Same Old Lang Syne
Author's Note: Hi, all. I'm really really sorry that it's taken me so long to actually update this. The holiday season is, of course, a hellishly busy time, and this thing I do is a very private thing, I can only do it when I'm alone, and I just realized you don't really care, do you? So anyway, here the story takes, shall we say, a rather different track. It made a transfer to a different train, and went in a new direction! Okay, that's enough subway references. I'm done now, here's the story, and more will be up as soon as possible, possibly as early as a couple of days from now. Again, sorry it's been so long.
January 31st -Harry
Harry, already up and dressed, shook Hermione's shoulder lightly. She stirred, opened her eyes, and, seeing Harry, smiled.
"I have to go, Hermione," he said softly. "Hedwig just came with an urgent assignment. I'm sorry." He kissed Hermione on the cheek, and headed towards the fireplace.
"Hurry back," said Hermione softly. Harry turned and smiled at her. With a flash of green flames, he was gone.
"Hey, Ron, you ready to go?" Harry emerged from the fireplace at the Burrow and brushed the soot off his new cloak. Ginny was the only one in the room, sitting on the couch in her pajamas. She started in surprise when Harry came out of the fireplace.
"Harry," she began, confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I got a letter for an urgent assignment about twenty minutes ago," said Harry, looking around. "Where's Ron?"
"He was just down here a minute ago, muttering something about Pig having lousy timing. He's probably back up in his room now."
"Thanks, Ginny. Can I wait down here?"
"Sure, have a seat." She patted the couch next to her, and Harry sat down. "So what is this 'urgent assignment' of yours?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange is at large. Ron and I are to bring her in."
"Lestrange? They told you to bring her in?" Ginny's eyes widened. "I thought they couldn't give assignments like that to people with personal experiences with the targets."
"Under normal circumstances, they can't," said Harry. "But they don't think anyone else can bring her in."
"I still don't like it," grumbled Ginny. "Listen, you be careful, alright Harry?"
"I will be," said Harry. "I'm not letting my guard down for a second."
"Good," said Ginny, hugging him.
"Hi, Harry, you ready to get going?" Ron came down the stairs, closely followed by Sara, who had the distinct look of somebody who had just thrown their pajamas on.
"Morning, Harry," said Sara, making a big show of yawning. She sat down on Ginny's other side. "It's a shame you two have to work on Saturday."
"Yeah, well, such is the life of an Auror," said Ron, kissing Sara on the cheek. "See you later, honey," he said as he followed Harry out the door.
"Okay, Ron," said Harry seriously. "Lestrange was last sighted in Hogsmeade, so that's where we'll start."
"Got it." Ron smiled grimly. "I'll drive," he joked, as they both vanished with two loud cracks.
The sight that awaited them in Hogsmeade was horrible. There were smoking craters everywhere, and as many craters as there were, there were almost as many bodies. Ron quickly ran to check for a pulse from the nearest body, but Harry didn't bother. He already knew what he would find. Except for a few survivors in the Post Office which Harry saw huddling through a window, the entire village was devastated.
"Dead," said Ron, scowling.
"They're all dead," said Harry angrily. "She knew we were coming. She's sending us a message." He pulled his wand out, and Ron quickly did the same. "We know you're here, Lestrange! Come out and face us!"
Suddenly, from a broken window nearby, Harry heard a voice yell "Crucio!"
"Protego," shouted Harry, and the stone of a building wall cracked under the ricochet of the Cruciatus Curse.
"Come out and face us Lestrange, you coward!" Ron yelled at the window.
"What makes you think it's just me?" Lestrange emerged from the building, wand drawn and pointed straight at Harry's heart. "Do you really think I'd be so foolish as to take on two Aurors on my own?"
"Careful, Ron, it could be a trick," called Harry, and neither of them moved an inch.
"It's no trick," came an arrogant drawl from just inside the door of the building from which Bellatrix Lestrange had emerged.
"Malfoy," growled Harry, his face contorting into a scowl.
"What's the matter, Potter," drawled Draco Malfoy, walking out into the open, his wand pointed at Harry as well. "Didn't expect two of us?"
"I didn't think you had the guts to come out of hiding, Malfoy," shot back Harry angrily.
"Enough of this pointless banter," screamed Lestrange. "Avada Kedavra!" She swung her wand around at Ron, who leaped out of the way, the wall behind him exploding.
"Impedimenta," yelled Harry, and Lestrange flew backwards, hit her head on a piece of rubble, and lay still.
"Worthless," muttered Malfoy as he picked up Lestrange's wand, and began hurling curses at both Harry and Ron with both wands. The pavement below Ron's feet exploded, and he was thrown into a wall, where he fell, clutching his wand arm, which was broken by the wall, his hand a mass of shattered bones. Malfoy muttered the Cruciatus Curse at Ron, who passed out.
"And now, Potter, you die," Malfoy shouted.
"We'll see, won't we?" A grim smile crossed Harry's face. He knew he was faster than Malfoy, but with two wands, Malfoy had the advantage, and both of them knew it. Malfoy was able to send any curse in two different directions, an advantage he did not hesitate to exploit. Harry screamed in agony as he was hit by a double Cruciatus Curse, finding it harder and harder to dodge even one of Malfoy's curses.
"Die!" Malfoy screamed savagely as a dark green light shot from Lestrange's wand and hit Harry. Harry vanished in a billowing cloud of smoke, his wand falling to the ground.
"Harry! Nooo!" Ron had revived just in time to see Harry disappear. He picked up his own wand with his good arm and began hurling curses at Malfoy.
"You're too pathetic to bother with, Weasley," laughed Malfoy as he shot a disdainful look around him, at the unconscious Lestrange, and finally at Ron. He disappeared with a loud crack.
Ron checked Lestrange, making sure she was securely bound, scrawled a quick note to the Ministry of Magic awkwardly with his left hand, and walked into the Hogsmeade Post Office, where the survivors had been taking refuge.
"Somebody mail this to the Ministry," he said gruffly, slamming the note down on a table. He didn't even wait around to make sure it was mailed. He walked right out, kneeled down at the crater where Harry had disappeared, and let loose the tears that he had been trying desperately to hold back. He picked up Harry's wand when he was able to compose himself, put it in his robes, and stood, waiting for his support to arrive.
When it did, he only waited around long enough for his arm to be healed. When the Mediwizard told him he was done, he disapparated.