Harry Potter & the Price of Mercy
by: NecessaryEvil
Chapter Eleven: Harbingers
Disclaimer: They aint mine, foo.
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers.
Now on with the show.
Harry met Cho in the entrance hall that Saturday morning. They exchanged greetings and made their way past Filch and down the grounds toward Hogsmeade. This was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year and it seemed that the students were taking advantage of it. There were thousands of students milling about. Harry could see Sayouri dragging the falsely bored Ron into a robe shop down the way, but didn't immediately move to join him.
He and Cho first went to Zonko's and picked up some fun stuff and then Cho dragged him to the robe shop. Ron was still there even though it had been over an hour, but he looked content enough and as Harry followed his eyes he could see why, Sayouri was modeling a dress robe for him, a spectacularly beautiful on at that. Harry followed Cho to a counter where the clerk was asking Cho some questions, finally she asked, "Do you think those two would mind being fitted at the same time as you two?"
Harry answered this one, "I don't think those two would notice, they're in a world of their own,"
***
The clerk led Harry and Cho into dressing rooms where the were dressed in white sheets. When they were done the clerk asked which one of them would like to go first. Cho volunteered Harry so Harry followed the clerk up to the stand right next to where Sayouri was standing. Harry stopped paying attention as Cho and the clerk discussed what would look best on him as he didn't have any preference as long as it didn't have frills.
Finally the clerk changed the sheet into a black robe with red designs in the forms of two lions. Cho made a few comments and suddenly it turned into a coat in Asian fashion with the same design and black pants. Cho made another comment and the red darkened to a nice crimson and the design continued on onto the pants. Harry was becoming amazed with this outfit, after a final comment which turned the lining dark gold Harry was led off the stand and Cho was led up, just as Ron and Sayouri also changed places.
The clerk asked Harry a few questions, but when she discovered that Harry had know clue about clothing she began asking Cho all of the questions. Cho's robes went through many incarnations, but she finally decided on a red robe with black eagle designs going up the sides. It was sleeveless and looked more like a dress than a robe to him, but it was very breathtaking seeing Cho in it, so he wasn't able to comment.
***
Harry paid for his robes and offered to pay for the others, but they all politely turned him down. The four of them left together and headed for the Three Broomsticks where they found a booth in the back and enjoyed their Butterbeers. After that they began making their way back to the school, but their trip was blocked by the appearance of thirty people dressed in red coats and black pants, many of them pointing their wands at Harry, but some of them weren't wizards, in fact most seemed not to be. Harry barely took notice that they were led by a guy who looked about 19 with gray hair, before he took off into an adjoining alley.
Several blasts followed him and so did several of the attackers. He was able to stun five of them before one of them disarmed him and they started surrounding him, he could see his friends lying unconscious behind his attackers. He went over his options in his mind; he couldn't transform into a tiger because then he would be unable to grasp his wand if he found it in the battle, he couldn't fight back physically because he was seriously out numbered, there was only one option left.
Harry raised his arm and began to concentrate his energy and emotions into the palm of his hand. He pictured his mind forcing the power out and watched as a blast of raw offensive magic blasted through three of his attackers. They fell defeated and Harry quickly used the shock to take out five more and pick up his wand from the wizard who had taken it, he blasted right past the group with minimal power so as not to cause too much destruction and by the time they turned back to where he had been standing he was gone and when they turned to his friends they were gone too.
***
Harry woke Cho, Ron, and Sayouri and they started to dash off back towards the school hoping to get away while the enemy were still distracted. They were almost up to the grounds when the guy that Harry had earlier decided was the leader of the group dropped out of an over hanging tree and blocked their path. He wore a batwing shaped scimitar on his back and was well built, unlike the others he wore a gray sleeveless vest and blue pants.
"You're not getting away that easily Potter," he spat.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, "Who are you,"
"I am Riku, one of the generals of the Harbingers,"
"And why do you want me dead?"
"Enough talk scum. Your death comes now," and with that Riku drew his sword and lunged at Harry.
A/N: Dum duh duh...tune in next time for the conclusion.
