Chapter 38: Patrol Duty
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{"I'm desperate for changing...Starving for truth...I'm Closer to where I Started...Chasing after you...I'm falling even more in love with you...Letting go of all I've held onto...I'm standing here until you make me move...I'm hanging by a moment here with you"}Hanging By A Moment, Lifehouse
Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World...
Focused obsidian orbs had fallen on a briskly walking Hermione Granger as she inspected the eastern half of Knockturn Alley after splitting the place into sections to get a better advantage over The S.B.D. The location to their hideout had been kept secret thus far, but the majority of their attacks had been in the same area each time.
It wasn't long before Hermione figured out that there must have been a base of operations in the infamously seedy Knockturn Alley or at least a tunnel leading to it. Ron had insisted they keep watch over the Ministry of Magic Offices given that his parents continued to do business there on a regular basis. The last attack had him spooked but his father had refused to be cowed away from the job he loved by yet another dark wizard with a large than life narcissist complex.
Harry had agreed the Ministry Of Magic needed all the able bodies they could get and sided with Ron in a bid to keep his father in law safe. Of course by trade, Hermione was to assist Ginny in watching over the children at Hogwarts.
The determined witch had other ideas of course and true to form she took off toward Knockturn Alley as soon as the boys apparated to the Ministry Of Magic Offices. The belief that she was onto something as far as the hideout for The Infamous B.S.D. was concerned had been her reason for going ahead without them.
Regulus smiled as he approached the swift walking witch curious as to what had commanded her attention to the point of her making the trip without any back up.
"Found something did you Gorgeous?" he asked falling into step rather quickly given his length of leg and easy pace.
"I have reason to believe that the S.B.D. headquarters has an entrance here in Knockturn Alley." she said.
Regulus had come to the same conclusion after being attacked and brought here.
"It's possible." he said recalling the events of that afternoon. "Of course Arcturus is going to be on his guard...he really has it out for you and Geek Boy."
"The feeling is mutual." said Hermione narrowing her amber eyes at the thought of Arcturus waiting in the shadows for her.
Their last encounter had been rather messy and she intended to do away with him and his followers once and for all.
"No arguments here." said Regulus with a smile.
"Good." said Hermione returning his smile briefly.
"So." he said. "Where to?"
"Straight through Arcturus' front door." said Hermione with a determined expression filed across her face.
Both younger Snape and current Mrs. Ron Weasley made their way down a newly discovered tunnel beneath the street in Knockturn Alley.
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The Tunnel, S.B.D. Hideout...
Much to Regulus and Hermione's disappointment, The big cheese had not been present having focused his efforts on his current plan of attack to bring down Harry Potter.
"He isn't here." said Hermione angry that they had missed the chance to take down Arcturus.
"Calm down Gorgeous, we still have quite the opportunity here." said Regulus seeming to take their missed chance in stride.
"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" she asked with an arched brow and given Gryffindor rage.
"Is that a trick question?" asked Regulus with a charming smirk. "Did you even know the old man as well as you think you did?"
Hermione sighed.
Of course Regulus was calm even when faced with disappointment. He had been even more like his late father in that regard.
"Right." said the witch reining in her temper. "I shouldn't be surprised, you were probably a Slytherin from birth."
"Horned-Serpent actually." recalled Regulus fondly before turning his attention toward a stack of parchments on the far desk of what appeared to be a make-shift office. "Father told me it's the equivalent of Ravenclaw for Hogwarts."
"What have you found?" asked Hermione desperately trying to keep from being rude and reading over his shoulder to sate her impatience.
"Looks like some kind of hit list." replied Regulus confused as his obsidian eyes looked over it.
"What does that mean hit list?" she asked becoming more impatient.
"It's a list of names of people they're going to kill." said the son of Severus Snape.
He noted the name Kingsley Shacklebolt and his eyes widened.
"Friend of yours?" he asked handing the list over to the anxious witch.
"Kingsley..." said Hermione in a near whisper. "He's going after the Minister Of Magic again."
"This time he's playing for keeps." said Regulus.
"Ron and Harry are with Kingsley as we speak." said Hermione with her voice filled with concern.
"Then we'll just have to get to them before Arcturus does." said Regulus.
"Agreed." said a determined Hermione.
The two of them followed the path back toward the surface trying to figure out the best route possible to get to Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.
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The Ministry Of Magic Offices, Wizarding World...
Bursts of wand magic filled the otherwise darkened office as Harry Potter did his best to fiend off the attacks from The S.B.D. The robed wizard's were intent on causing maximum harm as the flaming serpent burrowed through the walls crumbling the heavily polished black and green finish.
"There's too many of them!" shouted Ron giving as good as he had gotten with his own wand before dodging a spell apparently meant to decapitate him as it had cut into the wall above his Weasley red head.
"Keep fighting!" shouted Harry determined. "We can't let them get to Kingsley."
"That's easier said then done mate." replied Ron continuing to put up a fight.
A splash of dust made it nearly impossible to see given the antics of the flaming serpent as Arcturus taunted them from afar.
"Is this the best the wizarding world has to offer?" asked the masked dark wizard. "Is this the limit of the great Harry Potter's power?"
Harry had enough of the dark wizard's taunting and pushed himself from his hiding place and walked out into the open amid the explosions of magical energy and crumbling wall fragments. His emerald green eyes fixated on his challenger almost as if this was a long time coming.
Unbeknownst to Harry, he was vastly out matched by the sadistic Arcturus, whom unlike Voldemort was not destined to be defeated by him. He knew very well that there might be the final bout for him.
Just as the dark wizard aimed his wand, a violent crash had gotten everyone's attention. Regulus Snape leapt into the air and flipped over a puzzled group of battling masked wizards. He aimed his wand striking almost as if on instinct which gave even Harry Potter pause. He had only seen wizarding combat like that once before in his life and he didn't have to guess as to whom the boy's magical instructor had been.
The dark wizard known as Arcturus turned his attention to the more appealing challenge in the form of Regulus Snape.
"This fight is not with you Son of the Serpent." he hissed.
"Well it is now." replied Regulus narrowing his eyes of obsidian at the masked wizard before him.
"So be it." replied Arcturus. "Let's see what you've got."
The two engaged in battle dazzling even Ron Weasley as he and Harry sought to get Kingsley to safety. Hermione had taken out a few of the other masked wizards as she cleared the path for them. In much too much of a hurry to question where she had come from or why Regulus had been there, they followed her instruction until they reached a safe room within the office and kept their heads down.
On the flickering monitors, they witnessed the short battle between Regulus and Arcturus before the latter summoned his flaming serpent and leapt out the window. He clearly had no wish to combat the son of Severus Snape and it brought a lot of questions to mind as to if it had been due to fear or admiration?
"Perhaps the third time is the charm." said Arcturus before disappearing into the night.
Once the remaining S.B.D. had cleared out, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger-Weasley, and Ron Weasley emerged from the room with a fully alive Minister of Magic.
"What's he doing here?" asked Ron getting into a huff as he glared at Regulus Snape.
"Don't worry about thanking me Freckles I was just leaving." said Regulus before making his way toward the broken wall and leaping out into the open only to be scooped up by his Leviathan Thunderbird.
"Honestly Ronald, the man saves your life and this is how you repay him?" asked Hermione angrily.
"I didn't need his help." muttered Ron bitterly. "Harry and I had it under control."
Harry sighed wishing he had been on better terms with the only son of his Potions Professor. It seemed heroics without thanks ran in the Snape family.
"Come on." he said sadly. "Let's get home...Kingsley can stay with us for a while until we can arrange protection for him."
"It's obvious this wizard isn't going to give up until I am dead." said The current Minister of Magic. "Perhaps it would be best to steer clear of your family Harry."
"Nonsense Kingsley." replied Harry seemingly shocked at the Minister Of Magic's words. "You are family."
With various cracks of thunder resounding in the distance, the four of them headed for the burrows while the fast flying Regulus Snape headed in a vastly different direction. He had yet to venture to Hogwarts Castle to see the final resting place of his long deceased father.