In The Darkness
Chapter 10: Conflict
'EVERYONE OUT!' Neville shouted in the confusion as bits of earth began to fall into the hall through collapsed ceiling panels, 'get into the Alley and regroup, stop anyone who needs to be stopped and watch out for anyone who needs help.' Thanks to Harry's flame-lit ceiling everyone could see and soon they began to move out the walls and into the corridor that would take them to safety, aiming his wand at a wall Seamus muttered a charm and another hidden lift opened to admit another crowd of evacuating personnel.
'Time for us to get out as well,' Neville said to the others, leading them into the corridor he turned into the room where Harry had sat and Sirius still remained, one deep search of his eyes into Harry's told him all he needed to know. Drawing his wand he pointed it at the far wall and a smaller lift appeared which they all clambered into, 'going up,' Neville muttered as the door shut, there was a soft whirr as they ascended towards the ceiling, on reaching it the doors opened onto Diagon Alley, and onto a war-zone.
Small fires lit the streets and people were running everywhere, screams could be heard as well as small explosions, there was a whine of spells shooting overhead and also, perhaps more terrifying than that, there was gunfire. 'Ron,' Harry said, snapping his friend out of the daze he seemed to be in, 'take the kids and get them somewhere safe with Hermione, try and get other families with you, try in a shop where you can cover the entrances or something…go!' his urgent words sent Ron and Hermione looking along shop-fronts for cover. 'Where do you think they're coming from?' he asked Neville as soon as they had gone, instead of an answer he got a wave in the direction of a familiar street as a large explosion ripped through the air sending two nearby wizards crashing to the ground. 'Knockturn Alley, where else?' Harry said almost jocularly, then with Draco, Neville and Sirius beside him they began to move towards the fighting.
* * *
'What do you mean Diagon Alley is under attack?' Cho said, her voice just below shouting at the aide who had walked into her office minutes earlier, 'get everyone out there, and I mean it, even the Committee of Dangerous Creatures can get their arses down there.' Her tirade ceased when another aide stepped into the office, 'not now Flint, I haven't got the time for–' but her sentence went unfinished as the wizard pulled out a gun and fired twice sending Cho flying into a wall, another shot to his right sent the other aide crashing to the ground. Walking back out into the corridor he disappeared around a corner before the first Ministry wizard could arrive. In the office Cho focused on her desk, breathing slowly the darkness began to creep into the edge of her vision, her shaking hand was warm with her blood as she reached for her wand, with a final shudder her arm dropped, her eyes shut and then she felt no more.
* * *
Arriving at the entrance to Knockturn Alley the quartet were just in time to see another explosion rent the air sending three Ministry wizards flying through the window of the shop opposite to the lane. 'PULL BACK!' Neville shouted as more wizards made to move forwards, hesitantly they stepped backwards, some not knowing who he was and others wondering why they should listen to him. 'DON'T THINK,' he shouted over the growing noise as sporadic gunfire began to spring from the alley creating dust and debris, 'JUST BLOODY MOVE!'.
'Draco, you and Neville go over to that side and help them, me and Harry will help anyone over this side,' Sirius said, his eyes scanning the situation quickly, 'try and form a barricade and warn them about the Muggle weapons or they'll be massacred.' Moving quickly Draco grabbed Neville by his cloak and the two surged forward as the gunfire lessened, stumbling over the rubble that was now littering the alley they were halfway past the entrance to Knockturn when the gunfire began, spraying at their heels.
Muttering to himself Harry raised his hand and projected a green sphere into the entrance of the alley so that it blocked Neville and Draco from sight, as bullets entered it they slowed down until harmlessly dropping out of the other side. 'Form a wall!' he yelled to the wizards around him as soon as his friends were safely across, 'get whatever you can and make it up, take any families to the back, put them in shelter.' Using both hands Harry sent out a yellow wave that lifted rubble and dumped it onto an overturned table creating a small area of barricade. Turning he saw most of the wizards were just watching, 'come on let's move!' he shouted and with another explosion of noise they suddenly all began to heap more rubble on top of the ground, working together wizards piled larger stones. Looking behind them Sirius saw shapes running towards them in the dust, dropping to a knee he aimed his wand at the leader but lowered it when Seamus appeared from the smoke.
'What the bloody hell is going on Sirius?' he shouted, his face smeared with dirt from the ceiling of the underground hall.
'They're attacking through Knockturn, pretty much destroyed this part of the alley, where's Terry and company?'
'Over the other side with Neville and Malfoy,' was the reply as Seamus ducked behind the barricade, the others operatives following suit and crowding in with the other wizards. 'So what now?' he asked.
'We've got them well contained,' Harry answered stooping down beside them, 'they can't easily get out of Knockturn but they'll try. Our only option is to keep fighting and hope they don't have any surprises.'
'I think this was the only one they had planned,' Sirius replied, 'but who knows what else they could have done?'
'I agree,' Seamus said, 'something triggered this off, why would they choose to attack, knowing that Neville isn't dead but still thinking they have an advantage?'
Slow realisation dawned on Harry, 'It's not Neville,' he said, 'it's me, they think I'm dead, remember some Ministry wizards saw me in the apartment. That means there are spies in the Ministry…' his voice trailed off to look at Sirius.
'I'm there,' he told his godson, 'but send some backup, I'll see who I can contact on the way,' with that he took off, sprinting down the alley, in the dust Harry saw him shake and then turn into Padfoot, all four feet racing he soon disappeared.
'Seamus,' Harry said, ignoring the continuous fire around him, 'take a small group after him, I'll be fine here with enough help, just go before he gets into more trouble than usual.'
* * *
Remus Lupin jumped with surprise when his fireplace suddenly ignited in blue flames that held Sirius's head in the centre of them, 'Get your arse to the Ministry Moony, we've got trouble, something is trying to come back,' then with a flash he was gone. Blinking Lupin sat there, staring at the fire as if he expected it to sprout legs and do a jig, then he reached into a jar on the desk and threw some blue dust into the fire, when it settle two heads had appeared.
'Hello Moony,' said Mundungus Fletcher gruffly, 'what's happening?'
'Good evening Lupin,' Arabella Figg said in a more dignified manner, eyeing Mundungus.
'Padfoot just called, he says there's trouble at the Ministry, think we should go?'
'Well Hawkeye will be there,' Mundungus replied, his fiery image disappearing in a puff of acrid blue smoke.
'I'm sensing this requires a feminine touch,' Arabella replied to Lupin's question.
'Thank you Softpaw, I'll see you both there,' grabbing a different jar Lupin threw the Floo Powder into the fireplace as the blue mist dissipated, re-conjuring the flames as it landed he stepped into the fire shouting 'Ministry of Magic!' and with a flash he disappeared.
* * *
With a wild roar the first wave of Death Eaters emerged from Knockturn Alley, several held guns as well as wand but all were shooting off spells randomly, none were meant to succeed in hitting targets, none did. As they reached the barricades the fanatical mob stopped, faltered and eventually just stopped as a confused cluster, then the thunderbolt struck. With a roar to match theirs Harry sprung up from behind the barrier holding two fireballs in his hands, 'Ashanti Combusti!' he yelled and with minds of their own the two leapt forwards to ignite amidst a small crowd of Death Eaters sending them flying high into the air.
This signalled a frenzy of activity around the barricades as the operatives, Ministry wizards and any others on site stood up and sent a hail of spells into the mass of Death Eaters trapped between the barricades, small explosions rent the air as people went flying back and forth. His hand spread Harry projected a green barrier over himself and the two wizards around him as a wave of bullets shot their way, grunting he pushed back this time as the bullets entered the field, and when they fell harmlessly there was no kickback to send him flying. Muttering to himself Harry punched his two fists forwards and there was a burst of red light as he sent a Stunning Jinx into the Dark Wizards that knocked down about half of the small number remaining after walking into the ambush.
Seeing the dead Harry Potter shooting spells from his hand sent most of them running back into Knockturn Alley, the few who stayed were quickly stunned or sent flying by the defending wizards.
* * *
Panting heavily the black dog trotted up the steps into the Ministry of Magic, inside it took in the grey wolf, golden eagle and Remus, all gathered in the entrance hall, a second later Sirius walked up and embraced his old friend, then turned to greet Arabella and Mundungus. Wordlessly the quartet drew their wands then began to move through the building, looking round corners before they turned them, ordering Ministry wizards to evacuate carefully.
It was at a T-junction when the world descended into chaos, as Sirius turned round the corner into Marcus Flint who held his wand ready in one hand with a handgun in the other, there was an explosion and both went flying to opposite ends of the hallway. As Flint rose a snarling wolf charged around the corner and it's mouth gripped hard around his wand hand, moving the handgun to strike it he found it clawed away as an eagle shot down the corridor, screeching in victory, the last thing he saw was Lupin's fist flying in towards his face.
* * *
'Master…we have received news.'
'What?'
'The attacks are being repulsed…apparently Harry Potter lives.'
'APPARENTLY! You assured me he was dead Lucius.'
'My Ministry spies saw his body Master, he was dead.'
'ENOUGH! He will be again, the time has come for me to rise, and for darkness to reign again!'
A/N: Wow. Right, now that's out the way I'm pretty sure that Arabella and Mundungus changing into a grey wolf and golden eagle respectively is original to me, but if there's any other ff.net writers out there who've done this already I disclaim any right to claim it as original. The next chapter in this short fic that's becoming alarmingly long will be, chapter 11: the dark lord, and if you're lucky 'they' might actually make an appearance!