Disclaimer: Besides Harry Potter I also don't own a spaceship. I would like to own one, then I could travel into outer space, warp through time and meet strange alien races that have pointy ears and strange logical behaviour. But that, my friend, is another story entirely.

Live Today Die Tomorrow

Chapter 21: Search Today Ambush Tomorrow

"We almost had them that time!" Harvey shouted at his men as they gathered around the tiny campfire which served as their main light source. "Where did we go wrong?!" Harvey exclaimed looking at his men waiting for an answer.

"Well, we did -" Puff began to voice his opinion but was stopped with a spell to the chest by Harvey, sending him backwards. He hit the dirty ground behind him before struggling to get to his feet as if nothing had happened. The others looked on with amusement as Puff's lanky form rolled round on the dirt near the wall of bushes.

"Wrong answer boy." He turned to his other men who were now looking to each other for clues. Yollander stood abruptly with no fear and no determination.

"We did NOT go wrong, Sir." Yollander's voice was deep and settled.

"Right you are, Yollander. You could all learn from this guy." Harvey said, pointing to Yollander with his wand while dancing around the fire. "They just had reinforcements." Harvey kicked the dirt in frustration as he remembered the silly blonde girl who stunned him.

"They ambushed us, Sir. They came in with their reinforcements and got us from behind. What more could we have done?" Puff said aimlessly stoking the fire with a short twig as he settled himself down in the space he was just in. The other men just turned their gaze in Puff's direction. Puff didn't notice, he just continued to babble on. "I say we call it quits for now and go back to the Volcano for some grog and salted pork."

"You know for a split second I thought I was losing my mind. You were beginning to make sense. Then you spoke too much and all respect and dignity fell to the ground. Right in front of you." Harvey aimed his words at Puff. "A big pile of worth just lying on the ground."

Puff didn't know whether to inflate his chest with pride at the fact that Harvey acknowledged him properly or deflate his chest in confusion as to why they still couldn't return to the Volcano.

"You know exactly why we can't go back! Kurt Harvey's son! His life in the hands of Riddle." Yollander yelled across the fire at Puff.

"And our worthless lives are in the hands of Harvey!" Puff stood to yell his insult back at Yollander.

"Whoa. Whoa! Is that an insult about me? I'm not 100% sure but to me it feels like an insult." Harvey huffed.

Yollander turned his attention to Harvey. The other men's gazes also turned. "We need to give to them what they have given to us. Let them taste their own will. I say we ambush them. Kill every one of them and take what we need back to Riddle."

Harvey's smile grew wickedly wide. "I like the way you talk. But there is one other teensy problem we have. The blondie and the clumsy fool that tackled you. We get rid of them first. Then they won't have reserves. Men!" Harvey yelled so loudly that his men stood to attention. "I believe we have ourselves a mission within a mission. Let's take out the boy first. He'd be an easy target; lanky, clumsy, stupid. Just like you, Puff. Alright, men. Let's get started. The sooner we start searching for the boy, the sooner we can remove him from their little pack." And with that Harvey and his men doused the fire and proceeded to search for Neville Longbottom.

The Dragon League arrived at Grimmauld Place not long after apparating from The Burrow. It was still very early in the morning. The streets were dark and the road before them was coated in a glossy sheen from rain. Startled dogs barked at the sudden presence of the League. Harry looked around and quickly counted the members of the League before scooting across the road to the footpath on the other side. The others followed closely behind Harry and waited patiently until the doorway for number 12 appeared before their eyes.

It had been four days since the League settled down in Grimmauld Place and Neville's constant babblings of his grandmother were becoming painfully annoying. It started off with a simple remarks such as 'My grandmother wouldn't like me eating this' or 'Gran likes it when I iron my shirt'. Then the remarks turned into something a bit more unbearable like 'I wonder what Gran is having for dinner tonight?' and 'I must tell Gran this when I get back, I hope I'll remember'.

The Dragon League put up with Neville's ramblings for two weeks before confronting him on this matter. "Neville! Shut the hell up! I don't want to hear about your Gran and her pedicures! You have got to stop!" Ginny shouted at Neville after he made a comment about his Gran's toes. She had come back from supply shopping and was currently sitting on the floor of the drawing room rubbing her bare feet when Neville came into the room.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. I'm just worried about her. While I'm staying with the Dragon League and with Harvey looming around, there is no one there to protect her if anything happens." Neville responded, almost pleadingly. His intent hadn't been to irritate the others but the way Ginny had just spoken to him made him realise that he had been annoying them for the past two weeks.

Harry looked up from the couch he was seated at, Ron by his side. They were going over different ambush strategies but stopped to look at the rising conversation before them. Ron silently agreed with his sister. Neville was going overboard with his references to his grandmother. Harry decided upon an outcome that would not only put Neville's mind at ease but everyone else's metal state too.

"Why don't you go visit her?" Harry asked Neville as if this were an obvious choice.

"Harry, are you mental?!" Ron started. "What if Harvey goes after him? He stands no chance at fighting at all! No offense or anything, Nev." Neville just shrugged it off. He had been called worse things before. Not by Ron, of course.

"We don't even know if Harvey knows where we are." Harry retorted calmly.

"And if he does?" Ginny asked from her position on the floor, feet stretched out before her.

"He won't attack Neville." Harry said in confidence.

"He won't?" Harry detected a hint of relief in Neville's voice.

"He's after Ron, not you. But you would have to be quick. The longer you stay out the more suspicious it would seem to Harvey and his men. Just check up on her and get back here as soon as possible." Harry spoke and went back to the papers on his lap. Neville grinned and proceeded to the front door.

"I'll be quick. There and back again. Wish me luck." He called out from the other room.

"This is Neville we're talking about. He's going to need all the luck in the world."

Ron answered while he scribbled ideas down on pieces of paper.

Neville appeared three blocks away from where he wanted to be but that didn't dampen his mood. At least I'm in one piece he thought. His spirit left him the instant he saw his grandmother's house.

The brick exterior was burnt and there was thick grey smoke seething out of the second storey. Neville withdrew his wand and sprinted into the cottage in a hurry, screaming out for his Gran. He heard footsteps shuffling upstairs. With the thought of his grandmother in danger running through head he didn't think twice about the possible dangers that could be lurking in the smoking house.

The further up the stairs he went the thicker the smoke became. At this moment in time he didn't care about his own safety. He remained focused; get Gran and get out before this house collapses. Using his shirt to cover his mouth to prevent smoke damage to his lungs and his head down he reached the top of the stairs. Without pause he jumped in front of the door of the first room. Nothing. Just heavy smoke. He cautiously crept along the smoky corridor. He saw the blaze coming from the room on his right. As he approached he heard muffled sounds from the room opposite the flames.

"Gran!" Neville shouted, his voice hoarse from the smoke. He began to choke. He doubled over from discomfort. He entered the room of the muffled voices bent forward. He made it to the room and was able to stand. This room wasn't as thick with smoke as the others. The room was still filled with smoke but it was thin enough to see the figures within it. Upon entering Neville looked up to see his grandmother in the clutches of Kurt Harvey.

"Get the boy! Quick!" Harvey yelled. The blaze from the fire was growing and the sounds of the whipping flames were loud. Neville tried to focus his cloudy vision through watering eyes. He raised his head to see Harvey standing there with his arm around his gran. Men appeared on either side of Neville and grabbed his arms forcing him to his knees. The smoke was now becoming thicker, making Neville's eyes burn.

"Gran." Neville whimpered in defeat as Harvey came forward with his grandmother firm in his clasp.

"Let me go, you slimy git! I want my grandson! Neville!" Gran was straining against Harvey's hold. She shoved and pulled but Harvey was too strong. "I said let go or I'll… I'll…"

"You'll what?" Harvey hollered with laughter before spluttering on the smoke. "Wet your granny pants?"

"I'll bite your ear." Gran promised as she continued to struggle against Harvey.

"A Granny as sweet as you, my dear? You're too kind to – Oww!" Harvey bellowed as he unclasped Gran and brought his left hand to his ear. "She bit me! She really did!" He started stomping the ground in an attempt to stop the pain. He was so focused on his aching ear that he didn't even realise that he had let go of Gran. Gran starting hobbling over to Neville.

Neville, seeing his grandmother come closer got a spur of adrenaline. Maybe there is a way out of this after all. Neville used his elbows and jabbed them hard into the ribs of the men standing by his side. As they keeled over he noticed Harvey approaching him and Gran at a quick pace. "Gran. Take hold of my arm!" Without hesitation Gran clasped her hands tightly around Neville's right bicep. Neville's mind was racing now. He could barely apparate himself properly, he'd never thought he'd perform a side apparition. Ever. He saw Harvey closing in on them. He started focussing hard on what he needed to do. "Ok, I can do this. Think. Clear mind. Don't think. Mind clear. Focus." Harvey was right in front of them, wand raised, pointing directly at him.

"Any last words? Work with me here. Be original." Harvey spoke in his usual upbeat manner.

"Twist, twist, turn, kick, turn, twist," Neville began to act out his words while Harvey just stood there, blank face. "Kick, nod, bounce, twist, KICK!" With his last word Neville using all of his force, extended his leg and kicked Harvey directly in his sternum, sending Harvey bowling backwards.

Within seconds the smoky room before Neville's eyes vanished completely. He closed his eyes in an attempt to stop the dizziness as he willed himself not to throw up on Gran. As his feet found the ground below he realised that he and Gran were standing on the front porch of Grimmauld place. He turned to his grandmother, a smile clearly evident on her old fragile face. He beamed back at her. "Turn."

Disclaimer: Harvey's ear was harmed during the making of this chapter. If anyone has seen Gran's dentures please inform me by reviewing this chapter.