DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT!
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Chapter Twenty-Four : The Dark Side retaliates
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A surge of angry power shot through Harry as the determination to destroy this evil shot through him. He would do it, he would kill him. Tonight.
Then, as Harry swore to himself through his hatred that he would kill this monster, another emotion past through him. Love.
This shocked and stunned the Prince. In a moment where he thought he would only feel hatred, the feelings for which he felt for his wife coursed through him stronger than he could have ever imagined. And this new feeling washed over his entire being, filling his every vein with a newfound strength that he couldn't believe possible to muster! This feeling was the most familiar feeling in the world to him; it was simply … Hermione.
With this, the feeling of Hermione within him, he suddenly felt an amazing boost of power within him, and instantly felt his aura swell with strength as well. Shooting a look to Hermione once more, he caught her eyes and sent her a silent message before turning to his enemy once more.
This was it; Harry would destroy this evil, tonight.
xxx
A swirl of purple velvet filled the space between the trees as Dumbledore made his way to the hiding spot of the Lady Cho and Hufflepuff's Prince, Cedric.
He secured the golden locket within the very pouch Cho had done earlier as he tied it tightly to the waist of his robes. Placing difficult charms as to not allow it to fall, he ran at a fairly decent speed for a man of his age. Quick and swift he finally made his way past the emerald leaves, and slowed to a swift walk as he heard the sound of rushing water.
Finally nearing his destination, he cut into the small glen where a beautiful skinny waterfall fell into a crystalline pool. He recited a few incantations to allow him to enter the safety shield he had set up for protection. The soft, and almost inaudible, hum of the shield momentarily stopped as he took a step forward. The hum commenced immediately after, indicating that the shield had gone up once more.
Taking a few steps forward, the sound of crunching leaves filled the air as Cho and Cedric emerged from beside a tree along the bank of the pool.
"Professor? Is everything alright?" Cho asked concerned. Dumbledore smiled sadly as he peered at her through his half-moon spectacles.
"I am afraid I will not be able to supply the desired answer in which you seek, Lady Cho, but rest assured, everyone is doing their very best. Now please, we have some very import-"
"But what of Harry?" Cho interrupted. "Have they gotten him out of there yet?" Her shoulders were tense and her eyes piercing as she stared at her former Headmaster. Cedric slowly came up behind her, resting a kind hand upon her shoulders. She visibly relaxed at his touch and sighed, her nerves nearly shot.
"Please, Milady, relax. King James is taking care of that situation, but that isn't why I am here." Dumbledore told her. "I have a task I am in need of your help with, so let us hurry…. I'm afraid we haven't much time. Cedric, I will need you to accompany me as well."
Cedric nodded and Cho's look of puzzlement was pure as she tilted her head at the Professor before her. To aid her in her confusion, Dumbledore motioned to the pouch that hung from his waist. Cho's eyes widened as she understood, then nodded to the man before her.
"Oh yes, I understand." Cho said softly. Dumbledore smiled as he reached for her arm, guiding her forward so that they could leave the protected area. "But Professor, where are we going?"
Dumbledore didn't turn to her as he led her towards the humming shield. Cedric was relieved as he was finally able to leave this protective bubble, since Sirius had instructed him to stay within the confines of the shield until he was sent for. A dead Prince of Hufflepuff was not what they needed right now, and regardless of the Prince's abilities, Sirius knew King Amos would not appreciate his only son to participate in such a war.
"This forest is filled with great evil. We cannot possibly attempt to destroy such an object whilst in here, that is why we must leave its vicinity." Cho nodded as they reached the shield. Dumbledore once again recited the incantation and the shield went down. The two left, and Cho turned and gave Cedric a look of foreboding as they swiftly followed the Headmaster through the dense, dark, forest.
Ginny watched in horror as she witnessed a few more of their men fall, wounded and tired, as the battles carried on. She hated feeling helpless and … useless… and couldn't stand hiding behind the protection of others when she was perfectly able to fight back. But unfortunately, neither her brother nor Sirius felt it was safe for Ginny. When were they going to learn that she was no longer a child! She could defend her self just as well as any of them.
Fuming, Ginny was forced to sit back and watch, like a spectator, as the Light faced off against the Dark. She wasn't allowed to leave the protected space in which Sirius had secured, and was using as his command point. He was already bloody and scarred from previous attacks, and he looked as if he had lost much color in his face already. Ginny only hoped he was alright.
Then, as she stood there, on the border of the protective area, a flash of silver and navy caught her attention as she turned to her right quickly. They emerged from the outskirts of the forest swiftly, and Ginny focused upon them as she tired to make their features out. She squinted, as the darkness of the night obscured her vision, and froze as she noticed just exactly who it was she saw. Quickly, Ginny moved along the area of the shield she was encased in as she followed the trail of the figures.
'What is going on?' she thought as she watched them disappear behind the panels of the many tents. She continued to watch the spot in which they disappeared from, before turning her attention over to the tree-line of the forest, and retracing their steps. She replayed the sight over in her head for a moment, before quickly turning in a flurry of skirts as she made her way to where the Aurors were entering the shield.
Standing beside the shield, she waited for a few of the Aurors to enter, watching them and watching their line of sight as they billowed past her, either injured, shaken, or energetic. She threw Sirius a quick look, and smiled slightly as she noticed his whole attention was bent upon the Aurors. When one more Auror uttered the password to enter she readied herself as he past her.
Swiftly, she gathered her cloak and skirts in her fists, as she edged her way out of the shield, taking a quick step to her right, and turning. She released her breath as she rapidly took a few steps to the side and up, hiding herself in the shadows of a looming tent as she turned once more to Sirius and his men. A part of her felt extremely guilty for leaving the safety of the shield, for all Sirius and Ron were doing was protecting her, but something told her she had to do this. She had to know what was going on, and if she could, she had to help!
Inhaling one quick breath, she pulled her wand out of her cloak, and quickly began making her way towards the tents she had seen the figures disappear behind.
xxx
Dumbledore stopped, as Cho and Cedric halted behind him, at the mouth of a jagged and ominous cave. At the foot of a tall menacing mountain, this cave scared Cho immensely. She allowed her eyes to travel northward, to the sky, and shivered unconsciously in the shadow of the death-exuding mountain. 'What are we doing here?'
Dumbledore then turned to Cedric.
"M'boy, this is where we must part," he told him. Cedric made to argue, but Dumbledore stopped him. "Listen, remember the path back here…know this location, for if help is needed, you can lead them, but hear this, do not linger here. You were summoned by Lord Sirius, and he needs your aid, and your people need your presence. Now go," Dumbledore continued, "and good luck."
Cedric sent one last look to Cho before nodding.
"Yes, sir," he said. Dumbledore smiled, and placed a quick hand upon his shoulder. Cedric smiled briefly before turning in a swish of his cloak. Cho watched as he retreated, and she prayed for his safety as she watched him disappear within the many tents once more. She allowed a stray tear to fall, before turning to the man beside her. Dumbledore smiled solemnly and turned to the cave behind them, inhaling a deep breath.
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Ginny quickly threw herself against one of the large, scarlet and gold tents as a figure swept past her. She quirked an eyebrow as she turned once more to take in his retreating form.
'What is going on? Why is Cedric going back? ' she thought as she watched him disappear. She quirked an eyebrow and dismissed it as she stealthily made her way through the shadows once more.
As she began to reach the outskirts of the campsite, she found herself staring into the ugly side of a monstrous mountain. Its jagged cliffs jutted out dangerously, and a dark shadow fell almost unnaturally upon it. It was an eerie sight, but what had caught the redhead's attention was not the mountain, but who were standing at the base of it, Dumbledore and Cho.
'Ok, what is going on? Why are they here?' she thought to herself as she hid herself behind a tree against the forest line beside the campsite. She watched as Dumbledore grasped Cho's shoulder for a moment, and muttered soft words into her ear before guiding her into the mouth of the cave.
Ginny stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do. She just left the confines of protection to follow her former Headmaster; there was no way she could turn back now, not with unanswered questions! With that, Ginny pulled the dark hood of her cloak up over her head as she crept along the tree-line quietly. She reached the mouth of the cave and took a few quick looks about her, making sure she was alone and unwatched, before darting quickly into the dark and damp cave.
A shadowed figure allowed a small smile to pull at his lips as he watched the young maiden sneak after her Headmaster.
'This will be good.'
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Sweat was beading down Harry's temple as he continued to maintain a hold upon the pulsating connection that bound him to Voldemort. By the second, the power and strength of this connection grew, draining and pressuring Harry's body. He had no idea how he was standing there, but he was, and as horrible as it may sound - the sight of Hermione there before him, wounded and drained seemed to boost his energy. He was ready, ready for whatever may come.
He threw Voldemort a menacing glare as he sneered, which only made the man chuckle loudly.
"What Harry? What is it? Do you think you can kill me? Is that it?" he mocked. "This petty game of 'Connect the Wands' is doing nothing more than prolonging the inevitable. Sooner or later, I will kill you. And believe me; you will be begging me to end your life as so many have done before you."
Harry's sneer grew, and the angry monster in the pit of his stomach roared and clawed at him as his temper flared beyond its handle-point. He could feel his face filling with heat and blood, and he could feel his every vein, as his heart pumped blood into his limbs and his adrenaline peaked. He shot a quick glance at his wife, who knelt to Voldemort's left, in perfect view of the Prince. Her hair fell wildly about her, and her dress was ripped and tattered. No sign of blood seemed to fill her face, except for the cuts in which it oozed from, as she was as white as a ghost. Her eyes were dim and pained, and her body fell slightly limp against her shackles and binds. Harry's insides were ripping and his blood racing as she glanced at her. She watched him intently, silently urging him to be strong, not to listen to Voldemort, and Harry drank in her look. She needed him, and believed in him, and that was all he needed to know.
He quickly glanced back at Voldemort, his hand shaking violently due to the force of the power within the connection, and suddenly, he felt as if he had been doused by a bucket of ice-water. The sneer, so evil, sent chills down Harry's spine, and he truly dreaded what the Dark Lord had plotting.
Harry watched as Voldemort's eyes slid toward the direction of his wife, and watched his sneer evolve into a sick, sadistic grin.
"Quite beautiful, isn't she?" he said to himself. "Not bad for a Half-breed." Harry's look of disgust for the man grew.
"Do not be too quick to forget, Riddle, that you too are a said Half-breed." Harry spat. Voldemort's eyes riveted back unto Harry, and his look of hatred was one Harry was quite used to seeing.
"Dare to push me, do you Prince? So be it," he countered, "Bella." Bellatrix smiled a wicked smile as she turned her attention back onto the Princess before her. Harry's eyes widened in horror as she raised her wand at Hermione.
"Hermione!"
"Crucio!"
Hermione's screams filled the room briefly before she bit her tongue, to stop her screams, and immediately Harry's heart tore at the sound. The look of her being tortured before his very eyes destroyed him, and it was all his fault!
Again her whimper caught his ear, as well as Voldemort's snicker of enjoyment, and instantly Harry's aura swelled with anger and power. Harry's robes flapped around him violently and suddenly, a blast of power shot from the tip of his wand, expanding the now silver thread of connection, as a large power-filled attack shot down the connection, straight at Voldemort.
The sudden impact of the burst of Harry's aura against his own, and the blasted attack from Harry's wand, Voldemort found himself hurling back at incredible speed as he slammed into the wall behind. The wall immediately crumbled, and Voldemort fell through as the stone wall fell atop him. Harry, too, was thrown back, and he cried out as his still-fresh, blistering, wound made hard contact with the cold stone wall. Pain shot through his body as he slid slightly, slumping against the wall.
His sight was weak, and his head foggy from all the pain as well as the drainage of power. He felt sick to his stomach, and his heart literally ached.
"My Lord!" cried a familiar voice as Harry tried to focus his eyes across the room. His breathing was rapid as he was able to make out a shadow of black race across his line of sight.
Finally his sight improved and he watched as Bellatrix knelt beside a fallen Voldemort. Harry quickly turned his attention to Bella's former attentions. Instantly, his heart tore once more as he took in the sight of the tortured and weak vision of Hermione. Her head hung dangerously low, her hair falling past her shoulders and touching the ground beneath her. Her arms were chained high upon the protruding stone, and it was the only thing keeping her body up from falling horribly against the cold floor.
Then, slowly, Hermione lifted her head, and her Chocolate eyes caught sight of her husband. Harry gasped as he moved to make his way over to her. He watched as Hermione smiled softly, trying to send him her support and belief before allowing her eyelids to gently slide close and her head dropped once more, hanging low as she fell against the stone behind her.
'Hermione!' screamed Harry silently as his eyes widened. He quickly gripped his wand as he struggled to clamber to his feet. He pressed his palm against the wall behind him as he fought to stand straight. His head was thoroughly fogged up with pain and fear of his wife that he could barely think straight. It was the Survival Instinct, and all that mattered was to get to where Hermione was.
He staggered forward, ignoring the searing pain shooting from his arms, back, forehead etc. He had made it no further than 4 steps forward before a loud burst was heard, and a wave of angered power smacked Harry directly in the face. Debris and stone flew in every which direction as a green light filled the room for a moment. Shocked, Harry snapped his head up and his eyes widened in horror once more as he watched as a livid Voldemort hovered mere inches above the floor. The green light of his aura sucked back toward him as he gently touched his toes back to the stone.
"Enough of this, I am ending this… NOW!" he screamed. In seconds, Harry felt the cold spindly fingers of Voldemort constrict around his neck as Harry was flung once more against the hard surface that was the wall. Swallowing his cry of pain, Harry cracked open a livid eye as he stared into the dark, blood-red eyes of a monster.
He shot his gaze quickly in the direction of his wife, to the left of Voldemort's left shoulder.
'Please be ok! Please…'
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James crept quietly down the large and elaborate halls of Slytherin Castle, gripping his wand tightly in his right hand as he carefully made his way through. Serenity and Li were close behind him, on his heels, as they all were in search of the large hall in which Harry was in mid-battle.
Li kept Serenity close as they stealthily continued. He would occasionally grip at her wrist, almost to ensure that she was safely beside him, before releasing and continuing through the Castle.
A strong rumble was felt beneath them as the Castle shook under an intense wave of power. The dense power that hung in the air was just as thick as it was down on the Auror camp fields, if not more. There was a low hum of surging power and Serenity could feel as an aura of evil and an aura of good collided.
"This way!" called James as he turned down a long elaborate stone-carved corridor. He led them away from the grand hallways of the Slytherin Castle, and down the large corridor as his cloak swirled wildly behind him. His face was set in determination, and he looked ready to kill to protect his son.
The large corridor dead-ended at a pair of massive stone-carved doors that loomed eerily over the hall. The closer the trio neared the heavy doors, the stronger the tug of power became over Serenity's magic. She could feel her magic as it was being beckoned, pulled, as they neared the doors. As suspicious as she was, she was certain that Harry was behind those doors! Harry's aura was unmistakable, and the swirl of energy was undeniably Harry.
Although, the closer they approached, the harder it was for Serenity to keep hold of her magic. She was not used to such a strong force pulling at her, and regardless of the hours she had trained to prevent this, it still wasn't enough. The two battling powers were far too intense for Serenity to handle. Then suddenly, moments before they were at the doors, Serenity stopped, pressing against the wall of the corridor for support as she tried to steady her dizzying head and her lack of breath. Li immediately ran to her side, worry etched beautifully within his fine features.
"Serenity, are you alright?" he asked softly as he stood beside her. He placed a gently hand against her cheek as he lifted her face to meet his gaze. Immediately he knew, and Serenity could see the look of worry disappear, as a look of ponderous thought washed over him. Serenity smiled.
"Li, it's alright, I'm ok." Serenity said softly. King James had stopped after realizing that the other two had as well, and was making his way up to them quickly as he quietly checked for any other forms of life within the Castle. "Please Li," she said softly.
"You're not used to the energy pull." Serenity nodded, as she turned her eyes away. She didn't see Li softly smile at first, but knew it was there. He gently reached out for her hand, and Serenity's eyes widened as she suddenly felt the familiar passage of energy coursing through her via her hand. She looked up at Li and caught his smile as she knew what he was doing. He was transferring energy.
Moments later, Serenity felt up to her full self once more as she pushed her back off of the wall. Leaning up, she quickly placed a soft kiss upon Li's cheek.
"Thank you, that really helped," she said softly. Li did nothing but smile back as he stepped back.
"No problem." Serenity smiled and turned to King James who was waiting beside them a few steps away. He looked alert, and Serenity felt slightly ashamed at her sudden weakness; she mustn't slow the group down anymore.
"Come on," she started softly. "They are close, I can feel them." With that, she slipped softly passed Li and up to the King. James smiled and nodded as he turned back to make his way down the corridor.
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It was cold and damp within the small mouth of the cave that Ginny had just entered. Light barely traveled in from the torched camp outside, and what light did enter, went on to cast eerily long shadows along the ragged walls. She could hear footsteps ahead of her, although they sounded distant. She had no idea what she was doing here, or why she was possessed with the notion that she had to know what was going on, but here she was. She prayed that Sirius wouldn't notice her absence, as well as Ron, as she tip-toed after the two who had entered before her.
It was a lengthy walk, but finally Ginny found herself approaching a small room within the rocks. A hollow pocket within the mountain, Ginny watched as she carefully stepped, mindful not to allow her feet to splash too loudly as she walked by. The heavy smell of setting water and minerals attacked her nose as she squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the unusual darkness.
Finally, as she reached the threshold of the hollow room-like cave within the mountain. A green light shown dimly in the distance and she could barely make out the outline of the two she had followed. She watched as Dumbledore extracted a long golden chain, followed by a golden charm, from the pouch at his side. She had no idea what was going to happen or what she was doing here really, but she knew she had to stay. Something was happening and she had to find out what.
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A dark figure crept quietly behind the red-headed Gryffindor as she entered the dark cave. Her curiosity and bold actions were intriguing, but they were going to cost her. She should have stayed back in the protection of the shield and other Aurors if her life held any kind of value to her.
Sneering, the figure followed her deeper into the cave.
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"Sir Sirius, Sir Sirius!" panted a young Auror bearing the symbol of Ravenclaw. At the sound of his name, Sirius quickly turned around and watched as the disheveled Auror barreled through the protective shield's entrance. Sirius quirked an eyebrow at the air of urgency in his attendance, and watched as he approached, breathless and shiny-eyed.
"Yes? What is the matter?" he asked the Auror. The Auror allowed himself a few moments to catch his breath, before turning his excitement up to the Head Auror.
"Sir, the Death Eaters… they've been defeated!" he declared. "The Light side has defeated the Dark… the Death Eaters have fled!" Sirius could barely take in the information. It was impossible… the Death Eaters have been defeated…that quickly?
The look of astonishment, and slight disbelief, didn't seem to affect the Ravenclaw Auror as he stood straight before his Head.
"Sir, you are wanted out on the field. The Light side is victorious!" Sirius took a moment to digest the information, before allowing himself to release a sigh of relief. A small smile made itself known upon the Head Auror's features before turning to the others behind him. The area within the shield had gone quiet… and he was sure that the truth of the matter was just sinking into the others as well.
Sirius turned and looked into the faces of all the injured Aurors that lay before him. He then turned to the awaiting Aurors who were readying themselves for battle, and finally turned to Remus and Ron. The two of them had done so much in these last few hours, and Sirius knew he couldn't have accomplished half of what was accomplished had it not been for the two of them.
Finally allowing a complete smile to be shown, Sirius turned to the Ravenclaw Auror and placed a kind hand upon his shoulder.
"Thank you, son, for this good news. Thank you very much." The young Auror smiled brightly, apparently pleased with himself for a job well done. He then watched as Sirius gathered up his cloak and turned to exit the shield in excitement, and suddenly the entire population within the shield emptied itself as they all excitedly followed Sirius out onto the battle field.
As Sirius finally entered the main field in which the majority of the battle had taken place, the enormous weight of pressure finally lifted off his shoulders as he looked into the eyes of the other commanders. King Amos stood triumphantly before him, his shiny golden armor gleaming in the light of the dying fires and the twinkling stars. Beside him was his son, Cedric, with dirty tattered robes and an aura of pride about him. They had done well.
Beside the two Royals of Hufflepuff, stood many of the commanders sent in by Ravenclaw, as well as the other Aurors of Gryffindor. They all smiled and called over to Sirius and the others as they poured into the large field. Many of the injured, and dead, had already been taken into the infirmary created within the shield, but there were still a handful of Aurors aiding wounded battle-mates.
"Sirius, my good fellow, what astounding tactics!" came the boisterous voice of King Amos. "Simply amazing!" Sirius smiled, still stunned at the turn of events.
"Is it true? Have they been defeated?" he asked. King Amos smiled and placed a heavy hand atop Sirius's shoulder. His smile was pathetic, large and overly confident.
"Of course it is! They went running off with their tails between their legs!" he boomed. "Those cowards…" he trailed off.
By the looks of it, Sirius was having a hard time believing that hey just fled; never in all his years as an Auror did he know the Dark side to flee. It simply wasn't how they did things. Fighting to swallow the feeling of disbelief, Sirius allowed himself and his men to revel in victory. He'd question it later…
"Those cowards… the whole lot of them." King Amos declared as he conjured up a glass of brandy. He took a swig before patting his son heavily upon the back. "All cowards I say!"
"Cowards, are we Amos?" came a voice from behind.
King Amos almost choked down his brandy as he swirled around at the voice. Sirius jerked his head up, as well as the others, and everyone gasped as they took in who it was that had voiced their question. Sirius sneered.
"Lucius." Lucius smiled and nodded at Sirius.
"Sirius." Lucius replied back. He then turned to Amos once more. "You'd be wise to watch what you say, Amos, you never know what your enemies might be listening in on." Amos visibly paled as he looked up on Lucius.
"What are you doing here, Lucius? Shouldn't you be saving your little magic tricks for your master?" sneered Sirius. Lucius allowed his cold icy eyes to settle maliciously upon Sirius as the coldest sneer washed over his face.
"I believe the question that needs to be asked, is what are you doing here? No matter… that is what I'm here to take care of." He said. "Men, Assemble!"
Suddenly, an exceptionally large legion of men marched up behind the former king of Slytherin.
Sirius paled at the amount of reinforcements the Dark side had hidden. They didn't have half of the men that Lucius now summoned.
'What are we to do now?'
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Ok, here it is...I am sorry it is so short… but I felt that any update was better than none. I am sitting here in my University Library typing this up before my next class…lol….
I am sorry it is so late… I really didn't mean for this, and I feel horrible, but mid-terms, work and life is getting in the way of writing right now… but I am trying not to go over a 2 week period. I should post within a two week time span… hopefully!
Well I really hope all of you enjoyed yourselves…. Sadly to say, this is close to the end. Five more chapters perhaps and the story with be ending… its sad for me…lol, I enjoy this story, and I'm flattered so many others do as well, so thank you all for reading!!!
Until next time…
SM131