Chapter 15: Awakening to the Truth
Author's note: I've created some spells here so here are the latin roots.
Aquaticus- living in water
Devoveo- to death; [to curse, execrate; to bewitch, enchant]
Immolo- to sacrifice; to devote to death , to slay
Umbra- shadow
Claviger- of Janus
I'm posting this chapter cause I need to think about what is going to happen next. So this may be the last post for a while.
I doubt that my decision to kill the Grangers was well received but I didn't kill them. Note my words.
Davaca: there is no religion in this story… none what so ever. Just philosophy that can be derived from religion at different points and come one, where does this look like a religion. Demons and Angels are not restricted the classic dogma.
Sirei: no they aren't visions… astral projection… maybe
Godsowndevil: everything will be answered soon. That's why I need a break, so I can find those answers.
Andy: I'm sorry………………
Enjoy everyone.
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Harry jumped over the rubble, holding the blade point towards the ground. A beast jumped in front of him, but with a single upward slice of his sword, the beast moved no more. Harry stared at it for a moment, before returning to his run. He watched as three more creatures rose from the fire and attacked the man. Even with the rain pouring down upon them, Roland wasn't wet at all. He was moving so fast that the rain drops missed him. Harry stood there, just watching and what remained of his tattered shirt was dripping from the rain. His hair fell in bunches on his face, threaten to cover his eyes.
The creatures were blocking his way to Roland, preventing him from helping the man. "Roland," Harry's voice cast silence upon the battleground. All the creatures turned around and glared at Harry. Each bore horns of burning flames, and eyes that held more hatred than the Demon that hurt Hermione, which truly surprised Harry. But he knew that his friend wouldn't really want to hurt her like that. Right? Harry blinked and when his eyes opened again, half of the demons were running toward him, claws bared and raised.
Harry swung his sword like a baseball bat, taking a head of one of the beast off. It popped up into the air, and spin a bit, but Harry couldn't concentrate on that. He had bigger problems. A demon took a swing at him, slashing at his chest. Harry tried to move away, but the beast connected, or at least Harry thought it didn't. The claws broke beneath his stony skin. The creature roared in pain, holding its claw as if it wasn't there. The fingers were crooked and bent oddly. It was during that distracted that Harry took the opportunity to kindly relive the beast of its head.
Somehow, Roland had made his way over to Harry, for something cut through the air so cleanly that the three beasts who were hit didn't even move for a moment before their torsos fell to the ground. "Light doesn't move as fast I can, Harry." For a moment, Roland flickered and three more beasts fell to the ground. But then he faltered. "I just can't do it so often." Despite the horrors around him, despite the death, a smile crept upon Harry's face.
Harry thrust forward, piercing a demon that came behind Roland. There were too many of them, and the fiery beasts continued to come. "Roland?!" Harry yelled, trying to get his friend's attention which was now placed upon the sky.
`Just a few more minutes," Roland replied. "When the moon is high so shall I be." He didn't move, just stared up at the clouds and the rain. The rain finally began to hit him, but that didn't bother him. Nothing did. Harry had a hard time seeing what happened next. His attention needed to be on the ever increasing mob of demons they faced.
Harry turned around, slashing at what he could. No matter what they did, the beasts appeared. This hydra complex was annoying him and Harry wished that there was something he could do. Hermione would have known, she knows everything. She knew why the spells worked as they did, and how they worked. She knew what would happen if you mixed this root with that stem… his Hermione knew everything, a tear fell down his check and the world lit up from his love for her.
The beast reared back in pain, trying to cover their eyes, including Roland. "Damn it, Harry," he yelled from somewhere, "Turn off the brights so I can fight too." In a moment, the lights were gone, but not due to Harry. He ha no idea what just happened, or how the lights appeared. Darkness had taken over, and in a swift moment, dozens of the beasts cried in pain. And just as quickly as the darkness came it was gone. Harry opened his eyes and saw a light glow around him, the same as he entered the church.
Roland was barely standing, using his swords (swords, when he'd get two?) to hold himself up. He was breathing hard, and entire body was covered in blood. It dripped down his now human face. Harry turned around and saw the beasts on the ground, many missing limbs, head, or just slashed in half. But all were dead. "Forgive me, Mother for my actions." He almost collapsed, but held himself up with his sword.
Someone was clapping; Harry turned around and saw the Demon. His face burned brightly, hiding the eyes, but Harry knew. "What have you done to Ron?" he yelled.
"Nothing, really," The Demon smirked. "He simply has given me a body to inhabit. `Cause after all, this boys Sins are the greatest."
"I doubt that," Roland replied. He coughed, and blood spilled from his mouth. He was hurting, badly. The blood that covered him must have been some of his own.
"Yes, I have watched you," the Demon walked past Harry. "Your Wrath is so great." Harry was surprised to see such little care for him; after all, he was just as dangerous as Roland… wasn't he? "I was surprised to see it within a Demon."
"That's up for debate," Roland coughed again. He was kneeling now, not even staring forward. He had used so much energy.
"No, your right," The Demon continued. "But this boy's has so much more Sin in him. After all, Wrath, Lust, Jealousy, Pride, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony. The boy has every Sin within him. You can't be that."
"What are you talking about?" Harry yelled at the Demon.
"Why, this boy you call your friend," the Demon turned and faced Harry. "He has been lusting after that girl for a year now. He's completely jealous of you, which steams from his hate and pride. He commits Sloth every day of his life. Greed controls him, as does his Gluttony. Don't tell me this boy isn't evil."
"He isn't," Harry whispered softly.
"How do you know?" The Demon asked. "It was his wish to hit the girl; it was his wish to control, to hurt her. I just gave him the power to do so." The smirk grew wider, showing flaming teeth and pitch black. The Demon turned back to Roland. "I heard so much about you, Al'Takas."
"Thanks," Roland replied with a raspy voice. He was holding himself up on one sword and the other was on his stomach were the sword impaled him earlier.
"I'm surprised at how weak you are though," the Demon said. "I mean, many shake at the sound of your name. How can such a mortal man be dangerous." The Demon grabbed Roland by his throat "Your nothing like those I faced three hundred years ago. Now that was fun." In his other hand, the Demon conjured a sword wider than Harry's shoulder. How he held it up, Harry didn't know, but he was surprised when the sword pierced Roland's stomach. The pain on his face screamed out the world, for nothing escaped Roland's lips. No cries of mercy, no threats. The Demon left it there, Roland's body leaning against it as it was the only thing that supported his weight. "Pitiful."
"Dear God," Harry gasped. Roland was dead, just like that. His chest didn't rise; his hand didn't move other than to release the sword he was holding. It all seemed surreal. Roland held so much power in his body than Harry could have ever imagine. It was impossible. How could he win? The sense of helplessness was beginning to take over. The Demon began to walk over to Harry, who just stared at Roland. He had dropped his sword from the shook.
"How terrifying it must be?" the Demon said. "After all, your friend is controlled by me, the other one is dead. And your girlfriend will suffer for hours before she dies. I will love to hear her scream. Especially when I enter her." Harry's hopelessness disappeared as his anger took over. This primal rage of a lion come from deep within in him. He had never felt such anger before. The plains gave him power, the animals gave him strength. In his mind somewhere, a lion roared and gave him what he needed to continue. But a hand stopped him from moving. "My dear boy, do you think that I would allow you do something so stupid like that? I am not that big of a fool." The hand moved to Harry's neck and began to choke him.
Harry pawed at the Demon's hand, but alas, had no effect upon it. Pawed? Harry's hand now had claws on it, as well as fur was growing upon his stony skin. "Come boy, stay in one form so I can kill you like the little afraid boy you are. Not some mangy cat." The hand tightened and Harry felt darkness come closer as he found it harder and harder to breather. At one point, the Demon had to use two hands, and was finding it much harder to kill Harry. "Die, damn it, Die boy." The Demon grunted in his effort and Harry felt his throat collapse a bit. But only a bit. "Fine then, I shall just cut you."
The Demon released Harry, who fell to the ground in a pile. He took deep breathes, trying to regain some feeling in his toes and fingers. Lying on his side, Harry just held his stomach, and tried to relax a bit despite a manic over him, trying to kill him. Harry heard footsteps walk away and the sound of something being sliced through. "Nothing beats a good sword," the Demons said. Harry turned his head a bit to see the same sword that had killed Roland. It couldn't end like this, he was meant to kill Voldemort, or die by his hand, not this Demon. It wasn't mean to be this way.
Harry watched as the sword fell down toward him, ready to remove his head. A lightning bolt came from the side and threw the Demon across the room. Harry got up slowly, holding his head. It was then when two loving arms crossed themselves over his chest. Hermione was awake and here now. She was here, and holding him. "I'm safe," she whispered. "Don't worry; you won't be harmed as long as I can stand."
Harry got up slowly, and turned around. But Hermione had more effort. He held back his comments, but not his smile. She was almost back to her normal self. There was this fear in her eyes, of the Demon that lied a few yards from them. In the back of her eyes, she head hate, anger and tears of how she felt, of how close she came to being violated. "Your back." He hugged her tightly. It was then her tears came. "did he hurt you other than…."
"No, he didn't to me there, Harry," Hermione placed her head in his chest. "I think he knew that you would've murdered him in the most horrible way if that happened."
"True," he chuckled, earning a smile from her girlfriend.
"How cheerful," the Demon said. Both Harry and Hermione turned and looked at the Demon without releasing each other. His left arm was hanging loosely from his body and he was favoring his left leg. Some of his fire had died a bit, but was gaining control again. Beneath it Harry could almost see Ron, his friend of five years. It was a face of pain and sorrow, begging for forgiveness. And Harry was willing to give it to him once this was all over. "I think I'm going to throw up."
"Ron, snap out of it!" Hermione shouted toward their friend. Ron's face disappeared back into the fire. Hermione knew? Of course she knew, she probably knew from the moment this all happened.
"Ronald can't hear you, princess." The Demon held out its good arm and summoned it sword to him. "No, he's locked in his own fire, suffering for his crimes against humanity." Hermione gasped at the sound of it, and Harry pulled her closer as she buried her head in his chest again. "Let's finish this so I can feast upon your flesh." Harry's stony arms pull Hermione closer, trying to shield her from the dangers that would come. The fur on his body stood on end as the electricity of the air took over, trying to form a shield around them. "Air won't stop me. Earth won't stop."
"how bout water." With a quite swish of her wand, Hermione yelled. "AQUATICUS DEVOVEO." A stream of water erupted from her wand long with the air around it. It was a small storm. Harry was surprised at the force it hit the Demon. He hadn't heard of that spell before.
"Foolish girl, do you really thing that something so simple as a water spell would harm me?" the Demon held out its arm, point the sword at them. "IMMOLO UMBRA CLAVIGER." A scythe appeared from the fire and danced around the Demon. "Like my pet." Harry took a closer look and saw a skeleton hand holding onto the scythe. There was this cloud of soot around the scythe, which had to be a cloak of darkness.
"the grim reaper," Hermione whisper. She knew too.
"He's one of my best friends," the Demon said. "But of course he needs to be fed. So enjoy." The Demon waved his hand at Harry and Hermione, and the scythe with its soot cloud flew towards them. A few feet from them., Harry saw a skeleton face grinning, with fire burning in its eyes and death upon its breathe.
Harry awoke a feet away from Hermione. Somehow he was still alive. His body ached like there was no tomorrow, but he was alive. He tried to crawl towards Hermione, but the effort caused his body to burn. Everything hurt, including his teeth. Harry didn't want to think how Hermione felt.
Finally gaining the resolve to move, Harry pulled himself over Hermione. She looked limp and dead, but Harry knew that she wasn't. He just knew. "Hermione?" he asked, crawling right next to her. She was whimpering, softly, as tears fell from her face. "shh," he said, pulling her into his arms. There was movement in front of him and Harry wanted to see what was happening.
"Demons arise from beneath the grave," Roland stood up from debris, he was with his shirt now and two large crow wings were stretched out behind him. Harry watched as Roland's skin began to darken as it did before. But never had he heard such a sinister voice, even from Voldemort. "And angels fall from the skies." Roland took a step forward to the Death Eater right in front of Harry and Hermione. Harry pulled her closer, hoping to prevent any harm from her. "And I am the in-between."
There was a slight pause in the battle, no one moved and only the burning of the church around them could be heard. The empty wind danced through, and Harry felt more secure. Looking down, he saw Hermione's eyes were open and staring at his. "Hey beautiful," he spoke softly and pet her long auburn hair. Ron's slap had cut her lip, but the rest of her injuries were from the attack. Her left eye was beginning to swell and there were some bruises on her neck. There were probably some more injuries, but Harry didn't want to dwell on that. She was alive and that was that was important.
But the pause was over and Harry looked up to see Roland, or what he thought was Roland standing there. Roland now looked so different; half of his hair was long and blond, with a radiant yellow left eye. While the other half was pure black, and a red eye staring that the death eater. There was this heavenly glow about half his body, while a demonic one took the other half. The sheer neutrality of it was beautiful. It was then Harry knew the horror of it…
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