A/N: I'm creating a new language for my novel/poems, some spells are from that language.
Alright I apologize for the spelling mistakes if any, but I had to get this chapter up. I had to. I'm sending it to my beta as I write this, but it being past midnight, I doubt she'll get it done before I post this. However what I'm saying is excuse the mistakes, they be fixed within two days or more.
Sorry Sarah, you'll understand why I needed to get this chapter up.
Chapter Eighteen:
Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. Ice T
Harry looked out onto the Quidditch pitch. This was the first game of the season, let alone his from almost a half a year off. Granted he had practices, yet he still had his doubts. Ron had been made Quidditch captain for Gryffindor, allowing him to finally show his skills in strategy. Harry had talked McGonagall into it; she had wanted to make him the captain because of amount of time on the team after Katie Bell denied it, saying she needed to study for the NEWTS. Harry knew it was the right thing to do. Ron knew just about everything there was to know about Quidditch.
Harry looked out into the stands once more. He was searching from Hermione this time, instead of keeping his sense of dread in check. Over the past month, she had taken to the library, with or without him. She slowly was returning to the woman he had grown to know over the past five years. That determined, intelligent beautiful woman that could be considered a bibliophile. Well, he'd never call her that to her face, but knew that she loved books and that search for knowledge. Whatever the reason was, she had returned to her normal habits and the trio had just about returned to normal. Harry had kept up with his studies, he had to. There were no other options being Hermione's boyfriend and all. To be truthful, he knew he needed more than just to study for the NEWTS.
Dumbledore had increased the amount of pressure that Serge was putting on Harry to excel in his private training. He had begun learning Seventh year and beyond spells. Although more of his training had to do with his sword skills. He now knew how to act with such a finesse that it matter not if the man was bigger or smaller. His skill soon came into fighting larger groups and his body grew muscles to adapt to moving at such speeds and strength. By no means was he skinny, but now he had muscles that accented his nimble and speedy attack style. He learned how to use the lightning more efficiently, more instinctually. Now it seemed easier to use wandless magic than it did to use his wand. Although he still had to use his wand, at time he used a stick as a focus point, relying only on his wandless magic. Today was one of those days.
He was the last of the Gryffindor team to take the field as they did their entrance circle of the pitch. He began to focus on the game around him, drowning out the sounds of the screaming students and commentary. He saw two things, one Hermione, two the snitch as it was released from Madame Hooch's hands. He lost track of the golden snitch for a moment and took in his surrounding.
With the training he ascended to a point of awareness around himself. Barely moving his broom, he dodged a bludger as he turned to look for the snitch. He must have looked strange, just floating there as the bludgers were hit at him. They were playing Slytherin so obviously he was their main target. The funny thing was though, that Malfoy seemed to be trying a new strategy as well, actually looking for the snitch. The boy was doing more dodging than he was, but that did not upset the concentrated look on Malfoy's face. Harry figured it was time to see if Malfoy was really paying attention.
Pushing the tip of his broom down, Harry spiraled into a nosedive, extending his right hand as if to catch the snitch. He knew Malfoy would follow. The Slytherin's competitiveness was always running on high, trying to beat Harry. Malfoy followed close attempting to gain lost ground. With the skills of a trained pilot, Harry pulled the tip of his broom upward. Malfoy wasn't so lucky.
A new hole was added to the pitch, a Malfoy-sized one. He stopped near the Gryffindor stands, a smile plastered on his face. Among his friends, great cheers came from them, them and about everyone that wasn't a teacher or a Slytherin. He let the crowd's cheers come back into his world as he watched Madame Hooch help Malfoy stand. Madame Pomfrey was next to him, aiding him in his steps. Looking back at the Gryffindor stands, he found all smiles. Well there was one that wasn't quite a smile. Hermione was shaking her head at him, almost as to reprimand him. Harry knew he did not have much to worry about. She wasn't mad at him for letting Malfoy crashing, but rather for scaring her so badly.
He took the time to look at the rest of the players. Gryffindor's chasers seemed overtly tired, something he had not seen except in practice, but never in a game. They always were in top shape ready for anything. Now….now it seemed almost as if the plans Ron laid out for the team were too complex. Too much. The Slytherin's did not even look as if they broke a sweat. What was the problem? Their team should have been ahead. Shaking his head, Harry knocked himself back to reality.
This was Ron's first game as Captain, and although originally the plans may have looked great on paper, good in practice, the competitive environment that they were in right now made them almost obsolete. No, Ron had to change the plans laid down for their next Quidditch game. They were down by fifty points as well. Harry grimaced as the Slytherin Chaser tossed the Quaffle through one of the posts. Make that sixty.
Before starting the game, Ron had told that he did not want Harry to even go for the Snitch until they were ahead. As the game started, Harry made an executive decision. Screw Ron's plays. They needed to win. Winning would do more than losing and going with his plays. Ron's plays were made to lose and he was blinded by the fact that Ron was his friend and he wanted his friend to do well. But more importantly, he wanted to win, for everyone.
He let his body and mind slide into the lightning for a moment, allowing him to concentrate more and faster than before. His eyes began to go across the field and began to move at a speed that normally would have resulted in tunnel vision. But with his lightning, Harry was able to see all around him. The snitch appeared halfway across the pitch, moving at what would be considered a normal speed of a bird flying. Harry sped toward it, dodging the now slow moving bludgers as he did so. He was going at him normal speed, making it easier to keep an eye on the snitch before dropping out of it.
He was going to win this match fair, not using his magic. His mind was still on the snitch as he followed it. Taking a chance, he looked back to see Malfoy following him clumsily. He shook his head as the cheers grew louder. He vague heard the announcer say he had spotted the Snitch. The world around him grew silent as he blocked out the noise. The cheering crowd had long since lost its majestic pleasure. He no longer cared for them or the glory. He was in his element, so to speak. Harry not longer cared if there was a crowd or not, who he was playing with or not. All he cared about was playing the game; if he won all the better.
He outstretched his hand, in an attempt to gain a few more inches. The snitch took a drastic drop; much like the previous one Harry had gone through. He followed relentlessly though. He was not going to give up, nor should he. This was his release from all the stress, similar to the books Hermione often read to him. Even admitting it to him was difficult, but he found the knitting between the two of them relaxing as well. However now was not the time for such thoughts, now was the time for action.
The snitch continued on its downward scale, with Harry close behind it. However, only a few meters off the ground the Snitch changed directions, and Harry barely was able to follow suit. He was spun upside down on his broom, defying gravity almost. Although he could use some of his strength to get on the right side of the broom, however, there were more important things at hand. Like making sure he caught the snitch. He felt his hair brush the ground and a small cloud of dirt being kicked up by it. Smiling to himself, he pushed his broom further as he made his way toward the snitch.
Another quick turn and Harry was right-side up. The snitch was still only a grasp away and now had gone straight upward. The air pushed down on him greater. Never before had the snitch taken him to such a height. With one final grasp, Harry had the elusive snitch in his hands. He allowed the world around him to come back into focus, only instead of cheers of joy, there were screams, horrible screams of pain and terror.
"No," Harry whispered, allowing his broom to got back into a nosedive. He aimed for the center of the Dark Mark which floated above the Quidditch pitch. He tapped into his lightning as he dove, allowing it to let him see the world around him. Terror filled his heart as he looked around.
Students were running around, scared witless. Terror filled their faces as the Death Eaters attacked without mercy. He pointed his broom to the center of a large group of them, planning to impale one or two of them. Mercy was not one of the things Serge taught him. Quite the contrary, Serge taught him to attack without mercy in a mass battle. For the enemy is the enemy. In a duel or sneak attack, mercy is the greatest ally for she gains friends and allies more for you than it would work against you. A leader must be strong and terrify, as well as hopeful and wise. Harry wished to be all that and more.
The broom pierced the chest of a death Eater and Harry hoped off. He was not too far from Serge who currently was using his guns as blunt objects. The man disappeared into a throng of Death Eaters as Harry turned to the ones around him. Withdrawing the stick he used as his wand, he summoned his katana before attacking the closest death Eater. "Reducto!" He cried, as the Death Eater was hurtled into a throng of others.
A lull allowed him to look around. The majority of the students appeared to be huddled behind a mass of teachers, those including Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall. Several member of DA were there as well. Hermione and Ron were defending along side the teachers as many of them assisted the students back to the school, or rather away from the fight.
A gunshot ran out.
The world moved in slow motion as Harry turned. The horde of attackers had been blown off of Serge and he stood, his shoulders heaving heavily. Harry could make out the blood splattered on his shirt; it was not his own. A body lay at Serge's feet and the animal inside of him had been released.
"Take it Harry," Serge said, tossing what looked like a hand gun to Harry. "I'm not using it anymore." He tore off the glove on his right hand and a painful scream filled the air. It was not another Death Eater, but rather Serge's. Harry caught the gun and slide it into his pants at the base of his spine. He had no use for such weapons. He held out his hand and took the katana as it flew toward him.
"Aglignis!" Harry cried. A long ago forgotten spell splintered forth from his outstretched hand as he cut off the hand of a Death Eater. Several bolts of lightning spread from the tips of his fingertips and into the hearts of the Death Eaters. The bolts then continued into others in the same manner, into their hearts. Harry took his katana and swung it into one of the still moving Death Eaters as he tried to attack at first year. He picked up the young girl, with a newfound strength and began to head toward the teachers.
Another scream of terror.
Harry turned and looked back, the girl's head now hiding in his shoulder. The Death Eater was gone. His body had rotted away in mere moments and the head looked no different. The smell………Harry doubted if he'd every forget that smell. He looked around him as the Death Eaters climbed back to their feet. Their chests were burnt but it was more apparent as to what they were.
"Zombies," he whispered as more screams came from around. Whatever spell hid their appearance was done. Now everyone saw the zombies.
The screams grew even louder, as the battle grew fiercer. Harry continued toward the groups of professors with the girl in his arms. He had not taken the chance to look at her as he needed to concentrate. The zombies were regenerating faster than anyone thought, and that discarded that fact that there were real Death eaters there as well.
"Take her," Harry said, handing off the young blond Gryffindor. He finally took the time to notice that, but not much more.
"What are you going to do?" McGonagall asked him as she took the child from his arms.
"Whatever I can," Harry said. He turned back into the horde and huddled masses. The only person left beside him not defending was Serge. The man was currently covered in blood and grime. If he was injured he did not show such problems.
"Hey buddy," Serge said as he tossed one of the creatures a good twenty feet. "Ready for a little action?"
"You call this little?" Harry asked as he defended himself from a spell sent his way.
"I wouldn't call it big," Serge said.
Harry began to attack, without mercy as the enemy had done to them. Where they had come from mattered not, what mattered was they were here, on his territory. Serge had taught Harry to fight as if every land was his home, for militia fight for hearth and home, and history has them in their hearts.
"Harry, we've got trouble," Serge said. He motioned with his head toward the group of professors as he cut through a group of undead with his white arc of a hand. Harry turned his head as he did a similar stunt with his katana.
Hermione and Ron were making their way toward him, using spells he had taught them as well as what elemental spells they knew. Harry turned and used a spell upon them before a group of them came from behind. "Aulignis!" he cried. A dome of light surrounded the trio as Harry reached within diving distance of them before the spell hit.
"What the hell do you think you two are doing?" Harry asked, keeping his anger at bay.
"Helping you, what does it look like," Ron said, standing tall.
"By forcing me to protect you?" Harry asked, turning them both around. "That group would have killed you both without remorse, without feeling. Ron you have no inkling of what we are facing right now."
"You can't stop us from helping," Ron said. The redhead turned around, but Harry chose to ignore him for the moment.
"Hermione, if you wish to help me, then go back and heal the students that are injured," Harry said, turning his back to them. "If something happened to you….." His voice trailed off as she hugged him from behind. He turned around and embraced her as well.
"I just wanted to give you something," she leaned forward and kissed him. Harry felt something be placed into his hands as she pulled back. She was so innocent in her deeds, never thinking of her own safety, but his alone. It was that which made their love so pure. Him for her, and her for him. "For luck. And the watch is for us." Harry looked down at the pocket watch resting in his palm. "For your protection." The simple sounds of the watch echoed now in his mind, along with her words of love and acceptance. It gave him strength, and hope was given to him. She removed it from his hands, only to slid it into his pocket. Just before Hermione left, she kissed him once more. "Be careful."
"I will," Harry said in response. She slide out of his embrace and turned back to Ron. "Ron, look out for her?" The sounds of the watch still resonated in his mind as she stepped out of his arms.
"Sure," he said.
"Thanks mate," Harry said, letting the shield fall. He knew Ron was not entirely sincere, but would keep Hermione safe, if just for his own interests.
The shield fell and Harry turned back to Serge who seemed to be slowing down. He looked over his shoulder as he deflected another spell. Ron and Hermione were making their way back to professors, slower, more carefully than when they were trying to get to him. He smirked slightly, and returned his attention to aiding Serge.
"Aglignis!" Harry cried once more. The spell went through the zombies like hot knife through butter. He was at Serge's side once more and had to help him stand up slightly as the older man stumbled.
"Listen, I'm going to need you're help after this," Serge said, drawing back his arced hand.
"What for?" Harry said as Serge stood upright.
"Just watch."
Serge's right arm began to glow once more, this time brighter than Harry had ever seen it. A large rod of white blinding light was drawn out of the small hole at the top of the metal cast. The pole was almost a lightning rod as Serge held it vertical in the air. Harry could see the outline of another white rod, this one perpendicular to the other. "A cross," Harry whispered to the wind, and a smirk appeared on his face.
The undead paused, sensing this increase in power and, if for only a moment, feared something in their forsaken deaths. The symbol of the Light gave so much hope to the dark world, lighting the area around them. The pause in the battlefield was uplifting, giving to the warriors of the Light power and strength. Silence enveloped the field, save the sound of a watch. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. And in between the hands of the clock, Harry moved.
Serge may have been planning something, but that didn't mean Harry had to stand around and wait. Within the frozen
world, Harry step between each Zombie, slicing and hacking. If they could, arms would fall, and heads would roll. But
at the speed within the clock, they would remain still as statues. Nothing moved, Harry watched, as he zipped between
two more zombies, cutting through some stomachs. He was a radiate statue, an emissary from the gods even.
And just as quickly as the clock ticks began, they stopped the world speed up again. Around him, body parts fell to the ground, and the ash of the zombies turned to dust. Serge fell to the ground, his cross held right in front of him. He spoke in Latin, the language of the Priests. The cross radiated its light brighter than before, turning the zombies away. Some of the weaker ones burst into flames and fell to the ground. The stronger ones cowered. As the light died down, Harry heard Serge yell, "now, Harry."
Speeding up the world again, Harry darted forward, destroying what he could. The crippled undead fell under the weight of Harry's blade, it passed through the rotten skin as a hot iron through butter. It was over in a few minutes, as the remaining zombies had run for the hills. Harry fell to his knees, tried from the event. All his energy was spent. It over though and that he was thankful.
Someone was running over to him, but he was so tired. Harry just stared forward, but know the moment she touched him who hugged him so tightly. His love, his life. With much effort, he pulled his hand up to her waist and tried to return the hug. His muscles ached, and his body burned with pain. She whispered softly into his ear. "I saw it all." He wished he could respond but sleep was the only thing on his mind other than her. The battle was over and she was safe. That was all that matter. "And I'm proud of you." He smiled, knowing that was all that he wanted from her all along.
"Look out," Ron screamed. Harry felt Hermione being pushed out of the way, and grand blue light envelope his two friends.
"NO!" He screamed, gaining a newfound strength. Tick, tock……….tick, tock…………The world around him came to a screeching halt or close to it as he watched Ron and Hermione's frozen bodies be taken into a portal, laced with deep blues and blinding whites. He vaguely saw the outline of a beach and the fear on Hermione's face as she was taken from him. His hand went to the watch as he watched her hand go to the pendant. Tick, tock…………tick, tock………Harry held onto it tightly as timed returned to normal and a storm began to brew around them.
"NO!" He screamed and stood up. Tears began to fall, but the rain washed them away before he had time to count them. Tick, tick, tick………….Time stopped itself as Harry turned to find that bastard, find the man who took his best friends away from him. His Hermione and his brother Ron. Find the man who destroyed his life.
Harry took a step across the frozen field, vaguely aware of the raindrops that he ran through. The Death Eaters were still around them, standing and looking just as shocked as everyone else at the spell. Serge lay on the ground, his exhaustion apparent on his flash frozen face. Taking a breath, Harry looked back at the place were they disappeared. He then looked at the remains of the spell in static in the air. Tick, tick, tick…………Harry walked to the trail, and touched it, letting shock pass through his body. He turned and looked at the Death Eater who cast it. Tick, tick, tock………Tick, tock. Time returned to normal
Before the Death Eater had time to react, Harry had him on the ground, with his katana at the man's throat. The storm grew worse around them as Harry stared with intensity unknown beforehand, before…… He knew the professors were watching him, along with all of the other Death Eaters as he stood still.
"Avada Kedavra!" One of them cried. The spell lurched forward, only to stop mid-air, then shatter. Had Harry been in a better mode, of a different mind, he might have smirked. They never saw him move, never saw him deflect/chop that spell into millions of pieces.
A bolt of lightning hit the man, followed closely by another two. Harry kept his eyes locked on the Death Eater still on the ground before him. Had anyone noticed, small tears of lightning were falling from his eyes.
"See what happened to him," Harry spoke in a low voice. The man nodded. "Remove your mask," Harry said, keeping his eyes on the man. One of the Death Eaters raised his wand and pointed it at Harry.
"Av-"
"Aglignis." Harry said softly. He did not turn from the Death eater on the ground, but rather held his hand behind him. The bolts flew from his hands and into the hearts of everyone single Death Eaters, all ten of them. They fell to the ground, clutching their hearts as repeatedly and simultaneously had heart attacks.
"You see that?" Harry asked once more. The man nodded, fear growing in his eyes. The rained pelted even harder as the crashes of thunder grew louder. "Remove your mask Peter." The fear grew as the rat of a man threw off his mask with his silver hand. "Hello Peter."
"Please don't kill me," he cringed. Harry looked back at the Death Eaters as they one by one stopped moving. Twitching continued, but movement, life had ended.
"Nothing more than a dead frog jump started," Harry commented as he turned Wormtail's head toward one of the bodies. He kept his foot firmly pressing the bastard's head into the mud. "See how the body is dead, yet the legs and arms keep moving. A body or person experiences such from massive amounts of continually electricity that runs through the body."
"Please don't kill me." Harry turned back to Wormtail.
"Peter, now why would I do that," Harry said. There was no question in his statement. He slide his hand to the cool steel still held by belt. "What reason did you give me to do that?"
"I don't want to die," Wormtail said. Harry stood, the gun in one hand, his katana in the other. He placed the blade to Wormtail's cheek and drew it quickly, allowing the blood to be drawn.
"Not today, traitor, not today," Harry said, moving so he left the entrance or rather exit to the pitch was open. Wormtail was on his hands and knees now, fear filling his face. The smell grew rancid as Harry knew he had truly scared the man.
"Not today, not today," Harry said, pointing the gun at the chubby man's head.
"Please, I beg of you, don't kill me, what would your father say?" Wormtail pleaded.
"Stand," Harry said turning his back to the man. He looked at the faces of the professors: Dumbledore, no more twinkle and Harry planned to make sure that it did not come back for a while; McGonagall, so much pain, lost three of her brightest students that day……; Snape, for a sourpuss, he could show emotion.
"You tell him I'm coming Wormtail," Harry said, turning back around. The pain was too much to look at them. In front of him, covered in mud, blood and his own piss, like the rat he truly was, Wormtail visible shivered at the sight before him.
Power, energy radiated from every hair, every fiber of Harry's body. He had reached his potential, not fully, but had tapped into it. Lightning was his food now, thunder his voice, the storm his life. He was it all. But as the tick tock of that clock rang through the thunder, he knew he was wrong. Harry was nothing. Harry was no more. He had lost his family, his voice, his life, his love, his everything. There was no more. Best end it all now……
"You tell him I'm coming," Harry said, shoving the bastard back into the ground. Holding the gun steady, he fired a shot, grazing the rat's left hip. "And Hell's coming with me." He fired once more, this into the mud. He purposely had missed as Wormtail was now running. For as fat of a man as he was, that was saying something.
"You hear me!" Harry yelled, firing another thunder into the air. "HELL'S COMING WITH ME! HELL'S COMING WITH ME!" He fell to his knees as the rat vanished from sight.
The storm raged, people drew around him, but he heard nothing. Except…..'tick, tock, tick, tock'.......Harry no longer cared, no longer needed to. What was the point? What was the reason? Was there a reason?
He held his katana in his right hand, holding open his left palm. Tick, tock, tick, tock. He spoke his final words for a long time. "I swear, by the blood of my father, by the blood of my mother……" tick, tock, tick, tock. "I swear that this ends, this war ends……No more will die by their hands……Only by mine……I swear by my father's fathers and my mother's mothers, every last one of those bastards will feel the pain………" Tick, tock…………tick? "The suffering that I know all too well, tenfold. I will not rest, I will not stop, until they all are gone………This is my vow, this is my oath……My life for you, Hermione. My life for you, Ron. I will avenge you both. I swear it!" He spoke the last in a harsh whisper as he drew the blade across his left palm, the blood flowing fast. Squeezing it tight, he allowed it to fall to the point where they both disappeared from, where his life ended. Where their lives ended.
"Harry," Serge said with labored breaths. The man had crawled through mud it appeared. He looked over at Serge. "You saved my daughter. I'll follow you through hell and back. I'm forever in your debt." Harry nodded, though he did not smile.
He understood. More than anyone knew. But he would not dwell on those thoughts. Not now. Now was the time of his oath.
"Give me hand, would you?" Serge asked with a smile. Harry held out his good hand, his right hand as with his left, he slid the revolver into his belt. "You're going after them aren't you." Harry stared back at Serge, determination in his eyes. "Well, then, you have my knowledge and my lead." Harry nodded and felt someone touch his shoulder. Dumbledore put his hand on his shoulder and he looked at the older man for a moment.
Guilt filled Dumbledore's eyes, and Harry did not hear the arrival of the Aurors or the Order. His strength finally left him, his pain finally filled. There was nothing anyone could do. Nothing could bring them back from the dead……tick, tock, tick, tock………nothing to live for.
Harry clung to his mentor's robes as he fell to his knees, his body raked with sobs of pain and sorrow. The storm grew worse, the steady rain turning into a downpour. Harry did not notice, nor did he care. They were gone………all gone.
"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said as he wrapped his arms around the young man. He had heard the vow where others had not. And for the first time, in a long time, from the look in the headmaster's eyes, Harry could tell the man was afraid…………
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