12 Grim Old Place

Chapter 10
Date Started: 03-06-07
Pairing: Squint Squint. XD VoldemortxSnape again... I might be sick if I keep this up...
Disclaimer: Yep. Don't own them. Wish I did...but nope. The idea wasn't even mine. It was Yami Bakura's. I had thought of something like this... but my idea was a lot stickier so I knew deep down I'd never write it. XD http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/authors.php?no=1296771786

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"It's really amazing that you're able to do that." Remus said pleasantly as him and Snape walked through the front door to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Draco ran from his room yelling, "Harry!" He stopped when he saw who stood before him instead of the Golden Boy of Gryffindor. "Harry's gone! I don't know where he went!"

Remus and Snape exchanged looks before turning to leave the house, Draco following until with a swift movement of robes Snape turned to stare him down. Gray eyes widened and he frowned.

"You're wanted dead... You should stay here."

"You killed Dumbledore... I don't care about Death Eaters... You could get into far more trouble than me..."

"No. I made the vow to protect you for a reason. You're staying here."

"Professor!"

"Stay!" Snape all but barked and with another swirl the potion's master was gone with the werewolf to where ever.

Draco looked to the ground, swallowing back once he remembered he could. Backing slowly away from the door, his eyes eventually rose back up, his breath still hitching painfully in his chest. If anything happened to him it would be all his fault.

***

Harry was tenderly touching the sore spot on his jaw. He hated to think what his aunt and uncle would talk about now. Harry, the problem boy. He must have gotten in trouble. Ran away and got into fights. Horrible boy. They'd be the sympathy of the whole neighborhood. He closed his eyes, pressing his tounge to his cheek, frowning at the dull pain something so simple caused. For being so skinny and almost frail looking Malfoy was fairly strong.

He shivered, feeling a sharp pain shoot across his forehead and focus where his scar was, making him feel slightly light headed. He raised a hand, holding his head steady even though he was standing perfectly still. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes a moment. He should really go back to the house. Not that anyone would care about his scar hurting. It would be getting dark soon.

He paused on the street, looking around and up at the street signs. His frown increased when he noticed that he wasn't sure where he was. He hadn't paid attention as he was walking but had cut down a different street a couple times to avoid a few walkers. He couldn't exactly tell someone he was lost. He probably looked pretty bad. His jaw bruised and his hair obviously a mess. He wasn't dressed in the best clothes. The biggest thing was: He couldn't ask where 12 Grimmauld Place was. To Muggles it didn't exist. To most wizards it didn't exist.

He groaned, moving to sit on the edge of the sidewalk, reaching into his back pocket and holding out his wand. He closed an eye when the large purple, triple-decker bus stopped infront of him.

A boy stepped out, one that wasn't Stan but Harry still instantly knew. Jack Sloper, one of the boys that took over for beaters when Harry and the twins had been kicked off the team. If Harry remembered correctly, he was the one that knocked himself unconscious.

"Hey...It's Harry Potter. What are you doing out here?" Jack paused a moment, looking Harry over. "What happened to your jaw...?"

He lied. "Fell... landed weird." Harry smiled and stood, dusting off the back of his jeans. "Just... out for a walk. Heading by Hog's Head any time soon?"

"O'course. We go by Diagon Alley about twenty times a day. More if the folks are needing it." Jack's hand slid to the rail. "Ready, Ernie?"

Without a second to spare the bus shot off, knocking Harry back and ontop of a lady's owl's cage. The owl flapped it's wings violently and Jack grinned from his spot at the front of the bus while Harry said his sorries then got fawned over by the witch for being the Harry Potter.

Sometimes Harry just wished he didn't look like his father and have his mother's eyes.

***

"Pot-," Snape winced faintly, jerking up his sleeves at the throbbing on his arm and glaring as if that would make the burning stop. Remus was by his side within seconds, frowning.

"He's calling...?"

Snape looked up at the werewolf, who looked honestly worried and sighed sliding his arm out of view. "Yes, go back to the house and contact Minerva. I'll check in as soon as I can."

With a loud crack Snape was gone and Remus turned to run back to the house.

***

The Dark Lord was stomping about the grass, glaring at the mass of men and women collected by him. He seemed unimpressed when the one man he had been waiting for appeared, walking briskly through the crowd.

"Severus..."

Snape nearly turned to return the way he came when he saw the way those pale lips had curved into a pleased smile. He stood his ground, allowing the remainder of a man to come to him. He did and raised a hand to toy with Snape's hair, red eyes watching fondly as Snape steeled over his body to a look of soft and complete indifference.

"The finer details of the plan are coming together. It will be quite a shock. Voldemort bowed his head slightly, sliding his hand from Snape's hair down and over his back, gently leading him to the head of the group where Bellatrix stood, already in her robes.

"I'm sure you'll greatly enjoy the plan... It would be an easy task for only a few of you... I assume the more I send the better reaction."

***

Remus returned to the house to find Draco sitting on the floor, sobbing heavily and clutching his arm. Remus momentarily forgot alerting McGonagall of Harry's disappearance and bent down to the boy to discover that he was crying. He frowned, not entirely sure what to do in this sort of situation.

"It must hurt..."

"It bloody hell does!" Draco spat, red rimmed gray eyes glaring venomously at the werewolf.

Remus leaned back slightly, almost shocked at the reaction.

"It's my fault...."

Remus tilted his head. "Excuse me?"

"That he left... He... I don't even remember what we were arguing about. I hit him and walked away... A few minutes later I came out to make sure I hadn't hurt him and he was no where in the house."

Remus's eyes widened faintly before lightly rubbing Draco's shoulder while the boy began wiping off his face. He seemed to be regaining the usual Malfoy countenance. Remus was almost in awe as the boy collected himself and stood. "Where's Professor Snape...?"

"He left. Not too long ago... cause of the alert. I wouldn't have pictured it hurting for so long, though..."

Draco frowned. "He's probably punishing me. I don't know if he can control who he calls... but it would make sense..."

Remus nodded thoughtfully, not sure if he should touch on the topic when he suddenly remembered.

"I need to alert, McGonagall..." The werewolf looked around, feeling somewhat clueless on how to contact the woman before standing and moving to the living and poking his head out the window.

He whistled and a large black owl swooped down, resting on the window sill.

"Good... you stayed..." He extended a hand to lightly stroke the bird's breast feathers only to be bitten. He winced but ignored it and went about scribbling a letter, Draco watching him from the entryway.

***

The bus rocked and swayed roughly as it turned and weaved through the various cars and down streets. Harry was begining to feel sick and the pain in his head was starting to feel like someone had taken an axe to the top, splitting it right open. His hands roughly clutched the arms of the chair, swaying violently. The bus came to a sudden stop sending Harry face first out of his chair.

"My word, boy... You should be more careful..." The witch said, smiling faintly and extending a hand to help Harry up which he took slowly.

"Seven sickles, Ma'am." Jack said. The witch paid before turning and collecting the caged owl before slowly stepping off the bus.

Within the blink of an eye the bus took off again, sending Harry roughly back against the chairs.

He groaned, his hands once again gripping any part of the chair within reach. His hands were starting to hurt just as he was pitched sideways by the bus taking a sharp turn, barely missing a car. Harry closed his eyes and tried to push the pain and sickening feeling away.

Harry felt himself lurch forward when the bus came to a second stop, falling forward and out of his seat yet again.

Jack laughed lightly but Harry didn't feel as annoyed as he first expected. He stood up and brushed himself off, trying to ignore the feeling of the woman staring at his back. "How much?"

Jack looked back at Ernie for a moment. "Ar"

Jack shrugged. "Fifteen sickles."

Harry paid and waved to Jack and Ernie before heading into Hog's Head, sighing softly before walking through the crowd.

"Harry...! I didn't expect to see you walking around alone..."

Harry turned around and his eyes met a man's chest. He slowly looked up, smiling faintly and trying to think of a quick excuse.

The man's eyes seemed to twinkle slightly before he absently brushed over his gray beard with a few well placed fingers. "Do be careful. Today's not the best day to not pay mind to what's happening around you."

Harry wasn't sure what the man had meant but the man was gone before he could ask. He decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to bother Aberforth when he was working and headed out the other end of the tavern, stepping out into Diagon Alley and adjusting his jacket and walking down the street, his head down. He didn't really want to be spotted and fussed, especially with the bruise. Maybe he could just get the Apothecary maybe he could survive the stentch long enough to find some simple little potion to get rid of the bruise and pain.

If you could bottle love and brew luck why couldn't you buy bruise remover?

He headed into the shop and instantly met with the foul smell of rotting eggs and boiled cabbage. He swallowed thickly and walked in further towards the counter. A shabby looking witch came out a moment later, visually sizing up Harry who was almost a foot taller than her.

"Been hit in the face by a Puffskien? I always knew children shouldn't throw those poor things around. They really can't like it. Just because they don't compl-"

"Do you have anything to get rid of the bruise?"

The witch eyed Harry for a moment before turning to look around. "There are a few things applied to melt the skin off. You wouldn't see that then..." The bell chimed and when the witch turned around Harry was outside.

Doubled over, Harry was panting slightly, looking slightly paler and slowly ducking down the sudden pain of his head and sickness to his stomach was too much.

"RUN!" a wizard yelled at the top of his lungs somewhere down at the other end of the alley. "HURRY!"

Harry lifted his head. In the slowly fading light he saw a large group of witches and wizards start off running. A few of the people standing outside of shops were looking at the comotion. They were running from something Harry couldn't see and a sudden wash of cold hit him like a tidal wave. He heard a sound like a gunshot and saw a few flashes of bright light. He swallowed and backed up slowly towards the wall as the people started running past him. The sounds seemed to be getting louder and flashing more frequent. Harry turned slowly, his eyes fixed on the crowd of people running from the invisible source. Then he saw them.

They were walking slowly, laughing loud enough to be heard over the screams. Harry suddenly felt sick as his eyes took in the pack of wizards. The hooded heads and masked faces left no room for Harry's imagination to think of who they might be. Death Eaters... in diagon alley.

Harry turned to run just as the group seemed to grow and then scatter. Flashes of red were flying all around him and making his hair stand up on end. He ran as fast as he could, watching a few people be hit by spells from behind. With running being the only thing on his mind, he dared to look behind him and missjudged a fallen person, tripping over the body.

When Harry looked down and back, he noticed the witch at once. Madam Malkin. He wanted to scream. He had to get away. Struggling to regain any control of his limbs, he stumbled faintly as he crawled back up to his feet, the screams and laughter melting together in his head. He had to run, that was the only thing he could do. He couldn't stay.

He ran through the crowd, choking back tears and shaking violently. He had to do something. Anything. He felt his body get pushed and shoved from side to side as he ran and was suddenly grateful for any and all physical activity he had ever done in his life to help him have balance. He saw a wizard fall beside him and ran towards the closest shop edge, pausing for a moment.

Death Eaters were running in various directions, sending jets of bright red light in various directions, screaming curses and the occassional stream of green brought an unwelcome burn to Harry's eyes. He closed his eyes and aimed his wand at one of the Death Eaters rushing past, laughing drunkenly.

"Stupefy!" He winced faintly but kept going despite the mass of spells flying around him. He watched the body fall to the ground and kept going.

Harry jerked himself out of the way of a large stream of green that ended up hitting a barrel of some sorts, sending some brown liquid splattering everywhere in the air. Harry didn't want to think about what it might have been as he felt some hit the top of his head and started running again. He raised his wand again but found his voice caught in his throat. He shook his head, willing himself to concentrate.

"Aguamenta!" He didn't hold the spell long enough but it lasted enough to knock a Death Eater off their feet and lose their mask. As he ran by he caught sight of the woman, her long dark hair and distinct looks gave her away instantly. Bellatrix Lastrange.

Though she was beautiful, something about her made her incredibly ugly. Harry turned around and was about shout another spell when a jet of red light passed by his face, ruffling his hair. He fell backwards and when he looked up Bellatrix was gone and Harry stood as quickly as possible without tripping over anything. He mentally cursed himself, running after where he thought that she probably went, his hand gripping his wand to the point his knuckles went white.

He tried to ignore the various spells being yelled around him as he turned around and aimed at a Death Eater about to run past him. "Furnunculus!" The Death Eater stumbled faintly and screamed, turning and scrambling through a few of the running people.

"Potter!" A voice growled but Harry didn't dare look.

A black clad arm roughly grabbed him from around the waist and he looked up, his eyes widening as he saw the skull-like mask. He looked on in horror as he felt the faint feeling that he was being sucked and squeezed into something his body should never fit into, not even the hearing the crack left behind.

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A/N - Was that a good cliffhanger? XD If nobody caught the begining... go back and read the second paragraph... Hint hint. Progress... I'm so happy that people like my story. I honestly wasn't sure how this would all be turning out. Whoo... so far so good, though. I hope this chapter flowed well... I went back and changed a couple things in it cause I felt it needed more. I didn't want it to seemed rushed... you know? This chapter felt like it took forever to start. I debated doing all sorts of things from Harry being followed by a cat and being bitten by a snake to having a run in with Nagini ( we all know that would be painful... ). Then I remembered that I wanted to have the attack happen anyway... so I decided to do that. I hadn't planned on Harry being at the attack... but it worked out quite nicely I think. ^_^ Oh and if anyone was wondering why Stan wasn't in this chapter... I point out that Stan was arrested for possibly being a Death Eater cause he has a big mouth and often boasts about things that will never really happen.

My song inspiration... for the battle and about the bottom 4/5s of the chapter...
A1 - Take On Me

Daft Dear - YES. I was very happy with how the fight turned out.
thrnbrooke - Harry is crazy... The poor boy... He paid, though! XD
arealdeal - Hee... My brother's girlfriend's brother ( that's confusing ) sits in his bathroom to get his neighbors wireless. XD
Yami Bakura - You're so silly... I love you muchly. You never fail to amuse me. :D