The muggles were gone, the power was cut and the witches and wizards were prowling around the house.
Harry pulled his black cloak tighter around him and adjusted to hood. He was standing in the shadows of the entrance hall watching moonlight beam across the floor from the windows and contemplating the night's events.
They had tried everything to get out of the bubble. They tried Apperating but the bubble was blocking them. Harry, who could apperate in un-apperateable places, was only able to apperate to the rooms of the house. They had even tried Occlumency. Lupin had told him to use his wand so the death eaters didn't find out about his powers.
The front door suddenly opened and Harry tensed himself. It was Lucius Malfoy. With him were Bellatrix Lestrange and Rookwood. They slid into the room and opened the door wider so several shorter death eaters could get in. amongst them was Crabbe and Goyle.
Rookwood tried the light switch but nothing happened.
"Lumos" Malfoy's wand tip lit up and its light danced across the room. Harry apperated just before it hit him.
"They're in the entrance hall" he whispered, landing with a thud beside Lupin. He nodded and pulled his own hood over his head.
Blaise was absolutely pumped; he was jogging on the spot and muttering about how he would beat the living shit out of Crabbe and Goyle. Draco looked slightly sick at the thought of facing his father. The four of them, Harry, Lupin, Blaise and Draco stood at the top of the stairs watching the death eaters cautiously search the house.
"Right, take them out from behind, stay in the shadows and try not to come face to face with them. It's better if we stay anonymous" Lupin explained in a whisper.
The three boys nodded and they split up.
They had hardly gone out of each other's sight before Harry heard a thump up the hallway. He quickly changed direction and found Blaise standing over Goyle's limp body.
"What did you do?" Harry asked, noticing Blaise's wand was still in his pocket.
"Hit him. It gives me more satisfaction"
They split up again and Harry found himself back in the entrance hall. He watched the double doors at each end of the room but the place was deserted exept for Hermione who was hiding in the shadows over the other side. Harry looked towards the staircase where Kingsley was tapping his foot in order to gain the death eaters attention.
Hermione scanned the room then made a run for Harry who was about to go up the stairs.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Lucius Malfoy slid through the front doors, making Hermione freeze in a little patch of moonlight in the centre of the room.
Hermione reached for her wand and at the same time her hood fell back, revealing her face.
"Mudblood, huh? Well I have a little treat for you…" Lucius raised his wand and pointed it directly at Hermione's heart.
"Run, Hermione!" Harry called. But it was to late; things all started happening at once.
Lucius charged his wand, several people entered the hall, including Blaise who was mid tackle with Crabbe.
Then, from the Living room doors; a figure in a black cape came sprinting into the room. He ran straight at Hermione, cloak billowing magnificently behind him. His hood came off.
Draco Malfoy.
He grabbed Hermione and span around so he was shielding her with his body. The curse hit him in the back.
"Crucio"
Draco screamed, a blood-curdling, shrill scream that echoed horribly around the high vaulted ceiling. He dropped Hermione from his arms and fell to the floor.
Lucius, taken by surprise, dropped his wand and the curse vanished.
"Draco?" he sneered, regaining his original composure "what are you doing?"
Spells and curses began flying around the room as more death eaters came. Kingsley stunned Rookwood, Lupin was mid-duel with Bellatrix and Blaise was sitting on Crabbe's chest repeatedly hitting him in the face.
"Get out" Draco said, his voice ice-cold. "Get out, before I kill you"
Lucius laughed and pointed his wand at his son.
"We originally came to rescue you but, obviously, you're just as soft as your worthless mother…" Lucius took his time choosing a place to aim the curse.
"Crucio!"
Lucius went flying off his feet and hit the floor, convulsing in pain. Draco moved forward, wand pointed directly at his father's heart.
Harry continued to watch from the shadows, not ready to draw attention to him until the time came.
Bellatrix fell backwards into Draco who lost control of the curse. Lucius used this split second to fire his wand back at his son.
Harry didn't hear what the death eater said but purple flame shot from the end of his wand. It hit Draco in the chest and he dropped to the ground. Hermione screamed and ran to his side.
Harry was just about to blow Lucius' brains out when he noticed a pair of electric blue eyes peering out at the scene from a darkened corner. A low growl filled the air then, fast as lightening, swift as a ghost, a beautiful white tiger leapt from the darkness. It glided through the air, heading straight at Lucius who was preparing for the killing of Hermione.
The powerful paws of the tiger hit Lucius directly in the chest. It braced itself and Lucius was instantly winded. The tiger leapt again, this time taking a swipe at an unknown junior death eater.
"He's dead!" Hermione screamed, shaking Draco by the shoulders. "He's dead, he's dead, and he's dead!"
"No!" Harry, distracted, ran to Hermione and Draco, leaving the safety of the darkness behind.
Thank god for his cloak.
He knelt beside Draco and pressed his skull ring to the blonde boy's cold forehead. Nothing happened and for a moment Harry truly thought him to be dead.
Then, out of the blue, there was a sudden intake of breath and Draco's eyelids fluttered open.
"Get up!" Harry grunted, grabbing his friend by the front of the robes and yanking him to his feet. The sudden movement caused Harry's hood to fall back.
Harry looked up and his eyes caught Bellatrix's. She stared for a moment, her eyes growing wide, and then she started shouting in delight.
"Potter! Potter's here! Potter's here!"
Harry felt a sudden throb in his scar and he knew Voldemort was on his way.
"IMPEDIMENTA!" Harry sent Bellatrix and two other juniors flying back against the wall.
"Harry…" Lupin was sporting a broken arm.
"He's coming! We have to go!" Harry could feel the pain worsen steadily. He forced it back on Voldemort and suddenly the bubble shield outside weakened. Several more, older, death eaters entered through the front door.
"Sabi!" Blaise yelled and the tiger wheeled around and forced attack on the new arrivals.
PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Harry pointed his wand at Lucius who was recovering. His legs and arms snapped together and he became unable to move.
Harry span on his heel and stunned Crabbe and Goyle with one shot. His wand was making his magic more focused and therefore stronger.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" several wands flew into the air. Harry was indeed wreaking havoc toward the death eaters.
Harry sensed someone behind him.
"CRUCIO!" The man screamed.
Voldemort. Harry was shocked but he maintained the intensity of the curse.
"Everybody out!" he yelled to his allies. They ran for the door. A few stray death eaters blocked them but Harry used his free hand to cast the Tarantallegra spell on them. They fell over dancing.
Harry could feel his curse on Voldemort weakening so, abandoning magic; he shoved the murderer of his parents off balance and ran for the door. Green streaks of light followed him to the car where everyone was standing with their hands on the bonnet. Harry dived and touched the cold metal.
A familiar jerk behind his naval told him it was a portkey. They were spinning through colours and sound before landing, quite loudly due to the car, outside the quiet Grimmauld place.
Malfoy collapsed.
Sirius opened the door and ran onto the street. It was only then that Harry noticed Dumbledore with his hand on the car.
Very slowly, the order members helped each other inside the house.
Molly was in the dining room with Ron who, along with Claire, had been locked away in a room due to their alcohol consumption. Dumbledore must have been able to get them home early.
Molly uttered a soft scream when she saw the state of the group.
"I knew it was a bad idea!"
Kingsley, sporting a bleeding nose, carried Draco upstairs to his bed. The rest of the group, ignoring Molly's frustrated complaining, followed.
Dumbledore summoned Madam Pomfrey from Hogwarts and into to the room.
It wasn't long before Malfoy's bedroom was transformed into a hospital wing.
Harry sat on a chair in the corner watching the going ons. He and Hermione were the only ones who didn't need healing.
Molly had been running around the room in frantic mode, yelling at all the order members about letting the children out. Sirius finally snapped and told her to get out or shut up, her complaining wasn't going to fix them.
Dumbledore informed the Zabini's that their house would be placed under a proper secret charm and was at the moment being relocated to the other rich side of town, the west side.
"Remus has informed me that you were able to cast two spells at once" Dumbledore conjured up a chair beside Harry's.
"Huh? Oh yeah" Harry was jerked out of his daze; he'd been watching the window which was steadily getting lighter.
"And you cursed Voldemort?"
"Yeah, I didn't know it was him at the time, though"
"Your scar wasn't hurting?"
"I pushed the pain aside"
"You did well. Harry"
"Sir?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"You were there, why didn't you fight?"
Dumbledore frowned in thought.
"I arrived at the same time as Voldemort. When I saw the destruction you were causing on the death eaters behalf, I stood back and let you do your job. After all, it is your fight."
Harry smiled and stood up.
"I think I'll go and have a shower or something"
Harry left the room and walked downstairs. He was tired as hell but knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he knew Draco would be ok.
He walked down to the front hall and, without noticing, grabbed Jill, went outside and began to walk. He walked slowly around the block, waving to early morning joggers and watching the sun rising slowly over he buildings. He was thankful for the chill air on his face; it was keeping him awake.
The sun was well up when he and Sirius' pug dog returned home.
Harry stood at the door for a moment, savouring the fresh air and preparing himself for the blow he was going to get for leaving the house.
He knocked evenly on the door and a few minutes later Sirius opened it.
"Don't do this to us, Harry" he said sternly. But he looked relieved. "You know it's not your fault the death eaters and Voldemort showed up."
Harry was surprised.
"I know. I was only walking."
"And what would you have done if they showed up again?"
"Fought them. I did pretty well last night"
Sirius shook his head. "Just tell someone next time you go out."
Sirius led his godchild to the dining room where a few recovered members were eating bacon and eggs. The Zabini's had been sent home to their new location on the west side.
"Where were you, Harry?" Ron asked, his mouth full of food.
"Walking. Hows Malfoy?"
"He'll be fine" Kingsley informed him. "He's still asleep though."
"Here, have some breakfast"
Harry sat and accepted a plate of food from Molly.
When they were finished eating, most people retired to their rooms for a long awaited sleep.Review or I'll break your kneecaps!
Just Kidding! (Shakes fist)