Chapter Twelve: The Week from Hell (Part Two)

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Still Wednesday

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"We have to help them!" Daphne shouted over the roaring wind as they dropped towards the ground.

For a second Harry wondered if the two-mile perimeter would also keep Thestrals out but it didn't, though Harry could feel a distinctive tickling, when they passed through the magical barrier.

"We have to stop the ship from getting here. Maybe if we keep them out on the open water, they won't be able to join the fight!" Ron yelled.

"I've got it! You help Sirius and the other. I need you to have my back. I don't know how long I'll be able to do it but there's something I can do about the ship!" Harry yelled back.

"We got you Harry!" Hermione promised.

And then there was no more time to talk because the Thestrals hit the ground, galloping now over the rocky beach and towards the fight.

Harry pulled his into a sharp stop and slid off its back, wand already in his hand.

He didn't have to look to know his friends were right beside him.

They ran on.

"I've got this. Just keep them off me for a bit." Harry yelled, veering off to the side, running towards the sea.

He didn't dare to look behind him. He couldn't afford to be distracted.

The ship had come a lot closer by now and while it was by no means an imposing structure it somehow still managed to loom over them, like a dark omen.

He skidded to a halt in the surf and with his free hand he grabbed the cube on his necklace.

Only one face, that had been carved into the clay long ago, remained. The others were already wither burned off, had broken away or been blown off by the wind.

Only one element remained.

Water.

And there was a lot of it in front of him right now.

There were Deatheaters on the ship and he couldn't let them escape.

Summoning all his willpower he extended his magic and felt the cube start to hum in his hand.

And suddenly the ocean wasn't tearing at his feet anymore but rather playing and he felt its shear power.

Water was the oldest of the elements. The primeval power of life but also of destruction.

And right now, that power of destruction was at Harrys command.

He opened his eyes and raised his arms like the conductor of a orchestra.

The water answered his call and waves, as high as Hogwarts walls rose on either side of the ship, forming a barrier. And then he pushed back, pushed against the ship, keeping it from advancing forward.

The ship was close enough that he could heat the enraged shouts from the people aboard. But there was no where for them to go.

They had thought they could slip past the defences, unnoticed long enough for them to get out of the way. But they hadn't counted on the Order, or at least part of it, to stand in their way.

For a brief second Harry wondered how long it would take for the Ministry to mobilize their forces and get here. If they got here at all.

He felt his grip on the water slip and refocused all his attention back on it.

But he could feel his control lessen by the second.

Kill them!

The thought shot through his mind like a bolt of lightning.

He could.

He could capsize the boat and probably drown a lot of the people on it.

Do it! Kill them.

It wouldn't take much. Sure, his power was dwindling but there was still enough left for him to do it.

Then do it. They deserve to die. After all…they are the enemy.

He could do it. He should do it. What was so wrong about killing the bad guys? These people deserved it. The world would be so much safer.

All it takes is just a small movement of your hand. Do it Harry. Kill them.

Could he do it? Could he kill all those people on board this ship?

Almost by themselves, his hands rose higher and so did the waves.

Something screamed at him from the back of his mind.

No. he couldn't. He wasn't a killer.

Killing was the easy way out.

And while the easy way was always tempting…he didn't want to end up like Voldemort.

Or Dumbledore.

He wasn't someone to walk over bodies to get what he wanted.

There was no doubt in his mind that these people on that ship deserved to die.

But that was not his decision to make.

He couldn't be jury, judge and executioner in one.

He hesitated a second to long. Was distracted a second too long.

Otherwise he might have seen the spell hurtling towards him.

But he didn't.

And it hit him in the side, sending him flying into the surf.

His control over the water broke and horrified he watched from where he had landed on his side how the water he had just held and had commanded, came crushing down on the ship.

He had no time to see what happened to it because a figure was approaching him fast.

He found his wand and got to his feet.

"I have been waiting for this rematch a long time." A familiar voice growled and the hood and the mask dissolved, revealing Lucius Malfoy.

"And it seems you're all out of tricks now." the older man added with smirk.

His wand moved but Harrys shield was already up, blocking away the assault.

The spells hailed down on him like rain and only once or twice did he manage to counter with a hex of his own.

Malfoy meant business.

This time was different because this time there was far more at stake than all the other times.

If he didn't get his people out here in time and the Ministry saw the attempted break out, not even Fudge would be able to deny the Deatheater uprising.

Harry managed to fire a quick-sand spell at Malfoys feet and the man immediately sunk up to his knees into the ground.

It gave Harry enough time to get out range and he ran towards the centre of the fight.

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A part of Harry was back in Cambodia, dodging between tents, fighting Deatheaters.

There were a lot of parallels between these two fights.

But back then Harry had been younger, more naïve and most of all not so damaged.

The Harry back then would have boldly thrown himself at the nearest opponent.

But this Harry here and now knew he had to protect his friends first and foremost.

But they surprised him.

Neither of Ron or Hermione had ever been in a real fight like this. Sure, they had faced monsters and magical challenges. But nothing like this.

And yet they stood their ground, fighting back to back while Daphne had formed a triangle with Andromeda and Tonks.

Sirius was a dark whirlwind. Harry had never seen anything like his godfather.

Sirius moved with the grace of someone who had lived and breathed magic all his life. Who treated it as the extension of himself, like a fifth limb. Not even twelve years in Azkaban could dampen that connection that inner harmony.

Remus was different.

He struggled with his identity, who he was as a wizard and as a werewolf. It showed in his fighting. He was good, precise and point on. But not like Sirius.

Harry jumped in in time to block a purple spell heading for Remus's back.

Remus swirled around at his sudden arrival, ready to act but relaxed when he saw Harry.

"You shouldn't be here!" he yelled.

Harry dodged a curse and fired one back at the Deatheater closest to them.

The man went flying.

"Yeah, well I am…" he panted. "Where's reinforcements? Is there some way to get the Order to come after all?"

A spell missed Remus by inches and exploded in the sand at their feet, sending them to the ground.

Harry spat out a mouthful of sand and got to his knees.

His ears were ringing and there was more sand in his eyes.

Half blind he reached out with his magic and ducked again just in time.

He felt the heat of the spell more than saw it as it passed over his head.

He blinked, his sight cleared and then there was someone hauling him to his feet.

Remus.

"We need more cover!" Harry shouted.

"Agreed!" his uncle shouted back. "Watch my back! I'm going to do something stupid that your godfather will probably like."

"I'm all for that! I got you!" Harry assured him and ran forward to keep more space between him and Remus so that the Deatheaters would target him first.

They did.

But Harry was ready for them now.

And suddenly it was like now time had passed hand he was casting spell after spell, moving fluidly and keeping the attention of Remus best he could.

Until he couldn't. But it was okay.

Behind him a sound like thunder rolling through a valley rose out of nowhere and for a second Harry really did thought that there was a storm breaking down on them.

But it wasn't now storm.

Whatever spell Remus had used or Charm or whatever…it worked.

And it was probably the most impressive display of magic Harry had ever seen.

Behind them were the cliffs that stood tall and unmoving over them and who had weathered all kinds of storms over the ages.

But now, huge chunks of rock broke away from its top, thundering down towards the ground.

The smashed into the beach like a meteor, sending rocks flying everywhere.

One, two three, four more came smashing down, each roughly the size of a semi-truck.

Shouts went up along the beach and Harry prayed his friends and family were okay.

The last boulder smashed into the two Deatheaters Harry had just battled.

It gave him room to breathe and he turned, looking for Remus.

The former Professor knelt by the foot of the cliffs, bent over, panting heavily.

Harry ran towards him.

"Remus!" he shouted, dropping to his knees as well.

Remus waved his concerns away but he was obviously on the brink of passing out.

"I know this is technically not how this works. But you are grounded. Stay here. Stay safe." Harry demanded.

"Go." Remus just said, pushing him towards the fight. "Help the others. I'll be fine."

There were footsteps approaching behind them and Harry swirled around in his knees, wand at the ready.

But it was just Daphne.

Her braids had come undone almost completely, there was a bleeding cut on her forehead and a wild look in her eyes.

"I got him!" she shouted. "Help the others. I'll get him out of here."

Harry nodded. "Stay safe."

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Remus's little party trick had been a huge help.

The beach had been virtually blanc and fighting there had been like shooting fish in a barrel. Unfair.

But now with some cover to hide and breath and recuperate, they might stand a chance.

Harry managed to sneak up on a Deatheater and bound him in a body-binding hex.

He broke the man's wand and threw the two pieces away.

The spell fire continued all around him and he wondered how much time had passed. It felt like hours but could only have been minutes.

"GET DOWN!"

Someone knocked him to the ground, shielding him with their own body.

There was a short scuffle which Harry couldn't see and then he was pulled to his feet and shoved against the rough side of one of the boulders.

"Took you long enough." The hooded figure said.

"If you'd just use your parchment paper…" Harry grumbled, having already guessed who was under this hood.

"I was being followed. I had to leave everything behind. I think they might be on to me." Narcissa shot back, hurdling a spell around the bend.

There was a sicking 'CRUNCH' and someone yelled in pain before his cries stopped abruptly.

"And you got my message just fine." She added.

"Yeah well" Harry slammed his wand into the ground, sending a rippling shockwave through it that brought two oncoming Deatheaters to their knees, only for them to be finished off by Narcissas precise and deadly wand moves "I could have been here sooner with more people if you had contacted me directly."

"Hindsight is always 20/20 Mr. Potter. Now I suggest we move this along or we'll be dead soon."

The ran from the cover of their boulder to the next, just in time because a breath later the place they had just stood exploded.

"How many are there?" he panted.

"Hard to say. They have been busy recruiting."

"How many on the ship?"

"Even harder to say. All they could get out."

"Great."

A figured dropped down on them, knocking Narcissa to the ground.

It was a big burly man from what Harry could make out through the cloak and mask. He unleased a wall of fire towards them and Harry brought up a shield. The flames passed him by harmlessly but the heat was intense.

The second the man released the spell, Harry was on him, hitting him with everything he had.

The man went down.

Narcissa got to her feet.

"You stalled the ship but I fear we have run out of time." She said, gesturing towards the water.

At first Harry didn't see it because of the darkness.

But then he saw dark shapes rising form the water, walking onto the shore.

The ship was gone but it obviously hadn't sunk its passengers.

Reinforcement had arrived.

But not for them.

Some of the newcomers broke off, running away, opting to escape than risk re-capture or death.

But most stayed, obviously longing for a good fight.

A mad cackle echoed through the night, followed by a bolt of familiar green light.

"That would be my sister. Stay away from her. She was mad before they locked her up. I don't dare to imagine what fourteen years in Azkaban have done to her sanity." Narcissa muttered, grimacing.

"They can't see you either. Can you try to get to the perimeter and keep the deserters from fleeing?"

"They're not who you should be worried about. If they flee now, they won't find a place with the Dark Lord later. Besides you will need me here."

"Alright."

"Potter…we cannot win here tonight." She added softly.

"I know. It's not about winning. It's about stalling."

"We can't do that forever either."

"Just long enough for help to arrive." Harry snapped.

"And what if help doesn't come? We're of no good dead to the resistance."

Harry had had that thought too but he didn't dare entertain that scenario. Because if help didn't come…then they would most certainly die.

"Just try to incapacitate them. I have to see how my friends are doing."

He could sense her dismay but she let him go.

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Time became just a whirlwind of spells and counter spells and blocks.

And then everything went wrong.

One second Sirius was by his side and the next an explosion shook the ground and the sea and the sky and Harry found himself on his back, tasting blood and sand in his mouth, smelling smoke.

His ear rang loudly.

Sirius was next to him, struggling to get up. Harry could see his mouth and lips moving but heard no word.

Three figures were approaching them.

The first was Lucius Malfoy. Either he had freed himself or someone had helped him. Not that it mattered now.

The second was a woman who looked like Andy.

But she wasn't Andy. This woman was dressed in tattered rags and emaciated to the bone and her eyes glinted crazy.

He didn't need help to know that this was Bellatrix Lestrange.

And next to her, the third person…that could only be her husband Rodolphus Lestrange.

Harry knew he should raise his wand.

But his body felt too heavy to obey his commands anymore.

All three of the Deatheater were smirking, gloating.

Come on, Harry told himself, get up, do something.

Sirius managed to get to his feet and started to engage all three of them in a duel but he was hopelessly outmatched.

That got Harry slightly going and he got to his feet as well, using a rock to steady himself and aimed at Rodolphus.

The spell hit but did no major damage other than redirecting the man's attention.

He growled and marched towards Harry.

Harry raised his wand, focusing but Rodolphus was advancing to quick. The incantation died on his lips.

And then Ron was there, his arms alight with fire and he barrelled into the much taller man, setting him on fire.

As Rodolphus screamed in outrage and pain, the flames on Ron's arms died and he grabbed Harry dragging him away.

"NO! Sirius! We have to help." Harry tried to protest but his tongue felt like lead.

Ron said something but even though the ringing in his ears was subsiding slightly, Harry still couldn't make out the words.

He tried to turn around in Ron's vice-like grip to see Sirius but Ron wouldn't let him.

And then there was Hermione, running towards them. Her left hand was pressed to her chest, bleeding but other than that she looked alright.

The ringing stopped.

"RON, HARRY!"

Harry could hear her clearly.

"We have to help Sirius!" Harry shouted.

"He's getting help. Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy are with him." Ron shouted.

Hermione reached them, running straight into them but Harry caught her before she could fall.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded but kept her hand pressed against her chest.

"Harry we can't keep this up!" Ron yelled over yet another explosion.

They cowered behind a rock.

Only then did Harry see the cut going down Rons' cheek to his jawline.

His friends were injured.

Worse, they were scared.

"I know. We have to keep them contained."

"Where are the Aurors?" Hermione screamed, slightly hysterical.

"I don't think anyone is coming. The alarms had to have been triggered the second the Deatheaters sat foot on Azkaban." Ron yelled back. "Harry, what do we do now?" he then added.

Harry looked around, searching for an answer.

But there was none.

"If you want to leave, please do. You can make it back to the Thestrals, I am sure. Please. But I can't…I can't go. I did this. I brought us here. It's my fault."

"Don't be daft, we're not going!" Ron shouted.

"You will die."

"We promised you, we'd stand by you. Live or death." Hermione disagreed as well. Grabbing her wand with renewed determination.

"I don't want to be responsible for your deaths." Harry shouted angrily.

"I'd rather die today by your side fighting for what's right and the future of everybody than run and hide." Ron snapped.

"We're team Harry. We're part of each other." Hermione added. "We do everything together. Even dying, if we have to."

"I'm sorry it got to this." Harry whispered but he knew they had heard.

"Don't be. Let's just be sure to take as many of them with us as we can!" Ron demanded.

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They walked together into the thick of it all.

Soon they were surrounded by cloaks and masks.

But they kept at it.

His friends' energies beside him spurred Harry on, giving him new strength.

He wouldn't let them get hit.

They fought in perfect Harmony.

They weren't winning, not by a long shot.

But they moved as one.

The ranks of the Deatheaters closed around them.

How could there be so many of them?

Harry felt his back press against Ron and Hermione.

A familiar green spell came flying towards them and Harry knew this was it.

…

It didn't hit. Instead the flying body of a different Deatheater intercepted the curse and the man fell to the ground lifeless.

A shout went up among the Deatheaters.

"Retreat! Aurors!" someone yelled and Harry caught the glimpse of a familiar blue uniform as an Auror flew overhead on a broom, raining down hell on the gathered Deatheaters…and Harry and his friends.

Explosion after explosion rocked the beach and suddenly Harry, Ron and Hermione were fleeing alongside the same Deatheaters who had tried to kill them seconds ago.

They managed to separate from the Deatheaters, seeing refuge at the foot of the cliffs. The entire beach was now covered in smoke but inside the smoke the flashed of multi-coloured lights continued. But the Deatheaters were getting away. Harry could see it.

Andromeda appeared out of nowhere.

"RUN!" She yelled. "Get out of here children! The Aurors are here. But they won't care which side you're on. Get out of here, go!"

"What about Sirius? And Narcissa and Tonks?" Harry shouted.

There was a pained expression on Andromedas face.

"We'll take care of it. But you have to go! Harry, I promise it'll be alright but they cannot see you here!"

Behind them the screaming grew louder as the Aurors descended on the fleeing Deatheaters.

"GO!" Andy shouted one last time before joining the fight once more.

"You heard her!" Hermione yelled.

Harry didn't want too but they ran.

His muscles were burning, as was his lung and where he took the strength from, he didn't know.

"There!" Ron suddenly yelled.

"It's Daphne!" Hermione added.

Harry looked up just to see four Thestrals touch down on the beach before them.

Daphne was already sitting on one but Remus was nowhere in sight.

She must have seen his face because she shouted: "He's safe! Come on now!"

Harry helped Ron and Hermione onto their rides before mounting the last one himself.

The beasts took to the sky but their ascend was slowed by oncoming spell fire.

The smoke was beginning to lift, exposing them to the Aurors and Deatheaters.

He saw Sirius and Narcissa fighting back to back on two fronts.

"We have to help them!" he yelled, steering the Thestral towards them but found their path immediately blocked by cursed flying towards them.

The Thestral veered aside just in the nick of time and started rising upwards fast.

"NO!" Harry yelled, unable to do anything but watch as his godfather was swarmed by enemies.

As they crossed over the top of the cliffs and flew eastwards, the first light of the morning sun broke over the horizon, illuminating the carnage.

It was an image Harry would never forget.

And all he could do was watch, as it grew smaller and smaller behind him.

What had he done?