In the distance, Juliet and Druella desperately try to put sufficient space between them and the nearest giant to safely apparate outside of the village wards. Before they can reach the boundary of the village wards a rustling sound is heard in the air coming right towards them. Juliet D'Eath instinctively throws herself to the side, when an enormous tree crashes in front of her causing her to slide across the snow-covered ground.
Stunned for a moment, Juliet lays there on the cold, wet snow-covered ground before scrambling to her feet. "Lorcan!" She desperately cried out in panic, while frantically peering through the gloom in search of her son.
Lying stunned a short distance from her is the still form of Lorcan having been painfully thrown aside on the ground. The younger child, Bill lays safely cradled in Lorcan's arms since Lorcan had taken the brunt of the fall. Plain terror is visible in Bill's moisture-filled eyes as he tearfully continues to cling to the clearly stunned figure of Lorcan as the giant's shadow looms closer. The ground violently shakes with each step of the Giant that swiftly closes the gap between them.
Having spotted her still son in the distance, Juliet raises her drenched skirt and tries to hurry toward him, but winces at a terrible shooting pain that races down her ankle. She must have hurt her ankle when she was thrown in the air and landed on the ground. Ignoring the pain as best as possible, Juliet frantically limps forward seeing the Giant approaching her son. "My little bat, please wake up!" She desperately cried out to her son to wake up.
The rather still, stunned form of Lorcan lets out a feeble moan but obeys at hearing his mother's voice. In pain, he feels vaguely nauseated at feeling the earth-shaking so sickly around him. He shivers at feeling the wet, cold snow around him especially the bits of snow in his air and trailing down the collar of his shirt.
Through blurry eyes, Lorcan tries to open his eyes seeing only a dark blur. He rapidly blinks and his eyes quickly focus upon the terrified, wet face of Bill, who is loudly sniffling on his chest. For a moment, he is still confused before everything comes back to him.
The shaking of the earth increases as Lorcan turns around to see the nearing giant. Even from the present distance, he can see hungry expression upon the bestial face of the giant, who eagerly licks its chops as if it is about to taste a delicious morsel. Lorcan tries to rise, but he feels a sharp stinging pain in his side. He must have hurt and broken something in the fall.
Lorcan tries to rise again in panic but feels a red-hot pain flash across his side causing him unable to breathe. Painfully gasping, Lorcan turns to Bill and weakly smiles trying to appear much braver than he truly felt. "You have to run, Bill; just like when we play tag with Glenda. Can you be a brave big boy for me?"
Bill shakes with fear for a moment, before slowly uncurling his fists from Lorcan's shirt. Before, Bill can move a loud pop is suddenly heard, the two boys turn their heads only to see a tiny house elf with bright tennis-colored eyes staring at them.
"Dobby to the rescue!" The house elf fiercely shrieked, before reaching for Bill and Lorcan and clamping his long fingers around the two children.
"Wait, my mum!" Lorcan protested as he saw his mum limping in the distance towards him. His mum's face is full of relief, fear, but love more than anything else.
With an indescribable emotion in her gleaming eyes, Juliet mouths, "I love you, my little bat." However, he never has a chance to reply when he feels himself start to fade away in a sickly whirl, before vanishing with a loud pop.
An angry roar can be heard in the distance that fades away as everything turns a swirling mass of colors. Feeling dizzy and very nauseated, Lorcan suddenly finds himself on top of a very soft, rich carpet. The world frantically spins around him as he hears the house elf from what seems in the distance say, "Mistress, Dobby has brought all children as ordered!"
Narcissa worriedly rose from her seat where she had been frantically waiting to approach the pale form of Lorcan D'Eath on the ground with the terrified figure of Bill anxiously clutching the clothes of the older boy. Her worst fears had not been appeased by the appearance of the children but rather had worsened at their tattered appearance.
Upon forcibly returning Malfoy manor, Narcissa had settled her daughter into her cradle. She had quickly sent word to the Ministry of Magic praying that the Auror's arrived in time. She fretfully waited as each passing second seemed to lengthen and time became impossibly slow.
Narcissa was able to breathe a little more at the safe return of the two toddlers, Charlie and Dora. The two toddlers thankfully weren't crying, but they did seem rather confused and subdued. She quickly settled them down on a blanket with plush toys. The toddlers quietly cuddled together each hugging a soft plush animal. A shiny dragon for Charlie and a fuzzy wolf for little Dora.
Narcissa had the urge to pace back and forth across the carpet to calm her nerves, but she had the feeling that would only frighten the two toddlers. The clock hands moved ever so slowly as she impatiently waited for the house elf to return until at long last the house elf had returned with Bill and the semi-unconscious figure of Lorcan.
Pulling herself together, Narcissa turns to Dobby and hurriedly says, "Dobby, please hurry and bring everyone else back!"
"Yes, mistress! Dobby obeys!" Dobby heroically squeaked and vanishes with a loud crackle.
"Mum," Lorcan weakly whispers, before losing consciousness on the carpet with Bill still on top of him.
Narcissa lets out a gasp and hurries to tend to the unconscious boy. She is forced to pry Bill from Lorcan's body. The second recently acquired house elf appears with a loud pop causing Bill to flinch and hide his face in Narcissa's shoulder.
Zuffe was a tiny thing with great big eyes, a hooked nose, and pointed ears that stood up like a cat or wolf ears. The female house elf wore a neat little French maid dress with a matching maid cap and apron. "Mistress, Zuffe has delivered the message to the Ministry of Magic as instructed," Zuffe crisply said with a proper curtsey, before letting out a gasp of shock. "Mistress, the boy is hurt!"
"Zuffe please tend to him with the utmost care," Narcissa sincerely ordered as Zuffe hurried forward to check her charge. Narcissa tries to soothe Bill, who is shivering with fear and from the cold. Feeling the damp, wet clothing on Bill's body, she slowly pulls out her wand in order not to frighten the distressed child.
Zuffe hurries away with her charge, while Narcissa carefully begins to dry Bill with her wand. The five-year-old was shaking with terror still, and there was nothing much she could do for him beyond comforting him until Dobby returned with Molly. But she didn't know what tragedy had to bring much less what had happened to her mother and sister, and the rest of their family. She could do nothing but wait and wait she would. No matter how the night's events ended, the Malfoy, Weasley, Tonks, and Black family would owe Lorcan D'Eath and his mother, Juliet D'Eath, a life debt, and a life debt must be repaid.
Da da dum... This will be a long night for many.
Please enjoy the first random chapter of the month!