Chapter 56
Arriving at the gates of Hogsmeade, Fleamont felt adrenaline surging through his veins. His son and grandson were in danger. He could also feel the presence of dementors, but did not see any. His experience with them during criminal trials held by the Wizengamot gave him exposure to the beast, but he also knew that his grandson was very capable of dispelling them.
Charlus was moving ahead towards the south bridge that would take them into Hogsmeade when Fleamont observed a large gathering of children and villagers looking rather frantic at the boundary line. This caused his little brother to pause before he attempted to cross. It seemed as if nothing were there, but the frown on Charlus' face told a different story.
The war vet flicked his wand causing a simple stinging curse to fall from his wand. The spell didn't make it ten meters before dissipating in an angry hiss as a visible translucent wall seemed to appear for a brief moment.
While Dorea was usually a very calm woman, Fleamont could tell the woman was agitated when she glared at the bridge, "I hope too many students didn't die trying to cross this bridge."
Euphemia moved to stand beside her sister-in-law, "What kind of ward is it? Can we bring it down?"
"Not quickly." A voice called from behind them.
Charlus visibly twitched at the sound of the voice as he turned to face the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Before he could begin to berate the man for allowing this to happen so close to his school his voice died in his throat. The witch at his side was familiar to him, but she had aged fifteen years since they last spoke. Beside her was Alphard Black, a man he had not seen in years, but his focus remained on the Scottish woman who had once been his best friend, "Minnie."
"Don't you Minnie me, Charlus Potter. We are going to have words after this, but we need to get to my students first." The woman berated waving her wand right below his chin as she strided to be nose to nose with the man.
"I am afraid Minerva is correct. Our students, and your charges are in danger. We must find a way through." Dumbledore stated.
"How do we get through?" Fleamont asked carefully.
The older man shook his head, "I have never seen a ward like this before. I believe it to be parselmagic in nature. Tom could not have designed this alone. His ability with wards are astonishing, but not prodigious like what we are witnessing here. I fear the only way to bring it down would be with the help of another parselmouth."
"Impossible." Charlus spat, "Every ward has a weakness."
"The Hogsmeade wards are already quite formidable. They were taken down for a brief time at the start of the attack by the Dark Lord, and brought back up in this form when the attack began. I believe we could overpower them, but we would need to attack from separate sides. If we can create a hole big enough we can all apparate in. I fear judging by the light show in the village it will be straight into the fight."
"My son needs us." Charlus said without thought, "We need to get through."
"I do not disagree, Charlus. I shall apparate to the north side of the village in the meadow. Minerva, you will take Mrs Potter to the west side of the village. Alphard, take Lord and Lady Potter east towards the forest. We will all need to strike at once." Dumbledore advised.
None were looking to waste time so they quickly followed the Headmaster's instructions. Before Fleamont could apparate away he felt a hand grip his elbow. Turning to face his little brother, Charlus offered him a nod, "Be careful. Watch each other's backs."
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"I'm the big brother, I am supposed to tell you that." Fleamont returned with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Be safe, Charlus."
With that, Fleamont turned his head towards Alphard Black who was offering his arm to his wife and himself, "Grab on. I will take us to where we need to go."
Fleamont accepted the invitation from the Professor and in a moment they were standing at the edge of the forest looking at the Hogs Head which looked worse for wear.
Euphemia asked, "How will we know when to attack?"
In the distance the question was answered by red sparks shooting into the sky. Alphard took a deep breath as he leveled his wand forward, "That looks like a signal to me. Think of high impact curses. Bombarda!"
The spell left the professor's wand in a flash of red light and Fleamont and Euphemia followed suit. The explosions that rang across the valley indicated that Charlus and Dumbledore had begun their attack. As quickly as his wand could manage Fleamont flicked spell after spell at the ward.
A minute passed and he was heaving for breath when a crack started from the top. All three spell casters stopped and Alphard Black took a breath, "That's our signal. Go to the Three Broomsticks. We can rally there."
The man disapparated in an instant and Fleamont grabbed his wife, "Find our son if you can, I love you."
The woman nodded in understanding and then kissed him. Hand in hand the two apparated into Hogsmeade just in time to see Charlus blast Voldemort away from Harry who was being choked in the air. When the boy landed Fleamont observed Charlus exchange words with their boy before protecting him from the onslaught of spells heading their way.
Fleamont exchanged quick curses with a Death Eater before he lashed out with a blinding hex that came straight from the Potter Family grimoire. The man then turned to see teenagers near McGonagall and Black still attempting to assist with the fight. Among them was his son. Yelling to his wife her head snapped towards him after she helped Dorea take down a masked figure, "Get to James!"
Fleamont watched her eyes follow his and he noticed she paled as Euphemia saw her son fighting alongside the Longbottom's Heir. In a hurry the woman took off and Fleamont snapped his attention back to an incoming opponent. The battlefield seemed to pause briefly however when the Dark Lord sent a dark curse towards Charlus that seemed to reek of malevolent magic. This spell was interrupted by Dumbledore and a fierce duel erupted between the trio.
Fleamont saw his grandson struggling to keep up, clearly injured from his efforts before, and the older man began moving towards him to assist. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Voldemort tossed Harry, Dumbledore, and Charlus off their feet with a wave of magical backlash. Fleamont had been pushed back, but held his charge towards his grandson trying to defend him.
"I will tear your house down brick by brick, Harry Potter!" Voldemort said, exuding his magic into every step.
Fleamont was running now as Harry barely managed to deflect a spell that was so fast the Potter Lord didn't even comprehend it. Fleamont was in front of his grandson now as the next spell came towards him, and he raised a shield. The spell shattered his shield and the final thoughts of Fleamont Potter were with his little brother in the hopes that he would save their family.
.o.
Dorea watched in shock as Fleamont was ripped apart by the Dark Lords spell. Harry behind him wasn't much better off as the spell seemed to eat part of his stomach away and left a hole where his appendix should be.
The woman nearly fell to her knees at the pain of her husband as she heard his roar of rage. The man was now engaging the Dark Lord with a level of ferocity she had not seen in him since the early days of the Great War, when he was consumed by the loss of his father. Death Eaters were being ripped apart behind the Dark Lord, but the monster was not giving her husband an inch. In fact, Voldemort quickly wrestled control of the duel and forced Charlus backward with spell after spell.
