Grab a snack... this will be a long one...
Chapter 19
CwD
September 30th, 1996
"Either you sit down, Bella, or you get out! You're distracting me!"
Bellatrix abruptly stopped her pacing and sneered. Crossing the room, she dropped into the seat opposite Narcissa and crossed her legs imperiously.
What felt like minutes went by, the only sound of Narcissa flipping the page of the book she had on her lap and Bellatrix's indiscernible voice, echoed around the room.
"What are you reading?" Asked Bellatrix suddenly.
The blonde eyed her sister with a hint of wariness. "Three Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Six Ways to – "
" – I don't care!"
Narcissa slammed the book shut and glared at the other woman. "What in the of Morgana, is your problem?!"
Bellatrix's face contorted in a mixture of displeasure, annoyance, rage and resignation until she let out a loud sigh.
"It's tonight."
"What is?"
"The night the bitch dies."
Narcissa stiffened. "Who – ?"
" – She was always a bitch, even during school," Bellatrix continued carelessly. "Lording herself around as if she was the next coming of Merlin. Especially when she was made Head Girl… her and fucking tits."
That's it. Narcissa was positive that her sister had completely lost it. She'd thought Bellatrix had mellowed out a little after the attack against Andi but clearly that was temporary.
She didn't know much about what happened that night. Only that Andi, her daughter and Potter had survived due to the latter intervening. Bellatrix had been brought back to the Manor incapacitated and on her heel came the Dark Lord who was positively furious.
Corban Yaxley had been killed and according to the chatter that night, Potter had done him in. Narcissa had no clue what the Dark Lord said – did – to her sister afterwords but since then, she's been almost docile? A shard of her old crazy, batty self.
Until today that is.
"Make sense, Bella," Narcissa said wearily.
"Bones!" Bellatrix glared. "Rudy and his simpleton brother have organised an attack on Big Boned Bones and I wasn't included!"
The blonde blinked as she controlled her emotions. "Tonight…?"
"Weren't you listening?!"
"W-Why… Why weren't you included?"
Bellatrix huffed as she sunk into her seat. "The Dark Lord has forbidden me from participating in any attacks when he isn't here."
"Because of that night?" Narcissa questioned warily.
The black-haired witch offered the blonde a sinister smile as she stood up. "Mmhmm."
She crossed past the coffee table and took the seat beside Narcissa – her violet eyes lighting up in glee.
"You should've seen him Cissy…he was simply magnificent. So tall, so strong and his magic…" Bellatrix squirmed, her face flushed. "Irresistible but that wasn't the best thing!"
Narcissa knew she'd regret indulging her sister.
Bellatrix leaned in conspiratorially. "He tasted absolutely divine."
The blonde recoiled.
"You mustn't tell anyone!" Bellatrix giggled as if she was a little schoolgirl who had watched something scandalous take place. "It will be our little secret!"
"What did you do to him?"
"I stuck my tongue down his throat."
Narcissa blanched. "You're vile."
Bellatrix scoffed. "Please, if you were in my position and had felt the love I have for him, you'd feel the same."
"You're insane." Narcissa reiterated more forcefully.
"'Jealousy is unbecoming of a woman,' Cissy. Just like mother used to say."
"If you call my disgust for you jealously, then you truly are insane."
"Really…?" Bellatrix drawled. "I'm not blind, Cissy. Even I can see that husband of yours hasn't taken care of you. He likely hasn't touched you since the two of you made your brat."
Narcisa's face reddened at what her sister was implying.
Bellatrix dragged a finger down Narcissa's arm. "I wouldn't be opposed to sharing him… but his children are mine! Unfortunately, you'll just have to make do with the spawn you already have."
Just before Narcissa could respond, a tapping outside the window caught the sisters' attention. Bellatrix, narrowing her eyes at the owl, waved her wand and watched the bird land beside her.
"A Hogwarts owl…" Narcissa muttered in recognition.
Who on earth would be writing to Bella and from Hogwarts of all places?!
Reaching out to the piece of parchment that was stuck between its beak, Bellatrix opened the letter and after reading its contents, began to giggle uncontrollably.
"W-What? W-What is it?"
"Serves those fuckers right!" Bellatrix exclaimed, holding onto her sides as she continued laughing until she turned to her sister. "Curious, Cissy? You were always a nosy bitch."
Narcissa clenched her jaw but nodded, nevertheless.
Grinning, Bellatrix handed over the parchment.
Potter knows.
He's on his way.
"Who sent this, Bella?" Narcissa frowned. Did Draco send this…?
Bellatrix tutted condescendingly. "Now that will be telling, sweetheart."
"What does it mean then? This?" The blonde asked waving the parchment in her sister's face.
"Try to keep up, will you? My future husband is on his way!"
"Not… Not here, right?"
Surely Potter couldn't be that stupid…?
Bellatrix's eyes sparkled as she let out a moan. "Oh, I wish. Wish he would sneak into my bedroom whilst the Dark Lord and the others are asleep and have his wicked way with me…"
Narcissa scowled.
"Oh, don't look so put out, Cissy! We'll make sure to join you for seconds!"
" – Can you be serious for once?!"
The black-haired witch rolled her eyes.
"My darling is obviously going to Bones Manor no doubt off to save Andi's mudblood daughter. Can't help himself, that one! Always needing to save the damsels in distress! Though I won't forgive him he fucks that Bones bitch. Well, maybe… It might even get rid of that stick up her arse!" She cackled.
Narcissa swallowed. "Aren't you going to tell the others?"
"And why would I do such a thing?" Bellatrix smiled sinisterly before her features contorted into a scowl. "This is payback! For not including me in the raid!"
"P-Potter will die!"
Bellatrix patted Narcissa on her cheek. "Oh Cissy, my sweet, naïve, idiot of a sister."
CwD
It was unholy.
A blasphemy against nature itself.
"Make it stop!" someone screamed.
"Q-Quit your whining!" Rodolphus barked back, but Rabastan could see through the tremor in his brother's voice. Even he was shaken and how could he not be?
All around them, Death Eaters were collapsing under the sound. Some had fainted outright; others clutched their heads, rocking in place, keening like wounded animals. A few had started shrieking as though they'd lost their minds.
Rabastan wanted to join them. His knees felt like water, his chest tight, every breath a scrape of terror. It wasn't just the sound – it was the wrongness. As if it was clawing at the very soul.
And yet, one man stood untouched.
Rookwood's wand remained trained on the child before him. An Imperioused mudblood boy, no older than five. The former Unspeakable watched impassively as the child pressed the horn to his lips and blew. The sound that came out was like a dying god's scream, a tone that split thought itself.
Blood poured from the boy's eyes. His skin turned the colour of ash; his tiny hands trembled and still, he blew.
When Rabastan thought he could take no more, the sound stopped.
Rookwood stepped forward and swiftly snatched the Wail of Cecelia from the boy's hands. The child dropped lifelessly, bones snapping and cracking, his body twisting grotesquely until it curled upon itself.
Rabastan had seen many gruesome things, not to mention partaking in quite a few himself but nothing had been as horrifying as what he just experienced.
The artifact felt abhorrent. A different kind of evil.
If the Dark Lord had ordered him to die right then, Rabastan would've thanked him. Anything to never hear that sound again.
"Do you feel it?" Rookwood exhaled and for the first time, he looked almost human. "What was once was hailed as the most formidable wards of all the ancient families have fallen. This concludes my work here. Do not screw this up, Rudolphus."
The elder Lestrange only managed a jerky nod.
Rookwood disapparated and the silence that followed was deafening.
"C–Call… Greyback," Rodolphus muttered hoarsely.
A nearby Death Eater vanished, returning moments later with the hulking werewolf and his pack in tow.
The plan had been clear – to summon the beasts only after the horn had been sounded. Rookwood had warned them: werewolves were too sensitive to raw magic. The horn would've shattered their souls, or so he'd said.
Not like Rabastan would've cared in the slightest. He hated the fucking half-breeds with a passion.
"What a sorry sight you all are!" Greyback guffawed, cracking his neck and baring his razor-sharp teeth.
Rabastan who's clarity had somewhat returned, went to respond but Rodolphus' raised hand stopped him cold. His older brother's attention was fixed on the manor ahead.
"Set up the anti-apparation wards immediately. The occupants in the Manor will likely be just as disorientated as we are so we have a few seconds at most to get things back on track." Rodolphus could see Aurors running past the windows, their visages one of panic and dread.
The front doors slammed open. A contingent of Aurors poured out, joining the units already positioned on the grounds.
"Greyback, you and your pack form a permitter around the property just like we had planned and any additional wolves should join the squads. Don't forget to – "
" – Cover the woods, yes, yes." Greyback growled ferally. "When do we start? My kin have been starving for some good wizard meat."
Rodolphus sneered. "Start now."
The hideous beast grinned. "You heard him brethren. It's time we feast!"
The werewolves all howled as one before they darted off, their supernatural strength and speed making them look like shadows in the night.
"Just as planned – I'll take the south gate, Rabastan take the west. Greyback and his pack will cover the north and east."
Rudolphus turned back to the look at the mass of hooded figures. Two hundred Death Eaters eyed him with looks of tension and fanatic glee.
"Do not fuck this up. If everyone and I mean everyone," he glared at his brother, "sticks to the plan, by the end of tonight, Amelia Bones will be dead and our good friend Pius will take her place before breakfast thereby all but guaranteeing the control of the Ministry for our Lord. Am I understood?"
A ripple of sharp nods passed through the ranks. The distant sounds of screams and howls punctuated the silence that followed.
"Greyback doesn't waste time," one muttered.
"No… and neither will we." Rodolphus turned to Rabastan and smirked. "Phase one begins – tear apart that fucking manor."
Rabastan matched his expression. "Gladly brother."
He strode toward his squad, who were gathered around a massive boulder-shaped object that pulsed faintly with magic. Enchantments wove across its surface like veins of molten light, colours shifting from silver to red to black, until it settled into a dense, oily shade.
"Is it ready?" Rabastan questioned. The thing looked as though it could flatten ten giants at once.
"According to Lord Mulciber's notes – yes sir. It now only needs to be flung."
His grinned viciously. "Ready your wands. We will begin immediately."
He and seven others raised their wands, voices rising in unison:
"Gravis, levare, concordia! Gravis, levare, concordia! Gravis, levare, concordia!"
Each chant made the boulder spin faster and faster as it rose high into the air. Death Eaters near the large iron gates leading into the grounds of the manor immediately scrambled out the way of what was essentially death in the form of an object even the mightiest of creatures couldn't evade.
"Get out of the way!"
"Move you fuckers!"
" – Gravis, levare, concordia! Gravis, levare, concordia!"
The magic grew unbearable. When it felt as though it was at its peak, Rabastan glanced at his brother and caught his nod.
With a manic laugh, he snapped his wand toward the manor and roared.
"PROIECTUM MAGNUS!"
With a deafening boom, the super-sized boulder zipped past their heads and followed Rabastan's outstretched wand; it's trajectory unwavering as it obliterated the gates, soaring above the magnificent fountain and over the heads of the Aurors who couldn't help but gape in despair.
"INCOMING!"
Their shouts were useless because a moment later, what sounded like an earthquake's roar ruptured from where the boulder had landed. Whole sections of the first and second floors had collapsed inward, the once proud pinnacle of the Bones House reduced to ruin.
"NOW!" Rodolphus bellowed.
A storm of black robes surged forward. Spells lit up the night like flashes of lightning, crashing against anything and everything.
"TO THE WEST!" Rabastan shouted gleefully, sprinting toward his flank.
And thus began the Siege of Bones Manor.
CwD
"Relax, will you? I'm sure it was nothing," Astoria murmured, combing her fingers gently through her younger sister's trembling hair.
"B-But t-there was a boom, Tori! I-I thought my e-ears were going to explode!" Fiona's throat bobbed nervously. "And – And where's Daffy? Y-You… You don't t-think something has happened t-to her? D-Do you…?"
"She's probably frolicking around." Astoria resisted the urge to scowl at her older sister's name as she forced a smile. "You know how she is… always so secretive. For all we know, she's probably with Cassius."
"B-But Cassius is right there…" Fiona said, pointing toward the older boy surrounded by his cronies near the fireplace.
Astoria's smile faltered. She turned to Draco, lounging beside her with his usual blend of boredom and disdain.
"Draco?"
At the mention of his name, the Malfoy heir turned to his betrothed and looked past her to see Fiona's innocent eyes staring up at him questioningly.
Wilting slightly under Astoria's pointed glare, he held back his sneer but couldn't hold back his dismissive scoff. "As if I know where your upstart of your sister is."
Just before Astoria could bite back at him as Fiona's large eyes began to well up with tears, the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room opened up revealing the source of Fiona's worry.
"Daffy!"
Daphne barely had time to brace herself before her youngest sister flung her arms around her waist, clutching tightly.
"Hey, sweetie," Daphne said softly, the frazzled edges of her expression easing. "You okay?"
Fiona nodded against her. "W-We thought s-something must have happened! T-Tori said you were with C-Cassius."
Daphne blinked, her gaze sliding toward Astoria, who didn't quite manage to look away fast enough. A telltale blush crept up her neck, and Daphne's lips twitched.
"I'm here now," she murmured, rubbing Fiona's back. "Have you seen Tracey or Lily – "
" – Where were you?"
Daphne stiffened as she was suddenly accosted by Cassius.
"The loo," she lied. "Is that an issue?"
"You tell me…" Cassius drawled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Did you not hear the announcement? We were all supposed to return to our common rooms promptly. What took you so long?"
"Right… next time, I'll run along to the common room whilst I'm doing my business. Will that be prompt enough for you?" Daphne deadpanned.
"I was only worried – "
" – If I ever will need your assistance, Cassius, I will let you know. Until then, where I go and what I do is none of your business."
Cassius' eyebrow twitched. "I have the right to know."
"You are neither my father nor my husband."
" – We are contractually bound."
" – Names written on a piece of parchment that will not be enforced until my graduation," Daphne bit back icily. "Until then, we are merely two individuals whose families are connected. Do we understand each other, Cassius?"
Their gazes locked, both unwilling to relent in the duel of wills.
Slowly, Cassius leaned in, close enough for Daphne to hear.
"If… If I find you were with Potter – "
The words died in his throat as Daphne's wand pressed hard beneath his ribs. Her voice was a whisper of venom.
"How dare you."
Cassius clenched his jaw, a dangerous look finally manifesting on his face.
"Do you really want to cause a scene, Daphne?" He whispered menacingly.
Daphne's pulse roared in her ears. Every instinct screamed to hex him where he stood, to make him hurt for thinking he could control her. But Fiona's small hands tightened around her waist, and that was enough to make her relent and it was good she did.
The common room itself had the low hum of conversations in the background but there was no doubt that everyone was on edge – an undercurrent or fear traversing amongst the crowd. The slightest hint of something awry would not go unnoticed and the last thing Daphne needed was to be noticed.
" – Cassius… everything alright?"
"Fine, Rhys." Cassius smiled disarmingly. "Just making sure Daphne's alright."
Daphne sneered at the older boy as she retracted her wand. "Come along, Fiona."
Weaving through the crowd, Daphne ignored the curious glances thrown her way until she finally spotted Tracey and Lily near the common tables. Tracey was pacing back and forth between two groups of first and second years, while Lily sat primly in a chair, looking thoroughly unimpressed by it all.
"Hey," Daphne greeted, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"There you bloody are!" Tracey burst out, her face lighting up with both relief and indignation. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Out of the way, out of the way! Move squirts!" she snapped, shooing away the first years who'd been blocking her path.
Lily stood gracefully, falling into step beside her friend and giving Daphne an apologetic look.
"'Magine our surprise when we ran off to the library thinking you were meeting Potter for one of your little date, and you weren't there!" Tracey continued, her hands flailing dramatically. "Madam Pince even said you hadn't been in at all! Where the hell were you?! Do you know how worried we were?!"
Tracey's voice had risen higher with each word, drawing several looks from nearby students not until Lily shot the gawkers a withering glare before turning to Daphne, who stood frozen under the verbal assault, blinking as if her brain needed a moment to catch up.
"Can we do this somewhere else? Preferably will less witnesses…?" Lily murmured.
Not waiting for their response, Lily grabbed both her friends' hands, in extension Fiona – who still hadn't let go of Daphne – and began leading them towards their dormitories. They hadn't made it far when Snape's clipped voice sliced through the low buzz of the common room.
"Settle…down."
"He doesn't look particularly happy…" Tracey remarked quietly and Daphne couldn't disagree. If anything, their Head of Year looked positively pissed.
"There has been a… situation," the sallow looking began in his usual drawl, "and until this situation can be resolved, the castle will be under… lockdown."
" – Lockdown…?"
" – Like that time when Sirius Black infiltrated the castle…?"
" – You reckon we need to head the hall?"
As the noise level began to slowly build, Snape shot the students a sharp scowl that instantly shut them up.
"If this curfew is to extend until tomorrow morning, classes will be postponed. Until then, if I find even a single person disobeying, you will find yourself on the train ride home before you can even utter a word. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes sir." The Slytherins all chorused as one.
"Prefects, you are to ensure there are no… mishaps. If there are, send any foolish dunderheads to my office." Snape made eye contact with every single one of them before he turned sharply. "I suggest you all head to bed."
As soon as he left, the Prefects began ushering everyone towards their dormitories.
"What do you reckon happened?" Tracey asked the girls.
Lily shrugged. "Whatever it was, it felt as if the entire castle shook. Not to mention the sound. As if someone had fired off an explosion or something."
Tracey gulped. "A-An… An attack?"
"It wasn't an attack." Daphne rebuked immediately, sending a pointed look to Tracey who cringed.
" – Moon! MacGillony wants you to round up the First Years!" Blaise shouted from beside a group of Second Years.
Lily scowled before letting out a sigh. "Make your goodbyes quick, Greenie. Last thing I need is for MacGillony to go bitching to Snape because I wasn't doing my duties."
" – Moon!"
The black-haired girl growled at Elspeth MacGillony who was glaring at from across the room. "Morgana! I said I was coming!"
"Fiona," Daphne began softly once Lily had stormed off, "Did you take your potion?"
Fiona nodded into Daphne's stomach. "D-Daffy… earlier t-there was a giant b-boom and – "
" – I'm sure whatever it was, Dumbledore's got it under control." Daphne forced a smile. "Don't you worry about it."
The tension fade in the little girl's shoulders and she smiled hesitantly back. "Okay."
"Good girl. I'll see you tomorrow before breakfast then. Sweet dreams, sweetie."
"G-Goodnight, Daffy. G'night, Tracey."
"Lily likes it when you grab her hand, 'kay?" Tracey whispered mischievously to the youngest Greengrass who nodded, her smile widening. "Off you go then."
Daphne and Tracey watched on amusedly as Fiona shuffled off towards Lily who was so distracted reprimanding a gaggle of First Years, she almost yelped when Fiona suddenly grabbed her hand from behind and refused to let go. Almost instantly, Lily shot a suspicious glare towards the giggling duo, as if she knew that they, mainly Tracey, put Fiona up to this.
Later that night, after Lily had returned from shepherding the younger students to their dorms, Daphne sat before her vanity, idly running a brush through her hair.
"Can't believe we're in lockdown and we don't even know why." Tracey bemoaned, staring up at the canopy of her bed as if the ceiling itself might offer answers.
"Morgana, don't you start," Lily muttered, tugging on her nightshirt. "I've spent the last half hour explaining to every wide-eyed First-Year that no, we're not all going to die in our sleep."
Tracey rolled over with a huff. "At least with Sirius Black, we knew what was going on. Now? Not a single ruddy clue."
"Maybe it was indeed an attack."
"It couldn't have been," Daphne denied.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "How'd you figure that?"
"Because if it was an attack, they would've had to go through the wards first. This was different. Like somebody had set off an explosion within the castle."
"That… makes sense."
"Or maybe it was someone being stupid again," Tracey muttered. "Finnegan, maybe? The idiot can't go a day without setting something on fire."
Lily snorted. "Wouldn't be the first time the git's blown up half a corridor."
Daphne forced a small smile, but her mind had already drifted elsewhere.
As had become a quiet routine, she'd gone to their usual meeting spot that evening – just outside the Room of Requirement. At first, she'd always been the one to arrive early, eager despite herself. Spending time with Harry had a way of making the worst days tolerable, even good.
Lately though, Harry had begun appearing before she got there.
It had become a small delight she never admitted aloud and she told herself that there wasn't anything to it even if she wished otherwise.
Sometimes he'd lean casually against the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, waiting. Other times, she'd find him already inside the Room. And every now and then, he'd hide under a disillusionment charm just to make her jump. He always found it funny.
Daphne did not.
Harry had even lent her the Cloak recently, insisting she needed it more than he did. And perhaps he wasn't wrong; Daphne still hadn't quite mastered the Disillusionment Charm, while the annoying boy wielded it effortlessly.
What was crazy was that Harry had once revealed that the Cloak was one of the last mementos he had of his father. She remembered being speechless afterwards, before throwing her arms over him, vowing not to betray the trust he had shown her.
He had laughed and hugged her back then.
It had become a memory she cherished.
Daphne didn't know exactly how to summon the Room – Harry was usually the one who did it. Still, she'd always dutifully make sure to switch the room from his design to hers the moment they'd walk in together. He'd roll his eyes but never once complained. It was another one of his little quirks that made Daphne's stomach all fuzzy.
And so, Daphne waited and waited and still, Harry was nowhere to be seen.
She remembered her patience thinning. She'd even tried calling for Dobby, though she hadn't truly expected the excitable elf to appear.
Harry may be many things but inconsiderate wasn't one of them. Despite the small, niggling feeling in her mind that something may have happened, she couldn't deny she was upset. Just before she could storm off to her Common Room, her world shook.
An ear-splitting explosion rented the air and Daphne recalled losing balance and falling to the ground.
For a moment, all she could hear was a ringing silence, the kind that follows after such an event. She had pulled herself up and stumbled toward the nearest window that overlooked the grounds. Daphne didn't know made her do it but she had done so anyway and what she had seen made her hands tremble.
It was Harry – running off towards the Forbidden Forest.
There were a hundred reasons why he could be out there, but none of them felt right. Not when she saw the bandages on his arm, or Dobby clinging desperately to his shoulder, or the sheer determination in the way he ran into those blackened trees.
Harry never missed a single day for their daily get-togethers. Sure, he's been late a handful of times and Daphne wouldn't fail to remind him of his abysmal punctuality but he never missed a day.
Until tonight.
" – Daphne?"
The voice pulled her back.
She blinked, disoriented, to find a pair of arms wrapping gently around her shoulders.
"T-Tracey?"
"You can tell us anything, you know?" Lily's voice was soft from the vanity, where she leaned with quiet concern. One of Daphne's hands was cradled in hers, Lily's thumb
drawing slow circles against her skin.
"I-I don't understand." Daphne heard herself say as if she was in a sort of trance.
Tracey squeezed her arms around her shoulders ever so slightly, resting her cheek beside hers. "We're your friends, Daphne. We'll always be here for you."
Oh.
Daphne blinked at her reflection; her own wide eyes, red-rimmed and glistening beneath the flicker of candlelight.
Oh…
"I didn't even realise," she whispered, a choked laugh escaping her before it dissolved into a sob. She swiped hastily at her tears. "I don't even know why I'm crying."
"You don't have to say anything, Greenie."
Daphne swallowed hard, meeting Lily's warm, knowing gaze through the mirror.
Harry's words echoed in Daphne's mind like a broken record:
"No one can know… if even one person finds out… your safety, your sisters' safety…"
Daphne wanted to confide in them how overcome she was with worry and fear for Harry but the same boy had forbidden it and she couldn't – wouldn't – betray his trust.
She just had to believe that he would be fine. That whatever he was doing, he'd return back to her in one piece because somewhere along the line, Harry Potter had become part of her every day. A quiet constant she couldn't imagine being without.
"T-Thank you," Daphne replied finally.
Tracey looked at her reflection questioningly. "What for?"
A fresh wave of tears fell down Daphne's cheeks as she squeezed Lily's hand and rested her other atop Tracey's arm. "For being my friends. I-I'm sorry that I've been such a bitch over the years. I-I don't deserve you. Either of you. I-I'm sorry…"
Tracey gaped, turning her head to Lily who was equally surprised before the former girl burst in tears and hugged Daphne with all her might, nearly toppling her off the stool. Lily sighed but joined them anyway, wrapping them both in a steadying embrace.
"Merlin, Tracey, you're hopeless." Lily murmured, rubbing the brunette's back as the girl wailed. "We were supposed to be comforting Daphne… not you."
Tracey only sobbed harder.
Daphne and Lily exchanged a watery look before they held each other tightly.
Come back to me safely, Harry…
CwD
Harry's arm felt stiff.
His gran had warned him that the self-healing spell was rudimentary at best. It could mend torn flesh and steady shattered bones, but only long enough to keep you moving. Apparently, the old guard had used it often in the war against Grindelwald, when healers weren't a luxury they could afford.
Still, Harry couldn't deny it felt uncomfortable but at least the pain had vanished and he seemed to have decent mobility back in his arm again. It would do.
He and Dobby had landed in a narrow alley wedged between two shuttered shops. The world outside was utter chaos.. Rain hammered down like shrapnel and lightning flashed so frequently it felt like he was back at the Ministry after Voldemort had revealed himself.
It was maddening.
Not to mention poor Dobby hiding his face against his thigh, holding his ears as if attempting to mask the thunderous booms of the lightning's counterpart.
"Fucking brilliant," Harry muttered.
Dobby had seemed to have taken him to the correct town as Harry could just about see an illuminated sign on a local bakery shop opposite him that read: St Athans' World-Renowned Welsh Cakes.
Good. That meant they were close. The Bones estate couldn't be far from the village.
He just needed to find it.
"Stupid, fucking British weather…"
And then it hit him.
A shockwave of magic rippled through the air, slamming into his core so hard it stole his breath. His heart stuttered and for a heartbeat, everything inside him screamed.
Whatever it was, it had to have come from the direction of the manor.
"Dobby quick, shield me from the rain and erect a privacy charm around me. Now."
Despite his fear of the weather, the elf instantly obeyed.
The calm that followed was oddly relaxing as Harry ran a hand through his wet hair and closed his eyes. The much-needed peace and quiet allowed him to focus his magic; branching out tendrils, feeling around the general vicinity for any magical disturbances and it wasn't long until he found it.
The sensation nearly drove him to his knees.
An unearthly scream tore through his head, so shrill, so impossibly wrong that for a moment, he couldn't breathe. He doubled over, gasping, clutching his chest as the echo ricocheted in his skull. It wasn't a sound meant for human ears. It felt like the death cry of something ancient… something alive
And then, as quickly as it had struck, it was gone.
The taste of iron was prevalent in his mouth but again, Harry closed his eyes and concentrated and –
There!
He could see it now.
Ancient wards once belonging to the Bones appeared to have been torn apart but that's not what troubled him.
The ley lines beneath the property were dead.
But that's impossible…
He shook his head. He'd worry about that later.
For now, he needed to find Tonks and ensure she was safe because from what he had seen and felt through his magic, it wasn't just Death Eaters there…
Harry legged it, bursting out of the alley like a man possessed and ran with all his might towards the general direction of where Bones Manor were to be.
By the time he reached the clearing, his lungs were on fire.
The downpour had shown no mercy, drenching him down to the bone but Harry's eyes were unwavering. In front of him was a sweeping hill crowned by the silhouette of a great manor. Its blackened outline loomed against the flashes of lightning.
Must've cloaked it with privacy wards, he thought grimly. Wouldn't want to spook the Muggles now, would we?
"Winky."
"Master Harry called?" Winky appeared, curtsying lowly.
Harry's eyes softened slightly before he straightened up. "Where is Mother?"
"The Mistress bes in the Manor, Master Harry," Winky's round eyes darted about before fixing worriedly on him. "Master Harry, is everything alright?"
He exhaled slowly, turning to look ahead. "Lockdown Potter Manor and dial up all the wards to maximum, Winky."
Winky froze. Dobby, still beside Harry, nudged her gently and immediately, the elf bowed deeply.
"And what of Miss White, Master Harry?"
"Tell her to stay on high alert. If there's even a whisper of an attack, you are to take mother to Hogwarts exactly as we planned."
"As Master Harry commands, Winky will obey without fault." Her voice trembled. "Would Master Harry like to pass on a message to the Mistress?"
He hesitated, glancing up toward the manor again. "Just tell her… I'll explain everything if – when I see her."
His head was in turmoil.
Somehow, the Death Eaters had managed to bypass and slice open the ancient wards at Bones Manor. An ugly thought appeared in Harry's mind on whether they could do the same to his Manor.
Harry clenched his jaw.
No.
He would never allow a repeat of what happened over the summer.
Never again.
"Very well," Winky replied, bowing again. She then stepped forward, tugging at the hem of his soaked trousers. "Master Harry, please be safe. Winky cannot imagine a future without Master Harry."
Harry's expression gentled. "Look after mother please, Winky."
"Winky vows on her life that she will protect the Mistress," she whispered before vanishing with a crack.
The night felt suddenly colder.
"How close can you get me to the Manor, Dobby?"
"Powerful wards, Master Harry. Dobby feels them pushing hard. Any closer and… D-Dobby fears it would hurt too much."
"That's fine. Head back and wait for my call. Once I bring the wards down and find Nym, I'll summon you."
Dobby nodded before popping away whilst Harry turned back to the Manor and started forward.
He hoped he wasn't too late.
CwD
Amelia leaned heavily on Tonks, her breath ragged. Each step inflicted a grimace of pain but her sheer will pushed her onward.
"We've got to keep moving," Isabel whispered after carefully peering around a corner.
"To where?"
"Outside," Amelia wheezed. "S-Staying inside is too dangerous. There's…there's too much destruction."
Isabel gave a sharp shake of her head. "The wards… they've sealed the grounds. We step outside; we're trapped in the open. Especially because we still don't know who we're up against."
"But if we stay here, we'll get ambushed." Tonks tried. "Not to mention some errant debris falling on top of our heads."
"We need to find Jacques. Even just him with us drastically increases the chances of us surviving."
Tonks swallowed hard. Her eyes flicked to the blackened smear on the wall behind them where it looked to have been an Auror who had been incinerated minutes earlier.
"If Jacques is still alive," she muttered under her breath. "Wasn't he supposed to meet up with the squad outside after he left us earlier?"
"He's not a Hit-Wizard for nothing, Tonks. The man may be an insufferable gilipollas, but he's stronger than most. If anyone is still standing, it's him."
" – Shhh!"
They froze.
The silence of the manor was deceptive. From somewhere deeper within, there was the faint crackle of spells colliding, followed by a scream that cut short into a wet gurgle. A low, guttural growl answered it, echoing through the halls, raising the hairs on the back of Tonks' neck.
"Werewolves have made it inside," Isabel murmured, voice tight. "At least two, maybe more."
"S-Survey the window – " Amelia coughed into her sleeve, crimson blooming against the cloth. "Shit."
The Spanish Hit-Wizard nodded, deftly moving over to a cracked window which overlooked the grounds and what she saw caused her face to pale.
"What?" Tonks hissed. "What is it?!"
Isabel swallowed hard. "I was wrong… there's at least thirty to forty werewolves surrounding the property."
"M-Merlin – "
"That's not all…"
Isabel motioned Amelia and Tonks forward and as they peaked out into the grounds and that's when they saw him.
"Fenrir Greyback." Amelia growled. "Fucking shit!"
Isabel shook her head. "The situation has become grim. If we go outside, it'll be suicide. Even with Tonks and myself covering you, fending off that scum Greyback and the rest of his pack is impossible, Ma'am."
The sudden crash of a door splitting open thundered through the corridor. All three women spun, wands raised.
"Well, well…" A voice slid through the smoke, mocking and cruel. "You've certainly saved us the trouble of looking for you all over the Manor. How do you do, Minister?"
Rabastan Lestrange stepped into view. His hair was plastered with sweat and blood and his eyes gleamed with the same mania his brother carried like a badge of honour. Behind him, four black-robed Death Eaters fanned out. Flanking them came two raggedy dressed, hulking brutes whose claws scraped sparks against the ruined walls.
Amelia stiffened in Tonks' grip. "Rabastan Lestrange. I should've guessed Voldemort scraped the bottom of the barrel tonight. So, is he here then too?"
"Watch your tongue." Rabastan growled before a grin fell on his lips. "The Dark Lord sends his finest. And you? Guarded by a mudblood brat and a foreign bitch on a leash."
" – Rabastan Lestrange… I have heard of you." Isabel said, stepping in front of Tonks and Amelia.
He bowed theatrically. "Seems my reputation proceeds me. You know of me and yet I don't know – "
" – You're a wanted felon of the highest calibre. Wanted in all ICW controlled countries for a plethora of charges." Isabel continued as the tip her wand flared with a sharp blue light. "I would usually ask for your surrender but unfortunately, you're too dangerous to be kept alive, cabrón."
Rabastan sneered, tilting his head towards their direction. "Bring me Bones alive. Kill the other bitches. Slowly."
The werewolves lunged first and Tonks didn't hesitate.
"Sorry ma'am."
Pushing Amelia behind her, Tonks blasted the closest werewolf straight into the wall with a concussive curse Moody had all but beaten into her, instantly felling the creature with a sickening crack.
The second beast came for Isabel and the Spanish witch pivoted on her heel with surgical precision, driving a silvered dagger she had unsheathed from the scabbard on her thigh right under its jaw before using her wand to unleash a searing flare of fire, setting its fur alight. The werewolf gurgled in his own blood, thrashing violently before she banished the creature back towards the Death Eaters who scrambled out its way.
For a breath, both sides stared each other down. Then the corridor erupted.
"This is mad!" Tonks shouted, intercepting a lung liquefier curse before retorting with a cutting curse that was deflected.
"Keep holding them back!" Isabel retaliated doing her best against not only Rabastan but two other Death Eaters as well, but even she acknowledged that they were on borrowed time.
The corridor narrowed, choking with dust, smoke, and falling debris. Every spell shook the foundations. It wouldn't hold much longer. Neither side was giving ground, but it was only a matter of who cracked first.
"Reducto!"
Amelia's voice rang out hoarse but firm. The power of the spell caused the floor to buckle and split, forcing the Death Eaters back a pace.
Isabel seized the chance. Without a moment to lose, smoke billowed from her wand blotting them out sight. "Move!"
Seizing Amelia's other arm, she and Tonks hauled Amelia down the ruined hall, firing hexes blindly behind them. Explosions tore through the smoke, collapsing part of the corridor in their wake.
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"
Tonks stumbled forward just a soon as a bolt of sickly purple light screamed past her shoulder, close enough to blister the air.
"M-Merlin," she swallowed. "We need to regroup."
"Not… not too far from the main hall," Amelia rasped, pointing with a trembling hand. "Not that way…this way… through those doors."
The heavy doors slammed open under Tonks' boot, and the three women staggered into the main hall.
The sight that greeted them was carnage. The once-proud entrance chamber of Bones Manor was a killing floor. Rubble and shattered marble columns littered the space. The bodies of Aurors and Death Eaters alike lay scattered across the flagstones, some still twitching in death throes, others stilled forever.
But not all were gone.
"HOLD THE LINE!" Proudfoot's voice roared above the din.
The grizzled Auror stood at the centre of a desperate knot of survivors. Six Aurors remained with him, their backs to one another in a circle, holding off a pack of Death Eaters and two more werewolves that prowled the edges.
Spells flared across the room. Jets of green, red, and blue sparking against hastily thrown shields. One Auror screamed as a Bludgeoning Hex shattered his leg, but Proudfoot hauled him back by the collar and bellowed for the others to close ranks.
"LIAM IS DOWN! ADJUST! FUCKING PUSH THEM BACK!"
"PROUDFOOT!" Tonks shouted. She and Isabel charged forward, dragging Amelia into cover behind a toppled pillar.
The Auror's head snapped toward her, relief flashing across his battered face.
"IT'S BONES! KILL HER!"
Isabel didn't wait for the Death Eater to act on his words.
Her wand snapped in a vicious arc, unleashing a storm of crackling blue bolts that tore through a Death Eater's shield and sent him screaming into the rubble, smoke pouring from his mask. Another tried to flank, but Tonks intercepted him with a slicing curse that cut deep across his wand arm, dropping him to his knees and finished him off with a stunner to his face.
The sudden reinforcement turned the tide.
The Aurors rallied. One unleashed a chain of fire that tangled a werewolf's legs, another drove a Death Eater back with a relentless barrage of Reductors. Proudfoot himself slammed his wand into the ground, sending a shockwave of force outward that staggered the enemy long enough for Isabel to finish one with a precise blasting hex to the chest.
Within moments, the last masked figure fell, unconscious and bound, the two werewolves left writhing in silver chains.
The hall fell into tense silence, broken only by the ragged breathing of the survivors.
Amelia, half-propped against the pillar, coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Situation report," she croaked.
"We're boxed in," Proudfoot huffed as he dropped to a knee beside her. "Every exit's warded to hell and there's a pack of wolves waiting outside. We're fucked unless we punch through."
"Not against Greyback. A few werewolves and Death Eaters we can take but Greyback and the rest of the thirty or so with him will be nigh high difficult." Isabel sighed.
"The question is how were all these werewolves able to obtain such a large quantity of Wolfsbane?" Proudfoot frowned. "Surely such a large order would've been pinged by the Department of Potioneering Standards and Regulations?"
"There's n-no doubt that someone had m-mass made them," Amelia sighed. "The Wolfsbane Potion isn't cheap. The amount of resources Voldemort has is concerning to say the least and m-must be investigated further."
The Auror huffed. "I've been saying it from the very beginning that their kind is not fit for our society! Like him or hate him, we need more people like Lord Nott to introduce harsher legislation to further hinder the animals. They're getting out of control! I mean just look at them!"
Tonks clenched her fist but remained quiet.
"N-Now is not the time for your political views, Proudfoot." Amelia reprimanded.
The silence that followed was heavier than any curse.
"H-How many have we lost?"
Proudfoot looked as if he'd aged a decade. "Too many, ma'am."
The redhead swallowed bitterly. "Reinforcements?"
"Messages have been sent. Unless they have somehow blocked them using the wards or there's something external going on, I don't know. For now, we're on our own."
"Tonks. The Patronus Charm. Have - have you tried it?"
Tonks swallowed before shaking her head. She closed her eyes and tried to bring forth a happy memory of her and Remus but the overwhelming desperation of the situation hammered against her mind and she slumped in defeat.
"I-I can't."
"Forget it." Isabel began to pace. "We need to find Jacques. We must regroup with him and any remaining aurors who are still alive."
Proudfoot shook his head. "Last I remember, he went to assist the south squad."
"On the other opposite side of the fucking Manor… mierda!"
Tonks said nothing, her eyes unfocused.
CwD
Harry was never the jealous type, but Merlin, he wished he could turn himself into smoke and fly like the Death Eaters. It would've made the slog through the rain-churned woods toward Bones Manor a hell of a lot quicker.
Instead, every pounding step only gave his mind room to spiral toward what waited ahead.
Voldemort hadn't been seen in weeks which meant, if Harry was unlucky – and when wasn't he – there was a good chance the bastard was here tonight.
Of course, where there's Voldemort, his crazy bitch wouldn't be so far behind.
Vaulting over a fallen trunk, Harry's face twisted into a grimace as he thought of Bellatrix.
Endless scenarios had played out in his head on what he'd do if he ever saw her again after that night at Andromeda's and every time, ended with her body torn in half, her screams ringing in his ears. But beneath all the rage, beneath the careful, violent rehearsals, there was the part he hated admitting to himself. The part that remembered the taste of bile in his throat, the iron grip of her magic pinning him down, her tongue forcing its way past his lips.
It had branded him.
Harry wasn't stupid. He knew something deep within him had changed and he didn't know if that fear would ever go away. It had gripped him like a vice and though he had tried to block it out, some nights, the image of her sickening face never left him.
The teen shook his head, raindrops flying off his hair at the motion as the Manor slowly came into view; its dark and jagged visage looked completely unbothered against the storm-lit sky and yet he knew it was anything but that.
He needed to focus.
Tonks was depending on him and he couldn't afford to let her down.
The wards shimmered faintly as he neared them. Unlike the chaos at Andromeda's home, these weren't fractured or unstable. These had been anchored and layered deeply.
A planned raid.
Which meant not just stragglers, but a full assault force. Death Eaters in droves. Maybe even the Inner Circle.
Breaking through would drain him. Dismantling them would take too long. And backup? Forget it. The Order was stretched thin, Diagon Alley was apparently already under siege.
Perhaps he may be lucky and Voldemort was in Diagon Alley ergo, Dumbledore's problem.
Right now, though, it was him, and only him.
There was clearly only one viable option.
Harry wasn't an expert in dismantling wards but there was one thing he had in spades.
Taking a few steps back, he raised his wand and took a deep, chilling breath.
Shutting his eyes, he ripped the dam wide open. The Occlumency walls he had built so carefully, brick by brick, fell away and pure rage flooded through him filling every vein until his body shook with it.
How dare they…
How fucking dare they…
His eyes snapped open, blazing.
"FULMEN TENEBRIS!"
CwD
Rodolphus ducked behind the ruined carcass of a statue, spells slamming into the stone with bone-jarring force. Two of his Death Eaters were already sprawled in the mud, one missing half his skull, the other twitching with a still-glowing hole bored through his chest.
"Fucking useless," Rodolphus snarled, hurdling over the rubble and firing off a chain of hexes. "Jacques, you Spanish prick! You can't hide forever!"
"French, imbécile!" came the retort from across the blasted garden, laced with mocking laughter. A figure darted through the haze, his spells fluid and vicious, each cast punctuated by a sharp flick. "Zough I suppose geography was never your strength. Not much to see from within a cell, oui?"
The jet of flame Jacques hurled forward roared high enough to lick the night sky, forcing Rodolphus and his men to scatter.
One however, wasn't quite fast enough.
Rodolphus slammed his boot down on the screaming Death Eater's chest, silencing his cries with a casual Killing Curse. Snarling, he hurled a Blasting Curse that tore the gazebo Jacques had taken cover under in a thunderous eruption before following it up with a Bone Breaker which the Frenchman dodged by the skin of his teeth.
"You will never beat me Jacques! Didn't I say the same thing twenty years ago?"
Jacques sneered. "You were a fool zhen and you are even bigger fool now, Rodolphus. Zhis is no circuit tournament! Zhis is a fight! A fight to zhe DEATH!"
On and on they went, trading spells back and forth as neither side relented their onslaught detonating the once beautiful gardens of Bones Manor in a storm of fire and destruction.
And then something happened.
It started as a low vibration underfoot, a hum that prickled at the skin. Both men faltered for the briefest moment, eyes darting as the night lit up with a sudden white glare.
Then the shockwave hit.
A tidal wave of power ripped through the gardens like a battering ram. The wreckage of the gazebo disintegrated into splinters, bodies both living and dead were flung across the lawn like ragdolls.
Jacques was hurled sideways, his shoulder crunching against a broken statue as he rolled into the mud. Rodolphus felt himself lifted off his feet, the breath torn from his lungs before he slammed into the jagged remains of a greenhouse, the glass shards piercing his skin as he cried out.
For a heartbeat, the battlefield was silent but for the ringing in their ears. The new wards that had shimmered like a dome above Bones Manor flickered, then shattered in a cascade of sparks, the protective lattice unravelling in violent succession until the night sky stood bare.
Rodolphus staggered upright, one arm clutching his ribs, eyes wide and wild. "No… no, no, no." His voice was hoarse with disbelief. He stared at the empty air where the wards had been, feeling the cold rush of open magic flood the grounds.
"Potter…" he whispered venomously.
It could only have been him. It was too early for Dumbledore to be here. The old man would never allow innocents to be in danger especially in Diagon Alley and after seeing Pyrites' memory of that night at his bloodtraitor sister-in-law's house, only Potter could've done something as insane as this.
That situation had evolved and things were beginning to get out of hand and Rodolphus needed to act fast if the mission was to be successful. Not to mention that his old nemesis had used the destruction of the wards to slip away.
Lestrange let out a growl of frustration. "Binster!"
"L-Lord Lestrange?" A weedy looking man who was heavily injured shuffled over.
"It's time. Call him."
"At once, my Lord."
"And find any survivors," he added. "It's time we regroup with my brother and Greyback."
CwD
"What in Merlin's name was that?!" Proudfoot exclaimed. "Is everyone alright?!"
Tonks coughed through the haze, hauling Amelia upright. "M-Ma'am?"
Amelia groaned. "M'fine Tonks – why… why are you grinning like an idiot?"
Her hair betrayed her before her lips did, rippling from soot-black to electric blue, sparks of colour flashing as her pulse quickened.
"Don't you feel it ma'am? Their wards, they've fallen!"
Amelia froze. Even through the pain, she felt the shift in the air: the heavy weight of containment magic had lifted, leaving the grounds untethered.
"That's what that was?" Isabel muttered, eyes wide. "Someone broke through the wards…?"
"Not just someone," Tonks said, her grin widening until it was almost feral. "I know that magic. I'd feel it anywhere."
"Tonks!"
" – Where are you going?!"
But the Metamorph was already moving. She darted past the battered barricades, boots crunching over glass as she shouldered through the shattered window frame and onto a small balcony. Her breath hitched as her eyes swept the devastated grounds.
Through the lingering smoke, one figure stood alone.
Harry.
His silhouette was stark against the ruined lawn, wand still raised, the night air crackling with the residue of the power he'd unleashed.
Tonks' throat tightened. Relief, pride, and a raw surge of hope all hit her at once.
"About fucking time, squirt," she whispered, tears threatening but not quite falling.
Behind her, the other Aurors scrambled up beside her, disbelief etched across their faces.
"Push me down and fuck me sideways." Proudfoot turned to Amelia. "It's Harry fucking Potter."
"Merlin…"
The group watched as Harry was almost instantly surrounded by Death Eaters and Werewolves alike and in front of the pack was Fenrir Greyback.
"That foolish boy will get torn apart!" The Spanish woman shrieked and for once, none could offer her a response, their eyes transfixed on the scene outside.
CwD
"I don't know how you managed to tear through the wards, boy, but you have just signed your own death warrant." Greyback growled menacingly.
Harry stood still; eyes sweeping the ruined lawns.
There were about three dozen Death Eaters and at least twenty werewolves positioned all around him in an arc.
Even for him, attempting to get through them all was death on paper.
And yet none of them moved.
Harry arched a brow, his tone mocking. "So why haven't you attacked me yet, mutt?"
A ripple of unease ran through the mob. Shuffling feet. Nervous glances. Wands gripped tighter, but no one dared lift theirs. Even the werewolves shifted low, their hackles raised as if they could sense something brewing dangerously in the air.
And something was in the air.
Oppressive magic pouring off Harry pressed against them like a physical weight and they felt themselves unable to move lest they be crushed from the force.
Greyback barely managed to take a step forward before Harry moved.
"Umbra Imperium!"
Panic exploded as the world drowned in black.
Death Eaters cursed wildly, their spellfire ripping through their own ranks as gripping fear took over.
The fear of their sight being taken completely away.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE, MAGGOTS!" Greyback's roar cut across the chaos, followed by a snarl of pain as a stray curse struck his arm.
Gradually, the suffocating dark bled away, moonlight spilling once more across the lawns. The mob blinked and reeled only to find the ground where Harry had stood empty.
"Where is he?!"
"POTTER!"
But to the surprise of everyone, Harry was no longer there.
Greyback's chest heaved, his fury barely containing his unease. He seized a Death Eater by the front of his robes and yanked him close, spittle flying as he snarled –
"Find the fucking brat! Now! And send for Rodolphus. MOVE!"
CwD
"What the fuck is happening?"
"I-I don't know…" Tonks murmured worryingly as she witnessed shadows as dark as black surround the grounds until nothing could be seen.
Brief exclaims of spells being fired with screams accompanied them until slowly the shadows vanished and with them, Harry as well.
"W-Where did he go? He was just there!" Proudfoot said to no one, straining his eyes to see if he could locate the teen.
Tonks' fingers worked restlessly at the silver chain around her neck, her thoughts racing faster than she could catch them.
Please… please –
Suddenly, a pop was heard behind them and immediately, they all pointed their wands to the sound.
"Lower your wands," came the low voice, "before I do it for you."
Tonks froze.
Harry stood there, framed in the broken threshold, eyes burning with that terrible power still rolling off him in waves. At his side, Dobby held one thin arm out as though ready to unleash devastation in defence of his master.
Her body carried her before her thoughts could catch up and not even a moment later, Tonks slammed into him, burying her face in his chest as quiet sobs broke loose soaking through his robes.
She felt Harry's arms envelop her tightly and it was only then she realised how much he had changed physically. The last time she had seen him was before he had left for Hogwarts and even then, he was only beginning to flesh out a little but now, within a month, he had filled out quite a lot.
"Are you hurt?" she heard him whisper and Tonks shook her head.
"N-Nothing that needs immediate attention."
Amelia's disbelief cut through the moment. "P-Potter…? How… how on earth did you get through their wards?"
"I destroyed them."
The words sent a ripple of silence through the group. Even Proudfoot, usually so ready with bluster, faltered.
Amelia blinked owlishly as if she had heard him wrong.
Surely it wasn't true…?
" – POTTER!"
"Rabastan Lestrange," Tonks said angrily, wiping at her tears. "He's with half a dozen Death Eaters and Werewolves."
Harry frowned. "Who else apart from him and Greyback?"
" – Hiz connard of a brozzer, Rudolphus, zhat's who else," a voice wheezed.
"Jacques!" Isabel ran towards the injured man who was leaning against a destroyed door frame. "Mierda… what happened to you?"
"I ran in zome trouble however, Jacques Rousseau does not die zo easily, mon petit amour." Jacques' eyes shifted back to Harry's who was looking between him and Isabel. "I believe I have you to zhank for destroying zhe wards, oui?"
Harry nodded slowly.
"Hit-Wizards, Harry." Tonks whispered.
"The ICW huh…" the teen hummed in acknowledgement. "How many of you are there?"
Isabel looked ashamed. "Just us."
"Of course," he snorted. "Well, if we manage to get through tonight alive, you might be able to shed some light into the situation at Britain that those bastards at the ICW have been ignoring."
"Zhose bastards are our bozzes, monsieur." Jacques replied dryly.
"Perhaps I should call them fucking bastards instead then?"
The Frenchman grinned.
Harry turned to Tonks. "What about Voldemort or Bellatrix? Are they here?"
Tonks shook her head.
"There's no doubt that they would've made themselves known if they were here and we… we wouldn't have lasted as long as we did had they been here'," she added bitterly.
Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Small mercies."
"Where's the backup, Potter?" Proudfoot asked, finding his voice again.
The teen glanced around, taking note of the injured Aurors and the total decimation of the surroundings. "There was a double attack. Here and Diagon Alley."
A ripple of shock passed through the survivors.
"D-Diagon – "
" – Dumbledore's there now." Harry added, and the tension eased fractionally.
Amelia swore. "A-Aurors must be stretched thin… attacking the Alley of all places… are those bloody lunatics trying to start another Goblin uprising?"
"Regardless… the focus is here and we can't stay. The time for waiting around for the dust to settle is over. Those who wish to live, step forward now. Dobby will apparate you out."
"I hope you don't mean me?" Amelia glared as Harry blatantly stared at her with a frown.
"No offence, Lady Bones, but you look as though you're an inch from death."
"Then this will be my damn grave, if need be! I will not run!"
"Suit yourself," Harry shrugged carelessly. "Just ensure you stay out of my way."
He looked to Tonks, ignoring Amelia's indignation.
"You're staying then?" she asked, her voice taut with dread.
The teen's eyes glowed dangerously. "I have the opportunity to thin his ranks considerably today. I won't let this chance go to waste."
Tonks shook her head. "There's too many – "
" – It's a risk I'm willing to take."
"There's nothing I can say to change your mind?" She implored.
"No." Harry pursed his lips. "Perhaps it's best Dobby takes you home."
"Absolutely not! You must be insane if you think I'll leave you here!" Tonks hissed, grabbing his robes. "And I sure as hell won't abandon my fellow Aurors to save my own skin."
The teen threw up a privacy charm before pressing his hand firmly against Tonks' shoulder who recoiled in pain.
"What the fuck, Harry?!"
"This is 'nothing that needs immediate attention'?" he growled.
"So, I've got a few scratches and burns – "
" – What's stopping me from telling Dobby to take you back home?"
"If you even dare…"
Harry pressed his lips in a line. "You're too injured to fight that you'll only be a hindrance, Nym. For once, use that bloody brain of yours!"
The words were a deliberate knife – meant to cut deep and she knew it. Behind his mask of fury, Tonks caught what he couldn't hide. Fear. Not for himself. For her.
"I. Will. Not. Leave. You." Her voice was steel. "Do you understand me, Harry Potter? I will not leave."
He exhaled slowly. "We'll just have to see about that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tonks demanded.
Harry didn't reply as he dropped the privacy charm with a flick of his wand.
"If you two are quite finished," Isabel cut in sharply, eyes narrowing, "perhaps we should figure out how to keep all our heads attached? We're sitting ducks here!"
Just as soon as she spoke, Harry shoved Tonks behind him and slashed his wand upward, conjuring a vast shimmering shield that domed over the group just as the wall blew inward. Stone and timber shrieked as they slammed into his barrier and bounced off in smoking chunks.
"No time," he muttered.
Through the dust and ruin, they emerged: a tide of Death Eaters and slavering werewolves, filling the shattered grounds. And at their head – the Lestrange brothers and Greyback.
"Found the rats," Rabastan drawled, voice thick with mockery. "And lookie here! The Boy Who Lived… and lived… and lived. Should've known that after the situation with that bitch Andromeda, you'd come running to save her mudblood brat."
The air itself seemed to recoil as Harry stepped forward. His face was impassive but his eyes spoke of the rage he was holding back.
"Didn't think you had the balls to step out in the open without your master, Lestrange."
"As if the Dark Lord needs to concern himself with the likes of you, Potter!" Rabastan spat, veins standing out on his neck. "We'll flay you ourselves and toss what's left at his feet!"
Harry grinned ferally as he took another step until another voice spoke up.
" – To think, a mere boy managed to completely overpower our wards. Impressive but meaningless in the end," said Rodolphus, eying Harry carefully. "You are not to die by our hands tonight, Potter. All we ask is that you give up Amelia Bones and we'll ensure you and everyone else can leave safely."
"Like master and dog." Harry sighed mockingly. "You're all the same."
Rodolphus sneered. "Last chance, Potter. Look around you. We outnumber you and that paltry group behind you three to one."
"Numbers won't save you tonight, Lestrange."
Neither side spoke for a moment as the standoff stretched taut.
That was until Rabastan's gaze flicked past Harry and his eyes widened.
"THE ELF!"
Harry didn't react. He didn't need to. Dobby was already gone with a faint pop, taking another bloodied Auror with him.
"THE BLOODY ELF IS APPARATING THEM OUT!" Rabastan roared. "KILL THEM ALL!"
The knut dropped.
Harry was moving before Rabastan had even finished speaking. A wave of fire streamed from his wand, cutting off half the Death Eaters from their charge. Screams filled the air as cloaks caught alight, the werewolves howling in panic at the sudden blaze.
"If you want to survive, protect my elf!" Harry barked to the Aurors behind him before deflecting a curse aimed at his head back at the caster who's eyeballs exploded in a scene of gore and blood whilst his screams rent the air.
"BIEN JOUÉ, POTTER!" Jacques cackled as he started duelling two Death Eaters with Isabel fast on his trail.
"Crucio!"
Harry blocked the Unforgivable with a wooden beam, sending back its splinters at Rabastan who flicked them away as he advanced quickly to him.
"Nym, form a perimeter with the others and protect Bones and the injured whilst Dobby takes them away!"
"What about you?!"
"I'll be fine! Just go! I'll cover you."
Tonks rolled away from a curse that would've sliced open her abdomen if not for Harry who blocked it.
"Go!" he reiterated, his wand a blur as he returned fire to Rabastan and Rodolphus who had joined his brother.
"Don't you dare die Harry, or I'll kill you myself!"
"Get in line." Harry murmured with a grin.
CwD