A/N: Hello guys, welcome to the 9th chapter of "Dark is all that's left!".
Thanks for your reviews, it really gets me going. Apologies for the delay, I handed in my laptop which I used for writing, so had to write this entire chapter on my phone. Please pardon me for any grammatical errors.
Disclaimer: I don't own the HP universe, if I did, there'd be no Weasels at the end, and we'd live happily ever after.
General Warnings: Graphic Torture and strong language. Reader discretion advised. Although you really should expect this from now on.
Notes at the end of the chapter.
31st October 1997
Gringotts Bank
A witch with heavy glamour entered Gringotts. Her black robes concealed much of her features, though her signature curly black hair stood out. That immediately put a pair of Aurors on guard and waited until the witch came out. Unaware of another set of eyes on them, they took their positions. The dark skinned Auror took post near the bank exit, while the one with pink hair stood in an alcove just to the left of The White Wyvern inside Knockturn Alley.
The witch soon exited Gringotts with a concealed package, however as she entered Knockturn Alley, a booming voice held her attention.
"Bellatrix Lestrange, you are hereby under arrest of breaking prison, use of unforgivables and being a willing Death Eater. Please turn yourself in. Any further resistance is futile." finished Kingsley Shacklebolt as he pointed his wand at the crazed eldest Black sister.
A manic cackle rose through the alley as the witch removed her glamour and turned around her wand pointing at the Auror. "Awwww… big bad Shacklebolt… What you gonna do? Stun me? Where's your backup, huh? Last I saw you ran around with Blood Traitors!"
"I'm right here, Aunt Bella! Wonder if that's your Dark Lord's shit on your tongue!" taunted Tonks as she stepped out of the alcove pointing her wand at Lestrange's back.
With a swift motion, Bella turned around and threw an Avada Kedavra at her estranged niece, while ducking a stunner from Kingsley."You filthy little Half-blood! HOW DARE you speak of the Dark Lord so foolishly! I'll enjoy killing you both." finished Bella with a roar as she battled two Aurors. A barrage of lethal curses leaving her wand as she held her own against both of them. As she traded volley of curses, she deftly moved towards another alcove. Anti-apparition wards had been erected by the Aurors so she couldn't disapparate to the new HQ at Riddle Manor.
Now, both Aurors were firing alongside each other, which made it easier for the crazed witch to aim, though two targets at one time wore her out a bit with more than 15 mins into the fight. She did manage to hit Shacklebolt with a cutting curse around the thighs, yet both chained curse after curse at her. Her filthy niece had bruised her arm clutching the package and her right shoulder was injured with a stray bone shattering curse. The only way out of this was to get away from the Anti-apparition ward. With no other go, she fired a blasting curse at one of the overhead lamps near the Aurors. The shattered debris led to both taking cover. It was only a moment before they recovered, yet that's all she needed to get the killing curse at one of them.
Bella ran towards the alley exit, without turning back to see who was hit by the curse. She was at the alley's exit, from where she'd be able to disapparate. Just as she began to disapparate, a bone breaker from Tonks hit her non-wand arm, and she was gone in a wisp of black smoke, yet a package in non-descript brown bag fell as she retreated to Riddle Manor.
A gasping Tonks picked the bag and returned to her fallen comrade. Kingsley saw Bella's curse flowing towards Tonks as she tried to stabilize herself. Ever the honorable man, he pushed Tonks out of way as Green light struck his body. His body fell instantly, lifeless eyes turned upwards as Tonks held his body. Barely able to control her rage, Tonks fired a bone breaker at Bella which caught her left arm as she disapparated.
With the package in her hand she returned to Kingsley's side. She sobbed at the loss of his partner and dear friend."That curse wasn't for you Kingsley! Why! Why'd it have to hit you! This is what you died for dear friend!" said Tonks as she held the brown bag up.
Unawares of the same Amethyst eyes peering at her back, she fell into darkness as a beam of red light hit her back.
"Hmmmm… so this is where the noseless-freak hid his soul… Ughh! Such an emo kid! Oh, no worries, Harry can have this. I'm pretty sure Dumbledore would handle it first. Ah well! He does deserve a parting gift for my conviction. Quaeso, Tutankhamun maledicti in nomine Albus Dumbledore, sic fiat semper!" Hermione finished the chant as she slit her palm and let her blood fall into Hufflepuff's Cup. The Cup glowed a bright yellow as the curse took over, and then it was back to it's normal appearance. "Happy Halloween Headmaster! I'll take care of you later Tonks. Right now, I have a bigger fish to fry." crooned Hermione in her signature sweet tone as she let out a manic cackle before obliviating the Tonks of the last few moments. Leaving the pink haired Auror in an exhausted state with the package clutched she slid back into the shadows.
Moments later she regained consciousness, writing it off to exhaustion, she sent off a patronus to Dumbledore. Seconds later the Headmaster appeared in a flash of phoenix fire.
"What happened here, Miss Tonks?" spoke the Headmaster in a sombre tone looking around the alley which harboured the remnants of spell damage from the fight that broke out earlier.
Tonks regaled the event wherein they tried to apprehend Bellatrix, though she was able to over power both of them and escape. The only consolation being, they were able to get the mysterious package before she could escape. Post which Tonks was exhausted into unconsciousness. The Headmaster warily eyed the package,yet held it firmly.
"You did well to take on Bellatrix, Ms. Tonks. Not many survive to tell the tale. Kingsley was a brave man and an honorable wizard. This package her may have won us the war. Kingsley wished me to tell you the truth, yet there are things so vile in our world, their existence should remain a secret for the Greater Good. I hope you understand. Please let Amelia know about the situation and tell her that you found and tried to take Bellatrix in custody while doing your patrols. I shall take this package back to Hogwarts, where the item shall be destroyed. Rest for a few days Ms. Tonks. I'll see you at the next meeting." spoke the Headmaster in his grandfatherly voice. The twinkle had left his eyes ever since the second coming of Voldemort. Many innocent people lost their lives. Once again a generation of wizards and witches would lose their loved ones all at the whims of a power hungry madman.
"Sure Albus, I guess I'll go back to mum's. I don't wanna be alone tonight. Not after what happened! He was my friend, that curse was heading for me. Damnit, it should have been me laying there, it would have been easier that way. Bellatrix will pay for this, Albus! Auror or not, I will avenge Kingsley's death."
"Ms. Tonks, revenge can often blind one's senses. It doesn't bode well to simmer this anger. Please don't let it fester into something bad. I assuredly can't ask you to forgive Bellatrix, although I suggest you think about it with a calm head. Good Night, Ms. Tonks!" said the Headmaster as he disapparated in a flash of phoenix flames.
Meanwhile, Riddle Manor
"CRUCIO!" hissed the Dark Lord as he watched with barely restrained anger his most loyal follower writhing in pain. He doesn't like failure, especially when it comes to retrieving part of his soul. Malfoy had been careless with his Diary horcrux, yet he had the luxury of other horcruxes hidden safely, a luxury he no longer has, thanks to the meddling old fool and the brat-who-wouldn't-die. Normally he would just kill the person who fails him, another luxury he no longer has, with what happened at Malfoy Manor.
"Get up Bella!" he hissed as his eyes burned crimson, "You have gone far too soft these days. I guess you have taken my gifts for granted. Don't forget I can very well take them away. This is the absolute last time you fail me Bella! I know how to hurt you best! Perhaps Nagini will enjoy the feast I promised her the last time you failed a raid. I may very well give in to her wishes. Now Get Up! And leave my presence!"
She had weakened considerably with the battle earlier, the cruciatus exaggerated pain in all her nerves. However, that didn't hurt her as much as her Lord's last threat. Taking her dismissal she bowed low to him "My Lord" in a low croaked voice, and limped off to find her sister to get herself healed. She would need every ounce of strength, if she were to get through this war. Errant thoughts of fleeing the country would plague her thoughts in moments like these, yet she cast them away. You can't be a traitor amongst the Dark Lord's inner circle and expect a long life, besides the other side will just as easily kill her with the number of misdeeds she has done, willingly!
Later that night, Hogwarts, Headmaster's office
"Professor, you called for me?" said Harry as he entered his office. "Ah yes! Harry, come inside, have a seat. Lemon Drops?" said the Headmaster as he peered up from a large tome sitting atop his desk.
"No, thanks professor. What… happened to your hand? Why's it blackened? OMG! I'll get Madam Pomfrey!" panicked Harry as he saw the old Headmaster's right hand blackened as if rotting from the inside.
"Harry, my boy! Calm down, there's nothing that Poppy can do right now. I'm afraid she doesn't have the counter to my ailments. I presume I have about 6 hours at most…" said Albus with a weary sigh.
"But surely professor Fawkes could help, he helped me when I was bit by the Basilisk. And we're almost close to defeating Riddle…" said Harry but was cut off instantly."No, my boy. Even phoenix tears can't help me for this isn't a venom in my body that's causing it. It's probably an arcane curse, I believe of Egyptian origin. If so, then there's no counter curse unless the caster removes it. I was foolish enough to fall to the compulsions placed on the Cup, as soon as I touched it, I could feel tainted curse taking control. But that's not the point, did you get the Basilisk fang I asked of?"
Harry removed the fang carefully from his pouch and kept it on the desk,"Yes professor. I presume you somehow got the Cup?"
"Yes Harry, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Ms. Tonks fought Bellatrix to gain access to it. Unfortunately, Kingsley lost his life saving Ms. Tonks. We are very close to finishing this war Harry. As unfortunate as it sounds, my journey ends here, I'm ready to take on the next great adventure and I'm happy to see how far you have come, my boy. Once I stab the Cup, only one anchor would remain. You'll have to kill his snake to destroy the last Horcrux. I give you the responsibility to lead the Order after me. I've drafted a letter to each member, they'll get all the details once I take my last breath. Don't fret child, you can do it." said the Headmaster somberly as he picked up the fang with his left hand and stabbed the cup in one motion. A black wraith escaped the Cup and let out a blood-curdling scream as it dissolved into nothingness.
Harry slumped to the floor against the wall as he cried at his helplessness. Once again, the cursed Halloween had taken someone close to his heart. In a few hours, his beloved Headmaster would be gone. His resolve to kill Tom Riddle and avenge each death has grown paramount. Ginny is the only shining light left in his otherwise dreary life now. No more! No more will Riddle take from him now. It's either him or Riddle, just as the prophecy said.
"Come Harry, I have a few things to tell that might help you with Tom. I must use every last breathe to save as many innocent lives as I can." spoke the Headmaster as he took Harry to his private library.
A/N:As usual, please read and review. I'm eagerly awaiting comments on this one. Positive, negative, OK, whatever you feel, just let it rip in the comments down below. I'll see you next time. Cheers!
