Gideon Drake and the Fire Within (Harry Potter Sequel/Spinoff)

Chapter Twelve: The Unravelling

Dementors? As Gideon understood it from his father, they had been haunting the coastal towns of Scotland for the past few years. The idea that they might be in London, attacking in broad daylight, just didn't seem possible.

'Dementors?' Gideon asked, scanning his surroundings. 'Where?'

'You can't see them?' Mrs Maxwell asked her son. She had suspected as much, but for a moment wondered how the eerie sight before her could possibly be absent from someone's vision.

'No! What should we do?' said Gideon with trepidation.

'It's going to be fine, honey! There are only two, I can handle them no problem, just stay behind me.'

Suddenly the two large, hooded figures slowly hovering towards them sped forwards.

Sarah Maxwell was prepared. It had been a while since she had used the spell intended to repel the foul beasts, but she was adept at doing so. Her Auror husband had made sure of that, back when the previous Minster for Magic had first announced his intention to dismiss the abhorrent guards of Azkaban, the wizarding prison.

She would not allow these parasites to lay one scabby finger on her son. Sarah Maxwell focused her thoughts, flourished her wand and recited the incantation with purpose, 'Expecto Patronum!'

The Dementors stopped in their tracks, but nothing happened. Her signature animal-shaped Patronus was nowhere to be seen. It was a difficult spell, after all. Deflated for a moment, Sarah refocused her mind, drew strength from her happiest memories, and tried again as the Dementors resumed their charge, 'Expecto Patronum!'

Again, no magic was produced, not even a whisp of light, and this time the Dementors did not stop. As the black-cloaked creatures were almost upon her, she tried one more time to produce the repelling magic with more force than before, 'EXPECTO PATRONUM!' she yelled to no avail, 'No, it can't be...'

'What's the matter?' Gideon asked with concern.

Mrs Maxwell ignored her son. She had to confirm her suspicion while there was still time, 'Stupefy!'

When her wand failed to produce the Stunning Spell's jet or red energy, Sarah Maxwell immediately realised what was wrong. She never imagined the issue would arise in a situation like this, though, and it was almost certainly too late to do anything about it. Even so, she told her son, 'Gideon, run!'

'Wha-what? I-I can't just l-leave you!' Gideon said, practically frozen in fear but recognising the severity of his mother's tone.

'Gideon! Run, NOW!' she cried, her expression more serious than Gideon had ever seen.

His shaky legs felt like they were glued to the floor, but he lifted them one after the other with some effort, slowly built-up momentum and began to flee. He looked back to see his mother standing with her feet and hands wide apart as if attempting to block the way of the invisible pursuers.

Tears filled Gideon's eyes as he heard his mother's voice behind him, 'Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum! Expec­-no!'

Gideon kept moving, his heart racing, but suddenly, he found himself on the ground. An unseen force pulled at his arm, flipped him over like a pancake and pinned him to the floor by pressing down on his collarbone. As it did, he saw, barely ten feet away from him, his mother was also on her back. She was struggling fiercely, seemingly against the air, her wand lying out of her reach.

'Mum!' he called out futilely.

Gideon couldn't understand how this could be happening. He couldn't do anything, he was a useless Squib, but why hadn't his mother's spells worked?