Author Note :- Managed to get this chapter done pretty quick by my standards, thanks to JediYoda for her excellent beta work and Sweet_Mione_Potter who helps me form ideas. Just as a bit of a warning I worry that this chapter is a bit darker than the rest, everyone I've checked with has been okay with it but I like to offer a warning. Oh, and since a few reviews have questioned the vague, a) last chapter was Mione's dream, not real sex, sorry 8( and b) do not be squicked (whatever that is) by the idea of Harry and Bella, check the rules I can't write anything graphic between those two and wheres the fun in vague implications? Anyways, Thanks for all the hits (62k whee!) reviews (226 *glee*) and Enjoy!
They landed just within the large iron gates of a manor house. The garden was huge and filled with marble statues. Plenty of cover to raid the site was the first thought that came to Harry's mind. Actually that was the second, the first was plenty of places for enemies to hide if we try to raid this place. Harry looked around slowly, spotting two Death Eaters trying to hide and watch them.
Beyond the gates were muggles walking about completely ignoring their appearance and the manor. This wasn't really a surprise to the pair as they likely could not even see the building like Grimmauld Place. A few of the nearby houses caught his eye and he almost smacked his forehead as a puzzle piece fell to mind.
For years there had been muggle disappearances which were unexplained. The ministry had suspected that it was kidnappings by the remaining Death Eaters for a bit of their twisted fun. There was one area which was considered really dangerous due to the sheer number of disappearances. They had assumed it was the picking grounds of choice for some unknown reason.
Standing less than ten feet from that place seemed to answer all of the questions. All the death eaters had to do was open the gate and grab someone. At least Harry knew where they were now, all that was left was to break the Fidelius charm.
"No welcoming party?" Hermione muttered.
"Just two, one is behind the guard's post and the other is by the statue of the wizard with the bird," Harry whispered, "I guess we're supposed to go knock."
The pair walked towards the manor slowly, looking around suspiciously but pretending not to notice the hidden figures. As they walked Harry noticed two more people that were completely hidden from sight when they entered. You'd have to pass them and turn back to notice. He nodded to the most obvious one to let them know the newcomers weren't stupid and had spotted someone.
They knocked on the door and Harry's breath caught in his throat as it was opened by Peter Pettigrew. The animagus had vanished after Voldemort's defeat and was rumoured to be in hiding as a rat in Albania. The small man didn't look any better than when they last saw him. He was almost trembling and had the gaunt look of someone who spent too long around Dementors.
"New recruits, we were sent told to come by Miss Lestrange." Hermione said, her hand clutching Harry's wrist to stop him drawing his wand.
"Yes, she told me you'd be arriving. I'm to escort you to the training area to be tested." Pettigrew replied quickly and looked around nervously as if he were expecting to be attacked.
Peter led them through the ground floor quickly, heading to a large courtyard in the middle of the building. What they found was mildly impressive, targets and dummies were hung around the walls and a number of men and women were practicing spell work. Other figures wearing the Death Eater masks were walking around observing. Harry assumed they were all new recruits and thus weren't entitled to know any identities yet. One of the masked figures walked over to the new arrivals and gave them a look over.
"I'll take it from here Pettigrew, get your stinking cowardly ass out of my training ring." Hissed the figure
"Pettigrew?" Harry asked and the small wizard snapped his attention to the large man who was smiling disconcertingly, "Peter Pettigrew, murdered a street full of muggles and framed Sirius Black for it, I just keep running into celebrities. I'll see you later."
Peter gave him a look which reminded Harry of the look you would see in a rabbit's eyes right as it spots the hawk about to snatch it up in its talons. Harry smirked as he scurried off and returned his attention to the figure, wondering why his voice was familiar.
"Don't mind the rat, worthless bastard, I don't know why Bellatrix keeps him." muttered the man, "Well, she wants you two tested. Pick a target and destroy it, not much training required as long as the target won't get back up. We rarely care how it goes down."
Hermione went first and used a simple reductor curse to blow off the head and quickly repaired it with a flick of her wand. Harry went up and decided to show his worth, casting in quick succession, three wordless spells. His first was a strong reductor like Hermione's but he blew apart the whole dummy. His next was a bone breaker charm which exploded the legs of the dummy next to it and finally a stunner spell struck the target behind him dead centre.
"Impressive I'll admit, but showing off isn't going to win you any points," The trainer sneered, "Lets see how you do at defence."
He stood them in the middle of the courtyard and shot them with stunning spells in turn. Hermione used a nulling charm on the first few and used her wand to deflect one into one of the targets then put up a rock solid Protego charm to bounce back the next few. The man nodded then turned on Harry who only put up a weak shield, each stunner blocked but nudging him back. The last stunner broke the shield and Harry dived out of the way. He earned himself a puzzled expression from Hermione as the man walked over.
"Well, seems you're all offence while your girl is probably the best defender I've seen to date. Suppose you'll be acceptable soon as you learn how to do a few unforgivables. Suddenly there was a long piercing scream throughout the house and both Aurors looked around wands drawn.
"Relax, you'll get used to that, sounds like Bellatrix is awake, she'll want to see you. Follow me." He turned and led them to a new wing.
Harry and Hermione shared a worried glance and then followed the masked man. They tried to set the layout in their memory as they strolled through a maze of rooms and corridors. A few more screams threatened to interrupt their thoughts. Letting their guide get a few steps ahead Hermione whispered under her breath to Harry.
"What the hell happened back there? First I try to act mediocre and you go all out on the targets then when I think we're trying to impress you do that pathetic defence routine." She hissed.
"He now thinks what I want him to think, we've both got useful skills to a raiding party without being too powerful." He replied under his breath.
"Wow, I can put up a good shield, whoop!" she replied sarcastically.
"Yes, so they'll not worry if you aren't shooting at the Aurors as long as you stop them from taking us down."
"Well if you wanted them to just put us on defence why did you do so badly at it?" she asked.
"Because I didn't want us both on defence, chances are they wouldn't take both of us if we were the same. Plus not to criticize, but I think I stand a better chance of incapacitating the Aurors than you. Especially if I get word that my experiment worked."
Their hushed conversation was brought to a sudden halt as the masked man stopped at a door and knocked gently.
"Enter!" called a familiar female voice.
As the door opened both Aurors had to put on their emotionless masks to hide their immediate horror. The room had probably started as a simple sitting room but it had been heavily converted. A number of steel cages lined the walls each containing people of varying ages, mostly female, in different stages of undress. Most were sobbing openly, a few tried pleading and begging for release while the rest just rocked back and forth.
In the middle of the far wall was a hearth fire roaring away while a series of branding irons were left in the flame. A naked woman was chained to the roof and floor, strung taunt against the restraints. She was heavily bruised and blood was dribbling from her mouth. A few feet away Bellatrix lounged on a leather relax chair, she was wearing a dressing robe loosely and she beamed as Paul and Suzette were brought in.
She slipped to her feet and walked over to the pair. Her robe was worn loosely enough for one shoulder to slip off and the edges far enough apart to reveal she wore nothing underneath at least above the waist. She reached up and brushed her hand over Paul's jaw.
"Like what you see?" she purred, "Macnair, stay a moment"
Harry froze to the spot the moment he stepped inside, using every last ounce of his will power not to kill the woman where she stood. Were it not for the others in the room he might have taken the chance. Rodolphus sat with his brother Rabastan on a couch close to the fire. Another woman sat with two men including Antonin Dolihov and there are a further five people not chained up around the room, not including Macnair who stepped over to the side to watch.
"Nice facilities, muggles?" Hermione managed to catch her tongue before Harry's anger exploded, drawing the witches' attention.
"We just want maintain the true ways until we can bring back the Dark Lord at last. What would be the point in him returning to a world that had completely forgotten where wizard's true place lies?" she gave a cruel smile that glinted in her eyes, "And of course it's nice to come home after a hard days efforts and have something to take your mind off your troubles, isn't it dear?"
"Of course love," Rodolphus replied with a smirk as Bellatrix turned to the bound woman and raised her wand.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix's eyes lit up with excitement as the muggle woman screamed again and convulsed helplessly against her restraints. Harry's hands turned white as he clenched them into fists so hard it hurt.
"Would you like a try?" she asked turning back to the pair.
"I've never tried an unforgivable before, I wouldn't even know how." Harry lied, keeping his voice steady somehow.
"Well now, I'll just have to teach you won't I? I'll arrange a private lesson." Harry forced a smile as Rabastan laughed and elbowed his brother who didn't seem to object to his wife's antics.
"I think I'd like that," Harry replied evenly.
"Macnair, how did they do?" she asked, casting a glance over at the now unmasked man.
"Girl's talented at defence spells and your boy is a bit of a show off with his offence but he's deadly, no talent at defence though." Macnair commented snidely.
"A good pairing then," Rodolphus commented, earning himself a glare from Bellatrix.
"I think we are," added Hermione who had moved closer to Harry when Macnair said 'your boy'.
"I'm sure you do," sneered Bellatrix.
"Now, now, dearest" Rodolphus stood and walked up behind his wife, pulling her robe back onto her shoulder, "We are lacking in defence wizards and our little project would be much easier with a good one."
"Fine, we'll give her a trial by fire," Bellatrix smirked as she stared down Hermione who met the stare with her own.
"Him too I think," her husband added.
"And who's leading this little raid dearest?"
"Rabastan has volunteered and he'll take Antonin as his second, along with four others and the four best recruits not including these two." Rodolphus replied.
"I see," she turned her gaze to Rabastan, while pointing her want at the woman again "You best not fail brother dearest or I'll see you next in the chains, Crucio!"
After a short burst of screaming and writhing the woman was released from the curse as Bellatrix stormed from the room. She hung limp on the chains, blood trickling from her wrists, nose and mouth. Rodolphus waved a hand in her direction and one of the background men took her down and dragged her to a cage. Then they selected another to replace her.
"She does tend to play too rough with the toys when she's in a bad mood," Rabastan commented as he joined his brother and looked at the pair, "It seems you'll be coming with me. Antonin gather the others, I want to see what we've got to work with."
"As new recruits you'll find what you're doing when you get there, if you feel the need to pull out or have a change of heart we'll leave your bodies with those of the Mudbloods and Blood Traitors." Rodolphus informed them with a sneer, "Complete your tasks well and you'll be full members soon enough with all the benefits that come with that."
The brothers glanced around the room and laughed together before Rabastan walked out of the room. Wordlessly Harry and Hermione followed, glad to be out of that room and feeling so frustrated that they couldn't help the prisoners yet. They were led through more of the house past numerous more Death Eaters but it seemed like everyone but the new recruits and elite were masked. Harry had counted near thirty already but he could have counted the same one three times and not known it.
"Quite a few people here, if this mission is so important why are we only taking a dozen on this raid?" Harry asked as they walked.
"Recruits aren't permitted to ask questions like that. You're quite lucky I'm not the others, I'm not quite so trigger happy with my Cruciatus curse." Rabastan commented, "But the answer is simple enough, we want speed and stealth, the more of us the longer we'll be tempted to stay and the more likely someone like Potter will arrive."
"So we kill him," Paul replied dismissively.
"You really aren't from this country are you? Potter is only alive now because he has a knack for surviving. He defeated the Dark Lord and he holds our most talented witch to a deadlock when outnumbered. We want him dead more than anything, but we aren't going to defeat him with a dozen, especially if half are mere recruits."
The entered into a room on the ground floor, where Dolihov waited. In the room with him were four unmasked people, three male and one female and two masked figures. Harry immediately recognised one of the men from Magical Law Enforcement. Relatively new and always quiet, Harry noted this for later. He shared a look with Hermione who had also recognised him and she nodded discreetly.
They went to stand with the other recruits while they waited for the last two members to arrive. In a flourish Rodolphus burst into the room followed by two masked figures.
"New information Rabastan," he muttered, "Come with me."
Rabastan and Antonin followed Rodolphus back out of the room leaving the rest alone. The man from magical law enforcement wandered over to them.
"I didn't think you'd be the type to join the Truly Loyal Death Eaters, Earning."
"Nor did I suspect you, Francis, yet here we are." Suzette replied evenly.
"Who's this then?" Francis asked, looking at Paul.
"This is Paul, my boyfriend." She replied.
"Didn't tell me you had a boyfriend,"
"Wasn't aware I had to report my personal life to you."
"I suppose you don't anymore, but I thought we were still friends at least."
Harry tried to restrain from rolling his eyes. Here they stood in the middle of the Death eater camp about to embark on whatever deadly mission against the Aurors and Hermione was being hassled by an ex-boyfriend of her illusion. Harry slipped his wand down into his hand and obliviated the man. His eyes glazed over for a moment then came back into focus.
"So you're this Paul she keeps telling me about?" he asked a bit more cheerfully.
Hermione cast him a glance then a small smile.
"Yeah, this is him."
"Nice to meet you, especially under these circumstances. It's nice to discover that our opinions were never really that different and she's picked a better man." Francis grinned, any retort was left unsaid as Rabastan stormed back into the room looking most angry.
"Usual practice is to let you know what we're doing when we arrive or to leave you in the dark with orders just to kill Aurors, Blood Traitors, Mud bloods and muggles. But the circumstances of this mission just changed. We are going to rescue a Truly Loyal Death Eater, capitals earned, count yourself honoured that you'll be rescuing the executioner of Albus Dumbledore."
Harry's eyes went wide, he knew Kingsley was organizing the transfer but he had no idea that he'd do it so quickly. Five more masked men entered the room to join the others. Harry wondered silently what information had been leaked to put Rabastan on edge so badly.
"As I was saying, this is going to be a rough mission, we've got the names of the those on the transfer team. This is a strong selection of wizards we're going to be facing which is why we're taking more people. The only bit of good news I can offer is that neither Potter nor Granger are on the list. They are however mentioned in the backup listing along with about twenty others."
"Any sign of trouble and the back up will be there within five minutes, so that is the size of our window. Of the selected route there is only one real point of attack so they know where we'll be coming thus this window is not optional. With that in mind we are focusing completely on grabbing and running. So no prolonged Cruciatus curses, just kill, imperius or incapacitate."
"We'll be expecting anti-apparition wards and most likely anti-Portkey wards since Bella utilized that escape from St. Mungo's. Thus we'll be attempting to retreat beyond the wards before apparating back here."
"What do we do if the reinforcements pin us in?" asked one of the recruits wide eyed.
"Then we die in the service of the Dark Lord! But if escape is not possible then I expect many Aurors to fall before they take us down." Antonin growled.
Harry wondered silently just how many Death Eaters believed they were doing right still. He knew certain ones like Bellatrix, Dolihov and Macnair were fanatical in their belief. But ones like Rabastan, are they still loyal to the "true ways" or just unable to escape. It made little difference in the end. They each had too many sins to escape punishment even if they decided to repent.
Antonin went around handing out masks to the recruits who drew them on and vanished into the group. Just a minion to an idea, a cause, a belief. Willing to die or kill just to prove that they are better than others or even worse, just to belong. Harry drew his mask on and pulled the hood over his head like the others. Rabastan flicked his wand an image appeared in the middle of the room.
"We apparate to here and wait, they will be arriving within the hour." Rabastan ordered before pulling on his mask, "For the Dark Lord!"
They vanished as a group, appearing in the ground floor of an almost empty car park in London. There were entrances and exits either side of the building, they would enter the west and leave the east. The walls were solid concrete with tall empty windows. Snape would be portkeyed to the Ministry and then transferred by van to the apparition point to the secure facility they had lined up for him. Special spells were in place that ensured you could only reach the second site by apparition from within the guarded area. They were both within London a short distance away but the departure site only allowed entrance by foot or car and was in a rather public place so appearing just outside was not an option.
So the Aurors had taken up the muggle idea and sent a column of cars between the two sites from a multi-story car park just above the ministry to the next site. Harry knew from experience that standard team would be one van with two men in front and four in back with Snape. There would also be a SUV in front and behind of the truck, each with another four men. Harry wondered idly if Kingsley would boost the detail considering they knew they were going to be attacked.
"They're expecting us," Rabastan muttered as Antonin had started positioning, his quiet comment was heard by Harry who was nearby and responded instinctively.
"Muggle repelling charms all around the car park, no wards in place yet but there's a few magical traps present." Hermione's eye went wide as Rabastan turned on him.
"You can sense traps? And the repelling charms?" he asked and Harry kicked himself mentally, he wasn't aware he said that aloud.
"Traps yes, Charms no," Harry lied quickly, he could quite easily sense both but he didn't want Rabastan to know that, "Charm is obvious, there's only four cars here in the middle of London, must have been here this morning when they set them up and their owners haven't been able to come collect them. Everyone trying to park here is being sent elsewhere and I don't see any muggle diversions."
"What about the traps?" Rabastan asked waving over Antonin.
"I can sense two heating traps, but I suspect there are four, one under each car to stop us using them for cover. Nothing else at the moment but I could look around."
"Do it," barked Antonin, "If they've spent the time to trap this place why don't they just choose a different path?"
"Because they aren't certain we'll attack, but if we do, they'll be certain it will be here. Check the recruits, see if any of them can disarm a trap without triggering it and don't use the cars for cover, disillusions will have to suffice. I would have liked to move the cars so we could block the exits, but they will suspect." Rabastan commented dryly, "At the outset have the barriers and light posts dropped over the exits, to make sure no vehicles can escape."
"What about this new recruit? Takes a powerful wizard to spot the traps, I sure as hell didn't notice any." Antonin asked, "Did you?"
"A faint impression of magic, I didn't recognise what they were until he told me, did we research him?" Rabastan asked.
"Yeah, he's just a petty criminal, with some more serious muggle baiting accusations, all unproven. He's from America so we couldn't get that much information but it was enough for Bella, you know what she's like."
"She sees, she wants, she gets," Rabastan grumbled, "She has at least picked a worthy wizard this time."
"Yeah, I was getting fed up of trying to keep her toys alive." Dolihov commented then turned on Hermione who was loitering nearby, "You! Can you disarm traps?"
She jumped and shook her head and Antonin swore and went off to check the others.
"Earning isn't it?" Rabastan asked, to which she nodded, "I assume your heart isn't true in this, but it is in him, I noticed your scowls when Bella was all over him. I'd warn you not too be too protective, my sister in law won't hesitate to kill you. Are you really so unwilling to share him you'd be willing to die?"
Hermione kept her mouth shut and Rabastan just considered her for a few moments.
"Keep close, it will be me, Icewell and two others who'll be charging the truck to get Snape." He commented, "I expect myself and Icewell not to get hit by a single spell if you want to come back with us."
"Understood sir, nothing but an unblockable will get close." She replied with determination.
Rabastan kept quiet as Dolihov went around the group sending two wizards to try and defuse the traps. Each wizard put into position was hidden with a disillusion charm to make them vanish into their spots. Two figures moved over to Rabastan at Antonin's instruction before Paul returned from his search of the car park.
"Find anything?"
"There were heating charms under each car as I thought," Paul commented as Antonin arrived,
"Anything else?" Rabastan asked critically.
"Firewall traps, over each of the windows" Paul replied hesistantly causing both Antonin and Rabastan to swear loudly.
"Don't break the east gate, looks like that's our escape point." Rabastan ordered swiftly.
"Do we have half an hour?" Harry asked.
"Barely." Antonin replied checking his watch.
"I might be able to drop one of the traps in time."
Hermione rolled her eyes which went unnoticed as Rabastan and Antonin were staring at Harry. An average wizard would need at least an hour to disarm the trap, a really good wizard could get it done in less than thirty minutes. She however knew that Harry could do it in about ten seconds because he knew the counter spell as an Auror.
"Get to it, the south east one, south is better for escaping." Antonin commented and his partner nodded.
"Are they all in position now?" Rabastan asked as Paul jogged off.
"All but your team, where will we be hitting the truck from?"
"I've changed my mind on that, I'll have Icewell with me entering the truck for Snape, I think you're talents would be better used focusing on killing the Aurors."
"Very well," Antonin replied, looking eager, "I'll take position by the east gate to stop the first car."
"Just remember to be careful with the curses until we've established where Snape is and extracted him. I don't want to explain to Bellatrix why her potion master is missing any limbs."
Antonin smirked and nodded in response before he disillusioned himself and went to the others. Rabastan led the others over to where Harry was working and waited.
"Disillusion yourself when done Icewell, till they arrive it's just a waiting game." Rabastan cast a glance over at the other entrance and then hide himself with a tap of the wand.
The others quickly followed suit and vanished to the naked eye. Harry however continued his work on the trap. He was actually amusing himself trying to disarm it manually rather than using the deactivation spell. After twenty minutes he felt the magic shift and fade away and smiled at his efforts under the mask. He kept up the appearance of working for another five minutes, knowing he was cutting it close to the patrol he turned around.
"Done," he hissed before tapping his head while muttering the charm. A familiar feeling of having a warm egg broken over his head fluttered through his senses and he looked down at his hands to see right through them.
His timing couldn't have been better as at that moment the western gate opened and a black SUV turned into the parking lot.