Blind confrontations

Kai_Lun_Mau

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance, Action & Adventure
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 12/12/2003
Last Updated: 22/09/2004
Status: in_progress

A love is lost. An old enemy returns. and a Fallen Hero will return to find his way back to the light

Chapters

1. Prologue

2. Training

3. Quidditch

4. Fighting Blind

5. Nightmares and Visions

6. Tears in the Rain

7. Vengeance is mine

8. Loss of Innocence

9. Without words

10. In a Flash

11. New School, New Life

12. A new threat and an old acquaintance

13. Examinations and Experiments

14. Washed away

15. Mind If I join the party?

16. Secrets Revealed

17. Fall into Darkness

18. Rousing the Devil

19. Genetic secrets

20. Fallen Angel

21. Author Note

22. A change in plan

23. Homecoming

1. Prologue

Disclaimer. DareDevil and Harry Potter are owned respectively by Marvel entertainments and JK Rowling, this is simply written for fun not Profit so don't sue as i've got nothing you want.

The boy who lived and the man without fear

by Kai Lun Mau

Proglogue:

Making their way to the dungeons the trio were quietly discussing what kind of torture Snape had planned for then today. Pushing open the classroom door they slipped into their places just as Snapes private office door slammed open and like the bat Snape resembled at times he swooped behind his lectern and he glared t the students assembled before him.

“Todays lesson is so simple even you Longbottom should have no problem mixing this potion. Today we will be mixing the Auspexious brew, a potion used to heighten a persons senses to super human levels for a short time. You will find the ingredients list on page 237 of your text book.” He smirked evilly at them. “You have two hours to complete the potion. Begin!”

The class even the slytherins suppressed a groan at this as the opened their text books and began to prepare their potion supplies for the task ahead. Ron and Harry quickly teamed together and tried not to feel guilty about leaving Hermione with Neville and began to cut and dice their ingredients. Work progressed slowly as the pairs continued to study their manuals on the proper means to brew the potion.

Malfoy walked from behind his work table towards Professor Snapes desk and as he passed the cauldron Longbottom and the Mudblood were working with he quickly palmed a slice of dragon liver into the gooey mess in the pot.

Harry watched as Malfoy passed the cauldron and noticed something slipping into the potions mixture. “Malfoy what did you do?” He stepped away from his cauldron and he looked at Snape who stood there glaring at him.

“Falsely accusing another student of deliberately tampering with anothers potion Potter thats 10 points from Gryffindor.”

But by this time Harry's attention was no longer on Snape but on Hermiones and Neville's cauldron which had started to froth and rock back and forth, suddenly the metal started to glow white hot and not thinking Harry darted across the short space between himself and Hermione and Neville and pushed them out the way just as the cauldron exploded and Harry's face was covered in the potion and he began to scream and then everything went dark.

***************

*Noise*

There was no other word to describe what Harry was hearing, the chaotic activities of the school all of it was being filtered into his mind, foot steps conversations even the sounds of quills against paper he could hear it all, his hands reached from his eyes scrabbling against the thick bandages covering them leaving him in a world of darkness but as his consiousness grew something occured to him though his eyes were covered it was as though he could see in simple dimenions, no colours, just shapes. He clenched his teeth in pain as he was finally fully awake and the barrage of noise continued to assault his ears. Soon the sound of foot steps became pominent over the noise but each click of a heel on stone was like a gun shot in Harry's ears and he clasped his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out the noise. He curled up on the hospital bed wanting to scream at the pain from all the noise when suddenly it stopped. He flinched when he felt a pair of hands grasp his wrists to gently tug his hands from his ears.

“Hello Harry.” Dumbledore looked down at his student sadly, keeping his voice to a whisper so as not to cause Harry any more discomfort. “It seems you have kept your record for a student who has spent the most consecutive years in the infirmary.”

Harry smiled weakly at his mentors poor attempt at humor. “Hello sir....who knows maybe in years to come it'll be named the Harry Potter ward.” Harry winced from the migraine he had forming from the assault of noise. “Sir what happened?”

Harry heard Dumbledore sigh. “It seems there was an accident in your Potions class Harry, you reacted as a true Gryffindor and protected Ms Granger and Mr Longbottom but in doing so when the potion exploded you were injured as well.”

Harry nodded. “I remember that much Sir, Draco Malfoy palmed something into the cauldron Neville and Mione were using, but why can't I see properly Professor?”

He heard Dumbledore clear his throat and could see two dimensional image of Dumbledore shift nervously in his seat. “The altered potion when it exploded Harry splashed your face, you are blind Harry, the Potion destroyed the nerves in your eyes.”

“Bu-but Madam Pomphrey can fix it right?” Harry whispered in a horrified tone.

“No Harry, she can't, we already tried too, the blindness is permanent.”

“But Sir I can see, not very well but I can see your shape, everything I shades of grey and there are no outlines to things but I can see you sitting there in the chair.” Harry's voice took on a pleading tone as he spoke.

Dumbledore was shocked, Madam Pomphrey had stated that Harry's eyes were useless but the boy was postitive he could see. “What am I doing right now Harry.”

Harry glanced at his mentor. “You are twiddling your thumbs sir.”

“Harry even if Poppy was wrong and you can see, yor eyes are banaged over...”

Harry gaped, he had forgotten about the bandages and he lifted his hands his fingers tracing the bandages softly. “Sir whats going on...”

Dumbledore shook his head. “I don't know Harry, perhaps it's the effects of the altered perceptions potion, are you positive that you can see these images in your head.” Harry nodded to stunned to speak. “I have encountered something like this before, there is someone I must contact, for now Poppy why keep you here in the infirmary but there is someone who really wants to talk to you, should I send Ms Granger in?”

“Please Professor if you don't mind.”

Dumbledore merely smiled and stood and stepped out of the infirmary, a few minutes later another fingure walked in and almost imediately Harry's senses were on overload, her faint lavender perfume, her strawberry smelling shampoo and the pure smell that was hermione that had always been barely there when she was in Harry's presence filled his nose and he took a deep breath savouring it like the finest wine. In hhis mind he saw her stand silently at the edge of his bed and he waited for her to speak.

“Why do you always have to play the hero Harry, god look at you lying there and it's all my fault.” Quietly Hermione began to cry and inside Harry could feel his heart breaking.

“Stop it, this isn't your fault, Malfoy tampered with your potion and I made my own choice to push you and Neville out of the way, god haven't you realised yet that I wuld suffer anything if it meant keeping you safe.”

“Don't Harry, don't say things like that, please.” She pleaded with him her tears coming faster. “Don't say things like that, youre so more important to the world than I am, you have to survive to defeat Voldemort.”

“Whats the point in saving the world if you're not in it Mione.” He leaned forward and reached for her hand and grasped it tightly in his. “I lose you and there is no point in me fighting anymore.”

“Harry...” She looked down at their clasped hands and looked at him strangely her tears still streaming down her cheeks. “Why...”

“Cause I fell in love and I'm kinda hoping that even though she has a boyfriend, that one day if I'm lucky she will love me back.”

She stood there speechless, maybe she was being stupid but He had all but confessed that he was in love with her, but she was with Ron she couldn't be with Harry, her tears flowed down her cheeks and she stepped around the bed and climbed on beside him and she wrapped her arms around his middle and let her emmotions out.

Harry knew what she feeling right now so said nothing but simply wrapped her in his arms and they lay there till finally the events of the past few days overcame them both and they fell asleep.

TBC....

2. Training

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 1: Training

It took some getting used for almost everyone, the boy who lived, managing to come through five confrontations with the minions of evil and doing so with out a scratch, was now trying to navigate his way through the school grounds with a white stick. Reactions varied, some were shocked others were upset, the Slytherins tried to make his life hellish and to a degree they were succeding, but what made things worse was he could hear everything, all the whispers of pity and all the insults as he passed. It was two weeks now since he had gotten out of the hospital wing and was trying to get on with his life, and it wasn't helping as everyone was treating him like the poor little cripple.

He finally snapped the day he was confronted by Snape in potions class and was removed for his own protection and that of the other class members, unable to continue his lessons because he was a risk to everyone involved. Ron said nothing in his defense, Hermione was incensed and the Slytherins were laughing as he was told to leave his potion supplies behind. And that was how he found himself sitting in the stands of the quidditch pitch, lost in his own thoughts only to be disturbed by a wizened old voice.

“Albus said you had more backbone than this boy.”

Suprised at the presence of someone else Harry sprang up from his seat and fell backwards in suprise. “Who's there, who are you?” He swung his head back and forth trying to find the voice of who was talking to him, till finally a wheezing laugh caused the outline of the individual to become clear in his mind. From what Harry could gather it was an old man with wild untamed hair going in every direction wearing a muggle baseball cap, in his hand the old man carried a staff and most confusing to Harry the old man was balanced on the very edge of the quidditch stand itself.

The old mans laughtered died and he grew serious. “My name is Stick, you will call me sensei, Albus says I can help you and as I owe Albus alot I'll do this for him, on the condition that If I help you then you do exactly what I tell you to do understand?”

“What a bloody minute....” Harry trailed off as he felt something hard hit him on the head.

“Watch your language when your talking to me sunshine, you like being blind, like being treated as a cripple, if you just want to sit here and wait till Voldemort comes and finishes you off thats fine by me, or you could stop feelling sorry for yourself and grow a spine and learn what I'm teaching.”

Harry was angry, if he could tear would have been running down his cheeks right now, but he couldn't cry anymore so instead he lashed out his white cane whistling through the air as he tried to strike out at where he thought the voice was coming from, he met nothing and was rewarded for his loss of temper with another thump on the head.

“WHAT DO YOU CARE!” Harry screamed at Stick his face bright red with anger. “YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!” He finally fell backwards this time as he was rewarded with yet another blow to the head. “DAMN IT STOP HITTING ME!”

“Then stop acting like a baby, god if you're the future of the wizarding world, god help them, as for how I know, I'm just as blind as you are you little Punk.” Stick hadn't moved from his spot on the rail as he looked down at the sprawled figure of the boy who lived. “I'll train you because without it Albus will never forgive me and you won't live to see christmas, but you do what I say, when I say, how I say understand.”

In his shock Harry nodded unable to speak, his ears ringing from numerous blows to the top of his head from Sticks cane.

“What was that sonny, I'm blind not deaf, speak up now. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND.”

Harry couldn't quite grasp the fact this old man was claiming he was just as blind but to save himself another smack on the head he answered. “Y-yeah I understand.”

“Ha, so you ready for your first lesson boy?” Harry winced in pain as he sat up stil rubbing the top of his head feeling the bump growing. The old man cackled rubbing his hands together in glee.

“Um....ok.” Harry stood a little unsteadily using his cane to push himself to his feet to suddenly be knocked backwards onto his ass as Sticks open handed slap struck him across the cheek. “Wha-what are you....” He never got to finish his sentence as another solid open hand slap struck him on the opposite side of his face driving him against the polished wood of the bench. “Stop hitting me!” He was answered by another slap, sending him sliding across the wooden boards of the stands.

“Tell me boy, how do ya plan to fight against Voldemort and his cronies when you can't even stop an old man?” Stick shook his head as he once more slapped the cowering teen, his wrinkled calloused palm causing a resounding crack as it connected with Harrys slowly swelling cheeks. “Well boy I'm waiting, or are ya just like Snape claims, a cripple who is no use to anyone.”

Harry's eyes burned with need to shed tears but they could not, his face was growing numb from the blows and his anger was growing to a terrible rage. “Leave me ALONE!” His arm moved, his cane swinging up and a shock shuddered through his arm as something solid connected with his raised forearm. His anger faded in shock, he had blocked it, he felt it coming and he blocked it, if his face wasn't to messed up he'd be smiling. “I-I did it!” He staggered back as another blow struck him across his face.

“Don't be too proud of yourself sunshine, beginners luck...when you do it everytime then you can feel proud.” Stick grinned swinging his own cane into play as Harry lashed out at him in anger, the two poles of wood connecting with a solid thunk and with a deft twist of his wrist Stick swung his cane up and then down sharply cracking Harry on the head once again. “Now AGAIN!”

*************************

And this was how Harry found his time divided, during the days he would attend classes as best he could trying his best to keep his fledgling abilities a secret, whilst at night he found himself discovering a new world under Sticks tutelage, the more he trained the more acute his remaining senses became, soon he found he could read books by running his fingers along the page, every indentation on the page different and definable as a letter, his sense of smell was so profound he could tell the difference between spell ingredients, but his hearing was the true marvel, his hearing was such that with Sticks training his hearing became a kind of radar, every sound even the very whisper of the air being moved helped to build a three dimensional image in his mind. One of Harry's most memorable training exercises, archery practise.

“Sensei what the hell are we doing down here in the basement with a bow and Arrow, how exactly is a blind man going to teach another blind man how to shoot a bow and arrow...and here my next question why a bow and arrow?” Harry reacted as he felt and heard Sticks blow coming for his head and moved his arm and with he thud of flesh meeting flesh and Harry grinned at his mentor only to yelp when pain flared along his shin bone.

“Don't get cocky sunshine....now this isn't about teaching you how to shoot a bow and arrow, it's about depth perception and using the very air around us to get an idea of where your opponents are, you won't always be able to hear them Lad...so we are here to practise till you hit the bullseye with everyshot, you'll shoot that bow till your hands bleed if you have to.” Nodding Grimly Harry reached out for the bow and the quiver of arrows knowing that Stick was very serious about his threat he knocked an arrow and drew back the bowstring and with a soft twang of silk and the thunk of an arrow striking something Solid Harry set the bow back down. “Well...quite possibly the safest place to be when you are attacking is right in front of you!” Stick's arms moved in a blur and his cane cracked down on Harry's head. “Again!” Harry drew another arrow and let fly, and another and another, each time he was rewarded with the sound of arrows smashing against the brick wall and everytime Stick would yell again, soon Harry's hands were red raw, and soon the raw skin began to blister and the blisters began to bleed and Harry felt like his arms were on fire when final in his mind a shape began to form as the very air molocules disturbed by his and Sticks presence beagn to map out the room to Harry. *Thunk* Stick smiled as finally an arrow struck the target. ”AGAIN!” Harry knocked another arrow and let fly, this one sinking into the target beside the last one, over and over till the quiver was empty Harry fired arrow after arrow till he finally fired off the last one and with a crack of wood it spit the arrow already embedded in the bullseye. “Well done lad...Well done.”

TBC....

An: Just for all you people out there wondering who Stick is, this story is based on Marel comics Daredevil and not Universals movie with Ben Affleck. In the comic verse Matt Murdock was trained to use his powers by Stick, so just incase you aren't aware of the character dun flame me

3. Quidditch

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 2: Quidditch

Night time became Harry's favorite time, because of his blindness Dumbledore allotted Harry private quarters to accomodate his need for things to remain in a set place to make finding things far easier, and to allow Harry and Stick the privacy needed for Harry to continue his training. During the day he attended classes his grades in each class including potions improving dramatically especially as he no longer had to attend the class with Snape, Dumbledore himself taking over as Harry's teacher and grading his results fairly for once. But at night Harry removed his robes and donned his sweats and T-shirt and took to the roof tops with Stick, the towers and roof tops of Hogwarts became Harry's play ground as the pair of enhanced sense blind men leapt and flipped and climbed the hallowed stones of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Whilst his training improved his friendships deteriorated. Ron had walked into the hospital wing the night of Harry and Hermione's conversation and saw the pair asleep together on the bed, whilst he knew that nothing had happened he still couldn't help the jealousy that was inside him and as such he and Harry began to grow distant, while still friends neither were as close as they were in years past, and as for Hermione, it was safe to say she was in relationship hell, whilst she loved Ron, slowly but surely after that day in the hospital wings Harry was creeping into her thoughts in ways that she shouldn't be thinking about, so while they were all still friends whenever the three were together in the same place there was an awkwardness in the air.

Finally a day arrived that Harry was dreading, the first quidditch match of the season. Slytherin versus Ravenclaw, the student body all made their way to the stands and Harry feeling depressed as hell as it was driven home that to keep his new gifts a secret had to give up on another gift, his ability on a broom as seeker. As the match started the crowds roared and booed and Harry sitting in the front row of the stands gritted his teeth at the solid assault of noise that bombarded his senses, he listened to Lee Jordans commentary whilst his radar sense showed him and almost perfect three dimensional image. Harry watched as he traced every player and every ball, he studied the pitch and could help but follow the snitch as it left a ripple effect through the air as it moved so fast, but he could follow it easily. Ron stood at one side screaming for Cho Chang to get the bloody snitch whilst Hermione stood there with an almost bored look on her face on his other side, when suddenly a bludger was belted by one of the Slytherin beaters, soaring across the pitch towards Cho Chang as she sat waiting for sign of the snitch, with almost expert ease she swooped out of the way of the incoming bludger, unfortunately the railing behind her wasn't so lucky, with a crack the reinforced timbers shattered under the blow and Harry and Hermione found themselves falling over the edge of the fail towards the sandy pitch below. Without thinking Harry's wand was in his hand and aimed at Hermione. “Accio!” The screaming girl zoomed the few feet separating them into Harry's arms and with only a few meters left before they hit the ground Harry tried a trick Stick had taught him and he aimed his wand at support beam attached to the stand and cried Accio once more, the timber groaned refusing to budge but Harry with Hermione in his arms zoomed towards the wooden beam and collided with the frame with a heavy thump as Harry's feet touched down Hermione in his arms sobbing and clutching his shirt for dear life.

“Shhhh your safe now your safe Mione.”

Hermione stared at him shock in her every feature even while tears streamed down her cheeks. “H-how d-did you do that?” Harry just shrugged.

“Complete fluke really, I just waved my wand in the general direction and hoped for the best.”

Hermiones face paled at that thought and she retched her lunch emptying under the stands. A little unsteady she clutched at the support beam and Harry's robes to keep herself from falling. Harry slipped his arm around her waist to hold her steady as he waited patiently for the teachers he could hear coming to help get them both down, he needed them to come and get them or soon he would take matters into his own hands, he could feel the soft curve of her hip through her robes and the faint scent of lavender was being this close to her over powering his rational mind.

“Harry! Hermione!” Harry sighed greatfully as he heard Rons voice amongst the teachers voices and Dumbledores calling out Wingardium Leviosa and he felt himself floating towards the ground. He watched feeling something he did like as he watched Hermione ran to Ron almost leaping into his arms crying into his Robes. He swallowed his anger when he watched Rons arm go around her shoulders and quietly led her through the growing crowd back towards the school. His ears perked up as from above the crowds he heard the arrogant drawl he had grown to loathe over the years.

“Pity Potty and the Mudblood didn't break their necks on the way down.” Harry narrowed his eyes as he pushed his way through the crowd startling several teachers as he walked out onto the pitch just as he saw Malfoy take off after the snitch not really caring that everyone else's attention was not on the game, he would win simple as that, it was what Malfoys did best. He dived for the pitch the snitch floating a few feet above the ground and with a triumphant yell he reached for it only to see a grey and black blur and the snitch vanish from his sight. He lost control of his broom and skidded across the grass turf and pushed himself up to find Potter nose to nose with him

Harry smirked ad held the captured snitch in front of Malfoys face. “Even blind I'm a better seeker than you ferret boy.” With those words he tossed the now inert snitch to Dumbledore who watched them both with a slightly amused expression on his face at Harry's words and Malfoys expression and turned away to address the rest of the school while Harry made his way back to Hogwarts.

*********************

TBC...

AN: Just so everyone knows this fic is all planned out and mostly written as well it will follow Harry from his sixth year in hogwarts till he is a grown man and us such will probably be updated daily if all you wonderful people Review...so REVIEW!

and yes short chapters...but short chapters is what i do but i do a lot of em

yours truly the evil known as Kai Lun Mau

4. Fighting Blind

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 3: Fighting blind.

Harry seethed inside, it was a few days after the Quidditch accident but still his anger at Malfoy’s comment was eating at him. He knew there was more to it than that, he was angry at the loss of his eyes, of the loss of his Friends and family. He was angry at Hermione and Ron for being together, but he decided he would take it out on Malfoy and his cronies, Malfoy’s comment out on the Quidditch pitch was seared across his brain and it was time to finally put the ferret in his place. His training with Stick continued as he moved slowly, circling the old man with his arms already in a guard position. Neither of them moved for several minutes till finally with a twitch if a muscle the fight was on. As teenager battled senior citizen, as flesh struck flesh and wood struck wood the pair danced across the rooftops trading blows each seeking a hole in the others defences. As the battle continued Harry's temper began to fray and he struck harder and grew sloppier till he lashed out and Stick parried with his cane. Stick twirled it through his fingers as he pushed Harry slightly off balance and flipped his student over the edge of the building and then catching his wrist and holding him in a vice like grip. "A true warrior only achieves victory in battle when he is calm, anger confusion hatred will cloud your judgement, dull your perceptions and allow little old men with walking sticks to kick your arse." Stick heaved and Harry found himself flat on his back on the roof top Stick standing above him sounding disappointed. "We will continue this tomorrow hopefully by then you'll have calmed down."

Sighing Harry climbed to his feet and bowed to his aged sensei and watched as the old man dropped off the edge of the roof and disappeared. Harry sat himself down on the edge of a parapet and tried to calm his mind when a group of voices tickled his sensitive hearing."

"Did you see that stupid mudblood’s face as she feel, funniest thing I've ever saw, pity Potter saved her, again, wish that potion had done more than make him blind."

Harry seethed he knew that voice anywhere, he followed the origins of the voice till he found a secret passage way that lead down into the castle and the voices seemed to echo up the passage giving Harry's radar sense a clear picture of the secret passage. He slipped his wand out of it's sheathe on his wrist and he made his way down the winding stairs, the voices getting louder and louder as he drew near his prey. Finally he was there, he could smell the excessive amount of gel Malfoy used in his hair, and the foul stench of sweat from the lumbering bulks of Crabbe and Goyle. Aiming his wand into the corridor the secret passage opened out on to Harry cast the darkness charm he had found in the library one day when studying for Defence against the Dark Arts. "Obtenibous!" Darkness boiled from his wand as his seething anger feed it strength and soon the Corridor was pitch black, even Malfoy’s attempts to cast the light charm failed to penetrate Harry's charm. He bolted round the corner and using Sticks techniques quickly disabled both Crabbe and Golye using a combination of pressure points and Karate taught to him by Stick.

"Who's there, show yourself, do you have any idea who you’re dealing with!" Draco snarled as he waved his wand back and forth for some kind of sign of where his attacker was coming from.

Harry just grinned in the darkness. "I see you." Draco didn't even get a chance to react as a fist melted out of the darkness connecting solidly with his stomach driving the wind from his lungs. He fell to his knee's gasping for breath before he folded like a bad hand at poker when a fist connected with his Jaw rendering him unconscious. Harry smirked as he tossed the ferret over his shoulder and began the trek towards the main hall.

****************

Next morning the school was a buzz as student after student made their way towards their breakfasts in the main halls only to be greeted by an astonishing sight and a hilarious one. That of Draco Malfoy naked as the day he was born, his boxers stuffed in his mouth as a gag, hanging from the rafters upside down tied by his ankles to the Slytherin pennant. Harry was already sitting at his breakfast quietly eating away smirking at all the conversations going on around the room and he almost choked when he heard Hermione’s voice pipe up above the usual noise level. "Well least we know why he's such a little shit, it's penis envy, even the girls have bigger ones than he's got, and we don't have one at all."

The day proceeded slowly with the usual rants from professor Snape about how Potter and Weasely must have done this and Professor Dumbledore quietly answering every-time how exactly was a blind man supposed to get Malfoy up there and tie him up. For the first time in weeks the trio were once reunited in their merriment over the fate of small Draco Malfoy, but it was not to last.

Harry bowed to Stick as they met for their training session. Though instead of sparring Stick put Harry through an extreme regiment of physical jerks, press ups sit ups and chin ups and by the end of their three hour session Harry's Arms were like lead weights and his shoulders burned. "Maybe tonight you won’t feel like stringing some schmuck up by his ankles?" Stick rapped Harry on the head with his cane. "Now go shower cause you stink to hell and back." Rubbing his sore skull Harry refrained from commenting knowing full well Stick had no qualms about keeping Harry out there another two hours. He bowed and he almost ran away from the old man as he dropped down onto his window ledge and into his room. One quick shower later Harry crawled into his bed between his crisp white linen and fell into a heavy fatigue induced sleep.

He dreamed as he slept, mostly his usual nightmares of Sirius falling through the viel, but not this time, this time as Sirius fell the dream shifted and once more he found himself staring out of the eyes of his mortal enemy...Voldemort

TBC....

5. Nightmares and Visions

Blind Confrontations:

Chapter 4: Nightmares and Visions

He dreamed as he slept, mostly his usual nightmares of Sirius falling through the veil, but not this time, this time as Sirius fell the dream shifted and once more he found himself staring out of the eyes of his mortal enemy....Voldemort

He could feel that peculiar mix of emotions that signified that he was once more sharing the mind of the most brutal and twisted wizard in history. He could feel satisfaction coursing through Voldemorts mind and an almost delightful glee when Voldemort realised that he was no longer alone in his mind. ”So Potter come for a visit have you, well I have a special performance for you tonight.” Harry watched as Voldemort apparted into a familiar street, it was Grimmauld place. Voldemort stood in the shadows and he turned his gaze and Harry could see several others with his arch enemy, voices distorted by the masks they wore. “Is everything prepared?”

One of the masked figures turned to Voldemort and bowed. “Yes Lord, Crabbe and Golye have the quick silver blade prepared, Avery and Mc'nair are standing by incase the target attempts to flee.”

Harry feel Voldemorts sense of satisfaction grow at his flunkies words. “well done Wormtail, now we simply wait, remind me to reward that foul little house elf when we return....ahh here comes our Prey now. Harry could only watch Horrified as Remus Lupin suddenly appeared in the street from nowhere, but he knew from where, number 12. He watched as Voldemorts arm raised wand clasped in those bony pale fingers and a harsh shout of Stupefy. Harry watched feeling Relief as Lupin conjured the shield charm but that relief turned to horror as the stupefy slammed against the protego spell breaking it with a sound like shattering crystal. Lupin crumpled into a heap on the floor and Harry sat bolt upright in his bed screaming his hand pressed firmly to his brow in an attempt to stop the searing pain driving through his brain like a drill. His hand felt wet and sticky and the sharp metallic tang of fresh blood filled Harry's nostrils as he scrambled out of his blankets bolting from his room in a mad dash to get to Dumbledores office, he didn't care who saw him, he had to warn Dumbledore, they had to save Lupin. He bolted for the stair cases not bothering with steps, leaping over banisters and bouncing off them to slow his descent till he reached the floor that lead to Dumbledores office as he bolted along the corridor he yelled out the password causing the gargoyle to spring out of Harry's path as he scrambled up the moving stairs and bang against the office door gasping for breath. The door swung open and a shocked Dumbledore dressed in a purple flannel night shirt that stopped just above his knee's stared down at the gasping Harry.

“Harry what's wrong, your bleeding, I shall summon Madam Pomfrey at once.”

“NO!” Harry straightened his side burned and he sucked in air trying to get the words out. “Lupin...Voldemort....Number 12.....Got Lupin!”

“Harry calm yourself, I don't understand a word you're saying, what about Remus?”

“Vision, Voldemort was at Grimmauld Place, Kreacher told him the street....Saw Lupin leaving and Voldemort stunned him, check on him, please I can't lose him as well, they will all be gone if it's true.”

Harry this may be another trap like last years vision?” Dumbledore tried to reason with the rapidly deteriorating teen in his office. “This may be nothing more than a ploy to make you act.”

Harry nodded. “I know, why I came here to see you, I can't take the chances like last year but you need to check on him.” Dumbledore nodded and gestured for Harry to take a seat while he went to his office to try and raise the last of the Mauraders. Almost thirty minutes had past and still Dumbledore received no word and Harry was slowly slipping into a full blown panic, suddenly he heard Dumbledore gasp.

Dumbledore watched Horrified as a sickly green light filled his office lit from where on the school ground. He rushed to the window throwing it open his eyes franticly searching for the source of the light, and there floating high above the lawns was the dark mark in all it's infamy and Voldemorts voice magically amplified echoed across the grounds. “A present for you Albus, and a warning for all those who will not bow to me!”

The chair Harry was sat on toppled over as Harry heard the voice his hands clasping over his ears as the noise caused waves of pain to crash through his head. He fell to his knee's panting for breath as the dying echoes of Voldemorts sonerus charm faded. “H-r-y, -arr-, -an you -ear -e.” Harry shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears. ”Harry...can you hear me?” Harry nodded his hands still clamped over his ears. ”Harry stay in this office till I come back do you understand, stay here under no circumstances leave.” Dumbledore waited for Harry to acknowledge and with a nod of his head Harry agreed and Dumbledore left his office his wand drawn and proceeded to the main hall. the doors swung open of their own accord in the presence of the schools Headmaster and Dumbledore was met with the grisly sight of a tortured and murdered body of Remus Lupin. He stood there horrified at the grisly remains of one of this school former pupils.

“Sweet merlin...Albus what has happened here, who is that, heavens mercy is that Lupin...”

Albus never moved his gaze from the dead body. “Get him down Minerva, t-take him to the Hospital wing.

****************

Harry waited in the head masters office fighting every instinct in his body to escape from the room as it rapidly became claustrophobic. He spun around as he head the Gargoyle down stairs begin to move and soon enough heard the office door swing open and Dumbledore walk back into the room. “Harry....”

“No...”

“Harry I am sorry, but it is Remus....I...had him taken to the hospital wing...” Dumbledore lay a hand on the boy he felt was like a grandson to him trying to think of a way to ease the boys burdens. He winced as he realised his words had inadvertently given Harry hope that the last real surviving link to Sirius and his own parents was still alive. “He is dead Harry...”

The hopeful expression was crushed and Harry tore himself from Dumbledore's grip and bolted for the office scrambling up the stairs as he ran for the hospital wing, it wasn't true, Remus would be alive, he'd be injured but alive and soon enough he would be well with Madam Pomfreys magic and he and Harry could swap stories about his parents and God father. He burst through the doors at such a speed that he slipped and skidded across the rough stone floor, his voice hoarse as he yelled for Remus almost hysterically. “Potter, you shouldn't be in here.”

Harry turned to Madam Pomfrey's voice. “Where is he, is he ok, you can heal him right, you've healed me so much, please please say you can heal him...”

“I...” She trailed off at a loss for words when the head masters voice filled the silence.

“He is gone Harry...Voldemort used a silver weapon on him, as a werewolf this was deadly to Remus...”

Harry pushed himself to his feet ignoring Dumbledores words. “where is he, I need to see him, he cant be dead.” Harry fumbled around and grabbed a glass container from one of the shelves lining the room and he hurled it at the floor, the tinkle of glass filling the room spreading outwards and soon Harry's mind had a picture of the room, he could see the two dimensional images of Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore and there lying on a bed was a still unmoving shape. Harry staggered over to the bed and he fell to his knee's and started to run his fingers over the inert form. He wanted to scream, the flesh was cold to the touch and he could hear no heart beat.

Dumbledore turned slightly as the hospital doors open as Minerva arrived with her two charges, he knew now more than ever Harry would need his friends. Hermione gasped in horror as she saw the still form of Remus laying on the bed and Ron at her back felt hollow as another piece of his best friends past was gone. Quietly the approached the mumbling Harry, only Hermione could make out his words. “I cant see you any more Remus, I can't see you...”

“Harry.....Harry ple...” Hermione gasped in surprise as Harry almost threw himself at her, his arms going around her slim waist as his emotional dam was finally torn asunder and he howled into her stomach like a wounded animal, sixteen years of abuse in one form or another was let loss and he clutched to her like a drowning man to a life preserver, his tear soaking her nightgown, but she didn't care, she kneeled and wrapped her arms around him and rocked him in a tender embrace as he cried, she knew now where she finally stood emotionally, she loved him and his pain brought tears to her eyes and soon she too was sobbing. Ron watched the scene feeling the hollowness in his stomach grow, he knew of Harry's feelings for his girlfriend, for Hermione, but he knew he would never act upon them, but watching as Mione comforted their distraught best friend he was struck for the first time the Hermione might share Harry's feelings, while he knew neither would betray him physically it still made his mind swim. Silently he walked forward and he to knelt and he wrapped his arms around both of them in an attempt to ease their pain.

Soon Harry began to calm down his howling dropping to a whimper and soon not even that, but he wouldn't release his hold on Hermione and he knelt on the stone floor clutching to her like dear life, keenly aware of both her presence and Rons. Suddenly the hospital doors swung open and Harry stiffened as he heard the voice of Serverus Snape. “I came as soon as I was summoned Headmaster.”

Harry's voice was harsh and hate filled. “You...you knew about this didn't you, your the spy in Voldemorts inner circle, you knew what he was planning!” He felt his friends arms tighten around him.

Snape sneered at the sight of the mighty trio kneeling on the floor. “Not that it is any of your business Potter but I was unaware of the Dark Lords plans.”

“LIAR!” Harry tore from his friends grips his sorrow turned to rage as he crossed the distance between himself and Snape in seconds surprising the potions master as his fist lashed out catching Snape across the Jaw full strength sending him crashing across stone floor. Harry pounced pinning Snape beneath him and started to lash out with every ounce of hatred he had for the man beneath him. The wind was knocked out of him as Ron tackled him side on driving him from off the top of Snape and pinning him in a wrestling type hold.

“Get him out of here, I can't hold Harry for Long!” Ron grunted as one of Harry's elbows caught him in the stomach . Hermione quickly joined Ron helping to pin th struggling Harry to the floor while Snape picked himself up blood trickling from his nose and his eye already swelling shut. “Let him up, we'll see how clever he thinks he is now I'm ready for him.” Snape drew his wand with a menacing snarl and pointed it at the trio.

“That will be enough!” Albus's voice filled the hospital ward his eyes no longer twinkling but burning with anger. “Severus you will proceed to my office immediately, Poppy give Harry something to calm him down before he hurt somebody or himself.” With that he swept regally from the ward still dressed in his purple flannel night shirt Snape following behind him.

Harry stopped struggling and once more found himself sobbing in his friends arms. “I'm sorry.” he whispered as he sensed Madam Pomfrey pouring something into a glass and handing it to Hermione.

“Make sure he drinks all of it, it will help him sleep.” Hermione nodded as she accepted the glass from the school nurse and and held it to harry's lips and poured in straight down his throat. Soon enough after a few minutes of Harry's protests the blind teenager lay asleep in his best friends arms. Gently they tried to lift him from the stone floor and carry him to one of the cots, as Hermione tried to slip out of his embrace his arms tightened and he whimpered in his sleep. She looked at Ron helplessly and was relieved when he simply nodded.

Ron watched as she lay on the bed besides Harry and he pulled up a chair and sat at the edge of the bed watching his girlfriend and his best friend sleep together and for once felt no jealousy stir within his heart.

TBC.............

AN: Just in responce to a query yes there will be a battle between Harry and Voldemorte but it will not be the final co0nflict in Harry's life, remember I am spanning this through Hogwarts Harry attending a University and when he is in his twenties...so please be patient and just enjoy =)

Yours truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

6. Tears in the Rain

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 5: Tears in the Rain.

A sombre mood filled the castle as the day of Remus Lupins funeral arrived, whilst most of the students did not know him personally, all those who had taken his defence against the dark arts class, even most of the Slytherins held him with a great respect.

Harry sat in his room dressed in black formal robes on top of his muggle suit. He waited in an armchair for a knock on the door to his room to signal it was time to leave. His expression was calm and collected but inside he grieved for the last tie to his parents was gone and he planned. He knew the names of those responsible and in his heart he wanted vengeance, he wanted to hurt them like they had hurt him, to kill them like they had killed Lupin. Inside the boy who lived something dark was brewing.

He looked up when he heard the rap on his door and Ron's voice through the wood. "Harry its time mate." He stood straightening his robe the best he could and he made his way across the floor his cane beating a steady rhythm on the stone floor as he pulled open the door and made his way out into the hall. Ron was silent as he and Harry proceeded down the corridor towards Dumbledore’s office and the portkey that would transport them to the cemetery. As they stepped into Dumbledore’s office Harry let his senses roam picking up scents of perfumes and quiet whispers of the few other people who would take the portkey to the funeral. He smiled slightly when he sensed Hermione’s nearness though he quashed it brutally, she wasn’t his nor would she ever be, it was to risky for him to love her. It would only get her killed.

He turned his gaze to the headmaster who in a soft voice asked if they were already. They nodded and Harry blushed when he felt Hermione’s small soft hand cup his and lift it to touch the length of cord that Dumbledore had charmed to be the portkey. With the familiar jerk behind his navel and the sound of wind rushing through his ears the trio and the Headmaster found themselves in the grassy area of Hogmeades cemetery.

The minister spoke at length; of how Lupin was now with god and in a better place, but to Harry it was meaningless words spoken to make people feel better about the death of a friend. Soon the ceremony was over and the people around the graveyard soon retreated towards the Three Broomsticks for the wake Harry stood in a corner listening to the conversations going on within the room. He refrained from joining in finding a small part of himself laying the death of Remus at his own feet, even though he knew the majority of the blame lay at the hands of Voldemort and his death eaters.

As quietly as possible he extracted himself from the pub and made his way outside unnoticed except by two people, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely.

Hermione watched with a broken hearted expression as Harry slipped quietly from the pub disappearing outside, more than anything else she wanted to go to him, to comfort him. She knew he needed her, now more than ever, every one who cared about Harry was slowly leaving and try as she might she couldn’t help as her love for him grew by the day. She knew it wasn’t fair to Ron, she knew that he loved her and in a way she also loved him, but it paled in comparison to her feelings for Harry.

Ron smiled sadly; inside he could feel his heart breaking. From across the room he could see her expression as she watched Harry leave the Three Broomsticks. He knew now what he had to do; he loved both of them Harry as a brother, Hermione as something else, but her love wasn’t for him. He excused himself as he stepped out of the conversation with his brothers and quietly stepped behind Hermione gently touch her elbow to draw her attention.

She jumped as she felt a hand on her arm and she turned meeting the blue eyes of her boyfriend. "Hey Ron…" She trailed off at a loss for words.

He watched her as her gaze moved from him to the doorway Harry had vanished through and his mind finally settled on a decision. "You love him don’t you." As he spoke his lips turned up in a bitter little smile, his eyes sad as he waited for her to answer.

Hermione stared at Ron for a moment clearly confused by his words. "Of course I love him, he’s one of my best friends." She shrugged as once more her gaze went to the door.

Ron shook his head and tapped her shoulder causing her to face him again looking slightly annoyed. "You love him more than a friend Hermione, I can see it when you look at him, wasn’t really sure till the day in the hospital wing." He leaned forward and hugged her tightly whispering softly in her ear. "Go after him, he needs you, make sure that he’s not alone."

Hermione stepped out of the embrace and stared at Ron, her brown eyes glistened with growing tears, and she smiled gratefully and leaned forward and lay a lingering kiss on Ron’s cheek before she pulled away and followed after her heart. Rons heart slowly broke as he watched he slip out the door to follow after Harry his own eyes wet with unshed tears when he started as a hand rested on his shoulder.

"That was a very good thing you just did Mr Weasely."

Ron turned slightly to stare up at Professor Dumbledore with a bitter smile before he turned his gaze to the door. "Tell that to my heart Professor, it doesn’t seem to think so."

**********

She walked through the streets of Hogsmeade heading back towards the cemetery; somehow she knew that’s where she would find Harry. She pulled her robes tighter around her as the weather started to grow cold, in the distance standing before Lupins grave stood Harry, she quickened her pace till she stood at his back and waited quietly for him to acknowledge her.

"He was my last link you know, there’s nothing left of my parents except an aunt who despises me and a book of magical pictures that I can no longer see."

Quietly she stepped forward her slender arms embracing him from behind her cheek pressed against his shoulder. Harry sighed softly revelling in the gentle warmth of her body pressed against his. "I’m going away Mione."

She froze a sudden sweeping her body at his words. "No you can’t, I wont let you we need you…I need you." She tightened her hold around him to reassure him that she wasn’t going to let him go.

Harry laughed bitterly as his hand gently rested on hers. "You don’t need me, you have Ron, you have your parents, all I do is get people killed." She released her hold and spun him bodily to face her and she reached up and cupped his face in her hands.

"I don’t love Ron, I love you, I need you Harry, so please…don’t go."

"No you can’t love me, I won’t let you love me, people who love me die."

She growled and yanked his head down surprising him as she pressed her lips against his kissing him passionately. Slowly he started to respond his lips on hers slowly growing in passion till they clutched tightly at each other’s robes. Finally the need for oxygen forced the two apart and Harry lay his forehead against hers. "I love you…" He looked up at the sky as a fat rain drop splashed down on his head, soon another joined it then another till soon there was a almost a solid curtain of rain falling from the sky. Harry took a few steps back and he smiled as slowly with every drop of rain his radar pictured what she looked like. "My god you are beautiful."

Hermione blushed at his compliment before a look of wonder stole across her face. "How…"

Harry smiled bitterly. "Magic Hermione." He reached out his fingers tracing her face committing every curve to memory. "I have to go now, I love you." He leaned forward and he gently pressed his lips to hers before he stepped away and starts to walk out of the cemetery leaving his broken heart behind with the girl who’s tears were lost in the rain.

TBC….

AN: Yeah I know straight from the movie, but I don’t care.

Yours Evilly

Kai Lun Mau

7. Vengeance is mine

Blind Confrontations:

Chapter 6: Vengeance is mine.

It was with a heavy heart that he left Hermione alone in the cemetery when inside he wanted nothing better than to take her into his arms and love her like she deserved. Quietly he walked through the corridors of his school till at last he returned to his room. Once inside he stripped off his sodden cloak and muggle suit and flipped open his trunk and pulled out his denims, trainers and long sleeve top that he wore when he was training with Stick. He sat there on the edge of his bed ignoring the wrapping on his bedroom door and the voices of first Ron then Dumbledore and waited for it to become dark.

It was a little after sunset when Harry tucked his fathers invisibility cloak into his pack and finally opened the window to his bedroom and clambered onto the ledge and out using footholds and handholds long memorised to traverse the craggy walls of Hogwarts. Within minutes Harry’s feet touched the ground and he started the trek towards the forbidden forest and the glade where the Thestrals could be found. They would be his quickest ride to London and the Ministry of Magic where he knew he would find at least two of his tormentors, Avery and Mc`Nair.

Harry made a quick stop by Hagrids hut for several provisions knowing the half giant would still be in Hogsmeade rip roaring drunk because of the funeral. He smiled almost as Fang pounced on him licking his face in that manic way of his before Harry managed to calm him down. He walked towards Hagrids supply cabinet and forced the rather pathetic lock and let his nose distinguish each one till he found Hagrids supply of fresh meat. He gripped the massive bucket his muscles straining under the load and blood sloshing over the side as he made his way towards the glade where he tipped the bucket over spilling the bloody chunks of meat onto the forest covered floor.

Soon enough the night winds slowly blew the scent of fresh meat and blood through the forest. His heightened senses soon picked up the sounds of hoof beats on the forest floor and the sounds of bushes being parted and soon enough he knew he was no longer alone in the glade, all around him he could hear the sounds of breathing. With each breath the faintest outline of the reptilian horse became visible and Harry very carefully approached the creature, showing it respect and he reached for it and gently stroke it’s mane. The thestral neighed and leaned into Harry’s touch and Harry knew without a doubt this was the same steed that carried him to the Ministry of magic.

"Hello my friend, I need your help again." The thestral neighed in consent, it’s reptilian head bobbing up and down almost as if he was nodding. Harry gripped it’s mane and swung himself onto it’s back and donned his fathers cloak and soon they were off into the sky and heading towards London.

*******************

Mc’Nair winced as he felt his Dark Mark burn. He could feel his master’s anger through their connection, he knew that this would not be a pleasant experience. He rose from behind his desk and quickly made his way to the Apparation point nodding slightly to Avery as he to joined him. By instruction the pair first apparated to Diagon Alley to avoid the new ministry tracking spells in place. The pair of death eaters made their way down the deserted street and turned off onto Knockturn alley completely calm in the fact none would attack them. That was their second mistake. A tile from one of the roofs above them came flying down at speed and struck Avery on the back of the head a solid blow knocking him to his knee’s.

Mc’Nair whirled his wand raised as a black shape dropped from the rooftops in a crouch. "I don’t know who you are but you have just made the biggest mistake of your life." Mc’Nair pointed his wand at the dark figure and smirked. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The bolt of emerald death flew from the tip of wand and streaked across the short space between the two of them but suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. Mc’Nair was stunned as the figure vaulted into the air above the killing curse and flew straight at him both feet forward driving them into his chest knocking him onto his back and sending the Death Eater skidding through the muddy street.

Avery pushed himself up onto his knees groggy and disorientated from the blow to his head. His vision blurred as he tried to focus on what was in front of him, he could barely make out the two figures a few feet away from him brawling in the street. He raised his wand gripping it in both hands to steady his aim and muttered the killing curse.

Harry smirked at the prone Mc’Nair even though he knew the death eater couldn’t tell it was him with his face concealed under a black woollen ski mask. As Mc’Nair stood Harry closed the distance between them and started to punch and kick the larger man, pouring all his aggression into the blows. He felt a grim satisfaction as he felt bones crack under his blows and the pained yells of his enemy with every hit. But it could not all go his own way, Mc’Nair was a bog man and with a sweeping blow with his arm batted Harry away into the Mud and scrambled for his wand. Harry shook the ringing from his ears and stood to find a wand pointed at his face. "I warned you, you little bastard, AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry kicked forward diving face first into the mud as he felt the approaching killing curse aimed at his back and the one sent by Mc’Nair coming straight at him. He slide through the mud between an astonished Mc’Nair’s legs and rolled onto his back and planted his foot in Mc’Nair’s ass shoving him forward directly into the killing curse sent by Avery. He fell face first into the mud till with the surprised look on his face and lay there unmoving. Avery’s luck was much worse, still dizzy from the blow to his head and his vision blurry he couldn’t tell the difference between the killing curse he sent at Harry’s back and the one sent by Mc’Nair. He didn’t even react when Mc’Nairs curse struck him in the chest, dropping him like a bad habit into the mud of knockturn alley just as dead as his accomplice.

Harry pushed himself up out of the mud, he could feel his jaw pop as he worked his Jaw and he tried to clean part of the mud off when a high pitched squeak of fright drew his attention to the alley way. His senses barely percieved the person at the corner hiding in the shadows, the voice screeched out the Killing curse and ducking under the badly aimed killing curse Harry knew he had found the third member of his hit list.

Wormtail…

TBC….

AN: YES YES! Another day done another chapter posted and just to clear something up, this won’t follow the movie canon but even so in the movie Elektra doesn’t die. You know this by the fact when at the end he visits the rooftop where the rain scene took place and hanging from the line is elektra’s good luck charm inscribed with Braille for Matt.

Yours in good faith (Even though I have none.)

The Evil know as Kai Lun Mau

8. Loss of Innocence

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 7: Loss of innocence

Wormtail muttered darkly as he trudged through the mud of Knockturn alley, he was a loyal Deatheater, it was thanks to he and he alone that their Dark Lord had been found, and he was treated like the tea boy. Fetch this Pettigrew; fetch that Pettigrew, Avery and Macnair are late go see what was keeping them Pettigrew.

He rounded the corner and stopped dead in surprise as he watched a masked figure pummel Macnair to his knees; suddenly two flashes of green light filled his vision. When the flash cleared from his eyes he saw the masked figure stand and Avery and Macnair lying face down in the mud. He squeaked in terror and almost pissed himself when the masked man turned his attention to him.

He raised his wand it weaving back and forth in the air and screeched out the killing curse without bothering to actually aim. He scampered away slipping and sliding in the muddy street trying to get back to the meeting point. Terror filled the four corners of his albeit small mind and made his attempts at Apparation impossible, he knew to try now he would likely splinch himself, so he ran as fast as he could.

**********

Harry ducked under the badly aimed curse smirking as he felt the crackle of energy and heat of the spell miss him by several yards and he began to chase his prey. He drew his wand and aimed at the roof of the building before him. Using the same trick shown to him by Stick "Accio!" The house stayed where it was and Harry soared through the air and landed lightly on the rooftop and started to run chasing after Wormtail watching from his high vantage point. He could take the sneaking little rat out anytime he felt like but decided to follow him and if it looked like at any point he would Apparate, well Wormtail would learn what a roof slate at speed would feel like. He would have almost found the panicking rodent amusing if the reason he was following him wasn’t so serious. Soon enough Wormtail arrived at a rather nondescript house. He battered on the door till it cracked open slightly and Harry leapt into action. He slid down the tiled roof and he leapt into the open air somersaulting till his feet which were pointed at the back Pettigrew's back and when he struck there was an audible crack. Wormtail shot forward slamming into the door forcing it wide open, knocking the cloaked figure behind it off his feet and sliding down the wooden floor of the Hallway. Harry landed nimbly even in the muddy surface of the Alley and sprinted past the unconscious Pettigrew and ran past the door guard pointing his wand at him as he past yelling the stunning curse at the prone figure. He could hear yells of surprise and anger coming from one of the room to his left and with his radar sense estimated there were at least nine deatheaters inside.

The door swung open and a Black robed figure lurched into the hallway his wand raised, it was Crabbe. Harry didn’t even bother giving his target the benefit of a magical death, as soon as he step into the hallway Harry with one hand ripped the white mask from his face with one hand and he slammed the palm if his other into the base of Crabbe’s nose. There was an audible crunch as fragments of bone drove their way into the mass of meat that was supposedly a brain. Crabbe didn’t even blink as blood trickled from his nose and he fell backwards dead. Harry ducked out of the open doorway as blasts of emerald death shoot through the portal slamming into the walls. Harry smiled grimly as he aimed his wand around the doorframe and pointed it into the room, with a whispered Obtenibrous an orb of black the size of a quaffle shot from the tip of Harry’s wand and landed with a wet plop in the centre room. It exploded outwards filling the room with an impenetrable shadow. Yells of confusion filled Harry’s ears as once more blasts of magic fired out of the darkness striking the opposite wall. Harry counted to ten and rounded the corner his wand holstered and the location of everyone in the room noted he grabbed a chair as he passed and swung it hard at the first of the shapes in his mind’s eye. The figure folded with a grunt of pain as the chair shattered from the strength of the blow. Moving with the speed and grace taught to him from countless training sessions with stick he snatched up a piece of the chair the side leg in fact and he swung it at the next figure in the room. With a snap the figure dropped screaming in pain as he felt his knee shatter from the blow. By now the rest of the rooms occupants began to panic and began to fire stunning spells all over the room in an attempt to strike their assailant. But they struck nothing as Harry danced around the blast of energy and soon the yells of panic began to die out as one by one the deatheaters fell under the blows from the chair leg.

"Ilumminatius." The darkness blinked out of existence and Harry stood in the centre of Room breathing heavily. Around him several of the deatheaters lay groaning clutching at broken bones and Harry one by one stunned them and stepped back into the hallway only to see Wormtail groggily stagger up the stairs.

*********

While Harry battled within the room Wormtail was slowly waking from the blow he had received upon arrival. He bit his lip so hard he drew blood as he tried to stand. He could feel the blood squeezing past shattered bone in his shoulder, and he knew that he could not apparate now, he had to send word to his master of the attack and who had perpetrated it. Fifteen years as a rat had had it’s side effect and now Pettigrew’s senses were sharpened much the same way as a Rats and he knew the scent of his attacker…Harry Potter.

Using the walls to keep himself upright he staggered down the hallways to the stairs trying to reach the room the hawks were kept in, to try and inform his Master that Potters blindness was a lie and that he had attacked the meeting. Suddenly all noise in the room had ceased, not gloating laughter no muttered words and Pettigrew tried to speed up to get up the stairs as quick as he could. He squeaked in fear when he saw Potter walk into the hallway and turn to gaze at him.

*********

Harry smirked and he calmly walked down the hall to the bottom of the stairs, taking his time almost enjoying the fear he could smell coming off of Wormtail as he tried to escape. He sped up when Pettigrew reached the top and vanished out of view. Harry rounded the corner at the top and he ducked as a blast of Avada magic shot over his head. "You missed Peter, but I guess it’s easier to hit boys who are laying still on the ground." Pettigrew whimpered as he backed down the hallway. "You betrayed everyone Peter…you betrayed my parents, you betrayed Dumbledore, you betrayed Sirius and you betrayed Remus. Is the place as a flunky at the feet of a man I intend to see buried six feet under and a magical hand worth the cost of the betrayal, why not simply ask for thirty pieces of silver Peter, would have marked you as a traitor a lot easier." Harry just stood at one end of the hall waiting for Pettigrew to answer. He didn’t speak, he didn’t move he just stood there waiting.

"Better to be the lap dog of the devil than to be his enemy, he is going to win and you are going to die." He raised his wand in his good arm and in his high pitched screech sent the Killing curse straight at Harry who in turn hurled the piece of wood straight at Pettigrew before he dived onto his stomach. With a crackle of energy the piece of wood flew through the middle of the emerald bolt of death and caught fire. But it never altered course and while the Avada Kedavra curse splashed harmlessly against the wall, the chair leg struck Wormtail squarely between the eyes driving him backwards through the window at the end of the hall.

Harry rose and he walked to the open window, Pettigrews screams had alerted the street and soon people began to mill around the dead and broken body laying on the cobbles below. For a brief moment when the people in the street glanced up at the broken window they saw a shadowy figure in the darkness before it vanished from view.

***********

Was the next evening when Harry climbed off the thestral once more within the clearing of the forbidden forest and began the trek back towards Hogwarts, he knew he would have to face the consequences of his actions but for now he just wanted to be alone. He climbed the front of the school using the aged walls to scale the heights till he stood on the roof of the observation deck on the astronomy tower. A voice behind him alerted him to the fact he was no longer alone.

"You have failed boy, you let your emotions get the better of you and took off on your little crusade for vengeance, you’re no use to us now, your hands are as tainted as of those who you left dead back in London. When you learn control, maybe we’ll talk again."

Harry spun an argument on his lips but there was no one there, Stick had already vanished and once more someone who Harry had come to respect and trust was gone from his life. His eyes burning with tears that could no longer fall he made his way down the walls of the castle till he arrived at his room and slipped in through the window. The room was pitch black but inside he could hear the soft breathing of someone asleep on his bed. He sniffed gently and the soft scent of wild vanilla filled his nose and he knew who was in his room…

He sat upon the bed and gently shook the shoulder of his slumbering sweetheart to gently rouse her. "Mione…wake up." Mione mumbled softly in her sleep but refused to wake, so Harry quietly lay beside her and slipped his arm across her waist and he lay there felling a kind of contentment he had never felt before as the girl of his dreams snuggled against him and soon he to fell asleep.

*********

Somewhere in the north of England a black feathered hawk with a letter tied to it’s foot swooped through the window of a once deserted abbey and landed on the back of an elaborate throne, the figure on the throne frowned at the bird. He quickly pulled the note free and the bird cried out and rose in flight escaping the abbey. Voldemort opened the letter and he frowned.

"Dear Tom.

I have a spot in hell for you and Goyle, don’t worry you’ll be with friends, Avery Macnair and Pettigrew.

Yours faithfully

The Devil.

TBC…

AN: Hey sorry about the delay but I been working solidly for the past week making food for 420 people and had some wicked writers block…but as you see it’s gone and the chapters up so enjoy

Yours truly The Evil know as Kai Lun Mau.

9. Without words

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 8: Without Words

The first thing Harry felt was the sun streaming through the window of his room spilling over his bed making him feel warm and comfortable under his blankets, the next thing he felt was a soft gently caress of fingers running along the contours of his face. He took a deep brief and a myriad of scents tickled his nose, hints of vanilla, musty books and ink, slowly a smile spread across his face and he opened his eyes and rolled on his side facing her. Very gently he let his fingers reach out till he came in contact with her arm and allowed them to very slowly trail up towards her shoulder to her throat where he lazily trailed his fingertips to her jaw.

Hermione lay there propped up on her elbow her fingers trailing softly across Harry’s face, she smiled he needed to shave to but not to badly and it felt. She watched him as he slept and his face lost all its edges and worry lines and he looked like a regular teenager who didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders. She stiffened when he moved and his eyes opened but didn’t stop her caresses, she almost moaned as he slowly started to trace his fingers along his skin leaving a trail of molten fire in their wake. She leaned into his touch and she sighed, this was where she belonged, with Harry, she cared for Ron deeply but Harry was that missing piece of her soul. Very softly she whispered good morning.

Harry smiled in her general direction as he tenderly traced the shape of her face and slowly ran his fingertips down her face letting the image build in his mind, god she was so beautiful. "Hi…"

"Harry, where did you go after the funeral?" Hermione opened her eyes to watch his face her hand trailing from his face to drape gently across his chest. "Everyone was worried about you."

Harry sighed knowing he couldn’t tell her the entire truth about what had happened and slid his arm across her waist and tugged her till they lay there fitting perfectly together still in the clothes from they wore from the night before. "I just had to clear my head Mione…In a way Remus’s death was my fault…Voldemort killed him to get to me." He sensed her beginning to speak and quickly lay his finger to her lips. "Let me finish."

Hermione frowned at his action but she closed her mouth and waited for him to finish talking.

"Guilt was eating me alive Mione, my parents, Cedric, Sirius and now Remus all killed simply because they had something to do with me or were near me." He let out a heart weary sigh and Hermione felt his pain as slowly the carefree innocent she saw while he slept was slowly buried once more under the guise of the boy who lived. "But as I thought more and more I realised I wasn’t to blame, Tom Riddle and his obsession with his own past is to blame and so I decided to come back to here to find you."

Tears trickled down Hermione’s at Harry’s words and she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body to his and just held him almost revelling in his touch as his hands so nimble and strong when catching a snitch in Quidditch gently stroked her hair.

Neither of them knew how long they lay there holding tightly to each other, both of them finding an anchor to hold them tethered to the ground in this time of pain. But like all moments of peace a rapping on Harry’s door broke it.

The door swung open and Professor Mcgonnagal entered the room. "Miss Granger has there been…Mr Potter, Miss Granger, might I ask what exactly is going on here, in fact don’t bother explaining, Potter the headmaster would like a word with you, Miss Granger as it seems Harry has returned you should make your way to your classes. Without waiting for a reply from either teen she swept out of the room to wait for them.

*************

In silence Harry followed Professor Mcgonnagal to the gargoyle statue that stood before the staircase leading to the Headmasters office. "Peppermint Humbugs." Slowly the statue moved out of the way and Professor Mcgonnagal turned to Harry. "Up with you Mr Potter." Harry nodded still remaining silent slowly climbed the moving staircase till he reached the top and walked along the short corridor to Dumbledore’s office.

"Come in Harry."

Harry pushed open the door and he stepped inside and almost felt overwhelmed from the feel of the room itself, the room screamed relax and if his senses were not so honed it would probably have worked. Instead his training from Stick fought with the room trying to keep Harry’s senses honed for any sign of danger even here in the safest room within Hogwarts. "Please take a seat harry, we have much to discuss."

Harry nodded and he glanced around the room before he slipped into one of the over stuffed armchairs that Dumbledore favoured and he smiled when he felt and saw Fawkes land on his thigh and rub it’s golden plumed head against Harry’s face. Harry gently stroked the bird to ease its sorrow at not being able to help him when he needed it. "Professor can I ask what this is about?"

"I am afraid that a problem has arisen Harry." Dumbledore watched Harry carefully his fingers steepled beneath his nose. "Yesterday something terrible occurred." He watched Harry flinch and a guilty expression flashed across his face. "No Harry I do not refer to your recent trip to a certain house in Knockturn alley." He smiled as he watched Harry relax then suddenly tense up once more. "Whilst I do not condone your actions I do understand what led you to them, and as this is war between the dark and the light something’s are shown in a different light." He sighed and lowered his hands. "No what I refer to was a meeting of the schools board of governors, a meeting I did not know of before it was to late."

Harry frowned still gently stroking the plumage of Fawkes. "Sorry Professor but what does this have to do with me?"

"The meeting was able you Harry, and due to your accident and Voldemort’s return whether it was safe for the other students to allow you to remain at Hogwarts. Alas much to my Horror they reached a unanimous decision and have demanded your immediate removal from school, for your own safety as well as everyone else’s."

Harry sat there stock still in shock, he was being expelled, when with the return of the Dark Lord and Harry number one of his hit list, they were forcing him to leave his home.

Dumbledore felt his heart break at the stricken expression that grew on the face of the boy he thought of as a grand child. "I’m sorry Harry, I am appealing the choice as we speak, but I feel gold’s and threats of retribution has reached the members of the board and for the time being till this is dealt with you must return to the Dursely’s."

Harry didn’t know what to think. He stood almost mechanically at a lost for words. "D-do I have to give you my wand?" He drew his wand and held it towards Dumbledore and he almost cried in relief when he heard the word no.

"You are not being expelled from Hogwarts Harry, and as you have passed your owls you are trained well enough to use magic once you turn of age. I will not allow this to happen, I will appeal this to the highest levels till you are able to return to your classes and friends."

Harry walked quietly to the door and slowly pulled it open. At Dumbledore’s words he shook his head sadly. "Don’t bother Professor, I just reached my breaking point with this world." With that said He slipped out of the office leaving Albus looking very tired very old and for the first time in his life feeling defeated.

********

It was during lunch when Hermione received the letter from the headmaster telling her to find Harry as quickly as possible. So trying hard not to panic Hermione slipped out of the great hall and ran towards Harry’s room and found he was not there. She flipped open his trunk and retrieved the Marauders map and tapped it with her wand. "I solemnly swear I’m up to no good." Slowly the magical ink spread across the page and soon enough there in the Owlery was a dot marked Harry Potter. Dropping the map into Harry’s trunk Hermione Ran from his room to the owlery not caring who she knocked out of the way as she ran.

Finally she arrived and pushed open the door and slipped inside. "Harry?" Silhouetted against the window stood the boy who lived staring out over the grounds.

"Mione…" He didn’t turn round, he couldn’t turn round and face her.

"Harry what’s wrong, Dumbledore told me I had to find you." She walked across the floor and leaned against his back and slipped her arms around his waist. "Harry talk to me."

"They are kicking me out Mione." He leaned back into her embrace savouring what he knew couldn’t last. "The school board decided having me here near the other students was to big a risk, so while I’m not being expelled but I am being dismissed."

"No…no you can’t leave not now." She tightened her grip around his waist and held onto him for dear life.

"I want you to have Hedwig Hermione, Dumbledore wants me to go back to the Dursely’s but I’m not going, I refuse to sit there in a place I am hated and wait to die."

She stood there for once speechless as she held tightly to the man she was so desperately in love with.

****************

Was the next day at Hogsmeade station, Harry stood with his trunk surrounded by Ron, Dumbledore, Hagrid and Hermione. He shook hands with Dumbledore as he gave Harry assurances his return to Hogwarts would not be far off. He exchanged back slaps with Ron in that awkward that way guys share emotions and he gasped for breath as his oldest friend Hagrid pulled him into a hug. "You take care now ya hear."

Harry smiled up at his friend. "I will Hagrid, when I get settled in I’ll let you know ok." Hagrid nodded and hugged Harry again so hard you could almost hear his ribs creak before finally letting him go. Harry turned to Hermione who stood there her arms wrapped around herself and tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I don’t want you to go."

Harry sighed. "I don’t want to go, but they aren’t leaving me any choice Mione, long as Voldemorts out there my life is always going to be like this." He reached out and gently cupped her face in his hands and smiled a sad smile before he leaned in and kisses her softly. His lips lingered against hers for several moments before he pulled back.

"Harry, I-I…." Hermione trailed off as his finger pressed gently to her lips. She stared into his unseeing eyes still a soft colour of jade, a side effect of his accident.

He shook his head as he silenced her. "You don’t have to say it Mione, I don’t need eyes to see your feelings, and I don’t have to hear you say it, because in a thousand different ways you say it without words Mione, and I want you to know…I love you to." Harry gently kissed her brow and stepped back as the Train whistle sounded. Without turning back around he climbed onto the train and shut the cabin door. Slowly the train began to leave the station.

"I love you Harry Potter!"

Finally Harry smiled as he heard her voice as the train pulled away and unnoticed by him tears gently rolled down his cheeks

TBC…

AN: Please don’t hurt me I promise there will be a lot more interaction between H/Hr in later chapters, so please no death threats

Yours in pleading mercy:

The Evil known and Kai Lun Mau.

10. In a Flash

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 9: In a Flash

Harry sat alone in the compartment that he had shared with his two friends on their way to Hogwarts, only this time he was alone and the Hogwarts express was taking him back to London. He knew that Dumbledore would have him watched, his refusal to go back to the Dursley’s had caused all kinds of hell, but he didn’t want to go there and he knew that they sure as hell didn’t want him there. He knew now that if at anytime he was truly vulnerable to attack by Voldemort and his intrepid little Death Eaters it would be now, at most he would have was a handful of days before they came after him. He grabbed his trunk and flipped the lid open and started to rummage around inside till he found his Gringots key and tucked it into his pocket. Closing the trunk he slowly started to formulate a plan.

Once the Train pulled into the station Harry drew his wand and tapped his trunk and muttered the shrinking charm and tucked the miniaturised trunk into his trouser pocket. He climbed out of the Hogwarts express for what he knew would be the last time and made his way through the barrier into Kings cross Station.

************

Harry gritted his teeth as the sounds of the city lay siege to his senses, every bus that past was like an explosion in his head, after the relative peace of Hogwarts. He would have to try and get used to this noise if he were planning on surviving out here in the muggle world. Before he had left Hogwarts he had asked Hermione for the exact directions for Diagon Alley, she being her perfect and efficient self supplied them. So Harry with comparative ease found his self entering the Leaky Cauldron and meeting a profound silence which exploded with cries of My word and Oh my It’s Harry Potter.

Harry graciously accepted the comments and handshakes before he turned to Tom and smiled. "I need a room for the immediate future Tom."

"Of course Mr Potter, now people that’s enough, Mr Potter if you would like to follow me I’ll show you to your room." Tom slipped out from behind the bar and grabbed a room key and quickly led Harry through the crowd of well wishers to the stairs.

Soon enough Harry was alone in his room and he knew that soon word would spread that he was staying here alone, and he knew that sooner or later Voldemort and his DeathEaters would come for him. Harry rose from the bed and crossed the room slipping out onto the landing and down the stairs quickly to try and avoid the occupants in the bar. In the back alleyway he drew his wand and ran his fingers along the stone wall till he reached the keystone and tapped it with his wand. Slowly the portal opened and Harry walked out into the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley.

He had only one stop to make while he was here, to pull off his plan he needed muggle items and to get those items he needed muggle money, even if his plan worked he had no intention of staying in the wizarding world. He had had enough of their two faced ways, he was their hero when it suited them. And when it didn’t he was their scapegoat.

It took him almost an hour to get his money converted and he finally made his way out of Diagon Alley out into muggle London. Soon enough he found the store he wanted. `Desperate Dan’s Army Navy Surplus` Harry vanished inside the store and an hour later he had exactly what he needed.

**********

Night-time came and Harry looked at Tom as he stood behind his bar. "Tom if I were you I’d take the rest of the night off. I’m kind of expecting visitors and they won’t be friendly."

Tom looked horrified. "Mr Potter you can’t expect them to just show up here in the middle of Diagon Alley!" Tom set down the glass he was cleaning. "And even if they do come you can’t expect me to leave you alone to face them." He blinked as a leather moneybag landed on the bar in front of him; he hadn’t even seen Harry move.

Harry smiled at the old bar tender. "Go home Tom, the money in there is for any damages that may occur, but go home."

Tom nodded slowly and stepped out from behind the bar and grabbed his cloak and with a crack he apparated away from the leaky cauldron leaving the boy who lived to his fate.

Harry sat there in the corner watching the door that lead into the backyard to Diagon Alley, every one of his enhanced senses hyped up to the maximum. He smirked when he heard the sounds of five Apparation into the yard and the whispers of the men as they opened the door to the pub and slipped inside. "Evening gentlemen."

Harry tried not to laugh as the men spun to face him and drew their wands. "Potter…Our Lord sent us to bring you to him, he waits in the centre square of Diagon Alley, come quietly and your death will be painless as possible." The DeathEaters laughed and snickered between themselves knowing full well that their Master would make Potter suffer endlessly.

Harry grinned at the masked men and sat forward crossing his arms so they vanished beneath his cloak. "Lemme see if I have this straight, If I come with you to Diagon Alley Voldemort will kill me and if I don’t come with you will kill me." The DeathEaters nodded as Harry leaned back against his chair. "Well how about this then. I kick the shit out of you five and I them bury my foot in he who forgot to bathes ass before I bury him up to his eyebrows in shit and leave him there." He grinned at the looks of outrage that spread across the features of his five attackers. There was a thud and from under the table and slowly a cylinder about the size of a fist rolled between the legs if the DeathEaters. "Say cheese."

The DeathEaters yelled throwing their arms across their eyes as the cylinder flared into incandescent brilliance filling the room with brilliant white light leaving their vision obscured with purple and green spots. Harry rose from the chair like a pouncing tiger his cloak dropping to the ground revealing his arms and hands grasping a pair of American style night-sticks. The sticks blurred in his hands as he danced between his opponents. Yells of pain and of metal strike flesh and cracking bone till finally the flash faded and Harry stood in the centre of the group and one by one the DeathEaters fell to the ground out cold. Harry crouched and quickly felt around the ground till he held all five wands. He set one of his night-sticks down on the table and drew his own wand and pointed at the unconscious DeathEaters.

"Incarsicus!" Magical rope shot from the tip of his wand and bound the five together in a heap on the floor and Harry nodded grimly. Pulling one of the masks off of one of them he quickly pulled it over his head and grabbed his cloak and pulled in on pulling his hood up to cover his hair. Silently he slipped from the pub to the portal out back and calmly walked into the lion’s den. His senses told him there where at least twenty people in a semi-circle all Death Eaters at their head stood Voldemort in all his glory. Harry bit back the curse on his tongue as pain blossomed along his scar.

"Where is the boy!" Voldemort hissed seeing only one of his servants returning to Diagon Alley. "I grow impatient and soon the Aurors and that muggle lover Dumbledore and his order of the phoenix will arrive soon to protect their precious Potter."

Harry shook with anger. "He comes now even as we speak my lord." He reached into the pocket of his cloak and fingered the five captured wands.

Voldemort hissed. "You, I do not recognise your voice…He grabbed the arm of his nearest servant and pressed his finger to the dark mark eliciting howls of pain from everyone of his DeathEaters but the one who stood before him. "Potter!"

Harry tore the mask off with one hand and withdrew the five wands with the other and tossed them into the air towards the line of DeathEaters. "Infernious!" A bolt of liquid flame so hot it was almost white in colour shot from the tip of his wand and struck the five wands. The wand wood burned away in mere seconds and the magical fire soon consumed the magical cores releasing the energy held within each one. The DeathEaters ducked and yelled as blasts of multi-coloured energy erupted from whirling mass of magic as it caromed across the square. Harry reached under his robes and withdrew two more Flash grenades and pulled the pins ducking and weaving between the blasts of magical death being sent at him by Voldemort and the DeathEaters he lobbed them into the confused mass.

They flared into Life turning the night-time streets of Diagon Alley as bright as if it were noon. Harry drew two more grenades from under his cloak and they to joined the mix exploding with a bang and quickly filling the street with a thick grey smoke. Harry shrugged off his cloak as he disappeared into the smoke and confusion, his night-sticks drawn from his belt. He moved like he were a ghost, his radar sense giving him a panoramic view of the battlefield. He danced around curses and hexes, his night-sticks lashing out again and again dropping DeathEater after DeathEater, soon other shouts filled the streets as Ministry Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix apparated into the street and joined the fray.

Harry grinned; he could make out the voices of Shacklebolt, Moody and Tonks as the DeathEaters began to fall in battle. He spun his senses searching out his Nemesis and he watched as a ministry auror fell dead from the killing curse. He drew his arm back and he let fly his night-stick flew through the air Harry running along behind it as it struck Voldemort’s personal shield charm. It bounced off but did enough to knock Voldemorts aim off, the Killing curse he aimed at an order member striking a DeathEater instead. Harry screamed in rage as he leapt at his nemesis his second night-stick once again bouncing off of the Shield as Harry shifted his weight spinning with the rebound his weapon a blur as he continued to beat at the silver shimmering shield.

Both combatants were reduced to incoherent cries of rage as they battled to best the other. Voldemort trying to get his wand past Potters guard to finish him with the Killing Curse while Harry tried desperately to break down the shield. Suddenly an explosion at the feet of them both knocked them off their feet, Harry’s weapon skittering out of his grasp whilst Voldemorts shield spell shattered with a crystalline twinkle. Harry pushed himself to his knee’s shaking off the echo in his ears, his radar sense scrambled showing him three of everything. He started to scream as Voldemorts hands clamped around his head and hauled him to his feet. Harry’s head felt like it was splitting in half and he could barely focus as Voldemort yelled across the battlefield. "Cease your fighting or I will end Potters life right now…I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN!"

All around them slowly the Aurors and phoenix members backed away wands lowered and the DeathEaters that were conscious began apparating away. Voldemort smirked down and the nearly insensible Harry. "See boy you can’t beat me, now…now you’re going to join your Mudblood mother."

Harry screamed in rage, the anger coursing along his nerves replacing the pain and he flailed one hand closing around Voldemorts wand and twisted and jerked down and snapped the wand in half. Voldemort gaped in shock at his snapped wand and glurked when he felt the tip of Harry’s wand press under his pale chin.

"EVISERO!" Harry fell free of Voldemorts grip panting for breath as the Dark lord reached upwards and gently touched his expressionless face. He tried to say something but his arms fell limply to his sides and his burning red eyes went dark and he fell to his knees. A sickening slurping sound filled the now silent street as the front of his face slowly slid free and fell into the dirt with a thud. Red Blood fountained into the dirt as Voldemorts body fell forward dead.

Harry lay there gasping for breath his wand clutched tightly in his fingers, it was over, he was dead, and Harry was free. All around him slowly the stunned order members and Aurors were coming to life and running towards him. But Harry scrambled to his feet, he was done with this world, he had freed it as a last act but he was done. He darted across the street and he launched himself into the air and grabbed the edge of the roof overhang of one of the stores and hauled himself onto the roof and vanished from sight ignoring the cries of order members and friends.

*************

It was a month after his confrontation in Diagon Alley and Harry was sitting out back in his new house in California soaking up the sun. At times he missed Ron and Hermione and his other friends. But he knew he had to leave after defeating Voldemort, he would never get any peace now. He had enrolled under an alias in Cali wizarding Tech to finish off his education. He looked up as a bird, an owl came into view of his Radar sense and he frowned, no one knew where he was no one should have found him. He sat up in shock…it was Hedwig. She settled onto the back of his chair and nipped his ear painfully letting him know how annoyed she was at his leaving her behind. He yelped and gently stroked her feathers and quickly grabbed the note on her foot and quickly ran his fingers along the text.

*Dear Harry

I hope this letter finds you in good health, I know you wanted me to keep Hedwig but she is pining away for you badly, she is your Owl Harry so you should keep her with you. As for me I miss you and now that you are gone it feels like part of me is missing and it feels awful. I want you back in my life Harry and I’ll wait for you to come back to me. With this letter you will find a news article cut from the Daily Prophet.

I love you Harry Potter I have since the first day we met on the train. I just wish I had told you sooner. I wont ask for you to write to me because I know you won’t so instead I will wish you luck and all my love till you come home

Love Hermione. *

Harry felt his heart breaking at her words and he set the letter aside and unfolded the article from the prophet and once more let his fingers trace the text.

*Malfoy Escapes From Ministry

Prominent philanthropist Lucious Malfoy who was being held for questioning over alleged DeathEater activities, whilst being transported to Wizengamot for trial escaped from custody and his where abouts are currently unknown. *

Harry scowled and let the article fall to the ground. It seems like it wasn’t over after all.

TBC…

An: YES the first part of my Trilogy is over I hope this has wet your appetite and I hope you stick with the story which will be set a few years in the future when Harry attends university so until then Review till your hearts are content

Yours Sincerely

The Evil and Diabolical Kai Lun Mau

11. New School, New Life

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 10: New School, New Life

August.

Columbia University in the city of New York three years after Voldemorts defeat in Diagon Alley. Lauren Mcallister was unpacking her cases in her dorm room when she heard her room door open. "Howdy Roomie!" She turned to greet her new roommate and stopped short as a man clearly heading into his fifties walked into the room. Lauren blushed with embarrassment. "Oh, I… I thought… you’re not…I mean…"

The man grinned at the young woman’s plight and decided to take a small measure of pity on her. "No I’m just her father Ted Granger. She’ll be up in a minute she’s just getting the last of her things from the car." Ted extended his hand shaking the girls firmly. "Pleasure to meet you." Ted sat the case he was carrying upon the bed against the wall.

Lauren blinked slightly. "Oh you drove? I had to fly. I came from Texas, Austin to be exact." She sat on the edge of her bed wondering where the man had come from especially as it was quite clear his accent was definitely not American. "Where did you drive from? Forgive me if I’m being nosy but your accent isn’t from around here."

Ted grinned slightly and pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and mopped his brow of sweat. "You’re quite right I’m not from around here. We are originally from Oxford in England, but sister lives here in New York and she agreed to let my daughter and I stay with her for a few weeks while she got ready for classes."

A voice from the hallway brought the conversation to an end. "Daddy? I locked Aunt Ellen’s car but campus security says you can’t keep it parked in front, they are going to tow it." Hermione rounded the corner and appeared in the open doorway. Her father grinned t her expression and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I’ll get to it in a minute, this is your roommate."

Lauren waved cheerfully at Hermione. "Hi I’m Lauren Mcallister."

Hermione grinned and set down the box she was carrying. "Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you Lauren." Hermione glanced around the room that they would be sharing for the foreseeable future. "Nice stereo."

Lauren grinned at her new roommate. "Yeah that baby is my pride and joy, what can I say, I’m here studying music. What about you, you like music?"

Hermione nodded. "Good music."

Lauren grinned and plucked at the over sized T-shirt Hermione was wearing. "So says the girl wearing a Nickleback T-shirt."

"Hey! NickleBack rock!" Hermione giggled as she pulled her T-shirt out of Lauren’s fingers."

Lauren nodded sagely. "See that’s your problem, your rocking when ya should be wallowing in the blues."

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "The blues? You mean like ‘My dog can’t get a job, my truck has left me and my women’s howling at the kitchen door’ blues?"

Lauren shook her head and stifled her laughter at Hermione’s comment. "Nooo, that’s country ya fool." Lauren turned to the box on her bed and rummaged through it pulling out a CD case. "This here is Sue Foley, you put this on, you’ll see what I’m about."

Hermione grinned and took the CD and set it down on her table and turned to her father as he stood in the doorway. "One sec Lauren. Daddy?" She crossed the room and took her fathers hands in her own. "You’re going?"

Ted Granger smiled at his daughter and pulled her into a hug. "You are starting University Hermione, not me. I need to get back to your aunts and finish packing. You know my flight leaves in a few days." Ted sighed. "I still don’t understand why you didn’t go to University back home."

Hermione sighed and looked down at the floor. "You know why Daddy, to much happened back home, I needed to get away." She looked up meeting her fathers gaze. "I’ll write to you every week I promise."

Ted Granger leaned in and hugged his daughter. "You better." He pulled back and flashed her a brilliant smile. "I am very, very proud of you, you know that?" Hermione nodded her eyes bright with tears. Ted Granger smiled and gently kissed his daughters cheek before he let his daughter go and started down the corridor.

Hermione stood watching her father walk away and she turned to her roommate when she felt her hand on her shoulder. Lauren smiled. "You have a hell of a cool dad."

Hermione grinned and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know."

************

Much later after both girls had finished unpacking Hermione stood on her bed pinning the last of her posters onto the wall just as Lauren entered the room carrying a pizza box. "Foods here."

Hermione nodded as she pushed the last pin into the wall. "Thank god I’m starving."

Lauren glanced at the posters that Hermione had put up. "Who is that, is that Bruce Lee?" She shook her head as she flipped open the pizza box. "Don’t tell me you think Bruce Lee was hot?"

Hermione grinned as she smoothed out the creases. "They were a gift from my best friend back home."

Lauren chuckled as she battled with a slice of triple cheese pizza trying to get it into her mouth. "So you’re into all that Chop Socky stuff huh?"

Hermione glanced over her shoulder at her new friend. "Chop Socky?" She bent her legs slightly. "Watch this." She suddenly sprung backwards her lugs tucking up into her chest as she seem rotate in the air till she landed softly on Lauren’s bed on the other side of the room and snagged a slice of pizza from the box. "Yeah you could say that I am into it."

Lauren just stood there slack jawed. "That is so cool!" Hermione grinned as she sat herself down between the two beds and set the pizza box down on the floor. "So how long have you been training to be able to do stuff like that?"

Hermione chewed on her pizza slice trying to come up with the best explanation. "Two years intensive training, where I went school defence classes were a part of the curiculum, and I had the best marks in the school for every class, I was determined I would have the best marks in this as well. When I was younger till I was eleven I used to do gymnastics and even though I hadn’t done any of those class in several years it still helped me with the class." She shrugged as she tossed her pizza crust into the box. "That summer I saw an ad for a newly opened dojo so I signed up over the summer, been doing it ever since."

Lauren nodded. "What about your parents what do they do?"

Hermione smiled. "They are both dentists, they own their own practise back in the United Kingdom." She glanced up at Lauren. "What about your parents."

Lauren shrugged. "Divorced. My dad’s in oil so he travels a lot and my mom lives in Austin. She’s a doctor."

Hermione took another slice of pizza from the box. "You going Pre-Med like me?"

Lauren laughed. "Hell no! Too much like hard work sister." She shrugged and grabbed the last slice from the box. "Like I said earlier I’m gonna be a musician."

Hermione pointed to the guitar case she spied sitting in the corner of the room. "So you can actually play that thing?"

Lauren glanced over her shoulder noticing what Hermione was pointing at. "I sure try."

"Okay, so…?"

Lauren made a face as she grabbed the guitar and cracked open the case and pulled out the acoustic. "All right, but if I suck you gotta lie to me."

Hermione giggled and closed the pizza box over and flipped the lid shut before tossing the carton in the trash. "You’re not gonna suck."

Lauren grinned at her. "You’re pretty confident considering ya ain’t known me more than eight hours."

Hermione grinned and leaned back against her bed. "Oh yeah am very confident."

Lauren grinned even more and strummed her guitar. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

*******

TBC…

AN: Yeah finally the next instalment, for those of you that care the bulk of the next several chapters will mostly all be Hermione’s point of view, and to answer a query "Eviscero" = Eviscerate my own personal Spell word for slicing something.

Yours most gratefully

The ever despicable Kai Lun Mau

12. A new threat and an old acquaintance

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 11: A new threat and an old acquaintance.

The rain fell thick and heavy striking the sidewalk so hard they bounced back up creating a mist that blanketed the ground. Man or beast wouldn’t be out on a night like this with out a choice. Unfortunately for Alexander Dante he did not have that choice. He could hear the sounds of his pursuers behind him and he skidded to a stop in the rain almost losing his balance on the wet pavements and pressed himself against the brick wall. Drawing his wand from his pocket he rapped himself solidly on the head with it inducing a feeling like an egg being cracked. He shivered as the cold feeling slithered down his spine as the Disillusionment took effect. His eyes close and his skin colour seems to shift till he seems to melt into the shadows and pattern of the wall he is pressed against.

The retrieval squad round the corner, the tyres of their Hum-vee spraying water in a wave as it passes through the puddles that slowly grow from the torrential rain. Soon the Hum-Vee had driven past Dante’s hiding place and he let out a breath of air and stepped away from the wall letting his disillusionment fade and his skin revert to its normal fleshy tones. He turned and started to run back the opposite way from the way the Hum-Vee had just past.

He never got far. As he was running a figure appeared out of the rain and the shadows dressed in black cargo pants and a black vest of black rubbery material and drove his shoulder into Alexander, slamming the young man into the side of a car. Alexander bounced off the car and landed in a heap on the ground, he rolled and pushed himself to his feet and found himself facing his attacker.

"What do you want!" Alexander yelled trying to fight down the rising panic he felt swelling in his chest. The figure just flashed him a lopsided grin and lifted his arm up till his wrist was level with his mouth.

"Primary target has been acquired, lock onto my signal and prepare for pick up." There was a metallic scrape and the man drew a wicked looking knife from a sheath on his hip and slipped into a loose combat stance.

"Please just leave me alone!" Alexander backed away trying to put distance between him and his attacker before he turned as quick as he could to try and run. He got two steps before he felt a burning sensation along his ribs and he stumbled falling to his hands and knees in the rain. He looked up trying desperately to get to his feet and found his attacker literally in his face. Alexander whimpered as he stared into a pair of eyes so dark they were almost black.

"Night, night."

Alexander whimpered as he felt the strength leave his limbs and he fell face first into the pavement and the blackness of unconsciousness swallowed him.

"Too easy." The figure sheathed the knife back in its sheathe and he stood and waited patiently, moments later the Hum-Vee pulled up beside him and the doors opened and three men in black combat pants and black wool sweaters climbed out. One opened the trunk while the other two were gathering up the inert form of Alexander and then dumped him into the back. Then the three men and the man with the knife climb into the Hum-Vee and it pulled away from the sidewalk and drove down the rain soaked streets before soon it’s black exterior vanished into the night.

************

It had been a lousy day for Hermione. Her classes had been rough; seven years in a magical school did not translate well for starting at a muggle university. The cafeteria food was lousy and to top it all off she was lost in the rain. She stood underneath the awning of the store as she studied the street signs trying to find out which street she was supposed to take. She had noticed the advertisement for classes at a local Dojo, and with her training maybe she could find a part time job helping teach the women’s self-defence classes. Her brown hair cut short for simplicity was plastered to her face from the downpour but she finally let loose a frustrated sigh when she saw the street the Dojo was located on.

Soon enough she was inside and waited patiently for the Dojo sensei before she ventured any further inside. She could hear the Sensei bark commands at his students as she glanced around the corner drawing his attention. Nodding to one of his student assistants he stepped off the mats and crossed the distance between himself and Hermione. Hermione glanced once more at the students as a familiar voice began to call out the commands before she turned and bowed. The Sensei, a man clearly in his twilight years but still strong with grey shoulder length hair towered over her at almost six ft three inches smiled politely and bowed in return.

"Welcome to Stone’s Dojo, how may I help you?"

Hermione smiled as she straightened. "Greetings Sensei, I saw your ad for classes at the University, and well I was hoping I could sign up to continue my own training and to find out if possible if you were willing to hire me on part time to help with the women’s Self-defence class."

Stone stared down at Hermione with a calculating look on his face. "Joining the classes are no problem Miss, as for Teaching, well a woman’s instruction would be more welcome amongst my female students, but I have no idea if you can actually spar. So I will make you and offer, If you can last fifteen minutes against my personal student, then I will agree to let you help teach the self-defence class."

Hermione flashed him a confident grin. "Do you have someplace I can get changed?" Stone laughed at her confidence and pointed towards the changing rooms.

"Don’t be to long…what is your name Miss?"

Hermione picked up her bag and bowed to Stone. "I am Hermione Granger."

"Well Hermione we will await you on the mats." With that Stone turned his back to prepare his class for the up and coming demonstration. Hermione slipped into the women’s locker room and grabbed her towel from her bag and quickly dried the worst of the water from her hair before slipping a hair band around her short hair to keep it from her eyes. Before she left the locker room she performed a series of stretches to limber up before she proceeded out the room to the mats where she bowed to Master Stone and turned to face her opponent and almost fainted in shock.

"HARRY?"

TBC…

AN: What can I say…EVIL!

Yours truly

The Evil Known as Kai Lun Mau

13. Examinations and Experiments

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 12: Examinations and Experiments

Silence reigned in the Dojo after Hermione’s outburst. She couldn’t quite believe her eyes, four years of almost no contact except birthday cards and Christmas cards and now, here in the heart of New York City, in a martial arts Dojo no less she found herself face to face with her past. God he looked good, he had grown several inches over the past three years. He had filled out as well his slight build covered with sinewy muscles, but not over developed like a weight lifter. She dreamed of meeting him again, all the different ways, and each time it would involve kisses and whispered declarations of love. Well Stone had blown that idea right out of the water cause now she found herself having to kick his ass to get the job. Well Harry Potter, love you or not you are going down.

Harry was stunned, mere moments after she had entered Stone’s he knew who it was that was talking. Her voice was as familiar to him as his own and even after almost four years she still smelled faintly of vanilla and the faint smell of musty books. Only years of discipline drilled into him by Stick and later Stone stopped him from tearing across the floor and gathering her in his arms and kissing her till she passed out. So you can understand his reaction when he heard Hermione asking for a job and Stone’s demand that she fight him. He was stuck, he would have to fight her, not exactly the greeting he wanted to give her, but he knew Stone would not accept anything less than his best from him.

Stone watched the pair for a brief moment; he scanned Harry’s face noting the warring expressions on his face. Without a doubt the boy knew his opponent and was not happy with the situation. He turned his gaze to Hermione and noted also her expression, the grim smile and eyes that promised a severe ass kicking for his protégé.

The pair faced each other on the mat knowing the time for conversation would come after they had kicked the ass of the other. They bowed to Stone before turning and bowing to each other. Stone made a chopping motion with his arm. "Fight!"

It was elegant, spellbinding and brutal as the pair darted in towards each other and the blows they traded came fast and furious. One trained by two Mystic martial arts teachers and the other trained by the best combat instructors in British Magical Law enforcement. Kicks and punches were fired with deadly proficiency and were blocked or evaded with equal skill. Minutes passed and neither combatant seemed to be tiring, though the expression on Hermione’s face was growing more and more frustrated with her inability to get through Harry’s defences. Suddenly Harry was on the attack and Hermione back-pedalled trying to put some distance between them.

She swung a spinning back heel kick trying to take advantage of his advance but he ducked under the blow almost as if he was expecting it. Harry spun on his heel in a sweeping leg striking connecting solidly with the back of her knee and sent her falling backwards. She shifted her weight her hands coming down on her palms and pushed up in a forward flip landing with barely a sound on the other side of Harry. She spun into another back kick trying to connect only for him to once more dance around the blow and wrapped his arms around her waist pinning her arms to her sides and picking her off the floor. Harry pressed his lips to her ear his breath warm and soothing yet extremely confusing to Hermione and what he whispered in her ear didn’t help. As his words registered her struggles stopped for a brief moment and that was all Harry needed? Suddenly without really knowing how she found herself on her back on the mats staring up at a grinning Harry.

"Enough!" Stone stepped onto the mats and bowed to Harry who quickly stepped off the mats joining the other students and Stone looked at the rising Hermione. Her face fell when she realised she had lost and knowing that the job offer was conditional to her beating Harry knew it was not going to happen.

Stone studied her for a moment before he extended his right hand to her. Nervously Hermione took it and shook it briefly. " Will three nights a week be sufficient?" Hermione was stunned he was still going to give her the job.

"B-but I didn’t beat him."

Stone laughed. "My dear no one but myself has lasted more than five minutes against Mr Potter, and in all honesty I never expected to you to win, I just wanted to see our skill level and judge for myself if you were capable of teaching the classes."

Hermione nodded a slow smile spreading across her face. "Three nights is fine Sir I promise I wont disappoint you."

Stone nodded. "Right everyone class is over for today hit the showers and I’ll see you all next time." He bowed to his awaiting students who all bowed in return before making their way to the locker rooms all of the talking excitedly about the fight they just witnessed.

Harry waited his unseeing gaze locked on Hermione waiting for her to finish up with Stone, he grinned just imagining her expression as finally they were the only two left standing on the mats. "Hello Mione." He oomphed as she collided with him her arms wrapping around him in a tight hug as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It’s you it’s really you."

Harry’s arms tightened around her as he revelled in the feelings of once more holding the girl he loved in his arms. "It’s me Mione." Needless to say with his arms occupied he was unable to defend himself when her small fist drove itself into his short ribs driving the air out of his lungs dropping him to his knees. "You bastard! Four years and not a word beyond Christmas and birthdays, and you can see, how can you see, Dumbledore said it was permanent!"

Harry groaned as he stood straightening out and standing. "Look I promise I’ll explain everything Hermione, but we both need to shower and change and I promise after we eat I’ll tell you everything."

She nodded, she had to admit both of them were fairly ripe from their workout so she turned and started towards the ladies locker room. As she pushed open the door she turned to look at Harry. "Did you mean what you said on the mats Harry?"

Harry rubbed his ribs and smiled at her. "Every word Hermione. I loved you when we were in Hogwarts and I love you now." Hermione blushed looking at the floor shyly as tears welled in her eyes. "I love you to Harry Potter." She slipped into the locker room with a happy smile and tears rolling down her cheeks.

***************

The first thing Alexander Dante experienced upon waking was pain, every nerve in his body was aflame and his mouth held the coppery taste of blood. He tried to move; willing his screaming muscle’s to work. His eyes blood shot and raw cracked open and he found himself in a white room strapped and bound to a surgical steel table, multiple needles with tubes linked to them implanted all over his body. Slowly his memory of the previous night returned to him, his flight from danger his confrontation with the man with the silver hair. He had to get out of here, whatever reason he was here couldn’t be healthy, slowly he tried to will himself to Apparate and his eyes snapped open as he struck some kind of barrier preventing it, he tried again with the same results. Slowly panic began to suffuse his body and like a wild animal threw himself again and again at the barrier that prevented his escape. He turned his head wildly to the side as he heard a lock being opened and a door opened and several men in white coats walked into the room walking out of his field of vision.

"Please let me go. I haven’t done anything wrong, why are you doing this?" Alexander struggled against his bonds trying desperately to escape

One of the Techs appeared in his field of view and jabbed a syringe into his arm before disappearing from view once more. Slowly he felt whatever the tech had injected him with start to take effect and the last thing Alexander Dante heard was the powering up of machinery and the last thing he saw was the tubes attached to the needles slowly fill with red liquid.

TBC…

An: Sorry it’s taken as long to update I ain’t been to well recently but here it is at last

Yours truly,

The Evil Kai Lun Mau

14. Washed away

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 13:

Imagine a room, simple in design, four walls a ceiling and a floor, now imagine a chair in the centre of that room and an image being projected onto a wall, a face, name and statistics all captured in that image. On this chair sits an individual. Dressed in combat gear, his silvery white hair pulled back into a braided pigtail that falls well below his shoulder’s sits on the chair watching the image. A voice, the speaker unseen in the room’s dim light calmly talks to the man in the chair.

"Congratulations on last nights operation, neat and surgical as always."

The figure makes no move to respond to the voice, he simply continues to study the image on the wall. "Why do I sense a but looming I this conversation sir."

"That’s because there is. It seems Experiment 226 – Alexander Dante was not strong enough for the procedure, once his body had been liquefied and subjected to the study our scientists could not secure enough of the genome that allows these individuals control over the magical arts."

The figure on the chair nodded. "An unexpected development, I gather this is our new target?"

"Yes, she seems well known within the magical community, a witch with extraordinary magical strength and even better both parents are normal individuals, she would be perfect for our experiments."

"Does this famous witch have a name." The figure rose from the chair and walked towards the projected image on wall letting his fingers trace the contours of her face.

"Yes she’s a student at Columbia University. Her name is Hermione Granger."

**************

Hermione sighed as she opened up her umbrella, she could swear it rained more often here than at home in England. She slid back her sleeve and sighed, she was running late. Stepping out onto the sidewalk she whistled trying to attract the attention of a cab. After a few minutes she sighed and started to walk.

The streets were fairly empty at this time of night and the rain was keeping even the night owls off the streets. Harry was so going to kill her, she had agreed to come to his place for the evening so they could catch up and watch movies and maybe see if they still had that spark between them.

So lost in her thought was she that she barely noticed the black Hum Vee that was pacing her at the edge of the sidewalk a few metres behind her. The window rolled down slightly and Silver hair watched carefully as his two operatives, Saunders and Mitchum walked towards the target.

Hermione glanced at the two men approaching flashing a brief polite smile to them as she quickened her steps. Saunders nodded in reply before his arm lashed out a small boxy device in his hand that sparked dangerously. Acting on instinct and years of training Hermione flowed around the strike her palm lashing out catching Saunders on the wrist and whipping his arm around, the Tazer slamming into a rushing Mitchum dropping the muscular man to the ground in a twitching heap.

Hermione swore dropping her umbrella and bag and slid into action, her fingers lashing out striking a nerve bundle in Saunders shoulder causing his hand to spasm and the Tazer to clatter down onto the wet street. Saunders yelled in pain and with his free hand pulled his combat knife from the top of his boot and lashed at her, the blade tip slicing a cut in the material of her Jacket.

Hermione bounced backwards avoiding another knife strike before she retaliated, blocking the knife blow with her forearm and knife hand chopped the guy’s wrist knocking the knife out of his numb fingers. She closed the distance between her and her attacker and jamming his fingers into the guy’s throat latching onto his windpipe. "Start talking arsehole or I will pop your wipe pipe like a zit."

Saunders struggled to break her grip gasping for breath as black spots danced in front of his eyes. "F-fuck y-you b-oomph!" He never finished his insult as Hermione slapped him across the face. "Lets try again shall we. Who sent you." She tightened her grip the guy’s face slowly turning purple.

"Ahem…that would be me. I sent them."

Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the man with the silver white hair and frowned. "You a Malfoy?"

"No I’m afraid not. My name is Kyle Asmodeus, you are the much respected talented witch Hermione Granger and I am sorry about this." He smiled briefly as his gleaming silvery knife slid from it’s sheathe. "But you are far to important to the project to let free."

Hermione eyed the wickedly sharp knife in Kyle’s hand and balled up her fist and slammed into solidly between Saunders eyes dropping the now very unconscious man onto the wet pavement and kicked off shoes to get better traction on the wet sidewalk and slid into a ready stance.

No more words where said as both sprinted across the wet sidewalk, Asmodeus’s gleaming blade moving in a silvery arc of light and the spray of blood splashing the sidewalk only to be washed away in the torrential rain.

Hermione gasped clutching at her bleeding arm in pain, her blood welling through her fingers. Kyle smirked. "Come quietly and it won’t hurt as much." Hermione snorted.

"Cocky f*cker aren’t you."

Kyle shrugged. "You didn’t even touch me, come quietly or I will have to cut you Ms Granger." He groaned as suddenly his arm and hand spasmmed; the knife went skittering off across the pavement. "How!" Kyle rubbing his arm trying to get some life back into the numb flesh. "No matter." He whistled shrilly and the doors to the Hummer opened and five more men dressed like Saunders and Mitchum stepped onto the street. "As you can see you are surrounded." Hermione just stared, a slow sinking feeling of despair and anger filling her as the five men surrounded her. Suddenly the spang of metal striking stone rang out and a blur of steel coloured metal collided with one of the five men knocking him senseless.

"Mind if I join this party?"

TBC…

AN: Sorry I know it’s been a while but I have been sick and my three year old was in hospital, things are better now I’m better my Lil Bug is home and now the Stories should start flowing again

Yours truly

The evil Kai Lun Mau

15. Mind If I join the party?

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 14:

"Mind if I join this party?"

Hermione tried valiantly to stay on her feet feeling woozy and a little off balance. She clasped a hand over the wound on her arm and cursed. She had been drugged. She tried to focus on the voice as she worked her way through the healing charms she learned during the Death Eater revolt to try and cleanse her system but after several minutes was overcome and she slumped against the wall.

Kyle just stared as the new arrival dropped from the roof of the building across from them and landed on the sidewalk with a quiet thud. He was dressed in simple black combat trousers and black hooded sweatshirt but his eyes were covered in thick black bandages. "Leave now, this doesn’t concern you friend. We are on official government business. This woman is a wanted felon and we are taking her into custody."

The man just stood there half in the shadows but Kyle could see the corner of his mouth curl up into a slight smirk. "Nice try friend but she isn’t going anywhere with you." The figure rasped his voice little more than a loud whisper. Kyle just smirked.

"I’d like to know your name before we beat you down." Kyle bit back a laugh "There is five of us and only two of you and Granger here wont be much use for the next two hours till the toxins in her blood stream wear off. So I’ll say again leave this is none of your concern." The man just stood there and shifted his stance slightly. Kyle just shrugged. "You were warned." He gestured and his four men broke off from the loose circle around Hermione and advanced on the new target drawing their stun guns ready to subdue the new guy.

It was over in minutes. Kyle just stared in surprise at the fact his four best men lay in twitching heaps on the sidewalk. Somehow the stranger seemed to dance between them all never once really leaving the shadows yet somehow deflecting each attack back onto Kyle’s men till all four lay there stunned by their own weapons

"As for my name, you can call me…Daredevil."

"Very good, lets see how you handle me then Daredevil." Kyle clenched his hand working the pins and needles from his skin before he slowly advanced upon his new advisory. Daredevil stayed within the shadows unmoving that slight half smile on his face. Suddenly Kyle moved almost snake quick striking out in a flurry of fists and feet trying to incapacitate his opponent. Daredevil responded blow for blow blocking every one of Kyle’s strikes with his forearms and shins till finally he went on the offensive and his hand snaked past Kyle’s guard. It slammed solidly into his gut driving the wind from his lungs and forced him to lie there gasping for breath while his opponent stood over him with a grim expression.

"Why did you try to kidnap her?" Kyle just spat a bloody glob of spittle on his opponent’s chest and smirked.

Daredevil just looked down at him and shook his head before taking a single step and his booted food stepped onto Kyle’s fingers. "Same question, different answer this time." Kyle grit his teeth biting back the yell of pain when suddenly another black Hum-vee pulled up and Kyle smirked as the doors opened and more of his men poured out.

A man, the obvious leader of the new arrivals drew a bead on Hermione as she leaned against the wall her eyes half closed. The little red dot of laser light on her forehead whilst another dot worked its way across Daredevil’s shoulder. "Get down on your knee’s and plus your hands behind your head."

Daredevil just stood applying more pressure to the foot on Kyle’s fingers. "I won’t ask again get on your knee’s now." The man squeezed off a round, the 9mm-shell spanging off the ground at the targets feet. Suddenly Daredevil exploded into action, his arm extended, his night-stick a blur as it left his hand slamming against the man with his gun pointed at Hermione dropping him to a crumpled heap. A shot rang out and Daredevil spun biting back a cry of pain as he felt the bullet slam into his arm. He rolled trying to avoid another shot and gestured with his hand, a silent command and his night-stick slapped into his hand with a meaty thump before he was once more on his feet. He gathered the still drugged Hermione into his arms and leapt into the air seemingly bouncing off the walls as the other men drew their firearms and opened firing trying to tag him before he vanished over the building’s roof and out of sight. Kyle rose from the ground a murderous look on his face. "This mission is aborted, gather up the wounded and return to the rendezvous point for debriefing." He climbed into the Hum-Vee his mind on this new development and his resulting failure.

************

Daredevil soared across the New York City roof tops heading towards Hermione’s dorm building. Even with the additional burden he bounced and leapt and swung across the cavernous drops and soaring heights of the surrounding buildings till he finally arrived at his destination. He balanced on her window ledge as he slid open the window to her dorm room thankful her room mate was out and gently lay Hermione upon her bed and waited quietly. After several minutes she stirred as her magical ability forced the toxins in her system to decay and release her from their effect. With a gasp she sat up her hand clawing for a wand that wasn’t there before she finally realised where she was. She stared at her rescuer with suspicion. "Who are you."

Daredevil quietly reached up with his good arm and began to unwind the bandage that covered his eyes. Hermione gasped in surprise but inside she knew just who this person would be. Vibrant green eyes met chocolate brown and he winced from the pain in his arm. "It’s me Hermione, it’s Harry."

TBC…

AN: After numerous rewrites and countless bouts of Writers block, the new chapter is finally completed to my satisfaction and hopefully yours as well. Till next time.

Yours truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

16. Secrets Revealed

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 15: Secrets Revealed

Daredevil quietly reached up with his good arm and began to unwind the bandage that covered his eyes. Hermione gasped in surprise but inside she knew just who this person would be. Vibrant green eyes met chocolate brown and he winced from the pain in his arm. "It’s me Hermione, it’s Harry."

She just sat there staring at him and his green, no emerald eyes and tried to grasp the situation. This was Harry the same Harry who was blind. This was Harry the same Harry who dropped from the roof of a second storey building and fought off four of her attackers and rescued her like he always did.

There was no way a blind person could have done that, hell if she was honest there was no way Harry if he was blind could of done half the things she saw him do since they met at the Dojo. So the logical conclusion was Harry wasn’t blind. Her temper steadily rose, all these years she had felt responsible for his condition. All this time blaming his condition on herself and it was a lie. "BASTARD!" Her arm lashed out and so stunned was Harry at her outcry he didn’t react and her open handed slap knocked him flying. He bit back a cry of pain as he landed on his wounded arm.

"Hermione what the hell are you doing?"

"All these years Harry, all this time you let me think you were blind, god damn you Harry Potter!"

Harry just sat up with a stunned expression on his face. "W-what no you got it wrong!"

"Don’t lie to me, tonight, that day at the Dojo, hell even defeating Voldemort no blind person could do any of those things!"

Harry winced as he worked his jaw feeling it crackle and pop. "You were there in the hospital wing Mione, you heard Dumbledore, you heard Madam Pomfrey."

"We both know that Dumbledore would do anything if it meant giving you a better chance of beating Voldemort!"

Harry almost growled and stood advancing on her not caring about the pain in his cheek and his arm he reached out grabbing her by the shoulders. "Look at me Hermione, look closely, I never lied to you, maybe I didn’t give you the whole truth but I. Am. Blind."

She struggled for several moments trying to get out of his firm grasp before she finally gave up and she focused on his eyes. What were once vibrant emerald in colour where not almost a pale jade. Gently she reached up and traced the faint scars at the corners of his eyes noticing, as she did that his eyes never moved. Slowly she reached for her bedroom lamp and switched it on the white bulb illuminating the room. She gasped when the pupils failed to respond. "H-how?"

"Think about it Hermione, what were we brewing that day in potions?"

Hermione frowned as she tried to recall the potion. "The Auspexious potion."

Harry nodded slightly. "Now what does the potion do Hermione?"

She frowned at his lecturing tone. "I’m not a simpleton Harry, the potion is a sense enhancer, but what has that got to do with how you are able to do the things you do."

Harry sighed. "Look just, just think ok…what does grated dragon liver do to potions it’s added to?"

Hermione gasped as finally the truth dawned on her. "Grated dragon Liver increases the duration and potency of the potion it’s added to."

Harry nodded and released his grip on her arms. "That day Malfoy didn’t add grated Dragon liver Hermione. He palmed a full slice into your potion. The effect of the super strength enhancer and the explosion of the caldron basically destroyed the nerves in my eyes Mione, but it super charged almost every other sense I have." He snorted with amusement. "You have no idea what having my sense of smell back then and having to work near Snape was like." Hermione giggled nervously as she tried to take in everything he had told her. "Basic hygiene was not one of his strong points." Harry sat back down a little unsteadily woozy from the blood loss. "Dumbledore arranged for me to train under and old friend of his, someone like me, blind but with all his other senses in the super human ranges."

Hermione frowned as she watched him as he sat back down. "You are hurt." Harry could tell by her tone it wasn’t a question but he shrugged.

"It’s just a minor graze. A bullet nicked my arm as we were escaping. We need to talk about what happened Mione, who were those guys?"

Hermione just shook her head. "We will discuss that after we see to your arm Harry, into the bathroom and let me get it cleaned up for you. I’m sorry I don’t have any potions handy, I wasn’t expecting to find myself back in the middle of something like this again so soon."

Harry shook his head. "Look Mione it’s just a scratch, I’ll be fine, I have medical supplies back at my apartment."

Hermione grabbed his uninjured arm and pulled him to his feet helping to steady him as he swayed from a dizzy spell. "No way Harry you can barely stand now come on." Ignore his feeble protests she dragged him into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

She looked at his arm carefully. "Take your sweater off Harry I need a better look at it."

Harry just raised an eyebrow. "I think your just trying to check me out." She blushed hard trying to think of a decent reply but words failed her and she pulled open the cupboard under the sink and pulled out a first aid kit. "Quit stalling Potter it’s not like I haven’t seen it before you know." She bit back a gasp of surprise as he stood almost pinning her against the sink as he slowly tugged the sweater over his head. She bit her lip as she forced herself from reaching out to trace the contour f his chest and stomach. She turned away from him in the small space swallowing a slight moan when she rubbed against him. "Space becoming an issue here Harry."

Harry just grinned. "Oh sorry didn’t see you there."

Hermione just stuck her tongue out at him. "Cute." She shook her head. "Strip, we need to clean the blood off you and I am not leaving you alone in case something happens." She grinned as she saw him blush a bright scarlet. "Let’s go, in the shower with you."

Harry struggled regained his composure. "What’s wrong with using the sink?"

"It’s too small, no more stalling." She grinned playfully as she reached out letting a finger trail slowly down his stomach. "I won’t do anything I know you’re not feeling well."

"HEY!" Harry yelled in indignation. "I’m well enough thank you very much!"

Hermione snickered. "C’mon then Potter, I’ve waited three years for this, make my evening for me."

Harry grinned, it turned out to be the best damn shower in his life.

TBC…

AN: What can I say, I hope you enjoyed it cause it’ll probably be the last one for a while as I’m currently entering a writers competition here in the UK and I’ll likely be busy for the next month or so. Till then

Yours truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

17. Fall into Darkness

AN: Just wanna say I have no idea what the deal is with girl’s dorms whether they have on suite bathroom or not so in my world they don’t. Oh yeah you are all gonna hate me for how this ends.

Blind Confrontations

It would be safe to say that after all these years apart the last place Hermione expected to find herself was naked, in bed with Harry Potter after what could possibly have been the best sex of her life, hell she didn’t even know she could bend like that. She stifled a giggle as she lay there her head resting on Harry’s chest listening to the steady rhythm of his heart while he slept. She would have stayed there all night if it weren’t for the embarrassing fact that she had this desperate urge to pee that just would not go away.

She quietly climbed out of her bed and pulled her pyjamas on before she very quietly eased her way out into the hallway and padded silently down towards the bathroom to ease the pressure. When finally taken care of she stood before the sink and looked at her reflection and slimed brightly at what she saw. She saw a woman very much in love. A small giggle escaped her throat as she then proceeded back down the hall to her dorm and stopped when she saw the envelope pinned to the door with her name scrawled across it.

Curiously she tugged it free and pulled in open scanning the contents of the letter and paled.

Ms Granger

We have your friend. Come to the East Side Docks; warehouse number 46, come alone, if we catch any sight of your masked friend the girl will die.

Cody Asmodeus.

She tipped the envelope up and a necklace fell into her hand and she stared at it dumbly, it was Lauren, inside her she felt something burst to life. An anger that she had never felt before, not even with all the years she had battled Voldemorts minions did she feel this desperate need to beat the living shit out of someone.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood in the hall staring at the necklace in her hands before she came to a conclusion, she had to go, and Harry couldn’t know about it. Silently she crept back into the room and opened up her trunk pulling out her leathers from her time fighting the good fight, she had hoped she would never need to wear these again. Quietly she dressed and stood at the foot of the bed watching the love of her life sleep soundly in what could possibly be the first time for as long as she had known him. "I love you Harry." And on silent feet she left the confines of her room to begin the journey to the docks.

*********

Fog rolled in from the water giving the whole warehouse area a strange eerie feeling as Hermione walked between the buildings as she headed towards her destination. She knew she was being watched from the moment she had arrived but still she kept going forward, Lauren’s life was at stake. Finally she arrived and stood before the warehouse glancing around. "Ok I’m here, come out and we’ll trade!" Her voice echoed off the buildings as she silently waited for some kind sign.

"Cute outfit Ms Granger, leather suits you."

She turned to face the voice and bit back her curse at the sight of Asmodeus. "Where’s Lauren, I want to see her!"

Asmodeus chuckled. "Now Ms Granger you are in no position to make demands, throw your wand away and then I will release the girl, after all she is normal, unlike you and your freaky powers."

Hermione ground her teeth as she raised her hand, and tossed the wand in her hand into the fog as far away as she could. It made a faint clatter of wood and it struck the side of a warehouse "I did what you asked, now let me see my friend."

"Of course, I am a man of my word." Asmodeus spoke softly into a radio mike and the warehouse door opened and two of his troops carried an unconscious Lauren outside. "We make the trade, when you surrender we will make sure she gets home safely."

Hermione smirked as she revelled in the feel of smooth mahogany as it slid from the leather bracer in her arm into her hand, screwing her eyes shut she swished and flicked yelling her incantation, forcing as much magical strength behind the words as she could manage. "LUMOS FLARIUS!" The area waved bathed in blinding white light, she smirked at the cries of pain coming from her opponents. Opening her eyes she jabbed her wand at Asmodeus and his men. "PURCUTIO!" the air seemed to solidify as it moved like a bulldozer slamming into the soldiers bowling them off their feet while she waved her wand. "Accio Lauren!" Her friend zoomed into her waiting arms and Hermione tried to apparate away and felt a creeping terror, as it would not work.

"GET THE BITCH!"

Fear gave her strength as she tossed her unconscious friend across her shoulders and began to run trying to lose the soldiers in the maze of warehouses.

Asmodeus snarled as he shook his head trying to clear the after image of yellow and green spots from his vision. "I want her alive!" His men nodded in the affirmative and spread out in a search and capture from the rogue witch.

*********

Hermione stumbled; her shoulders burning with fatigue as she once more shifted her friend trying to make carrying her easier. She should never have left without Harry and now she was trapped at these docks surrounded by men with guns. Suddenly something slammed into her and she and Lauren and her assailant tumbled in a heap. She struggled pulling her wand loose jabbing it into the soldier’s ribs and let loose the percussion hex once again sending the man sailing through the air and into the side of a ware house. She scrambled to her feet desperate to get Lauren and get moving once more when a shot rang out strike the ground by her feet.

"Don’t move Ms Granger, I would prefer to take you in alive." Asmodeus stood on the wharf his glock aimed steadily at her and a cold look on his face. "You have been most troublesome Ms Granger, but it’s finished throw down your wand and surrender."

Hermione looked at him and cursed raising her wand like a gun fighter. "Expelliriamus!" Just as Asmodeus pulled the trigger. The gun skittered away across the wooden boards of the dock while the bullet clipped her arm cause her to drop her wand. She ignored it as it rolled over the edge and landing the water with a splash. Instead she charged at Asmodeus leaping into the air in a spinning heel kick connecting solidly with his arm as he blocked her blow. Back and forth they danced across the wooden wharf trading blows. Finally with a feint and driving right hook Hermione sent Asmodeus sailing backward over the edge into the water.

She sagged from a mixture of relief and exhaustion and clamped her hand over the bullet graze, now she just had to get Lauren out of here.

"HERMIONE!"

She looked up and saw the dark figure bounding across the warehouse roof towards and he she fought the urge to leap up and shout her joy at his arrival. "Harry!"

"HERMIONE LOOKOUT!"

She blinked and turned her world almost moving in slow motion as she caught sight of Asmodeus, he was on his knee’s soaked to the skin but with the glock once more in his hands. A single shot rang out and she stumbled backwards her hands going to her stomach and coming away stained with blood.

"H-Harry." Hermione stumbled back once more and uttered his name before she toppled backwards into the dark waters and vanished from sight.

TBC…

AN: See I told ya you would all hate me by the time this was done

Yours Truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

18. Rousing the Devil

Blind confrontations

Chapter 17

Harry’s world seem to move in slow motion as he watched as she just stood there sagging with relief as Asmodeus went off the edge of the wharf. He called to her, his voice echoing, when suddenly his sense picked up the motion, the sound of dripping water and panting breath and a second figure appeared in his radar sense.

"HERMIONE!"

She looked up at him, he couldn’t see her smile but knew it was there. "Harry!"

"HERMIONE LOOKOUT!" But he was too late as the gunshot rang out in the early morning light just before dawn. She stumbled backwards before she fell off the edge into the ice depths.

"Nooooo!" He wasted no time Asmodeus forgotten in his haste to save her and he bounded down the side of the building and along the wharf before he leapt in a perfect dive breaking through the icy surface.

It was like he was being smothered, every sense was over loaded as he searched in vain for her under water, but his hearing was distorted and his radar was confused as sound travelled differently through the water. He could feel the pressure in his lungs, his desperate need for oxygen and he forced himself to the surface where he took a heaving gasp and dived once more straining his abilities to their max, but it made no difference.

It was well after dawn when he finally gave up his search. He fell to his knee’s and he screamed, rage, hate, sorrow, every thing in his heart at the time, she was gone, he had only just found her again…and she was taken from him. And that’s when it crept over him, the rage, the same rage he felt when Lupin died, the same hatred he felt for a man long dead. Slowly he stood and pulled the wrappings from his face, he no longer cared and let them fall from his hands and blow away on the breeze that was slowly clearing the last remnants of the fog.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been there on his knees, but he knew he was alone, the girl had been taken once more and so he stood. He relaxed his hold on his ability straining it to the max, he ignored the assault on his senses as sounds from the city tried to drown him in noise and he started to walk the length of the wharf. He could smell the sea air and the metallic tang of Hermione’s blood on the wooden boards but ignored it, he knew it would be here somewhere and finally near the ladder it was there. Blood smeared the rung of the ladder and he drew a deep breath letting the distinct smell fill his mind and he smiled a cold dangerous expression on his face.

"Got you."

The smell of Asmodeus’s blood hung in the air like a rainbow and he slowly followed it’s trail, as he reached the road the blood trail faded but in it’s place was the distinctive smell of leather polish and gasoline.

"Getting in a car wont stop me hunting you down." He began to jog, following the criss-crossing trail as it clearly headed towards the city. The noise grew steadily but Harry suppressed the pain he could feel growing as he doggedly followed the trail of the car Asmodeus had got into. So focused on his pursuit he didn’t even notice when the noise all faded into a single constant and blood started to slowly trickle from his nose.

For hours he followed the trail as it wound through the city till at last it lead to an electronic gate that barred his way. He frowned the car was clearly on the other side of this gate, but he had no clue what this building was. He tapped his knight-stick against the metal bars and they rang clear in his mind giving him the distinct image of the gates. He walked about a metre to his left and let his hand run across the sign on the gates

*St Martins Private Clinic*

He frowned slightly, Asmodeus must have come here to get patched up, yeah well he, Harry would wait, could wait as long as necessary kill that man.

*********

Night had fallen and Harry was still perched on the rooftop watching and waiting but still nothing had entered or left through the security gate, well, if mountain won’t come to Mohammed then Mohammed would go to the mountain. With a fluid grace he dropped from the edge of the building bouncing from ledge to ledge till he hit the floor with all the grace of a cat and crossed the street and using the wall as a spring board vaulted over the top without ever touching the gate.

Harry moved like a ghost as he used the stone facing of the building for handholds and slowly made his way up the wall to the roof. Using a Gargoyle that protruded from edge he hung there his delicate hearing picking the steady rhythm of at least two men on the roof. He smirked as he gripped the Gargoyle’s face and swung up in an arc his legs spread and latched his ankles around one of the soldier’s head and twisted his hips sharply. His legs twisted and the sharp crack of a neck breaking was lost in the cacophony noise from the city. Slowly while upside down he lowered the dead soldier to the ground silently and vaulted to his feet on the rooftop.

"Cooper are you there?"

Harry darted across the roof behind the remaining guard and tapped him on the shoulder causing him to spin round in surprise. Now Harry could have just knocked him out but after the loss of Hermione Harry was in no mood for mercy. His hand came up in a solid palm strike as the guard tried to raise the H&K semi automatic machine gun. There was a sharp crack as his nose broke and the cartilage was driven into his brain. The guard spasmed as Harry lowered him onto the tarred roof. Fishing through the guards pockets he withdrew a key card and fished a grenade from his belt and then straightened, he swore, he made a binding wizards oath that tonight Asmodeus would never see another sun rise.

TBC…

AN: What everyone thinking that Harry would save her at the last minute…sorry in case you missed it I don’t cater to popular feelings. Dis is my world!!!!!

Yours Truly

The Exceptionally Evil creature known as Kai Lun Mau

19. Genetic secrets

Blind Confrontations

Chapter

He was crouched against the wall his extra senses focused on his surroundings as he tapped his Knight-Stick against the wall causing a dull thunk to echo out, the sound spreading in ripples like a pebble dropped in a pond. He smirked as the area was soon mapped out in his mind, the roof access and the skylight where the only ways into the building. Well he wasn’t partial to stairs; he duck walked across the roof to the skylight and pressed his ear against the glass. From below the sound of voices reached his sensitive ears.

He smirked and it was a truly terrible sight to behold, no snarling beast, no crazed expression was quite as frightening that evening as that of Harry’s simple smirk. He knew the sound of one of those voices. Moving like a ghost he eased the skylight open.

********

"Commander Asmodeus, your recent operations is placing this, endeavour, at risk." A pale man in a white lab coat was calmly pacing back and forth at the head of a table, glancing occasionally at the Soldier who stood to attention at its base. "Your reckless attempts at capturing the subject have brought us under scrutiny, and not only that but you failed to capture the target." He stopped pacing and glared at Asmodeus. "Have you anything to say?"

Asmodeus glared at the bespectacled man. "Dr Roberts with all due respect, I was sent on this mission with bad Intel." His hands tightened into fists the black leather gloves stretching with a soft crackle. "The target was fully trained in hand to hand combat and tactics, she was no student Dr, she was a soldier." He shook his head. "She also had help."

Dr Roberts frowned. "Help, another witch?" He smiled as he retook his seat at the table head. "Then perhaps this is not so bad a set back as first feared." The other men in lab coats nodded in agreement

Asmodeus shook his head. "No sir, a wizard, a powerful one, exceptional in unarmed combat and weapons tactics, if Granger is a soldier, this man is a warrior." He blinked as he felt something flutter into his eye and frowned looking up at the skylight. His gaze followed the small object as it fell from the darkness. "GRENADE!" He spun on his heel and leapt for the door at his back whilst the scientists started to panic and scream.

Over all the noise he heard a single voice. "Accio Roberts" Then hell was unleashed in the small room as the grenade bounced off the table with a metal clank and exploded. The concussion blast caught him mid leap propelling him through the wooden doorway into the hall. He rolled trying to put out the flames of his burning trouser leg while all around him sirens blared and his troops moved converging on the office. He grabbed the wall hauling himself upright, his ears ringing from the close proximity of the explosion and he grabbed one of his sergeants. "TAKE A SQUAD AND GET ONTO THE ROOF!" He shook his head trying to right himself before he vomited noisily onto the carpet

********

Harry didn’t wait for his handiwork to roll into action as he let the grenade fall from his hand he gestured towards the figure who had been talking, no ordering Asmodeus around. He would have the answers Harry was looking for. "Accio Roberts!"

Roberts gurgled at the invisible grip around his throat as he practically rocketed through the air smashing through the remains of the skylight causing glass to shatter everywhere. He would have screamed if he could when he slammed bodily into the roof his glasses skittering away leaving him half-blind.

He squealed when he felt to hands close around his neck and haul him into the air to dangle like a fish on a hook. "I want answers!" He stared into the eyes of his attacker and blanched; the blood draining out of his face and as he stared into the eyes of a man ready to kill. "What is this place!"

"It’s a private clinic!" Roberts’s voice broke in his panic.

"Don’t lie to me, I know when you lie, your heart rate rises and your body temperature changes, so lets try again will we." Harry swung the doctor over the edge of the roof and smirked. "What is this place."

"I-it’s a research lab…" Roberts fingers scrabbled against the iron Grip Harry had on his lab coat, his legs flailing in the air trying to reach the edge of the building. "F-flags were raised, rumours about magic users and separate governments, we had to defend ourselves!"

"Defend yourselves, defend yourselves from who, we don’t interfere with your world you don’t interfere with ours, now talk!" Harry shook Roberts roughly as he dangle sixty feet in the air. "What kind of research!"

"GENETIC!" Roberts screamed in terror, the front of his pants showing a spreading stain at the crotch. "We tried to find the gene, that allows you freaks to use magic!"

Harry frowned, in the distance he could hear footsteps approaching from the stairwell. "Why kidnap magic users!"

"So we could study them, they were processed, every cell studied!" Roberts’s fingers were white as he clung to Harry’s wrists.

Harry frowned. "What happened to them when you were through?"

"The bodies were processed, they were a threat and we needed every piece of information we could gather, we are not going to allow you to control us!"

"You killed them!" Harry snarled and pulled the Scientist close to him. "That woman you planned to process next, I was going to marry her!" Harry released his grip on Roberts and watched as the man plummeted to the gravel path below. He turned as the stairwell door finally bust open, the Knight-Stick he used to bar the door tumbling over the edge and clattering to the ground below.

He moved as the soldiers brought their guns to bear, opening fire. Round after round of machinegun fire beating a tattoo on the rooftop as Harry seemed to dance between the bullets as he raced to the remains of the skylight and swan dived into the raging inferno below.

The soldiers moved in a classic sweep and clear, taking position around the remains of the skylight before leaning over the edge, weapons drawn, target lasers dancing back and forth across the ruins of the room.

But of Harry there was no sign.

TBC…

AN: Yes for those who care all my attention is currently focused on finishing Part 2 of this story, Awakening the Dragon, and Special Investigations will have my full attention once this arc is done I promise.

Yours Truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

20. Fallen Angel

Blind Confrontations

Chapter 19

Harry could feel the flames as the fire spread rampantly through what remained of the conference room, he felt no guilt, these men, were not soldiers. They were worse, the soldiers were merely the arms and legs of this monster, the men who lay dead or dying in this room, they were it’s brain, well when the brain dies the body can go on living unless put out of it’s misery. So that’s what he intended to do.

The noises from the house spread through his mind, his radar sense picking up the location of several soldiers outside the office. He sprinted across the short space, the soldiers yelling in surprise and panic as he dived into a forward hand spring his feet connecting with one troopers face knocking him of balance, teetering against the ruins of the railing. Harry twisted his hips as he bounced backwards his legs performing a split kick catching the to other soldiers as they tried to bring their weapons to bare.

He landed on his feet and quickly forward past the off balance soldier and grabbed the man’s collar hauling him over the banister. Harry heaved, throwing the man in front of him as they both fell, his feet coming down like a mule kick driving into the mans chest while Harry used him like a spring board, slowing his own descent and turning it into a back flip. Landing on the tiled lobby like a cat, the soldier was not so lucky. He hit the tiles with a resounding thud, causing several to crack under the impact, his squad mates barely reacted it happened so quickly. Their guns swept over the railing as they opened fire but Harry ducked through a doorway and vanished downstairs towards the basement.

*********

Asmodeus was livid, one man was bringing this operation to it’s knees, wizard or not this should not be happening, the only thing he could think of was the wizarding governments had caught wind of their experiments and sent in one of their own soldiers. Well soldier or not, wizard or not, he had over fifteen highly trained men under his command, this phantom would not make it out of the building alive. Suddenly gunfire from the main lobby caught his attention and he issued the command sending his team to investigate. They arrived just in time to see their target vanish downstairs to the basement, without a moments hesitation he pursued, this man had cost Asmodeus dearly, now he intend to be repaid.

He gestured with his hand and his squad of ten began to pair off and slowly made their way through the door, make no mistake they were informed just how dangerous this target was. With so many years of experience under each mans belt the men slowly made their way downstairs to the basement with a professionalism only seen in the most proficient of soldiers. The basement was huge, sectioned off with labs and treatment rooms and with a snap of his fingers and the shake of Asmodeus’s hand the pairs began their search.

Suddenly a single word rang out in the large basement. "Reducto!" The crump of metal being crushed and the crackle of electricity and suddenly everything in the basement went black as the power went out.

"What the fuck!"

"Hey!"

"Silence all of you, he’s down here somewhere, you have N.V.G’s use them!" Asmodeus barked as he slid his own goggles over his eyes reducing his world to shades of green and yellow to replace the sudden darkness. Several affirmatives met his order and he frowned. "Team four respond." Asmodeus frowned. "Team four respond!"

There was a crackle over the radio earpieces and a yelp of pain. "All teams check in!"

"Team one over."

"Team three over."

"Team two, we are at the power relay’s, the box is gone chief, looks like a demolitions char…Ugh!"

"Team two can you say again?" Asmodeus waited for team two to respond and grunted as he stumbled over something. "What the…" He glanced down and swore as he stared at the body of a member of team four. "All teams regroup, the target is using the darkness to his advantage, teams two and four are down I repeat teams two and four are down." He took a ready stance his 9mm in his hand as in the green and yellow hues of his night vision goggles his remaining men centred on his position.

Suddenly a figure exploded from the darkness darting through the middle of the group of arriving soldiers, his presence heralded by the sound of crunching bone and another of his dwindling troops collapsed bonelessly.

"Arrrgh!"

Asmodeus ducked as on of his troops spun his H&K coming to bearing and releasing a stream of bullets over his head, he bit back a yelp of pain as he was showered with red hot spent shell casings. He covered his head as his other men followed suit, the darkness of the basement lit with the bright flashes of gunfire.

Suddenly as it started it stopped as clips ran dry and the men sure in their success lowered their weapons, but a whispered word that seemed louder than a shout filled their ears.

"Accio grenade pins!"

Asmodeus wasted no time, he knew what that word would do and he scrambled to his feet as the tinkle of metal pins falling to the ground rang out in the darkness. His men panicked scrambling to pulls the grenades loose from their combat vests. As Asmodeus ran he raised his gun as he ran towards the experimentation area. He opened fire as he ran, all this happening in the space of a few seconds as the bullets impacted against the safety glass shattering it in it’s frame. He dived in a roll, slamming against the window crashing through to room behind it as the grenades went off, the concussion and sound shock-wave rocking the medical chamber, causing bottles to crash to the floor. He curled up in a foetal position his arms curled around his head protectively as flames roared through the window and glass showered him from above.

Slowly he crawled away from the wall, his ears ringing from the blast and he stood on shaky legs and surveyed the scene before him. It was like a typical rendition of hell, fires raged out of control while debris lay strew all over the basement floor, ragged chunks were torn from the ceiling exposing the rooms above.

"You know, one of the advantages to knowing magic, is the ability to cast silencing charms, all those explosions, didn’t hear a thing." From out of the fire and shadows he appeared, his black sweats covered with dust and a few tears, blood stained the sleeve of his hoody and he smiled at Asmodeus. "You took something precious from me, probably the only thing I ever really wanted, and you took her." He carefully stepped over a chuck of stone as he advanced. "Why, cause of some ones paranoia?" Harry laughed bitterly. "In my country the magical governments and muggle ones work together, and you know something I’m guessing they are the same here in the states, but then there’s a word for people like you." Harry slid his remaining Knight-Stick from its harness into his hand. "Racist."

Asmodeus spat, the glob of fluid arcing across the small area landing on Harry’s cheek. "Yeah well you and your freak bitch will be together again soon enough."

Harry saw red at his words and charged towards Asmodeus in a fit of rage, but Asmodeus, withdrew a small cylinder from his pocket and depressed a button, aiming in Harry’s direction. Harry staggered screaming as the hand held siren’s pitched wail went through his head like chainsaw, his radar sense failed, the images splitting into double then triple as he lashed out trying to strike his opponent. He stumbled as missed completely totally off balance when Asmodeus’s fist slammed into his face and sent him sprawling.

The wail cut off and he could hear the amused snort of his enemy. "You know at first I wasn’t sure, you turned up, dressed in black like bloody batman, but here’s what I noticed…Your eyes were covered." Harry lunged towards the voice and grunted as he missed, tripping over the debris and was sent once again sprawling. Asmodeus smiled, and it wasn’t a nice smile, he aimed the siren at Harry once more and pressed the trigger. Harry clamped his hands over his ears trying desperately to muffle the noise when the air left his lungs as Asmodeus drove his booted foot into his stomach.

"And then when you turned up at docks, what a surprise, your eyes are covered again, so I came to a very strange conclusion, you must be blind." He laughed as he once more drove his foot into Harry’s side sending him rolling across the debris covered floor. "Now I found myself thinking, if you are blind, how could you fight like you were able to, and it clicked, you could hear what we were doing." He hauled back tightening his fingers around the siren canister and drove his fist solidly into Harry’s face.

Asmodeus laughed as he stared down at a prone Harry and used his foot to roll him onto his back and stared down at his fallen enemy and smirked as he saw Harry’s lips barely moving, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. "What’s that you are saying?" He leaned over so his ear hovered above Harry’s mouth

"Reducto…" Harry shoved Asmodeus away hard causing him to stumble over the debris as the siren in his hand exploded outwards from the Reductor curse. Asmodeus didn’t start screaming till several moments after the fact as he stared at the bloody stump where his hand used to be. Suddenly his body exploded with pain as his brain processed what had happened as his bloody began to gush from the massacred hand.

Harry stood on shaky legs, bloody and battered, with blood seeping from his ears and nose he made his way across the room towards where his Knight-Stick lay. As he bent to lift it from the floor a single shot rang out and the bullet ricocheted off the remains of an examination table. Slowly he straightened and turned to face Asmodeus who was using the remains of a support pillar to stay upright, his gun clutched in his left hand wavering unsteadily from blood loss and pain.

"Why won’t you just die!" He pulled the trigger again, the bullet impacting against Harry’s Knight-stick ricocheting off into the ruined basement. Again he pulled the trigger the bullet grazing Harry’s arm but Harry was beyond physical pain now, he stood there silent as the grave unseeing eyes focused on Asmodeus. "Die goddamn you!" He fired again and he stared as Harry moved, his Knight-stick suddenly in the path of the bullet and deflecting it sending it back along it’s path at an upwards angle.

There was a crack like an egg braking and Asmodeus blinked in shock as suddenly blood began to trickle down from the hole between his eyes that the bullet had created in it’s return path. Without a sound he toppled forward and lay there still in the ruined and burning basement. Silently Harry let the Knight-Stick drop from numb fingers and turned and limped towards the stairs.

**********

The sun was rising in the early morning and was met by a solitary figure, which stood on the warehouse roof edge watching at the light danced across the water’s surface at the dockside. The figure stood strong for a few moments before finally he broke and fell to his knees his arms wrapped tightly around himself and howled in grief and pain.

**********

At the same time Harry was at the warehouse at County General in the E: R several doctors were congratulating themselves on successfully saving the life of a young woman, mid twenties brought in earlier that morning, found floating in the ocean with a gunshot wound to her stomach. As much drama and close calls her heart failing twice she was stabilised and the doctors moved on to other patients while she was left in the room waiting to be taken to ICU

The door to the room was locked tightly with no way through it but the quiet hiss of respirators and the beep of machines was broken by the sound of displaced air. And suddenly where first there was no one now stood a young man early twenties with pale blonde hair and a sneer.

"Well, well, well, who would have thought it come to be like this hmm Granger, left to die in a filthy muggle hospital." He reached under his robes and withdrew a vial of foul smelling green liquid. "This will likely hurt quiet a lot, it’s a pity you’re unconscious and won’t feel it." He unstoppered the vial and tipped its contents over her bare stomach where the wound was and stepped away. The wound sizzled and the smell of scorch flesh filled the air but the wound seemed to be healing at an astonishing rate, in moments there was no sign of her ordeal except for a scar on her belly.

The Blonde man smiled cruelly. "Now the part I really am looking forward to." From his sleeve he produced a wand of black oak and smirked as he placed the tip to her forehead. "Obliviate…" satisfied he pulled a stone from his pocket and placed it in her hand and tapped it with his wand. "Portus" And with the rush of air filling a void she was gone, moments later he too vanished.

TBC…

AN: There we go the end of the second arc of my Daredevil / Harry Potter fic. It’ll be a while before I start the final arc of the story as I intend to work on Awakening the Dragon for the next little while. Oh and in case your wondering N.V.G stands for Night Vision Goggles

Yours Truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

21. Author Note

AN: Sorry guys but I had a slight mishap and messed up my right shoulder strained it so the docs have strapped me up and put it in a sling but I’m right handed so till I’m better I won’t be updating for a while

22. A change in plan

Blind Confrontations:

Chapter 20

Two months after Hermione’s disappearance

***********

It was dark in the meeting room where the remaining inner-circle members of Voldemorts DeathEaters. At the tables head sat Lucius Malfoy with his eyes closed listening silently to the proposals from the other members of the loyal.

"I will not state this again." Lucius opened his eyes finally and fixed the other five members with a baleful glare. "We will not sully our order with filthy muggle weapons or ideas, we are determined to wipe their filth from this world, so we will not sully ourselves with their ideas. Am. I. Understood."

With silent nods the five men rose from their seats their arguments firmly overridden, bowing to their new leader they turned leaving the room remaining silent, not taking the risk that their musings would trigger Lucius’s wrath.

Finally when the door closed behind them Lucius sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. Silently another figure stepped out of the shadows and gently lay their hands upon his shoulders and rubbed gently.

"Ah Draco my boy, why can these fools not understand that their actions threaten our very way of life. I will not sully our illustrious order." He sighed and relaxed under his son’s touch. "At least you understand my son, I know that you will stand by me." His eyes flew open as one hand vanished from his neck while the other clamped down hard in moments the feel of wood caressed his ear. "Draco no!"

"Avada Kedavra."

The flash of green light and rushing air filled the room and Draco Malfoy smirked as he shoved his father’s mortal remains from the chair and quietly sat in his place. It was all his now, now they would do things his way.

***************

Time passes, two years before you know it and The Kingpin brings the Death Eaters under his iron control with a combination of brilliant business stratagem and brutal terror tactics. Gone were the old tactics involving targeting only muggles and half bloods, replaced by the practice of if you cross the Kingpin you vanished.

It was in this world that Ron Weasely found himself, Special Auror task force leader brought in to try and bring down the Death Eaters. And after a year in the field at last they had a lead, a witness, a member of the Kingpin’s organisation had been captured, and rather than risk the Dementor’s kiss had turned Ministries Evidence in return for his safety and witness protection.

So this was how he found himself part of an envoy using Ministry cars to transport Marcus Flint to the Wizengamot for trial. He sat in the lead car watching the London streets roll by. His nerves were strung tight as far as they would go which considering the situation was understandable. He was expecting the Kingpin to strike, there was no way he would let them get Flint to the interrogation easily. But even he wasn’t prepared for the brutal savagery that followed. As his car rounded the corner first the road behind him exploded in a burst of fire and rubble causing his car to swerve and slam into a lamppost. Another explosion rocked the streets and Ron, dazed and confused struggled from his seat belt and staggered free from the wreck.

He could see the centre car cut off at both ends, the street a mess of fire and debris and through the flickering flames he watched as two of his team members climbed from their car hauling Flint out behind them. Ron could see the driver slumped over the steering wheel, blood decorating the ruined windshield and desperately he tried to clear the fog from his brain to cast the flame-freezing spell on himself to get to his men. He watched as a figure suddenly apparated into view between his two men and with a deft motion felled them both in a spray of blood. He cried out in horror and finally he remembered and flicked his wand in the intricate manner required and staggered through the fires towards the masked assailant.

"Murderer!" He drew his wand and fired a stunning spell but the concussion from the crash made his aim wonky and the spell slammed into the wrecked car causing the attacker to flinch. They turned and cast the full body bind on him and he toppled backwards to only find himself propped up against some rubble and watched as the assassin hauled Flint up from the ground and pressed the tip of their wand under his chin.

"The Kingpin sends his regards Marcus."

Ron blanched at the female voice, who had effortlessly slaughtered his men and he almost threw up as she cast a dark arts spell that slowly flayed the skin from Flints face before she dropped his corpse to the ground. With almost dainty movements she crossed the ground to Ron and slowly trailed her finger down his cheek. "I should kill you Auror but the Kingpin likes your bumbling ineptitude, he feels that if we kill you someone who can actually do the job would take over." She slowly drew the tip of her wand along his cheek opening a gash in its wake. "Be seeing you handsome." She stood and stepped away from Ron and with a crack of displaced air vanished from the crime scene.

Ron struggled to break free from the spell binding him feeling it weaken till at last he could move. He scrabbled towards his downed men and quickly checked their pulses even though he knew it to be hopeless. Their throats were slashed open and their eyes were staring up at the sky already glazing over. He looked at Marcus Flint but all the remained of his face was his skull and few remaining globs of raw flesh that clung to the bone. He rolled over and leaned back against the remains of the car and buried his head into his hands. After several moments a flash of red caught his eye and he glanced at the scrap of material and a word scrawled in blood.

Elektra.

TBC…

AN: Yeah yeah I can hear the complaints but my shoulders healed but you really are outta luck as I’m going outta town for the next two weeks…If I find the time I’ll post an update for Awakening the Dragon before I go.

Yours Truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau

23. Homecoming

Blind Confrontations

Chapter

Homecoming.

He had argued, he had pleaded, he had begged the firm Maitlans, Stuckey and Warners not to but they had not listened. And now Harry Potter found himself sitting in the first class cabin of British Airways Flight 765 to London. The reluctant son was going home.

He sat there in the comfort of the chairs plush exterior lost in memories he did not want to relive. He could see it in his minds eye over and over again, the gun shot, her fall into the icy waters, part of him accepted she was gone, but he would smell her perfume, would hear her voice, turning, searching to find that it was not her. He had sworn off his nightly activities, no longer did Harry Potter sail through the night sky over rooftops and chimneys like a demented Mary Poppins, instead he threw himself into his work becoming the firms youngest junior partner. Which was how he found himself on this flight back to the country that had abandoned him.

After living in New York for almost a year now the sounds of London were no real surprise to him, cars people and abundance of noise that pressed on his senses like familiar weight, he knew he shouldn’t feel it but everything he heard, smelt, felt screamed home to him. And waving for a taxi he climbed inside with his bag. "London Hilton please."

**************

The trip proved uneventful with the Cabby regaling him with many tales of London and the usual Cabby talk. Tipping the man generously Harry had made his way into the hotel to check in and went to his room, he ran his fingers lightly over the Braille documents prepared for him by his secretary. It was a simple get to know you meeting between lawyers and a new client of such magnitude. World trade industries was one of the newer concerns but rising far and rapidly gaining contract after contract till after almost three years it was a major player in the world of business. Unfortunately he wouldn’t be able to meet with David Malcom the CEO instead he would be meeting his personal assistant Elektra King tomorrow at 10 am. He sighed as he tucked the notes back into his brief case and lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He could feel that itch, he was home, he knew he shouldn’t go out there, he could be recognised but the urge was far to strong so slowly he climbed to his feet and grabbed his cane and left the hotel room.

He walked down the city streets, party-goers and night-clubbers and people just out for a good time filled London’s streets as Harry walked a familiar path till finally his senses informed him that he stood outside the Leaky Cauldron. Inside his mind warred fighting the urge to step within its confines and into the world he used to long to be a part of. His hand reached out as if to close on the handle and it rested there for several moments before he stepped back and began to walk away. As he walked down the street his senses picked up the footsteps of two people shadowing him. He smirked slightly, this was just what he needed. Silently he turned into an alleyway and leapt his cane tucked under his arm as he grabbed a drainpipe and tugged himself into the darkness of one of the ledges.

"Huh, where’d he go?"

"He’s gotta be in here somewhere this is a dead end, a suit like there he’s gotta be packing so dough, so find him, he’s blind you tosser so just look."

Harry smirked and with a forward Flip he sailed off the edge of the ledge and came down hard on top of the first assailant with a crunch of broken bones. The man groaned and Harry smiled in the darkness at his other mugger.

"Oh shite where the hell did you come from, no matter give me your wallet and you won’t get hurt!"

Harry smiled he could smell the fear and hear the man’s heart racing and he growled as the man pulled a 9mm from under his coat. "Bad mistake, last mistake."

Harry dropped his cane letting it hit the ground with a clatter and he darted forward, twisting even as he moved, the first and only shot ringing out in the alleyway before the mans screams drowned them out. The would be mugger stared down at his hand bent back at an unnatural angle and he fell to his knee’s screaming in pain. And he stared at Harry who with gun in hand drew back his fist and swung driving the pistol butt into the guys face several times before he let him drop unconscious. With a casual shrug of his shoulders Harry tossed the gun into the nearest trashcan and slowly walked out of the Alley picking up his cane as he did. Shaking with adrenaline Harry turned back the way he came he walked down the streets and this time without hesitation he turned the handle and stepped inside. He glanced around letting the noise filter through his senses and he smiled slightly as the familiar presence of Tom the bar tender glanced his way.

"Tom sighed, bloody enchanters, charge more for bloody masking charms that don’t work, third bloody muggle in the past month who’s wandered in here." He reached for his wand and he stiffened in shock as the man turns to face him and raised the fringe of his hair slightly revealing a lightning bolt scar. "Bless my soul…" He trailed off as the man held a finger to his lips and crossed the room and stood at the bar.

"A butter beer would be nice Tom but I’m a little short on magical funds just now."

Tom grinned and reached for a bottle and set it on the counter. "For you my friend it’s free, you gave me enough money that night to account for almost a years earnings my boy, or should I say Young man now, welcome home."

TBC…

AN: See I’m being extra, extra nice today and updated two stories in two days and I’m currently working on a third probably later today or tomorrow, gonna be another Marvel amalgamation with The Punisher, yeah I know I need help.

Yours Truly

The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau