Chapter Forty One - Attacks and Repels
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Forty One - Attacks and Repels
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—==(oIo)==—
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A few days after William's birth, Robert and his family left the Granger residence, and Ant moved back. It was also the day he picked Cele and William up from the hospital and returned home with them. Winky kept the three bond-mates appraised of the movements, and was very happy to have a baby to look after added to her duties.
However, Grandmother Elizabeth requested she be allowed to stay, and told Robert and his family she had 'important matters' she wished to discuss with Ant and Cele. It was no surprise to the bondmates to learn it was about how Hermione was a witch.
Throughout the week, Hedwig was worked hard; but, appeared to have really enjoyed the work. Harry had once used a school owl to send a message and found himself berated with wing flicks, barks and nips by his beloved familiar for his efforts of trying to 'spell' her by giving her a break. That led to his wives laughing at him for how Hedwig treated him for almost a whole day. It took quite a few slices of bacon-goodness for her to finally forgive him his 'sin'. It was now clear Hedwig considered herself 'his' mail owl, and 'cheating' on her by using another was not to be tolerated.
That left him wondering just how the bloody hell she was going to react if he had the need of using another owl. He'd have to find ways to send mail using other owls when Hedwig wasn't present.
Nevertheless, much owl mail moved between Hogwarts and Crawley once baby William was brought back to the Granger house. As Elizabeth clearly already knew all about the magical world, it was with great relief the Grangers were able to discuss the magical world with her. Elizabeth Cummings was quite the formidable woman. And it was clear where Hermione got her ability to think, rationalise and deduce from.
Quite a few of the letters that were sent back and forth dealt with how well Hermione was doing in her studies, personal issues relating to the three-way relationship of the bondmates, what the bondmates were doing to counter the threat of Riddle, and a lot of other wide ranging topics. Elizabeth's questions also led to the bondmates having to think hard about how to answer the woman, without letting slip about the guardian angels.
They just prayed they could keep her in the dark about that particular secret. They weren't worried about the time travelling one, though. That concept was just so unbelievable they knew they'd never be asked about it.
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—==(oIo)==—
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Just after the Grangers returned to their home, the next major attack by the Death Eaters occurred. It was now just over two weeks since the attack on Bones Manor, and the breakout at Azkaban.
The bondmates had been expecting it. They knew Riddle would need at least that amount of time to get his recently freed inner circle members at least fit enough to go on a raid; even if they weren't at full fighting trim. He needed to 'make a statement'.
The three bondmates were all ready to go but were unable to. They did not learn of the attacks until the next day in the Daily Prophet. And the attacks were on the homes of some muggleborns.
~ # ~
YOU-KNOW-WHO LEADS ATTACKS ON MUGGLEBORN HOMES
Last night, the homes of two muggleborns were attacked by what was believed to be Death Eaters, one after the other, reports staff reporter Walter Wordsworth.
The first was the home of muggleborns Pablo and Melanie Martinez shortly after nightfall. Mr and Mrs Martinez, along with their two children, Jesus (9) and Gloria (7), were killed in the attack. Advice from within the auror corps say that the Martinezes were tortured before they were killed by what appears to be the Killing Curse.
The second attack was also on the home of a muggleborn family - the Broadbents - not too long afterwards. Thankfully, there were no children involved in the second attack.
~ # ~
After reading the article, Harry slammed it down onto the table, before then slamming both fists down on top of it.
"Damn it!" he quietly snarled.
Before his wives could even offer him comfort, the hated voice of Theo Nott piped up from the Slytherin table. "Hey, Potter!" he crowed. "You and your mudblood are..."
"Mister Nott!" cried out the voice of Headmistress McGonagall, right over the top of whatever it was Nott was going to say next. "Detention! One month with Mister Filch, starting tonight. And fifty points from Slytherin for your disgusting words!"
Watching the short byplay, Harry was quite chuffed that Nott, the 'new Malfoy of Slytherin', got his just comeuppance. 'Finally!' he thought. What he didn't know, nor did it matter, was he wasn't anywhere near the only one who thought that.
Professor Snape looked like he'd just been forced to suck on a lemon, but didn't interfere. Best of all, was the look on Nott's face. He clearly could not believe he was so harshly punished. He kept looking between Professor Snape and Headmistress McGonagall waiting to see if his Head of House was going to save him from his foolishness. Once he realised he wasn't, his face purpled and developed a soundless ferocious snarl before turning back to his breakfast.
"That's a surprise," said Daphne, staring at the young man with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Clearly he forgot he's under orders from the Red-Eyed Wanker to keep his head down," said Harry.
"It might mean he's close to solving the problem with the Vanishing Cabinet," offered Hermione.
Harry was surprised he wasn't chided by her for his language. Clearly, his bondmate was deep in thought not to have picked up on it. But, eventually, he said, "We'll have to go and take a look at it tonight."
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—==(oIo)==—
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As soon as they knew Nott was being entertained by Filch and his never-ending quest to keep the trophies and awards in the Trophy Room at a high shine, the three headed across to the Room of Requirement and checked over Nott's work.
After they'd searched all around the cabinet, and within, Hermione gestured to it and said to Harry, "Levitate it, please."
Knowing he was the magically strongest of their group, and that he was the obvious choice to levitate the cabinet, Harry did just that, raising it to about five feet off the ground.
Both his wives then checked the underside of it to see if the split panel had been repaired or replaced.
"He's replaced it," said Hermione immediately. "It's of a different coloured wood."
"And there's no wear," added Daphne.
After they'd checked over some more of the undercarriage of the cabinet, both girls stepped back.
"You can put it down again, now, Harry," said Daphne.
Harry gently lowered it back to the floor, making sure he put it in exactly the same spot. "Any idea how much he still has to go?" he asked.
Both girls looked at one another before Daphne looked at him and said, "I think it's basically ready. But, without being able to test it ourselves, we have no way to know."
"My guess is, he just needs to re-engrave some of the worn runes," shrugged Hermione. "He could have that done in a night, if he knew that was what he needed to do."
Nodding, Harry said, "In that case, we need to talk to the twins to see how many of the potion rounds they've readied for us. Insufficient, and we'll have to do something minor to temporarily sabotage the cabinet."
With that, the three left the Room and headed back to their own apartment. Along the way, Harry almost unconsciously attempted to send a patronus message. Its failure shocked him in that he'd forgotten about the anti-magic warding scheme now covering the corridors.
Once in the apartment, he sent the patronus message asking the twins to join them; and then pulled out his mirror asking his godfather to do the same.
Having less distance to travel, combined with the first message sent, the twins arrived first.
As they were let in, Harry greeted them. "Boys! How goes the potions ammo?"
"Ammo?" asked one.
"You mean the paint... poitionball rounds?" asked the other.
"Sorry," he replied. "Muggle shorthand. It's short for 'ammunition'... And, yes, the potionball rounds."
"Done!" replied the first, happily.
"Haven't you noticed?" asked the other, pointing to the boxes where they were, once more, stacked along the wall.
Looking over, Harry realised the boxes were back and restacked. "Err... no," he admitted a bit sheepishly. "I didn't think to check."
"Well, we'd not have had them done by now," said one.
"But Dobby got them done, lickety-split," added the other.
At that moment, Sirius arrived. "What's up, Pup?" he asked as everyone sat down.
"We've just been to check on the Vanishing Cabinet," answered Daphne.
"And?" asked Sirius.
"Nott appears to have it almost done," she replied.
"That was faster than we anticipated," said Hermione. "We didn't expect him to have it finished for months yet."
"Is that going to be a problem?" asked Sirius, straightening up.
"It would have been if the twins, here, hadn't resolved the problems with getting their potion into the paintball rounds..." said Harry.
"Potionball rounds," interrupted both twins in stereo.
"Sorry," said Harry with a nod to the twins. "Potionball rounds."
"Really?" asked Sirius, looking at the pair of them.
"Really," they both smirked back.
"How many have you done?"
"All of them," both twins together replied.
"Stop that!" snapped Hermione.
Both twins unabashedly grinned back.
To get things back on track, Harry said, "The twins devised a most effective method of using a purpose-designed rune stone that allowed very accurate switching spells to work on ten paintballs at a time. Once it was a proven concept, they passed the work over to Dobby to do. He got it done very fast."
With a slight pop of displaced air, Dobby popped in and said, "Dobby was happy to do it. Dobby gots it all done and is happy to do his bit."
"And Dobby is the most brilliant house elf ever," said Harry.
With his suspiciously watering eyes looking back at Harry, the little elf popped away again without a word.
Sirius gave a bit of snort of amusement before he asked, "So, we're ready, then?"
"Yes," replied Harry. "We keep an eye on the map. As soon as one of us notices the Death Eater team arrive, we use Dobby to alert everyone else. Then we use elf-apparation to gather up the guns and potion balls, and move to a corridor ahead of them, setting up an ambush."
"Any idea on when they're likely to attack, yet?" asked Sirius.
"No," replied Harry. "However, I think it's going to be in the evening after curfew, some time."
"If Harry's the target, as we suspect, then they may well come from the Room of Requirement directly to here," said Hermione.
"However, though Harry is the likely target, we can't rule out attacks against other targets," said Daphne. "Personally, if I was thinking of a strategic one-off attack on the castle by a small force, I'd also include some of the Professors in the attack. Specifically, Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Flitwick."
"Makes sense," mused Sirius. "Immediately after the first attack, that way, you'd quickly discover how they got in, and destroy the cabinet; making a second attack by that means impossible."
"Exactly," said Hermione. "Plus, by attacking three separate targets, you divide any chance of a defence being mounted against them."
Sirius seemed to think for a bit and the others let him nut it out without interruption. Finally, he leaned forward and said, "I think you're right. That being the case, and as we have plenty of both the guns and ammunition, I think we should divide them between here, the Charms office, and the Headmistress's office."
"Stockpiles," said Hermione. "Place the three caches of weapons and ammunition, not in those precise locations, but under disillusionment charms in nearby, empty classrooms."
"Better idea," agreed Sirius with a nod to Hermione.
"Alright," said Harry. "Let's go over this and see if we can refine the plan even further."
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After an evening of planning and refining, the group broke up and went back to what they were doing.
For the Potters, it was assignments and keeping a weather eye on the Map, where it had become a near permanent fixture on the coffee table while they were in the apartment.
Sirius returned to the DADA Professor's office and the stack of still unmarked assignments awaiting his red ink. He sat down at his desk and, with a sigh and mental shrug of resignation, picked up the next assignment and tried to decipher the chicken scrawl known as a third year Gryffindor's handwriting. Reading along a bit he muttered, "A dark spell is considered dark because it's dark? What sort of cockamamie reasoning is that?"
And the twins returned to their dorm in Gryffindor to work on their NEWT year assignments. Their latest was five whole feet on why Veritaserum was effective, how it could be overcome, what to an observer were the signs it was being overcome, and how to stop it from being overcome.
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The next morning saw yet another headline of Death Eaters attacking muggleborn families. This time, one of them was the family of Hufflepuff Wayne Hopkins in their year.
Looking over at the Hufflepuff table, the bondmates could see the rest of the fifth years of the House gathered around the boy, physically offering their support, as the boy sat at the table quietly sobbing.
"Should we... go help?" asked Hermione.
"No," replied Daphne. "His friends have it covered. We'd only get in the way."
The three returned to their meal and tried to think of other matters. No matter how much they wished they could end this now, they couldn't. They needed some way of knowing in advance when Riddle would pop up, and where.
As they left the Hall to head for classes, they were stopped by an angry Justin Finch-Fletchley. The boy practically snarled, "Why haven't you gone and stopped him, Potter?"
Trying to rein in his own temper, Harry snapped back, "Why haven't I gone and stopped whom, Finch-Fletchley?"
"V... Riddle!" the 'Puff shot back.
"What in Merlin's name are you on about, Finch-Fletchley?" snarled Daphne. "Harry is not your personal bloody enforcer to be sent after Riddle just because you seem to think it's Harry's job! When are you going to go and stop him, eh? Why aren't you out there, mowing Death Eaters down like the scum they are?"
"You have some nerve, Finch-Fletchley," growled Hermione, as she grabbed Harry's elbow and led him to the grand staircase.
The Hufflepuff boy seemed to stand in shock for a few moments before he turned to them as they headed for the stairs and called, "But, you stopped him last time! It's your job!"
Finally reaching his breaking point, Harry yanked his arm out of Hermione's grip, spun on the spot and stormed back to the boy. He didn't even realise he'd drawn his wand until he noticed he was jabbing the boy in the sternum with it. "My job?" he shouted. "My fucking job? Bullshit! I'm fifteen years old, you moron!
"And it wasn't me who stopped him last time; it was my mother! She set in place a trap for the dark tosser, and managed to destroy him with it. I've been trying to get you daft pricks to understand that for years!" He roared, "Has that finally sunk into that thick fucking head of yours yet?"
Harry only paused a moment before spinning away and storming off back to his wives. He wasn't even aware of the small crowd that had gathered while he was berating the boy.
As the Potters left, Professor Sprout stepped forward as Finch-Fletchley looked to be drawing his wand, and said, "Ten points from Hufflepuff, Mister Finch-Fletchley; and a night's detention with me in Greenhouse Four."
"But, Professor..." the boy tried, clearly upset but resheathing his wand.
"No buts, Mister Finch-Fletchley. You were out of line," she said. Turning away from the boy to address the other students who had yet to move off, she said, "Mister Potter has spent more than enough time telling you all, over and over, it was Lily Potter who bested Riddle Halloween of eighty one. It is high time you all accepted that.
"It is not Mister Potter's role to deal with Riddle and his masked terrorists. That is the job of the DMLE's aurors and hit wizards. Mister Potter is only a fifth year student who has not yet even passed his OWLs. It is not his place to go haring off after Tom Riddle, no matter how much you wish it could be.
"Now, all of you, you have classes to attend," she said. "I strongly suggest you be about it."
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Very shortly after curfew that night in her own dorm room, Luna Lovegood suddenly stopped humming a tune she had in her head, her quill stopped moving as she wrote on the parchment before her, and she seemed to look off into the distance as if watching something no one else could see.
Snapping out of it she suddenly, and with determination, quickly packed her things away. She had developed the habit of leaving nothing of hers out in the open in the past couple of years, due to the bullying. And made her way down to the common room and out beyond the eagle guardian.
A long minute later and she was standing before the entrance to the 'Potter Apartment'. "Hello, Professor Whittaker," she said. "I most urgently need to speak with the Potters.'
"Of course, Miss Lovegood," the Professor replied with a short nod before stepping aside.
Luna stepped forward, gave a quick knock on the door, and entered before anyone even came to answer the knock.
The three bondmates looked up in surprise.
"Luna?" asked Hermione. "Is something the matter?"
Firmly, she replied, "Tommy's thugs will attack Saint Mungo's some time tonight. You'll need to hurry."
After a few moments of shock, Harry said, "I'm sending a patronus to Amelia." And quickly conjured a messenger patronus with the message 'Death Eater attack on Saint Mungo's imminent tonight'.
"What about the Order?" asked Hermione, ready to cast her own patronus.
Harry thought about it and said, "Send one to Professor McGonagall. I think she now leads that organisation... but, remind her to stay out of the way of the aurors... and follow their directions."
Hermione nodded back and cast her own messenger patronus. Her doe patronus leapt out through the wall heading for the Headmistress's office.
As it left, Harry asked Luna, "Did you see anything else, dear Luna? Any idea of when the attack will take place?"
Still with a firm and focussed countenance, Luna's lips formed a grim line as she shook her head. "I just know it will be tonight." Suddenly her eyes widened a little and she said, "It'll be after visiting hours, though. My... vision showed me the lights have been dimmed and the corridors clear of visitors when the attack commences."
"Excellent," replied Harry, a little more relieved. "That helps."
He then sent a second messenger patronus with the updated information to Amelia. Hermione's own went out only moments later.
Harry was just about to start pacing when he suddenly stopped and looked at Luna again. "No sign of old snake face being involved in the attack?"
Watching him, Luna just shook her head in the negative.
Harry was just about to resume pacing when he looked back at the slight girl and said, "Oh, where are my manners? Care for a seat, dear Luna? I'll organise some hot cocoa for us."
"Thank you, Harry," she replied, taking the offered seat.
After Harry called Dobby and ordered the requisite number of hot beverages, a messenger patronus of an Asiatic tiger entered and, in Madam Bones's voice, said, "Thank you for the tip, Mister Potter. We're gathering forces to repel, now."
"Nott's up and almost at the Room," said Daphne, from where she was looking down at the opened Map while nursing her hot cocoa.
The other three all watched as Nott, already on the seventh floor, did his required pacing before where they knew the door to the Room would appear. He paced the three times and disappeared through the wall.
After a few moments, Hermione suddenly asked, "You don't think the attack will come tonight, do you?"
"I believe Luna," retorted Harry, before Hermione suddenly interrupted.
"No... no... I mean here; attack here, at the castle," she quickly said.
The three looked at one another before Harry said, "Keep an eye on the Map. I have a feeling the attack on Saint Mungo's may be a... distraction for an attack on the castle."
He hurried over to the boxes and ensured the guns and potionball rounds were ready. Then began to load the hoppers as quickly as he could.
"A feint?" asked Hermione.
"No," he replied, still loading. "Both attacks are real. He's just looking to pull the Order members away from the castle so he can slip a smaller force in through the Vanishing Cabinet near unopposed."
"Dobby!" he called still preparing guns.
"Yes, Master Harry?" asked Dobby.
"Initiate the first stage of Plan Invader Tag, Dobby," he ordered.
Without a word, Dobby popped away.
"It's a pity we didn't get the chance to split the paintball guns and potion ammunition across the stockpiling idea," he said, not looking up as he worked.
The first part of the plan required Dobby to go and wake Sirius, before then going and waking the twins, if any of them were asleep. Next, he'd return to Sirius, wait for him to finish getting dressed, and pop him direct to the apartment to get armed. Then he'd go and get the twins, if they weren't already hurrying over from Gryffindor tower in a route which would mean they'd miss passing close to the Room of Requirement.
Dobby brought Sirius over five minutes later.
"This had better be..." began a sleep-groggy Sirius, when he was cut off by Daphne.
"It is," she interrupted. "It has to be. It's Riddle's usual style. He attacks two separate targets at the same time, hoping to draw the aurors... or the Order... to one while an attack is taking place elsewhere."
Looking to Sirius, Hermione said, "We have information Death Eaters will be attacking Saint Mungo's tonight. Probably some time after visiting hours are over."
Sirius frowned and said, "That was his usual tactics during the first war, yes. Where'd you get the information from that he'd be attacking Saint Mungo's tonight?"
"We have access to someone who has some Seer ability," said Harry.
"He means me," said Luna, quite calmly.
A little shocked, Sirius asked, "You're a Seer, Miss Lovegood?"
"I have... some talent in the field," she replied.
"But, that's a closely held and appreciated secret," added Harry. "We don't want to see Luna become a target for Riddle and his people, or the Unspeakables."
"Noted," said Sirius, giving a slight bow to Luna. "I will not divulge knowledge of your gift to anyone without your permission."
"I know," said Luna, rising to give him a quick hug.
Stepping back, she said, "Someone needs to answer the door. The Weasley twins are here." A moment later, there was quick triple rap on the door to their apartment.
"She's right," said Daphne, glancing down at the Map.
Harry immediately rose to let the two in.
With the twins now within the apartment, Harry instructed them all, "I've already loaded the guns, plus you also have a reload canister ready with refills in case you need them. Everyone grab one of each.
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With eight guns loaded and ready, plus eight refills dropped into belt pouches, Harry had returned to sit on the couches and sip his hot cocoa while Daphne watched the Map.
"This is the hardest part," muttered Hermione.
"The waiting?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, the waiting," she replied.
A half hour after Nott entered the Room, Daphne called, "Here he comes... and so has Bellatrix Lestrange. This is it. It's tonight!"
As everyone rose from where they'd been sitting, Sirius asked, "How many?"
"That's six invaders now," she said.
Almost boring his eyes into the young woman, he asked, "Who?"
"Now eight. The three Lestranges, Thorfinn Rowle, Antonin Dolohov, Samuel Travers, and Amycus and Alecto Carrow," she replied. "And... there's Nott, again. So, it's eight plus Nott."
Dobby had just popped back.
"Yes, there be eight evil wizards and a witch," he reported. "Theys trying to be sneaky-sneaky."
"Have they engaged disillusionment charms?" asked Sirius.
"No, theys just trying to be quiet," replied the elf.
"That'll make it easier," said Sirius with no little amount of satisfaction.
"You can't hope to spread fear if no one knows you're there," said Daphne.
"Right," said Harry. "Everyone get yourselves ready while we try to find out where they're heading." Turning to the elf he said, "Dobby, I need you to see if you can get another couple of house elves to help side-along elf-popping us about the castle."
"Dobby's already done that, Master Harry," replied the elf before he snapped his fingers.
Three other elves popped in, apparently already ready to side-along elf-apparate them wherever they needed to go.
As the others were waiting, Harry kept an eye on the Map and where the Death Eaters were heading. "They've split!" he called.
Harry showed them the Map. "The Lestranges are heading for us, in here, I think. The other five, plus Nott, are heading further downstairs. Still no idea of their target, yet."
"Where's the second group now?" asked Sirius.
"On the stairs in the grand staircase," replied Harry.
"Alright," said Sirius, clearly making the decision. "Harry, Daphne and Hermione; you're outside here. You've got the Lestranges. The rest of us will wait until we know where we can ambush the rest."
After one last look at the Map confirming the Lestranges were still heading for the 'Potter Apartment', Harry scooped it up and handed it to Sirius. "Take the Map with you, just in case you need to reposition."
As Sirius nodded back and accepted the Map, Harry and his wives quickly left through the door.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
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The three Potters stepped out past Professor Whittaker and hurried down the corridor to the next, where they knew they'd be well-placed to meet the Lestranges heading towards them. This put them also in the corridor that would have led the three Death Eaters to the Ravenclaw common room, if that was their real destination.
They'd just set themselves in their usual formation - Daphne on the left, Harry in the middle and Hermione on the right - when the Lestranges came striding around the corner at the other end. As expected, Bellatrix was in her usual leather corset attire without robes or mask, while her husband and brother-in-law were wearing the full garb, mask and all. She was leading the trio a half pace ahead of the other two.
As soon as the Lestranges saw the three Potters, they stopped for a moment before they stepped more fully into the corridor. That was right where the three bondmates wanted them.
"Awww... wook," said Bellatrix with a little baby type voice. "Just the people we were looking fwor. Its wee baby Potty wif his wittle girlfwiends."
"Wives, actually; you crazy bitch," said Hermione.
Both Harry and Daphne looked back at her with astonished expressions. "Hermione!" gasped Daphne. "Language!"
Harry just chuckled while Bellatrix got angry. "Shut your mouth, you filthy mudblood," she snarled.
"Awww... did wee baby Bella not wike dat?" asked Daphne, in her own, mocking baby voice.
The three bondmates broke into laughter.
Clearly beyond angry, Bellatrix raised her wand to point at Hermione and snarl-incanted, "Avada Kedavra!"
While her wand tip glowed killing curse green, nothing happened, except for the wand tip winking out.
'Well, that proved that concept,' thought Harry.
"Nice try, bitch," smirked Daphne.
Lestrange was looking gobsmacked at her wand as the two brothers glanced at one another. They raised their own wands and attempted the same curse.
After both curses failed, Harry smirked and said, "Our turn."
All three raised their paintball guns and aimed them at the three Lestranges.
As the three Lestranges stood looking shocked at how their curses had failed, and curious at what the three bondmates were doing, Harry quietly said, "Fire!"
All three opened up and shot potionballs at the three Lestranges in rapidfire. Harry was happy to see his first round hit Bellatrix in the hand as she raised her wand in reflex to block the potion ball as if it was a curse. Pity for her the round shattered when it hit her hand and sprayed its contents right into her face. She gave a little scream and scrunched up her face, shutting her eyes.
Harry didn't know if it was because the potionball stung her hand, or because potion got in her eyes. However, he didn't care, so long as potion contacted her skin.
Knowing she was going to go down in moments, he switched aim to his right. He didn't know which of the two brothers his new target was, but he chose that one knowing it was Hermione's target and Daphne was a better aim than her.
However, he need not have bothered. Hermione had managed to slip a round past that male Lestrange's raised hand, while he was attempting to ward off the incoming rounds, and hit him in the lower face and jaw.
'Two down,' he thought, swivelling to the left. However, he was only in time to see the third Lestrange already falling, joining the other two crumpling to the floor. None of the six had so much as moved from their original positions. Once the first round was fired, the battle lasted no more than four seconds.
"Wow!" said Hermione. "That was quick."
"I'd thought they'd at least try and find cover," said Daphne.
"Too confident in their abilities with a wand," said Hermione, as the three walked forward with their guns held at the ready at the hip.
"Dobby," Harry called, checking to make sure all three were, indeed, unconscious.
With a pop the little elf arrived. "Yes, Master Harry?"
"How're the others?" he asked as Daphne and Hermione cast Incarcerous Charms on the three Death Eaters.
"Still fighting, Master Harry," the elf replied.
With a nod Harry said, "Can you take these three to the holding room for us, please?"
"Certainly, Master Harry," replied Dobby. He then grabbed the first as two other elves arrived to take all three Lestranges to their rune-warded abandoned classroom they'd chosen and readied in advance.
"Back to the apartment, I think," said Harry.
"You... don't want to go and see how Sirius and the others are faring?" asked Hermione.
With a little shake of his head, as they began to walk back to their apartment, he replied, "It'll be over well before we got there. Best to wait for them in our rooms, I think."
As they walked, Daphne said, "You want to go, though; don't you."
He hesitated a moment before he admitted, "Yeah. Yeah, I do. However, we need to trust and respect that Sirius, the twins and Luna can take out five Death Eaters who are pretty much defenceless, without us turning up.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
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Down outside the Charms corridor, the other team had just walked around the corner when they spotted the other five death eaters, plus Nott, trying to disillusion themselves. They were outside Professor Flitwick's office
As soon as they were spotted, Sirius grinned and called, "Well, good evening. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
As Nott looked back in shock at being spotted, one of the death eaters snarled and raised his wand.
With a snarl of "Avada Kedavra!" he brought his wand down from on high with a downward slashing jab motion. The wand tip glowed green for only a moment before the tip winked out with no curse cast.
While the team of Sirius, the twins and Luna readied themselves to jump out of the way, they realised it wasn't necessary.
Sirius grinned and said, "Oops!"
"It works!" exclaims Luna, quite happily. "Marvellous!"
"Can we shoot them now?" asked one twin.
"Please?" said the other; while the death eaters and Nott looked back, dumbfounded.
"Fire!" barked Sirius, and the four opened up.
As the death eaters and Nott attempted to either fend off, shield from or duck to one side to avoid the rounds, thinking them curses, they had nothing to counter with.
Within five seconds of the first potion ball being fired, all five were down.
"Well, that was almost… anticlimactic," said Luna. "Can we wake them up and have another go?"
Sirius grinned and said, "Sorry, Miss Lovegood. In a battle of life and death, never give the opposition an even chance. Just take them down and make them stay down; the quicker, the better.
He loved teaching.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
The three Potters had only just walked into their apartment when Dobby returned.
"Professor Dogwizard and the others have captured the other evil wizards and we've taken them to the magic-less room," he said.
"They're heading back here?" asked Harry.
"Yes, Master Harry," replied the elf.
"Thank you, Dobby," he nodded, relieved.
Once Dobby had popped away again, taking the empty cocoa mugs with him, Daphne asked, "When do we contact Madam Bones about the prisoners we've captured?"
"Now, I think," replied Harry. He immediately sent yet another messenger patronus to Amelia letting her know they'd captured eight Death Eaters who'd infiltrated the castle, and would hold them until she was ready to come and collect them.
"Now what?" asked Hermione.
"Now we have to do the hardest thing of all," replied Daphne before Harry could. "We have to wait."
Five minutes later, Sirius, the twins and Luna returned.
"Got 'em!" grinned Sirius. "How..."
"We got ours, too," said Harry. "Yours in the null-magic classroom?"
"Yep," grinned one of the twins.
"We just checked on 'em," said the other.
"The elves put them in chairs..." said the first.
"And bound them in place," said the other.
Nodding, Sirius said, "All eight plus Nott are bound, asleep and tied to chairs with the hoods over their heads. We also stripped them of their portkeys and wands."
With that, Sirius pulled the items from his pocket, already inside an auror's large evidence bag, and dropped it onto the coffee table.
"They're not going anywhere," he grinned.
"Are you sure that potion's going to keep them asleep?" asked Hermione, clearly a little worried.
"Definitely," said both twins, simultaneously.
As all seven were beginning to relax, and Sirius was regaling the Potters about the very one-sided battle they had in the Charms corridor, Amelia's patronus arrived letting them know she'd be along with a small team of aurors to collect their prisoners about an hour later.
"Well, looks like we're up for a while," sighed Harry. Turning to Sirius he asked, "Any idea why the other Death Eaters were in the Charms corridor?"
With a nod, Sirius replied, "They were after killing Professor Flitwick as soon as he stepped out of his office."
With a frown of concentration Hermione asked, "Why would they think Professor Flitwick would... Oh!"
"Oh?" asked Daphne.
"They knew word of the attack on Saint Mungo's would reach the ears of someone within the Order of the Phoenix," explained Hermione. "They were counting on the Professor leaving his office and heading for the Headmistress's office to join up with the rest of the Order, before heading for Saint Mungo's to help repel the attackers."
"Correct!" exclaimed Sirius.
"But, hadn't he already left?" asked one of the twins.
"Yes, but they hadn't counted on the Order getting word of the attack on Saint Mungo's before the Death Eaters arrived outside his classroom," she explained.
"They timed it," nodded Harry. "The attack wasn't supposed to happen until about the same time the Death Eaters got in position."
"Yes," nodded Sirius. "Classic Riddle attack planning. I've no doubt he planned for the attack to occur approximately ten minutes after the last Death Eater went through the Vanishing Cabinet.
"Then give it five minutes, once the attack had begun, for word to reach the Order. And about one minute for Filius to come running out the door into the corridor."
"With his mind focussed on getting to the Headmistress's office, he would have been caught completely unaware and flatfooted," said Hermione. "Five of them would have overcome him in seconds. And the Light would have lost one of its best fighters."
As the others all nodded, recognising Hermione's words as the truth they were, she sighed. "Now we just need to deal with the Vanishing Cabinet. With the attack having taken place, even though it was unsuccessful in both its objectives, Riddle won't be suspicious if the one at Borgin and Burke's no longer works."
Sirius began to grin, before he sat up straighter and leaned forward. When it was clear he'd thought of a plan the others waited for him to speak of it.
"Why destroy it?" he asked. "We've used it to take eight of his best, of which five we know were Inner Circle, out of circulation again.
"Four of them... the three Lestranges and Dolohov... were recent escapees of Azkaban. Riddle's going to be spitting chips when he learns four of the nine he recently broke out are back behind bars again."
"Well, I hope that's not where they're headed," stated Harry quite firmly. "The Minister of the time was well prepared to have you immediately Kissed if you were caught, when it was believed you were a dangerous escapee from Azkaban. To not have them immediately Kissed, or otherwise immediately executed, would positively reek of unfair justice."
"And that's what we'll tell Bonesy when she turns up," stated Sirius.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
As she'd promised, Amelia arrived a little over an hour later and sent a patronus message from the Headmistress's office to let the Potters know where they could find her. By then Luna had already left to attempt to get a good night's sleep.
In return, Harry sent a messenger patronus back to Amelia to let her know how she could find the null magic room where the invading Death Eaters could be found; and to meet them there. Then the three walked to the room, down on the fourth floor along a normally unused corridor, to wait for her and her aurors. Harry carried one of the loaded paintball guns with him.
They'd only been there about a minute when Amelia; almost a dozen of her aurors; Professors Flitwick, Snape and Sinistra; and Headmistress McGonagall, all approached them from down the Great Hall end of the corridor.
The three Potters, the twins and Sirius then led the large body into the abandoned classroom they'd set up as their null magic holding area. In a line before them was the eight Death Eaters - nine, if you included Nott. They were still bound to chairs, and all nine were still unconscious.
Harry then stepped forward and walked along the line reefing the sleeve on their right arms up. All nine, including Nott, quite clearly showed the Dark Mark.
"These eight entered the castle through a Vanishing Cabinet in a room on the seventh floor," explained Hermione. "A Vanishing Cabinet that was repaired by Theodore Nott, a fifth year in Slytherin House, over the past few months since the beginning of the school year. This was meticulously planned with the intent of targetting Harry and Professor Flitwick."
With a gesture from Madam Bones, one of the aurors stepped forward and attempted to cast the Enervate Charm on the Death Eater on the closest end of the line; one of the Lestrange brothers. It had no effect.
"That won't work for two reasons," said Harry. "One, they've been potioned with a modified version of the Draught of the Living Death; and, two, wanded magic will not work in this room."
With a frown, Madam Bones asked, "What do you mean?"
With a gesture into the corners of the room, Daphne replied, "There is a specific rune set engraved into the corners of the room that block cast magic. However, it doesn't block all other forms of magic including potions, rune magic, elf magic and the like."
"As for the potion," added Hermione. She indicated the Weasley twins, standing back and grinning. "Harry paid the Weasley twins to develop a fast acting variation of Draught of the Living Death that works on contact with the skin. Once tagged with it, as he puts it, you go Sleepy-byes - which is the name of the potion - until the antidote is administered."
Madam Bones stared with quite some intensity at the twins, then Harry. "This potion... you're willing to share the recipe?"
"That's up to the twins, Ma'am," replied Harry. "I paid them to develop it, but allowed them to keep the rights to the recipe. It's a proprietary product. However, I think you'll find they're... eager to market it, or make premade batches of the potion for you."
"How long did it take to take effect?" asked the Headmistress.
"On contact, about one and a half to three seconds," replied Hermione.
One of the aurors whistled in amazement.
"How did you take them down without injury to yourselves?" asked Madam Bones.
"With these," replied Harry, raising the gun in his hand to show the woman. "It shoots small balls that break apart on contact. They contain the potion."
"Show me," she demanded.
Harry immediately aimed the gun at the wall above the heads of the Death Eaters and fired three rounds at the wall. All three rounds, as promised, burst open on impact leaving three wet splat marks on the wall in almost a straight line.
He then turned and offered it to the woman.
When she tentatively accepted it, Harry demonstrated how it worked and said, "Try not to hit anyone with it. As well as dosing them with a dose of the Sleepy-byes potion, at close range it stings like a right... bitch; and leaves one hell of a welt. It can make a stinging hex feel like a love tap."
"What range does it have?" she asked.
"I wouldn't plan on accuracy, or for the round to break open on contact, beyond about thirty yards," he replied. "For accuracy, the seam on the balls, together with how they tend to spin coming out of the barrel, make the balls swerve slightly in flight. However, put enough rounds down range and you'll hit more often than not. Think about making the maximum range about fifty feet."
Madam Bones gave a single firm nod, raised the butt of the gun to her shoulder as Harry had shown her, and fired off a couple of rounds at the same area of wall Harry did. Lowering the gun again, she said, "I see what you mean about the ball curving through the air. They both turned, but in different directions."
Handing the gun back to Harry, she declared, "I want them. Them and the potion, together with its antidote."
"Who do I need to talk to about these... gun things?" she asked, with a slight nod in the direction of the paintball gun.
"Remus Lupin," replied Hermione. "He's the one who purchased ours, together with the ordinary rounds. The twins have developed a special rune-based device to allow you to switch out the paint within the rounds with the potion; plus provide the potion."
"They'll just need time to make the potion, and then switch out the paint with the potion they make," added Harry.
With another nod, she said, "Final question; if we can't cast magic in this room, how do we get our prisoners here to a Floo, so we can get them back to the DMLE holding cells?"
"Elf magic," smiled Harry. "Just let them know which Floo you want to use, and they'll get them there for you." Reaching into his robes, he withdrew the phial of antidote from a pocket and handed it to her.
"The antidote," he smiled.
"Just a few drops in the mouth should do," said one of the twins.
"But, they'll be groggy for a few minutes after you administer it," said the second.
"And have a thumping headache when they do," added the first.
A few moments later, Harry called Dobby to organise with the elves to take the prisoners to the Headmistress's office the next time he was called. And the party left the room.
Just after they left the room, Harry turned to Amelia and said, "Just as a note, I remind you that there's already precedent that escapees from Azkaban are immediately Kissed after recapture. You may not agree with that... policy... but, it's there."
"Noted, Mister Potter," she replied.
"Mister Potter!" gasped Professor McGonagall. "You can't just advocate killing prisoners.."
Interrupting her, he said, "Alright, Professor. Which of these fine upstanding aurors, here, do you want to sacrifice to guard the prison and be killed when Riddle goes there to break them back out again?"
She looked back as if she'd just been slapped.
"Harry, that was uncalled for," Daphne reprimanded him.
"But no less true," he shot back. "Dumbledore's 'No killing' policy is exactly why Riddle nearly won at the end of the last war. Magical Britain was just bloody lucky my mother didn't believe that and was an exceptionally bright and clever witch."
"Even so," started Daphne right back. "The Headmistress didn't deserve..."
The Headmistress interrupted and said, "It's alright, Missus Greengrass-Potter. As much as I dislike the notion, he's right."
Ten minutes later, the elves shuttled the prisoners to Professor McGonagall's office, and the aurors took them out through the Floo. The three Potters headed back to their apartment to get some much needed sleep. The twins remained speaking with Madam Bones about negotiating costs for the potion.
As they walked, Daphne asked, "Do you think she'll execute them?"
"Yes... and no," said Harry. "I think she'll milk them for as much information as she can, in secret. She'll pump them full of Veritaserum, then push them through quick trials, then execute them... probably via the Veil."
"So, we only knocked them out for her to execute them later," sighed Hermione.
"No, we knocked them out so she can now question them and get as much information out of them as possible before they're then lawfully executed," said Daphne. "And, whether or not they're executed is not our decision. We captured them, and the law will handle it from here."
"And even if we had killed them, the fact they came at us with the Killing Curse off the bat, means we were in a life and death situation," added Harry. "As far as I'm concerned, if you come at me with the intent to kill, I have no problem with killing you first."
"And that's the attitude we must maintain," said Daphne firmly. "It's the only way we're going to get through this."
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
Two mornings later, the twins came over at breakfast once all the mail was delivered, all excited. One of them was carrying a letter on Ministry letterhead.
"Madam Bones is buying our potion and a large 'switch' stone," said one.
"Selling this means we'll have enough money to open our store!" said the other.
That reminded Harry that the last time he'd won the Tournament he'd handed his winnings to the twins. He forgot to do that this time.
However, having them earn their starting capital out of their own efforts was better for them. This way, they wouldn't feel obliged to set aside some of their profit for Harry. He didn't need it and he knew they'd make good use of it.
"Congratulations, mates!" he exclaimed, happy for them. "I take it this means we'll see Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes open for business some time soon after you graduate?"
"Indeed!" said one.
"We've even got the store we want, in mind," said the other.
"How soon does Madam Bones want the potion and antidote?" asked Hermione.
"As soon as possible," said one.
"But, it's not going to take us long to make it," said the other.
"Do you need any galleons as an advance to purchase the ingredients?" asked Harry, always willing to help.
"Thank you, but no," said one.
"Part of the contract has the DMLE providing us an advance for that purpose," said the other.
"She also let us know she's contacted Professor Lupin for the guns," said the first.
"And he's providing the instruction to her aurors..."
"... On how to use them."
"... Plus purchasing extra ammunition..."
"... For training purposes."
"She sounds very keen to get things happening," said Daphne.
"Oh, she is!" replied one.
"It's a rush order!" added the other.
"Again; congratulations, mates," said Harry.
"We couldn't have done it without you..."
"... Harrikins."
"Nonsense," he scoffed. "You, two, have plenty of innate business talent. You'd have figured out a way, eventually... after first making the gi-nor-mous mistake of trying to make a fast galleon through gambling."
The twins unrepentantly grinned back.
"Been there..."
"... Done that."
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ
Life within Hogwarts settled down again for a few weeks. The attack on Saint Mungo's had been repelled, as had the assassination team attack on Harry and Professor Flitwick.
The three Potters learned a few days later from the woman herself that Madam Bones had only lost a couple of aurors in the defence of Saint Mungo's. In return they had managed to kill a half dozen Death Eaters, and capture about a dozen more out of an attack of about three dozen.
She learned that Harry and Filius were the primary targets that night, which explained why there were so many inner circle Death Eaters in the attack on the school. The attack on Saint Mungo's was supposed to be loud and noisy, to draw both the aurors and the Order to the hospital, as expected.
Four teams were sent in almost ahead of the main body to kill all muggleborns that were there. They were assassination teams. Apparently, those Death Eaters had on them a list of which muggleborns were currently at the hospital, including which beds they were in. Thankfully, they didn't even manage to move out beyond the main entrance/welcoming hall, as that was where Madam Bones set up her ambush for the attack.
Madam Bones's explanation of why she didn't let the Potters know of the list was because her aurors wanted to know who at the wizarding hospital had gathered and passed that information off to Voldemort. The investigation also allowed her to Veritaserum the staff, and identify all the Death Eaters that were hiding on staff, and arrest them. The new Minister, Ogden, had no qualms about allowing her to do that.
Of course, the captured and killed were mainly 'cannon fodder' Death Eaters who had recently joined and had little skill in combat with a wand. However, they did manage to kill one inner circle; Fenrir Greyback. And they also killed Dolores Umbridge during the short battle, who had escaped from Azkaban the night Riddle freed nine of his inner circle and others.
Others killed included some of the Ministry workers who had been 'fired' from their positions due to their admitted-under-Veritaserum bigotry and support of Riddle's 'policies'. However, most Death Eater attackers immediately portkeyed or apparated away as soon as they realised the aurors had been lying in ambush for them.
Even so, the aurors managed to take down quite a few of Voldemort's terrorists, and only lost two of their own doing so.
With the routing of his forces at Saint Mungo's and the loss of half a dozen of his inner circle including the capture of the entire assassination team sent to Hogwarts, Riddle's losses were bound to have a deleterious effect on his recruiting efforts. This was very good news to the Potters.
"When do the results of the two attacks get released to the Prophet?" he asked her.
"This afternoon," she promptly replied. "You should be able to read about it in tomorrow morning's edition."
"Good," he firmly stated. "After reading articles of attacks on muggleborn in their homes, the wizarding populace needs to read that his two largest attacks were summarily and handily repelled."
"Agreed," she replied. "But, I'm sure you understand there was a need to keep mum about them both while we plumbed those we caught, especially the inner circle members, for whatever information we could get out of them."
"Of course," he acquiesced. "I'm just glad you're going to release it now. And not try and keep it all a secret, like Fudge would have done."
"I hope you understand I'm not like our much unloved ex-Minister, Harry," she said, a little miffed.
"Definitely not," he promptly replied. "I just have a... wariness... about faith in the actions of the Ministry. Sorry, but it's a holdover from our first run through."
"Understood," she said, as she relaxed again.
As promised, that rather large, important and quite shocking article did appear as the lead story in the next morning's Daily Prophet. Thankfully, the names of those who took down the assassination team that came to Hogwarts were deliberately left out of Amelia's information to the Prophet's reporter. However, the reporter did include a section where he 'speculated' the three Potters had some role to play in the events of that was also the first time Harry had been reported as 'The Chosen One'.
After the article came out, they were approached by quite a few people who asked if they were involved. Their rehearsed response was, "Just because Harry is the supposed Boy-Who-Lived, does not mean he has a hand in every heroic act that occurs in the school."
Thanks to Daphne's forethought of what attention the article would bring, they'd already spoken to Luna, the twins and Sirius about what their response would be. And those four were quite happy not to be included as part of the takedown of the Death Eaters, either.
"We certainly don't need the attention," said one of the twins.
"Well, we do... but, not that sort," said the other.
"And we'd get a howler from Mum if she found out we were involved," said the first.
And both twins made a face and shuddered, causing the three Potters to grin back. The howlers of the Weasley matriarch, though not one had been seen in over a year, were still part of the Hogwarts legend.
"I don't mean to pry," said Daphne, a little tentatively, "But, you're still in touch with her?"
Both twins snorted in stereo before one said, "It's more like..."
"... She's still in touch with us."
"She writes us near constantly..."
"But, we only... rarely... contact her."
"Dad says she's still our mother..."
"... Even after what she did... what she tried to do."
"And we should at least maintain a civil relationship."
"Leastwise, that's what he says."
"Fair enough," said Harry.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
ˇ