Arc I: part III
Built at the beginning of the twelfth century, the Montmorency-Laval estate has since been the Laval house's fiefdom. Formerly regent of Normandy's Dukedom, a feudal duchy of the Kingdom of France which existed from 911 to 1469, first as a mostly autonomous principality, then after its conquest by the King of France in 1204, as part of the royal domain until its suppression by King Louis XI in the year 1469. Before it met its decline, Normandy played an essential role during the Hundred Years' War, which lasted from 1337 to 1453.
Although the region was not at the origin of the conflict, it quickly became an issue between England and France as Normandy's wealth, its shared past with the English and its geographical proximity to the island could explain the circumstances of its peculiar situation. The war could be resumed into two phases, the first would refer to the episodic English interventions, as they were always eager to launch destructive incursions across the region. However, a powerful Norman lord, Charles the Bad, ignited a civil war, rallying to the English that pitted the people of Normandy.
In the next phase, the English presence was much more massive as they occupied the region for more than three decades, between 1417 and 1450. In 1420, the Treaty of Troyes made the King of England the heir to France's kingdom. Normandy then appeared as the central element of English France. Finally, the King of France, Charles VII, reconquered the rich province and forgave the Normans who had collaborated with the enemy. Normandy regains peace but came out of the conflict very weakened, and largely dependent.
Despite the war's trials lasting longer than necessary, the succession of royal families, Viking raids, epidemics, the French revolution, the two great world wars, etc... The Laval family and its name have survived to this day. The man standing in front of the large bay window that dominated the estate, offering a breathtaking view of his garden and the guests walking towards the entrance, looking around in amazement, knew his family's history better than anyone. Today, he was the last of the name, and his family had lost its influence at the time. After all, he was forced to admit how much times had changed, and the country had favorably adapted to it.
Until recently, he started to believe his ambitions were definitely death, but perhaps he was in a hurry to give up, that he misread the stories and ended up with the wrong conclusions. He was dragged away from his thoughts by the sound of the bell announcing his guests' arrival. The time had come to go down and welcome them inside. He smiled at his reflection on the window glass, buttoned his suits vest, turned his back to the large bay window and walked towards the door of his quarters, went to the top of the marble stairs to gesture to the butler, indicating him it was time to open the doors. The king was now confirmed to be dead; the throne was vacant and within reach of whoever dared to be up to face the challenge.
The number of people invited to the dinner impressed Sirius, who wondered if the duke hadn't invited the entire village population. The men and women with whom he walked through the garden, heading towards the mansions' gate were elegantly dressed for the occasion, their wide open in amazement as they looked around them the beauty of the garden and its statutes. He glanced briefly at Ryan who, walking to his right, displayed on his face the same expression as the other guests, been if Sirius knew it wasn't his first time there.
The group walked, some silent while others whispered to each other until they arrived at the main gate. A man leading the rest of the guests knocked at the gate, triggering a bell that sounded loudly letting their host know of their arrival. A brief moment after the door opened, and a smiling butler invited them inside. The guests crossed the halls entrance timidly and shortly after were greeted by the duke's voice, who was waiting for them at the top of the stairs, arms outstretched, smiling broadly at them from his high spot. The duke started to slowly walk down the steps, addressing the crowd, while servants slalomed among the guests, happily offering them champagne flutes.
" My friends! My dear friends! Allow me, first of all, to welcome you to the Montmorency-Laval domain! Tonight, you and I are gathered to celebrate two events of particular importance. The first is the retirement of Mr Martin, who has contributed so much to our community. Please join me in giving a fitting welcome to our guest of honour. The second, we will discuss it later in the dinner "
He had now arrived at the bottom of the stairs at their level. He raised his left hand, beckoned an older man, whom Sirius recognized as the one who was leading the group, approaching him.
" Let us raise our glasses in honor of Mr Martin, whom we thank for his long years of service and to whom we wish the peaceful retirement he so richly deserves " the duke said.
The crowd followed him, congratulating the man standing next to the duke. Sirius did the same, looking awkwardly at the people around him, and simply smiling back as he couldn't understand a word, they spoke to him; considered seriously discreetly leaving, until he chased that tough from his mind when his eyes met those of a beautiful woman who was smiled at him. Wearing an emerald, green evening gown with plunging cleavage, her hair raised into an elegant bun. She walked towards him. As she approached him, Julie seemed as she was the only one to be enlightened by the chandelier hanging on the ceiling, and the rest of the attendance bathed in darkness. Her hips balanced from a side to the other, as her beautiful hazel eyes were locked on his own, making him feel his heart frenetically race inside his chest. Once she reached him, she took his arm and pressed longly her lips him on his cheek, and Sirius kept feeling the warmth on the spot she had kissed him when Julie turned to greet Ryan.
"As much as it is always a pleasure to see you, Ryan, I made myself beautiful for another reason," Julie said to Ryan.
"You are always splendid, mademoiselle Julie. Be my guest, take him away from me, I've seen him enough for today," said Ryan, before patting Sirius on the shoulder and leaving towards the duke to greet him.
Julie gently pulled Sirius and walked him around the Hall, introducing him to the other guests, translating for him. Then, they stopped next to a waiter, who served them two drinks and didn't mind when she caught Sirius glance furtively at her breast.
"To be honest I'm quite confused," Sirius said.
"Are you?" Julie asked, taking a sip from her drink.
"Usually, I am the one who has to make the first move" Sirius answered.
"Perhaps it is the first time you cross paths with a woman and not a girl" Julie said, getting close to him, her breast slightly brushing his arm. "Do you mind if we move to a quieter place?" Then Julie asked, nodding discreetly her head at the rest of the guests.
Sirius then noticed that even if the guest seemed engaged in conversations, they kept hearing at Sirius and Julies' direction from time to time. So, Sirius accepted and followed Julie as she led him towards a cozy living room, furnished with wooden furniture, leather sofas and a snooker table in the middle of the room. They settled on the long sofa, Julie sat next to him, near enough so her knee rested against his own leg, crossing her legs, making her dress slip revealing her naked leg. Julie put her left hand on his knee.
"Do you think I'm an easy girl Evan?" Julie asked him.
"No... Did I do anything that would make you feel I think that?" Sirius asked anxiously.
"You're cute..." Julie said smiling, caressing his knee. "Forgive, it's not what I meant...Anyway, I wouldn't mind if you do!" she added.
"Really?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not at all, being judged is not what I dread the most," Julie said.
"So, what is it you're most afraid, then?" Sirius asked.
"I am afraid of refusing to listen to my heart and miss a lifetime opportunity, shutting the door at what could perhaps be the kind of love story every girl grew up dreaming about," Julie said, not deviating her eyes even one second from his.
"A love story..." Sirius said, sheepishly.
" I do not wish to scare you nor make you believe I am crazy...But Since I saw you the other day, getting off Ryan's pickup truck, my heart bounced." Julie said.
"You did?" Sirius asked.
"Yes...I am not embarrassed to say the truth out loud. I felt an irrepressible need to get closer to you, to make you notice me and make you want to talk and get to know me. A need that has been haunting me since that day, making me look forward this evening more than the duke himself, enough to insist as to personally supervise all the preparations." Julie said.
Sirius remained silent for a long moment where he could only stare at her beautiful face, her cheekbones having slightly reddened after her declaration, even if she claimed not feeling any kind of embarrassment whatsoever. Moreover, his silence was also due to his own feelings and thoughts he had during the last couple of days since he met her for the first. The girl in front of him, confessing so firmly and quickly her reciprocated feeling towards him, had also haunted his own thoughts.
In the last days, Sirius had dreamed about her in his sleep, wonderful dreams, and each time Ryan had brought up her name in a conversation, his heart warmed to the sound of her name even by the mocking voice of Ryan. What were the odds, he had been lucky to escape from Azkaban and he could have drowned, broken his body meeting the rocks or got captured by the Aurors or killed by them?
Instead, he had landed softly on a warm sand beach where Ryan had taken care of him since, then met Julie. Maybe as Ryan had said, their meeting was due to faith. It was his faith to let his wizard past and embrace the love this girl was more than eager to offer; he could love her back. After all, maybe just as James before him, he had found his soulmate. But why? What was this power that denied him to also confess to her his feeling? Why did his lips refuse to move? Why in hell are his lips staying sealed as tight as a Gringotts high-security vault.
"Please...Say something" Julie asked, her voice betraying some doubt as to if she regretted having said so much, so fast.
"I... I feel the same for...The moment I laid my eyes on you, I felt as life wouldn't be worth living without you at my side." Sirius finally said.
Another silence followed where Julie's eyes open widely before she slowly passed a hand behind his head, and her fingers gently played with his hair
"Do...Do you sincerely mean it? You...You're not trying to...Just get your way with me?" Julie asked, so close to him that her forehead rested on Sirius's forehead.
"No... I would never hurt you...I love you." Sirius said.
"Then...If you mean it...Kiss me." Julie whispered before pressing her lips against his.
When Sirius opened his eyes again, he felt as his head was had been plunged in a cauldron filled with lava, so the pain was great. At first, the image was blurry, so he only saw lights moving, then, slowly his sight sharpened and noticed he wasn't in that cozy living room but in a large room with a high ceiling. The walls, the floor...Everything was carved in dark stone. He didn't see any windows or any sign that would indicate another thing than the room he woke up in wasn't underground.
For a moment, Sirius looked dumbly around him, his head buzzing at a far strident sound. Then slowly, all his senses synchronized, and his eyes widened as he discovered the horrific scenery that played before his eyes. To his right, along the wall, naked men, women and children were lined up, hanging upside down as their ankles were tied by chains that went up to the ceiling. All of them were pretty much awake and aware of what was happening. They were screaming, crying, begging for mercy, while some of them twisted to try to reach their ankles. Some of them who had managed to grab their ankles were biting their own skin, having understood how nothing was going to make the steel release them, they hoped to devour their own flesh to free themselves. Even at the risk of breaking their necks in the fall, should they succeed.
In the center of the place, a prominent cauldron was installed. Inside, at first, Sirius thought to have seen a dead horse, its though hanging out of his mouth. But, Sirius, looking closely, distinguished on the animal's head a horn that indicated it was a Unicorn instead. A unicorn that had been slaughtered, its blood contained by the cauldron, above which, Sirius recognized the reception's guest of honor, Mr Martin if he remembered the name. The poor old man's guts were slain, his blood falling the same way a waterfall would, on the Unicorn's corps and collected by the cauldron. While around the same cauldron, six hooded figures were kneeling, arms raised in adoration in front of the cauldron as they recited words in a strange language over and over again, although he recognized some words in Latin, Sirius could grasp the meaning of their chanting.
The fire ignited under the cauldron must have reflected on something else as a light briefly blinded Sirius who turned his head, looking for its provenance. That's when he spotted Ryan. The old man was completely unrecognizable. He was holding a sharp butcher knife, generously stained with blood. Sirius's eyes widened even more as he watched Ryan grab a screaming woman and drag her, hitting her in the way to an altar near the cauldron, where he harshly stuck pinned her head against the stone before without any hesitation, Ryan slit her throat. The woman body shook for a long moment making a dreary sound before it stopped moving forever. Then, Ryan drew a wand and levitated the woman's corps to place her next to Mr Martin and, the same way as the other victim, she started to fill the cauldron with the blood pouring from her slit throat. Once finished with her, Ryan moved with not a single look back, towards the other prisoners who had helplessly, the same as Sirius had, watched the scene.
While Ryan was busy trying to grab another man, Sirius gaze moved to another place, in front of him, on the far opposite side of the room, a platform was built, on which a throne was installed. Seating on it, was the duke, a gold goblet decorated with gemstones as Julie was sitting on his lap, busy kissing his neck as the duke was casually patting her ass while watching the executions unfold before his eyes. The duke smiled as he noticed Sirius' eyes on him, and informed Julie, who turned her head to also smile at Sirius.
"Awake at last! Welcome back among us Lord Black!" The duke said. "Don't worry my friend, you haven't missed anything...We've just started a few moments ago."
"May I have him now?" Sirius heard Julie ask the duke, with an excited voice kissing his ear.
The duke made to answer only he got interrupted by Sirius shouting. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS MADNESS?"
The duke and Julie exchanged a glance before the duke said. "No need to get angry friend, this is nothing more than a welcome party for you...To welcome a member of our select circle or family, should I say?"
"Welcome party...FAMILY?" Sirius shouted, looking at Ryan who had just murdered another man.
"I believe I just kindly asked you not to shoot...But, if shooting is what you find at your tase, let me give you a good reason to do so!" The duke said calmly before pointing a wand in Sirius' direction. "Cruc.." Only Julie interrupted him.
"NO PLEASE MASTER DON'T! He'll be useless after!" Julie said, placing her hand on the duke's crotch, slowly rubbing it.
The duke nodded at her, biting his lips. Then, he looked back at Sirius and talked.
"Your wishes are orders, my dear...Lord Black, the family I was referring to the few ones who have understood where the true power of magic resides. Those who don't bother with boundaries set by the weak minds and coward behind the fear of exposing their mediocrity." The duke said.
Sirius listened to the duke's words and repeated them to himself in his mound, articulating each word before nodding towards the prisoners and start shouting again "IS THIS WHAT YOU REFER TO BY TRUE MAGIC?! THIS THE WORD OF A BRILLANT MIND TO YOU? ONLY A PERVERT, THE LOWEST SCUM..." before his mouth shut by itself.
The duke frowned at his words before shrugging and finally saying: " The work of a pervert? I must admit Lord Black, even 577 years, my ears have never been subjected to such level of hypocrisy! After all, haven't you witnessed Lord Voldemort perform the same kind of ceremonies? How do you imagine he manage to create..."
"577 years?! What are you talking about?" Sirius interrupted him.
The duke smiled, tapped his forehead as if everything had become clear to him, with his finger before answering, "Of course...Where is my mind...My name is Gilles de Rais, baron of Retz, lord of Machecoul, Bénate, Bouin, Pornic, Princé, Vue, Tiffauges and Igrandes, knight and lord of Brittany, Anjou, Poitou, Maine, Augoumois and grand marshal of France." the duke said.
Sirius stared at him, deep in thought, trying to process the information. Gilles of Reis was infamously known as the wizard who centuries ago, during the hundred year's war, had unleashed an unseen before evil on France in the quest of obtaining the philosopher's stone. The most reliable sources, whatever wizards or muggles, estimates that about six hundred children were raped and killed during black messes and other dark rituals he used to organize under his castle, taking advantage of the famine and illness the war had spread in the region, even though some put forward the thesis that he did it himself...For years, he reigned as a tyrant, until Nicolas Flamel and Alberta Toothill, the best duelist at the time, joined their forces to face him and end his tyranny...He was later publicly executed, was burned alive and Nicolas Flamel in person had confirmed it.
"Nice try..." Sirius said, smirking." Gilles of reis died centuries ago, anyway, not even all the blood of unicorn one can get would be enough to keep a man alive so long! so I suggest you cut the bullshit! Who are you?"
"I'm starting to consider how much I may have overrated you...How come a man such close to Lord Voldemort could be such ignorant about magic, or the secrets of immortality?"
"Sorry to disappoint you but I-have-never-been-a-death-eater" Sirius spat the last words clenching his teeth before he waived his attention to Ryan who had just been punched by a woman who somehow managed to release herself from his grip and rushed towards the stairs that led upstairs.
"RYAN! STOP IT! WHATEVER HE TOLD YOU! WHATEVER HE PROMISED, IT'S ALL LIES! THIS KIND OF SCUMS DON'T GIVE, THEY ONLY TAKE AND YOU DON'T WANT WHAT HE HAVE TO GIVE ANYWAY!"
Ryan turned to him, his face twisted in rage and barked at him to shut up before pointing his wand at the woman who had reached the stairs and brought her back to his feet. He grabbed her neck and start punching her in the mouth, until she passed away, the moment when he slaughtered her the same as he had done with the previous victims he fetched. He dropped her corps on the floor swamped in blood and talked to Sirius.
"Sirius!" Ryan said, calling by his name for the first time. "You haven't seen what I saw! The wonders the master is capable of have no limits, you're the one who should listen to reason! This man can bring your friends back from the dead! You have all to win and none to lose if only you could open your heart!"
"Ryan, I wish it was so easy...But it this how life is..." Sirius said, but he felt his head being forced to move back to face the duke.
"I believe we were in the middle of a more important conversation..." The duke said.
Tied to that chair, alone, with no wand at reach, Sirius was helpless to even defend himself, nor he could do the tiniest thing for the other prisoners. As Ryan slaughtered them one by one, enjoying killing them, using his blade instead of putting an end to their pain using the killing curse, Sirius had to resolve to the fact that Ryan was a lost cause. So, he decided to agree to the Dukes wishes to carry on with their discussion. Perhaps he could bring him to tell him more about his real plans, he could find a way to manipulate him into releasing him and on the first occasion, he would steal a wand and try his best to end this nightmare, he would send a message to the French ministry, hold back the duke until they arrive, even if it would make him get captured or killed.
At least he would have done something and not died as a simple spectator of this slaughtering. So, he held the duke's gaze, if his instincts did fail him, the man would be arrogant enough and only waited the moment he could brag about his own achievement as twisted and evil they could be.
"I... I'm curious...If you are who you claim to be...How did you survive?" Sirius asked.
The duke smiled and started talking again. "I'm glad you finally started to ask the right questions! I would be more than happy to enlighten you about it...After all, I am asking so much from you, it would only be fair if gave you some reasonable reasons to accept my offer! And on the same occasion a sample of the greatness of my powers!"
"I can't wait..." Sirius whispered.
"You see, history books are not completely wrong only I diverge on the meaning they give to 'death'! So, I guess, to make sense, the first question we must give an answer to, is: what is death?" The duke said.
"What do you mean? In a philosophic way?" Sirius asked.
"Yes and no..." The duke said. "If death means the destruction of an individual's body, then I agree, I would have died on October the 26th of 1440 as witnessed. However, if by dying we mean, the moment one's soul leaves the body for the other world or the afterlife, then my friend, I never died." The duke added smiling.
"I might be still knocked out, but I don't follow you...How could a soul stay in a body that has been destroyed?" Sirius asked, this time forgetting about his plan, but asking out of sincere curiosity.
"Quite the opposite my friend, you follow way better than most I have told this story...And you certainly would understand even more after a tell you the entire story. You see, I was born in the late 1405 year at the castle Champtoc-sur-Loire, in a noble family blessed by magic"
"As early as I was still a baby sleeping in my cradle, I showed signs of magic and was therefore left to be raised by my grandfather, who was himself a mighty wizard, quite known for his unorthodox practices. Later on, I was received at Beauxbatons, where I continued my education and met with Nicola Flamel, the headmaster at the time, who I am sure you know all about..."
"Anyway, our relation wasn't the best and went irremediably worst when after ending my time at school, I decided, against his order, to not turn a blind eye to the pain my country was subjected to by the barbarian invasion. In other words, your people...I joined my countrymen and met the one who was going to change my life forever." The duke said, taking a pause, deep in his thoughts.
"Who did you meet?" Sirius asked.
"While in Chinon, reunited whit the legitim king, I first met Jeanne...I was the first to accept her, and since I was always at her side even when she launched offensives considered by all as vain and lost in advance. Her words could inspire courage in my heart and our men hearts, and for years we stood united. I slew all the British wizards who dared step foot on our land and with her way to swing her sword and her diplomatic talent we always end up victorious...Until a day came, while I was on duty far from her, our own people sold her out to the brits...I remember begging the king on my knees to rescue her, to pay the ransom whatever the price could be...Only he just waived dismissively a hand and I was thrown from the castle by the same wizards I had groomed! ...A few weeks later, I received the news of her death. Burned alive!... That day, I killed everyone stupid enough or unlucky enough to be at my reach." The duke said in anger.
"Then...I was invaded by a terrible pain...an unbearable illness...As if my own heart had been ripped away from my chest, I felt my magic leave me and at that moment I saw it, Lord Black...I saw it...My soul...I gathered all the strength I still had left and I managed to direct my soul toward my ring and seal it inside...A piece of my soul...And I fainted." The duke said, drinking from his goblet.
"You already know what happened next...I tried to create my own philosopher's stone until I got executed...Only, my descendants kept generation after another, wearing my ring around their finger. A ring with a piece of my soul trapped inside, so I possessed them, choosing the most talented, waiting for the good time to make my come back...Patiently waited until months ago, I heard about Lord Voldemort's downfall and decided that the time had come! I, therefore, took complete possession of my descendent, suppressed his own entity and was fully reborn like a phoenix would. Family is such a gift, am I wrong?" The duke said
"Why? Why did you wait for Voldemort's downfall if you could have made your comeback years before he was born?" Sirius asked.
"Because...And I am truly ashamed of myself...I more dangerous wizard was around...Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, Cygnus Black, for example..." The duke said winking at him. "But now, the way is wide clear...As Dumbledore is also an old man and his powers are not what they were at his best years."
"The way is clear for what exactly?" Sirius asked.
"Well, now that I know the secret to make the philosopher's stone, and I am back in a strong and healthy body...Nothing would stop me from re-establishing the French throne and rule on both wizards and Muggles of this country, until more..." The duke said before getting interrupted as Sirius had loudly burst in laughter, his laugh echoing in the large dungeon.
"I am afraid you have been stuck in that ring for too long... No one would follow you...You have no idea to what extent people are ready to go as to defend their freedom! You are nothing more than a coward, a sore loser who don't have the balls to die!" Sirius said.
"SILENCE," the duke shouted at him." I think you should listen to the rest of the story before talking so confidently… Learn first about your role..."
"What do you mean by my role?" Sirius asked.
"I am only an instrument of faith Lord Black, the same faith that sent you to me...And not to die somewhere else...Do you know why your family's words are 'Toujours pure'', the real meaning of those two words?" The duke asked, then at the surprise that appeared on Sirius's face, he smiled widely and carried. "A pureblood male from house Black...In your blood, is flowing a potential some would be more than happy to genocide the entire human race to obtain...Metamorphmagus, legilimens and parselmouths...If I use you as a host for my soul, I could fully rebuild it and through it obtain a power than even them would have no choice than kneel" The duke said.
"You are fucking mental...You did all of this because you believed grannies' stories?! There have never been..." Sirius said before he felt a chill go through him.
"Ryan...I think the dementor has finally arrived...Go fetch him. As to you Julie, you better enjoy your toy before we move to the next step..." The duke said, softly kissing Julie, before she got up from his lap, smiling at Sirius.
She approached Sirius, looking at him straight in the eyes. At that moment, opposite to all the times he had been near her, he felt no kind of attraction to her. Then it struck him. He thought back at all the beers he had been offered by Ryan, not once he had reached to one himself...Now that he was thinking about it, he remembered never having even been fond of beer. He had slowly been dosed...A light love potion to make him more obedient, easier to lure to this trap...Did he even randomly land on that beach?
Julie had arrived in front of him and rested a hand on his head. He tried to move but couldn't, as the ropes tying him to the chair closed tighter at every move he made.
Then Julie smile at him, a fake kind of smile before she leaned toward him and forced a kiss on him. Her tong twisted around inside his mouth, before biting his cheek and knelt between his legs and zipped down his jeans, her eyes locked on his.
Sirius tried in vain to resist, his eyes begging her not to carry on. He felt ashamed when she grabbed his hardened member. He closed his eyes, trying to call his magic to his rescue, as he felt her mouth closing around the tip of his groin, her lips tightly closed around it before she slowly moved along it, her disgusting wet tong against his skin.
She continued, ignoring his complaints, ignoring how he begged her to stop. After a moment, she stopped, and Sirius wrongly thought it was over. Julie stood up, and let her dress fall, revealing her naked body before she sat on his crotch, her breast pressed against his chest, as she licked his lips, forcing kisses on his mouth. Then she smiled meanly at him before grabbing his member, placing his tip under her before slowly introducing it deep inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started to move slowly her hips, moaning, biting Sirius ear as she whispered in his ear, mocking him. "Didn't you say you loved me?"
Sirius tried to push her away in vain, she kept moving, biting his neck, as she kept moving increasing her speed, forcing it to slide inside her, until she made Sirius grunt and ejaculate. Then only, she agreed to slow down her rhythm and finally release him.
She stood up, kissed his forehead before turning her back at him to put back her dress on, as to Sirius, he didn't dare look elsewhere than down at his knees.
Julie walked back to the duke and sat on his lap smiling at Sirius, and a short moment after, Ryan came back with a dementor who as soon entered the room, rushed to the nearest prisoner and sucked his soul and made to move to another when the Duke ordered him to stay still and wait near the Cauldron next to Ryan.
The duke finally left his throne and stepped down from the platform to approach the cauldron he examined, before nodding. "You might ask yourself why is a dementor present right?" The duke asked Sirius. "I guess you broke him, Julie..." The duke added as Sirius didn't answer nor raise his head.
"Not sorry!" Julie said, giggling.
"Well...I'll still tell you...This night's ritual is meant to transfer my soul from my descendent body to yours...But before I need to take out your soul from you without damaging your body...And, I'm afraid only a dementor can do that. So, farewell I guess..." The duke said." Ryan, bring him here."
"Yes, master," Ryan said and walked to Sirius.
Sirius heard Ryan reach him, maybe the dementor presence between them had done something to the magic The duke was using against Sirius to restrain him, as he felt his bonds weakening.
The dementor, he remembered every moment in his cell, when it became unbearable, he transformed into a dog...Only moments of peace...to a dog...He heard Ryan moving near him...to a dog...Something pointy brushed his arm...to a dog...Then he saw the light.
Sirius, now feeling his ties loosen, transformed into Padfoot, at Ryan surprise, and didn't hesitate one moment before closing his jaw at Ryan's throat. Ryan fell on the floor, his hands trying to stop the blood pouring from his throat. Sirius took back his human form and grabbed Ryan wand from the floor before rolling aside to avoid a spell the duke had fired at him.
Sirius aimed at the cauldron where the duke and the dementors both where, and shouted " Bombarda Maxima!" exploding the Cauldron...The dementor, flew in his direction only Sirius had anticipated it as he had already conjured his Patronus who charged at the dementor chasing him away from the dungeon.
Then, Sirius conjured a shield between him and the duke, blocking the curses he had cast at him, behind the cloud of smoke the explosion had created, and rolled on the floor to take cover behind the chair he had been tied to.
From there, he saw the duke emerge from the grey cloud, wand in hand while Julie escaped taking the stairs. Sirius fired a stunning spell at her but missed her, and a second after, the last thing he would have seen of her would be her hair disappear, as she crossed the door leading to the upper floors.
The duke didn't attack, instead, seemed to wait for Sirius to make the first move, after all, he wanted alive. Sirius's eyes landed on the muggles still prisoners, hanging upside down, but at that time the duke had decided to force him to duel. Sirius left his cover, sliding on the floor, as the duke blasted the chair, he had taken cover behind. Sirius aimed his wand at the duke and sent his Patronus after him.
While the duke destroyed Sirius' silver dog, Sirius broke the chains holding the muggles captives and soften their landing on the floor before shouting at them." GO! NOW! I'LL HOLD HIM BACK! RUN!"
The duke roared and fired spells at them, but Sirius deviated them all before apparating between the duke and the muggles and kept duelling him until the last one managed to escape, leaving the duke and Sirius alone, face to face.
"I guess it's over for the master plan...soul switching...King of France and all that..." Sirius said smiling.
"Only delayed my friend...As long as I have you, all is going as planned...I can find muggles, unicorns and dementors everywhere...But a pureblood Black male, that's a much harder task" The duke said calmy.
"The magic activity must certainly have already alerted the French ministry, not forgetting the muggle who just escaped...It's only a matter of time before this place is raided by the Aurors. I'll hold you until then!" Sirius said. "STUPEFY!"
The duke waved his spell away and retaliate with the same spell, missing Sirius. They exchanged spells, Sirius noticing how the duke was being Serious at not wanting to kill him, so he took advantage of it and kept duelling him instead of running away.
But, after a moment, Sirius started to tire, his legs were sore, forcing him to move less and conjure more shields to protect himself from the duke who seemed perfectly in shape to keep fighting for hours. His ears were hoping to hear the Aurors arrive, the sound they would make apparating outside in the garden. He ended up cornered against the wall, his wand aimed at the duke, trying to keep his shield alive while the spells the dukes sent at him hammered his last protection, which started to crack.
"My dear friend...As my host, you could have lived forever, and taken part of wonders!" the duke said, still firing spells at him. "I really meant it when I said I would bring back your friends...And will most certainly do it...I will bring them back, torture them before your eyes, kill them and repeat until your soul leaves by itself!" The duke added, walking towards him, as Sirius's legs started to fail him while struggling not to drop his wand." Then I will pay a visit to Harry Potter and take care of him...I'll open him and see what in him killed Lord Voldemort."
At that last phrase, a fire ignited inside Sirius, a fire that fueled him for what would be his last attempt. He broke his shield and Shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA" at the duke, who threw himself aside to avoid Sirius' curse. Sirius shouted again "EXPELLIARMUS" and disarmed the duke before shouting again, this time with a spell that cut a deep cut on the duke's leg, forcing him to stay on the ground, as Sirius pointed both wands at him.
"You almost killed me, Sirius...This time for good." The duke said, losing his smile and confidence.
"I will rather burn this word before I let anyone touch a hair from Harry's head," Sirius said.
"Oh, of course, love! What wouldn't we do for the sake of love...My madness came from love after all" The duke said." Would you allow your defeated host one last question before finishing him?"
"Yes, I would," Sirius said.
"Why are you willing to kill to protect him, if they died because of your doing?" the duke asked.
"I told you before, I have never been a death eater, I have been framed. Peter was the secret keeper" Sirius spat.
"I guess you are centuries too young to understand the meaning of my question..."The duke said as an explosion got heard on the upper floors, announcing the Aurors finally arrived. "Must be the Aurors...Savages...Well, my life is yours Sirius, kill me, stupefy me or leave me to die, fighting them."
"I am not a cold-blood murderer, and I won't let you fight them…You'll kill them all, nor I would stupefy you and take the pleasure from them to see the face you'll make, while they arrest you," Sirius said, as he heard the Aurors ravage the upper floor.
"Sirius..." the duke said, extending his hand to a wall behind him, "Tap with your wand the fifth stone from the left bottom, it will open a way out for you...I'll just ask something from you in exchange."
"I refuse," Sirius said. "I don't want to owe anything to a man like you."
"And I won't blame you, I wouldn't myself...But at least hear it..." The duke said.
"Tell..." Sirius said.
"One day you'll come face to face, keep in mind it is not his fault, don't hold him responsible for his own misery… Because whatever it was against your will or not, you took part in it " The duke said.
"I'll never forgive Peter for what he did. NEVER!" Sirius said.
"There is so few we are empowered to forgive...But just remember...some didn't get to choose." The duke added, slowly, ignoring Sirius. "You should leave." The duke added as they heard the Aurors running down the stairs leading to the dungeon.
Sirius glared one last time at the duke and the room where the head of the dead unicorn rolled before he turned his back at the scene and opened the passage the duke had revealed to him.
He transformed into Padfoot and entered the narrow passage, ran as fast as his legs still allow, going deeper in the darkness of the tunnel. As he ran, hearing the fight that had broken back in the dungeon, Sirius still didn't realize how much that night' horrors were only the beginning of his journey, nor how much the outcome of that night was going to shake up the world in its most deepest and solid foundations.
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