A/N. Am back and eager to finish this. I can't tell you how much I miss writing. I was quite touched by your notes - and mostly felt embarrassed and guilty that the wait has been so long!
Forgive the choppiness - I am rusty and the words have been hard to find. And thank you for your patience.
XXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 66 - Difficult Choices
Gracie watched Warren look Malvado in the eye. He wasn't backing down from the Dark wizard's intense scrutiny. In the two years that she'd seen Warren work this was the first time she feared for his safety.
"Indeed," Malvado was the first to break the silence, "You never mentioned she was once the Mistress of Death."
"Right," Warren replied, calm and composed, "I knew there was something I forgot to tell you. Was that a big deal?"
"That and you led me to believe I had the Elder wand."
Warren challenged Malvado's patience further, "That cunning bitch. She said she put it back in Dumbledore's tomb. She sure got me fooled."
Gracie found him unconvincing. Warren wasn't even attempting to lie. Was he trying to get himself killed?
Malvado wasn't impressed and lost it, "You made me look like a fool in front of the men! I should gut you and feed you to them!"
"If you wanted to kill me I'd be dead already," Gates dismissed his threat, then sold him the story he said he would, "Granger is the key. We need her alive to get the wand. Going after the POTH in London was a big mistake and going after her you crossed the line. I told you not to go past intimidation. Potter should have never gotten involved. I had everything under control but you just had to complicate things."
That didn't detract Malvado from the bottom line, "You have been lying to me!"
"You gave me no choice," Warren reasoned, "I had to make you look like an idiot to get her to trust me completely."
The dark wizard hissed at him in frustration, "You disappoint me!"
"That wouldn't be the first time, now, would it?"
"Watch out!" Gracie yelped in warning as Malvado lifted his wand.
Warren didn't react at all. The curse Malvado conjured hit him squarely on the chest, its bitter taste filling the air. Warren slumped to his knees, back arched, and jaws clenched, writhing in agony.
XXXXXXXXXX
"What exactly are we looking for?" Rosie asked Hugo's father the very question that was on his mind.
The reply was frank and somewhat disappointing, "I don't know. The Hag didn't go into details. The book was charmed by Professor Dumbledore to reveal, over time, more about the Hallows as necessary. Whatever it is it'll be something unique, something we won't find in any other Tales copy."
Off in the distance they heard the beginnings of a fierce battle being waged. His father's worry intensified. Hugo felt intruding thoughts nudging past his consciousness.
The Auror's voice filled his ears, "Whatever is in the book it will only reveal itself to you."
Hugo replied silently, "What makes you think that?"
"The Hag said so. When it does, don't feel pressured that you have to act on whatever suggestion it makes. You're not alone in this. I'm here. Your Mum's here. Your Dad. You have family. We'll figure it out together."
Hugo heard the sincerity in his father's voice and felt the sense of security he had not had since his Mum got hurt. He nodded his acknowledgment.
"It's Dad," Rosie announced, pointing to a silhouette of a man just past Pag-asa's magical boundaries.
The older Potter conjured his Patronus and sent it past the village's border. It approached the other figure and they talked. Hugo suspected that his father was confirming his Dad's identity. With that cleared up they were told to cross the invisible wall. As they walked through it felt like they were indeed entering an entirely different world. Hugo looked back and couldn't see the Auror anymore.
"Dad!" Rosie greeted, running towards her father's awaiting arms.
Hugo approached slowly, unsure and worried. This would be the first time his dad would see him without the mask he had worn since he was born. And while Ron Weasley tried not to act surprised he clearly was. Nonetheless, the older man didn't hesitate and embraced him in a way that was no different from what Hugo remembered.
"Are you okay?" he was asked with concern.
Hugo nodded, holding back the well of tears forming in his eyes as a rush of emotions overcame him. He felt guilty lying to the man who had been his father in every way but one. He didn't even consider, until now, that coming clean with his Dad would have been the right thing to do.
"I'm so sorry," Hugo managed to get off his chest, "I should have told you myself."
His Dad understood and only had reassurance for him, "It's all good. As far as I'm concerned you'll always be my son. And I'll only get upset at you if you stop calling me 'Dad'."
By now Hugo was crying, the words were so unexpected and they meant so much to him.
"I won't," he promised.
Rosie came over to hug them both; she was crying too.
"Okay, enough of this you two," his dad pulled back, brushed tears off both cheeks and told them in jest, "I'm dying to borrow a book from the library but I'm going to need help. I don't believe I've set foot in one in twenty five years. Just don't tell your Mum I said that in front of you."
XXXXXXXXX
From his hiding place in the bushes, Al witnessed the verbal exchange between Gates and Malvado. He was too far to hear exactly what they were talking about but from the looks of it Malvado wasn't pleased. Malvado cursed him. The Canadian suddenly dropped on all fours in agony and Al had no doubt that he was witnessing the Cruciatus curse for the very first time.
The torture brought about mob like cheering from Malvado's minions. The vampire Grace, who was close and bound by magical ropes, screamed at Malvado, imploring him to stop. That only encouraged the Dark Wizard more and he upped the intensity of his curse.
The image was so wrong. Al had thought Gates would come in fighting or at least put up a fight. Wasn't he supposed to be a very good wizard? And why didn't he attempt to rescue the vampire?
With everyone distracted Al took the window of opportunity and edged closer to the stage. He got to the back of the raised platform and pushed the screened barrier beside the steps to get under it. Ignoring the stench and the feel of slimy muck on the ground, he used the little light that streamed through the floorboards and crawled, navigating to a spot where he could see and hear the best.
"That was it?" Gates taunted feebly, mocking Malvado's punishment, "Is that all you've got?"
Malvado responded with an angry yawp and seared Gates with another curse. When he was done Gates was barely moving.
Breathless from his wrath, Malvado got in Gates' face and spat at him, "Don't think for a moment that just because you have something I desire you are exempt from bowing to me. You're now more trouble than you're worth. Your time is up. You failed to deliver the Hallows. And the fact that she isn't here trying to save your sorry ass is proof that you failed to gain her trust."
"She'll be here. She's just running late," Gates replied weakly through gritted teeth.
How Gates could still provoke Malvado in his present predicament was beyond Al's understanding. Malvado cursed him again and he lapsed into near unconsciousness.
"Face it. She abandoned you, just like she did before. You mean nothing to her. She isn't worth all this. Give up this goody two shoes act and join me."
The exchange was altogether bizarre. The more sceptical Malvado was of his loyalty, the more Al was convinced that Gates was on Aunt Hermione's side. After all, if Gates was a bad guy, why would he subject himself to unnecessary suffering? But then if he was truly against Malvado, why didn't Malvado kill him already?
There was another burst of celebration, this time coming from those who were farthest from the stage. Al peered through a hole in the slab of wooden front wall to see what it was about. A haul of half bodied beings, the IMP Maria included, were wheeled into the plaza. In another cage, a tangled mass of lower halves, hips, legs, and feet scrambled to get loose.
"Asin! Asin! Asin!"
The chants of salt were paired with overwhelming hatred for the half bodied beings. Al's translating device couldn't keep up with the exchange between Malvado, his men and the prisoners. Soon Malvado's men released several lower halves in the centre of the plaza. The half beings scampered and tried to escape but surrounded, they had no way out.
Then it started. White grains, salt from the looks of it, were thrown at the half beings, causing an instant caustic effect. The sight was disturbing. Organs within the lower halves gurgled and fizzled, and a pungent malodour emanated from the steam inducing reaction. In the other cage, their counterpart upper halves screamed in agony and began dying one after the other.
"Kill them all!" Malvado commanded.
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry took off on the broom the moment the four teenagers crossed the village border. He released his Patronus soon after witnessing Hugo break down in Ron's arms. It felt like he was intruding on something of Ron's that was very personal. Only then did he fully appreciate how much Hugo meant to Ron and how much Ron meant to Hugo.
The sight brought up the question of where he would fit in Hugo's life when this was all said and done. But he had to quickly put the thought aside. Up ahead the skyline was painted with burning huts and explosions. And this, coupled with the sound of rowdy cheering from the town centre, was not a good sign.
XXXXXXXXXX
Hugo paced in between some bookshelves in the least popular section of the IMAN library. Every now and then he peeked over to where his Dad was waiting for the headmistress. Rosie sat with Spencer and Isa at one of the tables, pouring over the circulation copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. He couldn't sit and concentrate. They had been there long enough, longer than they planned to be and he couldn't stand the wait.
He wondered what was in the book that the Hag thought would help against Malvado. He just read the Bard's stories and he couldn't think of anything in it that he could use in the situation they were faced with. His father was probably right; whatever it was, it had to be the copy that was once his Mum's.
Did it have something to do with his healing capabilities? His Mum told him not to think it but he couldn't help himself. Actually, the more he thought about it the less afraid he was about meeting Malvado again. He felt somewhat invincible now, that Malvado couldn't harm him. If only he could be certain that was the case.
Patience not being a strong suit, Hugo ran his wand down the palm of his left hand and felt the sharp pain caused by the injury he inflicted. The inch long cut bled bright blood, instantly drawing Isa's attention.
"Have you gone insane?" a startled Isa startled him.
"Ssssh! Keep your voice down!"
He glanced over to Rosie who was still discussing the book with Spencer. Hugo didn't want his sister to find out. The last thing he needed was his other Potter siblings knowing about this, whatever this was. He wasn't sure Rosie could keep a secret from Al.
But the cut did not heal on its own. Disappointed, he waved his wand on it and the wound edges came together. Isa wasn't about to let it go.
"What was that about?"
Hugo, needing someone else's perspective, was up front, "The Dementus was real. It bit us both."
His reply perplexed her even more, "Your Mum healed you."
He shook his head and answered, "She didn't have to. When she got to us our wounds were healed."
Isa frowned, then offered up a most logical explanation, "The Dementus isn't known to cause actual injuries, at least not that I've read. The blood proves you weren't imagining the wounds. It is possible that just like the Dementus, the injuries it caused were temporal in nature."
"I suppose," Hugo countered half-heartedly, which Isa picked up on.
"But you don't think that's the case because if you did, you wouldn't have done what you just did. You think you can self heal."
"I was hoping but I obviously can't," he pointed out, now feeling embarrassed that he thought he was so special.
Isa, sensing he was holding back, gave him the look.
He admitted in a quiet voice, "I think I've healed others before."
Her eyes widened as she chastised him, "And you're just telling me about this now?!"
"I wasn't sure," he defended himself, "I'm still not sure."
Isa was frustrated and impatiently motioned for him to keep talking, "Stop waffling and just give me facts."
"At the fair. My father got shot in the leg. After I got him out of the fortune teller's tent his leg healed right before my eyes."
"How?"
"I don't know. I barely touched it."
"Who else?"
"My Mum, maybe," he said with more uncertainty, "At Grimmauld just before she woke up, I was holding her hand and I felt this...something...I don't know how to describe it...like I was taking in energy from her. It left this bad taste in my mouth that made me throw up and pass out."
"Then Spencer," she concluded for him, frowning.
Isa's ensuing silence made his heart sink.
"You think I'm mental," he groaned.
She answered matter-of-factly, "Yes, you do sound like you're losing it, but then maybe you're not. It would actually make sense if you're able to do it."
Hugo considered Isa's words and knew what she meant. He didn't want to think it because the whole business about that still made him feel like a freak.
"That may be so but I still can't prove any of it."
"There's one easy way."
She held her open palm out to him, suggesting he test her. Hugo gently pushed her hand away and drew the line.
"Absolutely not. And besides, even if I can heal you or heal others and it could come in handy one day what would really help me against Malvado is if I can self-heal. That's clearly not the case."
"It's clearly not clear," Isa argued, "This can't be all coincidence. Did you…?"
"Each time."
"The trigger?"
"Fear, avoiding death," he listed, feeling such a coward.
For all his talk about finishing off Malvado he judged his bravery as all bark and no bite. Twice he tried running away, both times he fought only because he was backed into a corner, and both times somebody had to bail him out.
"Adrenaline," Isa quickly corrected him.
"Next time I'm running away from Malvado, I'll try it out."
"There's brave and there's stupid. Any normal 13 year old would run away."
Her mention of 'normal' hit a sore nerve. Since finding out who his real father was he had gone out of his way to be 'normal' and un-extraordinary. And now here he was wishing he wasn't so ordinary, that he could somehow heal himself. He felt like he was betraying a pact he made to himself, to not be 'special' or like his father in any way. So why couldn't he be okay with being the normal 13 year old and accept his fate of dying young?
He asked her his worst fear, "And how long do you think a normal 13 year old can run from Malvado?"
"As long as it takes, longer unless you stop snarling at me and start helping me figure this healing thing out," was Isa's determined response. She reassured him, "I have an idea but I need to run tests. Can you convince your Dad to leave you at the IMAN?"
Hugo shook his head and she understood. Even if he could he didn't really want to stay at the IMAN. There were other important things to do.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ron was at the IMAN library patiently waiting for the Headmistress. She went into the school's private collection and had been there a while. Really, how long did it take to find an old book? He paced noisily in front of the door she disappeared into, contemplating whether to fetch her or wait it out.
Time was of the essence. Hermione's life was in danger and so was Harry's. Aside from the Malvado problem they were also unsure where the being that was in Humptail was at the moment. Things at home were quiet. He didn't like quiet.
It was just like Hermione to be fighting somebody else's war but for Harry this wasn't merely about putting a bad guy in prison. It took a lot for Harry to ask him for help and drag him halfway across the world. Harry said he had to make sure Al was alright but Ron sensed that Harry would have done the same thing even if Al had been somewhere safe.
In spite of Harry's treachery he could not say 'no'. Ron saw the big picture and took the high road. Family came first. His children came first.
Ron watched Hugo from a distance. Hugo was undeniably Harry's son. It felt more real now seeing that he looked so much like his biological father. And even though Ron knew it wasn't Hugo's fault it was difficult not to feel betrayed all over again.
This isn't about you. This isn't about you.
Ron needed to get over this. He had gone from being angry to feeling hurt. Hermione could have told him but she chose not to and he couldn't help but wonder how much of their failed marriage was because she was still in love with Harry.
He recalled his conversation with Ginny soon after he read Hermione's letter.
"You knew?!" he confronted Ginny.
"Calm down…"
"You knew and you stayed with the bastard?!"
"Ron!" Ginny matched his tone, "You need to calm down!"
"Hugo is Harry's son and you want me to calm down?! Your husband had an affair with your best friend, my ex-wife, and you're acting as if that's okay?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"It was my fault!"
"No! I am not letting you do this to yourself! Don't you defend the asshole…!"
"I'm not! This isn't easy, Ron. I haven't spoken about this to anyone so I'd really appreciate it if you would calm down before I lose the nerve!"
The banging in his head and the ringing in his ears settled down enough for him to hear her. It was her fault? How the fuck was this her fault?
"They lived at Grimmauld before Harry and I married. They were lovers."
"Stop lying for him!"
"It's not a lie."
"Why didn't they tell me?" he challenged.
She shrugged, "Nobody knew. He said it was because she wasn't ready, that she had doubts. But that doesn't matter anymore. They were and he had asked her to marry him. Then he got hurt during a case and he lost his memory of them."
Ron remembered the remote incident Ginny was referring to. He recalled where he was when it happened, how devastating it had been to Hermione and how her life went off the rails after that. Even after they got back together she never talked about that time in detail and he never pried on the assumption that she harboured this guilt for all the lives that were lost in that case, Dean included. All of a sudden it all seemed very possible and many bizarre decisions Hermione made made more sense.
An unpleasant feeling grew in the pit of his gut. Ginny grew more uncomfortable under his gaze.
"You and Harry eloped while she was in a coma."
Ginny answered without emotion, "Yes."
"Did you know this then?" Ron had to ask, trying not to sound accusing.
"No, not then," she responded, and with difficulty, admitted, "After we got back I noticed something wasn't right with her. And there were little things that suggested Harry had been with someone but I was too much of a coward to ask her questions directly. I was afraid of the answer."
Once again Ron was in disbelief, this time to the point of speechlessness.
"Not one of my brightest moments," she acknowledged with regret, and then defended what she did, "We were told Harry would never regain his lost memory. We were happy. I was determined not to lose him and I convinced myself that even if it were true she would have spoken up if it really mattered to her. She never did.
"Years passed, Hermione married you and things settled. For a long time I wondered if I just imagined it all. Then one day, out of the blue, he remembered. They had the affair. He told me when they ended it."
It was a lot of information to process all at once but it didn't change the facts.
"That still doesn't justify what they did."
"No, it doesn't," she agreed, "But things would have been different had I told him what I knew when I knew it."
Ron could indeed imagine how different it would have been for everybody, him included. But it was still unimaginable to him that Ginny let Harry off so easily.
"How could you forgive them? How could you forgive him?" he asked.
"Because he asked for another chance," she calmly replied, "He could have walked out on me then; he would have had very good reason to. But he didn't. He chose to stay in spite of what I did. He was willing to give me another chance, one I wanted but was too proud to even ask for. How could I not give him the same?"
He mulled over what Ginny just said and neither spoke for some time. The entire thing was still unsettling but emotionally, he was drained. He had said what he wanted to say and realized nothing he said now would change the past. However he was left with multiple questions that rippled from Hermione's lies, ones he feared he wouldn't find any real answers to.
Ginny continued, "I know how you feel. I went through what you're going through. What they did was wrong. They knew it was and they ended it. And I'm not proud of what I did. I do regret not speaking up when I should have. But none of that matters anymore. It happened a long time ago, when we were young, when we didn't know any better. We all made mistakes and we tried to do what we thought was the right thing to do."
His sister's admission that it was her sin of omission that started it did eventually calm him down. His heart went out to Hugo. The kid had gone through (and was going through) a lot. From this perspective his bruised ego didn't feel as bruised as it did before. And besides, Ginny was right. It happened a long time ago. He was happily remarried now and with age he was more and more convinced that the decision not to stay married to Hermione was a good one.
In that same conversation Ginny told him something else. Ron was not completely surprised when she said that she and Harry had been living separate lives for some time. He had noticed their gradual drift but thought nothing of it. That wasn't unusual for most couples. What he didn't expect was that they had given up.
Ginny was quick to say it had nothing to do with Hugo and explained how Lily's departure for Hogwarts two years ago made them see how much they had grown apart. Ron didn't completely buy that. It was more likely that she never got over the incident. There are some things marriages don't ever recover from. As far as he was concerned their decision to separate was long overdue.
The door beside him opened, jogging him out of his reverie. Finally!
"Here we are, Auror Weasley," the Headmistress announced, handing him the very old but well preserved tome, "The first edition Tales of Beedle the Bard donated to the school by Professor Granger. It's one of the most precious items in our collection."
"I'm sure it is. Thank you," he said.
He grabbed one end and tugged but found considerable resistance. The Headmistress wasn't letting go.
"It's priceless. We do not normally lend it out," she repeated what she told him on their way from her office earlier. "It has never left the reserved section."
"It's a matter of life and death," he repeated his earlier answer, pulling slightly at it, "I promise I'll bring it back."
"In the same condition," she added sternly.
"Understood."
Ron tugged harder. The Headmistress finally let it go. She followed him as he briskly walked back to where Rosie and Hugo were. The librarian was heading towards them with determination, waving a piece of parchment in hand.
"Auror Weasley!" she called out, whispering a shout, "You need to sign it out."
They were clearly missing the big picture. It didn't shock him that Hermione worked with such nutters.
He turned and said to the Headmistress, slipping the small book into his cloak pocket, "Please accept my apologies for being rude."
Before the confused Headmistress could ask what for, Ron grabbed both Hugo and Rosie and Disapparated, breaking the wards within the IMAN.
XXXXXXXX
Malvado's men pelted salt at the rest. Then they stopped, confused. The half beings were still alive.
One of them figured out the problem, "This is sugar!"
Somebody must have transformed them.
"She's here somewhere!" Malvado concluded.
Warren interjected, "Told you she'd be here."
"Don't just stand there, you morons! Find her!"
They scrambled like headless chickens, most of them still unsure of what to do. Malvado took a wand out and uttered a spell. He was scanning for humans.
A sudden panic came to Al. He had to make his move. Through the gap in the floorboard he sent a releasing spell at the magical binds that held the vampire.
Crash!
Wood splintered around him as he dove away from the explosion. A large hole opened up, exposing his hiding place and now there was nothing between him and the dark wizard.
One bone-chilling word came out of Malvado's mouth.
"You!"
Malvado thought he was Hugo. Al doubted that explaining the mix-up would make a difference. A curse was already headed his way.
"Prote-"
A blur tackled Malvado down and even though Al didn't finish conjuring his protective spell Malvado's curse rebounded off of him.
Aunt Hermione swooped down from the sky, broom handle on one hand wand in the other. She landed inside the stage pit beside him.
"Hop on!"
She didn't have to tell him twice. They took off. Malvado's men were closing in on the stage, most of them shooting and cursing. Aunt Hermione shielded them with a charm that repelled hexes and turned bullets into tiny yellow feathers.
"Stupefy! Stupefy!"
Al fired liberally. They were flying low and were headed for the cages.
"You have to drive!"
There was no time to ask questions. He clasped onto the broomstick and steered them steady on their current course. Keeping the shield on them, she took out another wand and blasted the cages open. The half bodied beings sprung out large wings and attacked their attackers.
Bullets and curses zinged by them from the rooftops of nearby homes. As they drew and avoided fire from there and from below, several half beings flew by them, let down their long, prehensile tongues and wrapped them around their shooters' necks, strangling them. He turned to find Maria beside them taking one of Aunt Hermione's wands.
"They need help!" Aunt Hermione motioned her to the stage.
"I hope you have a plan!" the IMP replied with disapproval.
And Maria was off. By then several other beings had appeared and had joined the fight. Giants, dwarves, vampires, fairies, grims and beings with human legs and horse heads poured into the plaza, some fighting with wands and some fighting without. He saw Tomas stun someone and hi-five Juan who with a wand just poked another in the eye. Al recognized some of the beings as the ones he had helped free earlier. They didn't leave after all.
But the Malvado goons were holding their own, effectively using their primitive firearms to complement their wands. They were keeping the local beings at bay and it was becoming extremely difficult to distinguish the bad guys from the good guys. And over at the raised platform, Malvado toyed with Maria, Gracie and the other beings attacking him. Where was Gates?
"Reducto! Petrificus totalus!"
Al helped as much as he could but felt bad that he was keeping Aunt Hermione from being where she would make the most difference. She was protecting him. Did she know he was Al and not Hugo?
She swerved to avoid a splatter of gunfire, aimed her wand at the large music speakers in the centre of the plaza and cast a spell on it.
Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!
A collective clatter of metal against metal broke up the shooting. She had turned the village centerpiece into a giant magnet, pulling all the nearby guns against it. In panic the non-magical bad guys tried desperately to retrieve them. The villagers converged and descended upon them, treating their human attackers without mercy. Al had to turn away. It was carnage.
Many were scampering away, some begging forgiveness, a few had left the village. Their numbers were dwindling by the second and the locals were finally gaining the upper hand. Al thought that perhaps they could stay but he was wrong. Aunt Hermione had taken over the broomstick and was heading straight for the exit.
"No, wait!" Al heard himself scream.
She stopped, turned to him and looked him in the eye.
Aunt Hermione read his next thought, speaking to him in his head, "I know you're not Hugo. I promised your father."
He replied in his thoughts, "He'd understand. They need your help. And I prefer to stay and see this through."
Al was certain his dad would. And besides, he didn't want to come out of this knowing he could have done more. He was not about to carry that regret the rest of his life.
But Aunt Hermione didn't like the idea.
"He's not going to spare you."
"I realize that. Please let me do this."
She hesitated, then looked around to assess the danger. Except for Malvado and his group near the stage the situation was under control. She gave in reluctantly. She took them down to the ground and she got off.
"Stay on the broom. Don't get too close to the enemy," she instructed.
He tried to reassure her not to worry, "Keep out of crossfire and watch out for rebounds."
"I'll keep him busy but expect him to go after you."
"I knew that," he answered, not letting on that he kind of forgot that part.
"And don't get hurt or killed," she told him sternly.
He promised.
Aunt Hermione summoned a nearby wand and headed for the stage.
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry quickly scanned the battle scene and judged the locals were doing better than he expected. The SAMP were in the village, establishing the beginnings of control, and the non-local beings who had come from other parts of the country on Hermione's request were helping too.
He saw Malvado.
Harry jumped off the borrowed broom some distance from the stage and welcomed the barrage of curses from a group of Malvado's army. He took them out, wasting no time. Off to the side he saw Maria, incapacitated with considerable injuries. Grace was on the ground beside her, limp and unmoving. Malvado had a beat on Al and Hermione.
He took out the last two wand wielding goons who stood between him and Malvado and ran towards the stage, firing Stunners at will. The heavy stingers jarred Malvado, making him lose control momentarily. Harry parried off a burst of fire from his enemy and remained steady on his course. He was very close, close enough that Malvado had to give him full attention.
Then his peripheral vision picked up a flash of light. He dodged the spell instinctively. More came and he fought those off, firing some of his own. A relentless surge of offensive curses followed, every single one meant maim. There was a lack of craftiness in the attack, deliberate in the choice of brute force. Whoever it was decided there was no outwitting him in a fight.
It was Warren.
XXXXXXXXXX
Hermione didn't look back. She didn't want to leave Al until he was completely safe but this was something she had to do.
As she got closer to Malvado the world around her slowed down and faded into the background. He was waiting for her, his anticipation to kill stifling and overpowering. It was one she had never encountered in all her years of duelling.
She breathed steadily and grasped both wands tightly. They dispensed with the usual pleasantries. Malvado fired first.
XXXXXXXXXX
A/N. There...one down...