The Hallowe'en Surprise

Chapter 61

Thursday, October 30

The excitement in the Combe Abbott was palpable - it had been quite a while since they had done something fun after two months of long stretches of boredom, despite the Order meetings and Potterwatch.

Remus and Tonks had set up the duelling room: there was a neat row of chairs on either side against the walls for spectators. The large room was otherwise kept empty, devoid of practice dummies and anything that could be summoned or exploded in their faces – everyone had to depend on only their wandwork for the duel.

Percy had not turned up, and Kingsley could not make it due to some last minute work at the Ministry but the rest of the Order had all made it in time, including Sirius, who announced his idea of doing a practice round first so the younger members could learn a few tricks by the time they were ready. Considerably, it had put everyone in quite a tizzy.

Sirius was sat with the older members, on one side of the room and on the other, the younger members were gathered together, all smiles and restless energy.

Tonks signalled the start and Catherine and Gwenog Jones went first. While Gwen's array of spells were impressive, Catherine was able to defend herself effortlessly and put her opponent down within exactly six minutes into the duel as Lee had announced, having been keeping time for their matches. Gwen sulked but Catherine said bracingly, "That was impressive, Gwen."

Sirius smirked, "Gwen's a bit rusty. She could have my arse handed to me if she was at the top of her game."

Gwen perked up and grinned impishly. "Someone remembers our Quidditch match against the Ravenclaws, 1976."

Sirius and Remus erupted into laughter, the latter remarking, "Vividly."

"Aren't you both supposed to play in the same team?" inquired Tonks, baffled.

"Oh, we played together alright," said Sirius. "We just never could agree on some things."

Gwen rolled her eyes at his statement, her grin still in place.

Hestia and Remus went next. They seemed evenly matched as they duelled for far longer before Remus won, disarming her fair and square.

Sirius was quite amused to watch Tonks and Proudfoot go at it last. While they were by far the most trained duellers in the room, there was some vain rivalry going on between them that was only too noticeable in the way they duelled.

"Quit faffing about you two!" shouted Sirius in exasperation after having been forced to watch them for more than ten minutes straight.

Really, as Aurors, they could do better than use Dancing Feet Jinxes against the other, while pointing and laughing at the terrible jig they were forced to do. The younger lot were howling with laughter, while Remus and Catherine sighed in unison. Hestia and Gwen were chuckling at their embarrassment when Proudfoot finally freed himself and retaliated with a hex that made Tonks stumble over and fall flat on her face.

"He didn't need to hex her for that," commented Sirius, smirking. "Leave her on her own for a while and she'd likely have done that herself."

Tonks had apparently heard him for she rounded on him, shooting him a nasty look. Sirius' eyes widened in alarm and he had only a moment to put up his Shield charm, protecting him from whatever she had thrown at him. "No attacking spectators!" he groused to which Tonks shot back, "Then shut it!"

Proudfoot took the opportunity to disarm her, leaving Tonks quite incensed. "Thanks a lot, Sirius," she hissed, her hands on her hips.

"You need to get better at not letting insults get to you in the heat of a duel," remarked Sirius frivolously, watching her take her seat next to him from the corner of his eye. Tonks merely huffed in irritation.

"All right, you lot! Let's get this going then. Team up!" Sirius motioned for Oliver and Alicia to go against Fred and George. He was not at all surprised when the twins completely thrashed Alicia and Oliver. Those boys were quite good if Sirius could say so himself. He had had a hand in their training last year and he quite liked to see the considerable improvement they were showing in the span of a few months. He then asked them to go against Angelina and Lee. He glanced at Ron and Hermione and noted both of them fidgeting, looking rather pale, but equally determined.

While Angelina and Lee lasted a lot longer than their previous competitors, Fred and George still won and Gwen and Tonks broke into applause.

Ron and Hermione made their way to the front when they were called, where Fred and George had identical smug grins on their faces. "Ickle Ronniekins," drawled Fred, purposefully aggravating their brother.

"You and your little girlfriend are going to lose today," said George, sneering with his wand at the ready.

"There you go, Sirius," stated Remus, smiling. "They did take your cue to heart."

Tonks sat up straighter, a wild expression on her face. "Don't listen to them, Ron!"

Sirius watched in interest as the Weasleys and Hermione began to duel. Ron seemed to have guessed how Fred and George were going to open their attack, presumably after having watched them duel both times. He put up a strong Shield Charm just as the barrage of spells came raining down. Hermione took cover behind his shield and attacked, sending a stream of ice that built up on the floor beneath their feet. George slipped, but Fred pulled him up with one hand, still maintaining his wand at the ready.

Ron took that moment to cast a Jelly-legs Jinx at George and Fred was forced to let him go so he could protect them better. Hermione shouted, "Langlock!" at Fred who instantly found his tongue-tied. It was good thinking on her part as Ron cast a Stunning Spell that broke through Fred's weak non-verbal Shield Charm, immobilizing him. George, who had put a stop to the Jelly-Legs jinx on himself, had used their distraction to his advantage and yelled, "Impedimenta!"

Even though Ron had jumped away, Sirius assumed the spell must have brushed past his cheek as when Ron shouted, "Petrificus Totalus," it came out sounding garbled with one side of his face paralyzed. George fell backwards, but he wasn't in a body-bind as the curse should have done. Hermione hit him again with the same Body-Bind Curse and this time it was successful.

There were claps and whoops all around and Ron and Hermione were grinning from ear to ear. Oliver and Lee helped the twins up, the latter chuntering under their breaths.

"Well done, both of you," Sirius grinned. Ron beamed back at him and even Hermione smiled at the praise.

"That was brilliant," cheered Tonks before adding soberly. "Now please trounce Proudfoot's arse for me, will you?"

The man in question stood up, his snobbish expression very much reminiscent of Percy. No wonder the both of them had become fast friends, Sirius thought to himself.

He pulled out his wand and made a bow in the old-fashioned way. Sirius tried to keep himself from snickering and watched as Ron grimaced and readied himself, as did Hermione. When Tonks had given the cue to begin, Proudfoot did not immediately attack, but moved slowly to one side, assessing them.

Ron attacked first, yelling "Stupefy!" thinking of taking the opportunity, but Proudfoot was quick, parrying it and throwing an Impedimenta at Ron, who jumped out of the way.

Hermione and Ron spent the next few minutes trying and failing to land in a spell on him – their only saving grace was that at least they hadn't allowed themselves to be attacked either.

"Come on, you can do better," said Sirius, standing up and moving to one side of the room to observe them properly. "Duelling is not just about defending yourself. You've got to think differently if you want to attack someone much more skilled than you. "

Ron pulled a face but Hermione seemed to have comprehended his words quicker than him. The end of her wand let out a blast and out came a flock of yellow canary birds that flew straight towards their opponent. Taken by surprise, Proudfoot yelped when the birds attacked him, nipping and clawing at his face and hands. He managed to wave his wand and the birds burst apart into lurid orange flowers, raining on them like some sort of wild confetti.

Ron, seemingly having caught on to the idea, cried, "Incarcerous!" conjuring ropes that tied around Proudfoot's legs when he was distracted, making him trip on his own feet. Proudfoot did not quit however and fired a spell even when he was sat on the floor. Hermione used her Protego managing to save herself. Ron meanwhile waved his wand and Proudfoot yelped, his body covering in tiny spikes that had erupted all over, turning him into some sort of sea urchin. Everyone broke into applause, cheering and whistling, Tonks cheering louder than everyone else.

"Now that's more like it!" said Sirius happily. He waved his wand and the purple spikes disappeared at once, revealing a disgruntled Proudfoot. Sirius pulled him up and clapped him on the back good-naturedly.

"Charms and Transfiguration are as much a part of duelling as is your Defence," Sirius said to Ron and Hermione. "While Stunning spells are great, they're easily defended against. You've got to have different things up your sleeve to make sure your attackers don't get too comfortable against you."

"The both of them get to go on the next Order's mission then?" asked Fred, somewhat disappointed.

"I daresay they deserve to, don't you think?"

"Come now, Sirius," said Tonks, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "You were already going to take them no matter what. I heard you talking with Remus, you know."

"Of course I did," shrugged Sirius. "This was only a demonstration to shut you all up in case you decided to point out the obvious to me – that they're children and should not be allowed to go on any mission when there are better, more experienced members around."

Ron's ears went red and Hermione seemed to want to hide her face.

Tonks shook her head, sighing. "You would never have listened to us anyway."

oOo

Friday, October 31

Hogsmeade was eerily quiet despite it being a day of festivities. Save for a few giant jack o' lanterns swaying outside rickety old doors, Hallowe'en did not seem to want to arrive to the quaint, little all-magical village that year.

Minerva supposed it would be that way for all celebrations in the days to come if things went on as they did. She slinked in the shadows, her tabby cat Animagus easily camouflaged despite the roads being distressingly empty. She had wangled an approval from the Headmaster (she even thought of the word with distaste), citing her penchant for having a drink during Hallowe'en as was her sixteen year-long custom. Severus Snape had known her as a colleague for those sixteen years as well and she did not even have to lie for him to agree.

Minerva wondered how quickly times had changed things for her beloved Hogwarts. If Albus had seen what was happening…

She was grateful that she couldn't feel her grief for her friend intensely whilst she remained in her Animagus form. Perhaps, she now had a slight inkling as to how Sirius Black had been able to brave the Dementors for twelve years without having gone mad.

Speak of the devil…

Tall, black and hooded, the Dementors kept watch over Hogsmeade, patrolling the streets every day now, their coldness dispelling any sort of merriment. For what threat? she wondered. Surely, with Death Eaters inside the castle, they didn't have any necessity for these floating horrors here?

The tabby cat moved past them, suppressing the inevitable cold shiver and glimpses of dark memories she wished she did not have to think about at the moment. Finally, she was outside the bounds of Hogsmeade, grateful when she noticed the Dementors keeping far away from her place. She reached the stile where she transformed back to human in order to cross it to go further to the foot of the mountain. Unconsciously she turned around to make sure no one was looking, before she quickly turned back to a cat again. The hike up the terrain was ill-suited for someone her age, but it was a breeze for her Animagus form. A low, deep growl rumbled from up ahead the mountain and she quickened her pace, leaping across the boulders. There, at the top of the mountain was a narrow fissure and sitting right outside it was a pair of gleaming eyes, gazing at her watchfully. She could not even make out the animal's form, camouflaged as it was by the pitch black fur in the shadows of the cave.

Once she got close enough to its vicinity, the enormous dog slinked into the fissure and Minerva followed inside what seemed to be a dimly lit cave. It was a terribly good hiding place, she mused.

Minerva sprang into human again. "Good evening, Sirius."

The black dog transformed in the shadows and out came a man – tall, black and cloaked, much like the Dementors she had passed by to see him.

"Minerva," he said shortly, part of his face hidden under his travelling cloak.

"We're alone here, Sirius," she said, and conjured a hand-held flame, illuminating the dark cavern. But Sirius pulled out his wand and muttered a string of spells and protective enchantments surrounding the lip of the cave before he turned back towards her, pushing back his hood to reveal himself.

He seemed older than the last time she had seen him, which was only a few months ago at the Order meeting after Dumbledore's funeral. His hair was longer than it had been then, brushing his shoulders and the beginnings of scruff on his face, showing days of neglect. There were fine lines around his deep-set eyes, as well as the look of a man who had lost his entire world.

"Did Potter really—?" Minerva began, concerned, when he interrupted.

"Yes, he did," growled Sirius in a low voice, his mouth set in a hard line. Though there was the tell-tale anguish in his pinched voice, there was also the undercurrent of his notorious anger.

"Why? Why did he leave?" asked Minerva curiously. She had been horrified to learn Harry had nearly been apprehended by the Death Eaters. Surely, he must have had a good reason to leave the safety of the Order?

"I wish I knew," said Sirius, clenching his jaw. "Let's not talk about him right now. I need information, Minerva. Everything about what's happening inside Hogwarts."

Minerva drew back at his abruptness. Where should she even start? – The awful Carrows and their teaching of the Dark Arts to mere children instead of Defence? Or their deplorable idea of what detention meant and it being only a veiled term for plain, cruel torture? Even Filch sounded particularly tame compared to them.

"I don't think I can describe quite accurately how Hogwarts is turning into a house of terror," she sniffed.

"We knew that would happen when the Carrows were appointed at Hogwarts, didn't we?" said Sirius, running a hand over his eyes. "I wish I could do something to help, but I'm afraid we have to wait a bit longer before we can intervene."

Minerva's voice raised a pitch higher when she wondered aloud, "Intervene? What do you mean, Sirius?"

"I need to break into Hogwarts," said Sirius simply.

Minerva's eyes widened in disbelief under her square spectacles; she couldn't quite keep from snapping at her former student, "Are you out of your mind, Black? Don't you understand how big of a target you already have painted on your head?"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," said Sirius, waving dismissively. "But this is important, Minerva. I need to break into Hogwarts. I reckon sometime during the holidays is better – without many students, it should be a walk in the park."

"It will not be a walk in the park! Do you think it's as easy as getting into Hogwarts now, like it was when you broke out of Azkaban? Severus has ensured every one of your secret passages has been guarded round the clock."

"That greasy git!" he spat venomously. The light from the bluebell flames reflected off of his face, glinting in his eyes which appeared bluer instead of their steel-grey. "Bet he enjoyed that – using our own secrets against us." He shook his head, still seething. "All the same, I guessed it was prone to happen. Every secret passageway that I've known to lead inside Hogwarts is of no use to me now. That's why I need your help to get inside."

"Pray tell me, why is it you need to get inside Hogwarts?"

Sirius seemed apologetic when he sighed. Minerva had the feeling he had told the same answer to many others before her. "I can't Minerva, you have to trust me…"

"Sirius, don't you understand?" she began imploringly, wishing he would see common sense. "These people will stoop to nothing short of torturing and killing you! Don't you know how that can be used against Potter? You would be the perfect bait for You-Know-Who to lure your godson!"

"Do you think I don't know that?" He looked up at her, eyes blazing before he softened his tone. "Believe me, I do plan on getting out of here in one piece – I just need to find something that could be very important. Dumbledore trusted me with this."

"Albus asked you to?" Minerva couldn't help but gape in astonishment even as Sirius nodded. Was what she had heard from Hagrid through the Order true? Dumbledore had left a mission for Sirius and Harry? There was no doubt in her mind now about what she ought to do if that was the case. She caught his gaze and nodded in return with more conviction than she had felt moments ago. "Tell me what I must do."

oOo

Apparating straight to Godric's Hollow after his meeting with Minerva, Sirius found that the village was quite warmer and wetter than Hogsmeade had been. He transformed to his Animagus and his feet carried him forward automatically.

Padfoot watched around him in idle fascination – Hallowe'en was in full swing here very much unlike Hogsmeade; muggle children dressed in costumes, traipsing up and down the streets with their laughter ringing all around him. Houses were covered with illuminated displays of spiders and bats, jack o' lanterns and even what looked like ghosts and skeletons. It took all of his willpower to keep from deviating from his path – straight to the church and the graveyard beyond – instead of detouring to the Potters' home. He saw a few muggle kids dressed in appalling imitations of vampires and what looked like bandage-wrapped Inferi, seemingly challenging each other to make a trip inside the kissing gates of the cemetery.

Padfoot let out a low growl and watched as the children screamed, tripping over each other to get away from there as quickly as their little feet could. He was in no mood to be entertained.

He reached them in minutes, not having any necessity to search for them, familiar as he was with their resting place. He really wished he knew what he could say to them now, even if he knew they could never hear him again. Padfoot heard the dogs howl somewhere in the distance and he joined them in their chorus, unknowing of any other way he could honour his friends.

He found himself settling into the leaves strewn ground beside their grave, staring at their names, trying to remember the good times he had shared with them but failing dismally. All he could think about now was their son.

He held out a fledgling hope that Harry would visit his parents' grave on this day and decided to wait a bit longer than he had planned. It was only a remote possibility, but Sirius would take every chance he could.

But after a long hour of absolute loneliness in the churchyard, Sirius was forced to admit that Harry was not coming. Dejected but not surprised in the least, he left, keeping to his Animagus form and finding comfort in its rudimentary senses. The streets were a bit emptier than it had been when he had arrived. Finally, unable to resist his impulse, he went down the road to the Potters' since he had already been thinking about that dreadful night.

He passed by a dark house that he was sure was Bathilda's – Sirius should have tried to make contact with her once he'd finally been cleared of all charges the year before. Bathilda would have been keen to meet Harry; he knew Lily always said she doted on him as a baby and Sirius had quite liked the noble, old witch the few times he had seen her. Now however, her house was devoid of lights and shrouded in darkness. Perhaps, she was away?

He pushed thoughts of their neighbour aside and made it to their home, his eyes glued towards the haunted miscreation silhouetted in the night. Sirius could remember it like yesterday – when he had arrived on his motorbike to find the house nearly blown apart on one side confirming his worst suspicions.

Padfoot, however, did not expect to suddenly sniff a sharp tang of something that reminded him strongly of Albania. Bewildered, Padfoot's senses perked up, meandering here and there trying to find a trail – it seemed to lead straight to the Potters' house beyond the gates.

Surely, the fact that a Killing Curse was repelled and acted upon on Voldemort meant some vestiges of Dark magic were still lingering in the air? That was why the Ministry had cordoned off the building as he had been told. But the scent was also very reminiscent of the cave and the lake with the Inferi and Sirius was assailed with a brainwave. What if…?

Padfoot gambolled around the corner and into a deserted alleyway where he returned to his human form again, frowning hard. It was a wild guess, but Sirius knew he could trust his senses as Padfoot if Dumbledore himself had faith in it. It also seemed the perfect hiding spot for a Horcrux – nobody would dare enter the building making it essentially safe from everyone and everything. He knew he could be wrong, but he also had to be sure seeing as they were already finding it difficult to find any of the other Horcruxes.

Sirius would have to go about it quite cautiously – he would need to break and enter into Ministry-protected property. And seeing as the Ministry was currently run by Voldemort himself, this could be a decision that would mean life or death.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he knew the benefits outweighed the risks and Sirius had already decided what he was going to do next. He made his way to a muggle ironmonger's shop a few streets away and purchased a torch and a knife, ignoring the suspicious looks the shopkeeper kept shooting at him. Without further ado, he made his way back to the alleyway again and ensured he was thoroughly alone before he proceeded to work.

Sirius was aware that the Potters' home would likely be protected by enchantments which would be quite similar to the Trace. The Ministry would be able to pick up on any sign of magic in the premises which would alert them of magical trespassers since muggles would already be kept away by means of muggle-repelling charms.

If he used any magical spell for so much as even unlocking the gate, he was certain Hit Wizards would be swarming within a moment's notice. But the gate was locked by magical means and no amount of muggle resources would be of help, of that he was certain. This was where he had come up with the idea of using an enchanted knife that would unlock any lock.

Enchanted objects were efficient in that their magic was less likely to be traceable. It was also a good thing that Sirius was quite adept with them since he had much experience with the same, having done it quite a few times; the most recent one being a gift that he had given to Harry in fifth year. He wondered whatever happened to it.

Enchanting objects were a tricky subject on their own, but since he was familiar with the exact bit of magic required to charm the knife, he did not need to work out how best to go about it. Within five minutes, he had an enchanted knife ready in one hand and a battery-operated muggle torch in the other.

He made his way back to the Potters' again and put out a hand, touching the gates. The same sign that he and Harry had seen the year before popped into view. Sirius thought he saw newer writings on top, but he was distracted by the mission he had at hand.

He used his enchanted knife on the large padlock chained around the gates and watched warily as it unlocked with a satisfying click. It seemed too simple to Sirius – but he also supposed the Ministry knew no one in their right mind would want to break into a house where the unthinkable had happened.

The gates were rusted and they creaked loudly when he pushed it forward. He glanced around him one last time before he stepped into James and Lily's home.

The hedges had grown wild, the grass up to his thighs – if Sirius gave it too much thought, he could almost see Hagrid walking out of the doors with a wailing bundle of blankets, the last time Sirius would see Harry again for a long while.

He swallowed anxiously when he reached the wooden front door. He used his knife again and when the door unlocked, he had to push the door with his shoulder to dislodge it from the doorjamb. He lit up his torch since he couldn't use any means of magic to illuminate his surroundings, lest the Ministry become warned of his presence.

His stomach lurched in fear – of what he didn't know. This was very much the home of his friends. There was nothing to be afraid of despite the haunted atmosphere it seemed to have developed. He didn't expect to see ghosts jumping out of the darkness to terrify him – but the memories, they were worse than any supposed apparitions.

It looked like it had been exactly on the day Sirius had last seen it, except a thick layer of dust had settled over everything, even though Sirius knew it should have been a lot worse than it appeared. The house wasn't mouldy or decaying as horribly as he had expected it to be – clearly some form of enchantment was protecting the building.

Baby Harry's pram was pushed aside in a corner, his toys strewn about near the sofa. The torchlight trembled casting flickering shadows, but Sirius could not notice it as he clenched his jaw when he saw the exact place he had found James lying dead.

He willed himself to stop the deluge of emotions assaulting him but it proved to be too difficult. Without thought, he switched to his Animagus, not willing to suffer under the onslaught of grief. As Padfoot, the dark scent inside was stronger than he had anticipated. He picked up the torch with his muzzle and climbed up the stairs forcing himself to think of why he had come inside here in the first place.

He followed the trail to baby Harry's room, his hackles rising even before he had stepped foot inside the doorway which was ajar. He had not been up here the last time he had visited. It seemed none of the damage had been repaired and the room was a mess – boxes of clothes and toys were scattered all over the room. The night sky was visible from the gaping hole in the wall and roof on one side. He did not want to imagine Lily's last moments here.

Padfoot tried to sniff out the scent but it seemed to be everywhere. Perhaps, he had been mistaken? Had he only been able to detect it simply because the Dark magic in the air had been recognisable as a particular brand of Voldemort's?

Sirius felt discouraged by the thought; once again, all his efforts had been for nothing.

He was only just preparing to accept defeat and make his leave when he heard quiet footfalls climbing up the stairs from behind him. Alarmed, Sirius turned back to human, whipping out his wand. A small figure stood silhouetted against the doorway to the room blocking his exit.

The light from the torch fell on their face – older than he had ever seen her, but still recognisable as Bathilda Bagshot.

"Bathilda?" he called out uncertainly. What in the name of Merlin was she doing here?

Bathilda extricated her wand from her pocket and Sirius said urgently, "No wait! It's me, Sirius! Sirius Black."

He saw her look at him for a moment, her withered face completely vacant, before something inconceivable happened. Her whole body went rigid and she was making a gurgling sound; her face fell backwards at her neck which split open and making its way out of it was a massive snake which he instinctively knew could only be Nagini.

Sirius, who had been stricken with horror at the sight of Bathilda's body being torn open, was caught off guard when Nagini reared without any hesitation. She was singularly the largest snake he had ever seen and it only worked to her advantage in the small room. Sirius had dropped the torch and transformed to his Animagus, just as the torchlight went out and the house was plunged into darkness. Padfoot's eyesight was a bit better than his and he jumped onto the cot before he leapt out of the way. He was behind Nagini and if he so wished, he could have bounded out of the wide open door and perhaps towards safety. However, amidst all the commotion, he had only one thought in mind – kill Nagini.

This would be his only chance to do it, seemingly without Voldemort in sight.

The snake rapidly turned hissing and uncoiling, ready to strike again. Padfoot, in a moment of primal instinct, had sunk his teeth into the scaly flesh. Nagini was spitting and hissing in anger, and her long, powerful body thrashed him to one side of the room, slamming him to the wall. Padfoot yelped in pain and this time, he made a run for it out the door. He didn't plan to escape from there however even if Nagini was giving him chase and he leapt down the stairs, but in the darkness, he missed a step and went crashing to the ground. Nagini attacked and he felt her fangs sink into his left shoulder. Padfoot howled, scurrying to get away from her with his injured shoulder – Sirius became human, thinking to use his wand, for he was certain there was no chance of him running away anymore. He was overcome with pure terror at the sight of the immense snake rearing to attack again. He was certain he'd be dead here in the Potters' too, just like James had been sixteen years ago.

Sirius didn't know what gave him strength in that moment, but he knew he couldn't give up, not yet. He rasped, "Accio wand!"

In a heartbeat, his wand had flown straight to his uninjured arm from who knew where, when Nagini thrust herself forward. Without wasting even a moment, knowing this would likely be the last thing he ever did and feeling not an ounce of regret, he cried, "Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding flash of green light filled the room and he felt like a Hippogriff had fallen on him when Nagini slumped dead, partly draped over his legs. He bit his lip and tried to push himself up and ended up groaning when his shoulder felt like it was on fire. Warm wetness was trickling along his back and his vision swam dangerously when Sirius heard the resounding cracks of Apparition just outside the building. Sirius knew he didn't have enough time and he gathered himself enough to Disapparate on the spot.

He appeared right outside a front door and even though he tried his hardest to remain conscious, he failed miserably and simply slumped against the door, dead to the world.

oOo