is the type of person who chatters endlessly to distract from his own nerves. If he were a betting man Aiden would say it's likely the latter, but whatever the reason, Seamus doesn't stop rambling until they find themselves in another firefight with a pair of Deatheaters
As before, Aiden isn't much help, and despite his confidence earlier Seamus is beginning to struggle as well when two figures swoop in to back them up.
"Thanks mates! You got this?" Seamus asks, and Aiden thinks it's probably a bit rude to cut and run but the two red heads seem to have the situation under control and he and Seamus really do need to keep moving.
"We're fine Finnigan, go." The taller one instructs, not turning from his opponent as he forces the shorter figure back a few steps.
"These guys won't know what hit them!" The other one agrees, far too brightly considering the situation in Aiden's opinion, but everyone has their own coping mechanisms.
"Got it, good luck!" Seamus gives a cocky little salute before turning back to Aiden. "Let's go!"
They're halfway down another hallway when they hear the explosion behind them.
Both jump, and Aiden looks back worriedly. "When I blasted that crack it probably weakened some of the structural integrity of the building." He groans. He hadn't thought that far, but it makes sense.
Seamus responds before he can get too far into beating himself up over it. "You saved a bunch of people with that stunt, and walls can be fixed. Come on, we need to find people who can cast Patronuses."
Aiden frowns as they resume their brisk pace down the corridor. "Why didn't you ask those two earlier?"
"Who, Fred and Percy? They're great guys but I don't think any of the Weasleys managed to cast Patronuses during DA meetings except for Ginny, and even she had some trouble with it. Besides, they kind of had their hands full." Seamus says idly. "Good to see Percy though, he was a great prefect, I never understood why there was that weird gap between him and the rest of the family."
Aiden just nods along, not really following the conversation at all but having already accepted that this was the price of following Seamus around the school.
"HEY!" Seamus suddenly shouts, and Aiden nearly drops his wand from the abrupt noise. "Susan!"
Aiden immediately follows Seamus's eye line, and sure enough there's a dirty, battered Susan Bones standing at the end of it. She looks over at them and raises an eyebrow, though despite the attempted show of nonchalance she's clearly exhausted both physically and mentally.
"Where's Ernie?" Seamus asks, and Aiden has a moment to think it's rather rude not to ask how Susan is doing until he remembers that this is a battle and there are literal dead (unconscious? Hopefully unconscious) bodies on the floor so just being alive is confirmation that she's good enough.
"Other side of the castle I thought? I was with Lav, Padma, and Terry though, so I'm not really sure where anyone else ended up during the task divisions."
"Where are they then?" Seamus asks with a frown. "I need people who can cast corporeal patronuses out on the grounds, we've got dementors sighted."
"Ew, lovely, because that's what we needed." Susan groans. "I'll keep an eye out and send anyone I find that way. Hi Mr. Case." She adds with a slight grin. "I do know Logan was going with Ernie, so probably stick with this guy if you're looking for him."
"Stay safe Susan." Aiden replies, and she gives a half-salute before running off to rejoin the fighting.
"Onwards then I suppose." Seamus sighs. "I really thought I'd get to set a few more Deatheaters on fire, but what can you do."
Aiden half tunes Seamus's ramblings out as they weave through the castle, mostly dodging battles but occasionally getting caught up in them. Aiden still feels like a burden for the most part since he still can't hold his own in one-on-one duels, but Seamus is so enthusiastic every time he does something like take out a wall or deflect a spell off one Deatheater's shield to hit another in the back or side that he's starting to feel like he might still be contributing positively to the effort.
It feels like another small eternity, but they do actually manage to successfully locate Ernie, and despite the number of other groups that have been split up by the chaos filling the castle he's still with Logan and a handful of other students.
"Finally." Seamus says, cutting himself off mid-rant as he does. "Ernie! Hey, over here! Ooh, Micheal's here too, wonder if he's figured out a new memory that works." He waves the group down and gives his usual dementor announcement, but Aiden honestly misses it - he can't look away from Logan.
His ward has a gash along the outside of his left arm that's sluggishly staining the sleeve of his uniform dress shirt red, though the progress is slow enough to show that it's not a fresh injury, but possibly something reopened by the intensity of the fighting. He's got a bruise on his right cheek that's just starting to fade from red to black and the bags under his eyes give him a hollow, haunted look. But despite all of that there's a sharp shine of determination in his eyes, and Aiden's breath catches.
He takes a lot after Evelyn, in the end, even if he looks more like me. Tanner muses, and Aiden has to agree.
It takes a moment for Logan to notice him in return, too caught up in the conversation with Seamus and Ernie, but when he finally looks over his eyes widen and he breaks out into a massive smile.
"Aiden! You're here!" He exclaims, hurrying away from the group to approach Aiden. "How did you hear about this?"
"I'm working with a group that had someone on the inside." He says simply, and the pride in Logan's answering smile makes any frustrations he might have had with the Underground instantly worth it.
"Hey Logan! You're on point, we're heading out to the grounds!" Ernie calls over to them, and Logan flashes a thumbs up.
"Oh, and if you see Padma send her out that way too!" Seamus adds. "See ya later Mr. Case." He waves and then he and Ernie are off.
"That boy does not stop moving." Aiden observes. "So what are we doing?"
"We're heading towards the classrooms to collect stuff that might be helpful." Logan reports. "Trelawney was flinging crystal balls down on everyone earlier which was surprisingly effective. Plus there are acromantulas inside now which is not great. And the giant is a whole other thing." He makes a face. "I'm personally hoping that Professor Lupin left his Boggart somewhere - we could set it on the Deatheaters and drive them off easily with that, no way they know how to handle being scared of anything."
"At least not if they can't just kill it." One of the other boys says a bit too gleefully. He has on a Ravenclaw tie, which has somehow remained intact despite the rest of his clothing being torn and dirty, and is sporting several bruises that are too settled to be newer than a day old but are too prominent to be older than a week.
Logan turns to him. "Oh shush Michael, enough death humor, you didn't die." He scolds. "Anyway now that Aiden is here we're going to be fine - he's the best wizard I've ever known."
Aiden is probably blushing - hopefully he can live up to Logan's praise. The rest of the group looks rather amused.
"So you're the famous Aiden." Michael grins. "Logan talks about you a lot you know. I wish my dad was half as cool as you apparently are."
Now Aiden is definitely feeling a bit warm, and he looks over at Logan to find his ward is turning red as well.
"That's enough of that - useful objects, let's go!" Logan declares, spinning and marching down the hall purposefully, ignoring the giggling from the rest of the group.
Aiden awkwardly keeps to the back of the group, watching in quiet awe as Logan takes charge and directs the others towards different rooms - always in pairs and with instructions to "watch each others' backs."
One girl laughs at the instruction. "We've made it this far, I don't intend to let anyone get the drop on me now."
Logan just sighs and looks over at her partner, who nods and hurries after her.
"Katie's one of the only sixth years old enough to participate." He explains as he and Aiden keep walking. It's only them and Michael now, everyone else successfully scattered. "But she's a bit-"
"Of a Gryffindor." Michael supplies cheerfully. "Smart not pairing any of the lions together Lo, that probably would have turned into a total disaster."
Aiden doesn't comment, but based on his recollection of the Gryffindor House during his time at Hogwarts he's inclined to agree with Michael.
"Okay so there's just the old Defense room left to check." Logan says. "I know Gabe, Romilda, and your brother torched it-"
"Damn right they did." Michael says proudly.
"-But there were some sections blocked off by stone walls. Some things from past professors might have been left behind and survived." Logan continues smoothly, ignoring Michael's interruption easily.
"Dare I ask what happened?" Aiden decides to say, and Michael instantly lights up and explains how earlier in the year a trio of fifth years - including his younger brother Nathan - had burned the entire Defense Against the Dark Arts so completely that the room had been unrecoverable and they'd had a full week off from Dark Arts classes while Amycus relocated.
"Seamus got the blame for that one, but he didn't even mind, kept bragging about it to anyone who would listen." Michael laughs.
"Yeah well, I'm pretty sure he's sweet on your brother - if Nate hadn't been part of that escapade he probably wouldn't have been quite so lenient with Gabe and Romilda." Logan comments, and Michael immediately chokes.
Aiden stands back, feeling a bit out of the loop as the two boys argue over whether or not Seamus has a crush on Nathan or someone named "Dean", and the name "Lavender" is thrown around as well. He has no idea who any of these people are and yet he finds himself quite proud of Logan. Despite everything it seems his ward has made new friends this year, and even made some positive memories among the many, many uglier ones.
"Assuming it hasn't changed places since I went here, but I think you just walked past the Defense room." He finally speaks up with no small amount of amusement, and the two boys both flush and hurry back to where he's standing by the door.
"Right, sorry. Thanks Aiden." Logan grins sheepishly.
However they've barely managed to crack the door (after taking down the many protective spells erected around it) when a chilling voice fills the air.
"You have fought." It says, "Valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery."
Logan rolls his eyes and Michael snorts at that. Aiden fears for what the two have been through that the voice from nowhere doesn't seem to phase them.
"Yet you have sustained heavy loses." The voice continues. "If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one."
Aiden hisses as the image of Tanner and Evelyn's bodies springs to the forefront of his mind.
"I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."
"Ew." Michael grumbles. "Heard that sentiment plenty enough from the Carrows."
"Lord Voldemort is merciful." Both boys snort derisively at that, "I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.
"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you."
"And there's the angle." Logan mutters. Aiden agrees whole-heartedly. This entire show of 'mercy' is all purely focused on Potter, like it always is.
Aiden wonders how worried the boy's guardians must be about him and feels a pang of empathy.
Voldemort is still talking, but Michael and Logan are already heading back towards where they'd split off from the rest of the group, and Aiden hurries after them.
"We should regroup in the Great Hall." He suggests. "That seems the most likely place to go, since there's quite a bit of space for the fighters."
And the bodies isn't said, but Aiden has no doubt that the sentiment is echoing just as loudly in the boys' heads as it is in his.
At least Voldemort has stopped talking - his voice was an unwelcome soundtrack to Aiden's own internal panic.
"We've only got an hour." Michael mumbles. "If we... see any fallen we should bring them with."
They don't find any bodies - thank Merlin - but Michael volunteers to go look for them with a few other students when the trio reaches the Great Hall to find that, as Aiden has suspected, it's where everyone is choosing to recover.
"Do you need any medical assistance?" A frazzled witch asks, and looks relieved when both Aiden and Logan shake their heads. "Oh good, you can either help with collecting the deceased or stay to the side and rest if you need to. No shame in either, but please do stay out of the way of the healers."
The woman rushes off to intercept a few other people as they come in, and Aiden urges Logan to the side of the Great Hall to take a seat on one of the benches that's been moved aside to make room for the ever increasing number of bodies being laid out.
Aiden spots a familiar red head carrying the body of another, and something inside him cracks. He just hopes the killer wasn't the Deatheaters he and Seamus had left the two to fight in their stead.
"You sure you're alright?" He asks Logan instead of letting his mind linger on what could easily turn into a very dark spiral.
Logan nods. "I... yeah. I'm okay. We should help-" He tries to get up, but Aiden pulls him back down into a tight hug, and after a startled moment Logan returns it just as fiercely.
December was only four months ago, but it feels like it's been so much longer since the last time he held his ward like this, maybe even longer than four months - did he hug Logan at Christmas? He can't remember, so he tightens his grip in the present in case he needs to make up for that as well.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more." He says softly, and Logan shakes his head against Aiden's chest.
"You don't need to. Just be my dad for a bit?" He requests softly, and Aiden can hear Tanner's smile.
He thinks maybe he feels his friend fade just a little bit, but he doesn't think about it as he holds his son closer.
They eventually pull apart, and Logan insists on helping move the dead.
Aiden doesn't protest. "I want to stay together though." He says instead, and Logan looks insulted that he thought they'd do otherwise.
They end up on the grounds, which are a horrible sight, coated in blood and body parts.
"Giant rampage." One of the other body movers says tiredly. "We're lucky to find anyone in tact out here." He glances at Logan and winces. "Uh, maybe you two should help inside. There's, um-" He looks over his shoulder helplessly. "...Maybe help inside." He finally mutters before hurrying on his way. Only as he passes them does Aiden realize he's carrying a pair of legs unconnected to a torso.
He doesn't throw up, but he'll probably need to later when he gives himself time to properly process all this.
Logan has already headed directly to where the awkward man had been looking when suggesting they leave, and when Aiden catches up his ward has already found what the man clearly didn't want them to.
"Oh gods... Ernie." Logan says softly, reverent and broken at once. "You proud idiot, what did you do?" He kneels down next to the crushed form of Ernie Macmillan. He'd clearly been trampled by the giants, and Aiden has a moment to think that at least it would have been a relatively quick death, even if it certainly wasn't clean.
"We're going to win." Logan says, his tone turned vicious, and that... Aiden doesn't think he's ever heard that level of malice from either Tanner or Evelyn. That seems to be all Logan.
"We're going to win." He repeats more forcefully. "We have to, we can't-" He breaks off and begins to slowly disconnect Ernie's body from the ground it's been stomped into. "They died so others can live free from all this. We have to win."
Aiden doesn't say anything, just kneels down to help. He hopes Logan is right, but he can't promise anything. War doesn't care who's fighting for the right reasons after all.
Looking at Ernie's body he doesn't think war cares for anyone in particular. And that only makes everything feel so much worse.
Aiden scoops up the limp form and turns to head back into the Great Hall. They need to keep moving - they only have an hour, after all.
Author's Note: So a few extra canon deaths are being thrown in too. I'm sorry OTL War cares for no one...
Next Time: You can only run from your problems for so long
So I'm thinking I might do a final 'afterwords' chapter to share my thoughts and feelings on writing this story, if that's something people would be interested in? I'm also open to answering any lingering questions people might have there as well!
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