A/N: Hey everyone! This one's a bit hectic, but hopefully it comes across to the readers the way it does in my head. Thanks for all the interaction with the story! You guys are great.
Chapter 44
July 30, 1996
The wind whipping through his hair filled Harry with a very bizarre sense of joy. Flying soothed his soul at all times, but the fact that he felt similarly today was confusing. He turned to look backwards on his broom, smiling at the small fleet behind him, before turning back to the distant rock with a bemused grin.
Azkaban. A place he never really wanted to set eyes on, but his target all the same. It was imposing in its bleakness, and its distance from land leant an unapproachable air to the island. They were still a few hundred meters out, but he could sense the evilness of the place from here, and knew his joy of flying wouldn't last. He pulled his Firebolt to a stop, and smiled at Daphne as she pulled alongside.
"You okay, kiddo?" Sirius asked as he slowly approached from behind.
"Who the hell are you to ask me that? Are you okay, Pads?"
"I'm lovely! The outside of that building is one of my favorite memories… I'm thinking I should come up once a month to revisit."
"What a weirdly healthy perspective," he offered with a grin. "Just figured we should reconvene before we start feeling the effects…"
"It's freezing," Daphne countered impatiently. "I'm already feeling the effects, so keep your rousing speech brief."
Harry's smirk was met with a glare, though his warming charm turned it into a grateful smile. He watched as the forty flyers gathered around him, anxious expressions abound.
"Marshal," Samuel Davies offered as he approached. "Everything okay?"
"It is, Captain. Just wanted one last moment before we begin our approach. Any concerns?"
"Besides a frozen ass?" Tonks asked sarcastically, drawing grins from the group. "How is it so cold here in July?"
"Dementors," Sirius answered easily. "The sea doesn't help, but the extended presence of my old friends have tainted this area."
"You look better than I expected you would," Bill countered with a grin. "I figured you'd be slung over one of our brooms by now."
"The power of therapy, William," he answered smugly. "I've perfected the craft of self-help, and I'll be offering classes for a small fee once the children return to school."
"And I'll be representing all participants in their class-action lawsuit," Daniel added sarcastically.
Harry chuckled at the byplay, glad his group was in such high spirits. His auxiliary unit was joined by the best flyers of Alpha and Bravo Company, with their comrades and the international units on standby, awaiting the new apparition beacons the twins had developed.
Their plan was meticulously researched, but the implementation came with a large question mark. Hermione and team were able to craft a spell that allowed them to feel the emotion in a memory, and Daphne comforting him after Percy's death was studied in a way that Harry felt weird about. He understood the importance of academia, but he'd been forced to excuse himself from the first brainstorming session as the Professors' discussion felt disrespectful to Percy's memory.
Albus apologized on their behalf moments after, but Harry knew their impartiality was a requirement of their task, and he ended up apologizing himself. The theory behind their mission was sound, and the small scale training had gone off without a hitch, but the actual task before them was a different beast altogether.
"Tonks," he offered, shaking himself from the cold. "You and Davies get those beacons set up as quickly as possible. Fleur and Bill will draw the runes, and Daphne and I will cast as soon as we can, but we need to get the prisoners out beforehand. Jean, you're positive you have space for them?"
"Unless they're three to a cell in there," the Frenchman answered confidently. "We've had offers of help from our allies if we need it, but we've cleared out three floors of our largest prison. That should be more than enough, and my men will take each of them in pairs. We're ready, Harry."
"Enzo, Aleksy… any concerns?"
"Only for my men left behind," Commander Bukowski offered brusquely. "They aren't happy being left out."
"Add Charlie Company to that," Shacklebolt countered with a grin. "They're pissed they've been left on guard detail."
The ex-auror was an expert flier, his skill only trumped by that with his wand, and he demanded to join the operation despite his role of head of training. Harry immediately agreed, and endured a frustrating conversation with Robards and Amelia about their own time spent behind a desk afterwards.
"Then let's go. My team will land next to the prison, with Tonks' and Davies' on either side of the island. The rest of you will protect us from the air, but feel free to call for help if you need it. Our spell only requires four of us, so you'll have five reinforcements if you need them before the rest of us can get here."
He smiled gratefully as the group nodded around him, and turned to lead the rest of the way. The spell his researchers developed built upon a lot of already established magical theory, but the power required was thought to be impossible. On his own he'd never accomplish it, but Harry was confident that the boost he and Daphne provided each other would be more than enough.
The spell was a modified dome-shaped ward, and the fact that it was powered by their love for one another would hypothetically make it impenetrable for dementors. His team successfully tested it against a single disruption stone, but no one was sure how many it could withstand. It wasn't an ideal solution, as locking the dementors away permanently was best case scenario, but any amount of time without the monsters rejoining the fray would be welcome.
The other troops involved had trained for the last seventy-two hours in order to extract the prisoners quickly, and Jean was quick to offer to house them for the rest of the war. France's prison wasn't as imposing as Azkaban, but Voldemort wasn't allied with their prison guards like he was the dementors. All in all, it was as good a plan as they could hope for inside of the time requirements, but it was by no means perfect.
Daphne shivered dramatically to his right, and the sight broke him of his introspection. He cast a Patronus without a thought, and Prongs shone brightly as he joined the formation, though he was quickly joined by others as his group fought off the effects as they neared.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," Daphne answered with a determined nod, as she cast her own Patronus. "I'm ready to get this over with, and I'm gonna take the longest bath ever recorded when I get back home."
"Now there's a happy thought I can use…"
"Shut up, Harold."
He laughed aloud at the grin in her tone and the flush of her cheeks, happy he was able to distract her for just a moment. A quick glance to his left showed a determined godfather, Remus on his other side, the pair followed by the rest of his unit and Fleur. The group looked similarly ready to end this, and Harry angled his broom downward as they drew within a hundred meters.
He saw Tonks' and Davies' team split from the formation and head to opposite sides of the island, while the remaining flyers broke away from each other to create a moving shield of sorts above them. The twins' apparition beacon would allow his troops to move through friendly wards, which the Prison's were after Arthur's help, and he was blown away by the pair's ingenuity. Everything was going as planned so far, but he knew better than to relax.
"We're heading right for the front door," he called loudly as his unit bunched up around him. "Everyone but Daph, Fleur, and Bill spread out and create a perimeter once we land."
He saw nods all around, and hopped from his broom a few meters above the ground. The unit moved like a well-oiled machine, though an unseen alarm blared in their ears just before Harry's feet hit the ground.
"Get started on the runes," he ordered, Fleur and Bill following the instruction immediately.
He felt Daphne's hand in his left, and turned to smile at the girl confidently.
"We'll be outta here in no time."
"This place is miserable…"
"You can say that a thousand times. I don't know how Sirius is anywhere close to sane…"
"That could be argued."
"That he's upright is good enough for me."
"East beacon in place," Tonks' tinny voice blared from his communication floo.
"West in place as well," Davies sounded off directly afterwards. "General Moody will be the first to arrive, and he'll have a floo on him."
"Good job, you two. Stay safe and call for help if you need it."
His heart twisted painfully at his men and women in harm's way, but he knew they were capable of getting out of this alive. Daphne squeezed his hand when she felt his discomfort, and he responded by raising it to his mouth to kiss.
"Marshal!" Moody's call was urgent, and his unit, besides Bill and Fleur, looked to him in worry. "Those aren't Ministry alarms! We'll have company shortly…"
"Fuck," he hissed, a pit forming in his stomach before he reached for the floo. "We proceed as quickly as we can, but squad leaders activate your portkeys if the situation becomes untenable. I want zero losses today, is that clear?"
A chorus of affirmative responses filled the connection, and he spun to his team in frustration. Sirius turned to leave his spot on the defensive perimeter, but Harry waved him back with a forced smile.
"You all heard that," he called loudly. "We're on the clock, but that doesn't mean we rush. What is it that Enzo always says?"
"Slow is smooth," Remus offered immediately. "And smooth is fast."
"Exactly. Bill, Fleur… take the time you need, we only have one chance at this."
"No pressure at all, mate," Bill countered sarcastically, though his eyes never left his work.
"A few more minutes," Fleur added distractedly.
"Tonks," he said into the floo. "Is Albus here yet?"
"Just stepped through."
"Send him my way, please. Moody, you too. We're just outside the front gates."
He paced anxiously while the two behind him worked, though the lack of response from the still closed gates was welcome. After thirty seconds he saw Albus approaching from the east, perfectly at home on a Nimbus 2001. Alastor followed from the other direction more awkwardly, though he landed next to the older man successfully nonetheless. Harry had intended to use the pair as safeguards for their apparition beacons, but the new information meant his team needed the extra wands. A fireteam from each Company was stationed at the beacons regardless, and had orders to destroy them and portkey out if they came under attack, as Harry didn't want them falling into enemy hands.
"Thanks for joining us, hopefully you're unnecessary."
"My daily affirmation…" Albus countered with a smile. "Alastor, any idea how they have wards on the island?"
"None, and I'm not even positive they're the bastard's. I just know they aren't ours, and that's no good…"
"They're his," Harry countered. "I felt the ward as soon as you told me, and I'm pissed I didn't when we were coming in. It's twenty meters above us, and we flew through it without even slowing. He probably cast it when he broke the others out last year, the asshole."
"Let's be glad it was only an alarm then," the grizzled General offered.
"That's the only reason I didn't feel it before… it's surprisingly subtle for him."
"I guess having an incompetent enemy wouldn't be any fun…"
"I'd be fine if this was no fun at all."
"But the songs they'll write of us," the man countered with a misshapen grin. "I plan to be remembered."
"I remember you every morning. No need for songs."
"Harry!"
The floo interrupted them startlingly, and the older men quickly popped to attention with raised wands.
"Go ahead."
"Shacklebolt, here. We have unknown flyers from the south, heading straight for the prison."
"How many?"
"Too many. I ordered my troops away, we'd be dead in seconds… at least a hundred. They're landing on the roof now."
"Commanders… sitreps!"
"First floor clear," Davies answered immediately. "We're moving to help Bukowski on two."
"Bukowski?"
"We've pushed the dementors back, but no sign of combatants. We'll be done in two minutes with Bravo's help. Should we move up to Moretti?"
"No! Both Companies exfil after you're done. Moretti?"
"Halfway through, but the dementors are proving an issue."
"Do you need help?"
"No, Marshal, but we're behind schedule."
"I'm not fucking around, Enzo," Harry hissed into the floo. "At the first sight of Death Eaters, you portkey out of there, understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Tonks, they're right above you. You okay?"
"No sign yet," the woman answered brusquely. "We have some less than happy campers in cells up here, though. I doubt we get through the entire level…"
"I no longer give a fuck. Do what you can, but exfil at the first sign of trouble."
"Will do, Marsh…"
Tonks' voice cut off worryingly, and Harry felt Remus storm over to them anxiously.
"Tonks," Harry called again. "What's your situation?"
"Ha… Harry… they blew through the roof…"
"Portkey out now!"
"I have… men down…I need a minute!"
Remus immediately turned to the gates, and Harry didn't blame the man in the slightest. If it had been Daphne up there he'd already have left.
"Charlie," he called, the man jogging towards him immediately. "Watch Remus' back, and if you have to, grab him and exfil."
"No problem, Harry." He turned without a further word, sprinting to catch up with the worried werewolf.
"Tonks," he said, returning to the floo. "Remus and Charlie are heading your way. They each have a floo, so keep them updated. Exfil as soon as you can… don't turn a minor loss into a major."
"A bit busy here… but will do!"
"Bill, Fleur. How long do you need?"
He turned to see the Veela finished with her own rune cluster, and helping Bill put the last touches on his. The sight was a welcome one, and he quickly grabbed Daphne's hand to head over to the matching patterns.
"You ready?"
"I was ready as soon as we landed."
"Then let's do this."
He drew a knife from a scabbard on his belt, the silver blade gleaming in the bleak afternoon. He sliced his left palm from end to end, and handed the blade to Daphne handle first. The blood magic addition was actually her idea, and the revelation solved a major runic problem the research group was struggling with. The intermingled blood would allow the ward to power correctly, a mixture of both of their magics, and that no one batted an eye at the idea showed how desperate the group was to find a solution.
Harry's stomach clenched uncomfortably as Daphne winced in pain, but the girl quickly settled herself and placed the knife back into its home on his belt.
"Ten seconds, Harry," Fleur offered from in front, though the air seemed to burst into life around them as she spoke.
"SHIELDS!"
His command was followed immediately, though Sirius was forced to roll away from a Killing Curse nonetheless. The group traced the path of the spell simultaneously, and Harry's heart turned to stone as he saw Voldemort descending to the ground without a broom, gesturing frustratedly for his men to cease fire. His most trusted followed him, and Harry's team was quickly outnumbered as more than forty dark wizards touched down.
Neville rushed to Daphne's left, his eyes cold as he stared down their adversaries, the rest of his unit moving to form a defensible unit. Fleur moved to the back as she finished her runes, and Moody and Albus stood on either side of the group.
"You've cut yourself, Harry," Voldemort hissed pleasantly, gesturing at his left hand.
"I'm a bit clumsy," he offered lightly, though he could feel his heartbeat in his ears. "I'd hoped I wouldn't see you today, Tom."
"Why ever not? It's been too long."
"Because I haven't prepared any good comebacks for our little pre-duel ritual…"
"You're doing just fine without them. I'm glad you've brought your friends this time."
"You won't be," Sirius countered darkly. "While Harry's kicking your ass, I plan to kill every single one of the mother fuckers standing behind you…"
"So angry, Black," the man hissed gently. "Harry and I have developed a sort of routine during these little meetings, and you're disrupting the procedure."
Harry weighed the advantages of releasing his magic as he had at the platform, but the presence of his friends and his troops in the prison quickly proved that idea to be lacking. The Hallows burned in him, and he'd give them their head, but he needed to be more controlled than he was previously.
"Why didn't you empty the prison earlier, Tom?" he asked curiously, keeping a firm grip on Daphne's hand and his racing heart. "We were honestly shocked this was a necessary operation…"
"As I was when I realized you weren't still guarding it. I'd have come long ago, but your actions have been infuriatingly hard to predict. You should've cleared this place as soon as you consolidated your power."
"You're right. A misstep that I'm glad to correct."
"Unfortunately, it will cost you your lives…"
"So sure of that fact."
"Why wouldn't I be? Should I be fearful of the walking skeleton standing on one side, or the madman on the other? Or is it the gaggle of almost threats in between that will kill me?"
"Am I so little a threat? I see a missing finger from our last dance, yet I managed to escape unscathed."
"And I see the Wand that allowed that to transpire, young Harry. You got lucky, and you know it."
"He's lucky again," Kingsley countered loudly as he and his men landed behind them. "I've been hoping for a chance to kill some of you."
Voldemort seemed to hesitate at the arrival of twenty more wands, though his hesitance quickly turned to sarcastic confusion.
"Harry, who is this man that speaks to me so informally? Should I know him?"
"You will," Kingsley countered darkly, as his team spread out in a semicircle.
Harry saw Lucius' eyes widen behind his master, clearly uncomfortable with the reinforcements, but he couldn't find Draco amongst the small group. He was a bit disappointed by the absence, though he knew their situation was dire already. An idea came to him like a shot in the dark, and he released Daphne's hand to step forward.
"Fight me."
"I intend to," Voldemort countered, gesturing around to the gathered combatants. "Did you think we came for tea?"
"Not them, and not my people. You wanted an audience… So fight me. You and me, no one else fires a spell. Have your victory shared to the world you nose-less piece of shit."
He could feel Remus and Charlie returning behind the group at a frenzied pace, and if the pair reacted as he thought they would, this confrontation could be ended soon after it began. Voldemort had forty men at his back, but he knew his two could cut that number in half with an unseen spell, and the group around him could quickly overwhelm the others. He needed two minutes at most, and hoped the man would accept his challenge to provide that time.
Voldemort turned to whisper to Lucius, though the smile he wore was grotesque. He removed his cloak with a shrug, passing it to his second in command, and stepped forward like a champion gladiator entering the arena.
"How bizarre it is for someone to ask to be killed in front of their loved ones…"
Harry turned to Daphne, though his eyes never left his nemesis, and whispered just as Voldemort had done.
"Remus and Charlie are about to come in firing. Pass the word for everyone to cast their most powerful spell at Voldemort as soon as they do. Killing Curses for those that can manage it."
"I will… don't you dare die."
Harry grinned in response, though he wished he was more certain of how he matched up to the man standing nearby. Ending the war right now was ideal, but Voldemort's ability the last time they fought brought him pause. He knew he needed to be careful, but given the opportunity, he'd happily rip out the man's heart and sleep like a baby afterwards.
Voldemort cast as soon as he stepped forward, but the Elder Wand sang in response as he raised a wall to intercept the familiar green spell. He banished the debris in a bizarre recreation of their last duel, but Riddle responded much differently.
He dodged the bits of stone as he moved to the left, and began firing Killing Curses indiscriminately. Harry's heart sank as he watched his team freeze momentarily, though the first volley didn't connect, its targets dodging in time.
Lucius was the first to break the agreement, firing a Killing Curse of his own at Daphne as she recovered from rolling away from the first. Harry saw Neville block the curse with a conjured table, and Daniel turned to draw the man into a duel. Lord Greengrass was visibly furious, and Lucius quickly retreated into the safety of his own men as he followed.
Harry's men took the curses as a call to action, and the air around them lit up with spellfire. He forcibly focused his mind on the activity around him, while allowing his magic to burst through him with as much power as he could manage. He stepped forward to draw the monster's ire on himself and let the magic loose, an intense golden beam of light racing from his wand with obvious intent.
He grinned as he saw Voldemort's eyes widen in surprise, but the man's quick reaction spared him. Four Death Eaters behind him vanished from existence, however, without even a moment to scream in fear.
—
"What the hell was that?" Charlie asked as the pair raced forward.
"No idea, but can't be good," Remus countered, his heart sinking back to a familiar pessimistic level. "We're coming up on the gate… let's take a look."
He led the way quickly, his companion sprinting along behind, and the pair peeked around the barely opened door. They found a battlefield, but instead of bringing them up short, the sight forced the pair forward viciously. He briefly thanked his lucky stars that Tonks portkeyed out with her troops, and readied himself for the fight to come.
"Area blasting curse on my move," Remus called as they drew within fifty meters. "Take out as many as you can. I'll aim left, you go right."
"Got it!"
He raised his wand as he drew to a stop, forcing every bit of magic he had left into the spell. He saw Charlie doing the same beside him and let loose, the spell connecting at the feet of the rear rank of Death Eaters. Bodies were tossed like cotton balls when the two curses connected, and pained screams rent the air.
They'd taken out at least ten enemies with the spells, and the other Death Eaters turned comically at the sudden attack. A handful were cut down as soon as their backs were turned, but Remus grabbed Charlie and sprinted to the right.
"We have Death Eaters and dementors behind us," he hissed as he half-carried the man as quickly as he could. "We do not want to get caught between them and Voldemort."
"You act like I don't know that, Moony. Let me go so I can run! Albus is pushing them to the middle, we can rejoin the unit from his end."
—
Harry's eyes lit up as bodies went flying, and he could barely make out Remus and Charlie hiding in the shadows. He hoped they'd circle around, but cast a quick cutting curse as the Death Eaters turned to face the new threat.
He saw Voldemort's eyes widen at the sudden loss of his men, and strode forward to interrupt whatever retaliation he planned. The man's unnatural eyes found his own, and the anger they held was impressive.
"You'll suffer for this," the man hissed, as they both swayed around spells sent their way. "I'll make sure you watch every single one of your friends and family die, and it will be slow…"
"You expected me to fight fair?" Harry countered with an evil smirk. "It was you that broke our deal first, Tommy. Don't be so soft…"
Voldemort responded in a way he didn't expect, vanishing into thin air. The island's anti-apparition wards were too strong for him to break without a beacon such as theirs, though portkeys were an option, but he knew the man wouldn't have taken one just yet. Harry cast his eyes around warily, deflecting a few spells sent his way distractedly. He was still here, but whatever magic he was using was unknown to the teen.
He finally managed to feel the monster, and his stomach turned to stone at his location.
"Daphne, MOVE!"
The girl spun at the command, and Voldemort appeared as if born from the ground just next to the spot she left. He watched helplessly as Neville turned too slowly, and raised his wand in desperation to deflect what he knew was inevitable.
Time seemed to slow around him, the green light coming from Voldemort's wand lighting his entire world. The monster seemed surprised at who stood before him, but that surprise was replaced by a cruel excitement in the space of a heartbeat. Harry's spell sped forward, while Neville's sped wide, neither able to block the Killing Curse that was fired from almost point blank range.
His heart broke at the defiant look in his friend's eyes, but the look was soon replaced. Not by the emptiness Harry expected, but by surprise as a body slammed into him from behind.
Shacklebolt was horizontal to the earth as his body met Neville's, and the teen's head rocked backwards painfully as the man connected. The pair crashed to the ground violently, though Harry watched as only one set of limbs struggled to stand.
Something in him broke at the sudden realization, though the world seemed to continue to move at half speed. He raised his wand, the speed of the action at odds with the rest of the battle, and cast on instinct. The spell reached its target just as Voldemort seemed to sense it, connecting in a grotesque spray of blood as the man spun.
Harry strode forward into the sudden silence, glancing at his dead friend as he passed. Emotions were unavailable to him again, his heart taken over by the Hallows, but he was grateful for it once more.
He cast another burst of pure magic intending to end this war, but Voldemort reached into his shirt, portkeying away before the spell could connect. Harry cursed at the man's escape, though he incinerated what was left of the arm his last spell had won him. He felt the other Death Eaters behind him portkey out as well, and his own team relaxed around him.
"His name was Kingsley Shacklebolt," he said dully into the void, his voice traveling clearly. "He proved exactly who he was, and what good people stand for. He was ten times the man you could ever hope to be, and he'll be among the first to meet you when you're sent to the afterlife."
He stumbled to a knee as he approached his friend's dead body, grasping his hand tightly in his right. He jumped slightly as another hand filled his left, and his emotions seemed to hammer on the door they were held behind.
He stood. Took a deep breath. And turned. Daphne's blue eyes were filled with heartbreak and concern, and his emotions hammered harder on their wall.
Remembering Ignotus' words he opened the door, and dragged the love of his life inelegantly to the rune stones, placing her on the left before taking his position. He readjusted their hands so their open cuts met perfectly, and glanced to his side to find her watching him.
He nodded once, which she returned, and the pair raised their wands. He could feel the magic rushing from him, but it didn't sap him of his strength like they expected. Instead, he focused the spell.
He thought of Kingsley's sacrifice, and of the love he held for the person next to him, and refined the spell in a way that surprised him. The dome appeared around the building as expected, but as Daphne moved to step away from the rune stone he held her firm.
He could feel her looking at him in surprise, but he ignored it, focusing on compressing the dome as much as he could. He looked up to see the magic falling, the spell growing more powerful as it condensed. It reached the top of the prison within seconds, but Harry knew he could go further.
It reached the top floor windows, and he heard unearthly screams of pain from within. The screams fueled his determination, however, and he focused further. Within seconds the dome shrunk out of sight, and the silence outside his mind finally matched that within.
"Harry, my boy," Albus offered into that silence after a long minute. "What have you done?"
"Killed the dementors."
The words seemed to use the last of the strength available to him, and he felt his eyes roll upwards and into blackness.
—
Daphne's feet moved forward as soon as they touched the floor, her heart breaking at the sight of her boyfriend. Sirius had caught him before he hit the ground, and the man refused to release him despite their return to the manor. He smiled softly at her as she approached to grab Harry's hand, and she watched as he spoke to Remus before the man apparated away.
She knew he was heading to check on Tonks, and she wished she had empathy to give, but her entire being was focused on the lifeless teen in his godfather's arms.
"Daph," she heard her father whisper from close behind. "Let Sirius get him to a bed. He's just passed out, he'll be fine."
She simply nodded, though her silent tears belied the neutral response. The fear she felt in the last twenty minutes crashed down all at once, and the feeling was completely overwhelming. She stumbled to the den's oversized couch, and collapsed into a corner of it as she watched Sirius walk away with the only person she wanted to speak to. She curled into a tight ball, hugging her stomach, and wished she'd had the forethought of bringing her stuffed owl into the room.
She felt the couch cushions shift as someone sat opposite, and raised her head to see Neville wearing a similar expression. His tears forced hers away, and she uncurled herself and sat up.
"Nev," she whispered, her voice broken with emotion. "It's not your fault."
"I know it's not," the teen offered, his sobs making words difficult. "But that doesn't make it easier. I barely knew him, Daph…"
"I didn't either," she answered, her heart breaking all over again. "But Harry thought the world of him. He was a great person that made a great sacrifice…"
"I don't even know if he had a family…"
"He had a wife," her father answered from his seat nearby, clearly unsure as to how to console the teens. "She's just as ardent a supporter as he was, and I'll break the news myself."
"I want to come," Neville whispered painfully, pulling into himself further.
"Me too," she added. "He… Kingsley… saved us."
"He did," her father confirmed calmly, cutting off her view of Neville as he sat in between. "He'll have my undying gratitude, and his wife will never want for anything, I swear it. But that won't make up for her loss."
"I wish I knew him better."
"So do I, Daph."
"How many others did we lose?"
"I have no idea. The Weasleys went to find out… Charlie should be back any moment."
"Where's Albus?"
"At the hospital, I'm sure. He'd want to lend a hand where he can."
"I can't do this…"
The plea in Neville's voice brought Daphne and her father to immediate silence, though both moved towards him as he stormed to his feet. The look in his eye was slightly feral, but she stepped forward all the same.
"Nev," she whispered softly. "I can't begin to imagine how you feel, but we need to try and keep it together. We'll go see Kingsley's wife in a few, but if you need to speak to Healer Wilson, I'll go with you to see her another day."
"Keep it together? Oh sure… no problem. I'll just wipe the last hour from my memory, and pretend he didn't just jump in front of a fucking Killing Curse for me!... I'm going for a walk, I don't wanna be in the way…"
Daphne caught her father's eye as the teen left the room, her stomach twisting at her poor choice of words. Daniel immediately pulled her into a hug, and the sobs she'd been denying broke free at the contact.
"I'm so stupid…" she cried, sniffling into her father's shoulder.
"You're the furthest thing from it," he countered gently, stroking her hair as he held her. "You, my beautiful daughter, are one of the smartest, kindest, and most empathetic people I've ever known, and it's mind blowing that I had a small role in your making."
"And Neville's one of the most sturdy I've ever met… and he's all alone right now because I couldn't keep my dumb mouth shut."
"Like you're supposed to be a pro at this? Daph… despite what it feels like, you're still sixteen. You can't be everything for everyone, and this isn't a scenario you've had much experience in. Neville will calm down, and if I get my guess, he'll be just as apologetic as you are."
"Where is he?"
The pair turned at the interruption, finding Astoria filling the doorway with a deranged look on her face. Her mum followed worriedly, and her dad released her to reassure the pair.
"He's fine. He's gone through something that'll be tough to get over, but he made it home safely."
"I know he's home," Astoria countered impatiently, surprising both of them. "But he's a wreck right now, and he needs me."
"He went for a walk. He normally heads to the greenhouses…"
The younger girl didn't wait for the second half of the sentence, tearing around her mother to find her boyfriend. Daphne's confusion grew at the reaction, but she quickly found herself in her mum's arms.
"I'll explain later,' Emily whispered knowingly, squeezing her for all she was worth.
—
July 31, 1996
Harry woke slowly, though the familiar weight on his feet proved he wasn't alone. He knew he'd spent his magical reserves once more, and the reason for it fell heavily. Kingsley didn't deserve that fate, though the gratitude he felt for the man somehow outweighed his grief.
Kingsley was an exceedingly deliberate person, quick to get to the heart of whatever issue brought to him, but he also had a mischievous side, much to Robards detriment. Harry couldn't count the times that he'd entered the Command Center to find Robards ignoring his best friend for some prank or another, and he'd always remember Shacklebolt's satisfied grin at the mistreatment. He also made sure their recruits wanted for nothing as they worked through their training, and Harry knew their force wouldn't be half as strong as it was without the man's calming influence.
He felt Sirius transform as he sat up, and his godfather quickly moved to sit next to him against the headboard.
"How do you feel?" he asked with a shoulder bump.
"Grateful… and furious."
"Join the club. Kingsley was a great man..."
"If we had ten of him," Harry agreed. "This war would've been over before it started."
"I think you're right."
"How many others did we lose?"
"Three from Alpha, with Tonks and six others in the hospital but expected to make a full recovery, and two from the flyers that joined us."
"Damn it."
"They saved our lives…"
"I know, Pads," Harry hissed frustratedly. "But I'm sick of people dying in my defense."
"Neville feels similarly," Sirius offered gently. "He took off yesterday once we got back. He had a bit of a… moment… speaking to Daphne and Daniel, and stormed out of the Manor without looking back."
"I can feel him down the hall, so I'm assuming he didn't go far…"
"Astoria talked him down. Something's going on there, but Emily wanted to give it a few days before explaining. Pretty shitty way for the guy to spend his birthday, though…"
"I didn't even realize…"
"No one but Astoria did," Sirius countered gently. "And he's not the type to bring it up. Hell, if Daphne hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered yours with everything else going on. Happy birthday, kiddo."
"Let's ignore that piece of trivia for a while. We can have a joint party in a week or so."
"Emily's already planning one. You ready to get back at it?"
"Do I have to?"
"Nope. Give me ten minutes to grab Buckbeak, and we'll be castaways in no time…"
The thought drew a grin, but Daphne's worried state down the hall took precedence.
"I'm gonna say yes to that one day."
"Don't spring it on me… I'll piss my pants in happiness."
A/N: My second story, that I'm currently planning as ideas come, features Kingsley heavily. He's such a cool character, and definitely doesn't deserve what he got here. Dementors out of the way, so net win for the good guys, but at a high cost.