/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲

𝟑𝟐𝟕 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬

It was a cold night. Artemis and Moody stood outside of Artemis's childhood home in the village Artemis hardly recognized, much less remembered. Too many years had passed since she'd lived here with her mother in ignorant bliss. Now, a chilling fog hung over the whole neighborhood, and beside her, Moody was getting restless, wondering why she'd been staring up at the little house in shock and awe for so long.

"What is it with you, Blake?" he finally grumbled. "We're just supposed to be looking into this disturbance, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Probably a false alarm-"

"It's not," said Artemis.

He stared at her. "What're you, getting psychic visions or something?"

"No," she said, deadly serious. "This is where I grew up. They're targeting me."

Moody swore under his breath. "Who lives here? Your family?"

"My mum did," said Artemis, her mind spinning. "But she went into hiding years ago. It was the last time Percy and I teamed up on something, I- She shouldn't be here..."

She trailed off and Moody stared wearily up at the house. "Alright. Don't get into your head. We're just going to check it out."

"Yeah."

Artemis drew her wand and clenched it at her side. She didn't want to go inside the house. She didn't want anything to do with what her life used to be. But she'd just gotten her auror certification, and it was her first real mission as an auror, and she didn't have a choice.

She mounted the front steps and let herself in, second nature. The kitchen looked the same as it always had. A million memories flooded through Artemis's mind. Climbing onto the counters to make herself meals when her mother worked long hours, running up and down the stairs with Percy as a small child, laughing the whole time, introducing Sirius to her mother after a disastrous night at her aunt and uncle's, only half alive, Sirius cracking jokes the whole time.

She didn't have much time for ruminating, though. The fighting started almost as soon as she and Moody cleared the threshold. Moody ducked under a spell and pushed Artemis out of the way. There were two Death Eaters. Nothing the two aurors couldn't handle, but Artemis was distracted. She needed to know if her mother was there, if she'd somehow come out of hiding and gone back to her old home. And why? Why were the Death Eaters targeting her, and why would they go to her childhood home instead of the place she lived now?

"Expulso!" Moody roared, and an explosion blew half of the wall to bits, taking one of the Death Eaters with it.

Artemis dodged a jet of green light and shot one of her own back. "Relashio!"

The Death Eater dodged. Then, there was a clattering from a back room, a broom closet Artemis hadn't been in in years. The knob turned. The door creaked open. Artemis was rooted to the spot, letting Moody take over the fighting as Artemis's mother, Jane Andrews herself, stepped into the hall, followed by her husband, Alfie.