Magical Magick

--Dancing With Lightning

A/N: Hello-ello! How is everyone?? I'm quite happy, which is wrong, because I probably failed a math test today. I hope not!! Because there goes my math grade for this term down the toilet!!

Right, I'm royally pissed. Every time I start a new line (whether I've pressed enter or not) the bloody computer keeps changing to font!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! I'll go mad before I've finished a paragraph!

Hey, this is my cool chapter. You guys are (hopefully) gonna love this. I love it, so I hope you will. I'll stop my talking, now.

Enjoy!

--Dancing With Lightning

The Final —Morgan—

Two words continued through my head the whole way home, interrupting all my other thoughts. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. My parents could be dead and I'm sitting here (Oh God) waiting for the helicopter to get to (Oh God) London so we can catch the (Oh God) plane and get back to Widow's Vale.

I glanced over at Hermione, who was reading, just to keep her mind off things. Her eyes flicked over at me, and she half smiled, taking my hand and squeezing it gently. "It's gonna be okay," she called over the noise. I nodded, staring determinedly out the window.

As soon as the taxi stopped in front of my house, I leaped out and ran up to the front door, banging on it loudly. The door was pulled open, and Mary K screamed, throwing herself into my arms, sobbing.

"Morgan!!!!"

Eileen and Paula slipped out of the door and went over to the taxi, paying him and taking our luggage inside. Hermione walked over to us and patted our shoulders awkwardly. Mary K pulled away and looked at her.

"Who are you?"

She smiled. "A friend."

"Mary K, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my sister Mary K Rowlands."

She shook my sister's hand. "Pleased to meet you." She looked at me. "Let's look for some evidence."

I nodded and pulled my athame out of my hand bag, dropping the bag to the ground. I ran it over the house and over the cars. As I started to give up, I let my arm hand loosely to the side. Blue flashed in the corner of my eye, and I froze my arm, slowly turning at looking at the symbol on the driveway.

It was a wolf and a snake.

I frowned, confused. The wolf, I knew that was Ciaran's sign, but what was with the snake?

Mary K and Hermione came up behind me. "How'd you find that?" Mary K asked. I shrugged.

Hermione gasped. "That snake!! It has to be the sign of Voldemort. And the wolf......"

"Ciaran," I supplied. She nodded, suddenly turning to look at the top of the house. She sighed.

"I was just hoping there wasn't the Dark Mark hovering above the house."

I nodded, remembering what Hunter had told me. The Dark Mark was the sign of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. If you came home and found one hovering over your house, you'd be too afraid to find out what was inside. It was every man's nightmare.

Mary K looked confused. "Is this another Wicca thing?"

"Actually, it isn't," I said. "But, it's not nice, either. I know where mum and dad are. Whether they're alive..."

Mary K's eyes widened. "Well, I'm coming with you."

I shook my head. "No, you most certainly are not!"

"I am!"

Hermione shrugged. "She'll be out of danger, Morgan. They won't attack her for no reason."

I hesitated. Then I nodded. "But you listen to me. If I say run, you do it. Got it?"

Mary K nodded, and smiled nervously. "So, what are we going to do?"

Hermione and I told her together. "We're going to kick some evil butt."

—Hunter—

"So, therefore—"

The door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts class blew open, and Albus stood there, his blue eyes wide. "Hunter," she murmured. "We have a problem."

I looked out the window, to see in the darkening sky figures of men making their way across the grass, towards the castle. The one in the middle, unlike the others, wore no hood. I squinted, and then swore. Voldemort.

I turned to the class, who were silent. "Everyone, to your dormitories! Except," I called as they moved. They froze. "Harry and Draco."

The two students came to me, and I grabbed their wrists, pulling them out of the classroom and to the Great Hall. I stopped and faced them. "This is it, boys. Are you ready to face up to what you believe in?"

Harry nodded. "But, what's wrong?"

"Voldemort's here," Draco answered. "My arm's been killing me all day. He's outside right now, and he's not happy."

"You ready?" I asked them. Draco nodded, and so did Harry. They both glanced at each other and smiled. "Let's go."

—Morgan—

I silently swore as my car pulled up to the oh-so-familiar house in New York, where I had nearly met my death a year and a half ago. The car rolled to a stop, but none of us got out. We all just stared at the building.

Mary K broke the silence. "We're here?"

I nodded, my throat feeling dry. This was it. This was what I had to do. This... was my calling. Vanquishing evil... it sounded like some line from Sailor Moon, but it was the truth. I exhaled loudly, and then stepped out of my car, Mary K and Hermione following my example.

"Let's do this."

—Hunter—

We all walked out onto the lawn and stood beside one another, Harry on the left, me in the middle, and Draco on the right. Harry and Draco drew their wands, their faces determined. The Death Eaters and Voldemort spread out, forming a horizontal line in front of us. Then, in unison, they all drew their wands. Harry and Draco both began to shake.

Slowly, Voldemort drew his wand. He held it in front of him for a moment, before yelling, "Avada Kedrava!!!"

I scowled. Now, that was playing dirty, and I had no time for it. The spell was aimed at me, and I glared at Voldemort before reaching out my hand (which had a spell of protection around it) and catching the green light. I smiled at the gasps from the Death Eaters, and hurled it back at one of them. He fell to the ground with a scream.

Draco beside me shuddered. "Friend of yours?" I asked. He nodded, sweating.

Harry looked at me. "How did you do that?"

"With practice," I said, as the Death Eaters whispered frantically to each other. Voldemort was the only one who stood straight, his red eyes piercing through me. "I can't do it more than a couple of times, though. After that, I can still use my magick, but those spells won't be useless. Either we think quickly, or—"

"We're screwed," Draco whispered.

I nodded. "Exactly. So, let's do this right."

Harry frowned. "Maybe... if you just left. Then I could do this. The prophecy said I was to fight him."

"But did the prophecy say you had to fight Voldemort on your own?"

"Ummm...."

"Stuff the prophecy!" Draco cried. "Let's kick some evil ass."

"And be polite about it," I reminded him.

—Morgan—

I slowly opened the door, cursing the loud creak. "Shhh," I snapped at it. Mary K snickered, and I glared at her, shutting her up.

A door opened and footsteps started coming down the hall. I grabbed Mary K and Hermione and threw them through a door, into another room. I followed, and swung the door shut, leaving it open the tiniest crack, just so I could see who it was. It was that witch in the owl mask! Every nerve in my body was telling me to jump out and kill him/her, but I resisted. I didn't want to cause a fuss. Not until I knew if my parents were alive.

Mary K came up to me. "Why are you so murderous?" she whispered. "I'm upset that are parents are missing too, but isn't like slapping them in the face if we just get killed?"

"We won't," I murmured, my hands tightening on the door frame as the owl/witch walked into a room, where I saw a glimpse of Ciaran before the witch shut the door.

"How do you know?"

"Because. He's not killing anyone else I love. I won't let him."

I opened the door and stepped out, walking over to the door to the room where Ciaran and the witch were in. I kicked it open. Ciaran spun around from in front of a fireplace, and the owl/witch started hurling spells at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my parents huddled in a corner, their wrists tied together, all bloody and cut. I screamed in anger and dodged the spells the owl/witch threw at me.

Ciaran just stood there, watching me approach. At the corner of my vision, I saw Mary K dart over to my parents and whisper to them. I screamed, just as Ciaran grabbed my sister and held an athame to her throat.

She held very still, tears starting to drip down her cheeks. The owl/witch fell to the floor and Hermione cast spells in Latin, hexing the witch. S/he fell to the ground, crying and choking.

"It's unfortunate, dear daughter," he drawled, making my parents and Mary K gasp. "That your darling foster sister has to get involved. Kyle!"

My older half-brother walked into the room. Though I'd never seen him before, I knew he was my brother. It was his air, the way he walked, that just reeked Ciaran.

"I will kill this girl," Ciaran murmured. "Then you will dispose of the body. Understand?"

Kyle nodded, and Mary K began to scream. "Please! No! Just let me go!!! PLEASE!!!"

As Ciaran tightened his grip on the athame, I drew my own. "Wait!" as quick as a flash, I held my athame to Kyle's throat. He, like Mary K, held extremely still.

"You take my family; and I take yours. Let my sister and parents go. You can have me."

—Hunter—

I watched Voldemort warily. I'd used up half of my magick already, and wasn't intending to stop any more of those Avada Kedrava spells. Voldemort had his eyes on Harry, and Harry was bleeding heavily from a blow to his neck. I'd used a few healing spells, but real healing spells wasted time.

And right now, time was precious.

Then I remembered. Morgan's gift! I pulled it out of my pocket, examining the tiny box carefully. It was polished mahogany wood, and had my name on the top in silver. I prayed to the Goddess, then ripped the box open.

Her chant immediately came to me.

An di allaigh an di aigh

An di allaigh an de ne ullah

An di ullah be nith rah

Cair di na ulla nith rah

Cair feal ti theo nith rah

An di allaigh an di aigh

—Morgan—

My knees buckled. My strength... where was it going?!?!? Then I thought of something: my gift to Hunter. He must be in trouble. I frantically sent him a witch message, still keeping my athame at Kyle's neck while Ciaran thought.

Are you okay???

I'm better. Your gift is a blessing. I love you.

I mentally swore. Dammit! Hunter, try and use as little as possible. I need all I can use at the moment. It isn't a good time for me to lose all my magick.

I felt him nod, and I cut the connection. "So?" I asked Ciaran. He let Mary K fall to the floor, and she crawled over to me, kneeling at my feet and crying. I still didn't let the athame move from Kyle's neck. If I stayed like this for a minute longer, I could think.

But, my brain was stuck. What could I do?

—Hunter—

I tucked the box back in my pocket and constructed a wall of power around Harry, Draco and I. Voldemort put his wand down.

"Draco!" he called. "I am not angry with you! I asked you to lead me to them and so you have! Drop your wand, and come over here, and I will not punish you!"

Draco smirked. "No thanks. I like the light better."

One of the Death Eaters pulled off his hood. Draco's father, Lucius stood there, enraged. "If you stay there, you're life, or should I say, numbered days, will be hell."

Draco glared at his father. "Then I risk hell."

Harry grinned at Draco, who grinned back. "Come on, let's go."

They both screamed the same spell and half of the Death Eaters fell to the ground, dead. I waved a hand, and an athame flew into one's chest, bringing him down. Voldemort cast a spell, and it pierced through the barrier. Draco bellowed and threw himself in front of Harry, his eyes fluttering shut as a spell hit him in then chest. He fell to the ground as Harry yelled. I bent down over him, and Harry stepped out of the barrier.

"What are you doing?!!?" I yelled.

"This is my part of the story," he snapped at me. "You look after Malfoy."

I nodded, and sent what was left of my magick — not Morgan's — into Harry's wand, mixing the two kinds of magic/k together. He yelled in delight, and began casting spells, all of them hitting Voldemort and wounding him somehow, every time.

I put a hand on Draco's cheek. He was getting cold. I sent a message to Morgan. Just a little more, love. Then the rest is yours.

Ta, she sent back.

I used some of her magick to cast a healing spell on Draco. His eyes half fluttered open, and he squinted at me, coughing up a little blood. "Well done," he grinned. "Get back to your fighting. Thankyou." He coughed again, and closed his eyes.

"Anytime," I murmured back.

—Morgan—

I had an idea. Unfortunately, it came to me just as the rest of Amyranth walked into the room, just behind Ciaran.

"Our deal??" I asked, unable to keep my voice from shaking. Mary K pulled the gags off my parents' faces. Ciaran shook his head.

"Sorry, darling. The wicked don't keep deals."

"Fine." Closing my eyes, and praying to the Goddess for forgiveness, I sliced my athame across Kyle's throat. He fell to the ground, his blood splattering over me. Ciaran cried out.

"I spared your sister!"

I smiled. "Sorry, Ciaran. The wicked never keep deals."

—Hunter—

Harry had weakened Voldemort greatly, but it wasn't enough. He was tiring, himself. Eventually, I stood up. I had no magick left, but my life force would do fine. If I use my life force and killed myself and Voldemort, I could at least say I'd saved the world.

I stood up, whispering ancient words that I didn't even think I knew. Harry dropped his and fell to his knees as a very bloody and limping Voldemort held a wand to his throat.

I yelled, and a ball of blue lightning grew in between my hands. Harry threw out a hand, and red fire lanced from his hand into my glowing sphere. Red fire and blue lightning lanced together, and with a yell I hurled it at Voldemort.

—Morgan—

Ciaran's mouth curled. "How dare you," he murmured. "My own daughter..." He murmured a few words, and I flew back against the wall, my head hitting the stone with a crack. Mary K screamed, and I groaned as I slid to the floor, feeling blood trickling down my forehead. Mary K ran over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder gently. I was having trouble talking.

"Mary...... K...... please, just......just get... out of here...please..." I closed my eyes and let my head slump against the wall as Mary K ran from the building and Hermione ran over to me, screaming for me to wake up.

I hardly heard her, though.

—Hunter—

I didn't know how the ball of fire and lightning fit itself inside Voldemort's mouth, but it did. He started to glow red and blue. Harry swore, just as Voldemort screamed. Light shone from inside his body, and I murmured just one word. As I finished that last syllable, Voldemort's skin peeled off and he fell to the ground in a bloody heap of muscles. Then, he exploded. Harry dropped to the ground, but I was hit with a face full of blood.

Nice.

—Morgan—

I slowly opened my eyes, and saw Ciaran looking at me. I tried to stand up, but found I was bound against a chair. Hermione was next to me, and my parents were still in a corner.

Ciaran's eyes flicked to Hermione, and he frowned. "Who is she?" he snapped.

I started crying. "Let her go," I sobbed. "She's no one!! Please, just let her go!!!"

Ciaran glared at me, and a spasm of guilt crossed his face. Yes. "Fine," he scowled. He bent to untie and un-gag her. She sprung, wheezing. "You say anything, and my men will hunt you to the end of the world until you're dead," he murmured icily. She nodded, gulping. "Begone!!"

Ciaran slowly walked around me, his feet making hardly any noise on the wooden floor. "So, daughter," he murmured. "Gallant and noble, you came to save your parents, am I correct?"

I nodded, feeling sick.

"Hmm, well, I think in your next life, you shouldn't trust your instincts. They seem to be defective. Your life as of now is going to be extremely short."

I frantically thought of something to say, to stall him before he ran his athame across my throat with the whole of Amyranth looking. "Umm... why are you trying to kill me??"

"For the power of Belwicket," he said simply. "I usually don't kill for any purpose, unless I just want a bit of enjoyment,"he grinned, "but I think you should reconsider my offer from last year Join me, and you will live."

"I'll never join you," I spat, as I heard footsteps approaching. The door blast open, and Mary K and Hermione stood there, Hermione levelling a wand and Mary K an athame. She ran over to me and cut the ropes that held me. I stood up, kicking the small wooden chair aside. "So, Ciaran. You want to fight? I'm not going to stop you."

—Hunter—

"She WHAT?!?!"

"We just got Hermione's owl now." Dumbledore sighed, running a hand down his beard. "If you can get out of the Hogwarts grounds fast enough and Apparate to where she is, there might be some chance of saving her."

"I have no magick left!" I cried. "How can I save Morgan if I have no magick??"

"There are other ways," Draco coughed from a chair. "Please... we have to go... I have to save Hermione, Hunter."

I nodded. "All right. If we move."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Draco, you can't Apparate."

He grinned, coughing. "That's what you think."

Harry shook his head. "But... what am I going to do? I can't Apparate?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes you can. Just concentrate and you'll be fine. Take hold of Hunter, so you both end up in the same place. You'll be okay. Now go, if you want to save their lives!!"

We all joined hands on top of a hill. "Just breathe," I told them. "One, two, three!!"

—Morgan—

It wasn't fair!! All of Amyranth were hurling spells at me, so I couldn't do anything!! I was too busy dodging. Hermione held out her wand and screamed a word, a blue glittering wall flying out and coming around me, melting into my skin. I was glowing blue. She also yelled another spell and all the members of Amyranth fell down, unconscious.

Ciaran threw a spell at me, and it just glanced off my skin. With a smile, I said, "What's the matter? Can't hit me?"

His eyes widened. He threw another spell at me, but it bounced off. I giggled. It tickled. "What are you?" he whispered.

"I'm your daughter," I said strongly. "I'm a witch of Gaelic backgrounds. My best friend is also a witch, but of Latin backgrounds."

He swore.

I smiled.

—Hunter—

"What do you mean, this building is closed?!?!" I yelled at a man swathed in black. "Let me in!!"

He shook his head. "No, sir. I'm sorry. It's closed for the night."

I punched him in the nose, knocking the man unconscious. Then I pushed open the door, holding it open for Harry while he helped Draco limp in. I followed.

"Okay," Harry whispered. "Just listen for screams."

We waited... and waited...

And heard a scream coming from the right: "Morgan!!! I can't hold him off any longer!!"

"It's okay!!" I recognised Morgan's voice. "Let it go!!!"

—Morgan—

Just as Hermione's spell began to fade, the door banged open for the third time. I looked around, distracted.

Hunter, Harry and Draco stood there, all of them spattered (or in Draco's case, covered) with blood. Just as my concentration wavered, Ciaran darted in and pressed his athame into my stomach. Hermione screamed as I felt it poke out the other end.

Pain... too much pain...

Ciaran stood over me as I fell to my knees, groaning. Then I realised: whatever I had to do to kill Ciaran, I would. Bracing myself, I tore the athame from my body, thrusting it up, through his chin and through the top of his head. He fell to the ground with a thud. I'd speared his brain.

I put my hand on his shoulder and screamed a word that made the room shake. Then Ciaran exploded and I fell to the ground.

I opened my eyes, groaning. Harry was bent over Mary K and my parents, murmuring to them quietly. My parents looked extremely distressed.

Hermione and Draco were holding each other tightly, both kneeling on the floor. Hermione was sobbing into Draco's shoulder. Then I realised Hunter was holding me, and I was in extreme pain. I groaned.

Hunter was looking over at the Council members inspecting Amyranth when he heard me groan. His head snapped over to look at me, and he grinned.

"I was so worried about you," he murmured. "How're you feeling?"

"On the brink of death, actually."

He nodded, and smiled. "You'll be okay. Harry and Hermione put a large healing spell on you before. I can't do anything, because I have no magick. So, you're gonna get better, but extremely slowly, my love."

I nodded, closing my eyes. "Just take me home."

I woke up a while later, in my bedroom. I looked around to see Tide sitting on the end of my bed.

"Hey, gorgeous," he greeted me with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

I just looked at him, and he laughed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out an athame. "Hunter had to go home, but he wanted me to give you this. It's Ciaran's athame, and it's been purified. He thinks you should have it. It is your birthright, after all."

I smiled wearily, taking the athame. "It's lovely. Umm... what did my parents think about all of this?"

"They're in shock," Tide told me. "Mary K and Hunter have explained everything. So... I guess they know everything about your past."

"But... why are you here, Tide?"

He smiled wryly. You're going to hate me forever... I work for the council."

"WHAT?!?!"

"I was sent to keep an eye on you, because Hunter had gone. I'm sorry."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How old are you, really?"

He shrugged. "Thirty."

What?!?! "But you look twenty!" I exclaimed.

He smiled. "My family's always ages well," he explained with a smile. "So it helps the council."

Expletive. I slowly and carefully got out of bed, tottering downstairs. My parents were waiting, and I sighed. Time for everything to be let go. Time to explain.