Duel of Fate

by WolfgangNH

Harry Potter is an orphan, but not by the hand of Voldemort. He went after Neville on that fateful night and it changed everything. Harry and Neville are bitter enemies, while Neville is known as the Boy-Who-Lived. That does not mean that Harry is not fated for greatness himself. Dumbles, Weasley, Longbottom bashing. Mentor Flitwick. Duellist. Harry multi, no harem. Teen angst.

19. A Howl in the Night

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

-oOo-

Chapter 19

09 May 24

-oOo-

This time on the Duel of Fate: A howl in the night…

-oOo-

August 2, 1995

Hogsmeade, Scotland

Stepping out of the fireplace, Harry nimbly stepped to the side, scanned the room while touching the tip of his wand with his fingers and rose his brow in surprise to see Master Flitwick sitting down with three others.

Sue rose a brow back at him. Apparently, she was equally as surprised.

The two silvery blondes were looking at him with interest. "Good morning, Master Flitwick. I wasn't aware I was supposed to get dressed for guests today," Harry said, very aware he was in his workout clothes and holding his duelling robes in his hand. The shirt was a little tight over his torso with his workout pants loose like a gi.

"Good morning, Harry. This is just a little introductory meeting between my new apprentices and my old. After we finish tea, you and Sue will be taking Gabrielle through your workout and then start teaching her the base forms," he instructed.

Harry's brow rose more. With everything else going on in his life, the last thing he wanted was someone that was going to slow him down. "Yes, Master," was his only response though.

"Good morning, 'Arry," Gabrielle said. He felt a little bit of her allure on his occlumency shields, but he had learned to fortify them, and she seemed to be trying to keep it to a minimum. Fleur was doing the same, but hers had never really affected Harry to begin with.

"Good morning, Gabrielle. Hello, Fleur. I wasn't aware that Master Flitwick was taking on any more duelling students," Harry said.

"Fleur is going to be a charms mistress," Sue said as though it was obvious.

"Indeed. Fleur has impressed me enough to take her on as a mastery candidate. Gabrielle has requested to change masters. Please, have some tea," Master Flitwick offered.

Harry looked at them all. Hoping he didn't offend his master, he said, "I would prefer to start. Andi has requested I be back by two."

"Very well," Master Flitwick acknowledged.

Sue upended her cup. "I'll join you," she said, hopping to her feet.

Gabrielle quickly moved to stand. "I will as well."

Harry pursed his lips. "I'm not slowing down," he warned her.

"I will keep up," the blonde veela girl told him. Harry gave her a disbelieving look. Sue was even struggling to keep up with him some days since he had started to take this all much more seriously.

Without a word, he walked past them towards the basement.

"That went better than expected," Master Flitwick said in a low voice.

"He was rather rude and serious," Fleur replied.

"I warned you he was more serious now," Master Flitwick said before Harry went through the door to the basement. Sue and Gabrielle followed him.

Harry put his duelling robes onto one of the hooks besides the stairwell. Sue's, Master Flitwick's and another pair he assumed to be Gabrielle's, were on the others. He moved to the centre of the room and started to jog in place. Sue undid her light summer robes to show she was already in her workout suit, then stepped in next to him. Gabrielle looked at them, then down at the nice summer dress she was wearing.

"If you want to work out in that, you can, but be prepared for someone to see your knickers," Sue told her with a smirk.

Harry smirked as well.

"I am unsure if I would mind, but where did you get that suit?" she said to Sue, with a quick glance to Harry. Sue was in a pair of tight pants and a top that showed off her midsection.

"It's a workout suit. Harry was raised in the muggle world. His aunt showed my parents where to get it this summer," Sue said.

Harry was focusing on warming up. After a few moments, he started to do squats.

Gabrielle huffed, then pulled her wand. After a moment, she was in a more modest shirt and loose pants. She moved to the other side of Harry and started to copy him. Harry wasn't going to go easy and moved through his evolutions at his normal speed. By the time he was getting to the fifty burpees, Gabrielle was already starting to sweat. Sue did fifty push-ups as he did a hundred. Gabrielle looked ready to drop when he moved to the bar to do pull-ups. Sue fell in next to him when he started to jog around the room. The basement had been expanded to be double the size of the house above, giving them a decent area to run in. After doing two laps at a fast jog, he just about sprinted for another five minutes, Sue just barely able to keep up with him as Gabrielle was panting heavily to do half their speed. When done, Harry started a five-minute cool down walk before stretching. Sue was sweating while Gabrielle looked ready to drop, sighing as she sat, before realizing Sue and him only dropped to the mat on the floor to stretch more.

"Merde… vous allez… me tuer," Gabrielle muttered through her gasps.

Sue chuckled. Harry cast her a curious eye. "She thinks you're trying to kill her," Sue informed him.

Harry smirked. "Not yet."

"You understand French?" Gabrielle asked.

"I've been learning. I wanted to learn how to swear like you did at the last tournament," Sue replied.

Harry laughed at Gabrielle's incredulous face.

"Gabrielle, you should stretch, otherwise you will cramp up," Harry informed her.

Gabrielle groaned. "That was more than Master LaBeouf had me do."

"Be lucky today is forms and duelling day. Wednesdays and Fridays are the worst," Sue said.

Harry shrugged. "I like them."

Gabrielle looked rather apprehensive. "That wasn't… a hard workout?"

Sue gave the girl a malicious smirk. "That was just a warmup."

"Merde!" Gabrielle muttered as she copied Sue and him on their stretches.

"If you teach her first and second form, I'll walk her through third, fourth and fifth," Sue told him.

Harry glared at her. "Fine, but I'm only showing her twice. Master Flitwick has me working on the advanced spell chaining today."

Sue rocked her head. "Is that supposed to impress me?"

"What are these forms you talk about?" Gabrielle questioned.

Sue rolled her eyes after the short battle of wills between her and Harry. "Master Flitwick has come up with three levels of forms to walk you through the basic duelling premises for chaining, shielding, dodging, countering and teaching your body to react without thinking. I don't know if anyone else uses them," Sue answered. "The first five forms are the first level."

"Merde, is that how you and Harry are always so quick and beat everyone?" Gabrielle questioned.

"Maybe," Harry said.

Sue shook her head at his antics. "Master Flitwick got the idea from muggle martial arts. Wednesday and Fridays we practice martial skills with the workouts. Master Flitwick says it's to let our cores rest with how much we are stressing them right now. Harry and I are here six days a week."

"I think Flitwick doesn't want us to get better than him," Harry added.

"I'm telling him that," Sue told him.

Harry shrugged his shoulders as though he didn't care, though was sure he would get a sound thrashing… ah, lesson… later for that comment.

Gabrielle looked between them. "You don't, ah, like each other, do you?"

The looks on both their faces would have been comical to almost anyone else. It showed clear disgust. "Ah, no. Sue is not my type."

"I'd sooner cut his hands off than let him touch me," Sue said.

Harry gave her a stink eye. "There isn't much to touch."

"OI! I'm not that flat!"

"Flat enough."

"Watch it, Potter!" Sue warned, her wand coming to her hand.

Harry was already pointing his wand at her as her wand came to bear on him. He gave her a wry smirk. "Getting slow, Sue."

"Fecking Morgana's tits!" Sue swore, knowing she would have lost on that one.

Gabrielle was giving them an uncertain look, as though she was second guessing herself about being here.

"I didn't tell you to act like little children. Why aren't you onto the forms yet?" Master Flitwick asked in a severe voice.

"It was all Harry's fault," Sue said, rolling back and kipping up. Harry rolled to the side and came up, his wand still coming around faster than hers. She glared at him, and he smirked again.

"If you are done being children, I meant for you to show Gabrielle the forms," Master Flitwick said sternly, though a small uptick to his mouth showed he wasn't that upset with them.

"Yes, sir," Harry said. "Come on up, Blondy, time to work."

He stepped over and held a handout to her. Gabrielle glared up at him. "Merde! You are quicker than last time I faced you."

Harry winked. "Just wait until we duel."

"That can wait. Miss Delacour has some catching up to do before she steps in the ring with either of you. I will be duelling her later to see where she is," Master Flitwick said.

Harry grinned again as the girl paled. "Master Flitwick duels you?"

"More like kicks our arse. Sue and I will show you how to get rid of the bruises later," he said.

A few hours later, Gabrielle was limping out of the basement as Sue and Harry nursed a few bruises of their own. Fleur looked up from a desk that was covered in books and parchments. Her brow furrowed in concern. "Gabrielle? What happened to all of you?"

Gabrielle just groaned as she flopped onto a couch. Harry shook his head. "She'll get used to it. Sue, I must go. I'm almost late and should take a shower and eat something. It was good to see you again, Fleur. I'll see you tomorrow, I hope, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle's eyes moved to glare at him. Harry gave her a cheeky grin.

"Go, I'll show her how to get rid of the bruises. Some of them are probably in areas she wouldn't want you to see," Sue said as Gabrielle groaned again.

Fleur's brow rose higher. "I wouldn't be so sure," she muttered loud enough for them all to hear. "Are you going to survive, Gabi? What hurts?"

"That was cruel and unusual. I think my everything hurts," Gabrielle replied before saying something in French that had Sue laughing and Fleur chortling. Harry made a mental note he was going to have to learn French.

-oOo-

August 4, 1995

London, England

Sirius was sitting across from Amelia. She was staring down the man at the other end of her desk. Sirius wanted to rip the man's throat out, but couldn't, mostly because of the Auror between them who was taking down notes of the meeting.

"Explain to me, one more time, why I can't arrest someone that was supposed to be in Azkaban for the last thirteen years but has been working for the Unspeakables?" she asked coolly.

"Unspeakable Soothsayer was pardoned by Minister Bagnold because she was found to have been under the Imperious curse for much of the time she was accused of helping Lord Voldemort, as well as being coerced," Croaker said in his smug tone.

Oh, how he loathed this man. Especially as he was bringing up doubts in Sirius he didn't like. It had only been a few months since he had found out about her betrayal before he was in a coma for over a decade, and with everything else he had been dealing with for the last six months he hadn't been able to think about her.

Amelia glared at the man. "Shacklebolt, what did you find?"

The man next to him took up a folder he had under his notebook. "Head Croaker is correct. The pardon was passed through on December thirteenth, nineteen-eighty-one. Saint Mungo's and three Unspeakables filed reports confirming that Celeste Dagwood was found to have been under the Imperious curse multiple times and was thought to be under the imperious the night she was arrested."

Sirius frowned.

"I think that clears my employee, who is supposed to be protected under the Unspeakables' mandate anyways, Anything else in this witch hunt? Or do I need to file a harassment claim against Lord Black?" Croaker said, giving Sirius a side long glance. Sirius was sure the man would love to do that. If he didn't need to deal with Croaker in the ministry, as blood feuds were considered illegal to act on inside the ministry.

Amelia didn't look pleased. "I assume so."

"Then I would like to put forward that Lord Black, Regent Potter and Heir Potter-Black illegally removed copies of prophecies. I have been able to retrieve an edict from seventeen-ninety-two, signed by Minister Osbert, that states the Unspeakables are the only ones able to copy prophecies and remove them from the ministry," Croaker said.

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "The houses of Black and Potter claimed the Old Laws that allowed them to use any knowledge in a family grimoire. It is also the right of the prophecy subject to control the prophecy."

Croaker didn't smile, but Sirius could feel the man wanted too.

"The last three Blacks to work in the Unspeakables and have access to the Hall of Prophecy's all did so after this edict. The spell used was only added to the Unspeakables' library in eighteen-oh-six. I will be getting a copy of those prophecies, or you will be dealing with my department," Croaker told him.

Sirius glared at him. "Not happening."

"Then Director Bones, here is my complaint. I expect an interview and investigation within the next twenty-four hours." Croaker stood up. "Director. Gentleman."

The smugness on the man's voice rankled Sirius. He waited until the door shut behind the man before growling. "Amelia, this is covered under the old laws. I hate using my family, but there is nothing illegal about this."

"I know Sirius, but I am required to investigate," she replied.

Sirius threw his hands up and stood. "This is just Croaker trying to get at us for his nephew! You know that edict will be found illegal."

"Shacklebolt, I need you to investigate this. Get Robards or Westfield to help. I can't have any impropriety in this. Tell Scrimgeour this is your top priority and then I want him in my office," she ordered.

"Yes, Director," Kingsley responded. "Good day."

When the door was closed, Amelia turned to him. "Sirius, I know what this is about. When did you get the prophecy?"

Sirius let out a long breath. "A few days ago. Andi and I are handling it, but you can't let that man hear them."

She scrutinized him for a few. "I will do what I can. As you know we have a good base in the Wizengamot, but if Croaker takes it before them, I'm not sure that he may not get enough support from the Conservatives to force the issue."

Sirius paled. "You can't let them hear this."

"I will do everything I can. I can hold this up for a few months, at the least. I need you and Andi to drum up support with the alliance. Have you made a decision about Harry staying or not?" she questioned.

Sirius sighed. "I can't take him away from Filius or Sue. The man is one of the few things keeping Harry together right now, and Sue is his best friend."

She nodded. "I got Susie's acceptance to two schools in Australia. You should come over so that Harry and her can say good-bye."

"Bloody hell. Are you sure?"

"Sarah wants Paul protected. He's all she has left, and she is just barely holding it together for him. I think if she spends much more time looking at Hannah's old room, she will be going around the twist," Amelia said, sounding tired and concerned for her sister.

"Sure. Just let me know when," Sirius told her.

"Just don't let Harry know. I don't want anyone to find out they are leaving until after they go. I don't trust Dumbledore or others to use her to get to me," Amelia told him.

"Marauder's honour," he told her, even though he wasn't sure how much that meant anymore when he was the last marauder.

-oOo-

August 10, 1995

Shenley, England

"Harry!" a redhead exclaimed before he could even right himself coming out of the floo.

"Mmmmmphaa," he let out as she squeezed him tight. He had to suppress the urge to attack, which was his first instinct lately. Instead, Harry's hands came up to hug one of his longest-term friends. Susan Bones was his friend and he had only seen her twice since that day in the graveyard.

"I'm so glad to see you. You must tell auntie not to send me away," she said rather tearfully.

The fire flared behind them. Sirius walked out and gently came to a stop next to him. "I can't leave you for a minute and you already have a girl in tears," the man teased, followed by a, "Tsk."

Harry glared at him over Susan's shoulder as she cried onto his. "Susie, what's going on?"

"Auntie," she said, her tears starting to make it hard to say anything.

"Susie, you can show our guest into the parlour. Oh, hello, Sirius, I didn't know you were coming," Madam Bones said.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, Ami, but I was hoping to have a word with you and thought Harry might need some support tonight," he said.

Harry gave him a questioning look. "You knew?"

"We've all been talking about whether you and others should leave the country," Sirius informed Harry.

"Auntie is… sending me away… with Aunt Rose," she said through heavy tears.

Madam Bones came over to put a hand on Susan's shoulder. "Susie, you know this isn't what I want for you."

Susan pulled back from the touch. "Then why send me away!" the girl spat as she stood up. Her normally creamy complexion was marred by tear streaks, puffy eyes, red cheeks and the signs she had been upset for a while.

Madam Bones sighed. "I've explained it to you. It's not safe and I won't have you around Dumbledore. Not if he is still able to be at Hogwarts."

Harry felt a little blindsided. They hadn't mentioned to him that they were thinking of moving him.

"All my friends are there. Why isn't it safe? I want to go back to Hogwarts! Hannah…" she let out before hiccupping. She continued rather fiercely, "I want to go back."

"I won't give him or others the chance to hurt you again," Madam Bones stated.

"I am going to Hogwarts!" Susan said rather defiantly.

"You are not, Susie. I invited Harry over tonight so you can say goodbye. You, Aunt Rose and Paul leave in the morning. If you don't want to pack anything, Mipsy will make sure you're ready," the greying redhead told her.

"I hate you!" Susan screamed before running off. Madam Bones sighed, then pinched the bridge of her nose.

Harry went to follow her until Sirius grabbed his hand. Harry cast him a dangerous glance. "Let her be for a few, then go calm her down."

"But Sirius…" he started.

"Just let her cool off, just a bit," Sirius said in an understanding tone.

Madam Bones straightened up. "As you can see, it's been an exciting evening. Rose and Paul are in the parlour. They wanted to say goodbye too."

Harry looked after Susan, who had run up the grand stairs of the huge manor. "Are you sure I should leave her be?"

"She'll be upset with me for a while. Things have just been hard this summer. How are you, Harry?" Madam Bones asked in a kind voice.

"I'm fine," he said.

He missed the shared concerned look with Sirius.

The parlour was a large room that had obviously been built to entertain a crowd of people. A half dozen couches, a few tables with stiff back chairs and a dozen armchairs were spread around the room, all of them subtly pointing towards a large fireplace. In the centre of the room, sitting on a couch, was Hannah's mother. Harry hadn't seen her since the last day of Longpiddle's trial. The woman looked just as haggard and worn as she had a few weeks ago.

Paul was quietly playing with some toy knights and a dragon by the fireplace, ignoring them all.

She got up. "Harry, it's so good to see you."

Harry let her hug him. She held on for a few seconds longer than he was comfortable. He liked Rose, but she looked too much like Hannah to make him comfortable, even if she was a few decades older. "Hello, Misses Abbot," he said.

She pulled back, her hands on his upper arms to get a good look at him. "Harry, I told you a while ago, it's Rose."

Harry flushed slightly, feeling more awkward than he could ever remember feeling. "Ah, ok, Rose."

"How are you? I know things must be hard still," she said, looking like she was just barely holding herself together.

"I'm fine," he said, finding it hard not to shuffle. He didn't usually feel this uncomfortable.

"Rose, how are you?" Sirius said, coming to his rescue.

She gave his godfather a watery smile, squeezed his arms and then let him go to greet Sirius. "As well as can be. We are leaving for Australia tomorrow," she told him.

"So, we heard," Sirius said rather seriously. "Is there anything that we can do to help you?"

"Amelia and I have it. I just need to get Paul out of here. I've lost too many people here," she said, sounding close to a breakdown. "Susan needs to be kept safe. I wish you were coming, Ami."

"You know I can't," Amelia said. "I have things to do here."

Harry had a feeling the things to do involved You-Know-Who.

"Why is Susan leaving tomorrow?" he asked.

The three adults shared a look. "They need to get out of the country without anyone else knowing. You can't tell anyone for a few days," Amelia said rather sternly.

Sirius put a hand on his shoulder. "He won't say a word." Sirius nodded over his shoulder. "Perhaps it's time to go find your friend."

"She's probably in her room," Amelia sighed.

"Sure," Harry said.

Paul hadn't looked at him. Rose sighed. "He's been that way since the funeral."

"We'll get him the proper help once you get to Melbourne," Amelia said as he left the room.

Harry wandered to the main atrium and then up the grand staircase. He had only been here once before, but knew Susan's room was off to the right, so he wandered that way. The doors led to a long hallway with six doors on either side. Susan had said this was the family wing. Amelia's room was at the end of the hallway, while Susan's was the second on the right. All the doors were closed, so he went to her door.

"Susie, you in there?" Harry asked as he knocked on the door. After a moment, he knocked again. When no response came, he tried the knob. The door was unlocked, so he pushed the door open.

The room was fairly large, twice the size of the one he had at the Tonks. The furniture had an old, well-maintained, antique appeal. The centre of the far wall was dominated by a large four-poster. In the dull light of the gas lamps, he could make out the sobbing form of Susan in the centre of it.

He walked in, softly closing the door behind himself. "Susan, are you alright?" he asked, knowing she wasn't. None of them had been for a bit. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

Susan shifted so her face was towards him but covered in her auburn hair. It took a few minutes for her to get her crying and sniffling under control enough to talk. "Why is she sending me away? I want to stay. I want to be close to you and our friends," she said.

Harry was going to shrug, but figured she needed more than that. He reached out a hand to rub her back. "Susie, I think you should go," he gently said.

She shot up. "You what!"

The fierce glare she was giving him from her blotchy face was something to see. Harry stared back at her. Sue and others had helped in the last few weeks, and it was time to pay it forward. "I miss her too, but there are other things going on. I don't know everything, but Susie, Hannah," his voice hitched a little, "wouldn't want to see you hurt and if anyone tries anything on you or my friends, I'll probably go to Azkaban."

She sniffed, still glaring at him. "That monster should be there. He should have been sent through the veil," she venomously spat.

Harry didn't disagree, knowing she was talking about Longpiddle. "Listen, Susie. It's not safe right now. I didn't know Sirius and Andi wanted to send me away as well, but I have to stay."

"If you are staying, I am too," she declared. "Hannah loved you, Harry. She loved all…" Susan said, not able to finish what she was going to say. "Hannah was my best friend."

He took her hand. "I know," he said, understanding.

"If anything happens to you…" Susan said. He knew she didn't mean it in any other way than that of losing another good friend.

"I promise it won't, Susie," he said.

"Harry, you can't promise that. Look at what happened to Hannah," she said angrily.

Harry was about to say something to try to calm her down when there was a soft thud that echoed through the house. Her bed vibrated in an odd way. Her eyes widened in fear. Harry jumped to his feet, his wand coming to his hand. "Wh…what was that?" Susan asked.

"I don't know," he said, feeling apprehensive. "Susan, do you have your wand?"

Susan sniffled. She sat up and pulled her wand out of a pocket. "Harry?"

This time it was the sound of an explosion somewhere deep in the manor. The whole room shook. A small piece of plaster fell from the ceiling. Susan screamed. Before they could say anything, a sound echoed in the house that sent a ripple of fear through him.

A muffled, baying howl rent the night from somewhere below them.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

Susan was scrambling out of her bed. "We have to get to Auntie and Aunt Rose and Paul!"

"Susan!" he cried out, jumping onto the bed and grabbing her arm.

"I am not letting someone else die!" she yelled at him.

There was a half dozen howls echoing down the hallway outside her room. "Those are werewolves! Can you conjure anything silver?"

Silver was one of the few metals you could conjure, but it would never last more than an hour or so and it was easy to tell the difference between conjured silver and real silver. If not as effective as real silver, conjured silver would still hurt werewolves.

He could see her fear, but the determination to save her family was the same she had the day her and Hannah had come to rescue him. Her face crumpled after a short intense stare down. "If you have a portkey, get out of here now. I promise I won't let anything happen to them," he told her, the magic of his words thick on the air.

Howls ripped through the house.

"Harry, I can't lose them!" Susan said, tears brimming at her eyes.

"Use the damned portkey, Susan!" he ordered.

She struggled for a moment before grabbing the bracelet around her wrist. "Safety!"

Nothing happened.

"Bloody hell! Stick at my side," Harry told her. The only way they were getting out of this was to run or join up with Sirius and Amelia.

This time, Harry thought he heard a dozen howls then the sounds of fighting below them. The floor shook.

Susan gripped her wand tight. Harry pulled the knife out of his holster. "This is goblin silver. If any of them get close, use it."

"Harry, I can't take that," Susan protested.

"Merlin damn it, Susie! Just take it!"

She stepped back at the power in his voice and took the knife. They had already wasted too much time. He took three steps to the door and stopped just before he touched the knob. With all the commotion below them, he just barely heard the sniffing outside the door. Susan screamed when he turned, grabbed her and threw her against the wall as something heavy crashed into the door.

Quickly scanning the room, he snapped his wand up and the heavy old English Oak armoire in the corner came careening towards them. The door gave way. The werewolf that had smashed into the door spilled into the room. The two behind it took the brunt of the heavy armoire at it crashed into them.

Harry didn't hesitate to swing his wand down. His anger and fear to keep anyone he cared for from dying fuelled his voiceless need. A half dozen silver darts shot over his shoulder. Two of them sank an inch or so into the floor, the other four sank deep into the chest of the werewolf as it scrambled to get up. The yipping howl of pain it let out was nothing like Harry had ever heard before.

He swiped his wand up this time as the werewolf threw its head back in pain and thrashed about. The white, crescent-moon like blade of a cutting curse hit its mark and the head rolled as the body fell limp to the floor.

There was scrambling outside the door. He slashed his arm down twice in rapid succession. The two werewolves that were trying to get in were thrown back at the force of the silver darts. Howling and growls of pain came from the hall. He stepped forward to make sure no more came through. The armoire had impaled itself through a werewolf to imbed itself into the wall. Another dead werewolf with silver darts in its face had fallen on the remains of the dresses and other underclothes that had been in the armoire. A third one was rolling around, blood spreading everywhere as it pulled two darts from its leg.

Harry didn't hesitate. His wand swiped one more time. Three conjured silver darts flew over his shoulder again. One hit its neck while the other went through its forehead and the last impaled into the floor. The werewolf slumped and stilled. He had no clue his summoning charm could do that, and to see how much blood was in a body…

He felt bile rise in his throat, but ruthlessly forced it down. He knew what would happen to them in the beasts lived or bit them.

He swiggled his wand to quickly detect if anyone else was around. When the spell showed no one else in the hall, he turned to Susan. "We have to go!"

She was still against the wall. She had her hands crossed over her chest, one clutching the hilt of his knife while the one clutching her wand was bone white with how tight she was holding it. Her eyes were huge saucers as she stared at the head and growing pool of blood on her floor.

"Susie!" he snapped.

She started, screamed and her wand came up. Harry, out of instinct, ducked to the left. A bludgeoning spell missed him by inches. He closed the gap and pushed her wand up. She stared at him with wild eyes. "Susan! It's just me."

Her mouth moved a time or two. "You… you killed them."

He had to swallow the bile again. As Master Flitwick and Sirius had been saying in his lessons the last month, if it came down to kill or be killed, be the last one standing. For years, Master Flitwick had been saying that. Until his hatred for Longpiddle had come around, he had never thought he would be able to. Now he had Sirius and others to save as it sounded like an entire pack was in the house.

"Susan, if we don't move, we may be killed. If you have to, use a cutting or piercing hex. Bludgeoning hexes won't do much besides make them angry. Do you understand?" Harry knew he was being harsh, but he needed to know she would do what she could to protect herself.

After a second, she nodded.

"Good. Stay behind me," he ordered. He was surprised how even his voice was.

There was more growling coming down the hall as the house shook again. Whatever was going on downstairs was violent.

"Don't leave me!" she grabbed the back of his shirt, and he looked around the hall. There were only the dead werewolves in sight.

"Come on," he told her, moving down the hallway.

He moved a bit cautiously towards the doors to the landing of the grand staircase. A howl came from just outside it. Harry halted. Two large figures stepped before the railing before turning towards them. Not all spells could be non-verbal due to the power and intent needed. He yelled, "BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"

The spell raced through the open double doors. The two werewolves tried to dodge but were caught in the blast. One went sailing over the banister. The other was tossed into the wall next to the doors. There was a loud crash as half of the landing crumpled and fell to the atrium below. Three growls and barks came from the other hallway.

Harry twirled his wand and flicked it up. Debris started to shift and morph into four panthers as two of the hulking beasts burst onto the ruined landing. One of them bounded past the growling wooden panthers while the other leapt at one. Harry didn't stop to see what his creations did. He swiped his arm across himself again. The big werewolf jumped to the side, just managing to dodge the six darts.

One of the darts impaled the other one in the leg. It fell and three of the wooden panthers jumped on it. The fourth one was already missing two legs.

"Percusio!" Susan screamed from behind him.

A piercing hex just missed the snarling beast as it jumped to the side. It slipped on the edge of the ragged landing. Harry thought he would have it, but it managed to dodge the next set of darts.

The werewolf behind it was struggling as blood was pouring out of wounds made by his transfigurations, but there was only one panther left now. The big black werewolf before them snarled again. Harry stepped forward, a look of hatred on his face as he jabbed his wand and then swung it back like a whip.

The werewolf charged them, taking a piercing hex to its leg like it was nothing. "Percusio! Percusio! Percusio!" Susan screamed, sounding more frantic as it was almost on them. Harry's wand whipped down. A long, black rope with silver running through it came down.

The werewolf was just about to jump at them when it registered what Harry had cast. It tried to dodge, but the whip came down on its shoulder. The beast howled in rage and pain as the whip bit deeply into it. The werewolf stumbled. Harry pulled the whip back and jumped as the thing crashed to the floor. It snapped its fetid jaw towards him as it tried to get up. Harry twisted his wrist before raising the whip. A black flame raced down the length of the silver wrapped rope. He brought the whip down again. The flaming brand wrapped around the werewolf's arm, then he yanked.

The werewolf screamed in pain. The whip pulled and cut down to the bone before the whip slid out of the wound.

He whipped it again and it wrapped around its neck. He pulled and a few seconds later it slumped to the floor, the head rolling backwards, then over the edge of the ruined landing.

A growl to their right had him swinging the whip around. It wasn't long enough to get the one his transfigurations had savaged. It was attempting to stand. He was about to step forward when another hulking mass suddenly leapt at him from the right. He had enough time to duck, but the burning in his side meant he hadn't missed the claws that had been swiping at him.

Susan screamed before bellowing, "BOMBARDA!"

A hot streak passed over him. He heard the yip of pain as the spell exploded. He looked up in time to see the werewolf flying through the air towards the atrium floor.

"Harry!"

The injured werewolf was crawling towards him. Harry scurried back, kicking at the jaws that almost got his leg. He swiped his wand across his body twice. Twelve darts buried themselves in the struggling werewolf, who slumped to the floor.

He took in a few quick breaths before slumping at the pain in his side. Susan dropped to a knee. He looked down to see three ragged gashes through his torn shirt. Blood had already soaked his side and he was sure he would need healing soon. He had only worn a t-shirt and trousers tonight, not thinking he would be involved in something like this. They weren't bite marks. Susan hovered he hand over the wounds. "Oh, Merlin, Harry. We have to get you to a healer."

"I'm fine, Susan," he said through gritted teeth.

It sounded like the fight was still going on downstairs. He got up, stumbled a few steps, then forced himself to move correctly. Susan was looking at him in shocked horror. "You need to stay still."

"Sirius and the others are downstairs," he said.

Susan followed him, giving the dead werewolves a wide girth. They were halfway down the stairs when the giant black werewolf that had got his side suddenly stopped at the base of the stairs. It was growling at him, a hand on its side where a deep gash from Susan's spell had hurt it and looking worse for wear. Harry's wand pointed towards it.

"I've already killed a bunch of your mates, ugly. Care to join them?" Harry questioned, hoping that an enraged werewolf would be better than the cold, calculating murder he saw in the putrid yellow eyes at the moment. Its muzzle drew back as the growl grew deeper. Its teeth were glistening in the light of the lamps around the atrium.

Harry moved the second it tensed. His wand swiped across his chest, then it tipped up and finally he was bringing it back down. The werewolf dodged the darts, stumbled as the stairs suddenly ripped up around it and then let out a yip of surprise as part of the fallen balcony was suddenly careening towards it. He shoved Susan back up the stairs, hoping she got his meaning as he jabbed his wand and then swiped it across his chest one more time.

The massive beast was somehow able to grab the hunk of balcony and guide it over its shoulder. Two of his piercing hexes hit the thing. One just grazed its upper arm and the other left a bloody streak across its snout. It raised its arm to protect its face from the darts. Two sank into its arm, causing it to howl. Harry stepped back, unsure how it had survived that barrage. He tripped on the step and fell backwards.

The werewolf leapt at him. It landed eight stairs up and just three below him. Forcing himself not to panic, clenching his occlumency shields as tight as he could because Master Flitwick always said if you panic, the battle is lost, he swiped his wand up and pointed it at the werewolf. It had just enough time to find its balance and leap again. "PHLUCKGARNI!" he commanded in Goobnarg. The stair below him bubbled and roiled for a split second before a thick spear shot out. The werewolf tried to turn in mid-air. Instead of dodging it, the spear followed the tip of Harry's wand. It pierced the side of the chest of the massive black werewolf. Its fetid eyes were surprised as the spear skewered it.

The thing came to a halt just a few feet from him. It feebly tried to get Harry. He scrambled up a few steps as it whined like a hurt dog, feebly trying to grasp the head of the spear that was poking out of it.

The howling and growling from downstairs suddenly stopped. The black one let out a few yips and whimpered. Thick, dark red, almost black blood ran down the shaft. A second later, four or five werewolves started to bay and howl as though their souls were being ripped out of them.

The black werewolf tried to reply but only blood came out of its mouth.

Harry, anger clouding his face, swiped his wand across his chest. The white, crescent-moon shaped blade cleanly cut through the hand that was held up to stop the magic and then sent the head, most of its right shoulder and arm tumbling down the stairs. The others stopped howling. There was a pained yip before he heard the sounds of scrambling paws on wood.

Harry's side was burning. It didn't stop him from sending down a few volleys of the silver darts into the four that ran into the atrium. Sirius came limping in after them. He didn't stop until they all fell and didn't move.

Harry was taking in gulping breaths to ward off the pain. Sirius looked up at him. "Anymore?" he asked. Harry could see the trousers of the man's right leg was ripped and he was trailing blood.

"I don't… think so," Harry said.

"Auntie? Aunt Rose? Paul?" Susan asked moving down the stairs, her wand still up and the hand with the knife shaking.

"Safe. How hurt are you?" Sirius asked, limping towards them. The man was only giving a cursory look around to make sure he didn't trip or get too close to one that might not be dead.

Harry sank to the stair. "My side burns," Harry said.

Sirius looked concerned. "Bitten?"

"Claws," Harry replied. There was a brief look of relief until the man stumbled over the head of the werewolf still impaled on the spear. He looked down and pulled back his good leg to kick the thing before stopping. Sirius blinked at it for a second. "Bloody fuck! That's Fenrir Greyback."

Harry started to sway.

"Harry!" Susan cried out, moving to his side.

"Sirius! Where is Susan! Susan!" a worried Amelia stormed into the atrium. Rose and Paul were just behind her. The older Bones woman was holding her left arm as though it was broken.

"Auntie! Harry's hurt!"

"Damn it! We need to get out of here, the wards are still under attack," Amelia told them.

Sirius was already moving to Harry's side. Now that his adrenaline was subsiding, the pain was rather intense. It was a good thing that Susan was there propping him up or he might have rolled down the mangled stairs.

-oOo-

About the same time…

Hill overlooking the Bones Manor…

He was looking down at the old manor house. Lights were on all over the ground floor and in a few rooms on the second. About fifteen minutes ago he had confirmation that the werewolves had entered the old hidden tunnel that Yaxley had found in the plans at the ministry. A few minutes after that, the first explosion to get the beasts through the security wards had gone off, followed quickly by the one that should have gotten them into the basement.

The following ten minutes had not sounded the way he thought it might. There should have been screams of pain and howls of delight as the werewolves had their fill of the young Bones and the older woman that was probably his biggest obstacle in the Ministry of Magic.

Of course, he thought his original plans were scuppered when Longbottom had escaped, but Fudge had decided the boy a nutter, then Longbottom goes and kills that girl. The chaos of the last month and a half had allowed him to regain control over his inner circle, gain enough finances to start recruiting and try to gain the influence needed in the ministry.

To gain the influences he needed to really control the ministry, he needed Amelia Bones out of the picture. Of course, if Lucius had been someone that could control his temper on a child, then he would have the Black and Potter votes already, Bones could have been expelled from her position and he be poised to control the ministry by Christmas.

It was one more thing he wanted to kill Lucius over, but he was still too valuable for his contacts and gold.

The man would live only as long as he was worth something.

At least Longbottom and Dumbledore were neutralized, so he needed to move against a few that were opposing him. This wouldn't be the big offensive he wanted, but it would soften the ministry for when he was ready.

Looking at the manor, Voldemort was not pleased that she had voted against a new bill that would have marginalized the werewolves even more, so thought it fitting they show their displeasure. It would also serve to inform the new Lord Black to keep his head down.

It was why he had convinced Greyback and his pack to attack and enjoy themselves.

Though, it didn't sound like the werewolves were enjoying themselves.

He was curious why the only real screams his heightened senses were making out were those from the werewolves. It worried him that it hadn't sounded like a successful hunt, and now it was silent.

The only good thing was that he always believed that if you needed something done right, you always had a backup plan. The issue was the backup plan wasn't going well.

A man in a white mask leaning on a cane with a silver wolf head came up the hill to him. "My lord?"

Voldemort turned his burning red eyes to the man. "What is it, Lucius?"

The man must have been gulping behind the mask. "My Lord, the wards are proving stronger than expected. The old ward stones are broken, but our ward breaker is saying there must be another layer or two that is not registered at the ministry."

He snarled. "Then break them. Use a ward bomb if you have too."

Lucius audibly gulped. "I suggested that. They said they couldn't."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "I don't care. Bring those wards down now or it won't be the Bones women that are going to be fed to Greyback tonight."

"Right away, My Lord."

Lucius scampered back down the hill. This was taking too long. If it went another five or ten minutes the temporary anti-portkey and anti-apparition ward stones would fail given the strength of the Bones' wards.

As he surveyed the operation and grew uneasy at the silence from the house, he watched as figures left the house by a side door that would not be visible to the team below him. He cast a keen eye spell on his eyes. It took a few seconds to get used to the tunnel vision, but when he focused, he could clearly see a woman and boy with blond hair, an auburn hair girl, a woman with greying hair and a black hair man carrying a black-haired boy over his shoulder.

It took a moment to realize he recognized them. Bones wasn't supposed to have company tonight.

"What is Black and Potter doing here?" he asked himself. Getting ready to apparate to meet the group, they moved to an old statue on the grounds. He growled in frustration as a door opened in the base of the statue and the six disappeared into it. He had no idea where they might come out, and it wouldn't be hard to get Aurors here before they could find them.

Angry at the failed operation, but curious how they all survived, he would have to have Yaxley get the report. He would need answers. The only thing that troubled him was that the people escaped without being chased by werewolves.

Voldemort sent off a green flare into the air. It was the sign to leave. He twisted and apparated before anyone else could.

-oOo-

A short bit later…

Hogwarts, Scotland

Albus flicked his wand to rearrange things in his new office again. It was much smaller than the one he had inhabited for the last forty-two years. The bookshelves were only able to hold about a third of the library he liked to display. Of course, that library was smaller to begin with as the elves had taken some that either belonged to Hogwarts or other families that had been loaned or given to him, or managed to remove from the library to prevent students from getting at the darker aspects of magic, especially most of the ritual and darker magic books.

He also had less of his prized trinkets. His cabinet of collected memories did him little good without the pensive that he had used. It had been returned to the Blacks since Fineas Nigellus hadn't actually gifted it to Hogwarts, but only sent it on loan. A loan that Hogwarts had failed to pay since before he started and now would affect the coffers of the school if Sirius didn't forgive the debt.

He had a sour look on his face.

The return of the Dark Lord had brought dark times, and Albus and their saviour had been effectively sidelined until he could bring Tom out and get Neville back into Hogwarts.

As he pondered the bad summer he was having, he kept coming back to one boy. Harry Potter.

For the first few years, he had not paid the Potter boy any attention. Members of his staff had spoken highly of him. He was always near the top of his class. Filius taking him as an apprentice second year had been a bit of a surprise, but it had happened before. Until this year, he had not had much interest in him, not with his family being so anathema to the Longbottoms. It was a regrettable situation, but the wizarding world needed Neville Longbottom. It didn't need Harry Potter.

That was a thought that had really driven him for years now.

It was a thought and drive he was starting to second guess. The sudden rise of the Potters and Blacks again this year had been a surprise. The prowess the young boy showed at the duelling tournaments was boarding on prodigy level. Miss Li wasn't far off. He had thought he could recruit the boy, as he would need fighters in the coming conflict. Instead, his negligence in ensuring the Potters were not Death Eaters and finding ways to reign in Augusta had cost them all dearly.

It was a costly enough mistake on his part that he now feared Tom would be poised to move on the ministry and take it over before anyone else was the wiser.

Moving the instruments that monitored Neville onto a shelf, he was eyeing them carefully. They showed that Neville was still in health, but not at top shape. They also showed that he wasn't anywhere near as powerful as he thought he might be by fifteen. Potter, on the other hand, was already a powerhouse and wasn't even fully matured yet. By the time he was twenty, he would be as powerful as he was in his youth. By thirty, Albus doubted that any other single wizard, or five, would be able to stand up to him.

This worried Albus.

The last few to have that type of power had turned dark.

Albus couldn't allow that, but already saw the signs. He needed to gain influence over Potter, while bringing Longbottom back into the forefront.

He turned, and in the smaller office, brushed his robes against his desk. A letter addressed to him from Neville's uncle and new guardian, Algernon Croaker, fluttered to the floor. He summoned it to his hand before putting it back into the pile it had fallen from.

The man had informed him that Potter had been to the Hall of Prophecies and retrieved three. He didn't know what they were, but one of them was the same one Neville had retrieved. That concerned Albus, but Potter wasn't marked, so there was no way that he could be the child of prophecy. It was Neville. Voldemort had marked the boy himself. There could be no other way it couldn't be Neville.

Yet, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that said Potter was one of the original children the prophecy could have pertained too, and he had been able to retrieve it, then that meant either Potter had been marked without him knowing, or the prophecy had not come into play yet.

He just couldn't accept the fact that Neville wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived or the child of prophecy.

He was about to rearrange the shelf with his medals when a ball of bright, blue ethereal light dropped from the ceiling. A rather fierce looking lynx materialized on the desk. Albus had time to purse his lips, knowing this wasn't going to be good when the deep voice of Kingsley filled his office. "Director Bones under attack at Bones Manor. Unknown how many. Werewolves."

He stood as fast as he could. "Fawkes, be prepared for my call."

His phoenix just lifted a tired looking head, blinked at him, then put his head back under his feathers to sleep. He had the feeling that Fawkes didn't approve of him anymore. It was a thought that saddened him. He hadn't done anything wrong. It had all been for the Greater Good.

His wand came out and he summoned a medallion from his drawer. When he had been dismissed by the Wizengamot from being Chief Warlock, they had never required him to return the trappings of the office, as was a common curtesy to most outgoing Chief Warlocks. The medallion was an Auror ID that would allow him through the wards at Bones Manor. All high-ranking Department Heads and workers were required to add them into their wards and only those approved by the DMLE Head or the Head Auror would have one. He had been approved by Barty Crouch and Amelia had never removed the privilege from him. It was only to be used in an emergency.

He moved to the fireplace. At least he could still use the floo from his new office. His first inkling was to go to the Burrow, but Molly was not very receptive of him for now. That was expected to change when he helped her sons get out of mess they were in and back to Hogwarts. Throwing the powder in, he called out, "Prewitt Pit."

Prewitt Pit had been a hideout the Prewitt brothers had made in an old Underground station in the late seventies. It wasn't the best warded, but it could hold a large number of people and get them mobilized quickly. Stepping through, he was met by a man's wand in his face. "Who the bloody hell are you?" Moody growled.

"Alastor, it is me. I was there the night you lost your leg and had to stop the bleeding myself," Albus said calmly.

"Anyone could know that. There were eight other Aurors and six Order members there," Moody growled.

"I think you are mistaken. There were only four Order members. The Longbottoms didn't join until several months later, if I remember correctly," Albus replied.

The man sniffed before dropping his wand. "Why are you here, Albus? I thought you out of this game?"

Those that still believed it the Order had been questioning him since the boys had all been convicted. He ignored his old friend's slight for the moment. "Amelia is under attack. I require you and anyone else here," he told his old friend.

"It's just me tonight. Kingsley was called back in," Alastor replied, turning to stomp over to a chair he had thrown his coat over. A half-eaten bowl of stew was on a table. "Let's go."

Albus frowned, but the old adage, 'beggars can't be choosers', seemed apt at the moment. Taking a length of rope from a table next to the fireplace, he tapped it and it glowed blue for a moment. Alastor stumped back, his wand out and a grim look on his face. "What are we portkeying into?"

"All I know is werewolves at the Bones Manor," he said.

"It's starting earlier than we thought," Alastor grunted, reaching a hand to take a length of the rope.

"Unfortunately," Albus agreed.

When they landed on the drive just outside where he knew the wards to be, he was surprised to find it quiet. The moon was high in the sky, illuminating the grounds. The manor sat a short distance away. None of the aurors were here yet. He knew they usually took ten to fifteen minutes to respond with cuts Cornelius and Lucius had managed to get through against his protests. Sometimes far longer depending who was on duty. It had been less than five minutes since Kingsley had notified him.

Confused, he looked to Alastor, who was looking all around with is wand casting detection spells. "There isn't anyone here, Albus."

"I would expect the werewolves to still be here. They are not known to run when in a frenzy," he said, casting his wand about as well.

"It's awful quiet for that," the jumpy man said, starting at an owl hooting in a nearby tree. "The wards are still up too. Rather unusual." The man's paranoia was showing through.

Walking up to the ward line, he held up the medallion. After a second, he walked past with Alastor following. They approached the house, cautious that it was so silent and the fact the wards were still up. At the door Alastor moved to look sideways into the windows while keeping one eye on the lawn.

Albus rose his wand. "What is in there?"

Alastor grimaced. "There's no movement. Lots of bodies. It doesn't look good."

He let out a long breath before using the power of the Elder Wand to blast the doors open. Alastor thumped in, his eye spinning everywhere and wand searching every corner. Albus, on the other hand, serenely stepped into the large atrium of the ancient manor. The acrid smell of blood, dirty dog and death were all around them.

His eyes cast round to take in six werewolves. Four of them had been taken down by silver darts. Another was in a heap on the floor near the door. Its chest was still labouring to keep the thing alive. His brow rose to look at the one impaled on a silver spear about halfway up the grand stairs.

"Bloody hell, Albus! That's Greyback, that is," Alastor said, looking towards the stairs.

"Indeed," he replied. For more than thirty-five years Greyback had been the bane of the Wizarding world. He had probably killed hundreds and turned dozens over the years himself, never mind the pack he usually kept. His wand moved in intricate patterns.

"Do you see anything?" Albus asked. He pursed his lips to find nothing living except the one next to the doors and two house elves somewhere in the manor.

"Looks like six more upstairs, another four down the hall and one in the basement. None of them are moving. Albus, I know Amelia. She's strong, but not capable of taking on Greyback and a pack of seventeen adult werewolves. By the look of them, they were Greybacks brutes," Alastor said.

Albus frowned.

Alastor jumped. He threw himself against the open door as numerous apparition cracks came from outside. They were most likely so loud from crashing through the wards. Which could only mean…

"What are you doing here!" a terribly angry woman yelled.

He was still standing in the centre of the doorway. Turning, he looked at the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She was flanked by a dozen Aurors, four Obliviators and five Magical Reversal personnel. He had a feeling it was the entire night shift of the DMLE field officers.

"It is so nice to see you are safe, Director Bones. We heard there was a disturbance and came to offer assistance," he said in his rather magnanimous tone.

The look on the woman's face told him she had not forgiven him the way he had to strong arm her about Neville, and most likely wouldn't until Tom came out in the open.

"I did not call for you, professor. Who is with you?"

All their wands were now pointing at him. As good as he was, he doubted he could escape twenty-two trained fighters without significant injury on both sides. Not even Tom would face those odds easily.

Alastor's leg stumped as he stepped out. "Evening, Ami. Out for a stroll. See you had a party without me."

The woman's eyes narrowed at Alastor. "If you are throwing your lot in with this… the professor, then I suggest you leave, Moody."

"Right you are, lass."

Alastor stumped off towards the group. He stopped at Amelia's side, said something that had her scowl at the man, then put a hand on her shoulder before heading back down the drive towards the ward line.

"Why are you still here, Headmaster?" she demanded.

"I would offer my help on your investigation and to ensure everything is safe. I trust you and your niece got out safely?" he said, unsure if all the blood was only the werewolves.

"We are fine. You are trespassing. This is a DMLE investigation. Please let us process the scene before you contaminate it anymore," she said in a cold voice. Most of those around her looked apprehensive of the situation, or hostile towards him. Far fewer looked at him with complete trust. This whole accident with Longbottom was making a larger rift than he expected.

"Of course. If you need me, you will know where to find me," he offered one last time.

She just stared at him. He glanced over his shoulder one more time, desperately wanting to determine what happened here, but now was not the time to push the woman. Maybe once Susan was at Hogwarts he could find a way to press Amelia to seeing his way and forgiveness?

With his head high, he serenely started to walk. Amelia stopped him. "How did you get past my wards?"

Albus didn't change his serene look. "I have my ways."

Her eyes narrowed. They stared at each other for a moment before she said, "Did the Wizengamot require you to return anything you had in your Chief Warlock office?"

He knew he was caught but didn't say a word. After a moment, she held out her hand. "Do you have a Auror Ward ID?"

Without a word, he reached into his pocket and put it into her hand. "I can work with you, Amelia. If I keep this, we can respond to help."

She yanked the medallion out of his hands. "You come near me, or my family, and I will come after you with everything I have," she warned.

Knowing this was a losing battle tonight, he nodded then continued to walk away. It wasn't until he reached the ward line that he heard her barking orders. He would have to have Kingsley get him a copy of the report.

-oOo-

The next time on Duel of Fate: The aftermath of the attack, Sirius faces past demons and the Longbottoms face the wrath of the Wizengamot for their betrayal of the Potters.

-oOo-

A/N: I do apologize, but work is very busy. My writing and editing time is limited so it may be a 2 – 3 week update schedule for a bit. I do not know how long this will last.