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endlessly-cursed · 1 year

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Over the Brink of War, Chapter One: A Historic Fall

A/N: The first chapter is finally after months gatekeeping it out of laziness lol. This series is in the same universe and timeline as @kathrynalicemc ‘s The Phoenix Resistance. The og cast belongs to her. Also, check out The Phoenix Archives for more BTS work with new and old characters!

Summary: Elodie receives an offer she’s been waiting to receive... for 40 years

Featuring..: Elodie Dubois, Sebastian Dubois, James Dubois, Kaari Arcano, Devon Marlowe ( both belonging to @kathrynalicemc ) Lyubomir Vulchanov ( @magicallymalted )

Word Count: 2.2k

Bill and Fleur’s wedding, 17:40

Elodie watched her son dance with his wife, as well as her grandson dance with his own. They all smiled and danced away, no worries or concerns between them. Suddenly, her stomach turned. She thought it was her illness yet again, until something inside her told her “Something’s about to happen. Something bad. Terrible, even.” Instinctively, she grabbed her great-granddaughter, who happily fussed with her shirt and pearl necklace and told her family to pick up their things.

The feeling was growing stronger, and worse. She felt it’d happen at any moment. Baby Lucille started fussing, noticing her great-grandmother’s queasiness and she rocked her, trying to calm her down, but it was helpless. Something was about to happen, and it’d happen at any moment. James kept pressing why they were leaving. She just told them to trust her on this one.

She could hear a girl shriek “YOU’RE CHEATING ON ME?!”

Before he could even open his mouth, Kingsley’s Patronus announced the Ministry of Magic’s fall, and death eaters came in, plunging into chaos. “James, get your wife and daughter into safety. We’ll deal with them.”

James and Isolda quickly left, and Sebastian and Elodie plunged into action. She struck one death eater in the chest with an ancient spell, then waved her wand and knocked out three. She prayed to Rowena that her grandson and great-granddaughter had apparated. One death eater grabbed her, but she elbowed him in the nose and struck him with the head of her wand, and was soon stupefying death eaters left and right.

Sebastian was also a quick one, and for a moment, she saw him. They focused on the same way, and had the same face when they were passionate about something.

However, Elodie, at her advanced age, was only so strong, and signaled her son that she’d make herself scarce and to come home safe. She ducked one death eater and apparated herself in the hospital, coughing up blood and shaking. Her nurse was quick to grab her and chide her for having been so reckless. She retched the whole night.

Lone Star Tavern, Whitechapel, London- 25th of August, 1997

Kaari greeted Devon and she signaled him to sit down. He asked “Who else have you thought for this, Dev?”

“Henry, obviously, and someone else. She’s quite old, and there is a rumor that she is sickly, but her knowledge and experience could help us with the war.”

Kaari then looked at two photos. In there, one was from a long time ago, perhaps the fifties: stood there a beautiful woman, of sweet blue eyes, dark hair and behind her was Tom Riddle, who looked at her in an interesting way. It read ‘Celestial Ball, 1948’. So, maybe someone that was close to him?

The second photo was a recent one: stood there a woman with platinum hair, in her sixties, perhaps seventies, with the same blue eyes, but with wisdom and secrets behind her eyes. It read ‘Elodie Dubois, 1992’. “From what I gather, Elodie used to be a girlfriend of Tom Riddle, until his goals separated her and dated someone else. She also has a son from that relationship, Sebastian, though we have no information of the father, though many suspect that he was Lyubomir Vulchanov, a pureblood who is a bit fascinated with necromancy. The point is, she knows the Dark Lord in a way we don’t, as well as his past and is from a house of healers, and she is a talented healer and dueler. She was notorious in Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Her age hasn’t gotten in the way of her prowess. I think she and her son would make two fine additions.”

Kaari nodded “It’d certainly be wise to include the Dark Lord’s ex here. What she knows of him may help us, though I wouldn’t take her to raids, but she can train the young ones. Her son, I’d be open for that.”

“You know what to do, right?”

Kaari smirked “Haven’t you heard? I am the kind of guy grandmothers like.”

Nando’s, London, 09.30am, 1997

Elodie had come out of her monthly hospital stay and had gone out for groceries, keeping a low profile. Surely these death eaters had some regard of a poor old lady? She tried to reach a jar of jam, but she was too short. Cons of old age. You had the height you once had when you were twelve.

“Allow me.” A masculine voice suddenly came. He had a rather long, thick black hair and several scars, and smelled like the north—Norway, to be exact. He gave her the jar and offered to help her with the groceries, a winning smile on his face. He wanted something from her. And he was no death eater. She quickly gave him a helpless old lady smile and both of them walked, aware that they were being watched “I hope I have reached Elodie Dubois. Not that I wouldn’t help a helpless old lady.” He winked.

“How can I help you, sir?”

He whispered “More like how can you help the world, Mrs. Dubois.”

She then observed around, and a golden flick came into her view, like a phoenix coming back from the dead. The youngsters had been quicker to form some sort of resistance against Tom. At least they had been quicker this time. Elodie was quick to put on her mask and groaned in pain “Oh, my back aches. Please, good sir, would you accompany me to my home? I’m afraid I can’t carry all of this on my own.”

He smiled “It’d be my pleasure.”

As they got away from the supermarket and started getting deeper into the streets. The moment they reached her flat and came into the elevator, she extended her hand “Elodie Dubois. What is your name, young man?”

He instead kissed it, but Elodie remained unfazed and unimpressed “Kaari Arcano, madame. I have an offer for you and your son.”

They came into the flat and Sebastian looked confused at his mother, and seized up Kaari “Who’s this bloke, mother?”

“Kaari Arcano. Sebastian, right? Nice to meet you, mate.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow but shook his hand “What brings you here?” His eyes went wide as he too saw the symbol and sat with both of them. Elodie motioned Kaari to talk “It has come to my knowledge that you, Elodie, used to… be close to the Dark Lord and have been one of the first people to go against him. Dumbledore admired you and tried to recruit you for the Order of the Phoenix, am I right?”

“You never told me that last part, Mama.”

“Hush, Sebastian. Yes, he tried to recruit me and I rejected his offer. That man makes of poor, innocent children his toy soldiers, and that is something I am against. Children are children, even if they think themselves the next Superman or Wonder Woman. We ought to leave their childhoods alone, not stain them with blood and loss.”

“Well, neither of us are children here, are we? We are adults who need your experience, knowledge and expertise, and your son’s experience as a Curse-breaker, of course. We are the Phoenix Resistance, and our main jobs are smuggling innocents out of the harm’s way and weaken the Dark Lord with raids.”

Elodie looked at Kaari “I take you also have Trojan Horse within their walls?”

Kaari frowned and Sebastian translated “She’s asking if you also have a spy working for them and you.”

“Oh. Yes, we do! Though, we can’t say who, but we do, aye.”

“Good. I have one condition.”

He waved his hand, inviting “Go ahead.”

“I have to meet the boss, whoever it is. I want to tell them what I know myself.”

“That can be arranged.”

Two days later, Elodie had put on a royal blue suit and brushed her hair, and walked into the tavern, following Kaari all along. Her son stayed behind and admired the place. She came into their base of operations and was surprised to see a small, blonde woman with glasses and who didn’t seem to notice them. She also had some white scars on her body. Lighting scars. She knew a remedy or two to keep them at bay, as well as a surgery to remove them from sight. Kaari started signing “Dev, this is Elodie. Elodie, this is Devon Marlowe.”

Recognition came into her eyes. She had been the poor girl who nearly died after being struck by lightning. Her colleague had done her treatment, as well as attended her. She spoke as Kaari translated “Miss Marlowe. Your strength knows no bounds, I see. I’m delighted that someone like you is the force behind this.”

“Mrs. Dubois. Many speak of your talent for healing, as well as your past with the Dark Lord. I won’t lie, your knowledge and experience will certainly be of help to us. I’d be glad to hear your story.”

“I take that you can read my thoughts.” Devon nodded. She turned to Kaari “Leave us. This is women’s business.” He tried to complain, but she raised her hand to shut him and waved him to leave. He sighed. He couldn’t win this fight.

I won’t say that he was once a saint. He had his faults, but surely everyone had them. I could swear that there was this softness, this connection when we were alone. He told me his family history once, drunk and feeling embarrassed. You see, he is a hypocrite. A half-blood, borne of a pureblood woman who was crazy in love and a poor muggle man who was forcibly roped into the scheme. She seduced him with a love potion. I wasn’t aware then that a child borne of love potions couldn’t be able to love anybody whatsoever.

I knew he felt embarrassed about it. But I thought he meant the circumstances of his birth, not his blood. When he took things too far, I tried to warn him of dancing too close to the sun. We argued, and broke apart. I wouldn’t see him that way ever again. As I healed, I started my opposition against him, and everyone was appalled, but I didn’t care. I had my Miro beside me, and together we did our best, but alas, we were few, and many were attracted to him, what he offered. In a way, he shares that with the Devil. He hasn’t always been that pale bald man with no nose and monstruous affairs. No. He was beautiful, and once was Hogwarts’ future and pride. But greed and power got the best of him. And thus, he went that far.

I know some people who can be of help, and that would be glad to take him down. I also know you’ve been asking around in the hospital. I am sick, yes, but I have also made a vow: I won’t allow myself to die until he dies first. Until that day, you have my help. I possess more knowledge, so ask away.

They talked some more about strategies and what use her son would be, and soon was his turn. He wasn’t thrilled to be bossed by a young girl, but it was better than being undercover forever.

Waving goodbye to Kaari, they left with homework: to get to know Voldemort’s plans for everybody and bring supplies.

Elodie’s apartment, London, 21:10

Her son had been awfully quiet for some time now, and barely said a word to his mother. The moment James and his family left to sleep, Sebastian stopped Elodie and questioned her “Why was never father here?”

“I kicked him out.”

“But why?”

She sighed “Like the Dark Lord, he had dangerous hobbies and would’ve been a danger to stay here. I made him choose between that or me. He didn’t choose. He left.”

“What’s his name?”

She sighed. It’s been over forty years. He was either dead or with a family of his own “Lyubomir Vulchanov. He’s a pureblood man from Bulgaria and Norway. And… a necromancer student.”

Sebastian nodded, and sighed “It’s time then.”

Elodie blinked “Pardon?”

He looked at his mother “I’m a grown up. I have my own family. There’s nothing stopping you from seeing him.”

“Sebastian—,”

“Do it for me. I don’t want you to give up on the love of your life for me. Please.”

Elodie sighed “I’ll think about it. But it’s been forty years. Maybe he’s married and has beautiful children.”

“I have a feeling that it’s not the case.”

During two weeks, she tried to write him a letter. She still remembered where he lived after all those years, but nothing of it made sense. She had burned over fifty letters. Then, while watching a movie, the craziest and most rash decision she ever made came to her.

Tromso, Vulchanov manor, Norway, 30th of August, 1997

Elodie’s heart raced incredibly fast, her small luggage weighing in her hands. At least they had a bell. She took a few deep breaths and pressed the bell, and then knocked on the door. At first, silence. Then, she heard a few steps inside and someone opened the door; there he was.

He was older, naturally, and had white hair and his blue eyes seemed tired, and was dressed with a simple shirt and some maroon pantaloons. He narrowed his eyes through his glasses. He asked something in Norwegian.

“It’s me, Miro. Elodie.”

He stiffened and recognition came through his eyes “Elodie…?”

She bit her lip “Surprise, I suppose?”