CHAPTER 37: RALLYING CRY

Albus felt his head would explode. So many thoughts and emotions surged through it. Would he die? Would his brother or sister die? Or any of his cousins or friends? What about Dad? Would he come to save them? Or was he . . .

Don't think that.

He clutched the bottom half of his robe, clenching and unclenching the black material, as he and James hid behind a tapestry. Tension squeezed his muscles as two dinosaur-like creatures tromped along the corridor. He studied them intently. They reminded him of the Velociraptors from the Jurassic Park movies, though they stood more upright, had shorter snouts and no tails. Oh yeah, they also wore dark metallic body armor, helmets and carried long, tubular laser rifles. It didn't take long for him to recognize them. Shreth'kil, a race of intelligent dinosaurs that returned to Earth after 65 million years to destroy the human race in the movie The Return.

The two creatures gazed around the corridor, then turned to one another. Albus held his breath as they spoke in clicks and growls. Without subtitles like in the movie, he had no idea what the Shreth'kil said.

Seconds later, they moved on and disappeared around a corner.

Albus let out a long breath and pressed his back against the wall. He glanced at James, who stared at the floor, slowly rubbing his thumb up and down the base of his wand.

"We're never going to get to the hospital wing at this rate," Albus groused.

"Shut up." James whipped his head toward him. "We will."

"How? Every time we turn a corner there's a bloody Dalek or Shreth'kil or Cylon. What if some of the kids who are hurt back in the Room of Requirement die before we get help? What if we get to the hospital wing and they've already evacuated? What if . . ."

"Albus!" James narrowed his eyes. "If you're going to talk, then say something productive. If all you're going to do is whinge, then shut your gob, because I don't want to hear it."

Albus' head shook with anger. He felt his lips curl into a scowl, which he aimed right at his older brother.

Git. His whinging was probably much more productive than anything James was doing. Their "leader" didn't look like he had a damn idea what to do. Why should he? As much as he tried to be like Dad, he wasn't Dad. Just a 16-year-old with delusions of grandeur. And look where it got him . . . them. Hiding behind a tapestry in a castle crawling with Stacyx-controlled TV and movie aliens who wanted to kill them.

I wish Dad was here. He'd know what to do.

Albus' lips parted, ready to ask his brother if he had any sort of plan on getting to the hospital wing.

A scuffling sound echoed through the corridor.

Both brothers tensed and peeked out from behind the tapestry. Albus gripped his wand tighter.

Shadows danced along the wall. His chest tightened when he saw dark-robed figures appear from around the corridor. They walked cautiously, their heads rotating from side to side, as if on the lookout for danger.

"They're students." James lightly tapped him on the arm.

Albus nodded and looked at them more closely. There had to be over a dozen. The two at the front he recognized immediately.

James rose and stepped out from behind the tapestry. Albus followed.

Several students let out gasps when they appeared. The two boys in the front raised their wands.

"Relax!" James held up his hands in front of him. "It's us."

Harold Thomas and Olec Holmdeil turned to one another and lowered their wands.

"Nice to see some friendly faces," said Harold. "You wouldn't believe what's going on here."

"If it's characters from our vid-cards running around trying to kill us, we do." James gave them a quick rundown on the situation. They all appeared shocked when they learned Bianca Fahring aided the Stacyx in their plans, and even more shocked when they learned she'd been killed by a Dalek.

"Some of us were in the library when this all began," Olec explained. "We are trying to find a way out of the castle, but it is difficult with all these things around. We've had to hide a lot. We also ran into other students along the way."

"Yeah, including a friend of yours." Harold looked to Albus, then nodded to the back of the group. He looked around the Fifth Year Ravenclaw and over the heads of several other students. A boy with pale blond hair and a pointed face stepped out from behind a lithe, brown-haired Hufflepuff girl.

"Malfoy?"

"Yes, it's me, Potter." Scorpius Malfoy glared at Albus. "What? Hoping one of those pepper pot things would have done me in?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes locked on Scorpius. He didn't know how to respond to that.

Scorpius shook his head. "See. This is what we get when we let Muggle-borns infect our world with their things. Let's have them bring in their vid-cards and show us all the characters our parents fought with and against in the last war with the Stacyx. Now look. Because of that, we might all be . . . killed." He noticeably swallowed.

"Oh yeah, Malfoy." Harold swung around to face him. "Blame Muggle-borns for this mess."

"Well they should accept the blame for this."

Olec's face twisted in anger. Albus drew his head back a bit. He found it hard to imagine the amiable Finn to getting mad.

Well, Malfoys do have that affect on people.

"You have problem with Muggle-borns like me? Maybe I have problem with purebloods who are . . . are . . ."

Olec said something Albus couldn't understand. It had to be something in his native language, and probably something not very pleasant.

The Finn took a step toward Scorpius.

The Slytherin shrank back.

"Knock it off!" James snapped. "We don't have time to be fighting one another. We've got a school to save."

"Save?" Harold canted his head. "How?"

"I have an idea." James moved closer to Harold and Olec. "We use the vid-cards, same as the Stacyx. Only instead of bringing bad guys to our world, we bring good guys."

"What about the Aurors Office?" asked Harold. "Surely your Dad and uncle are on their way here to help."

"Dad and Uncle Ron are tied up in Diagon Alley. The Stacyx also released TV and movie bad guys there, too. For now, this looks like the only way we're going to get help."

"I know where we can find a vid-card." Olec raised his hand.

"Where?" James turned to him.

"The boys' bathroom the floor above us. We were hiding in there when we found one in a stall."

"With all these aliens and things about," Harold said, "we figured it may not be a good idea to be around one of those things."

"I still don't think it's a good idea to be around them," Scorpius added.

"You have a better idea, Malfoy?" Albus aimed a harsh gaze at him.

Scorpius sucked on his lower lip and cast his eyes to the floor.

"Right. Let's go." James waved them forward.

Albus' eyes darted around the corridor. His armpits grew damp from sweat. His heart hammered away like mad. Would a Dalek suddenly appear? Or a Shreth'kil? Or something even worse? A chill went up his spine. He imagined being shot with a laser. Of dying. Merlin, he was just fifteen-years-old. He couldn't die. He hadn't even had sex yet!

They reached the stairway to the next floor without incident. When they made it to the top they had to stay out of sight as a troop of Cybermen marched down the corridor, away from them thankfully.

"All clear." James turned to the group. "Let's go."

They sprinted into the corridor.

"Olec? What was the vid-card you found?" Albus asked.

"Uh . . . oh! It was Halo. I don't know which season."

Albus smiled at that. He'd seen several episodes of the TV series based on the old video game. The Master Chief and his marines would no doubt kick some serious arse.

"Here we are." Olec reached the door to the bathroom and pushed it open. "I know right where it is."

The Finn headed toward the stalls. James, Albus and Harold started to follow.

A shrill buzz cut pierced Albus' ears. He jumped as a streak of blue cut through the air. Olec flailed and fell to the floor.

"Olec!" James and Harold cried.

Albus froze. His wide eyes locked on Olec's still form. The left side of his chest was gone, replaced by a large, smoldering hole.

Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin. He's dead. He's . . .

"GO!!"

Albus jerked at his brother's shout. That's when he noticed movement out the corner of his eye.

Two Shreth'kil soldiers marched toward them from the far side of the bathroom. Both aimed their weapons at him.

Albus leaped back into the hallway. Two laser bolts tore into the open bathroom door. It exploded into splinters.

The students hurried down the corridor, a few screaming. Albus checked over his shoulder.

The Shreth'kil emerged from the bathroom.

"Protego!" James hollered. He erected a shield just as the first laser bolt sliced through the air. Albus and Harold cast their own shields moments later.

"How are we supposed to get the vid-card now?" Albus gritted his teeth as more lasers pounded his shield. Olec's body kept flashing through his mind. Could he really be dead?

He noticed James' eyes light up. His older brother turned to him. "Al! Harold! Keep those shields up. I've got an idea."

James lowered his shield as Albus and Harold expanded theirs. Al's arms quaked as more Shreth'kil laser struck his shield.

"Accio Halo vid-card!" James pointed his wand at the bathroom.

Albus closed his eyes. A Summoning Spell. Why hadn't they done that in the first place? Then Olec would still be alive.

The vid-card soared out of the bathroom and flew toward them. Albus glanced up, watching it speed toward the gap between the ceiling and the top of his shield. Just a few seconds more and . . .

A Shreth'kil laser connected with the vid-card. It disintegrated.

"Dammit!" James slapped his wand hand against his thigh.

"I don't think we can hold out much longer," Harold said in a strained voice. "We gotta go."

The three retreated toward the stairs, lasers slamming into their shields. They lowered them a split second before they rounded the corner and pounded down the stairs.

"What now?" Albus demanded.

"I don't know!" James snapped. "We'll . . . we'll find another vid-card."

"Where? They could be anywhere. How the hell can we look for one with the Shreth'kil after -"

A laser shrieked past him. Two of the girls in their group screamed. Albus spun around. The two Shreth'kil charged down the stairs. Albus and James cast a couple Stunning Spells. They all missed.

The group dashed onto the next floor. Scorpius ran so fast he looked ready to overtake everyone. His skin had turned as white as chalk.

Albus glimpsed over his shoulder. The Shreth'kil jumped off the last step and turned toward them.

"Protego!"

The clear shield undulated in front of him. He Half-ran, half-skipped backwards to keep up with the others.

The Shreth'kil aimed their laser rifles high and fired. A myriad of blue bolts streaked over the top of Albus' shield. It struck the ceiling above James and the others. Chunks of stone fell on them.

"NO!!!" He swung his head back to the Shreth'kil, teeth bared.

"Blaggards!" A silver-haired wizard shouted from a nearby portrait. "Filthy blaggards! Attacking children. Unconscionable! You should be -"

One of the Shreth'kil soldiers fired its weapon. The portrait vanished in a puff of flame.

Albus shoulders rose and fell in angry breaths. He snapped his head around. Several students lay on the floor, debris either surrounding them or on top of them. He looked back at the Shreth'kil. The creatures continued to advance, firing on his shield, sending jolts up his arms.

Olec was dead. What about James and Harold and the others? Dammit, dammit, dammit! He'd had enough of defense, of running. He wanted to make these bastards pay!

Out of his anger, a desperate plan formed.

Albus glanced at a stone base nearby. It was most likely for a statue or a suit of armor. No doubt its occupant had gone off to defend the castle.

Taking a breath and holding it, Albus switched off his shield. An instant later he dove behind the stone base. Lasers whizzed past.

Lying on his back, he stuck his wand in the air. He shouted the proper incantation. A white ball of light flew from his wand, growing larger by the moment.

Albus closed his eyes. Time passed with agonizing slowness.

C'mon. C'mon!

The Flare Charm erupted with a whoosh. That was followed by loud, painful hissing. Albus opened his eyes and peered over the base.

The Shreth'kil had dropped their rifles and covered their eyes, stomping from side-to-side.

Albus jumped to his feet. "Stupify! Stupify!"

Both Stunning Spells hit home. The Shreth'kil dropped to the ground. Albus then blew apart their rifles with a Reductor Curse.

He let out a loud sigh. His shoulders slumped as he dropped his head. Thank Merlin that was over.

This bit at least. We still have who knows how many other . . .

He froze. Something caught his eye, wedged between the back of the stone base and the wall. He bent down and picked it up. A bolt of hope shot through him.

It was a vid-card.

I gotta show James. He'll be . . .

That's when he remembered.

"James!" He took off down the corridor. "James!"

His fears eased when he saw his brother helping another student to her feet. He scanned the scene. A dark-haired Ravenclaw who looked like a Seventh Year knelt beside the lithe, brown-haired Hufflepuff girl, who sat against the wall looking dazed. Two other students moaned in pain, one clutching his arm, the other tenderly rubbing her ankle. Harold tended to the girl, though he had blood trickling down his temple. Scorpius, meanwhile, just stood in the middle of the group, staring at his dust-covered robes with a mixture of shock and disgust.

Trust Malfoy to worry about his bloody robes when people are injured around him.

"Al!" James jogged over to him. Dust covered his face and robes. He also had a couple bloody nicks on his cheek and nose. "You all right."

"Yeah. What about everyone else?"

"Banged up. Some pretty badly. But no one's dead, thank Merlin. What about the Shreth'kil?"

"I got 'em. Both of them."

"You?" James raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Me! What, is that such a bloody surprise?"

James stared down the corridor, then back to his brother. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment. "Nice job."

"Thanks." Albus replied in the same flat tone as his brother. "You wanna see what else I got?" He held up the vid-card before James could respond. "Found it over by that stone base."

James eyed it, then nodded. "This will do nicely."

"Glad you approve." Albus tacked on a very brief smirk.

James took the vid-card and stepped toward the middle of the group. Albus halted a couple feet away from Scorpius, who still seemed more concerned about the condition of his robes than the condition of the people around him.

Bloody unbelievable. He shook his head.

"Okay, everybody." James knelt down and placed the vid-card on the floor. "Looks like we lucked out. We should be getting some help to deal with -"

A female scream cut him off. Albus' head snapped toward a young Ravenclaw with blond hair. He followed the gaze of her terrified eyes.

Four Daleks appeared from around the corner.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

The lead Dalek fired before anyone could erect a shield. The beam washed over the Ravenclaw boy and the dazed Hufflepuff against the wall. Both screamed and crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

A second Dalek moved forward.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

Its gun was aimed at Scorpius Malfoy.

Albus didn't even think. He just reacted. He leaped forward and grabbed Scorpius by the shoulders. With a grunt he hauled the Slytherin boy to the floor. A laser beam missed them by mere centimeters.

Harold and two other students finally managed to cast Shield Spells.

Albus propped himself up on an elbow. He looked down at Scorpius, who was quaking.

Did I just save . . . Scorpius Malfoy?

"Everyone in here!"

Albus looked up. James stood by a shimmering portal that hovered over the vid-card.

"Come on!" he cried. "Move it!"

He waved the students helping the more seriously injured through first. Once they made it through safely, he cast a Shield Spell to give Harold and the others their chance to go into the portal.

"Albus, go! Take Malfoy with you."

"What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you. Go!"

Albus' stomach quivered. That quivering grew more violent with each laser blast and every grating cry of "EXTERMINATE!!" He glanced over at the dead boy and girl, thought of Olec.

Then he pictured James, dead.

Fear paralyzed him. He didn't want to go, didn't want to leave James alone.

"Al, dammit! Go! They'll be through this shield any moment!"

He looked from his brother to the Daleks. A barrage of laser bolts slammed into James' shield.

Clenching his teeth, Albus got to his feet, pulling a trembling Scorpius with him.

"This is the second time your family owes mine, Malfoy."

Holding his breath, he plunged into the portal.

A darkened street greeted him. He gazed around at the old brick structures, most about five or six stories. A variety of vehicles were parked up and down the street.

Albus let go of Scorpius, who practically collapsed. He ignored the boy's ragged breaths, and the fact he hadn't muttered a word of thanks, and just stared at the portal, waiting for James to appear.

Waiting.

Waiting.

His chest tightened. A sudden urge to cry welled up within him.

C'mon, James. Please.

His jaw trembled. He thought of all the arguments, all the fights, all the jealousy.

All the time wasted. Time that could have been spent having fun together. Time he could have spent being a better brother.

No. Please. No.

A figure flew out of the portal.

Albus just managed to cut off a squeal of delight at the sight of James. He also just managed to restrain himself from running over and hugging his brother. How would that look to everyone around him?

"You all right?" Albus asked.

"Fine. The others?"

"They're all right. Even him." He nodded to Scorpius, who walked around in little circles, his eyes staring at nothing in particular.

"Like father, like son, I guess," James commented.

Albus laughed. It shocked him at first. Olec and so many others had died, yet here he was laughing. And at a joke his brother told! When was the last time he'd done that?

They caught one another's eye. A hint of a smile creased James lips.

"Guys! The portal!" They heard Harold shout.

The Potter brothers spun around, wands raised.

The four Daleks rolled out of the portal.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

A rush of air filled Albus' ears. A silver streak flashed by.

One of the Daleks suddenly exploded. Slime covered the shattered remains of its base.

"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!! IDENTIFY NEW THREAT AND EXTERMINATE!!"

The Daleks' eye stalks whipped around in search of their attacker. Albus, too, glanced around the street. Who could have . . .

"What foul kers are you to dare attack children?" The voice boomed like sentient thunder.

Albus looked to one of the rooftops. His eyes widened at the huge, muscular silhouette with a flowing cape and a winged helmet.

"Be warned. You know not the righteous wrath you have brought down upon you for this cowardly act."

The silhouette spread out his arms. Albus noticed a huge hammer in the person's right arm just before a rallying cry rocked the air.

"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!!"

Albus jaw dropped. Oh my God. That could only be . . .

The Mighty Thor raised his hammer to the sky. A bolt of lightning flew from it and struck one of the Daleks. It exploded into a hundred pieces.

"EXTERMINATE!!" The remaining two Daleks aimed for Thor. "EXTERMINATE!!"

Two thin ropes shot through the air and struck the lead Dalek in its eye stalk. Albus realized it wasn't rope. It was webbing.

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!! I CANNOT SEE!! MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!! I CANNOT SEE!!"

A large red, white and blue disk flashed through the air and sliced through the upper half of the blinded Dalek. Its "head" tumbled to the ground.

The last Dalek spun around, desperately searching for a target.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTER-"

A yellow ray streaked down from the sky and struck the Dalek, blowing it to bits.

"Yeah!" Albus couldn't help but pump a fist in the air. He also noticed his brother smiling wide.

A figure in humanoid-like red and gold armor glided to the ground, landing next to the remains of the Daleks. He gazed around.

"Hmm, let's see. A strange portal. Some sort of robots, possibly alien in nature. Yup. Looks like a typical Tuesday night."

Albus snickered at Iron Man's wise crack.

"It would have been nice if you'd left one for us," said a red-headed woman with a Russian accent. Albus swallowed slowly as he gawked at the dark uniform that hugged Black Widow's frame nice and tight. He barely noticed the shrunken, winged woman hovering around the superheroine's shoulder until she spoke.

"You said it, Widow. Why should the boys have all the fun?"

"Fun?" Spiderman somersaulted down from the side of a nearby building. "I don't know, Wasp. My idea of fun is hurling spitballs at my TV every time I see Simon on American Idol, not fighting killer robots."

"Are you kids all right?"

Both Albus and James looked up at the tall, muscular man in a blue uniform with an American flag design on his tunic. He also carried a red, white and blue shield on his right arm.

"Um, yeah. We're fine," Albus replied to Captain America.

"So . . ." Iron Man stepped forward as Thor landed beside him. "Care to tell us what's going on?"

James took a step forward. "We have a problem, one we could really use the help of the Avengers to solve."

TO BE CONTINUED

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The movie "The Return" and the Shreth'kil are products of my imagination, and show that in the future Hollywood can actually come up with an original sci-fi/action movie not based on a book or comic book or video game or TV show or simply remake an old movie. As for the Avengers movie at the end of this chapter, Marvel Studios has actually proposed one for sometime in the next five or six years.