Here is the forty-third chapter in Book 4 technically released on time albeit later than usual. This is the first of the four chapters in the final major arc of Book 4 and the shortest chapter in the entire Book (not including the epilogue) and the shortest chapter in this series since chapter 16 of Purity and the first since then to be below 5k words and not be an epilogue or Book 3's Prologue. Initially this was supposed to be the first of three parts in one chapter but I decided to break it up give each aspect its own chapter and make it easier to read hence why it is now 3 chapters and not one. Anyway, that is all I have to say for now so just sit back and enjoy the 43rd chapter in the fourth installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 4: Family.

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.

Chapter 43

Scorpius stood on the balcony the surrounded the bridge of the flagship of the Northern Fleet looking out to the ships approaching on the horizon. The ship, called Redemption for the Past was one of the three flagships in the fleet and the overall command ship as it was the flagship for the Northern Water Tribe and thus had that right. The other two ships were the United Navy's flagship and a ship that had been designated as the flagship for Dominique given her status as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

He had heard Dominique's speech, they all had as it had been broadcast for all the troops. She had clearly intended it for the Southerners present for it, but it had launched a fire in them all to defend the North and, as the more eloquent Northerners put it, to show those Southern seal fuckers what true warriors could do.

Scorpius didn't care for that; he was just glad that Dominique had taken charge and embraced her role as Chief at last. They would all have to step up for the coming battle and she'd been the first to do so, now it was on the rest of them to join her in that.

"They should be reaching the mines soon." A voice said from behind Scorpius. "We should be getting ready, Xander has already ordered everyone to their battle stations which means us as well."

"I know dad." Scorpius said as his father joined him at the railing. "But we aren't really part of the army, we are just here to help out as best we can. That is why we are on the flagship as it is the best place for us to be."

"True, at least we are together for this." Draco said and Scorpius turned to look at his father. "I would have it no other way son."

Like Scorpius, Draco was dressed in the typical outfit of a Northern Warrior but in the style reserved for waterbenders, so it didn't contain any armor so as to allow for bending. While Draco carried a sword at his hip, he was still a better bender and would be relying mainly on that in the fight to come.

Despite being in his early 60s, Draco was still in shape as he had kept up the training, especially in the wake of the Battle of the Banyan Grove Tree and was as strong as ever. His gray hair was cut short in a military fashion, his beard neatly trimmed though it didn't hide the scar that the Avatar had given him almost half a century ago that was still prevalent along his jawline. Despite this, Draco stood there calm and ready for the upcoming battle.

Scorpius had honestly been surprised when his father had volunteered to join the fight and requested to be on the ships and not stay back in the city. However, Draco had told him that this was his duty, that he still had sins from the past to atone for and serving on the front when his Tribe needed it the most was one such atonement. It was this need for redemption that had led Draco to return to the Northern Water tribe with Scorpius when Scorpius moved back for graduate school.

It had also been why Draco had joined the defenders when volunteers with combat experience were asked for. In fact, he had been the first volunteer. Sirius had personally thanked Draco for his decision and it had led to a wave of volunteers who didn't want to be outdone by the former Crown Prince's willingness to serve.

However, given his past, Draco had been assigned to the flagship and Scorpius was to be with him, but Scorpius was fine with that as he was honored to fight alongside his father. Draco had experience and had been in battle before, Scorpius was more than willing to serve with his dad and to help his dad's path to redemption.

"Neither would I father." Scorpius said. "We will fight together to defend the North from evil and defend the world from James's tyranny."

"Yes, for the first time I will be fighting for what is right and good in one of these battles." Draco said looking out to the horizon and the ships heading towards them. "Unlike last time when I sided with the madman and not the Avatar."

"Don't think of that dad." Scorpius said softly. "You fought because you had been brainwashed, you saw the error of your ways before it was too late and have paid your debt to society because of it. Plus, you helped take down the Unholy Triumvirate, that was fighting for the side of peace and balance, so you've already done it once before, this is just a larger scale."

"True, I guess this is just the interest I owe." Draco said as he continued to stare and then he suddenly started squinting. "Son, do you have a scope on you? I didn't bring one."

"Yeah, I always do." Scorpius said pulling out a small scope from a pouch on his belt and handing it to his father. "What is it?"

"Maybe nothing but maybe something." Draco muttered as he put it to his eye and looked out to the horizon. "Fuck, it is something."

"What is it?" Scorpius asked to which his father just handed him the scope in response.

Slightly confused, Scorpius put it to his eye and looked out. With it he could clearly see the massive fleet that James had assembled, a fleet believed to be the largest ever amassed in human history. Above it were the airships, planes, and hummingbird mechs that made up his air force, again a record number when all counted.

Still, the most impressive thing was the 10 massive ships at the front of the armada that were bigger than any ship Scorpius had ever seen. They were being called aircraft carriers because, well, that was what they carried. They were large enough to launch planes, which they had already done, as well as carrying bombardment munitions making them devastating weapons of war.

At twice the size of any other ship they were unprecedented to Scorpius and clearly the prize of James's fleet. They were also bearing down upon them at full speed. They were going to be used to drive into their fleet so that the smaller boats and what looked like troop ships could get in behind them once the engagement stated.

It was going to cause utter havoc. Yet that wasn't the only problem that Scorpius noticed thanks to his father's curse, no that was reserved for the fact that the ships were in the middle of the minefield and none had been set off a single mine that should have crippled the ships.

"James must have guessed that we would use mines and done something about them." Scorpius said as he put the scope away. "Should have known that he would do that."

"That's what I figured as soon as I didn't see an explosion." Draco agreed. "Probably subs or something like that but…"

Draco was cut off by an explosion near them and a ship in the middle of the formation began to list hard to port as it began to sink. There was only one reason for it, a mine had hit it. However, the only mines were in front of the first line of ships. That meant that something had cut the mine's chain and then dragged it underneath their ships before floating it up to hit the ship in question. That also meant that the Principate was already beneath them and had a way to take out their ships. They'd severely underestimated James's tactical brilliance and were now paying for it.

"All ships drop depth charges!" Dominique's voice rang out from the inter ship system so that all could hear it. "They're underneath us!"

"Second that, drop now." Xander added and just like that the battle was on before the ships of the two fleets clashed. "Take them out before they can take us out."

Despite being in the middle of the formation, it didn't take long for the battle to reach them. It didn't help that bombs were dropping from above while the air forces engaged each other before the ships did but that was not the worst part. No that was reserved for the ships when they reached the fray. The carriers had crashed into their front lines and the naval battle began in earnest.

"Engagement!" Xander yelled. "Sink these fuckers. Show them who owns these waters!"

Canons boobed, bombs fells, and soldiers screamed as they died or fell into the icy waters. The battle was indescribable to Scorpius as he watched ships on both sides be hit, sink, and collide in a chaotic shitshow.

Boarding parties from both sides, mainly marines and other elite troops trained in ship-to-ship combat, were leaping between ships while bending and explosives flew between them. Scorpius and Draco held their ground, they were ordered to remain where they were until the ship was boarded, but it was only a matter of time before they had to fight. That fight came sooner than Scorpius expected.

It started with a bomber with the colors and markings of the Principate flying low over them and dropping several loads onto the flagship as if it were specially targeting them, which it likely was. Two hit but the rest missed and splashed into sea. Scorpius braced himself for the explosion but to his surprise that didn't happen. Instead, for some reason, what looked like dirt and earth burst out of the bombs and covered the deck where they had landed.

Instantly soldiers stationed on the ship had gathered to observe, looking confused at why earth was now on the ship. Scorpius was as well but then a Principate ship rammed into them from the side in what had to be a coordinated attack with the bomber and the soldiers on the deck fell to it from the impact. Instantly boarders were leaping onto the ship and engaging the downed soldiers. It was bloody but an even battle, that was until a figure walked through the smoke at the point of collision.

Scorpius recognized the man instantly. The tall blond man with a military bearing was hard to miss. Everyone knew who the Uniques were, even without noticing the mark on his breastplate. Scorpius knew their images more than most as he had been behind enemy lines and seen the glowing pictures and portrayals of the heroes of the Principate that the Uniques were made out to be, so they were burned into his mind.

In this case there was no mistaking Tate as he walked onto the flagship as if he were out for a stroll. The lava shuriken that he casually spun around just confirmed his identity. It also explained why the dirt had been dropped.

"Come on dad, we have to face him." Scorpius yelled as Tate took out 3 of the elite soldiers on the flagship as if they were nothing, searing their throats with the lava shuriken in a single stroke. "He can't be allowed to survive this."

"Right behind you son." Draco said.

Scorpius just drew his sword and vaulted over the railing, pulling up water to glide on as he fell to the deck. His father did the same. It wasn't a moment too soon. As soon as Draco was over the edge, a burning hummingbird mech that neither had seen careened out of the sky and slammed into the bridge in a fiery explosion that knocked both waterbenders off their slides.

Thankfully, Scorpius and his father were close enough to the deck to land and roll with their momentum though the impact on the metal deck was still jarring. Without looking back, Scorpius rose and cut down the first Principate soldier he faced. Draco was fighting by his side, so Scorpius focused on his own survival and trusted his father to do the same. As such, Scorpius fell into a haze of battle before he knew it, his only drive was to get rid of the Principate forces that had boarded the ship and possibly take out a Unique in the process.

"Fall back to the ship, these fuckers are mine." A voice yelled cutting through the fight and instantly the Principate soldiers still standing retreated back to the still intact boarding ship. "Once they're dead we will continue on to the city and secure it for the Princeps."

Scorpius looked started for a moment, pulling his sword out of a Principate soldier's gut as the haze fell away and he fully grasped what was going on. The deck was slick with a mix of blood, water, and mud. Bodies, and parts thereof, lay around him and his father, but they were both still standing. As was Tate but they were the only ones on the deck now. Behind them a fire was burning from the ruins of the bridge on the command ship but neither Scorpius nor Draco looked at it.

"Shame about that hummingbird hitting the bridge." Tate said as he approached them, unarmed but with the earth on the deck he was far from defenseless against them. "I was hoping to take out Xander personally and aid the invasion force by doing so, it's why I deviated from my path to the city to come to this flagship, but alas someone beat me to it. No matter, he's dead and I have a few high value targets to play with before I reach the city and execute the traitors there."

"Tate." Scorpius spat at the man. "Why I am not surprised to see you here."

"Well, I am the Supreme Commander of the Principate military, I had to be here for this battle." Tate said with a smile. "I will lead my troops from the front, so it made sense for me to target the other commander. Sure, I am supposed to be in the city by now, but my commandos are already there, they know what to do to liberate it from your clutches. I will join them once I deal with you two."

"Two against one, I'd say that the odds are in our favor." Draco said, water whips in each hand though Scorpius had no idea when his father had lost his sword. "I've seen how this plays out."

"Not really, you two aren't a threat to me." Tate said as if he was talking to an annoying bug. "A failed Death Eater and a scholar who barely passed his water mastery test on the second try if I recall, you do not pose any danger to a man of my abilities. If you had the Avatar like last time Draco, and if I was as injured as Cresswell, then maybe it would have been fair but in this duel, you two have already lost."

"Overconfidence can kill you." Draco said simply. "It did for many Death Eaters during the Battle of the Elemental Academy, you are no different from them."

"Perhaps, perhaps not, it is all a matter of perspective and who writes the history of this war." Tate replied clearly not rising to the bait. "I am sure that back when you wore that Dark Mark on your arm with pride you thought you were on the right side, the side of the good and the righteous. That is how I see myself, but you see me as evil just as I see you as the true evil and threat to peace and balance. Such is life. History will be written by the victors, which will be us, so you know how this will play out."

"There is still time." Scorpius said. "When the Princeps falls to the Avatar, we will win. You know you can't survive without him."

"Not even the Avatar can defeat the Princeps." Tate said with a grin. "He will fail, just like your dear friend Albus did. Looks like old Al will be seeing his father very soon."

"Albus knew what he was doing, so does the Avatar." Scorpius snarled trying not to give into anger as that was clearly what Tate wanted from him. "He sacrificed himself so that you couldn't use a Spirit Weapon and that has made a huge difference in this battle. All that is left is for James to face the full might of the Avatar and not even he can withstand that."

"Albus may have prevented our easy victory, but you can ask him if it was worth all the lives lost today seeing as you will be joining him around about…" Tate began before he paused, and a twisted smirk played across his face. "Now."

"Son, down." Draco yelled and the next thing Scorpius knew his father had used the water he had to push Scorpius away.

Scorpius was blasted away right as a wave of lava that Tate must have been preparing while he talked was hurled toward where he and his father had been standing. It was only then, as Scorpius hit the deck and skidded into the low wall at the edge meant to prevent people from falling off the deck, that he realized his father had not moved. Instead, Draco had used his water to save Scorpius's life. As he did, the lava slammed into his father at full force sending Draco back in a scream of agony.

As this was happening, a bomb fell out of the sky from an unknown airship and hit the ship next to them. It must have struck the munitions on that ship because it caused the other ship to blow up in a roiling ball of fire, the shockwave rocking the flagship and likely puncturing the hull in the process due to the large among of shrapnel that tore into the flagship's side.

All of this was registered by Scorpius in a split second before he saw red and gave into it. This was the second time someone he loved had sacrificed themselves to save him. No more. Never again was someone going to die for him. Scorpius was going to stand up and deal with this shit himself, starting with the man who had just attacked and possibly killed his father.

With a yell of pain and rage, Scorpius called up the water from sea and hurled a wave right at Tate. The lavabender had just realized that he had only hit Draco when he turned and had to dodge the water though not before it washed a good amount of the earth away. That had only been the first part of Scorpius's attack.

Holding his sword, Scorpius ran at Tate. The deck was already tilting, and Tate had been forced to one knee by the shift and Scorpius's attack, but Scorpius ignored it. Tate was still fighting, and Scorpius wasn't going to give him a moment to recover. Instead, he charged and sidestepped a lava ball sent at him in desperation, slashing his sword at Tate the moment he had a chance to do so.

Judging by the way the lavabender recoiled, Scorpius knew that he had at least made contact, but it couldn't be enough to killed him. Scorpius didn't care, he knew what he had to do. Using the tilt of the deck, Scorpius ran up it to ensure that he had the height advantage. As soon as he couldn't run anymore, Scorpius leapt off it and turned towards the now kneeling and bleeding Tate.

Tate didn't stand a chance. Scorpius raised his sword in two hands above his own head as he approached Tate. Tate had been turned around from the slash and now had his back to Scorpius, he didn't see the end coming.

With all his strength, Scorpius brought the sword down, point first, into the top of Tate's skull. The sharp blade went through the Unique's skull and into his brain. The force of the attack and the angle that Scorpius had used caused the blade to bend once it hit and embedded into bone before it shattered from the strain.

The sudden breaking of his sword caused Scorpius to crash down to the deck, landing in a puddle of water that was growing with a splash. His insulated uniform was the only thing keeping him from going into shock at the contact with the near freezing water.

Painfully, Scorpius got up and realized that the ship was listing to the side and water was already coming onto the deck in places. Still, Scorpius turned and looked at Tate. The Unique was still kneeling on the angled deck, a look of shock etched on his face. His eyes were wide and blank, and Scorpius knew, without having to look at the half of his sword protruding from the top of Tate's skull, or the blood around the wound, that the man was dead.

Tate stayed like that for a moment before the angle began too much. His body toppled to the side and into the cold water with a splash, turning it red where it hit. That action broke Scorpius's daze and he realized that while the Lava Unique was dead, there was still more to do.

Scorpius scrambled along the deck and headed towards the base of the tower that the ship used for the bridge. There at the bottom, caught on something as the water slowly approached, was a figure in the clothes of a northern warrior with gray hair, and lava still on him. It was Draco.

Pulling water from the rising sea, Scorpius used it to remove the lava and infuse it with healing power as soon as the lava was gone. Then he tried to heal his father as he fell back to the deck and pulled Draco's body into his lap, not looking at him. Scorpius was going to save his father if it was the last thing he did.

"Son, stop." Croaked a voice and Scorpius felt his father take his hand in a weak grip. "There's nothing you can do to save me."

Tears in his eyes, Scorpius finally looked down and almost recoiled at the sight that greeted him. Draco had taken the blast to the upper right side of his chest, neck, and face. The hot liquid had done its deadly work there. Draco had horrible burns to his shoulder, neck, and the side of his face. His right eye and ear where both gone, and everything was black and oozing blood. Despite this and the pain Scorpius knew his father was in, Draco was smiling at him.

"Dad, I can help you; I am a healer." Scorpius said quickly as the tears began to fall. "I'm not as good as Albus was but I am good enough, and I can help you. Please, I lost Albus, I can't lose you too. I know I can save you."

"Son, there is no time left for me." Draco said, pain in his voice and Scorpius knew that it hurt his father to speak showing that his vocal cords had been damaged by the lava. "These wounds are too deep to survive. Not even Albus could save me now."

"But dad..." Scorpius began but Draco cut him off.

"Son, I do not have long left, let me say my piece." Draco said and each word was a struggle, but Scorpius decided to let his father speak. "Though I guess I was right 18 years ago."

"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked confused.

"18 years ago, when Cresswell trapped us in that cave in the Swamp and sent lava to kill us, I told Ron that I never imagined that lava would be the death of me." Draco said with a chuckle that turned into a pained cough that sent speck of blood flying from his lips. "I guess I was right in the end, just off by almost two decades."

"Dad." Scorpius said his tears almost blinding him now. "It doesn't have to be the death of you now."

"Alas it does so let me say my final words before I see your mother again." Draco said, his voice getting weaker. "Thank you son, for everything you have been to me. You and your mother are the biggest reasons why I was able to change and become a better man than what my father tried to make me. I know that you and Astoria were the best things that could have ever happened to me."

Scorpius wanted to say something as Draco paused to take a deep, clearly pained, breath, but he knew that his father didn't have much time left. As such, he kept quiet as his father composed himself for what Scorpius knew would be his last words.

"So, please, don't blame yourself for mine or Albus's death." Draco said and Scorpius looked at his father's remaining eye as he spoke. "We did what we had to do and would do it again in a heartbeat if we could. You are my son; you are all that is left of our line and you are the best of us by far. I have tried and hopefully by now succeeded in redeeming our name that my father ruined, but you will be greater than all of us. I am glad I could do this one last act to save you. Now, let the sea reclaim me, I deserve no less then to be forgotten beneath the waves. I love you son, remember that, and I will always be with you."

With that Draco let out his last, rattling breath, closed his left eye and died in Scorpius's arms. It had been a painful end and Scorpius knew it, but he had let his father end it as he had wanted to despite the pain he had to be in. The last Death Eater had finally died, and Scorpius knew that his father had found his redemption for his past mistakes.

Scorpius could have sat there all day but the cold water of the slowly sinking ship brought him back to reality as the insulation would prevent hypothermia but not the cold in general. With a final sigh, Scorpius laid his father's body down on the ship and let the sea reclaim it as the ship sank. There would be no funeral for Draco, no tomb as their forefathers had. Draco would be laid to rest in the sea as a waterbender ought to be.

Turning, Scorpius scrambled up the side of the flagship and leapt over it, calling on the water to take him to where he was needed as he could no longer man his post on the ship. He did not look back, he did not cry as all his tears had already been shed, and there would be time for morning later. Right now, Scorpius had a battle to rejoin, hopefully the others were having a better time in it than he was.

Well there it is, the death of the final Death Eater and another larger than normal death in Draco's end, the latest in the line of notable characters from past Books that have died during the Principate War. Also Tate is dead leaving just two Uniques left for James and the next two chapters will focus on those Uniques and the heroes who they will battle in this final arc with both chapters being longer than this one. All this will culminate in the final, climactic chapter of this arc but y'all can probably guess what that will be. Anyway, that is all I have for now so as always please follow and favorite both this and myself so that you can stay up to date with new releases (chapters and stories) and please keep the reviews coming as I do love to hear from y'all regarding my work, it means a lot to me. Until next time.

Stringdog