Chapter 12 – Diagon Alley

It was a beautiful sunny day in London and all up and down Diagon Alley shoppers could be found going happily about their business.

Two figures dressed in plain navy blue robes with their hoods raised entered the alleyway through the magical entrance by the Leaky Cauldron. They casually made their way through the crowds finally ducking into a small alley between two shops not far from where they entered the main alley.

"I'll check it out," Jake said as he continued down the passage between the two shops.

Tonks nodded and cast a quick notice-me-not charm on the entrance.

Less than a minute passed before Jake returned. "All clear."

With the alley empty and the shoppers paying the area no mind, Tonks went to work casting a series of spells and wards on the entrance. First she cast a much stronger notice-me-not ward and removed the charm. She then added some shielding followed by anti-apparition and portkey wards which she set to cover the entire alley between the two buildings and keyed herself and Jake into.

Reaching into her cloak, Tonks pulled out a necklace that had a small green crystal hanging on the end. Moving to a position a few meters inside the now protected space, she touched the crystal with the tip of her wand.

"Portus Suggero Asylum 'Position One'."

There was a quick pulse of light which surrounded Tonks briefly before being absorbed by the crystal. Turning towards Jake, she touched the tip of her wand to a similar crystal he was wearing around his neck and repeated the process.

After watching the light be absorbed into his necklace, Jake looked at Tonks. "You're sure these will still work with all the different wards up and magic being thrown around?"

Tonks just crossed her arms and gave him a withering glare.

Jake took a step back and held up his hands. "Alright, alright, I just wanted to be sure."

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Tonks raised her hood and led the way back to the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley. Continuing to work their way down the full length of the street, they setup several more positions, adding each one to their voice activated portkeys.

After setting up all of their positions, they returned to one in the middle of the alley. Walking roughly half way into the narrow space, Tonks began casting another series of spells causing a wall to appear making it look as though the alley was only half as deep as it really was. Once again she keyed herself and Jake into the new wards and after sending a quick grin at her partner, Tonks stepped through the wall.

A moment later Jake appeared next to her. And watched as she cast several additional wards making the area a virtual fortress. Just as she had done several times that morning, Tonks added the destinations and command words to their necklace portkeys adding a special link between the necklaces for this destination.

Moving to the back of the enclosed space she cast another series of spells splitting off yet another section and finally finishing by adding a nullification field that would prevent any magic from being performed within the area. Concentrating on a spot just above the nullification field she removed two small blue stones from within her robes.

"Portus! Portus!"

Returning to Jake's side, she handed him one of the stones which he quickly pocketed.

"That's the last, we're all set."

Jake nodded and looked closely at his companion who he noticed was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted from the amount of magic she had been performing all morning. With the upcoming battle drawing ever closer, he knew she needed to be one hundred percent. Reaching in his robes he removed a small vial of liquid which he uncorked before passing it to her.

"Here, it's a simple restorative."

After taking a quick look at the vial she looked back to Jake. "It's not something from our potions kit?"

"Nope, this is better," Jake said urging her to drink it.

"Thanks," Tonks replied before quickly downing the potion. A sharp burning sensation followed the potions progress through her system and she found herself bent over coughing violently for a long minute with her arms wrapped around her mid section. Each cough was accompanied by a large puff of red smoke.

When the effects finally passed she stood upright and glared at Jake who was doing his best to keep from laughing.

"Simple!" she growled out.

"Umm, Ooops?" he said, barely able to restrain his laughter.

Tonks let out a string of curses that caused Jake's pent up laughter to escape. If it hadn't been for the years he had spent in the military he would surely have blushed bright red at her exclamations and colorful description of his heritage.

Finally getting his laughter under control, Jake found Tonks still glaring at him with her arms crossed. Letting out a final snort he held his hands up in supplication.

"Easy now, don't you feel better?"

Working past her anger Tonks realized she did in fact feel much better. All of her tiredness was gone and she could almost feel her magic being restored.

"I suppose so, still you always do that to me and it isn't funny you bloody git!"

Another chuckle escaped Jakes lips. "Sure it was, at least from my end."

Leaning quickly to his right he was just able to get out of the path of a jet of red light that was headed his way.

"Come on Tonks, save it for later."

"Where did you even get something like that?" Tonks asked but continued before he could answer. "Actually, never mind. I probably don't want to know."

After another short laugh, he looked at his watch noting the time. "It's almost noon. That gives us about three hours before they arrive. We should get some lunch while we still can."

Tonks nodded and the pair headed towards the main alley. They were just about there when Tonks let out a final cough accompanied by bit of red smoke that formed a ring in the air. Jake couldn't help himself and broke down into laughter once again.


The pair ate a quick lunch at the Leaky Cauldron before making their way back towards the entrance to Diagon Alley. The entrance was closed when they arrived and luckily no one was about.

"Position One," Tonks said activating her portkey. There was a familiar tug behind the naval and the sensation of being pulled through space before she appeared in the first safe area they had set up that morning. A moment later Jake appeared next to her. Walking towards the main alley they stopped just short of the wards remaining hidden on their side so they could observe the growing crowds unseen.

"You ready for this Tonks?" Jake asked as he watched the oblivious shoppers go about their business. "This is a lot bigger than anything we've pulled off so far."

It was a long while before Tonks answered. "Yeah, I'm ready. We can do this." There was another pause before she added softly, "Harry can do anything."

Jake broke his gaze from the crowd before him and looked at Tonks to find she had already taken on the guise of Harry Potter and the boys emerald eyes were staring back at him with a look of resolve and purpose. Reaching forward with his right hand he took hold of her arm at the wrist as she did the same to him.

"There will probably be twenty or thirty but there could be more," Jake said never breaking eye contact. "Not to mention that Tom's planning on showing up."

"Harry can do anything," Tonks repeated with confidence.

Their eyes remained locked for a long while taking in each others resolve.

"We fight as long as we remain in control of the situation, then we leave."

Tonks nodded. "Live to fight another day."

Breaking their clasped hands apart, their gazes returned to the shoppers.

Hearing Jake speaking softly, Tonks turned to look at her friend, watching his profile as he spoke.

"A desperate fight for what's right against overwhelming odds," he said softly before turning to see Tonks looking back at him. A devilish grin crept onto his face. "I like it."

Tonks grin mirrored his as she turned to face Diagon Alley.


It was nearing three o'clock, the time of the planned attack, when Jake let out a curse getting Tonks attention.

"What is it?" she said desperately scanning the alley to find what had him so upset.

"The people. There are too many people here. A lot of innocents are going to get hurt. We need to get rid of these people somehow before they show up."

Tonks silently cursed herself for not thinking of that. Thinking furiously for several long minutes as she looked up and down the alley she had a thought.

"I might have an idea but it will cause a panic. People could still be hurt if there's a mad rush to escape the alley."

"Better than what'll happen if the Death Eaters arrive and their all still here." Jake replied.

After hearing her plan, Jake made some suggestions that would help get rid of the Aurors that were stationed around the alley as well and looked at his watch.

"It's fifteen too three, lets wait another five minutes."

Tonks nodded and took a deep breath, it was almost time.

"Good luck," Tonks said.

"Same," was the simple reply.

Taking another deep breath Tonks knew it was time to get into position. "Roof One," she said activating her portkey. A moment later she appeared on a rooftop directly opposite Jakes position. Having keyed both of them into all the wards they had cast, they could see each other perfectly. A few minutes later Jake made a gesture with his hand letting her know it was time to begin.

Drawing her wand, Tonks pointed it to the center of the alley and cast a series of spells.
Kingsley Shacklebolt was taking his turn on guard duty in Diagon Alley. He was wandering past Madam Maulkins Robes for all Occasions when he heard the distinctive cracks of apparition and screams from somewhere near the center of the busy shopping district.

Running towards the disturbance in the opposite direction the panicking crowd was going, he found a small number of Death Eaters standing in a loose group, casually throwing curses about. Turning to his partner he quickly spoke as he drew his wand.

"Alert the Aurors and get a message to Dumbledore. Diagon Alley is under attack by Death Eaters."

Giving a quick nod, the Auror apparated away.

Turning back to the Death Eaters, Kingsley noticed the alley was almost empty of people and the few left were quickly disappearing. 'Odd that the Death Eaters didn't cast any wards to keep people from leaving,' he thought. Looking around he noticed there didn't appear to be any damage or casualties to speak of either. Pushing his thoughts aside for the moment, he joined the group of Aurors who where carefully surrounding the Death Eaters while avoiding the jets of red and green magical light that issued from their wands.

Seeming to notice their situation, the group of Death Eaters leapt into motion running towards Knockturn Alley while continuing to cast spells all about. The Aurors quickly followed, chasing their prey down the shadowy and winding ways of the famed dark arts district.


Tonks let out a sigh of relief as she looked down upon the now deserted alley below her. She had seen a few people hurt during the panic, but was heartened by the thought that they only appeared to be minor injuries.

Looking towards Jake, she saw him motion to her and knew the Death Eaters would be arriving any time now. Almost as if she had summoned them with her thoughts, the sound of wizards Apparating began echoing through the alleyway indicating the arrival of the dreaded forces.

Crack after crack echoed through the air as Tonks and Jake continued to watch the Death Eaters arrive. By the time they stopped appearing, they had counted the sound of around fifty Death Eaters apparating all up and down the alley. Quite a few more than they had figured on.

A small group of the masked figures began casting anti-apparition and portkey wards over the alley while the rest looked around in confusion. Taking her cue, Tonks began adding her own magic to the wards they were casting ensuring the Death Eaters would be trapped inside the wards as well.

As the wards were finished, Tonks turned her attention to the alley below noticing a few of the Death Eaters were beginning to get over their confusion enough to start casting spells at the various shops. Stepping up to the edge of the roof, she pulled a second wand from within her robes and began casting a storm of lethal curses down upon the heads of the Death Eaters.

"Explodra! Diffindo! Incendio! Sectumsempra!"

From her concealed position above the Death Eaters, she managed to kill and injure a good deal of their number before they figured out where she was and began returning fire. Stepping back from the edge, she quickly shouted. "Roof two!"

Appearing on another rooftop further down the street she continued hurling her spells until she was once again spotted and forced to retreat. "Position Seven!" Disappearing once again, she continued popping around the alley delivering pain and death from every direction.

Jake watched from his hiding place in the first alley they had warded as the Death Eaters began to arrive. He counted the number of cracks he was able to hear and began to get nervous as the number passed twenty. A minute later he was happy the appearances had stopped but definitely concerned that the number of Death Eaters was almost twice what they had planned on.

Keeping a careful eye out for the enemy, he watched Tonks cast additional magic into the wards the Death Eaters were putting up. As soon as she finished, he saw her step to the edge of the roof and take a quick look up and down the alley before she began to rein death down upon the masked cowards.

"No guts, no glory," he said softly to no one as he stepped into the alley with a knife in each hand.

Slipping up behind a pair of Death Eaters who were standing near his position looking for the person casting the spells at them he launched himself into action. The nearest one died with a knife in his side never knowing Jake existed. The second man got the merest glance at his assailant before he followed his companion.

"Position Four!" Jake called out after dispatching the two Death Eaters.


Auror Franklin appeared at the apparition point in the Ministry of Magic after leaving Kingsley Shacklebolt in Diagon Alley. Running across the atrium, Franklin bypassed a line of waiting people and pushed an old man out of the way before speaking with the guard.

"Sound the alarm! Diagon Alley is under attack!" Franklin said with a sense of urgency. He was surprised when the old man he pushed out of the way took hold of his arm. Looking up he realized it was Albus Dumbledore.

"Sorry sir, didn't know it was you," he said blushing slightly.

Dumbledore waved aside his apologies. "What do you know of the attack at Diagon Alley?"

"A large group of Death Eaters were in the Alley throwing spells around when me and Kingsley saw them. Kingsley sent me to alert you and the Aurors."

Hearing all he needed to know, Dumbledore held up his hand. "Fawkes!"

A moment later a flash of fire appeared above his outstretched fingers and the red and gold phoenix appeared. Taking hold of his tail feathers, Dumbledore was lifted into the air several meters before the pair disappeared in another flash of flame.


Appearing in yet another small alleyway, Jake found himself looking at two Death Eaters who seemed to be staring back at him in confusion. He immediately went on alert but quickly realized that though they seemed to be able to sense something was wrong, they were unable to see through the wards Tonks had cast to figure out what it was.

"Hey Nott, wasn't there an alley between these two stores?" an unknown Death Eater said.

Nott senior's eyes narrowed as he looked around. "Yes, there was."

Listening to their conversation, Jake realized he had come across a target of opportunity. Getting a running start, he leapt from the alleyway launching a hard kick into Nott's face sending him to the ground unconscious as his wand skittered away across the cobblestone street. The other Death Eater raised his wand towards Jake and received a knife in the chest for his trouble.

Seeing a few other Death Eaters who had apparently noticed the scuffle approaching, Jake quickly withdrew the small stone Tonks had given him from his pocket and threw it at Nott. As the stone hit the fallen Death Eater, he disappeared.

"Position Two!" he quickly said, disappearing just as several curses flew through the spot he had occupied a moment before.


The unconscious body of Nott appeared in the air just above the holding cell Tonks had set up in their secure area. After materializing completely, he fell into the cell breaking his left leg, arm and receiving a rather nasty bump on his head as he landed.

The impact woke him up and he was once again very confused as he looked around.

"What the hell?" he said examining the unfamiliar surroundings.

A yell escaped his mouth as he tried to sit up, discovering the broken bones he had received in the process. Pushing away the pain, he reached down with his good hand and removed a spare wand from within his boot. He then tried to cast a spell on his leg to bind the broken bone in place.

As spell after spell failed to do anything he became increasingly frustrated and worried.


Appearing in the kitchen at Grimmauld place, Dumbledore was lowered to the ground before Fawkes took a perch on his shoulder. Looking around he found Minerva, Alastor and several other Order members present.

"Diagon Alley is under attack by Death Eaters. I want everyone here to go with me to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Minerva," he said turning to his long time friend, "summon the rest of the Order and meet us there as soon as possible."

Nodding to the leader of the light, Minerva left the kitchen to gather who she could.

As the Order members began to apparate away, Dumbledore turned to Fawkes to see the Phoenix had a far away look in its eye. "Fawkes? We need to go."

Rising from his perch on Dumbledore's shoulder, Fawkes disappeared in a burst of flame. Dumbledore lowered his hand from above his head where he had been intent on grasping Fawkes tail feathers and shook his head at the mystery that was his Phoenix. It seemed that the bird's odd behavior was continuing and he didn't know what to think or do about it.

Knowing this was not the time to think on such things, Dumbledore immediately drew his wand and Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.


Jake appeared in a new position not far from Gringotts Wizarding Bank and stopped to assess the situation. The tactics they were using had been very effective so far. It looked like they had managed to eliminate about half of the Death Eaters and the rest were getting more and more disorganized as panic began to set in.

As he looked around, he saw a wizard he wasn't sure if he wanted to see or not. Anger coursed through him as he thought of all the innocent lives ruined and lost by this monsters hand. Lives that included a boy he had come to care very much for and his friend Tonks had come to love.

He watched briefly as Voldemort raised his wand towards a position across the alley from him and cast a couple of spells. He felt the magic within the wards dissipate and knew their tactics had been discovered by the leader of the enemy.

Deciding to take the opportunity while he still had the element of surprise he left his hiding place and charged Voldemort as he was turning around yelling orders at his troops.


Voldemort looked around in disgust. His Death Eaters should have eliminated the threat by now but instead they were running around disorganized and panicked.

"You!" he yelled indicating the small group of Death Eaters that had cast the wards. "We have been ambushed. Bring down the wards now!"

The group of masked men immediately set to work on the wards under the watchful eye of their master. 'I've been betrayed,' Voldemort thought to himself as he began organizing his men, 'And when I discover who it was, they will pay dearly for their treachery.'

As he continued to yell at the Death Eaters he felt a piercing pain in his side. "Arghhh!" he yelled as he spun around.

Jake pulled the knife out of the Dark Lord's side and spun it around in his hand. As Voldemort turned around, Jake kicked the wand from his grasp and punched him in the face with the finger guard of the knife he held.

The Dark Lord staggered back and fell as his wand clattered away across the alley. His side was screaming in pain as was his face. Seeing the man who attacked him moving forward with his knife in hand, Voldemort threw forward his hands banishing the man away from him where he hit the wall hard.

Summoning his wand he stood and stalked towards his attacker who was lying unconscious next to the wall he had hit. Raising his wand he said the curse to end the man's life.

"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled.

Voldemort watched in morbid fascination as the jet of sickly green light sped toward his assailant. His glee changed to a raging anger as the man disappeared and his spell impacted the now empty space where the man had been.

"Lose something Tom?"

"Harry Potter," the Dark Lord hissed in anger as he spun around to find his nemesis standing before him with a wand in each hand.


Tonks continued to portkey around from place to place eliminating Death Eater after Death Eater. The number of enemy was continuing to decline but there were still too many for comfort.

As she appeared at a new location near the Leaky Cauldron, she saw the wall open and Order members began running into the Alley. Seeing they had the numbers to get everything under control at this end, Tonks moved to a location at the other end of the Alley near Gringotts.

Scanning the area around the wizarding bank, Tonks let out a gasp as she found Jake fighting the Dark Lord. Seeing the remaining Death Eaters either working on dismantling the wards or running to battle with Dumbledore's Order, Tonks stepped out of her hiding space to help her friend.

She had only taken a few steps when she saw Jake thrown hard against a wall which he slid down before lying still. Her breath hitched for a moment thinking she had lost another one of her companions when she saw him take a shuddering breath. He was still alive.

Seeing Voldemort walking towards him she grabbed her necklace.

"Evac Jake!" she said quickly and watched as he disappeared much to the chagrin of Voldemort.

"Loose something Tom?" she couldn't help but gloat.

"Harry Potter," the Dark Lord hissed in anger as he spun around to find his nemesis standing before him with a wand in each hand.

Tonks was surprised when he began to laugh.

"You think you can challenge me Potter?"

Evil power rolled off him in waves and Tonks was having a hard time not shaking as she stood face to face with the Dark Lord himself. While she had heard many stories about him, the sight of his twisted being was far more gruesome and intimidating than she imagined it would be. Reaching deep within herself, she pushed all her fear aside and let the anger from her loss take over as she prepared to duel him. She was here, she would do this, for Harry.

"That's right. I've beaten you before, I'll do it again."

Voldemort's cackling sent shivers down her spine. "You were no match for me a month ago, what makes you think you stand a chance now?"

Tonks decided the time for talking was over. She knew Voldemort would only talk until he felt the time was right to strike, so she decided to beat him to the punch. Taking a deep breath, she began casting spells as fast as she could.


The battle was going far easier than Dumbledore had expected it to. When the Order entered the Alley, they found the Death Eaters running around in disarray. Even with the small number of people he had brought with him, they were quickly able to take control of the entrance.

A few minutes later Minerva arrived with Order reinforcements as well as a number of Aurors and Dumbledore was able to push deeper into Diagon Alley.

As he finished stunning and binding another Death Eater, Dumbledore looked down the street finding a sight that brought his worry to new heights. "Harry!"

"Alastor, Remus," he said in a commanding voice instantly gaining their full attention, "you're with me. We need to get to Harry!"

Looking in the direction he was pointing, the pair saw Harry Potter engaged in a vicious battle with the Dark Lord Voldemort. Moving quickly so as not to be left behind, Alastor and Remus took positions beside and slightly behind Dumbledore as they began fighting their way towards Harry.


Voldemort growled in pain and anger as Harry managed to land a cutting curse on his chest opening a deep wound that bled freely. Sidestepping his next volley, the Dark Lord cast a most lethal curse at his enemy.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Tonks dove to the side, summoning a bench from behind Voldemort as she went down. A moment later the Dark Lords wand was pointed at her prone figure when the bench impacted the back of his legs sending him to the ground. Jumping up from where she was lying, Tonks sent a quick blasting hex only to have him bat it away as he regained his own footing.

"I'm impressed Harry," Voldemort said as continued to swat away Tonks curses. He had been surprised by Harry's new found power and abilities and while he was impressed, he was no longer underestimating him. "I find myself curious as to how you have improved so much in such a short time."

Tonks didn't answer, instead continuing to throw curses at Voldemort. Unfortunately the tide of the fight seemed to have turned against her and she was slowly being backed up. She saw Voldemort's aura building up but was too late to get out of the way as a burst of magic threw her against a nearby building.

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed as he pointed his wand at Harry's prone form.

A scream echoed through the Alley as the dark pain curse hit Tonks in her chest. Pain beyond pain filled her being until the Dark Lord eventually ended the curse and began to cackle evilly.

"It would seem your luck has finally run out Potter."

Tonks was having trouble concentrating thought the pain she was in and thoughts of Harry bounced around in her head as she looked up to find the Dark Lord standing several meters away with his wand pointed straight at her heart. She knew she should be scared but a smile found its way onto her face and a chuckle escaped her throat at the thought that she would see Harry soon.

Voldemort couldn't help but be curious of Harry's reaction. "What's so funny Potter!"

Tonks laughed even harder though it hurt like hell to do so. "You," she finally managed to force out, "you never could kill Harry."

The Dark Lords eyes narrowed in anger. He couldn't believe this boy was daring to laugh at him. "Something I am about to correct," he hissed.

Tonks let out another laugh as she let her morph fall away and returned her face to her normal look. "Yeah? How?" she said as she continued to laugh. She couldn't believe she was talking to the Dark Lord like this, but she no longer cared. Harry hadn't cowered in front of him and she wouldn't either.

Ever so slowly, blackness began filling the sides of her vision. She felt herself moving towards unconsciousness and knew she wouldn't survive much longer. Just before her vision faded completely, she saw a burst of flame and what she was sure was a figure with messy black hair standing above her.


Dumbledore continued to push forward as fast as he could with Moody and Kingsley close behind. They were getting close when he saw Harry thrown back against a building and the Dark Lord cast the Cruciatus curse on him. The curse was lifted several seconds later and he saw the pair conversing. Knowing the end was near he was about to cast a spell at Voldemort when a burst of flame appeared between the Dark Lord and Harry.

For a moment he didn't know what to think or do as Fawkes appeared with Harry Potter. Taking a closer look at the figure lying on the ground, Dumbledore realized it was Nymphadora Tonks who had apparently been fighting the Dark Lord wearing the guise of Harry.

Bringing himself back to the situation at hand, he made a quick push forward more determined than ever to help Harry.


Appearing in a burst of phoenix fire, Harry found himself standing on the top of a building overlooking Diagon Alley. He smiled as he looked down upon the chaos knowing it was Tonks and Jake's doing. As he continued to scan the carnage, he saw the Dark Lord standing above Tonks with his wand pointed at her chest.

Fear filled his heart at the sight. He couldn't loose her. He wouldn't.

"Fawkes," he said quickly, "put me between them and get Tonks out of there!"

Lifting off, Fawkes lowered his tail feathers which Harry quickly grabbed hold of. Another burst of flame flowed over the pair and they disappeared from the roof top reappearing a moment later between Tonks and the Dark Lord.

"Hi Tom," Harry said in a forced calm.

Fawkes was at Tonks side in an instant transporting her away to the safety of Privet Drive before the surprised Dark Lord could take in the situation.

Looking back and forth between Harry and the empty spot where Tonks had been lying, he realized what had just happened. "Potter," he hissed angrily. It was clear to him that the boy had planned on using his companions to wear him down before facing him himself.

He was about to confront the boy about it when the wards fell and he began hearing the cracks of his Death Eaters apparating away from the battle. Looking up the Alley he noticed Dumbledore was almost upon them.

"This isn't over Potter," he growled before Apparating away.

Harry let out a nervous breath as the Dark Lord left. Placing his wands carefully in a holster, he held up his hand.

"Fawkes!"

Fawkes appeared above him and after taking hold of the Phoenix tail feathers he was lifted off the ground and disappeared. He only just heard Dumbledore call his name before he vanished.


Bill had no idea what to think as he watched the scene at the far end of the Alley unfold. He knew that Harry was dead and Tonks was there in his form but as he'd spotted the Dark Lord standing above a no longer disguised Tonks, Harry had appeared with Fawkes.

It was killing him to stay and continue working with the Order and Aurors as they cleaned up the Alley, but he couldn't risk his position within Harry's group. He would definitely visit Privet Drive as soon as he could safely slip away.


Harry was surprised when instead of finding himself at Privet Drive as he had expected, he arrived in a small back alleyway. Looking around, he noticed a Death Eater trapped in what felt to him like a void, a place absent of magic, and another familiar figure lying on the ground unconscious.

"Jake!" Harry said worriedly as he knelt next to the body of his friend. As he examined the man who had inspired him to fight he noticed Jakes eyes crack open.

"Hey Honks," Jake said in somewhat of a daze, "You kick his ass?"

Harry wasn't quite sure what he was talking about but was saved from having to reply when Jake passed back out a moment later.

"What's wrong with him Fawkes?" Harry asked.

A long trill escaped Fawkes beak changing pitch several times as the bird examined Jake. 'He has many broken bones and a lot of bruising. He is in a lot of pain but he will be fine."

Harry let out a sigh of relief at the Phoenix reassuring words.

"How's Tonks?"

'She will be fine as well. At the moment she is resting peacefully.'

Harry nodded, relieved at the good news. After rummaging through Jakes robes for several minutes, Harry removed one of their potions kits.

"We need to get him back to Privet Drive," Harry said.

Fawkes bowed once before moving next to Jake and flaming him away. A moment later the phoenix returned.

Stepping up to the Death Eater he found the man awake. Knowing he wouldn't be able to use magic within the confines of the prison area, Harry stepped forward quickly and kicked Nott in the side of the head knocking him unconscious. After searching him for wands and magical artifacts, he dragged him out of the prison and cast a binding charm on him.

Rapping on the side of the small box, Harry asked for what he needed. "Veritaserum."

Kneeling down next to the bound man, Harry placed three drops of the clear liquid on his tongue before standing back up and drawing his wand.

"Ennervate!"

Nott's eyes blinked open and he looked around blearily, his eyes out of focus from a combination of pain and truth serum.

"What are the Dark Lords plans?" Harry asked.

"I do not know," Nott answered in a detached sort of way.

"What do you do for the Dark Lord?"

"I am in charge of his followers within Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes opened wide at the admission. After getting over his initial shock, Harry continued to question the Death Eater finding out everything he could about Hogwarts and what would be going on inside when school started. Eventually he found out everything he could and stepped back.

"What should I do with him Fawkes? I can't kill him like this," Harry said as he looked down at the bound and helpless man.

'Leave him here. He is succumbing to his injuries and will not last much longer.' Fawkes trilled surprising Harry.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked looking at the bird. He couldn't help but wonder if he shouldn't try and help him.

'Do not mourn him, he has made his choice.'

Nodding in understanding, Harry dragged Nott back into his cell before once again taking hold of Fawkes tail feathers and flaming away.


Appearing in his room at Privet Drive, Harry quickly moved to his bed where he found Tonks tossing and turning in a restless sleep. Reaching towards her, he lightly ran his fingers across her face, brushing some stray hair out of the way.

She was wearing her normal form and Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. As his hands continued to lightly caress the soft skin of her face she seemed to calm down falling into a much more relaxed sleep. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon and he knew in his heart as he watched her sleep that he loved her.

He continued to watch her sleep for several minutes until she let out a small groan and moved slightly as she stretched her sore back. Ever so slowly her eyes began to open until she was looking up into the emerald eyes she had missed so much.

"Harry," she said softly still partially asleep.

Harry smiled warmly down at her. "Hey Tonks."

Tonks eyes seemed to fly open as she realized he was actually there with her. "Harry!"

Sitting up as quickly as she could, Tonks threw herself at Harry wrapping her arms tightly around him and burying her head in his chest. Tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks as she held the man she loved as tightly as she could.

Eventually she pulled back slightly though she stayed as close to him as she could.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. Her entire body ached and every movement was painful but she didn't care. Right now the only thing in the world that mattered to her was that Harry was there. "I missed you," she said wiping another tear away.

Harry smiled at her words as he continued to hold her.

Tonks arms slid up his chest and lightly touched his face praying that this was real, that she wouldn't wake up from this wonderful dream she was having. "I love you so much Harry. I'm sorry… I tried to get you out of there… I swear I tried… I didn't mean for you to die… I love you…"

Tears flowed freely down Tonks face as she opened up letting everything she had been thinking since his death come out. Her ramblings were cut short when Harry lowered his face to hers and kissed her gently on the lips.

As the kissed ended and Harry pulled back he could see the hope in her eyes. "It's not your fault Tonks and I obviously didn't die. Everything's ok, I'm here now." Reaching up he brushed his fingers across her cheek and gave her another soft kiss. "I love you too."

Tonks heart lurched in her chest as she heard the words she had longed to hear for so very long. He loved her! Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him with abandon.

Harry was unprepared for the assault but welcomed it all the same. After a few frantic moments, the kiss began to fall into a rhythm and Harry began to pull Tonks up to sit on his lap. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as he moved her causing him to stop and pull back from the amazing kiss they were sharing.

"Tonks, you're hurt," Harry said worriedly as he looked her up and down.

"I'm fine," she replied as she tried to pull him back into the kiss.

Harry wouldn't have it. "You fought Voldemort and got hit with the Cruciatus, of course you're hurt."

Tonks whined as Harry forced her to lie back down, not wanting to let him go. Reaching into his robes, he removed the potions store he had taken from Jake earlier.

"Cruciatus Potion," Harry said rapping on the side of the small box he held. He looked towards Tonks curiously when nothing came out of the box and she let out a giggle.

"Try Post Cruciatus," she said smiling lovingly back at him.

Her insides flipped in every direction as he shot her a smile before removing the needed potion and handing it to her. She downed the vial quickly, her eyes never leaving Harry. A feeling of relief swept through her as the pain began to float away but the potion made her drowsy even though sleeping was something she was loath to do at the moment.

Planning on putting the potions store on his desk, Harry tried to stand up but Tonks grip on him tightened as he did. "Don't go. Please." she begged.

Harry's heart broke at the scared and lost look in her eyes. As he took in the sight of her he suddenly realized exactly what she had gone through while he had been gone, what the thought of his death had done to her and he hated it. Tossing the potions store the rest of the way to the desk, he sat back down on the bed beside her and took her hands in his.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said softly, "I need to go help Jake in a bit but I promise I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Promise," Tonks repeated as she began to lose her fight against the tiredness that was threatening to overwhelm her.

"I promise," Harry replied leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

Harry watched her for a long while as she fell asleep. She had a look of peacefulness about her that hadn't been there earlier and a small smile graced her lips. He watched her sleep for a while longer continuing to hold her hand and occasionally brushing her hair with his fingers until a knock at the door pulled his attention away from her.

Crossing the room and opening the door, Harry was surprised when Bill jumped forward and grabbed him. "Harry?" he asked frantically.

Harry nodded.

Pulling Harry into a manly hug, Bill gave him several strong pats on the back before stepping back with a look of relief on his face. "Damn Harry. I heard you were dead."

"No, I was hurt pretty bad but I'm fine now," he said with a shake of his head.

"What the hell happened?"

"Later," Harry replied, "it's a long story and I'd rather only tell it once. Do you know anything about healing?"

Bill nodded. "A fair amount. My job isn't exactly accident free," he said with a small grin.

"Could you help me with Tonks and Jake? They were hurt in the battle and I don't really know what to do."

"Of course." Bill said. Giving Harry another brotherly pat on the back and a smile, he went to Tonks side and began casting a few spells to see what was wrong with her.


Jake's eyes opened and he took a deep breath feeling the familiar feelings of his body being stiff and sore. As he shook off the tiredness he still felt, he slid his legs out of bed and sat on its edge.

Taking another deep breath he looked around the room as he went over the battle's events trying to remember what happened. A grin snuck up on his features as he remembered punching Voldy in the face. He didn't remember much after that, just Voldy throwing his hands forward and a quick vision of Honks leaning over him. He was pretty sure that had happened at their evacuation point. No doubt Tonks had evacuated them when he went down.

Standing up, Jake let out a groan as he stretched before heading for Tonks room to see what had happened after he went down and how they had done in the battle. Reaching the door, he threw it open and walked over to Harry's bed where he knew she would be sleeping.

Jake stumbled the last few steps as he neared the bed and saw Harry sleeping with Tonks Harry with Tonks! His mind was spinning a thousand miles an hour, his eyes open wide and his jaw dropped while his heart thundered in his chest at the sight.

Taking another step forward he looked down to find a peaceful look on Harry's face as he slept. Jake could feel his magic and though something was slightly different, he knew without a doubt that it was him. He stared at him for several minutes, thanking the gods for what he was seeing, when it occurred to him that Harry and Tonks were holding each other in the same bed.

A large smile covered his face as he realized what this meant and his happiness at Harry's return seemed to double. It only now occurred to him that the look on Tonks face in sharp contrast to the last couple of weeks was one of peace and contentment.

Deciding to let the couple who looked so happy in each others arms sleep, Jake quietly crept back out of the room.


Tonks woke slowly, realizing as she did that she was half lying on someone who had their arms wrapped loosely around her. As she continued to slowly move towards consciousness, her thoughts passed over the previous nights events and she found herself instantly awake, her every thought on a single person, Harry.

Her entire body tensed and her heart pounded at the thought though she kept her eyes tightly closed. As far fetched as the thought was, she was scared that last night had simply been a dream and the arms around her were someone else's. After a very tense minute, Tonks forced herself to calm down and took several deep breaths before slowly opening her eyes.

A small amount of light filtered through the half closed shade covering the window giving the room a soft light. As the room slowly came into view, Tonks could just make out a mop of messy black hair before Harry's face swam into view. Her heart soared and a tear of happiness made its way down her cheek at the sight, and she pressed herself tightly against him keeping her head on his shoulder so she could see his face.

She kept still and quiet, just watching him sleep with a soft smile playing on her lips. She relished in the feeling of his arms around her and could hardly believe it was really happening. Slowly she began to calm down and her heart rate eventually returned to normal though the feelings inside of her were still running strong.

Eventually Harry began to stir and she continued to watch as he slowly woke.


The feeling of being held tightly greeted Harry as he woke. He smiled internally at the thought that it was Tonks holding on to him and that she'd said she loved him. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the woman in question smiling back at him with emotion filled eyes.

"Hey," Harry said softly as he gave her a smile.

Tonks smiled even brighter as her stomach fluttered at the smile he gave her. "Morning Harry," she whispered back.

Leaning in he shared a long slow kiss with her before laying back down to continue looking at her. "I missed you."

They kept talking in whispered tones, the occasional kiss breaking up their conversation until a loud banging on the door startled them. A moment later Jakes voice boomed from the other side. "Damnit Tonks, put some clothes on, I want to see Harry too!"

Harry let out a laugh and Tonks rolled her eyes though she soon joined him as she was far to happy to do anything but laugh along

"Just a minute!" Harry called out as he got over his laughter.

After sharing another kiss with Tonks, Harry climbed out of bed noticing she started to grab hold of him as he stood up. "It's ok," he said softly, "I promised, remember?"

Tonks settled back down and nodded in understanding knowing he would never break his promise of last night. She watched him happily as he crossed the room and opened the door to be engulfed in Jake's firm grip.

"Damn good to see ya Harry!" Jake said grinning as he patted the young man on the back firmly.

"You too Jake," Harry smiled back.

Jake just shook his head as he stepped back and looked Harry up and down. "There has got to be a really good story behind this," he said taking a brief pause before he continued. "I mean Tonks? Are you kidding me? What's Teen Witch Weekly gonna say Harry?"

Harry burst out in laughter as Jake ducked out of the way of a jet of yellow light. Turning around he found Tonks sitting up on the bed with her wand in her hand though she was grinning from ear to ear.

"All kidding aside, congratulations guys." Jake said sincerely.

Harry joined Tonks back on the bed where he wrapped an arm around her waist giving her another bright smile.

"So what happened?" Jake asked as he moved across the room and took a seat in his normal chair.

After whispering to Tonks, Harry joined Jake while she grabbed a clean change of clothes and went to take a shower.

"Long story. The short of it is that the curses hit the Portkey and sent me flying. Turns out the prophecy is real, hurt like hell though. Bill's bringing pizza over for lunch, is it ok if we wait until we're all here for the rest?"

"Bill's coming over?"

Harry nodded. "He showed up awhile after the attack last night and helped me patch you and Tonks up."

"Gotcha, of course Harry, of course," Jake said unable to remove the grin from his face.

A comfortable silence stretched out between the pair for a few minutes until Jake could no longer help himself. "You know, I made friends with your Uncle why you were gone."

"What!" Harry blurted out unable to believe what he was hearing.

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, I got bored while you were gone and fixed his car for something to do."

"You're kidding," Harry said incredulously, finding it impossible to picture his uncle being friendly with Jake.

"Oh yeah, I even had Dudley helping and…" Jake trailed off as he broke down in laughter at the look of shock and confusion on Harry's face. "Yeah, I'm just kidding," Jake eventually said through his laughter.

Harry just laughed and shook his head. "I missed you too Jake."


After Tonks finished in the bathroom, Harry took his turn. The three then sat around chatting all morning with Tonks snuggling up to Harry on the couch and gripping his arm tightly. Among other things, Tonks and Jake told Harry everything that had been happening with the Death Eaters and about the attack on Diagon Alley.

It was a few minutes past noon when Bill showed up with several pizzas and dropped down into a seat next to Jake.

Jake watched Harry carefully, waiting for the right moment before he asked his question. "So what happened to you Harry?"

Tonks shared a quick look with Jake and let out a snort of laughter as Harry tried to quickly chew and swallow the bite he had just taken. Setting down the slice, Harry gave Tonks hand a comforting squeeze and took a deep breath as he prepared to tell his story.