A/N: Roommates suck!!! I would have had this chapter up over a week ago,
except for a little problem with the gelatinous mass of proteins and
alcohol and sheer sluttiness that is my roommate. Not to mention Tweedledee
and Tweedledumb, who decide to take her side and make my life a living
hell. Careful girls, I know where you sleep at night (and thanks to you, I
no longer do). Bwahhahahahaha!!!! Er . . . .um, sorry, got carried away.
Sorry again about the confusion on the last chapter. *grumbles under her breath as she contemplates how best to destroy the computer* I don't do teasers, and what was there didn't make any sense at all out of context. Thanks to all the reviewers who let me know about the problem. Again, I apologize.
Arizosa: Good intuition. I like that quote at the bottom of your review so much, I'm stealing it. ;P So look for it at the bottom of this chapter.
X a r a l i n d: Not that dark, you say? Say that again at the end of this chapter, and later. Just you wait. Of course, I'm not nearly as dark as Ruskbyte. Oh well.
David305: Thanks for catching that little typo. It was actually the computer's fault (damn spell check) but I fixed it. And thanks for following my story for so long. I'm glad that you've enjoyed it. Actually, this story has never lain fallow and it's not dead (unlike some of the characters!!), so it doesn't need to be revived. It's just that I write it first by hand and then type it up, so all the growth is behind the screen. I have 3 chapters handwritten that I need to find the time to type and post. Luckily Christmas break is right around the corner and I should have some time to post a few more chapters. Almost done!! And PC??? *shrugs and adds the nickname to her list*
NightScape: Thanks for your encouraging words, but it's when I'm nearly delirious from exhaustion that I do my best work.
BladeLiger786: No, I'm not Asian, but as any poor college student knows, rice and Ramen are very cheap and easy to make, thus composing the staple of college food when one does not have the money for caf food.
Pheonixelemental: You're going to use my quote in your senior yearbook? I'm flattered! I've never been quoted in print before. As for my senior quote, I used one of my favorite Latin sayings: "Nemo me impune lacessit." Plus "Never take life seriously; no one ever gets out of it alive." *grins* But I painted this on my bumper, "Neutiquam Erro," along with "Well-behaved women rarely make history."
Alternativelyspliced: I love you!!! It's reviews like those that make me go and procrastinate on my own homework at finals time to go write out more chapters and end up creating my own universe. So thanks for giving me reason for writing this story while I should be writing 3 different papers. *winks and brews another pot of coffee*
Disclaimer: If you haven't seen it elsewhere, then it's mine and hands off. I reference Pac-Man in here - don't own that either, and if I got the names wrong, I'm sorry, I haven't played in a long while. I don't own HP, never will, and be thankful for that. I would royally screw up millions of children for life. Order of the Phoenix was not a children's book, and neither is this as you will see. Not making any money off this either, though God knows I need some.
Chapter 32
Ron was replaying the battle again, carefully watching to try and make sense of the useless chaos, when a sharp cry rang out through the entire school. "Death Eaters are inside! Death Eaters in Hogwarts! They're inside!" He looked up wildly, saw the dawning horror on everyone's eyes, then with a snapped word changed the screens over to show the interior of Hogwarts.
Most of the white dots representing students were milling inside the Great Hall, but about a dozen were scattered on other levels, accompanied by blazing red dots. Ron cursed loudly. "How'd they get in?" he demanded, and Hermione reached out to tap a certain section of the map.
That area quickly enlarged to show a bathroom, with more red dots appearing from nowhere and diffusing quickly out into the corridors. "Through the Chamber of Secrets," she said quietly, icily calm. "Voldemort must have found another entrance from outside the school. The attack was to draw our attention outward, while they infiltrated from behind."
Remus stared at the screens for a long moment, then snapped on his communicator. "Harry, Wraith, get back here. The Death Eaters are inside Hogwarts," he barked. No answer came, but he didn't wait for one before turning to the Order. "Get down to the Great Hall. If the Death Eaters get to the students there, it'll be a death trap. They could collapse the ceiling easily enough on all of them."
He flicked his eyes to the 3-D model. "Get the students out of there and scatter in groups. Don't let them catch you all together. Get the younger ones out of Hogwarts, let anybody who wants to stay and fight." They all nodded in perfect understanding and ran. "Ron, stay here and be our eyes. We'll probably be hunting them, so direct us by communicator."
Ron nodded quietly, grasping Hermione's hand tightly with his own even as he turned back to the screens, just in time to see the black dot labeled "Voldemort" appear. "Good hunting," he murmured as Remus disappeared out the door.
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After the shouted warning, it was chaos in the Great Hall. Some students were crying, panicking at the thought of death closing in on them inside their precious school most of the older students tamped down their fear and readied themselves for the fight of their lives.
The professors there tried to keep order, but their voices were lost in the multitude. Trelawney looked ridiculous waving her arms and shouting unheard, eyes unnaturally large behind her glasses.
The Order members burst in and quickly sealed the doors behind them. McGonagall hurriedly let off a series of bangs from her wand, and everyone's attention focused on her. "Everyone calm down," she barked, "We have to leave the Hall. Split up into groups, one adult per group, and scatter. If you can, make for the exits and leave."
Bill spoke up next. "I for one plan to evict these Death Eaters. They don't belong here. Fight back when you can, but no heroics. We have enough dead martyrs for one war." That said, people quickly started to form groups, those who wished to stay non-combatants forming up towards the back as hunting parties arrayed by the huge front doors.
Each group had one adult with a communicator , and on Ron's signal the first groups left, one of younger students creeping out the back entrance heading for an exit two floors down, while another of determined sixth and seventh years headed out into the main corridor with Bill Weasley, wands at the ready.
Thus began the most deadly game of hide and seek Hogwarts had ever seen.
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Harry and Wraith Apparated up to the Phoenix Chamber where Ron was currently guiding the students away from the Death Eater hunting parties. "How the hell did they get inside?" Wraith demanded. "Chamber of Secrets. It must have another entrance out in the forest," Hermione answered shortly, and Harry grimaced. "I completely forgot about that."
Ron made a weird noise in his throat and Wraith turned to him. "What is it?" "Voldemort," Ron bit out in a strange tone, a mix of terror and anxiety. "He's heading up in this direction." Harry immediately joined him at the table, and with a tap of his wand the marble shifted to show an expanded interior view.
Sure enough, a miniature marble Voldemort was confidently stalking down the corridor alone, heading for the stairs. Ron squinted and leaned closer. "What's he holding?" Wraith suddenly winced and yelped, startling them all. His hands tugged at the back of his shirt, yanking at it as if it burned him. Harry leapt to help him. "Wraith, what . . . ?"
The War Mage tore something from his back and dropped it like a poisonous snake, but didn't back away from it. Harry stared down at the ivory handle peeking from the velvet wrappings. "Of course, the talisman," he breathed. Glancing at the marble figure, now he recognized the first talisman from Azkaban. "They must be drawn to each other. That's what he's here for."
Ron looked over at him askance. "Wasn't that your plan from the beginning? To draw him here for the talisman?" Harry nodded dismally. "Yeah, but I never expected him to get inside the castle. This makes most of the preparations useless, and puts us on the defensive."
Wraith had his gaze still fixed on the talisman at his feet. "It burns," he said with a confused, betrayed tone, "it burns me, calling for him." He met Harry's gaze, eyes bright and fierce as a dragon. "He can't have it. It's mine, my own, and he won't take it away," he nearly growled. Stooping, he picked up the wrapped knife seemingly without pain and replaced it in the sheath at his back.
Hermione watched him carefully. "Why don't you just destroy it? Isn't that what you were supposed to do in the first place?" Wraith whirled on her, snarling. "No! I won't destroy it! I can't!" She shrank back a bit at the feral gleam in his eye, and Harry narrowed his eyes in suspicion, watching his counterpart like a bomb about to explode.
Wraith turned to Harry, a dark look on his face and a grim tone to his voice. "We need to split up. If he's trying to get the talisman, he'll follow me, so I'll lead him away. Harry, you can help the others to safety. Leave old Tom to me." He grinned, showing a mouthful of teeth, and Hermione was suddenly reminded of a lion baring his fangs.
With a pop he disappeared and Ron watched as Voldemort slowed, then stopped, staring intently at the orb in his hand. Then he turned and headed away from the upper levels, following the talisman's directions towards Wraith now lurking in the dungeons. Harry sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Ron was tracing some corridors with his wand, eyes intently studying. "Ignore him for now. Harry, get to this corridor," he pointed at the Charms corridor, where two groups of red were starting to converge in a pincer on a group of white. With a nod and a pop, Harry was gone too.
A crackle came over the communicator, and the familiar voice of Professor Flitwick sounded from Ron's wrist. "We've made it out. Now to where?" Ron tapped a screen to show outside of Hogwarts. "It looks clear, so make a run towards Hogsmeade. Stay away from the village and run for the mountains. There's a cave about three-quarters of the way up the side of the eastern one that's defensible."
"Thanks. Good luck." Ron watched quietly as the students ran from the school, once the safest place in England and now a hunting ground.
Then the walls rippled golden, and stones slid away to reveal the hidden archery emplacements. Ron had forgotten the outside defense were still active, and sheer surprise slowed his reaction time.
He shouted, "Deactivate Hogwarts defenses!" but the first volley had already been loosed, and he watched helplessly as they sped towards their targets.
Flitwick apparently heard them whizzing through the air, though, for the students broke and dove for cover behind giant corpses which safely caught the arrows. The redhead breathed a sigh of relief and activated his communicator. "Sorry about that."
The diminutive Charms professor actually sounded amused. "No harm done, but I think these robes are a loss. It's rather messy out here. Any more surprises you care to tell us about?"
"Yeah," Ron made sure he deactivated what he could of the outside traps. "Avoid the front gates and cut through the edge of the forest, unless you like tiptoeing through land mines." Flitwick chuckled dryly, and the students regrouped to sprint for the forest.
Hermione sighed in relief as they reached the safety of the trees, then asked, "How are we doing?" Her boyfriend answered distractedly, "They've managed to avoid the Death Eaters so far. Harry took out a group of them here and got the students to the stairwell." He gestured vaguely at a group of white descending the moving staircases, then pointed towards the dungeons. "Wraith and Voldemort are still playing cat and mouse. Second group's ready to go out over the lake by boat."
Hermione nodded, surveying the maps for herself before looking over at Ron seriously. "Do you really need me here?" He looked at her, and she could tell in his eyes that he wanted to say yes, just to keep her safe with him. She met his eyes squarely. "I'm not doing anything here, and I hate being useless. I should be down there, helping our friends."
Ron opened and shut his mouth several times, as if uncertain what to say to that. She stepped over and kissed him quickly. "I'm going. Be my eyes." He hugged her tight to him, burying his face in her bushy brown hair. "Be careful," he murmured through the thick cloud of hair. "I can't stand to lose you too."
She responded with a searing kiss which he reciprocated briefly before pulling away. Hermione smiled reassuringly at him and ran out the door. Ron looked after her long after she had gone.
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Monica ran across the group quite by accident and was never in her life more happy to see a group of Gryffindors. She explained quickly to McGonagall about the students under Imperius and the Death Eaters, then join the hunting party. Fear and tension ran high, but they all kept a sharp eye out for the Death Eaters, almost eager for battle.
Ron's voice sounded a bit muted from the communicator on McGonagall's wrist. "Four up ahead, around the corner on your right. One student with them." The Transfiguration professor tapped twice in acknowledgement and headed with surprising stealth up the corridor, Monica just behind and left covering her back. The whole group halted at the corner, listening carefully to the hushed voices of their quarry.
With a mouthed incantation, the professor transfigured a section of the wall ahead into a mirror briefly and studied the Death Eaters without exposing her own position around the corridor. She glanced back at her students, gestured one of them forward and made a motion for him to stay low. Colin Creevey nodded, dropped to the floor and belly-crawled to the corner, where he pointed his wand around and aimed.
McGonagall directed Monica and Seamus to aim using the mirror. On her count, all muttered, "Stupefy," and watched the red lights reflect off the mirror to hit their desired targets. Colin hit his target square in the back and straightened up with a grim smile. The second year was shaking his head in confusion, obviously disoriented from the abrupt cessation of the Imperius curse.
The remaining students bound the stunned Death Eaters tightly, snapped their wands and shoved them in a hidden passageway behind a tapestry. McGonagall comforted the young student briefly, then handed him over to Monica's charge. Monica suppressed a sigh.
Babysitting again.
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This was no time for passivity.
Remus was a good hunter when he let the wolf in him help dictate his sense and reflexes. Unburdened by a pack of students, he crept swiftly and silently through the corridors, searching for intruders.
The school was eerily quiet, neither side wanted to give away their positions, ever-shifting between predator and prey. Even the portraits were silent, their inhabitants sensing the danger and not wishing to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.
Remus suppressed a shiver as his ears strained to hear anything. The castle was usually so lively, especially in the mornings as the students clambered down to breakfast and complained about unfinished homework, waiting for the morning post.
Now the stones seemed to absorb all sound, muffling even the slightest noise so that he felt like he was creeping through a vacuum. Frankly, the unnatural silence was worse than hellfire screams.
Abruptly Remus heard the soft sound of approaching footsteps, only one set, and quickly had his wand trained steadily as they came into view. He sniffed the familiar scent, nodded in acknowledgement to Hermione as he lowered his wand slightly, and gestured for her to follow. She slipped silently to his side and cast a Disillusionment Spell on both of them, and Remus internally praised her brilliance.
When they reached the main stairs they faltered, unsure of where to go. Hermione lifted her communicator to her mouth and said quietly, "Ron, where do we go?" After a moment came the equally soft reply, "Down two levels, left hand corridor and approach the History of Magic classroom from the back way. Catch that group in a crossfire with Snape's group."
Without a word the two glided as softly as ghosts down the stairs, with only a slight ripple of the wall visible evidence of their movement.
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Ron had been watching Hermione the whole trip through the school and directed her towards the nearest group, heart beating uncomfortably loud in his chest. This was his family out there, their survival in his hands. Charlie was leading students through the forest towards the mountains; Bill lurked along the third floor corridor by the hump-backed witch statue; his mum was with Flitwick in the caves, and his dad prepared to leave on the last boat over the lake, accompanied by Madame Pomfrey.
Ron bit his lip, trying to keep focused and emotionless for now, even though his heart was aching. His family, splintered apart and unable to be whole again in this world. Muttering a vehement curse on Voldemort's head, he examined the maps again to search for danger. Wraith was moving again, heading seemingly at random through the maze of the dungeons.
Harry suddenly popped into existence beside the table, and Ron jumped with a startled yell, in turn startling Harry. They both chuckled self- deprecatingly, then Harry joined him examining the maps. He traced the route Hermione was following with Remus, heading straight for a skirmish by the History of Magic classroom. "I don't like this," the black-haired teen said.
Ron snorted. "What's there to like? We're playing hide and seek through a castle that was supposedly the safest place in all of Britain, inexperienced students versus some of the most psychotic Dark wizards this world's seen in centuries. Meanwhile Wraith and Voldemort are dancing over a dagger in the dungeons."
"Well, when you put it that way," Harry said dryly. "I just mean it's rather uncharacteristically stupid for Voldemort to rely so much on surprise." Ron shrugged. "Hey, he underestimated us. It happens to people with huge egos and megalomaniacal tendencies."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Wow, insightful use of big words. Hermione's rubbing off on you." Ron responded with an automatic, "Shut up, Harry," as he immediately went back to watching Hermione creep through the castle. They scanned the maps again, then Harry frowned and leaned closer, peering intently down into the dungeons. "Hey, what's Voldemort . . .?"
Just then the marble rippled, the screens flashed, then they all went blank as the diorama collapsed. The table was now just a table. Harry tried tapping the table and the screens, but they remained stubbornly inanimate. They couldn't see anything in the castle from this room. The two teens locked eyes.
"We're in trouble." Ron stated.
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Wraith scowled darkly at the muted announcement that the screens had been lost. He had felt the ripple of Dark magic Voldemort had sent to disable the locators in the maps, and felt the talisman burn once again. He shifted his talisman so it was now strapped at his side, easier to reach for in a moment's notice. It was his, and he wasn't letting it go; he would die before letting the snake bastard have it.
Carefully he snuck through the hidden passageway by the old Potions room deeper into the unused portions of the dungeons. He yearned to take on Voldemort himself; unleash his true power, calling forth the Elements and setting the full might of the last War Mage upon him in a tempestuous fury. By the time he was finished, there wouldn't be a piece big enough for a flea to shit on.
But he also wanted to keep his talisman away, far away, from the greedy, pale spider-like fingers, and couldn't let it leave his sight. It was a constant tug-of-war on a bungee cord that drove this deadly game of hide- and-seek on, but it made Wraith more frustrated and edgy. He snarled to himself, warring desires in his heart.
He was concentrating so much on the enemy behind him, he forgot all about watching in front of him until he quite literally ran into a hunting party, colliding heavily with two men in black robes. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, and a couple of masks flew off. Quickly Wraith rolled so he was on top of the pile-up and started to get to his feet. He looked down.
Steve Foloth's face stared up at him from centimeters away, and Wraith remembered what these scum had done to Ginny. His anger flared, followed quickly by his magic, and within seconds the four Death Eaters lay unconscious against the wall 10 meters away.
Drawing a deep breath in an attempt at calming down, he transfigured them into dust mites and put them in the middle of an archway where Voldemort was sure to step on at least one of them. Let the vermin be squashed - what was it to him? It was the least they deserved.
He stalked off down the corridor again, feeling the malevolent presence behind him, searching him out. Wraith scowled; timing, it was all about timing, but he was running out of time. It was then the screams rang out above him. He started, and then the shrieks doubled in volume, echoing off the soiled stone walls with a piercing quality. He knew that sound; someone was learning the agonies of the Cruciatus firsthand.
That made his lip curl in a feral snarl. How dare they? How dare they?!
He sprinted for the stairs and emerged in the upper corridor in record time, quickly taking in the scene he had interrupted. One Death Eater had a girl pinned between him and the wall, intent on a little sport. Another was standing guard over bodies of Hogwarts students, and a third was laughing over the shrieks and moans of two students writhing at his feet under the Cruciatus.
His fury, so close to the surface in Wraith, flamed brilliantly and actually became visible around him, lighting up the corridor in blood red light. That drew the attention of the laughing Death Eater, who looked up and . . . smiled? "Hello Wraith, we meet again," came the silky tones of Lucius Malfoy, and Wraith glared at him with undisguised hatred.
Forget Voldemort; he wanted to kill this petty little inbred mutant son of a . . .
A burst of pain, simultaneously from his scar and his talisman derailed his train of thought. Voldemort was closing in. As much as he'd like to, he didn't have time to play around with this scum. Gathering his anger tightly, Wraith let it go in one sharp burst of flaming light that slammed the Death Eaters senseless and half-melted to the ground. The girl against the wall slumped with relief, and the curse was released from the two on the floor.
The three conscious students stared at him as he performed the Ennervate spell on their classmates, then told the group, "Get up and get out of here. Voldemort's coming." They didn't ask questions, just nodded firmly and as one they sprinted away and around a corner. Wraith turned the other way and jogged off, monitoring the Dark presence following him.
He was strongly reminded of a game that Eva had once shown him for fun, an old arcade called Pac-Man. He felt like the stupid yellow circle being chased around the maze by the ghosts - did that make Voldemort Inky, Pinky, Blinky or Bob? He shook his head fiercely at the absurd thought. Now this was just getting annoying, not to mention ridiculous.
It was time to change the rules of the game.
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Now that his presence in the Phoenix chamber was useless, Ron itched to go join the fight, hopefully by Hermione's side. With a final glance at the dead screens, he bolted for the door. Harry followed his friend through the office and out into the corridor, but only made it three steps beyond the gargoyle before a trio of Death Eaters appeared at the other end and began firing off spells.
Ron dove forward into a roll, came up on one knee and bellowed, "Stupefy!!" twice. Two of their enemies dropped, followed by the third as Harry got him. Ron clambered to his feet and set off at a run for the stairs, Harry on his heels. No words were necessary between them; all they were focused on was getting to Hermione.
The spooky silence that had reigned was gone, shattered by screams, spells and pounding feet ringing through the stone halls. Ignoring it, Ron sprinted recklessly down the marble steps. Suddenly in the middle of a landing Harry yanked him back and into a dark corner. Ron whirled on him, a furious question ready on his lips.
But then several Death Eaters ran past their hiding place, and the two friends quickly dropped them with hexes from behind. Ron was ready to run again, but Harry pointed at his communicator. Ron quirked his lips between a smile and a wince as he activated it, speaking softly, "Hermione, where are you?"
Her voice came back loud and clear over the background noise. "I'm with a group of students in the third floor corridor outside Fluffy's room. We're pinned down by two groups of Death Eaters. Any help would be great." Ron squeezed his fist. "We're on our way."
Harry had already turned to head for the appropriate stairs, but then a jet of red light came shooting out from a side corridor and hit him solidly in the side of the head. Harry staggered dizzily, one hand on his head, the other flailing for balance. It missed the banister, so he slumped bodily against it as Ron leapt for him while firing off a spell in the direction the attack had come from.
But as the universe has a rather twisted sense of humor, this random staircase chose that moment to change and shift to another floor. This meant that the banister disappeared during the shift, and Harry gave in to the laws of gravity. Ron could only watch as Harry tumbled helplessly over the edge and plummeted towards the hard stone below.
But the universal randomness constant jumped in again, dictating that another staircase below moved exactly then, and as Harry fell past his arm whipped out and he grabbed onto the banister. With a wet-sounding pop and a jerk, his fall was broken and he dangled by one hand from a moving staircase.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief and ran down to his friend as Harry swung his body up and hauled himself onto the solid stone. "You all right mate?" "Yeah," Harry panted, then winced. "Maybe. Wrenched my shoulder a bit there." Ron chuckled. "You know, there are easier ways to get downstairs faster." Harry pulled a face at him as he cast a healing charm on his shoulder, then stood.
"C'mon, Hermione's waiting." Together they ran off to collect the third member of the Trio.
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Hermione thanked Lady Luck for being on her side so far as her wand blasted a Death Eater to the ground. Neville shouted a warning and she ducked a spell, tracked it to its originator and dropped him with a rapid hex. She dimly noted Neville stunning another attacker, absently thought to thank Harry for teaching him so well, then kicked a wand out of its bearer's hand and turned the dark robes to rock, cementing that Death Eater in place.
Hermione finished off the last Death Eater standing and quickly scanned around her, heart wrenching at the bodies of the students laying sprawled on the floor among the fallen Death Eaters. Her small group was currently clear, but shouts and lights from around the corner indicated other students in trouble. "Come on!" she shouted, and ran down the corridor followed by a dozen of her peers.
They charged into battle, flinging curses and hexes at anyone in a mask. Hermione caught a flash of orange-red and sprinted for her boyfriend, who was fighting two opponents at once. She shot a Stunner at one, and as he crumpled Ron dispatched the other. He shot her a wry grin. "Hi."
She placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Hi. About time. What took you so long?" Ron shrugged. "Harry had a problem taking the stairs," he commented as he took out a Death Eaters closing in on Cho Chang from behind. Together they jumped back into the fray. The battle was over quickly and everyone paused to catch much-needed breaths.
Ron straightened up and surveyed his fellow students. "Al right, there's still more Death Eaters in Hogwarts. Let's show them they're not welcome." A ragged cheer went up, and a couple of salutes were casually tossed his way as they started off, flush with victory and adrenaline. Harry nodded with a smile and winked at him, then loped off down for the hunt.
Ron made to follow, but stopped dead in his tracks as a cold mocking voice reached his ears. "Oh, the idiot Weasel is giving orders now. No wonder you're doomed to failure." He slowly turned to face Draco Malfoy, rage pounding raw and savage through his body. "Malfoy," he spat, "you bloody coward." Malfoy just laughed. "Only a Gryffindor would think a strategic retreat to be cowardice."
Ron approached him menacingly, wand drawn and trained between the icy gray eyes. "You will pay for what you did," he bit out. Malfoy smirked, "Oh, you mean dear little Ginny. Yes, your precious little sister certainly was . . ."
Whatever he thought she was, Ron never found out as his rage boiled over and he shouted incomprehensibly. A jet of light shot from his wand to hit Malfoy square in the chest and send him tumbling back into the wall with smoking robes. Ron clenched his wand, ready with another curse meant to injure, to cause pain, anything to punish this monster before him. Ginny deserved that much.
But another look at that twisted pale face, and suddenly magic was too good to waste on this scum. Ron sheathed his wand, grabbed Malfoy's robes by the collar and punched him as hard as he could, relishing the crack of a cheekbone under his knuckles. The other boy staggered, and Ron hit him again and again, intent on doing the most damage and disfigurement.
Malfoy tried to hit back, but Ron blocked the ineffective swipes and landed a hard right to the stomach. Malfoy dropped from his grasp, doubled up and retching, so Ron kicked him fiercely, remembering every vile thing Malfoy had ever did, every insulting word, every spiteful glance.
Finally Malfoy lay limp on the floor, and as a parting gift Ron spit on him, the liquid streaking through the white-blond hair. Panting, he wiped the blood off his knuckles and looked up to find Hermione watching him silently with a carefully neutral face.
How long had she been watching? He met her gaze steadily, unashamed of his actions but heart twisting at what she might think. After a moment she nodded and held out her hand for him. He gave her a small thankful smile, stepped over Malfoy's body and reached out to take her hand, finding all the comfort in the world in that simple gesture.
Then Malfoy stirred. His wand pointed at Ron's back, he muttered a guttural- sounding curse, and a purplish bruised light shot out to impact the redhead between the shoulders. Hermione had just clutched Ron's hand when he gripped it convulsively, gave a short cry and collapsed.
Reacting instinctively, she caught him as he fell, staggering under his weight until she sat on the cold stones cradling his upper body in her lap. "Ron! Ron, what's wrong?!" she asked in a high-pitched panicked voice, hand running through his thick hair trying to comfort him. Ron's face contorted in a spasm of pain and he convulsed in her arms for a few terrifying seconds.
She watched horrified as dark purple and red bruises blossomed under his skin, growing and flowing together in great discolored patches. He coughed, and blood flecked from his mouth to spatter her jumper. "Ron!" she cried out, and his eyes opened, the brilliant warm blue now back-dropped by crimson sclera and barely able to focus on her face above.
"Her . . . Hermione?" he coughed as more blood trickled from his mouth, now joined by streams from his nose. She nodded, crying as she tried to wipe the blood away and stained her hands red. He tried to smile at her. "I'm . . . sorry," he breathed out, and blinked away bloody tears. "Love you . . ." his voice trailed off, and she felt under her hand as his chest rattled once, then stilled.
Hermione bit her lip, breathing hard and fast through the tears streaming down her face, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips, ignoring the blood. "Love you," she whispered back brokenly, knowing he couldn't hear her. A scuffle made her look up, and she saw Draco Malfoy break into a limping, staggering run down the corridor.
A white-hot rage unlike anything she had ever known burst into full conflagration in her chest. Gently she lay Ron back onto the floor, closing his eyes for him, then shot to her feet and sprinted after the murderous demon, shrieking fit for a horde of banshees out of hell.
Malfoy glanced back, and she felt a dark thrill to see terror reflected in his eyes. He tried to run, but he only made a few more hobbling steps before Hermione was on him, tearing and clawing and shrieking out curses, slamming him into the wall. He struggled to get away, but this hellcat was having none of it, and he gasped under the blows and gashes she rained on him, bright spots of blood streaking his robes and pale skin.
Malfoy caught one of her hands and used her momentum to push himself away, sideways down the corridor. She lashed out with a side kick Eva had taught her, and with her rage tapped unconsciously into her magic to give extra force behind the blow. Ribs cracked and Malfoy was sent flying back into a suit of armor in a small cubicle to the side.
The armor wavered, then collapsed, which included the sharpened axe it held. Malfoy had time for one terrified scream before it thudded down, silencing him forever with a sickening crunch.
Hermione stood frozen in the corridor, unable to believe her eyes.
Malfoy was dead.
It was an accident.
It was her fault.
She started shaking, then looked down at the blood coating her hands. He had killed Ron. She wasn't sorry about Malfoy at all.
Slowly, numbly she staggered back down the corridor and slumped down next to Ron. Tenderly she wetted the end of her robe and wiped the blood from his face, smoothing his features into peace. Now he merely looked like he was sleeping, like the time he had fallen asleep on her in the Common Room, after that day . . .
Just like that night, Hermione gathered him into her arms close to her, rocking him gently as she petted his thick red hair, humming softly and unaware of fresh tears splashing down her face amid the blood spatters.
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Harry led a small group of frightened students out the little-used passage by the Hufflepuff Common Room. He surveyed the incongruously sunny day painting the lawns with brilliant colors, then clapped a nearby boy on the shoulder. "What's your name?"
The boy swallowed hard. "T-travis." "Okay Travis, see that hut out there?" Harry pointed to Hagrid's hut at the edge of the forest, and at the boy's nod said, "You need to lead them there. Run and don't look back until you're all inside. Keep a look-out for anyone coming. A professor will come and take you to a safe place, okay?"
Travis swallowed hard and nodded bravely. Then a girl asked from behind them, "What about Professor Sprout? Why can't she lead us?" Harry winced, remembering the green flash of light as the Herbology professor tried to protect her charges. "She can't come, but someone else will." He took one last look. "Go."
They shoved past him, Travis in the lead, and like a flock of birds made directly for their roost. Harry watched until the door slammed shut behind the last trailing robe, then he ducked back inside to track down some more.
Every sense was on alert, so when a muffled pop sounded behind him he whipped around with wand at ready. Wraith stood there panting, an unholy gleam in his eyes and some blood spattering his arms. Harry frowned at him. "What the hell are you doing?" The other flashed him a lopsided grin. "Voldemort's having a hell of a time tracking me down when I keep popping all over the place."
Harry eyed him warily and gestured at the blood. "And that?" Wraith looked down and shrugged carelessly. "I can't stand to watch Death Eaters kill children. The shit get what they deserve." Harry tightened his jaw and nodded sharply. "Want to go hunting with me?" Wraith's dark face brightened. "Of course."
Together they set off rapidly through the maze that was Hogwarts, searching. For some time they found only dead or unconscious bodies, both students and Death Eaters, but no hunting parties of either side. As they stalked through another corridor, Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stared. A suit of armor had been knocked over, the gleaming metal offset by a tangle of black robes, pale hair, and crimson blood.
"Malfoy," he muttered through an incomprehensible tangle of emotions. Wraith ground his teeth and they walked past, averting their eyes from the mess. At the end of the corridor came a soft humming tune, a rather haunting melody that traced and twirled through the air slowly. Harry approached cautiously, wand at the ready until he caught sight of a head of bushy brown hair hanging like a veil over two faces and intertwined with coppery-red.
His breath caught in his throat and he ran forward, croaking out, "Hermione?" She didn't appear to hear him, so involved in stroking Ron's hair and humming that song. He knelt by her side and touched her shoulder, "Hermione?" Slowly she turned to him, and he was shocked to see the emptiness in her eyes.
"Harry," she said softly, like a little girl, and he looked down at Ron. With a trembling hand he felt at his neck, and the utter stillness and chill of his flesh told Harry everything he didn't want to be true. His heart broke painfully, cracked right in half along the space that Ron had occupied in his life, now just a cold emptiness. He turned back to Hermione, tears in his eyes to match hers.
She spoke again in that little girl voice. "Ron did it, he did it for Ginny. But he couldn't kill him. Not Ron. But Malfoy killed Ron, and he said he was sorry and he loved me, but then he left me, and Malfoy tried to get away, but I wouldn't let him. I killed him. He killed Ron and I killed him," she babbled, hugging Ron and rocking his body.
Harry lowered his head, choking back a great lump of boiling tears before they could flood out. Finally he rasped, "We need to leave, Hermione." She shook her head stubbornly. "Not without Ron!" He nodded. "Now without Ron. He's coming with us." Carefully Wraith extricated the body from Hermione's arms and picked him up, and Harry helped Hermione to her feet, letting her cling to him tightly for support.
The trip was made in silence, and seemed at once interminable and absurdly short in their numb emotional haze. They were at the base of the mountain, smoke from Hogsmeade drifting past in acrid fumes, watching as Mrs. Weasley fell sobbing to the ground, cradling the body of her youngest son tightly. Hermione was caught up in a tight hug by Charlie and Bill, while Mr. Weasley knelt stiffly beside his distraught wife.
Harry shook himself, glanced at Wraith, and without a word they left the scene to head back to Hogwarts. They weren't finished yet, not by a long shot, for they swore that every Death Eater within those walls would die.
Harry had had enough.
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Remus had gathered what students and professor remained into the Great Hall and studied them . Beaten and bloodied, they all met his gaze with the same determination to fight back as long as possible. The cost of the shadow battle had been high on both sides, but Voldemort was still alive and lurking in the castle. It wasn't over yet.
Remus knew that only Harry could face the Dark Lord and have a snowball's chance in hell of doing something significant. Briefly he wondered how soon he'd be seeing Sirius and James and Lily again, then shook his head to focus. He met Snape's gaze, noting the man trying to hide a bloodstain on the side of his robes, and almost smiled to realize that some things never changed. The man never acknowledged weakness or injury if he could help it.
Before Remus could issue orders, the doors crashed open and instantly every wand was trained on the entrance, where Harry and Wraith stormed in looking furious. Remus lowered his wand. "What's the report?" Wraith scowled deeply. "Voldemort wants the talisman, but seems not to be making an effort beyond tracking me. And he refuses to leave the castle when I do."
Snape frowned, dark brows lowering to make his face more menacing than usual. "He's waiting for something." Harry shook his head with frustration. "I don't know what, though. He's gathered his Death Eaters back in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so unless he has another basilisk to sic on us, only Merlin knows what he's up to."
Seamus looked over, nose clearly broken and serving to make his brogue thicker than ever. "So whadda thing? Run 'way wid our arse indact, o' s'dorm de bahdroom an' killem all?" Wraith was looking up at the huge windows, frowning in deep thought. "This is all about the talisman," he said softly, eyes gleaming. "Hogwarts is just a bonus. He's planning something."
He glanced down at Remus. "I need to face him. Alone. Get everyone else out." Snape stepped forward with a massive scowl. "Wraith . . ." Wraith simply glared back at him. "This isn't ego or a hero complex. This is fact. There's nothing else you can do here. Now get out." Remus watched him steadily for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. "He's right. We have to leave."
Grudgingly the two dozen or so defenders gathered together and with a backwards farewell at Wraith, left Hogwarts for the last time.
Harry jogged after them, and at Remus' curious look explained, "I'll make sure you all reach the forest." Exhausted, they jogged down the lawns towards the relative safety of the trees. Harry kept gazing around, knowing something was off but unable to pinpoint it, and urged them on faster.
Suddenly from behind them came the shattering crash of broken glass, punctuated by a chorus of inhuman snarls. "Oh shit," Harry breathed, glancing back, "demons." Sure enough, demons swarmed the outside of the Great Hall, breaking the windows to get in, and Harry paused, torn.
That pause saved their lives, for from the forest a running army of supernatural creatures emerged, with only two goals: get the talisman and kill anything in the way.
Wraith came sprinting out the front doors and slammed them shut, temporarily sealing the demons inside, and joined the last humans on the field before the circle closed. Wraith and Harry herded the last of the Hogwarts defenders in a tight group back to back as they circled the outside, weapons drawn. The demons circled them, snarling and howling and raising an unearthly noise that made skin crawl, but made no move to advance.
Abruptly silence fell, so deafening that several wizards staggered. A screeching laugh rang out, and both Wraith and Harry winced as scars shot through with fiery pain. Voldemort appeared at the front doors of Hogwarts flanked by more demons, laughing gleefully. "So it comes down to this, one last hopeless standoff."
He grinned, baring rotting pointed teeth in a death's head grimace. "Wraith, hand over the talisman and you can all escape alive. Resist and my demons will tear you to shreds looking for it." Wraith snarled back, "Never!!" Voldemort sighed in mock pity, then flicked his fingers.
Immediately the demons charged from all sides, and the wizards opened fire. Harry and Wraith fought furiously, quicker and more brutally than they ever had before, sending gouts of steaming blood arching in the air to stain and burn black furrows in the grass. The wizards couldn't target the demons themselves, but cast rapid-fire spells on the ground, the air, the weapons sweeping towards them, barely managing to keep them at bay.
Remus found himself back to back with Snape, nearly leaning against each other for support as they tapped deeper and deeper into their reserves for the energy to survive. Every breath was gasped in aching lungs, each move strained exhausted muscles, brains struggled to remember spells that might save all their lives. Weapons clanged and slashed, spilling human blood with the black slime. They were falling, failing.
Wraith took a desperate gamble and knelt with both hands on his staff, concentrating all his energy into its core and relying on Harry to protect him for these crucial moments. Harry strained every resource he had and some he didn't know he did, trying everything to protect himself and Wraith, but knew he wasn't going to last long. "Come on, come on," he gritted as he simultaneously decapitated one demon with his parvalleh and eviscerated another behind with the sword.
The ruby atop the staff began to glow, brighter and brighter until it outshone the sun, causing squeals of pain around them, temporarily halting the fight. Then a great beam of light shot out and cut a huge swath through the demon's blocking the way to the forest. It wasn't fire, but as the light touched them, each demons instantly disintegrated into free-floating molecules.
Once the path was clear, the light disappeared and Wraith slumped to the ground unmoving. Harry yelled, "RUN!!" and instantly the wizards took off in a frantic dash for the trees. Several stumbled in exhaustion, lurching over the torn up ground but pushing themselves towards safety. Remus tripped over a fallen axe and stumbled, barely catching himself in time.
The damage was done. The others made it into the forest and disappeared into the trees, and the demons closed ranks filling in the gap. And Voldemort was no longer laughing. Instead, with a horrible expression of fury, he pointed his wand at Remus and shot a beam of silver-white light at him.
Remus convulsed and shuddered, moaning in agony, then his figure lengthened and sprouted fur, hands curled into paws and his mouth elongated into a muzzle full of razor-sharp teeth. Harry backed away cautiously, dread thrilling coldly through his blood. Voldemort had forced the lycanthropic transformation, and now Harry stood face to face with a crazed werewolf.
Snarling, it lunged at him and desperately Harry blocked it with the hammer side of the parvellah. He didn't want to hurt Remus, but he couldn't leave Wraith. He dropped the sword and scrambled for his wand, but the wolf lunged again, slipping under his guard and snapping for his jugular. Instinctively Harry fell backwards to roll the wolf over him, but he forgot something.
His sword lay behind him, blade wedged upwards from a deep furrow of torn earth, and as he rolled with the wolf's momentum, the blade pierced through his heart and emerged, bloodied, from his chest.
Wraith was barely conscious, energy drained to almost nothing, but he felt that blade stab through Harry as surely as it was his own flesh. The searing pain made him cry out weakly. Raising his head fractionally, he looked over at Harry, whose face was contorted with shock and agony as blood poured out of his mouth. Wraith could only watch as the light in Harry's eyes dimmed, flickered, then faded, and the body fell completely limp.
Immediately Wraith felt a hideous tearing in his soul as something monstrous with cruel silver eyes brutally ripped half of himself away, leaving him trembling, weak and broken, unable to move for the all- consuming pain. A curious dizzy sensation, like being in two places at the same time, had his head reeling as senses split and separated, spanning an insurmountable gulf.
He barely heard the approaching footsteps until Voldemort stood right over him with such a look as to make him shiver and look away. "Yes . . ." he hissed, "the scar . .. I could sense both of you . . . I felt him die, yet you remain here." Long pale fingers raked over his forehead, and he cried out as his body morphed painfully back into his normal form of Harry Potter, scar prickling.
"Remarkable," Voldemort breathed, "two of you, with equal power and knowledge. That explains so much." Those insidious hands crept down to Harry's side and loosened the sheath. "I'll take this now."
Harry put his hand over the talisman and whispered, "No." Voldemort ignored him, pushing his hand away like a child and removing the wrapped knife. He stood, clutching both talismans to him and Harry could barely make him out through the swirl of darkness. He could feel even more of himself ripping away, seized by spider-like fingers and carried off as a prize.
"Timing, Harry Potter, it's all about timing. Once the ritual is complete, then and only then will you die." He laughed again, like talons over a chalkboard. "Enjoy your last few hours alive." Voldemort walked away, leaving Harry alone and helpless on a field of bodies.
Harry was staring up at the bright blue sky, which was wavering unsteadily in his vision, when Hogwarts exploded.
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Eva laughed.
It was not a nice laugh.
It was helplessness and despair and hopelessness and heartbreak and pure unadulterated loneliness - a laugh that could only be given in place of weeping.
It echoed over the empty plains of her realm, mixing with the wind through the grasses, the waves crashing at the beach, the thick silence of the mountains and the quiet peace of the forests, then died out in a rush.
Eva sat in her unlit room, watching the portal that was her only connection to the outside worlds. This time it showed Death's realm, the Guardian separating and greeting all her newcomers from the battle of Hogwarts. There hadn't been a rush like this in quite a while, and Eva knew what it meant. It wasn't good.
She watched as a solitary redhead ran towards a group on the outside of the city, and was quickly engulfed by a mob of ginger in a multi-armed hug. She focused in on them, watching this family reunion with a slight smile.
Fred pulled out of the hug and grinned at his younger brother, who was actually taller than him. "Hi Ron. Long time no see." George smirked widely. "She get you too, eh?" Ron gave Ginny an extra squeeze as he answered, "Yeah, she did. Well actually Malfoy did. But he came in right behind me, then kept going."
Ginny smiled up at him. "You know what that means?" Ron looked down at her quizzically, and the twins answered gleefully, "That means, burn baby burn!!!" Ginny laughed. "We won't be seeing him again." Ron cracked a smile. "The best part is, I think Hermione's the one that got him." There was an instant of shocked silence, then the three Weasleys burst into cheers and an improvised war dance as Percy looked on with a fond smile.
Gradually they made their way back to their own group of family and friends, explaining some of the basics of the new existence to Ron, warning him to stay away from Fate and how to get on Chaos' good side. Laughter and loving echoed through the plain, offsetting the scene a world away over the same person.
Eva let them be as she focused back on Death, who had released her new charges into their home and was now simply standing there, waiting. Eva shivered, feeling an uncanny sense of doom creeping towards her. What was she waiting for? She never waited for anything. Timing, it was all about timing; she and Destiny depended on it. Although lately . . .
And then what she was waiting for materialized at her feet, and Eva's breath caught painfully in her chest as her heart ached. She could only watch helplessly as Death leaned down and caressed her newest acquisition tenderly on the cheek. She pulled him to his feet and held him in a loose hug, supporting him with her body as he seemed to lack the strength to stay fully upright alone.
Through misty eyes, Eva realized that he really did lack the strength, and in this realm there could only be one reason. Swallowing hard against the hard lump in her throat and fighting an inexplicable burning anger in her chest, she snapped off the screen and let the room around her sink into darkness.
So Death finally got what she wanted, her precious toy. Well, kind of.
Was it worth it? Eva couldn't know yet. There were still scenes yet to play out, and the script was being rewritten constantly. It wasn't finished yet. Nobody knew what would happen next, not even Destiny at this point. There was still one wild card out there, who very well might change this around, though Chaos knows how.
Fate must be having a great time, Lady Luck rolling her dice around and letting a single throw determine their existence. Now the dice were rolling and the rattling had never been graver for the living. Or the dead. Or the immortal.
A solitary tear leaked from her eye, and Eva let it run unhindered down her cheek. From grief or anger or what she didn't know or care.
There was still one thing he could do, one thing to save them all.
In the lonely darkness there, Eva whispered, "Come to me, little phoenix, come to me."
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Evil? Oh yeah!!!
Finished? Yeah right!!!!
A lot of you may be considering never reading any more of this, especially if I keep making you wait for it. Stick with it, as you have no idea what tricks I still have up my sleeve. Not everything is as it seems, and you haven't even met most of the Guardians yet.
Coming up: reunions, revelations, rituals, a chat with Death, and a deal with the devil.
Sorry again about the confusion on the last chapter. *grumbles under her breath as she contemplates how best to destroy the computer* I don't do teasers, and what was there didn't make any sense at all out of context. Thanks to all the reviewers who let me know about the problem. Again, I apologize.
Arizosa: Good intuition. I like that quote at the bottom of your review so much, I'm stealing it. ;P So look for it at the bottom of this chapter.
X a r a l i n d: Not that dark, you say? Say that again at the end of this chapter, and later. Just you wait. Of course, I'm not nearly as dark as Ruskbyte. Oh well.
David305: Thanks for catching that little typo. It was actually the computer's fault (damn spell check) but I fixed it. And thanks for following my story for so long. I'm glad that you've enjoyed it. Actually, this story has never lain fallow and it's not dead (unlike some of the characters!!), so it doesn't need to be revived. It's just that I write it first by hand and then type it up, so all the growth is behind the screen. I have 3 chapters handwritten that I need to find the time to type and post. Luckily Christmas break is right around the corner and I should have some time to post a few more chapters. Almost done!! And PC??? *shrugs and adds the nickname to her list*
NightScape: Thanks for your encouraging words, but it's when I'm nearly delirious from exhaustion that I do my best work.
BladeLiger786: No, I'm not Asian, but as any poor college student knows, rice and Ramen are very cheap and easy to make, thus composing the staple of college food when one does not have the money for caf food.
Pheonixelemental: You're going to use my quote in your senior yearbook? I'm flattered! I've never been quoted in print before. As for my senior quote, I used one of my favorite Latin sayings: "Nemo me impune lacessit." Plus "Never take life seriously; no one ever gets out of it alive." *grins* But I painted this on my bumper, "Neutiquam Erro," along with "Well-behaved women rarely make history."
Alternativelyspliced: I love you!!! It's reviews like those that make me go and procrastinate on my own homework at finals time to go write out more chapters and end up creating my own universe. So thanks for giving me reason for writing this story while I should be writing 3 different papers. *winks and brews another pot of coffee*
Disclaimer: If you haven't seen it elsewhere, then it's mine and hands off. I reference Pac-Man in here - don't own that either, and if I got the names wrong, I'm sorry, I haven't played in a long while. I don't own HP, never will, and be thankful for that. I would royally screw up millions of children for life. Order of the Phoenix was not a children's book, and neither is this as you will see. Not making any money off this either, though God knows I need some.
Chapter 32
Ron was replaying the battle again, carefully watching to try and make sense of the useless chaos, when a sharp cry rang out through the entire school. "Death Eaters are inside! Death Eaters in Hogwarts! They're inside!" He looked up wildly, saw the dawning horror on everyone's eyes, then with a snapped word changed the screens over to show the interior of Hogwarts.
Most of the white dots representing students were milling inside the Great Hall, but about a dozen were scattered on other levels, accompanied by blazing red dots. Ron cursed loudly. "How'd they get in?" he demanded, and Hermione reached out to tap a certain section of the map.
That area quickly enlarged to show a bathroom, with more red dots appearing from nowhere and diffusing quickly out into the corridors. "Through the Chamber of Secrets," she said quietly, icily calm. "Voldemort must have found another entrance from outside the school. The attack was to draw our attention outward, while they infiltrated from behind."
Remus stared at the screens for a long moment, then snapped on his communicator. "Harry, Wraith, get back here. The Death Eaters are inside Hogwarts," he barked. No answer came, but he didn't wait for one before turning to the Order. "Get down to the Great Hall. If the Death Eaters get to the students there, it'll be a death trap. They could collapse the ceiling easily enough on all of them."
He flicked his eyes to the 3-D model. "Get the students out of there and scatter in groups. Don't let them catch you all together. Get the younger ones out of Hogwarts, let anybody who wants to stay and fight." They all nodded in perfect understanding and ran. "Ron, stay here and be our eyes. We'll probably be hunting them, so direct us by communicator."
Ron nodded quietly, grasping Hermione's hand tightly with his own even as he turned back to the screens, just in time to see the black dot labeled "Voldemort" appear. "Good hunting," he murmured as Remus disappeared out the door.
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After the shouted warning, it was chaos in the Great Hall. Some students were crying, panicking at the thought of death closing in on them inside their precious school most of the older students tamped down their fear and readied themselves for the fight of their lives.
The professors there tried to keep order, but their voices were lost in the multitude. Trelawney looked ridiculous waving her arms and shouting unheard, eyes unnaturally large behind her glasses.
The Order members burst in and quickly sealed the doors behind them. McGonagall hurriedly let off a series of bangs from her wand, and everyone's attention focused on her. "Everyone calm down," she barked, "We have to leave the Hall. Split up into groups, one adult per group, and scatter. If you can, make for the exits and leave."
Bill spoke up next. "I for one plan to evict these Death Eaters. They don't belong here. Fight back when you can, but no heroics. We have enough dead martyrs for one war." That said, people quickly started to form groups, those who wished to stay non-combatants forming up towards the back as hunting parties arrayed by the huge front doors.
Each group had one adult with a communicator , and on Ron's signal the first groups left, one of younger students creeping out the back entrance heading for an exit two floors down, while another of determined sixth and seventh years headed out into the main corridor with Bill Weasley, wands at the ready.
Thus began the most deadly game of hide and seek Hogwarts had ever seen.
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Harry and Wraith Apparated up to the Phoenix Chamber where Ron was currently guiding the students away from the Death Eater hunting parties. "How the hell did they get inside?" Wraith demanded. "Chamber of Secrets. It must have another entrance out in the forest," Hermione answered shortly, and Harry grimaced. "I completely forgot about that."
Ron made a weird noise in his throat and Wraith turned to him. "What is it?" "Voldemort," Ron bit out in a strange tone, a mix of terror and anxiety. "He's heading up in this direction." Harry immediately joined him at the table, and with a tap of his wand the marble shifted to show an expanded interior view.
Sure enough, a miniature marble Voldemort was confidently stalking down the corridor alone, heading for the stairs. Ron squinted and leaned closer. "What's he holding?" Wraith suddenly winced and yelped, startling them all. His hands tugged at the back of his shirt, yanking at it as if it burned him. Harry leapt to help him. "Wraith, what . . . ?"
The War Mage tore something from his back and dropped it like a poisonous snake, but didn't back away from it. Harry stared down at the ivory handle peeking from the velvet wrappings. "Of course, the talisman," he breathed. Glancing at the marble figure, now he recognized the first talisman from Azkaban. "They must be drawn to each other. That's what he's here for."
Ron looked over at him askance. "Wasn't that your plan from the beginning? To draw him here for the talisman?" Harry nodded dismally. "Yeah, but I never expected him to get inside the castle. This makes most of the preparations useless, and puts us on the defensive."
Wraith had his gaze still fixed on the talisman at his feet. "It burns," he said with a confused, betrayed tone, "it burns me, calling for him." He met Harry's gaze, eyes bright and fierce as a dragon. "He can't have it. It's mine, my own, and he won't take it away," he nearly growled. Stooping, he picked up the wrapped knife seemingly without pain and replaced it in the sheath at his back.
Hermione watched him carefully. "Why don't you just destroy it? Isn't that what you were supposed to do in the first place?" Wraith whirled on her, snarling. "No! I won't destroy it! I can't!" She shrank back a bit at the feral gleam in his eye, and Harry narrowed his eyes in suspicion, watching his counterpart like a bomb about to explode.
Wraith turned to Harry, a dark look on his face and a grim tone to his voice. "We need to split up. If he's trying to get the talisman, he'll follow me, so I'll lead him away. Harry, you can help the others to safety. Leave old Tom to me." He grinned, showing a mouthful of teeth, and Hermione was suddenly reminded of a lion baring his fangs.
With a pop he disappeared and Ron watched as Voldemort slowed, then stopped, staring intently at the orb in his hand. Then he turned and headed away from the upper levels, following the talisman's directions towards Wraith now lurking in the dungeons. Harry sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Ron was tracing some corridors with his wand, eyes intently studying. "Ignore him for now. Harry, get to this corridor," he pointed at the Charms corridor, where two groups of red were starting to converge in a pincer on a group of white. With a nod and a pop, Harry was gone too.
A crackle came over the communicator, and the familiar voice of Professor Flitwick sounded from Ron's wrist. "We've made it out. Now to where?" Ron tapped a screen to show outside of Hogwarts. "It looks clear, so make a run towards Hogsmeade. Stay away from the village and run for the mountains. There's a cave about three-quarters of the way up the side of the eastern one that's defensible."
"Thanks. Good luck." Ron watched quietly as the students ran from the school, once the safest place in England and now a hunting ground.
Then the walls rippled golden, and stones slid away to reveal the hidden archery emplacements. Ron had forgotten the outside defense were still active, and sheer surprise slowed his reaction time.
He shouted, "Deactivate Hogwarts defenses!" but the first volley had already been loosed, and he watched helplessly as they sped towards their targets.
Flitwick apparently heard them whizzing through the air, though, for the students broke and dove for cover behind giant corpses which safely caught the arrows. The redhead breathed a sigh of relief and activated his communicator. "Sorry about that."
The diminutive Charms professor actually sounded amused. "No harm done, but I think these robes are a loss. It's rather messy out here. Any more surprises you care to tell us about?"
"Yeah," Ron made sure he deactivated what he could of the outside traps. "Avoid the front gates and cut through the edge of the forest, unless you like tiptoeing through land mines." Flitwick chuckled dryly, and the students regrouped to sprint for the forest.
Hermione sighed in relief as they reached the safety of the trees, then asked, "How are we doing?" Her boyfriend answered distractedly, "They've managed to avoid the Death Eaters so far. Harry took out a group of them here and got the students to the stairwell." He gestured vaguely at a group of white descending the moving staircases, then pointed towards the dungeons. "Wraith and Voldemort are still playing cat and mouse. Second group's ready to go out over the lake by boat."
Hermione nodded, surveying the maps for herself before looking over at Ron seriously. "Do you really need me here?" He looked at her, and she could tell in his eyes that he wanted to say yes, just to keep her safe with him. She met his eyes squarely. "I'm not doing anything here, and I hate being useless. I should be down there, helping our friends."
Ron opened and shut his mouth several times, as if uncertain what to say to that. She stepped over and kissed him quickly. "I'm going. Be my eyes." He hugged her tight to him, burying his face in her bushy brown hair. "Be careful," he murmured through the thick cloud of hair. "I can't stand to lose you too."
She responded with a searing kiss which he reciprocated briefly before pulling away. Hermione smiled reassuringly at him and ran out the door. Ron looked after her long after she had gone.
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Monica ran across the group quite by accident and was never in her life more happy to see a group of Gryffindors. She explained quickly to McGonagall about the students under Imperius and the Death Eaters, then join the hunting party. Fear and tension ran high, but they all kept a sharp eye out for the Death Eaters, almost eager for battle.
Ron's voice sounded a bit muted from the communicator on McGonagall's wrist. "Four up ahead, around the corner on your right. One student with them." The Transfiguration professor tapped twice in acknowledgement and headed with surprising stealth up the corridor, Monica just behind and left covering her back. The whole group halted at the corner, listening carefully to the hushed voices of their quarry.
With a mouthed incantation, the professor transfigured a section of the wall ahead into a mirror briefly and studied the Death Eaters without exposing her own position around the corridor. She glanced back at her students, gestured one of them forward and made a motion for him to stay low. Colin Creevey nodded, dropped to the floor and belly-crawled to the corner, where he pointed his wand around and aimed.
McGonagall directed Monica and Seamus to aim using the mirror. On her count, all muttered, "Stupefy," and watched the red lights reflect off the mirror to hit their desired targets. Colin hit his target square in the back and straightened up with a grim smile. The second year was shaking his head in confusion, obviously disoriented from the abrupt cessation of the Imperius curse.
The remaining students bound the stunned Death Eaters tightly, snapped their wands and shoved them in a hidden passageway behind a tapestry. McGonagall comforted the young student briefly, then handed him over to Monica's charge. Monica suppressed a sigh.
Babysitting again.
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This was no time for passivity.
Remus was a good hunter when he let the wolf in him help dictate his sense and reflexes. Unburdened by a pack of students, he crept swiftly and silently through the corridors, searching for intruders.
The school was eerily quiet, neither side wanted to give away their positions, ever-shifting between predator and prey. Even the portraits were silent, their inhabitants sensing the danger and not wishing to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.
Remus suppressed a shiver as his ears strained to hear anything. The castle was usually so lively, especially in the mornings as the students clambered down to breakfast and complained about unfinished homework, waiting for the morning post.
Now the stones seemed to absorb all sound, muffling even the slightest noise so that he felt like he was creeping through a vacuum. Frankly, the unnatural silence was worse than hellfire screams.
Abruptly Remus heard the soft sound of approaching footsteps, only one set, and quickly had his wand trained steadily as they came into view. He sniffed the familiar scent, nodded in acknowledgement to Hermione as he lowered his wand slightly, and gestured for her to follow. She slipped silently to his side and cast a Disillusionment Spell on both of them, and Remus internally praised her brilliance.
When they reached the main stairs they faltered, unsure of where to go. Hermione lifted her communicator to her mouth and said quietly, "Ron, where do we go?" After a moment came the equally soft reply, "Down two levels, left hand corridor and approach the History of Magic classroom from the back way. Catch that group in a crossfire with Snape's group."
Without a word the two glided as softly as ghosts down the stairs, with only a slight ripple of the wall visible evidence of their movement.
****************************************************
Ron had been watching Hermione the whole trip through the school and directed her towards the nearest group, heart beating uncomfortably loud in his chest. This was his family out there, their survival in his hands. Charlie was leading students through the forest towards the mountains; Bill lurked along the third floor corridor by the hump-backed witch statue; his mum was with Flitwick in the caves, and his dad prepared to leave on the last boat over the lake, accompanied by Madame Pomfrey.
Ron bit his lip, trying to keep focused and emotionless for now, even though his heart was aching. His family, splintered apart and unable to be whole again in this world. Muttering a vehement curse on Voldemort's head, he examined the maps again to search for danger. Wraith was moving again, heading seemingly at random through the maze of the dungeons.
Harry suddenly popped into existence beside the table, and Ron jumped with a startled yell, in turn startling Harry. They both chuckled self- deprecatingly, then Harry joined him examining the maps. He traced the route Hermione was following with Remus, heading straight for a skirmish by the History of Magic classroom. "I don't like this," the black-haired teen said.
Ron snorted. "What's there to like? We're playing hide and seek through a castle that was supposedly the safest place in all of Britain, inexperienced students versus some of the most psychotic Dark wizards this world's seen in centuries. Meanwhile Wraith and Voldemort are dancing over a dagger in the dungeons."
"Well, when you put it that way," Harry said dryly. "I just mean it's rather uncharacteristically stupid for Voldemort to rely so much on surprise." Ron shrugged. "Hey, he underestimated us. It happens to people with huge egos and megalomaniacal tendencies."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Wow, insightful use of big words. Hermione's rubbing off on you." Ron responded with an automatic, "Shut up, Harry," as he immediately went back to watching Hermione creep through the castle. They scanned the maps again, then Harry frowned and leaned closer, peering intently down into the dungeons. "Hey, what's Voldemort . . .?"
Just then the marble rippled, the screens flashed, then they all went blank as the diorama collapsed. The table was now just a table. Harry tried tapping the table and the screens, but they remained stubbornly inanimate. They couldn't see anything in the castle from this room. The two teens locked eyes.
"We're in trouble." Ron stated.
**************************************************
Wraith scowled darkly at the muted announcement that the screens had been lost. He had felt the ripple of Dark magic Voldemort had sent to disable the locators in the maps, and felt the talisman burn once again. He shifted his talisman so it was now strapped at his side, easier to reach for in a moment's notice. It was his, and he wasn't letting it go; he would die before letting the snake bastard have it.
Carefully he snuck through the hidden passageway by the old Potions room deeper into the unused portions of the dungeons. He yearned to take on Voldemort himself; unleash his true power, calling forth the Elements and setting the full might of the last War Mage upon him in a tempestuous fury. By the time he was finished, there wouldn't be a piece big enough for a flea to shit on.
But he also wanted to keep his talisman away, far away, from the greedy, pale spider-like fingers, and couldn't let it leave his sight. It was a constant tug-of-war on a bungee cord that drove this deadly game of hide- and-seek on, but it made Wraith more frustrated and edgy. He snarled to himself, warring desires in his heart.
He was concentrating so much on the enemy behind him, he forgot all about watching in front of him until he quite literally ran into a hunting party, colliding heavily with two men in black robes. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, and a couple of masks flew off. Quickly Wraith rolled so he was on top of the pile-up and started to get to his feet. He looked down.
Steve Foloth's face stared up at him from centimeters away, and Wraith remembered what these scum had done to Ginny. His anger flared, followed quickly by his magic, and within seconds the four Death Eaters lay unconscious against the wall 10 meters away.
Drawing a deep breath in an attempt at calming down, he transfigured them into dust mites and put them in the middle of an archway where Voldemort was sure to step on at least one of them. Let the vermin be squashed - what was it to him? It was the least they deserved.
He stalked off down the corridor again, feeling the malevolent presence behind him, searching him out. Wraith scowled; timing, it was all about timing, but he was running out of time. It was then the screams rang out above him. He started, and then the shrieks doubled in volume, echoing off the soiled stone walls with a piercing quality. He knew that sound; someone was learning the agonies of the Cruciatus firsthand.
That made his lip curl in a feral snarl. How dare they? How dare they?!
He sprinted for the stairs and emerged in the upper corridor in record time, quickly taking in the scene he had interrupted. One Death Eater had a girl pinned between him and the wall, intent on a little sport. Another was standing guard over bodies of Hogwarts students, and a third was laughing over the shrieks and moans of two students writhing at his feet under the Cruciatus.
His fury, so close to the surface in Wraith, flamed brilliantly and actually became visible around him, lighting up the corridor in blood red light. That drew the attention of the laughing Death Eater, who looked up and . . . smiled? "Hello Wraith, we meet again," came the silky tones of Lucius Malfoy, and Wraith glared at him with undisguised hatred.
Forget Voldemort; he wanted to kill this petty little inbred mutant son of a . . .
A burst of pain, simultaneously from his scar and his talisman derailed his train of thought. Voldemort was closing in. As much as he'd like to, he didn't have time to play around with this scum. Gathering his anger tightly, Wraith let it go in one sharp burst of flaming light that slammed the Death Eaters senseless and half-melted to the ground. The girl against the wall slumped with relief, and the curse was released from the two on the floor.
The three conscious students stared at him as he performed the Ennervate spell on their classmates, then told the group, "Get up and get out of here. Voldemort's coming." They didn't ask questions, just nodded firmly and as one they sprinted away and around a corner. Wraith turned the other way and jogged off, monitoring the Dark presence following him.
He was strongly reminded of a game that Eva had once shown him for fun, an old arcade called Pac-Man. He felt like the stupid yellow circle being chased around the maze by the ghosts - did that make Voldemort Inky, Pinky, Blinky or Bob? He shook his head fiercely at the absurd thought. Now this was just getting annoying, not to mention ridiculous.
It was time to change the rules of the game.
*****************************************************
Now that his presence in the Phoenix chamber was useless, Ron itched to go join the fight, hopefully by Hermione's side. With a final glance at the dead screens, he bolted for the door. Harry followed his friend through the office and out into the corridor, but only made it three steps beyond the gargoyle before a trio of Death Eaters appeared at the other end and began firing off spells.
Ron dove forward into a roll, came up on one knee and bellowed, "Stupefy!!" twice. Two of their enemies dropped, followed by the third as Harry got him. Ron clambered to his feet and set off at a run for the stairs, Harry on his heels. No words were necessary between them; all they were focused on was getting to Hermione.
The spooky silence that had reigned was gone, shattered by screams, spells and pounding feet ringing through the stone halls. Ignoring it, Ron sprinted recklessly down the marble steps. Suddenly in the middle of a landing Harry yanked him back and into a dark corner. Ron whirled on him, a furious question ready on his lips.
But then several Death Eaters ran past their hiding place, and the two friends quickly dropped them with hexes from behind. Ron was ready to run again, but Harry pointed at his communicator. Ron quirked his lips between a smile and a wince as he activated it, speaking softly, "Hermione, where are you?"
Her voice came back loud and clear over the background noise. "I'm with a group of students in the third floor corridor outside Fluffy's room. We're pinned down by two groups of Death Eaters. Any help would be great." Ron squeezed his fist. "We're on our way."
Harry had already turned to head for the appropriate stairs, but then a jet of red light came shooting out from a side corridor and hit him solidly in the side of the head. Harry staggered dizzily, one hand on his head, the other flailing for balance. It missed the banister, so he slumped bodily against it as Ron leapt for him while firing off a spell in the direction the attack had come from.
But as the universe has a rather twisted sense of humor, this random staircase chose that moment to change and shift to another floor. This meant that the banister disappeared during the shift, and Harry gave in to the laws of gravity. Ron could only watch as Harry tumbled helplessly over the edge and plummeted towards the hard stone below.
But the universal randomness constant jumped in again, dictating that another staircase below moved exactly then, and as Harry fell past his arm whipped out and he grabbed onto the banister. With a wet-sounding pop and a jerk, his fall was broken and he dangled by one hand from a moving staircase.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief and ran down to his friend as Harry swung his body up and hauled himself onto the solid stone. "You all right mate?" "Yeah," Harry panted, then winced. "Maybe. Wrenched my shoulder a bit there." Ron chuckled. "You know, there are easier ways to get downstairs faster." Harry pulled a face at him as he cast a healing charm on his shoulder, then stood.
"C'mon, Hermione's waiting." Together they ran off to collect the third member of the Trio.
******************************************************
Hermione thanked Lady Luck for being on her side so far as her wand blasted a Death Eater to the ground. Neville shouted a warning and she ducked a spell, tracked it to its originator and dropped him with a rapid hex. She dimly noted Neville stunning another attacker, absently thought to thank Harry for teaching him so well, then kicked a wand out of its bearer's hand and turned the dark robes to rock, cementing that Death Eater in place.
Hermione finished off the last Death Eater standing and quickly scanned around her, heart wrenching at the bodies of the students laying sprawled on the floor among the fallen Death Eaters. Her small group was currently clear, but shouts and lights from around the corner indicated other students in trouble. "Come on!" she shouted, and ran down the corridor followed by a dozen of her peers.
They charged into battle, flinging curses and hexes at anyone in a mask. Hermione caught a flash of orange-red and sprinted for her boyfriend, who was fighting two opponents at once. She shot a Stunner at one, and as he crumpled Ron dispatched the other. He shot her a wry grin. "Hi."
She placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Hi. About time. What took you so long?" Ron shrugged. "Harry had a problem taking the stairs," he commented as he took out a Death Eaters closing in on Cho Chang from behind. Together they jumped back into the fray. The battle was over quickly and everyone paused to catch much-needed breaths.
Ron straightened up and surveyed his fellow students. "Al right, there's still more Death Eaters in Hogwarts. Let's show them they're not welcome." A ragged cheer went up, and a couple of salutes were casually tossed his way as they started off, flush with victory and adrenaline. Harry nodded with a smile and winked at him, then loped off down for the hunt.
Ron made to follow, but stopped dead in his tracks as a cold mocking voice reached his ears. "Oh, the idiot Weasel is giving orders now. No wonder you're doomed to failure." He slowly turned to face Draco Malfoy, rage pounding raw and savage through his body. "Malfoy," he spat, "you bloody coward." Malfoy just laughed. "Only a Gryffindor would think a strategic retreat to be cowardice."
Ron approached him menacingly, wand drawn and trained between the icy gray eyes. "You will pay for what you did," he bit out. Malfoy smirked, "Oh, you mean dear little Ginny. Yes, your precious little sister certainly was . . ."
Whatever he thought she was, Ron never found out as his rage boiled over and he shouted incomprehensibly. A jet of light shot from his wand to hit Malfoy square in the chest and send him tumbling back into the wall with smoking robes. Ron clenched his wand, ready with another curse meant to injure, to cause pain, anything to punish this monster before him. Ginny deserved that much.
But another look at that twisted pale face, and suddenly magic was too good to waste on this scum. Ron sheathed his wand, grabbed Malfoy's robes by the collar and punched him as hard as he could, relishing the crack of a cheekbone under his knuckles. The other boy staggered, and Ron hit him again and again, intent on doing the most damage and disfigurement.
Malfoy tried to hit back, but Ron blocked the ineffective swipes and landed a hard right to the stomach. Malfoy dropped from his grasp, doubled up and retching, so Ron kicked him fiercely, remembering every vile thing Malfoy had ever did, every insulting word, every spiteful glance.
Finally Malfoy lay limp on the floor, and as a parting gift Ron spit on him, the liquid streaking through the white-blond hair. Panting, he wiped the blood off his knuckles and looked up to find Hermione watching him silently with a carefully neutral face.
How long had she been watching? He met her gaze steadily, unashamed of his actions but heart twisting at what she might think. After a moment she nodded and held out her hand for him. He gave her a small thankful smile, stepped over Malfoy's body and reached out to take her hand, finding all the comfort in the world in that simple gesture.
Then Malfoy stirred. His wand pointed at Ron's back, he muttered a guttural- sounding curse, and a purplish bruised light shot out to impact the redhead between the shoulders. Hermione had just clutched Ron's hand when he gripped it convulsively, gave a short cry and collapsed.
Reacting instinctively, she caught him as he fell, staggering under his weight until she sat on the cold stones cradling his upper body in her lap. "Ron! Ron, what's wrong?!" she asked in a high-pitched panicked voice, hand running through his thick hair trying to comfort him. Ron's face contorted in a spasm of pain and he convulsed in her arms for a few terrifying seconds.
She watched horrified as dark purple and red bruises blossomed under his skin, growing and flowing together in great discolored patches. He coughed, and blood flecked from his mouth to spatter her jumper. "Ron!" she cried out, and his eyes opened, the brilliant warm blue now back-dropped by crimson sclera and barely able to focus on her face above.
"Her . . . Hermione?" he coughed as more blood trickled from his mouth, now joined by streams from his nose. She nodded, crying as she tried to wipe the blood away and stained her hands red. He tried to smile at her. "I'm . . . sorry," he breathed out, and blinked away bloody tears. "Love you . . ." his voice trailed off, and she felt under her hand as his chest rattled once, then stilled.
Hermione bit her lip, breathing hard and fast through the tears streaming down her face, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips, ignoring the blood. "Love you," she whispered back brokenly, knowing he couldn't hear her. A scuffle made her look up, and she saw Draco Malfoy break into a limping, staggering run down the corridor.
A white-hot rage unlike anything she had ever known burst into full conflagration in her chest. Gently she lay Ron back onto the floor, closing his eyes for him, then shot to her feet and sprinted after the murderous demon, shrieking fit for a horde of banshees out of hell.
Malfoy glanced back, and she felt a dark thrill to see terror reflected in his eyes. He tried to run, but he only made a few more hobbling steps before Hermione was on him, tearing and clawing and shrieking out curses, slamming him into the wall. He struggled to get away, but this hellcat was having none of it, and he gasped under the blows and gashes she rained on him, bright spots of blood streaking his robes and pale skin.
Malfoy caught one of her hands and used her momentum to push himself away, sideways down the corridor. She lashed out with a side kick Eva had taught her, and with her rage tapped unconsciously into her magic to give extra force behind the blow. Ribs cracked and Malfoy was sent flying back into a suit of armor in a small cubicle to the side.
The armor wavered, then collapsed, which included the sharpened axe it held. Malfoy had time for one terrified scream before it thudded down, silencing him forever with a sickening crunch.
Hermione stood frozen in the corridor, unable to believe her eyes.
Malfoy was dead.
It was an accident.
It was her fault.
She started shaking, then looked down at the blood coating her hands. He had killed Ron. She wasn't sorry about Malfoy at all.
Slowly, numbly she staggered back down the corridor and slumped down next to Ron. Tenderly she wetted the end of her robe and wiped the blood from his face, smoothing his features into peace. Now he merely looked like he was sleeping, like the time he had fallen asleep on her in the Common Room, after that day . . .
Just like that night, Hermione gathered him into her arms close to her, rocking him gently as she petted his thick red hair, humming softly and unaware of fresh tears splashing down her face amid the blood spatters.
*************************************************
Harry led a small group of frightened students out the little-used passage by the Hufflepuff Common Room. He surveyed the incongruously sunny day painting the lawns with brilliant colors, then clapped a nearby boy on the shoulder. "What's your name?"
The boy swallowed hard. "T-travis." "Okay Travis, see that hut out there?" Harry pointed to Hagrid's hut at the edge of the forest, and at the boy's nod said, "You need to lead them there. Run and don't look back until you're all inside. Keep a look-out for anyone coming. A professor will come and take you to a safe place, okay?"
Travis swallowed hard and nodded bravely. Then a girl asked from behind them, "What about Professor Sprout? Why can't she lead us?" Harry winced, remembering the green flash of light as the Herbology professor tried to protect her charges. "She can't come, but someone else will." He took one last look. "Go."
They shoved past him, Travis in the lead, and like a flock of birds made directly for their roost. Harry watched until the door slammed shut behind the last trailing robe, then he ducked back inside to track down some more.
Every sense was on alert, so when a muffled pop sounded behind him he whipped around with wand at ready. Wraith stood there panting, an unholy gleam in his eyes and some blood spattering his arms. Harry frowned at him. "What the hell are you doing?" The other flashed him a lopsided grin. "Voldemort's having a hell of a time tracking me down when I keep popping all over the place."
Harry eyed him warily and gestured at the blood. "And that?" Wraith looked down and shrugged carelessly. "I can't stand to watch Death Eaters kill children. The shit get what they deserve." Harry tightened his jaw and nodded sharply. "Want to go hunting with me?" Wraith's dark face brightened. "Of course."
Together they set off rapidly through the maze that was Hogwarts, searching. For some time they found only dead or unconscious bodies, both students and Death Eaters, but no hunting parties of either side. As they stalked through another corridor, Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stared. A suit of armor had been knocked over, the gleaming metal offset by a tangle of black robes, pale hair, and crimson blood.
"Malfoy," he muttered through an incomprehensible tangle of emotions. Wraith ground his teeth and they walked past, averting their eyes from the mess. At the end of the corridor came a soft humming tune, a rather haunting melody that traced and twirled through the air slowly. Harry approached cautiously, wand at the ready until he caught sight of a head of bushy brown hair hanging like a veil over two faces and intertwined with coppery-red.
His breath caught in his throat and he ran forward, croaking out, "Hermione?" She didn't appear to hear him, so involved in stroking Ron's hair and humming that song. He knelt by her side and touched her shoulder, "Hermione?" Slowly she turned to him, and he was shocked to see the emptiness in her eyes.
"Harry," she said softly, like a little girl, and he looked down at Ron. With a trembling hand he felt at his neck, and the utter stillness and chill of his flesh told Harry everything he didn't want to be true. His heart broke painfully, cracked right in half along the space that Ron had occupied in his life, now just a cold emptiness. He turned back to Hermione, tears in his eyes to match hers.
She spoke again in that little girl voice. "Ron did it, he did it for Ginny. But he couldn't kill him. Not Ron. But Malfoy killed Ron, and he said he was sorry and he loved me, but then he left me, and Malfoy tried to get away, but I wouldn't let him. I killed him. He killed Ron and I killed him," she babbled, hugging Ron and rocking his body.
Harry lowered his head, choking back a great lump of boiling tears before they could flood out. Finally he rasped, "We need to leave, Hermione." She shook her head stubbornly. "Not without Ron!" He nodded. "Now without Ron. He's coming with us." Carefully Wraith extricated the body from Hermione's arms and picked him up, and Harry helped Hermione to her feet, letting her cling to him tightly for support.
The trip was made in silence, and seemed at once interminable and absurdly short in their numb emotional haze. They were at the base of the mountain, smoke from Hogsmeade drifting past in acrid fumes, watching as Mrs. Weasley fell sobbing to the ground, cradling the body of her youngest son tightly. Hermione was caught up in a tight hug by Charlie and Bill, while Mr. Weasley knelt stiffly beside his distraught wife.
Harry shook himself, glanced at Wraith, and without a word they left the scene to head back to Hogwarts. They weren't finished yet, not by a long shot, for they swore that every Death Eater within those walls would die.
Harry had had enough.
********************************************
Remus had gathered what students and professor remained into the Great Hall and studied them . Beaten and bloodied, they all met his gaze with the same determination to fight back as long as possible. The cost of the shadow battle had been high on both sides, but Voldemort was still alive and lurking in the castle. It wasn't over yet.
Remus knew that only Harry could face the Dark Lord and have a snowball's chance in hell of doing something significant. Briefly he wondered how soon he'd be seeing Sirius and James and Lily again, then shook his head to focus. He met Snape's gaze, noting the man trying to hide a bloodstain on the side of his robes, and almost smiled to realize that some things never changed. The man never acknowledged weakness or injury if he could help it.
Before Remus could issue orders, the doors crashed open and instantly every wand was trained on the entrance, where Harry and Wraith stormed in looking furious. Remus lowered his wand. "What's the report?" Wraith scowled deeply. "Voldemort wants the talisman, but seems not to be making an effort beyond tracking me. And he refuses to leave the castle when I do."
Snape frowned, dark brows lowering to make his face more menacing than usual. "He's waiting for something." Harry shook his head with frustration. "I don't know what, though. He's gathered his Death Eaters back in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so unless he has another basilisk to sic on us, only Merlin knows what he's up to."
Seamus looked over, nose clearly broken and serving to make his brogue thicker than ever. "So whadda thing? Run 'way wid our arse indact, o' s'dorm de bahdroom an' killem all?" Wraith was looking up at the huge windows, frowning in deep thought. "This is all about the talisman," he said softly, eyes gleaming. "Hogwarts is just a bonus. He's planning something."
He glanced down at Remus. "I need to face him. Alone. Get everyone else out." Snape stepped forward with a massive scowl. "Wraith . . ." Wraith simply glared back at him. "This isn't ego or a hero complex. This is fact. There's nothing else you can do here. Now get out." Remus watched him steadily for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. "He's right. We have to leave."
Grudgingly the two dozen or so defenders gathered together and with a backwards farewell at Wraith, left Hogwarts for the last time.
Harry jogged after them, and at Remus' curious look explained, "I'll make sure you all reach the forest." Exhausted, they jogged down the lawns towards the relative safety of the trees. Harry kept gazing around, knowing something was off but unable to pinpoint it, and urged them on faster.
Suddenly from behind them came the shattering crash of broken glass, punctuated by a chorus of inhuman snarls. "Oh shit," Harry breathed, glancing back, "demons." Sure enough, demons swarmed the outside of the Great Hall, breaking the windows to get in, and Harry paused, torn.
That pause saved their lives, for from the forest a running army of supernatural creatures emerged, with only two goals: get the talisman and kill anything in the way.
Wraith came sprinting out the front doors and slammed them shut, temporarily sealing the demons inside, and joined the last humans on the field before the circle closed. Wraith and Harry herded the last of the Hogwarts defenders in a tight group back to back as they circled the outside, weapons drawn. The demons circled them, snarling and howling and raising an unearthly noise that made skin crawl, but made no move to advance.
Abruptly silence fell, so deafening that several wizards staggered. A screeching laugh rang out, and both Wraith and Harry winced as scars shot through with fiery pain. Voldemort appeared at the front doors of Hogwarts flanked by more demons, laughing gleefully. "So it comes down to this, one last hopeless standoff."
He grinned, baring rotting pointed teeth in a death's head grimace. "Wraith, hand over the talisman and you can all escape alive. Resist and my demons will tear you to shreds looking for it." Wraith snarled back, "Never!!" Voldemort sighed in mock pity, then flicked his fingers.
Immediately the demons charged from all sides, and the wizards opened fire. Harry and Wraith fought furiously, quicker and more brutally than they ever had before, sending gouts of steaming blood arching in the air to stain and burn black furrows in the grass. The wizards couldn't target the demons themselves, but cast rapid-fire spells on the ground, the air, the weapons sweeping towards them, barely managing to keep them at bay.
Remus found himself back to back with Snape, nearly leaning against each other for support as they tapped deeper and deeper into their reserves for the energy to survive. Every breath was gasped in aching lungs, each move strained exhausted muscles, brains struggled to remember spells that might save all their lives. Weapons clanged and slashed, spilling human blood with the black slime. They were falling, failing.
Wraith took a desperate gamble and knelt with both hands on his staff, concentrating all his energy into its core and relying on Harry to protect him for these crucial moments. Harry strained every resource he had and some he didn't know he did, trying everything to protect himself and Wraith, but knew he wasn't going to last long. "Come on, come on," he gritted as he simultaneously decapitated one demon with his parvalleh and eviscerated another behind with the sword.
The ruby atop the staff began to glow, brighter and brighter until it outshone the sun, causing squeals of pain around them, temporarily halting the fight. Then a great beam of light shot out and cut a huge swath through the demon's blocking the way to the forest. It wasn't fire, but as the light touched them, each demons instantly disintegrated into free-floating molecules.
Once the path was clear, the light disappeared and Wraith slumped to the ground unmoving. Harry yelled, "RUN!!" and instantly the wizards took off in a frantic dash for the trees. Several stumbled in exhaustion, lurching over the torn up ground but pushing themselves towards safety. Remus tripped over a fallen axe and stumbled, barely catching himself in time.
The damage was done. The others made it into the forest and disappeared into the trees, and the demons closed ranks filling in the gap. And Voldemort was no longer laughing. Instead, with a horrible expression of fury, he pointed his wand at Remus and shot a beam of silver-white light at him.
Remus convulsed and shuddered, moaning in agony, then his figure lengthened and sprouted fur, hands curled into paws and his mouth elongated into a muzzle full of razor-sharp teeth. Harry backed away cautiously, dread thrilling coldly through his blood. Voldemort had forced the lycanthropic transformation, and now Harry stood face to face with a crazed werewolf.
Snarling, it lunged at him and desperately Harry blocked it with the hammer side of the parvellah. He didn't want to hurt Remus, but he couldn't leave Wraith. He dropped the sword and scrambled for his wand, but the wolf lunged again, slipping under his guard and snapping for his jugular. Instinctively Harry fell backwards to roll the wolf over him, but he forgot something.
His sword lay behind him, blade wedged upwards from a deep furrow of torn earth, and as he rolled with the wolf's momentum, the blade pierced through his heart and emerged, bloodied, from his chest.
Wraith was barely conscious, energy drained to almost nothing, but he felt that blade stab through Harry as surely as it was his own flesh. The searing pain made him cry out weakly. Raising his head fractionally, he looked over at Harry, whose face was contorted with shock and agony as blood poured out of his mouth. Wraith could only watch as the light in Harry's eyes dimmed, flickered, then faded, and the body fell completely limp.
Immediately Wraith felt a hideous tearing in his soul as something monstrous with cruel silver eyes brutally ripped half of himself away, leaving him trembling, weak and broken, unable to move for the all- consuming pain. A curious dizzy sensation, like being in two places at the same time, had his head reeling as senses split and separated, spanning an insurmountable gulf.
He barely heard the approaching footsteps until Voldemort stood right over him with such a look as to make him shiver and look away. "Yes . . ." he hissed, "the scar . .. I could sense both of you . . . I felt him die, yet you remain here." Long pale fingers raked over his forehead, and he cried out as his body morphed painfully back into his normal form of Harry Potter, scar prickling.
"Remarkable," Voldemort breathed, "two of you, with equal power and knowledge. That explains so much." Those insidious hands crept down to Harry's side and loosened the sheath. "I'll take this now."
Harry put his hand over the talisman and whispered, "No." Voldemort ignored him, pushing his hand away like a child and removing the wrapped knife. He stood, clutching both talismans to him and Harry could barely make him out through the swirl of darkness. He could feel even more of himself ripping away, seized by spider-like fingers and carried off as a prize.
"Timing, Harry Potter, it's all about timing. Once the ritual is complete, then and only then will you die." He laughed again, like talons over a chalkboard. "Enjoy your last few hours alive." Voldemort walked away, leaving Harry alone and helpless on a field of bodies.
Harry was staring up at the bright blue sky, which was wavering unsteadily in his vision, when Hogwarts exploded.
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Eva laughed.
It was not a nice laugh.
It was helplessness and despair and hopelessness and heartbreak and pure unadulterated loneliness - a laugh that could only be given in place of weeping.
It echoed over the empty plains of her realm, mixing with the wind through the grasses, the waves crashing at the beach, the thick silence of the mountains and the quiet peace of the forests, then died out in a rush.
Eva sat in her unlit room, watching the portal that was her only connection to the outside worlds. This time it showed Death's realm, the Guardian separating and greeting all her newcomers from the battle of Hogwarts. There hadn't been a rush like this in quite a while, and Eva knew what it meant. It wasn't good.
She watched as a solitary redhead ran towards a group on the outside of the city, and was quickly engulfed by a mob of ginger in a multi-armed hug. She focused in on them, watching this family reunion with a slight smile.
Fred pulled out of the hug and grinned at his younger brother, who was actually taller than him. "Hi Ron. Long time no see." George smirked widely. "She get you too, eh?" Ron gave Ginny an extra squeeze as he answered, "Yeah, she did. Well actually Malfoy did. But he came in right behind me, then kept going."
Ginny smiled up at him. "You know what that means?" Ron looked down at her quizzically, and the twins answered gleefully, "That means, burn baby burn!!!" Ginny laughed. "We won't be seeing him again." Ron cracked a smile. "The best part is, I think Hermione's the one that got him." There was an instant of shocked silence, then the three Weasleys burst into cheers and an improvised war dance as Percy looked on with a fond smile.
Gradually they made their way back to their own group of family and friends, explaining some of the basics of the new existence to Ron, warning him to stay away from Fate and how to get on Chaos' good side. Laughter and loving echoed through the plain, offsetting the scene a world away over the same person.
Eva let them be as she focused back on Death, who had released her new charges into their home and was now simply standing there, waiting. Eva shivered, feeling an uncanny sense of doom creeping towards her. What was she waiting for? She never waited for anything. Timing, it was all about timing; she and Destiny depended on it. Although lately . . .
And then what she was waiting for materialized at her feet, and Eva's breath caught painfully in her chest as her heart ached. She could only watch helplessly as Death leaned down and caressed her newest acquisition tenderly on the cheek. She pulled him to his feet and held him in a loose hug, supporting him with her body as he seemed to lack the strength to stay fully upright alone.
Through misty eyes, Eva realized that he really did lack the strength, and in this realm there could only be one reason. Swallowing hard against the hard lump in her throat and fighting an inexplicable burning anger in her chest, she snapped off the screen and let the room around her sink into darkness.
So Death finally got what she wanted, her precious toy. Well, kind of.
Was it worth it? Eva couldn't know yet. There were still scenes yet to play out, and the script was being rewritten constantly. It wasn't finished yet. Nobody knew what would happen next, not even Destiny at this point. There was still one wild card out there, who very well might change this around, though Chaos knows how.
Fate must be having a great time, Lady Luck rolling her dice around and letting a single throw determine their existence. Now the dice were rolling and the rattling had never been graver for the living. Or the dead. Or the immortal.
A solitary tear leaked from her eye, and Eva let it run unhindered down her cheek. From grief or anger or what she didn't know or care.
There was still one thing he could do, one thing to save them all.
In the lonely darkness there, Eva whispered, "Come to me, little phoenix, come to me."
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Evil? Oh yeah!!!
Finished? Yeah right!!!!
A lot of you may be considering never reading any more of this, especially if I keep making you wait for it. Stick with it, as you have no idea what tricks I still have up my sleeve. Not everything is as it seems, and you haven't even met most of the Guardians yet.
Coming up: reunions, revelations, rituals, a chat with Death, and a deal with the devil.