Title: Harry Potter And The Walkers
Author: ENSIGN
Chapter 09 – Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumber
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED R DUE TO THE DISCRIPTIVE VIOLENCE INVOLVED.
It was finally Halloween morning and as per Dumbledore's wishes, Harry was to help out by patrolling the streets of Diagon Alley. Not that he needed the request, he was planning on patrolling no matter what.
Thankfully this being a Sunday, no one was going to notice him missing. Except his close friends of course. Then again they had been taken care off. Both Hermione and Ron had insisted they accompany him. However through endless arguing he had convinced them that their presence in Hogsmead was much more useful. Both he and Dumbledore had suspected that since it was a Hogsmead weekend, Voldemort might attack the wizarding town as well.
After much planning with the Order they had decided to proceed with the outing instead of canceling it. To do so might have alerted Voldemort to them having knowledge of his plans. This was why one third of the Order was also patrolling the town, in disguises of course.
Thus Harry too found himself under a hooded cloak, both to hide his face and assortment of weapons worn beneath. He hummed to himself as he strolled down the street, everyone in a while popping into stores to have a look at their sales.
As Harry passed by a brightly colored shop, two red heads emerged from within it. Immediately flanking him the guiding him down the alley.
"Greetings Harry."
"Mate."
"Buddy."
"Pal." Came the twin's customary dialog.
"Fred, George." Harry greeted. "Shouldn't you two be on duty now, instead of flanking me?"
"Never mind that Harry."
"Come walk with us." The twins proceeded to lead the Walker towards Zonko's joke shop.
"Ah, Zonko's." George voiced in slight reverence at the joke shop as he, his twin and Harry stopped before it.
"Spent many years in there we did." Fred said picking up the conversation as they normally did.
"Buying."
"Selling."
"Scheming."
"It's a place we all hold in awe, Harry." George said emphatically.
"It's where we all grew up."
"Apart from the Burrow of course." George nodded.
"Good old Zonko." Fred raised his hand, turned and saluted the joke shop.
"A true genius."
"A great wizard of his time."
"His inventions changed the world they did." Fred chimed.
"Yes, I'm sure he was." Harry said as he rolled his eyes. "Are you hinting at something?"
"Who us?" Fred turned as stared at the greed eyed boy in mock horror.
"Never!" George continued.
"So the fact that you two have just bought out Zonko's joke shop in Diagon Alley, has nothing to do what so ever with him being a great wizard?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Now, now, Harry."
"Zonko may have been."
"A great wizard. But." Fred left the sentence hanging.
"No one said his descendants."
"Were gonna be great." George finished for him.
"So? What's this got to do with me?" Harry stopped and inclined his head to get a better view of the now shut joke shop. Both glass doors were closed with a huge poster across it displaying the words, "SOLD to Weasley Wizard's Wheezes."
"Well mate." George exclaimed as he slapped his back.
"Buddy."
"Pal."
"Since you were the, oh so generous."
"Kind."
"Caring."
"Understanding."
"Get on with it." Harry snapped, slightly irritated.
The twins however paid no attention to his comment. "Partner, who forced the gold upon us. We."
"The Weasleys."
"Of Weasley Wizard's Wheezes."
"Have decided."
"To make you a partner." The twins grinned at the now scowling Walker.
"I ref…" Harry was cut off.
"Now, now Harry."
"It was you after all."
"That forced all that gold on us."
"And besides."
"You can't refuse, as we have already written out the contracts."
"Did it last year."
"Without your knowledge of course."
"You wouldn't have let us."
"So we went ahead." They both spoke out together with mischievous grins.
"But…" The green eyed boy protested.
"No buts, Harry."
"Partner."
"Investor."
"Contributor."
Harry sighed as he massaged his temples. "I'd advice you to get back to your shop. We'll talk about this later." He turned and walked away mumbling to himself.
He passed by Madam Malkins and gave a slight nod of recognition to Kingsley Shacklebolt who was positioned outside the store. The man gave a slight nod of his head. He had been observing the street by reflection of the store's glass display window.
The auror had been able to secure a number of confirmed loyal men to be on standby for immediate dispatch once the attack took place.
As it slowly approached midday the amount of shoppers increased. Families taking their younger children out for lunch or parents doing a bit of early Christmas shopping. Apparently most of the wizarding population was still under the denial that Voldemort would attack big targets and instead concentrate on building up his army.
Harry sighed. Either that or they had a lot of faith in the Ministry. Harry snorted at the idiotic comment. 'Well, guess today's attack gonna change that thought.'
The plan was that as soon as the attack begun the Order members would immediately start portkeying the shoppers out to Hogwarts hospital wing. They would then return via portkey to aid in the battle. The Order had spent the last few days erecting wards over the alley to prevent large scale explosions from occurring.
Just then Harry spotted a black cloaked figure exiting a small shop that sold miscellaneous trinkets. Discretely signaling to the closest Order member, who was Tonks, he begun to trail the target.
Tonks in no time joined up with him and whispered a quick greeting. Harry nodded in acceptance and pointed out the person.
Tonks nodded and left to inform the rest of the aurors and Order to get ready just in case.
Harry picked up his pace and slowly closed the distance. When he was about fifteen feet away the man suddenly changed course and turned into Knockturn Alley.
Harry in a sudden moment of stupidity decided to follow. What happened next was unexpected.
As he turned round the corner, bright light filled his vision as rocks and debris pummeled him. Of course he barely registered this as he was thrown back from the force of the explosion and straight through the display window of an opposite store.
XXXXX
"Oh sure, he gets to go kick DE's behind, while we stay here and protect the midgets." Ron complained as both he and Hermione exited the Three Broomsticks.
"Honestly, Ron. You should know by now we are not trained enough and furthermore, Harry's right. The attack in Diagon Alley might not be the only one."
As soon as Hermione said this, she was confirmed right. Screams were heard from up the road. Immediately wands were drawn as both DA members rushed towards the screams.
"Head for shelter, go into the shops." Ron shouted at the passing students.
As the two rounded the corner they came in upon a group of five aurors battling twelve Death Eaters. Pulling Hermione behind an upturned table, Ron sent off Stunners in the Death Eater's direction.
It didn't look good as the aurors were pinned down inside a shop and were slowly being overwhelmed by the barrage of spells.
"Serratio!" Hermione yelled out and a green light flashed from her wand. The unlucky Death Eater was struck in the leg and screamed in agony as the curse ripped a good sized chunk out of it.
Seeing this, two other Death Eaters started firing curses their way as well. Ron sent two Death Eaters flying by a nicely placed Reducto to the ground before them.
This unfortunately gave the black cloaked men an idea, soon the same curse came hurtling towards them. Ron's eyes widened as he realized this. Instantly he grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her away.
The exploding curse impacted and sent splinters of wood everywhere. Ron screamed as a large piece stabbed him in his thigh. The pain was short lived as Ron's vision cleared and he saw Hermione lying before him out cold.
"Oh Merlin! Mione. Wake up!" Ron Panicked as his enervate spell failed to rouse Hermione.
Calming himself, he quickly checked for her breathing, finding that she was still breathing properly, he relaxed as bit. Ron's distraction however cost him as he suddenly felt a wave of weakness pass over him before he too, blacked out.
XXXXX
Harry slowly opened his eyes only to be met with darkness. He groaned as he remembered the explosion. Outside the shop he could hear screaming and the shouting of spells. Pops indicated both the now disabled anti apparition wards and the arrival of new fighters.
Remembering that he constantly wore a blindfold he concentrated slightly. Immediately the world came into view. Turning his head slowly left than right he saw that he had crashed head first into a watch shop. He was currently covered in glass shards and time pieces.
Scowling he whipped out his phoenix feather wand and swept it over himself, "Vitalis." He muttered. A diagnosis of his injuries flooded into his mind, fractured ribs, punctured lung, shattered tibia, minor concussion and eighteen bruises on various parts of his body. 'Ouch.' He thought as he willed the injuries away.
Standing up he discarded his cloak. Emerald green robes and assortment of weapons and armor lay beneath. Holding his wand in his left he drew out the sword with his right. Cracking his neck, he jumped out of the shop and straight into the middle of a war zone.
Harry immediately ducked as a stunned Death Eater flew over him. He looked around and saw that many people were already portkeyed out to safety. Across the street he saw a small sized crated dug into the cobbled road. Apparently the wards had worked and managed to contain most of the explosion.
The street was littered with either, the wounded, dying or dead. Throughout this the Order, ministry and Death Eaters dueled it out by jumping all over the place. Wounded aurors were tossed portkeys to send them to either St Mungo's or Hogwarts.
He stunned three Death Eaters in quick succession and ran one through with his sword. Ripping his it out, he turned to engage in another duel when he caught a jet of green light out from the corner of his eyes. He quickly ducked. The killing curse narrowly grazed his back armor and hit the man who was about to engage him.
Harry quickly stood up and whirled in the direction of a curse and subconsciously summoned up a shield. The spell, a nasty flame curse bounced off at an angle in which it struck a nearby approaching Death Eater.
He lifted his wand and fired off a strong disarming curse towards his new opponent followed by a flesh eating curse. Predictably the man dodged the first spell only to run in the path of the second. His opponent never got the chance to scream, the blood loss and pain knocked him out.
Harry turned around and saw Tonks dueling with someone, while Moody banished a Death Eater into a wall. Kingsley was going up against a new opponent as he had dispatched of his old one. McGonagall was on one the end of the street facing off against a team of five. She appeared to be winning with her use of transfigured animals at her command. Her watched as one of her animated statues struck a Death Eater upside the head. Another a few meters away, a Death Eater that had just killed an auror raised his wand and uttered the words, "Avada Kedavra".
Instinct took over as he apparated to her left. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the green light heading towards him. Strongly he shoved her out of the way as the light brushed past her and hit one of the opponents she was dueling.
"Detrunco! Infligo! Cariosus!" He cursed the three remaining men. One screamed as inch deep incisions appeared all over his body, the next lost his wand arm in an explosion of blood and the last dropped his wand as the skin on his body started to rot and decay.
"Harry, what was that last curse you used?" Minerva questioned as he pulled her to her feet. "It looked dark."
"A compost charm, professor. I find most everyday charms pretty useful in a battle situation." To prove his point Harry pointed his wand at a nearby Death Eater and summoned his shoe with a simple "Accio". This caused the man to trip headlong into a brick wall, effectively knocking himself unconscious.
Nearby the Weasley twins were working in perfect synchronization as the hexed and cursed their victims. Harry felt a slight pang of pity for the Death Eaters they were up against. He stepped over one of their victims. The man had tentacles sprouting out from his head and had apparently received an extra pair of arms. That and his robes had been charmed to flash the words, "Work of Weasley Wizard Wheezes." Harry chuckled at the twin's unusual method of advertisement.
"Impedimenta." Harry muttered under his breath. No sooner after he fired the curse he teleported away. When he appeared a few meters away from his previous location, he saw his target move out of the way and turned around to face him.
"Malleolus." The man under the hood whispered a spell which fired small number of flaming arrows at him. Harry teleported.
"Fulguritus Fulger Fulmen." Harry said when he reappeared behind the Death Eater. With satisfaction, he saw the bolt of lightning connect his target before electrocuting and probably frying him. The man screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through his body.
Harry raised an eyebrow when the man didn't collapse, instead a curse was sent his way. He had pick a powerful opponent, one who had the brains to cast a shield spell to reduce the damage. Harry simply batted the Reducto curse away with his sword when it was inches from him.
"Stupefy!" Harry shouted putting a considerable amount of power behind the spell. The sheer power caused a few weaker people to faint when the spell shot by them. With satisfaction Harry saw that the man wouldn't be able to dodge the spell.
His satisfaction turned to surprise when the spell vanished inches from his target. The power behind the Death Eater's shield spell, made him concerned that this was not going to be a cake walk.
'Than again.'
Harry concentrated, a red ball of energy materialized in his hand. Flinging it towards the now surprised Death Eater he teleported away to avoid a bone crushing curse from his left.
"Clipeatus!" A yellowish shield erupted from the man's wand. Surprised turned to horror as the energy attack cleaved through the magical shield. Harry only spared the now doomed man a glimpse as flames consumed his body.
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry jumped sideways as another Death Eater turned his wand on him. Disapparating in mid air, Harry reappeared just before the Death Eater and planted a strong kick upon his chest. The man yelped in surprise and Harry took this opportunity to plunge his sword into him.
"Explodra!" Harry ducked as a red beam of light passed over his head and struck to wall behind him. A minor explosion shook the ground as the advance exploding hex caused the structure's integrity to fail.
The explosion had immediately caught the attention of people nearby as they apparated away to avoid the collapsing bricks. In a sweeping motion, a ripple of air blasted forth from Harry's arm knocking the falling wall away from him.
"Accio!" Harry summoned one of the fallen bricks. At the last possible moment he tilted his head. The Brick flew past and impacted the head of one of Moody's opponents.
The grizzled auror turned around and gave a thankful nod to Harry. "Brilliant choice of spell laddie." Mad eye growled as he too began summoning bricks to aid him.
Still even with the presence of the experienced Order members as well as Harry's presence, the Death Eaters were slowly winning. Every man he struck down, another popped in to replace him. Growling in frustration Harry waved his wand in a complex motion before slashing it in the direction of a group of newly apparated Death Eater. Before they had managed their first curse, the magical wave blasted them off their feet and into a wall.
Concentrating, Harry focused on gathering a pool of mana within him. Constantly moving out of the way of spells as he fashioned an anti apparition ward. Every once in a while his sword struck out to slash a victim. The spell finished, he forced it out into his palm.
A glowing ball of white shone as he held it above his head. Dropping to one knee, with force, he slammed his palm, face down into the ground.
A white glow rippled away from him and across the entire vicinity of Diagon alley. Immediately the fighters sensed something was wrong when apparition became impossible.
With the Death Eater's reinforcements and escape cut off, Harry stood and begun cursing with renewed vigor. "Difflo! Detrunco! Confervefacio! Malleolus! Excessus!". The first man lost his wand arm as it blew apart, nearby people were showered in flesh and bone. The victim still too surprised to notice, had his leg ripped off as the second curse hit. Another scratched and cried as his skin melted off from the dark curse. The third dropped his wand and clutched his shoulder as a flaming arrow pinned him to a wooded door. The final victim dropped dead as a variation of the killing curse struck him in the chest.
"What was that? It wasn't Avada was it?" A nearby auror questioned him.
"No." Harry stated as he threw a dagger at a Death Eater sneaking up on the auror. "There are more than one type of killing curse. Avada's the only one that can't be blocked."
"Excessus!"The auror mimicked Harry's wand movements and fired the curse at a nearby Death Eater. The curse connected but the man turned around and fired a nasty flame curse back.
"Watch out! Inardesco!" Harry said as he pulled the auror away and threw a flame curse back. The cloaked man's attire kindled and soon a flaming fireball was running through Diagon alley.
"Don't attempt spells you don't know. They probably wouldn't work." Harry advised as he pulled the obviously trainee auror behind a barrel of dragon liver. "I advice you stay here and use this as shelter." He pointed at the barrel. "I'll cast a few protection charms to help. It wouldn't stop stronger curses, so if a powerful one comes, run. Got it?"
The auror nodded and Harry left him to move back into the open.
"Crucio!" Harry silently questioned himself at why was it the Death Eaters always had to shout out the incantations of the unforgivables so loudly.
The shout was followed by screams from a woman auror up ahead. Harry teleported as the anti apparition ward didn't restrict its use.
Appearing behind the man, Harry ran his sword across the back of the offending Death Eater and kicked him aside. Quickly reaching into his robes he threw a portkey at the shivering auror. Silently whispering the password, "Home sweet home." He sent the shaking woman to Hogwarts hospital wing.
By now the Death Eater were being pushed back and had gathered into a large group of probably thirty. They had managed to summon tables and other forms of barriers to provide them shelter. Auror spells rained upon them but were either absorbed or reflected by protective charms placed upon the barriers.
Harry dispatched of his latest opponent with a swift backhand and jogged to the Order and aurors covering behind a hastily set up blockade. Ducking behind an upturned table he questioned McGonagall. "Where's Dumbledore?"
"He received word that Hogsmead is under attack and left to support the aurors there." McGonagall shouted over the din.
Harry nodded to show his understanding "What's the situation here?"
"So far three order members down. Twenty aurors as well."
"How many," Harry paused to fire a curse over table. "Confirmed dead."
McGonagall coughed and gave a look saying "What kind of question is that?" "Mr. Potter. I don't believe you just asked that."
"How many? Expelliarmus." Harry ignored her as he shot the disarming hex.
"Elphias Doge and I think twelve of the downed aurors." McGonagall chocked as she mentioned Elphias Doge's name.
Harry nodded, he had remembered Elphias as one of the order members who had escorted him to Grimmauld Place before his fifth year. Apparently McGonagall had been pretty close to that particular member.
"I'm Sorry, Professor." Harry laid a hand on her shoulder. "However I need you to help me now."
The professor's brows furrowed in question.
"I need you to cover me. Use the Flamma flame curse. It should stop them casting spells for a few seconds." Harry asked as he jerked his thumb in the direction of the Death Eaters.
"What are you going to do Harry." The transfiguration professor suddenly sounded worried.
"Nothing bad." Harry grinned. "For us anyway." The professor gave him a skeptical look.
"Ready?" Harry didn't give the witch a chance to reply as the vaulted over the blockade. Seconds after he had cleared the pieces of wood he heard a scream of, "Harry you idiot!" from Remus who was also there a few feet from where he was before. This was followed by a shouted "Flamma!" a roaring sound not unlike a dragon sounded as a blazing inferno streamed pass his cloak and engulfed the Death Eaters blockade in flames.
As planned, all spells stopped. No one was positively foolish enough to appear before the fires to cast any.
Stabbing his sword between two stone tiles on the road, Harry holstered his first and withdrew his second wand. A muttered incantation later, a magnificent staff was in his hand. The diamond atop it flaring in brightness.
In the flash of light Harry had undergone a transformation. His hair had grown longer, his height taller and from his back now protruded a pair of golden avian wings.
Harry unfolded his wings fully, the feathers unaffected by the blazing heat nearby. Blindfold now visible he turned his head. Standing tall and proud was his Transfiguration professor. Wand clutched in her right hand, she moved the wand slowly side to side, covering as much of the Death Eaters barrier as possible. Sweat covered her forehead as she poured all her remaining power into holding up the spell.
In a wide sweeping motion Harry dragged has staff over the Order's blockage. "VOCO ANCILE SUPERUS!!!" Harry roared as the staff's diamond erupted even further in white light as a brilliant golden shield encompassed the blockage. The Walker smiled as he watched the shield unfold. It had been his second greatest invented spell, he was planning to teach it to his friends when they were ready.
As the shield flared into existence McGonagall seemed to know her help wasn't needed anymore, she lowered her wand before collapsing onto a nearby auror.
Seeing that the witch was safe, Harry raised his staff yet again. Anger coursed through him as he brought up memories of the night in the Department of Mysteries. Anger at Bellatrix. Anger at Voldemort. Anger at Dumbledore. He focused on it and allowed his mind to stew upon it. Yet at the same time he focused visually on the dying tongues of flames creeping and crawling over the wood ahead of him. Slipping into a semi trance like state he begun to feel power coursing into his body.
A hot fiery swirling vortex of heat danced within his chest. Forcing his anger as fuel for his latest spell he began to shape the mana. Snapping out of the trance he spotted a few heads showing over the blockade.
Holding out his arm, palm faced towards them, he narrowed his eyes and a malicious grin appeared on his face. Eyes widened as some of the Death Eater had figured out what was going to happen. "RAH!!!" with a shout of fury Harry expelled the energy from his body at an extremely high velocity.
His arm shook and his body was forced back from the extreme recoil. Only the most observant of fighters caught the red streak of light emitted from his hand.
Within a millisecond a tremendous explosion ripped from the Death Eater's blockade. Bodies were thrown into the air, blood splattered the walls, buildings nearby collapsed from the shockwave and screams were heard. Flames erupted and consumed anything flammable. The shock wave was so intense that some aurors who refused to duck were knocked off their feet.
A few seconds after the blast, Dust hung in the air as splinters, wood chunks, stone and bricks continued raining down upon Diagon alley. The aurors and Order members stared at the destruction from the safety of the shield erected.
Harry himself stood before them, unmoving, his eyes slowly analysis the new situation they were in. Debris bounced off an invisible shield that enveloped him.
As the mist cleared, the first sight was the five meter wide blast crater in the ground, limbs lay scattered across the street and all around the blast crater lay the bodies of moaning or dead Death Eaters. Behind him an auror lost his breakfast at the sight of an impaled Death Eater on one of the many lampposts of Diagon alley.
Gasps of horror and disgust were let out as the people witnessed the destruction and death that had been dealt out. Harry dispersed the shield and some aurors begun to approach him.
"Get back." He commanded. "There're still more." His eyes narrowed as he stared at a particular barrel of newt eyes not far from the blast zone.
"Why don't you and you little friends come out and join us." He called out.
"Avada Kedavra!" A bolt of green light shot out from behind the barrel. Harry easily sidestepped it.
A figure emerged from behind the barrel. A figure that instantly made Harry's blood boil. "Bellatrix!" He spat out her name.
For a moment Bellatrix looked shaken but she instantly concealed it with a sadistic grin. "Has wee Potter found himself some new tricks."
Harry pushed his fury aside as he concentrated on the witch before him. She had now walked out into the open to face him.
"Why don't you ask you friends out to join us." Harry stared straight at the woman as he waved his hand to his left.
"Yes, little ickle Potter wants more friends to play with, come on out men. Lets give wittle Potter some friends to play with." She taunted as she motioned with her hands. Slowly six remaining Death Eaters crept out from behind over turned tables and a few from an alley in which they had taken cover from the explosion.
They reluctantly congregated behind Bellatrix in a show of support.
"Well, well, well. So this is how its gonna end, huh? Harry suppressed his anger and smiled at his godfather's murderer.
"I, Bellatrix Elisa Black Lestrange, hereby challenge Harry James Potter to a binding wizard's duel." Bellatrix called out.
"So since you can't win, you decided to at least take me down. Huh?" Harry stated as he took a step towards her.
"No! Harry, don't do it." Remus could be heard calling out.
"Yes. Harry, listen to the mangy werewolf who denies you revenge on your dear aunt Bella." Bellatrix taunted.
Harry ignored Remus shouts as he was held back by other members of the Order. Harry stared on with a neutral face. Inwardly he was a torrent of anger. The sight of the bitch had instantly brought up the memories again. "I, Harry James Potter, accept Bellatrix Elisa Black Lestrange's challenge to a binding wizard's duel."
Bellatrix's grin grew. "The dark lord would honor me for taking you down Potter."
"We'll see." Harry said as he made a note not to use Walker type spells. A wizard's duel only allowed wizarding magic. In other words raw mana spells on a wizard's level.
Both duelers leveled their wand/staff at each other and shifted into a Dueling position. "Don't ya wanna see your aunt Bella's face when you duel her wee ickle Harrie." Bellatrix said indicating his still present blind fold.
"I don't wish to aunt Bella." Harry spat the last two words.
At the same time both shouted. "I hereby summon the avatars of our wands/staff to oversee this magical duel that is to take place." Harry snorted at the irony of it as a unicorn sprouted from the tip of Bellatrix's wand.
Bellatrix's eyes widened and whispers were heard behind him as Harry's avatar emerged from his staff. An exact replica of Harry in mist form glided around the dueler. All eyes were looking on the avatar in horror.
All features were just like the present Harry except the avatar was covered with flowing ragged robes. Cold emotionless eyes passed over the duelers and spectators. The figure stopped behind Harry, its robes blowing in an unfelt wind. An immediate feeling of uneasiness swept over those present in Diagon alley.
"Impossible." Bellatrix was starting to look unsure now. "You can't be your own avatar."
"I assure you, I can. Rules?" Harry whispered in a low deadly voice.
Bellatrix seemed to push her fear down. "Anything goes. Last one standing wins."
Harry waved his staff, reconfiguring the anti apparition wards to his and Bellatrix's magical signature. "Agreed."
"Avada Kedavra!" She shouted and a massive beam of green light slammed into the ground, leaving a scorched mark where Harry had once been standing.
"Crucio!" Harry retaliated, and the red beam sliced through the air. Bellatrix's eyes widened at first, but she sidestepped it. "So ickle Potter has learned how to cast the crucie curse now." She called out before apparating.
Harry jabbed his staff. "Avada Kedavra!"
The Death Eater ducked and it hit a surviving table. The table blew apart sending shrapnel everywhere.
Harry set up a shield as Bellatrix retaliated with a dark flesh eating curse. It slammed into the shield causing both to cancel each other out.
Harry's hand swung his staff and fired a simple Flippendo.
Bellatrix apparated away and shot a blasting curse at his head.
"Avis!" Harry cried out. A flock of birds flew out from his staff. The birds flew in the curse's path. In a explosion of feathers the curse was blocked.
Bellatrix immediately followed through with a piercing curse. The yellow spell as its name indicated pierced through the birds and narrowly missed Harry.
Quickly brandishing his staff, Harry slashed towards his opponent. The powerful pillar of light rebounded off a hastily created shield spell into a wall. White light flared and where the wall once used to be was now a large gaping hole.
"Cremo!" A pulsing ball of energy flew from Bellatrix's wand. It homed in on Harry, who immediately apparated away. When he reappeared, he witnessed the spot he just vacated burst into flames, too soon he had to dissaparate again as Bellatrix sent the killing curse.
Harry appeared behind the woman and whipped his staff at her. Steel cables shot out and begun binding the Death Eater. Bellatrix struggled for a second before she managed to move her wand. The cables turned to paper in which she tore out off.
Harry focused on the image of a snake and shouted, "Serpensortia!" with a bang and a flash of light on enormous python shot out from his staff. "Bind her" Harry hissed.
"Evanesco" Bellatrix pointed her wand at the snake causing it to vanish.
"Flamma!" Harry invoked the earlier used inferno spell covering Bellatrix in a torrent of flames.
"Ignigena!" He heard from behind him. Harry instinctively apparated, a glob of superheated lava missing him barely. Popping into existence above the Death Eater in mid air. Harry whispered a silent levitation spell to hold him afloat.
Waving his staff to cast a series of spell which the wand/staff patterns complimented one another, he set off a combination of spells. "Cethegus! Moribundus! Malleolus! Vitiositas! Leucuspis!" Three curses, all lethal and one fire arrow flew at Bellatrix as three glowing white layer of shields appeared around Harry.
Bellatrix's head snapped up and she jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the first two killing curses and the third a skin rotting spell. The arrow however moving faster had struck her in the shoulder.
"Aqua! Evanesco! Sano Curatio!" She put out the flames with a stream of water, vanished the arrow and healed the wound. Rolling out of the way, she avoided a piercing curse sent by Harry.
"Stupefy!" Pressed for time she fired off the fastest spell she could perform. Harry allowed the spell to hit his shield. The first shell flickered out as it absorbed the curse. "Crucio!" Bellatrix followed up.
Harry tilted his torso to the side as the curse dissipated his remaining two shields and continued on. Harry swore and apparated as he saw a beam headed his way. He apparated a further six times as Bellatrix had stringed together a combo of spells, each time firing them as he appeared. "Difflo! Detrunco! Confervefacio! Cariosus! Incendo! Explodra! Occido!"
"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Harry jabbed his staff four times in succession, sending out four stunners. "Protego!" the basic shield charm held off the first two spells before shattering upon being hit by the third. The fourth was avoided when she twisted her body in a very acrobatic way.
"Flamma!" Harry instantly raised his strongest shield spell "Voco Ancile Superus." He whispered. The glowing shield snapped into place milliseconds before flames poured over it. Tendrils of fire crawled over the shield as it held the flames at bay.
Harry took this time to take a deep breath. He had already used the spell twice. Unlike normal shield spells, this one could stop just about any curse, except the unforgivables. It however required great amounts of power and concentration, it also drained the user's life force for the amount of damage it absorbed.
The flames died out and Harry dropped the shield not wanting to further weaken himself. His eyes widened as he witnessed Bellatrix completing an inscription of a rune in the air. She had used the Flamma spell to buy her time while sacrificing her energy. He failed to catch the type and purpose of the rune as it flashed out of existence.
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry launched the killing curse at her. He watched in morbid curiosity as she allowed the curse to approach her. Suddenly she blurred and with inhuman speed dashed up to him. Harry was able to divert her first punch with his free hand, however the next punch connected with his chin in a brutal raising upper cut. His head snapped up as his body was thrown into a nearby wall.
He had distinctly heard his jaw bone shattering under the blow.
'Clever girl. A strength and speed increasing rune spell.'
He had underestimated her.
He growled as he felt both his shoulder blades breaking from his impact. He clenched his jaw close but only heard more grinding as he tried to move the already broken bones. Pain flared and he used his occlumency to block it out as much as possible.
Just when he had completed, his luck ran out. The wall he had impacted gave way.
Already withstanding numerous curses, the shockwave from his explosion earlier and now a body thrown harshly at it, the wall easily collapsed onto the Walker, burying him beneath a few tons of rubble. Harry caught a good look of Bellatrix's gleeful face as he was knocked over.
XXXXX
"The boy-who-lived is now the boy-who-died." Bellatrix announced to everyone. As she threw he hands up in the air victoriously.
The aurors and Order members were shocked at the result. Remus had dropped to his knees. McGonagall's arm was shaking terribly as she tried to hold onto her wand. Moody remained impassive as he traced his wand on the group of Death Eaters.
"MORSMORDE!!!" She bellowed. In a burst of green energy the Dark Mark shot into the sky bathing the alley in a hue of green. Blocking a curse sent by one of the aurors she knocked Moody out with a quick stunner and prepared to dissaparate.
She was however, prevented, only to flicker out of existence and back again. A wave of dizziness hit her causing her vision to spin slightly. This was common when one tried to break through anti apparition wards.
The others must have been surprised as well as the spells stopped coming. "What the hell is going on?" She whispered to herself as she used a hangover charm to clear her dizzying vision.
"I won. Potter's dead. The wards should have fallen." She again muttered.
Her questions were answered when an explosion occurred behind her. The force hit her and spun her around before she too hit the opposite wall. Pain burned over her back from the contact. She realized Potter had hit her with both an anti dissaparation jinx and another that negated her rune spell just before she sent him into the wall.
Shaking her head she stared at the pile of rubble across her. It was no longer there. With dawning horror she realized that was where the explosion had come from.
XXXXX
Harry was pissed.
Very pissed in fact.
Here he was buried under a pile of rubble with two broken shoulder blades, another five cracked ribs, a broken femur, shattered jaw, a bump on his head and two very crushed wings.
Unlike his best friend Ron, who's temper was as short as a fuse, Harry was the sort of person who kept his anger in. Slowly stocking it bit by bit. Both his friends knew by now that when he let it out it was generally not a pretty sight. Thankfully they had never witness one yet. The pain and the pounding in his head irritated him to no end, coupled with the already suppressed fury from Bellatrix, Harry decided that this was just about as good as any opportunity to let it out.
He begun releasing his hold on his magical core. He allowed his anger to surface and with it the darker part of his soul, the small part taken from Voldemort all those years ago.
Instantly a blood haze clouded his vision. He felt his bones snapping back into place. His injuries healing. Power coursing through his body. With a roar of fury he released the final hold.
Magic erupted from every pore. Its power blowing the bricks atop him away. He barely registered hearing an explosion. His vision focused solely on his prey. Bellatrix.
XXXXX
Her surroundings started warming up as magic filled the air. It grew heavier and weighed her down. Still staring at the crater, Bellatrix saw the dust settle. Hovering two feet off the ground, cloaked in an aura of darkness, floater Harry Potter. Black magic so corrupted, it sent shivers over her.
Bellatrix's eyes widened in absolute horror. Potter had changed, no it wasn't Potter anymore. How she knew, she had no idea, she just did. Waves of power flowed off this demon before her. Where once there were golden wings now hung black ones. Tattered and ripped, only half the feathers remained as indication of the wing's color. Even his clothing had changed.
Bellatrix's started shaking uncontrollably when she recognized the garments. During the explosion Harry's avatar had moved behind him. Cold, menacing eyes pierced into her own as the avatar glared at her.
The new Harry had taken on the exact form of his avatar.
An unfelt winds blew past him causing the black material to whip about. His long hair hung over his face obscuring it.
"Bellatrix." A soft snake like hiss whispered deadly. "Time to play Bellatrix."
'Oh god! No.' Bellatrix forced herself against the wall to get as much distance away from this demon that was once Potter.
The magical presence increase as black tendrils of power begun filling their surroundings. An unnatural chill crept through Bellatrix's bones. It prevented her from standing. Her shivering worsened.
'No. Not them.' Images of a small dark cell flashed before her. Azkaban. The dementors. 'No.'
Bellatrix stared in obvious horror as Harry glided slowly towards her. "NOOOOO!!! STAY AWAY!!!"
XXXXX
Death.
Welcome it.
Respect it.
Cherish it.
Use it.
Harry glided towards the now trembling woman.
Hand shaking she raised her wand "Stupefy." It was weak. He absorbed it.
"Diffindo." It too, was weak.
Fear.
Embrace it.
Feel it.
Feed it.
"Avada Kedavra." She managed before dropping her wand.
It didn't work. Not enough power.
"What'ssss the matter Bella." He hiss softly. "Can't cast a spell."
He was now a few feet from her. She had completely broken down. Back against the wall she curled up in a fetal position. Her eyes still maintained contact with his unseen ones.
Fear.
She was terrified.
She wouldn't look away. She couldn't. An unknown force forced her eyes to remain upon the approaching figure of Harry Potter.
"No. Please no." She whimpered as reached out to grasp the front of her robes.
"Oh but yessss, my dear Bella. We haven't played yet." Lifting her up to his height, his other hand reached for the blindfold. She whimpered.
"Come Bella. Let me look at you. You so wanted me to see you, right?" He closed his eyes and pulled off the piece of cloth.
Bellatrix wished she could move, but she couldn't. Fear. It was all over her. Paralyzing her. She couldn't even blink.
"Yes, Bella. Play with me, letssss have some fun. You like fun, don't you?" He pulled her face nearer to his. A demented grin crossed his face as his eyes snapped open.
A scream of blinding agony filled London as Bellatrix screamed herself voiceless.
Visions.
Images.
Feelings.
Pain.
Blood red eyes stared into white.
Dark green pupils burned into blue.
Her screams continued.
Her convulsing continued.
Her torture continued.
This was how she played with her victims. This was how he would play with her.
"Play timessss over Bellatrix. Time to go now." Harry hissed.
She had stopped screaming. Her vocal cords damaged. She was violently convulsing now. Her dead eyes staring back, her mind in a world of pain and suffering. Still he look on, never breaking contact.
Reaching up with his free hand, he gently, slowly held it over her face in a claw like fashion. His finger parted to maintain the eye contact.
"Good bye Bella." He whispered.
Life.
The opposite of death.
He collected it.
"Ablegatio Imperium Orcus Immortalis Anima Bellatrix Elisa Black Lestrange." He chanted silently, repeating the words over and over again.
Bellatrix begun twitching as her already pale body begun to loose what was left of its color. Slowly a white mist lifted off her face. It pooled and swirled within the diameter of his hand.
"Ablegatio Imperium Orcus Immortalis Anima Bellatrix Elisa Black Lestrange." He chanted one last time.
With a sudden jerk her body went limp, the last of the silvery mist leaving her body.
A transparent layer formed over the silvery substance. It rapidly hardened as Harry closed his fist on it.
He relaxed his fingers. With a satisfied thump, Bellatrix's lifeless body fell to the ground. Her wide haunted eyes still staring at his. "Welcome to hell, Bella." He increased pressure on the orb.
Cracks appeared on its surface. Harry paid no attention, he pressed harder. The cracks grew and spread out across the orbs surface. "Good bye." With a final crush the object burst, spewing the silvery mist into the air. Still swirling the mist slowly dissipated.
Harry shut his eyes.
His head turned in the direction of the remaining Death Eaters. Absolute fear and horror upon their face as he turned on them.
"So, Death Eaterssss, Who'ssss first." He questioned the remaining three. Two had been stunned by Moody earlier. He begun gliding towards them. The Death Eaters remained in place, frozen.
"It wouldn't be long." He gave an insane smile. "It'll all be over soon enough." He cooed.
He extended his arm out towards them. One apparently couldn't take it anymore, his eyes rolled back and his body fell to the ground. The other two were a bit more resilient, they held out until he was a few meters from them before fainting.
As soon as the last Death Eater collapsed Harry floated to the ground. He reached into his robes. Withdrawing a strip of cloth he proceeded to retie his blindfold.
He took a deep breath. Another. Calming himself he begun to control his anger.
Slowly the black feathers molted to be replaced by the previous gold ones. His robe mended itself as the previous black color turned to emerald green. The unseen wind died down. The aura of darkness changed to one of warmth before it was suppressed.
Summoning both his sword and staff wandlessly he turned to the ethereal unicorn still observing the duel. "I win." The unicorn bowed its head. Harry sheath his sword and gave the animal a bow as well.
In a flash of light the unicorn disappeared.
He turned.
Looks of fear and horror met his own. Some aurors took a step away. It was very obvious, they feared him. Harry looked at Remus. Only he seemed to have a look of understanding upon his face.
"I'll leave this place to you now. I'll return to aid the battle at Hogsmead." He spoke clearly before disappearing.
XXXXX
"Stupefy!" Dumbledore whispered as he stunned the last remaining Death Eater. The man had been an excellent dueler. Dumbledore sighed at the fate the awaited these young men. He pushed that thought back, he had to focus on the task at hand.
A pop sounded to his left. Alarmed he jumped aside and aimed his wand on the new arrival.
Releasing a held breath he calmed down.
"Professor. The situation over I see." Harry Potter said as he took a look around.
Dumbledore nodded as he looked at the young man before him. He had discarded the cloak he was in during the morning and was now wearing robes of emerald green. Armor could be seen showing beneath the fabric and a sword was strapped to his waist. Various other daggers and items hung off his clothing. What caught his attention was that Harry seemed taller and slightly much more built up, that and his hair was considerably longer.
Harry turned back to the headmaster. "The situation in Diagon alley has been rectified. You'll probably be getting a report from Professor McGonagall soon. How was the attack here?"
Dumbledore's eyes suddenly lost their twinkle. He took a deep breath. Harry frowned, the headmaster seemed reluctant to say something.
"Sir?" He questioned.
"I'm sorry Harry." Dumbledore apologized suddenly looking old. "My presence here was crucial to our victory. However your friends, Ron and Hermione were amount a few students captured."
"I see." A closed look over came Harry's face. As he processed the new information.
"Harry believe me, I'm sorry I couldn't get here fast enough."
"It's alright Professor." The boy interrupted, "How many were taken?"
Professor Dumbledore sighed again. "Eight." He whispered, already he was dreading the fate that awaited his precious students.
Harry calmly nodded. "I know how to get them back."
Dumbledore's eyes widened as the twinkle returned. "Really?"
"Yes Professor, I have a plan. However I require the help of a certain potions professor." Harry said as he weaved a silencing spell over them.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, grabbing a passing auror he ordered. "Find professor Snape for me if you will, tell him that his presence is required here immediately." The auror nodded and set off in search of the snarky potions master.
Snape had stayed in Hogsmead. Voldemort had specified that he was not to be in attacks. Snape's position as a spy in Hogwarts was too crucial to loose.
A few minutes later Snape apparated before them, a scowl upon his face. "You summoned me Headmaster?" He had not yet noticed the presence of Harry who was behind him.
"Yes I did Severus. It seems Mr. Potter here has come up with an idea of how to rescue the captured students." Dumbledore motioned to the figure behind Snape.
Snape's eyes widened before he schooled a calm mask over his features and turned around. "Well?" He questioned.
"At the beginning of the year I presented my friends with a couple of presents. I plan to trace their locations with those items." Harry explained.
"If you're referring to the ring Mr. Weasley wears Potter than I'm sure the death eaters would have already removed it from him." Snape interrupted.
"They would have. Actually I know they have already destroyed it. However, as Voldemort's spy at Hogwarts and one of Dumbledore's trusted teachers, you shall report to Voldemort and inform him of this tracking device. It would further ensure you place as a loyal Death Eater by giving him this information, regardless of the fact that he already knows about it. I know you are able to go to him as it is a feature of the Dark Mark." Snape discretely rubbed his left forearm.
"And how will this help retrieve the students Potter." Snape snapped.
Emerald eyes jumped to the potion master's black ones. Snape jumped a step back, visibly shaken.
"Stop interrupting, I'm getting there. I'm going to track you Professor." Harry grinned. He could see that Snape was about to say something but refrained from doing so. Dumbledore also seeing this spoke.
"Harry, Voldemort's hide out would probably be warded to detect and destroy tracking charms as soon as they enter the vicinity. Placing a charm on Snape would be useless."
"I know Professor. However Voldemort's wards can't detect the Dark Mark." Harry smirked. "Ever wonder how Voldemort is able to track down traitors? The Dark Mark acts as a tracking device. Since all the Death Eaters have it the wards wouldn't detect it."
"And how pray tell Potter are you going to track my Dark Mark?" Snape voiced.
Harry looked at the potions master. "By allowing me to mark you of course. I promise I'll remove it later."
Snape scowl deepened. He turned to Dumbledore clearly demanding that this plan be rethought.
"I'm sorry Severus but I believe that this is our best plan of action. We must rescue the students before anything happens to them. Please Severus." Dumbledore spoke eyes staring into the potion master's own.
"Fine." Snape spat.
One Morsmorde later and both men were preparing to leave.
"Stay safe Severus. Be careful Harry." Dumbledore advised.
"This plan of your better work Potter."
"Sure it will. We can both bypass the anti apparition wards. You have you mark, I can just teleport."
Snape snarled. "Just stay clear of the mansion's Great Hall. It is standard procedure for a full Death Eater meeting to take place after an attack such as this one. Prisoners are usually kept in the dungeons. You better hurry. As soon as the Dark Lord is finished punishing his underlings for failing, he's going to want some entertainment." As he said this he lifted his sleeve, pressed a finger to the Dark Mark and apparated to the Dark Lord's location.
A few seconds later Harry nodded to Dumbledore before he too vanished.
Dumbledore stared at the spot the two men had just vacated. "God speed both of you." He whispered to himself. Sighing one final time he turned and headed back for Hogwarts. He had to warn Madam Pomfrey about the incoming students.
XXXXX
Diverting his teleporting location by a hundred meters, Harry appeared in the middle of a lush woodland. Under the cover of an invisibility spell and various other anti detecting charms he lifted himself off the ground and floated towards a large mansion ahead in the forest clearing.
From the outside the mansion looked fairly large, however as was the came with wizards, it was probably gigantic inside. It looked like it had been built during the late 1800's by its design.
Approaching one of the windows, Harry peered into an empty room. This was almost too easy. Teleporting into the room he received a shock as his invisibility spell failed. The mansion apparently was quite nicely warded. Focusing on summoning some mana he fashioned a blue invisibility spell. His eyes widened again in disbelief as that spell also failed. 'Weird.' He thought.
Guess it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. What his main concern was, was how in Merlin's name did Voldemort get access to Walker level wards, let alone cast them.
Drawing his wand his placed a silencing spell upon his boots and quietly crept out of the room.
He found himself in a long stretched hallway lit by flaming torches on the walls. It seemed his earlier assumption about magically expanded houses was correct. Common sense told him that the dungeons would probably be underground, he set about finding some stairs.
The corridor ended in a left turn. Peering around the corner he saw two men standing guard before a door. 'Must lead to the more important areas.'
"Hey, did you hear about the attack that were planned for today." The first one asked.
"Of course I did. Wished I was allowed to go." The second one complained.
"Are you mad?"
"Why."
"You mean you haven't heard? The attack was a failure. The Dark Lord is currently holding a meeting about it." Both men shivered at the thought of what was happening in the meeting.
"Well at least something good came of it though." The first man spoke again. "I heard we managed to capture a few Hogwart's students."
"Can't wait to have a go at them." The second man's gleeful remark angered Harry.
"They are currently in the dungeons. We haven't done anything to them yet. They're still probably stunned. Imagine the looks on their faces when they find out where they are." Both man laughed.
Hearing enough Harry jumped out around the corner. He sent two silencing spells at them. On seeing him both immediately opened their mouths to raise the alarm, they failed. As they reached into their robes for wands, Harry quickly stunned them. "Silencio." He whispered the charm at the floor beneath them. The two bodies landed soundlessly.
Slowly opening the door, Harry navigated his way to the dungeons. His friends weren't hurt yet. He didn't know how much longer he had before Voldemort was done.
XXXXX
"Crucio!" Screams followed the curse as Snape appeared in the Great Hall. He was right. Voldemort had been most displeased about the failed attacks.
Recognizing his presence Voldemort cancelled the unforgivable curse. "Severussss. What bringssss you into my presence." The Dark Lord's eyes traveled over him.
Snape strengthened his mental shields as he dropped to a crouched position. "My lord. I bring you information from Dumbledore."
"Explain." Came Voldemort's hiss.
"I have learnt from the old fool that one of our prisoners has an artifact on him containing a powerful tracking spell. I believe that it is in the form of a ring." Snape said as he remained still.
Voldemort gave a short chuckle. "Fool. Nothing can trace them. The wardssss on my mansion are far more powerful than some pathetic tracking spell. Nevertheless your information is appreciated. Rise Severus. Take your place amount the circle. I have a few more memberssss I wish to addresssss."
Snape rose, avoiding Voldemort's eyes he walked backwards to his usual spot in the inner circle. He noticed a few Death Eaters still shaking slightly, an after effect of the Crucio curse.
XXXXX
Harry ran down the corridors as he mumbled to himself. "Avoid the great hall. Avoid the great hall. Don't go in the great hall. Great hall is bad, dungeon is good."
He slowed down as he approached a fork in his path. Left led to a small dungeon like door and the other a magnificent huge set of double doors with intricate carvings.
"Okay. Easy guess where that one leads to." He chuckled as he rolled his eyes at the ornate wooden doors.
Heading left he yanked open the door to the dungeons fully prepared to knock out the guard silently.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
If his body would have allowed it he would have smacked the designer of this particular house. 'Oh sure put the dungeons behind the magnificent good pristine bloody oak doors.'
Apparently and obviously Harry had walked into the room he most didn't want to walk into.
Right in front of him at the other end on the twenty meter square hall was a full blown Death Eater meeting.
Gathered in a semi circle around a huge throne the Death Eaters who were in a submissive bowed position turned their head to the intrusion.
'Well at least they're as surprised as me.'
Seated in all his glory, right upon the throne was the snake like man himself, Voldemort. Apparently he to be surprised. This showed as his eyes widened considerably. "Pot…"
Swift as an eagle Harry immediately drew his sword from its scabbard. With fluid grace he launched it tip first at the congregated Death Eaters.
With pinpoint accuracy it struck its target bowling him over. Harry groan and quickly turned, shutting the door he blasted it with several of the strongest locking, reinforcement and trap spells he knew. Done, he hightailed it through the other set of doors, only pausing to knock the guard out.
'Halloween is definitely not my day.'
XXXXX
Severus watched in barely concealed hope as the weapon soared through the air. Narrowly missing the head of Nott who had stood up, it stuck the Dark Lord himself square in the neck. Snape winced slightly at the squelching sound of metal parting flesh.
The force of the blow had been so tremendous that it had not only pinned the heir of Slytherin to his throne, but knocked it over as well.
A loud crash echoed followed by the slamming of the door indicating the contact of throne to floor and wood to wood. Silence reigned for a few seconds as the rest of the Death Eaters processed what had just happened.
By now all of them were standing. None daring to approach the fallen throne to inspect their master. Snape felt a tugging at his sleeve and turned a sneer at Goyle Snr. "Er… is he?" the Death Eater questioned dumbly as he pointed as the toppled over Dark Lord.
Snape always being the wise one nudged Goyle and motioned for him to inspect it. Being the idiot that he was, Goyle complied.
Severus held his breath as did most in the room as the bulky man peered over the foot of the enormous chair. "I think he's…"
Goyle never got to finish that sentence as a scaled bony pale white hand lashed out and grasped his head.
"AAAAARRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The man screamed and struggled as the body fingers increased their pressure upon his skull. Snaps were heard as bone begun to give way. A few novice Death Eaters were starting to look ill at the sounds. Then in a burst of red, grey and white mist the man's head exploded. Blood showered those who were nearby. Severus who wasn't so lucky felt something solid impact his mask. Forcing all his years of spy experience not to spew from both the smell and thought of brain dripping down his mask he stood firm.
By now some of the less hardened members were retching from the sight. The now headless body of Goyle was still held in position by Voldemort's hand. In a simple yet powerful motion the fingers of the Dark Lord dug into the neck, took hold and tossed the body towards the end of the room.
Slowly the now bloodied hand lowered itself and grabbed the throne's edge whilst the other reached for the embedded sword's blade. In a violent motion coupled with the sound of tearing skin the blade was withdrawn.
Slowly the Dark Lord rose and surveyed the scene that lay before him. He red eyes traveled over his Death Eaters. Most by now had managed to repressed their natural gastronomical instinct with fear.
Snape himself shivered as Voldemort's gaze passed over him. For once in his life he was truly terrified of the Dark Lord. He had seen Voldemort angry before, but this certainly took it. Voldemort's dark green robes were covered in blood and out from the hole of his neck pumped a black thick substance. Red eyes were narrowed and the muscles of his left eye were twitching.
Voldemort's gaze lowered onto the sword he now held within his hand.
"Potter." He hissed in a low deadly whisper reading the inscription etched upon the blade. Some Death Eaters unconsciously took a step back.
"I want him captured, at all costs." The deadly whisper was said as the Dark Lord raised his eyes. "NOW!!!" Voldemort's temper exploded releasing with it unrestrained accidental magic.
An explosion ripped through the room as Voldemort uncontrolled power basted at the now closed door. Immediately the three Death Eaters nearest to the doors were torn apart and shredded.
Spurred on by their fear the dark wizards bolted for the entrance and begun hurling spells to get them open and as far as they could from their now extremely pissed off lord.
XXXXX
Empty cells flew by as Harry ran. The dungeons, like the upper hallway was also lit by flaming torches. Unlike the dungeons of Hogwarts castle, this particular one was dry and surprisingly warm. 'Probably a warming charm.' Harry shrugged that little detail off, as he proceeded down the corridor.
Sliding to a halt, his dragon hide boots leaving trial marks on the stone floor. He found the cell in which all eight captives were held. True to the guard's words, all of them were still unconscious. Withdrawing a portkey he tossed it at one of them. "Home sweet home." Expectedly it didn't work. "Bloody wards," Harry mumbled.
Removing his silencing spell as it no longer proved useful, he retrieved the portkey and decided to wake them up.
"Enervate. Enervate. Enervate. Enervate. Enervate. Enervate. Enervate. Enervate." Harry shot at each person. Slowly, they began to stir. Ron was the first to notice his surroundings.
"Urgh, What the…" He focused his still slightly dazed eyes. "Harry? What are you doing here? Wait. Where are we?" He questioned as he looked around.
The others voiced similar words. Harry noticed six of them were from his year group. Ron, Hermione, Susan, Hanna and Justin, the other two he guessed were most likely a year above him. He noticed that unlike the others Hermione hadn't woken up yet, Ron too had noticed this. He had moved to his girlfriend's side and begun examining her.
"Let me Ron. Mentalis Curatio." Harry muttered pointing his wand at the girl's head. A white light shot out and entered her head. Immediately Hermione begun to wake. Ron instantly started helping her sit up.
Seeing his friends were alright Harry turned to the others who were watching them. "During the battle at Hogsmead all eight of you were captured, we are currently in the dungeons beneath Voldemort's headquarters." Harry spoke calmly ignoring the twitches at the dark lord's name.
As expected, they panicked. "QUIET!!!" Harry roared not really caring if he was heard by other Death eaters or not, they were probably still locked up in the great hall. "Now since I have already discovered that portkeys and most walker type spells don't work."
"Can't you just teleport us out Harry?" Hermione asked. The other's agreed having heard that Walkers could bypass anti apparition wards.
"No I can't. The wards here seem to allow teleportation in but not out. However." He raised a hand to forestall any questions. "I am able to fight my way out. I plan to tear another dimensional portal like I did at the beginning of this year. You'll all enter it before I close it. It may be a bit cramped in there, but at least you'll be out of the way."
"What about you mate?"
"I can't close and open it from the inside. I'll just have to get out of here then open it when I am at a safe location."
"What if you don't open it?" One of the seventh years asked.
Harry looked at him and calmly said. "Why, you'll be stuck there, probably forever." Most of the students paled.
"Harry's idea is the best chance we've got. I myself would take my chances in the portal. Beside we might be more of a hindrance to him if we stay." Hermione stated.
The others contemplated the idea for a moment before all agreed. "Good." Harry said as he withdrew his custom made wand and begun muttering incantations. A burning trail of red stayed as he traced a circle in the air. A black screen began stretching from the sides of the drawn circle towards the middle. As the sides met the black substance became fluid as it waved in mid air.
"Ladies first." Harry motioned to the portal. "Best to take a running leap at it."
Hermione sucked in a deep breath and jumped into it. The bushy haired girl disappeared, a slight shriek was heard. The remaining seven stared at each other nervously wondering what lay beyond.
Their curiosity was answered when Hermione's head popped out from the portal and hovered. "OH MY GOD!!! Harry you have a library!!!" She gushed.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on all of you, get in. I don't have all day. Voldemort probably on his way already." Suddenly remembering they were pressed for time the students plunged into the black portal. Ron went in last wished Harry the best of luck. "If you don't get us out of this one mate, I'll come back as a ghost to haunt you."
"Well if I don't I probably be dead, so don't bother." Harry grinned as he shoved Ron through and shut the portal.
Harry ran out of the cell. Just as he turned to head back the previous way, the closed door at the end of the dungeons blew apart.
As the dust settled, Harry saw the imposing figure of Voldemort standing in the door way. Crimson eyes burned with fury as he clutched Harry's sword in one hand. "KILL HIM!!!" A swarm of Death Eaters rushed past their lord and approached Harry. Curses flew at him.
Waving his arm, Harry sent a burst of wild magic out from it. A ripple in the air flew down the corridor. The first five Death Eaters were caught and sent flying back into their comrades.
"Explodra!" Harry pointed at the ceiling ahead of him. The manor shook from the explosion. Dust started falling from the ceiling and then with another quake the ceiling caved in.
Separated from his enemies, Harry decided to proceed further down into the dungeons in the hopes that he could find another way out.
After several minutes of running, he came to a dead end. "Just beautiful." He said. 'Guess it's time for plan B.'
Plan B; when unable to escape from a particular situation by conventional means, turn to brute force and just blast your way out.
Funny how it was Fariahlia that had thought him that.
Harry strongly flung an orb of concentrated energy at the ceiling above him. Flames crawled over the rocks as the energy ball did its work. Soon the intense heat would melt through the rocks and provide him with a direct route to the surface.
Imagine Harry's surprise when that too didn't work. The flames died out as if they were consumed by the stonework itself. 'Bloody wards are probably stronger than I thought.'
'Okay, plan C."
Plan C; nuke the place.
Harry moved a few maters back and pointed his wand at the masonry.
"Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra!"
Explosion rocked the mansion as tons of rock fell only to be blasted away again. As each new batch fell Harry blasted them up the corridor providing even more obstacles for the Death Eaters to remove.
"Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra! Explodra!"
Finally after much spell casting, light flooded in from above. Harry's ears were beginning to ring from all those booms.
With a levitation spell Harry floated out of the dungeons to find himself in a kitchen of sorts. House elves ran around in panic trying to repair as much damage as they could. Harry felt a bit bad about not being able to free the little blighters. If the Malfoy's treatment of dobby was anything to compare to, they couldn't be having that much of a good time working under Voldemort himself.
Since he couldn't do much at the moment for them he waved a greeting to the nearest one and ran out the large door.
Again he found himself in another corridor. Harry rolled his eyes, the wizards certainly were fun of long twisted and mazy walkways.
Ahead of him one of the doors swung open as Death Eaters flooded in. It seemed that Voldemort had figured out what he was planning to do.
Immediately firing off a curse he rammed his shoulder into a nearby door. Falling into a practiced roll and pointing his wand around, Harry found the bedroom empty. A window at the far wall showed the forest outside. 'Excellent.'
"Reducto." The curse hit the window, but instead of the shattering of glass, the crumbing of bricks was heard. Harry swore, yet again he had managed to trap himself in a dead end room, this time without any obstacles. "Malleolus." Harry sent a flaming arrow at the first Death Eater trough the door. "Concusioratio!" a small shock wave knock any further men out and away from the room.
Flicking his wand, the door slammed shut. Harry shot a locking charm on it. Remembering his earlier plan, he traced his wand on the slightly damaged wall.
"Explodra!" One was enough to cause the wall to give way. Harry hopped trough the hole into the connecting bedroom. This time praying that the window was real and not enchanted he again Reductoed it. Harry smiled as the glass shattered.
Leaping out of the mansion's windows Harry cleared the wards. He teleported away immediately, the sounds of the second bedroom's door opening confirmed he had just made it out in time.
Author's Note:
Sigh since I have been getting so much flames from my last chapter no matter how much I explain, I have just decided to cut out those particular parts.
Review Replies:
Athena Kitty: Normal? Since when is Harry Potter ever normal?
Lewis: Yeah thanks for pointing that part out. I fixed it. Yeah you got me there a test on Sunday Shudders.
Fuzzball: Read author's note on this and the last chapter.
Digi Bonds: Read author's note on this and the last chapter.
Gallandro-83: Ah yes I think a few of your question are answered in this chapter. Then again a few more would have arises as well. You'll probably find out more answers in the following two chapters.
Stryder: Never mind I already got two wonderful people who volunteered to be my betas.
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Parakletos: Read author's note on this and the last chapter.
B-A-HPlova22: Never mind I already got two wonderful people who volunteered to be my betas.