#devon marlowe

New Year’s Eve had come and gone and the Christmas lights had vanished from the streets of Greenwich. Without anyone noticing, the new year had taken over and Ava still hadn’t had a single word from Kaari Arcano or his ominous underground organisation.

So, we enter Book 2 (or rather, my contributions to the story) almost a month after Ava, Artemis (@the-al-chemist) and Kaari (@kathrynalicemc) have run their coup at Azkaban. Kaari left Ava on the beach with the promise of getting back to her about joining the PR, but that has still to happen.

Ava tried putting her mind back to the catalogue of found pieces from her latest excavation site, but her mind kept returning to the Phoenix Resistance. She wondered why Kaari hadn’t contacted her yet; when they had parted ways in Scotland, he had said that he would find her. Ava had waited for news somewhat apprehensively after getting home, but her apprehension had soon turned to impatience and eventually to indignant indifference. She had better things to do than sitting at home waiting, after all.

Ava is a person who loves being in control and having things in order. Kaari is very much the opposite. So her having to wait for HIM to go and contact her is grating enough as it is, and him seemingly not bothering to do so is making her a lot more annoyed than she would ever care to admit out loud.

The air outside was cold and smelled like it was going to rain soon. Ava flipped the collar of her coat up and snuggled deeper into her knit red scarf. She walked past the dark trees of Greenwich Park and into the direction of the Thames. She weaved through the crowds on her way along the King William Walk, past bustling pubs and shops.

Anyone who read my other Ava stories or the little ask on symbolism in my writing a little while ago might notice my reference to Ava's red scarf, which she wears in almost any short I have written for her so far (if the weather calls for it, ofc). It was given to her as a Christmas present by Charlie, who knitted it himself before they began going out. It started as a reference to the sock-knitting from the game but turned into a symbol for their presence in each other's lives when they can't be physically. Also, perusing the streets of Greenwich on Google Maps to get an idea about Ava's neighbourhood honestly was so much fun.

Ava chose not to answer him. She had spent Christmas with her parents in Castle Combe, but had skipped the annual dinner with her extended family in Lancashire. Christmas with the family was nice, but it wasn’t where she had hoped to be for the festive season. Distracting herself from the hollow feeling inside her chest, she nodded at Kaari.

One of the biggest challenges of the PR was to write it in a way that wouldn't sever all ties to canon characters for each and every respective OC while also not contradicting others. Hence, I never named Charlie as Ava's boyfriend directly, but only ever referenced him to not clash with any other content creators who had definite headcanons for Charlie and their respective characters, too.

Struggling with herself and her instinct at self-preservation, it took Ava a moment to do what Kaari had suggested. She couldn’t take her eyes off the play of light on Ryoko’s scales and how close he was standing to Kaari without so much as looking tense. Everything she knew about dragons and their behaviour was running through her mind, but none of it seemed to add up to what she was seeing in front of her.

Another challenge for me was how varied the perception of dragons is in the HP universe. I know that Ryoko was intended to be more like Toothless from HTTYD (who is the best, let's be real), but personally, I always stuck more to dragons as these wild and completely dangerous/uncontrollable beasts, how they are described in the HP canon. So, to get these two different ways of interpreting them to work together was a challenge, but I think in the end, it worked out quite well.

“No back rooms but an alley is fine? Curious where you draw the line,” Kaari laughed. “And we’re not strangers, we’re friends. Or allies, at least,” he added when he saw her look.

The dynamic between Ava and Kaari was just too much fun. Ava tends to be a little too serious at times, so having a goofball like Kaari to challenge her and bicker for a couple of lighter moments was really needed, I think.

“What can I say,” Kaari shrugged, “people are thirsty these days.” Ava only made a sceptical sound in response, but Kaari didn’t seem to mind. He just carried on talking. “We have barrels just like this one in Skalafell. Okay, maybe not that big, but pretty big. My friends and I used to ride them down a stream when we were kids.”

Considering Kaari's faceclaim, I just couldn't resist a nod to the infamous barrel scene from The Hobbit, and I ain't gonna apologise for it 😂

The dark corridor was even more narrow than the one above and stretched further than Ava had expected. It probably ran beneath the adjacent buildings as well and Ava itched to look at a floorplan, if one depicting this secret cellar even existed. There was a faint, rhythmic noise in the air she couldn’t quite place. Every now and again doors were leading off the passageway and she asked Kaari about their purpose.

Seeing as @kathrynalicemc didn't have any specific headcanons about the more detailed architecture of the headquarters, she kindly let me run wild here, and oh boy, I had way too much fun with it.

Kaari looked between Devon and Ava with a puzzled expression. “Where did you learn how to sign?”

So, Kaari was obv at Hogwarts at the same time as Ava and Devon, but to make things fit, I headcanon him to have been in the year above Ava. (That's actually a common thing that I/a couple of other creators do when trying to fit OCs with conflicting timelines into the same universe). That explains why Kaari and Ava don't know each other or about each other's friendship with Devon. You could argue that they must have seen each other, at the very least, but Kaari transferred to Hogwarts in the year that Ava's brother died and she just had a LOT going on. That and being in different houses, I think, is enough reason for them to have passed each other by.

“Still enough time to do it now,” Kaari said cheerfully. “We’re going to get you ready for your first raid. Consider this your trial of fire.”

Mina and Eloise stood up from their places by the statue and they all approached the barricade as a group with their wands pointed forwards.

“Hey, stop right there!” Kaari called out loudly to the figure that got closer and closer.

The tension in the room relaxed as out from the shadows stepped a man with dark skin and rich purple robes. It was Kingsley Shacklebolt. Everyone’s wands dropped to their sides, except Devon who remained in place, her wand shaking slightly.

“If it’s really you, tell me your favorite type of bread,” Devon sent into Kingsley’s mind silently.

“Cinnamon raisin, of course,” she heard him reply back into her own mind.

“So, did we win?” Kaari inquired.

“Yes. Harry Potter has defeated Voldemort once and for all,” Kingsley’s deep voice filled the empty silence.

What followed was shouts of joy and exclamations of relief. Devon stood staring forward in shock before her knees finally gave out and she collapsed to the floor. All the adrenaline in her system crashed and the weight of the entire war came crumbing down upon her shoulders, like Atlas holding up the sky. Everyone was safe. Nobody else was going to die under her command.

“Dev! Oh Merlin, are you ok?” Henry immediately rushed to her side and scooped her up.

“Yea, I’m fine. I just need to rest for a second,” she signed.

Kingsley had climbed over the barricade and now crouched down next to them, his hand outstretched towards Devon who shook it gladly.

“Thanks for holding down the fort, Marlowe. I’ll take it from here,” he smiled gently.

“There’s one more thing I need to do, if you would allow me? In fact, I could really use your help, Kingsley,” Devon signed and pushed herself to her feet, Henry supporting her from one side.

...

With Kingsley’s help, the Phoenix Resistance wrote and printed one last newspaper together. This one, however, had no enchantments placed upon it to obscure the words.

Witches and wizards all around England watched as papers appeared with a flash from their floo networks and fell gently from the sky, a dark winged shadow accompanying it. The gold fiery Phoenix symbol blazed at the top of the paper, now visible to all.

Headlined right at the top with large letters said “Harry Potter Defeats The Dark Lord!”

The paper also went into great detail debunking the false muggleborn propaganda that was spread during the war. It included some damning evidence against many Death Eaters, calling them out by name. The puppet government was also revealed to the public. Pius Thicknesse had been under the imperius curse and Voldemort was the true leader during the war.

With that, the Phoenix flew one last time. However, this time it didn’t fly under the cover of night and it wasn’t exchanged by the hushed whispers of people in taverns. It also wouldn’t erupt into fire and burn away. This time it was persistent and loud.

At the bottom of the paper, where usually there was a blank space, now was filled with words.

“By Devon Marlowe”

The author of the Phoenix Paper was finally revealed.

As for what was to follow in the next few months after, Devon Marlowe would work under Kingsley as one of the head lawyers for the Death Eater Trials. The information she presented from the notebook she kept during the war was instrumental in the arrests and trials that followed.

The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, London - May 6th, 1998, 5:04 PM

The next few days passed in a blur for most of them. Kaari was more drunk than he was sober as he had a celebratory drink with anyone he came across. Devon on the other hand had buried herself in her work.

Tonight, however, Henry had managed to tear her away for a moment. The two of them held hands as they entered the Leaky Cauldron. Heads turned and hushed voices whispered as they made their way to a small table in the corner that already had many figures crowded around it.

“Hey, is that her? The former leader of the Phoenix Resistance?”

“No way.”

“Look at her scars. Of course it’s her.”

“Then those people at the table.. are they-“

“There she is! The woman of the hour!” Kaari loudly exclaimed, raising his tankard high in the air. Clearly he had started drinking early.

“C’mon, grab a seat!”

“What seat? You guys couldn’t find a larger table?” Henry laughed, pulling up a few more chairs from a nearby empty table.

It looked like they were the last ones to arrive. Along with Kaari Arcano, the table was surrounded by Mina Pendleton, Ellie Hopper, and even Eloise Yaxley. It was a shame that Ava Campbell and Artemis Hexley weren’t here, but Devon knew they were here in spirit.

Once everyone got settled, Kaari ordered a round for everyone. They spent the next little while in idle conversation. Each of them took turns talking about their day and what they had gotten up to in the last few days. Devon found herself laughing often, something she rarely did the last ten months. They were finally free from the darkness.

A bittersweet sadness sat in Devon’s chest as she couldn’t help but compare this to one of the first drinks she had in the Lone Star. Back then, it was just her, Henry, and Kaari. Their family had certainly grown since then. However, they had also lost family.

Immediately after they had sent out the last Phoenix Paper, the five of them left after their coup on the Ministry to deal with their fallen friends.

Mirai Wilson was cremated, matching their other fallen companion who was already ash. It was easy enough for Kaari to sneak into the back garden of the Wilson Manor, as he had done it once before. There, he watched as her ashes were picked up by the spring breeze and scattered through the grass and flowers. As long as Lenwin and Kiri stayed there, they would be close to her. Even if they didn’t know it. Lenwin would discover a piece of parchment jammed into the kitchen window, telling him of her passing in the line of duty. Her life was given so that many others would live.

Eleanor and Eme’s ashes were somewhat mixed and intertwined as they laid upon the Ministry floor. The Resistance combined them and after some discussion, they decided to take a trip to Pendle Hill together. Four hundred and two years after they were born, the twins finally returned home to rest.

The Resistance stood side by side and watched as the ashes blew up into the slowly darkening sky as the sun set over Pendle Hill. After a while, they all said their goodbyes and parted ways. Not forever, of course. They would always be friends.

It was now only a few short days later and they had reunited once again to have one last drink for the ones that they had lost. It was then that Devon stood up.

“To Mirai and Eleanor,” she signed before hoisting her tankard up high.

“To the Resistance,” Kaari added after translating for Devon.

The others stood up and joined her in her toast, their glasses lifting high into the air. They were surprised when their voices were joined with many others, echoing out around the entire tavern, their glasses raised in solemn recognition.

While numbers dipped slightly, there were still enough to make me nervous. There had also been intercepted intelligence, both here in the Midlands and in London, where my name (along with my siblings, friends, and the Weasleys) had been mentioned.

I handed it off to Marlowe, and was left to stew, occupied with classes and getting the end of term items sorted, which included helping prepare the finals for both lecture and lab sessions.

Both Eileen and Elliott were with mum and dad in New Zealand. Jacob was somewhere, in either Greece, Egypt, or somewhere in the Middle East, probably exploring some non-descript tomb, and I wasn’t eager for the DEs to find him anyways. Last I heard, Olivia was with him.

Jane, Rachel, and Stephan also made an appearance, with each of them warned. I noticed a couple of small bottles of pepper spray around the flat, and I suspected Rachel had an equal number already rigged up at hers.

Marlowe had gotten word to me at the beginning of the month, and the once tightly rolled scroll ironed flat, confirming my suspicions, and wanting exact details before coming up. I agreed, before getting to work.

I’d almost been insulted with how easy it had been.

There was a house just down the road from the coffee shop, that was clearly occupied but there was no car and most of the services had been disconnected. I could also sense the wards around it too, crackling against my skin and not in a good way.

A pair of cracks caught my attention, and I looked up, pushing myself off the wall. A smirk twitched behind my scarf. “A risky move,” I signed. “Appearing in front of a coffee shop full of uni students.”

Devon smirked. “Noses in books,” she gestured, holding her hands to her face. I rolled my eyes, but laughed.

I held out my hand. “Henry,” I greeted. “Nice to see you again.”

“You as well,” he replied, and I could sense they were eager to get down to business.

“This way,” I said, turning and heading down the street. I could feel them keep close.

It wasn’t long, maybe ten minutes, until we were in front of the house and finding the weak spot. Five minutes after that, and a quiet mutter of Alohomora, we pulled the garage open and we landed in a duel with a couple of DE sympathisers.

Devon and Henry had no problem.

I had more of a problem, considering it had been a few years since my last, proper duel. And, no, the reception didn’t count, as I had tag teamed until I was able to escape the tent and retreated to the Weasley’s bathroom to clear my head.

But I managed, knocking my opponent out with a Stupefy.

We continued into the house, and I was feeling more and more at a disadvantage. My head ached, along with my leg. The duelling had taken quite a bit out of me, but I tuned my hearing, and pushed those thoughts back, as we crouched in the small mudroom.

I tapped Devon on the shoulder and pointed at the stairs, miming footsteps, before softly voicing the same to Henry.

Devon spotted the figure first, hitting them with some spell, gesturing for us to follow. We crept up the stairs, stepping in each other’s prints, and avoiding the creakiest of steps and spots.

“Six to eight Death Eaters,” she signed. “All standing around.”

I pointed to the group. “Possible muggleborns,” I signed in return. Devon and Henry’s expressions clear, understanding.

Bang! A DE crumpled with a thud against the wood floor, and we engaged the others, who drew their wands.

Both Devon and Henry took the bulk of them, as I helped untie the people in the centre, and helped play defence for a few stray jinxes.

There were even a couple of my physics students, who looked relieved, and helped me release the others.

It was closer to midnight when we finished clearing up, memory charms where needed, conjuring ropes, and checking out the rest of the house. Just to be safe, as something still felt off.

Henry was the one who found the stash of Polyjuice, which left me sick. Had it been used?

777

“Sorry,” I sheepishly signed to Devon as we finished up outside, hindered slightly by my layers. The temps had only gotten colder, as we watched the last of the police and paramedics swarm the house. “Didn’t expect this to take so long… I know you have the paper to also run…”

I tried to tamp down, shove it back in its box, the little voice that was deciding to say, “You wasted their time…” It wasn’t helped by my unfamiliarity of Devon’s return gesture, and it must’ve shown on my face.

“It’s alright,” Henry clarified. “It felt good to break up the monotony of waiting.” I gave snort of laughter, fears not completely eased, but I was ignoring that.

“I have my car back at the coffee shop, if you guys want a less obvious place to Disappariate from?” I asked, gesturing to the surrounding police cars, which had showed up during the fight, no doubt called by the neighbours.

They both nodded, and we slipped out, heading back to the coffee shop. I gestured to my car, telling them to get in, as the café was open for another hour for the night owls. The area around the flat would be quiet enough.

Seeing them off in the car park, I headed up to my flat. Tea was needed.

Devon Marlowe belongs to @kathrynalicemc and Henry McClarnon belongs to @thatravenpuffwitch