Chapter 12

Click clack click clack click clack…

The sound of the rapidly moving train wheels over the tracks was soothing to Harry's exhausted mind. After what seemed like days of non-stop fighting, it threatened to lure him to sleep despite his best efforts and a strong cup of coffee. Unlike Lily, who was already dozing in the upper bunk.

He frowned. For some reason he was still having a hard time connecting the red head with the idea of her being his mother. It didn't help that physically she was only a few years older then him, and one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Curse his teenage hormones.

He looked around at the other occupants of the cabin. Tanks was sitting on the floor with her back against the door, her hair a shade of red to rival Lily's. Fleur and Hedwig were both sitting on the lower bunk. Hedwig was leaning against Fleur with sleep filled eyes while Fleur was out right staring at him with a look that to be honest was making feel uncomfortable with certain parts of his body. Teenage hormones indeed.

He focused his attention on Tonks.

"Hey Tonks…" he said carefully. "Are you ok? You look… upset."

"Sure." Tonks snarled in reply. "I'm just fine. Getting chased across Europe by Death Nibblers while traveling AWAY from England is my idea of a good time." Harry cringed at the tone in her voice.

"I'm sorry…" he said weakly, which quickly drew Lily's attention.

"Don't you ever apologize for what that made man is doing everything again." She said glaring at him with one eye open. "Even if you weren't 'The Chosen One,' he'd still turn over heaven and earth to get to you for the sole reason that you had faced him and survived. You are a symbol of his failures, and he won't stop until one of you are dead. The fact that he is letting his followers to take their shots at you is very unusual."

"Perhaps 'e is to busy?" Fleur offered, still never taking her eyes off of him. Lily shook her head and closed her eye.

"Maybe, but it don't think so. It's almost like he doesn't care anymore."

"Which is why we need to go BACK to England and Scotland, not away from it!" burst out Tonks, he hair flaring red again.

"Down girl." Lily said sharply. "I know it's your time of the month, but don't take it out on the rest of us."

Tonks hissed at her in annoyance and anger.

"How the bloody hell did you know?!" she demanded, then hissed again when the irony of her cuss hit her.

Lily wiggled her fingers so that the ring shined in the light.

"Thousands of years worth of the dead here." She explained. "And I can access everything they knew or could do. Quite a few werewolves are lending their heightened senses right now. I can smell it."

Tonks leaned back muttering about undead busy-bodies and Lily smirked.

"Now." She said. "Everyone get some sleep. It might be awhile before we can have guaranteed peace for awhile."

Harry nodded and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Before he knew it, the swaying of the train rocked him to sleep.

*Birds of a Feather*

Far away in the office formerly used by the British Prime Minister, stood a Death Eater scheming over a very special map. While it had become common knowledge that Voldemort had placed a Taboo on his name, few knew how it worked.

Most assumed that merely saying the name was what summoned the Death Eaters. The truth was far more complicated… and more elegant.

Layer out on the oak desk was a massive block of sandstone covered with runes. Hovering over the stone was like a magical holographic map, showing all of Europe, as well the locations of Voldemort's trope and the few remaining pockets of organized resistance behind the clearly marked front lines. But this map also showed instantly the location of anyone who uttered Voldemort's name. And in control of it was a mastermind.

Augustus Rookwood, Former Unspeakable. Death Eater. The very definition of cunning. And a brilliance that far surpassed Voldemort's.

He was Voldemort's new Second in Command. To cross him was to cross Voldemort himself.

Now he was in charge of hunting down Enemy Number One:

Harry James Potter.

Leaning over the desk, his eyes took in every detail of the map. Knowledge was power, and this map was a never ending wealth of it. Backed up with a tactical mind…

Rookwood let the smallest of grins dance across his face as he sent off a message to start an attack on one of the pockets. That fool Lucius's and nutcase Bellatrix's deaths had done wonders for the Dark Lord's plans. Few had realized just how poisonous Malfoy's tongue had been. Bellatrix had been more interested in pushing the Dark Lord in the quest for personal revenge then in pushing forward with their agenda.

Now, they were on the verge of having all of Europe falling into their grasp. Every hour that passed more flocked to serve under their banners, and those that refused to serve… well there was other ways for them to serve.

A flashing light on the map drew his attention and he grinned wickedly. Someone foolish had broken the taboo, but now it was time for them to pay… The grin faded into a frown as he studied it. The location was beyond their lines, in north eastern France. But what was drawing his attention was the fact that not only was it showing signs of the taboo being broken multiple times… but it was also moving.

The wicked grin slowly crept back onto his face.

A/N: Yes, I am back. I took a break for an important reason: I am in the middle of writing my first attempt to get published. However, fear not, for my stories on here will not stop.