Disclaimer: see previous chapters.
Warning: Violence, a bit of gore, and foul language; also spoilers for all HP books.
Author's Note: I'm getting desperate for reviews. Even one word would help. Good, bad, boring, inspiring, preachy, stinky? Anything would help (though sentences are extra appreciated).
In Fire Lies Redemption
By Marz
Chapter 5
The King's Cross
It was still dark outside when they came for him. Tonks shook him awake and helped him carry his trunk into the living room. She shrunk it to the size of a matchbox.
"Someone can resize it at school." She said.
Despite the fact that they were still inside the house they whispered.
"When are Ron and Hermione going to get here?" Harry asked.
"They're not. We're going separately. The Weasleys are too well known." Tonks answered.
"So it's just going to be you, me and Professor Lupin?"
"Nope it's going to Professor Lupin, Mad-eye Moody, and muggle born first year John Smith. Harry Potter will be going by himself, after a long stroll through Diagon Alley."
For a second Harry was completely bewildered, then Tonks wrinkled up her forehead in concentration. Her hair shrunk back into her head and darkened from violet to black. Her nose grew pointier, and flesh melted away from her face, so that her cheek bones stood out. Her lips lost color and thinned. She blinked and green pigment washed through her brown irises. Almost as an after thought, a long lightening shaped scar cut its way down her brow. When she smiled at him her teeth had changed as well.
"Wotcher John." She said in a rather soft nasal voice.
"I don't really sound like that do I?" asked Harry as he stared at his mirror image.
His twin grinned at him.
Tonks left the mansion a half hour later to catch the Knight Bus. Lupin was casting a glamour on Harry when Mad-eye arrived. He gave Harry a suspicious look, as he did whenever he saw him. Harry gave him a loathing glare. Lupin laughed and both of them.
"Don't make faces children, they'll stick that way." Lupin said, giving Harry one last tap on the head with his wand.
Harry went to look at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. John Smith was a fairly ordinary looking boy, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was slightly heavy set, and looked rather cheerful, despite the grim mood he was in.
"Are you both going to be disguised as well?" asked Harry, as he returned to the kitchen.
"Not with magic." said Lupin. "We'll just be wearing muggle clothes. Too many glamour charms in an enclosed space can set off detection spells."
"We're going now." growled Moody.
It seemed like no time before they arrived at Kings Cross Station. Harry noticed a clock on the wall. It was only 9am. He smiled faintly. For once he would not be diving onto the train at the last second. His smile faded a bit when instead of going straight to platform 9and ¾ they stopped at a newspaper stand. Lupin began to page through a magazine and gave him a couple of pounds to buy himself hot chocolate. Moody disappeared. It was 10:30 before he returned and Harry was nearly dancing with impatience. The two cups of hot chocolate and another of orange juice he drank while waiting were not helping either.
"So far there's no sign a' trouble. Tonks reported in and aside from a few odd ones asking for autographs or calling her a lunatic, no one's bothered her. I don't trust that. Someone knows she's the decoy. Malfoy hasn't shown either."
"You honestly think he would?" asked Lupin. "He's attempted murder. He's most likely hiding out with his father."
"His father?" interrupted Harry. "But he's in Azkaban."
Lupin and Moody exchanged glances.
"Haven't you been reading the papers?" Lupin asked.
Harry shook his head. Hedwig was staying with Hermione, and no other owls had come to the mansion. There was no way for him to subscribe.
"Azkaban was nearly totaled while you were in the hospital. He's cleared out the prison, anyone who didn't join him died. The off duty guards were the only survivors. They were in a separate building."
Harry goggled at him. "They've all escaped and no one mentioned it to me?"
"Chat later. It's time to go." said Moody.
The three of them started up the stairs. Harry looked around as they passed through the station. A tall woman with large dark glasses and a white care slowly crossed their path. The cane swept before her, tapping back and forth. She had a long scar running up the left side of her neck and onto her chin. Harry thought she looked familiar but could not remember where from. They strolled quickly through the crowded station. Harry saw a girl with an owl cage among her luggage. They were at platform six when Lupin whispered something urgently to Moody. Harry watched Moody's eye turn to look through the back of his head.
"I counted nine." He muttered.
"Nine what?" hissed Harry desperately.
"Death Eaters. Don't look back. Keep walking." Lupin said.
Harry looked up at him. There was a strange closed expression on his face. When he spoke again his voice sounded slightly hallow. "Get him to the train Alastor."
Moody nodded solemnly. He grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him along. Harry understood. But no matter how good he is nine to one… he can't win. He turned and tried to catch Lupin's sleeve. Liquid splashed across his face and he inhaled in surprise. There was a sour taste in his mouth. Moody was glaring at him.
"Keep walking boy." He ordered, and Harry found his traitorous feet were obeying.
He tried to yell at Moody; tried to curse him, and scream, but he could not move his arms and had no control of his mouth. He walked along stiffly.
"You can't help him boy, you'll only waste what chance he's trying to give you." Moody mumbled, as if that would comfort him.
As they walked Harry heard a sizzling sound, followed by an echoing boom.
*****
People streamed past him on either side. Some bumped him, and there were some angry suggestions for him to get moving. He tuned out the roar of the crowd and the distant rumble of trains. He planted his feet shoulder length apart. They were only ten yards away now and they had most definitely noticed him. Wands were aimed, but not nearly fast enough. Remus raised his hands above his head, his wand held sideways between them.
"DESINO!"
The spell was his own invention, a patch work of wards, jinxing and charms. Gold light flowed out of the wand, striking the skylights above, reflecting down to the tiled floor and bouncing back up again, until a wall of wavering light blocked all passage between one half of the station and the other. Muggles were running and screaming. A few ran into the barricade and bounced off. The Death Eaters ignored them and lined up before the rippling barrier. The opponents faced each other: nine men and women in black robes and white masks, one man in a threadbare tweed jacket and faded brown slacks.
"Avada Kedavra!" said a cool and lazy voice.
A green jet of light flew into the glowing wall, but instead of hitting Remus it turned aside, and scorched the tiles on the floor by his foot.
"Impossible." one of them muttered.
Remus smirked. It was impossible for a spell to alter the path of the killing curse, but the wall he made was nearly half illusion. It bent light like a glass of water. If they adjusted their aim properly he'd be dead in short order. But I've always been good at bluffing. He thought. They paced before him uncertainly.
"Why it's my dear cousin's pet werewolf!" declared a high child like voice.
Unconsciously his lips pulled back in a silent snarl. Bellatrix Lestrange pulled off her mask and sauntered up to him. In the corner of his eye he saw the other Death Eaters spread out along the barrier, throwing futile curses and looking for week spots.
"I suggest you leave. Hit wizards will be arriving shortly." He growled politely. If he leapt forward and strangled the life out of her the barrier would come down. It needed to draw energy from him, but he only had so much to give it. His arms started shaking. Lestrange traced the end of her wand across the barrier. It smoked at the tip.
"You miss Sirius, don't you? My cousin always had a way with animals. I'll bet he let you sit on the furniture. He probably gave you table scraps too." She paused to leer at him. "Sirius seamed like an animal lover. Did he scratch behind your ears and let you lick his face?"
Remus felt the barrier waver. It was like standing against a rubber band that was being snapped back and forth. It's about to collapse anyway. He thought.
"Bellatrix?" he asked softly.
She leaned closer to the wall to listen.
"Avada Kedavra."
Her eyes had widened at the first word and she had disapparated before the second word was out of his mouth. The barrier disappeared in flash of green light. Remus stood in the center of the station completely exposed. Bellatrix appeared again a few yards away. She and the other eight surrounded him.
"Incendio!" Remus shouted.
He swung his arm across the line of Death Eater and fire poured from his wand. They flinched and drew back. In the instant of respite he apparated to the shelter of a pillar farther up the platform, they followed.
"Do you know you're going to die today werewolf?" growled one of them.
He recognized the voice: a Slytherin, from a year behind Remus at Hogwarts.
"I did actually!" he shouted.
He dove from behind the pillar, shooting off stunning curses as fast as his mouth could move. A green light grazed his leg and he lost all feeling in it. He fell.
He landed sideways on his wand arm and it twisted painfully up behind his back. The Slytherin he recognized towered over him. He could see the clock on the wall. I stalled them three whole minutes, that's really not so bad, he thought as the man pointed a wand at his heart.
"BOOM"
The windows echoed with the sound. Remus turned his head in surprise. Down the platform a gray blur darted behind a pillar. A shadow passed across him and he looked up just as the Death Eater tipped and crashed down on him like a falling tree. Blood poured from a wound in the man's chest and it soaked Remus' clothes as he tried to untangle himself from the corpse.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The gray figure appeared again, a pistol leveled. Three more Death Eaters fell. Two twitched faintly on the tiled floor.
"Wards you idiots! Put up your wards." screamed Bellatrix.
There was a bright spark in front of her face and a high whining sound as a fifth shot was deflected harmlessly away. Remus finally kicked himself free and disapparated.
*****
As they passed platform eight Harry regained the ability to drag his feet. Moody turned toward him, another bottle of potion in his hand.
"Reducto!"
The floor in front of them exploded and Moody and Harry were flung into the air. Harry did not see where Mad-eye landed. He drew his own wand and scrambled to his feet. Black robes and white masks surrounded him.
"Finite." drawled a voice.
The spell hit him like a slap in the face.
"Ah it is you Potter. Good, we wouldn't want to go murdering the wrong mud-blood." said Lucius Malfoy.
The other Death Eaters laughed.
Harry did not know any spells that would work against such a large group. He knew he would only have half a chance at one. He scanned the circle, looking at the masked faces. He watched their eyes. Some stared back coldly, others looked guiltily away. He searched for the fevered blue eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange, but did not find them.
He looked back at Malfoy. I guess you're it. He thought. He was about to attempt the killing curse when it began to rain red light.
Stunning curses poured down on the Death Eaters, and Harry sprinted though a gap in their line. A green light shot towards him but he dove to the ground at the last second. A Death Eater sneaking up behind him dropped dead. He looked up and saw five Weasleys on the walkway above him. Fred, George, Bill, Ron, and Percy blasted red and occasionally green light at the circle of attackers. From behind a row of luggage trolleys Mrs. Weasley and her daughter pounded away at those trying to flee on foot. Across the platform from them Hermione and Neville were doing their part, and Mr. Weasley attacked from behind a pillar to their right, completing the cross fire. Harry ducked behind rubbish bin and joined the fight.
The Death Eaters fought back but they were disorganized and many disapparated and did not return. A group of twenty fled from half their number. Ron was smiling triumphantly and the twins were exchanging what were no doubt rude comments when the battle turned against them.
Five Death Eaters had regrouped behind a lunch cart, and they seemed to be the most dangerous. Neville crept out of his hiding place and tried to get around behind them. A green light came at him and he froze like a deer before head lights. Harry saw the light. Time slowed down. It was the same as when Sirius was thrown through the veil, but instead of shouting and waving his arms uselessly, something in his mind clicked.
"ACCIO NEVILLE!"
Neville was ripped from the path of the green light and flew at an angle toward Harry. In the split second before Neville slammed into him, it occurred to Harry that he may have used the summoning charm a little too strongly. His head pounded the floor and his glasses flew off his face. His wand bounced away across the tiles. All the air crushed out of his lungs. Harry struggled to get up but Neville was limp and did not move. With all his strength Harry shoved the other boy off of him. Harry got free just in time to see the walk way blasted apart. For an instant he just knelt on the ground, watching his friends drop. Then a huge invisible force wrapped around him and lifted him off his feet. The station was a blur around him, but he could hear the walkway crashing at the end of its thirty foot fall.
He hit the ground far from the battle and skidded to a stop, scrapping skin off his palms. With slow dizzy motions he tried to get to his feet. A boot stomped down on his lower back and pinned him. Harry tried to look up at the man. The boot pressed down harder and despite himself he let out a howl of agony as the man's full weight crushed down on his spine. His arms and legs spasmed.
"You wiggle like a beetle on a pin, boy." growled a deep gravelly voice. "Want to see what a blasting curse does when it's cast from two inches away?"
"Can't see, lost my glasses." Harry hissed through clenched teeth.
"Funny are…" the man started to say. A loud hiss and a popping sound cut him off half way through his sentence. The weight on his back was lifted. Harry rolled over tiredly, and looked up at his rescuer. He squinted. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and pale skin. The area around her eyes looked red. Even without his glasses Harry could see the thick white scar that ran up the left side of her throat and over her chin. She wore a long gray trench coat and he could see the light shining off the innumerable rings in her ears. She held a gun in one hand, the barrel was long and Harry guessed it had a silencer attached. She no longer looked blind.
"Are you alright kid?" she asked.
He knew that voice. His mouth dropped open. The muggle woman from the apartment, but she died.
"I'm alright." he said quietly.
She held out a hand and helped him to his feet. Harry started back towards the fight but she caught his arm and turned him around.
"You don't want to go that way sweetie. It's just black robes and freaks."
She walked quickly in the opposite direction pulling him along. He tried to shake off her hand.
"I have to go over there. My friends and family are over there. Let go!"
"You can't help them kid you've got no idea what your up against. The freak that was stepping on you? He could have killed you with a word. You're lucky he decided to play around first. I'm going to put you somewhere safe and you're going to wait there for the police." she said in a voice that left no room for argument.
He tried to fit some in none the less. "I've got to get back there! They're only attacking them because they're after me." The second he said it he realized he had said too much.
The woman gave him an odd look, then dragged him sideways across the platform. She kicked open the door of a ticket both, shoved him inside, and then crammed herself in as well. It was an awkwardly tight fit, but it did not seem to bother her.
"What do you know kid?" she demanded. The barrel of the gun was resting almost casually against his shoulder.
"I don't know anything."
"You're lying love, and you're bad at it. Convince me I should let you go."
"I haven't done anything to you."
"And I should let you run off and die then?"
"I won't die. I can take care of my self."
"So I saw." He felt himself blush.
"He just got me when I was looking else where. I'll be fine. I have to get back to the fight."
"You're unarmed."
"I'll take that Death Eater's wand…" Something else I shouldn't have said. I know how Hagrid feels.
"I thought you didn't know anything?"
He made a frustrated noise. "I'm not supposed to say…" That answer doesn't look like it will hold up too well. "If you let me go I promise I'll explain later." The Ministry will erase her memory anyway when they catch her.
She looked into his eyes. Her gaze was so intense he felt undressed.
"Sounds fair kid. I'll hold you to it. Wait here a minute. I'll check things out. You come out when I say so. Understood?"
"Yes."
******
Remus limped up platform eight towards the sounds of fighting. Smoke rose thickly and collected under the skylights, darkening the room. His fight with the remaining Death Eaters had been relatively short. They'd traded curses for only five minutes before disapparating into another part of the station. Remus followed the stream of screaming muggles to the second battle sight. He was breathing hard, so as he passed the ticket booth a familiar sent flooded his nostrils. He stopped short.
"Harry, are you in there?" he called quietly.
The door burst open and Harry stumbled out. His glasses were gone and he was covered in cuts and bruises.
"Where's she go?" he asked, squinting hard and looking up and down the platform.
"Who?" Remus scanned the area carefully.
"The muggle woman. The one Voldemort killed; she was here. She wasn't dead though, she saved my life, but she wasn't letting me go back to the fight. She said she'd be back, I told her I'd wait. I've lost my wand." he said in one cramped breath.
"I don't see anyone now. We should get you out of here."
"NO! I'm going to help the Weasleys," Harry began walking toward the fight. "It's my responsibility."
Remus limped after him. "Harry, slow down! Wait for me."
Just as he caught up with the boy the air was split by a resounding crack. A tall Death Eater appeared behind them, his wand raised. Remus stepped between Harry and the man, at the same time brining up his own wand. His arm seemed so slow. There wasn't time…
"Avada…"
He felt Harry's hand on his shoulder and feared the boy would try to push him out of the way. The second word never came. Remus brought his wand to bear. The Death Eater stood at the edge of the platform. His outstretched arm slowly dropped back down and the wand fell from his hand. It bounced across the floor with a soft clicking sound. Remus looked at Harry, but he too was starring in confusion. The Death Eater stiffly tipped over back wards, and a woman in a gray trench side stepped the body a moment before it tumbled out of sight to the train tracks below. She held a long thin knife in one hand and blood dripped from the blade. She while looking at Harry she tapped the side of her head with her index finger then pointed it at him. The boy nodded. She stepped backward off the edge of the platform and disappeared from view. They stood for a moment, then Remus summoned the dead man's wand and gave it to Harry.
*****
Ron felt the ground fall out from under him and looked at his brothers for advice. His heart didn't beat. His stomach flew up into his throat and the ground rushed up at him. Bits of metal were already striking the floor. Everything happened so fast. His eyes darted towards Hermione. His mother's voice exploded in his ears.
"REPARO!"
Suddenly the broken bits of metal and concrete flew back upwards. A large piece of tile came up under his feet and he rode laughingly upward. Mum was always good at fixing things. As it reassembled he and his brothers hopped out of the way of bits and pieces trying to find their place. Fred was grazed by a bit of railing but other wise they could not be better. He looked back to his mother just as a red light struck her in the chest. She had leapt clear of cover to save them and the Death Eaters had not missed an opportunity. Ginny was shrieking like a banshee. She charged out to her mother and grabbed the collar of her robes in one hand, firing severing charms with the other. As Ginny dragged her mother to shelter their father attacked.
Ron had never in his life seen his father so enraged. His whole balding head was blushed bright red and his hair stuck out at all angles. His mouth hung open slightly and white showed all around his eyes. Insane was too mild a description. He hit the lunch cart the Death Eaters had sheltered behind with a blasting curse that lifted it twenty feet in the air. Two of them were trapped under it as it landed. He and his brothers were not slow in showing their anger either.
Fred and George cried "REDUCTO!" and another Death Eater went air born. A rope of fire flew from Bills wand and wrapped around one that tried to get away through an emergency exit. The last one stood haughtily in the center of the platform, and Ron knew who it was.
"INCECDIO!" bellowed Ron.
Heat from his own curse washed back over him as he threw fire down on Lucius Malfoy. The fire rolled harmlessly off a ward. Malfoy looked up at him and despite the mask covering his entire face, Ron was sure he was smirking. Think I can't get you? You're dead wrong, he thought.
"CRUCIO!" Ron Bellowed in the next breath.
Malfoy was knocked off his feet. He screamed. Last time you'll ever laugh at us Malfoy, last time you'll ever look down your nose like we're something you stepped in. Last time you'll do anything. Ron watched him twitch and a smile creped over his face. Ron laughed. Some one grabbed his wrist and pushed his wand up towards the ceiling. The curse lifted. Malfoy disapparated.
Ron glared down at Bill, whom he now topped by several inches.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT? YOU LET HIM GET AWAY!" Ron bellowed.
Bill slapped him and grabbed him around the back of the neck forcing Ron's ear level with his mouth.
"You were enjoying that." Bill hissed. He was going to say more but Ginny was screaming for them. "We're having a long discussion later." Bill warned before letting him go and marching away.
Ron frowned after him. He turned to the twins for back up, but they're reaction was even odder then Bill's. They looked disappointed and frightened. He'd never seen either expression on them before. They turned from him and chased after Bill. He was left with Percy.
"The Minister has given Aurors and Hit Wizards permission to use unforgivables." he said, before walking after the others. Ron was not sure if that comment helped or not.
They circled Mrs. Weasley. Hermione levitated Neville and an unconscious Mad-eye Moody over next to her. A large lump was forming on the back of Neville's head, but that seemed to be his only major injury. Moody stirred groggily when a waking charm was placed on him. They could not bring Mrs. Weasley around. "Finite" and "Enervate" failed to revive her. Ginny started to cry.
"No." cried a terrified voice.
Ron whirled to see Harry and Professor Lupin running up the platform towards them. Lupin limped badly and Harry left him far behind. Harry was bruised and beaten, and without his glasses he did not see a tilted tile in the floor. He tripped and fell head long, rolling to a stop at Ron's feet. Ron pulled him up. His eyes were opened too wide and he looked half mad. As Harry stared at Ron's mother he chanted no, no, no over and over again in a quavering voice. He was still doing it when Lupin caught up to them. Lupin knelt next to the unconscious woman, and raised his wand. After a few minutes of muttering he picked up her hand and, almost timidly, sniffed it. They all stared at him, waiting for answers.
"She'll live." he said. "It's more than just a stunning curse, and I'm not sure how to lift it but she's in no danger of dying."
"How do you know?" asked Ginny wiping her nose on her sleeve.
"One of the effects of lycanthropy, you can smell death from quite a ways off."
No one really knew how to take that comment and they all paused for a thoughtful moment. Dead and unconscious Death Eaters lay sprawled all over the platform. Craters smoked in the floor, walls and ceiling and there was rubble strewn every where. In the distance a police siren sounded.
"Crack!"
Ten blue robed wizards apparated onto the platform.
"This is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Everyone freeze."