B"SD

Neither Assassin's Creed, nor Harry Potter belong to me.

Chapter Four

Well, Desmond could honestly say that while he hadn't expected something like this to happen, he was not entirely surprised. Really, what with being kidnapped by Abstergo, being subject to all those experiments and reliving the memories of his ancestors, waking up in the fifteenth century really didn't faze him. In fact, he had just thought that this was another foray into Ezio's memory; at least until he had spotted Lucy sprawled across the courtyard stones.

He got slowly to his feet, figuring she would at least want him to wake her. He crouched down gingerly beside her. "Lucy," he called. "Lucy!" She mumbled incoherently and rolled over. Rolling his eyes, Desmond grasped her shoulder, and shook it carefully. "Lucy!" he shouted.

Lucy shot up, so fast that Desmond fell back in alarm. "Get your hands off me, you-" she snarled then noticed him. "Oh, it's you." She rubbed her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's a good question." Desmond looked around the courtyard. Why did it look so familiar? He turned back to Lucy in time to see her eyes widen in shock as she took in the scene around her.

"What the-?"

"I know."

"Where the-?"

"I don't know."

"How the-?"

"I don't know."

Lucy stared around, and then got to her feet. "We need to…well, get up." She had noticed Desmond still crouched on the floor. "We need to figure out what happened and where we are."

Desmond climbed to his feet and studied the courtyard they had found themselves in carefully. It seemed exceedingly familiar. A wall netted with a web of morning glories, a marble bench sitting isolated in a corner, a large cedar door marking the entrance to the square building…Suddenly it all came back.

"Lucy!" Desmond gasped, "We're in Pallazo di Auditore!"

"What?" Lucy scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. Why would we be?"

"I don't know," Desmond admitted, "but this all matches up with what I've seen in Ezio's memories…"

Just as he finished his sentence, the hairs on Desmond's neck tingled. He was being watched. Suddenly, he whirled around and jumped on the figure behind him, hidden blade extending.

"Hey!" The dark haired boy yelled in protest. Desmond recognized the face and scrambled off, sheathing his blade.

"Harry?" Lucy asked, brow knitting in confusion.

"Yeah, we came to find you," Harry panted, gesturing to Ezio- who was staring at Desmond oddly.

"He looks like me." He finally said.

"Yes well, family resemblance and all that," Harry said quickly, grabbing Desmond's arm, "Come on, everyone's waiting at Leonardo's place."

"Wait, everyone?" Lucy repeated as the quartet swiftly left the haunting Pallazo.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. Then his head exploded in a white-hot shard of pain. His hand flew to his scar and he groaned.

"Something wrong?" Desmond asked worriedly, picking up his pace.

Harry glanced around, nearly petrified to see the silhouettes of three Death Eaters following them closely.

"Death Eaters," He muttered to Ezio, who nodded.

"I'll take care of them," the Italian said darkly.

"Wait-!" Harry reached out to grab the assassin, but it was too late. The Auditore had managed to blend in perfectly, evading the young wizard's eyes. Harry cursed under his breath, wiping the sweat off his brow with one hand.

"Where did Ezio go?" Desmond asked firmly.

"Look, I can't tell you right now," Harry said quickly, "Just come with me to Leonardo's studio…"

Desmond looked concerned, but nodded nonetheless. As t he three made their way back to the artist's residence, Harry only hoped he'd be back fast enough to find his Italian friend in one piece.

It was almost too easy to sneak up on the three Death Eaters. He had taken to the relatively low rooftops of this part of the city, tracking the three with an ease born of long years of practice. Ezio had seen their type before: arrogant and dangerous. They joked loudly with each other, boasting about who was going to get that Potter and his "blood-traitor" friends when they found them.

From his higher vantage point, Ezio could see that the roofs were ending as the Death Eaters approached the end of the alley into a small deserted courtyard. Well, he thought with a shrug, now was as good a time as any. He dropped silently from the balcony of a stone house.

He extended the hidden blade of his right hand, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he chose his target. There. The fatter one. Soundlessly, he leapt across the stones and slipped an arm around the man's neck, clamping a hand over his mouth. Before the Death Eater could do more than stiffen in surprise, Ezio slid the knife into his neck. His target slumped to the ground, but the assassin was already moving. He had leapt onto the back of the ginger-haired Death Eater. The man grunted, folding under Ezio's weight. Cursing, Ezio dragged his blade across the man's neck, and rolled off of him.

The last Death Eater had noticed though. With an inarticulate cry, he sent what looked like a flash of red light Ezio's way. Ezio automatically threw himself sideways, and the light missed, leaving a small crater in the stone where his foot had been. Okay, Ezio thought, don't get in the way of the lights. He careened sideway out of the next flash- green this time- and somersaulting towards the wizard. He felt ridiculous but his momentum carried him within reach. He leapt to his feet, grabbed the man on both sides of his head and slammed the Death Eater in the face with his forehead. The Death Eater groaned and rocked back, disoriented. He tried to bring the stick in his hand around, opened his mouth for another curse, but Ezio was ready for him. He elbowed the man in the face with his left arm, and thrust the blade on his right hand between the man's ribs. The Death Eater's eyes widened behind his mask and he let out a gurgle as blood bubbled from his lips. Ezio watched him collapse with satisfaction.

"You need to calm down," Desmond told the obviously tense wizard sternly, "Ezio can take care of himself."

"Look, it's not like I expect you to understand," Harry snapped, jolting his head up from his pacing suddenly, "but he's gotten himself into a lot more than he realizes."

Lucy laughed, "By helping you? A bunch of random teenagers? Call me crazy, but I think he's been through worse."

Hermione looked hurt, "This is nothing to laugh about, Miss Stillman. Those Death Eaters are lethal."

"What's your point?" Shaun interrupted, tone bored, "You think they're gonna cast some sort of 'magic spell' on 'im?"

"Yes," Hermione gritted her teeth, loosing her patience quickly at the Assassins' arrogance, "Those people out there won't think twice about putting a killing curse on him."

"And as much as I hate to admit," Ron sighed, finally indulging in conversation, "I have a feeling we're going to need his help to get back to the twenty-first century."

"All this talk of magic and time travel," Leonardo stroked his beard thoughtfully, "It's extraordinary…I…I don't know what to say."

Harry stopped his pacing and slammed his fist into his palm- "That's it. I'm going after him."

Hermione stood abruptly, "No, Harry, that's way too dangerous." She moved quickly to his side.

"I'm not going to let him die for us," Harry stated, green eyes burning with determination.

"Even so, we can't risk you going out there. Ezio-"

"-Is wondering why everyone is so worried about him." A cocky voice announced from the doorway.

A/N: Italian Translation

Pallazo di Auditore: Auditore Plaza