A/N: Last chapter was one of the more difficult to write...let's see about this one...
Chapter XXXII: Give Me Death
The resounding crash of the unexpected spell startled Nott and Avery, and they whirled around, ready for combat, and the sight froze the blood in their veins.
It was Antonin Dolohov.
"Good day, gentlemen," his twisted grimace greeted them.
Neither of his comrades in arms was pleased to see him. "What are you doing here, Dolohov?" Avery asked him coldly.
"The Mistress will be quite happy to hear about this," his ugly smile widened.
"Still her lap dog, are you, Antonin," Demetris came up beside Nott and Avery, smiling mockingly on hos own turn.
"Not at all," the aforementioned lap dog replied, "I just know what is best for me."
"Yes, you would," the sarcasm did not disappear from Demetris' voice. "You are also a fool."
"Am I?" Antonin leered. "You, old man, are still alive by chance...you have no idea how many times I have implored Bella to kill you. She has long suspected you, you know...only after You-Know-Who, our glorious leader, passed on, could she gain enough room to act."
"Voldemort's better off dead," Demetris told him forcefully. "Lestrange is nothing but a deluded nutcase. You are her bitch. And lastly, challenging me to a fight will end in your death."
Dolohov did not seem phased in the least. "You're blabbering nonsense, old man. Many have fallen at my wand. You're only the consecutive unworthy Mudblood."
Nor was the said old man threatened in the least. "Let's see the arguments your wand makes. Fight to the death. Here and now."
Demetris had long been at the ready - mentally, he had alerted Nott and Avery at his flanks. For their inferiority in the organization, they did not make lesser fighters.
Being adept at silent spell-casting, Dolohov turned on his heel in Nott's direction, and slashed the air with his wand - a purple flash came from the tip of his wand and reached Nott before the latter could react. He swayed on the spot, lost consciousness ,and as he was falling back, Dolohov caught him with a Killing Curse - all too fast before the other two could react.
Avery, adrenaline pumping through his body, released a barrel of vicious curses at Dolohov - he barely managed to put up a shield against the attacker's vigour, but did not manage to escape without damage - one of Avery's Reductor curses shattered his left shoulder.
Demetris had not remained idle. "Expelliarmus!"
The red light headed right for Antonin, but he managed to dive out of the way and land on the broken shoulder.
Screaming in pain, he staggered to his feet, dripping blood from the gash, his face mad with fury, and his wand extended in his good arm.
"Crucio!"
Avery put up a shield against the painful curse, but it was too weak - the beam of energy broke right through and hit its mark - Avery screamed in pain, fell back, and writhed in pain on the ground.
Antonin was just preparing to deliver the fatal blow, as he did to Nott. "Consider yourself lucky, scum," he said loudly with a ghastly smile.
Just as the words he loved were forming on his lips, Demetris swiped his own wand through the air, and a sickly green patronus came from his wand. It was a combination of two spells, and when the animal reached Dolohov, he was flung back through the air, and landed roughly on his back - the useless arm swung sickeningly at an odd angle and landed behind his head.
An inhuman scream escaped him, as pain ripped through his body and it screamed from the initial shock of the impact of the patronus. Avery, in the meanwhile, had gingerly managed to rise to his feet, and recovered his wand from the ground.
Dolohov was still writhing, but had lost much of his strength, as the blood left his battered body.
Avery looked up, and his eyes met Demetris'. "Finish him off," the old man said quietly.
The younger wizard walked slowly over to where Dolohov was lying in a pool of his own blood. He kneeled down, and observed the evil face for a couple of moments. There seemed to be no remorse on it - just, if it was possible, satisfaction. Dolohov turned his face to him, and a weak, raspy voice escaped him.
"Traitor." A sickening grimace accompanied that insult.
Avery stood up, and looked down on Dolohov. "Burn in hell," he said spitefully. "Avada Kedavra!"
In the split second it took for the Killing curse to do its job, Antonin had managed to fire a shot from his wand at the unsuspecting Snape. The latter recognized it as the Sectumsempra spell, and described a motion to neutralize it, but too late - the curse penetrated the beginnings of the shield, and impacted him full on the chest.
Antonin's wand rolled from his left hand onto the asphalt, as the last breath left his body.
"Demetris!"
Avery ran over to Snape and slid on his knees next to the old man. "Speak to me!"
"Call the Order," Demetris whispered, right before he fainted.
Seconds later, Ron came running from the house. "What happened!"
He saw the bodies on the street, and a chill ran over him, when he saw only Avery standing up. "What happened?"
The Death Eater sighed heavily. "Fight. Now don't just stand there, help me bring him inside - he needs help."
"Right, of course," Ron agreed, and whipping out his own wand, levitated the injured oldest member of the Order towards the entrance. "You come too."
Harry, from the shadow of the doorway, targeted the unsuspecting Avery and fired a stunning spell at him. The red light hit him directly, and he keeled over on the ground.
"Bring him in," Ron said. "Take care of Draco while you're at it."
"Yeah," Harry affirmed in passing.
While raising Draco's body and the unconscious Avery, Harry glanced at the two bodies lying on the end of the street. One he immediately recognized as Nott, but could not quite make out the other.
Once inside, he told Ron about it. "Let's go check it out," Harry implored him. "The other one might be a Lestrange spy."
The best friends returned outside, and wary for any sudden attack, Ron rushed towards Nott, while Harry made a beeline for the other assailant.
"Dolohov!" he shouted back to Ron. "It's Dolohov!"
The mutilated corpse still retained the ugly grimace on its face.
Ron had directed Nott's body to carry itself inside, and walked over to where Harry was standing over the body. He slapped his hand against his forehead in disbelief. "I'll be damned."
"We've wanted this bastard for a long time," Harry commented, still grasping the fact. "Now he's lying here, feet from headquarters."
"Who killed him, you think?" Ron asked him, wide-eyed.
"How should I know?" Harry asked rhetorically. "I'm amazed we didn't even see the fight going on!"
"Yeah, how did we miss it?" Ron asked distractedly. "There was nobody downstairs..."
"And the Fidelius charm makes the house largely immune from external disturbance, including noises..." Harry pointed out thoughtfully. "We should have some kind of vigil for this!"
"Enough yammering," Ron said forcefully. "Let's levitate this bastard inside too. You take him, I'll carry Nott."
Harry nodded, and taking out his wand, raised the mutilated corpse off the asphalt. Leading it in front of him, he started walking back towards the house. From the corner of his eye, he noted Ron doing the same.
"Tell Luna to sweep the neighbourhood with a memory charm, just in case," he reminded Ron once they were inside the entryway.
"The sooner the better," Ron agreed. "Love!" he called out for Luna.
The list of characters to resurrect had become quite long, and Harry was starting to worry if it all could be done in time. Even if one of her best lieutenants now dead, Lestrange was still dangerous, and with Demetris indisposed for the present, the Order was still highly vulnerable.
He compiled a mental note of who remained - him, Ron, Hermione, Luna, the Weasley parents, Lupin and Tonks. And the two young charges in their protection. Hermione and Luna needed to bring back his parents, Sirius, Draco, Ginny and now Nott. Avery and Demetris remained agents to Lestrange as well, but explaining Dolohov's murder would certainly make the circumstances much more difficult to negotiate. Both could pay with their lives.
Hermione had made sure Avery was unconscious until further notice, and proceeded to meet Harry at the door. Upon seeing the bodies, her expression became a mixture of sympathy and disgust.
"What do we make of him?" she turned to her significant other, while gesturing at Dolohov.
"Well, two options," Harry pondered. "We can either destroy the body, or send it back to Lestrange with our warmest regards."
"If we destroy it, she may not believe he's dead, and Demetris can pay that price along with Avery," Hermione reasoned. "And if we send it back, we'll send a clear message to her."
"Demetris and Avery could still be killed in that case, however," Harry pointed out. "Unless we convince Demetris to play around with Avery's memories once more."
"No," Harry objected. "No more interference with his mind. It may be good, if they take a chance - also might convince Lestrange she has competent Death Eaters. I mean, given the missions they have done so far, I think she would think twice about killing them."
Hermione had not considered this angle. "It is a gamble, but possible to work in our favour."
Luna reappeared at the doorway. "All done."
"Excellent," Harry turned to her. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," she smiled and drifted past him.
"So it's settled, then," Hermione summed up the discussion. "We send Dolohov back with Avery and Demetris."
"Yes, but first we have to resurrect Nott, to reduce the suspicions as much as possible."
"Do you think that'll reduce it?" she wasn't confident. "I think it'll put all of them in peril."
"How?" Harry did not see her logic.
"Think about it - the three of them show up alive and well, whereas only Dolohov is dead. Lestrange is bound to suspect something."
Now he understood. "So you're suggesting we leave Nott out of it."
"Yes," Hermione agreed. "Probably better for him too."
"In any case, talk to Avery, since he and Nott have been friends a long time," Harry advised her. "Tell him what we think, but do what he wants."
"Might as well do it now. You take care of the bodies," Hermione said.
"Will do."
Hermione proceeded to the living room, now the unofficial meeting place for Order business, and assured any occupants that weren't supposed to be there were absent - namely Remus in this case. After he had gone, she proceeded to bring Avery back to consciousness.
"Ennerveate." She pointed her wand at him.
His eyes shot wide open, and he sat up quickly. "What happened! Is he dead?"
"Avery," Hermione placated him, "relax. Dolohov is dead."
The Death Eater finally focused in on Hermione and his eyes swept the surroundings. "We're in the house."
"Yes, we are," she affirmed. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I think so," he shook his head. "One hell of a fight though. Still a bit woozy."
"Come on, sit on the couch," Hermione said, and helped him rise unsteadily to his feet.
"Where is Nott?" Avery asked after settling down.
"He's dead," Hermione told him grimly. "Antonin killed him."
"I know," he replied without emotion.
Hermione chose her next words carefully. "We have the option to bring him back."
Avery's expression remained unreadable as he turned towards her. "No."
"What?"
"I don't want you to bring him back," Avery said.
"But why not?" she protested. "Would it not be worth your friendship?"
"Hermione, look," Avery sighed. "Nott and I have been friends since Hogwarts. The way our lives turned out - we were dragged in Voldemort's movement, and lost the chance to escape. Ever since, then, a life of constant uncertainty, knowing you could be killed every day, is not worth living. Bringing Nott back would put him right back in that position. He's better off dead. If I don't live to see Lestrange die and the Death Eaters disbanded, that will be the better option for me as well."
"But think of the Order," Hermione tried to reason an already lost fight.
"Think of him," Avery rejoined quietly, and that effectively ended Hermione's resistance.
She paused for a few moments, and took on another tack. "Well, now comes another more difficult question."
"Yes?"
"How do we ensure you and Demetris aren't killed by Bellatrix?" Hermione asked him.
"It sounds as if we're going to have to take the chance," Avery answered, echoing her earlier discussion with Harry.
"But how will it be convincing?"
"We had a fight with the Order - they killed Nott, Dolohov joined in, but you killed him," he proposed. "By all accounts, we'll have to come up with a story, and Demetris will protect me against her intrusions of the mind. Without Dolohov, she is not as strong in that regard."
Hermione silently agreed with him. This time around, a considerable reliance on fate was not avoidable.
"Fine then," she said, "I'll take responsibility for Dolohov's death. That means I'll have to modify your wand."
"Modify my wand?" there was a note of defensiveness in Avery's voice. "How?"
"I doubt you'll hesitate if Lestrange requests to inspect your wand," Hermione told him confidently. "You know, she can check the last spell you performed, and that would be the Avada Kedavra you killed Dolohov with."
A look of realization did dawn on Avery's face. "Good thinking. Do you know how to do it?"
"Of course I do," Hermione said off-hand. "Is there anything I don't know?"
"Hardly," Avery rejoined with a hint of sarcasm.
"Well, there you go," she chastised him. "Now give me your wand."
Avery did as he was requested, and watched in fascination, as Hermione muttered the words under her breath, and a flurry of colours came from the tips of both wands, exchanging and swirling in one beautiful display of brilliance.
"Llepstsaleth refsnartdna evomero" she repeated over and over, as the show of colours began to move increasingly faster and intensified in glow.
It stopped as suddenly as it started. Hermione opened her eyes, and turned to Avery.
"There it is," she handed him his wand. "You should be safe."
"Thank you," Avery expressed his gratitude. "I am beginning to think luck is a major factor in how we dodge back and forth between the raindrops."
"More or less," Hermione agreed with a sad smile, "at a heavy price."
He inwardly agreed. "I know."
I'm going to go check on Demetris," she said and then added pointedly, "You stay here and rest."
"I barely have the strength to stand up. Where do you think I'm going to go?" Avery told her rhetorically.
Hermione acknowledged the fact, bid him a speedy recovery once more, and went on her way to the other patient from the disastrous duel.
Making her way upstairs, she entered one of the guest bedrooms of the Black home, where Demetris was recovering.
He was still unconscious, and the hastily summoned madam Pomfrey, Hogwarts' capable mediwitch, was hovering by his side, monitoring his condition with different spells while simultaneously preparing a potion on the desk next to the bed.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione called to her rather loudly to capture the matron's attention.
She jumped and turned around. "Miss Granger! You gave me such a fright!"
"I'm sorry," Hermione apologized. "How is he doing?"
"I am largely finished. He will recover, Miss Granger," Pomfrey answered. "However, it will take another couple of days. Exhaustion, and the impact of several curses have taken quite a toll on him. At a hundred and twenty he should not be subjected to such pressures!"
"How much time exactly do we have?" Hermione asked her.
"In three days he should be as good as before," Madam Pomfrey replied, much more calmly. "The potion I've made needs to be administered every three hours for full effect."
"Understood," Hermione affirmed. "Is there anything else we should know?"
Madam Pomfrey's demeanour softened when she asked her that question.
"Yes. Hermione - do be careful. Lestrange is dangerous."
"Don't worry," Hermione said, "Everyone will be safe."
The mediwitch smiled, and a moment later, her professionalism resurfaced. "Call me in three days time. I want to ensure this patient has recovered alright."
"Will do," the younger witch replied. "Have a safe journey back, Madam Pomfrey."
"Thank you, dear. I will see you later."
With that, madam Pomfrety walked quickly from the room and down the stairs, muttering to herself something about potions and incapable students.
Hermione leaned on the door and observed the sleeping form of Demetris. He had subjected himself through much more that he should handle to preserve the secret of the Order and retain a semblance of Lestrange's trust. Not to mention keeping Avery and until recently, Nott, alive.
On a positive note, Dolohov was dead for good - that dealt a blow to Lestrange's ability to effectively mount an attack against the Order.
She still worried about the consequences of the next meeting between Sirius' insane cousin and their two remaining Dark agents. On top of that there was the matter of bringing back to life the departed Order members. She hoped Luna had mastered the spell already, and if not, soon enough...
"Hermione?"
Carried away in her thoughts, she jumped when she heard Luna's voice.
"Hey," she turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you coming."
"Don't worry," Luna smiled benignly. "You looked thoughtful."
"Oh, I am," Hermione rejoined, a bit more forcefully than she had intended.
"Can I help?" Luna asked her calmly.
"Yes," Hermione checked her tone this time. "I need your help with the resurrections."
"Soon enough, Hermione, soon enough," Luna replied, smiling. "Have patience."
With that, Ron's significant other proceeded to walk down the stairs, and leaving Hermione confused.
Sometimes she really did not understand that girl.
A/N: New spell to decipher - whoever gets it wins a virtual cookie. :D On another note, hopefully I'll get to said resurrections in the next chapter.
-->