Chapter 13: The Gaunt House
I do not own Harry Potter
Author's Notes:
1) So I decided to incorporate Hogwarts Mystery characters. It originally started with just Bill to help out with the curse-breaking, since even Dumbledore had a hard time at the Gaunt house, but then it just became impossible for me to not take into account the Hogwarts Mystery crew. 'Aaron' is the name I gave the player-character in the game. The game hasn't been finished yet, so I decided to assume an ending.
2) Hey, it worked in the fantastic beasts movie, so why not here?
3) Took some liberties with the magic-tech.
4) Sirius escapes in the next one. Only took me like 56k words, lol. Also no, he doesn't get a trial just yet. I plan on following the canon timeline for the third year. Open to suggestions on alternatives though.
5) I'll probably end up wrapping the whole summer in the next one. Might stretch to another chapter, but I'll try not to make it so.
Enjoy!
|Tonks House| Montpelier Villas| Brighton| July 12th 1993|
"Alright, got what we needed. Normally I'd need legal clearance, but turns out compulsion charms work just as well." joked Tonks "I found the record of a 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' born on December 31, 1926. Father's name Tom Riddle, age unknown, status unknown. Mother's name Merope Gaunt, age unknown, status deceased. Place of birth is listed as Wool's Orphanage, London. No other details about the parents."
Currently, they were investigating other potential horcrux locations, and had decided to get as much information on Riddle as they could. He'd chosen an emotionally significant place to hide a horcrux once - the cave near the beach of his orphanage, and there was every chance he might have done so again. There were precious few who were aware of his real name, so something connected to his past was as good a place as any to hide something as important as his fragments of his own soul.
"Gaunt... so he really is related to Slytherin" remarked Andromeda.
Harry almost said, 'well of course he is!', but managed to stop himself. They didn't know he'd had it verified by Slytherin himself, did they? All they had was Tom's word on the matter. And as far as they knew, it wasn't NECESSARY that a parselmouth is related to Slytherin - Harry himself being the example. Maybe. Even that was up in the air. Instead, he went with "Gaunt?"
"The Gaunts were the last known living descendants of Slytherin. They were a poor family living in the countryside, and the line ended with Morfin Gaunt's death in prison in the 60s. I remember how Aunt Walburga would complain how society had failed by letting the 'noble line of Slytherin' go extinct."
"Still can't believe the guy spouting all that nonsense about blood purity is a half-blood himself. Not only is he a bigot, he's a hypocrite too!"
"You will discover that often tends to be the case with tyrants." continued Andromeda "Marvolo... that's his grandfather's name - Marvolo Gaunt. So Tom Marvolo Riddle, Tom for his father, Marvolo for his grandfather."
"He actually let me see the entire collection of records on his desktop. All of a sudden I'm glad dad took us to cousin Remy's house as often as he did, I haven't lost touch with Muggle technology. Anyway, back to the topic. There's record of a few Tom Riddles, but here's one that is most likely ours - born in 1905 to Thomas and Mary Riddle, old enough to be the father, and died August 11, 1943 due to unknown causes. I looked up Thomas and Mary Riddle too. In what I think is more than just coincidence, they died on the same day, with the same reason - unknown causes."
"It's too convenient not to be him" jumped in Harry "Voldemort hated his father. 'Unknown causes' was probably the killing curse. Was this Tom Riddle born in the countryside?"
"Place of birth was listed as 'Little Hangleton'. The government records don't have too much on the place, so it's probably a small village."
"Got to be it, the Gaunts were known to live in the countryside too" chimed in Ted
"We'll know for sure tomorrow. I've got a friend at the ministry - Ben Copper, joined the DMLE's legal vertical this year. I asked him to bring me the files on the Gaunt family. We're meeting for lunch tomorrow."
The next day
The two classmates met at a restaurant in Muggle London, and spent a while catching up with each other, before Tonks moved to the objective of their meet.
"So, the file"
"Yeah, I have it here." said Ben, pulling out a small dossier and extending his arm out.
"Can't I just duplicate it?"
"You can't. The papers are charmed against duplication - magical or muggle. Something new from the Unspeakables. So, eyes-only. If you wanna take notes, that's fine, but destroy them as soon as you can, I'm breaking the law pretty severely - neither do I have authority to look this up, and neither can I bring it out. I had to sneak into the archive room to get it. I'm looking at losing my job and 5 years jailtime if I get convicted. Leave no physical proof you ever got this from me. Just look over whatever you wanted you, and give it back to me"
"Same old paranoid Ben. I'm not taking notes, don't worry. And thanks, I know you're taking a big risk for me..." said Tonks, taking the file in her hand. Ben had a crush on Tonks in his latter school years, one which still hadn't faded. Tonks knew this. You could argue she was using Ben's emotions in some ways, but at least she wasn't feigning interest in him to get information, which less honorable people might have done.
After looking it over for a couple of minutes, she handed it back to Ben, who promptly placed it into his inner coat pocket.
"Any chance you're telling me why you wanted this?"
"I can't. Besides, you're better off not knowing, trust me"
While Ben has progressed beyond being afraid of his own shadow, there was still a touch of his old timid nature present in him. Tonks' rather ominous one-liner seemed to have neutralized his curiosity.
"Promise me you're not doing dangerous... nevermind it probably is that... Promise me it's not anything twisted"
"I'm not delving in dark magic, you have my word on this" said Tonks solemnly
"... I believe you. I won't push you too much, but I will say this - you can trust me."
"I know I can Ben, but this is something that isn't exactly my secret to tell... and I'll say it again, you're better off not knowing"
If Ben was disappointed about being left in the dark, he didn't show it. "Right. Well, I gotta go, my lunch break is almost over. And Tonks...nice seeing you again, it's been a while"
"You too, Ben" she said sincerely "We'll be more in touch once I graduate, you know how much paperwork there is for aurors, I'll be glued to a desk for hours!"
"Haha... see ya around, Tonks"
"Catch ya later"
...
"Alright" said Tonks to the rest of the horcrux hunt "On the basis of the conviction records of the Gaunts, the data from the Muggle office, and our own information, I think I have the whole story. Marvolo Gaunt lived with his two children - Morfin and Merope just outside the village of Little Hangleton. In 1925, Morfin was charged by the DMLE for assaulting muggles. When an officer came to arrest Morfin, thinks went sideways and both father and son ended up being arrested for assaulting a law enforcement official. This left Merope on her own. She fell in love or was already in love with muggle Tom Riddle, and one day used either used the imperious or a love potion to entrance him, and eloped with her. A few months later, Marvolo, old and weakened from his time in jail came back to an empty house. With no one to look after him in his weakened state, he died soon after. Meanwhile, somewhere away, Tom Riddle either broke the imperious, which I find unlikely, or more likely, Merope felt guilty about keeping someone she loved under a spell and lifted the curse/stopped using love potions. She was pregnant by this time and was probably hoping Tom would stay, if only for the sake of his child, and maybe even reciprocate her love. As we know, that didn't happen, once out of her control, Tom deserted her and returned to Little Hangleton. A destitute and heartbroken Merope found her way to Wool's orphanage, where she died shortly after she gave birth to a son, whom she named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom Riddle grew up at the orphanage and went to Hogwarts, finding out about his full ancestry while there. Now here's the crazy part - In 1943 Morfin, who was released a couple of years later and now living alone was arrested AGAIN, this time on a triple homicide charge."
"Wait, were these three -"
"Tom Riddle Sr. and his parents." Tonks completed for Harry "Now I know what you're thinking; something doesn't add up. He'd been living near them for years, and Merope had eloped years ago, so why kill them now? I've been thinking about it, and I think he was framed" concluded the auror cadet.
"Framed?" asked Harry
"Yeah, I think Tom Riddle Jr. framed him. Hear me out. Now, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence, including a confession and an incriminating wand, and it's entirely possible that Morfin, known to be a bit of a loon just killed them without reason, but there's another explanation." After taking a small pause, Tonks resumed "The Riddles died in 1943. I think Tom, now grown up, fully aware of his heritage and someone not hesitant to kill, went to his mother's house, overpowered his uncle and took his wand. He then went over to his fathers', and killed him and his grandparents using Morfin's wand. He comes back and modifies Morfin's memories, and leaves him with a smoking gun. AND... this explains where he found Slytherin's locket. Who else would hold such a priceless family heirloom? It's a bit of a long shot, but a very plausible one!"
"The story on it's own is actually somewhat believable" began Ted "but it's the part about the locket that sells me. You're right, where else would he have gotten it? He's also got a motive - revenge. He took revenge on his father for deserting him and his mother, and leaving them to die. He then framed the local madman to cover his tracks, though I think ended up being a bonus in how well it worked. As for whether or not he has hidden something there, that is up for debate. Personally, I think the place is too open, someone could just walk in randomly one day..."
"You could say the same for the cave" jumped in Harry "but he still chose it. Also, what business does anyone have with that place now, the entire line is extinct, it's outside of the village - probably near the woods or something, and pretty rundown. Why would anyone go near it? And what if he has repelling charms around the place like Hogwarts? Ya know, to keep muggles away. Also, since his identity is unknown to almost everyone, nobody would tie it up to him, would they? He chose something with sentimental value to him, the beach near his orphanage, he could have done the same again..."
"He makes a good point... whatever it is, it's at least worth checking out" proposed Tonks
"So when are we going there?" asked Harry
"WE are not going anywhere kid. You're on the bench for this one, it's too dangerous" said Tonks, and in no mood to argue.
"I'm sorry, but what the hell!" protested Harry "you wouldn't even know about horcruxes if I didn't tell you! And I've seen my share of danger!"
"And nobody is denying that" soothed Ted "but understand, that if Regulus Black, a marked death eater couldn't get past the traps, then no offense, but a student who hasn't even begun his third year has no chance. This isn't an insult, it's just the truth and If it makes you feel any better, it's going to be tough for us too."
Reluctantly, Harry acknowledged the point
"Actually, he should come with us" said Andromeda, stunning the room "Listen, I dislike the prospect equally, if not more, but think, destroying the last two horcruxes involved parseltongue in one way or another. What's the guarantee that won't be the case a third time?"
"... As much as I would like to refute it, your logic is sound... we'll all go together."
...
The foursome did go together, but they had to turn back without actually getting to enter the house. There was definitely something there, that much was evident, but the door was sealed with some very powerful curses. And if Tonks' detector was working right, there were more curses or at least something with a magical signature inside. Unfortunately for them, while the aurors were adept at dealing with a lot of curses, the ones on/inside the house were too advanced for someone who hadn't even graduated. Though it proved not to be an insurmountable boulder.
"Bill Weasley? As in my friend Ron's brother?" inquired Harry
"Is your friend a redhead with loads of siblings?"
"Yeah"
"Then it's him. We should let him in on the hunt. He's brilliant at his job, and more importantly, he's trustworthy. Bill and I go way back, I've barely scratched the surface with what I've told you about my shenanigans during school days. Now that I think about it, you remind me a lot of Aaron, ya know, being the trouble magnet and all... damn I miss the guy... anyway, I'll write to Bill, maybe arrange a floo call. He's in Egypt right now, so it'll be a few days before we can go back, but once I explain to him what's going on, he'll definitely agree to help"
"Enough about that now" started Andromeda "We've made a lot of progress, but let's let this business about the horcruxes rest for a while. From now till Bill shows up, no discussing, no mentioning this horcrux business at all. We invited Harry to spend the summers with us so that we could have fun and to get to know each other. And that's exactly what we're going to do."
"If you're taking suggestions, how about we floo over to Thorpe Park?" proposed a perked up Tonks.
...
July 25th
Dear Professor,
Let me start the letter by talking about our last meeting. I won't beat around the bush. I still stand by my decision, and don't regret it in the slightest. I've never had a better vacation, and I already feel the formation of a genuine connection between myself and the family I'm staying with. Maybe I'll be back with them next year too, if they'll have me. With that being said, I would like to apologize for some of my words that day. They were made in the spur of the moment, and them I do regret. I don't think your reputation is the only thing you're concerned about, never did in fact, you've given proof of that time and again, and don't deserve to have something like that said to you. I hope you will accept my apology.
But this isn't the only reason I'm writing this letter. I wanted to give you a heads up, because I feel you are entitled to at least that much. I plan on replacing you as my proxy and exiting my family from your alliance. As for when, maybe it will be three years later, maybe it will be on year later, I do not know. In goodwill, I will also tell you that I am seeking emancipation, giving me the right to decide it before I complete 17 years of age. As for why, well I just feel we are divergent on certain agendas. For instance the 'Restriction of Mind Magic Usage on Muggles Amendment', which will severely restrict wizards form using any sort of mental magics on muggles, of which you are an ardent supporter. While I'm not blind to the scale of misuse associated with mind arts, especially on muggles I find myself considering the bill, at least in its current form, to be unfavorable. Anyway, I do not intend on turning this letter into an argument, so I will move on. My point is, there will be times I will want my vote to be used differently, and on major issues like our level of involvement in the muggle world, foreign policy, etc. So, it is impossible for us to remain as one voting bloc. This does not mean I intend to never support you any agendas though. I would also like to re-establish my family as the leader of its own bloc, with me leading it, once I'm capable enough. You are your person with his own ideology and identity, and I'd like to be the same. I hope you will understand.
Looking forward to a new term at Hogwarts,
Yours sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter.
There was one thing he had perspective on, from Salazar and Andromeda both, the unique privilege he enjoyed being a celebrity - people cared about what he did. What he wore, what he said had an impact on the people, and this made him someone who had the potential to change things. Upset about prejudice in society? Many were, but only very few were in a position like him, where they had genuine chance of being able to change things. Rejecting his popularity didn't do anyone any favors, least of all him. Even if he believed himself to be undeserving of the fame, he had it now, it won't go away. So he can either do something good with it, or let it be wasted. Also, his dream of growing out of the image of being just the 'Boy-Who-Lived' would only change when he gave people other things to associate with him - this was almost word for word what he had heard in the Chamber of Secrets all those weeks ago, and it made more sense each day. In fact, the old man had hit the nail on the head in general with him, how his repressive childhood and lack of knowledge about the magical world made him feel about fame and attention the way it did, so he had to give props to Salazar, he was one intuitive person.
The letter he had just penned was actually truthful, he didn't feel the same way as Dumbledore on some things. But more importantly, doing what he planned was a big leap towards realizing his dream - becoming his own man. This was something that went beyond playing detective every year or having boss-fights as if in a video game. All his life, he had been labelled many things - freak, boy-who-lived, Dumbledore's apprentice, and they all tended to overshadow him, to limit his identity or the world's perception of him, in one way or another. On the topic of the letter, the way he had signed it off was unusual, in fact it was novel, but it was appropriate given the matter. Finally folding and sealing it, he walked towards Hedwig "Hey girl, take this to Dumbledore" he said, tying the letter to her left foot "And these two to Ron and Hermione, in that order since Hermione is -well you know where she is" he told his owl, and getting a "hoot" in affirmation. This time he tied two letters to her right foot.
"I'll keep treats ready when you get back!" he exclaimed, as Hedwig took off for the Scottish Highlands. Looking over to the wall clock, he noticed it was nearly dinnertime. Evidently, the letter to Dumbledore had taken him a lot longer than he thought.
As Harry made his way downstairs, he started reflecting on his time at the Tonks' so far. One conclusion was obvious - the days seemed to fly by; It wasn't just that there was holiday homework or his own personal objectives, there was the interaction he had with his hosts. He looked forward to the simple things like having meals together, enjoying walks on the beach in the evening, talking late into the night, going to restaurants and theme parks; basically everything a family did, even if he wasn't comfortable in considering them 'family' yet. It might be nothing special for most, but for him this was a novel experience, and he was enjoying it thoroughly.
He also got to learn things from each of the members. Andromeda, who was taking a break from her work - editorials, speech-writing, groundwork, etc. was thus the one who was at home he most, and hence, was also the one he talked with most. More often than not, their talks would take political turns, be it for a person or a topic, and she had also begun teaching him the proper etiquette and way he was expected to conduct himself. From Dora, as he had settled on calling her, he got pop-culture, as a younger child in a house normally did from an older one, and some basics on dueling, since her profession demanded combat-readiness. From Ted, he learnt the noble art of changing topics to avoid arguments - a skill he had had years of practice on. Jokes aside, Ted was more than willing to have boy-talk with him. In fact, as much as he loved his family, he seemed to enjoy the company of another male, and one who shared his love for Quidditch, "God, have I been starved for sport-talk" he had remarked more than once.
He was broken out of his reverie by Andromeda "Ah, you're here. I was about to call you. Lend me a hand with the plates?"
"Yeah, sure" replied Harry, making his way over to the kitchen. "Meatloaf?"
"Yes. Taste it?"
"Don't mind if I do" said Harry, cutting off a small piece. "Mmm, god bless you woman, I'm gonna be like 300 pounds when I go back to school!"
"Why, thank you, Harry"
As they were both making their way to the kitchen, Harry with the meatloaf and Andromeda with the plates, the Gryffindor said "Hey, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Go on" Andromeda said, noticing the sudden somberness in Harry's tone. Placing the plates in their designated spots, she looked towards Harry, who was looking contemplative.
"Why did you want to take me in?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean loads of people knew my parents, but not everyone to wanted to take me in" rephrased Harry
"Well you'll find you're quite mistaken" the Slytherin alumnus replied in a matter-of-fact tone "Dozens of families offered to host you"
"They wanted the Boy-Who-Lived, not Harry Potter. There's a difference, a very big one. Most people saw the 'prestige' in hosting the 'savior' that I was. You on the other hand, you couldn't care less about it, based on how long I've known you, I can guess that much. You wanted to raise an infant boy who had just lost his parents. Now, we aren't related by blood, so what's the story?" the raven-haired boy asked
Now it was Andromeda who seemed contemplative, as if she was searching for the right words "You know how difficult things got for Ted, right? He was 'A mudblood who had defiled the daughter of an Ancient family' after all. Instead of going into hiding or on the run, he decided to fight, and the both of us joined the Order of the Phoenix. I was relatively safer, since at the end of the day I was of 'pure' blood. I believe the Death Eaters planned to 'remind' me of my 'duties' as a Pureblood once they captured me, I don't think they ever planned on killing me. So, I joined the frontlines. Ted only occasionally went into the field, he mostly did the no less important job of a healer. He's abed lives more than once. As a bonus, this meant young Dora had at least one parent looking after her fulltime. Anyway, the Potters come into the story in 1979. Dumbledore made these sort of groups that went on operations - combat or otherwise, and I found myself paired up with James, Lily and Sirius. I won't bore you with all the details, but basically James saved me from getting captured one time. Weeks later, Snape - you're aware he was a spy?" at Harry's nod she continued "Snape told us that Ted and I had been made priority targets. Ted to be killed, me to be 're-educated'. The problem was Ted and I hadn't been able to work anywhere in years by now - no one wanted to risk hiring us and painting a target on their backs. The Potters came to our rescue again. They offered to put up with the entire expense of our hiding, and till the time they moved under the Fidelius, we stayed together in this annex inside of the McKinnons' office building for many months. In fact, you were born while we were together! The most adorable child you were... I remember Dora treating you like her own little brother... actually now that I try, I remember none of the permanent air of morbidity that seemed to linger... just the laughs and the good times."
Neither said anymore. Harry simply stood there with a sad smile, mentally jotting down another thing to be proud of his parents for, while a teary-eyed Andromeda reminisced on her family's time together with his.
Finally, after what could've been 5 minutes or seconds, the Slytherin spoke up again "The Potters may well have saved our lives. The least we could do was raise you as one of our own." Suddenly, she let out a laugh "You of course know Voldemort made a conscious effort to cripple your family's businesses? So one day, I decided to express my thanks to your parents in words. So I walked up to your father and said 'James, I know this hasn't been easy on your pockets either. You've made a huge sacrifice for someone not even of your own blood... so just, what I'm saying is... thank you, and I hope I can repay your kindness one day.'. As I finish without question the most sincere sentence of my life, James, looks at me, his face all scrunched up in confusion, and he says as if he's someone without a thing to worry in this world "Hey, we're related closely enough that you can at least acknowledge it!"
Both started giggling, though it was strange for Andromeda, as if she was confused whether to cry or laugh, so she was trying to do both simultaneously.
"Ya know it'd become a pretty wholesome moment if we hugged or something" commented a bittersweet Harry
This only seemed to add to Andromeda's dilemma "Yes, but you don't say it, you just do it you dunce!"
Turns out he was right, it did create for a wholesome moment, somehow made better by Harry's awkwardness in emotional situations such as this.
Moments later, the floo lit up, and Tonks, followed by William Weasley, professional curse-breaker, emerged from the flames.
"Round 2, Little Hangleton"
...
The next day
"So, heard from Aaron or Penny lately?" asked a currently brown haired and black eyed Tonks as Bill started to work on dismantling the curse at the entrance. To avoid suspicion, it was decided that they would travel in two groups, one of Harry, Tonks and Bill, and the second of Ted and Andi, a few minutes behind them.
"Couple weeks ago. They don't plan on returning anytime soon." replied the eldest Weasley child. William, or Bill as he was commonly called sported shoulder-length, straight hair in the trademark Weasley red, with a fang earring on his left hair. Another thing that distinguished him was his seemingly endless supply of patterned shirts, which he wore almost exclusively.
"Uhm, are you talking about Aaron Carter, the one associated with the cursed vaults?"
"The same" replied the curse-breaker "Glad to see Hogwarts hasn't forgotten" he continued between wand movements
"I heard he moved to MACUSA?"
"Yeah" it was Tonks who replied this time
"You sound a little bitter when you say that"
"I just miss my friends, ok?" she replied a little defensively "Though I don't blame him for deciding to leave"
"Why'd he leave, if you don't mind me asking... He cleared his family's name, didn't he?"
"Oh, he did that alright" said Tonks matter of factly "But he couldn't get over his 'guilt'" There was something strange in the way she said the last word, it was almost as if she were mocking Carter.
"Huh?"
"He felt he was responsible for the deaths of Jacob, his brother, and Rowan the year before him. The guilt just ate him up... you didn't see him the days after Jacob died... he was crushed. I think you can guess by now where I'm going with this... He made up his mind sometime before graduation to move away, applied to a bunch of overseas vacancies. In a rare instance of luck, both him and Penny got offers from New York, Penny from a potioneer offering her apprenticeship and him from a private corporation... don't really know much about it except that it paid well. Anyway, that's where they are now"
There was silence after that, only occasionally broken by Bill's outbursts in frustration. They had also been joined by Tonks' parents by now. A few more minutes later, and Bill was finally done.
"Finally!" he exclaimed in a mixture of triumph and relief "The older the curse, the harder it is to break. This one must been around for decades..."
"Since 1943 if our hunch is correct" answered Harry "What do your devices show?" he asked to both Bill and Tonks
Tonks pulled out a runestone with some inscriptions which Harry couldn't translate. Some parts were also glowing. "Reading is basically off the charts for me. There's still curses, or maybe one big one... Also detect a concentration of magic, so we're probably looking at some sort of animate defense. That's all I can say conclusively. Bill?"
Bill who had been staring at a parchment of sorts, called the 'eye of phywll'. It was a magical device used by curse-breakers or treasure hunters and if one knew how to read it, they could make a reasonable guess at the kind of danger or object that lay beyond them. Phywll literally meant 'caution' in Welsh. "I've never seen anything like it. Something extremely rare is in there; could be a horcrux. Alright, clear the front people, I'll open the door from the side. If there's a trap that charges forward, we'll avoid it."
Agreeing to Bill's logic and not willing to take the chance, they took positions to the sides of the entrance. "I'll keep it simple. On 3. 1,2,3 - Alohomora."
The door did not open. "Darn, I knew it seemed too easy"
"What now?" asked Andromeda
"Now I toggle around with all unlocking techniques I know"
"Can we touch the door?" spoke up Harry
"Huh?" replied a confused Bill "I...don't see why we couldn't..."
"Why don't we just kick it in? I mean that's what they do in muggle films, and well, it's a pretty weak looking door..." (A/N 2)
"That's... well... I uhm... I... why not?" stuttered out a baffled Bill
"Either Harry is the world's biggest idiot or a once in a lifetime genius"
"Alright, Mr Tonks, you're on the correct side. Do it when you're ready"
"Huh? oh - yeah" Apparently no one had gotten over the half stupid half genius suggestion. 'Alright Teddy, you've been watching Sean Connery for years... time to put all those movies to good use... alright just let me warm up" Ted doing warm ups seemed
to have been the limit of absurdity Andromeda could tolerate "Oh for crying out loud just kick it, Ted!"
"Hey, don't rush me! I could pull a quad or something... fine!" and with it, Ted rammed his foot into the wooden door as hard as he could, remembering to pull sidewards the second the door began to open. It turned out to be a good decision, since a large black mist rushed out the door the second it opened, making a head-ache inducing screech as it dispersed into the open.
"Was that just to psych out any unwanted visitors or an actual trap?" asked Tonks
"I don't think I want to know" replied her father in earnest "Thank merlin Andromeda remembered to silence the area"
"So, definitely genius of a lifetime, right?" quipped Harry, eliciting laughs from everyone. The celebration would be short lived though.
"Intruderrrssssss"
"What was that?!"
"Parseltongue!" Harry shouted out to the group "It said intruders... there's a snake inside!"
Bill noticed something emerging from inside. As expected, it was snake, but what was unexpected was its species, and that it would have a friend along with it. "3 heads... shit, it's a runespoor, and a big one at that! Keep your distance! It's very deadly and very fast!"
"And what about the thing that looks like an infernus on steroids?!"
"That's an alghoul... it must have been dormant till now... wait, they're splitting up"
The group was on two different sides of the path. On one side were Andi and Ted, and on the other were Harry, Tonks and Bill. The runespoor began approaching the group closer to it - the Tonks couple. "Diffindo!" with that, the snake now seemed singularly focused on them "We'll lead it away, so you can focus on one target." And with that, the two made their way deeper into the forest, the snake on their tail.
The alghoul, a creature that fed almost exclusively on human flesh had been focusing on the larger group from the start, on the prospect of getting more meat. Maintaining eye contact, the group in question had retreated to a safer distance from the necrophage. Bill and Tonks knew hat the creature charging at them was a question of when, not if, and they needed all the distance they could get. Harry, positioned in the center had wisely followed their lead.
"Let him make the first move, and remember - aim for its mouth"