The Lion & The Serpent
Chapter I: Death Eaters in Little Whinging
No.4 Private Drive was almost identical in appearance to the other houses that lined the street - in fact, it was almost as if the residents had gone to great lengths to appear as inconspicuous as possible. If someone were to peer in through the window on June 20th 1996, they would have seen an ordinary looking family, settling down and getting ready to go to sleep.
Vernon and Petunia Dursley had gone to extraordinary lengths to maintain their averageness; Vernon worked to slowly climb the corporate ladder, and Petunia busied herself as a home-maker and with part time work. They had a few friends who they would socialise with on occasion, and they both doted on their son Dudley. For most of the year, they were happy and content in their own little world in Surrey, but every summer that was ruined by the appearance of Petunia's nephew, Harry James Potter.
Petunia sniffed disdainfully as her thoughts wandered over to the boy. This summer had been especially unpleasant for everyone involved. Her nephew had come back sullen, withdrawn and morose, looking scruffier than ever. He had been banished to his room, only coming out to perform his daily chores and to use the bathroom. For a while, the three Dursley's had managed to coexist with Harry without incident. That was until that fateful Thursday night.
Harry was tossing and turning, caught in a nightmare where he was reliving Sirius' death over and over again, he moaned, unsuccessful in his attempt to save his Godfather. The moaning increased in volume until he woke with a harsh shout that bordered on a scream. A thunder of footsteps later saw all three Dursley's led by Vernon crashing into him room.
"What's the ruddy matter with you, boy?" he demanded, spit flying from his mouth. Harry's hands reached for his glasses, trembling from his night terror.
"Nothing, Uncle Vernon." Harry replied shakily, not really seeing the man. Dudley snickered from behind him, his large face popping into view over his father's shoulder.
"Don't kill Sirius, boohoo!" he chortled as Harry grew pale at those words, "Who's Sirius Potter? Your boyfriend?"
"Don't you DARE talk about Sirius!" Harry instantly saw red, he sprung up from his bed, his wand already in his hand from the night stand. The Dursley's had finally started allowing Harry to keep his school trunk and belongings in his bedroom instead of locking them away, which had been the only thing keeping Harry vaguely sane during the summer. He launched himself towards Dudley, the latter shouting in fear as he stumbled loudly into his own bedroom, closely followed by his parents.
"Boy, you better -" whatever threat Vernon had died on his lips at the frantic knocking on their front door. Everyone froze at the sound. For a moment, Harry wildly thought that Voldemort had found him, but he nearly laughed out loud when the shrill voice of Shirley McGraw, their next door neighbour, permeated the air.
"Is everything alright in there?" Petunia gasped in dismay as she flew down the stairs, her hands smoothing down her hair as best as possible.
"Shirley, I'm so terribly sorry to have woken you at this hour!" Petunia gushed sweetly. She walked further out from the house, to block the nosy women's view.
"I wasn't sure if you needed help...do you need the police?"
"No!" startled, Shirley peered at her neighbour dubiously. "No, my nephew...he has night terrors you know..."
Harry scowled from the top of the stairs as Shirley whispered loudly, "Oh. The disturbed one?" One hushed conversation later and Petunia reappeared at the top of the stairs, her lips pressed into a thin, white line.
"You little menace!" she hissed angrily, advancing on Harry. Bolstered by his wife, Vernon followed behind her, his piggy little eyes glinting in anger. "How dare you draw attention to us like this!" his aunt continued angrily. Vernon's large, meaty hands shot out with speed that Harry didn't know the man possessed.
"You ever do something like that again – you better get yourself under control boy, or I swear I'll do it for you! Ungrateful little freak!" Vernon continued, shaking Harry so hard he was starting to see stars. Hedwig hooted in concern from her cramped cage near the window, and it was enough to make Harry jab his wand into his uncle's neck. Panting heavily, he glared at his guardians, happy to see the fear coursing through their eyes.
"You wouldn't dare." Petunia spoke suddenly, a malicious smile on her face, "You'll get expelled." She crossed her arms and sent him a nasty smile, which Vernon also copied. Before Harry could retort, Vernon has shoved him hard onto the floor. Harry winced as he felt pain lance through his wrist.
"You know what dear?" Vernon turned his wife, speaking in as soft a tone as he could manage, which somehow made it worse for Harry as his uncle usually shouted and blustered his way when he was angry, "I think this little bastard has outstayed his welcome in our home."
"I think you're right, Vernon." she replied waspishly, "You hear that, you ungrateful brat? Get out of our house."
"But aunt Petunia, Dumbledore said -"
"I know what Dumbledore said," she spat his name as if it left a foul taste in her mouth, "but we don't want you darkening our doorstep a moment longer." a moment passed between aunt and nephew, where Harry simply gazed at his aunt. He could see the cold look in her eye and realised with a jolt that they really didn't care if he ended up dead. He had thought after all these years, that she would at least care a little, even if her husband didn't. They were family after all.
"Good luck when my parents' killer comes after you and there's no one here to save you." Harry spat angrily. Picking himself up off the floor, his mind raced with half formed plans. What was he going to do now? Should he call for the night bus, or try and use Arabella Figg's fireplace to floo to the Burrow unannounced?
A sudden loud crack startled Harry out of his thoughts, which indicated that someone had just Apparated. Harry knew that the blood wards had finally failed him.
"What was that?" Petunia hissed in alarm, sensing her nephew's fear.
Harry ignored her and raced over to Hedwig, he flung the window open and all but threw her out of the cage, whispering frantically to go to Hogwarts.
"We need to get out of here!" Harry yelled just as the front door was blasted off its hinges. Petunia shrieked as the masked figure who started to make his way up the stairs.
"Confingro!" the curse came too quickly for Harry to react in time, he watched in horror as the blasting curse hit his aunt and she exploded into bits. It was a gory spectacle, to say the least. The hallway was painted red with blood as were the three remaining occupants of the house. Harry shakily wiped his glasses in vain on his shirt, smearing the blood that was already there.
"MUMMY!" Dudley screamed in terror, barging past Harry. This roused him from the shock he was experiencing, and as the Death Eater neared the top of the stairs, Harry kicked him square in the stomach eliciting a surprised grunt of pain from the man.
"Stupefy!" the man tumbled backwards down the stairs and fell with a thud at the bottom.
"We need to go! More will be on the way!" Harry yelled, trying in vain to drag his uncle and cousin down the stairs.
"Look what you've done! You've finally gone and done it now, you just had to get her killed didn't you?" Vernon turned on Harry, rage evident on his face. Big fat tears rolled down his reddened cheeks. In that moment, Harry was sure he'd seen his death in his uncle's eyes. He suddenly keeled over, dead weight, followed by his cousin. Harry scrambled back and tripped over the slick floor, sprawling painfully onto his back. His wand clattered away from him as a different Death Eater swept towards him quickly.
This is how it ends for the famous Harry Potter. Well, I won't go down without a fight!
Harry was preparing to launch himself into a good old fashioned Muggle fight when the Death Eater suddenly stopped short, and with a swish of his wand the mask on his face dissolved to reveal Severus Snape.
"Snape!" Harry sagged onto the floor, his relief palpable.
"Potter, get up! We have no time to waste." the Potions Master barely spared a glance to the two unconscious Muggles on the floor, instead gracefully stepping over them and grabbing Harry's arm in a vice like grip. Just as he could hear the mad cackling of Bellatrix Lestrange, they had Apparated away.
.xXx.
Harry landed unceremoniously on the ground as Snape rapidly stepped away from him, releasing his arm as if it burnt him. Harry found himself in Grimauld Place, memories of Sirius flooded his mind and he was reminded of the fact that his Godfather's murderer had been only a few feet away from him.
"I have go back!" Harry shouted, a wild look in his eyes. He barely registered the worried Order members who were appearing one by one in the kitchen. He rounded on Snape, "You have to take me back! Bellatrix was there -"
"Harry -" Dumbledore appeared as if from thin air, his face grave as he reached out towards the blood soaked boy.
"No! Professor you don't understand – she killed Sirius -"
"Potter! Control yourself at once! Do you have any idea of how close you came to being captured tonight?" Snape spat, his lips curled back in a frightening snarl. "As usual, you display a flagrant disregard for your safety, getting people killed due to your carelessness -"
"Severus." The headmasters voice was cold, and the command was clear. Snape's mouth shut with an audible click, his teeth grinding together imperceptibly. Had the boy no idea of the danger he was just in? Of how he had nearly blown Snape's cover amongst the Death Eaters?
Snape sent the shaking boy a dark glare as the Order members hovered around him, waiting to receive their various orders from Dumbledore.
"I believe a hot bath and sleep is in order," Dumbledore said softly, "but before you go to bed, I wish to speak with you Harry." Harry nodded mutely, a strange look on his face. "And you too, Severus." Snape granted Albus the barest of nods in acquiescence, still seething silently at boys behaviour. He settled a black glare on him, which Harry happily sent back, trying to convey his hatred of the man.
He swept from the kitchen in an impressive swish of his robes. Harry watched the older man leave through the door before heading through the hallway himself and up the stairs. He hadn't bothered to look at Dumbledore as he left, he dreaded to think what he would see in those twinkling eyes.
Snape had looked thoroughly disgusted just by being in his presence, more so than he usually was. Now that the anger had somewhat died down, Harry was not surprised at his Professor's reaction, he had after all just gotten his aunt killed. He idly wondered what would happen to Vernon and Dudley, and how they'd cope without Petunia. They won't last a week without her, Harry thought as he stepped into the bathroom. The bathtub called fittingly to him, and what Harry wouldn't do to just sink into some hot water and rest his eyes for a moment. But he was still coated in his aunts blood, and so he stepped into the shower instead. It was a wonder what hot water could do, but even when he was entirely clean, Harry still couldn't help but feel dirty.
He was responsible for Cedric, Sirius and now Petunia dying. How long before he got Ron or Hermione killed? Why couldn't he ever do anything right? He hadn't protected her – he'd been too slow, he hadn't even tried. Angry, sorrowful tears welled up in his eyes as he scrubbed at his skin entirely too hard with the sponge.
And then came the memory of Bellatrix's maniacal laughter echoing in his ears. He punched the tiled wall in anger, not caring as the skin on his knuckle split and blood washed away down the drain.
"I promise I'll get her, Sirius. She'll pay for what she's done." he vowed quietly. He would make them all pay. He'd get to every single Death Eater, leaving Voldemort alone, vulnerable and weak without his posse. Harry would then face him, man to man, and end this once and for all.
"I will make this right." he made the promise not only to Cedric and Sirius, but to his aunt and his parents too. "Don't hate me mum." he whispered, hoping she knew how sorry he was. He let a few more tears leak out before he scrubbed at his face again and stepped out of the shower. A soft pair of pyjamas had been left folded on the bed when he stepped back into the room, with a comfy pair of dark red slippers. Everyone was being so kind him after what had happened, what he had done...but Harry knew they were all secretly disappointed in him for getting the blood wards removed, for failing to protect his Muggle aunt...
Worst of all was the fact that he now had to sit in a room with Dumbledore softly speaking to him, and Snape glaring from a corner. At least the man was honest with Harry in telling him time and time again about how much of a failure he was. Harry was certain we would crumble at the headmaster's soft words and looks, he didn't want to hear any more lies about how it wasn't his fault because in the end, it always came down to him.
