Oh, yeah. Have you guys ever heard of UserStyles? It's an app that can be used to restyle every single website you've come across. I personally recommend you use it. Sure, the dark feature of ffnet is nice and all, but "ffnet : Purple/Black/Gray & Ad removal" and "ffnet - Make text selectable again" are infinitely superior to it. Of course, I've also used this app to restyle Google, Facebook, Youtube, Hotmail, omegle, 4chan, etc. So.. Yeah.
I also highly recommend that you read Variant Strain by scriviner. It's a Spider-Man / Prototype fusion that will simply blow you away. Magnificence incarnate.
GuEsT: Dude... TaLkInG lIkE tHiS CREEPS ME THE FUCK OUT. Seriously. :(
CoolFanfictionLover: What does "bye sumi" mean? Obviously, I know what "bye" means, but what does "sumi" mean?
Ashans23: You want to be even sadder? I probably won't finish this story for years, still.
On another note, I have a question for you guys. Am I allowed to release this story in the Harry Potter / X-overs section, while still keeping this one here?
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Lightning Dragon's Roar
A Harry Potter Fanfiction
By Zero Rewind
© 2015
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Chapter 21: Merry Christmas!
Apparition, I decided, felt downright uncomfortable; almost painful, in fact. I likened the feeling to being squeezed through an impossibly small, long tube. Now I knew what toothpaste felt like. At least it didn't last very long, and I managed to keep my lunch inside of my stomach! That was definitely a win in my book.
I surveyed my surroundings. We were in a dark alleyway.
"Come, Harry." Dumbledore began to walk. "The hospital is this way."
"Yes. St Mungo's, was it?" I questioned out of curiosity.
"Indeed."
I followed the much older man into a broad store-lined street. It was packed with people of all kinds, most likely doing their last minute gift shopping for Christmas. Luckily I was not one of these people; I had already done all my Christmas shopping a week before this.
Ah, the wonders of being prepared.
I looked at all these people's stressed out faces and felt my face shift into a smug look. Amateurs.
We walked for a few minutes more, both of us choosing to be silent for the moment. Finally, we arrived outside a large, run-down looking department store. It looked pretty old-fashioned, when compared to everywhere else on the street; like it didn't quite fit in…
"Are all the entrances to magical avenues so… distasteful to look at?" I wondered out loud, my face scrunched up in distaste.
Dumbledore chuckled in response.
"I once asked the same question, in my youth." Dumbledore said before clearing his throat, and began to address an ugly female dummy behind one of the glass sheets.
"We are here to see a Mr. Arthur Weasley." Dumbledore asked in his most polite voice. The image was comical.
"Honestly, just watching you talk to an inanimate object with such a polite tone is hilarious." I threw in with a lopsided grin. "Granted, I can tell that this is probably the same trick used at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The magic even feels similar."
True to form, the dummy gave a nod and beckoned us with its finger. We walked right through the glass, into the actual hospital entrance.
I gazed at the typical hospital setting. It was all very anticlimactic, to be honest. I figured there would be some kind of magical reception, with flying clipboards and pens; but nope, it's just a bunch of people in waiting rooms with a few people in lime green robes attending to everyone.
There were clipboards, though they were in the physicians' hands instead. Bummer.
I scoffed, causing Dumbledore to look my way. I caught his eye, and shrugged with irritation.
"I couldn't help but notice the emblem these— Healers, is it? The emblem is quite peculiar." I said off-handedly.
A wand and a bone, crossed. It felt a bit amusing to see. The wand-work mostly did mundane things. It was the potion-work that did the bulk of the healing. So, to see a wand crossed over a bone was very idiotic. Perhaps it's supposed to represent wizards in general using magic to heal the masses?
Of course, that left out another problem entirely. This was another emblem of the Wizarding World's prejudice and intolerance. Surely, with all this power, they could heal everyone in need, and not simply other wizards?
However, they didn't. They hid the hospital under heavy illusions and compulsions specifically meant to keep non-magicals away from it. It was as if they didn't even deserve to be healed.
Non-magical medicine adopted either the symbol of Hermes' staff, circled by two snakes, Caduceus, or the symbol of Asclepius' Rod, a wooden rod circled by a single snake. It was a meaningful symbol; a symbol of humanity's willingness to delve into the very depths of scientific knowledge, even it meant it hurt them in return.
I felt it was unfair. Medicine was so easy in the Wizarding World, whereas non-magical folk struggle with it every single day to their lives. How many people succumb to relatively easy to cure diseases every day? Meanwhile, wizards and witches care only for themselves, spurning those which did not possess magical blood.
My mind flashed with an image of my aunt Petunia crying over the graves of her parents, who had been killed by wizards long before I was even born.
I shook my head. Why was I even pondering this pointless line of thought?
"It doesn't matter." I murmured under my breath, as I tuned everything else out and followed the old man to the first floor. I believe it was the Creature-Induced Injuries section. I wondered how the Weasley patriarch was, and a lump settled in my throat, as Dumbledore led me through a few doors.
Dumbledore stopped in front of a door that was slightly ajar. "Here we are."
He knocked a few times, and slowly pushed the door open. I peered from behind the older wizard's back, and saw Mr. Weasley in a hospital bed, surrounded by his family. They looked markedly tired, especially Mrs. Weasley. I remembered what her boggart turned into. She must have been going through her nightmare. At least her husband wasn't dead.
This time.
"Oh, Headmaster!" Arthur said brightly, gathering everyone's attention on him. Looks like no one saw me, yet. "You didn't have to come."
Dumbledore smiled warmly, moving a bit to the side, revealing my form to all.
"I was merely escorting young Harry, here." Albus replied, giving me a small, but significant glance.
I slowly walked into the room, looking at Arthur's injuries. Frankly, he looked like he'd been through as much as I have. A few bruises on his face, bandages on his arm and neck— I assume those were from the snake bites.
Who knows what sort of damage that could have caused.
Mr. Weasley beamed at me, and beckoned me over with his good arm.
"Come in, come in!" Arthur said brightly, as I slowly made my way to the man. He looked even worse up close.
"Harry, you're all right!" Ginny gave me a quick hug, followed by Mrs. Weasley, and Ron. The twins merely clasped my shoulder for a few moments and gave a silent nod of greeting. It spoke of the seriousness of the situation.
I turned to look at the hospitalized redhead.
"I'm sorry." The words came unbidden from my mouth. Arthur looked at me in surprise, feeling a little confused at what I just said.
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Harry." Mr. Weasley tried to assure me.
"But…" I disagreed with a shake of my head. "I saw it happen through the snake's eyes. It's like…" I stopped for a moment, swallowing the stubborn lump in my throat that refused to go down. "I don't know."
Intellectually speaking, I knew it wasn't really my fault he ended up this way. I had someone gleaned the information from Voldemort's pet, and used it to save the man's life. But seeing him in that hospital bed, looking so vulnerable… It gave me pause.
I felt responsible for this.
"I heard that you went through an ordeal, yourself." The man not-so-subtly changed the subject.
"Ah, yes." Dumbledore piped up, not having left the doorway. "It seems that Voldemort"—cue winces—"had managed to… possess Harry's body somehow."
"Possess him?" Mrs. Weasley looked absolutely mortified at this information.
"How is this possible?" Arthur said, his weariness only slightly breaking through the happy, carefree façade he was keeping up for his family.
"It's because of the scar." I explained, and showed them my unblemished forehead, making their eyes go wide. "There was a link between him and I."
"Your scar…" Ron said slowly.
"I know. It's gone." I confirmed, still not quite believing it, myself. "I killed whatever the hell Voldemort left in there."
"He… Left something in you?" Fred looked green at the information. Hell, everyone did.
"You had to fight him in your mind." Ginny said quietly.
My head quickly snapped in Ginny's direction.
"How did you—"
"I've had to do that, before." She sniffed, feeling old memories resurface. "I lost."
"What're you— the diary!?" I blurted out in surprise as I rubbed my, now, sore neck. I shouldn't have turned my head so quickly. Ginny merely nodded in confirmation, as her mother quickly enveloped her in a soothing hug.
I slowly turned to Dumbledore to say something, but was interrupted by a streak of light that came flying through one of the windows. It landed in the center of the room, gazing at everyone. It was a bright, familiar looking silver doe, which began to speak in Snape's voice. His tone sounded urgent.
"The Dark Lord is mobilizing his forces. The targets are Diagon Alley, Azkaban Prison, and—"
BOOM!
"—St Mungo's. They are coming." Snape's voice continued, unbidden, even as the explosion occurred and everyone reached for their wands.
One crisis after another, huh?
I turned to speak to Arthur and his family.
"Mr. Weasley—" I began.
"Arthur—" Dumbledore started to say at the same time.
We both stopped talking, and exchanged a look. I gave an amused smirk and gestured to the older wizard.
"Go ahead." I said, looking at the old man. Dumbledore considered me for a second, before smiling.
"You must stay safe." He told the Weasley family, before pointedly looking at Fred, George, and Molly. "I trust that you can keep your family safe in this room, while the Order deals with this threat."
"B-But we can help!" Fred sputtered in a mixture of annoyance and fear. "We've been learning loads from H—"
"I'm sure you can." Dumbledore said softly, interrupting whatever they were about to say. "But you are the eldest here. You must protect your siblings, and your parents. Can I trust you to do this?"
The twins looked conflicted, but nodded in acquiescence, not looking happy about this, at all. Ron and Ginny didn't look too happy about this, either, but they didn't say anything. Ron had seen my training routines, and likely understood the risks of leaving the room to help us fight.
Ginny was simply too inexperienced. She'd practically missed her entire First Year, and the rest has been spent catching up, most likely. She did learn pretty fast in our DA meetings, though. Still, it was too early for her to engage in these battles. Way too early.
"Thank you." Dumbledore said gratefully, before turning to leave. I made to follow behind the man.
"Harry, you can't!" Molly almost yelled out, stopping me.
Last summer, I would have been angered at such an exclamation. I would have taken it as a slight towards my power and intellect, and uttered a baleful insult in response.
I've changed since then. I was stronger; wiser.
I turned to the red haired woman and gave her what I thought was a confident smile. All it did was make her look even more worried. Had Gideon and Fabian Prewett told her the same thing, before they were brutally murdered by Death Eaters?
"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley." I said slowly, feeling the rush of adrenaline slowly permeate through my body, readying it for the combat that I was about to willingly partake in. "I'll see you when I'm done."
Sounds assaulted my ears. Things were being broken, scratched, burned and obliterated. I could hear the yells of wizards. The fighting had begun. I hurried out of the room, closing the door on my way out. I heard the locks click into place, likely a Colloportus cast by Molly.
I quickly headed out of the Creature-Induced Injuries ward, seeing the damage wrought to the hospital's entrance. I remembered the waiting room I'd entered in and compared to what I saw before me.
It was horrific, to say the least.
Bodies were strewn across the floor haphazardly. It didn't take a genius to see that they were already dead by the time I got here. Some had chunks of their flesh viciously torn out of their bodies; some looked like they were charred beyond recognition; some looked like they died from the blast of debris that ensued afterwards.
The smell of burning flesh was threatening to overwhelm my senses. I gulped down the bile rising up my throat. This was not the time for such things.
I felt anger on their behalf. I knew I had many gripes against them, but the righteous anger still came.
They might have been imperfect people. They might have been callous towards non-magical folk, but they didn't deserve to die like this; like so much garbage.
I hurried outside, seeing Dumbledore and two other wizards battling against a platoon of attackers. Looks like a few good wizards survived the assault. I say "battling", but it seemed that Dumbledore was the only one giving the Death Eaters a run for their money. The two other wizards were trying their best, but with the odds against them…
"Death Eaters." I gritted my teeth. I channeled some electricity into my nerves, supercharging them. Almost immediately the area around me slowed significantly, allowing me time to analyze the situation.
'That's fifteen. No, Twenty… Twenty three…. Thirty?' I thought to myself incredulously. I ran to the Headmaster, who was currently keeping the entire platoon enemy wizards occupied with a great blast of fire from his wand.
"Stupefy!" A beam of red flew from one of our allied wizard's wands, striking a Death Eater firmly in the chest, taking him out of the fight.
"I'm here." I said, landing next to Dumbledore. "Suggestions?"
"I'm afraid that quickly defeating thirty wizards simultaneously is beyond even my powers." Dumbledore admitted freely. "I can only distract them, maneuver them in certain places."
I waved my wand suddenly.
"Protego!" A shield erupted in front of me, blocking a purple spell which would have slammed into Dumbledore's blind spot with the force of a freight train. The shield held. I noticed Dumbledore already had his wand up halfway through the motions to form a shield of his own.
He gave me an appreciative nod, before sending a few wolves out to keep the Death Eaters a little more busy.
"We need to play smart." I said quickly. "Conserve energy. This isn't the only place being attacked."
"Agreed, or I would have unleashed my full powers earlier." Dumbledore said with a nod. I looked at the two wizards, who were finally realizing who I was.
"Introductions will have to wait." I continued urgently. "Is one of you any good at disillusionment charms?"
"W-What?" The witch of the duo croaked out, not expecting this question. Her face was marred with cuts and bruises, and part of her hair looked like it was singed off in the blast. She had definitely seen better days. The other wizard looked relatively unharmed in comparison.
"Answer the question." I felt a hint of impatience suffuse into my tone.
"Yes, but I don't see how this—" She feebly answered as Dumbledore threw an obscene amount of debris onto the enemy wizards, taking out a few out of the fight.
"Doesn't matter!" I almost shouted out in exasperation. Sheesh, people needed to concentrate and listen. "Look, Albus is going to provide a very nice distraction for us and lure them all into a single spot. He can't be bothered to hold both spells."
I took a breath. "All you need to do is disillusion me, and I'll do the rest of the work. Can you do it?"
The witch nodded quickly, adopting a mask of determination.
"That's more like it. Let's kick their asses." I said encouragingly, a smirk forming on my face. It seemed to put her at ease.
The witch tapped her wand on the top of my head. Cold trickles of magic trailed over my body, connecting together, and shielding my presence as best as they could. I nodded to myself. Perfect.
"You ready, Dumbledore?"
"Of course."
"Gather them in one spot, I'll sneak up and take care of them." I explained, and stopped for a small moment. "They're likely to die from my onslaught. I—"
"They have attacked a home for the wounded during a time celebrating the bonds of family and friends…" Dumbledore interrupted, the repressed anger in his voice greatly surprising me. "They bring this on themselves by killing innocent children."
"…" I wasn't sure what to say. "I'm going, now."
I ran quickly, trying to find a good spot to unleash my attack. I slowed down a bit to sneak past the Death Eaters, who seemed to be busy trying to take Dumbledore down. Every time they shot a killing curse, a piece of the debris would fly to intercept it. The two wizards alongside him, took turns shielding or stunning.
Dumbledore gave a nod to signal me, and began to spin his wand around his form. Crimson and golden fire suddenly erupted in a gigantic ring of fire that surrounded the Death Eaters with ease, slowly closing up on them, forcing them to group together.
"Incredible." I breathed out, watching the unadulterated display of power. I shook my head suddenly. This was no time to gawk!
I grasped hold of my lightning, and took a long, and very deep breath as I gathered energy to my mouth and lungs, charging them with copious amounts of lightning. The air around me shimmered, as if shaken by the force of the great collection of power.
"W-What's that sound?" One of the Death Eaters said as he shot water at the ring of fire with no effect.
"Does it matter?" One of them barked out. "Everyone, use Aguamenti simultaneously, and we might dissolve this ring of fire."
It was a good plan, but I wasn't going to let them do it. The distraction had bought me enough time.
"Lightning Dragon's ROAR!"
A massive blast of bluish white lightning burst forth, encompassing an incredibly wide area, Dumbledore's fire disappearing in its destructive wake.
I was not quite sure whether that was my own doing, or if Dumbledore simply cancelled his spell.
There was no warning for the intended target. The Death Eaters were there one moment; the next, they weren't. They were completely eradicated by the sheer force behind my blast. I had made sure to get as close as I possibly could, without sacrificing the target range; this way, the attack did not unnecessarily lose any energy on its way.
I cut off the flow of my lightning, and surveyed my surroundings while calmly changing my position. Perhaps I had missed one in the confusion of the blast. Perhaps one of them survived by disapparating elsewhere. It never hurt to be too careful.
Where the Death Eaters used to be, there was an impossibly long trench. My Roar had eaten right through the concrete on which the Death Eaters stood, not to mention the Death Eaters themselves. I saw their charred bodies litter the ground before me.
I faintly realized I was panting, as I made my way back to Dumbledore and the others, not even deigning to look at their fallen forms. There would be time to feel guilt, later. The two wizards with Dumbledore were giving me looks of pure, unbridled awe. Dumbledore was also catching his breath.
Was he that tired already? I thought he said the spells he was using did not consume that much power. However, that last fire spell looked like it did.
Wait… He was at half-power prior to the battle, wasn't he?
"Of all the times for me to ask for a recharge…" I muttered to myself, blaming myself. Dumbledore seemed to have heard me.
"It is fine." Albus assured me, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "There was no way of knowing things would degenerate this far. Alas, we do not have much time to waste. Diagon Alley and Azkaban are still being attacked, even as we speak."
"Still, some time to heal would be a little. The hospital might still have some Invigorating Draughts." I pointed out.
"I was about to say that very thing." Dumbledore agreed, before he waved his wand. A white, silvery mist shot out, coalescing into the form of a great, silver bird; a phoenix.
"Fawkes…?"
Dumbledore ignored my shocked mutter, choosing to say a few words.
"St Mungo's is safe." Dumbledore said loudly. "What is the status of the other locations?"
He waved his wand once more, and his phoenix took flight at an incredible speed. He turned back to me.
"Now we wait…"
I nodded. "I'll go get some potions. Don't leave without me." I joked and raced to the hospital. I ignored the smell of the bleeding, burned bodies as best as I could. After a few minutes of searching the floor, I managed to find a few Invigorating Draughts, a vial of Blood-Replenishing Potion, and some Essence of Dittany.
I popped open the cork for the Invigorating Draught and drank up. The taste was dreadful, par for the course, but I immediately felt my energy levels increase. I ran outside, back to Dumbledore, who was taking the message left by Snape's Patronus.
The other two wizards were no longer there, likely having went to the Aurors, or maybe even their own home.
Honestly, the idea of using the Patronus charm as a messenger had never occurred to me. I needed to learn that.
I only heard the doe Patronus' last few words, before it dissipated into silver mist. Dumbledore didn't acknowledge my presence just yet. He conjured another Patronus, speaking a few quiet words to it, before sending it on its way.
I handed Albus an Invigorating Draught, giving him the time to drink up, replenish his energy, and gather his thoughts.
"…Well?" I said after a few moments of silence.
"The Aurors have successfully defended Diagon Alley." Dumbledore finally said. That was some good news.
"However," Spoke too soon. "It seems that Voldemort has set his sights on Azkaban Prison. Likely in an attempt to gain the Dementors' favor, as well as free his most loyal followers from their imprisonment."
"Or every other lowlife, in there." I realized, feeling dread.
"Indeed." Dumbledore confirmed with a grim face. "We must not allow that to happen. The Order is already there, fighting Voldemort's considerable forces."
"How many?" I dared to ask.
"According to Severus," Dumbledore said slowly, a hint of uncertainty in his tone of voice. "Several hundred."
"Hundreds?" I said incredulously.
"It seems that Tom has been quite busy in the past few months." Dumbledore said wryly, trying to bring some levity in this dire situation. "Where he found these recruits, I do not know."
"We have to fight hundreds." I repeated dumbly, the reality of the situation not having caught up with me.
"Do not forget, the Order of the Phoenix will be with us." Dumbledore interjected softly.
"Yeah, all thirty of them." I scoffed, before cringing at my own callousness. "Maybe not the right words to say in this situation?"
"Perhaps not," Albus agreed. "I am surprised you remain calm, to this very moment."
"It is one thing, when a powerful wizard speaks of battling enemies." Dumbledore repeated the words I had said during the first Order meeting I barged in. "It is another thing altogether, when a wizard keeps calm during these same battles, and releases his powers accordingly. You have greatly matured, Harry."
There was much pride in his voice, as well as a hint of sadness.
"T-Thanks?" I wasn't sure how to respond to the praise. I never was any good at receiving kind words.
"Alas, this is not the time for such things." Dumbledore continued. "I am afraid I must ask you to accompany into the 'heart of the action' once more, as the muggles would say."
He looked up. "Fawkes!"
The aforementioned phoenix appeared in a brilliant flash of flame, filling the air with soothing phoenix song. I relaxed slightly at the sight of the majestic bird, which landed on Dumbledore's shoulder.
Albus extended a hand towards me.
"Are you ready, Harry?"
Ready to go in the center of Dementor territory— Dementors that had most likely allied themselves with Voldemort and his army of hundreds— while our allies were about 30 other wizards?
Sure, why not?
I grasped his hand with my own, and the world shifted in a flash of fire.
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Okay, now I need to study, for real!
Also, did you like how I made the title of this chapter misleading? Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I thought it was a nice touch.
Again, I thank you all for your continued support! Brings a smile to my face every time I see someone favorite/follow/review!