Two figures stood in the shadows of the trees whispering to each other as they watched for any movement in the cottage before them. They couldn't be seen with their dark robes and the only light came from the moon high up in the sky and reflected off of their white masks.
"Is this it?"
"I think so..."
"You think so? We need to be sure if we are wrong..."
"It is! This is it. Potter is here!"
The Death Eater glanced at his comrade speculatively, "You're absolutely sure?"
"Yes, I've seen him walking around here before."
The Death Eater looked up at the small cottage, "I thought Potter was out training somewhere. This is a house."
"I know...but he is here. I double-checked and he is here, I swear. Plus, the magic crawling around this place is ridiculous. He's definitely in here."
"You're right. There is a lot of magic crawling around here. And that illusion is no joke either."
"I told you it was weird. That's why I wanted to check it out. I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think he was here. Besides, there would be no reason for this much magic unless something was hidden here, especially in such an isolated area."
His partner nodded in agreement, "So Potter is in here..."
"Yes."
"Good," the Death Eater smirked and rubbed his hands together, "The Dark Lord will be so pleased."
"How do we get in?"
"No idea."
"Should we go tell the Dark Lord that we found him?"
"No, I have a better idea."
xxx
Green eyes opened sleepily; something had woke him up, but he was not sure what. Harry coughed and rolled over to try and get back to sleep. He coughed again, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Rolling onto his back he took in a deep breath and felt his lungs start to burn and he started coughing and he sat up, suddenly wide awake. He looked around his bedroom, trying to see through the haze that looked like smoke. Smoke!
Harry quickly jumped out of bed and made his way to the door, coughing all the way. Opening the door proved to be a bad idea as he got a face full of smoke. He nearly gagged and shielded his face against the smoke, squinting to see as he stepped out into the hallway.
Looking around he could see flames, red and hot licking at the walls around him, coming everywhere at once. Fire! his mind supplied to him in a panic, the house is on fire!
His eyes immediately went to the door on his right, "Wynter!" he whispered and he dashed to it through the flames and threw open the door. The flames hadn't reached the room, thank god, but Harry could see them outside the window, eating away at the plants and catching the roof.
Wynter was surprisingly still asleep but her face was scrunched up in discomfort. He gently picked her up and wrapped her and her bear in a blanket to protect her from the fire and the smoke. She woke as he jostled her, giving a weak sleepy cry. "Shh, it's okay sweetheart. Mommy's got you," he said as he held her close.
Thinking quickly he raised his wand and summoned his trunk from his bedroom and then waving his wand in a circle he said, "Utrum Omnia!" Immediately things from all around the house started to fly into the bedroom and into the trunk; he would try and save as much as he could. As his magic worked, he moved to the window to open it so he could try and get some ventilation, but it wouldn't budge. He tugged and pulled, even used magic and nothing would work.
Harry started to panic as he tried repeatedly to break the window and even the wall so he could get out. It was starting to get hard to breathe and he kept coughing, the smoke getting thicker the more he stayed inside. Wynter had started coughing too and was now crying in fear and discomfort. He was starting to worry about her, the smoke was not good for her. He had to get out.
By then the flames had spread into the doorway of the room and was quickly spreading inside. He bundled Wynter close to his chest and dashed out into the hallway and into his bedroom. He went into the bedroom and pulled at the window. It wouldn't move.
"Come on, come on!" he cried out, coughing. "Alohomora! Bombarda! Open damn you!" The more he tried the more he started to panic. It wasn't just his own life at stake here. He pulled Wynter's squirming body close to him trying to keep her covered. "Help!" he started to scream, "Help! Someone! Please!" Someone had to come to help them, there had to be spells to alert someone if something happened. "Help! I can't get out!" He coughed again, inhaling more smoke, "Tom! Help us!"
He looked up as he heard a creaking noise, the fire had spread to the ceiling leaving a gaping hole where he could see the beams of the roof. As he watched one of the beams started to splinter and crumble. He realized what was about to happen and quickly moved out of the way just in time for the beam to come crashing down on top of his bed. Immediately the sheets caught fire and spread until the whole bed was in flames. The house was falling apart, he couldn't wait for anyone to come and help.
Harry stepped out of his bedroom and looked down into what used to be the hallway. It was unrecognizable with everything burnt and covered in bright hot flames. He was going to have to go through that to get to the front door. He had no idea why the windows wouldn't open, but the door would have to be the only way. Wynter couldn't take any more of this and neither could he. Summoning his trunk to follow him and another blanket to cover Wynter in, he ventured out into the flaming hallway.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his back as the heat became unbearable and he cursed himself for not putting on any shoes, but it was too late for that now, he had to keep moving forward. Careful not to get too close to the walls, Harry moved carefully, yet quickly through the hallway and into the living room. He could barely recognize it, everything was so bright and hot, the fire was everywhere, on all sides; he couldn't even see what was in front of him.
How did this happen? I didn't leave the stove on, did I? Oh God, please let us get out of this. Why didn't I let Tom stay? He would have known what to do. But Tom wasn't here, he had to get out himself and get them to safety. Harry clutched his precious bundle closer, whispering to Wynter softly to try and get her to stop crying.
Harry quickly went to each window on the left side of the house, but each of the ones that he could reach that were not blocked by flames was all stuck fast, just like the others. It didn't sit well with Harry that all of them were like that, it started to feel less and less like an accident.
He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that, he had to get to the door. Striding forward, keeping away from the burning couch and the fallen TV he got to the front door and blasted it open...only it didn't. "No! Open, open!" he shouted, trying a few more spells, then ramming his shoulder against it. Nothing.
Harry turned back around and looked desperately for a way out. There had to be a way out! Wynter, he had to save Wynter, his little girl. She was already fussing about and coughing; her face was all red and splotchy. She wasn't getting enough oxygen, he couldn't let her die. "HELP!" he screamed helplessly, "PLEASE! SOMEONE! My baby...please..." he cried, tears streaming down his face. His lungs felt heavy, his breathing becoming short and uneven as he walked around the living room, searching for anything to help him break a way out. He used the couch, the coffee table, just about anything to throw against the windows and the walls to try and break them.
His vision was starting to get blurry and he could barely breathe, especially with all the running around he had been doing. But he couldn't stop, even if he couldn't move anymore, he couldn't stop. He had to make a hole, even if it was just a small one. He had to get Wynter out.
So preoccupied with finding a way out, Harry didn't realize that the wooden beams above him were splintering until it was too late. He heard the loud creaking and looked up to see the beam holding up the roof give in. Fear rushed through him, locking him in place, not for himself, but for the precious bundle in his arms.
Instinctively he sheltered Wynter with his body as the roof caved in. All he could hear was the crashing of wood and the crackling of the flames as everything fell apart around him. Wynter's terrified screams filling his ears as a stray beam struck him from behind and he knew no more.
AN: Ooohhh, we're halfway there, oohh, living on a prayer! ♫ I can't believe how many chapters I've written. It's insane! Copy - Paste, Copy -Paste. That's all I've been doing, but it's still takes some time to get it all up here. I'm also fixing some grammar along the way. I still have another 17 chapters to go to catch up to where I am currently in the story. Hang in there!