Author Notes: Hello again! We are back with another chapter... We think you have been waiting for this. Yes, you guessed: the action-filled chapter! But taking in consideration that a) this is not an action fic, and b) we are not that good at writing action (in fact, Psy_Girl couldn't stop imagining Harry wearing a red bandana and Army pants in some Rambo fashion *shudders*) be gentle with us. (And don't forget to review! Even if it's to say that you'd rather have Harry Stallone!)
Thanks muchly to Another for his Beta Work!
Oh, and the name of this chapter goes to all the Star Wars fans, like us.
Chapter 06 - Harry Potter Strikes Back
Harry landed with certain distance from the cemetery, so as to avoid any charms that might have been set as an alarm. He hid behind some bushes and pulled the Invisibility Cloak out. He had no idea how he had gotten there so fast; it had seemed like a really long flight.
He scanned the surroundings carefully. There wasn't much to see. Just trees and bad land. He knew a town was really close - he had flown above it. He doubted that people from that town visited the cemetery often though...at least the time he had been there it didn't look like the place was been taken care of.
He opened his bag and checked its contents. He would set everything and then approach to the cemetery to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Harry hadn't had much time to plan what he was going to do, and frankly he would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. But the thought that he might be seeing his friends soon was enough to banish that feeling. Whatever happened, he had to make sure they would be safe at least until the Order arrived.
In his mind, the voice of reason kept repeating how reckless he was being. Going there alone, with absolutely no idea what could be waiting for him, to the place where Voldemort and his Death Eaters would be.... It was like making the job far easier for them. But he didn't allow himself to think about that.
However, one question remained. Was that night the one where the Prophecy would be fulfilled? He knew he wasn't ready for that. For one, he hadn't even accepted it completely yet. He didn't even know how to kill -the mere word sent shivers down his spine- Voldemort. A simple Avada Kedavra wasn't going to work on him, not that Harry knew how to cast that spell in the first place.
But what if it happened the other way around? What if Voldemort killed him?
Stop thinking about that now. You must focus on this first.
He needed to be really careful from now on, he couldn't let his guard down. He tried to put in practice everything that had learned so far. His senses had to be sharp... He needed to be prepared for anything. He strained his ears to hear any strange sound and narrowed his eyes. It was the time to get closer to the cemetery and-
"Harry-"
"Ahh!!!" Harry exclaimed in a not-so-precautious manner, and turned around with his wand in his hand, ready to defend himself.
"Whoa, mate! Slow down! It's just me, Fred!"
"Fred!?" Harry whispered, with widened eyes. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?! I told you not to come!"
Fred looked at him, his face serious. "In all this time you've known us Harry, really, how many times did you see us actually doing what were told? You know me better than that! We couldn't stay around just waiting while you were here by yourself. So George and I had a quick arrangement and decided I would come and he would stay to let Dumbledore know."
Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but feeling a wave of relief. He didn't want anyone else to be in danger, but he had to admit he felt a little more at ease with someone else there. He didn't let him know that, though, and just sighed. "Okay, I guess there's no point in arguing with you."
Fred grinned. "So, are we moving closer? I can't see anything from here."
Harry nodded. "Just be careful, alright?"
"Hey, careful is my middle name," Fred said, winking.
Harry snorted softly at that and grabbed his bag. Fred was carrying a similar one and started walking towards the cemetery, but Harry stopped him.
"Wait," he whispered and pulled out his Invisibility Cloak. "We should better use this."
Fred stared at the Cloak with wide eyes. "Is that a--" Harry nodded, and motioned him to come closer. "Geez Harry, how come you never told us you had one? It would have been so useful! George and I often wondered how you managed to sneak out all the time... How did you get it?"
"It was my father's," Harry replied, not offering more information. He covered Fred and himself and they started walking towards the cemetery, with an anxious tingle in their stomachs.
* * *
Hermione knew that Malfoy's house must be big, but she hadn't expected it to be this large. She felt as if they had been walking forever through those cold and dark corridors. She was looking desperately around to find something, anything that could help them to get away. But the hallways were narrow and there was no way they could have escaped with one Death Eater walking ahead of them and two in the back, pointing their wands at them to make sure they didn't try anything.
And even if they managed to escape... Where would they go? They were trapped inside Malfoy's dungeons. More Death Eaters would find them before they could find an exit.
The three Death Eaters that were taking them to wherever they were going hadn't muttered a single word to them. Hermione couldn't see their faces, because they were using dark hoods. She wondered why so much secrecy. They had seen Kreacher and Malfoy already. They hadn't been this careful about their identities when they had been at the Department of Mysteries. She betted that at that time they didn't think a bunch of fifteen year olds would make it out alive. But now... They had even less chances to get away from this, she though bitterly. Without their wands, weak after days of concealment, what could they possibly do against these people?
Hearing Ron's quick breathing behind her, she figured he was thinking the same. As much as they'd tried to keep the hope alive, in the back of her mind she knew their situation was really bad. They were completely helpless. Their only chance was the Order of the Phoenix. But if they hadn't come in all these days, why would they appear today?
Finally, they reached a door. It was large and black and Hermione couldn't help but shudder when the Death Eater in the front opened it with a loud noise. It led to an empty room. The Death Eaters motioned them to come inside and form a circle. One of them took a dirty bottle out of his dark robes and extended his arm for everyone to grab it.
"A portkey?" muttered Ginny in Hermione's ear.
"Where are you taking us?" Ron demanded, his ears very red.
The Death Eater didn't reply but pointed his wand at Ron in an aggressive manner. The tall redhead grumbled and placed a finger on the portkey.
The last thing Hermione saw before everything started to twirl was the glowing Dark Mark in one of the Death Eaters forearms.
* * *
"I can't see anything," muttered Fred.
Harry shushed him with a gesture and kept scanning the surroundings. He could see the solitary graves, but nothing else. The wind was blowing harder and he had to tighten his hold of the Invisibility Cloak that was still covering them.
Being back in that place made him remember everything that had happened that night in a very vivid manner. If he concentrated hard enough, he was sure he'd be able to see Cedric's body, his own body tied to Riddle's grave and Wormtail in front of a big Cauldron. He shut his eyes for a second. There was no need to think about that now. He needed to find his friends.
"Harry, are you sure this is the place?" Fred asked again in a whisper.
"Yes," Harry answered, although he wasn't. He had just followed a hunch and now for the first time he considered he might have been wrong.
"Are you sure that this isn't a trick from the ferret?"
Harry glared at Fred. "If you have a problem, you can leave. I can stay here by myself."
Fred shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's just that, well, that Malfoy isn't worthy of trust."
"I know that. That's why I came here alone instead of telling the Order right away. I needed to make sure he was telling the truth."
"Call me crazy, but you look really sure that they'll be here," Fred said, and then kept looking around.
Harry didn't answer this time. He wanted to be sure...he wanted them to be there more than anything.
* * *
The bite of cold air was the first thing that made Hermione realize they must be outside. She opened her eyes and was violently pulled up by a pair of hands. She saw the rest of her friends being treated the same way. There was a new Death Eater pointing his wand at them.
"Walk," he growled as he gripped Hermione by the arms. The grip was hurting her, but she didn't complain. Another Death Eater grabbed Ron by the neck, while a third one took care of Neville. The fourth Death Eater - the one that had been leading them - took hold of both Ginny and Luna. The wizard that had spoken started walking ahead, never losing his grip on Hermione and just motioned her to walk, his wand lifted to illuminate the place where they were.
All Hermione could see were trees and uncultivated land. It wasn't exactly a forest, because she could see the sky clearly. She calculated their possibilities hastily. If they manage to escape now, they could use the trees to their advantage to protect themselves from the curses. If they were lucky, they would find a way to contact Hogwarts....
Yes, their plan could work. They had nothing to lose. Hermione had explained back in the cell that, if they had kept them there for so long, they had to need them for something. There was a big chance that the Death Eaters wouldn't hurt them until they got what they wanted. She took a deep breath and muttered a short, silent prayer for what she was about to do.
With a loud shriek, Hermione stomped on the Death Eater's foot. She caught him by surprise and he groaned, loosening the grip for a second and with all her might she kicked him hard in a not very lady-like way making him fall to the ground. As she turned, she saw the rest of her friends were following her example. With the surprise factor on their side, Neville had knocked down easily the Death Eater, while Ron kept punching the other one, more as a tension-relief than a survival thing. "This is for attacking at dinner time!", "This is for leaving us in a cell!" "And this is just because I enjoy punching you". Finally, he dropped the now very unconscious and bruised Death Eater to the ground. "Oh, that felt real good, not as good as punching Malfoy, but good." Hermione couldn't help to smile at him.
Meanwhile, Luna and Ginny managed to free themselves from their Death Eater and Neville gave a good punch to the one Hermione had kicked to finish the job. Seeing their captors on the floor gave them some sort of relief and Hermione took a deep breath thinking to herself the first part was done. Now, the second stage: getting back home.
"What do we do now, Hermione?" asked Neville.
"We need to get out of here before..." She didn't get to finish as they heard a cold laughter. It gave them the chills just to hear it. They didn't know where it was coming.
"Run!" yelled Hermione, racing to where the trees seemed bigger.
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!" someone yelled and she saw the red light of a Stunning curse pass by her.
She could hear a lot of noises. She turned her head to see Ron grabbing Ginny by the hand and running in a different direction from her. The Death Eaters were firing curses but they had scattered and it was difficult for them to hit. Hermione kept running with a small smile, it had actually worked! All they had to do was get further in the land and they would manage to lose them.
She turned her head again to make sure that no one had been hit. Apparently not, for the Death Eaters were running in the different directions. One was running to hers...if she was quick, he wouldn't be able to reach her-
Thud!
Hermione crashed against something and fell backwards. It took her a second to realize it wasn't something, but someone. A dark cloak was covering a tall figure. Hermione froze with her mouth slightly open. It was as if she had lost all her ability to move. She looked at the person in front of him and struggled to stand up, but she stopped again when she saw a wand pointed directly at her.
"Very clever, but I'm afraid that it won't be so easy," a voice spoke from behind of the cloak.
Hermione felt a cold shiver running though her back when she saw the man pulling the hood. She looked into the pair of red eyes and she realized who it was.
She was looking, for the first time in her life, at Lord Voldemort.
* * *
"Did you hear that?" Harry whispered.
Fred nodded. They had heard a scream. Faintly, but he was sure that's what it was. He exchanged a look with Harry and they waited for another sound. They heard another voice yelling and then nothing.
"Do you think it's them?" Fred asked.
"What else could it be?" Harry said and grabbed his wand. "Let's go."
"Where?" Despite his question, Fred stood up immediately, grabbing his bag.
"Let's move closer. They must be in the other side of the cemetery. Come on!" he urged the twin and they walked at top speed trying their best to do as less noise as possible.
* * *
Ron had seen Hermione fall and he had told Ginny to keep running while he went back. He couldn't leave her like that. But Ginny had insisted in going with him. Those two seconds of discussion had costed them being caught by a Death Eater that had came out of nowhere. They were roughly led to where Hermione was now standing. Ron looked at the man who was standing in front of her and gaped. Was that... Was that... Ginny's small whimper gave him the answer he was looking for.
A second later, another Death Eater was carrying Luna, who was still struggling to shove him off. She too stopped moving when she saw the tall man in front of them and stood beside Ron with her eyes wide opened.
Neville came last, and Ron was surprised to see him coming on his own accord. A Death Eater ran to him and made sure he stood beside Luna.
"I couldn't leave you all alone," Neville whispered and he didn't say anymore. He was shivering, more from the fear than from the cold.
Hermione was breathing in short gasps. She was tired from the run, but she was more shocked than anything. She had seen Voldemort in her dreams so many times since she had met Harry, that seeing him in front of her now was as if her worst nightmare had come true. Thinking about it, that was exactly what had happened.
All thoughts of running away had been vanished from her mind. She wouldn't have been able to move even if she wanted to.
"I am Lord Voldemort."
The declaration came in a loud, high-pitched voice. They all knew it already, but hearing it like that made the situation an unavoidable reality. None of them spoke. Just a silence followed the infamous Dark Lord's words.
"My oh my, they don't teach good manners anymore in Hogwarts, do they?" Silence. "Very well I will teach you. When someone introduces himself, it's good to introduce yourself back. Understood?"
Silence again. Hermione realized with a strange jolt that the silence that had started because of fear was now their way to defy him, to show him that, no matter what he did or who he was, they wouldn't surrender in front oh him. She felt a little pride of her friends and of herself.
"Crucio!"
Hermione felt again the insufferable pain she had experienced at her house the night she had been taken away. The curse had hit everyone, but it lasted shortly. It was just a reminder of whom they were facing.
"When you're asked a question you will answer it, do you understand?" screamed someone, and Hermione knew she had heard that voice before. Looking up, she found Peter Pettigrew looking at them from behind his hood.
"Yes," they all answered back, reluctantly.
"Good," Voldemort said. He turned to the Death Eaters that had been carrying them when they had escaped. "Do you have a decent explanation for this shame? Beaten by a bunch of kids once again? A bunch of kids without wands? Fighting like Muggles?
The four Death Eaters moved closer, with their heads hanging. One of them opened his mouth. "We are really sorry, Master," he stuttered, bowing clumsily. "They caught us off ward. And you said the scum shouldn't be hurt--"
With a wave of his wand, Voldemort shot a green light to him that made him drop dead in the second. Ginny gasped and covered her eyes. Hermione felt her eyes stinging from the tears but she held them back.
"I will not allow any more incompetence, is that clear?" Voldemort asked, looking at the group of Death Eaters, all covered with hoods, around them. Hermione hadn't even noticed when they had arrived, but now they were completely surrounded.
Voldemort turned to the prisoners once again. "I will start with you," he said, looking at Neville. "Who are you?" he asked, with a cold smile, as if he was just trying to start a polite conversation.
Neville gulped. Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "N-Neville Longbottom," he croaked finally.
"Longbottom, you say?" Voldemort commented. Hermione looked at his expression. He seemed interested. Had he remembered the Longbottoms had been tortured by the Lestranges?
Neville nodded slowly, looking more terrified than any of them had ever seen him.
"Bellatrix took good care of your mending parents," Voldemort said, peering at Neville more carefully. "Ah, this proves that children never learn." A silence followed this statement. "How long have you known Harry Potter?"
"S-six years." Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "W-we m-met at-t Hog-hog-warts."
"That will do for now," the Dark Lord said and turned to Luna. "And who might you be?
Luna didn't answer, and had once again that distracted air around her that made Voldemort angrier.... He asked again, and when no answer came from her, Wormtail stepped forward and slapped her hard on the face. "When our Lord asks you a question, you must answer!" he cried.
"Don't hurt her!" yelled Ron, and before he could jump on Wormtail's throat in a very impulsive reaction, another Death Eater grabbed him and hit him hard on the stomach, which made him fall to the floor. Hermione covered her mouth with one hand.
"I'm Luna Lovegood!" almost screamed Luna, trying to bring back the attention to her so they would leave Ron alone.
Voldemort turned to her, the cold smile on his lips again. "I see. So, Miss Lovegood, tell me, were you at the Department of Mysteries too last June?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Luna held his gaze for a second. "I've always wanted to see what kind of creatures the Ministry keeps hidden in there," she answered simply.
Voldemort looked at her for a while longer and then moved to Ginny, which was in the verge of tears tugging at Luna's arm.
"Who are you, little girl?"
"I'm - I'm Ginny Weasley," she said in a soft voice, avoiding the red eyes that widened when he heard that name.
"You are Ginny Weasley," Voldemort repeated, his smile growing wider. "I think we've met before, haven't we. Of course, you didn't meet exactly me, but a memory of myself...." Ginny didn't answer. "Funny that after being a close friend with Tom Riddle you are now attached to Harry Potter."
Voldemort then moved to Ron, who was pulled up by the Death Eaters that had hit him, and slowly motioned for Hermione to get closer.
"Are these two the ones you told me about, Wormtail?"
"Yes, my Lord. These are Harry Potter's closest friends."
"You are obviously a Weasley too," Voldemort said, waving his wand casually in front of Ron's face. "That was a very stupid thing you did before, but you seem to have guts. No wonder Harry Potter considers you a friend. What is your name, boy?"
Ron was glaring at him. He didn't know where this courage was coming from, but he wanted to remain quiet and not give him the satisfaction of an answer. However, one glance at the rest, especially at Ginny, whose eyes were silently pleading for him not to act so recklessly, made his resolution dissolve.
"Ron, I'm Ronald Weasley." He could hardly believe he was standing in front of the person he had grown up fearing.
"Wormtail tells me that you are his best friend, is that true?"
Ron glared at Wormtail before answering. "Yes, I am."
"You know, my dear Nagini found the blood of your father very tasteful and is looking forward to savor a Weasley's blood again," Voldemort said, smiling at Ron's look of anger. He then turned to Hermione, who moved closer to Ron. "And you...you must be the mudblood. Bellatrix told me about you. So you are not afraid to say my name, are you?"
"The fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself," Hermione said, quoting a sentence she had heard more than once coming from Dumbledore's mouth.
Voldemort glared at her with his red eyes glowing. "Very well. I will show you how to be afraid of it then." He turned to Ron once more. "So you two are his dearest friends. How close, I wonder? Enough to die for him?"
He took two steps back and started laughing. A cold, creepy laugh that startled the prisoners and made the Death Eaters wibble in their positions.
"This is it?!? Five little children?! Five children defeated my Death Eaters?" He looked at his minions gathered there and turned to look at the three girls.
"Potter does not have a very nice taste in women," he commented going from one to other. "A poor disgrace to the Pureblood race such as a Weasley, a lunatic and, worst of all, a Mudblood!"
Hermione bit her lip to keep it from trembling when Voldemort came up to her and whispered in her ear. "You must have a great talent for him to use you. But don't worry, I will find that talent, be sure of it."
She stayed still, trying her best not to seem affected. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to remain calm. There was a little voice in the back of her head screaming desperately. You'll never get out. You are trapped. This is it. There's no escape. You are lost. You won't be able to say goodbye….
She stole a glance at Ron, wondering what he was feeling. Ron was standing very straight, his mouth forming a thin line.... He wasn't shuddering and his face wasn't contorted in a scared expression, but his eyes betrayed him. His eyes were frightened. She supposed he was much more afraid of Voldemort than she was. Since he had been born, he had known he had to fear him. Fear his name. But to Ron, until very recently, Voldemort had been practically a legend.
With a wave of his wand, Voldemort made a long table appear on top of a small stage. Another wave, and many goblets appeared on the table. Voldemort walked to the stage and motioned his Death Eaters to bring the kids closer.
As they all stood very close to each other, feeling the stares of Merlin knows how many Death Eaters on them, they looked up at Voldemort. He raised his voice so everyone could hear him now.
"Fifteen years ago, our dream came to an abrupt end..." A pause. There was a faint muttering before Voldemort spoke again. "But now, this glorious night, we are one step closer to achieve our deserved victory!!" He looked at each one of his Death Eaters. They were all staring at him in silence. Hermione wished she could see their faces. To know who else was there. Maybe, if they survived, that information would be useful to the Order...
"As you all know," continued Voldemort, this time a less content expression in his face, "a few months ago, my plans were thwarted again by Harry Potter. But the time has come when I will destroy him forever! In the final confrontation it will be me the one who survives."
"What's he talking about?" whispered Ron from the corner of his mouth. Hermione shook her head slightly.
Voldemort lowered his head to look at his hostages. "A prophecy foretold the fate of him and I...."
* * *
"What's he talking about, Harry?" Fred asked. Both of them were hiding a little afar from where the Death Eaters were, but close enough to listen to what was going on. If they moved a little to the right they would be able to see clearly what was happening, but they could be seen in the spot and that would ruin everything.
"It's not important-" Harry replied immediately. "What's important is that he's buying us time. His speeches don't tend to be very long and something bad happens afterwards, so we better start moving on with the plan."
Harry's heart was beating madly... He realized his suspicions had been right. Voldemort thought that his friends knew about the Prophecy. He was going to make them tell him. But they didn't know anything. How long would it take for Voldemort to realize that? What will he do then? Harry wasn't sure, but he certainly knew that he wouldn't let them go home.
He realized Fred was still looking curiously at him. "Got everything we need?" Harry asked.
"Right here, mate."
"You know what to do?
"Yup, they won't know what hit them," Fred said grinning. How he managed to keep a good mood with what was going on was beyond Harry.
"Good," said Harry. "Remember to wait for my signal. The key is to stay low and unnoticed for as long as we can."
Fred grabbed his things and before he stood up, he whispered into Harry's ear "You know, he's not what I imagined him to be... he is way too short."
Then he got up and went behind the bushes to get everything ready.
Harry took a deep breath and covered himself with the Invisibility Cloak. He hoped that Voldemort's snake wasn't around, and moved to the right to look at the scene unfolding in front of his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Voldemort in some sort of stage, talking to a group of Death Eaters. He counted hastily how many were there... Around 20 or 25. Good, there was still hope. There were other two Death Eaters standing on either side of Voldemort. One of them had a silver hand. Wormtail.
Some of the Death Eaters in the crowd moved and Harry's heart suddenly stop beating... There they were. His friends. He desperately looked at each of them, searching for any trace of injuries... They seemed unharmed so far. He could see Hermione more clearly, since she was standing closer to him. Her eyes were fixed of Voldemort, and they were not showing fear, but loath. Despite the situation, Harry couldn't help but smile. They were alive.
* * *
"I'm going to ask this only once. What does the Prophecy say?"
Neville, Ginny and Luna looked at Ron and Hermione with confusion. Ron shrugged slightly, but Hermione had her eyes on Voldemort.
"We don't know," she answered.
Voldemort looked at her. "You are lying."
"No," Neville said, shaking. "The glass ball broke in the Department of Mysteries before we could see what it had inside."
"That Prophecy was revealed to Albus Dumbledore sixteen years ago," Voldemort said, with a bitter smirk. "It's only saved in the Department of Mysteries for future references. Dumbledore knows what it says. He must have told Potter. And Potter told you."
Hermione inhaled sharply. She had guessed this had something to do with that Prophecy. But if Voldemort was telling the truth and Professor Dumbledore knew what it said, he couldn't have told Harry. Voldemort could sneak in Harry's mind; he'd know what the Prophecy said... Besides, Harry would've told them about it, wouldn't he?
"We don't know about any Prophecy," Ron said.
"Braver and stronger men than you have tried to fool Lord Voldemort. None of them were successful, young boy," Voldemort hissed.
"That's why you are so scared of Harry?" Hermione couldn't help asking. Voldemort turned to her with a dangerous look. "Because of a Prophecy?"
Wormtail took one step forward. For a second, Hermione thought he was going to hit her, but Voldemort stopped him.
"I have my ways of knowing the truth," he whispered and raised his wand.
* * *
Suddenly, everything went quiet. Harry had been too occupied scanning his friends and he hadn't really listened to what Voldemort had said in the end. Before he could ponder about it, a strong light came out of Voldemort's wand and hit his friends, and a burst of shouts broke the silence.
A wave of panic hit him. What was the spell he had used? They hadn't drop dead, so it couldn't be Avada Kedavra... But they seem in pain. Voldemort kept his wand raised while pointing at them, but Harry couldn't see his face clearly.
He couldn't take it anymore. All his caution was thrown out of the window along with the Invisibility Cloak and he jumped, startling the Death Eaters that were nearer. Harry wasn't thinking, just acting. He ran shouting hexes and avoiding the ones that came in his direction. Bad plan, he heard himself muttering, but it was as if his mind and his body were separated. Everyone noticed his presence now... Everyone except Voldemort, who seemed to be in some kind of trance. Harry couldn't see what was going on with his friends, he only heard their screams and that was more than enough to keep him moving.
"Bloody Hell, Harry! What are you doing?!" cursed Fred from his spot, as he rushed to start up with the plan. He had heard the screams and had barely been able to stay where he was, but he was surprised when Harry marched out and threw away their careful planning... Only if by careful planning you meant 10 minutes before combat.
Suddenly fireworks were going off everywhere. They were similar to the one the twins had set free on Hogwarts last year, but these were more aggressive and louder for which confusion seemed to take over the place.
Some Death Eaters were out trying to put some order to this chaos with several spells. Between the shouting, people running and the noise coming from the fireworks, it was impossible to make out what was happening.
Harry was trying to get closer to his friends. He could see them clearly now, and, like Voldemort, they seemed to ignore what was going on around them. Ignoring the painful throb in his scar, he ran to them. Ginny was leaning onto Ron for support, while Luna and Neville where on their knees... The only ones who were still standing were Ron and Hermione, but barely.
He realized what was going on...he was using Legilimency. But on all of them at the same time!?!
"Stupefy!" Harry heard someone shouting, and he turned around to see a Death Eater unconscious on the ground. "Now, aren't you happy I came to watch your back?" Fred said, lowering his wand with a smirk.
"My hero," said Harry breathless.... He was exhausted, bruised and restless. Behind Fred, more Death Eaters were coming their way, avoiding the fireworks. "Come on, there's no time to lose," he said, grabbing Fred and throwing him to the ground when more spells were shot in their direction. "This might take a while" he said.
The whole situation was a mess. Harry had to take his friends out of there. He tried to think of something, but the pain he was feeling in his scar made it hard to see. He hoped an hour had passed and the Order would be arriving any minute.
One Death Eater ran pass them, screaming while chased by one of those Dragon fireworks. Fred laughed.
"Ahh George, we are a Hit!!!"
A light blue spell hit him in the arm and Fred fell to the ground craddeling his arm.
"Fred!! Are you ok?" Harry exclaimed, dragging him behind a tombstone that served as a shield against the spells.
Fred winced, but nodded. "I'm fine, Harry. Go, help them!"
"But... you'll be helpless...."
"Me? Are you serious? I can take care of myself, lad. I'm alright, go now!"
"The Order should be informed by now," Harry said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone and ducked another spell thrown at him. "Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Fred, and another Death Eater fell in front of Harry.
"See?" Fred muttered, and Harry nodded.
He got up and ran towards his friends. They weren't screaming anymore, only whimpering. One of them was muttering something, but he couldn't hear with all the noise that was being made. He saw Luna was now on the floor... She looked unconscious. Ginny and Neville were on the floor as well, but they seemed still awake. He was amazed that Ron was still standing, while Hermione was going down... She fell on one knee, but never lowered her head.
What is he doing to them?
He was close. Just a few more steps and he would be able to reach them... Before he could move forward, something hit him in the back and blew him till he crashed with another tomb. He didn't lose consciousness, but felt as if his body was splitting in too. He had forgotten he was still surrounded by Death Eaters. Where was his Constant Vigilance!? He couldn't think straight... He was losing all coherent thought... .
With a lot of effort, he slowly got up, and saw that at least a dozen Death Eaters were surrounding him. He gripped his wand tightly... His eyes darted to his friends. Neville was lying on the ground. Voldemort had his eyes closed and seemed still deep in concentration while muttering something.
He saw Hermione falling forward followed by Ron.
No! No! I won't lose them!
The Death Eaters were walking slowly towards him, but he barely acknowledged their presence. Someone was screaming.... Ron?
No!!!! No! This is my fault! No! I can't lose them! They haven't done anything wrong!!
The hooded men suddenly stopped their advance when they felt an oddly cold air surrounding them... No, it wasn't the wind. Suddenly it was hard to breathe and the whole environment had changed. They exchanged looks trying to find an explanation. An eerie silence covered the place, except for the cries coming from Ron and Hermione. Fred looked up from behind the tombstone, shivering. It wasn't the kind of coldness that came with the Dementors, though. It was hard to explain, but Fred felt as if the air slowly disappeared. Fred also felt something else, but he couldn't find the words to describe the sensation.
And Harry was just standing in the middle, his head hung low.
One of the Death Eaters pointed his wand at Harry and shot a spell, but it just bounced off, as if there was an invisible shield surrounding him.
Suddenly the cries died out. Harry managed to see through his clouded eyes that all his friends were now lying in the ground, not moving. They looked...dead.
No. No. Nooooooooooo!!!
A huge wave of energy was released, and with a blast, everyone was blown away a couple of feet.
Those who were surrounding Harry flew the farthest. Fred had to embrace the tombstone he was leaning on for support. The explosion of energy had the effect to wake Voldemort out of his trance, and he also was blown back, although he didn't fall like that rest.
"Get him! GET POTTER!" Voldemort roared.
Harry snapped his head and stared confusedly around him. He didn't have much time to ponder about what had happened, and more by instinct than by reasonable thinking, he rushed to his friends. He got to Ron first and started shaking him.
"Ron! Ron, please wake up!" he yelled desperately. He turned to Hermione and shook her shoulders as well. "Hermione!"
He didn't care about the Death Eaters rising to their feet and fetching their wands. He should have thought about Voldemort standing a few feet from him, where he could strike in any minute, but he didn't. All he cared was that his friends were all right.
He heard a small grunt to his left and looked up to see Ginny opening her eyes. She frowned and looked at him, blinking.
"Ha-Harry?" she asked, confusedly. "What happened? Where-"
She didn't have time to finish the sentence when a green shot of light barely missed her. She shrieked and rolled to her side.
Several Death Eaters were moving towards them. Harry stood up in front of his friends with his wand raised to protect them. How was he going to do this? A single shield spell wouldn't do. And Ginny was still too confused and weak to help.
"This is it, Potter," one of the Death Eaters muttered.
Harry was ready to shout a curse when several loud pops were heard.... Harry almost fainted of relief when he saw the familiar face of several members of the Order. In the front, was George Weasley.
"I couldn't miss the fun, could I?" George said, running towards them while the other members engaged in a heated fight with the Death Eaters. George pulled Ginny up to her feet. Fred came from the other side, still clutching his arm.
"That was slow," Fred muttered to his twin. "You were supposed to wait an hour, not the whole night."
"Well, if someone hadn't locked me in the closet, I might have gotten here sooner," hissed George as he moved towards Ron, slapping him on the face to wake him up. Harry kneeled besides Hermione, breathing heavily.
"HARRY POTTER!!!"
Everyone stopped for a second to look at where the angry voice was coming. Harry turned around to look right into the red eyes of Lord Voldemort. He narrowed his eyes. He was the reason his friends were like that.
He stood up to face him. Someone muttered "Harry, no!" but he wasn't listening. He realized he wasn't afraid, and that surprised him. Was he accepting his fate already? He was standing in front of the darkest wizard of all times, and he wasn't afraid.
No. He was mad. He was angry. And HE was going to pay for what he had done.
Harry raised his wand.
"We seem to meet again, Harry," Voldemort said with a smirk. "Let's just hope this is our last encounter."
He raised his wand at him. Harry shouted Expelliarmus! But Voldemort blocked his spell and countered with one Harry had never heard. But before it could reach him, another beam of light hit it and made it miss.
"Indeed Tom, you meet again, but it's not time for you to fight him yet," Albus Dumbledore said, his wand still raised and his face expressionless.
"DUMBLEDORE!!!!" growled Voldemort. He looked at his Death Eaters and realized they were outnumbered already by the members of the Order. He then looked down at Harry who had kneeled beside the Mudblood girl and the Weasley boy again.
A dark smile appeared in his face. "Yes, you are right," he said politely, bowing slightly. "So I shall wait for the day that victory is mine!"
He dissaparated. The Death Eaters that were still standing, followed him without more words.
Harry didn't care that Voldemort was gone. He heard a groan and saw Neville waking up. Before he knew it, Lupin, Tonks, Kinglsley and the rest surrounded him. Lupin was waking Luna, whom after a while opened her eyes and stared dazedly around her. Fred was now hugging Ginny, while George was shaking Ron rudely.
"Ron, Ron wake up," whispered Ginny looking worriedly at her brother.
Harry was unconsciously holding Hermione's head. He didn't know what he was thinking. Was he thinking at all?
"Ronniekins!" yelled George; his face more serious than Harry had ever seen him.
A low grunt came from Ron... He mumbled something and Harry had to lean to hear him.
"Don't... call me... Ronniekins," he managed to say a little louder and opened his eyes with a wince. Fred and Ginny went to him and joining George they hugged him.
"Harry?"
Harry looked down to his lap and saw Hermione's big brown eyes staring at him. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but his voice didn't come. They are fine. They are okay. They are alive.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered.
Harry broke into a smile.
"Hermione's awake!" Ginny exclaimed. Lupin walked over to Hermione to check on her.
"I believe that we need to head back to Hogwarts. They will be better under the care of Poppy," Dumbledore said. His eyes were twinkling and he seemed extremely relieved.
Harry let go of Hermione and let the adults take care of his friends. He approached Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
"We'll talk about this later, Harry," Dumbledore said, smiling gently at him. "Now let's go home."
* * *
Wormtail watched as Voldemort paced through the room. He was hidden in a corner... He didn't want to be there. He knew by experience that his Master wasn't benevolent after a defeat.
Lord Voldemort, however, didn't seem angry this time. Just deep in thought.
"Ma-master," he finally spoke. Voldemort didn't look at him, but stopped pacing. "May I ask a question, Sir?"
"If you must," Voldemort replied.
"Why-why didn't you take the chance?" Voldemort looked at him and Wormtail cowered.
"What do you mean?"
"There was a moment...when the Potter boy had his guard down.... You could have easily finished him off then."
Lord Voldemort took two steps to him. "Do I look like someone who hits his enemy when he's not looking? I am not a coward, Wormtail. The time when Harry Potter and I have our confrontation, I want him to know that it is me the one who'll end his existence."
Wormtail swallowed and nodded.
"Did you manage to read the Prophecy in the scum's mind?"
"No," Voldemort said. "But I found out something even better. The key to Harry Potter's fall is in my hands, Wormtail."
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