Harry recalled hearing about a second goblin traveling with Dean, but he couldn't remember a name. He was ugly, like all goblins, who held the Gryffindor sword with a glint to his eye that Harry didn't like. Ron lay on the floor, unmoving.
"Well?" Bellatrix demanded. "Is it the true sword?"
Harry hadn't been able to impress upon this goblin the importance of hiding the truth. He leaned towards the doorway he hid just outside of, listening through the door left ajar. He was ready to burst inside, pressing forward on his toes, but then the goblin shook his head.
"No," it said. "It is a fake."
"Are you sure?" Bellatrix's eyes were alight with a fervor. "Quite sure?"
"Yes."
She relaxed. The tension drained away as she said, "Good," and flicked her wrist. A deep cut opened across the goblin's face and he dropped with a yell. "And now, we call the Dark Lord!"
The relief Harry had shared with her – for entirely different reasons – snapped away, leaving behind horror. He couldn't let her call Voldemort.
He heard Kanda hissing behind him just before he shoved in the door. Shock crossed the Death Eater's faces and he lunged at Narcissa, leaving Lucius to the Exorcist.
Bellatrix wasn't so close to the Dark Lord for nothing; her shock lasted barely a moment before she was firing at him, lights brushing by his face. Wormtail's wand was hot in his hand, slow and weak because it wasn't made for him, but it still reacted when he cried, "Stupefy!"
She used a non-verbal spell to send it off course, but he no longer paused to see if a move had worked. He kept going, right into her personal space, grabbing her wrist when she struck out with her silver knife. He could feel her bones grinding in his hand and she screamed at him in wordless rage.
He hadn't expected her to be able to twist her fingers quite like she did; she fired a crucio and his reflexes were the only thing that saved him.
It loosened his grip and she jerked away, slashing with her knife and making him put space between them. He grabbed the goblin as he went, ignoring its howl, and ducked an unexpected spell.
Draco was nearly behind him; Harry hadn't been paying attention. Even now, Draco's hand shook, eyes darting around the room. Harry couldn't tell if it was simple fear or indecision – but it didn't matter. Draco wasn't the threat here.
He fired a protego over Ron and glanced across the room when sudden movement caught his eye. Lucius was out cold and Kanda lunged towards Scabior's dead body where Mugen lay.
Then Harry had to dance between spells, carrying the goblin. He reached behind him, working the pouch on his belt open with the same hand carrying his wand, and pulled his cloak free with a flourish. It bounced several spells and he threw it around his shoulders. He didn't activate it, but its normal invisibility was just fine for what he wanted.
Bellatrix cried out, doubling her spellcasting as he blocked a dodged, steadily moving closer to Ron. He fired stuns and hexs and disarming charms, never expecting them to land. When he got to Ron, he set the goblin down and ordered him to be still. The goblin clutched the sword to his chest and didn't argue.
He'd thought to hold them off long enough for Kanda to back him up, but the Exorcist was facing Narcissa when the ground rumbled and shook. They had a brief moment to know something was wrong when the wall exploded.
Harry covered his face and used the moment to disarm a terrified Draco, whose wand shot across the room, and activated the Innocence. Shrapnel imbedded into the floor, the walls, and heat blasted against his face.
Outside the manor was a sky filled with Level One akuma. They bobbed about, all facing them, and as Bellatrix screamed, "What are you doing here, you great lumps?! Go back!" Harry whispered for Dobby.
The house elf appeared almost instantly.
"Take them," Harry said, pointing to Ron and the goblin. "The same place, alright?"
"What about master Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby said.
"Can't go yet." Harry glanced to make sure Kanda was still alive. Other than renewed bleeding and a certain paleness, he seemed strangely spritely for his wounds. "I'll be alright. Go!"
With some hesitation, Dobby did as he asked. When Ron and the goblin were gone, Harry nodded to himself and backed up. He wanted a wall at his back – it wouldn't protect against akuma, but it would prevent anyone from sneaking up on him.
He passed Draco, sprawled out and staring at the akuma in unadulterated fear. Whatever determination he'd managed to gather was gone. He didn't even noticed Harry so close.
In fact, no one did. Narcissa stared out the hole, holding her bleeding hip, her husband nowhere in sight. Bellatrix continued to scream at the akuma. "Well?! What are you waiting for?! Nobody ordered you to come here!"
From above the hole, a Level Two lowered. "Innocence."
Harry understood, but it didn't seem to have sunk into Bellatrix's head yet. They'd come for Harry's cloak and Kanda's Mugen. They didn't care about Voldemort's orders; they were no true servants.
They had listened up until the Innocence had called to them.
The bullets came at once. Harry rolled to the side, colliding with Draco as he activated his cloak on them both. He could only hope Kanda got to cover fast enough.
It was like thunder in his ears. He couldn't see for all the dust, could only lay there with the beginnings of a headache and wait for it to be over.
When it was, the silence felt unnatural. He lifted his head, the dust swirling about, and saw Bellatrix standing where he'd last seen her. She looked like she'd been replaced with a grey statue – then she collapsed into ash.
Kanda pushed out of the rubble. From under him, Harry caught sight of Narcissa, blood smeared on her dress. He thought she'd been wounded, maybe shot, but then he saw her trouble expression and realized it was just from Kanda. Draco came to life, pushing away from Harry violently and running towards his mother. Harry let the Innocence's effects fade.
They may have been mostly Level Ones, but Harry didn't want Kanda to fight alone. The Exorcist was tough, but Harry worried how much of it was an act; Kanda was seriously wounded, and his cloak had no offensive abilities that he'd been able to discover.
He went to the Malfoys and demanded, "Where's my wand?"
"I don't know," Narcissa said stiffly, one hand around her son. "I assume Scabior still has it."
She stood awkwardly, leaning heavily on Draco. She didn't appear infected, but she was obviously in pain.
"Mother, the creatures," Draco whispered. "We must round them up, put them back, or he… he… will…"
She smoothed his hair and murmured. There was resignation in her face. While her son pleaded that they needed to try, she seemed to know there was nothing they could do.
As Kanda leapt into the fray and Harry spotted Scabior's body, he said, "You can't control them, Malfoy. I don't know what he's told you, but they're loyal to someone else."
He bent down to grab the wands and saw a hand. Following it up, he saw Lucius trapped under a bookcase. He'd already died; half of him had collapsed into ash while the other half was riddled with cracks. Harry felt strangely empty at the sight.
Then the akuma decided to take notice of him.
Kanda hacked away at the crowd but some had turned towards the manor and the Innocence Harry carried. A few higher levels appeared. Harry thought at least one of them was a Level Three. He grit his teeth, ready to wait out the fight and wishing he could do more.
As the Level Three came closer, Harry jerked when a sword went through him from behind.
Draco let out a shrill scream but Harry, patting his chest and scowling, glared over his shoulder. As Allen's sword impaled the akuma, ribbons of Crown Clown wound around the handle, Harry stepped to the side to avoid a repeat performance.
"Please don't do that again," he said. Allen caught his sword as it was yanked back by the ribbons. "It's creepy."
Allen laughed. "It is not."
"It really is. How did you get here?"
"Hermione knew the general area of Malfoy Manor," Allen said. "She apparated me here. I'll warn you; she is not happy. Where is Ron?"
"Safe," Harry said, relieved as the light of the Ark appeared. "I'll explain later."
The Ark door formed, headed by a number that meant nothing to Harry. Lavi and Lenalee must have been waiting on the other side, for they walked through seconds later.
"When you're in trouble, Harry, you sure know how to do it right," Lavi said, giving a mock salute.
"You know me." Harry smiled and returned it. "Trouble is my middle name."
Without a warning, both Allen and Lavi jumped into battle. He could distantly hear an argument between them and Kanda and rolled his eyes, but now that they were here, the last of his fear drained away.
"Brother was very concerned," Lenalee said. Her legs were encased in her boots; it occurred to him that it was the first time he'd seen her Innocence activated. "And Hermione was beside herself. You should hurry back."
He watched her leap into the fray. She was far more elegant than the others, but he couldn't deny some worry; she was also much smaller than the others.
Harry hesitated to leave when the Exorcists were still fighting. He might not be able to fight on the front line like them, but he liked to pretend he could be of some use even from the background. And there was the Malfoys.
Narcissa and Draco hadn't moved. They stood, huddled together, and Harry wondered if either of them had seen Lucius yet. Did they know their husband and father was dead?
"When he finds out what happened here, he won't be happy," Harry said hesitantly. "You might want to… go into hiding."
"This is our home, Potter," Narcissa said, chin held stiffly in the air.
"It's half destroyed already. Look around you." He motioned around the room. He wasn't entirely sure how the room hadn't collapsed in on itself. "He'll find out I was here. That you caught me and then lost me. And that all these akuma you had are gone."
She'd clearly already thought of all that. Draco drew in on himself, but she straightened. "And running away will ensure his wrath and proclaim our guilt. We've been his loyal servants for years; he will not kill all of us."
But her eyes darted to the bookshelf that hid Lucius and Harry knew she'd seen it. And if she knew Lucius was gone but that the Dark Lord would take out his anger on someone… was she betting it would be her?
Was she staying behind so that Draco might be spared?
Heart clenching – Harry didn't even like the Malfoys – he shook his head. "I've done a lot of reading lately," he said, ignoring their sneers. "I've read about the Sacred Twenty-Eight and pureblood culture. You Malfoy's have always managed to be on the right side by the end of things; look around. Does this look like the right side?"
The akuma exploded left and right. The Exorcists darted in between. He distantly thought they must get bored dealing with all these lower levels lately, but then he recalled the Level Four and decided that was a good thing.
"They're using you," he said. "The akuma only listen to the Noah, and the Noah only want people to die to make more of them. Your Dark Lord is so caught up in himself, he thinks it's enough, but it's not. Just like when he attacked me – he's bringing his own defeat on himself."
Because if he had never brought the Noah in on his plans, the Black Order never would have assisted Harry to this extent.
#
Harry caught Hermione, a bundle of frizzy hair and nerves.
"You stupid-!" She sobbed and punched his arm, but he barely felt it. "What did you do, you reckless-!"
"It was an accident, 'Mione, I'm sorry," he said. They were back at HQ, having left behind Malfoy Manor and what was left of its masters.
"Where's Ron?" she demanded. He opened his mouth to answer but saw Komui waving at him.
She saw his hesitation and took it the wrong way. "No… Don't tell me…"
"No!" he exclaimed when she began to sag in his arms. "No, sorry, he's fine, 'Mione."
"Fine?" she sounded as if she wasn't comprehending, staring at him in confusion.
"Fine," he said firmly. "I mean, he… he took a few… crucio's… but he's alive. And safe."
She seemed torn at the news, but ultimately nodded and most of her tension left. Komui approached cautiously, looking between them and motioning questioningly. Harry waved him closer.
"You mentioned Luna," Komui said. "That was your missing friend, wasn't it?"
"Yes. And there was Dean, and – Mr. Ollivander, he's a famous wand maker," Harry said. "I got them out. And I think it's time I follow them."
Leaving the Black Order was a hard decision, but he was now positive Bellatrix was hiding something in her vault. They had to act quickly, and all of Komui's resources wouldn't help them here.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Komui said with a sigh. He adjusted his glasses. "I have to admit that pains me to hear, but I understand. You'll take the usual three, won't you? Keep an eye on them."
Harry nodded and promised. "Thank you."
Komui smiled. "I doubt it's the last time we'll see each other. Be careful, Harry."
It took some time to gather his things and say goodbye to the friends he'd made. Johnny gave him a hug and Marie patted his back and Lenalee gave a downtrodden smile and made him promise to come back soon. Krory wished him all the luck in the world and Hermione began to get antsy when he hesitated, wondering if he should say goodbye to the child Exorcist hiding around the corner.
Eventually, he called for Dobby.
Kanda had already seen Dobby, but the others were fascinated. The house elf slapped their prodding hands away before apparating them away.
They reappeared in a forest, but it was wholly different than the one surrounding the Black Order. The air was saltier, the trees thinner. The house before them was small and quant, framed by the setting sun.
A voice called, "Who's there?!"
"It's us!" Hermione yelled back. "Hermione, and Harry, and friends!"
The house lit up and Bill came from the front door, face smoothing in relief. Hermione shot ahead, hugging him and reintroducing the Exorcists. Fleur gave them a welcome almost as warm, extending hugs to everyone but Kanda, who was heavily bandaged and quite prickly about his personal space.
Ron was in the living room, pale but awake. Luna seemed to be talking his ear off when they walked in, but stopped with an 'oh!' upon seeing them.
Hermione rushed forward to both scold and cry over Ron, and Harry's amusement was short lived. One moment he was watching Ron's red face, the next he was standing in front of an iron writ gate. Even from there he could see the destruction as smoke still swirled into the sky. Rage curled in his gut, a slow burning thing, and he glided across the grounds to find that yes, all the akuma was gone. He needed no further confirmation the brat and his friends had been there.
"My, my," his companion said, lighting a cigarette and laughing. "The most interesting things happen whenever you turn around."
If he thought he could kill the man with no repercussions, he would have done it many times over. How dare this Noah laugh at him? It was almost enough to make him question his need for this ally. He needed to hurry the research along; the sooner his servants figured out the secret to controlling the akuma, the sooner he could kill this fool.
He entered the Manor. His rage didn't cool when he discovered Lucius had disrespectfully died without his order. The wife and son remained; it wasn't enough.
"Where is Bellatrix?" he said coldly.
The story took ice and deposited it in his very bones. Not only Lucius, but Bellatrix? They had captured Potter –captured him! – and allowed the boy not only to escape but to take with him all of his prisoners. He had gotten into one of his main strongholds, killed two of his greatest pawns and a large portion of his akuma, and left with no consequences.
The Noah laughed again.
"What will you do?"
His answer was a green light that left Narcissa glassy eyed and still. Her son was pathetic – a disgrace to his pureblood name – and he felt no remorse as he opened a gaping wound across the boy's torso. Let him bleed out slowly; it was a better death than he deserved, to be inflicted by Voldemort's own hand.
And he was consumed with thoughts of revenge. Soon, he would have a force behind him and the Noah wouldn't matter. None of them would.
They'd die screaming, this one last of all.
And then he'd find Potter.