"There's no time to explain. We need to find someone who is controlling the outside barrier," Elizabeth said breathlessly. She couldn't stand still while the Transfiguration teacher pondered their next move. They didn't notice a fiery bird flying behind them.
"Right. A barrier like the one outside has to be cast right inside it. The person who cursed the barrier into existence should be somewhere close to the castle." McGonagall and Elizabeth left the castle. Elizabeth went to the left, McGonagall to the left. Elizabeth got halfway around when she saw someone with their wand in the air, managing the red, swelling barricade.
"But, Professor, why?" she asked the silvery-blue eyes of the defense against the dark arts teacher.
"Because," Blade replied, "The Dark Lord has promised me more than I ever could have imagined."
"Did he promise you acceptance?" she inquired softly in understanding.
"More than that. He promised me respect. Respect is something you don't see too much of when you're a half-vampire."
"But Dumbledore hired you knowing who you were…"
"Dumbledore has a history of hiring half-humans, so it didn't mean much. He'd already hired a half giant, a werewolf, and then a centaur. It's only logical he hire a half vampire. Next year, I expect you children will be taught defense against the dark arts by a mermaid," Blade spat.
"Voldemort has a history with dealing with dark creatures. That's all you are to him…a dark creature to be used for his bidding—"
"Shut up! You can't be right! You just can't be!"
"Oh?" she asked. "Then what do you call that ruthless dementor attack at the ministry of magic? Voldemort sent them there, knowing, expecting, hoping really, for the ministry's Aurors to destroy the dementors."
"He doesn't care about dementors. They have no soul—"
"You really shouldn't have let us learn about vampires, should you have, Professor Blade?" she continued. "Vampires have no soul, either. Half-vampires might have souls; it depends on the mother. If the father was the vampire, then, sure, you'll have a soul, but if it was the mother who was the vampire, then you're screwed, my friend."
"Enough of this asinine babble," a deep voice boomed from somewhere. "Avada Kadavra!" Elizabeth jumped behind Blade a split second later, and saw him collapse on the ground. She fell with him, to make it look like she'd been hit. As she watched the person, who owned the voice, leave, she felt something weird in her professor's coat pocket. She felt inside and grabbed out her locket and the two flowers. 'What was he doing with them?' she thought as she transformed into the Buto. She flew over to the spot by Harry and Ron.
"Well?" Harry asked impatiently in Parseltongue.
"Hold your horses," she replied as she turned back into a human. "Blade had my locket and our flowers. Don't know why, but I got them back after this one guy killed him," she stammered.
"Why'd someone kill Blade?" Ron asked.
"I think…" Elizabeth's voice faltered. "I think they were aiming for me." She took the daisy and tried to pull it apart from the rose. Harry took the rose part and tried pulling.
In that moment, the locket opened by itself and was floating in the air. The carvings were glowing. The two flowers burst forth in light. A golden stream flowed up into the air as a silver streak tried to merge with it. They spiraled up until they seemed to hit sky. It was as though the black clouds were destroyed by the two entwined radiances. The lights got so bright that Elizabeth and Harry had to look away. The black clouds were dispersing and disappeared, but before they could be completely gone, a bird was struck by lightening.
"Fawkes!" Harry shouted. Fawkes exploded into a large ball of flames.
"Don't let go, Harry," Elizabeth said quietly. Harry nodded.
The locket loomed overhead and went towards the circle of death eaters. When it was near the Willow, the two brilliant lights spun around it, reflecting glorious colors. The then seemed to focus on one spot on the locket, the center. When all light was gone, except for in the center, the light shot of into the darkness.
Dementors caught in the blast disintegrated. The light hit the Whomping Willow and it collapsed in a heap of ashes. A gold line when west, north, east and everything in between; the silver line went east, south, west, and everything in between. They harmed nothing except Whomping Willows and dementors. When, at last, the light reached over the horizon, the locket exploded in a blaze of fire.
The fire, when finished consuming the locket, split in two. One fireball flew at Harry; the other went to Elizabeth. One stopped right in front of Harry; the other, Elizabeth. Harry stared at his, not knowing what to expect.
His fireball grew bigger so that it could gobble him up whole. He was starting to get scared, but something told him to stay where he was. The fire started to cover him, and a pleasant heat surrounded him. The fire quickly merged into his body and disappeared. The way Elizabeth was looking, apparently hers had done the same.
Voldemort had followed the fire to the teenagers. He smiled wickedly. "Now is my chance to finally kill you both. Latronis Maleficus was to be my right hand man, even before Wormtail. He was the most faithful follower I could have hoped for. And it's because of you," he paused and glared at Elizabeth, "that he's dead." He sneered and pulled out his wand.
"Tom, what way is that to talk to the heroes that just saved the world?" asked a calm voice. Professor Dumbledore had come out from behind the three children.
(A/N: I think two more chapters and it's done. :'-( I think I'm gonna cry!!!
Amber: Boy am I glad you found my story! Please don't hate me once you've finished editing the sequel…I won't tell you why you'll hate me, just please don't!!!! I'll explain later.
-Sigh- These last chapters will come very quickly. Very very quickly. I just hope you can keep up! ;-) )