Chapter 10: Redemption
Harry's rage was boiling through him as he stared back up to the empty expression residing on Bellatrix Lestrange's face. Her body lodged in the hallway wall just outside of Harry's room. Pieces of plaster and wood randomly fell to the floor as the destruction from Harry's blast was still settling into place.
Harry seethed with anger, but the pain that had so mercifully subsided was taking over in ferocious waves. The edge of unconsciousness reached out to him, and its solace was so appealing. But Harry couldn't succumb to it. He didn't know if help was on the way, or if more attackers where on the way, and he couldn't risk leaving him and his sacrificing friend completely unprotected.
A loud crash sounded from outside. He couldn't tell if it had been the sound of thunder or someone breaking into the house. Harry looked down to Dobby's motionless body and a sense of panic overtook him. Then another crash came. This one had definitely come from inside of the house. He tried to stand up again, but the toll of the battle was too much, he was physically and magically drained of power.
There were the sound of voices now, and the helpless wizard was sure that they were making their way through the house. He couldn't believe that after all he had gone through he was going to lose anyway. Again he looked at Dobby and the thought that the defenseless elf would be destroyed was unbearable.
If I hadn't been so zealous, if I had just waited until I got to Grimmauld Place. Then Dobby would be safe. But I had to get him involved. I had to bring him into my cursed world. But Dobby would always try to help Harry Potter. What's going to happen to Winky now?
Winky…WINKY! That was it, Winky could save Dobby!
"WINKY! Winky I need you here now!
Harry waited for the familiar pop. He could hear the sounds of the people downstairs stumbling through the wreckage in the living room. Harry waited longer, but Winky didn't appear.
"WINKY! Damn it, I need you here right now! Dobby is hurt you have to come for him!
Harry listened intently for the pop that would signal the elf's arrival. Still nothing. The sounds were at the base of the stairs and he could hear their voices yelling now. He couldn't make out what they were saying but it sounded like male voices.
"WINKY I COMMAND YOU TO COME THIS INSTANT!"
Harry heard a pop and then a small thud. Winky appeared in the bedroom but had fallen down. "Winky! Winky get up. Get over here right now, you have to take Dobby back to Grimmauld Place, you have to get him out of here!
The small elf gazed around at destroyed room and wrinkled her face into a look of disapproval. "Master Toppy Harrer sir, Winky not cleaning…too messy." Winky mumbled incoherently. "Dobby… he comes clean, Dobby good elf house." Harry took in the site of Winky's. Her dress was very tattered and she was giving off a sickly sweet smell.
"What are talking about Winky? GET UP! Dobby is right here and you have to help him! There are people coming, B-A-D P-E-O-P-L-E, do you understand? Harry said urgently.
Winky looked up to Harry as though she just recognized he was there. She looked next to him and saw Dobby's body on the floor. "Why Dobby taking nap?" She asked. "hiccup…Paster Motter…he be very mad at Dobby." The drunken elf fell to the floor again.
Harry could hear the voices hurrying down the Hallway to his room, it would be only seconds before they were there. "WINKY COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" The elf snapped out of her stupor at the angry command of her master's voice. She stood up wobbily and started stumbling towards Harry and Dobby. "WINKY HURRY"
Harry knew whoever was in the house was going to get to his room before Winky would be able to help. He reached up and pulled the elf over to him, causing pain to wash over his body. He held the elf firmly by her arm and turned her to face him. "WINKY TAKE DOBBY TO GRIMMAULD PLACE!"
"Harry?" "MERLIN HARRY WHAT'S HAPPENED!
Harry's head snapped up to look at the voice. Remus Lupin ran into the room with Moody right behind him. The two men looked down at the soaking wet and bloody image of Harry manhandling his drunken elf.
"Oh my god, Harry look at you!" Remus said. "Harry I'm so sorry! The storm it was so dark and the lightning…it was impossible to see, I knew I should have just come in to check on you. But…" Remus' eyes were filling with tears, "This is all my fault. Moody we have to get Harry to St. Mungos right now!"
"Potter." Moody's gruff voice interrupted. "Is there anyone else in the house? I count four downed Death Eater's. Do you know how many attacked you?"
"For Merlin's sake Mad-Eye, let's just get Harry out of here!" Remus argued.
"NO." Harry yelled and then turned to face Moody. "There were only four people that attacked me, well three, one was already down." He looked over to Remus, "This isn't your fault Remus, how could you have known, they were under invisibility cloaks, there was no way you could have seen them." Harry turned back up to Moody, "I can't leave, Dobby is hurt and somebody has to get him and Winky out of here!" Winky hiccupped in the background and fell onto her butt.
"Harry what are you talking about, look at you, you're a mess. You're face is split wide open, and LOOK AT YOUR SHOULDER! Remus screamed. "Moody you should have been here, I should have gotten you sooner. I'm sorry Harry I couldn't see inside the house, it was so dark from the storm."
"Got a couple of broken bones there boy. What in the hell did you do to the back of your leg too?" Moody grumbled and then waved his wand at the broken window "Reparo".
"It all happened during the attack!" Harry spat. "We don't have time for all of this, we have to get Dobby help…and…someone has to do something for my…family. There could be more Death Eater's here any minute."
The sound of a painful groan came from behind the two men as they faced Harry. Moody's eye instantly swiveled to the back of his head and then both men spun, wands at the ready, to the source of the sound. They watched as the mangled image of Bellatrix Lestrange twitched slightly from inside the wall, and then fell back unconscious. Her arm fell forward and Harry's wand rolled out of it and landed on the hallway floor.
Remus and Moody looked at the holly wand that was easily recognizable as Harry's.
"She had your wand Harry." Moody said questioningly. "How did she manage to get stuck in the wall like that if you didn't have a wand? The elf didn't do all that did he?"
The question seemed to resonate with Remus too, as he paused his tirade of apologies to Harry.
"I don't know…I did it…she was going to kill Dobby. I didn't mean to…" He trailed off as he looked at just how awful Lestrange's mangled body appeared.
Another crash sounded in the house. Moody's eye was on it before either Harry or Remus could say a thing. "Bloody Tonk's, if there had been Death Eaters in this house she would have been taken out before she even got started." Moody said. "Shacklebolt's with her too."
The news of more order members calmed Harry's fears a bit. He was still in a great deal of pain and gave a loud wince as he finally took in the site of his grossly hanging shoulder and arm.
Remus noticed it immediately. "Harry can you stand? I'm going to get you to St. Mungo's this instant!
"I told you I am not leaving until I know that Dobby and Winky are safe." He winced again. Apparently sitting forward to yell at Remus wasn't a good idea. "Is there something you can do for the pain?"
"Can always stun 'em, couldn't we." Moody suggested.
Harry's eyes grew wide at the man's suggestion. "You wouldn't dare! If you stun me I swear that I will never forgive you." Harry said viciously. "Remus, please don't do that, I've gone through too much. Can't you mend the bones and cuts, or at least put a numbing charm on me?"
Remus felt as though his heart was going to fall out of his chest with guilt, "Harry that break is really bad, I don't even want to think about trying to heal it. You're going to need a trained healer to fix it. But I can mend the cuts and do something about the pain." Remus knelt down next to Harry and started casting various spells on his wounds. It felt like warm water running over the cut on his face, and soon after the sting of the cut was gone.
Remus went to work next on the back of Harry's leg. "What happened here, that's a puncture wound, and it has got to be at least thumb's deep?" I can mend it, but we have to make sure that the healer looks at it too."
"A piece of the banister got stuck in my leg when it was hit with a spell." Harry said.
"You mean this stake over here?" Moody held up a pointed piece of wood about six inches long with blood on the end of it.
"That looks like it." Harry said
Remus finished with Harry's leg and looked over to Dobby on the floor. "What did he get hit with?"
"I don't know, Lestrange sent a curse at him after he popped into the room and tried to save me. He stopped her from putting the cruciatus on me by blasting her and the other Death Eater in the room."
"You mean the guy out on the lawn?" Moody asked. "Good thing he flew out the window, that was what clued Remus onto the fact that something was happening in here. Our guilt ridden friend here contacted me as soon as he saw it. Dobby's blast did more than save you from a crucio boy."
"Dobby's blast didn't do that, I used a banishing charm on that Death Eater after I stopped Lestrange." Harry said.
Both men's eyes grew wide again. "But he was already unconscious from Dobby's blast" Harry added quickly. "Can you help him, I'm pretty sure it was a red spell, might have been a stunner…but he's hurt bad, I can tell."
"How do you know that Harry?" Remus asked. "He just looks like he's stunned to me."
Harry wasn't sure he could explain how he had seen the amber light that was glowing around Dobby fading after the elf took the curse. "Umm…he just fell awkwardly when the spell hit him."
Remus looked over to the two house elves and also noticed Winky muttering incoherently to herself on the floor between Harry and Dobby. "What kind of spell hit her?"
"I'm not sure, I think that she might have gotten into some butterbeer at Grimmauld Place. She was talking funny when she got here, and she sounds drunk." Harry said.
"Well, I don't know anything about healing house elves, their magic is different from ours and they usually can heal each other." Remus said.
Harry looked down at his two elves. "Winky can you please help Dobby, he is hurt, do you understand? Dobby hurt."
Winky looked up to her master and smiled pleasantly. Then she looked over to Dobby and snapped her fingers, there was a small flash from her finger tips and then she fell over from her sitting position. Dobby shook for a second and then screamed. "Must save Harry Potter!" Dobby took in the room and then saw his semi-healed master sitting next to him smiling with relief.
"Harry Potter's friends is saving you sir?" Dobby asked.
"No Dobby you saved me." Harry answered then looked over to Winky. "I think that Winky is having a bit of problem, but it seems that she managed to heal you. Are you feeling ok?"
"Dobby is most confused. Dobby's head feels like he has been most disobedient." Dobby looked over at the passed out drunk Winky and clinched his fists. "Dobby apologizes, Dobby fears that Winky is still not doing well with the butterbeers sir. Kreacher is finding other ways sir, around Dobby's protections."
"For Merlin's sake Harry, the back of your head is bleeding too. Bend down." Remus suddenly interrupted.
Harry obeyed the order and Lupin went to work healing him. "Harry looked at the concern that was evident on Dobby's face. "Dobby why don't you take Winky and return to Grimmauld Place. I do not want either of you working again until I know that you are well. I will deal with Kreacher as soon as I get there, just make sure that he can't harm either of you while your recuperating." Dobby smiled and reached down for Winky, with a pop both elves were gone.
"You might have a concussion here, have you felt dizzy since you took this blow?" Remus asked.
Harry almost had to laugh at that question. With all the things he had gone through and felt over the course of the battle, he wasn't even sure if it was possible to distinguish feeling dizzy from it all. "I've had a hard time staying conscious, if that's what you mean." He replied.
"You need to go to a healer Harry, your injuries are too severe for my limited abilities." Remus pleaded. "Please don't let my mistake wind up being the reason your permanently injured."
"Listen to me Remus, I told you that this is not your fault, I saw the storm outside, trust me I know more than you can imagine how powerful it was. I'm surprised that you even managed to keep a watch through the storm." Harry's kind face fell away, "But I told you I am not going anywhere, and don't bother asking again."
"Good Grief, looks like a damn war zone out there? What the hell is going on here? Moody what are you all doing in hear, where are the Death Eaters? Is Harry alright? Harry?…HARRY! Holy shit Harry what's happened to you? Remus is he going to be alright?" Tonks said excitedly as she entered the room.
"Quiet Tonks!" Shacklebolt said to the young auror. "Moody are there any other Death Eaters?
"No, but Harry seems to think there might be other's on the way." Moody said.
"Fine, Tonks and I are going to set a perimeter. I alerted the Aurors before I left and they should be here shortly. Let's go Tonks." Shacklebolt commanded.
"I want to stay with Harry and make sure he's ok, look at him he's a mess!" Tonks argued.
"NOW TONKS!" Shacklebolt yelled.
Tonks made no motion to indicate that she was going to listen to her superior, instead she walked further into the room. "Hey what's this letter about? Looks like it's a Ministry letter." Tonks said.
Harry felt immensely better once Remus healed the back of his head. His sight stopped swimming and the nauseous feeling in his stomach was starting to fade. He supported himself with his good arm and got up from the floor only to feel another jolt of pain from his shoulder.
"Bloody hell Remus, isn't there anything you can do for my shoulder? It really hurts." Harry said.
"Harry I told you that the severity of the break is…." Remus started to say.
Tonks snapped to attention at Harry's plea. She put the letter back down on top of the bed and pushed Remus out of the way. "I can fix that up for you Harry, mending broken bones was my best specialty area in Auror training." Tonks said brightly.
"It's not only broken bones Tonks, with all that swelling and discoloration it looks like he had some ligament and tissue damage." Remus argued bitterly.
"Oh hush up Remus, what's the worst that can happen, I mend the bones and they aren't properly fixed. We'll just have the healers remove them and grow new ones later, besides the boy is in pain – look at 'em." Tonks said.
"Tonks, you heal Potter and then we are leaving to set a perimeter at once. Do you understand Tonks?" Shacklebolt boomed.
"Right'o boss." Tonks said as she prodded around Harry's tender shoulder assessing the damage, she leaned in close to Harry's face. "You really messed things up in here Harry, I think Remus is right you're going to need some extensive healing on this." she whispered so only Harry could hear her. "But I think I can set it so that you won't do any more damage and the pain should be more bearable."
Tonks cast several healing charms on the shoulder. When she was done the pain was almost completely gone, but Harry's left shoulder was at an awkward position and his left arm hung about 3 inches lower than his right. "Well, that's all I can do. Best you not move it till the healers can get to it." She said happily.
"Thanks Tonks, that feels much better." Harry said.
"No worries there Harry, you'll be good as new in a few days." Tonks replied as she ruffled Harry's hair. Shacklebolt was giving Tonks a death stare which she knew meant it was time to go. With a wink and another smile she left Harry and her and Shacklebolt made there way out of the room.
"See the Ministry has been busy with you tonight lad." Moody said as he inspected the letter Tonks pointed out earlier. "Senseless gits the lot of them, send you a letter for performing a blasting curse but don't have the sense to come and see if you're in trouble. Underage magic during a war, what a load of dung that is! They think the Death Eater's are going to use only dark magic when the attack, but when they don't the Ministry is ignorant to their doings."
Moody went back to examining the letter in his hand, "Who the hell taught you a blasting curse anyway Potter, advanced magic that is, not even taught in seventh year at Hogwarts."
"I ahh…learned it from one of my defense books. I've been studying up real hard this summer." Harry lied.
"Defense book eh? Not taught in any school texts, now is it." Moody said trying to catch Harry in his lie.
"Oh…well…I got the spell out of one of the defense books that someone gave to me for my birthday, I think it was the one Professor Lupin got it for me." Harry looked pleadingly to Lupin. "Right Remus?"
"Oh ahh…yeah of course. I didn't know that the blasting curse was a particular spell in that book I got you, but it was a pretty advanced text." Remus said.
"You ought to pay more attention to detail Lupin, the boy could kill himself trying to learn that curse from a book. Constant Vigilance, even when applying it to how you learn magic boy." Moody said.
"It was Ministry owls that Voldemort used to find out where I was." Harry said trying to change the topic. It seemed a fitting repayment to Remus for lying for him. "Lestrange said that they knew that my OWL results would be coming and that they tracked all the fifth year results to find me."
Harry let the words sink in and watched the men's expression go pale yet again. "Do you realize how many students they could have tracked down? No wonder everything has been so quiet. Voldemort could possibly know the location of half of last terms fifth year class!" Remus said.
Moody was already heading for the door by the time Lupin finished speaking. "Lupin stay here with the boy, I have to notify Shacklebolt along with the rest of the Order and the Aurors as well, best we get the Magical Law Enforcement Squad involved too. This ordeal may be far from over." The sound of Mad-Eyes wooden leg clunking quickly down the hallway faded as he ran off.
"Remus what did he mean? You don't think Voldemort went after other students as well do you? I mean he was just trying to kill me right?" Harry knew how naïve he sounded but the possibility of all his friends being attacked was too horrible to accept. "We have to go! We need to split up and get Hermione and all the Weasleys, someone has to get Neville and Luna too, what about Seamus and Dean!" Harry was panicking and started in a run for the front door.
"Harry! You can't do anything right now, the Weasleys and Hermione are at Grimmauld Place and so are Neville, Luna and some of your other friends. I'm sure that Moody will have Aurors sent to most of the houses faster than we could ever get there. Why don't we head outside of the house so I can have you sent somewhere safe?" Remus said.
"But couldn't the Death Eaters have just tracked the owls to Grimmauld Place?" Harry said.
"Of course not, the house can't be seen from the street. Whenever owls fly to that house they just look like they are landing in the trees between houses 11 and 13, eventually they disappear into the trees and appear later as they fly away." Remus answered quickly.
Harry felt a wave of relief when he knew that his immediate friends were all safe. But the idea that so many other students could be suffering through the ordeal that he faced tonight was appalling. He wandered if the little magic that the students in D.A. had learned would be enough to even slow down a Death Eater attack.
"Listen Harry, I'm sorry about letting this happen." Remus started.
"I told you Remus, this wasn't your fault." Harry replied.
Remus held up his hand, "Please let me finish, I have to get this all out. I took the watch on your house tonight even though we knew this storm was coming through. Mad-Eye suggested that I let him take it because he would be able to see better, but I was coming to get you to come back to Grimmauld Place anyways, so I came. I thought that I heard crashes from your house, but with the thunder and the flashing lightning I couldn't be sure. I know that you were adament about us not barging in on the Dursleys…" Remus looked down and took a heavy breath. "I'm just glad your okay, so to speak, I don't know what I would have done if she took you both." Remus looked over to Lestrange.
Harry nodded his understanding, and gave Remus a squeeze on the arm. He turned from his Remus and headed out of the destroyed bedroom. Out in the hallway Harry bent over and picked up his wand from in front of Lestrange and then looked back at Remus who was not moving. Harry could see that Remus was clinching his fists furiously as he looked at the unconscious murderer planted in the wall. The wrath in Remus' eyes was burning as he stared maliciously at the body – until Harry's voice caught his attention.
"What Harry?" Remus spat. "What did you say?" his voice calmed.
Harry was thrown off by the sudden anger in the man's voice, "I said that we need to do something about Dudley, and my Aunt and Uncle. I mean…well… I know they're…gone, but still I can't…leave them behind." The effects of everything that happened were becoming a bit too real for Harry to stand.
The sudden upset look on Harry's face managed to pull Remus away from his growing rage at Bellatrix Lestrange. "Harry, Moody doesn't seem to think that they are dead." Well it seems that your cousin fared the worst, but your aunt and uncle are just stunned."
"What! But I saw all their bodies, they looked…dead…and Dudley's hands were covered in blood." I saw them.
"Yes well, it would seem that you have Dudley to thank for only having to face three Death Eaters rather than four." Remus replied. "Did you get a chance to look at the Death Eater down in the middle of the living room floor?"
"I can't say that I did, they were all under invisibility cloaks when I got down to the living room, and I tripped over the one that was down, but didn't get a good look at him." Harry smirked just a bit, "The fact that there was three other Death Eaters standing managed to take precedence over my searching him for clues."
"Right well apparently Dudley knocked the one Death Eater out cold…before the other three got to him." Remus responded, "well the Dursleys are going to need some healing themselves, but if you will let me get you out of here, I will make sure that they are taken care of as well."
"I want them to come back to Grimmauld Place." Harry said flatly
"What? Why, why would you want them there?" Remus was flabbergasted.
"They are not safe here anymore, Voldemort knows where this place is and I'm not going to have them here defenseless. You can send treatment for them but they are coming back to Grimmauld Place with me." Harry ordered.
"But Harry, Dumbledore can just have Order members patrol the house, and the Ministry can set up Aurors as well." Remus argued.
"Dumbledore! The ministry!" Harry's face turned red with the rage. "Where were any of them tonight, what good were they when the Dursleys and I were being attacked? What good are they doing right now while my friends might be dying? It's the ministry's bloody fault that these attacks are happening to begin with! And Dumbledore has been all but useless in protecting me or any of my family. The Dursleys, my parents, Sirius… tell me exactly how he has managed to protect them! He was the one who put me in this miserable place, he was the one who said I couldn't be attacked here! No Remus, the Dursleys will come to Grimmauld Place. At least we know that it is still hidden from Voldemort." Harry turned and stormed down the stairs.
Remus was left wavering between his rage at the sight of Sirius Black's murderer, and the mounting disgust he felt for all that was happening to Harry. He looked at Lestrange's mangled body hanging onto life. The image of her killing Sirius replayed so clearly in his mind, the blank look that overtook his friend's face when she hit him with her curse. Then he saw the beaten and bloody image of Harry laying in his room only moments ago. His whole body trembled with rage.
Lestrange coughed some blood from her mouth and opened her eyes long enough to see Remus Lupin staring with hatred at her. The corner of her mouth formed a painful smile. Remus could see small bubbles of blood fall off her lips and hang on her now exposed teeth.
"Black was a disgrace to my family and a worthless traitor, shame he was so easily killed I would have liked a little more time to cause him some real pain, werewolf."
From downstairs Harry heard a vicious guttural roar that filled the entire house. He almost dove to the floor from the power behind it and immediately recognized the roar as the angry sound of Lupin.
Upstairs, as Remus Lupin listened to Lestrange's taunt he sas another flash of Sirius falling through the veil, a roar that came from the depths of his being exploded from his mouth as he lunged at the witch. He watched as the power of his yell snapped the women from her taunting and he saw her eyes grow wide. His lycanthropic senses instantly smelled the fear coming from her, and it smelled good. He grabbed the hated woman by the hair atop her head and pulled it viciously so she was looking right into his eyes. "Bitch! Now you die!" His voice sounded more like a growling beast then a man. Lupin thrashed his fist forward as hard as he could into Lestrange's face. He felt the bone in her nose crunch against his hand and then heard her neck snap from the force of her head flying backward. For an instant, Lestrange's eyes grew even wider and a gasp of air past her lips, and then her head fell forward limp. A tuft of her hair remained in Remus' shaking hand.
Harry witnessed the scene that had just occurred from the edge of the hallway above the stairs. He saw when Remus grabbed Lestrange by the hair and then growled some words the young wizard couldn't make sense of. He watched the corner of the man's mouth smile, just a bit, as he sniffed the air, and he noticed that Remus' teeth had grown abnormally long. At first Harry thought that Remus was going to bite her, but then his arm flew back and with abnormal force his fist smashed into her face.
After Remus' punch Harry saw how Lestrange's face flung back farther into the wall. Harry heard the loud slap of Remus's fist against her face, and then heard an even more gruesome snapping sound that could have only been her neck breaking. He watched her head fall limply forward and blood start to drool out of her mouth. The sight was absolutely appalling. Remus was standing over this woman he had just murdered, still holding the hair that had been ripped from her head, and almost looked satisfied with himself.
At first Harry thought that he was going to be sick. Then it struck him – this was Bellatrix Lestrange. This was the woman who drove him to such fury that he attempted to use an unforgivable curse on her. From there the memories rolled in like a wave. Harry remembered the destroyed look of Remus when he first came to visit him over two weeks ago. He remembered how angry and defeated Remus had sound when they first talked. He remembered the empty looks on the Longbottoms at St. Mungo's and the embarrassed and burdened look that Harry always recognized on Neville's face. Finally, Harry remembered the sight of his godfather being struck by Lestrange's curse. He remembered the look on her face when she watched her curse send Sirius through the veil. It was then that he realized that it looked remarkably like the look that was now on Remus' face.
Suddenly Harry felt something else, he felt righteousness. The image of Lestrange's dead body at the hands of Lupin resonated through Harry with a sentiment of vigilant justice.
Remus looked over from Lestrange's lifeless body and saw that Harry had witnessed the entire episode. As the rage he felt dissipated with the life of Padfoot's murderer, regret instantly washed over him. He saw the mortified look on young Harry's face, and he suddenly felt the need to run from the shame. But then he watched as the young man's face changed, it almost smiled. Well, Remus couldn't quite accept that Harry might be smiling, but it definitely wasn't the horrified face he held just a moment before.
"Well I guess she won't be breaking out of Azkaban." Harry said without a laugh.
"H-Harry, I-I don't know what…I'm, I'm sorry." Remus looked down.
"Remus…don't be…I mean she killed…well you know, plus the Longbottoms. She wasn't necessarily friendly with me tonight either. Got my shoulder this way thanks to her." Harry tried to console the shaken man.
"For Sirius?" Remus said without looking up.
"For everyone she's killed or hurt, especially Sirius." Harry replied flatly.
The two stared at each other and both knew that what had happened this day, in this hallway would mark the last time they ever spoke about the event. But it would forever mark the moment when they knew the other would always be someone they could turn to no matter the situation. So many wrongs had been cast upon each of their lives, and if this moment were to be a part of that, neither would ever let the other suffer it alone. Suffer anything alone.
"We should get downstairs, people are going to be here any minute and the Dursleys are still where the Death Eaters left them." Remus said as he walked away from Bellatrix Lestrange's dead body without looking back.
Remus was right. As soon as Harry got back down to the living room he could hear the commotion starting outside the house. Right on par for the residents of Privet Drive, nearly every neighbor was out on the street or looking through their windows at the small gathering in front of Number 4. A few more Aurors had shown up and were looking over the body of the Death Eater that was thrown from Harry's window. Tonks was still around but Kingsley and Moody were nowhere to be seen. Some obliviators were starting to pop in as well. Fortunately for all of them the rain had subsided.
Harry turned his gaze back into the house and watched as Remus assessed the condition of each Dursley. Lupin moved both Petunia and Vernon onto the couches but hadn't moved Dudley. He was currently checking Dudleys condition when Remus looked up to Harry and asked him to find out if any healers had arrived, or if an available Auror could come in and help attend to Harry's relatives. Harry immediately agreed, he looked once more at the fallen Death Eaters in the house as he walked through the open front door to find help.
"Tonks!" Harry called, "Are there any healers here yet, my relatives need some help and Remus isn't moving Dudley from out of the cupboard he was thrown through."
Tonks looked around and raised her eyebrows as she noticed a Healer near the crowd of Aurors. "There's one over there," She pointed to the crowd of aurors, "Regina McTowers is her name, the tall dark haired lady"
Harry walked over to the crowd of aurors and found his way to the individual Tonks described. The sole description of "dark haired lady" was almost a reach in Harry's mind. The lady had to have stood at least half a meter taller than Harry, and had shoulders twice as broad.
Harry looked up to the burly women, "Excuse me ma'am, my family, the muggles that were attacked, are still hurt inside and Remus Lupin sent me out here to find some help."
"What'ed ya do ter yerself der lad" The accent was almost as thick as the voice was deep. "yer sholeder's all cackide and blimey, yer left arm's a gud bit langer than yer 'ight."
The entire group took pause to notice the conversation. There was some general mumbling and then one of the Aurors spoke up. "Word has it that the four downed Death Eaters in there were your doing. We hear that they were under invisibility cloaks when they attacked you as well." An older and tall auror asked.
"Yeah, old Mad-Eye says you used a blasting curse on 'em!" The auror to Harry's right added.
"Well, there were only three of them." Harry said looking at the crowd. He turned back up to the burly Healer, "would you mind helping out my family now? I think my cousin is in bad shape he was sent through the cupboard under the stairs."
"Ya shouldn'abe the one askin' fer 'elp, yer needin' a bit o lookin' at too." Regina replied.
"Yes well Tonks and Remus Lupin have already healed me up a bit. So far no one has done anything for my family and they need help. Could you please?" Harry was getting tired of the Aurors staring at him like he was some miracle cure for the world.
"Where did you learn to perform a blasting curse Harry, thought they only taught that at the academy?" The short auror said.
"Yeah, and how did this guy manage to end up out here on the lawn?" A third auror questioned.
Harry looked pleadingly up at the Healer, who nodded and then walked her large frame towards the house. The Aurors were all looking appraisingly at him waiting for his answer.
"Ah…I learned the blasting curse from a defense book." Harry said.
"A defense book?" Several of them said at the same time. Another round of mumbling to each other started again.
"Listen guys, I'm not sure it's my place to say so, but shouldn't someone be collecting those Death Eaters from my house?" Harry said hoping to stop their questioning of him.
The mumbling stopped abruptly, "There's no one in there?" The Auror to Harry's right said "We thought that Moody had already sent people to take care of that." The group hurried away.
Harry started to turn and follow when an authoritative voice yelled out behind him.
"POTTER! YOU'VE DONE IT NOW HAVEN'T YOU!"
Harry spun around to see Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, waddling his way angrily across the street towards his house. Harry caught the harsh tones behind the fat man's voice and the rage from everything that had happened flashed back into Harry's mind. Harry looked around and noticed that almost everybody had stopped what he or she were doing and were watching the angry Minister.
It was only now that Harry noticed that many more people had gathered since Harry first looked. There were more obliviators, and it looked like there were several wizard press members being held back by ministry officials. They were writing feverishly into little notebooks as the Minister continued his huff across the yard.
Harry clinched both his fists, ignoring the shooting pain that ran up his left arm, and stormed over to Fudge. Before Harry could even start talking the man pointed his fat finger up to Harry's face. Harry noticed that the Minister was half a head shorter than him now, and he stood tall to emphasize the height difference between them.
Fudge stopped only when his fat belly was against Harry and he turned his head up so that he was almost touching Harry's face with his. In a quieted but angry voice the minister started his speech. "Potter you have done it now. I'm going to have your wand and you are expelled from Hogwarts. There's not going to be a hearing this time, there will be no Dumbledore to save you from this. You broke the decree for underage magic so many times today that even the entire Wizengamet couldn't save you. And a blasting curse, students aren't even taught the blasting curse. Oh yes Potter you have gone and done it now! Might even land you in Azkaban for this" Fudge threw his stumped hands to his side and a great sense of pleasure washed over his face.
If Harry was enraged before, Fudge had only succeeded in turning up the flame to just over nuclear explosive now. Harry stepped even closer to the man, pushing him and his belly backward, and pointed his finger into the Minister's chest.
"Let me tell you something you fat worthless man! Everything that happened here tonight is your fault! You and that pitiful administration you run pretty much delivered every student who took the OWLs last year to Voldemort."
Fudge winced outwardly as Harry not only said, but spat the Dark Lord's name.
"You heard me, your fault. Lestrange filled me in on how they found me. She told how easily they managed to get the OWL results delayed so that they could strum up the bodies to follow the fifth year results to their recipients. Lestrange told me how they played the administration and managed to find me in a house that my mother's death helped to ensure its protection. Don't you dare tell me what I have done while you have the nerve to come to my home, after my family and I have been attacked, and spit hollow threats at me!"
Fudge's eyes were a wide as a house elf's by now. He began looking around and noticed that all of the reporters were staring intently at the interaction between Harry and him. He noticed that some of the reporters had started scribbling even more fastidiously in their notebooks when they noticed the Minister watching them.
Harry continued, "Let me tell you what you have done. You have personally become responsible for every student and family that suffers a Death Eater's attack tonight. You are responsible for the fact that three muggles are in that house right now fighting for their lives. Lestrange, an escaped Death Eater under your administration no less, laughed at that bloody owl sent to me about some useless decree. She read it to me right before she attempted to put the Cruciatus curse on me!"
Harry could feel the heat building around his neck from his fury. He looked down and reviled at the sight of the quivering Minister, but it wasn't enough. Harry saw as the man looked again over to the reporters and the incredible error of Fudge's timing struck Harry. He looked back down at the minister and pulled his finger out of his chest. A wicked smile came over his face.
"You know what Fudge, why should I waste my breath telling you about how you're such a useless git. I see several good ears just over there that would love to hear all this. And I'm quite sure that more will come of it after they hear the story."
Fudge fumbled as his worst fear came true. "H-H-Harry, Harry please" The Minister looked at the state of Harry, the dried blood on his torn cloths, his sagging left shoulder and bloody leg. He knew that even if the boy totally fabricated a story to the press, no one was going to argue with the Boy-Who-Lived looking like he had just faced the Dark Lord himself.
Harry shot the angriest face he could back at the whimpering Minister's plea.
"M-Mr. Potter, I-I am sure that th-there is some way that we can work this out. Did you say that your muggle family was hurt? I'm s-sure that the ministry will be able to provide the best care possible for them. And let's just forget the matter of your expulsion why don't we." Fudge looked up at Harry anxiously.
"You will have nothing to do with the care of my family. It's partly due to the care that you have taken for my family that they are hurt in the first place." Harry spat.
"B-B-But there has to be something that the M-Ministry can offer to console your pain and suffering." Fudge begged.
Harry was so filled with vengeance and anger, he started to make his way towards the reporters and then remembered what Sirius had told him in the pensieve. "Think about the leverage you have Harry, think about all the good you can do." Harry stopped and looked back at the pathetic minister.
"This is what is going to happen, and I want it done today! You will revoke that useless decree for underage wizardry. We are in a war and no student should have to think about facing expulsion while they are defending themselves and their family. People will be able to learn and be licensed for apparition as soon as they are able. I don't care the consequence, let them make that decision. But if an eight year old can apparate himself from a Death Eater attack then that is one less dead victim. And most importantly, you, and your inept administration, will withdraw whatever influences you are trying to impose on Hogwarts. The only thing you achieved last year with that cow Umbridge was making every student at Hogwarts more vulnerable. It was Umbridge's doing that made it possible for the Death Eaters to delay the OWL results to begin with."
Harry looked sharply at Fudge one more time and raised his finger to him.
"I swear to you, if you don't do this, and if you don't claim some responsibility for what has happened today, I will tell every reporter, every court, council, commission, and authority what I have told you. I'll tell them under veritaserum if I have to."
"But Mr. Potter I don't…It's not possible…" Fudge started to mumble.
"How about I tell the press over there, and then ask them if they think that the next Minister of Magic will be able to accomplish these things?" Harry said.
"Not by the end of the day. No one can, especially with all the potential attacks, there just isn't the staff – unless of you course you insist that I pull protection away from other endangered students." The politician and schemer in Fudge were never too far from the surface.
"As soon as possible Fudge! If you double cross me or if I read in the daily prophet that you have twisted this some how, I will make your blame known to the world. Do you think it is possible to claim me crazy, then a savior, and then crazy again within the course of a single year?" Harry said.
Fudge fumbled as he realized that the boy was right. But he also knew that he couldn't let this boy push him around. He was going to have to twist this somehow to work to his favor while still appeasing Harry.
"I will have it done as soon as possible Harry." He clasped his hand onto Harry's good shoulder, the one that held Harry's pointed arm and finger. The politician's appeasing tone returned, "You have made an excellent argument for some necessary concessions during times such as these. Thank you for your counsel. And may I extend my deepest condolences for your hardships today. Are you sure that I can't offer specialists' to attend to you and your family's injuries?"
"Get out of my sight Fudge!" Harry said.
"Very well then." Fudge sounded like a child as he and turned away from Harry to begin the damage control with the busy reporters.
Harry gave a sigh of exhaustion. He was trembling with anger but the toll of the argument made him realize the drain on his body.
"That was a most interesting conversation you've had with the Minister, Harry. I am surprised to see you taking an interest in political affairs at such a young age. Though as with most endeavors in your life, you appear to be a quick study."
Harry turned around to see the twinkle of Hogwart's Headmaster behind him. He was not all that happy to see Dumbledore, but was too exhausted to be angry with him. That damned twinkle had the most remarkable way of settling him down too. "Good evening Professor. If you don't mind I have to see to my relatives."
"They are being attended to Harry. Several Healers have arrived and Madam Pomfrey has also come to lend her assistance. If I may suggest, I think it would be wise for you to have your ailments treated as well." Dumbledore said calmly.
"Thank you for your concern, but if it's all the same I would like to see to them for myself." Harry said flatly. He turned to leave but Dumbledore spoke up once more.
"Harry I will only require a moment of your time. The unfortunate events which have occurred this afternoon require that we address your situation. If I may…"
Harry's patience was paper thin and he could feel the familiar heat burning in his neck again. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to remain calm. "Sir, I am sorry that these events have thrown a wrinkle into your plan, but I really do not have time for this now. Since your protections have yet again proved lacking, I have several things that I now need to take care of, including my situation, and I would really like to see to them! So if you don't mind…" Harry resumed his walk toward the house.
Before Harry managed even a few steps Dumbledore called to him again. "Harry. I am sorry that you feel that way. The protection your mother's blood provided, was to ensure that Voldemort could not find you here, but more so, it ensured that Voldemort himself would never be able to harm you in your Aunt's home. I did not believe that he would send his Death Eater's to your home, where they are capable of such an attack. Further, I did not dare add additional wards or protections to the house as they may have interfered with what has worked for sixteen years to provide your safety. Alas, Voldemort did devise a way to find you despite this protection, a way that I am afraid none of us anticipated." Dumbledore turned his head down to look over his half moon spectacles at Harry's back.
Harry's hands clinched together again and he tightened his jaw. The pain shot up his left shoulder again and it only reminded him of what he felt before he yelled at Fudge. He spun around to start his tirade at the Headmaster, but was interrupted.
"Harry, I understand that you no longer trust my judgment and I am afraid I must accept full responsibility for that. However, in order to avoid even more harm I would ask to know your plans and ask whether you have taken certain things under consideration before you see them through." Dumbledore stated.
The temporary moment allowed Harry to calm only slightly, "My plans are no longer your concern as much as your assurances are no longer mine. The fact that you did not 'anticipate' this ends any such privileges." Harry swallowed hard as he thought of all the other hateful things he wanted to tell the old man. Instead he turned away from him, "I am going to Grimmauld Place and the Dursleys are coming as well. I'll anticipate for myself what Voldemort might do." Without waiting for a response he began his walk toward the house.
Harry saw Tonks bounding over to his side. "You're just lining them up for a good telling off aren't you Harry." She said with a smile.
Harry really wasn't looking for another conversation but he wasn't going to yell at Tonk too. Hers was the only face he'd seen since he left the house that didn't make him want to curse something. "Wouldn't he be better suited attending to the many different attacks that could be happening at this moment?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, I think everything is being taken care of, as best is possible. I guess he came here help you out, but I bet he didn't think that you were going to go of on him like that. I haven't seen old Dumbledore yelled at like that since…I've never seen Dumbledore yelled at!" Tonks almost sounded like she was cheering for him. "Wait till I tell Remus about this! He's going to piss himself."
Tonks' giddiness was making Harry forget how mad he was. He looked over at her smiling and had to fight back a laugh of his own.
"Aw, do I see a little smile on Harry's angry face?" Tonks crinkled up her face and closed her eyes as a long white beard and hair grew from her head. She kept her own face under the newly grown hair and it was the funniest thing Harry had ever seen. He snorted a laugh that he tried to hold back in order to maintain an angry façade. "He's laughing, I better stop or he's going to yell at me." Tonks stuck out her bearded bottom lip in a pout. "Maybe this will help." Again she crinkled her face until her features were gone and Fudge's fat face appeared with Dumbledore's beard and hair. "Now you can yell at both of them at the same time."
Harry laughed out loud at how ridiculous Tonks looked. "Stop it Tonks, this isn't funny, I'm really pissed off." Harry yelled unbelievably. "Tell me if there have been any other attacks we know of."
Tonks let the morphed faces disappear and returned the face she was wearing earlier. "What a party pooper!" But her expression turned serious, "We don't know yet, but I'm not going to lie Harry, if what you heard is right, it could be pretty bad."
"What's being done?" Harry said urgently.
"Moody and the others are trying to contact as many students as possible by floo, but since Voldemort's prime targets are most likely to be muggle-born or mixed blood students, they've had a hard time reaching them that way. For every person they can't get in touch with they're sending Aurors and order members to their homes." Tonks answered.
They arrived at the house just as Tonks finished speaking. The living room was buzzing with activity. Several Aurors were still at the house and were detaining the two unconscious Death Eaters from the area. There were now three Healers attending to the Dursleys, one each at Vernon and Petunia while another aided Madam Pomfrey with Dudley. Petunia had awoken and appeared dazed but calm, there were still no signs of life from Harry's anger-prone uncle.
Harry walked over to where Dudley was being taken care of. "Is he going to be alright?" Harry asked.
Without looking Madam Pomfrey answered, "It seems that he is going to live. He had some very serious swelling around his brain due to the severity of the blow he took to the head. We have managed to stop the swelling and heal his other injuries, but we fear that he may have suffered damage to his brain."
At any other time, the idea of Dudley having brain damage would have fit nicely into one of Harry's jokes. At the moment, the fact that the idea even crossed his mind made him feel sick.
"Brain damage? But is that a permanent effect, I mean, it can be healed right?" Harry asked.
"Well it depends, he is going to require a good deal of attention but at this point I can't say." The women continued to work busily on the boy casting various spells and conferring with the Healer.
"What about my Uncle, has he suffered any permanent injuries?" Harry asked.
"Who? Oh, the muggle man over there. No he is fine. He and his wife, I presume, only suffered some rather strong stunning spells. We've managed to revive him several times now, but he keeps fainting once his sight clears and he sees the room around him. He hasn't managed to remain consciousness long enough for us to cast a calming spell on him. His wife however is perfectly well. We have managed to place a calming spell on her." Madam Pomfrey finished a final series of spells on Dudley and finally looked over her shoulder at Harry.
"My goodness Mr. Potter! What has happened to you, we must get you to the hospital ward immediately! What degenerate healed your shoulder like that?"
Tonks gave shot an angry look at Madam Pomfrey's insult.
"Come, come at once!" The mediwitch shot up from her kneeling position and began to push Harry towards the front door.
"Madam Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey!" Harry yelled fighting against the woman with his good arm. "I am not leaving yet, and I am not going to the hospital ward."
"Oh yes you are." she argued then looked up to Dumbledore who had just entered the house, "Headmaster you tell this boy that he is to leave at once."
Before Dumbledore could respond Harry spoke, "He has no say in where I go." He shook himself free of Madam Pomfrey's grip, "Until I personally see that my family is safe I will not be taken anywhere!"
"Mr. Potter, I never…Professor Dumbledore are you going to stand there and do nothing." Madam Pomfrey said.
"Madam Pomfrey I believe that it is in our best interest to see to the condition of these muggles and have them escorted to a safe location. If that means that Harry's treatment has to wait then I am not going to interfere." Dumbledore said.
Harry didn't want the Headmaster's help, he was too angry and a bit too proud to have to accept that Dumbledore could help him. But he was more tired of being fussed over so he just let the Headmaster's statement settle it. Madam Pomfrey on the other hand looked like she had just been hit by a train.
"Well…this is ridiculous! Look at that boy he's falling apart all over. He's probably running on pure adrenaline alone!" Madam Pomfrey continued to argue. When she realized that her pleas were falling on deaf ears she flung her hands in disgust and returned to Dudley's side.
After the enraged mediwitch left Harry, Dumbledore attempted to restart his conversation. "Harry, now that you have seen that your family is being cared for could you spare only a moment for me?"
Not seeing another way to avoid the conversation Harry gave a short nod and led Dumbledore away from the crowded living room.
Dumbledore began immediately. "I would like to advise you on a few matters concerning your journey to Grimmauld Place. It is very likely that Voldemort is watching your movements from here now that he knows this location."
"I have told you already that you will not be advising me. I have already taken care of my travel arrangements as well as the Dursleys, and we will be leaving here as soon as possible." Harry said.
"Fine then I will gather a guard for you." Dumbledore said.
"No you won't, and to be honest I think it would be foolish to waste any available people who could be helping with the other possible attacks." Harry said.
"Harry your protection must be our utmost priority." Dumbledore said.
Whatever drain Harry felt from the day's trials no longer mattered, Dumbledore had said something he should not have and he knew it. But in case he might have had allusions otherwise the disgusted glare on Harry's face made it clear.
"My protection…your utmost priority?" Harry didn't yell, he didn't have the energy for that, but the tone he spat would make Snape seem like a teddy bear. "Well professor, excuse me if that statement doesn't do much for me. Your protection has worked superbly over the past three years wouldn't you think? Your protection which included ignoring me for a year. Providing me Occlumency lessons with someone who hates me and my family did a great deal of good to. Your protection which sent me back here amongst helpless muggles knowing that Voldemort had returned to power has led to a lovely ending. How about you anticipate how many different ways I can tell you to sod off!"
"Harry please if you would just…" Dumbledore interrupted.
"No professor I will not, not this time. This time I have to ensure my own protection and the protection of my relatives." Harry said. He waited to see if the Headmaster would make another attempt, but the man just stood there looking at Harry in a manner the young wizard had never seen before.
Finally Harry spoke up, "Dobby!" In an instant there was a pop and the elf appeared between the two wizards. Dobby was quick to realize that there was a tension in the air and the poor elf wasn't sure which master he should placate first. Fortunately, Harry spared him the decision.
"Dobby, as soon as the Healers say that the Dursleys can be moved, I would like you to transport them back to Grimmauld Place, and as soon as Winky is feeling better have her prepare a room for them." Harry said while he still looked at Dumbledore.
"Harry I must inform you that the house elves cannot transport your family into Grimmauld Place." Dumbledore stated.
"Well sir, as I am the owner of Grimmauld Place I believe that Dobby can and will be able to transport them there."
"You have misunderstood me Harry. I would never presume to tell you who you can and cannot have in your home. However, with the protections around the building the Dursleys cannot enter it if they do not know it is there. Even by elf transport. It will require me writing the address on a piece of paper and them saying it aloud in front of the location, much like you had to last year." Dumbledore explained.
This was the second time today that Harry had to accept that he could not accomplish his goals without the help of Dumbledore. On top of his current anger for the man the annoyance of having to accept this was only accentuated. Dumbledore as always was able to see this in Harry and know what he was thinking without him saying it.
"I will of course make the preparations to allow the Dursleys into your household." Dumbledore said.
Though hardly grateful Harry offered a flat, "Thank you."
Without a word Dobby scurried away from the unsettling situation and over to where the Dursleys were. Harry made move to follow but Dumbledore spoke up once more.
"Harry…Mr. Potter, I believe your anger with me to be justified. I have made a great deal of mistakes and at a great cost, especially to you. I only ask that you offer me the opportunity to make amends for my errors. Despite how it may seem, your welfare and happiness does mean a great deal to me. I only hope you can find it in your heart to let me prove that to you."
There was no twinkle in the saddened old man's eyes.
AN: I hope that this explained a lot of the questions you all had. I know that I didn't say who the other Death Eater's were and I may still add that, maybe some suggestions would help. For now they're nameless Death Eaters 1, 2, and 3. A few of you wrote questioning how the Death Eaters could get into the house with all the 'wards' Dumbledore had set up. I looked back through the books and found no such discussion. All I found was that Dumbledore used the protection Harry's mom provided to guard the house. And he only said that the protection would keep Voldemort from being able to harm Harry there. There is a link I put on my bio page that is to an essay from HP Lexicon about the topic, if you're still curious (there's a pic there too, of a symbol that is related to the upcoming chapter 12 if you want a tease). If someone can point out to me where it says otherwise about the wards, I'll be happy to revise the chapter accordingly. The wonderful thing about magic and fiction is that anything is possible so I should be able to fix any oversight.
One last apology, I hope there aren't too many grammatical errors. I didn't have a chance to give this chapter one last look through (the fifth overall) like usual. I'll most likely wind up reposting the chapter sometime in the future.
I'll post a review tomorrow replying to all your comments and questions from chapter 9. My next update will have to wait until next Wednesday, as I'm only two chapters ahead instead of four. For what it's worth Chapter 12 is longer than this one…not worth much right now huh?
Thanks for the review! I'm looking forward to your comments! ~ Omagic