In The Darkness
Chapter Six: Back to the World
'Come on dear,' Hermione muttered as her wand directed some of Philip's clothes into the bag that was levitating in the corridor, beside it stood Draco with Minerva yawning beside him, moving carefully she lifted her son into his arms. 'Can you carry her Draco?' she asked as the bag began to move down the stairs, 'do you think I've covered everything?'
'Hermione,' Draco answered with a smile, 'you've never been found wanting before, that won't start now. Let's get downstairs.'
* * *
Neville was upstairs when a movement outside caught his eyes, just a shadow in the darkness that flickered in the corner of his eye and was gone, swearing silently he doused the room light and muttered an Apparation Charm.
* * *
'Got everything?' Ron asked as Hermione appeared with Draco behind her, receiving a nod he turned to Harry who was sitting down in his chair again, 'we're ready Harry.'
'Yeah…fine,' was the distracted reply.
'What's wrong?'
'Nothing…where's Neville?' but before anyone could answer there was a pop and a man appeared in the living room.
'Whoa!' Neville shouted as the point of Ron's wand aimed straight at him, 'wrong target.'
'I knew it,' Harry muttered, ejecting his wand into his hand from the sleeve device, 'how many Neville?'
'No idea, I just saw a shadow.'
'Draco, take Ron, Hermione and the kids back to the flat, me and Neville will hold them,' he held up his hand before the other could object, 'go now, we can't risk anything.' As he said this, Harry's eyes darted towards the slumbering form of Philip who lay quietly in Hermione's arms.
'No problem,' was the quick reply, 'Ron, go to the kitchen, we'll use the Apparater.' Lifting Minerva into her father's arms Draco spoke to Harry once more before shutting the door behind him, 'good luck.'
'Wish Snape had taught me how to bottle that,' Harry replied silently as he moved to a window and twitched aside a curtain, grimacing he ignored the slight pain in his scar and instead concentrated on the blackness outside. 'Neville,' he whispered, 'can you check the back?'
'Sure, but I can't see anything anymore,' Neville replied, 'could they have seen Draco leave?'
'Maybe, but that would just be an incentive for them to attack,' as soon as Harry uttered the words he realised what had gone wrong…
* * *
'Welcome to London,' Draco said as the family stood in the centre of the cluttered flat, surrounding them were mountains of paperwork and bits of Muggle equipment, the lifestyle of Harry and Draco did not extend to cleaning. 'Sorry about the mess,' he mumbled, 'I'll get some chairs,' with that he waved his wand swiftly and soon two chairs emerged from the heaps and moved to Ron and Hermione. 'I guess now we wait…' an uncomfortable silence settled on the group apart from the quiet snores of the children.
'Harry will be okay,' Ron said, 'he's been in worse situations.'
'Usually thanks to me,' Draco replied with a small smirk, walking around the flat in silence he began to stretch, rubbing circulation back into his arms.
'What about you though?' Hermione asked after a while with genuine interest, 'I imagine things were pretty tough for you after the fourth year.'
Draco opened his mouth to reply when his arm began to sting.
'Oh, he hasn't seen anything yet,' came a cruel and hard voice from the room beyond theirs, and as Draco turned with wand raised to face the threat a violent and sizzling red beam punched through the doorway, catching him in the chest and throwing him into the wall opposite.
'Get out!' he gasped with ragged breaths, 'it's a trap!' pulling himself up he put his wand in his hand and threw the box to Ron, 'get them out!' he shouted as Minerva awoke and began to cry. Standing unsteadily Draco rose just in time to catch a green beam that sent him flying into the opposite wall, landing stunned with blood leaking from a gash in his head, raising an arm weakly he muttered one word and a shimmering cloak flew out of his arm, covering Ron and a startled Hermione as the first Death Eater strolled into the room.
'Where are they Malfoy?' the figure asked brusquely, grabbing the wand from the hand that shuddered as it aimed at him. 'No time for games, the Master is unhappy, where are they?'
'Burn…in…hell…bastards,' Draco grinned, a sudden cough sent blood down his chin.
'I already have,' the figure answered, suddenly smacking Draco with a scarred hand.
'Same…here…father…'
* * *
'Don't you see Neville they've gone after Draco and Ron and Hermione,' Harry explained while trying to remember the magical location that had been assigned to their flat so they could both Apparate there. 'Shit! I don't have time for this,' he shouted angrily, clutching one of Neville's hands with his and pointing his right towards the floor, 'Apparate A De Tribunus', as he shouted a blue wave shot from his palm, striking the floor and rebounding to envelope them both in a blue bubble that popped leaving The Burrow deserted.
* * *
In London the Leaky Cauldron was just emptying of the final customers, Tom, still the barman and proprietor was clearing up a puddle of warm Butterbeer when a small bubble appeared in front of him. As the bright blue bubble expanded in front of him Tom ducked around the corner behind the bar, his experience taking over, seconds later a small pop sounded and two large thumps almost confirmed his fears. Peeping around he saw two wizards, one lying on the counter in the puddle he had been cleaning, the other standing beside him, waving a napkin over him, focusing on the face Tom gasped and the man's eyes shot up at him. 'Harry Potter,' he whispered, 'bless my soul!'
'Tom, I don't have time to explain, call anyone, wake up Neville, I'll be over the street in the room over the Muggle shop, just send help,' with this he dropped the napkin over Neville and ran out the door leaving Tom leaning against the doorframe. A few seconds later he snapped out of the shock and moved into the back room, throwing a handful of dust into the fire, leaving Neville unconscious in the pool of Butterbeer.
* * *
Running faster than he imagined Harry arrived at the door to his flat and thrust his arm forwards, the Unlocking Charm blowing the door inwards. Rushing into the living room he whirled his hand round like a wand, a figure moved in the corner and Harry unleashed a Stunning Jinx, his stinging scar justifying the shot that electrified the figure, sending them slumping to the floor. Turning wildly, he felt the pain leave his head and lowered his hand, breathing deeply his eyes wandered over the room, eventually falling on the slumped body beside the shattered window. His wand falling uselessly from the other hand Harry slowly moved forward until he was beside the window, his breath now cloudy in the cool air, even before he looked down his eyes were threatening to cloud with tears.
Raggedly breathing he looked down into the bloodied face of Draco Malfoy; his ocean blue eyes were now dimming in the darkness, his scarred face was slowly losing its colour. Kneeling down Harry put a hand to his neck to check for life when Draco's hand suddenly rose and grasped his, leaning in Harry heard him whispering words. 'My…father…alive,' he croaked a blood spattered onto his robes, 'wanted…know…Weasley…' closing his eyes Draco breathed slowly. 'They're…after…you…', again he paused, longer this time, 'in the darkness…remember…in…darkness…' then his jaw dropped and his head lolled forwards.
'Hold on Draco,' Harry muttered as the man passed out, moving swiftly he placed his right hand over Draco's heart, and began to quietly chant urgent words. As he did so a soft blue field rose around him, the magical aura flowing over his body until it channelled down his right arm, then from his hand it flowed into Draco's body. Slowly colour began to return to Draco's face, but it was not the reddish tinge of a healthy person but a blue that matched his eyes, both of which remained closed but beneath the lids the muscles flickered involuntarily as if moved by an energy beyond their control.
As this happened the Death Eater who had lain stunned slowly rose behind Harry, quietly retrieving his wand from the floor where Harry's blast had sent it flying. His concentration fully occupied with Draco's predicament Harry did not notice the figure moving up behind him, he didn't even turn when the floorboards began to creak underneath them. Holding his breath the Death Eater lifted his wand and held the point inches from Harry's bowed head, opening his mouth to word the Killing Curse, the Dark Wizard stumbled backwards across the room as his head suddenly snapped backwards with a crack, his jaw broken by the fist that had materialised in the air.
Stepping out from the invisibility web a grim faced Ron walked across the room and punched the Death Eater again, a solid punch to the stomach and an uppercut left Dark Wizard unconscious. Rubbing his bloodied knuckles Ron turned to see Hermione emerge from the web with the children in tow, and to see the blue corona disappear from Harry as he crumpled to the floor, his limp body falling into the darkness.
A/N: Oh dear! I seem to have tipped the balance in the favour of evil – but who were the Death Eaters looking for, could it have been the Weasleys or someone, or something, else? Will you find out in chapter 7: words.