Chapter fifteen: just like old times

The driver of the truck never saw it coming. One moment, she was sitting up straight, watching the path ahead, pacing her driving with the vehicles before her. The next the driver's side door was thrown open, air rushing in. she looked to see a man clinging to the doorway, on the side of the truck. He had round glasses, messy black hair, and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Before she even registered who he was, the man drew back his fist, and punched her in the jaw. Even as her head spun with the impact, she reached for her wand. But the man was there first, seizing her by the shoulders, he hauled the driver out and threw her into the bushes.

As Harry slid into the driver's seat, Ginny and James crawled in through the passenger's side, joining him in the trucks cab. Harry was glad Ginny hadn't seen him throwing the young woman out of the vehicle. From his experience, it was far safer to treat male and female Death Eaters alike, however…

"What is that thing," James pointed to the mechanical monster leading the caravan, shredding the jungle around it.

"Looks like a target to me," Harry answered. Without the cutter to clear the path, the heavy-duty vehicles would have a difficult time navigating the jungle.

Ginny produced Dovchenko's wand, which she had pocketed. She leaned out the window, and closed her eyes, summoning the magic. Finally, she released it, shouting a spell, as she slashed it through the air.

"Reducto!"

The spell manifested itself in a jet of orange light. Harry felt the heat radiating from it as the spell swooped past to the other vehicles, over the heads of surprised Death Eaters, to collide with the rear of the jungle cutter.

The result was spectacular. The cutter exploded in a blast of orange fire, its Death Eater pilot killed instantly. As it was torn apart, one of its twin saw blades was thrown backward. Trailing flames, the massive wheel of razor edged metal whistled through the air, directly toward the troop transport.

"Duck," Harry shouted, unnecessarily, as the saw blade flew over their heads. He straightened up, to see that it had sheared through the roof of the truck, displacing much of the upper foot of the truck. If he had not ducked, he would have been severely decapitated.

"That's something you don't see every day," he said, chuckling, as James stared at his mother, a mixture of shock and awe on his face.

Natasha Lestrange felt the heat of the spell as it destroyed the head of the convoy. Potter, it was him. It would have been so ironic if the saw blade had killed him, but she knew she could not take that for granted. She had hoped to keep him alive until the finding of Akator had been verified.

More the pity.

She directed the driver to edge past the burning wreck of the jungle cutter, into the jungle. As he did so, the jeep shuddering as it left the relatively even ground, she stood up, and leapt out of the back. She landed catlike on the hood of the next vehicle in line. Crawled over its windshield and into the back.

It was time to give Potter a lesson, in what seemed the only language he understood.

The destruction of the cutter had been spectacular, but not as handicapping as Harry had hoped. Three or four vehicles had plowed into the back of the burning wreckage, which no blocked the way foreward. Most had stopped in confusion, but more than one, including the one, he saw, bearing Neville Longbottom, were skirting around the flaming husk, proceeding into the jungle.

The truck now left something to be desired, other than a roof; Harry needed something, smaller, more maneuverable. He eyed on of the smaller gray vehicles.

"We're getting a duck," he said, with finality, and shifted gears. The truck leapt foreward. The came alongside on of the gray amphibious vehicles, which had only two occupants. Harry did nothing to announce his presence. He simply flung the door open once again and leapt out, landing with a clang against the metal bed of the duck.

Using his momentum, Harry shoved one of the Death Eaters out of the vehicle, to be quickly left behind. The second tried to bring his wand around, but Harry chopped at his wrist, knocking it from his grasp. The Death Eater seized Harry at the shoulders, trying to shove him of off the duck. Harry clawed at the man's hands and face, but the Death Eater slowly pushed him toward the open rear of the vehicle.

As Harry's heels were only a foot away from leaving the vehicle, there was a crack. The Death Eater shifted, dazed, and Harry flipped the man over his hip and into the undergrowth behind. Harry was greeted by James, brandishing a length of metal, torn off of the truck by the toothed blade. Harry gave him an approving look, and then dived for the steering wheel, narrowly avoiding a collision with a gigantic tree.

Harry twisted the wheel, bringing the duck back alongside the decapitated truck, allowing Ginny to leap from the driver's seat into the back. Harry pumped the accelerator, and the truck was left behind, drifting off the road to tear into the depths of the jungle.

The duck had now left the remains of the jungle cutter far behind, and was approaching the remaining vehicles of the convoy. There was a deafening crack, and a huge hole was blasted through the duck's small windshield. Harry looked up to see a jeep ahead of them, in the bed of the jeep stood Natasha Lestrange, legs spread for balance. She was determinedly reloading a collapsible shotgun.

As she took aim again, Harry swerved around the vehicle ahead, putting a filled troop transport between his vehicle and Lestrange. There was another crack, and an explanation of pain, as she fired again, not caring for the lives of the soldiers in the troop transport, opting to shoot through them instead.

The three of them ducked low, as Harry maneuvered around the troop transport, which had now acknowledged their presence with a broadside of curses. The spells made deep gouges and craters in the duck's light armoring.

He pulled forward again, leaving Natasha and the depleted troop transport behind, as he gained on the convoy's new lead vehicle. That was where Neville was, and where the skull was. Harry hated to admit it, but for whatever reason the latter seemed a lot more vital to retrieve.

"Take the wheel," Harry suggested, generally. He vaulted over the windshield and leapt onto the lead jeep. Behind, him Ginny seized the wheel, decelerating slightly.

Harry dived past Neville into the front seat of the jeep. The driver took the whole momentum of his dive, and was thrown over the windshield; the jeep sped over him, as Harry seized the wheel.

Mundungus turned on Harry, but the auror was quicker, grabbing him by the back of the head, and slamming Mundungus's face into the dashboard. "You broke my nose…again," Mundungus whined, as Harry dodged around a tree. The Death Eater in the back seat took aim, standing up.

"Sectumsempra!"

"Protego!"

A silver shield charm sprung up, stopping the green curse from colliding with Harry. It gave him enough time to swing the jeep around a sharp turn, catapulting the woman out of the backseat. Neither Harry nor Mundungus noticed as she grabbed hold of the spare tire fixed to the rear of the vehicle, clinging to the speeding jeep.

Harry realized Mundungus had just saved his life, "Why-"

"Harry, you idiot," Dung chastised, pinching he bleeding nose. "I'm Ministry of Magic."

"What?"

"I was working with the magical artifacts blokes, when I ran in with the Death Eaters. I'm deep undercover. I practically screamed it at you back in the camp."

"I didn't notice," said Harry. He was apt to believe the small con man, he wasn't the kind to join with Death Eaters, and he had been Order of the Phoenix back in the day…

Straining, the Death Eater hoisted herself back onto the jeep. Shoving Neville out of the way, she seized the sack containing the crystal skull, and hefted it away toward Natasha's jeep.

"Stupefy!"

The woman tumbled out of the back of the jeep, but too late. The skull had met its mark; Natasha Lestrange caught the sack, and tossed it up beside the driver. She had the crystal skull, but now she wanted Potter's corpse as well. Natasha directed the driver to race after the lead jeep, tossing her depleted firearm out into the jungle. Balancing in the flatbed of the truck, she pulled the blade of Godric Gryffindor from her belt.

Antonin Dovchenko woke blearily, his skull throbbing. He was lying in the back of a troop transport, which had rammed into a tree, and had also, somehow, lost its canopy. He sat up, and the memories came rushing back. The prisoners knocking him out, taking his wand. They were free, and he wanted nothing more than to kill Harry Potter with his bare hands.

The truck was battered, but not totaled, Dovchenko realized. He would get his chance.

The duck, now driven by Ginny Weasley, had pulled back somewhat as the action unfolded on the lead vehicle. However, not so far that Ginny did not she the skull soar into Natasha's hands. Gritting her teeth, she gunned the accelerator.

"We're going after the skull," she shouted to James, who crouched in the flatbed of the duck. "Find something to do."

James nodded, and searched the bed of the duck. It was largely empty, except for a long, slim metal box. Natasha had ensured that all the vehicles contained a stash of muggle weaponry, in case of emergency. James seized the box and pried it open. Inside, nestled in soft black casing, was Natasha's rapier.

Natasha Lestrange stumbled as the duck rammed into her truck from behind, before pulling up alongside it. She spun, looking for the threat, and gasped as a blade gouged a deep slice in her arm. She turned to see the boy, James, standing in the back of the duck, alongside her vehicle, her rapier in his wand hand.

He slashed at her again, and this time she blocked, a clear note ringing out over the roar of engines as rapier met broadsword. She stabbed out, testing the waters, and he knocked her blade aside. She feinted, and went low. He jumped away; her sword would have severed his legs at the ankles. She flicked upward at him; he pulled his hand away, and swung wildly. She parried, and retaliated with an underhanded blow that almost jarred the sword from his hands.

"You duel like a beginner," she said, lightly, as Ginny once again swerved, ramming the jeep a second time.

"That's what I am," he said through gritted teeth. And he stabbed, aiming at her chest. Natasha parried easily, and spun, nicking him in the shoulder.

Angry, he lashed out clumsily. She sidestepped, and as the vehicles drifted closer, James stepped out, putting his right trainer in the back of the truck. She swung her blade toward his head, and James blocked barely in time.

As the vehicles drifted apart again, James stepped fully onto the jeep, stumbling. Natasha used the opportunity, gouging a deep cut along his ribs. Hissing in pain, James parried another attack, locking their blades. He shoved forward, and the tip of the rapier bit into her cheek.

The duelists separated, Natasha touched her fingers to the stinging gash on her cheek, they came away bloody. He had scored a point, and she was done playing.

Natasha struck, once again aiming for the boy's legs. He jumped over the slash, and caught her blade under his own, forcing it down as her slammed his left hand, palm first, into her chest. She lost her balance, and fell backward, over the edge of the speeding truck.

Cursing herself for inefficiency, Natasha turned the fall into a leap, kicking off. She landed in the rear of Ginny's duck. With Natasha displaced, James, still full of adrenaline, stabbed wildly at the driver of the truck. The man dodged, and grabbed the blade in his bare hand, wrenching it from the boy's grip.

In the duck, Ginny recognized she had a new passenger. She ducked as the sword lopped of the headrest behind her, and braked heavily. Natasha, not expecting the sudden decrease of acceleration, was thrown forward, over the windshield. She slid over the hood of the duck, and caught hold of the mounted machine gun.

James, in the truck, noticed the cloth bag in the driver's lap. He lounged for it, wrapping his arm around the driver's neck. The truck swerved wildly, the driver punched James in the head, twice, but the boy did not let go. Pulling himself forward, he seized the mouth of the bag. On the driver's third heavy blow from his bloodied hand, James let go, falling backward into the bed of the truck, the bag holding the crystal skull tightly in his grasp.

On the hood of the duck, Natasha wrenched the machine gun around, and fired wildly into the duck itself. Ginny ducked behind the dashboard as the windshield exploded, showering her with glass, as bullets tore through the foam seats. She accelerated blindly. Natasha released the machine gun, and leapt into the back of the jeep, as the duck rammed it for a third time.

She found herself face to face with James Potter, who had just gotten to his feet. Without blinking, she rammed her sword's ruby hilt into his forehead with all the force she could muster. As James fell back, she snatched the sack from his grip.

Natasha urged the driver forward, eager to leave the duck behind. But as she did so, a tight grip closed around her ankle, twisting it. She fell heavily to the flatbed; the skull fell from her grasp and rolled away. She reached crawled after it, but James grabbed her tightly around the waist, slamming her into the metal.

Cursing, Natasha drove her heel into James's stomach, at the same time ramming her elbow into his neck. He let go, but for good measure she seized him by the back of the head, and slammed his face into the bed of the truck.

Natasha got to her feet, unsteadily, untangling herself from James. She went for the skull again, but James, groaning, was getting up as well. Bloodied and exhausted, he did the first thing he could think of to keep her from the skull.

James Potter rammed into Natasha, knocking her down again. The breath was knocked from her lungs as she landed heavily, his full weight on top of her. James reared back, and drove his fist into her face. As he prepared to swing again, her fingers closed around the brown sack.

Natasha swung with all her strength. What was essentially a hunk of rock clubbed James on the head. Dazed, he spun away. Natasha wasted no time in planting both her feet on his chest, propelling him out of the back of the truck.

James, dazed and beaten, landed on the hood of his mother's duck. Groaning, he pulled himself into a crouch. Leaning on the machine gun. His eyes focused and he saw Lestrange's truck, once again in possession of the skull, disappearing into the jungle. Ahead, the jungle canopy grew far thicker, stretching out over their path. He saw the branch just in time to brace himself.

The branch caught James in the chest, the duck flew out from under him, and soon he was watching his mother's vehicle also speed away into the jungle.

Climbing more fully onto the branch, James glanced around, seeing a small monkey watching him, amused. The Death Eater's had the skull again, and he had been left behind. He hurt more than he ever had in his life, from the fight with Natasha, but he knew he had to get back to the retreating battle. His father wouldn't give up.

But what could he do.

You're a wizard, think of something.

He looked back at the monkey

The jeep burst out of the tree line, and Harry swerved around quickly. The wheels skidded to a halt inches from a hundred foot drop. The ground fell away. Far below, white water was thrown about by rapids.

"Three times it drops," said Neville, matter of factly.

"Too many for me," Harry answered, and started off again, carefully navigating the path along the side of the cliff. He heard the roar of another engine behind him, and groaned. Natasha's jeep, with her at the wheel, exploded out of the foliage. Swerved, unslowing, and raced toward Harry's jeep.

Natasha had taken over the drivers' seat; due to the Death Eater's own lack of enthusiasm. The man was now hugging himself in the passenger's seat, terrified by her lack of caution next to such a steep drop, clutching his bloody hand. She had done her best to ignore the red soaked into the steering wheel.

Natasha rammed into the back of Harry's vehicle. Causing all three men to jump. With a tight-lipped smile, she swerved up, partly into the foliage to come up alongside them, between Harry and the jungle.

She slammed into Harry's jeep again, watching him wince, as he was forced closer to the drop. Not allowing him time to catch his breath, she twisted the steering wheel again, this time forcing her car against his. Metal shrieked as the two vehicles scraped against each other.

Despite Harry's best efforts, his jeep was being forced closer and closer to the edge. The wheels squealed as the neared the abyss, grinding against the silty ground, spraying debris over the cliff.

Harry gritted his teeth, beside him Mundungus whimpered, peering over the side of the cliff. It seemed Natasha had no qualms about killing her presumed ally. Only Neville seemed unworried, gazing about with a look dazed bliss.

Harry fought with the steering wheel, but made no headway, as Natasha pressed them toward the cliff, he felt the ground shifting beneath their wheels.

And that was when the jungle exploded.

Monkeys of all shapes and varieties flooded into Natasha's jeep, scratching and biting at its two occupants. Harry took the opportunity to pull ahead of the Death Eater's vehicles, reaching a far more comfortable distance from the edge of the cliff.

As the rain of primates halted, disappearing back from whence they came, Natasha found herself facing a dark-haired boy, crouched on the hood of her jeep. James lashed out; his foot drove into her gut. As she gasped for breath, he seized the bag containing the crystal skull, and leapt into the rear of Harry's truck.

Sweat dripping into her eyes, her face twisted in anger, Natasha seized a small monkey that had sank its teeth into her arm, and snapped its neck with a single jerk of her wrist. Throwing the body over the cliff, she grabbed the abandoned rapier beside her, and hurled it.

The sword sped straight toward Harry's head, rotating slightly. Time seemed to slow. Without thinking, James twisted, throwing himself into the sword's path. But the blade was drawn away from the both as, with a clang, it was drawn magnetically into the crystal skull.

Still very much alive, Harry accelerated, leaving the Death Eater's jeep behind.

James groaned, as he settled in the backseat, beside Neville. The Proffesor gingerly picked up the brown sack, peeked inside to check that the skull was intact, and happily put it on his lap.

"You all right?" Harry asked, seeing how battered his son was.

"I will be," James sighed. He pointed at Mundungus, "What's he doing here."

"He's with us, for now."

"That was pretty impressive mate," said Mundungus, shaking James' hand. "With the monkeys. How'd you do it?"

"I have no idea," James answered.

"That's the spirit," said Harry with a proud smile. "Where's your mother?"

"She'll catch up."

Harry suddenly regained his displaced attention, as the jeep careened down a steep slope into a clearing. The jeep landed on with a thud at the edge of a massive jumble of sticky white thread. Harry reached out and grabbed a handful of the stuff. It stuck to his fingers, and his hand still felt sticky after he had wiped it on the seat.

"What's this stuff," Mundungus asked, eyeing the sticky fluff.

"It's a lot like," Harry gasped as he realized what it was, "spider web."