Battle Casualties

Brian had sent Angus to St. Mungos with Lucy Weasley, and, truthfully, it hadn't surprised him that he would be bringing Khaat in, somewhere in this fray. But he truly hadn't thought it would be for the reason it turned out to be. That damned Felix Barker. He'd broken out of Azkaban, infiltrated the castle and he'd gotten to her again. The physical damage wasn't so much. It was far more a matter of what he'd done to her mind. Just being in his clutches,even for so brief a time, had unwound her. Her mind had been numb at first. But as he brought her into St. Mungos, she began to try to reconnect to things.

Suddenly, as they passed the floo network, she became utterly hysterical. As a wizard entered from the floo, she took a dive right out of Brian's grasp and dove towards the floo, shouting frantically for Viktor. Viktor Krum. Brian grasped her firmly and pulled her away. "Khaat! Khaat, stop it! Stop!"

"Eli! Viktor has to know!" she fought against Brian with all she had.

"Khaat! I'll tell him, I swear!..." he said. He picked her up, and she began to sob in his chest. Hannah came on the run.

"Brian! What happened?" Hannah asked.

"Get me a bed, Hannah. More will be coming. Hogwarts is on fire and at war. People are dead and dying. Brace up--now!"

"This way," she led Brian to an emergency treatment room. Brian put Khaat on the bed and laid his hand on her forehead. He quickly cast a deep sleep spell that overtook her. He made a very quick check on her and the babies.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Don't leave her alone." He ran to the floo network, opened it and shouted for Jack. "Jack! Get your arse here now!" He dashed back to Khaat.

"Go, Hannah. Go. Angus will be coming with a student in critical condition. Acromantula damage. Get a healer for her, "Brian ordered. "I'll take care of this."

Jack was dodging more flack wshen he heard brians voice grabbing a young man laid on the floor bleeding he scoped him into his arms and dove for the nearst floo diving threw he just berly dodges another hit as he on the other side roled to a stop in a half crouch a doctor and nurst took the man from himand asked if he was alright " yes , yes its nothing tend to the man " he said and moved to Brian even though his shirt was torn and a cut was visable he shook it off as if nothing but a bug bite and movbed to Brian " you call I came " he said and looeekd at him he saw the stress and seriusness on his face and nodded " guard duty?" he said and looked at him as a nurse tried to tend his arm " Im fine others are on there way tend to them first , I have my own healer at home" he said then looked at Brian.

"We have a problem," Brian said quietly. "Azkaban has been breached. Felix Barker has been deliberately broken out by someone. He showed up at Hogwarts. He got ahold of Khaat. She's alright physically. The babies are in a lot of distress. She was utterly hysterical when I got her here. I sedated her to protect her and the babies. I don't see that he really hurt her. A couple of superficial knife wounds. Little stuff. But, Jack, what its done to her mind. She's terrified. Not only for herself but for Eli. I promised her I would get word to Viktor Krum to protect Eli. Right now, she does not believe there is any place safe for her or her children. I need your help. We need to make sure that Barker does not get his hands on her again. Can you stay with her while I send word to Viktor Krum? Then I'll take care of those little knife wounds."

Jack looked at Khaat on the bed and nodded " of course I will" he said and looked at Brian knowing how protection for Khaat ment with his life if it so needed, he unsderstood that and accepted it. " no one will hurt her while Im with her " he placed his hand on Brian's shoulder hoping to reasure him his orders would be acrried out " thats a promise , you go do what you have to." he said and moved to sit at the side of Khaat's bed his eyes looking at Brian as he concentrated on who whent passed the door and window next to him.

Brian knew what Khaat would want him to do. He hastily wrote a message and sent it himself by owl to Viktor Krum--in case Viktor, for some odd reason did not hear Khaat's single blood curdling scream through the floo. He wasn't sure how VIktor might have missed it, but he wanted to take no chances. On his way back from the owlery on the top floor, he saw everyone was in emergency mode. He saw Angus arriving with the young student, carrying her. Staff was flooding him already. They took the student from Angus and whisked her off and away from him.

"Brian?" Angus came over, frowning. "I thought you were...."

"Barker's escaped. He had Khaat hostage for awhile. Scared the shit out of her. She'll be alright, but she's resting now."

"Then what are we standing here for?" he frowned. Brian motioned him to follow. The pair returned to Khaat's room.

"Jack," Angus greeted him. He stood quietly at the door watching Brian who went back to her to heal her. Brian's hand was soft and gentle as it covered each bleeding knife wound and closed it. The two that angered him the most was the one on her face and the one on her pregnant stomach. He double checked the babies.

"Better," he said. "They're settling. Thank God that knife just broke the skin and nothing more. She was lucky. She'll be fine once she sleeps a bit--well, I hope, anyway. What he did to her before--each time he had her--its just still so raw for her. You have no idea how many nights the nightmares still wake her screaming."

"I do know, Mate," Angus said gently. "I hear the screaming too. But she's always better when she realizes she's with you. She knows she's safe and it stops the terror for her. She just needs time."

"I don't need him jeopardizing my children!" he said, his own stress showing now.

"He won't," Angus said. "We guard her every day. He's not going to touch her. Robert put her into this. IF its anyone's fault, its his for deliberately putting her on the frontlines of that mess. Take it up with him when you see him."

"Oh, believe me, I plan to," Brian said angrily.

Jack looked around standing his wand and hands draw as he saw for a moment two figures moving to ward them then he saw who it was and relaxed. he listened as brian told of Khaats nightmare screams " Brian we all know about them " he said and let Angus continue he heard the anger in Brians voice and sighed he was glad now that jess was out of the fight til he saw her walking down the corridors she was ordering some students around as if she was supirior to them not a student her self but she seem to know what to do. She glanced at Jack and smiled but continued, walking down she entered the room where Khaat lay.

" so he did it again" she sai and looked at Brian " brian tone down the anger in here please othr patiants need calm and relaxation not anger, leave it out side " she said her tone calm and soft not a nouce of anger reatched her as she moved to pull a blanket over Khaat and smiled as she brushed her hand over her forhead as if just brushing her hair form hr face. She looked at Brian recognising his handy work and backed away. "I have others to tend to but I'll come abck later , I assumb jack will be staying to gaurd her|"

"I can't imagine any of us going too far, Jess," Angus said. "You have every right to be angry, Brian. But, Mate, she looks like hell."

"That's her father's fault," Brian said. "He had her camping out in the Forbidden Forest for days so she could take control of the Thestrals and make an alliance with the Centaurs to help if things got too bad. That's merely the result of a pregnant woman on her own in the woods for forever. I swear, when I see him, I'm going to beat the crap out of him. He'd use his own child..."

"Mate," Angus said, "The wizarding world depends on the choices he makes. He knew every risk when he did it. And I promise you that the risks to her were in the forefront of his mind when he did it. Do you honestly think for one second he would forget her? Ever? Not a chance. He lives and breathes for every breath she takes. She's the most precious thing in his life. Relax while you can. And then confront him when he's done with this. He, no doubt, expects your anger."

"Damn straight he will," Brian hissed softly. "No more. I won't let him put her through any more. Its over."

"I hope you're right," Angus agreed.

Jess looked at Angus then at Brian she shook her head softly as she walked passed Jack , shesmiled and kissed his cheek " good to se you alive " she said and loke at his arm " almost " she placed her hand on it and healed it to a silver scar " I need to ask Robert how he gets past that" she said as she looked up at him smiling caressing his cheek as she gently kissed him " I'll see you tonight " she said and moved out the room and down the corridor.

Jack looked back at Brian and Angus he could understand his anger having his wife and children on the front line and he too would be angry. he looked down at khaat and then at brain " so... you going to force her to stay out of the fight when all she's known is fighting, as you know " he said folding his arms acros his chest.

Their Apparation would never be as smooth as Viktor’s. Harry tumbled into the St. Mungo’s emergency room with Elijah falling down onto his chest shortly after. He groaned, curling in on himself and the younger boy, chucking an arm around his cousin’s waist to keep him still. Elijah continued to wiggle though, much to Harry’s dismay. It wasn’t long after that there was another Apparation and Harry looked up to see Viktor and Irina stood side by side, peering down at them with matching looks of disbelief and concern. Elijah shot out of Harry’s grasp, leaving the elder wizard on the floor of the hospital. Elijah looked down at the man that had once been his lover and felt a pang of guilt. He soon returned to the floor and gathered Harry back up in his arms. He felt the shallow breaths against his shoulder. He didn’t know how much effort they’d put into finding him – frankly, Elijah didn’t want to know. He was just sorry. He needed to communicate that to Harry – whether it killed him or not.

“Where’s Valantin and Andres?” Irina asked, looking around the emergency room.

On cue, the two appeared, Valantin holding Cecilia against his chest. Irina shrieked and Viktor abandoned his composure. He crossed the room in a few short strides and pulled off his travelling cloak. He tossed it at Andres and took his daughter from Valantin’s arms, thanking both boys before turning around and finding himself face to face with a little healer. She directed him to a bed in the emergency room and he laid Cecilia down. He glanced over at Valantin and Andres – both of whom had been taken over to one of the beds to get checked out. Elijah looked as if there was something wrong with his leg again and someone was already tending to Harry’s bloody face. Irina, in all her glory, flitted from one area another. She was wonderful – truly. Viktor didn’t know what he would have done without her help. He could focus on Cecilia here.

Elijah meanwhile had been sat down on one of the beds. He watched both Harry and the Healer that was checking out his leg. Apparently it was busted – again – though not nearly as badly as it had been in the past. Elijah laid himself back against the pillows and let them bandage it. He didn’t have the energy, nor the patience for this. Soon the room would fill with his family all of whom after the attention of either Viktor or someone who had been admitted. He just hoped no one had told Tatiana where Andres had gone – the stress would probably induce her.

“Where’s Khaat?” Elijah asked. “She was there – I saw her.”

Viktor looked up, his hands having enveloped Cecilia’s tinier one. “She’s here. Worry less about her and more about your – where’s Mira?”

“Val?” Andres looked at his cousin who held up his hands in surrender of sorts.

“I wasn’t looking for her! I was after Cec. Who’s in charge of her? Better yet...is anyone in charge of her?” He asked.

“No one...” Harry paled.

Viktor shook his head. He’d have to worry about her in a minute. Right now, he had to worry about his daughter.

Brian heard a bit of a hubbub out in the hall. It raised his alertness. If anyone so much as tried to breathe on Khaat, Brian wouldn't hesitate. He was in a killing mood now. "Stay on watch while I check this out," he said, his wand in his hand but not at the ready. He walked out of her room and down the hall. And then he saw them in the large treatment ward. The Krums. He signed. It was clear to him what had happened. The kids had been at Hogwarts.

He walked in and saw some of the healers at work and VIktor and a woman standing with Eli's sister. Clearly they were worried about her. And he was about to add to it. He went over to them and decided not to interfere yet with the healers who were scrambling to help. They didn't seem, at the moment, to need an additional hand.

"Mr. Krum," Brian called gently. "I know you probably don't remember me, but I'm Brian Quinn. I'm Khaat's fiance. Khaat was very specific that I find you and brief you as soon as possible. I see that you clearly have your hands full, but we need to talk. If it were not essential, I would not ask for even a moment of your time right now. Please."

Meanwhile, Angus looked at Jack and Jess. "I hope Brian is just being over alert for nothing. The last thing we need is to have to fight a battle here too."