Ch 41 The Dark Queen
A moment later they all reappeared in the middle of the dark building. Harry nodded at Aardus who then disappeared again. Harry tapped several stones with his wand and whispered a low incantation to make them glow dimly, providing a little light for those without the superior eyesight of the Animagi present. Hermione held out her hand to Dumbledore who gave her the small crystal he used to view distant locations in order to Apparate. She tapped it with her wand and whispered "Engorgio" and set it on the ground in the middle of the group.
Harry looked up at Hermione who then mindspoke to everyone for him. "Remember, once Aardus locates him and shows us the location, we need to Apparate there around him, not all bunched up in a pack. We need to surround him and defeat him as quickly as possible, before there is a chance for his vampires to arrive. Focus on him, he's the primary target. Once we eliminate him, it should be all downhill from there.
Hermione and I believe we've come up with a way to kill him. We need to cast a Spirit Trap curse on him to keep him from abandoning his body again when he gets hurt. If we can trap what's left of his soul in the last body he's stolen, Shadowbreaker should be able to finish the job," he added, hefting the dark sword.
Snape's face clearly indicated his uncertainty about the plan, something his words would have made clear, if anybody could have heard them underwater.
"What we need the rest of you to do is to try and distract him while Hermione casts the spell. It's a rather long and complicated incantation. Ron, you stick with Hermione and make sure she doesn't get distracted or attacked. Samuel and Dumbledore will help me with Corlyn while the rest of you handle any of his vamps that manage to show up. Any questions?" His eyes scanned the faces of his friends and he nodded. "OK then. I want you to team up-find a partner that you trust-they'll be guarding your back. And don't worry about teaming up an adult with a student-it's more important that you know your partner and feel comfortable with him or her." Harry glanced around with satisfaction as they spread out and prepared themselves for battle.
Hermione's eyes focused in concentration and then the crystal on the floor of the room erupted with a bright image.
"Damn," muttered Harry as he studied the picture before them. "He's out in the open, in the courtyard. Well, no matter we'll have to go in and…" His thoughts trailed off as he happened to notice that Draco was standing all alone with his eyes wide in surprise.
"Where did Gabrielle go?" he thought. "Oh no! She's already Apparated there! Mione! Tell them we need to go! NOW!"
The room quickly emptied of witches and wizards.
*-*-*
Harry and the others found themselves in a large circle around Corlyn. At his side, on her knees whimpering was Gabrielle. As Harry quickly took in the rest of the scene, he realized that they were heavily outnumbered and completely surrounded by vampires. There was also a large number of Muggles who looked like they were in a complete daze. He noticed that it was the Muggles, with several computers, drills, and different types of excavation equipment along with shovels and small picks and brushes, who were doing the work of sifting through the debris. Then Harry realized that not only was their considerable light down here, but an enormous air pocket as well. "Of course, Corlyn's human slaves would need both in order to work," he reasoned angrily as he removed his Bubble Head charm.
"Miss Granger. Mr. Potter. I must admit that it is not a complete surprise that I see you here today. I never thought that crazy little elf would actually deter you from continuing your search for Atlantis. And look, you've brought your very own house elf, as well as several of your other friends. Septimus, I wish we could have met under better circumstances-I truly admired what you did…"
"Even as you used me for your own dark purposes," replied Dumbledore in a low, angry tone.
Hermione started chanting in a low tone of voice at the back of the group as Ron stepped in front of her. Luna watched the vampires to their back nervously. The others stepped closer to Corlyn as Harry pleaded for him to spare Gabrielle. "Let her go Corlyn, it's me you want after all…"
"I didn't want any of you, but now that you're here, I'll do as I please. I may be able to find some use for many of you. Surrender now and it will go much easier for you. Just ask Miss Granger about the pains of resistance. As far as Miss Delacour, here, I do not believe she is in need of your rescuing right now, Mr. Potter."
Gabrielle looked at Harry with a bitter smile and then tilted her head back and screeched that mind numbing scream Harry had heard once before during a Quidditch match against Beauxbatons.
Stunned, he shook his head to clear it and glared at Gabrielle. She matched his glare and turned to Corlyn and said, "The bushy haired witch, the one behind the red head was trying to cast a Spirit Trap curse on you. They think it will prevent you from escaping again and allow them to defeat you."
Corlyn chuckled again and then leaned down and slapped her hard across the face. "Thank you for your information and your assistance, but I did not escape nor do I need your help in defeating those two." He laughed again. "While I understand your desire for greater power than that available to a mere mortal, even a veela, it is hard to trust someone who would so easily betray their friends. Oh, but I see it now. You do not see yourself betraying your friends, only her-the bushy haired witch as you call her. You are jealous of my little Dark Queen and seek to replace her-that is why you came to me." Harry fought to control his anger while he began whispering softly.
Hermione spoke loudly as Hagrid stepped closer to Harry. "You were jealous of me, you little tart?"
Gabrielle glared daggers at Hermione. "Shut up! What do you know?! I am sick and tired of depending on others for protection and my own safety. I wasn't able to save myself from the vampires who came after you. None of us were! We weren't strong enough! The only one who was ever strong enough to save me barely even knew I existed! All he ever saw was you! And now look at you! You know more spells and have more power and are more feared than any witch I know. And I've heard that you are even more beautiful than a veela now-though you foolishly choose to hide it. You do nothing with the gifts he has given you! You have everything I want, but I'll get it too. I'll let him turn me and then we'll see who wins his affections!"
Hermione was struck speechless for a moment. Ginny snarled, "What an idiot! In your mad obsession for power and Harry, you'll turn to the very creature who nearly killed you and him! How stupid can you be?!"
Hermione roared, "That piece of filth behind you gave me nothing but fear and pain. He gave me nothing of importance I had not already gained on my own. He can have his strength, his speed, his physical beauty-they are of no value to me and do not define who or what I am!"
Corlyn laughed again as he watched the girls argue. "Fascinating as this is, I'm afraid I can not allow your little friends to continue running around free and alive." He raised his hands to his vampire children and human slaves and instructed them, "Those who throw down their wands now will be turned. Those who do not will die now. Kill them. Kill them aghhhh!"
Everyone looked at Corlyn in confusion as he suddenly fell to his knees and tried to reach behind him, as if he were trying to grab something. Harry finished the Soul Trap curse as Corlyn struggled with his invisible attacker and glanced at Hermione.
"He's looking, looking…He's found it Harry! To truly kill him, he needs to be staked by one of his own vampires. It doesn't matter what kind of stake, but it has to be one of his own children that does it. I don't think Shadowbreaker will finish the job…"
"Can you help Aardus do it?"
"I'll try."
"Good. I'll go soften him up then."
Corlyn had finally found whatever had latched on to the back of his neck and hurled it across the room where an explosion of feathers marked the spot where the body hit a large stone column.
Harry couldn't worry about the fate of the Yonnua at the moment though, he had to distract Corlyn from his true danger. "Gladius! Neco Flamen!"
"Remember this?" taunted Harry, raising Shadowbreaker high. "The sword still hungers for your dark, damned soul Corlyn. And if you hadn't slunk away like some cow blood sucking leech, we would have finished this last time. Where is your pride? I thought you were an Eldor? I thought you were better than us mere mortals? But I killed your entire family of vampires and then I kicked your…"
"Silence you insolent brat! You cannot imagine the pain and terror I have in store for you…" Corlyn quickly ducked under Harry's fierce slicing swing. In perfect balance, Harry followed up with another cutting attack as he continued his spin. This time he grazed the chest of Corlyn and he screamed in agony as the cursed flame burnt his unholy flesh.
"Kill them! Kill them all!" screamed Corlyn.
"Dumbledore, Snape, if you two could keep his goons off of me, I'll finish off Gramps here and…" Harry suddenly ducked and rolled to the side under a ferocious swing by a snarling Corlyn.
Harry rose fluidly to his feet and smoothly launched another coordinated series of thrusts and slashes, continuing to press his attack. His entire focus was on the vampire before him, he had to trust that the others could hold their own for a few moments while Hermione helped Aardus launch the fatal blow. Corlyn was still much stronger and faster, but Harry wasn't exhausted this time. And he had been training against someone who was faster and stronger than Corlyn for months. Harry was just aggressive enough to keep Corlyn off balance without leaving any openings for Corlyn to slip his blade through. For what seemed like hours, they weaved and parried and danced around each other, Harry occasionally trading blows, since his were healed as soon as his dark sword landed again, while Corlyn's continued to weaken him, if only slightly. But Harry knew he wasn't going to be able to knick Corlyn to death with small cuts and scratches.
"How's it coming Mione?"
"We're working on it. I think we're almost there…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" boomed a rich, musical voice full of power. Harry sidestepped quickly and snuck a glance when he saw Corlyn's eyes open in shock. Harry nearly dropped his own weapons in amazement and horror at what he saw. One of the stone statues that had been standing in the garden was moving forward, shifting and transforming before their very eyes.
Beautiful, shiny black scales replaced the stone exterior and the long supple neck reached upward as the head then swiveled to look down at the warring figures below it. Harry noticed a small portal of jet black darkness opening by its tail. Standing next to the portal, with a mixed look of hope and horror, was Gabrielle, holding a long, silver spear. There was a flash of red flame in the opening portal and the dragon's head swooped down to eye level with the silver haired veela.
"BE A GOOD GIRL AND TOSS THAT NASTY LITTLE STICK THROUGH THE PORTAL DEAR AND I WILL REWARD YOU BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS."
As if in a trance, Gabrielle raised the spear and pushed it through. Scaly little clawed hands from the other side eagerly grabbed for the spear shaft and then released it as it burnt their palms. As Gabrielle pushed the end of the hilt in, one of the clawed hands found her own hand and latched on to it eagerly, pulling her towards the portal. A look of sheer terror spread on her face as her entire arm was pulled in and then her head smacked against the side of the portal. "Help me! Ron! Draco! HARRY!!! Please, help me…" she wailed in fear.
The three of them Apparated there with Dumbledore and Snape, and though they grabbed her other arm and legs, they were no match for the strength of the devils on the other side. Halfway in, Harry cried out desperately to Dumbledore. "We've got to shut it-we can't save her!"
"Harry!" shouted Draco. "We have to try!"
Draco stumbled forward as Gabrielle was torn from the hands of the others into the flaming portal, but Ron caught him and pulled him back easily as tears fell down Draco's cheeks. "Gabrielle…I thought…" The two of them turned to hear the black dragon chuckling at them. Draco tried to run at the dragon, but Ron held him tightly by the shoulders. The dragon swished its massive tail as Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore raised their wands and sent all five of them flying from the demon gate.
The dragon then turned back to Corlyn.
"FOR CENTURIES HAVE I AWAITED THE RETURN OF ONE OF MY FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF OLD. AND YOU SEEK TO REPLACE ME! ME?! YOU SOUGHT TO REPLACE THE TRUE DARK QUEEN WITH THIS…THIS FRAIL, FEEBLE MORTAL?!"
Corlyn fell to his knees. "My Queen. I never believed her to be the true queen, only a pawn to restore you to your full power. The prophecy indicated…"
"SILENCE YOU FOOL! I HAVE BEEN TRAPPED HERE FOR CENTURIES-FOR WEEKS I HAVE BEEN CALLING TO YOU TO FREE ME AND YOU HAVE IGNORED MY PLEAS…"
"But the prophecy indicated that you would fall again in death.
"I WAS NEVER KILLED. THAT PITIFUL SPLINTER COULD NOT KILL ME! I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE PROPHECY…
A QUEEN OF DEATH WILL ARISE TO DESTROY THE OLD WORLD
THE DARK QUEEN WILL BRING TO PASS A NEW WORLD
AND SHATTER THE OLD WORLD
I GAVE THAT PROPHECY YOU IGNORANT SLAVE-THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT MY DEATH IN IT! IT WAS SIMPLY MEANT TO BRING ONE OF YOU HERE TO RELEASE ME FROM THIS PRISON AND NOW THAT I AM FREE…"
"But the prophecy…"
"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME AGAIN, YOU INSOLENT SLUG! NOW WHERE IS THIS SO CALLED DARK QUEEN YOU HAVE CREATED?"
The dragon's head now focused on Hermione, with Luna, Ginny, and Neville standing by her side with their wands raised. Hermione looked up at the mighty dragon, struggling to keep any fear from showing on her face.
Across the courtyard, Draco muttered in despair as he crawled to his hands and knees, "Your sister, she needs help…"
Ron turned and then Apparated in front of the three girls with Neville. Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry had returned to the growing portal and were chanting the spells that would seal the demon gate, a stronger version of the Holy Net spell that Harry had used the year before. They paused before they began casting the final part and Dumbledore whispered, "Go and protect them. I can finish this."
Harry glanced at him quickly and then both he and Snape disappeared from his side. When they appeared, they saw both Ginny and Ron flying through the air. Luna and Neville were still standing by Hermione, all three were casting powerful curses at the black dragon, but they just seemed to bounce off her thick scales. She reached down and snatched Luna with one of her claws, piercing one of her thighs, and tossed her aside like a broken doll. Her horned snout caught Neville in the stomach, and he went flying sideways as well. Her jaws snapped down towards Hermione, but she disappeared as the massive maw crashed and dug into a huge stone where she had stood and crumbled it to dust.
Harry plunged his wand-sword deep into one of its black eyes while Snape launched a jet of acid from the tip of his wand at the other eye. Meanwhile, Hagrid was throwing massive chunks of rock and debris at its chest, Samuel and Remus were casting spells at its underbelly, looking for a weakness there while several of the Aurors were launching spells at the massive wings and back, probing for some chink in the armor of the enormous beast. The creature shook with laughter and then flexed its tail again and shook its wings, knocking down the various attackers.
"PITIFUL MORTALS! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!"
Her jaws snapped closed over Harry's chest and she raised him in the air only to throw him to the side, shrieking in pain as smoke curled from her mouth. Spotting where Hermione had Apparated to help Ron and Ginny, she again shot her head forward and opened her jaws wide. Ginny pushed Hermione down to the side as the jaws descended, and then was pushed out of the way by their DADA instructor and former Potions master.
Snape screamed once in terrible pain as the jaws closed shut across his torso and he fell from the bloody mouth of the dragon. The giant wyrm roared in satisfaction and then snapped her head to the side and screamed in frustration as she saw Dumbledore finish sealing the gate.
"NOW I WILL HAVE TO WAIT FORTY DAYS TO OPEN IT AGAIN YOU MEDDLESOME MORTAL!" she screamed. As she moved towards the weary wizard, her form shimmered and a ten foot tall creature of darkest black replaced the enormous dragon that had been there before. A pair of curling horns, an extra pair of arms, and two, large, fang filled mouths completed the horrid form of the demon as it strode angrily towards Dumbledore.
Dumbledore turned from the gate and raised his wand, his eyes blazing and his face etched with fury. Streams of red and green streamed from his wand only to bounce off the skin of the dark demon. The demon reached for him once, twice, and on the third attempt caught hold of the arm of the elusive conjurer before he could Apparate away again. She shook him hard and snapped his arm like a toothpick. Dumbledore dropped his wand but cast one more spell at point blank range before the demon's clawed fist enveloped his head and began to squeeze. Dumbledore's body twitched as he was slowly raised from the floor and then the demon tossed it aside where it lay limply on the ground near the sealed portal.
When the demon turned she roared, "WHERE IS THE THIRD WHO HELPED SEAL MY GATE?! AND WHERE IS THE FALSE QUEEN?!"
Corlyn, still bowing deeply, indicated with an outstretched hand his new prisoners. "They have all been captured to do with as you please, my Queen." While focused on fighting the demon, the vampires had easily surrounded and captured the remaining witches and wizards, about half of whom were unconscious.
"WELL DONE. PERHAPS I SHALL ALLOW YOU TO LIVE AND SERVE ME AFTER ALL. BRING THEM. TAKE THE METAL SHIRT FROM HIM BUT DO NOT WAKE HIM YET. I HAVE ONE FINAL USE FOR HIM."
The rows of vampires carried and marched the prisoners after the demon into the palace itself. Deeper and deeper into the bowels of the palace she descended until she halted in a large hall before a large set of massive doors.
"Why would they hide it in the Royal Treasury? That seems fairly obvious…"
"OF COURSE IT IS YOU FOOL! IT IS NOT IN THERE, BUT IT IS SOMEWHERE CLOSE, I CAN SENSE IT. BUT ONE OF THESE WILL HAVE TO FIND IT FOR US-THE ATHLANTI LAID POWERFUL PROTECTIONS TO KEEP SUCH AS US FROM FINDING THE ORB. WAKE THE SHIRTLESS ONE."
As one of the vampires struck Harry hard across the face and then raised its wand and hissed "ENERVATE!" the demon grabbed Ginny and Hermione by their throats and lifted them from their feet. Their legs dangling, they fought to hang on to her steady wrists and pull themselves up to keep the full weight of their bodies from crushing the life from them.
"FIND ME THE ORB MAGELING OR YOUR FRIENDS DIE SLOWLY," she commanded Harry who rubbed the side of his head gingerly as the vampire-witch handed him his wand. "NO CLEVER TRICKS!" To emphasize her point, the demon snapped both sets of her fangs in the faces of the two girls.
Harry's eyes flashed angrily but he turned wordlessly towards the large hall, closing his eyes in concentration. There was a lot of very powerful, protective magic emanating from the floor and walls of the chamber. He stepped carefully, sensing for something slightly different than the various protective wards he had detected. Finally, under a very thick shielding, he perceived a pulsing flow of energy that seemed to whisper "Life. Death. Life. Death. Life. Death." It had to be the orb. But what else was protecting it he wondered. There was another type of magic as well, something very subtle. He couldn't quite figure out what it was as he moved carefully, cautiously through the chamber. He looked upward, where he knew there was a hidden door and the orb they were all seeking. Then he realized what the final trap was.
"I can't get it," he shouted back to the watching spectators.
"DO NOT TRIFLE WITH ME MORTAL. THEIR LIVES MEAN NOTHING TO ME!" threatened the demon as she slowly squeezed her fists around the throats of Ginny and Hermione.
"Only an Athlanti can get it. If anybody else tries, this whole place goes boom, and your damned orb with it!" shouted Harry. "If you'll let me, I'll show Dobby, the house elf who came with us, how to get it. But first, release my friends."
Harry could see the looks of astonishment on Lupin and Samuel's faces as the demon chuckled. "I ALMOST LIKE YOU MAGELING. YOU ARE VERY UNPREDICTABLE. AND VERY BRAVE. VERY WELL, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR RED HEADED FRIEND. BUT GET ME MY ORB BEFORE MY PATIENCE RUNS OUT COMPLETELY."
Harry looked at Dobby pleadingly and Dobby followed Harry's path through the hall to his side.
"Master," begged Dobby. "Please do not do this. It would be better if we all died than if she were to gain control…"
"I know," hissed Harry, pointing at the ceiling as if he were explaining how to get the orb. "But she will simply get another elf to do it if you don't. Besides, I'm working on a plan."
"Really?" asked Dobby. "What is it?"
"Well, I'm not sure yet. I haven't thought of anything yet. But I'll come up with something, don't worry. Now, this is what I need you to do…"
Harry carefully levitated Dobby past several more traps in the air near the secret compartment where he believed the orb to be hidden. Dobby hesitantly reached towards the panel Harry had indicated and pressed his palm into it. It glowed a dim green and then slid back. There was a pause of silence and then down floated a small orb made of crystal and some sort of dark metal wire. It looked beautiful and the sense of power it exuded nearly overwhelmed Harry for a moment before he regained his equilibrium. Exquisite and beautiful, but also dangerous and deadly. Dobby floated back down with the orb in his hand and gave it to Harry.
Harry turned towards the demon and shouted, "Now release my friends and I'll give you the orb whole. Hurt them and you can pick up the pieces yourself." He lifted the orb up in his hand and grasped it tightly.
The demon's head tilted back and she roared with laughter. "YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO MAKE THREATS, MAGELING. I TIRE OF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS." She raised Hermione above her head and grabbed her waist with one of her other hands. Looking at the terrified faces of Harry and Hermione she said, "YOU MOCKED THE STRENGTH AND SPEED GIVEN YOU BY THE ELDOR, LET US SEE IF YOU APPRECIATE MY GIFT OF A BROKEN BODY!" She then brought Hermione down with crushing force as she raised her knee into her spine. There was a loud snap and then she tossed Hermione to the side of the passage where she lay motionless as she began to chuckle. "NOW GIVE ME MY ORB OR I'LL START WITH THE AUGHHHH!!!" she screamed in agony.
Harry's eyes flashed to the side as he saw Corlyn leap with his mail shirt onto the back of the demon and throw it over her head, trying to smother her with it. A cloud of steam and smoke rose from her head and shoulders as she spun madly and clawed at the painful shirt. One claw snatched Corlyn and tossed him down the passage while the other threw the mail shirt behind her as she turned towards the vampires, screaming in agony.
There was a sound like crackling lightening that shot down the hallway and dozens of the vampires fell as Harry and Dobby ran back to the side of Hermione. Harry could hear that awful whining sound starting in his head as he struggled to breathe. Most of the vampires had abandoned their prisoners to try and attack the demon. Harry could hear its laughter echoing in the hallway and it sent a shiver down his spine.
Suddenly Ron was by his side whispering, "She's alive Harry. She's alive. But we've got to get her out of here."
Harry gasped in relief, the sphere tumbling from his numb fingers to roll by the side of Hermione. Tears running down his face, Harry raised his face to where the demon stood knocking down vampires almost effortlessly.
"She'll come for us wherever we go. And destroy the world in the meantime. But we can buy her some time. Dobby, can you get past the anti-Apparation wards and take her and Ginny and Luna to the portal and…"
"I am sorry Master, but they are too powerful here in the palace…"
"I feared as much. No, we finish this today." There was something buzzing in his head, not the whining fear for Hermione, but something else. Then he remembered. The voice inside his head that always sounded like Hermione's repeated for him,
"Alone brave Althius stood and faced the fiend
he took red fire from the sky
and hurled white lightening
which struck down the wyrm where it stood."
Harry thought furiously. "Red fire, white lightening-but spells, swords, nothing has worked on her yet…that spear...why did she send it away…what was she afraid of…my shirt, it hurt her! Red fire, white lightening! That's it!"
Harry opened his eyes and they burned with intense determination. "Keep her busy for a minute if she finishes with the vamps. I've got a plan."
Harry closed his eyes in concentration as sweat broke out on his brow and the temperature dropped dangerously. Raising his hand, he called out softly, "Accio sword." A brilliant white longsword flew through the air and he snatched it easily from the air and turned towards the demon, who was still fighting the remaining vampires.
As Harry stepped forward, Samuel and Remus stepped back, giving him some room. Harry stretched out his hand and caused several large blocks of stone to fly from the walls and ground to strike the demon's sides and head. She whirled in fury and then a pair of grins spread across her face.
"We're not done playing yet hellspawn," snarled Harry.
"YOU ARE AMUSING FOR A MORTAL," she cackled with maniacal glee. Harry stepped forward, raising his sword so that it was parallel to the ground, just above his eyes. He tilted it slightly so that the flickering torchlight would flash in her eyes. He smiled menacingly as he saw her eyes flicker with concern. Then he leaped forward, slashing low and spinning to the left. As she brought one of her arms across to lash at his side, he stepped into it, bracing with both arms and let her arm swing across the blade. The force of her blow rattled his teeth, but also sent her arm flying across the corridor where it struck a vampire and knocked it to the floor.
Screaming in pain, the demon hopped back, one of its arms cradling her severed appendage. Harry laughed coldly. The corridor, though wide, was not made for a creature of the demon's size, and though faster and stronger than Harry, it found itself cramped by the narrowness of the hall while Harry used all of his training and speed to his advantage. Rather than launching full assaults where he might leave himself open to a counterattack, he taunted and enraged the creature, using the demon's pain and fear of the sword to his advantage and trying to goad it into making more mistakes. Soon the monster was down to two limbs though it seemed twice as furious.
Sensing the demon was about to charge, Harry waited until the last moment to duck to the side as he sliced hard and parallel with the floor. Luckily the demon's momentum severed the leg right below the knee for him, nevertheless, Harry nearly had his sword ripped from his hands as the monster tumbled to the ground. The monster kept rolling and Harry realized what it was trying to do as he rolled quickly to his feet. Harry took two running steps and leaped forward desperately, reversing his grip on the sword. As he was about to land on the demon's back, the demon spun back to face Harry. Harry's sword plunged through its chest as the two remaining claws crashed together on either side of Harry's rib cage and began scratching and clawing their way towards his heart.
"YOU WILL die mageling!" growled the demon.
"Perhaps Valypsa, but so will you. And my queen will live," grunted Harry as it became tougher to breathe. He wrenched the sword, trying to twist it in the torso and cause more damage to the anatomy within that he couldn't even begin to imagine. His chest felt encased in iron and his vision started to recede to a narrow black tunnel. He shifted his view to the side to look at Hermione once more. "I might die, but she will live! She will live!"
Suddenly, the pressure was relieved and he sucked in a lungful of air painfully. He saw Remus and Samuel pulling back one arm and Hagrid, with his face covered in blood, pulling back the other arm. Tiredly, he turned at the sound of chuckling.
"Mr. Potter, you never cease to amaze me. And now I must thank you for fulfilling the prophecy for me," explained Corlyn, holding the crystal and wire orb aloft in his hand. "Once again I am nearly without a family, and you are once again to blame, though not entirely this time. It's a pity, but it seems we have both lost our queens, as well as a number of pawns. But no matter, as long as the King survives, correct?"
Harry simply stared at him angrily, searching for his fourth or fifth wind.
"Surrender now, Corlyn, and I'll find you a real nice box to lay in for the rest of eternity. Brass hinges and everything. I'll even put you in a nice suit for once and do something with your hair…"
"Valypsa was right-you can be quite amusing. But now we finish this." He brought the orb closer to his face and then raised it aloft.
Harry looked up and then glanced over at Ron before his gaze returned to Corlyn. "This is your last chance Corlyn. Accept my terms of surrender or it's going to get real nasty for you and your ugly brood in a minute."
Corlyn's eyes flashed angrily at Harry and then snapped to the left as he saw motion. But it was too late. Ron swung Shadowbreaker with all the power and strength that he had, severing Corlyn's upraised arm at the elbow while Harry called out "Accio orb!"
Corlyn reached for Ron's face with his other arm even as he screamed in agony. Ron transformed and caught the vampire's hand in his large, weretiger mouth and clamped down with all the rage he could muster. Then he pulled backwards, and using Corlyn's forward momentum, flipped him into the middle of the surviving wizards. Even as the surviving wizards advanced, the other vampires heeded Corlyn's call for help and launched a ferocious attack. The melee swept back and forth, though numbers and energy heavily favored the vampires.
Meanwhile, Harry had snatched up Shadowbreaker while Ron attacked one of the other vampires. As Corlyn stalked closer, Harry dropped the orb into his pouch and pulled out a long wooden stake.
"You know that won't kill me," snarled Corlyn as he stepped closer.
"We'll see about that," taunted Harry. He dodged several of Corlyn's attacks, and finally worked his way around so that his back was covered by his fellow wizards.
"It's only a matter of time Potter. You and yours will all…"
Corlyn looked down in disbelief as a thin wooden stake emerged from his chest. He fell to his knees, clawing at what he now realized was a wand. Around him the other vampires collapsed. Aardus, a wide smile on his lips, toppled over at his side.
"You really needed someone to watch your back, Corlyn," taunted Harry as he swept his sword under the Eldor's chin. He fell to his knees beside Aardus and asked wearily, "Are you sure?"
Aardus nodded and then fell over as Harry reached again into his pouch. He pulled out what appeared to be a round, yellow stone but was in fact a piece of amber with a dragonfly caught in the middle. There was a clear, nearly indestructible shell of wizard crystal around the golden colored gem that made it harder than diamond. It was a very special gem created for one purpose. "Animi Expugnare" whispered Harry softly.
Samuel and Remus looked at Harry with wide eyes and some concern as Harry placed the gem back in his pouch. He then pulled out the orb and looked at it and then glanced over at Hermione who slowly opened her eyes.
"We could bring back Snape and Dumbledore and the others who died today. We could bring back everyone who died fighting against Voldemort Mione. Maybe even Sirius and my parents…"
"We can't Harry. We were never meant to have so much power over life and death. This orb is cursed-it has destroyed everyone and everything it has touched. We must destroy it before it does the same to us."
"But think of all the good we could do. We wouldn't have to use it for violent purposes, we'd just use the power to grant life-what could possibly be wrong with that?"
"Of course you'd start out that way, Harry. But what happens if I'm attacked again? Can you tell me you wouldn't at least be tempted to use it against those who hurt me or someone else close to you? And after you're gone, who would take care of it then? No Harry, we must get rid of it. You know that."
"But I could change the world with it, Mione. I could make it a better place, a place of peace we've all dreamed about for years."
Hermione struggled to speak out loud, "Harry, it has changed the world and made it worse. It nearly destroyed the world of elves-it would do the same or worse to our world."
Harry bowed his head and let the tears fall. "I'm sorry Mione. I was being selfish." Suddenly he rose to his feet and with a surge of power that sucked all of the warmth from the air again, he melted the wires holding the orb together. There was a tinkling of glass, and then a loud whooshing sound, as if all of the air had been sucked from the chamber and passageway, then there was an echoing boom that knocked everyone from their feet.
In the silence that followed, the survivors struggled to stand again. Harry walked over to Hermione and bent over her. He reached into his pouch and pulled out one of her SAPs and handed it to her. "Here, drink this."
She drank slowly, coughing as it went down. After a moment Harry asked, "Is that better?"
"Actually, I don't think it had any effect at all."
"What? Here, try another one."
"No. I'll wait until I get back to Madam Pomfrey and the Healers."
"How is your back?"
"It's a little sore," she lied. Actually, she couldn't feel anything from her waist down, but didn't want either her or Harry to have to deal with it right then.
Remus and Samuel looked at the remains of Corlyn and the demon and whistled.
Samuel crouched down and commented. "Nice work Potter. What did you do to your sword to finish her off?"
"I made a new one out of my mail shirt. It was made out of adastrimite, a metal the dwarves mine from meteorites. One of the stanzas from a poem that Hermione found talked about how the demon was defeated last time. Red fire from the sky and white lightening hurled at the demon killed it last time. I made the connection with the silver-white spear Gabrielle threw into the demon gate with the fact that she was afraid of my mail shirt."
Remus scratched his head. "Well, then why didn't the spear kill her? Why was she still alive? Is she still alive now?"
"I think the reason may be something that a dwarf told me. He told me the only ones who could really work with adastrimite were the dwarves, human wizards could never get the metal to do what they wanted. I guess the elven weaponsmiths weren't much better at working adastrimite."
"Well then how did you…"
"I used my elemental magic. Fairly easy actually…"
"For an elemental mage," snorted Samuel. "Show off," he muttered under his breath.
"Too bad I lost the mail shirt, though. It was pretty handy and I could have used it a few minutes ago," he commented, rubbing the bleeding wounds on his sides gingerly.
"What?" asked Samuel. "Surely you could remake the shirt or the dwarves…"
"I don't think I'll be pulling that sword out of that demon anytime soon. I kind of prefer her dead."
"And how did Aardus manage to kill Corlyn? I thought…" began Remus.
"We have Hermione to thank for that. She might have been banged up a bit, but she still managed to help Aardus break the bonds that Corlyn had over him."
"And do you know what attacked Corlyn the first time? And how did Shadowbreaker get back down here? And what did you do with that orange rock? Did you really do what I think you…" continued Samuel.
"I think I've revealed enough secrets for today. I think we ought to go home. But first I'll see if Dobby can bring Madame Pomfrey and some of the Healers to help…"
Harry's voice trailed off as he and the others stopped to stare at Dobby. Or who they assumed was Dobby. On the edge of the group stood a tall slender creature, nearly five feet high, with beautifully proportioned features, if very slightly large eyes. Dobby too, seemed amazed at the transformation.
"Master Potter has done it. He has removed the curse from the elves. We are free now." He reached out and touched one of the walls and closed his eyes. "I can feel the magic flowing through me," he marveled. Along the wall, the cracks and fissures were repairing themselves and the wall was reassuming a bright, sparkling white. Dobby pulled his hand away and gasped in awe.
"Can you help Hermione or Hagrid?" asked Harry eagerly.
"I am sorry, I cannot. Healing is one of the greatest arts, and we elves have forgotten much that we once knew. I know very little of it myself. But let me bring those who can. I will be back in a moment."
"Five minutes later, Dobby had arrived with McGonagall, Pomfrey, and half a dozen healers from St. Mungo's. They examined Hermione and put her on a stretcher and began floating her out-Harry never leaving her side. They tried to put Hagrid on a stretcher, but he insisted on walking out, though he let them give him two potions for the pain. As they walked back up out of the castle, they saw another half dozen or so mediwitches tending to the Aurors, some of the Muggle workers who had been hurt, and to the surprise of everyone-Dumbledore. Several blankets covered the bodies of those who had fallen, including that of Snape.
Dobby ran over and embraced the other elves that were there and they chatted happily among themselves for a moment. They quickly devised a way to make the enchantments providing the air pocket follow the group that would soon be leaving and helped Remus calm down the frightened Muggles.
Ten minutes later, with their patients stabilized and on stretchers, Remus and Samuel led the sad procession of survivors back to the portal through the devastated city as Harry walked by Hermione, holding her hand gently.
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