A/N:Thanks for everyones reviews so far. It really makes me feel good to see that people enjoy what i write. BecauseI'm updating quite frequently, every couple of days, I would appreciate as many reviews as possible please. Danke, Deosil.
Chapter 9
Harry was forced to tell Mrs. Weasley about Kyla being Tonks and now felt that too many people knew. He knew the best way would have been to just obliviate her but he couldn't allow himself to do that that to Mrs. Weasley. Instead he just made her promise to keep it a secret and Mrs. Weasley suggested locking their door in future.
That night was the first night that Harry and Tonks were able to sleep with each other in months and Harry remembered how safe and comforting it was to be so near to the person that you loved. The next morning Harry got up before Tonks was awake and headed to his room to get something from his trunk. When he returned she was sat up in bed.
"I wondered where you'd got to." She said. Harry got on to the bed next to her and pulled out what he had gotten from his trunk. He fastened the phoenix necklace that he had received from his father around her neck and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Harry this is gorgeous!" she said admiring its beauty. "Where did you get this?"
"Well my dad gave it to my mum to show her how much he loved her and he passed it down to me so I'm giving it to you. I know it's not quite a ring but it's just my way of saying I want to be with you forever." Harry was startled when tears started to run down Tonks' cheek. He had never seen her cry before and just hoped that they were tears of joy.
"Oh Harry!" she said flinging her arms around him, "We will be together forever. But that doesn't mean I don't want a ring at some point." She said mischievously. For Harry this was just the incentive he needed to come through this war alive. He and Tonks decided to spend the morning in bed, enjoying each others company more than ever.
When Harry and Tonks went downstairs it was past midday and Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen cooking lunch while Ron, Hermione and Ginny were just sat talking around the table. Tonks, now back in Kyla form, politely asked Mrs. Weasley if there was anything she do to help with lunch and Harry sat down to talk with the others.
"You two are up late. Busy night?" Ron asked slyly.
"And morning," Harry replied grinning. Hermione tutted disappointedly and tried to make conversation of a more suitable nature.
"So does anyone fancy coming into Diagon Alley tomorrow? I could do with getting some Christmas presents," she said.
"Sounds good to me," Ron said. "But do you think the order will let us go alone?"
"We certainly will not." Mrs. Weasley said from across the kitchen. "I'll have Alastor arrange for you to be watched. It's just not safe anymore." They all knew it would be silly to argue so they just accepted it. They started discussing what shops they wanted to visit. Harry was talking to Ron about going to Quality Quidditch supplies to check out the stock and Hermione was talking to an uninterested Ginny about some of the books she wanted to get from the bookstore.
The day passed uneventfully with order members stopping by occasionally to discuss business and Moody had arranged for them to be escorted around by himself, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley. Harry asked Moody where Dumbledore was and what he'd been up to but all Moody said was that Dumbledore was in Bulgaria talking with the Bulgarian minister for magic but would be back in time for the new term at Hogwarts.
Although there wasn't much to do at Grimuland place, Harry was just happy to be in an environment where all his friends where and wherehe didn't have to worry about schoolwork and NEWT preparation. Harry went to the kitchen to get a drink and found Ginny sat at the table by herself.
"Hey Gin, you ok?"
"Yeah fine," she said in a monotone voice.
"You sure? You've been kind of quiet all day." He said concernedly.
"Just not feeling too well," she lied.
"Do you want me to get you anything? A cup of tea might make you feel a bit better."
She smiled weakly at Harry, "I think it might help a bit," she said. Harry made two cups of tea the muggle way and he sat down with Ginny and they started talking about going back to Hogwarts.
"So I guess you're going to want your seeker position back when Quidditch starts after Christmas," she said.
"Yeah," he said awkwardly, "But you'll make a great chaser."
Ginny blushed. "So do you have any idea about what's going on between Ron and Hermione? I've lived with Ron long enough to know all he talks about is Hermione."
"Well it's obvious they both like each other but there just scared to tell each other how they feel."
"Yeah, I mean you should have seen Ron's face when he found out Hermione was still writing letters to Viktor Krum. He was fuming for days and wouldn't tell anyone why." Harry laughed imagining how Ron would have reacted. Just as Harry finished laughing Ron, Hermione and Kyla walked into the kitchen and Harry and Ginny started to laugh again when they saw Ron.
"You two look to be having a nice chat," Kyla said, her tone unreadable.
"Yeah," Harry said. "We were just talking about things."
"Like Ron," Ginny added and they started to laugh again.
"Why me!" Ron asked looking slightly confused. They shrugged off Ron's comment and just started to make normal conversation. After a while Harry and Kyla decided to go to bed and left the other three in the kitchen.
When they reached Kyla's bedroom she said. "What's going on with you and Ginny?"
Harry was taken aback by the frankness of her question. "Nothing why?"
"You seemed very friendly to me." For the first time Harry was seeing Tonks get jealous.
"That's because we're friends," he said slightly annoyed. "What's all this about? You're never like this when I talk to Hermione."
"That's because Hermione doesn't like you like Ginny does!" she shouted.
"Ginny doesn't like me anymore; it was just a harmless crush that she's grown out of."
"Trust me I'm a girl, I know when a girl likes a boy. But what I don't know is how you feel about her."
Harry put his arms around her waist, "Tonks I love you, Ginny and I are just friends, nothing else."
"Promise?" she asked.
"I promise."
The next morning Harry and Kyla got up early and got showered and dressed before heading downstairs to eat breakfast with the others. Moody, Kingsley and Mr. Weasley were already down there and Harry said good morning to them all before helping himself to some cereal.
"You kids ready to go?" moody asked gruffly. "Right then, let's go." They followed him into the hall of Grimuland Place and he pulled out a portkey. "This will take us to the Leaky Cauldron. Everyone touching it? Ok on three. One, two, three." Harry felt a pulling sensation and when it stopped he was standing in front of the leaky cauldron.
"Right," Mr. Weasley said, "We're all going to have to stay together today."
"But dad! How can we get each other Christmas presents if we're all together?" Ginny asked. Mr. Weasley sighed.
"Ok, we'll split up into two groups. Alastor will stay with Ron and Harry and Kingsley and I will stay with you three girls, ok?" they nodded and both groups went off to do their shopping. Harry decided to get his present for Tonks first. He found a wizard jewelry shop and he and Ron, closely followed by Moody, went inside. Harry noticed that all the jewelry was enchanted in different ways. Some had protective wards on them and some allowed you to communicate with each other. Harry's eye caught a beautiful silver bracelet with charms on it. The bracelet would protect the wearer from certain spells and would heat up when it felt danger was close by. Harry decided to buy that and handed his money over to the lady behind the till. Ron was still looking as Harry paid. "You ready Ron?" he asked
"Not yet. I need your help with something."
"Sure, what?"
"Well, I want to, err, get Hermione something." He muttered. Harry laughed.
"I knew you liked her."
"I do not!" Ron said, "I just want to get her a nice present.
"Ron, shut up, you like her."
"Fine I do, but it doesn't make picking her present any easier."
"Are you gonna ask her out?" Harry asked making Ron blush. "I know she likes you too."
"How do you know?" he said getting excited.
"I can just tell. Everyone knows you both like each other. I'm glad you're finally making your move."
"I'm not making a move, I'm just getting her a Christmas gift." Harry just nodded as if to say 'yeah sure'.
Twenty minutes later they walked out of the shop with presents for Tonks and Hermione. Moody was slightly irritated at being in a jewelry shop for so long but didn't say anything.
"Where should we go now?" Ron asked.
"Well I still need to get presents for you, Hermione, Ginny and Remus so we might as well just go to every shop and see if we can see anything." Heading back up Diagon alley their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt when they heard a terrified scream fill the air. They ran to where it had come from and saw 30 Deatheaters attacking Diagon Alley.
Hermione, Ginny and Kyla were already trying to stop them along with Mr. Weasley and Kingsley. They were being quickly overpowered and fury burned in Harry's eyes. He let his two wands slip into his hands and shot slashing curses at the two Deatheaters either side of him hitting them in the throat and killing them instantly as blood gushed from the wound. Seeing about ten Deatheaters in front of him he conjured a brick wall and said "Winguardium Leviosa!" and the wall rose up off the ground. He then shouted "Waddiwasi!" The wall flew at the unsuspecting Deatheaters crashing into them and breaking bones or knocking them unconscious. Harry had taken care of a lot of them but they were still hopelessly outnumbered.
Moody and Kingsley had taken out about four Deatheaters between them but Kinsley was hit in the chest with a slashing curse and fell to the floor unable to fight. Moody took out Kinsley's attacker but was hit from behind with a disarming curse.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny were fighting hard but weren't powerful enough to last much longer. Mr. Weasley was trying to protect them but there were too many Deatheaters. Ron was hit in the leg with a curse and fell to the floor in pain and Hermione and Ginny ran to his aid. Kyla was fairing better but was eventually going to be overcome by the amount of Deatheaters.
Eight Deatheaters surrounded Harry and one of them removed their mask. "Bellatrix," Harry snarled feeling intense hate rise up inside him.
"Hello ickle Potter," she said mockingly. "Missing your mutt of a Godfather?" Harry had both wands ready and wanted nothing more than to kill Bellatrix.
"I will kill you for what you did." He spat hatefully.
"Not today Potter, my master wants you brought to him alive so I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you."
"You can try," Harry said calmly.
The Deatheaters laughed at his defiance and Bellatrix said, "You may be good Potter but there's eight of us and we have you surrounded." The Deatheaters shot stunners at him simultaneously and hit Harry from all angles. He stumbled slightly but didn't lose his footing. He laughed mockingly at the Deatheaters stunned silence.
"You think stunning spells can stop me!" he shouted.
"If we cannot force you to come with us Potter then maybe you will come willingly when we kill your friends." She motioned to four Deatheaters who had their wands pointed at Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Kyla. Kingsley and moody were unconscious and Mr. Weasley was in too much pain to do anything. They could only watch as Harry faced off against 8 Deatheaters.
"You will not touch them!" he shouted just before he bellowed, "Firate Maximus!" A giant wall of flame encircled Harry and the Deatheaters stopping anyone of them from getting out. Hermione screamed when she saw Harry trap himself in with the Deatheaters.
Harry threw up his shield as the Deatheaters sent a barrage of more powerful curses at him. The shield absorbed the curses and Harry sent off 6 Constricto curses in quick succession immobilizing 6 Deatheaters. Bellatrix and one other Deatheater were left standing and they both shot slashing spells at Harry. They broke through his shield and hit Harry in his side and leg as he fired two back. Bellatrix dodged but the other Deatheater was struck in the face and fell to the floor holding his head in his hands. Harry grimaced in pain but felt a sick sense of satisfaction when he heard the wrists and ankles of six Deatheater snap. They could no longer stand up and writhed in agony on the floor.
"You may have taken out these worthless Deatheaters," Bellatrix spat, "But I am my master's most loyal servant. He wanted you alive not unharmed." She shouted "Crucio!" as Harry shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!" he barely dodged the cruciatus curse but the full body bind spell Harry cast hit Bellatrix squarely in the chest and her legs and arms snapped together as she fell to the floor unable to move. With a wave of his wand the wall of fire disappeared and Harry got Bellatrix by the collar and dragged her to where the last four Deatheaters had their wands pointed at Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Kyla. He looked dangerously at the four Deatheaters who couldn't believe that he had incapacitated 8 Deatheaters at once.
"Your master will never have me alive!" he shouted. "And you shall never see your master again unless it is in the afterlife!" he pointed his wands at the floor in front of the four Deatheaters, "Reducto!" he shouted and the ground exploded blowing the four Deatheaters against a wall and knocking them unconscious. He turned his attention back to the body bound Bellatrix and stared her directly in the eye. "You will report to Voldemort that you failed to capture me. You are at his mercy and these Deatheaters," he motioned around him, "Are at mine." He lifted the body bind curse off Bellatrix and she glared at Harry, cold hatred in her eyes.
"This is not over Potter, I will have my fun with you before the end." She apparated away with a pop and Harry's adrenaline levels dropped straight away and he felt exhausted. Kyla and Hermione ran over and hugged him.
"Harry are you ok?" they asked looking worried.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired." He said.
"A bit tired?" Hermione asked incredulously, "we saw you get hit with eight stunning spells and barely move. Then you trapped yourself to fight the Deatheaters. How did you do it?"
"I guess I just don't stun easily," he shrugged.
"You should be in St. Mungos after those stunners Potter," Moody said picking himself up off the floor. "I heard some of the spells you cast. That's advanced magic." Harry looked round and saw all the Deatheaters he had fought. All were either unconscious, writhing in agony or dead.
"We better inform the ministry that we've captured some Deatheaters." He said mechanically, trying to take in all the pain and suffering he had inflicted.
"Harry," Hermione said. "What did you do to those Deatheaters? They look in so much pain."
"He used the crucifix on them," Moody said gruffly.
"I didn't realize it was called that," he admitted.
"Well what's it do?" Hermione asked.
"It breaks a persons wrists and ankles." Harry said.
Hermione looked horror struck. "That's horrible." She said.
"Well, it had to be done." Harry said slightly annoyed. He had saved everyone's life and all Hermione did was criticize his choice of spells.
"Sorry Harry, I didn't mean it like that. I just can't believe you overpowered over 20 Deatheaters."
"Well you and everyone else helped." He said modestly.
"Harry," Ron said. "7 of us took out 6 Deatheaters. You alone overpowered 24. But what I don't get is why you let Bellatrix go but no one else."
"Because when Voldemort finds out she failed and lost 29 Deatheaters he'll torture her, a lot."
"We'll I'm just glad you're ok!" Kyla said kissing him passionately. "Seeing you get that angry and powerful is kinda scary." She said.
"Hate to interrupt you two," Moody said. "But we need to get these Deatheaters into holding cells at the ministry." He pulled a wrapper out of his pocket and handed it to Ron. "This will take you and the girls home," he said.
"What about Harry?" Kyla asked.
"Potter's going to stay and help us clean up this mess," he smiled menacingly at Harry. "As I think you've seen, if anything goes wrong he can look after himself." The four of them took the portkey and were transported back leaving Harry with Moody, Kingsley and Mr. Weasley.
"So why am I here?" Harry asked. "You don't need my help with getting them to the ministry."
"Because I don't think you're ready to go back and face the questions from everyone." Moody gave Harry a rare smile. "Let your friends fill everyone in. You'll be getting a lot of publicity soon enough. No one has ever overpowered 24 Deatheaters. Dumbledore has had you trained well. No Auror can do what you've just done, and you only have minor injuries. You're about to become a beacon for the whole Wizarding world. With you and Dumbledore, the dark lord would be stupid to attack anytime soon."
"Great, more publicity. Can't I leave and you three can take the credit? I just want to go back to Grimuland place and get some rest." Harry said exasperatedly.
"You think we want the publicity? You did the impossible so you can reap the glory. But for now just bind the Deatheaters before some of them come round."
Harry was walking around binding the Deatheaters until he came to the two that were dead. The ones he had killed. They were surrounded in blood that had poured out from their neck. I'm a murderer he thought but he felt only a twinge of remorse. They had dedicated their lives to evil he reasoned, I am doing the world justice. He turned his attention to the last group of Deatheaters when one of them reached out a hand and grabbed Harry's leg. Immediately he felt the familiar tugging sensation of a portkey.
