CHAPTER FIFTEEN: XALLARA
AN: Sorry for the lack of updates, but a combination of school, Christmas, and moving has impeded my progress, along with several writer's blocks. This is the last chapter of Skull of Grindelwald, and is a leadoff into the next story in this series.
Xallara: The Spirit of Time. This creature is the basis of all things pertaining to time, yet it lack sentience. The Xallara has lain dormant for several millenia, waiting to be re-discovered by a powerful witch or wizard; according to the known parts of Aristotles' Seventh Prophecy, it will become self aware in the battle against the First Dark One, sleep during the war with the Second Dark One, then merge with The Guardian to slay the Third Dark One, thus ending the Age of Darkness.- taken from The Book of Theosade-Kæl, a Seventh-Century mage.
Grindelwald, the terror of the wizarding world in the 1930's and 40's, the "First Dark One" Aristotles had spoken of, had tried to possess the Xallara, and nearly succeeded. However, he lacked the strength to absorb this entity, and the allempt left him too weak to fight off the combined might of Professor Albus Dumbledore and Head Boy Tom Riddle.
The Xallara recieved sentience from Dumbledore, who gave it to him this gift so that the Xallara could to protect the Skull of Grindelwald from all other dark wizards.
Harry was about to go to sleep. Really, he was. Just a few more minutes. It wasn't how comfortable his bed was, or how tired he was; for he was neither in bed, nor tired. What was putting him to sleep? The same thing that had year after year: Professor Binns' History of Magic class.
Ron had long since nodded off, earning him a glare from Hermione. She had laughed, however, when he moaned "Luna" quietly. Blaise was snoring softly, which amused Draco and Gaius; Draco and Blaise had long since become pariahs in the Slytherin sections of classrooms and in their own dungeon; fear of Lucius Malfoy's wrath was all that proctected Draco.
Blaise, however, had no influential parents to protect her; while Pureblooded, the Zabinis weren't all that wealthy or powerful in the way that the Malfoys were. Once she had begun associating with the Gryffindors in a friendly way (Slytherin house wondered just why she and Draco had done this at almost the same time), her housemates had begun a campaign of insults and pranks.
Harry, Ron, Draco, and Gaius hadn't taken this lightly, though; most of Slytherin house was soon in the Hospital Wing, with complaints varying from bodily rashes to cases of firework-pox, courtesy of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Blaise was soon left alone.
There was a slightly loud thud, and when Draco looked over, Harry's head was resting against the desk.
Peter Pettigrew wasn't the fat, balding, decaying Death Eater Wormtail had been. He had, through what was far too much excercise and training in his opinion, gone back to being the thin Auror he was before that awfuly botched mission in September of '81.
As to his balding, Snape had made him a potion which made him nearly the exact opposite. For a week, his hair would grow an inch ever day; he had to shave every hour or so.
He remembered this, chuckling. His humor didn't last long, though; he thought of the Marauders' truce with Snape, and how the leader wasn't present for it. Peter missed James, God did he miss him. If not for James, Peter probably would have become a Death Eater.
If there was a way to bring back James, Peter resolved he would do it. Regardless of what it would cost him.
Hogsmeade was attacked on the next Hogsmeade visit. I'thok had hoped to slaughter all of the Hogwarts students, but his main attack force was destroyed by the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix before it could reach the village. But with so many adults gone... who remained to destroy the remaining Orcs and Death Eaters?
Most of the Prefects and both Heads were herding the students back to the school; Harry, Draco, Ron, Gaius, Ginny, and Blaise were busy dealing with the Death Eaters. Between the six of them, not a spell got through, but plenty went sailing out to the enemy.
Luna was off to the side, acting as Madam Pomfrey's nurse, treating the minor injuries and helping people into the Three Broomsticks, tavern-turned-hospital. The wounds were wide and varied; several people suffering from the Cruciatus Curse, others from the wide array or Orcish Hellfire spells, and some with axe wounds, also courtesy of the Orcs.
I'thok was in the read or the lines, escorted by the newest members of the Host of the Dread Champions: Lucius Malfoy and Lord Voldemort. However, Voldemort was no longer himself. He had been raised from the dead by I'thok, but was also now in thrall to the sadistic Orc; numerous binding spells and a nearly complete revision of his mind had taken care of that.
Lucius, on the other hand, had joined the Dread Champions at Voldemort's order; he had not obeyed out of loyalty, but out of the pretense of loyalty. Lucius recognized that Voldemort was gone forever, and looked for a way to escape; until that time came, he would play the part of the smirking lackey he had always been.
Harry looked over to where Hermione was, trying to help an injured third year to the Three Broomsticks. A Death Eater nearly caught her with a Crucio; Harry sent a Rebound spell which turned the Unforgiveable back on its' caster.
Sirius, Remus, and Peter Apparated into the battle, hexes leaving their wand scant seconds after their arrival. The three men fought their way to I'thok's position, unable to apparate there. They soo saw why.
The portal had been made mobile; the magic was so raw, so powerful around it that complex magics were impossible. I'thok was directing his troops about, sending weakened Warlocks to Gre'nor for rest, and bringing new ones to Earth for battle.
Down the street, the Allied Orcs under Elarik fought their way to the portal; knocking I'thok aside, they vanished back to their homeworld, slaughtering the unaware warlocks there, while their master was helpless to aid them.
I'thok channeled his rage into a spell that he had learned from an old demonic text from Lucius Malfoy's library. "Tora Mekor!" He cried, a flaming meteorite coming down between him and the 9 humans opposing him.
The meteorite then moved. It got up, and stood. The creature look similar to a man, albeit twice as tall, three times as large, and covered in fire. Where the face should have been, there was naught but a smooth, rounded rock suirface with two burning eyes.
The spells fired its' way dissipated harmlessly; Infernals were immune to magic. Gaius remembered as much while dodging a blazing fist from thr creature; he spied a chair ("Accio!") and transfigured it into a 155mm Howitzer. Levitating it to the level of the Infernal's head, he called to the creature.
"Valé." Gaius said, as the howitzer shell blew the Infernal's head off. the flaming titan crashed to the earth, the flames dying out, and the stone that made up the solid part of its body turning to dust.
I'thok was furious; a testament to this was the way the portal seemed to bubble and ripple as if it were liquid. The Orc, along with Lucius and Voldemort, moved towards their enemies, wands at the ready.
Gaius saw the moment he had been waiting for. He silently moved away from the group, and moved behind the three Dark Wizards. He ignored them, focusing instead on the portal... and the skull in his hand.
He held the skull up to the portal, and said the words "Aeterna Finite Incantatem!". The portal exploded, as did the Skull of Grindelwald. Gaius nearly went unconcious, and time froze. Xallara was made manifest in the form of a ghost, looking oddly like Caesar.
"Greetings, Gaius. I must commend you on an excellent job in closing the portal... however, your work is not yet complete. I know you to be familiar with Aristotles' Seventh Prophecy, so I won't bother explaining that you are the Guardian.
"Remember, though you have ended the Age of Darkness, you must protect the Heir of Gryffindor; the Heir of Ravenclaw has done his duty, and the Heir of Hufflepuff was of little consequence.
"The remainder of this year, and the following years will be filled with confusion, strife, and turmoil of all sorts, and you alone are sufficiently equipped to both protect the Heir of Gryffindor and have the ability to step aside when his time comes.
"This is a responsibility of the greatest magnitude, and a burden which none should have to bear, yet it is necessary for the continuation of Time and Space. No one could rightly blame you for not accepting, given your age, and the potential for disaster involved. Nevertheless, I must ask you: do you accept this transfer of power? Do you accept the responsibility of fully becoming the Guardian?"
It took Gaius all of a second to answer Xallara. "Yes. Yes, I accept. How can I not? "It is the completion of a cycle, and the start of another." At least, Aristotles said as much. It must be done, therefore I say again... yes."
Time unfroze, and Gaius sent three balls of temporal energy towards the Dark Wizards; all immidiately started de-aging, eventually shrinking down to zygote size, then disappearing alltogether.
Peter seized on the temporal energy, and cast a spell he had not known he would have the fortune to be able to use. It had an unfortunate side effect, however, when it was cast...
There was a flash of light, and when Harry looked up, there were three people on the ground; his mother, his father, and a redheaded girl he didn't recognize. "Mum? Dad?" The Potters were unconcious. He looked at the girl. "Who are you?" Harry asked her.
Her answer surprised all present. "I'm Lily Evans. Where am I?"