Author's Note: Thanks again to the regulars at DLP and FFA who

leave helpful reviews to make this story much better. 

Chapter Six

It's a Trap

After consulting with Manspark and Covington, equipment was brought in, and a single room in the Palace's underground residence for the Order was set up. The bait-room was closed off where the only entrance was the door leading to the hall. Harry wanted something with a little more room to maneuver, but thought it best to stay with someplace familiar to the demon. In doing so it might lend it a false sense of security.  Three of the wall's corners were plastered into smooth curves along with the floor and ceiling moldings. If the corners legend was true there was only one way for the creature to enter.

Closed circuit cameras were brought in and mounted at intervals to give an optimum view of the bait-room. Lastly a single semi-comfortable chair was placed furthest from the corner. That single chair would hold the bait for the evening's event.

"I'll volunteer," said Manspark as he was, yet again, nursing a brown liquor that Harry found out earlier was brandy.

Harry nodded, and nobody disagreed with the decision, considering the Hound failed in its attempt the previous time Manspark would be the most likely choice of victim for any future attack.

"Who's got the face shields?"

Jonas Swift, one of the Auror guards handed over a curved translucent piece of plastic with an adjustable elastic band attached to one end.

"Everyone wears protective face shields and gloves," ordered Harry. "This thing's spit and blood act like an acid without the actual eating away of skin, which in hindsight might be a good thing. Make sure all exposed skin is covered."

"Any idea when it's going to attack?" Swift asked.

Harry shrugged. "All the attacks, so far, have been at night. It's the best we have to go on." Seeing the unsure look on Swift's face Harry nodded a single time in sympathy. "I know we don't have a lot of solid facts to go on here." He looked around and caught everyone's eyes. "Look people, we're dealing with something here that nobody's ever seen and survived. Sir Rupert, Padma, and I have been marked." Harry pointed at Manspark. "He's bait, and Padma and I are first in. Swift, I want you and your team with Covington two doors down in Command Central just in case I am wrong about who the next mark is."

He turned to the other two Aurors. "Jenkins, you and Fitzroy are our backup. If things go pear-shaped I want you inside and cutting this thing to shreds. Under no circumstances does the Hound make it out of this room."

Harry's demeanor turned cool. "The Killing Curse has no effect, so don't waste your time.  The Rending Curse has worked well for me so far. I assume other heavy cutters will work: Decapitation Curse, Joint Splitter, etcetera. Don't waste your time with Jinxes or Hexes."

As a second thought Harry added, "And watch where you are pointing your wand. It's close quarters in there and I'd like to come out of there with all of my limbs."

With a final look at everyone involved he nodded once. "Questions?"

O_O

Command Center was set up in the second configured safe room where each of the people involved took turns watching the monitors. Manspark was centered on one of the screens looking increasingly twitchy. Harry couldn't blame him. The elder knight was armed with his, mostly ceremonial, personal sword. Covington made his own opinion known about the questionability of such an archaic weapon. He personally sat there checking the ammunition clip of a semi-automatic pistol for the tenth time that evening.

"How are you doing in there, Sir Rupert?" Harry asked in his headset.

He watched as the man on the camera moved his hand to his ear to play with the receiver. "Delightful, Sir Harry -- and yourself?" Manspark returned in light sarcasm.  

Harry shrugged to nobody. "Thinking about my bed right now, actually. I didn't get much sleep last night." After a moment Harry added, "I just wanted to check in and let you know that we're alert and watching. So no wanking unless you want it on the internet by morning."

Manspark's hand dropped and he clutched his curved sword bringing it upward and resting the blunt side against his bent head. "I would be most grateful if this creature would make an appearance."

"You and me both."

Prafffft.  

Harry jumped and spun around at the noise. Covington sat there with his face reddening. Then the smell hit. Harry shook his head and waved at the air.

"Apologies," said Covington. "Nerves. My stomach isn't what it used to be."

Harry rolled his eyes then saw Padma waving her wand issuing an air-freshening charm.

"Harry! The cameras!" yelled Swift.

He spun back and saw all four screens had gone to static. Without a second thought he Disapparated and reappeared in Manspark's room. Another Apparition crack sounded and Padma was facing him. Manspark jumped to his feet with his sword at the ready except there was nothing to attack. The creature had not made an appearance.

"What the hell?" spat Harry as he spun once more in place like the creature would make a sneak attack. "Bugger!"

He grabbed Manspark's arm and Disapparated again returning to the Command Center and into chaos.

Two Aurors were already on the floor disemboweled. Covington was fumbling for his pistol and Swift was holding the Hound at bay with a Flame Whip Charm.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry yelled.

The Hound jumped a half-second before and Harry's shot went wide and dug into the wall sending a cloud of plaster and sheetrock everywhere.

"Separatus!" Padma yelled and sent a Decapitation Curse at the creature.

Again it dodged a split second before the curse left the girl's lips and it bounded off the wall and came straight at her. She screamed as it spit mucus at her but apparently running around on walls did nothing for its accuracy.

Swift's Flame Whip slashed through the air and he landed a blow across the Hound's midsection causing it to drop to the floor and roll away. Several rapid shots rang out into the air as Covington finally got a hold of his pistol. The Hound jumped at the impact of each of the bullets but it didn't even slow it down.

Harry jabbed his wand forward. "Lacerate!" A constant bright blue light issued forth from his wand and penetrated the hide of the Hound. The keening wail Harry remembered from the previous night lit the air. The blue light punched through the other side of the creature and for a brief second Harry saw light straight through, evidence enough that the curse had literally bored through the creature.

It bounded across the room straight at Harry. This time Swift's Flame Whip missed badly, instead landing across Covington's right leg almost severing the appendage at the knee. Manspark was at Harry's side with his sword raised as he jabbed it at the body of the Hound piercing it soundly.

The momentum wasn't stopped as Harry took the full weight of the Hound. His wand was knocked to the floor as he had gripped each of its forelegs in a futile attempt to keep the claws out of his chest. They both tumbled through the closed door, now a splintered mass in the hallway.

He yelled in pain as the Hound's claws dug into his left shoulder and its middle set of claws set in purchase on either side of his hips. He had barely avoided losing his right arm and he jammed his hand to his sword belt.

"Sectumsempra!"

The Hound's mouth opened wide and screeched directly into Harry's face covering his shield with blue mucus. Lancing pain pierced his ears and then a pop took away his hearing. Everything went to silence in an instant for him as he retrieved his weapon and screamed back at the Hound. "ATHIBAR!"

As it appeared, the Spear of Destiny drove itself through the midsection of the Hound up and through the head in half of a second. White fire exploded from the top of the creature's head blowing blue blood and bits of flesh around the walls and ceiling.

Padma sent a Bludgeoning Hex at the Hound knocking it to the side and against the wall as Harry rolled in the opposite direction. He winced at the searing pain in his shoulder but scrambled to his feet using the nearest wall. Harry reached across his body and pulled Claiomh Solais from its sheath. The blade lit up the already bright hallway to a near blinding level. He swiped his gloved hand at the blue Hound spit on his face shield to clear his vision a bit.

"Incarsarous!" Padma yelled, shooting magical ropes at the flailing body of the Hound.

Harry lifted the sword above his head and yelled. "Call the spear, Padma!"

He swung the sword in a downward arc and saw the spear disappear as the sword sliced through the creature's neck. Before anyone moved Harry had pulled back and drove it down again and again cleaving preternatural bone and flesh a dozen times before slowing.

Harry felt someone grab his sword arm and he spun to break away with rage in his eyes. Padma jumped back. Panic filled her face as Harry could tell she was screaming something at him and pointing back to the room.

Before Harry even took one step the dimming Claiomh Solais flared bright again and the head of another Hound emerged from the room. Judging from the bloodied hands of the Hound he concluded that Swift and Covington were already dead. Padma stood beside him hefting the Spear of Destiny in her left hand. He spotted Manspark behind Padma. The Hound looked like it was having second thoughts about attacking. The shining light of Claiomh Solais seemed to keep it at bay.

"Padma, summon my wand," he said a little louder than normal.

He switched the sword to his left hand. Keeping an eye on the new Hound, Harry snatched his wand out of the air as it flew toward Padma. He saw his partner step back and a sharp pain in his right ear before he could hear again out of one side.

"Can you hear me now?"

Harry nodded. "Thanks."

Padma's voice was clean and even as she moved the fiery spear closer to him. "Harry, only you have true control with the weapons. It won't work its best with me. Put up your wand and take the spear."

Harry wanted to curse her. "Crap," he spat.

The Hound looked seriously pissed off at the bright flames and stood its ground in front of the door growling and dripping blue goo from its mouth.  Harry pocketed the wand and took the spear. That's when he heard the lift bell ring. The door opened and there stood Hannah and Su Li carrying several bagged lunches which they dropped at sight of the creature's ass end.

They drew their wands and when the Hound turned to see the new arrivals Harry let loose with the spear. "Ibur!" With the utterance of the targeting word the Spear of Destiny flew true.

The keening yell burned through the hallway and Harry charged, but before he moved three steps a third Hound bounded out of the door and tore into the wall with its claws, and then a fourth.

"Get out of here!" Harry yelled at Hannah and Su.

Su punched at the buttons of the lift and the door closed as Harry whipped out his wand again. Padma hit the Hound that was heading for the girls with a Rendering Curse to gain its attention. It barely slowed and tore at the lift doors. The metal screeched but didn't give way until the lift had started up.

"Fiendfyre!"

Living fire tore down the hallway engulfing the creatures. Harry thought his newly healed ear was going to split again from the screams of three Hounds fill the air with their pain. He ran up to skewer the closest Hound but the way it was bouncing around made the effort problematical. The walls shook and caved as, what had to be at least three-hundred pounds of muscled flesh slammed against them time and again. He swung anyway and managed to clip its torso.

Two cracks sounded behind Harry and Padma. He chanced a quick glance back and saw Hannah and Su.

"There's one in the lift!" Hannah yelled above the screeching.  

Harry waved the sword back. "Screw this. Everyone back up and cover me."

The girls took several steps back and raised their wands.

"Accio Hound!"

Padma's eyes went wide as she watched the closest creature fly through the air toward Harry. He ducked and swung the sword in a precise arc toward the middle of the Hound. The blade cleaved clean through cutting the Hound in two. The Fiendfyre started to go uncontrolled without Harry's direct attention; it was burning its way through the walls that were damaged by the Hound's inability to stand still while they were being eaten alive by the cursed flame.

"Anyone want to help out here?"

Su Li took control of the flame and wound it around the two remaining creatures. The Hounds looked like they were trying to gain to their feet and scamper off but Harry once again summoned one of them and cleaved it in two and then the other followed close behind.

Hannah screamed and Harry spun around. Gray-blue smoke filled the entire end of the hall and running out of the smoke were more Hounds than Harry really wanted to face at the moment. "MOVE!"

Everyone flattened themselves against the wall as Harry dropped to the floor flinging his wand out. "LACERATE!"

The constant blue light lanced out of his wand again and he waved it in two strokes about a foot from the floor. Three of the Hounds dropped to their faces as their legs were cut out from under them, but the remaining two had jumped to the walls. Their claws found purchase in the wood and sheetrock enough to let them move at a slower pace but not slow enough for Harry's taste.

"Sectumsempra!"

"Separatus!"

"Fiendfyre!"

Hannah, Padma, and Harry each incanted their curses at the same time effectively dropping the remaining hounds. Harry rushed them before they had a chance to start their bouncing reaction to the cursed flame and cleaved them each in two with Claiomh Solais.

The bright glow of the blade lessened dramatically to a warm pulsing light as he went to work on the bodies of the Hounds, easily chopping them into smaller pieces. Hannah joined in hitting the legs with Joint Cutting Curses. Padma looked around in panic.

"Hey," Harry laughed. "I think we're getting better at this!" He kicked at one of the Hound's head. "Not so tough anymore are you?"

"Where's the Spear?"

Harry ignored her question and headed closer to the door were they held Command Central. Holding the sword out in front of him to act as an indicator for additional Hounds, he relaxed as the shining sword all but resumed its original bronze coloring. Edging his head around the doorframe he registered the disposition of Covington and Swift: both horribly dead.

He pocketed his wand and held his hand out. "Athibar!" Nothing happened and he repeated the return phrase. "Crap, Fiendfyre must have taken it out."

Manspark stepped beside him and took in the carnage of Command Central and his long time friend. "Bollocks," he said in an even tone.

"Hannah, Su," Harry said as he turned around. "Get back to the Ministry and get a clean up crew in here. We need about a hundred containers for these things. I don't want to find out that they can regenerate and come back to bite my ass in my sleep. Chop them up into little pieces and find several construction sites. Drop half of them in the foundations and the other half in the Atlantic… somewhere deep."

With an additional thought he held up his hand to stop them from Apparating out. "You've been seen by the Hounds. It probably means you are marked now. Do not, under any circumstances, go anywhere, alone."

He turned to Manspark. "Come on. Let's go to my room and figure this thing out." Taking off his face shield he dropped it to the floor and added his gloves and blue bloodied shirt.

O_o

"They seem to be better organized than I initially thought," Padma noted.

Harry nodded after he pulled a fresh shirt over his head. "My thoughts exactly." He crossed to the minibar and withdrew a couple of bottles of water holding them up to Manspark and Padma. At their acknowledgement he handed them over and then took a quick drink from his own. "If the Hounds knew enough to send backup then they are either more sentient that they should be or someone else is pulling their strings."

Manspark screwed the top back on his bottle and set it aside. "Appearances aside, the creatures have displayed no more intelligence than the basic animalistic desire to hunt and kill using the abilities they possess."

"So, we're thinking someone has it in for the Order," offered Padma.

Harry leaned against the wall in thought. "We can't make that assumption. There could be a number of reasons the Hounds return." He shrugged. "I'm more in the camp of someone back in 1795 did something to attract their attention or the attention of someone that can control the beasts."

"Who could have that kind of power?" asked Manspark.

Padma leaned forward in her chair. "The Old Ones, the Elder Gods, some of their servants could be suspect."

Concern crossed Manspark's face. "I thought you said that they were banished."

Padma nodded. "They were, but I'm not leaving anything to chance. They can't physically cross over to our plane. However, that doesn't mean that they can't communicate with their spawn or other dark creatures."

Harry nodded. "That's what I was thinking." He set his water down and stood up straighter. "Sir Rupert, are there any surviving records of the Order in 1795?"

"Few, I am aware of mostly genealogical and the like." As a second thought he added, "The diary of the Friar I mentioned previously would be the closest unofficial accounting that I am aware."

Cracks of Apparition sounded in the hallway and Harry stuck his head out to see several people setting down numerous metal boxes. He saw Hannah notice him and nodded in her direction. Her coloring was turning decidedly green at the creatures and Harry smirked. Sometimes Aurors had to deal with the aftermath of a gruesome scene. It was part of the job.

"Cleanup crew is here," he said as he returned to the conversation. "Can we get a hold of that diary, Sir Rupert?"

The Genealogist abruptly stood. "It is in the safe in the Order's office upstairs."

Taking another look down the hall at the mangled doors of the lift Harry sighed.  "We'll leave after the cleanup crew leaves."

o_O

Nearly an hour later the final repairs were being performed on the lift doors. Hannah appeared at the door to Harry's room. "They're almost done. The pieces are being transported to the appropriate disposal sites."

"Good." The apprehensive look on Hannah's face prompted Harry to make an offer. "Do you and Su want to stay with us for the evening?"

Immediate relief showed on her face. "Thanks."

Harry shrugged. "Strength in numbers, I suppose. Plus there's the whole foursome thing that I've wanted to try." He turned back to the elder knight. "Sorry Manspark, you'll have to find your own harem."

Hannah smacked him on the shoulder. "Keep trying, Harry, someday you might get that fantasy fulfilled."

He turned back to her and smiled hopefully. "Really?"

Hannah's smile dropped. "No, not really." Then she turned and ran back to inform Su of the news.

"Damn," he said in rejection.

Su's raised voice came from down the hall. "Lift's not working!"

Harry stepped out and then down the hallway watching as the lights above were flickering. Padma and Manspark followed. "It should be okay in a couple of hours. A lot of magic was tossed around. Screws with the electricity."

He stopped and waved his fellow Aurors to him. "We'll Apparate to the office and check out some possible evidence Sir Rupert has hidden away. You know where it is?"

At the shakes of their heads Harry sighed. "Fine, then how about where the lift lets out up top?"

They both nodded and Harry gave them the fish-eye. "Sure you're not interested in that foursome?"

They both nodded again.

"Damn." He looked left and then right. "One, two, three, four … where's Padma?" He looked down the hall and saw her tracing her wand over the surface of his door. "Those pesky kids, always running off." He started back down the hall. "Hey, Padma, we're leaving now and you're setting fire to my door. Don't you know girls that play with fire are more likely to pee in the bed?"

She encircled the flames she was working on and they faded before Harry had a chance to see what she was written. "I'm casting protection runes. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll work against the Hounds. I'd really like to get a good night's sleep tonight."

Doubt came over his face. "I thought you said they wouldn't work on them."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I also said if they were being controlled by one of the Old Ones or Elder Gods then I'd be able to do something." She waved her hand at the door. "Well, this is me doing something. If we get attacked tonight then we'll know that it isn't them."

He eyed the door. "Well I'll tell you what; if they knock at the door I just won't let them in.

Her eyes narrowed. "The sign seals the entire suite against the Old Ones and their minions."

"Oh, well in that case… cool."

She preened for a second and stepped around Harry and down the hall to others. After grabbing a hold of Manspark's arm they Disapparated.

"Meet you guys upstairs."

O_o

Padma sat down with the diary at the conference table since she was the only one that actually understood Latin, or Italian, or in whatever the thing was written. They had dinner brought in because the sack dinners that Hannah and Su went for had blue drool all over.

"Who would have thought that the Hounds of Tindalos preferred take-away," said Harry thoughtfully. "Maybe we can just order out for like fifteen Royal's with cheese for our next encounter?"

Manspark actually gave a small snort at that or it could have good timing with allergies; Harry couldn't tell.

Padma looked up over her drink that she was sipping. "I've got nothing," she said with disappointment. "He just mentions a great evil killing off the officers and then performing the cleansing ritual. That's it."

Harry leaned back in his chair and propped his boots on the very expensive looking conference table. "Well shit." He thought it over for a moment and shrugged his shoulders in frustration. He ran his hands over his face and then through his hair. "I guess the next time one of the Hounds appears I could jump on top and ride the bitch back to wherever it came from."

Padma shook her head. "Let's call that Plan B."