Chapter 14
Potter Manor and been rebuilt/restored. Being the heir to Gryffindor and the elves at Hogwarts, well the elves were more than happy to work full-time between the two places.
There wasn't much to do at Hogwarts over the summer or the holiday breaks. The property called Potter Manor was not considered small and it would break up the monotony of Hogwarts.
The girls had decided that they would be residing at Potter Manor so their relatives could visit when they felt like it. The girl's families of course were welcome to spend entire holidays.
Wards on Potter Manor and not been a great concern. Sure they were anti-fire wards, anti-port-key 'apparation' wards but none of the super deluxe killer wards. The goblins were working on establishing all these strong wards. Anyone would be foolish to attack presently as they would only to be faced with hundreds of house elves from Hogwarts. But then there was Diagon alley…
/Scene Break/
Regardless how large Potter Manor was a change in the scenery was always welcomed. Besides, a little time to purchase Christmas presents was in order.
The day was so far very relaxing even if I was enclosed in a nebula of shopping females. Until…
There was no chill from dementors nor pops of arriving death eaters. Without warning a shot of light passed me and almost hitting Tracy. Stepping from the shadows of an alleyway was an individual, in full death eater garb; he fired another curse in our direction. From behind him more death eaters poured out of the alleyway to face us.
Luna was the first to raise her shield but was quickly followed by the rest of the girls. I quickly fired off a 'Bombarda' followed by several more spells including a 'Diffindo'.
Spells and curses ricocheting in every direction imaginable as everyone had shields up of some sort. I knew we were in serious trouble if not dead. About then my luck struck! I just had gotten off a couple more spells when I suddenly felt weak. One of the death eaters fell to his knees, others appeared to be affected. It was total confusion, then suddenly, the death eaters 'apparated' or 'port-keyed' away just as Diagon alley started to fill up with Aurors.. The girls started checking me and I started checking the girls but in the end we found no one had been injured.
/Scene Break/
I'm sitting in the couch with Luna snuggled up on the right working the runes crosswords in the Quibbler. Susan was snuggled up on my left reading a potions textbook while Daphne was taking care of some house business.
"So Harry, what has got you lost and thinking?"
"I was just staring in the fire thinking about the attack in Diagon alley. Something in the back of my mind just won't let it go, something was odd."
"How do you mean?"
"It's as if all the death eaters were affected at the same time I was. What I needed is a pensive but the only one I know of is at Hogwarts in the headmaster's office."
"Come on guys it's time for dinner." Hannah announced to the room.
This sent a group of hungry teenagers to the dining room.
/Scene Break/
The Christmas break was enjoyed by all and was a great break from the Hogwarts routine. But as in life all good things was come to an end.
The week got worseas in the potion class Snape had assigned our project for the day. As I watched the thick liquid form bubbles on the surface my mind wandered of another bubbling potion...My mind further wandered to the narrow corridor at St. Mungo hospital and the portraits of the famous healers that lined that corridor. That hallway was illuminated by bubbles full of candles that floated on the ceiling, looking like giant soap bubbles. I needed to get back to my quarters and see if I could contact lady Hogwarts, I had the greatest of ideas.
/Scene Break/
"You're looking exceedingly gorgeous today beautiful lady but could I talk to you in your portrait above the fireplace?" The beautiful lady smiled and the portrait swung open.
"What can I do for you Lord Gryffindor?"
"Can you contact lady Hogwarts and see if she can assist in a plan I just thought of?" All my contact with Lady Hogwarts had been done to this portrait and I was excited to see if my plan would work.
"Of course Harry, so what is your plan?"
"I believe that sooner or later the Dark Lord will attempt to attack and occupy Hogwarts. Hogwarts shut down all magic in the Great Hall recently and I was wondering if we could do almost the opposite. Cannot the wards identify the Dark Lord and then incase him in a permanent Crystal bubble? Course we would need a stasis spell inside the bubble to totally secure him."
"Right! I'll be right back!" It again I'm looking at an empty portrait.
It was only a few minutes when the young lady returned to the portrait…" "Hogwarts states that this is doable but you will have to include the headmaster. Apparently the headmaster's control of the wards is sufficient to interfere with your plan if he does not cooperate."
I was not thrilled as I trudged to the headmaster's office but he did agree to cooperate should an attack materialize.
/Scene Break/
To say that I was busy would be a understatement. Classes were designed to keep you busy; the girls were designed to keep me busy. Then there was the need to learn beyond what Hogwarts school was teaching. Abilio was constantly bending my ear about not having a mate while Hedwig was upset over the lack of mail jobs. That's when I observed Draco sneaking off into the Forbidden Forest. While this would not normally have gotten my attention, what did was, he was sneaking off totally alone.
Willing myself invisible I attempted to follow. Unfortunately his head start was complicated by the forest itself, so I soon gave up. When I got back the Great Hall it was abuzz with just released news. "Whats going on Daphne?"
" The Profit just put out a special addition, there had been a mass breakout at Azkaban."
I had a good hunch what Draco was up to and I wondered if he would return to Hogwarts.
/Scene Break/
I sometimes wondered if something might be wrong with me as there were a number of students, Snape, Dumbledore, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy and the Dark Lord who really don't like me.
I just finished another thrilling potion classroom adventure when Draco seem to think he can get more thrills by taking some verbal cheap shots. I started to raise my left hand as I was quite angry with Draco but then I thought that it really wasn't worth my time. I decided to turn around and walk away; it was time for lunch in the Great Hall. The whole way to the Great Hall Draco kept following us and running his mouth…"Come on Potter, there is no one around to protect you. You're a disgrace to Slytherin!" Etc., etc.
As I entered the Great Hall I was thinking that Draco should talk as he was breaking a number of Slytherin rules. What I was thinking about was the rule if you have a problem with another Slytherin you keep it in the common room.
We were well within the Great Hall Draco was still screaming insults…
"You're in for it this time, Scarhead, you and your Blood traders!
I turned around to tell them to shut up. We stared at each other for a split second before we both acted. Draco pulled his wand and screamed 'some curse', a shield pop from my left hand.
Snape as usual had been skulking/following us. Snape chose precisely that moment to make his appearance. Before he could sneer a detention against me Draco's curse bounced off my shield and struck Snape in the face. Snape went down like a sack of wet dirty laundry. Whoops!
Even in that split second Draco was busy sending additional curses. An insanity of curses started flying. I immediately called up a shield to protect the girls (not that they weren't defending themselves) I also used the shield that surrounded my entire body; something was not right with all of this. Next thing I noticed was Draco spells were missing me even though he was very close. Suddenly the Great Hall was alive with deadly spells.
Flitwick, McGonagall and Dumbeldork were sending spells, which I assumed were to stop Draco but were actually numerous shields and stunning spells sent around the Great hall. It seemed like part of Slytherin house had joined in to cast curses.
While the girls with me had up their shields it was almost instinct to get out of the line of fire. We slowly backed up toward the nearest wall. Meanwhile students were falling from the different curses. I was about ready to go on the offensive when the great doors to the hall crashed open to dozens of masked death eaters which stormed in, followed by Voldemort himself, all hurling curses.
I raised my left hand and send off a 'bombarda maxima'… but nothing happens. I attempt it again and … Nothing happened.
As I look around it appeared that Lady Hogwarts had shut down all the magic in the Great Hall, better late than never I thought. It looks like part of my plan is working. Voldemort is now contained a large bubble, but he is attempting to break free.
Dumbledore approaches the bubble, magically shoving the death eaters that try to physically block Dumbledore from their leader. It appears that Dumbledore is the only one that can perform magic in the Great Hall. Dumbledore raises his wand and states something like 'Petrificus simulacraque moesta deorum'.
It looks like it worked and Voldemort was in a contained stasis field and the capability to use magic has returned to the Great Hall. All I can think is…Whoops!... I am wrong, only myself and the teachers have been freed to use magic with Dumbledore.
Dumbledore had started running his mouth gaining everyone's attention and started taking credit for capturing Voldemort as he moved closer to the bubble. Dumbledore starts his routine about second chances but suddenly stops as his attention is drawn to the death eaters who suddenly keel over, apparently dead. Had he turned around he would have seen numerous students following suit. What he did find was Voldemort stepping out of the bubble and stasis field. Voldemort curses sends a dead Dumbledore ass over teakettle as Dumbledore's wand flies into Voldemort hand. …" Voldemort's lipless mouth was now smiling.
He turned towards me… "Harry Potter you will now bow to me and death".
What else could I do but slowly moved to the center of the hall while drawing my wand. (Yeah that damn reflex again)
"I've always been the most powerful wizard but now that I have the wand of destiny everyone will bow to me or die. I draw power from all of my followers, all of those who worship me, every single one! That is my great strength! I control them, hundreds of Death Eaters."
While he is running his mouth my left hand sends cutting curse along with a series of curses at Voldemort using my wand. What is it with me using that stupid wand? Voldemort looks like he is going send a spell/curse at me but he's waving the wand around as bad as Lockhart. My cutting curse cuts threw his shield and the death stick causing the entire entrance hall to explode in a bright light. Magic flows outward at me along the path of my cutting curse and knocks me on my ass and left me completely dazed. Observers in the area later stated that Voldemort was knocked on his ass but departed via a port key (wasn't that impossible at Hogwarts?). Now what was I going to do?
McGonagall called in reinforcements from the ministry while the rest of the teachers, with some of the students helping me, tried to sort the dead. Students were being looked at first. Those dark mark free students were laid together with as much respect as possible.
Finally help arrived in the middle of our efforts. The Aurors checked and each body was removed after checking each of them for Voldemort's Mark… Those with the mark were unmasked, identified, and sent to the ministry's mortuary or to holding cells. It only appeared that all marked were dead…many just their magical cores were drained Those innocent but caught in the crossfire were moved to the hospital wing until their parents could be notified. There were those that were obvious but a number where a shock to many students. Draco Malfoy was still walking around live but Ron Weasley was headed to the mortuary.
"I can believe Malfoy as a death eater but Ron Weasley?' Susan remarked as we all headed to our quarters. While I had seen the mark when McGonagall had raised his sleeve I had never mentioned what I had seen.
I was not sure he was smart enough to tie his own shoe laces no less be accepted as a death eater." Hannah added
All I can say is where can I get a shot of fire whisky?
/Scene Break/
The day finally ground to an end. I told the girls that I needed to do some serious thinking so they all shuffled off to bed. As I sat in front of the fireplace I watched as the flames dance happily. I knew it was going to be a while before I could go to sleep as too many thoughts raced around my brain. School would be closing early this year because of all the deaths. They also wanted all the kids away from the great funeral ceremonies for the great Albus Dumbledore which would be held here at Hogwarts. Next year would be NEWTS and there still was Voldemort to deal with.
Movement in the portrait above the fireplace got my attention. There was the old man the one that had a glow surrounding him and his toga. He was one that had called me abnormal and told me that I had died. I didn't have to wait long…
"You might be the most powerful wizard since Merlin, but YOU, young sir, are a COMPLETE IDIOT! Well, what you want first, the good news, or the bad news?" The old man growled.
"I wonder sometimes if there is any good news." I chuckled; this turkey had to be full of himself.
"So news that you're not going to die next year is not considered good news?"
That kind of took me back for a second. "What are you? Better yet who are you, one of deaths Angels or something?" I was about to give the portrait a shot from my left hand.
"And exactly what does death look like you abomination? And I ain't no damn Angel!" Whoops! Did he…I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to continue on with this topic. "So what's the bad news?"
"You have absorbed the essence of the wand of destiny in your left hand" (I think, 'what have I done now?') "Your left hand is now the equivalent of the wand of destiny." (Now my brain is really spinning) "As long as your left hand contains this magic you are immortal". He of course disappears from the portrait before I can ask anything…but…I could swear he mumbled as he departed, "Among other things".
I was happy that I was already sitting in a chair. My brain was firing off questions for which I had no answers. Those questions I did have an answer for became 'but what if- then what?'