Joseph made his way to the groundskeeper cabin, carrying the Muggle object in his hand and his wand in his other hand. He felt completely defeated as he walked
down the hill, the sweat he had worked up not going over well with the heat he was taking from the bright sunlight. He had fought, of course. But after being
held up by about nine different wands, and seeing the other they had with them, he knew he was far too outnumbered to continue the battle. They were all
outnumbered. The grounds were in complete shambles, and Joseph had decided to take their advice: stand down and deliver their message. The only solace from
this was the fact that it was the middle of July; none of the students were at Hogwarts, so while their were lives at risk, the risk was a lot better than it
could have been.
The curtains on the cabin were drawn, though the headmaster could have sworn he saw someone's eyes peek through an opening as he approached the front door. No doubt they were making sure that it was an ally approaching. And sure enough, when Joseph beat loudly on the door, someone opened it as little as possible, only leaving enough space for him to barely get inside. Joseph managed to get through, and he then shut the door, using his wand to put up every sort of defensive spell imaginable around the entrance.
Joseph turned around and looked at the cabin's other occupants. There were five of them inside, including himself. One of them was William Rikard. William was sitting on the bed, looking distressed. He had his wand in his hand, and there was a large gash on his arm right above it. He looked at another one of the occupants, who had no doubt forgotten her profession in all of the hastiness of taking cover. "Seal that up, please," he said to her, nodding at Will's arm. "There will scarring if it isn't remedied soon."
Then, Joseph turned to the only other occupant left. It was a man around his age, and the headmaster had nothing but contempt for him. If it hadn't been for him, none of this would have happened. Though he had fallen from grace, it felt as though the wizarding world was still facing terrible danger at his hands. It was hard to imagine that things could be so bad with the man in front of Joseph no longer in charge.
"How many are there?" said Daniel Marsden.
"At least thirty," said Joseph. "Maybe more. That's why the battle got so bad; they weren't all fighting at once. It's like they popped up out of nowhere."
"Well, maybe you should double-check the grounds' anti-disapparation jinx. Just to be safe," said Daniel, clearly trying to provoke Witchard. Joseph scowled, however, he took no action. Instead, he offered the Muggle object that he had been carrying to Marsden.
"They want to speak with you, and they gave me this. Do you know how-?"
Daniel snatched the object from Witchard impatiently. "Yes, of course I do!" snapped Marsden. "You don't run a Muggle and Squib organization comprised of scientists without learning how to use a Muggle radio, now do you? See the symbol on the front of it? Did you not even put two and two together? Where do you think they got this from?" Daniel waved the walkie-talkie in front of Witchard as if it was so simple to understand.
Marsden held the radio up to his mouth. "I'm here," he spoke. There was a moment's pause, and then...
"Come to the front window," said a voice on the other end. Reluctantly, Daniel obliged and went to the window. Knowing what they must be doing, he opened the curtain and looked out. Not too far from the cabin was a man wearing a dark robe, holding the other walkie.
"Am I speaking with Daniel Marsden?"
Daniel held down the button. "Obviously," he said a little rudely. The mysterious wizard didn't seem bothered by this rudeness.
"Do you know who I work for?"
"I do," Daniel spoke into the device. How could he not know? He had trusted that man. He had given him the opportunity of a lifetime. And now Daniel stood there, completely betrayed by a colleague and being threatened by his cronies.
"All right, Daniel Marsden," said the wizard. "Here's what we're going to do. You're going to step out of the cabin with your hands up. You're going to approach me. Once my men and I have you secured, we're going to leave the school so you can take us to the cave."
"And why would I do that?" asked Daniel.
"Because you don't want to see this institution burnt to the ground, Daniel," said the wizard, enjoying the situation a little too much.
It was true. Though he had his differences with the castle's current residents, he felt very close to Hogwarts. He had escaped his wretched life with his family and come to this place. He had met his friends and the only woman he had ever loved here. The castle had a special place in his heart.
Again, Daniel spoke. "The Number is raw power. It has free will just as any other sentient being has. I couldn't harness it, so what makes you think your lot will have better luck than I had?"
"We'll worry about that," said the wizard. "Now, as I stated before, exit the cabin. Put your hands up, and walk slowly towards me."
Daniel knew what he was going to do. Though his life had been almost completely ruined by something he had worked so hard for, he still had enough decency to show that something some respect. "I'm not going anywhere," Daniel said. "That cave is a sacred place. You can find it yourself." There was a pause. Daniel watched as the wizard looked at him through the window, surprised by what was just said. He seemed to be thinking about his next move.
Again, the wizard spoke. "Did Joseph Witchard tell you why he surrendered?"
"I had guessed it was because he's a spineless git," said Daniel without blinking an eye. Joseph ignored this stab like he had ignored the last one.
"No, I'm afraid not, Daniel," said the wizard. "We have a hostage, see."
Daniel looked at Witchard, who nodded grimly. He rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. What did the death of a hostage matter to him?
"And am I supposed to care about that?" said Daniel. "You have a hostage? Perhaps one of my people? One of the Seven? Your plan is foolish. Every member of the Seven is prepared to die in service to the Number."
The wizard paused again, but only for a short period of time. After a moment, he looked off to the side, and then motioned something with his wand arm. Not soon after, two men appeared escorting someone. The person was hanging their head low, and Daniel couldn't make out who it was, only that their wrists were bound in front of them. However, as the three of them drew closer, Daniel got a better look. His eyes widened in shock and fear. How was this possible? He had sent her to a safe place. He had been sure of it! How could his enemy had stooped so low as to pull a stunt like this?
The curtains on the cabin were drawn, though the headmaster could have sworn he saw someone's eyes peek through an opening as he approached the front door. No doubt they were making sure that it was an ally approaching. And sure enough, when Joseph beat loudly on the door, someone opened it as little as possible, only leaving enough space for him to barely get inside. Joseph managed to get through, and he then shut the door, using his wand to put up every sort of defensive spell imaginable around the entrance.
Joseph turned around and looked at the cabin's other occupants. There were five of them inside, including himself. One of them was William Rikard. William was sitting on the bed, looking distressed. He had his wand in his hand, and there was a large gash on his arm right above it. He looked at another one of the occupants, who had no doubt forgotten her profession in all of the hastiness of taking cover. "Seal that up, please," he said to her, nodding at Will's arm. "There will scarring if it isn't remedied soon."
Then, Joseph turned to the only other occupant left. It was a man around his age, and the headmaster had nothing but contempt for him. If it hadn't been for him, none of this would have happened. Though he had fallen from grace, it felt as though the wizarding world was still facing terrible danger at his hands. It was hard to imagine that things could be so bad with the man in front of Joseph no longer in charge.
"How many are there?" said Daniel Marsden.
"At least thirty," said Joseph. "Maybe more. That's why the battle got so bad; they weren't all fighting at once. It's like they popped up out of nowhere."
"Well, maybe you should double-check the grounds' anti-disapparation jinx. Just to be safe," said Daniel, clearly trying to provoke Witchard. Joseph scowled, however, he took no action. Instead, he offered the Muggle object that he had been carrying to Marsden.
"They want to speak with you, and they gave me this. Do you know how-?"
Daniel snatched the object from Witchard impatiently. "Yes, of course I do!" snapped Marsden. "You don't run a Muggle and Squib organization comprised of scientists without learning how to use a Muggle radio, now do you? See the symbol on the front of it? Did you not even put two and two together? Where do you think they got this from?" Daniel waved the walkie-talkie in front of Witchard as if it was so simple to understand.
Marsden held the radio up to his mouth. "I'm here," he spoke. There was a moment's pause, and then...
"Come to the front window," said a voice on the other end. Reluctantly, Daniel obliged and went to the window. Knowing what they must be doing, he opened the curtain and looked out. Not too far from the cabin was a man wearing a dark robe, holding the other walkie.
"Am I speaking with Daniel Marsden?"
Daniel held down the button. "Obviously," he said a little rudely. The mysterious wizard didn't seem bothered by this rudeness.
"Do you know who I work for?"
"I do," Daniel spoke into the device. How could he not know? He had trusted that man. He had given him the opportunity of a lifetime. And now Daniel stood there, completely betrayed by a colleague and being threatened by his cronies.
"All right, Daniel Marsden," said the wizard. "Here's what we're going to do. You're going to step out of the cabin with your hands up. You're going to approach me. Once my men and I have you secured, we're going to leave the school so you can take us to the cave."
"And why would I do that?" asked Daniel.
"Because you don't want to see this institution burnt to the ground, Daniel," said the wizard, enjoying the situation a little too much.
It was true. Though he had his differences with the castle's current residents, he felt very close to Hogwarts. He had escaped his wretched life with his family and come to this place. He had met his friends and the only woman he had ever loved here. The castle had a special place in his heart.
Again, Daniel spoke. "The Number is raw power. It has free will just as any other sentient being has. I couldn't harness it, so what makes you think your lot will have better luck than I had?"
"We'll worry about that," said the wizard. "Now, as I stated before, exit the cabin. Put your hands up, and walk slowly towards me."
Daniel knew what he was going to do. Though his life had been almost completely ruined by something he had worked so hard for, he still had enough decency to show that something some respect. "I'm not going anywhere," Daniel said. "That cave is a sacred place. You can find it yourself." There was a pause. Daniel watched as the wizard looked at him through the window, surprised by what was just said. He seemed to be thinking about his next move.
Again, the wizard spoke. "Did Joseph Witchard tell you why he surrendered?"
"I had guessed it was because he's a spineless git," said Daniel without blinking an eye. Joseph ignored this stab like he had ignored the last one.
"No, I'm afraid not, Daniel," said the wizard. "We have a hostage, see."
Daniel looked at Witchard, who nodded grimly. He rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. What did the death of a hostage matter to him?
"And am I supposed to care about that?" said Daniel. "You have a hostage? Perhaps one of my people? One of the Seven? Your plan is foolish. Every member of the Seven is prepared to die in service to the Number."
The wizard paused again, but only for a short period of time. After a moment, he looked off to the side, and then motioned something with his wand arm. Not soon after, two men appeared escorting someone. The person was hanging their head low, and Daniel couldn't make out who it was, only that their wrists were bound in front of them. However, as the three of them drew closer, Daniel got a better look. His eyes widened in shock and fear. How was this possible? He had sent her to a safe place. He had been sure of it! How could his enemy had stooped so low as to pull a stunt like this?
