Chapter XXII: Alone
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Ian was not a fool. True, he did need help but not from mortals who are too damn stubborn for their own good.
But no mortal aside from those who he left at Dumbledore's office will help him. There was no choice. He had to do it alone. He had to do it quick. He had to do it before Pettegrew has a chance to recover.
He needed to strike back.
He needed to go before a certain black haired witch could sway his mind. And one more confrontation would shatter his defenses.
For you see... he has already fallen for her.
***
"What's Ian's problem?" Harry asked as he and the gang waited at Dumbledore's office for Cho.
"He feels responsible," Shiva said as she caressed Carbuncle's fur. "He always has."
"Responsible?" Hermione huffed impatiently. "About what?"
"Almost about everything," Alexander said. "And especially letting Pettigrew escape."
"That was a judgment call," Ginny said as she tried to figure out Ian's way of thinking. And so far, she found out that it was too damned complicated.
"What's he going to do, that's what I want to know," Ron said as she shifted in his seat. "But we don't need his permission to go on with the mission, do we?"
"I guess not," Harry said as he looked at Professor Dumbledore in askance. "When do we go?"
"We need a battle plan, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said as his smile wavered. "And we need something fool proof so that we would be successful. The door suddenly opened and the others looked in anticipation for the one who entered.
But Cho Chang's face held little to hope for.
"No go huh?" Hermione sighed. "He's as stubborn as a mule."
"That's putting it lightly," Alexander said as he looked at the headmaster's eyes. The wizard was tired but tried not to show it to the others. "Ian has been known to pursue something and never give up until he has it."
"And he usually does get the thing he wants," Shiva smiled at the group.
"And what does he want now?" Minerva asked. There was an uneasy silence when Cho spoke.
"Retribution," she said much to their shock. "I saw his face when he fought Pettigrew. He was filled with blood lust and he enjoyed tormenting him. It was like a side of him I never knew before."
"And then he woke when you got hurt," Alexander concluded much to Cho's surprise. The man must know him better than she did. "If Pettigrew didn't escape, Ian would have hacked him into pieces and displayed his limbs on the bridge like the days of old."
"No," Shiva sighed as she looked at him. "Ian would make sure Pettigrew would wish he were dead."
"Wouldn't we all," Ron said with a snort. Just then, the room temperature literally dropped as Shiva glared at the red head.
"Ian, in his psychotic state, would inflict pain greater than anyone of you has ever experienced," Shiva's eye's turned white as the room began to snow. "Torture of the body and mind is hard to fight. And Ian would go to great lengths just to deliver his message of vengeance clear as crystal and would even resort to reviving his enemy to let him taste eternal pain."
"You're joking, right?" Ron asked worriedly. When Shiva felt all their fears, only then did the temperature returned to normal.
"It is no jest," Dumbledore said sullenly, the twinkle left his eyes. "He was reprimanded by the order for his methods. But a simple glare from him quelled all arguments."
"I heard even Mad Eye Moody was afraid of him," Minerva sighed as she leaned against Alexander. "I also heard that some wizards wished that he was present all those years ago to get rid of he-who-... Voldemort." Minerva still had a hard time saying the dark lord's name, even after his demise.
"Is he that powerful?" Harry asked incredulously. He could not believe that there was someone more powerful than Voldemort.
"Not quite," Dumbledore smiled ruefully. "But then, I've never seen him get mad before. It is like he draws his strength in his anger."
"He is the most dangerous when he has nothing to lose," Alexander said in a deadly voice. Cho was curious as to how did the white haired man knew this. Did he see Ian grieve at one time?
"Aren't we all?" Harry said softly as he understood the blind man. "What now?"
"We plan the attack," Dumbledore smiled as he stood up. "But we need information."
"Thirty Galleons says Ian's going to find him first," Alexander said as he kissed Minerva's cheek.
"No bet," everyone chorused making Cho smile despite the intended meaning.
Cho felt that hell would break loose.
***
Sirius Black stared at his guest as if he was daft.
"You want what? That's insane!" but his guest did not reply. "If the Minister hears this it would be my neck!"
"You are the godfather," his guest said in a calm voice. "I am offering the means to an end." Sirius was silent. His offer was sound but risky. But if he pulled it off, it was worth the risk.
"Okay. But..."
"If I got caught you will disavow any knowledge of my actions, as always. Do not fret about my disability."
"Fine," Sirius sighed as he stood. His guest stood and walked towards the door. "One more thing." His guest paused but what Sirius said next made his day.
"Give them hell."
"After I'm through with them, hell would seem like paradise," the man left leaving Sirius shivering in freight.
"I'm glad that guy's on our side," he said as he sighed in relief.
.
.
Ian was not a fool. True, he did need help but not from mortals who are too damn stubborn for their own good.
But no mortal aside from those who he left at Dumbledore's office will help him. There was no choice. He had to do it alone. He had to do it quick. He had to do it before Pettegrew has a chance to recover.
He needed to strike back.
He needed to go before a certain black haired witch could sway his mind. And one more confrontation would shatter his defenses.
For you see... he has already fallen for her.
***
"What's Ian's problem?" Harry asked as he and the gang waited at Dumbledore's office for Cho.
"He feels responsible," Shiva said as she caressed Carbuncle's fur. "He always has."
"Responsible?" Hermione huffed impatiently. "About what?"
"Almost about everything," Alexander said. "And especially letting Pettigrew escape."
"That was a judgment call," Ginny said as she tried to figure out Ian's way of thinking. And so far, she found out that it was too damned complicated.
"What's he going to do, that's what I want to know," Ron said as she shifted in his seat. "But we don't need his permission to go on with the mission, do we?"
"I guess not," Harry said as he looked at Professor Dumbledore in askance. "When do we go?"
"We need a battle plan, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said as his smile wavered. "And we need something fool proof so that we would be successful. The door suddenly opened and the others looked in anticipation for the one who entered.
But Cho Chang's face held little to hope for.
"No go huh?" Hermione sighed. "He's as stubborn as a mule."
"That's putting it lightly," Alexander said as he looked at the headmaster's eyes. The wizard was tired but tried not to show it to the others. "Ian has been known to pursue something and never give up until he has it."
"And he usually does get the thing he wants," Shiva smiled at the group.
"And what does he want now?" Minerva asked. There was an uneasy silence when Cho spoke.
"Retribution," she said much to their shock. "I saw his face when he fought Pettigrew. He was filled with blood lust and he enjoyed tormenting him. It was like a side of him I never knew before."
"And then he woke when you got hurt," Alexander concluded much to Cho's surprise. The man must know him better than she did. "If Pettigrew didn't escape, Ian would have hacked him into pieces and displayed his limbs on the bridge like the days of old."
"No," Shiva sighed as she looked at him. "Ian would make sure Pettigrew would wish he were dead."
"Wouldn't we all," Ron said with a snort. Just then, the room temperature literally dropped as Shiva glared at the red head.
"Ian, in his psychotic state, would inflict pain greater than anyone of you has ever experienced," Shiva's eye's turned white as the room began to snow. "Torture of the body and mind is hard to fight. And Ian would go to great lengths just to deliver his message of vengeance clear as crystal and would even resort to reviving his enemy to let him taste eternal pain."
"You're joking, right?" Ron asked worriedly. When Shiva felt all their fears, only then did the temperature returned to normal.
"It is no jest," Dumbledore said sullenly, the twinkle left his eyes. "He was reprimanded by the order for his methods. But a simple glare from him quelled all arguments."
"I heard even Mad Eye Moody was afraid of him," Minerva sighed as she leaned against Alexander. "I also heard that some wizards wished that he was present all those years ago to get rid of he-who-... Voldemort." Minerva still had a hard time saying the dark lord's name, even after his demise.
"Is he that powerful?" Harry asked incredulously. He could not believe that there was someone more powerful than Voldemort.
"Not quite," Dumbledore smiled ruefully. "But then, I've never seen him get mad before. It is like he draws his strength in his anger."
"He is the most dangerous when he has nothing to lose," Alexander said in a deadly voice. Cho was curious as to how did the white haired man knew this. Did he see Ian grieve at one time?
"Aren't we all?" Harry said softly as he understood the blind man. "What now?"
"We plan the attack," Dumbledore smiled as he stood up. "But we need information."
"Thirty Galleons says Ian's going to find him first," Alexander said as he kissed Minerva's cheek.
"No bet," everyone chorused making Cho smile despite the intended meaning.
Cho felt that hell would break loose.
***
Sirius Black stared at his guest as if he was daft.
"You want what? That's insane!" but his guest did not reply. "If the Minister hears this it would be my neck!"
"You are the godfather," his guest said in a calm voice. "I am offering the means to an end." Sirius was silent. His offer was sound but risky. But if he pulled it off, it was worth the risk.
"Okay. But..."
"If I got caught you will disavow any knowledge of my actions, as always. Do not fret about my disability."
"Fine," Sirius sighed as he stood. His guest stood and walked towards the door. "One more thing." His guest paused but what Sirius said next made his day.
"Give them hell."
"After I'm through with them, hell would seem like paradise," the man left leaving Sirius shivering in freight.
"I'm glad that guy's on our side," he said as he sighed in relief.
.