Disclaimer: I own none of the things you already know of.
Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.
Chapter 49. Fifth Year, Part 6. 1996.
The next morning, Harry sat in the Great Hall, Holly on one side and Susan on the other. Daphne, Luna, and Hannah sat opposite.
Each wore expressions of horror as he finished telling them about the attacks the night before.
Harry looked up as the Owl post arrived, including the Daily Prophet.
Daphne paid for hers and unfurled it.
She lay it out on the table so everyone could read the front page.
'Gilderoy Lockhart announces a new book, Dancing with Devils. This book details his latest adventure Down Under in Tasmania, Australia, where he has been since his brief stint as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'
Harry stopped reading and looked up at Daphne.
'Is there anything in there about the attacks?' he asked.
Daphne flicked through the newspaper while Luna made a disappointed sound as she tried to keep reading the article.
Daphne looked at Harry after flicking through the whole thing. She handed it to Luna, who beamed at the Slytherin before she dove into the article on Lockhart.
'There's a small article on the attacks last night, but it implies that it was a random attack by a handful of rogue werewolves.' She said.
Harry shook his head and turned to Susan.
'Remind me later to get Sirius to have a chat with the Prophet about the rubbish they print.' He said, and she frowned.
'Sure, but what will that do?' Susan asked.
Harry smirked.
'Between the Potter's, Blacks and probably the Greengrass's, we own about thirty percent of the paper.' He said, and Susan mirrored his smirk.
'Harry, your brain is kinda scary sometimes, right?' she said and her smiled at her.
Daphne gave an unladylike snort.
'You know the Prophet prints what the Ministry tells them to, right? If our families had enough to own the Prophet, we could change what they write. But we don't, thirty percent isn't enough. They will continue to do what the Ministry tells them to.' The Slytherin explained with a scowl marring her features.
Harry deflated.
'Damn. We'll have to think of another way to get the public to learn the truth that Minister Fudge doesn't seem to want them to know.' Harry mused.
Weeks passed with nightly attacks around the country, leaving the school and the country at large, under a pall of fear and worry. Arguments sparked between students who had long been friends and tension filled the halls of the ancient school.
Outside of Hogwarts, Sirius took charge of the newest Marauders Map project and looked after Charlus and Orion while Amelia focussed on the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
James led the defence in the attacks each night, but by the time they arrived at the scene, the attack was done, leaving only destroyed buildings and lives lost.
Lily worked alongside Remus with Crocus Incorporated and Sirius with the Map and children, while also running 'Potter Enchanting.'
Fleur continued to work at Gringotts during the weekdays, and the nights she spent helping Lily or on the mirror with Harry. Weekends she spent with Harry in the Room of Requirement, sneaking into the school out of sight of the many Marauders Maps in the school thanks to Sirius' masking spell.
Harry continued his Defence Association sessions, training his friends. He excelled in his now-secret extra classes held by McGonagall and Flitwick. Even Dumbledore observed a few of their lessons and offered pointers.
Valentine's day arrived, and with it, a Hogsmeade weekend.
Harry woke up in the Room of Requirement, Fleur's naked form beside him. He inhaled and grinned at the soft scent of lavender.
Harry marvelled at the smoothness of her skin as he trailed his fingers down her side. Fleur shifted beneath his touch and wriggled her behind against him.
'Careful Mister Potter, a lady could get the wrong idea if you touched her like that.' She purred and turned to look at him over her shoulder.
'Or she could get the right idea.' He said with a lopsided grin.
Fleur rolled over on top of him.
'You're incorrigible, and I love that.' She whispered and kissed him.
'Happy Valentine's Day Fleur.' Harry said and reached out a hand toward a pile of books and his bag, which lay against the wall.
Something shot out of the bag, tipping it over on the floor. Harry caught the thing with little effort and held it up to Fleur as she straddled him.
It was a small white wooden box.
With trembling fingers, she cracked open the box and gasped. Inside was a plain silver ring with a single small diamond embedded in it.
She looked between the ring and Harry for a minute.
'Is this?' she finally asked, and Harry smiled.
'This is more of a precursor. Because I will be Lord Potter someday, someday soon if Dad has his way, marriage works a little different.' He smiled up at her.
'This ring signals to the other noble Houses that you are under the protection of House Potter, and more than that, you are to be family. While I can't give you a proper engagement ring until after I am officially of age, this is the best I can do right now.' He explained, and she looked down at him with tears in her eyes.
''Arry, I, this is perfect.' She whispered.
'Well, I don't think you'll have to wait too long for the main ring. Dad has been complaining about dealing with the Wizengamot all the time.' He said, and Fleur took the ring out of the box.
She looked down at him and held out the ring to him.
'Will you?' she asked with a watery smile.
'I will.' He grinned and slid the ring onto her finger.
A moment later, she descended upon him with an insatiable hunger.
Harry left the Room of Requirement, Fleur beside him. She was disillusioned and hidden from the Maps using Sirius' masking spell.
'I think everyone is going to be excited to see you again.' Harry said, his voice low.
'I hope so. But you do know that talking to me while inside the castle is defeating the purpose of me hiding, right?' she asked, amusement in her tone.
Harry chuckled.
'Yeah, I know, I just like talking to you. That's a good thing, right?' he asked, and he felt her slap the back of his shoulder.
'No more talking or I'll be discovered.' Fleur hissed.
Harry chuckled again and rubbed his shoulder.
Together, they strode down to the Entrance Hall and exited the castle. They passed the caretaker, Filtch, who glared at Harry and they made their way toward Hogsmeade. They could have taken a carriage, but it was a bright, clear morning.
Once they arrived, Fleur dropped her spells and beamed at Harry.
He took her in his arms and dipped her, capturing her lips with his.
'Oh, its so good to see you.' He said louder than necessary, and she rolled her eyes with a smile.
Holly strode past with Susan and Hannah.
'Oh, get a room you two.' Holly called.
Harry grinned at Fleur, pulling her back to a standing position, and she winked at him.
'Again? I am a lucky man.' He whispered, and she beamed.
'Not just yet, maybe later.' She replied.
Harry sighed and looked around the village.
'While we are here, we should probably make the most of our time together in public.' He said, then turned back to her.
'Though a room does sound like a better option.' He murmured as he looked her up and down.
Fleur grinned and did the same to him.
'It does sound better…' she trailed off and took his hand.
'Let's go before we get distracted.' Fleur said and dragged him into the village.
They walked through the streets of the village for a few minutes and paused in front of an alley between 'Scrivenshafts Quill Shop.' and 'Tomes and Scrolls Bookshop.'
Harry followed Fleur's gaze into the alley and narrowed his eyes.
'Do you feel something?' he asked.
Harry's wand fell into his hand and his voice held no trace of their earlier flirting.
Fleur stared into the alley; a frown marred her perfect features.
'I, I don't know. I thought I felt something, but it's gone now.' She whispered.
Harry glanced around at their surroundings for a moment. The air seemed somehow tense, and something felt off.
He sighed.
Then it hit him. There were no animal sounds. No birds, insects. Animals were always better at sensing when something was off.
'I'll call dad and see if he has any spare Aurors to send, just to make sure everything is okay.' He said and Fleur nodded, her eyes still rested on the alley.
Harry pulled out his Potter family mirror from his robes and activated it.
'James Potter.' He said and a few seconds later, his father's face appeared inside it.
'Harry? What's wrong?' James asked.
Harry frowned.
'We're in Hogsmeade and something feels off. We just got here and its like the air is almost charged, maybe I'm imagining things. But I was wondering if you had a few spare Aurors to send here, just in case?' Harry said and James' jaw tightened.
James nodded in the mirror.
'I've only got a couple spare, but I'll send them your way. Could you stay in the village until they arrive?' he asked.
Harry nodded.
'Yeah, can do. Thanks dad.' He said and James forced a smile on his face.
'Be safe son and look after my future daughter-in-law.' James said.
'Of course I will dad, see you later.' Harry said, and the mirror went dark.
Harry took a breath and looked around the bustling village.
'Holly Potter.' He said into his mirror.
A few seconds later, Holly's face appeared in the mirror.
'Harry? What's wrong?' she asked, worry in her voice.
He gave her a small smile.
'Nothing yet. But I've got a bad feeling. You guys be careful, okay? Dad's sending a couple Aurors here just in case.' He said, and she nodded.
'Did you want us to join you?' Holly asked.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked away from the mirror again for a moment.
'Not just yet. But if something happens, meet up at the gates, okay?' he asked, and Holly nodded.
Susan poked her head into view of the mirror.
'Be careful you two.' Susan said, and the mirror went dark again.
Harry turned to Fleur, who still stared into the alley.
'No change?' he asked.
Fleur shook her head, her jaw tight.
She sighed.
'Maybe I'm just imagining things.' Fleur muttered.
Harry shook his head and looked away from the alley, toward the nearby forest.
'No, I think you're onto something. I don't hear any birds or insects or anything. Which in itself isn't-' he broke off as a sickly green spell shot out of the alley.
Straight toward Fleur and himself.
Harry jerked to the side, far out of the path of the spell, and wandlessly pushed Fleur away from the incoming spell.
The sound of onrushing death filled his ears as the bolt of green light shot past where they'd stood a moment before.
As Fleur landed, she rolled and ended it in a combat stance where she fired an Exploding Paint spell into the alley that Sirius and James had taught them both over the summer.
A small part of Harry's mind marvelled at how fast they both reacted to the situation. The rest of his mind was focussed on a humanoid shape covered in green paint. It looked like they were under an invisibility cloak.
Harry growled and fired an Ardenti Lux at the figure as it struggled to escape its paint covered cloak. The condensed beam of light passed through the figure a moment later.
The figure screamed and fell to the ground, covered in paint and blood.
Screams erupted all over the village.
Harry ran over to the paint spattered person and tore the cloak away from it. He threw it against the wall of Scrivenshafts. Where it left a trail of green paint and red blood as it slid to the ground.
'Damn it, I'd forgotten that other people had these cloaks, not just me.' Harry growled.
Their assailant was a young man who Harry vaguely recognised as someone who was a Seventh-year Slytherin when he was in his second year. The young man's eyes showed terror as his chest spurted blood from the hole Harry had made in it, having missed his heart by a few inches.
'Potter, help me, please. I'm only here because Malfoy threatened to hurt my parents, he'll kill them if he finds out.' The young man winced, and more blood spurted out of his chest.
Harry sighed and turned to Fleur. She was looking around them, her eyes searched for the source of the screams. He knelt beside the ex-Slytherin and pocketed the young man's wand, then waved his own over the chest wound.
'Don't talk, you tried to kill us. I might change my mind about letting you die.' Harry said as he fought to heal the damage he had caused moments before.
'You may not remember me, I'm Mervyn Wynch.' The ex-Slytherin said, his pale face stark against the crimson blood pooling beneath him.
Mervyn coughed and blood dripped down his chin.
'Oh Merlin, I can't die here. I'm so sorry.' Mervyn groaned.
Harry growled as his attempts to heal the damage seemed to only make the blood flow faster.
'Fleur, swap? You're the better healer.' He said, and she dropped to her knees and took over.
Harry stood and examined their situation.
Screams erupted from all over the village, but they seemed concentrated toward the front, near the dining district, near the Three Broomsticks.
Harry looked down and Fleur met his eyes. She shook her head.
Harry knelt beside Wynch.
'I'm sorry Wynch. We can't save you, but tell us what you know, and we might be able to save your parents.' Harry said, and Wynch stared at him for a moment.
Wynch coughed again, spitting out more blood.
'Malfoy…' he whispered, then slumped on the ground.
Green paint and blood pooled together beneath him.
Harry sighed and ran a bloody hand through his hair.
Fleur stood with one last look at the body of Wynch.
She turned to Harry.
'We did all we could, but we have to try to save the others in this village.' She said.
Harry nodded.
He turned toward the screams that all seemed to come from the dining district and the front gates.
Harry's face fell into a determined expression.
'Holly, we're coming.' He whispered.
Harry sped toward the front gates, where he expected Holly and the others to be. As he ran, he transfigured his robes into their usual training outfit, black muggle style sweatpants and a hoodie. Fleur mirrored his actions.
Without pause, the two came around a corner and saw the front gates of Hogsmeade.
It was a war zone.
Harry saw his friends taking cover behind the solid gate posts, they kept the Death Eaters at bay as Hogwarts students and Hogsmeade residents ran past them toward the school.
There were a dozen Death Eaters, each wore a silver mask that hid their identities from view.
'I'll go right.' Called Fleur.
Harry nodded and looked to the left of their position.
They were behind the Death Eaters who stood in the open, bombarding the gates with sickly green Killing Curses, crimson Crucio's and all manner of other lethal spells.
Without pausing for cover, Harry raced toward the Death Eaters on the left of the group while Fleur did the same on the right.
Harry fired a stream of his own lethal spells. He started with the Death Eaters on the far left and worked toward the middle.
Fleur mirrored his actions, working inward from the far right.
Before the black robed attackers knew what was happening, they were cut down.
Harry kept running, never having slowed, and stopped in front of Holly.
She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
'Harry, I'm so glad you're here. They were real Death Eaters.' She cried.
'Is everyone okay?' Harry asked, and she nodded.
'Are you?' she asked as she eyed his blood covered skin, though his tracksuit was clean, having been transfigured after he was covered in blood.
A series of screams erupted from the direction of the Three Broomsticks.
Harry ran a hand through Holly's hair, smearing blood through it, and stepped away.
'I'm fine. You guys stay here and keep this gate open. Help people get out of here. Aurors will be here soon.' Harry said and Holly looked like she wanted to argue, but nodded.
'You're not going back into the village, are you?' Daphne asked, catching her breath.
Harry nodded.
'Don't leave this spot unless you're going back to the school, okay?' he asked.
Each of his friends nodded, though they didn't look like they agreed.
Harry smiled and turned to Fleur, who nodded.
'We're going hunting.' Harry said.
Without a second look, ran back into the village toward the dining district, toward the screams.
Harry slowed to a stop behind a building and peered around the corner into the dining district, where he saw a group of ten Death Eaters standing in a circle around a large group of cowering villagers and students.
The area would normally have been full of people, both villagers, and students, enjoying their food and drink together.
Now, bodies lay across the cobblestone ground, with shattered tables and chairs scattered across the open area. The screams they'd been hearing came from a number of twitching villagers and students who had Death Eaters standing nearby casting the Cruciatus on them.
He knelt so Fleur could lean over him and see as well.
'I count at least thirty innocent people.' Harry breathed.
'Those people won't last much longer.' Fleur whispered, and Harry nodded.
'You apparate behind the Death Eaters and we catch them in a crossfire?' Harry suggested.
Fleur frowned and shook her head.
'There are anti-apparition wards up, they've got a warder here.' She said as her ice-blue eyes searched for the culprit.
Harry growled.
'Fine, we'll just rush them then.' He said, and she sighed.
'I agree. I'll take the left, you the right?' she suggested.
'Okay. Go.' Harry whispered.
The two burst out around the corner and fired on the ring of Death Eaters, taking care not to hit the cowering innocents beneath them.
As soon as the Death Eaters noticed they were under attack, one of them barked an order to the others and they moved to form a group around that one.
The leader.
Harry tried to focus on the leader to make out any outward sign of rank, but each Death Eater looked the same, from their black robes to their silver masks, which all bore the same markings on them.
Harry's distraction cost him as a spell passed through his guard and hit him.
He gritted his teeth as his blood turned to fire in his veins. All over his body his blood seemed to boil, agony raced through him like a flood.
Harry tried to ignore the pain and aimed his wand at the remaining four Death Eaters, or rather the leader who stood in the middle of the group.
He fired a single overpowered Ardenti Lux beam at the figure's head.
It struck a shield that protected the four from Fleur's spells. It flickered.
Harry poured magic power into the beam and after a couple of seconds, it burrowed through the shield and struck the lead Death Eater's forehead. It created a golf ball sized hole and sent a gout of red mist out from the back of their head.
The shield fell a moment later and Fleur dropped the remaining three Death Eaters.
Harry dropped to his knees as his blood burned through his body like fire.
He flinched as he figured out what they had hit him with.
A Blood Boiling Curse.
He hissed in pain and cast a Blood Freezing Curse on himself.
Fleur dropped to her knees beside him. The threat eliminated.
'What are you doing?' she hissed.
Harry grimaced.
'I got hit by a Blood Boiling Curse. I didn't counter it in time, so I hit myself with a Blood Freezing Curse.' Harry said and Fleur's eyes grew wide.
''Arry, this is going to hurt. You know that, don't you?' she breathed.
Harry nodded.
'It'll buy me a few minutes to get the others and get out of here. I don't hear any more screams.' He hissed.
Harry shivered in place.
The two curses on his blood ravaged his body, but largely counteracted each other. However, his body wouldn't last much longer.
Fleur wiped a tear from her eye and succeeded only in smearing blood across her face instead. She helped him stand and threw his arm around her shoulder.
The two hobbled toward the front gate and found another three Death Eaters on the ground beside the dead Harry and Fleur had left behind. These three were bound and stunned.
Holly rushed out from her hiding spot behind the gate and flung Harry's other arm over her shoulder, sharing his weight with Fleur. Harry hissed in pain at the movement but said nothing.
'What happened?' she asked.
Fleur's eyes darted to Harry for a moment before settling on Holly.
'He got hit by a few spells. We need to get him to the Hospital Wing.' Fleur said.
Holly nodded and opened her mouth to speak when two Aurors rushed toward them from the apparition point down the road.
One of them was Nymphadora Tonks.
Nym paused in front of Harry.
'Harry, what's wrong? What happened?' Nym asked, and Harry groaned.
Holly looked to Fleur, and the Veela tightened her jaw.
''Arry was hit by a Blood Boiling Curse, then hit himself with a Blood Freezing Curse to counteract the first. Right now, he is in extreme pain, and we need to get him to Madame Pomphrey.' Fleur snarled.
Fleur looked Nym up and down.
'You're an Auror, yes?' she asked, and Nym nodded.
'Secure the area. I don't know if there are any more Death Eaters, but the screaming has stopped. Hopefully that's a good sign.' Fleur said.
Nym stared into Fleur's eyes for a moment before she gestured to the other Aurors.
'You heard the woman, go, go.' Nym called and ran into the village.
Harry tried to speak, but everything went dark, and he slumped, held by Fleur and Holly.
Harry woke in a candlelit room. The walls and almost every surface in the room were stained crimson with the light of the candles, but Harry recognised the ceiling above him.
The Hospital Wing.
He groaned as he realised his body ached, like every student in the school and their parents had trampled him. A weight hung on his right hand, but when he tried to move his head, pain warned him not to push any harder.
Harry shifted in place, and pain shot through his body as he looked around the room. It was dark outside, and the only other person he could see in the room was Fleur, who slept in a chair beside his bed. Her head rested on his right hand.
After a few moments, the pain built up and he collapsed back onto the bed with a groan. Fleur stirred beside him but stayed asleep.
Madame Pomphrey bustled into the room from a side area. The Matron tutted as she waved her wand over his body.
'Mister Potter, what foolishness made you think that casting a Blood Freezing Curse would help your condition?' Pomphrey asked as she moved over to his other side to stand opposite to Fleur.
Harry groaned.
'It was too late to apply the counter curse to the Blood Boiling Curse, and I'd already sped up the curse's effects by continuing to fight Death Eaters under its affects. It was the only way to survive long enough to get treatment.' Harry admitted, and the Healer huffed.
'While it worked young man, it was foolish.' She said.
'Were there any other options that I didn't think of?' he sighed.
Pomphrey froze in place, then sighed and shook her head.
'Not that I know of. I am just worried, you're such a bright boy. I don't want to lose you like that.' She admitted, and Harry grimaced.
'Thank you for saving me.' He said, and she gave him a wisp of a smile.
Harry glanced at Fleur before back to Pomphrey.
'Do you know what happened after I passed out?' he asked.
Madame Pomphrey paused; her wand ceased its movement.
'It looks like the attack on Hogsmeade was merely a distraction. Diagon Alley was attacked just afterward and now it is mostly gone.' She said.
Harry blinked.
'Gone? Where were the Aurors?' Harry asked, and the Healer shook her head.
'I don't know Mister Potter. Though I saw your mother earlier, she might know.' She said, and Harry nodded.
He blew out a long breath and closed his eyes as silence grew between them for a few moments.
'Is everyone okay?' he asked as he opened his eyes.
Pomphrey shook her head and continued casting a series of spells Harry wasn't familiar with.
'Thirteen villagers died in the attack on Hogsmeade. Thankfully no students died, but a great many were injured. It seems that your friends and sister were able to protect them from further harm.' The Healer said and met his eyes.
'You should be proud of them.' She continued, and Harry nodded.
'I am.' He smiled.
Madame Pomphrey returned the smile, with a smaller one, more an upward curve of her lips.
'You should rest, assuming all goes well, you'll be fine to leave by tomorrow at lunch time.' She said.
'Thank you, Madame Pomphrey, for everything.' He said and lay back in his bed.
With a nod, the Matron turned and left Harry to his thoughts, disappearing into the side area she'd come from earlier.
He looked down at Fleur's sleeping form and let out a relived sigh when she looked fine.
The door to the Hospital Wing opened and Lily Potter walked in. She wore a beaming smile on her face as she made her way over to him.
'Harry, I'm so glad to see you awake again.' She whispered and took him in a tight hug.
Harry tried to resist the pain that shot through his body at her touch, but he still flinched.
His mother released him and pulled away.
'Oh, I'm so sorry, you must still be in so much pain.' She breathed, worry in her eyes.
Harry smiled, it was more of a grimace.
'No, its fine. It still hurts, but it'll be gone by tomorrow.' He said.
His faux smile faded as he met her eyes, the same eyes as his.
'What happened in Diagon Alley, mum?' he asked, and she closed her eyes and sighed.
Lily ran her hands down her face and met his gaze.
'Harry, the attack on Hogsmeade was a distraction. After your father sent Nymphadora and Winters, he told Amy and they sent another three teams to the village.' Lily sighed.
'Then, they got word of Diagon Alley being under attack and they sent the rest of the Aurors, but four teams couldn't contain the dozens of Death Eaters that were torching the entire district.' She said, her eyes troubled.
Lily's eyes settled on where her hands held his on the blanket.
'Harry, I think the muggles noticed the attack. Remus told us that the muggle Fire Department sent dozens of trucks to put out the fires, but they couldn't get to the flames. They saw the smoke of the alley burning, apparently the trucks surrounded the alley, but they couldn't see the fire.' Lily whispered.
She raised her eyes to his.
'The muggles know where Diagon Alley is, even if they don't know it yet. You were right, it won't be long until they discover us, and we are not nearly ready.' She said, fear in her voice and her hands shook.
Harry took a calming breath and engaged his Occlumency to calm himself.
'Mum, its really important that we do everything we can to keep the muggles from finding us yet. You're right, we're not ready yet.' Harry paused, then frowned.
'This has a lot to do with the future you and Dad don't want to know about.' He said and she nodded.
'Of course, Honey, I think it might be time for us to know about it soon.' His mother muttered.
Harry nodded.
'The moment the two of you are ready to hear it, we will tell you the complete story.' Harry said.