FicWad

Chapter 38





Good Old Plan B or C



"What are we watching?"



Anna stood next to the shelves full of videos, ready to grab their choice and pop it into the player.



"Well, the girls wanted 'Dirty Dancing' and the guys wanted James Bond, but we compromised and settled on 'Young Frankenstein'." Neville informed her.



" 'That's Frankensteen'." Anna wagged here finger at him, grinning.



"What?"



"Watch and see."



Laughing, Anna ran her finger down the titles, and finding the right box, slid the tape into the machine and dimmed the lights slightly. She looked around at the students, not surprisingly paired off, sitting at the small tables set around the room, facing the big screen TV at the far end. Tears formed on her lashes.



Dear God/, she thought, /let them survive this war...it's not their fault...why do they have to suffer and pay. Ah, well, just give them strength, courage, and a bit of luck, to face whatever they must.



She wiped the tears away and retrieving her plate, settled down next to the table where Harry, Luna, Ginny and Neville are seated, laughing along with them, Voldemort forgotten for a short while.



X # X # X



As eleven o'clock neared, everyone searched for and gathered their scattered belongings and checked to make sure they have their own lei. In twos and threes they made their way to the front terrace of the house.



Anna hugged everyone and stood next to Winky on the stairs, while the kids spread out on the lawn.



"See you at school. Thanks for coming."



"Bye, Anna!" "We had a great time!" "You really know how to throw at party!" "Bye, Winky!"



Pop...pop...pop...pop and they all disappeared.



Winky looked up at Anna and smiled. "We had a good party, Missy Anna, didn't we?"



"Yes, but you get the big chunk of the credit, Winky, and my thanks, for making this a good day for the kids." Anna bent down and gave Winky a hug. Straightening up, she shivered. "It's getting chilly, let's go inside."



Heading for the front door of the house, Anna heard 'SNAP', coming from the shrubbery surrounding the terrace. Winky heard it, too, and stopped.



"Keep walking Winky, we must get inside and don't look around." Anna whispered.



They got through the door and Anna bolted the lock. Seeing Winky's frightened expression, she got down on her knees and gathered Winky in her arms.



"Winky, this is what you and I have been preparing for. We can do this, /together/. I'll not let anyone hurt you and they sure as hell aren't going to get me, either. Ok, let's get Plan B in motion. You know what to do?"



Winky nodded, swallowed, straightened up, and lifted her chin. "You'll be proud of Winky, Missy Anna. This is my house, too. Bad wizards - HA! We'll show them!" She turned and trotted off to the back of the house.



Standing in the center of the Hall, Anna turned around in a circle, pointing her wand. Windows closed, locked and sealed, curtains closed, bolts on doors slid home and latches clicked shut. Walking into the drawing room, she turned and looked at Christopher's portrait. His chair was empty.



"Damn."



Going up to the frame, she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. From a great distance, she heard a bark and in a few moments the two labs came bounding into the frame, wagging their tails at the sight of her.



"Hello, you two good old things. Where's Christopher? Where's Christopher?"



They sat and cocked their heads at her and then looked to the side of the frame, where they had entered.



"I need you to bring him here. I don't care if he's winning a card game or swimming naked in the ocean with a mermaid. Go back and bark at him until he gets the message. It's important. I need his help. Will you do that for me? Fetch Christopher!"



They jumped up, gave a bark and both bounded out of the frame, the sound of their barks getting fainter as they raced away.



"My luck, he's down in the dungeon discussing potions with Severus," Anna mumbled to herself. "I don't need him showing up. That would give the whole game away. Please let Christopher be playing cards or some such thing."



X # X # X



"Missy Anna!" Winky came skidding into the parlor. "They is outside the kitchen door!"



"Did you manage to get everything in place?"



"Yes, Miss, everything is ready."



"Ok, get up the stairs and wait for my signal."



"Yes, Missy Anna, I'll be ready." The determined looking house elf turned and scurried up the stairs to the landing and crouched down between the potted palms.



Anna walked across the hall, waving her wand to turn off the lights in the drawing room, hall and other rooms in the house. She did light one candle on a side table, giving just enough light to navigate. In the study she flipped the switch on the computer and sat down. Typing quickly, she paused as she heard someone trying the knob on the kitchen door and a crash; one alarm bottle broken.



Fools, she thought, shaking her head.



Anna stood and walked through the door to the billiard room, picked up a jar of rubber marbles and scattered them on the rug and floor. Unscrewing the bulbs in the light fixtures with a flip of her wand, she returned to the study, hit a few more keys on the computer and then walked across the dimly lit hall to the drawing room.



The sound of the bolt on the kitchen door sliding open and the creak of the hinges alerted her to the start of the invasion. Anna peeked up the stairs and gave Winky the thumbs-up. Winky nodded and returned the signal, although Anna could see she was trembling. Just then Christopher rushed into his painting.



"Anna!"



"Shush!" Anna warned him, "and keep the dogs quiet, too."



Christopher turned and whispered to the dogs to lie down and be quiet.



"What's wrong, Anna?" he asked, turning back, concern etched on his face.



"Invaders. Please go to Remus and...oh, no wait, he might not be at the townhouse. Go to Albus and have him raise the alarm. I need help...Mad-Eye and the troops. And quickly."



"How many?"



"Just two, by the footsteps." Anna had her ear to the dining room door. "But there's always a lookout or backup outside."



"I'll hurry! /Be careful/!"



"Got it covered. Winky and I are prepared. /GO/!"



Christopher took off with the dogs following. Now the footfalls could be heard entering the front hall. Anna silently opened the sliding door between the parlor and the dining room, just enough for her to slip through. Tiptoeing to the hallway door, she peeked out and saw the two figures heading toward the study door, from which emanated the greenish glow from the computer screen. Grinning, she positioned herself so she could also see across the hall to the billiard room.



Cautiously, the figures paused outside the study, then, wands out, they rushed into the room. Looking around, they lowered their wands, realizing no one was there. However, their attention was drawn to the computer screen, on which an animated version of Winky was waving at them, beckoning them to come nearer. Perplexed, they looked at each other, shrugged and walked over to the desk. The monitor bathed their faces in green light. Fredrick Goyle and Stephen Crabbe looked at each other again.



"What is this thing?"



"Some Muggle devise, I think it's called a 'come-put-here'."



"What does it do?"



"I don't know."



"Look!"



The house elf on the screen was pointing and gesturing for them to punch the 'Enter' key. Intrigued, Goyle reached out and pushed the indicated button. Instantly, the screen changed to a picture of Anna, who turned and waved at them, then the stereo turned on and blood curdling screams erupted from the speakers.



Crabbe and Goyle jumped back and started blasting the computer, but then turned their attention to the various speakers, hitting them with spells rather haphazardly, as they can't quite understand where the screams are coming from. Finally, silence descended in the study, now filled with smoke and settling debris, the computer monitor sparking once or twice. Looking around, Crabbe hit Goyle on the shoulder.



"What'd you do that for?"



"I don't know. Where do you suppose she is?"



"Halfway to Hogwarts or London. We better search, though, just in case. Lucius will be mad enough we fell for her trick, we'd better find her if she is still here."



Hearing that, Anna flipped her wand toward the billiard table and one of the balls rolled across the surface knocking two others into the mesh pockets. Clunk, clunk.



"What was that?"



"Quiet. She's in the next room."



Moving cautiously to the slightly open connecting door, Crabbe slowly pushed it further and peeked in. The billiard ball rolled to a stop. Anna used her wand to move the hallway door, it creaked and Crabbe ran in, yelling over his shoulder, "She's going out into the hall, cut her off!"



He took three running steps, hit the rubber marbles scattered in his path and fell backward as his feet flew out from under him. Crack! his head hit the floor and he gave a grunt and passed out. Goyle went running out of the study into the hall looking around. He heard the crash and tore down to the door of the billiard room and ran in. Zip! Bam! he joined Crabbe on the floor, knocked senseless.



Anna retraced her steps to the parlor, checked the painting - no Christopher, yet - and then peeked out into the hall, smiling up at Winky and waving. Then, cautiously, she walked across to the study, where she whispered 'Reparo' and the stereo speakers flew back together. The monitor, though, was beyond magic, the tube having been smashed.



"Damn."



Anna quickly typed on the keyboard, hit enter and the stereo shut off.



"Ok, plan C."



X # X # X



Heading back out into the hall, Anna mouthed 'Plan C' to Winky, who nodded. Just then, the sound of another bottle crashing to the floor from its perch on the side door's knob alerted them to the location of the third invader.



Anna held up her up her hand to tell Winky to stay still and they both listened for the next tell-tale sound. Suddenly, muffled curses were heard issuing from the back hall staircase. Anna grinned up at Winky, who put her hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. A small jingle bell, hanging on a thread, dropped several inches and tinkled softly as it swayed under the balcony edge.



Anna motioned to Winky and the house elf shrank back into her hiding place by the potted palms and reaching up, grabbed her ears and pulled them down, thereby almost completely disappearing from view in the dark shadows. Anna walked across the hall to the parlor.



Crabbe and Goyle were moaning and groaning and the noises were taking on an ominous growl.



"I'll get her yet..." BANG! someone fell again.



"What the...get the lights!" CRASH..."OW!"



"Where?" BOOM! "Shit!"



"Over there - that button on the wall"



Click, click. "They don't work. Stupid Muggles."



"I'll kill her myself if..." CRASH!"



"Crawl out; she's got something on the floor."



Crabbe and Goyle emerged into the hall on hands and knees and then stood.



" 'Lumos'."



"Yeah, 'Lumos'."



"Where's Macnair?"



"Probably still watching the side entrance."



"I'm up here," came Walden Macnair's voice from the upstairs hall. "She's not in this wing. Want me to check the other hall?"



"May as well, she knows you're up there now, big mouth."



Macnair appeared on the balcony above Winky's head, his wand tip glowing with 'Lumos', also, and looked down into the entrance hall.



"Where are you two?"



"Right here."



Crabbe and Goyle walked toward the front of the hall and looked back up over their shoulders at Macnair.



"She's here, trust us," said Goyle, rubbing his head. "She's playing games with us. Lucius better appreciate the grief we're going through to bring him his victim. I'm going to enjoy watching him 'play' with her."



"Maybe we should have some 'fun' with her, ourselves, before we deliver her to Malfoy." Crabbe leered. "He's not getting his hands dirty, why should we rush."



"We have to get our hands on her first, and she's a slick little girl, our Anna," answered Goyle, as he looked around.



"/Little girl/?" Anna's eyebrows shot up, mouthing the words silently. "/Our Anna/?" She shook her head.



"I'll check this other hall, you two stay there," said Macnair as he headed toward the other side of the balcony.



Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other.



"You check the dining room and I'll check the kitchen. Be careful!"



X # X # X



As they headed to the back of the house, Christopher returned and seeing Anna, started to speak, but realizing she was peeking around the corner of the door into the hallway, thought better of it and hissed at her instead. "Pssst."



He motioned for her to come closer. With one more quick look out the door, she tiptoed over.



"Be very quiet, one of them is in the dining room and one's in the kitchen. It's booby trapped, so we'll hear some noise soon. Did you find anyone to raise the alarm?"



"Yes, Albus is contacting the Auror's office as we speak and also sending Fawkes to find Remus. I told him Gwen's address. So, help is on the way, although I don't know how quickly."



"I'll be fine until someone gets here."



They heard a crash in the kitchen.



"You all right?" Goyle yelled.



"Yes...damn, that's going to leave a bruise."



"You idiot, what did you do?"



"Never mind!"



Anna snickered, but Christopher frowned and put his finger to his lips. Her eyes lit up.



"Christopher," she whispered, "I've got an idea. Yell my name, like you are looking for me. Then talk to Goyle when he comes through the door."



"Ok, but what...oh...good hunting." He watched Anna heft a cricket bat over her shoulder and step to the other side of the door connecting the parlor and the dining room. She flipped her wand and lit a candle on the table below Christopher's painting.



X # X # X



"ANNA? ANNA! Are you here?" Christopher shouted.



The sliding door yanked open and Goyle entered, wand out.



"Oh. Hello, have you seen Anna?" Christopher waved and smiled at Goyle, who had turned toward the sound of his voice. "I say, who are you?"



Goyle opened his mouth to answer but only a grunt came out as cricket bat met cranium with a nasty crack. He hit the floor and Anna quickly floated him onto the sofa, sitting with his head lolling back on the cushions.



Returning to her ambush position, she and Christopher heard Crabbe come into the dining room, bumping into the chairs.



"Ouch. Did you say...hey, where are you?" Spotting Goyle on the sofa, he muttered, "What the..." Crabbe circled the table and cautiously pushed the door to the drawing room open a bit further.



"Hello!" Christopher cheerfully played decoy again. "Care to join us?"



"Who..." Crack! And Crabbe joined Goyle on the sofa.



"Two down, one, or rather, make that /two/, to go."



Anna put down the cricket bat and did a sleeping spell on the Death Eaters reclining on the sofa.



"Are you sure you can do this by yourself? Where are the others?" Christopher whispered urgently.



"One's upstairs, probably on his way back down."



"Where's Winky?"



"On the landing. She'll take care of that one. It's Lucius Malfoy I've got to deal with."



"Lucius Malfoy? Isn't he?"



"Yes, he is."



"Why is he/, well, why are they /all here?"



"Wish I knew. Maybe I'm a practice session for the escapees. Shhhh, I hear number three on the stairs."



X # X # X



"Crabbe? Goyle? Where are you two?"



"They're in here," called Anna, sweetly, raising her voice. Sticking her head out into the hall, she waved and pointed.



"You /bitch/."



Macnair pounded down the upper stairs to the landing and as he passed Winky, she stood, reached out, grabbed the end of a rope threaded through the railing and pulled. Macnair caught his shin and pitched forward, tumbling down the lower stairs to crash, spread-eagled, on the floor. Anna stood in the door and gave Winky a thumb's up.



Suddenly, Macnair rolled over and shot a spell at Anna, who sidestepped just in time. Unfortunately, the huge grandfather clock behind her, not being blessed with mobility, took the full blast of the spell.



Before Anna could get off an answering hex, Winky jumped down the stairs, landed on Macnair's back, and clunked him over the head with a small, cast iron skillet.



"You not hurt my Missy Anna, you bad wizard! Winky show /you/!"



Anna stood there laughing and then Winky hopped up and running to her, jumped up into Anna's arms and received a big hug.



"Winky, that was /wonderfu/l!"



"Winky did good, Missy Anna?"



"You certainly did! I told you all of that Muggle silliness would come in handy, didn't I?"



"Yes, Miss. Winky loves movies!"



"God bless Chris Columbus and all who sail with him on the good ship 'Home Alone'!"



"Anna! /Look Out/!" Christopher shouted.