Hey guys, new chapter up, and I'm taking all of your advise. I'll be contacting one of you that volunteered to beta for me soon. I do want to point out that the AN wasn't there for me to throw my own personal pity party, but more so to get honest opinions on my story. Thanks for the support!
Disclaimer - I do NOT own Harry Potter
-Chapter 7: The Threat -
-Flashback-
Harry stumbled up the hill to the ancient site of Stonehenge. The large blocks of stone towering above him and shadowing the ground. His eyes scanned the landscape, it was the requested time and place, his letter was very clear. Then he saw them, one, then two, then three, and still more coming from the darkness: Deatheaters, he was here. "Thank you for accepting my offer," stated the seventeen year old boy as he brandished his wand, "Tom."
"I have my pride," came a hissing voice from behind the largest pylon, "and I'm glad to see we're both on a first name basis, Harry." Voldemort glided into the center and stood opposite Harry, only twenty yards between them, "You know my wishes! Do NOT interfere!" He ordered his lackies and then flicked his hand summoning his silver rapier, upon closer inspection the swept hilt was made of intricately interwoven snakes. It was the sword of Salazar Slytherin, passed to his heir.
Harry grinned and extended his arm as a pheonix song began to fill the air. Everyone glanced up to see Fawkes flying overhead and a golden longsword clutched in his claws, he let out one final note and dropped the weapon into Harry's outstretched hand. "Thank you," he murmured and then pointed the blade at his lifelong nemisis, "this is where it ends Tom."
"Right you are!" he replied and brandished his wand, "let's see how well you've harnessed your Love, because I tell you now child, I have mastered my hate!"
Harry dodged as a green light erupted from Voldemort's wand, Avada Kevadra wasn't fast, but there was no defense. As he regained his feet he barely had the time to bring his sword around in a parry. Both blades collided and sparks erupted along with a burst of magical wind, "You're good Tom," grunted Harry as he pushed his blade forward, "but you're also old!" He launched the Slytherin heir backwards and followed up with an expeliarmus. He noticed out the corner of his eye that several deatheaters moved for their wands, 'They'll most likely kill me if I win.'
Voldemort frowned as he used the hand guard of his weapon to knock away the spell, Godric's sword was more powerful, but it was heavier. He turned his wand on himself and muttered a quick spell, his feet began to glow a dull green before he vanished from sight. "I might be older boy!" he shouted and appeared behind Harry, "but I have forgotten more spells than you KNOW!" A cruel smile crossed his lips as the sword pierced the shoulder of the boy that had thwarted his plans at every turn, "Not yet! You don't get to die yet!" He then pointed his wand at Harry, "Crucio!" Several explosions begain to go off in the distance, causing Voldemort to lose his concentration and break his spell, "FIND OUT WHAT THAT WAS! I WANT NO INTERFERENCE!"
Harry winced as he took the opportunity to stand up and prepare to attack, 'that must've been Draco and the others,' he thought. They all had their own reasons to fight, and were now doing so. Draco had his father and Pansy wouldn't leave his side for anything. Neville had his parents and would not relent unless he was dead on the ground. Finally Luna, her father had been killed by Goyle's father and now she was seeking revenge. He secretly wished for Ron and Hermione to be by his side, but they had families and the risk wasn't worth it. With renewed strength he brandished his wand, "Petrificus Totalis!" he shouted. Voldemort had no time to react from his momentary distraction as the blade of his ancestors greatest rival was plunged into his black heart, "It's OVER!" growled Harry as he twisted the sword, ensuring the most damage possible.
Then Voldemort did something unexpected, he smiled, "You win.." he coughed up some blood, "..but I'm going to give you a farewell gift, consider it my gift to victor!" He drew back and jammed his pointed blade into Harry's heart and then allowed some of the blood dripping from his mouth to run down the blade, entering into the open wound in Harry's chest. "Go..od-bye...Potter," he hissed through his smile and blood, "with...my last breath...I curse you."
"What are you-?" before he could finish Harry felt the worst pain in his life suddenly shoot throughout his body. In his mind he wanted nothing more than to die. He shakily raised his wand hand and pointed it at his chest, 'this is it.' He clenched his teeth together and began to chant, "Avada-"
A gloved hand covered his and moved the wand as the jet of green light fired off harmlessly into the distance, "That won't do," said the blurry figure, "that won't do at all." He then opened a bottle and poured it on the boys open wound, causing it to make a sizzling sound, then instantly close. As the pain began to subside and Harry recovered his sight back, he gazed into two red eyes that looked to be on fire, "What's up?" questioned the stranger with a grin.
"W..who?" questioned the boy as he clutched his wand and tried to point it at the unknown person
"You won't need that," soothed the boy, pushing Harry's arm aside easily, "I'm a friend, my name is Lucas...Lucas Digonas." He gingerly lifted Harry and began to carry him piggy back. "Your other friends are in much better shape than you are," stated Lucas, "should be alright in a couple days, but you...you're all beat to hell."
"..wh.at...hap...hap.." Harry was loosing conciousness quickly, but he had too many questions
Lucas shook his head, "you've had a hole in your chest and you're worried about your friends," he gave a chuckle, "We've taken care of most of the deatheaters and your friends are safe. Now rest."
Before Harry slipped into unconciousness he noticed several corpses strewn around large craters in the ground. The bodies of the deatheaters were charred and, in some places, completely blown apart. He prayed that whomever did this wasn't still around.
-End Flashback-
Harry instinctually rubbed the coin sized scar directly over his heart, "Bastard," he muttered.
"Who's a bastard Harry?" came the questioning voice of Ginny, a small smile playing on her lips, "You? Of course you are."
He turned his sharp green eyes on her, "Are you all packed?" She nodded, "Good, then the others should be done shortly, it's best that we get back to the house quickly."
Ginny glared at his mechanical response, "Harry.." she whispered and stepped closer to him, placing both hands on his crossed arms, "..mum was right wasn't she?" she questioned, "something has happened to you, can you tell me?"
He shook his head, "No I can't, believe me it's-"
"Harry James Potter if you say for your own protection then I'm going to hex you into the next lifetime," she shouted and placed both hands on her hips, "dangerous assassin or not! You know I'm not too bad at kicking a bit of ass myself!"
A smile tugged at his lips as he looked at the fuming redhead, "I've missed you Gin, all of you." He glared at the ground when he realized what he had just said, "I'm sorry-"
"It wasn't enough though was it Harry?" she questioned as she rested her head on his chest, "to make you come back..." she paused as tears came into her eyes, "I wasn't enough." Her eyes shot open as both his arms wrapped around her and they both hit the ground with a thud, and a jet of light shot over head, "Harry what in blazes!"
"Stay down!" he shouted as he sprinted towards the woods with his silver rapier out at his side, "GET IN THE HOUSE AND DO NOT COME OUT UNTIL I SAY!" After entering the woods he produced his phone, "Lucas! We've got a problem!" He heard nothing but static, "Lucas?" no sounds, "LUCAS!" Something darted past his vision, ignoring him completely and heading straight for the house, "Damnit!" he hissed and silently apparated back infront of the Weasley residence. His anger flared when he noticed all of the Weasleys outside, "What are you doing!" he shouted, "Get inside!"
"DON'T YOU YELL AT ME YOUNG MAN!" retorted Molly, turning a nice shade of red, "Now give us our wands so we can help!"
He glared at them for a moment then flicked his hand, causing the wands to shoot from his shirt pocket and revert from their shrunken form. He turned around to the ghouls closing in quickly on the house, "Watch their bodies and aim where they are going, not where they are.." with a flick of the wrist he produced his wand and dropped into his fighting stance, "you don't have a problem killing undead do you?"
"Get inside and lock the house up," whispered Charlie to Melanie and Penelope, "this won't take long." The two women gave hesitant nods and did as they were told.
Harry turned his wand on himself and began muttering a spell. Like in the memory of his final battle, his feet began to glow a dull green, "Don't worry about hitting me," he stated and crouched down, "you won't." He pushed off the ground and closed in on the monsters before the group of redheads had even begun to cast their spells. 'There'll be no holding back without Lucas here,' He thought as he dodged the fangs of a ghoul and then severed his head. As jets of silver light rocketed past his vision he noticed several of the monsters were now airborn and intent on dogpiling him. Raising his wand he unleashed a barrage of 'reductos', blowing the foul things to bits. Before he could react another ghoul had drawn back and was now closing in. Harry's eyes flashed golden, and his pupils dialated into slits, as a surge of magical energy coursed through him. He drew the serpent blade back as a crackle of green energy began to course through it, a sinister smile crossed his lips, "DIE!" he growled. Before he could unleash whatever hell he was creating, a silver arrow pierced the ghoul's eye causing it to drop to the ground instantly. The process was repeated in rapid succession all around him, "Took you long enough!" he shouted back in the Weasley's direction as his eyes shifted back to green.
Ginny looked around in confusion, "What in bloody hell is he-?" before she could finish another voice cut her off
"Well I couldn't very well let you have all the fun now could I, Potter?" said a man on top of the Weasley's roof, "you looked to be in a bit of a spot anyway." Said person was garbed in a dark blue trench coat trimmed in black. Black slacks, black boots, and a plain white button up shirt. His long blonde hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail and in his left hand he held a silver bow. An aristocratic smirk was placed on his face and his blue eyes were conveying a look of 'I just saved your ass, ha ha.' He lept off the roof and landed effortlessly, "Weasleys," he muttered with a nod and drew his bow eye level with an arrow already notched, "I doubt we'll need much help, but feel free to throw a spell if it makes you feel important."
"You'll have to pardon Draco," came a softer, female, voice from the shadows of the house, "he's a sweet boy, but has a rather odd way of showing it." The person that stepped out also had long blonde hair, although it flowed freely over her shoulders. A slightly dazed look in her eyes as she smiled serenely at the group, "Hello." Her outfit was comprised of a snugly fitting turtle neck sweater and blue jeans, a light blue sash was around her waist serving as a belt.
"Right," snorted Draco as he unleashed a flurry of arrows with blinding speed, "think you could give us a hand Luna? I think Potter's in a bit of a pinch." He was right, Harry was fighting off at least twenty ghouls and not gaining any headway.
"Oh my, that won't do," she stated with a slight pout. "Harry love, please duck," She reached into her sash and drew out a wand in each hand, then proceeded to unleash a barrage of spells at an ungodly speed. Coupled with Draco's attacks, it looked more like Anti-Personel artilery than spells and arrows
Harry barely managed to hit the gound before the storm of silver began to fly overhead, dropping the monsters like flys, "Always overdoing it, those two." As the hail of fire ceased, he stood and began to brush off his clothing, "That was close." In a blink he was back by the others, and clasped hands with Draco, "Thanks..." he paused and scrunched up his face, "how'd you find us anyway."
"We heard your communication with Digonas," the blonde haired man frowned slightly, "just traced it really." He turned his head and rolled his eyes at the twin's efforts to shamelessly flirt with his partner, "It never stops."
Harry chuckled and shrugged, "Could be worse mate," he recieved a questioning look, "They could be flirting with you."
Luna smiled at Ginny as they embraced, "Hello, Ginerva."
"God you're all alive!" shouted the redheaded girl, "I can't believe it!" She buried her head into Luna's neck and sobbed a bit more, "Even Malfoy!"
"Yes Weasley, even me," he retorted with a smirk
Ginny jerked her head back and looked at all three with a scrutinizing gaze, "Do they let ugly people into your group?" she questioned in reference to the strikingly handsome looks of Harry, Lucas, and Draco; and the fact that Luna was nothing short of gorgeous. Her face scrunched up, "Wait! Does that mean that Neville too?"
"Speaking of which I hope Longbottom hasn't gotten my wife into trouble," stated Draco as he withdrew his phone from his pocket, "Oi! Longbottom."
a bit of static was heard before a frantic Neville came over the line, "...serious...blem."
All three assassins locked a surprised look on the black device, even Luna, "Longbottom?" he reiterated. He pressed another button, "Pansy, you there love?"
"Draco!" shouted a female voice, "You have to get here now!"
Harry ripped the phone from Draco's hand, "Pansy, it's Harry what's happened?"
"Harry thank god," Pansy sounded relieved, "it's Lucas, he's..."
Panic shot across Luna's face, "He's what Pansy?" she questioned calmly
"He's hurt..." she paused, "really bad, Neville's trying every potion he's got but he came ready for a fight, not to heal. How's he doing Neville?"
"We'll be there soon," stated Harry as he closed the phone and handed it back to Draco, "Let's go."
Ron stepped forward, "Oi, what about us?"
"What about you?" questioned Draco, "you're the mission, you're coming with us."
The Weasleys cast questioning glances between each other, "We should go," stated Bill, "like it or not we can't fight those things alone, plus wasn't the alchemist with Hermione and her parents?"
Harry's head snapped up, 'Mione!' He jerked his hand out and summoned an old boot sitting outside the front door to the Weasley home, "We're going! Now!"
When the Weasleys, Harry, Draco, and Luna landed they were greeted by an amazing sight. The Grangers home looked to be made of one solid piece of steel, "Good lord," exclaimed Arthur. Scorch marks were covering the shining metal, while the ground was littered with giant craters, and finally there were areas where trees were completely blown away. The corpses of twenty or so werewolves were strewn about, some burnt and some completely obliterated.
"Harry!" shouted Neville from a ways off to the left, drawing everyones attention. He was wearing dark green pants and a kakhi shirt. Around his waist was a belt littered with different vials, several were missing, being used on Lucas' limp form. His hair was hidden under a bandana that was the same color as his pants. Like, Luna, Draco, Harry, and Pansy he wore black combat boots. A pistol was strapped to his leg along with a wand holster.
Next to him was a woman with shoulder length black hair craddling Lucas' head in her lap and trying to stem the flow of some of the deeper wounds. Pansy Parkinson had grown from the snotty pig nosed Slytherin into a beautiful woman. Her skin made her look more like porcelin doll than a living person, a whip, with blades running up the body and ending in a pointed blade, was on the ground next to her, "STOP STANDING AROUND AND HELP!" she shouted
"Dear god," gasped Ginny as she came running along with Luna and Fluer, "what's...what's with his left arm?" The limb in question looked to be a mass of mangled metal with small colored wires sticking out. It was covered with something that looked like it was made to emulate skin, "It's metal."
"Automail," replied Neville, "that can be fixed later, we need to stop his bleeding."
"I am a 'ealer," stated Fluer, "but 'iz wounds are very bad, am not sure I can do anyzing-"
Luna grabbed Lucas' hand and cast a pleading look at the french woman, "Please try."
Fluer nodded and pointed her wand at one of the larger cuts and began mumbling an incantation. Slowly the bleeding stopped and the wound closed, the process continued over the next several minutes. Finally the half veela slumped down, gasping for air, "zat iz all I can do. 'ee should be stable."
Neville reached down and checked his vitals, "Thank god." He untied his bandana and secured Lucas' artificial arm snuggly against the alchemist's body, "Alright," he stated as he drew his wand, "wakey wakey, Ennervate!"
Lucas' eyes shot open, in a blur his right hand was ripped from Luna's grasp and shot into the air, finally his fingers snapped. An explosion blew the tops off several trees, his chest was heaving as he attempted to do it again.
"DIGONAS CUT IT OUT!" shouted Draco as he pulled Molly out of the way of a falling tree, "Do something Potter!"
Luna grabbed his hand and laced her fingers inbetween his in a way that stopped him from snapping, Pansy was still seated behind him and was trying to hold him down, and Neville was just trying to calm him down. "It's alright Lucas!" he shouted, as the alchemist thrashed to get free, "It's us, you're ok!"
"Nev?" He questioned, "Luna?" He turned his head and looked back, "Pansy? What?.." His head shot around nervously, "Where are they? Are the Grangers safe? What happened?"
Harry knelt down next to his partner, "We're all here mate, I'd say you've killed most of the enemy, we don't know where the Grangers are, and I'm wondering what happened myself." He placed a hand on Lucas' back, "First off how do you feel?"
"Like I got hit by a bus," he sighed, when he looked down he noticed the state of his artificial limb, "Sorry Nev," he mumbled.
He shrugged, "Not a problem, this one lasted almost two months!"
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" shouted Ron as he knocked Neville out of the way and gripped the alchemist by his tattered jacket, "WHERE IS HERMIONE? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER! YOU WORTHLESS-!"
Before he could utter another word, Luna's free hand had a wand at his throat, Draco had his bow drawn on him, Harry's rapier was next to Luna's wand, and Neville had a bullet chambered ready to fire, "Let him go," growled Pansy, "or you're dead."
"Stop it," mumbled Lucas, "He's right, they were mine to protect, I'm sorry." He looked at Draco and Harry, "Help me over to the house." The two men did so with an increadible amount of care. Lucas looked down at his destroyed auto mail arm, "I need a hand."
"Here," stated Harry as he held his hand out, the alchemist slammed his hand down on it
Lucas grimaced at the impact, "Don't let me fall Draco." He then pressed his hand to the wall and a crackling energy exploded through it, slowly the house shifted back to it's original brick form. "And...I'm done," stated the alchemist as he passed out
After Harry allowed Draco to take Lucas' full weight he hesitantly opened the door and looked around, "Hermione? Mr. Granger? Ms. Granger? It's Harry, are you alright?"
"HARRY!" shouted Hermione as she ran at him full force and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Thank god!" She thought nothing of their position as she scanned the room, "where's Lucas?"
"He's outside," he replied, his face buried in her hair, "so you're all alright?" She nodded hesitantly, and both their grips tightened slightly, "Good, I was...worried."
"You were?" she questioned hopefully, a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks.
Harry swallowed the lump in his throat as he gazed at her, "Ron's outside waiting," he mumbled
"Oh," she replied and let go, "Right, Ron...and Lucas!" she ended in a shout. As she bolted out of the door she side-stepped Ron's attempts at embracing her, "Not now Ron." She turned around and saw Lucas slumped against a tall blonde haired man, "Draco?"
"Hello Granger," he replied with his trademark smirk
She shook her head and looked at the alchemist, "Is he ok?"
"He is going to be fine according to Neville," stated Luna as her smile came back to her face, "He is a bit exhausted but you shouldn't worry yourself." She smiled at her old friend, "How are you Hermione?"
"Luna?" she gasped then her eyes fell on the onyx haired woman and the man with the green bandana, "Pansy? Neville?"
"'Lo Hermione," replied Neville
Pansy gave her a smile, "Hi Granger."
She felt a hand came into contact with her shoulder, "Can you tell us what happened?" Questioned Harry in a soft voice
Hermione brought her hand up and covered his with it, "Yes, just give me a moment."
Neither could see the look of jealousy and anger that was coming at them via Ron Weasley
End Chapter 7: The Threat
Read and Review - Opinion time! It's set in stone as Harry/Hermione and Draco/Pansy. So here's the question, should it be Ginny/Lucas or Ginny/Neville. The one she isn't paired with will be with Luna. The reactions to Lucas getting hurt was to convey that the members of Ordinatio have a close relationship with each other.
Preview Chapter 8: Recovery and Answers
