When the Roses Bloom Again by TheBlack'sResurgence

Chapter 51

Going Over

The attack had come suddenly at dawn as hundreds of Grindelwald's followers spilled over the top of their trenches, their battle cries echoing across the fields as they charged towards ICW forces.

"The bastards know where our traps are!" Moody growled, looking through his omnioculars. "Alright lads, there's nothing for it, we'll be buggered three ways to Sunday if we sit here. MOVE YOUR ARSES!"

They had been here less than forty-eight hours, and already, Harry and Charlus found themselves going over the top to meet the enemy on the battlefield.

Harry had become quite adept at running throughout his life, and his legs carried him ahead of his peers, though Charlus followed closely.

"WAIT UP!" the latter called, struggling to keep pace with his nimble friend.

He drew level when Harry came under attack from a trio of Grindelwald's men, Africans that launched a stream of fire towards him.

With a wave of his wand, Harry redirected it into the path of some of their own comrades, and once more they were treated to the smell of burning flesh, this time with the screams of men.

Before the three attackers could recover, Charlus blew a hole clean through one of their chests, and the man collapsed limply to the ground.

In the heat of the moment, the Potter lord gave little thought to what he had done as he was forced to defend himself from another attack whilst Harry neatly dispatched of the remaining two, a severing curse cleaving through them at the waist.

"WATCH OUT!"

Charlus had not seen nor heard the killing curse sent his way, and in a moment of panic, he froze as the jet of green light headed towards him, only for a chunk of white rock to intercept it.

The stone exploded, and some of the shards cut painfully into him, but Charlus knew the alternative would have been much worse.

Again, he didn't have much time to form a coherent thought on the matter as he found himself in another fight with a man that was throwing cutting curses around with reckless abandon.

The man's eyes were wide, almost vacant, and full of fear. It was as though his mind had become stuck with one thought, and his body was following suit.

Spell after spell left his wand, and even when Charlus removed his hand, he continued trying to cast bereft of his wand.

Before Charlus could put an end to him, a yellow spell collided with his face and blood began to flow freely from his now empty eye sockets.

This seemed to snap the man out of whatever stupor he had been in, and he screamed.

Falling to the floor, he clawed desperately at his face calling for his mother.

In that brief moment of reprieve Charlus was granted, the sight of the sobbing man sent a chill down his spine.

What was happening around him?

He glanced around the battlefield where the dead and dying littered the ground, many whimpering in pain, others too calling for their mothers, and some even running around aimlessly, seemingly gripped by madness.