A/N: Yes, I'm still alive. Finally completed this chapter enough I am going to post it. Thank you all for being so patient and sticking with the story.
Tellijo: sorry for that slip about Harry being surprised about the horcrux. one of the pitfalls of writing. I have gone back and re-read my previous chapters and hope I did better this time. I may go back and fix it later.
HaywireEagle: The fast pace so far is on purpose. I never did like the whole slogging around through the countryside part of Deathly Hallows. I don't think that once he was actually in the open, Voldemort would have waited as long as in the books to act.
Temporal Knight: Thank you for the mention!
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own any of the characters or places of either Harry Potter, or any other recognizeable source. They are the propery of their respective authors.
Chapter 11
Tom Riddle, self-titled 'Lord' Voldemort (though he would kill you for daring to call him by name), stared intently into the eyes of the dead man before him. It didn't matter that Rodolphus was breathing and somewhat cognizant, he was a dead man. And he knew it. Voldemort had arrived just minutes ago to find half of the building collapsed, Lucius dead, and Rodolphus dying. Only his superior abilies in mind magics allowed him to block out the pain dominating Rodolphs' mind while sifting through the dying man's memory of events in the ruin of Malfy Manor.
Rabastan LeStrange stood at his Lord's shoulder, looking anxiously at his afflicted brother. When he had arrived and seen the state of the manor he feared he would find something like this. He knew his brother was an accomplished wizard, but the destruction he saw was impressive. Hopefully his Lord could aid his brother. Rabastan looked to his Lord, and was surprised to see him turn and walk down the hall.
"My Lord?" he called after Voldemort before, after one last glance at his brother, he sprinted down the hall to the man who did not even pause at Rabastan's hail. "Is there anything that can be done for him?" His plea was practically a whine. Any remaining hope died when Voldemort broke out with a low, dark chuckle.
"No." He hissed, his voice more snakelike than human. Shivers ran down Rabastan's back at the sound. "And even if there were, I wouldn't. The fool deserves what he got, letting Potter and his wives get the drop on him." More concerning to him than the failure of yet another toadie was the absense of his familiar Nagini. She was nowhere to be found and he could no longer feel his connection to her. She may have been under the collapsed portion of the building, possibly trapped though he expected worse due to his bout of weakness at Gregorovich's. He would need to get the rat to search through the debris.
Rabastan stopped in his tracks. "Potter?"
"Call a meeting, all who bear my mark must attend." Voldemort replied without stopping. "And find Wormtail. I have need of his...unique abilities." Voldemort's voice drifted back as he turned the corner of the hall heading for lucius' office.
Harry sat back in the chair at his desk in the study of Number 12 Grimmauld Place and tiredly rubbed his eyes. The study was like the rest of Number 12, dreary. Apparently the Blacks took their name to heart as nearly all of the decor was unrelieved black. And when there was color in the house, it was almost gauranteed to be Slytherin green and silver. His wing back desk chair was one of those exceptions with emerald green upholstry and silver snake accents on the dark stained, almost black wood. In front of the large, surprisingly plain dark stained desk was a large fur rug. Made from some animal, the species of which was long lost to history (even Kreacher couldn't identify it) the long fur had been difficult to clear of occupying dark creatures. Opposite the rug was the massive fireplace with Mantel, it's size indicating that the study had at one time enjoyed it's own Floo connection.
He had been awake all night following their retrieval of Bellatrix and Narcissa, and the lack of sleep was showing. So much had happened the previous day, he was exhausted and should have retired as soon as he got home. Instead here he was, just a few hours following their impromptu meeting in the Chamber, searching the Black library. At least he didn't have to try waking up in time to catch the Express back to Hogwarts in the morning.
Immediately following their return home Harry, his wives, Hermione and Ron met in the study to discuss what had happened after he was hit by the killing curse.
-Flashback-
"Master of Death huh?" Ron snorted in disbelief. "What, do you get cool powers with it, like immunity from the killing curse? Could you eat poison like candy"
"Oooh, would that make you a true 'Death Eater'?" Nym bounced on the sofa, clapping her hands like an overexcited child.
"Ok, ok." Harry held up his hands in defeat. "I know we didn't think this was real, but apparently it is."
"But 'ow?" Fleur asked. "You 'ave ze wand and ze cloak, but where ees ze stone? And why does the wand now zee you as eet's master? You zaid earlier eet was hostile to you."
"According to Death, I won the wand when I beat Malfoy."
"Malfoy?!" Ron exclaimed, his shock echoed on Hermione's face.
"Makes sense." Nym nodded her head thoughtfully. Harry was again surprised at how quickly she could switch between frivolous and serious. "Didn't you tell us that Draco was the one to disarm Dumbledore on the top of the tower?" Nym asked Harry.
Harry nodded. "The only thing which kept Draco from killing Dumbledore was Draco's lack of conviction to Riddle, and Dumbledore knew it." Harry said, realization dawning on him. "He knew Draco beat him."
"And Draco must have acknowledged that you beat him in the study." Hermione nodded, connecting things in her mind. "But why didn't the wand pass to Lucius?"
"Death said it had something to do with me not dying." Harry shrugged, still a little uncomfortable talking about his near death. "Since I didn't die, he saw it as me defeating him. And now it listens to me, almost eagerly. Apparently I already had the stone, even if I don't know where it is." Harry paused in thought, then an idea struck him. "Dumbledore knew about this, all of it." He turned to Hermione. "He left us clues in his will. You the book, and me..."
"The snitch!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry, eyes wide, drew the snitch from his pants pocket where he had been keeping it. It's wings spread and flapped slowly. "But if something were hidden in it, it should have opened when you first touched it. Snitches have flesh memories you know, that's why each Quidditch game has to have a new one." Ron looked at Hermione with a new found awe, impressed that she knew something about quiddich.
"I didn't catch it Hermione." Harry said after a moment of thought. "I nearly swallowed it."
"Alright loverboy." Nym's broad grin took the bite out of her tease. "Pucker up and give it a smooch."
Harry pressed his lips to the small goldern ball, the flapping wings tickling his cheeks. When his lips made contact with the cold metal of the snitch, Harry heard a slight click. When he pulled back, he saw that the snitch had split along the equator and hinged open. Pushing the top open with his thumb, Harry's gaze fell upon the Gaunt family ring, the stone cracked where Dumbledore had exorcised the horcrux.
"That's..." Hermione began.
"The Gaunt ring." Harry finished. " They thought it was Slytherin's family ring, but it's obviously older than that."
"How did nobody ever figure out what this thing really was?" Ron asked gesturing at the ring resting in Harry's hand. "I mean, wouldn't somebody along the way have had a nervous habit, fiddled with it, and Auntie Bertha's ghost showed up?"
"Well think about it Ron," Nym suggested, shrugging. "The Burrow has a ghoul living in the attic, Hogwarts has how many ghosts? They are common enough in the wizarding world I doubt anyone would have associated that with the stone on the ring."
"What is that mark on the stone?" Hermione, who had been scrutinizing the ring, asked suddenly. "It is written in the margin of the book too."
"The sign of the Deatly Hallows." Luna's reply surprised everyone, they had not noticed that she was in the room with them. "Daddy has been studying the lore of the Deathly Hallows for a long time. He says it represents the wand, stone, and cloak. Some people think it was created after Beedle the Bard published the story, but Daddy thinks it was created by the brothers themselves to commemorate their defeat of death."
"Yes," Fleur agreed. "Eet ees also ze mark used by Grindelwald during what the muggles called World War 2." Fleur explained.
"Yes," Luna agreed sadly. "Many times scholars appropriate the symbols of the cultures they study. Unfortunately they often do irrepairable damage to the reputation of those symbols through their actions."
"So this is the Peverell ring, not the Slytherin ring" Harry mused. "I wonder." Harry pointed the Eder Wand at the ring. "Repairo." Harry watched as the fissure in the stone closed, leaving a smooth surface.
"Why fix it Harry?" Hermioine's confusion at his actions evident.
"I intend to repair the damage Tom has done to my family." He shrugged. "This seems like as good of a place as any to start."
-End Flashback-
"Still at eet 'Arry?" Fleur's drowsy voice roused him from his recollections.
Harry looked up to see his wife framed in the doorway. Her night gown clinging to her slender form, one hand resting on the door frame, the other over her mouth as she stiffled a yawn. Even half asleep, she was a vision of beauty. He shifted his attentioin to the clock over the mantle, and groaned as he saw it read four in the morning. It had only been six hours since they had invaded, and destroyed, Malfoy manor.
"Just trying to find any hints about how the Dark Mark works." He put the book aside and rose to join her as she turned to head back to bed. Harry placed his arm around his wife's waist and together they began to climb the stairs to their room past the plaques on the wall, now sporting muggle style portraits of the former Black family elves in place of the gruesome display of petrified heads.
'I have to remember to congratulate Kreacher on a job well done.' Harry mused. The old Elf had made significant progress in his attitude, but Harry had learned quickly that 'Thanks' left Kreacher confused while praise for good work as heartily accepted.
Along the way he passed Regulus' old room, where Bellatrix was staying. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Luna, and Ollivander had returned with Harry and company while Draco, still being an insufferable prat, had been left in the Chamber. Harry wondered idly if the blonde ponce would ever come around. Luna, for some reason, seemed certain he would. Oddly Draco seemed almost ready to accompany them when Luna asked him, despite looking ready to spit on Harry when he offered housing a moment earlier. Almost as if on que, when Harry drew even with Bellatrix's room there was a cry of pain from within. Without thinking, Harry's hand was on the knob. He ripped the door open to a scene straight from 'The Exorcist'
Bellatrix lay on her bed, emerald covers thrown to the floor, writhing in agony and clawing at her left arm through her night gown. While Fleur stopped at the door, Harry rushed over to Bellatrix's side. When he touched her shoulder her eyes shot open.
"He calls..." she hissed through clenched teeth. "I won't answer again."
"Does the mark always hurt so much when you are summoned?" Harry asked apprehenively.
Bellatrix nodded, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. "When the call is not answered. It is punishment for not responding." She didn't say any more as a bright red spell hurtled past Harry and hit her. Turning, Harry saw Nym in the doorway next to Fleur, wand raised, in sweat pants and a tank top. One strap of her top sliding slightly off of her shoulder.
"I had to stun Narcissa as well." Nym informed them, lowering her wand and straightening her shoulder strap. "Hopefully when they wake up enough time will have passed not to continue torturing them."
Harry turned to Fleur. "Tomorrow we start looking for ways to remove that mark." Fleur nodded once as Harry stood straight and walked toward the door and his wives.
"Eef stunning zem is ze only way to relieve ze pain, 'ow weel Draco fair?" Fleur asked as they left Bellatrix's room and continued back to their own.
"Serves the little toe rag right." Nym grated, irritated to be woken up this early. "Maybe by the time he suffers a little he'll get his head out of his arse."
Peter Pettigrew's lifeless eyes stared at the assembled Death Eaters, his snapped neck allowing his head to roll limply. Severus had seen many people subjected to the Cruciatus for extended periods of time. Yet this was the first he had seen someone convulse hard enough to snap their own neck. Not that he would mourn the dead betrayer of Lilly, but still...
The rat animagus had only followed Voldemort's command to find his snake familiar in the wreckage of Malfoy Manor. When he had returned with news that Nagini was dead, crushed beneath several tons of stone, his fate was sealed. His screams had echoed through the halls of what remained of the home, rising in frequency and pitch to a screech until finally settling into a high, piercing keening. The pitiful sound only stopping when the convulsions snapped his neck.
Now, Voldemort had ordered the body to remain where it was while they planned his retaliation. Severus wasn't sure which was worse, the morbid display of the consequences of disappointing the Dark Lord, or the depravity of the plan which was evolving. He stared into the lifeless eyes of Wormtail and made a decision.
-LEMON WARNING!-
Harry awoke to the pleasant feeling of two very naked, very feminine bodies pressed against him. He smiled, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. With all that had happened in the month since their marriage he had not been able to devote much time to his wives. In fact, since their wedding night, their only liason had been their little excursion at Hogwarts. And Professor McGonnegal's interruption had left his wives quite pent up.
With a smirk, Harry turned to the left and pulled Fleur closer to himfor a passionate kiss before he began nibbling on her earlobe. A sleepy, pleased moan issued from Fleur and she turned her head slightly in encouragement. Slowly Harry shifted lower, trailng kisses down Fleur's neck from behind her ear to her pulse point. Here he paused for a moment, applying a light suction as Fleur's eyelids fluttered open. He felt her heartbeat quicken beneath his lips.
Harry detached his lips from Fleur's shapely neck, to her whine of dissapointment, and turned to his other wife. Nym's eyes were already open, having been awakened by the movement of her other bed mates. Harry leaned forward and attacked her pulse point directly. Nym raised her left hand to the back of Harry's head, pressing him into her. Her right arm reached across him and her hand slid down his side to his hip. Harry groaned as her hand slipped into his boxers, having been too tired the previous early morning to remove them, and took a firm grip of his rapidly rising bishop.
Harry slid lower in the bed, Nym's arm extending slightly so she did not lose her hold. Slowly he traced the tip of his tongue down between her breasts. He felt two slender arms wrap around him as Fler's embrace pushed her breasts into his back, her pert nipples hard little pebbles between them. With his right arm supporting his body, he brought his lips to Nym's left nipple. Fleur, reaching across both of her lovers, began to tease Nym's right nipple with a pinch and light twisting motion. Harry's left hand reached behind him and pulled Fleur's leg over his body. Once she had locked her leg over his, his hand traced back up her thigh until he met moisture. Fleur let out a strangled cry as Harry's fingers began to dance, which was promptly smothered by Nym's lips.
Oh the things that may have been, had Harry not felt a light tap on his foot which had slipped from under the bed covers when he shifted down in bed. It was tentative enough he may not have noticed but the timid, high voice which followed couldn't be ignored.
-LEMON END-
"Mister Harry Potter sir?" the unmistakable voice of Dobby called to him. Harry was almost crushed as his startled wives clenced together. It was a few moments before they were disentangled and decent enough to address the little Elf.
"Dobby? What do you need?" Harry asked as he settled himself between his wives, who had the bed sheets pulled up the their chins.
"Headmaster Greasy be sending Dobby to tell you the Express is not safe." Dobby told him, keeping his eyes diverted from the bed.
"I know the Express is not safe for me Dobby. Neither is the school." Harry explained patiently. "I'm not planning to return to Hogwarts this year."
"Pardon Dobby, mister Harry Potter sir, but warning not being for you sir but for other students. Headmaster Greasy tells Dobby that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ordered an attack."
Harry sat up a little straighter at that. He knew that Riddle would seek some retribution for the death of Nagini. Yet with the Death Eaters having control of Hogwarts, he had not expected an attack on the students. But then again, it made sense that Tom would hit where it would hurt Harry the most.
"Could he give you any details Dobby?" Nym asked in full Auror mode now.
Dobby's head bobbed up and down excitedly. "Yes Missus Black. Bad wizards will attack after the train being out of London. Headmaster Greasy says they want clear view if someone be trying to get away. He also say that all loyal to Him will be in last carriage."
"Did 'e say anyzing about wards?" Fleur asked, Dobby shook his head side to side.
"We have to assume that they will put up at least apparition wards." Nym thought out loud. "They may not bother with portkey wards since their main targets will likely be muggle-borns who don't have ready access to them." She cast a Tempus spell to find the time at 8:30 before turning back to the House Elf. "Thank you Dobby, you are a great help. Lets get dressed and get going, this opens several possibilities and we have very little time to get organized. And we have to teach Harry a new spell."
"New spell?" Harry looked at his wife in confusion.
Harry slipped aboard the Hogwarts Express, under cover of his invisibility cloak, twenty minutes before departure. He quietly moved through the train until he found Neville, reading a book, in a compartment of the second to last carriage. Harry slid the compartment door open just enough to slip through. After sliding the compartment door closed again, he stopped and took an appraising look at Neville. His dorm mate had grown over the summer, most of his chubbyness was gone and he looked to have gained several inches in height.
"Hello Harry." Neville greeted without looking .up. "Wondered if you were going to show up this year."
Surprised, Harry was quiet for a moment before, without removing his cloak, he replied. "Hello Nev. How did you know I was here?"
The Gryfindor shrugged. "I saw the door open but no one entered. No shimmer like disillution causes, and the Death Eaters wouldn't bother with invisibility cloaks anymore."
"You knew I had an invisibility cloak?"
Neville chuckled. "I've been your dorm mate for six years, don't you think I would have noticed you had an invisibility cloak by now?
Harry chuckled too. "So how was your summer?"
"Eventful. Gran was so impressed with my school performance since I got my new wand that she taught me a few spells over the summer." Neville responded, still not putting his book down. "You shouldn't be here, those Aurors out there are all Death Eaters."
"I know." Harry responded. "But this is more important. Riddle ordered an attack on the Express. As soon as it gets out into the countryside, he and the rest of the Death Eaters are going to ambush the train. All of his supporters were told to have their children stay the last car on the train, out of the way."
Neville lowered his book slightly and was silent for a long moment. "So that's why there are so many people from different houses in it. Usually it's just full of Slytherins," he mused before finally turning toward Harry. "Well, we can't let that happen now can we?"
LeStrange manor was bursting at the seams with the black robed, silver masked followers of Lord Voldemort. It was smaller than Malfoy manor had been but it was also less well known and, therefore, more secure. Not that it mattered now that the Dark Lord controlled the Ministry. Most importantly, despite more than fifteen years of neglect it was still intact making it a wonderful staging point for the attack.
Rabastan LeStrange stared at the letter with the Gringotts seal in his hand, wondering if he should tell his Lord about it. It had arrived that morning, informing him that Bellatrix would be at the bank at eleven in the morning to reclaim her dowry from the LeStrange vault. He knew that she would be allowed to remove it's value from the vault whether he was there or not. Unfortunately that was during the attack on the Hogwarts Express.
He wracked his memory, trying to remember if there was anything important the vault. He certainly hadn't put anything in there that he couldn't live without. Besides, after so many years in prison he could do without most things. Besides, they were going to hunt the bitch down anyway. They could just get anything she took back then.
With a shrug, he left the parchment on his kitchen table and joined the others preparing to apparate to the location of the ambush.
Harry stood on the front platform of the Express' lead carriage, watching the last few students board. He watched with a smirk as the form of Draco Malfoy strutted across the platform as if he owned it. He was headed for the last carriage where the other Death Eater spawn and children of sympathizers were gathered. He saw the bookends Crabbe and Goyle rush out to greet Malfoy as he boarded.
Harry couldn't help but smirk. He wondered how those gits would react if they knew that it wasn't Draco they were welcoming. Nym's position in the Slytherin's carriage was integral to their plan. She was to prevent any of them from heading into the rest of the train once they started their plans. Now he just needed the Weasleys to make their usual, late arrival.
As if his thoughts summoned them, he caught a glimpse of red hair near the concealed entrance. Arthur Weasley stepped through and onto the platform, followed by Ginny, Molly, and finally Ron. All of the pieces were beginning to fall into place.
Ron slipped from his hiding place and fell into step behind his mother as she stepped through the entrance to platform 9 3/4. He had waited until all of his family had passed throught the barrier to avoid any dramatic displays from his mother. He loved her dearly, but she had a definite tendancy for the theatric. Once through he immediately noticed the guard of 'Aurors' spaced around the platform. He snorted contemptously at the display, wolves in sheeps' clothing.
Ahead of him, he saw Ginny turn to give her mother a kiss goodbye. She froze momentarily as she caught sight of her brother, but a quick shake of his head kept her from saying anything. She gave her mother a fierce embrace before grabbing the strap of her trunk and hurried for the Express. Ron slipped forward and, before she had time to react, gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and followed his sister toward the train. Ignoring his mother's confused "Ron?" he leapt aboard just as final whistle blew and the train began to pull away. He couldn't, however, ignore his sister who waylayed him as soon the carriage door closed behind him.
"Where have you been?!" She stopped him in the corridor with a finger in the middle of his chest. "And where are Harry and Hermione."
"Not here." Ron forestalled him. "We need to find Neville."
"This has something to do with Riddle doesn't it." Ron nodded. "We'll need to find Luna too then."
"She's at Headquarters with Hermione..."
"Who's with Hermione?" Luna's dreamy voice interrupted from behind Ron who whirled about to stare at the newly arrived blonde Witch. "Ron, it's not polite to stare. Close your mouth please."
There was an audible click as Ron did just that. "What are you doing here?" He began, then he shook his head. "Never mind, we don't have time. I have to get Neville, you two go around to the DA. Riddle is going to attack the train. We have a plan, but get them ready to protect themselves in case."
Ginny was gaping at him, then she gave herself a little shake. "What about their children on the train?"
"That's been taken care of." Ron answered shortly before he brushed past her and strode down the aisle of the accelerating train."
"Come along Ginny." Luna draped her arm over the redhead's shoulders. "I'll explain as we go."
Nym stepped into the last carriage of the Express and scanned the room with a practiced eye. Unlike most of the carriages, which had private compartments, this carriage was a single open area with seating down either side of a central aisle. It may have originally been intended as a dining car, but was currently taken over by the would-be followers of the Dark Lord. She recognized most of the children in the carriage from the Auror files on their parents, yet there were a few surprises seated among the silver and green robes. Susan Bones sat, somewhat vacantly, between a smug Theo Nott and a worried Hannah Abbott. Nym thought that the death of Susan's aunt the previous summer would have kept the girl away from the darker families. But then, Nym thought, she didn't know who had taken Susan's guardianship after her Aunt's death. Perhaps she hadn't been given a choice.
Three rows further back sat the Greengrass sisters, Daphne and Astoria. Their father had been a neutral in the Wizengamot for years, but the rest of his family had leanings toward the dark. Hell, according to the reports she had read, Daphne had been on Umbitch's Inquisitorial squad at Hogwarts last year. But how much of that was her and how much pressure from her House and Family?
There were also a few students she didn't recognize, that looked to be first years. Nym figured that if she didn't recognize them, there was a good bet they were at least half-blood. Did they know what was coming, or were they just looking for a place to sit?
She moved to sit about three rows down the aisle, every eye in the carriage watching her. She herself had been closely questioned by Crabbe and Goyle upon her arrival, thankfully she knew enough about her cousin to do a passable imersonation. The two goons themselves didn't know much of what was really happening, but they did know that there was a mandatory meeting for all who bore the mark. They also knew that Draco hadn't been there, but they accepted the explanation that it was due to Draco's mother that he hadn't attended, which wasn't exactly a lie.
After an almost agonizing wait, she felt the train begin to move. she stood up and walked to the front of the carriage. All eyes followed her again as she moved up the aisle, mimicing Draco's confident swagger. They were still on her as she turned to face the carriage. Striking her best impersonation of Draco's arrogant, disdainful posture Nym glared around the room.
"All of those who are not full supporters of the Dark Lord," she snarled. "GET OUT!" Her exclaimation was met with stunned silence before, slowly, people began moving out of the car, trailing their belongings and muttering about bullies. Nym noticed Crabbe, Goyle, and many of the other Death Eater children staring at other individuals, as if daring them to move. In a moment of inspiration, Nym turned to Draco's two goons. "Crabbe, Goyle. Eject those who are...reluctant. Maybe what happens will convince them." They grinned evily and began to forcibly remove some of the panic stricken Slytherins.
Hannah Abbot stood and attempted to pull Susan to her feet, but to no avail. Nym's eyes narrowed as Susan didn't even respond to Hannah tugging on her arm.
"Abbot." she turned to the scared Hufflepuff. "out." With another, sad look to her friend Hannah gathered her things and left.
She turned back to Susan, who was still unresponsive, and Nott. Nym mentally berrated herself for not noticing the signs. "Imperious?" she asked Nott.
Nott grinned, "Now that the Dark Lord is in power we take what we want right? Had my eye on her for years, but she wouldn't give me the time of day. Now with my Father as her guardian it was easy. Although he can't legally write a marriage agreement between two of his own charges, he can damn well make sure no one else does."
Nym nodded, thinking quickly, she didn't have much time before the train was out of town.
"She is a liability, get rid of her."Nym snarled at Nott. "You aren't good enough or powerful enough to hold an imperious. Especially on Amelia Bones' niece."
"What are you getting at?" Nott rose to his feet, wand coming to his hand.
Nym fired a hex at him causing Nott to throw a shield. It was only a stinging hex, and not particularly powerful, but it was enough. When it hit Nott's shield, the strain of holding both spells caused Nott to collapse. Before he hit the ground Susan Bones was shaking her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. She took one confused look around before she bolted for the door.
Internally Nym sighed in relief, until she felt the train pick up more speed.
Glancing out the window she saw fewer buildings and more fields opening up. She turned and made her way back to the front of the carriage, there wasn't much time left. When she turned back, making sure to stand so that the door opened away from her, a quick glimpse around showed that Crabbe and Goyle had apparently finished ejecting the reluctant followers and were in the process of waking Nott. There were quite a few empty seats, including the ones previously occupied by the Greengrass sisters.
"Now, since I missed the meeting, what's going on?" She asked the room.
A freshly awakened Nott snorted and directed a hateful look to Nym. "Rodolphus LeStrange and your Father got their arses handed to them by Potter. Both are dead." Nott's sneer almost made Nym laugh. "The Dark Lord ordered an attack the train in retalliation. Should be soon, we are all supposed to stay here to be out of the line of fire."
Nym began to laugh. "Potter didn't get Rodolphus, Bellatrix did. Apparently she took exception to how he and the rest of the Dark Lord's followers treated her." Nym paused to let that sink in a moment before she continued, intending to sow some doubt. "And if you underestimate Potter, it may be the last thing you do. Father hit him point blank with the killing curse and Potter just shrugged it off."
Nym looked smugly at the now gaping Death Nibblers. Nym turned, her robes flaring in a imitation of Snape. When she reached for the doorknob she was surprised as it forcefully swung open, and Draco Malfoy walked in.
Harry, his invisibility cloak safely stowed in a bottomless pouch, slowly made his way over the top of the Hogwarts Express's tender toward the engine itself. Climbing over the top of moving train, he discovered, was nowhere near as easy as portrayed in cinema. The tender beneath him lurched with each joint in the track, sometimes sideways, sometimes suddenly dropping or rising beneath him. When he finally dropped to the footplate beside a very startled Engineer, he was exhausted.
"Oi! Who 're you then?" the grizzled Engineer reached into the breast of his jacket, no doubt going for his wand, before he stopped with a close look at Harry. "Potter? What'r you doin 'ere?"
"Just lending a hand." Harry stood and looked out the window. Ahead he could see what looked like a low cloud bank, but the sun was shining on either side and above said cloud. Obviously this was no naturally occuring cloud. Harry pulled the Elder wand from his belt before turning to the Engineer.
"Whatever happens, don't stop the train." Grasping the hand rail on the back of the cab, Harry swung out and onto the narrow ledge running to the front of the engine.
Draco Malfoy was incensed. Not only had he been forced to endure the torture from not being able to respond to the Dark Lord's call, he had been forced to stoop to using his House Elf to escape the Chamber of Secrets. And it was even more infuriating that it had taken him until this morning to figure out how to get out, and that was by accident. Now he was on the train in yesterday's battle sullied robes after spending a night in agony in a damp dungeon. Yes, Draco Malfoy was right royally pissed.
Now, he had finally gotten to the carriage the Slytherins normally occupied, and all of these idiots were staring at him as though he had grown a second head. That was the limit, he was going to curse someone and he didn't care who. Drawing his wand with a snarl, he was surprised when it was quickly snatched from his hand. Furiously he turned to confront...himself. Startled, he took a step back.
Draco's surprised reaction was the opening Nym needed. Quickly, and without turning her back on the carriage while keeping her wand on Draco, she pushed her way through the still open door. Stopping just outside, she kept her wand on Draco and began to shift back to herself.
"Well cousin," Nym smiled, now back to herself. "Time for us to go. Don't be too disapointed that you won't get to see the fireworks."
"Fireworks?" Draco, recovering from his shock, grated through clenched teeth. "What fireworks?"
"Why, when Harry foils Voldemort's plans again of course." Luna's light voice drifted from behind Nym.
"Luna?! What are you doing here?" Nym was shocked, but still kept her wand on Draco. Trained to notice subtle changes in facial expressions, Nym saw Draco's face shift from confusion, to happiness, then red emarassment in quick succession. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see a positively beaming Luna, flanked by Ginny, and her mind stuttered.
"Harry's my friend." Luna stated as if the explanation were obvious. "He needs my help, so I'll help him." She directed a smile at Draco. "You can appreciate that, right Draco?"
Turning back to Draco, she saw him beginning to collect himself. 'Better keep him off-balance,' she thought.
"Yeah, old Tommy boy is going to attack the express." She pushed on with a smirk.
"Attack the Express?" Draco turned to look at Nott and the other Slytherins, who looked confused about the 'Tommy' referrence, but nodded. Then he turned back to Nym. "How did you find that out."
Nym's smirk just broadened, Draco had given her the perfect opening for their next bit of dissemination. "Good thing they don't teach Occlumency at Hogwarts. Nott there was positively broadcasting the plan from the time he stepped onto the platform and glared at the first Muggleborn." Nott received numerous murderous looks at this, causing him to look even more sheepish. Nym had to keep herself from laughing at him. "We've been watching the platform all morning. Harry decided to act as soon Nott's mind was picked clean. Now it's time to say goodbye. Thank you for making it easier for us by gathering all of yourselves in one car."
"Get rid of us?" Draco asked, but Nym had already retreated to the door of the preceeding carriage.
She lowered her wand to point at the canvas boot covering the space between the carriages. "Reducto!" Nym shouted and the fabric was ripped away exposing the coupling and brake lines below. Before she could cast another spell, Luna stepped beside her.
"Draco it is time." Luna's uncharacteristic intensity making it seem as if this were the most important decision in the world. "You know what is coming, you've seen the true nature of Harry and Tom. You must choose."
Draco blanched and started shaking, as if he were hearing the voice of doom passing judgement on him. Slowly, thoughtfully, he began walking toward Nym and Luna. Nym began to raise her wand but Luna laid her hand lightly on Nym's wrist. Just as Draco reached the gaping hole between the carriages, Goyle grabbed his elbow.
"Don't be stupid Draco," he growled. "You know what we are working for, you've seen the power of the Dark Lord."
Draco turned, and Goyle could see the open fear in his eyes. "And I've also seen Potter hit by the killing curse and get up. I've seen the Chamber of Secrets, been in Salazar's private rooms, and it was Potter who took me there."
Goyle was shocked, once Potter's wife had been exposed he just thought that bit about Potter and the killing curse was bravado. "But Potter's only a half-blood, how could he access Slytherin's Chamber?"
Draco looked at him silently for a long moment. "So is the Dark Lord," he finally stated before turning and, shaking off Goyle's hand, walked to join Luna.
Once Draco crossed the gap between the carriages, Nym pointed her wand at the coupler. "Bombarda!" The train lurched as the coupler shattered and the last carriage started to slide away.
Harry felt the train lurch as he made his way along the walkway down the side of the boiler of the scarlet engine. That meant that the end carraige had been disconnected and he could continue with the next step of the plan. Elder Wand in hand, he gripped the hand rail with his off hand and touched the wand to the red jacketing of the engine boiler.
Concentrating on where he wanted to be he confidently declared "Portus!" He felt the enchantments already imbuing the surging, snorting, almost living machine below fight against the intrusion of foreign magic. He willed more power through the wand and felt the grip grow warm in his hand as he fought the enchantments for dominance.
Harry's attention was drawn away from the spell for a moment, as another spell impacted the engine to his left, and he could feel the existing enchantments pushing him back. He glanced down the length of the engine and saw they had reached the storm front. A line of black clad figures stood across the tracks, blocking the way forward. Another spell flew from the figures and narrowly missed Harry's ear.
'Shit!' Harry thought, scooting closer to the boiler to lower his profile.
Suddenly two red spells flew from behind Harry toward the line of Death Eaters. Harry spun his head around to see Neville and Ron standing on top of the coal pile in the tender, wands in hand. Harry smiled, grateful for the support, and redirected his efforts to breaking through the spells. Finally after what seemed an eternity, during which Neville and Ron traded spell fire with the Death Eaters as they drew closer, Harry felt the spell finally surge through the existing enchantments and take hold.
Nearly exhausted, Harry slumped against the jacketed boiler, only to straighten as he saw an emerald green killing curse streak overhead toward Ron. Before Harry could react, a stone slab flew from beside the train tracks and intercepted the curse. Harry glanced to the back of the tender where Draco Malfoy, wand pointed to where the slab of stone had turned to dust, had just climbed up. A quick nod shared between the two and Harry directed his attention to the red eyed, noseless vissage of the caster of the killing curse.
Tom Riddle stood at the center of the tracks, in the path of the oncoming locomotive. Harry could see Tom's followers beginning to get nervous, especially those on the tracks immediately next to him. With a smirk, Harry flashed Riddle a reversed "V" and tapped his wand on the handrail to activate the portkey. Harry felt the familiar sensation of being hooked behind the navel. Alongside that he also felt a shiver, like ice water being poured over his head, as the speeding train smashed through the Death Eaters' wards.
Voldemort fumed. The damnable Malfoy brat finally displays a backbone, and it is in defiance of him?! Absolutely intolerable! Then then Potter dared to display such an insulting gesture? Intolerable! Resolutely he stood as the red locomotive bore down on him like a scarlet missle. Then it dissappeared in a swirl of colors.
Voldemort felt the wards collapse around him as to his right further down the line of Death Eaters, one Walden McNair collapsed in a twitching heap. With a snarl, Voldemort turned his wand on the comotose McNair. A quick, silent Bombarda ended Walden McNair as a red smear on the turf.
Voldemort surveyed his quivering followers and shook his head. If only they would quit failing him.
Flintknife grinned maliciously as Bellatrix and Narcissa Black followed by Fleur Potter climbed from the cart beneath Gringotts. They had just finished with the reclaimation of the dowry funds from the LeStrange vault for Bellatrix's marriage. Nearly all of the liquid assets within the vault had been taken to repay the bride pice as well as almost half of the personal artifacts, including one particularly ominous feeling golden cup which currently resided in Bellatrix's hand bag. As Bellatrix and Narcissa walked past Flintknife toward the private, discreet entrance to Gringotts Fleur stopped to have a word with the goblin.
"Flintknife, zomething 'as come up and we will be needing a few more tents at ze manor."
"Really?" The Goblin's ears seemed to perk up at the prospect of the commision an additional purchase would bring. "How many are we talking about, Lady Potter?"
"Oh I don't know." Fleur's pleasent tone sounding as if she were discussing the house grocery list. "Enough for, zay, around four 'undred people."
A/N: Yes, I know I changed a couple of things. But the canon methods sometimes just didn't work in my story. So no cryptic 'Open at the close' riddle for the snitch, among other things. Hey, it's fan fiction, right?