In what can only be described as a surprising turn of events in the
war against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, the ancestral home
of one of the most prominent wizarding families in recent years was
razed to the ground in the early hours of Monday morning.
All that remained when members of the media arrived was a single,
excitable house-elf who seemed to be pleased that all the bad men
and women were gone from his home.
In a statement released to the media, Minister Black had this to say.
" It is unfortunate that such a rich piece of British history is no longer
standing, but credible intelligence gathered suggested that several of
the Dark Lord's followers were residing in the manor since, or
perhaps before, the death of Lucius Malfoy. A covert operation was
launched which resulted in the destruction of the manor and the
elimination of these Death Eaters. Let this be a lesson to any who do
or are considering following the Dark Lord that the Ministry will use
whatever means necessary to ensure you are not a threat to the
public. I would like to once more thank the citizens of wizarding
Britain for their continued support in this matter."
With the latest blow struck by the Ministry against the Dark Lord, I
would personally implore our readers to remain vigilant to the threat
we face and offer my gratitude to Minister Black for her decisive and
necessary actions to combat this darkness.
Cassiopeia placed the newspaper on her desk, her gaze sifting
towards Harry when she had done so.
"You got married?" she questioned simply.
Harry shrugged.
"You told me to."
Cassiopeia pursed her lips.
She could not deny that she had encouraged him, but she had not
expected the coming together to happen immediately, and not in a
ceremony that the wizarding community at large would recognise as
legitimate.
Deflating, she offered him a sincere smile.
"I am happy for you, but you do know that a wizarding ceremony
must take place."
Harry nodded.
"I expect you will quite enjoy planning it."
"What makes you think that?"
"Come off it, Cassie. You might have chosen to follow Grindelwald
and never got married yourself, but you're still a pureblood woman.
Marriage is ingrained into you."
Cassiopeia narrowed her eyes at the young man.
Seeing Harry married and having the family growing was something
she had thought about over the years.
Both the Black and Potter lines had been decimated in recent
decades, and she longed to see them both replenished suitably.
Besides, Harry was as good as her own son. What kind of mother
wouldn't have thought about the wedding of their children to some
degree?
"Maybe," she conceded airily. "Is it so wrong that it is something I
would want to share with you?"
Harry shook his head.
"Of course not," he sighed.
"Good, then I will begin the preparations. I'm sure Ana and Eleanor
will be happy to help."
Harry nodded his agreement.
His other friends had been rather put out that he and Lucinda had
married without them being present, even if it was something of a
spur of the moment ceremony.
Still, that would evidently be remedied soon enough.
"What will happen to Dobby?" Harry asked.
"Dobby?"
"The Malfoy elf."
Cassiopeia frowned.
"Well, I expect he will be turned over to the Department for the
Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," she answered
thoughtfully. "Why?"
"No reason," Harry replied with a grin. "Would you like a personal
elf?"
"I have no need of one," Cassiopeia pointed out. "Kreacher serves
me well enough, and you have Elgar."
"True," Harry conceded, "but Dobby could have given me away last
night, and he didn't. I'd like to reward him in some way. I'm sure he'd
appreciate serving a nice family after the Malfoys."
Cassiopeia huffed, though she smirked as an idea popped into her
head.
Harry had a thing for creatures.
From flobberworms to basilisks, he'd always found something to
care for.
"Why don't you see if Dobby would like to serve your wife" she
suggested.
"Lucinda?"
"Well, unless you have another wife we don't yet know about then
yes, Lucinda."
Harry hummed as he nodded.
"That could work," he mused aloud.
"Then I will make the arrangements," Cassiopeia declared. "Now, if
you don't mind, I have a mountain of work to get through and a
wedding to begin planning."
Harry offered her an insolent salute as he took his leave of the office
and Cassiopeia smirked.
She had spoken to the elf already to ascertain what he knew.
His personality could not be any more different than Lucinda's, so he
would be perfect for the vampire.
That would teach her and Harry to get married without her being
there, even if it wasn't planned.
Cassiopeia Black was not beyond such pettiness, especially where
Harry was concerned.
For years, the boy had caused her headache after headache with his
mischief, and now, it was her turn for a little revenge.
Besides, it wasn't a mean gesture.
She had no doubt that Dobby would serve Lucinda well, and that she
would come to value his help, but in the beginning, the vampire
would need to get used to the eccentric little creature.
Cassiopeia smirked once more as she turned her attention to her
work.
The start to the day had gone as well as she could have hoped.
The coldness only seemed to grow more unbearable with each
passing day, and with what happened at Malfoy Manor, it only irked
the Dark Lord more so. It taunted him endlessly, and he was now
convinced that the whispers were becoming louder, openly mocking
him with their giggles and threats.
Potter.
It had to be Potter who had found a way to put a curse upon his
home.
Voldemort glared at the roaring fire that now only seemed to light the
room.
He could likely put his hand in the flames and feel no warmth.
Again, he had searched the entire house and grounds for the source
of the magic, to no avail.
Try as he might, he could find nothing.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of a tired Bellatrix.
Evidently, her search had gone on since he had set her the task of
locating Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, and judging by her expression,
her efforts had been fruitless.
"My Lord, I managed to track them to Surrey before the trail
suddenly ended," she explained. "I have been to every Black
property I could think of, but they are all locked down. If she is in one
of them, it will be impossible to reach her."
Voldemort hummed irritably.
The protections of the Blacks were infamous, and it would not be
worth the risk to provoke them to merely get his hands on the former
Lady Malfoy and her whelp.
That was even if they were indeed still in the country.
If Narcissa was smart, something that could not be denied, she
would be long gone from Britain.
"We have more pressing matters, Bella," he replied, sliding the
morning edition of The Daily Prophet towards the woman.
Bellatrix scowled as she read the article.
"Your aunt has become quite the thorn in my side in her position,"
Voldemort murmured, "and the loss of Rookwood is one I could do
without."
"What would you have me do, my lord?" Bellatrix asked. "Should we
attempt to assassinate her?"
Voldemort shook his head.
"It would be best if she was removed from the equation, but I do not
think our efforts would prove to be successful. No, she is too well
protected, but I do not doubt that she will once again be present
should another larger scale attack were to take place."
"Do we have the men?"
"We do," Voldemort replied thoughtfully. "But I would rather not risk
the losses. We find ourselves in a delicate position, Bellatrix. We
must proceed with caution, but we must find a way to regain the
upper hand."
"What is your plan, my lord?"
Voldemort smirked.
"We cannot remain idle," he mused aloud. "I want you to arrange our
forces into strike teams. We may not be able to get to your aunt, or
even Potter, but we can get to their most valuable resource at
combatting us."
"The aurors," Bellatrix asked excitedly.
Voldemort nodded.
"I want the attacks to begin immediately," he instructed. "If we can
neutralise, or better yet, eliminate the auror force, it will be to our
benefit. Potter cannot fight against us without soldiers on the ground,
can he?"
"No, my lord," Bellatrix replied with a bow. "I will make the
arrangements."
"Excellent," the Dark Lord declared.
With that, Bellatrix took her leave of the room, and Voldemort leaned
back in his chair, the cold and constant mockery of the voices no
longer bothering him so much after his stroke of genius.
Albus watched as Fawkes and Harry's companion flew past the
window of his office, smiling as they vanished towards the sunset. It
had become one of the little things in life he had come to enjoy in
recent weeks.
The two birds were bonding, and their escapades no longer went
unnoticed by the students and members of staff of the school.
Often, Albus would hear them remark on the appearance of the
thunderbird and the more frequent sightings of Fawkes who, for most
part, had spent much of the last several decades on his perch.
He was pulled from his thoughts by a twinge of pain coming from his
shoulder.
Moving the top of his robes aside, he could see just how far the
curse had now spread.
The uppermost tendril was creeping towards his neck, and the one
just below nearing the outer part of his chest.
It had now begun causing him these moments of discomfort.
The pain was not unbearable, but it served to remind him that time
was no longer on his side.
"Two months," Severus said darkly from the doorway. "At most."
Albus nodded his understanding.
"Two months," he acknowledged.
The thought no longer filled him with sadness, but he still looked
upon his impending death with a sense of sorrow.
It wasn't that he wished to live forever, just that he had a little more
time to enjoy living.
There were many places he wished he had taken the time to visit,
but he could not deny that there was a part of him that was ready
now.
Ariana, his parents, Gellert, and many others had passed on, and
Albus was eager to see them once again when he began his next
great adventure.
"I will brew some more pain relief potions for you," Severus offered.
Albus offered the man a grateful smile.
"And how was your latest venture?" he asked.
"It was close," Severus explained. "Bellatrix tracked us to Surrey, but
I managed to get them out. Narcissa is devastated. Draco is showing
no signs of possessing any magical ability."
"Will it return?"
Severus shook his head.
"Potter assured her it will not."
Albus released a deep sigh.
He did not know what Narcissa or Severus had expected.
Harry bore quite the grudge against Draco for what he had done to
Miss Greengrass, and even if he could, he would never likely be
inclined to undo the damage.
It was that ruthless edge he possessed, and if Albus were honest
with himself, Narcissa was fortunate that Draco was alive at all.
Perhaps the harsh lesson would help him change his ways?
"Do you think he will continue hunting her?"
Severus shrugged.
"I do not believe he has the resources to do so, for the moment," he
answered. "The Dark Lord will not forget the transgression against
him, but he has other things that require his focus."
"Harry."
"Potter," Severus agreed. "He will be more determined than ever to
kill the boy."
"A sentiment that will be returned," Albus sighed. "It is coming,
Severus. Tom cannot afford to sit back and allow his operation to
continue to crumble the way it is, and Harry will not wait. They will
meet soon, and it will finally come to an end."
"If Potter can defeat him."
"When Harry defeats him," Albus corrected. "You may not wish to
believe in him, Severus, but even you must admit that he is your best
hope to finally achieving a semblance of peace. Your pain may never
fade, and you will never feel any fondness towards him, but I have
no doubt he will have your eternal gratitude."
Severus nodded reluctantly before turning towards the door.
"When this is all over, I will be moving on," he declared. "I have been
here long enough, Albus. I respect Minerva, but it was to you I made
my promises. When the curse takes you, I will no longer remain at
Hogwarts."
Albus nodded his understanding.
"What will you do?" he asked curiously.
"I do not know," Severus returned with a shrug. "Perhaps I will see
the world."
Albus smiled sadly as the man took his leave of the office.
Severus had made many mistakes in his life, and there was not a
single thing he could in his own eyes to repent for them.
It was likely he would forever be bitter that Lily Evans chose James
Potter, but nothing would compare to the burden of guilt he carried
for his own part in their death, however unwitting it had been.
No, Severus Snape had been a broken man for longer than a
decade, and that would never change.
He had been an auror for the best part of two decades. Kingsley
remembered the never-ending sense of danger from the first war, the
peace that had come after, and the resurgence of the Dark Lord and
his followers better than most.
Still, the little over two years he'd had Tonks as his partner had been
amongst his favourites.
The woman had been rambunctious at times, overly eager at others,
but he could not deny that she had brightened his days.
She was gone now, and though he had nothing against Solomon, his
new partner, he tended to never shut up, and he sniffed a lot.
Kingsley knew it was rather petty and unprofessional to compare the
man to the metamorph, but he couldn't help it.
Nymphadora's death was still fresh, and he'd have sooner completed
his duties alone than be lumbered with someone else.
Bones had insisted upon it.
Rightly or wrongly, the job was too dangerous to do independently,
especially with the Death Eaters potentially lurking in any hidden
nook and cranny they passed.
"It's bloody cold," Solomon grumbled as they walked the length of
the high street in Streatham.
It was a long stretch of road to traverse, though at this hour, most of
the muggles had returned home and only a few bars remained open.
"It is," Kingsley agreed as he came to a stop. "Too cold for this time
of year."
He scanned the night sky as he cautiously drew his wand.
Nothing could be seen in the darkness, but Kingsley could feel it.
"Wand out, Solomon," he urged. "Are you any good with a
patronus?"
Solomon nodded worriedly, the sudden quickened breathing of the
man passing his lips in little bursts of steam.
" Expecto Patronum!" Kingsley cried as he spotted the first of several
cloaked figures descending upon them.
Solomon followed suit, his falcon joining Kingsley's lynx in fending off
the dementors.
"What the bloody hell are they doing?" he gasped.
"Showing their true colours," Kingsley replied as he guided his
patronus towards another wave of the vile creatures.
" Avada Kedavra!"
Kingsley reacted in time, sweeping his wand around him in a circular
motion and surrounding himself with the pavement he had torn up,
but he could not ignore the dull thud of a body hitting the ground next
to him.
That was another partner he had lost.
With a growl, he hit his own shied with a blasting curse, sending
debris in all directions, not knowing where the plethora of killing
curses had come from.
In his position, it was best to be offensive.
He'd learned during the previous war that remaining ide would only
get you killed.
Using the moment of reprieve to test his ability to apparate away, he
cursed as he realised he could not.
No, the ambush had been laid, and the Death Eaters had been
waiting for them.
There was nothing for it now but to fight his way out, and with that in
mind, he sprang into action.
He quickly realised that he could not run as fast as he once did.
Kingsley was older now, but his experience more than made up for
his loss of youth, and even as the spells destroyed shop windows,
set cars ablaze, and tore chunks out of the street, he did not stop.
Whenever the opportunity presented itself, he returned fire, his
second effort eliciting a scream of agony from one of his pursuers.
Nevertheless, he could not run forever, and there was no telling
when he would be able to apparate to safety.
Despite the fatigue beginning to set in, he ploughed on, fighting on
the run and unable to push aside the thoughts of his wife, son, and
daughter waiting for him to return home.
That alone was more than enough to spur him on, and even when a
Death Eater suddenly appeared from an alleyway on his left,
Kingsley did not stop.
Instinctively, he struck out, and felt the man's jaw crumble from the
force of the punch he'd landed.
Despite this, there were many others still giving chase, and the
spells continued to blast away everything in their path, or ricochet
dangerously around the street.
It was too risky to be out in the open.
With his reserves fading, Kingsley knew he would be better off using
his energy more productively, and though he would never urge any
of his colleagues to follow his example, he dipped into a small side
street where their numbers would count for little.
They couldn't all come at him at once here, and he nodded as he
hastily gathered some discarded items he could make use of, and
even a large muggle bin.
It was when he moved this to use as cover that he spotted it, and he
nodded to himself.
Although he would rather not make use of such a thing, his options
were limited.
The first Death Eater that rounded the corner fell victim to a
banished paint can that smashed into the side of his head, and the
second, a tripping jinx followed by bludgeoning curse that rendered
him unconscious.
Evidently, the rest of the group were reluctant to spill into the narrow
street, and Kingsley took advantage of their reticence.
Readying his escape, he waited for the next to show themselves,
and his eyes widened in surprise as none other than Antonin
Dolohov rounded the corner, his mask having evidently been burnt
off from an earlier exchange.
Dolohov was an exceptional wizard, and though Kingsley had every
faith in his own ability, he would not risk facing the man whilst he had
so much support.
Banishing the muggle bin towards Antonin, Kingsley followed it up
with a stream of fire and a few blasting curses for good measure
before dropping into the sewer below whilst his foes were distracted.
Taking the additional few seconds to seal cover, he began running
through the shallow stream of human waste.
They would be both foolish and desperate to follow him down here,
however, Kingsley kept on running until he was able to apparate
away, breathing a sigh of relief that he had managed to escape with
his life.
Solomon had not been so lucky, and though Kingsley was not
particularly fond of the man, it was an aurors worst nightmare to be
set upon in such a cowardly fashion, and his now former partner had
his sympathies.
"Does this mean I finally get my husband to myself for a little while?"
Lucinda almost purred as she crawled along the bed towards Harry.
"It makes me feel old when you say that?" he chuckled in response.
Lucinda hummed amusedly against his ear.
"Give it a few hundred years, then you can say you feel old. Now,
where was I?"
"Well, I think you were going to take advantage of me," Harry replied
dryly.
"As is my right," Lucinda returned, taking a handful of his hair, only
for a knock at the door to interrupt them. "I swear, I'm going to lose
my temper if we aren't left alone."
"Harry, put the vampire down," Cain teased. "An Order meeting has
been called."
"Bloody hell," Harry grumbled irritably. "It's almost four in the
morning. Something must have happened."
Lucinda narrowed her eyes.
"I'm tired of this war. When it is over with, you had better clear any
commitments for the next six months."
"Six months?"
Lucinda nodded demurely.
"I would like to enjoy being married, Harry."
"Weren't we enjoying not being married?"
"Yes, but it is different now. Then, it was just some fun. Now, you
have duties to your wife."
"Duties?"
"And you had better take them as seriously as you do everything
else," Lucinda warned. "I will not be neglected."
Harry grinned at her as he stood.
"I can't be seen to be neglecting my duties," he sighed. "I promise,
once this war is done, you will always be at the top of my list of
priorities."
Lucinda quirked a brow in his direction.
"I will hold you to that."
"You can hold me to whatever you want to," Harry quipped.
Lucinda narrowed her eyes as she licked her lips.
"You'd better leave before I change my mind about letting you."
Harry laughed as he did so and made his way to the kitchen where
he found the mood amongst the already gathered members of the
Order to be rather sombre.
The seriousness of the situation was quickly realised as he spotted
Amelia Bones amongst them, and even Cassiopeia had made a rare
appearance for the meeting.
"What's happened?" Harry asked warily.
It was Bones that spoke, unable to hide the mixture of anger and
sadness in her tone.
"Seventeen of my aurors were ambushed across the country
tonight," she revealed. "The dementors have abandoned their posts
and have joined up with Voldemort."
Harry released a deep breath.
"Seventeen?"
Bones nodded.
"Those who managed to escape were lucky. Kingsley had to use the
muggle sewage system to outrun Dolohov and a group of Death
Eaters after his partner was killed."
"Bloody hell," Harry muttered. "I was hoping Dolohov had been killed
in Malfoy Manor."
"Unfortunately not, and neither was Bellatrix Lestrange. She was
spotted in Liverpool tonight by Robards. He managed to escape, but
only just. He is currently in St Mungo's where it is being decided if he
can keep his leg."
Harry took a seat and let the news sink in.
He had expected a rebuttal from Voldemort, but for him to attempt to
ambush the aurors like this must mean he was desperate.
"So, this will be his new tactic," he murmured. "I expect that none of
the aurors will be safe to patrol, leaving more opportunities for him to
plan attacks. It's not a bad approach, but I have an idea."
"You have an idea?"
Harry nodded thoughtfully.
"For now, it is too dangerous to continue the patrols in pairs," he
mused aloud. "Give me a map of the patrol areas, and a week or
two."
"What are you thinking, Potter?" Amelia asked curiously.
"You will see," Harry replied with a smirk.
Amelia eyed him suspiciously, but Harry had never given her a
reason to doubt him.
"You will have them in the morning, and anything else you need,"
she assured him. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a mountain of
paperwork and house calls I need to make."
"I will pay for the funerals," Harry offered, "and any aurors who had
families, I will arrange with Dumbledore for their education to be paid
for. Assure them they will be looked after."
Amelia nodded gratefully before taking her leave of the room,
followed by the members of the Order only a moment later when
Dumbledore dismissed them.
"So, we will be busy then?" Cain asked.
"We will be," Harry confirmed. "I'd get some sleep if I were you.
Britain isn't as small as you might think."
He stood to leave, only to be called back by Cassiopeia.
"I don't suppose this is the best time, but I made the necessary
arrangements. Dobby," she called.
The little elf appeared, bouncing excitedly on his toes as he stood
before Harry.
Harry stared curiously at him for a moment.
"Why didn't you tell Rookwood I was there?" he asked.
"Dobby didn't have to tell him, Harry Potter, sir," the elf answered.
"Bad master died, and Mistress did not take Dobby as her elf. Dobby
had no master."
Harry snorted.
"So, you decided to stay?"
Dobby nodded, and his ears flapped comically as he gave a toothy
grin.
"Dobby wasn't told he had to leave."
Harry liked the elf.
He was resourceful and certainly amusing.
"Well, how do you feel about serving the houses of Black and
Potter?" he asked.
Dobby nodded again, unable to prevent himself from fidgeting with
excitement.
"Dobby would like that, Harry Potter, sir."
"Then I will take you to your new mistress," Harry offered. "You will
be her personal elf."
Dobby positively beamed as Harry led him from the room, and the
two of them made their way up the stairs towards the quarters Harry
and Lucinda now shared.
His wife had decided to shower in his absence, and Harry and
Dobby waited until she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in only
a towel.
"That's not Elgar or Kreacher," Lucinda commented when she took
note of the new elf.
"It's not," Harry confirmed. "This is Dobby. He will be your personal
elf."
"My personal elf?"
"Dobby is pleased to be meeting Mistress," Dobby spoke, offering a
low bow.
Lucinda simply stared dumbly at the enthusiastic creature before her
gaze shifted to Harry.
"What am I going to do with an elf?"
"Well, Dobby can do just about anything for you," Harry answered.
"He will make sure your clothes are ready for you in the morning. He
will make you breakfast and complete the menial tasks you don't
have time for. He can even take messages for you."
"I don't know what to say. I don't think I have need of an elf."
Dobby's expression fell along with his ears.
"You will be helping him as much as he helps you," Harry explained.
"The world is dangerous for House-elves. You provide him a home
and ensure he is safe, and he will look after you. You know I hate
this crap, but having an elf is as much as status thing as it is a
benefit. When the war is over, things will be different, and having
Dobby around will save you so much trouble when dealing with the
people who will come clamouring around us."
Lucinda looked towards the saddened elf once more and took pity on
him.
"Fine," she agreed.
Dobby squealed in delight and wrapped his arms around the
vampire's legs, thanking her profusely for accepting him.
Harry chuckled amusedly, his thoughts drifting to the woman who
had arranged this.
Cassiopeia had done so knowing that Lucinda would be taken aback
by having her own elf.
It was as far as Cassie was willing to go to participate in a prank of
her own, but Harry would get her back.
He wouldn't allow any to get the better of him, not even his smug
aunt who had raised him.
"Harry!"
"Come on, Dobby," Harry sighed as Lucinda began to grow irritated
with the animated elf. "Why don't you find Elgar and Kreacher? They
will give you some jobs to be getting on with until Mistress Lucinda
needs you."
Dobby nodded before disappearing with a click of his fingers, leaving
Harry alone with his scowling wife.
"It is not funny," she huffed.
"Yes it is," Harry replied. "He is a little excited, but you will get used
to him. I promise you won't regret taking him on."
Lucinda hummed as she stepped towards him.
"What is it he will call me again?" she asked innocently.
"Mistress," Harry answered with a frown.
Lucinda grinned, exposing her fangs.
"I quite like the sound of that," she mused aloud. "Maybe it shouldn't
only be Dobby that calls me it."
Harry's eyes widened as she lunged for him, pinning him against the
door.
"No more interruptions?"
"I don't think so."
"Good because Mistress Lucinda is tired of waiting around."
Harry could only nod his understanding, pleased that the two of them
had finally been granted some time alone, however brief it may be.
"It was a success?" Voldemort questioned the prostrating Bellatrix.
"It was, my lord," the woman confirmed. "We lost only four and took
seventeen of the aurors."
"Good," the Dark Lord praised. "Then I wish for your efforts to
continue. We must gain the upper hand once more."
"We will, my lord," Bellatrix assured him.
Voldemort hummed as he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
It was about time something went right.
He had grown tired of the failings of his followers, and the latest
treachery of Narcissa Malfoy had left the Dark Lord in a foul mood
indeed.
The less he thought of his lost Horcruxes, the better, but it was
something he could not avoid forever.
Soon, he would no longer be able to avoid entering Hogwarts to
check on the one he had perhaps foolishly left there.
For now, however, he and his followers needed these smaller
victories to prepare them for a bigger fight.
It could not be avoided forever, and with each passing day,
Voldemort felt his fated meeting with Potter growing only closer.
One would live and one would die.
There was simply no place for both of them in this world, and the
Dark Lord was determined to crush it beneath his heel.
For that, he had to be rid of his foe.
Equal
He shook his head of the very notion.
None could hope to match him, not even Harry Potter.
"You're looking a little too proud of yourself for my liking, Potter,"
Amelia Bones sighed as Harry led her down the muggle side of
Charing Cross. "I don't like that my aurors are being put at risk."
Both were dressed in muggle attire, Harry as typical businessman
and Amelia as something resembling a secretary.
"There won't be any risk," Harry assured the woman.
For much of the day he had been at work with Cain, Eleanor, and
Ana, preparing a sample for Amelia to see for herself.
The woman was deeply concerned for the safety and welfare of
those she was responsible for and was reluctant to allow them to
patrol as they had been.
Harry understood her concerns.
If the Death Eaters were going to adopt the tactic they had the
previous night more often, the aurors would be exceedingly
vulnerable.
Already, there numbers were low, and although Amelia was
attempting to recruit, very few were answering the call during a time
of war.
"We will see," Bones murmured in response. "Here comes Kingsley
and Dobson now."
The two aurors walked brazenly down the muggle street as though
they were merely carrying out a regular patrol.
It was here that Robards had been attacked, and Harry had no doubt
that Voldemort, or whoever it was in charge of the operation, would
try their luck again.
"What am I watching for?" Amelia asked curiously.
"You'll see."
The woman pursed her lips in irritation but did not press any further.
Harry looked towards the sky.
It was a little after midnight, and with it being a weekday, the streets
were mostly void of civilians, a mercy Harry was grateful for.
For now, Voldemort had not turned his attention towards the muggle
world. Evidently, he had more than enough to keep himself and his
followers occupied.
"And here come the dementors," Harry declared as he felt the cold
the creatures brought with them begin to seep into his skin.
" Expecto Patronum!" Kingsley and Dobson cast as one.
Harry watched, impressed as the lynx and zebra bounded towards
the emerging cloaked figures, and resisted the urge to send his own
into the mix.
He needed to see his handiwork at play, and as he spotted a dozen
or so Death Eaters begin to spill from the various alleyways and side
streets around them, he knew it would come momentarily.
" Avada…!" one of the keen Death Eaters cried.
As he uttered the first syllable, a bolt of lightning careened from the
sky, felling him instantly.
The corpse smoked, and the smell of scorched flesh filled the air.
The other Death Eaters took note of what had happened to their
comrade, many freezing in surprise.
"Impressive," Amelia praised.
"That's just the beginning," Harry returned, his gaze firmly fixed on
what was unfolding in front of them.
Another Death Eater attempted to cast a curse towards the surprised
aurors, only for an enormous serpent maw of stone to strike from
below him, engulfing him in a single bite.
A muffled scream sounded but was silenced quickly as the morbid
crunching of bones echoed off the buildings around them.
Harry nodded satisfactorily.
Thus far, everything was going to plan.
"What's happening?" a voice growled.
"Dolohov," Bones whispered as she drew her wand.
Harry took her by the wrist to prevent her acting on impulse.
"Watch," he urged.
Dolohov seemed to have quickly figured out what had happened and
was pondering what he could do next.
"No!" he exclaimed as another of his group raised their wand, only to
step back as they were carried into the sky.
A girlish scream drifted further away for a moment before it suddenly
returned, stopping suddenly as the body splattered against the
pavement, spraying blood, bone, and brain matter across the street.
Amelia balked, but Harry did not flinch.
"Let's get out of here," one of the Death Eaters urged fearfully.
"COWARDS!" Dolohov roared, his eyes widening as a gathering of
shadows fell upon his fleeing group, cutting several of them down.
"Potter?" Amelia questioned.
By now, Dolohov was fleeing too and Harry turned towards the head
of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"We may not have the auror numbers we need, but we do have
something else."
Amelia gasped as two women appeared in front of them and Harry
chuckled, his mind drifting back to only a few days prior.
Flashback
Harry followed Draikon, hand in hand with Lucinda until they reached
the raised area of the city he had become accustomed to being
greeted by the leader of the vampires here.
As usual, the rest of the clan had converged around them and waited
for Draikon to speak.
"Today marks a monumental moment for us," he spoke. "Our friend,
the very same that provided us with food and a kindness we seldom
see from humans, came to me to seek permission to marry one of
our own."
The other vampires were undoubtedly surprised by the revelation
and began whispering amongst themselves before they cheered
their support.
Draikon positively beamed at his people, shooting a knowing look
towards Harry.
"Svetlana?" he called.
The leader of the city guard approached, offering Lucinda a coy
smile as she did so before pausing in front of Draikon.
"Gather your men. It seems as though you will be taking a trip to
Britain."
Svetlana raised her eyebrows, nodding her compliance as Harry's
gaze snapped towards Draikon questioningly.
"You are a member of my clan now, Harry Potter. With you and
Lucinda at war, that means all of us are at war."
End Flashback
"You married a vampire?" Amelia questioned.
Harry nodded unashamedly.
"That is quite a bold move," Bones murmured amusedly. "Not many
will like it."
"Well, they can stuff it," Harry replied with a shrug. "I've already given
enough to everyone else."
"You have," Amelia agreed appreciatively. "So, how many vampires
are here?"
"Seventy-five," Svetlana answered. "All of them have been
personally trained by me, and we are at your disposal. Our orders
are to ensure that this war is won."
Amelia was wary of the creature and understandably so.
It had been centuries since vampires had been in Britain and the last
clan had been driven out.
"We need them," Harry sighed. "We do not have a strong enough
auror force to win, but with them, there's a stronger chance."
Amelia swallowed deeply as she nodded and offered a hand to
Svetlana who accepted it without hesitation.
"Then I suppose I should welcome you to Britain," Bones greeted
with a tight smile.
Svetlana giggled.
"Do not worry, we will not attempt to feed on your people. We have
enough legally obtained blood to see us through."
Amelia relaxed considerably, and though she would not admit it, the
vampires were a much-needed boon to the war effort