Chapter 35: Retaliation: Part Two
Neville wiped away his tears and stood for a moment to collect himself. He couldn't allow to be vulnerable- not now. He could break down later, he had to be strong so he could help end this madness once and for all.
He ran back to the great hall, which was now empty- aside from the bodies of those who hadn't survived. He estimated at least thirty- among them he had recognized a couple of first years- children;
innocent children who would have had their whole lives ahead of them. It seemed as though it were just yesterday he was observing their small faces, some curious and some terrified during the sorting ceremony. He could feel the tears coming on again, he quickly turned away and followed the sounds of battle which led him to the ravenclaw corridor.
He spotted Hermione firing off spells- and Ron, right by her side, fighting off any death eater that came too close with the same spear he had used to stab Fenrir with.
"Ron, where's your wand?"
"Lost it! I've been using this...so far it's been working just fine- as I demonstrated earlier!"
"HADECINDIO!" bellowed Neville.
All of the death eaters in the room fell to the ground and began writhing and squirming- their screams indicating as though they were on fire.
Hermione threw herself against Neville, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
"Neville I'm so glad you're alright! I haven't seen you in ages! I was so worried..."
"Seamus is dead..." he choked, "Padma and Michael Corner too..."
Hermione's face fell.
"Oh no..."
Ron's face fell as well.
"One by one, no matter how long it takes- these bastards are going to hell, right where they belong..." began Ron, "and I'll be glad to help send them there!"
"Where's Ginny?" asked Neville, his hoarse voice rising with worry.
"Don't worry mate, she's safe."
Neville's heart raced, pounding furiously against his ribcage. He wasn't sure he could believe it unless he actually saw her.
"He's here..." began Neville, "I can sense it. He's here."
"Who?" asked Ron.
"Voldemort," answered Neville. "We need to find Harry. Now."
The three of them ran, taking down death eaters as they went but out of the corner of his eye Neville saw movement coming from another room.
"You two go on! I'll catch up- once you find Harry, you all need to hide."
Before Hermione could protest against the idea of them splitting up, Neville ran in the opposite direction to investigate and the scene he came upon was a disturbing one at that.
Draco Malfoy was being mercilessly tortured as his fellow death eaters glared down at him with disgust, their cruel laughter at his expense made Neville's blood boil. No matter how much of a git Malfoy was, he hadn't deserved this sort of treatment.
"We've got direct orders from our lord to murder ye'..."
"Yeah," added a second death eater, "doesn't seem to find you worthy of fighting for him...'bout as worthless as a mudblood he said..."
Malfoy's blonde hair was completely red with blood, one eye was swollen shut and his lip was busted right down the middle, but still he managed to sneer.
"So what's stopping you?" he challenged, as he spat blood out of his mouth. "Do it!"
"PERCUTIO!"
The death eaters immediately collapsed, their bodies convulsing sporadically as a series of shocks ran through the course of their bodies.
"Well if it isn't Longbottom here to save the day..."
Neville kneeled down and offered his hand.
"C'mon, get up."
Malfoy glared icily at his hand with his good eye.
"You should have let me die..."
Neville shook his head.
"I've already let enough people die...now c'mon."
"Are you deaf..." began Malfoy slowly, drawing out each word as harshly as he could muster. "I said you should have let me die," he finished, his voice rising steadily.
"This isn't the time to be difficult," argued Neville. "Look you can go back to hating me once this is all over but for now just let me help you."
Suddenly Malfoy reached up and violently grabbed the back of Neville's neck, bringing his face down to his, he had such a tight hold Neville could feel his hair tugging away from his scalp.
"You don't seem to be hearing me clearly," began Malfoy through clenched teeth. "I. Don't. Wan't. Your. Fucking. Help! Get out of here. NOW!"
"Why? Why don't you want my help?"
Malfoy released his grip and laughed bitterly.
Neville began rubbing his throbbing scalp as he awaited an answer.
"I have nothing to live for."
Neville didn't speak. He hadn't known Malfoy well enough beyond how he acted to offer him a reason to live- or at least a reason that were good enough for him.
"I've shamed my family, my lord...and for that alone everyone wants me dead."
"You're not like them..." argued Neville. "You don't have to be one of them- you can fight for us-"
Malfoy smirked.
"It's not that simple...I wouldn't expect you to understand."
"Try me."
Malfoy raised an eyebrow.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Longbottom...it's not like we're friends or anything. I still can't stand the sight of you or Potter or the Weasels."
"Wouldn't expect you to," replied Neville.
"My entire life...I've had to deal with other people making my choices for me. What to wear, how to speak, who to be..." Malfoy trailed off.
"Now that is something I can understand..." replied Neville, he knew the feeling all too well.
Who would have ever thought that Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom could have had even a single thing in common?
"Every aspect of my life has been controlled in some manner- by someone other than myself- my father, my mother...the dark lord...and I simply accepted it. I accepted it as my fate, to follow in my father's footsteps as a dedicated follower to him. I was created not to be loved, but rather to cater to him...to be molded into this...this fucking perception of what a true Malfoy should be..."
Neville remained silent as he listened to the other boy vent. Suddenly all of these years of hatred he had held toward him melted away as he began to realize that under all the exterior Malfoy had been an innocent pawn in a dark and deadly game- he had been born into this- taught from as young an age as one can understand- the concept to hate and to harm others in any imaginable way. He had had no choice. He had had no control.
Malfoy raised an eyebrow as he observed the other boy to see if he still had any interest in listening to him speak.
"With the little time I have left...things are going to happen on my terms...and I can't wait to see the look on dear old daddy's face as he watches his only son piss away his precious blue print that has been mapped out, paving the way for me to be just like him..."
He paused.
"This will be my redemption..."
"So prove it, come with me..." urged Neville.
"I am meant to die in this battle," replied Malfoy all knowingly.
"Not anymore- now that you've switched sides. The order will protect you- I will protect you."
Malfoy's good eye sparked with fire.
"I'm going down in a blaze like you've never seen...and I'm bringing that bastard with me..."
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"Oh daddy- just think of the possibilities!" squealed Jessica. "We'll be unstoppable..."
"Not just yet..." croaked Althalos from under his dark hood. "Not until the potter boy is dead..."
"That's easy enough," she replied darkly. "It's how we are going to take down our lord that will be a bit more of a challenge."
"The fool honestly thought he would live to see the day he would come into power again..." murmured Althalos.
Jessica howled with laughter.
"Hand over the book."
Suddenly, Jessica's face fell and her laughter ceased.
"Which one?"
"Stupid girl- Libro Timor..."
"Libro Timor..." she repeated. "Oh no..."
"Do not tell me you have misplaced it...for as you know this key is useless to me unless I have that book."
"Daddy I-"
"Silence! You have failed me many ways since birth...but never in such an idiotic and disgraceful way..."
"Please- daddy let me-"
"For this you must be punished."
"I'll find it! I know right where it's at!"
"That doesn't do me much good now does it child?"
"I'm so sorry, daddy..." Jessica slowly pulled out her wand and hovered it above her wrist. "There is no need for you to punish me for this offense...puncturio!"
A large gash appeared on her arm.
"Again," replied Althalos.
"Puncturio!"
Another gash.
"Again."
"PUNCTURIO!"
Jessica winced as blood poured out of the gaping slashes she had inflicted upon herself.
"Is that good, daddy?"
"Once more."
"PUNCTURIO!"
"Surely you have learned your lesson now?"
She nodded furiously as she blinked rapidly through the pain- she knew not to let a single tear escape- it was a sign of weakness and she was already weak in his eyes.
"I'll have you know, the only thing that saved you from death was your knowledge on where the book is located. Consider this your final warning- there will be no next time...do you understand?"
"Yes daddy."
"Good. Now go get it and bring it to me...along with your long lost nephew."
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"How many death eaters d'you reckon Voldemort has summoned?" hissed Neville.
He and Malfoy were crouched behind the remains of what used to be the east side corridor fireplace, it had now been reduced to a crumbled mass of rubble and brick.
"Five hundred. Easy," replied Malfoy. " Maybe even more."'
"Fuck..."
"Don't have a heart attack, Longbottom. It doesn't matter how big his army is; all we need to do is kill him and they'll all scatter like cockroaches."
Neville turned to the blonde, his brown eyes locked on his steel gray ones. A look of determination set on his face.
"Is there anything you know that'll help me? Anything?"
Malfoy pursed his thin lips and his eyes began wondering, as though he were having second thoughts about helping him.
"The book of fears..." he began finally, "have you heard of it? Because you're going to need to destroy it."
Neville shook his head.
"You're kidding right? It goes right along with that stupid key you handed over..."
Neville thought long and hard.
"What does that have to do with the key?"
"The book of fears...or more suitably titled Libro Timor, holds all of the darkest spells and every sinister thought and fear ever conjured up since the beginning of time...if Voldemort gets ahold of that book to unlock it we are all royally fucked. It will release unimaginable evils...my father used to quote excerpts from it to me when I was a child...talk about some tragically fucked up bedtime stories..."
Neville wracked his mind and suddenly he remembered. The black leather bound book that Hermione had found in the restricted section of the library, the one with the strap that couldn't be opened.
"Yes! I know right where it is!"
"Alright, go get it. I'll be around."
And with that Neville ran all the way to the gryffindor common room up to his dorm, and right there under his bed where he had left it, was the book. He cradled it against his chest and tried to think of what he should do with it. He knew he had to destroy it but he couldn't let anyone see it.
He quickly grabbed his knapsack, emptied out all of it's contents and shoved the book inside and swung it around his shoulders. He took off running and the battle waged on.
"VERBERO!"
Before Neville could fire off anymore spells he was met with a shattering blow to the head. He could feel blood beginning to pour down his face, he turned around to see a young death eater armed with a brick. Just as he was about to strike Neville again, he dropped dead from the killing curse.
Neville fell to his knees, his vision was blurring.
"Neville! C'mon, stay with me..."
It was Harry.
"Harry...I sent Ron and Hermione to find you...he's here, Voldemort..."
"I know," replied Harry grimly. "Wow, looks like he got you pretty good."
Harry cast a healing spell and pulled him up.
"I've got the book..." whispered Neville, as he winced and slowly raised his hand up to the wound- utterly terrified of what he would feel. While it was no longer bleeding, he could feel to where it had split open. He was suddenly overcome with nausea and the pain escalated so badly he thought he'd pass out.
"What book?" replied Harry, his brows burrowed with confusion.
"The book of fears..."
"I don't understand..."
"It can only be opened with the key...which Althalos has. If he or Voldemort gets ahold of this book it's all over."
"They won't," assured Harry.
"I hope not..."
"So what's the plan?" asked Harry.
Neville scoffed.
"There is no plan..."
"That's scary. Think we have enough luck to get us by?"
Tears began spilling out of Neville's eyes as he grimaced at the other boy.
"I'd love to think so...better after all of the fucking hell we've been though!"
"Listen Neville...I just want to tell you-" Harry paused. "I just want you to know that I really admire you and am astonished with how much stronger of a person you've become since I first met you. You're a good wizard to have by my side...and no matter what happens...I just want to thank you, for all the fight you've put in and for always having my back and standing by me. You're a true friend and one amazing bloke. I don't know what I would have done without you, or Ron or Hermione..."
Neville smiled at the raven haired boy.
"Gee Harry...that's so kind of you to say...thank you. And same to you. I-I've never really had many friends...but it feels good. We're in this together and we're going to take them all down."
Harry stuck out his hand for Neville to shake but instead Neville pulled the other boy into a tight hug.
"I'm ready for him..." declared Harry, "this ends tonight."
"Good luck, Harry."
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"TORPEO!"
Nelie high-fived her younger brother as the two of them had taken down the last of a dozen death eaters alone. Nelie grabbed Maitland by his sleeve and pulled him along.
"Think Neville's alright?" she asked. "I haven't seen him in quite awhile."
"I saw him earlier...bout got himself killed."
Nelie's face fell.
"How bout dad?"
"This is all mediocre training to him..." he began. "I'm sure he's kicking ass and taking names."
"He is a force to be reckoned with that's for sure," she agreed.
"All us Longbottoms are," started Maitland. "Don't you recall that the mean old witch who happens to be our grandmother killed Bellatrix Lestrange?"
Nelie snorted.
"It's gone awfully quiet...don't you think?" asked Maitland.
Nelie's nose crinkled as she stopped to ponder.
"Yes...it has..."
The entire castle was indeed eerily quiet.
"This can't be good..." mumbled Maitland.
"Oh thank god you guys are alright!"
It was Neville. He ran to his cousins and hugged them tightly.
"We were just talking about you!" replied Nelie. "We're so glad you're alright."
"I just got done talking to Harry," began Neville softly. "He's ready to face Voldemort..."
The three young Longbottoms stood for moments without speaking.
"Are you ready?" asked Nelie.
Neville thought for a moment before answering.
"You fucking bet I am!"
"That's the spirit, mate! And we'll be right behind you!" Maitland exclaimed.
"C'mon," replied Neville, waving for his cousins to follow him.
They slowly made their rounds and discovered that the castle for the most part- other than the dead or unconscious strewn about- had been abandoned.
"Oh no," gasped Nelie softly.
Neville slowly walked over to join her at the window that overlooked the astronomy tower and saw that the showdown was about to begin. Voldemort and his army of death eaters created a black wall that stretched for miles while on the opposite side stood the Weasley's, Hermione, Remus, Sirius and other various students and survivors with a much smaller wall, where Harry was tightly inclosed.
Dumbledore and professor Snape were nowhere in sight- nor was his gran or Francis.
"Well, well well...if it isn't my two lovely children and dearest nephew..."
All three Longbottoms turned around to see Jessica Bloodworth standing before them, wand aimed.
Neville's blood ran cold.
"Now be a good boy and hand over the book...and no one will get hurt..."
Nelie moved in front of her younger brother and Neville, pushing them back.
"Over. My. Dead. Body."
"As you wish! AVADA-"
"NO!" shouted Neville. "NO STOP!"
Before she could complete the curse that would have killed her own daughter, Jessica brought down her wand and smirked evilly.
"You can make this easy, boy...no one has to get hurt...just hand it over..."
"Don't do it, Neville..." threatened Maitland.
"This can all end...right now. You can end this...just hand over the book and this'll all be over...I'll leave here completely unnoticed and our dark lord will follow."
"Like I'm supposed to believe that!" shouted Neville.
"STUPID BOY! HAND OVER THE FUCKING BOOK!"
"NO!"
"INTERFECTIO!" - "DORMIO!"
Neville and Jessica both fired off curses at the exact same moment.
Neville easily dodged out of the way and fired again.
"RANCIDIUS!"
"PERCUTIO!"
The three Longbottom cousins were barely holding up against the experienced witch and were all running out of steam.
"GIVE IT UP STUPID LITTLE BOY! YOUR EFFORTS AGAINST ME ARE WORTHLESS! YOU. WILL. LOSE!"
"NO WE WON'T! INTERMORIOR!"
"DAD!" exclaimed Nelie as Francis jumped in, firing a curse off at his estranged wife, which missed.
"How lovely, a family reunion! Wish daddy could be here!"
"ADSTRANGULO!"
"I never liked your dad!"
"OBSIDEO!"
"Quite a shame...he took quite a liking to you, Francis...he saw potential in you..."
"CRUCIO!"
Francis was caught off guard and lost his balance. He fell back but before Jessica could use this moment to attack, Maitland fired a spell in defense of his father that grazed the side of her cheek.
She redirected her attention to him, and with a wide, toothy grin pointed her wand.
"OBCAECO!"
A stream of gray light emitted from her wand, hitting Maitland right in the face- and the entire room went white.
Neville's vision was immediately lost.
He blindly aimed his wand and began firing.
He'd gone blind, he couldn't believe it. Now what was he going to do?
But it had only lasted a moment.
"I can't...see," stammered Maitland. "I can't see!"
"JESSICA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? YOU COLD, HEARTLESS BITCH! THAT'S OUR SON!"
Nelie grabbed her brother and pulled him down before anymore damage could be done.
"All is fair...in love and war," Jessica snickered.
"IMPERIO!"
Neville's jaw dropped.
"Gran!"
"Sit," she commanded.
Jessica, her face void of emotion, followed the command.
"No one is going to harm my family and get away with it!"
Francis quickly ran to his children.
"Dad..." began Nelie softly. "Is this permanent?" she whispered, so only he could hear.
Francis nodded darkly as tears began to spill out of his eyes and once she saw her dad begin to cry she broke down as well.
"I'm blind...I'm blind...dad, there's got to be a way to reverse this...right?"
"I'm sure there's a way...we'll find a way son," lied Francis, as he held on to the boy, doing his best to comfort him.
Maitland's once dark brown eyes were now cloudy- a milky white, his irises barely visible.
Neville stood back awkwardly watching the scene unfold, able to offer no words.
"What are we going to do about her?" questioned Augusta, nodding to Jessica.
Francis turned to look at his estranged wife, who was still seated on the floor, awaiting whatever Augusta had in store for her. She was completely under her power.
"She stays with us..."
Augusta stood and watched her two estranged grandchildren with weary eyes.
"If only I'd gotten here sooner," she replied, a faint trace of regret in her voice.
"It's not your fault mum...I was here too and I couldn't stop her," choked Francis.
She slowly walked to the other side of the room.
"Ever since your father married that deranged woman...I've shown nothing but hate and discontent toward all of you."
"No," began Nelie, "worse...we simply didn't exist. We were dead to you."
Silence.
"We've got a mother who never loved us...and a grandmother who chose to ignore us...and we've turned out just fine. Right dad?"
Francis forced a nervous smile.
"I hope some day we can move past this," began Augusta, reverting back to her normal self. "And be a family once again."
"Me too," replied Nelie.
"I've got the book of fears," blurted Neville. "That's why Jessica came here...to get it and take it back to Althalos."
"Cornelia...take your brother somewhere safe. I'll come to you shortly."
Nelie nodded and guided Maitland out of the room.
Francis sighed heavily and buried his head in his hands.
"Francis...we can use Jessica to get the key back," began Neville.
"No...if he discovers she not only failed in bringing him the book and is also under the imperius curse he'll kill her. And death is much too easy for her. I want her to suffer...and rot in Azkaban for the rest of her life. She kidnapped our daughter, blinded our son...and she will pay for what she's done."
"I need to go to him then," began Neville hurriedly. "I can end this before it escalates further."
"Mum, stay here with Jessica...I need to rejoin the others."
Neville followed Francis out of the room.
"Where's Snape? And Dumbledore?"
"I honestly haven't a clue."
"Are my mum and dad alright?"
"Yes."
Neville refrained from asking any more questions and Francis chose not to fill the silence with small talk.
"You can't go out there as yourself...you'll be killed in an instant. In fact, it's dangerous enough that Harry is already out there."
He handed Neville a vial of polyjuice potion and plucked a few strands of hair out of his own head.
Neville added his uncle's hair to the potion and watched as it sizzled and began to bubble mildly, he knocked it back in one swift gulp.
He felt his insides begin to churn and slither as it began to take effect. The burning sensation hadn't been near as strong this time as it had the last time he impersonated Francis, for which he was thankful.
"I'm going to find Cornelia and Maitland before I proceed any further. Be careful."
Neville nodded and slowly made his way through the crowd.
"SHOW YOURSELF- HARRY POTTER! NO ONE CAN PROTECT YOU NOW!"
Neville spotted the trio- inseparable as always, along with Ginny; all were embracing Harry, trying to hold him back. Hermione had her arms wrapped around him and she was crying. Ron had one arm around her waist and the other around Harry's shoulders. Ginny immediately locked eyes with Neville, her eyes red and wet with tears.
Neville felt his lip begin to quiver.
He made his way to her.
"It's me," he whispered, not wanting the others to know.
"I love you," she mouthed.
Neville smiled and squeezed her hand.
"HARRY POTTER!" bellowed Voldemort. "REVEAL YOURSELF!"
Harry's bright green eyes seemed to have lost some of their light as he silently eyed his friends. The past seven years of his life had been leading up to this very moment. He had gone from the boy in the cupboard living with the wretched and ignorant Dursley's to the boy who lived- the son of a very powerful wizard and witch who happened to be one of the last and only hopes left in defeating Voldemort once and for all.
Harry released himself from Ron and Hermione's grip and began to make his way through the crowd and Neville made sure to follow close behind.
"Well Harry Potter...this has been a long time coming," began Voldemort darkly, as Harry emerged from the crowd. "Now, just to make sure we won't be having any interruptions-"
He flicked his wand, creating a solid barrier around those who had been protecting him, so they could do no more. They could be seen and heard but they could not pass through.
"He's not alone! You'll have to go through me as well!"
Suddenly Voldemort's red eyes settled onto Neville and his wicked grin grew even wider.
"Well if it isn't Francis Longbottom...I have heard quite a bit about you...along with that nephew of yours...where are you hiding him?"
Neville wanted to stand before him without fear and with utmost confidence but he found himself shaking considerably. He took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm his nerves, after all, the last thing he wanted was for him to take notice of his fear.
"I believe that your nephew has something of mine," continued Voldemort. "Something very detrimental to my needs..."
"Yeah..." began Neville as calmly as he could muster. "And you'll have pry it out of my cold. dead. fingers..."
He felt his body temperature immediately drop and the color drain from his face as he realized what he had just said. He had basically just given his own death sentence.
"My lord...I am sorry to have arrived so late."
Everyone turned as Althalos Bloodworth appeared out of thin air- his dark hood immediately swept over Neville.
"Althalos...how pleasant of you to join us..." began Voldemort.
Althalos must have realized something was amiss when Jessica did not return to him as he had commanded. Neville's heart began to pound. Althalos had the key...and he had the book. If he could just somehow get the key from him he'd be that much closer to victory.
"I have not come in support of you, my lord..."
At this Voldemort's eye's went black with fury as his head whipped toward his former ally.
"Then why is it you have come at all?"
Althalos completely ignored Voldemort, his voice directed at Neville.
"Where is my daughter? I sent her to retrieve something for me."
"Well, I hate to break it to you..." began Neville, "but you won't be receiving either."
At this Voldemort's normally slit eyes grew wide and he turned to Althalos.
"You've come for the book...you never had any intentions of serving me. Did you?"
Silence.
Althalos' blood chilling laughter emitted darkly from under his hood and steadily grew louder as he raised his arms up to remove his hood- which was met with heavy gasps and shrieks of terror.
Neville felt his jaw drop and quickly closed it as he reminded himself that he had taken on the appearance of Francis, Althalos' estranged son-in-law.
For anyone who thought Voldemort was terrifying- Althalos' appearance was a million times worse.
His complexion lacked the rosy, bright color of one who was healthy and alive- and instead was wrinkled, bruised, dry and gray. It was drawn so tightly across his skull that you could detail every bone and break; his nose had slowly withered away with decay and his lips were practically non-existent- leaving his rotting teeth exposed in a terrifying grimace. He had had no eyelids, so his yellow eyes either rolled around or stared right through you.
Althalos finally turned to acknowledge Voldemort.
"I have come to claim what is rightfully mine. It is I who created you. So everything that you naively believe belongs to you is mine. I have come to reclaim my kingdom."
The calmness of his voice did not match his appalling appearance, which made his presence so much more terrifying and evil.
"Death eaters! Rejoice! From this moment on you shall all cease to know he who shall not be named...I am your new lord."
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Author's Note: So sorry to leave you guys with yet another cliffhanger when we are so close to the inevitable end! But I had to...next chapter we will see the battle finally reach it's conclusion, although for Neville it will be far from over.
Please make sure to leave me a review!
Next Chapter may be up later this month if I get some more free time to write!
Thanks for reading!