Chapter 7 War Pigs

Harry walked to the forefront of the Gringotts Bank. He smiled at the salutes the Goblin Guards were giving him, much to the surprise of the humans in the area. His newest set of followers included a couple of neutral Pureblood families, such as the Turpins and the Davis'. The Neutral families were much more receptive to Goblin ( and in some ways, Harry's) ideals. Dark Pureblood families were all Dark Lord supporters, unsurprisingly. However, there were yet still a tremendous amount of Dumbledore style idealist families. Their power bloc, combined with intimidation factors from the Dark families, made recruiting the Neutral families difficult. Harry often found himself stooping to low blow tactics, like potential interest in family daughters, the airing of a few debts, etc, etc. He knew that Magical Britain had long since stopped using Marriage Contract, but that didn't mean that someone wasn't willing to throw their support his way if he so much as acted a tad interested in a high born daughter. Luckily, most of the families he had met had fairly impressive looking daughters, so it had been his pleasure to show interest, despite his rapidly growing relationship with Daphne.

Harry smiled at the gathered Goblin Task Force. Led by his old Goblin trainer, Silverstrike, it was a crack team of some of the best Goblins of the Dark Roads. Hell, it even featured Silver's brother, Goldclaw. Both were birds of the same feather, having almost the exact same mix of drill sergeant and progressive personalities.

Silver laughed, " Look boys, it's the Champion. I remember when he first went down to the roads. Scrawny old sewer rat he was. Now look at him."

Gold sneered, " Not much more now, though is he? Hell, got some muscle, but he's still a rat."

Harry smiled as he said, " Quiet you two. We have business to take care of. Let's get to the briefing."

The squad of thirty Goblins and ten Claimed Warriors, followed him into the Goblin War Room, located just below the main floor of Gringotts. Once inside, he was greeted by his two former mentors, Lazarus, and the Cold Prince, Charles Zoroark. The mountainous Knight spoke first, " Good evening, Champion Potter. The repairs to your helm are finished. Your Aura Sight should be back at full power shortly."

He slid the helm to Harry, who quickly placed it on his head. The Cold Prince nodded. He stood up, " Then now we can get on with the briefing."

A small projector appeared in the room, and the Cold Prince put a small sheet on it. An overlay of the area they were attacking appeared. He explained, " We have discovered a Death Eater cache in these woods. Luckily, our informant managed to escape the Order of the Phoenix with this information, otherwise, it would be for naught."

Harry asked, " Our informant. What would his name happen to be?"

" Damien Greengrass. He seems to be in the right place at the right time all the time. Either way, we will be equipping your team with flashbangs and authorizing the use of magic by your Claimed. They are wizards, not unlike yourself. Use them wisely."

Harry inclined his head in deference, " Of course, Lord Prince. It is my understanding that this battle will be a prisoner fight?"

" Yes, take prisoners. They will be needed."

Harry nodded, " Very well. You hear that men?"

The Claimed chanted, " Yes, Lord Champion!"

Harry ordered the force out, but hung behind. He looked at the Cold Prince, " What's the real reason you are sending me to fucking Godric's Hollow? I seriously doubt the Death Eaters have camped out there."

" You would be surprised, Champion Potter. But you are also correct. There is indeed another reason for your stationing in Godric's Hollow. We believe that the Dark Lord himself has stationed an important item of some sort in the location. It is in preparation to be moved to the Continent, and we cannot allow that. The Dwarves have identified the item as the Scythe of Slytherin. A long thought lost item that has only recently resurfaced, the possibility of it being a Horcrux is so high it's ridiculous."

Harry reflected about the Horcruxes and cringed slightly at one man's attempt to evade death, " You want it destroyed?"

" Only after you have ascertained if it is or isn't a Horcrux. I believe that Lazarus has taught you how to do this?"

Harry answered with a curt nod. The Cold Prince continued, " If it is not a Horcrux, then you will bring it back to us. We will grant it's use to someone worthy in the coming battles. You have enough weapons as is anyway, so you won't need it."

Harry laughed slightly, and took his leave. He had a mission to complete. Meanwhile…

27-7-8-98-9-9-9-9-7-5-4-4345-43-2-7-88-8-8-98-8-5-4-45-27-7-88-5-6-456-4357-38-85-67-4356-5368-345-6345-643-5634-57-38-38-56-5367-68-738-9-56-567-568-567-67-5467-6-6-74567-6-46745-67456-746

( Ron and Hermione)

" So this is Slytherin's Locket?"

" No brainer, braniac. Now what,", Ron cringed at the hateful glare he got from the bushy haired girl he had once thought he had been falling in love with, " No seriously. What are we going to do with it? We don't have basilisk venom, we don't have Gubraithian Fire, we can't use Soul fire."

Hermione hissed, " RON! Shut up! I'm trying to think here!"

Ron laughed, " Oh that's such a relief you know."

" Ron, if you don't…."

They were interrupted by the door being bashed down, and Death Eaters entering. Hermione immediately opened fire, and stunned two of the encroachers. Ron rolled aside and hit another himself. They managed to cut their way out of the little corridor of the Ministry they were in. Now they just needed to get out.

Ron grabbed her hand, " To the lift! Now!"

She didn't hesitate to follow him. Once on the lift, they reached the top floor, where dozens of Death Eaters were now prowling for them. Ron hissed, " Now, to the exit."

They almost made it when the Death Eaters saw them. Ron threw up a Shield, and hustled through the entrance and out of the phone booth that was the final lift. Once on the outside, Hermione grabbed him and Apparated them out.

1-271-82-929-29-29-29-2929-92-9-22-87-2-5-54-4-42-24-252-68-9-29-209-29-2-645-54-56-72-2-544-45-645-54-645-6-456-45-6345-634-58-4-7967-9-449-769-67-867-867-867-86-7856-785-678

( Damien)

Damien Greengrass knelt down on the moist grass outside of his manor. It was bad to have to break into your own Manor, but it was a necessity these days. His own family was predominantly turned against him. He could only enter to get certain artifacts and make sure the Dark Lord didn't have access to his full arsenal. The Greengrasses had some…strange weaponry from when they first merged with the Auditore family of Italy. Since that family had a long history of assassins, much like the Greengrass family, they brought several important artifacts with them.

One such artifact was the one he was questing for right now. Blade Vambraces. Used by infamous Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore, who Damien was descended from, they were now heirlooms of the Greengrass family when the Auditores died out. Given that the Greengrasses were now a prominent magical family, and no longer feared for being assassins, they were the less favored heirlooms from what his brothers and fathers considered a dark time.

He hastily climbed up the wall and to a second story window. He deftly picked the lock on the window, and flipped into the room. He pulled Potter's Invisibility Cloak out, which he now had permission to use, and flung it over himself. He cast a silencing charm on his feet and began his trek down to the basement.

His wife, Anastacia, sat at the head of the table on the second floor balcony he just passed. Tempted as he was to reveal himself, and take her with him, he knew it wouldn't work. By now, the Death Eaters had her Imperiused, Obliviated, and Mind scribed. He noticed she wasn't even wearing the ring he had gotten her for their tenth anniversary or their engagement ring. He had to stifle as sob as he thought of this. But he couldn't back down now, he had to get those artifacts. He knew he was running a huge risk emotion wise by coming here, so it was only fair he would pay the price. And he would pay in full later.

He wrenched his eyes away, and jumped from the second balcony into a stack of clothing that the House Elves had gathered below. He made sure the Invisibility Cloak was in position, and began his quest anew. He quickly found the door to the basement. He picked the lock with a hair pin, and entered the basement. He wasn't surprised to see that no one was down there, so he went ahead and locked the door again. However, he was surprised to see the Vault door open.

He entered the Vault, and saw a young woman in it. Like her father, she had long, sleek, black hair that shimmered in a way that made it look more like a crow's bluish black feathers than raven black. She hummed to herself as she sorted through some boxes, when she suddenly stood up. She pulled her wand and declared, " You can come out, Father."

Damien hissed as he threw the Invisibility Cloak off, " Astoria. Why are you here?"

The pretty witch held her hands out, " Isn't it obvious? Father?"

Damien fumed at the emphasis she put on the word Father. He yelled back, " No it isn't obvious Astoria! "

She smiled mockingly at him, " Hm, maybe you are looking for those vambraces we have in here? Not thinking about murdering sweet little me now are you?"

Damien's eyes filled with anger. His fury was beginning to override his reason. The bad thing, was that it showed. Damien's green eyes changed to a reddish hue when he got angry, something his children had learned long ago. He smirked evilly when he saw Astoria flinch at the red. He mocked, " What? Is little Astoria afraid of what Daddy can do when he's angry?"

She dropped her pose too, " I know damn well how powerful your anger is Father and I am not to tempt it. They called you the Sleeping Dragon for a reason. The House Elves still do tell tales of how scary you were when you were a child."

Damien arrogantly sneered at his daughter, " They tell the truth. Are you trying to tempt the Sleeping Dragon?"

Astoria laughed, " Of course not. I have a mission to fulfill, and it just so happens to involve you!"

That was it for Damien. He rolled away from his daughter's errant Avada Kedavra, and fired a quick stunner, taking her down. He put a Petrifying spell on her, and undid the stun with enervate. She hissed angrily at him when he took care to walk on her as he went over to the box. He had shown up just in time. The vambraces were right on the top. He carefully strapped each one on, noticing that they didn't fit quite right because he still had all of his fingers. He'd have to get that modified, though even Goblins would be loath to tamper with the work of Leonardo Da Vinci.

He knelt next to his errant daughter, whispering, " You shame this family by serving the Dark Lord."

He smiled as he cut open her left sleeve to reveal a Dark Mark. He dropped his wand in shock when there wasn't one. He fell back, and immediately began to cast revealing spells. They didn't turn anything up. She looked up at him, " Surprised? You didn't think I would actually take the Mark would you? The Dark Lord has plenty of people that aren't marked."

He sneered, " Be that as it may, I am in the service of the Goblin Champion. I must defeat and kill all Death Eaters. Even if that means…."

" What? Afraid to kill your own daughter? The Champion isn't. He cut Lindsey down like wheat before a scythe! And he would have killed Daphne too!"

Damien knew she was trying to rile him up and make him do something he would regret. He lowered his wand, asking, " Any last words, Astoria?"

" Do it! I dare you. I bet you can't."

Damien began to shiver. She was right. It was one thing for the Champion to kill his daughters. But he couldn't. It affronted him, it weighed on his conscious, it tore him apart that he might have to be the one to end their lives. It wasn't in his ability. He just couldn't do it. So he stood up, and backed away. He turned back, " Astoria, there is still time for you to back out of the Dark Lord's grasp. I may hate you, you may hate me, but as your father, I am always here for you."

" Sentimental fool!"

" SILENCE! I am leaving now, and I don't care if you tell the Dark Lord I was here or not."

Damien turned to leave, and he turned just in time to catch a Cutting Curse across his torso. He stared in shock, gasping out, " A-An-Anastacia?"

His wife hissed out in anger, " Don't ever think about harming our daughter again, Damien Odysseus Greengrass. And you wonder why I've ceased to wear anything acknowledging our marriage?"

Damien steadied himself as best he could, and began skirting towards the door, trying to ignore the searing pain in his chest. Luckily, the wound wasn't deep, it was just big. He hissed, " You mean…"

" No Imperius, Damien. This is all of my own free will. I wonder sometimes how you even became head of this family. It sure seemed like you never cared what actually happened to us."

Damien muttered, " No, this is impossible."

His mind began to run, and that's when everything clicked into place. He shouted, " This is it ! EXPULSO!"

The overpowered banishing curse blasted his errant wife out of the way, and he quickly began to try some field healing spells on his wound. He was able to get it closed so he could at least move out. He quickly exited the Manor, and Apparated away.

1-7-8-8-8-99-9-21-0-9-344-345234-72-56-56-456-45-6435-64-58-39-6-7-567-489-49-79-67-856-756-756-75-67-567-56-7-64-9-9456-7-568-6-56-8-9849-7-8-678-67-567-567-5467-546-7546-74567-567-567

( Daphne)

Daphne sat down at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place. Despite Harry's obvious distaste for the place, she had come to rather like it. Granted, it wasn't a very cheery place like her home used to be, but it had its own dark charms. She pulled a small pocket mirror, and began to comb her mid back length blonde hair. She was humming the rhythm to " I'm No Angel" by Greg Allman, when she heard the knock. It came in the code the residents had come to use. She walked over and opened the door. She gasped as her father stumbled through the door, blood running down his chest. She frantically helped him to a chair and pulled his cloak off. Her father winced out, " I don't know enough healing magic to staunch this all the way. I think Potter keeps medical supplies above the stove. Go get some dressings, and help me wrap this."

She nodded, and hurried into the kitchen, where Isilde had just shown up. She asked, " What's wrong, Daphne?"

" Father's hurt. Looks like a cutting curse. He said he can almost get it to stop, but he needs the dressings to let it heal by itself."

Isilde chuckled, " Well, let me help. I've had my fair share of injuries. Some of them quite serious."

The two women took the items back to Damien, and began to help him. Daphne asked, " Who did this to you, father?"

" Your mother."

Daphne fell out of the chair she was using, " What?"

" Your mother attacked me while I was leaving. I got the vambraces."

Daphne shook her head, " No, father, that isn't what matters. What do you mean mother attacked you? I know you think she's under the Imperious, but…"

" No Daphne, I don't think she's under the Imperious anymore. I think she's doing this of her own accord now. She is now an enemy."

Daphne couldn't believe her father's words. She screamed, " I can't believe you would think mother would join the Death Eaters! I thought you of all people would never lose faith in her! Maybe she was just acting? Maybe she knew what would happen if she was caught not conforming?"

A voice rang out, " Symptoms of denial. Isilde, please take Daphne upstairs. I need to speak with Damien in private please."

Isilde immediately nodded her head to Harry as he stated his request. She took the sobbing young woman upstairs. Harry turned to Damien, who muttered, " Champion, it shames me that you should see me in a state like this."

" Don't be. It only reminds me that, like myself, you are human. But be sure to steel yourself for what comes next. It will not be easy."

Damien lowered his head into his hand, " I didn't think this would happen, Champion Potter. You know my only reasons for fighting."

" You fight only for your family, and at this moment, the only member of your family not fighting back against you is Daphne. Be happy that at least she is here to support you."

Damien stood up and laid back onto a sofa, " So, why exactly are you here?"

" My new mission is to claim the Scythe of Slytherin. I have a Goblin force of forty, including ten Claimed Wizards. Do you know anything of such a Scythe?"

Damien shook his head, " Unfortunately, no. I've always heard that Slytherin was famous for just snakes and his locket. Given that Gryffindor had a sword, it is possible that Slytherin had his own weapon. Ravenclaw had the razors that gave her, her name. Of course, Hufflepuff didn't have a weapon, just some minor trinkets that no man would bother with. Wonder what people would do if they found out the supposedly hard worker Helga was really a spoilt rotten bitch? That's why the Smith's have their terrible tempers you know."

Harry frowned, remembering how much of an ass Zacharias Smith had been, " I happen to have the displeasure of knowing one. I am aware of their tempers."

" Ha. Sounds about right. I'm guessing you know Zacharias Smith then. I went with his father and uncle. Assholes the lot of them."

Harry smiled, " Well, I best be going. The Goblin Force is awaiting my command, and I best not keep them waiting."

And so Harry walked back out of the door. Damien fell into sleep after awhile. Upstairs, Daphne sobbed about her mother and sister. She wondered how it had all come to this. Her entire family seemed to all hate each other now. She walked over to the cabinet where Potter kept some spare daggers. She took one out, and muttered, " Next time…. Next time there will be retribution."

A/Ns: For returning readers, I've edited the hell out of the previous chapter, thanks to some insights provided by Bloody Kitsune. You might wish to take a look at it again.

Damian: Trying to craft an interesting background story is surprisingly simple for an OC, but trying to keep them from being Stu is surprisingly hard. Now that we know Damian's family problems are bad enough to cause even his wife to attack him, how do you think I'm doing? I'll try to keep him in a large role for the story as one of Harry's top human lieutenants.

References:

Auditore: The Greengrass ancestors and the Vambraces are the infamous weapons of Ezio Auditore of Assassin's Creed fame.