Categories > Books > Harry Potter > A Different Sort of Bond
Chapter 28
6 reviewsHarry and Daphne destroy another horcrux with help from Bill and Fleur.
5Ambiance
A Different Sort of Bond
Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse!
Author's Note: The next chapter is finally here! Rejoice or mourn as seems most appropriate to you.
Chapter 28
The next morning Harry and Daphne apparated to meet Fleur and Bill in a clearing a half mile from the Gaunt shack. ‘Why so far Bill?” Daphne asked. “I know kids who have played closer than this to the shack with no problems.”
“A few main reasons,” Bill said. He turned to look at Fleur, “Apprentice? Can you tell them the reasons?”
She smiled, “Oui, Maitre. I believe I can.” She turned to Daphne, “One is that none of those children would have been apparating so we do not know if the wards can be triggered by magical travel. Second is that the enemy may have increased the protections on it after his return, especially if it does indeed contain one of his horcruxes.”
Bill nodded, “Very good. My apprentice and I shall sweep for wards on the way in so please do not get ahead of us. Once we find them I may ask for help breaking them since some wards require more than two wizards to break. I understand you have a spell to detect the things from a distance?”
Daphne nodded, “From anywhere within ten meters.”
Bill said, “Once you’ve confirmed the presence of one, we’ll finish taking down any wards on the place and then destroy the horcrux. Hopefully we’ll soon know the location of the last one and can be rid of the monster forever.”
Harry smiled, “Then we should get started. We’ll follow behind you until you need us.”
Bill took out his wand and cast a detection spell, then he stepped forward and stopped, “Do you remember the spell Fleur?”
“Oui, but perhaps you should…” she trailed off.
“No,” he said firmly. “I trust you. You go next.”
Fleur stepped even with him and cast the same spell then stepped forward. Nothing happened and she took a deep breath, “I believe it is your turn now William.”
Bill stepped forward and raised his wand. They continued taking turns until Bill got a positive result from his scan. “A quarter mile out,” Bill said. “I am actually surprised. There are hidden tombs with less security than this shack seems to have.” He rolled his shoulders then and grinned, “Good thing you brought a Master Curse Breaker with you.”
He raised his wand and started casting. Soon the air in front of him shimmered and there was a popping sound. Bill turned to them, grinning, and said, “Voila!”
Fleur smirked at him, “One down and how many to go? Don’t take any bows yet mon coeur.”
Bill nodded and turned back toward the shack, “In that case, I think it’s your turn to cast the detection spell.”
Fleur stepped up even with him and cast her spell. Then Bill did the same and a hundred yards later they found the next ward.
“Ooh,” Bill winced. “This is a nasty one.” He tried to break it but didn’t have enough power. “Okay Harry,” he said. “I think I’ll need your help with this one. How good are you at keeping a beat?”
“I dunno,” Harry said. “I’m no musician. Why?”
“There’s a chant that helps add power to an attempt to dispel wards and curses but it only works if you can keep the beat.”
“I cannot do the chanting for it would need to be someone stronger than William,” Fleur said. “However I can conjure a drum to demonstrate and help you keep the beat.”
“We’ll both chant,” Daphne said. “If that’ll help. It’s easier to keep in rhythm with another singing along anyway.”
Bill nodded and stepping carefully back from the ward he instructed them on the words to the chant. When they had it down Fleur conjured a drum and started beating it in rhythm. Bill said, “Wait until I’m back in place then start chanting and don’t stop until I tell you please!”
“We won’t let you down Bill,” Harry said.
Bill moved forward and as soon as he stopped Fleur started drumming and the other two started chanting. Bill’s detection charm showed the ward was weakening. He waited until it was about half strength and tried to dispel it again. That time it worked and the others all saw the flash of light that usually accompanies a broken ward but they didn’t stop. Bill used the time to double check that the ward was gone and there were no contingencies or backups. Some warders set up a ward to pop up when another ward is broken. It is never very strong but it can injure the unwary who just walk through without checking. Finding none he relaxed and turned to the others, “You can stop now. Thank you for the help.”
“Well you are here to help us so it is only natural right?” Harry said.
Fleur said, “I think, from now on William, you should do all the detecting.”
Bill nodded, “Yeah, I think so.”
“I shall beat my little conjured drum to help the chanters keep time and pray for your success mon coeur,” Fleur said.
“We’ll chant when you need us,” Harry said and Daphne agreed.
An hour later Bill needed a break, “We’ve still got an eighth of mile to go, 660 feet.”
Fleur coaxed him into a seat on the grass, “Here sit down love. You’ve been working hard, it’s time to relax a bit. I’ve packed a lunch.”
Daphne said, “You packed lunch?”
Fleur nodded, “Oui, Bill says always that you never know how long it will take to break all the wards and disarm the traps of a location so me, I decide to bring food just in case. It seems like a good decision, no?”
Harry nodded, “It was good thinking. Any chance you packed for four?”
Fleur laughed, “But of course mon ami!” She pulled a shrunken picnic hamper from a pocket and enlarged it.
Daphne took it from her then, “Since you were beating time your arms must be sore, but me, I was only using my magic so I will serve.” She shooed Harry away when he reached for it, “No Harry, you keep an eye out for unwanted guests and I’ll set everything out then everyone can serve themselves.” She opened the hamper and spread the blanket then started placing things.
Harry pulled his wand and checked their surroundings for people, animagi, or house elves and finding none he put it away again, “Nobody anywhere nearby.”
Bill smiled, “Did I see right or did you actually check for animagi and house elves as well as people?”
“I’ve been spied on by reporters in animagus form and had someone’s house elf steal my mail one time. So I made sure I could detect them.”
“You’d make a good curse breaker then,” Bill said.
“Don’t tell him that!” Daphne said. “I don’t want him risking his neck for gold in some godsforsaken part of the world.”
Harry patted her shoulder, “No worries love, I think there’s plenty of work right here in Britain to keep me occupied. Even if there wasn’t I couldn’t in good conscience drag you along. We’re a team, and as such we’ll decide on any trips, whether business or pleasure, together.”
Daphne blushed a little then kissed Harry, “Such a wonderful guy. I’m the luckiest women in the world I think.”
“I think I got the better man ma ami but I do agree that you’ve got a good one there,” Fleur said as she helped Daphne set up the last things for their picnic.
After everyone ate some fried chicken, potato salad, fruit salad, and crackers with cheese then washed it down with sparkling cider Bill stood and stretched, “That was a great idea Fleur but now it’s time to get back to work. Even if there is nothing in the shack I don’t want to leave these nasty wards up anywhere that innocent people might stumble into them. Now that I’ve removed the outer layer that just repelled people this whole area is going to be a menace until I finish.”
“Your backup singers are ready Bill,” Daphne said.
Fleur giggled and conjured a new drum, “Drummer ready!”
“I think we are marrying a couple of jokers Harry,” Bill said.
Harry nodded solemnly then grinned, “They should fit right in.”
Bill laughed then said, “Okay, let’s finish this.” He stepped forward and cast his ward detection spell.
Another hour took them to the front door of the shack. It was a ramshackle edifice with a dead, and desiccated snake hanging from the door. The wood was rotting and discolored, the windows were all filthy and mostly cracked, the metal gutters and hinges were rusted.
“Do you have enough left to check and see if its in there Daphne?” Bill asked.
“If I was forced to use my own meager supply of magic I’d have been exhausted long ago but fortunately I can tap Harry’s ever flowing spring of magical energy,” Daphne replied. She used the spell the goddess gave her and it detected a horcrux inside the shack. “Yes, there is one there,” she said.
“We’ll come back tomorrow and get it,” Bill said. “The area is no longer dangerous to walk through and I’m sure the shack has been well booby-trapped. I want a good night’s sleep before I tackle it. We’ll call on you tomorrow morning and then we can finish destroying the thing.”
“Fine by me,” Harry said. “Thanks for all the time and effort Bill.”
The next day they returned. Bill examined the walls of the shack, “Spells are the only things holding this place up and they all intertwined. If I take down the traps I’ll be leveling the house as well.” He turned to Harry and Daphne, “Are you back up to full power Harry? I think I’ll need help clearing the last few traps.”
Harry nodded, “I’m ready to chant Bill.”
Daphne added, “Me too.”
Fleur just smiled and conjured her drum.
Bill nodded and turned back towards the shack, “Start now.” Once he had the chant backing his magic he removed all the trap spells, being careful not to flinch or miss a gesture as the ramshackle edifice collapsed with a roar halfway through a spell. Once a detection spell showed the place clear of traps he turned to the others, “It should be safe enough now. Help me vanish some of this debris and I’m sure we’ll find a box or some sort of hidden compartment with the horcrux in the remains.
Harry nodded and drew his wand, “Evanesco.” His spell made some fallen piece of roof shiver and turn to fog to be blown away by the wind.
The others followed suit with their own spells and soon all that was left of the Gaunt Shack was a depression in the ground and a box.
Daphne verified that the horcrux was in the box with the spell Hecate gave her, “That’s it, alright.”
Bill did a more general detection spell and announced, “No actual wards but there is a fairly strong compulsion spell on it to put on the contents and I’m getting a poison reading from inside.”
Harry said, “I think we need to be a little cautious here so I’ll borrow a spell from Daphne that impressed me.” He pointed his wand towards the box and cast her acid spell, “Aqua Regia!” The box hissed and bubbled rather more than what looked like wood should but eventually it gave up the ghost and dissolved. It left behind a ring with a strange dark stone on a golden band. “You’re up dear,” he said.
Daphne gestured with her wand and said, “Ira Hecate!” The gold ring snapped in half and the stone crumbled and released a dark cloud. The cloud gave an eerie high pitched scream and swirled about the area for a moment before thinning and being blown away by the breeze.
Fleur shivered, “Was that?”
Harry nodded, “That was. Only one left now aside from the one that might be inside the madman himself. If Bill is right then perhaps we won’t even need to confront the thing that calls itself a lord.”
Bill nodded, “I am pretty sure about it Harry. Unless they added a horcrux to the cauldron before you got there then Riddle’s new body is just a construct, and must follow the rules governing such things. If you can destroy his last horcrux it should disintegrate as the spirit operating it moves on to the afterlife.”
Harry nodded, “Well then I guess we can all go back to enjoying our holiday. We can’t deal with the snake until either it’s been sighted. If it takes too long we can work out a method of scrying for it but as long as Riddle is keeping his head down I’m going to try and enjoy the rest of my holiday.”
Fleur smiled, “Ah yes, tomorrow we go to the store that sold the so nice sleepwear you bought me.”
“That’s tomorrow?” Harry asked.
“We have to fit it in before the wedding so Tracey can come and it’s already the twenty-seventh Harry,” Daphne said.
Bill laughed, “Look on the bright side Harry, you’ll get to see your fiancee model lots of lingerie for you.”
“I’m not his fiancee until he puts a ring on my finger,” Daphne said. Then she smiled, “But I am willing to model for him to make shopping a more pleasant experience.”
Harry smiled, “Thank you dear.” He turned to Bill, “Do you need to get back right away or can you celebrate a bit? Daphne’s uncle makes beer and he has a new batch that’s just divine. Want to come try it?”
Bill looked at Fleur, “What do you say dear?”
Fleur smirked, “Delay our arrival at the Burrow and your mother’s attempts to teach me how to boil beef for dinner? It will be a hardship but I believe I could be persuaded.” She linked her arm with Bill’s, “We shall meet you there.”
Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse!
Author's Note: The next chapter is finally here! Rejoice or mourn as seems most appropriate to you.
Chapter 28
The next morning Harry and Daphne apparated to meet Fleur and Bill in a clearing a half mile from the Gaunt shack. ‘Why so far Bill?” Daphne asked. “I know kids who have played closer than this to the shack with no problems.”
“A few main reasons,” Bill said. He turned to look at Fleur, “Apprentice? Can you tell them the reasons?”
She smiled, “Oui, Maitre. I believe I can.” She turned to Daphne, “One is that none of those children would have been apparating so we do not know if the wards can be triggered by magical travel. Second is that the enemy may have increased the protections on it after his return, especially if it does indeed contain one of his horcruxes.”
Bill nodded, “Very good. My apprentice and I shall sweep for wards on the way in so please do not get ahead of us. Once we find them I may ask for help breaking them since some wards require more than two wizards to break. I understand you have a spell to detect the things from a distance?”
Daphne nodded, “From anywhere within ten meters.”
Bill said, “Once you’ve confirmed the presence of one, we’ll finish taking down any wards on the place and then destroy the horcrux. Hopefully we’ll soon know the location of the last one and can be rid of the monster forever.”
Harry smiled, “Then we should get started. We’ll follow behind you until you need us.”
Bill took out his wand and cast a detection spell, then he stepped forward and stopped, “Do you remember the spell Fleur?”
“Oui, but perhaps you should…” she trailed off.
“No,” he said firmly. “I trust you. You go next.”
Fleur stepped even with him and cast the same spell then stepped forward. Nothing happened and she took a deep breath, “I believe it is your turn now William.”
Bill stepped forward and raised his wand. They continued taking turns until Bill got a positive result from his scan. “A quarter mile out,” Bill said. “I am actually surprised. There are hidden tombs with less security than this shack seems to have.” He rolled his shoulders then and grinned, “Good thing you brought a Master Curse Breaker with you.”
He raised his wand and started casting. Soon the air in front of him shimmered and there was a popping sound. Bill turned to them, grinning, and said, “Voila!”
Fleur smirked at him, “One down and how many to go? Don’t take any bows yet mon coeur.”
Bill nodded and turned back toward the shack, “In that case, I think it’s your turn to cast the detection spell.”
Fleur stepped up even with him and cast her spell. Then Bill did the same and a hundred yards later they found the next ward.
“Ooh,” Bill winced. “This is a nasty one.” He tried to break it but didn’t have enough power. “Okay Harry,” he said. “I think I’ll need your help with this one. How good are you at keeping a beat?”
“I dunno,” Harry said. “I’m no musician. Why?”
“There’s a chant that helps add power to an attempt to dispel wards and curses but it only works if you can keep the beat.”
“I cannot do the chanting for it would need to be someone stronger than William,” Fleur said. “However I can conjure a drum to demonstrate and help you keep the beat.”
“We’ll both chant,” Daphne said. “If that’ll help. It’s easier to keep in rhythm with another singing along anyway.”
Bill nodded and stepping carefully back from the ward he instructed them on the words to the chant. When they had it down Fleur conjured a drum and started beating it in rhythm. Bill said, “Wait until I’m back in place then start chanting and don’t stop until I tell you please!”
“We won’t let you down Bill,” Harry said.
Bill moved forward and as soon as he stopped Fleur started drumming and the other two started chanting. Bill’s detection charm showed the ward was weakening. He waited until it was about half strength and tried to dispel it again. That time it worked and the others all saw the flash of light that usually accompanies a broken ward but they didn’t stop. Bill used the time to double check that the ward was gone and there were no contingencies or backups. Some warders set up a ward to pop up when another ward is broken. It is never very strong but it can injure the unwary who just walk through without checking. Finding none he relaxed and turned to the others, “You can stop now. Thank you for the help.”
“Well you are here to help us so it is only natural right?” Harry said.
Fleur said, “I think, from now on William, you should do all the detecting.”
Bill nodded, “Yeah, I think so.”
“I shall beat my little conjured drum to help the chanters keep time and pray for your success mon coeur,” Fleur said.
“We’ll chant when you need us,” Harry said and Daphne agreed.
An hour later Bill needed a break, “We’ve still got an eighth of mile to go, 660 feet.”
Fleur coaxed him into a seat on the grass, “Here sit down love. You’ve been working hard, it’s time to relax a bit. I’ve packed a lunch.”
Daphne said, “You packed lunch?”
Fleur nodded, “Oui, Bill says always that you never know how long it will take to break all the wards and disarm the traps of a location so me, I decide to bring food just in case. It seems like a good decision, no?”
Harry nodded, “It was good thinking. Any chance you packed for four?”
Fleur laughed, “But of course mon ami!” She pulled a shrunken picnic hamper from a pocket and enlarged it.
Daphne took it from her then, “Since you were beating time your arms must be sore, but me, I was only using my magic so I will serve.” She shooed Harry away when he reached for it, “No Harry, you keep an eye out for unwanted guests and I’ll set everything out then everyone can serve themselves.” She opened the hamper and spread the blanket then started placing things.
Harry pulled his wand and checked their surroundings for people, animagi, or house elves and finding none he put it away again, “Nobody anywhere nearby.”
Bill smiled, “Did I see right or did you actually check for animagi and house elves as well as people?”
“I’ve been spied on by reporters in animagus form and had someone’s house elf steal my mail one time. So I made sure I could detect them.”
“You’d make a good curse breaker then,” Bill said.
“Don’t tell him that!” Daphne said. “I don’t want him risking his neck for gold in some godsforsaken part of the world.”
Harry patted her shoulder, “No worries love, I think there’s plenty of work right here in Britain to keep me occupied. Even if there wasn’t I couldn’t in good conscience drag you along. We’re a team, and as such we’ll decide on any trips, whether business or pleasure, together.”
Daphne blushed a little then kissed Harry, “Such a wonderful guy. I’m the luckiest women in the world I think.”
“I think I got the better man ma ami but I do agree that you’ve got a good one there,” Fleur said as she helped Daphne set up the last things for their picnic.
After everyone ate some fried chicken, potato salad, fruit salad, and crackers with cheese then washed it down with sparkling cider Bill stood and stretched, “That was a great idea Fleur but now it’s time to get back to work. Even if there is nothing in the shack I don’t want to leave these nasty wards up anywhere that innocent people might stumble into them. Now that I’ve removed the outer layer that just repelled people this whole area is going to be a menace until I finish.”
“Your backup singers are ready Bill,” Daphne said.
Fleur giggled and conjured a new drum, “Drummer ready!”
“I think we are marrying a couple of jokers Harry,” Bill said.
Harry nodded solemnly then grinned, “They should fit right in.”
Bill laughed then said, “Okay, let’s finish this.” He stepped forward and cast his ward detection spell.
Another hour took them to the front door of the shack. It was a ramshackle edifice with a dead, and desiccated snake hanging from the door. The wood was rotting and discolored, the windows were all filthy and mostly cracked, the metal gutters and hinges were rusted.
“Do you have enough left to check and see if its in there Daphne?” Bill asked.
“If I was forced to use my own meager supply of magic I’d have been exhausted long ago but fortunately I can tap Harry’s ever flowing spring of magical energy,” Daphne replied. She used the spell the goddess gave her and it detected a horcrux inside the shack. “Yes, there is one there,” she said.
“We’ll come back tomorrow and get it,” Bill said. “The area is no longer dangerous to walk through and I’m sure the shack has been well booby-trapped. I want a good night’s sleep before I tackle it. We’ll call on you tomorrow morning and then we can finish destroying the thing.”
“Fine by me,” Harry said. “Thanks for all the time and effort Bill.”
The next day they returned. Bill examined the walls of the shack, “Spells are the only things holding this place up and they all intertwined. If I take down the traps I’ll be leveling the house as well.” He turned to Harry and Daphne, “Are you back up to full power Harry? I think I’ll need help clearing the last few traps.”
Harry nodded, “I’m ready to chant Bill.”
Daphne added, “Me too.”
Fleur just smiled and conjured her drum.
Bill nodded and turned back towards the shack, “Start now.” Once he had the chant backing his magic he removed all the trap spells, being careful not to flinch or miss a gesture as the ramshackle edifice collapsed with a roar halfway through a spell. Once a detection spell showed the place clear of traps he turned to the others, “It should be safe enough now. Help me vanish some of this debris and I’m sure we’ll find a box or some sort of hidden compartment with the horcrux in the remains.
Harry nodded and drew his wand, “Evanesco.” His spell made some fallen piece of roof shiver and turn to fog to be blown away by the wind.
The others followed suit with their own spells and soon all that was left of the Gaunt Shack was a depression in the ground and a box.
Daphne verified that the horcrux was in the box with the spell Hecate gave her, “That’s it, alright.”
Bill did a more general detection spell and announced, “No actual wards but there is a fairly strong compulsion spell on it to put on the contents and I’m getting a poison reading from inside.”
Harry said, “I think we need to be a little cautious here so I’ll borrow a spell from Daphne that impressed me.” He pointed his wand towards the box and cast her acid spell, “Aqua Regia!” The box hissed and bubbled rather more than what looked like wood should but eventually it gave up the ghost and dissolved. It left behind a ring with a strange dark stone on a golden band. “You’re up dear,” he said.
Daphne gestured with her wand and said, “Ira Hecate!” The gold ring snapped in half and the stone crumbled and released a dark cloud. The cloud gave an eerie high pitched scream and swirled about the area for a moment before thinning and being blown away by the breeze.
Fleur shivered, “Was that?”
Harry nodded, “That was. Only one left now aside from the one that might be inside the madman himself. If Bill is right then perhaps we won’t even need to confront the thing that calls itself a lord.”
Bill nodded, “I am pretty sure about it Harry. Unless they added a horcrux to the cauldron before you got there then Riddle’s new body is just a construct, and must follow the rules governing such things. If you can destroy his last horcrux it should disintegrate as the spirit operating it moves on to the afterlife.”
Harry nodded, “Well then I guess we can all go back to enjoying our holiday. We can’t deal with the snake until either it’s been sighted. If it takes too long we can work out a method of scrying for it but as long as Riddle is keeping his head down I’m going to try and enjoy the rest of my holiday.”
Fleur smiled, “Ah yes, tomorrow we go to the store that sold the so nice sleepwear you bought me.”
“That’s tomorrow?” Harry asked.
“We have to fit it in before the wedding so Tracey can come and it’s already the twenty-seventh Harry,” Daphne said.
Bill laughed, “Look on the bright side Harry, you’ll get to see your fiancee model lots of lingerie for you.”
“I’m not his fiancee until he puts a ring on my finger,” Daphne said. Then she smiled, “But I am willing to model for him to make shopping a more pleasant experience.”
Harry smiled, “Thank you dear.” He turned to Bill, “Do you need to get back right away or can you celebrate a bit? Daphne’s uncle makes beer and he has a new batch that’s just divine. Want to come try it?”
Bill looked at Fleur, “What do you say dear?”
Fleur smirked, “Delay our arrival at the Burrow and your mother’s attempts to teach me how to boil beef for dinner? It will be a hardship but I believe I could be persuaded.” She linked her arm with Bill’s, “We shall meet you there.”
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