JK Rowling Owns Harry Potter
FASA Owns Earthdawn
ϡ - To prevent confusion, conversations in French will start and end with ϡ. Reminder: Harry learned French from his mother's incarnation as she wanted him to attend Beauxbatons. Not everyone speaks French, and there will be a few folks that struggle without translation charms.
—
Three sections to this Chapter:
+ The First section of this chapter focuses on Ronald Weasley – Auror. It is about five and a half hours before the end of the last chapter.
+ The Second section focuses on Gabrielle. It picks up five minutes after the last chapter where Harry used the Portkey.
+ The Third section is all about Harry. I HIGHLY recommend you play 'Under Pressure' by David Bowie and Queen. In fact, play it while you read it. Perfect fit. It picks up where the last chapter left off.
Note, spells verbalized will be in Bold and in "Quotations". Spells cast silently will not be Bold and will be in between 'apostrophes'.
"Protego!" = Vocalized
'Protego!' = Silent
—CS—
Before the Beauxbaton Event
British Ministry of Magic
Auror Offices
London
6:30 PM
Ronald Weasley was finishing up his work. His paperwork, to be specific. God how he hated paperwork. Unfortunately, it was a part of the job. Being a part of the ministry meant mountains of paperwork and bureaucracy. Ron had joined the Aurors instead of taking his seventh year at Hogwarts as Kingsley made an exception for him. Since graduating from training, he had proven himself in the field time and time again.
Ron's team had finally rounded up the last of the Voldemort loyalists in Great Britain. At least, the last ones that were willing to take any sort of action. No lives had been lost, but there had been injuries. Nothing serious, but enough that he had to do the paperwork for the whole team. He suspected a few were intentionally staying home to recuperate. Susan was supposed to help him, but she had a call from Hannah and took off. Leaving him with the shite work. He really couldn't complain – he had done it to her enough times. In the office, Susan frequently called Ron a slacker. Ron couldn't complain as he knew it was true. But never in the field. No one ever slacked off in the field. That was where Ron had always excelled. He had to.
The British Auror force had been decimated and was now in 'rebuilding' mode. They needed as many good witches and wizards as they could get. The team was never large, but now it was just a very small group of dedicated witches and wizards. Voldemort and his Deatheaters had killed most of the original force. The DMLE that formed under Voldemort was a joke. The crimes committed on their watch spoke volumes to their loyalties. They ignored the snatchers and kangaroo courts that sent muggleborns to Death camps. Or worse. Some of those Aurors, like Albert Runcorn, had even participated. Most of the Aurors and DMLE officers that enthusiastically supported Voldemort's regime are now mostly either in Azkaban or dead. The rest were morally weak opportunists and had been sacked. Those were Aurors like John Dawlish.
Then there were the Aurors and DMLE officers who quit or hid out after Voldemort came into power. Like his direct supervisor, Sr. Auror Williamson and Director Gawain Robards, the new Head Auror. Kingsley had said the man knew his stuff, but he was not at the final battle. He was hiding out somewhere with his family, looking for a way to the continent. Of course, like many, he said he didn't even know the final battle was taking place. There was probably some truth in that, Ron grudgingly accepted. But that didn't change the fact that those who fought in the final battle were considered the true Heroes. Those who hid out, were not considered Heroes by anyone. It was a source of pride for Ron and Susan, who had fought and risked everything for what they knew was right. Both of whom had lost friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, it was a point of objection for those who were not there. Most did not know the battle was taking place and feel unfairly discriminated against for not being there.
As Ron reshuffled the rumpled and coffee-ring stained reports he had been working on, Robards walked over. The man looked tense. "Good evening, Weasley. Nice work again on the raid."
"Thank you sir. We'll all sleep easier now."
Robards gave a short nod and said, "I've recommended you and your team for commendations." He grinned and added, "It's getting to be a habit. Say, where are your co-workers? I thought Auror Bones was here earlier."
"Susan had a sudden floo call from a close friend who needed her help. About an hour ago. The rest are either off today or recovering from the raid."
"She left you with the paperwor?"
Ron shrugged. "All good, it's my turn to file the reports. I guess."
Weasley didn't look happy about that, Robards noted. Well, that made two of them.
Thinking about the paperwork he would have to review, Robards held back a groan. He hated it when Weasley filed the reports. If he wasn't so effective in the field… "Come into my office when you wrap up. Don't wait too long, I want to see my wife and daughter tonight."
Robards walked into his office and began working on his own paperwork. Tomorrow the rest of the Aurors will return. Most probably could have been back today, but he wanted them to rest up. The last raid took a lot of field time. Most had been burning the midnight oil for weeks in preparation of the final bust. He only hoped Bones had helped with the majority of the paperwork. Hell, they had been at it all day, she'd have completed at least half.
About an hour later, Ron Weasley knocked on Robards door, then slid in and sat in front of the desk. "All done sir. What did you want to see me about?"
"We have a situation. On the continent. I'm sure you read the paper this morning." Seeing Weasley nod, he continued, "Our ministry has offered three Aurors to the French DMLE to act as advisors. If this isn't contained, it could cross the channel… I am tasking you with choosing two others for this assignment."
Ron had read the horrific story from France. He expected to be pulled into something like this. But he had worked weeks without a break. Living on coffee and pepper-up potions. Well, this was the life he signed up for. Maybe he could get a night or two off before he had to report in.
"When do we need to report in? Honestly, I could use a few days off. The last month has been… brutal."
He had expected this. Weasley was looking pretty ragged. "Unless something happens, you will report in on Monday. Today being Wednesday… I want you here tomorrow. You'll pick your team and I'll cover the specifics with the team you choose tomorrow. You and your team can break until Monday. You've earned that much at least. Oh, and Weasley, make sure one of your picks is Bones."
Ron nodded, got up, and left.
He knew if Susan had been here, she would be the one organizing the team. This was his career break. Ron knew Harry was in France and there was no way that was a coincidence. It would be good to see Harry again. No doubt he'd have that snake with him… But that's fine. A pint with his mate. Hanging out and going on stake outs… He was actually getting a second wind just thinking about it.
Maybe he could convince Hermione to take some time off and vacation in Paris. She'd been acting odd for the last few weeks. Ron suspected Harry and Ginny's break up had upset her. She was close to both of them.
Ron was one of the few people that actually understood why his sister had split from Harry. He was sorry Ginny felt the need to break off the engagement, but he was glad his sister was being recognized for herself rather than who she was dating. He thought she was a fool for cutting things off completely, they could have just had a temporary break… But he understood her wanting to be her own person. He may be the ONLY one who really understood it. His mum went ballistic over it. She really loved Harry and wanted him in the family. She even tried to make an arm for her clock that was tied to Harry, but without a marriage bond, no success. Ron's brothers just didn't understand. His dad was sad about it, but was supportive.
As much as he sometimes missed Harry, Ron also enjoyed being recognized for his own achievements. He had been awarded multiple commendations over the last two years and had a very impressive arrest record. He was being referred to as 'The Next Mad-Eye Moody'. A few had even taken to calling him "Red-Eye". Partly due to his hair, partly due to the crazy hours he worked. What is it about nick names and the wizarding world? Well, he supposed 'Red Eye' beat 'Sidekick'.
Ron knew Harry would be at the Burrow for Boxing Day and he hoped Harry and Ginny could work things out. They were good together. Ron still felt bad about how he had behaved at Hogwarts, especially in the fourth year. But he also is one of the few who knew about the Horcrux's influence. Not that he could tell anyone, oaths of secrecy and all that. Still, he had worked hard to regain Harry's trust. They were solid. Both had crazy schedules, so they rarely synched up. But, when they did, it was always fun. Well, when the snake wasn't hissing at him. One of the heads seemed to really hate him. He missed Hedwig. Now she was a familiar he could love. Not that snake thing. Really, the only good thing he would say about Harry's familiar was that it played good chess.
Stretching and changing mental gears, he considered that everyone survived the last big raid. He knew Harry's contributions were partially to credit for that. It was the contributions Harry and Andromeda had made to the emerging Auror force through the Black family trust. In Tonk's name and remembrance. They contributed to the DMLE as a whole too. In addition to the financial contributions, all Aurors and Hit Wizards had been issued a suit of dragon hide armor. The armor alone must have cost a fortune to provide for the entire department. Had they not all been wearing their armor during the last raid, there may be a few less Aurors on the team. Even Ron had taken a direct hit. He had to have his armor repaired after one of the Voldemort supporters caught him with a cutting curse. Thankfully, the armor absorbed it all and he was fine. Almost everyone now had 'badges of honor' on their designated body armor. A few of them now had badges on their skin…
So. Enough day dreaming. Back to the French mission. Who would he choose? He was the best 'fighter' in the Auror department. Susan was the next best in combat. Honestly, she could probably beat him in a duel half the time… but not a flat out, no holds barred, fight. She was also really smart. Susan was so much like her aunt. He had no doubt she would probably be running the department one day.
Who was he going to pick as the third team member? He needed someone cunning. Smart and reliable, but able to see things he and Susan might miss. An Auror who would complement his and Susan's abilities.
Tracy Davis would be a good fit there. Sly and cunning, she understood dark wizards and their tactics. She had survived the snake pit at Hogwarts as a half-blood. Ron knew she had been treated poorly and only her alliance with the Greengrass family shielded her from the worst… With all the Jr. Deatheaters in Slytherin house during that period, she had to have had it bad regardless of her affiliations.
Also, she had participated in the final battle. On the LIGHT side, of course. She was one of the few Slytherins that fought with the defenders and had earned his trust. She had the scars to prove it. Thorfinn Rowle got her good before Harry took care of him. She had made him reevaluate his opinions of Slytherins.
There is usually a little friction between Davis and Bones, but it seemed to be professional in nature and they actually worked well together. Still, he'd have to listen to the two of them bicker and 'one up' each other. Susan would have chosen someone else. There was already enough talk of bias toward those who fought in the final battle. Toward those who graduated together in the same year. It was actually true. But Ron had learned long ago that when it came to choosing someone to cover your back, political correctness goes right out the window.
He would pick only those who he trusted 100% with his life. Only those who could hold their own in a fight or contribute expertise on a crime scene. There were a few who made up for lack of combat training with intelligence and deduction skills, but Susan was as good or better than most of them. So was Tracy.
The odds were that most newbies wouldn't last more than a year or two before transferring to a safer department. Their time on the Auror force would help their careers and help the force by seeding the ministry with knowledgeable bureaucrats that wouldn't take them for granted. But he wouldn't choose to have them watching his back!
-CS-
Beauxbaton Gardens
Just after Midnight
12:05 AM
Gabrielle Delacour was heartbroken. Her big night had just been ruined by the one person she never thought would hurt her. As she walked up the hill toward the main ball room, she took a moment to magically repair her dress and dry her eyes. No one would see her cry. Nope, not tonight.
How could Harry do this to her? The evening had been so magical and wonderful. The moment was perfect. The lights, the music, the garden, everything. Even the bells chiming as midnight approached. One moment she was sure he was about to kiss her, the next, he was ripping her clothes off. He used her pin to actually tear her under clothes as well as her dress – fully exposing the left side of her torso. Then he maliciously threw her pin across the lawn. It just didn't make any sense. One moment was pure romance, the next was violence and assault! Even his eyes changed, glowing emerald green in the dim light. Her kind and wonderful Harry was gone, replaced by an aggressive and incredibly intense version of the man she thought he was. It might have been attractive if he hadn't just attacked her.
Entering the Ball room, she realized that everyone was in panic. The music had ceased and people were frantically running about. What on earth…?
ϡ "GABRIELLE! OH, THANK MORGANNA!" ϡ
Her mother ran up to her and pulled her into a hug. Fleur rushed up and joined. They were both in tears, they were nearly in a full on panic. Where was her father? Had they heard about what Harry had done?
Bill suddenly asked, ϡ "Where is Harry? Is he safe?" ϡ
His French was poor and it took Gabrielle a moment to understand what he had said. He had his wand out and looked ready for anything. He had the same intense and aggressive look Harry had, without the glowing eyes.
ϡ "Harry attacked me! Of course he is safe! Why wouldn't he be?" As the words came out of her mouth, she began softly crying again. "It was so wonderful, then he just grabbed my pin and ripped it, and my dress, off me…" Full on tears at this point. ϡ
Fleur gently placed a hand on either side of her sister's face. ϡ "Gabrielle, listen to me. Look at me." Once she had her sister's full attention, "Your classmates have all been kidnapped. All of them disappeared as the midnight chimes ended. They were port-keyed away and we do not know where. Whatever Harry did was to protect you."ϡ
Fleur then pulled her sister into a deep hug. She would be safe tonight. In her own bed. Her dear little sister was safe. Gabrielle was slipping into shock. They needed to calm her, keep her warm, and find Harry!
For Gabrielle, Numbness began to set in. Had Harry been protecting her? It had all happened so fast. Replaying the scene in her head, she realized that Harry was intent on throwing her pin. More than on… how exposed she was. Could…
ϡ "Miss Delacour!" Gabrielle looked over at the middle aged witch Harry had spoken to while they were leaving. She could not recall her name. "My name is Mme. Bellamy, the Director of the Département des Mystères des Arcanes. The DMA. We met briefly a few minutes ago when you and Mr. Potter were heading outside." ϡ
Gabrielle slowly nodded. ϡ"Yes ma'am." ϡ
ϡ "I need you to think about what I am asking and answer to the best of your knowledge. Where is Mr. Potter? Is he with you?" she asked while scanning the nearby crowds. This was a woman with authority. ϡ
ϡ "No, he is… I left him… in the garden…" ϡ
ϡ "Your pin, where is it? Quickly now! Where is your pin?" The woman was intense. ϡ
ϡ "Harry ripped it off me and threw it... Somewhere in the garden…"ϡ
ϡ "I see." The DMA woman looked like she had just solved a complex puzzle. ϡ
Before the woman could say more, Bill inserted himself into the conversation. ϡ "Director Bellamy, I'm Harry's close friend and business partner, Bill Weasley. Can you tell us what's happening?"ϡ
Mme. Bellamy looked over at the red haired man. What had the British Unspeakables said? Harry's 'adopted brother'? ϡ "Not here. Soon. I assume you are used to the same problems that Mr. Potter is. Please, help me contain the crowd. We need order now. Until the Aurors show up."ϡ
Seeing Mme. Bellamy begin to turn, Gabrielle reached out and touched her shoulder. ϡ "Wait, what about the pin? Why did Harry pull it off me?" ϡ There was a desperation in her voice. She had to know. Realization was beginning to dawn on her, but she had to know…
Seeing her desperation, the Mme. Bellamy softened a bit, ϡ "Mr. Potter identified the pins as port-keys. Your date may very well have saved your life. He likely used your pin to go after the other young ladies. Do not share this information with anyone." There was a subtle threat there. "We will talk later." Seeing the state Gabrielle was in, she addressed Gabrielle's mother, "Mme. Delacour, your daughter has had a shock. You should take her to a quiet area and gather yourselves. It will most likely be a long night, and I will certainly have more questions for her. Mr. Weasley, please assist me." ϡ She then walked off.
Bill hugged his wife, smiled at Gabrielle, ϡ "All will be well. This is what Harry does. Fleur, let your dad know Gabrielle is safe, he's outside looking for her. Love you." ϡ Bill Weasley then went to join the DMA woman.
ϡ "Oh, mum! I slapped him. I slapped him so hard I knocked his glasses off! What if… I may never see him again…" ϡ She was on the brink of tears once more. Her mother pulled her into another embrace. Shushing her and gently stroking her back.
Fleur rested her hand on Gabrielle's back. ϡ "Harry will be fine. He saves people all the time. This is like... eating breakfast to him. He will be back soon and you can take him out to dinner to show your appreciation." Considering her sisters state, she added, "The slap meant nothing to him. I promise. He just wanted you to be safe."ϡ
Internally Fleur was worried. As powerful as Harry is, he is still just a mortal man. Did he really just leap off into who knows what kind of place? Surrounded by enemies? Harry is the worst at using the floo and portkeys. No chance he will arrive without being at best off balance. At worst, flat on his back. She had seen the look on Bill's face and knew he was worried too. She silently said a prayer that her petite frère came back safely. Her sister needed her now.
They sat and calmed Gabrielle down. Her father came back and they filled him in. He was normally a very controlled wizard, but his relief was visible. As was his concern for Harry. The entire Delacour family had a soft spot for Harry. He'd earned it after the tri-wizard tournament.
Fleur was extremely impressed with how well her little sister was coping. Proud of her. Gabrielle wanted to go and help calm the families impacted. To help. Fleur just held her and shook her head. She knew it might be a distraction to the other families that one student had evaded capture. And Mme. Bellamy had insisted on no communication. Still, she was proud of her baby sisters desire to help others.
Suddenly, a large glowing white stag appeared and headed to Mme. Bellamy. That was Harry's patronus! It relayed a message, but Fleur was too far away to make it out. Mme. Bellamy immediately sent out a patronus of her own. Something was happening.
-CS-
Somewhere in France
Right after Midnight
In A Rather Dangerous Place
NOTE: This will be a BETTER chapter if you are listening to 'Under Pressure' by David Bowie and Queen.
Harry materialized and was tossed sideways. He transferred the momentum into a roll and came up firing. Until he knew the scene, he stuck with silent 'Stupefy' spells. There were four wizards and a witch tending to the unconscious young ladies from the event. The whole scene seemed so wrong. He dropped them in less than two seconds. They were completely unprepared. As he rose up from his crouched position, he felt the wards.
NNNN...PRESSURE!
The wards were VERY powerful and once they had sensed him attacking 'friendlies' within the building, they had retaliated. He lost his black and silver 'astral face' as he focused on his internal resistance. It was as if he was having his teeth drilled without Novocain.
PRESSURE!
A lesser wizard would be reduced to rolling on the floor. Or been outright killed by these wards. They felt modern and professionally set. These wards had at least two ley lines connected to them!
He'd have to keep his attention focused on resisting the wards. The spells he would cast would be verbal and low powered. No silent casting unless the spell was truly second nature and instinctive. No wandless magic either. To hold the wards power back would mean keeping 80-90% of his focus on resisting them. He'd have to go 'old school'.
First, he held up his Holly and Phoenix feather wand and said "Rennervate" over the unconscious students.
WHITE-HOT-PAIN! PRESSURE!
He'd have to be very slow in his casting to avoid moving his attention from resisting the wards. As the students regained consciousness, he addressed them before they could panic.
ϡ "Please, listen to me, we don't have much time. You have been kidnapped. I am going to get you out of here, but you must follow my instructions." The girls were obviously shocked and scared. Once he had their full attention, he proceeded. "First, do not cast a single spell. I am currently under attack from the local wards. Trust me when I say, you do not want this. Follow behind me, but not too close. Let me go ahead and clear the rooms as we make our escape. There WILL be fighting."ϡ
Harry then raised the Elder wand and said "Spiritus Ærmis!", Emerald green translucent armor suddenly formed around him.
PRESSURE! PAIN!
The spell he cast is called 'Spirit Armor' and it would help him resist the wards and hostile curses. It would last about thirty minutes. Hopefully that would be enough time. His nose was beginning to bleed. This would happen every time he cast a spell.
Turning to the young ladies, Harry asked the group, ϡ "What Questions do you Ladies have before we set out?"ϡ
The questions came all at once. He could barely focus on them. ϡ "Where are we?" "How did we get here?" "You look terrible. Is it the wards?" "How will we defend ourselves?"ϡ
ϡ "Whoa! OK. We don't have much time." He knew he was twitching. FOCUS! "Answers to your questions: I don't know where we are. Your pins are portkeys, take them off. Yes, the wards are brutalizing me." ϡ Defense was important… He then slowly transformed the stunned wizards and witches into spears.
PURE AGONY!
He went too fast. ϡ "If you have to, defend yourselves with these." Poetic justice. "Don't even touch your wands until I give you the all clear."ϡ
Given time, he would draw a protective circle, gather his strength, and send a heavy pulse of power at the ward stones - shattering them, but time was not something he had. He needed to outsource the problem while making a break for it.
No time to draw a summoning circle. Stick with simple elementals. Earth Elementals. Harry then focused just enough to summon three moderately powerful Earth Elementals.
PAIN! CRAMPING! PRESSURE!
His knees buckled and he almost lost control of them. They were about four feet tall and three feet wide with arms that ended in pic axes. "Destroy the ward stones". Hopefully he would survive long enough. Their response sounded like stones grinding together. It was an affirmation. Then they merged with the stone floor, and were gone.
Just then, a wizard wearing an filthy, splattered apron entered the room and stopped suddenly when he saw Harry. He drew his wand and shot a cutting curse at Harry. Harry deflected it and stunned the wizard with a silent 'Stupefy'.
AAAARRRRGGGG! PRESSURE! WHITEHOT!
He reflexively cast the stunner silently. The armor helped, but he needed all his concentration to resist the wards. Very, very slowly, he transfigured the man into yet another spear, he now had armed all six of the ladies.
Next, Harry gently summoned 'Fashad', an allied spirit of a dubious nature. Dubious meaning theft and assassination. PRESSURE! This was easier with Fashad as he was already allied with the spirit and did not need to exert control.
The spirit spoke in a whisper, "Greetings, Master of Death. You are in a VERY dangerous place."
No, Shit! Way to state the obvious. Harry just stared at the spirit for a moment.
"Fashad, I need to know the layout of the building. Number of opponents and the best way out."
At that Fashad bowed and faded from view. Tic-toc, time was wasting. Harry used the time waiting on Fashad to return to focus on resisting the wards and recovery. The students were huddled together, comforting each other. He thought he heard his name spoken a few times amongst themselves.
Fashad returned in less than a minute. That was fast. "The best route out of here is through the door in front of you, which is a kitchen. Proceed down the hall at the end of the kitchen, then up the stairs to the main level. The occupants of the house are being awoken now and will be setting up an ambush. Be vigilant, young Master. There are many in the house. From the top of the stairs you should proceed to the front door. The going will be tough, but the back door is too heavily warded. Make haste!"
Good Intel. "Payment for services?" Fashad rarely did anything for free. Even if the charge was minor.
"I only wish to watch and enjoy. Payment enough. The other spirits in the house are hoping you will exert vengeance on their behalf. I told them to expect death and retribution. Don't embarrass me." Fashad faded away, but Harry could sense his lingering presence. Spectator.
Blood thirsty bastard. Harry often wondered why he liked the spirit so much. Vengeful spirits, expecting retribution. That explains how Fashad was able to gather the Intel so fast. Harry knew spirits would interact and communicate. Never underestimate an angry spirit. Time to get going.
As he staggered under the wards, Harry realized that he was in no shape for dual casting. Which wand to keep out? He would need his most vicious spells to survive. The Holly wand could handle mage level power, but it was not as good with the ancient 'Nethermantic' spells. Better with 'Elemental' spells, though. The Elder wand could cast any spell with full mage power and it loved those vicious Nethermantic spells. It was a tad long for wrist sheath summoning. At 15 inches, it is an awkward length for a wrist sheath, it required a sheath with a minor astral pocket. It was slower to draw once sheathed. The deciding factor: the Holly wand was one he could effortlessly summon left handed in a split second. It actually seemed to prefer the left hand – closer to his heart, maybe? So, he put his beloved Holly wand in the left wrist sheath and kept the Elder wand out and in his right hand. Ready for action.
Addressing the students, Harry gasped out ϡ "Follow me. But not too close." ϡ They made their way through a kitchen. Apparently, the last Wizard to barge in was the cook. He had come to see what was taking so long. Well, he was now a spear… The kitchen had pieces of meat on a cutting board. One of the ladies gasped and Harry realized there was a human hand on the counter. Based on the size, it had either belonged to a small woman or a child. He muttered "Bloody Fucking Cannibals". The girls seemed to be emboldened by his anger. Or maybe it was his lack of fear.
PRESSURE! PAIN!
Harry was distracted just enough by the kitchen 'leftovers' that his knees wobbled from the wards. Can't lose focus.
Proceeding quickly down a short hall and ignoring adjoining doors, they followed Fashad's directions and went straight to the stairs. The pace was as fast as Harry could manage, faster than a walk but less than a jog. Now, ascending up the stairs, he slowed and prepared for the inevitable ambush. He had to stop twice to gather his focus and his balance.
RESIST! PRESSURE!
Lord help him if he had an extended fight in this state. Those flunkeys he had already defeated downstairs didn't count. As he rose to see around the corner at the top of the stairs, he had to lurch back to avoid some very brutal spells. Bone-breaker, Cutting, and a Piercing curses. Maybe more. Swirling his wand, Harry said, "Aut Tenebræ!" He did not have to be silent with this one, it was so old no one would recognize it.
PAIN! PRESSURE! AGONY!
Harry had summoned 'Ethereal Darkness' and directed it to rapidly swirl up and out beyond the stairwell. He could see through it, as could anyone trained to perceive the world as a Nethermancer – into the 'lower' astral plane. But there were so very few who could do that now. Something of a lost discipline. They could not see through it and he could. Perfect cover. The opponents began firing blindly into the inky blackness. Harry motioned the girls to stay put and crawled under the spell fire.
Harry countered with a wide cutting ribbon. Flicking his wand and focusing, "Ferrum Uitta!" It was a very dangerous spell that could affect multiple opponents. He referred to it as his 'scythe'. He hoped to cut their numbers in half. By cutting them in half. A powerful spell, he had to divert a bit more attention than he wanted to. Harry knew casting it would open him to the wards, but it was do or die time.
PAIN! PRESSURE! RIPPING AGONY!
He counted eight opponents and under the cover of his darkness he had reduced them to five with that last spell. Better odds. These guys were moving well and somewhat coordinated. Don't get cocky!
PRESSURE!
Working together, two of them had managed to dispel the darkness, leaving Harry moving and dodging for his life. He dodged three curses while batting aside a cutting curse and a piercing hex.
PRESSURE!
The pressure from the wards was unbelievable! He felt his core straining to resist it. Harry's nose was now bleeding in a steady stream now.
He was in full on defensive mode and that was not a good place to be. The wards were really holding him back. A Blasting curse was sent at the ground in front of him, but he saw it and shielded the floor, "Protego!"
AAAARRR! PAIN! PRESSURE!
He had angled the 'protego' to rebound the curse back at the ceiling over two of the combatants. The other three were pressing him with direct spells. His movement was impaired and his Spirit Armor was wavering under the onslaught. Without his attention, it would not last long. He was not moving anywhere near as well as normal, so his spirit armor was taking a few glancing hits. He lacked the focus to attack as he normally would. He had to improve his odds or they would wear him down.
"Hastam Tonitrua!" Summoning an elemental spear tied to air, he hurtled it from the elder wand the way a primitive hunter would use an Atlatl. He had to put enough force into it to destroy a shield. Harry knew the price he would pay.
HHHSSSSS! BURNING PAIN! AGONY! PESSURE!
The spear shattered one of the opponent's shields, piercing the wizard's chest and exploding with a deafening thunder clap. The wizard's chest was opened up and the others were stunned by the thunderous sound and the mini shockwave. This bought him three breaths.
Reinforcing his spirit armor, Harry began hurling astral darts. 'Sægittæ' was very precise and extremely fast to cast. Like having a .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol. Not as destructive as Confrigo, but he couldn't divert his attention enough for a blasting charm. So second nature, he could do them silently and perfect to finishing of the stunned opponents. Harry could snap off Astral Darts faster than a Royal Marine could fire bullets. Astral Darts are unimpaired by physical armor or defenses, they only became destructive when they found living targets or anything with an astral presence. Meaning, you cannot just hide behind a wall. The same held true with Astral Spears.
MORE PAIN! DAMN THE WARDS! RELENTLESS!
The hastily cast astral darts dropped two opponents leaving only a pair or attackers. Recovering from the thunder clap, they began firing curses back. Harry dodged, but his focus was WAY off. One of the bone breaker curses caught his leg. His armor held off the worst effects, but enough got through that he was sure there was at least a hairline fracture. He managed to keep moving and numbed his leg. He'd feel that tomorrow. Assuming he saw tomorrow. These opponents were so much better trained than the ones down stairs.
Harry managed to somehow dodge a killing curse, but was clipped with a blood boiling curse. His armor deflected much of it. His core resisted most of it, but he had to perform a fast counter-curse to localize the damage.
PRESSURE!
All out of options. Harry fired a wide area lighting strike. "Fulgur Uitta!"
EXCRUCIATING PAIN! PRESSURE AND STRAIN!
One of the opponents could not shield it enough and fell. The other was strong enough to resist it, but his shield was destroyed and he was off balance.
Harry focused through the pain. Spinning to the side and using his centrifugal momentum, Harry flung his wand hand forward and yelled "Hastam Æstræ!" He hurtled an astral spear straight at the wizard while continuing his movement and pivoting painfully away from another killing curse. It caught the wizard in the shoulder. Harry followed with an overpowered cutting curse, "Diffindo!" Splitting the wizard cleanly in half. Harry briefly thanked Merlin he did not have to clean up the mess he was leaving behind. Ick.
DAMNATION! PAIN AND PRESSURE!
All in all, the battle had lasted no more than thirty to forty seconds. Eight trained wizards down, but it cost him. He had shifted too much focus from resisting the wards. His ears were now bleeding. His ears ringing. It took Harry a moment to recover from a swirling sense of vertigo the pain from the wards and his injuries caused.
Looking around, Harry realized he was standing in a main foyer. There were hallways and stairs all converging on this area. And a Front Door! There was a staircase leading up to the second level opposite of the stairs he had followed up from the basement. He knew the girls were still on the basement stairs. Hopefully safe. He would not leave without them.
He heard movement on the descending stairs. He moved his wand in a jagged manner, then thrust it forward saying, "Unctæ Devourare Æstræ!"
BURNING PAIN!
Harry nearly collapsed from the pain the wards were inflicting on him.
He had summoned an 'Astral Maw'. It was like a cross between an octopus and a megalodon, but it only exists on the astral plane. Basically, a huge tooth filled mouth surrounded by tentacles. For the next five minutes or so, it would be on THIS plane. He sent it gliding up the stairs and flicked his wand saying "Glisseo!" transforming the stairs into a slide. The Astral Maw would float up while the opponents on the stairs would slide down into its mouth. He steadied himself and reinforced his armor again while he heard the screams. That beast would take out any wizards or witches that it encountered until it was destroyed or dispelled.
PRESSURE! PAIN!
He heard movement from the two hall ways on either side of the front doors. Making a small circle with his wand, he said "Aspera Caliditas!" He placed a cold field in front of one of the hall ways.
JOINTS ON FIRE! PRESSURE!
Before he could repeat the cold zone on the second hallway, two disillusioned attackers came running out of the one he had just set up the cold field in front of. He could see their 'distortions'. They hit the cold field and fell screaming. No longer disillusioned he saw two witches in their mid-thirties. Cold that intense is like fire. It sucks the heat from you so fast it causes burns. 'Sægittæ! Sægittæ!' He silenced them with a pair of silently cast Astral Darts to the head.
NAUSEA! TEETH SCREAMING PAIN!
What was taking those elementals so long?
He once again staggered under the wards and, as his vision came back into focus, he saw four new opponents. He was now squaring up against three wizards and a witch. They all seemed confident in their abilities. These were the leaders. The lieutenants, actually. They had apparently entered from the other side corridor and were between him and the front door.
He straightened up and felt the blood vessels in one of his eyes pop. It would be an ugly bloody mess, but he could still see from it just fine. While he rapidly steeled himself against the ward's influence, the new opponents approached. He still heard screams from the top of the staircase he had sent the monster up. No worries there, which was good, as he had his back to the stair cases.
One of the wizards stepped forward. Obviously the top lieutenant. He looked vaguely familiar. "Ah, Harry Potter. Long time no see. Too bad we have to meet again under these conditions. I've followed your career closely." Perfect English... Harry noted the others were fanning out. Using the time to set themselves up in more advantageous positions.
Harry couldn't place him. "You have me at a disadvantage." Who is he? Not French. He sounds English. He seems…
PRESSURE! PAIN! Analytical thought was almost as bad as spell casting.
Don't focus on figuring out who he is! Focus on resisting the wards! Harry staggered slightly.
The 'Top Dog' continued to speak. Harry decided he was 'Monsieur' Dark Lords version of Lucius Malfoy. "I see my wards are taking their toll. How you are still alive is beyond me. But, we can remedy that. Avada Kedavra!"
Harry twisted to avoid. He knew his reflexes were impaired, but he had spent years dodging. His affinity for his Owl animagus form had greatly increased his speed of perception and ability to plan his movements, but his injuries and the wards were greatly impacting him. Using the momentum of the twist, he whipped his wand around and said "Ferrum Uitta!" throwing out his scythe once more. It was aimed at two of the new opponents, but he had no time to see if it had connected.
PRESSURE! PAIN!
He was then struck with a Bombarda that shattered his spirit armor and threw him across the room. He felt ribs shift and break. His arm and shoulder instantly went numb. He saw another killing curse miss from a different angle. It slid through the space where he might have finished his dodge. The Bombarda might have saved his life, but it was not a loving kiss. He flew through the air and collided with the wall head and face first. He lay limply on the floor, unconscious.
Harry was floating in space while ice daggers slowly pressed into him from every conceivable angle. He saw Catherine, bleeding from her nose, ears, and eyes. She suddenly yelled, "RÉVEILLEZ-VOUS!" This snapped him back into consciousness. His spirit armor and his core had saved him. But they would not take another hit like that. Not in his current state. Where was his wand? Dropped it somewhere.
PAIN! PRESSURE! UNBELIEVABLE! MUST RESIST!
Two wizards and a witch now approached. Wands up. Apparently his 'Scythe' had taken out one of them. He heard others entering the room as well. Must be 'flunkeys' as they were holding back. Letting their bosses enjoy their fun. Enjoy their kill.
RAZORBLADES! PRESSURE!
The leader, aka 'Lucius Jr.', spoke to him, "And now, we come to the close. Broken bones. Constant assault from my wards. Numerous other injuries. Your right wrist looks to be broken. No wand either." The man said while holding up the elder wand. He must have summoned it when it was dropped. "Look on the bright side, you have been 'pre-tenderized'. I will personally feast on your heart. Any last words?" The others enjoyed his little 'pre-tenderized' joke.
Harry looked up. He made deliberate eye contact and pulled his focus together. One last spell. He'd summon his Holly wand from its sheath and cast left handed. No worries there, he was just as good left handed as he was right. Something powerful. Full force. The wards would kill him, but he'd blow this house apart. If the girls were still below ground level, they should survive… Stall for time. "Yes. Who are you? Why did …"
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…Oooohhhhh... RELIEF!
The ward stones had been destroyed. The elementals he had summoned had done their job. FINALLY! Good Lord, did they think they were getting paid by the hour?!
Harry could see the leader suddenly stagger. He must have been tied to the wards. Apparently, he had felt the wards come down as well, but not in a good way. The others looked over at 'Lucius Jr'. For a split second, Harry realized no one was looking at him! Apparently the cavalry just arrived. And it's ME!
He had maybe a half a second. Summoning his Holly wand from its sheath while he moved, he silently shot a full force 'EXPULSO!' blasting curse directly at the leader. No messing around with stunners! The leader had no time to throw up a shield, but it wouldn't have saved him if he had.
The 'Expulso' struck with so much power, it liquefied the man in a massive explosion. Harry used Expulso as he was too close and did not want to risk getting burned. It worked on pure pressure and force rather than heat.
The gore from 'Lucius Jr.' went everywhere. The entire room was showered if blood and bone and entrails, as well as the content of the man stomach. The temperature was quickly getting colder and Harry was now rapidly regaining his power and focus. The force of the Expulso explosion had thrown everyone standing within ten yards to the ground. The wizard who had blasted him with the Bombarda was the closest to Jr. Lucius and was sent flying through the air. He landed rough. Probably injured by bone fragments. Karma! This bought Harry enough time to get to his feet. Harry shielded the next few curses that came his way from the 'late-comers', methodically batting them aside left handed. His Spirit Armor was fully formed once more. Hopefully he would not need it.
He wasn't moving well at all, but he had plenty of raw power. Massive amounts of adrenaline. Harry pressed forward, his wand a blur a Harry deflected spells from multiple sources while firing off Diffindo, Sægittæ, or Confrigo curses between spell deflections. There were quite a few of these newcomers. No time to count, but at least a dozen. He was slowly whittling the masses down, but he was not mobile enough to avoid multiple unforgivable curses cast in concert... assuming they could cast them. Harry needed a distraction. Mentally, he reconnected with the summoned Astral Maw and instructed it to 'swim' back down the stairs and devour the rank and file late-comers. It was just swimming around upstairs. Lazy fish!
Then, to his side, he heard "Crucio!" His mobility was low, too many broken bones and injuries. With a flick of his wand, Harry ripped the front door off its hinges and put it between himself and the curse. It moved so fast it was just a large wooden blur, but it managed to barely intercept the spell in time. He then banished the door straight at the 'lieutenant' witch who had cast the crucio, knocking her flat. She appeared to be unconscious. He threw his head to the side to avoid a piercing curse and volleyed two cutting curses back to the casters. Some fool shot a jelly-leg jinx at him. Harry just ignored it and let it slide off his spirit armor. Even without armor, it would have had zero effect on him. Now that the wards were no longer impacting him, his core and his power level were just too high for those kinds of spells.
He glanced over at the 'lieutenant' wizard who had caught him with the Bombarda and had been most impacted by the 'Jr. Lucius' explosion. He had raised a shield and was beginning to get up. Harry cast a stabilized Protego between himself and the flunkies, He then cast the 'Umbræ Petulæns!' silently at the wizard.
It was a 'Shadow Tether' spell. The man's own shadow would wrestle and hold him down, restraining him from inside his shield. For a while. Long enough to buy Harry some time. He needed to deal with the rank and file.
While his shield was holding, Harry summoned 'Ethereal Darkness' over the side of the room he and the last two lieutenants were on. That would keep the dozen or so flunkies from drawing a bead on him and reduce the incoming spells he had to deal with as his opponents would not know which image was him. Now, something to further distract and reduce the count of the red shirts. Yeah, Harry liked Star Trek…
Avoiding casting any flashy spells that would give away his position, Harry transfigured furniture into wolves and sent them after the new rank and file red shirt opponents that had entered the room. He took a cue from his father's old tactics and conjured illusions of wolves to intermingle with the transfigured ones heading their way. About half of the illusions would get to the opponents first, tricking the victims into think they were all illusions. Then the physical wolves would attack. They would all hit right as the Astral Maw made its way down to them.
Seeing that the 'lieutenant' witch, who had tried to crucio him, was started to rise up from under the front door, he quickly raised his wand and focused, silently casting 'Dolor!' It was an ancient spell that resembled the cruciatus, but not quite as debilitating. It also did not require his full attention to maintain. It was not technically an unforgivable as it is an ancient and unknown spell. Inflicting tortuous pain was a grey area, but hey – she started it with that Crucio. Tit-for-Tat.
This gave Harry time to deal with the remaining 'lieutenant' Wizard from the 'experienced' group. The one that hit him with the blasting curse and was wrestling with his own shadow. Looking over, Harry noticed the bastard had just managed to overcome the 'Shadow Tethers' but had dropped his shield. Unable to see through the Ethereal Darkness, he apparently decided to strategically withdrawal – Harry saw the astral threads rapidly winding up in an apparition pattern. He was apparating! Hell no! In half a second he would be gone.
Harry flicked his wand so fast it was barely visible, his 'Sægittæ' caught the fleeing wizard with an astral dart right as he began to 'wink' out of existence. The Astral Dart was very fast to cast and its astral nature allowed it to affect the partially apparated wizard. Striking the wizard center mass, the man lost focus and splinched horribly. Where ever he was headed, only about half of him would show up. Given that half of his head and torso stayed behind, Harry was satisfied that the man had not gotten away.
The group of 'red shirt' late arriving flunky wizards were busy fighting the wolves. The Astral Maw was being held back, but it was taking three of them to do it. Harry peering through the darkness and bolstered the number of wolves – both transfigured and illusion. That would keep them busy a little longer. He stayed inside the area of darkness to lessen the chance of any random curses of 'opportunity'.
The lieutenant witch he had cursed was writhing on the ground, in pain. She was trying to do something with her wand. Harry quickly disarmed her with a quick 'expelliarmus'. He tried to stun her, but she had some kind of protection against 'Stupefy'. French Aurors were probably like their British cousins and always led with Stupefy. Whatever charm or enchantment she had on her would have been effective against them. But Harry was not planning on sticking with 'stunners'.
He quickly noted that she was trying to reach into her pocket, he summoned a fire whip and severed her hand at the wrist. She screamed and tried to use her left hand, but he severed that too. The flame whip cauterized the wounds, so she would not bleed out. It had sliced up a good bit of her torso as well, but not fatally. So much for disillusionment.
Harry guessed she had a portkey in her pocket. She was far more experienced than the cannon fodder red shirts that made up most of the opponents fighting the wolves. Harry had killed all the other more experienced fighters. He wanted her alive for questioning. Dispelling the whip, he silently cast a 'Petrificus Totalis', also known as a full body bind. Unlike the stunner, THAT took effect. Maybe he should have started with that instead of 'Stupefy'. No second guessing now.
Turning and peering through his 'Ethereal Darkness', Harry noted the 'late-arrival-red-shirt-flunkies' that had entered the room when he was blasted into near unconsciousness, right before the wards dropped, were about a third their original number. Maybe less. He never really got a good look and no telling how many were devoured by the Astral Maw. But they were ankle deep in blood and body parts.
They likely assumed all the wolves were illusions only to be horrifically surprised. There were four or five wizards in a defensive circle. All but one of the transfigured wolves were destroyed and the illusionary wolves were fading. Someone must have had enough power behind their 'Finite' charm to end his illusions. Maybe it was a combined effort. Same with the Astral Maw. Working together, it could be dispelled. Not bad. Some talent there, apparently.
Flicking his wand, he mentally thought, 'Ignis Pila'. With this, Harry silently hurled a fireball into their defensive circle to break them up before they could recover or apparate away. They probably thought the wards were still up or they would have already left… Two of them saw the fireball and raised their shields, but their protections shattered under the raw force of the explosion. Half of the wizards were blown to pieces, all were burned horribly. The two who managed to raise their shields might be alive, but they weren't going anywhere.
Suddenly, all Harry could hear was the steady ringing in his ears. It was constant, but there was no other noise. His right arm was killing him. His leg too. Ribs busted up. The Blood Boiling curse had done 'who knows what'. Blood was seeping from so many wounds. Hard to stay focused. He noticed his right shoulder was out of its socket. A quick 'Episkey' put it back. THAT HURT. Best to leave the other injuries to the professionals.
Harry summoned an orbital spy and sent it off to search the house for any hidden opponents or unknown survivors. With a left handed flick of his Holly wand, he summoned his Elder wand and caught it in the same hand holding the Holly wand. It was happily re-united with him. He then checked on the 'lieutenant' witch, he had to make sure she was not able to somehow kill herself or escape. Once satisfied, he reinforced her full body bind. She had already passed out. Hopefully she was not dead. He struggled to put the elder wand in the sheath one handed while holding the Holly wand, but he got it.
He limped over to the descending stairs where the students were hiding. Not wanting to get stabbed by a spear, he croaked out, ϡ "Its safe now, ladies. You can come out."ϡ
The six young ladies slowly emerged and then recoiled. Harry realized what the scene must look like. Horrific. Severed body parts, blood everywhere, the overpowering smell of burnt flesh… His orbital spy returned and told him there were no other people in the house. Harry assumed that if there had been anyone else, they would have left when the battle turned against them.
ϡ "Battles over. The wards are down. Let's get out of here." ϡ He staggered out the front door. Taking one step at a time very carefully. Basically dragging one leg behind the other.
He slowly levitated the surviving opponents into the front yard. He collected the spears and transformed them back into the wizards and the witch he had first stunned when he arrived. He re-stunned them all for good measure and put them in body binds.
Looking back at the house they had exited, it was a grand manor. Stately and beautiful. Surely it was a known location. ϡ "Ladies, do any of you have any idea where we are?"ϡ
One of the witches spoke up, ϡ "Yes, I've been here before. It is the home of the Lavoisier family."ϡ
Harry summoned a patronus and sent it to Mme. Bellamy to inform her of their location. Hopefully she knew the Lavoisier family, too. If not, she could ask around.
Thinking of what to do with the students. They looked like they were all pretty shaken. An hour ago they were enjoying a party in their honor. ϡ "I can create a portkey, but I really don't know where to send you. The Beauxbaton Academy is probably warded up. I don't know any other locations… I guess I can send you to my Paris flat. I still have it for a few more days… No wait. I know a DMA agent who has pitiful wards."ϡ
One of the ladies spoke up, ϡ "NO! We will not just leave you. You are battered and broken. We'll wait with you. Please, sit." ϡ The others were nodding along.
Harry now realized that he must look like hell warmed over. Was his appearance the reason they had recoiled when he called them out of hiding? These were brave young ladies.
ϡ "I can't sit. Too many injuries. Once I sit, I'm done. I need to stay alert. At least until the DMA gets here." Thinking of what they can do to stay active, "You can use your wands now, please help me guard the prisoners."ϡ
One of the ladies refused to leave his side. ϡ "At least let me help support you. Here…" ϡ She wrapped her arms around him, careful not to touch his obviously broken wrist. Normally, Harry would refuse as it would prevent him from moving effectively, but he wasn't exactly moving well now.
Within about ten minutes, the sound of multiple apparitions was heard. Harry held his Phoenix wand as defensively as he could in his current state. "Keep your guard up ladies. Probably friendlies, but you never know…" Had he slipped back to English?
"Harry!" Familiar voice… "It's alright, Harry. We got your message. My god, you look like hell." She slowly came into focus. Harry realized he was fading fast. Internal bleeding likely. That blood boiling curse may have done some real damage. Concussion? Probably.
Harry checked Padma's pattern. No Polyjuice or Imperious.
Harry recognized her. "Ah, thank goodness. Padma Patil, you are a sight for VERY sore eyes." He also noted Mme. Bellamy and a small army of Wizards and Witches. Including one Dominique Aris.
Mme. Bellamy approached, she gently asked, ϡ "Mr. Potter, What is the status?" ϡ Looking him over, she noted a broken wrist. Shallow breathing in line with broken ribs, heavily favoring one leg, eye glasses gone except for one arm still hanging from his ear, possible concussion. Covered in blood. He needed medical attention badly.
Harry looked her in the eye, "All the students are safe and recovered. I have nine or ten captured dark wizards and witches." Looking at their mangled forms, he added, "A few may have expired." He was no longer speaking French, but he didn't seem to notice.
Harry continued, "The one without hands is a lieutenant and should be interrogated ASAP. She probably has a false tooth or vial of poison or some way to kill herself, be careful. She is shielded from stunners and almost certainly has a portkey in her right pocket. Heal her, protect her from assassination, and interrogate her. I'd bet my fortune she will know more than the others combined."
Harry took a deep breath, then coughed up a bit of blood. His whole body trembled. Thankfully, the student holding him added support. This was not good. He noted Padma looking at him very concerned. He flipped back to French. ϡ "The rest are low level. Or at least, they were not as skilled at combat. Inside the house is a battleground. Pretty messy. I have no idea how many I fought through. The wards finally came down, but I expect there are booby traps and self-destruction curses, which is why we are waiting outside. Don't go in without a very good curse breaker, I expect any evidence is protected. Seriously. This is a one of a kind opportunity. You need a master curse breaker before you step inside. Like Bill." ϡ Mme. Bellamy listened and nodded. She hadn't considered that. She mentally noted that Harry had been fighting Dark Wizards most of his life. She wanted him tied to France. She wanted the knowledge he brought.
Mme. Bellamy seemed to be in a state of disbelief. ϡ "I see. And you did all this while under the influence of wards?"ϡ
"Yes, POWERFUL ones. Professionally set. Had I been prepared or had time to counter the wards… I would not look like this. Oh, here you go." Harry put his Holly wand in his teeth and handed her the paperwork. Not easy doing everything with his left hand. He had signed it just before she arrived. The contract was a bloody mess, but it was legal. He needed the immunity with all the dead bodies lying around. The details of the contract looked good enough. Taking his wand back, he realized how much he was being supported by the witch beside him. Had he just been speaking English?
Padma spoke up, "We should get all of you to a hospital. You should all be checked out."
"Right. So, the students are fine. They are safe. I have a few… captured… wait. We already did this – right?"
Padma was busy healing his minor wounds and scanning him for serious injuries. "Yes, Harry. You covered the status. You have a hairline fracture on your Tibia. You really should not be standing on it. You have the lingering effects of a Blood boiling curse resulting in a damaged lung. Broken ribs. Concussion. Broken wrist. Sprained ankle. Dislocated shoulder, you appear to have roughly fixed that at least… and bruises and lacerations from head to toe. The wards really messed you up too, but nothing permanent. How are you even standing?"
The student with her arm around Harry started crying softly. He had endured this to save them. She was sensitive enough to have felt the wards. She couldn't believe he had actually survived that, let alone during a full on battle. Her adrenalin was dropping and the raw fear and emotion were kicking in.
Padma was tersely holding it together. She hated seeing Harry like this. It reminded her of his fourth year. After the final task. "Let's go now. ϡ Director Bellamy, do you have a portkey Harry and the students can use?" ϡ
The older woman handed them a rope. ϡ "This will take you to the St. Genevieve Hospital."ϡ
Harry straightened up. "I want my own doctor. No offense, but I want my personal physician."
Padma tried to reason with him. "Harry, we don't have time. You are not thinking clearly…"
"Yes, I am. I want Andromeda Tonks nee Black or Draco Malfoy. Otherwise, I'll apparate straight to Hogwarts." Harry was gripping his wand dangerously. Padma's eyes widened in fear.
"Harry, you can't apparate in your current state. And Hogwarts is MUCH too far away. Even for you! Also, the wards would block you." Padma took his hand. "I'll come with you to St. Genevieve. We'll summon your family when we get there. I won't leave you." Padma reflected on his request, Draco Malfoy? Well, according to the DoM intelligence reports, they did mend fences. They are family. Padma came to the realization that HELL, apparently, had frozen over.
Harry softened, but shook his head, "No, you have to stay on the scene. Too much opportunity for data collection. Have I briefed you yet?" His ears were ringing. It was getting louder. Deafening.
"Yes, Harry. You briefed us. Saul can cover for me. Mme. Bellamy is in charge." Padma was calming him down. Mme. Bellamy was impressed. With them both.
"She doesn't know what they're like… Saul? OK. He's good. 'Monsieur' Dark Lord almost certainly left incriminating evidence…Wait! Hermione and Ron! Are they…?" Harry looked confused.
Padma smiled. Harry, always worried about his friends. She gently said, "They're fine. Come on Harry." Padma, The six girls, and Harry held the rope. "Ladies, support Harry. Portkeys tend to throw him around." The other young ladies swarmed around him. Padma noted they seemed eager to move in close to him. Padma noted a bit of confusion when Harry named the Dark Lord. He had started referring to the mysterious French Dark Lord as 'Monsieur Dark Lord' to prevent confusion with Voldemort. Typical 'Harry Humor'.
"Wait!" Harry let go of the rope and touched his wand to one of his many wounds, extracting a little blood. "Sanguis Mundat!" His blood began to sizzle and smoke. The blood on him, that was his, did the same. Much of it was on the witch who had been helping him stand as well. "There, my blood has been cleansed from the site. Dumbledore taught me that one. Can't be too careful…" Looking over at Padma, he asked, "And you will stay with me? Protect me if I lose consciousness? No unchecked potions or spells?"
"Yes, Harry. I won't leave you!" At that, Harry reached out and took the rope.
Mme. Bellamy said, "Sécurité!" and they were off.
To be continued…
—CS—
Authors Notes
Réveillez-vous = French for 'Wake Up'
'Monsieur' Dark Lord = French Dark Lord. As Padma stated, it is 'Harry Humor'.
So, a lot of combat, and it was a HUGE challenge to write. I think I re-wrote it half a dozen times. Now, if you look at it in detail, it was only maybe about three to five minutes of actual combat. The rest was Harry summoning the Elementals and Creeping through the house. End to end, the third section lasted between fifteen and twenty minutes. Thats why I had his "Come and get us" Patronus arrive in the second section. tied it all together.
The Wards were brutalizing Harry and a lesser wizard would not have survived. Resisting them really cut into his abilities. Imagine having o fight for your life while having your teeth drilled without novocain. I hope I wrote it well enough to convey that Harry really struggled, but still managed to take out a great many opponents. He had a close call with the best of the Wizards and Witches in the house, but it was the wards and his injuries that really wore him down.
Note that the entire event happened at midnight. Most of the wizards and witches in the house Harry portkeyed to were likely asleep or at least in bed. This bought him a little time. The eight that set up the initial ambush were well trained. As were the six that tried to cut off his escape (two dropped immediately due to the cold zone).
The others? Not so well trained. Yet. I alternated calling them 'late comers', 'rank and file', 'cannon fodder', and 'red shirts'. Basically, there are the basic followers and new recruits. Think 'snatchers' and 'sympathizers'. Not used to all out combat, like the others seemed to be. I do love the star trek reference! Any time you hang out with William Shatner, make sure you are not wearing red…
So, who are the Lavoisier family and why were so many Dark Wizards and Witches in their house? Who was the 'Lucius Junior' and how did he know Harry? What will be turned up in the house once properly searched? And most importantly, will Gabrielle ever get her dream date?
Special thanks to everyone who gave detailed reviews.
Special call out to KrisB-71854 whose detailed analysis and feedback has helped me consider and define the story from a different perspective.
Constructive feedback is appreciated. Especially around writing combat. I SINCERELY hope I did the scene justice. It was VERY challenging and I have a lot to learn.
New Spells (most are from Earthdawn):
Sanguis Mundat = 'Blood Cleanse'
Spiritus Ærmis = 'Spirit Armor' aka 'Soul Armor'
Æut Tenebræ = 'Ethereal Darkness'
Hastam Tonitrua = 'Thunder Spear'
Hastam Æstræ = 'Astral Spear'
Unctæ Devourare Æstræ = Astral Maw, Astral Devourer
Aspera Caliditas = 'Drastic Temperature'
Ferrum Uitta = 'Ribbon Blade'
Umbræ Petulæns = 'Shadow Tether'
Vide Bellator = 'Phantom Warrior'
Dolor = 'Pain'
Ignis Pila = 'Fireball'
Sagitta = 'Piercing Curse' (Arrow)
Sægittæ = 'Astral Dart' aka 'Spirit Dart'
Fulgur Uitta = 'Lightning Ribbon'
Expulso = 'Blasting Curse'. Force spell without flame and heat.
Coming up:
Harry is treated and he treats himself.
More on how this new 'Monsieur' Dark Lord is recruiting.
Harry's relationship with Catherine is strengthened.
Harry talks to the Flamels.
Harry approaches a possible apprentice