CHAPTER SEVENTEEN--FINAL VISION
Albus smiled joyfully at the sight of two very frustrated and angered Mages, while two Slytherins were wearing smug smiles. "Good morning, you four!" Two twin snarls greeted him as a smug Draco flopped gracefully into his seat, surrounded by his friends. Severus simply sneered at anyone trying to ask him anything.
Onyx eyes narrowed at the bounding entrance of Sirius Black and steady pace of Remus Lupin. "Oh great. Now we must deal with an over-hyperactive mangy mutt."
Sirius did the unexpected. He threw his arms about the Potion Master, shocking everyone, who all believed that the animagus would be hexed shortly. "Love you too, Severus." Said man sat completely still, unknowing what to do with a clinging mutt at first.
"BLACK! IF YOU DON'T LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF BECOMING THE SECOND WOMAN IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND UNABLE TO DO A THING!" The animagus gulped as he eased away from a deadly serious Potion Master, all the while the entire school fell into uncontrollable laughter, "Never do that again!"
From the Great Hall's doors, Isis watched the events unfolding when a searing pain flared through her body. Swiftly, she fled the castle, navigating her way towards the shadowy Forbidden Forest. Isis, come. Isis. Iiiisis.
She knew that soft commanding voice. Her queen was beckoning her close. Her body instinctively forced itself into a relaxing position as her mind was swiftly invading with visions.
/Fuzzy figures fought in earnest. Each falling only to be replaced by more. Red eyes flared with hate and anger as they faced emerald eyes flaring with revenge. Wands connecting as one. The dome of shimmering light encased the struggling two. From behind one of the struggling fighters a small diamond shaped stone drifted closer. The dark glimmering threads of demonic magic lash out in the form of angry vines as three bodies were wrapped in its demonic grasp./
Isis, my child. Open your hands. Receive my gift. With eyes still closed and body relaxed, Isis could feel someone pressing a small warm object into her cupped palms, Come home. Come home. ISIS, COME HOME!
With a frightened gasp Isis jerked awake, hot tears flowing freely down her pale face. She shivered in fright. Never has she had such a command to come home. Even now she could still feel the grasp of desire, of wanting, of power.
Still sobbing, she flew to her feet in haste to reach her friends. She needed warmth to shed this feeling of eternal cold. OSIRIS!
Osiris jerked in surprise, flying to his feet. All eyes flashed his way. Pale features were drawn tightly in concern, "War Mage Osiris?"
"She's here." The Great Hall's door burst opened as a blur of purple flew inside. Ears could hear the harsh sobbing. Five figures rushed from their various seats to her side. Isis collapsed into their gentle hands, sobbing. Her hands tightly grasping something, causing small trickles of blood. "Come."
Albus watched them leave before turning his attention to the students, "Students, you will be required to head to class as usual. You will leave the Mages be." Reluctantly, the children swarmed away. "Professors, at the first chance, you may stop by the infirmary." The headmaster and medi-witch hurried down the corridors to see the Mages. Sirius bounded after them after seeing to a worried werewolf wanting to be at their mate's side.
"Shhh, Isis. You're safe."
Isis couldn't stop crying, nor would she release the hold on her hands. Sirius flew to her side. Her friends relinquished their hold on her. Isis immediately relaxed into the new arms, knowing their touch. "Sirius."
"Hey, love. What's wrong?"
"She won't tell us yet. But can you open her hands?"
Sirius looked down at the cupped hands to see the trickle of blood. "Let go, love. We need to wash off the blood."
Shaking her head, "Can't. Needs the primer."
"Open them. I'm sure it's primed." Lavender eyes peered up at the concerned mate. Slowly, he helped open her hands. "What is it?"
"It's She-Demon's jewel. She wears this jewel with a few others in a glowing chain. When it is time to capture her enemies, she sends her Death's Messengers the amount of diamonds needed. They are used to capture and control the soul. In order to capture the soul, the stone must be within distance of the captive. When it is, the demonic magic will spill forth in tendrils and grasp the body. Then a second layer of magic will start pulling the soul into the stone. Since Isis has it, that means she must take it back to the queen."
"How would you get close enough to do that?" Carefully, Sirius steered the injured hands towards Madame Pompfrey to heal. Isis buried her head into his neck, her voice muffled.
"We would need to be close. We would have to fight him face-to-face."
"But the prophecy says only my godson, Harry Potter, could defeat Voldemort."
The Mages snorted. "We willingly put our lives on the line to fight our enemy."
"I hate this connection."
Two professors barged inside, entering upon the last statement from a muffled Isis. Remus immediately swept his mates into his embrace, nuzzling them. Severus watched with detached emotion, "What connection?"
"From what we figured of her actions and this," Osiris held up a small diamond, "I'd say Isis received a painful vision from She-Demon. This vision scared her and to scare a demon is quite a feat."
Remus stared at his shivering demonic mate, "She has no fear?"
Isis kept her face buried, "We are demons from a hellish realm. Our world is brutal, full of torture. The things we can do and see are nothing compared to what others have been through or yet to see. If we fear anything, She-Demon is the main cause. Rarely, do we fear anything from our mates."
Severus was intrigued, "You fear nothing except this She…" Emerald eyes widened at the chance of hearing Severus speaking a name he was forbidden. She-Demon only granted few non-demons her name. If Severus spoke it, he could pay the price and Osiris refused to see that happened.
He took the first chance possible. Severus was cut off from his sentence when warm insistent lips met his. Sirius snickered, "If that's all it took to shut him up, I would have done that years ago. Or at least found someone willing."
"She-Demon rarely grants non-demons a chance at her real name. Those forbidden must call her Queen. She will resort to painful punishment for those who break her law. The punishment would be even worse with the idea of the last battle coming and the knowledge she will receive her traitor."
"Come, Isis. You are going to rest."
Isis looked ready to argue but one look from the werewolf forced the submission back into its place. "The last battle will be soon. We have at least a day or two at best." The werewolf simply nodded at the other Mages. Then a catatonic demon was pulled from the hospital wing by two eager mates.
As they left, Lucas raised a brow at two still lip-locked adults. "You think Osiris would like a room."
The two kissing men jumped apart, light blushes gracing their features. Severus tried in vain to fight his as he icily glared at the War Mage, "The next time you wish to quiet me, simply say so. There was no need to stick your tongue down my throat."
Albus chuckled at his younger professor, who swept from the room with robes flying. "Got to ask him about that one day." A sneaky, manipulative mind whirled at the statement. More and more pieces were falling into place about War Mage Osiris. He turned twinkling eyes onto the other Mages.
"What exactly do you have planned?"
"I suggest calling forth all your allies. Bring them here before tomorrow morning. Find a safe place for the children and someone to protect them. Just as a precaution. I don't believe the enemy will get far. Because Voldemort won't really be dead, I believe that the Dark Mark should still be in place. She-Demon will be able to control the mark with his soul in her grasp. We can ask her permission for any 'innocent' Death Eaters wanting to be free of the mark and have it removed."
"You know of this mark?" Something nagged insistently in Albus' mind. But like those before him, especially one frazzled Hermione Granger, he could not place why he should know the answer.
"The magic was invoked by She-Demon. It is demonic magic granted him. But for now Isis and I must be able to find Voldemort in the battle. All we need is for his followers to be distracted, not able to defend him in any way. We will take care of the dark lord." And before Albus could question the War Mage further, the remaining Mages swept away. Behind they left a very confused and concerned Headmaster, still questioning his own mind.