Ch 27
The reality that this could be the final time he rode on the Hogwarts Express weighed upon Harry heavily. He remembered the awe he'd felt the first time he'd seen the train at King's Cross Station and how happy he'd felt riding through the English countryside on the way up to Scotland, snacking away on the entire range of the trolley snacks with Ron. So much had changed since then.
Well, perhaps not everything.
"Blimey, Harry," Ron grinned as he greedily examined the spread of treats laid out across the seats around the compartment. "I was just kidding around. You didn't actually have to do this."
"I wanted to," Harry said, cringing at how grim his voice sounded. "I figured… well…"
Astoria squeezed his knee comfortingly. "We know. Regardless of what happens, this is still a nice treat."
"Yeah," Hermione said, trying to put some more cheer into the compartment with her enthusiasm. She swiftly snatched up a small bag of Pepper Imps and popped one of the small sweets into her mouth. Instantly, smoke started billowing out of her ears and nose.
Harry pulled Astoria close against his side just in time to make her dodge the cone of flames that spewed from Hermione's mouth.
"Sorry," Hermione quickly apologised, tilting her head upwards so that the rest of the flames could dissipate harmlessly against the ceiling.
"Apparently leaving Hogwarts won't stop us from getting attacked," Daphne joked lightly.
Astoria giggled at it, but Harry couldn't bring himself to. Knowing his luck, they would actually get attacked on this train.
"Relax," Astoria whispered into his ear. "We're safe here."
Daphne and Hermione had indeed come up with an impressive series of charms and enchantments that they'd laid upon the compartment to prevent any unwanted attention. It had reassured Harry a touch, but he remained ever vigilant for Draco and his ilk.
Various sweets were distributed around to everyone. Harry ended up with a bag of Ice Mice and Jelly Slugs on his lap. Daphne was gently nibbling away on a Sugar Quill while Astoria shared some treacle fudge and Chocolate Cauldrons with Harry. Ron, naturally, took to sampling everything within his reach with the excitement of a child at a feast on Halloween.
"So, what did you get me for Christmas?" Ron asked Harry. His mouth was so full of food that it was hard to make out exactly what he was saying, but Harry and Hermione had spent enough years with him doing this to understand him perfectly.
"Ronald!" Hermione admonished him. "You can't just ask someone that."
Ron blinked at her. "Why not?"
"Because it's rude," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, it's meant to be a surprise."
"I could be bribed into telling you," Astoria told Ron with a mischievous smile.
Ron looked down at the assortment of sweets in front of him and grabbed a handful before earnestly holding it out to Astoria.
"It's a Cannons' kit," Astoria grinned as she accepted the sweets.
Hermione let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance as Ron beamed at Harry. "I knew you were my best mate," Ron exclaimed happily.
Harry managed a half-hearted smile in return before he leaned back in his seat and let the sight of the countryside passing by out the window take his mind off of things. He didn't speak much during the train ride, not that he had to. Everyone seemed to understand the somber mood he was in.
Daphne and Astoria seemed to get on well with Ron and Hermione from what he saw and heard. Both Greengrass sisters loved talking about magic and literature with Hermione while Astoria especially bonded with Ron over their simple love of sweets.
It was a picturesque day, one that Harry would have begged for in years prior, but he still couldn't get past the thought that he may never visit Hogwarts again.
By the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross Station, almost all of the sweets had disappeared. Ron and Astoria swiftly divided up what remained and stowed their loot into their trunks. Naturally, Harry took Astoria and Daphne's trunks off of their hands. He shrunk them all down and stuffed them into his pockets before being the first one to step out of the compartment to scan the carriage for any dangers. Thankfully, there were only a couple groups of younger students in the carriage with them.
There was no sign of Draco or any of his cronies when they stepped off of the train. The billowing smoke steadily dissipated as students rushed by to reunite with their families who'd come to pick them up from the station. In the distance, Harry spotted Cyrus and Anastasia standing next to one of the pillars.
"You'd better keep in touch," Hermione told Harry as she enveloped him in a massive hug.
"I will," Harry promised.
Ron patted Harry's back as he walked past. "Mum wanted me to let you know that you're always welcome round ours too. All three of you."
"Thanks," Harry half-smiled at him. "Tell your mum and dad that we said hello."
"Of course, mate," Ron grinned. "See you!"
Harry found the mass swarm of redheads as easily in the crowd as Ron did. He watched over him, making sure that he was safe every step of the way until he was back with his family. He kept an eye on Hermione too as she hugged Astoria and Daphne goodbye before making her way to the exit out onto the muggle side of the station. Once she was through it, Harry let out a sigh of relief.
"Mum and dad are waiting for us," Astoria said as she interlaced her fingers with Harry's. Daphne suddenly appeared on his other side and took his free hand into hers too.
"Let's not keep them waiting then."
The three of them squeezed through the throngs of reuniting families until they reached the safety of the pillars where fewer people chose to congregate around. The Greengrass parents looked much better than the last time he'd seen them. They both had happy smiles on their faces to see the three of them there.
It was a chaotic sort of embrace where Daphne and Astoria both split off to hug each of their parents while Harry shook Cyrus' hand and was surprisingly pulled into a joint hug with Astoria and Anastasia.
"It's wonderful to see you three again," Anastasia said sincerely. "There's someone else waiting for you back at the manor too."
Sirius!
A bit of guilt flooded into Harry's system. He'd been so caught up trying to keep Astoria and Daphne safe this year that he hadn't written much to Sirius. He hoped that he was doing alright.
"We should go see him then," Daphne said to everyone. "There's a lot that we need to talk about together as a family."
"Right," Harry grimaced.
As a group, they stepped to a clear spot away from anyone else. Cyrus took Harry's arm while Anastasia grabbed Daphne and Astoria's. They apparated them away back home.
Harry's feet had barely touched the floor of the entry hall of Greengrass Manor when he suddenly had strong arms wrapping around him. Sirius' mop of black hair obscured Harry's vision for a moment before he stepped back.
"Look at you," Sirius smiled, shaking his head. "Looking more and more like James every day. How was the trip back here?"
"Good, yeah," Harry answered.
Sirius cocked his head to the side with a confused look. "What's wrong?"
Was he that obvious?
"I know that we just got back home, but there's something important that we need to talk to you three about," Daphne said, taking the lead.
"Why don't we go to the parlour then," Anastasia suggested. "Hobsy can bring us some food and drinks."
The flower-filled parlour overlooked the western hills beyond the manor. The sun was just beginning to set, providing a rosy-orange backdrop to the room via the expansive windows that sat shut to preserve the comfortable temperature inside of the manor.
Harry took the sofa with Daphne and Astoria sitting on either side of him. Sirius, Cyrus, and Anastasia each took their own individual seats with varying degrees of worry spread across their faces.
Clearing his throat, Harry tried to think about how to approach this topic. Ultimately, there was no real easy way to go about it.
"I'm sure that you already know from our letters back home that the Slytherins in mine and Daphne's year have been giving us quite a bit of trouble," Harry began. "They attacked Astoria and Daphne earlier in the year, and I just barely managed to arrive in time before things got worse. If I hadn't…"
"Hogwarts isn't safe for us—any of us," Daphne stated bluntly when it became clear that Harry was fighting to find the right words to say. "Draco Malfoy and his friends keep coming after us, and Dumbledore hasn't been able to put a stop to it."
"Those Malfoys have always been a problem," Anastasia sighed tiredly. "Lucius once tried to court me before Narcissa became a viable option. I turned him down, but he wasn't keen on taking no for an answer."
"My cousin grew up with certain expectations placed upon her by her parents," Sirius explained. "She was expected to fit into their ideal mold of a pure-blood daughter. Her life was so stifling that it's no wonder she let Draco get away with as much as he has growing up. His self-centred egotism that he inherited from his father would've been allowed to flourish."
"Regardless of why Draco is the way he is, the problem remains that not enough is being done to put a stop to his actions," Daphne said. "The stress it's placed on all of us, Harry especially, isn't fair. We've been talking about leaving Hogwarts for good and finding another institution, or a private tutor, to help us finish our schooling."
Harry was surprised at the level of shock that ran across Cyrus, Anastasia, and Sirius' faces. Hogwarts was such an important institution to magical Britain and held a special place in the hearts of everyone who attended it, but surely Harry, Daphne, and Astoria weren't the only ones to ever consider leaving after such dangerous events.
"It's not that we want to do this," Astoria hurriedly explained. "If things were different, we'd be more than happy to stay there until we each graduate. Besides us being attacked, one of the biggest problems is that Lucius is putting pressure on the Minister to crack down on Dumbledore and increase the Ministry's presence at Hogwarts. Everyone knows the influence that Lucius has over the Minister; if the Ministry takes over Hogwarts, then Lucius will become the one in charge. And that means that Voldemort will have complete control over what goes on there."
"Has Dumbledore not done anything to stop any of this?" Sirius asked, almost in disbelief.
"He's tried," Harry shrugged.
"Not hard enough, clearly," Anastasia snorted snidely.
"Definitely not," Daphne agreed wholeheartedly. "Which leaves us with our current set of options. Either we remain at Hogwarts in constant fear of another unprovoked attack and Lucius potentially gaining power or we go somewhere else to finish our education."
The room fell into silence as everyone weighed these options. Harry was forever grateful to have Daphne and Astoria by his side through this. Hogwarts had become his real home when he finally left the Dursleys, and it broke his heart to think that he'd have to leave it early.
"I'll talk to Dumbledore about all of this," Sirius suddenly said, sitting up in his seat and locking his eyes onto Harry's. "What's going on at Hogwarts isn't right, and he needs to know that he needs to find a solution immediately."
"He already knows that," Harry said grimly. "He's asked for a chance to come over and speak to us before we make a final decision. I'd expect an owl from him in the coming days confirming a date and time."
"He'll suffer from a howler or two in the meantime," Sirius muttered to himself.
"Ultimately, what we do is our decision," Astoria told everyone gently. "And it's something that we'll need to spend time thinking about, but we'd love to hear from any of you after you've been able to give this some thought."
"I can reach out to some of my contacts in Europe to see if they can give me more information on the schools there," Cyrus suggested helpfully.
"And I'll reach out to the schools in America, Africa, and Asia to see what they can offer you three," Anastasia added. "I can also floo a few tutors I know who work here in Britain and in Europe to see if any of them are free as well."
"We really appreciate this," Harry said sincerely.
"Don't mention it," Anastasia replied. "Your safety comes first, and if Dumbledore isn't able to guarantee that, then I see no reason to risk returning to Hogwarts."
It was refreshing to have someone else support him, Daphne, and Astoria so emphatically, but it made him wish that Dumbledore could be the one doing this. Harry understood that Dumbledore had no choice but to hire Lucius, lest the Ministry send someone else in his place, but he was letting Harry shoulder all of the risk while he did what little he could to mediate the situation without providing a desirable outcome.
The matter wasn't decided yet—leaving Hogwarts wasn't something that he'd chosen to do lightly—but at least their options would be open for the future.
The quiet December days were a welcomed change of pace from Hogwarts. It took Harry a couple of days before he stopped glancing over his shoulder whenever he heard even the slightest bit of noise, but once he settled in comfortably, he felt the invisible weight on his shoulders steadily lessening. It felt nice being able to roam the calm grounds and gardens that surrounded Greengrass Manor.
Climate charms have been layered all across the grounds, carefully maintained by the wards that kept Greengrass Manor safe and away from muggles' prying eyes. Though the cold winter winds affected some parts of the grounds, many of the gardens were kept at a pleasant temperature, like it was still the middle of spring.
Harry found himself walking in such places more frequently than the chilly ones. It was nice to be able to go out without donning a heavy, wool-lined cloak to keep himself warm or having to constantly apply warming charms that were bound to expire after an hour or so. He could simply go out and breathe in the beautiful air without a care in the world.
His Firebolt kept him company too. He hadn't missed Quidditch this past year as much as he thought he would've. In truth, the game was a fun pastime, but his true passion was simply for soaring through the air on a broomstick. And there were few places better than Greengrass Manor to provide a striking landscape for him to fly above.
One morning, just under a week since he left Hogwarts, Harry found himself flying again. He was moving slowly, taking in the vast array of colours underneath him. He knew the boundaries of the property quite well now and always stayed within them. He roamed to the very furthest ends of the grounds when he spotted an interesting sight. With a simple twist of his body, Harry began a wide corkscrew down towards the pond below.
"Are you coming to peep on me?" Astoria called out teasingly from the water once Harry got close enough to hear her.
"Maybe," Harry grinned. "Don't tell me your starkers in there."
"If only," Astoria sighed as she groped her bikini top-covered chest and lifted it up for Harry to see. The thin blue strings over her shoulders had blended in quite well against the water.
Harry landed along the shoreline and carefully set his broomstick aside. The shore was covered with large pebbles and smaller stones, but Astoria had set up a large beach towel over a section that she'd clearly used a Cushioning Charm. It felt like a soft bed beneath Harry's feet as he stepped onto it.
Astoria's dark-brown hair almost looked black when it was wet like this. She walked out of the pond dripping with water. Her figure was as flawless as ever, and her blue bikini left little to the imagination. Harry quickly cast a Drying Charm on her to clear away the dripping water just before she greeted him with a kiss.
"Your dad got a report from one of his friends about what life is like at Koldovstoretz in Russia," Harry told her, the name of the school coming out awkwardly and slowly. "Apparently, they have a wonderful Transfiguration Professor."
"Is this really what you want to be talking about right now?" Astoria giggled, her hand trailing down his chest. "Your beautiful girlfriend comes out of the pond dripping wet, in more ways than one, and you're all business?"
Harry glanced back over his shoulder. The pond was surrounded quite well by thick hedgerows that bordered walkways and gardens. Rolling hills in the distance provided cover from the manor or anyone approaching. They had as much privacy here as one could reasonably expect.
"No one but me comes this far out," Astoria said with an amused tone. "But if you'd like, I can set up some wards to warn us if anyone comes close."
"That'd do a lot to ease my mind," Harry chuckled. "I'd hate to see your mum or dad walk in on us."
"They won't," Astoria assured him as she dropped down onto her knees and grabbed her wand off of the beach towel. With a simple wave, Harry felt a rush of magical energy cascade over him. "There. The wards are all set. Now, let's make the most of our time together, shall we?"
Harry couldn't argue when Astoria pulled down his zipper with her teeth. He stared down at that wonderfully bouncy arse of hers with that thin strip of fabric running up in between her cheeks and instantly decided that he wanted to be fuck her from behind with everything he had, but Astoria wanted her treat first.
The warmth of her hand wrapping around his shaft couldn't come close to the sensation of her tongue lathering the head of his cock with saliva. Astoria swirled her tongue around him like she was licking an ice lolly before opening her mouth wider and taking him inside. She pushed forward as far as she could before he hit the back of her throat, and even then she kept going until his cock was sliding into her throat.
Astoria let Harry's cock linger in her throat as she gargled around it. The feeling of her throat suddenly spasming around his cock made his toes curl in the most delightful way, but what was even hotter was the fat bubbles of saliva that started pouring out the corners of her mouth. They dripped down onto her chin and breasts, making this blowjob seem so sloppy and passionate. Astoria's beautiful big brown eyes stared up at him, desperately seeking his approval.
"You're too fucking good at this," Harry groaned as he stroked her head.
Smiling, Astoria wrapped one hand around the base of his shaft and started stroking him as she bobbed her head back and forth. She kept a tight seal around his cock with her lips and let her tongue slither all around it, getting it nice and wet.
Back when they'd first started dating, Astoria had loved it when he got all rough and fucked her mouth like it was her pussy. However, he rarely needed to do that anymore. Astoria had gotten so used to taking his large cock down her throat that she could do it for him. She was easily able to slam her head forward until her nose was buried in his neatly-trimmed pubes and his balls were pressed right up against her chin, letting his cock go as far down her throat as possible before pulling her head back and doing it all again. Her breath control was magnificent, and she knew exactly how to get him all worked up and ready for more.
Harry's cock pulsed excitedly in Astoria's mouth as she pulled all the way back and suckled on just the head. Her pouty lips looked too fucking good wrapped around his cock, but there was another set of lips that Harry desperately wanted to see there instead.
"I think it's time I give you some attention," Harry told Astoria.
"Finally," she grinned as she released Harry's cock from her mouth. "You have no idea how hot my pussy feels right now. I need you to fuck me so bad."
Suddenly, Astoria turned around and wiggled her enticing arse back and forth as she crawled away from him, prompting Harry to instantly drop to his knees behind her, grab her hips, and yank her back towards him.
"Such a brute," Astoria laughed giddily as she pressed herself back against his cock.
"You know I am," Harry grunted as he pulled aside her bikini bottoms, revealing her perfect pussy and arse to him. No matter how many times he saw her in all of her glory, he never tired of her.
But just as Harry angled his cock properly and pressed the tip against her soaking-wet lips, Astoria's head shot upwards in surprise. The momentary panic that crossed her face faded a moment later when she let out a sly grin.
"Looks like we're going to have an audience."
Harry cursed under his breath and tried to quickly stuff his cock back inside of his trousers, but Astoria grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "It's someone who likes to watch. Keep going."
True to her word, it was barely a second later that Daphne appeared, coming down the stone path that led towards the pond. When she saw the two of them on their knees by the water's edge, she let out an amused snort.
"Looks like you beat me to him," Daphne called out to Astoria.
"He was the one who found me," Astoria giggled. "Sorry, but it's my turn with him right now."
"I get him after lunch then," Daphne said.
"Do I get any say in the matter?" Harry asked jokingly.
"Are you really going to turn down fucking us?" Daphne raised an eyebrow.
Harry grinned back at her. "Absolutely not."
And with that, he lined his cock back up with Astoria's pussy and pushed forward. Sinking into her hot depths was an experience unlike any other. Her walls clung to his cock perfectly and coaxed him to go deeper and deeper until he couldn't go any further. Astoria moaned loudly at finally being filled up with his cock, and her walls pulsed around him in celebration of their coupling. He grabbed onto her hips, holding her perfectly in place so that the two of them could revel in this feeling for as long as he decided.
Daphne plopped down onto the beach towel next to them and conjured a pile of pillows to recline against. She slipped one hand under the waistband of her skirt while the other found its way into her shirt. She started groping one of her breasts as her other hand got to work playing with her pussy, which was frustratingly just out of sight from Harry's perspective. But just hearing Daphne's moans join Astoria's was enough to turn Harry on even more than he already was.
Astoria was so wet that Harry had no trouble when he started to move back and forth inside of her. Her saliva and the juices from her pussy combined into a slick fluid that helped him to start working up towards a steady tempo. It was always important to work up to steady speed first so that Astoria's pussy could readjust to how thick his cock was; the last thing he wanted to do was to accidentally hurt her. Harry listened for the noises leaving her mouth and the way her body reacted to his slow but steady thrusts, and once he felt her truly relax into his motions, he increased the speed of his thrusts.
"Faster," Astoria begged him even once he had gotten to a fairly rapid pace.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked, knowing that the faster the pace, the faster he'd cum.
"Merlin, yes," Astoria moaned. "Please, just fuck me! Ravage me! Ruin me!"
Astoria let out a scream of pleasure as Harry slammed into her hard. She never failed to turn him on with her slutty, needy words. He would give her exactly what she was asking for. Her arse rippled with each thrust into her, driving Harry wild with the gorgeous sight.
"Oh, fuck," Daphne whimpered. Her body was beginning to twitch and jump as she rubbed her needy clit. With her other hand, she ripped her top off of her body and yanked her bra down so that her impressive breasts could finally be free of their confines. She pinched her nipples painfully as her hips thrusted upwards.
"Fuck yes!" Astoria cried out as Harry rammed into her even harder than before. "Really give it to me! Fuck me senseless!"
Astoria fell face first onto the beach towel, unable to have her arms support her anymore, but she stayed on her knees and kept her arse in the air so that Harry could keep fucking her with everything he had. He tightened his grip on her hips and pounded away into her pussy roughly, making her scream his name again and again. He was turning her into a quivering mess, and her walls were really beginning to quiver around his powerful cock.
"Harry!" Astoria screamed as her body bucked backwards against him. She sucked in a deep breath as her orgasm overrode her mind, making her walls spasm and clamp down on his cock so wonderfully.
The moment her body finally began to relax, Astoria let herself fall forward, sliding off of Harry's cock and landing flat on the beach towel. She was gasping for breath, still completely overwhelmed by the amount of pleasure coursing through her body.
But even though Astoria was quite satisfied, Harry wasn't. His cock was throbbing with need, but he didn't want to push Astoria too hard too quickly.
Thankfully, he had another partner here to finish himself with.
Daphne's blue eyes flickered down to his slick cock and then back up to his green eyes, seemingly knowing what was about to come. She squealed loudly as Harry suddenly pounced on her. Their lips met roughly, and Harry flipped her skirt up to reveal that she'd been walking around without any panties on.
"How naughty," he teased her as he lined his cock up with her pussy.
"That's right," Daphne moaned as he sank into her pussy. "I'm your naughty fucking slut. Now, fuck me!"
Harry ravaged Daphne's pussy just as roughly as he'd been fucking Astoria before. With no buildup other than what she had with her own fingers, Daphne was utterly overwhelmed by the thick cock that was spearing into her again and again. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as Harry kept pounding into her pussy, desperate to hang on for as long as she could.
The hot, tight walls of Daphne's pussy were immediately trying to milk Harry's cock. She was just as tight as Astoria was, but the texture of her walls felt entirely different. They massaged Harry's length as he fucked her, driving both of them utterly mad.
Harry kissed the crook of Daphne's neck, right at her sensitive point that made squirm whenever they were snogging. That combined with his cock still pounding away inside of her pussy made Daphne scream out in pleasure.
"More!" Daphne screamed. "Fuck my tight little pussy! I—fuck!"
Harry knew he was doing well when Daphne's words failed her. She couldn't string together a coherent sentence whenever she was really turned on like this.
Astoria rolled over onto her side now and curled up into a ball so that it was easier to reach between her thighs to rub her swollen pussy. She watched as Harry's cock plunged into Daphne's pussy again and again, making long, deep thrusts.
"I get to share him with you after lunch," Astoria called out, but Harry and Daphne barely registered her words. They were too focused on fucking each other to notice anything else.
"Faster! Faster!" Daphne cried.
Harry didn't know how much faster he could go, but he tried his best. The sound of his body smacking against hers as he filled her pussy up rang out noisily, carrying across the pond. His balls kept smacking off of her arse, sending intense bursts of pleasure throughout his body.
This was what he'd so desperately needed to finally relax: wild, uncontrolled sex out in nature.
With a roar, Harry slammed into Daphne one final time and unleashed a thick torrent of cum straight into her womb. Daphne let out a moan so loud that Harry feared it'd reach the manor. Her body thrashed beneath his as she came too, and her pulsing pussy helped to milk every last drop of cum from his shaft.
Exhausted, Harry collapsed onto Daphne, and the two of them clung to each other as they fought to regain their breaths. Astoria's quiet, whimpering moans continued as she kept pleasuring herself until she too let out a curse and came again.
It was nearly ten minutes later before Harry finally got up. His flaccid cock slid out of Daphne's pussy easily, as did a nice trail of cum that ran down the curve of her arse.
"We should get cleaned up before we head in for lunch," Harry suggested. He pulled out his wand and vanished every stitch of clothing from everyone's bodies.
Helping Astoria and Daphne back up to their feet, Harry guided them into the warm water of the pond with a bright smile.
Ch 28
A cold, wet nose jostled Harry out of his slumber. His eyes blinked open wearily to find Snuffles standing above him in bed, panting happily away.
Harry tugged up the bedsheets to cover his and Daphne's modesty. "Sirius," he groaned. "Go away."
The dog leapt off of the bed and then suddenly transformed into a man in midair. Sirius caught himself mid-stride and turned around with a devilish grin on his lips. "But it's Christmas morning," he exclaimed quietly. Somehow, he'd mastered the art of making his voice boom throughout the room even when he was speaking at little more than a whisper. "There's presents to open."
"The only thing I'll open is a floo connection to the Auror Department to report a missing fugitive from Azkaban if I can't go right back to sleep," Harry told him.
Sirius dropped to his knees in mock forgiveness. "Please, anything but that," he begged with his over-the-top candour.
"Then leave," Harry said as he rolled over and closed his eyes.
"Alright, alright, I'm going," Sirius said as he stood back up. "I guess I'll have to be the one to deliver your anniversary present to Astoria then."
Harry's eyes shot wide open in sudden alertness. He'd nearly forgotten all about that!
Sirius had a shit-eating grin on his lips as Harry suddenly sat up straight in bed. "She was certainly hoping for a warm welcome into the day."
Harry cursed under his breath, trying his best to not disturb Daphne. "I get it. Get out."
With a sly wink, Sirius departed from Daphne's bedroom. Her door closed with the quietest sound, but it, over their voices, was enough to wake her up.
Harry grimaced as Daphne shifted around in her bed. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Don't be," Daphne murmured softly as she rolled over to face him. "I know that today is important for you and Astoria."
"How much did you hear?" Harry asked.
"Enough," Daphne replied.
Harry bit back a sigh. "I don't want you to think that I value you less tha—"
"You can stop right there," Daphne interrupted.
Alert, and awake, Daphne sat up straight, not bothering to cover up her bare breasts as the bedsheet fell away from her. Harry wasn't quite sure if that was just a happy accident or something that Daphne had planned.
"You were with Astoria first," Daphne remarked gently. "And I don't care about that. Today is special for the two of you, and it won't make me feel any less loved by you."
"I can spend some time laying in bed with you," Harry suggested, almost entirely ignoring Daphne's remarks. No matter what she said, he understood that both Daphne and Astoria adored the private time he offered to both of them. "Astoria won't be up for another hour or two."
"No," Daphne replied, shaking her head. "She doesn't deserve to have you away for a single moment. Give her the most wonderful anniversary that a witch could imagine."
"I guess this'll give me a lot to live up to for my anniversary with you," Harry chuckled.
"And don't you forget it," Daphne grinned. "I'll want a grand ball and an entire orchestra dedicated to me, but for now, go see Astoria."
Harry kissed Daphne sweetly. Even when her voice was monotone, he easily picked up on her sarcastic nature. He would do as she asked, but for now, Astoria was the one that he was truly worried about. Her first anniversary with him was to be something sweet, and Harry had everything lined up well in time for what was to come.
No one was stirring as Harry dressed in his pyjamas, grabbed his wand, and slipped out from Daphne's room. It was far too early in the morning for any of the house elves to care who was about. So, Harry slinked past the sentient paintings as he made his way towards Astoria's bedroom. He'd become a familiar face now, and those who weren't asleep regarded him with kind eyes.
He was very careful as he slowly and quietly opened Astoria's door. Slipping inside before the early-morning light in the corridor could disturb her, he closed the door behind him and crept over towards the foot of her bed. He kept his trunk there right alongside hers and cracked it open just enough that he could reach his hand into it and pull out a heavy, leather-bound book.
There was no way that he wasn't going to wake Astoria up if he crawled into bed now, so he walked around to the side of her bed and crouched down. The sound of her gentle breaths calmed him, and he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Good morning, my love," he murmured as Astoria stirred awake. Her eyes blinked open, and Harry used his wand to ignite a pair of distant candles. Their warm glow spread throughout the room, keeping it dimly lit but visible enough for his purposes. "Happy Christmas."
"Mmm," Astoria smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him. "Happy Christmas."
"And a happy anniversary," Harry added.
"Technically our date wasn't until the evening last Christmas," Astoria replied playfully.
"Then I guess I'll have to save your present until then," Harry countered as he leaned back on his heels, pulling away from her with a smile on his lips.
Astoria's hands shot out and grabbed his arms to yank him back in. "I can make an exception for that," she giggled.
Harry lifted the book up and sat it on the bed in between them. Astoria's fingers instinctively grazed across the polished surface of the book, feeling the words engraved into the leather.
"What does it say?" She asked him.
"Memories," Harry answered.
Astoria sat up a bit and smoothed out her pyjamas. Harry climbed into bed next to her as she nestled the book upon her lap and opened it up to the very first page. Inside was a photograph of the two of them dancing together at the Yule Ball. Magically, the photo was melded directly into the parchment itself, remaining entirely in full colour. Below the photo was some text that Harry had written.
"You thought I had kissable lips?" Astoria giggled as she read the words on the page.
"Well, I was searching for the most beautiful witch at Hogwarts," Harry chuckled. "Getting to the stage where I could kiss you was kind of the point of the whole experiment."
"Lucky you that you got so much more than that," Astoria grinned.
She turned back to the page and seemed to drink in Harry's writing with her eyes. He'd felt a little awkward writing his thoughts out at first. There was nothing in him that made him feel like a good writer—even his best essays were far behind the quality that Hermione could produce in her sleep—but somehow writing about Astoria became easier and easier as he went on. All of his thoughts and feelings came pouring out of him. Faint, distant memories bubbled to the surface of his mind and came alive on the page.
Astoria turned to the next page and found a photograph of them kissing underneath an old beech tree by the Black Lake barely a week after the start of the second half of the school year. Harry had laid out a large blanket for them with plenty of warming charms to keep them cosy as they ate sandwiches that the house-elves happily provided. It wasn't until he'd returned to his common room later that he'd found out that Colin Creevey had snapped this photo of them. Rather than get angry, Harry had recognised the value in having these moments captured. In exchange for having Colin continue to take cute photos of him and Astoria together, Harry acted as Colin's muse for a few photographs around the castle whenever he had a specific shot he wanted to take.
The whole story of that was relayed directly onto the page, and from the tears welling in her eyes, Harry knew that he'd made the right choice back then.
"You were really taking us this seriously even back then?" Astoria asked, amazed.
"Weren't you?" Harry joked as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"Not like this," she admitted. "I liked you a lot, but I wasn't sure if we'd really last. All those things that people say about you… it wasn't until I got to know the real Harry Potter that I realised just how perfect he is."
Astoria kept flipping through the book as tears dripped down her cheeks. Harry held her close, knowing that they were tears of overwhelming happiness that had her caught in their grasp. There were photos of them on future picnic dates, in the library together studying for the Triwizard Tournament, and even one that Harry had taken himself in the Prefect's Bathroom. He was leaned back in the tub, resting his head against a conjured pillow, and Astoria was sat on his lap, resting her head on his chest. Bubbles covered up their bodies, even when Harry leaned down and kissed the top of Astoria's damp hair.
There were a little over thirty photos in all taken across the past year, but they only made up perhaps a fifth of the book, if that. After Astoria flipped past the final photo, she found a blank page staring back at her.
"There will be plenty more memories to come," Harry said to her questioning face. "More photos to add to the collection, more thoughts to write down. I wanted to give you this now so that you could look back on everything that we've been through together. Just don't get mad if I steal it away for a day or two at a time so that I can add more memories into it, okay?"
Astoria was utterly speechless. She looked like she couldn't believe what a treasure Harry had just given her.
Suddenly, Astoria threw herself on top of him, squeezing the life from his body in a bone-breaking hug as she cried happy tears into his shoulder. Harry hugged her back tightly, slowly rubbing his hands up and down her back comfortingly.
"I love you so much," he whispered into her hair.
Astoria's mumbled reply was incoherent against his shoulder, but he knew exactly what she'd said: 'I love you too.'
They cuddled together for quite some time until there was a gentle knock at the door.
"Astoria?" Anastasia called out softly. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Astoria replied.
"We're gathering downstairs to open presents shortly," she said.
"We'll be down in just a minute," Astoria said.
Harry gave Astoria a soft, lingering kiss before he slid out from beneath her. "Guess it's time for us to join everyone else."
"Not quite yet," Astoria said as she suddenly got up. She scampered around to her bookshelf and pulled out a small box that was nestled behind a few books. She had a huge smile on her face as she handed it over to him. "Happy anniversary."
Harry opened the box, brimming with curiosity. Inside, sitting atop a velvet cushion, was a wristwatch. The white gold looked almost like silver, and the bezel had a simple red-and-gold pattern. It was an incredibly sophisticated and expensive-looking piece.
"It's loaded up with protective charms," Astoria told him. "It'll stay in perfect condition without much upkeep, and it can also function as an emergency Portkey if you need. There's instructions in the box on how to do all of that. Press the small button next to the crown."
Harry found the small knob on the side of the watch and slid his finger down to the button hiding just below it. As he pressed it, the hours on the face of the watch melted away and were replaced by a list of locations. The hands of the watch multiplied, and each bore a picture of one of his loved ones on it.
"This is just like the Weasley's clock," Harry said in amazement.
Astoria nodded her head happily. "I got the idea when we went over to visit them this past summer. It has me, Daphne, Sirius, Ron, and Hermione on it. You can add even more people on too, though it might start to get a bit crowded."
"This is brilliant," Harry said sincerely. The band fit snugly around his wrist, magically adjusting to be just the right size for him. He pressed the button again and the watch returned to its normal function. "What did I ever do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?"
"I should be the one saying that," Astoria giggled as Harry kissed her.
Neither of them bothered to change out of their pyjamas as they made their way downstairs towards the large living room that held their Christmas tree. Dozens of neatly-wrapped gifts sat beneath it, and stockings sat hung from the mantle above a roaring fireplace.
Everyone was already gathered there, although Sirius was currently restrained by thick ropes and a gag around his mouth.
"He wouldn't stop trying to open up his presents," Anastasia glowered when Harry asked her about it. "But I suppose now that you two are here, he can go right ahead with it."
With a flick of her wand, Sirius was released and all of the presents neatly divided themselves up among everyone to whom they were for. Harry ended up with quite the stack at his feet.
They all settled in as Hobsy appeared and began serving up some delicious food and drinks for them. Harry's hands instinctively went for the Weasley family's present first. Molly had made him another homemade jumper in a shade of green that perfectly matched his eyes. There was also a treacle tart carefully packed in a box below the jumper that Harry knew would be utterly delicious.
"I got a Chudley Cannons poster from Ron?" Daphne spoke up, her voice thick with confusion.
Harry smiled at her. "It's his favourite team. It'll look lovely hung up in your room."
Daphne didn't seem quite sold on the idea.
Anastasia and Cyrus had procured several books on duelling as a gift for Harry along with several training dummies that were enchanted to move around like a human would. The best part was that they were quite resistant to spells—they would change colour from straw yellow to red when hit. Harry knew that he'd put them to good use.
Daphne gave him a series of fine robes perfectly tailored for his dimensions. There were heavier ones for the winter time and lighter ones for spring and summer. They were all quite fashionable with each offering different colours and styles.
Sirius, naturally, gave Harry something overly expensive to make up for all the time that he'd been away from Harry's life. It was an expanded healer's trunk that was beyond the standard of any travelling healer. It had three compartments, each designed for different things. The first held racks upon racks of space where potion vials could be stored. There was clearly an Extension Charm placed upon it to allow for far more storage than was physically possible. The next compartment held multiple healer's manuals as well as parchment, ink, and quills for note taking. The final compartment was where one could store a cauldron and potion ingredients.
"I thought a practical gift would be better this year," Sirius told him. "After all, I didn't think I could top convincing you to ask out Astoria here."
Ron and Hermione each sent him gifts. Ron's was a broom-polishing kit and some fake golden snitches that could be used for practice—they would never be as tricky as the real thing, but they would make for some good fun. Hermione sent along several books on combating dark witches and wizards along with a note that instructed him that, even though he would be more prepared after reading these books, he should not, under any circumstances, go out of his way to fight more dark witches and wizards. Harry was unwilling to make such promises.
Eventually, when all of the gifts were finally opened, everyone took the time to just bask in the happiness of spending a beautiful day together. Harry had never felt such warmth in his chest on Christmas before. Even with how much he enjoyed his Christmas time at Hogwarts, it just didn't compare to spending it around his family.
Everything was utterly perfect.
Until it wasn't.
Harry was thrown from his seat as an explosion rocked the manor. His first instinct was to imagine that this was merely some type of firework prank that Sirius had setup that'd gone horribly wrong, but seeing a roaring fire out through the window made him rethink his opinion instantly. Then, the Dark Mark flying in the sky above sealed it for him.
Death Eaters were here.
The wards flared around them, pulsing in a dying agony. A shimmering dome of light encased the manor and the grounds around it, but small cracks were beginning to form. It was brutal to feel such powerful, entrenched magic unravel around him. An unnerving sensation took root deep in his stomach, nearly making him wretch.
All five house-elves in the employ of the Greengrass family suddenly appeared, trying their very best to stem the flow of magical energy that washed over them again and again. Their hands were raised as they used elf magic to do something to the wards of the manor, but it only took a moment before one was knocked cleanly off of his feet and sent flying back against the far wall as another explosion shook everything around them.
"Stop!" Harry tried to warn them as he staggered to his feet, but they would take no suggestions but that from their owners.
A sudden sadness overcame Harry. Even in their best of times, the Greengrass parents couldn't react as quickly as he could. Anastasia and Cyrus both struggled to try to stand up, let alone draw their wands, as the walls of their home trembled around them.
Was this revenge for what happened this past summer? Or did this have something to do with Draco and Lucius at Hogwarts? Either way, Harry fumed with anger. Did these monsters truly need to take away every safe place he had left in this world?
As another explosion shook the floors beneath their feet, Harry called out to everyone. "The Manor's under attack! We have to get out of here!"
Cyrus tried to twist his body and then cried out in frustration. "Something's blocking my apparation!"
Harry cursed. He'd barely read the instructions on how to make his watch function as a Portkey, but he remembered them well enough to move through the simple steps. He imagined arriving at the Burrow by Arthur's shed. "Grab my hands!" He shouted at everyone.
Cyrus and Anastasia froze in place at the commanding nature of his tone, but Astoria and Daphne were both quickly moving to arrive at Harry's side. They grabbed onto him as Sirius helped their parents forward. Once they were all touching, Harry activated the Portkey. They all spun for just a moment before they were spat right back down on the living room floor.
"We'll have to escape on foot," Daphne said to them, her voice tinged with panic.
The house-elves were still trying their best to do whatever they could to stop the death of the wards around the manor, but Harry could feel that there was no hope of doing that. Daphne's idea of escape was a sound one, but not as practical as it could be.
"Hobsy!" Harry shouted. "We need broomsticks for everyone, and then you and the other house-elves need to go."
"We won't abandon our home," Hobsy declared in surprising defiance for a house-elf.
"You don't have any choice," Anastasia said suddenly. "I'm ordering all of you to leave once you get our broomsticks for us."
Hobsy couldn't ignore that order. With a pained look, she disappeared from sight. One by one, broomsticks landed at everyone's feet, and then the rest of the house-elves disappeared as well.
Suddenly, the swell of magic grew. The wards were going to collapse any minute now, and then the Death Eaters would be upon them.
"We fly together as a unit," Harry said as he picked up his Firebolt. "Can you all cast a Shield Charm and fly at the same time?"
There were nods from everyone around him.
"Good. Then we'll all aim our wands below us and protect ourselves from any attacks from below. Once—"
Harry grimaced as his scar burned hotly. He dropped to one knee as his eyes closed firmly.
We're here for you, Potter. Come out. Come out.
Voldemort! How was he… there was no time to wonder.
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked as he helped Harry back up to his feet.
"Fine," Harry said quickly. "But we need to leave. Now."
There were no arguments from anyone on that point.
Together, they all ran out of the living room, following Harry's lead. Rather than go towards one of the main exits out of the manor, Harry chose to risk spending a couple extra minutes running to the upper floor of the manor where he knew there were large, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the back gardens.
With a wave of his wand, Harry vanished the glass. "Remember, stick together," he told everyone as he mounted his broom.
Harry was the first one out into the open air, and that's when he was finally able to take in the true scope of things. Greengrass Manor was surrounded on all sides by what seemed like hundreds of Death Eaters. Everywhere he looked, there were clusters of dark-cloaked figures with their wands outstretched. Even with how large the property was, there didn't seem to be any noticeable gaps.
At least, not at first.
It wasn't obvious until Harry truly spent several moments watching the spells raining in upon the shimmering dome of light that surrounded the manor. Each group of Death Eaters never had more than two spells coming in at once. Harry narrowed his gaze towards one of the closest groups and realised that, in fact, only one of the figures was ever actually casting spells. The other figures remained perfectly still, unmoving.
They weren't real people, Harry realised. It was a trick meant to make it seem like they had no hope of escape. And then he realised the true purpose of it all. In the couple minutes that it'd taken Harry to realise what was actually going on, the cracks in the wards had only grown more severe. It was a ploy to buy more time, and Harry had fallen for it.
Everyone was hovering in the air around him, waiting for his orders. Harry looked around, trying to see if his scar would flare in pain again if he happened to look in Voldemort's direction, but nothing came of it. He didn't know where that wretched monster was, which was perhaps for the best. While Harry wasn't scared to fight him now that he'd had so many more months of training than he had during their last confrontation, he didn't want to risk the lives of his loved ones.
"We go east towards the sun," Harry decided. "It might help blind the Death Eaters if they try to attack us. Get your shields ready. We're going to climb even higher up into the sky to make it harder for them to hit us. Once we're out past the wards, we need to group up and apparate away."
"Where are we going to go?" Astoria asked.
That was the tricky part. It needed to be somewhere that they all had seen before. His first instinct was to go to the Burrow, but he knew that Sirius, Cyrus, and Anastasia had never laid eyes upon the place. They could try somewhere like Diagon Alley, but Harry didn't trust that they wouldn't have a couple Death Eaters on watch there in case Harry and everyone else managed to get away. They needed somewhere that they could quickly find safety.
It was to the utmost irony that Harry realised the easiest answer of them all.
"Hogwarts," Harry said. "There'll only be a few students around there anyways, and it won't be any of the Death Eater's kids."
Harry didn't say it aloud, but he knew that Dumbledore would be there as well. The old wizard always stuck around on Christmas to bring a bit of joy into the lives of the students who remained there. If the Death Eaters followed and it came down to a fight, well, there was a reason that Dumbledore was as well known throughout the world as he was. He'd already defeated one Dark Lord.
Another explosion rang out, but this one was deafening. Looking up, the shimmering dome of light shattered into billions of small pieces that melted away into nothingness as it fell. It took half of a second before the shock wave struck them all, nearly sending them toppling from their brooms. Luckily, it also distracted the Death Eaters on the ground too.
"Go!" Harry shouted the moment everyone steadied themselves. He cast a shield charm and held it by his feet.
Cognisant of the fact that his broom was much faster than everyone else's, Harry ensured that he matched the pace set from everyone behind him. He started off at a steep climb upwards, trying his best to fly up towards the clouds above. The mocking Dark Mark in the sky hissed at him in the distance.
Before they were even half as high up as Harry wanted, the first spells from the Death Eaters below came raining in. Their aim was atrocious, in great part due to the staggering distance, but a few of them managed to get close enough to worry Harry that they needed to get out faster. He didn't know the extent of the wards that blocked any transportation out of Greengrass Manor, but he knew that they had to extend beyond the height of the manor's wards.
Instead of continuing upwards, Harry levelled off and began flying to the east as planned. The morning sun was staring him in the face, so he chose to instead look down at the Death Eaters far below him. They were like ants.
Harry ensured that they flew in a mostly random pattern. By now, the Death Eaters' attacks were becoming lazy and far from the mark. It almost seemed pointless to maintain his shield charm for any longer, but he did so just in case.
As he readjusted the placement of his shield, his scar burned hot again. His wand nearly slipped from his grasp as pain overcame him, but the terrifying sight ahead made him regain his composure.
A dark cloud of smoke was rising from the ground, moving nearly as fast as his firebolt could. The smoke bloomed, and from its midst came Voldemort's pale face.
Suddenly, Harry rolled to the side sharply as a vibrant green Killing Curse sailed out of Voldemort's wand at him. The spell went wide, but for just a moment, Harry held his breath in fear that someone would be hit by it.
"We have to hurry!" Harry shouted to everyone behind him. Cyrus looked like he was about to be sick as he stared at Voldemort. He would be no help for now. "Anastasia! Try apparating away with Daphne."
Anastasia grasped Daphne's hand as they flew parallel to one another. Nothing happened.
They had to be getting closer to the end of the wards, but Harry feared that Voldemort would reach them before them.
"Faster!" He shouted at everyone. "Get out and apparate away. I'm the one he wants!"
"Harry! Don't!" Astoria cried out, but it was already too late.
Harry veered away from the group, pulling a tight corkscrew spiral downwards to meet Voldemort before he could reach anyone else. He trusted Sirius to keep Astoria and Daphne safe. They would get to Hogwarts… and he'd meet them there.
Ending his Shield Charm, Harry raised his wand and conjured a thin pane of glass. It began plummeting at a rapid pace, but it didn't get far before Harry shattered it into a thousand pieces.
"Depulso!" Harry cried out, firing those glass shards down towards Voldemort.
The Dark Wizard twisted, his body moving unnaturally within the smoke surrounding him. He seemed to move like a serpent navigating through a treacherous pass, weaving back and forth as it slithered onward towards its goal. As the glass neared him, Voldemort sent a powerful gust of air upwards that acted like an umbrella protecting him from rain. The glass was sent flying harmlessly down towards the ground, and Voldemort was that much closer to reaching Harry.
Harry had never imagined battling in the air like this. All of his tactics and studies had come with the expectation that he'd be on his own two feet. He didn't know how to duel while in the air… but he did know how to play Quidditch.
A macabre thought passed Harry's mind. He knew how to dodge Bludgers well enough; it wouldn't be too different to dodge Killing Curses in the air.
Voldemort may be a more powerful wizard than Harry was but there was no way that he was a better flier.
Knowing that gave Harry a sense of relief. Voldemort was barely a hundred meters away now. Harry battered him with spell after spell, trying to buy everyone else the time they needed to escape, but he knew that his efforts were fruitless. Voldemort blocked or dodged everything sent his way and replied with more venom, but that was exactly what Harry hoped for. He needed to provoke Voldemort into coming for him, not the others.
There was one spell that he knew could do that better than the others. The one spell that'd led Harry to escape from Voldemort the last time they'd battled. The spell that'd twisted his mind and left him with a burning anger that couldn't be quenched.
He didn't want to cast the spell, but what other choice did he have? If he acted like he was toying with Voldemort by flying around and dodging all of his spells, then the logical thing to do would be to go after Harry's loved ones and force a direct conflict. It was what Harry would do if he were in Voldemort's shoes.
So, sucking in a deep breath, Harry recalled those flames that'd burned in his mind for weeks afterwards.
"Fiendfyre!" Harry shouted as he focused his emotions on the rage he felt towards Voldemort and his Death Eaters for ruining anything.
A scratch that Harry didn't know he had suddenly felt soothed as a raging inferno burst forth from his wand. It was wild and uncontrollable, threatening to break free from his grasp and consume him too should he let it, but Harry's will was stronger than this dark magic. He kept the reins tight, more familiar now with how the spell would try to usurp him. He funnelled the flames towards Voldemort, who was swiftly dodging out of the way.
Harry didn't make it easy for him. He directed the fire wherever Voldemort went, and the flames' hunger drove them to comply with Harry's commands with a fervent zeal. They soared through the air faster than normal flames should, licking at the smoke that surrounded Voldemort. Harry laughed as Voldemort was nearly consumed by Harry's anger.
Maintaining the Fiendfyre was draining beyond belief. In a matter of seconds, Harry felt as he did after an entire morning of training. This powerful, dark spell was sapping his strength at an alarming rate, and if he wasn't careful, it could easily overwhelm him.
That was why Harry forced the spell to end just a moment later. The flames rebelled against his command. They tried to turn on him, but Harry overrode it with the force of his will.
"End!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, and the flames dissipated in the air around him.
For a moment, neither he nor Voldemort moved. Voldemort's snake-like face stared at Harry with a cold rage.
Good, Harry thought to himself smugly. Come at me, you monster.
Laughing madly to himself, Harry soared through the air as Voldemort gave chase. Killing Curse after Killing Curse was hurled his way, and Harry pushed his broomstick to its limits as he dodged every last one of them. A snide smirk was on his lips as he occasionally glanced back with taunting eyes, stoking Voldemort's ire even more.
"You've lost again," Harry shouted back at the man. "You're pathetic! Weak!"
A primal scream came from Voldemort's lips, but Harry only laughed again. He felt no sense of danger, only prideful superiority. It felt good to be on the other end of things for once.
"You're going to die with your name forgotten!" Harry shouted. He had to pull sharply upwards to dodge another curse. "You're—"
Harry paused as he spotted his family in the distance. They all disappeared with the faint cracks of apparation ringing out.
Good, Harry thought to himself. They're safe.
Glancing back, Harry saw that Voldemort was closing the gap between them even more. He was close, too close, but Harry was close to reaching the point that his family had apparated away from.
Cast it again, a voice in the back of his mind said.
Harry gave it no more thought than that. He twisted around and shouted, "Fiendfyre!"
The raging inferno trailed behind his broom and Harry soared forwards. The flames tried to engulf his broom, but Harry forced them away towards where he expected Voldemort to be. A wonderful satisfaction built up from righteous anger filled him. He had won!
Then, his broomstick exploded underneath him. His forward momentum sent him flying past the wooden shards, which were instantly consumed by his raging Fiendfyre.
Wind whipped past Harry's face as he plummeted down towards the distant ground. He could slow himself, but that would leave him a prime target for Voldemort's attacks.
No, there was only one thing he could do.
With a determined fury, he stopped the flow of Fiendfyre from his wand and smothered what remained in the air. Voldemort's rage-filled face was there, growing closer with each second until he was nearly within arm's reach.
Harry twisted his body and apparated away to safety.