Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters included in this story. Everything other than the new plot belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm not making any money off this, I'm just having a little fun.
A/N: Yes, I realize I was gone for a pretty long time. Sorry, real life got in the way.
Anyway, it's finally time to get some action going.
Damage Control
Part Three: The Siege
Well over a year had passed since the initial meeting of the unit. Frustratingly little progress had been made since their gathering in the War Room. Not that Moody had been expecting Voldemort to fall immediately, that would have been far too convenient, and therefore heavily suspicious.
Things had started out in promising fashion. Not two weeks after he'd assigned his and Dumbledore's individual squads, Amelia Bones and Xenophilius Lovegood had found the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw hidden in Hogwarts, and they'd determined it to be a horcrux. Since that time, however, the war had been fought at a stalemate, with neither side gaining any significant victories over the other.
Less than six months prior, he'd gone to the Gaunt House, the ancestral home of Voldemort, and along with Lupin and Vance, had retrieved a ring which also contained a horcrux. It had been enchanted to place a curse on anybody who attempted to touch it, but Moody was too vigilant to try doing so. The Ring, along with the Diadem and the Locket, had been stored in Gringotts, under a nameless vault, the existence of which was only known to the Bank Manager, Ragnok, who also served as the account manager.
Not long before he'd obtained the Ring, Moody had learned from Dumbledore about a prophecy he'd heard from an applicant for Divination teacher at Hogwarts. After hearing its contents, he'd determined that the potential candidates were Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter, which Dumbledore confirmed. Amelia Bones and Sirius Black had been told to stay with and protect the respective families under the guise of extra security, which both families had accepted without complaint.
It was the first time the entire unit was to participate in a mission. Snow had been falling in Wiltshire for several days, which in addition to the darkness of night would provide a decent amount of cover, allowing them to take advantage of the element of surprise. The plan of striking at the Death Eaters closest to Voldemort had been delayed on multiple occasions, but Moody had received word of a Christmas party at Malfoy Manor, and it seemed to him that it would be the perfect opportunity to mount an offensive.
The unit had been divided into three squads. The first, which was comprised of Dumbledore and Vance, would create a diversion. Then, the second, including himself, Lovegood, and Lupin, would enter at the front and begin the assault. Moments later, the first team would enter from the back, at the same time as the third and final squad, Bones and Black, temporarily withdrawn from their protection assignment, would break in through the basement. At Dumbledore's insistence, they would all aim to capture rather than kill.
The explosion came without warning. The roof of the manor had blown up without warning. Clearly, that was Dumbledore's idea of a nonlethal distraction. It also meant that the wards had fallen, at least temporarily. Without pause, Moody and his companions Apparated to the front door, unlocked it with a silent alohomora, and rushed inside.
What followed was a flurry of action. Upon spotting the intruders, most of the guests Disapparated. Dodging a reducto, Moody began engaging the attacker, Lucius Malfoy, in battle, sending back a confringo. Glancing momentarily at the others, he saw the Lupin and Lovegood were fighting Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Bellatrix Lestrange in a two-on-three duel.
All of a sudden, reinforcements arrived in the form of the Carrows, Karkaroff, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott. However, before any of the newly arrived Death Eaters could act, another explosion rocked the manor, this time from the far end of the dining room (in which they were currently fighting), followed by a third from below. The rest of the unit joined the fight, with Black aiding Lupin and Lovegood. As Crabbe and Goyle moved to attack Bones and Vance, Moody found himself facing two opponents at once, as Nott went to assist Malfoy.
The worst off would seem to be Dumbledore, as Karkaroff and both Carrows attacked him immediately, launching off an avada kedavra and two simultaneous crucios, respectively, yet Dumbledore appeared unfazed, blocking all three curses with a rather large piano he'd silently summoned from a corner.
Moody, having prepared for a possible two-on-one situation, pulled out a second wand and sent Cutters at both of his opponents at the same time. Appearing synchronized in their movements, Nott and Malfoy both cast shield charms, which despite shattering under the force of Moody's spells, served their purpose, leaving both men unharmed. He followed up with a second wave of Cutters, then a third, and while Nott successfully managed to conjure a shield that absorbed both of them, Malfoy's had shattered once again, leaving him to dodge the third Cutter.
What Malfoy hadn't accounted for, however, was the jet of purple flame Karkaroff had sent toward Dumbledore, who had deflected it, and was now heading straight for him. With a sharp "Ugh!," Malfoy fell to the ground, apparently unconscious. With a quick nod towards Dumbledore, Moody began to send a series of Stunners and Blasting Curses at Nott, which the man was able to dodge, but he hadn't accounted for Moody's now-unoccupied second wand, with which he managed to cast a successful Leg-Locker, followed by a petrificus totalus, leaving Nott in no condition to carry on.
Soon enough, the unit had the numbers advantage over the Death Eaters, which prompted Karkaroff and the Carrows, who were the only ones left standing, to abandon the fight against Dumbledore, and Disapparate, taking most of the others with them.
"Spread out," ordered Moody. "Take out any stragglers. And search the whole place, tear it apart if you have to. If we're lucky, there's a horcrux in here."
As the others went to do so, Moody noticed that Dumbledore and Black were standing off to the side, talking about something.
"Hey Mad-Eye! Come look at this!" called Black.
Taking a swig from his flask, Moody walked over to where the two were standing, then he realized what they must have been talking about.
"What should we do with her?" asked Black.
They were standing over the unconscious form of Bellatrix Lestrange.
A/N: As always, I'd love to know what you all think, whether you love it or hate it or are indifferent.
And for the record, this story isn't very likely to go above ten or so chapters, since it's a pretty limited timeframe, and as you've just seen I'm liable to include time skips. This story will end in the aftermath of Halloween, 1981, and then I'll continue to the next part.
But that's still a while away. Please review!