Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to JK Rowling. I suppose I own the plot, in a way. And I definitely own the two prophecies!
Summary: In dark times, prophecies predicted the rising of five who would have the power alone to defeat evil. They were the Pack.
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~ The Pack ~
Chapter Eleven: Imperius
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It was dawning on dusk when Dumbledore appeared into Grimmauld Place, his face weary and grave, but his eyes alight with a spark of something that made them all certain he had performed his miracle.
"Professor, could you - ?" Harry leaped up.
Dumbledore nodded. "There is a way to reverse the curse entombing Ron and restore him back to life and perfectly healthy."
There was a whoop of delight, but Hermione sensed something was wrong. "But?" She asked softly. Harry and Sirius froze and they and Remus looked at her.
"You miss nothing, Hermione," Dumbledore smiled slightly. "But," he said quietly, "The treatment will take days - three at the very least. And Ron must be given time to recover once he's conscious again."
There was dead silence in the room. Everyone knew what that meant.
"So . . ." Remus said slowly. "The Pack will be one short. Voldemort will have yet another advantage over us."
"Possibly, yes." Dumbledore nodded. "But the Order will be there, on the periphery of the moor, you must remember that. There really is no other option. We cannot put off the attack, as that isn't how prophecies work. You must work without Ron."
An incomplete Pack? One of their five sides vulnerable and empty? Hermione felt a shiver of fear and she wrapped her arms around her waist almost subconsciously. Sirius looked across at her and then at Dumbledore. "Isn't there some way - ?" he began.
"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore said with a sigh. "This was the only cure I could find to save Ron, and there's no way to shorten it - that might have an adverse affect on him."
"So we'll just have to do it without Ron," Harry said quietly. "As long as he's okay, right?"
Hermione nodded, and saw Sirius and Remus do the same. Dumbledore smiled and turned to Ron, lying still on the couch. "Excellent work with the brew, by the way," he commented, and with amazing strength, lifted Ron up into his arms. "I'll take him to St. Mungo's. Once he's conscious, we can have him transferred to the Hogwarts infirmary for recovery."
"Can I come with you now, Professor?" Harry asked, rather hesitantly. "Just to - you know - see him - you know - "
Hermione glanced at Sirius. They all knew Harry was feeling unaccountably guilty, so none of them had the heart to tell him he should probably stay so that they could prepare for the battle the day after tomorrow.
"Certainly, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "But only for a little while, all right? The hospital employees must work alone."
With a Crack!, he disappeared, taking Ron with him. Harry looked at the others. "I'll be back soon." he assured them, before heading out to the door. A moment later, they heard the sound of him Disapparating.
Remus looked at them. "This is not going to be a pretty battle," he said quietly. "Without Ron, it'll be harder than it would have been with him. Voldemort's about to have the edge."
Sirius groaned. "Merlin's beard, Moony, we're all going crazy as it is; can't you strive for a little optimism?"
"Sorry." Remus chuckled. He sank down onto the couch Ron had just occupied and looked at Hermione, who was leaning against the counter opposite them silently.
Sirius looked at her too. "All right?" he asked gently.
She nodded, managing a smile for him. He looked so concerned; they both did. "I'll be fine." As always, she thought with a touch of bitterness. I'm always fine. They need me to be, and I can't let them down - not now.
"I'm glad to hear that," Remus smiled reassuringly and stood up again. "I think I'm going to go upstairs, check on Buckbeak, and get some sleep before dinner. Without Harry, we might as well put off duelling practice until after dinner." He shot Sirius an unreadable glance and then retreated up the stairs, his footsteps fading.
"And I do have homework." Hermione remembered with a sigh.
Sirius smirked. "Always responsible. Take a break, why don't you, 'Mione?"
"I've been putting this essay off for a week, Sirius, and you and I both know Snape's not about to make any allowances."
"You want me to hex him for you?"
"As pleasurable as that no doubt will be, for both of us, I'll have to decline the offer and instead get to work on my essay."
Sirius groaned and came towards her. He slid his hands onto her waist. "Do you have to work, 'Mione?" he drawled in his most sexy, suggestive voice. Her heart responded with a thump. Temptation was going to win out . . .
"Sirius," she said as sternly as she could. "You can't do this . . . it's unfair . . ."
He sighed. "I guess you're right," he leaned down and kissed her, brushing his lips against hers and then kissing her harder before pulling back. "I should probably get some sleep too for a little while. Wake us up when Harry gets back, all right?"
"Sure." She smiled and watched him turn around and stroll towards the stairs. "Sweet dreams." He turned around for a second and grinned, and there was no mistaking what he was certain he'd dream about. She blushed. I love you, she added silently, as he disappeared up the stairs, with a twinge of sadness, And I wish I could tell you.
***
The four remaining members of the Pack went out to Glenwood moor on the evening of the full moon and found a cave near the patch of quicksand. Ron's sketch of the area had helped greatly in planning and with his absence, it was good to know the members of the Order were waiting in the shadows beyond the fences, waiting for any sign that they needed help.
Remus, Hermione could see, was rather uneasy about having to be a werewolf in this battle - but they'd reassured him over and over again that he wouldn't hurt them. Harry was grimly set for battle, Sirius appeared to have the same reckless anger flowing through him - and she felt oddly solitary in her fear and apprehension.
"So," Harry spoke up, "Night isn't exactly going to be much of a cloak with a full moon, and Voldemort will probably sense me coming, but we have to be as silent as possible. When night falls, we go out towards the cliffside and if our timing's good, Remus will morph just as we reach the Death Eater guards. He takes them out or leads them away, and the rest of us go in further. From there, we can't know what will be waiting for us, but we do know Voldemort only has about fifteen Death Eaters in his power right now."
"And Nott is dead," Sirius added, "Which makes it fourteen."
"It shouldn't be too brutal." Harry nodded. "I'm sure - I'm sure we'll all make it."
There was a moment's silence. "We will." Hermione said in her calmest, most firm voice. They needed her to say it with conviction. "We'll win this battle and we'll all make it out."
"So how much time do we have till nightfall?" Remus asked.
Hermione glanced out of the cave. "About an hour."
Sirius grinned and conjured a flask of Butterbeer and mugs. "Well then, I think this calls for a drink to while the time away. I thought you and I might have Firewhiskeys, Moony, but then I remembered we can't exactly be drunk while doing battle."
"Whoever heard of a drunken werewolf?" Harry chuckled. Hermione giggled and the apprehensive tension was broken.
"Merlin's beard, Padfoot." Remus groaned as Sirius began pouring out the Butterbeer rather cheerfully. He rolled his eyes, but was grinning nonetheless. Hermione and Harry exchanged grins. It was typical Sirius to be prepared for something like thirst.
Once they each had a full mug, Sirius cleared his throat exaggeratedly. Harry stifled a snort of laughter. "Oh please, Sirius, tell me you - the Marauder of sarcasm and mockery - tell me you're not making a toast."
"Well, now that you mention it . . ."
"Sirius!"
"All right, all right, Harry, you can make the toast." Sirius said, grinning. "Besides, you know - " he coughed " - as a Leader and all . . ." He ducked as Harry flung a hex at him.
"Okay, Harry, let's hear it." Remus chuckled.
"Yes, but not too sappy, Harry, we can't go into battle teary-eyed." Hermione added with a grin. She knew all the joking around was a way to ease the fears and worry they were all feeling, but it was certainly helping.
Harry shrugged. "Fine, fine. This isn't a toast, but I do have something to say. There've been many people who've done battle with Voldemort in the past, and not all of them have come out of it. Even if they're not here, I believe they're with us - some part of them will be with us in this battle, so I think the Pack has a better chance than we think, because we have Ron with us, the other Aurors, my mum and dad - " he broke off slightly, and Remus blinked sharply. Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder. "So, I just want you guys to know we're not alone."
"Actually, I'd like to add something too," Remus said quietly, smiling at Harry. "I want to thank you - all of you - for helping me get over the demons that have haunted me. With the possible inclusion of James, I want to say that you've been the best friends a man - and a werewolf - could ever had and I'll never be able to say how grateful I am and how much I admire you. I don't believe this prophecy was the tie that pulled us together - we were together long before we'd heard of the Pack. Our bonds run deeper than any series of words, and I don't believe anything can tear these bonds apart."
Hermione wiped a stray tear off her cheek and swallowed hard. He was right; he and Harry were both right. They weren't alone, and as long as they had each other, they would never be alone. There was more to being a pack than being named one.
Sirius raised his mug. "Fine, now it's my turn, as the Marauder of sarcasm and mockery, to make the toast." he said, making everyone laugh. "I'll keep it short and sweet so that Harry doesn't hex me. To the Pack."
"To the Pack." they all echoed, clinking mugs.
***
When night fell, they slid out of the cave and slipped through the shadows towards the looming cliffside in the distance. The moon was rising, full and bright, and the stars were twinkling with burning light so that it might as well have been daytime full of silvery rays instead of golden.
There was a thin group of trees about five hundred yards from the bottom of the cliffside, and as they slipped into their shadows, they could see the silhouettes of about ten Death Eaters standing guard in the large, flat plain between the trees and the cliff. Hermione briefly wondered if Voldemort had seen the Lunar Premonition and if he knew they would be coming tonight.
Slowly, the moon finished its rising, and Remus's body began to stiffen. Harry nodded, and he, Sirius and Hermione pointed their wands out of the trees and each muttered: "Stupefy"
Three of the Death Eaters dropped to the ground like rocks, Stunned. The others swivelled around at the bolts of green light and alarmed yells echoed as Hermione muttered something under her breath and the three Stunned Eaters were lifted up and thrown against a tree across the moor, where ropes shot from her wand bound them tightly to the bark.
"Where are they?" a voice roared: Dolohov. "Where are the Pack?"
"In those trees; over there!"
Remus's frame stiffened hard. Sirius murmured: "Good luck, Moony," and morphed into the shaggy, great black dog and stood in front of Harry and Hermione. Remus stumbled out into the full blast of the moonlight and there was a terrible howling sound. The Death Eater's shadows, racing towards the trees, froze. Remus morphed, his neck and face lengthened and hair sprouted over his body, claws growing.
A fully-fledged monster stood less than five feet from them.
"Werewolf!" A Death Eater shrieked.
Remus uttered a snarl and leaped at him. He pinned him to the ground and Padfoot made a whining noise. Hermione turned her head into Harry's shoulder as Remus tore the man's throat out.
The other Death Eaters, about three of them, fled. Remus raised his bloody muzzle and took off after them, chasing them far away, deep into the night of the moor, deep into the shadows until even their yells and screams of pain and anguish couldn't be heard.
Sirius morphed back into man. Hermione's lip quivered. "Shouldn't we - ?"
"He'll return when he's human again, don't worry." Sirius said reassuringly. His eyes focused on the flat plain of land, where the remaining two Death Eaters stood, unsure, and three more began running down a path leading from the cliff.
"Let's go." Harry nodded, and ran out of the trees, yelling, "Impedimenta!"
Hermione followed, and found herself facing Rodolphus Lestrange - again. He grinned evilly. "Not so clever, are you, on our territory, Granger?" he spat.
"Guess there's only one way to find out." Hermione shrugged.
He sneered. "Right. Avada Keda - !"
"Protego!" Hermione shrieked, and the spell, before it was finished, was deflected. Her heart beat slowed down; she wasn't dead yet. Lestrange looked livid.
"Again!" he roared. "This is becoming old, Granger, surely you have some interesting tricks up your sleeve."
"Expelliarmus!" she yelled, and his wand flew from his grasp and landed in hers. Around her, Harry was taking out Crabbe and Lucius Malfoy had just appeared on the scene. Lestrange paled and began to back away. Hermione strode towards him, pointing both wands, and he backed further towards an uneven rocky ledge.
Suddenly, she heard Sirius yell: "'Mione!" at the same time that a woman's voice screeched: "Crucio!"
She dived to the ground, and the streak of red light missed her by a hair. Lestrange took the opportunity to leap at her. She leaped backwards, but his wand slid out of her grasp and he snatched it.
"Wives do have uses, after all." he chuckled wickedly, glancing across the land where a female figure was racing towards Sirius with an enraged snarl.
Bellatrix.
"So do Animagi." Hermione countered, raising her eyebrows. Stay calm, keep him talking.
Lestrange sneered. "Perhaps. But you can't escape me forever now, Granger."
"I disagree. Reducto!" Hermione shrieked, pointing her wand up at the rocky ledge above him. The rocks shook and dislodged violently and came cascading down in a solid flood. Lestrange turned around and managed to utter an anguished yell before the rocks fell down upon him and buried him beneath their weight.
Across the plain, Sirius stepped out of the shadows to face his cousin. "Hello, Bella." he drawled with a slow, dangerous grin.
Her face turned white. "Black? Sirius? It can't be!" she howled. "I killed you! I killed you!"
"It's nice to know what filial affection you bear, Bella," he sneered. "Rather a shock, isn't it, when the victims of your crimes return to haunt you . . . to repay the debt . . ."
"No!" she howled, like a wounded animal. "Master, Master, help me! You can't be back, Black, you're dead! Master! You're dead! Master!"
Sirius stared at her, merciless. She was driving herself mad. "I'm alive, Bella." he told her coldly. "They brought me back. You didn't kill me, merely threw me into a veil that holds life and death in stasis. I'm perfectly alive."
Her hands shook as she pointed her wand at him again. "Then I will kill you now."
"I don't think so." Sirius jerked his head towards the other side of the plain, where Hermione was staring silently at the fall of rocks. "Your husband needs you right now."
Bellatrix swivelled around, in time to see the rocks crush Rodolphus Lestrange. "Rudy!" she shrieked, horror-struck. "No!" her tone turned enraged. "The girl! Granger! I'll kill her! Rudy!"
"Petrificus Totalus." Sirius said, almost lazily. Bellatrix froze and keeled over, her eyes moving in angry horror, a strange kind of cold grief filling them at the realization that her husband was dead. Sirius walked over to her and looked down at her. "I'm afraid I can't have you killing my Angel," he said quietly, before muttering: "Invisego." His cousin vanished and it would be a long time before anyone found her. Insane as it may sound, he couldn't bring himself to commit murder like that, to kill his own cousin . . .
He turned around and began to walk towards the middle of the field, and Hermione, turning around from the rocks with a twinge of regret, headed towards where Harry was duelling with Lucius Malfoy.
When Sirius and Hermione appeared behind Harry, his face, sweaty and weary, paled. "No, not more of you." he yelled angrily. "Master!"
"He's not coming, Malfoy," Sirius said coolly. "You're on your own."
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled in the moment's pause, and Malfoy fell over, Stunned.
For a moment, there was complete silence on the battlefield, and Hermione, Harry and Sirius all looked at each other. Then, so softly that it sent terrible shivers down Hermione's spine, a cold voice spoke.
"So. We meet again, Potter."
Voldemort had come.
Sirius's throat emitted a growl. Wormtail was standing in Voldemort's shadow, quivering under the glare Sirius was giving him.
"Settle your differences with Black, Wormtail," Voldemort drawled lazily. "I have no concern in this. Potter is my only interest here, and perhaps the girl. She's powerful, very powerful."
Harry grinned, much to Hermione's astonishment. "Bet you never thought a 'silly, little girl', like my mother, would be so powerful, did you, Riddle?"
Voldemort's thin nostrils flared in cold rage. "How dare you utter the filthy Muggle name I was given? How dare you insult me that way, Potter? You, who could never defeat me - the greatest sorcerer of all time!"
His voice rose like thunder, so that Wormtail flinched and the wind suddenly began to blow wildly. Through the cry of the wind, through which the five magical humans stood their ground, still and waiting, another howl sliced through the night.
"Remus." Sirius whispered hoarsely.
Hermione turned around, in time to see a werewolf, its muzzle covered in blood, erupt from the shadows and streak towards them. Voldemort's expression flickered and he screamed out a Shield Charm. He and Wormtail were enveloped in translucent light. The werewolf raced towards Harry, Hermione and Sirius, who stood frozen, and leaped at the one closest - Hermione.
She felt back onto the grass, and the werewolf stood over her, its muzzle frothing, its hot breath dangerously close to her.
"Remus," she choked out, terrified, "It's me - don't do this - it's me, Hermione." she looked into the eyes of the werewolf and didn't see cold hollows of black but light brown eyes. Remus was in there, she knew he was. "Remus, it's me, you have to fight the urge - you don't want to kill me, Remus, it's me - 'Mione."
For a split-second, everything froze, and then the werewolf let out a terrible, anguished shriek, like it was being tortured. And then, at that same instant that the animal leaped off Hermione and took a few steps back, looking like it was being forced, the clouds moved to cover the moon, and Remus Lupin demorphed back into a man.
"R-Remus." Wormtail squeaked, obviously terrified now when faced with both Sirius and Remus, who were both staring at him now.
Voldemort returned his cold attention to Harry. "You insulted me terribly, Potter," he said in his soft, deadly voice, "So I shall not do you the honour of a fair duel. Something more cruel, more vicious, I think, shall be your fate." He muttered something and snake-like ropes shot out of his wand and to Hermione's horror, bound Harry, Sirius and Remus tightly together and they fell to the floor, unable to break free, their wands inconveniently placed.
She had been left. Why, Hermione thought desperately? And then . . . like a vision from a dream, she felt a hazy image drift into a mind. The bowl in the Chamber of Terror . . . they were bound, she was standing . . . in a field.
No! This can't be happening!
And like a nightmare, that soft voice invaded her ears and her mind in a tune of mind-numbing bliss. "Raise your wand . . . raise your wand . . ."
The sensation was so incredible, she was floating in a pool of ecstasy, there was no pain, no worry, no sorrow. This was bliss, sheer, addictive bliss. Her wand arm rose and pointed at the three on the ground. They were shouting something, she could barely hear their words, and could barely comprehend them . . .
"No, Hermione, fight it! It's a curse!"
"Imperius Curse! It's not real! He's controlling you! Fight!"
"'Mione, it's us, remember? The Pack! Your pack! It's me, Sirius! Fight his control!"
"They must die . . . do you understand? They must be tortured first . . . torture them . . . kill them . . . bleed them . . ."
Why? Another voice, a small voice had woken inside her head, making her hesitate. Why should she torture them and kill them? Weren't they her friends? Didn't she care about Harry and Remus so deeply? Didn't she love Sirius?
"Kill them! KILL THEM . . . bleed them . . . break them . . . they do not care . . . KILL THEM!"
She pointed her wand with a steadier hand. This was what she was supposed to do, she couldn't listen to the cowardly part of her.
"No, 'Mione! You're stronger than that; you can fight him! Fight him for me, 'Mione! I love you!"
I love you . . .
The words penetrated her mind like the stab of a knife. Sirius loved her! He loved her; how could she kill them? How could she hurt them? He loved her.
"Reducto!" She screamed. The pain was terrible, the pain of breaking free of the Imperius curse and she fell to the ground, but the ropes dissolved under her charm and the three on the ground leaped up. Remus lunged at Wormtail, and both fell back against the grass near Harry and Sirius.
"Stupid girl!" Voldemort snarled angrily. "I shouldn't have wasted my time with you! Avada - "
Harry bellowed the Shield Charm before he could finish and a glowing wall of light appeared between the four of them and Voldemort. Wormtail broke free of Remus's grasp and squeaked: "Expelliarmus!"
Their wands flew to him, and he stood there, pointing his wand at them all. His wand moved to Sirius, who was glowering at him.
"Do it, Peter." he growled. "Show me you have the backbone to kill me. To kill us."
"Leave Black! Kill Potter! Kill Potter!" Voldemort shrieked from behind the Shield. "Kill Potter!"
Wormtail moved the wands to point at Harry, who stared back at him. Hermione watched Wormtail carefully. His face twitched and he looked like he was torn. She watched as tears filled his eyes and his hands began to shake. "Avada - Ava - Avada - " he croaked, unable to finish. To their astonishment, he fell to his knees sobbing something that sounded like 'James'.
Hermione remembered that Harry had once saved Pettigrew's life and that the debt had to repaid or the man would never be able to live with himself.
Remus snatched their wands back and restored them to their owners, handing Wormtail's wand to Sirius.
"Fool!" Voldemort howled in rage.
Harry cast down the Shield. "Sirius, Remus, get back a little and keep a hold on Wormtail. It's time my dad's debts were settled." his voice was firm, and cold, and sounded very unlike Harry. His eyes were fixed on Voldemort. "'Mione, you too. Get back."
"Harry - "
"Now. This is between the Dark Lord and me."
Hermione was actually scared. She'd never heard Harry like this, and apparently, neither had Voldemort. He looked uneasy for the first time.
"Do you think I'll wither and die, Potter?"
"I was hoping you'd do otherwise." Harry snarled.
Hermione remembered that their wands would not work against each other; if they both uttered a spell at the same time, they spells would not work. Was that what Harry wanted?
"Cruc - "
"Protego!" Harry bellowed at the same time. The jets of light met each other in mid-air and formed a gold band of connection. Voldemort blanched and Harry's mouth curved into a smile, because before their very eyes, Hermione watched people pull themselves out of Voldemort's wand.
Hermione's jaw dropped as Lily Potter landed on the ground, translucent and glowing. She smiled at Hermione and came to stand in front of her, protecting her. The next thing, James Potter had joined the dead victims wandering around Voldemort, taunting him while he screamed, angry and horrified.
"James!" Sirius and Remus croaked together. James mouth lifted in a grin and he moved to stand in front of his best friends, his gaze briefly lowering to Peter in a look of betrayal. Wormtail howled.
"Reducto!" Voldemort screamed. "Reducto!" Nothing happened.
Harry smiled at Voldemort. "I'm not a greater sorcerer than you are, Riddle. But look around you: I do have one thing that you will never understand and you will never hand, and that makes me the winner in this battle. Do you know what that one thing is?"
"Love?" Voldemort mocked, sounding slightly hysterical.
Harry laughed, but he looked a little uneasy now, a little regretful. "Humanity."
Hermione couldn't help but smile, and looking around, she saw that all the 'ghosts', as well as Sirius and Remus, were smiling too.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment, and with a wrench, broke the connection between the wands. "Avada Kadavra." he whispered. Hermione closed her eyes, feeling a prick of tears that she didn't understand.
When she opened her eyes again, the ghosts were gone and Voldemort lay on the ground, still. The snake-like face had faded into a more human one - the one of Tom Riddle. He was dead. At last, Lord Voldemort was gone.
Hermione moved forward to Harry and laid a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and hugged her. "You did it." She mumbled.
"No, 'Mione." He smiled. "We did it."
**
TBC.
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A/N: Sorry for how long these chapters have taken to be uploaded! I hope you guys like this, and please, please review. Update coming soon! Enjoy. -->