Chapter Nine: Battle at Diagon Alley

"Ahhh! Feels great to be back here!" breathed Ron, as they stepped into the ever-familiar streets of Diagon Alley. The D.A. divided themselves between the four Order members. First, they retrieved some gold from Gringotts. After that, they visited the wizarding bookstore Flourish and Blotts, though mercifully, they only had to buy a few books, then they set off to buy potion ingredients, broom maintenance supplies, and many other things, oblivious to the fact that it was most unsafe today.

Harry was just about to buy a wand polish from Mr. Ollivanders when he heard a shriek from outside. Excusing himself, he exited the building to find two Death Eaters confronting none other than Hermione and Ginny. He was about to go over and help when a hand gripped his upper arm.

"Not yet, Potter. Watch for a bit. Let's see if your training them in the D.A. bore fruit." The voice of Moody said to Harry.

The two Death Eaters snarled at the two girls. "I know that you are friends with him. Tell me where Potter is and we won't hurt you.much." The two Death Eaters laughed maniacally. To their surprise, however, Hermione and Ginny laughed as well.

"D-don't you realize," Hermione said, in between laughs, "that we won't surrender Harry to you without a fight?" "Yeah, you think that we're going to take this lying down?" piped in Ginny.

At this, the Death Eaters snarled, pulled out their wands and were on the process of chanting a death curse when the crowd gasped as the two girls ran like lightning towards the Death Eaters! At this, they were momentarily distracted but that proved to be their downfall as Hermione landed two fierce kicks at the man's face and wand while Ginny grabbed the other's wand, snapped it, and landed several punches at the other's gut, face and chest. They moved like tigresses, and by the time the Aurors had arrived, the two Death Eaters scrambled on their knees to them, begging at them.

The Death Eaters immediately ran to the Aurors and begged to be taken away "from these monsters". Taken aback by those remarks, the Aurors conjured ropes at the two Death Eaters and Apparated away. A blank silence followed for a few minutes, and then suddenly, it was like unmuting a Quidditch World Cup match. The entire crowd cheered and swarmed over to them, congratulating them. Harry couldn't help but rush over too and hug them.

"That was an impressive bit of fighting you got there." Dumbledore's voice called over to the two girls, and the crowd parted for him to go over to them, "I see that the D.A. did show them a few tricks, right Harry?" He said nothing, yet nodded in awe. But that was immediately stopped when he heard more screams coming from near the Leaky Cauldron. Moody, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and Ginny immediately ran over to the source of the commotion, which turned out to be more Death Eaters facing Tonks, Lupin, Shacklebolt, and the rest of the D.A.

But, to Harry's surprise, the D.A. were also fighting without the aid of magic, only using it sparingly when they were getting overpowered. Even the spells the D.A. cast were cast with ferocity and speed.

"Potter is here!" yelled a Death Eater who was near Harry. Harry immediately yelled "SILENCIO! STUPEFY!" and the Death Eater collapsed and was unable to speak a word, but the news had already passed to the other Death Eaters, and they made a beeline for him.

"Capture him!" Harry could hear the cry "INCARCEROUS!" and he immediately responded with a "PROTEGO!" deflecting the ropes back at its caster.

They're coming, thought Harry. At that moment, a feeling similar to that of a lion cornered by its enemies arose within him. It was fight or flight! He suddenly became vaguely aware of what was happening. Shrieks from the Death Eaters.the spells he cast in quick succession, though he had no idea what he cast.the punches and kicks he delivered with Seeker reflexes and lightning fierceness.the gasps of Death Eaters falling before him.the cries of "HARRY!" from the D.A.

After what seemed like an eternity, Harry came back to his senses. Only then did he see the unconscious bodies of the Death Eaters. Suddenly, he fell on his knees, suddenly aware that he bacame tired.

The D.A. were swarming over him as Aurors Apparated in time to capture the fallen Death Eaters. They were cheering him and checking him if he was alright.

"Harry! You did it! You defeated twenty Death Eaters!" Susan Bones cheered, hugging Harry along with the others.

"By yourself, too!" Cho added, as she planted a kiss on Harry's cheek. He immediately snapped out of his reverie, blushing; Cho smiled at him again.

"Impressive, Harry," said Kingsley Shacklebolt, shaking his hand, "Not even our best Aurors could hold off that kind of assault."

Professor McGonagall strode out of the crowd to congratulate Harry. "I knew it!" she beamed at him, "You do make an excellent Auror! That means you'll have to put plenty of effort in your lessons from now on!"

It was a long time until Lupin decided that it was time to go back to the Grimmauld Place. Making sure that there was no one else watching, he opened a portal back and in a few moments, all of them were back at headquarters, though sad that they weren't able to buy their school supplies.