The alarm came when they were at their next shrink session. Mag had just asked Rodolphus how he was doing, and for once he had something to say.
"Well, I really miss the pleasant popping sound someone's head makes when I give them a good shaking, you know?"
Mag blinked and Bellatrix felt her lips twitch. Rod was obviously just poking the shrink to get a rise out of her.
"This is when you torture," Mag asked calmly.
Rod shrugged. "Sure, or when I just beat the hell out of someone deserving. I just haven't found myself in a situation that calls for such violence lately, and I miss the release it gives."
He gave a wistful sigh, and Bellatrix began wondering if he was simply being honest rather than messing with their shrink for a reaction. If so they'd have to go out over the weekend and find a fun way to take out some of that aggression. At the moment, though, Bellatrix was just interested in how Mag would respond to Rod's...sharing. No one else at the table had reacted much save for Gellert's brows arching skeptically at Rod's announcement.
Before Mag could speak, the Patronus of an Auror appeared in front of Gellert, in the form of a panicked looking lynx. "I was watching the crystals, and she's in Washington, D.C. in the United states. She's using the Imperius Curse on a lot of high ranking politicians right now!"
"We go," Gellert said.
He touched a Hallows signet ring that he wore on his right forefinger, and a green light flashed. Lifting his hand so that the ring was at the level of his face, he spoke directly into the green light issuing from it. "To the Portkeys at the Ministry, now!"
"That will summon all the Aurors," he explained.
"Mag, go and tell Severus. I'll get in touch if the two of you are required. I'd appreciate it if you alerted Kereston as well, just so she is aware. Tell her I will get in touch if any action on her part is necessary at this point. The rest of us are going directly to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to meet up with the other Aurors. We shall then Portkey to say hello to Delphini."
The redhead nodded and Apparated away.
Mag and Severus were both experienced duelers, but they weren't trained Aurors, so Bellatrix understood why Gellert did not include them as civilians. Luckily, their Shadow Ops training served as an in for the Lestranges, because she wasn't planning to miss this one.
"She's really there in the flesh," she breathed, and Gellert flashed a hard eager smile.
"It seems so." Grasping Blaise's arm, he gave the group a nod. "To the Ministry."
The two vanished with a crack. Rod, Bella, Rabastan, Regulus, and Kreacher Apparated on their heels, meeting up in the designated department. Other Aurors were Apparating in right and left so the place was full of loud cracks.
An elf began hurriedly passing out bottles of cream. "Cover yourself and pass it on," he told Bellatrix, pushing one into her hand before hurrying away.
"It's the magic blocking cream," Gellert said. "It fades in an hour or so, so it is imperfect to a degree, but it will give us a quick edge. Everyone hurry and get it on. We don't want to give her time to leave. Just now she has no idea that we are aware of her, so there should be time, but I wish to take no chances."
Bellatrix slathered herself with cream as quickly as she could then passed the bottle to Rodolphus. Everyone around them was either oiling up or waiting for their turn with one of the bottles. Excitement was thick in the air, but thus far all the Aurors under Grindelwald's training were moving like well oiled machines.
Bella's hand tightened on her wand. It was the one from Mag, and she was glad she'd chosen to bring that one along. When fighting Delphini, or anyone else for that matter, having twice the strength was the way to go. It was finally happening! Her mind kept repeating this as adrenaline built up within her, screaming for action. Delphini's M.O. for the most part had been playing it behind the scenes. The idea that they had a personal shot at her was finally sinking in. This could actually be over! Bellatrix was nearly euphoric at that idea until Lyra showed up.
The look of horror on Bellatrix's face didn't go unnoticed by her daughter.
"Cassius and I are working behind the scenes to help Wulfric," Lyra told her, tone half soothing, half warning.
Wulfric was there as well, a gleaming sword in an equally gleaming metal sheath in his right hand. His expression was hard and set into a look of blank determination. His goblin girlfriend stood at his side, her expression more pensive.
"We'll be alright, Mum. We have the magic blocking cream," Lyra soothed.
Bellatrix bit her lip, but before she had time to react or even decide exactly how she wished to react, Gellert was addressing everyone.
"We go to Washington, D.C. in America, to the White House, via the crystal Portkey. Everyone grasp onto the person beside you for transport," Grindelwald directed. As he spoke, he grasped Bella's arm. "Rodolphus, Rabastan, grab her," he snapped.
As Rodolphus grasped Bellatrix's hand, Rabastan's hand closed around her shoulder. Blaise took Kreacher's arm and the elf grasped Regulus's hand. All around them Aurors, goblins, humans, and elves alike were making a long chain. Grindelwald activated a Portkey that he drew from his pocket that looked to be another clear crystal, only a far smaller one than those in Merlin's scrying set.
Portkeying in wouldn't be as loud as Apparating. That was good, because they needed the element of surprise. When the Portkey's magic dumped them out, they were in a spacious lobby. After a moment, Bellatrix recognized it as being the room in which they'd placed the scrying crystal of Merlin's.
The room was full of Muggles, all staring fixedly at Delphini. She stood in the front of the room, slender arms spread wide, and a blissful smile on her young face. Oddly, rather than wizard robes, she sported what Bellatrix believed to be called a Muggle business suit. Many of the women in the room wore the similar attire of a narrow skirt, top, and jacket.
"Together, we are going to fix the world!" she proclaimed, and the room cheered.
Wordlessly, Wulfric made his move. Tossing the sheath of the sword to his girlfriend, he strolled toward Delphini, blade in his hand. To say it was gleaming would be an understatement, though, seeing as it actually glowed. For a moment, Bellatrix found herself distracted by the blade as Wulfric directed it, in a very businesslike manner, at Delphini's chest.
"Love shield now," Gellert directed. "Feeling the love for those you love best is the shield that keeps back the serpent of fear, hate, and death!"
Regulus and Kreacher moved up beside Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Blaise and Gellert stood to their other side, and they all moved as one toward Wulfric. Bellatrix clutched Rod's hand, focusing on how much she loved him. He was her world. He was half of her...the best half. The emotions this focus brought up caused tears to spring to her eyes as her hand tightened on his.
"We will do this," Kreacher choked out. "It won't get us again!"
Bellatrix wondered fleetingly if he spoke to Regulus, or all of them.
Though time seemed to slow down, it all actually happened in a matter of seconds. As they moved, the room broke out, momentarily, into a state of pandemonium, but soon things quieted again. All the elf Aurors placed sleeping charms on the gathered Muggles with impressive speed. Elves were absolutely the best at sleep charms. In a matter of seconds, the floor was piled with the bodies of slumbering Muggles.
Delphini murmured a spell, and Wulfric's sword froze mid jab as though it had hit a wall. It was then that Bellatrix noticed Cassius circling them to move up behind Wulfric, likely unlocking Delphini's spell. When Delphini's eyes went suddenly wild, and she took a step back, Bellatrix nearly crowed with delight.
Delphini had to be confused by what Cassius was doing, and if she'd attempted to strike directly at Wulfric, thanks to the magic blocking cream, it would not work! It was all Bella could do not to dash forward and help, but Wulfric's blade would kill a Horcrux, and she didn't have the blasted Basilisk fang dagger with her because it was at bloody Azkaban!
Stepping forward in pursuit of Delphini, Wulfric struck out, Cassius still presumably continuing to unlock any spell Delphini threw so that it would not work. Wulfric's blow missed, however, because Delphini was no longer there. Instead a giant serpent writhed, hissing on the floor. Her tail wrapped around Wulfric's feet, jerking as he adjusted his angle to stab downward. As she dragged him off balance, his lips drew back in a silent snarl of rage before he vanished as well, shining sword clattering to the floor. Instead of Wulfric, the serpent's tail was now wrapped around a giant mongoose whose jaws snapped at her. Bellatrix let out a gleeful crow of laughter. Wulfric's Animagus was a bloody mongoose!
In a blink, the two became a battling ball of scales and fur. Wulfric's girlfriend darted forward and called the sword to her hand with a murmured word. For a moment, the goblin girl stood watching the fight, an expression of anguish on her face. At first Bellatrix wondered why Graven did not just stab Delphini while Wulfric had her distracted, but then she understood. Such a thing would be impossible without stabbing Wulfric as well, so closely were the two entwined.
"Do it! Kill her," Romeo Valdez shouted. "Grindelwald can heal him."
Graven shook her head at the Head Auror's words without taking her gaze from Wulfric and Delphini's struggle. Her trembling hand caused the sword to waver in midair.
"No!" The tormented cry came from the throat of Albus Dumbledore, and, a mother now herself, Bellatrix cringed in sympathy.
Albus rushed forward, Kereston following with her undersecretary at her side. Bellatrix remembered the goblin's name. It was Goriandor. She recalled because he'd been the first to clap for her when she announced to the Aurors, and most of the Ministry, that she and her family were actually the first to strike at Voldemort.
"Parvati says you've got to destroy Delphini's dragon to diminish her magical power," Kereston shouted to Gellert. "I came to tell you, plus as Minister I should be here for political reasons when the shit hits the American fan over this one."
Gellert turned angrily to Kereston. "You are not safe here!" he snapped. "Get yourself home."
"But thank you," he added.
"Her dragon is at the original oracle of Delphi in Greece, far under the earth. Its name is Python," Parvati called. "I saw it in the tea leaves last week but only figured out what it meant today!"
Bellatrix turned to see her bringing up the rear of the small group of newcomers, hurrying just behind Goriander.
"And you can't send us home!" Parvati addressed Gellert then rushed to Rabastan's side, where he stood at Rod's shoulder with his blasting rod at the ready.
Gellert glared, apparently about to insist that he actually could when one of the Acromantulas hurried up. "We studied how to kill dragons in our Auror training. Three Acromantulas trapping it in webs, and six elves freezing then boiling it alive is said to do the trick. We have six Acromantulas here. I suggest all six of us, and twelve elves just to be safe and we're on it, Boss. All we need is someone to accompany us who knows where the Oracle of Delphi actually is."
"I can take you there," Albus spoke up. "Keep Wulfric safe!" he shouted to Graven as the elves and spiders surrounded him.
"To the Floo in the Minister's office," one elf howled excitedly before they all vanished.
Bellatrix wondered how the Minister's office was going to fair with six Acromantulas being Apparated into it. Ah well, if it got them all to Greece quickly, it hardly mattered.