Harry Potter and the Fury of the Elements

Chapter 6: The Fury of the Elements

Diagon Alley was a scene of mass panic and chaos. Several shops were on fire as the Death Eaters fired off Burning Curses, setting them alight. Every few feet, bodies littered the Alley, struck down by the Death Eaters. Hordes of terrified shoppers tried to flee, only to have Voldemort's minions blocking their path. Many tried to fight back, but the Death Eaters were too numerous, too deadly, too disciplined, and had the element of surprise on their side. Harry saw his escorts amongst the Order duelling with them, trying to rally others to fight, to defend themselves, but it was to little avail. Above the Alley, hovering like a demented idol, the Dark Mark rose high in the sky, symbol of the Dark Lord's cruelty and malice.

Harry and his companions sent curses into the Death Eaters, Stunning a few, sending confusion into their ranks. Ducking behind a row of carts and stalls, Harry's mind was whirling with fear. Are the others alright? Turning to Cho, he said, "Cho, Disapparate away from here. Get to safety."

Cho grimaced nervously, sending the Scythios Curse into the face of a howling Death Eater. "No, Harry, I'm not going to abandon you. Not again," she snapped, ducking behind the makeshift barricade.

Harry sighed in aggravation. "Okay, then. Keep your eyes open, and dodge what you can't stop. Bill," he demanded, looking at the redheaded man, "can you signal for help?"

Bill nodded, looking around, examining the mayhem around them. "Fleur, ready the signal." He looked at the two young wizards, his voice terse. "When the signal is launched, we charge through and head to Gringotts. The bank is built like a bunker; we can hold position there, and wait for reinforcements. Ready?"

Cho began to flush with tension and excitement. "Don't worry, Cho," Harry said, holding her hand to comfort her. "It's going to be fine." His heart was fluttering with fear, but he pushed it aside, mentally preparing himself to fight.

Fleur stood, a pillar of determination, pale blond hair rising up as she cast the spell. "ASURYA!" she screamed, sending an orange and red flare into the sky, arching like a comet into the Dark Mark.

With a rush of energy, the Mark evaporated in a ball of flame. Seconds later, as the Death Eaters stood in surprise at the destruction of their symbol, a new one took its place. Red smoke coalesced into wings, talons, feathers, head, and a menacing beak, with luminous yellow eyes glaring at the Death Eaters below. Rising from the ashes, the Phoenix Mark rose in the sky, a guardian spirit eyeing its foes with untold hatred.

"GO!" Bill shouted, firing a curse at the nearest Death Eater, knocking him to the ground. The four charged forward, cutting a path through the scattered Death Eaters with a tremendous barrage of curses.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, stunning a Death Eater who got too close. Beside him, Cho launched a Blasting Curse into a small cluster of Death Eaters, the force of the blast scattering them. Ahead, Harry saw Tonks and Lupin duelling with several of Voldemort's minions, hard-pressed to drive them off.

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Meanwhile, more groups of Death Eaters Apparated into Diagon Alley, intent on killing and torturing all they could find. One particular group, eight in total, fired Killing Curses into the panic of the crowds, laughing as they went. One of their number seized a young women, cowering in terror at the sight of these vicious marauders.

"Well now lads, a plaything for us!" he said, a twisted smile behind the mask. Screaming, she tried to flee, but the Death Eaters pinned her down, one preparing to tear off her robes. They chuckled, seeing her pathetic struggles.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Dressed in his Shadow Hunter robes, sword by his side and staff slung in a pouch over his back, Stormfury stepped forward, eyeing the Death Eaters with a look of disdain. "So, these are the infamous minions of Voldemort. Pitiful."

Pushing the young woman aside, their leader spat on the ground, looking at the Shadow Hunter. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, laughing aloud at his attire. "Going to a costume ball?"

With a quick hand gesture and a sharp syllable, the Death Eater exploded in flames, his body consumed and reduced to ash in an instant. The others nervously backed off from Stormfury, muttering to themselves in fear and shock.

"Who am I?" Stormfury said, readying his next spell, feeling the power of fire at his fingertips. "I am the bane of your kind, the force of nature you cannot tame. TASTE GAEA'S WRATH!" Uttering a final syllable to trigger the spell, Stormfury sent the fire into them, blasting their flesh to scraps, sweeping them away as they screamed, all while leaving the young women unharmed. After a second or two, it was over, the Death Eaters reduced to stains upon the ground. Cloak sweeping out behind him, Stormfury turned to look for more targets.

"Who...what are you?" the young women whispered, her face stained with tears, curling up into a fetal position.

"I'm...unusual," Stormfury replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more Death Eaters to kill." Taking his staff from its pouch, he charged into the nearest pack of Voldemort's followers, hands wreathed in brilliant flames.

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"Keep moving!" Lupin shouted, blasting another Death Eater away.

The Order had found a defendable position around the entrance of Gringotts, taking cover behind conjured barricades and merchants stalls. Herding civilians into the relative safety of the bank, the Order engaged in a massive duel with several Death Eater units, shielding their retreat into Gringotts. Behind them, a group of goblins prepared to close the massive doors, and draw in a series of magical sealbeams. Once they were in place, anti-Apparation and defensive wards would be brought up, preventing the Death Eaters from forcing their way inside. They needed only to hold them off until then.

Lupin moaned in dismay as several more Death Eaters Apparated before them, swelling their already substantial numbers. "Stupefy!" he yelled, catching a Death Eater in the chest, collapsing him. "Stupefy!" Another foe, halfway through casting the Avada Kedavra curse, hit the ground unconscious.

Across the square, Harry, Cho, and their escorts fought to reach the others. Using the spells and techniques they had learned in their training, the two Champions skilfully duelled with the relatively clumsy Death Eaters, blasting them with curses, and knocking them unconscious with quick jabs and kicks if they got too close.

All throughout Diagon Alley, the Death Eaters engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat and duels with arriving reinforcements from the Order of the Phoenix. Fighting hard for their master, the Death Eaters gave their opponents no quarter, sometimes striking them with the Avada Kedavra curse, often controlling them with the Imperious curse and directing them against their friends.

Harry cast another Stunning Curse, ploughing into a Death Eater. Dodging and weaving, he avoided the Killing Curses aimed at him, before launching another stunner.

"Fumbus!" Cho shouted, raven-black hair streaming out behind her, as she hurled the jinx at another of Voldemort's followers. With a sickening squirm, the fingers of his wand hand were transfigured into thumbs, causing him to drop his wand. Screaming in shock and staring at his hand of thumbs, the Death Eater was caught unaware by Cho's next curse, sending him spinning away.

One of the Gringotts goblins delivered a report to Lupin. "The doors will be closing soon, sir," the goblin said, shooing some civilians inside. "Everyone must be inside at that point. Once they are closed, the bank will not open them until the danger has passed."

Lupin growled in dismay. "You'll need to give us more time, Griphook!" he snapped, seeing Harry and Cho battling outside. "There are still more people out there!"

Griphook looked at Lupin with a sour expression. "Three minutes more, sir."

Cursing goblins, Death Eaters, and life in general, Lupin shouted, "Harry! Three minutes! Move it!"

"Damn," Harry swore, feeling the energies of Gryffindor writhing inside him. Turning around, he saw Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the other Gryffindors running towards him, firing curses at the Death Eaters. "Harry!" Hermione called, conjuring a Shield Charm, "are you all right?"

"Yes. Now go! Into Gringotts! Hurry!" Harry shouted, pointing towards the bank.

"What about you two?" Neville asked, hitting a Death Eater with an Impediment Jinx.

"We'll cover you," Harry replied, becoming impatient. "Now GO!"

As the Gryffindors bolted for the entrance, a cry rang out. Ron, lagging behind the others, was hit with a Cruciatus Curse, falling to the ground in agony. Standing above him, two Death Eaters chuckled manically, taunting Harry's fallen friend.

"RON!" Hermione and Bill shouted, moving to defend him.

But Harry was faster. Running forward, he leapt into front of Ron's body, wracked in pain on the cobblestones. "Bludgeous!" he cried, casting the Projectile Hex. A large black sphere, the size of a Bludger, slammed the first Death Eater in the ribs, impacting with a sickening crunch. He fell, but his partner moved beside him, ready to kill the two students who dared resist them.

"Bludgeous!" Harry yelled, sending another sphere towards the Death Eater. Skilfully dodging the hex, the Death Eater turned towards Harry, his eyes reflecting utter hatred towards the Boy-who-Lived. "The Dark Lord will reward me greatly for this, Mr. Potter," the Death Eater said, raising his wand. "Avad-"

"Bludgeous!" The hex smashed into the back of the Death Eater's skull with incredible force, catapulting him away. Standing behind him, Cho grinned, moving to help the two Gryffindors. "Are you alright, Ron?"

Ron winced, holding his head. "Yep, I'm fine. We should go."

Harry motioned to Bill and Fleur. "Here, carry him. Hurry!"

Ancient hinges creaked to life once more, as the massive doors of Gringotts began to close, slowly but surely, sealing the bank from the outside world.

"HARRY! MOVE!" Lupin screamed, ushering members of the Order inside. "RUN!"

With Bill and Fleur assisting the injured Weasley, Harry and Cho fired curses, clearing a path to their goal. Thirty yards, then twenty yards, then...

A massive club sailed through the air, landing several feet before them, the impact knocking them backwards. Harry's jaw dropped in horror as he saw what threw the club. Trolls. Six trolls, storming towards him, each step shaking the ground, menacing grins on their lumpy faces, snorting and growling as they smashed aside civilians, Death Eaters and members of the Order in an orgy of mayhem. Kicking a Death Eater away like a football, the first troll raised his club, preparing to crush the Boy-who-Lived into a bloody paste.

"Scythios!" Harry shouted, slashing the troll across the chest before rolling away, as the club smashed the ground where he had been a moment ago. "Scythios!" he cried again, drawing another large cut in its thick, rubbery skin. "GO!" Harry screamed, gesturing the others away. Still carrying Ron, Bill and Fleur rushed inside Gringotts, as Lupin shouted at Harry.

Grabbing Cho's hand, Harry ran towards Gringotts, to find the trolls blocking their path at every turn, clubs whistling overhead in great arcs. Harry dove through a gap between a troll's legs, only to find another in front of him.

"Stupefy!" Cho shouted, hitting the troll in the head. Taken unawares, the brute staggered back a step. "Stupefy!" Another curse hit, with little effect. Shaking his head, the troll raised his club, its beady eyes squinting in glee as it saw her.

"CHO!" Harry was there, pushing her aside, as the club came down, mere inches from her former position. "Scythios!" A slash appeared in the troll's skin, but to Harry's horror, the cut began to heal before his eyes. Around him, the other wounds the trolls had suffered started to regenerate, torn and bloodied flesh becoming whole once more. Damn, they can regenerate. How are we going to stop them?

"HARRY! GET INSIDE!" Lupin howled, but it was too late. With a hollow boom, the doors of Gringotts slammed shut, accompanied by the grinding sound of the sealbeams sliding into place, separating Harry and Cho from Lupin and the Order...and leaving them at the mercy of Voldemort's forces.

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Shrieks of terror erupted from the throats of the Death Eaters, as Stormfury eliminated another group with the skill of a surgeon and the remorse of a butcher. Fire burst from his hands, burning Death Eaters alive. Lightning crackled from his fingertips, scything through them. His staff swung a sharp arc, smashing heads and ribs. Stormfury howled in triumph, the rush of power intoxicating him as he tore a bloody swathe through his foes, crushing them like ants. "Flee, cowards! Run for your miserable lives! I am a Shadow Hunter! Born of dark night and storm! And I shall hunt you down, WHEREVER YOU RUN!"

A group of Death Eaters, ten in total, conjured Shield Charms and fired Killing Curses at him, enraged at the deaths of their comrades. Dodging swiftly to one side, Stormfury readied his spell, chanting the words of power and drawing mana within him. With a mighty yell, he sent a massive bolt of frost at them, the Shield Charms keeping them alive for an instant longer before they froze solid, their bodies entombed in ice.

Another group. Stormfury dropped his staff, chanting an incantation and flexing his fingers. After a moment, several wooden spikes materialized between them, each about six inches long with a barbed tip. Waving his hands, the spikes flew towards the Death Eaters, burying into their vitals like bullets. Those that survived the storm of barbs faced Stormfury's blade, flashing through them with the agility of a snake. Death Eaters fell, sliced in two by the curved sword, severing heads and limbs with brutal precision.

"Scared to face a real warrior, huh? Then feel the fury of the elements, defilers of life! The summer sun cannot stand the sight of your kind darkening the earth!" The Death Eaters broke and ran, fleeing from the Shadow Hunter, pushing and shoving one another in their haste to escape his wrath, the mage who fought like a daemon.

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Lupin grabbed one of the goblins by the throat, demanding, "Why can't you? Open these doors, damn you!" The doors were firmly shut, dozens of locks and the sealbeams preventing any forced entry from the outside...including that of Harry and Cho. Because of the sealbeams, Apparation, both from the inside and outside, was impossible, preventing the Order from assisting the young witch and wizard.

"Company policy, sir!" the goblin choked out, turning blue in Lupin's grip. "We have to...look out for civilians...in an emergency..."

"WELL, THERE ARE CIVILIANS OUT THERE! OPEN THE DAMN DOORS!" Lupin screamed, positively livid, his face red with anger.

Bill grabbed Lupin's free arm before he could reach for his wand. "Lupin, there are innocent people here. Women, children. If we open the doors, the Death Eaters could rush in and slaughter us all. Sorry to be the devil's advocate, but no, we wait here. The Aurors will be sending more reinforcements, and Stormfury's still outside. Between the two of them, they'll find Harry and Cho, and keep them safe."

Lupin dropped the struggling goblin, then turned on Bill, murderous intent in his eyes. "If you had brought them here like you were supposed to, then we wouldn't be in this situation! Too busy eyeing your fiancée, huh?"

Bill did a quick double take. "Oh, so this is my fault now, is it? Fleur and me were doing our best out there to protect them, and you have the balls to question my commitment to Harry and the Order?"

"You're damn right I do. How many Death Eaters are out there? A couple dozen, perhaps? A hundred? Against two teenagers? They won't stand a chance."

"Harry and Cho aren't any ordinary teenagers, remember their training? Besides, Stormfury is out there, and last time I saw him, he was killing Death Eaters left, right and centre. I had to get Ron in here; Harry even told us to go ahead. There's nothing we can do now, except to wait. I won't let you endanger these people," Bill shot back, gesturing towards the huddled masses of men, women and children in the hall of the bank, holding onto each other, comforting each other, shocked at the turn of events. Their faces were gripped in fear, and many whispered prayers for deliverance against evil.

Fleur stepped in between the bickering men. "Enough of 'zis, both of you. Lupin," she said, putting her veela charm to the test trying to calm him down, "we cannot abandon 'zese people. I know you care for 'Arry as if he was your son, but if 'zee Death Eaters get in, 'zey will kill all 'zey see."

Mad-eye shook his head. "Sorry, Lupin, but it's a numbers game, I'm afraid. Don't worry, the kid has spunk, his girlfriend too. They'll make it alright."

Lupin whirled away from the others, understanding their arguments, but still unwilling to admit it. "Tonks!" he snapped, frustration evident on his face. "Who have we lost?"

Tonks winced, applying a Healing Charm to a minor leg wound. "Three. Davidson, Miller and Sampson. A bunch of the scum caught them from behind. Damn them, how many of these bastards are there?"

"Hold up," Moody interjected, his magical eye gazing through the doors as if they were glass. "They're out there, right outside."

"Who?"

"Who do you think, the Royal Family? It's Potter and Chang!" Moody growled. "Dodge and weave, boy! That's how you beat trolls!"

Lupin snapped into action. "Alright. Let's get those doors open, quickly."

"I don't think it'll be necessary," Moody responded, watching the scene unfold before him...

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Harry and Cho stood together, backs against the wall of a shop, firing a small barrage of curses against the trolls. One of their number was unconscious, pounded by several simultaneous Blasting Curses, but the others came on, regenerating as fast as the young Champions could wound them.

"Impedimenta!" Cho yelled, striking one of the trolls. It slowed for a moment, then came on, its vast bulk absorbing the jinx with little effect.

"Bludgeous!" Harry cast the Projectile Hex at the troll, smacking it in the head. The troll didn't even notice, but raised its club for the killing blow, its shadow blocking out the light. Harry felt his blood run cold, seeing there was no way to break past the trolls. Well, Sirius, I tried my best...

With a frenzied battle cry, Stormfury threw his sword. Spinning over and over again through the air, the blade pierced the troll's brain, killing it instantly, its thick hide and regenerative ability unable to save it. As the troll fell, its ponderous bulk smashing into the ground, Stormfury stepped forward, mana pulsing through him. "Anyone else want a taste?" he asked, gritting his teeth as he prepared his next spell.

The trolls charged, maddened by the impetuous human that stood before them. As the first troll closed in, Stormfury sent fire lancing into the beast, completely engulfing it in flames. Moments later, another troll was immolated. That was enough for the remainder, as they dropped their clubs and fled, scattering away from the Shadow Hunter.

"You two all right?" Stormfury asked, not even sparing the Champions a cursory glance.

Harry nodded his head, shocked at the devastation the Shadow Hunter had caused. "Yes, we're okay," he mumbled.

Stormfury wiped troll gunk of his sword, seeing a massive group of Death Eaters down the Alley. "Good. Then hide yourselves away."

Cho helped Harry to his feet. "Will you be fine, Professor?" she asked, noticing the blood all over his robes, his muscles tensed, eyes wild.

"Yes, I'll be all right. Now go!" Stormfury snapped, sheathing his sword.

Harry tried to object, but Cho silenced him, holding his hand. "Come on, let's get out of here," she said, seeing that Stormfury would brook no arguments. "We can head over to Flourish and Blotts, and hide in there."

"Listen to her, Harry," Stormfury said, gripping his staff tightly. "Go."

Grabbing hold of Harry, Cho guided him to safety amidst the chaos, as Stormfury prepared to weather the enemy counterattack.

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Bellatrix Lestrange was not a happy Death Eater, and that was saying something. After the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries had been destroyed, Voldemort had tortured her for her incompetence and denied her the rank of First Death Eater, the Dark Lord's right-hand man, a position she had coveted since her escape from Azkaban. Instead, Voldemort had promoted Asmodeus, a newcomer to the Death Eaters who joined after the fall of the prison. She loathed Asmodeus, perhaps more than Potter, with his red mask, ruthless personality, and lack of morals. He was slowly usurping her position and degrading her in front of Voldemort.

And finally, when she was given command of the Dark Lord's forces for a glorious raid on Diagon Alley, Stormfury and the Order of the Phoenix were there to fight them. Out of the eighty Death Eaters she brought with her, only thirty-eight were left in any condition to fight, the rest either dead or unconscious. Sending a group of eight out to hurt down any lone foes, Lestrange gathered the remainder together and had them push through the Alley, killing everything in their path. Slowly but surely, the Death Eaters made their way towards Gringotts with Bellatrix staying at the back, egging them on.

"Come on, you! Victory is at hand!" Bellatrix crowed, using the Cruciatus Curse on any stragglers. "A bunch of stinking Mudbloods won't stop the Dark Lord's chosen!"

One of the Death Eaters made the mistake of suggesting to her, "Lestrange, we should fall back. The Aurors will arrive any moment!"

"Crucio!" The Death Eater fell to the ground in agony. Bellatrix looked at him with psychotic rage, spitting on his fallen form. "We'll kill them all, every single one of the Muggle-born abominations! Their blood shall run like water through the streets! Am I surrounded by cowards or men? KILL THEM ALL!"

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Sweat poured down Stormfury's brow as he chanted, focusing the mana, concentrating on the spell. His muscles tensed, veins bulged, and fists clenched his staff, with the effort to cast a spell of this power. The air grew hot around him, slight cracks appeared in the stone under his feet, yet he ignored everything around him, even the mass of Death Eaters approaching, his mind focused solely on the task at hand.

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"Look!" one of the Death Eaters cried, pointing at Stormfury down the Alley. "It's that...that...daemon!"

Another Death Eater turned to Bellatrix. "Shall we kill him?" he asked, eyeing the Shadow Hunter nervously.

Lestrange laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "No! His power intrigues me. Besides, I want him pleading and begging for mercy before I finish him."

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Stormfury's chanting reached a fever pitch, and he raised his hands before him, directly at the Death Eater mob.

With an almighty yell, fire exploded in front of the Death Eaters, sweeping towards them in a wave, consuming all in its path.

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"Back away! BACK AWAY!" Lestrange shrieked, running from the wave of destruction, with several other Death Eaters behind her. The rest were not so lucky, some fleeing too late, others conjuring Shield Charms in hopes of riding it out.

The wave slammed into the Death Eaters, incinerating them in a blink of an eye, flesh and bone devoured by the fire. One Death Eater stood with a surprised look on his face before he died. The fire immolated the front of several shops, glass melted, stone shattered, and wood flared, turning to ash. In a moment, it was over, the fire burning out as the spell's energies were spent. Twenty-four Death Eaters had been killed, utterly destroyed by the spell. Lestrange and the ragged survivors, only six, their nerves shattered, watched as Stormfury calmly walked towards them, wielding sword and staff.

"Like I said, pitiful."

One of the Death Eaters drew a barbed knife, lunging at the Shadow Hunter. Stormfury sidestepped away, then slashed his assailant through the chest, cutting him in half. "Next!"

Two Death Eaters came forward with knives, advancing cautiously before charging, thrusting towards his heart. Stormfury skilfully parried the blows with his sword, bashing a Death Eater in the chest with his staff. As the first one fell to ground in pain, Stormfury kicked the second in the knee, before stabbing him through the heart.

The remaining Death Eaters looked at each other, then readied their wands. Stormfury dodged the first Killing Curse and then dived into their midst.

"Avada Kedavra!" The Death Eater, casting another curse, missed Stormfury and hit one of his fellows instead, his aim poor due to terror. Stormfury stood back up, sword punching through the man's belly. Wheeling around, he leapt, his sword coming down in a mighty vertical slash, cleaving the last Death Eater into two half-Death Eaters in a shower of crimson spray.

Finally, only Bellatrix Lestrange stood before him, amongst the fallen Death Eaters and the blood-drenched cobblestones. "Who are you, daemon?" she asked, drawing a barbed knife, her voice thick with fear.

Stormfury smiled, sheathing his sword. "I am no daemon, but I fight their kind. I am merely a warrior, you murdering scum. I expected a better fight out of your ilk, but it seems that the great Death Eaters of Voldemort are just vermin and cowards, capable only of fighting small children and helpless civilians, those who cannot defend themselves. You are Bellatrix Lestrange, correct?"

Bellatrix cackled insanely. "Yes, I am, and I have fought greater foes than you, stranger. Give me your name, before I remove your heart for my master."

"I am Daelin Stormfury, Praetor-level Shadow Hunter. You and your kind owe a debt, Bellatrix Lestrange, for every victim you have killed, every innocent you have harmed, every family you have broken. It is a debt that must be paid in blood, your blood, Death Eater, and I will take great pleasure in sending you and all of your miserable brethren to the Abyss."

With a quick incantation, a fine silver blade materialized from the tip of Lestrange's wand. "I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD, MUGGLE-LOVING SCUM!" she howled, storming towards the Shadow Hunter, spittle flying from her lips.

She came forward, thrusting and slashing like a woman possessed, her wand and knife seeking his lifeblood. Stormfury easily dodged her frenzied assaults, egging her on with stinging insults. "Is that the best you can do? By Gaea's touch, I've seen children fight better than you!"

Screaming in frustration, Bellatrix lunged at his head. Stormfury twisted to the side, avoiding the full force of the attack, the knife harmlessly skimming his cheek. Spinning around, he delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to her back, the impetus of the charge sending her storming past him, falling face-first on the ground. Scrambling back up, Bellatrix faced her foe with untold hatred. In a blur of motion, faster than the eye could see, Stormfury drew his curved sword, held it in a tight two-handed grip, and slashed upwards, slicing off her right ear.

Bellatrix screeched in agony, staggering backwards, holding the wound where her ear had been. Stormfury kissed the hilt of his sword. "Can you hear me now?" he asked, looking at the veteran Death Eater with a mischievous grin on his lips. She screamed, charging forward, bringing her wand and knife down towards Stormfury's neck, a blow that would have severed his head. The Shadow Hunter brought his sword and staff up beside his neck, blocking the attack entirely. "Good!" he exclaimed, headbutting her in the face, accompanied by a crack as her nose broke.

Lestrange was knocked backwards, sprawling on the ground. Standing back up, she rushed forward, regardless of the pain of her wounds. This was the opening Stormfury was looking for, as he chanted a quick phrase. With the rumble of stones being torn up, a massive vine erupted from the earth, sideswiping the Death Eater aside, sending her through a shop window. Moaning in pain and spitting blood as she lay in the rubble of the shop, Lestrange Disapparated away before Stormfury could reach her.

Stormfury howled in triumph, sheathing his sword again. "Anyone else? he asked, seeing only devastation and fallen Death Eaters around him. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sat down, resting his wearied muscles before searching for the absent Champions...

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Meanwhile, Harry and Cho ducked behind several bookshelves on the second floor of Flourish and Blotts, hearing the sounds of battle raging outside. "What's going on out there?" Harry asked, panting heavily as he checked his wand.

Cho brushed several loose strands of hair from her vision. "Probably Stormfury," she replied tersely, moving to the second floor railing overlooking the atrium, glancing for any threats below. The store was empty, as the owners had fled for their lives as the Death Eaters advanced. The stench of burnt flesh permeated the air, and bodies littered the Alley. As they had made their way to Flourish and Blotts, Harry had noticed that many of them were small children, faces contorted in agony and terror as they died, struck down by the Death Eaters.

The thought of those poor children made the bile rise up in Harry's throat. How can anyone justify doing such a thing? What kind of monster would order it? He knew its name. Voldemort. Harry felt the energies of Gryffindor churning in his soul at the thought of the Dark Lord, the power flickering like a broken lightbulb. He's going to suffer for what he has done!

"Harry!" Cho urgently whispered, as the sound of sharp whip-cracks heralded the arrival of eight Death Eaters, Lestrange's hunting party, on the first floor of the store. "Let's find a way out," she hissed.

One of the Death Eaters looked up, glimpsing the two students as they slowly moved to the back of the shop. "There!" he shouted, raising his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" The curse missed Harry's head by inches, blowing apart a bookcase.

"RUN!" Harry shouted, grabbing Cho's hand and running for the back. Skirting around bookshelves and massive stacks of tomes, Harry faced the back wall in shock. There was no way out, save through the Death Eaters.

"Where did those little bastards go?" exclaimed one of the Death Eaters.

"Use Burning Curses, smoke them out like rats," came the response, thick with malice.

"I want the girl," another said, chuckling evilly. "Combustous!"

Bookcases were set alight as the Death Eaters fired barrages of Burning Curses throughout the shop, flames licking the pages, sending smoke rising towards the ceiling. While two Death Eaters stayed on the ground floor, the rest marched up the two staircases leading to the second floor, using Burning Curses on anything in their path. Although tiny compared to the flames unleashed by Stormfury, they cut off routes of escape, leaving Harry and Cho effectively trapped.

"Damn," Harry said, watching the Death Eaters slowly approaching. "They're herding us like cattle. Should we try to break though?"

Cho shook her head. "No, they'd be expecting that," she argued, looking for an exit. All she saw were the Death Eaters, burning shelves, the atrium, more shelves...She cursed herself for her stupidity. While the Death Eaters had secured the staircases, they could escape by leaping off the railing into the atrium, to the first floor! Come on, Cho, time's a wasting!

"Willing to make a leap of faith?" she asked Harry, squeezing his hand.

Harry smiled despite himself, as he realized her plan. "Sure," he replied, looking into her beautiful chocolate-brown eyes. "I'll be right beside you."

Glancing ahead, the two lovers took off, running through the shop hand in hand, racing towards the edge, gritting their teeth in determination to survive. The Death Eaters, caught by surprise by the frantic dash, were slow to react.

"Avada Kedavra!" Killing Curses blazed towards the Champions, but they went wide, tearing up the floor beneath their feet, blowing cabinets and shelves apart. With a great bound, Harry and Cho leapt over the railing, and into mid-air, hurtling towards the ground and two inattentive Death Eaters. One looked up at the last moment, his eyes betraying surprise as Harry slammed his elbow into the Death Eater's face, breaking his nose with a satisfying snap. Cho kicked her target in the face, the added momentum of the fall turning her into a human projectile, knocking the Death Eater out cold and sending him to the ground. Six left.

Harry whirled around towards a stairwell, wand pointed at the Death Eaters. "Stupefy!" One of the Death Eaters fell unconscious, the others retreating up to the second floor. Five left.

Conjuring a shield, Cho dodged several errant Killing Curses from the Death Eaters on the other stairwell. "Concussius!" she cried, sending the Blasting Curse towards them. The concussive force of the blast blew the Death Eaters away, driving them into a wall, knocking them unconscious. Two left.

"Protego!" Harry whispered, conjuring a Shield Charm as he looked around for a moment. Where did those last two go?

Harry heard the curse before he saw it, overwhelming him in an instant. The Disarming Curse hit him from out of nowhere, sending the wand out of his hand, weakening the shield. Harry staggered for a moment, thrown off balance by the sudden attack, as the two remaining Death Eaters sprang forward, intent on killing the young witch and wizard.

"Avada Kedavra!" one of them shouted, green light speeding at Cho. The Ravenclaw beauty dived out of its path, then rendering the Death Eater unconscious with a Stunning Curse. One foe left, who looked upon Cho with unmistakable lust as he raised his wand. "Come and face me, pretty one," he sneered, spittle falling to the floor.

Harry jumped up, scrambling to reach his wand and join in the fight and assist Cho. With a quick flick of his wand, the Death Eater shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!" The Body-Binding Hex hit Harry in the back, the already weakened shield collapsing as the magical bonds wrapped themselves around him, leaving him immobile and helpless.

"Stupefy!" Cho cried, firing another Stunning Curse. The Death Eater skilfully dodged, the curse sailing past his head, missing him by inches. Before Cho could cast again, he shouted, "Imperio!"

The Imperius Curse hit Cho in the midsection, her body going limp as it gained control, reducing her to a string-puppet to be directed as the Death Eater willed. Harry felt the tendrils of fear grip his heart. "CHO!" he screamed, trying to wiggle out of the bonds, but the hex maintained its hold. Oh, Cho, I've failed you. The energies of Gryffindor hummed in his soul as he despaired, struggling in vain.

The Death Eater walked towards Cho, pocketing his wand. "Now, pretty one," he oozed venomously in her ear, seizing a lock of her raven-black hair, "you will do this for me." He looked at Harry with an evil grin.

"Kill Potter."