Hook, Line, and Sinker Ⅲ

In the distance, Percus Clements abandoned the muggles he was escorting and desperately ran in direction of the dark mark that hung ominously over the night sky. "Sara!" He cried out.

Running down the grassy slope in the dark caused Percius to stumble but that did not stop him as raced toward his partner. Breathless, he skid to a stop as he turned the corner. In front of him is the loud sobbing of a small child. Gazing past the boy, he sees the still figure of his partner, Sara.

The air goes out of his lungs as Percius feels faint. Lying still on her back is Sara. Her yellow owl-like eyes are dim and empty. She is gone.

"Sara," Percius croaked as if still expecting an answer. Yet his closest friend and partner for over ten years would never speak again.

The night seems eerily empty despite the echoes of voices in the distance and the crackling sound of fires being extinguished. Numbly Percius stumbles forward until he falls onto his knees beside the corpse of his partner. Gently reaching over with trembling fingers, he closed Sara's eyes. Lumps of moisture gather in the corner of his eyes. He grits his teeth trying to keep the tears at bay.

A loud sob pulls Percius out of his grief as he recalls the tear-streaked child. A dash of guilt and shame overwhelmed him for having ignored the frightened child in his own state of grief. "There, there, now,' Percius whispered as the child threw itself into his arms and loudly continued to sob.

Holding the child tenderly in his arms, Percus gently rubs soothing circles on the boy's back. Rising to his feet, he turns and almost trips upon spotting a twisted figure lying in a heap. Half of the man's face is that of a vicious man with matted grey hair and whiskers. His teeth are pointed, but the other half are razor-sharp teeth of a monster. The twisted other half is of a dreadful beast, a werewolf.

"Lumos," Percius murmured as he raised his wand high for a closer look. Instantly his eyes widen in recognition of the half-twisted face as that of Fenrir Grayback. Percius lets out a bitter cry of triumph, before turning away.

Retreating the way, he came, he found another corpse. The corpse is that of a muggle man (denoted by the muggles' clothing). The muggle's neck had been torn open, no doubt killed at Grayback's hand.

Pressing the little boy's face into his shoulder to cover the child's sight, Percius walks past the corpse and back. "Can you tell me, what your name is?" Percius lightly asked distracting the child from glancing upward over his shoulder.

"David McGregor," the boy sniffed as he clung tightly to Percius's neck.

"Thank you, David," Percius gently murmured. "And how old are you?"

"I'm six years old."

"Oh, my, you're quite big for your age."

"That's what my daddy says," David burst into tears again. "My daddy's gone; the bad man got him."

"Your daddy?" Percius mumbled as he recalled the dead muggle man on the floor. A muggle father had challenged a werewolf for his son's life. And that was far braver than most wizards and for that, he was to be commended.

"What's your daddy's name, son?"

"Dougal McGregor," David sniffed.

"Well, he was very brave in protecting you," Percius said as they reached the top of the slope. In the distance, Aurors and other members of the Ministry of Magic can be seen aiding the wounded and beginning the reconstruction of the town of what can be salvaged. While others began the arduous process of forging a credible story.

"Mm, the lady who saved me is too," David whispered. "-But another baddie got her from behind."

"Did he know?" Percius said with an angry gleam in his eyes.

"A-huh, he did. But she still protected me with magic," David said with awe as his teary blue eyes widened. "Was the bad man, a werewolf?"

"Yes," Percius honestly answered as the little boy would have his memories erased soon enough by the oblivator's.

"Are you going to erase my memories?" David suddenly asked.

"Why would you ask such a thing like that?" Percius frowned not wanting to answer the question.

"That's what they do on the telley," David whispered. "I don't want to forget daddy and the nice lady who save me!"

"You never will," Percius lied. "They'll always be inside of you."

"David!" Cried out a frantic weeping woman as she clung on to three older children.

"Mommy!" David cried out as Percius set him on the ground. The little boy instantly ran over to his mommy. The now newly widowed Mrs. McGregor wept as she placed hugs and kisses on her youngest son's face.

Leaving the family now one member short, Percius walked back down the slope. Not even at the edge of the slope, he is met hallway by the very angry face of the head of the department, Bob Ogden. Short and plump, Ogden appeared rather enraged as his eyes sparked with fire behind his enormous thick glasses.

"Auror Clements, what happened here?" Ogden barked.

"It was a routine check, sir," Percius hoarsely replied. "We'd received a missive that there was to be a planned attack tonight. And there was."

Ogden sagely nods and responds, "I have word that Auror Gideon Prewett was badly injured, but his brother, Fabian managed to get him to St. Mungos in time. We've found two dead masked bastards matching the same as those responsible at Malfoy manor. Though I must admit that's new." Ogden gestured with his head to the Dark Mark hanging over them.

"Now, I want you and Auror Vinovich to hunt down any clues and leads" Ogden firmly instructed. "You'll both be in charge of this case and have full leeway. The minister wants these bastards found!"

Seeing Percius become so very pale Ogden glances around and fails to see Auror Vinovich. "Where's Vinovich?"

"That's just it, sir," Percius choked, before hoarsely answering, "Vinovich is dead."

"What?!" Ogden said in utter shock.

"We split up," Percius confessed. "I took to protecting the muggles, while she went after the werewolf, Fenrir Grayback!"

"That mangy wolf got her!" Ogden interrupted in utter rage.

"No, sir, she got that mangy wolf," Percius retorted with a weak smile. "I'm afraid that an unknown assailant attacked her from behind and killed her."

Ogden begins to curse under his breath as his eyes grow a bit damp. With eyes filled with burning indignation, Ogden hisses, "Auror Clements, you are hereby authorized full rank to fulfill your assigned obligations."

"Understood, sir," Percius said as he turned away and paused. "Sara is right over the hill next to the corpse of that rotten wolf. Please don't want to leave her there all alone next to that beast."

"Auror Clements," Ogden called out to the slightly round Auror, "I'll personally go and collect Auror Vinovich." He paused to study the grief-stricken Auror. "Once your tasks are complete rest for the next two days. You'll do me no good in this state."

"Yes, sir," Percius reluctantly said, before apparating away to change at home in order to visit St. Mungos. He needed to keep his mind busy lest he sinks into his grief. He would have plenty of time to mourn and weep in the following days.