Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, 12/25/1993, 22:18
Voldemort was in his study waiting patiently for Severus to arrive. He was currently seated in front of the fire in one of the comfortable high-backed leather chairs sipping a glass of brandy which had become a favorite pastime of his.
Curled up in a basket in front of the fire was Nagini. His familiar was feigning sleep, but like him, she was anxiously waiting for Severus' arrival. Voldemort looked up when he heard a knock on the door and set his glass on the end table, already feeling the anticipation building in his chest at the prospect of the coming confrontation.
"Enter," Voldemort said in a pleasant tone and watched as the sallow-skinned man stepped into the room.
"You wished to see me, my lord?" Severus asked, his face as emotionless as ever.
"I do indeed, we have a problem that I am hoping we can solve together," Voldemort said as he drew his wand.
"My lord?" Snape asked, his voice shaking slightly.
"There is a spy in my ranks, Severus," Voldemort said in a tone that suggested he was discussing the weather.
"I am not the spy, my lord," Snape said fear flickering across his features as he met the dark lord's gaze.
"I wish that I could believe you, Severus," Voldemort sighed as he flicked his wand, forcing Snape into a kneeling position.
"My lord?" Snape asked in alarm.
"Legilimens," Voldemort hissed as he directed his wand at Snape's forehead.
Voldemort was unsurprised when he wasn't able to enter Snape's mind, the man was quite gifted at occlumency, after all. Voldemort relished the challenge of breaking through Severus' shields, he was confident he would but it could be quite painful for his servant if the man continued to resist.
Voldemort continued to apply pressure to Snape's mental shields, causing his servant to cry out as pain shot through his mind like a debilitating migraine. Voldemort held the connection for a moment before releasing it, noting Snape taking in deep heaving gasps of air as Voldemort cancelled the spell.
"There is no point fighting me, Severus," Voldemort scolded.
"My mind is my own," Snape said stubbornly.
"We'll see for how long, old friend," Voldemort chuckled before directing his wand back at Snape, "legilimens!"
As Voldemort's legilimency probe slammed into Snape's shields like a battering ram, the dark lord was actually impressed with his servant's resilience, Severus was making him work for it and he could respect that. Pushing those thoughts from his mind, Voldemort forced more power into the legilimency probe, causing a thin trickle of blood to run out of Severus' nostrils as the battle of wills continued.
Hours later, Voldemort stood over the quivering form of Severus Snape having more questions than answers after successfully entering his servant's mind.
'Or former servant,' Voldemort amended as he stared down at the broken form of Severus Snape.
Voldemort wasn't pleased to learn that his suspicions were correct, Severus was a spy but not for the Reaper. No Severus had been working with Albus since just after he'd overheard that blasted prophecy. Severus had betrayed him in a futile attempt to protect that Mudblood Potter woman!
Voldemort was most unhappy to learn that Severus had been working against him ever since, feeding Dumbledore critical information, even giving Albus Dumbledore a copy of the memory of his rebirth! It turns out that Albus had known Elphias Doge was under the imperius and had been using it to feed him bad information for years!
That was not the worst of it, when Voldemort had sifted through Severus' mind he found several instances where Severus had been oblivilated so thoroughly that he wasn't able to recover the original memories. This left him wondering what had happened to Severus and why. Voldemort seriously doubted that Dumbledore was responsible for erasing Snape's memory, it didn't seem like something the old do-gooder would approve of.
Unfortunately for Severus, his mind hadn't held up against the repeated legilimency assaults. At present the man resembled someone who had experienced the dementor's kiss and was staring at the ceiling with a vacant expression on his face.
That was all for the better as far as the dark lord was concerned, Nagini preferred live food when she could get it.
Thinking of his servant, Voldemort turned to hosgamiliar who was watching the proceedings with unveiled interest.
§Dinner, Nagini§, Voldemort hissed as he stepped away from Severus who was curled up in the fetal position on the floor.
Voldemort watched his familiar slither across the polished hardwood floor and felt that familiar thrill of anticipation, he'd always loved to watch Nagini feed.
Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, London, 12/27/01993, 14:34
Harry took his seat across from Frank as Sirius took a seat to his right. Tonight was an order meeting and it had all come about because of a conversation he'd had with Dumbledore earlier this afternoon.
Harry couldn't believe that he was thinking it, but he was a bit concerned about Snape. He had gone by Snape's home yesterday evening as promised and had not found him at home. This morning he had gone back again and got no answer when he knocked. Harry had checked at Hogwarts, and when he'd still found no sign of the potion's professor, he'd brought the matter to Albus' attention.
After the attack at Cissa's party, and his suspicions about the attack planned for his own party in a few days, Harry thought it best to bring a few others in on his plans. Though he had already decided that he was going to hold off on telling the group at large the specific location of the attack. It wasn't that he didn't trust the order but he had learned from experience that spies could infiltrate the order and he was going to take the chance of Voldemort learning about the trap he planned to set up.
"Fancy seeing you here, Peverell," Frank said pulling Harry from his thoughts.
"I have a feeling we'll all be working together very soon," Harry said in a tone that emulated Dumbledore's cryptic manner of speaking.
"Sounds like you know something," Frank said, giving Harry a questioning look.
"I just have a gut feeling," Harry shrugged as he heard the door creak open.
Silence fell over the room and Harry turned to see what everyone was staring at. He was a bit surprised himself when he saw Bellatrix making her way towards him with a smile playing on her lips.
Many of the people seated around the table were giving her suspicious looks but she ignored them in favour of taking a seat beside Harry.
"This is a pleasant surprise," Harry said, giving his wife a questioning look.
"If what you suspect is correct, I need to know what the bird club is up to," Bella said not even bothering to keep her voice down.
"Just what we need to liven up this meeting, my violent cousin lurking about," Sirius muttered.
Harry tuned out Bella and Sirius sniping at each other and glanced at his wife. She must really be worried if she had decided to attend this meeting. She had made it no secret in the past about how useless she thought the order of the Phoenix was.
"Any word about Snape?" Harry asked Frank.
"No, we checked his house and it looks like he's been gone for days," Frank admitted as Tonks and Charlie Weasley entered the room.
"That can't be a good sign, Snape doesn't have much of a social life," Sirius said sounding concerned.
"I was supposed to meet him yesterday but he wasn't at home," Harry admitted.
"Well if he did snuff it, we'll never be able to find out for sure," Sirius muttered.
"I thought Amelia had a lead on a spy inside the ministry?" Bellatrix asked, giving Sirius an inquiring look.
"She should be moving against the suspect soon," Sirius said, giving her a warning look.
"Then she may be able to give you a clue about what has happened to Snape," Bella pointed out.
Before anyone could comment, Dumbledore swept into the kitchen looking very agitated. His usually placid features were drawn and his eyes lacked their customary twinkle. He didn't have to say anything for Harry to know that whatever news he had wasn't good.
"Good afternoon, I have some troubling news to share with you all. It seems that Severus is missing and I have to be honest, I fear the worst," Dumbledore announced to the room at large.
"You think Voldemort discovered he's a spy?" Moody asked.
"Yes, I am almost certain of it," Dumbledore said.
"Albus, I know that you're cut up about Snape, but the bigger problem is that we're blind to what the other side is doing," Moody said in his usual gruff tone of voice.
"I am aware but Severus was able to pass al bg a hint of what Voldemort has planned next," Dumbledore said.
"Well?" Moody demanded.
"I believe Harry is better suited to answer that," Dumbledore said as he looked down the table to where the Peverells were seated.
Harry had the feeling of being in a spotlght as every eye in the room focused on him.
"Snape told me that Voldemort has been transporting hundreds of inferi to England for an attack he's planning in the coming days," Harry said deciding to be as vague as possible for the time being.
"Inferi?" Arthur Weasley asked, looking horrified.
"Yes, he's had them in reserve for years according to Snape," Harry answered.
"I hate fucking inferi," Moody muttered.
"I am not fond of them either," Albus admitted.
"Did Severus say where the attack would take place?" Minerva asked.
"No, though he was pressed for time. Voldemort summoned him while we were talking," Harry explained.
"I was planning on asking Severus to cease spying for us after the new year," Dumbledore sighed looking very troubled.
"My sister could have removed his mark," Bellatrix said.
"Like she removed yours?" Malcolm Vaisley sneered.
"You'll never prove it but I do not have a mark any longer, make of that what you will," Bellatrix smirked.
"So what do you plan to do about this attack?" Arthur asked.
"Keep our eyes and ears open and give aid wherever the attack takes place," Dumbledore replied at once, looking pleased for the change of topic.
The rest of the meeting consisted of various order members reporting what they had observed on their assignments. Bill Weasley did have some good news to report, according to him the bank was scheduled to begin reconstruction by the middle of January.
Other than that, there wasn't any new information. Voldemort had been pretty quiet since Halloween and after tge Vampires had been transportes to Mexico, there had been even less for the order observe.
Harry gave Dumbledore a meaningful look after he'd dismissed the meeting. Albus must have gotten the message because he stayed in his seat as the room began to empty. Harry and Bella stayed seated as well waiting paitently for the room to empty noting the curious look Frank gave him as he and Alice left the room.
"I take it you have something else to share, Harry?" Dumbledore asked when the door snapped shut behind Sturgis Podmore who was the last to leave the room.
"I believe that my manor will be the target of the attack I mentioned earlier," Harry said getting straight to the point.
"Why do you believe this?" Dumbledore asked, giving Harry an inquiring look.
"Snape told me that Voldemort was planning an attack for the thirty-first. We are hosting a party on New Year's Eve and Voldemort wants Bella and I dead, it's a hunch but I know that I'm right, Albus," Harry said, meeting the older man's gaze.
"I do not doubt your intuition but why did you not share this with the rest of the order?" Dumbledore asked.
"We don't want him to know we're preparing for an attack and the order has been compromised before," Bellatrix said before Harry could answer.
"You plan to set a trap?" Dumbledore mused.
"I am hoping that this will get him out of his manor long enough to deal with Nagini," Harry admitted making Dumbledore's eyes widen.
"You can enter his headquarters?" Dumbledore asked.
"I can, that was part of the deal for me to transport the Romanian vampires to Mexico. Merula Snyde is a secret keeper and she gave me the secret," Harry answered.
"The order would be glad to assist," Dumbledore offered.
"Then pass along an invitation to our New Year's Eve ball. Invite any member you believe is up to fighting a horde of inferi," Bellatrix said.
"And Nagini?" Dumbledore pressed.
"I believe I know just the person to deal with her," Harry smirked.
"I will make the arrangements, it may be wise to involve the DMLE in your plans as well," Albus suggested.
"We plan on it once Amelia deals with a mole in her department," Bellatrix said.
"Very well, I will pass along the invitations to select order members," Dumbledore promised.
"Oh and make sure they know to leave their children with a sitter, I don't want kids there if a battle does break out," Harry said, giving Albus a pointed look.
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed as he rose to his feet.
"Thank you," Harry said genuinely.
"No, thank you for trusting me with this," Dumbledore said offering Harry his hand.
"I told you years ago, that I have a lot of respect for you, Albus. We may not see eye to eye but we both want the same thing," Harry said as he shook the man's hand.
"I will be in touch to finalize our plans," Dumbledore said giving Harry a grateful smile.
"And I will make the arrangements for Nagini," Harry nodded.
"And Bella will finish planning the party," Bellatrix added.
"It sounds like we have our marching orders then," Dumbledore beamed.
After this Dumblesors left for Hogwarts while Harry and Bella made their way to Malfoy Manor to go pick up the children. Harry felt a sense of accomplishment after the meeting, if things worked out like he hoped then he would never have to plan something like this again, and that would be just fine with him.
Tonks Residence, Reading, 12/28/1993, 22:15
Harry knocked on the door to the Tonks family home and stood there as he heard footsteps inside the house. He was still conflicted about whether this was a good idea but the sad fact was, he didn't have much choice in the matter.
Harry couldn't help but snort when a shirtless Charlie Weasley opened the door looking to be annoyed about something.
"So sorry to interrupt your evening but I need a quick word with my niece," Harry said noting that Charlie's hair was wet, making him think that the dragon handler had just gotten out of the shower.
"She's in the shower," Charlie said as he gestured for Harry to come inside.
"Ah, so that's why you looked so put out when you answered the door," Harry said, giving Charlie a knowing grin.
"Yeah actually, we had just gotten rid of Snyde and we thought we'd get cleaned up," Charlie said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"I believe that Miss Snyde is right there," Harry corrected as he pointed to a tiny bat that was clinging to one of the blades on the ceiling fan over the sitting room.
Charlie looked where Harry was pointing in time for the bat to drop from its perch and spread its wings to slow its descent. About four feet from the floor it began to grow before their eyes, turning into a slender brunette with a pixie cut and sparkling violet eyes. Merula landed gracefully on the floor and smirked at Charlie.
"Good eye, Professor," Merula said giving Harry a wide smile.
"You were going to spy on us, weren't you?" Charlie demanded irritably.
"I came back to get my purse and saw you two running starkers through the house, I was curious," Merula shrugged.
"I see you've gotten the hang of the transformation," Harry mused not even bothering to hide his amusement.
"It comes naturally," Merula admitted.
"Did you know that that one patch of orange hair transfers over to your animal form?" Harry questioned as he gestured to the patch of orange hair on the top of her head.
"No, how could I? Vampires can't use a mirror," Merula pointed out.
"Uncle Harry, whatcha doing here?" Tonks said as she came into the room dressed in her pink flannel pajamas.
"I came here to see if you want to help me take ole no-nose down?" Harry asked getting everyone's attention.
"Of course I do," Tonks exclaimed at once, her eyes lighting up at his words.
"Then I have a job for you," Harry said as he handed her his envenomated dagger.
"What's the job?" Tonks asked as she took the dagger.
"Firstly, be careful with that, it's impregnated with basilisk venom," Harry warned as he watched her taking it out of the sheath.
"Bugger," Tonks muttered as she hastily reholstered it.
"The job is for you to kill a snake," Harry said as he offered her a charmed galleon.
"What's this?" Tonks asked as she took the coin and inspected it.
"That's been enchanted to heat up like your auror badge when I send a signal through this coin," Harry explained as he pulled a second coin from his pocket.
"What snake is she going to kill?" Charlie asked warily.
"A snake by the name of Nagini. She's actually a maladictus," Harry said getting Merula's attention.
"I'm going with her," Merula said at once.
"I was hoping that you would," Harry admitted.
"Going where?" Charlie asked sounding even warier.
"Voldemort's headquarters," Harry answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Wait, you're letting me go to his headquarters?!" Tonks asked sounding incredulous.
"He won't be there when I send you the signal," Harry assured her.
"If Snyde is going, then so am I," Charlie said stubbornly.
"Fair enough but if my niece gets hurt on your watch, I'll feed you to a basilisk," Harry said sounding deadly serious.
"I'll be fine, Uncle Harry," Tonks said, shooting Harry a look of exasperation.
"I'll keep her safe, you have my word," Charlie promised.
"Good man," Harry said after meeting Charlie's gaze.
"So what's the plan?" Merula asked looking amused by their back and forth.
"It's quite simple. When that coin I gave Tonks heats up, the three of you need to go into Riddle Manor and kill the snake," Harry explained.
"With the dagger?" Tonks asked as a look of understanding crossed her features.
"Yes and be very careful with that dagger. If you get so much as a nick from that blade, you'll be dead in less than a minute," Harry warned.
"Right," Tonks nodded.
"Best wear dragon hide gloves when you handle it," Harry suggested, knowing how clumsy Tonks could be.
"Or just let me handle the dagger," Charlie suggested.
"I'll let you three work the logistics out on your own," Harry shrugged.
"We'll be ready, do you have an idea when this is going to happen?" Tonks asked.
"New Year's Eve," Harry admitted.
"Excellent," Tonks said, looking very pleased for some reason.
"Before I forget, this is for you, Miss Snyde," Harry said as he dug a quart-sized glass bottle from his pocket and offered it to the vampire.
"It's not yours, is it?" Merula asked as she noticed that the bottle was filled with blood.
"No, that's from Albus," Harry assured her.
"I need to get the recipe for that potion," Merula muttered as she uncorked the bottle and took a deep drink and sighed in contentment.
"I daresay that shouldn't be a problem if you pull this job off," Harry said, giving her a knowing look.
"I'd kill that snake for fun but for that potion recipe, I'm gonna carve her up real nice," Merula smirked.
"I hoped that would give you some extra incentive," Harry chuckled.
"So I guess that means that I won't make it to your New Year's Eve party," Tonks said as Charlie slipped out of the room to go get dressed.
"No, but if that coin heats up, Peverell Manor is the last place you want to be, anyway," Harry admitted.
"That sounds ominous," Tonks muttered.
"I didn't say it at the order meeting but I'm pretty sure he's planning to attack the party,' Harry sighed.
"Bugger," Tonks muttered.
"Which is why you're on this mission and all of the other youngsters will be with your mother," Harry said as he checked his watch.
"I suppose this is my best chance to see some action," Tonks said.
"From what I saw earlier, you're getting plenty of action," Merula quipped.
"On that note, I'm going home," Harry said before pulling Tonks into a hug.
"Be careful out there or your mother will feed me to a basilisk," Harry whispered into her ear before he turned her loose.
"No worries, Uncle Harry," Tonks said giving him a reassuring smile.
Harry gave her a nod before turning to leave only to be faced with an amused Merula.
"I hope you're coming back with more of this," Merula teased as she took another deep drink from her bottle.
"I will," Harry assured her.
"You were always my favourite professor," Merula beamed.
"Just like all of the other bints in our year," Tonks muttered, earning her a withering glare from Merula.
Harry shook his head in exasperation before he slipped out of the room as the two began to bicker, reminding Harry of his own children at that moment.
He regretted having to bring Tonks in on this but he knew if he didn't include her in his plans, she would end up getting caught up in the battle anyway. The job that he'd given her was crucial to finishing Voldemort off but it would also be much safer than what was going to happen at the manor, but he still couldn't help wishing that he didn't have to involve Tonks in his plans at all.
As Harry stepped into the hallway he met Charlie coming down the steps. It looked like the dragon handler had dried his hair and put on a clean shirt.
"Have a good night, Charlie," Harry said as the other man met his gaze.
"You too," Charlie said as the sound of the two ladies arguing carried in from the other room.
"And I wish you the best of luck with those two," Harry said as he opened the front door.
"It's been like that since Hogwarts, I'm used to it by now," Charlie shrugged before he slipped back into the sitting room.
Harry stepped out into the cold night air noticing that it was starting to snow again and began walking down the street towards the wardline. It was a tad cold out but it felt invigorating. Harry walked in silence noting that the lights were off in most of the other houses in the neighbourhood. It didn't take long before he felt the boundaries of Tonks transportation wards and he came to a stop as soon as he crossed them.
Looking from side to side to make sure no one could see him, Harry turned on the spot and apparated home with a soft 'pop.'
Ministry of Magic, 12/29/1993, 13:24
Amelia made her way down the rows of cubicles passing through the auror section of the DMLE. Walking on either side of her were Kingsley Shacklebolt and Michael Proudfoot, two of her best and most trusted aurors. The three of them were on their way to uncover a spy in this very department and if all went to plan, she would be interrogating the turncoat within the hour.
Coming to a stop in front of a particular cubicle, Amelia found her target seated behind his desk speaking to a dictaquil that was writing a report for his last patrol in Knockturn Alley.
"John, we need to have a word," Amelia said getting the man's attention.
"What about, ma'am?" Auror Dawlish asked, eyeing Proudfoor and Shacklebolt warily.
"A sensitive matter that could pose a problem to ministry security," Anelia said being deliberately vague.
"Yes ma'am, I just need to finish this report up," Dawlish said, nervousness showing on his features.
"I'm afraid that this cannot wait," Amelia said as she nodded to Kingsley.
In the blink of an eye, Dawlish drew his wand and sprang to his feet as he sent a curse aimed at his boss.
Amelia quickly redirected the curse coming at her upward causing the spell to impact the ceiling with a deafening 'BOOM!'
The air was soon filled with dust and the sound of surprised exclamations from those around them as a fight broke out between Dawlish and the three aurors trying to apprehend him.
The fight was rather onesided in Amelia's opinion and it seemed that Dawlish thought so too as he hastily pulled a ministry emergency portkey from his robes and called out, "Escape!"
Amelia was very grateful she had taken the added precaution of raising the advanced transportation wards over the DMLE this morning to ensure he couldn't flee using an auror issue portkey.
Dawlish had a look of surprise on his face when the portkey did not activate but before he could try anything else, Proudfoot's stunner impacted the side of his head and Dawlish collapsed, his wand clattering across the floor as silence fell over the room. Amelia lunged forward and pulled the downed auror's left sleeve back confirming her fears when she saw the jet-black dark mark against the pale skin of his forearm.
"Get this piece of shit into interrogation room four, search him and revive him, I'll be in as soon as I get clearance to use veritaserum," Amelia ordered as she picked Dawlish's wand up from the floor.
Anelia watched Proudfoot and Shacklebot carrying Dawlish's unconscious body toward the interrogation rooms. Amelia waited until they had disappeared around the corner before she turned on her heel and strolled over to the nearest lift, trying her best to prepare herself for a long talk with the minister.
If all went well during this meeting, she would be having an even longer talk with John Dawlish in interrogation room four.
Peverell Manor, Leeds, 12/31/1993, 16:36
Harry was very impressed with how the ballroom had been decorated for the party. Narcissa had really done a nice job and the room was almost unrecognisable. She had brought in a bunch of fairies just like at her Christmas parties and had them flying overhead casting the dance floor in multicoloured lights. There were also golden orbs floating about eight feet off the ground bathing the room in shimmering yellow light. The floor's marble had been polished to a reflective sheen and long acromantula silk tapestries with the Peverell seal and motto were hung on both sides of the room covering the area of wall between each of the Roman-style support pillars that ran down the length of the ballroom. At one end of the room was a podium for the orchestra and next to it was a long mahogany table that would hold drinks later in the evening. Arranged along the walls were dozens of four-seater tables so guests could rest after an extended period of dancing.
Even with all of this space taken up by tables the area reserved for dancing was quite massive and was easily the size of a regulation football field, making Harry wonder how many people Narcissa expected to attend.
Harry was pulled from his observations when he heard the sound of boots clacking on the floor and turned to see Sirius strolling towards him, already dressed in black acromantula silk dress robes.
"Well I think I really pissed him off," Sirius exclaimed as he came to stand next to Harry looking very amused about something.
"Pissed who off?" Harry asked with interest.
"Harry, he is livid that I wouldn't bring him tonight," Sirius said.
"Did you tell him there won't be any children at the party?" Harry asked.
"Yep. He thought I was making it up," Sirius sighed.
"The twins were thrilled when they learned they got to skip attending another formal party," Harry smirked.
"I dropped Harry and Edgar off Amy's brother but Harry was far from thrilled," Sirius said as he looked around the room.
"Any word from Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"He said that he'll be ready if there's trouble but he's worried that his presence here might tip no-nose off," Sirius shrugged.
"He may have a point," Harry conceded.
"Cissa did a very good job," Sirius said as he took in the ballroom's decor.
"Why thank you, cousin," Narcissa said in a cheerful tone as she strolled into the room, a clipboard tucked under her arm.
"Is everything on schedule?" Harry asked giving her a curious look.
"It is. The food is being prepared, the orchestra will arrive at four and the wine should be delivered within the hour," Narcissa said as she consulted her list.
"Excellent, I just took the primary wards down. I believe that Bill is setting up the temporary wards as we speak," Harry said at her inquiring look.
"And I've been supervising," Sirius added.
"You could always help William charge up the temporary wardstones, Sirius," Narcissa suggested.
"I need to stay fresh in case there is trouble later," Sirius said giving Narcissa a meaningful look.
"I hope you're wrong about an attack, I'm sick of these things ruining my parties," Narcissa sighed.
"If all goes to plan, this will be the last time Voldemort ruins anything," Harry soothed.
"If my tapestries get ruined I'll kill the bastard myself," Bellatrix exclaimed as she entered the room already dressed in a flowing purple ballgown.
"I still say we should take them down for the evening," Harry said as he looked at the long tapestries with the Peverell coat of arms that hung on the wall directly in front of where they were standing.
Bellatrix had the tapestries made for this party and Harry would admit that they looked very nice. The tapestries were about eight feet in width and close to twenty feet long with a massive Peverell crest stitched in prominent gold thread on a field of emerald green. Under the crest stitched in black were the words, Dominus Mortis, the Peverell family motto.
"I like them," Bella pouted.
"So do I," Harry admitted.
"Then they stay up for the party," Bella said matter-of-factly.
"Alright, if they get destroyed, we"ll just commission more," Harry sighed.
"They are quite nice, I am tempted to have a set made for Malfoy Manor," Narcissa said sounding amused by their back and forth.
"Did I tell you that Amelia arrested John Dawlish?" Sirius asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject from decor.
"He was the spy?" Harry asked.
"He was, the stupid bastard actually tried to fight Shack, Proudfoot and Amelia," Sirius said with a ahaje of his head.
"Did he know anything useful?" Bellatrix asked.
"Not really, though he did confirm that Snape is dead," Sirius shrugged.
"What?" Narcissa asked her eyes widening in alarm.
"Snape went missing just after Christmas and Dumbledore suspected that Voldemort had killed him," Harry explained.
"I see," Narcissa muttered, her voice sounding much softer than normal.
"He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to spy for the order," Sirius said sounding more subdued than Harry would have expected.
"He did. He is also the reason we are preparing for an attack tonight," Harry said as he heard the 'whoosh' of the floo in the arrival room.
"That will be the wine delivery," Narcissa said as she dabbed at the corner of her eyes.
"Can't have a party without good spirits," Sirius said in an overly cheerful tone.
"If you'll excuse me," Narcissa said sounding more like herself before she left them to go receive the delivery.
"She seemed pretty upset?" Harry said as soon as Narcissa was out of earshot.
"Cissa has been friends with Snape for years," Bellatrix shrugged.
"I do kind of feel bad for him even if he was a snarky bastard," Harry admitted.
"So do I but you're right, he was always a snarky bastard," Sirius snorted as they watched Narcissa leading a line of men in blue robes into the ballroom.
The men were each levitating large boxes filled with bottles of wine and other alcoholic drinks in front of them.
"I don't even want to see the bill for the drinks," Harry muttered, causing Sirius to snigger.
"If it makes you feel better, your trip to Africa last summer easily covered the cost of the ball," Bella assured him.
"That doesn't make me feel better at all," Harry chuckled.
"It wouldn't make me feel better either," Sirius agreed.
"I wonder if having this much alcohol is a good idea considering what we suspect will happen later," Harry mused.
"Cissa already thought of that, there is a stock of sober-up potion on standby in one of the smaller dining rooms," Bella assured him.
"Good or this could be a slaughter," Harry muttered.
The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for the guests to arrive, Harry would admit that he was a bit nervous about tonight both about the party and what he suspected would happen later.
Harry kept busy with preparations in hopes of keeping his mind off of things and it worked to some extent, but he was still a ball of nerves when the first guests started arriving.
Luckily Bellatrix seemed as cool and composed as she always was which helped ease Harry's worries tremendously. As the two of them walked hand in hand to the arrival room, Harry couldn't help but feel lucky to have her in his life.
Peverell Manor, Leeds, 12/31/1993, 18:38
Harry was surprised at the turnout to the party so far. Most of the order of the phoenix had arrived as well as quite a few of the neutral families, and a large portion of the DMLE were also in attendance.
Dinner had just been served and he and Bellatrix had given a short speech thanking everyone for joining them this evening. The couple were currently gliding across the dancefloor, an enchanted spotlight followed them around the dancefloor as they shared the first dance of the evening.
"You look tired," Bella whispered into his ear.
"All this schmoozing gets exhausting," Harry shrugged as the song began to play faster.
"Well you handled yourself very well with the guests," Bella cooed before placing a kiss on his neck that sent a pleasant shiver up his spine.
"You look amazing in that dress," Harry whispered back.
"I look even better without it," Bella purred into his ear.
Before Harry could reply, the song came to an end and the guests began to applaud them.
They both took a bow to the crowd before separating to dance with the guests who were starting to trickle onto the dancefloor.
The next few hours passed with Harry making his rounds dancing with the guests while Bellatrix did the same. Harry did his best to be as charming as possible and thought he had done quite well considering he wasn't fond of socializing like this.
He finally deemed himself ready to take a break when he saw Bellatrix making her way over to the drinks table and he hastened to join her.
"If Amos Diggory's hand had gone any lower, I would have murdered him," Bellatrix said when he came to stand beside her.
"Can't be any worse than dancing with your Aunt Cassie," Harry chuckled as he poured himself a large glass of punch.
"She was a bit forward," Bella conceded.
"So other than Diggory, how has your evening been?" Harry asked as the two of them made their way over to an empty table.
"It's been quite nice," Bella smiled before sipping her wine and sighing in contentment.
"Well I think we've mingled enough, now we can have fun," Harry said.
"Oh?" Bella asked.
"Would you care to dance?" Harry asked.
"I would love to, just give me a moment to finish this," Bella smiled.
"Take your time," Harry said before taking a sip of his punch.
"I notice that Amelia brought a lot of her people along," Bellatrix said as she scanned the room.
"There are even more camped outside," Harry admitted as he fingered the enchanted coin in his pocket.
"Good, the aurors can deal with the inferi so Bella can play with the death eaters," Bella giggled.
"Just be careful, tonight," Harry said as he took her hand.
"I will," Bella promised giving his hand a comforting squeeze.
Harry turned to the dancefloor and spotted Narcissa dancing with Amos Diggory, a look of annoyance crossing her features for a millisecond as his hand dipped toward her bum.
"I think old Amos has had a bit too much to drink," Harry said as he looked back over at his wife.
"I found that out first-hand," Bella muttered, shooting Amos a glare.
"The Gryffindor part of me wants to say something to him but..." Harry trailed off with a thoughtful look.
"But?" Bella asked with amusement.
"But, I would rather wait and see how Cissa deals with it," Harry smirked.
"I hope she curses him in the bits," Bella muttered before draining her glass,
"Well he volunteered to help us tonight and I would hate to run him off," Harry said as he set his empty cup on the table.
"I'm ready to dance when you are," Bella said as she rose to her feet.
"I thought you'd never be ready," Harry grinned as he stood and offered her his arm.
"I expect your hands to roam a bit when we dance," Bella whispered as they stepped back onto the dancefloor.
Harry couldn't fight his grin as the two of them began to waltz, reminding him of the first ball they had attended together that felt like a lifetime ago.
Harry couldn't believe how happy it made him just to hold her in his arms as they swayed to the music. He let the world fade away around him and focused on the feel of his wife's body pressing against his own. At this moment, everything was as it should be.
Peverell Manor, Leeds, 21:59
The fireplace in the drawing room flared up in green flames but no one appeared to step out of it.
Harry Potter looked around the room under his father's invisibility cloak feeling a bit surprised that he'd arrived in the drawing room floo. Usually, during these functions, guests would appear in the guest arrival area which was much closer to the ballroom.
Harry wouldn't normally do something like this but something told him that he needed to be here tonight. Sirius had tried to tell them that this was just another stuffy ball but he had overheard Sirius talking to Amelia about this party. If what he'd overheard was true, then a large-scale battle would be taking place here later on tonight.
Harry could hear music and talking carrying down the hall from the ballroom and weighed his options. He realized it would probably be a better idea to just hang out in here and listen for any signs of trouble. If nothing happened, he could sneak back to Bones Manor and nobody would be any the wiser that he was here.
It certainly seemed like a better idea than going down to the party under his invisibility cloak. If he did that he ran the risk of someone running into him by accident which could cause him serious problems. Harry already knew that if he was discovered, Sirius would send him back to Bones Manor and probably ground him all for the entire summer.
Shrugging, Harry made his way over to a comfortable-looking chair and took a seat deciding he might as well relax. He had barely settled into his seat before a cup of cocoa appeared on the table beside him.
Harry looked around for the source of said magic and saw the back of the Peverell family house elf as he slipped back into the hallway without a word.
Harry eyed the cocoa for a moment before picking up the mug and taking a small sip, sighing in appreciation as he tasted the rich chocolate that seemed to warm him more effectively than a pepper-up potion.
Harry let his mind wander as the music from the party filtered into the room, wondering to himself if he was doing the right thing by sneaking into the manor. Even though he knew with a certainty that he could explain that he needed to be here tonight, he still had a nighling doubt in the back of his mind.
Harry wasn't sure how long he sat there lost in his own thoughts but he was pulled back to the present when the music stopped seconds before he heard what sounded like hundreds of people chanting.
"TEN..."
"NINE..."
'EIGHT..."
"SEVEN..."
"SIX..."
"FIVE..."
"FOUR..."
"THREE..."
"TWO..."
"ONE.."
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Harry had just heard the music begin to play again when a much louder sound cut through the air
'BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!'
Harry was forced to duck as the glass in the windows was blasted inward peppering him with shards of glass as a frigid wind blew into the room making the fire flow cker wildly.
Harry scrambled to his feet and ran to the window trying to look into the distance lawns but the night was so dark he couldn't see anything. Harry squinted and thought he saw movement near the forest when the clouds overhead shifted, bathing everything in moonlight.
Harry felt his blood run cold as silvery light washed over the lawn, Harry saw dozens maybe even hundreds of people staggering towards the house. They all looked so pale and their gate was robotic reminding him of the way a marionette moved, their legs and arms moving in a jerky fashion.
The longer Harry stood there watching them stagger toward the manor, the more people he could see. He soon realized that many of them were too small to be adults. They were too far away to see their features clearly but he could tell that they were pale, really pale making their skin look ivory white in the moonlight. Before they could get too close, a cold snake-like voice sounded over the grounds, bringing the invaders to a stop.
Harry felt his stomach clench in fear as the voice seemed to issue from everywhere at once. The voice was inhuman and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"HARRY PEVERELL, YOU HAVE BEEN A THORN IN MY SIDE FOR FAR TOO LONG. TONIGHT YOU AND EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS YOU WILL EITHER SUBMIT TO ME OR DIE. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO SURRENDER YOURSELF TO ME BEFORE MY FORCES ENTER THE MANOR AND KILL EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!