Chapter 22: Upping The Ante
{A/N watched a bit of Alan Rickman and Adam Driver clips today...needless to say I was inspired to write some more.
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.
{"You made a monster of me...Through all your wicked lies...Forever tortured by you...Abandoned at death's door...Until I said no more...Don't look away...You're just a former regret of mine...And when you want, just look away...You're just a former regret of mine...Erasing now...You made a rock star of me...Gave me this wicked life...Paid to be tortured by you...A life I now abhor..."}Monster, Disturbed
Hogsmeade Village, Wizarding World...
Bursting red-orange flames cascaded along the roof tops of shops and minor flats within the highly frequented wizarding alley. Hermione Jean Granger had escaped the flames from one of them barely out of the confines of St. Mungo's to assist Harry Potter who's youngest son might possibly have been kidnapped. The masked villain Arcturus had been in rare form but this time he appeared to be playing for keeps attempting to drop a good deal of bodies in his wake.
Screams filled the air as witches and wizards alike attempted to get out of the way of this masked dark wizard's mask. His manipulation of the very air around him and the accenting use of fire had been more than a small implication of what he had been capable of. His stunt at the Ministry of Magical offices had been well noted by the wizarding world.
"Everyone get back!" shouted Harry taking charge as he leapt into the path of the vicious Dark Wizard's assault.
Hermione blocked a few shots from the enforcers. She had managed to get quite a few people to safety while assisting Harry.
The green eyed wizard still had the unnatural habit of charging head first into battle when he knew little of the opponent. His decision to face Arcturus head on had been no different than when he decided to face off against Voldemort.
It proved to be a stupid move as Arcturus sent him flying through the Hog's Head Inn. Shattering the frames and splintering the wood that made up the old place.
Harry scrambled to his feet as splinted wood fell from his shoulder. There had been a couple of pieces lodged in his right shoulder but he ignored the pain to focus on his enemy. The force of the blast had shattered his glasses though and it made it difficult for him to see. None the less, Harry drew his wand, which he had managed to hold on to during the involuntary flight.
"You'll have to do better than that Arcturus." he said.
The ebony robed masked leader of The Serpents Brothers Of Destruction. Arcturus had seemed poised for this little contest.
"Impressive...Potter." he said seemingly amused at the petty attempt to stand against him.
"Where is my son!?" asked Harry enraged as he gripped his wand tighter.
"Someplace where you can't reach him." replied Arcturus still somewhat amused. "The great Harry Potter, defender of The Wizarding World...reduced to a blind quivering mass of useless lies and character fodder."
"Who are you?!" asked Harry narrowing his green eyes at the masked dark wizard before him. "And what is your problem with me?!"
"I am your destroyer and you...Harry Potter, are a blight upon the face of the wizarding world." replied Arcturus in an icy tone. "A blight that shall soon be corrected."
The wizard attempted to send his flaming serpent toward the seemingly defenseless Harry only to find himself thrown from his feet by a ferocious Hermione Granger.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" shouted Hermione catching the dark wizard off guard.
The force of her blast had thrown the unsuspecting Arcturus into mid-air and a good distance away from Harry.
"Hermione?" said Harry confused as he attempted to keep his guard up despite his lack of vision. "He's dangerous!"
"Tell me something I don't know." replied Hermione getting ready for another round.
She had done combat with this dark wizard before, this time she wouldn't be underestimating him.
Arcturus leapt from a tree and tackled the amber eyed witch to the ground. She had not been that much of an easy mark as she proved to have quite a few tricks up her sleeve.
"Interesting." he said amused by her toughness.
Hermione had not been above restoring to dirty tactics to ensure her own survival, a few lessons she learned from being tortured by Bellatrix LeStrange. She kneed the wizard in his groin causing him to fall backward and pounced quickly as he ended up crawling toward the trees.
"SALAZAR!" he called enraged at his minor defeat at the hands of a witch no less.
The ground began to quake and rumbling could be heard as both Harry and Hermione found themselves watching as an enormous serpent came burrowing from beneath the ground almost the size of a full grown Basilisk.
"WHAT THE HELL?" asked Harry Potter stunned by the hissing that entered it's ears.
"Bana ans." hissed the serpent as it came into view.
It had been a sleek looking thing with smooth green scales splattered with mud and dirt. It's eyes green in terms of it's outer iris and bright almost glowing yellow in terms of the outer iris. The underbelly had been tanned but near cream in color and rippled with lines possibly for speedy movements.
It moved faster than Nagini and it's great fangs were as intimidating as the Basilisk from The Chamber of Secrets back at Hogwarts Castle.
Arcturus leapt into the air and landed rather neatly upon the head of the great serpent his eyes aglow as if he and the creature had been in sync with one another.
"Face me now." said Arcturus. "With the might of a serpent at my heel you have no chance in this battle."
Hermione narrowed her amber eyes at monster behind the mask before her and Harry. He had commanded the enormous serpent to attack Harry.
"FINISH THEM SALAZAR!"hissed Arcturus.
The serpent attempted to strike only to find himself blocked in his attempts to get them. The great beating of wings had been a momentary distraction as far as the serpent had been concerned. It proved to be a big distraction as Hermione took her eyes off the battle and had been treated to the sight of Icarus giving off a shrill call.
"ICARUS!" she said pleased to see the enormous Thunderbird.
"Friend of yours?" asked Harry confused as he gripped his wand aiming for the enormous shape in front of him.
"You could say that." replied Hermione grabbing the temporarily blinded Harry Potter and dragging him into the path of the Thunderbird. "Icarus...this is Harry...he needs help...he's a friend."
The Thunderbird beat it's wings and lowered himself so that both Hermione and Harry Potter could climb onto it's back. Hermione held on tight to the Harry as Icarus let off a blast that shocked most of the S.B.D and caused them all to flee.
Arcturus had barely managed to escape as he and his serpent Salazar retreated from Hogsmeade Village.
The Thunderbird took off toward Cokeworth, England reasoning that Regulus would know what to do about the wounded.
It had been a wonder the young witch was able to summon it, her attachment to Regulus had to have been extreme to attempt to do so.