Harry stood three feet apart from Daphne. She was in an elegant dress that was a far cry from the specialized dress Natalia wore to draw attention and accent her while she danced. While Harry didn't know all that much about dresses, still, he was sure her intention wasn't the same as Natalia's.
For as much as he loved Fleur and Natalia, neither of them were Daphne. The quiet, hidden observant, and calculating young woman. One who was comfortable in the limelight but preferred to move on the periphery. While Natalia would rapture in the spotlight as she danced, and Fleur delights in conversation while on his arm, Daphne was such that she needed neither to be in the public's eye nor show to everyone that she was his, and he hers.
She wore a simple timeless dress that fit her perfectly. More than nice enough to fit in but not so over-stated as to draw attention. None could look at her and say she was anything less than magnificently stunning but after a full evening, she may not have been a standout in their mind. Yet, Harry doubted that would be the case tonight.
Tonight, she was opening the dance with him. No matter how timelessly elegant she had dressed, she'd be flashy as they danced together to open the engagement party. He'd walked in with Fleur and Natalia on his arms. Without a third arm, there needed to be some equity and so Daphne was getting the first dance as recompense.
And Harry knew this was just the first major event where he'd have these sorts of maddening problems. Being with three girls was going to be tiresome. Balancing their individual needs and wants and somehow trying to figure out his own and then find time for them was going to be a skill set he'd have to develop.
With Horace designing the plan for today, it had been taken care of but he couldn't rely on him for his entire personal life.
Harry shook his head. As much of a nightmare as this was going to be at times… He was still with three incredible young women. Each different in their own right, with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. All gorgeous and politically astute. While there were downsides, there were wonderful benefits too.
As Harry readied himself, stepping forward and offering his hand to Daphne with an exaggerated bow, he took her hand and they stepped toward each other, moving into their starting position.
Harry perfected his posture and lowered his arms into position. He drowned out the faces of those surrounding them and focused on Daphne.
The music began and so did his mental counting. Un, Deux, Trois.
Harry dipped Daphne slightly left, then quickly changed body positions to dip her right.
The same start he'd done with Natalia at the Yule ball. This was a familiar routine he could lead in his sleep.
Hesitation Change, un deux trois un deux trois.
Daphne's Blonde hair flowed.
Fallaway Reverse Slip Pivot, un deux et trois.
There was a grace to their movements.
Double Reverse Spin, un deux trois et.
As much as Harry wanted to focus on dancing… he couldn't.
Open Telemark, un deux trois.
There was another purpose for this event.
Chassé from Promenade Position, un deux et trois.
What better alibi could there be?
Natural Spin Turn, un deux trois, un deux trois.
The minister was here, chatting amicably with Cyrus.
Turning Lock, left, to Promenade Position, un et deux trois.
The Director of the DMLE watching with Jean at his side.
Chassé from Promenade Position, un deux et trois.
The Head Auror stood with her hands clasped and a hint of envy in her eyes as she watched.
Hesitation Change, un deux trois un deux trois.
All of Harry's principal allies were here.
Fallaway Reverse Slip Pivot, un deux et trois.
When Ivan had proposed this, Harry had been livid.
Double Reverse Spin, un deux trois et.
But it had all been too neat, too easy. Suspicions had to be put to rest.
Open Telemark, un deux trois.
As Harry danced away with the beautiful blonde in his arms, attacks were being carried out.
Chassé from Promenade Position, un deux et trois.
Diagon Alley, the Ministry, Hogsmeade, Godric's Hollow, and private homes.
Natural Spin Turn, un deux trois un deux trois.
Innocents were going to die.
Turning Lock, left, to Promenade Position, un et deux trois.
But it had to be done, no matter how much it roiled Harry's stomach.
Chassé from Promenade Position un deux et trois.
The routine was at an end now, the song ending, the opening dance finished. Harry spun Daphne, both their arms fully stretched out as they twirled.
A polite bow from him, a curtsey from Daphne and as the applause broke out, Harry escorted Daphne to her family.
"You danced well," Harry said, squeezing her arm.
Daphne shook her head. "I'm not nearly as good as Natalia or even Fleur."
"It's a good thing I don't rate dancing all that high on the things I love about you," he said, grinning as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.
"It's love already, is it?"
Her words caused Harry to look back at her, the pleased smile said it all. "Are you going to be willing to do the deed tonight?" he said, low and almost under his breath.
"Do the deed?" she said. "Really?"
Harry shrugged. He wasn't about to ask so blatantly and she had hinted that she would like a night with him after the party.
Harry watched as Daphne bit her lip. "I think I've devised a ritual to remove the curse," Daphne said, her voice full of apprehension. "I'll need to be a virgin for it."
Harry barely gave a nod as he kept smiling at those who were watching the pair make their way over to Daphne's father. "As long as it doesn't count for me, I can help."
Daphne didn't get an opportunity to respond.
"Susan had told me you danced well but I wasn't convinced," Amelia Bones said.
"Thanks," Harry replied, shaking her hand. "And thanks for coming."
"It's my pleasure to be here," she said before her eyes drifted to the date on his arm. "Daphne is dear to us and we couldn't be happier for you two."
"Thanks," Daphne said, for the both of them.
"Would you care for a dance, Harry?" Amelia said, offering her hand.
Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Unfortunately I'm on a schedule," Harry said. "Dance with Daphne, talk with her family for a song, dance with Natalia, talk with family and then dance with Fleur-"
"And talk with her family," Amelia said, nodding.
"I'm supposed to dance with others for a few songs after that," Harry gently offered gently in a gentle manner. "First dance after, if you're available?"
"I'll hold you to that," she said, playfully grinning at him.
She turned to speak with Susan and Hannah, who had just joined them and Harry moved toward Cyrus.
"Things have started well," he said, nodding his head at Harry.
"Erm, yeah, they have," he replied, noticing Daphne had detangled herself from his arm. She gave him a quick peck on his cheek and went to speak with her friends.
"I just hope tonight goes well," Harry said, knowing Cyrus would understand the hidden meaning.
Cyrus placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "It might seem tough now but," he said, giving Harry's shoulder a squeeze, "this is for the best, in the long-run."
Harry swallowed and dipped his chin. He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled a deep breath. "I'd better go find Natalia."
Harry began to swivel his head when Cyrus lifted his arm and pointed in the direction Harry hadn't checked yet. "Right there, and she's heading this way," he said.
"Hey," he greeted her.
Natalia stepped right up to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Ready to dance?" Harry asked as she broke off their hug.
"Always."
Harry offered his hand, and he couldn't help but reciprocate her beaming smile.
Harry led them out onto the dance floor, just as the third song was starting, and the two began to dance.
They didn't speak while they danced, not doing any sort of routine Harry knew. They'd enjoyed dancing together many times now and he had begun to learn to read her body's movements to know what to do next. Though it looked as though he was leading her, her subtle movements were initiating his actions.
Harry breathed in and out deeply, Un, deux, trois. Lacroix's voice in his head as he went through the motions. Somehow the familiar mantra was soothing. And even though he was at an event that would have scared him half to death a year ago, and regardless of there being a Death Eater operation tonight, he couldn't help but enjoy himself, lose himself dancing with Natalia.
"Are things okay with your family?" Harry asked, just before he used his right arm to spin her. He pulled her back in and they continued.
"Yes," she said, smiling up at him. "If they ask, I can answer them and it's not an issue. They assume the vow would compel me."
"If you need a place to go, we've got multiple safe houses now," Harry said, eyeing her seriously as he brought her out of a dip to his left.
"Are you staying in one?"
Harry minutely shut his eyes. "I'm where I've always been," he said. "Though I'm working with Horace and Cyrus to find a place of my own."
"A place I can stay with you?" Natalia asked, her doe eyes brimming with hope.
"Eventually, for sure," Harry said, "We are engaged after all. We'll all end up living together."
"Shouldn't that mean we get a say in where we all live then?" Natalia asked, raising her manicured eyebrow while stepping into a perfect Chasse from Promenade Position.
"You will," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "You all will. I'm not going to purchase a large long-term home without all of you involved. Though we'll more than likely buy land and build."
"Don't want to renovate Malfoy Manor?" she said, a teasing smile on her face.
Harry wrinkled his nose and she giggled, not missing a beat as the song came to an end.
"I wish this didn't have to end," Natalia said, almost through a sigh, her shoulders drooping. "I wish we could dance the night away."
Harry broke from the beat and held her tight. "It's going to be tough to balance everything," he said, his voice gentle and caring. "But you'll never need to doubt that I love you."
Harry placed two fingers under her chin and pulled it up. He then pressed a soft kiss to her lips and pulled her in for a hug. "I'd love to dance the night away with you too. But I've got a part to play tonight. There will be many others where we can do just that."
He kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek. "We'll have the rest of our lives."
She hugged him again, hard. "I know," she said, her voice scarcely more than a whisper. "But it doesn't make this any easier to get used to. The last two balls we danced together all night and I dreamed about many more like that."
"So did I," Harry admitted, a lump forming in his throat. "But that's not the life that we have."
Harry pulled Natalia back into time, heading into a final series of moves. "So chin up, we'll make the best of it."
A fire kindled behind her eyes. "I have you," she said, nodding with determination. "And that's what matters."
After the song ended, they made their way over to her family. After exchanging greetings with her family, Harry stood with Ivan.
"You're attending Natalia's performance?" Ivan asked, his deep voice rumbling out.
"Of course," Harry replied. "Is the whole Pavlov family joining, or…?"
"No, just her mother and I," he answered, stroking his chin. "They'll attend others but the timing isn't good for some business ventures."
Harry nodded in lieu of an answer while wondering how true that was.
"You've been busy," Harry commented. "Have some of your other children helped?"
Ivan dipped his head. "None of the financial transactions can be tied back to the benefiting parties," he said, his voice low. "Nothing stymies a financial investigation like bureaucracy and international cooperation."
Harry kept up the conversation, nothing of real value being discussed here in the open, even with privacy charms in place. But it wasn't long until he felt a tap on the shoulder.
"Is it that time already?" Harry said, a smile coming to his face. Fleur held her hand out and Harry took it.
Fleur smiled at him, and after politely greeting Ivan, she directed them to the dance floor.
"I hope you aren't too upset," Harry said, while they gracefully danced together. "Being my third dance wouldn't be your preference."
Fleur squeezed his hand. "I'm dancing with my mate," she said, smiling at him. "My family is here and, in the end, I know I've won."
Harry tilted his head slightly. "You've won?" he asked in faint amusement.
"Of course," she said as if it was patently obvious. "We're all here now but life is coming."
Harry lifted an eyebrow.
"School will end," she began, "Natalia will be off travelling, dancing, and Daphne will be engrossed in politics and business."
Harry chuckled. "Oh?" he said. "And where will you and I be?"
Fleur's smile turned predatory. "You're not one to sit around," she said, tinkling laughter followed her words. "You'll be doing something action-oriented, dangerous even."
Harry chuckled under his breath, the two of them continuing to dance beautifully together. "And where will you be?" he said, not thinking of contradicting her words.
Fleur lifted her chin and her eyes met his. "I'll be beside you, every step of the way," she said. "I'll be the one spending day after day with you, while those two go off and do their own things."
Harry smiled tightly and let them work through a full rotation, un deux trois, un deux trois. He'd wondered how things would go, especially once babies started arriving but it was hard to picture past Voldemort. Things on that front were quiet.
Too quiet.
As the song came to an end Harry finally responded. "I'll be glad you are," he said, squeezing her hand. "We'll see about the rest."
Fleur offered her arm. "You will," she said as they began to make their way to her family.
Just as they were approaching Apolline and Jean, Harry felt a tingle of magic that he shouldn't. Harry shivered as a brief moment of slime flitted across his magical senses.
"Are you alright?" Fleur asked, pausing mid-step to turn toward him.
Harry closed his eyes and focused on his senses. There were a lot of inane spells active in the room, cleanliness, protections, control, but none had the sick feeling he'd had briefly felt.
Had he imagined it?
"I'm fine," he said, brushing it off with a smile. "It was nothing."
Fleur's blue eyes searched him up and down, both hands now holding onto him. "If you're sure…" she said, her voice filled with concern.
Harry took her arm and continued on. He noticed Cyrus and Amelia had made their way over to them and he was glad. After exchanging pleasantries with the Delacours, he turned to Amelia.
"I'll take you up on the dance if you're not too worn out," Amelia said, humour dancing in her eyes.
Harry tilted his head forward and then brought it back up. "Of course," he said, offering his arm as he began to lead them to the dance floor.
Amelia put her monocle away and they began to dance.
"Do you mind if I ask how the progress is with the escaped Death Eaters?" Harry said as they had to break their step to avoid another couple.
She let out a breath. "None re-captured," she said, weariness lurking behind her eyes. "We've had brief skirmishes with them but they hit a target and flee."
Harry pinched his lips together. "The same tactics as last time then?"
Amelia didn't answer, instead, she steered them to a less crowded portion of the dance floor first. "Small continuous hits followed by a large scale operation," she said, her jaw tight.
Harry let the words wash over him. She was expecting what Ivan had planned out and that boded well for them. "I can't help but notice," Harry said, pausing to twirl her, "that this would be the type of target they would love to attack."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "The Minister, three department heads, the most senior staff of the DMLE and the Boy-Who-Lived," she said, chuckling. "You don't say."
Harry laughed lightly along with her, though he couldn't keep his cheeks from burning at her gentle chastisement.
She gave him a reassuring smile. "There are four sets of aurors patrolling," she said. "I don't risk Susan, nor am I permitted to be in public without a large escort."
Harry allowed relief to wash over his face. "Good to know," he said. As he noted the cadence of the song was slowing, Harry began to finish the dance with a flourish. A shuffle, spin and dip would suffice.
With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Harry began. It was funny to think he hated the idea of dancing and had had him so worried. Now, not even a year later, he was the highlight of a party, dancing with the Minister of Magic that he'd helped politic her into her new position.
The song ended and he'd brought Madame Bones out of the dip when he felt it. Spells, multiple spells, fired, the malicious feel blending together, coming from all around him.
He wasn't sure if he or Amelia had acted first but they both moved, throwing themselves to the side as spells fired where they were.
His wand was in his hand before he'd even thought to take it out. Instincts were taking over and he was looking for whoever had infiltrated the engagement party.
His eyes went left and right. His ears were filled with shrill screams of those terrified, fleeing the sudden attack. He was sucking in a breath as he felt more spells incoming. Harry snapped a shield out in front of him and felt Amelia's protections at his back.
His heart was pounding in his chest and he still hadn't seen anyone fire the spells. People were stampeding around, blocking his views and he had to rely on his magical sensing, most of all.
His shield held against the angry yellow spell, decayed, depraved.
His eyes sought his foes but all he could see where thongs of people, running, screaming, stampeding. Just spells firing from hidden enemies.
"Harry," he heard Bones bark at him from behind, "get to the table, now!" Her wand arm was a blur of motion but her off-hand was pointed.
Harry nodded to himself, keeping his eyes alert and senses stretched out. He began to move towards the closest one, planning to overturn it, transfigure it into something more defensive before hardening it against magical attacks, conjuring if more material was needed.
He began to sprint off the dance floor but he saw where they were coming from.
Harry stretched out his arm and snapped off a series of stunners. The bastards were firing through innocent bystanders, obviously not intending to make this a fair fight. He saw three of them take aim at him, and the exposed Minister.
And that was just from one side, with spells coming from all around them.
Where the fuck were the aurors?!
He spared a half-second to look around and saw over a dozen others exchanging spells.
Shit .
Worse, they weren't causing mass destruction, killing anyone for sport, terror, thrills. Whoever had set this up had breached their defences and was targeting specific people. Their tactics made it impossible to send out anything worse than easily countered spells.
Mercifully, he reached the table and it was nary more than a flick for him to turn it to a stone wall, hardened against magic. It wouldn't hold indefinitely but it would pick up the spells he failed to dissolve or shield. He conjured the rest of the stone he needed and charmed it to his needs.
He didn't need to signal Amelia, she had already darted for him. But the Minister hastening to the defensive position, while still out in the open, attracted the assailants like a moth to a flame.
The constant sound of spellfire and portkeys going off were all Harry could hear, not that much was louder than the thump-thump of his heart.
Spells were flying from all around him, his senses were overloaded.
He stood and conjured a wandless shield, directing it with his left hand, protecting his left flank. With his wand, he conjured stone dragons to fly and intercept spells, or take down Death Eaters.
He didn't know what was wrong with him as sweat ran down his face, beading into his eyes. He felt strained, his left flank was taking a beating and no shield could hold out forever, especially a wandless one.
Harry fought to keep his stinging eyes open, a blur of spells was coming for him, though most were coming for the Minister.
Time seemed to slow, though his mind still worked furiously.
He couldn't stop everything when he couldn't fully see and his senses were as blurry as his vision.
There was so much magic saturating the room that he felt as though he was wading through the ocean, surrounded by water with only the nastiest of waves registering as potentially problematic.
Harry bit his lip, the wave of spells came, and he pulled on his magic, reaching down to the very depths of his well of power. Tearing up the floor, he moulded it, shaped it. It took all his will, to grit through this and turn the floor into a wall.
The effort drove him to his knees, the taste of blood filled his mouth, and the sound of the now vertical floor being blasted apart by spells reached his ears.
Yet… it wasn't enough.
His wand hand moved of its own volition, shielding a slew of spells coming at Bones. She was a step or two from diving to cover, her wand was still a blur but there were too many spells incoming, she couldn't shield them all.
But he could do this. The floor would hold yet for a few more critical seconds and he had to have her back.
The effort was herculean, as he rose, his body protesting further magic usage, hurting, throbbing, as if he'd completed a triathlon and then tried to start another right after.
His left hand kept control of the floor, his right kept up shielding spells, diffusing them, and he even managed to snap back a stunner as he stood back up; he just needed a couple of seconds more.
Bones dove into the fortified ring and Harry let himself drop, his overtaxed magical efforts catching up with him. Whatever was left of the makeshift flooring-wall fell, he let his shield lapse and his exhausted body dropped to the floor.
But just as he hit his knees, Harry was blasted forward, a malicious feeling spell smashed into his back, wrath, ruin, decay.
"I got him," a triumphant voice yelled out with glee, "Itty bitty baby Potter," it crowed, cackling with deranged fervour.
Harry felt himself get flipped over, Bones was checking on him, her wand casting diagnostic charms. He groaned and pulled his shirt aside, showing the dragon-scale armour he always kept on. Even tonight, he had insisted that he and his three faincés keep them on, though getting armour that was wearable under their dresses had been a brutal task.
He grinned and chuckled, just thinking that this was the perfect reason for him to win every future argument against them about it.
"Come out, come out, to play, beansy bitsy Bonesy," the same sadistic voice called out. And, now that he wasn't recovering from a spell impact, he recognized it.
Bellatrix Lestrange.
Harry got his head back into the reality of their situation and cast a nifty charm he'd learned. With nary more than a thought, the defensive fortifications became see-through for him, and only him. Until, he tapped Amelia with his wand, adding her in.
Harry could see few were still here. Most everyone had used the emergency portkeys that had been given by him.
There were a dozen assailants in full Death Eater regalia. Harry's fists clenched together as he put together the only way this assault could have happened.
He'd deal with that later.
Harry could see there were aurors, and friendly combatants, like Scrimgeour, Parent, Fleur, Patrice, and even Cyrus.
"Ami, Ami, come out, come out, to playyyy," Bellatrix said, casting a spell to destroy the roof above them.
Harry shielded while Amelia banished the contents towards Bellatrix.
"Little baby Potter can't be saved," she yelled out, cackling. "It's the same slow death dear Edgar suffered. He yelled, screamed and begged in the end."
Harry placed a comforting hand on Amelia's arm. "She's just taunting you, trying to get you out in the open." As far as Harry could see, they were mostly in the center of things. Most of the others hadn't been on the dance floor, leaving them scattered around the edges of the room, bunkered down behind makeshift barriers.
It was clear Bellatrix was in command. While she was trying to engage the Minister, the rest of them awaited, an uneasy ceasefire having occurred. He'd wondered why nobody had gone berserk, trying to avenge him, but realized those closest to him already knew he had armour on, the others were hardened professionals.
"Reinforcements will be on the way," Amelia muttered, looking around.
Harry nodded and he realized he was their best bet to subdue them all. "I'll take on Bellatrix and you assist the others," Harry said, lifting himself up off the ground, tasting blood that had pooled from his tongue.
Amelia shook her head and gave him a scowl that brokered no arguments. "I've fought her to stalemate half a dozen times," she said, her voice adamant and filled with authority. "You stay here, take out everyone you can see, lethal force authorized."
Harry bit his lip and considered the tactical analysis. He was hoping to kill Bellatrix but this was a sound strategy, and arguing against the Minister wasn't ideal.
"Okay," he said, "As soon as you step out, I'll transfigure this into a dome and get to work."
Amelia stood up and jumped over the fortification, she pointed her wand back toward the defensive ring, making it appear that Harry's actions were her own.
"You silenced ickle baby Potter's screams as his skin shrivelled, his organs liquified and blood leaking out his orifices," she said, a sadistic glee to her voice as she sidestepped and eyed Amelia, a manic gleam in her eyes.
"Harry may be dead," Amelia said, shocking Harry and causing others gasping as well. "But you and your despicable cohorts will be dead too. Your master will follow shortly after."
There was a calm surety to her words and she stalked forward, prepared to take on the most feared of Voldemort's Lieutenants. Harry would have taken a moment to admire such a strong leader but it was time for him to turn the tide of this encounter.
He looked around and was pleased by how much fodder he had to work with. He concentrated and began to turn tables into tigers, protected against magic and physical assault. Chairs became miniature dragons and though he was loath to do it, he didn't create any of his minotaurs, they were too conspicuous.
He kept at it, turning tables and chairs into beasts under his command, basic orders to pummel, smash, bite and kill every Death Eater.
The second Amelia had engaged Bellatrix, the room broke out into a brawl. Spells flew from behind barriers, not with paired up duelists but mayhem and potshots at unsuspecting victims.
Harry did his best to ignore bodies dropping, screams and shouts of agony. He kept up his plans and noticed how his creations were swarming the Death Eaters. One tiger got blasted apart as a second used its teeth to rip open the man's chest cavity, blood leaked out, drenching the tiger.
He saw Dragons dive-bombing, ramming unsuspecting Death Eaters in the head, cracking, smashing, breaking their skulls. One dragon had even bit a wand in half, after missing the Death Eater.
From Harry's bunkered down position, what he could see was that the fighting had ceased, save for Bellatrix and an area of the room that was under intense conflagration. Fleur must be in there. Angry flames worked, dark red, with wisps of deadly black flames licking the edges, burning, consuming, turning everything to ash.
Harry was tempted to charge out and make sure Fleur was alright but he'd have to trust her. His creatures were taking care of the Death Eaters, along with the wizards and witches they were supporting.
"When your corpse is ashes beneath my feet," Bellatrix said, throwing a Killing Curse right for Bones, who deftly dodged it.
"Give ickle Susan a tickle," she said, throwing her head back as she laughed, sending a barrage of four spells at Bones, Harry knew from the look of them that each would be an excruciating death if they had landed.
The deranged former Black was a frenzy, launching spells with each movement of the wand, never relenting her pressure on Bones, while Amelia was a sea of calm. Monocle in place as she moved around, shielded, or blocked spell after spell.
Harry knew she wasn't in trouble and debated turning his focus onto checking the others, but Bellatrix was the most dangerous combatant left and she needed to be put down, permanently.
She sent a myriad of spells at Bones, sending them high, low, left, right, curved, and even at varying speeds. If Harry didn't loathe the woman, he might've been impressed at the skill on display, especially for only recently being unincarcerated.
It was time to come out and act. If he gave her an opportunity to act, she could go for larger scale spells, ones he was sure could destroy the entire building.
Harry removed the top of the dome and took a hold of the magic powering his beasts. Those he could see that were not already engaged, he pulled back and set to turn around and attack Bellatrix.
He didn't have to wait, as Voldemort's Lieutenant was now being pressed by Amelia and turned away from him.
Harry jumped to his feet and began attacking with precision. As if she was a target in the Chamber, he kept up a blistering pace, piercing hex after piercing hex. Any hit to a major part of her body would be the end.
But Bellatrix wasn't feared just for her sadistic insanity.
"Naughty naughty, baby Potter," she said after twirling and shielding, dodging or blocking all of his spells, thus far.
Harry kept a level head, working to tag her with a spell or allow an opening for Amelia or his creatures, the ones circling behind her.
Harry kept it up, working as fast as he could ever remember training.
This wasn't the time for any overpowered magic, not when it was just Bellatrix, but he couldn't help the feeling that this was taking too long.
Bones had switched to full offensive mode, throwing all manners of spells, including banished objects, transfigurations, and even some conjured obstacles.
Bellatrix had a delighted grin plastered to her face at this new development. "My Lord is going to make quick work of you, itty bitty baby Potter," she said, cackling as if in ecstasy from the onslaught of spellfire she was under.
It was then that Harry saw the opening. Bellatrix wouldn't be able to keep this up. Her elegant, skilful defence was already faltering, her left foot stumbling.
Harry poured it on, peppering her with spell after spell, ensuring her concentration was kept on just Harry and Amelia.
Harry clenched the fist of his offhand and watched as a half dozen of his creatures attacked simultaneously. Two tigers going for each leg, another trying to aim for her chest and three dragons dove at her, their maws gaping.
Harry didn't let up his barrage, not worried about friendly fire. Even if he destroyed his own creation, stopping might signal her to the attack.
Ten feet became six. Harry whipped off two more spells.
Six became four. The rapid spellfire continued.
Four feet closed to two. Still, Harry wouldn't let up, sending the next grouping directly at where she was.
The dragons hit first. Made of stone and being more than a foot in diameter, they took the wind out of her. Two hit her torso and the third made a glancing glow against the side of her head. While, almost at the exact same time, the tigers all bit into their targets.
Bellatrix let out a blood-curdling scream. Neither leg would be functional, with the tigers' stone mouth audibly breaking her legs, while they tore through muscles and tendons, blood spraying out, leaking onto the floor.
It was the third tiger that did the most damage, having clamped its jaws on her side, the front teeth rending into her stomach and back. When it pulled its still shut mouth free, a mess was made of the falling woman.
But, it wasn't just his transfigurations that made contact. Many of the spells in the air missed, as she fell to the ground, but not all. One of Harry's piercing hexes made contact with her shoulder, her arm flying off in a macabre display that made Harry think back to the spiders.
Unbidden, Harry's hand went to his mouth. Bellatrix was lucky to dodge most of Amelia's spells but one had caught her. A firebrand spell of some sort. Any part of her that had been tagged by it was now black, the skin blackened, molten.
The ghastly smell of blood, gore, charred skin and impending death reached his nostrils. There had been an overpowering stench of fire before but even as he tasted ash in his mouth, the new smells were beyond malodorous.
Harry advanced, jogging towards Bellatrix, maxing out his magical sensing, trying to discern if she had anything left in her.
Amelia stalked forward, warily, her wand out front and her eyes never straying from the downed woman.
Harry caught sight of the grizzled Scrimgeour doing the same.
Harry reached the pitiful sight that was all that remained of Bellatrix, light quickly fading from sight.
She attempted to spit blood at them but only accomplished pushing viscous fluids out, running down her face and neck. Suddenly a malevolent lucidity was seen in her eyes and her lips started to twitch.
It wasn't so much the look that warned Harry but the build-up of unquenchable malcontent, anger and the will to destroy everything in its path.
Bellatrix's lips barely parted. "Fiendfy-"
Anything more was cut off by a spell impacting her face, blowing a hole clean through the middle of it.
Harry's stomach clenched and he followed the spell back to its source. Amelia's hard eyes looked at the destruction she'd just wrought. "There will be no going out in a blaze of glory," she said, her eyes shifting to Harry and then to Scrimgeour.
Harry looked around the room and saw there were still fires raging. Bodies littered the floor, but most were in Death Eater regalia. His eyes caught Fleur's, her shoulders slumped as she let out a breath and let her wand arm drop.
Harry tried to smile at her and gave her a nod.
"The exterior aurors were overrun, ambushed all at once. Two are dead and the rest are at Saint Mungos," Scrimgeour said, from off to Harry's left. "Seven bodies in here with all assailants dead, containing thirteen, including this one." He gave Bellatrix's maimed body a kick with his heavy boot.
Amelia merely nodded, her lips pursing. "Only seven?"
The grizzled Director of the DMLE affirmed his statement. "It turned to a firefight but Potter's creatures turned the tide. I don't think they saw them coming, and those that did only got a spell off before they were taken out."
Harry shifted his weight to his left leg. He wasn't sure he should be here overhearing this but he wasn't going to be complaining.
Amelia opened her mouth but stopped as Stacey Parent came sprinting to them. "Ami, we have reports of at least three other attacks," she said, panic evident in her wide eyes.
"Report," Bones said, barking out the command.
Parent came to a stop and then began. "Diagon, Hogsmeade, Godric's Hollow, and the Ministry Atrium," she said, rattling off the places. "All DMLE personnel were called in and teams have been dispatched."
Amelia took the monocle out of her eye and cleaned the ash and grime off of it. "Rufus, you take whomever you can from here, attend Godric's Hollow," she said before turning to Parent. "Stacey, you take command here."
The woman gave a sharp nod. "And where will you go, Hogsmead or Diagon?" she asked. "And who will you take for protection?"
Harry felt a hand take his, a calming presence press into his side. Her magic was unmistakable, Fleur had cuddled up to him.
"Albus and Hogwarts will have responded to Hogsmeade," she said, letting out a sigh. "I'll be at Diagon, send Kingsley to Hogsmeade and Robards to Diagon if you see him. Any unnecessary personnel send back to the Ministry in case we need to dispatch them elsewhere."
Scrimgeour cleared his throat. "And your protection, Minister ?"
Bones shot him a look of exasperation before she pointed at Harry. "Potter will assist," she said, looking at him for confirmation.
Harry nodded, opening his mouth to verbally confirm but Fleur jutted in. "If 'Arry goes, I go." She said, squeezing his hand.
Amelia looked her up and down. "Harry turned the tide of battle, I can't bring unknowns into a battle zone."
Rufus cleared his throat again. "Ami," he said, drawing her attention. "Four of the Death Eaters corpses are ash, Miss Delacour did more than our aurors."
Fleur gave a haughty sniff, "I am not 'Arry but I train with 'im and Flitwick.," she said, her chin lifted.
"Very well," she said, giving a final glance at everyone.
Amelia stepped out of the pool of Bellatrix's blood and looked around. "You two with me, I'll be side apparating you two," she said, setting a brisk pace. "I'll give you clothes that are standard DMLE wear and when we reach Diagon, if I give you two a command you will follow it."
"We will," Harry said after sharing a look with Fleur. "We have dragonhide armour on, we don't go anywhere public without it on."
It was a blur of activity and Harry hadn't even been sure his adrenaline high had ever dropped off. Bones brought them to her own home, where she suited up properly and passed them DMLE robes. They hadn't been there more than two minutes and they were taken to Diagon.
As they arrived, Harry looked around, seeing wanton destruction. Shops were on fire, packages were on the ground, discarded by their owners. Soot, debris and ash hung in the air. Harry could see multiple bodies lying on the ground, even one or two that were cloven in half.
It only took him a second to take it all in. His keen eyes taking in all the salient details. It looked as though three Death Eaters were pinned down, doing what they could to cause more death and destruction.
There were four aurors in sight, hunkered down, both sides just trading spells, keeping the other side from doing much.
"Potter," Amelia said, barking out the word. "Create your beasts; I want a half dozen for each."
Harry nodded and looked over. There was ample debris, ready to be used. It was easier to transfigure it then conjure. He quickly got to work, not caring what he was changing, anything close that wouldn't give away what he was doing.
Amelia surveyed the situation again and cast a few silent charms. "There should have been six here and two of them were on the rapid-reaction team today," she said, pressing her hand to her temple. "Delacour, disillusion yourself and Potter. I want both of you to attack from here."
Fleur did as she was told and Harry felt the telltale sign of the spell taking effect, the egg-cracking over his head.
Fleur pinched her lips together. "Can I use fire to smoke them out of hiding?"
Bones had been looking out over the scene, more spells were being traded but it seemed a stalemate had sunk in. Only the shops were taking further damage.
"You have my authority to cause destruction as required," she said, giving Fleur a flat stare. "Deadly force is preferred for the Death Eaters."
Harry noticed Fleur's eyebrows knit together but she kept her mouth shut. "Why is that?" Harry asked without tarrying in his tedious task.
"We've interrogated them multiple times in Azkaban," Bones said, pinching the bridge of her nose, her shoulders wearily slumped. "Everything of value they could tell us is protected by magic."
Harry let out a relieved sigh. He should have known Ivan was taking no chances with their part coming out from the testimony of a captured Death Eater. But the worry had been gnawing on him.
He took in a deep breath and then let it out. His largest concern had been the loss of life and he could tell that these raids had been startingly effective. He tried to push it off for now but he could already feel the anchor pulling on his conscience.
"Ready," Harry said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. His breathing was a little laboured but he had a veritable army ready.
Bones looked at the beasts he'd created and he could tell she was impressed. "Wait for my signal," she said. "If I'm discovered making my way to my aurors, let loose."
Bones disillusioned herself and began to carefully trek away. With the smoke and haze in the alley, Harry didn't think she'd be discovered.
Fleur stepped towards him, taking his hand. "I thought Bellatrix 'ad killed you," Fleur said, tears pooling in her eyes.
Harry put an arm around her and pulled her into his chest, keeping his eyes on Amelia's barely visible form. "Amelia said it, she wanted to misdirect them," Harry said, keeping his voice low and quiet. "I'm sorry."
Fleur let out a shaky breath, "I burned them, 'Arry," she said, her voice hoarse as she clutched onto his armour. "I gave into my rage and burned them."
Harry hugged her tightly and allowed his eyes to stray to her face. He wiped the hair off of it and then kissed her. "You killed monsters," he said, looking back at Amelia but his wand hand was stroking her hair. "Did you feel bad for torching the acromantulas?"
Fleur did her best to shake her head but it was pressed into his chest. "Non."
"The spiders didn't know better but the monsters you torched today did," Harry said, continuing to run his hand from the top of her head through the ends of her hair.
Bones was almost to the aurors now, spellfire still being traded, the 'Quality' of the Quality Quidditch Supplies now on fire, or rather what little was left of it.
"I'm proud of your actions," Harry said, kissing the top of her head, "of your bravery," he kissed her head again, "and I'm proud to call you my mate. Never doubt that."
He could feel the tension in her shoulders release but he had to get her focused again. "Amelia is almost there," he told her. "You light them up and my beasts and I will trap them."
Fleur looked up and kissed him. She pushed off him and strode forward three steps, bringing her wand up.
Harry gave the silent command to the dragons to fly up and he already had the tigers creeping forward. They were not behind the Death Eaters but they were in an ideal flanking position, as well as the impediment to an easy escape out of the Alley.
It was anticlimactic really. Upon seeing Amelia drop her charm and lead an emboldened attack, the Death Eaters renewed their own efforts and were caught entirely unaware. Fleur bathed them in a fire that their magic could not extinguish, while Harry's stone beasts darted through it and viciously took them down.
The brutality of the combination left them charred, missing parts of their body, and all of them dead within a minute.
Smoke stung his eyes until Fleur put a bubblehead charm on them. Their refreshing air no longer giving his lungs an issue, the smell offending his nostrils abated as well.
Harry looked at Fleur and she led them towards the aurors once they heard the yell from Amelia telling them it was all clear. But just as they arrived, a huge commotion took place.
Fawkes arrived in the center of the Alley, Dumbledore and a few others showed up, including Remus and Sirius.
Sirius bolted at him, as soon as he saw Harry. "What are you doing here?" he asked, clutching onto him before holding him out at arm's length and checking him over.
"Me?" Harry said, looking at his godfather. "You were supposed to be out of the country, missing my part tonight."
Sirius rubbed the back of his head. "I… was until Fawkes came for me," he said, a sheepish look on his face.
"Mister Potter is here at my request," Amelia said, making her presence known. "He and Miss Delacour provided vital assistance to fend off an attack at the party and I volunteered their assistance to aid me, here."
Fawkes flew in and landed on Harry's outstretched arm. He reached his free hand out and patted the magnificent bird.
"Harry and Miss Delacour have been training extensively with Filius and McGonagall," Dumbledore said, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "I have no doubt they handled themselves admirably, dare I say, better than a certain group of recently graduated Gryffindors." Albus looked at Sirius' a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Sirius released a breath and slumped, giving Albus, then Harry, a strained smile.
"You came from Hogsmeade?" Amelia said, turning to Dumbledore. The man who had just arrived had whispered in her ear stepped forward, to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
"With Kingsley taking control of Hogsmeade, I sent the aurors back to the Ministry," Dumbledore said in a calm manner. "Alastor went to assist as well."
Harry almost chortled when he saw the tick of anger in Amelia's eyes. "Robards is in command here, and I've received word that all raids have been put down," she said before turning to Harry. "I'm in for a long night at the Ministry. Care to join me for a meeting at noon tomorrow, Harry?" She stressed his name and locked eyes with him.
Harry nodded, it would be good to be briefed directly by the Minister.
"Tomorrow then," she said, shutting her eyes after for a moment longer than a blink. With a crack, she apparated.
"If that's all then," Harry said, grabbing Fleur's hand. "It's been a long night and we need to get cleaned up." He shot an apologetic look at Sirius but his excessive magic usage tonight was catching up to him. Plus, he knew Fleur wanted to check on her family.
"If you'd wait but a moment, my boy," Dumbledore said. Robards had just left leaving Harry with just Remus, Sirius and Fleur in the immediate vicinity.
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and sigh. He looked at Dumbledore and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"I'm not sure where you are staying these days," Dumbledore said, a frown marring his face. "But I'd suggest visiting Hogwarts tonight, your fiancé will need you."
Harry's eyes turned to Fleur. Her eyebrows shot up towards her hairline before she narrowed her eyes at the Headmaster. "Pardon moi?"
Dumbledore took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. "Miss Greengrass has lost her father this evening."
The words hit hair like a bludger to the sternum. "C-Cyrus?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Fawkes can return us to Hogwarts and Minerva can set you up for the night, with Miss Greengrass and her sister."
Harry nodded dumbly, hoping this was a lie but knowing it wasn't.
Fleur hugged him tightly, "Go," she said, whispering in his ear. "I'll check on Maman and Papa. You be there for Daphne."
Harry stepped out of the hug and felt Sirius take Fleur's place. He couldn't help but wonder if this was it? This day should have been a great party with the scent being thrown off his camp. But, instead, it'd turned into a battle, with death and destruction taking over from celebrations.
Now, with Cyrus reportedly dead, was this going to be the final ugly twist?
He shook his head as he prepared to leave. How do you even comfort someone who has lost their sole parent? He'd never lost anyone… what was he to do?