Chapter X: Vigilantes...
Harry woke up earlier than everyone else the next morning. He wanted to head out and apparate to Potter Estate before the students made it to Kings Cross. The goal was to be away from the Estate, the current station for the leaders of the Guardians of Light, before Ron and the others returned. With the summer break starting, the Weasleys and Grangers were going to be staying at Potter Estate. It was the safest place for anyone, and also made it more convenient for when GL duties came up.
Leaving the doors of Hogwarts for what could very well be the last time, he made the short walk out of the grounds and passed the boundaries of the school's wards. Apparating away, he returned to his home. Sirius was waiting.
"So, you sure this is what you want to do?" Sirius asked. He had been directing Dobby and Winky on what rations to give them. Neither of the two men knew when they would be returning.
"Its not a matter of what I want to do. It's what has to be done. Voldemort needs to be defeated. His followers need to be stopped. The rate things are going now, that will take years, if ever. Someone needs to step up and take care of business. No one can equal my power and skill, and with your advancements since the Veil, I'd say you're around the same level as Dumbledore himself. There's no one better suited to what I have in mind."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, my young friend. Let's pack and get a move on. Sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back. This whole Dark Lord thing is seriously cutting into my social life." Sirius joked.
"Hmmm...I always thought that the whole Azkaban thing, or better yet even dying itself would have been the biggest drag. But I guess I was wrong. Sirius without any ladies...what a shame." Harry responded.
The two shrunk and packed enough supplies into two backpacks charmed to magically expand inside, easily fitting anything they might need. The Weasley twin's new inventions, a magical tent, two broomsticks, and Harry's cloak all found a place within the packs. As the Hogwart's Express pulled into Kings Cross station, two black motorcycles left the Estate, and Harry and Sirius were gone.
3 months later...
It had been a hectic summer for Ron Weasley. Following Harry's guidance from before he took off to who knows where, Ron did his best to lead the Guardians of Light. The main goal was to set up a series of safe houses, much like Number 12, Grimmauld Place had been. Any victims of attack, or those rumored to be targeted where taken to these locations for medical attention or safekeeping. St. Mungo's or even the Ministry were out of the question, it wasn't clear how far Voldemort's spies reached.
Albus Dumbledore had been a great help. Passing on some of his wisdom from leading the Order, he helped Ron catch any mistakes before he made them, but still let Ron run things the way he saw fit.
No one had heard from Harry or Sirius. It was like the two had disappeared from the Earth. Occasionally several sightings were rumored, usually taking place right after an attack was thwarted. The strange part was that the Guardians weren't the ones doing the thwarting. responding to alerts, they would arrive onto the scene only the attacking Death Eaters already knocked out or dead, left waiting as if they were Christmas presents just waiting to be unwrapped. While many theories were being tossed about, Ron knew Harry's mission was at least marginally successful.
It had been a hectic summer for Harry and Sirius. Nights were spent in shady bars and taverns, always under disguise. People seemed to talk more freely when alcohol were involved. Several low-class attack plans were given up by suspected Death Eaters when drunk. Using this information, the two of them were usually lying in wait for the attack's arrival, and so far had prevented any loss of life while capturing handfuls of Death Eaters. It wasn't much, but if things kept going as they were, it could make a big difference in the long run. The odds very gradually were evening out.
One of the pair's first stops had been Azkaban Island. With the Dementors going over to Voldemort's side, and the limited number of Aurors needed elsewhere, the prison had been left over. The last of the dark wizards had returned to Voldemort's service the same time the Dementors had left.
Walking through the dark corridors, Harry could feel the despair and misery still lingering in the air. Even though he hadn't wanted to come, he felt it necessary. He needed to get a sense for the escaped convicts. Feeling the auras they had left behind, he was feeling a deeper understanding of what drove them to do what they did. While on his journey through Azkaban, he made sure to avoid the cell Sirius spent twelve years in. That was one road he wasn't prepared to travel down. Harry's mission completed, Sirius was more than happy when they left the island.
Sirius was starting to become worried about Harry. The young man had become like a man possessed, dedicated to nothing but completing the mission. Harry was beating himself up pretty badly, frustrated that despite their efforts they weren't doing enough. Sirius personally couldn't see how they could do anything more. Every night they were in a different tavern, hitting up suspicious characters. A new town every other day. Sleep was a rare commodity between the two of them. The hours of the day were either spent in taverns, out scouting known Death Eater houses, or acting upon information they had gathered. Almost a dozen attacks had been prevented by Harry and Sirius, many lives saved in the process. And yet, Harry still felt like it wasn't enough.
September 1st was rapidly approaching, and for the first time in almost seven years, Harry wasn't preparing himself to return to Hogwarts. He knew that the time for schooling had long since passed. There was nothing left for him to learn from school. He could no longer pass the time with Quidditch and Hogsmeade visits. He was where he was needed, out there doing something. He couldn't return to school, not when he was feeling a great sense of apprehension and anticipation through his connection to Voldemort. Something big was in the works.
It had been a hectic summer for Lord Voldemort. Leaving nothing to chance, he had sent out minions to step up recruiting. Having control over the Dementors and Werewolves, more dark creatures were needed. Envoys had been sent out to bring the giants fully under his wing, and so far the vampires were becoming more and more interested in what he had to say. He'd promise them anything they wanted to hear, in the end it mattered not. Once that insufferable brat Harry Potter had been defeated, there was truly nothing that could stop him and his plans for domination. Harry Potter was the key.
Harry Potter was a constant thorn in his side. Voldemort had not been foiled into believing the Veil was going to be the end of the boy. Partly cause he knew the boy had escaped seeming death once before as nothing more than a boy, but also partly due to the selfish belief that it was to be by his hand that Harry would meet his end.
So far, the Dark Lord had held back from launching any large offensives. The rout at the Department of Ministries, and then the failed attack on Hogsmeade, Voldemort had seen that overwhelming force was needed. Dark wizards from as far out as Russia had been brought in to supplement his numbers. Despite the increase in his supporters, he had noticed a series of losses suffered. Several Death Eater teams sent out to just to randomly pre-appointed targets had failed to return. Voldemort knew that somehow Harry Potter was involved, he just couldn't figure out how. As far as his spies knew, Harry had returned for the summer to the protection of his Aunt and Uncle's house on Privet Drive. Something had to be done.
"Bellatrix, Lucius." He summoned two of his top lieutenants.
"My lord?" They responded simultaneously.
"Something must be done about the Boy. My domination of the Wizarding World will not be complete while he still lives. I suspect the muggle-loving Dumbledore (he spat the word out as if it was poison) and his Order of fools helping him. We need to draw him out. This is what I want you to do...
The attack on the Ministry came without warning. One minute people were going about their business, the next they were running for their lives as a swarm of masked Death Eaters appeared in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
"Team one, secure the lifts! Team Two, head up to level one." Bellatrix ordered. Two groups split off from the rest to complete their tasks. Lucius and Bellatrix had arrived at the Ministry with close to a hundred Death Eaters. While the two teams went about their separate missions, the seventy remaining attackers took up positions to ambush the Floo fireplaces. They were counting on Potter showing up, and saw that as his most likely course of entrance.
Harry was jolted by his revere as his watch started going off. Knowing Ron had explicit instructions to only contact him in dire emergencies, it had to be something big. he looked the watch's screen.
Ministry under attack. Guardians of Light being deployed.
Grunting to himself, he kicked Sirius awake while donning his Dragonhide battle robes. The two had been out late night at a tavern, trying to draw out more information from any loose-lipped Voldemort supporters. Passing the message onto Sirius, Harry prepared a portkey to take them directly to the Ministry of Magic.
"PORTUS"
The portkey ready, Sirius placed a hand onto the glowing plate. A familiar tug behind the navel, the two were off to battle.
Harry and Sirius appeared at almost the same instant as the Guardians of Light arrived. Expecting a ragtag Order tumbling out of the Floo with Harry in tow, the Death Eaters, they weren't prepared for fifty, plus two, battle-ready wizards materializing right in their midst. A wave of Reductor curses, with several more powerful spells coming from Harry, Sirius, and Dumbledore, were fired within the first two seconds. Significant gaps were opened within the Death Eater ranks.
Lucius watched on as the mass appearance degenerated into smaller, more intense individual fights. Bellatrix was making her way towards Potter, hoping to distract him long enough for the Death Eaters to gain the upper hand. Lucius smiled to himself. So far, everything was reasonably going to plan. Pressing his finger to the Dark Mark tattooed on his left forearm, he sent the signal his master was waiting for.
Upon arrival, Hermione had taken the time to set up anti-apparition and portkey wards. No one would be escaping from this battle.
Ron had ordered Neville to take a group of fighters to retake the lifts. Upon reaching Level One, they had taken out the group of Death Eaters on that floor. It wasn't in time though. Minister Gregory Stoutfire, Fudge's replacement, along with his support staff had been killed.
Dumbledore was in the process of dispatching three Death Eaters at once, when a buzzing seemed to go off within his head. A sense of dread filled him, knowing what that buzzing meant. Quickly dropping the three opponents to the floor, he made his way to where Harry and Bellatrix were tangled up in a wicked light show.
Stepping up to be equal with Harry, Albus sent a powerful expulsion charm. Bellatrix was sent flying back to crash into a nearby wall, buying the Headmaster a precious moment to speak to Harry.
"Harry, you must go." He muttered quickly.
"Go where? I can't abandon everyone here." Harry retorted.
"This is not the true target! It's a distraction. An alarm I had set up was just set off. Voldemort is at Privet Drive."
Harry was torn. Part of him hoped the Dursleys got what was coming to them, it was less than what they deserved for what they had put him through. Despite that, he knew he couldn't just leave them to their fate. His entire purpose was to protect the innocent, no matter who it was. His Aunt Petunia was the last living link to his mother. Making the decision, he growled in frustration, and left Dumbledore to take care of Bellatrix.
'Sirius, we have to go! Voldemort's gone after the Dursleys.'
'Umm...I don't know if you've noticed, but there are wards in place. We're not going anywhere.'
'Get your ass over here.' Looking over to where he thought Harry was, he saw a Black Phoenix with the brightest green eyes flying his way. Realizing the plan, Sirius reached out and held on to Harry's tail feathers. With a flash of fire, the two were gone.
Reverting directly onto the front yard of Number 4 Privet Drive, Harry saw Voldemort standing in front of ten of his Death Eaters, who were holding the Dursleys at wandpoint.
"Ah, Harry Potter. How lovely of you to join us." Voldemort antagonized.
'I'll take the big man. Free them.' Harry thought to Sirius.
"How pathetic of you, Voldemort. If you wanted to chat this desperately, all you had to do was ask." Harry responded to the taunt as the two began to circle each other.
Noticing the attention had drifted off of their captives and towards the circling combatants, Sirius apparated directly between the three Dursleys. The distinct smell of feces was coming from Dudley, apparently the frightened teen had soiled himself. Waving his wand, clearing the mess away to avoid getting any on himself, Sirius directed Petunia to wrap her arms around his neck, while taking the two males by the arm. He apparated again, taking the four of them to a safer location fifty feet away.
Harry sensed what Sirius was doing. Playing the part of distraction, he began unleashing spell after spell in the Dark Lord's direction. Soon Harry was put onto the defensive as Voldemort started returning his fire. He managed to either doge or shield himself.
"Is that the best you've got, Tom? I've seen first-years with better spellwork." Harry was trying to buy time, knowing as soon as things were cleared up at the Ministry Dumbledore would be headed here.
"Don't call me that name! Tom Riddle is dead, and Lord Voldemort has taken his place to become the most feared Wizard ever. Now, let us see who really is the better here." And with that, the two were joined in battle.
Sirius was being kept busy. The Death Eaters had soon realized that they were no longer guarding anyone, and attempted to retake the Dursleys. Sirius had managed to drive them back, even further away from their targets, but ten on one was never good odds.
Harry barely noticed Sirius' struggle. All of his attention was focused on Tom Marvolo Riddle. Unleashing the full extent of his power, Harry was doing all he could to avoid being struck by one of the many spells sent his way.
"REDUCTOR!" Harry fired at an unguarded spot. Voldemort was struck on the thigh, and retreated back several steps in surprise. Someone had actually scored a hit on the dreaded wizard, and drawn blood too. Harry took the opportunity to glance over at Sirius who was managing to hold his own. It would only be a matter of time before Dumbledore arrived.
Time seemed to slow down as a green bolt missed Sirius but continued on to where the Dursleys watched on in horror. Barely thinking, Harry did the only thing that came to mind and apparated right in front of his relatives. Sirius could only watch in horror as the killing curse struck Harry high in the chest. Harry flew back several feet and collapsed in a heap. Sirius barely noticed the manic laugh coming from Voldemort, or the remaining Death Eaters running by him and to Harry's body. He was frozen in shock at what he had just witnessed.
Soon after Harry had left the Ministry, Bellatrix and Lucius had escaped using the Floo's the Death Eaters had been guarding. With their departure, it was just a matter of mopping up the leftovers. Once the last had fallen, Hermione had quickly taken down her wards. Dumbledore gathered Ron, Neville, Ginny, and five others. With a quick "PORTUS", they took off for Privet Drive.
They appeared at the Dursley residence in time to see Voldemort apparate away. The four remaining Death Eaters had each grabbed hold of one of Harry's limbs. With a loud crack, the four had departed, carrying the body of Harry Potter.