Chapter Twelve: Litany Against Fear

Chapter Twelve: Litany Against Fear

He had just risen to his feet when a cold presence entered the room. It was felt before it was seen — icy despair encasing the room — five hooded figures like great, black coffins, chilling Tee to the very bone. It was the library in London all over again. His fingers reached for his wand in an almost instinctive movement, but they were as numb and clumsy as if he had been walking through a snowstorm. His heartbeat was quick in his throat, like an animal before the butchering blow, mouth dry—

And then something soared through the air, warm and silvery, spreading light throughout the room, which had suddenly gone dark. The phoenix Patronus repelled the Dementors, sending them stumbling back in a rush to wherever they’d come from.

How? wondered Tee, shaky with relief, still trying to catch his breath, to catch up with his heart stuttering in his ribcage. The silver phoenix had perched on the table, folding its wings, refracting light like liquid opal.

“Just the beginning, I fear, Tom,” said Dumbledore, assuming a defensive position, his gaze shrewd, all the levity drained from him. “On your guard.”

Tee slipped his hand into his pocket, fingers brushing the warm length of pine, still unsettled. The room looked a little darker than it had when they first entered, and the cherubs had that same sinister quality.

Dementors in the Ministry — where did they come from?

And he was incapable of calling forth a Patronus. Though they weren’t very interested in his shattered and torn soul, that didn’t protect him from their other effects. He was helpless against them; as helpless as a boy from a lifetime ago, curled under an iron bed as bombs shook the earth and heavens, hiding from Death.

“I think it best that we find our way to Narcissa’s office.”

Tee nodded, trying to regain his composure as Dumbledore’s attention turned from the wall that the Dementors had disappeared into to the door that they had come through; or rather, the space where it had been. He just couldn’t shake the feeling of being led into a trap as Dumbledore raised his hand to the wall, and the door slid open at the slightest touch.

When he mentioned this to Dumbledore, the latter only said with a wry smile:

“Well, Tom, then surely we must spring it.”

T.M. Riddle and Albus Dumbledore are summoned to the Ministry, where they discover a deadly trap. Mafalda starts her first day as an Auror trainee (and double agent) and encounters a familiar rival. To survive... well, they'll have to overcome fear itself. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3!

I hate, hate golden trio bashing fics. They have such a ride-and-die friendship like bro they raided a bank together then fled on a dragon they stuck together through so much — while having fights like normal friends do, but the best thing about them? They get back together. No matter what. Thus, coming out of a literal war in one piece, together; if that doesn't tell you how much they love each other then I don't know what to tell you.

my precious  boy 🥺 ⚡ 💖

THIS IS US BTW :3 IF U EVEN CARE ^_^!!

guess who finally got her act together and started writing sorting swap au properly

I think the one thing I disagree with you on is the marietta thing lol.

Like idk, maybe it's because I grew up in a dictatorship where we had to hide normal activities because if we were caught doing certain normal things, we would face strong punishments (a beating, torture, prison, even death) but for me reading those books, as horrible as it was, it seemed fitting.

At 15/16 years old, you're old enough to know better. A spineless coward deserves to face the consequences of their actions.

Marietta betraying everyone, including her best friend, out of cowardice, could've resulted in serious consequences. Any of them being expelled and having their wands taken from them could've been a death sentence.

Like it was serious.

Hermione pisses me off for a lot of reasons in the books, and she goes way too far in her physical violence throughout the books as well, but this instance was not one of them. At least in my opinion.

Maybe it's a me problem, but it's difficult to sympathize with cowards, especially when those cowards hurt other people. This wasn't a "I'm gonna snitch on a few students sneaking past curfew and they'll get a dozen points taken as well as a detention cleaning a classroom" this was literally giving a disgusting evil woman the opportunity to torture students who are just trying to prepare themselves to survive in the middle of a war, because all the adults are failing them.

"Marietta didn't know" she's not a child. She has the ability to think. "Her mother" she sees her mom 2 months a year and has been living away from her for 6. This is not a 12 year old repeating what her parents tell her, this is a grown ass teenager who had the ability to literally ask her own questions and make her own research and critically think, but chose not to and instead chose ignorance.

It's war. You betray people, and cause horrible consequences to everyone around you which results in so many students being abused and harmed, you get the permanent curse.

Anon I think you misread me, I completely and totally agree with you ❤️ I meant that I would defend Hermione, not that I defend Marietta. I’ve written more about this topic here if you’re interested.

It’s like people ignore that Hermione was nearly murdered by Tom Riddle at 12 years old. In addition to everything with Umbridge that year, the consequences in this war for her as a Muggleborn are very real and very personal.

Also, when Hermione was cursing the parchment, it’s not like she knew the culprit would be someone trying to protect their mother or whatever - she was likely assuming the worst motivations.

I think to villainize Hermione for this is a very sexist take and minimizing the impact of blood purity - especially if you defend fascist men like Regulus, Tom Riddle, Snape, Barty, etc.