58 Hurry

Pop

Crack

The apartment complex the Fosters were living in was torn apart by the sheer might of such a long range apparation. A clean diagonal cut made the building look like it could collapse at any moment. Screams could be heard by the unsuspecting muggles living there, who had their homes destroyed.

Agonising pain assaulted Lucas as he appeared in the chaos. He wasn't unscathed.

Similar to the building a clean cut went from his right shoulders, at about the middle of his collarbone, down to his waist at the same side.

Luckily the cut off body part apparated with him, unfortunately he had no time to bring any potions with him.

'This hurts like a bitch.' Lucas thought as he telekinetically brought his missing pieces to the places they were supposed to be and constantly made sure they stayed there, stimulating his natural regeneration in the process.

Turning a blind eye to his injury Lucas enveloped the building in his domain. His heart dropped to his stomach when his mother was nowhere to be found.

Lucas's heart pounded in his chest as panic threatened to overwhelm him. Fear and desperation clawed at him as he frantically searched through the rooms, his mind racing with worry.

"Mom!" he called out, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Mom, where are you?"

But there was no response, only the sound of sirens blaring in the distance and the cries of injured muggles echoing through the air.

However, there was still a flicker of hope. Lucas could guess where she most likely would be. The ministry of magic.

A desperate apparation later he reappeared in one of the dedicated apparation spots inside the ministry.

"Hssss." He breathed in sharply as his wound got worse, cracks had formed along the clean cut and blood was oozing out.

The moment he had arrived everyone else picked up their pace, like they were about to miss out on something. Some even broke out into a light run.

At the same time as he patched up his injury again he also searched through the minds of the surrounding wizards for any clue where his mother could be. He wasn't particularly stealthy with it, which was apparent by the sudden collapse of a few.

Lucas's heart beat faster when he realized that many of them were aware of his presence and knew who he was.

Disregarding whatever they thought about him, he pushed forward towards the place Sophia was. He had caught a glimpse of three people arriving just minutes ago, with one person looking just like his mother. 

With a burst of speed, Lucas raced through the halls of the ministry, his heart pounding with every step. He couldn't afford to waste any more time, he had to grab her and get out of there.

As he approached the room where Sophia was being held, Lucas's mind raced with a million thoughts and fears.

The door to the room was firmly shut, but Lucas wasted no time in using his magic to force it open. He reached towards it with his left hand and when he pulled it back, the door flew off its hinges, revealing the scene inside.

Sophia was sitting in a chair, flanked by two wizards who regarded Lucas with a mixture of fear and apprehension. She looked up in surprise as he entered, relief flooding her features at the sight of her son.

"Lucas!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and concern. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

Lucas ignored her questions for the moment, his focus solely on getting her out of there. The two wizards couldn't even reach for their wand, before they were trapped in their own body due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles except for vertical eye movements and blinking. With two dull sounds they collapsed on the floor, watching helplessly as Lucas grabbed his mother's hand and dragged her out of there.

As Lucas hurriedly pulled Sophia, his mind raced with a mix of relief at finding her and concern for her safety. He couldn't afford to waste any time, knowing that they had to get out of the ministry before any more trouble arose.

"Come on, Mom," he urged, his voice urgent as he guided her through the corridors. "We need to get out of here."

Lucas had to reach one of the areas where he could apparate, otherwise he would be forced to fight his way out of here.

Unfortunately, the ministry was faster than he expected and a few spells were already heading for his direction. Luckily, they didn't come from the front and Lucas was faster than your normal wizard with all the training he does. Although his mother wasn't it didn't matter, he had levitated her a bit above the ground and dragged her behind him like a helium balloon.

With his mind occupied by keeping his inhury in check, his mother off the ground and dodging the spells, he hadn't noticed the blockade froming in their way. 

As Lucas and Sophia rounded a corner, they came face to face with a group of Aurors, wands drawn and expressions stern, meters away from the apparating area.

"Lucas Foster, you are under arrest for multiple violations of magical law," one of the Aurors declared, his voice firm and commanding. "Release your mother and surrender peacefully."

Although they appeared to be in control, it didn't help their nerves when all of their legilimency alerting artifacts blared into their ears, triggered by his mere presence.

Lucas came to a halt, gently setting his mother back on the ground, as he examined his surroundings. There were a dozen well trained Aurors in position to react in a flash to any threatening move he might make. There were also a lot of curious onlookers, who were fascinated by what was happening in their otherwise monotonous office job.

Lucas could feel their fear crystal clear, as well as the tension in their muscles, ready for anything like a loaded spring. He could also feel their natural radiation passively attacking his domain, which let him somewhat gauge their strenght.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas calmed his razing heart a little, "We don't want any trouble. Let us go, and there won't be any need for violence."

After a tense moment of silence, one of the Aurors, the squads leader, stepped forward his wand still raised but his expression less hostile. "We can't just let you leave, Lucas," he said, his voice firm. "You're wanted for questioning regarding several serious offenses."

Lucas's grip tightened on his mother's wrist, his mind racing as he weighed his options. He knew that trying to reason with the Aurors would be futile, but he couldn't risk a direct confrontation either.

"Hey! What are you doing to that boy and his mother?" Someone yelled out of the crowd, which was quickly followed by similar voices.

"Yeah, what are you doing?"

"There are 12 of you for one boy."

"Is this how Aurors should act?"

The all of a sudden discontent onlookers suddenly chipped in, while they were moving closer.

The strange uproar caught the Aurors off guard, their attention momentarily diverted by the unexpected protest. Murmurs and whispers spread through the crowd as more and more people voiced their disapproval of the Aurors' actions.

It was all Lucas needed to kidnap the unfocused Aurors' minds. Three of them were distracted enough to let him in.

"Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!"

Three stunning spells simultaneously were fired and three Aurors collapsed to the ground, which brought the focus back on the situation at hand. The six remaining quickly subdued the traitors, but not fast enough for Lucas and his mother to disappear in the crowd of onlookers, who had at that point swallowed them in their sea of people.

The pushing and shoving mob of people, who had encircled them made it impossible to find the mother son duo.

The irritated leader eventually had had enough and opened a way back to the apparating area with a strong banishing charm, flinging the people all over the place. Yet it was all for naught, because their own shadows held the Aurors tightly.

"Mum, hold on tight," he whispered urgently, his heart pounding in his chest as he prepared to apparate them out of there.

'Lucius, I will be back.'

Before the Aurors could break free from their binding, Lucas and Sophia vanished from sight, leaving behind a stunned and bewildered crowd, who wondered why they did what they did.

As they reappeared in a secluded area far from the ministry, Lucas spat out a mouthful of blood. 

Sophia's eyes widened with concern as she saw the blood, her worry for her son overshadowing her own fear. "Lucas, you're hurt," she exclaimed loudly.

Lucas forced a weak smile, trying to reassure his mother despite the pain coursing through him. "I'll be fine, Mom," he insisted, though his voice was strained. "We need to get out of here before they find us."

Another apparation later they arrived at Heathrow Airport. Now Lucas could hardly breath as his wound had affected his right lung. With every breath you could see the cracks in his brittle skin opening and closing. Almost his whole right side was affected.

Nevertheless, he had to board a plane. The wizards stationing there were unaware of his person, so they were easily tricked into letting them pass.

With unimaginable pain constantly assaulting his senses Lucas had to sit still for the 14 hour flight, all the while keeping his mother calm.

----

The ministry of magic was panicking. The sudden attack had caught them off guard. No one believed Lucas would be able to act so swiftly. The higher-ups shouted order after order. Every operational wizard was searching for Lucas and his mother. It was currently Britain's number one priority.

As a matter of fact, Dumbledore had to come all the way from Hogwarts to get questioned.

The headmaster effortlessly apparated from his office all the way there, his expression grave as he entered the Ministry of Magic. He was met with a flurry of activity as Aurors and ministry officials rushed about, their faces drawn with worry and determination.

"Albus Dumbledore, we've been expecting you," one of the ministry officials said, his tone respectful but tinged with urgency. "Please follow me, the Minister of Magic is waiting for you."

Dumbledore nodded calmly, following the official through the bustling corridors of the ministry. He was relieved that he neither saw any blood nor corpses, as a matter of fact there were no signs of a battle taking place. His mind was already spinning with his next steps, each piece falling into place like a carefully constructed puzzle.

As he made his way to the Minister of Magic's office, his mind raced with calculations and contingencies. He knew that the situation was dire for Cornelius Fudge, but he also knew that he had to make a move, if he wanted to stick to his plans.

When he finally reached the Minister's office, he was greeted by a collection of influential people, as well as a worried wizard who regarded him with a mixture of suspicion and concern.

"Albus Dumbledore," the Minister said, his tone curt. "I trust you're aware of the seriousness of the situation."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly, his expression grave. "Indeed, Cornelius," he replied, his voice calm and steady. "I am here to offer my assistance in any way that I can."

The Minister eyed Dumbledore warily, clearly unsure of whether to trust him or not. "You expect me to believe that you, the headmaster of Hogwarts, had no knowledge of Mr. Foster's actions?" he inquired, his tone accusatory.

Dumbledore met the Minister's gaze unwaveringly, his expression impassive. "I assure you, Cornelius, I had no prior knowledge of Lucas's intentions," he stated firmly. "But I am here now to help rectify the situation."

The Minister seemed to consider Dumbledore's words for a moment before nodding slightly. "Very well, Dumbledore," he conceded, albeit reluctantly. "But make no mistake, if Mr. Foster is not brought to justice swiftly, there will be consequences."

Dumbledore inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I understand your skepticism, Minister," he replied evenly. "But I can assure you that I am fully committed to collaborating with everyone present."

The Minister's expression softened slightly at Dumbledore's assurance, though the skepticism still lingered in his eyes. "Very well, Dumbledore," he said with a nod. "I will hold you to that."

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AN: Unfortunately I seem to have written myself into a pickle and most likely won't be able to use the rest of my plans for Hogwarts.

I guess I too have to live with the consequences of my own actions.

On top of the fact that I don't want to force the story in a specific direction just so I can use my ideas.