Declaimer: still not mine.

Chapter 13: The Brave at Heart

As his mother's parting words of 'be safe' echoed through Herowyc's head, he sought out the third member of their trio. Isabo wasn't hard to spot. She was halfway through the room, very near the middle.

Hero looked at Elsie. The redhead nodded and took Hero's hand so as not to be separated. They fired off curses and hexes with practiced ease, Elsie with her left hand, Hero with his right. Their goal was simple, get to Isa.

"Look out!" a voice called shortly followed by a stunning spell.

A hulking figure of a man fell across their paths.

"He was, was aiming at you," said a boy coming to a halt next to them. He was panting slightly. Hero recognized him as a Slytherin student in Isa's year. He couldn't remember the other boy's name though.

Elsie did. "Thanks Breckin."

Hero scowled as Elsie smiled at the other boy and he returned it happily.

"Come on, he have to get to Isa," Hero said tugging her hand.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Breckin said.

Hero nodded letting him come along. After all, the boy did save them just now. He could be useful. He just better not smile Elsie like that again.

Rena watched as the their group spilt up. She knew that Hero and Elsie would be drawn to Isabo, and that was where they would do the most good. Anya began to fight her way over to Ben. Leo was quickly pulled into the battle. He was currently fighting along side two of the witches at Hogwarts to teach.

But Rhys had stopped a few paces inside the door. He was staring down at the body of a man in red robes with curly blonde hair, streaked in grey. Rhys was stunned at the sight of his father's body.

"Rhys, were too open here," Rena hissed. "We have to move!"

He only responded by falling on his knees next to his father. Rena could faintly here a choked out 'Da' escape his lips.

A cruel chuckling caught Rena's attention and she turned. Her father stood before her, grinning maliciously.

"Hello daughter," he greeting coming to stand next to her.

He looked and Rhys, crumpled on the ground overcome with grief. Salazar grinned.

"And to think, they were to defeat me," he chuckled. "You have chosen the wrong side Zarena. I may be willing to allow you to return to my service when with is all over. Someone will have to raise young Xander after all. He is my heir now, and it wouldn't do to have him around inferiors."

"I won't be come back father," she said. "I know where I want to be, but I will gladly take Xander when this is over. The boy deserves to know some love and happiness in his childhood."

Salazar chuckled again. "Try it daughter. It will be amusing to watch you try and take my heir. I would have to kill you then, of course."

Rena nodded. She was watching as Rhys removed the sword from Godric's body and cleaned it.

"You'll have to live through this battle first, Father," she said.

Rhys stood slowly and Rena took her place at his side. He turned to glare at Salazar.

"That won't happen," Rhys said. "I intend to kill him now."

Isabo, Herowyc, and Ellsinore had no time to celebrate that they found each other.

"Where have you been!" Isa snapped at them as she pulled them behind an over turned table for cover.

"We were looking after our little brothers and sisters," Hero snapped back. "Helga sent us out, so out we went. We got back as soon as we could. If you had been sitting with your parents..."

"Hero, shut it," Elsie said. "What do we need to do?"

Isa frowned. "I was trying to get to my parents. Mum and Dad have a lot of people going after them."

"That makes sense," Breckin said, making Isa notice him for the first time. "Your mother is one of the other founders. Lord Slytherin would have to take her out too."

Both Elsie and Isa paled.

"We've got to get to our parents!" Elsie said.

"They where up at the Head table," Hero said. "That's were we should start looking. We'll work our way there. We may stop them before hand. If we see just one, try and get to them, bring them with us. We'll cover each other. We can regroup once we make it to the Head Table."

The small group of four, one student from each house, made their way across the room. Isa took the point position with Hero and Elsie so either side. Breckin brought up the rear.

Ten yards for the where the Head Table had been, Isa spotted her parents surrounded by attackers. Richard and Rowena Ravenclaw were fighting fiercely. They had already taken out a number of opponents. Isa did a quick count. There were eight surrounding them, six had fallen at their feet.

"We have to get to them," Elsie said.

Hero nodded. "Lousy rotten creeps. Fourteen on two? Who attacks like that?"

"Looks like they had to," Breckin said.

Isa nodded. "Come on," she said. "Hero, watch out for Elsie."

The little redhead looked like she wanted to complain about that command, but Isa was already moving. In fact, Elsie saw she hadn't even noticed the green tinged curse headed her way.

Elsie jumped forward and pulled Isabo back.

"Who needs to be watched?" she asked and the green light left a blacked stain on the floor.

Isa shrugged her off, but another curse came flying at them, this time red.

"We need to take cover!" Breckin said.

"But my parents!" Isa said.

"They won't be happy if you get yourself killed!" Breckin screamed dragging her behind a large piece of broken table.

Hero levitated another piece over to give them more coverage. "We can't fight from here!" he said.

"But we can stay alive!" Elsie screamed.

Hero growled slightly but didn't argue. Isa had ignored them during the brief exchange in favor of watching her parents' duel. It was now seven on two, but the Ravenclaws were looking tired.

"They're slowing down," Breckin observed from next to her.

Isa nodded. "I should be with them."

"I know you guys are strong and everything, but Isabo, you're only thirteen. How much help could you really be?"

"You have no idea," Hero said.

"We're gifted," Elsie said quietly.

Breckin watched the three and they stood with their back to him. They never took their eyes off the Ravenclaws. Breckin was surprised when Isa started muttering 'no' over and over. The Ravenclaws were being over powered.

"Isa, no, you can't," Elsie said grabbing the older girl as she tried to leave their shelter.

Hero took hold of Isa's other side just as she stared to scream.

Breckin had to squint as a bright light came from the three of them. Thinking they were being cursed again, he grabbed the back of Hero and Elsie's shirts to pull them all back. That was when he felt it. Power. Pure, white-hot power was coursing through them all. Breckin saw the light turn gold and heard a sound like phoenix song. Isa was screaming for her parents. Elsie was just screaming. Both he and Herowyc were gritting their teeth because of the pain. Breckin remained conscience just long enough to see the Ravenclaws fall, followed by their attackers, and then, as the gold light spread, every other person who had followed Slytherin's revolt.

Rena felt the pull in the ether around them as the children began their unconscious spell. A quick look around her told Rena that others had felt it too, but they didn't seem to recognize it. Rena knew of the magic that surrounded the children. She also knew enough about archaic magic to recognize the primal feel of it.

Rhys didn't notice at all. He was to intent on the duel with Salazar.

Whatever the trio were about to release was big, bigger than she thought possible. And Rena knew that it would stop everyone cold. That included her father and her love.

She couldn't let that happen. Rhys had to finish this. Her father had to be stopped for good.

As the magic of the phoenix song filled the air, Rena began to call on her own primal magic. The faint gold glow she emitted was lost in the blaze of the phoenix light, but it was present, and strong enough for her task. She built a shield around the three of them, unnoticed by the men. Rena banished everything with in ten feet of the still dueling pair. She used the very magic of Hogwarts to reinforce the dome she had made.

Helga, Rowena, Godric, and Salazar had put so much of themselves into building the school that the place seemed to almost gain a life-force of it's own. And the castle seemed to know when the blood of its founders was calling. Rena's call was answered, and when the phoenix light of the children engulfed the room, her shield held it back.

Salazar and Rhys were still unaware of the change in the air around them, and the fact that they were the only one's left fighting. Rena decided to hold her shield, unsure of what effect breaking her spell would have.

It was all she could do to stop herself from killing her father herself, now that his words reached her ears.

"So you've bedded the little wench, eh?" Salazar said between curses as he brought his sword down. Rhys was as skilled as Godric had been. "I'm sure it wasn't personal. She just can't help it. It's in her blood after all. Just like her mother."

Rhys brought his father's sword down hard against Salazar's parried blow. "You," he said striking again with a blocked clang of steel on steel. "Will not," Rhys continued to press Salazar back. "Speak of her like that!"

Salazar smiled viciously. "It was just one night, wasn't it, boy? I've known my daughter along time. She's heartless. It is simply what she is. Her mother was. I am. She is no different."

Rhys blocked a blow to his head from the sword but was hit by painful curse to his shoulder. He cried out and fell to one knee, still clutching his blade.

Rena wondered if she could erect a shield just around him. If she could just give him time to get back up...

But he was stubborn, and she knew it. He wouldn't want her to get in the middle of his fight.

Salazar was smirking down at the young man in front of him. "Don't take it so harshly boy. You aren't the first she's taken in with this act after all. She's very good, you know. She even had your mother fooled. Mairead believed Zarena cared for her, just as you do."

Rena's eyes flashed. Her face became twisted and hard. It was long, almost beak-like, and her grey eyes had gone completely black.

"Bastard," she hissed.

A white fire circled around her. The low spoken word, and the build up of wind did get the attention of the pair. Rena had already been pumping magic through her system at an alarming rate. Her anger had cause the normally collected woman to loose control. Between the spells she had already been sustaining and the fire of her rage, the magic in the air burned around them all. Rena centered the fire to herself, focusing on her hands. Between her two milk white palms, an intense fire burned. Her long blonde hair wiped wildly in the gale and she rose nearly a foot off the ground.

"I am not the little girl you remember father," she said in a low voice.

Salazar stood in shock. She had so much power at her fingertips. The metallic clang of Salazar's sword hitting the floor reverberated around them. She looked ethereal, like a goddess come to earth solely deliver her vengeance. She was supposed to be weaker. She was not supposed to have this much power.

Rena let the heat of the white flames wash over her. It was oddly calming. She breathed in the heat and felt herself relax.

More sure of herself, Rena dispelled the shield dome that still held. With the new air hitting her, she felt the fires rise. A cruel smile graced her lips as she thought of a way to exact her own revenge.

Rena spilt the fireball she still held and quickly sent the flames at her father. One melted his sword at his feet. The other she sent at his wand, still tightly gripped in his hand.

Salazar yelped in pain when the fire hit his hand.

Rena smiled and turned to Rhys. "Finish it," she said in a whisper.

Rena felt the last of the magic leave her. She couldn't hold it anymore, but she didn't need it now either. She let the power go, sending out the circle of while fire until it was nothing more then a warm breeze. And Zarena Slytherin fell softly to the ground with an exhausted smile.

Rhys was in shock as he watched her fall. He didn't even move when Salazar began to chuckle softly next to him.

"All that power, and she wastes it," the older wizard said. "It was for nothing, girl! Do you hear? I will still kill him!"

Rhys, who had yet to get up from his knees, found himself staring up at the older man. "You're mad," he said.

Salazar laughed again. "Maybe, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have listened to her sooner, boy."

The evil wizard had planned to kill the Gryffindor heir with his wand, but deprived of that, he would settle for a poison dagger.

Rhys almost missed the movement as Salazar's hand went to his belt. Had he moved slower, Salazar's dagger would have been buried in his heart. But Rhys was able to move just enough.

The young Lord Gryffindor ducked enough to be hit in the shoulder as he drove his father's sword straight through the other man's gut. Rhys pulled the blade back and wiped it on Salazar's sleeve as the man stood their slowly dying.

"So then," Salazar said, "we kill each other. She will be alone when she wakes."

Rhys wiped the blade on Salazar's shoulder once for good measure. "I'm not dead yet old man."

Salazar smirked as he fell. "Not yet," were his last words.

Rhys rolled his eyes as he sheathed his sword and went to Rena. 'I certainly hope not everyone else is dead,' he thought still not knowing what had happened.

Rhys tripped slightly as he made his way to his love. He knelt next to her and pulled her into his lap. It was difficult since he only really had the use of one arm.

"We've done it, love," he said to her. "You're safe from them. We all are. If Helga was right, and mind you, she usually is, then we can have peace at last. You just need to be alright. That was a rather impressive display, I'll admit. Sacred me a bit thought." Rhys began to notice a throbbing at the back of his head. "Oh, it's been a long day, love. I think, think I may just have to rest here . . . with you . . . just . . . a bit . . ."