Harry Potter and the Iron Angel
By Tonkinese Cat
A/N: This is a direct sequel to Harry Potter and the Grimoire of Dabria. You will need to read that first to fully understand this story.
"So it's true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love."
― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly.
Chapter One: Makers of Fine Wands
Diagon Alley was a myriad of bustling colours and noises every day, but by seven o'clock, on nearly every day, it was a ghost town. The shops were closed, the few residents were at home and the streets silent as dusk fell. Outside one ancient, rickety shop, a hunched-over old wandmaker was sweeping the entrance to his business hours after the last shopper had gone home. He looked down the empty, cobbled street. He would usually see Gerald, the tabby ginger cat who lived in Diagon Alley and had become something of a shared pet among the residents, strutting up the road to see if the shopkeepers had any scraps for him, but he was nowhere to be seen tonight.
Shrugging to himself, Ollivander placed the broom up against the window and went back inside the shop.
"Teddy, it's nearly eleven. Off with you."
Teddy Lupin, who was sitting in an armchair behind the counter, reading a thick book with glasses, looked up.
"Alright, let me just finish this page."
Ollivander shuffled over to the counter and collected some loose wands back into their boxes.
"Have you finished yet?" Ollivander pestered as he slotted the boxes into spaces on the shelf.
Teddy sighed and closed the book.
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Young man, I know you enjoy studying the art or else I wouldn't have taken you on as my apprentice, but you should, as the kids say, get a life. There's more out there to do than study wands."
Teddy laughed, "No one has said get a life for about twenty years, Garrick."
Ollivander grunted, "Regardless, my point stands. Don't you have anything better to do than spend your evenings reading books about wandlore?"
"Not really," Teddy shrugged, "I'm either at home with Gran or visiting other family."
"Speaking of your other family, are you still courting Victoire Weasley?" Ollivander asked, a little too innocently.
"Yes, if you must know," Teddy conceded, "And it's going so well I think I might ask her to marry me."
Ollivander nodded with a smile.
"Congratulations," Ollivander said.
"Don't congratulate me yet, she hasn't said yes," Teddy replied, but he was grinning.
"So, that means you'll be looking to buy a house?" Ollivander asked.
Teddy raised his brow, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea, eh?"
Ollivander shook his head a little as he turned towards the door. He had heard a rattling sound. He saw a shadowy figure outside by the door.
"Teddy, are you expecting anyone?" Ollivander asked.
"No-one," Teddy replied, noticing the figure too.
The door rattled for a moment.
Teddy made to speak as though he was about to shout that they were closed, when suddenly there was an intense, shattering explosion of wood and glass as the door burst open, shrapnel flying around the shop and colliding with the walls and shelves, knocking boxes down onto the floor and littering wands across the floor.
Teddy took cover under the counter, his mind racing and his heart thumping against his chest. He heard footsteps as the attacker entered the shop. Closing his eyes, and thinking of Gran, he silently cast his Patronus charm, a silver wolf bursting from his wand and disappearing into the back room of the shop. Then, Teddy swiftly pulled himself up to his feet, wordlessly casting a shield charm as he rose. He was grateful to himself for this little nugget of genius, as two red beams deflected his shield charm.
Teddy thought back to conversations he had had with his godfather about what to do in situations like this.
"The most important thing you can do in any situation where you feel threatened for your life is observe. Start the battle on the defensive, protect yourself and observe."
This attacker (or was it attackers? The door bursting open had snuffed out all the torches and it was hard to see in the dark.) knew how to cast silently. They were not run by the mill thieves. Teddy silently deflected another two red beams and searched the hazy blackness for any visual cues. The shadowy figure moved backwards into a part of the shop where the moonlight shone in. Teddy saw a face mostly covered by wild, dark hair. It was a man, and he was probably in his mid twenties.
So maybe it is just one person.
Teddy deflected another stunning spell from the attacker, then quickly leapt over the counter and hit his target with a stunning spell which knocked the man back into the wall.
"Who are you?" Teddy demanded, exaggerating his bravery in his loud voice, "What do you want?"
The man didn't reply. He grunted in pain as he tried to recover. Teddy slowly approached the man. Then, realising a moment too late, he saw a second figure out of the corner of his eye.
A red light hit Teddy square in the face. It was like being punched by an iron fist. Pain blinded him as he felt his nose shatter. Teddy tripped over something on the floor, slipped backwards and hit his head hard on the wall behind him, making stars pop in his eyes and his world to turn upside down.
"Are you all right?" The second man called over to the first, who was now scrambling back to his feet.
"I'm fine!" The first man barked, "Now, where is Ollivander?"
"Come out, old man, or the boy gets it!" The second man shouted into the darkness.
"Alright, alright!" Ollivander's voice came from behind the counter.
"Lumos," the second voice called and light illuminated the room.
Ollivander stood his straightest, which still left him hunched quite a bit over. The deep lines in his face caused shadows against the light. He held his wand straight at the attackers, but did not move.
"There he is," The second man jeered, "Why don't you put that wand down before your friend here gets hurt?"
Teddy listened to the voices but couldn't find the strength to move, or the breath to shout. Everything was dizzy. He saw, though they were only blurry figures, that Ollivander did not lower his wand arm.
"Who are you?" Ollivander asked, his voice surprisingly calm.
"We're… messengers. Here to deliver a message to you, wandmaker," the first man said, "We are here to inform you, Mr Garrick Ollivander, that you are the first."
"The first what?" Ollivander demanded, finding some firmness in his voice.
But Ollivander's question remained unanswered, when suddenly there were two loud cracks as two people had apparated into the room. The first one was closest to Teddy, so looking up he recognised the red hair instantly. Ron Weasley. And where there was Ron, usually followed…
His eyes glanced over at the second man, who had already shot several stunning spells towards the attackers, his hair thick and black, his glasses casting a shadow on his face from this angle.
The sudden appearance of two new enemies sent the attackers doubling back into the darkness and through the hole that was the door, back out into the streets of Diagon Alley.
"Check on Teddy," Harry Potter told Ron, "I'm going after them."
Harry ran outside and out of Teddy's view. Ron turned around and crouched down to see Teddy. He looked him over a little and said, "Just some minor injuries, I think. Let me fix your nose, Episkey!"
Teddy felt a hot, loud crack in his nose.
"How are you feeling?"
"Winded," Teddy gasped, "Sore."
Ron grinned, "Yeah, you're fine. What happened?"
"It all happened so fast. One minute, it was just like any other night… Next thing, we see a figure at the door. They just blasted it open and started attacking. I barely had enough time to send that Patronus."
"Probably the smartest thing you did, mate. Sit tight. You know what Harry's like, thinks he can do everything himself. I'm going to make sure he's alright."
Ron stood up, turning to Ollivander.
"Mr Ollivander, how are you? Are you hurt?" Ron asked.
Ollivander shook his head, "I'm fine. Quite unhurt. Go."
Ron nodded and flew out of the door a moment later, following the direction Harry went.
Teddy tried to make sense of what had just happened. It had all been so fast.
"You are the first."
That's what the man had told Ollivander. The first… what?
When he felt up to it, Teddy staggered up to his feet, caressing the back of his head. He reached over into a drawer behind the counter, which he knew was the medical drawer, and pulled out a small vial. Unstoppering it, he chugged the purple potion in one swig.
"Are you sure you're alright, Garrick?" Teddy asked him.
Ollivander had lowered his wand arm, but otherwise he had not moved since the attackers left.
"Yes, quite," Ollivander assured him, "It just… brought back bad memories."
Teddy nodded, understanding at once.
"Do you understand anything by what just happened that I don't?" Teddy asked.
Ollivander gazed at him for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, I don't think I do."
There was no time for anymore discussion as Harry and Ron arrived back, panting.
"What happened?" Teddy asked.
"They got away… apparated." Harry said, sweating a little.
Harry aimed his wand up at the ceiling.
"Cave Inimicum… Protego Maxima… Fianto Duri… Salvio Hexia!"
Several waves emitted from Harry's wand, expanding out like a sonic dome.
"There. That should stop them coming back tonight, Mr Ollivander. Teddy, you need to get to St Mungo's," Harry said.
"I'm fine," Teddy dismissed his godfather with a handwave, "I took some Pepper Up Potion. I've been hit with worse before."
"Fine," Harry resigned, "Then tell me everything that happened, and don't miss anything out."