The Gloriana Set

Harry's House

Notes:

WARNING: This chapter discusses an attempted sexual assault.

Thank you all for the many votes and great comments and questions. I'm always glad to discuss the story, keeping in mind that I can only talk about my intentions, and perhaps the story itself has its own ideas. Words are an imperfect medium and often things happen that I did not expect. Usually, I just go with it and trust the story.

So now we arrive at Harry's house. Oh boy.

It wasn't the most graceful side-along apparition Hermione had ever executed, and all four travelers (living and dead), plus the Puff, collapsed in a heap on Harry's doorstep. Macnair rolled off the step and into some hydrangea bushes. Theo was pulling him out, and Hermione was straightening Regis' body when Harry opened the door.

"Ye gods, Hermione!" Harry sputtered. He was thankfully dressed this time, in black sweatpants and a Gryffindor Quidditch jersey. He bent to help Hermione with Regis. "Why, this man's dead!"

"Do shout it a little louder, Harry, your neighbors haven't heard you yet," Hermione snapped. "Let us in."

Harry grabbed Regis under the arms and dragged him into the house. Hermione followed, a discreet flick of her wand repairing her torn blouse and buttoning it up to her chin. Harry and Hermione took a sharp left into a small sitting room, trailed by Theo, who was holding the Puff and dragging Macnair. Hermione transfigured a crumpled napkin into a plastic tablecloth.

"Here," she said to Theo as she spread the tablecloth on the carpet. "Put him on this."

"What's going on, Hermione?" Harry asked, hovering by the door. "Why are you back with a different wizard and a pile of bodies? And why is that one bleeding? He looks familiar."

"Walden Macnair," Theo said, dropping the Death Eater on the tablecloth with a thump.

Harry's eyes widened. "You're Theodore Nott."

Theo nodded, and Harry looked at Hermione. "Did you dump Malfoy already? Well done."

"No I haven't dumped Draco," Hermione snapped.

Harry gave Theo the once-over. "This one looks much more reasonable."

"In so many ways," Theo said.

Harry nodded. "And I assume you two can explain why you're at my house with a corpse and—Good Godric, where's that one's hand?"

"Back at the muggle-hunting shack," Hermione said.

"The what?"

"The Notts had a shack in Wales where they hunted muggles," Hermione said, kneeling beside Macnair. She summoned dittany and bandages from her bag and began treating Macnair's stump. Hermione had helped Harry paint and refurbish this sitting room, clearing out the dusty furnishings and adding a blue velvet sofa and chairs. Plus a very nice oriental carpet. Macnair couldn't be allowed to bleed all over everything.

Harry was rubbing his hands through his black hair, making it stick up wildly. "You need to stop hanging out with Slytherins."

Hermione stood. "Harry," she said, tucking the dittany bottle back into her bag, "that wizard there was Theo's uncle. He was trying to leave the Death Eaters."

"Regis," Harry breathed.

"Yes," Theo said, looking sadly at the body. "Uncle Reggie sent me an owl this afternoon."