Arthur and Alan Apparated a short distance from the site, and the surrounding Aurors reflexively leveled their wands at them. Upon recognizing the newcomers, they let out a breath of relief and lowered their weapons.
Frank and Alice hurried over as soon as they spotted them. "You're here," Frank said, his voice heavy. "Marlene and her fiancé are over there. The Prewett brothers are in the woods further north; Moody is currently securing that scene. I'll take you up."
Alan looked at the two shrouded forms on the grass and the shattered remains of the house nearby. He could only imagine how desperate the struggle had been. Alice looked at the two men with a hollow, sorrowful expression. "How is Molly?" she asked Arthur. "Did she hear the news? Frank and I weren't sure if we should send word immediately."
Arthur sighed. "Thank you for what you've done. We were all at the Longbottoms' when the message arrived; she knew instantly. Augusta is staying with her now. Alan and I came ahead, as Molly isn't in any condition to travel."
Alice and Frank exchanged a grim look, imagining the depth of Molly's heartbreak.
"Frank, take Arthur north," Alice said. "I need to stay here and wait for the rest of the McKinnon family."
Frank nodded, grasping Arthur by the shoulder. Arthur, in turn, held Alan, and the three of them Apparated together.
They arrived in a small grove just north of the McKinnon property. More Aurors stood on high alert here. Mad-Eye Moody and Barty Crouch, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, were inspecting the area where Gideon and Fabian Prewett lay beneath white sheets.
Alan followed Arthur as he went to inspect the bodies. He noted the broken branches and scorched earth, marks of a battle that had drifted south. He surmised the brothers must have been pursued from Marlene's house toward this spot. It suggested that they had either arrived mid-assault or immediately after the McKinnons were killed, only to be hunted down themselves.
*There must have been many of them,* Alan thought. If the brothers had arrived while the McKinnons were still alive, four adult wizards should have been able to hold a defensive line for some time. This meant at least four or five Death Eaters had been involved in the slaughter.
Arthur stepped forward, his expression carved from stone. He pulled back the sheet to reveal Gideon's pale, dust-covered face. Scars and burns marked the skin, evidence of a warrior who had gone down fighting.
Barty Crouch looked on with a mournful gaze. "I am deeply sorry, Arthur. This is a tragedy. Gideon and Fabian were heroes of this war. I hope you can find strength in your grief."
Arthur looked at the two brothers and finally let out a choked sob. He quickly shook his head, stood up, and steadied his voice. "They are our pride. It was those damned Death Eaters who did this. They will live in our hearts forever."
Alan looked solemnly at the fallen members of the Order. Based on the extent of the damage to the surroundings, the fight had lasted at least half an hour. Had they possessed a way to signal for help instantly, the outcome might have been different.
While Arthur made arrangements to collect the bodies, he asked for the details of the engagement. Moody's reconstruction painted a dark picture of the day's disaster.
A group of Death Eaters had struck the McKinnon home in the early afternoon. Marlene had apparently managed to send a desperate signal to the Prewetts. They had spent Christmas together the previous year, and the brothers had gifted her a two-way mirror. It was through this device that they learned of the crisis.
Tragically, they chose to go directly to her aid rather than sounding a general alarm to the rest of the Order. Moody wasn't sure if the McKinnons were already dead when the brothers arrived, but their intervention didn't turn the tide. Outnumbered, they were forced to retreat north. Fabian's body showed signs of Splinching, suggesting they had tried to Apparate away under fire but were violently interrupted. They were eventually cornered in this grove and executed.
The Ministry's detection array had only picked up the magical disturbance ten minutes after the initial attack. Though the Hit Wizards and Aurors arrived shortly after, they found only cooling bodies; the Death Eaters had already vanished.
As Arthur finished gathering the remains, an Auror Apparated nearby. It was Emmeline Vance. She reported to Crouch, "Sir, the rest of the McKinnons have arrived. Alice sent me to fetch you."
"Thank you, Emmeline," Crouch said with a nod. He turned to Arthur and Alan. "Forgive me, I must go and speak with the family." He vanished with a soft crack.
Emmeline turned to Arthur. "I'm so sorry. The Prewetts were our most trusted friends. I never imagined..."
Arthur shook his head silently. He was about to signal Alan to leave when a glowing white Patronus—a bald eagle—soared into the clearing.
"That's my mother's," Frank said, his voice tightening. "Has something happened to Molly?"
The eagle stopped before Alan and spoke in Augusta's firm but hurried voice: "Alan, are you with Arthur? Molly has gone into early labor from the shock. I've rushed her to St. Mungo's. Come to the hospital as soon as you get this. I've sent word for Alice to look after the children at the Burrow."