Chapter Ten

Into the Fight

It was short, it was hunched, and it made a strange gurgling hissing sound. It's blacken claws scraped upon the hardwood floor of the hall, digging deep furrows upon it, long lines of saliva trailed from the wide mouth filled with rows of thick serrated teeth, and the stench of death wafted from it. The monster crouched at the entrance and it's mouth opened, letting out an ear splitting roar.

Harry picked himself off the floor where he had been thrown when the door exploded inward; he hastily brushed off a few splinters of wood off his coat and watched the creature. It's redden eyes locked upon Harry's and it roared again, lurching forward. Harry gripped his wand in his hand and waited, the monster made it a step forward and suddenly it began screaming.

It's body convulsed, thick cords of muscle beneath sickly gray skin bunching and shuddering. It flopped for a moment in the hall and suddenly erupted into blue flames. Harry nodded to himself and glanced to Dudley who was staring wide eyed at the charred and crackling monster. The blue flames vanished and the heavy smell of charred flesh hung in the air.

'W-what the hell was that?" Dudley stammered.

"That." Harry walked to the charred creature, nudging it with his boot. "That was a Feeder."

"A what?"

"Asedemon's cannon fodder. Stupid, strong, and deadly in close quarters. They were once Muggles, but Asedemon changed them somehow. Made them into monsters. Now they just kill, gather Asedemon's victims, and feast upon what's left afterward." Harry looked about, glancing at the walls and the ceiling. "The defenses are up." He said.

Dudley looked at the charred Feeder. "Bloody hell, Harry. You didn't tell me that kind of magic was built into our home." He shook his head and looked down the hall and out the shattered door. Upon the once emerald lawn he could see more creatures gathering, their roars and snarls clearly audible in the quiet street. "There's a lot more of those things. I think we should run, Harry."

Harry shook his head. "The house defensive spells are up. We can't portkey, we can't apparate, and we can't floo out of here." He closed his eyes. Hopefully Dennis would be able to get Hermione and Emily out of there. Hopefully this was the main attack…

Dudley stared at Harry. "You designed the defenses. Can't you un-design them?"

"You an bet those bastards have their own defensive spells over this house. We can't leave and the spell also won't let them come into the house. You saw the Feeder. They try coming in and they fry." He said.

Dudley let out a breath. "So we just sit tight? What about Angelica? Will she be all right?" There was an edge of hysteria in his voice now. He paced before the stairs, fists clenched and eyes continually glancing down the hall.

Harry gripped his wand until his knuckles cracked. Suddenly Joan appeared at the head of the stairs. "What's going on? I can't use my wand." She cried.

Dudley glanced at Harry again. "The defenses?" He asked, Harry nodded. Dudley sighed.

"What? No magic?" Joan asked horrified. She looked down at the wand in her hands and gave it a swish. Nothing happened and she stared back at Harry, fear clearly evident upon her face.

Harry opened his coat and dug within an inside pocket. From within he pulled out a long gleaming sword.

"What the hell are you going to do with that?" Dudley asked.

Harry swung the weapon experimentally, getting the feel of it. "Just in case." He replied.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Joan demanded. "Jelly's still out there. She's not protected by the house."

Dudley went to the cupboard under the stairs and dug around for a moment, he grunted with satisfaction and pulled out a heavy dark weapon. Harry raised an eyebrow at the shotgun. He hadn't known Dudley to be armed. Joan just glared at him.

"I told you to get rid of that thing." She said.

Dudley snorted, pulling out a box of ammunition and began loading. "Don't be daft, girl. You're wand's useless and those bastards might just storm the place. This house was never designed to be defended, you see those damn big windows in the living room? To hell with the burning magic of the house, if they want us dead enough they'll just throw everything at us and kill us. Didn't you see that damn monster, it doesn't need magic to rip us to shreds."

Harry nodded, he looked down the hall and toward the gathering monsters. There seemed to be more or them, all pacing back and forth, their triangular heads the color of yellowed ivory gleaming faintly in the morning sun.

"There's a reason swords aren't used anymore." Dudley was saying. Harry glanced at him and grinned.

"But this sword's magical. It can cut through most anything." Harry demonstrated by chopping at the charred Feeder. The blade effortlessly cut through the monster. Dudley nodded, unimpressed.

"Oh, sweet Merlin! They're coming!" Joan cried. Harry turned to the door and saw the Feeders suddenly begin charging for the house. He stepped back and raised his sword. The hall was narrow and they'd have to come by ones or twos, he could handle that.

The living room window suddenly exploded and several feeders crashed through, smashing into furniture and falling to the floor in a shower of glass.

Boom!

Harry winced as Dudley began shooting. He watched a Feeder get knocked back by a blast, a shower of torn flesh and broken bones and the Feeder lay motionless upon the floor. Joan grabbed a fireplace poker and stood behind Dudley, her normally happy and peaceful face contorted with rage and anger.

The first Feeder plunged into the hall, wide mouth opened and snarling. Harry snapped forward slicing diagonally and the Feeder collapsed to the floor, head parted in two. The next Feeder leaped over the two dead in the hall, moving incredibly fast and swiping downward. Harry ducked and felt a searing flash of pain across his left shoulder as the Feeder leaped over him and crashed into the stairs.

Harry pivoted on his heel and slashed vertically with his sword, parting flesh, muscle, and bone. The Feeder screamed, and then Harry ended it with a cut to the monster's throat. Harry turned to face the door again, the next Feeder postured upon the bodies of the two dead and let out a challenging snarl to Harry.

Harry snapped forward, his blade extended, the point piercing through the Feeder's open mouth and punching out through the back. With a fierce wrench Harry yanked the blade upward, rewarded a splash of wetness upon his face and a sickly crunching sucking sound as he pulled the blade free. The Feeder fell bonelessly upon the previous two. The one behind it was screaming and suddenly burst into flames.

Harry let out a bark of laughter. Thankfully the defenses were still up. Harry took a quick glance toward the living room. Dudley was standing in the door way, gun pointed at the window and firing away. Joan stood at his back, the fire poker clenched in her small hands.

"How are we doing?" Harry yelled.

"Peachy! Just Peachy!" Dudley yelled back, firing more shots.

"Watch out!" Joan screamed at Harry.

Harry staggered back as a Feeder fell upon him, his sword clattering to the floor. Joan was there a moment later, her fire poker smashing into the beast. Harry punched his fist into the Feeder's body, grunting as he hit hard flesh. The Feeder suddenly let out a gurgling scream and Harry felt fire in his shoulder as the Feeder fell limply upon him. He grunted and pushed it off, wiping something thick and black off his face an chest. He got to his feet with Joan's help, wiping his hands upon his coat.

"Thanks." Harry muttered, glancing back at the Feeder. The fire poker was jammed into the neck, thick black blood pooling upon the floor. Harry used his sleeve to clean more off of it from his face. "Thanks."

"That'll be hell to clean out of the carpets." Joan said, yanking the poker out.

Harry grunted and picked up his sword up off the floor and looked down the hall. There were no more Feeders, he glanced to Dudley and saw him hastily loading his gun. "Anymore?" He asked.

Dudley shook his head. 'Last one just burst into flames." He responded.

"Is it over?" Joan asked.

"I don't know." Harry looked about. There was a strange silence. He looked toward the lawn but saw nothing. Suddenly there was a wail.

Joan's head snapped toward the stairs. "Vernon." She cried and ran up the stairs.

Dudley began following her, but Harry stopped him. "They might be up there." Dudley cried.

Harry shook his head. "They can't. It's more protected up there than it is down here." He responded.

Dudley glanced at the bodies of the Feeders. "This was protected?"

"I didn't think that-" Harry began.

The house suddenly shuddered again. Dudley glanced to Harry. "That's bad right?"

"Yeah." Harry walked to the wall, but then stopped as another dark figure walked into house. The sunlight gleamed off its black armor and the heavy blade gripped in metal covered hand. Twin red eyes stared unblinkingly from behind a skull shaped helmet. It stood there for a moment, it's rasping labored breathing the only thing Harry could hear.

"Why isn't it bursting into flames." Dudley asked, glancing at Harry.

"Bloody hell." Harry cursed and then the armored figure attacked.

XXX

There was a terrible thundering sound, and then the house began to shake. Emily began to cry from the noise and from the fact that Hermione was clutching her tightly to her chest. It didn't help that Crookshanks was hissing violently or that Ron was trying to drag all three out of the kitchen.

The house shook again, a deep rumble that sent pictures falling off the wall and glass shattering upon the wooden floor. Hermione stumbled to her knees, bringing down Emily. Crookshanks ran off screeching, a ball of ginger and hair. Ron grabbed hold of Hermione's arm and tried dragging the two of them across the floor.

A roaring noise began outside, slowly rising to a high screech that had Hermione clutching her hands around Emily's ears and cringing with pain. Suddenly there was a loud Woosh and the air suddenly felt very thick. It felt as if a great pressure were making it harder and harder to breathe, as if the air itself was growing thicker. Then as quickly as the feeling came it was gone and Hermione nearly collapsed to the floor gasping with relief.

"What was that?" Ron asked, weakly getting to his feet.

Hermione quickly scanned Emily, noticing nothing injured and hurt upon her daughter. Emily stared up at her wide eyed, she had stopped crying and now just looked terribly frightened.

'The house defenses." Hermione said, carefully getting Emily to her feet. She swayed a moment, but clung tightly to Hermione's leg, still silent.

"We need to get out of here." Ron declared, pulling out his wand. "We need to get somewhere safe; somewhere we can get hold of the Aurors."

Hermione shook her head, glancing toward the front door. It looked so small and fragile, but she knew there was power and magic that made it stronger than any metal in the world. "We don't know how many creatures are out there. We don't know who's attacking us." Hermione said, pulling Emily so that she wrapped her arms around her neck and legs around her hips.

"We can't just stay in here." Ron exclaimed.

"There are wards and charms that are protecting this house. They're unbreakable. Hermione sighed, stroking Emily's hair. She felt her shuddering against her, fear coursing through her. "We stay here."

Ron paced across the rug in the living room, casting glances at the doors and windows. Morning light streamed in from them and low animal sounds were coming from beyond them. Hermione pushed down the irrational fear that the doors would be smashed open and the windows shattered. She knew what kinds of protective spells were layered around the house, but logic and knowledge held nothing against fear.

"C'mon, Emily." Hermione said carrying the small girl to her room. Emily clung tightly and began whimpering. "Shh. Don't cry. Just stay in here and we'll deal with this. Crookshanks will protect you." Hermione set her down in the middle of her room and Crookshanks, still expanded from moments before, yet moving with the grace of aging royalty. He immediately began purring and nudging Emily with his head, enticing Emily to pet him. The ploy worked as Emily sat down and began hugging Crookshanks, who began purring for all he was worth.

Hermione backed out of the room and headed back to the living room, where Ron was peering out of the window. There hadn't been any shakings or loud noises for a while, it seemed as if the creatures were planning out their next attack or waiting for reinforcements.

"I think they're planning their next move, either that or waiting for reinforcements." Ron said, echoing Hermione's thoughts. Ron clenched his wand and glanced back toward Hermione.

"Put your wand away." Hermione said, heading toward a closet. She pulled out a key and shoved it into a heavy lock.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"It won't work. There's a charm around the house. It won't let any magic be used inside the house." Hermione explained and began pulling out a large chest. "Any magic that's not mine."

Ron frowned but he shoved his wand into his robes and then helped Hermione pull out the large chest from the closet.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Weapons." Hermione said, using another key to open the chest. It gave a loud click and the top popped open, revealing a large variety of sharp pointed weapons.

"What are you doing with this stuff?" Ron asked, there was a little awe in his voice.

Hermione hesitated for a moment. "They were Harry's." She said. Ron's face immediately fell into a frown and his knuckles cracked as they clenched into fists. "When he left, he left behind a lot of items. I didn't know what to do with them, since most of them are kind of the pointy dangerous kind." Hermione reached down and pulled out a wicked looking single headed axe. "Most of these are magical weapons. They'd be dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands."

Ron shook his head, gingerly pulling the axe out of Hermione's hand. "You know how many statues and laws you're breaking just having a magical weapon?"

Hermione laughed weakly. "I guess it's good that I know several Aurors." She said.

Ron hefted the axe and frowned. He reached out and pulled out a thick bladed curved sword. There was a small tag at the bottom and he read it out loud. "Hamilicar's Deathbringer. Can cut through almost anything, when used upon humans causes instant death, indestructible." Ron gingerly set the sword back into the chest. "Merlin's Beard, Hermione. Most of this stuff is illegal as hell." Ron continued to heft the axe. "I'll take this one. This at least will only cut through any living flesh." He shook his head.

Hermione pulled out a large oval shield, which had a rearing lion upon the front. "Here take this too. Harry said it could repel any magic, including a Killing Curse." She quickly closed the chest and then shoved it back into the closet. "Well. Now we'll be ready if they somehow manage to take out the charms." Hermione sighed and leaned against the wall.

Ron quickly divested himself of his weapons and wrapped his arms around Hermione. "It'll be okay." He said.

Hermione let out a snort. "There's a reason I never went to be an Auror, even though it seemed to be all the rage when we were graduating. I don't like the fighting. With words, of course, but not the physical kind." Hermione shook her head.

"It's all Harry's fault." Ron said.

Hermione sighed, pulling away from Ron. "I think we'd best see what's going on outside. They're been a little quiet." Hermione said, heading for the window. Ron followed a moment later carrying axe and shield.

"I feel stupid." He muttered after a while.

"It looks like they're just sitting around." Hermione said.

"Waiting for reinforcements?" Ron set the weapons down upon Hermione's couch and looked out the window.

"Who are they?" Hermione asked, gesturing toward two figures standing in the distance. Hermione could only make out the bright crimson and the obvious female form of one and the billowing black cloak of the other. Both stood well behind the mass of hunched black toothed creatures that prowled the lawn. They stood eerily still, their robes and cloaks fluttering in a soft breeze.

"I'm guessing the bad guys." Ron said, blowing out a breath. "What are they waiting for?"

"Harry." Hermione whispered.

Ron glanced at her. He didn't say anything, but Hermione could see the I told you so look barely restrained. "Damn. They're going to ambush him when he gets here." Ron said after a moment.

"We have to do something." Hermione said.

"Have you seen how many creatures there are out there?" Ron used his axe to point toward the window. "Scores of them."

"We need to do something." Hermione said.

"How do you even know if he'll be coming?" Ron demanded.

Hermione was quiet for a moment. "He'll come." She said finally and hoped that it were true. Why did she expect him to come to her rescue? For some illogical reason she assumed he would know when she was in danger and come to her rescue. He'd done that when Voldemort had captured her. He'd come then and he'd come now.

"It looks like they've gotten tired of waiting." Ron said.

Suddenly the house shook again and the monsters began throwing themselves against the barricades around the house.

Hermione gripped her wand tightly, glancing back toward Emily's room. He would come. If not for her, then for his daughter.

There was a loud screaming and the crashing of glass. Hermione looked up to see a monster clawing it's way into the living room. The charms had been broken.

"Bloody hell." Hermione cursed and the monster launched itself at her.

XXX

Nausea and disorientation. That's what he always felt when he used a portkey. It was worst than apparating. At least there you knew where you were going, you focused on where you were going. Portkeying was a blind jump into the unknown, a physical yanking of the body from one location to another.

Neville Longbottom clamped down on his rising gorge and tried to shake away the feeling as if the world was flip flopping before him. He knew it would go away, but there were times when it really hit him. Instead he concentrated upon his surroundings.

They were standing in a small opening within a thick wood. The stands of oak, and yew rose up around them, the smell of freshly crushed grass, thyme, and rosemary filled the air, the sounds of birds chirping, branches creaking, and grass swaying sounded around them. The air was cool and the sun was still hidden toward the east behind the tall stand of trees.

"Where are we?" Neville asked.

"Don't know." Dennis replied roughly. "Be quiet and follow." Without looking back Dennis began heading into the trees.

"Where-" Neville began, but Dennis held up a hand. After a moment he continued on, again not looking to see if Neville was following.

They continued in silence for a long moment. Neville glanced around. The woods didn't seem familiar, but then again it had been a long time since he'd spent an enjoyable day trekking through woods. He frowned at the thought. He was not on a enjoyable trek, there was something going on. Something that involved a powerful enemy, several dead people, and an old friend, who just happened to be in trouble.

It did sound like something Harry would be involved in. Sadly, it was like old times. Someone in trouble, a big baddie after them, and lots of fighting. Neville clenched his wand. He never liked the old times. Too much fighting, too much dying, too much terror and horrors.

Neville nearly collided with Dennis. He looked around the younger man and saw that they had come to a clearing. A large cottage sat in the center of the clearing, made of heavy stone and wood. There was a small garden and several decorative plants surrounding the house, along with a large oak tree with a swing and a small pond. It looked peaceful and lovely, if not for the scores of monsters snarling upon the short grass the surrounded the cottage.

"I guess we're here." Neville muttered.

Dennis nodded silently. His eyes were cold and his face was hard. It was as if the pain of losing his only brother had been buried behind a wall of steel. Neville worried that he might be plotting revenge.

In Neville's experience, people looking for revenge tended to be the most dangerous people to fight alongside. They didn't care if they died or if you died, only that they got their revenge. He'd already had enough of that when fighting alongside Harry and Ron. Looking at Dennis, he worried it was about to happen again.

"You see that big guy in the black?" Dennis suddenly asked.

Neville squinted, but spotted the figure in billowing black robes, standing out starkly on the emerald grass. Beside him stood a woman dressed in bright crimson, Neville could only compare the color to freshly spilled blood.

"He's Asedemon." Dennis said. "The woman's Lyndred. She goes by the title the Blood Queen."

"What's Asedemon's title?" Neville asked.

"The Death Lord."

Neville shook his head. Not much thought put into the titles they gave themselves. The names themselves were also probably self-given, Dark Lords and Witches tended to make up new names to fit their new personas. Names to strike fear and terror in their victims.

"What are they waiting for?" Neville asked, watching as the monster just milled about.

"Harry." Dennis replied. "But he's not coming until the Dursleys are safe."

Neville nodded. "It looks like it's up to us to do something." He regretted the words once they were out.

"We fight. We do as Harry said. Get Hermione and the girl and head back to the House." Neville noticed Dennis' eyes hadn't left where Asedemon was standing. "They're attacking."

Neville watched as the monsters began rushing the house. Showers of colors and sparks flew as they hit spells, charms, and wards the were protecting the cottage. Neville wondered how long it would last under such relentless attack.

"Come on." Dennis cried, grabbing Neville's sleeve and apparating.

"Bloody hell!" Neville cried as the woods vanished away.

XXX

"Is that All!" Ron screamed as he smashed the axe into the withering form of a monster. It gave a gurgling sound and lay still, it's claws still twitching minutely upon the hardwood floor.

Hermione looked up, brushing her hair out of her line of vision and saw Ron. His face was flushed, his eyes wild, and his red hair surrounded him like a halo of fire. The lion shield covered his left arm and the bloodied axe was being waved in his right. He had a half mad snarl pasted to his face and she could almost see him shivering with barely held back aggression.

Definitely the barbarian conqueror. Hermione thought, nudging the fried body of a monster. The wand may have been Ron's weapon of choice, but he seemed to fare very well with the axe, striking fiercely and efficiently, like a dance of death. She wondered where he learned to use the weapon.

Ginny had once said that Ron had gotten a little obsessed with his training. He had become even worst than Harry had at the height of the War. Training day and night to become better and stronger. Who he was training to fight was a mystery; Harry had been training to fight Voldemort, but Ron? Hermione didn't want to ask, but she could only think of one person who Ron would be training to fight. Harry.

She watched him as he wiped the dark blood of the monster upon his robes, his eyes scanning the broken window for anymore monsters. She felt a shiver of fear. What was with her and choosing the dangerous men?

"Bloody cowards!" Ron spat. "They're scared."

Hermione was about to rebuff him, but something caught her ear. The sounds of fighting. Someone fighting using magic…

Harry!

Hermione rushed back into the kitchen, pulling open the blinds that covered the kitchen window. Outside she could see two figures battling the monsters. Her heart was beating rapidly and she looked at the faces. Disappointment.

"What the hell are Neville and Dennis Creevey doing here?" Ron asked.

"It looks like help's just arrived." Hermione said.

They both watched as the monster began to pour around them, covering them from all sides. They'd be killed if they weren't helped. Ron threw open the kitchen door and began running to help.

"Bloody hell!" Hermione snarled, following him.