The Raiders rushed to Luna's floor and stopped abruptly. "Whoa." Susan glared at Forge's double voiced outburst but quietly agreed with their assessment. Luna and her team were staring down exact images of themselves. Both Luna's turned to Susan before they said in unison. "We can't tell who's who". Susan looked at the whole group. They were using a very good illusion spell and caught onto the Raiders' motions quickly. It ended with each raider pointing a wand to their copy and not knowing who their teammates were. Severus and Tonks stood by - wands raised to the whole group.

Susan turned to smile at Cho. They both raised their wands and stunned the doubles quickly. The illusion spells dropped away as soon as the spells hit their targets. Susan and Cho grinned at Luna who glared back. "You two really need to show me that spell." The group relaxed now that everyone was safe. There was scuffling below them. Cho ran to the balcony and looked down. She scowled. "Susan, the ones below us are gone."

Susan looked at the teams they were all fine. "We will look for them after we find Alice."

Chapter 17 Magnum Opus: The Greatest Work

Cyan watched Harry fight with a growing appreciation of who he is. The young man dodged three spells from different directions by moving his body around them without looking away from Cyan. He concentrated on his left side where many of the counter spells he fired back were stopped by obsidian transfigured wall that would appear only while defending. Harry turned his attention to the heaviest defender. Harry did not notice that Cyan had stopped attacking to watch him. Cyan's group quickly realized he was able to fire spells from only his hands and began to slowly feint their spells to his body. Cyan smiled when Harry never lifted a single spell in defense. He only dodged with his left foot being a pivot that would not move unless targeted by a spell. The four Blood Knights saw their opening immediately. "Stupefy!" Four beams concentrated themselves onto Harry's right arm.

Harry only had a second to realize that he would not be able to dodge the attack and few moments before he knew he had to prevent himself from being completely stunned. His left arm flew to his right shoulder as soon as he felt the first two stunners hit his arm and go up to his body. His index finger moved across the muscles on his right shoulder separating the magic from his arm to the rest of his body. Harry breathed a sigh of relief when the third stunner that followed a second behind did not break the shield that was separating his body from his arm. His right arm fell limply to his side and he looked at the group who were surprised he did not pass out. Harry breathed heavy, sweat on his eyebrow.

Harry grimaced. "I suppose I can't hold back now." Harry looked to his arm. He tried to move it but his arm did not respond. He looked strait to Cyan. "I am sorry," Harry stood up strait from his fighting posture and sighed. "But I am going to have to end this quickly." Argent, Phor and Arvalis stood at his side. "After an enemy sees these three, the fight is already over." Phor flew to his head and covered Harry's face with its wings. Argent stood in front of Harry's feet and Arvalis slithered his way around Harry's body. "Integrate." All three summons melted away. Harry opened his eyes and the solid green eyes turned silver. He took a step back before he disappeared. Cyan turned to her left and saw two of her fellow Knights were suddenly wandless and bound to the ground. There was a yelp from the other side of the room and she knew before looking that she was the only standing Knight left. At once, Cyan felt hands on her shoulders; arms bound, hands free of her wand and mouth gagged. Harry appeared in front of her. "It may not be the revolution that you want, but Granger is making changes happen. If she is in office long enough I have hope that many changes will happen."

Cyan looked into Harry's bottomless eyes, then away. Cyan flicked her wrist and found there was enough slack. A knife flew from her wrist to her hand. Cyan cut the magical bounds that were around her body and slashed at Harry in one quick motion. Harry appeared two meters back looking at the knife quickly. Cyan took off her gag. "Those are not the changes that are needed! Social reform will not help this country. The minister's position is too powerful. You saw that yourself with Fudge. One branch, One rule. It's a dictatorship." Harry stood a few paces back listening carefully to the woman in front of him. "It is not going to matter at any rate." Cyan said confidently. "I already predicted that Granger will not live long enough in office. My assassination attempt failed, but others will try. They will continue until they succeed. And it will not be for my reasons. It is not just Britain that is feeling Granger's change of social policies." Cyan looked to her downed friends; none of them would be able to get up soon. She sighed, hoping that she would be able to make Harry understand. She knew if she didn't they would all die. "The whole magical world is feeling those changes. Those thousands of pure blood families from around the world are more powerful than just a young woman leading by example. Those ambitious people will come and lay claim to this country. IF not by out right war then by political influence and finally a figure head in office. I will NOT let my country be a puppet government! Harry, would you concede that there is a problem that needs to be addressed? Have you not seen the problems in other countries that may come back to Britain?"

Harry listened and the sudden flash of his meeting the Wizengamott ran through his mind. There were the two representatives there ready to plan extreme actions on his students. But had there been more that he should have seen? Harry began to doubt what he saw there. But it was only the representatives of those countries. Harry thought to himself. Does it make it better if it was not the countries that were not represented at the Wizengamott? He thought to himself. "It doesn't matter Cyan. One assassination attempt or a hundred, Hermione has protection from her friends that will stop each one and trace them to their source." Harry steeled himself with that certainty. The Raiders may not all be active, but the few that were could be counted on.

Cyan smiled sadly. "Your faith in them is truly an inspiring thing Harry. I am almost convinced. But that is only because I want to be." Cyan looked to her knife. "I suppose this is where we stop talking."

Harry looked at her and nodded. Cyan threw her knife adding magic to the speed of the projectile. Harry moved his hand to catch it before his eyes widened and he dodged it. He eyed the knife that clattered against the stone wall behind him. "What is that?"

She simply said, "It is a special sacrificial knife." Cyan pulled two more knives from her robes. Harry looked at what must have been the fifth knife Cyan showed him. He fired a stunning curse at Cyan, silently watching. Cyan pulled the knife against the curse and sliced the spell in half. The two beams of light passed by Cyan harmlessly and puffed when they hit the wall.

Harry looked at the knife with interest. He had seen similar ones when Tonks was showing him sealing rituals. Harry quickly saw that the knife only drained magic. It would not help him with the curse. Harry looked at her. He wondered how many knives she carried. She was relying on them much more than on a wand. With only his left hand, Harry tried to rechannel the magic that wanted to flow through his right arm to his left. It was hard since he began to feel the effects of his speed warping. He needed time to recover. "This is what you planned when you had me come here, not to kill me. You just needed to be able to control me."

Cyan nodded. The gentle demeanor she carried earlier was gone and long lined eyes and mouth replaced her smile. "I do not know if you truly realize how much peril this country is in as your dear old friends attempt to make it a better place." Harry's eyebrows lowered at the comment. "Several pure blooded countries already see it as a ripe place for expansion. I refuse to let it happen!" Cyan threw one of her knives and used the other knife as a wand. "Mulitis." The thrown knife doubled, tripled, quadrupled and continued to increase in number. Harry took a step back before he disappeared and reappeared behind Cyan. He took in a long breath. Moving at high speed was beginning to take its toll on his body more than on his magic. Cyan moved away from Harry's new position and the knives spun around to chase him.

Harry smiled deciding that he couldn't afford not to use all his integration. Harry's body turned silver and appeared next to Cyan. He punched her with enough force to send her across the hall and close to her friends' sleeping forms. She stood up and rubbed her jaw. She felt along its length and knew it was fractured. She pointed a knife at her jaw and muttered in a painful voice. "Silima Amende" The jaws' bone healed and Cyan sighed in relief. She raised the knives in front of her and saw the flicker of Harry's disappearing form. Cyan did not waste time. She slashed her knives in two long arcs around her body. Harry appeared next to her before he disappeared and reappeared a few meters off.

He smiled, "I guess its going to have to be by magic then." He gripped his left hand and raised it. "Iiguis." A wide blue light shot from his hand and sped towards Cyan. Cyan sliced through the spell. Harry was feeling a little frustrated. "Right, forgot about that." The silver animals fell out of Harry's body. They all looked at Cyan appraisingly. "Disarm her." They all charged but stopped a few meters away from their target.

The double doors burst open on the opposite side of the room. Twelve Blood Knights entered the room looking worse for wear. The leader looked at Cyan. "We came as soon as we got your message." Cyan nodded still looking at the silver apparitions in front of her.

"Feel free to help out whenever you are all ready."

Harry looked at the group and noticed they all only had wands. "Now this I can work with." His summons charged at Cyan and twelve witches and wizards charged at Harry.

0

Alice move her fist down to the ground. The woman that laid on the floor unmoving felt the impact of a large heavy fist hit her stomach. The woman groaned from the impact and breathed raggedly. "Make that noise again." Alice commanded. Alice repeated her fist going to the ground and watched in fascination when blood from the Jocelyns' mouth flew into the air and splattered against her mask. Alice sighed when Jocelyn did not make another noise.

Owen felt the bonds holding him weaken. "Alice!" Alice acted as if the people on the wall did not exist. It was only her and the Blood Knights. Alice just smiled through her mask and tossed a Blood Knight across the room in a heap with the first one that fell moments before. Jocelyn was still laying on the ground. Alice glared at the pile of Blood Knights when something moved. "Alice, snap out of it!" Owen looked to his left and saw Pam trying to get the girl's attention as well. Angela and Bruce were trying to free themselves of the invisible binding spell that held them against the wall. Owen struggled for a few moments before he closed his eyes and concentrated. Free! Owen felt his aura enflame and his body burn from the surge of magic. He hissed in pain before he felt the magic that trapped his body break. Owen fell to the floor and reached for his wand that was in a pile near the corner. He grabbed his friends' wands and broke the spell. Each student fell to the floor and onto their knees.

Alice stood behind her mask humming to herself. She giggled while gesturing to the woman floating next to her to move. Jocelyn struggled against the force that moved her legs and arms in awkward positions. "You're no fun." Alice said suddenly. There was a sudden tug at Jocelyn's arm and the woman screamed from the sudden pop her arm made from her shoulder. Alice waved her hand lazily and Jocelyn flew to the others in a heap. Alice looked at the five wizards and witches on the floor. "I am bored." Gwen began to regain consciousness and looked at the masked girl. "Oh!" Alice walked over to the twin that was looking at her. Gwen struggled to say something but just let her head fall back and continue to breathe raggedly. Alice's mask smiled wickedly. "You look tired." Alice moved her hand over the woman's forehead and said quietly. "Sleep." The female Blood Knight began to gasp for air. Owen looked away from Angela after seeing that they were all alright and turned to see what Alice was doing for the first time.

Angela gasped. She saw the already weak magical aura of the woman slowly getting smaller. The woman tried to physically hit Alice but could barely manage to move her fist to Alice's body. Pam looked to Alice and saw her aura change. "Is Alice absorbing her magic?" The twin finally passed back out and Alice sighed in satisfaction.

Owen ran to Alice. The Slytherin jumped over one of the unconscious men and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. The girl stiffened but continued to look at the sleeping Blood Knight. Owen eyes widened when he was enveloped by his girlfriend's magical aura. He didn't need to look to know it filled well beyond the room. "Alice, it's me."

The girl moved her head to look at Owen. Owen wasn't sure what Alice's real face looked like but the mask's eyes changed from sharp angles to rounded ovals. "Owen?" Owen nodded and hugged her tightly.

"It's Owen." Owen pulled her head to his shoulder and hugged her tightly.

"I know an Owen?" Owen felt his heart stop. The girl looked around and saw the other three students. "I know you?"

Pam ran up to the girl. "Don't you remember us?" Pam asked half afraid. "We have been friends for almost a year."

Alice looked through the mask and the face of ink scrunched together in confusion. "Friends? I have no friends except for Lopsy." Alice looked around at the four students confused.

"Lopsy?" Bruce asked blankly.

"My Aunt's house elf…" Alice began to wobble on her feet. "No… He is dead now." The four friends wrapped their arms around the shuddering girl. "Aunt Nan didn't like the filth…" Alice tried to breathe in gulps of air. "He was punished…" Alice began to cry again. She shook from the memories. "After he died I didn't want to think about it." Alice felt her body being hugged but was too far gone in memories to care. "Hated Nan. I wanted to forget. Began to read to forget." Memories flashed through her head and threatened to burst through her skull. She screamed in pain and sobbed. "No…" She said quietly.

Owen cupped Alice's face. "Alice. It's over." Alice was still crying. Owen felt the ink and tears fall onto his wrists. "Alice, Nan is dead. She won't hurt you anymore. You made new friends." Alice felt weak and would have slumped all the way to the floor if she were not being supported by the groups' hug.

"Friends?" Alice said with a sniff.

"Yes, and a father. You have to remember him." The mask on Alice's face began to crack.

"Daddy?" Alice said confused. She whispered out. "Daddy is dead. So is Mommy. Nan said so." The crack began to disappear. Pam and Angela noticed and nodded.

Pam stroked the girl's hair and said, "Yes your parents are gone, but you have a new dad. Remember? You have to remember Harry Potter." Alice's face went blank. The mask cracked again.

Bruce said quietly. "You remember the professor. He had that mob of girls chasing after him. And you defended yourself against those mean girls. It was you at your best." Angela and Pam smiled at him approvingly when the mask cracked again.

Angela asked the girl. "Do you remember when I had to do my integration? You and Owen were the only ones that could not summon anything and you still helped me when you were behind." Alice looked around to the people she began remember as friends. "You knew that even if I was good, I needed a break. We didn't know each other well but you helped me as if we had been friends forever." The ink on Alice's mask smiled and a long crack appeared across the length of the mask.

"Alice. You have to remember Christmas Holiday. We got ourselves a man!" Alice's eyes widened a moment before she saw each of her friends and remembered the moment she became friends with them. Alice became friends with Owen in the hospital wing, Pam in Professor Dursley, no Potter's class room, Bruce who tagged along with Pam after a late night discussion, and Angela after warning her that she can still be the top student and still have fun. The sudden memories brought flashes of others, Nan dieing, talking to Susan and finally to Harry.

"Dad…" The mask began to fall apart and Alice looked around suddenly wide eyed and weak.

Pam and Bruce sighed in relief. Owen smiled at them. "Hey Alice, it's good to see you back." Alice looked to Owen when he spoke and smiled in relief.

She hugged the group. "Thank you." They stood there for a few moments before their reprieve was interrupted.

"I can't…." The group turned to the Blood Knight on the floor. She continued to mutter to herself. The four walked closer and Alice shivered at what she did to Jocelyn. "Must go… Am needed." Jocelyn finally passed out.

"What should we do about these guys?" Bruce walked around the group of five red robed forms.

Alice looked at what she did to them. She shuddered remembering how her own body was beaten in a similar fashion at the beginning of the year. Her face hardened in determination. "We heal them then bind them."

Pam and Angela looked at each other and smiled. "We'll heal them, but that dislocated shoulder…" Pam pointed to Jocelyn. "Needs to be physically set."

Alice got her wand from Owen. "Stupefy." She waved for Bruce and Owen to help her. The other two girls began to look at the broken bones, the bleeding and internal damage Alice inflicted.

Both girls ignored the pop from behind them and concentrated on what to do with the wounds of the other four. The two twin girls were the hardest with the strain on their muscles from resisting for so long against Alice's will. Pam finally asked, "Alice? Do you know what you did?"

Alice looked at the five people on the floor and shuddered. Owen's comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders. "The first time Rin appeared was after Jocelyn told me she was happy my parents were dead. And how dad and my parents were as bad as any dark wizard." Alice began to shake again. Her whole body felt tired.

"I am sorry Alice, don't say anything else." Pam felt guilty for bringing it up.

"No, I need to tell you all." Alice helped move one of the twins, she did not know which, to lie next to the man she remembered as Jon. "Well, my thought for my summon was hate." All four of her friends stopped what they were doing and looked at her. It was a very personal thing to know what someone's thought was for their summon. For her to share it with what little they did know of her history made the group feel closer. Owen was the first to hug her and said quietly.

"It's ok. There is no one else you need to hate now. Nan is gone, and this woman is going to be in sent to Bakan soon. No one is around for you to hate anymore."

Alice smiled and nodded. She leaned against him before she gathered herself to continue. "The mask is something I felt I needed to do. I paid attention to the integration in class but doing this seemed more natural. I never really told anyone, but when I was trapped in my mind and dad had to get me out, I was wearing a mask. I think it was that mask." She gestured to where she was standing earlier. "Rin turned into the mask. When I was wearing it, I felt like was in the safest possible place. I could feel the whole castle. This place is full of magic. It must be far older than Hogwarts."

They nodded and began to bind the prisoners. "So what do we do now?" asked Angela.

"I think we should go ahead and get out of here. We've been here too long and I don't want to think about who else is here." Bruce motioned his head to the blood Knights bound on the floor.

Alice was looking at Jocelyn. The woman knew her parents. Even if it was all bad things she said about them, it was information she never had before. Alice noticed the flashing necklace that was half concealed by the woman's robes. She knelt and touched it. Alice dropped it immediately. "Guys!" The group looked to her. "Dad is in trouble. This necklace is a kind of communication necklace. Harry is fighting all by himself. We have to help him."

Owen performed sensation. "I don't see him anywhere down here. He must be on the higher levels."

Angela grimaced. "I guess we are going to go help him?"

Alice grinned. "I think I can find him. When I had my mask on I could feel the entire castle."

"You sure you can do this without loosing control?" Alice nodded. She knew she could control her emotions now. The group looked uneasy but they agreed. The group gave her room and Alice glared at the floor. Rin stood next to her dwarfing her small frame. The gorilla looked over to the gawking friends, his head scraping the twelve foot ceiling.

"Whoa."

"Big."

Rin ignored the big comment and his body began flicker. The outline of a silver mask appeared over Alice's head. The mask solidified. The mask was almost completely different from the previous one. The first mask was simply white with liquid ink for a mouth and eyes. This new one was a silver mask that floated a few inches away from Alice's face. The mask itself had black jagged lines around the edge with black slits over the area where one would expect eyes. Alice looked over to her friends and smiled behind her mask. Owen saw Alice's smile and felt relieved. "No problem. There is something I want to try guys." Before they could ask, the black lines of the mask turned into perfect circles. The group felt a wave of pressure before it faded. The mask faded away and Alice looked around satisfied.

The group performed Sensation. Bruce uttered out, "Alice how?"

0

"This is impossible." Grumbled Susan. She and Cho had been leading the group of Raiders around the castle trying to find Alice with little luck.

"Sensation is pretty much useless here. At most I can see only ten meters all around." They had found an entrance to what looked like an area below them but were unable to open the door. They searched for another entrance but had no luck.

Luna looked to her left and into a room that was empty. "I am more concerned with where the Blood Knights went to. Did they retreat or are they regrouping?" It was because the escaped group was such a large force that Susan decided not to have them split up.

There was a sudden rumble and Cho and Susan grunted in unison. "That really hurt my eyes." Cho complained.

"We can see now." Susan said suddenly. Both Raiders looked below them and said at the same time. "There!" Both women recognized Alice's Aura. Susan had shown it to Cho from a lock of hair Alice gave her weeks ago when she asked about muggle hair dye. They both sped to the door that they were unable to open and saw how the locking mechanism worked and quickly opened the door and headed down the stairs.

0

"Don't ask, I don't know." Pam looked up towards the higher floors. "Kinda hard not to notice that." Harry's aura was a beacon of light near the upper levels of the castle. "He is up there with a dozen other people. It looks like he is fighting alone."

Alice looked at her dad and noticed movement. "Someone is coming down."

"It's Miss Bones!" said Angela surprised.

The group ran out of the room and up the stairs. They met a dozen wands. The group of students screamed in surprise. "Put away your wands!" Susan glared at the group behind her and then quickly hugged Alice. "I have been worried sick." She looked to the group of Alice's friends behind her. "Should I even ask why they are doing here?" The group looked guilty but didn't say a word.

"Dad is trapped upstairs." Susan and Cho looked up and swore. Neither one had bothered to look for Harry. It was almost two dozen flights of stairs above them.

Angela bit her lip but said, "I can get us there. But it would take two trips." Susan eyed the girl and nodded. Cho's team and half of Luna's went with Angela the first time. Angela reappeared moments later breathing hard. "I can do it one more time if it's one way." Susan looked at her. She did not know how many people Miss Johnson was supposed to be able to carry but knew that it was well below the amount of people she was carrying now.

The group of students knew the fact too. "We can take the stairs." Said Owen. "Take the rest." Owen Bruce and Pam started heading out.

"I am going ahead with them." Alice squeezed Angela's shoulder who smiled at the girl. Angela looked to the group and nodded. They began to run up the stairs to the higher floors.

Everyone moved next to the girl and Angela concentrated before the group felt their feet land against the floor. Angela was panting and smiled that she got them there. "I knew I could do it." Angela wobbled on her feet before Alice caught the taller girl and lowered her to the floor.

Alice looked to Susan. "Get going. She just wore herself out. I guess I'll lag behind since I don't want to leave her alone." Susan nodded and barked out orders to enter the room. The fighting was beginning to organize into sides instead of the free for all she saw moments earlier.

0

Harry felt the tug of magic demanding him to give more to his summons. All three adeptly dodged the slashes from the knives Cyan wielded, but they began to get careless with the other attackers in the room. Arvalis was hit hard by three Reducto Curses. Arvalis regenerated quickly and continued his attack. The main problem Harry had was that the room was too small. Harry looked to the walls and was happy to find that there were adjoining rooms on this floor. He quickly raised his still functioning hand to one side. "REDUCTO!" The wall was ground to dust. The group that was attacking him suddenly stopped and stared at the hole the single most powerful wizard made. The wall was carved out of the mountain. The iron in the wall did not even phase the blast. Harry cast another reducto next to the first one. The entire wall was gone, leaving the room much larger than it had been. Harry jumped over the rubble and waved his hand. The precious remaining debris flew swiftly towards the Blood Knights attacking his Summons. Five red robed wizards fell to the floor. Harry waved his hand again to push them to the side so they were out of the way.

The large group reorganized themselves and pressed on their attack. They had surrounded the most powerful wizard in the world and made careful aim that each spell that was cast would not hit someone on the other side of the circle.

Harry suddenly found himself dodging high angled hexes. He smiled at the tactic. His own raiders seldom moved in such a large force. The way they had systematically forced him in one direction then another made him appreciate that they understood whatever Dung sold them so adeptly. Harry was hit with a powerful combined stunner and let his body absorb the magic the let it flow out of him in a series of rapid stunners of his own. Harry noticed that he was being pressed into a corner and charged the thickest side of wizards. He kicked the first one he ran into and used the poor man's body as a vault to jump over the others. Harry's foot rammed down onto someone's shoulder to clear the whole group. He turned around and transmuted the iron in the walls into chains that latched onto seven Blood Knights wand hands and dragged them to the floor. Harry smiled at the handy work and concentrated on what he had to do.

I am tiring too quickly. Guess I really am out of shape. Harry panted and swallowed the saliva in his mouth. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the amount of power he was about to channel. Disable, bind, ignore spells. Harry felt his magical aura change from the conditions he placed on himself. The last living Potter did not need to see his aura to know that the condition combination worked surprisingly well. Neither condition conflicted with the other. The three melded into each other without much trouble. Harry raised his left hand to the group. "Accio wands." Thirteen wands flew to his hands. He slashed his hand and let the wands fall to the floor. "This is it!" Harry said in victory. Harry raised his hands to stun the remaining Blood Knights when he felt a wave of pressure pass through the room. He turned feeling the tug from his summons. Arvalis was on the ground next to Argent. Phor crashed to the ground and all three faded before any of them could say a word.

Cyan saw her chance and threw her knife at Harry. The knife sank into his upper left arm. He cried out in pain and was able to knock it out by turning his shoulders sharply. Both arms laid next to his body useless. Harry looked below him. "Sensation." Harry realized he could see the entire castle now. "Alice? How the hell did she disenchant the entire castle?" He ignored the question when he saw that the Raiders were on their way down to help her. He hoped they would just portkey away.

Cyan screamed in frustration. "Not just the castle, everything in it. That knife should have left you so weak you should have passed out." She raised her knife and pointed it to the group of wands and tried to banish them to their owners. "I guess I have to actually use my wand now." She drew it and smiled at the wooden rod in her hand. "Do you think they were affected too?"

Harry smiled at her. "It would even things up a bit. I am disarmed over here." Cyan cast a stunner at Harry and Harry dodged it nimbly.

Harry sighed. "No such luck." Harry concentrated a moment and felt that his summons would be in no condition to help him at the moment. "O.k. I guess I am on my own." Cyan banished the wands to their owners. "Capture him! He is weakened enough to make it possible." Fourteen witches and wizards charged him from three different directions.

Harry grunted and moved his foot across the ground in an arch then drew a sharp angle across the imaginary line. "Tsunami!" A large wave of water burst form the invisible symbol and washed out one of the groups that were firing hexes at him. Harry felt his numb arms flail in every direction as he dodged many hexes and felt the stings and cuts of glancing spells hit his face and shoulders.

Harry felt the boundary that had cut off his right arm weaken and held his breath when the shield separating his right arm from the rest of his body fall apart. Harry stumbled and was sicken by the amount of pain that finally registered in his brain from the damage his arm took. The stumble was almost fatal as fifteen hexes zoomed in on his still location. Harry rolled quickly. He was hit several times while running in a wide circle around the group. Each spell was rechanneled to his mouth were he spit it back towards the group. Harry grunted trying to figure a way out. He jumped back away from the group to give himself some room and stood surveying his damaged arm and his situation. He felt the burns on his shoulders and neck from rechanneling the few hexes that hit into a counter spells.

Harry smiled when the Blood Knights seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move. He did not need to. The doors at the entrance Harry came from exploded. Harry's heart whooped when he saw Cho's team start their attack on the concentrated group of Blood Knights. Harry circled around the group and saw Cho and Erika make a beeline strait for him.

Cho stood in front of Erika while she started looking over Harry. Erika hissed at the beating Harry took. "That is some nasty looking hits there."

Harry exhaled. He was relieved that he would get a small break to heal. "Thanks, my right arm first." Erika proceeded to cast heal charm after heal charm on the burned flesh. Harry sighed when he was able to flex his fist and move his wrist again. "Thanks Erika. I can handle it from here." Erika nodded and began to help Cho cover Harry. The two girls fought to discourage anyone from attacking in their direction. It worked to an extent but as soon as several Blood Knights saw Harry had a working arm they started to concentrate on the three and only defending against the Cho's group who flanked them.

Harry moved his hand over to his left shoulder and ran a finger across the knife wound that had cut deep in his arm. "Accio metal." He said quietly. A small piece of metal that was lodged in his bone flew out cutting more muscle. He flinched then dropped the triangular piece of metal and began to heal the cut properly. Ten seconds later he started firing hexes at the group and looked for Cyan. The second half of the Raiders arrived. Harry eyed Susan surprised that any of the raiders were here so fast. Harry felt several of the students below him but was relieved to see Alice was up here with Miss Kee. That explains how they got here. Harry scanned the large room and still did not find Cyan.

"Cyan isn't here, I have to find her."

"Don't mind us Harry, get going." Harry ran off receiving cover fire from Cho and Erika. The Raider leader followed a trail of Cyan's magical signature to another level that he did not notice before.

He slowed when he saw she was alone. When he walked out to see her, she was watching him. "Well, this plan was a complete failure as well." Cyan raised her wand. "I am sorry Harry but I need to try again with a different plan."

Harry thought about his resolution. "I can't let you leave. You kidnapped my daughter. That itself can't go unpunished."

"What is more important? This country or your daughter? If I can't replace the current minister I will just have to eliminate the threats before they are ready to move."

"You are going to try and assassinate others then?" Harry raised both hands and aimed both palms to Cyan.

"It is only a matter of time. Britain is the home to Grendelwald, Dumbledore, Voldemort and Harry Potter. The four of the most powerful wizards in History were born in one century and hailed from one country." Cyan smiled sadly when she added. "He who controls Britain controls the world Harry." Harry and Cyan stared each other down. Cyan sighed when she continued. "Your precious minister is making the country look weak. Any ambitious person, leading a country or society can and will try and lay claim to the islands that birthed so many powerful wizards. Even if you go against that new government, the fact that Harry Potter is a citizen of that new country would leave a power gap that the other countries would bow down to. That is the threat I see." Cyan pointed her wand onto herself and cast several body altering spells. Her legs changed muscle mass slightly along with her torso and her arms. She moved into a fighting stance. "That is what I am trying to prevent." Harry felt the shift of magic in the room. It survived the disenchantment. He looked to the walls and recognized several runes he saw in the room of requirement when he needed a barrier to protect the school from himself.

Cyan took advantage of his distraction and ran with inhuman speed towards Harry's left sending curse after curse that would disable him and give her time she needed to get her documents out of the castle.

Harry sidestepped the spells and released three hexes. Each would have incapacitated Cyan if they hit. Her new muscles allowed her to dodge around them quickly. Cyan cast a fog around Harry and moved to a desk to quickly retrieve the documents. Harry pushed away the fog and saw her reach for a scroll. "Accio scroll." The scroll flew out of Cyan's hand and Harry caught it. Cyan swore and gripped the pendant around her necklace.

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Every single Blood Knight felt the call and disengaged from their fighting to run up the stairs. Alice was still in the hall protecting Angela from the stray spell that flew their way when she saw the red wizards run towards the stairs her father went up. After a minute, Susan and her group followed. "Alice!" Alice saw Owen, Pam and Bruce finally made it. They were all out of breath and looked to the retreating wizards.

"What happened to Angela?" Bruce and Pam rushed to the laying girls' side.

"Nothing. She was just exhausted." Pam helped move Angela onto Bruce's back. When it did not look like she was going to fall off his back, Pam said, "Let's get going, we don't want to be left behind." Alice led the way up the stairs where Susan had led her group. They almost ran into the people that had come to save Alice. Alice walked between a few of them to see her dad glaring at the woman named Cyan.

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Harry opened the scroll and read it. It was nothing but a list of names. He recognized a few names then it occurred to him what this list was. "How many names are on this list Cyan?" Harry said quietly. Harry did not notice anyone other than himself and Cyan in the room.

Cyan had her wand raised and said in the same level of voice. "One hundred and twenty seven."

Harry rolled up the parchment and looked evenly at the woman across the room from him. "You are planning on killing one hundred and twenty seven people?" Harry's voice rose. "Some of these people I know did nothing wrong. Why are they on this list?" Harry recognized Fleur and Cho's parents among the list of names.

"Guilt by association. They might not do anything but they are extremely helpful to people who have helped them in the past."

Harry glared at the woman and incinerated the scroll. "Your plan comes at too high a price Cyan." Harry felt the last magic of the castle fall apart. He was only vaguely aware that Alice had something to do with it but smiled tightly that she was able to fight back and was safe. "I can't allow you to carry out your plans." He stepped away from her and raised his arms to his sides. Spikes of stone circled him. A loud crack followed and Harry was encased in a stone spike.

Susan recognized the spell. "Oh God... Raiders your portkeys!" All the Raiders left without question except for her. Susan felt the anti-apparation wards surround the area. Susan looked over to the unconscious Angela who was being carried on Bruce's back. "My portkey can only carry four people."

Pam looked at her friends and then to Alice. Alice didn't look away from Susan. "I am staying with you."

Pam and Owen began to argue when Alice sensed Susan's urgency and stunned her friends. Bruce caught Pam before she hit the floor and found himself carrying two women. Alice smiled to her stunned boyfriend. She kissed him before she moved him to lean against Bruce. Susan placed the necklace portkey around the only conscious boy's neck. "This will take you to Hogwarts." She then looked to Alice. "Are you sure about this?" Alice nodded. Susan activated the portkey and the four friends left without her. Susan sighed in relief. Wards to prevent portkey use began to surround the same area. Susan used sight and saw the whole dome. It extended beyond the room and high into the ceiling.

The castle began shake and a black dome expanded from inside the castle room and beyond the stone to outside the cliff. "Susan, what is this?" Alice looked around with sensation and wondered how this field was constructed. The dome was made to trap people in.

Susan smiled weakly. Cyan formed her teams to concentrate on attacking a specific point of the spike that protected Harry. "We can't let him finish this spell!" Fifteen wands pointed and cast the reducto hex. The combined power only burned the rock leaving it glowing red from the heat.

Susan looked at the group trying in vain to break Harry's shield. Susan wiped a tear from her eye. She never thought she would be trapped in this. Susan looked to this girl who she wanted to call daughter and said, "Have you read about the Refugee's of Clavis?"

Alice swallowed. She remembered Jocelyn mentioning the city before. "I read Voldemort destroyed the city with a single spell. The citizens that had survived lived on the outskirts of the city but decided to stay. Other victims from other destroyed cities migrated there to rebuild it." Susan smiled and nodded. "It is true that a single spell caused the city to be destroyed. But it wasn't Voldemort's spell." Alice didn't want to hear what Susan was about to say but could not tear away from looking at the sorrowful face Susan gave when she looked at the spire that housed the man she loved. "The spell was actually a gigantic amount of magic that got away from Harry. The following explosion wiped away thousands of people's lives; Death Eaters, Aurors and the inhabitants of the city. When the explosion ended Harry stood there in the center of a leveled city." Susan looked at several Knights following Cyan's orders. "It took him weeks to recover mentally for what he did. And he never forgave himself."

Cyan commanded, "Again! If we fail we die!" The group of Blood Knights fired their hexes on command leaving a small crack where they aimed. The crack closed almost immediately.

Susan looked sadly at the scene. There was no hope for any of them. "He later decided to refine the spell so it would never be so powerful that it could kill anyone else. This spell is called Ender. Before he casts it several things happen. First, a dome appears to prevent people from escaping by physically running." Alice saw the black dome expand around them. "Then there was the anti-apparation wards…" Alice had felt those take effect right before Susan said there had to be a few people left behind. "Then the anti-portkey wards." Alice nodded solemnly. That last set of wards wrapped around the area immediately after Bruce took his friends away. "When they are complete it's just a matter of time before he finishes the last spell."

Alice sighed weakly. She took her surrogate mothers hand. "He doesn't know that we are here does he?"

"When Harry enters that spike column he can't even use sensation to see we are here. He won't know until after he kills us." Susan hugged her daughter. "I am sorry Alice. I wanted to do so much more with you."

A voice came from stone spike. "MAGNUM OPUS!"

The shout was followed by a howl, screech and hiss. Alice and Susan looked up to see Argent, Arvalis and Phor five times their original sizes. Each one glared at whoever was in the dome. Their bodies intensified silver. Argent looked directly at them and he growled.

Harry stood inside his shell concentrating. Harry! Harry opened his eyes and saw what Argent saw. He swore and started a small incantation while still concentrating on his spell.

Susan and Alice hugged each other trying to block out the desperate sounds the Blood Knights were making trying to break open the spire. Susan and Alice looked at the ground below them and a golden sphere encircled them. It had silver beaded energy tracing through it. Susan smiled at Alice before they both lurched backwards as the sphere flew towards the wall. The two braced themselves to hit the wall but the wall did not stop the sphere's movement. Three walls were passed before they could see the outside of edge of the dome and were safely outside. The sphere set them down a half mile from the now visible castle.

Susan stood up and helped Alice to her feet. Alice asked anxiously. "Do you think he will be ok?"

"I think so, that is a really small zone he is casting the spell in."

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Inside the dome Cyan called off their attacks and looked around the area. The silver animals were beginning to loose their shape. Cyan looked at the spike and smiled with an idea. "Everyone make a hole now!" There was a sudden howl, screech and hiss. The three animals flew through the dome in rapid speeding lines. Cyan saw lines carved against floors and walls fall under the passing beaming lights that used to be animals. The beams of lights started to move around the spike at increasing speeds towards the knights.

Every witch and wizard did not need another moment of being told what to do. To a man they all transfigured a hole below them and fell through to the lower floor. Cyan sighed in relief when everyone made it. Silver energy flew over the holes and dug deep gashes on the floor. "Seal off the holes quickly! We don't want those things up there to come through!" The room shook from whatever was above them scraped against the floors walls and ceiling. Cyan looked at her men. "You are all dead. Get out of here." They all immediately bowed and apparated.

Harry stood in his spire only sensing that there were figures there and after his summons passed by there were none. He let the three glowing ribbons of light to fly around the dome for a moment longer to make sure there was nothing left.

Harry felt the feed back of the spell and sighed that it was over.

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Susan and Alice stood on the same hill they were dropped onto. "Why is the spell called Ender?"

Susan sat on the grass eyeing the small bit of dome that rose above the ground where the castle stood. "It ends the conflict. Whoever is trapped in that dome will die. But the spell requires so much energy, this is only the second time I have seen the true spell cast." She pulled blade after blade of grass while waiting for the dome to go down.

"How much energy?"

"Harry will be so drained after he casts this spell he will not be able to cast anything else for a day or so."

"But what about the Blood Knight's that are on the lower floors? They have been there a long time. Should we go get them?" The part of the dome that had peaked outside the castle disappeared. "Well it's over now. Let's get him so we can go home." Susan squeezed Alice's shoulder and they apparated to the top of the castle.

Susan whistled at the cavern that was made. Shen sat next to Susan. "We need a line to get down there." The silver spider clicked and spun a thread with intervals of knots down to what was once a richly decorated castle room. Susan and Alice got to the floor and found Harry under part of the stone spike that had protected him. It had crumbled leaving an opening for him to crawl out.

Harry just laid there breathing hard. When he saw the two girls he sighed. "Don't scare me like that." When both girls were close enough he pulled them both into a large hug. He kissed each of their heads. "I don't want to think what would have happened if I had lost either of you." Susan and Alice hugged him back.

"I am sorry to interrupt but we are not done yet." Cyan stood near a rectangular hole that was once the stair case.

Harry looked up at her weakly. "How?" He eyed the stairs behind her and said, "Of course, we are in a building. The ground is an easy escape route."

Cyan nodded. "It was too bad I was only quick enough to realize it before I died. I am the only one left."

Harry tried to stand up. He was steadied by Alice and Susan. "So you are the only one to have made it." Harry closed his eyes remembering what the deceased Blood Knights looked like. "You're not the first to avoid that spell." Harry smiled at her. He pushed his two loves of his life away from him. He stumbled but was able to stand on his own.

"Is that so? I am sorry Harry but I can't allow you to interfere."

Harry began to move forward and ran to close the gap. Alice and Susan started after him. He was in their way to hex Cyan themselves. Harry saw a spell cast at him and he raised his hands and opened his magical essence to touch the spell before his body did. The drained reserves of magic eagerly absorbed the spell. Harry felt a small amount of stamina return and ran harder to meet Cyan as she fired another curse. He dodged it and grabbed a hold of her mouth and felt his magic open to hers.

Cyan almost immediately fell to the floor and struggled to stand up.

Alice recognized what Harry was doing as she did it herself. He was absorbing her magic. Harry's panting slowed to haggard breathing. Cyan gripped his hand and tried to resist. Finally she lowered her hands and passed out. Harry stumbled back. He fell to the floor. His mind reeled from the sudden influx of magic that was not his own. He lay on his back and let his mind spin while his body tried to rest.

Alice and Susan walked next to him and knelt next to him. Alice looked at the woman who lay on the floor. "Is she dead?"

Harry licked his lips. "No, but I don't know if she will be able to cast any more magic. I need to expel some of this magic." He said slowly. "Can you both raise my right hand? I don't think I can do it right now." They both complied and raised his hand to the ceiling. His palm flashed white and a beam of magic expelled from Harry's hand. Alice felt an enormous amount of heat run by her face. It stung for a few moments before Alice realized that it was over. Alice looked over to Harry, but he smiled and began to nod off. A few minutes passed before pops of apparation came from the roof.

Alice placed her hands to her mouth and said, "DOWN HERE!"

Susan looked to Alice. "There is such a thing as a sonorous charm." Alice smiled.

A few dozen men and women reapparated onto their floor and looked over to the woman who was laying face down on the floor. Alice saw that many of the people were not looking happy for the three of them to be there. Alice motioned to Susan if they should go. Susan said quickly. "Give me a few minutes I have to tell them what happened. French Aurors are more squeamish when it comes to upholding law." Alice smiled but went to lie next to her dad. She was feeling tired as well and it was not long before she fell asleep at his side.

Alice was woken long enough to be given a portkey. She found herself tucked in a bed in the hospital wing of Hogwarts and was fast asleep moments later.

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A/N finally coming to the close of the story. Thank you for the patience while I took an additional week to work on this chapter. It is a long chapter and am glad I was able to not have to make it two. Chapter 18 will be the last chapter and will close up this story. I have been working on both a prequel and sequeal to this story. Lots of planning since, this kind of early stage work made writing this story so smooth. I want some input from you guys as to what I should write next. 6 and 7th year fics on this storyline or go strait into a sequal? I posted a poll on my yahoo groups and feel free to leave a message there if you wanted to place a comment outside of a review.

http:groups .yahoo .com/ group/ harrypotterand voldemortsbane/

just remove the spaces for the address.

DarkHuntress: Thank you for the review. This whole castle part of the fic was hard for me to write in a satisfactory way. I think I wrote what I wanted to write and did it well.

zero-skillz: I love my characters that I have written and it was hard to get Alice to come across the way I wanted to. I wanted to demonstrate that she did really have the possibility to go dark but had an anchor to help her now.

Liona Anna Potter: Thank you again for starting a translation project. I encourage anyone who is able to read French to go and check out her translation.

www .fanfiction .net/ s/2295332/ 1/

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Preview Chapter 18 mind the gap

Fleur said with a grin. "I think that would be a good idea. It's been a while since I had you under my control."

A lump was forming at the bottom of his stomach. Please tell me she was joking. Harry finished his lunch quickly walked to Susan and said, "Hi, just wanted to tell you I love you." He kissed her head and ran out of the hall before anyone, student or teacher, made a comment.

Susan just sat there stunned for a moment before looking at Fleur with a raised eyebrow. "Just want to keep him on his toes is all." She smiled evilly at Susan.

The girlfriend caught on and leaned closer to Fleur. Susan grinned, "Give him hell."