Tuesday, July 8th, 2014. 8:55 AM.

  Grimmauld Place, Borough of Islington, London, UK

  Harry said, "Everyone is up to date through where Nienna delivered her message, right? Well, after that..."

  Sunday, July 6th, 2014. 6:30 AM.

  Hogwarts Castle, Scottish Highlands, Great Britain.

  "I know who the killer is."

  Harry gaped at Nienna. He wanted to yell, 'Who? How? What?' repeatedly until he passed back out, but he managed to control himself. Barely.

  Luna looked up at a chirping noise from the clearing. "Ah, Hagrid's ready. I need to supervise."

  Hermione spoke severely. "We'd best all go. Hagrid should be in an Infirmary bed." She paused. "Or three."

  Demelza grimaced, "Yeah, Harry that is more important, right now. And, frankly, it would be best to wait for a more..." She gave the surroundings, trees and shrubs and shadows a pawky glance. "...secure environment?"

  After only a moment, Harry nodded agreement. "What's going on out there?"

  Demelza smiled, and Nienna giggled behind her hand. "Well," said the older woman, consideringly. "Best I can describe it, we're looking at the Second Coming of Doctor Doolittle crossed with the Pied Piper of Hamelin."

  "And just a touch of the Legend of the Lemmings!" Nienna's eyes were sparkling.

  Harry regarded them silently for a moment, shook his head, and started to the clearing.

  Hagrid, still looking rough, was, yes, parading around the edge of the clearing, holding the Gubraithian Fire torch before him. He was being followed by a black wave, cresting about two feet high.

  "Black... Wave?" Harry's vision was not quite up to his regular standards. He raised his glasses, both regular and Specs, rubbed his eyes, and peered closer. No. Not a wave.

  Nifflers. Hundreds, maybe even over a thousand jet-black Nifflers were following Hagrid and the Fire, like worshippers of a giant hairy idol. More were burrowing up out of the ground to join the throng all the time. The 'wave' was caused when the beaver-sized creatures piled up on top of each other, trying to get closer to either Hagrid or the Fire. Hagrid had to keep walking, or even he would be inundated by the frantic lumps of flesh.

  Looking to the center of the clearing, Harry saw Rolf, Ron, and Neville working frantically on the giant Niffler cage. Others were knocking down the mounds of the defenses, faster than the unknowns had set them up.

  Memories came to Harry, the mysterious black ground he had glimpsed twice, while rushing from emergency to emergency. He raised an eyebrow at Hermione, standing beside him. She spread her hands.

  "As soon as Hagrid revealed the Fire, that was all the Nifflers cared about. They couldn't get at him up on the cage. The unknown's wards kept them back, even after the makers had Apparated out. Rolf's quick examination of the cage revealed sabotage that would have to be fixed before it could be used for its intended purpose." Hermione smiled. "While Hagrid was being wallowed around by his dogs, the Fire rolled off the container. Eventually, Neville went to pick it up. I think he meant to bring it back to me to take charge of. The moment he stepped away from the container, the Nifflers swarmed him. They didn't try to hurt him, I think they just considered him a handy ladder to get closer to the Fire. They might have accidentally smothered him, but Ron got close enough to snatch the torch and toss it back up on the cage. The Nifflers returned to their encirclement formation, and Neville emerged from from the ebbing tide of black fur, rumpled and a little wild-eyed. It was definitely a sight to see!"

  Hermione continued. "Luna and I waded through the throng to consult with Rolf. He was going to have to lower the wards to work on the cage. Hagrid jumped down from the roof to the built-up wall. He almost flattened it. I don't think he's as recovered as he pretends, because he stayed bent over for a bit. After he straightened up, he offered to take the Nifflers, 'for a bit of a walk, loike.'" Hermione grimaced at sullying her speech with Hagrid's accent.

  Harry nodded understanding. "And Hagrid has to keep moving, or they'll bury even him."

  "This is his first time around," Hermione said. They looked over to see Hagrid and his, well, entourage, approaching the least overgrown section of the perimeter. Harry thought of it as the 'entrance' to the small glen, as that was the way he had come the night he had faced Riddle...

  Everything happened at once. The ground at Hagrid's feet flared with the Colour of Magic, brighter than Harry had ever seen it, blinding everyone still wearing their SpectreSpecs. Hagrid staggered back a step, throwing his arm up to block the light. Harry snatched off his Specs, starting toward the big man, silently cursing his unrecovered body for its weakness. His eyes recovered from the glare in time to see three forms burst out of invisibility, charging toward Hagrid.

  Harry's eyes widened as he took in the sight of three giant white Nifflers, Nifflers the size of ponies, and they were indeed bearing riders. Three figures in cloaks and cowls were leaning forward, flat against their mounts' necks. Each had their arms encircling their Niffler's head, and all were holding blindfolds over the creatures' eyes.

  The outer two reared up and threw their weight against Hagrid's chest. Already staggered, he went over backward, and was immediately buried beneath the normal-sized Nifflers that had been following him.

  The third beast went into the behavior Harry had seen from the solitary one the night before, rooting around and digging with its claws. It found something and froze, peering at it intently, even though it was still blindfolded. Again, it seemed to cast a silent spell.

  Harry's senses were not hampered by protection spells, as they had been last night. He recognized the spell immediately.

  Revelio!

  Beside Harry, barely keeping up, Hermione gave a gasp and stumbled, going to her knees. Harry looked to see her clawing at the Specs she was still wearing.

  "Go!" she yelled, before she had even gotten the glasses completely off. "They've found something magic, something strong! GO!"

  Harry hadn't stopped running, he was almost there. The three riders had dismounted, dropping the blindfolds, and going to the ground. The oversized Nifflers immediately focused their pink eyes on the Gubraithian Fire, wiggling closer, but not actually trying to touch it, just like the mounds of their smaller brethren. Harry was close enough to hear frantic voices calling.

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  "D'yer see it? D'yer have it?"

  "Da! Da, I see the magic, I haf it! The magic, it burns, but I haf it!"

  The first voice said quickly, "Whaddayer think, m'lady, go for the torch?"

  "No!" snapped the cool voice of the woman Harry thought of as 'Possibly Posh.' "Potter is on us. Apparate!"

  A spell snapped out from the now standing threesome. Harry dived and rolled, the Stupefy barely missing him. From behind him, Hermione shouted, "Incarcerous!" The cowled figures had a shield up, but Hermione's spell almost blasted right through it, staggering the trio.

  They rallied, one calling out in a sardonic, fake posh voice, "Ta-ta for now, old chaps!" A large magpie swooped from nowhere to land on a shoulder.

  "Pip-pip! Cheerio!" it cawed. And with a snap, crackle, and pop..., They were gone.

  Tuesday, July 8th, 2014. 9:40 AM.

  Grimmauld Place, Borough of Islington, London, UK

  Harry saw the questions on the faces of those not in the know, and the dawning horror on Ron's face. "Not now, time for that later. Auxiliary Auror Robins: Report."

  Nienna's expression was controlled, if a little wooden. "I was backing up the anomaly assault force," She darted a glance at her mother. "And by backing, I mean way back..."

  Sunday, July 6th, 2014. 4:20 AM.

  The Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts, Scottish Highlands, Great Britain.

  Despite her distance from the action, Nienna's view was clear. As the globe of ambient magic closed, it seemed to absorb the cloud-stuff. Inside the shrinking sphere there was still fairly thick mist.

  When the voices started coming from places no voices should be, they were a little too far away to be distinguished by her. She thought about drifting a little closer, but Ath?na gave her such a disapproving look... Instead, she drew her wand and tapped one of her ears, Silently casting Suoronos. This inverse of the Sonorous spell drew sound in, instead of blasting it out.

  ",,,Eater's Cage in the Tank! Get going before they find us!"

  "Find us?" someone squalled. "'Ow kin they bloody find us?"

  Nienna frowned. That first voice, the clipped, decisive way of speaking. Why was it familiar...?

  She snapped back to alertness, when the Head Auror casually intoned, "Incarcerous Aurous."

  Nienna momentarily gaped in amazement as the entire magic-saturated globe became ropes and cords, flailing inward. Had the Head Auror known...

  The motion that had caught her eye as the spell was cast played out, with the broom rider twirling gracefully in a remount. Her breath caught in her throat. That voice. That well-practiced move.

  Her broom accelerated smoothly, still almost catching Ath?na off guard. The little owl peered at Nienna, then seemed to catch a measure of her urgency. She turned forward on the Comet's handle, and leaned into the wind.

  Nienna pulled up abruptly as she saw her mother and another Auror struggling with a robed figure. Interrupting an arrest was a good way to get arrested yourself.

  She did not see the Sectumsempra cast, but the results were obvious. Dark magic, she thought, aghast, why that's...

  "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

  No. Not that. Help. The flash of green light darted at the group, at her mother... The signature rushing sound was loud in her charmed ear.

  "MUM!"

  The struggling captive spasmed.

  And went still.

  ***

  Nienna was frozen, numb and unknowing, for just a moment. Shaking it off, she went darting over to where the two Aurors were trying to secure the... corpse to a broom.

  "Mum.., Auror Robins! Did you see that manoeuvre?"

  Demelza's look told Nienna she had, and it was bad.

  "Get to Potter. As fast as you can!" Nienna waited for the word, 'safely,' but it never came. Demelza continued, "He has to know now. Ath?na, stay with me, in case I need to send another message." The owl fluttered over to her broom shaft.

  "Go!" Nienna went. Once the body was securely balanced, Demelza gently brushed back the overhanging material of the cowl.

  She froze, face contorted in horror. The other Auror flinched, whispering, "Oh, Sweet Avatars of Pity, no."

  Without looking away, Demelza said in a brittle, breaking voice. "Ath?na, I've changed my mind. We're all coming down, now. Let Potter know." The owl burst into flight.

  Looking around the empty space, surrounded by clouds and scattered with Aurors, she raised her voice. "Form on me!"

  To the man with the body balanced on his broom, she said, "You're with me, Leechstrom." Then to the others, "Proudfoot is in charge. Find those three prisoners. Proudfoot, split up if you have to, but maintain your advantage in numbers, if possible. Go."

  ***

  Nienna burst out of the cloud cover, thousands of feet up, scanning frantically. There were only two other fliers in the air, tearing along at ridiculous speed. She heard the Sonorous shout in the clipped voice, but the wind of her own speed made the words unintelligible. The Head Auror was gaining on the killer, when the man in front threw something. When Potter caught it, his pursuit went to pieces. He was tumbling through the air with no guidance or intent. He released what he had caught, and began to show signs of recovery.

  From above and behind them, Nienna saw that both men were almost at a standstill, Harry still getting control of his broom back. She fought off a surge of horror as the other man slowly drew his wand. No!

  Her thoughts moved like lightning. Can't come in right behind, he's too wary for that. He'll sense the doppler or the pressure wave, sure. And nobody ever said he wasn't quick. He's not great at reading curved or spiral motions, so there will be just a moment of confusion, and he'll look where I've been, not where I am. Her grin became feral. Just like the semifinals year before last.

  She went into a dive, not slowing a whit. She made sure her course was never pointed directly at him, not wanting to trigger his hyper-alert sense of proximity.

  At the right point she went into the tightest roll she had ever attempted, G-forces actually browning out her vision. Up and high, to right rear quarter, under, up and...

  WHAM! The collision didn't even faze her, what with taking the impact on her pulled-up lower legs and knees. He was separated from his broom, the object he was carrying, and, for just a moment, his wand. She knew which of those she would go for first.

  Serves you right, she thought vindictively. 'Accidentally' put MY Seeker into the Infirmary, will you?

  Swooping away, she gathered in the...

  FEAR! LOSS! WHO WAS SCREAMING? MUUUMMM...!

  Something struck the object gripped in her outflung hand. It was hard enough to leave her fingers painfully tingling. The world was back, and with it, a strong arm around her waist, steadying her in the air...

  Tuesday, July 8th, 2014. 10:30 AM.

  Grimmauld Place, Borough of Islington, London, UK

  Nienna stopped, faintly blushing, which everyone studiously ignored.

  Hermione was staring off into nothing, putting the pieces together.

  "Someone you knew," she mused. "Knew well enough to predict their actions. Obviously someone you played against in Quidditch, not someone you played with."

  Nienna nodded, subdued. "Sabino Zabini," she said. "He was in Slytherin, left spring before last."

  "Blaise Zabini's son?" Ginny inquired sharply.

  Nienna shrugged, "I guess, I mean, I'm pretty sure, yes."

  Ginny hmpfed. "Is he a stuck-up, pretentious, hyper-critical, hypocritical scum-monkey like his dad?"

  Nienna giggled, then looked shocked at herself. "I don't know his dad, but everything else is spot on."

  Demelza snorted inelegantly. "Yeah, Ginny, why don't you tell us what you really think?"

  Ron had clouded up, his knee-jerk reaction to anyone messing with Ginny. "What did he do? I didn't even realize you knew him."

  Ginny smiled fondly at Ron's signature glower. "I didn't know him. He, however, did want to know me, as long as his precious pure-blood clique weren't around." She sighed, "You know, he was the only person I ever had to hit with the Bat-Bogey Jinx four times? And that's considering Fred and George to be one person."

  Luna said sharply, "I wonder if his family knows what he's up to?"

  "Yes." Demelza spoke flatly and definitively. "Remember our prisoner, the one he killed so, I suppose, they couldn't talk?"

  Harry scowled and looked away. Nienna was on the verge of tears. Everybody else felt the bad news looming.

  ''It was Pansy Parkinson," Some of the faces still looked blank, others wide-eyed and horrified.

  Demelza sighed, and added, "Sabino's mother."

  that grab you, Quidditch fans?