Another chapter up! Thank you again everyone for the lovely reviews, they always make my day.

Enjoy,


Standing in front of the heavy iron bars that separated him from his home, Harry let the rain drench him, hoping it might wash away a part of him, the memories of the past day especially. After what had happened to Ginny, he'd quickly found Shay and told her about the assassin, which set off a whole new row of speculation about who it might be, especially after finding out that Eyolf was nowhere to be found. Deciding that it was no longer safe for them, they threw caution in the wind and tried to get out of Hogwarts as fast as possible.

As none of them could apparate, let alone side-apparate, and they could not risk the position of any of their spies, Sameer created a Portkey for them which they activated as soon as they were outside the Hogwarts grounds. It hadn't been entirely accurate, and landed them in the middle of a field a few miles from London, but it was certainly better than their elaborate trip to Hogwarts had been before. The only difficulty about it was Sameer's questioning about why Shay couldn't do it, leading Harry to believe that the woman had not wished to reveal she was a Muggle in front of anyone.

When a long time later they finally arrived in the heart of London, exhausted, wet and gloomy, Ron had gone straight to Diagon Alley to break the news about Ginny to his brothers and father. Harry still clung to the hope that she would be fine, but madam Pomfrey could only do so much, and he doubted they would let a student be transported to St Mungo's now it was on one line with the Ministry, and thus with the Dark Lord. Harry had asked, or more ordered, Shay to stand back and give him some time as well, a stupid idea regarding the fact that someone had tried to assassinate him shortly before, but a necessary measure to make sure he could sort out his a head a bit. He needed to be alone.

And thus, he had disguised himself as best as he could and taken the Knight Bus, which was surprisingly still in business. Perhaps no-one else but Ernie and Stan was crazy enough to drive it permanently. He'd gotten out feeling nauseous, dropping to his feet on a patch of slightly drier ground under a tree, another two hours away from his house on foot. He'd tried his best to organise his thoughts during the long, dull walk across field after field, but it hadn't worked as well as he'd hoped. Every time he closed his eyes for a few moments he saw the same sight as when he'd woken from his blackout: Ginny lying next to him on the ground, breathing shallow and blood oozing from her wounds, and again he felt the invisible wall he'd been backed up against right before the world had started spinning. He still could not remember what had happened in between, and it frustrated him to no end. Why had he not seen her coming? He could have shielded her instead, done something to make it better... but could only remember the assassin suddenly being gone and Ginny lying there on the brink of death.

His steps finally halted, and he looked through the bars onto the long-stretched bare field that lay behind, the perfect illusion that ensured no Muggles would think twice about going here. He grasped the metal, unsure if he should push them open or bang his head against them. He'd taken an incredible risk going to Hogwarts, and he'd known that, but he'd still gone just to satisfy his own longing to recreate how things had been before with him, Ron and Hermione. There had not been any important mission, no life-changing messages to be delivered, nothing he needed in that castle to help aid Marvolo... there had only been his wish to feel like he was a student again, like the war hadn't happened, and now Ginny would die because of it.

He slid to the ground, tears welling up in his eyes and a scream in his throat. Now he knew for certain that his luck was a curse: he always got away, he always survived, but every single time it was at the cost of others. His parents died to protect him as a child, Ron and Hermione had gotten hurt countless of times to rescue his ass, Cedric had died because of him, Sirius nearly had his soul sucked out of him at the lake, and countless people had died over his decision to join the Dark.

Through the rain, he suddenly heard footsteps, but turning around he saw no-one. Then, the gates creaked open, breaking the barrier for a moment and giving him a glimpse of the majestic manor and garden that lay behind it. Harry brushed the hair out of his face and looked up. There he stood, the almighty Dark Lord, completely dry as the rain slid off him in a thousand glistening pearls that could not get a hold on him, his silky robes billowing around him in the strong wind. A statue of hope. Scrambling rather undignified to his feet, Harry reached out, shaking from the cold and sadness that consumed him, clinging to the one man who could make everything better.

''Marvolo,'' he sobbed. He didn't even know how to continue his sentence, even though he wished to tell his love everything that had transpired.

''I know,'' the man simply said. ''Come inside with me,'' Harry let himself be guided down the long stone path that covered the space between the gate and the large oaken doors. He shed his cloak on the floor of the hallway without care, needing to be rid of the filthy thing, which still carried bloodstains even after all the water that had attempted to wash it clean. A house-elf instantly jumped in and picked it up, carrying it away. Harry had the fain feeling it would end up in the trashcan rather than freshly washed in his room. They finally sat down in the dining room downstairs, which was for once completely empty, with no Death Eater in sight. Light flared up in the torches that lined the walls, and so did the large chandeliers that hung over it. The table was long and empty and looked much larger without people around it or food covering the surface.

''Where is everyone?'' he muttered, wondering why he couldn't hear any voices. Instead, there was only the soft noises of rain pattering against the windows that echoed through the hall, and the echoes that went through the house when house elves apparated back and forth between rooms.,

''I felt like you would appreciate just me being here now,'' Marvolo answered, shoving his chair closer so he could still embrace Harry with one arm. One of the living rooms may have been suited better to talk, but now he finally sat, the teen could feel his feet burning from the walking, and the memories weighed down so heavy on him that he wondered if he could ever stand up again. He relished for a moment in the cold touch, closing his eyes and curling his fingers around Marvolo's other hand, stroking the skin.

''You don't seem surprised. Has Shay told you...? Or anyone else?''

Shaking his head, Marvolo pressed a single, long finger to Harry's temple. ''You did.''

''The link was closed!'' Harry protested, sitting up again to look into the other's eyes. ''I tried to reach you but-''

''You did reach me, and I came for you. It took quite a strain though, and I needed to use your energy too, which is why you might not remember.'' It slowly dawned on Harry what his love was saying, but fully comprehend it he could not.

''I washundreds of miles away!'' Harry spoke in disbelief. ''I've had trouble seeing through your eyes even when you're in another room. How is that...''

''Don't trouble yourself with how it's possible dear, just know that with me, you never could believe your eyes, and never will,'' the man said with a hint of a smile. ''Though I do love to impress.''

Harry's face suddenly fell as a question rose in him, a question with terrible implications. ''When I woke up,'' he said, his throat feeling dry. ''Ginny was there all of a sudden. You know... you must have seen what happened. Did you-'' he couldn't speak further, only wait for an answer.

''Did I use her?'' Marvolo finished his question, his voice a lot lighter than it should have been when discussing such a topic. ''She was suddenly there, jumped from out of a secret corridor to aid you and threw herself in front of us. No, I did not use her as a human shield... but you know I would have if it had been my choice. So that was Ginevra Weasley? I thought she might have been because of the hair...''

Of course the man would have used her, Harry thought a tad sourly. How could he have thought different? But, he decided, Marvolo hadn't, and that was what mattered now. His love had not just stood by and let her get hit on purpose, which slightly eased his mind. Harry considered telling now about her words, since he'd vowed to Ginny that he would, but it felt wrong. She was still alive, and he didn't want to give up the last strand of hope he had that she might survive the poison. She should live, and tell Marvolo herself.

''You should not get lost in thoughts,'' the other warned. ''I imagine you already spent too long over thinking it on the way,'' red eyes fell on Harry with a disapproving glance. ''It happened, we now need to figure how to go forwards.''

''It can't have been Eyolf,'' Harry suddenly said. It had bothered him quite a lot who the assassin could have been, but it just didn't fit the style of the other man. Sure, the person had worn similar clothes and had the same stature but... Harry could not believe it.

''I know it wasn't him,'' Marvolo answered, surprising Harry. ''He is a killer, and hunts his prey in whatever way possible, but he is honourable in that he finishes one thing before starting another. His contract with me hasn't ended yet. Shay told me he'd let shine through that he had another contract in mind after his current with me runs out, but with the way he first wanted to wait for me to give him something else to do, it is unlikely that he'd try to murder you two days later. There is no doubt however that this person was a part of the Guild as well. That leaves no personal motive and thus no direct lead... or it wouldn't have if we didn't know exactly who was planning to hire assassins for this exact purpose.''

It took a moment for Harry to understand what he meant ''Britain's first?'' Harry asked uncertainly. ''The only thing you told me was that Dudley said was that they weren't sure on how to kill those on their list and that they were thinking of hiring someone. How would they have contacts with the Assassin's Guild? Isn't it mainly run by wizards and witches?''

''Your cousin told me there was nothing set in stone that he knew of. It might well be that the leaders of that group did not discuss this with him. On top of that, the Guild made quite some profit from our two worlds colliding... They made themselves known rather quickly among Muggles with money as well. Some of those even already knew the Guild due to the Muggle assassins they raised the past years. Shay also had work before we hired her, and not from magicians. It shouldn't be too hard for the people your uncle and aunt are acquainted with to get connections there.''

Harry wondered how much of this was truth and how much wishful thinking to get a reason for revenge on his family. It seemed far-fetched to think that the plans of that rebellious group became concrete in such a short time. From what he'd heard, Vernon's business plans usually took weeks of maneuvering and sucking up to people to get anywhere. In either case, it was worth checking, he supposed. ''So what do you propose we do?'' he asked. ''And don't tell me to stay out of it, because I won't.'' he quickly added. Marvolo gave him a calculating look, then nodded.

''They have personally attacked you, and if your family is involved, you have every right to make them pay for it personally. I'll enjoy watching.''

Marvolo drew his wand and summoned two glasses and a carafe, which filled the glasses by itself with a bright golden liquid. ''Goblin's gold,'' the man spoke, handing Harry one, who squinted his eyes at it and sniffed the glass.

''Since when are you suddenly condoning I drink? You've refused me wine before.''

''I figured that there would be alcohol on our wedding. You need to prepare slightly if you don't want to make a fool out of yourself. Better here with me first. And you look like you need some.''

Harry carefully swirled it around and took a small sip. The only drink containing alcohol he'd had before had been butterbeer, but only house-elves could get drunk on that. Fred and George had also smuggled some elf wine in before, he'd heard, and even firewhisky, but he hadn't had a taste himself. He had the vague feeling Marvolo just finally wanted to see him drunk, but he wouldn't give the man that satisfaction so easily. He made sure to drink slowly, and study a small carving of a bat in the table. It was crude, just a few scratches on the otherwise smooth table surface, and he smiled at the thought of one of the Death Eaters being bored during a meeting and making this. His mind jumped to Snape, and he snickered out loud at the image of Snape's hooked nose being millimeters from the table as he concentrated on cutting lines in the polished wood.

A pleasant warmth spread from his throat all the way down to his fingertips and feet, and he found it easier to let go of the unpleasant thoughts that had plagued him until now.

''Here's the plan,'' the other man spoke, stroking the edge of his own glass, producing a clear, single tone. ''I will gather as much information as possible about Britain's first and their next meeting place. When we know it, we'll strike and massacre them. Whether or not they really sent the assassin to Hogwarts, they are conspirators who need to die for their crimes. A few I'll give to the Dementors as a goodwill gift, I suppose. The rest shall serve as an example. And if they are not behind it, we'll have to find ways to tackle this from a different angle.''

''What about Eyolf? I did say that I don't believe he did it, but that doesn't change the fact that he has up and left without a trace.'' Harry mused. His glass was far more empty than he had planned, so he shoved it away before it would go too much to his head. The taste was nice and sweet, but it did not quell his thirst in the slightest. He should have drank some more rain water on the way...

Marvolo sighed. ''He'll be harder to deal with. First of all, we do not know his goal. I have a few ideas, of course, some more positive than others, but he is one man alone, mobile, able to apparate and hide with even more than his magic. There are few who can best him in tracking, and he no doubt knows how to hide from it. I already told you that I would be able to send Tonks after him should he run, but I did not imagine him to go so soon. She will have to set out quickly and drop her current work. I also hope that she will prove her worth...''

Harry hoped so too. She was an Auror, a good fighter and great at hiding due to her abilities, but also clumsy and not very subtle when trying to gain information. ''Is there anything else I can do in the meantime?'' he asked.

''Oh yes...'' Marvolo grimaced, annoyance on his face. ''Your godfather got himself into trouble and challenged Lucius to a duel. I wonder why he bothered as there are no stakes, but in either case, it is tomorrow morning, I just heard from Lucius when I asked him about using his library.''

''Your own library isn't large enough?'' Harry smiled.

''It does not house all books ever written, dear. Abraxas gathered quite a few rare books on medical magic, which I wished to copy as a gift to St Mungo's in order to improve their quality. In either case, I'd prefer if you went and watched that duel to make sure nothing goes too far. I need both of them in one piece afterwards.''

Harry, who always loved to spend any time with Sirius, didn't exactly protest. Instead, he finally emptied his glass, surprised by how much it has improved his mood. It had become very late, he realised. The day had already changed to evening when he'd been attacked, and with all the walking, it was past midnight now. He yawned and stretched himself. ''Will you come to bed with me?'' he asked, leaning in for a kiss. The man hummed as their lips slid together.

''I suppose I will. I don't want you to get depressive thoughts in your head again when lying alone in the dark. Where are your belongings actually? Didn't you have a backpack with you when you went to Hogwarts?''

''I gave it to Shay to take with her. I only have my invisibility cloak here now. There was only some food and spare clothes anyways, nothing else, and I have enough of that here.'' Getting to his feet, Harry tried not to sway, holding the table as the room became a bit vague. ''Nice effects,'' he muttered to no-one in particular. ''I think I like alcohol.''

Marvolo chuckled at that and swung an arm around him, guiding him out of the room and up the stairs. Harry inhaled the scent of home: the thick tapestries and old oil paintings. He suddenly realised that it was similar to the smell of Hogwarts, only warmer without the smell of cold stone mingling. His shoes sank in the dark green carpet, and he felt sorry for the elves who would have to clean it as he'd forgotten to put his shoes out before. He snuck a glance at the other's feet, the white almost glowing against the dark background, though a few splatters of mud had managed to touch the skin after all.

''You're gorgeous,'' Harry muttered. ''I'm going to marry you, you know?''

The arm tightened briefly around him. ''I will make sure of it,'' Marvolo replied. ''But first we should get Hogwarts, so we can hold it at the edge of the lake.''

''Sounds nice,'' Harry yawned, the miles he had walked weighing down on him now, feet and legs burning. ''You'd better have some concrete plans already.''

''I always do. Now rest, for tomorrow. Your mutt will need your support.''

Harry crossed the threshold of the bedroom, too tired to say anything about the way his lover addresses Sirius, casually threw his clothes wherever they would land, and crashed onto the bed.


The field behind his house was of a lush green, trees surrounding the spot. He had been surprised that Black had accepted the offer of holding the duel here: he could have placed as many traps as he wanted in the past days. Not that he had, as a Malfoy would not need to rely on trickery to win from a Gryffindor. Against a fellow Slytherin, that would have proven more interesting, as both would be able to appreciate the laid-out traps and enchantments, but Lucius did not feel like being branded unfair, and with Black being Minister of Magic, the mutt surely could afford the best people who could check for and disarm such magic. If he didn't want to be disqualified at the start, it was better to not risk anything and trust in his own skill.

Narcissa stood next to him, her hawk-like gaze flickering from the field towards the gate. No doubt had she already devised strategies of how to attack in her mind. It had not taken Lucius a long time to think of who his second would be. He had many acquaintances who could fight well, but he trusted few of them to fight for his pride. On top of that, he and Narcissa had often trained together, and knew when the other should go no further.

He carefully took his wife's hand and inspected the field once more. Shrugging his sleeve back, he cast a critical glance at his watch, to come to the displeasing notion that Black was already two minutes late, the small blue planets already having passed the hour constellation, which was transforming from Sagittarius to Capricorn. ''He really does not have the punctuality nor any other traits that make him fit for the position he has,'' Lucius growled out. ''Why Potter ever rooted for him...''

''You know why he did,'' Narcissa sighed. ''Although I also think Harry was too swayed by his own feelings regarding his godfather to be objective on if my dear cousin was actually suitable. It is more a miracle to me that the Dark Lord did not disagree.''

A loud bang sounded as a house-elf appeared next to them, bowing low so its drooping ears touched the ground. ''Master and Mistress Malfoy,'' it squeaked, while trembling all over. ''Your guests are waiting at the gate-'' the sentence broke off and turned into a pained howl as Lucius cut the creature's back open with a Diffindo.

''Don't you dare call Black my guest!'' the man hissed furiously. He already hated having to listen to a creature so filthy and low like a house-elf, let alone even exchange words with it because it couldn't get things right in the first place. If it wasn't for the work they did, he would rather have drowned the little rats. ''Now get out and let them in, but don't you dare treat the mutt and the werewolf any better than you would one of your own kind!'' The house-elf released another pained sound, but nodded and disappeared again. Sighing deeply, the man tried to get the image of the elf out of his mind so he could compose himself again. ''Well then, let them come,'' he muttered.

XxX

Quite nervous about all the possible outcomes of this duel, Harry trodded behind Sirius and Remus, following where the house-elf led them. His godfather was, like always, full of energy, and if one would go by his attitude, there was absolutely no way this could end in anything but a massive victory on his part. Harry though, who had been tutored by Lucius, knew that the man was by no means weak, and that he had deserved his position as right-hand man by fighting prowess as well as political power. Moreover, the other had had years to read up on new and perfectionate old spells, whereas Sirius had been stuck in Azkaban for thirteen years without a wand. His Animagus abilities came in handy in everyday life, but would not help him much in a one-on-one duel.

The man had been an Auror once, certainly, but those times were long gone, and Harry did not think he'd gotten much training since his outbreak. The only other times Sirius had fought was during the few attacks the Death Eaters had made on the Order, before the battle of London. While Harry had seen his godfather fight there and the man had held his own, it was clear that his glory days were over, and that much time and effort was necessary to gain a glimpse of them back.

Harry ruffled his hair to have something to do with his hands, and looked at Remus, who was walking next to him, wearing a grim expression. It seemed Harry wasn't the only one who did not share Sirius' optimistic views regarding their chances. Or well, Harry said 'their', but while he'd come to cheer for his godfather, the world was not exactly at stake here, only Sirius' honour. If Lucius won, it would not be the end of everything. Thankfully they had been able to keep it out of the press, and Harry hoped that Lucius would not use any spells to permanently leave scars that could lead to ugly questions.

''Harry!'' Blinking, Harry looked straight ahead again, making out a waving figure standing in the middle of an empty field, a square of earth and sand amidst the green garden. Without the elegant, colourful dress robes she usually wore, Narcissa was hardly recognisable. Her hair was put in a tight knot, all jewelry had been removed, and tight, simple black robes had replaced the dresses. ''What a nice surprise you are here,'' she smiled. Harry gave an awkward smile back and bowed to both her and Lucius, greeting them like Lucius had taught him during his etiquette lessons which he'd hated so much. He was glad he had been able to ditch those.

Of all people Lucius could have chosen as his second, Narcissa had not been one of the options Harry had considered. He'd expected Lucius, like Draco, to go for someone more bulky and hardheaded, like Crabbe, or Goyle, or any of his other Death eater friends who had proven themselves in battle. Narcissa was not a soldier, and had not once fought with them, making her an odd choice in Harry's opinion. It made the matter of who he wanted to win slightly more complicated, as the woman had helped him a great deal to overcome his fears.

At once though, he realised that she and Sirius were cousins, and that her hatred of the man probably ran a lot deeper than Lucius'. Even if Sirius managed to beat the blond, Narcissa would prove to be three times as much of a challenge. Even his godfather's mood seemed to deflate a little as he mustered his cousin. Harry only hoped that at least Remus would be able to overcome her. The werewolf's need to defend himself, plus his experience teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts certainly put him in a better position than the current Minister or Magic.

''Cissy,'' Sirius said carefully, holding out a hand to her, which she coolly looked at with her own arms crossed.

She ignored him at first, giving a curt bow to the last person who joined them, the current head of the dueling club, who Sirius had convinced to act as referee. Harry had not thought it wise to get someone so high up involved, but Sirius had assured that the woman, Mrs Bolt, was fair and tight-lipped.

After exchanging greetings with the referee, Narcissa finally turned to her cousin. ''Sirius... let's make this quick, hm?'' Her blue eyes flashed dangerously, but that was the only outward sign she gave before positioning herself behind a red line that was drawn on the grass. She probably had not forgotten the time that Sirius had crashed her Yule Ball to try and get Harry back from Voldemort's evil clutches.

''Will we do this with or without second assistance?'' Sirius suddenly asked. Harry, who was not well-versed in all manners of official duels, had no idea what he was talking about, but Lucius and Narcissa shared a glance, before Lucius stepped forward.

''However you want, Black. It would make the fight more interesting, I'm sure, but it's not necessary to defeat you.''

Sirius threw a taxing look at Narcissa, and then looked back at Remus, most likely to weigh their skill levels against each other. Remus had been Harry's teacher, but apart from that, he didn't know all that much about the man. What kind of magic could the werewolf perform apart from the basic spells he'd taught at Hogwarts? At a nod from Remus, Sirius whirled back to face his opponent, and spread his arms. ''Well, why the devil not? Second assistance permitted. Note that down, will you?'' he casually said, addressing Mrs Bolt. The woman nodded curtly and scratched something down on the clipboard she'd taken with her.

''Well then,'' she spoke, finally taking the word. ''Mr Malfoy, Mr Black, to the middle of the field. Seconds, behind your line. Potter, you come with me so I know you are safe.'' Taken aback by her abruptness, which reminded him a bit too much of McGonagall, he followed her to the side of the field. She cast a Sonorus to make herself audible and said:

''We hereby start the official duel on the 16th of May between Lucius Malfoy and Sirius Orion Black. All legal forms of direct magic are allowed as long as a spell is not meant to be lethal, of which I, Vipardia Bolt, shall be the judge. No potions, herbs or magical devices other than your wands may be present. Second assistance is allowed as well only in the form of assisting magic, not direct. Victory is realised by the entire other party forfeiting; by being unconscious or unable to move for more than 23 seconds; or by my decision in case of fouls. The first challenger may forfeit for the entire party, and their seconds, Remus John Lupin and Narcissa Malfoy have the right to step in and switch at any moment they deem necessary; automatically after the aforementioned 23 seconds of inability to continue of a first challenger; or by my decision to disqualify a first challenger. In the rare case a lethal attack is fired and not stopped in time by the judge, the party of the deceased shall automatically be declared the victor. Are these rules clear?''

Harry, who had spent the past weeks drilling rule after rule into his head about Quidditch for his team, found it was much easier to keep up with this waterfall of new rules than he would have been able to a couple of months back. The parties in question also did not seem overwhelmed. All had most likely heard these rules countless times in their lifetime, and trained with them in mind for situations like these. In one fluid motion, all four simultaneously drew their wands, and it was this moment that promised Harry the fight would be worth the watch, so much that he should have brought his omniscope with him.

Mrs Bolt raised her wand in the air, and a fountain of sparks flew high in the air to announce the start of the battle. Harry didn't even have time to blink before both men were firing their opening spells. Sirius started big, and Harry had not expected any less, a giant golden fiery lion rising up from his wand, the light almost unbearable to see. Behind the mowing paws, he barely made out Lucius' counterattack, a thin net of magical strands that rippled across the grass towards his opponent. Sirius, who was busy directing his lion in Lucius' direction and inconveniently blinded by his own spell, did not see the counterattack, only pushing with brute force. Harry cringed inwardly. Sirius may hold a lot of power, but when it was brains against brawn in a fight, he knew who usually had the upper hand. The Slytherins he'd trained with had bashed that into his skull after many epic defeats on his part.

As expected, the net closed around his godfather's foot, making the man scream in pain. Too far away to see what had happened exactly, Harry only noticed that a red stream of blood poured out of Sirius' shoe. A bright flash later, and the silver web dissolved, but the damage had been done and Lucius, who had apparated to the other side of the field, had no problems evading the lion, no matter how much it raved. Seeing his error, the ex-Auror made his creation vanish, and instead concentrated on rapid, basic spells for now. Red flashes of stunning spells shot across the field, mixed with a variety of spells Harry could identify less easily. Reducto, perhaps, and Petrificus totalus. Ropes appeared as well, making Sirius' strategy of trying to immobilise Lucius painstakingly clear.

Burying his hands in his hair, Harry growled in frustration. After having fought battles where death was always at one's heels, he had forgotten how upstanding people could be. Eyolf's words that had been spoken a long time ago to him came back with full force: It didn't matter how honourable you behaved in a battle, it only mattered that you won. He wanted to scream at Sirius to drop the chivalry. If he man wanted to go on the power tour, he should at least use it to the fullest capacity: to hack and mangle, to make his rival hurt so much he couldn't stand anymore...

Lucius, in the meantime, had no problems doing just that. The field exploded where a Bombarda maxima hit the ground - just far away enough from Sirius to not have been lethal- the debris flying hard towards the man. If it wouldn't have been for his godfather's excellent shielding capabilities, his face would have been smashed in by the rocks and clumps of earth. The sand beneath the man's feet was transformed into a steaming liquid, and only quick apparition avoided serious burns. Lucius Malfoy was in his element: fighting full-force with a wide array of unknown magic, not even bothering to use any of the spells used for practical Defense. While he could not use any Dark Arts with the Ministry referee being here - undoubtedly what Sirius had in mind when bringing Mrs Bolt here,- it by no means hindered the Death Eater, who instead made clever use of Transfiguration, charms and hexes with minor or indirect damage.

In the meantime, Narcissa was watching from behind the red line, her lips a grim line of concentration. She was forming purple shapes with her wand that vanished as soon as she had drawn them in the air in front of her. Harry recognised them as rune clusters, such as the one he had once painted on Marvolo's head during the ritual when the final Horcrux had been completed. With each one, a spell or ability of her husband was heightened and strengthened, giving him even more of an upper hand. On the other side of the field, Remus had sat down in the grass, his eyes closed and hands stretched out in front of him, wand untouched at his side. Whatever magic he was using to aid Sirius remained hidden from Harry. It couldn't be any spells that adapted to the current fight as the man wasn't even watching, but as Sirius was not complaining, it had to be something useful.

Harry had his hands balled into such tight fists while watching the fight that he barely noticed it when blood started to seep into his palms. He knew killing was not allowed, but still he feared for Sirius' safety as Lucius cut off a strand of his own hair and transformed every single one into a silver dart that flew towards their target, all coming from a different angle. They were deflected only by a hastily erected, sphere-like wall. Everything was against Sirius in this... the man had put his hopes on that Lucius could not use his favourite form of magic, but counted out the possibility of his rival being proficient in several different fields as well, and also being able to use many obscure spells that were not easily recognised as dark.

The earth cracked open all over the field suddenly, and Harry narrowed his eyes, not knowing who had been the caster of it. Stunned, he watched as numerous small, hairy and clawed creatures rose from the seams. They all were silent for a moment, and then ran as one towards Lucius, barking and whining, a horde of hunting dogs determined to catch their prey. With admiration, Harry looked at Sirius, who had emerged from his shield and had a wild grin on his face, wand outstretched. ''Go get him!'' he shouted, laughing afterwards.

For all his cunning spells, it was hard for Lucius to evade the summoned canines. No matter how many he blasted apart, they kept appearing from the earth and swarming around him, snarling and biting. Sirius used a series of whistles in combination with direction from his wand to order the pack around, driving Lucius in a corner. The spell Sirius had used to summon the creatures had completely turned the tables within seconds. The blonde couldn't even apparate, not able to turn with the animals tearing at his clothes and snapping at his legs.

Free on his part now he was not being attacked anymore, Padfoot made spikes of earth appear, transforming the field in a maze that Lucius could not escape from, confining the space around his opponent more and more, cutting off any escape route or a chance to attack Sirius instead of the dogs. Even battered and bloody, his strength seemed to have no bounds. Part of the reason for this was, Harry noticed, Remus, who looked pale and tired even though he'd been sitting down all this time in the same position. The thought occurred to the teen that, while Narcissa had been trying to help her husband with various spells and attributes to buff his abilities and spells, Remus just poured all his magic into his best friend, giving him the strength and endurance of two. It was a risky, Gryffindor thing to do: if Sirius got defeated now, Remus stood no chance.

A cry sounded, and at the same time a crust of ice formed across the spikes of earth everywhere. They shattered and crumbled, leaving the field free once more. Lucius emerged from his stone prison, robes tattered and one of his arms standing in an odd position. Teeth marks covered him, but he still tried to blast the dogs off.

''Switch!'' Mrs Bolt shouted. ''That was more than allowed assistance spells Mrs Malfoy!''

Narcissa rushed from behind her red line to the middle of the field to embrace her husband, who was panting hard and trying to stem the bleeding. Sirius' dogs finally halted their continuous assault that had left Lucius with no possibility to attack other than to fend them off. His wife turned her hard eyes on Sirius, and Harry could swear that she growled at her cousin. She helped her husband off the field and returned only after reassuring herself that he was in no lethal danger.

''You will pay for that,'' she calmly stated. Harry's neck hairs prickled.

''I highly doubt that Cissy,'' her cousin grinned, confidence clear. ''You have never bested me in a duel before. Assisting and healing magic cannot help you here.''

''You were gone for thirteen years. Years in which I mothered and protected a child,'' she returned, brandishing her wand. ''You have no idea what I am capable of.''

Finally showing a hint of worry, Sirius took a step back and whistled again. His dogs, though tired, were still ready for fighting and rapidly surrounded Narcissa. She laughed openly. ''I have watched them maul my husband from behind the sidelines. Don't think that trick works twice.'' In a swift movement, she once more demonstrated her proficiency with the elements and turned the field into a sheet of ice. Not having anything to hold onto, the dogs tried their best to reach her, but were unable to aim as the ground slipped away under their paws.

A bright, cold light appeared on the tip of her wand, and while Sirius threw up a shield to stop whatever spell she would hurdle his way, Narcissa shot a white beam up in the sky. ''What...'' Padfoot spoke, his shield crumbling as he realised she was not going to directly attack him.

''There are no rules that limit the area of our attacks,'' Narcissa spoke. ''Handy little spell when trying to entertain a bored child. It also happens to be lethal to unwanted guests.'' Harry watched with awe as clouds started to form, darkening the day and lightening flashed.

''Weather magic is illegal!'' Sirius shouted. ''Referee!''

Mrs Bolt looked at the sky, frowning. ''In general, yes...'' she spoke slowly. ''Because it can influence other weather patterns. On this specific piece of ground however, protected by ancient wards, an allowance for local weather magic has been bought centuries ago from the Ministry. It is the reason why the Yule Balls of the Malfoys are so well-received... snow every single year, without fail. I am afraid, Minister Black, that considering the circumstances, this magic is perfectly legal and acceptable for this duel.''

Before Sirius could give an angry retort, lightning struck the tree next to him, forcing him to quickly apparate away before half a tree would strike him down. Wherever he landed however, the elements were against him. Using her unique style of spellwork, Narcissa made certain to pelt him with hail, cloud his vision with rain or block his path with lightning wherever he would turn. Sirius once more tried fire, in the form of a large flaming shield that should protect him from the worst weather. Unfortunately, it only made a cloud of steam appear around him, which Narcissa was quick to transform into a purple mist with a touch of her wand and a malicious smile. The fight was over much sooner than Harry had anticipated. As soon as the mist touched Sirius' skin, he was completely immobilised, freezing up like a statue. Mrs Bolt started to count down from 23, and while Harry fired Sirius on from the sidelines, he knew that Narcissa would not have used a spell that would keep him grounded for less time than necessary.

''15... 10... 8...'' the woman said dispassionately. A finger twitched, and Harry had to look twice to believe it. ''6...5...'' Sirius moved his hand slowly towards his wand. ''4...''

Another flash, and Sirius was moving again, panting. All parties looked just as surprised about the turn of events... Even Sirius himself had a shocked look on his face, and Narcissa wore a mask of fury. The only one who didn't seem in the least bit affected was Remus, who slowly got to his feet and had finally opened his eyes. Harry wasn't certain from this distance, but he had the feeling that the amber eyes were glowing, and that the nails on Remus' hands were longer than they should be. That wasn't possible though, full moon was quite a while away. Werewolves could not transform like that if the moon wasn't near. But then he saw it, appearing from behind the clouds, a full moon in all its glory.

''How...'' Harry whispered. He looked towards Narcissa, who had messed with the weather in the first place, but she looked as bewildered as he felt. The only one who could be responsible for this was Remus himself.

''Switch!'' Mrs Bolt shouted, sounding angry. ''More than assistance again.''

Whatever Lupin had done, -Harry found it hard to keep calling him Remus when seeing the powerful state the man was in now- it had only saved Sirius' pride, but still meant that the challenger would be switched out. With the full moon in the sky now though, Harry wasn't sure how much it mattered that Lupin had given his magical strength all to Sirius. He shuddered as he was reminded of their third year, where the man had seen the moon and transformed... he was surprised that it wasn't happening already.

''What is going on?'' Harry shouted to Mrs Bolt, but the woman did not answer him, still watching the duel with the utmost concentration.

Sirius went aside and allowed Lupin to storm past. He moved in an odd way, as if he was in a state between man and wolf right now. His legs did not seem quite right, nor did his clawed hands which he outstretched into Narcissa's direction. The hail nor the rain seemed to hinder him in his berserk-like state, and Lupin even slashed clean through another wall of ice she erected, without even bothering to slow down.

He raised his wand and shouted a spell Harry did not understand due to the ear-deafening sound of splintering ice that crashed against the ground. Narcissa hesitated for a moment and narrowly avoided the ray by jumping aside. She slipped on her own ice though, and her robes were torn by a slashing spell from Lupin. Hurriedly, Narcissa managed to crawl out of the broken pieces of ice, melting it with her wand and raising a wave of water instead. She and Remus exchanged spells for a while, trying to best each other. Finally, Lupin made one of the larger rocks on the field soar and slam into the woman from behind, who crashed against the ground face-down from sheer force.

In a last, desperate attempt, she conjured up a whip when she fell and threw it to Lupin's legs. Caught off guard, the man's legs were pulled out from underneath him and he fell on his back, facing the sky. It did not much to stop him... on the contrary, it forced him to fully look at the moon, and look he did, his face turned towards the light as he got up, while Narcissa also tried to regain her composure, Lupin's body twisted as if he were struggling with himself. Harry knew that posture, he knew what would happen if the man lost from the wolf.

''Run Cissy, RUN!'' Lucius shouted suddenly, and the woman looked up, panic streaking her face. Growling wildly, Lupin went straight for his goal, jumping as the woman was unable to move an inch in the face of death.

Lupin was thrown back violently the same moment Mrs Bolt disappeared from her spot at Harry's side. He landed on his back with an ugly crack, snarling wildly. Narcissa finally moved, quickly reverting her weather spells, the moon disappearing with it.

''The winner,'' Mrs Bolt declared, ''Is the party of Mr Lucius Malfoy, on grounds of a major foul on the part of Mr Black's party in that the last attack would have been clearly lethal.''

Harry was still trying too hard to figure out what had happened to even comprehend that the party he'd been rooting for had lost. Had Lupin somehow manipulated Narcissa's spell? But weather had nothing to do with if a moon appeared or not, which was not exactly part of the atmosphere that formed clouds and such. The moon was, without doubt, at a very different spot in reality, and no magic could suddenly shift it around the earth.

He rushed towards the field, where Sirius had transformed into his dog form, trying to keep Lupin under control, who was still making animalistic sounds and clawing in the air.

''Very smart,'' Narcissa said, appearing next to Harry and looking down on the werewolf, her face pale as a sheet. ''If he would have been able to control himself it might have worked.''

''What happened?'' the teen asked. ''Why was there suddenly a moon?''

''Not a moon, an image of a moon,'' she sighed. ''A very realistic image of a real full moon that once happened somewhere. Because of the weather magic I used, I threw both the sky and time itself into a disarray.''

''Time?''

''Clouds usually take a lot of time to form Harry. To make them appear, weather magic speeds up and warps time itself slightly above us. Lupin used that to create a mirage... as full moons appear once every 28 days, and as a werewolf he certainly keeps track of when exactly, it was not so hard for him to shift the time aspect of my weather magic enough to create an image of a past full moon. Of course, it was not enough to transform him as it still was just an image, but it did stir something of the wolf in him.

''Like the Boggart!'' Harry spoke, remembering that Remus' Boggart transformed itself into an image of a full moon as well, making it hard for the man to control himself when looking at it.

''What?''

''Nothing, he quickly spoke. One's Boggart was a personal thing where he was concerned, certainly not to be shared between people who could easily end up being enemies again at one point in their life. There were too many ways to use a person's greatest fear against them.

Remus had finally calmed down again, and Sirius transformed back to help his friend get up. ''I'm so sorry,'' was the first thing the werewolf said, his hands in his hair. ''I thought I could control myself... I thought I was so clever...''

''Remus, it's okay.'' the other man reassured him, patting his shoulder. ''You were great, absolutely fantastic. The way you suddenly gave me that energy surge to break free? Genius. It's not your fault we lost... I shouldn't have underestimated Narcissa in the first place.''

Harry did not say anything. They had both fought well, but he was more concerned about Remus' health right now than the fight itself. It was of course a shame that they had lost, but as he'd reminded himself at the very start, not the end of the world. Also, if the rules would not have been there, Remus would have definitely crushed Narcissa with that last blow, so technically, in real fight he would have emerged victorious.

At this point, Mrs Bolt excused herself, having to get back to work as soon as possible. She and Sirius briefly discussed the matter of payment, and then she marched towards the House under guidance by one of the house-elves, having gained permission to use the general Floo from the Malfoys.

Lucius was at his wife's side now, reassuring himself that she was unharmed, and glaring daggers at the other men. ''Get out Black,'' he hissed furiously. ''And don't ever set foot on my lawn again.''

For once not picking another fight, Sirius just nodded and helped Remus to his feet. ''You fought well,'' he muttered, also giving a short bow to Narcissa. ''I'm sure we'll have to see each other again in the near future, if only on command of the Dark Lord.''

''So,'' Sirius said when they were finally out of the gates. ''Sorry for having you watch that. I was so sure we could win,'' he sighed.

''At least you beat Lucius,'' Harry smiled, bumping his godfather's shoulder to try and cheer him up.

''Yeah... yeah that I did eh?'' his steps suddenly got a bit lighter. ''Hey, want to go with me to see my office?''

''Sorry Padfoot,'' Harry said apologetically. ''It would probably be quite awesome but going to the Ministry will certainly get the press on me again, and I don't want that. Hope you understand. We can meet up another day? Just send me an owl on a day you have a bit of free time.''

''Yeah, free time...'' Sirius said, not sounding very enthusiastic. ''Let's see if I ever get a holiday in this job. I'm not even quite sure who to file that with. The only one above me is Voldemort, and I don't see him handing me holiday money like a regular employer. Moony, are you coming with?''

Remus shrugged. ''Why not, the kids have a day off anyways. Let's pretend I'm there to improve werewolf relations.''

''That's my wolfy!'' Sirius said enthusiastically. ''Harry, should we drop you off anywhere?'' Sirius was possibly the only person on the planet who could nickname a werewolf 'wolfy' and not only get away with it, but genuinely make it sound like a compliment rather than an insult.

''I'm just going home. Brought my broom so no need for apparition,'' he spoke, pulling his Firebolt from behind a few bushes outside of the Malfoy grounds. He'd arrived a bit before the others and waited for them at the gates. ''And don't worry about my safety, I have my cloak with me and will use a disillusion charm as well to be sure.'' he added automatically. ''Thank you for giving the cloak back so soon, I wouldn't have wanted to miss it at Hogwarts.''

''No problem, and you won't hear me talking you out of danger. Also, speaking of brooms, good luck with your next match. Against the Salisbury Spears right? In how long?''

''Two and a half week,'' Harry said, happy that his godfather kept track of the matches. ''Well then, I'll be off.'' With that, he prepared the charms, swung his invisibility cloak around him and climbed on his broom, shooting off into the cloudy sky.

Harry returned home safely, glad that Sirius and Lucius had not put anything other than honour at stake. Marvolo wasn't there anymore, and a brief moment of mental contact reassured Harry that the man was doing as he promised: gathering information on Britain's first. Shay also returned shortly after, dropping off his trunk, but she was in a foul mood and didn't stay long. Not having much else to do, Harry went to the drawing room and started working on an abstract piece with the attack in Hogwarts on his mind. In the end, he stared at a mostly grey canvas, the walls of the castle, with only a green dagger and a few red streaks and splatters, Ginny's hair mixing with her blood.

To take his mind off it, he dried the paint with his wand, rolled up the paper and started on something else entirely, a paper full of dots and arrows to devise new Quidditch strategies for the upcoming match. He had been thinking about buying his team new brooms to make sure everyone had the same possible speed and agility on the field, but he would need to go to Gringotts for that. Well, the match was only in a couple of weeks, so he supposed he still had time... he wanted his team's opinions about it in the first place, as he knew how tight of a band some players had with their broomstick. He'd been devastated himself when his Nimbus 2000 had been destroyed by the Whomping Willow, and he'd only had the broom for a year or two.

Though they kept in touch over the link, Marvolo did not come home the next days, too caught up in meeting with the right people, killing others and hunting down important news regarding the underground rebellion groups. Twice he got into contact with someone from the Assassin's Guild, but due to their decentralised structure, not much came out of that. Harry had been thinking about inviting Dudley, or Ron, or anyone else around his age to talk to, but in the end did not want to bother them. Dudley was probably under stress from Marvolo's threats and keeping track of when the next meeting of Britain's first would take place, and Ron had not been in contact since Ginny had been attacked. For the same reason, Harry didn't think it was a good idea to visit any of the other Weasleys either.

Bored about his own situation and worried about others, the only thing he could do to keep his mind off things was flying. He planned in some extra training sessions to try out his new strategies, also hoping to get closer to his team members through them. It had really been a great decision to hire Indicum Shafiq and Ericson Flint. He'd been a bit hesitant about the last one because of his horrible experience with Marcus Flint, but family wasn't everything, and Eric was a good guy and a great team player. Indicum on the other hand was brilliant with handling the Quaffle, but she certainly still had a lot of work to do when it came to playing with others... She was the most stuck-up about coming from one of the sacred 28 Pureblood families, and only deemed Jennifer Abbott - one of the other Chasers- and Eric worthy of talking to her as they also were part of that elite group. After a few stern talks about team play though, she at least was more cooperative on leaving her ideals out of the Quidditch pitch.

Today he was on the field again, and since finally everyone had been able to come to this training session, he told them about his idea of the new brooms. Some were excited about the prospect, but his Keeper, Lucian Grast, as well as the player who had been longest on the team, Chaser Joey Jenkins, were not happy at all to leave their old brooms behind.

''We have to be more mobile and tuned into each other,'' Harry argued with them. ''A Nimbus1700 just isn't as good as a Firebolt, and some people here even have Cleansweeps and Comets! Last match went well, but remember two training sessions back, where I asked for an arrow formation and Autumn just couldn't keep up with the others because of her broom and the left flank was broken?''

Jenkins angrily retorted: ''Even if we would switch our brooms, some of us have been flying on those for years. You can't just make us fly on a new broom two weeks before a match! We wouldn't be able to adapt to it so quickly! I know my Comet 260 is slow, but it's all the more steady because of it, and I'm used to flying with it. On a Firebolt I'd just shoot out of the field constantly!''

''I think it's a great idea,'' Autumn chimed in. ''Harry is right, formations are much harder when all brooms go at a different speed. With brooms that can go faster, you don't necessarily have to but it's impossible to go faster on a slow broom. It's frustrating when enemies constantly outfly you. I'm all for a replacement, and two weeks is definitely enough for me to get used to it.''

''How about this,'' Harry sighed. ''Those who want to can get a faster broom. Those who won't stick to their old ones... For you it's not that much of a problem, Grast, since you're Keeper anyways and don't have to work together so much. Also, your broom is already of adequate speed at least. Joey... keep your broom, but I warn you, if you mess up a formation because of it I'll glue a Firebolt to your ass next time.''

''Understood Captain,'' Joey said, swinging his broom over his shoulder and marching off the field. Harry sighed and turned to the rest of the team. ''Well then, I suppose that's it for today... Joey isn't in the mood to fly anymore, and I have some brooms to buy.'' He wondered how much it would cost him... his own broom had been a present from Sirius, and he couldn't remember how much a Firebolt was sold for. Even with his parent's gold, it would be quite a dip in his bank account... he was glad that he didn't have any other expensive hobbies, and that Marvolo was pretty rich now as well.

''Harry!'' For the second time in a few days, he got called out by a quite unexpected voice. Turning around, he saw his best friend running towards him, all red in the face and panting. ''Harry... sorry to bother you. Know I shouldn't be here but... Ginny, St. Mungo's, finally!''

Completely bewildered, Harry took Ron's shoulders and looked him straight in the face. ''Ron.. whoa, Ron you're not making sense. Nevermind how you got in here, what is with Ginny?''

''They finally transported her to St. Mungo's,'' the teen panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. ''She's awake and asking for you. I heard that Madam Pomfrey had tried for days to get her transported already but McGonagall was stubborn because of the danger it could pose... but her situation worsened and they had no choice so... Harry, I'm not sure how long she will make it.'' His tone was desperate, and Harry wasn't sure what to do in case his friend started crying or something. Hermione he could still comfort, but Ron?

''I'll come immediately,'' he just said. ''Everyone, training officially over. I'll contact you about next time.'' With that, he hurried off the field, not even bothering to redress.

Marvolo, I need you here.

It took a while before he received an answer. I'm in the middle of something Harry... I do hope it's urgent.

Well... Rather than speaking it out, Harry decided it was best to show everything. He had wanted to wait for Ginny to be able to tell Marvolo everything herself, but he realised that the man would never go to a stranger's hospital bed without having any good reason to. He nervously waited for his fiancé's reaction, not at all reassured when a trickle of disgust seeped through the link.

You want me to go to the dying Ginevra Weasley... do to what? Have her die in my arms? That some of her brothers work for me does not mean I have any kind of relationship with this girl.

You don't have to do anything, Harry answered. Just be there and listen if she has anything to say...

You fulfilled your promise, you told me about her little crush on me. what more could there possibly be to say?

Damn it Marvolo! Harry thought, getting quite angry now. You may not know her, but your Horcrux nearly destroyed her life, and got into her soul as well. You owe her for that, and also for saving my life! You were there and saw how she protected me did you not? And you stood by and let her get hit... If you won't come to St Mungo's with me I won't be speaking to you for quite a long time! She is my friend, I made a promise, and even though I've technically fulfilled it now, I want to give her every possible semblance of peace I can before she's gone, because it is my fault that she got hurt in the first place. Her deepest wish was to show you her memories of the time your younger self wrote to her. Doesn't that mean anything to you?

That she was so stupid to jump in front of you does not make it your fault, it makes it her decision. It was clear that he wouldn't answer the last sentence.

W e don't have time for this... Will you come or not?

I'll see.

Fuming, Harry shut down the link. If that bastard wouldn't show up, he was definitely going through with at least a week of no talking, and another one of no sex. Outside the stadium where he trained with the Cannons, Fred and George were waiting. They must have brought Ron here, Harry thought, who couldn't apparate yet. Neither could Harry, to be honest... Marvolo had offered to teach him, but he'd never gotten over the uncomfortable feeling of it and was not exactly looking forward to not having an excuse to not apparate anymore.

Both of them looked more solemn than ever, and he briefly embraced them both. Oddly enough, it was easier to hug the Twins than it was to do so with Ron. His best friend took Fred's arm, and Harry gripped George's -or at least, as far as he could tell by the pullovers they wore- and closed his eyes. His last thought before side-apparating was that he hoped he wouldn't throw up all over the hospital floor.


I hope you all liked the chapter. Please read and review to tell me your thoughts!