Harry sensed something wrong the moment he and Oliver came inside the house.
"Oliver," he said cautiously.
"I know," Oliver said pulling out his wand. Harry did the same as they moved into the parlor.
"Sirius," Harry called. "Lucy!" The house was quiet. Too quiet.
"HARRY LOOK OUT!" Oliver shouted shoving him behind a chair as a flash of light streaked across the room. Harry hit the floor hard and a stab of pain jolted through his shoulder. He shook it off and peered out behind the couch. The sight that met him was terrifying. Seven Death Eaters had somehow gotten into the house. Oliver was sending counter curses from his position behind a chair. Sirius and Remus came running in throwing jinxes at random. Harry ducked as Lucius Malfoy threw a curse at him.
"Expelliarmus!" he shouted at Malfoy who easily reflected the disarming charm.
"You've got to do better than that Potter! Crucio!" Harry barely made it out of the way. He rolled across the floor and ducked behind a plant. How had this happened? How had they gotten in? He saw Sirius firing curses at MacNair while Goyle crept up behind him. Harry popped out from behind the plant and ran to help Sirius.
"Impedimenta!" he yelled at Goyle. Goyle reflected the curse and the battle was on. Over Goyle's shoulder he saw Lucy and Tonks hurrying down the stairs. The scene that met the two witches was one of battle. Harry and Sirius stood back to back battling Macnair and Goyle. Remus was fighting the Lestranges and Oliver did battle with Crabbe.
"Look out!" Sirius yelled as Augustus Rookwood sent a curse their way. They ducked down behind the rail and the curse banked against the wall.
"Take that!" Tonks yelled sending a countercurse back and quickly ducking back. Lucy had never felt so vulnerable in her life. Seven death eaters and no way to defend herself, while her brother, boyfriend, godfather and friends battled. She had to do something, but without her wand she was helpless. Suddenly an idea came to her.
"Dora, I've got to get to my lab!" she yelled. Tonks looked down at her and nodded. She knelt down and wrapped her arm around Lucy. With a pop they apparated out. Lucy closed her eyes against the nauseum she felt. She opened her eyes and saw her potions table in front of her. Shaking off the dizzy feeling she felt, she hurried forward to her table.
"Watch the entrance!" she yelled. Tonks nodded and positioned herself at the bottom of the steps, wand at the ready.
"How the hell did this happen!" Lucy shouted as she grabbed bottle after bottle of defensive and offensive potions and stuffed them into the pockets of her robe.
"We should try to take one captive and make them talk!" Tonks said. "In the meantime we're gonna need help." Lucy grabbed a piece of parchment and waved her hand.
DUMBLEDORE
COME QUICK. UNDER ATTACK.
LUCY
"Looks like you're getting your old spark back," Tonks said. "IMMOBULAS!" Lucy whirled around and saw Crabbe duck away from Tonk's curse.
"So close," Tonks said. "How are we going to get that to Dumbledore? All the owls are gone"
"We don't need an owl. Kreacher!" With a pop the elf appeared.
"A battle. Oh perhaps they will kill master and Kreacher can move on to serve someone more worthy"
"You're gonna trust him!" Tonks shouted indignantly.
"He has to obey me. Kreacher I order you to take this message to Albus Dumbldore. Immediately"
"I obey orders as always," Kreacher said. He took the parchment and disappeared.
'I just hope he gets here in time' Lucy thought. A loud scream was heard from above.
"We've gotta go help!" Tonks cried. "You ready?" Lucy closed her fingers around the cool glass of the potions in her hand.
"Let's go!"
Harry was firing every curse he knew at Goyle but the big wizard refused to go down! He felt a shudder behind him and spared a glance behind him to see Sirius writhing on the floor in agony, MacNair having put him under the Cruciatus Curse. This left Harry open to attack from both sides. Tonks and Lucy apparated into the room. Tonks wasting no time throwing a curse at Macnair. Lucy hurled a potion at Rookwood which caused him to start sneezing uncontrollably. She threw another at Rudolphus Lestrange causing him to turn into a large toad.
"Lucy, Sirius!" Harry called.
"Cover me!" Lucy said dropping to her knees beside Sirius who was still screaming in pain. She pulled a small vial from her pocket and shoved the lavender liquid down Sirius's throat. Sirius stopped convulsing and lay still. Harry was so shocked by this that he did not notice Lucius Malfoy sneak up on him from behind.
"Expelliarmus," the wizard said calmly. Harry gasped as his wand flew our of his hand. Lucy reached into her robes but Malfoy pointed his wand at her.
"Rictasempra!" he shouted sending Lucy flying across the room crashing into Remus and knocking him over.
"Hold this Potter," Malfoy said calmly. Before Harry could react Malfoy had seized him by the wrist and placed a rubber ball in his hand. It took him a split second to realize what had happened. Malfoy had given him a portkey. He felt the feeling of a hook just behind his navel jerk forward. His feet left the ground and felt himself speed forward in a howl of wind and swirling color.
"HARRY!" Lucy yelled as her brother disappeared. "Remus what was that"
"A portkey," Remus said getting to his feet. "Harry's been relocated"
"Our work is done," Lucius said grabbing the large toad that was Rudolphus. "Away!" And with a pop he was gone. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit dragging the sneezing Rookwood with them. MacNair sent one final hex at Tonks before apparating out. Lucy jumped to her feet and hurled a potion at Bellatrix as she made to apparate. A cloud of black smoke rose up and Bellatrix screamed in rage.
"Dora tie her up!" Lucy ordered. Dora asked no questions but did what Lucy said.
"What was that?" Oliver asked as he helped Sirius to his feet.
"Blinding potion," Lucy said as she picked up Bellatrix's wand. "If you can't see you can't apparate. Where did that Portkey go?" She said the last part to Bellatrix while pointing her wand at her. The dark haired witch with hooded eyes glared at Lucy.
"I'm not telling you anything. You horrid little girl, you killed my master! You could have joined us and been all powerful but instead you killed him. Your own FATHER!" Lucy met the witch's glare without flinching.
"Keep your wands on her," Lucy said. "I'll be right back!" She turned around in a swish of robes and hurried to her lab. Sirius took his wand and pointed it directly into his cousin's face.
"If anything happens to that boy, Bella, you will beg me to kill you"
"My big bad blood traitor cousin thinks he can frighten me. You will all tremble at our feet when my master rises again"
"What are you talking about?" Tonks said pointing her wand at Bellatrix.
"I will not answer to you filthy muggle lover," Bellatrix spat. "Your mother, my own sister, a traitor to the Black name. You will be the first to die"
"I don't think so," Lucy stated coming back with a clear potion in her hand.
"Stay away from me with that," Bellatrix screamed.
"Remus," Lucy said. "Hold her head still and plug her nose." They were all a bit shocked at the icy tone in Lucy's voice. Remus did as he was asked and Lucy kneeled beside the witch and forced the potion, none too gently, down her throat. Bellatrix struggled and sputtered but she had no choice but to swallow.
"Veritaserum I assume," Sirius said coldly. "Technically it's against the law to force it down someone's throat"
"Like I give a damn!" Lucy said. "Where did that portkey go!" Bellatrix's eyes were unfocused as she stared at Lucy.
"Knockturn Alley," she said in monotone. "Had to get him out of the house. Had to get him away from his protection"
"We have to go!" Lucy said. "We have to get to Harry before the Death Eaters do"
"Absolutely," Sirius said swaying.
"Sirius," Remus said. "Are you sure you should go? You took a bad blast from the cruciatus curse"
"I'm fine," Sirius snapped. "The longer we stand here the more time the Death Eaters have to get to him"
"We don't have time to argue," Lucy said. "Let's go"
"What about her?" Oliver asked pointing to Bellatrix. Sirius glared at his cousin.
"Petrificus totalus," he said. Bellatrix's entire body went rigid. "That'll hold her for awhile"
"Dumbledore will need to know about this," Tonks said. Lucy waved her hand at the wall. Two words appeared: Knockturn Alley.
"He should get the message," Lucy said. "Let's go." She grabbed Oliver's arm and they all apparated out.