Chapter 21
Not mine.
Attempted Escape.
Harry lay on his stomach, ignoring the cold chill that spread up from the rough concrete floor, and quickly glanced through the double doors that were slightly open. There was nobody on guard which was good news. Things were more than complicated enough as it was. He looked again and this time took a long hard look at what was outside.
They appeared to be in an abandoned factory or warehouse as far as he could tell. The floor area seemed to be at least three times the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, or maybe it was larger Harry didn't think he was very good at judging size and distances. Scattered randomly throughout the building were stacks of equipment and machines, what their functions had been he had no idea.
The sounds of fighting came from the very far end from what Harry took to be the offices for the factory. They seemed to have been built into the buildings roof space at that end. Even as he watched a pain of glass shattered dropping shards to the factory floor. He didn't have a clear view of what was going on down there but he certain heard the yells of pain and curses from the person who had been hit by the falling glass.
He strained his eyes to see what was going on down there, but all he could tell was that there was a get deal of activity going on. To find out any more they would have to get closer. He turned round to explain what he had seen to Ginny, but was taken aback when he saw her looking at her blood soaked hands trembling in shock.
"Are you ok?" he asked knowing full well she wasn't. She stared at him wordlessly and for a moment Harry thought she didn't know who he was. "Gin I need you, what's the matter."
"I stabbed him Harry. I stabbed him," her eyes left his and she returned to studying her blood stained hands. Not knowing what to say to try and snap her out of this Harry touched her hands with his wand, making her flinch, and began to siphon off the blood. Once he had finished he drew her into a hug and held her tight.
"You did what you had to, you know that don't you? He was killing me. Without you I would be dead." He pushed back and gazed into her eyes. "If we want to get out of here alive I need you beside me." He watched as Ginny physical and mentally drew in a deep breath.
"Ok Harry I'm ready."
"No you're not take a few more moments love, and then we'll make our way down to the other end and see what's going on." Harry ignored the urge to rush to the sounds of battle and held tight his saviour and the meaning of life for him. The trembling slowly subsided and eventually Harry broke apart their moment of one.
He tapped her on the head with his wand disillusioning her and then did the same to herself. He grabbed her hand so they wouldn't lose each other and slipped through the door and out onto the factory floor.
The noise level was louder than Harry expected. There was still the sound of fighting from the offices, but the majority came from what ever was going on just below it. Harry had hoped that the fighting was a whole lot of Aurors coming to their rescue, but there didn't seem to be enough fighting going on for that. An image of Hermione and Ron fighting on their own came to him giving him a sudden urge to get involved quickly.
It would be the wrong thing to do he knew. So he tried to suppress the feeling, knowing if he did they would only land themselves in bigger trouble. There was no chance of them being heard due to the noise so both of them moved as quickly as possible from one piece of cover to another. Eventually they stopped behind a half dismantled conveyor belt.
In front of them was a mix of Wizards and Muggles. All of them seemed to be busy moving bright green plastic crates from one place to another. They watched as a stack of a crates appeared out of thin air onto a raised platform with a loud crash. Instantly a couple of Wizards began to levitate the top most crates down to the ground. Where a couple of muggles grabbed the end of one and with a great deal of effort lifted it and carried it off through a pair of plastic swing doors and disappeared from sight.
It was clear that whatever was in these crates was extremely heavy. Harry didn't quite see how it happened but just before one of these crates was placed on the ground it tipped over spilling thousands of galleons across the floor.
"You stupid bloody moron," one of the Wizards screamed. "We don't have time for this." He flicked his wand and the scattered galleons began to magically pour back into the crate. On another raised platform a stack of empty crates was being formed by four men. Two were flinging the crates up from under the office buildings while the others stacked them on the platform.
Both men leapt off the platform and an instant later the crates vanished. The men climbed back up and began the process again. There was another loud bang and another pile of galleon laden crates appeared. Harry was impressed at the operation, so impressed that he decided that something should be done about it.
Before he could though there was a shout from above. A door had opened at the top of a set of metal stairs that connected the office with the factory floor, a wizard stood there wand drawn with a trickle of blood down the side of his face.
"We need more men up here," he shouted.
"I don't have any to spare," the wizard who had lost his temper moments ago shouted back.
"You'll have to make do. I want ten men up here now," he commanded. The anger returned to the face of the wizard in charge of the operation on the ground, but he was clearly subordinate to the other Wizard.
"You, you and you, get up there," he said seemingly pointing at random. In moments a mixture of Wizards, and Muggles armed with pistols, were running up the stairs. "I didn't say to stop working, get a move on we're short staffed now. Don't bother carrying them onto the lorry anymore just make sure they're clear of the platform."
Harry looked around and guessed there were still about twenty people left. The odds for him and Ginny had got better but they were still appalling.
Wordlessly he cast a tripping jinx which sent a muggle crashing to the floor and dropping his end of a full crate of galleons. The Wizard in charge exploded in fury.
"You clumsy bastard," he screamed slashing his wand at the unfortunate man whose face erupted in vivid green and purple boils. Ginny not wanting to be left out, did the same, but this time to a wizard who was busy levitating two crates down at a time to speed things up. Both of them fell crashing to the ground and the cascade of galleons sent another man onto his back.
"Show off," Harry whispered in what he hoped was Ginny's ear. They never found out what the reaction of the angry wizard was going to be, because another window from above shattered. This time though a robed figure followed the glass down. The body landed with a sickening hard crunch on the concrete floor. A leg twitched involuntarily and then the body lay still. All work stopped again as nervous eyes turned to look at the broken window from where a notable increase in the sounds of violence echoed down to them.
"Come on, come on we need to keep moving," the wizard screamed at them again. Only a couple of them moved, the rest kept looking up at the office and each other. There was fear on a lot of the faces now. Things weren't going according to plan.
"We've got more than enough gold," one of them said. "If we don't leave now we're gonna be caught."
"Yea it's all going wrong," another said and several more nodded and muttered in agreement.
"You'll stop when I tell you," the perpetually angry Wizard snapped back.
"Look this isn't right," another said. "Where are Hoskins and Keeley? They should have finished off the Potters ages ago." All eyes turned in the direction where Harry and Ginny had escaped from.
"Harry we need to do something," Ginny whispered to him. He could feel her impatience radiating off her.
"We're outnumbered ten to one," he hissed back.
"So what!" Ginny, for reasons he couldn't understand, dropped her invisibility and got into a crouch that would allow her to spring up and begin throwing spells about.
"We can't take them all," Harry persisted.
"They're scared Harry and most of them are only interested in the money. They'll run, trust me." Ginny was certain she was right, and Harry could feel she was spoiling for a fight. The horror of having stabbed someone only a few minutes ago seemed to have been forgotten, at least for the moment. Not waiting for Harry to agree with her she jumped up and stunned a Wizard and a Muggle before anybody could react.
Cursing under his breath Harry stood beside her and stunned another Wizard reasoning that they were more of a threat than the Muggles. He was soon proved wrong when four pistols were quickly drawn and aimed in their direction. Ginny seemed unaware or was too busy duelling with two wizards to do anything about it.
"Protego," Harry shouted as loud as he could and was rewarded with the strongest shield he had ever produced. A number of curses rebounded of it, one rebounding and hitting a grey haired man who fell back with a massive gash across his chest. Harry knew he wouldn't be getting up from that anytime soon. There were several dull thumps as a hail of bullets impacted it as well.
Harry's disillusionment charm had been removed by the strength of his spell, and his shield shattered as Ginny fired through it from behind, destroying its integrity. She did manage to disarm and fling a wizard into one of the many stacks of crates that littered the place.
Harry was thinking they were going to be overwhelmed when three Muggles suddenly turned and ran. The sight of their bullets hitting thin air had been too much for them. Seconds later the rest of the Muggles followed suit slamming through the swing doors in their haste to get through to the loading bay. This left Harry and Ginny facing five wizards, although one was looking very dazed.
The rout of the Muggles had taken everybody by surprise, especial Harry. There was a sudden pause in the fighting as they sized each other up, each waiting for the other to make the first move. They might have stayed staring at each other for hours, but the temporary peace was broken by the sudden arrival of another stack of gold.
The only problem though was that the previous stack hadn't been totally removed, and the new gold fell onto the old. Galleons cascaded across the floor in a golden avalanche as the crates cracked and tumbled. The floor was now awash with gold but nobody paid it any attention. Taking advantage of the distraction Ginny had stunned the already dazed Wizard. He fell limply onto the heap of galleons.
"Expelliarmus," she shouted but the Wizard she aimed at partial blocked the curse. He was sent spinning backwards, but had managed to retain his wand. Harry successfully blocked an orange spell sending it crashing into the roof. He had no time to do anything for the next spell, except to dive under it. He found himself sliding along the floor on a bed of coins.
His wand arm had got trapped under his body, so when he saw the beginning of a death curse being formed on the end of a wand which was being aimed at Ginny he did the only thing he could. With his other hand he scooped up a handful of galleons and flung them at the Wizard responsible. It was just enough to put him off his aim and the curse flew off down the factory out of sight.
Scrabbling to stand up, despite the traitorous footing, Harry was unable to prevent Ginny being hit by a cutting curse. She yelled out in pain grabbing her left arm as blood swelled from her shoulder. A surge of anger roared through Harry and with a short stabbing motion he sent the wizard responsible flying backwards onto one of the raised platforms. Unfortunately for the Wizard another load of galleons arrived seconds later crushing him.
His anger though wasn't satisfied and ignoring the pain from a deep cut on his thigh. He sent another man crashing into the bottom of the metal staircase where he collapsed unconscious or dead he didn't care which.
There were now only two wizards left opposing Harry and Ginny. Harry could feel the warm blood trickling down his leg and Ginny's left arm was dangling by her side blood trickling from the ends of her fingers. The odds were even now and despite the gaping age difference it was the adult Wizards that were showing signs of fear.
"I'll give you a chance to run," Harry said. "There's been enough death here for one day." The four of them stood eyeing each other until one of the Wizards turned and ran through the swing doors. Ginny and Harry instinctively moved apart from each other to make themselves two separate targets The only person left opposing them now was the Wizard who had been in charge, and he guessed that it was his pride alone that was making him stay.
Another stack of crates appeared landing on the heap of coins still there and like the others spilled across the floor. It was enough of a distraction that the Wizard suddenly produced a large cloud of billowing smoke making Harry and Ginny choke. It took them several precious seconds to clear the air. The wizard had taken the time to climb onto the other raised platform which had a couple of dozen empty crates. He vanished before their eyes.
"Damn!" Harry said, "He's gone to warn them."
"Never mind that we need to help whoever that is up there," Ginny said. The sounds of fighting were still going on.
"Not until I stop the bleeding," Harry replied ripping the sleeve of her robes open so he could heal the cut. He gentle ran his wand down the wound murmuring the healing charm. The skin closed over leaving behind a red raw scar, healing wasn't his strong point. The important thing though was the bleeding had stopped. Madame Pomfrey could sort it out properly at a later stage.
That done he headed for the stairs determined to help whoever was trapped up there. He had only climbed three steps when Ginny grabbed the back of his robes and stopped him.
"Honestly Harry you heal me, and then don't tell me you're injured as well. Hold still." She then proceeded to do the same for Harry, as Harry had done for her. Her skill was much greater than his the mark she left behind was barely noticeable.
"You have a very soft touch," he said, "much better than Madame Pomfry's."
"She doesn't love you as much as I do," she replied with a smile. The thought of Madame Pomfrey loving him at all made Harry shudder. "All done lets go." She then took the stairs two at a time passing Harry and forcing him to follow her up. He had an overpowering feeling of pride and love in the figure swaying in front of him, and it took a great deal of effort to suppress the thoughts he was having. This was not the time all the place.
They were half a dozen steps from the top so Harry whispered to Ginny.
"Take it easy." Ginny turned around, an expression of annoyance on her face. The door above them slammed open to reveal a surprised looking Wizard. The same one they had seen before. Harry snapped off a curse but missed.
Ginny though had been facing the wrong way so was unable to do anything about the blasting curse that smacked into her already damaged shoulder. She tumbled down the metal staircase past Harry until she landed on the factory floor with a dull thud. Harry looked on aghast at her crumbled and still figure.
A vicious monster erupted from the dept of his being and all reasoned thought left him. This was an anger that banished any thought of mercy and restraint. With a flick of his wand and no spell in mind Harry sent the Wizard flying over the top of the top safety rail and half way down the factory. He didn't even look to see where the man ended up. Instead he blasted the open door off its hinges in his rage and sent it in the same direction.
He stood in the doorway and surveyed the scene in front of him, oblivious to his own safety. The office had been trashed, desks were over turned, bodies lay scattered about whether they were dead or alive Harry didn't know or care. The action seemed to be centred on the far corner where there was a barricade of desks and office machinery.
It only took a split second for Harry to take this all in. His sudden appearance and the disappearance of the man in charge had stunned all those he had taken by surprise from behind. All fighting had stopped and the place held its breath waiting for what was going to happen next.
A narrow beam of intense white light the colour of burning magnesium spewed from the end of his wand hitting the nearest man to him. It passed straight through him and he fell lifelessly to the ground. He cast the strange beam of light twice more killing those he hit before anybody else had reacted. A number of wizards fired back at him but Harry ducked and dived out of the way, the curses and bullets passing him harmlessly. He made no effort to block any of them
He only had to hit two more people with his dazzling white beam, before the rest leaped up and started to run out the office through a set of doors on the other side of the room. Harry though was merciless and continued to knock them down. The last man out the room was hit square in the back and he fell out of sight through the doors.
It wasn't enough though Harry's blind fury continued and he began to blast apart the desks that hadn't already been destroyed. His rage knew no bounds. The barricade in the far corner moved catching Harry eye. He swivelled round pointing his wand at the two people stepping out from behind. The face on Professor Urquhart was one of grim determination. Palladino's was white from shock and terror. Without thinking about it he raised his wand and prepared to strike them down.
"Harry no!" a voice said firmly behind them. The slender figure of Luna Lovegood appeared from behind them making Harry pause in his actions. His wand though remained raised and firmly aimed in their direction. Luna moved forwards standing directly in front of him blocking his view of anybody but her. Harry's heart was pounding in his chest the anger still in control and wanting to burst out.
"Mr Potter…" Urquhart started to say but was cut off when Luna suddenly put her hand up to stop him. Her eyes though never left Harry's. Harry found he couldn't break the intense gaze and bit by bit his heartbeat slowed, and his anger cooled along with it, as he slowly regained control.
"You're amongst friends Harry," Luna said after an undetermined length of time. Her face was calm and the usual dottiness in her eyes was no longer there. In the back of his mind Harry wondered if this was the real Luna the one no-one had ever seen. "Come on Harry lower the wand please." Harry dropped his arm down to his side and closed his eyes trying to regain control of his emotions.
"Thank you Luna," he said hoarsely when he opened his eyes and saw her still standing there.
"You're welcome Harry," she answered. A slight quiver entered her voice. "Harry where's Ginny?"
"She… she was hit," Harry found that speaking was next to impossible as the raw emotion threatened to take control again. "She fell… fell down the stairs," he managed to stutter out. To Harry surprise Luna grabbed his arm and ripped back his sleeve. A wide smile formed on her face.
"She's alive Harry look." He looked down at his arm and saw the familiar scar still on his arm. The one that connected them, if it was still there then so was she, or at least he hoped that's what it meant. He pulled away from Luna's grip and ran back to the door.
"Sean immobilise everybody in here, dead or alive it doesn't matter," Urquhart said heading after Harry, "and look after Professor Longbottom. Luna collect all the wands and guns you can. We don't want to leave temptation lying around." Palladino was still pale from shock his hands shaking, stunned at the scene of carnage around him, but he began moving around the room.
Harry mind was so full of conflicting emotions he barely registered that Neville was here. He reached the top of stairs and looked down. Her body was still lying motionless at the bottom. Despair, anger, fear and panic were all competing for his attention. He didn't so much as run down the stairs as flew kneeling beside her.
Luna was right she was still alive but her breathing was erratic.
"Don't touch her Mr Potter let me look at her first. I know some basic medicine," Urquhart said standing above him.
"She's having trouble breathing," Harry said. "It's my fault I should have taken the lead." Guilt was now adding to his already wrecked emotional state. Urquhart began to run his wand over Ginny's prone body, Harry could tell that he had done this many times before his movements were precise and measured.
Ginny was lying on her side her left arm trapped under her with the hand sticking out the back. A bruise the size of a Snitch was already swelling up on her forehead. Her right ankle was quite clearly broken and part of the cut that Harry had healed had reopened her robes being stained with fresh blood.
"She's punctured her lungs Harry. I've fixed her broken ribs so there shouldn't be anymore damage done to her lungs." He then twisted his wand and Ginny's ankle snapped back into position making Harry flinch at the noise. He then placed the wand on the expanding bruise and Harry saw it reduce in size.
"Thank you Professor," Harry said as he began to re-heal the cut.
"No problem Harry just a word of advice next time you have a little domestic dispute try discussing it in a more civilised manner." Harry looked at the man as though he was mad. "It was just a little joke Harry… to lighten the mood."
"Is that meant to be some sort of sick army humour," Harry said.
"Yea… is it working?"
"No."
"Sorry Harry I know how much she means to you." Harry didn't think he had a clue how much Ginny meant to him, no one did not really but he kept quiet. The man had risked his life for them, for that alone he was a friend. "We should move her up to the offices. This concrete floor is no place for her. Do you want me to take her, or can you manage? That's not your wand is it?"
"I can manage," Harry said tersely. He levitated Ginny and began to climb the steps back up.
"Whose wand is it then?" Urquhart persisted.
"Voldemort's."
"Really, it suits you."
"You think," Harry said.
"I don't mean you're like him Harry. I just mean the wand could have chosen you."
"I knew what you meant Professor. We had the same core in our wands, saved my life once." By now they had reached the top of the stairs and for the first time Harry looked at the carnage below him. The galleons seemed to have rolled across half the factory floor with bodies scattered throughout.
He turned away not wanting to look at the sight anymore. The only trouble was the interior of the office was worse. Each of the bodies in front of him had a large pool of blood surrounding it. He couldn't remember doing it but he knew he was responsible for most of the butchery.
Palladino was bent over between a splintered desk and a filing cabinet that had spilled its contents across the floor. He was being sick. Harry thought he should be feeling that way to, but he didn't. If anything he was now feeling completely numb. He found a clear space on the floor in the centre of the room and lowered Ginny down. Urquhart immediately checked her again and frowned.
"She needs to be in St Mungos. The internal bleeding is continuing and I don't have the skills to stop it. I can slow it down, but that's all." Her face was pale and her breathing was ragged.
"We can't leave yet. The anti apparition wards haven't been lowered yet, and we don't know if the area is clear," Harry said. "I'm not risking Ginny or anybody else getting hurt."
"Alright Harry we'll stay here for now" he answered not questioning his decision. "With her and Professor Longbottom slowing us up we'd be a soft target," Urquhart said.
"Where's Neville?" Harry asked.
"He was hit by a couple of stunners and cracked his head. It's taking him a little while to shake them off Harry," Luna answered looking anxiously at Ginny.
"I know how he feels," Harry answered. "How did you all get to be here?" Luna squatted down beside Harry who was kneeing next to the unconscious Ginny. She had about a dozen wands in her hands, her own was once again stuck behind her ear, and she placed them on the ground and placed her hands on her knees.
In amongst the wands Harry noticed his and Ginny's. He quickly picked them up and placed Ginny's and Voldemort's in his pocket. His own he kept in his hand glad to have its familiar feel back again.
"You do realise that it is illegal to carry two wands at once Mr Potter," Urquhart said.
"Is it, I didn't know that. Yet another stupid law that should be changed, so Luna what's your story."
"Well Neville and I were in the staff room. Hermione had promised us that she would flue call if there was any important news on the trial." The trial Harry thought he had forgotten all about that. It belonged to another life time. "Anyway she called and told us that you hadn't arrived, and everybody was claiming that you had gone into hiding and it was proof of your guilt. We knew that wasn't true so we decided to come and find you."
"And just how did the Professor and Palladino end up coming with you." This had puzzled Harry since the first moment he had recognised them.
"We met them in the Great Hall, and the Professor asked us what was going on. I don't think Neville wanted me to tell them. He kept trying to interrupt and drag me away." Harry could well imagine the horror Neville must have felt at Luna telling them everything. None of them had been really been sure either of them could be trusted, but Luna in her inimitable way had done her own thing, and it had all turned out for the best.
"I can imagine," Harry said. "He's a bit of a worrier is Neville." Luna nodded her head in agreement.
"We used those wonderful medallions of yours, and we appeared outside this building." Luna then started to look around the office and Harry got the impression that she had finished the story. He would have asked what happened next but some how to ask that of Luna just seemed rude.
"Good to see you alive Harry," Neville said. He had managed to stand up and stagger his way across the room. He was still looking dazed and there was a bruise forming below his right eye.
"Luck of the devil, that's me Neville. How are you doing?"
"I've been better, but I'm still here. How's Ginny?" Neville asked looking down at the floor. Her breathing had become more laboured and Harry could feel the panic beginning to well up inside him again.
"Not good Neville. Is there help coming?"
"We told Hermione if we hadn't contacted them within an hour that she was to get help."
"How long has it been then?" Harry asked. His watch said it was twenty past two, but that didn't really help him. Neville looked at his watch.
"About fifty minutes." Harry's face fell Hermione was still waiting for Neville or Luna to contact her.
"One of us needs to go and find her," he said. It would take Hermione and Ron time to gather some help, even if it was only Hagrid and Grawp. That would be hard to cover up. It could be another half an hour before they got themselves together enough to come and find them. He didn't like to think what state Ginny would be in by then.
"I'll go Harry," Neville said.
"They might still be out there, so be careful. Are you sure you're up for it. You don't look all that steady. Sit down for a minute."
"I'll go with him," Luna said.
"If anybody should go, it should be me," Urquhart said.
"You can't Professor the medallions can only be used by the wearer. You don't know where Ron and Hermione are you could spend hours trying to find them. Besides I'd like you to stay here and keep an eye on Ginny."
"Ok you two go," he said looking at Neville and Luna, "but be careful I saw all that gold downstairs. I can't believe they won't be back for that, Harry do you know where it's all come from?"
"They're robbing Gringotts," he answered making everybody but Palladino look at him in surprise. Palladino was engrossed looking at a pile of spilt files. "Look this isn't the time to explain what's going on. Neville, Luna be careful, take no risks ok." Neville nodded and with Luna beside him headed towards the stairs at the back of the office that he assumed lead outside the building.
"Potter I think you'd better have a look at these," Palladino shouted. Harry wasn't very keen to leave Ginny's side, but Urquhart indicated that he would keep an eye on her. He walked over and noticed that the Slytherin was looking a little healthier than he had been.
"What's so important about a bunch of files?" Harry asked.
"Look at this," he said handing him one of the files. Opening it he read the name at the top and got a shock. The whole file was about Cresswell and as he read on it seemed to be a comprehensive study of the man. "Flick over a couple of pages."
"It's a series of payments to him," Harry exclaimed when he realised what he was reading. "He's been paid a small fortune."
"He's not the only one, there are dozens of these and I recognise a lot of these names. You could blackmail half the Wizarding World with what's in the rest of these files." That was a gross exaggeration Harry thought but if the rest were like this the Ministry of Magic was rotten to the core.
"The time for that is long gone," Harry said. "I need all these." He waved his wand and the files stacked themselves neatly in a pile two feet high. He then conjured some purple ribbon and with a more intricate wand movement it wrapped itself around the stack as though it was a present. The bow on top though failed and ended up as a tight knot. "Damn I can never do that last bit right."
"The least of our problems don't you think," Palladino said.
"True, look I haven't thanked you for coming to rescue us."
"To be honest Potter we may have come looking for you, but you were the one to do the rescuing, so I should be thanking you instead."
"Just call me Harry from now on will you Sean." Harry levitated the stack of files and started to lower them next to Ginny. His concentration though was broken when the back door was flung open and Neville and Luna ran back in throwing spells behind them.
"They've come back," Neville gasped out of breath from the run up the stairs, "and they are more of them this time."
"Stop them coming in. Sean you're with me they'll be entering the factory as well." Not even bothering to see if Palladino was following him he ran towards the top of the metal staircase, but Professor Urquhart had already beaten him to it.
A hail of curses and bullets greeted the professor. He managed to put up a shield charm which blocked most of the curses and all of the bullets. It was a bone crushing curse that passed between the open steps below that smashed into his ankle bypassing his shield. He collapsed backwards cracking his head ironically on the safety rail and landing heavily half in and half out of the office.
Harry grabbed the unconscious Urquhart by the shoulders and tried to pull him back inside fully. Urquhart though was a well built man and he struggled on his own. He was about to shout for help but Palladino had grabbed hold as well and they dragged him back in, leaving a trail of blood as they did so. They placed him behind a large copier and Harry raced back to the doorway.
Harry wished he hadn't ripped the door off in his blind uncontrollable rage earlier, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He heard the sound of a truck being started, and men being ordered about. A regular burst of gunfire and the odd curse or hex smashed in the doorway which was doing a good job of keeping his head down. He wanted to know what was going on out there but didn't dare risk a peek.
Just as he was wondering what to do next there was a sudden lull in the spells and bullets being fired through the doors and windows of the office. Without thinking too deeply about it Harry stuck his head round the door for a quick peek.
The factory floor seemed to be swarming with people. The spilt galleons were being magically re-crated and dragged off to the idling lorry, and most worryingly of all a large group was heading up the stairs wands drawn.
"Get up there and kill them all," one of the Santangelo bothers screamed. After all that had happened today Harry couldn't remember which one was which anymore and frankly wasn't bothered. He assumed the other one was directing operations at the other side of the building. A hail of covering fire forced him to roll backwards.
"I can't stop the bleeding," Palladino shouted over the noise. Harry glanced at the fallen Professor and his damaged leg. It was bleeding, but not too badly and there were more important things to worry about at the moment.
"Leave it, they're coming up I need you to help me keep them out."
"We've got to get out of here." There was a panicky edge to his voice now.
"There's no way out Sean its fight or die." Palladino though didn't move he stayed down hiding behind the copier next to the professor panic on his face, his eyes darting all over the place looking for a way out in vain. Harry was on his own, Neville and Luna would have their hands full at the other side of the room he could expect no support from there.
Two bodies stood blocking the doorway and Harry was forced to roll to one side to avoid the two spells they threw at him. He disarmed one of the sending him crashing into the man behind him, both fell to the ground in a heap of arms and legs. The other man threw himself behind an over turned desk. Harry though had to ignore him as there were now more Wizards barging their way into the office.
"Sean stand up and fight," he screamed as he sent another man to the ground stunned. It didn't matter every time he knocked one down another entered and took cover. Already he had been forced back halfway across the office towards the prone Ginny.
There were four able bodied Wizards in the room now and more were flooding in. Harry though was unable to do anything about it. He was struggling to hold his own against those already in. As he battled two on his right he was hit by a disarming spell on his left. His wand flew away and he found himself being flung backwards his head hitting the shoe clad foot of Ginny. All four wizards stood up and walked cautiously towards him wands in hand.
Bugger, Harry thought, he was in it now, right up to his neck.