CHAPTER TWO

AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL

"The Dark Lord needs it!" she barked impatiently. "Bring it to me now!"

"Why does he need it now, mistress?" asked Kreacher interestedly.

"Have you not heard?" She said in a hushed voice. "All of them have been destroyed, save him and his pet."

"What?"

"You heard me, Kreacher."

Harry racked his brain. What could she be speaking of? Slowly, Harry motioned for the other two to go back to the drawing room. They quickly obeyed, and he followed.

"I should never have suggested we come back here" said Harry, closing the door behind him.

"Harry, it's not your fault." Hermione said, her voice trembling a little.

"Why are you all so frightened?" asked Ron. "Can't we just kill Bellatrix and Kreacher and get on with the summer?"

"It's not that simple, Ron" said Hermione. "Not only is Bellatrix extremely gifted, but she is a Death Eater. Do you think her death would go unnoticed?"

Ron sighed.

"We'd have Voldemort and all his Death Eaters here by tomorrow" muttered Harry darkly.

They were still talking when they heard footsteps going across the entry towards the front door.

"We have to stop her, you guys" said Harry, with a tone of finality in his voice. As he did so, he pulled out his wand.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, looking a little nervous, then pulled out theirs as well.

"After you, Harry" said Hermione.

Harry caught her eye. She looked slightly frightened, but there was something like courage and readiness for what was ahead. He saw that Ron looked the same too. The two of them were willing to do anything for their friend, Harry. This meant more to him than he could ever express.

"Okay… Let's go!"

Harry burst through the door just as Bellatrix was about to walk out. Hermione and Ron followed.

Bellatrix looked at them.

"Put away your wand, Potter."

"What're you going to do if I do, then? Kill me, just like you killed Sirius, right?"

"No, Potter. Sirius had a wand."

"What's that supposed to mean, you git?" Harry roared.

"If I can kill Sirius when he is not wand-less, do not be so foolish as to think I couldn't to you." Bellatrix replied a little louder, her hand twitching.

"She is right, Harry Potter" said Kreacher evilly. "Never insult the name of mistress Bellatrix in this house."

"Like you could stop me" muttered Harry.

"Oh, don't worry, sir, I could" giggled Kreacher. "Oh, I could. Just thinking of it makes my"

"KREACHER, GET LOST!"

"No, Harry Potter. Kreacher will most certainly not get"

"Expelliarmus!"

Kreacher was thrown off his feet and hit the wall, and slid down it, lying unconscious on the ground.

Hermione squealed.

"Harry, what have you done?"

"A question I would ask you too, Potter" murmured Bellatrix, plunging her hand into her robes, and whipping out her wand.

"What did you come for?" asked Harry, his wand at the ready.

"No one tells the Dark Lord's secrets, boy" replied Bellatrix coldly.

Bellatrix flicked her wand. Before Harry had time to react, he was blasted through the air. He collided painfully with a bookcase, which proceeded to dump all of its books off of it and onto him.

Ron and Hermione acted instinctively.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

There was a bang like a firework as Bellatrix smashed into the wall. With a thud, she hit the ground and was unconscious.

"That was easy" breathed Ron.

"HARRY!" screamed Hermione.

Harry lay unconscious underneath the books.

The two of them rushed over and began throwing the books off of him.

BANG!

Hermione and Ron flew across the room and hit the wall. Kreacher walked across the room towards them.

Ron stood up almost immediately.

"You git!" he cried.

Kreacher snapped his fingers. Ron was thrown against the wall and held to it.

"The little blood traitor will learn to respect Kreacher. Oh yes he will."

Ron struggled, but it was useless.

"Stupefy!" cried Hermione, obviously ashamed she had attacked a house-elf.

Kreacher turned and snapped his fingers. The spell suddenly rebounded and hit Hermione. She moaned and fell to the ground.

Kreacher smiled.

"Now, back to learning, shall we?" he said, in an almost merry sort of fashion.

Kreacher suddenly began choking Ron. Ron struggled and tried to stop him.

"Impedimenta!"

Kreacher was knocked off his feet and onto the ground. Ron gasped for breath as he fell to the floor.

"Ron! Mate, are you alright?"

Ron looked up.

Harry ran towards him, helping him to his feet.

"Th-th-th-thanks" Ron gasped, taking deep breaths.

"Don't mention it" Harry muttered, seeing Hermione on the floor.

"Ennervate!"

Hermione opened her eyes, as Harry knelt down.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Y-yes, I'm alright." She gasped.

"Thank you, Harry" she said as he helped her up.

Harry nodded.

"You won't survive this time, Potter!" shrieked a voice from the front door.

Bellatrix had regained consciousness.

Kreacher leapt to his feet, approaching Ron and Hermione.

"I'll deal with her" said Harry. "You take care of Kreacher."

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"You don't want to irritate Kreacher!" he taunted, moving forward a little more. "The little mudblood must watch out, now. The blood traitor can do nothing against Kreacher. He has already seen that."

Harry walked past the armchairs and sofas towards Bellatrix, who had her wand aloft.

"Let us play, Potter" she said lazily.

Simultaneously, they raised their wands.

"Crucio!"

Harry dove behind an armchair, as the spell flew by him and shattered a vase on the mantel. With effort, he leapt up and shouted, "STUPEFY!"

Bellatrix deflected the spell as quick as lightning.

Harry leapt behind the sofa as a jet of green light shot over it and struck a table, which burst into flame.

Harry leapt up and almost fired a hex when a huge object smashed into him. He and the object flew to the ground. Harry's eyes watered as he saw the object next to him was Ron. Kreacher and Hermione were still dueling. Bellatrix raised her wand to kill Hermione.

"Avada"

Harry jumped onto the couch and dove on top of Bellatrix, causing her curse to completely miss Hermione, striking the wall instead, leaving a crater.

The two of them landed on the floor, Harry on top.

BANG!

Harry flew off of her and landed on his back by the front door.

Bellatrix leapt up and raised her wand.

"Levicorpus" thought Harry.

Bellatrix was flipped upside down and hung helplessly in mid-air. With a flick of her wand, the spell was released and Harry cried out in pain. It felt as though his hand was burned.
"Stupe AAAAARGH!"

Harry looked beyond Bellatrix and saw Hermione fly into the air, coming to rest on an armchair, which toppled over.

Bellatrix leapt to her feet.

"No longer, Potter!"

A pain beyond description struck Harry full-force. He screamed, falling to the ground, convulsing and writhing hopelessly.

Bellatrix was knocked off her feet and hit the wall. Ron and Hermione advanced on Bellatrix, their wands raised.

"Harry, we've got her!" Ron yelled. "You take Kreacher!"

"I'm on it!" yelled Harry, turning to Kreacher.

Kreacher smirked as Harry walked towards him. He raised his hand to fire a spell, when he was blasted off his feet and hit his head on the wall.

Harry fired a second Impediment jinx, blasting Kreacher against the wall even harder.

"You miserable little maggot!" shouted Harry. "You always wanted Sirius to die! What was so bad about him, eh!"

"He was a blood traitor, you stupid boy!" he snarled, throwing Harry into the wall with a wave of his hand. "And you, Harry Potter, shall never live to see the light of day!" Kreacher lifted Harry off his feet, and slammed him against the wall again, holding him against it and choking him.

"NO ESCAPE!" Kreacher laughed. "NO ESCAPE!"

Harry struggled, but knew it was no use. Hermione and Ron didn't have time to turn away from Bellatrix, who was firing spells one after the other. He desperately thought of something that would help; something that would come to his aid immediately if he needed it. The answer came to him.

"DOBBY!" he gasped.

There was a crack! And a second house-elf appeared, right behind Kreacher.

"Harry Potter!" he cried, raising his hand.

Kreacher was blasted away from Harry, hitting his head on the brick fireplace.

"Dobby had to save Harry Potter!" Dobby rushed to Harry, who was on the floor, massaging his neck.

"Thanks" Harry said painfully.

Dobby smiled.

"That foul, miserable little Kreacher" said Dobby distastefully. "He does not know what it means to be a true house-elf!"

Dobby did not know what it meant to be a true house-elf either. After he was given clothes by Harry, he proceeded to find work and actually get paid for it, something extremely appalling for a house-elf.

Hermione and Ron were still dueling Bellatrix, who seemed to be putting up a decent fight.

Harry turned back to Dobby.

"Dobby, can you keep Kreacher off of me while I duel her?"

"Dobby will do all he can, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, his huge eyes twinkling.

"Thanks" he muttered, standing up and joining Ron and Hermione.

The area around Bellatrix, Ron and Hermione looked as though a tornado had swept through. Vases were smashed, the floor was charred, and tables were overturned. Harry stepped over several overturned pieces of furniture before he took aim for Bellatrix.

"Expelliarmus!"

Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand, spinning through the air, and landing with a clatter on the floor. She whirled her head at him.

"It's over, Lestrange" said Harry quietly.

Hermione and Ron both had their wands pointed directly at Bellatrix's face. She looked at them, slightly frightened. Harry raised his own.

"Stup"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

A jet of brilliant scarlet light flashed from the doorway, and blasted Harry's wand from his hand and onto the couch. All four of them turned to the door.

Lucius Malfoy and his wife Narcissa stepped over the threshold, calmly as though they were being invited to dinner.

"Hello, sister" said Lucius. "Weasley, Miss Granger and"
Lucius' eyes glittered for a moment as they met Harry's.

"Harry Potter" he said coolly. "I hope you don't mind if my wife and I 'step in' and join your friendly meeting?"

"Got out of Azkaban, have you?"

"Indeed, I have, boy" drawled Lucius.

"You've made a mistake to come here, sir" said Hermione tentatively, still pointing her wand at Bellatrix.

"Oh, have I, Granger?" replied Lucius coolly. "I really think it is you who have made the mistake of attacking my sister-in-law. You see, my wife and I sensed the attack and set out as quickly as possible."

"And now, dear girl" said Narcissa, "We have found you, and will kill you."

"I really don't think that's possible" said Harry, moving a little closer to Narcissa and raising his wand, which he had picked up off the couch.

"We'll see" she said smoothly.

Five jets of light shot across the entry. Hermione hit a desk, sliding over it, and falling to the ground, unconscious. Ron flew into the wall, falling to the ground. Narcissa and Bellatrix were blasted to the ground, while Harry and Lucius managed to deflect the spells aimed at them.

"Expelliarmus!"

Lucius deflected the spell with ease.

"Well done, Potter" said Lucius coolly. "We are the only ones who appeared to have survived."

"Stupe"

Lucius deflected the spell.

"Potter, are you really unable to conjure nonverbal spells? You cannot expect to successfully hex me if you shout the incantation aloud!"

"Levicorpus" thought Harry.

Lucius was flipped upside down and lifted into the air.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

There was a sound like a gunshot as Lucius was blasted across the room and slammed into the wall. He slid down it, and lay unconscious on the floor.

Bellatrix and Narcissa leapt to their feet.

"You stupid boy!" shrieked Malfoy.

A jet of green light emitted from her wand.

Harry dove to the floor to dodge the curse, as it soared over him and shattered a mirror. Harry took aim from the floor.

"Expelliarmus!"

Narcissa deflected the spell.

Bellatrix raised her wand.

"Avada Ke"
"Stupefy!"

A blinding flash of scarlet light struck Bellatrix in the back. She fell flat on her face. Hermione advanced on Narcissa from behind.

"Silly little mudblood!" she screamed furiously.

"Cruc"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Narcissa's wand was knocked from her hand and flew into the air. She dove for it, catching it on the ground.

"Impedimenta!"

Narcissa was blasted off her stomach, flying back until she smashed against the wall, upside down, and crumpled on the floor.

Kreacher and Dobby were dueling viciously. Sparks and jets of light were shooting from their hands as they rolled around, leapt behind chairs, or dove off of them.

Harry and Ron made for Kreacher, when suddenly the front door burst open. They whirled around.

Five Death eaters proceeded into the house.

"Thank you for alerting us, Mr. Potter" said a voice Harry did not recognize.

"Of course, you will not be thanking us when you're dead!" spat another.

"The Dark Lord is finishing him off, you fool" said the first.

The first threw back his hood. It was Antonin Dolohov, the one who had seriously injured Hermione in the Department of Mysteries a year ago.

The remaining Death eaters threw back their hoods.

Harry recognized two of them at once to be the brother and sister Death Eaters: the lumpy Amycus and the squat Alecto. They had been present at Dumbledore's killing just last month. Another was one he did not recognize, and the last was Fenrir Greyback.

"Oh, I presume you and Rodolphus have not met?" inquired Dolohov. "This is Rodolphus Lestrange. He is husband to Bellatrix, as I'm sure you've discovered."

Harry scowled.

"What's the point in meeting you lot, if you're just going to kill me?" said Harry.

"Oh, I just thought I'd be polite" said Dolohov, taking a step closer to Harry, and drawing his wand. "But you're very right in assuming that I will kill you. Yesss… very right indeed…"

Harry, Hermione and Ron raised their wands quick as lightning.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

A sound like cannon fire echoed through the house as Dolohov blasted backwards, taking Amycus and Rodolphus with him.

Alecto raised her wand. Fenrir reached out for Harry's flesh

"Stupe"

"Crucio!"

Hermione screamed in pain as Alecto shouted the curse, falling to the ground. The Death eater had barely begun when a jet of scarlet light hit her in the face. She moaned and flew on her back. Ron lowered his wand and ran to Hermione.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Fenrir became rigid, immobile, and fell flat on his back, frozen.

Bellatrix, Lucius and Narcissa regained themselves, and were pointing their wands directly at the three.

Harry leapt up, and rejoined Ron and Hermione in the center, as the Death eaters closed in. Dolohov was still knocked out cold.

"I'm sorry Hermione" croaked Harry, "You'll be dead because of me."

"Exactly, Harry" said Hermione, whose voice was shaking yet strong. "Do you think we didn't know there would have been dangers? I would die if you could live, Harry."

Hot tears spilled from his eyes.

"Mate, it's alright" said Ron, his hand gripped tightly on Harry's shoulder; his other hand was holding a wand, which was pointed at Amycus.

"Thank you, Ron" said Harry, his voice still quavering as tears ran down his pale cheeks. "I don't what else to say, mate."

"Then don't" muttered Ron, backing half a step away from Amycus, who was only a foot or two from him.

"Poor little boy" smirked Lucius. "So young, so full of ambition… tsk tsk tsk…"

He raised his wand.

Harry, Hermione and Ron closed their eyes.

The front door was blasted open.

Harry, Ron and Hermione whirled around. They gasped.

Standing in the doorway was Remus Lupin.