Author's Note: I know, I said it would be quicker for updates, and while it is faster, it's not as fast as I'd hoped. I reviewed it, but it wasn't betaed so if there are horrid mistakes, I do apologize. A short chapter, but we the next three are all happening at the same time, so I needed to split them. Hope you enjoy, MNF
Chapter 37:
Panig/Panic
20 December 1997
"I still need to find a gift for Sirius," Harry whinged as he, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Hannah and Luna walked along the shopping district in Killarney. "What do you give a man who has more money that the British Ministry of Magic and owns everything he could want?"
"Maybe something personal," Neville suggested. "A new wand?"
"Doubtful," Harry said ruefully. "He has five now. You made him a cauldron, not that he's much into potions making, other than pain relief ones." Harry had nudged Hermione at the comment, as she'd worked hard on one that would brew good medicinal potions, since the old dog was struggling to keep up with his younger, more physically fit house charges.
"It's really more for Maggie, since she does the brewing," Hermione corrected. "I'm giving it to both of them. What about something Quidditch related?"
"No, there is absolutely no way I could buy him something Puddlemere related. I don't care if I know a bloke on the team, I can't do it." The friends laughed at Harry's inability to support the team which knocked his beloved Portree team out of first place recently. It was a tad ugly when the two gents discussed Quidditch, and they had been asked to only do so when they were at Stargazer's Summit. Even Maggie and Cissy left them alone there, although Draco enjoyed egging the pair on.
"Harry, I think you might need to look in the Muggle world for a gift," Ginny suggested. "He's taken with his music collection, but it's all on phonographs and they're scratched. Perhaps we need to charm him a new music player?" The friends agreed, and began thinking about what they could get the man to go with the gift.
"You'd be doing the charming," Harry said with a glint in his eye. "Who knew charms would be your best subject?"
"I'm the little sister of the twins," Ginny said sarcastically, "and the daughter of a man who charmed a car to fly. Why does my talent surprise you?"
"Sorry, love, it's not that you're good at it, it's mostly how much better you are at it; I stink at charms."
"Sirius thinks it's just a block you've put up," Neville reminded him. "And you don't stink. You're just slow at learning."
"Thanks, Nev."
Just as they were about to turn into the stationers shop, a Patronus flew into view and landed at Harry's feet. The cat circled through his legs, while it spoke.
"It is as you expected," Professor McGonagall's voice said. "Hogsmeade station. Order and Aurors alerted."
"Hannah, you swing by the house and use the portkey there. Neville, the Summit, bring the weapons. Everyone into the end of High Street. Ginny, work on those charms, regardless of whoever might be doing them. Hermione, you know what you have to do. Let's go."
Ginny held onto Harry, as she was not yet old enough for her Apparition license. Upon arriving, Harry assessed the situation. There were already members of the Irish and British Auror teams as well as most of the Weasley family. Only Charlie wasn't there, but he would be flying over on his dragon from the Scottish mountain preserve he now worked at. A dragon had a way of closing off a street more effectively than humans.
Sirius grabbed Harry as soon as he landed and gave him the report. "There are only six of them, but Voldemort and Bella are more unstable than before. The professors are moving the students away as quickly as they can, although there are a few lingering in the town itself. The rail tracks have been destroyed, and the Forbidden forest is on fire. Anti-Disapparation and Anti-Portkey charms are in place, but Ginny and Maggie's reinforcements will be welcomed."
Neville arrived with a small rucksack which he quickly dumped the contents onto the ground. Hermione had made it possible for them to transport quarter-staffs, long bows and swords in a very reasonably sized container. Harry took bow and quiver, he put them on his back, then his sword in his left hand. His right hand had his third wand, the one he used for his transfigurations work. Quickly there was no longer a dark haired, green-eyed boy in front of the pair of men, but a blond haired, violet eyed girl. Harry wanted to get as close to Voldemort before he revealed himself. The weapons were also concealed, making him appear like a helpless student.
"You make a very pretty girl," Neville teased him.
"Shut it. You only think so because I look a bit like Hannah," Harry bit back. "Cover me, Nev. Sirius, make sure the rest of our students are okay, please. I know we've trained but–"
"I've got it, Harry, as do the others. We will end this, once and for all." Harry briskly nodded as he and Neville took off to the alley behind the shops, just on the edge of the forest. They encountered a few scared students who were hiding in the rear doorway of Madame Puddifoots. Neville spoke to them, as it would have freaked them out more to hear the petite blonde girl speak with Harry's now deep baritone.
"You're going to be fine," he said. "Hold onto to this, and it will take you back into the Hogwarts grounds, just outside the castle. It's a portkey, do you know how they work?"
"Yes," the boy who appeared the oldest answered. Harry guessed he wasn't any older than a fourth year, but he'd taken the initiative to make sure the three younger girls and one boy were out of harm's way. "Professor Flitwick talked about them in class the other day."
"Excellent," Neville said, handing them the tattered newspaper pages Neville had inside his cape. Like the rucksack, the pockets in his cape had been magically enhanced so that he had room for multiple items, mostly newspapers, which could be transformed into portkeys at a moment's notice. The charm he used allowed the students to be placed inside the wards on the Hogwarts grounds, something which couldn't normally be accomplished. "What's your name and house?"
"Alfie. Alfie Nickson, Gryffindor House."
"Well, Mr. Nickson, you've served your house admirably today. I'll make sure Professor McGonagall knows about it." With that, Neville tapped his wand to the paper and it glowed. "Count to ten and then it will take you." The students began to count, but only made it to eight before they were whisked away.
"Come on," Harry said, already moving, "we need to get to the old snake."
As the pair stepped out from behind the shop, quickly crossed the street and then ran to the backside of Scrivenshafts, and darted until they came to Zonko's. Through the back windows they could see Hannah and Susan helping students into the secret passageway which would lead them into Hogwarts. Harry shot a quick Patronus to Ron to let him know students were coming in there and send someone to meet them at the entrance. While the two weren't as close as they once were, they were talking. Harry had spent a great deal of time at the Burrow in the last year, and had an easy, friendly relationship.
Going around the building, the pair was greeted with an uncomfortable sight; Cissy was duelling her sister, Bella. Harry wanted to help, not because he thought Ms. Black needed it, but because Bellatrix was quite insane and unstable. Neville held him back, as Draco was running toward them. Draco had become exceptionally strong in his duelling, and with his mother would be more than enough to capture Madame Lestrange.
"How could you?" Bella shrieked. "The Dark Lord gave you and Lucius every opportunity, and yet you turned on him. He. Is. Your. Master." She punctuated each work with a Cruciatus Curse, which Narcissa deftly danced away from. The ease with which her sister moved frustrated Bellatrix more. Of course, Cissy was dressed in a pair of woollen trousers and a warm, but stylish, barn coat while Bella was in a tattered ball gown and spiked-heel boots. Susan had helped her shop for a suitable wardrobe, now that she wasn't participating in British wizarding society. The Irish were much more modern in dress, which had many practical applications, including moving while duelling.
"He's not my master," Cissy spat back as she used a Whirlwind Charm to contain her sister and push her to the ground.
"Fancy tricks there little sister, but not fancy enough," the dark witch snapped before sending another curse at her sister. This one also missed the mark. "You've betrayed your husband with Black! How could you?"
"Bella, Sirius is our first cousin. He gave me sanctuary from Lucius' anger and his beatings. You know what he's done to me all these years." The pair continued to spar as they spoke, neither doing any serious damage, although Bella's horrid black and green monstrosity of a dress was looking like complete tatters now. Cissy continued to distract her by cutting away small bits of it, waiting for help to bind her and take her to prison.
"It's what they do, Cissy," Bella sneered. "Do you think I enjoyed the things father made me do with his friends? What my husband did to me? What he stole from me? No, I never did. I was a proper girl and it was what was expected." Narcissa stopped, stunned by the implication of Bella's words. Cissy suddenly had an understanding of the poor woman she'd never had before.
Bella seized on her sister's distraction and sent a cutting curse at her, opening a moderate sized cut above Cissy's right knee. She fell to the ground with a grunt, her pant leg quickly staining dark red.
"Your blood status might keep you alive," Bella yelled, "but probably not, since you took our idiot cousin's side. I'm sure our master will need to break you to determine if we can even bring you back to the right side of the conflict."
"Mother," Draco yelled over his aunt, and sent a blasting hex at her back, knocking her forward. "Are you alright?"
"It's not deep, just bloody," Cissy responded to her son, even as he'd taken his scarf off and was winding it around her lower thigh as a bandage.
"We had such high hopes for you, Draco," Bella hissed from the ground. He reeled around in his crouch, one leg extended and kicked her.
"I have higher hopes for myself," he said as his boot made contact. "And it's Lord Malfoy to you."
"Lord Malfoy?" she groaned. "Your family was stripped of their title years ago. Your daddy couldn't even really call himself that, although many paid him that courtesy." She coughed through the words, and spit out a touch of blood before attempting to stand. Cissy sent another hex at her, to which Bella fell back down, breathing heavily.
"Bella, stop. I don't want to have to really hurt you," Cissy pleaded.
"You hurt me?" Bella gasped. "You can't."
"I can, and I will. You were always the bully, Bella, and we let you because we were afraid to fight back. I'm not afraid anymore," the youngest of the Black daughters proclaimed as she stood. "I can and I will kill you if I have to. You're never going to hurt another person."
Bella fired a Killing Curse at Cissy, and although it would have gone wide, Draco fired at the same time, sending a Cutting Curse right at Bella's head. Blood began to seep out from her dark hair and into the muddied ground of the street. The pair looked at the dead body for a moment, wondering if Bella would attempt to defy death as well.
"You killed her," Narcissa said blankly.
"I didn't want you to have to," Draco replied.
"I don't know what to say," she confessed. "She was my sister, but she was never sisterly. Oh, Draco." He had already moved to her side and was hugging her tightly.
"Let's get you out of here so your leg can be looked at," he quietly said. He gave a backwards glance at his aunt before sending a Patronus to Maggie, so she'd know where to get the body, and that he was taking his mother into the castle to seek treatment. Other duels were still on going, there were still students peeking out over window sills, but his fight was over. None of it mattered except caring for his mother, and seeing his beloved Astoria safe. A flash caught his eye just before he was about to Disapparate to the gates and he turned.
In the open field next to the turn off to the Shrieking Shack, two duels were taking place. Neville and Harry had Voldemort occupied on one side, and on the other Sirius had taken on his father. Keeping his mother turned away, Draco watched for a moment. He was conflicted about who to root for.
Then he lifted his wand and sent a binding curse down the street.