I'll be most flattered if anyone thinks JK Rowling wrote this.

Chapter 1 - The Attack

Harry was bored. Even before he had begun Auror training he had been warned that he'd be spending much of the time waiting around and filing endless reports. Throughout his initial indoctrination, his instructors had warned him of the same before regaling the class with stories of taking down brazen Death Eaters. It took him two years of training before he finally accepted that he'd been told the truth. Waiting in anticipation for something to happen was not what it was cracked up to be, though at least it gave him time to complete his reports. Sighing, he turned to Ron. "So do you think I should mark down section 104B or section 107A for that last catch?"

Ron yawned, idly folding a piece of parchment into a hippogriff and directing it to fly around the other Aurors who were also on night duty. They were thankful they would be returning to the day shift in two days, on the first of October. "I dunno. Why not perk up someone's life and list it as a 212G?"

Harry snorted. "And give the poor wizard down in records a heart attack? I'd never …" He was interrupted with a sudden wail that emanated from the badges everyone wore.

"Attention all duty Aurors!" came a voice from the badges. "Altercation report in Knockturn Alley. First reports are of two wizards engaging in a wand battle which threatens to spill into Diagon Alley. Prepare to Apparate to your designated location as soon as the initial reconnaissance team reports back!"

The people in the room immediately churned into action, taking out their wands, stretching out to prepare their bodies for action and meditating to prepare their minds for battle. "Fourth time since summer started. I'd hoped it would stop when Hogwarts went back into session," complained one witch. "Don't know why we don't just let the two kill each other. No skin off our nose if they do," another muttered as she tossed her wand between her hands.

"Attention!" the voice resumed. "Confirmation of at least five wizards in battle. Teams Avis and Beater, on my mark Apparate to the intersection of Knockturn and Diagon Alleys. Team Chaser, to the intersection of Penumbra and Knockturn Alley. Team Dragon to the intersection of Nemesis and Knockturn, Team Elfric to …" Harry listened with half an ear now that he and Ron had their assignment. It looked like the Aurors were being directed to block off all side alleys and entrances to Knockturn to keep the battling wizards contained. He checked one last time that his cloak was fully closed to make sure it wouldn't impair his wand arm. "Mark!"

Apparating to their assigned location, Harry and Ron quickly scanned their area for immediate threats, and then more thoroughly to see if anything looked out of place and to set an anti-Apparition ward. The side alley they were in was barren, the dead end behind them disappearing into the night gloom. The only bit of dim light came from two small windows above them that overlooked the alleyway. They did not cast Lumos in order not to give away their position. They heard the angry hissing of a cat they had disturbed from its hunting and some muffled voices in the distance, but otherwise all was quiet. Pressing themselves against opposite walls, they positioned themselves so they could see out. The area of Knockturn that they could see was eerily deserted. Harry looked up to find himself standing underneath the sign to Nematodes 'n More, illustrated by what he hoped were far larger than life size wriggling worms. He idly wondered if Parseltongue worked with worms and nematodes before focusing back on the present.

The minutes dragged on. The heat from the unusually warm late September day hadn't dissipated in in the alleyway yet and Harry cast a cooling charm. The two Aurors shifted from leg to leg. Ron leaned against the wall behind him for a minute before shaking himself and standing up again.

They suddenly realized that they could hear the sounds of shouting and spells quickly approaching them from further down Knockturn Alley. Tightly gripping their wands, they bent their knees slightly in anticipation of action and concentrated, trying to make out the yells and the particular hums of spells being bandied back and forth.

That was their mistake. They didn't hear the sound of footsteps at the rear of the side alley right away. Both Harry and Ron started to spin around as they heard the scraping of boots against the cobblestones behind them. Fortunately, Harry's movement made him sideways to the curse that struck him on his left side. Time slowed down for him. He watched in amazement as the left sleeve of his fire-resistant Auror robes seemed to struggle before being surrendering to the strength of the curse. He had time to be thankful that his wand was in his other had when the pain finally struck him. He screamed in agony as a blistering heat began to turn his arm and thigh black. Only his dragonhide boots resisted the overpowering flash of flame. His awareness faded as he fell into thankful unconsciousness.

Ron yelled out "Incarcerous!" at the black-cloaked figure behind them but missed. The person ran further back into the gloom and disappeared. With a glance at his friend, Ron ran to the back of the alley. No one was there. Ron ignored the mystery and ran back to Harry, who lay curled up on the ground as if trying to shield himself from further attacks.

Ron knelt beside his friend. He searched for a place that wasn't burnt to feel for a heartbeat. He finally found one, but it was rapid and faint.

Ron's own heart, already racing, stuttered in his panic. "Mate … hang in there … I'll get you to St. Mungo's in two shakes of a crup's tail … you'll be fine." Ron tapped his Auror badge and spoke quickly. "Team Dragon here. Auror down. Badly injured and unconscious. Harry needs my immediate assistance to Portkey to St. Mungo's."

"Acknowledged, Team Dragon," came the response a few seconds later. Putting his arm around his best friend, Ron yanked out the emergency Portkey given to all Aurors and held Harry's hand to the knotted rope. "Stay with me, mate. You know they'll be asking you questions and that you'll have to fill out tons of paperwork. I'm not going to do it for you, you know." When he didn't get a response Ron started to hyperventilate. "Hold on tight, Harry," he whispered as he held his friend tightly. "St. Mungo's now!"

Ron and Harry landed ungracefully in the emergency room of the hospital. Two Mediwizards came rushing over. "What happened?"

"He was hit by a curse and just collapsed. I didn't hear what it was," Ron responded, allowing himself to panic a bit.

"What color? What was the wand movement?" asked one of them, a tall woman with short black hair.

Ron thought back. "It was red and the arm made a widdershins circular motion then a diagonal swipe and thrust down."

"Rusty red? Was it more of an oval shape?" The other Mediwizard, this one a shorter man with blond hair, didn't bother to look at him.

"Yeah, that was it. Then his cloak burnt off and his arm and leg turned black and he just started to sink to the ground." Ron held on to Harry until the Mediwizards had him levitated. "Can you help him?"

"We'll handle it. We've seen this before," the first Mediwizard assured him. They took Harry away, leaving Ron staring after them. He shook his head, sent his Patronus off to Ginny and Hermione, and then, in one of the hardest things he had ever done, he Apparated away, back to Knockturn Alley. He kicked the side of one of the storefronts in frustration when he learned that all of the attackers had gotten away.

IKAIKAIKA

After finishing up the debriefing at Auror headquarters, Ron returned to St. Mungo's, bleary eyed and squinting against the morning sun. The helpful greeter glanced up as he came in, first noticing the Auror uniform and then recognizing Ron himself.

"Mr. Weasley! It's an honor! I've read so much…" she began, coming to her feet.

Ron interrupted her. "Thanks, mate, but I'm in bit of a rush. Can you tell me how to get to Harry Potter's room?" he asked, dredging up a smile.

"Of course, sir! He's in the Auror wing to the right, in room two," the greeter replied, not having to look it up it her records.

"Thanks again. I'd love to chat next time we meet if it's in better circumstances, yeah?" Ron was already turning away.

The greeter responded with a genuine smile.

Harry was propped up in bed with Ginny and Hermione sitting on nearby chairs. Ron was stunned to see that the left side of Harry's face was still an angry red and his hair had been burnt down to the roots. His neck was swathed in bandages that disappeared into his thin hospital robe. His left hand was soaking in a swirling orange potion. Looking at his friend with concern, Ron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Harry … it's so good to see you sitting up, but you look like shite."

"Ron!" Hermione admonished while Ginny glared at her brother, but Harry just snorted. "I feel like I was hit by a bludger and fell about twenty-five feet through a thorn covered forest, but at least I'm here to complain about it. I'm also embarrassed that I was taken down so quickly, and by ambush no less." He leaned back with a groan. "You know what sort of ribbing I'll get for letting myself be attacked from behind. Please tell me you at least caught the perp."

Ron looked to the floor and slowly shook his head. "I was assigned to secure the entrance to Diagon Alley so didn't see anything, but I was told they rousted out a couple of teenagers on the main alley who hid as soon as the wand fight started. Of course we cast Priori Incantatem on their wands before the kids were released. The last thing any of them had cast was a defensive spell. In any case, they were in Knockturn Alley itself, not behind us, so they weren't the ones to get you. They were good kids – just in the wrong place at the wrong time. There were also a handful of dubious types found crouched down in doorways, also trapped within anti-Apparition wards. One witch was wanted for Muggle-baiting and a wizard was found with a stolen wand. They'll be taken away to Azkaban. Nothing could be found on the others so they were let go."

"Was I … the only one injured?" Harry hesitantly asked.

Ron nodded, and then again in thanks as Ginny conjured up a chair for him.

Harry covered his eyes with his right arm. "Well, that's good news at least, but I don't suppose I can just go forward in time about a week and skip all the lectures and snide remarks."

"It won't be that bad, Harry," Hermione tried to reassure him. "You're not the first Auror injured in the line of duty."

"You don't know how it is, Hermione. People know Ron and I got into Auror training without taking my N.E.W. and resent it. As it is, they say we're unqualified. Now to be hit from behind …" He sighed. "This will be terrible. How'd he get behind us, anyway? It was a dead end and no one was there when we got into position. I know we cast the anti-Apparition wards properly."

Ron ran his fingers through his hair. "It turned out that the building on either side of the alleyway behind us had disillusioned doors. There could have been a dozen wizards crossing behind us before until we heard the one that got you."

"I assume they questioned the owners of the shops on either side." Harry tried unsuccessfully to get more comfortable.

Ron sighed. "They didn't see a thing, of course, or so they said. Priori Incantatem just revealed just typical spells used in stores."

"Why am I not surprised," Harry said discouragingly.

"Be prepared for a lecture on the need to properly survey stakeout positions. It's not going to be fun, mate. I'm not looking forward to it," Ron moaned.

Harry groaned as well. "Nothing to do but take it. I've been chewed out by Snape – how much worse can it be? Let them know I'll be in next week. I've been released but told not to report for duty quite yet, and to be honest, the way I feel I'm inclined to follow their directions for once."

"Harry!" Ginny interrupted. "You can't go back so soon! You need more time to heal!"

Harry shrugged but grimaced as some pain broke through the potions he'd been given. "The Healer this morning said sometimes it just takes a bit for the counter-curse to work."

Hermione looked doubtful but didn't say anything.

"Anyway, we should have it easy for a bit," Ron tried to reassure them. "I'm sure all we'll be doing is interviewing potential witnesses for a while. I'm sure no one saw a thing, or so they'll claim. I don't know why we bother sometimes."

"Because if we don't care about what happens in Knockturn Alley then who will?" Hermione answered as she had every time the subject came up. "Do you want the residents there to turn to renegade wizards for protection?"

"Sorry to interrupt this fascinating yet recurring discussion," Harry broke in. "But I'm so ready to get out of here." He lifted his hand from the potion, looked at it dubiously, and then resolutely used his wand to bandage it. "Can you help me to the Apparition Room?"

I welcome all reviews! I plan to post updates weekly. I anticipate a work of six chapters.

My thanks to my husband, who not only offered ideas but also beta'd this story.