It seems Alexis's given name has a few people confused so I'll explain it real fast. Alya is the traditional name for the star Theta Serpentis located in the Serpens constellation. It's Arabic for tail or the end of something. Josobelle, of course, is French, and just in case anyone forgot that we were dealing with the Lestranges and Blacks, means pure child/beauty.
Warning in advance, this chapter was typed and posted via cell phone. My spell check and grammar may be awful but my computer shut down. Also, training will be staying very soon so this may be the last update for next few weeks which sucks because we only have two or so more chapters to go and we're on to the sixth book
Edited Note: I just got my computer fixed so hopefully I caught all my earlier mistakes.
And now...
Enjoy!
5 Chapter 37: The Results of the First Battle
It was a cackle that awoke Alexis from her numbness - a cackle that reminded Alexis of where she was and what she had just witness. It was a cackle that sent Alexis, paralyzed in the arms of Remus Lupin along with her best friend, into a furious bloodthirsty rage.
And it was the cackle of her mother.
"I killed Sirius Black!" sang Bellatrix Lestrange somewhere in the room.
Alexis could not say where her mother's voice was coming from. In fact, she could not say a lot of things at the moment. She could not say how Harry broke free from Remus's grasp before her. She could not say how Antonin Doholov found himself thrown into the veil upon striking Remus with a nasty-looking blow from behind. And she could not say how she had torn past her friends and the members of the Order who called her name in a plea to stop her. However, one way or another Alexis found herself running out of the Death Chamber, through the center room, and once more down the long hall to the lifts.
"Damn it!" Alexis cursed aloud when she found both lifts already moving upwards to the eighth floor. But she did not let this alter her plan, whatever that plan was.
Bursting through the door to the stairwell, Alexis took the steps two at a time, never ceasing in her climb. It wasn't just Sirius's death that fueled her anger. It was Ron's, Cedric's, Tom's. It was Riddle's betrayal. It was the lies everyone had told her.
It was everything.
It was her mother.
Throwing the door to level eight open, Alexis charged into the room in time to see Harry raise his wand, a furious look on his face, and cry with all his might, "CRUCIO!"
Her own mother, Bellatrix, took the spell to the chest. She fell screaming but her body did not twitch and contort in agony. Soon Bellatrix's scream faltered and as Harry released the curse it quickly became a cackle.
"Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?" Bellatrix yelled, pulling herself back onto her feet. "You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain — to enjoy it — righteous anger won't hurt me for long — I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson -"
But before she could raise her wand, Alexis pushed Harry aside and yelled, "Crucio!"
Bellatrix's scream filled the air once more only this time there was a noticeable difference. Her anguish was clear, perhaps just as clear as the betrayal in Alexis's eyes. Alexis wanted Bellatrix to understand just what Alexis could never put into words. She wanted the woman to know, to feel the pain she had caused, to realize the agony she had put Alexis in and to know it would not be easily forgiven - that it may never be forgiven.
A comforting hand rested itself on Alexis's shoulder. Instantly, Alexis released the curse from her mother. She turned to Harry, half expecting to find disgust or betrayal marring his face but only found a look of understanding and endearment in her best friend's eyes.
Harry wanted to see Bellatrix suffer. He thought she deserved it for what she did to Sirius.
"You... you dare..." panted Bellatrix, struggling to lift herself up onto her elbows. "... you dare look... at my daughter with such affection!"
"You dare call her yours!" hissed Harry, his face lighting up with anger once more as he lashed out at Bellatrix. "You know nothing!"
"She is mine!" barked Bellatrix venomously. "Alya is my daughter - my child! You are unworthy of even gracing her presence! Had the Dark Lord not wished to kill you himself I would take your life with my bare hands!"
"Like you did to Sirius?" growled Alexis darkly. Had she hoped her mother would have at least acted guilty towards her crime, Alexis would have found herself greatly disappointed.
"My traitorous cousin deserved his fate and more!" spat Bellatrix.
"He was your friend!" exclaimed Harry.
"He loved you!" said Alexis over him.
"And he was a fool to believe in such things as love and friendship," hissed Bellatrix. "And you, Alya! You will be a fool if you fall to such pitiful beliefs as well!"
"Pitiful - I loved Sirius!" cried Alexis enraged. "And you took him from me! From Harry! Without Sirius, I wouldn't know who you are! Who I am!"
"You are Alya!" howled Bellatrix.
"I AM NOT!" shouted Alexis, her body shaking with fury. "I am Hex! HEX! And I may be your daughter but I am not a Lestrange! I am not your precious star! I am not yours! I am Harry's and Hermione's and Remus's and Moody's! I am my family's - my real family's! The one's that raised me! The one's that love me and care for me and die for me and I would gladly die for as well! You mean NOTHING!"
Bellatrix, with a tremendous roar, snapped her wand at Alexis, sending a nasty curse her way. Instinctively, Harry pushed his best friend behind him as he threw up a shield. He did not hesitate to respond with a curse of his own.
"Crucio!" Harry cried again.
Bellatrix screamed once more. Her body twisted uncomfortably as her shrieks filled the air. The results were not at all the same as Harry's first cast of the Unforgivable. In fact, to any onlooker, it would look as if Harry was quite familiar with the Cruciatus Curse by the way Bellatrix howled and shuddered.
Alexis did not know how long she watched her best friend torture her mother. She was quite numb to the screams in the air - numb to everything, honestly. Sirius was gone; her own mother had murdered him; and now Harry, the Boy Who Lived and champion to the Light, stood in front of her casting dark magic on her mother. It should have sickened Alexis, frightened her - anything!
But no. Alexis watched mutely... emotionlessly... numbly.
"Good, Harry..." hissed a voice distantly. "Torture her... make her feel your pain... Alexis's pain... Let her understand the cost of her action...
"But why stop there?" hissed the voice, suddenly drawing closer. "Why let her live any longer?" The voice sounded now as if it were whispering in Alexis's ear yet Alexis knew Harry could hear it as well. "You could kill her, Harry..."
Harry had ceased in his casting of the Unforgivable. He was panting over an unconscious Bellatrix with his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Alexis watched, frozen in place as Harry collapsed to his knees, covering his ears.
"You know the spell - it's only two little words..." continued the voice, growing louder with each breath. "She took Sirius from you... doesn't she deserve to die? Don't you deserve your revenge?"
"Hex..." groaned Harry closing his eyes even tighter. "He's... he's here..."
Before Alexis could ask who, she discovered the answer on her own as a frighteningly familiar voice breathed past her cheek.
"She already knows, Harry," chuckled Voldemort from behind Alexis, his cool, bony fingers crawling onto her shoulder like a spider on his web. "I dare say, she hardly looks surprised by my presence either."
"Get away from her!" shouted Harry, stumbling to his feet. He quickly put himself between Alexis and Voldemort like he had with Bellatrix, his wand raised and at the ready.
Voldemort only gave a throaty chuckle at the sight.
"Now, Harry," he said with a snakish grin on his lipless mouth. "I have no desire to take your little friend from you. Useful as she may be, I am here only for the prophecy my Death Eaters failed to retrieve for me." He then looked past the two fifth years at the motionless Bellatrix and added, "A failure I will not soon forget.
"Give me the prophecy, Harry," repeated Voldemort. "Give me the prophecy and I will spare your life."
"You're just going to have to kill me then, Riddle!" snapped Harry. "Because it's gone! I don't have it!"
"Because I do," cut in Alexis, surprising her best friend.
Alexis reached into her pocket and retrieved the glowing blue orb. Idly, she noticed that it was smaller than the one she had seen Harry with but doubted it was a fact that would be noticed. Carefully, Alexis held the prophecy up so that both Harry and Voldemort could see it.
"Very good, my dear," praised Voldemort. "Very good indeed. I'm sure your mother, if she were to have her bearings at the moment, would be very proud of you. Now hand it over to me, Alexis."
Alexis instead pressed the prophecy against her chest. She had to buy time.
"First your word," Alexis said. "Promise to let Harry leave here alive and unscratched. Swear it."
Voldemort only laughed again.
"My niceties may only go for so long, dear child," he said with a slippery grin. "One way or the other, the prophecy will be mine."
"But not today," said Harry. "STUPEFY!"
Worldlessly, Voldemort blocked Harry's spell. However, it still gave the two fifth years enough to time to take shelter behind the hideous fountain that sat in the center of the Atrium. A bright flash of green light darted over Harry's head as the two ducked for cover behind the fountain.
"Any ideas?" asked Alexis hastily.
"Don't die," Harry replied simply.
Had Voldemort not spoken seconds later Alexis would have called her best friend a prat.
"Gryffindor, yet you hide. Ay, Potter?" jeered Voldemort. "Your mother did the same before I killed her. I wonder... will you beg like her too?"
"EXPELLIARMUS!" bellowed Harry from around the golden goblin statue of the fountain. Alexis did likewise from behind the centaur but both spells were blocked almost too easily by Voldemort, who in turn sent a fury of green lights back in return.
"Shall we play this game again, then?" shouted Voldemort. "You're only dragging out the inevitable, Potter, and in the processes putting your dear little friend's life at risk... But then again... you've gotten use to others dying for you by now, haven't you?"
Before Alexis could stop him, Harry jumped to his feet once again. He and Alexis both were startled to find Voldemort leering over him with only a few feet separating them.
"Goodbye, Harry Potter," smiled Voldemort. "Avada Kedavra!"
Alexis screamed for her best friend to move but Harry remained motionless in surprise. The infamous green light flew from the tip of Voldemort's wand charging towards Harry. But much to Alexis forever gratitude, it was not Harry that the light connected with but the golden goblin statue. Harry had, in turn, found himself quite roughly tossed across the room by said statue.
"Dumbledore!" hissed Voldemort.
Alexis had never heard so much venom in the Dark Lord's voice. However, when Alexis repeated his word at the sight of her Headmaster, standing before them with his wand drawn and his beard thrown over his shoulder and out of the way, it was in complete and utter gratitude. It almost sounded as if she was praising a higher being for at last answering her pray.
"Dumbledore," Alexis breathed. "About fucking time."
The aged headmaster had the modesty of only allowing his lip to twitch upwards before beginning an all-out battle of will and wand with Voldemort. Spells and curses Alexis could have never dreamed existed filled the air and crashed in every direction as she stumbled over to Harry. Hastily the two took shelter behind a Foo fireplace.
"You alright?" she shouted over the battle behind them.
"Never better," huffed Harry, babying his left arm.
"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom," said Dumbledore calmly. "The Aurors are on their way."
"By which time I shall be gone, and you dead!" spat Voldemort. He sent another Killing Curse at Dumbledore but missed, instead hitting the security guards desk, which burst into flame.
Dumbledore flicked his own wand. The force of the spell that emanated from it was such that Alexis and Harry both felt their hair stand on end as it passed, and this time Voldemort was forced to conjure a shining silver shield out of thin air to deflect it. The spell, whatever it was, caused no visible damage to the shield, though a deep, gonglike note reverberated from it, an oddly chilling sound...
"You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore?" called Voldemort, his scarlet eyes narrowed over the top of the shield. "Above such brutality, are you?"
"We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom," Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to walk toward Voldemort as though he had not a fear in the world, as though nothing had happened to interrupt his stroll up the hall. "Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit."
"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!" snarled Voldemort
"You are quite wrong," said Dumbledore, still closing in upon Voldemort and speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks. "Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness."
The door to the stairs was thrown open. Rodolphus and very battered looking Rabastan appeared. They looked upon the battle raging between Voldemort and Dumbledore with their green eyes blazing.
"Retrieve the prophecy!" hissed Voldemort at his Death Eaters without ever taking his eyes from Dumbledore. "The girl has it!"
As the Lestrange Brothers' eyes fell upon them, Alexis and Harry immediately began casting whatever spells they could think of. It slowed the two Death Eaters down but did not stop either on their advance. In fact, not even the golden goblin statue that had once saved Harry did much to tether Rodolphus and Rabastan once the Lestrange Lord melted it with the same melting hex Viktor had used last year.
"Hand me the prophecy, Josobelle," said Rodolphus when they had drawn close enough to be heard over Dumbledore and Voldemort's much more violent duel.
"Yeah, no thanks," sneered Alexis.
"Then we will take it by force," hissed Rabastan, raising his wand once more.
"No, I don't think so!"
Seemingly appearing out of thin air, Swine sent Rabastan flying into the desecrated fountain. Upon impact, Rabastan's shoulder was pierced by the arrow of the now headless centaur. The younger of the Lestranges let out a hollow of pain as his skin tore due to his weight dragging him down. But he did not fall, no doubt stuck with the arrow caught under a bone, and his cries of agony were not pleasant at all.
Rodophlus turned his attention then to Swine, his green eyes dangerous even when compared to his already threatening aurora. He could easily crush Swine, whose right side seemed heavily damaged and clearly still bleeding. However, it was not Swine that sent Rodolphus into a defensive stance, with a powerful shield charm to protect himself.
"HANDS OFF MY CHARGE, YOU DEATH EATER SCUM!" bellowed the powerful voice of Mad-Eye Moody, stomping into the Atrium with his wand raised and magical eye on a swivel.
And so another battle broke out in the Atrium only this one between Rodolphus and Moody. Later, Alexis would find it a bit cliché to see her guardian and supposed father battle, but now was not then and instead Alexis tried focusing on whatever words Swine was saying to her and Harry.
"We need to get you to out of here," he stated rather obviously in Alexis's opinion. "The fireplaces on the right, they'll get you two - fucking hell!"
Swine forcefully pushed Alexis and Harry down as a ricocheting flash of nasty purple flew above them.
"Only you two could get caught in the middle of something like this," growled Swine when it was safe enough to let Alexis and Harry back up. "Come on!"
Grabbing both fifth years by the arm, Swine hurried them in a zigzag pattern through the war zone around them. The three hurtled the still unconscious Bellatrix and dodged a countless number of hexes before taking cover behind the fountain on which Rabastan was still hanging by his shoulder howling in pain.
"Hang in there, Lestrange," quipped Swine.
Alexis choose graciously to ignore the ill pun that really deserved a slap to instead yell, "Look out!"
Rodolphus had momentarily stalled Moody by throwing him into the crossfires of Dumbledore and Voldemort's battle and had used this opening to jump Swine. Despite looking like a proper lord - or rather a proper lord gone mass murderer - Rodolphus did not hesitate to attack Swine's weakened side. Due to their sudden close proximity, the duel quickly became one of Muggle nature and, unfortunately for Swine, Rodolphus's large build gave him the upper-hand.
"A stunner would be great!" shouted Swine as he struggled to avoid Rodolphus's much larger and more violent fist.
"I'm trying!" shouted Harry in reply and he really was trying but Rodolphus knew better to give either fifth years a chance to strike.
"The prophecy, Josobelle," ordered Rodolphus, at last overpowering the now wandless Swine and holding him at wand point. "To me."
"I swear to Merlin, Jinx," coughed Swine behind a bloodied nose. "If you play hero and give it to him I will hold it against you."
Rodolphus hit Swine with a curse that made him grunt in pain. It wasn't quite the Cruciatus but it still didn't look at all pleasant.
"Alright, alright!" said Alexis hastily. She extended her hand out with the orb towards Rodolphus. "Catch!"
Alexis threw the prophecy high into the air. Rodolphus, distracted by the gravity defying orb, failed to stop Harry's quickly sent Expelliarmus. The Lestrange Lord's wand went tumbling through the air before sliding across the marble ground between Bellatrix and the statue. However, Rodolphus paid it no mind as he dove for the prophecy along with a miraculously still conscious Swine.
In slow motion Alexis watched the prophecy fall just out of both men's reach. It shatter, letting out a small ghostly smoke of a woman's face with magnified eyes right beside the two wrestling men, but whatever words were spoken failed to be heard by Alexis and Harry. The smoke faded and as it did Rodolphus finally succeeded in knocking Swine out.
"NO!" hissed Voldemort, seeing the destruction of the prophecy. In a fit of rage, he sent a surge of magic rippling off him that succeeded in sending both of his opposers, Dumbledore and Moody, tumbling backwards.
Then the Dark Lord was gone. Alexis almost cried with relief but instead let out an awkward chuckle. It was over. The madness was done. They just had to apprehend Rodolphus and -
Harry let out a thunderous cry. Alexis spun around in horror to find her best friend collapsed on the ground, his hands clamped over his inflamed scar and his eyes firmly shut tight.
"Harry!" Alexis screamed, hurrying to her best friend's side despite the protest she heard from her headmaster and guardian. "Harry, speak to me! What's wrong?"
Harry's eyes snapped open at her words but it was not her best friend's green eyes that she found looking at her. Instead, the piercing crimson eyes from Christmas met her worried look.
"Kill me, Alexis," said Harry but Alexis knew it was not her Harry that spoke. "I don't want to live any longer. Kill me."
"Oh, Harry," moaned Alexis, heartbroken by the look of pain in her best friend's face.
But this Harry did not want her pity. He seized her arm, his fingers digging in painfully so where her Chimera Tattoo rested roaring, hissing, and screaming as if it were being hurt by his very touch.
"I said kill me," hissed not-Harry. "Do it! If death is not the worst of fates it should be easy. Just say the two words. Say it!"
Alexis tried to break away from not-Harry's grasp but she was struggling in vain. Her arm was throbbing from the pain and her heart clenched at the mere idea of Harry dying, once more, in her arms. Harry wouldn't want death, he would never ask her to kill him... yet she could hear his thoughts...
'Let the pain stop,' thought Harry. 'End it... Death is nothing compared to this... And... I'll see Sirius again...'
Harry let out a silent cry. His red eyes melted away to green as a dark mist seemed to escape him before returning to the form of Voldemort, who leered over the two fifth years with malicious intent.
Fireplaces lit with green flames. Dozens upon dozens of wizards and witches suddenly began appearing all at once. Soon the Atrium was full of people, most of whom screamed at the sight of Voldemort and if not him the blood-filled fountain where Rabastan hung.
Voldemort sneered before disappearing in a blur of dark mist. Alexis watched almost as if in a trance as Rodolphus vanished as well along with Bellatrix, leaving only Rabastan behind.
Whispers of You-Know-Who filled the air as none other than Cornelius Fudge marched forward along with Dawlish. Alexis couldn't help but notice offhandedly that all three, along with the majority of the witches and wizards present, were wearing dress robes. Looking over at the unconscious Swine, who was being checked on by Moody, Alexis realized that he too was formally dressed.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Fudge. His head seemed to snap in the direction each person covered in scratches and bruises inside the atrium before finding his words once again. "What in Merlin's name are you all doing here?"
Dumbledore ignored him to instead speak to Moody.
"Alastor, if you would, kindly return Harry and Alexis to Hogwarts and my office, where I will meet them in one hour," he said calmly. "If anyone is to give you trouble, I'm sure you will handle the situation quite discreetly."
Moody snorted at the very idea.
"And Carter?" Moody asked.
"I think the medical ward at St. Mungo's may be best for him," said Dumbledore. "That looks like quite a nasty angle for an arm to be bent in."
Moody snorted in amusement before moving towards Alexis who was helping Harry back onto his shaking legs. Fudge cut him off.
"Now just a moment, I demand to know what -"
Several wizards and witches gasped. Moody's big, calloused hand had seized the front of the Minister's robes, lifting the poor man off the ground. The ex-Auror stood strong, despite his earlier injuries, with a very stern and dangerous expression that faltered even Dawlish's attempt at helping Fudge. Even with the fact that he wore nothing more than his St. Mungo's patient robes underneath his classic, bulky trench coat, Moody looked exactly the part of a deadly ex-Auror one would expect if they were drenched in the blood of their enemies.
And considering Moody was covered in the blood of his enemies...
"Do you know what you would find if you looked up the word idiot in a Muggle dictionary, Minister?" he asked in a dangerous growl that could easily send chills down even the most hardened of Aurors.
Fudge's lip tightened as if he were trying to look brave and annoyed at the same time. All it did was make him look like a spoiled child not getting his way.
"If you say a photo of me -"
"No, you'd find the definition of the word idiot - which you are!" barked Moody, causing Fudge and any surrounding onlookers to visibly recoil in a mixture of fear and surprise. "An' in this case, while describing you, you'd also find the synonyms coward, fool, and useless filth that will be receiving one, and only one, warning. If you come anywhere near my charge again, if you ever threaten her, make a foolhardy scheme to ruin or end her life ever again then I swear -" Moody dropped Fudge from the air. Instead, he grabbed his right hand and jerked it up in the air causing a yelp to escape the Minister. Moody clasped it with his own right hand and pressed his wand to it. Without so much as a word, Dumbledore waved his wand above both hands. "- I swear on my magic and life, I will give you and the whole world, Magical and Muggle, a reason to lock me away and throw out the key."
A light illuminated from Dumbledore's wand before twirling itself around Moody and Fudge's hand like a small rope. It glowed brightly for only a moment before fading away into both men's skin.
Moody released Fudge's hand after tight squeeze that had the Minister whimpering. When he finally recomposed himself, Alexis wasn't at all surprised to still hear stupidity come out of the Minister's mouth.
"She is still the legal ward to Lord Lucius -"
"You mean the Death Eater downstairs?" quipped Harry. "Somehow, I think his capabilities as a guardian are going to be put to question soon."
"Now, now see here!" fumbled Fudge. "Alastor Moody is of no blood relation to Miss Lestrange. Her cousin, Lord Octanius -"
"Finds that Alastor Moody is far more suited to take care of Alexis than anyone else," said the voice of Octanius Lestrange as the Acting Lord pushed his way through the crowd. "Including myself. Now will someone please remove my cousin from the statue before he bleeds to death? Death Eater or not, it's still murder if you do nothing."
Finding the situation around her suddenly bizarre, Alexis couldn't help but to scoff a chuckle. The world here was so strange and the Atrium itself seemed to be spinning like that of the center room of the Department of Mysteries.
"Hex!" called Harry as the world seen through Alexis's eyes was swallowed in black.
.
'Wake up, Hex...'
Alexis groaned with annoyance. She tried to snuggle back into her sheets, unwilling to awaken from her peaceful slumber. Suddenly she sat up straight, her green eyes opened wide.
"Sirius?" she asked hopefully.
There was a pause...
'No, Hex, not Sirius,' said McPherson. 'He's not here.'
"But he," started Alexis before choking on a sob. "Sirius has to be there. I saw him die. He... Sirius!"
She broke down into tears. Sirius was gone just like the others. Alexis's own mother had killed him. The pain of her loss was only amplified by this fact but she had never considered, she had never thought that... Oh, if only she could hear him!
The privacy curtains around her bed were pushed back. Alexis hardly noticed as she was caught in her own sorrow.
"It's very hard to be sarcastic when you're crying," muttered Swine from Alexis's side, making the poor girl jump. She immediately hissed with pain. "Carefully, you idiot."
Alexis scowled at the man beside her. Swine looked a great deal better than he had the last time Alexis had seen him (considering he wasn't a pummeled mess on the floor any longer) but his right arm looked uncomfortably stiff and quite a few bandages were visible. He was wearing Muggle pants under his St. Mungo's patient robe. A robe, Alexis realized, that was quite similar to her own.
A quick look through her now open privacy curtains confirmed the fact that they were indeed in a ward a St. Mungo's.
"Why are we here?" Alexis asked softly.
"The ultimate question of life," mused Swine.
"Can't you ever not be a sarcastic bastard!" barked Alexis violently only to hiss in pain.
"Right, because me pitying you is what you want," snapped Swine right back.
Alexis clamped her mouth shut. Luckily, however, Swine decided to answer her earlier question.
"While I decided to take a nap after my rather sound beating from good old Rodolphus Lestrange, you apparently passed out due to a punctured lung," he said dryly while taking his seat in the chair by Alexis's bed. "Alastor and Dumbledore had us taken to St. Mungo's as Madame Pomfrey's hands were a bit busy with your classmates. Oh, and Tonks is here too - just past the curtain on the left and out cold. Us heroes got special ward all to ourselves."
"And Harry?" asked Alexis.
"Physically better off than all of us, that's for sure," said Swine. "He's at Hogwarts with the others, no doubt losing his mind worrying about you and grieving over his loss."
Alexis looked down at this.
"He really is gone then?" she asked quietly despite knowing the answer already.
Swine nodded grimly.
"Nothing returns from the veil, Jinx," Swine said softly. "It's a one-way ticket to... nothing. I'm sorry, but Sirius is gone."
A sob seemed to be struggling to escape Alexis when Swine confirmed her fear but Alexis held it back. Her vision began to blur from tears. Alexis quickly wiped them away.
"Not to be insensitive," started Swine again.
Alexis couldn't help but to snort, "When are you not?"
"Alright brat," huffed Swine although his lip twitched with amusement. "This is actually a bit important, believe it or not. It's about that prophecy you smashed. I know it wasn't Harry's."
"That's because it wasn't," said Alexis. "I grabbed it when we were all looking for Sirius in the Hall of Prophecies. I lied and said it was Harry's because I was trying to distract Voldemort long enough to get us out of there."
"That's bullshit," said Swine bluntly. "You expect me to believe you just picked up that orb on a whim? Only those who the prophecies are written about and the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecies can touch those orbs without serious consequences."
Alexis faltered for a moment before trying to change the topic.
"Why do you know so much about the Department of Mysteries anyways?" she asked. "Or that we were even there in the first place? And while you're at it, how come you found me but everyone else was with Harry and the others?"
"Because I arrived first to the Ministry," said Swine. "Apparently, Sirius had left his notepasser activated in his room and Kreacher had gotten a hold of it. The little bugger must not have known it was you, considering how nasty he was, but anyways, Remus saw the message and Floo-called me at the Ministry. As soon as I was able to get away from Fudge and sneak away from his mandatory award banquet - by the way the man gave himself another Order of Merlin First Class - I Flooed to Hogwarts only to find Umbridge tied up and gagged in her office. It would seem Avril convinced your Slytherin friends it was the proper thing to do while four unfortunate Slytherins found themselves jammed together in a small cabinet. Anyways, Avril told me that you eight had gone to rescue Sirius in the Department of Mysteries so I Flooed there right after telling the Order what had happened."
"But how did you find me?" Alexis repeated.
"Because I asked the hall which room you were in," answered Swine. "Which reminds me, how exactly did you get into the Love Room? We have it constantly locked up."
"We?" questioned Alexis. However, when Swine shot her a look she decided it was best to answer him. "Greyback was nice enough to open the door by using me as personal batting ram."
"Well, that would do it," mused Swine. "That would also explain the punctured lung and nearly crushed trachea."
"That last one I think was him trying to choke me to death," added Alexis. "That actually keeps happening a lot to me now that I think about it. I guess if I'm going to go, it might as well be from a lack of air in my lungs."
Swine looked ready to retort when the door to the ward was thrown open and in walked a very harassed looking Fudge.
"Carter, I need your help at once!" exclaimed Fudge without so much as a glance in Alexis's direction. "The world is in an uproar! Everyone wants answers and Dumbledore isn't helping and now my capabilities as Minister are being questioned -"
"Good," cut in Swine. The single word startled Fudge out of his rant.
"Good?" repeated Fudge. "I don't think you understand."
"Oh, I understand, Cornelius," said Swine, rising to his feet. "The truth is out about Voldemort -" Fudge yelped in surprise "- and his Death Eaters being back, everyone has realized Dumbledore and Potter have been telling the truth, and you're stuck looking the fool. Yes, I'd say you're stuck in a pretty tight spot right now, aren't you?
"The thing is," continued Swine with a shrug, "it was only a matter of time before karma bit you on the arse. And I've never been so happy to see such a thing in my whole life."
Fudge stared at Swine with his mouth hanging agape. He still looked like a buffoon with his mouth hanging open when Moody entered the ward with a classic scowl on his face.
"Ah, Al," said Swine cheerfully. "Just in time. I'm afraid your performance is going to top mine, though. You always were a bit showier than Tom and I. Guess I'll just have to figure out something that competes with your spectacle last night."
Fudge looked completely bewildered.
"Carter?" he said in surprise. "What are you talking -"
"Oh, I know," said Swine over Fudge.
"You know wha-"
With unimaginable speed and force, Swine slammed his head forward, head-butting the Minister of Magic square in the nose and mouth. Fudge fell to the ground, blood pouring like a fountain from his now broken nose and upper lip mouth. It would seem a few of his teeth had actually been knocked down his throat for as he choked on blood, Alexis could see now empty - though, very bloody - spots in the front of his mouth where his canines and one of his front teeth should be.
"How I've been wanting to do that," mused Swine in a voice dripping with pleasure. His eyes raised to his eyebrows when he noticed warm blood dripping from his own wounded forehead. "Oh, and look! You cut me. Perfect."
He took a step towards the fallen Fudge, who, up until the moment Swine had redrawn his wand to his left hand, had been busying himself with trying to stop the blood flowing from his face. However, when Swine's wand was now pointed directly at his face, he instead used his hands to scramble backwards against the hospital door.
"Now-now Carter," Fudge rambled frantically, shielding his face with his hands in a pathetic form of defense. "I-I understand you might be angry, but-but let's be reasona-"
Swine let out a bark of laughter.
"Angry?" he cackled gleefully. "I'm not angry! I'm never angry, only ever driven, righteously so, though Tom always said it was self-righteously."
Is that what this is about?" Fudge asked in a panic tone. "I-I understand your upset! Tom-Tomas was a tragic, and unfortunate death-"
"Oh, that wasn't for Tom," cut in Swine. "Oh, no. That wouldn't even begin to fulfill the retribution for what you did to Tom - what you made me do because of your lies. That was for having me work with your cowardly arse for five fucking years. And this... this is for Alexis."
Wordlessly, Swine whipped his wand at Fudge, who once more let out a loud yelp. But instead of pain, instead of agonizing pain taking Fudge as Alexis had so severally hoped, his face healed. His teeth reappeared in his mouth and his nose - after a loud, sickening crunch - reformed to what it had been. Even the blood on his robes and face disappeared.
Looking just as baffled as Alexis felt, Fudge could only open and close his mouth as Swine, restored his wand to his left sleeve once more, and lifted the Minister of Magic back on his feet. Finally, once he was on his feet and still staring in bewilderment at Swine, words came to the man.
"Carter, I-"
With a new, and much more sickening crunch that made Alexis cringe, Swine's fist collided with Fudge's face, sending him once again to the ground. Fudge's head smacked the tiled floor loudly but he still looked up at Swine with a horror-stricken, bloodied face.
"Now," said Swine, flexing his left hand slowly as Fudge whimpered on the ground more than likely soiling himself in terror. "I want you to look around this room very carefully and see who else is in here. One is unconscious and will no doubt remain that way for the next day or so while the two others would more than likely very much seeing you suffer a very agonizingly slow death due to all the grief you caused them - and believe me, Minister, not a single one of us is above killing you. I personally wouldn't hesitate to end you if only asked."
"Carter," begged Fudge. "Please! I never did anything that wasn't best for the Wizarding World! Sacrifices have to be made and sometimes that includes the innocent!"
"I killed my best friend believing that lie and now I'm spending the rest of my life trying to make up for it," said Swine darkly. "You and the Ministry can go straight to hell. You can go there now if Jinx wants you to."
And with that having been said, Swine's gray eyes fell on Alexis as if it were the first time he had ever seen her. It took her a moment to realize exactly why too. He was asking her, giving her the power to choose. It was her choice, her decision whether Fudge lived or died. Moody was doing nothing to stop it. He simply stood off in the corner, with his real eye locked on Fudge's bloodied face as his magical one was no doubt studying the halls in case anyone walked by. It was her choice and hers alone, and Alexis believed with every fiber of her being that Swine would kill Fudge if only she asked. It was when she realized it was the only way Swine could ever apologize to her.
"Don't."
Alexis's answer was so quiet she doubted Swine had heard her but when her green eyes met his gray eyes there was a look of acknowledgment in them. Nonetheless, she repeated herself.
"Don't," Alexis said more clearly without looking down at the man whimpering half on the ground and half being held in the air by Swine. "If you kill him it proves him right... It insults Tom's memory, and it makes you the monster you're afraid of becoming... It makes me the monster I'm afraid of becoming... Don't kill him because if you do, he wins."
Swine stared at her, an unreadable emotion lighting his eyes before he nodded. Fudge all but fainted in relief.
"Yes, well," said Swine, clearing his throat before looking back down at the all but crying Minster of Magic. "So it looks like I'm not killing you, Minister."
"Thank you- thank you so much! I always knew you were good! It's just my job - for the sake of the people - I couldn't just -"
"But -" said Swine, once more cutting the blabbering man off. "Didn't you ever wonder why after ten years in the force, I all of a sudden began using my left hand as my wand hand? See, I never was much of a Southpaw. Quite the opposite, really."
Without so much as another second of warning, Swine's right fist collided with the left side of Fudge's temple, knocking the man completely unconscious and to the floor once again.
Alexis stared at the bloody heap on the ground rather impassively. McPherson was talking to her but she couldn't hear him, she couldn't even hear herself think. Alexis simply stared at Fudge's body, watching carefully as his chest rose and fell because of her, because she had chosen to let him live.
Swine straightened himself out. He was taking slow, even breaths Alexis could easily hear from her bed as he slowly calmed himself down. As far as Alexis could tell, he paid no mind to Moody as he moved to stand at his side, nor did he look away from the unconscious Minister of Magic. He, like Alexis, simply stared.
"That wasn't your wand," stated Moody in his usual growl.
"It has been for five years," said Swine. "I haven't used my own since it casted an Unforgivable. No one ever seemed to notice the sudden change in wand anyways, especially not now. Besides, it's nearly identical to mine and they are brothers."
Moody simply sighed through his nose. Alexis could only assume it was his way of accepting the fact that all this time Swine had been the one with McPherson's wand all these years. He patted Swine's shoulder affectionately before wobbling to the door.
"I'll go get a nurse so keep that wand hidden well, lad," he growled. "Don't want anyone thinking that the Minister hadn't suddenly gone berserk and attacked his own man for refusing to hurt a wounded lass in her bed."
"Exactly," deadpanned Swine before Moody left the room with a snort and a click from the door.
And then there was silence, complete and utter silence. Silence so quiet, that only then could Alexis hear McPherson speaking to her.
'Please, Hex,' he begged, his request unworded but known to Alexis long before it had been asked. 'Please.'
"Would you talk to him?" Alexis finally asked, her voice a lot meeker than she had expected. "If you could, if I let you, would you talk to him?"
Despite the softness of her voice, Alexis knew Swine had heard her yet he did not turn around. He simply continued to stare in front of him, his back still facing Alexis.
"He wants to talk to you," Alexis persisted. "He wants to-"
"No."
Alexis blinked in surprise.
"No?" she repeated, unsure if she had heard Swine correctly.
Swine finally turned around and faced her, his face calm but still rather grim like it had been when he had first entered the room.
"No," Swine said yet again. "I won't speak to him. I don't want to speak to him. I may want his forgiveness and I may want yours but I haven't forgiven him either, Jinx... He... He left me. He swore he never would, that it would always be the two of us, against the dark, against the world, and he just left... And he left because of you. But I can forgive you - I've already forgiven you, but not him. I can't... I just... I just can't. He didn't even say goodbye or even..."
Swine trailed off, his gray eyes growing distant and dark. It made Alexis feel sick with guilt. Before she could help it, words of comfort fell from her mouth.
"He loved the Eagles," she stated randomly, earning a confused look from Swine. "He said they reminded him of an old friend, the same friend that introduced him to the band. And he always told me I wasn't allowed to be afraid until it became my mantra but it was yours first - you said it yourself. He always talked about his friends at Hogwarts but never named them but I knew, I knew he was always talking about the same one most the time.
"They were always happy stories," continued Alexis, "about him and that one friend, and I thought, maybe, long before my letter arrived, that I'd one day meet the friend I always knew was his best friend. That maybe he'd like me like Tom and that I could bring them back together but when I told Tom this, when I explained my plan to one day find his best friend, all I did was make him cry... I had never... Tom never... It was the first and only time I ever saw him cry and it was the last time I ever thought about his best friend... about you."
The room was silent long after Alexis finished but her words still hung heavily in the air. Swine remained hovering over Fudge's unconscious body, refusing to look at Alexis while Alexis seemed incapable of looking away from Swine. She had never seen the man look so... emotional.
"You know," said Swine in the end. "You're not too bad for a monstrous demon."
.
And we've escaped the Ministry. The second half of this chapter mainly focuses on answering some last few questions that have been building up for a while the beginning ends our run-in with the Death Eaters. Bit of a mess but I never was good at fight scenes.
I want to quickly mention Harry using the Cruciatus twice. He fails the first time because he's only powering the spell with righteous anger. He succeeds the second time however because he's now taking in his own self-rage and the fury Bellatrix causes him when she raises her wand towards Alexis. His spell is powerful enough to knock the witch out by the time he releases it. Alexis does not stop him because she doesn't exactly feel connected to what's going on when it happens.
Review responses:
stephanie . rebecca91: Bellatrix as a mother will never cease in amazing me
HazelVex: honesty, I don't think you understand how much I laughed at the tea comment but I'm afraid that might be an inside joke only I understand
Toffuti: I was afraid it would be but I honestly don't think there was a way around it being so. They haven't exactly seen each other in... well, they've never seen each other technically so cheesy I can work with.
Ingridie: But unfortunately Sirius's death is the most important death in the whole series save for Lily's. He had to die in the end as much as I hate to say it
Raven that flies at night: Oh no! I'll get super glue to fix it or maybe just punch Fudge in the face a few times and see if that helps mend your shattered heart.
lizy2000: Thank you for liking it!
NeverBeyondRedemption: sorry to shatter the dream of more mother-daughter time but it looks like Lucius may be losing custody of Hex. I'm glad that the first mother-daughter meeting was up to standards, though! Harry knows that Hex has and will use dark magic although Alexis never plans doing such a thing. It happens purely instinctively. Much like Fudge, I have plans for Umbridge soon so stay tuned.
mwinter1: not exactly killed but I don't think she'll be walking too much in the morning thanks to Harry
sandflight: I very happy to hear I did disappoint in the union of mother and daughter! Last chapter was the greatest challenge I had while writing this series because I wanted the chapter to be perfect. To hear that it caused so many emotions ensures me it wasn't a complete fail! Thank you for enjoying it so much! And as for your question, I've never seen Game of Thrones though I've been assured by many of my friends that I'd love it. I promised myself I wouldn't watch it until I read the books first which I still have yet to do, unfortunately.
Dare queen: glad you liked it but please refrain from dying externally as well
Guest: 3 as the wise rockers say "Love hurts, love scars. Love wounds and mars." It also summarizes Hex and her mother's relationship.
gossamermouse101: I know, it's the feels
phoenixfelicis07: I couldn't not make a reference to Trix's Marauder days somewhere in there. And you can most definitely tell Harry and Hex have influenced their friends with all the sarcasm (the true power the Dark Lord knows not lol). Glad you like our mother-daughter moment but I cannot believe I messed up precedes and perceives. Figures I would. Yes! Evil Ten was the goal actually :) loving the pop culture references to all the feels I caused you and that you noticed Alexis having an encounter with most her maybe-daddys (not using that term again. Sounds too much like baby-daddy which is creepy to think about). Alya is actually a star name though but only a traditional form. Is it bad that I'm slightly proud for traumatizing you? :D
jessica02: good things always happen when we go away. Or bad things depending on how you look at it. I'm guessing bad things if the feels involve heartbreak and pain
AmyRoxx123: lol good job to your bae. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it wasn't just sad the whole time. Thank you so much for all the cupcakes!
EmoOwlQueen: I'm glad you like the name. It took forever to decide on
Lastly, will try to get at least one more update done before training!
In the mean time, PLEASE REVIEW!
DCF