Jigsaw

CHAPTER 31

Harry glanced cautiously around the crowded pub, all of them unfamiliar faces. It was strange almost to know that everyone in the room was someone he knew, but didn’t recognise any of them beneath the potion created disguises they wore. Sitting in the most inconspicuous stall in the dirty grimy place Harry waited patiently for his victim to step in through the door. Harry didn’t have to wait long as a familiar blonde strode into the crowded pub, not even flinching at the fact it was only eight in the morning yet the place was packed with seedy characters such as himself. Harry watched as the six death eaters trailed in behind, in the middle of them Snape. For affect the fake crowd acted stunned by the entrance of the death eaters, but went back to their own business, as the regulars at the pub were known to do. Harry schooled his features into a passive gaze as Draco sought him out and sneered as he approached the table Harry was sat at.

“Potter.” Draco looked Harry up and down with disgust clearly not impressed by the wizard’s new look.

“Malfoy.” Harry muttered standing up so that he was at the same level as Draco, not wishing to be at a disadvantage so early in the game.

“Did you bring it?” Draco spat his eyes boring into Harry’s defiant ones. Harry nodded, pulling out the vial Hermione had prepared for him. Draco’s eyes lit up at seeing the bottle and uncharacteristically leaned forward to grab at it, but Harry was quicker pulling the vial away from the blonde who growled angrily. Behind him Harry saw the six death eaters shift restlessly themselves having seen the vial and no doubt wanting the potion to cure their own curses.

“Tut, tut Draco don’t snatch. This is hard to come by, in fact the only one left. Give me Snape first.” Harry mirrored Draco’s familiar smug smirk waiting patiently to see what the blonde would do next. Predictably Draco gestured to the death eaters to let Snape go, however the six of them didn’t obey.

“Draco, if there’s only one…” Harry smiled having predicted to the cracks that would appear in Draco’s plan once the death eaters realised there would only be enough potion for one of them. Draco rounded on the six-cloaked figures his wand drawn threateningly.

“Just let him go, we only need one vial to be able to make more from it.” Draco snapped the death eaters reluctantly releasing Snape. Harry knew that Draco was lying. The blonde wasn’t stupid, he knew that you couldn’t create a potion from another, but the stupid loyal figures believed him. Calmly Severus walked over to Harry who gently pushed him down onto the bench beside him, slipping the already activated portkey into the wizard’s pocket as he did so unseen by anyone including Snape who had his eyes downcast.

“You have what you want Potter, now give me the potion.” Draco held out his hand for the vial and Harry stepped forward the bottle outstretched, however before Draco could get his fingers on the vial Harry dropped it. Draco was too stunned to do anything and with a smug smirk Harry watched as the vial shattered on the floor spilling the crimson liquid onto the dirty stone. The look on Draco’s face was worth all the humiliation Harry had ever suffered at the blonde’s hands. Like lightening Draco’s temper broke and before Harry knew it the blonde had his wand pointed at his temple, its tip hot against Harry’s skin mirroring the rage in Draco’s body. Harry though didn’t flinch and merely smiled sarcastically at the blonde as he heard the portkey activate and Snape disappear to saftey behind him.

“I wouldn’t do that Draco, we out number you five to one.” Harry watched as Draco glanced around himself only just noticing that every patron in the pub was standing, their wands pointed directly at he and his six death eaters. The polyjuice potion was beginning to wear off too, familiar features emerging from the unfamiliar crowd.

“Then I’ve got nothing to lose.” Harry was shocked that the blonde hadn’t given in and barely made it to the floor as he felt the ripple of a killing curse fly past his face. This was an unexpected turn Harry hadn’t predicted.

In the second it took the curse to explode against the wall behind them, chaos broke out. Hexes, curses and spells began flying through the air in a multicoloured light show. Harry however was focused on Draco who was scurrying out of the pub into the cold morning air. Harry was after him like a shot, firing a leg-binding spell to try and prevent the blonde from running. Draco though had seen it coming and expertly blocked it firing a razor curse back at Harry. Harry ducked to avoid the curse, a little shocked by how powerful it was. Indeed Ron had been right, Draco had grown up and so had his magic and skill. Harry continued to pursue Draco up the main street of Hogsmeade curses flying from both their wands. Luckily it was too early in the morning for many wizards and witches to be about so there was little chance of hurting a bystander.

Harry came to a halt breathing heavily as he felt the anti apparition ward around the town shudder. Draco was trying to apperated but Harry knew it was impossible. The ward’s had lasted long enough to let Snape’s portkey through before reassembling themselves preventing anyone from getting in or out of the village. Again Draco tried to apperate but when it failed a second time the blonde turned on Harry who was now only a yard or so behind where he’d stopped. Harry now stood between Draco and freedom, not a good place in Harry’s opinion, especially when the blonde sneered at him.

“Prepare to die Potter.” Harry watched as Draco shrugged off his cloak, immediately taking his preferred duelling position, his wand aimed squarely at Harry’s chest. Harry smiled and took his own preferred stance. The last time Draco and he had duelled was in school, fifth year defence to be precise. They’d nearly killed one another, and brought down the school with them. Back then they’d been fairly equally matched but now Harry had his doubts. A flash through the air signalled Draco had taken the initiative his desperation to get to safety showing in his haste. The curse was well aimed but Harry dodged it, sending one of his own flying towards Draco. For a minute or so they parried back and forth each of them testing the other’s skill.

Yet again though Draco made the first real move and Harry barely missed the killing curse. Sending one of his own answering curses Harry delighted when it caught Draco’s arm the wizard flinching a little but shaking off the curse easily much to Harry’s dismay. Yes Draco was good and Harry was long out of practice. The next curse Harry wasn’t quick enough and the razor curse struck him across his right side sending him flying into the glass front of a shop. Harry recovered staggering from the shattered glass and sending his own variant form of the razor curse. Draco couldn’t block the new curse and it struck him across the face, opening a wound that immediately began bleeding profusely. Harry chuckled to himself despite the fact he could already feel the razor curse beginning to curl up his back, opening more wounds as it moved. There wasn’t time to shake the curse though and so Harry merely watched as Draco wiped the blood streaming down his face with his hand before once again righting himself to continue.

“Even if you kill me Draco, you won’t make it past the end of the village.” Harry called out hoping to defuse the situation. Draco however wasn’t going to give up, and before Harry realised what was happening Draco was running towards him, a unfamiliar curse heading for Harry just ahead of it’s creator. In all his years of training Harry had never experienced the curse that hit him square in the chest. The impact was painful but didn’t seem to have any effect on him. Harry paused briefly to wonder if the curse had even hit him, but when he realised that Draco was approaching him still at a run, he lifted his wand prepared to take the wizard down. The curse that Harry tried to use next though didn’t leave his wand, just as the second and third one he tried also didn’t work. Draco was now on top of him and Harry froze as he realised what the blonde had done. Draco came to a halt in front of Harry who was now on his knees after Draco had cursed him again with a crippling round of Cruciatus. Completely devoid of magic, panting and bleeding Harry stared up at Draco who towered over him. The blonde’s wand was pressed firmly to Harry’s head.

“You’re pathetic Potter. Without them, you would have never have won the war.” Harry glanced sideways fearful as he saw all his friends desperately trying to get through the invisible magical field that Draco had created around the little Alley they’d been duelling in. “Snape knew that, knew you could never do it alone. Why do you think he came and found you? Were you the under the illusion he cared? No. He came and found you to make sure you stayed alive long enough to cure him of the curse that he knew would travel through the mark on his arm. Snape cares for no one but himself.” Harry felt the anger rising in him, the same renewed strength he’d had when he’d faced Voldemort the final time. “Good bye Potter.” Harry felt the world tilt as he stared into Draco’s steel blue eyes, his hand already wrapped around the gun he’d pulled from his cloak. Just as the words of the killing curse left Draco’s lips, Harry pulled the trigger and fell forwards face first into the hard cobble street.

Draco staggered backwards, the curse hitting the wall of the shop behind Harry making the bricks and glass explode in a lethal shower of debris. Despite the pain of the falling bricks and glass however, Harry watched as Draco fell backwards his wand slipping from his grip as his body met the cold hard street. Harry was sure he’d broken most of the bones in his face when he’d fallen flat, the metallic taste in his mouth not a good sign. However Harry go to his knees and pushing off the rubble crawled slowly over to where Draco was writhing on the ground, the blonde clearly having trouble breathing.

For the first time as Harry looked into Draco’s steel blue eyes he saw true fear. The same fear he’d seen in Tom Riddle’s eyes when the wizard realised he’d been beaten. Harry could smell the blood hanging in the air, and merely watched as Draco clutched at his chest where the bullet had ripped through him. Smiling Harry held up the gun, making sure that Draco could see it.

“Muggle invention, ironic isn’t it? Killed by such a simple piece of muggle ingenuity. Say hi to Tom for me won’t you.” Draco was now gasping for air, his body convulsing no doubt on its last legs. Slowly Harry pulled himself up from the floor, swaying a little at the pain that swept over his body. Turning Harry began walking towards where all of his friends were now standing stock still behind the invisible ward. Harry closed his eyes as he approached the ward, silently reaching inside of himself to find the tightly locked ball of magic he knew was there. With a slight hiss and a burn Harry stepped easily though the invisible wall and into the chaos of his frantic friends. Hand’s scrambled to help him but he shrugged them off, continuing to walk towards the end of the village where the anti apparition ward’s ended.

When he got there Harry closed his eyes, ready to apperate but before he could whisper the charm he heard Ron’s voice calling to him. Stopping Harry turned slowly around to see all his friends standing still and staring at him, Ron ahead of them.

“Harry where are you going?” Ron whispered his friend clearly upset. Harry managed a warm smile at the red head, who had been joined by a worried looking Hermione.

“To cure my own curse, once and for all.” With that Harry closed his eyes and with a slight breeze he was gone…

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>