Chapter Twenty-one: The Attack

Summary: Twenty-first chapter. Twenty-eight to go. That about sums it up.

Harry found himself snapped awake that night by a voice calling his name. Before he even had time to register anything he felt his glasses being shoved onto his face and someone grabbing his arm and yanking him from his bed.

"Come on, Harry," he heard Arabella's anxious voice telling him. "You have to get up, honey. You're going on a trip."

"Trip?" Harry repeated, trying to sort out events that were happening too fast for his sleep-fogged brain to comprehend. "Arabella, what's going on? What time is it?" Harry looked about his dark room. From somewhere downstairs he thought he heard the sound of something breaking. Harry turned quickly to his godmother. "What's going on? Where's Sirius?"

"Harry, not now!" Arabella's panic voice pleaded. She was frantically rummaging around inside his closet. "Where's your broom?"

Harry watched her haphazard search. Ever few seconds she glanced towards the door, then resumed looking through the closet.

"Arabella, it's in my trunk."

No sooner had Harry told her the location than Arabella snapped the trunk open and whipped out the Firebolt. Yanking open the window, Arabella grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him over to it.

"Hedwig is already outside. You find her," Arabella stated, the panic in her voice growing with every word. "You find her, and you follow her. She'll lead you to Hogwarts. You stay there! You understand?"

"Arabella, what's wrong?"
But Harry never got a chance to get an answer. A loud cry echoed from below them. Someone in pain.

Arabella turned to the frightening sound for a second, then in alarm turned back to her godson. "You stay in the smoke. Let it cover you as you leave. They won't see you then."

"Smoke?" Harry felt his own panic growing. He had never seen his godmother look so frightened.

Without warning Harry found himself throw out the window with his broom. Instinctively, he righted himself on it as it soared out the window, fueled by Arabella's push.

Remembering her instructions, Harry flew above a large billowing cloud of smoke in front of him and pulled his broom to a stop. Hanging in midair, he chanced a quick look below. Sure to see the house under some sort of attack, Harry froze in horror at the sight that greeted him. It wasn't Arabella's house that the smoke was billowing from. It was coming from the abandoned house that sat next door to Arabella's.

Harry turned his broom about and headed for the house. He had also recognized the cry he had heard before Arabella had thrown him out the window to safety.

The cry had been his godfather's.

Heading for the ground, Harry quickly caught sight of movement through the smoke. Deatheaters. Perhaps a half a dozen hooded, masked figures with their wands out were converging on a lone, kneeling figure.

Sirius.

Harry drove his Firebolt down as fast as he could. He hit two of the deatheaters as hard as he could coming in, knocking both of them to the ground. Harry had his wand out as he turned to face the other four. But before he could even utter a word a flash of white flew past him, straight at two of the deatheaters.

Hedwig.

The snowy owl launched herself at first one and the other, burying her sharp talons into the mask-covered faces. Screams of pain followed as the two deatheaters pulled back.

Harry quickly turned to the two remaining attackers. His wand out and ready, he took advantage of the confusion Hedwig's appearance had caused and managed to stun the nearest of the two before either could attack. Harry raised his wand again, ready to fight off the remaining Deatheater. But the robed figure suddenly collapsed in front of him, stunned.

Harry looked about quickly through the smoke. A figure in a light blue bathrobe was hurtling toward them out of the smoke with it's wand raised.

Arabella.

Her hands were shaking almost uncontrollably as she grabbed Harry's face and turned it towards her tear stained one.

"I told you to leave!" she screamed at him, unable to control her fear. "I told you to go with Hedwig. You could have been killed!"

"They were going to kill Sirius!" Harry shot back, unable to stop his own tears. "How could you expect me to leave him?"

Arabella shook her head in frustration as she grabbed Sirius' arm and helped him up, letting him lean on her for support. Harry quickly positioned himself on Sirius' other side as his godfather leaned the rest of his weight on Harry's shoulder. As quickly as they could, they led him back to the house. Arabella quickened their pace as they reached the door. Getting inside she slammed it shut behind them.

A sudden pop in the center of the room distracted him. A dozen or more ministry wizards apparated in the center of the livingroom. Arabella quickly grabbed Sirius and pulled him to her so that his face wasn't visible, just in case there was someone among them that Sirius inadvertently knew.

Sirius remained absolutely still in her embrace.

"All right, Arabella?" One of the ministry wizards asked her.

Arabella gave a harried nod. "Deatheaters," she stated in a shaky voice. "Outside. Idiots attacked the wrong house." She managed a slight smile as she looked about the room, taking a quick headcount. "But we're all right."

But the ministry wizard shook his head. "Deatheaters may not all be the brightest lot in the world, Arabella, but this was no mistake on their part. In fact, it was very carefully planned."

Arabella's mouth fell open. "What....But why...?"

"They couldn't get to any of you while you were in the house. To many protection spells. So I guess they figured the best way was to lure you out. Unfortunately you did exactly what they wanted you to do. You went outside. Must have inadvertently stepped outside the protection lines."

"Hard not to when the house a few feet away from you is burning to the ground." Arabella quickly countered with a slightly harsh edge to her voice.

"I'm not trying to fault you, Arabella. Can't say I'd have done any less." He looked about quickly as the last of the other wizards headed out the door. "Well, we'll take it from here. You sort out your lot."

As soon as the door closed Arabella pulled Sirius back from her. Harry watched anxiously as she continued to check Sirius. He could discern no movement at all from his godfather as he had sat huddled on the floor in Arabella's protective embrace.

When she turned her attention to him Harry braced himself for another verbal lashing like the one he had gotten outside for not doing as she had told him. But instead he found himself gathered into her arms as Arabella hugged him tightly.

"That was very brave, Harry," she whispered in his ear. "And very foolish," she stated a good deal louder as she pulled him back to face her again. "You could have been killed...or captured."

"They were going to kill Sirius." Harry repeated, tears staining his face.

"I know, honey," she cried softly, gathering him back into her arms. "And you saved him. And I am so proud of you. But Harry," she continued, her voice more controlled as she held him at arms length, staring intently at him, "Sirius and I....we're here to protect you. And sometimes that means putting ourselves in danger so you'll be safe. It's something we both understand and something we've both agreed to do. Next time, please.....do as I say."

Harry stared determinedly back at her. "I won't leave either of you behind." he whispered. "Not ever."

Arabella pulled him back into her arms, her tears flowing freely as she hugged him tightly. "Someday you may have to, Harry," she cried softly into his ear. "And you have to be prepared to do that."

A soft moan from behind them brought the conversation to an abrupt end. Harry quickly pulled free from Arabella and turned quickly to his godfather.

"Sirius!"

Sirius opened his eyes as he leaned against the wall, but his stare was unfocused as it settled on Arabella.

"'Bella?" he whispered.

Arabella wrapped her hand tightly about his. "It's alright, Sirius." she managed to choke out past her tears. "The others have come, but they didn't see you. They've gone out side to fight the Deatheaters. We're safe now."

Sirius closed his eyes and gave a slight nod.

"Sirius?" Arabella asked, squeezing his hand to get his attention. "What happened? What did they do to you?"

Sirius shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure." he whispered. "I think one of them hit me with a spell."

Arabella quickly checked him again. But there was no blood on him that she could see immediately.

"What sort of spell?" Arabella asked, the panic creeping back into her voice. The Deatheaters were known for spells that could do damage to someone on the inside, but leave no visible mark. But she could feel his grip lessening even as she fought to hold onto it. "Sirius?" she cried, pulling on his sleeve, trying to get him to respond. "Sirius?"

The body slumped against her. Harry turned to her in a panic, fear tightening it's grip on him.

"Arabella?" he whispered.

Arabella had laid her fingers against Sirius' neck. An audible sigh of relief escaped from her as she felt the pulse, weak, but still beating. She turned a grateful stare to her godson.

"He's alive, Harry." She whispered. "But we have to get him somewhere safe. And we have to do it soon."