56

Chapter 56

Arriving at the gates of Hogsmeade, Fleamont felt adrenaline surging through his veins.  His son and grandson were in danger.  He could also feel the presence of dementors, but did not see any.  His experience with them during criminal trials held by the Wizengamot gave him exposure to the beast, but he also knew that his grandson was very capable of dispelling them.

Charlus was moving ahead towards the south bridge that would take them into Hogsmeade when Fleamont observed a large gathering of children and villagers looking rather frantic at the boundary line.  This caused his little brother to pause before he attempted to cross.  It seemed as if nothing were there, but the frown on Charlus' face told a different story.

The war vet flicked his wand causing a simple stinging curse to fall from his wand.  The spell didn't make it ten meters before dissipating in an angry hiss as a visible translucent wall seemed to appear for a brief moment.

While Dorea was usually a very calm woman, Fleamont could tell the woman was agitated when she glared at the bridge, "I hope too many students didn't die trying to cross this bridge."

Euphemia moved to stand beside her sister-in-law, "What kind of ward is it?  Can we bring it down?"

"Not quickly." A voice called from behind them.

Charlus visibly twitched at the sound of the voice as he turned to face the Headmaster of Hogwarts.  Before he could begin to berate the man for allowing this to happen so close to his school his voice died in his throat.  The witch at his side was familiar to him, but she had aged fifteen years since they last spoke.  Beside her was Alphard Black, a man he had not seen in years, but his focus remained on the Scottish woman who had once been his best friend, "Minnie."

"Don't you Minnie me, Charlus Potter.  We are going to have words after this, but we need to get to my students first." The woman berated waving her wand right below his chin as she strided to be nose to nose with the man.

"I am afraid Minerva is correct.  Our students, and your charges are in danger.  We must find a way through." Dumbledore stated.

"How do we get through?" Fleamont asked carefully.

The older man shook his head, "I have never seen a ward like this before.  I believe it to be parselmagic in nature.  Tom could not have designed this alone.  His ability with wards are astonishing, but not prodigious like what we are witnessing here.  I fear the only way to bring it down would be with the help of another parselmouth."

"Impossible." Charlus spat, "Every ward has a weakness."

"The Hogsmeade wards are already quite formidable.  They were taken down for a brief time at the start of the attack by the Dark Lord, and brought back up in this form when the attack began.  I believe we could overpower them, but we would need to attack from separate sides.  If we can create a hole big enough we can all apparate in.  I fear judging by the light show in the village it will be straight into the fight."

"My son needs us." Charlus said without thought, "We need to get through."

"I do not disagree, Charlus.  I shall apparate to the north side of the village in the meadow.  Minerva, you will take Mrs Potter to the west side of the village. Alphard, take Lord and Lady Potter east towards the forest. We will all need to strike at once." Dumbledore advised.

None were looking to waste time so they quickly followed the Headmaster's instructions.  Before Fleamont could apparate away he felt a hand grip his elbow.  Turning to face his little brother, Charlus offered him a nod, "Be careful.  Watch each other's backs."

"I'm the big brother, I am supposed to tell you that." Fleamont returned with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Be safe, Charlus."

With that, Fleamont turned his head towards Alphard Black who was offering his arm to his wife and himself, "Grab on.  I will take us to where we need to go."

Fleamont accepted the invitation from the Professor and in a moment they were standing at the edge of the forest looking at the Hogs Head which looked worse for wear.

Euphemia asked, "How will we know when to attack?"

In the distance the question was answered by red sparks shooting into the sky.  Alphard took a deep breath as he leveled his wand forward, "That looks like a signal to me.  Think of high impact curses.  Bombarda!"

The spell left the professor's wand in a flash of red light and Fleamont and Euphemia followed suit.  The explosions that rang across the valley indicated that Charlus and Dumbledore had begun their attack.  As quickly as his wand could manage Fleamont flicked spell after spell at the ward.

A minute passed and he was heaving for breath when a crack started from the top.  All three spell casters stopped and Alphard Black took a breath, "That's our signal.  Go to the Three Broomsticks.  We can rally there."

The man disapparated in an instant and Fleamont grabbed his wife, "Find our son if you can, I love you."

The woman nodded in understanding and then kissed him.  Hand in hand the two apparated into Hogsmeade just in time to see Charlus blast Voldemort away from Harry who was being choked in the air.  When the boy landed Fleamont observed Charlus exchange words with their boy before protecting him from the onslaught of spells heading their way.

Fleamont exchanged quick curses with a Death Eater before he lashed out with a blinding hex that came straight from the Potter Family grimoire.  The man then turned to see teenagers near McGonagall and Black still attempting to assist with the fight.  Among them was his son.  Yelling to his wife her head snapped towards him after she helped Dorea take down a masked figure, "Get to James!"

Fleamont watched her eyes follow his and he noticed she paled as Euphemia saw her son fighting alongside the Longbottom's Heir.  In a hurry the woman took off and Fleamont snapped his attention back to an incoming opponent.  The battlefield seemed to pause briefly however when the Dark Lord sent a dark curse towards Charlus that seemed to reek of malevolent magic.  This spell was interrupted by Dumbledore and a fierce duel erupted between the trio.

Fleamont saw his grandson struggling to keep up, clearly injured from his efforts before, and the older man began moving towards him to assist.  Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Voldemort tossed Harry, Dumbledore, and Charlus off their feet with a wave of magical backlash.  Fleamont had been pushed back, but held his charge towards his grandson trying to defend him.

"I will tear your house down brick by brick, Harry Potter!" Voldemort said, exuding his magic into every step.

Fleamont was running now as Harry barely managed to deflect a spell that was so fast the Potter Lord didn't even comprehend it.  Fleamont was in front of his grandson now as the next spell came towards him, and he raised a shield.  The spell shattered his shield and the final thoughts of Fleamont Potter were with his little brother in the hopes that he would save their family.

.o.

Dorea watched in shock as Fleamont was ripped apart by the Dark Lords spell.  Harry behind him wasn't much better off as the spell seemed to eat part of his stomach away and left a hole where his appendix should be.

The woman nearly fell to her knees at the pain of her husband as she heard his roar of rage.  The man was now engaging the Dark Lord with a level of ferocity she had not seen in him since the early days of the Great War, when he was consumed by the loss of his father.  Death Eaters were being ripped apart behind the Dark Lord, but the monster was not giving her husband an inch.  In fact, Voldemort quickly wrestled control of the duel and forced Charlus backward with spell after spell.

The feeling of rage was no less in her husband despite the tide of the duel changing.  Her knees buckled however when she heard the scream of her sister-in-law.  Euphemia was running towards Harry, tears running down her face.  Dorea watched as a Death Eater took aim at her, but with a snap of her wand, she crushed the man into the wall protecting her family and moving towards the boy she had been raising as her son.

Her eyes turned back to the fight as the defenders began to overwhelm the Death Eaters.  Dumbledore and Charlus were now fighting side by side and barely holding the Dark Lord at bay.  Dorea could hardly believe it.  Most of the force had been defeated, but the Dark Lord stood toe to toe with Charlus and Dumbledore.

Just as the man seemed to get into a rhythm, the cries of law enforcement arrived rang throughout the village, "AURORS!"

Voldemort seemed to only grimace at the reinforcement's arrival as he apparated to the top of the street, cast the dark mark, and then used sonorous, "Rest in pieces, Potters."

With that, the man was gone and what remained of his followers followed.  Dorea didn't waste a moment as she spurred forward towards Harry.  Euphemia was already doing her best to patch him up, but he was losing blood and fast.  A part of his side had been completely blown away, and they needed a miracle and fast.

Quickly rolling her wand over the teen she shook her head realizing the task before her.  She needed to help her boy.  She couldn't lose him.  Her hands were shaking with adrenaline, but her sister-in-law was a wreck barely able to even grip her wand as her body wracked with sobs.

"Harry!" The voice of Elaina Essex called as she ran towards the two working witches.

Before she could get there she clearly ran into resistance as she heard, "Let me go!  Let me see him!"

Dorea attempted the skin-knitting charm, and shook her head as blood continued to seep through, they needed potions, they were losing him, she muttered "Come on, Harry.  Stay with me, son."

His pulse was weakening and she knew at that moment they would lose him.  The voice of her husband echoed over her work, "Please, Elaina, don't make me stun you."

Putting her hands in her face for a moment she knew it was over. The pain of those around her was too much with the addition of her own at the thought of losing her son.  Elaina was screaming Harry's name now, and a tear ran down Dorea's face.

"Mrs. Potter?" A man's voice called and her eyes raised slowly to see an Auror with red hair stand above her with a concerned look, "Ma'am, I have potions your son needs.  Please let me help!"

Dorea blinked twice before turning to see a red-headed Auror standing above her with a vial in his hands.  The veteran didn't hesitate to accept the offer and Euphemia scrambled backwards out of the way still sobbing while the Auror knelt down next to Harry pulling vials out of his cloak, "Blood replenishing and something for the pain."

The woman nodded quickly, accepting his vials and administering them to her son personally.  She took a brief whiff of each potion, but did not bother doing her usual check for poisons.  They were on the wrong side of time and every second counted.

Once Harry had swallowed the potions and didn't reject them in any way Dorea rose to her feet, "My son will need medical transport to the castle.  I will work alongside the matron to keep him alive.  The other injured should go to St. Mungos."

Her eyes drifted to her husband who was holding the inconsolable Euphemia Potter.  There was hardly anything left of Fleamont Potter and she could feel the devastation from her family.  Shaking the feelings away, raising her occlumency to their usual formidable levels she conjured a flat stretcher underneath her son lifting him up gently before turning to the Auror, who was surveying the devastated scene, "Your name Auror?"

"Prewett ma'am, Fabian Prewett.  My family speaks highly of you and your husband.  You were my sister's idol growing up.  It's how I recognized you." He explained quietly.

The chaos of the cleanup was beginning to unfold, and Dorea levitated her son's stretcher to hip level, "I will see to my son personally.  I will not deviate the first responders from helping the general public.  My family owes you a great debt, my son would have been dead in minutes without those potions."

The man looked surprised by his words, but offered the woman a nod, "Of course ma'am."

Nothing more was said between the two as Dorea turned and began walking through the village, her wand in hand, prepared to continue the fighting if necessary.  No one would get to her son.  As she began walking, Elaina was at her side in an instant with desperation in her eyes, "Is he going to make it?"

"The potions will have bought us the time we needed.  The magic he was hit with was destructive in nature, but-" The woman paused as she saw the fallen body of a young boy who couldn't have been more than 13 or 14, before swallowing hard and continuing her walk, "But, that doesn't mean he is out of the woods.  Can you conjure a towel and charm it to apply firm pressure on Harry?  We need to control his bleeding or he will not make it to the castle, and we don't have time to stop."

Nodding in understanding Elaina followed her instructions while Dorea asked, "What can you tell me about what happened tonight?"

Elaina immediately delved into their evening from the time Eilif Rowle interrupted things.  She talked about their defense of the village, the slaughter of the werewolves, the fight between the Death Eaters, and even the pride she had in Harry as he unhinged the Dark Lord's ranks, "It all changed when he arrived.  Harry attempted to sacrifice himself for all of us.  James and Frank stopped me from interfering.  They had me restrained."

Her voice was full of anger at the thought, but Dorea countered it with an even voice, "They saved your life."

Swallowing hard, Elaina nodded, "Voldemort used legilimency on Harry.  He knows the truth.  I am not sure how much, but he knows about where Harry is from, and that we were hunting his items."

"Dark times lie ahead." Dorea said cryptically, "I fear we have lost a great deal of headway tonight.  We have also lost the element of Harry's knowledge against the Heir of Slytherin."

"And Lord Potter." The teen said quietly, taking hold of Harry's dangling hand, "Harry will be devastated when he wakes up."

Swallowing, the woman nodded.  Charlus had lost his brother tonight.  The lord of their family was killed in combat.  Someone would have to tell James, and the rest of the family would be in no state.  Silently the two continued their walk back to the castle each contemplating the ramifications of the night.

.o.

James was shaking with adrenaline.  He had finally managed to get Lily into the hands of Madame Pomfrey, but he had no idea what he had left behind.  Harry was in all likelihood dead.  As were many students, the residents of Hogsmeade, and the sixth-year Slytherin that had pushed him out of the way of a killing curse.  He had saved Lily's life as well as his own.  There was no guessing which of the two the green curse would have hit.

Luckily James had been the first of the injured to arrive.  It seemed the professors were pushing the others to St Mungos, and Lily was already looking much better than when they had arrived with just a few potions from Madame Pomfrey.

In the waiting area, the group James had been training with were all sitting waiting to hear news from the village.  Dead bodies had lined the streets of Hogsmeade as they were escaping, and every minute that passed seemed to ensure that more horrible news would follow.

Frank leaned backward in his chair with a disturbed and angry look in his eyes, "We fought so hard.  I thought we were going to win."

"We had a chance…until he showed up." Sirius said quietly.

"I always knew Harry was powerful." Alice said quietly, "But what we saw tonight made me realize how outclassed we are.  He killed Bellatrix Lestrange and fought Evan Rosier to a standstill and then started beating them."

Andi let out a deep breath before saying, "When the Heir showed up Harry didn't even hesitate to lay down his life for us."

"Is it true?  What Voldemort said about Harry?  Can he see the future?" Frank asked.

"Harry all but admitted it." Remus said, "Used it as his bargaining chip to give us a chance."

James frowned, "He never told me if he could.  If he did…maybe he saw this coming.  Maybe that is why he pushed all of us so hard…why he pushed me so hard to train.  We should all be dead right now."

"If not for Harry and Elaina we would be." Frank said as he put his hands in his face and Alice put her arm around him.

"How many do you think we lost today?" Andi asked softly.

"Dozens?  A hundred?" Sirius asked, continuing the question.

James felt like he would be sick at the line of thought, but he shot to his feet as he saw the latest arrivals enter the Hospital Wing, "Merlin, Harry!"

Moving to check on his cousin he found he was being magically pushed aside by Elaina who pointed her wand at him, "Not now, James.  We have to move fast or we are going to lose him."

At the raised voices Madame Pomfrey popped her head out and didn't even flinch as Dorea lowered him to the bed and she began talking to the matron, "All other patients are being re-routed to St. Mungos.  This is it.  We have already given him one blood restorative and a numbing potion for the pain."

"Did you try knitting his skin back together?" Poppy asked as she began waving her wand over Harry's most grievous wounds and flicked it to a cart that was full of potions.

"Yes." The woman said irritably, "I didn't recognize the spell but it was extremely destructive and he was lucky to have caught so little of it."

As the two women went to work Elaina was embraced tightly by Alice and Andi in an instant.  The girl held her two friends tightly and when they separated she asked, "How's Lily, is she okay?"

Alice nodded her head putting a hand on the girl's cheek, "She's fine.  They were able to close up her wounds with no issue.  A couple of potions and some of Madam Pomfrey's help and she is resting peacefully."

Elaina looked grateful at some positive news before James moved in front of her.  Elaina watched as his eyes kept glancing towards the bed that Harry now occupied as he asked, "What happened?"

"Dumbledore, your family, the Aurors, and a few of the Professors breached the wards.  We beat them back, but…" Elaina's voice trailed off as she looked back at her boyfriend searching for the words, "Merlin, James…I don't know how to even…"

As Elaina looked around in desperation for help, Charlus entered the room with his arm around a woman who looked like she had been through hell.  Elaina didn't look relieved to see the arriving pair.  Instead, she merely stepped aside as the woman separated from Charlus and embraced her son in sobs, "My baby.  I'm so sorry."

James allowed the woman to embrace him, but his cheeks turned red at the woman's show of affection.  Charlus for his part stood beside the pair looking solemn.  James tried to separate himself from the woman so he could speak to her, but she refused to let go, just continuously apologizing.

"Mia, please." Charlus said softly.

Instead,, the woman just sobbed more and the man sighed as he took his wand and pressed it into her back as she wasn't looking.  The woman crumbled and James struggled to hold her up, barking, "What the hell, Uncle Charlus."

"She's in shock, son.  She needs a calming draught.  Let's put her in one of these beds." Charlus said gently as he scooped the woman out of his nephew's arms and placed her in the bed.

Elaina observed James as he looked around expecting someone else to appear and when they didn't dread settled in Elaina's stomach.  Charlus turned back to face his nephew, but his eyes glanced towards his wife who was still working on his son with the help of the matron and he reached to the cart of potions plucking one right off, "I need you to take this, James."

"Why?  What is it?" James challenged with nervousness reflecting in his voice.

"Just trust me, son.  This is going to be hard enough." Charlus said tiredly.

Looking around again James asked demandingly, "Where is my dad?"

"I promise I am going to explain everything, James, but please-" Charlus tried, but was interrupted when James knocked the potion from his hand to the floor.

"Where is my dad, Charlus!" James barked out, getting in the man's face.

Charlus just stared into the eyes of his nephew before taking a deep breath, "My brother was killed by the Dark Lord.  He took the brunt of the curse that put Harry in that bed over there."

James blinked several times and took a step back.  The hospital wing was silent now even the two matrons had stopped their work to watch James.  Frank and Remus were on their feet now moving towards their friend who still stood frozen.  James choked out, "My my my dad?"

Swallowing Charlus nodded, "I'm sorry, James.  There was nothing anyone could do for him."

Elaina watched as the teen began to move backwards, but stumbled over himself and nearly fell before Remus and Frank caught him, Frank saying "I got you, James.  Easy."

Sirius for his part remained frozen to his chair.  His eyes wide and tears were already beginning to fall.  Elaina blinked back tears for the pain that was to come.  She knew Harry would have a similar reaction as James began muttering, "No, no, no."

On the other side of the room Dorea twitched at the feel of sorrow from her nephew, but took a deep breath and took Madam Pomfrey's hand whispering, "Thank you, Poppy."

The matron nodded her head before stepping away from the bed allowing Elaina some space as she took Harry's hand gently.  Neither said anything as the sobs of James were now heard.  With a flick of her wrist Dorea conjured silenced the area around them.  Elaina barely glanced her way in question as Dorea took her son's free hand.  Whispering, the woman said, "Thank you for standing beside him tonight."

"He told me it would be like this before we came back to school." She said, running her thumb gently on the back of his hand as he had once done for her.  She was trying to distract herself from what was going on the other side of the room, "I thought he was exaggerating, but we couldn't even have a peaceful day in Hogsmeade together.  It was going so well.  They took so much from us today.  They almost took him from me."

"Harry has more fight in him than anyone, perhaps even more than Charlus." Dorea said affectionately, "The odds he faced.  The willingness to lay down his life.  I am proud to call him my son."

The two women sat in companionable silence as Charlus entered the privacy of the area sitting down heavily looking at his son.  Before either woman could question the man said, "James' friends convinced him to take a calming draught.  He's laying his head next to Mia who is resting.  Poppy gave her dreamless sleep and will do the same for James when he is ready.    By dawn, they will wake up to enough nightmares. The others have departed to give our family some space."

Dorea accepted the update before giving him her own, "We have stabilized him.  He lost a lot of blood, but I think with a good night's rest allowing the potions to do what they are meant to he will be fine.  He is resting in peace right now."

Charlus nodded, not saying anything for a long moment.  They all just stared at the young man that upended their lives in ways they never could have imagined.  Finally the man spoke, "First Harfang and Arcturus, now Monty.  I never thought we would be here."

"Harry's worst fears have become reality.  His changes to our time have taken someone dear to him.  I can't imagine how he will react." Dorea said sadly, gripping her son's hand even tighter than before.

"I will do everything I can to take care of him.  He did the same for me when I woke up in this bed after I was attacked." Elaina said softly.

"We will all be there for him." Charlus agreed, "But we have to all be there for each other, we all lost people tonight."

Elaina's mind shifted to Eilif Rowle at his words.  A young man she had once greatly admired.  Eilif had always stood against the outspoken values of his family.  He never wanted violence.  He never cared about blood.  He was different from the other Slytherins.

Eilif had risked his life to give them a few minutes heads up and it had made a difference.  Had the werewolves been able to spread out through Hogsmeade many more could've died.  More of their friends.  She can't imagine the night having gone any worse, but perhaps had the sixth year teen not stood up and sacrificed himself for Harry's parents…the thought was unimaginable.

Lifting Harry's hand to her lips she kissed the back of his hand and tucked herself into his side ignoring the fact that his parents were right there.  She closed her eyes and thought about all the lifeless faces she had seen on her way back to the castle, and for the first time that night she allowed the tears to gently fall down her face.