Harry stepped out into the sunshine and saw the village of Salem. The village was situated on a high bluff overlooking the ocean and surrounded on all sides by forests, It looked like Hogsmeade sort of, but different, for there was only one large street down the center of town, and there was no apparent road leading to or away from the village, when Harry asked Ozzy about this he simply said "well Harry, this Isn't the original Salem, this Is an all witch and wizard community, there are no roads leading to or from It for 2 reasons, one to keep It secret, and two because this village Is located In the middle of a huge wildlife preserve. If you want to get technical were in the state of Rhode Island" "Oh..." was Harry had to say on the subject, Hermione on the other hand had a lot more to say.
"So which endangered animal lives in this area? There must be one otherwise the muggles wouldn't make this a wildlife preserve." Hermione asked as she scanned the tree line trying to find any sign of animal life.
"Well this is a Federal wildlife preserve, which means that the US government declared it one, not just the state. And to answer your question Hermione the endangered animal Is Wizards, Theodore Roosevelt declared this a National wildlife preserve and officially said it was a kind of beetle, but his wife was a witch so she arranged for this."
As they passed by houses and yards Harry noticed a strange lack of people, as he was about to ask this of Ozzy he herd a loud CRACK from behind him, as he turned to see who had arrived he noticed a large about of people seeming to converge at the Intersection they were standing In the middle of. Finishing his turn he saw a tall, skinny woman with short blonde hair. She was the only one not wearing dark robes, from this Harry came to two different conclusions, one she just happened to appear at the wrong time, or two she was their leader. Either way Harry didn't like this. Ozzy's next statement didn't reassure him.
"Martha, what a truly horrid surprise" he said as he pulled out a strange wand, It appeared to be made of glass, or maybe crystal. Harry made a note to remember to ask if they got out of this alive. "so do I need to ask what the pleasure of this visit Is, or am I wrong In assuming you're not planning on letting us leave" Ozzy said In a bored voice.
"Oh Ozzy do we really need to do this? Fine, have it you're way, you may leave. Its not you were after, were after potter, so you and his friends may leave but he may not" she said in a cold, almost Ice like voice. Despite his best efforts Harry felt his spine prickle withdrawing his own wand Harry asked "And who are you and what business do you have demanding my time? Oh I get it now Voldemort Is too scared now to come himself so he sent an underling to do his dirty work. Its fine really, after that battle under GrIngotts Id be scared to face me too."
By mutual consent they all put their backs together, and despite the circumstances Harry couldn't help but notice it was Ginny who had her back pressed firmly into his. She had the most entrancing perfume, that and a lock of her bright red hair was hanging over his shoulder "whatever happens here Lupin, you get Ginny out of here, and do you hear me?" Harry said in as close to a whisper as he could manage and still expect Lupin to hear out of the corner of his eye he saw Lupin nod, and that was all the attention he could spare, for at that moment Martha decided to speak
"Lord Voldemort doesn't even know I'm here, he's too busy planning to overthrow your government, which is exactly why I'm offering you a deal. Me and you boy, one on one, you're friends may even leave and return to the mansion if they wish. I give you my word they will not be harmed. So Potter, what do you say?" she sneered as she too pulled out her wand, to his relief Harry noticed hers was made out of wood.
"And If I win you're followers back off, and won't harm any of them?" Harry yelled back
"Of course Harry, I simply want to duel you. I have no need for you're friends" she responded
"What are the terms? He hollered back, although he knew It was a futile question "to the death!" she yelled with a particularly nasty smile on her face to the death or surrender!" Harry yelled back
"Agreed" she sneered as she raised her wand to the defensive position.
Harry turned and was prepared for the onslaught of "NO WAY HARRY!", "HAVE YOU GONE MAD MATE?", "Harry, I promised Dumbledore and you're parents I would not let you get hurt." but before Ginny could even say anything she saw the look In his eye's, fear, not for himself but for her. She was moved, so moved In fact that she couldn't bring herself to say no I will not be another Sirius, I can not make him go through that again, besides Harry beat Voldemort he can beat her. Out loud she simply said "I Love you Harry."
That silenced everyone, even Lupin looked stunned "your not even gonna try and stop him!" Ron asked outraged "Harry has beaten Voldemort so how hard can she be, besides I will NOT be another Sirius" she said with a tear or two in her eyes. Again everyone was stunned by her. Harry came over and embraced her In a long and passionate kiss then whispered In her ear "Take them back to the house, I have a secret portkey In my pocket, as soon as you're In the house Ill use It." her eyes widened as he said this then she kissed him again then turned to Lupin and said "I'm going to the house, I don't care If you watch and I don't trust them to keep their word, and you are all coming too!" as she finished she winked at Lupin and rolled her eyes back toward the house. Turning she walked off.
"Let us go then, Ron, Hermione follow me" he Ignored their protests as he grabbed each by the robe and walked towards the house before Ozzy left he turned to Harry and said "be careful she has a very dangerous spell that will suck out your soul" "Ozzy wait!" Harry grabbed his arm "when you get in there tell them to use their portkey back to headquarters, as soon as they get In the house, I don't want them getting recaptured" he looked Into the older man's eyes and Ozzy saw something that made him feel something he'd rarely felt before. Fear, fear for if he should fail Harry In this Voldemort would be more forgiving
Raising his wand Harry shouted reproba statua and immediately there were 5 different Harry's and he himself was invisible looking confused for half a moment she pointed her wand at a false Harry and shouted Expello Statua! Immediately the false Harry vanished, raising his own arm Harry shouted Stupefy and suddenly there were four bolts of red flying toward her. Quickly, she spun around and said Plenus orbIs contego! At which point the air itself seemed to shimmer then Harry's spell hit it and bounced off "Dam Harry" muttered as he aimed another spell at her PetrIfIcus Totalus! Again she spun around and said Plenus orbIs contego followed quickly by another Expello Statua. Harry was down to three copies and once it was down to one he would become visible. Expello Statua and again another copy went down. Thinking fast Harry launched a bat bogey hex then ducked around to her other side.
Harry decided to try a spell he'd researched In Dumbledore's library but hadn't yet tested, the spell was supposed to turn the ground into mud and was supposed to be used to help sink the foundation of a castle or bridge. Pointing his wand at the ground around her feet he shouted verto in lImus! A large brown ball shot out of the end of his wand and seemed to disappear into the ground at her feet "HA HA HA HA" she laughed "I don't know what you were trying to do potter but you're aim Is horrible" "oh no Its not" Harry shouted as he saw her start to sink, by the time she realized It she was up to her knees, then her waist. Harry pointed again and yelled the counter charm crudesco and suddenly it was like she was in stone abolishing his Illusion Harry said perhaps a bit too smugly "would you like to surrender?"
Of all the responses he was expecting this wasn't one, she didn't even point her wand but simply yelled somas laniatus at the top of her lungs. Pain, like nothing he'd ever felt before tore through his body, his arms twisted out of socket, his legs bent at Impossible angles, his nose seemed to be smashed in and was bleeding furiously. In one single moment Harry was on the ground convulsing in pain. Somehow In a daze he reached his twisted arm up and tapped the phoenix pin on his robe and said "home." Harry nearly puked as he felt the familiar sensation behind his navel then things got all dark and fuzzy
Harry lay on the floor for what seemed like hours seeing only shades of gray until he heard a small gasp and feet pounding down some stairs rolling over he was just able to make out a strange face with two long ears and a pointed nose. "Young masters? Don't be afraid young masters for you are home now" and with that Harry passed out.
-
Once inside the mansion Hermione turned to Lupin and yelled "why are we in here, we should be out there helping him!" "Hermione, you think I want to leave him?" Ginny yelled back "do you really think I want to leave him alone again!" she was so mad she was turning red. "If you think Hermione Granger for one moment that you want to be out there with him more than I do you'd better prepare for a duel yourself!" she screamed and Hermione seeing the fear, courage and hurt in Ginny's eyes took a step back.
"Ginny you know I know you want to be there, so I can't figure out why were not" she said in a quiet voice while she continued to stare Into Ginny's eyes. Ginny seemed about ready to burst, when suddenly she did, into tears. Lupin and Ron rushed over to her and supported her as she sobbed into their robes. "because...herm...Iona,...Sirius...he...cant...fight" she sobbed In silence for another moment, then straightening herself out she dried her eyes and said "Harry needs us, he needs us safely away where we cant be hurt because of him" she said, and her bottom lip trembled like she might cry again but she held It In "hurt because of him?" Ron stared dumbfounded "Harry would never hurt us and he knows we know it" "well now that were away I'm going back, and helping. Now that Its plain that I'm only there because I choose to be"
"Ronald you cant" Hermione said as she grabbed his arm.
"Indeed you cannot because just as I was leaving Harry told me to tell you to use you're portkey the second you got through the door because he didn't want them coming for you as soon as he disappeared" Ozzy said with a weird smile on his face "how's he gonna disappear? He can't dIsapperate?" Hermione asked sounding very offended that Harry would tell a practical stranger something that he wouldn't tell her, not surprising It was Ginny who answered " he has a portkey, he said he'd meet us back at headquarters." turning to Lupin she said "I think wed better be going, I really want to make sure he's ok" "Agreed" he said "Thank you Lord Oswald for lunch, now kids, one...two...three."
-
The four appeared in the Kitchen of number 12 Grimauld place to the very surprise of Professor Dumbledore who was leaning over a prone Mrs. Weasley while her hands were wrapped around his back. "MOTHER!" Ginny yelled "WHAT THE BLODDY HECK ARE YOU DOING WITH MY MUM!" Ron screamed in outrage as he pulled out his wand "would you two stop" Hermione sounded exhausted "BUT HERMIONE..." Ron and Ginny said In unison "Seriously you two need to pay more attention, If you noticed Mrs. Weasley has a puncture wound to her right leg, where I'm guessing she either broke It and that's where the bone protruded or there was an accident and something went Into her leg."
Hermione smiled smugly as the two Weasley kids stared with their jaws resting on the floor
"Very good Hermione!" Tonks said as she came In carrying a bandage "you see I was leaning on this chair when professor Dumbledore apprated and the sound made me jump, so It tripped over and hit you're mums leg and broke It as her leg was wedged between the chair and stove, and the professor knew the charm to heal bones properly so he was taking care of it while I went to get bandages"
As she finished her face had turned a dark shade of red "oh Molly I'm so sorry!" Tonks exclaimed with tears in her eyes. "Its alright Tonks, see Dumbledore has me all fixed up right?" she looked expectantly at the professor "I suggest you take the rest of the day off, and I would really like you to see poppy "he said but when he saw the NO In her eyes he desisted. Turning to the group he said "so Harry how was..." Dumbledore froze. Where was Harry? He cant be dead they'd be crying If he was dead. Oh what have I done, I shouldn't have let him go alone he thought
"Remus where's Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his voice sounded like ice on the coldest day
"He hasn't arrived yet? We thought for sure he'd be here by now" quickly they filled dumbledoor in on what had happened. Without another word dumbledoor stood up and with a loud CRACK he was gone.
-
10 minutes later dumbledoor reappeared In the kitchen "Lord Oswald says right after you left he went outside and say 2 Harry's dueling one deatheater, suddenly she sank In the ground then got stuck, then the two Harry's disappeared and a neither Harry appeared and this one walked over then suddenly convulsed and It looked like his entire body had been mutilated. Oswald ran toward the boy but before he could get there he saw potter tap a pin he was wearing then he disappeared. This was 10 minutes before I got there." Dumbledore seemed to collapse inward as he sat down "No one has any Idea where he went?" scanning their faces he saw nothing that looked like any of them knew where he might be.