Chapter 8: The Battle of Paris
Harry Potter was making rounds which had become a daily routine. It had been a week since the first sighting of a Death Eater a few blocks from the tomb of Nicolas Flamel. Fleur was in charge of the tomb's defense and at the time she had pulled her army, a meager force of about 100 witches and wizards, back to the tomb itself. Nothing happened the rest of that day. Nothing happened the next day or the day after that.
Fleur had begun to get restless and she sent the spotters back out to see what was happening. What they found was that Death Eaters were popping up around the city and examining things. Almost as if they were looking for something, as if they hadn't found the tomb. She spent all of her time setting up a perimeter a few blocks away and securing her defenses. In her mind, stopping Voldemort involved keeping him away from the tomb at all costs. She had even suggested making a big show of defending a different spot in hopes that he would attack where their defenses were but Harry had shot that plan down. Voldemort was not stupid. The location of Flamel's tomb may not be public knowledge but some people knew it and therefore Voldemort can get it.
Harry finished his rounds behind the tomb where Hermione, Ron and Neville had sat down for lunch. They motioned for him to join them.
"Where's Ginny?" he asked as he sat down.
"She went on a walk with Luna," Neville said. "She wanted to clear her mind. I think she's more worried about Albus than about herself."
"I am too," Harry said quietly.
"Albus will be fine," Hermione said, "He's very skilled, even more skilled than you are."
"It's not me he has to be more skilled than, it's Grindelwald," Harry said.
"Any news on Snake Face," Ron said while stuffing a sandwich in his mouth. Hermione scowled at him.
"No," Harry said before Hermione could scold her husband. "The sightings have stopped though. I believe that he knows where we are. I'm just hoping to get warning of his attack somehow."
"Are the dreams still happening?" Hermione asked.
"Not as often, the emotions have to be really strong. It's harder without his soul in me," Harry said.
"Don't try too hard," Hermione said.
"Hermione, we have to get intelligence somehow!" Harry said.
"Dumbledore didn't need your dreams," Hermione said.
"Dumbledore had Snape. My spy has been worthless. I don't think Voldemort trusts him," Harry said.
"Feed him the location. Have him earn Voldemort's trust. That could be vital if we lose here," Ron said. Hermione nodded.
"I'm going to when I feel our defense is ready," Harry said.
"It's never going to be ready," Hermione said. "This is Voldemort were talking about."
Harry thought about this for a while before nodding in agreement. "Dobby!" he called.
Two elves appeared. Dobby appeared wearing a "I love Disney World" tank top and a pair of baseball caps. He bowed to Harry. The other elf wore a new, white pillowcase, almost as if his master wanted him to have the best clothes without actually having clothes. This elf also bowed to Harry. "Mr. Harry Potter, sir. My master has a message. 'We come now, the river,' he said. He told me to get you the message quickly sir."
"Thank you," Harry said. The elf appeared stunned. "Dobby, escort this elf away from the area, get him back home safely."
"Yes sir," Dobby said taking the still shocked elf by the hand and apparating away.
"What was that?" Hermione asked.
Harry was already on his feet. "My spy, the Death Eaters are coming through the river. I have to go warn Fleur."
"The hell they are," Hermione said, also rising with inhuman speed. She pulled her wand and swiped it at the river. The river began to bubble and foam. Ripples appeared in a straight line where she had swiped across the entire fifty yard wide portion of river. The ripples grew larger and then the line began to sink. Two large waves formed on either side of Hermione's line, turning into bulges and finally into walls of water as the Seine River split in two. The walls of water marched away from the tomb growing taller and taller leaving behind a growing ditch of wet riverbed.
Harry, who had run ahead to get to Fleur, watched in awe as the now ten foot tall wall of water continued to march past him up river. Just before he got to Fleur, shapes began to appear in the wall. Black shapes jumped out of the water, one after the other and the Death Eaters landed on rooftops and on the streets and alleys of the Paris road which had been magically shut down for over a week. Harry felt a sudden pain throughout his forehead as an unexplainable anger formed in his gut.
Harry saw briefly saw the scene from a different perspective. He was in the river, under the protection of a bubble-head charm, when suddenly he felt himself rise high into the air. He turned slightly and a dark purple cloud appeared around him as he half flew, half apparated to a nearby rooftop. He could see the tomb three city blocks ahead, almost out of sight around a bend in the street. He looked at the dry river bed and the now twelve foot high wall of water extending up the river. Someone told them. The defenders had ignored the river. They must have been tipped off. He looked over the scene of the developing battle and saw a form crumpled on the street near the foot of his building. He recognized the shape: Harry Potter.
Harry knew he was needed in the battle. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on something other than the vision. He focused on Hermione and Ron and Neville which eased the pain. He focused on Ginny. She needed him. They all needed him. He thought about Albus, fighting Grindelwald on his own. Harry had to win to make that mean anything. Harry had to win for Albus.
The pain stopped and Harry opened his eyes. He was lying on the Paris street, at the foot of a large apartment building. He stood and pointed his wand at the roof where he knew Voldemort had been moments before. "Reducto!" he yelled and the entire corner of the building crumbled and fell. Harry saw a deep purple smoke emerge from the rubble and jump back into the building. Harry went to go after it, but a black smoke blocked his path. "Expelliarmus!" Harry said, sending a red spell into the smoke, it promptly stopped forming and half of a man appeared in front of Harry. A gross sight followed as the bloody innards of the man fell at Harry's feet. Harry stepped over what was left of the man and looked back up at the building. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. Harry couldn't afford a wild goose chase, so he turned and joined Fleur who was battling two Death Eaters near the middle of the street.
"Expelliarmus!" he said as he arrived. The first Death Eater's wand went flying into the air. Harry summoned the wand and caught it easily as Fleur began to focus on the second attacker. Harry smiled at the wizard, pointed both wands at him and said, "Stupefy!" Two red jets slammed into the Death Eater's chest and he fell in the middle of the road. Harry looked up the road and saw a tall man with bright, blonde hair running for the river bed. "Thanks," he thought as he pointed the Death Eater's wand at the man and yelled "Stupefy." The spell hit Draco square in the back and he fell into the river bed, safe for now.
Harry heard a thump next to him. He turned. His wand had pointed itself at an unsuspecting young man who appeared to be no more than twenty when Harry had sent the spell at Draco. A stunning spell had left his wand too and hit the young man. Harry started to apologize and reverse the spell when he became suspicious. The man's wand was pointed in Harry's direction. Harry kicked the man over and pulled up his left sleeve. A black tattoo in the shape of the Dark Mark was branded into the man's skin. Harry let him be.
Harry looked around. Several of the French defenders were actually winning their battle against the Death Eaters. The bodies on the ground appeared to be about half English and half French, which was good in Harry's mind. He didn't think the Death Eaters had as many fighters as they did. Still, Voldemort was out there somewhere. He decided to pull back a block and fight the few Death Eaters who had gotten through Fleur's first line of defense.
As soon as the tomb came into view he was attacked by three Death Eaters. He raised both wands and performed a blocking spell, sending one unsuspecting Death Eater down with the power of his own spell. The other two regrouped and moved to flank Harry. He raised both wands, one at each Death Eater, and sent a disarming spell at them, just as they were right at his sides. Each blocked and said, "Avada Kedavra." But Harry was ready. He had pointed both of the wands at the ground and sent a strong jet of wind at the ground. The force of the wind hitting the ground shot Harry up ten feet in the air. The two killing spells crossed where Harry had been and hit the opposite Death Eater, sending each to the ground. Harry used the two wands to land on a two story riverfront restaurant a block from the tomb.
But what Harry saw was not what he expected to see. Draco was still safe, but the rest of the battle had descended into utter chaos. He couldn't tell who was on which side and where even the battle was taking place amongst all the bodies on the streets. Plus, Harry knew that somewhere Voldemort was watching, waiting to make his mark on the battle. Almost as if on cue, half of the people on the street jerked their left arm back, as if they had been stabbed, and apparated. Harry apparated to the front of the tomb.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked when he arrived.
"Fighting over there, you?" Harry responded.
"Fighting with Ginny on the other side. He must have attacked from both sides."
"What happens now?" Neville asked, magically sealing a wound on his arm.
"Are the Flamels still inside?" Harry asked. Luna went to check. She returned saying that all three coffins were still there undisturbed. "Then he's not done yet. We have to regroup and be ready," Harry said.
They all agreed and went to go find Fleur.
