Chapter 09 Burning in the dark
…
It was late night, or early morning depending how you looked at it. 2:00 a.m. was an ungodly hour by any definition, which is what made it so perfect.
The team waited out of sight at the edge of the property. It was a blind spot. Sirius had found it on one of his numerous scouting trips and it now served to hide them as they waited.
"Do you think he's alright?"
Harry looked at Hermione who looked back pensively, "He's fine."
He was an untested quantity Harry knew, but he did not doubt his resolve or tenacity. If Dobby said he could do it, Harry believed him.
"It's just, it's been so long already."
"Only five minutes" Harry replied.
"How do you know that."
"I've been counting the seconds."
A round of titters came from the back which only got worse when Hermione turned to glare at them.
"Oh honestly" she huffed indignantly.
"Why so nervous Hermione?" It wasn't like her to be so fidgety.
"We've never fought these many wizards at once before. Are we really sure we can do this?"
"Your mistake is equating the quality of wizards in there to those we've battled in the past" said Harry.
"Yeah. What he said" Ron piped in.
"You have no idea what he just said" Ruby chided playfully.
"Still know he's right" Ron insisted.
"Put simply. With a few exceptions the wizards in there have never been in a real fight in their lives. Certainly not recently. They're bullies, running around terrorizing a populace too frightened to even fight back."
"I 'spose" Hermione acknowledged begrudgingly.
"Besides, we're not here to fight them" Harry added.
"We're not?" that's not what he'd been told, thought Sirius.
"No" said Harry, "we're here to kill them."
"And master shall do so gloriously."
Half the group jumped at the elf's silent appearance.
"All done?"
Dobby nodded, "All elves is out. Master may proceed."
With a snap Dobby was gone and Harry turned to those assembled. They were an odd group for certain. But all experienced in mayhem and destruction.
Despite that Harry couldn't help feeling handicapped. He'd never gone into battle with Sirius or the twins. And those he had campaigned with before were under armed compared to what they'd normally be.
Sera of course was the exception and was to play a pivotal role in the assault.
"Begin phase 2" he said, nodding to Sera and Luna.
The two disappeared into the darkness and once again they waited.
"You know, if I hadn't seen it myself I'd have never believed that sweet little girl was actually a dragon" Sirius commented.
"Sweet? Ha! You've never felt her frying pan" Ron groused.
"Aw, is Wonnikins afraid of the little girl."
"Such shame he brings to the Weasley name."
Ron turned to tell his brothers off when a massive shadow passed by overhead.
"On your toes everyone, here we go."
They'd learned a lot of techniques for assaulting magical strongholds throughout their time in the Underdark. It had only taken one casual conversation with Bill Weasley to confirm this one would work.
Sera carried several massive stones coated in cold forged iron. Cold forged iron being the most magically null material in existence combined with the sheer mass of the boulder created for the perfect ward smasher. Normally this wouldn't be plausible since they'd need something to throw their ward smashers at the wards.
The problem was solved by having their black dragon carry them over the target and simply drop them, letting gravity do the work for them.
The first one hit, lighting up the protective dome and draining massive amounts of energy as it slowly sank through. The second and third hit in close succession, eliciting an ominous crack from the failing protections. Number four finished the job dropping the wards and allowing all the massive stones to fall to the ground.
The fifth, while not needed to smash the wards, was dropped on the house itself, tearing a long fat line from the roof all the way to the flowerbeds across the face of the wall.
"Wards are down, wait for the strafe."
Sera flew in fast and low leaving a streak of flame in her wake. The blazing trail tore through the garden and bisected the manor. Without any of its magical protection it quickly began to burn.
"That's it. Everyone into positions, now!"
Ron blasted a massive hole in the wall and everyone was through without a moment pause.
Fred and George taking Lucinda and Mooneria apparated strait into the garden which they then proceeded to booby trap at alarming speed. Sirius as a dog vanished into the dark, he had his mission and he fully intended to see it done.
Ruby stood guard near the wall where Hermione remained as their fallback point. She had all their supplies as well as their emergency exit strategy, so they couldn't have her running around.
That left Harry and Ron who calmly walked up to Malfoy Manor.
"You ready?" Harry asked, holding up a medium sized phial full of viscous red liquid.
"Put it up" Ron replied.
Harry threw it in a long arc toward the manor and Ron waited till it began to descend before exploding it with a fireball. The phial shattered, spray its contents, now alight, all over the side of the building where it clung like gel and began burning through the wall.
"Always wanted to burn this place down" Ron said like he was commenting on the weather.
"Who says dreams don't come true" Harry quipped.
A series of cracks indicated the battle had begun and all mirth vanished from their demeanor.
"See you when this is over Harry."
Harry nodded and the two parted ways. They each had their own part to play in this attack.
Ron marched toward the ever-growing number of apparition cracks back toward the garden. The screaming had already started by the time he arrived.
With mask and cloak it was impossible to make out an identity. Ron was fine with that. Cannon fodder had no need of a face.
A Death eater appeared not five feet in front of him and was swallowed up by a fireball before they could even raise their wand. A chain of lightning ended five more before he drew agro and had to find cover.
The twins had done a fabulous job with the garden, turning it into a playground of pain and death. Clouds of darkness hid portable swamps, oversized bear traps, even spike filled pits. The destruction of their opening assault had also created a substantial amount of rubble which had been used to construct makeshift barricades.
They may have been a couple of goofs, but they'd really come through on this. Not that he'd ever tell them of course, heads were big enough as it was.
A roaring crash signaled the fire was doing its job. A scream like an angry banshee, Ron peeked over his protection to see a crazed looking woman with wild hair shouting at a pair of faceless Death eaters.
He pitched a fireball their direction, catching the two canon fodder wizards with his spell and knocking the crazy on her ass.
He quickly wished it'd been the other way around when she started hurling curses at him with frightening speed and power. His little wall was about done when the barrage suddenly stopped.
He chanced a look and smiled at what he saw. The mad woman was gaping like a fish, completely silent. The reason for this being the arrow in her neck.
"Bellatrix!"
The lord of the manner staggered into the garden looking ruffled and furious. The shocked woman turned to look at him then fell forward, face planting into the cobbles, another arrow sticking out the back of her head.
Lucius was shocked, shocked and enraged beyond words.
"Where are you! Show yourself!"
Harry didn't, but responded with an arrow. Lucius was surprisingly quick, but it did him no good. His magical shield was designed to stop spells not arrows. The projectile slid through the shield like it wasn't there and buried itself in the mans shoulder.
He screamed in pain, dropping his wand and staggering back. The follow-up took him in the other shoulder and drove him to his knees. The proud man screamed in pain and impotent fury. A flash of green silenced him.
A frightened silence fell as the Dark lord stepped onto the scene. Despite the mayhem around him he appeared fully in control. His steps were brisk, confident. His gaze swept contemptuously over the battle field, looking for someone to curse.
"Is that all?" he said, "All this and you can't even come out to greet me when I arrive."
"Welcome."
His wand was on the hooded speaker with viper swiftness. The hooded man did not so much as flinch.
"Who are you?" the Dark lord demanded.
The hood was casually pulled back and the Dark lord stared in disbelief.
"Harry Potter."
"You were expecting Dumbledore perhaps?"
The Dark lord glared thoughtfully at his opponent, "No, I suppose not. Dumbledore never had the stomach for, this" he said, gesturing at the fire and destruction surrounding them.
"Bet you didn't think I did either."
"Indeed, it seems a long way from the frightened boy who ran away from our last encounter. Are you planning to stay this time or having thrown down your gauntlet will you be running away again?"
Harry smiled, "I didn't start this party just to leave before we've had 'our' dance."
"Harry" Ron called.
"Phase 3 people" Harry shouted, "Clear out."
Voldemort glanced briefly at the retreating raiders, "Gryffindor to the very end. You truly intend to take me on alone?"
"Already killed all your lieutenants" said Harry, "Don't see any more of your faceless minions to get in my way. Just you, and me."
"Ah, how poetic. Like something out of a storybook."
"If this is a storybook, you should know how it ends. Good wins."
"Only until the sequel" the Dark lord quipped.
"We're already on volume two from where I'm standing. I don't see any reason to make a trilogy out of this."
"For shame Harry. There is a power in certain numbers that you ignore at your own peril. But if you insist, we shall end 'our' story here."
The Dark lord gave a grand elegant bow. Harry, unlike the last time, returned it.
The night held its breath, an eternity in an instant, waiting for someone to make the first move.
It was simultaneous. The spell was cast swift and silent and the small handful of darkness hit the ground to obscure its target. The arrow that came flying at him a moment later suggested it had missed.
"Is this how you intend to fight me Harry? Like a muggle."
The cloud of darkness surged forward and the Dark lord apparated a short distance to avoid being caught in the unknown cloud.
"You'll be just as dead, regardless how I choose to fight you."
The voice came from the concealing cloud, but it was so large now the Dark lord couldn't be sure exactly where. An arrow gave him a target and he flippantly banished a bit of rubble into its path before preparing to retaliate.
His spell was aborted when the arrow connected with his make shift shield and erupted into yet another cloud of darkness. Frantically he apparated again, not wishing to be fully blinded.
Two more arrows came at him and he made another quick jump instead of risking a shield.
"Good Harry. It seems you've learned something since our last encounter."
"A great deal in fact."
The Dark lord grinned and threw a vicious looking pink ribbon of a spell at the voice.
He staggered when the arrow pierced his shoulder. An arrow that did not come from the large cloud where it should have.
"Impossible!"
"You think so?"
The Dark lord spun when the voice came from behind him, so he never saw the arrow that took him in the thigh.
"Where are you looking Tom?"
With an enraged scream the Dark lord summoned a massive serpent of flame. The serpent roared and dove into the black cloud, devouring the weaker magic with its flaming form.
It found nothing in the large cloud and made quick work of the others. Nothing.
"Where… where are you?"
The sword that suddenly burst from his chest answered his question.
His concentration broken, the flaming serpent flickered then vanished. The Dark lord fell to his knees, the sword withdrawing in the process.
He saw the feet come around from behind and despite his strength fleeing with his life's blood, he looked up at his nemesis.
"You… you think you've won?"
"Not yet, but in a moment" Harry said.
"That sword?"
"The Sword of Gryffindor" Harry explained, "much nicer than my last one I must say."
"How?"
"We had 'someone' on the inside."
Voldemort gave a weary sigh at the younger mans cocksure grin, "This isn't over you know. I will come back. Death has no dominion over me."
"You may be right" Harry acknowledged, raising the sword, "but we planned for that."
The sword came down, removing head from neck with insulting ease. Barely a moment later a vile spirit flew from the corpse, right at Harry.
Harry smiled when the spirit struck his charms aura. All according to plan. They hadn't had time to find and bind another soul eater like the one they'd used on the other Voldemort.
Instead they simply chose to capture and bind the Dark lord, his spirit anyway. The whole plan hinged on the Dark lord's soul striking out at Harry once he was dead. Harry, knowing Voldemort, was confident he would do exactly that, provided there were no other likely targets within reach.
The charm drew out most of his magic to forcibly bind the angry spirit but after the longest minute in history, it was done.
Harry was panting after the rapid drain of his magic, but that didn't stop him from grinning like an idiot at the same time.
"Well that wasn't so bad. Certainly less painful than the last time."
It took some effort to raise his exhausted arm and give the signal to the still circling Seraphina to initiate phase 4. With the battle over, it was time to get out of there before someone showed up and stared asking questions like, what the hell happened here, and who's gonna pay for all this?
Yeah, he really didn't want to be around for that.