The Potions Master and the Ravenclaw

The Battle of the Seven Potters

27 July.

Nightfall was half an hour away.

Snape stood beside the Dark Lord on the grounds of Malfoy Manor, broomstick in hand. Thirty Death Eaters hung behind them, chomping at the bit. Mulciber, Nott, Macnair, Yaxley, Crabbe, Goyle, Dolohov, Selwyn, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Stun Shunpike, who was under the Imperius Curse, were among them. They were restless, anxious for the mission to get underway.

Finally, the moment had arrived, and at Voldemort's signal, they pulled their hoods around their faces, mounted their brooms, and took to the air. Snape loathed flying on a broomstick, much preferring to fly unsupported as his master had taught him, but he was a competent flyer nonetheless. He could hear Bellatrix cackling maniacally behind him, and he clenched his jaw, leaning forward as the wind whipped around him.

As they approached Surrey, Voldemort cast a concealment charm, hiding them from view. When they had reached Privet Drive, he held up a hand and the Death Eaters hovered silently, waiting and watching.

Snape looked down on the quiet street and saw the order leaving the Dursley home.

"My lord," he whispered, pointing down.

Voldemort nodded, and the Order took to the air in pairs. Snape's sharp eyes immediately sought out Hagrid on Black's flying motorbike, Potter and his owl riding in the side car.

Immediately after the group of fourteen took off, Voldemort shouted "Go!"

The Death Eaters flew straight for the Order in a savage ambush. Flashes of green light flared across the night sky as chaos reigned.

Voldemort homed in on Moody and his Potter decoy, assuming Potter would likely ride with the formidable ex-auror. The phony Potter disapparated instantly at the sight of the Dark Lord hurtling toward him, and Moody took the full brunt of the killing curse that shot from the tip of Voldemort's wand. Dead, Moody fell from his broomstick and hurtled to the ground.

Snape had scarcely processed what he had just seen when he realized several of the hooded Death Eaters were pursuing the real Potter and Hagrid on the motorbike. He flew toward them, intent on protecting Lily's son at all costs. Hagrid used the motorbike's exhaust to knock one Death Eater off his broom, and Harry pummeled his attackers with stunning spells. Red and green collided in a shower of sparks, lighting the sky like fireworks. Snape himself cast a few carefully aimed curses at nothing, acting his part as best he could.

Behind him, Bellatrix and Rodolphus were chasing Tonks and a Potter decoy, but Rodolphus was struck squarely in the chest and plummeted from the sky, injured.

Snape heard a strangled cry from Potter and noticed the sidecar had begun to break away from the bike. A Death Eater swooped toward Potter, but Harry struck him with an Impediment Jinx and knocked a tooth from his mouth. Hagrid lifted Potter back up onto the bike, and the boy blew the falling sidecar up with a curse, blasting an approaching Death Eater out of the air in the process.

Snape glanced to his right and saw another Death Eater – was it Macnair? - aiming the killing curse at Remus Lupin. Without hesitation, Snape slashed his wand through the air.

Sectumsempra!

Macnair ducked as the flash of green whizzed by his head and his curse was knocked off course, but the Potter decoy flying with Lupin yelped and grabbed their ear, blood pouring through their fingers. Regrettable, but at least Lupin had been spared.

To his left, the Dark Lord was now gaining on Kingsley Shacklebolt and a false Potter, when Snape heard the real Potter yell in utter despair.

"Hedwig!"