A shadowy figure swiftly passed through the darkness with the intent of conducting reconnaissance, scanning the surroundings. It soared through the skies, appearing no different from an ordinary raven, but this was no ordinary bird; it was an illusory demonic construct.
Moments later, under the watchful eyes of the raven, a group of people stood out. They were dressed in loose clothing, cloaks, and metal masks – Death Eaters, servants of the Dark Lord, or "future corpses" in the raven's eyes. However, this was not the time for action; the raven had a different priority.
Flying in the twilight, it made its way towards a hiding place. The raven noticed the target of its protection: a woman of enchanting beauty, aristocratic features, and eyes as dark as the night sky. This was Narcissa Malfoy neé Black.
The raven's eyes noted that she cradled a baby in her arms, delicately feeding it. The raven lingered mostly over the soft, round chest that seemed swollen, especially the rosy beak that poured milk cherished by the hungry child. It finally landed near the woman, letting out a sharp caw, alerting her to the imminent danger.
...
At the same time, in Greengrass Manor, in a large room where the residents sat around a mahogany table with 26 chairs, set for a grand feast...
Vincent sat at the dining table with his new family, but his eyes seemed distant, showing curiosity and a hint of "hunger." His attention was divided by his ability. Under the raven's watchful gaze, he observed Narcissa and, with a somewhat embarrassed and suppressed voice, he said, "I think I want milk."
"Alright, Vince, but maybe you should have something more suitable for the evening, like a light soup?" Rose replied, seemingly unaware that the boy wanted a different kind of milk.
Meanwhile, Elise sat shyly in a child-sized chair in the corner, her mind seemingly distant and her facial expressions melancholic.
"What's wrong, little star?" Serafine asked as she carefully stroked the girl's hair.
Elise turned her attention to the lady beside her and, trembling with fear, said, "Mommy is in danger."
Vincent shifted his attention to the girl and thought, 'She has a very good intuition.' He approached her and whispered in her ear, "She'll be fine; the Raven is protecting her."
"The Raven?" she asked, confused.
He replied, "Yes, the Raven."
She seemed to calm down and trust the moonlit Rabbit. While Vincent focused on the imminent conflict, sharpening his mind to use his abilities through the raven...
...
As the Raven watched closely, the group of men with hidden purposes finally arrived at the scene. They surveyed the surroundings of the abandoned building, its walls and floors riddled with flaws, so unstable that they could collapse at any moment. It should have been abandoned and condemned for demolition.
However, the mission of this group, on behalf of their Dark Lord, was to capture the woman before them alive. She was in a corner near the wall, with the only escape route being a large hole in the wall, provided she had a way to survive an eight-story fall. She was dressed elegantly in shades of green and dark that complemented her symmetrically divided half-blond, half-black hair, and a well-wrapped baby in her arms. She sat on the only object that stood out in the environment, a refined rocking chair conjured by magic.
The leader of the group made himself heard, "Narcissa Malfoy, the Dark Lord demands your presence!"
But the woman acted as if she were deaf, continuing to caress the baby with a dreamy smile, not saying a word.
"Surrender; we won't harm a pure-blood lady like you. We'll just take you to him," he demanded once more.
And once again, she remained immobile.
Losing patience, he instructed two of the men accompanying him, "Subdue her, be gentle," insinuating something with a smile, knowing the wild nature of his subordinates.
These men finally approached, and since she showed no resistance, they didn't use magic, using their own hands for the job. This woman had a troubled background, so they couldn't treat her as they normally would. But with a hint of audacity, he thought while looking at her cleavage, 'Maybe I can have a little fun; the Lord wouldn't mind.'
As if sensing their malicious intent, Narcissa, who had shown no reaction until then, looked directly at them with a cold, irritated gaze, disapproving of their intentions but still not moving or saying a word.
Then, "accidentally," he reached toward her provocatively, with anticipation... although hidden behind those metal masks of his Walpurgis group.
The leader looked at this with concern; it was strange. She was too quiet, not even showing a reaction. Even among the most resilient and composed individuals, there would be some reaction to this...
The audacious Death Eater finally reached his target, but he didn't touch skin or flesh; he touched nothing but an illusion. They heard a cry of "Protect yourselves!" yelled by their leader, in the form of a scream.
Before they could react, a spell exploded around them, a thunderous "Bombarda Maxima" voiced by a furious female. Narcissa's first word proved to be deadly.
The deafening noise, like the fury of thunder or the violent explosion of a fiery storm, disoriented the Death Eaters to the point where they could only protect themselves to the best of their abilities. Among them, the two who were near Vincent's illusory demon of Narcissa had the worst luck.
Their bodies were fatally wounded, with limbs and internal organs from their torsos mixed in a bloody amalgamation, along with the smell of burnt flesh. Even if they didn't die instantly, they would only live long enough to curse their fate.
The others quickly cast a magical barrier around themselves, using the "Protego" spell to shield themselves from some of the damage, though they were still stunned by the chaotic moment.
In the midst of this, the raven took flight, swift and agile. As its wings sliced through the air, generating gusts of wind, it breached the magical barrier of their leader, using its illusory, incorporeal form to solidify only for the attack. With its claws, it pierced one of the man's eyes, eliciting a frigid scream of pain. The man, in reaction, dropped his wand and moved his hand to his face in an attempt to remove the assailant. But it was too late because at that moment, the raven used its beak to puncture the other eye, savoring the sweet and metallic taste of blood on its beak.
Finally, it descended in a swift dive, tucking its wings close to its body, snatching the man's wand as he fell before touching the ground, finishing the descent with a wing flaring, fleeing through the disintegrating shield. All of this happened in a fraction of a second after the explosion.
Finally, the raven found the real Narcissa, who held Draco in one arm and her wand in the other. It perched on her shoulder, and the woman took advantage of her pursuers' confusion to Apparate away as quickly as possible. Her mind was sharp and fearful, but not immobile – she was a Black, and as such, she wouldn't go down without a fight.
...
The raven found itself emerging from the spatial distortion caused by Apparition, observing the dense forest with tall, canopied trees. The moonlight barely penetrated the few clearings.
"Are you okay, Draco?" She looked at her son with a worried and still frightened expression. Apparition was not a good magic for small children, as it was violent and uncomfortable, to be used only as a last resort. But upon seeing that the baby was fine, she calmed his cries and felt relief that he was unharmed.
...
"I'm going to kill that bitch!" said the leader, amidst the wreckage, his face covered in blood and blinded by anger, or rather, blind and enraged.
"Track her again quickly, Mr. Note," he pointed to one of the Death Eaters, "and heal my eyes." He said rhetorically, "This won't end like this, you bitch. When I catch you, you'll pay..."
....
A/N: This chapter was especially fun to create; I think I really enjoy writing action and combat scenes. There's a part two that I'll post by Sunday. Thank you to everyone.