The days were going by faster now, creating almost a palpable anxiety in number twelve Grimmauld Place. The Order of the Phoenix had started making plans, but they were all simply blind guesses and stabs in the dark at what the Dark Lord had planned in his upcoming attack on Gringotts Bank. None of the Death Eaters, even those in Voldemort’s innermost circle, had been given any specific details on what was to be happening that day. This made the Order uneasy, knowing that they only had one chance and that without vital information, it would more than likely end in massacre rather than victory. That didn’t stop them, though, and they kept preparing themselves until the day before the attack had been planned. Although they didn’t know it, there were a few unexpected additions to those who wanted to fight.
“Mum, why not?!”
Ginny Weasley stood in the kitchen of number twelve, nearly toe-to-toe with her mother as the two hotheaded Weasleys argued. Ron and Hermione stood in the doorway, Ron’s ears turning red in what looked like embarrassment as Hermione suddenly seemed to find her shoes immensely interesting.
“You shouldn’t have even heard what we were saying much less expect us to let the lot of you join in, Ginevra Weasley!” she shouted angrily, her face turning the usual Weasley red.
“First of all, you were the one that didn’t put the Imperturbable Charm on the door, so anyone could have happened by and heard what you were saying,” Ginny said in an eerily calm voice. “Second, what is so wrong with us going? We’re almost of age and it isn’t like we didn’t fight in the Ministry last month!”
Molly’s face, if it was possible, became redder than it had been. “You were never supposed to be there anyway, so you can’t possibly bring that into this. It has nothing to do wi”“
“How can it have nothing to do with this?! It shows that we can fight and take care of ourselves! If anything, that should be the most important thing to look at in this situation!” replied Ginny, starting to raise her voice as well now.
That had Mrs. Weasley stumped for a moment before: “You are too young to be involved in this, and that is final.” Her assertion came out low and deadly, clearly trying to close the subject before things got worse. Ginny simply folded her arms across her chest and gave her mother a skeptic look.
“How can we be too young? Look at Ron and Hermione: they are going to be of age this year. We all fought at the Ministry against dozens of Death Eaters and came through it just fine. Why can’t you just trust that we aren’t kids anymore and have to be involved in some of this?” Her voice wasn’t angry anymore, her gaze searching as she waited for an answer that Mrs. Weasley couldn’t seem to come up with a sensible answer to. There was a thick silence between the two, only broken by their still heavy breathing. After a few moments, someone else entered the kitchen.
“I beg your pardon, Molly, but I do believe that young Miss Weasley has a fair point in her argument,” Dumbledore said, slipping past Ron and Hermione into the kitchen, sitting down at the table and fixing all of them with a sharp gaze. Mrs. Weasley looked like she was ready to argue with him, but he raised a hand for silence. “Unfortunately, we might need all of the help that we can possibly hope to get.”
He finished his statement in a mild and slightly apologetic tone, sitting back in his chair and rubbing the bridge of his nose as he continued. “I do not have control over what you do with your own children, but if Miss Granger wishes to fight alongside the Order, I cannot stop her. She will be of age in a month, and that means that she can make the decision.”
Hermione finally looked up from the floor at the headmaster, nodding her head. “Of course I’ll help.”
“Very well then,” Dumbledore replied with a nod, looking back at Mrs. Weasley. “It is ultimately your decision, Molly. But my suggestion would differ from what you have been doing thus far.”
There was silence again, all of the teenagers watching Mrs. Weasley anxiously. She didn’t look like she knew what to so, shaking her head and putting a hand to her chin pensively. They were her children and much too young to have to be concerned in a war, but things had become personal the moment Wormtail had taken Harry from the Hospital Wing. And now even Dumbledore was saying that she should allow them to fight…
“Alright,” she finally caved, shaking her head as she moved to sit at the opposite end of the kitchen table from Dumbledore. “But only Ron. Ginny, you will stay her”“
“What?!
“Your brother will be of age this year; you will not. You are going to stay here, Ginevra Weasley!” Molly said in a deadly voice. Ginny glared at her before turning on her heel and stomping out of the kitchen. Everyone was silent for a moment before Dumbledore finally spoke again.
“This is expected to be an invasion of extreme proportions, I warn you, so there will be a great possibility of them being needed in the front with the rest.” Mrs. Weasley’s face paled for a moment before she finally nodded, realising that it couldn’t be helped.
“Fine. If that is the way it has to be,” she whispered as she tried to keep her eyes from tearing up. Dumbledore nodded and stood, brushing off his robes as he spoke once more.
“Thank you, Molly. And now, I do believe that the rest of the Order is waiting for us in the Library. You both,” he gestured in Ron and Hermione’s direction, “should attend as well.”
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It was dark and dank as the Death Eaters made their way to the Audience Chamber for the meeting. Tomorrow was the day of the attack, and they were all anxious to see what would happen to them. All of the ranks of the Dark Lord would be in the raid this time and they were bound and determined not to lose. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen as they made their way into the room, all congregating around the small stone dais, this time in the center of the room rather than the front. Harry entered with Snape, dressed as the rest were in black robes, inconspicuously rubbing his left forearm. The two went to the edge of the dais and waited with the rest for the Dark Lord to arrive. The volume of conversation was unusually quiet, all of them wondering what would be happening the following day.
Only a few moments later, the doors opened once more to admit the one they had been waiting for: their master. Those who were in front of the door parted to make an aisle way for him, all Death Eaters bowing down on one knee until Voldemort stepped up onto the platform. All remained silent as the group stood as one and awaited the Dark Lord’s commands. Voldemort, however, said nothing for a moment, smirking as he eyed his ranks. There were those of all ages here: some were known to have just gotten out of Hogwarts, others being followers from back in his earlier days. There were some who were missing, but they didn’t matter; if they weren’t here, they had been weak enough to be caught or had deserted. And no one deserts Lord Voldemort, he sneered to himself, clearing his throat before he began his speech in a menacing hiss.
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The Order was eerily quiet as they awaited…
“He’s here,” Remus said as he entered the Library with Snape in his wake, looking about as pale as ever. He stood in the centre of the room, waiting for complete silence (which didn’t take long) before speaking.
“At approximately nine o’clock tomorrow evening, just after sunset, the Death Eaters are going to be ready to leave headquarters. They will Apparate to the alleyway behind the bank and take it at different angles, some going in from the back, others from the front of the building. Once inside, those who entered from the front will be going to the main desk to retrieve all records of anyone who has money in the bank so that they may know who will be of use. Those who are going in through the back of the bank will be going directly to the vaults and using a new spell that the Dark Lord developed to break into the vaults and transport all of the gold that is contained within them to the headquarters.”
The silence hung thick before Dumbledore spoke from his seat. “Do you have any idea what they will be putting the gold toward?” Snape shook his head.
“Not at this time, no.” There were collective groans before the headmaster silenced them for Snape to speak again. “Potter will be in the group going in the front side. He will be stationed with myself and Bellatrix Lestrange to go to the main operating desk for the records. The Dark Lord felt that the vaults might be a bit much for him to handle on his first raid,” he finished. Most eyes turned back to Dumbledore as if watching a tennis match, waiting for his verdict.
“Once again he has made a mistake. Harry will be much easier to retrieve if he is in the front of the bank. Thank you for your information, Severus. And now,” he stood up and walked to a table in the centre of the room where Bill Weasley stood with the blueprints of the bank laid out in front of him. “I suggest we get to work.”
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It was mere minutes until nine o’clock and the Death Eaters were once again congregated in the Audience Chamber around the dais, split into two groups. The first stood to the back of the room, being the group that would be Apparating to the back of the bank. Nearer to the doors of the room stood another group of Death Eaters, this one containing Bellatrix, Snape, and Harry. Voldemort had only just entered, making his way to stand up on the stone dais and eyeing his followers with a sharp, snakelike gaze.
“My trusted followers, the time has come. Remember that there is no excuse for failure. You will be in and out of the bank before those idiots at the Ministry of Magic even know what is happening, and expect it to stay that way. Masks.” The large group collectively pulled up their hoods and donned their masks, waiting for his signal to leave. Harry took a deep breath, glad that the mask was hiding his nervous expression. Snape had warned him that any sign of fear would have the Dark Lord doubting his fidelity to the cause, that it would be better to keep his face as impossible to read as possible. The mask made it easier, but he was sure that his master could hear his heart beating; it was the only sound that he himself could hear at the moment.
Voldemort took one last look around before a smirk grew on his features. “Go now. And do not fail me.” All of the Death Eaters turned on the spot, disappearing from their safe house.
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Everything was prepared as the Order stood in the Library, waiting for the headmaster to arrive. There was no Order member absent, all of them having been included in this raid. In one corner of the room stood the Weasley family, all present except for Charlie and Percy of course. Mrs. Weasley looked about ready to cry at the fact that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stood alongside them, but she was holding herself back; this was no time to be weak. Remus and Tonks stood nearby with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dedalus Diggle, speaking in hushed tones as they went over what they were to do once more.
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Dumbledore finally arrived, half of the Hogwarts staff with him. The room fell silent as they waited for instructions.
“There has been no news from Severus, which means that the plan we constructed last night will be how we will be operating indeed.” There was a collective sigh of something related to relief at the idea that they wouldn’t have to make a new plan just minutes before they would have to be at the bank. “You all have your stations and your plans, so there is nothing left to do but go. Good luck.” Everyone nodded, looking at each other once before Disapparating out of number twelve to meet their enemies.
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Diagon Alley was quiet tonight, the streets empty. Most of the Wizarding World’s most popular areas had been given curfews by the Ministry for the citizen’s safety, unknowingly helping the Death Eaters in their mission. Only a few streetlights on this side of the alley were lit as they arrived, half at the front and half at the back of the bank. At both ends, a member went to the door of their respectable end, knocking twice before waiting a moment and then knocking thrice more. Each door opened almost simultaneously, two of the bank’s workers letting each group inside. Their blank stares made it almost impossible to miss the fact that they were not working by their own free will, held under the Imperius Curse.
Harry stayed with Bellatrix and Snape as they moved with the rest to the door, entering into the lobby of the bank and going quickly to the main desk. There were thousands of drawers behind it in the wall, each carrying hundreds (if not thousands) of records of the patrons to the bank. Snape nodded to Bellatrix and they took Harry to the very end of the row of drawers, the A-section, and beginning to magically scan each for the most important of these. Their masks were beginning to bother them, making it difficult to see the records through them. All of the others in their group had abandoned their masks and hoods, trying to get done as quickly as possible, so the three did the same. The movement beneath their feet could be heard as they knew their fellows were making their way down to the underground vaults. So far, the Dark Lord’s plan was going perfectly.
They had begun to find the wealthier names now, taking their records and magically transporting them back to the headquarters, continuing to search for more names and files that would be of value. In about ten minutes, the group had finished where they started on both ends (A- and Z-section), and they moved onto the B- and Y-sections. As the threesome began their scan of the B-section, Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and frowned. A moment later, the sound of a spell fired from Bellatrix’s wand at the front doors had him shoved down on the ground behind the desk by Snape. This had to look convincing.
“Potter, you need to get to the other side.”
Confused, Harry shook his head. “Wait, what?”
“Just do as I say, Potter,” Snape spat quietly, the sound of exploding spells as they missed their targets hiding his words from the others. “Get to the other side and go with the Order.”
“But wh”“
“Are you two going to be down there all day or are you going to join in the fun?” Bellatrix’s excited yell came from above them.
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The Order appeared in the alley, half in the front and half in the back. They would be taking the same route as the Death Eaters had, each making their way to the desk or the vaults respectively. On each end, the doors stood open just a crack, those who had permitted the Death Eater’s entrance lying unconscious on the ground just inside. After the signal from Kingsley, the first group moved into the front of the bank. They were silent as they listened to the enemy pillaging, moving to somewhere where they would be hidden from their eyes until absolutely necessary. They had taken cover behind desks on either side, split into two groups. Kingsley, Remus, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Ron, and Fred were on one side with other members of the Order while Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Bill, George, Dedalus, Mad-Eye Moody, and the rest were on the other, all crouched low to avoid being spotted.
The coming from the drawers stopped momentarily as they moved from one section to another and Remus looked across the lobby and nodded to Kingsley, poking his head up slowly from where they remained hidden, only enough to see where everyone was. On each of the far sides of the records drawers were two groups of Death Eaters. In the group to Remus’ far left, Harry was clearly visible with Snape and Bellatrix. The latter stopped what she was doing suddenly and Remus frowned confusedly, his eyes widening in surprise as she whipped around and shot a jet of green light right at his head, which he ducked back behind the desk once more. Her shot hit the wall, yet it alerted the others to their presence and soon the spells were flying, ricocheting off of the walls and pillars that were holding up the bank.
Abandoning their hiding spots, some of the Order members ran out from behind the desks to other places where they could get an easier shot with less chance of being hit. Remus’ job had been to try to spot Harry, but so far he was nowhere to be seen. Cursing silently, he ducked as a Stunner was sent careening his way and hit the wall instead, blowing chunks of concrete onto him as the battle went on around him. The Death Eaters weren’t giving up this fight easily, that much was certain.
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Harry eyed Snape cautiously as he listened to his instructions, not sure why he would want him to abandon the Dark Lord to go to the Order’s side after everything that he had been told. “Why would I”“
“You will understand after this is all over, but you are to get over there,” Snape tried to say as he shot a disarming spell over the desk in the general direction of the Order.
“No.” Snape looked back at Harry with an unfathomable expression on his face.
“Always like your father with your memory or otherwise, eh Potter?” he spat as he shot a Stunner this time.
“You haven’t given me one reason why I should go,” Harry came back with as he too shot a Stunner at the other group.
“It should be obvious, Potter!” Snape wasn’t able to say more, however, as Bellatrix came down behind the desk with them at that moment, her eyes alight with a sick and bloodthirsty pleasure.
“What do you say we have some fun, Harry?” she asked, having to say it loudly over the spells for him to hear. “Let’s play with their heads a bit.”
Harry looked from her to Snape and back, frowning as the potions master’s face remained completely nonchalant as he fired spell after spell at the Order. What is going on here…? He nodded at Bellatrix, making his decision quickly as he shoved his misgivings down and followed her in a crouch to the end of the main desk.
“We are going to run out and fire. Just for a moment and then back here, understood?” she said in a strict voice, not leaving any room for argument as Harry nodded and waited for her signal. After a few moments, she yelled, “Now!” an the two ran out into the thick of things, firing whatever spells they could as a few of the Order members also ran out into the open now, just as Bellatrix had planned.
Harry fired a Cruciatus at Kingsley, nearly hitting him as they crossed each other. However, it was he who was forced to duck as a Stunner was sent his way by who he recognised to be Hermione. She kept firing at him, but only spells to either incapacitate or disarm him, backing him up until he was cornered by a wall. He could see behind her that the rest of his group had abandoned their place behind the main desk, now fighting individual duels and duels in small groups. The floor was littered with the incapacitated, the injured, and the dead, but no one noticed that he had been trapped and needed help to get out of this one.
In supposed defeat as a new idea entered his head, Harry raised his hands above his head to where Hermione could see them, waiting until her wand dropped a fraction of an inch before striking. He yelled, Impedimenta! and aimed his wand in her direction, catching her off guard as she fired a Blasting Hex by accident, her spell going astray as she was knocked back and hitting the ceiling instead. Harry looked up as he saw the stone floor from above falling and covered his head with his arms, too late to stop the debris before the world went black.
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Hermione shot a Blasting Hex out from her wand, watching as the spell hit and dispersed a group of Death Eaters. She was about to land a Stunner on one that was fighting Mrs. Weasley when something else caught her eye: Kingsley had nearly been hit by a Cruciatus Curse. Looking for the source, she was surprised to see that it had been Harry casting the spell. She ran out from her hiding spot, Ron shouting for her not to, and engaged Harry as quickly as she could. Please don’t make me hurt you…
She had him backed up against the wall of the bank within moments and it looked as if he was about to surrender when he aimed his wand once more, catching her off guard as she tried to defend herself with a Blasting Hex. Knocked back by his Impediment Jinx, she watched her wand turn and the spell go awry, hitting the ceiling just above Harry. Her eyes widened in horror as part of the floor above fell away and landed in a heap.
“HARRY!”
Please don’t hate me or hold me responsible for what just happened. Even if it is really my fault… Well, yeah I guess you can hold me responsible, but please don’t hate me; this is where I was planning to go from the beginning and it hasn’t changed since. I would say I am sorry, but let’s face it folks: I am SO not sorry. Hope you enjoyed it and were on the edge of your seat as I had planned, and preferably don’t currently want to hunt me down for that last bit. All will be revealed in the next chapter, as well as the end being only another chapter or so away!
Thanks so much for bearing with my absence as well. As it turns out, the RPing that I have done has really helped with my amount of detail, which is one reason why this chapter is so much longer than the others. That and I had planned that too! Anyway, thanks so much again and I hope you will leave a review! (Hmm should I hide now or later…?)
~Miss Moony
Cruciatus Cursed by Moony 62442
Chapter Notes: A/N
Alright, in a mad dash for the end of this story as well as a sudden burst of creativity, I have been right on top of this chapter! As always, I own nothing but what you don’t recognise. If I did, I would probably be out blowing all that money instead of sitting on the computer entertaining you all. If this can be called entertainment… Anyway, this is a long one, so I hope you enjoy it and please leave a review!