Harry Potter
Their Biggest Challenge
By xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related concepts do not belong to me. I am merely borrowing them for my own personal enjoyment. All OCs and anything you don't recognize are copyrighted by me: xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Rating: K
Genre: Marcus/Charlie - Fred/Riley - Harry/Ginny - Ron/Hermione
Warnings: Please do not flame me for anything. If you do not like the story then why are you reading it?
Summary One: On their own and on the run, the Hogwarts Five must now rely on one another more than ever. Their Biggest Challenge has yet to begin as they set out to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes; and fight the Dark Forces that threaten to tear them apart.
Summary Two: It all ends here. For six months the Hogwarts Five have been on their own and on the run, relying on no one but themselves as they set out to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Now, the battle between Good and Evil has escalated into an all-out-war, and it is up to Harry and Charlie to finish things that were startled sixteen years ago.
Overall Summary: It all ends here. Six months ago the Hogwarts Five disappeared, determined to stop Voldemort, they set out to find and destroy his Horcruxes. Now, the climatic showdown between Good and Evil has arrived, the stakes are high and no one is safe.
Author's Note: Merry Christmas everyone.
Dedications: Chapter goes out to the following: DJScales, Fan of Fics and Vivi Fontaine.
The Battle of Hogwarts
"The Chamber of Secrets!"
"Charlie!" Riley yelled as the Muggleborn Slytherin disappeared down the corridor, but no matter how many times the Gryffindor Genius called for her to come back Charlie did not return. With a heavy sigh, Riley turned back to her friends. "She can't go alone! Someone has to go after her, someone has to watch out for her, especially now!"
Nikki frowned. "Why now?" she asked. "What is so different about this battle than any other?"
Exchanging looks with Marcus, Riley nodded.
"Charlie's pregnant," Marcus answered turning to his girlfriend's friends.
There was a silent pause.
"How far?" Nikki asked.
"Five weeks,"
Nikki breathed out sharply. Adrian was staring at Marcus with wide eyes, while Daphne, Draco, Pansy, Millicent, Blaise and Nathan were stood in a dead-shocked silence.
"I'll go," Nikki said finally. "I'll go with Charlie into the Chamber..."
"Nikki," Riley started. "I think maybe Marcus should go,"
"Me? No! Me and Charlie are not exactly on speaking terms right now," Marcus pointed out. "She's still upset that I didn't tell you about the curfew."
"Even more of a reason for you to go," Riley pointed out. "You'll be several thousand feet below the school, it'll give you a chance to talk..." she paused, "or rip one another apart."
Marcus offered her a look that clear showed he was unimpressed.
"What?" Riley shrugged. "This is Charlie we are talking about! Hot-temper, follow-your-head, fight with her fists Charlie! The only difference being she is pregnant and hormonal!"
Marcus glared. "That makes me feel so much better!"
The Genius smiled and shrugged. "You got her pregnant," she pointed. "You're the one she is mad at. So, you are the one who has to fix things!"
"But -"
"Go!" Riley ordered pointing at the Marble staircase.
Harry stepped forward and removed something from his back pocket. "If you're going after Charlie, then take this. That way you can find us when you get back," he handed over the Marauder's Map.
Marcus stared at the map for a second, before nodding at Harry and hurrying off after his girlfriend who already had a few minutes head start.
~*MugglebornWitches*~
"Harry!" Luna yelled chasing after the two Gryffindor's. She followed them up the Grand staircase, pushing her way through students who were running in several directions. "Riley!"
Not hearing Luna's shouts for them to stop, Harry and Riley continue pushing through frantic Ravenclaws as they made their way towards the Ravenclaw common room. Finally Luna caught up with them.
"Harry! Riley, wait. I need to talk to you."
"We're a bit preoccupied at the moment," Harry answered.
"You won't find anything where you're going," Luna continued. "You're wasting time."
"Look, we'll talk later, okay, Luna?"
"Harry."
"Later!"
"Harry Potter! You listen to me right now!" Luna yelled.
Riley stopped at the top of the spiral staircase and turned back to the platinum blonde on the steps a few paces behind her, Harry had also stopped and was facing Luna with wide eyes, this was the first time she had exploded at anybody.
"Don't you remember what Cho said about Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem?" Luna asked, reverting back into her usual self. "'there's not a person alive who's seen it.'"
"Then what do you suggest?" Riley asked.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Luna asked. "We have to talk to someone who's dead."
Thunder crashed loudly overhead causing both Harry and Luna to turn in the direction of a high window; stepping down the stairs so that she was stood directly behind the Boy-Who-Lived, Riley stared out of the glass frames as the Professor's shield's started to form and spread rapidly over the school.
"It's very impressive, isn't it?" Luna asked.
Riley nodded numbly and then turned to Luna. "The Grey Lady," she murmured. "She is Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, isn't she?"
Luna nodded. "Yes."
"Could she help us find the Diadem?"
"She might," Luna answered. "You will have to ask her..."
Riley looked towards Harry. "This may be the only chance we have," she said. "I say we take it!"
Harry looked between Luna and Riley and nodded. He knew better than to argue.
~*MugglebornWitches*~
Knowing full well that she was being followed Charlie didn't slow her walk as she reached the stone wall leading to the second door of the Chamber of Secrets.
Marcus watched as Charlie clambered through the hole in the rock wall, and followed instantly behind her. She may not have been talking to him, but he had made a promise the day she had told him she was pregnant; and that was to protect both her and their developing child.
Charlie didn't even acknowledge his presence as she carried onwards.
"Are you mad at me?" Marcus asked as he followed her. "Why? I didn't do anything!"
"You kept information from me,"
"That is why you're mad at me?" Marcus demanded. "I kept information from you to protect not only you, but our child!"
Charlie glanced back at him. "If you did all that to protect us then you would have told me in first place!"
"Oh, come on!" Marcus groaned impatiently. "You know what I think? You don't care that I withheld information from you, you just want a reason to feel angry."
"Do you think I like feeling this way?" Charlie snapped, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him.
"I think you want a reason to push me away,"
"I shouldn't want to! That's not a good relationship side, is it?"
"Just talk to me!" Marcus shouted, grabbing her arm and preventing her from turning away. "Look, regardless of whether you are talking to me or not, you are still carrying my child!"
Charlie glared at him. "Oh, so now you want to play happy families?" she snapped, ripping her arm from his grip.
Marcus growled irritably.
"I don't have time to play these silly little games, Marcus! I have a job to complete and Harry, not to mention our child and the rest of the Wizarding world is depending on me!"
She turned to leave.
"If you really wanted me gone you wouldn't have to try so hard to convince yourself -" Marcus started.
"Well, you're the one who needs convincing," Charlie cut across him, "you're the one following me down here!"
Grabbing the back of her neck, Marcus pulled her closer. "Yes, I am!" he stated, pressing his lips against hers.
Without protest or hesitation, Charlie locked her arms around his neck and responded eagerly to his kiss.
Despite the feeling of anger and betrayal that she felt towards him, she had craved this feeling since the incident in the Hogs Head when he had touched her shoulder and she had shrugged him off, she hadn't regretted it instantly after as she realized that she craved every inch of him, he was her drug - and she was addicted.
~*MugglebornWitches*~
Riley clutched Harry's arm as she stood alongside him and Luna in a stone doorway; they were on the threshold to the enclosed courtyard on the third floor.
"If you're to find her," Luna was saying, "you'll find her down there."
"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked.
"No," Luna answered. "I think it's best if you both talk to her alone. She's very shy."
Riley smiled at turned to Luna. "Thank you," she nodded.
"You're welcome," Luna nodded in return. "I think I will go help the others now."
"Go find Hermione and Ron," Riley said. "Or the Slytherin's...you can trust them."
Luna nodded. "I know. Good luck."
"Thanks."
As Luna walked away, Riley turned back to Harry and the two started off down the stone corridor; their shadows casting against the walls in the dim moonlight that was reflected from outside. They stopped outside the archway to the courtyard, on the other side of which stood a transparent woman with waist length hair, wearing a floor-length dress, she turned as they stopped.
"You're the Grey Lady..." Harry breathed.
She nodded but did not speak.
"...the Ghost of Ravenclaw Tower."
"I do not answer to that name," she said, her tone less than encouraging.
"No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Harry apologized as the Ghost turned to mist and started to leave. He turned to Riley helplessly.
"Helena," Riley answered his pleading gaze. "Helena Ravenclaw."
The Grey Lady paused and turned to the Genius. "Are you a friend of Luna's?" she asked.
"Yes." Riley nodded. "And she thought you might be able to help us."
"You seek my mother's diadem,"
Harry nodded. "Yes. That's right."
The Grey Lady paused. "Luna is kind, unlike so many of the others. But she was wrong. I cannot help you."
She transformed into a ball of light and passed directly through Riley, touching the heart of the Genius causing her to gasp as if she had just been bathed in warmth from the sun. It was strange considering most ghosts made it feel like a bucket of ice water had just been tipped over your head.
"Wait!" Harry called. "Please. I want to destroy it."
Helena stopped her face somber and anxious as she turned in a full circle to face him once more. Riley, having recovered from her contact with death turned and hurried to the window to join Harry. "This is what you want too, isn't it, Helena?" the Genius asked. "You want it destroyed."
"Another swore to destroy it many years ago..." Helena explained, "A strange boy with a strange name."
"Tom Riddle." Harry stated.
"But he lied," Helena continued.
"He's lied to many people,"
Helena flew forward so that she was face to face with Harry. "I know what he's done! I know who he is! He defiled it with dark magic!"
As Helena floated away, Riley ran after her. "Helena, we can destroy it once and for all! But only if you tell us where he hit it," she paused. "You do know where he hid it, don't you, Helena?"
Stiffly Helena turned on the spot and faced the Genius. "I know of you," she said. "Luna speaks highly of you...you are the Gryffindor Genius! Luna says you would have made a fine Ravenclaw. She also tells me of your friend, the Muggleborn Slytherin...but she is not a Muggleborn Slytherin, is she? I have seen her...she looks so much like the one who defiled my mother's Diadem. I can sense the Dark Magic inside her..."
"Charlie..." Riley nodded. "Charlie Hunter."
"No," Helena said shaking her head. "Not Charlie Hunter. Your friend, the Slytherin, she goes by a different name, the same funny name that the boy had. Riddle."
Harry appeared behind Riley. "Serenity..." he breathed.
Helena turned to face him, her face cautious as she floated around him. "It is very strange. She is his daughter, yet you are such good friends with her...even stranger is how much you remind me of him. What you seek is here in the castle, in the place where everything is hidden..." she started to float away from them. "If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask."
Harry frowned.
Riley gasped. "The Room of Requirements."
Helena looked over the Genius, nodded once and disappeared.
"Come on!" Harry said, grasping the Genius's hand and pulling her away from the third floor courtyard.
~*MugglebornWitches*~
With a heavy breathless sigh Charlie untangled herself from Marcus and took a step backwards; the older former Slytherin groaned in protest and tried to pull her back. "Marcus," Charlie giggled as he kissed her neck. "We can't do this now, there is a war going on,"
"A war that is raging several thousand feet above us," Marcus reminded her.
Charlie rolled her eyes, stepped backwards and slipped further out of his reach.
"Charlie," Marcus whined.
"I'll make it up to you," Charlie promised, taking his hand and pulling him down the winding stone pathway which led to the solid brick wall where the two entwined serpents were carved. "Open!" she hissed.
The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight allowing the couple easy access into the Chamber.
Climbing down the steps that led into the main chamber, Marcus noticed that everything was decorated in Slytherin colours and the statues running along the sides were all serpents
"Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets," Charlie said, spinning in a full circle. "The place no one ever knew existed."
"Until 1993," Marcus pointed out.
Charlie chuckled, turned away and approached the body of the Basilisk. It lay in the exact same place it had ended up five years ago, its skin had rotted away leaving behind nothing but a carcass of bones. Kneeling down at the gaping mouth Charlie pulled one of the fangs from the jaw muscle that remained and then removed Hufflepuff's cup from her jacket pocket.
"You have to destroy this," Charlie said returning to where Marcus stood. "Ron destroyed the Locket, you destroy the Cup, and then we're one step closing to ending this."
Marcus stared at his girlfriend for a moment "Charlie -"
"Do it for me," Charlie urged him. "The longer he is around, the less time I have."
Finally Marcus caved, nodded once, and watched as Charlie lowered the Cup of Hufflepuff onto the Chamber's floor. He met her gaze as she looked back up at him, offered him a breath taking smile which urged him onwards. Clutching the fang tightly in his hand, Marcus raised it and then plunged it straight through the heart of the golden chalice.
There was a screech as the soul within the chalice exploded, sending the cup spiralling away and a chain reaction to set it. Charlie and Marcus flew to their feet as the water within the Chamber rose up around them, and seconds later the torrent of water washed over them.
Charlie giggled as she turned to Marcus, they were both completely soaked to the bone but they were both still alive.
"Pffft..." Marcus spat the water from his mouth, and turned to his amused girlfriend; he lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers. "Marry me." he murmured, his lips lightly brushing hers.
Charlie pulled back and stared soundlessly at him "What?" she finally asked, afraid that she had misheard him. Had just asked her to marry him?
Reaching into the inside pocket of his robes, Marcus removed 18ct white gold diamond ring and slid it onto Charlie's engagement finger "Will you, Charlie Avalon Hunter, marry me?"
Charlie felt her heart speed up in her chest as she stared at him silent surprise; her throat had closed up preventing her from answering. Seeing the panic start to rise in Marcus' face, Charlie grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him down to her level and kissed him hard. She let go of his robes, slid her hands up around his neck and run her fingers through his short hair.
Marcus responded quickly, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him.
Both poured every emotion they could feel at this time into the kiss making it as passionate as possible. But when the need to breathe became urgent, they pulled away slightly, but not much.
"Yes." Charlie said breathlessly. "Yes. I will marry you."
Marcus grinned at her answer before pulling her in for another kiss that made Charlie feel lightheaded and breathless once more.
~*MugglebornWitches*~
Running down the stairs, hand still clutched in Riley's, Harry skidded repelled a near-by Death Eater with a Stunning spell. "Riley, the others!"
"They'll be all right," Riley yelled. "We have to get to the Room of Requirements! Come on!"
At the bottom of the stairs fought Daphne and Draco, the two blondes ducked as a Death Eater swirled overhead and threw a bright red light in their direction.
"Protego!" Draco flourished his wand, as he pulled Daphne by the wrist behind him. The Stunning spell hit the shield and deflected back at the Death Eater, which swerved off course and collided with a stone pillar on the floor above them.
Daphne turned to Draco. "Thanks..." she murmured.
Draco nodded, and turned as Riley and Harry run past.
"Riley!" Fred appeared through the throng of students and caught his girlfriend around the waist. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Riley nodded, letting go of Harry as Ginny appeared from the opposite side of the corridor.
Fred placed his hand on the side of her face and kissed her. "I love you!"
"And I you," Riley responded.
"Be careful!"
"I promise," Riley nodded, following Harry down the corridor once more. Fred watched them go, before turning to his sister and running the staircase after her.
Turning onto the seventh floor corridor, Riley screamed as the roof started to collapse all around her; but fuelled with determination to reach her destination before it was too late she pushed onwards, avoiding the falling rubble she stopped out of a blank stone wall.
Closing her eyes the Genius focused on the specific room that they needed. I need the place where everything is hidden. There was a grinding noise and the door materialized instantly.
~*MugglebornWitches*~
"Bloody hell," Marcus complained looking over the Marauder's Map for the tiny dots labelled Potter and Riley. "We'll never find it on this."
Glancing at the Map, Charlie pointed at two names on the seventh floor corridor. "There they are, just there."
"Brilliant,"
"He just vanished. Just now. I saw it." Charlie frowned at the Map.
Thunder sounds echoed from outside the castle as dust fell from the ceiling.
"Maybe they've gone to the Room of Requirement," Marcus suggested. "It doesn't show up on the map, does it? Riley said that last year."
"That's right," Charlie nodded. "She - she did."
"Let's go,"
Charlie stared after him with wide eyes. "Brilliant..." she muttered, before running to catch up.
Clutching Marcus's hand, Charlie pushed open the old-fashioned door leading into the Room of Requirement. The furore of the battle died the moment they crossed the threshold and closed the door behind them; all was silent. They were in a place the size of a cathedral with the appearance of a city, its towering walls built of objects hidden by thousands of long-gone students.
"Whoa..." Charlie breathed her eyes wide as she looked around. "We could so get lost in here..."
"I think that's the idea," Marcus answered.
The sound of fluttering wings caused Charlie to look up, a small frown sliding onto her face. "Cornish Pixies," she muttered.
"What?" Marcus asked.
"Cornish Pixies," Charlie repeated, pointing at the blue pixie. "Lockhart unleashed them on us during our first Defence lesson in second year. I always knew some escaped out of the shattered windows and the door, but no one ever wondered where they had disappeared too. Now I know,"
Marcus rolled his eyes, and was about to respond when a voice from ahead cut through the silence.
"Accio Diadem,"
"That way," Charlie nodded.
"No kidding," Marcus responded sarcastically.
Charlie hit him in the shoulder. "No need to be so sarcastic," she said, before stopping short as whispering voices and a high-pitched ringing reached her senses.
"Charlie?" Marcus asked, watching her closely. Charlie made her acknowledgement that she had heard him and turned to a small round table a few feet in front of her; she approached with a serious look upon her face, reached for the plain silk rope, she removed it from the plain wooden casket and reached out to open the lid slowly.
Lying on a velvet pillow inside the casket was a silver tiara in the shape of a Raven.
"Oh," the Slytherin whispered. "This is it..."
"Charlie!" Riley gasped hurrying forward at the sight of her best friend. The two embraced and Charlie looked at Harry from over the Genius's shoulder, her eyes widened, however, as another figure appeared behind Harry.
Harry frowned. "Charlie...what is it?" he asked.
"Malcolm!"
"Hello princess,"
Marcus, Harry and Riley whipped around at the sound of Malcolm's voice; he was stood at the end of the aisle, flanked either side by Crabbe and Goyle.
"You have something of mine," Malcolm said, the wand in his hand trained upon the group of four. "I'd like it back."
"What's wrong with the one you have?" Harry asked, stepping in front of Charlie to shield her from Malcolm's view.
The Malcolm heir sneered at the gesture. "It's my mother's," he answered stiffly. "It's powerful, but it's not the same. Doesn't quite understand me. Know what I mean?"
"Why didn't you tell her?" Charlie asked, stepping around Harry. "Bellatrix? You knew it was Harry, but you didn't say anything, not until I flinched."
"And you were trying so hard to resist," Malcolm smirked. "Guess I hold some power over you! One day, when this is all over, I will have absolute control over you!"
"No, you won't," Charlie answered. "Because if he wins, when this is all over, it will be I who has absolute control over you!"
Unknown to either Malcolm or Charlie, Riley had removed her wand from her belt, flourishing it in Malcolm's direction the Genius cried; "Experlliarmus!" and knocked Malcolm's wand out of his hand.
"Avada Kedavra!" Crabbe yelled, throwing a spark of green at Riley.
"Crucio!" Charlie yelled. The two spells collided in mid-air and rebounded in different directions.
As the two spells collided Malcolm stumbled backwards into the two seventh years, pushed his way through them and headed for the exit. Crabbe and Goyle followed.
"Is that it?" Riley asked, turning to Harry who had picked up the Diadem.
"Yeah," Harry nodded.
Marcus grabbed Charlie's wrist. "Good! Now grab the stupid thing and let's get out of here!"
A roaring, billowing noise behind them gave them a moment's warning. Slowly the group of four turned and saw a serpent of flames rearing its ugly head behind the furniture at the end of the aisle, however, everything the flames touched crumbled instantly to soot.
Riley screamed.
"Aguamenti!" Harry bawled, but the jet of water that soared from the tip of his wand evaporated in the air.
"RUN!"
Marcus grabbed Charlie and dragged her backwards. Riley and Harry followed and all four of them pelted along in their wake, and the fire pursued them.
"This is not normal fire!" Riley yelled as she ran. "It's Fiendfyre."
"Fiend - what?" Charlie yelled.
"Fiendfyre," Riley repeated, leading the way down another aisle as a fiery dragon blocked the end of the one they had once been on. "It's made from Dark Magic. Very powerful as it cannot be put out using the Aguamenti Charm, or any other normal types of water, it's also difficult to control."
Charlie glanced back at the raging flames. "Either Crabbe or Goyle must have cast the spell," she stated. "Neither of them are expert duellists, and neither can wield a proper spell let alone a dark curse."
Malcolm, Crabbe and Goyle had vanished; Harry, Riley, Marcus and Charlie stopped dead; the fiery monsters were circling them, drawing closer and closer, claws and horns and tails lashed, and the heat was solid as a wall around them.
"What can we do?" Charlie yelled.
"Here!"
Harry seized a pair of heavy-looking broomsticks from the nearest pile of junk and threw one of them to Marcus and another to Charlie; he then climbed onto the last of the broomsticks and pulled Riley onto it behind him.
Charlie swung her leg over her own broom and, with a hard kick to the ground, soared up into the air. Harry and Marcus followed.
The smoke and heat were becoming overwhelming; below them the cursed fire was consuming everything within the room. Riley could not see a trace of Malcolm. Crabbe or Goyle anywhere, Harry swooped as low as he dared over the marauding monsters of flame to try and find them, but there was nothing but fire.
"Harry, let's get out," Charlie yelled from the air, though it was impossible to see where the door was through the black smoke.
"Come on! This way!" Marcus shouted over the roaring noise.
And then they heard it -
A thin, piteous human scream from amidst the terrible commotion, the thunder of devouring flame.
"We can't leave them!" Harry yelled, as Charlie became level with him, and Riley tightened her hold on him.
Charlie groaned. "Why not?" she asked, looking back at Malcolm with distaste. "He'd do the same if the situation were reversed!"
"Charlie!" Riley scolded.
"Oh, fine!" Charlie scowled. "But if we die for them, I'm going to kill you both!"
She wheeled in the air and searched the firestorm below, seeking a sign of life. And then she saw them, perched on top of a collapsed table. Charlie dived.
Malcolm saw her coming, and raised one arm, but even as Charlie grasped at it she knew at once it was no good, Malcolm's hand was covered in sweat and slid instantly out of Charlie's -
Beside her, was Marcus, pulling Crabbe onto his own broomstick.
Swerving around in the air once more, Charlie dived once more at Malcolm and looped her arm through his and pulled him over onto the back of her.
"Well, hello Princess," Malcolm grinned, his hands tightening on Charlie's hips.
Charlie's hands tightened around her broomstick. "Touch me in any inappropriate way and I will throw you off!" she snapped.
Up ahead, Harry and Riley led the way towards the doors.
"Riley, any ideas?" Harry asked over his shoulder.
Pointing her wand over Harry's shoulder, Riley parted the flames and the three broomsticks flew straight through.
Marcus swerved as a serpent lunged at him, he soared upwards and straight towards the place where, he prayed, the doors stood open. Harry and Riley had vanished, and Charlie looked to be arguing with Malcolm who now had his hands on her stomach rather than her waist.
"I swear Malcolm if you do not get your hands off of my stomach I will rip them from your body and force feed them to you!" Charlie snapped angrily.
"Oh, I like a girl with an attitude," Malcolm grinned, his hands roaming higher.
Charlie bit her lower lip just enough to draw blood. Then, through the smoke, Charlie saw a rectangular patch on the wall and steered the broom at it; and moment's later clean air filled her lungs and they collided with the wall in the corridor beyond.
Malcolm fell off the broom and lay face down, gasping, coughing and retching.
Charlie rolled over and sat up, shook her head and looked back towards the Room of Requirements; she spotted the Diadem on the ground and frantically searched her pockets for the Basilisk fang. "Harry!" she yelled, throwing the fang through the air.
Harry snatched it and stabbed the blue gem with the sharp point, smoke billowed out of the tiara and it screeched as if in pain.
Pushing herself up, Charlie raced forward, swung her leg and kicked the Diadem through the air and back into the gaping jaws of a fiery dragon; in an instant the dragon disappeared and three fiery images of Voldemort appeared.
"Serenity..." they echoed as with a flick of Riley's wand, the doors closed leaving the room to burn up behind closed doors.
Gasping for breath, Harry leaned back against a stone pillar, as Marcus approached Malcolm behind the three friends.
"Goyle..." Malcolm gasped.
"He's dead," said Marcus harshly, kicking Malcolm in the stomach and knocking the wind clean out of his lungs. "That's for Charlie..." he hissed, reaching forward and grabbing Malcolm by the front of the robes he hauled him to his feet, slammed him against a near-by wall and raised his fist. "And this is for my unborn child!"
Malcolm winced as Marcus's fist smashed into his nose, and his head snapped back cracking against the stone behind him. Malcolm knew that Flint would have kept on hitting him, had it not been for Charlie's appearance or the huge explosions that shook the castle.
"Marcus," Charlie murmured, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away from Malcolm. "Leave him...he's not worth it!"
Marcus allowed Charlie to pull him away from the quivering mess that was supposed to be Serenity's future husband, but as they walked away, Malcolm reared his ugly head again. "You're pregnant!" he spat, blood trickling from his mouth.
But before Charlie could respond a series of yells and shouts and the unmistakeable noises of duelling filled the corridor. Charlie looked around and her heart seemed to fail. Death Eaters had penetrated Hogwarts. Adrian and Fred had just backed into view, both of them duelling masked and hooded men.
Harry, Riley, Charlie and Marcus ran forwards to help; jets of light flew in every direction and the man duelling Fred backed off fast; then his hood slipped and they saw a high forehead and a head of dark hair.
"Where's my son?" Lucus Malcolm snarled at Charlie.
"Lucky to be alive!" Charlie hissed. "It's a good thing I am not like your master or I would have left him for dead!"
"You are weak, Serenity, I do not understand why the Dark Lord waste's his time in trying to return you!"
Charlie glared. "Who says he will?"
"The Dark Lord always gets what he wants,"
"So do I,"
The air exploded. They had been grouped together, and while the petty argument between Charlie and Malcolm Snr had been happening, the world was rent apart. Charlie felt herself flying through the air, and all she could do was cradle her stomach protectively as she hit the ground. Marcus landed beside her and rolled over to shield her with his larger frame; she heard the screams and yells of her companions without a hope of knowing what had happened to them -
And the world returned itself into pain and semi-darkness; she was half-buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been blown apart. Hot stickiness slipped through her fingers causing alarm and panic to seep through her entire body, rolling over onto her back, Charlie pushed herself up and looked down at her stomach where she could see scarlet liquid staining her clothes.
She was bleeding.
"No," Charlie whispered frantically. "My baby..."
Picking himself up from the rubble, Lucus Malcolm turned in the direction of the distraught teenager; a cold chuckle escaped his lips.
"What did you do?" Charlie yelled; and for a split second she looked more like Serenity Riddle than ever before. With her hands clutching her stomach Charlie pushed herself shakily to her feet, and staggered forward.
"Maybe this will teach you to follow the laws of a pureblood society..." Lucus cursed, before disappearing with a crack.
Marcus wrapped his arm around Charlie's waist worry, fear and anxiety written across his face as he placed his hand over the bleeding wound beneath Charlie's clothes. Her shirt was already scarlet in colour and the blood kept coming, from the look on his face, it was clear to everyone within the destroyed corridor that he was more frightened, perhaps more frightened now than he had ever been in his entire life.
Copyrighted ©
Whoo! This was a long chapter, fifteen pages to be exact.
Uh-oh…what does this mean for Charlie and Marcus?
Review and you will find out soon…
Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Chapter updated Monday, December 26, 2011 at 4:17am