Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Who?
Harry considered that. "The three hundred are civilians," he said.
"True," replied the Colonel. "All of whom can disintegrate a man's head with a word."
Harry had to concede the point. "Then I would say that the side more prepared to do what is necessary would win."
"Correct." Ramsay pointed to the report. "If even half of those people had stood up and fought, the twelve would have withdrawn at best, died at worst."
"So how do we fix that?" asked Harry.
"We don't." was the reply. "But for you, the lesson is this. They walked into that Alley and expected exactly what they got. Thus, they won. Your enemy will expect you to act a certain way, behave a certain way. So, don't."
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The six were bruised and sore when they made it to the Death Chamber. All were on their feet and able to fight, but none were at 100%.
"Potty's going to be in so much trouble!" shouted the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry felt Neville tense up beside him, and placed a hand on his friend's arm.
"Indeed, Mister Potter, Dumbledore would be quite disappointed." came the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy. Harry could almost hear the sneer, moreso now that the masks were off.
Luna had summoned them all with a powerful Accio, not realizing that the death eaters used sticking charms to secure the masks during battle.
Two junior death eaters had found themselves pulled forward, right into the last curses they would ever see.
"And after all of that running and fleeing," continued Lucius, "You still try to play the hero. The Dark Lord expected that, and look - he was right, here you are." Malfoy reached out his hand.
"Give us the prophecy, or I fear you'll come to a sticky end." Another death eater - Crabbe's father, perhaps? - walked over to Malfoy, as if to guard him.
The other five students had spread out around the room, marking the five remaining death eaters. Even now, when they were outnumbered, the death eaters acted as if they had the superior numbers. Did they not realize how many of their fallen fellows would not be getting back up?
Harry's eyes met Hermione's, and she nodded. She had seen him palm a second prophecy. "Alright, Mister Malfoy," said Harry. "Please, just don't hurt us. I'll give you the orb if you promise." He made his voice sound small - no small feat in the echo-filled expanse of the Death Chamber. Slowly, he lifted the second orb. He glanced at the tag, filing the information away for later. It didn't matter now.
S.P.T. to L.E. and A.L. in re James Potter and Harry Potter
The sneer on Malfoy's face told him that the act was working - Harry was still just a kid. "Here!" Harry shouted, tossing the second prophecy above Malfoy's head.
"No!" shouted Malfoy, as he reached up for the orb. Crabbe made a try at it as well. Neither was watching Harry, nor did they see Ron.
Two curses struck Crabbe, taking his left arm off at the shoulder and shattering his ribs. With all eyes on the prophecy, no one noticed him as he bled to death.
Harry summoned Malfoy's boots, causing the death eater to topple. He watched helplessly as the orb shattered on the stone. Spellfire had broken out in earnest, with curses and jinxes flying everywhere.
Harry stepped forward, his wand on Malfoy. The tail end of the prophecy was fading in the noise, but Harry made out "...at the hands of the sons…" before the mist from the orb faded.
No matter. Harry took aim at Bellatrix, sending a Langlock curse her way. With a snarl, she tried to stun him. His shield was ready, but not needed - for someone else had shielded him.
"Wotcher, Harry," said Nymphadora Tonks. Beside her, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were opening fire on the Death Eaters.
Harry's heart sank. "You know it was a trap, right?"
"We know. Voldemort is upstairs fighting the Headmaster and the others."
That got Harry's attention - Dumbledore KNEW?
"Who told you to come here, Tonks?" Harry asked, as he shot more spells at Bellatrix. Ginny was giving her a run for her money, and the mad witch was starting to look worried. Seeing Malfoy on his face didn't help matters.
"Dumbledore, who else?" she replied. That tears it, thought Harry.
Sirius was now engaging with Bella, and their duel was a fierce one. Harry saw one curse that would have sent his godfather through the veil, and shielded it. Tonks was about to move into a better position to help when Harry grabbed her elbow.
"Tonks, who else is coming down here?" Harry asked.
"Just us." She said, unconcerned. "The others have enough to deal with, it sounded like." With that, she slid around the chamber, hoping for a better angle.
A year ago, even, Harry would have raged at the revelation - 'that Dumbledore had known not only what was happening here, but that Voldemort was involved. It doesn't matter how prepared we are,' Harry thought, how dare he send children to do his job? It was one thing to sneak behind his back, but quite another to learn that he knew and approved all along.
Now, though, he had business. There would be time for anger later.
Harry felt it then, the telltale sign of an incoming apparition. Even if they were a friendly, from what Tonks had said there was no way they'd be coming this soon.
So it was likely a death eater. Harry levelled his wand, and bound the wizard as soon as he appeared - the bindings were just in case it was someone from the Order. The cloaked figure fell over immediately, just in time for Luna to silence him.
Another had apparated into the room, it seemed. "Stop!" shouted Lucius Malfoy. "Stop or she dies!"
All eyes went to the blonde wizard, who had a woman by the throat with a wand at her temple. The cloaked woman was struggling fiercely.
The cloak seemed to match the man he had just dropped, which might mean that they were someone else.
Not Order, then, but not death eaters. Who?
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