Parallel

CHAPTER 14: ENGAGING THE DARK FORCES

However, their bliss would prove to be short-lived, for even as the two newly married couples were enjoying their wedding nights, Dark forces (consisting of a handful of Voldemort's most devoted followers, including Bellatrix Lestrange, the killer of Sirius Black, and an equal amount of dementors) gathered a short distance away, prepared to strike. But it was not the right time yet. It was necessary for the pairs to believe themselves safe from invasion, at least for the time being, until the Dark Lord decreed otherwise. Until then, they would wait.

* * * * *

It was only when a sharp pain in Harry's scar awakened him from a sound sleep in his wife's arms that he sensed something very wrong. Dark forces were present in the vicinity of Grimmauld Place, perhaps even Voldemort himself. He hated to leave Ginny, especially after they had shared such a tenderly passionate time together, but as Dumbledore had once said, "There will come a time when one will have to choose between what is right and what is easy." That time seemed to have arrived.

It would not be easy, but it--their cause--was just and right, and it was Harry's duty to be the standard-bearer, whether he wanted it or not. He somehow managed to extricate himself from Ginny's arms and dressed quickly in casual clothes, grabbing his wand from the dresser as he headed out. He met a sleepy but fully dressed Ron, who reported that Hermione was dressing and would be out soon.

"What's going on, mate?"

"Death Eaters," Harry replied by way of explanation. "They're preparing to strike."

"How do you know?"

"I can feel it. Get ready." That was when Hermione stepped up to join them, wand also at the ready, as was Ron's, and the three headed out to face their fate, whatever it turned out to be. However, not to be outdone, Mrs. Ginevra "Ginny" Weasley-Potter had quickly risen and dressed, knowing what must be transpiring, and hurriedly sprinted after her husband, brother and sister-in-law with every intention of joining them, wand in hand, ready to defend all that she loved with her last drop of blood ... which, first and foremost, meant Harry, their child and her family.

* * * * *

Harry's face darkened when he saw that Ginny had joined them as they approached the front door. "No, Gin! This has nothing to do with you. Go back to bed."

"No! I told you I wanted to fight by your side, and nothing you say is going to stop me! And you seem to forget that I have a score to settle with You-Know-Who myself!"

"Gin, it's not that I don't want you with me ..." His voice trailed off.

"Then shut it and let me be with you," she shot back. "What are we facing?" she asked, looking around at her husband, brother and sister-in-law to see who would speak first.

"Death Eaters," Harry reluctantly supplied. "At least half a dozen of them. And about as many dementors. Be careful; they can sneak up on you when you least expect it."

As they stepped outside, the four noticed that Bellatrix Lestrange was heading up the group of Death Eaters, which was composed of the newly escaped Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr., Macnair, and the fathers of Draco Malfoy's cronies Crabbe and Goyle. All carried wands, wearing their Death Eater robes and deadly smiles.

"Bellatrix," Harry spoke, his voice poisonously sweet. "I might have known I'd see you here, particularly after what you did to Sirius." Harry was filled with hatred and an equally great desire to kill this filthy, rotten bitch as mercilessly as she had killed Sirius. Unfortunately, if he gave rein to his feelings, he would be no better than she was.

Just the same, he positively itched to hurl the Avada Kedavra or Killing Curse at her--or better yet, the Cruciatus or Torture Curse--hear and see her screaming and writhing in agony as she no doubt wished to do to him or one of his companions ... if not the Sectumsempra, as he had once hurled at the perpetual thorn in his side named Draco Malfoy. Perhaps even the Imperius, which would give him control over every move she made. He could manoeuvre her like a puppet on a string if he wanted to. Not that he thought she would countenance it, of course--not if she could prevent his doing it--but it was nice to think about.

"Sirius. My dear, dear cousin," she returned, contempt dripping from every word. "I hear he was your godfather, Harry."

"Yeah. So what are you doing here?"

"What do you think we're doing here? We're going to make an example of you once and for all. No one destroys a part of our master and gets away with it!"

"Oh, really? It seems that we already have--and what's more, we're already planning to destroy the others as well ... and then your dear, dear master himself!"

It was Ginny who saw that Lucius Malfoy had pointed his wand at Harry, who was oblivious to everything but Bellatrix. "Harry! Watch out!" she called, pointing her wand at Malfoy. "Expelliarmus!"

Her spell hit the elder Malfoy square in the chest and knocked him flat after throwing him several feet; Harry and the others gave her a surprised look, then returned their icy gazes to Bellatrix. "You deliberately distracted me!" he shot at her.

"Of course I did, Potter. A perfect way to blindside you," she gloated.

"But it didn't work. My wife saw what was coming and prevented it."

"Oh, is this spunky little redhead your wife?" Bellatrix's voice was like poisoned honey as she made the adjective "spunky" sound like an insult. "How sweet! How long has that been going on?"

"None of your business," Harry snapped back. "Now I suggest you think twice about attacking us. I've already informed the Order and they're on their way ... not to mention every Auror in London will be converging on this spot within moments."

"A bluff, Potter," she sneered. "You and your companions are all alone."

"Fine. Believe that if you like." The next thing any of them knew, several pops were heard, indicative of several wizards Apparating into view ... among them Remus Lupin, "Mad-Eye" Moody, and various other members of the Order of the Phoenix as well as several assorted Aurors he worked with, not all of them known to him either by name or on sight.

But that was only the beginning. Moments later, the whooshing of many brooms and further pops indicated the arrival of yet more reinforcements, including that of former members of the D.A., otherwise known as Dumbledore's Army, formed at Hogwarts during the tyrannical regime of former Ministry official Dolores Umbridge. Harry smiled as he noted the presence of Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Angelina Johnson and the Patil twins. Those were all he had the presence of mind to notice, although he was sure there were others present.

"Alone, are we?" he remarked with as fake a smile as he could muster.

"Damn you, Potter. You're too smart, too lucky, for your own good," Bellatrix cursed. "But sooner or later your luck will run out--and that's when I'll get you! You and your entire band of cronies!"

"I can hardly wait," Harry returned with a deadly smile, barely noticing Lucius Malfoy being helped to his feet by two of his fellow Death Eaters. Nor did he notice that a dementor was sneaking up on him from behind, being once again immersed in his conversation with Bellatrix--by her design again, no doubt. "Especially since I owe you big-time for Sirius. By the way, I suggest you never mention his name again. You aren't worthy of speaking it, much less breathing the same air he did!"

"Harry!" This time it was Hermione who called out. "Behind you!"

He whirled around and quickly dispatched the dementor with a Stunning Spell before it could reach him; the others, hovering a short distance away, slunk back a safe distance and waited for their chance to catch the great Harry Potter unawares. But Harry wasn't about to allow that.

"Anyone else care to step up?" he asked, brandishing his wand in a threatening manner. "Just try it. We're ready!" Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ginny beside him, brandishing her own wand in her delicately formed right hand in the same manner, a fierce look on her face and brown eyes blazing with righteous anger at anyone who dared to attack her or her family, particularly her beloved husband.

In spite of himself, Harry had to admire what she had done, dispatching Malfoy with the "Expelliarmus" before he could use any of the Unforgivable Curses on Harry. It seemed that she had already proved herself a valuable ally in battle ... among other things. But those things would have to wait for the moment; they had more important matters to clear up first.

"Very well," Bellatrix reluctantly conceded. "It seems that we are indeed outnumbered--for the moment. But my time will come--and then ... you're mine, Potter! But I'll take care of your companions first so they won't be able to help you."

"Indeed? You intend to do this all by yourself?"

"I will not be by myself then any more than you are now, Potter," Bellatrix spat.

"I'll be right beside her," vowed the younger Crouch, whom Harry couldn't help but think had the look of a psychopath about him. In fact, he wouldn't have been at all surprised if it had been the younger Crouch, a convicted Death Eater, who had conjured the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup in Harry's fourth year, although he had had no idea who had done it at the time.

"I'll take care of your female companions, Potter--starting with your sweet little wife ... not to mention Weasley's little bed-bunny." He darted a glance at Hermione; she mirrored Ginny's glare and pointed her wand warningly, daring him to make a move. "In fact, I shall enjoy showing them what a real man feels like!"

Crouch then leered nastily at Ginny; she gave back an icy glare and continued to brandish her wand at the Death Eaters as if to say, "Touch me, my husband or any of us here and you die by my hand!"

"You'll have to get past Ron and me first," Harry bit out, his tone freezing the very air.

"Oh, we will, Potter. I assure you, we will," Crouch vowed. "It's only a matter of time." Then he exchanged glances with Bellatrix and the forces of Darkness slunk away ... but all of the good forces knew that they would be back--and most likely when they least expected it.

* * * * *

Soon all the Dark forces were gone and Harry looked around at everyone, knowing he owed them all a debt of thanks for showing up so quickly. He could only hope they would do so again when a real battle was looming ... such as when Voldemort himself decided to show up.

"Thanks for showing up so quickly, everybody," he told them as a group.

All smiled and there were murmurs of acknowledgment, but it was "Mad-Eye" Moody who stepped up to Harry. "Congratulations, Potter. Masterfully done."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry smiled after their strong handshake. "I appreciate it."

"Sorry, that wasn't me ... although I wish it could have been, from what I've heard about you," Moody confessed. "From what I understand, you are second only to me at putting Dark wizards and witches into Azkaban."

"Well, I've had plenty of practise," Harry revealed. "Nor were all the tactics, strategies or spells I used learned in school."

"Are you sure you don't need any further help?" Moody asked. "We can stick around for a while if you like, just in case Bellatrix and company decide to try again."

"That might be a good idea, if only to be on the safe side. Just the same, we better put the Order, the D.A. and every Auror within Apparating distance on red-alert."

"Excellent idea," Moody enthusiastically agreed. "We'll be off, then. Congratulations on your marriages, Harry, Ron. Every happiness."

All the others present smiled and murmured similar acknowledgments, then the sound of Apparating and brooms whooshing was once again heard as the good forces (some of them, anyway) departed. Harry noted that most of the D.A. members had remained, along with some of the Order and a few Aurors he knew.

"Well, gang, I think the trouble's over for now. Let's get back to bed," Harry called to his married friends. "Gin ..." She stepped up beside him and he steered her back toward the house and their bedroom. All the same, everyone concerned knew that this had only been a skirmish.

Next time the tactics wouldn't stop with a few dementors and Death Eaters attempting to shoot Unforgivable Curses. People were going to get hurt, maybe even killed in the next confrontation; Harry had to prepare for that ... and he had to prepare his three companions as well. But for the moment, things had settled down.

He, Ron and Hermione shared goodnights at their respective bedroom doors, then Harry stepped into the room he shared with Ginny and turned in her direction upon closing the door. She was already undressing; for a moment Harry was transfixed, enjoying every moment of her impromptu strip-tease. Best of all, he knew it was for him alone.

Ginny moved to the center of the bed and lay down again, her red-gold hair streaming over the pillow beneath her head, her eyes heavy-lidded and her voice sultry. "Come back to bed, luv. We have a honeymoon to finish."

Harry needed no further urging. Within moments he had divested himself of his clothing and joined his wife on the bed, gathering her into his arms and kissing her passionately. After they had happily snogged, then caressed for a while, he lifted her head to face him, a grateful smile on his lips as he rested his cheek on her hair, then gently kissed it, one arm still around her as they lay together. "Thank you for dispatching Malfoy for me, Gin. I might have known he would try something like that."

"My pleasure," Ginny acknowledged. "I told you I would be valuable to you, didn't I?"

"You already are," he assured her. "But it's all the better when you can defend my back as well. And you noticed what that dementor tried to do. That's something you've got to be constantly on the watch for. I can't tell you how many times they've tried it on me." Harry hugged her firmly, then continued. "But I can't promise things will always work out this well. You've got to be ready for literally anything--and Death Eaters, not to mention dementors, are notorious for doing what you least expect ... just when you least expect it."

"Oh, don't worry, my love, I intend to be ready," Ginny assured him with a smile, then lifted Harry's head to face her and moved to kiss him deeply, intent on making him forget everything but her nearness ... and within moments she had succeeded. Not only that, the married lovers remained happily engaged (in more ways than one) for the rest of the night.