Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers

Chapter Eight - The Alamo

Everything was at a standstill. Riddle took a step back from the Death Eaters, his left hand behind to feel if anybody was there. Luckily, or not, they were all together in the middle. His wand out, Riddle stood up straight, staring his enemy directly in the eyes. There was something about the specific Death Eater, thought Tom. There was something that made him remember... remember what? It wasn´t his height, it wasn´t his way of talking, it was the way he carried himself. Thinking back and trying to remember somebody you might know was really distracting Tom and it was definitely not needed at the moment.

"Fine!" said Riddle, "You wanna know what I´m hiding? I´m hiding something that no one should know! Michelle knows... remember..." Michelle suddenly remembered and nodded. "I ain´t gonna join you either!"

"C´mon old buddy... surely you don´t to be killed?" said the Death Eater. "It would pain me to kill you and your friends... though it would please me if I killed Potter..."

"You try to do anything to him and I´ll kick your ass," replied Tom.

"Why? Why protect him? You know you´ll fail. You know why?" Riddle shook his head. "Because you´re a failure."

"How am I a failure?" asked Tom.

There was a sort eerie silence. "Because you know you couldn´t save your friend Lee..."

A sense of shock and anger was suddenly felt. How did this Death Eater know about his best friend Lee? Could he have been the one that had attacked them a while back? It was a possibility... Yes, he could remember it now... But there was still something else. Since he knew what to remember, now he had to remember something else. He could bring back everything that happened with clarity and he knew, he knew, that there was no Death Eater that walked, talked, or even carried themselves like that... There was that guy in the back though, his mind recalled.

"Alright chump, spill the beans. How do you know about Lee?" asked Riddle.

The Death Eater answered but not to his question. He began talking as though a question was never posed. "I could remember that horrible day... There was a lot of shouting, back and forth. An ambush so perfectly placed that not even a well placed informant like you would know about it." Riddle could feel the pairs of eyes fall on his back when "well placed informant" was said. "Of course we knew how well the Department agents were so we needed to have a Death Eater inside the system. The plan worked perfectly though are objective was not accomplished."

"And what was your objective?" asked Harry who was not standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Riddle.

"This doesn´t concern you Potter," retorted an enemy nearby but the Death Eater they were talking to let him speak.

"Our objective, Potter, was quite simple," said the Death Eater. "We had to kill every informant, like Riddle, in order for us to kill you. But our plan was subjected into action before the proper date, therefore Riddle managed to escape with one casualty. That casualty was your friend Lee," he said looking at Tom. "Because of our early ambush the Department knew what was going on and had told all their agents to stop immediately and disappear. All of the agents listened... except Riddle."

"Is it true?" asked Hermione. Tom nodded. "But than... how do you fit in Michelle?"

"Our dear young lady, Miss Beaucherie was just another agent swept from her feet when Riddle involved her with his new operation," answered the Death Eater. "Miss Beaucherie had a choice to leave Riddle and disappear... but she remained and was then on suspected of holding information that could lead to our demise."

"And what information is that?" asked Michelle. "Tom hasn´t told me anything except that we had to keep Harry from getting into trouble."

"And that he has the Dark Mark for being an informant to the Department?" asked the Death Eater.

"Yes..." Michelle said slowly.

Although he had a mask on everyone could feel him smiling behind it. Harry´s mind was now racing with shocking information that he had just learned in the past few minutes. Tom was an informant for the Department? What Department? What did Tom know that he did not? Harry needed the answers but right now there were more important things, like getting out of their predicament alive.

"So you see?" asked the Death Eater to all of them.

"No. But what we do see is someone like you having your ass in Azkaban!" said Ron.

The Death Eater chuckled and said, "You foolish young people, can´t you see that Azkaban is no longer controlled by the Ministry? It´s all part of Lord Voldemort´s control now."

"No shit..." said Riddle. "Who are you?"

"I´m a Death Eater, of course."

"No, what´s you´re name?" asked Riddle. Suddenly he knew who it might be but he was to frighten to accept it.

The Death Eater removed his mask. Michelle and Riddle gasped. A face not seen in years... they were sure it was all just an illusion, something that had to do with the Polyjuice Potion but no, it was real alright. The way he remembered all of the details... it was just too shocking to be true...

"You know you never came back like you said."

"We had to abandon everything you know..." said Riddle.

"Even your best friends? But of course, we are informants and deny anything that might compromise each other," he said. "But I thought you were true to your word? Aren´t you the honest agent that you told everyone? No, I didn´t think so..."

"Listen, it wasn´t to be. Like you said, the operation was blown and we had to abort - " it hit him. "You! You were the one that gave the Death Eaters all of our information! That´s why we never got much from you pukes! It´s because you´re the backstabber!"

"I wouldn´t say that. I would say... informant?" Lee told Tom. "Oh yes, don´t you hear things or dream unusual things sometimes?" asked Lee. Riddle didn´t answer but Lee knew that he did. "You can you got that from me."

"What?"

"On that day, shortly before you thought I had died, I cursed you with my wand. You were too busy paying attention to the fight to notice that I had cast the spell on you. From then on you would dream of things that would eventually drive you into a mental hospital." Tom glared at him.

"You know when I get my hands on you... you´re fucked," Riddle swore.

Lee laughed at his old friend. "You? Get your hands on me? I don´t think so...Uh, Death Eaters? You can have your fun now..." With that the Death Eaters advanced.

***

The quiet forest was suddenly shattered by the sounds of crackling spells and tree splinters being shot all over the place. Riddle´s immediate reaction was to seek refuge in the forest. Maybe there they could stand a chance in defending themselves from the onslaught of Death Eaters. But before they could get there they had to fight there way out. Riddle tackled a Death Eater onto the ground and knocked him unconscious after a few punches. He kicked another in the stomach and made their way clear into the forest.

Their speed was slowed down when they had to run through deep snow. Looking up a head Tom could see an area where the trees had fallen in such a position that they were well protect from all sides. "Let´s take cover over there!" shouted Riddle, "We´ll make our Alamo there!" Ron didn´t know what the word "Alamo" meant so he followed thinking it was something pleasant. Hermione, on the other hand, knew what it was. Tom had set them up in a position where there was no running away. It would be the last man standing.

Tom jumped over the fallen tree and immediately began to unleash an assortment of spells. Harry followed suite, then Hermione, Ron and Michelle. Tom immediately began to give everyone instructions: "Harry, you fight with me! We´ll stop all the Death Eaters we can from this position! Ron, you watch our back! Hermione, you take care of everyone on the left and Michelle, you take the right!"

At once the stranded group of children formed a defence perimeter. This was the Alamo. It would be the last man standing. Ron knew what it now meant and fought hard to make sure there wasn´t going to be one person left, at least not a Death Eater. Ron let loose all the spells he learned from his brothers on the approaching mob of Death Eaters. Suddenly the number of Death Eaters had just doubled. Death Eaters were now apparating on to the battlefield from their hidden location. Bodies were dropping one right after another as they were put to sleep, paralysed, unconscious or killed. Riddle knew enough spells and some of them included spells that could kill a person. It wasn´t just the Avada Kedavra spell that could kill you.

"Where the hell are they coming from?" shouted Ron.

"Who gives a shit!" Riddle retorted. "What matters is that we´re screwed and there´s no way out!"

"Oh I hate this!" Hermione complained after stunning another Death Eater.

"Hermione, I know you hate to hurt people but right now these guys are trying to hurt us!" reasoned Harry. "You can complain later... if we make it- "

CRACK! A spell had hit the tree stump in front of Harry and Tom, sending pieces of sharp wood flying into their face. Harry had only received scratches but Tom had been hit worse. There was blood all over. His face was a mess. Riddle´s face was basically riddled with wood pieces. Although not all of them were lodged into his face, there was sufficient amount of cuts to make him bleed and scream in pain at the same time. He was holding his face in hopes that it would stop bleeding but it was not enough. Harry dropped to his side and tore a piece of his robe and cleaned off the blood from Tom´s face.

"What happened?" asked Michelle.

"He took a hit in the face!" informed Harry. I need you to help him!"

"But what about - "

"Hermione and Ron will take care of them," he said. Michelle agreed and began to work on Tom. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and said, "We´re down two people so I need you guys to double your efforts, okay?"

"Sure thing," they both replied before turning back to the oncoming mass of Death Eaters.

***

"Are you okay?" asked Michelle.

Her head was kept down since there were a number of spells flying over their heads at the moment. Tom was already hurt and they didn´t need another person to be lying next to him.

"Tom, are you okay? Stop moving," she said. Michelle began to tear the right sleeve of her robe and use it as a cushion for his head. Her left sleeve was to clean up his face. After wiping away all of the blood, she noticed that it just kept coming out. Suddenly, a horrific sight since the suspected death of Lee. There was a cut on the side of Tom´s throat. From her perspective it looked small but she knew it must have cut something in order for the excess amount of blood. His face was getting pale and she knew she had to work fast.

"... don´t even bother..." Tom managed to say. "I´m okay... go join the others..."

"No you´re not okay. You´re wounded and I have to treat you," Michelle said. "You´ll be just fine - "

He grimaced. It took all the strength he had left to say: "You´re joking and you know that..."

Michelle knew. His time was up and that was that. Sometimes there are casualties that cannot be avoided. She worked under the cold weather to keep him alive. Her arms were exposed to the cold winter weather, not even her T-shirt could keep her warm. But at the moment her warmth was not a priority. Continually working to save Tom Riddle, it was a loosing battle.

***

"God damnit!" said Harry. "Is there no end?"

Harry unleashed another wave of spells to halt the Death Eater advance. He began to notice that Tom´s voice not heard of from a while and saw Michelle slowly joining the battle. Tears could be seen and the answer to it all was known. Harry knew. He did not see Tom but Michelle´s robe covering his body. Harry cursed to himself. He could feel the tears building up. This was their Alamo. Like Tom knew, the fight would be to the death.

Exhaustion was setting down on all four of them. Ron was couldn´t think straight, his aim was beginning to become poorer and poorer, same thing went for Hermione and Michelle. Michelle was beginning to suffer from the cold weather and was slowly falling unconscious. Sooner or later it would just be Harry fighting for all them.

The battle wore on for another ten minutes. Hope was now gone and the only thing keeping them alive was that they couldn´t die after living this long. They wanted to live more until they were old. Unfortunately, Tom had died and that had seriously dropped their morale. However, Harry wasn´t going to let him die in vein and had kept the spirits up for all of them.

"We´re not going to lose! Keep them back and we´ll be safe!"

Soon there was just to many Death Eaters for them to keep at bay. They were advancing and Harry knew it, the inevitable was going to happen. He prepared for the worst. The only thing left was to fight to the bitter end.

"STUPEFY!"

The sounds of a hundred voices rang into the forest. It was not the sound of defeat but the sound of relief. It was the sound of the cavalry coming to save the battle-worn soldiers. In an instant, every Death Eater that was hit lay on the ground. Those that were not disapparated without a trace. Standing atop were their heroes. The Ministry of Magic, and Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"Need a hand?" asked Seamus.

"Thanks..." Harry said standing up. Suddenly he remembered. "What about - "

"The old guy? He´s okay, just stunned. They used him as bait," explained Seamus. "Figured you guys were in trouble so we got some help before coming to your rescue."

"How´d you know?" asked an exhausted Harry.

"Malfoy. He knew something was up and gave us a scoop. Of course, he didn´t tell us until he knew something was definitely happening."

"Malfoy helped us?"

"You bet. If it weren´t for him you guys would be dead," said Seamus with a slight smile. Just then he noticed that one of their numbers were missing. "Where - "

"Dead," Harry intercepted. "If only - "

"Look, you can´t stop everyone from dying. This was just something that happened... it was - let´s just drop it."

"I can´t," Harry said.

"Listen, I´m pretty sure Tom knew what was coming. He knew you guys were going to win it for him... I mean we did catch the head guy behind all this. Calls himself Lee..." Seamus told Harry. "Harry, I know you can´t undo what happened but you can´t blame yourself for it. You just have to move on."

***

A few weeks later a funeral was held for those who perished in that month. From those who died on the Slytherin plane to Tom Riddle. It was a sombre day; even some of the Gryffindors shed their tears for the Slytherins. Tom, however, was the most missed. They did not remember him well except that he had a strange way doing things. He was different. They also remembered him as the one who died on the cold winter day trying to help keep Harry alive and well. He would be remembered, something Dumbledore had promised those at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was a painting of him on the wall, not the magical ones though, it was a normal painting taken from Michelle´s most recent happy memory of him. His portrait is hung up high in the Great Hall, knowing that he will always watch over those that needed protection.

END

Author´s Note: Well you waited long enough for the final chapter. I decided not to write a sequel so don´t get any ideas that I will. Now I know this story was kind of confusing and I apologize. Throughout writing this fic I had come across many great ideas and when I tried to cram them all in, well the story tends to be a tad confusing. In this final chapter I wanted the story to be done with. I don´t think I will write a sequel however I might write another HP fanfic.