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The Last Fight

Fortescue

Chapter 10: Fortescue

Out of guilt, I visited Diagon Alley on my day off and went to the Joke Shop. Seeing and talking to Sarlanda made me realize how little I had seen of anyone else, how little I had been communicating with my friends.

It wasn't that hard to find. Half the Alley was closed these days. I picked up a Peanut Butter Ice Cream from Florean Fortescue before making my way down past Madame Malkin's and Flourish and Blotts, walking nearly all the way down to Gringotts. There were several people inside the colourful store, and the sign I read as I walked in said, "U NO POO - THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S SWEEPING THE NATION!" I chuckled before opening the door with my free hand.

"Oi! No food allowed," George said in good spirits, grinning at me as I closed the door behind me. “Unless you’re sharing, that is.”

"Wouldn’t dream of it," I replied, smiling back before hugging him and letting him have a few licks of the ice cream.

"'Bout time you came around. I was wondering if you had forgotten about us."

"'Course not. I've just been busy."

"Haven't we all," said a voice, and Fred appeared from out behind a display of the Twin's amazing fireworks. "What have you been up to?"

"Working at Flourish and Blotts, and last night I was patrolling at Hogwarts with Sar and Tonks."

"Thrilling."

"Yeah. Harry almost got stuck on the train thanks to Draco."

"Git."

"Of course."

I turned around slowly, trying to take in everything in my vicinity in that one sweep of the eyes. I whistled. "Wow. This is... fantastic."

"Did you expect anything less?"

"I feel like we're pretty fantastic in our own right."

"I think she's forgotten just how great we are."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself, Fred."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh honestly. Got anything I absolutely need?"

"Sure," George said, leading me over to a dark, glittering display. "Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Recommended it to your brother just a few weeks ago. You can't see anything in it until it clears. Dead useful."

I picked up a few rocks of the stuff. "I'll bet. Nice get-away material."

George proceeded to give me a tour of the establishment while Fred helped customers. It was all rather impressive, how many things they had and how good of business they were getting. Though, a good laugh was just the thing that everyone needed now-a-days. And with a special section of the shop dedicated to more practical defense items, their products were irresistible.

"I think Ophilia's back here," George said, frowning slightly as he led me into the back room. And there she was, purple hair bouncing as she organized the shelves. It had grown a little longer than she usually kept it, and she currently had it pinned back out of her eyes.

"Oh, Jen!" she said brightly as she spotted us, setting the box she was currently holding down and coming to hug me.

"Hey Ophilia, how're you holding up?" I asked hesitantly. "I'm really, really sorry I haven’t seen you guys as much—”

"It's fine Jen, we're all slammed with work from the Order," she reassured me. "And I'm fine. Sarlanda got me fixed right up and I was out of the hospital in no time."

"Well, good. Just stay that way, okay?"

"Promise. I'm so glad you finally got to come see the shop though."

"I'll go see if Fred needs help," George excused himself, and he left us alone in the back room.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to, I just..."

"Couldn't find the time?"

"Yeah." I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. Guilt was consuming me, and I was so, so mad at myself for being neglectful. What was wrong with me?

"Ooh, but you're working at Flourish and Blotts, right?" she asked, sitting on a stool.

"Yes, it's um... interesting. I get to read a lot when there aren't many customers, which is... often."

"Shame." Ophilia shook her head. "It's insane how much this was is affecting everyone. I've never heard of people being too scared to coming into Diagon Alley, and I grew up in the Wizarding World."

"Yeah, but it hasn't been quite right since the Death Eaters took Olivander..."

I finished my ice cream.

"Hey, you want to go outside? It's actually kinda nice out."

"Holy Fizzing Whizbees, yes. I've been in all day," she said, standing and leading me out into the main part of the store. "Fred, Jen and I are going out into the Alley for a bit, I'll be back soon."

"Alright, be careful," he grunted from underneath a rather large and heavy looking box. She beamed and we walked outside into the sunlight.

Ophilia took a deep breath as the shop door closed behind us. "Ah, this is wonderful. I love the sun."

"So sayeth the plant,” I joked. “Too many night shifts for you?”

“Only a few,” she shrugged. “I’m mostly at the shop though, and since we live just above it, there’s not much need to venture out.” We started walking down the cobblestone street.

All was fine until we were about even with Quality Quidditch Supplies. I almost wasn't phased by the screaming that came from down the street. Ophilia and I didn't even glance at each other as we pulled out our wands and ran down the street.

The ice cream parlor was in chaos. Windows were smashed, tables and chairs overturned, and there was ice cream smeared on the cobblestones. Two cloaked figures emerged from inside the shop, holding a limp Florean in between them. Without a second thought, Ophilia and I both yelled, "Stupify!" Our spells were deflected, but the force of them sent the first Death Eater's hood falling off. It was Dolohov.

"Crucio!" he yelled, but we dodged. I sent another Stunning Spell as Ophilia pointed her wand at the street and coated it in ice. The second Death Eater passed off Florean to Dolohov and waved his wand around a fallen chair, transfiguring it into a huge panther that then pounced for Ophilia.

I was about to help her when the Death Eater turned on me and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"

I blocked it with a Shield Charm, but there was no doubting who's voice that was - Lance.

"Duro!" I yelled, and it missed him by inches. We dueled without speaking for almost a minute, sending jinxes and hexes at each other and either blocking or dodging them. And it didn't seem like Lance was even trying.

Impedimenta!

Two curses sailed past me, each landing on a Death Eater, and Fred and George had joined us, sending curses in rapid-fire. They dueled with precision, each spell complimenting the next, and soon, they had cornered off Dolohov from Lance. I took a deep breath and focused myself.

'Incendio!' I thought, waving my wand in Lance’s direction. The jet of fire caught the left side of his body and he yelped in pain as he quickly extinguished himself. In the process, he had to drop Florean, so I took my opportunity. "Philimungus!" It wasn't much, but the multi-coloured fungi sprung up all around his feet and up his legs, loosely rooting him in the spot. I sprinted towards him, intending to tackle him, but he had yanked his feet loose at the last second and grabbed ahold of Florean’s arm before Disapperating.

"Dammit," I cursed, stumbling to regain my balance. There was a loud bang to my left, and smoke drifted into my vision. I coughed, waving my wand to clear the air, and saw that Dolohov had escaped as well. Fred had a cut on his face, George just looked very dirty, but they were both alive and breathless. I looked around for Ophilia, worried that maybe she had been dragged off as well, but she was simply sporting some mangled robes. She had managed the Vanish the panther completely.

"What was that even about?" Ophilia asked sadly. "All Florean ever did was sell ice cream."

"Death Eaters don't approve of happiness," I reminded her grimly.

“But he had to have done something,” Fred said, frowning.

“Supporting Dumbledore?” George offered.

“I guess,” I said. “I don’t know what else they would want with him. Unless they’re after some very valuable information about medieval witch burnings.”

Fred snorted. “Voldemort must be really bent on burning people.”

“Either way, I’m going to contact Kingsley. Maybe the Aurors will turn something up,” George said, and he left to conjure a Patronus.

Fred left to go attend to the shop. Ophilia and I righted some chairs and sat outside the shop, waiting for the Ministry to show up, too confused to talk. None of these events were adding up in my mind, and I wanted to know what Voldemort was cooking up. I glanced into the broken window to see the darkened shop, and wondered just what in the world was so offensive about ice cream.