Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 121: Ambushed
Harry did not look back.
The moment Morgan told him to do so, he understood what that meant. Whatever happened behind him… it was hers to deal with.
Still, even as he moved deeper into the base, he could feel the growing intensity of Morgan's magic.
Ser Galahad must have managed to force her to take their fight seriously somehow.
"…She's not holding back anymore," he muttered under his breath.
The corridor ahead was long and narrow. He found the same dark stone repeating endlessly, broken only by the occasional faint light coming from the electrical lamps embedded in the walls.
Unlike the ancient-looking chamber from before, this section appeared to be newly constructed and heavily reinforced. It looked like a proper military base now.
Suddenly, Harry heard something.
Click.
He stopped, his eyes narrowing as his senses found the enemy.
They stepped into his line of sight at the same time. A full squad of Argent Flame soldiers emerged from concealed sections along the walls and from behind reinforced barriers that slid into place with mechanical precision. Their movements were synchronized and disciplined. These were not new cadets, but veteran warriors.
At least twenty of them, all armed with their signature 'wizard-killer' rifles...a weapon that Harry had learned to recognize and was forced to respect, since their bullets could pierce through his most powerful protections.
"Target acquired," one of them said.
They didn't hesitate before opening fire.
Harry moved instantly. "Magna Obice!" A triple-layer version of his most resilient shield.
The shields flared into existence just as the first volley hit, but he knew this was not going to be enough.
His staff appeared in his hand, and he slammed the bottom part onto the floor.
"Tsk! Not good." He tried to transfigure the floor and walls, but they must have had protective enchantments to prevent this from happening.
Two of his three shields were pierced.
"Aegis Invictus (The Unconquered Shield)." If transfiguration was not an option and his magical shields were not enough, the only solution was conjuration.
Harry used a large amount of his magic to summon a physical shield that would protect him from the projectiles.
A massive rectangular silver shield appeared before him, covering his body completely.
Clank!
A second later, a bullet had already impacted it...meaning that someone had pierced the three layers of his magical protection.
Harry had no time to waste. This new shield would eventually fall as well.
"Homenum Revelio." Harry used the Human-Presence-Revealing Spell and immediately spotted his enemies.
This spell was usually used to detect invisible targets, but it could also be employed to reveal the positions of those hidden behind walls and other obstacles. Now he could get a good look at how everyone was situated.
"Oh…" But it also did more than that. It revealed to Harry that several more soldiers were now approaching from the other side of the corridor. They wanted to shoot at him from both sides, not giving him the chance to retreat.
Now he understood why they had let him and Morgan venture this far into the base without resistance. They were waiting for them to get into this narrow corridor with enchanted walls, where they would have limited options for defense.
And a firing squad of elite soldiers was waiting for them here.
'I can't waste any time. If I let the others get into position behind me, I'm dead…' The only choice was to charge forward and reach the twenty men ahead of him.
More bullets impacted his silver shield, creating indentations in its metal.
Harry held his wand in one hand and his staff in the other. Using his wand, he willed the shield to move.
At first, the movement was clunky and slow, but it soon began to pick up speed. Harry stayed right behind the shield, using it as moving cover. He needed to close the gap between himself and those soldiers.
He could see them clearly as red figures, thanks to his revealing charm. Just a few more feet, and he could reach the first hiding spot.
The tip of his staff poked out for a moment above the shield. "Oppugno!"
The jinx targeted all the loose pieces of debris and spent bullets in the corridor and sent them toward the soldiers.
Several screams, shouts, and grunts were heard.
These projectiles always found a way to reach their targets, so the soldiers were hit, even when they tried to take cover.
They were well protected, so the damage was not serious, but it gave Harry the opening he needed.
He reached the first hiding spot that five Argent Flame soldiers had been using to fire at him.
There was a small opening in the wall that led to another narrow corridor. The soldiers had emerged from here to attack him.
They immediately aimed their guns at him, but Harry was faster.
"Expulso!" He sent them all flying, tumbling across the floor and slamming into the walls.
He was not done. He swiftly followed it with more deadly spells.
Before the soldiers could recover, their bodies were blown into pieces, cut apart, or pierced by summoned blades.
Five were down, but there were many more left, so Harry could not lower his guard now.
The soldiers were moving toward his new position. They knew exactly where he was.
More footsteps echoed through the corridor; they sounded heavy and well-coordinated. The second squad was closing in fast.
Harry did not hesitate to attack first. "Confringo!"
The spell tore through the barricade ahead, blowing apart their reinforced cover and forcing the remaining soldiers out into the open.
The explosion had disrupted their formation, and that was all he needed.
Harry moved fast, stepping out from behind his conjured shield. His wand and staff both flashed in rapid succession as spells flew everywhere.
Red beams, invisible blades, and bursts of force ripped through the corridor. Harry unleashed his massive arsenal on his enemies.
The soldiers tried to retaliate, but with their formation broken, they had completely lost their advantage.
One soldier fell, then another… and another.
The narrow passage that had once been their advantage had now become their downfall.
They had nowhere to dodge and nowhere to retreat.
Within seconds, the corridor was filled with smoke, debris, and the metallic scent of blood.
The last soldier dropped his weapon.
"Too late," Harry muttered as he produced a silent cutting curse to end it.
Silence fell.