Two for One

Chapter 59: Call Him

They slipped out of Hogwarts like they usually do, went down to Hogsmeade and took a floo from there.

Today, they're down in Knocturn Alley again because Credence likes the taste of Dark artifacts (don't ask how they discovered that) and Gellert needs to stock up on some more potion ingredients anyway for his alchemy work.

Credence is now walking through crooked but towering shelves of Borgin and Burkes while Tom raises an eyebrow at the half-hearted 'Dark' magic. Tom always offers to just make some for Credence, but Credence says that Tom's magic is family, and he shouldn't eat family.

After Credence picks out a necklace and a withered hand, Tom haggles the price down as he pays for it because while they have more than enough money to burn, they shouldn't waste any. Harry once had a discussion with him, concerned that it was a holdover from Tom's days in the orphanage but no, Tom is just a miser from personality reasons.

Credence happily holds his suspicious paper bag to his chest as they step out and find Gellert already outside across the street, leaning back against a wall, his things tucked away in an expanded pocket.

Tom meets Gellert's eyes and they connect, not slipping past occlumency barriers but feeding each other information. They're looking through two sets of eyes now with a complete view of the alley. Eight people in the street, two street stalls, three open doors to nearby shops, two side passages – no, three.

There, Tom.

Your left, Gellert.

Get him over.

I see.

Tom puts a hand on Credence's upper back, walking calmly. Credence looks back at Tom and then at Gellert. Dust skitters over Tom's fingers. Gellert smiles, a flat press of his lips.

Gellert cancels out the first spell aimed for him and dives left, wand flicking out to tip over the street stall that had been blocking the third side passage. Tom plunges his hand through Credence's back and the ash explodes out on command, swallows another two spells and Tom runs through the moving shield, vaults over to meet Gellert who has ducked behind the stall, now built into stronger metals.

The three open shop doors slam shut and metal sheeting comes down, store windows flaring with protecting wards for a brief moment before dimming again because this is Knocturn afterall. Six people run, one stumble stumbles when they try to disapparate and hits anti wards instead. Three more people enter from one end of Knocturn.

The five attackers don't move, just wait with wands out in preparation. They don't look particularly noteworthy, nothing stands out, they're not malicious or cautious, just boring normal people doing their boring normal job. Professionals.

"Five?" Gellert complains. "Only? That's a bit rude."

"Shut up," Tom hisses and turns the metal sheeting onto a two-way mirror to peer through without getting out of cover. "Credence, let's go!"

The cloud obediently starts rolling back into itself.

"You must be joking," Gellert laughs, loud and wild, incandescent with his rage. "In our own fucking territory, brother?"

"Just think for a moment! You're always so arrogant, reckless-"

"You think too much," Gellert retorts sharply. "Hide away, Tom, always so scared – we promised we'd be monsters and here we are but fine, you stay here, mind the littlest one."

"Gellert!" Tom snaps as the blond charges out.

Rune chains spin themselves into existence and Gellert throws a hexagram down one end of the street that blows back anything not bolted down, and turns on the three people standing at the other side.