Introducing - the Defender!
Ohhhh man - I've written my first semi-action piece for diricawl_way's Super Potters Challenge. It's probably the second longest piece I've ever written - and I'm actually really pleased with how it ended up.
It's total and complete genfic, and well... would fit under the genre of action, I suppose.
Here we go. xD
Title: Defender
Rating: PG+ (see warnings below)
Genre: Gen, Action
For: diricawl_way's Super Potters Challenge
Warnings: Some violence, slightly dark
Word Count: 2,905
Beta-ed By: The wonderful summerborn. =)
A/N: A very big thank you to summerborn for beta-ing this on such short notice. Another thank you to laverinth who triggered my plotbunny to come hopping by. ;) After that, since this is a SH challenge, Draco is the inventor of Contego lumen, and can track magical folk using the spell. He's especially skilled in the area of Obliviation, and exceptionally good at performing appearance altering charms.
Defender
Sewers were disgusting, but with the aid of a Bubblehead Charm they were at least bearable hiding places for short periods of time. This, of course, was why Draco Malfoy was walking around in one looking like a Muggle astronaut at near two in the morning. Still, things could be worse.
Draco barely even noticied the muck on his shoes; he’d done this so frequently over the past few months that he’d learned to ignore it. He used the Point Me spell whenever he came to a place where the pipes branched, taking the Northern-most path each time. Apparition was too risky tonight, as per usual, so walking a few hours in the sewer was the only way Draco would be able to get anywhere.
He was going towards the Leaky Cauldron today. With the right appearance-altering charms, he’d be able to rent a room for a few days, take a shower, and maybe treat himself to a new book from Flourish and Blotts, considering he’d lost his old copy of Hélas, j'ai Transfiguré mes Pieds on one of his treks through the sewer a few days ago. The book was horrible, but that in itself was entertaining, and it had been on sale when he’d bought it, which was a blessing considering his Gringott’s vault had been frozen since the day after his departure from Hogwarts. Ah, well.
Tonight, or rather, last night, since it was now very early morning, Draco had been outside of an inn in Flyford Flavell up in the Midlands when he felt the air around him stir and the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Someone had just used his spell. In less than a second he’d dashed into a deserted alley nearby, already opening his mind to prepare for the influx of his own magical signature, which would let him know where he’d be going tonight. The information hit him as bluntly as a bucket of cold water to the face - his destination was the Battersea Park in London, on the Bandstand. He whipped his head around to check that no one else had wandered into the alley, and upon confirming that no one was there, he Apparated with a loud crack to that location.
Draco arrived behind a large tree not far away from the Bandstand, and drew his wand, taking care to remain hidden. He cast a quick Disillusionment Charm on himself before peeking out from behind the tree to fully assess the situation. Five men in black robes - leftover Death Eaters, just like the ones from the night before, most likely - were gathered around two small children, a boy and a girl. The boy was on the floor, bloody and breathing heavily, and the little girl was sobbing into her hands. Draco felt the air around him positively quake and the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up as the little girl repeated the Contego lumen spell like a mantra.
He needed to act fast. There were too many men for him to take on at once, and no possible way he could see to get them alone. Last night he’d been able to use a Shield Charm to protect himself long enough to get close to two Death Eaters that were attacking a young woman and jinx them, but tonight he’d need a different approach. Mind racing, he hastily cast a few different appearance altering charms on himself; he always disguised himself before rescuing anyone. Suddenly, it occurred to him that altering his appearance was actually the way he could get to those children. Not wasting any more time, he kept and eye on the little boy who was currently being pulled to his feet by his hair, and charmed his clothes into the same standard black robes the Death Eaters were wearing, transfiguring a nearby branch into a mask. He fastened it over his face and Apparated right next to the man pulling the boy to his feet.
"I was sent to join you all," he said, the sneer clear on the bottom part of his face, which wasn’t covered by the mask. "Who are these unlucky children?"
"The son and daughter of previous Order Members," a man behind him informed him, spitting on the ground. “The spawn of those Muggle-lovers."
"We’ve been having a little fun with them," said another, stepping next to the little girl and leaning down next to her. "Telling them exactly what we’re going to do to them. Crucio!" His wand had come out of nowhere and the girl was writhing on the floor, her screams of pain impossible to block out. Her brother started screaming along with her as one of the men held him back from her, but tilted up his jaw so he was forced to watch as her body contorted. The man next to the little girl lifted the curse, laughing, and Draco swallowed the bile in his throat, trying not to vomit. To appear less than entertained would put him in grave danger of being discovered, and so he forced a dry laugh.
"But you don’t like pain, do you, darling?" Draco said, bending down towards the little girl, a manic grin plastered across his face. He felt bad for scaring her further, but in order to deceive the Death Eaters holding her captive, it was what he had to do. She whimpered as he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her to her feet, and her brother behind him positively growled, still struggling to break free from the other Death Eater holding him.
Draco turned, keeping a firm hold on the girl’s arm as she struggled against him. She kicked at his legs, but he ignored her, turning to the man who was holding her brother. Draco pulled out his wand and smirked. "Let him go," Draco told the man, "He’ll see what happens to him as soon as he goes near his sister."
The man chuckled and Draco laughed along with him as he let the boy out of his grip. Thankfully, the boy ran at Draco, as predicted. Draco threw up a Shield Charm as soon as the boy was in reach, grabbed his arm, and Disapparated.
He landed with the children a block and a half from the entrance to St. Mungo’s. Before the kids could realize what had happened, he re-cast his appearance altering charms so that he took on the face of a middle-aged man complete with slowly graying hair. "I’m here to help. You’ll be safe now," he told them. Without letting go of their arms, he began to pull them down the street. They needed to move fast. The little girl continued to cry as Draco hauled them down the street, and the little boy frowned at him before biting him in the arm. Draco yelped, but did not let go of the child’s hand. "I’m taking you two to St. Mungo’s," he said. "They’ll be able to heal your injuries and notify your parents of where you are."
"Why should we believe you?" the boy asked, trying unsuccessfully to wrench his arm out of Draco’s grip.
"Because of your sister," he replied simply, and the little girl fell silent and looked up at him.
"I didn’t - "
"Contego lumen," Draco told her.
"But that’s just an old wives’ tale, isn’t it?" asked the little boy, looking highly skeptical.
"If it was your sister would be under the Cruciatus Curse right about now, and not on her way to a hospital," Draco informed him, his voice calm. The boy was quiet for a few moments and opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment Draco cleared his throat; they were standing in front of Purge and Dowse Ltd. "Hello. I’m escorting two injured children," Draco said to the ugly dummy. The dummy nodded its head and beckoned him forward. He stepped through the wall into the lobby, keeping a firm hold on the children as he did so. Glancing to his sides as he started towards the Inquiries desk, he saw that they both looked fairly relieved. The woman at Inquiries gasped as Draco and the children came into view; Draco had no time to waste in cleaning them up before getting them to a hospital, and so the young boy was still covered in blood and the little girl’s hair was all over the place, tear-streaks all down her face.
"What in the - "
"They’ve been attacked. Subject to curses. I believe ‘Spell Damage’ would be the proper term for it?" Draco asked in a whisper.
"Yes, Fourth Floor, please. I’ll make sure a Pediatric Healer knows you’re on your way."
"Thank you," Draco replied. He steered the children towards the opposite end of the room and proceeded up the rickety staircase there until he reached the Fourth Floor landing. He opened the double doors, finally letting go of the children and letting them walk through on their own.
A portly old man rushed towards them, his lime green robes fluttering out behind him as he dashed down the ward. "You needed the Pediatric Healer, I assume?" he asked, wheezing.
Draco nodded as the man surveyed the children.
"Right this way then, please!" said the man. He bustled into an empty room on the right and beckoned for them to follow. Inside, he flicked his wand and three chairs were conjured out of thin air, clanging to the floor. "I just need to get the proper paperwork for you to fill out, Sir, and then I can conduct an exam to see what needs work - I’ll only be a moment."
The Healer rushed out of the room and Draco shut the door behind him. Taking out his wand, he altered his appearance charms so that he was standing in robes of stunning green lined with silver, his face obscured by his overlarge hood.
The little girl gasped.
Concentrating hard, Draco focused all of his energy and pointed his wand at the children. "Obliviate!" Draco shouted, as loud as he dared. The spell hit both children in the face, knocking them backward slightly. He rushed forward and stopped them both from falling, looking at the floor. "You were both attacked by Death Eaters. You need medical attention and are in St. Mungo’s. I am the Defender. I responded to Contego lumen. When the Healer comes back, tell him that," Draco whispered.
He bolted for the door, rushing out it and running for the staircase. He re-did his appearance charms again, this time making his robes look like the ones all the Healers wore. He rearranged his face so it looked like he was a very old man indeed, and slowed his pace as he neared the ground floor. He strolled back through the lobby, keeping his eyes on the exit. He made his way outside and walked briskly down the street, scanning the area for a manhole cover. He finally found one a couple of blocks away, and seeing no one nearby, levitated it out. The stench from below hit his nostrils and made him gag, but he held his nose and lowered himself down into the sewer, casting the Bubblehead Charm as soon as he was completely under the street. Quietly, he replaced the manhole cover and lit his wand.
This was how Draco Malfoy had ended up in the sewer he was currently strolling in. It was quite a boring walk, especially with nothing to read.
It took a little over two hours to navigate himself up to the Leaky Cauldron, but he managed to follow them to three blocks east of the pub, where there was a manhole he could easily get through. He put up his appearance charms for the umpteenth time that night and emerged from the sewer, letting the Bubblehead Charm fade and Scourgifying himself thoroughly. The spell wouldn’t make him fully clean though, and he’d be very, very glad for a shower. He walked through the streets towards the pub, keeping to the darkness near all the buildings.
Within a few minutes he’d pushed open the pub door and wandered in, tapping the bell at the bar and waiting. There was a great clattering overhead and moments later the owner, Tom, came down the stairs wearing a pair of fuzzy blue slippers. “Sorry, sir, but we’re not open yet,” Tom told him.
"I was trying to figure out whether you might have a vacancy - I had planned to arrive earlier this evening when you were open, but my portkey got detained and I’ve only just arrived," Draco informed him.
"They give out portkeys at this hour, do they, eh?"
"No, I got in a few hours ago, but only managed to make it here now. You see, I grew up in India but my parents recently moved here - so I figured I’d come abroad, do a bit of sightseeing and visit them at the same time. A friend recommended this pub, but as I’d never been here I didn’t want to risk Apparating here, so I ended up completely lost and have been wandering around for hours attempting to find my way; it’s been absolutely dreadful," Draco lied, not even pausing to think.
Tom didn’t look utterly convinced, but said, "Well, room number two is available, up on the next floor. How long do you need it for?"
"Oh… four days, including the rest of today?" Draco asked.
"All right. Won’t come cheap, mind you," Tom informed him, picking a rusty key off a rack set up on the wall. "Second floor, first room on the right. D’you need me to bring up anything?"
"No, thank you," Draco replied.
"Eh, breakfast is served from six ‘til ten. It’s included in the price of the room. What’s your name?"
"Abraxas Langston."
"You’re all set then, payment is due when you depart. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Once again, thank you." Draco took the proffered key off the counter and went up the stairs. He found the first room on the left and stuck the key in. Ah, to be in a civilized setting again. More often then not in the past couple of years he’d slept outside, sometimes in the wilderness, sometimes on a bench in the park. He had no home, no money, and nothing to his name but a prison sentence if he was discovered by the Ministry. He could transfigure any old thing into galleons, sickles, or knuts as needed, but every time he was around people he was at risk of being discovered.
Yes, this was exactly what he needed for a few days - an actual bed, a bath, and a few decent meals. He locked the door with about fifteen different locking spells he’d learned over the years before stripping down and heading to the small bathroom.
The shower water felt good on his skin, and he took his time cleaning himself - the sun was already rising by the time he fell into bed.
Draco slept for hours, right through breakfast and clear past lunch. When he awoke, he went downstairs for an early supper, buying a copy of that morning’s Daily Prophet with a couple of napkins he’d nicked and transfigured into money seconds before. Back in his rooms with a warm coffee, he was not surprised to see the two familiar faces blinking up at him from the front page.
The Defender Strikes Again!
St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
5:45, London
Officials at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries were surprised again last night to find that at approximately half past one in the morning the wizard know as the Defender brought in yet more patients that needed tending to. These patients, just like all the others he or she has brought in for treatment in the past, are believed to have been attacked by Death Eaters, who though not as common to be found as they were a few years ago before the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, are still causing a considerable amount of trouble in areas throughout England.
The victims this time were the young son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Calvert Aleswithe, who were reported missing earlier last evening at approximately eleven thirty. Thankfully, it seems that the Defender was able to reach the youngsters before any permanent damage was done. The young Miss Aleswithe thankfully suffered only a few highly bruised ribs and over-strained wrist while the young Mr. Aleswithe came in with a broken nose. The children are due to be released this morning to their parents’ care. They do not remember what happened to make them sustain those injuries, but say that they were informed by the Defender himself that it was the work of Death Eaters, and that the little girl had been under the Cruciatus Curse at one point.
Who the Defender is remains completely unknown. The children only described what we’ve all heard before - that he wears robes of a brilliant green with silver lining and keeps his face hidden at all times. They also both mentioned that he told them he responded to Contego lumen - a supposed spell that brings help to people who are in trouble. Its origins and creator are unknown, but most assume that if it’s a real spell it was most likely created by the Defender himself. The world may never know.
FIN
Final Notes: In case anyone is interested, Flyford Flavell and the Battersea Park ARE real places. I've never been to any of them myself, considering I've never been to Europe, but they do exist, as does the pub and the Bandstand. You can click here to see roughly where Draco traveled from (it's on Mapquest, scroll down below the directions), here to see the inn I'd found for Draco, and here to find more info about Battersea Park, along with what is supposed to be a picture of the Bandstand.
It's total and complete genfic, and well... would fit under the genre of action, I suppose.
Here we go. xD
Title: Defender
Rating: PG+ (see warnings below)
Genre: Gen, Action
For: diricawl_way's Super Potters Challenge
Warnings: Some violence, slightly dark
Word Count: 2,905
Beta-ed By: The wonderful summerborn. =)
A/N: A very big thank you to summerborn for beta-ing this on such short notice. Another thank you to laverinth who triggered my plotbunny to come hopping by. ;) After that, since this is a SH challenge, Draco is the inventor of Contego lumen, and can track magical folk using the spell. He's especially skilled in the area of Obliviation, and exceptionally good at performing appearance altering charms.
Defender
Sewers were disgusting, but with the aid of a Bubblehead Charm they were at least bearable hiding places for short periods of time. This, of course, was why Draco Malfoy was walking around in one looking like a Muggle astronaut at near two in the morning. Still, things could be worse.
Draco barely even noticied the muck on his shoes; he’d done this so frequently over the past few months that he’d learned to ignore it. He used the Point Me spell whenever he came to a place where the pipes branched, taking the Northern-most path each time. Apparition was too risky tonight, as per usual, so walking a few hours in the sewer was the only way Draco would be able to get anywhere.
He was going towards the Leaky Cauldron today. With the right appearance-altering charms, he’d be able to rent a room for a few days, take a shower, and maybe treat himself to a new book from Flourish and Blotts, considering he’d lost his old copy of Hélas, j'ai Transfiguré mes Pieds on one of his treks through the sewer a few days ago. The book was horrible, but that in itself was entertaining, and it had been on sale when he’d bought it, which was a blessing considering his Gringott’s vault had been frozen since the day after his departure from Hogwarts. Ah, well.
Tonight, or rather, last night, since it was now very early morning, Draco had been outside of an inn in Flyford Flavell up in the Midlands when he felt the air around him stir and the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Someone had just used his spell. In less than a second he’d dashed into a deserted alley nearby, already opening his mind to prepare for the influx of his own magical signature, which would let him know where he’d be going tonight. The information hit him as bluntly as a bucket of cold water to the face - his destination was the Battersea Park in London, on the Bandstand. He whipped his head around to check that no one else had wandered into the alley, and upon confirming that no one was there, he Apparated with a loud crack to that location.
Draco arrived behind a large tree not far away from the Bandstand, and drew his wand, taking care to remain hidden. He cast a quick Disillusionment Charm on himself before peeking out from behind the tree to fully assess the situation. Five men in black robes - leftover Death Eaters, just like the ones from the night before, most likely - were gathered around two small children, a boy and a girl. The boy was on the floor, bloody and breathing heavily, and the little girl was sobbing into her hands. Draco felt the air around him positively quake and the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up as the little girl repeated the Contego lumen spell like a mantra.
He needed to act fast. There were too many men for him to take on at once, and no possible way he could see to get them alone. Last night he’d been able to use a Shield Charm to protect himself long enough to get close to two Death Eaters that were attacking a young woman and jinx them, but tonight he’d need a different approach. Mind racing, he hastily cast a few different appearance altering charms on himself; he always disguised himself before rescuing anyone. Suddenly, it occurred to him that altering his appearance was actually the way he could get to those children. Not wasting any more time, he kept and eye on the little boy who was currently being pulled to his feet by his hair, and charmed his clothes into the same standard black robes the Death Eaters were wearing, transfiguring a nearby branch into a mask. He fastened it over his face and Apparated right next to the man pulling the boy to his feet.
"I was sent to join you all," he said, the sneer clear on the bottom part of his face, which wasn’t covered by the mask. "Who are these unlucky children?"
"The son and daughter of previous Order Members," a man behind him informed him, spitting on the ground. “The spawn of those Muggle-lovers."
"We’ve been having a little fun with them," said another, stepping next to the little girl and leaning down next to her. "Telling them exactly what we’re going to do to them. Crucio!" His wand had come out of nowhere and the girl was writhing on the floor, her screams of pain impossible to block out. Her brother started screaming along with her as one of the men held him back from her, but tilted up his jaw so he was forced to watch as her body contorted. The man next to the little girl lifted the curse, laughing, and Draco swallowed the bile in his throat, trying not to vomit. To appear less than entertained would put him in grave danger of being discovered, and so he forced a dry laugh.
"But you don’t like pain, do you, darling?" Draco said, bending down towards the little girl, a manic grin plastered across his face. He felt bad for scaring her further, but in order to deceive the Death Eaters holding her captive, it was what he had to do. She whimpered as he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her to her feet, and her brother behind him positively growled, still struggling to break free from the other Death Eater holding him.
Draco turned, keeping a firm hold on the girl’s arm as she struggled against him. She kicked at his legs, but he ignored her, turning to the man who was holding her brother. Draco pulled out his wand and smirked. "Let him go," Draco told the man, "He’ll see what happens to him as soon as he goes near his sister."
The man chuckled and Draco laughed along with him as he let the boy out of his grip. Thankfully, the boy ran at Draco, as predicted. Draco threw up a Shield Charm as soon as the boy was in reach, grabbed his arm, and Disapparated.
He landed with the children a block and a half from the entrance to St. Mungo’s. Before the kids could realize what had happened, he re-cast his appearance altering charms so that he took on the face of a middle-aged man complete with slowly graying hair. "I’m here to help. You’ll be safe now," he told them. Without letting go of their arms, he began to pull them down the street. They needed to move fast. The little girl continued to cry as Draco hauled them down the street, and the little boy frowned at him before biting him in the arm. Draco yelped, but did not let go of the child’s hand. "I’m taking you two to St. Mungo’s," he said. "They’ll be able to heal your injuries and notify your parents of where you are."
"Why should we believe you?" the boy asked, trying unsuccessfully to wrench his arm out of Draco’s grip.
"Because of your sister," he replied simply, and the little girl fell silent and looked up at him.
"I didn’t - "
"Contego lumen," Draco told her.
"But that’s just an old wives’ tale, isn’t it?" asked the little boy, looking highly skeptical.
"If it was your sister would be under the Cruciatus Curse right about now, and not on her way to a hospital," Draco informed him, his voice calm. The boy was quiet for a few moments and opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment Draco cleared his throat; they were standing in front of Purge and Dowse Ltd. "Hello. I’m escorting two injured children," Draco said to the ugly dummy. The dummy nodded its head and beckoned him forward. He stepped through the wall into the lobby, keeping a firm hold on the children as he did so. Glancing to his sides as he started towards the Inquiries desk, he saw that they both looked fairly relieved. The woman at Inquiries gasped as Draco and the children came into view; Draco had no time to waste in cleaning them up before getting them to a hospital, and so the young boy was still covered in blood and the little girl’s hair was all over the place, tear-streaks all down her face.
"What in the - "
"They’ve been attacked. Subject to curses. I believe ‘Spell Damage’ would be the proper term for it?" Draco asked in a whisper.
"Yes, Fourth Floor, please. I’ll make sure a Pediatric Healer knows you’re on your way."
"Thank you," Draco replied. He steered the children towards the opposite end of the room and proceeded up the rickety staircase there until he reached the Fourth Floor landing. He opened the double doors, finally letting go of the children and letting them walk through on their own.
A portly old man rushed towards them, his lime green robes fluttering out behind him as he dashed down the ward. "You needed the Pediatric Healer, I assume?" he asked, wheezing.
Draco nodded as the man surveyed the children.
"Right this way then, please!" said the man. He bustled into an empty room on the right and beckoned for them to follow. Inside, he flicked his wand and three chairs were conjured out of thin air, clanging to the floor. "I just need to get the proper paperwork for you to fill out, Sir, and then I can conduct an exam to see what needs work - I’ll only be a moment."
The Healer rushed out of the room and Draco shut the door behind him. Taking out his wand, he altered his appearance charms so that he was standing in robes of stunning green lined with silver, his face obscured by his overlarge hood.
The little girl gasped.
Concentrating hard, Draco focused all of his energy and pointed his wand at the children. "Obliviate!" Draco shouted, as loud as he dared. The spell hit both children in the face, knocking them backward slightly. He rushed forward and stopped them both from falling, looking at the floor. "You were both attacked by Death Eaters. You need medical attention and are in St. Mungo’s. I am the Defender. I responded to Contego lumen. When the Healer comes back, tell him that," Draco whispered.
He bolted for the door, rushing out it and running for the staircase. He re-did his appearance charms again, this time making his robes look like the ones all the Healers wore. He rearranged his face so it looked like he was a very old man indeed, and slowed his pace as he neared the ground floor. He strolled back through the lobby, keeping his eyes on the exit. He made his way outside and walked briskly down the street, scanning the area for a manhole cover. He finally found one a couple of blocks away, and seeing no one nearby, levitated it out. The stench from below hit his nostrils and made him gag, but he held his nose and lowered himself down into the sewer, casting the Bubblehead Charm as soon as he was completely under the street. Quietly, he replaced the manhole cover and lit his wand.
This was how Draco Malfoy had ended up in the sewer he was currently strolling in. It was quite a boring walk, especially with nothing to read.
It took a little over two hours to navigate himself up to the Leaky Cauldron, but he managed to follow them to three blocks east of the pub, where there was a manhole he could easily get through. He put up his appearance charms for the umpteenth time that night and emerged from the sewer, letting the Bubblehead Charm fade and Scourgifying himself thoroughly. The spell wouldn’t make him fully clean though, and he’d be very, very glad for a shower. He walked through the streets towards the pub, keeping to the darkness near all the buildings.
Within a few minutes he’d pushed open the pub door and wandered in, tapping the bell at the bar and waiting. There was a great clattering overhead and moments later the owner, Tom, came down the stairs wearing a pair of fuzzy blue slippers. “Sorry, sir, but we’re not open yet,” Tom told him.
"I was trying to figure out whether you might have a vacancy - I had planned to arrive earlier this evening when you were open, but my portkey got detained and I’ve only just arrived," Draco informed him.
"They give out portkeys at this hour, do they, eh?"
"No, I got in a few hours ago, but only managed to make it here now. You see, I grew up in India but my parents recently moved here - so I figured I’d come abroad, do a bit of sightseeing and visit them at the same time. A friend recommended this pub, but as I’d never been here I didn’t want to risk Apparating here, so I ended up completely lost and have been wandering around for hours attempting to find my way; it’s been absolutely dreadful," Draco lied, not even pausing to think.
Tom didn’t look utterly convinced, but said, "Well, room number two is available, up on the next floor. How long do you need it for?"
"Oh… four days, including the rest of today?" Draco asked.
"All right. Won’t come cheap, mind you," Tom informed him, picking a rusty key off a rack set up on the wall. "Second floor, first room on the right. D’you need me to bring up anything?"
"No, thank you," Draco replied.
"Eh, breakfast is served from six ‘til ten. It’s included in the price of the room. What’s your name?"
"Abraxas Langston."
"You’re all set then, payment is due when you depart. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Once again, thank you." Draco took the proffered key off the counter and went up the stairs. He found the first room on the left and stuck the key in. Ah, to be in a civilized setting again. More often then not in the past couple of years he’d slept outside, sometimes in the wilderness, sometimes on a bench in the park. He had no home, no money, and nothing to his name but a prison sentence if he was discovered by the Ministry. He could transfigure any old thing into galleons, sickles, or knuts as needed, but every time he was around people he was at risk of being discovered.
Yes, this was exactly what he needed for a few days - an actual bed, a bath, and a few decent meals. He locked the door with about fifteen different locking spells he’d learned over the years before stripping down and heading to the small bathroom.
The shower water felt good on his skin, and he took his time cleaning himself - the sun was already rising by the time he fell into bed.
Draco slept for hours, right through breakfast and clear past lunch. When he awoke, he went downstairs for an early supper, buying a copy of that morning’s Daily Prophet with a couple of napkins he’d nicked and transfigured into money seconds before. Back in his rooms with a warm coffee, he was not surprised to see the two familiar faces blinking up at him from the front page.
The Defender Strikes Again!
St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
5:45, London
Officials at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries were surprised again last night to find that at approximately half past one in the morning the wizard know as the Defender brought in yet more patients that needed tending to. These patients, just like all the others he or she has brought in for treatment in the past, are believed to have been attacked by Death Eaters, who though not as common to be found as they were a few years ago before the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, are still causing a considerable amount of trouble in areas throughout England.
The victims this time were the young son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Calvert Aleswithe, who were reported missing earlier last evening at approximately eleven thirty. Thankfully, it seems that the Defender was able to reach the youngsters before any permanent damage was done. The young Miss Aleswithe thankfully suffered only a few highly bruised ribs and over-strained wrist while the young Mr. Aleswithe came in with a broken nose. The children are due to be released this morning to their parents’ care. They do not remember what happened to make them sustain those injuries, but say that they were informed by the Defender himself that it was the work of Death Eaters, and that the little girl had been under the Cruciatus Curse at one point.
Who the Defender is remains completely unknown. The children only described what we’ve all heard before - that he wears robes of a brilliant green with silver lining and keeps his face hidden at all times. They also both mentioned that he told them he responded to Contego lumen - a supposed spell that brings help to people who are in trouble. Its origins and creator are unknown, but most assume that if it’s a real spell it was most likely created by the Defender himself. The world may never know.
FIN
Final Notes: In case anyone is interested, Flyford Flavell and the Battersea Park ARE real places. I've never been to any of them myself, considering I've never been to Europe, but they do exist, as does the pub and the Bandstand. You can click here to see roughly where Draco traveled from (it's on Mapquest, scroll down below the directions), here to see the inn I'd found for Draco, and here to find more info about Battersea Park, along with what is supposed to be a picture of the Bandstand.