HP: Fairborn Adventures

November 1st, 1977

Warm sunlight poured through a small gap in the curtains, tickling her skin and blinding her vision through half-opened lids. She felt a hot body spooning against her back, engulfing her in a pair of strong arms; a warm, rhythmic breath brushed over her neck every few seconds. One large hand gently cupped her breast, hovering right above her heart. The other hand rested above her stomach. Its fingertips sent pleasant tingles all over her skin.

She sighed contently, trailing a pale finger down the length of the arm until her smaller hand rested over his. She began tracing gentle circles, pausing with a frown when metal encountered metal, causing unexpected friction on her finger.

'Her finger.'

Images from last night flashed through her mind. A bright twist of excitement spiked through her entire body until it settled like a volatile swarm of butterflies in her stomach. She cupped his wrist and gently loosened his hold on her breast to move it back to her eyes.

Two almost identical golden bands twisted around her own ring finger and Harry's. She blinked away tears of happiness that threatened to spill and lowered his arm back down to her chest, wiggling back against him.

'It wasn't just a dream.'

'It actually happened.'

The warm body behind her stirred, tightening his hold on her until she was pressed against him: "Good morning, my love."

"Morning." Marlene exhaled deeply, allowing a wave of utter happiness to roll over her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Happy and content." Marlene admitted with a smile: "Excited and nervous." She paused for a second, stifling a small grimace of discomfort when she shifted her legs: "And a little bit sore down here." She slowly wiggled her behind against Harry's crotch under the blanket, grinning when she felt the unmistakable rise of his own excitement against cheeks.

"I'm sorry." He brushed his lips over her neck: "You know we don't have to do anything if it hurts."

"It's okay when it hurts a little bit." Marlene clenched her jaw and turned around in his arms. Glancing up she caught the desire smoldering in Harry's eyes: "Every so often I like it when you have me in every way; it makes me yours... I know you enjoy it a lot too."

"I do," Harry admitted, his eyes roaming down her partly exposed body before they came resting on hers. He kissed her forehead: "I like it a lot."

"Then it's perfect." Marlene sighed, she intertwined their fingers, bringing them up to marvel at the set of rings on them: "I couldn't be happier right now."

"If I had known what proposing to you might lead to then I might have done it a lot earlier." Harry grinned down at her.

Marlene shot him a soft smile: "You know you don't need to propose to have me like that. I was yours already, all of me. This ring- " Her eyes darted to their intertwined fingers: " -it was only the final step."

"But it was important to you," Harry whispered.

"It was," Marlene admitted. She brought her lips up to his for a searing kiss: "It eases some of my worries. Now, I know it's only ever going to be me, just as you said last night."

"Only you." Harry swallowed heavily with a nod. His arms tightened around her, holding her possessively, while he deepened the kiss until her toes curled and her heart hammered against her rips: "No one else knows me the way you do. No one could ever hope to understand me the way you do. No one could ever- "

" -fulfill your every desire the way I do." Marlene finished teasingly, gently biting on his bottom lip until she broke out in a fit of giggles.

"No, no one else."

"Not even two witches?" Marlene laughed.

"I already have one perfect partner now." Harry's green orbs bored into hers with an intensity that made her shudder and her breath hitch: "From this day onward, my fiancé is all I'll ever need."

"Your fiancé." She felt a bright smile spread from one corner of her lips to her eyes. Warmth spread through her chest: "I like the sound of that. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it."

"There's something I'd like to do." Harry brought the ring on his finger between their faces: "The Slytherins have placed countless charms on these rings. Some of them were so unique that even the jeweler I brought these to didn't recognize them."

"Very ancient and abstract magic then." Marlene murmured, studying her own ring curiously: "Even blood magic perhaps."

"I believe so." Harry nodded: "Among the countless runic patterns scratched into the inside arc, there is a trigger rune, sitting right behind the center crest."

"What do you think it will do?"

"I'm not certain." Harry brushed his finger over the crest of the black Thestral: "But during my studies at university, I came across some ritualistic magic the former Celtic druids used during marriage ceremonies. They used blood as a magical medium to seal the bond of marriage and strengthen the connection between the couple."

"Should we risk it?" Marlene asked nervously.

"The magic within the rings will recognize me as a Slytherin." Harry nodded slowly: "Since I gave this ring to you with the intent of making you part of my family, it will not provoke any harmful consequences, even if it doesn't work. The Slytherins were too protective of their blood to risk harming one of them."

"Okay, let's do it then." Marlene nodded: "Do we have to stand or something?"

"Holding hands and being close should be enough." Harry grinned at her.

"Blood magic first, my fiancé. We can continue where we left off last night afterward." Marlene lifted the covers and untangled herself from Harry.

She waited until Harry sat upright in the middle of the large bed before sliding onto his lap, rolling her eyes when he shot her an amused grin, green orbs lingering on cleavage for a few seconds with an almost hungry look.

"Concentration, Harry." She reminded him, laughing while she lifted his jaw with a finger. "You'll have your fun with these two afterwards, I promise."

"Well, if you promise..." He cleared his throat and grabbed the pale Elder Wand from the nightside table. "One drop each should be enough. Do you want to go first?"

She nodded, swallowing a small twist of nerves. Harry brought the tip of the wood to her right thumb and held her gaze, giving her a reassuring nod: "Let's do it then."

She flinched for a split second when a drop of crimson dwelled from a tiny cut. She brought her thumb down to Harry's ring finger, pressing it against the black Thestral that stood proudly from the middle crest. Next, she moved her thumb over to her own ring, repeating the motion and waiting until the small white gemstones sparkled with dark blood.

"Well done." Harry brought her thumb up to his mouth and brushed his lips over it, vanishing the last traces of blood: "My turn." He whispered before performing the same cut on himself.

"That was it?" She felt a small stab of disappointment when nothing happened after Harry's blood mixed with her own on his ring. However, as soon as he finished with a drop on her ring, heat engulfed the metal, almost searing her skin underneath.

"Is this supposed to happen?" There was a sharp hissing sound and a small puff of steam rose from each crest, almost like the blood had been vaporized in the heat.

"It should be fine." Harry held her wrist protectively, light traces of concern flickered in his eyes: "Whatever it is, it definitely worked. Now it begins."

"What do you- " Suddenly the rings started glowing in a faint, white light that originated from the runic work on the inside arc. A pleasant warmth surged to her fingertip, turned on the spot, and raced back up her arm to her shoulder where it spread through her entire body. It wrapped itself like a hot blanket around every bone and tissue in her body, allowing Marlene to finally make sense of what happened.

The warmth felt familiar. It felt just like Harry; like ripples of his magic whenever he performed spectacular pieces; like the small tingles of pleasure whenever he touched her. Like the warmth she felt last night when they had been joined in bliss and loved each other again and again and again.

"I feel it too." Harry's breath came ragged. He seized her hand, beaming at her with a bright smile: "It's like there's a tiny part of your magic deep inside me; right here." He pointed at his heart.

"You're always with me now. And I'll always be with you-" Marlene suddenly gasped for air in surprise. Not only did she feel her own heart pounding in her chest, but now, there was a second rhythmic thudding too. She glanced up at Harry, whose face shifted into a mask of wonder and amazement while he studied the ring on his finger.

"I think this is- " Marlene tentatively reached out with her hand and placed it on Harry's bare chest, a motion that was mirrored by him soon after.

"I- " She struggled to find the right words for what she was experiencing: "I can feel your heartbeat, Harry."

"So do I." He murmured, taking a few deep breaths: "This is incredible."

His fingers trailed down to come resting on her hips, lifting her up, and shifting her closer to him on his lap. She brought her hands up around his neck, massaging his scalp while enjoying the intimate feeling of being held by him. The couple sat in silence, simply listening to their significant other's hearts for a few minutes. Eventually, the rhythmic thudding subsided, but anytime Marlene blended out everything else and concentrated on it she could still feel it ever so faintly.

"I would've never expected to find a way that brings me even closer to you," Harry whispered into the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath.

"I'm glad we did it." Marlene said, sighting contently: "Now you're truly a part of me and I'm a part of you. We're connected forever."

"I like that." A small flame of devotion burned in the depths of his green orbs.

"Don't just say so, show me how much you like it." She captured his lips in a heated kiss and slowly began grinding against his lap until he moaned in desire and need: "Let's enjoy each other and stay in this small, perfect paradise for a little while longer."

"One day the whole mess outside of these walls will be over." Harry lifted her off of him, lowered her on the bed with the utmost care, and began running a trail of soft kisses from her neck down the valley between her breasts and over the smooth skin of her stomach further south: "One day our little sunset will last forever."

Later That Day

The Great Hall was buzzing with chatter and laughter when Harry and Marlene arrived at lunchtime. Holding her hand, he slipped through the mass of students past the giant set of oak doors. When he didn't catch sight of the Marauders or Lily at Gryffindor table, he led Marlene over to the Eagles, sliding into the spot across from Florence with the blonde next to him.

"You were walking rather funnily, Mar... " A mischievous gleam dwelled up in Florence's eyes while she regarded her best friend with a critical look: "It must have been a very good night then."

"The morning was pretty good as well," Harry whispered over the cup of pumpkin juice with a wide grin, earning himself a pointy elbow to the side from the blonde.

'More than worth it.'

"No matter how romantic the night was, I would appreciate it if we could keep this private." Marlene fought down a small blush while reaching out for a bowl of fruits: "No need for my entire House to learn about it..."

"What are you doing, Flo?!" Florence's hand had suddenly surged forward and caught Marlene's on the wrist, holding it in a tight grip when she tried to pull it back: "Not here, please!"

"Hah, I knew it!" The brunette didn't look like she even heard her friend, instead, she merely stared down at the band of gold on the pale, slender finger. She glanced up at Harry, letting out a small cheer when she saw the identical ring on his finger: "I'm so happy for guys, this calls for some celebration!"

"Thank you, Florence." Marlene's eyes softened and she squeezed her friend's hand for a few seconds before pulling back and letting it slide under the table: "But I'd rather not celebrate it here…"

"I think it's a little too late for that." Harry's mood dropped significantly when he caught sight of the Headmaster and Flitwick making their way from the staff table down to where they were sitting: "Here comes trouble..."

'That will draw some attention to us.' Grimacing, he let the tip of the Elder Wand slide down in his palm. He quickly murmured the indication of the muffliato charm under his breath in an attempt to keep at least a small bit of privacy.

"Hello, Professors." Harry turned on the bench and greeted them when they arrived: "How may we help you?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed how many of the nearby students attempted to clean their ears with a finger, doing their best to figure out why they couldn't hear the conversation that was taking place a few meters away.

The ghost of a smile played on his lips. 'Behold, your legacy, Half-blood Prince.'

"We are very relieved to see you're in good health, Ms. McKinnon and Mr. Peverell." Flitwick squeaked, not quite as cheerfully as the half-goblin was known for.

"Was there a reason for concern?" Marlene raised an eyebrow, meeting her Head of House's gaze confidently.

"You caused some of the staff to worry when you didn't show up to the feast last night and neither for breakfast this morning, Ms. McKinnon." Dumbledore nodded seriously: "In times like these one tends to jump to drastic conclusions when students start going missing, especially when no one, not even their closest friends have been told about their whereabouts..."

"We apologize for any distress our absence might have caused." Harry kept the polite mask on his face: "We were still in the Castle, as I'm sure you were aware, Headmaster, but simply didn't feel like joining the feast this year."

"Attendance is not mandatory at the Halloween feast, but we would appreciate it if you could notify a fellow prefect or Head student of your absence next time." Flitwick granted them a genuine smile.

"I'll be sure to remember, Professor." Marlene's eyes lit up as she tossed her hair over one shoulder, returning his smile with a perfect one of her own.

"Very well then..." The Headmaster's twinkling gaze shifted between him and Marlene a few times before it drifted over to Florence, who didn't have the caution to avert her gaze in time.

"Well, I'd say that congratulations are in order before Filius and I return to the staff table." Dumbledore nodded kindly at Harry, whose fingers tightened their hold around Marlene's wrist underneath the table.

"Congratulations, Headmaster?" Harry adopted an innocent expression: "Whatever for?"

"For the brilliant privacy charm that you performed right before we arrived at your table, of course." Dumbledore turned his head, letting his gaze roam over the heads of other students with a low chuckle: "I assume they experience some type of undefinable buzzing in their ear."

"So it would seem." Flitwick squeaked in excitement: "I suppose I shall oversee the fact that you're performing a spell not registered with the Ministry this once and award Gryffindor 10 points instead. Spell crafting is a very delicate and tricky matter even for the most brilliant students."

"You are most generous, Professor." Harry inclined his head for a smile: "However, I can't accept all the glory, I had a lot of help with the spell."

"Another ten points for Ravenclaw then. Recognition should always be given to those who earned it via hard labor, my students." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly as they switched between Harry and Marlene: "My very personal congratulations to you two once again. I wish you all the best in any future endeavors..."

November 10th, 1977

A sharp cry of delight echoed through the Room of Requirements, making Marlene snap her head up in surprise.

"I did it!" Harry surged up from his chair, smacking his fist down on the large parchment that covered his table: "I finally fucking did it!"

"Good job, love!" Marlene walked over and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she stepped next to him: "How did you overcome the last issue?"

"Voldemort took no risks when he designed the Dark Mark." Harry pointed at a row of arithmetic calculations: "The magic and charms within it have somewhat of a sentient nature and attempt to rewrite themselves as soon as anyone tries to break them down into their components, even if it was another parselmouth."

"But we don't actually have to break them down, right?" Marlene noticed with a small frown: "We just need to be able to identify once the magic within them is activated..."

"Exactly!" Harry's eyes sparkled with excitement: "Which is why I merely focus on one single component. A component that perhaps doesn't want to reveal itself to me, but of which I know that it's still embedded into the net of charms."

"What component?" Marlene's eyes roamed over his notes.

"In my sixth year, Voldemort managed to track down a Death Eater who betrayed him after his fall and refused to follow his call. His name was Igor Karkaroff, you've seen him in some of my memories from my fourth year" At Marlene's nod Harry continued: "I've often thought about how Voldemort managed to find him during a time when his resources were spread thin, especially since Karkaroff could've potentially hidden anywhere in Europe."

"There's a tracking charm in the Dark Mark, isn't there?" Marlene's eyes widened in realization: "It sounds just like Voldemort to incorporate something like that to control his followers even better."

"Exactly!" Harry grinned triumphantly, planting a kiss square on her lips, before twisting around to shuffle through a stack of his notes: "It's a rather old parseltongue tracking charm that he most likely found in Slytherin's library."

"How does it work?"

"It's rather complicated, but in essence, it works like a snake's sense of smell." Harry snorted in amusement.

"Of course it does." Marlene rolled her eyes: "Bloody Parselmouths and their obsession with snakes."

"Well, I'm using the magical signature of our 'snake obsession' to trigger my ward and notify us that the mark is active. You'd better get used to having Parselmouths in your life, my fiancé." Harry circled her waist, pulling her closer against himself: "Our numbers might grow in the future..."

"You're right. I'll make sure of it..." Marlene held his gaze and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before separating herself from him: "Now, let's go down to the Snakepit and apply that fancy ward of yours. There was a reason why we've spent hours working on it in the first place..."

"Aren't you forgetting something? I have spent hours on it, love." Harry shot her a cheeky grin: "And I've completed my project before you finished your magical mirrors... Do you know what that means?"

"I know exactly what that means..." Marlene laughed softly, following him to the door leading out of the Room of Requirements: "You should get a move on, my fiancé. The quicker you apply that ward, the quicker I can fulfill whatever little fantasy has occupied your thoughts over the last few weeks..."

November 23rd, 1977

A soft snap echoed through the dark night and he stumbled over knee-high grass. Cold wind met his face, shaking off the uncomfortable feeling of being sidealonged. He lifted his head and glanced around. A familiar tiny village lay peacefully in the small valley to his feet with a large hill towering behind it.

'Stoatshead Hill' Harry frowned. In the far distance, he recognized the unorthodox architecture of a place he had almost felt as comfortable calling home as the Castle they just left. 'Ottery St. Catchpole.'

"Hey, mate, did you also feel- "

Eric Silverthorn's ribcage exploded in a burst of red. He sank to his knees, spitting a mouthful of blood before dropping down to the floor and revealing a tall blonde girl that stood right behind. Marlene's wand tip was glowing a faint green, aimed down at the mess of pale bones and dark crimson that sparkled in the dim light of the moon to her feet.

Her flawless face was a mask of hatred as she glared at the corpse of her former housemate: "I spent six years in the same common room as this fifth..."

"WHAT THE FU- "

His companion's scream died in his throat when Harry wrapped his magic around the other wizard's head, tightening it like a fist before ripping it off with a flick of his wand. John Urquhart's head and body dropped with a low thud into the grass, joining the Ravenclaw in a cold, wet grave in the early hours of November.

"Let's move." Harry spun his wand between his fingers, disillusioned himself, and hurried down the slope towards the village.

A faint ripple of air stepped next to him through the high grass, keeping his pace and releasing whiffs of warm breath every other step.

'Her charm is almost as good as mine.'

"They're meeting over there." Marlene paused and pointed a thin length of wood towards their right, where a cluster of dark shadows assembled in the shade of a large willow tree. Her voice traveled in a faint whisper, carrying traces of excitement and apprehension: "There's a lot more than last time, Harry."

"Then what happens tonight will hurt their cause a lot more than last time." He changed directions, aiming towards the willow, and creeping closer until he could make out the first voices.

"You have ten minutes to prove yourself tonight." The tall, silver-masked death eater declared from within a circle of dark robes figures: "After that, the Aurors are likely to show up, at which point we will be gone and you will be left behind if you fail to follow us."

"Let's cleanse magical Britain, my friends!" The man thrust his wand up high into the air, pointing at the cloudless night sky above Ottery St. Catchpole.

"MORSMORDRE!"

Hatred bubbled in Harry's stomach as he watched the crest of his nemesis rise to the sky, glooming threateningly over the village in dim green light and announcing Death's arrival in the peaceful community.

The Death Eaters cheered and roared in marvel, shooting sparks of green and silver from their wands in a greeting of their Lord's sign. The first among them, those keen on gaining the Dark Lord's favor and earning his Mark, turned toward the village, wands raised in excitement.

'I will give you an actual fight.'

"Step back and take out those that escape," Harry whispered to Marlene as he rose to his full height. Counting roughly three dozen opponents, he took a deep breath, twisting the Elder Wand which buzzed with raw power, and allowed the hatred to swallow him in its endless depths:

"FIENDFYRE!"

A crimson heat seared past his face and shot high towards the night sky. Harry wrestled his control over the flames, veered them into an avatar of his loathing, and unleashed the blazing inferno on the shadows beneath the willow tree.

High screams of panic tore through the silent night. The terrified mob of masked shadows ran for their worthless lives. Bright colorful flashes of light shot from the tip of a wand right next to Harry, cutting down those that ran like flowers on a field.

"Kill them!" Harry roared, pushing every drop of magic into his spell: "Kill them all!"

Very few of their enemies had the mental capacity to apparate to safety and avoid being turned to smoke and hot ash. The furthest of the flicking, flaming tongues were seconds from engulfing the largest crowd of Death Eaters when a soft snap echoed over the clearing.

'No!' Harry panicked, squinting his eyes and shielding his face with one arm to try and spot the latest arrival: 'He can't be here! Why would he be here?!'

A lone figure stood proud and tall in the blazing inferno, twisting a pale long wand over its head like a conductor's baton. He parted the crimson sea with a vertical slash, redirecting the fiendfyre to either side of him and up high into the sky.

Harry grimaced in discomfort when he felt his control over the cursed flames being wrestled away from him. He saw the pale wand being lifted again, evaporating the inferno and burying his spell underneath a layer of cold, deadly magic.

The black smoke started getting carried away by the nightly breeze, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the obliteration he had caused. The grass below the willow was completely scorched and covered with a layer of thick, gray ash, as were the majority of the tree's branches. Smoldering corpses littered the space between the willow and the nearby village, a few of them were still twitching, screaming in pain, or crawling toward their closest comrades.

A few of the surrounding bushes still burned brightly, casting long shadows on the Death Eaters that covered behind the thick blackened trunk of the willow. Some of them panicked and apparated away with loud snaps, others peeking out sideways behind the willow to gape at their savior:

"My Lord, thank you, my Lord!"

"Morgana..." Marlene gasped beside him and even Harry sucked in a deep breath when the smoke cleared completely. A pair of crimson eyes, burning bright like hot coals, shone in the darkness. The pale face of its owner slowly lifted and turned in a semicircle, while his thin fingers caressed the yew wand almost lovingly.

'It's with him.' Harry's eye was caught by the sparkle of a small, golden locket that hung around the wizard's neck on a slim chain: 'The final Horcrux.'

"I'm impressed." Voldemort's high, clear voice was carried over the grass to them: "Not many could even dream of wielding such magic." He took a few steps forward, crimson eyes boring into the darkness: "Reveal yourself and I might grant you the choice between a quick death and joining my ranks..."

Neither of them dared to breathe.

'One step closer.' Harry decided to take his chances and slowly took careful aim at the Locket underneath his disillusionment charm.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The bright green flash razed towards Voldemort who side-stepped it almost lazily, laughing coldly when it connected with one of the followers behind him, who collapsed dead to the ash-covered grounds immediately.

'Well, that didn't work.'

"Fine... No more hiding then..." The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed in anger. He suddenly slashed his wand forward in their general direction.

Harry cursed as the wave of raw magic surged up the slight incline towards them, bending the blades of grass like a strong gust of wind. He took a protective step in front of Marlene, threw up his sturdiest silvery shield, and readied himself for the imminent blow.

The sheer force of the spell threw him backwards a couple of feet and hurled him right against Marlene who whimpered in pain. Harry dug his fingers into the cold ground, a coppery taste filling his mouth. He wheezed in discomfort and pushed himself back up to his knees, frantically searching for the blonde's hand.

'We have to get out of here.'

Marlene's pale fingers dug into his shoulder from behind him. She staggered to her feet, clinging to him for support. Her disillusionment charm slipped for a split second, allowing him to catch a glimpse at her.

The alarm was evident on her pale face, as was the small trickle of blood that ran down her forehead. Still, her eyes shone with fierce determination. A pair of pink lips moved, repeating the same pattern and mouthing a single word again and again.

'Locket.'

"Please, don't leave just yet..." Voldemort laughed coldly, thrusting his wand high up into the night sky. A powerful ripple of the Dark Lord's cold magic washed over him and made his skin tingle. Harry felt him cover every blade of grass, every stone, and every patch of ground with a thick layer of impenetrable wards, which he tightened in a vice-like grip: "You still have to reveal yourself, my talented friend."

'Death doesn't just reveal itself to anyone, Tom.' With a painful grimace, Harry probed for the Invisibility cloak underneath his robes. He threw it over himself and Marlene and checked if he was completely covered from head to toe: 'And Death certainly doesn't care how strong your wards are either.'

He tightened his grip on the blonde's hand and twisted on the spot, forcing the world past him to reappear behind the willow tree.

The Elder Wand poked out from underneath Death's gifts, taking careful aim once more. Another bright beam of green light illuminated the night sky but yet again Voldemort evaded it by ripping the bark from the nearby tree and intercepting the spell.

'He's too powerful for those attempts.' Marlene and he both released a volley of spells at his followers, changing positions every few seconds and emitting soft snaps as they apparated over the clearing.

"Impossible!" The Dark Lord raged, eyes narrowing on a target he couldn't see while erecting glowing shields of magic to cover his remaining followers, whose numbers continued shrinking as they fell to the onslaught.

Just as Harry switched position one last time and readied himself for another attempt at fiendfyre, the Dark Lord reached out with both hands, cladding his magic over the entire area in front of him, including Harry's position. His pale fingers curled inwards and tightened in a fist before he yanked both hands towards his body and pulled with an almost inhuman roar.

A surge of magic rolled over him from behind, sucking everything in its path towards the Dark Lord. It ripped out the nearby trees by the roots, propelled even the largest rocks, and tore out entire patches of grass-covered grounds.

'Let's see if my Ancestors' skill holds up to their legacy.' Harry's fingers curled into the cool, smooth fabric of the cloak, wrapping it even tighter around himself and Marlene. Yet, to his surprise, the third Brother's gift seemed completely unaffected by the Dark Lord's magical outburst. The Cloak didn't give a single inch and defiantly remained right on the very same spot.

"WHAT MAGIC IS THIS?!" Voldemort screamed in rage, his wand snapping forward to release one deadly green curse after the other.

'Death's' Harry allowed a small triumphant smile to grace his lips as he apparated them to their original position in front of the willow.

He was about to raise his wand and continue his attack on the few remaining followers when a series of snaps echoed over the grass. Several dozen figures in bright red robes with their wands drawn surrounded the willow from all sides, moving in like a single unit. "Drop your wands, right now!"

"It's the Ministry, my Lord!" The remaining Death Eaters panicked, unable to Apparate out of Voldemort's wards.

"Kill them!" Voldemort screamed, tearing his eyes off of the spot where Harry and Marlene hid underneath the Cloak: "KILL THEM ALL!

"It's time to leave, love." He steadied the blonde with an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, stiffening a flash of worry upon hearing her ragged breath.

'I will see you again soon.' Harry allowed a final flare of hatred to spike through his body and poured another stream of fiendfyre down at his nemesis.

The Dark Lord twisted around in surprise to meet the flames head on, killing two approaching Aurors in the blink of an eye. His pale wand was a blur and his face a mask of utter hatred while he searched for the origins of the cursed inferno.

Harry forced the world past him, holding on tightly to his cloak and Marlene's hand before crimson red bored into emerald green any longer.