taking control

Chapter 6: Necessity Unites

Chapter 6: Necessity Unites

Albus stared at the spot where two of his students had disappeared, frowning in worry. Given their actions, it was clear something had just occurred; perhaps another student was under attack. Harry obviously had some means of knowing when his students were in trouble. He had noticed the boy grabbing at the cord of a necklace before leaving in a rush. Glancing to the side, he noticed Remus and Nymphadora speaking quietly but urgently to one another. He suspected they were deciding whether leaving to help was worth giving themselves away. He intended to help make up their minds.

Two quick, soft pops sounded, and Harry and Ginny reappeared. "Diagon Alley," Harry called, looking first to Remus and Tonks and then turning to meet his gaze. "I don't know how many there are," Harry confessed, "but I'd rather come with more force than necessary."

Albus nodded his agreement even as he stifled his rising objections to the teens' involvement in any fighting. They were well past the point where any of his arguments would do any good. Best to go along and do what he could to ensure they came to no harm. Turning to the gathering crowd of Order members, he ordered, "You heard the boy. Hestia and Sturgis," he picked out, "please remain here in case any other unwanted guests arrive." He glanced pointedly to the Stunned trio by the gravesite to emphasize his intent. "The rest of you, to Diagon Alley, and be prepared for anything."

Harry and Ginny were already gone as were Remus and Nymphadora. Without wasting another moment, Albus Disapparated. He felt the wards blocking his intended destination and redirected the magic at the last instant, taking him to the alley outside the Leaky Cauldron. He strode purposely through the entrance to the pub and had to fight his way against the tide of people streaming in from Diagon Alley. Some used the Floo to escape, while others Disapparated as soon as they crossed the threshold out the door.

The Alley itself was not any less chaotic. People were running everywhere from the several groups of Death Eaters, each at least five strong. But what drew his attention was the figure standing amidst the chaos completely unaffected. Wand in hand but pointed casually toward the ground stood Tom Riddle, the self-appointed Dark Lord Voldemort.

A series of small explosions drew his gaze to the side where, under the storefront proclaiming the sign, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, dozens of spells erupted in every direction. Amidst the lights of the spells stood a group of eight Death Eaters unprepared for the sudden onslaught. None of the spells were debilitating, but they would prove suitably distracting for the moment.

Turning his attention back to more immediate concerns, he followed along the shadows of the storefronts towards a nearby group of Death Eaters. As long as Tom was abstaining from the battle, it would be best to take care of some of his underlings before he became aware of Albus' presence.

An upward flick and jab of his wand brought some rubble off the ground surrounding the mob of dark wizards. He circled his wand around, forming a ring of steel that, with a sharp pull of his wand, contracted around the group, pulling them together into a knot and stealing their breath away. The moment of distraction was all he needed to Summon their wands away. A red burst of light followed, and they summarily collapsed to the ground.

Satisfied, he turned back to track Tom and startled upon finding that he had moved. A quick sweep of the Alley showed numerous battles breaking out between newly arrived Order members and the Death Eaters, but he could not allow himself to be distracted by these skirmishes. Finally, he located his target standing out of the way in the mouth of an alley across from the Weasleys' store where a battle was taking place.

His eyes widened as he realized exactly who was involved in that particular skirmish. Harry largely blended in with his surroundings, but the Weasley red stood out. Not only was Ginny present at his side, but Messrs. Fred and George were as well. Fear growing in the pit of his stomach, he began marching down the Alley towards the teens. He did not trust Tom to remain inactive for long.