THE NEW ORDER
By
Padfootjr23
Chapter Fifteen: The First Attack
"HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH?" Were the first words Dumbledore shouted after he administered the antidote to Veritaserum to James and Lily Potter. When the Potters arrived at Hogwarts just after dawn he was shocked beyond belief. He was unsure how they had managed to get to his office without being seen but unlike Harry they had been detected by the school's wards. He needed every second that it took them to make to his office door to pull himself together. Dumbledore was as cool as they came but being visited by two people you had thought to be dead would rattle anyone. He had every confidence in his Legillimency abilities but he wasn't going to take any chances so he decided to question them under Veritaserum, an idea that made James groan as he put his head in his hands, still nursing a headache from his questioning the night before. Jacob sat off to the side with his younger sister Rose and brother Benjamin but was listening to every word that was said. He is, by nature, very curious and the events of the last twenty four hours had definitely grabbed his attention. Normally you couldn't pay him to keep his mouth shut but he was quickly learning that you could get more information by remaining outside of a conversation. When his parents had first told him that he had a brother the day before he was naturally curious of who he was and what he enjoyed to do. But after meeting him the night before it now went beyond mere curiosity. The way Harry seemed to hold everyone's respect made him wonder how he had earned it and above all why and how he seemed to be fighting a war on his own.
"We thought we were doing the right thing to keep Harry safe." Lily answered quietly.
"While it is true that Voldemort wanted you both out of the way, it was Harry he was after." The Headmaster informed her crisply. Both the adults and their children looked at Albus with blank expressions. Why would someone as powerful as Voldemort care about a certain child. Seeing their confusion he elaborated. "A week before your 'death' I went to your home to inform you of a prophecy that was made in my presence. It went on to say that Harry would be the only one capable of defeating Voldemort."
"But, but he is just a child." Lily stuttered in shock.
"I also made the mistake of thinking that. You would save yourself a lot of time and aggravation by just accepting that Harry is not a normal boy." Dumbledore sighed as he sank back into his chair.
"Jacob said that the Ministry is after him for murder, is that true?"
"Yes it is." Albus would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy their reaction to those three simple words. He wasn't a man who advocated outright revenge so he took what he could get. Just over two weeks ago Harry single handedly killed at least twelve Unspeakables. There was another that he had killed before hand but his body was disposed of so we don't know who he was." He had to fight to keep from smiling when their faces went pale and they seemed to stop breathing. The expressions on their faces screamed of disbelief and denial. While it was true the previous night Harry had been angry and cold but he didn't come off as the type that would murder anyone in cold blood. After all if he was a cold blooded killer he wouldn't have let them go unharmed. After he let them think about it long enough he decided to tell them the details behind his actions.
Lily began crying again as Dumbledore explained the abuse and torture Harry and the others went through while being held by the Death Eaters. Although James also looked sick at the abuse his eyes also shined with pride when told that many of injuries Harry had sustained were received while diverting their guard's attention away from his fellow captives.
"I don't want to sound cold or anything, but why didn't they just kill him?" Jacob asked after Albus told them of Twinkle coming to take them away from Hogwarts. Everyone looked at him in surprise, both for his question and because of their shock at what they were being told James and Lily almost forgot that their children were also present. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they got away but if my brother is supposed to be able to kill their boss I would think they would want to get rid of him as quickly as possible, not hang on to him for several days and run the risk of someone finding them or them escaping."
"Most prisoners are killed early on in their captivity but this was a special case. The Dark Lord has been adamant that he will be the one to kill Harry so every Death Eater will use the killing curse only as a last resort. Voldemort had just left the country before their capture so he wasn't there but was confidant that his followers could hold him until his return. Also, any Death Eater stupid, or crazy enough to try to kill Harry themselves, are held at bay by the memory of the last time he was hit by the killing curse." He explained and waited for the onslaught of questions that he knew would be coming and he didn't have to wait long. Thinking quickly, Dumbledore cast a silencing charm on the couch where Rose and Benjamin were sleeping. When Jacob realized he could not hear his parents when they stood up shouting he realized what the Headmaster had done and stepped closer to his parents.
"Please, if you will sit down I will explain." Albus said as he held his hands up to quiet the two demanding parents. They reluctantly agreed to keep silence and retook their seats, Jacob went to claim the chair on the opposite side of his father. "Now before you ask any questions I must tell you that I have very little in the way of answers on this particular subject and the answers I do have are not mine to give." He said, referring to the information they discovered as a result of the prophecy that Blaise had found within Slytherin's journals. So it was with those words that he began telling them of Harry's survival of the killing curse and the subsequent thirteen years of relative peace that the wizarding world had enjoyed until the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Like any mother would be Lily was proud at all Harry had accomplished in such a short time but she was also horrified at all he had to endure. She was quick to demand to know why her former professor 'in all his infinite wisdom' had placed her son with her estranged sister when she held everything 'unnatural' with disgust. The explanation that he was safe as long as he was living with a blood relative was no longer at hand since Lily had never died and offered her blood protection. But her demands were quickly silenced under Dumbledore's piercing gaze and he oh so subtly reminded her that the ones that should have made the decision were either in jail or had made 'other' plans.
"You of all people have no business questioning my decision." He began in a calm voice that held only a hint of what he truly felt at the moment. He thought of Harry almost as an adopted grandson and the thought of anyone hurting him caused him great displeasure and annoyance. "Under the circumstances it was the only option. I knew almost nothing concerning your sister or her family and made the mistake of believing she was care for and raise Harry as if he were her own. Unfortunately I did not learn of the abuse he suffered at their hands until recently but I believe he has told no one of the true extent of it." Jacob was about to bring up another question but cut himself off when Albus seemed to get a faraway look in his eyes for a brief moment before focusing on them once again. "Raise your hoods, Minerva is about to join us." Sure enough ten seconds later an urgent knock sound through the room and before waiting for a reply she burst the door, her normally stern expression looking particularly grave. She spared the three hooded figures and two sleeping children a quick glance before turning to the now concerned Headmaster.
"Albus, Diagon Ally is under attack."
"FAWKES!" He yelled immediately while reaching for a piece of parchment and a quill. The phoenix entered the room in his customary burst of flames and stood on the edge of the desk while Dumbledore quickly scribbled out a short note. "Take this directly to Harry!" He ordered. Fawkes snatched the note out of his hand with his beak and disappeared in a flash.
"We're coming with you!" James said with a note of finality and Lily quickly agreed. McGonagall looked at the two curiously but she sure wasn't going to turn any help away. "Jacob, you stay here with your brother and sister, we'll be back soon." And with giving the boy time to argue about being left behind the four adults stormed out of the office.
XXX
Just as the sun was rising over the eastern horizon a lone figure silently walked down the length of Diagon Ally with one destination in mind. The heels of his dragon hide boots clicking almost silently on the clean cobblestone streets while he seemed to pay little to no attention to his surroundings while the early morning light and a thin layer of mist bathed the quiet shopping district in a dim haze. The shopkeepers preparing to open their stores for the day's shoppers looked at him with no small amount of suspicion, probably due to the beautiful set of green battlerobes the man was wearing and the fact that he had his hood drawn. As he passed by them without incident they turned back to their own work and with the preparations for the business of the day they soon forgot that he was even there.
Harry had woken quite early considering the exhaustion he had felt after the previous day's activities. He had not fallen asleep all that late but he was still surprised to see that it was still dark outside when he looked out his bedroom window. His body was terribly sore as a result of falling asleep on the floor amidst a veritable mountain of destroyed items. He sat in the dark for quite some time thinking about resent events and wondered how things could have gone as far as they had. Speaking strictly as an outsider, Harry could understand James and Lily's desire to protect each other and him as well even if things had not gone as planned due to lack of information. But speaking as the child that had been left behind to endure the abuse that came with life with the Dursleys he didn't think he could ever forgive the two of them. All his life he had wished that his parents were alive and they could all be a family but now he wasn't so sure. Growing up never knowing your parents his hard on any kid but they learn to accept the fact that they would never get that chance. But to suddenly learn that they were alive all along is much much worse than never knowing them at all.
Another factor that had the young man confused was the knowledge that he now had two younger brothers and a sister. Having nearly no experience with the concept of family he had no idea how he was supposed to act around them if they were to meet again. While it was true that the Weasleys had all but adopted him it wasn't the same as having a family of your own. Of course he was jealous of them but he held no ill will against them for their close relationships with their parents when he was cast aside. They were, after all, lied to as well.
With a heavy sigh Harry decided that he didn't want to be in the house when everyone else woke up. The last thing he wanted was for people to start pestering him to talk so that he could get everything off his chest. Maybe is was due to growing up with the Dursleys or maybe it was just him but he did not feel at all comfortable when talking about his private life so he wanted to avoid everyone else for the time being.
It didn't take nearly as long for him to think of somewhere to go as he thought it would. After thinking about his parents once again he left his room silently to avoid waking either Tonks or Blaise who, of course, had moved into the rooms on either side of his own. After closing his door behind him he just stood in the dark hallway for several minutes relishing the total silence that only the night could provide. Once he made it to his study he quickly drafted a letter to his new account manager Griphook to arrange for an early meeting. Well, not really arranging a meeting but merely telling the goblin that he would be at the back early to go over some details with his account.
That is precisely why Harry Potter was walking through an almost deserted street of shops, restaurants and many other places of business at such an early hour. As he walked up the marble staircase leading up to the front door he stopped to read the plaque that was displayed for all customers to see.
'Enter strangerbut take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most dearly in their turn
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.'
Harry aloud himself a small smile as he read the final line of the poem. He had always liked it and couldn't remember a time that he even just passed by the bank without reading it. Turning his attention back to the task at hand he quickly made his way up the remaining steps and stopped before the massive doors of Gringotts Wizard Bank. After a few moments searching he was able to find the chain that would announce clients and colleagues either before or after normal business hours. With a strong jerk he pulled on the chain with all him might. It took some time but the door eventually opened to reveal the pointed face of a rather small and young looking goblin, not that Harry knew much about the species or their aging patterns.
"Come this way!" The goblin said quietly as he closed the doors behind them and led Harry through the lobby of the bank towards a side door where another was waiting for them. Griphook looked just as Harry remembered him with the exception that his clothing looked far more expensive and he carried around the look of someone that was quite proud of their lot in life. Apparently going from leading people through the maze of tunnels under the bank to dealing with multi-million galleon accounts does wonders for one's self importance. When they reached Griphook the smaller of the two goblins bowed slightly before leaving once again.
"Griphook." Harry greeted with a slight nod of his head. He had no idea about the customs of goblins so he praying to make it through this meeting without insulting him. Griphook returned the greeting before unlocking the door behind him and leading Harry through many long and winding corridors before he finally waved Harry into what he assumed was his account manager's office.
"You said in your letter that you would like to see your family vault and also settle some business, correct? With would you prefer to do first?"
"Since we are already here we might as well get this over with as soon as possible. It shouldn't take long anyway." With his manager's nod of acceptance Harry continued. "I would like to have another vault to hold cash only, to be used strictly for financial purposes."
"I see. And how much would you like to transfer into this new vault?" Harry could clearly see the greed in the small creature's eyes as he asked his question. While the commissions earned for each transfer are not much at all they still receive a small amount. Goblins are very greedy creatures and even if they could swindle you out of just four bronze knuts, instead of five, they would be more than content about the day's dealings.
"Two million galleons should be more than enough but if the need should arise I will make the decision to transfer more or not." For the next twenty minutes Harry went over the details of the new vault with Griphook since he had to finalize the plans for the security the bank will offer. In the end he decided on a vault similar to the one that his trust fund was in before it was confiscated by the Ministry. But unlike his former vault Harry decided to get full protection which consisted of various charms, illusions and other security measures. No key would be needed since it was in the high security area and only the goblins could open those doors. They had learned from their previous mistakes that allowed Professor Quirrell to break into the high security vault that had been housing the Sorcerer's Stone until Hagrid has retrieved it on Dumbledore's orders before Harry's first year at Hogwarts began.
The use of portkeys have been a convenient method of accessing a vault for many years now and they have yet to have a single complaint. But entering the vault from the tunnels under the bank have raised questions since Quirrell's wasted trip five years before. Now, unless you had portkey access to your vault, a goblin must be present to lower various shields that can only be erected or raised by the peculiar form of magic that only goblins can perform. They wouldn't go so far as to say that their security is flawless but they are confidant that it cannot be bypassed by magic, whether Voldemort is sticking out of the back of your head or not.
After passing on the security of the vault Harry told his account manager that it was to be placed under the name of Jacob Andrews. He did this for two reasons. The first and foremost is that although he was extremely pissed at what his parents had done he had no wish to see them and their children in poverty since they no longer had access to the Potter family vault and he was pretty sure it would be rather hard for two 'dead' people to come up with a job any time soon. The second reason is quite simply really, his younger brother is the only one of them that he had gotten a name from. While he knew that they went by the last name Andrews he had no clue as to what his parents had been calling themselves for the last fourteen years and since they would probably wait sometime before allowing others to know of their survival it would look just a bit odd if he opened an account under his parent's name.
Twenty minutes later all the paperwork was filled out and all details would be finalized at the beginning of the business day when the funds would be transferred to their new location. The two had just left the room with Griphook leading the way through the winding corridors when a sudden burst of flames sent Harry dropping to the floor. Before he had even hit the ground he had both of his wands drawn and was looking around wildly for the source of the attack. Griphook was looking at him with what he thought was an amused expression on his face while Fawkes landed on the ground and waddled up to his side. Harry looked at him in annoyance for a moment before he noticed the note clasped in his beak. Carefully taking the offered note he unfolded it and as he read on he groaned out loud but it quickly turned into growl of anger.
H
Diagon Ally under attack, strength of forces unknown. Moving to intercept, could use all help available.
Given the fact that the note was delivered by Fawkes he didn't need to pay attention to the handwriting to know who it came from. Almost without thinking Harry conjured a quill and added his own message to the note before giving it back to the ancient phoenix.
"Take this directly to Snape, as fast as you can." The bird nodded once before taking flight again and vanishing in a flash of red and gold. After quickly telling Griphook what was going on Harry took off at a fast run back down the corridor he had first come in through. Luckily he managed to find the lobby once again without getting lost. Unlike the rows of offices behind him the lobby was bustling with activity as dozens of goblins ran back and forth between various counters that had already been set up for the day and removed currency that would be used for exchanges and withdrawals small enough that they didn't merit a time consuming trip to the vaults.
Along the walls Goblins dressed in armor and carrying long sharpened pikes stood ramrod straight as they waited incase the bank itself came under attack. Although much smaller than an average sized man, these warriors certainly didn't look like easy targets. Besides their long spears each goblin seemed to be covered in various styles of blades to use if their primary weapon was to prove to be ineffective during any given engagement. Shaking his head and putting the small warriors out of his mind Harry swiftly made his way towards the front entrance that was closed barricaded and guarded.
"Open the door!" He growled out as he looked each guard in the face. They did not appear to be intimidated but they were obviously curious as to what Harry thought he could do to help the situation by himself. He was, after all, the bloody 'boy-who-lived' and even the goblins had heard of his many encounters with Voldemort and his Death Eaters over the years. They were relishing the idea of seeing him in action so they could see if he lived up to his reputation or if he was merely a creation of a sensation seeking media.
"Lord Potter, we cannot allow you to leave here unprotected." Harry spun around and found Griphook standing behind him. at first Harry didn't understand what he had said because he was still trying to figure out how he had caught up with him so quickly.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked heatedly after he decided to ignore Griphook's sudden appearance for now and stick with the situation at hand.
"Quite simple really, while conducting business all customers, no matter who they are, are under our protection. Your business is not yet concluded so we cannot allow you to leave unprotected until the current hostilities have ceased." Griphook informed him calmly but that only served to raise Harry's anger.
"Look. I don't care what your policies are. People are being killed out there and I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing when there is even the remotest chance that I could help."
"I never said that you must stay inside My Lord. I merely informed you that we could not allow you to leave unprotected. You shall go with an escort or not at all." He said before snapping his fingers loudly. As if it were a normal spoken command three of the goblin guards standing against the wall marched over to Griphook's side to await instructions. "Lord Potter, these warriors are now responsible for your life. I would suggest that you do nothing to stupid that would cause permanent injury or they will be held responsible." Griphook explained after speaking with Harry's new bodyguards in the goblin language of Gobbledgook. (I have no idea if I spelled that correctly or not so give me a break)
Harry, of course, tried to refuse Griphook's demand but nothing he could say would sway him. Finally the two guards at the doors pushed it open just enough for Harry and his 'entourage' to get through. Harry cast several invisibility charms on himself and the goblins as well as notice me not charms just in case. A clever bit of goblin magic allowed the four to see each other despite the charms that now hid them from the eyes of others. With everything in order he slipped through the opening in the door and got his first look at the chaos that had descended upon Diagon Ally.
It did not appear that a very large force, just a few dozen Death Eaters had been sent. Considering how early they attacked there should have only shopkeepers and maybe a few early risers in the district so they would not have found very much resistance so there was absolutely no point in showing just how much their ranks have grown over the last few months. Unfortunately, for everyone involved, they were wrong. Due to an increase of suspected Death Eater activity and Harry admitted with sadness, his own raids into Knockturn Ally, many people seemed to arrive early to do their shopping when the stores first opened in the hopes that they would be safe if they arrived early and left quickly. The result was anarchy.
People were running in all directions as curses could be seen flying this way and that, hitting people and shops alike. The old cobblestone streets were already littered with the motionless bodies of the dead and Harry knew that before this morning was over many more would likely join them. Without so much as a second thought Harry drew his new Basilisk fang wand and moved swiftly down the marble steps of Gringotts and into the streets that now served as an impromptu battlefield. Smoke that was billowing from numerous shops and restaurants and filled the streets with the putrid smell of burning potions ingredients and animals as both the Apothecary and Magical Menagerie went up in flames. After a quick thought Harry cast the bubblehead charm on himself and breathed in a deep breathe once he had a supply of fresh air once again.
He ran from the steps of the wizard's bank to the side of Flourish and Blott's bookstore and was able to stun three Death Eaters who were stupid enough to wonder to far from the bulk of Voldemort's followers. Although it is considered dark magic, Harry had no problem using the same stunning spell he had used on Kingsley Shacklebolt the night before in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. He decided that although it took more magical energy to cast the fact that the Death Eaters could not be awaken by a simply Enervate charm. The unfortunate part of this plan is that invisibility shields cannot hold up while you are performing bits of strong magic, so naturally Harry's shields fell, leaving him exposed to possible attack. As he peeked out from the side of the building he couldn't help but wonder where Dumbledore was. The man knew of the attack before he did so why hadn't he arrived yet.
Using the buildings along the street and the panicked atmosphere to avoid being seen, Harry and his 'protectors' moved up the ally towards the primary concentration of Death Eaters. A short yelp of pain followed by a quiet gurgling sound caused him to spin around just in time to see a man in the black robes that marked Voldemort's followers slumping to the ground with a vicious wound in the side of his chest. His white mask had fallen off as he hit the ground revealing a face that Harry was not familiar with. Looking behind the man he saw one of his goblin body guards wiping the blood off of the blade of his spear with an emotionless expression on his face. Harry nodded to him and his two companions sharply in appreciation before turning back around and moving forward once again.
"Lord Potter!" One of the goblins called out from behind him. when he had the young man's attention he pointed to the shop just a little ahead of them on the other side of the street, 'Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions'. Several Death Eaters were basically herding over two dozen witches and wizards into the store one or two at a time, each being checked thoroughly. to make sure they didn't have a wand hidden on them. Harry simple could not understand what they hoped to accomplish with this until they had closed the doors and sealed all exits and windows. Quite a few of the dark wizards were standing outside on the street laughing as three of their comrades began firing incendiary hexes at the building, setting it on fire. Harry's face went ghost white as he heard the screams of pain and terror echo out onto the streets as the Death Eaters watched their handiwork with smug satisfaction.
Harry's horror of the situation quickly gave way to anger. Clenching his teeth tightly he stepped out of his place of cover and took careful aim at the ground just behind his three targets. With a whispered word the largest explosion hex he had cast thus far erupted from his wand as it buckled in his hand due to the massive amount of energy Harry had focused into the curse. When the curse struck the ground at the men's feet stone and men alike were thrown into the air and were either thrown into the walls of nearby buildings or came crashing back down to the hard unforgiving ground. Many of the Death Eaters cheered at the sound of the explosion and the sight it produced, obviously believing that one of their own had caused the destruction. Not really paying attention to his surroundings, Harry ran across the remainder of the street and blasted the door out of its frame before stepping inside.
For the next few minutes Harry had to help many of the people to leave the store since they had been breathing smoky air for a while and could not move very far on their own, all the while the goblins were standing at the ready just outside the door incase any more Death Eaters came their way. Many of those inside were the same shopkeepers that were looking at him with suspicion when he first arrived in Diagon Ally that morning but that suspicion was now gone, replaced by a look of supreme gratitude. After everyone was out he learned that they were all pretty much stuck there. Each of them had tried to apperated away on numerous occasions but they all failed, the same was true with portkeys and the floo network. Three of them had even managed to make it to the entrance that connected Diagon Ally with the Leaky Cauldron only to find that it had some how been disabled. They were, in effect, prisoners. There had been a time when Harry would have demanded to know why they had simply tried to run away instead of fighting the enemy and possibly driving them off but now he knew better. Not everyone was suited for fighting, in fact most people had never been in a duel in their lives and wouldn't know what to do if they were forced into such a situation. Between the choices of running with a good chance of living or staying to fight with a nearly one hundred percent chance of being killed most rational people would certainly chose to run.
Before they separated Harry had instructed them to head towards the Gringotts side of the ally since there were no longer any Death Eaters in that direction before he himself headed off into the opposite direction. He had not gotten far before he stopped suddenly when he thought he saw a familiar face lying on the ground with her head resting in a pool of her own blood. He gently turned her over and his suspicions were confirmed when he got a good look at her. Marietta Edgecrombe looked pale as a ghost and the deep gash on the side of her head certainly wasn't doing her any favors. As an off the wall thought Harry noticed that she had been able to remove the scars that had appeared on her face after she informed Deloris Umbridge of the D.A. during the last term at Hogwarts thus breaking her oath of silence. Although it resulted in Dumbledore being driven from the school and him nearly getting expelled he still thought it was a harsh punishment. After all, both her parents worked for the Ministry and Fudge and Umbridge could and would have punished her parents in some way if she did not cooperate with them.
Harry certainly was no healer but even with his mediocre knowledge on the subject he could easily tell that the young Ravenclaw was in bad condition. He glanced at the bodies that lay around and he silently prayed that they were not her family, no child should have to watch a parent die at such a young age no matter who they are or what their parents have done. That was the only reason he had to regret taking the lives of Death Eaters. With the anti-portkey and apperation wards it could be some time before help arrived so Harry made a split second decision and removed his own emergency portkey from his robes as he thanked any listening deity that his portkeys were able to go through any standard wards. The moment it was fastened to the front of Marietta's robes it scanned her condition and after getting the full extent of her injuries it activated and she was transported to Harry's home where he hoped she would be able to get healthy once again. Not long after he had sent Marietta on her way slight pops could be heard as a dozen figures all dressed in green battlerobes began appearing along the street catching the attention of the Death Eaters.
"Oh shit!" Harry growled as he saw many making their way towards some of the new arrivals. They had no choice but to use their portkeys to arrive but unfortunately they drew to much attention and found themselves under attack almost immediately. Many of the shoppers or shopkeepers that were still fighting looked on at these people with more than a little suspicion but since they were also fighting the Death Eaters they seemed to take to heart the old proverb 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' and began fighting their way towards these people that appeared to be much more skilled in the dueling arts then they were and if they turned their wands on them after the dark wizards were defeated then they would deal with that if the situation arose.
The group of 'Raiders' quickly regrouped after they arrived and formed themselves up into a wide arch formation in front of Quality Quiditch Supplies. From this position someone from within their group could see every curse cast at them from every direction with the store serving to protect their backs. After getting organized Snape began barking orders at those around them and they slowly began taking short steps forward in each of their given directions so that their protective arch began to expand as they began to cut down those that challenged them. The only problem with this strategy was that as they got farther apart large gapes began to form between each person giving the Death Eaters easier targets. However that particular problem was solved when many pedestrians made their way to them and began taking up positions within the gaps.
Seeing that the attention was now in the opposite direction Harry decided to take advantage of the fact that his enemies now had their backs to him and he began to silently stun as many as he could as he made his way forward. The goblins had spread out to either side of him and were quickly and methodically 'eliminating' those that stood in their way. Three or four had turned in their direction and spotted them but before they could cry out in alarm the nearest goblin would thrust out his hand, sending the man flying before crashing back to the ground in much the same fashion he had remembered seeing Dobby do to Lucius Malfoy at the end of his second year. The only difference he could see was that the goblins appeared to be much more powerful and when the Death Eaters landed they did not get up again. Unfortunately it was not long before they were discovered and they found themselves on the receiving end.
Seeing no other choice, Harry drew his phoenix feather wand and cast various shield charms with it in his left hand while returning curses with his other wand in his right. Thanks to Bill Harry was now able to perform many defensive spells with little to no wand movements so the lack of perfect coordination in his left hand wasn't really a problem when it came to simple shield charms or spells like stunners and disarming curses. For anything major however he still needed to use his right hand and the wand movements until he has trained himself much harder.
The goblins themselves didn't seem to need the shields at all, instead they used their spears to block spells while sending out strong pulses of magical energy at their attackers. Harry quickly discovered that they were just as deadly with the smaller blades that they carried as they were with either their spears or their magic. They showed no emotion as they slashed and blasted away any opponent that stood in their way and Harry was greatly relieved that they were there to help him not as his enemy. In an act of desperation the Death Eaters abandoned all use of subtlety and began to use nothing but the killing curse. While it would drain their energy at a greatly accelerated rate they felt they had nothing to lose. If they were defeated they would either be killed or shipped off to Azkaban and neither was on their top ten things to do list. It would take them at least five minutes to lower the wards they had erected so they simply could not escape considering it was five minute that they did not have. No, their only choice was to end this fight quickly and escape before the Ministry or Dumbledore were to show up.
With many of the Death Eaters turning to meet this new threat the pressure that had been pressing in on Snape and the others was declining and they were easily able to push forward at an easier pace than before. With them pressed together in the streets, with store fronts on either side and witches and wizards to their backs and fronts, many of the Death Eaters became confused at whom they should fight and some even began to panic, both certainly gave Harry and Snape the advantage as they both pushed their groups into the enemy ranks.
With nothing but killing curses being thrown Harry and the goblins were not making as much progress as Snape but they were still moving forward and felling their opponents. It had only been ten minutes since Snape arrived and the Death Eaters' numbers were already down to just under a dozen. Even though they were now outnumbered and outclassed the dark wizards simply would not give up. They certainly seemed to be the type that believes in Voldemort's cause with every breath they breath and dying for it would be an honor for them. Harry snorted in disgust at the blind loyalty they people show Tom Riddle when a flash of green light caught his attention. His eyes went wide as he turned his head and saw the curse speeding towards his stomach. Just before he was about to jump out of its way he was roughly shoved to the ground. A mere second later a soft thump reached his ears and he looked over to see one of his goblin bodyguards laying on the ground with blank lifeless eyes. Harry just stared into his eyes for a few moments as he felt the now familiar wave of guilt at being the cause of another death before he had to jump out of the way of yet another curse. He would have plenty of time alone with his conscious later but at the moment he had things to do.
Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining two goblins fought all the more harder and when Harry rejoined them they began to push themselves forward yet again. Being virtually surrounded the Death eaters had no chance at all and within a few more minutes every one of them were lying on the ground either dead, stunned or disarmed and nursing painful injury. Looking around at the now quiet street Harry's eyes scanned over several dozen bodies lying in the street, most of them innocent people who came this morning because they thought it would be safer to come in the morning. Those that had been on the other end of the street to get away from the fighting were now filtering back out and checking the bodies for loved ones, survivors or to help to put out the fires that had been started in a number of shops. A few just seemed to be hoping from one person to the next helping to heal any injury they could before moving on to the next. With a sad shake of his head he made his way over to where a few of his fellow 'raiders' stood talking as they helped Bill lower the wards surrounding the ally.
"Did we lose anyone?" He asked in a somber tone to no one in particular since he couldn't see their faces.
"No, a few of the shoppers that joined us were killed or injured but the rest of us only have minor injuries except Dung who has a broken arm and a burnt hand." Harry recognized the quiet voice as belonging to John Marks, probably the best fighter among Dung's friends and second only to Bill and maybe Snape.
"Alright, lets start cleaning this up and help the wounded. Bind a few of the Death Eaters and we'll take them with us and leave the rest for the Ministry." The man nodded and Harry walked off back down the road to where the body of the dead goblin still laid. After taking a deep breath and releasing it in a useless effort to control his emotions he levitated the still body and made his way back to Gringotts. After depositing the body on an empty table Harry approached the bank manager Draas Bullgluk who was off to the side speaking with some rather 'noble' looking goblins. When they noticed his approach they suddenly became silent and turned their gazes towards him. normally such an action would either make him nervous or infuriate him but he was to tired, both physically and emotionally.
Without waiting for an introduction to the unknown goblins or even your normal formalities he told Bullgluk that for the services Gringotts had given him that morning that should they come across any problems he would be more than willing to help if it is within his power to do so and since a goblin gave his life to protect his he would do the same if the situation were to arise. Without waiting for a reply from the stunned goblins Harry turned on his heel and marched back out the doors and on to the street. The goblins looked back and forth at each other with stunned expressions on their faces. Many of their kind have died protecting their clients over the years but never has any human made such a pledge to a goblin before as a result of it. Each one of them decided that perhaps Harry Potter was Much more than he seems.
XXX
When Harry made it back down the street he rolled his eyes and groaned as he saw that the entrance between the ally and the Leaky Cauldron had been opened up again and none other than Cornelius Fudge had just walked through right behind Dumbledore among others. Several mediwizards and witches were now circulating among the wounded and have the most critical sent to Saint Mungo's Hospital immediately. He saw to hooded people come in right behind Albus and he had a sneaking suspicion of just who they were. He walked quickly over to two of his men who were standing over ten bound Death Eaters and asked if they were ready to go.
"Well we have the portkeys Twinkle made on them already but they can't go through the so we have to wait on Bill. From what I hear he's almost done though."
"Good, we need to get out of here as soon as possible before I kill the little bureaucrat." Harry sighed but clenched his teeth when he saw Fudge followed by Dumbledore coming his way.
"YOU," He yelled causing a good amount a spit to go flying from his lips. "Who are you?" He demanded as he came to a stop directly in front of Harry. He couldn't help but curse the world for his luck. Of all the people on the street he just had to walk up to him.
"Who I am is my own business." Harry answered as he turned his back on the man. Fudge began to sputter as his face turned red in anger.
"I am the Minister of Magic! You WILL show me the proper amount of respect." Harry stoped in mid step before turning around slowly. Bill caught his attention for a moment and signaled that he had disabled the wards so he decided to have a little fun with little Fudgey
"I will agree that the Minister of Magic should be shown respect. After all it is a very important not to mention very stressful position. But like everyone else in this society, you must first show respect for others before you are entitled to respect of your own. You show no respect to anyone because you feel that because of your position you are somehow above them. You feel you are entitled to everything but you give nothing in return. As I said before, a Minister should be treated with respect, if he first shows respect to his position and to the people that put him in that office. You have done neither so I will be on my way now." Harry said before walking back over to where their ten prisoners were being held. "Alright, stand them up and lets go." He ordered in a voice loud enough for Fudge to hear and he didn't have to wait long before he began yelling once more.
"You can't take those prisoners anywhere. Aurors, arrest that man!" The Aurors that surrounded Fudge as his personal guard looked at Harry and the others that were moving towards him and finally at all the Death Eaters they had either captured or killed before deciding to stay put.
"Really, and if I don't take them then where would they go?" Harry asked in a fake curious voice.
"They will be held at the Ministry to await trial." Fudge answered.
"Will it be before the trial or during that you and your friends testify on their behalf. You did the same for Malfoy and his little buddies after he made some very generous contributions to your administration. I'm terribly sorry Cornelius but I will just have to keep them myself, I wouldn't want you to set them free so soon after killing so many." Harry sneered and seconds later they were all gone, leaving an irate Minister and several grinning reporters behind.
TBC
I hope to have another chapter out in the next few days but no promises. At the moment I'm at the end of a 43 hour day so my mind isn't exactly working as it is supposed to. It took me a whopping two hours to write this chapter so I'm sure that after I get some sleep I'll come back and find that it is absolute crap and have to re due it so as I said, no promises on the next chapter. Either in the next few days or sometime next week. Good night.
PS. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, the forth bride is going to be Marietta Edgecrombe for Ravenclaw. I was going to have it as someone else but after thinking about it a great deal I decided against her because it would cause to many problems but I also didn't want to do the normal Ravenclaw ships like with Cho, Luna or Padma Patil. So I am going with Cho's friend since she is the only other Ravenclaw I can think of at the moment. Good night.