Chapter Six: A Message and Retaliation
Harry and Draco began to run in each other's each firing curses rapidly. Neither used any words; Harry's natural power and Draco's dark transformation lending them the control needed to use their curses silently. All of their curses missed allowing them to smash harmlessly into the invisible wall surrounding the dueling arena The soon both realized that this duel would not be won by rapidly firing curses at each other. They now began to circle each other like predators stalking their prey.
Suddenly Harry cried "Reducto!" attempting to catch Draco off guard, but he blocked the spell with a simple shield charm.
"If this is your best Potter than you will be easy prey for the Dark Lord." Sneered Draco, before springing into action. He began to wave his wand back and forth in a way Harry had never seen. "Confundus Permitas!" A fine yellow dust like the one Harry had stumbled into during the third task flew out of Draco's wand and surrounded him clouding his senses, but only for a moment.
Harry quickly cleared his mind and pushed the cloud away with a simple fanning charm. "What do you say we kick it up a notch?" Harry taunted.
"Sure thing Potter. Imperio!" The crowd gasped, that was clearly an unforgivable.
Harry allowed to curse to strike him and felt a wave of bliss wash over his consciousness. "Just bow down Potter bow." Said a small voice in his head, but it was soon overtaken by another dominant voice, "Please I could block this in forth year." Harry bowed any way. "Now come here and give me your wand." Harry complied, but as he was walking over he wandlessly sent the wand in his hand back to it's holster and replaced it with one of Fred and George's fake ones.
Soon he reached Malfoy who looked directly into Dumbledore's eyes, "What do you think of your savior now, old man?" Malfoy reached out and took the fake wand from Harry's hand and raised it to strike, "Avada Ke-" Suddenly with a loud squawk it turned into a rubber chicken.
Harry raised his head and the glazed look was gone from his eyes. Harry smiled, and Draco's eyes widened. Harry raised his fist and punched Draco square in the nose, "Ohh Malfoy did that hurt, I hope you have a nice stay in Azkaban when this is over."
Malfoy spluttered through a bloody nose, "Wha.. how.. impossible?"
"I seem to hear that a lot form your master Malfoy. Stupefy." A red jet of light sped from his wand and hit Draco square in the chest and knocked him back several feet. Harry turned his back and started to walk away when he heard the crowd scream. He turned around just in time to be hit in the face with a cruciartus curse.
Pain exploded throughout his body, but soon he pushed it away and stood with fury in his eyes, "Fine, if that's how you want it." Harry closed his eyes and the entire hall began to shake. The same dark green glow that surrounded him in Grimmuald place enveloped him once again. He raised his wand and thundered, "ERADICO!" A burst of energy burst from his wand and blasted into Draco sending him flying. However the dark lord's pupil would not be defeated that easily.
Before he hit the ground he spun in the air and landed catlike on his feet. "Now you die Potter" He whispered coldly. The same sort of glow that enveloped Harry now began to surround Draco, but his was jet black, he was truly evil. "AVADA KEDAVERA"
Harry rolled to his left to avoid the sickly green blast of the curse, then had to quickly had to dodge another. He bounced to his feet and cried "ADFLICTATIO!" A burst of green light similar to the killing curse sped from his wand and smashed into Draco's shoulder, and an unearthly scream escaped his lips. He fell to the ground screaming in pain. Harry held him under the curse for a few moments and then released it. "Do you concede?"
"NEVER!" Screamed Draco.
"Fine then. Accio wand" Draco's wand slipped from his weakened grasp and flew into Harry's waiting grasp. He then began to wave his wand in concentric circles.
Dumbledore stood, "NO HARRY STOP! DON'T."
Harry's head snapped around and his eyes softened. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and before he could react he was staring at the hilt of a knife protruding from his chest. He fell to the ground gasping for breath, a pained look painting it's self across his face.
Draco picked his now blood covered wand from the ground, "As I said before Potter now you die."
As Draco began to utter the words to a the deadly curse, Harry's life flashed before his eyes, and he thought about his friends. He realized that ne could not looses, if anything he would not allow any more innocents to be harmed by any Deatheater. His eyes blazed with fury and determination, "NO MALFOY NOW YOU DIE!" He pulled the knife from his chest and lunged at Draco first plunging the knife into his stomach, then his chest, and then finally slitting his throat. Draco's already pale features paled even further, the blood adding a ghastly accent to his face.
Harry let the bleeding body slide from his arms and raised his head to look at the now horrified students. "Any other Jr. Deatheaters care to take a shot at their lord's nemesis?" he said mockingly.
Harry then took Draco's wand and ripped open his shirt, and muttered, "Flagrate." He traced some words onto Draco's bare chest before waving his hand over Draco's wand which glowed blue for a moment. Harry then dropped the wand on Draco's chest, who promptly disappeared.
There was a soft popping noise as the duel was officially ended and the barrier around the dueling area disappeared. Harry began to walk out of the arena when Professor McGonagall approached him with a horrified look on her face. "Mr.Potter, I am shocked I-"
Harry interrupted her, "Oh sorry professor." He turned around and waved his wand in a sweeping motion "Scourgify." All traces of the sickly pool of blood was erased from the floor.
He walked passed her flabbergasted form and continued to leave the hall when he was intercepted by Dumbledore, "Harry could I see you in my office for a moment."
Before he was able to follow Dumbledore out of the hall Madam Pomphre ran over to him and practically threw him on a stretcher, "What are you doing walking around you were just stabbed. And you headmaster, letting him."
Harry looked at her, "I assure you I am quite alright, I have been studying healing magic." As if to show proof he lifted his shirt and showed her the small scar that resided where there was once a bloody puncture wound.
Pomphre waved her wand over Harry's body and a purple light shined up and down his torso. Apparently satisfied she let him go.
Five minuets Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were still sitting in the bleachers holding a shocked conference about what had just transpired. This time Hermione had no problem with Harry's use of lethal force. "He used unforgivables, plus he struck with lethal force first so it was justified."
Ron chuckled, "Always the logical one."
Hermione was indignant, "What's that supposed to mean?
Ron sensing an argument waved his hands defensively, "Nothing bad. Just that have you thought that any deatheater needs to die. Obviously Azkaban cannot hold them, so what else can we do. This is war, and waiting for them to make the first strike will only cost more lives."
"Oh, well I-" Hermione deflated slightly, "I guess you're right."
They soon went back to the common room to wait for Harry to return, but they would not see him again until the dance, that surprisingly was still going to take place.
Harry was sitting in Dumbledore's office softly stroking his phoenix Fawkes.
"Harry, I am truly shocked." said Dumbledore gravely.
Harry was taken aback, "What he was a deatheater, he deserved what he got."
"I am only slightly concerned with your actions, but we can speak of that later. I am shocked that Voldermort's will has managed to reach into Hogwarts and corrupt one of my students. I truly hopped that the rivalry between you and Mr. Malfoy, would remain just that, but alas I was mistaken."
After a moment of silence Harry spoke, "Professor you said that you were concerned about my actions. Which part exactly?"
Dumbledore fixed Harry with one of his piercing looks, "I think that you know what I mean, do you know what that curse you were about to cast was."
"I do, it was a variation on the evisceration curse, except the victim is forced to watched as they are disemboweled and healed a number of times proportional to the number of spins of the casters wand." Harry responded in Hermione's 'just swallowed the entire book' tone.
"Don't you think that, that would have been a bit excessive, Harry." Asked Dumbledore.
"I could have fixed him professor."
"Just be careful Harry, I don't want you to begin to enjoy torturing people."
"I won't professor." Understanding that the conversation was over Harry got up and exited the office.
Harry found himself wondering out of the castle and towards Hogsmeade. He soon arrived in front of the Hogsmeade branch of Madam Malkins robe supply.
He went inside and was greeted by a pretty sales girl, "How may I help you?"
"I'd like some dress robes for me and my date. Er… do you think you could help me pick something"
She giggled, "Sure, my name's Sarah by the way."
Harry held out his hand, "Harry, Harry Potter."
Sarah's eyes performed the usual flick to his scar, but that was it, "I know what you should wear, but what about your date, do you have a picture."
Harry didn't but he concentrated for a moment and one appeared in his pocket, "Here you go." He said handing her the picture.
Her eyes widened, "Ohhh she's a pretty one. I know just the thing. I'll be right back." She disappeared into a back room for a few minuets before she returned carrying two boxes.
She opened one and showed it to Harry. It was a long dark green robe with sliver and gold Celtic patterns running through it. "Wow, that's great, can I see the other?"
"No, silly that's bad luck. Trust me just give it to her, she'll love it." She rang up the robes at the register, "That'll be 75 galleons."
Harry pulled the coins from his pocket and placed them on the counter, "Here you go, thank you."
His moneybag considerably lighter, he started his walk back to the castle.
When he arrived he walked swiftly up to the common room where he met an angry red head, "Where have you been the ball is in 2 hours and I need at least twice that to get ready!"
Harry backed up a few steps, "Whoa calm down… Uh.. Look what I got you." He thrust the box containing her dress forward and into her arms.
"What's this?" she asked curiously.
"Your outfit for tonight, I thought we ought to match."
A smile spread across Ginny's face, "Thank you so much." She cried and threw her arm around him. "I have to go get ready then.
"Hurry back." Called Harry, towards her retreating back.
A few hours later Harry and Ron were standing in the common room waiting impatiently for Ginny and Hermione. "Where could they bloody be?" asked Ron impatiently for at least the fifteenth time.
This time there was an answer, from the top of the stairs to the girls dormitory, "We are right here."
Both Harry's and Ron's heads shot up and widened at the sight. Ginny was wearing a stunning dark blue dress similar to the one Hermione wore in forth year. However unlike Hermione in forth year it emphasized all of Ginny's curves, which were in all the right places. Hermione was wearing a pink dress and had her hair tied up fancily. They both looked brilliant.
Harry nudged Ron, "Hey mate, you might want to close your mouth before you catch any flies."
Ron quickly closed his mouth and looked back to Hermione, "You look beautiful-"
He was interrupted by Harry who walked towards Ginny, "As do you my dear." He didn't know where all of this confidence was coming from.
The couples joined arms and descended to the great hall. When they entered the majority of the school was already there and the Weird Sisters were playing. For the next few hours Harry was able to forget all about Voldermort and the war. He even had a laugh at Hermione fighting Ron trying to get him to dance. He wasn't really that bad once he got the hang of it, which my have taken a great deal of patents and a few broken toes on Hermione's part. The night started to wind down and Ginny and Harry decided to go for a walk.
As they were walking out of the main doors they noticed what appeared to be a group of students exiting the Dark Forest. They were no students they were deatheaters, "Ginny run! Go tell Dumbledore that there are deatheaters and to send the order." She froze momentarily, but then ran off. Harry gazed at he retreating back for a moment, but was pulled from his trance as a jet of green light collided with the castle wall right next to him.
A/N: I know it's short, and rushed at the end, but what can you do, I wanted to get to the action. There will be some Fudge bashing in the next few chapters(YAY). Also I decided that I will end the "series" in this "book"( I will finish it though probably 15-20 chapters total), and write a new better more well thought out fic after HBP so it won't be AU. Read and review.