Before I begin I would like to thank everyone for their reviews and suggestions so far and I hope to read more as the story continues; just for info purposes Astoria is going to be a year younger than Daphne rather than the two or three years as with canon and most fanfics. I own nothing and make no money from this.
Disrupting the Dark Lord's plans part 1
Harry Potter crouched in the bushes fifty yards from the wards over the Greengrass family home; the house itself was that of a classic English farm house instead of the huge manor's that the extremely wealthy Wizarding families such as the Malfoy's, Blacks and yes even Potter's went for. He had his Remington M40A1 sniper rifle loaded and held against his shoulder as he awaited the arrival of the Death Eaters. Tonight he would prove to himself if he was truly ready for this war and the horror's that would come with it; namely taking another's life willingly. In his first year he had reacted on instinct when he had fought and killed Quirrell. Tonight however, he had come to this quiet country home with the intention to take not just one, but many lives. If he hesitated or bottled out of taking another's life then not only would the Greengrass family be wiped out but he would mostly likely be caught and captured.
Taking slow deep breathes he readied himself as he heard the first cracks of apparition and looking through his scope he saw the Death Eaters appearing fifty yards in front of him right outside the gates leading onto the grounds. He did not however, open fire as he did not want to alert the DE'S too early as he would have no chance in a fight against them all at once; instead he was going to allow them too enter the grounds before he began picking off the Death Eaters at the back of the group as they marched towards the house; he had also placed a silencing charm on the rifle so as to not alert them that anyone else was around.
As he took aim at one of the Death Eaters who was hanging behind the others he watched as the twins (Alecto and Amycus) began assaulting the wards to bring them down. The brother and sister duo may have been sick when it came to shagging each other but they were brilliant ward-breakers, in fact it was rumoured amongst the other Death Eaters that the pair could give the Dark Lord himself a run for his money when it came to erecting and dismantling wards and/or curses. Finally after five minutes of none stop casting the twins were able to bring down the wards and proceed towards the house; Harry just hoped that the Greengrass's were going to defend themselves as he knew he did not have a prayer of taking out all twenty two Death Eaters before they made it in to the house.
Taking another deep breathe he squeezed the trigger and not even seconds later the DE in the back of the group he had been aiming at dropped to the floor face first with a hole in the back of his head. As he'd hoped the remaining Death Eaters did not notice one of their fellow DE's dropping dead to the floor as they were too focused on their target. Harry was going to check every dead Death Eater for the Dark Mark; if they had the mark he would send their bodies to the Ministry, if they did not he would send the bodies to the bottom of the English channel; he was taking no chances that after the war Fudge may try to have him arrested because he'd killed someone who did not have the mark and it was therefore arguable if they had been a wiling Death Eater or not.
He carefully yet quickly took aim at another Death Eater before squeezing the trigger putting down another Death Eater. Overall he was able to take down five Death Eaters before the rest made it to the house; blasting the doors open, the rest entered the home never once noticing that they were five short. Harry placed his rifle on the ground and took out his Cobra M2; he called out to Dobby before he took off towards the house as fast as he could go. He had told Dobby what was going down tonight and that when he was called the little elf was to arrive and retrieve his sniper rifle for him. Harry sprinted towards the house dodging the dead bodies as he went; he was counting on at least one Death Eater noticing the missing five so as to distract them from the Greengrass family.
As he reached the house a Death Eater appeared in the front doorway; he took aim.
"It's Potter." The Death Eater yelled, Harry allowed him to as he needed the others distracted. However, as the Death Eater took aim at him he fired.
BANG. The loud noise of the Cobra rang throughout the entire surrounding land as the Death Eater dropped to the floor dead with a hole in his forehead. Even before the DE had dropped to the floor Harry had took off around the side of the house as entering through the front door would be suicidal as the remaining Death Eaters would no doubt be ready for him to do just that.
He came to a window on the side of the house and opening it with a quick unlocking charm he quickly put a silencing charm on the Cobra and his feet before putting a Disillusionment Charm on himself and the Cobra before he climbed through the window into the home.
Flashback to five minutes; this is where I get to describe the Greengrass's
Even though it was late the four Greengrass family members were still awake as they sat around the fire in a half semi-circle as they drank eggnog and swapped memories of past Christmases. It was a little tradition the four shared every Christmas as it helped them bond that little bit more and also allowed them the time to spend as a family which the could not do very often with the two Greengrass girls attending Hogwarts for ten months out of the year.
Philip Greengrass Smiled as he listened to his youngest daughter Astoria recounted the Christmas when she and Daphne were five and six years old, how on Christmas morning the two sisters had woken their parents at half past four in the morning excitedly exclaiming it was time to open presents; how Philip and his wife Eevee had not realised how early it was until half way through the present opening.
Philip Greengrass was a very handsome man and the head of the Greengrass family as well as the owner of several antique shops around Europe and England; he had dark Blonde hair and blue/grey eyes. When he was stood to his full height he reached the 6 foot mark (182.9 cm) and was of the stocky build which had been perfect for his Hogwarts years on the Slytherin team as one of the team beaters.
Eevee Greengrass lady of the Greengrass family who was a half-blood witch born to Warwick Black and Muggle Kerry Black 'Nee Dickinson. Her father had of course been disowned by the Black family with the marriage before the two were caught in a cross fire between the Death Eaters and Auror's when Eevee had been in her sixth year at Hogwarts. Eevee worked as a midwife at St. Mungo's; she had blue eyes that were so bright they were almost unnatural; her beautiful soft face was fanned by her extra light ash blonde hair and she was tall for a woman standing at 5'11 (180.3 cm) with an athletic build and a large bust that had drove the boys of Hogwarts wild and still did when she went too the platform to pick up her daughters. As she sat listening to Astoria she looked between her two daughters.
Daphne her eldest by a year was in her sixth year at Hogwarts in the Slytherin house and was known as the 'ice-princess' of Hogwarts. Daphne took after her father more than she did Eevee; she had the same hair and eye colour as Philip as well as the same nose, cheekbones and mouth. She stood at 5'9 (175.3 cm) three inches taller than her younger sister. However both sister's had their mothers bust and body build and would probably grow a little taller when they reached their magical maturity when they turned seventeen. Both girls were lusted after at school just like their mother had been but so far Daphne had resisted hooking up with any of the schoolboys in her year or any other year.
Astoria on the other-hand was the polar opposite off her older sister; for one she was very bubbly and out-going and the only Ravenclaw in the Greengrass family since her great-great grandfather Jonathan Greengrass. She took after her mother in everyway, extra light ash blonde hair and bright blue eyes which she had perfected to reducing her fellow year-mate boys to mush as she flashed a brilliant smile and bright eyes at them. Standing at 5'6 (167.6 cm) she was the shortest of the four Greengrass's; however she took after her father in the power compartment in the fact that she was more powerful than her older sister Daphne.
Philip smiled as Astoria finished recalling the Christmas memory; looking at the clock above the fireplace he noticed that it was almost half past eleven so he spoke up.
"Well I think it's time…" However Philip broke off as they all heard a chime sound throughout the house causing all four of them to sit up and take notice.
"Philip was that what I thought it was?" Eevee asked her husband as she reached for her wand with slight nervousness in her voice, she noticed out of the corner of her eye her two girls reaching for their wands also.
"Well if you think it was the chime notifying us that the wards are under attack you would be right." Philip replied as he stood with his wand out and determination on his face and in his voice. If the Dark Lord had sent his men after him for refusing to join him then he was going to go down with a fight and take as many of the bastards as he could bloody manage with him. "Great time to start acting like a Gryffindor." He thought to himself with a mental sigh, but he would be damned if he was going to flee his own home from thugs.
"Eevee take the girls and get out before they break through." Philip spoke to his wife in a voice that broke no argument; Eevee however did argue with him.
"And why are you not coming with us?" Eevee asked with a steel glint in her eyes and voice.
"Because I will not run from the bastards and be seen as a coward." Philip answered with determination lacing his hard as steel voice as he readied for a fight.
"Then I will stay and fight with you." Eevee glared at her husband daring him to tell her otherwise. "Too the end, too the death if need be." In her heart Eevee knew this would not be the end for the Greengrass's; perhaps it was just wishful thinking on her behalf but for some reason she felt that help would arrive too save them.
"We're staying too." Daphne and Astoria spoke in unison. "I'll alert the Aurors." Daphne said as she went to the fireplace and threw in the floo powder before calling her destination and sticking her head in the green flames.
"They said that help will arrive very soon." Daphne informed the room at large after finishing the floo-call. As they awaited the intruders they all exclaimed words of love for each other.
"Don't fire straight away they might just be recruiting me with a show of power and strength." Philip instructed his family; he did not truly believe that but something he could not explain told him not to fire as soon as the intruders entered the room. Seconds later they heard the front door of their home blasted open before the Death Eaters poured into the lounge. Philip was surprised at the number of DE's, he was expecting maybe ten at most not seventeen of the buggers. "Well our odds of surviving were just reduced from slim too none." He thought to himself.
"Well. well. Well. If it isn't the fool who refused to join the Dark Lord." Sneered one of the Death Eaters who seemed to be the leader; the man was of a short chubby build.
"I refused to join him as I do not believe in the `Pureblood is better crap than everything." Philip replied in a voice that did not let on how nervous he was feeling at that moment, he hoped the Aurors sent help soon, though with all the recent murders lately he was not going too hold his breathe on that one.
"Well now, you and your little family are going too die for your refusal." The lead Death Eater spat while somehow chuckling at their soon to be deaths; as he took aim another Death Eater spoke up.
"Hang on we're five short." Spoke up a Death Eater who was near the door and had noticed that their number was smaller than what it had been when they arrived; he'd glanced into the hallway to see if some were hanging back ready too warn them that the Aurors had arrived but there was nobody in the hallway. Daphne who was stood next to her sister beside the fireplace vaguely recognised the voice of the Death Eater, but at that moment she could not place were she had heard it before.
"What?" Snapped the lead Death Eater Amycus Carrow as he looked around and noticed that indeed they were missing five members of their group. "Go and find out what their playing at Higgs." He ordered the Death Eater who had spoken up.
"Yes sir." Replied new recruit Terrence Higgs before he exited the lounge door; Daphne hissed as she finally recognised the finally Death Eater, Higgs had been one of her house mates in her first and second years at Hogwarts and now the bastard was here to help kill her and her family. Seconds later they heard his shout.
"It's Potter." Shouted Higgs too the complete and utter shock of both the Death Eaters and the Greengrass's; "Potter?" went through every mind in the lounge. They then heard a loud bang ring throughout the house before hearing the distinct sound of a body hitting a wooden floor. Through the lounge doorway they could all see the top half of Higgs body and as they all looked, they could all see the blood that was pooling round the back of his head and leaking out of a hole in the top of his mask at the front.
Everyone in the lounge stared in shock at the without a doubt dead body of Terrence Higgs wondering what in the hell had just happened. There had been no flash of light that accompanied spell-fire, so they all knew that whatever Harry Potter had done he had not used magic. They stood there struck dumb for a minute or two; just staring at the dead body.
As Astoria stared at the body she caught a slight shimmer in the doorway and she realised that Potter must be stood in the doorway under a Disillusionment Charm, As she glanced round casually she noticed that nobody else seemed to have noticed the shimmer as they continued to stare at Higgs and she had to fight back a smirk. Seconds later another Death Eater dropped to the floor with a hole in his head.
After taking down another Death Eater, Harry ducked out of the doorway and pointed his wand at the stairs and muttered a curse, seconds later there was the sound of feet charging up the stairs. He ended the charm after a moment before raising his wand to his throat and muttering another spell.
"COME AND GET ME IF YOU DARE." Harry's voice seemed to come from everywhere in the house making it hard for the DE's to pinpoint his exact location. Seconds later he heard Amycus giving the order to four of his group to find and capture him. Harry watched as the four raced passed him and ran up the stairs; he followed them quickly his feet making no sound thanks to the charm on his feet.
After five minutes of stalking and killing the Death Eaters who had raced upstairs and split up he was back outside the door to the lounge and once again his voice rang throughout the home.
"WELL THAT'S ANOTHER FOUR DEAD WHICH MAKES MY SCORE 11-NIL, HALF YOUR NUMBERS ARE GONE." Harry's rang out in a taunting tone. "ANYONE ELSE WANT THE GLORY OF CAPTURING THE BOY-WHO-LIVED?" this time his voice was sarcastic and challenging which he knew would piss off the DE's and it worked like a charm no pun.
"COME OUT AND FACE US LIKE A MAN." Amycus roared in fury not showing his nervousness at the situation; they had not been in the house more than ten minutes and Potter had taken out half his men on his own.
"LIKE A MAN?" Harry replied with a laugh. "SAYS THE MAN WHO CAN ONLY GET A SHAG VIA HIS OWN TWIN SISTER CAUSE NO OTHER WOMAN WILL LOWER THEIR STANDS THAT FAR" Harry's laughter could be heard after that which royally pissed off the Carrow twins.
"I COULD GET ANY WOMAN I WANTED POTTER." Amycus roared back; however no one was sure if he was trying to convince Harry or himself.
"HA, WHAT A JOKE, YOU COULD NOT PULL A BIRD WHOSE DEAF DUMB AND BLIND AND NOT BEEN LAID IN THIRTY YEARS." Even though the two sisters had wands pointing at them, Astoria and Daphne were finding it very hard not to burst out laughing at Potter's words, even a few DE's were silently snickering.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU." Amycus roared his face burning in humiliation under his mask.
"IN FACT." Harry continued ignoring Amycus's threat. "IF YOU WENT UP TO A PROSTITUTE, HE OR SHE WOULD PAY YOU NOT TO SHAG THEM." At that Philip and a few others burst into laughter while the Carrow twins shook with rage. Cancelling the charm on his voice, Harry carefully crept into the lounge and up to Amycus who had spun to look at Philip. He did notice that only the youngest Greengrass girl seemed to be following his movement.
"Think Potter is funny do you?" Amycus yelled at Philip who nodded with a grin. "I'll show you funny, Avada…" and that was the last thing to ever come out of Amycus's mouth as he dropped to the floor dead whilst Philip was sprayed with blood.
Harry dropped the Disillusionment Charm as he spun to face the other Carrow twin and quicker than any could react he put a bullet in her head as well before dropping to the floor in a crouch As the Greengrass's and the DE's all reacted at nearly the same time. The Greengrass parents fired killing curses at a Death Eater each dropping two more dead to the floor while the two sisters hit a Death Eater each with a stunning spell as Harry popped back up and dropped another Death Eater with a shot to the chest after said Death Eater missed him with the killing curse by mere millimetres. Seconds later the mini-battle was over as the Greengrass's each took down another remaining DE while Harry took down the last one; four of course were still alive since the Greengrass sisters used only stunning spells. In less than twenty minutes twenty two Death Eaters had been taken down by five people, Harry taking out fourteen while the Greengrass's took out the remaining eight.
As Harry walked over to the four stunned Death Eaters, the Greengrass family finally got a good look at him; he had grown quite tall from the last time Daphne and Astoria had laid eyes on him in the last school year, he now stood at roughly the same size as their father and he had also filled out a good deal (the day he vanished without a trace) he was no longer the unhealthy skinny boy but a lean muscled young man. He was wearing a tight fitting black turtleneck jumper with black combat pants and black boots that looked to be made of either dragon-hide or leather. His hair was longer and messy than ever, now reaching to cover his ears; it curled slightly at the tips while still sticking up on end all over. He also no longer had his glasses making his Avada Kedavra green eyes stand out more vividly than ever, he also walked with a grace and confidence he never used to have, he looked liked he prowled more than walked.
"So what to do with you four?" Harry asked himself quietly as he ignored the Greengrass's for now, before ripping of the masks of the Death Eaters. He only recognised one but he was surprised at just who she was or rather who she was the older version off.
"Isn't that Madam Edgecombe?" Eevee Greengrass asked Harry as she came forward with her family to see just who had tried to kill them.
"Yep that's her, I only recognise her because she's the spitting image of her traitor of a daughter." Harry replied as he wondered on what too do, then an idea came to him, a way to get back at Marietta for betraying him and the DA too Umbitch last year.
"So what do you think we should do with them?" Philip Greengrass asked Harry not giving a thought to the fact that he automatically looked to Harry as the leader here.
"I think we should send them all of the too the Ministry, eighteen dead Death Eaters and four live ones should please them a lot." Harry answered not giving away anything about the battle at Azkaban that had not doubt kicked off by now, he decided that he would have to somehow con one of the Aurors who were going to duel Voldemort just so he could see the look of surprise on Dorklord's face when he found out that instead of prisoners waiting for him, there was a small army of Aurors waiting to welcome him and his band of merry men with open curses not arms.
"Dobby." Harry called loudly making Astoria jump with his loud voice she had been staring at him for the passed minutes.
*Pop* the little guy arrived; he had a somewhat surprised look on his face, no doubt he was surprised at how fast the Death Eaters had been defeated.
"Master Harry Potter sir has called for Dobby?" The little elf asked; he was insistent that he be formal like this when in public or none family members which at the moment only included Harry.
"Yes, bring me all the Death Eaters around the home, you will find one in the hallway, four upstairs and five outside." Harry ordered quietly as he stood up and placed his cobra in the Holster on his waist.
"What are you going too do with the bodies?" Eevee found herself asking, she was slightly weary of a sixteen year old who could be this casual after killing so many; she herself was running on pure adrenaline for the moment.
"Check to make sure they all have the Dark Mark on their arms before I send them to the Ministry." Harry replied softly as Dobby popped back in with all the dead Death Eaters.
"And if they don't have the mark?" Philip asked in an equally soft voice, the two sisters were been very quiet at the moment which given the nights events was not surprising.
"Send the unmarked bodies to the bottom of the ocean." Harry's soft reply surprised the four Greengrass's.
"Why?" Astoria asked before she could stop herself.
"Because the contract I have with Fudge states that every Death Eater I take out must have the Dark Mark." Harry replied as he rolled up the left sleeve of a Death Eater; seconds later the Greengrass adults began checking a few though the girls looked as though they'd rather do anything else other than touch a dead body.
"Well the entire one's I've check have the mark." Philip said a few moments later, both Harry and Eevee nodded their agreement that their checks had revealed the same.
"Thank Merlin for small mercies." Harry muttered as he straightened up once more, he caught the raised eyebrows of Daphne. "I would not put it past Fudge to put me on trial for murder after the war if any dead Death Eater did not have the mark, this way I make sure that that does not come too pass." He explained causing the family to nod in understanding.
"Well, I don't know how to thank you for your help tonight." Philip began awkwardly as he held his hand out to Harry. "I mean how do you say thank you to the person who saved you and your family from certain death?" He smiled a little as Harry shook his hand firmly.
"Well I can think of a few ways." Harry began with a small smile. "Don't join Voldemort out of fear for what happened tonight, help me out in a fight if you should ever happen across me in trouble and in need of a wand or just give me shelter should I ever need it because I'm too injured to make it back to my own home." He snorted as he let go of the Greengrass lord's hand, he would no doubt need help of some kind soon, he'd gotten the drop on the Death Eaters tonight and he knew that not every battle would be as easy as tonight's had been; he would continue to train and make sure he did not get cocky until after the war if he won and survived. If he did that then he figured he could be a little cocky in a duel or fight but not too much as to make a mistake.
"I think that after tonight should you ever call upon us for help we will be there." Philip said with his wife and two daughters nodding in agreement. They then watched as Harry began waving his wand over the bodies of the dead Death Eaters. A few muttered words and flashes of light later, all the bodies were in plain wooden coffins with a little bow on the lids. Philip snorted at the meaning Harry was giving off. `Gifted wrapped Death Eaters. `
"Well it's been a pleasure to meet you but I'm going home for a well deserved sleep." Harry said as Dobby vanished with all the coffins and the live Death Eaters as was the prearranged plan; what Harry didn't tell them was that he was going to get shit-faced when he got home so as too ignore the fact that he'd taken so many lives tonight and the war in general, even if it was only for a little while.
"Will you be returning to Hogwarts after the break?" Daphne asked speaking up for the first time in awhile; she would not admit it if asked but she found the school boring without Potter there causing mayhem and saving the day whilst winding Malfoy up.
"No I'm not magically ready to stand up to Dumbledore yet." Harry replied as he began making his way out of the lounge, the Greengrass's following. "Dumbledore likes to be in control and I don't like to be controlled, so if I want to be able to fight this war and win I need to be able to stand up to him." He explained though he would not go into any more details than that.
He turned back to the family as he reached the front door, after repairing it of course. "Might I suggest you go to Gringotts and get a hold off Bloodspot, give him fifteen thousand galleons and tell him you want the same wards that Harry Potter has over his new home, as I doubt that Voldemort will leave you alone because his Death Eaters were beaten tonight and this way you will be hidden by the best wards available." Harry explained/suggested to Philip and Eevee who both nodded their heads in agreement that they would be needed.
"If you two want to learn more about defending yourselves then wait for Neville Longbottom to get in contact with you both when the new term begins and keep an open mind." Harry told the Greengrass sisters who both nodded to him the same as the parents.
Harry then bid the family goodnight before he turned and walked as confidently as he could towards the gates so he could apparate home; he was barley holding himself together but he would not allow himself to show weakness in front of others; his Potter and Gryffindor pride would not allow it.
"Merlin bless and watch over you Harry Potter." Eevee thought to herself as she watched Harry walk away. As a mother she could read peoples emotions quite well and she could tell that the lad was only just holding himself together after the night's events and what he had done. It drove home too her that he was not an emotionless monster who could kill without a seconds thought. She also recognised that Harry needed time to himself to come to terms with what he had done and hopefully move passed it; as even though he had taken lives this night he had no doubt saved hundreds more with the killings of the unmerciful Death Eaters who would have no doubt gone on to kill countless others had Harry not stopped them this night.
That night would find Harry Potter breaking down crying for the lives he had taken whilst drinking firewhiskey straight from the bottle and shouting at everybody and nobody that it was not fair that a sixteen year old had to fight in a war against the most powerful, evil Dark Lord in the last four hundred years instead of having fun and chasing girls. The next day after dragging himself out of bed he would go to the Church of England which knew all about wizards and their world; he would go there seeking forgiveness for the lives he had taken and he would go there after every battle after taking a life.
End of chapter
Battle of Azkaban will be in the next chapter to be posted soon.
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