I'm sorry it took me so long but my exams start next week so I'm studying like crazy...
.... Thanks for posting and please post to tell me what you think about this next part, though the most interesting parts are still lying ahead
. One more thing, I know I said that this story will end shortly but it may takes more than I had anticipated, that's okay, right?
Chapter 23 cont.
"Well, what's wrong with him?" Roxanne asked anxiously.
"He hit his head", Albus replied pointing at the bloody spot among his uncle's hair.
"Yeah and his left leg and his nose seem to be broken", James added still kneeling beside Ron.
"But things could be worse; there could be internal bleeding or something like that", Scorpius said shrugging only to cause Roxanne to start crying and to receive angry looks from both James and Albus.
"Great Scorps, just great", James sighed as he tried to console his cousin.
Suddenly quick steps and strained voices echoed across the hallway.
"Death Eaters?" Albus asked terrified as James jumped up and pulled his wand out.
But it wasn't the Death Eaters. When the aurors reached them the kids were really relieved and Roxanne stopped crying. James and Scorpius knew the auror that was leading this group; it was the auror to whom they had testified everything that had happened in Austria.
"You're Harry's son, right?" the auror asked James, who was the first to run towards them. "I thought you were at the hospital".
"What? Oh, right! I was but obviously I'm back now..."
"Anyway...is Harry here too?"
"Yeah", the nodded. "Listen..."
"Did you set the alarm?"
"No, but..."
"Sorry kid but we have to keep going then. We'll come back for you when..."
"No, wait! My uncle! Someone attacked him", James yelled grabbing his arm and pulling him closer in order to see Ron's body lying on the floor.
"Damn!" the auror spitted and then waved at two of the aurors behind him. "There's a man down. Take care of him and the kids. The rest of you follow me!"
It took Harry about one minute to comprehend exactly what Artemis had planned for his wife and about one second to lose control and forget all about the fact that they were outnumbered.
He raised his wand and attacked Artemis before the Death Eaters could stop him. Artemis used a shielding spell but the force of Harry's spell was strong enough for her to get thrown back and against the opposite wall. In what seemed like a split of a second the remaining Death Eaters started sending curses against him.
Harry jumped to the side to avoid a red flash and conjured a curse himself. Matthias started fighting again too and together they managed to get one more Death Eater out of the way but then Artemis, who had gotten up again, aimed a curse at Harry. Harry avoided it and forgetting about the Death Eaters, he focused on her. Matthias took on the Death Eaters and Artemis stepped forward to face Harry.
Fighting with her was even harder than he had imagined it. She was young but she seemed more experienced than the majority of aurors Harry knew. She had a counter spell for every curse, incantation and spell Harry was casting against her and soon the room was almost destroyed by the rebounding curses. She shielded herself from one more curse and then shot a spell at the window behind Harry. The glass flew in the air like knives, all pointing at Harry. He managed to shield himself at the last moment but some of the glass cut his skin. He didn't even wince; instead he turned and send another spell against Artemis so fast that she didn't expect it, making her fell back again shielding herself at the last second. She was as good as he was.
"Harry", Matthias shouted. "Harry, take the book and go!"
"No" Harry refused as Artemis was getting on her feet again.
"Harry, you said it yourself! Voldemort cannot come back!" Matthias yelled and the name worked like a jolt to Harry. "I'll hold them back! Take the book and go!"
Harry looked at Artemis again and then back at Matthias. He couldn't make up his mind.
"Harry, the aurors will come shortly, they can't find you here! Go now!" Matthias exclaimed as he aimed a curse at Artemis, trying to stop her from attacking Harry again.
Harry took a deep breath and then run at the door. No one managed to stop him because Matthias was in fact holding them back, at least for now. Harry glanced behind and for a fraction of a second his eyes met Matthias' and he hoped that the old man understood that he was forgiving him.
He run across the hallway as fast as he cold only to see the aurors climbing the stairs. He fell back; Matthias was right, they shouldn't see him but he couldn't turn back either.
The killing curse coming from Artemis' wand hit Matthias right on the chest. The old man fell dead on the floor the next moment. Artemis grunted angrily.
"Should we go after Potter?" said one of the two remaining Death Eaters; Matthias had managed to take one more down before he died.
"No, the aurors are coming and he'll probably be already too far away".
"But he has the book", the other Death Eater said.
"Yes, I know genius", she said ironically. "I was there, I saw him taking it!"
"So, what do we do now?"
"Don't worry", she sighed. "We'll get the book back soon".
"So, we go help Dolohov and the others?"
"No", she said and then smirked and her eyes sparkled. "Let them prove that they can make it without my help. I think I'm gonna make a visit to the family. Come on, let's go".
Harry was waiting hidden behind a wall for the aurors to leave and then run down the stairs. As he reached the lower floor fear washed over him once again. What had happened to Ron? Was that evil woman telling the truth?
"Dad!"
Harry froze when he heard Albus calling him from across the hallway and then he run there. Albus, James, Roxanne, the Malfoy kid and two aurors were there and...
"Ron!"
Harry fell on his knees next to his best friend's body and grabbed his wrist hurriedly.
"He's alive", James said but Harry ignored him; he wanted to find Ron's pulse by his own to make sure. When he did, relief overwhelmed him. He sighed and then realised that there were two aurors there with them; so much for not knowing he was there.
"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked them but it was James who answered him.
"His leg is broken but they can't fix it from here; they fixed his nose and his head though...but he still hasn't woken up".
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"What...? Um...we just..."
"Never mind", Harry said quickly. "Anderson, Jones. I want you to join your colleagues, go to the room we keep the book", he said to the two aurors and they nodded and followed his orders. When they were gone Harry turned to the kids. "Okay, listen..."
"Do you know you're bleeding?" James interrupted him pointing at the cuts on his father's face. "What happened? Did you get the book?"
"We don't have time now, James", Harry said and the boy believed that to be true since his father used his full name to call him; something that only happened on emergencies. "Listen, I want you, Albus and Roxanne to take your uncle to Hermione. I'll go find your mother and Lilly and meet you there, okay? I need to get you all out of here".
Then without waiting for them to agree with him he turned his earphone on to talk to Hermione.
"Hermione? Hermione, can you hear me?"
"Harry!" hermione exclaimed loudly in his eardrum. "Where the hell have you been? I'm going crazy here! Where's Ron? Why isn't he answering his earphone?"
"Ron was attacked by Death Eaters".
"WHAT?"
"Calm down, he's gonna be okay", Harry said quickly. "Hermione, I want you to listen to me carefully. Death Eaters have penetrated the Ministry. I got the book but there's something that I..."
"Harry, are you serious?"
"Yes...Hermione, I learnt who the traitor was", Harry said slowly. Hermione gasped as the kids turned to look at him. "It was...it was Matthias".
"WHAT?" Hermione and James yelled together.
"I know, I know", Harry said. "I don't think he wanted to...never mind now... Hermione, Artemis is involved too".
"Artemis?"
"Yeah, she's Bellatrix's daughter".
"Bellatrix's? You mean like Lestrange's?"
"Yeah, you know anyone else I could be referring to?" Harry said impatienlty. "Hermione, she is Apostollo. Artemis is. She's behind everything".
"What? It can't be. Harry, I checked her file...if her surname was Lestrange don't you think I would have noticed?" Hermione said confused.
"Hermione, all of those years no one knew the existence of Bellatrix's child. I imagine she kept it a secret from everyone, probably giving her daughter a fake surname and a fake backround; something Artemis used to get into the Ministry".
"I can't believe this".
"Okay, look, I got the book but there's something I didn't see coming. She wants Ginny".
"What do you mean she wants Ginny?" Hermione asked dazzled by all the information. "Like a lesbian kind of thing?"
"What? No! Hermione, will you please focus? She's after her! She wants to kill Ginny in order to get revenge from Molly for killing her mother!"
Albus gasped hearing this, Roxanne brought her hands at her mouth and James had frozen at the spot looking straight at his father.
"Okay, I gotta ask. Are you kidding me?"
"No", Harry said tiredly. "Listen, Hermione, I need to go and get Ginny before Artemis gets anywhere near her. James and the others will come to you with Ron, okay? Go straight to the hospital and we'll meet you there".
"Are you sure? Maybe I should..."
"No, do as I said", Harry said strictly. "Okay, kids?" he added looking at them. Albus and Roxanne nodded and got up but James remained motionless.
"It was Matthias?" he whispered finally. "He...he..."
"James..."
"I thought he was on our side".
"He's holding off a bunch of Death Eaters and Artemis right now; all to help me get away with the book", Harry said.
"He gave me to the Death Eaters and you're defending him?"
"Jamie, please, please, can we talk and argue if you want about it later? When your mother's life won't be in danger?" Harry pleaded. The boy bit his lips holding back the retort that rose to his mouth and nodded, getting up as well.
"Okay", he said and Harry exhaled and then casted a quick spell to make Ron's body levitate.
"I know you're not supposed to do magic outside from school but..."
"I'm sure this will count as a special situation", Roxanne said.
"What about Scorpius?" Albus asked and Harry turned to the boy, who shrugged.
"Don't worry about me. I'll just go find my dad".
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay by your own?" Harry asked him torn between his urge to get to Ginny as fast as he could and not to leave the boy unprotected.
"Yeah, I'll be fine", the boy shrugged.
-Angie-