AN: Well we have made it to opeming of the War, the time when most sane Author's start their fics. Be prepared the Reaper will be reaping tonight.
AN2: I've been told a couple of times in the reviews that I should get a Beta. If I start another story after this I will probably look into that. But I want to complete this story on my own. It's my first time writing in over a decade and I want to challenge myself.
CONTENT ADVISORY: MAJOR SCENES OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE
DISCLAIMER: See chapter 2
/C.o.t.R\
Diagonal Alley, London, 6/21/1975, 21:00
Harry had Been reading the papers for the last two years. Voldemort had been keeping to the shadows mostly having his Death Eaters commiting hit and run attecks on muggles and muggleborn families leaving the mark and then vanishing. Unfortunately Harry had very little knowledge of this time and and didn't really have time to prepare (before Daphne Greengrass had released that time orb onto his chest).
The only solid lead was today the 'Summer Solstice Celebration' held annually since sometime in the 1600's. Dumbledore told him this day was the opening shot of the war right at nightfall two hundred Death Eaters ransacked Diagonal Alley fifty dead hundreds injured and any minute now all Hell was about to break loose in Diagon Alley and only him and Andromeda knew what was about out to Happen. Andromeda insisted on accompanying him they were both attired in hooded Gray robes (Harry had altered a spare set of robes to her) and they we're standing together under a notice-me-not charm at the outskirts of dancing singing crowd music was playing loud reverberating through the Alley and if he didn't know what was coming he would have been happy to join in on the festivities.
The children were with Arcturus Melania. Artcturus had really warmed up to him after putting young Lucius in his place. After the incident in the Three Broomsticks Arcturus had canceled the Malfoy contract. Arcturus may be a ruthless bastard but he had a soft spot for his granddaughters and when Andromeda told him what had happened that day in Hogsmeade, Arcturus was on the floo tearing Abraxus Malfoy a new one. When Abraxus brought up Harry being a half blood and harming a pureblood scion, Arcturus laughed in the mans face "the boy is protected by magical contract to protect the "House of Black" if anyone raises a hand to a member of my family, Harry is free to attack with the same authority as a pureblood lord" was Arcturus' reply. Abraxus was hastily trying to apologize for his sons actions, and trying to save the contract (which was by this point futile). He was quickly realizing how badly his son had screwed up.
After that incident Harry and the family had been invited over to have dinner with the Blacks at least once a week. Most often joined by Sirius who was living with his grandparents full time now learning his place as future Lord, and Narcissea who had also warmed towards him considerably after saving her.
She and Andromeda were getting closer again as well and she sometimes would drag Andromeda to the Alley for a girls day of shopping and what not, leaving Harry as head brat wrangler not that he model much.
The kids we're both getting big. Nymmie would be four in December and was a little hellian She had picked up a natural control over her powers and her hair worked like a muggle mood ring when she threw a tantrum it turned red, when she was scared it would turn black and when she was up to something it turned bubblegum pink (Her hair was nearly always bubble gum pink!)
She was just as clumsy as Harry remembered from his time no ammount of practicing on the balance beams at the muggle park could fix that, but he absolutely loved her to death like she was his own daughter and really she was. She didn't even know he wasn't her biological father, and neither Andromeda nor Harry planned on changing that they would tell her when she was older but for now they were content with the way tings were.
Ignotus on the other hand was a near spitting Image of Harry except he had Andromeda cheek bones and gray eyes. He had some metamorphic abilities he could change his hair length and color and his skin tone but he couldn't alter his bone structure, or soft tissues or change his nose into a pig snout as Nymphadora was apt to do (At the dinner table!) He would be turning three in November and unfortunately was easily led astray by his older sister but where Nymmie was clumsy and obnoxious, Iggy was quiet graceful and even as young as he was, he was very intelligent figuring ways around obstacles Harry and Andromeda put in place to keep them out of things the cookie jar being a fine example.
Andromeda nudged him and got his attention. "wards just went up transportation I think" she told him in a whisper.
Harry scolded himself for day dreaming as his wand slid into his hand quickly doing a detection spell he nodded "Your right it's about to happen, would you please head home and let me deal with this? Harry almost begging asked her.
"No if your fighting I'm fighting. I can take care of myself you've been training with me for years now. I love you but you will not keep me from this" she said firmly.
It was true since March of 73' Harry had been training with her in the old barn he converted in to training grounds of sorts. Enchanting an extention charm on the inside making it the size of a quiditch pitch on the inside and erecting dueling wards the barn was a godsend for his morning runs in the winter.
She was a quick learner and would rival if not surpass her sister in combat that didn't mean he wasn't terrified of her fighting but she was stubborn and he couldn't keep her out of the fight if he tried.
A staccato of cracks brought him to the present and he took a calming breath in and let it out slowly limberling up for battle. Andromeda on the other hand resembled a deadly cat poised and ready to spring.
"Be careful Andromeda I love you" Harry whispered in her ear.
"I love you too, stay alive and don't do anything crazy" she answered and leaned in for a soft kiss before they readied themselves for battle.
The attacks started from the other side of the gathering. Disillusionment charms fell away from a large group of masked robed men preparing to fire. Unnoticed by the singing dancing crowd the green light was the only warning they had before slammed into unsuspecting victims. Explosions sounded off in the background screams and the smell of smoke assaulted the senses and Harry spun on the spot.
Anti travel wards don't prohibit apparition within the dome of the wards they just prevent you from traveling past the wardline. Not many people realized this and instead panicked and tried to run trampling each other when they could have apparated away from the attacks and took shelter. Harry had no intention of taking shelter he was planning on taking lives.
Harry appeared about fifty behind the group of DE's that were clustered about thirty feet from the crowd, not hesitating a second he released a powerful 'Confringo' into the two or more dozen masked men who were to busy casting spells at helpless people.
BOOM!
The explosion was very enormous Harry actually felt his core drain from the power he put into it, It shook the ground and sent a plume of earth into the sky, windows on nearby building shattered and the crowd was pelted with dirt and tiny bits of his target.
When the dust cleared and the high pitched harmonic ringing faded from his ears it was to see a crater twenty feet in diameter filled with mangled bodies. Some were whimpering feebly arms or legs shredded to resembled cuts of beef at a slaughter house. Others clearly dead dismembered in gruesome ways literally torn apart. Some of the group where sprawled in pieces across the street or barely alive screaming in agony with severe burns and missing limbs.
The crowd stared at him in shock, horrified by what they had seen him do and even more terrified when he hit the ones that were still alive with killing curse.
"What the fuck is wrong with you people, either start fighting or get the hell out of here! Harry roared over the crowd. Having been fed up with them watching him and not taking the opportunity to flee he cast a 'Sonurous' on himself and made his annoyance known.
The crowd reacted immediately and started to push and shoving their way from him hurrying toward the 'Leaky Cauldron' now that Harry cleared the path for them, some vomited and wretched when they caught a peek in the hole or seen a torn limb on the street, but we're dragged forward to the exit by family members or pushed and shoved along by the people behind them through the pub and hopefully into muggle London
/C.o.t.R\
Andromeda aparated behind the group casting explosion hexes at the store front she had left a second after Harry disparate as was their plan to split up and work their way to the bank.
There were bodies all over the place and they all looked like shoppers or in a couple of cases shop keepers caught inside when the buildings ecploded around them, most seemed to be alive but seriously injured, she could hear moaning and cries for help from many but she had a job to do right now so she put them from her mind.
The first group she came across looked to number about ten or twelve and we're setting fire to 'Madam Malkins'
She cast a Black family Curse (The same one her father cast at Harry years ago) a black fog like could rushed over the group of masked men that had not even notices her behind them. The smoke engulfed them before the even knew they were being attacked and worked very quickly. she could here their muffled shrieks as the smoke entered there lungs and rotted them from the inside out while the smoke wafting over their bodies rotted from the outside in. Releasing the spell the smoke vanished leaving only bodies in severe decay and tarnished white masked their robes having been completely decomposed by the 'Rotting Curse'
Having to concentrate to keep her dinner down she barely registered the biggest explosion yet coming from behind her. The sound of her husband taking his first shot in the battle.
/C.o.t.R\
Harry started making his way through the street his wand slashing death at countless Death Eaters scattered through the streets of Diagon Alley their pitious cries of mercy falling on deaf ears.The clusters seemed to be spreading out now probably because they had seen their comrades being slain by the pair in Gray robes.
Harry had watched Andromeda raining Death on the other end of the Alley while he stood guard over the crowd that was passing through the 'Leaky Cauldron. He was now making up for lost time slaughtering anyone in a mask.
He came upon three men taking turns casting 'Crucio' on a boy no more than eight years old and after witnessing that he had no trouble summoning the needed hatred to cast 'Avada Kedavra' striking the man holding the curse on the little boy he collapsed eyes staring blanks into the sky, Harry 's 'Percutio' drilled a hole through the frontal lobe of the man standing next to him. The last man had barely raised his wand before Harry's ' 'Ossis Fraco' hit the mam square in the neck crushing his vertebrae into powder. A cutting curse came from his right announcing the arrival of six more masked men who attempted to barrage him with spells only for him to apparate behind them jabbing his dagger into one man while hitting another with a point blank 'Reducto'. Keeping his right arm in motion, a close range "Sectumus Sempra" cut down the other two men on his right side while he jerked left hand holding the dagger out of the man he just stabbed and threw it into the neck of the man directly to the left of him. The last man gaped at him until Harry simply flicked his wand and snapped the man's neck. 'The Reaper would get his due tonight' Harry thought to himself.
/C.o.t.R\
Andromeda Black was a force of nature on the killing fields tonight. Twirling and dancing killing partner after partner in a waltz of death. The cackle that came from her lips as she found a new challenger was reminiscent of her sister at the height of her madness. she would parry spells away with ease and sidestepped curses while retaliating at blistering speed she had left a trail of dance partners in her wake from the "Leaky Cauldron" to Gringos bank she lost count of how many Masked Men met the business end of her wand tonight. she heard a soft 'pop' beside her and she spun wand ready only to see her husband wearing robes matching hers the bloodstained on their robes even sort of matched.
A loud crash was heard and they felt the teansportation wards fall, the Auror's had arrived at last.
"Time to go Andy" Harry spoke before taking her hand and aparating them away, they had done what they came to do and they had taken out a lot of grunts this eve. Harry wasn't naive enough to think anyone of value was killed tonight most likely Voldermort just sent cannon fodder still Harry had took a chunk of his Army and given Voldermort a black eye.
/C.o.t.R\
Diagonal Alley, London, 6/21/1975, 22:17
This was horrible dead bodies were everywhere the strange thing that Albus realized were that most of the bodies were wearing masks and black hooded robes. he strolled by a massive crater and about threw up at the sight of mutilated body parts filling the hole and he noticed body parts along the street probably from the initial blast. He continued walking becoming more confused as all the bodies he had seen since entering the Alley (minus a scant few where the crowd was gathered earlier) were wearing the attire described from survivors of other attacks, as the what their attackers were dressed in. Coming up to a group of Auror's documenting the ten or so bodies rotting from a powerful dark curse (They still had white masks covering their rotting faces).
Albus recognized Alastor Moody who seemed to be in charge of the group of Aurors and came up next to him "Alastor what happened here? I was led to believe it was a Death Eater attack, but the bodies don't seem to agree with that" Albus asked in a weak voice avoiding looking at the gruesome sight in front of him.
Alastor Looked at Dumbledore "Aye the Death Eaters aparated in and then put up Transportation wards and started aparating into position from inside the wards. They attacked in an orchastrated manner a large group started casting into the crowd near the Leaky Cauldron but only for about twenty seconds or so when an overpowered exploding curse obliterated them all. That's what caused that bowl hamburger you passed on your way here. The witnesses say a man in a grey hooded robes then hit the ones that survived the blast with killing curses before rudely telling them to "either fight or ge the hellt out of the Alley!" from what I gather the bloke keep a look out while the moved through the pub, he saved a lot of innocents. Then him and his partner started slaughtering the bastards. We've got hundreds of memories to process so for now that's all I can tell you other than the butchers bill" Alastor finished his explanation looking at Albus expectantly.
Almost afraid to ask Albus did Anyway "How many died?"
"seventeen civilians dead, ten Aurors dead, ninty-six Death Eaters dead. Their are over a hundred wounded thirty of the Aurors the rest are civillians. Whoever was fighting them didn't leave any survivors not a single Death Eater wounded. The Aurors captured a few but the bastards don't even speak English. Their Russian merc.'s if I had to guess." Moody finished speaking and turned back to his team making it clear he was done talking.
Albus sighed sadly so much death and he could almost bet the majority of it was dealt by the Reaper. He may of saved a bunch of innocent people but he never gave these poor men a chance at redemption. He was unsure what to do, 'The Daily Profit" would laud the "Reaper" as a hero and in a way he could understand why, but Albus abhorred killing even during the last war he couldn't kill his ex lover he had locked him in his own prison and congratulated himself for not resorting to such crude means. He knew at the moment he had to focus on the bigger picture. The reaper was a savage but he didn't harm the innocent, Tom on the otherhand thrived on harming the defenseless. Tom had tried to announce his coming into the open in a big way tonight, and he failed miserably two people wiped out almost half the force he sent to the Alley.
'I bet Tom Will be most unhappy this eve' Dumbledore chuckled.
/C.o.t.R\
Malloy Manor, Whiltshire, England, 22:09
Tom was Most definitely unhappy this eve. 'CRUCIO' Rodolphus Lestrange went from severe headache from a nasty legilimency attack, where Voldemort watched the whole event play out from Rodolphus' view as a spotter on top of the roof of 'Flourish and Blotts. To howling in pain as white hot knives stung ever nerve ending in his body.
"Failure complete Failure half my army defeated by two people!" Voldemort shrieked un intentionally pushing g to much power into to the spell still active on the Lestrange heir and ripping his mind to oatmeal. Pausing when Lestrange stopped screaming he looked down to see blank eyes staring back up at him
Voldemort roared "Leave me your incompetence has cost me another follower! Not one person was brave enough mention that the Dark Lords lack of anger management had cost him another follower they all seemed to have an acute sense of self preservation.
'I was right to fear the Reaper' Voldemort thought to himself thinking back to the Battle he had just watched 'He slaughtered my men like they were muggles and I fear that not even my best would be a match for him and his partner, perhaps I should reach out to the Giants sooner than planned. I could also try and broker a deal with the dementors that would bolster my ranks and even the 'Reaper' can't stop them. I also need to do some recruiting to replenish the fallen, though no more mercenaries that last batch was useless'. It really broke his heart to spend all of Lord Malfoy's gold He tough with a smirk. 'The next time he attacked it would be a bloodbath' he vowed to himself
AN: Ive' decided to give a couple of story recommendations so here we go
1. 'Crashing Into Darkness' by: 'Sectumus Prince'
Dark Harry/Astoria WBWL
2.'A Graceless Tandem' by: 'Frickles' Harry/Tonks
3.'Deadly Belladona' by 'AppoApples' Harry/Bella Time travel fic
4.'Whispers of a Raven' by: 'The Blacks Resurgence' Harry/Narcissea time travel fic
AN2: Really any of the Authors who wrote the stories I've listed are really good and have a bunch more good stories on their profiles. But these are some of the most recent stories I've been reading lately that I really love. None of these are complete yet but they are all being updated. So enjoy