Dementors!

[augury_eddiecar]

Who: Eddie Carmichael; Remus Lupin and Aurors Jones, Tonks, Bole and MacLachlan (open to other Aurors).
What: Dementors work to kill a lot of Muggles, but why? A mystery begins.
When: Roughly 9:00pm; Saturday November 8th 1997.
Where: Just outside Diagon Alley, in Muggle London.
Status: Ongoing

With the rain letting up from earlier in the

Comments

[agatha_bole]

Aggie giggled and tugged on her arm where it was linked through her father's as he escorted her down Diagon Alley. They'd had dinner after she had left work, and he had insisted upon taking her out for a nightcap at one of the higher-end establishments still open in wizard London. She'd allowed herself one martini before lifting her hand to stop the barman from refilling her drink, and had continued on with tea and water ever since. Luckily, her father had done almost the very same, and thus instead of having to drag his sorry arse back to Reading through a side-along Apparition, she merely walked with him for the pleasure of his company.

She had always been her father's girl at heart.

Her heart stilled, however, when she saw a distress signal light up in the distance. Well, she had to work eventually. "Daddy, go on home," she said, pulling her arm from his and reaching for her wand. "Something's about, and I need to find out what

[augury_duncan]

Every time Duncan attempted to settle in for an evening of Quidditch broadcasts, he was pulled away for one incident or another. Last evening, his downstairs neighbour, the elderly Mrs. Fraser, had started pounding on his front door in a panic, then practically dragged Duncan into her flat to deal with a sudden, problematic doxy infestation.

Now the silver lighter on the table was glowing a warm red. Well... this was an interruption of an entirely different nature and, in some way, he was rather glad of it. This meant work, something real to do.

About damn time.

He slid the lighter into the pocket of his robes, turned and Disapparated, appearing at....

The cold seized him almost instantly. The cold and the near overwhelming misery. The scene of a Dementor attack then. He gripped his wand, steeled his nerves, and forced the happiest thought available at that moment to the forefront of his mind.

And speaking of...

"Agatha?"

[agatha_bole]

"I'm right here," she said from behind him, her hands rubbing up and down her arms as if they could help alleviate some of the cold she felt from the Dementors' presence, which was far worse than any chill the wind could bring. "Bloody Dementors decided to venture out into Muggle London. I've only seen one, but I'm sure you can feel them around. Luckily someone on our side's seen them and sent off a little signal."

She pointed up in the sky where the sky shone with what to any Muggle's eye might be simple fireworks. "I added my bit to it, hoping for some reinforcements." The corner of her lips tilted up in a small smile, as if to say Thanks for responding so quickly, I'm glad you're here. "And if it was cast by who I think it was, then he'd ruddy well better still be alive, or else I'll kill him myself."

[aug_remus]

Remus had been waiting for Tonks after her workday in the small London pub where they had met after his...return. He was nursing a pint and gazing out the window when he noticed it frosted over in creeping pattern...and at the same time, it felt like someone was squeezing the small amount of hope he still clung to out like he was an almost-dry dishrag. He jumped to his feet, fumbling in his pocket for his wand, oblivious to the few Muggles in the pub. Without a word (or paying his bill), he dashed out to the sidewalk and saw the hideous, floating forms of a Dementor -- but could feel more nearby. "Expecto Patronum!" he roared, with more vigor than he'd felt in months. He suddenly realized he felt...almost better with something in front of him to fight. Without entertaining this morbid notion, he noticed the swimming form of a salmon Patronus keeping the easily-seen Dementor at bay from a unclear form below, and saw, too, that at least two other wizards were attending to the Dementors. He approached the others and said, "Do you see

[augury_duncan]

Duncan glanced at this newcomer, quirked an eyebrow as if to say 'Who the hell are you?'. But he had seen this man before, somewhere, in a photograph, a report.

Ah. Right. Remus Lupin. Affiliation unclear. Attended to Harry Potter during his mysterious convalescence at St. Mungo's. Former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Useful, in other words.

"No," he said shortly. "Likely they're in the building." Where the Muggles were, helpless and defenseless like... well...

Like Muggles generally were.

[agatha_bole]

Duncan's words gave her chills. Still in the building with all those people, and Eddie... Aggie was not someone who had many friends, and the thought of one in trouble was distressing.

"Then what are we waiting for," she said with determination, holding her wand before her. "Let's get in there before even the Ministry cannot repair the damage they cause. Duncan, you're after me, and Professor Lupin, you take the rear."

In her mine, there was no other option - there was nobody she would rather have at her back than Duncan, hands down. Without waiting to see if they agreed, she turned and headed into the building, a strong and sure look on her face to hide the fact that she was afraid that someone she cared for would be hurt this night.

[augury_eddiecar]

"Severe damage to the cranial meninges and a sectumsempra'ed spine, he's gone."

"Lacerations, this one first. Get me that clotting potion!"

"Eat this...."

"... Eat this..."

Eddie walked through the halls in a daze, death and mental anguish surrounding him.

"He was Kissed, I can't..."

Snap.All he could do was break off little bits of chocolate and hand them to people. It was cold in the hallway, his washed out grey eyes watching the monotone hall as Medi-witches covered a body. He saw Cho, working in overdrive

[augury_duncan]

The foyer was a cell of ice. Reedy thin air gripped Duncan's chest, making each breath a labour of effort, of need, and the air seemed to crystallise before his eyes.

How many were there? Three? Five? Ten? There was no single Dementor attack.

He should have brought gloves. The cold seemed to clench around his fingers, freezing them against his wand. Good, it meant he wouldn't drop it, but maybe it also meant...

No. Warm thoughts. Liquor and chocolate on Halloween, the scent of her hair, and- But that had ended badly, hadn't it? Crying against his shoulder, family secrets and trading pains and... But that was a good thing, it had been a good thing, a bridge.

Right.

"The stairs," he said, clenching his teeth together before they started chattering so badly he wouldn't be able to speak.

[agatha_bole]

Aggie's hand trembled from the cold, and with her free hand, she held her robes closed over her chest. Merlin, how she wished she'd thought to bring a scarf, but no, she hadn't anticipated spending much time outside at all. She looked around the foyer, her breath misting before her eyes.

"Is anybody here?" she asked aloud. She knew there were inhabitants in the building, but how many, she did not know. However, if Eddie were about, he'd hear her and perhaps shed some light on the whole situation. That is, if he was able...

She nodded to Duncan and spotted the stairwell situated to the left of the lift, which looked as if it were encrusted with ice. She watched her steps in case they were slipperier than expected. "And I thought we'd gotten the last of these bastards when they attacked Hogwarts," she grumbled under her breath. For a moment, she could see a Dementor in front of her, coming straight at her... and then she breathed deeply, reminding herself it wasn't real. "Do you think these are stragglers? Or..."

Or did

[aug_remus]

Entering the building behind the two strangers, Remus felt the cold cut like a knife across his face and into his lungs. But action made him strangely calm: he breathed shallowly, and ignored the sudden moonlight that surrounded him. "Expecto Patronum!" he said firmly, remembering the soft movement of Tonks under him, on a night that seemed forever ago now, her hair morphing purple-blue-gold...

He paused and listened carefully. He heard the woman speak aloud, calling to anyone nearby, and then to the man, who indicated the stairs ahead. Remus moved quickly toward the stairs, his wand lit and held high, following the others and directing his Patronus toward any movement of black and spidery horror.

[augury_eddiecar]

And then there was commotion. A flock of white-faced, fleeing Muggles slipping, tumbling and literally jumping down the stairs. There was perhaps a dozen, all panic-stricken. A mother was so terrified that while she clutched a squalling child to her kitchen aproned bosom, there was a screaming child behind calling for her as stampeding innocents clamored past her, threatening to trample her.

None knew what they were running from... that was the nature of a Dementor. All were simply consumed. And with them descended four... maybe five Dementors. Their dark and billowing, ragged shapes hovering. One pointed a long, boney finger directly at Duncan, its dessicated features just barely visible. And then they advanced.

"Aggs! Aggs is that you?!" There was a desperate cry from above, and then a loud scream. It was bloodcurdling and cold.

[aug_tonks]

Tonks apparated out front of the local pub, flustered in her rush. Late again, Fred and George would never let her hear the end of it. She'd told them that she and Remus would be late- just a quick bit of work to finish up at the Ministry before a nice dinner with friends, but that quick bit turned into a not-so-quick bit and before she knew it, it was nearly 9 o'clock. They'd be lucky if they made it in time for pudding.

She looked around. The street was empty, almost deserted... and something cold prickled in her chest and up her arms. The foreign sense of hopelessness that filled her soon after was almost expected. Dementors. But what in the world would they be doing out here? She spared one last look at the dark, frosty window of the pub, seeing only her own reflection. Remus would understand, she was sure of it. At that very second, a shriek echoed out from an old building into the open air. All hesitation aside, she took off running toward the source of the commotion.

[aug_remus]

The wave of Muggles clamoring down the stairs made Remus' blood begin to boil; he could feel the wold hovering near the edge of his vision as his anger at the senseless attack and the unnatural presence of the Dementors bubbled up. Must relax, he told himself, with just an edge of panic. He stepped forward and changed his tactic, casting a Cheering Charm across the staircase, letting it rain down on each Muggle as they crossed, hoping to take enough edge off their terror and fear and despair that they might at least make it down the stairs safely.

A moment later, he heard footsteps running in the building from behind him. His intuition prickled, and he called out, "Tonks?"