Chapter V: A Moonlit Reunion
(Harry P.O.V)
"Focus Harry," He whispered to himself, his eyes shut as he stood under the four times gravity. "Breathe," He whispered, One, Two, Three, Four, Harry straightened his back, Just four, I can do this. Harry felt the magic swell in his body, his composure remaining steady even under the amplified force. "Focus my magic in my mind, then release it in a concentrated blast." Harry placed his hands together in a prayer motion, breathing slowly as the Thralls of Morgana surrounded him, "In, then out," He whispered, "Steady my magic, then… release."
Wind swept out from beneath his feet as he stared at the thralls that surrounded him. At first, there was nothing, and then, blood started to leak from their ears before finally, the bodies fell with a thud. A smirk grew across Harry's face as the hollow clapping of Morgana echoed from the far side of the training chamber. "Well done Harry," Morgana said with what almost sounded like a hint of pride, "To learn the legilimency melt in as short of a span as two months, I'm certainly impressed."
Left, He heard the voice of Morgana's mind whisper to him as he ducked, a stone flying across the room, zipping just over her head. "Very good," Morgana whispered, "No matter how much of a liking I've taken to you boy, a prey must never rest when in the presence of their predator." The Ghost Queen stood with a smile, "Come, let's proceed to the second part of the training, you've been doing better, but you've yet to be able to remove me from your psyche. We've cleared your mind of things you don't need, your occlumency has been improving, now I hope to see better results this time, Potter."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harry said with a nod, following the witch back up to her training chamber. The winds of the meditation temple howled like a hurricane as Harry took his seat in the center, his hands entering a meditative position as he felt Morgana sit behind him.
"If you manage to stay conscious after this, perhaps you'll have time to duel Moody, the man has been terribly bored over the past month having nobody to beat down, even had to let him head back into the world to calm his restlessness this morning," Morgana said with a haughty laugh.
"Who knows, maybe I'll be the one beating him this time," Harry said with a smirk.
"It is no longer a distant possibility, victory may well be in your grasp," Morgana said, Harry now feeling the chill of the Dark Witch's palm against his back, "But you'll need to succeed her if you wish to find out." Harry nodded before an unrelenting chill passed through his body, his vision glowing white before once more he found himself in his twisted mansion. "We'll skip the location part of this activity, you've already proven your aptitude for sensing foreign magic, now, all that's left is for you to force me out."
Harry nodded, gazing at Morgana with a blank stare. At first, it had been weird to see the lady's mortal form when inside his head, but now, Morgana's flowing red locks had become second nature to him, and her frightening beautiful eyes no longer left him feeling small. Things had changed, she was his mentor, and he was her student, and unlike before, Harry no longer sensed boredom in his mentor's tone. Harry pressed down, his foot shaking his entire mindscape as he clapped his hand together a murder of crows bursting from each of his mind chambers, his mindscape completely hidden under black feathers. "Fascinating," Morgana said, "But if this is an attempt to frighten me little crow, I'm afraid you should have chosen another animal."
With a snap of her fingers, the crows lit ablaze, falling to the ground as nothing more than a pile of ashes, but the crows had done their purpose, Harry had vanished into the flock, and the surprise on Morgana's face was just what he needed. Don't touch this sword Harry, Sirius' words had come to him when searching for any ideas over the past month on how to defeat Morgana, Something's weird about it, it's like when I touch it, I feel completely drained of my magic. Harry had been waiting for this moment for days, his thoughts scouring ways of implementing such an idea into his mindscape. Finally, he'd come up with one, and now was the time to put his theory to the test. Harry spun his arm gently, calming his breath before with a low growl, he forced his fist together, a barrage of black chains emerging like water spouts from the ground.
"Chains?" Morgana called out in shock as Harry watched the metal links pin her body down. "Surely this can't be the big strategy that you were boasting about, I can break out of these with-" Harry grinned the confusion in Morgana's face giving him a momentary swelling of pride. Though the pride quickly vanished as Morgana's lips curled into a smile, "Magic draining chains, a very clever idea, little crow." The chains started to rattle as Harry fell to the ground clutching his head in agony, "The only problem is I have more magic than your mortal body can handle. All I have to do is overload your body with magic, and you die."
Harry gasped, desperately releasing Morgana from her chains as his vision flashed white once more, the howling of the wind filling his ears as he collapsed forward, the Ghost Queen leaving his body, though she looked far more tired than usual. "It was a very good try little crow," Morgana started, "I must know, how did you come up with such an idea."
"Back home," Harry panted out, "My family has a relic, a blade that absorbs magic, I thought that if I could make my chains do the same, then I'd be able to beat you. The way you are currently, you were too strong for me to expel on my own, but I thought if I weakened you, I'd be able to do something. Didn't account for-," Harry took another gasp of air, "You short-circuiting me like that."
"Perhaps it was not the wisest thing to try," Morgana said in what almost sounded like a gentle tone, "But you have found a method of controlling that core within you. Once you are well-rested, I believe I have another experiment in mind. For now, head down to your quarters and rest, meet back here tonight, I'll inform Alastor of my orders when he returns, if things go wrong, I'll need a way of suppressing you without killing you."
Morgana's final words rang in his head as he descended to his quarters, Loki following happily in tow rubbing against his legs at every step. In truth, Harry had felt as if a hurricane had been storming in his head, he had no desire to sleep, at least, his mind hadn't. His body had been a different story, against Harry's will it seemed, his body's exhaustion had overtaken him, his eyes closing shut in mere moments.
It appeared as if, however, all his new strength had done little to absolve his nightmares, the Dark Lord's laugh still ringing in his head as he stood tall in the rainy graveyard. Cedric's cold dead eyes staring back at him lifelessly. He was a good person, he didn't deserve to die. Harry swallowed, images of his friends and family passing before him, It's a war Harry, people are going to die, you can't let it haunt you. All you can do is work as hard as you can, live a life of no regrets. That's all that matters.
Harry's eyes flashed open once more, it had felt like he'd only been asleep for minutes, but somehow, the room, despite not having windows felt darker. A chill dwelled in the air as he looked up finding both Moody and Morgana watching over him, "Uh… Morning?"
"Eat," Moody said tossing him a hastily made sandwich, "We need to get this magical shard of Voldemort under control quicker than we thought." Harry blinked in confusion, "Left the castle today to head back and get some intel on what's been happening since we've been here," Harry squinted as a Daily Prophet was flung into his hand, his eyes scanning the headline: Alleged Death Eater Attack on a Small Village, Barty Crouch Snr. Found Dead, Four Ministry Officials Missings, Return of The Dark Lord Widely Felt While Boy-Who-Lived has Vanished. "Your absence has been noted, the people think highly of you for managing to make Voldemort bleed, but you revealing him to the public's caused him to pick up his timetable. The Wizarding World not seeing your face since the end of the TriWizard Tournament's left people in a frightened limbo. Not sure how much longer they can hold out."
"I'm not ready to go back yet," Harry said, "I wish I could go and help, I know I'm strong enough to make a difference now, but if I rush back, I won't have this shard of Voldemort's magic under control, I won't be able to stop this once and for all."
"They'll hold out hope for two more weeks, maybe a little more, but if you don't show your face soon… who knows how many will throw in the towel," Moody's voice grew irritated, "Honestly, these people have no conviction at all, not even Dumbledore can soothe them, though the Old Man hasn't been showing his face much either. Point is, we have to speed up this training as fast as we can. Morgana said you had a plan to contain this shard, so let's see it."
Harry nodded, rising from his bed, his clothes from the previous training session still resting on his body as he climbed after Moody and Morgana, shoving as much of the sandwich into his mouth as he could. The whirling temple shuttered as Harry took a seat in the middle once more entering his meditative stance, Morgana's hand resting on his shoulder. "This time, I'll be coming to assist you. Best prepare yourself, this won't be easy."
Harry calmed himself taking a deep breath as he placed his fists together, though before he could exhale, chains rose from the ground, binding him in place. Harry opened his eyes turning to face Moody who simply shrugged, "I was there the last time you accidentally accessed his power, I'm not going to tempt fate twice."
He growled, being covered in chains didn't exactly help his meditative mind, but there was no other option. He closed his eyes, the chill of Morgana's ghost entering his body becoming second nature to him as once more they flashed into his mind. This time, Harry knew exactly where he wanted to go and found himself standing beside the beautiful witch as he dragged the locked trunk that held Voldemort's magic within it.
"When you open the box, Potter," Morgana said, "You must instantly conjure some of your magical draining chains around him, and link it to your body. It is through this chain that you will be able to siphon off the core's magic, killing it slowly. Are you ready?" Harry nodded, though truthfully he was unsure, "Good."
With two fingers, Harry demanded the trunk opened, the locks no longer needing a key, his occlumency fully under his command, and his command alone. A vile hissing sound rose as the premature looking infant body of the dark lord, one that looked frighteningly reminiscent of the one he had seen in the graveyard, rose from its locked cage. Instantly Harry clapped his hands together, the magic draining chains flying from his body and wrapping around the 'baby' Voldemort. Harry dropped to the ground, clutching his head, screaming as a purple mist of magical aura began to drain from the chains into his body, his own golden glow paling as he took in the magic.
"Hang in there Potter," Morgana said, placing her hand on his shoulder. It wasn't doing much; if the agony his body was facing was at a ten, then Morgana's presence had maybe brought it down to a nine. Harry screamed as more magic had begun to drain itself through the chains into his body. His own golden aura began to flicker and fade, the purple aura becoming all-consuming. The sounds of chains breaking rattled through the air as Morgana severed the connection, placing her hands on Harry's cheeks. "Look at me boy, here is the moment of truth, you need to remember who you are. Remember what makes you, you. You can't allow this 'Voldemort' to consume you, remember what you are, remember who you are."
Harry's body felt as if it was being ripped apart, his warm glow now completely replaced by the murky purple. "Harry," Sirius' voice rang in his head. "You are Harry Potter," Remus' voice echoed. "You're my best friend Rook, even if you are a pain in the ass," Michael's voice called out.
I am Harry Potter, Son of Lily and James Potter, Godson of Sirius Black, Harry repeated the phrase in his mind the golden glow flicking back to life as if someone had just lit a match. I am Harry Potter, and I will kill him, No matter the cost, I will kill him. Harry's golden aura glowed like a burning fire, the screaming of the infant Voldemort rang through his mind as he watched Morgana slam the body back into the trunk.
A satisfied grin rose to the Dark Witch's face as she nodded, "Well done, Potter. If I'm correct, you've absorbed about thirteen percent of the foreign core's magic into your body. Let's see how you feel outside of your mind." Harry's eyes flashed white, his vision instantly shifting to Moody who was sweating a panting hard, his knuckles white from his tight grip on his staff.
"Did it- did it work?" Moody asked in exhaustion.
Harry looked down at his hands, What is this? He whispered, I feel like I'm floating, all of this magic… I feel incredible. Harry flexed beneath the chain, sending his magic out like a shockwave, the chains rattling for a moment before they shattered at his command leaving Moody completely stunned. "Thirteen Percent," Harry gripped his hand tightly, "All this from thirteen percent."
"It will take a while for the siphoned magic to feel completely under your control," Morgana said with a smile, "Maybe a week or so, you'll exhaust far more quickly as your body works to assimilate the new magic into your core, it is the reason I worked so hard on building your endurance. However, there is no denying it," Morgana said with a smirk, "As I look at you, you've grown far more powerful than you were this morning."
"As you grow, your body will become capable of taking in more and more of that foreign core's magic. But be careful, should you overdo it, you'll lose yourself permanently, your core will be the one that is overtaken, and if that happens, not even I will be able to bring you back."
Harry swallowed, nodding in understanding, "Mind you, this was but a small sliver of this 'Voldemort's core," Morgana stated, "Even with full mastery, you will still need to grow your own magic if you wish to face him. But adapting this strength will certainly provide you a significant advantage."
Harry nodded, bowing deeply to the Ghost Queen, "Thank you, Lady Morgana, for your help."
"But of course," Morgana said with a soft smile, "You are my little crow, after all."
(Harry P.O.V)
August, Harry had found it hard to believe just how quickly the months had gone by, but for as quick as they'd come and gone, Harry knew they weren't wasted. That point solidified itself, as with a circular wave of his hand, he caught Moody's bolt of magic in his mid air. Harry spun, keeping the reductor bolt suspended before with a roar, he sent it flying back at Moody.
The grizzled auror slammed his staff to the ground, a shield blocking his own attack as Harry smirked, flicking his wand forcing black chains to rise from the ground. Moody growled, his root now broken by Harry as he snapped, black flames appearing on the ground beneath Moody's feet. Though the season Auror wasn't a push over as with a roar of his own, Harry was sent flying by a powerful gust of mind.
Harry flipped in the air, extended his hand out to grab the flat surface of the stone hill, a sticking charm holding him in place as he fired off two stunners from his wand, dropping to the ground in the confusion as Moody batted his spells away. A gust of wind conjured from his wand steadied his fall before Harry rolled out of the way of Moody's exploding curse.
The Auror smiled at him, a gesture Harry returned. Months ago, dueling against Moody had been hell, but now, things had changed. Moody was a challenge, but no longer did Harry feel so outclassed, the duel had suddenly become fun. Moody smacked his staff down, stone tiles formed from the ground beneath them lifting at his command before spinning rapidly, the Auror smirked before shooting them towards Harry.
Too slow, Harry thought to himself, training under the four times gravity multiplier had done wonders for his speed. He was unsure of how fast those spinning tiles were coming at him in reality, but to his eyes, they were approaching at a crawl. Harry weaved, dodging the first two before slamming his foot down, and flicking his wand upwards creating an earth pillar, blocking the incoming assault. The tile onslaught had no sooner come to a close before Harry launched a counter-attack, the pillar he summoned exploding at the wave of his wand, the rubble floating in mid air as he pointed his wand forward, Moody now on the other end of the assault.
Moody stopped the rocks with a grunt, placing his own levitating charm to the object, rending the momentum meaningless as he dropped the boulders to the ground. "You've certainly grown stronger, boy," Moody said with a smirk, "I think I may be breaking a sweat. But how about we finish this now."
"Fine by me," Harry said, it had been the first words either had started before the duel started. Moody slammed his authentic foot down on the ground beside his staff, the entire ground trembling beneath Harry, as he watched the dust and rock melded together, forming a dragon eerily reminiscent of the fire snake Voldemort had summoned during the last battle they'd had. Though unlike Voldemort, Moody had looked winded, his breathing sounding sporadic from the effort it took the auror to conjure and transfigure a monster like that from nothing but the ground beneath him.
Harry smirked, Well, no better time to try it than here, Harry thought as he opened the palm of his hand, a contained Ventus spell forming between his finger, the wind twirling much like in the manner of the meditation chamber. Harry grinned, the miniature tornado now fully active in his hand. Harry lifted his wand, pointing it towards the wind storm as he whispered, "Tenimago." Instantly, the tornado had become clad in black flames before with a push of his hand, he sent it towards Moody.
The miniature flaming twister whirled towards Moody who chuckled in amusement, sending his dust dragon to stop the newly formed spell before Harry grunted, clapping his hands together around his wand, "Engorgio!" Before his eyes Harry watched with a smile as the miniature tornado grew to the size of the tall trees that line the training fields. Moody's real eyes looked about ready to fall out of his head as Harry jerked the twister forward, the clash of the dragon and the twister earning screams from the frightened people in the small city below that reached their ears.
The sonic roar of the collision caused Harry's ears to ring tremendously, the swelled up dust making it impossible to see. Harry's knees hit the ground, his breath ragged as he heard a similar thud across from him. "What are you boys doing to my garden!" The voice of Morgana called out as the dust vanished, "Honestly you two, I asked for you to keep your duel under control, and I look out of my window and see this giant dust storm!"
Harry didn't say a word, however, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession as he looked at the equal exhausted Auror. "Not bad, boy, not bad at all," Moody said, "A little longer, and I may have actually had to start trying."
"Shut it old man," Harry said with a teasing tone, "You're breathing just as hard as I am. Admit it, I caught up to you."
"I'd go to my grave before I did that," Moody said with a slight grin, "But I can't deny it, you've grown strong… Potter."
Harry smirked as Morgana hovered beside him, "Of course he's grown strong, he was my pupil after all." Harry chuckled as Morgana's eyes widened, "Oh of course, I have something for you little crow," The witch said summoning something that flew from the open castle window, an amulet, though this one was different. The cord was a simple leather string, but it was the pendant that caught Harry's attention, it was that of a crow, its wings outstretched, and a third-eye embedded in the bird's forehead. "This is for you."
"Thank you," Harry said genuinely, the bond he shared with the twisted witch confusing even himself at times, "But uh, what is it?"
"It's a crow pendant that marks you as my student," Morgana began, "But more so than that, it contains a small bit of my magic. It is designed to help guide you in siphoning off more and more of Voldemort's power as your body begins to grow capable of handling more of the core. It will also grant you, and you alone the ability to return whenever you wish. Consider it a reward for your obedience to your mistress' commands."
Harry clutched the crow pendant in his hand, nodding as he suddenly heard his Kneazle meowing furiously as Loki was placed outside with what remained of Harry and Moody's belongings. "I took the liberty of having my thralls clean out your belongings, it's clear with things as bad as they are in your world that you had no time to waste packing. Best to be on your way now, the sooner you can put that pitiful excuses for a Dark Lord that's trying to take my place in history down, the better. I'll see you to the end of my castle grounds, but I can't escort you any further, Merlin certainly was a clever one."
Harry nodded, walking towards his Kneazle who climbed on top of his shoulder, the magically charmed draw-string bag that held all his belongings kept neatly in his pocket. Though Harry had begun to feel a strain pang of sadness as he looked upon the castle that once terrified him. Morgana had put him through hell, even now he wondered if the scars she'd left upon him would ever fade for good. Yet, at the same time, the lady had trained him, had made him strong, healed his wounds with her magic. She fed him, allowed him to bathe, and taught him more about magic than he could imagine.
Morgana was a vile witch, there was no doubt about it, her creation of the blood curse had cemented that in Harry's mind, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to accept that she was a vile person. Amoral and Power Hungry, sure, but in a way, she was a lot like him, and worse than that, she had been sentenced to live that fate alone, forever.
Harry swallowed that thought as he followed Moody towards the castle gates. The ominous magic reeking from the black stones no longer phasing him as he found himself at the open arches that prevented the Dark Witch from going any further. He watched slowly as Moody moved passed through, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, all this time, through all the hell and the help, there was one thing he'd never told the Dark Witch. Moody turned, eying him in confusion before Harry shifted his own back to the Auror in order to face the Dark Witch who'd already begun her ascent back to the castle.
"Lady Morgana!" Harry called out as loudly as his lungs would allow. The Dark Witch turned in confusion, her eyebrow raised as Harry bowed deeply to the Dark Witch, "Thank you for everything! All these months, I owe you a hell of a lot more than what you're asking of me! What you've done for me! I'll never forget it!"
An amused grunt had left Moody's lips as what Harry could only imagine was a soft smile appeared on the Dark Witch's face, "You still are a fool, Little Crow," Harry straightened up as he locked eyes with the translucent witch, "I know you will succeed, Harry Potter. Good luck to you."
(Daphne P.O.V)
It had been nearly a month since she'd lost her wand and ended up in the hospital for treatment. Hospital supplies had become rather limited from the wave of attacks by Death Eaters, and what normally would have taken only a few days to heal, had taken weeks; these injuries included her own. Though in comparison to what she was seeing, her healing leg was nothing to even blink at.
Daphne knew it was bound to happen, eventually these small scale attacks wouldn't have been enough to stir panic for the Ministry, eventually, the Death Eaters would need to do something bigger, and by the looks of it, eventually had finally arrived. Daphne could hardly believe what she was seeing, the entire once well manicured fields of St. Mungos had looked like a warzone as Auror's carried in wounded people, both wizards and muggles under deep sedation.
"Another two from the Millennium Bridge collapsed, find them a cot!" An Auror shouted out, "Woman here! Eight months pregnant! Get her a bed inside ASAP!" Another called out furiously. We can't save all of them, Daphne shuttered as she looked around the damn near piles of injured bodies, "We got more coming, nearby muggle hospitals are completely full, Minister's Orders, do what you can!"
Daphne hobbled against her crutch, her leg throbbing from the pain. Daphne had felt completely useless, she wasn't sure why she had even come, Ollivander had shut down his store in Diagon Alley among rumors of the attack and was only doing house calls now. He'd promised he would get to her before the start of term in a letter she'd received, but even then her new wand was a few days away. She knew she wouldn't be of much help, but she couldn't stop herself, people were in pain and she needed to do something.
"Get her on a bed!" An Auror called out, "Come on, work faster, don't you know who this is!" Daphne's brow furrowed as she looked at the woman being carried in. She was hurt there was no doubt about it, but in comparison to the others around, her cuts and bruises required no immediate treatment. Daphne scooted over, walking beside the cot as the Auror continued, "She's Mrs. Scrimgeour! Yes, Rufus' wife! So get the man's wife a bed!"
"The beds are being reserved for patients in critical conditions, she's welcome to wait here for more available beds, but by the looks of it, the lady just needs a few blood replenishing potions and a nap," Daphne said firmly.
"And who the hell are you?" The auror barked back.
"I'm a trainee here," Daphne said calmly, "And even I can see this woman's life isn't in any danger. So how about you leave the triage to the medical professionals, and get your ass back to the Millenium Bridge to save some more people's lives rather than use this opportunity to get a promotion."
"And who gave you the right to talk back to me like that little-"
"I did," A familiar voice called out from behind her, "And frankly, her assessment is correct, it's disgusting that people like you are here brown nosing while others are dying. So, unless you think you have the right to question my medical judgement, I suggest you get back to doing your damn job."
The Auror disappeared in a cloud of black smoke as Daphne turned around to face the elderly and plump medical witch, "What are you doing here? I believe I specifically gave you orders to allow your leg time to rest. I was unaware that you needed that order in writing, Miss Greengrass."
"I know, but I got the message stating they needed all available medics to report-"
"Yes, all available medics, which you are not one of," Dr. Thatcher said, cutting her off before she sighed. "You have a good heart, Daphne, I know you're trying to help, but you don't have a wand and can hardly stand, you're not helping anyone here. Go home and rest, that medical mind of yours will come in handy once we have the patients in the beds and I need you to be healthy and ready to assist on any surgeries that may come about."
"Yes Ma'am, Sorry Ma'am," Daphne whispered gently.
Thatcher grabbed each of Daphne's shoulders, "I'm not angry with you Daphne, you are doing what you can, but sometimes, the best thing a person can do, is understand where they can help in the most effective manner. Here, I'll get one of these Auror's to escort you home, I saw you give the order to your elf to help retrieve some of the injured, and the floos are at full capacity. You're a strong girl, but I don't want you heading home alone and unarmed, especially not now."
"Rogers!" Thatcher called out an Auror quickly appearing at her side, "This young lady is ready to be taken back to her house, please ensure she gets there safely."
"Of course mam," The middle-aged Auror said with a nod, "That leg injury looks a little dangerous to apparate with, it may be smarter to move by car. Do you live far from here?"
"Maybe twenty minutes?" Daphne said, giving a relatively generous estimate.
"Suppose I have time then," The Auror said with a smile, "Come along, I parked my car a bit off from the Hospital. I know a wizard owning a car seems foolish, but with my wife being a muggle, it would be hard to go about apparating for holidays" Daphne nodded as she hobbled after the Auror, the man's eyes constantly shifting as he assisted Daphne down the hill towards the parking structure. She was thankful for the man's patience given her lack of mobility as they finally arrived at the man's simple black sedan.
"Sorry for slowing you down so much," Daphne whispered.
"Ah don't worry about it," The Auror said waving her off as he stuck the car in the ignition, "Just had a daughter myself actually. Though, when we planned the pregnancy, we certainly hadn't been expecting this storm. Still, showing kindness is important, what comes around goes around as they say." Daphne nodded as the man pulled out from the parking lot, "You know the way to your house I presume?" Daphne nodded, "Good, you'd be surprised with how often I hear a no, us wizards, we aren't great with directions, that's for sure."
Daphne smiled as they pulled out of the garage, the drive seeming relatively peaceful, though the sounds of muggle police sirens blocking traffic sure made life far more miserable. Daphne had begun to feel an air of calm as they drove onto the street where Tracey's house resided. Though that comfort had stopped as twelve figures cloaked in black appeared at the house's door. "Looks like the boy's intel was good." A gruff voice whispered out, "More useful than his father at least."
"Were you expecting company," The Auror whispered, but Daphne shook her head, the Davis Household had never truly held manors, rather very nice houses hidden in plain sight. For someone to know where they lived, it had to be more than coincidence. Daphne watched as the Auror pulled into reverse, but they'd already been had as a blast from one of the cloaked figure's wand blew the car apart, both Daphne and Rogers barely rolling out of the flaming vehicle.
Daphne hissed, shards of glass embedded into her arms and legs as she stumbled to her feet, the Auror racing to her side, his wand pointed out towards the figure as a gentle tremble entered his voice. "I-I know you. You're Silas, Silas Crump. You escaped from the werewolf holding room during the Azkaban breech"
"My reputation precedes me," The werewolf said with a lick of his lips, "I'm afraid reputation doesn't do you the same courtesy. Though the girl beside you, she just happens to be exactly who we are looking for."
"What's that supposed to mean," Daphne growled out, her heart pounding out of control. I need to call Dobby, I need to do something.
"It means that our master is especially interested in you. Anyone who captures you gets promoted to one of the Dark Lord's chosen, though only if you're brought in alive." Silas said, "So boys!" He called out to the gang of cloaked figures, "Which one of you wants a promotion!"
Quicker than the auror could cast a shield spell, eleven stunners had hit the man in the chest, falling him to the ground. Daphne dropped down, reaching for the man's wand only to watch as another cloaked figure called the wood to him. "Well, well," Silas said, "Now that we've got the third wheel out of the way, let's get down to business."
Daphne shot back to her feet, the pain in her leg feeling like it was on fire as she tossed aside her single crutch running from the Death Eater goons. Spell after spell intentionally missed her, sending her body into overdrive. She yelped an exploding charm landing right in front of her forcing her to the ground, freshly applied tar staining her body. She scanned her surroundings looking for a way out, but found nothing but the faces of the masked figures surrounding her. "Boys, do you think that taking a bite out of her would disqualify the Dark Lord's offer?" Silas called out coldly, "I'm starving."
Help me, Daphne thought to herself desperately, I have no other choice, she muttered wrapping her hand around the pendant Harry had given her, "Harry, help me!"
"The Potter boy isn't-," But before the masked man could even finish his sentence, his body had fallen to the ground. A gust of wind formed beneath her as she felt her injured body being lifted into warm and familiar arms. Daphne looked up, her eyes trembling as she saw his face. His features had grown more defined, a new scar donned his cheek, and his hands felt more callused against her back. The feeling of his broader chest was evident against her arm, and the bump of his biceps were clear as day.
"Harry?" Daphne whispered out gently.
The boy didn't respond to her call, only looking up at the man that stood as the ringleader. The wind around Harry had grown cold, his eyes perfectly matching the dropping chill as he glared, his tone gruff and icy, "Now then," He started, "Which one of you bastards is responsible for hurting my Daphne?"