Chapter Ten:
Evacuation
There was a muttering of consternation amongst the crowd.
"What…? You mean that the thing the Sontarans were searching for…is amongst us?" Professor Slughorn spluttered.
"That's right, Horace." Lupin nodded gravely. "Now, you should all step away…"
Some of the party goers gave a yell. Everyone turned, to see the brown-furred humanoid werewolf sprint into the hall. Like Harry and Luna, her wedding ring hung from the enchanted metal collar around her neck. She ran directly towards Harry, Ron, and the Doctor…
"Hermione! What are you…?" Ron trailed off, as his wife snarled and leapt for him. The crowd divided itself into two, to avoid the werewolf's fury.
Then Hermione landed on her rear paws, in the cleared space – and spun round. She was now immediately in front of Ron, Harry, and the Doctor – but with her back turned towards them, her fangs and claws bared…
…to protect us! Harry realised, his eyes wide with the shock of what was happening.
"Sshe is…one of thhem! A Rutann…," Hermione growled. Harry caught a glimpse of his friend's furred face. Hermione was fully in defensive pack mode. Prepared to risk her life, whilst shielding her mate and pack mates – as well as her human charges.
Harry's eyes shot across to Remus. This time, he could see that his pack-leader's wand was pointing to the same person that Hermione was now confronting with her claws and fangs.
Lorna Broomhead sharply sucked in her breath. Edgar pulled her back along with him. The queue behind them also retreated a few paces.
Leaving Rose Zeller standing by herself.
Rose gave a bewildered look, and stared back at the nearest being to her – Hermione. There was a clear yard in distance between them. "What…? We don't have time for this! We're supposed to be evacuating the school!" she yelled.
"The Marauder's Map doesn't show you, Rose," Lupin declared, keeping his wand steady and directed at her. "There's a name label marked 'Rutan' where you are standing."
"You were with Euan Abercrombie, last we knew – before…before those Sontarans turned up…," Ron muttered. "Where's Euan, Rose?"
"Don't know where he is! We got split up when those…thugs…appeared on the scene."
"You came over to see what we were doing with the Marauder's Map." Lupin patted the parchment with his free hand. "I got distracted in seeing to those two Sontarans over there." He tilted his head slightly towards Greel and Trask, who were silently watching the proceedings with interest. "By the time I came back, you had appointed yourself custodian of the map."
"Because she discovered, by chance, that it was betraying her presence?" Harry ventured.
"I reckon that's right, Harry," Lupin replied.
Rose's face twitched. Various emotions seemed to be fighting each other for expression on it. "This… This is silly! Can't you see that a witch called Rose Zeller stands before you?"
"Yeah… A witch who I've not seen cast a spell, since the Sontarans showed up," Ron remarked tartly, his eyes narrowed with dawning suspicion.
"Yes… She grabbed hold of the Sontaran blaster we acquired…and used that. Never her own wand," Edgar declared - adding his voice to the growing sea of doubt.
"Shhe also fired thhe stun blasster at Fang. Only Fang is thhe otherr Rutan…," Hermione growled.
"Firing a Sontaran blaster on a stun setting, on a Rutan?" The Doctor took a step forward. "The other Rutan would have used the energy to re-charge itself – they've learnt to do that by this stage in time… Or so I seem to recall from my experiences with them! Still – if you really are Rose Zeller, then it's easy to prove yourself…"
"Really?" Rose tilted her head towards the Doctor. "Go on…"
"Raise your hand like this…" The Doctor smiled and vertically raised his right hand, level with his head. "Now repeat after me: 'I, Rose Zeller, am a witch of good character…' "
The young woman paused. "Rose Zeller is…"
"No! Repeat exactly what I say. 'I, Rose Zeller…' "
Rose's face became stony. She lowered her hand.
"Doctor…?" Harry spoke up.
"Rutans can't say words like 'I', Harry. They have no concept of individuality. They're a gestalt – a collective! They regard themselves as parts of a whole. The Rutan that impersonated Hagrid made the same mistake. But I didn't spot it in time."
Hagrid stepped up to the front of the ring of the watching crowd. "Which one are yeh, then?" he spat. "The fiend who attacked an' impersonated me – or thur one who killed Fang an' took his place?"
"This aspect of us attacked you, and assumed your form." The voice now coming from the mouth of 'Rose' was essentially the same – but the delivery was flat, emotionless. Harry felt a chill run along his spine, just hearing the change and seeing the young witch's expression turn hard. There was no longer any warmth there. No humanity. "You should be dead after receiving our bio-electric charge. Explain how you survived."
"I'm a half-giant! We are as tough as old boots, yeh freak!" Hagrid bristled. "I was only seein' wha' thur fallen object was! Why did yeh attack me – an' kill poor Fang?"
"It's what Rutans do, Hagrid," the Doctor answered for him. "They have little regard for anything other than their own species. This pair simply lashed out at the first lifeforms they came across – and disguised themselves as you and your dog, knowing that the Sontarans would be still after them! And I fell for your act, Rutan! You pretending to be concussed when our party found you was a clever ruse."
The Rutan in the form of Rose Zeller focused her blank gaze upon the Doctor. "Thank you. This part of us - this scout - has visited Earth before. We are familiar with most aspects of the human condition and behaviours. But it was still necessary for us to be integrated with the local population, for our survival."
"Doctor!" Harry hissed. "We can't just talk. The evacuation."
"Quite right, Harry." The Doctor nodded - then raised his voice. "Those of you wearing the teleport devices – use the button next to the speaker on them, and get Luna to beam you up to the Sontaran ship! No one is to come back here – until I give the signal! I mean that!"
The Rutan's human expression suddenly changed into one of alarm. She lunged at Professor Flitwick, but was too late. With a cry of 'Get us all up – now!" the Headmaster grabbed hold of the hands of the nearest people besides him.
The forms of Professor Flitwick, Professor Slughorn, and the protesting Parvati all shimmered – then disappeared from the hall.
The crowd quickly backpedalled from the charging Rutan, who had turned and made tracks for those with the remaining teleport devices. Panicking, Professor Vector took a waiter and one of the musicians with her – and so another trio of survivors zipped out of the chamber.
The two party guests wearing the next pair of teleport devices collective grabbed hold of Ernie, Clifford, Padma, and Oliver Wood. An instant later, they too had all gone in a blurring of lights.
The Rutan froze on the spot – having just failed to reach her latest quarry. She swung round to face Harry's party, fury etched on the face of her human form, underneath the top hat.
"You are the Doctor! You are a Time Lord known to our race," she declared. "Where is your TARDIS?"
"Oh – you want a lift, do you? Preferably away from this planet, I hope." The Doctor's smirk gave way to a deadly-serious, unsmiling, glare of contempt. He held up his right forearm, around which the teleport device - which had brought him down - was attached. "Last one's on me. So is the TARDIS key… That Sontaran energy barrier is closing in on you both, Rutan…"
The face of 'Rose' seemed to twitch with fear. Then her body shimmered with a blaze of light. A moment later, the light had reformed itself into a green jellyfish-like creature with numerous white tendrils whipping at the air around it, in agitation. An unblinking, emerald eye coldly regarded the Doctor and those standing around him. Several of the remaining survivors screamed. The two bound Sontarans, Greel and Trask, strained at their magical bonds – itching to take up arms against the unveiled Rutan.
"What the…?" Filch curled his lip.
"Hagrid! Filch…!" Harry called out.
"We're goin', 'arry!" Hagrid shot back. With a bellow to his group, the half-giant and the surly-faced caretaker herded Lorna Broomhead, Edgar Mower, and most of the others through the double doors, en route to the well.
"Should I fire at it yet, Doctor? I can shot fire spells," Professor Lupin declared. He still had his wand directed at the unmasked Rutan.
"No – not yet…"
The Rutan cut the Doctor off. In a loud, warbling, inhuman voice that soundly rather like someone taking through a drainpipe, it announced: "You will take us to safety, Doctor! Or we will eliminate those around you! The two of us who survived the Sontaran attack on our cruiser are genetically-enhanced warriors. We are stronger than Rutans you have met before, Doctor! You would be wise to co-operate with us."
Hermione answered this threat with a snarl. "The otther you…killed Lavvender…"
Upon hearing this, Ron sucked in his breath.
"You two have killed enough! No deal, Rutan," the Doctor snapped. "Now, I suggest that you and the Sontarans here settle your differences – whilst we get out of the way. Right, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Lupin?"
"Oh…! Sure thing, Doctor." Realisation broke out on Harry's features. He nudged Ron, and gave him a nod towards their prisoners. Ron slowly grinned back.
A moment later, both wizards spun round to face Greel and Trask. Simultaneously firing their wands, Harry and Ron dissolved the magical chains and ropes from the Sontaran troopers. The latter pair quickly got to their feet.
"Where are our weapons?" Greel snapped.
"Here!" Lupin grabbed hold of a confiscated blaster lying on the table close to him, and threw it over to the Sontaran, who expertly caught it. Seconds later, the Werewolf Minister found another blaster nearby – and tossed it through the air towards Trask. The trooper quickly retrieved it from where it fell.
The Doctor, Harry, Ron, and Lupin spun round – alerted by Hermione's growl of warning. The far end of the Great Hall – the wall behind the staff table – was now being covered by dancing motes of yellow light. A moment later, the forcefield fully shimmered into being within the chamber, and slowly advanced inwards towards the various species close by.
"The energy barrier has penetrated the main school-," Harry gasped.
"For the glory of Sontar!" Trask shouted. He began shooting at the Rutan, who took the repeated blasts. It was sent sliding along the floor of the hall, towards the approaching forcefield. With a screech, it grabbed hold of a nearby table with its tendrils – then used the leverage to propel itself back towards the Sontarans troopers.
"Run!" the Doctor yelled at his party. "Leave them to it!"
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Remus Lupin all bolted after the tall figure of the Doctor – leaving by the main double doors. Harry paused at the exit to see the Rutan taking cover behind an upturned table, then leaping out upon Trask as he moved in too close. A pair of tendrils lashed themselves around his body. There was the crackle of sparks – and he screamed in agony, before his electrocuted body slumped to the floor.
"Come on, Harry!" Ron urged him on, tugging at his sleeve.
"Let's shoot down the tree – create a barrier!" Harry suggested.
Ron nodded. Together, the two friends blasted the base of the Christmas tree – which then swayed, before crashing down upon the tables and chairs next to where the wizards had just been standing before they dodged aside to avoid being crushed. Then Harry and Ron ran out of the hall – rejoining the others.
The fivesome sprinted along the main corridor – heading after Hagrid's party, who they could see ahead of them, wands lit to sight their way in the still-deluminated interior of the main school.
The death cry of Greel, echoing behind them, made their blood pound faster.
Moments later, the Rutan emerged from the Great Hall. Using its tendrils to push itself onwards at the walking pace of a human, the green glow of the alien lit up the corridor – intend on pinning down the Doctor, its last hope for survival.
We are Rutan! We will endure!
Summoning up its reserves of power, the green-eyed monstrosity gradually increased its pace – driven by its fear of the tightening circle of the Sontarans' relentless forcefield…
Meanwhile, Harry's party slowed down after their initial burst of speed. Hermione had grabbed hold of Ron's hand, managing to avoid cutting her claws into his flesh. She had found herself able to run just as fast as her companions, in her humanoid wolf form.
They came to a halt along the main ground floor corridor. Just up ahead – at the bottom of the next stairwell - Hagrid, Filch, and the remaining survivors were disappearing down a staircase set behind an old door. A door that Harry had never seen open before in all of his years at Hogwarts.
"So…the well…is down there…?" Harry panted.
Remus Lupin nodded – then turned round. In the distance, the dark, cold corridor was beginning to glow an eerie green – with a luminescence that was increasing to match the lights from their lit wands.
"Ideas, Doctor?" Lupin asked aloud. "You told Harry and Luna to use fire spells…?"
The Doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Yes! Rutans don't like intense heat… I'm afraid it's a case of destroying it now – otherwise, it will kill anyone who gets in-between me and it!"
Harry nodded. "Let's set up a fire-barrier, then! It'll buy us time."
"Right! Hermione taught me this advanced spell…," Ron remarked. "This will take some concentration as I recall, right?"
"It will," Harry agreed.
Harry, Ron, and Lupin proceeded to do just that. A wall of flames shot out of their wands – cutting across the main corridor just in front of them. The tongues of fire reached almost to the ceiling – providing the welcoming addition of both light and heat. Somewhere, on the other side of the fiery barrier, an inhuman scream of rage resounded.
Hermione snarled and took a few steps back, away from the flames. Harry, Ron, and Lupin instinctively understood – as werewolves, they all bore a wariness of uncontrolled fire, whilst in human form. In their animal guises, the primal fear of fire was greater.
"You should know… I'd rather not burn down the school if we can avoid it…!" Ron gulped.
"That won't happen! It's hard…to maintain those flames – and it's an exhausting spell…to try out," Harry gasped, getting his breath back.
"I just need to think of a plan! There's enough people going down to that well…," the Doctor announced, scratching his head.
Lupin nodded. "There might not be enough room for both them and us! So – anyone with suggestions…? I've got hold of the Marauder's Map, Harry… That Rutan's staying put for now!"
"And I've got the invisibility cloak with me…," Ron declared.
Harry thought furiously, rubbing his hand through his messy hair.
"Got it! Here's what I suggest, guys…"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
The Rutan screeched with pain as it used its tendrils to pull itself across the ceiling above the tips of burning flame. Its single eye turned to regard the five life forms now standing at the bottom of the stairwell – the humanoid wolf, the Time Lord, and the three seemly-human creatures before it…
With a series of exclamations, the being saw the Rutan climb further along the ceiling – then drop down to the floor, far away from the fire.
"Confringo!" the human in the strange red and yellow suit shouted, brandishing its weapon.
Ron's spell struck the Rutan, blasting it towards the fiery barrier – which was already flickering out. The alien recovered its senses after its fall – and noted with satisfaction the vanishing of the painful heat.
"Split up!" the being in the red and blue costume yelled. He and the Doctor headed for the door underneath the staircase – whilst the wolf-creature and the two remaining males ran up the stairs.
The Doctor! He will not escape us! He is our only hope of survival from the Sontarans' forcefield…!
Cracking menacingly, the Rutan rose on its myriad tendrils and advanced towards the open doorway, pursuing the Doctor and Harry as they ran downstairs…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
A minute later, the Rutan emerged into a dungeon chamber – which had been converted at some stage in its history into a wine cellar.
In the corner of the chamber, close to the stone steps, was a circular, grey-stone structure about three metres in diameter – the school well.
A swift glance around the wine cellar failed to reveal Harry or the Doctor. Instead, the only signs of activity were the numerous voices echoing from the well shaft.
The Rutan quickly approached the wall of the well – then halted. At the base of the stonework, on the side opposite the entrance to the wine cellar was the Sontaran teleport device, lying on the floor.
Without hesitation, the Rutan's jellyfish-like body glowed and changed shape. Seconds later, Euan Abercrombie, dressed as Superman, stood in the wine cellar. There was a smile of satisfaction on his face, as he bent down and scooped up the device and fitted it around his wrist. Then he jabbed at the buttons.
"Luna! This is Euan. Get this lost wizard out of here – now!" he ordered.
But nothing happened.
"Beam us onto the spaceship! Now!" 'Euan' yelled.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The charm struck the disguised Rutan, raising him into the air. He gave a cry, and uselessly frailed his limbs. Turning his head to one side, however, he saw the exposed head and hands of Harry Potter step out from behind a wine rack. Then the Doctor cast aside the invisibility cloak that had shrouded both him and Harry.
"Sorry… It's a dud you've got there!" the Doctor cheerfully declared to the Rutan. "Harry had this idea of duplicating the real teleport device – which, as you can now see, is still around my forearm! It's amazing what gets taught in this school!"
Their prisoner angrily stared back at his captors.
"Harry! It's Euan! Stop fooling around!"
"Enough of the lies, Rutan!" Harry snapped. "Doctor – see how the others are below, will you?"
"Sure, Harry." The Doctor carefully approached the well from the side opposite the levitated Rutan, and glanced down. In the lit shaft below, he saw the released prisoners of the Sontarans bobbing about on cushions of air that the House Elves had created. The elves themselves- plus the stupefied owls were also in the well. Hagrid was on the top layer of the air cushions.
The Doctor cupped his hand. "All okay down there?"
"We're copin', Doc! When's tha' forcefield comin'?" Hagrid bellowed back
The Doctor snatched out his sonic screwdriver and scanned round. "Any moment now! Keep your heads down…"
Motes of lights started to appear in the well shaft – just above Hagrid's ducked head. A hum began to fill the air as the energy barrier emerged from the side of the shaft. In a matter of seconds, it cut off the evacuees from the Doctor – then the shimmering, deadly curtain began to move upwards. And there was another glow of light too, reaching the Time Lord's eyes…
"Doctor! Watch out!" Harry shouted.
He ducked – just avoiding the tendril which had shot towards his arm. A crackle of electricity danced across the Sontaran teleport device – then it petered out. The Doctor winced at the near miss.
The Rutan had reverted back to its natural form – dropping the fake teleport device in the process. The green eye glared hatefully at the Doctor.
"Release us!" it shouted in its warbling voice. "We will help you to defeat the Sontarans, in exchange for our existence…!"
"Too late." The Doctor gave the Rutan a look of contempt – then stepped back from the well. "Over to you, Harry!"
"Have you got your wand, Hagrid?" Harry called out.
The voice of the groundsman called out from the well. "Right 'ere, 'arry!"
"We have a present for you, then! I believe Hermione taught you the fetch spell… Anyway, we have to go!" Still holding the Rutan in the air with his sustained levitated spell, Harry sweated and directed his wand sideways – pulling the Rutan to one side, so that the horror was directly above the well shaft.
Filch and Hagrid saw the twitching, spellbound alien directly over them – lighting up the well shaft with its ghastly green glow – which merged with the light from the energy barrier that was slowly advancing towards the Rutan.
Hagrid nodded his understanding.
"Right… Let's be havin' you!" he rumbled. Raising his wand, Hagrid took a deep breath, and called out: "Accio, Rutan!"
The alien gave a screech as it felt itself being pulled down into the well shaft, towards the forcefield. Its tendrils whipped around the edge of the well wall.
"NO! Spare us!" it yelled.
"This is for Fang, an' all the other poor blighters you an' your mate killed!" Hagrid roared. He concentrated harder, summoning up what magic he could from within him. "ACCIO, RUTAN!"
As Harry and the Doctor watched, the Rutan that had attacked and left Hagrid for dead – then gone on to slaughter Rose and Euan – was forcefully snatched into the well. The desperate grip of its tendrils on the well wall was broken by the sheer force of Hagrid's summoning charm. The Rutan gave a scream.
An instant later, there was a near-blinding flash as green met yellow – and the tang of scorched Rutan matter…
There was the sound of cheering – of both human and elves – rising up from the well. Harry and the Doctor quickly glanced down into the shaft, to see the disintegrating particles of the Rutan on top of the rising curtain of the forcefield. Underneath that, Hagrid could be seen waving his wand in the air, in triumph. Even Filch was pleased. He slapped the half-giant's arm, laughing.
"Good on yer, Hagrid!"
"Yeh two get runnin'. We'll be fine, 'arry!" Hagrid yelled at the faces above.
"Right! Let's scarper!" Harry quickly backed away from the advancing forcefield. Re-gathering the invisibility blanket, he raced out of the wine cellar with the Doctor.
When the two of them got to the pre-ordained meeting place of the first floor landing on the stairwell above, Hermione had reverted back to her clothed human form. She, Ron, and Lupin all sighed with relief upon seeing Harry and the Doctor come back alive.
"Nice to see you pair again!" Ron greeted them, his lips curling upwards ruefully.
"So, you were that werewolf who bounded into the Great Hall?" The Doctor smiled at Hermione. "How many of you are there?"
"All four of us are werewolves, Doctor. And there's four more who've now managed to get out of the school – Luna included." Remus Lupin gave Harry, Ron, and Hermione a proud, fatherly look as he affectionately patted their shoulders. "They are my pack. My foster family, in effect."
"Enough of that, Remus… What about the Rutan…?" Hermione squeaked.
"Fried in the forcefield. I gave Hagrid the privilege!" Harry smiled grimly. "He used the fetch spell to great effect, Hermione!"
She beamed. "Oh, that's…wonderful!"
"Are the others okay?" Lupin asked.
"Yes – the plan worked. They're all on the other side of the forcefield now!" The Doctor gave one of his winning smiles – which then gave way to his earnest, serious expression. "Now we just need to get Luna to beam us onto the Kelkarsis – and Bob's your uncle! Now, we can only beam up a maximum of three at a time – so we'll do this in stages. Hopefully, the other Rutan and the Sontarans are too busy with each other to worry about us, now…!"
He pressed the com-link button on the teleport device on his wrist. "Doctor calling the Kelkarsis. Are you there, Luna?"
There was a crackle of static from the unit. The Doctor frowned, and jabbed at the other buttons – but nothing helped.
"Oh dear…"
"What is it?" Ron asked him.
"The Rutan tried to snatch this teleport device from me, in its desperation. I think…it's accidently shot the circuits!"
"Then we can't use it to get out of here!" Hermione's face turned pale. "Is there another way out?"
"Your vessel…!" Harry pointed out.
"Yes! We've got to get to the TARDIS before the energy barrier catches us up! It's in the Ravenclaw Common Room – or so Luna said it was…"
"We need to head west from here, then! C'mon – this way!" Harry urged them, as he took off along the first floor passageway. Ron, Hermione, Lupin, and the Doctor sprinted after him along the dark, vaunted corridor – lit wands providing their only respite from the cold gloom around them…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
In the courtyard, the Rutan took a moment to survey the outcome of its battle with the Sontarans. The last of the enemy gave a croaking gurgle – and then dropped down from his burns and wounds. The other electrocuted troopers lay sprawled all around, with their eyes still open. Staring at the cloudy night sky and the glow of the advancing forcefield – but still seeing nothing.
All opposition had been eliminated. The ghosts had ceased whizzing around the vicinity, and were now gathering together – but for the most part, the Rutan ignored them. The transparent beings seemed reluctant to get near to it.
However, in the aftermath of its clash with the enemy, the Rutan could now hear voices from close by. It paused, to listen.
"Well. Those dome-headed fellows are done for! But we seem to have been forgotten about! What should we do now, dear fellows?" Sir Nick called out to his spectral brethren.
"That demon is still there! We should rid Hogwarts of it!" the Bloody Baron waved his sword in the air, venting his anger. "And that…barrier…that surrounds the school. That too must go! It is a bane to the living. They cannot pass safely through it!"
"But can we?" the Grey Lady frowned.
"We are already dead, after all! So let us have faith and venture forth…" The Fat Friar visibly gulped as he floated towards the energy barrier. Gingerly, he pressed a hand against the shimmering curtain and it passed through without hurting him. Quickly, the Fat Friar dashed past the barrier – then smiled with relief, as he turned and faced the resistance fighters from outside the forcefield. "All is well, my friends! We spirits are safe from this strange magic."
"That bodes well, then. But since we cannot vanquish the demon ourselves, I suggest that we see if we can rid the school of the magic that threatens the living!" the Bloody Baron bristled. "Since that strange vessel in the air is at the centre of the magical sphere, the answer must lie there."
The Grey Lady solemnly nodded. "That seems logical. We will all make haste for the ship. Yes, you too, Peeves!"
"Oh, goody!"
As one, the six ghosts floated upwards towards the Kelkarsis. Their transparent forms glided straight into the hull of the Sontaran craft.
The bemused Rutan did not stop them. Its single eye instead turned to glare at the hated energy barrier, which was now approaching the fountain in the centre of the courtyard. An instant later, the green jellyfish-like form blazed with white light and re-morphed into a Sontaran.
Smiling, the 'trooper' took off the teleport device from the body of the nearest Sontaran it had sliced open – then it quickly walked over to the side of the yard where the double doors to the school interior were set. Activating the com-link of the held device, the Rutan's smile stretched further as 'he' raised his eyes towards the spherical shape of the Kelkarsis, on top of the Astronomy Tower.
"Sontaran vessel! Our task force has succeeded in destroying the enemy! Request pick-up," the Rutan declared, in the voice of the trooper it had slain.
"Oh dear. I can't do that right now, Mr Sontaran! But if you can save Harry and the others, I could reconsider," the dreamy-sounding voice of Luna Potter piped out from the com-link.
The smile dropped like an anchor from the face of the Rutan's disguise. Humans had taken over the Sontaran spaceship? Interesting…
Giving a fake cry of agony, the Rutan dropped the teleport device onto the ground. Its body glowed and changed shape once more. Seconds later, 'Lavender Brown' snatched up the device again. The Rutan recognised the voice on the com-link. Yes, it was the human called…
"Luna! It's Lavender here! The Sontaran's down. Harry and the others are on their way! Please get us up!"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
In the teleporter room of the Kelkarsis, Luna frowned as she took in the breathless, agitated voice of Lavender coming from the grill on the control console before her. Meanwhile, the ghosts were gathering around her.
"Wait! It must be the Rutan. I glimpsed Lavender Brown in the courtyard at one stage!" Sir Nick interjected. "Then she seemed to change shape…!"
Luna's silver-grey eyes widened as she took this in. "Oh my! Thank you, Sir Nicholas!" she exclaimed. Then she spun back to the com-link.
"If you are Lavender, then tell me what happened to Ron on his seventeenth birthday."
There was a moment of silence on the com-link. "Luna! There's no tim-"
"Tell me." Luna delivered her words with a tone that was unusual for her. It was steely and determined.
"He-he spent time with Hermione and Harry. He had a good day…"
"No – he spent most of the day in the Hospital Wing. The real Lavender would remember that. I guess that means you killed Lavender and stole her identity. You really should not have done that. Goodbye, Rutan!" Luna hummed sadly and closed the com-link off.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
In the courtyard, the expression of 'Lavender' turned cold. The Rutan stared down at the teleport device, and consider its next course of action. Time was running out…
The female had indicated that Harry was still in the school.
We will find Harry and make him take us to Luna. To the Sontaran ship, the Rutan decided. Then, we will dispose of them…
We…WILL…survive!
Clicking the teleport device into place around 'her' forearm, the fake Lavender turned and ran into the school – wondering where to start looking...
With a croak, the dazed Skane gathered her strength and pulled herself out of the courtyard fountain. The forcefield was about to slice into her…
Skane staggered over to the double doors, and then collapsed upon the concrete. Quickly pulling out a vial from her utility belt, she injected herself at a specially-designed point of her armoured arm - with a substance that acted as both a healing salve and as a stimulant.
After coming back to consciousness, the Sontaran commander had overheard the Rutan's agitated conversation with Luna on the com-link. A part of her was almost impressed. The humans had boarded the Kelkarsis, killed Horrak, and then prevented the Rutan from being teleported up? The local earthlings, along with their strange allies, were proving to be worthy foes indeed!
Which meant that her satisfaction, once she had eliminated them, would be all the greater…
Snarling, Skane forced herself back upon her feet. With a quick check to ensure that she was armed and ready, the Sontaran commander pressed on after her hated foe…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Harry skidded to a halt just before the main staircase that led up towards Ravenclaw tower. With a squeal, Hermione crashed into him.
"Ouch! Hermione!" Harry scolded her.
"Sorry, Harry! What's-? Oh!"
The remainder of their party caught up. Three more faces turned pale and slack-jawed, along with Harry and Hermione's.
The shimmering curtain of the destructive energy barrier lay before them, cutting across the passageway which it was now illuminating. On the other side, they could just see the staircase the Doctor had descended soon after his arrival, some hours earlier. Even as they watched, the forcefield edged towards them, inch by inch. On one of the walls an animated portrait of a stern looking former headmaster and his wife was being passed over by the rippling barrier. Inside the picture, the Victorian-dressed headmaster was jerking violently as the forcefield advanced across the portrait.
"Aaaggghhh! By the gods! That tickles like the devil!"
His wife, standing next to him, looked across. An impish smile started to break across her previously solemn expression "Well, the others along the corridor survived dear – so…" She braced herself – and then sprang at her husband, forcing both of them through the barrier. They collapsed in a fit of giggles.
"Oooo! It does tickle, dear!"
"Lucky them – they're dead! But that forcefield will kill us - won't it, Doctor?" Ron pointed out.
"Yes, it will…" The Doctor looked stressed as he raised both hands to his mop of hair and clawed his fingers through it. "Drat! Drat, drat, drat, drat, DRAT! ! We're cut off from the TARDIS! The only option is to find a Sontaran teleport device that's still working…"
"The courtyard!" Ron yelled. "I got the ghosts to lead the Sontarans to the courtyard, as a diversion."
A hard lump formed in Harry's throat, as he thought of the net closing in on them – the forcefield before him, which was looking increasingly likely as the cause of his impending death. And the deaths of Ron, Hermione, Remus Lupin, and the Doctor…
The wolf in Harry gave a silent snarl from within him, as the humming curtain of destruction inched closer and closer. Backing away, the fivesome started to run back towards the previous staircase. Soon, they had reached it.
God, Luna! If we die – she'll be heartbroken! I hope she's safe in that spaceship…
Harry halted suddenly – then gave a cry. This time, Ron had crashed into him.
"Sorry, Harry! Don't just stop in front of me...! Oh, right…" Ron looked over Harry's shoulder, and saw that both flights of stairs had just shifted from the landing they were now on.
"I guess this means we have to wait – or jump!" Hermione gulped.
"I've got an idea!" Harry suddenly exclaimed. "The latent psychic link between me and Luna…!"
Hermione's hand shot to her mouth. "Ooh…! Why didn't I think of that?"
"Sorry? Come again?" the Doctor shot Harry a puzzled glance.
"Our werewolf pack have discovered that we develop a faint psychic link between ourselves and our sires and protégés – that is the werewolves who pass on the condition to us, and those we pass it onto, in kind!" Harry hurriedly explained. "If I concentrate really hard upon Luna, she'll sense that I'm in danger, and where I am! If she teleports down with her own wrist device…"
"Except we have a problem there. If Luna came down here…, would we get away in time?" Lupin lowered the still-activated Marauder's map, which was half-folded in one hand. He pointed down the stairwell with his wand. There, quickly walking up the stairs towards them on the swinging flight of steps, was a familiar-looking figure, dressed as The Scarlet Witch. She stopped as she caught sight of Harry's party – then gave a strange, rigid smile.
"Lavender…?" Ron gasped.
"It's not Lavender, Ron! It's the Rutan that killed her!" Hermione snapped.
The Doctor's face lit up. "Contact Luna, Harry! But right now, the best thing she – or anyone with her - can do is to pilot the Sontaran vessel over to the Ravenclaw tower! That way, the Rutan and any Sontarans left will be wrong-footed, when the forcefield moves in time with the ship. It's still being projected from the Kelkarsis, after all. The path to the TARDIS…"
"Will become clear again…!" Lupin nodded, understand. "Get to work, Harry! We'll hold the Rutan back!"
Harry quickly sat down on the landing, in a lotus flower position. He faced away from the glow of the advancing forcefield behind him – and raised his head towards the approximate angle of the Astronomy Tower and the Kelkarsis. Taking meditative breaths, as Luna had taught him during their marriage, Harry tried to control his racing heartbeat and scattered thoughts. Tried to focus on his wife, his mate, his Luna. Her serene, smiling face appeared in his mind's eye – and he mentally called at to her.
Luna! First-floor corridor – near steps to Ravenclaw Tower! Need to move the Sontaran ship to above Ravenclaw Tower. Hurry..!
He silently repeated the message again and again in his mind, hoping against hope that it would work...
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
In the Control Room of the Kelkarsis, Luna was still sat at the re-activated com-link – anxiously waiting for a message from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Suddenly, her eyebrows drew in together. Professor Flitwick saw the expression on his school counsellor's face. She looked even more zoomed-out than he seen her at some of the assemblies in years gone by…
"Mrs Potter…? Are you all right?" he asked her.
"It's Harry… He's sending me a message via our bond." Suddenly, Luna gave a little jump. "They're trapped! We need to move this ship over to the Ravenclaw Tower! We need to push the forcefield away from Harry and his party."
"But…but… This technology is alien!" Slughorn spluttered. "Even if we identify which buttons work the…engines…, how do we steer?"
"Oi, you lot! I'm a poltergeist – remember?" Peeves waved to Luna and the two Professors from his floating position in the Control Room. "If I pop down to where the engines are, and work my special magic…" He glared at his ghostly companions. "You lot can give this ship a push in the right direction, maybe? You can all move things too, if you just put your minds to it!"
"What? Even me?" Binns looked astonished.
"Since you've now accepted you're dead too, Binnsy… Yes! Even you."
The Grey Lady looked affronted. "You expect me to…push this contraption? I am no manservant!"
Professor Flitwick addressed her. "With respect, your ladyship, lives are hanging in the balance…"
The Bloody Baron looked thoughtful. Then he turned to the Ravenclaw ghost. "Hogwarts is indebted to Master Potter and his friends. We must act on their behalf, Helena!"
"Yes – indeed we should. Now is not the time for pride," the Fat Friar added. Professor Binns nodded along with him.
The Grey Lady gave a disdainful sniff, but assented. "Then let us act swiftly!"
"Godspeed to you all," Professor Flitwick agreed. "Professor Slughorn and I will try to help Peeves by controlling the speed of this craft, whilst you get to work."
"We need to remove the docking clamps!" Luna pointed out. She and Slughorn started pressing different buttons on what they hoped was the correct control panel…
The ghosts fled the room, and took their positions. Peeves quickly found the engines to the Sontaran ship – whilst the other five spectres drifted to the outside of the hull, and cleared their minds, in order to channel what psychokinetic power that they could…
"Have faith, my friends! We can do this!" the Fat Friar declared to his fellow ghosts, as they all hovered in mid-air, taking up position on the east side of the craft.
"Yes – for the good of Hogwarts, and the innocent who are still trapped within, we must set our personal scores aside, and unite!" Sir Nick happily declared.
The Baron glanced at The Grey Lady. "Helena… Even after all these years… You know how sorry I am that I ended your life. Can you…ever forgive me?"
She looked at him with surprise. A faint smile began to spread across her proud features. "I… I already have…"
The Baron sighed with relief. He reached out with his hand. Helena Ravenclaw took it, and held it firmly, smiling.
At that instant, the ghosts began to glow with the inner power that they had long suspected lay within them. They placed their free hands against the metal surface, and concentrated.
Seconds later, Peeves' psychokinetic powers got the engines powered up from standby mode. An extra series of lights came on around the circumference of the Kelkarsis.
A moment later, the four curved docking legs of the vessel removed themselves from the dome of the Astronomy Tower. With a mechanical whirr, they retreated back upwards and into the main body of the Sontaran ship.
"We are clear!" Sir Nick roared. "Push, then! With all your might! For Harry and his friends. And for Hogwarts."
And so they did. Slowly, but surely, the Sontaran vessel began to lift from the Astronomy Tower – then drift in the direction of the Ravenclaw Tower instead. Inside the Control Room, with Luna looking out of the porthole to guide them, the Headmaster and the Potions Master got the speed of the spacecraft increasing.
And down below, the slowly-contracting forcefield moved in time with the vessel. On its eastern extent, the barrier picked up speed in its approach – cutting across the main body of the school buildings, leaving the stonework untouched. Whilst on the western edge, the rippling energy was pushed back towards the West Tower and further – until the Kelkarsis was directly above the Ravenclaw Common Room, and the TARDIS within.
"Stop! We'll overshoot!" Luna called out to the two Professors with her.
"One moment, Mrs Potter!" the little Headmaster cried back, as he jabbed at every control on the instrument panel before him.
Luckily, between them Flitwick and Slughorn were able to identify the spacecraft's equivalent of a brake…