The Crossroads of Fate

Chapter 33: Partnership and Defense

Scorpius backed away further, into an alley, well off the battle. She had him, he never thought it would end this way but it was. She looked dead serious. Scorpius did not know how to handle this. He could fight but he was not entirely sure he could take her. Proxima had him against half a wall and stood, her wand still pointing. Scorpius had his neck up, exposed, and Proxima was still pointing her wand. She seemed to be arguing with herself whether she could truly kill her own cousin. Scorpius actually seemed shocked and tried negotiating, "Proxima"-

"Shut it," Proxima growled. "It's over, Scorpius. I've trusted you one too many times, and this is what you led to. Will my brother survive this? Will he even be ok? WOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU JUST DONE WHAT I ASKED?" she demanded in a loud, shaky voice.

"Proxima"-

"Shut up," Proxima whispered. "Avada Kedavra!"

Scorpius dove to the side just in time. Proxima was intending to kill him then. He withdrew his wand and fired a fiery jet of light, the same one she used against Rojer that hit Alpha and nearly ended his life. She parried it easily and fired a jet of green light behind the rebound. Scorpius avoided both and fired a Stunner. Scorpius was unwilling to kill his cousin, even if she was driven by vengeance. He rolled away from another curse, another barely missed him, blowing a hle in the ground instead. He wished he could transfigure or raise the earth or something but she was too quick. They turned on him next, hitting him in the face and chest and making him recoil.

While Scorpius could not fight his best, Proxima had no qualms. She disarmed him in seconds and threw his wand away, incarcerated him and had him down. She turned her wand to Scorpius. "Any last words, cousin?"

Scorpius looked up at her, helpless now after he tried fighting her. "I- Proxy"-

"Use my full name before you die, please," Proxima told him quietly.

"Proxima… I"-

"I tried killing you, I want you dead, and you didn't bother defending yourself properly?" she demanded.

"I don't want to kill you," he told her calmly. He seemed to have accepted this, probably expected this ultimately. "I'm better than that."

"Oh, you're better than me, are you?" Proxima asked quietly. "Ok, Scorpius"-

"I love you," he interrupted.

"It's not gonna work," she told him hatefully. "I'm done. I've nothing more to say to you. Avada"-

"Wait!" Scorpius spluttered, eyes wide, taking a deep breath. Proxima stopped at least. "Can you grant me a request?"

Proxima considered him shortly, wand still on him. "What is it?"

"After you've killed me, look after my mother and my sister. Hide your brother with them, keep them safe," Scorpius told her. "I wrote my sister a letter so once I'm dead, when she becomes seventeen, she'll read it. She'll know who I was. Make sure she lives. Ok?"

"Oh, you didn't hear the news?" she asked casually, a small smirk on her face now. "Your mother is most probably dead."

Scorpius gasped shortly, staring disbelievingly, in shock. "What?"

"When have I had cause to lie to you?" she asked quietly. "Rojer got into this village by the Greengrass house, he had access to it, probably after the Reservation attack on the network. Judging by Alpha being out here, he escaped Rojer's clutches. They're probably dead. Her, your sister, Melvin, Morpheus, dead. And that's on you too."

Scorpius' eyes watered as Proxima raised her wand and opened her mouth, "Crucio!"

Scorpius found himself under a few second of pain before she stopped, kicking him in the stomach. "This is on you, it's your fault! Don't you get it? You deserve to die. You and your family have lorded over on high for far too long, puffing yourselves up and putting others down. You have no sense of justice, just a sense of selfish desire, to see what is yours safe. As your cousin, I've given you far too many chances and each one, you blew. I fail to see what Potter or Weasley even sees in you. You're a snake and you deserve to die. It's about time you lose everything you had, everything you want, everything you knew, just to see how it feels to be in someone else's shoes. You were evil!"

Proxima determinedly raised her wand again, ignoring Scorpius' yells this time when, out of the left side, Simon rushed in front, teary-eyed but determined. He seemed to have had second thoughts of going to the countryside and arrived just in time, "Enough, Proxy. Don't. I'm stopping this."

"Get out of my way," Proxima whispered to him angrily.

"No," Simon said firmly. "Never. You and Seth are both the same. Justifying your murders like that does anything. Stop it. Come- come back. Please come back. Do-don't become like Samantha."

"DON'T compare me to her!" Proxima snapped. "Don't you dare. Samantha was insane, she was"-

"ARE YOU?" Simon yelled, blocking her off from Scorpius. Simon was shaking.

Scorpius sighed and tried getting up, swaying slightly, "Proxima, I'm sorry, ok? I was a kid. Rojer scared me to death. Like he scared your brother."

"You"-

"He used Lucy against me!" Scorpius yelled in desperation. "He used you, your brother, my mum and dad. He was evil. What would you do!"

"WHO SUFFERED MORE!" Proxima challenged furiously. She started firing jets of green light madly. Simon screamed as he ducked one barely, but still feeling the debris of a building that was blasted. "GET OUT OF THE WAY, FAR!"

Simon stepped in front of both. "I'm ending this," he said determinedly. He pointed his wand, "Proxima. You will do no such thing. Ever. You'll have to kill me. Me," he emphasized, tears running down. Proxima stared, seemingly calming down but her wand still pointing at Simon. She seemed to seriously be considering it. "But get this, Proxima. Once you kill me, there's no going back." Her legs started shaking. "I'll be dead, and you'll have murdered the only one who saw you for what you really are. Stand down, Proxima!"

Scorpius looked up hopefully as he got up. Scorpius seemed to be considering something as Proxima whispered with what sounded almost like desperation, a weak voice, "I- I can't. He- I…"

"Scorpius, go," Simon muttered.

He heeded Simon's words. He left the alley, trusting Simon to pacify her and still hoping Alpha was ok. Last he saw them, Simon was embracing her tightly, Proxima sobbing into his shoulders, shaking, shooting Scorpius a final apologetic look as he disappeared into the battle.

Albus, unaware of what had happened between Proxima and Scorpius, ran through the battle, casting spells at whichever Reservation or Arsenal members he could find. He made it to Incommodo and tried dueling him. Incommodo was dueling against Lorcan and Lysander at first. The two were surviving through sheer teamwork, defending each other. In a battle, it certainly seemed Lysander was in the right mindset. He was fighting smartly. Lorcan was fairly good too, at the very least able to survive. That was all the twins were doing, really. Surviving. Albus conjured Soto's favorite shield and jumped in front to defend Lorcan from a spell and fired a curse at the same time Lysander did.

At the same time, Riley Blackberry moved in, evading a jet of green light and firing two spells in quick succession. Incommodo parried both easily, his scepter seeming to have some force expelled out of it with every movement it made. Riley had joined them out of surprise, dueling superbly. He put up the best defenses against dark magic used on the Scamander twins, Lorcan seemed grateful for his arrival. "Fulgeo!"

As a beam of light zapped from Albus' wand, Riley twirled his wand in a similar movement to Fiendfyre but it did not come out. It was Cursed Water. It extinguished whatever spell Incommodo fired towards Lysander easily but darkened steam and gas descended on them next. Riley was hit by it and Incommodo suspended Riley in midair, used his wand to force him in front to take a blast by Lysander, and threw him with such ferocity out of the way before raising his wand on Lysander. Albus did not know what became of Riley but with the Scamanders in danger, he could not find out.

They were no match for him in the end. Once Lysander narrowly avoided a jet of green light, the two ceded ground and fled. Lysander seemed to be falling back though, dropping something foreign on the ground. He dove down from a jet of green light as Lorcan backtracked and tried getting him out of harm's way. Lorcan was raised and suspended in midair, and thrown far away from his brother. Albus ducked a jet of green light, afraid for Lysander but unable to get to him. Lysander was sitting in the middle of an empty area, staring ahead almost clueless, like he had no idea he was close to death.

He crawled back, almost positioning himself. Albus tried breaking through but he was being repelled. What the- then, something happened. Lysander grinned widely as Incommodo started getting electrified. He screamed in pain as more jolts coursed through him. They seemed to be doing damage inside too, on a very essential level. Albus finally broke through and Lorcan arrived too, getting Lysander out of there. Riley emerged as well, making the ground below Lysander bouncy enough to get Lorcan, Lysander and Albus out of the way. Lysander aimed his wand from the air and yelled, "Stupefy!"

Suddenly, a wall of earth covered the small silvery instruments Lysander had used against him and covered Incommodo. He looked furious but weakened significantly. Lysander had done it, the only problem was Incommodo had him suspended in midair, trapped, unable to move. "Avada Kedavra!"

Lysander might have died but someone had taken the hit instead. Albus watched too, wishing he could deny it. A flashback of Waler falling back rushed through his mind, only now it was Riley. The jet just seemed to impact him straight in the chest just as Riley shut his own eyes, bracing for it. Lorcan widened his eyes in shock and disbelief. Riley was dead. Albus knew they were next just when Aries arrived. A loud bang and a fiery explosion signaled the start of their battle.

Lorcan and Albus herded Lysander away, even getting Riley's body away. They were in disbelief that his plan actually worked and that Riley had died afterwards. "She might do it," Lysander said breathlessly. "Those things meant to destroy some parts of his soul so he's weaker, but it wasn't long enough to actually kill him."

Lorcan stared at the body for a bit, touching his forehead. He looked sad. Lorcan had fought for him, he never thought, never did it occur that Riley would repay that favor. "Thank you," Lorcan muttered to the body.

Lysander kissed Riley's forehead and angled him in a position so it looked like he was just asleep. "There, it's better this way. He shut his eyes before he died. He always enjoyed sleep."

Lorcan gazed at Lysander shortly, "Soul destruction?" Lorcan said with widened, impressed eyes. "You're dark."

"I had to, Lila told me that soul destroyers are the best bet," Lysander said casually.

Lorcan actually glared, "Sander, you are either the stupidest idiot I've ever met, or the darkest Wizard in modern times only kept back by the WPD."

"W- what?"

"Weird Personality Disorder," Lorcan said, gazing at the area where Riley slept.

"Yeah, well I really prefer not to think," Lysander said happily. "I find it clouds my mind."

Hogwarts…

Maria had finally taken the initiative and fled the room she stayed in. Her spells, powered up by her years of flavoring and Alchemical drinks, made quick work of the guards. She used her size to her advantage, even made herself invisible to get past them, weave her way around them, and took them down. A Blood Curse to the heart might've killed one, and while her master, Herpo, was in Hogsmeade, this was her best chance. His biggest mistake was leaving Guards where the Orb was. They would've been better suited. She used them from behind a suit of armor to trigger any traps and curses, to use them up, even used suits of armor to take them as well. Anything but fight directly.

When she was sure it was safe, she snuck in and took the Orb safely, running away as quickly as she could. She kept an eye out for anyone else, anyone she could use. Her plan was going swimmingly so far, she just needed to cut Incommodo off from the Orb, and he'd be vulnerable. While he was fighting, this was her best chance. Catching sight of a young member who looked Greek in origin, probably his teens and a new recruit, she saw him kick a small girl around. Her squeals bothered her but the teenage boy raised his wand, "Crucio!"

"Imperio."

She had him under complete control. She had him touch the base of the Orb, and seeing it turn white. So, he was a pure soul and yet he had tried torturing a child? No guilt there, then. Sacrifice number two and, hopefully, the final one. She took his soul into the Orb and left him for dead, disappearing into the Room of Requirement. She tried ignoring her guilt, reminding herself he was Arsenal too, and if he was Greek, tied directly to supporters of Herpo.

She ignored the bodies there, not paying any attention beyond her immediate goal. The Orb was on her side now, and hers alone. With Incommodo now fully Herpo, he could be killed and she would be immortal. She stopped in the bungalow, resting there. Albus was outside with Mark and the twins, fighting Arsenal members off. She knew the Room had been compromised, so she knew why he was there. During the chaos, she fired spells from behind, knocking the twins unconscious as the Reservation members trying to fight through the thinned out.

"Mark, it's time!" she yelled, seizing Albus from behind. Albus yelped as she attacked and Mark took out his wand, helping Maria bind him against the small house.

"What the- get off me- what's"-

"Just trust me," Mark told Albus. "Don't you?"

"Eh… no, not anymore," Albus said loudly.

"Well… too bad," Mark sighed. He knocked Albus unconscious with a Stunner and placed his wand on his forearm, where the Rune of Partnership was.

"We can't get rid of it, can we?" Maria asked.

"Not without Incommodo's consent," Mark muttered. "Damn, Apollo was right."

"Apollo?"

"Early in the year, before Trelawney died, he told me Al was at risk and didn't go into details," Mark told her. "But this… it's both brilliant and mad at once. I didn't think Al was the type."

"So, do it!"

Mark drew the Rune of Defense and the Rune of Partnership on himself. He tied the Rune of Partnership to Albus' already existing one and a new Rune of Defense between them. Maria sat down, "Too many Runes are not good for you."

"Neither is Alchemy," Mark told her.

"Doesn't matter anyway," she said, keeping her Orb hidden. She knew Mark wouldn't approve of what she did.

"Yeah, using this many Runes will probably knock a couple of years off my lifespan," Mark muttered. "But it's worth it. Now… you."

She sat quietly as Mark drew a defense rune on her next, and activating it. It had never been three way before but Maria insisted to him it would work and Mark- Mark trusted her. He looked at her calm, easy, young face and he trusted her. For the first time, he fully appreciated now that she was his sister. "Promise me you have a foolproof way of defending yourself."

"I get back to the castle," Maria told him. "And put the Orb back where it was. As long as I'm holding on to it, nothing can happen to me. It's on my side, now."

"I- I hope you didn't"-

"He deserved it, trust me," she assured him. "In any case, trust that his life is less valuable than Al's or mine."

Mark watched as she left, watching her disappear into the bungalow before reviving Al and the twins. Albus sat up, eyes a little blurry as he stared at Mark. "You ok?" Mark asked calmly.

"What happened?"

"Maria happened, I'll tell you later," Mark said honestly. Albus examined himself, noticing the extra Rune to himself.

"What the hell?"

Mark sighed, "We're sharing defense." Mark turned to Al and the twins. "I've done my part. Everything's gonna be fine, now. Now, I got a plan. So, we can charge through this better. The Reservation are high in number before we get to where our forces our holed up. The twins will back us up from behind as we charge through. I'll raise shields to defend us both, and you'll fire your spells… except Unforgivables. Not them. But anything else, go right ahead."

"Ok, and… why do I"-

"Can we go through details later?" Eric yelled as the battle came closer to them. "We're running out of time."

Not a moment too soon, a group of trolls charged from the mountainside. Mark raised his wand just as they swing their clubs. One was aimed for Albus but one charm to repel physical objects threw them off and though it was cast on Mark, Albus shared his defense. The trolls were repelled and Alex and Eric fired from behind Conjunctivitus Curses.

The four young wizards turned and faced the village, the men and women in white fighting against Arsenal ad DA members blocking their path, not yet close to the Guard area by the Three Broomsticks. "CHARGE!" Alex yelled.

The four ran in madly, Albus hoping Mark's plan would lead somewhere and it wouldn't lead to both their deaths. Mark conjured up shield after shield, Albus avoiding Killing Curses desperately, determined to save himself and Mark. Albus also found that their spells had a lot more power, having access to each other's power levels. This must've been how Maria had it, when she drank the Alchemical flavoring. Even Knock-back Jinxes seemed to do a lot of damage. Taking a chance, Mark changed tact and yelled, "Incendio!"

A great burst of fire rushed out, catching many Reservation members off Guard while Albus conjured, "Geminus Contego!"

A spell that came for Mark rebounded with double the power. Dubium, who was not far away, aimed his wand and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

Albus couldn't move out of the way. With so many around him, if he moved, one of the twins would take the hit instead. Desperately, he moved his shield in front, but preparing to be hit. Mark tried moving him but the curse pounded against the shield. Then… it rebounded. The spell rebounded and killed not one, but five Reservation members. Mark gaped and even Eric didn't understand. Alex could only guess. "The magic you have access to," Alex muttered. "It was powerful enough to repel it. Move on through, we'll hold him off! Impedimenta!"

Dubium parried it as Mark raised his wand, "Glacius!"

It must've been really powerful. The entire area froze over, many fighters slipping over, the ones staying upright having a deadly advantage. Dubium was not caught off guard but he was forced to abandon the effort against the twins and thaw the ice. The four charged through further, trimming some numbers down as they finally got to where Aries was going wild. Scorpius was fighting off a three Reservation members, avoiding curses and spells, even firing very vicious looking curses. At his back was Proxima who was attacking from behind, fighting off two Arsenal members.

Albus threw his shield in the air and Alex, quick-thinking, transfigured it into a fanged Frisbee and had it twirl towards the Arsenal members fighting Scorpius while Albus charged the ones fighting Proxima, Mark conjuring a shield to take whatever curses they fired. Proxima sighed in relief as the fight there was over. Without saying a word to Albus or Scorpius for that matter, she left. Scorpius watched her go, looking very tense but said nothing as Albus got to him. "You ok?"

Scorpius just nodded as Alex said, "Guys, Werewolves."

Eric fired, "Confringo!"

Some were blasted off their feet but others rushed on in. Alex took control, "Oi, Scorpio, back here with us! Quick!"

Too tensed up to say anything about the name calling, he did as told. Mark and Albus faced them readily just when a further explosion sounded and Seth rushed in beside Frank Longbottom and his twin sister Alice. Vampires and werewolves were descending on them, but Frank, Mark and Albus fired explosive curses, holding them off. While Albus fired explosives with Frank and Seth, Mark fired fiery curses at the vampires.

Albus watched Seth and Sierra run off. From there, the battle only got more intense. The vampires broke from the Werewolves now they were attacking the intended targets. They attacked their own targets now and the Goblins and vampires were in a single group coming in from the rear. The village was still fighting back but little damage was being done. The fountain itself was spraying water at assailants and some mutated grotesquely and some were even sucked into the earth if they stepped on the wrong area. Clearly, some Malfoy artifacts were doing their jobs. But the Reservation and Goblins had instruments and they had managed to find where the Malfoy's objects were and broke them or else rendered them useless.

It looked as if the Reservation was winning despite everything. The ship had proven impossible to break through. Many had tried and died doing so. Incommodo focused all his power on the ship, even with the Scepter but nothing had worked. Nothing broke through it. It had been grounded but Dubium had finally managed to get the shields back up with a spell, having escaped from Incommodo. Still, the ship was grounded, Harry, Ron and Hermione had escaped from it unharmed and sent their spells at the Reservation members, now joining the fray as well. The Dementors were still preoccupied with the Patronuses, unable to spread fear or despair as long as the silvery animals were active. One or two disappeared, signaling the deaths of their casters but the fight still went on.

Harry parried a major curse meant for him and ducked a Killing Curse and as he ran through, taking Albus' side once again, Albus got to understanding how Harry had become Head of Aurors, let alone the youngest in the Department at one point. He swiped his wand in circular motion, a stream of fire bursting out and going for Reservation members. Still, they fought back and Hermione had flicked her wand for an elemental spell to force the members down to the earth, which began swallowing them up.

"Geminus Contego!" Albus yelled as the Cruciatus Curse was fired at him.

The curse rebounded and broke through the conjured shield a man threw up. He collapsed down and Harry fired a well-aimed curse at his heart area. He was probably dead. Albus threw his shield in front of another curse, feeling it vibrate continuously as curses hit it and rebounded. Even then, Soto's teachings had an influence. And when he parried a Stunning spell with it, and saw it rebound with double the power, the wizard was actually wounded in the head. Ron and Hermione were not far, dueling with three at once when Harry ran off to help them. "Al, get to the inn. We'll take it from here!"

"No way!" Albus yelled. "This is my fight too!"

Albus ran further into the battle, casting curses at every white-robed man or woman he saw. He did not stop to see if they hit or not, but kept moving. He saw a group of Guard members, Frank and Alice were fighting on one side and Fora, Lily, and Hugo fighting on another against an incoming group of Werewolves. Albus ran in to aid them when the grass underneath their paws turned into needles and the rocks flew from the air, being turned into dogs and cats, each one Charmed to absorb flames. They attacked the wolves fearlessly, clearly ordered to. The caster of the Charm made herself known soon after. Alexis and Fauna ran in and conjured their own Patronuses to add to the group parrying the Dementors. Albus took her side just in time. A jet of green light had nearly hit her before she conjured a flock of birds to take the blast instead.

"Done writing?" Albus asked.

"As much as I could," she said breathlessly, parrying a curse off and using the ground to plop Alice and Frank up safely from a jet of green light. "We've barricaded the inn. Or what's left of it."

Albus could see. The inn was hard hit. Most of the higher parts were blown off, the top floors were damaged and the ground floor had a gaping hole in it. And the cemetery was being attacked too. Poor Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, they probably still did not know what had happened to Rose. Unless the Goblins told the Reservation what had happened and who exactly they killed and if the Reservation saw fit to tell their prisoners. Hugo ran in to join Albus as Alice and Fora ran back to the Manor, "Lily's recovering. Proxima and Seth managed to barricade the Shrieking Shack cellar but I can't find mum and dad!"

"They're by the rubble of the joke shop," Albus yelled. "Tell dad where Lily is. I don't want her alone."

Hugo ran off to do as told and Albus turned to see Alexis had run a bit further to cast at Incommodo himself. Dubium did not even attempt to stop her. He backed away, allowed the fight to unfold and retreated further into the battle. The Ancient Dark Lord turned to her calmly and raised his wand. The motions were so quick, Albus barely had time. Simply raising it had sent a force that broke through Alexis' shields before he cast, "Avada Kedavra!"

Albus forced her down. He felt the jet barely graze his hair but he did not react to it. But Incommodo saw, he knew. "Get away!" Albus yelled at him.

Alexis turned nearby droplets of water from the remains of the fountain into ice needles and Charmed them to Incommodo, using the distraction to run away with Albus. Albus knew Incommodo would not dare try killing Albus while they were there. Albus wanted to erase the Rune on Incommodo, but they'd never succeed that way After fighting alongside Mark, he'd changed his mind. There was no way he was dying. Not this time.

A group of Werewolves were with Dementors this time, descending on a group of students. Less Patronuses were in the air and Scorpius, Roxanne, Mark and Neil were huddled, trying to hide their mouths from the monsters. Albus and Alexis rushed for them but their Patronuses were already fighting the main horde of Dementors. It was not until a silvery cheetah and a silvery bear from two different DA members when the kids looked up.

Scorpius looked shocked, Roxanne sat up, sweaty and shaken, Mark's chest was heaving up and down as he stared up and Neil… Neil was still in fetal position, shaking and clearly terrified, still thinking or feeling the Dementor's effects. A howl pierced through the night again as Goblin descended on them and the Werewolves started feasting. Scorpius fired an explosive Charm, Roxanne crawled away and Alexis jumped up, turned into an eagle and started attacking. Alex and Eric rushed from behins, rejoining Albus, Mark and Scorpius. Albus threw himself in front of Neil as a Werewolf pawed them. Albus felt himself get scratched badly and he fell back as Neil moaned. The Goblins were coming next. Albus shook his back, "Stay with me. Count of three, cast Expulso, ok? Come on."

Neil looked up, facing the Werewolves. He did not seem concerned about them though. "Dementors. Stella. Sara. Father. Where are they?"

"They're gone, come on!" Albus yelled, casting an explosive Charm at another. "One… two… three…" Albus cast Confringo just as Neil cast Expulso. At the same time, a small voice yelled from behind them "Avada Kedavra!" It must have been Neil's first destructive Curse. The two explosions together knocked a lot of them back and they came in unison with a Killing Curse from what turned out to be Sierra. Another wolf was knocked down, turning back to his human form as he died. Alexis' eagle form was proving to be really strong. It dropped Goblins and their metallic instruments like bombs onto the Werewolves or else swooped through their ranks to throw them off balance.

One fearful moment came when a wolf wiped at the eagle and Alexis turned back into a human, rolled away, and leapt back up, barely winded before taking flught again. Then, just as Sierra joined them, a giant shadow jumped clean over them and landed on Neil. He screamed as Albus raised his wand but a spell knocked him back. He threw himself on the Werewolf and received another scratch before its teeth were sunk cleanly into Neil's flesh. Neil screamed in pain before the wolf was blasted off him by Sierra. As it faced her next, she cast a Killing curse and the wolf died too.

"Shut your eyes!" Sierra yelled as she covered Neil's pained body.

Albus shut his eyes not a moment too soon. He sensed and heard a giant snake slithering through the field, swiping all Goblins off their feet and Alexis' eagle flying away. A vibrating under the earth told Albus that Fora was digging toward the ship too. The Goblins fell dead as the Basilisk sunk its teeth into them, the wolves, and the Reservation members around him. Even a powerful blast of fiery red light did nothing to stop him from killing the caster with his teeth. Then, Seth turned back and fired wildly, Fiendfyre after Killing Curse after Retardation Curse, each one hitting its mark and each one causing damage. The darkened fire was absorbed back into his wand and he released it as a fiery jet of light at Dubium who was not too far off.

Dubium parried it with so much force, it rebounded back at Seth who transformed to a Basilisk again and took the hit, allowing it to glance off its body before turning back. "Avada Kedavra!"

"You ok?" Albus asked Neil as Neil was screaming as his first transformation occurred. Albus backed away, knowing he would lose his mind. He had an idea but he was not killing Neil. "Sierra, get back!" Albus yelled.

Sierra did as told and backed away as Neil went through his first painful transformation. In seconds, he was a Werewolf, facing and growling at him and Sierra. Sierra's lip trembled as Albus raised his wand. The wolf did not attack yet, it was still recovering from the transformation. "Incarcerous!" As expected, the Werewolf was tied up on all its legs and Albus raised his wand again, "Ferula!" Bandages were conjured next, wrapping themselves tightly around the Werewolf as well and he once again incarcerated him, sighing in relief as Neil was entrapped. The wolf did not fight either. It just stopped struggling and went silent, gazing at them threateningly, as if with a promise that if it broke free, it would bite them next.

Just then, from the orchard and the countryside rushed in dozens of vampires, Nate in the lead. Finally. The pale horrors were attacking every Arsenal member in sight, mainly them but some attacking the Reservation members too. Dubium was distracted from Seth when three descended on him. The three was forced back and incinerated as Seth fired a burst of fire at his grandfather. Dubium absorbed the curse easily, spun round easily to kill two more vampires and send a jet of green light at Seth. Seth raised his wand and powerfully made the earth rise up and cover Dubium, entrapping him within a dome.

Kabe meanwhile, rushed from the countryside. He had barely escaped Rojer's attack on the Room of Requirement. He was not sure who else did, just that some were dead. He knew Morpheus had gotten out but Melvin was unknown. He'd disappeared. He couldn't even find Scorpius' sister, but his mother was dead. He looked around for his own sister, knowing more than ever this was a battle he had to take part in. And he had a feeling Lysander and his little instruments knew that too. He spotted her, fighting against Incommodo. They were far off and he could barely make it. There was one way, but it meant giving his position away. It was time. Backing off, he closed his eyes and transformed. He transformed into a badger and dove underground, digging through to the duel instead.

Incommodo was being confronted and he still fought with too much power and force, so many times Alexis actually got lucky when many Killing Curses missed her. A badger had leapt out of the ground and attacked him. It jumped off his shoulder and transformed into Fora who wrapped herself with her cloak in midair to mimic the sky itself. The jet of green light miraculously soared right through it before Fora turned around and cast, "Stupefy!"

The spell was parried easily and that was when the duel started. Alexis and Aries showed up from the underground tunnels that were dug, firing at Incommodo too and the grass itself grew in length to attempt wrapping itself around him. Incommodo was fighting quickly and viciously though. Albus was surprised the kids put a fight up. One swipe cut the grass, sending a force out at the same time that was blocked by Alexis and Seth together. Fauna transfigured the cut grass into repaired ropes that bound him briefly. She withdrew her sword and struck him. The force of the sword that had absorbed Fiendfyre was so powerful, it blew Alexis, Seth, Aries and Fora off as Incommodo repelled it with darkened water. She stuck it through him but it was simply repelled with a physical repellant.

She sheathed it into her pocket once again as an eagle swooped down on him but he conjured a dome like shield to repel it, throwing Alexis away temporarily. "Avada Kedavra!"

Fora once again defended herself, this time taking the properties of a rock. The Killing Curse had no effect on a nonliving thing. A jet of light was expelled from behind it but he still parried as his back-blow parried the curses from Seth and Aries. Even the Serpentine Staff's snakes were no use against him. It looked like the very movement of his wand sent a powerful force to defend him from the back and front alike while he still cast his curses. Incommodo was very powerful and Aries seemed more like the resistance's backbone. It was because of her nobody around her died. Twice she saved Alexis' life from a jet of green light when she summoned a tiger to take the blast with a rune spell and even Seth almost died when he was incarcerated. The ropes transfigured into a fiery serpent that attacked Incommodo while the staff sent more snakes at him.

Incommodo actually spoke in Parseltongue to them and the snakes turned on Seth instead, forcing him to order them of and attack elsewhere in the battle. Flying snakes roamed the air now the Werewolves were repelled and the gates fell down. Albus ran further into the fight with Mark, Scorpius and the Wallaby twins. Even when he was apparently able to block Killing Curses, he still avoided them. Albus' spells were just another jet of light in the wider duel.

At least until he saw Harry, Ron and Hermione going three-on-one against Dubium. The bearded man was furiously firing madly at them. Harry and Ron ducked around and under him while Hermione was trying to use her own spells and at the same time analyze a weak spot. Albus and Scorpius ran in at the same time Hermione did, pushing Ron down from a jet of green light he could not defend himself from. Harry yelled something as he expelled a jet of yellow light but Albus and Scorpius got up. "Immobulus!"

Dubium cancelled the charm out as Scorpius fired off his own pieces of magic. Albus, Scorpius and Mark were firing spells as much as they could. Alex and Eric turned their backs, holding off others from interfering. "Take care of Dubium. Just watch our backs!" Alex yelled at Mark. Scorpius on the other hand tried mutating Dubium's body to grow an extra arm but Dubium rebounded it and Albus ended up hit. He screamed in pain as it grew from under his left arm but Mark fired a jet of yellow light at Dubium while Scorpius turned, "Sectum Exosso!"

The new limbs were cursed off and Albus fired a fiery jet of light next as Dubium easily parried them all. The group of seven was now surrounding him, trying but failing to get in at a weak spot. Albus and Scorpius were now the ones keeping the fight up. Fiendfyre erupted next from Dubium's wand, surrounding Harry, Albus and Scorpius. Hermione and Ron were left to duel him alone. Then, Mark behind them yelled, "Aer!"

A powerful blast of air blew it away, forcing it to dissipate into the air. Albus and Scorpius retook his side as Dubium turned his attention on the kids, deciding they were, for a wonder, the bigger threat. Albus raised his wand as Hermione circled her wand in a flurry. Something blurry was surrounding Dubium as he turned to Scorpius first, "Avada Kedavra!" Next to Albus, Avada Kedavra!"

Albus barely avoided it, Scorpius would've died if Mark didn't brave the spell and throw up a shield, miraculously blocking it as well, and Hermione had nearly died when the air around Dubium solidified at that moment. Harry and Ron were raising the earth and the ship's shields were weakening. At least for a second. Albus helped Scorpius up, who was still fighting, as whatever invisible solid matter Hermione had created was blasted apart. Mark chose that moment to rush in, throwing a shield up as he attacked physically. He was pushed back with a powerful force, the shield flying away and a jet of green light made for him. Albus conjured up another shield to act as Mark's defense. Their Runes were doing their jobs magnificently.

A burst of Fiendfyre came for Albus and Scorpius next as a shield was erupted to parry Harry and Ron when, suddenly, Lucy ran in bravely. Just as before, she ducked, wove and evaded all the attacks very swiftly, in a very nimble way. She threw up shields and fired spells as Dubium was turning around trying to hit her. Albus, Scorpius, Mark, Lucy, Harry, Ron and Hermione were firing at him too but when the spells got too much, Dubium just turned his wand to the ground and a loud bang went off, throwing them all away except Hermione who was still trapped in midair. Albus ran to save her but a quick flick of Dubium's wand tripped him up and Ron was forced to avoid a jet of green light as Hermione conjured a shield to repel a spell.

Meanwhile, the duel against Incommodo was going full force. Aries stepped back with Seth as Fora took his side. Fauna was on the other side and Incommodo faced the breathless kids fiercely. Aries sighed, "Ok, guys, listen up and don't mess this up. Seth, send the snakes on my mark."

"Screw it, I'm doing it now," Seth said as Incommodo fired a jet of green light.

A snake took the blast but more came out. He continued sending one after another as Aries activated her Rune Spells, wherever her Runes were drawn. A cheetah, a lion, a tiger, a bear, an elephant and even a wolf pack sprang from her wand the more she moved it. Alexis picked Fauna up as an eagle and flew up high as Aries gave an order to Fora, who dug a tunnel around Incommodo underground. Incommodo cast an earthy spell to repel it but it just leapt out, taking the blast again with the cloak, and transformed again while still in the air to continue digging. Aries blocked a force from his wand as Seth continued sending snakes at him. He Charmed them once again, this time giving their eyes a red color to fire a sort of beam from them.

Still, Incommodo managed to repel all the blasts, killing the animals Aries sent at him but that did distract him from what was happening above. Alexis dropped Fauna on him. Fauna withdrew her sword again and struck down with a vertical slice. One flick from his wand sent a dome of earth to take the blast. It exploded on contact, and the debris and rocks were Charmed to go after her next. She transfigured them into smaller swords which made for Incommodo while she herself landed as a lion and leapt for him just as the created Rune tiger attacked, the eagle descended, the swords struck, and the snakes swooped down. No one knew how even Incommodo could escape from this dilemma.

But he did. Incommodo raised his wand, forcing Aries to block the next push of force and twirled it overhead. A burst of fire was conjured, a fierce form of fire he controlled with fury. The fire erupted killing all the snakes, the eagle screeched in pain as it was repelled and landed as Alexis on the ground, the swords bounded uselessly off his skin and sent straight for the tiger while he stuck out his wand at the lion, and next thing anyone knew, Fauna was raising higher and higher into the sky. Seth sent one flying snake after Fauna who began falling and transformed into a Basilisk again to attack Dubium and Alexis swooped as an eagle towards him.

A loud bang erupted, forcing the earth around Incommodo to rise. The Basilisk's head bashed hard against the earth wall and the eagle's beak broke before it fell, both Seth and Alexis in pain. With Seth and Alexis recoiled, Incommodo turned to Fora. She prepared to hide herself again in her cloak but Incommodo had none of it. A single flick of his wand blew the cloak away, exposing her. Aries leapt in front only for a wall of earth to block er off. Fauna stabbed her sword through, blowing it apart but it was too late. A single wave of his scepter repelled the debris as he yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

Fora was defenseless and before anyone could stop it, she was impacted in the face. Her final thought before the jet took her life was of her brother, watching in shock as she died, and of Hugo and Frankie, two boys she enjoyed herself with during her final day alive. She let out a final breath and fell and she moved no more. Aries raised her wand but a yell of rage sounded. Kabe Vulneroman rushed forward at Incommodo, abandoning all rationality. A great jet of light blew from his wand, Incommodo parrying it easily but Kabe rushed him physically, living only because he Charmed the cloak to wrap itself around him just as a Killing soared. The two tumbled down but Kabe was blown into the air.

The miraculous thing happened when he changed. He turned into a badger, however inexplicable it was, and dove into the ground, lossening the earth around Incommodo even more. The earth collapsed into a lower point with Incommodo on it and the badger attacked. No one could see what happened in there, just that Incommodo climbed out, scratched and bitten but otherwise alive and furious, and Kabe was unconscious or dead, nobody could tell which. He parried all spells and curses from the weakened combatants, even throwing Fora's body in front to take another blast before throwing it back at Aries.

"So, he was Hufflepuff's heir," Aries muttered. "That explains why Fora could barely get the transformation in our classes. She was… we…" She put Fora in danger for nothing. Yet another ally, dead. Was Kabe ok?

"Obscurum Expunctus!" she yelled, and a golden dome erupted, cancelling all spells in the dome as Fauna, Alexis and Seth crawled weakly into it, protecting themselves.

"So, Selwyn was right, emotion does play a role," Incommodo muttered. "In that case…"

The next to arrive were the Centaurs. "Charge!" Firenze yelled.

Aries gaped in shock. She saw a small figure ducking its head down as Firenze galloped across towards the village, leaping clear over combatants, spells, curses, and even the duel with Incommodo who just blasted Fora off the battlefield. Apollo jumped off Firenze at that moment, just as Aries turned her back to save Alexis. "Get down!" he yelled.

Aries complied just as Incommodo expelled a jet of green light at Apollo. Apollo threw himself out of the way. His eyes were wide and silvery but they had the look in them that suggested he was acting on future visions. He dodged and evaded, yelling orders towards Aries. Apollo was dancing with death itself, jets of green light exploding at his feet, his head, his chest, his shoulders, everywhere, neither of which directly hit him. As he danced, he yelled again, "It won't work! He's too strong. It has to be you! They'll all die!"

Firenze galloped off with Apollo on his back, one other Centaur beside him. Incommodo took a vapor-like form, gliding swiftly after them. With a quick motion with his scepter, a force repelled all attacks again while a jet of green light was sent at Firenze. The Centaur collapsed over and Incommodo seized Apollo harshly, determined this time to do what Rojer had suggested.

Aries fought through the crowd but Incommodo was too far off, he acted too quickly. Apollo had not gotten away, but he was right. Aries had a job to do and that job was taking Incommodo down. It was on her. Aries alone looked like she still had fight in her but due to having teammates around her, she could not go to her fullest power. She was limited and she needed to face him alone, not using half her power protecting others.