Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Inc., Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Raincoast, and any other affiliated party. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Chapter 14: Duels
Running as fast as her legs could carry her, Hermione soon made it to the opening that Draco had pointed out. It was about as tall end wide enough for a single person to enter, but it opened into a chamber about the size of the throne room in Godric's Hollow Palace. It was dark inside, the only source of light aside from the entrance, was a small light illuminating a podium in the center of the chamber.
'I wonder," Hermione thought. She slowly walked over to the podium until she was close enough to see what was on it in detail. Sure enough, there were two rings on the podium, an emerald one with a picture of dragon on it and a silver one with a picture of serpent.
"There they are," Hermione whispered to herself. She broke out into a run, trying to get to the rings as fast as she could. However, her sharp ears just barely caught the words, "Crucio!" being called out. Hermione barely leapt out of the way as the curse struck her earlier position, leaving a crater.
Cassandra Frost emerged from the shadows, looking menacing. "Not so fast, your majesty," she hissed. "I will not let everything I worked for crumble to dust over this."
"Oh, give me a break," Hermione muttered. She drew her sword out and held it in a battle ready position.
"If you wish to have a break than I will provide you with one. Imperio!" Cassandra shot the Imperius at Hermione. Hermione however placed a protective charm on her blade, and deflected the curse with her sword.
"Impressive," said Cassandra. She fired another curse of lightning at Hermione as Hermione shouted "Stupefy!" The two spells met in midair, clashed at each other with force, and ultimately dissolved away.
"Hmm," said Cassasndra. She started circling around Hermione. Hermione also started moving in a circular motion around Cassandra, her sword ever ready. With a swish of her arm, a thin rapier like sword appeared from no where in Cassandra's right hand. She held her sword downwards in a 180 degree angle from her arm while Hermione held her sword in a ninety degree angle upwards. The two women continued to circle each other for another tense second.
Without warning, Cassandra pranced forward and struck at Hermione. Hermione however was ready, and with a few twirls of her sword, blocked and deflected each one of Cassandra's blows. Catching Cassandra briefly off guard, Hermione spun around and swung her sword at Hermione. Cassandra blocked Hermione's blow and the two blades started rubbing against each other, neither one relenting.
"I'm impressed, your majesty," said Cassandra. "The last I heard, you were abysmal at sword play."
"Well, I'm afraid your information is a few years out of date," replied Hermione. She abruptly sprang back and swung her sword downward. Cassandra stepped back and avoided the blow. Hermione started parrying toward Cassandra, twirling her sword as Cassandra blocked and deflected every one of her blows. Cassandra swung her sword upwards and managed to hit Hermione's sword away, but Hermione hurriedly regained her balance and blocked another one of Cassandra's blows.
"You're quite good yourself," said Hermione, her neutral tone masking the fear and anxiety that was starting to build up. Hermione may have picked up a few sword skills during the years she was a Mage Knight, but she was no natural like Harry.
Cassandra smirked and said, "Oh, I could defeat a mudblood any time I wished."
Anger silently coursed through Hermione's veins. "Don't you dare call me that!" she hissed. She shoved Cassandra away with a burst of strength she never realized she had. Cassandra quickly regained her footing and the two women were once more parrying around, their swords hitting each other in a whirlwind of movement.
* * *
Outside, the battle was still raging on. "Where are the Alliance's reinforcements?" Draco hissed.
"They'll be here," Ron yelled. However, he was clearly starting to get a little anxious. There were uncountable multitudes of Dementor Warriors, and combined with the Children of Tempest, they were virtually unstoppable. The Griffin Riders, provided the ground Mage Knights with much needed support, but they were starting to get affected by the Dementor Warriors' depressing powers. Unless the Alliance armies showed up some time soon, they would be in deep trouble. "Dog gone it, Dumbledore, Moody, when are you getting here?" he mumbled.
"Oh no," said Ginny right next to him. Ron looked up to realize that he, Ginny, and Draco were now completely surrounded by Dementor Warriors and cut off from the other Mage Knights.
"No," he muttered. Slowly, the soul sucking powers of the Dementor Warriors started taking effect. Ron slumped to the ground as every horrible thing he had ever experienced started rushing into his head. "No," he whispered again, tears pricking at his eyes.
"No! Not again! Cho! Please no! Harry!" Right next to Ron, Ginny was barely conscious, the tears falling freely from her eyes. Draco was clearly the least affected by the Dementor Warriors as he fought back, but the panic filled look in his eyes betrayed the fact that he was also being overwhelmed.
From nearby, Harry looked up to see Ron, Ginny, and Draco being surrounded by the Dementor Warriors. "Ron? Ginny? No!" Harry didn't have the time to conjure up a patronus and besides, he had no idea if one would work on a Dementor Warrior as well as it could work on a regular Dementor.
Desperately, Harry looked up into the air at the Griffin Riders. Sirius and Remus were too preoccupied fighting off curses fired by the cultists as were most of the other Griffin Riders. However, another flying creature caught his eye. "James! Lin!" he shouted.
Harry's two children looked toward Harry off of their dragon, Nomie's back.
"Can you make Nomie breathe flame?" he yelled.
"Of course, we can," said Lin. "Just stroke the Nomie's chin with an upward motion and he'll burst out fire. I've read all about dragons you know."
"Just tell us what you want to do, Dad!" shouted James.
Harry gestured toward the Ron, Ginny, and Draco. Getting the idea, James stroked Nomie's chin, causing the dragon to breathe a burst of flame toward the Dementor Warriors surrounding the three Mage Knights. At the same time, Harry shouted, "Reducto!" The combined fire and Reductor curse caused an explosion that blasted the Dementor Warriors away. Harry made it over to the three to find that they were barely conscious, but very much alive.
"Thanks," Ron whispered right before he passed out. Ginny and Draco soon followed.
Satisfied that his friends were OK, Harry stood up and turned around, only to come face to face with Voldemort. Silently, Harry drew his sword forward and placed it in a battle ready position. Voldemort already had his sword out and continued to glare at Harry, as their surroundings seemingly vanished. As far as they were concerned, at that moment all who existed were the Dark Lord and The Gryffindor King.
Voldemort was the first to strike, flailing his sword out. Harry blocked the first blow and deflected another one. He parried forward and made three downward swings at the Dark Lord, each one deflected. Voldemort caught the fourth one on his blade and the two swords started rubbing against each other.
"So it comes to this doesn't it, Potter?" said Voldemort. "At the end it always comes down to you and me." He pushed Harry back and struck at him with a few twirls of his sword. Harry deflected all the blows with a twirl of his own.
"This time, it's going to be the last time, Voldemort," said Harry. He spun around and tried to land a blow on the Dark Lord only to have it blocked. He tried a few more times, all of them deflected. "This is going to be the last duel between us!" said Harry.
"What makes you so sure," said Voldemort with a smirk. "Use those rings against me again and I will simply return, more powerful then before. The power of Tempest resides in me, I cannot be defeated." He struck at Harry a few more times and eventually pinned him to the wall.
"The One Deity is more powerful than Tempest can ever be," hissed Harry. "Hermione is going to find the last of the rings, and with them, we'll destroy the Crystal of Tempest once and for all!" He landed a swift kick on the Dark Lord's groin. Voldemort reeled back as Harry sprung away from the wall, swinging his sword around. Voldemort blocked every one of Harry's attacks.
"Don't be so sure," replied the Dark Lord. "Your mudblood wife isn't going to get the rings so easily!" He struck back at Harry with more fierceness. Harry barely managed to block every one of Voldemort's blocks. He then managed to ram the hilt of his sword into Voldemort's chin, causing him to rile back a little. The two parried around each other, the twirls of their swords getting faster and fiercer with every clang of metal.
* * *
Hermione meanwhile was starting to be worn out by Cassandra. "You're growing tired, aren't you mudblood?" taunted Cassandra. She twirled her sword around in a few more blows which Hermione barely managed to block.
"Now, whatever makes you think that, Miss Frost?" said Hermione as she deflected another one of Cassandra's blows. However, she was afraid that her face betrayed the true panic she was starting to feel. Cassasndra was clearly a better sword fighter than she was and Hermione couldn't last much longer.
Cassandra smirked and parried toward Hermione, her sword twirling around a lot more viciously. Hermione just managed to deflect every one of the blows, but she was clearly on the defensive now. One of Cassandra's attacks, deflected Hermione's sword away a little too widely. Not missing her chance, Cassandra struck at Hermione's right arm!
Hermione screamed in pain as the blade slashed through her arm. She lost her grip on her sword and it flew away with one "Expelliarmus!" from Cassandra. Fighting tears back, Hermione slumped to the floor as she clutched her bloody, wounded arm. With a nauseating jolt, Hermione realized that if it hadn't been for her armor, she could have very well have lost her arm.
Cassandra walked behind Hermione who was still on the arm, clutching her throbbing arm. Cassandra swept Hermione's long bushy, brown hair out of the way, leaving her neck exposed. With a sinister grin, Cassandra placed the blade of her sword on Hermione's exposed neck.
"Goodbye my mudblood Queen," she said. "Give my regards to your mudblood mother in law."
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A/N Cliffhanger! Mu ha ha ha ha ha!!! I am so evil! Review and I just might put the next chapter up quicker. The next chapter to could very much be the last chapter of this fic, and then there's the epilogue. Next: The battle continues and the two duels come to an end. But how does it end?
Colonel-DCR: (sarcastically) Thanks for reminding me, Dad. But I would've preferred it if you had e-mailed me. Capt.Coran Horn Jedi Knight: Go on ahead. Just remember to give credit to me and I won't complain at all!