----
Chapter 10 – Relinquishments
----
A green light flashed from the southeastern side of the moat. Everyone on the quidditch pitch stopped to see what was going on. Another green light sprang from the moat, followed by another. Emmeline Vance, Lee Jordan, and Mundungus all ran over to the moat and jumped in.
"What happened!" Mundungus spotted Angelina Johnson curled up and bawling into Fred's shirt. Fred was frozen in horror.
"Oh Gods! They're dead!! Ronny and Charlie are dead!!!"
Lee Jordan ran over to Ron's still body. He tilted his head up and placed it carefully in his lap. Ron's eyes fluttered open.
"He's alright Angie!" Fred clung to his girlfriend tighter and breathed a sigh of relief. Mundungus crouched beside Charlie and placed his head on his chest.
"I don' hear nothin'." The expression on Charlie's face was one of terror, just like every other victim of the Avada Kedavra he had come across in his years of being in the Order.
Emmeline poked her head around a corner and discovered another body lying on the ground. She dragged the masked Death Eater back toward the group. Ron spoke up.
"That one… tried to kill me… Avada Kedavra."
Emmeline removed the mask. The terrified expression on the youthful face was the same as the one on Charlie Weasley. Steel blue eyes gazed into the abyss of death, silver blonde hair framed the angelic face under the hood of his Death Eater's robe.
"Fred, Angie, what happened here?" Emmeline sat down beside the couple and took Angelina's hand in hers, stroking it like a mother would.
"Ron…" She sniffed. "He, he warned us that there was a Death Eater around the corner. But before anyone could react, we heard someone shout Avada Kedavra. Ronny collapsed…" She buried her face back in Fred's chest and sobbed like a baby. Fred picked up the story where she left off.
"Charlie went completely white and dodged out in front of us. He shot an Avada Kedavra around the corner. I guess that was when Draco bought it. But then another beam of green light came from behind us and Charlie fell. Lucius Malfoy killed him to avenge his son's death."
"Did you see where he went?"
"Yeah, he ripped off his mask in a fit of rage and took off running that way." Fred pointed behind Mundungus, and Dung took off running.
He ran about two hundred yards around the moat before coming across Lucius Malfoy, who was staggering up a ladder and out of the moat, clutching his right arm, which was twisted at a curious angle to his chest. He reached the top of the ladder, and turned back to check where the sound of running was coming from.
"Mundungus, we meet again."
"Malfoy, you rotten coward."
"Rotten coward? Where were you when I was raping your wife? The look of pain and terror on her face was positively exquisite." His face twisted to an almost orgasmic sneering smile. "Shall we test my powers against yours?"
He straightened himself up, raised his wand with his twisted arm, and began to chant. His terrifying and powerful voice rang across the quidditch pitch, and everyone turned to look at him:
"Dei Maris,
Meo Mittite Ripam Tuam.
Dei Aestus,
Meo Ferte Diluviem."
The lake slowly began to swell and the giant squid became restless. Its limbs thrashed at the surface for a moment, but he soon stopped fighting and settled himself near the bottom of the lake. It continued to swell until finally an enormous tidal wave rose through the twilight, perched precariously above the lake.
Death Eaters ran for the few towers that remained standing for the time being, like ants seeking shelter from the rain. Order members and Dumbledore's Army all fled to the exits of the stadium. Lucius stayed where he was and continued to chant.
Down in the moat, everything was chillingly silent. Fred looked up, not knowing what to expect.
"Does anyone else hear that?"
"Hear what?" Angelina looked up at him through puffy pink eyes.
"I don't know… it sounds… like water."
Lee looked up from where he was cradling Ron. "I hear it too."
Emmeline stood, grabbed hold of one of the beams overhead, and swung herself up to stand on it. She stood on her toes, grabbed hold of another beam, and pulled herself up so she could see the quidditch pitch.
"Guys, this isn't good. Lucius is chanting. I can't hear what he's saying, but everyone is running for the exits."
Fred jumped up and held out his hand to pull Angelina up with him. Together, they pulled Ron up and slung him between the two of them. Lee picked up Charlie's body and hoisted him up over his back in an awkward position. They made a run for the nearest exit, while Emmeline lifted herself onto the pitch. She ran with them above as they searched for a ladder.
"Right here guys! I found one! Lee, leave Charlie there! Climb up here and they can pass Ron up to us! We need to get out of the moat as fast as we can or we'll be flooded in!"
Lee climbed up the ladder after Emmeline and they both crouched down. Angelina and Fred lifted Ron up as high as they could without hurting him, and Lee and Emmeline grabbed him under the armpits and dragged him onto the pitch. The other two scrambled up the ladder after them, leaving Charlie's lifeless behind.
Tonks, Hestia Jones, and Neville came running up to the five, all completely out of breath looking well past exhausted.
"We need to get out!" Jones shouted above the sound of rushing water. "Lucius is summoning the gods of the lake. This whole place will be flooded any minute!"
She and Tonks grabbed Ron and led the group off the pitch and up a flight of stairs, into one of the spectator towers high above the pitch. Fred and Angelina clutched each other's hands like they were the final lifeline before a long fall into the mouth of hell. Lee Jordan and Emmeline Vance followed Neville up the stairs, all obviously running on the mercy of the adrenaline that was pumping through their veins.
From where they stood, they could see a gigantic pillar of water rising high above the lake. Far below, they watched as the final groups of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix ran, flew, and apparated out of the stadium. Lucius still stood, wand raised, looking daunting as ever, still chanting his supplications to the gods of the lake. With a final dramatic wave of his arms, the tidal wave came down, crashing through the walls of the quidditch stadium, bringing down the nearest spectator towers with it, and enveloping Lucius Malfoy where he stood. The pitch looked like a giant swirling ocean of despair, setting wooden beams, charred pieces of canvas, and the corpses of Death Eaters afloat on its crashing tides.
A few terrifying minutes later, the quidditch field lay in a shambles, the mood eerily peaceful. Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore's army all peered down from their brooms and towers in a frightening show of solidarity for a few brief, tense moments. Each side had sustained casualties. Both were suffering from a great deal of exhaustion. The flood had provided them with a moment to rest, and neither side would resume battle a moment too soon. Finally, the floodwater began to recede.
----
A/N: Translation to Lucius' incantation:
Gods of the sea
Send me your shore
Gods of the tide
Bring me a flood
Chapter 10 – Relinquishments
----
A green light flashed from the southeastern side of the moat. Everyone on the quidditch pitch stopped to see what was going on. Another green light sprang from the moat, followed by another. Emmeline Vance, Lee Jordan, and Mundungus all ran over to the moat and jumped in.
"What happened!" Mundungus spotted Angelina Johnson curled up and bawling into Fred's shirt. Fred was frozen in horror.
"Oh Gods! They're dead!! Ronny and Charlie are dead!!!"
Lee Jordan ran over to Ron's still body. He tilted his head up and placed it carefully in his lap. Ron's eyes fluttered open.
"He's alright Angie!" Fred clung to his girlfriend tighter and breathed a sigh of relief. Mundungus crouched beside Charlie and placed his head on his chest.
"I don' hear nothin'." The expression on Charlie's face was one of terror, just like every other victim of the Avada Kedavra he had come across in his years of being in the Order.
Emmeline poked her head around a corner and discovered another body lying on the ground. She dragged the masked Death Eater back toward the group. Ron spoke up.
"That one… tried to kill me… Avada Kedavra."
Emmeline removed the mask. The terrified expression on the youthful face was the same as the one on Charlie Weasley. Steel blue eyes gazed into the abyss of death, silver blonde hair framed the angelic face under the hood of his Death Eater's robe.
"Fred, Angie, what happened here?" Emmeline sat down beside the couple and took Angelina's hand in hers, stroking it like a mother would.
"Ron…" She sniffed. "He, he warned us that there was a Death Eater around the corner. But before anyone could react, we heard someone shout Avada Kedavra. Ronny collapsed…" She buried her face back in Fred's chest and sobbed like a baby. Fred picked up the story where she left off.
"Charlie went completely white and dodged out in front of us. He shot an Avada Kedavra around the corner. I guess that was when Draco bought it. But then another beam of green light came from behind us and Charlie fell. Lucius Malfoy killed him to avenge his son's death."
"Did you see where he went?"
"Yeah, he ripped off his mask in a fit of rage and took off running that way." Fred pointed behind Mundungus, and Dung took off running.
He ran about two hundred yards around the moat before coming across Lucius Malfoy, who was staggering up a ladder and out of the moat, clutching his right arm, which was twisted at a curious angle to his chest. He reached the top of the ladder, and turned back to check where the sound of running was coming from.
"Mundungus, we meet again."
"Malfoy, you rotten coward."
"Rotten coward? Where were you when I was raping your wife? The look of pain and terror on her face was positively exquisite." His face twisted to an almost orgasmic sneering smile. "Shall we test my powers against yours?"
He straightened himself up, raised his wand with his twisted arm, and began to chant. His terrifying and powerful voice rang across the quidditch pitch, and everyone turned to look at him:
"Dei Maris,
Meo Mittite Ripam Tuam.
Dei Aestus,
Meo Ferte Diluviem."
The lake slowly began to swell and the giant squid became restless. Its limbs thrashed at the surface for a moment, but he soon stopped fighting and settled himself near the bottom of the lake. It continued to swell until finally an enormous tidal wave rose through the twilight, perched precariously above the lake.
Death Eaters ran for the few towers that remained standing for the time being, like ants seeking shelter from the rain. Order members and Dumbledore's Army all fled to the exits of the stadium. Lucius stayed where he was and continued to chant.
Down in the moat, everything was chillingly silent. Fred looked up, not knowing what to expect.
"Does anyone else hear that?"
"Hear what?" Angelina looked up at him through puffy pink eyes.
"I don't know… it sounds… like water."
Lee looked up from where he was cradling Ron. "I hear it too."
Emmeline stood, grabbed hold of one of the beams overhead, and swung herself up to stand on it. She stood on her toes, grabbed hold of another beam, and pulled herself up so she could see the quidditch pitch.
"Guys, this isn't good. Lucius is chanting. I can't hear what he's saying, but everyone is running for the exits."
Fred jumped up and held out his hand to pull Angelina up with him. Together, they pulled Ron up and slung him between the two of them. Lee picked up Charlie's body and hoisted him up over his back in an awkward position. They made a run for the nearest exit, while Emmeline lifted herself onto the pitch. She ran with them above as they searched for a ladder.
"Right here guys! I found one! Lee, leave Charlie there! Climb up here and they can pass Ron up to us! We need to get out of the moat as fast as we can or we'll be flooded in!"
Lee climbed up the ladder after Emmeline and they both crouched down. Angelina and Fred lifted Ron up as high as they could without hurting him, and Lee and Emmeline grabbed him under the armpits and dragged him onto the pitch. The other two scrambled up the ladder after them, leaving Charlie's lifeless behind.
Tonks, Hestia Jones, and Neville came running up to the five, all completely out of breath looking well past exhausted.
"We need to get out!" Jones shouted above the sound of rushing water. "Lucius is summoning the gods of the lake. This whole place will be flooded any minute!"
She and Tonks grabbed Ron and led the group off the pitch and up a flight of stairs, into one of the spectator towers high above the pitch. Fred and Angelina clutched each other's hands like they were the final lifeline before a long fall into the mouth of hell. Lee Jordan and Emmeline Vance followed Neville up the stairs, all obviously running on the mercy of the adrenaline that was pumping through their veins.
From where they stood, they could see a gigantic pillar of water rising high above the lake. Far below, they watched as the final groups of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix ran, flew, and apparated out of the stadium. Lucius still stood, wand raised, looking daunting as ever, still chanting his supplications to the gods of the lake. With a final dramatic wave of his arms, the tidal wave came down, crashing through the walls of the quidditch stadium, bringing down the nearest spectator towers with it, and enveloping Lucius Malfoy where he stood. The pitch looked like a giant swirling ocean of despair, setting wooden beams, charred pieces of canvas, and the corpses of Death Eaters afloat on its crashing tides.
A few terrifying minutes later, the quidditch field lay in a shambles, the mood eerily peaceful. Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore's army all peered down from their brooms and towers in a frightening show of solidarity for a few brief, tense moments. Each side had sustained casualties. Both were suffering from a great deal of exhaustion. The flood had provided them with a moment to rest, and neither side would resume battle a moment too soon. Finally, the floodwater began to recede.
----
A/N: Translation to Lucius' incantation:
Gods of the sea
Send me your shore
Gods of the tide
Bring me a flood