A/N: This is a collaboration between myself and HandofTyr, with Creaddict acting as our Beta.
Since we've got timezones, work and exams working against us, chapter uploads will be on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, depending on how much time we have to write.
Ratings, characters, relationships and other tags will most likely change over the course of writing, so be mindful of those changes as they appear.
All feedback and critisism is very welcome but please try to write constructively and non-abusively.
All canon content is credited to J. K. Rowling.
Other than that, enjoy!
Chapter 1. In the field.
The sounds of the outside filled the alleys air, covering the hushed conversations going on amongst the different crowds. The crowd closest to the pub was the most vocal and boisterous. But it was the group masquerading in the shadows, not seen by the untrained eyes, that was the most worrying to the two apprentice Aurors. The pair of apprentices, Melanie and Grendelson, covered the two entrances to the alley and surveyed the the dark figures as they crept through shadows. The pair of Aurors were trying to tail a known Death Eater associate who had ducked into the cover of the "The Ashwinder" pub after nightfall. The figures were not the objective of their given missions, but could still blow their cover. Whether other ministry agents or the Death Eaters they were trying to capture, they could spook their intended mark forcing them to give chase.
The cloaked dark figures came to an abrupt halt as the door to the Ashwinder was kicked open. The large bearded, bald headed keeper hurled a very pale, wiry man from inside the pub into the street. The pale man spat insults as he hit the cobblestone, the door shutting with a noticeable clink. He raised himself from the cobblestone, and headed directly into the direction of the clandestine group as he took a pipe from his cloak. As he raised his wand to the bowl of the pipe, the apprentice on the roof directly behind him spotted two men, hidden in the shadows by an unknown charm advancing on him. The pale man stuttered in his step as he crossed the uneven cobblestone of the dingy littered alley, comparable to Knockturn alley.
He came to a rest as he lit his pipe with his wand. The two creeping assailants made a very light distinct pop as they vanished into thin air, he smiled at the sound, revealing his yellowed teeth in the moonlight.
"Ahh yes, so you 'er familiar with this particular Dittany?"
To the onlookers who heard him, he appeared to be talking to himself. But the cloaked figures didn't respond and didn't move. The apprentice, Melanie couldn't hear him as a bus outside the alley thundered by, nor the two pops behind her. Grendelson, who had been watching their mark had hardly noticed them apparating behind his partner. It took several seconds for it to register, and only a half second to act. The pale man was startled by the two sudden bangs Grendelson produced as he quickly disapparated and quickly apparated to Mel's roof.
Even with wands already drawn, the two assailants were taken by surprise. They had just spotted the crouched Melanie near the edge of the roof when Grendelson's pop was heard. Melanie spun around as she pulled out her wand, at 10 and three quarters inches, hewn from Rowan with unicorn hair core, the slightly springy wand was about to unleash a quick-fire barrage. She saw her partner seize the figure that turned towards him, Melanie raised her wand, but she didn't cast. The second figure glared at her through her mask as they raised their wands, eyes meeting for the briefest of moments.
"Ava-" the female assailants voice tried to say, but she was met with a red bolt of light. Cast instantaneously and without words. The female gasped as she fell, unable to move.
Grendelson slammed his opponent into the top of the roof, but in doing so he left himself open. With a grunt the dark robed man raised his wand and yelled "Confringo!". Grendelson was set alight and cast back, landing roughly on his 13 inch Redwood wand. He sprang up, pointing his wand at his target, but lost concentration as he heard two loud pops from the alleyway. Two simultaneous ear splitting pops were heard on the rooftop. The man Grendelson was facing raised his wand towards Melanie, wand starting to glow as its master started to say an incantation. A bright flash from the alley caused the entire alley to become as if it was day. The group fighting on the roof ceased their fighting as they reoriented their senses. Grendelson got the drop on the new assailant who appeared to his left.
"Petrificus Totalus!" He said rapidly. His target froze instantly and fell to the ground like a felled tree, hands snapping to his side, wand in hand as he cascaded backwards. Grendelson kicked the wand in his foes frozen hand, snapping it in two, the handle still clenched in its masters hand.
In a fit of fear, one of the new assailants lept past Melanie, and off of the two story roof. A shot of pain running up his legs made him stumble and cry out. Melanie spun around, as she did, she tracked her target to the alley below. She raised her wand and took careful aim at his back. But before she could utter a sound, she felt long, deep gashes being carved into her back. Grendelson watched as Melanie fell painfully to her knees before starting towards her, absentmindedly casting a freezing charm towards Melanie's attacker. As he reached her he fell to his knees, appraising the wounds on her back; Blood was already seeping through her robes.
He pulled his ministry pendant from underneath his robes and touched his wand to it, summoning reinforcements. With a swift look towards the incapacitated wizards, he grabbed Melanie's robes firmly before disapparating with a loud bang.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Harry stormed down the corridors of St. Mungos, his bottle green robes billowing out behind him as a harassed looking assistant tottered behind with a stack of parchment balancing precariously in her arms.
"What the hell happened to my Auror, Grendelson?" He bellowed as he came upon the rundown auror standing outside of one of the doors. Grendelson took a moment to breath deeply and nervously readjusted his robes.
"They ambushed us. Mel's hurt, they can't stop the bleeding. They don't even know what the curse was because the bastard cast it silently." He said in a rush while glancing at Harry's face. Harry growled and elbowed his way into the ward. One scathing look at the Healer who'd stepped forward to stop him sent the once brave healer scurrying away.
"Tergeo!" the healer said firmly, but the blood only dissipated enough to show the wounds before they started seeping again. Harry stepped up to the bed where Melanie was strewn haphazardly. Her robes had been vanished revealing three deep wounds on her back, blood was still flowing freely from the wounds even as the healers attempted to knit them back together. Others stood by with blood replenishing potions and were periodically pouring them down Melanie's throat.
As the blood cleared away yet again, Harry immediately recognised the pattern of the wounds as the result of the Sectumsempra curse as. He himself had seen what that curse could do after he'd used it on Draco Malfoy just over seven years previously. He knew that the healers couldn't possibly know the cure to such a curse. He ordered the healers aside and drew his wand from the holster around his wrist, delved into his mind to draw out the incantation Severus Snape had used all those years ago.
"Vulnera Sanentur." He murmured as he pulled his wand across the wounds. He watched as the blood-flow from the wounds began to slow. He murmured the incantation a second time and watched as the wounds began to knit themselves together, and a third so that the effects of the curse would lift. He cleared his throat as he finished.
"Get some dittany on those wounds and give her a dose of dreamless sleep." he said quietly to one of the nearby healers. " We don't want her waking up whilst the healing takes hold, it's not exactly painless." The healer nodded and scurried away to fetch the dittany,leaving Harry alone with the other healers and a disheveled Grendelson who had stepped into the room but dared not come any further. Harry nodded his head towards Grendelson and moved to leave the ward. Grendelson slumped against the wall beside him, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I... I've just never seen anything like it, even the things I've heard at Durmstrang", he said with a chill in his voice, "I couldn't think of a better option... St. Mungos was the only place I could... Or I thought that could of healed her.". He raised his head and looked at Harry.
"Harry, I mean sir. How did you know? Even the senior healer couldn't bind her wounds or get them to stop bleeding."
Harry rested his head against the wall, taking a moment to think. "Something a professor once inadvertently taught me." He muttered. Harry thought back to the day in the bathroom when he and Draco dueled. "It wasn't one of my finest moments and i'll leave it at that for now." Grendelson nodded in acceptance.
"Will Mel be ok?" he asked nervously.
"She will be if the healers take care of the wounds properly. That curse is an unpleasant piece of work, I'll tell you that." Harry brushed some lint from his sleeve. " I'd better be getting back to the office. Merlin knows how much bloody paperwork has piled up while I've been gone." Harry turned to leave. "Have your report and a phial with your memory of the altercation on my desk by morning. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to catch something you didn't at the time." He added as an afterthought.
Grendelson began to speak, but Harry was already gone before he could form his sentence. "Fuck", he thought as he turned back into the ward, spotting the senior healer.
"She's doing fine, I promise. She's out cold though, the binds are holding. No need to worry." The old wizard said in a kind hearted voice. Grendelson faked half a smile and nodded, making his way from the ward to St. Mungos street level exit. With a light bang, he felt himself implode and explode all at once as he apparated, he was at the Ministry.
He made his way to his office, pulling his ink and quill from his desk, rummaging for an unused parchment. He felt the first pang of a headache throb as he settled down to write his report. The candles on his desk burnt down to the base before he finally laid his head down on his desk before drifting off.