In the last chapter, Harry discovered what it meant to be the Master of Death. He learned about cycles of magic that take place over thousands of years and the threat from other realms. There are currently two safe houses for dissidents, one for Muggle Born and Grimmauld Place.

JKRowling owns Harry Potter

FASA owns Earthdawn

Special thanks to my Beta Reader, the 'Just William' for the excellent feedback and diligent work in making the story better.

—DoD—

Chapter 50: Liberation

Muggle Born Safe House

Somewhere in Scotland

December 23, 1997

Harry looked around the scene slowly. The devastation was everywhere, and he'd been forced to use a Bubblehead charm to keep away the smell of rotting flesh. Over a dozen people had been impaled on spikes surrounding the decimated remains of a large safe house. Images of the last time he had been there was still in his mind. The chaos of putting twenty-seven people together in one house… The hope of escaping from the war… The preparations for Christmas…

Now the house was in ruins, the occupants were either dead or taken at least a week ago. How had none of their wards had been triggered? Harry and Bill should have been alerted the minute the wards were breached. Instead, they arrived to find this gruesome scene. They'd already found and disarmed a set of proximity curses around the bodies of the muggles, but there were most likely others. Searching the ruins would only trigger whatever curses the Death Eaters had certainly left behind. A simple scan had confirmed that there were no survivors, so the risk of sifting through the debris just wasn't worth it.

Today was the day the Muggle Born and their families were supposed to have been moved to the continent. Harry looked over and saw Hermione weeping beneath a pair of dead Muggles. He was near tears himself. The Creevey family had been in this house. Poor Colin and Dennis… Their parents, along with the other Muggles, were impaled on spikes and left to die. By the look of them, they had been impaled while still alive.

Over a dozen Muggles were now dead and their children taken. There were no Muggle Born Wizards or Witches on spikes, so it was clear they had been taken… Colin and Dennis…were likely taken to the camps. Harry asked himself for the tenth time, 'why hadn't he brought the Creevey's to Grimmauld Place?' He could have, but he put them in the safe house with others they didn't even know. Looking at the dead and tortured, Harry saw them for what they were. These were normal everyday people. People that had no business in this war. Colin's dad had been a milkman… or was it a postman? Normal.

Bill approached him. "Harry, the anti-Apparition wards we set up on arrival will fail very soon. They obviously know we're here and are attempting to reach us." Harry suddenly felt a wave of fury. He wanted to kill them all for what they had done.

He looked straight at Bill and snarled, "Good. Let the Bastards come. I'll give them a welcome…" He ran out of words, but the meaning was clear.

Bill placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, "Harry, we have to leave. Even you have limits… Three dozen Death Eaters could overrun us. They'll come in numbers and ready to fight." When Harry looked at him, he added, "There will be a reckoning, but not today. Harry… we have to go." Bill emphasised the last four words.

Harry had a bitter retort on the tip of his tongue when he saw Remus and Hermione approaching them from the side. Ted's footsteps were approaching from the rear. Bill was right… If they stayed and fought, his friends probably wouldn't survive. After arriving less than five minutes ago, the Wards they'd quickly set up were failing. Once they did, Death Eaters would stream in and trap them all here. It's a death trap.

Bill produced a long rope that had been set up as a Portkey. They all gripped it and were gone.

—DoD—

Grimmauld Place

December 30, 1997

The last few days had been tense. Yule was a solemn affair, but they all tried to put on a brave face. Ginny and Hermione managed to get through to Harry and made him see reason. He had been blaming himself for the Creevey family, but he'd forgotten that Muggles needed to be around other Muggles. To have put them in Grimmauld Place would have made them outcasts. And there was no way Colin or Dennis would abandon their parents. The only ones to blame for the massacre were the Death Eaters.

The other two safe houses had been notified of the tragedy at the Muggle Born safe house and their Wards had been examined and found to be intact.

Tonight, there was a small 'war council' meeting at Grimmauld Place to discuss plans and preparations. Present were representatives from each of the two remaining dissident safe houses, Arthur and Molly, Bill and Fleur, the twins, and the members of Grimmauld Place. Kingsley and Cedric were from the safe houses. Without Dumbledore, it seemed strange to meet like this. It was an Order of the Phoenix meeting without a Phoenix.

Harry decided to kick off the meeting. "Kingsley, Cedric. We'll get started in a few minutes, but before we do… Do your houses need any supplies?"

Kingsley smiled and approached Harry. "We are fine, Harry. Fine and eager to act."

Cedric agreed. "We're going stir crazy, but our supplies are fine."

Andromeda asked, "I'd like to visit each facility and make sure everyone is healthy. Supplies are one thing, but infection and illness can be just as detrimental."

Kingsley nodded, saying, "That sounds like a splendid idea. Thank you." Cedric also nodded his approval. His house was made up of younger and healthier individuals, so they probably needed it less…

Harry suspected that while she wanted to help, she also wanted to get out of Grimmauld Place for a bit. The waiting was becoming so monotonous. She was right, having a healer visit the sites was a good idea. Maybe now Andromeda would stop giving him a full exam whenever she became bored. He was getting tired of having monthly check-ups.

Bill changed the topic, "So, we think we know how they got past the alarms and through the Wards. Most likely, the Death Eaters somehow set up a loop in the Wards to prevent an alarm. With this in mind, Harry and I are devising a modulating Ward structure that will detect if the same 'frequency' is repeated. It would take a few weeks to design and reapply, but it should prevent the use of a 'loop' to disable the Wards and alarms."

Cedric asked, "But, how did they even find the safe house? It has the same protections as the other sites…"

Harry took this question. "We believe someone triggered the taboo on Voldemort's name about a half mile from the house. Just outside the Wards. Whether it had been intentional or just a random mistake, we have no way of knowing. Unfortunately, it summoned a team that was just cunning enough to sense the Wards and leave. When they returned, they were well prepared."

Kingsley asked, "How can you be certain, Harry? This is too great a threat to simply ignore."

Harry wasn't sure he was ready to risk his contact, but he also didn't want to be like Dumbledore and all his secrets. "What I'm about to tell you is confidential and cannot be repeated when you return to your safe houses." He waited until both Kingsley and Cedric agreed. "I have a contact who has been feeding me information. He learned after the fact that a team of snatchers went to investigate the taboo and watched as a Muggle or Muggle Born walked through the Wards and disappeared. He doesn't know how they bypassed the Wards, but he had heard that Rookwood himself had been involved."

Kingsley asked, "How do you know your contact can be trusted? Has he mentioned any other safe houses?" He seemed slightly irritated.

Harry shook his head, "He doesn't think they found the other two safe houses, but he couldn't be certain. To inquire would potentially attract attention." Realising he hadn't addressed the issue of trust, "The contact was given to me in confidentiality by the same person who set up your safe houses. Unspeakable Oppenheimer."

Kingsley looked saddened. "Fritz was a good man. We owe him much." Cedric was obviously following Kingsley's lead.

Harry agreed. "I'm sure we'll see him soon. There's no way he didn't escape after all the work he put into the other escape plans."

Kingsley looked pained. "Harry… I was there when the killing curse struck him. I'm sorry, but he's gone."

Harry stared for what seemed like an eternity, then felt Andromeda grip his hand. Fritz was gone… He'd lost another friend. Colin and Dennis were taken to who knows where, so many others. Looking around, he saw everyone looking at him. They all had that 'piteous' look.

Steeling himself, Harry said, "Don't feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for everyone who bears the bastards mark." Ginny came over to stand beside him. Molly and Arthur were looks sadly at him. "Seriously, I'm going to make them all pay…"

Kingsley then took a deep breath, "That brings up a different topic, Harry." Kingsley seemed deeply conflicted. "There are reports that you've been running about creating havoc. That you've been killing the families of You-Know-Who's supporters. Is there any truth to this?" He extracted the Daily Prophet and set it down on the table.

Harry lifted the paper and read the headlines.

"The Dark Prince strikes again!"

Harry Potter's reign of terror takes the lives of another innocent family!

Death toll reaches seventy three.

Harry stared in disbelief and Andromeda pulled it from his numb fingers.

Andromeda shook her head, "These are lies. Harry rarely leaves the house and never alone. This is just propaganda to turn support against him." She was clearly annoyed, but she kept reading. "Wait, this last death is from yesterday. I can tell you all for a fact that Harry and Bill were working on the Ward structure redesign all day and most of the night." Bill nodded his agreement and rose from his chair.

Bill walked over and looked at the paper. "This is garbage… But the families impacted are You-Know-Who's supports." Killing your own supporters to make the enemy look bad was a terrible strategy. "This makes no sense."

Cedric tapped the table. "Harry, the article states you were seen in the area just before the murders. Could there be… someone impersonating you?" Seeing Harry shrug, Cedric added, "If anything, these stories will drum up potential support, but we can't rule out a potential threat."

Fleur chuckled, "So the enemy's supporters are dying, and Harry is getting the credit. How can this be bad? It shows that the false ministry cannot protect their citizens."

Arthur painfully spoke up, "Some of the killed were children. This isn't painting Harry in a sympathetic light."

Harry looked up. Clearly Arthur had already heard about the killings. "Children? I would never condone… How many of you knew about this? And why are they calling me the 'Dark Prince'?"

Narcissa spoke up for the first time, "They are attempting to paint you as a rising Dark Lord. Perhaps they are trying to build a case for the ICW to recognise You-Know-Who as the benevolent party?"

Draco huffed and shook his head. "If the ICW had any idea…"

Remus was thinking strategically, "Kingsley, how can we get word to the ICW? Perhaps we can send a letter or some other kind of correspondence…"

Fleur caught her husband's eye. "My parents left me a way to stay in touch. We can send information through them, but they will have to be careful. I don't want Gabrielle put at risk."

Harry flinched. "No. I don't want to do that." He turned toward Fleur and said, "If the Death Eaters found out your family was passing information to the ICW, they'd go after them. The dissidents and Muggle-Born we've already smuggled out have certainly shared enough to dissuade anyone from thinking Voldemort is a benevolent ruler. This feels more… domestic in its attempt to slander me. To dissuade people from supporting me."

Fred and George looked at each other and grinned. "If it's domestic, why not send a message through Potterwatch?"

Harry knew Potterwatch was the Wizarding Wireless underground resistance. They tracked his activities and announced what the Death Eaters were up to with alarming accuracy.

Bill looked suspiciously at his brothers. "And how would we go about that?"

To their credit, they didn't bother with the 'twin talk' that seemed to have been created just to drive everyone insane. One of them said, "We've been helping a bit with the broadcasts. Lee Jordan is running it and he's had a few close calls. After the last near miss, we helped them figure out a way to broadcast remotely through 'dummy' locations."

Remus was no fool. "Them?" He picked up on the fact that it was more than just Lee Jordan.

The other twin said, "Lee's not working alone… We may have broadcasted a time or two…"

The next thirty minutes was a bit of a circus with Molly screeching like a banshee and Bill reminding them that they knew too much, and their capture would put us all at risk. The twins pointed out that they had made a difference and their broadcasts were giving people hope. Eventually it was agreed they would set up in the Burrow and broadcast from under the Fidelius charm. It was still a risk, as news had to be collected, but the broadcast was giving people hope. Bill agreed to work with them on external security and prevent the pair from taking chances that could get them caught.

Harry considered the original offer. The broadcasts were more accurate than most would expect, and they had a sizable following. "Fred, George, can you announce that I do not condone the killing of children in any way shape or form. I struggle with caring about the adults that may have been murdered, but I don't want anyone thinking I'm OK with killing children."

Both twins nodded and said in tandem, "Count on it."

Harry turned to Kingsley and added, "When we liberate the Muggle Born camps, we'll send a message with them when they evacuate to France."

Kingsley and Cedric exchanged a look. Kingsley asked, "Harry, do you have any idea where the camps are?"

Harry gave a small shake of his head and said, "No, but it's only a matter of time." He didn't mention that he'd know as soon as the human sacrifices began. "I need you guys to be on your toes. There are three camps and if we hit them all hard and fast, we can overrun them and free the prisoners."

Cedric said, "We're ready for action, Harry." He then asked, "Do we have enough Wizards and Witches to hit all the sites at once?"

Hermione emphatically said, "We have to! Or they'll move two of the camps while we liberate the first!"

Bill continued with, "We'll scout the sites and evaluate the best options once we know the locations. If we can't liberate all three at the same time, we'll have to get creative. Either way, we're going on the offensive as soon as we have the locations."

The meeting went on another two hours or so and covered combat training and the need to get everyone ready for the approaching final battle… which would occur as soon as they all felt the time was right. Bill and Harry made plans to see and upgrade the Wards once the new Schematic was finished. It was noted that Harry's presence was critical to keeping morale high. Those willing to fight needed to see him. Possibly even train with him a bit to know they were not following a lost cause.

Upon departure, both Cedric and Kingsley promised once more not to discuss Harry having a contact within the Ministry, but they both insisted on being kept in the loop on correspondence. To that end, bi-weekly meetings were planned. They'd rotate locations and cover key topics in each session. With a little luck, the new Ward structure would be ready before the next meeting.

As it turned out, the Muggle Born camp locations became known in just under a month.

—DoD—

Grimmauld Place

January 29, 1998

Sitting in the Grimmauld Place Dining room were the leaders of the resistance. Harry Potter, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Cedric Diggory, Bill Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Lupin. They were all focused on the enchanted image in the centre of the dining room table. A faintly glowing set of three scenes were on the table. Each represented an 'owls' eye' view of the three Muggle Born camps. Three days ago, Harry sensed the flares in the Astral plane using the methods Elianar Messias had shown him. He then took owl form and scouted out each of the sites.

Harry waved his wand and the images gained further definition. "Fortunately, the Wards allow owls to pass through… likely for the mail. I was able to get a good look at each, but not the insides of the buildings. Each camp is well protected with Wards and a dozen or so Wizards and Witches. Two Dementors were visible at each site, but there could be more inside the central holding area… Based on what I could see, each of the central buildings could hold up to twenty to thirty Muggle Born. That makes sixty to ninety total prisoners." Looking over the camps, Harry amended his statement, "Except the big camp. It could hold perhaps double the number. Maybe more if there's a basement."

Kingsley let out a long breath. "So, we could be looking at anywhere from one to two hundred prisoners. Unless they have dungeons, then we double the count…"

Tonks pointed to the larger camp. "This one has a larger compound for guards… figure in the possibility of two dozen here… That's a total of nearly fifty or so, with the ability to summon reinforcements. This won't be easy unless we hit them one by one."

Remus nodded, "We have forty-two combatants, but only two curse breakers. Casting the Patronus won't be a problem, but that would eliminate at least one combatant per site as they would have to stay focused on the Dementors."

Harry added, "The guards aren't all Death Eaters. Most seem like low level thugs... snatchers I suppose. I'd estimate, no more than two to five Death Eaters per site. The rest won't be as hard to deal with. Reinforcements will be tough, so we'd need to cast anti-Apparition charms upon attacking." He ran his hand through his hair. "This won't be easy."

Cedric asked, "What would happen if we just hit two of the sites?"

Kingsley shook his head, "The third would be either evacuated, or fortified with reinforcements to a degree we couldn't safely liberate it. And we don't have the numbers to afford any casualties."

Bill had a wry grin as he said, "Let's approach the situation differently. We're not going to fight; we're going to liberate. We kill the Wards, raise an anti-Apparition charm, liberate the Muggle Born, then Portkey out. In and out, hard and fast. Avoid open combat where able."

In the end, the plan was rather simple. Three teams would divide up and focus on one camp apiece. The two largest camps would be attacked directly. As soon as the Muggle Born were liberated, the heavy hitters from both teams would move to the third facility and liberate that site in full force. The teams were divided up based on skill and power. Each team consisted of two leaders plus a dozen combatants. Each of the leaders were able to cast a corporeal Patronus to hold off the Dementors.

The first group was made up of Harry and Remus. Harry was recognised as the heaviest hitter in the resistance, so his team was attacking the largest camp. His curse-breaking skills could get them through wards. Kingsley and Bill led the second team. As with Harry, Bill's curse-breaking skills would get them through the Wards. With the element of surprise, they expected to make short work of liberating the prisoners. The third group was led by Hermione and Cedric. They were to wait on the edge of the last camp for either Harry or Bill to join them and get through the final set of Wards. Hermione wasn't a curse breaker, but she could set up the runic combinations well enough that Bill or Harry could Portkey in and make short work of the Wards.

After being liberated, the Muggle Born prisoners were to be Portkeyed to a heavily warded location in Scotland. Once there, Andromeda and Draco would treat any wounded individuals while Harry and Bill removed any tracking or lethal failsafe charms.

—DoD—

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Largest Muggle Born Camp

January 30, 1998

11PM

Harry prepared the rune stones on the edge of the Wards and waited for Bill's signal. Within a minute of finishing his Ward breaking schema, his DA coin heated up. 'Now'. Harry focused on the rune stones he had arranged and sent a burst of power through them. The Wards burst like a soap bubble.

He shouted, "Go!" and surged forth. He felt Remus raise the Anti-Apparition charm and hoped it would hold long enough.

As Harry rushed into the camp, four guards began casting curses at him. Dodging these attacks were ridiculously simple compared to Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort. He countered with Blasting curses and the four fell in as many seconds. Others would quickly join, with a hastily cast "Vide Bellatore!" he created three 'Phantom images' of himself to draw fire.

Just as he felt a sudden and unnatural chill, he heard Remus shout "Expecto Patronum!" The unnatural chill departed and left only the normal wintery chill of Scotland. Harry never looked up, he stayed focused on the emerging guards.

Harry took the brief moment to launch a massive blasting curse at the barracks, "Bombarda Maxima!" The building imploded under the force right as a group of guards rushed out. With a little luck, that would take out any guards that hadn't made it out. He then sensed an attack from his left flank and began moving and pivoting once more. Fortunately, he wasn't alone, and the grounds were quickly becoming a battlefield. His training with Albus ensured that he knew how to navigate a battlefield, but he was still drawing most of the fire. Two of his 'Phantom Images' winked out of existence under a heavy barrage.

With luck, two disillusioned allies were making way toward the Holding cells. Harry and his comrades just needed to buy them time to free and get the Muggleborns away. Being at the vanguard, he held nothing back. The number of guards were dropping quickly, and Harry noted they were now trying to get away. A few Disapparated the moment they felt endangered.

Harry paused briefly and looked around to see Remus' Patronus holding back the pair of Dementors and his 'rebel allies' standing about, ready for the next wave… a wave that appeared not to be coming. All his allies were accounted for and appeared to be uninjured. Harry sensed the activation of Portkeys in the Holding cells and saw a signal flare out from the windows. Harry marvelled at how quickly the battle had ended. Once the Wards fell, they were in and out in less than five minutes! Harry cast 'Homenum Revelio' on the stone building that held the prisoners and confirmed it was now empty. He sent up a new set of flares and he watched all his allies Portkey away. He and Remus went last and transported to the third site. He had a Ward to break.

—DoD—

Muggle Born Camp #3

At the third site, Harry and Remus appeared and reoriented themselves. Immediately it was clear Hermione and Cedric's team were hard pressed. Their position had been discovered and were now in a pitched battle. Hermione was holding back the Dementors while Cedric and the others were battling the guards.

Remus immediately leapt into the battle and engaged a Death Eater that appeared to be a Death Eater. Harry knew time was critical. He quickly disillusioned himself and rushed over to where he and Bill had laid out the runic array. Focusing past the sounds of battle, he began taking down the Wards. The pre-work he and Bill had done made this much easier, but it still took longer than he wished.

One layer down.

The sounds of combat were distracting. He tuned them out. Every second was precious, and none were wasted. He reset the array and released a pulse of power at a frequency aligned with the second layer. It flickered, then collapsed.

Another layer down. Three more to go.

That was the point where Harry heard the sounds of multiple Apparitions. With a start, Harry realised no one had raised the anti-apparition charm! Of course, Cedric and Hermione would have left it open for their own reinforcements. Harry cursed himself for not casting the anti-Apparition charm before starting on the Wards. Mistakes like that were costly!

Harry had no doubt the guard reinforcements would be actual Death Eaters. Turning and reviewing the battle, he saw Kingsley and Bill were now there, but Bill was aiding in holding back Dementors. There were more than two Dementors and Hermione apparently couldn't hold them all off. Cedric was doing very well, but at least two of the twelve they had brought had fallen.

This operation was a bust.

Harry noted that the Apparition point was in the centre of the camp, safely protected by the Wards. He shifted his perception and cast a layer of darkness between his team and the camp, just outside the Wards. With luck, that would prevent the reinforcements from firing curses through the Wards, and it would hopefully make them think twice before leaping into the 'unknown'. Casting the Ethereal Darkness disrupted his disillusionment, but that was expected. Harry turned away from the ring of darkness and charged into the battle. The camp guards hadn't fared well, but the reinforcements were much better trained, and his team was struggling to defend itself. Harry attacked from the side and began firing curses. His disillusionment flickering away with each attack.

As the Death Eaters saw him, they seemed to panic, and three killing curses were launched his way. Two were cast wildly, so Harry only really had to dodge the third. There were easily ten Death Eaters clustered fairly close together. They would soon spread out… Held out his thorn wand and cast the same curse he had used at Nott Manor, "Fulgar Uitta!"

The ribbons of electricity arched out and put the Death Eaters on the defensive. Most were able to raise shields, but a few fell under the assault. Harry couldn't hold the attack the way he had at Nott Manor as he was forced to parry a Blood Boiling curse that was launched from somewhere to his left. Unfortunately, that was an area where he had allies, so he couldn't just respond with area effect spells. Damn!

Kingsley signalled the 'retreat' and Harry could sense multiple Portkeys activating at the same time. Each team carried a Portkey that could be activated remotely, and Cedric must have had triggered the emergency signal. No man or woman left behind. All the leaders were exempt from the remote trigger, allowing them to cover the escape.

Trying to buy his friends time, he continued turning and pivoting, throwing a few Elemental spears into the ranks of Death Eaters. He focused on the ones that would explode into restraining thorn vines… anything to slow the assault down and let them escape. The reinforcements were beginning to come through the darkness he had set up… He'd be overwhelmed if he stayed. Hermione's Patronus had already disappeared, and Bills winked out as he apparently left. Knowing he'd soon be outflanked, Harry activated his Portkey and left.

—DoD—

Portkey site

Scotland

When Harry arrived at the 'recovery' site, it was pandemonium. Andromeda and Draco were busy treating the wounded, while refugees were wandering about looking for family members. Andromeda was in manic mode as the last team had suffered grave injuries. Kingsley was bringing the crowd under control and keeping everyone within the Wards.

Harry found Cedric and Remus but couldn't locate Hermione. He walked around for a good ten minutes before approaching Cedric. "Cedric, have you seen Hermione?"

Cedric simply shook his head, but he was clearly focused elsewhere. Harry followed his gaze and saw Cedric was watching Draco treat one of his people… Draco shifted, and Harry saw Cho Chang. She was conscious but had taken a curse of some sort to her left leg. Draco appeared to have it well in hand as Andromeda gave it a quick 'once over'. Bill was looking over the refugees for tracking charms. Harry had planned to assist him, but he wanted to find Hermione first. He saw Remus and approached him.

Harry was becoming anxious. "Remus, do you know where Hermione is?" He should have found her by now.

Remus looked concerned. "Her Patronus dropped before we sounded the retreat… I went to find her, but she was nowhere to be found… I thought she had simply lost concentration and Port keyed back…"

Harry withdrew his cloak from his pack and donned it. Remus was saying something, but he wasn't listening. The camp was under a hundred miles away, he could Apparate there easily… He had to look for her. Dimly he heard wailing and other noises from the crowd, but he ignored it and with a twist, he was gone.

—DoD—

Muggle Born Camp #3

Harry appeared and reoriented himself. He was under his cloak and hidden from view. It had been perhaps fifteen minutes since they had aborted to attack, but the scene was silent. Gazing into the Astral plane, he saw the Wards around the camp had been removed. There were no signs of Dementors, or Death Eaters or… Hermione.

He held out his Holly wand and silently cast a detection charm. 'Homenum Revelio!' There was no one there. Searching harder, he found traces of Portkey activation and Apparitions all over the scene, but no trace of Hermione. She was gone. The Muggle Born prisoners were gone. The Dementors were gone. The only thing left were three stone buildings.

—DoD—

Grimmauld Place

January 31, 1998

3 AM

Harry sent a message to his journal contact and was awaiting a response. Waiting was the hardest part and reflecting on their mistakes made it harder.

Hermione was captured and they had no idea where she had been taken. The first two attacks were simple and straight forward, with easy success. But the third had failed miserably. A Dementor had sensed them while they were waiting for a curse breaker and Hermione had been forced to cast her Patronus. That alerted the Guards and they had sounded the alarm. Harry and Remus arrived within two minutes of the alarms, but the element of surprise was lost.

Without a third curse breaker to handle the Wards, they shouldn't have attempted to liberate all three camps. Harry shouldn't have started on the Wards without raising an anti-Apparition charm. That little mistakes had cost them. Remus apparently blamed himself as well, stating he was the one responsible for the anti-Apparition charms… But Harry knew he'd been engaged in combat. They hadn't planned to arrive at the third site during a pitched battle.

Three of Cedric's team were killed, five had been injured, and all of them looked rough. Of the injured, all would make a recovery, but it would take time. Only Hermione had been captured as her Portkey wasn't automatically activated. In hindsight, she was likely immobilised or unconscious when the signal to retreat was raised. Now, it was all riding on Harry's contact.

The hours ticked by while they all waited. Eventually, the contact responded.

Mr. Potter,

Your friend and the Muggle Born prisoners are now being held at Malfoy Manor.

The site is heavily Warded and full of Death Eaters.

You-Know-Who is still abroad for reasons I cannot fathom.

Attacking Malfoy Manor directly would be a challenge.

Only proceed if you are certain that you can marshal the numbers for a full-on assault.

Sincerely,

A Friend

—DoD—

Malfoy Manor

January 31, 1998

~5AM

Bellatrix Lestrange was having a terrible day. She had planned to sleep in, but she had been forced to wake up and help defend a camp for a bunch of ungrateful Muggle Born. To make matters worse, she found out she was defending it against her own Lord Black. She had watched intently as he decimated any who rose up and opposed him. His speed and raw power were intoxicating. After devastating those foolish enough to defy him, he left… But he forgot to take his Mudblood with him.

The site was emptied, and the prisoners brought back to Cissy's home… There whispers of her new Lord Black being a 'Dark Prince' and she loved that. She wanted to just listen to the fear and terror his very name brought to the fools she surrounded herself with. Unfortunately, that damn Mudblood had to be interrogated. She likely knew too much and had to be disposed of before she betrayed the Dark Prince… but there were so many particularly important questions Bella just had to know!

The interrogation began with the important questions. "Is he a good kisser?" The first question was a trick… the Mudblood answered correctly with "I don't know…" Of course, he would never kiss such a nauseating trollop.

"What is his favorite colour?" The Mudblood missed that one as well. Gold was not his favourite colour, it was Emerald Green! That earned a wicked backhanded slap. Her ornate ring was covered in blood and had a little flesh attached to it.

"What is his favourite dessert?" The stupid cow didn't learn… she mumbled, "Treacle tart…" His favourite desert was not Treacle Tart, it was Cherries Jubilee! For that lie Bella kicked the Mudblood savagely until it coughed up blood. Dirty blood that got all in her hair… foul and disgusting frizzy hair.

"How many songs did he sing?" The stupid Mudblood obviously didn't have any idea how many songs her prince could sing… Her silence earned her the Cruciatus.

"Can he do a cartwheel?" More silence. The Mudbloods eyes darting about… she had obviously never seen him do a cartwheel! Worthless creature! This brought an even longer Cruciatus curse on the filthy creature.

Then Bella asked the last important question… "Is he a good dancer?" The filthy little bitch hesitated, then nodded emphatically. Bella became so enraged she almost killed the Mudblood outright.

Bella shouted, "He'd never dance with you! You are a filthy MUDBLOOD!" She then proceeded to draw her favorite knife and carve the word into the foul creature's arm. She intended to make sure the bitch never forgot her place. The vile and putrid blood flowed and squirted all over the floor. The loathsome girl screamed and cried as her arm was carved up. Bella laughed and laughed, singing as she carved.

Baa, baa, Mudblood,

Have you any blood?

Yes ma'am, yes ma'am,

Three cups full.

One for my master

And one for my dame.

One for the Bella-Trix

Who's name is LeStrange…

There were more words, but Bella couldn't remember them. She decided to just hum the tune while she worked. She was always good at humming and working. She was a people person. A patron of the arts.

Laa-Dee, Daaa Daa

Ladee Daaa Daa Da.

Cut, cut, cut you,

Happy, happy me…

Once finished, Bella took a moment to review her work with pride. It was a masterpiece… Some days Bella wonders if she should have been an artist. She could sing, she could dance, she could carve… Her mother always said she was talented!

After the crying and sobbing quieted down, Bella asked, "What song was playing when he danced with you?" Bella planned to play whatever song the Mudblood named while she tortured her to death. It would be fun… Perhaps she would heat up iron sandals and force the Mudblood to wear them as she danced. As she danced until she died. But the whimpering bloody bitch surprised her.

The Mudblood whimpered, "I'm not in the room… when Andromeda and… Narcissa… were teaching him to dance…"

Bella considered this for a moment. That made perfect sense. Of course, he hadn't danced with her. Now Bella was embarrassed, she had overreacted a bit. With an embarrassed chuckle, she imagined her sisters training her Dark Prince. Andi and Cissy had an obligation to prepare him… for her! Soon she would be with her Dark Prince and he'd know how to dance… Bella got a bit carried away with the mood and began dancing around the quivering creature on the floor. Her sobs were music she could dance to.

Ladee da Deee Daaaaa!

Dancing sweetly,

Laadee da Deee Daaaaa!

I dance so sweeeeetly…

—DoD—

Hermione lay on the ground quivering and bleeding. She'd been tortured for so long… The Cruciatus was so much worse than she had ever believed possible. How had Harry endured it so many times? Why was Bellatrix asking her so many crazy questions about Harry? Favorite dessert? Dancing? That woman was truly insane. But there was a pattern here. Harry had mentioned how Bellatrix was weirdly infatuated with him, but she and Ginny just assumed Harry has misread her. That it was the odd ravings of a lunatic. They were wrong.

The most feared witch of their age truly was infatuated with Harry Potter.

Hermione was in the middle of a floor, drenched in her own blood and filth… While Bellatrix Lestrange danced around her like some kind of demented ballerina… Sang to herself. It was only a matter of time before the psychopath grew tired of her. Hermione wept at the idea that she might suffer the same fate as the Longbottoms. She had to think of something. Anything. Harry would never just abandon her; he'd be looking for her. She just needed to buy herself time.

Bellatrix then stopped singing and dancing. She gave a tiny little bow. To Hermione's surprise, the assembled Death Eaters began clapping. Looking about, Hermione saw fear on their faces that likely matched her own. Theo Nott was there, clapping away with a stupid grin on his face that in no way matched the terror in his eyes.

Then Bellatrix turned back to her. She lifted Hermione by the hair, eliciting a weak cry. How was she so strong? Bellatrix then brought her face so close to Hermione's that their noses almost touched. Her teeth were blackened and her breath reeked of rot and… foulness. She had a terribly carved shape on her forehead that somehow resembled a crude lightning bolt. She in no way resembled the gorgeous image of her on the Black family tapestry.

Bellatrix whispered, "Time to die Mudblood," A foul wave of rancid stench accompanied Bellatrix's words, nearly making Hermione regurgitate. "I can't let you betray my Dark Prince…" It was barely a whisper and no one else had heard. She brought her knife up to Hermione's throat.

Desperate, Hermione whimpered, "He'll be so mad at you!" Quickly adding, "I'm his favourite… servant."

Bellatrix shook her head in disbelief. "Nooooo. Why would he want you?"

Hermione tried to turn from the foul breath, "I help Kreacher… clean high up…" It was all she could think of.

Bellatrix's mad eyes begin darting about. She let go of Hermione's hair and Hermione dropped to the floor in aguish and relief. Hermione looked about while she lay there. There was no way out, even if she was strong enough to stand. Which she wasn't.

Suddenly, a Death Eater Yells, "The Wards have collapsed!"

Less than a second later, the outer wall is ripped away. Standing on the other side of the missing wall was Harry Potter. His skin was glossy black, and his hair was silvery white. His Runespoor was raised up from what had to be a backpack. She was silver with black patterns. All of their eyes were glowing a bright emerald green. They were beautiful and terrible. Hermione couldn't look away. For a fraction of a second, no one moved, then Harry made eye contact with her.

Harry's arms were like a blur and he shot forth a massive ribbon from both of his wands. Half the Death Eaters in Hermione's view were able to raise shields, the rest were cut in half by the arcane ribbon. Theo Nott's body fell in two pieces. The content of his stomach and those around him splashing against Hermione. But she was too focused on his dead eyes to notice the foul stench. Theo's eyes were lifeless and unfocused… but staring right at her.

All Hell then broke loose.

—DoD—

Narcissa Malfoy was shaking so hard she was having trouble using her wand. The manor shook after a terrific explosion. She knew she only had a few minutes to rescue the hostages. Harry Potter, Lord Black had requested her aid and she was honour bound to give it. Bitterly she accepted this was all to rescue a Mudblood! She hated being tasked with this… What hope did they really have? She never signed on to take foolish and unnecessary risks this. She joined Potter to get away from this… lifestyle.

Refocusing on her task, she knew her time was limited. Harry Potter had led a small team of volunteers on a rescue mission. No one could dissuade him. They were distracting the Death Eaters while she freed the prisoners. Draco was upstairs with Potter… please let him be safe… She was to open the dungeons. Hopefully, her disillusionment was good enough and would hold long enough.

A gravelly voice said, "Expelliarmus!" and Narcissa's wand flew from her fingers as her disillusionment ended.

Turning, she saw three Death Eaters. No, not Death Eaters. These were low level 'snatchers'. The 'wannabe' Death Eaters. Stunned, Narcissa could only stand there as they smirked and leered at her. Her disillusionment was not good enough… To fall into their vile hands was unthinkable. Then the manor shook again, covering them all in dust and bits of stone. Potter must be really cutting lose upstairs… The three men looked nervous.

Narcissa took a chance and tried to project confidence, "Give me my wand and you may just survive." Her voice barely trembled. The men looked uncertain for a very brief moment.

The one holding her wand sneered, "Not a chance… Malfoy!"

The three raised their wands. Before they could curse her, the centre snatcher exploded, throwing the other two in opposite directions. Narcissa was thrown back against the door to the dungeons, covered in his filth. She looked up and saw Bellatrix cleanly slice one of their heads off. The other managed to fire off a series of curses that Bellatrix side stepped and easily returned a blood boiling curse. Her curse struck the man directly in the centre of his torso. He collapsed, screaming…and perished.

Narcissa made eye contact with her sister. She still remembered the proud and gorgeous older sister she had grown up with and looked up to all those years ago. The woman in front of her was a wraith that barely resembled the Bellatrix of her youth. She looked nervous and… giddy. She had some sort of carving on her forehead…

Bella smiled and blinked. "Well, you did give them fair warning…" She then laughed maniacally. She stopped laughing and took on a sad pouting face. "Oh Cissy, I did something I shouldn't have." Narcissa just stared dumbly at her. Terrified of what Bellatrix may have done.

Bellatrix continued, "I hurt his pet Mudblood. I didn't mean to; we were just talking… girl talk… Then we danced and sang, and I got carried away and cut her with a knife. I only wrote her name on her arm… It was so pretty… She might even thank me… But I think He might be mad."

Narcissa shook off her shock and asked, "Who… do you mean, Bella? Who is He?

Bellatrix stared off into space for a moment and smiled. "Lord Black, my Dark Prince!" Her blackened teeth flashed, and her eyes lit with the fires of insanity.

Bellatrix suddenly looked as if she might squeal in happiness. "You should have seen him Cissy! He's upstairs now… playing with…" Her smile faltered. "Do you think he'll he be angry?"

Narcissa forced a grin. "Lord Black is… very forgiving to his family." The Manor shook again, causing both witches to look up. Narcissa in fear, Bellatrix in rapturous joy. How much more could the manor endure?

Bellatrix handed Narcissa her wand. "That's so wonderful! Go Cissy… soon we'll all be together! The Black sisters will emerge triumphant!" Then she scrunched up her face… "He must be so disappointed in Andromeda! Marrying a Mudblood! Having a mongrel child… I'll have to do something about that… Poor Andi, shackled to her youthful mistake… I can't imagine the shame and embarrassment she must feel. Freeing her will be a… gift…"

Bellatrix then turned and Apparated away. Narcissa blinked twice to clear the image, trying not to look at the horrific scene her crazed sister had left. She knew the first man that exploded was all over her… But time was tight. She waved her wand and opened the dungeon doors. The smell hit her before she even peered inside. Unwashed bodies… Mixed with the blood and gore she was covered in. There were at least two dozen prisoners. This might take time. "Kreacher!"

The stooped house elf croaked, "Mistress…" He then held up three long strands of rope. Each was a Portkey designed to transport the prisoners away. With three strands, this would be relatively quick and easy. With the aid of House elves, they should be able to escape in one or two big jumps.

Suddenly, a pair of men came swiftly down the stairs. Narcissa panicked and fired a cutting curse… which was easily deflected.

One of the men called out, "Mother!" She immediately recognised her son.

The man on the right was her son Draco, the other… A demonic visage of Potter. He was glossy black with silver hair and glowing eyes. He radiated power and his familiar was perched on him, giving him the appearance of some form of mythical being. Narcissa could only stare mutely and wonder if the reports in the Daily Prophet calling him a 'Dark Prince' were correct. Behind him, the four other members of the team soon joined the group. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Cedric Diggory, Bill Weasley.

Draco rushed forward. "We saw the carnage above, are you alright?" He then began waving his wand and removing the gore from her robes.

Narcissa took his hand. "I'm fine, Draco. I'm fine." His touch steadied her, and she was grateful to be cleaner.

Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke up, addressing the room. "Everyone, time is short, and reinforcements will certainly be arriving very soon. Take the ropes and we'll send you somewhere safe. You are free."

Narcissa watched as a few of the hostages began weeping, others gave praise, and one ran up and hugged Harry. He didn't seem at all concerned about Potters strange appearance. Narcissa thought he was lucky the Runespoor didn't attack him, but Harry seemed relaxed and whispered his name. Colin something or other. Draco put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. It was all she could do not to break down…

She vaguely noticed a goblin amongst the group of prisoners. Ollivander was also present… As was the Lovegood child. A few others she vaguely recognised. Quite a collection of misfits. Many appeared to be injured or ill. Andromeda would have her work cut out for her.

Her son slowly disengaged and smiled at her. He then went to treat the injured. Potter seemed to defer to her son as Draco advised on the best way to move injured prisoners. They all seemed to listen to him. Narcissa felt a swelling sense of pride and silently thanked Andromeda for helping Draco find his true calling.

—DoD—

The next few weeks were chaotic as Colin and Ollivander were set up in Grimmauld place. Colin was told about his parents and took the news hard. Dennis, his younger brother, had been among the first Muggle Born to be sacrificed. Harry took Colin under his wing and stayed with him as the two had a near sibling relationship. Harry felt the need to be there for the younger boy in his time of sadness.

Hermione took weeks to fully recover from her ordeal and was constantly surrounded by friends. At first, Harry wanted to lash out and find Bellatrix... But he realized comforting Hermione was more important. And he had no idea where Bellatrix was. Colin and Hermione were his main focus until they had recovered.

Space was tight, so Colin and Harry shared a room. Ollivander was given a room of his own to recuperate in. Xenophilius Lovegood was contacted and brought to a safe house where Luna joined him. Luna would visit Ginny and Hermione from time to time.

Potterwatch reported the Muggle Camps and the attack on Malfoy Manor. The Daily Prophet failed to report any of Harry's activities and continued to cover the murder of families loyal to the new order. It was still being blamed on Harry and no one knew who was behind them. Many of the victims were from well-known and influential families. In the end, Harry and his supporters decided it was the work of a third party. They also resolved to put it out of mind and focus on preparing for the final battle.

Three new safe houses opened with Remus and Tonks agreeing to move in and train the Muggle Born residents that had been liberated and wished to stay and fight. Andromeda did not like having her pregnant daughter moving out, but agreed on the condition Tom went with her and she checked in every day. The few who had seen Harry in action at the first camp spoke at great lengths of his abilities. Gossip had apparently turned to hyperbole where Harry's capabilities were concerned and he was now described as an 'unbeatable combatant'.

By the end of February, Ollivander had matched up the rescued Muggle Born with 'Whisker Wands' that had been stolen from Jimmy Kimmel's shop months ago. His professional interest piqued, he spent a great deal of time looking over the wands, especially the ones with the Nadroj Troll whisker core. He almost seeming perplexed by it. Professional interest aside, he made it clear he thought all of Kimmel's wands were poor substitutes for his own 'superior core' wands, but he noted that they would work acceptably.

In mid-March, any Muggle Born who did not elect to stay and fight were part of a mass exodus to France via one of Fritz's methods. In this case, the Chunnel had a maintenance tunnel that ran the distance. They simply Apparated to the designated spot and walked to France. After they left, one of the safe houses was 'retired'.

Remus, Tonks, Cedric, and Kingsley begin intensively training the residents of all the remaining safe houses. The number of dissidents and Muggle Born ready to fight was now over one hundred. Harry assisted from time to time, training them on battle tactics and small team strategies. This complemented the duelling tactics they had been shown. By April, the teams were trained enough to hold their own against snatchers and the common cannon fodder Voldemort used. The inner circle Death Eaters were another matter. They would have to either be handled by the better trained combatants or attacked in large numbers.

Harry had known for months that the final battle would be at Hogwarts. There were multiple reasons for this: The Wards, the defensibility of a castle, the skill of the faculty, the site of the last Horcrux, the familiarity the defenders would have, the use of the Marauders Map to coordinate defences, and more. Harry knew a few of Voldemort's followers were on staff, but that didn't concern him. They'd be the first to fall.

Remus had scouted out Hogsmeade and Aberforth had informed him that there was a secret passage from the Hogs Head Inn that led to Hogwarts. Apparently, Albus set it up during the first war. This was important because the passage to the Shrieking Shack had been compromised. The group began making plans to sneak into Hogwarts when the time was right.

In late April, all plans were halted when Nymphadora went into labour. On April 18th, after thirteen hours of labour, Edward 'Teddy' Lupin was born. The families celebrated and Harry took his Godfather vows. Being a Metamorphmagus, Tonks recovered alarmingly fast and began training with Remus and Harry to get back in fighting form.

On May 1, 1998, Harry received notification from the Wards they had set up that Albus' tomb had been robbed and the Elder Wand had been stolen. It was 'Go-Time'.

One more Chapter!

Next up, The Battle of Hogwarts.