When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 98: Sky Fight

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 98: Sky Fight

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

27 July, 1997

The sun sank in the distance, transforming the sky into an ocean of deep reds and oranges. Soon after, the darkness came. They were on their way to the muggle street where Potter lived. As he looked around him, he was startled but didn't show it. He hadn't expected this many Death Eaters on this mission. He hoped the decoy was enough but he knew not everyone would come out unharmed. That was an impossibility when the Death Eater's attacked. He hoped for more casualties on his side than theirs.

He took a deep breath and strangled the ebony wand between his fingers.

He kept his focus on the house; worry for Potter, and especially for Granger, blinked in and out of his thoughts. It wasn't going to be easy trying to protect them, but of course, he'd expected that to be the case. The door opened and the Dark Lord and his fellow Death Eaters stilled. The people around him waited with eagerness but were patient enough to let the prey reveal themselves before attacking.

The grip on his broom tightened more and more as each of them appeared. Moody and Potter, Kingsley and Potter, Lupin and Potter, and so on. By the time everyone was out of the house, he counted seven copies of Potter. The only thing he could think of that would be worse than seven Potter copies would be seven Ronald Weasley copies.

He studied each clone. One of them had to be Hermione.

The Dark Lord indicated for them to divide their forces. The Death Eater closest to him shifted with impatience and excitement, looking forward to the fight.

The Potters and their escorts divided into pairs. Some were on brooms, others on motorbikes, and one on a thestral. His eyes focused onto a Potter that shivered. He pushed down a smirk as he watched "him" climb onto the thestral.

It was Hermione. She was the only one that despised heights and the reaction was typical for her. He knew the others knew she hated heights, so it puzzled him why they didn't give her a ground option. While the ground travel was slower, her skills and less nervous nature would more than make up for the disadvantage.

The Order moved. His muscles tensed.

They struck and chaos erupted. Brooms moved in front of him, screams sounded, spells flew through the air, and he began flying after his "targets".

He flew through the clouds, dodging a few haphazardly cast spells. After he shot through a rough patch of fog and came into a nearly cloudless area, he saw he was following Lupin and one of the Potters. He slowed down his flying so he wouldn't get too close and be within attack range.

Dumbledore had told him to participate and to be convincing. While he was chasing them with a murderous intent—he always had the desire to kill the mutt—it didn't mean that he couldn't let them escape. He could use this situation to his advantage and "accidentally" dispose of some of the Dark Lord's forces.