The Second Chance
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of Harry Potter. This story is inspired by Kurinoone's awesome amazing story 'The Darkness Within', which was inspired by Project Dark Overlord's wonderful fic- 'A Shattered Prophesy'.
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Damien landed swiftly, alighting from his broom in a single fluid action he'd learnt from watching Harry over the previous summer. His face was grave, but his hazel eyes were set, as though mentally preparing himself for something. Beside the youngest Potter, Ron had too, landed on the pitch, wearing a similar expression.
Ginny, who had been watching the potential Quidditch tryouts team members fly around the hoops quickly came forwards, concern laced with surprise as she regarded them both.
"What's wrong?" she asked, forgetting completely that she was the Quidditch Captain ought to be observing the Quidditch players. "Is Damien okay?" This question was directed at Ron, who was the only one who met her eyes.
"I think we should inform the Professors about this," Ron said at last. "The Death- Eaters are coming."
Chapter 25: A Battle Lost?
Within minutes of receiving the red alert, Aurors had Apparated directly outside the blood wards of Hogwarts, with the full support of the Ministry. However, this was not much to be said, as there were only four teams left among the rest; most had been wiped out in one of the raids or other, especially the one at Greville Town.
The rest of the student population of Hogwarts were quickly assembled within the Great Hall, with all Head of Houses escorting their students from their respective common rooms. Most were still bleary and blinking sleepily at being awoken at the early hour, but many older students recognized the imminent threat of Death- Eaters and remained grim.
Dumbledore, much to the accusations of a few staff members, did not feel inclined to veil his students from this threat any longer. In a single moment, he broke all hushed murmurs and guesses as to what was happening by announcing aloud to the entire school population, "Voldemort leads his Death- Eaters towards Hogwarts."
He paused, but there was no outcry of alarm, only white faces turning to watch him, the young imploring and innocent, painful to watch.
"He draws nearer as we speak," Dumbledore continued relentless, "and indeed we expect him and his troops at our gates by nightfall. I will not disguise you from the fact that our school is in grave danger.
"Up till now our blood wards hold strong. They will not yield to the Death- Eaters, not until all else has been weakened greatly. There will be no fight for my students, however; you will remain within the walls of Hogwarts and by no means are allowed to step out of this castle." His penetrating gaze swept across the Hall.
"None of you are able to step beyond the barrier, but bear in mind that whenever we resist, the Dark Lord will try. He will do all in his power to draw us out. You must not fall for his deceptions nor plans." A few students were murmuring, confused, but Dumbeldore's piercing blue eyes met Damien's hazel ones, and the younger wizard looked away in understanding.
"Now," Dumbledore began, "all of you will remain within these halls. I warn you once more never to leave without permission from the staff members. Do not leave regardless of what you hear outside."
He stepped down from the podium, much to many worried whispers, and walked promptly out of the Hall, worry etched on his features. He only paused once to talk to Professor McGonagall, and even then, however hard he tried to conceal it- the spasming pain was barely hidden beneath his wizened features.
Someone was attacking the Hogwarts barriers.
xXx
Barely had the Headmaster stepped off the stage when whispers, no longer hushed, broke across the hall like wild fire, some sobbing quietly, some panicking despite Dumbledore's reassurances. Damien glanced across the Hall helplessly, his hand unconsciously reaching for his Layhoo Jisteen. He needed a plan, fast.
The thought had only brushed past his mind briefly, so his was extremely surprised and at the same time, disturbingly relieved, when his thoughts summoned Draco Malfoy.
The elder Slytherin's face was set in a grim expression, and upon reaching Damien, he hurriedly snagged the younger boy's wrist and half- hauled him away from the crowd into a darker corner, ignoring Ron's hailed protests in the background.
"Voldemort is going to use Harry as a bait," Draco said without pause as they left the crowd, his serious grey eyes boring into Damien's. "You know very well he will. Do not fall for his trick."
"I know, I know- but you cannot expect me to stay behind," Damien said desperately. "I cannot lose Harry again."
"If you're talking about his life, he's in a safer situation than we are right now," Draco snapped, his gaze suddenly angry. "If you go out there Damien, you are going to die. Possibly Dumbledore will as well."
Damien's eyes widened briefly at being called his first name, but he pushed away the contemplation of this new fact into a corner of his brain. "V-Voldemort," he tried, "he knows he is right. I will never abandon my brother. I'm selfish enough. I'd put half the wizarding world on stake to gamble him back."
"Damien Jack Potter," Draco practically growled, "if you go out there, you will be effectively killing all the students in Hogwarts as well. Voldemort will use your life to bargain for Dumbledore's, and there will be hardly any Secret Keepers left. The barriers will weaken, they will fall and we all die."
"You all fight," Damien corrected, his gaze burning fierce. "You were right; the Layhoo Jisteen I wear prevents me from fighting freely. You cannot be strong when you are constantly sheltered. Maybe it's time for Hogwarts to battle. Once the wards fall, the younger students must leave at once."
"We have no Portkey and we cannot Apparate within the grounds of Hogwarts," Draco said flatly.
"We cannot just stay here like sitting ducks in a shell, waiting for Voldemort to attack!" Damien fired back, angry; albeit not at the elder boy before him.
Draco dragged Damien behind the pillar on noticing out of his eye Ron trying to look for his best friend.
"If we are doing anything about it, we need the element of surprise," Draco said at last, "and Dumbledore probably has a stash of emergency Portkeys in his office-"
"Draco, you do realize that we cannot do this alone anymore," Damien cut the Slytherin off, his eyes meeting the other's intense glare head on. "We can no longer afford to be independent. We need to let Professor Dumbledore know."
Draco's tone was cold. "And what do you expect him to do about it?"
"At least he can be prepared," Damien answered, looking elsewhere, "and he has way better brains than the two of us put together." Draco looked furious, but Damien continued, "In any case, if you still remain distrustful- he cannot use this information against us. After all... it all ends tonight."
Silence fell between the two, the words ringing heavily in the air between them, truth resounding loudly in the echoes of Damien's last sentence.
"...it's better this way, actually," Damien continued, as though trying to reassure himself. "I'm tired of waiting around with this constant fear. Perhaps, after this, Harry will return."
Damien suddenly looked so lost for the moment, Draco had not the heart to tell him that even if they won over Voldemort, Harry had not regained his memories and would probably never return to the Light side.
"Perhaps," Draco only agreed, softly.
They had only just approached the stone gargoyles, with Ron and Hermione together behind him, Draco lingering farther behind looking sour. Professor McGonagall was striding in front all of them, her face impassive but definitely pale. The red- headed boy kept throwing furtive glances behind him at Malfoy, while Hermione looked positively worried.
"Damy..." she tried, "can you please tell me what is going on?"
"I swear," Damien whispered to her, "once we're in the office, I'll tell you everything. Why according to you I've been so... strange, why I've been talking to Malfoy. Draco."
There was no more time to say anything else but give his friend a reassuring look, before Professor McGonagall announced the password, and the five of them trooped into the office together.
"Professor Dumbledore, these students wish to speak with you," she said, noting the weariness in the Headmaster's face as they entered. "They say they have... important information. To help the war efforts." This part was slightly skeptical as she directed her gaze at Damien, who tried his best not to squirm.
"Yes, professor... actually, we've known this for quite a while. Me and-... Draco," he said, chancing a look at the only Slytherin in the room, who was standing at the corner of the room, jaw clenched.
Professor Dumbledore looked up at this, a momentary odd glint in his eye before he gestured for all of them to sit; Damien somehow ended up sitting with Draco across both of his best friends.
"I brought Ron and Hermione along because I thought they deserve to know as well," Damien continued, then stopped, taking a deep breath. "What happened that day, when Voldemort feigned an attack on Hogwarts... I wasn't being delusional. It really happened."
He paused, looking directly at Ron, who was fighting between looking abashed and horrorstruck at the same time. "Kit Mason forced his way out of the blood wards that night," Damien said, closing his eyes briefly as though bracing himself, "and it was on that same night they I discovered that he was actually Harry Potter."
He continued before the silence could grow, unable to look at the faces of his friends, only resting his gaze on his fidgeting fingers. "Draco Malfoy soon guessed the truth as well, following the events of the Duelling Club, and he came to see me in the Hospital Wing. I was injured while trying to prevent Harry to escape. You see, on the evening directly before the Duelling Club, Kit tricked me into training with him in the Room of Requirement. I was not wearing the Layhoo Jisteen, and he Stunned me and drugged me with Veritaserum."
A chill went up his spine as he remembered those cold blue eyes glaring down at him from a familiar face. "He started asking me questions about Harry, during his stay at Hogwarts last year. Most importantly, he asked when was the Imperius Curse placed upon him. From there, we deduced that was the lie Voldemort spun after wiping Harry's memories. During the interrogation, Harry's glamour faded as well- and his eyes changed back to their original colour. Green. He mind- wiped me after I saw it... it's only thanks to the Layhoo Jisteen that I recovered the memory."
Damien stopped at this, thinking that he had gabbled too much information in a rush. Glancing around, he noticed Ron looked as though he'd been punched in the gut. Hermione was pale and her hands, he noticed, were shaking slightly- but she was frowning, as though trying to piece together a puzzle piece. He dared not look at Professor McGonagall nor the Headmaster; their heavy demanding gazes doubtless was something he wanted to avoid rather keenly.
This was proving to be much more difficult than he had originally anticipated.
To his immense surprise, relief and no small touch of gratitude, however, Draco took over the story albeit with an emotionless air, telling the rest of them what Damien and Draco had figured out during their discussion in the Hospital Wing. He told them how they speculated what really happened on the night when Hogsmeade had been destroyed. He told them almost everything they knew, though Draco deliberately left out the part about how they found out about Harry weakened greatly by the wards. The part about Damien sending the letter to Lucius by breaching the wards, or meeting his elder brother last night was left out as well.
When Draco finished, the heavy silence around the room was suffocating. There were wide- eyed gazes exchanged, and the youngest Potter could barely rein in his wince as Ron looked at him, mouth hanging slightly open, dumbstruck.
"When we saw you with Malfoy..." the redhead started, an expression of incredulous disbelief over his features. "...I never expected it to be something like this."
"Yeah well, things just happened," Damien shrugged uncomfortably. "And I didn't tell you because, well- "
"I refused to let anyone else in on the matter," Draco said flatly, ignoring the others' angry or disbelieving expressions with infuriating calmness.
Damien, however, had one question for Dumbledore.
"In the letter Harry sent to you, what did he say?" he said, raising his eyes to look at Professor Dumbledore for the first time he set foot in the office that day. "Was there anything else besides the plans of the Blood Wards?" he asked.
Blue eyes met hazel, and they looked brighter than they had been before as the Headmaster wordlessly pulled a familiar looking singed parchment out of thin air, and handed it to Damien.
It was a simple order after all. Damien's eyes travelled across his brother's words and felt tears sting his eyes.
Keep them safe. You know what to do.
xXx
The rest of the afternoon passed in a frenzy of worry and distress; the students were trapped in the Hall, unable to go anywhere else, while they were mostly left to their own devices. Despite the absence of professors to maintain the discipline of the rest of the Hogwarts population, all was relatively silent as students huddled together in small but tightly knit groups, some whispering their fears, some just sitting together in grim silence.
All in all it was a very tense atmosphere when Draco, Damien, Ron and Hermione arrived back from the Headmaster's office. Ginny was sitting in a farther corner comforting a few younger girls, so the four of them sat down at the furthest end of the Great Hall by themselves, ignoring the odd looks that were thrown their way, especially at Draco. After all his green and silver robes stood out amongst the red and gold around that corner.
"I can't believe that was it!" Damien fumed angrily, a definite scowl on his face. "I told him everything! Every single bloody fact that we spent ages figuring out, and that's it?! Don't do anything stupid, just stay here and keep your fingers crossed!"
"I told you I'd say I told you so," Draco commented, though none too smugly. "Dumbledore's hardly going to do anything about it. If any, he'd probably ensure that you will not get out of Hogwarts, knowing Voldemort's going to pull a stunt with Harry."
"I let him know Voldemort's trump card early!" Damien continued to rant at the huge letdown. "He gets to ask questions and gets all the answers, but I never get my turn!"
"Stop sulking," snapped Draco. "Honestly, you spend too much time around that owl of yours. I don't see why you're acting so surprised. Maybe next time you'll actually listen to what I say."
Damien could scarcely believe it. "Excuse me?"
Ron didn't know which was more bizarre; the fact that Draco was quarreling with Damien, or the fact that he had to break up their bicker.
"We need to focus," Ron said, louder this time, above both of their voices, while trying to maintain a neutral expression. "This isn't getting us anywhere."
For a moment, Damien stared at him, so surprised that he forgot his previous annoyance, then he remembered the Death- Eaters heading their way and sobered immediately.
"Maybe we should just go with Professor Dumbledore's plan," Hermione suggested in a small voice. "We might just make things worse trying to intervene..." she trailed off at the dangerous look on Draco's face.
"If you seriously trust that man to secure Harry's safe return and win the war against Voldemort, you are even more stupid than you look," said Draco scathingly. "There is no way we can get Harry back if Harry is unwilling to come with us. He needs to regain his memories; that is the only hope we have left for him to return."
Nobody said anything at this; Ron opened his mouth half- heartedly to tell Malfoy off for talking to Hermione that way, before deciding to let it slide for a while just for the sake of their discussion. He wanted to only include Hermione and Damien, but he couldn't turn Malfoy away, as he was seemingly the one that helped Damien discover everything they already knew, therefore Malfoy was the one that was extending inclusion to him.
"We need to list out the facts we already know," Damien said, getting up and starting to pace once more. "Has Voldemort realized that we have discovered Harry's identity?"
This question was pointedly directed at Draco, whose father was a Death- Eater, but the Slytherin complied anyway- "I don't think so. Voldemort would have father's head if he realized that someone else discovered his trump card before he revealed it, and we kept the information to ourselves." He looked at Damien. "You didn't by any chance reveal anything to your mother when you sent that letter, did you?"
The youngest Potter pursed his lips at the accusing tone, but shook his head. "Much as I would like to, I didn't- just in case my letter got intercepted."
"Voldemort will probably attack around evening, at the latest- sundown. Before nightfall, I'd venture, guessing the amount of time that has passed since they were sighted," Hermione supplied, while Ron locked his jaw determinedly at the constant use of the Dark Lord's name around their circle.
"Then we only have two hours to plan," Draco said, his grey eyes for some reason landing heavily on Damien. "You're the only one that can get to Harry, make him listen to you. Only you can leave Hogwarts."
Ron hesitated for a while, meeting Damien's gaze before admitting, "Actually, I'm the Fourth Secret Keeper."
Draco's gaze held some measure of surprise. "That's good," he shrugged, "someone can be the back- up then."
"What is your plan?" Hermione asked, her tone somewhat fearful. "What are you going to do?"
Draco only looked at Damien, his serious grey eyes meeting hazel, which held determination yet at the same time, fear, hidden beneath his tirade of emotions. "It is the most reckless idea there has ever been, and it is typically, yours," he said, with the absence of his trademark smirk- smile.
Damien's eyes widened briefly at this, but he nodded anyway. Ron and Hermione were meanwhile trying not to grow alarmed.
"It is really the best we can hope for," Draco said somewhat defensively.
"There must be a distraction though," Damien said, trying his best not to betray his scared tone. "Preferably a huge one."
The Slytherin drew his knees up to his chin, pressing his fingers to his temple as he thought. "I need to concentrate," he murmured.
"Well, maybe we'll play this out like chess," Ron suggested. "Find our strengths and weaknesses. Voldemort attacks from the forest. We must find our advantage..."
Then it hit Draco.
Forest. Of course!
"Granger," he snapped suddenly, barely registering that this was one of the sacredly few times he'd ever called her by her name, albeit not her first name. "Can you find out if there is any wind tonight? By sundown. I need it to be accurate. And the direction. Strong or mild."
"Er- yes sure, there is a spell but it's rather complicated," Hermione started, standing up as she did so. She wanted to ask why, but she supposed Draco Malfoy would not give her an answer just yet. Most probably he'd just get edgy and annoyed. "I can try it now... but I need a place in the open. Preferably somewhere high up."
Draco nodded. "Go to the Astronomy tower, you will have the best vintage point of view. The time set is approximately after Voldemort arrives."
"I'll come with you," Ron said obligingly, and the pair got up and left together. They gave Damien a small smile of reassurance, and Ron leaned close to the youngest Potter as he left, whispering in his ear, "don't let Malfoy make you do anything stupid."
Damien shook his head in amusement. "I won't. See you later."
When the pair had left, only Draco and Damien remained there, looking uncomfortably at each other.
"It's still a very reckless plan," the elder of the pair was the first to speak, looking anywhere else but the younger boy before him. "I have to admit, this is the worst plan I've ever made, counting those I never dared to put into action."
"If it gives me a chance to get to Harry, I'm not passing it up," Damien said immediately. "But why do you need the direction of the wind?"
"How good are you at casting cursed fire?" Draco asked instead.
They marched onto Hogwarts from the distance, wiping out two small villages close by the school for witchcraft and wizardry. Hogwarts was completely alone now, with Hogsmeade destroyed and Greville Town fallen- the only village around that area that remained standing was barely a kilometre before them, just beyond those woods.
Even half their number was too much for those petty villagers to defend; surely this one would pose no threat. As they marched onwards, their expectations were confirmed- they found the village practically deserted, some belongings left behind in the villagers' haste to leave their home. No man stayed to fight against the Dark Lord.
It was a pity, he mused, as he tore down the cottage with a simple blast of his wand, and the Death- Eaters set a ring of cursed fire around the now abandoned village, destroying every living thing within it. He would have liked to see more bloodshed; crush the filthy Muggles to the ground where they belonged.
Somewhere off to his right, he thought he heard a cry, but then there was silence.
Lazily, he reached forth and pulled back his sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark. It was his turn tonight.
"Morsmorde!"
Green light snarked upwards, splitting like a forked tongue as it reached the sky. It transformed into a glowing symbol, a skull with a serpent's tongue, which hung above them, throwing eerie lights in the slowly darkening clouds. Chilly wind blew from the east, as autumn always brought about strong wind -but it hindered them not; their cloaks kept most of the cold at bay.
"Avery!"
He turned to face the man who hailed him, realizing it to be none other than Lucius Malfoy. The man had just Apparated to the site, doubtless leaving the rest to dirty their hands with Muggle blood.
"Lucius Malfoy," he greeted lightly in return, eyes hard. "Has the Dark Lord sent you here?"
Truth to be told, he was anxious for new orders. While he was the leader of the group, there was only so far they were allowed to go before they settled for camp and waited for the other teams to arrive. Then they would await the Dark Lord's signal to attack. He understood the reasoning of the plans; by approaching from far, the Dark Lord instilled fear as the villages and towns fell one by one as they headed for Hogwarts. They gave the Ministry time to send all the Aurors they had to be stationed around the school to prepare for attack, leaving the Ministry itself defenseless. Only a handful of Death- Eaters would be needed to take over the Ministry, which would be an easy feat.
"Of course," the taller of the pair replied. "The Dark Lord says to await his signal. There will be a change of plans."
Avery nodded before turning to leave. It wouldn't make a difference, before sundown or not- by nightfall, Hogwarts would be at their mercy.
xXx
Lucius returned to the Manor directly after relaying his orders to Avery.
Somehow the thought that all of it; the war that had been raging in Britain for the past few decades would finally cease after tonight brought a chill to him. He was never one for bloodshed, having a son of his own whom he loved dearly; yet he supported the Dark Lord's cause. He believed that Muggles ought to learn their own place, but he would have never gone this far to rage war in Britain, if not for the threat of imminent death upon his family if he failed to comply.
He wondered where Draco was. How was he faring, since the day Potter sent that letter telling him his son was weak and in need of help? How was it Draco would willingly aid the Order? If it was to avenge Harry's death, Lucius couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pride in him, along with fear- for his son possessed a courage in him that he himself never had.
It seemed so long ago since he last saw Draco, when he'd just been a young spoilt child, until the week before he sent off his son with many fears in his heart. Draco had been so subdued, suddenly so matured and quiet; he didn't know what to make of it. But he'd been away at the Manor at that time, with Death- Eater meetings and Harry given a second chance to life; he'd let the week slip past by. There had also been a part in him that feared, if he were to have his only son constantly on his thoughts, the Dark Lord would quickly find where Draco was if he were to perform Legilimency on him, so both unconsciously and consciously- he'd kept his distance.
He hurriedly made a decision- tonight, he resolved, he would find his son and bring him back home safely. No matter what it took. He would not lose Draco, not for the world.
His thoughts were so focused on his son that he was only partially aware of his surroundings. When he finally looked up, he was facing the grand entrance of Riddle Manor... and a boy bearing the face of Kit Mason was walking towards the doors, much like him.
With a small smile Lucius hastened forwards to greet the boy, but Harry, upon seeing him merely nodded tightly and walked away, avoiding all eye contact.
There was no one else in sight, not counting the two guards standing at the doorway, so Lucius stepped forwards regardless, a hand catching Harry's shoulder. The boy looked up, his glamour still in place, but his eyes were their normal shade of emerald green.
"I haven't seen you since last night," Lucius began with a small smile. Life had been hectic for him throughout the day; there were too many raids, messages to relay and meetings, held both at the Ministry and the Dark Lord for him to cope. There was also the matter of preparing for tonight's final battle...
"I was busy," Harry replied shortly, still looking elsewhere.
Lucius stopped, before asking hesitantly, "What happened yesterday after I left? I know I shouldn't ask but... you don't look very good."
Even with the glamour on, there were dark circles beneath Harry's eyes, and there was something about Harry's eyes that seemed dead. The mischievous glint, fiery anger, pain- all were long gone, leaving behind nothing but emptiness; a dull green. The boy looked tired, certainly- but there was something else more to it.
"You look defeated," Lucius said suddenly, and Harry's gaze snapped up to meet his. "Prince... Harry, please- tell me what is wrong. Tell me what bothers you."
But the days Harry would have complied were far beyond reach; he merely levelled his deadened gaze at Lucius, a small smirk playing on his lips- but the sight was foreign, unfamiliar. "You don't need to always pretend, Lucius, not anymore," Harry said. "I remember now, I know. What happened last year, what really happened when I was younger." He shrugged. "There is no longer need for an act, is there not?"
Lucius stilled. "You remember... all of it?"
"No, not all," Harry replied, truthful for once; he was tired of lies. The glamour was enough. "Only some, returning to me slowly, painfully. Probably they'll never be complete. I'd never be able to tell. It's all up to him to decide."
The first bit of emotion crept into his voice; it was bitterness. Lucius came to a halt before Harry, his hand withdrawn from Harry's shoulder.
"He does care for you, you know," Lucius said at last, his grey eyes trying to find some sort of reaction from Harry, but the emerald eyes remained impassive. "He has done a lot for you, and you in turn have affected the Dark Lord greatly. All may not be done for the best intentions, but he never wanted you to leave his right hand. All he did was to ensure you stayed."
Harry smiled, again it was bitter. Perhaps, Harry merely thought, his fingers trailing across his new phoenix feather wand in his pocket, which thrummed with magic under his touch; it suited him more than his old one ever had. Maybe, there had been once.
Aloud, he said, "It's over now."
When they entered the doors together to attend the Inner Circle meeting, the boy did not kiss the hem of Voldemort's robe; but Lucius was still shocked to hear Harry call the wizard he had once called his father, "My Lord".
Twilight was fast approaching, and still Hogwarts did nothing to prepare for battle. The blood wards did not yield, though once in a while there would be a warning surge of Dark magic sent from afar, causing the barriers to pulse red. Damien felt nothing except for the smallest of a twinge of pain at the corner of his heart whenever there was one, but he was able to ignore it completely as Draco went through the final stages of their plan.
"I still don't think we should intervene," Hermione said at last, biting her lip in obvious worry and fear. "Damy is too young, you can't go out there alone and unprotected! And the stone does not count," she said before Damien could bring it up.
"It protects me against all magic!" the youngest Potter still protested. "Even most of the Dark spells."
"We're not sure if it can withstand Fiend fire!"
"It will," Damien said stubbornly. "It's just the Unforgivables and the Markalline... stuff like that that I need to worry about."
"What you're going to do is still... illegal," Hermione finished lamely. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Hermione, the Ministry is already a puff of smoke," he said. "No one gives a hoot about what the laws say. We're at war now."
"In any case we are not going to intervene," Draco said at last, "not until Dumbledore's plan- whatever it is- fails, or an emergency happens."
"Let's hope it's not until it's too late," Ron said optimistically.
Damien watched as Hedwig soared in through the windows of the Owlery and landed lightly on his shoulder. With trembling fingers he untied the reply, his eyes scanning through the words quickly.
"It won't be," he said, sounding almost certain. "All is going according to plan."
xXx
The evening sky seemed to darken even as the Death- Eaters approached from beyond. Even so, the weather that day would have been beautiful, if not for the impending threat of war closing in on Hogwarts. The sky was cloudless yet the breeze was cool; and far off to the east, strong wind was brewing.
Hermione had successfully predicted the weather, and she hastened back to inform Damien and Draco. Ron had been waiting by her patiently as she performed the spell, trying to be as useful as possible. It turned out that he could be rather helpful when he wanted; he successfully cast all the side- charms needed for her readings to be accurate, so that she could maintain concentration on the main body.
Even so, after working hard the entire day and making sure the Professors that checked on the students regularly did not notice their absence (they checked on them on an hourly basis), Hermione knew that her spell was far from perfect. The Centaurs in the forest could probably predict the weather change better than she ever could with her spells, but there was no way they could access the centaurs' knowledge. They could not reach where they lived; and even so, if by some streak of luck the centaurs were feeling helpful, their answers would always be cryptic.
Draco said it was fine; they could make do with what they knew, and pray that the wind wouldn't change its course at the crucial moment.
"Have both of you mastered the spell?" Draco asked for the last time, even as the slight tug of magic in Damien's heart manifested.
"Yes, we have," Ron answered in a rare moment of civility, while Damien nodded absently.
"You've got everything you need on you right?" Draco said, trying but failing not to betray his nervousness.
Damien only nodded tightly once more, but it was enough.
"Do you feel it growing?" the youngest Potter asked in a low voice, meant only for Ron to hear as the elder Slytherin turned away to watch out of the windows.
Ron's face was growing paler than usual. "Slightly. Yes, I do."
"I wonder why Professor Dumbledore was so much more affected than both of us," Damien continued in a whisper. "I know Hermione said that the stronger the magical core of the wizard, the greater the pull- but it shouldn't make such a huge difference, should it?"
"He tied most of the magic to his core," Draco spoke up, not bothering to lower his voice, nor disguise the fact that he had overheard what Damien said. "Probably more than he should have," he added.
"What does that mean?" Damien asked sharply, but at the same time there was a soft gasp that travelled throughout the Hall; very soft, yet tremulously loud to their ears. It spoke of fear, the one thing they had been anticipating all along.
No one was watching out of the window, even Draco had turned away. A few younger students burst into quiet sobs, the slight noise traveling through the thick silence that seemed to last throughout the afternoon until then.
No one moved. No one spoke. It was like Hogwarts had been held still in a time siege, all waiting with bated breath for the inevitable to arrive. The filled plates of finger food and sandwiches passed around the hall lay, unsurprisingly, mostly untouched in corners near the wall. Damien felt his heartbeat increasing, fear causing adrenaline to course through him; he felt alive once more.
All through the summer, through last year, through the past few excruciating months, and the painful hours he had to pass restless in the afternoon, imagining what it would be like to end the war- finally the moment had arrived.
He was afraid, very much so. This was his first experience in a battle, and it might well be his last. After Harry had left, he had taken to training, mainly just to fill the silence, the loneliness that engulfed Potter Manor while his parents were away at the Order meetings. After many reassurances from James that it would be perfectly alright to perform underage magic in Potter Manor, Damien began to frequent Harry's training grounds.
It wasn't much; the spells he practised were mostly Defense spells and a quite a number of offensive ones, but they were mild and served only to distract. The most lethal one he trained himself to perform was the Reducto charm, but he had ever only practised it on soft objects like pillows.
He wasn't ready. Perhaps if Harry had kept up the training throughout the summer, he would have been.
He had to. There was no other choice.
Footsteps clicked against marble.
All the staff members had arrived, Professor Dumbledore the first among them. Damien guessed that the Headmaster was in discomfort, but the aged wizard hid it quite well.
"They have arrived," he said, his troubled blue eyes sweeping across the mass of students, specifically seeking out a few faces as he spoke. "Whatever happens, I promise all of you safety as long as all remain within the confines of this castle. The Aurors will take care of the Death- Eaters outside. All I ask of you is to not venture out, do not fall for the traps laid. You may fear, but remember- feeling afraid itself is not a cowardly act. It is the action that counts."
Barely had the last word left his mouth when there was a loud cry outside, and red flares, bright against the slowly sinking sun, shot up into the darkening sky.
Draco's jaw tightened, and his eyes met Damien's wide ones immediately.
The Death- Eaters had attacked early.
Too early.
The brilliant green lightning that descended from the skies struck ground, and with it the Dark Lord arrived, the leader of the army of men before him. Stationed outside the grounds of Hogwarts, the two teams of Ministry officials and Order members stood defiantly, wands aloft, eyes blazing. Where they were outnumbered six to one in the last battle at Hogsmeade, now their number was even more laughable.
Only around twenty men and women were glaring back at his army, as though daring them to come any nearer.
He laughed, the sound itself bringing cold even in the middle autumn.
"Not going down without a fight?" he said mockingly, even as a few stepped backwards as green lightning struck overhead once more. "Well, let me tell you something- there isn't even going to be one."
His eyes flashed, and at the cry of his army, the Dark Mark shot up into the sky, brilliant and magnified ten fold, hanging across the gates of Hogwarts; at the same time red flares shot into the dark, colliding with green with a shower of sparks.
The battle had begun.
Professor Dumbledore was standing alongside Professor McGonagall as they stood facing the wards, all the way channeling their magic into the blood sheild, strengthening the folds. The Order members were putting up resistance, but most of the Death- Eaters had taken the Dark Lord's orders and were firing a stream of Dark magic at the wards.
They attempted to bring it down by brute force.
Then Dumbledore gave his deputy and friend a last look, nodding his head, before he stepped out of the barriers into the battle itself.
Voldemort's ruby red eyes quickly found him, and the Dark Lord's face split into a curved smirk.
"You put up little resistance, Dumbledore..." he mocked, drawing closer as he prepared for a duel. "Your precious Order is crushed beneath my feet. You have sent them out on a suicide mission; they cannot hope to survive fighting against me."
The raining blows of Dark magic were weakening him greatly, Dumbledore felt excruciating pain tear through him at the onslaught. He had tied too much of the magic to his core; too much. But he would never regret it.
"Pride comes before a fall, Tom," he only replied softly, while he saw red and orange dance out of the corner of his eyes. "It's not over yet."
It was then when, with a tremendous roar, a great wall of flame rose like a tide from the east, climbing high into the night air with the aid of strong wind, before crashing down of the Death- Eaters like a hungry monster, engulfing every living thing on sight, leaving only ashes and destruction in their wake.
On the far west, with a renewed cry, teams of Aurors and Ministry members alike rushed out from the forest, driving the Death- Eaters back into the flames.
The Death- Eaters were trapped... but then, so was Damien.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the Hogwarts population, much later in the afternoon, after tea break, Draco, Damien and his two best friends were summoned back to the Headmaster's office.
Then, Dumbledore had unlocked a wooden box and showed it to them; it contained the familiar blue and red tipped quills.
"If somehow, the wards are to fail," he had told them, "you must use these well."
After all, the Portkeys could not be activated until the wards were down.
They had exchanged uneasy glances, before Draco finally spoke up, "Why don't you inform the students as well? If the possibility ever arises, they would be more assembled. It would give them more time to escape."
"There will be no possibility," Dumbledore had said, his piercing azure eyes resting once more, heavily, on Damien and Ron. "Unless you decide otherwise."
When it was evident that Dumbledore had somehow guessed what they were planning, they revealed the idea to him. At first they had been hesitant, fearing that the Headmaster might oppose their desperate plans and prevent them from carrying it out altogether, but they needed the help of the Order, and even though Remus had agreed to it- he wasn't the leader. Dumbledore was.
So they told him. Dumbledore's eyes had twinkled for the last time once more, appraising the students before him, before he quickly relayed the plans to the Order by the Order's communicating device, which still seemed to function under the magic of the wards.
A small army of men was to be stationed at the gates of Hogwarts to confront the Dark Lord's army and make it seem more believable, while the rest remained hidden in the far west. A strong wind was due blowing from the east, where the flames would be lit. Nature would aid magic; the flames would flood the Death- Eaters like the sea, wiping off, by estimation, almost half of their army. Upon receiving the signal, the Aurors would then attack from west, driving back Voldemort's men into the cursed fire.
There was only one problem- who was going to light the cursed fire; and Damien had insisted he be the one, since he wore the Layhoo Jisteen. They had, much to Professor McGonagall's horror, tried it out on Damien in the Room of Requirement, but the stone's protection seemed to hold.
When they stood there discussing strategies, Dumbledore couldn't help but feel a strong surge of pride and hope, affection for his students, even the Slytherin boy whom reminded him strongly of Severus' courage. He remembered thinking that perhaps he had been wrong all those years; it wasn't up to the Boy Who Lived to defeat Lord Voldemort, it was actually up to them all.
They watched out of the window in horrified silence as the few Ministry members fell under the Death- Eaters' wands, bare few remained standing. Professor Dumbledore was channelling his magic into the wards, but after a while, he allowed his hands to fall back by his side, and slowly, he walked out of the barriers to confront Voldemort.
At the light tap on his shoulder, Damien turned around, his hands shaking so badly he had to stuff them in his pockets to hide the fact.
"It's time to go," Draco said quietly.
At this, Hermione promptly burst into tears, pulling Damien into a hug before letting go, afraid that this would be the last time she saw him. Ron would only be following Damien to the edge of the barriers and help cast the fire, before he would run back into the protection of the barriers; there was no protection for him against the flames except for his temporary Shield charm.
As Damien checked for his Invisibility Cloak and moved to go, Draco's hand suddenly reached out and caught his shoulder, his grip surprisingly tight.
"Your brother made me promise I would look out for you," Draco said suddenly, his grey eyes intense as ever. "Do not make me regret my decision; even without him, you must return safely."
Damien's throat felt tight. He could only offer a small nod before he and Ron left the other two behind, racing out of the doors towards the edge of the wards where the battle was raging.
xXx
The Invisiblity Cloak was thrown roughly over them as they raced past the Quidditch pitch, into the forest, where the wards ended. The Cloak flapped around their ankles as they ran, but they knew no one would notice, least of all the Death- Eaters who were still fighting on the other side of the barrier.
There was no one in the woods; the Death- Eaters were attacking from the main entrance. Quietly, Damien and Ron approached as close as they dared to the edge of the forest without being seen.
Three red flares shot into the sky; the signal to cast the spell.
"Now, Damy," Ron whispered.
Inhaling a deep breath, both wizards closed their simultaneously, and angry flames immediately leapt to life, curling out of their wands like hungry monsters, growing higher and higher.
It wasn't enough.
"The wind's not coming," Damien said frustratedly; more and more, tendrils of cursed fire errupted from their wands, setting the forest around them ablaze. Ron was beginning to gag.
They needed the element of surprise. If the Death- Eaters saw the fire before it spread; they would catch the gist of the plan, the could be prepared.
Still, there was nothing. The flames were growing dangerously hot, spinning wilder and wilder beyond their control. Ron's shimmering bubble shield was already out, protecting him against the climbing flames, but nothing happened. Damien could feel the ferocious heat of the Fiend fire, as it slowly curled into a vague form of a monster; there were loud crashes as two trees fell; yet the roar of the flames were louder...
Ron's shield began to crack. Damien saw his friend's eyes widen with panic, and he pushed Ron back towards the wards, shouting.
"Go back! I'll be fine now- just leave now!"
As if to emphasise his point, Damien cast half a ring of flames around himself, separating him and Ron. His best friend only looked at him one last time, hand shielding his face, meeting his eyes.
"GO!"
At his last desperate cry, Ron finally turned around and fled, back towards Hogwarts. Damien could not see whether he made it or not; the flames around him had climbed too high.
"Please, gods- let the wind be strong- please let it be-..." Damien prayed, his wand shaking badly, still casting the spell over and over again, letting more cursed flames leap into the dark. The last of twilight was fading over the horizon.
Hermione couldn't have made a mistake... it was the Death- Eaters that had attacked earlier than expected.
The plan had to work, it must, all of it, the lives lost would be nothing if he failed.
"Please, let the wind come..."
Then come the east wind did, blowing ferocious, just like the flames. Damien felt intense heat roar behind him, and when he turned, he couldn't help the icy trickle of fear running down his spine.
It was stronger than the tide, the expanse of gold flames writhing into vague shapes of fiery monsters; it was like an ocean of fire. Damien felt the Layhoo Jisteen vibrate violently as the Fiend fire cast by his own wand crashed down on him; trees were falling to ashes, grass burning beneath his feet. Heat caught him, scalding even by the protection of his brother's blood; he could barely breathe, and he knew with a sudden lurch of his heart that the Layhoo Jisteen was not enough.
He threw up his shield, and thanking Ron's idea a thousand times over- reached into his robe pocket and produced the miniature broomstick. With a slight tap of his wand, it regained its full size, and crying out- of pain, desperation or fear he didn't know, with his heart hammering wild, Damien kicked off, soaring straight into the hell of flames.
xXx
The wind was stronger than what Hermione predicted; it whipped up with such ferocity that the tide of flames; Fiend fire, growing wilder every passing second- leapt over the Death- Eaters, engulfing more than half the army. Some managed to bring up desperate shields, some gave way- but most fell quickly, dead and incinerated before they even managed to cry out.
A full- fledged battle had emerged from the west, jinx and curses flying as the Aurors pushed back the Death- Eaters. But Damien only had eyes for one; his brother.
He stumbled out from the forest, his lungs dry and covered with soot; his shirt torn and bloody. Excruciating pain was burning his back, where he had screamed out in agony when the flames broke through his shield. The entire place was a hell of fire, hundreds of lives lost- and it brought Damien an overwhelming sense of disbelief and emptiness as he realized that he was the cause of all of it.
Much to his relief, he found his brother soon enough- the brilliant blue shield was a dead giveaway. Harry had managed to extinguish some of the flames, and was currently standing in a bare patch of burnt ground.
It smelt of smoke, intense heat, burnt flesh even- but Damien pushed on regardless of his pain. He knew he was shaking, tears mingling with soot, but he reached Harry in the end, stumbling to the last broken footsteps before his brother.
Harry was no longer wearing the glamour. Hazel eyes met familiar emerald, and despite everything, Damien felt himself breaking into a smile, the searing feeling in his throat if any, only grew, but not by the flames.
Strong arms caught him as he fell, and Harry's face was one of anguish, shock and horror at the state he was in.
He didn't know what to say, he had never planned for this bit. He could only pray that, like the east wind, the heavens would answer his prayer.
He whispered, his voice broken and hoarse past use, "Please come back."
It didn't matter how it sounded; it was sincere, it was desperate; it was something he wished and yearned for all his heart, so much he never realized just how much it ached. Until he was there, barely standing, clinging onto his brother for support and hope.
"You don't know what really happened," Damien continued, his ragged whispers tearing through his throat like physical pain, rebellious tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at his brother. "None of us ever hurt you, dad, mum or uncle Sirius. You discovered the truth last year. You didn't hate us."
"I don't," Harry said roughly, and it was to the youngest Potter's surprise that his brother who had always been stoic and strong, sounded just as broken as he was. "I remember, Damy, all of it." Wetness clouded over emerald eyes as he whispered to his younger brother, the words stabbing his heart even as they left him."But I'm sorry, I can never return home."
A/N: Is this still considered a cliffhanger? I've written the longest chapter in my life just so you know- almost 9,000 words! :)
Review if you appreciate it? :p
- The wind blowing up the Fiend fire idea was actually gotten from History of China, in the War Between Three Kingdoms, namely 'San Guo Yan Yi'.
Rating system:
:D for amazing
. for lovely
O for okay
X for terrible.