Chapter Twenty One:
The Taking Of Hogwarts
Author's note: The re-posted Chapter 20 was an amendment. Here's the next new chapter. Enjoy!
"Jardane!" Harry fought to speak clearly, as her reeling mind took in the face of the assassin who had nearly killed him and Ron. The agent who had possessed Luna and Kreacher with frightening results. The one who had forced Kreacher to turn Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place into a raging inferno - which had almost claimed her and her friends. "You poisoned Aberforth Dumbledore, Hermione, Ron, and me!" She paused, and strained at the ropes holding her arms tight. "You've got a lot to answer for – and you will answerfor your crimes, Darke!"
"I hardly think so, Potter!" the young woman sneered. "It is you who will be dead, before the night is out. Our Lord summoned me to the battle here, back in May, whilst he was waiting for you to surrender. He wanted me to ensure that you did…"
"You took over the unconscious Draco Malfoy – only your actions as him led to him getting killed… You made a verbal slip about burying Crabbe – when he had already burnt to death. And for so long I didn't pick up on it," Harry fumed. She jerked her head up. "So… How exactly did you poison Aberforth Dumbledore and us?"
"Yes… You did it very cleverly," Hermione added, playing for time like Harry was – whilst they waited for help to arrive.
"When the Death Eaters located Aberforth during their occupation of Hogsmeadee, I was sent in to assist him as a barmaid," Shardraya Darke began. "The part time hours allowed me to slip away from Hogsmeadee to visit my 'ill sister' on occasion – whilst I carried out my duties as assassin for the Dark Lord, hunting down Aurors." She gave a hard smile. "You already know of my Walk-In ability, thanks to that ridiculous witch you think of as your cousin, Potter. I was able to locate my Master's more difficult targets during the last year – and, whilst inducing myself into sleep with my usual injection – I took over their sleeping forms, awaking them…and getting them to kill themselves, before my mind returned to my own body. I pride myself on maintaining a perfect record, Potter. All of my targets our deceased Lord sent me to eliminate met their end – by my hand, or my mind guiding their hand!"
"My surviving your poison – then vanishing from the public gaze – must have annoyed you big time, then." Harry gave a grin. "I'm glad."
"Aberforth was smitten with you. I saw it when we were last in this pub." Hermione sadly shook her head. "He didn't know you were a spy against him…"
"No, he didn't. After I charmed my hair for him to his favourite tint of ginger, he was such a weak-hearted fool. But even though I won his affection, I did not know about his house elf – until Aberforth spilled the beans, after the fall of our righteous Lord." Darke paced back and forth before the two captive witches, glaring at them. Her manner was different, compared to when Hermione had seen her as Darcey Jardane in the bar. Instead of the charming, somewhat gushing young lady – Darke was now alert and wiry. A combination of ice and steel. "Just after the battle at Hogwarts, Lady Zabini had also joined the staff at this establishment. She had the connections and authority to lead us from defeat, after our grievous loss. By setting up a base here, we waited for an opportunity to destroy you, Potter. A subtle opportunity – by which it would be harder for anyone to discover who had signed your death warrant. Therefore, my weapon of choice was poison."
"That night when you poisoned us. You pretended to be half-asleep," Hermione ventured. "You were about to leave – but you injected Aberforth with the sedative you mentioned. Then, you headed over to your lodgings at Madame Puddifoot's, injected yourself to sleep…"
"…and took over the unconscious Aberforth Dumbledore, who added your prepared Widowmaker to the Butterbeers that he, Ron, and we both drank!" Harry spat. "Still in his body, you got him to disappear from the pub after we left – and walked him into the loch, so that the Aurors had to search for him as the prime suspect!"
"Exactly. I took my mental leave of him, as he started to both drown and sicken from the poison." The grin on Darke's youthful face widened. "The old fool paid for assisting you, Potter. Killing him was a pleasure. Such a shame that I could not have made it to the Hogwarts estate a year earlier, to eliminate the other Dumbledore - Albus himself."
Harry pictured the scene that had played at the close of Aberforth Dumbledore's life. Suddenly waking up from Tenebrae's possession of him, his body convulsing from the Widowmaker, even as he drowned in the loch at night…
"You…are…sick! Vile!" Harry shook with revulsion.
"Appropriate, I guess," Hermione added. " 'Darcey' means 'dark'."
Darke laughed off their words. "My father was a Muggle assassin, Potter. A criminal contract killer. I learned from him. And I combined that knowledge of Muggle weapons, devices, and tactics with the magical lore that my mother taught me. She realized, with my…unusual ability…to project my mind into other people, that I would became very special. I had to train hard, and in secrecy – away from the attentions of the Ministry of Magic. Until the time was right for me to prove my worth and earn my way in life. The Dark Lord came to know of me, and he kept me as one of his most cherished, secret weapons."
"Thanks to me," Umbridge simpered. "Even though I didn't approve of my sister taking a Muggle lover, I wasn't going to let my favourite niece go unnoticed in the new world, that HE was in the process of creating."
Harry snorted. "Family privilege! Typical." She narrowed her eyes. "So who was the lady who told the Lupins her name was Darcey Jardane, before she…exploded?" Harry shuddered at the horrific memory.
Darke gave a cold laugh.
"I realized that I would be able to escape the Ministry's attention as a suspect and roam the country freely, once my established persona as Darcey was dead. That girl was one of the mere Muggles we'd kidnapped! She was force-fed Polyjuice potion so she would become my double – and she was also imperiused into believing, and declaring, that she was Darcey Jardane. The potion mixture I gave her resulted in a…most impressive death. It was a delight to see the teachers, as well as the pupils, terrorised by my devices."
"Your dragon, and the explosion, certainly made their mark…," Harry muttered. "What about the kidnapped witches and wizards, then? What's happened to them?"
"Ahh, Miss Potter…" Umbridge simpered. "That, we must refrain from boasting about! But they will be-"
The door to the cellar was abruptly opened. Several Death Eaters filed down the stone steps. Harry's heart sank. Two of the cloaked lackeys were carrying a brown-furred wolf. It was a large specimen – the size of a man. And it was wearing an amulet around its neck.
Hermione gave a choked cry that barely escaped her lips. "No! Remus."
"He's alive, Miss Chesterton." The woman who spoke was dressed in a dark robe, and she pulled the hood down to reveal the face of Nahilah Zabini. She gave a hard smile as she appraised the girls before her. "Congratulations, Umbridge. Your messenger sent me word that you had captured Potter and Granger…"
"It was my trip wire that did the trick, my Lady." Darke dipped her head.
"Then congratulations to you, also, Tenebrae. But it seems that in the confusion of our fighting Professor Lupin here, that at least one of Potter's friends has escaped us. We must bring forward our plans. We take the school tonight!" Nahilah declared, her etched expression leaving no room for argument.
The Death Eaters muttered amongst themselves. Umbridge silenced them.
"V-very well, my Lady. We will move in and make the signal to activate…"
Umbridge trailed off, as Mrs Zabini held up her hand. It was a silent, quick gesture – but its immediate effect left Harry in no doubt as to the measure of the black woman's authority over the toad-like, former Ministry official.
Nahilah Zabini turned to face the prisoners. "Do not discuss the details of our plans in front of our guests, Umbridge! Now. Let's see. Miss Granger may yet prove to be a useful hostage. As for Potter… Ah, yes… It's time for you to finally dispose of her, Tenebrae. As you see fit."
Shardraya Darke smiled in anticipation, and she licked her lips. She reached into her cloak for her wand…
And it was then that Harry saw, out of the corner of her eye, somebody drop several black objects onto the dimly-lit floor.
An instant later, the Decoy Detonators sprang into life, making as much noise as possible – whilst the Decoy Detonator deployer and two of the other Death Eaters suddenly whipped off their hoods, and started firing spells at the rest of the cloaked figures. Several of those aimed at were hit by stunners – whilst Darke, her wand already drawn, managed to deflect the first spell sent her way.
"Expulso!" One of Harry's rescuers cried out.
The spell was directed at the empty beer drum nearest to Darke. The metal exploded, and pieces flew towards her, Umbridge, and Nahilah Zabini, sending them, flying into the walls and remaining racks around the far corner, screaming…
In the chaos and confusion of whizzing spells, blasts, and astonished cries, Harry felt herself grabbed by a familiar soft hand, as she and Hermione threw themselves behind the cover of a stack of drums next to the staircase.
"Harry – it's me!"
"Luna! Cut our ropes!" Harry shot back.
She did so, freeing both Harry and Hermione. Snatching wands from the nearest fallen Death Eaters, the girls raced up the stairs, whilst Ron and Lavender cast shield charms to protect both them and themselves.
"Father!" Lavender cried out. "Ron – they've got Remus!"
"No time right now, Lav! We'll rescue him later," she yelled back. "C'mon!"
The two remaining witches sprinted up the stairs after their friends, whilst Luna turned and cast a miniature fireball onto the cloak of one of the Death Eaters, who was emerging from his cover. He shrieked at the sudden heat, and quickly cast the water spell to save himself.
"Stupefy!" Nahilah Zabini shrieked, scrambling back to her feet and racing to the bottom of the cellar stairs, as she recovered from her minor injuries. Her stunner struck the rearguard witch in Harry's party, as they raced out of the cellar, and Lavender cried out. Startled, Ron caught her, dragged her through the doorway, and then slammed the door to. Hermione took hold of their Gryffindor pal – whilst she yelled at Ron and Luna to secure the door however they could.
As they did so, Harry tried the wand they had snatched up from the unconscious Death Eater on the way out. "Lumos!" she spat, lighting up the dark corridor.
She could now see some crates of empty bottles nearby, still left over from when the Hogs Head had been in use. With Hermione's help, Harry stacked them up against the cellar door. An instant later, Hermione and Ron had grabbed hold of the unconscious Lavender.
"Where to now?" Hermione squeaked.
As if on cue, a pair of Death Eaters appeared in the doorway that led to the bar area. "Halt!" one of them cried out.
"Expulso!" Luna's spell blasted the wall next to the leading Death Eater, making them cry out as the wall broke off into small flying chunks.
"Run!" Harry yelped. Then all of her friends were off, following her lead – pelting for the kitchen. The Death Eaters in the bar fired back, just missing the girls.
The kitchen door was now off its hinges altogether. Harry briefly took in the blasted furniture and the blood stain on the lane outside as they raced on outside, just as the sun was setting. The cool wind came as a welcome relief against Harry's sweating brow.
Behind them, from the pub, the noises of the cellar door exploding, curses, and bottle crates being flung aside could be hearing ringing in the air.
"Quick! This way!" Luna led them into an alley between a house and a shop. There, with Hermione taking the wand from Harry and keeping watch, Ron lowered Lavender to the ground, whilst they all recovered their breaths.
"Can't…carry her anymore…," Ron gasped. "Not even with 'Mione's help…"
"I'm sorry, Ron… We'll have to leave her." Hermione shot her fellow Hufflepuff an apologetic glance. "At least here is as good a place as any."
"Did…you and Lavender raise the alert…in the school, Luna?" Harry swallowed, gradually recomposing herself.
"Not exactly, Harry. She and I had the idea to run to The Three Broomsticks, as it was nearby... We told the customers and staff the news. Ludo Bagman was having a drink there... He was very startled, and told us to get back to yourselves – whilst he shot off for the school himself." Luna's expression turned sad. "But we were held up by questions from the customers. And then, some of the crowd tried to blast us down."
"What!?" Harry instinctively grabbed Luna's shoulders.
"It's true, Harry. Some of the patrons were Death Eaters off-duty – or they were supporters! Anyway, a fight broke out between our attackers and the staff and other drinkers – whilst Lavender and I ran. By the time we got back to the Hogs Head, Ron needed rescuing…"
"Ron?" Harry spun her head to face her former best male friend.
"Remus and I were ambushed in the kitchen by hooded Death Eaters coming from outside." Ron's lip trembled at the memory. "Remus lost his wand – and so he resorted to his wolf man form, taking the fight outside and killing one of the blighters. He did it, so that I could scrapper for it. Even then, three of the Death Eaters chased after me – and it took a skirmish in the orchard outside of the village, for Luna and Lavender to come to my aid. Then I thought about the cloaks, and…"
"…and so you played dress-up, rejoined Mrs Zabini's group and fooled them! By doing what you did, you got me and Harry out of the cellar!" Hermione beamed and instinctively kissed Ron on the cheek, hugging her. "Thank you."
"Yeah. Thanks all round, guys!" Harry smiled.
Ron was blushing from the kiss. "Um, you're welcome. So… Back to the shack, and the castle?"
Harry nodded. "Yes – we'd better move…"
"They're over there!" Someone cried out.
Harry and her friends spun round. Two burly men, in ordinary wizarding garb had spotted them. They turned and ran for the alley, drawing out their wands.
"Oh dear! They're two of our attackers from The Three Broomsticks!" Luna declared airily.
Ron and Hermione fired their wands, just missing their pursuers. The men took cover, throwing themselves onto the pavement of the street. Meanwhile, Harry and her party dashed for the other end of the alley to make their escape…
But now other, more obvious Death Eaters were appearing on their trail. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna dodged and ducked wild shots from fired wands – and they did not slow down until they had reached the Shrieking Shack. The girls locked the door behind them and wedged whatever wrecked furniture and debris they could find to keep out their pursuers – before racing for the trapdoor that was the access to the narrow underground tunnel leading back to the school. Once in it, the four of them formed single file – with Harry in the lead, and Luna forming the rearguard, as they all half-crouched, half-ran.
"I do hope Mr Bagman has reached Hogwarts safely," Luna called out. "He looked more than worried, when Lavender and I told him about our discovery of the Death Eaters. In fact, he looked confl-"
"Well… If he didn't, we should get to the school before the Death Eaters do," Hermione remarked, as she gingerly squeezed past a narrow point in the tunnel. Suddenly, she stopped.
"Harry! Mrs Zabrini said they were going to- Ouch! Ron!"
"Well – warn me next time you're going to halt in front of me, in a dark tunnel!"
Harry rolled her eyes. She froze and turned around. "What was that, Hermione?"
"Mrs Zabini stated they were to seize the school tonight! Ahead of schedule. Because of us! Umbridge was saying they were going to activate something – then she got cut off by Zabini!"
"Yes… First time in my life I actually wanted to hear Umbridge continue talking…," Harry muttered.
"Well… At least they can't overtake us," Luna happily declared. "This tunnel is the most direct route – and the wards are still in place around Hogwarts, so-"
"Bloody…hell…"
"Ron!" Hermione protested.
"Sor-ry... That was unladylike of me," Ron apologized. "It's just that… I think I know how the Death Eaters can overtake us!"
"How, Ron?" Harry pressed her.
"When Remus attacked Mrs Zabini's mob, I escaped the Hogs Head by fleeing through the bar lounge and breaking out through a window… On the way, I saw the portrait of the Dumbledore sister," Ron's voice filled the dark passageway. "The painting was slashed, Harry. Arianna isn't guarding the tunnel behind her picture!"
Hermione gasped. "Tenebrae must have found out all about it from Aberforth!"
Harry's fist slammed into the side of the dank tunnel they were in. "And right now, the Death Eaters will be taking the same route into Hogwarts that we took a year ago! With possibly nothing in place to stop them emerging into the Room of Requirement!"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Some minutes later – with their hearts still pounding – Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Ron all skidded to a halt in the Great Hall, where Professors Flitwick and Sprout were dueling with each other on the long decorated table laid out in the middle of the hall. The pupils were keenly watching – and there were several audible gasps, as between them Flitwick and Sprout conjured forth hexes and shield charms as they alternatively advanced and retreated along the table.
Harry tried to shout above the noise of the spectacle, as she rushed towards the crowd. Then Ron used her wand to strike a floating candle with a small fireball. The melting max then promptly collapsed onto the middle of the table, startling everyone.
"Miss Chesterton! What is the meaning-?" Sprout angrily addressed Ron.
"There are Death Eaters heading for the Room of Requirement!" Harry yelled.
There was deathly silence for a moment. Then the pupils started muttering, glancing at each other with horrified expressions.
Professor McGonagall, followed by Professor Vector, emerged from the crowd. She took in the looks on the four witches, as they recovered from their sprint. Her quizzical eyes narrowed into fear.
"Explain, Miss Lovegood!"
"Umbridge and a squad of Death Eaters have taken over the Hogs Head. They're using the tunnel from the pub…"
"What!? But we placed wards there…," Professor Flitwick squeaked. "And the portrait at the other end won't allow anyone…"
"The painting has been destroyed! And I would urge you to check on the wards!" Harry retorted.
"Filius! Pomora! Get to the Room of Requirement right now, and take appropriate action!" McGonagall ordered them.
"On our way, Headmistress," Sprout answered. The heads of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff house leapt down from the duel table and ran out of the hall.
"Celine! Look." Luna exclaimed, tugging at Harry's jacket sleeve, as she pointed towards a glow of magic coming from behind the mingling mass of pupils.
Harry and her friends tried to push through the confused crowd. Someone was incanting a spell - and they seemed to be directing it at themselves. The back of the head was dark-skinned…
Ginny got there first. She reached the source of the magical glow and spun the spellcaster round. "You!" she yelped. She raised her wand. "Stop whatever you're doing, right now…"
The wizard finished his spell, and gave a broad smile of satisfaction. "Too late, Ginny Weasley," declared Blaise Zabini.
An instant later, there were more glows of magical energy. As one, all of the friendship rings and bracelets that were being worn by the older pupils present flashed with silvery light. Ginny stiffened, her expression turning blank. So too did Neville, behind her. As did everyone who was wearing a piece of jewellery bought from…
"Oh no! The jewellery shop in Hogsmeadee – 'Witches Delight'!" Hermione shot her hands to her mouth. "Somebody… Grab Zabini!"
"Defend me!" Blaise Zabini roared. He clutched at something around his neck.
One of the older boys lunged towards Zabini. Automatically, Ginny spun round and shot him down. The young man was sent flying into the screaming crowd of those unaffected by Zabini's magic. He clutched at his stunned leg.
McGonagall climbed onto the long table and aimed at the eighth-year Slytherin. But her spell bounced off a shield charm that emanated from the brass amulet that was around Blaise's neck. In the same instant, all the pupils wearing the bewitched silver jewellery were now aiming their wands at anyone still with their senses intact who had drawn their own wands. Two more pupils cried out as their possessed housemates hit them with stunners. Harry, her friends, and McGonagall all watched in bewildered horror at what was happening before them.
Then Blaise made his next move.
"Expulso!"
The Headmistress screamed as the Slytherin's spell destroyed the table she was on. She toppled to the floor, even as the terrified pupils pulled back.
"Greengrass! Seize McGonagall's wand. Nott, Macmillan, Abbott – watch her!"
"Yes, Master," all four blank-eyed pupils intoned, as they got to work.
"Why you…!" Harry pushed her way through the frightened, scattering crowd of those not possessed. She aimed her wand at Blaise – only for her stunner to be met by the same blue-coloured shield charm that his amulet seemed to project around his body whenever magic was fired at him.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Accio wand!"
The incantations were repeated several times over. Harry's borrowed wand was knocked out of her grip and it flew into the empty hand of a Death Eater now entering the Great Hall. The same fate occurred to the wands of Ron, Hermione, and Luna.
"Blast! Just as well that I'm not wearing the owl earrings I got from that jewellers – or I might be an imperiused pawn too now!" Harry hissed to Luna.
She nodded. "The Death Eaters must have had control over the jewellery shop, as well as the Hogs Head. They've been planning this night for a long time!"
McGonagall groaned, rubbing her head, as some of the younger, non-possessed pupils helped her into a half-risen position. Their faces all paled, as did those of the other clear-minded pupils, upon seeing several more Death Eaters stride into the room. Two of them were the assistants from the jewellery shop. They stunned anyone raising a wand against them – as well as anyone who tried to flee the hallway.
And to make matters worse, Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey Davis led a half-dozen Slytherin pupils forward – their wands directed at the crowd, as they helped the arriving Death Eaters to enforce the guard around them.
Directed by Blaise Zabini, Ginny, Neville, and the other controlled pupils herded Harry and the rest of the crowd to one side of the Great Hall, before forcing them to discard their remaining wands and sit down on the floor. Then Ludo Bagman entered the hallway from the far door. He took in the sight before him, and visibly gulped, Harry noticed.
"Mr Bagman!" McGonagall shrieked. "Quickly! Raise the alarm…!"
He sadly shook his head. Instead, he turned to the door he had just come through and spell locked it.
"Wha-?" McGonagall gasped.
Hermione groaned and clutched her head. "Of course…! How would the spellbound jewellery be admitted into the school, if…"
"Hem, hem. Mr Bagman is acting in our interests, Headmistress," Dolores Umbridge beamed as she walked into the Great Hall, accompanied by Nahilah Zabini. The latter swept her eyes across the scene, and nodded in approval. She headed over to her son, and patted his shoulder.
"You have done well, Blaise." She smiled, showing her white teeth.
He grinned back. "Thank you, mother. And now I can begin to turn my chosen one to our side. Come here, Ginny."
Like an automaton, Ginny turned and walked over to Blaise. "Yes, Master?" she asked, sounding like a child, as she looked up to him attentively.
"No! Ginny!" Ron tried to get up and run towards her real sister. Harry and Hermione quickly restrained her.
Blaise chuckled. "Even after several months in Hufflepuff house, you are still emotionally headstrong, Ron Weasley. Pathetic. Then again, your disguise fooled even me – until my mother here managed to pass on a secret message to me, during my Christmas holiday at home, telling me all about your friends' secrets. Now you will again learn the price of your family fighting against the Dark Lord. Your sister here will become a Death Eater, and she will also become my willing lover - loyal to me and our undying cause to steer this country back to greatness…"
Ron seethed. "She sure won't kiss your sulky face out of her own free choice, would she? So you have to hypnotize her to get what you want! Yeah. Great recipe for a true, loving relationship….!"
The pupils who were also now prisoners gasped and started muttering. Susan Bones dropped open her jaw.
"Rohan…? You're Ron…Weasley?"
"Um. Yes, Susan. Sorry. It's a long story," Ron muttered, her face reddening.
"Well… No wonder you were such a good Quidditch Keeper," Susan replied, managing a faint smile that gave way to a look of horror. "Merlin…! How many times have you shared a shower with me and the other g-?"
"Susan! Not now!" Ron fumed.
Harry took in the emotionless expression on Ginny's face. It was the same as the other pupils who had been mentally taken over by the magic of Blaise's amulet. She shuddered.
"Ginny doesn't exactly look…charmed…, by your plans for her, Zabini," she pointed out. "I take it you no longer regard her as a dirty bloodtraitor?"
The Slytherin lad gave a staccato laugh. "Malfoy told us that you followed me into our compartment on the Hogwarts Express from the Slug Club meeting, the evening of us starting our sixth year. I merely told Malfoy what would please him. I have kept my eye on Ginny for some time - planning a way to win her over to both our side, and my side. Soon she'll forget her feelings for Longbottom, here. Or that she ever fancied you, Potter!"
There were more gasps and loud mutterings from the crowd of pupil prisoners, as the meaning of Blaise's last words struck home.
"What…?" Justin Finch-Fletchley called out. "What are you saying, Zabini?"
Blaise gave another of his smug, tightlipped grins. His face was now rather more animated that Harry had ever seen before. "I have overheard a rumour that you have taken a shine to Miss Celine Lovegood here, you Mudblood. How do you feel about the fact that Loony's cousin is actually Harry Potter in disguise?"
The watching young prisoners reacted with shock – first to Blaise's dirty word, then with astonishment at the revelation of Harry's secret.
Justin was dumbfounded. He shifted his wide eyes to Harry. "Celine… Is this true?" he asked.
"Celine…," Hermione cautioned her.
"What's the point, Hermione? We're sunk…" Harry shot back. She locked her gaze onto the eighth year Hufflepuff . "It's true, Justin. Sorry… Sorry to you all. But it had to be done. For our safety. To hide from the enemies of Hogwarts!"
Justin bowed his head, crestfallen at the realization that the young lady he had admired was really Harry Potter.
"Enough!" Professor McGonagall rose and strode over to the Zabinis. "Who is in charge of you, now that Riddle has gone to hell?"
Nahilah Zabini gave a tight smile to match her son's. "I am the Dark Lady of the Death Eaters now, McGonagall. As for who is in charge of Hogwarts – that will be Dolores and the Carrows here."
The brother and sister who had effectively run Hogwarts during the previous year, alongside Professor Snape, smiled unpleasantly at McGonagall, as they lowered their hoods. Alecto was missing some of her teeth. Umbridge giggled.
"I will be taking over as Headmistress before long, Minerva. And you will co-operate, if you know what is good for the staff and the pupils!"
McGonagall glared angrily at her hated antagonist from three years ago. "The Ministry and the establishment, as well as the parents, will not accept you or the Death Eater vermin you have allied yourself with, Dolores!"
At that moment, Professors Flitwick and Sprout were led into the Great Hall by more Death Eaters – their arms bound behind their backs by magically-glowing cords. They were forced to sit down at the teachers table.
"The Ministry will have no choice. Right now, my followers are spreading through the school, to ensure that there will be no setbacks to our takeover!" Mrs Zabini purred. "And our plans are falling into place. This country will be given the firm leadership that the Dark Lord was intending to provide…"
"Our ship will soon be revealed to the wizarding world – and then the Muggles will learn the consequences if they choose to resist our cause," Umbridge smirked.
"Your…ship?" Luna tilted her head in interest.
Nahilah Zabini held up her hand and shot Umbridge a warning glance. "You will see, when the time is right!"
One of the more slender robed Death Eaters stepped forward and removed her hood – to reveal the cold expression of Shardraya Darke. Tenebrae. She glanced at Harry and her friends. "Now that we have Potter once more, I presume I have your permission to kill her, my Lady?" she asked Mrs Zabini.
She paused. "Yes – it would set an example to the other pupils. But, hold! Let her see our…children…first. Send for Narcissa!"
A nearby Death Eater took off his hood, revealing the face of Rodolphus Lestrange – who Harry had seen at the underground base where she and Ron had been held prisoner.
"I know where to find her, my Lady," he declared.
Harry, Luna, Ron, and Hermione all glanced at each other, in alarm. A minute later, Rodolphus returned with Narcissa Malfoy – who was dressed in the same dark robes as the other Death Eaters.
"I don't believe it…," Harry muttered.
"Mrs Malfoy…," Luna called out to her sadly. "Why are you working with them? After what happened to Draco…?"
Narcissa froze and turned to Luna. But she failed to make eye-contact. "For-forgive me… But I had to see Draco again! They promised me…"
"…that you would see Draco again…?" Harry slapped her forehead, remembering. "The clone I fought."
Nahilah Zabini clapped her hands once. "Thurban – come and meet your mother!" she called out to the Death Eaters guarding over the prisoners.
One of the robed figures turned and walked over briskly to the Zabinis. The hood was pulled back, to reveal Draco Malfoy. His expression was guarded, but Harry heard him suck in his breath as he took in Narcissa, who stared back at him in wonder. She gasped and clasped his face in both hands, before pulling him into a fierce hug. He held her, in response.
"Mother…?" he almost whispered, with the voice of Draco.
"Yes..! YES! Oh, Draco. We lost you – but now we have you returned to us! Soon, I can take you to see your father – and then we can all be a happy family again. Just the three of us…" Narcissa pulled back from Draco, but kept her hands on his shoulders. Tears were flowly freely from her glistening eyes. "It doesn't matter that you are a clone, Draco! We will love you, like we loved the original you. How much do you remember of your life from your inherited memories? Of Hogwarts?"
"Only fragments, mother." He turned to stare at Harry and her friends.
"If that is not good enough for you, Narcissa, there is also Sargas, here," Nahilah Zabini purred. "Come, show yourself, Sargas!"
One of the smaller Death Eaters removed his hood, to reveal another Draco Malfoy. This clone flashed a smarmy smile at Harry, as he stepped forward.
"Hello, mother," he grinned at her.
Narcissa Malfoy drew in her breath sharply – then she launched herself at him, hugging him equally as tight. Sargas however, did not return as much affection as Thurban, Harry noticed.
"My son! Oh, Merlin! I… Father and I will love you both!"
"There is no need to worry about me, mother. I have not been short of affection whilst I've been in the service of our cause." He pulled away from Mrs Malfoy and nodded at the slightly-shorter hooded figure besides him. The latter reached up and lowered the hood, to reveal Pansy Parkinson. She gave everyone a wide smile as she swept her glittering eyes around the hall. Her wandering gaze stopped as she turned to Harry and her friends.
"It's so good to be back, everyone. Hello Granger! Are you looking forward to seeing Potter, the…," here, she laughed gleefully, "…'Girl Who Survived' finally get what she should have got last year? Her just deserts!"
Hermione's cheeks flushed. "The only thing Harry deserves is a long, happy life whilst the fascist, deluded dreams of empire of all of you lie in flames!" she shrieked back, half-rising in her anger.
"Careful, Hermione…," Harry cautioned her, pulling her back down.
"Sorry, Harry – but the thought that Pansy has been cloned…"
Pansy snorted, and flicked back a loose strand of her long, dark hair. "There is only me. The real me!"
Hermione smiled. "Thank you for that information, Pansy."
The face of the former Slytherin girl turned pale, as she realized she had said too much. The Draco clone Sargas narrowed his eyes, and snaked his arm around Pansy.
"Don't let Granger get the better of you, Pansy," he advised her. "Remember, Draco died – and yet I am now yours again! Meanwhile, Granger will see Potter die – and be replaced by clones who serve us faithfully…"
She smiled. "Yes…," she murmured, as she slipped her arm around him in turn.
The other Draco-clone, meanwhile, was taking this exchange in – and was gazing at Harry-as-Celine Lovegood with amazement.
"She is Potter? The former boy that the original me sparred with, at school?"
"That's right, Thurban," Blaise answered him.
Ron shook her head - then looked at Harry and Hermione. "Flamin' hell! You pair were right about the clones. What next?"
Nahilah Zabini grinned. "What next, Miss Weasley? That is easy to answer! Ahh… Here they are!"
Several more robed and masked Death Eaters entered the Great Hall, along with more prisoners. Dora Lupin yelled and spat in the face of one of her two captors as they roughly dragged her in the hallway – behind her wailing baby, who was being levitated by the Death Eater leading the group. Then Dr Aloysius Blanchard entered, along with a number of more Death Eaters who were carrying in Hagrid.
The pupil prisoners raised their voices in agitation. Both Hermione and screamed at the sight of the fallen groundsman. So too did Harry and Ron.
"Have you killed him? Because if you have-!"
"Quit yammering, Potter! This oaf is merely stunned. For now," Blanchard barked at her. He glanced at Teddy Lupin, still crying, as he was suspended in mid-air – and aimed his wand at the young boy. "Silencio!"
Teddy had his crying audibly cut off, as a gag materialized over his mouth.
"Teddy! And…Remus! Where's Remus? And Lavender?" Dora yelled, as she was pushed against the staff table.
"They are alive too, Mrs Werewolf," Umbridge simpered. "Miss Brown was picked up by our followers. No harm will come to them, if you co-operate with us…"
Dora glared at Umbridge. Then she turned to face her son, who was still gagged and floating, some yards away from her. "Give me back my Teddy!" she ordered. "Take that gag off from him!"
Umbridge giggled at Dora's words. "Only if you can keep him quiet, whilst we conduct business."
Dora shot daggers at the former - and would be again - tyrant of Hogwarts. But she nodded. The masked Death Eater saw Umbridge's nod – and then allowed Teddy to be held, sans gag, by his sobbing mother.
"Now… Ares, Harlan, Seth… Come over here!" Nahilah Zabini instructed three of her masked followers. "Reveal yourselves to Miss Lovegood and her friends! You first, Ares."
They did so, taking up position next to the Zabinis. The one called Ares turned out to be the Death Eater who had levitated baby Teddy. The hood was dropped and the mask was taken off to reveal…the face of the boy-wizard Harry Potter. Squinting, Harry could even make out the lightning-shaped scars on his temple.
Now the watching prisoners were truly agitated. As well as gripped with disbelief at what they were seeing. There were several cries of horror, as the two similarly-built Death Eaters pulled aside their hoods and masks to uncover two more Harry Potters. Ares and one of his twin brothers grinned maliciously at the gobsmacked Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Luna. Whilst the third Harry clone stared at them with a guarded, neutral expression.
Harry's blood boiled. She fought to control her rising anger, as she swung herself round to address Blanchard. "This is your doing! You cloned me! From the blood and tissue samples you and Mrs Zabini took from me, during my fifth year at school. And you did the same to Malfoy!"
"My… Clever, aren't you, Miss Potter?" Blanchard retorted, raising an eyebrow in response. "We unfortunately lost our main cloning facilities, when the Aurors forced us to flee the lair we took you to, last December. Still, the wards on them were strong… But yes, these boys are my proud achievements. The results of careful years of my study and work in the fields of magic and genetic experimentation."
"You used the clones of Harry in Death Eater raids, where you wanted there to be survivors… To turn the wizarding world against Harry – and hopefully flush her out of hiding in her anger." Hermione shook her head – as much amazed by the capabilities of Dr Blanchard, as she was repulsed by them.
Harry noticed that McGonagall was shaking, barely holding back her anger. "How many clones…? Who else have you…copied?"
Blanchard guffawed. "That would be telling, Headmistress!"
"Well then. Answer me this, one of you! How did you get into Hogwarts, when the wards were up? The Room of Requirement should have been prot-"
"That would be down to my invention, which was smuggled into the school by Mr Bagman here." Rodolphus Lestrange drawled, stepping forward so that he was close to Harry and her three friends who were fellow prisoners sat next to her. "Mr Bagman – would you care to show the Headmistress my work?"
"Ahh… Right… Yes." Ludo Bagman was sweating as he reaching into a large inner pocket of his caretakers coat and pulled out a number of glowing spike-like, clustered crystals. "They interfere with the wards, my dear lady," he explained, not quite making eye contact with McGonagall.
She gasped. "I have not seen anything like these before!"
Rodolphus Lestrange gave a smug smile. "Advanced magic, Headmistress. They were not easy to magically configure."
"But how did you know how to counteract against the wards? That would take knowledge of the magic used to construct them-"
Rodolphus held up his hand. "I have said enough."
"Enough talk, indeed!" Shardraya Darke shot a look of impatience at the other Death Eaters. "My Lady…"
"Yes, dear. Potter has now seen that she is to be replaced in the eyes of the world by Harry Potter, the loyal Death Eater. And also that her hated tormentor at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy, lives again. She can now die with that knowledge." Mrs Zabini's beaming expression turned into a mask of cruelty. "Kill her, Tenebrae. Let the pupils witness this glorious moment – as they witnessed the death of our departed Lord."
"With pleasure, my Lady." Darke raised her wand at Harry. "Nobody escapes me forever, Potter. No even you! Get up!"
Harry's heart pounded. She glanced at the frightened expressions on the pupils, on Justin, on Professor McGonagall, on Ron, Hermione, and Luna. Her throat had dried up and she was shaking inside – barely able to stand. But she did.
Ron and Hermione were unable to speak. They were both on the verge of tears.
"Face me, Harry Potter!" Darke yelled at her. "Look at the one who, despite your guardians and tricks, managed to track you down and kill you!"
Harry forced herself to look Tenebrae in the eyes.
"How…how many innocent people have you murdered, Darke?" she whispered.
The assassin laughed. "I reckon you'll be number twenty, Potter."
"Nooo!" Luna shot to her feet and clung to Harry's arm. "Stop this…!"
"Luna! Don't-!"
"I'm not leaving you, Harry!" Luna shot her a wide-eyed look of terror.
Darke smirked, as did Umbridge, standing behind her. The assassin held her wand at both Harry and Luna. "Make that twenty and twenty-one! Av-"
And then something unexpected happened.
A glass ball was pulled out of a pocket by one of the Death Eaters - and it was then thrown at the feet of Tenebrae, where it violently shattered.
The shards flew up, and then there was a distortion of the air around the killer. She spun round, to identify the source of the attack, even as she raised the leather sleeve shield on her forearm to parry the glass. Only her movements were noticeably slowing down. And one by one, so too were the other Death Eaters, as their eyes widened in bewilderment. Those closest to the broken glass ball were affected first -then everybody came under the influence of the released magic as the effects rippled outwards throughout the entire Great Hall. Harry's senses took in the effects on Tenebrae, Umbridge, and the Zabinis and Malfoy – before she, like Luna, Ron, and Hermione, was also caught in the time distortion.
Except that now, to their affected senses – everyone before them was moving at normal speed, and that two figures were moving forward in a blur of motion.
Darke screamed out her fury. "Avada Kedrava!"
Her wand tip fired the lime green bolt of light towards Harry's heart. The taller of the two figures slammed Harry and Luna to the floor, before grasping their hands. The other man ran over to Ron and Hermione and did the same with them.
Then there was a sucking sensation and the room spun round. Harry cried out at the squeezing of pressure around her as the Great Hall vanished from sight in the whirlpool of sight and sound…
Moments later, she found herself on the stone floor of a cold room that seemed vaguely familiar. Gasping from the unexpected side-apparition, she realized that her hand was just being released…
…by Rodolphus Lestrange.
Using her arms Harry shot half-upright, her legs tucked underneath her. She turned her head, and she breathed a sigh of deep relief as she saw Luna besides her, also on the floor, as Rodolphus stepped away from them. With a swirling blur of motion, Ludo Bagman appeared in the room, grasping the hands of Ron and Hermione – who both looked dumbfounded at the latest twist in events. Bagman then let go of the two Hufflepuff witches, and they collapsed next to their Ravenclaw friends.
"What the hell is going on?" Ron yelped at Bagman. "Why did you-?" The words froze on her tongue, as she glanced around. "The…Potions classroom?"
And so it was, Harry realized as she gathered her wits, taking in the workbenches, connected glass apparatus, beakers, cupboards, and water tap.
But Bagman wasn't paying attention to Ron. Instead, at Rodolphus's urging, he again pulled out from his jacket pocket the crystals which had interfered with the wards of Hogwarts. He threw them onto a clear space on the floor, way away from the four witches – and then both wizards fired repeated explosive spells at the crystal clutsters – until nothing was left of them apart from myriad, shattered shards.
Rodolphus and Bagman wiped their sweating foreheads with tissues, breathing deeply with relief.
"So far, so good! Now to secure the area, and fight back!" Rodolphus snapped at the former Quidditch player and commentator.
Bagman nodded. "This is where I left them." With his belly wobbling somewhat with the exertion, he ran over to a nearby cupboard, unlocked it with his wand, and then pulled out from the back a stash of wands. He turned to address the witches.
"Quickly! Arm yourselves!"
Harry rose and placed her hands on her hips, just as her friends also got to their feet. "Just wait a moment! Whose side are you pair really on?" Harry spat, glaring at Bagman, and also at Rodolphus – who was pulling out from his robes a jar, that he then poured into a beaker. Seconds later, the Death Eater was turning on a couple of gas taps – setting about heating up the grey, lumpy-liquid he had just produced.
Harry saw Luna frown, her silver-grey eyes taking in Rodolphus Lestrange's movements with interest.
"I do not have time to answer silly questions, Potter! Isn't it obvious that I am trying to save you, again?" the man snapped, as he paused briefly in his work.
"We are on the side of Hogwarts, Harry. Despite the pretence in working with the Death Eaters," Bagman answered, looking distinctly unhappy.
"Again…" Hermione mused, as she rummaged through the bundle of wands. She tried light spells to gauge which of the presented wands would work best for her.
"My torture cell at that Death Eater base… The powder left on that burning torch… It sent me to sleep!" Harry almost whispered.
"And the same thing happened to the Death Eater watching over you in that cell," Rodolphus shot back, turning the lit Bunsen burner to its intense setting. The semi-solid material in the beaker started to bubble.
"You put that powder on the torch! The burnt essence did its work in the dungeon room – making it easier for me to be rescued," Harry reasoned. "Did you know that help was co-?"
"No! I was planning to come back for you, when the burnt powder had cleared. And then get both you and Miss Weasley disguised as Death Eaters from the Polyjuice potion reserves that I had stashed upon me," Rodolphus drummed his fingers upon the workbench, waiting for his work to be ready. His face twitched with disdain. "I would have then urged you both to the entry chamber beyond the ward barrier, where you could have Apparated to freedom. Instead, the Aurors came – and in order to preserve my cover, I had to leave abruptly with Blanchard and Nahilah Zabini, to avoid capture! Now stop testing my patience, and use the wands Bagman has acquired, so that we have the area secured! The Death Eaters will be searching the entirety of Hogwarts, since they do not know where we disappeared too – but they will soon think of checking these rooms!"
Feeling rebuked, Harry nevertheless saw the wisdom in Rodolphus's order. She, Ron, and Luna joined Hermione, as they tested the wands spread out over a work bench, and settled on their choices.
"Wait a mo'! Where did these wands come from?" Ron asked Bagman.
He looked uncomfortable. "Ahh… The black market. Mr Lestrange here acquired them, and he smuggled them over to me. I understand…that their owners won't be needing them anymore."
A chill ran through Harry's heart. She raised her face and addressed Bagman. "The witches and wizards who have gone missing…?"
"Yes." Bagman stared at the floor momentarily.
"The activated crystal clusters that you were both carrying… They nullified all of the wards in the school, so that we could Apparate anywhere around Hogwarts!" Hermione turned to regard the shattered crystals with fascination. "And now that they are destroyed, the wards are back up?"
"That is correct, Miss Granger." Bagman managed a faint smile. "Those were the only means the Death Eaters had to break the wards. Now they cannot enter here, without looking for us."
"Impressive…," Harry muttered. "I guess thanks are in order…"
The worried expression returned to Mr Bagman's face. "We are far from safe. Thank us later – if we all survive this invasion. Time to check the area outside! Be careful, ladies."
Harry and her friends did so, emerging into the corridor outside with Bagman. Checking the neighboring rooms, they startled Professor Slughorn – who was in his quarters, eating his supper of cheese and crackers.
Ludo Bagman sighed with relief, and mopped his brow. "I was hoping that you were here, as per your usual routine…"
"Merlin! Why couldn't you knock, Mr Bagman?" Slughorn put down his glass of port and forced himself to stand up from his padded leather chair.
Hurriedly, they explained the situation to him. Including the fact that the true identities of Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been blown.
"Rodolphus Lestrange is helping you girls!? I don't understand. Surely he hates us even more, after the death of his bonkers wife?"
"I don't understand it either, Professor. But he and Bagman here saved our lives!" Harry added.
"Lestrange could do with your help in the Potions classroom right now, Professor Slughorn. He'll explain what needs doing! And it would help if you could call upon a house elf, Professor. So that we can get him, or her, to spread the cause of rebellion amongst the House Elves," Bagman urged him. "As for myself, I'm going to rig up some booby traps in the corridor."
"What about us?" Harry spoke up for her and her friends.
"Stay close to me, ladies. I'll need someone to keep watch, whilst I get to work!" he shot back. "First of all, we'll get some spare beakers from the Potions classroom…"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Minutes later, following the first appearance of imperiused pupils marching along the dungeon-level corridor, Harry, Luna, and Bagman managed to shield themselves from the stunning spells of the first wave of the emotionless students – at the same time, succeeding in stunning a couple of their attackers in turn. Harry found that it wasn't easy – Bagman had warned them to aim at their heads. The reason why was made evident by the fact that the glowing silver friendship bracelets caused the red beams of light directed at the imperiused students to bend in mid-flight and become absorbed by the bracelets. But, as Harry and Luna discovered if you aimed at the heads of the bracelet wearers, it was just possible to avoid having their stunners sucked in by the bracelets.
Falling back, Harry and his companions were pursued by the controlled pupils – who then ran along the corridor in pursuit, ignoring the glass beakers left at the side of the corridor. When Bagman cast a spell to shatter the first beaker, releasing a shower of glass shards which distracted the hunters, Ron and Hermione leapt out from the opposing rooms which the pupils had hurried past, and they fired off their own spells. More beakers exploded – and in the confusion of glass shattering at their feet, the distracted students aiming to capture Harry and her friends found themselves instead being stunned by carefully-aimed spells from both ahead and behind.
With all the hunting party down, Ron cautiously looked out as far as the staircase leading towards the ground level.
"Safe! For now," she hissed to them, running swiftly back.
"Good! Luckily, we didn't blind them with our traps. Or badly injure them," Bagman pointed out; quickly examining the pupils they had knocked out and captured. Harry felt sorry for Ernie, Hannah, Theodore, and Daphne – all slumped on the stone floor, amongst the shattered shards.
"But we gave them some minor cuts to their clothes and faces, it seems," Luna declared sadly. "We'll have to heal them, when we can."
"Yes – but for now, get these four into the classroom!" Bagman instructed them.
"Can we get these things off them?" Harry reached down to remove Ernie's bracelet– only to receive a flash of heat when she touched it. "Ouch! That burns!"
Hermione helped to cool Harry's injured hand with a quick conjuring of small ice crystals. "Don't be rash, Harry. I wouldn't cast an explosive spell at those bracelets either. We might take off the hands of the boys and girls here!" she advised her.
Bagman shook his head in exasperation, and he huffed. "Well, there you go! Everybody – don't touch the bracelets, whilst you carry these four pupils into the classroom! With Slughorn's help, we may have the key to conjure up a magical chemical mixture which will neutralise the sorcery of those bracelets and render them useless. That should free them from the control of Blaise Zabini's amulet. Then we can see to their injuries and wake them up."
Between the five of them, the group carried the four imperiused pupils into the Potions classroom and they laid them out on the floor space inbetween the desks – having removed their wands beforehand. Meanwhile, Rodolphus and Slughorn were hard at work around the work bench, combining liquids and tinctures from the different bottles and flasks littering the table.
"How's it going?" Bagman asked the other men.
"We're getting there, Bagman," snapped Rodolphus. "Now close that door behind you, and guard it! So that we can…" His eyes widened in shock. "Watch out!"
Bagman, Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Ron all turned and screamed as a small flood of spiders, rats, and grass snakes entered the classroom from the open doorway. Ron jumped onto one of the long tables where the pupils sat and began firing off stunning spells at the spiders which seemed to home in on her, whilst Hermione joined her adopted sister and aimed her jinxes at the rats – the first of which had latched onto her jeans. Squirming wildly and shrieking, she swatted the skittering rodents off her with her free hand – before zapping them into the land of nod, also.
The dozen snakes, meanwhile, slithered in the direction of Harry, Luna, and the three wizards – who all fought back with their wands, letting rip with fire spells and stunners. Losing her wand, Harry then grabbed one of the lit Bunsen burners and slammed it into the skull of one snake, before directing the intense setting flame at another, roasting it.
Gradually, they were overcoming the invading creatures. Hermione's clothes were getting scratched by the last few rats – but they were avoiding getting directly injured. So far.
As they fought, Harry screamed – feeling another snake swiftly slither up her trousers and wrap itself over her shoulder. Then – abruptly – it changed, gaining weight. Within seconds, Harry found herself with one arm twisted and held tightly behind her back, whilst her attacker's other hand was jabbing his wand into her neck.
"Drop your weapons - now! Or Potter gets it!" a familiar voice spat.
Frightened, Harry stared at a nearby beaker of clear water. The reflection showed her that she was being held by a dark-haired youth about half a head taller than herself.
"Ares…," Rodolphus Lestrange stomped on the last snake, and turned to Harry's captor. It was one of Harry's facsimilies. A Death Eater. Harry's friends and allies all froze – none of them daring to hit Harry if they tried to take out her attacker.
"Blasted clone…! So you can change into a snake, and back, can you?" Harry gulped. "If you are really a copy of me, don't you have my memories? Umbridge and her cronies are the real enemy – not us!"
Ares laughed with the voice of the original Harry Potter. "I have been raised specially to serve the cause of the departed Dark Lord, Potter! I do not have any inherited memory of your life – an unworthy brother would have provided the necessary information for us, instead. Such as the useful detail that Ron Weasley is afraid of spiders – and that Hermione Granger isn't too fond of rats, for example…" He paused. "I said drop your wands, everyone."
"And if we do, what then…?" Ron muttered.
"I suggest we do exactly what Ares asks of us," Rodolphus declared, his voice calm, clear and steady. Yet his eyes were like steel, Harry noted, even as he dropped his wand onto the floor.
Reluctantly, Bagman, Ron, Hermione, and Luna complied.
Ares nodded his approval. "The Dark Lady might find a use for you lot. Maybe you will get to live after all! However, Lady Tenebrae wants to kill you herself, Potter – so I'll just injure you, inst-"
"Your House Elf, Slughorn!" Rodolphus hissed to the Potions teacher.
"Oh! Oooh…! Winky!" Slughorn called out.
With a loud 'pop', Winky appeared in the room, close to Slughorn. "You called, Professor?" she squeaked. Then she saw what was happening – and she gave a yell.
Alarmed, Ares turned to face the latest arrival – wand at the ready.
And with a blur of speed, Rodolphus Lestrange whipped out a second wand from his robes, and aimed it at Ares.
"Expelliarmus! Levicorpus!"
The Death Eater clone of Harry yelled as first his wand was sent spinning from his hand, and then he was jerked upwards by the ankle – tumbling upside down in mid-air whilst his fraying arms and legs batted above the nearest workbench, failing to find contact with the nearest stone column or closest potential weapon amongst the jars and beakers. At first, the real Harry was dragged up with Ares – but then Ron and Luna ran over to break Ares's grip on Harry, and the girls promptly collapsed back on the stone floor, knocking over a couple of chairs in the process. Hermione, meanwhile, had scooped up the clone's wand.
Spitting his fury, Ares instead reached into his cloak and produced a throwing knife, which he tried to aim at Rodolphus…
"Die – you traitor!"
With a face like thunder, Rodolphus responded to the threat by using his wand to direct the upside-down young wizard in mid-air to a point directly above one of Slughorn's huge bubbling cauldrons…
"No! I was making medicinal brandy in that one!" Slughorn protested.
"Then that will suffice…," Rodolphus rasped.
"Oh no…" Hermione whispered in a small voice.
"Liberacorpus!"
Hermione, Harry, Ron, Luna, Bagman, Slughorn, and Winky all watched – captivated with horror – as Rodolphus Lestrange cancelled his levitation hold over Ares. As the young man flung the throwing knife with a sideways motion, missing the dodging Rodolphus – Ares screamed and fell, landing head-first into the filled cauldron, splashing the floor around it.
"Incendio!"
The latest spell from Rodolphus was fired at the contents of the cauldron as he darted forward. The spirit mixture boiled furiously and there was a gurgled scream – with Ares's lower legs thrashing above the waterline. A scolded hand emerged from the cauldron and gripped the side – then jerked and stiffened. The fingers lost their strength, and the hand fell back inside with a limp 'splash'.
Ron and Hermione both audibly gasped, and clung to each other, reeling from the horrific sight. Luna squeezed Harry around the shoulders, as she shuddered.
Slughorn was first to recover from the shock. "Winky… Guard the door!"
"Yes, Professor. Winky will alert you if she sees anyone coming!" The house elf ran outside the classroom.
"You…killed Harry's clone! But you could have…stunned him, questioned him…" Hermione protested.
"He would've told us nothing without forcing Veritaserum down him!" Bagman fired back at her.
But Harry's attention was elsewhere. Her eyes were taking in the pensive, expression on Rodolphus's face as he gazed at the steaming cauldron.
"You!" she spat, in realization. "How can it possibly be you!?"