Harry shivered again as the night worn on and the temperature dropped as a light rain started to fall, only one light was on in the house now but Harry could still feel the dark power of Voldemort so he knew the man was still there and he cursed. Dawn was only a couple of hours away as the rain started to increase and he pulled further back into the doorway to give himself more shelter.
Movement at the front door of the house caught his attention and he pulled a beanie from behind him and pulled it down onto his head and over his cold ears as Voldemort moved out onto the front porch with Malfoy by the man's side. He was struck again by how human this Voldemort was as the man turned and moved off toward the front gate of the house and Harry curled up in the doorway, with the blanket around him and slitted his eyes to watch the man.
Voldemort moved down the street, going the same way as all the others before him had gone and Harry watched him until he turned the corner and he looked back up at the house to see Malfoy looking out into the night before turning to move back inside, a few minutes later the last light went off in the house and Harry closed his eyes and followed the dark pull of Voldemort's power with his mind until the man apparated away.
xXx
Albus looked up when he felt a portkey active in the stone room next to his office just before lunch and frowned as Blake came through the door looking very rough.
"Blake?" Albus questioned as he moved to his feet and looked the man over in concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Blake said, as he moved stiffly into the room, limping heavily without his cane as he moved to the chair and sat with a sigh.
The man's normally black hair was a light brown and a mess as well as his clothes, which were slightly ripped in places. He met the other man's tired green eyes, the slight hair on his face, making him look older. The man gave him a grin and leaned forward to place a file on the table.
"Pictures from my memories," Blake explained and sat back in his seat as he pulled his left leg up onto the chair and wrapped his arms around it. "Severus might know who they are. The Dark Lord arrived at the house at just past midnight last night and stayed for a few hours. Dracka believes they are using a house a few streets away as a staging point. He should be able to show you on a map where that is."
Blake suddenly sneezed and Albus frowned.
"Are you sick?" Albus asked softly.
"No," Blake replied and nicked a tissue off his desk. "I doubt I will be able to plant any devices in the house. It would be worth the raid, with so many death eaters there."
Albus sat back in his seat and looked the man over.
"Would you be able to back us up?" Albus asked softly.
"With the wards?" Blake asked softly, sitting back in his seat. "Or with the fighting?"
"Both," Albus replied.
"When?"
"Within the next couple of days?" Albus replied. "I've been talking to Kinsley."
"Then yes," Blake agreed.
"Thank you, my boy." Albus said, with a smile. "I'll let you know when."
"Very well," Blake answered and he pulled himself to his feet.
"That was a nice stunt in the great hall," Albus said in amusement.
Blake gave him a grin with a glint in his eyes.
"I'll need that vial of blood to bring down the blood wards," Blake said, as he limped towards the stone room and Albus winched at the sight.
Blake flashed him a grin over his shoulder before stepping into the stone room then popped his head back into the office.
"Just give me a call when you work it all out," Blake said.
"You're not staying here?" Albus asked with a frown.
"Ah, no." Blake said. "I have something I need to do."
"Try and get some sleep as well," Albus said with a smile.
"I'll try," Blake said with a grin and Albus felt him apparate away.
Albus turned back to the file and pulled his phone close to call Severus. Thinking how life was so much easier and yet harder with Blake Sun around.
xXx
Severus frowned as he looked at Blake's bag and the box on his dining table, he peered into the box to see small glass balls. He hesitantly reached in and pulled out one of the balls and held it up to the light. It fit in his palm comfortably as he looked at it. He could see flashes of different coloured lights sparking inside the glass sphere. He placed it back in the box and picked up another one that just had swirling dark mists in it.
"Don't drop that."
Severus started and looked over to see Blake leaning in the doorway of his bedroom in just jeans and no shirt. His hair was still a light brown in colour but he had cut it to his normal shortness which was off set by the dark hair covering his cheeks and chin but he didn't look at bad as he did before. Severus's sharp eyes could see the man was tired and was keeping his weight off his bad leg as he leaned in the doorway.
"What are they?" Severus asked, as he placed the glass ball gently back into the box.
"Two words," Blake said with a grin. "Weasley twins."
Severus stepped sharply back from the table and Blake barked a laugh as he limped towards the table. Severus watched him carefully as his eyes ran over his chest and frowned when he saw a slight shiver pass over him. He picked up the man's jacket and held it out and Blake flashed him a grin before pulling it on.
"How did you go with the photos?" Blake asked as he took a seat at the table.
"Very well," Severus said with a smirk. "Albus wants to move on the Nott house on Friday night."
"Okay, I'll give Kingsley a call." Blake replied, he picked a glass ball out of the box and looked it over. "I'll be in place Friday morning. It will give me a chance to work on the wards. Blood wards are always tricky."
Severus frowned at his lover and Blake glanced over at him. Severus moved closer and Blake replaced the glass ball in the box. He stopped in front of the man and placed his hand on the man's shoulder.
"You're cold," Severus said softly, in concern with a frown.
Severus ran his hand under the man's jacket and could feel the coldness to his skin.
"Am I?" Blake asked softly.
"Come on," Severus said softly and pulled the other man to his feet.
Blake stumbled slightly as he got his feet under him and Severus frown deepened. He ran his hands around the man's waist and could feel the coldness under his hands.
"How many days did you take that potion?" Severus asked as he pulled the man close.
"Um, four days?" Blake replied. "That should have been fine, it takes six days for the build-up of bloodwood to start having an effect."
"Your cold skin says different," Severus muttered.
"I did spend last night outside," Blake said in amusement and looked up at him.
"That wouldn't have helped," Severus drawled as he stepped the man back towards the bedroom.
Blake suddenly shivered and Severus looked down at him, he moved his hands up to the man's face and cupped his cheeks and his eyes slipped closed as he wrapped his arms around the taller man. Severus gave him a soft smile as he ran his thumbs over his cheeks before leaning forward and giving him a kiss.
Blake relaxed in his arms and kissed him back. Severus backed them up to the bed and ran his hands down the man's shoulders as he slipped his jacket off. Blake grinned up at him and unbuckled his belt and let his pants fall. He wasn't wearing anything under his jeans as he grinned up at Severus.
"Into bed with you," Severus purred and a shiver ran down the man's body as his eyes darkened.
Severus slipped out of his robes, shirt and pants as Blake slipped under the covers of the bed and watched him. Severus shifted slightly with the man's eyes on him and Blake gave him a grin. Severus slipped into bed next to him and pulled him into his arms, the man still felt cold and he pulled him closer. He knew it was a by-product of the bloodwood, that he would have used in his potion, but that didn't stop his concern as Blake shivered.
"I'll look over your notebook tomorrow," Severus whispered into his ear. "See if we can use something besides bloodwood or something else to negate the effect."
"It's in my office," Blake replied sleepily.
"Any other side effects?"
"Don't think so," Blake replied as he curled into him and Severus pulled him closer.
"I saw the nice scrape on Nott's face in the photos," Severus murmured and the man huffed a laugh. "Was that your handiwork?"
"Possibly," Blake said, but Severus could hear the amusement in his voice.
"The Headmaster has been very impressed with your work."
"Don't know why," Blake replied mildly. "I cause enough trouble around here, I'm just expanding it outside the castle."
Severus huffed a laugh and tangled his legs with the other man as he started to warm up and the shivers subsided. It was early for him to go to bed but as he held Blake he drifted off curled up around him. He'd missed the man over the last few days.
xXx
A light drift of rain fell on Friday night as Harry huddled in his rain coat a little further down the street from where he had been two nights before. He'd charmed piece of paper next to him with another one that the Headmaster had and he had been writing in the number of people coming and going all day. If he knew their names, or could pick up the dark mark, he'd written that down as well. so far, the Dark Lord hadn't made an appearance, if the man had, the raid would be called off.
This was just a strike on the man's forces, after his big intake of death eaters over two months ago. Harry wrote down another name as he watched the house. He was down an alley next to a couple of bins and the smell was starting to give him a headache but it gave him a good view of, not only the house, but the way that the death eaters seemed to be coming from the staging point that Dracka had found.
'Moving in one hour,' Came up on the paper beside Harry, in the Headmaster's curling script.
'Do you want me to block the staging point, or work on the wards first?' Harry wrote back. 'I've already picked up the blood wards, just have to pick up the rest.'
'Block the staging point when we arrive,' Albus wrote. 'Then move back to us to bring down the wards.'
'Right boss,' Harry wrote, with a smirk. 'It's raining here, by the way.'
Albus didn't write anything back as the rain increased and Harry flicked up the hood of his coat and pulled it tighter around him, but it didn't stop all the rain from getting in and he shivered slightly as water ran down his back. When it was close to an hour the piece of paper wiggled in his hand.
'Ten minutes.' Albus had written.
Harry bundled up the blanket and other things he had been using and shoved them close to the bin as he picked up his cane and limped down the street, as people made room for him. He had given half of the glass balls to Severus and he had the other half in his pocket ready, as he weaved through the crowds muttering to himself to give him more room.
He made it to the house that Dracka had shown him and moved around to the back. Once he was out of sight, he crouched down next to the back door and place his hand on the door but couldn't feel any wards so quickly picked the lock as he cast his mind out to see if he could pick up anyone in the house. He didn't touch on anyone, so he pushed into the house as he kept an eye out. Eyes from the portraits in the hallway turned in his direction and Harry kept his hood up as he moved into the house and towards the fireplace.
"Who are you?" A voice demanded.
Harry turned slightly, keeping his face in the shadows of the hood, a portrait of a young woman looking at him from above the fireplace.
"What's the password?" The woman demanded.
Harry sent a slight bit of magic towards the portrait, just enough to hold the woman in that frame but not enough for her to notice as he knelt in front of the fire.
"Just need to make a call," Harry replied mildly, as he grabbed some floo powder.
"You can't use this fireplace for that!" The woman snapped.
"I will tonight," Harry replied, as he threw the powder into the fireplace and just as it made a connection he pulled the link and snapped the connection between the fireplace and the floo network.
This is why he didn't trust the floo network, as the connection slipped from his hands easily, happy to be free as the green light in the fireplace winked out, leaving it dark. Harry flicked his wand and a fire sprung up again and he threw the powder into it, as if frustrated.
"Damn thing's broken!" Harry snapped as he looked at the flames.
"It was fine ten minutes ago!" The woman snapped back.
"Well, look!" Harry cried and threw another handful of powder into the flames. "Diagon Alley!"
Nothing happened and Harry turned on his heels with a curse.
"Where are you going!" The woman yelled.
"To yell at Nott," Harry threw over his shoulder as he moved through the house, to the front door.
Harry slipped out the front door and paused briefly to pull up a anti apparation ward on the house and a five-metre radius around it, before moving down the street. The rain had eased off and was coming down in a fine spray as people moved around him on a busy Friday night. He weaved through everyone as he leaned heavily into his cane and held his other arm around his ribs and disappeared into the crowd.
He spotted Remus first as he moved along, the man's dark curse standing out to Harry and he walked straight passed the man. He noticed Remus tilt his head up slightly as he picked up his scent but couldn't pick him out of the crowd and the man melted away, to report to Kingsley.
Harry palmed the vial of blood in his hand under his coat and slipped the stopper off, he paused briefly to nick his hand and tip a drop of Nott's blood on his palm, over the cut, and his face screwed up in disgust. He was glad that his magic would burn away anything the death eater might have had in his blood as Harry placed the vial back away in his coat as he moved towards the front gate of the house. The last thing he wanted was some kind of disease from the man.
Harry whispered a spell under his breath as he reached the wards of the house and carefully picked them up as people moved away from him as he muttered the spell a little louder until he had a bit of space around him.
An old woman gave him a look as Harry stopped on the sidewalk but the cane and Harry's muttering had her looking away quickly.
"Hey!" Harry called and moved towards a man, who looked around. "Hey you! Did you see them!"
"Um," The man muttered and looked around for help as people moved away from them.
"You saw them!" Harry called out, as he picked up the wards, gathering them all up as he moved. He stumbled closer to the man and the front gate of the house.
"Sorry, mate." The man replied.
"Yeah! They just picked him up!" Harry said louder and people started to back away from them. "They were pink! You saw them! I know you did!"
Harry suddenly let his cane go and grabbed the man's shirt in one hand and the man yelped and pushed him back into the front fence of the house behind him. Harry released him as he stumbled back.
"Don't touch me!" The man yelped as Harry fell into the fence and grabbed the front gate with his bloody hand as the other man ran off down the street.
He picked up the wards quickly in his bloody hand as he slid down the fence and started to mutter the spells under his breath as people gave him a wide berth. A woman picked up his cane and moved it closer to him and Harry nodded in thanks before the woman moved away quickly. He bypassed the blood wards easily and picked up the rest and broke through what he could without alerting Nott until he held all of the wards in his hands.
He stood suddenly and pushed the front gate open, his blood and Notts leaving a smear on the gate, before moving through it and onto the grounds. He moved up the front lawn, with his cane in his hand as he pulled the paper from his pocket. He stepped up onto the front porch and placed his cane against the stone wall before limping towards the front door, making sure that his hood was up.
He pulled the paper out of his pocket with a pen.
'Wards down soon, be ready.' Harry quickly wrote.
He tucked the paper away and palmed one of the glass balls he had in his pocket before knocking loudly on the door. The death eater that answered was only young, maybe a couple of years out of school and Harry was glad he didn't know him.
"Password?" The young man asked, in a bored tone.
"What is this?" Harry demanded. "I've walked passed the wards! That means I was invited!"
"Sorry, sir." The boy said quickly as his eyes darted around. "Everyone has to give the password."
"Bah!" Harry yelled loudly. "And if I was the Dark Lord!"
The young man paled and his eyes grew wide, Harry could hear noise coming towards him from inside the house.
"Nott!" Harry yelled. "This idiot wants a password! What are you running here!"
The young man paled even more and started to look around for help as a few other people made their way towards them.
"Please," The young man pleaded. "Just give me the password."
"He didn't tell me!" Harry growled, as he moved closer. "Now let me in!"
"Yes, sir." The young man cowered. "Come in."
Harry grabbed the permission and tied it into the wards he held with a grin. He then threw the glass ball into the house and ducked to the side of the door. Loud noises like gun shots split the air as coloured lights lit up the house from within, as Harry ducked down beside the front door and could see Aurors and Order members flooding through the front gates.
Harry moved in a crouch along the wall as shouting started up in the house and made it to the first window. He placed his wand to the window and broke the glass before throwing in another glass ball and more loud bangs and coloured lights flared up as the shouting increased. He had to get to the fireplace now and cut the floo, if it was connected.
He quickly moved around the house to the back door as Aurors moved in on the front of the house and a few broke off and moved in his direction.
"Stop!" An Auror yelled at him and Harry ducked as a spell flew towards him and he quickly slipped the hood back for the Aurors to see him. "Stop dressing like the enemy, Sun!"
Harry grinned over to the man and pulled his hood back up as he reached the back door with the three members of the Auror team behind him. He quickly grabbed the door handle and gave it a flick before ducking down and pushing the door open as he crouched to the side, watching as spells spun passed him from the open dorrway.
He palmed a glass ball and touched his wand to it before getting low and carefully rolling it into the room. He held up his hand for the Auror team to see as he counted down in his head.
Three, two, one.
He held his hand as a fist as cursing started up in the room and the spells stopped as dark mists started to roll out the door. Harry got down low and slipped into the room as the Aurors started shooting spells over his head.
"Aurors! Stop!" One of the men yelled as Harry quickly moved across the floor pulling his magic sight forward so he could see through the dark mists filling the room.
He pulled another glass ball, his last one, and broke it and more dark mists filled the room. He heard one of the glass balls going off from somewhere else in the house and knew that Severus was working from that side as he kept close to the ground as spells spun above his head. He pulled on his dark magic to coat his skin in a slight shield but he was close enough to the ground for the spells to miss him for the moment.
He quickly found the fireplace in a large hall and flicked his wand to start a fire as he brought up a protection charm behind him and spells smashed into it as the fire flared, giving away his position. He grabbed some floo powder and threw it into the flames and they jumped up green and he harshly grabbed the connection and snapped it.
"Get back!" A voice ordered and Harry flicked his head around.
He rolled to the side as someone slashed through his charm with a silver sword and he stood quickly to face the man. Avery Nott stood before him with his sword in his hand and a nice gash down the side of his face. Harry pushed his hood back with a grin as he stood calmly before the man.
"You!" Nott snarled as he looked at Harry. "Blake Sun!"
"That's me," Harry confirmed, as noise swirled around them.
Suddenly Nott brought up a ward around the room they were in and Harry glanced around. They were alone in the large room and Harry slowly moved away from the fireplace as the other man tracked him. He was trapped, unless he could bring down the ward that Nott had just flared, but that would take time. He would have been in trouble if he hadn't broken through the floo, as he eyed off Nott. The two men were alone for now.
"I am a master swordsman, Sun!" Nott hissed. "And the Dark Lord has a nice bounty on your head."
"I feel flattered," Harry replied mildly. "I was starting to think he didn't care."
Nott sneered and flicked his sword out and Harry stepped back as another one of the glass balls went off somewhere in the house.
"I don't know why he would bother with a cripple anyway," Nott snarled as he looked Harry over.
"I agree," Harry said with a smirk. "How about you surrender now and I'll send him a nice letter asking him that?"
Nott laughed coldly as his eyes flicked over to one of the doorways where two Aurors looked in on them.
"Blood wards," Harry called out. "I've got this."
Nott laughed as the Aurors moved off and he swung his sword towards Harry's head and he grinned as he flicked his wrist and brought his silver sword up to bare and Nott's eyes widened.
"Or better yet," Harry hissed, as he flicked his sword out and Nott skipped back. "I send him your head, instead?"
Nott's eyes widened even more as Harry pushed forward and their swords rang out in the room adding to the noise in the house. Harry skipped back and flicked his sword around as he tried to knock Nott off balance but the man had skills and had Harry at a disadvantage as his leg slowed him down. Nott grinned as he picked up on that and kept swinging for his right-side forcing Harry to move his sword to his left to give him better protection and the man laughed.
Harry moved quickly to the left as he flicked his sword up and they clashed as Nott flicked out with a steel knife in his other hand and Harry flinched to the side as the knife flashed across his ribs. He kicked out with his leg to drive the man back. Nott barred his teeth at him, holding the knife in one hand and the sword in the other as Harry panted.
Harry darted in swinging and the man brought his sword up quickly and Harry twisted to the side as the knife flashed out and he grabbed the man's wrist. He pulled and twisted his wrist and Nott yelped as the knife clattered to the floor as he brought the hilt of his sword around and smashed it into Harry's side. Harry gasped as he skipped back and flicked his sword out forcing Nott back. They were at a stand-off as the two men eyed each other off.
Harry had the greater skill but his leg was slowing him down. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a potion and Nott eyed him off.
"Can't you give me a fair fight?" Nott yelled out, as he flicked his sword out before Harry could take the potion. "You are meant to be on the light side!"
"Ha!" Harry barked as he kept moving. "I'm a Dark Wizard Nott! Playing by the rules isn't in my play book."
A loud boom shook the room and Harry was moving fast as he flicked his sword out while Nott was distracted and pushed the man's sword to the side as he smashed into him, pushing him to the ground. He pulled his dark magic around him and lashed out with a fist but Nott moved at the last moment and Harry cursed as his fist hit the floor. Nott smirked and brought a knee up and Harry twisted to the side as his sword fell back into his hand and he cut through the spell the man sent his way.
They both scrambled to their feet warily. Harry let his dark power crackle over his skin as he held the potion up for Nott to see. The man cursed and surged forward as Harry brought the potion to his lips, before skipping to the side and slipping the potion away as he grabbed his sword in his right and surged forward to meet Nott. Moving as fast as he could, magic adding to his speed.
The two men clashed together hilt to hilt and Harry pushed magic into his body as he pushed the taller man back before pushing the two swords to the side and dismissing his blade as he grabbed Nott's wrists and pulled sharply. He brought a knee up sharply into the man's stomach as he pulled, unbalancing him and bringing him down to the floor hard.
He lashed out with a fist which copped Nott on the side of the head stunning him and he quickly had him rolling onto his back. Harry planted a knee into the middle of his back as he grabbed his arms and twisted them harshly behind his back causing the man to cry out.
The man struggled briefly and Harry increased his weight on his knee until the man stilled with a gasp of pain as they both panted, before Nott chuckled.
"Nice show, Sun." The man panted. "But we'll be back out in no time."
"What?" Harry whispered close to his ear, as he leaned over the man. "Do you think you are heading to Azkaban?"
The man tensed under him.
"I have better plans for you lot," Harry hissed. "There is no Azkaban in your future, Nott."
"I would have won that fight, if it weren't for that potion!" Nott snarled.
Harry grabbed the man's wrists in one hand, his grip like steel, and slipped his other hand into his pocket and pulled the full potion vial out.
"This one?" Harry asked sweetly, as he held the potion out for the man to see.
Nott snarled and struggled as Harry leaned into his knee and the man gasped going slack again and slipped the potion back into his pocket.
"Finished playing with your toy, Blake?"
Harry looked over to see four Aurors and Severus, looking at him with a smirk on his face, in the doorway being held back by the wards.
"Almost," Harry replied and grabbed the back of Nott's head and with a sharp crack, Nott went limp under him while the Aurors winched at the sound. "Done now."
Harry pulled his silver knife from his pocket and sliced into his right hand and wiped it over Nott's blood on the ground before getting to his feet and summoning his sword to his left hand to use as a cane as he moved towards the doorway, Severus and the Aurors were waiting at. He reached up with his bloody hand and grabbed the blood ward Nott had thrown up adding it to the other wards he held and harshly ripped through them, except the apparation and portkey wards, and caught the backlash of magic and channelled it into the ground at his feet as he panted slightly.
"Proceed," Harry said with a grin once he was done and stepped to the side.
The Aurors gave him wary looks but they knew how he worked by now as Harry smirked at them.
"Kingsley knows where to take them," Harry called over to Aurors while Severus looked him over as Harry leaned into his sword.
"Right there, Snape?" Harry asked, the man was standing stiffly.
"About the same as you," Severus replied. "You have a bit of blood on your forehead."
Harry gave him a lopsided grin, then looked at the blood on his hands and grimaced.
"Ah," Harry replied. "I'm going to have to find a hose."
Severus gave him a smirk, then Harry felt dark magic and his eyes flicked towards the east.
"Everyone out!" Harry barked. "Call the order! Grab the prisoners and retreat!"
The Aurors looked up and quickly grabbed Nott as Harry moved after them with Severus behind him. He pulled his phone out and dialled Kingsley's number but it rang out and he cursed. He grabbed Severus's arm and pulled the man back.
"I'm going to key you to the apparation wards," Harry said quickly as they moved towards the back door.
"What do you have in mind?" Severus asked. "Is it the Dark Lord?"
"Not sure, feels dark enough." Harry replied. "Do you have any more of those glass balls?"
"No," Severus replied.
Harry pushed the man's left sleeve up as a few Aurors moved around them and out the door pulling death eaters as they left. Harry placed his hand on the man's skin and keyed him to the apparation ward.
"Apparate to the Weasleys' shop and ask them for box three," Harry said softly. "Then apparate back here."
"Blake?" Severus said softly.
"Go," Harry replied.
Severus eyed him off for a second before apparating away, a couple of Aurors started at the soft pop. Harry hurried through the door and out onto the front lawn and looked out towards where he could feel the dark power coming from.
"Kingsley!" Harry yelled out to the tall dark man and he turned towards him.
The man moved towards him as Aurors moved over the wards and apparated away with their prisoners.
"How long do you need?" Harry asked as the man moved closer.
"Twenty minutes," Kingsley replied. "Is it you-know-who?"
"Not sure," Harry replied. "Feels like it."
Harry flicked his head to his right as the signal moved as the man apparated and he frowned, was the man playing with them? Trying to draw them out?
"I don't want to bring down the apparation and portkey wards or he can just apparate straight in." Harry said quickly, then frowned as the signal moved again. "Call me when you are clear."
Kingsley eyed him over, seeing the blood on his face and hands.
"Are you okay?" Kingsley asked.
"Sure," Harry replied with a grin. "Off you go."
"What are you planning, Blake?"
"Big bag," Harry replied with a lopsided grin and Kingsley shivered. "Get your men clear as quickly as you can."
"Take care," Kingsley muttered and moved away.
Harry watched after the man for a moment before he felt Severus apparated back in.
"Severus!" Harry called back into the house. "I'll meet you on the front porch."
Harry moved over to a hose on the side of the house and quickly washed as much of the blood off his hands and face as he waited for Severus to appear. He watched the Aurors working until Kingsley gave him a wave and held up his hands with his fingers out. Ten minutes was the signal and he held a fist up in reply. Harry stood and moved back towards the front porch of the house.
Severus appeared with the box in his hands and he shoved the box towards Harry with a smirk. Harry placed it just inside the front door and pulled out his wand and tapped the box quickly, creating a link between it and his wand.
Harry pulled his dark wand in his other hand and dark figures appeared in the house behind them before he grabbed Severus's arm and apparated them to the alley he had used before. Severus held him as his head spun and he stumbled into the wall.
"Blake!"
Harry shook his head slightly as his vision greyed slightly and he frowned. Severus suddenly cursed and Harry looked over at him.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Your side," Severus hissed.
Harry looked down at where Nott's knife had gotten him and the blood soaking into his shirt as the pain soaked into his mind slowly but he pushed it to the side harshly. He would deal with it later.
"We don't have time," Harry snapped as Severus pulled a bandage from his jacket pocket. "Leave it. Keep a look out."
Harry slid down the wall and focused his mind, trusting Severus as he tuned out the alley and followed the dark signal, with a whisper he had a small ball of dark magic spinning in front of him and he felt the Dark Lord move towards their position.
He sent the small ball of magic moving towards the house as if they were running with the Dark Lord following it.
"He has over a dozen of followers with him," Harry whispered. "Probably more experienced ones than the ones we took on."
He gently shaped the ball into two shadow people and the Dark Lord and his followers quickened their pace as the shadow people moved into the house with the others following them. Harry grinned and flicked his cherry wand and a large boom rolled over them setting off car alarms as Harry pulled back completely and cut through every ward or charm he held and gasped as the pain flooded into his mind.
Hands on his shoulders shaking him slightly brought him back and he looked up into Severus's dark eyes filled with concern. Harry shook his head slightly and rested it back against the wall behind him.
"You with me?" Severus whispered.
Harry wasn't sure, but nodded his head slightly, once he gathered his thoughts together he cast his mind out but couldn't pick up on the Dark Lord and he sighed. They were safe for now.
"He's gone," Harry whispered and winched as Severus pushed his shirt up to look at the wound.
"Lean forward and I'll bind this up," Severus whispered.
Harry moved forward slightly and Severus ran the bandage around his chest.
"I'm too old for this," Harry muttered. "This is young people's work, not for old men."
Severus snorted and Harry flashed him a grin, then frowned.
"Someone is coming," Harry hissed.
"Hold this," Severus whispered and Harry grabbed the bandage that the man had been working on.
Harry palmed his wand in the other hand as Severus moved to the entrance of the alley and flattened himself against the wall. A man in a dark coat with the hood up stepped around the corner and Severus grabbed him quickly and went to slam him into the wall but the man twisted and had Severus up against the wall, face first, until he saw Harry and his red eyes shone within the hood, and Harry pulled his magic back sharply from the spell he had been crafting.
"Shit," Dracka hissed, as he held Severus pinned to the wall. "Sorry, Severus."
"Then let go," Severus hissed. "And stop moving your bloody hand!"
Dracka leered as he stepped back and moved towards Harry and crouched down in front of him as he slipped his hood back. Harry could start to feel his head swimming from the blood loss as he looked over at Dracka as Severus moved back towards them and knelt down beside the vampire then suddenly smashed his shoulder into Dracka throwing the man off balance and he yelped as he went sprawling from the unexpected attack.
Harry smirked in amusement as Severus finished bandaging up his chest while Dracka cursed at the other man in Dutch.
"I think he made his point," Harry said softly. "Why are you here?"
"Albus called me," Dracka replied.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"It's been over half an hour since you told the Aurors to leave," Dracka replied. "I'm the back-up team."
"Bull!" Harry said softly. "You can sniff me out, like a blood hound."
Dracka flashed his fangs at Harry and he just gave him a grin. He summoned his sword in his hand and pushed up with it and his left leg, but pain shot through his ribs and his vision greyed as two sets of hands grabbed him and lowered him carefully back to the ground as his sword clattered to the ground loudly.
"I'll call Kingsley," Severus said softly. "He can send a medic, are we safe here?"
Harry nodded as he felt sick and let his head rest back against the wall. He felt a cool hand on his forehead as Severus spoke on the phone. Harry drifted slightly before he picked up a couple of other magical signals and opened his eyes to see Kingsley looking down at him.
"Fine my ass," Kinsley snapped, when he saw his eyes open and Harry gave him a grin.
"Broken ribs," A young woman said softly as her magic ran over him and Harry shivered slightly. "Three I would say, good thing it was a steel knife, I can heal this up without a problem."
Harry held out his right hand and the woman took it in hers as she ran he wand over it with a frown on her brow and Harry let his head rest back against the wall as the woman worked. Her light magic brushing against him as she muttered slightly under her breath.
"Blake!"
Harry started slightly and opened his eyes, without realising he had closed them and looked up at Kingsley.
"Wha'" Harry whispered.
"Are you just going to sleep there?" Kingsley asked and Dracka snorted.
"He's already slept there for two nights," Dracka drawled. "What's one more?"
Severus snorted as he looked down at Harry fondly as Kingsley flicked his eyes between the three men and sighed. The mediwitch gave him a smile before getting to her feet.
"Mr Nott is still out cold with a nasty concussion," The woman said. "I'm sure he will be cursing your name tomorrow or the next day when he wakes up."
"I'll also need you to cut through that spell in the dark mark to expose the tattoo," Kingsley added, as his eyes flicked to Severus slightly. "You know where they are."
Harry nodded slightly as he moved his right leg to a more comfortable position.
"Right there, Blake?" Kingsley asked as he looked down at him.
"Been better," Harry replied and the nurse's lips twitched up in a smile.
"Call me tomorrow then," Kinsley stated and gave him a nod before turning on his heel with the nurse following behind him.
Severus and Dracka looked down at him and Harry gave them a lopsided grin, Severus sighed and kneeled down.
"Want a hand up?" Severus asked softly.
Harry nodded and Severus got under his arm and pulled him to his feet and held him as he got his balance. Dracka used a cloth to pick up his sword and held it out but Harry just dismissed it from his hand.
"Head back to the school," Harry told the vampire. "We'll be right behind you."
Dracka gave a sharp nod before stalking away and flicking his hood back up as he moved out onto the street.
"We can apparate from here," Harry said softly and wrapped his arm around Severus's back.
Severus just held him and Harry frowned and looked over at the other man.
"Severus?" Harry asked. "Are you injured? You should have had the nurse look at you."
"It's fine," Severus said softly and Harry pulled back slightly as he looked at the other man.
Harry reached out with his connection and ran his magic over the man and he felt Severus shiver. He reached out a hand and pushed the man's shirt up on his right side to see bruising around his stomach and ribs. He ran his fingers lightly over his ribs.
"Nothing broken," Harry said softly and put more weight on his right leg as he pulled back slightly as he ran his fingers over his side and slipped them lower.
Severus grabbed his hand and pulled it away.
"Do you want me to apparate us?" Harry asked as he frowned.
"No," Severus said softly. "It's fine."
"Was it a spell?" Harry asked as he wiggled lose from the other man and looked him over. "Severus?"
"Let's get back to the school," Severus repeated as he moved in close.
Harry let the man wrap his arm around him, as he wrapped his magic around the two of them, just in case. Then the world spun slightly as they apparated. Harry gasped and stumbled and he could hear someone cursing as his knees hit the ground hard as the world rocked and he couldn't feel Severus near him.
"Severus!"
Hands were on his shoulders as the world kept spinning slightly and he closed his eyes as he started to feel sick.
"Blake!"
Harry started and opened his eyes and glanced over to see Severus sprawled out beside him. Fear bolted through him. He tried to move forward, but his head spun and the hand on his shoulder clamped down hard.
"Just settle down," Dracka snapped.
Poppy moved into view and moved straight to Severus with her wand out. Harry felt his stomach heave and he quickly moved to the side before throwing up as Dracka jumped back with a yelp. He finished throwing up and the energy seemed to leave him as he pushed himself to the side and collapsed.
"Blake!"