Chapter 16 – Attack of the Dragon
Before the spell was released from the Dragon's wand, he was knocked forward by Liz's power as before and landed at Michael's feet. Quickly, Michael grabbed his wand from him and rushed to Liz, who still writhed in fury against her bonds. He muttered an incantation that turned his wand into a sharp knife, which he used to free Liz. "Thanks," she said. "Where's Chris?"
"Flitwick notified him that McGonagall was down. He's making a potion to wake her."
The Dragon stood up again, brandishing his own wand. He pointed it first at Liz, and then at Michael, and then at Liz again, trying to decide whom to take out first. "Run for it!" Liz screamed suddenly. The two of them took off, with the Dragon on their tails. "Stupefy!" yelled the Dragon. In the split-second before the spell was released, Liz hoped that it wouldn't find a mark. A second later, Michael fell with a thud to the ground behind her. Now it was only Liz and the Dragon.
"You can't run forever," the dragon snarled. "Stupefy!" The spell whooshed overhead just as she ducked. "Eventually I will catch you. And then I will kill you. Impedimenta!"
The force of the spell knocked Liz to the ground and kept her there. The Dragon approached her cautiously, as if not believing that this time his victory was real.
"You!" screeched McGonagall's voice. "Stop right there!"
Liz whirled around to see the headmistress running up to them, followed closely by Chris, who was wearing a concerned look on his face. His hands were covered in pus-oozing calluses, but he still held out his wand that Liz had gotten for him for one of his birthdays. McGonagall had her cane, which looked like it hadn't been used for years, and was breathing heavily, clutching at her chest. Her hat had been abandoned; the event was too serious to warrant something as inconsequential as a hat. "Leave now and never darken our door again, Draco!" she cried.
Liz was confused. Draco? she wondered as the Dragon's spell began to release her from its steely grip. Maybe it was his real name. After all, no one could name their child Dragon. But how did McGonagall know him?
The Dragon chuckled fiercely. "Is that a threat?"
"I knew you for seven years," McGonagall said, still keeping her distance. "I taught you, I helped you, and you gave me reasons to doubt you, but never once did I think you would go this far!" Her voice rang shrill across the clear, chilled night, and Liz thought swiftly that Hagrid could probably hear it in his cabin. "You murdered the Potters. You left their daughter on her own to die. And twice you attempted to usurp command at Hogwarts, when there is still good left in this world!"
The Dragon smiled coldly. He stepped forward, treading on Michael as he went. "I believe I can remedy that." He advanced upon Liz, still unable to throw off the Impedimenta Curse's control entirely. "You will not harm the child!" yelled McGonagall.
Liz knew it was going to end here and now. But all of a sudden, a large, blinding flash of white light lit up the sky for a moment. The light was coming from Liz. She directed it at the Dragon, who flew high into the air. Amazed by her own invincibility Liz flew him in circles and spun him around then crashed him on the ground. Here was her chance for revenge.
The strength began to die down almost instantly, and Liz found she couldn't go very high after a while. After even longer, she couldn't raise the Dragon at all. He remained panting on the ground.
"What's happening?" Liz asked. "Why won't he move?" She tried again, but no such luck.
"You're uncharging, I believe," McGonagall said.
"You mean I'm losing my powers?" Liz said, panicking.
The Dragon stood on wobbly legs. He fell to his knees again. Moaning with pain, he crawled over to his broom.
It took a minute for Liz and McGonagall to realize that he was escaping. It was only after Chris yelled, "Kill him!" that Liz removed her wand from her pocket and began firing spells at the airborne broomstick. Every one missed. McGonagall, severely shaken by her ordeal, aimed worse than Liz did. When it seemed they had run out of enough energy to combat their escaping adversary, Chris yelled, "Fallosa!"
The Tripping Charm? Liz thought, bewildered. It was the very one that had nearly gotten Liz stuck in the air. It shot above the Forbidden Forest and hit the broomstick. Broom and rider rolled over in midair, leaving the Dragon dangling a hundred feet above the deadly Forbidden Forest. For a minute, Liz thought they had him, but then the Dragon swung himself back onto the broom. "I will find a way back!" he called down to them over his shoulder. "An easy way!" And he was nothing more than a speck in the distance.
Breathless, Liz stood at the edge of her world, unable to speak. She had just let the man who was bent on killing her get away. And a promise was a promise; the Dragon would most definitely find a way back to Hogwarts. The thought that she might have stopped him now was eating away at her insides.
"We did it," Chris said softly.
Liz blinked, and then she rounded on him. "What did we do? Let him escape? That accomplishes nothing! Just a potential defeat for us next time! Why did my powers have to give out? I thought I was invincible! I could have captured him if I hadn't run out of magic!"
"Did you think anything is perfect in this world?" said McGonagall. "Everything can always be beaten by something. You've used up the main source of your wild magic, but it may take a while to refill again. Something extraordinary like tonight may not be attempted for many months yet."
Liz felt drained, mentally and physically. She couldn't take one step before she collapsed on the ground. Chris helped her up. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital wing." Liz and Chris hobbled back up to Hogwarts, McGonagall leading the way.
Before the spell was released from the Dragon's wand, he was knocked forward by Liz's power as before and landed at Michael's feet. Quickly, Michael grabbed his wand from him and rushed to Liz, who still writhed in fury against her bonds. He muttered an incantation that turned his wand into a sharp knife, which he used to free Liz. "Thanks," she said. "Where's Chris?"
"Flitwick notified him that McGonagall was down. He's making a potion to wake her."
The Dragon stood up again, brandishing his own wand. He pointed it first at Liz, and then at Michael, and then at Liz again, trying to decide whom to take out first. "Run for it!" Liz screamed suddenly. The two of them took off, with the Dragon on their tails. "Stupefy!" yelled the Dragon. In the split-second before the spell was released, Liz hoped that it wouldn't find a mark. A second later, Michael fell with a thud to the ground behind her. Now it was only Liz and the Dragon.
"You can't run forever," the dragon snarled. "Stupefy!" The spell whooshed overhead just as she ducked. "Eventually I will catch you. And then I will kill you. Impedimenta!"
The force of the spell knocked Liz to the ground and kept her there. The Dragon approached her cautiously, as if not believing that this time his victory was real.
"You!" screeched McGonagall's voice. "Stop right there!"
Liz whirled around to see the headmistress running up to them, followed closely by Chris, who was wearing a concerned look on his face. His hands were covered in pus-oozing calluses, but he still held out his wand that Liz had gotten for him for one of his birthdays. McGonagall had her cane, which looked like it hadn't been used for years, and was breathing heavily, clutching at her chest. Her hat had been abandoned; the event was too serious to warrant something as inconsequential as a hat. "Leave now and never darken our door again, Draco!" she cried.
Liz was confused. Draco? she wondered as the Dragon's spell began to release her from its steely grip. Maybe it was his real name. After all, no one could name their child Dragon. But how did McGonagall know him?
The Dragon chuckled fiercely. "Is that a threat?"
"I knew you for seven years," McGonagall said, still keeping her distance. "I taught you, I helped you, and you gave me reasons to doubt you, but never once did I think you would go this far!" Her voice rang shrill across the clear, chilled night, and Liz thought swiftly that Hagrid could probably hear it in his cabin. "You murdered the Potters. You left their daughter on her own to die. And twice you attempted to usurp command at Hogwarts, when there is still good left in this world!"
The Dragon smiled coldly. He stepped forward, treading on Michael as he went. "I believe I can remedy that." He advanced upon Liz, still unable to throw off the Impedimenta Curse's control entirely. "You will not harm the child!" yelled McGonagall.
Liz knew it was going to end here and now. But all of a sudden, a large, blinding flash of white light lit up the sky for a moment. The light was coming from Liz. She directed it at the Dragon, who flew high into the air. Amazed by her own invincibility Liz flew him in circles and spun him around then crashed him on the ground. Here was her chance for revenge.
The strength began to die down almost instantly, and Liz found she couldn't go very high after a while. After even longer, she couldn't raise the Dragon at all. He remained panting on the ground.
"What's happening?" Liz asked. "Why won't he move?" She tried again, but no such luck.
"You're uncharging, I believe," McGonagall said.
"You mean I'm losing my powers?" Liz said, panicking.
The Dragon stood on wobbly legs. He fell to his knees again. Moaning with pain, he crawled over to his broom.
It took a minute for Liz and McGonagall to realize that he was escaping. It was only after Chris yelled, "Kill him!" that Liz removed her wand from her pocket and began firing spells at the airborne broomstick. Every one missed. McGonagall, severely shaken by her ordeal, aimed worse than Liz did. When it seemed they had run out of enough energy to combat their escaping adversary, Chris yelled, "Fallosa!"
The Tripping Charm? Liz thought, bewildered. It was the very one that had nearly gotten Liz stuck in the air. It shot above the Forbidden Forest and hit the broomstick. Broom and rider rolled over in midair, leaving the Dragon dangling a hundred feet above the deadly Forbidden Forest. For a minute, Liz thought they had him, but then the Dragon swung himself back onto the broom. "I will find a way back!" he called down to them over his shoulder. "An easy way!" And he was nothing more than a speck in the distance.
Breathless, Liz stood at the edge of her world, unable to speak. She had just let the man who was bent on killing her get away. And a promise was a promise; the Dragon would most definitely find a way back to Hogwarts. The thought that she might have stopped him now was eating away at her insides.
"We did it," Chris said softly.
Liz blinked, and then she rounded on him. "What did we do? Let him escape? That accomplishes nothing! Just a potential defeat for us next time! Why did my powers have to give out? I thought I was invincible! I could have captured him if I hadn't run out of magic!"
"Did you think anything is perfect in this world?" said McGonagall. "Everything can always be beaten by something. You've used up the main source of your wild magic, but it may take a while to refill again. Something extraordinary like tonight may not be attempted for many months yet."
Liz felt drained, mentally and physically. She couldn't take one step before she collapsed on the ground. Chris helped her up. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital wing." Liz and Chris hobbled back up to Hogwarts, McGonagall leading the way.