Harry Potter, Heir of Gryffindor

The Attack

The workout and training session on the morning of August seventeenth had gone exceptionally well. After warming up Harry, Neville and Remus had run a fast eleven kilometers. Then, once in their protected clearing, had spent three hours running through a wide variety of gymnastics and tumbling drills. After that it had been a free-for-all duel between Harry and Neville and Remus, Tonks and Kingsley with Moody officiating from the sidelines. The duel was fairly evenly matched, even with two relatively inexperienced students going up against two experienced aurors and one very determined werewolf. Harry suspected that Remus, Tonks and Kingsley were taking it easy on them but was too busy defending himself while trying to disarm his opponents to give it much thought.

After the first hour the only person without a wand was Tonks. Harry had gotten her with two rapid-fire curses and a tickle charm while leaping to avoid one of Kingsley's binding charms. She had been able to block the curses but the tickle charm had been unexpected and had gotten through. Neville had then hit her with a simple disarming spell while Harry fired curses, charms and a number of transfigured objects at Remus and Kingsley to keep them occupied. As soon as Neville had her wand he banished it to the picnic table, which had been moved to one side of the clearing. Under the rules of engagement for this contest Tonks was then declared out for the duration.

Thirty minutes later Neville and Kingsley were both out of the running. By some strange fluke, a pair of stray curses had ricocheted off of the boulder near the center of the clearing as well as a pair of trees, catching both Kingsley and Neville unaware. They had both gone down stunned and disarmed. This left Harry and Remus standing to battle it out to determine the victor.

They dueled for an additional twenty minutes, both combatants tiring but neither showing any sign of relinquishing their wands without a fight. When Harry transfigured the boulder into a large, black, shaggy, grim-like dog the shock value was enough to give him the split second he needed to disarm his friend.

As he caught Remus' wand in his outstretched hand Harry smiled apologetically and said, "Sorry, Remus. I just couldn't think of any other way. You were blocking everything and the only way I could think to get through your defenses was to distract you long enough to let one spell get through."

Remus walked over and, laughing, clapped Harry on the shoulder. "That's quite alright, Harry," he said. "It was a duel. You have nothing to apologize for. If I had thought to use it I probably would have done the same thing. Personally I think Sirius would be proud to know that you used Padfoot to defeat me in a duel."

After a brief critique of their performance, during which he found very little wrong with their presentations, Moody called it a day and told them that they could have the next day off but that they would be hard at it again on Monday morning so they had better not do any slacking off.

Harry had pretty much mastered the art of Occlumency and was able to keep Voldemort from entering his mind. He had felt several of Tom's attempts over the past two weeks but was able to successfully block him with little or no effort. He had gotten in the habit of erecting a number of protective wards around his mind on a regular basis and could feel Voldemort's frustration at not being able to break through these barriers. In the interest of training and getting some much needed rest he had learned to ignore the twinges in his scar every time there was an attack. He always made note of them and wrote them down so that the members of the Order knew what was going on but he had learned not to let them bother him any more. He had heard of people, like Moody, who had developed thick skins when it came to dealing with adverse situations and he supposed that he was developing one himself. It wasn't something he was proud of and it wasn't something he wanted to talk about anytime soon but it was useful.

The week previous he and Remus had developed a charm they were fairly certain would rebound the Unforgavables but they couldn't know for sure unless or until it was tested against them and the only way they were going to be able to test it against any of the Unforgivables was in an actual combat situation. They had tested it with a few minor curses and a few fairly powerful charms and it had worked wonderfully but neither of them was looking forward to testing it against the Unforgivables.

After dropping Neville off at Mrs. Figg's house Harry and Remus walked over to the Dursleys' where they were greeted by a very pompously dressed Uncle Vernon who was impatiently strutting around the living room. When Harry and Remus walked into the entry the first thing they heard was, "BOY, GET IN HERE!"

Harry and Remus looked at each other and, shrugging their shoulders, walked through the kitchen and into the living room where Harry looked around and noticed that all three of the Dursleys were dressed in their finest apparel. "Yes, Uncle Vernon?" he asked.

Harry's walrus of an uncle glared at Harry as if trying to find something wrong with what he had said. When he couldn't he settled for a scowl and said, "None of your lip, boy. Your aunt and cousin and I are going into London this afternoon to attend the opera." He said this last as if simply attending an opera once a year would place them in the same social standing as the Queen. "I want the garden completely weeded by the time we return. We have let you slack off most of the summer but no more. You will weed the garden or you will find yourself out on the street." Leaning dangerously close and breathing down Harry's neck his beefy uncle growled, "And no funny business."

After the Dursleys left Harry turned to Remus and said, "I knew it was too good to last."

Remus smiled sympathetically. "I wish I could stay and help, Harry; but I've got an assignment in London this afternoon."

Harry nodded his understanding. "That's okay, Remus," he said. "It's nothing I'm not used to. You just take care of yourself alright."

Remus nodded and smiled. "Will do, Harry. You take care of yourself and I'll see you bright and early Monday morning."

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Remus," he said, "it's still dark out when you get here."

Remus laughed. "Hmm. So it is. Well then I guess I'll see you dark and early Monday morning."

Harry let out and exasperated humph but laughed as he let Remus out.

After taking a shower to rinse the morning's sweat away and changing clothes to something a little more comfortable for working outside in the heat of the day Harry slid his wand into his leg new holster, made himself a reasonably sized lunch of two ham and cheese sandwiches with a large glass of milk and went out into the garden to enjoy a quick break before he started on the weeds.

Almost two hours later, as his guards were changing, Harry was on his hands and knees pulling weeds in the narrow space between the low hedge and the garden wall. Suddenly and without warning he felt a tingling sensation in his scar and a brief silver flash of magical energy caught his eye as the protective wards around the Dursleys' home came crashing down. He threw himself to the ground and waited, listening for some sign that members of the Order were coming to get him out of there. The next two sounds he heard, however, almost caused him to give up hope because he knew that whoever his guards had been they were now dead. Then, just as suddenly, he heard several soft pops as an unknown number of witches and wizards appearated into and around the gardens at Number Four Privet Drive.

The next thing Harry heard were several pairs of boots walking up the path towards the Dursleys' home. Struggling to peer beneath the bushes and through the flowers while remaining hidden and out of sight himself Harry watched in horror as the front door exploded into a hail of splintered wood and glass and metal fragments and as the unmistakable figure of Lucias Malfoy arrogantly strode into the entryway. Harry silently cursed Fudge for pardoning a known Death Eater and turning him loose on the world.

"Search the house!" Harry heard Malfoy order his cohorts. "I want him found!"

Harry wondered briefly what had happened to the Order of the Phoenix but realized that if his ears had not deceived him his guards were now dead and he was on his own. In that same instant he realized that since the wards had come down and he was still alive his aunt Petunia must be dead. Otherwise the Death Eaters never would have been able to get anywhere near Privet Drive. He wondered what had happened to them but then, in the same instant, realized that his life was in danger and that he could not stay where he was.

Spring up from his hiding place he vaulted the low wall and began running down the street towards Mr. Figg's house. "There he is!" he heard someone yell.

"Get him!" bellowed both Lucius and Draco Malfoy.

Harry ran down the center of the street and through one intersection, dogs barking as he passed and a few neighbors peering out their windows at him as he ran past. He ran out into the next intersection but came to a screeching halt when he found his path blocked by a line of cloaked and hooded figures. He quickly turned to his left then right and found those routes blocked as well. "Prepare to die, Potter," he heard Malfoy's hiss coming from behind him. "But first I believe my son would like to see you suffer."

Thinking quickly, Harry remembered the charm he and Remus had developed and quickly activated the one bit of wandless magic he knew. As an unearthly calm washed over him everything seemed to slow down. He felt three Crusiatus Curses as they were being flung at him; but instead of experiencing the pain of a thousand burning knives piercing his skin all he felt were the uncontrolled emotions of anger, hatred and rage and the burning desire to cause excruciating pain that gave these curses their power. Moments later he felt at least twenty Killing Curses being thrown at him and all of the furry behind each of them. He felt the emotions of those who had cast the Killing Curses as they cast their spells; their shock, fear and apprehension as they realized that their curses were being rebounded back upon themselves; and the deafening silence that followed as the curses reached their targets and their casters died. The three who had cast the Cruciatus Curses were still writhing in agony as all of the energy they had initially poured into the spells continually circulated between the shield Harry had thrown up and their casters.

Harry didn't know how long it lasted. All he knew is that it lasted long enough for help to arrive. When he finally sensed the presence of friendly forces - one he knew was Remus and the other he felt certain was Dumbledore - Harry dropped the shield and collapsed to the ground, blacking out as he fell.