Chapter 11
Harry, Ron and Neville stood by the library door, ears pressed against the wood. He could hear footsteps coming closer, and Malfoy's obnoxious voice.
"Did you see that fucker? God damn, they fucking ate him, dumbass second year trying to follow us" said Malfoy.
This was followed by two grunt like snickers. Harry assumed it was Crabbe and Goyle.
"It was too bad he died though, I mean... he was only twelve" said a shrill female voice. Harry assumed it was Pansy Parkinson. The footsteps were getting closer to the library now. Harry lifted the axe and nodded to Neville and Ron, who tightened their stances in preparation.
"It's survival of the fittest now , Pansy, if you're fucked, you're fucked, not everyone's going to make it" replied Malfoy.
"I crushed his skull" grunted Goyle with a chuckle.
They were right outside the library.
Harry tensed up, ready for a fight.
The footsteps stopped. There was silence for a second.
"I'm not going in there, that place is a maze. They'll be zombie freaks all over the place. Let's go find some grub" said Malfoy.
They walked away.
Harry relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. Or disappointment.
"That was a close one" he said. Neville relaxed too, but Ron was still tensed up.
"You okay, Ron?" asked Harry.
Ron shook his head, "No... I'm not," His tone was serious, "Harry, those guys are fucked. This is fucked. They killed a second year. And they're fucking assholes"
"I know, Ron, I know" said Harry.
"And there's no one left. Us and them could literally be the only people alive on this floor. No teachers, no interference."
"You don't mean..." Began Neville, "Fighting them? Like right now? You're joking, right?"
Ron shook his head, "Those guys have been fucking assholes to us since they met us. Five years. And you know they're going to grow up to be scumbags like their Dad's."
"You mean like killing them?" Asked Neville.
"No, we don't have to. But we can push them in the right direction. We're armed. Leave them for the Inferi, no one other than us would have to know." He looked at Harry, "We might never have a chance like this"
Harry pondered it for a moment. He looked at Ron's determined stare to Neville's nervous expression. And he felt his hatred for Malfoy, and for Malfoy's family.
"Let's do it. Neville, tell Hermione we're clearing out some Inferi outside the library. She's locked herself in the restricted sections and has a weapon, so we don't need to worry about her. Let's get them." He said to Ron, who nodded back.
"Wait... no... I can't let you guys do it alone." Said Neville.
Harry and Ron looked at him with surprise.
"I think this is wrong... but they outnumber you. I'm coming with you, I'll tell Hermione and then come right back."
Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy were at the balcony of the grand staircase, deciding the next path. One staircase led up while another led down.
"Look at those fucks, I think they're lost." Crabbe grunted, pointing at the three Inferi on the frozen staircase.
"I've never seen the steps just freeze mid change like that" said Pansy.
"Probably because they're retarded. Who the fucks thinks moving staircases were a good idea" laughed Malfoy.
The Inferi looked up at them and growled, but remained on the steps.
"I was kind of hoping they would run off the front edge and fall, I guess they're smarter than that" he smirked.
"Hey Fuckface! I fucked your mother and now I'm gonna fuck you!" shouted Ron.
The Slytherins turned to see Harry, Ron and Neville approaching them from the hallway.
"Holy fuck, boys, look, it's Potter and the Gryffinfags! Did you get away from the psychos because they already knew you were fucked in the head? Or did they smell Weasley and just stay clear!" replied Malfoy.
"You're the fucking stinker, you dumbass pale fuck!" shouted Harry.
"Nice one!" whispered Ron.
"Check it out, Malfoy, they're armed" grunted Goyle.
"Well so are we, boys" Malfoy grabbed hold of a pike leaning against the railing. Goyle picked up a bloodied war hammer and Crabbe pulled out two war axes that were slung to his belt. Only now did Harry notice they all wore chain mail gloves. He also noted several gold rings on Malfoy's fingers. And a valuable looking pocket watch on Goyle robe. Pansy Parkinson was sporting a new diamond looking necklace.
"Holy shit they got better gear than us" Whispered Ron.
"What the fuck are we going to do?" hissed Neville.
"Where did you get all that?!" Harry demanded. They stopped fifteen feet away from the Slytherins.
"Maybe we were smart enough to make use of the suits of armor spread out through out the castle. I didn't think you were that stupid, Potter" snarled Malfoy.
Crabbe and Goyle laughed.
"What about that fucking fancy stuff!" demanded Ron.
"Well, Weasley... sometimes people with money can afford nice things. And sometimes people don't need nice things anymore, so they get new owners. I don't think you'll ever be resourceful or smart enough to understand though"
"Grave robbers" growled Neville.
"No shit, sherlock" Replied Malfoy, "Since you fucks wanted to start this, I'll give you the chance to turn around now, find the nearest zombie, and get bit. Save us the effort of breaking your legs." Crabbe cracked his neck at this, giving Neville a hungry sadistic look.
"How about we make this a bit more fair?" proposed Harry.
"Why? How?" Asked Malfoy.
"We're all fucked armed to the teeth here. There's no way all of us will get out of this without being maimed. Make it a fist fight." He said.
Malfoy laughed, "That's a fucking dumb idea, we can just crush you right now!"
"I'll fucking slice off your balls!" spat Neville, brandishing his sword. His face had suddenly turned red.
Malfoy let out a nervous laugh, "Alright... fist fight, gives us the personal pleasure of crushing your skull." He set down the pike and whispered something to Pansy. Crabbe and Goyle followed.
Harry, Ron and Neville put away their weapons.
"Let's bring it on" said Harry.
"Crabbe, kick his ass" Malfoy ordered. Crabbe walked to the center of the hallway, flexing his arms while tossing aside his chain mail gloves.
"I got this" said Ron, stepping forward.
They came within a foot, staring each other in the eye.
It was immediate. Crabbe threw the first punch, his fist colliding with Ron's jaw. Ron fell back, but Crabbe grabbed him by his collar and threw against the wall. He tried to kick Crabbe away, but Crabbe pushed his entire body against Ron into the wall, outweighing him at least twice as much.
"Shit!" Ron managed to squeak out as the breath was knocked out his body. Crabbe stepped back and began punching Ron nonstop with his free hand while pinning him against the wall by his collar.
"This is so fucking easy!" Crabbe laughed.
"Come on Longbottom! Don't be a fucking coward, help out Weasley!" Malfoy shouted, slapping Goyle on the back.
Neville ran behind Crabbe and tried to pull him away from Ron as Goyle head butted him from the side, knocking him to the ground. He tried to get to his feet but Goyle smoked him in the face. This was going bad fast.
Harry stared, dumbstruck as his friends were beating to a pulp in front of him. Crabbe threw Ron to the floor and began kicking him in the ribs as Goyle smashed Neville's face to a pulp. Neville's nose let out a crack as it broke under Goyle's fist, and blood began to pour out everywhere.
Harry ran forward to pull Goyle off Neville, but he Crabbe saw him again and shoved him hard against the wall. He fell to the floor while Crabbe looked over him.
"I'm gonna crush you" He whispered with a deranged smile.
Harry backed away but Crabbe reached forward and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed his body against the wall.
"Get the fuck off me!" Harry shouted, as Crabbe pulled him forward and punched him the face. He put up his arms to cover his face, so Crabbe merely shoved his head into the brick wall.
"I guess this is how it ends, Potter!" Laughed Malfoy. Pansy began shrieking with laughter as Crabbe slammed Harry's head into the brick wall again. He felt tasted blood in his mouth and closed his eyes, feeling woozy. The realization hit how pointless this conflict was. How pointless his death would be. He braced himself for another face plant into the wall, but it never came. Instead , he heard Pansy scream and felt something splatter on his face and body.
He opened his eyes to see Crabbe's vacant expression, and behind him, the fire axe sticking out his head, held by Ron.
His body went limp and fell and Ron yanked the fire axe out the back of his skull, an expression of pure hate on his face.
"Holy shit!" Goyle let go of Neville and backed away as fast as he could, running back to Malfoy, whose confident sneer had been replace by shocked fear.
Goyle grabbed the war hammer from the railing and turned to face Ron, but did not charge, instead looking at something else.
Harry looked at him for a moment, then it dawned on him. He turned around to see about a dozen Inferi charging towards them from the other end of the hallway.
"Shit!" shouted Ron.
"Axe please, help Neville up!" Shouted Harry.
Ron tossed Harry the axe. One Inferi had pulled a significant amount ahead of the group. Harry cleaved through it's head with the axe. He grabbed the baseball bat and tossed it to Ron, who had just helped Neville up.
"My sword!" spluttered out Neville, his face covered in blood. Harry grabbed the sword and threw it to Neville.
"Let's get out of here!" Ron and Neville ran for the staircase. Harry decapitated another quickly approaching Inferi, then turned and sprinted after them. Malfoy and his friends had already fled down the stairs.
Ron and Neville had already started up the stairs as Harry sprinted by Crabbe's corpse. He saw the next events in slow motion, as the bottom of the staircase disconnected from the floor and began to move away to another landing.
"NO!" Harry screamed at the edge. He jumped as far as he could, reaching out for the bottom step. His upper torso hit it, and he immediately began slipping off.
"Harry!" Shouted Ron, turning around to grab his friend.
"Who thought a moving staircase was a good idea!?" Harry screamed as he lost his grip an inch from Ron's hand. He fell, but his fall was nearly instantly broken as he hit the top of the frozen staircase. Behind and above him, Inferi charged off the third floor landing, falling down in a crippling heap to the bottom of the grand staircase.
"Holy shit!" He wheezed.
"Look out!" Ron shouted. Harry looked forward to see the three Inferi on the stairs running up to him. He got to his feet and swung the fire axe, carving through the first one in the side of the skull. He pulled the axe out just as the second Inferi knocked into him. Without thinking, he kicked it over his head and threw it over the top edge of the staircase, sending it flying to the bottom along with his axe. Helplessly, he watched as the third one charged towards his defenseless body, merely seconds away.
"Harry! Catch!" Neville shouted, tossing Harry his sword.
He caught it by the handle just in time to impale the third Inferi through the eye.
"Holy shit! Too close" panted Harry, pushing the dead Inferi away.
"Are you alright?! Can you walk!?" Ron called from a floor and a half up.
Harry climbed to his feet, relieved that nothing had broke in the floor.
"Yeah... I can walk... I think I'm alright" He called back.
"Did you fucking see what just happened?! That was awesome!" Ron shouted.
"I know! That was rad as fuck!" Harry exclaimed.
"What do we do now?" Asked Neville.
Harry looked around. The inferi at the bottom of the grand staircase looked like they had broken most of their legs in the fall. There were no immediate threats.
"Go back to the library. I'll find another way around and meet you there!" He ordered.
"You sure?!" asked Ron.
"I'll be fine! I have to make it back to the library, I gotta get you back this sword!" He shouted to Neville.
"Alright... good luck!" they headed off for the nearest staircase back to the third floor. Harry walked off the frozen steps into the hallway of the second floor.
He sneaked through the second floor cautiously for a good ten minutes, choosing to avoid the few Inferi that wandered alone on the second floor. There were a lot less on this floor, and almost always on their own. He found a staircase into the third floor, and was about to take it until someone called out.
"Hey! Wait up! Hey... Harry Potter?!" A Ravenclaw student ran out of a broom closet towards him.
"Holy shit! Someone else whose alive! Do you know how fucked this place has become?!" He said.
"Hey... I know you..." Harry began, "Aren't you Micheal Corner?"
"Yeah, it's great to see a friendly face!" said Micheal Corner happily, "I mean, I was hoping to run into Ginny... see if she's alright..."
So this is Ginny's ex. Didn't really expect him to be alive...
"So like... is there anyone else alive? Maybe like some teachers or somewhere for people to hole up? I was thinking the room of requirements, you know? It would make a great hiding spot, I just wouldn't want to head there without knowing if it was safe and worth it..."
Harry thought for a moment.