The Greengrasses Chapter 22 (Patreon)

The grounds of Greengrass Manor came into view as he and Daphne turned a corner down one of the manor’s halls, before they both paused at a destroyed doorway. Neither of them could see the attacks, but they could certainly hear the distant crack of spellfire.

“What’s the plan, Harry?” She asked him, his invisibility cloak clenched tightly between her fingers. Unlike before, she looked apprehensive, and he almost asked her if she wanted to run before thinking better of it.

“There’s too many of them to take them all on at once, so it’s best to try and fight them in smaller groups.” He would be overwhelmed if he took all of them on at the same time, which is why he needed to strike a balance.

“Our job is to distract them, isn’t it?” Daphne asked. “We need all of them to know you’re here, otherwise they’ll keep searching and find Mother.”

“I know, which is why I want to funnel them to a specific area.” He came up with a plan on the spot. “I want you to prepare an area to fight in advance, and fill it with what traps and preparations you can come up with while hiding under the cloak. While you’re doing that, I’ll run over and get their attention, then lead them over to the ambush point you chose.”

“I know the perfect place.” She nodded, understanding his plan. “North side of the Manor, between two hills and near the edge of the wards. It’s to the left once we walk out that door.”

“Perfect.” He breathed. “You go ahead of me, and eventually I’ll come running with the Death Eaters on my heels.”

“Alright then.” The Slytherin Ice Queen took a steadying breath, holding his cloak before she suddenly turned his way.

Her lips unexpectedly slammed against his own in that moment, passionate and desperate as Harry was pushed back against the wall. But Daphne didn’t care, intent on devouring his mouth as he began to taste cherry and honey on his tongue. When she finally pulled away, her blue eyes were mesmerizing and wide, cheeks flushed.

“You better be careful out there, Potter.” She said, before throwing his invisibility cloak over her form and taking off.

He was left standing alone, knowing he would have to give her a few minutes to prepare before he began the distraction. Harry’s mind wandered in that moment, as he desperately tried not to think of Daphne’s lips and instead of what spells he knew.

For the first time he wished he had trained more over the summer, such as dueling or even dancing to try and get his footwork improved. But with that said, he did learn a lot about magic, and his quidditch reflexes were good enough to the point he could duel and dodge incoming spells if need be.

Waiting a few moments for Daphne to get a head start, his footfalls could be heard through the manor’s empty halls as he eventually walked outside to find the grounds of Greengrass Manor scarred and covered in burns. Destroyed stone automatons that were the manor’s defenders lay ruined, blown to unrecognizable stone pieces and dust.

Yet for the remnants of the many golems Aspasia had activated, there were thrice the amount of attackers dead. Bloodstains and fallen wizards wearing dark cloaks littered the grounds intermittently, their bodies crushed or disfigured beyond recognition from the battle.

It was a macabre sight, but Harry didn’t feel anything for it, his heartbeat oddly steady as he continued his casual pace. His fingers gripped his wand loosely, and in the near distance he could hear spellfire and the sound of explosions as a different part of the grounds were being fought over.

His feet took him to where the fighting was taking place, eventually coming upon a group of five who were surrounding one of the enchanted stone trolls on all sides before peppering it with spells. The stone creature roared as its arm and legs were blasted away, its enchantments giving out before the automaton crumbled to dust.

Standing where he was, he knew he only had a few moments to act until those Death Eaters noticed him, and so he would have to come up with something quickly. A normal disarming or stunning spell wouldn’t do much against such a large group, so he would have to make do with something else.

Yet rather than recalling new spells that would be useful, he instead thought back to a particular lesson on magical theory Aspasia had given him early on in the summer. It appeared obscure and generally unimportant on the surface, but for some reason he couldn’t help but think back to it.

They sat in the main office inside Greengrass Manor, Harry with quill and parchment in hand while the Lady of House Greengrass sat across from him at her desk. It was one of their weekly study sessions, which varied between all things magic, etiquette, and history. This particular week seemed to focus heavily on magical theory.

“What exactly magic is, is something too difficult to explain with mere words.” Aspasia sighed, her temples pinched in thought. “Too many have studied it and written their own findings in published works, but it all boils down to being a fourth-dimensional energy that magicals can tap into and channel through uncertain methods.”

He thought about that. “Channel? Like through wands?”

“Exactly.” The older blonde nodded. “The most common medium for channeling magic is the wand, and it has been that way for millennia. The Romans were the ones to pioneer it, which is why the most common spells are incanted in Latin. Possessing the first wands, they were able to subjugate most of Europe. From there, wands became the most common and easiest objects to use when working with magic.”

He couldn’t help but lean forward in interest. “Are there alternatives to wands?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Britain was actually the birthplace of ritualcraft and magic circles, but those fell out of favor as our ancestors were conquered several times over and forced to change their methods. The Roman, Norman, and eventual Viking invasions forced our ancestors to adapt their ways of performing magic.”

“I guess that makes sense.” It was odd how Harry had never thought about magic, or even wizarding history, that way before. Those thoughts led to his next question. “Why don’t they talk about this at Hogwarts? Binns never mentioned anything like this before.”

Aspasia scowled furiously. “You can blame Dumbledore for that, as he is the one who changed the curriculum around wizarding history to fit his agenda. Binns has always been his pick for a history teacher, and the newer generations clearly suffer under his ineptitude.”

Dumbledore again, huh? It was rare his pureblood betrothed didn’t make some offhand comment about Dumbledore at least once a week, not that Harry could really object this time around.

“With that said,” Aspasia looked straight into his eyes then. “The important part you need to remember, Harry, is that your wand is simply an instrument, a way for you to effectively channel magic. But the magic you channel is influenced directly by your own actions, by your emotions, and your intent. The hand movement, incantation, and focus is definitely part of it, but your intent to cast is always the most important part.”

The memory ended as he found himself back in the real world, his grip on his wand tight as he thought through what to do.

The intent to cast is the most important part.

He had heard that phrase before, typically repeated by Professor Flitwick during charms class. It was something he normally heard and then disregarded, a casual reminder from their Professor to try and help meandering students and get them to focus, and not something actually helpful.

Intent to cast. I need intent to cast. The phrase repeated over and over in his mind. What is my intent here?

The answer to that question was obvious, being that he wanted to protect his loved ones. Daphne, Aspasia, and Astoria were all counting on him here, and not just to save them, but for him to survive as well.

Protection. That was his intention, and so Harry cast the strongest protection spell he knew while thinking of his new family. “Expecto Patronum.”

There was no smoke or corporeal creature that left his wand, but rather a beam of pure light. It erupted from his wand like a laser, before expanding into a column of power that ripped up the surrounding landscape. Harry watched as the spell tore across the grass, before eviscerating the first Death Eater that was standing in his way.

“Woah.”

The spell didn’t end, taking out three more before they could even react until it finally hit the earth behind them and exploded in a blinding flash of light. The remaining Death Eater who was part of their group was sent flying like a ragdoll, tumbling hard to the ground as he fell unconscious from the impact.

Maybe put less power into the next one. He gulped at the devastation, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.

“Potter! Potter is here!” He heard someone call out in the distance, as Harry ducked under a curse aimed his way.

The power of his spell had clearly alerted them, and he turned to see dozens of Death Eaters racing over, with more coming from other areas of the manor grounds off in the far distance.

Realizing his distraction had worked a little too well, he twirled his wand and cast the Patronus Charm again - being sure not to overdo it. Yet this time only white mist left his wand, weak and dissipating instantly.

“Come on!” He swore in frustration, before realizing he had forgotten himself in his haste. Intent to cast: Protect Daphne, Aspasia, and Astoria. He reminded himself. “Expecto Patronum!”

White mist left his wand before it formed a huge stag, its size akin to a small muggle home. It landed on the ground in front of him, its hooves digging into the earth as it snorted in contempt, before charging off towards the approaching Death Eaters.

He realized only too late his corporeal patronus somehow had a physical body in that moment, as it trampled through a line of Voldemort’s followers. Dark-cloaked men screamed and jumped aside to avoid its rampage, casting wildly as the deer impaled several men on its antlers.

“That should buy me enough time.” He turned and ran to where Daphne told him to go, hearing yells and wild spellfire behind him as the Death Eaters eventually took down his patronus.

Just as she had told him, he found Daphne at the end of a small open, uphill field, positioned between two steep and overgrown hills. He could see why she picked this place, as Voldemort’s men would have to run uphill without adequate cover to reach them, and couldn’t easily flank them as the hills to their sides were steep and overgrown.

“Harry? What is all that commotion?!” She called out to him as he approached.

“No time to explain!” He yelled back.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, before pointing her wand his way. “Accio Potter.”

His feet left the ground, and Harry let out a shout of panic as he was levitated and pulled across the field before tumbling down to land in a heap at her feet.

“W-What was that for?” He gasped out.

“Get up and stop complaining.” She ignored him, putting his invisibility cloak back on. “I set up traps on the field, so the last thing I wanted was you springing any of them.”

“Oh, I see.” He got out lamely, standing up and dusting himself off.

“POTTER!” That was the signal, as Voldemort’s men came in droves, sprinting straight for them. Their attackers looked rough and a lot worse for wear compared to their appearances at the World Cup, clearly having been beaten down by the defensive golems, and further by Harry’s spell.

He only gripped his wand tighter in anticipation. “Come and get me!”

/////

The green flash of the killing curse missed Harry by a hair as he sidestepped it, having plenty of room to maneuver. He barely even looked winded as he moved, his wand moving all the while like that of a conductor’s, gracefully and confident.

He levitated a nearby branch over before transfiguring it to be sharpened at its point, similar to a wooden arrow, before launching it downrange at his attackers. It slammed into one of the Death Eaters, impaling him straight through into the earth, before he followed it up with several cutting curses that bisected those nearby.

Daphne watched it all happen from her safe place beneath his invisibility cloak - an item of immense expense that her betrothed somehow possessed. She had expected him to only last a few moments against their attackers before deciding to run, but Harry had shocked her with his skill, dodging and weaving through spellfire while fighting back with a skill that left her gaping in astonishment.

It was odd how Harry was never one to brag or boast, never using his status in society or position to uplift himself. She knew so many of her classmates were the opposite of him, always making small gestures seem like grand accomplishments, all while having no skills or real feats to back themselves up with. But Harry could stand his ground and fight if need be, not having titles or a grandiose reputation to hide behind, and he was proving that fact now.

One of the Death Eaters sprinted forward in a mad dash to try and close the distance between himself and his target, before leaping aside to dodge one of Harry’s spells. That cost him, as he coincidentally fell into a pit of spikes hiding under some transfigured grass which vanished under his feet.

“Imbecile.” Daphne muttered quietly, as that trap hadn’t been hidden very well.

She had done what she could to prepare the battlefield in advance, placing runes under rocks that would explode when moved, enchanting pieces of hidden rope to bind anyone that got close, along with various pit traps hidden under hastily done transfigurations. All of it was shoddy work, but the adrenaline-filled battlefield they fought over didn’t leave time for scrutiny, and their attackers didn’t have time to watch their every step.

With that said, her paltry tricks did little damage compared to the havoc Harry wreaked. The men who followed Voldemort charged at him and were cut down in droves, all the while he stood tall. Her betrothed did not retreat, did not panic, and did not show the slightest hint of slowing down. If anything, he looked to be enjoying himself, a confident smile on his lips as he deflected and dodged curse after curse.

He’s so powerful. She felt her cheeks heat up as she watched him from under the cloak, a wave of heat overtaking her form as she tried not to shiver. Yet Daphne still felt her thighs clenching, the drip of wetness escaping her lower lips and soaking the inside of her panties.

Harry had distracted them for long enough that her Mother and Astoria had probably escaped at that point, yet the idea of turning around and running didn’t cross her mind in the slightest. She didn’t want to stop Harry now, not when he was crushing the men who dare attack their home so thoroughly.

Soon, the followers of the Dark Lord thinned out, as hordes of men weren’t charging them, and only a trickle of Death Eaters were left behind while the rest either fled or had died. Her heart beat hard at that point, wanting nothing more than to embrace Harry and give herself to him fully.

But rather than doing that, Daphne instead remained calm, doing as was expected of her as she remained hidden under the cloak and kept an eye out. It was a good thing she did too, as two Death Eaters were making their way towards Harry from behind their position, having circled around from the outside of the wards.

She navigated behind them, her wand pointing out from beneath the invisibility cloak. “Excorsio.”

The curse nailed the closest Death Eater, and he fell down with a scream as his limbs twisted wrongly. The second one turned to his companion in panic, but Harry had noticed them at that point, and a quick spell from his wand trapped that man in ropes.

“Good job, Daphne.” Harry praised her, while she took off the invisibility cloak.

“Greengrass…” The Death Eater trapped in ropes growled, his mask sliding off to reveal the enraged visage of Lucius Malfoy. “And you, Potter, you were meant to die here with those whores, even if it would displease the Dark Lord.”

Harry kicked him coldly in the head. “Apologies, but you’ll have to kill me before you get your hands on Daphne or her family.”

“Something that we obviously failed in.” Lucius Malfoy spat back, before his face became somewhat apprehensive. “How did you get so skilled, Potter?”

“What? Did you think I spent the entire summer getting laid and having my dick sucked?” Harry asked rhetorically.

Yes… Daphne thought, her eye twitching in annoyance as she silently watched on.

“I foiled your plot with Slytherin’s chamber in my second year, and the year before that I stopped your Master’s scheme with the stone.” Harry continued. “If you thought I would give up and let you kill me and those I love after all that, then you’ve truly underestimated me, Malfoy.”

“You’ll get yours in time, Potter.” Despite his words, the Lord of House Malfoy looked pale with terror. “Go ahead and hand me over to the aurors then. I concede that you’ve won our little game today.”

“If we give you to the Ministry, you’ll be out in a week.” Daphne chimed in, unconsciously twirling her wand as she thought of what to do.

Lucius didn’t reply, but instead smirked tauntingly as if to affirm her words. They might be able to get lower-ranked Death Eaters convicted and sentenced to Azkaban, but not a man like Lucius Malfoy, being someone with his own political faction and enough Ministry officials on his payroll.

Worst case scenario, he would be released immediately under Fudge’s orders. Even at best, her Mother would have to use every scrap of political capital she had to convict him, and Lucius would likely get broken out and flee to the continent rather than face Azkaban.

It left one solution. “Diffindo.”

Her cutting curse opened a deep gash down his thigh, and with the ropes squeezing him, it made the blood erupt from his wound even quicker.

“GAH!” The man bucked and roared in pain, his eyes going bloodshot. “What was that for, you bitch?!”

“If you were unbound, you would live. But tied up like this? It’s only a few minutes until you bleed out.” Daphne spoke, her voice so cold that even Draco’s father winced at her tone.

“Are you sure about this?” Harry asked, knowing he wouldn’t live.

“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.” She thought of the man’s threats against her family, the many times she had to put up with Draco’s antics at Hogwarts, and those memories only fueled her anger. “Let’s get out of here.”

He nodded, and she took his arm as they walked to the edge of the wards. The portkey her Mother had given them to escape was in her hand, and she handed it to Harry. “You decide where to go.”

Her mind was moving too quickly to come up with somewhere safe to portkey to, and so she entrusted Harry to figure it out. He must have been successful, as in the next moment their bodies twisted before landing on pavement.

Daphne Greengrass blinked in surprise, expecting something akin to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley to greet her eyes. Instead she found herself standing in the middle of an unfamiliar and ugly muggle neighborhood.

Disclaimer: All Characters are over the Age of 18

A/N: Fighting and Harry getting magically powerful isn’t the focus of this story, so apologies if he seems a bit too overpowered in this chapter