Chapter Eleven
Discord among the Warriors
"The time is coming." A sibilant voice stated. The room was silent for a long time as all the white masked figures stared up at the black throne that dominated the front of the room.
"The moon will be full soon my Lord." A high pitched voice said with adoration and awe coloring it. "The mutts will be ready and the dragon is under our control."
"I know my dear Bellatrix." The voice returned as red eyes stared down at the curly haired witch with amusement. "And then we'll destroy Potter and his friends once and for all. " He looked around the chamber, taking in all of his followers with a sweep of his gleaming crimson eyes.
"My Lord, those muggles from Diagon Alley?" Lucius questioned as he stepped forward. "Something is…not right with them…not right with Potter."
"Ah, yes." Voldemort waved a hand as if waving away a bit of dust. "I have…heard of certain muggles before. Blessed with abilities similar to magic but still much weaker than us. Do not concern yourself with them." They were just muggles after all, nothing compared to wizards. "Just kill them if they get in your way, do not spare them more thought than that."
"Oh my lord! You're so wise and powerful!" Bellatrix exclaimed happily as she prostrated herself at her lord's feet. "Oh! How I can't wait to show the world how powerful you are! How brilliant you are!"
"Oh Bella, do calm yourself." Voldemort said with a smirk as his ever faithful pet began to wind herself through the crowd and to himself. "We will show them all in good time. But first we must wait for the night where one of our allies is at its strongest!" He exclaimed as he stood up from his throne and stared at a group of growling individuals. They were all restless and constantly moving and growling and snapping at each other. It was obvious that the group was close. "The werewolves will be at their best on the full moon, as will the vampires an Dementors. That will be the time to strike!"
"That's in two days my lord!" Lucius exclaimed with apparent surprise. Though he could not see the aristocrat's face due to it being bowed, he could imagine the horror and fear and trepidation on that pale face.
"And that is why it is the best day to hit father." The Malfoy Heir. He smirked as the boy stepped forward with a sneer at his father. "What better time would we have to attack? A short notice will leave our enemies scrambling to get a hold of the situation and by the time they do…it'll be too late." He stated with a smirk.
"Your son is correct." The lord said as he nodded at the boy. "After all, he helped create the plan in where we'll take the castle by storm and the inhabitants just as quickly. Dumbledore will not know what hit him, the old fool."
"I see my lord, forgive me for my impudence and cowardice." The Malfoy Patriarch bowed to him and that made him feel all the more powerful.
"Oh Lucius, you know I will, but you know the punishment that will come for such ill-advised emotional break." He hissed as he raised his wand at the bowing man and hissed out a single word that caused his blood to race in excitement and glee.
"Crucio!"
VC
He screamed as his eyes tore open and his body arched off of the bed demonically. The pain wracked through his body, tearing along the nerve endings and veins of his body. It felt like he was being boiled, baked, roasted, and grilled all at once while being filleted, chopped, diced, and ripped apart like a piece of meat. It hurt and it hurt and it hurt.
And then it stopped.
The pain disappeared and he dropped back onto the bed. His body was shaking like a leaf and covered in copious amounts of sweat. His stomach rolled at that point and he began to gag.
Someone picked him up just in time to lean over the bed, allowing him to retch onto the floor of the room. His head spun and his stomach clenched as another wave shot through him. He hated puking and he would never change that fact for as long as he lived.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Fuck if I know Trash."
"I'll go and get Reborn and Severus. I'm sure one of them can figure this out!"
"Get the fuck on it then! I fucking don't want to be the one to clean that fucking shit up!"
Damn, he forgot how loud Xanxus can get when he's riled up. It was annoying as fuck and then add on the worry that was coursing through Tsuna's voice- why was the teen even in his and Xanxus's room to begin with- just made his head spin and pound further. "Shut…the…fuck…up." He gasped out after he had heard Tsuna close the door behind him. He really didn't need to listen to Xanxus continue to curse and growl and howl like he was at the moment.
Silence for a blessed second. "What the fuck was that?" Harry groaned irritably at that rough voice. Don't get him wrong, he really did love listening to his boss's voice most of the time if not all of the time, but right now he fucking hated it and wanted to rip his vocal cords out. "Well trash? You going to explain."
Harry just groaned as he stayed leaned over the end of the bed where he could throw up when he needed. Though he did gather up enough energy to give the Sky the finger. He ignored the growl sent his way as another convulsion ripped through him and caused him to throw up some more. Though there was very little left in his stomach so a good portion of it was acid in his stomach.
"It seems he's had a vision." That greasy tone. He groaned some more as he realized what was about to happen. "Seems you are not as competent in Occlumency as you thought you were. Lazy as always." The sneer was in his voice so Harry didn't need to look up to see it at all.
"But that's not possible." Thank god Sirius was there to counteract the greasiness of the git. "Not even the Italian's most powerful Legilimens could break his shields."
"Too…close…" Harry gasped out a moment later as he waved his hand around, trying to find something to leverage himself up. He almost whimpered when a familiar small hand gripped his and helped him to lean back onto a mountain of pillows. The worried face of Tsuna swam into focus and he smiled at the teen in thanks.
"That would make sense. You haven't been this close to Snake Face for a few years. The distance must've weakened your connection." Remus. Was a meeting going to happen right there in his room. Seriously. "This might be something you can't fully block when you are this close to him."
"Hm, that would definitely make sense. Once we were out of the country, his headache had disappeared and he had more color to his face as well." Sirius mentioned as he settled at the end of Harry's bed.
"Do you think we can talk more…after I get some…water?" Harry questioned tiredly, rubbing at his eyes and trying to ignore the pounding in his head, not to mention the feeling of his face being complexly wet.
"Not to mention a rag. His face is covered in blood." Tsuna said with worry tinging his voice. "Also, Reborn, do you think you can heal whatever happened? He's still shaking like a leaf and he feels a little warm." He explained to his Guardian.
"I'll see what I can do." Reborn said as he stepped up and laid a hand onto unruly black hair, allowing his flames to flow into the body below him. Harry sighed as the warmth of the flames entering him and soothing the pain he felt in his head and body.
The shakes did not disappear though.
"There's too much nerve damage. Too much damage in general. He shouldn't be alive at this point with all of the injuries he has." Reborn stated with a frown on his face. "If I try to heal him now, I'll simply just be decreasing his life span."
"Injuries? But…the type you are speaking of would have to have happened over a course of time." Snape said as he walked forward and pulled out a pale blue bottle of potion. "Though with some of the more….hare brained plans Potter and his friends have performed would explain it." He held the bottle to the still rather quiet Cloud. "Drink, this will help with the nerve damage you have attained."
Harry stared at him with hooded eyes before sighing and taking the bottle and downing it. He felt no difference other than the shakes subsiding. "Thanks." He gave grudgingly as he leaned further into the pillows as exhaustion coursed through him. A glass of water was handed over to him from Remus. He just about groaned in euphoria as the cold water soothed his parched throat.
"So, is he going to have to go through that more?" Tsuna questioned as he looked towards Severus.
His lightning guardian only shrugged. "They come whenever they want and are handled through the art of Occlumency, or the art of protecting his mind." He explained calmly. "But if what the mutt said is true, then there is no real stopping the vision this close to the Dark Lord. He will have to suffer through them."
Tsuna frowned at that before turning to the other werewolf. "You'll have to rest the rest of the night then. You seem really tired after all of that and we don't need any of us weakened before a battle." He stated as he turned towards the group of people in the room. "So all of you get out. He needs to rest." He stated calmly.
"Trash! Don't order me around in my own room!" Xanxus snarled as he stomped over to the bed and fell into it so that he was laying on the bed. "The rest of you get the fuck out!"
"We must know what Potter saw." Snape snarled right back. "He holds information that I can no longer be obtained easily due to my desertion."
"We can ask in the morning." Tsuna said as he turned towards Harry and laid his own head on the raven's head. The older male had been quiet the entire time due to exhaustion. He hadn't been through a vision in a long time and forgotten how taxing on his body they could be. "Sleep Harry, we'll talk in the morning."
Not that he had a choice. The flames that Tsuna was pushing into his body were harmonizing the chaotic energy and leaving him with a sense of calmness and peace. "Thanks." Harry muttered as his eyes fell closed and his body sunk into the pillows.
"Keep an eye on him Xanxus." Tsuna said as he stood up from the bed. He was wearing nothing but a large t-shirt and boxers. He had been sleeping with Harry and Xanxus for the night when he had been woken by Harry. He figured that the Cloud's Sky would better keep him calm than him so he was going to retreat with Reborn for the night instead.
"Don't tell me what to do Trash." Xanxus growled but said nothing more as he turned so that he could pull Harry to his body and flare his flames out into the room in a protective embrace.
Tsuna nodded before he turned towards the crowd still standing in the room. "Let's go and let him rest. He'll need it for tomorrow when you all interrogate him." He stated as his eyes flared with his flames and determination.
The room soon cleared and left the exhausted form of a cloud to hopefully sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.
VC
"Now that you have obviously rested…" Snape began but was cut off as the little ball of brown fluff hushed him and grabbed hold of Harry's hand to drag him to one of the tables in the Great Hall.
"Food first Severus. We'll talk after we all eat, including yourself." That amber eyed look sent the Potions Master looking for a seat to get his own meal going. "Geez, do they only think about what you can do for them and not how you feel?" He questioned as he took a seat next to Harry and began to load up a plate of food for the other.
"I'm a weapon, nothing more." Harry replied with a dull eyed look. He forgot how it felt to only be looked at like a source of information and valuable only for one reason. Snape reminded him exactly how he had been treated before he left the wizarding world. Just something to be used and then put away until it was useful again.
"No you aren't!" Tsuna stated sternly as his guardians began to settle down around him and Harry. Xanxus was up at the Teacher's table again in the throne like chair that was Dumbledore's. Most of his guardians were up there with him as well except for Harry and Mammon. The teachers themselves were set among the students and other adults around as well. "You are so much more than a weapon! To me and to Xanxus and everyone else!"
Harry smiled at the teen. He knew that Tsuna was trying to make him feel better but he wasn't going to until he was out of there once and for all. "Besides, we won't let anyone shove you aside again." Ginny said as she came up behind the raven haired wizard.
A hand landed on one of his shoulders. "We made that mistake before." Hermione sniffled a little as she remembered how they had all ignored him the summer before their fifth year. "We listened to Dumbledore and pushed you away in thought that we were protecting you but we were hurting you instead."
"We can't fix what we did in the past." Ron said as he laid his hand on the other shoulder. "But we can fix it now by having your back." He smiled as Harry looked up at him in awe.
"We have to keep…"
"Harrykins safe after all."
"That's why we'll…"
"Prank all those mean…"
"Imbecilic buffoons who attack…"
"You and make you laugh instead!"
Harry chuckled at the twins as his head bobbed back and forth between the two across from him at the table. "Not to mention we'll help out with the preparations for the attack. We know you'll need all the help you can get." Neville stepped up, a familiar little blonde haired girl next to him. "That's what friends are for, right?"
Harry nodded his head as he turned to the girl. The one who was always around Xanxus just about whenever she could. "And who might you be?" He questioned curiously.
"Oh, this is Luna Lovegood! She's a friend of mine and Neville's, she's also the same age as I am." Ginny announced with a smile.
"You have a swarm of Wrackspurts, do you know?" She asked to Harry, who just blinked and stared at her in confusion. "Ah, it doesn't matter, they'll disappear when you're with him." She hummed as she looked around dreamily.
Harry sighed as he looked at her for a long moment before turning back to Tsuna. "Think you'll be able to help her out?" He questioned as he watched Tsuna's own gaze land on the blonde.
"I don't think I can." Tsuna replied as he looked at his own Guardians, all but Hibari having dug into the food around them. Hibari was leant against the wall behind them all and watching them in such a strange place. "I'm already pushing it as is. I take another on and I might not make it to the next rest day."
Harry nodded his head before looking up to his boss, who was glaring at him with a crimson stare. It was obvious that there was something already going on since he had found the crimson eyed man with the blonde haired girl all over the castle lately. "I'll group her with Xanxus then. He seems to have taken to her for some reason." He stated with a shrug. "That should sort her out."
"At least a little bit." Tsuna agreed with a nod as he pushed the plate back in front of the raven. "You can do that later. Right now you need to eat." He stated with a stern look.
Harry laughed as he dug into the food with a smile on his face. He couldn't hope to ask for better friends.
He looked up at the table where one Luna was now settled on Xanxus's lap while Squalo and Levi threw a fit.
Or a better family.
VC
"You got them all here?" Harry questioned as he looked at the great hall, filled to the brim with people.
"Yes. All the pieces of trash are here and accounted for." Squalo affirmed. He then turned back to his boss and growled at the girl curled up against the other man. "Get the fuck off of the boss Trash!" He screeched, only to growl in annoyance as a wine bottle flew at his head.
"Shut up trash." Xanxus huffed out as he settled back into the seat. "Wake the old trash up so we can start this shit."
Harry nodded his head before turning to the cot that held a sleeping old man. "Alright Headmaster, it's time for you to wake up." He said as he waved a hand over the old man's face and then gave a little flick with his fingers.
A groan mumbled out of the old throat and sparkling blue eyes opened up to stare into green emerald tinged with purple. "Harry?" Dumbledore questioned as he pushed his body up, groaning at how stiff he felt.
"Good afternoon Headmaster. Glad to have you back with us." Harry said with a smirk before he turned towards everyone else in the hall. The really young kids and a few of the upper years had been sequestered away in the room of requirement so that they wouldn't have to listen to this. Luckily Ginny and Hermione had assured that they would watch the kids. Ron had agreed to explain everything to them later. "Welcome everyone, we've got some news to tell you."
"Yeah, and what would that be?" Theodore Nott sneered as he stepped forward. The once scrawny teen was now pretty tall with some muscle to him. He wore a white button up shirt and black dress pants. "You going to tell us the Dark Lord is coming to destroy us all?"
"Yep." Harry affirmed, shutting the Slytherin and the rest of the Great Hall up. "He's going to be here tomorrow of the full moon. There will be werewolves, dragons, giants, vampires, and Dementors. All the skills we've been teaching you must be utilized tomorrow to be able to protect the castle and those within."
"While you trash do that, we'll be fighting these ass munchers and their fucking trashy lord." Squalo announced next.
"So don't go worrying your pretty little heads about all of that fighting. We'll handle it!" Lussuria announced next with a wide smile. He was rather rambunctious and ready to fight. It had been much too quiet, even with all the Decimo Guardians helping in keeping them distracted in one way or another. Not to mention the pranks that had been playing all the time.
"Yeah, me and mine have this covered. The rest of you will be stationed all over the castle to face whatever gets through us." Harry explained calmly. "The kids will be hidden away in the room of requirement and I'll have it locked down with House Elves protecting that hallway. The strongest of you will be stationed within the entrance and great halls. Others will be hidden throughout hallways and classrooms for ambushes all over. You'll be led there within the next day. Today we'll rest and eat and spend time with our loved ones."
Harry gulped as he looked down at all the faces that had fled to Hogwarts in hope of sanctuary. All of which were now realizing that they were now going to face a war and their own worse nightmares. "I know this is terrifying. That this monster has come to our own front door looking for a fight." He bowed his head as he remembered the fear and terror wracking through his body as he faced Voldemort in the grave yard or in the chamber or fighting for the stone. He remembered it all.
And he remembered the hate and anger piled on him from his classmates, from the wizarding world, from those he was supposed to be able to trust and turn to. All of that terror and fear disappeared into anger and determination.
Harry burst into flames as his hair lengthened and his canines elongated along with his nails. "But you need to push that fear away. Push it away and allow your anger and hate to push you forward to fight. To fight for those you love and care for! This isn't just about me defeating Voldemort!" He shouted out angrily as he looked at all of the fear riddled faces. "This is about taking back our home and our world from a mad man that wishes to destroy it!"
"He's right." A voice spoke and Harry looked over his shoulder to see Dumbledore standing up with the help of Snape and McGonagall. The crowd burst into cheers at the sight of the long missing Headmaster. "Tom will destroy everything in his way if he isn't stopped now."
"That's why Potter is here now!" A voice shouted. Fudge stepped forward, wringing his hands together as he looked at the teen he had accused of breaking the law in the past. "He's here because the Prophecy has dictated him to be the destroyer of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"
"Fuck the prophecy!" Harry snarled as he appeared in front of the squat wizard, teeth bared at him. "I am not here to fight your battle you useless piece of shit!"
"But…But you-you are-are-are here n-ow-now!" Fudge exclaimed with his eyes bugging out of his eyes. "What else-else are you here to-to do if not complete the prophecy?"
"I'm here to protect what is mine." He snarled as he gripped the little man by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air. "My family is in danger and I refuse to allow anyone or anything to touch them! So I'll destroy the danger before it becomes a problem." He tilted his head to the side as his grip tightened on the man. "Like you should've done when I first told you that old Snake Face was back."
Fudge's face began to turn purple as his air was cut off and blood began to poke out where Harry's claws had dug into his neck. "Harry, do not harm him." Dumbledore spoke again as he stood up straight on his own, staring sternly at the boy.
"I should kill him." Harry announced, causing people all around him to gasp. "I should kill him and those who hurt me. Who disputed against me and called me a liar and fraud and crazy. I really should."
"But you won't." The old wizard walked down the steps leading to the head table and stood behind the other boy, taking in the long hair and claws. He could see the flames he had been shown earlier and knew that if he tried to touch them now, he would be burnt. "He is not worth the trouble and the crime you would be committing. He's nothing more than a lowly Ministry Worker now anyways."
"So he's trash that can be thrown away." Harry said as his mind flashed back to the fuck cluster of a trial he had been put through. He remembered all of the accusations and how alone he had felt as Fudge had thrown accusation after accusation at him.
In the end, he had saved the minister the trouble and snapped his own wand just as Dumbledore had entered the room.
Fudge's face seemed to be bulging from the lack of air and Harry was enjoying the sight of it. He couldn't wait to end this man, just like the many others he had killed since joining the Varia. "He is, but that is not the way to solve your problems with him." Harry huffed at the hand laid on his shoulder, wanting to ignore the warmth he got from the touch.
He had always enjoyed the comfort that the headmaster had given him, no matter how angry he was at the man. He would always enjoy that warmth the professor gave him and so he didn't bother fighting against leaning up against the man and allowing his eyes to droop as it began to spread across his body.
"Get the fuck away from my Cloud!" A voice growled out as Harry felt himself ripped away from the headmaster and into the hands of several familiar ones.
He blinked for several seconds as the warmth of the headmaster disappeared from his body and left him staring up at the other guardians under Xanxus. "What…what just happened?" He asked as he allowed himself to be pulled against Lussuria's side while he rubbed at his head and eyes. He suddenly felt like he was lacking in energy and his head was beginning to pound again. "Guh, I feel like Xanxus just shot me."
"Might as well be what happened dearie." Lussuria stated as his flames flared and began to flare into Harry, rejuvenating him a little.
"That Fucking Trash Old Man! I'll Fucking Kill Him!" Squalo snarled as his sword was swept out to slice through the air.
"Not before the boss does." Levi stated with a sneer on his face. "To attack one of the Varia guardians in plain sight and in front of the boss." He scoffed as lightning crackled around him. "Such insolence will be dealt with."
"Looks like the Decimo will join as well." Mammon said next as she floated over to be in front of the group.
"Shishishishi. The peasant is about to be filleted by the boss." Bel laughed out as he flipped his knives in his hands. "This should entertain the prince greatly."
Harry blinked as he looked over to where Xanxus was looming over the Headmaster. "Attacked? But…I don't understand." He said as he pushed away from the Sun and over to his Sky instead. "What were you doing?"
Dumbledore looked over to Harry before returning his gaze back onto the furious Sky. "Nothing of importance." He replied, causing for Harry's hackles to raise at the tone used, as if he was just a troublesome schoolboy.
"You were doing something!" Harry snarled as he stomped up to the man, standing beside Xanxus with a snarl on his own face. His hair grew out once more and his fangs and claws came out to play once more. "What the fuck were you doing that caused my Sky to Rage?"
"He was fucking with our bond!" Xanxus snarled as his hands flared with Flames of Wrath. "HE was fucking with the bond so much that it was almost disappearing completely, as if it wasn't there to begin with."
"To destroy a bond between a Sky and Element." Tsuna said with a frown on his face, walking to stand next to the Varia Leader with Reborn and his own Guardians behind him. "Are you trying to kill everyone in this room?"
That silenced everyone in the room and had their attention on the muggles and old wizard. "Kill us all? Such a weak bond could not possibly cause such a thing, could it?" Severus questioned as he looked at his own Sky in worry.
"The bond between a Sky and an Element are one of the strongest bonds in the world." Gokudera stepped in with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. "It allows the Sky to balance the chosen element and strengthen them with their own flames. To take that away can destroy an element and send a Sky into a Rage that could kill everyone near it."
"But it is not a magical bond, much less detrimental than that of a wizarding bond." Dumbledore stated as he took a step away from Xanxus to get a breath in. Not to mention push Fudge out of the way so that he was no longer in danger. "You must be free to do your duty Harry, even at the loss of your Muggle compatriots."
Harry could only stare at the man with wide eyes, not sure how to react to the invasion of his entire being.
Oh wait.
He knew exactly what to do.
"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT OLD MAN!" Harry screamed as his flames flared and his entire wolfish characteristics took form. He didn't even glance at anyone else as his hands wrapped around Dumbledore's throat. "YOU FUCKED WITH ME FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME! I SHOULD'VE JUST KILLED YOU WHEN I FIRST FUCKING SHOWED UP AND DISPOSED OF THE OLD SHITTY TRASH ONCE AND FOR ALL!"
Dumbledore choked heavily as he tried to remove Harry's hand's from around his throat but was unable to, especially when his hands were burnt by the purple flames covering the other's body. "Har…ry…" He gasped out as he forced his hand into the flames, ignoring how the flames burnt at it, and laid it onto the boy's shoulders.
Harry snarled as that warmth smothered into his body again, warming him from the inside out. It was debilitating and comforting all at the same time.
This time though, he didn't allow the Headmaster's magic to control him and instead shot his own magic and flames into the Headmaster. "Stop doing that!?" HE snarled as he watched the old man's eyes widen in horror before his magic overwhelmed him.
He dropped the old man to the floor, ignoring the burnt hand that was crumbling into pieces. "Leave him be." A comforting hand laid on his arm and brought his attention to concerned amber eyes. "He's not worth it and know that the bond you hold with Xanxus is not weak nor unimportant." He encouraged.
Harry kept his sight on the teen for a long moment before turning towards his sky, stomping over to him, grabbed him by his shirt collar, and brought the man down to his level to smash his lips against his for a long scorching lip lock. "You are my Sky. You are my Guide. You are mine." He snarled at the man before turning to the rest of the wizards. He didn't bother to glance at the headmaster as he took in the shocked and fear stricken looks of the others.
"What will we do without the headmaster?"
"He was the one that He-Must-Not-Be-Named ever feared!"
"With him gone we're doomed!"
"You are not you scum of the Earth." Xanxus stated as he stepped up to be next to Harry, a smirk on his face.
"You are not defenseless." Tsuna said next with Reborn right behind him. "You have us."
"You have me." Harry stated next as he glared at the crowd. "We have trained you to be strong and we have done nothing but been encouraging towards you. We will not allow you to fear and cower when we've put so much work into you."
"But we can't fight him! He's too strong for us to face!" Fudge, the coward again.
"And that's why you failed as minister." Harry spat at the squat man, wanting to wrap his hand around that already bruised and inflamed neck. "You are too much of a coward, hiding away from the problem and letting a child deal with it for you."
The once minister shrunk under the glare as several around him moved away from him. No one wanted to be associated with the little bit of trash that he was and that made Harry smirk.
"It's time to stop hiding and cowering. You must stand up and face him. Mine and I will face the frontal assault ourselves while the rest of you will use the castle as your playing field. Don't hold back and go for a killing strike. We stick with the plan from earlier, so be ready. Tomorrow night, on the full moon, Voldemort and his army will attack. There will be no time for mercy." He stated with a serious frown on his face and strength glowing in his body once more.
He would not allow anyone to take him away from his Sky, not from the home he has found among him and his other elements.
VC
A.N. Holy shit. This is getting serious. Also we're going to be nearing the end of this arc soon. I'm not sure if I'll continue after it, maybe some oneshots that'll be put among it. I guess we'll see when it comes time to it. Anyways, review and tell me what you thought about this chapter! Let me know alright! Keep in mind that the next chapter will be of the battle and all the horrors that come along with it.
Be prepared! As Scar of the Lion King would say otherwise!