The Battle for Khaat Lupin

Hallie wanted to fight, it was in her blood as her Father had thought to protect his family. A fight that had turned out to be a fight to the death. Working with death eaters pained the blonde everything about them she despised, their dark side, their coldness, their selfishness. Everything. Yet here she was working alongside them. They'd joined together to save Khaat Lupin, perhaps she'd been too judgemental? No. Death eaters were death eaters and no doubt their reasonings behind the mission were different.

For a moment she was tempted to follow Jack Dyllan and Katrina-Carlotta, take on the werewolves, save a life and make up for her past mistake. That is what she would have done before but the past months had changed her. In losing a limb Hallie had lost part of herself, a part she wanted back.

'I'll go with Marcus.' Hallie informed the Order, stepping closer to Marcus ready to follow him. The two had only met once, it had been the time Khaat had been taken to St Mungo's after being attacked by James Blood. Funny. The two times they'd met had centred around Khaat Lupin. 

OOC; Hallie best not get involved in the werewolf fight given her being pregnant.

James was very much aware that his lair had been breeched. He was actually upstairs, on the ground floor level of one of the condemned houses, watching through a crack in the floorboards.

He saw them breech the security spells and walk in, with a great number of witches and wizards with them. Interesting, he thought. What they wouldn't do to try to take back what wasn't theirs to begin with.

And who should be leading the pack, but Ginger. That didn't surprise him in the least, but he was tired of toying with her now. She was a pint sized nuisance.

He saw his own pack scattering about in panic and disarray, trying to organize. Sad. He thought he had trained them better. The humans did look, unfortunately, either better organized or better led, or more desperately driven.

He was probably going to end up having to do something. He sighed.

"James!" a young male intruded, whispering. The boy's whisper trembled. "James, help us! We're being attacked!..."

"Coming," James said. He got up and looked at the boy. He patted his cheek as he passed by him. He stopped and turned back. "You mustn't panic over a human. They're not worth it. If they get in your way, just kill them. Come along. Its time for your first kill."

He went back downstairs to the south section of the lair.

"Moira," he told his female, "send a few of the women out with the cubs. We can't leave the cubs here anymore. Send a couple others to go kill the prisoners. I need the rest with me."

He walked the stone floor alone, heading towards where Ginger had bellowed for him. He could hear the tapping of the heels of his boots against the stone as he walked in the opposite direction from where the pack was organizing to keep the assets they needed.

He knew the humans wanted Khaat. Meh. That was negotiable. She wasn't as interesting while she was pregnant. Not unless he could get her cub. Now, that was truly worth something. Another Lupin werewolf might take the mighty family down a peg or two.

"Ginger," he called back casually, "Dropped by for breakfast, have you? And you've brought friends. How nice. I could use some fresh meat. Give me half a tick to put the tea on, and then we can get to it."

"With me, then," Marcus said to Hallie quietly. "Be careful. We don't know if there are hidden defense spells. If she's in one of these hallways, either James doesn't know she's here, or we're about to be ambushed, or he's not opposing us in having her back while he's busy with the others. They may be giving him enough to do that he can't manage finding a way to keep her."

He waited until the others had created enough of a diversion in the south hallway for him and Hallie to slip into the north hallway. It was dismal and dark here.

The first thing Marcus noticed was the smell. It was stale here. This was not used as a living area by the pack. There were the stale smells of people held prisoner. Stale air, stale food odors, staleness everywhere.

He saw doorways lining both sides of the hallway. They were heavy, thick wooden doors, and they appeared locked. He listened for a sound. Any sound. And all he heard was the sound of his breathing and Hallie's.

"If she's here, she's trying to hide," Marcus said softly. He leveled his wand at a door "Alohamora!" he cast the spell, opening the door. It was a cell. Dismal. Primative. A horrendous place for anyone to be held And empty. "So this is what we're up against, is it?" he sighed. "Ungodly place. I wouldn't sentence a cockroach here."

Everyone was sorting themselves properly. Jack found it funny that during Order meetings, no one could be bothered to heed any direction, but as soon as fear accompanied passion, they all eagerly looked to a leader to get them through the shadows. Jack briefly wondered where this was the human quality to succumb to fear or the tedendency to shirk responsibility. Though Robert and Michael had assured her otherwise, this was now her battle, and the guilt of any deaths would be on her. She cast the spell. She called the name. She made the orders. Anyone who followed them, died at her command.

Jack turned to those who gathered to join her and said, "Form a tight group. They will attack like a pack. Packs go for the weak links and the stragglers. The leaders will engage our leaders," she glanced to Katrina-Carlotta. "And yet, they function as one, so if they sense we are prepared, their tactics can easily change. Everyone keep myself or one of your own in eye contact - we are a pack now. Regardless." Again, her eyes rested on her Death Eater peers and she pulled out her wand, which illuminated at her prompting. "Protect each other." She turned and began walking down the corridor, her group close behind her.

James called back and Jack continued on, slowing down to make her movements more deliberate. It was not safe to fight in the corridor but if they attacked from the main rooms, there was too much risk of the fight spilling out into the street. Suddenly there was a small pop next to her and she looked down to see her Gytrash Elliot at her side. He swelled to the size of a large wolf and Jack continued on, glancing back at her group with her hand on Elliot's head, as though to tell them to trust the dog. She patted his head and he suddenly lept forward, running down the corridor. He would find the wolves and warn them when they were coming. She just had to worry about the rear now.

Kate followed Jack on Jack's left, a couple paces behind, and Robert followed--in his cloak and the black mist mask--on Jacks' right, a couple paces behind her.

Kate was ready for a battle, and Robert had been looking for a reason to fight for a long time. And if it helped provide some sort of a distraction to give them time to find Khaat, then Kate was willing to fight to her last breath.

Kate was starting to feel more alert to being watched the more they walked down the southern corridor. She watched every doorway, looking for a trap or a movement, listening for a sound. She heard nothing, she saw nothing. Nothing worth firing at, anyway.

And then, where the room appeared to open into a great hall of sorts, she saw James. Kate sighed before she thought about it. This wasnt' her first time in dealing with him either. And he never ceased to disgust her. She glanced at Robert and saw his hand tighten on his wand. Anger. Rage. He would do his best to leave James to Jack, but it wasn't without difficulty. Robert wanted to simply fire a killing curse and be done with it. Out of respect for Jack and the responsibility he had placed in her, he was following her lead. Not calling the shots himself. Not unless he absolutely had to for some unforeseen reason.

James watched them walking towards him.  

"Is this what you bring me, then, Ginger? You, an old woman, a walking Halloween costume, and a band of misfits? That's the best you've got?" He laughed, amused.  "Is that the best your ministry can summon up?  That is just pitiful.

"So, did you come here to try to wipe out my pack? Or do you intend to take the Lupin woman and go? What's on the agenda for today?" he asked. He looked behind her to the others with her and addressed them now. "If its a bit of target practice, then let's just get to it, shall we? I'd love to prolong your suffering, but your screaming would be annoying this early in the morning.  We still are the superior warrior, you know. We're stronger and infinitely faster. We will draw our wands and fire faster, if that's how you want to do it.  And physically, your chance of survival against us is only a single digit number. You all want to do this?"

Katrina-Carlotta had grimaced slightly upon first being spoken to by Jack. The redhead wouldn't be the first to shorten her name, but the dark witch wasn't any fonder of Kat-Car than she'd been the first time she'd heard it. However, the assassin had nodded and complied all the same. Now was not the time to fight over something so petty. They needed to be focused on one thing, and one thing only.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, a wicked smile curled upon the woman's lips. She would enjoy this. Blood and his pack had attacked her school, it hadn't been her school then, but it certainly was now. Not only that, but he'd turned students. Created havoc, and destroyed lives. Destroyed potential. There was little that the Headmistress hated more.

Katrina-Carlotta settled a comfortable half-step behind Jack, eyes glittering with something dark upon seeing James Blood himself. Despite her roaring instincts, the woman knew she'd have to leave leading to the Dyllan. Katrina-Carlotta had fought werewolves before, but never like this. The witch was still adjusting to fighting along side others, and not alone. Should the redhead fall, the European would step up, but until then she'd follow Jack's lead.

As Blood taunted Jack, Katrina-Carlotta tried to form plans of attack in her head, and mentally cursed upon failing. She just didn't have enough information. Did Blood have a second in command? Was that who she would end up fighting? Would she be disregarded by James entirely, in favor of Jack? The woman just didn't know. Katrina-Carlotta almost wished that Marie was here. The other woman had the best mind for strategy out of anyone she knew. Marie wouldn't have shown up, however. The Frenchwoman wasn't a good enough fighter, and they both knew that Katrina-Carlotta's skills were better put to use against the werewolves than spent protecting Marie. Hopefully Rivah keeping an eye on things would be enough.

Marcus was definitely feeling the pressure of needing to find her quickly. He left the empty cell and checked two more before opening yet a fourth. He could see from the sunlight from a street grating that there was a shadow of someone small huddled on the floor.  

It was a silhouette he'd have known in his deepest sleep.  

"Khaat," he breathed.  "Hallie, I've got her.  In here."  He lit his wand and checked the room. She was alone.  He hurried to her.  The closer he got to her the more he knew something was wrong. He saw the mess on the floor. He looked at her figure. Her state of undress.  She was smaller.  She'd had the babies--here. In this hellhole. Alone.  That shouldn't happen to any woman, let alone the woman he'd sworn with his life to protect. His heart ached for her.  

He looked around for the babies. He didn't see them. No sign of them. No sounds from them.   That was far more chilling than the lack of heat in the cell. He expected to hear crying. The reassurance of life from two newborns, and it wasn't here.  He crouched beside her. He cupped her cheek in his hand and saw the deep bruise on her cheekbone.  He felt the dampness from the traumatic shock. His best guess was that she was bleeding. He wasn't sure.  She seemed dazed to him.

"Khaat," he called softly. "Khaat, I'm here. Come on. Talk to me."

She looked up at him, and it took her a moment to recognize him.  "You can't be here. Its not safe," she said.  

"I know," he said.  "I'm not alone. We're not leaving you here. We're taking you home. Khaat, the babies. Where are the babies?"

"He's not getting them," she said. "I won't let him..."

He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. "Khaat, now listen. If you want to protect them, you'll tell me where they are so James doesn't get them. Where are they?"

"I hid them," she said, beginning to cry. "It was all I had.  My boys. My sons."

"Where? Where did you hide them?"

"In the stones. They're here--in the stones..." she said.

"Hallie," he said, "we've got to find those babies. We're looking for twins. Help me look!"

Hallie:
Nodding the blonde followed Marcus up the north corridor. The further they travelled the more sick Hallie felt. The stench made her nostrils quiver, made her stomach churn and the taste or bile briefly entered her mouth. Perhaps it was being pregnant, already it wasn't affecting her in the most nauseating of ways and venturing into empty cells where a skeleton would find it's home wasn't helping. Staring at the empty cell Hallie regretted for a moment her decision to hide from the fight but she was pregnant, granted she wasn't keeping it but already Hallie was feeling attached to it.

Taking a quick glance over her shoulder Hallie made her way into the cell. There was little light and the slight drip of dirty rain water was finding its way through the ceiling above. 'I think it's empty in-' Although before she could finish her statement Marcus has called her over, claiming to have found her.

Hurrying through the dark to where Marcus' lit wand radiated Hallie gasped at the sight. It was a messy, Khaat was there weak and talking about her babies. The babies she loved before she even knew them. Here Khaat was, a Mother fighting for life to protect her children and Hallie stood opposite: healthy, very much alive and contemplating an abortion.

The stones... That didn't help the whole room was full of stone slabs but beneath or behind them peacefully lay the Lupin twins.

'We could try hormenum revellio?' Hallie suggested, 'But then it may be interfered by everybody around us.' Hallie thought thinking about the human revealing spell. There was a possibility it would work but if Hallie was right, if the overwhelming presence of humans in the building interfered with the spell she'd have to check behind every stone.

----

Henry:
He was weak, hurt, damaged and he had forgotten the meaning of Gryffindor. But it was still there, there was a lion inside Henry and now it was finally emerging. He hurried behind Katrina-Carlotta down the Southern Corridor to the battle. Now was his time to show his capabilities, to prove something of himself and he wasn't going to back down and retreat. This was his chance to make up for his mistake in letting Hallie escape. Raising his wand infront of him Henry stared forcefully in the direction of Blood. His opponment was big, beefy, the kind of person Henry had been up against during his time on the Quidditch Team... The death eater couldn't think about that, now wasn't the time to pause and ponder upon how he'd became a drug addicted criminal.

He wanted to turn back, save his life but by running away from the fight what life would he have? A few more moments of being high? More punishment from te death eaters? A trial awaiting him where he knew he would be found guilty? Henry was at his lowest, he had nothing to lose. He may as well die somewhat of a hero, brave at the very least.

GRYFFINDOR! The sorting hate cried and Henry, a happy boy jumped from the stool and hurried to the Gryffindor table where he found a seat in-between a blond girl and a second year.

'Stupefy!' Henry cried, stepping forward and breaking the momentary cold war. Henry Yewbeam from the sorting ceremony was alive, rising from the ashes.

James saw the boy start to move. He drew his wand, cast a protection spell around himself. He let the boy fire at him. Then James laughed--a deep belly laugh.

"I like you, Boy," James' deep baritone voice seemed to boom down here. "For an ickle, you have guts. Let me give you a hint, though. If you're soothing at something as big as me, a stupefy just doesn't get it. It might, however, stun an ickle. Stupify!"

He returned fire, the same spell at the boy, more to send a message than to harm.

"It appears the grownups have no guts," James said. "Ginger, did you bring anyone with any chops at all?"

The black cloak spectre seemed to fire smoothly, with a quick snap and a slight flourish to the wrist. The shot tore across the top of James's left shoulder, creating a deep, tearing slash. The blood was immediately profuse.

James flinched and paused. He pointed his finger at the dark figure.

"You are not nice," he said to the figure. This had to be an experienced wizard. Not someone for James to turn his back on. There was at least one serious player in Ginger's group. Ginger, well, he didn't know how serious she was or was not. She was enthusiastic, but was she a warrior?