Don't Look Back In Anger (Completed)

Chapter 13: Death in Diagon

The members of the Wizengamot were starting to think they had heard every type of atrocity possible by now, but still they were able to be sickened by the depths of depravity these supposedly respectable wizards and witches had stooped to. Claiming their master forced them to be inventive with their torture, rape and murder - apparently their Dark Lord was a sick son of a witch who liked to be entertained by witnessing that kind of thing. However that excuse wasn't gaining these Death Eaters any sympathy whatsoever within the chamber.

Just before the death sentence could be handed out to the latest follower of this psychotic lunatic to be found guilty, an auror burst into the chamber.

Immediately recognising the auror, and knowing where he was supposed to be at the moment, Amelia ruthlessly repressed the sinking feeling in her gut as she barked out an order. "Auror Dawlish, Report!"

"Madam Bones, Diagon Alley is under attack from dementors - there seemed to be hundreds of them."

"Did you get Mister Potter's party to safety before leaving?"

"No Ma'am. Potter refused to leave, and kept shouting at us to help defend the people in the Alley. I thought the best way of helping was to get assistance as quickly as possible, Diagon Alley was packed with people and being overrun..."

This news was causing outrage in the chamber and Amelia now made no attempt to curb her own rage, most of which was directed at the auror standing before her. "...and you left them there? You were on protection duty, that means you have to be prepared to stand in front of that person and take a curse meant for them. You abandoned your post, your duty..."

"I thought..."

"You thought it was time to get your own precious arse out of there. Fudge kept you on his detail, despite my opinion on the matter. Well he isn't here to protect you now. Auror Dawlish, you are suspended until an investigation determines your fate. Leaving your mission and your fellow aurors in their time of need has me wanting to vomit at the very sight of you. Albus..."

Dumbledore had already made his mind up on where he needed to be. Calling for Fawkes, he flamed right out of the chamber.

As Amelia raced for the nearest floo, she was screaming for every ministry worker who could cast a patronus to follow her to Diagon Alley. She was pleased to see her aurors were already heading out, obviously the ministry had received calls for help from the commercial heart of wizarding Britain.

She was kicking herself for not replacing John Dawlish from that protection detail. Amelia had thought they would be doing nothing more than keeping the crowd from mobbing Harry's group, Dawlish could handle that. She didn't have confidence in him to guard her or anyone else's back in a sticky situation though, an opinion that his latest actions had just confirmed as being accurate.

Even from her brief contact with Harry, and interrogating Susan for every scrap of information about the lad her niece knew, Amelia was certain Harry Potter would never run away and leave those witches and wizards in Diagon Alley to their dreadful fate. Not when he could cast a patronus, and half the people in the Alley would only be there because they had heard the boy-who-lived was visiting today.

-oOoOo-

Amelia's guesses were spot on. Harry simply couldn't leave all these people to their fate, not when he possessed the means to help. Prongs shooting out of his wand at least shut up that auror who was trying to drag them away to somewhere safe. Prongs was soon joined by Harry the Otter and Snorky, all three pushing the dementor horde back, allowing the people in the Alley precious seconds to reach the relative safety of the buildings. Their three patronuses quickly had company as Remus and the remaining two aurors had their silver animals pitching right into the battle too. Sirius and Xeno hadn't been idle either. They had first bundled Dan and Emma into Quality Quidditch Supplies, Sirius was then busy trying to get everyone off the street and into a shop for cover. Silver patronuses now coming from the other end of the Alley as well gave everyone hope these dementors could be held off until more help arrived - then the impossible happened.