Feallan Steorra
Chapter 16: Core Battle
Author's jibberish: Okay, I'm a romance-writer by nature. Action isn't my thing…sorry…Oh, I almost forgot! Please check out my site (I got some pix for this story; just go to my bio section cuz there's a link there.). Thanks!
"Stupefio!" Hermione pushed the wand tip in Harry's direction.
Harry flew 12 feet back against a tree. "Ow…" he grumbled again. He staggered to his feet again.
"Inare Immitere!"
Harry was lifted a few feet off the ground, and then hurled to the right side of the clearing.
"She must be a very good student to pull advanced charms such as that," Orion mused. "Yes, she'll be a fine asset to me."
"Stupefio!" Hermione said again.
Harry flew to a tree on his left side. A loud pop echoed around them, and then a quick tear as Harry came in contact with the tree. He fell to the floor, and let out a holler of pain. A tree branch cut through his sweater and now blood was running down his arm, staining his sleeve. As Hermione approached, her eyes fell to his bloody arm. Something flashed across her eyes. She staggered back and her mind began to tilt. Harry grabbed his wand in the other hand and ran into the forest.
"What the hell is he doing?" Orion asked out loud. "After him," he ordered Hermione. He watched her disappear into the darkness. "You can't run from me, Potter!"
Meanwhile Hermione scanned her eyes through the forest, looking for her prey. "Lumos…" she muttered, lighting her wand.
Harry stood quietly on a nearby tree branch, not making a sound. He realized he had to get that wand away from her. His head was pounding, his shoulder was dislocated and his arm was bleeding. He waited until she was near the tree, her back facing him.
Harry leaped out of the tree and took Hermione down. She fell forward, wand rolling out of her hand. She reached for it but Harry cast a Banishing Charm; the white wand flew a few meters away. She tried to jerk away from under him. "Crus torpere" and Hermione's legs froze together. Still, although her legs were numb, and she couldn't walk, she tried to crawl across the floor on her elbows.
"No, Hermione!" Harry forced her to turn around on her back.
"Must…attack…" she muttered.
"No! Hermione I know you're in there!" Harry crouched over her, holding her wrists down to the ground. Pain ran up his dislocated arm but he ignored it the best he could.
"Potter…" she finished.
"Stop that! You got to wake up!"
"Potter…Potter…" she continued to mutter.
"Fight the curse! You got to free yourself from Orion!"
A strange glow appeared in her eyes. He loosened his grip on her wrists. What had just happened?
But before he could ponder it, her hands flew to his neck, choking him from air. Harry rasped for air beneath her tight grip. He clutched her wrists again, trying to pull her hands off. " 'Mione…"
"Take…Potter…to Master…" the same light ran through Hermione's eyes. Then they became glassy and tears ran down her face.
Harry stared into her eyes. What on earth was she crying for? Then he realized the real Hermione was trying to break free. Her grip loosened and Harry twisted her wrists away, letting air flow into his lungs. He took a deep breath; it was like ice water running down his throat. "Hermione! Come back!" she started yelling.
"Potter--."
"I know you can do this. You are stronger than Orion. Come back; I'll do whatever you want! I…I'll even take you flying," Harry compromised. What a silly thing to do; offer her to fly. But anything to bring her back. "I can take you flying on my Firebolt. Please, come back."
Then, her chest violently moved up and down with each breath. Suddenly, she shut her eyes, arched her back and screamed at the top of her lungs. Beads of tears fell down her face. "Come back to me!" he exclaimed.
Her screams were bone-chilling, her whole upper body shook and then it all completely seized. Hermione clutched her head in pain trying to relieve throbbing headache inside. Harry moved back, sitting on his right ankle, left leg still bent over Hermione's lap. "Hermione?"
She rolled to her side, and then slowly pulled herself up. She turned to him, brown hair messy and adorned with one or two leaves, hands filthy with dirt and face showing her streams of tears. "Oh god…Harry…" Her fingers trailed to his left arm.
"It's ok. I'm fine," he lied. He sighed in relief; she was back.
"I…I'm so sorry…But I…I just felt so lost…" she stammered.
"It's ok," he grasped her by the arm. "You're back, that's what I'm important.
Suddenly, she pulled herself to Harry, crying into his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso. Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione as if it was the most natural thing. Only her whimpers were heard in the forest.
Then it was accompanied by a slow, strong applause. "Bravo," came Orion's voice from the shadows, "bravo. You play the lovers' part so well. Truly touching. It brings a tear to my eye. You know what else does," he pulled from his pocket the thin white wand. "Knowing that once I found this, I would lose Hermione. Oh, well, you chose your side, Darling. Now you die." Fire shot out from his wand and hissed through the air.
Harry pulled Hermione away. He pinned her to the floor, shielding her. Hermione looked past his shoulder and saw Orion slowly coming towards then, wand extended. Hermione squirmed; her legs were still numb. With all her strength, she pulled Harry off her and threw herself in front of her body.
"Crucio!" Orion exclaimed.
"No!" Harry screamed.
Pain shot through Hermione's body. She screamed a hair-raising shrill cry, her hands clutching her abdomen. Harry pulled Hermione to him, away from Orion's line of fire. "Hang in there, Hermione. It'll be over soon."
Harry stood, wand clutched tightly. "Keep Hermione out of this. It's just you and me, Morell."
Orion narrowed his eyes. He sighed, as if reluctant to face the task. "I see…I suppose I have no choice. Very well, Potter. We shall duel." Orion held his wand, ready. "Then, after I defeat you, I will take you to the Dark Lord."
The spell on Hermione was lifted. She laid on the floor, softly whimpering.
Harry looked upon her with gently eyes. When he turned to Orion, it was a different story. His green eyes seemed to burn an angry red as he looked at him. "You'll pay for hurting Hermione."
Orion smiled, amused. "We shall see…"
Harry thrust his wand at Orion. "Everte--!"
"Imperio!" Orion said a moment quicker. Harry's body flinched and felt his knees weaken as he fell. It was as if a pair of strong hands was pushing him to the floor.
"You know you can't win Potter," Orion snickered. "The power of the Dark Lord burns inside this very wand. It will defeat you." Orion approached Harry, who was on his hands and knees. "You have been getting free rides, Harry Potter. Now, your life will end very soon!"
Harry waited until Orion was right in front of him to strike. He took a fistful of dirt and threw it in Orion's face. He staggered back, temporarily blinded. Harry took a few moments to regain his sense of balance. When Harry got to his feet and Orion regained some vision, they both yelled "Stupefy!"
Yellow light exploded from Orion's wand.
Red light flew out of Harry's wand.
A crack of power erupted the forest.
The yellow and red light joined in mid-air as Orion and Harry's wands shook violently. They clutched them, trying to stabilize them somehow. A hiss echoed through the air along with a melodic sound.
A grey smoke crept out of Orion's wand and began to take shape. It was long, a few meters in fact, and took shape in mid-air above their heads. Another hiss and Harry realized what the smoke was: a basilisk. Grey smoke soared out of Harry's wand as well. It spread out slightly and a song came out of the smoke. After a few seconds of forming, it turned into a great phoenix. Right above Harry and Orion's heads, they battled.
"Well…" Orion snarled through his teeth, "looks as though the cores are having a showdown. If that's it…" Orion held his wand tighter, and then the yellow seemed to thicken. The basilisk hissed, and then bit in at the phoenix as the yellow light seemed to swallow up the red light.
Harry watched as the yellow light came towards him. Was this it? After 15 years of life, this was it? Images of memories flashed in his mind: pictures of his parents, Dumbledore, Sirius, the Weasleys, Ron, Hermione…
Harry imagined he was flying in the air on his broomstick. His heartbeat quickened as the adrenaline pumped through his veins like a natural high. As he imagined the wind running through his hair and the scenery rushing by, he heard two distinct voices:
"I'll come back for both of you…"
"I'm happy to have friends like you…"
This couldn't be the end.
Harry opened his eyes. His friends' words gave him strength and he forced it into his arm. The red light began to fight back, pushing against the yellow light.
He promised Ron he would come back. He promised to bring back Hermione. He promised himself that he would protect her. He wouldn't give up, not when he realized that.
The red light turned into a gold stream and broke the yellow light in half, shattering the white wand. Orion fell back to the floor, knocked out as the phoenix overhead sang its song and attacked the basilisk. Harry fell on his back and watched the basilisk turn into mist, then fade away into the air. The phoenix followed suit; it turned into mist but then entered Harry's wand.
"That's it," he muttered under his ragged breath. Then a thought crossed his head: Hermione. He slowly, painfully, turned over and saw her lying of her back. Her eyes were closed and her chest was rising and falling with every breath. With his dangling arm, he crawled on his hand and knees, and pulled himself to her. "Hermione…" he reached out and grabbed onto her hand. It seemed that little action took away what was left of his energy; his world went dark.
