Everything Changes

by T.K. Yuy

Chapter15- Change in Command

"Nana…"

"Oh, my Darling boy."


The woman stepped forward, pulling Draco into her arms, letting her wings unfurl a little bit.  Draco felt her pull back, placing a hand at his stomach, and as the tendrils started to wrap around her fingers, she knew. 

"So beautiful… "she whispered, eyes locking with her grandson's, "Where is your Chosen?"

Harry stepped forward, bowing respectfully, and she smiled, holding a hand out to him, while at the same time, keeping a hand on Draco's arm.  He took it and kissed her knuckles, only to have her pull him into her arms.  He didn't know how to respond to that, so he just stood there.  She pulled back and put Harry's hand in Draco's, and stepped around them, her eyes seeking out every one of the Necromancers.  They nodded to her, and as her eyes fell on Kain, he turned away.  She scowled and turned to Liona.

"You dare to attack my son!?  You would think, Liona, that after nearly 375 years, that you would have figured out that I don't take your crap.  Least of all when it concerns my son!"

"If it weren't for me, he wouldn't even have a place in the Order, or have you forgotten that?  I'm the only reason he got his-"

"I would have given it to him." Ormand interupted, taking a step forward, and subsequently, next to Echo. "He proved himself to me the second I walked into that pub in France."

"You would." the Lioness spat, eyes slowly turning magenta as she let her power gather in the pendant she wore.

"As would I, Liona." added Brock, his own eyes starting to change to their bright blue color, "Not once has Kain broken the Seal, when he has had so many chances to do so.  He has also protected each and every member of the Order, above and beyond what is called for.  You know just as well as I do, that Harry Potter would be dead if it were not for Kain."

Harry watched as the sandy-haired man fingered a small deep red colored pendant, set in a brilliant silver sun-like design.  He knew immediately what it was, and as Draco's eyes found it, he tightened his grip on his Mate.  Green eyes reassured him that he had no reason to take the pendant from the Necromancer, but as they met Liona's eyes, he knew that she thought otherwise.  He stepped forward, and as the Gryffindor Lioness took a step towards him, he raised a hand at her.  She stopped, held by wisps of red light around her upper arms and ankles.  She growled and struggled against the restraints, and as Draco moved to grab ahold of Harry, his Mate ripped the pendant off her neck.  She screamed as a line or deep red shot from the Blood Stone, into her chest.  They watched as her body shriveled to a husk, and then burst apart in a flurry of red light.  The Necromancers took a step back as he held the pendant out towards them, and upon meeting Kain's amused eyes, tossed it and caught it.

"Harry, you do, uh, realize you've just killed her?" Nathalie gawked.

"Yes, and I also believe it's my duty to appoint a new Gryffindor Representative for the Council."

He took a few steps forward, and clasped it around her neck.  She reached up with a shaking hand to touch it, and felt the power that rushed through her.  Swirls of red and gold flew from the pendant, wrapping themselves around her as she turned around, attempting to get a good look at each strand of energy.  In a bright flash of white, she stood in Liona's formal robes, the pendant glowing softly.

"I'm… I'm…"

"You're the Gryffindor representative, yes." Harry answered, fixing the red  velvet scarf that ran under the cloaks hood. "And I would think that now you understand why you were a Gryffindor as opposed to a Slytherin."

Nathalie was possitively glowing as she threw her arms around him, laughing as she let her wings unfurl, loving the fact that her robes conformed around them.  Draco smiled warmly at her, and watched as Ormand held a hand out to her.  She took it, and felt herself assimilate with all the other Council members Powers.  Two little dragons, one gold, the other silver, popped into view, chirping and circling around her, and she smiled as they landed on Ormands shoulders.  Kain winked at her, and nodded respectfully, as was customary for Necromancers to do when faced with the entire Council.  The five of them nodded in return, and Echo took her grandson's hand.

"This Change in command, I would think is quite necessary, am I correct?" she asked of Harry, who had fixed his eyes on her son.

"Quite," he replied, green eyes flashing as he met blue. "I think it time Kain tells us exactly what the Blood Stone can do, other than mimick Draco's Power in order to ground mine."

All eyes fell on him, and Chimera stepped forward.  She had a murderous look in her eye as Teek put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head, but paid no attention to the command. 

"Don't you dare tell us what we should and should not do, you sorry excuse for an Heir!  If it weren't for us, you wouldn't even be alive, a fact that has kept us in the good graces of your precious Ministry for 17 years.  Just because you think you're all powerful doesn't give you the right to assume that we have to-"
"That's enough."

Kain stepped forward, taking the Blood Stone from around his neck as he did so.  He held it out to Harry, and as the green-eyed boy took it in his hand, it changed from the deep red stone he had known it to be, to a large silver pendant, with the stone set in the center of what looked like a sun.  The little dragons on Ormands shoulders hissed disapprovingly, as did many of the other Necromancers.  Teek had a sad look on her face as Harry handed it to Draco for inspection.

"H-Harry, I thought you…"

"The Stone won't dare oppose him, Mr. Malfoy." Kain interupted, "It has sensed your condition, and if it has returned to it's original form, then it knows it is time."
"Time… for what?"
"For the Hall of Kings to be opened again, and for Lucifer to return home."

Everyone was silent, and as Chimera stormed from the room, Severia got a nod from Teek.  They seemed to be the only two that noticed that there was most definitly something wrong.  Severus had taken a stand next to his lover, and they had linked fingers, just as Ormand had done with Echo.  Harry smiled at that.

What is it luv? Draco asked.

Severus accepts that Ormand still cares for her.

And why shouldn't he?  Snapes' not stupid.

I didn't say he was, it's just surprising, is all.  He normally doesn't give up without a fight, and he's submitted without question.

He knows that even a Crimson can't compete with a Dragon.

Harry laughed, and lead his Mate out of the Great Hall, leaving the others to their own devices.  They didn't object to it in the least.

~!*!~

"HAVE YOU FELT IT?"

"Yes.  How could I not?  It's not often that the Stone demands audience with me."

"YES, IT IS VERY SELDOM THAT IT REQUIRES THE ABILITY TO SPEAK FREELY.  IT MUST SENSE MORE THAN JUST LUCIFER IN THE BOY."

"His Mate is expecting."

"HE HAS CHOSEN A MALE, HAS HE NOT?"

"Yes, but I fail to see why that's important."
"MALES CANNOT CARRY A CHILD, SMYRA."

"Perhaps normal males cannot, but his Mate happens to be a Noir Veela."

"AH, QUITE UNUSUAL THEN, THIS CHILD SHALL BE.  PERHAPS THE STONE THINKS IT BEST FOR THEM TO RESIDE IN THE HALL, TO BALANCE THEMSELVES BEFORE THE CHILD CAN FURTHER DISRUPT IT."

"It is the only logical explaination.  I shall ready the Hall for their arrival."

"YES, AND BE SURE TO KEEP THE POWERS RELATIVELY NORMAL.  YOU KNOW THE DAMNED MINISTRY OF MAGIC WILL PICK UP ON IT SHOULD IT EXCEED ITS NORMAL FLOW."

"I have yet to discover how they have never found the Hall.  Surely it has the highest concentration of raw Power than anywhere else on the planet.  Even ancient Egypt cannot rival it."

"THE POWERS ARE NOT STUPID, SMYRA, THEY KNOW HOW TO BEND A MERE MORTALS MIND TO THINK WHAT THEY WISH IT TO."

"And what of the Necromancers?  Once the Hall is opened, they will have their work cut out for them.  All those killed by the killing curse…"

"WE SHALL DEAL WITH THAT WHEN IT COMES TO PASS."

~TBC~

A bit shorter than I would have liked, but trying to get this chapter to work out the way I wanted it to has been rather hard.  We learn more about Smyra and the thing that talks to her in all caps in the next chapter, as well as what the killing curse has to do with the Hall of Kings.  As always, let me know what you think.