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Harry Potter and the Black King	By : Phoenixstrike Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 10586 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter and all characters and situations are created and owned by JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Warner Bros. No money is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter List
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Chapter Eighteen: Checkmate, Part One

Harry and Draco awoke extremely early, tanged together so tightly that it would have been impossible to slither a sheet of parchment between them. They didn’t speak; both were simply content to stare at each other, both desperately praying this wasn’t the last time they would wake up together. Harry simply kissed the top of Draco’s head, confining to memory every single detail about the blond- his scent, the way he feels, the feel of his heartbeat thundering against his own chest.

Finally it was time to rise from their bed; they dressed in silence then stood together, staring out of their window, as they watched the first prickles of sunlight rising above the horizon of London’s skyline. They met Ron and Hermione coming from their own room, both pale and looking as if they had experienced a similar night to them, as they headed towards the kitchen, where Remus, Tonks and Snape were already assembled. Everyone merely picked at their breakfasts in silence, no one really eating anything, before Snape, Polyjuiced as Harry, left for Malfoy Manor and the others Apparated to the pretend camp the Order had set up in Savernake Forest.

The Order, with the addition of three highly trusted Aurors Kingsley had personally invited, were already stationed in a small clearing of trees as they arrived, and Ron instantly went to stand with the rest of the Weasleys, hugging his family close. Harry could see Professor McGonagall leading the group of students to the camp a few hundred feet away.

“All righ’, Harry?” called a familiar voice, and Harry turned to see Hagrid striding up with the Hogwarts students. He wondered how he’d missed the man to begin with, but his heart was lightened. He’d not seen his oldest friend in nearly a year.

“How are you, Hagrid?” he asked as Hagrid crushed him into a hug.

“Ter tell yeh the truth, Harry, I’m scared yeh goin’ ter get hurt, but I have faith in yeh,” Hagrid said. “Yeh’ll do well, lad.”

Harry gave his giant friend a sad smile. “I’ll do my best, Hagrid,” he replied quietly.

As soon as everyone was assembled in the clearing, Kingsley, Minerva, Arthur and Bill began to erect the wards that would give the impression of a genuine camp. Minutes later, Snape’s silver doe Patronus streaked through the trees, giving the warning that the Death Eaters had followed him. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his hand vice-tight in Draco’s.

“Okay, everyone,” he said, as the talking died immediately. “That was Snape’s Patronus. It means the Death Eaters took the bait and are following. Positions, everyone, and good luck.”

The DA defensive group, led by Tonks and Hermione, immediately left the camp and hid, Disillusioned, amongst the trees. Harry’s offensive group and the Order of the Phoenix prepared themselves, as the form of Snape, restored to his own features now the Polyjuice had worn off, entered the camp. Harry looked up and gave the older man a questioning look.

“No issues, Harry,” Snape replied, correctly interpreting Harry’s expression. “I managed to draw enough attention to rouse the suspicion of Rookwood and Rodolphus Lestrange; they followed me back to camp but I managed to stay far enough ahead once the Polyjuice wore off that I was able to return here without being seen again. They fell for our ploy, and are off to report their findings to the Dark Lord at this very minute.”

The group had sat in near silence for another minute, when suddenly Draco and Severus both involuntarily grabbed their left forearms simultaneously and hissed in pain.

“He’s summoning the Death Eaters,” Draco rasped, and discreetly rolled up the left sleeve of his top so only Harry could see. The Mark was burning stronger and darker than Harry had ever seen it; the skin surrounding it reddened and irritated. “I’ve never felt a summons this powerful. He means business, Harry. Either way, this ends today.”

At Draco’s words there was a sudden onslaught of loud Cracks which indicated Apparition. The Death Eaters had arrived.

“We know you’re in there, Potter,” said the hideously familiar voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. “Now how about you come out to play? Our Lord has waited a long time to have this little meeting.”

Harry took a deep breath and gave Draco a quick but passionate kiss, not caring less who could see them.

“I love you,” he said, his voice steadier and more controlled than he felt, reluctantly releasing Draco from his grip as his offensive group and the Order of the Phoenix prepared to fight. They drew their wands as one and waited, as the Death eaters began to dismantle the wards around the fake camp.

As soon as the wards were down, the Order attacked. Tonks and Hermione, as discussed, erected swift Anti-Disapparition wards to prevent the Death Eaters from escaping, and Harry caught the first unsuspecting and shocked Death Eater with a Stunning Spell straight to the chest. The force of the spell rendered the woman unconscious. Harry noticed, with satisfaction, that several other Death Eaters also fell from the strength of the Order’s attack. The Death Eaters stood motionless for merely a few seconds as the realisation they had been tricked sank in, before recovering some sense of composure, and an onslaught of curses rained down. Harry realised, to his dismay, that Voldemort was not amongst the fighting group of Death Eaters, which outnumbered his own side significantly. The bastard had sent his minions in to do his dirty work for him. As he aimed his wand, and sent an Incendio at the robes of another opponent, instantly causing them to catch fire, he knew that the final battle really had, truly, begun. He snarled as he turned his attention to Crabbe Senior, and raised his wand once more, preparing to fight.

****

Remus had let out an instinctive snarl when he noticed Greyback arrive into the foray about twenty minutes into the battle, and saw, with satisfaction, Greyback’s curse aimed at Fred blocked by a Shield Charm cast by one of the defensive team. With a final Incarcerous to the back of Aleco Carrow, he left her bound figure for Ginny Weasley to Stun and Disarm before tearing after the beast who had infected him with lycanthropy at such a young age. His heart sank when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the bloodied and lifeless body of Michael Corner lying awkwardly next to the trees. He sighed and quickly moved it out of the way of battle. Turning his attention back to Greyback, Remus drew his lips over his teeth and growled, allowing his feral instincts and hatred for the werewolf to dominate. He trained his wand on the beast and uttered his first incantation at the same time as Greyback responded with the choking curse that Voldemort had used to kill Wormtail, which Remus managed to avoid. Both men were clearly fighting to the death.

Spell after spell passed between the men. The clearing in which they did battle was empty apart from the two of them; jets of light of all colours were flying in all directions as the two enemies battled for dominance; Remus having narrowly avoided the Killing Curse on two separate occasions before firing one of his own back, which also narrowly missed. He recovered quickly and fired a Stunning Spell, which hit its target but caused Greyback to merely falter for a few steps, before casting Confringo. The spell hit Remus, which caused him to blast back into the trees whilst the ground in front of him caught fire. He grinned a feral, determined grin when he saw the shock register on Greyback’s face, when, instead of having to deal with the flames himself, one of the defensive team cast Aguamenti and Remus was able to reply almost instantly with a well-placed Entrail-Expelling Curse, which hit its unsuspecting target like a dart striking a bullseye.

Greyback howled, despite the full moon being another nine days away still, and dropped to all fours, his intestines hanging sickeningly from his abdomen. Remus smirked in triumph as he performed a complex charm to tie the intestines in a knot, which causes a fatal blockage in the large intestine and resulted in a heart attack. Greyback’s eyes widened in surprise before rolling back into his head, his exposed skin taking on a sallow colour as his heart gave its final beat. Remus lowered his wand, gasping for breath, but allowed a triumphant and vengeful smile to creep up his face.

“That was for everyone you ever deliberately infected!” he yelled at Greyback’s body, the creature who had all but ruined his life. He spat on the corpse, feeling no remorse for the use of the barely-legal curses that had cost Greyback his life, and instantly went off towards the main battle to help out the rest of the Order.

****

Hermione was panting as she paused, hidden behind the Disillusionment Charm, to catch her breath. So far, so good; the Order had incapacitated or killed several Death Eaters, with only the loss of Michael Corner from their own side. She and Luna had been working mainly as a pair. Her hardest challenge so far had been protecting Remus in his fight against Greyback; Protego after Protego had been cast and she had only just managed to send the counter-charm to a couple of nasty hexes Greyback had thrown in time, whilst Luna had been the one to rapidly cast the Aguamenti Charm. It was a relief, if Hermione was being honest, when Remus had finally killed him. Fenrir Greyback was no loss to the world. She didn’t have time to rest, however; both her and Luna’s heads snapped round when they heard a muffled anguished cry. The sight that greeted them had the pair setting off in pursuit as they threw protective charm after protective charm into the clearing.

Professor McGonagall was on the floor, her elderly body writhing, as Yaxley held the Hogwarts Headmistress under the Cruciatus Curse, his face contorted into an evil sneer. Hermione felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes; Minerva was not a young woman and the Curse was taking every ounce of strength from her.

“We can’t just do nothing,” Luna said desperately. “She’s suffering. We have to help.”

Hermione agreed, but there was only one thing she could think of that would allow them to go undetected. Internal war with herself won, she bit her lip, nodding, before raising her wand and uttering, for the first time in her life, “Imperio.”

The shock of successfully casting an Unforgivable nearly made Hermione drop the spell, but she gritted her teeth and held it, commanding Yaxley to end the Cruciatus Curse. The power that flowed through her arm felt strong, powerful, and in that brief moment, Hermione could see why the Dark Arts could be addictive. They truly were dangerous.

After the Curse was fully lifted from Professor McGonagall, Hermione then commanded Yaxley to snap his own wand, before Luna Summoned the shattered fragments of wood. Yaxley then began to walk calmly away, paying no attention to any of his surroundings.

“What are you making him do now?” Luna whispered, transfixed and wide-eyed.

“To leave,” Hermione replied. “He’s going to wait until he’s outside the Anti-Disapparition wards then go home. Come on, we need to get to Professor McGonagall.

As the two Disillusioned figured approached, however, it was obvious they were too late. The woman’s breathing was far too shallow and slow, her skin the colour of pewter. She reached out a freezing, clammy hand and groped blindly by her left side, before Hermione grasped it tightly in her own, tears falling.

“You did so well, Miss. Granger,” Minerva rasped, and Hermione didn’t ask how she knew it was her. “There is nothing else you could have done. You have done everything I would expect of a Gryffindor today, and I am so proud to be called your Head of House. Thank you.” McGonagall took one final breath, and then was still, her body unable to sustain the vigorous torment of Crucio. Luna and Hermione wept quietly together for a few moments before Levitating their Headmistress’ body into a large alcove of an oak, hiding it from the Death Eaters’ view, before forcing themselves to return to the fight.

****

Severus was fed up. Despite his finest efforts he had only managed to kill three Death Eaters so far. Two with a Killing Curse and one with Abscido Totalum, the limb-severing curse that Harry had outright refused to learn. He casually flicked his wand as Nott Senior approached him, causing the man to scream as the nonverbal Sectumsempra hit him. He sighed, wishing that this battle hadn’t have been necessary before Harry could reach the Dark Lord. Severus looked around the clearing with some satisfaction and more than a little surprise; Longbottom had just floored one Death Eater with the Obdormio sleeping curse before setting an entire hive of angry bees at another. He may have to re-evaluate his opinion of the formerly abysmal student once this battle was over, Severus thought approvingly. Longbottom was more than holding his own, and had nothing except a minor gash on his right cheek in terms of injuries.

Severus paused from battle to watch the Weasley twins in action. Not for the first time, Severus reluctantly thought, he wondered if the boys shouldn’t have been Sorted into Slytherin. One of them- George, Snape thought, given that he only had one ear- was casting Aqua Eructo on a masked opponent; the brilliant-blue jet of water had actually managed to lift the man off his feet and he was precariously balanced atop of the stream. Fred grinned at his twin, pointed his wand, and cast Ebublio. Severus watched in interest as the Death Eater began to inflate, before finally exploding into a thousand Transfigured bubbles, which the twins happily popped between them whilst whistling the Muggle song, ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles.’ Even in a situation of life and death, the pair had to make a joke. The corners of Severus’ mouth twitched up into an approving half-smile which the twins returned by bowing in a mock gesture to him.

“They fly so high…”

“Nearly reach the sky…”

Snape’s lips curled one final time, before leaving the pair to enjoy their work.

He took a few minutes to survey the scene. Despite being initially outnumbered, the Order definitely had the upper-hand now. Voldemort was, Severus was sure, hiding in Malfoy Manor. Well, if it’s in the Manor the fight ends, so be it, Severus thought, as once more he raised his wand and began duelling his latest opponent.

****

“Protego!” Lavender said, in barely more than a whisper. As hard as she had tried, she had not managed to master the Shield Charm nonverbally, much to her chagrin. Thankfully she was able to cast it in a low voice, and with the noise in the battle, she went unnoticed. She sighed in relief as the Shield was erected between Bill Weasley and Gregory Goyle’s father, not a second too soon as Goyle Senior fired a jet of turquoise light which signalled the Morbus Egresco curse straight at Bill. She heard Tonks’ sharp intake of breath next to her as the light bounced off the shield and narrowly avoided hitting its caster.

Tonks had erected another Shield between Arthur Weasley and his opponent. The Death Eater raised his wand in frustration, and aimed it straight at Mr Weasley, who was coming off worse in his duel, and sporting what appeared to be a broken wand arm in addition to many other injuries. A vicious sneer was plastered on his face.

“Avada-”

Tonks panicked. Forgetting completely the instructions given by Harry and the Order to keep concealed at all times and not to perform any spells that draw attention to them, and desperate to do anything to prevent the Killing Curse being sent at Arthur, she pointed her wand straight at the Death Eater, and cried, verbally, “Expelliarmus!”

The Death Eater’s wand flew out of his hand and zoomed towards the forest, before he could complete the second part of the incantation. He whirled round in shock, staring into the apparent emptiness of the trees, before he seemed to work out what was going on. The realisation dawned over him, and he let out a humourless laugh. He snarled then reached into his robes, pulling out another, concealed, wand, and before Tonks could react to this unpleasant surprise, he cried for a second time, “Avada Kedavra!”

The curse was shot blindly into the clearing. Tonks gasped and ducked, instinctively cradling her bump in her hands, noticing as she did so that the green light was aimed about a foot to the left of her body. Suddenly the light stuck a target, and Tonks felt a weight fall against her side.

“Oh, no…” she said softly, as she lowered the weight to the ground, just as she saw Snape strike the Death Eater with a Killing Curse of his own. “Fuck…”

The area cleared of Death Eaters, she cast Finite on the weight to remove the Disillusionment Charm and revealed the lifeless form of Lavender, surprised eyes wide and disbelieving. Tonks clasped a hand over her mouth, knowing it was her mistake that had cost Lavender her life. It’s my fault she’s dead, Tonks thought to herself, as she began to shake uncontrollably. She may have saved Arthur but in doing so Lavender had paid the ultimate price. With trembling, unsteady fingers, she reached out to touch Lavender’s face, closing pale eyelids over unseeing brown eyes, offering a silent apology to the girl as her own tears began to fall.

****

Ron had gained the upper hand in his duel, finally. He was sporting a large and painful gash to his left arm from where he was hit by a Diffindo spell, but he considered himself lucky it hadn’t had been worse; just as the spell was cast at him a Shield was erected in front of him and it only caught one exposed limb, whilst Ron managed to Blast his opponent backwards with a powerful Reducto. Not for the first time since battle had commenced did he inwardly praise Harry’s tactics; it seemed the Death Eaters had not, yet, noticed the fighters amongst the trees protecting Harry’s side, allowing their opponents to focus purely on offensive spells.

He sent a final Stunning Spell towards Avery, and smirked when then man was rendered unconscious. He bent down to retrieve and snap his opponent’s wand before binding him in ropes, but had only seconds to savour in his victory; an ear-splitting scream only a few yards from him sent his blood running cold. Without pausing to heal his arm, he took off towards the scream. For the sound had been all-too familiar; it was Ginny who was under torture.

She was on the floor, body twitching in agony, as a long and lanky masked Death Eater applied the Cruciatus Curse on her. Even Harry’s defensive group couldn’t defend against the Unforgivables, and Ron knew they had been warned not to perform any offensive spells of their own as it would give them away. Ginny was suffering horribly. Ron was more angry, and frightened, than he’d ever felt in his life before. Blood thundering furiously through Ron’s head, and desperate to do anything to relieve his Ginny’s suffering, he raised his wand and cast Sectumsempra on the bastard who was hurting his sister.

Ron had never seen the effects of the spell before; he had only heard about it from Harry’s recounts after he had cast it on both Draco and Rowle. He reeled back in shock as the Death Eater robes of his victim slashed open, as did the wretched man’s chest. The Cruciatus Cruse broken, Ron cradled a whimpering Ginny in his arms as he looked on in horror as the man’s chest opened and he began to bleed profusely from the slashes. The Death Eater fell to the floor, helplessly clutching his own chest, desperately trying to stop the blood flow that wouldn’t let up. A minute later his movements were weakened and his breathing audibly laboured; thirty seconds later and he was still, all life extinguished. Ron took one look at the masked corpse and promptly retched, vomiting into the bush next to him, whilst Ginny was crying.

“Ron!” she wept, sounding hysterical. “Oh God no, Ron! You’ve killed him!”

Ron looked at her, confused. Ginny looked over at the bloodied remains. “I… I recognised the voice,” she said, more frightened than she had sounded whilst under Crucio. “Take off the mask. If it’s who I think it is… oh, fuck.”

Ron shakily made his way over to the body, and reached a trembling hand out to remove the mask. Once it was off he recoiled in shock and his knees gave way.

“Percy,” he said softly, and the tears began to fall in earnest as he looked down on the slashed remains of his brother. The brother who had turned his back on his family and joined Voldemort. The brother who tortured his own sister; the brother whom Ron had just killed. Ron began to sob.

****

Draco aimed his wand and floored his current opponent with a Stunning Spell, before binding him in ropes, Summoning the Death Eater’s wand and promptly snapping the wood in two. He had barely broken a sweat. He heard a small round of applause coming from a nearby tree and immediately trained his wand on the noise. He instantly lowered it again and his heart leapt into his mouth when he saw who was standing there watching him, his face breaking into a genuine smile.

“That was rather impressive, Draco,” Narcissa Malfoy said approvingly. “I do believe you were correct in your assessment that Harry Potter has been good for you.”

“Mother, I told you not to come,” Draco said, as he ran over to Narcissa and pulled her into a deep embrace, burying his face in her blonde hair. “But it’s so good to see you, even in these less than ideal circumstances. Where’s Father?”

“Fighting,” Narcissa replied, and Draco thought he could hear pride in her voice. “Your father Flooed to France over Christmas and procured a new wand. We’ve been unable to aid you for the past eight months, and we owe Mr Potter the courtesy of repaying some of the gratitude we feel towards him. The last I saw your father, he had just applied the Blood Boiling Curse to Walden McNair. The wretched man did scream, so, until he eventually gave in to death.” Draco winced at his father’s blasé use of Dark curses as he remembered Harry’s account of Wormtail’s torture from it, but pulled his mother back into the embrace. Narcissa stroked a lock of hair out of her son’s eyes and ran her hand over his cheek.

“I’m extremely proud of you, my son,” she said. “My only wish for you, and has been now since his resurrection, was that you would survive the Dark Lord and be happy. That you wouldn’t have to become involved too heavily in this mess in which your father has involved us. I love you, Draco. I loved you the minute you were placed in my arms for the very first time and that will never change.”

Draco swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat and once more pulled his mother tightly against his chest. Neither saw Bellatrix Lestrange approaching the pair from behind a large oak tree.

Harry had just sent a Blasting Curse at Amycus Carrow, who was now out cold after the force of his spell sent the Death Eater flying before cracking the back of his head against a tree, and turned when he heard a disturbance in the woods. The scene that confronted him played out in front of him in agonising slow motion, although in reality it was over so quickly he had no chance to intervene. He saw Bellatrix raise her wand, and train it on the embracing couple in the forest. He heard the incantation for the Killing Curse leave her triumphant lips. He watched on in horror as his cry of warning died in his throat; his voice failing him, his knees buckling under him, as the emerald-green jet of light streaked through the trees, just inches away now, hurtling towards an unsuspecting and unknowing Draco.
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Harry Potter and the Black King