Harry ducked a stray Dalek beam, and heard someone scream behind him. He pulled out his wand and yelled "Protego!" at the top of his lungs, erecting a bright blue barrier between himself and the nearest Dalek. He aimed his wand at the Dalek and yelled "Expelliarmus!", expecting to separate the Dalek from its beam weapon. The Dalek, instead, tumbled several metres in the air before it hit the ground and rolled to a stop.
Beside him, he could see Ron and Hermione facing the other way, toward the two Daleks down the road. Hermione used another Blasting Curse on one of them, with the same results she had achieved against the Dalek in the diner.
Ron used a Severing spell on the other Dalek. Half of its beam weapon fell off, bouncing off its skirt and hitting the tarmac with a clang much louder than Ron expected. The Dalek turned and pointed what was left of the weapon at him. He could see a green glow down the barrel, growing brighter for a second before emerald lightning danced along its metal shell. It emitted a loud noise that sounded frighteningly like a scream of pain that only lasted a few seconds.
All three wizards looked around for signs of more Daleks, but they saw nothing. Only dozens of dead bodies strewn up and down Tottenham Court Road, with their friends and families screaming in fear beside them...or worse, kneeling next to the bodies in numbed silence. A few bodies lay there with no one to mourn them yet.
Harry spoke first. "Let's go, before anyone asks us any questions." He grabbed Ron and Hermione and pulled them close, throwing his Invisibility Cloak over them. Hermione took them both by the hand and turned in place.
When they opened their eyes again, they were back on Grimmauld Place. They looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching them before they ran to Number 12, Harry grabbing the Cloak before it could blow away. Harry tapped the door with his wand. There were a number of metallic clicks and rattles before the door swung open. They took one more look up and down the street before ducking inside and slamming the door behind them.
They stood with their backs against the door, listening to the locks and chains reset themselves as the gaslights in the foyer sprang to life. Their legs turned to rubber as they realized that they were safe, and they slid to the floor.
They sat their quietly for a few minutes, catching their breath. What they could see of the house was just the way they had left it, with the exception of the troll-leg umbrella stand that had been knocked over.
"Where are those jinxes the Order set up?" Harry whispered. "Do you think Snape's already set them off?"
"If he had," Hermione whispered back, "they would just reset again."
"Only one way to be sure." Harry stood up and took a step forward, as Ron and Hermione got to their feet behind him.
"Severus Snape?" Mad-Eye Moody's voice whispered all around them, as cold air washed over Harry. He felt his tongue roll backwards in his mouth for a moment, making it impossible to speak, before it straightened out again. He heard Ron gagging behind him.
Harry took a nervous step forward. A dusty, silvery figure rose from the carpet at the end of the hall and glided toward him. The figure, which looked for all the world like the rotting corpse of Dumbledore, pointed an accusing finger at Harry, as the drapes covering the portrait of Walburga Black flew open and she started screaming at him.
"No!" Harry yelled. "We didn't kill you!"
The figure exploded into a cloud of dust that set all three to coughing. Harry looked back at the others. Ron was trembling all over, and Hermione was pale. Harry pointed his wand at the picture, and the curtains flipped shut and Mrs. Black fell silent again.
"That was..." Hermione whispered as Ron wrapped his arms around her awkwardly.
"That wasn't really him. It was just something the Order rigged up to get Snape." Harry frowned, wondering what the trap would have done to Snape if he should ever show up.
"I know that!" Hermione snapped as she pulled away from Ron. "It's still something of a shock, though. But I still think I should check something before we go any farther."
She drew her wand. "Homenum Revelio," she said as she held the wand overhead.
"Good," she said as Ron opened his mouth. "Nobody here but us."
"That's good to know," Harry said. All three looked at the dusty patch on the carpet where the faux Dumbledore had come from and, without a word to each other, walked upstairs to the drawing room on the first floor.
Ron looked out the window cautiously but didn't see anyone. Hermione sat on the sofa after lighting the gas lamps, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Harry tried in vain to conceal the rage he felt coming from Voldemort through the connection their shared in his scar.
He studied the tapestry of the Black family tree on the wall. It was only a minute or two before the pain in his scar became more than he could bear. "Back in a few...restroom," he said before he all but ran down the hall.
He had barely bolted the door behind him when the bathroom vanished around him. He fell to the floor, grabbing his head and squeezing his eyes shut. Harry saw a long room, lit only by firelight. On the floor at his feet, the blond Death Eater was screaming, his body contorted by pain. To Harry's surprise, the green beam that had Rowle in such agony was not coming from his wand but to one side.
"Are we done, Rowle? Shall I feed you to Nagini, now?" Harry waved his thin white hand, and the beam stopped. Rowle lay on the floor, panting, his hair slick with sweat.
"No more," he gasped. "Please."
"Voldemort will not forgive you this time." Harry said in a high, cold voice. "You called me back to tell me that Potter escaped, again?" He sighed dramatically.
"Draco, do you think you can kill this one? Or are you too weak?"
"I'm not too weak!" Draco said, but his face showed his uncertainty. He pointed his wand at Rowle for a long time. The tip of the wand quivered.
"You're as useless as your father," Harry finally snapped. "It's a good thing you've got your mother's blood in you." He turned to the source of the green beam.
"Show Draco how it's done, Dalek. Kill him," he said, gesturing toward Rowle, as it glided forward out of the shadows.
"I obey!" A green beam struck the Death Eater. He screamed for several seconds, his body lit up from the inside so that his skeleton was visible.
Harry's eyes snapped open as he drew deep breaths. He was curled up on the bathroom floor at 12 Grimmauld Place. He scrambled to his feet and threw open the door. Hermione stood there, her hand poised to knock, with Ron behind her.
"Those things," Harry gasped. "The ones from the wedding, and at Tottenham Court Road. They're called Daleks. They're with him. They're working for Voldemort!"