Chapter XVI: A New Lord Emerges

When Harry and Draco arrived to their battlefield, the sight that had been waiting for them was horrendous and unlike any other battle they had been a part of since the beginning of winter break. Most had been small raidsor shuffles, but this was beyond that and what Draco had ever seen thus far. The villagers were scattered about, running from death eaters and vampires alike as other enemies burned down houses and left the Morsemorde hovering like clouds of plague in their wake as ash piles littered the ground covered with red snow beneath them. There was no one leading the actions being taken against them on sight yet and the women who were unable to fight and children who needed away from the scene as well as any of the men in the same situation were helpless to know where to go or who even to go to.

But one thing was for certain and they had noticed it; their arrival to the scene had not been missed as several village women saw them and looked at them as if they'd been saved because their eyes lit like lights of colored hope and one of the ladies slowly came to them with tears in her eyes and a sad smile.

"You've come to help us and the others who came to escape, right? The others who arrived first were no match for the vampires and most of us are dead now. The death eaters could have been handled by them if not for the vampires. Please, if you can help us in any way and have mercy on us; we would compensate you somehow after this nightmare is over?" She asked desperately

Harry kneeled before the poor woman who was shaking from grief and tears and now kneeling on the could ground as she smiled sadly to him and the new lord gave her a soft and sad smile, "Who was in charge here before the attack began in full force?" He asked

She seemed to break at this, "My husband Lord Grishwell." She whispered

Harry nodded, "I am sorry for your loss and he will be avenged Lady Grishwell, but we are here to help and we don't ask for payment of any kind. Your village will need all the resources it has to reconstruct and resupply all who may survive this ordeal."

The lady smiled sadly though she was happily shocked by that news, "W-who are you?" she whispered

Harry smiled, "I am known in our world by many titles throughout recent history, but most know me as Harry James Potter." He said, "Though I come here with the name of Lord Peverell to fight for what my clan has fought to keep for so long."

The lady's eyes widened before she bowed and kneeled before her lord, "Lord Peverell, I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"You need not bow to me my dear, as we have a battle to win and a village to reclaim. Are you injured or can you still fight?"

She shook her head, "No milord, I am well and able to continue fighting if you wish."

"I wish you to find any remaining survivors and take them to the old Potter manor near here. Keep the survivors safe and unharmed as much as possible without causing too much of a scene. If there are injuries that need tended on anyone there, tend to them as best as able with those who survived and can handle it until either myself or my mate arrive to aid you. Understood?" He asked her

She formed a determined look about, "Understood milord."

"Then make haste as we have not a lot of time before vampires start to hunt for blood during the dark night hours. I will not let it come to that if I am able to. Linwe Yavetil will pay for breaking her agreement to my clan if it is the last thing she ever did in her own eternally miserable life." Harry said with a stern face

The woman seemed to see he was serious and filled with hopeful satisfaction before she left with the two others she had with her in a hurry as Draco rushed behind him and kept up to his pace as they raced through the village. They needed to find the other Order members and Ministry aurors, if any were left at all, and help them immediately because he could clearly see many of them had no idea how to even kill a vampire except two or perhaps three of them.

Harry held the sword of the first lord Peverell in his hands, and the villagers saw his skill and watched in awe as they fled while he and his mate alone battled the vampires alone one by one cutting them down like they were nothing to them, and for the first time in many centuries; the sword of his clan had new blood on it and it felt good.

Along their way, Harry and Draco had removed nearly three dozen vampires by themselves between them a piece, or rather seventy-two vampires total, and the death eaters who had felt the power of the two had started to worry about their mission there as quite a few of their own were falling to the new lord as his chosen and overall the raid was fading faster than anticipated due to their unforeseen skill and arrival.

Word of their skills and whispers of who they were had rapidly spread through the village of the two and it had reached the remaining Order members whom had come to fight and the few aurors from the ministry on requested aid.

The two lone warriors had found them easily enough although they were covered in vampire and death eater blood emitting large amounts of their auras in the area as they approached to give a warning sign of their arrival.

Alastor Moody gazed at them together, particularly at Harry for a silent moment after he had looked Draco over and as he reflected the image of his likeness to his father James. The man who he had trained in person as an auror with Sirius, and now his son held the mantle of the war and held it well. He lowered his head in respect to his chosen new leader as a sign of acknowledgement.

"Lord Peverell, it is true after all that you have emerged. We are blessed as the vampires are more of a match than we thought though you seem to have no trouble taking down the disgusting filth as usual." He said casually with a laughing undertone

Harry smiled to him easily, "Alastor Moody, you of all people should know dark elves loathe vampires for their own reasons and their Lordess Linwe Yavetil is certainly not very smart if she thinks she can beat me even when I am the last Lord Peverell for the time being."

"I have no compunction about shedding her coven's blood over my hands before her until she's left with nothing and I see her eyes die out when she is run through either with a sword, stake, or killed by dark magic."

The air in the camp had dropped ten degrees to this pronouncement as they saw Harry was no longer the sweet and gentle boy they thought they knew.

"I also have no problem killing any death eater that tries to attack me. It's their fault if they think they can beat me when in reality; only my 'supposed cousin can kill me for real in the end of this." Harry said icily

Alastor smirked, "Vey true Harry, very true since I believe James said something similar about vampires just before he annihilated her mate when they tried to take over Brookemoore Fort and had murdered nearly everyone there until he came to the sight and wiped a third of her coven from the earth with her mate included by himself until back-up arrived."

The rest of the Order members gasped in shock. This was truly the new version of Harry Potter as an adult, a new lord, and veteran soldier to the dark lord's battles. Now he was the Lord Peverell they had heard of and they couldn't have been more grateful.

"Well, first thing is first. If you don't have the capacity to handle dark magic or the stomach to dole it out; I suggest helping the villagers who are left in getting to safety with Lady Grishwell and two other village women, who I met just prior to being here."

Most of them nodded, but others scowled as they did not wish to be ordered around by a sixteen year old lord who had no battle experience. This was thought of even if the blood on him said otherwise and also about his mate as well.

"Those of you who can handle dark magic, we will need it as this is the only way besides certain types of physical wounds to kill off a vampire, such as sword or stake wounds. Elemental spell are risky as certain vampires are immune to different elements, so I advise caution. Even using fire or sunlight is risky, so be sure to have back-up plans if you do use element magic. Spells that drain magic and cause their bloodlust to form are effective if carefully used as well since bloodlust makes them less accurate in their movements and less agile. Defensive maneuvers would contain shields that protect the mind from intrusion due to the types of vampiric magic that is similiar to our version of Legilimency. Barriers that also keep low level magic from hitting you are well-advised."

"Yavetil's clan has been an enemy of my own clan for centuries and if you think I am lying to you or I said this to make myself sound smart; think again. Most of you here are order members I barely know besides Alastor, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks or you are Ministry members who think I am an innocent boy hero and too soft-touched to kill anything. I am no longer the child you thought you knew before and I will kill a vampire if it even dares to approach me."

"However, I will state right here and right now that my inheritance came early for the first time in over 600 years in our clan. I am Lord Peverell, and if you think I have no battle experience, then you will be highly disappointed." He said firmly, "The blood on my battle robes is proof that blood of 36 vampires was shed before I came here and I killed before I arrived. It's on my robes and on my armor that is invisible right now and it is real enough as evidence."

"I have been training since my inheritance and so has my mate who is beside me right now. If you think you can fool us, you are stupid. This is a war and we are fighting to survive for our lives here, so stupidity and arrogance will not be tolerated. Not only are our senses superior to every human here now, but our magical skills are well beyond school levels even if we don't exploit them often. I dare anyone to test the boundary if they think I lied and they will be sorry because I will kick their ass to kingdom come if they do." Harry glared around the camp as if to prove his point

"As said before, we are at war and there is no time for mercy now to anyone who attacks us, and if my destiny is to be fulfilled; I need as many of Riddle's allies and followers dead as possible before the last battle so there is less to contend with when it reaches there." Harry said and many there shivered.

Those who had no talent for dark magic left and did as Lord Peverell ordered them without complaints or arguments because his words had reached all there deeply. The offensive and defensive units were divided now into four teams. Harry leading one, Draco the second, Alastor the third, and finally Kingsley had led the final one.

Harry looked at his mate, "Come back safely."

Draco smiled softly, "Same to you."

Then the real fighting began as Harry and Draco's auras were let out in full and the groups took to four different areas. Those in the teams now knew why he had warned them and desired not to be on his bad side or that of his mate's.

The power they emitted was astounding. The waves of it rippled and vibrated around them all as if it acted like a shield of some kind for them and no one wanted to leave its vicinity. The two acted as though they had seen ages of fighting and worked in sync like needle and thread together. It was a refreshing and invigorating sight to behold with hope so low before.

The vampires and death eaters knew now they were out matched with those two new add-ons to the fight as nearly seventy more fell in less than an hour along with nearly two hundred death eaters; mostly those of the outer circle, so someone went to summon their lord and the vampire Lordess Yavetil to the fight for help.

"Tonks, watch out." Harry yelled to her from behind

The pink haired auror snapped her head and then sent another killing curse at the offending vampire that had just tried to behead her.

She smiled, "Wotcher Harry, and thanks."

Harry sighed, "Pay attention Tonks, as this is no time to be thankful because we aren't out of this alive yet to tell the tale."

She hardened her gaze as something in her made her realize Harry was right. They weren't done here and unless she was alive at the end of this; she should not offer thanks to him yet though he had just saved her life.

He had after all been fighting much longer than she had against these lunatics and from a much younger age without understanding truly why he had to at first and now she saw the strength in the young lord he had become. His moves were agile, graceful and deadly with each vampire he took down much like his proclaimed mate's step. They had a hard gaze as they assessed each situation carefully before moving but also doing it quickly. He was born into his heritage well and he was ready to fulfill his destiny now.

Her eyes watered slightly as she continued fighting to help him in the end, 'Sirius cousin, I bet you and Uncle James are so proud of him and to know he can fight on his own now without relying on us all the time for back-up. Auntie Lily, your son is the most amazing boy I have ever met and I feel blessed to have made friends with him. Please, if you hear me tonight; keep on protecting him and his mate with your love as it shows in him.' She thought to herself as she sliced through two more vampires in half with an advanced cutting hex.

That was when it happened and she saw Harry grip his forehead in pain after he killed the vampires that had surrounded him and was brought to his knees by it. She ran to him and asked if he needed help. He shook his head, "He's here and he's not alone either." Harry said tightly

Tonk's face paled considerably as Harry stood and flared his aura warning the others to find him immediately. It took no less than six minutes for the other three companies to reconvene with him and they noticed his faced was pained in expression.

Harry had turned from the crowd near him as he tried to shield them from his evident pain. Draco immediately went him and dropped to his knees before him, "Harry, what's happened? Are you alright?" He asked as the others wondered who this blonde was that Harry claimed to be his mate.

"He's here now with Yavetil, but their magic is different than on the platform from the apparition barrier. Can you not feel it as I do? It make my blood feel like ice inside…" Harry asked quietly as a whisper and his eyes held a small fear in them for the first time Draco had ever seen it and knew it truly bothered Harry

Draco leant his shoulder to Harry and helped him up as they walked a ways from the crowd who stared at him a moment then turned away.

Draco closed his eyes momentarily to sense the magic Harry seemed to have felt before and then the mercury orbs snapped wide in shock and fear at what they had done to themselves for this attack and the sake of winning the war.

"Harry, Tom has dabbled in demonic magic and I would bet Yavetil is the one who pointed him there to begin with as he wouldn't have had a clue where to find it. It's old from the pureblood lineages that mated with different magical beings and he would have had to have done this to do it unless informed of it by another without repercussions."

Draco dropped to sit next to him, "You and I know this, and we will need to use our own creature abilities to counter-attack them as hiding it and using our normal human pace would get us killed?" Draco said softly, "Are you going to be able to combat them or will his horcrux's pain interfere with you combat skills?"

Harry nodded, "Yes I will be fine to fight, but the shard of his soul inside of me when he arrived flared painfully to announce his arrival to me as it always has in past and I was taken by surprise. Yavetil's energy was mixed in it too and so I figure she's with him wherever the two are. Are the villager's safe for those who remain here from this place?"

Draco smiled, "They are. Lady Grishwell is a formidable witch and I had the pleasure of seeing her combat style first-hand at one point. The manor is in good state so it hold them for now if we can end this here."

"Good." Harry said with a sigh of relief

Harry stood and Draco walked with him to the rest as they stared to the floor a moment then Harry raised his head with a sigh, "The Dark Lord has arrived on scene with Lordess Linwe Yavetil herself. Their energies have changed badly from the last fight I had with him at the train station."

"I don't want any more deaths to occur than there has to be, so no stunts of heroism out there from anyone tonight. I will meet my 'supposed' cousin on the field as my mate will confront Yavetil for personal reasons to my clan as they are expecting us to do so. I want the rest of the four teams to keep the others at bay whilst we fight and if the fight becomes too much for you to handle…to get yourselves to somewhere safe. You could go to the manor my family has here that shelters the remaining survivors." Harry said softly

Alastor protested, "Harry, you know you cannot go in there with just your mate for those two dirtbags. It's suicide and stupid."

Harry glared at the former head auror, "Damn it Alastor, I don't need this right now when we are on the verge of victory here. I will combat my 'cousin' and if I feel too endangered we will retreat. There is no sense in us dying, Alastor and I am well aware of this. Yavetil is my mate's target because James killed her mate years ago. This stands as a pretense to prove my clan is still stronger than her own even when we are the last two standing and even when she throws over two hundred lives away that we will fight to live and to survive. She wants revenge, but my mate and I know of her and her kind only too well. Her time to die is now, and I'll be damned to hell if I let her walk away alive from this."

Harry yelled this at the retired Auror while Draco stood beside him and leant a hand in comfort and support as the other watched in sadness for the tragedies their lord endured already and as Alastor seemed to understand where Harry came from now and bowed his head in resignation to agree to the wish of Lord Peverell.

"If you and the others wish to see the fighting of a dark lord and his chosen enemy first-hand between us, I suggest you eliminate any other vampires and death eaters before the fight is over. If you do, then you all finally will be able to understand why I was prophesized at my birth to defeat Riddle and why only I can do this task." Harry said sharply and with a biting undertone to his words

Harry and the blonde who they still had no name for walked in confident silence together towards where the village square had been. Alastor and Kingsley's groups merged with the remainder of Harry and Draco's to continue on in their wake of leaving to confront true evil. Their posture stood regally among the others with straight shoulders that seemed proud and tall while their faces had a determined look about them even if fear could be seen behind a mask of determination and confidence.

The remaining others watched them go and knew this was a fight they wanted to see and live past to be able to tell about, so Alastor gave clear orders to eliminate any and all rogue death eaters and vampires on sight by any means necessary. This was war, and Harry was right; it was time now to fight fire with fire.

Harry and Draco walked to the town square in silence to those fighting around them who were just behind the entryway. Harry had placed a barricade at the entry of the square so they could watch but not interfere in the fight itself. Considering they had had to fight their way there anyhow.

A female laugh was then heard and Draco whipped his wand in her direction and landed directly at her throat when she re-appeared before them.

"Now, now blondie; that's enough. I didn't come here for you, so be a good boy and move out of my way." She said as she looked at Harry and licked her lips with deranged looking eyes of freezing ice blue

Draco snarled at her threateningly, "I don't think so Linwe, as not only do you threaten Lord Peverell and break the agreement made with his clan centuries ago, you have killed people under his protection and threatened the life of my mate with your actions. I am going nowhere and you are not fighting him, but me instead." Draco snapped at her fiercely

Linwe's eyes hardened, "So you belong to our new Lord do you? Well, as payment for his father taking the life of my mate I will kill you for my retribution. Your blood being shed is payment enough for the blood his father spilled from my mate."

Draco laughed darkly, "I don't think you could kill me. You talk and act big, but your skills suck and are no better than any other vampires we fought already. Harry and I have annihilated most if not all the vampires you sent here with your new 'ally', so chances are I'll have your blood for threatening me and my mate."

Linwe stood still at the pronouncement that most of her clan was dead now and there was likely no one to aid her if she encountered trouble. Damn the dark elves! Even if they were the only two of the clan left, they still overpowered them.

"Well then let us see who wins, shall we?" She said enticingly as her tongue grazed her fangs in hunger of the blonde's blood.

Then Draco's fight with Linwe began and Tom stayed out of sight to see if she could live up to her reputation, and Harry felt no need to expose he knew Tom was there for he knew if Tom wanted his powers right now he'd have called to it, but he would have to work for it this time.

His mate and the vampire female clashed together like two human blurs at an insanely inhuman rate. The sounding of swords was heard clashing together like thunder in the air before rainfall and also the sounds of hand to hand combat, even if it was also aerial hand to hand.

"Ugh." Linwe cried as Draco slammed her body to square floor for the fourth time from mid-air.

Linwe was covered in sword marks and oozing her precious life-force away the more she fought and gained fury over her incompetence. Draco just kept attacking her as he knew he must to protect Harry and defend from her when necessary.

"You are a vampiric disgrace, Yavetil. Is this the best you can do to me? I am thoroughly disappointed in that." Draco mocked her with a smirk

She snarled in fury and tried to knock him to his feet by kicking at his legs, but Draco just punched her gut and she fell hard to the floor again.

Linwe was good at defending Draco's aerial attacks, but Draco's hand-to-hand combat was much better. It was almost seemingly superior to hers in an odd way since Vampires typically had more increased speed at night than she did.

Several times now he had knocked her over already and nearly killed her only to have her backflip or apparate away a distance. The vampire leader had not been expecting the dark elven lord's mate to be so trained already in their short time together, but she guessed the new lord was aware he had enemies from all sides and had made sure his mate could fend on his own no matter who it was.

'Damn the dark elven Peverell blood lineage.' She cursed to herself silently

Finally, Draco had knocked her over and before she could move he had immobilized her and summoned the blade Harry had gifted him with. The sword was made of a rare elven metal known as Onyx Mist ore that made the blade black as night in color and the pommel was pure silver and had a very rare gem from his clan's true homeland in it.

They were 'Misu Tirranna' gems, or otherwise known as the Rippling Water gem. It would be compared to the darkest blue sapphires at night or brightest blue aquamarines at times in the human realm but worth far more if discovered what they truly were. The gem had the power of spiritual cleansing and purification of corruption. It would glow white in the center if the power was activated to do its job and the gems inherently protected Draco's mind from intrusion as well as coercion methods.

Harry's sword was the exact opposite. It was made of the same ore and silver, but the stone was called 'Vlos Aphyon Chath' or the 'Blood-Death Fire' gem which had the opposite powers of Draco's. His sword handed out death immediately and the soul was sent to the thousand age fire instantly. Draco's would only do this if the soul was too corrupted to be saved.

Misu Tirranna would try to save the soul first and Draco would know it if was salvageable, but if not…then he had to send the soul to the thousand age fire as well.

"Linwe Yavetil, Lordess of the Shadowtrap Vampire Clan, you have desecrated a three hundred year agreement made with the Peverell clan for revenge. You have murdered people under the protective sheltering of the Peverell estate and you have threatened not only me as the mate of Lord Peverell himself, but also you have threatened the lord's life himself. Do you have any last words?" Draco snarled at her

The vampire queen hissed at him, "Rot in hell, you bastards."

Draco smirked, "Couldn't have said it better myself. You, like my aunt Bellatrix, will now suffer the flame of a thousand ages and know our pain thousands of times over before you are forgiven and let to have eternal peace." He said nastily as he embedded the blade in her heart.

A blue power erupted from the blade and the female vampire shrieked in agony as the bright blue fire torched her body and sword absorbed her soul and sent it to a place near the Void, but not exactly there.

When she was gone, the other vampires felt her death and tried to leave in fear of their own death by the two who came to destroy the dark lord and found they were no longer capable of apparating somehow. The death eaters were left defenseless without apparition too and all were killed by the remaining fighters who then gathered to watch Harry and Tom's showdown as they neared the barricade.

Tom stepped out of the shadows, "Hm. Somehow I had a feeling she was going to lose and I suppose I should have known better, but oh well; it's not as if she had been completely useless to me anyways." Tom said indifferently

Harry folded his arms over his chest in defiance, "You should have known that I don't let those who are close to me go into anything unprepared any longer. She was no match for Draco and you knew it. You used her to get to me and mine, so now you have to pay for it. There are apparition wards here now and all you vampire allies are either dead or are hiding because they too cannot escape my wrath. All the followers here that you brought are dead though, so no one will come to help you, Tom."

Tom eyed the area only to see Harry was right about the apparition wards.

"When did you put those up?" He asked curiously

Harry smirked, "Just after the barricade went up."

"I see. So you assume that apparition is the only form of travel I know besides ones I cannot access currently." He said in arrogance

Harry smiled maliciously, "Oh no Riddle, those apparition wards are for all types of species and their apparitions as well. The vampires who tried to flee will be dealt with when we are done here because I want to let them know they don't cross my land and hurt it without the payment of punishment for doing it."

Tom was internally afraid but he would not admit it.

"Very well then Lord Peverell, let's bow to death for one of us will be dead at the end of this." Tom smirked

Harry smirked back and bowed in proper dueling etiquette as he had refused to do nearly two years ago.

Then there was an explosion of colors from the others fighting.

Harry used his speed to his advantage, only to find Tom was able to see through it somehow and match it at that. No matter he would keep going. Draco stood below them as he regained his breath from his fight while Harry and Riddle were battling it out in the air. Harry likely summoned slyphs or wind spirits to allow him to be there since he had no wings like his veela form did nor did wish to exhaust himself magically by hovering too long.

Tom was really getting beat up though, as his body was fragile still from the last fight. He held his own though despite appearances.

"Ignis Acidus Loricatus" Harry yelled as his clothes seemed to be enveloped in fire that burned blue-purple but was not harming him at all.

Tom knew he could not touch Harry like that or else his skin would burn alive and if Harry touched him with the flames; it would result the same way. There was only one way to get rid of it but it was tricky and he doubted he was going to be given an opening to do it.

"What's the matter Tom, are you scared to fight fire against fire now?" Harry asked him with a scathing tone

This was done as Harry sent several cutting hexes and laceration curses his way in succinct succession of the others. The dark lord was at loss as to how truly skilled Harry become and knew not if he would be able to beat the child turned man from prophecy.

"I didn't come here to prove who was better in this war and I never asked to be a part of it. Only I was forced to be because of my destiny and fate for the world. I came for justice against my clan and death of my parents at your hands nearly seventeen years ago." Harry told him as the beginning of the sunset made him appear intensely intimidating with the blue-purple fire surrounding his figure and spitting at Tom.

"Imagine, two adults who tried to save their only baby who had done no wrong to you other than be born. An innocent infant who you wanted annihilated because of the words spoken of him and not knowing or chancing they could be true." Harry said angrily as Tom feared the energy pouring from Harry now

"You brought yourself to your own end Tom because you decided to kill me when the prophecy could have been ignored and this was never to occur. When I destroy you for what you've done, all your horcruxes including the one inside of me will be destroyed in a single two words and your soul will never walk this plain ever again or else I hunt it down and obliterate it." Harry said coldly

The wand pointed at Tom as the dark lord stood there in shock to the energy around Harry as if he was too afraid to move. The fact was, he couldn't move, and Harry had him trapped by his wards and immobilization. His war was over and he was going to die.

"I hope you burn forever in hell for what you've done." Harry snarled.

Then instead of the killing curse being sent to him as suspected, Harry drew his sword and activated the thousand age fire before plunging the blade into his middle. Riddle screamed in agony to the pain of the fire just as Yavetil did from Draco's sword.

The blood red energy torched his body to ash and sucked his soul into it. Harry held the sword in his hand like a life-line because if he let go, the horcrux in him would not get sucked out and he would die here too. He wasn't going to let this happen.

After ten minutes of flaring power, seven black orbs had been brought to the sword and absorbed before the energy died. When the color died away, Harry's mouth had blood in the corner and he was coughing badly.

He released the barricade as Draco hauled his body over his back and prepared to leave to tend to him.

"Wait!" a woman's voice called

He turned to see Lady Grishwell and nodded.

"He's gone, isn't he?" She asked

Draco smiled tiredly, "My mate has ended his war with the dark lord, but his battles are far from over yet."

She let tears show, "Thank you for your help. None of us would be left if not for the two of you."

"There is no need, as my mate said. You were under his protection and so we came to aid you. Now we must go as Harry will need my attention to his injuries." He said

Alastor stepped forward, "It's hard to believe the boy I jinxed in his fourth year has turned out this way considering the speculations on him due to his late family. I am sure you will be fine together, but please, take care of him now since his most important job is done and he deserves a rest. Albus is getting desperate and the destruction of the horcrux means Harry will have more freedom if allowed which the headmaster sadly wants to eliminate for one who has just saved us all."

Draco's eyes hardened at this, "I cannot apologize for my family's past actions and allegiances because they would not want it to ever occur. They believed they fought for what they ideally wanted, and I respect this as you should even if they were wrong. But, I also believe when the time is right; I will have set a new reputation for it and they will accept it. Harry is all I have now and I am all he has besides those he considers friends and family to him much like I do, so there is no one who would threaten him before me and get away with it. You have my word, Alastor."

The tired and haggard former auror seemed satisfied by that, "Make sure you remember that. Or else."

"Alastor, can you do Harry and I a favor. I need you and Kingsley to go to the manor to see the people who might need more than basic medical care there. Harry and I were supposed to do this, but right now Harry needs my immediate attention and the Manor is not where I need to take him right now?" Draco asked

The elder man seemed to know what Draco had meant in that and nodded slowly.

"Take Harry there now Draco, as time is short and he will be needed again soon enough." He agreed

The others gasped and seemed shocked to hear the name Draco come from Alastor. Did that mean Harry was mated to Draco Malfoy? The same boy they knew of as the son of the late Lord Lucius Malfoy and Lady Narcissa Malfoy? The same man who was once a follower of the recently deceased dark lord and claimed to be his most trusted right hand?

Had their mission leader known and covered it up to keep them from knowing so they could focus better? Or had he thought it was best left unsaid till now?

Draco smiled softly and started running inhumanly fast towards somewhere eastward from there whilst carrying Harry's comatose body over his shoulder gently.

Amid the background of the setting sun, houses still smoking from the burning they received and ashes everywhere with the smell of death; the people who fought watched their two salvations exit with a new smile knowing there was still hope despite the destruction they caused in retaliation for what their enemies had caused.

They had witnessed two miracles today. The first was only fifteen people, all villagers, had died despite they arrived late as much as the aurors with the order did. The second was that the first part of the war was over and they had all watched and witnessed a boy who they thought would never finish the job meet his destiny as an adult man and fulfill it. Then walk away without asking for anything for himself and his mate in return.

It was a sight many would remember and one many would keep in mind if they ever needed help again.