Nyssa's Bravery / Harry Ends It
Sadly, things did not go as well as Nyssa had been told and, by the time she and the Fat Controller arrived at the hospital, five people had died as a result of injuries sustained in the derailment. After the man had got the terrible phone call, he'd leapt in his car to his office to help organise the recovery efforts and then, and wearing overalls on top of his pyjamas, he went down with Thomas, Edward and Percy to the site and helped in the clear up until he realised that nobody had told Nyssa. Although the exact cause was yet to be officially announced, it had been clear in the powerful spotlights that the rails had been cut through using a torch. After a discussion with senior staff and the engines, it was decided to put on as best a service as could be achieved with engines and coaches now out of place. Bus replacements would operate around the area so at least the main line could be kept in some sort of order. Most of the freight couldn't be moved and the fish boats had to queue up to get into Kirkronan or simply ran straight into Barrow instead. James and BoCo, after being examined every inch and questioned as to what happened were righted and placed onto low-loaders and taken to the works for a complete examination before being stored for the investigation.
"I'm glad we got here in time" said Megan Jones. "From what I found out, Harry was very close to death. I've slipped some potions into his drips to try and repair the damage that happened"
"Can you save him?" asked Nyssa.
"I'm fairly certain, but it will be a painful recovery for him" Megan shook her head. "I won't lie to you, you're too good a person for that, but his recovery is going to be a difficult journey to take. From the few scans I was take to take, he suffered some fairly serious head injuries which might mean brain damage – I won't know until he comes round"
"Have you already found out what the cause was?" asked Hannah.
"Certainly" the Fat Controller said. He explained everything he knew so far about what had caused the incident and that the public was demanding a stiff sentence for the people responsible.
"Do you think they might be caught?" asked Susan.
"They might well be" the man replied with a shrug.
"Do you think that Harry will never wake up?" Nyssa asked with a terrified tone to her question.
"Oh, he'll wake up, but only when his brain is healed enough" Megan replied. "Its lucky in some ways"
"Huh?"
"We were planning on coming over tonight to explain something. Gillyflower has demanded, as is his right, to face the one that accused him in a trial by combat" Hermione explained for Megan. "As Harry is incapacitated, that duty now falls to you as his wife"
"My husband is in an induced coma after being in a terrible crash and I've got to fight some dickhead that raped me" Nyssa shook her head. "You know, I'm beginning to understand why Harry left the magical world in the first place"
"We've tried to find ways around it based on the fact that you are not magical, but the laws that apply to us means he has the right. The only thing going in your favour is that, as the one challenged, you have the right to decide the weapons used"
"Then I choose swords" Nyssa said. "I can hold that Gryffindor sword fairly well, Harry's let me train with it on those practice dummies a few times… I think I could do well"
"Gillyflower is a bastard, but he is also a skilled Auror – Harry trained him personally in all forms of combat" Susan said. "He has years of training and experience on you"
"Can you delay it, at least until Harry is out of this coma?" the Fat Controller asked.
"I can delay it at least a week on grounds Nyssa needs to train in combat, but no longer… The only advantage she has over him is the fact she is somewhat younger and is faster on her feet due to the fact she does gymnastics and dance"
"I'm looking for a person called Nyssa" a soft voice made them all jump. They looked to see a Doctor in wrinkled clothes and boasting a tired expression.
"I'm Doctor McCoy… And no, not that one either" she added with a weak smile. "I need you to sign a few forms allowing us to continue the treatment"
"Why?"
"We might have to perform another operation" the Doctor replied. "When he was rushed here, it was an emergency situation and we had implied consent. Now, though, things have changed. As his wife, you may sign the permission forms"
"Um, I'm not married to him… I'm more of his ward"
"I'll sign – I'm his oldest friend and solicitor" Hermione offered and signed the papers. "Do you expect brain damage?"
"No, but there is a bit of bruising that I am worried about which might develop into something more. He is in safe enough hands" but Nyssa was unconvinced. The others thanked the Doctor and went back into the private room for families to wait for news about loved ones.
"How are you going to work your magic on Harry with him being here?" asked the Fat Controller.
"We'll give it a day or so before confounding the medical team into moving Harry to a better equipped place – we'll ship him off to St Mungos and be done with it" Megan said.
"And we have to get you ready to face Gillyflower" Susan said to Nyssa.
"Not for a while, though" she replied.
"Well… If there is going to be no news for a while" the Fat Controller said, "I'm going back to the railway and finding out what's happening. You've got my number, Nyssa… If there is anything you want, just give me a call"
"I want Harry"
# # # # #
The interim report into the incident said there was no chance that Harry or BoCo could have seen the breakage of the rails in the darkness before it was picked up by the headlights. The line would be closed for a week to allow them to complete examinations and to repair the section of line, but special permission was granted to move some engines past the site in order to have enough engines to run to and from Kildane for the shuttle services. Thomas and Percy were especially worried for their injured friends and had been most distressed to hear that people had died because of the cruelty of others. BoCo had been taken to the diesel works at Vicarstown for his repairs but James, despite all of the expertise at Crovan's Gate, had to be taken to Crewe Works as they had specialist machines that could examine his deepest and most inaccessible parts without having to take him apart.
Five days after the incident, the British Transport Police found evidence as to who did the damage to the tracks and arrested three people from the local area. Two of them were charged with the actual act of causing death by criminal activity whilst the third was charged with aiding and abetting. With such great crimes, they were remanded into custody at three separate prisons on the mainland so they would have no contact with each other. Speculation mounted as to what had been discovered by the police, but it was unusually quiet from them other then it was of the most serious nature.
"Sir?" Thomas asked the Fat Controller.
"Yes?"
"About where the incident took place… Do you think we could put up a memorial?"
"That's a good idea, Thomas – I was thinking about it myself" and plans were made to put up a simple granite pillar that recorded the date of the incident, what had happened and the names and ages of the people who had died. Under the circumstances, the local council waived the rules for planning permission and the pillar was ordered which would be revealed during a service with a Minister and a Rabbi jointly doing it.
#
"Are you ready for this?" Susan whispered to Nyssa.
"Not really, but I know I have to do this for Harry and his family's honour"
"Its your honour too"
"Yeah… I sometimes forget" Nyssa smiled faintly before standing up and adjusting the heavy feeling sword of Gryffindor on her back. "Do you think that I will be able to win? I mean, I have had as much training as you and the others could give me, but I'm scared"
"So am I" admitted Susan. "If you die from this, then it will finish Harry and he'll kill himself"
"Then I won't die"
"If only that could be"
"Thanks for the support"
"Nyssa, when I was your age, half of my House at Hogwarts had been tortured, nearly of the school had been, kids went to bed and never woke up again, families killed and their bodies defiled… For you, it's the latest films and bands – for me, Harry and all those of my generation, we had to fight a war" Susan's eyes glazed over. "We had to grow up and grow up very quickly"
"He's talked about it, but I always feel as if something is being held back… Did he… Did he sleep with Hermione?"
"If he did, he's never told me in the years since" the witch gestured towards the large wooden door. "It is time" and the pair walked through the doors to face the duelling arena used by Auror recruits and the occasional honour duel. Gillyflower waited dressed in plain black robes and merely nodded at Susan before drawing his sword and adopting a pose for attack. "I must ask… Can not honour be satisified?"
"Only when all charges laid by the Potter family against me are dropped" Gillyflower spat.
"I have been unable to contact myself and ask his wishes" Nyssa said, "So honour will be satisfied when he is dead" and Susan looked at each of them before she sighed.
"Very well… As you all know, this is a fight to the death – the fight will go on until one person is dead and no interference is permitted. No magical spells are permitted – just the swords. BEGIN!" and Gillyflower charged and swung his sword – forcing Nyssa to dodge out of the way.
#
In the hospital bed, one of the hands twitched slightly and then went still once more…
#
Everybody could see that Nyssa was outclassed in almost every respect – she had deep cuts all over her body, blood poured out of her injuries, her responses were slow and she moved much too late. The former Auror was simply hacking into her without any mercy knowing that he was going to die anyway and was going to kill Harry's wife in order to make him miserable.
"You know" drawled the man, "I'm enjoying this little sword practice on you, Mrs Potter – I will take that which I started. I should have killed you when I raped you, but Kingsley thought otherwise" and he smirked and kicked Nyssa in the ribs which sent her sprawling to the floor. Most of her ribs were now broken, if not all, and most of the people watching were wondering how long it would be before Gillyflower finished her off. Even though he was going to win, Susan was just going to execute him out of hand because if she didn't, Harry would tear apart the entire Ministry except the Department for Strange Things That Are Heartwarming – he always seemed to have a fondness for that little known about division for some reason.
"It ain't over until the fat lady sings" Nyssa coughed up blood as she used a wall to get up to her feet.
"Molly Weasley isn't here" Gillyflower said with a momentary confusion. "You know, my dear, I might just enjoy you again before finishing you off – I mean really… How could think you would defeat me? What possible reason do you have for killing me? I thought your so called filthy muggle religion forbade killing in cold blood?" Gillyflower taunted her and made Nyssa wonder if she'd been able to kill him would her soul have been damned? "Come on then, give me one reason that you could defeat me" and, at that moment, the door to the arena disintegrated into splinters with parts of the surrounding wall crumbling and falling down. An almost blinding dust cloud swirled round them and it caused most people to cover their eyes. Susan, with quick thinking, covered her own with a spell which allowed her to see and breathe clearly. A shadow appeared and, when it came through the edge of the dust, revealed a heavily sick and ill looking Harry with his wand in a holster and a sword strapped to his side. Susan, Hermione Hannah and a few others gasped as they realised it was the Potter Family Sword – one that Harry had never used before. Some loud pops heralded the arrival of Ragnock and Gabrielle who were dressed in armour and looking for a fight.
"Ah shit" Hermione muttered. "I think Harry is pissed"
"Protect Nyssa" he ordered. Both Goblin and Veela nodded and moved over to cover and protect her whilst Harry moved into the arena. Gillyflower was frozen to the spot in fear – Harry was supposed to be either dead or so badly injured he couldn't fight him. The fact that he was facing him reduced him to a blubbering mess and he tried to think of a way to kill him, but the former Auror just knew there was no hope. "Gabby, uncover the kids" and the Veela nodded and muttered something to reveal two children tied to a chair and being forced to look at their father. "I thought you might want to see your kids again before you die" Harry sneered. "My wife couldn't kill you because not only do her personal beliefs forbid it in cold blood, such as this really is, but she is also too pure a person - I on the other hand, have no such problems" and he drew the Potter family sword and made a mocking gesture at Gillyflower. "Shall we dance, rapist?" and then he charged at Gillyflower and drove the sword right through his stomach. Gillyflower dropped his own sword and staggered back in pain before Harry stabbed him again and again in the belly. "Whats up – in agony?" Harry mocked.
"Please… Mercy"
"Mercy? Do you think you deserve mercy in any way? I showed you it once before even though you raped Nyssa – this time, I will not make the same mistake twice. Your suffering is being made worse by the fact your children are here and can hear and see what kind of a man you really are. No… You are not a man, you are a waste of space and of humanity who is not fit to be breathing the same air as my wife" Harry circled round behind Gillyflower and kicked him to his knees and lazily swung the sword into his arms and back – dealing the same kind of punishment. Harry then paused, thought for a moment before putting the sword into the scabbard and bending down and grabbing Gillyflower's hair and pulling tightly. "Do you see your children?" he asked "DO YOU?" he thundered when the other didn't reply.
"Yes"
"Good…" Harry said, "Because this is going to be your last ever sight of them and, incidentally, a lasting image of a cowardly piece of filth who was on his knees begging for mercy after his crimes of raping and murdering children" and he looked over to where Nyssa was being attended to by Gabrielle and Ragnock. "May I?" he asked.
"Finish him" Nyssa managed to make herself be heard – conviction that the man was sentenced to death anyway allowing her to say the words. Harry pulled the hair even more so the grip was more painful and leant down to Gillyflower's ear.
"Say 'Goodnight, kids'… SAY IT!"
"Good… Goodnight, kids" and, at that moment, Harry cast a spell to keep him in the position he was in and slit his throat. Gillyflower automatically put his hands to his throat in an attempt to stop the gushing blood but he got weaker by the moment. Harry came back around so Gillyflower could look at him with his dying moments.
"You know what…? I lied about the last sight – this is" and he spun round and cast a pair of killing curses at the children – overpowering them so they slumped down and then detonated. There was silence before Gillyflower let out a combined yell and death rattle which Harry ended by kicking his head clean off his shoulders – the body falling to the floor with a muted thump. "Now it is over" he spat the body before limping badly over to Nyssa. "How is she?" he asked.
"Badly injured, but this warrior and friend of the Goblin nation will live to fight again" Ragnock said.
"She needs looking at right away at St Mungos" Gabrielle said.
"Lets go" Harry scooped his wife gently into his arms and started to carry her out of the arena.
"Harry…?" Susan called out and Harry paused and turned around. "When will the replicas vanish?"
"Replicas?"
"Of the Gillyflower children"
"I never said they were replicas, Madam Director… As the head in law enforcement, you should know it is wrong to make a dangerous assumption" and Harry left a stunned audience behind as he walked away – flanked by Ragnock and Gabrielle.
A/N:
Before you all jump on me, remember what Harry has said and done previous…
Harry has, I am afraid to say, has just about had enough of the magical world for now and is just going to use it when he has no other choice – basically, going back to his self-imposed exile… The only really big thing I can see him doing is putting in a claim to take over the Gillyflower House by right of conquest, but I am not yet decided on that either way!
Harry is just going to get treatment for his injuries, return to work and settle down to life with Nyssa who, next chapter, will give Harry what he has wanted for months.
Pixel and Stephanie Forever
