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CHAPTER 16: Promises of Lies and Truths of Horror
Stacy swore vividly. She had covered maybe a fifth of the castle at most, but too many people were in it now. She could no longer move freely for fear of running into someone and blowing her cover. Time to pay Tom a little visit, she thought.
"You are here to train to defeat Voldemort and save the world," Salazar said, stepping into the light. If anyone was surprised to see him completely normal, they didn't show it.
"You must all be beyond physically fit. You must have superhuman reflexes and above all you must be prepared. That's what I'm here for," Salazar continued, his voice quiet but powerful. "My job is to train you in more than just defense spells and curses, but all types of muggle weaponry from guns to swords along with different types of martial arts. There is no easy way to do this and it will hurt, but you must succeed. The world is at stake. So no pressure, right?" Hermione smiled weakly at him. Harry and Severus looked determined, Draco looked a bit apprehensive and Severus wore a cool and indifferent look.
"Now let's begin." Lights flickered on and everyone from the present realized just how big this room (more of a large gymnasium) was. Along the east wall hung swords of every kind from a full sized katana to a half-sized kodachi (which is mainly used for defense). There were also some long knives, small daggers, and kunai (Japanese throwing knives) along with other small but sharp objects. Against the west wall was a large case filled with guns of every nature from a small pistol to a machine gun (though Severus wondered if those would really do any good in the war or even be used. They were rather large and foolish considered the circumstances). Severus thought a few appeared to be some sort of high tech one, possibly some sort of laser. He could also see they were standing in the center of a sparing field. To the south there were targets, some still, some moving, obviously for practice with the guns, perhaps the swords and knives as well. To the north there was another door, but it was impossible to tell where it led, it wasn't even on the map.
"All right," Salazar said. "First I need to know exactly how badly out of shape you people are. Fifteen laps around the room, move!" Immediately they jogged off to the side and then broke into a run. Everyone completed the first five laps, but then Hermione had to stop at the eight and Harry and Draco followed the suit at ten. Sirius somehow managed thirteen, but then collapsed. Only Severus finished all fifteen and wasn't even breathing hard.
"How did you do that?" Sirius demanded. "It's not humanly possible!"
"You mean it's not possible for a weakling like you," Severus said silkily.
"Severus, now is not the time for you childish antics," Hermione said sternly. Harry and Draco watched in amazement and Severus glared at Hermione but stiffly apologized to Sirius, who managed to return the gesture.
"Remind me to keep her near me whenever Snape's near by," Harry muttered. Draco grinned and replied, "Poor Sev, that's a short leash she's got him on." Harry nodded and grinned back.
"That was pathetic," Salazar said, getting everyone's attention again. "But not any different than I expected."
"So you knew Snape was in better shape than me," Sirius said, growling.
"Yes," Salazar said, not bothering to deny it and not looking a bit sorry. "Almost everything you're about to learn I learned at least the basics of from my father. Some more, and some I've come up with on my own, as it was…necessary." The room went silent for a moment, then Salazar broke the silence.
"Two-hundred jumping jacks then fifty push ups. Once you've finished we'll start on some basic martial arts. And no complaining unless you'd rather I gift wrap you and send you to Voldemort," he directed at Draco, Harry, and Hermione's disbelieving and shocked looks, not to mention Sirius who looked like he wouldn't mind becoming a murderer.
"That's all?" Severus asked, a small smirk playing on his lips. Salazar chuckled.
"I don't want to kill everyone right away," Salazar said, smiling a little.
"What the hell does he mean 'that's all'?" Sirius muttered darkly, glaring. The younger wizards murmured in agreement.
"Get started!" Salazar abruptly barked. Everyone did, albeit with a lot of swearing not suitable for little kiddies coming from all but Severus. Salazar just looked at them in amusement.
"Harry should be placed in the castle," Ron said, pointing to the center of the great hall. "Perhaps Dumbledore as well. That would draw you-know-who away from the rest of the fighting." Ginny and Padma looked like they agreed, but Cherie shook her head.
"It's Hermione he wants," she disagreed. "I think you should place Hermione, Salazar and Severus in the great hall and have Harry and Dumbledore lead the attack on the death eaters."
"Salazar?" Ginny asked. "But he'll be in the future. What good would it do to place him in there."
"Do you really think we're going to let you fight without our help?" Cherie questioned softly. "We've waited a long time to stop Voldemort and save our world, we aren't going to give up our last chance now."
"Oh," Ginny said quietly.
"So," Cherie continued. "If we place those three in the great hall, where do you think Harry and Dumbledore would be most valuable? Personally, I'm thinking that Dumbledore should be permanently placed in front of the castle doors once Voldemort enters to make sure no one else tries to go in and help him."
"Agreed," Ron said. "I think Harry would be best used if he in the first assault and helped take out the first wave of death eaters. Then maybe in the third to give him time to rest during the second."
"I think Sirius should definitely go in Harry's place during the second assault, him and Remus," Ginny said, studying the map. "They work well together and can work off each other. That will be helpful."
"Tonks should be in the first assault," Ron said. "If she's put in the second then Remus's attention will be divided between killing the death eaters and protecting her. He and Sirius wouldn't be able to work as well together either."
"Shacklebolt should be in the first assault," Padma said, continuing the train of thought. "He and Tonks work together all the time. Arthur Weasly would do well also."
"Perhaps half of the aurors in each wave of the battle," Ron said, now thinking hard. "That way our greatest power would be equal throughout the fight."
"We should save the less powerful witches and wizards, civilians, until the end of the battle," Padma said. "By then most of the real fight will have gone out of the death eaters."
"But we should save a few powerful ones until then, we don't want our side to be crippled like the you-know-who's followers."
"The giants to be used in the first assault and continually used until they are all too injured to fight. They will be able to take out many of the wizards," Cherie said. "The vampires should be used toward the beginning to, because they won't be much use if the battle goes into the morning. The night of the battle won't be a full moon, but the werewolves will be most helpful. There is a potion that Severus created later on that allowed them to transform into the animal but keep their mind almost entirely and still have all the abilities of the monster along with a touch of its cruelties to have no misgivings of killing the death eaters. I don't think Remus should be one of those to take the potion, however, he'll be more useful as a human."
"I think that the centaurs should attack from the forest and stop a lot of those trying to enter the battle, mainly the dark creatures that you-know-who has gotten to enter fight for his side," Ron said. "Do you think that we should plan on using Fawkes? I know he was a big help at times to Harry."
"Well," Cherie said slowly. "I think Fawkes will be most useful after the battle, and I know we should collect as many of his tears beforehand because there will be a lot of wounded to tend to."
"Good point," Ginny said. "The other healer, the human ones, should they be part of the fight? They are powerful, but we'll need them after the fight is over for sure. They are the ones we can't replace with other people, it wouldn't work."
"I think the healers should set up tents around the castle and tend to the wounded as they come in during the battle and only fight if we start losing to many of the other warriors," Padma said. Everyone nodded, things were starting to go somewhere.
Pathetic, Stacy thought. But not any different than I had expected. Voldemort had chosen the headmaster's old quarters and office to be his own. She smirked and dematerialized herself and slid through the statue guarding them. She went up the stairs and saw Tom staring out the window. Something nagged at the back of her mind, that position reminding her of something but she couldn't quite remember what. She shook her head and stepped closer to him, smiling at the fact that since she was invisible he couldn't see her, but she could very well see him. He held something in his hand, a little square device. He pressed the center of it and an image popped up.
"Master," a miniature Lucius Malfoy said, bowing. "The girl, Selina, has said nothing. We will question her again later. Please accept my humblest apologies for my failure last night in interrogating her. I promise to do better."
"Very well, Lucius," Voldemort said coldly. "See that you do so, or the punishment will be…unpleasant." Stacy could see a small shiver pass through the holographic man.
"Thank you my lord," Lucius said. Voldemort held out his arm and Lucius kissed the sleeve, being the closest thing he could get to the hem of his master's robe. Then he disappeared.
Well, well, Stacy thought. I guess my little chat with Tom can be put off until tomorrow. I should let that girl have some…company. I'm sure she needs it. She went back down the stairs and stepped through the barrier again, then teleported to the dungeons. Lying there in an open cell for all to see was Selina Snape, not looking to good at all. Stacy allowed herself the luxury of becoming visible again. Selina's eyes flickered open and she caught sight of the other woman. Her lips for the word 'Stacy' but her vocal cords wouldn't sound it. Stacy knelt down beside the girl.
"Hello," she said pleasantly. "Fancy seeing you here. Are you enjoying yourself? I am. Though I had expected Tom to be my first little victim, I suppose you'll have to do because I won't have you spilling any secrets to his death eaters. The Order is mine to destroy at my will, as is Tom and his little empire. So good night little girl." Selina's eyes opened in horror at the other woman's words but that was all. Stacy snapped her fingers and Selina's heart just stopped. No sign of murder, it simply appeared that the trauma had gotten to her.
Stacy smiled and became invisible once more.
Everyone from the present went to bed soar that night, whether physically or mentally. They were all so tired none bothered to change or brush their teeth and in Hermione and Severus's case they just collapsed on the same bed and fell asleep, not caring that it was together.
Sadly, those two weren't asleep very long because they found themselves back in the hall of time exactly where they left all last night. Except not everything was the same.
"Who are you?" Severus asked before Hermione could. The woman next to them was similar to Athena in many ways, model figure, shimmering clothes, and no emotions. But there were also many differences. While Athena had no emotions other than perhaps delight in others confusion, sadness, or dramatic things, this person seemed merely calm, just completely calm.
"Hello," she said. "My name is Artemis."
Like I said above, everyone who reads this chapter MUST review, it will affect something important in the future of this story.
Sorry I killed Selina, but it was crucial and don't think this is really the end of her (if you people review that is). Next Chapter: Finally the whole truth of the Stacy from the future (though I hope it isn't as confusing as I think it is sigh) and the traitor is exposed (so guess away! Only four people -I think, sorry if there's more of you- have tried to guess who it is! I'll even give you a hint: it's not a girl! So that cuts out about half my cast, or maybe even more! Come on, you can do it!) The end of this story is coming soon, perhaps in three or four chapters, assuming I write as much as I think I will, so please review (in this chapter EVERYONE who read it must, it's VERY important!) Remo