RESCUE
Hi everyone! I'm really sorry that it's been a while since my last update. I was working at a summer camp with preschoolers, and while they're really cute, they're exhausting (I came home in the afternoons and slept for about 3 hours every day). Plus after hanging out with four-year-olds for 5 days, your brain kind of starts to turn to mush, so sorry for taking so long to write this!
Also, sorry that I wasn't able to reply to some of your reviews, so I'll reply to them here:
booklover29: Thanks so much for your review! I'm sorry that my stories make you cry, but I'm really glad that there is emotion in them (even if it is sad). Don't worry though. I think that this one will start looking up soon :)
danadanaBATMAN: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad that you like this story, and your pen name is awesome :)
Now, on with the chapter!
We had been flying for around thirty minutes before I saw Mad-Eye veer off toward the ground. We all followed him, twisting our brooms toward the dimly lit houses below. We hovered just above the rooftops for four blocks before finally landing on the cobbled streets in front of a house labeled with a golden "4".
Number 4 Privet Drive was not anything special upon first glance; it looked just like every other house on the street: two-stories, brick, perfectly manicured lawn. The only difference was that while all the other houses revealed glimpses of lights and life through the open curtains, Number 4 remained dark and lifeless. Mad-Eye silently motioned for us to approach the house. He came up on the front door, and I heard him mutter "Alohomora" under his breath. The door swung open to a dark entryway. We filed inside, Mad-Eye taking up the front and Kingsley following in the back.
"Is he upstairs, you reckon?" Elphias asked quietly.
"Probably," Mad-Eye answered in a gruff whisper, a dim blue light emerging from his wand tip.
"Maybe one of us should go up and get him," Hestia offered.
I turned to my left to find Tonks less-than submerged in our speculations; she was far more interested in the decorative plates that lined the wall.
"How clean these Muggles," she observed, reaching up to touch a plate with a particularly ugly farmhouse in the center. As soon as her fingertips made contact with the delicate glass, the dish fell from its shelf and landed on the floor with a loud crash.
"Tonks!" Mad-Eye scolded harshly. Tonks faced him with apologetic eyes.
Just then, a light appeared at the top of the stairs and snaked its way around the corner. Within moments, Harry stood on the steps glancing at all of us in surprise.
"P-Professor Moody," he stuttered, "Professor Lupin. What are you doing here?"
"You didn't think we'd leave you here without a proper rescue, did you?" Dedalus squeaked eagerly.
"Erm," Harry hesitated, ruffling his hair nervously.
I pushed through the pack to the front. "Harry, this is Dedalus Diggle," I said motioning to Dedalus.
"We've met before," Dedalus squealed. Harry merely nodded.
"And this is Hestia Jones," I continued my way across the room, "Emmeline Vance, Elphias Doge, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, Sturgis Podmore, Mad-Eye Moody, and Nymphadora—"
"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," Tonks warned in disgust. "It's Tonks."
"Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," I rolled my eyes.
"So would you if your fool of a mother called you something as awful as 'Nymphadora'," she shuddered, screwing her face up in repugnance.
Harry could only manage an uncomfortable smile. "We're here to get you out of here," I finished.
"But how?" Harry asked. "The Ministry said I've been expelled from Hogwarts."
"You haven't been," Kingsley started, "not yet anyway."
"We're going to take you to headquarters to get everything settled," Tonks continued. Mad-Eye shushed her loudly.
"The point is, do you want out of here or not?" Mad-Eye prodded impatiently. Harry nodded eagerly. "Then you better start packing."
"I'll go up and help you," Tonks offered, following Harry back up the stairs.
The two returned several minutes later. Tonks, now with bright bubblegum pink hair instead of violent violet, hovered Harry's trunk a few inches above her wand tip. Harry carried Hedwig's cage along with his Firebolt.
"Where exactly are we going?" he asked once he reached the bottom step.
"You'll see when we get there," Mad-Eye returned. "For now, we'll have to Disillusion you. We don't want anyone to know we're moving you, and since we're flying, your Invisibility Cloak won't do you much good."
Harry nodded, and Mad-Eye made a motion with his wand above Harry's head. Harry began to disappear from the head down as the charm took effect. Moments later, the nine members of the Guard stood facing a seemingly empty staircase.
"Good," Kingsley enthused, taking a glance back out the door and into the night sky. "We better get going before someone finds out we're here."
"Got your broomstick, Harry?" I questioned.
"Yeah," I heard Harry's voice answer from the open air.
"Then let's get moving," Mad-Eye hurried us along. He led us out onto the front lawn as we each grabbed our broomsticks and prepared to make our departure.
We stood in formation in the grass. "Everyone ready?" I called from the front.
"Ready," I heard Tonks reply enthusiastically from behind me. We kicked off from the ground and began ascending into the starry sky until the lights from cars and houses were nearly invisible beneath us.
"How much further?" Harry called from the center of the pack after we had been flying for several minutes.
"'S not far," Tonks called back. "A few more minutes at most before we—WHOA!" she cried as a jet of purple light whizzed past her right ear.
The group scattered, each of us turning to find our attacker.
"I'm afraid you all won't be getting back," an eerie voice called through the dark air.
I turned in the direction of the voice and found myself staring directly into the faces of several hooded figures.
"Avada Kedavra!" one of the Death Eaters cast at Mad-Eye. Mad-Eye twisted his broom to avoid being hit by the curse. The Guard scattered, each of us trying to make any advancement we could toward headquarters. We were outnumbered, that was clear, and any progress toward our destination was an advantage for us.
"Stupefy!" a rough voice screeched. The spell hit Emmeline, and she fell limp. Her body began to slide dangerously off the edge of her broomstick. Just as she started to fall toward the dark ground, Kingsley pulled her onto his broom, helping her remain balanced with one hand and casting spells with the other.
I searched the skies for Tonks. I couldn't let her get caught in this. I had to make sure that she would be safe.
"Reducto!" I heard a deep voice cast from behind me. The explosion caused my broom to lunge forward, and I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder.
I spun around and cast, "Stupefy!" My spell missed a large Death Eater's head by less than inches.
Suddenly, I spotted Tonks zooming through the air several feet above my head. She and Hestia were both trying to disarm a very determined hooded man. Just behind them, a seemingly rider-less Firebolt danced through the air.
I flew up to them, helping them disarm their opponent before another came to meet us.
"You and Hestia need to get Harry out of here!" I called to Tonks as I maneuvered my broom to the side to avoid the Death Eater's curse.
"What?" Tonks screeched back. "We're not going to leave you."
"You need our help!" Hestia agreed.
"We can handle it," I argued as I disarmed the second Death Eater. "You need to get him to headquarters."
Tonks and Hestia both looked unsure. A third hooded figure, sensing their hesitation came up behind them. "Avada—" he began raising his wand toward the back of Tonks' head.
"Stupefy!" I cast before he could finish the curse. The spell hit the man square in the chest, and he fell limply on his broom.
"Go!" I yelled, turning back to the fray. "Take Harry and go!"
Hestia nodded and flew in the direction of Harry's still whizzing broomstick. Tonks shot me a sympathetic look before wrenching her eyes away and following after them. I watched them disappear into the moonlight before turning back into the fight.
Ok, before anyone gets mad at me for messing up the actual rescue scene, I'm sorry! I just had to include a little more action to make it interesting. I hope you're not too disappointed/mad at me.
Anyways, hope you liked it! Don't forget to Review, please!