The morning of the start of term was a cold and rainy one. Harry dressed in his white and forest green yukata, with straw sandals on his feet and both kodachi and masterpiece wand girded at the waist. His wings were folded against his body, his emerald snitch necklace shining in the florescent lights of King's Cross Station. Grindelwald and Khariana flanked him on either side. Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the twins were all with him as well. And so, Harry walked through the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters one more time, not at all knowing that this day would turn out to be one of the more eventful of his young life.
Chapter Twelve: Bloodlust – The Prince's First Battle
Disclaimer: If you've seen it before, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, it's mine. Naturally, I'm making no money off this.
The platform was the same as Harry had always remembered it. Hogwarts students of various age rushed about, eager to board the Hogwarts Express and secure their compartments. Some were accompanied by parents, and cracks of apparition filled the air. Looking about, Harry spied a familiar head of long raven hair situated near the train's entrance. Cho was looking about in the opposite direction at the moment, but appeared to be alone and keeping an eye out for something. A large case that Harry assumed to contain his promised armaments sat on the pavement near her. Smiling to himself, he stealthily crept up directly behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, eliciting a sharp yelp of surprise from the pretty Ravenclaw. He slowly leaned down to her ear, rather enjoying the contact.
"Looking for somebody?"
Wide obsidian eyes turned about to look into Harry's forest green.
"Merlin, Harry. Just scare me to death, why don't you? I've got your order from my uncle."
"I noticed. Honestly, though, I'm more interested in you at the moment..."
With quick Seeker reflexes, Cho whirled about in Harry's loose embrace to face him, soft hands reaching up and resting on his toned shoulders. Her chin pressed lightly against his sternum. Harry glanced about and noticed a few boys, mostly Ravenclaws and Slytherins, sending jealous glares in his direction. He just sneered slightly and pulled her closer, rounded breasts pressing lightly against his upper ribcage. Honestly, Harry was a bit surprised that Cho was just letting him hold her like this. They had barely spoken at her family's complex, and the one date they had been on before had abruptly ended on much less than amicable terms. Then again, she had pecked him on the cheek as he was leaving her home. He decided to see how far he could go with her, at least verbally, though she spoke first.
"And just what about me are you interested in, Harry Potter? I can't help but notice that you're wearing my necklace. I'm glad you like it. Or are you just wearing it to appease me?"
"Yes, quite a beautiful piece of jewelry, nearly as much so as you. I really ought to thank you properly for such a thoughtful gift. How does tonight in the second floor broom closet sound?"
Casting his eyes directly downward, Harry could see her smiling up at him, though he quickly opted to enjoy the rather superb view down her robes instead. He was only offhandedly flirting with the girl, in an attempt to use his charm to repair some of the damage that the previous year had wrought between him and his first crush. Cho seemed to be up to the challenge, though his approach was working, if the glowing expression on her face was any indicator.
"Play your cards right, and I might just take you up on that. You know, Harry, you really have changed a lot this summer. I can remember when you couldn't even form a coherent sentence around me, much less flirt. I definitely prefer the new model."
Harry chuckled softly, drawing a small blush from Cho. He hugged her a bit tighter still, finally noticing the Head Girl's badge affixed to her robes as it pressed into him.
"Just had to remind me of all that, huh? So, you're Head Girl? Congratulations, Cho."
"Thank-you. Now I get to give you detention if you act like a prat to me."
"Well, just as long as it's at the Astronomy Tower and you promise to oversee it personally."
Cho shook her head slightly, unconsciously rubbing against Harry's chest like a purring cat. He snaked a hand through her long hair in response.
"Very smooth, Harry. I love the outfit, by the way. It looks good on you, though I'm positive the sword is against school rules. You might put somebody's eye out. Well, if you do, just do me a favor and try and make sure it's Malfoy. That little creep's always leering at me. It makes me sick to my stomach. So, since when have you been into the Japanese look?"
"That's...a bit of a story. Sit with me on the train? I know you have the Prefect's meeting first..."
The slightly downcast look in Cho's eyes told Harry that he wasn't going to be enjoying the Chinese girl's company on the train. He was at least pleased to note that she looked unhappy about it, though.
"I can't, Harry. I have to stay up in the front compartment with the Head Boy until we reach Hogwarts, just in case something happens during the trip and the Prefects need to find us. Maybe we can meet up somewhere after the feast?"
Harry nodded.
"That'd be perfect. Room of Requirement at ten thirty work for you?"
"Sure, I'll see you then. We'd better get aboard the train."
Cho detached herself from Harry and headed into the train with her luggage, but not before leaning in on her tiptoes and softly brushing her lips against his. Harry grabbed the armament case that she had left behind and made to follow, taking his trunk with his free hand. Glancing around the platform, he noticed that he and Cho had gathered a bit of an audience, as Michael Corner, Terry Boot, and Marietta Edgecombe were looking directly at him, along with a small gathering of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Marietta scowled at Harry and stomped aboard the train, muttering something about Cho setting herself up to get hurt again. He could still see the effects of Hermione's cursed parchment from the previous year tattooed onto the little sneak's forehead like the brand of a criminal. Terry rolled his eyes in Marietta's direction and followed, nodding at Harry with a friendly smile. Michael stared at Harry for a moment, before sending a smile of his own, along with a thumbs up. Apparently, Ginny's rumor that Michael and Cho were seeing one another had been exaggerated. The younger Ravenclaw walked up a bit closer to Harry, looked around quickly in both directions, and spoke in a whisper.
"Hey, good job there, mate. Figured you two'd be getting back together sooner or later. Seems you know how to deal with her a bit better now, too. So, tell me, is Ginny Weasley dating anybody?"
Harry rolled his eyes slightly. He and Cho weren't officially together again yet, or at least he told himself so. Of course, that situation was likely to change by the end of the night, but until then, he still felt completely free to have his fun. And he fully intended to, especially if the three Slytherin girls from the will reading made good on their promised visit during the trip. He really needed to get on the train, before the last of the empty compartments ran out, and made to dispense with Corner as quickly as possible.
"Sorry, Michael. She's been with Dean Thomas since before the end of last term."
Michael stamped his foot, but kept the smile on his face.
"Bugger. Well, you'll let me know if she becomes available again, right?"
"Sure thing, mate. See you around."
"Hey, one last thing..."
Harry sighed inwardly and turned around
"...Is DA on again this year? A whole bunch of my friends have been asking about it..."
Honestly, Harry hadn't thought much about continuing the DA. He really didn't want to, unless he could form a faction that was loyal only to him. And if that were the case, the material that he would be teaching would fall far outside of the standard school curriculum. He actually quite liked the idea of that. His own private crack unit of students trained in the Dark Arts and other pursuits by Harry himself. They would constitute his elite guard, his personal enforcers. He would just have to find a place to instruct them, a place where nobody could stumble upon them and go running to the old man. Remembering that Michael was waiting for an answer, Harry shrugged.
"Dunno, I guess it really depends on the quality of this year's DADA professor. I'll talk to Hermione and make a decision within the week. You'll be among the first to know."
"Right, thanks. Later."
Harry turned and boarded the Hogwarts Express without any further adieu. He surprisingly managed to find one of the more spacious compartments at the rear of the train completely unoccupied. The room had comfortable leather seating that completely spanned the far and side walls, along with a large wooden table in the center. Harry took a seat along the far wall of the room and reclined back facing the compartment door. Grindelwald and Khariana, who had stayed mostly out of sight outside on the platform, appeared in the room with a pair of soft, simultaneous cracks. Harry wasted no time in opening up the armament case in order to admire Ts'ao Chang's work.
He was not disappointed. The master blacksmith had lived up to his reputation and then some. The armament case contained, as ordered, a breastplate, a pair of gauntlets, and a pair of leg guards. Every piece was forged of arkanite and plated with intricately carved jade, and was light as a feather and virtually impenetrable by both weapons and magic. The breastplate reached down to slightly below the waist, and also had a pair of flexible parts to cover the shoulders. The design on the front consisted primarily of a picture of a winged male holding a great sword aloft. This man had long hair, and was dressed in full armor and an overlaying open robe. He was equally terrible and entrancing to behold. At either side of the man stood two women, one significantly taller than the other, but both dressed in an identical Oriental fashion and radiating a nearly tangible sense of extreme beauty and sensuality. The central figure's wings were wrapped in a possessive gesture around them, one covering each. Overhead, a fierce blazing sun and a gentle crescent moon loomed beside one another in the sky, impossibly content to share the same space. The three figures occupied a raised dais, and countless figures of various races stood in full military array below. At their feet, both a great serpent and a proud phoenix lay slain, their blood pooling onto the dais and mixing, cascading like a waterfall down the stairs, to the edge of the crowd below. Harry couldn't help but feel a certain sense of fulfillment as he gazed upon the magnificent scene. Was this his destiny?
The gauntlets and leg guards were equally beautiful, reaching from his wrists and ankles up to his elbows and knees, respectively. All four pieces were carved remarkably similar to Harry's masterpiece wand, with large serpentine dragons coiling around the outsides, claws and wings extended majestically. Flawless form and unrivaled function. Such were the nature of Ts'ao Chang's masterpieces. Harry immediately resolved to send Cho's uncle an extremely satisfied letter as soon as possible. He fit the gauntlets and leg guards on, flexing his extremities slightly in order to help his body adapt to them, and propped the breastplate up on the table, studying its design for a while longer.
Harry remained more or less alone in his compartment for the early part of the trip. Ron and Hermione had dropped by for a moment, but quickly had to leave for the Prefect's meeting. Ginny had come in with them, and had stayed for a while after they left, but eventually went to go sit with her boyfriend. She had invited Harry along, but he hadn't been interested. Luna Lovegood had been named one of the Ravenclaw Prefects for her year, according to Ginny, and was likely tied up at the meeting. The twins were sitting with Katie Bell, catching up and discussing the upcoming Quidditch season, and none of Harry's other friends would likely recognize him, even if they did happen to walk by his remote compartment. The students at the platform had been able to only after having heard his loudly whispered conversation with Cho, during which she had uttered his name several times. Harry found himself rather enjoying the quiet, of course meaning that it was due to abruptly end. His compartment door slammed open, signifying the arrival of his annual visitor. Harry glanced up languidly to see a smirking Draco Malfoy standing in the corridor, flanked by his two goons. Conspicuously absent was Malfoy's Prefect's badge. Dumbledore had apparently chosen to relieve him of his duties.
"All alone, Potty? Shame, even the Mudblood and the Weasel King can't stand to be around you these days. So, you know what happens now, right?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. The stupid boy just didn't learn. At least he had somehow managed enough sense to draw his new wand, a rather ugly milky white specimen, before entering.
"I wonder. Nice wand, by the way. Whatever could have happened to your old one?"
Draco reddened slightly, as Crabbe and Goyle flexed their fatty muscles behind him in what they believed to be a threatening manner. Harry just sneered. Hitomi could overpower either of them with ease, and she was roughly half their size. The ferret again spoke for the inept Slytherin party.
"You'll pay, Potter. When my father..."
Harry dismissed the comment with a nonchalant wave of his hand.
"Yes, I'm certain that your father is absolutely terrifying, Malfoy. Speaking of whom, I've heard certain rumors that Lucius likes to frolic with small children. Care to comment?"
Just as a similar jibe had during the will reading, Harry's insult to Draco's father quickly pushed the little wastrel beyond the realms of reasonable thought. He raised his wand and shouted.
"KULDE FRYSER!"
Harry just looked at him, amusement dancing through his forest eyes. He could have easily blasted Draco long before the latter had finished his curse, despite the young Death Eater already having his wand drawn, but decided to take the opportunity to test out his new equipment. The spell that Malfoy had chosen fell under the category of basic Dark Arts. Ideally, the curse caused severe frostbite to spread on the victim's body where the beam impacted. Given the immense power difference between the two wizards, it might have felt akin to a minor mosquito bite on the young dakaathi hybrid's skin.
Harry lazily shifted his right leg upward slightly from where it had been reclining on the table, causing Draco's spell to reflect back in his general direction after colliding with the leg guard, about six inches below Harry's kneecap. The rebounding spell missed Malfoy by a hair, but caught Crabbe right between the eyes. The stupid thug fell to his knees, howling in pain as his face became frostbitten. Harry actually thought the look was a bit of an improvement, doubting that any serious complications would come of it. Malfoy was about as powerful magically as he was physically. He turned his gaze back to a completely flabbergasted Draco and regarded him with a mocking tone.
"Nice spellwork, Draco. Seriously, if you're the best that the new crop of Death Eaters has to offer, Voldemort's going to find himself on his scaly knees begging us for clemency any day now. And for you..."
With a grin, Harry quickly drew his masterpiece wand and made the same tight sweeping arc motion that he had during the will reading. The result was much the same. This time, the blasting curse impacted Malfoy's upper body, shredding his expensive robes and creating a huge bleeding gash from his sternum to his waistline. Harry had placed a bit more force behind the spell than before, and Malfoy was sent flying from the compartment. He collided with the door across the hall and crashed through into that room. He wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Crabbe was now writhing on the ground, clawing at his face. That left only Goyle standing. Harry sent a mental command to his two tigers. They rose simultaneously from their sleeping positions at Harry's feet and bore down on Draco's goon, snarling menacingly. Goyle backed down immediately, nearly tripping over Crabbe.
"Call 'em off, Potter! Are you mad or somethin'?"
"So you can talk after all? Keep up the progress and you might even complete toilet training sometime this term. But my two friends missed breakfast, Goyle. We were in such a rush to leave, and a fine, fat specimen like you would make for a perfect brunch..."
Stupid as he was, Gregory Goyle had no chance of being able to discern whether or not Harry was serious. A loud hissing sound filled the room, followed by an acidic stench as Goyle pissed himself from fear and fled for his life, all dignity and concern for his two companions forgotten. With a yawn, Harry banished the whimpering Crabbe from his compartment and into the room across the hall, where Malfoy also lay unconscious. He grabbed Malfoy's new wand from where it had fallen to the floor. He considered snapping it, but decided that he would prefer to avoid another lecture from the old man, and just tossed it in after its owner. He barely had time to recline his feet back into their previous position before a second group of Slytherins stopped by to pay him a visit, decidedly more welcome than the last.
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Right as he was about to finish up, a second explosion impacted closer to his own position. He barely managed not to fall off the seat. The barrage halted for a brief moment, giving Harry enough time to get to his feet, using Khariana as a support, and glance out his compartment window, though he already had an idea as to what was going on.
His suspicions were confirmed. Darting about on broomsticks in the air above the train and firing spells down at the Hogwarts Express was a squad of a dozen Death Eaters. Harry could barely make out the color of their masks, seeing that the assault team consisted of eleven regulars led by a lieutenant, denoted by his bright silver mask. The regulars wore stone gray. Or so Harry guessed, not really knowing anything about the specific ranks of Voldemort's forces. They were probably fresh recruits, and could be held back by a coordinated defensive effort. Now, he just had to organize one. He judged that there would still be some time before they managed to stop the train, and he intended to make use of it. Wiping his hand off on the seat, Harry turned to regard the three girls, who were looking at him questioningly.
"Death Eaters. I should have guessed that something like this was going to happen. You three get dressed and stay here. I'm going to take a look around."
This attack had interrupted the best time of Harry's young life, and somebody was going to suffer for it. As quickly as his body would allow, he rifled through his trunk, first putting on a pair of socks, and a matching black shirt and trousers. He silently thanked Tonks for getting him some decent muggle clothes for his birthday. His armaments followed, with Harry allowing his wings to tear a pair of holes in his muggle shirt and fit through the slots provided in the breastplate. He then fit on his basilisk hide battle robe for the first time, put on his charmed black dress shoes, girded his masterpiece wand and kodachi to his waist, and strode out of the compartment. On a whim, he also brought along the charmed bottle of medicated water from the village. He left Grindelwald and Khariana with the girls, mostly to avoid cluttering the corridor with their presence. He could call them when he needed them.
Moving down the corridors toward the front of the train, Harry saw Ron and Hermione milling about trying to keep the rest of the students in line. Ron noticed him first.
"Harry, what in the bloody Hell is going on here?"
"Death Eaters, mate. They're trying to stop the train. I'm going to go talk to Cho about getting some kind of defense running. Organize as many DA members as you can in the mean time. We've only got a few minutes at best before they breach the wards on the Hogwarts Express and we're open to attack. Send somebody to the front of the train to floo up Dumbledore. I'm sure they've got an emergency grate up there."
Hermione came up to them.
"I'll go do that."
Harry nodded and continued on his way, not bothering to calm the terrified students. He had more important things to do. He reached the front compartments quickly enough, and saw both Cho and the Head Boy, Slytherin seventh year and Quidditch player Adrian Pucey, trying to keep things together and make sense of this entire mess. A quick glance out a compartment window revealed that a second team of Death Eaters was attacking the front of the train. Cho saw Harry coming and ran over to him.
"Harry, what's going on around here? Do you know anything?"
Harry rolled his eyes slightly. He cared about Cho, but thought that she should try to be at least a bit more observant during a crisis.
"Death Eaters, Cho. We have two squads of a dozen each attacking from both the front and back. In a few minutes, they'll breach the wards and stop the train. We need to get a defense up and running before that happens. If they manage to get aboard the Hogwarts Express, a lot of people are going to die."
"I'll make an announcement and ask that anybody old enough and willing to fight come up here."
Harry nodded.
"That's a good start. Hermione's already calling up the Headmaster for help."
Cho walked over to an opening on the wall of the Prefects' corridor and grabbed an odd device that looked similar to a hose with a wide opening. She rose the object to her lips and spoke.
"Attention all students. This is an emergency, so listen up. The Hogwarts Express is under attack by Death Eaters. Two full squadrons are besieging the train from both the front and rear as we speak. In a few minutes, the wards protecting us will fall and the train will come to a stop. When that happens, the Death Eaters will assault us in force, and if they manage to get aboard the train, countless lives will potentially be lost. Therefore, we're going to make sure that doesn't happen. We've already called the school for reinforcements, but we have to hold out until they arrive. Any student fifth year and above that is able and willing to fight and defend the train, please come and assemble at the front compartment. Everyone else, lock your compartment doors and windows and huddle down onto the floor. Keep heart, boys and girls. We're not going down without a fight. That is all."
With a sigh, Cho put down the...Harry really had no idea what it was. She walked back over to him and held his hand gently, black eyes shining with worry. He didn't really blame her. It wasn't as if she had accepted the Head Girl position expecting to have to lead students into battle. All he could do was pull her a bit closer.
"Did I do okay, Harry?"
"You did fine. Now, let's wait to hear from Hermione and see who turns up."
Within ten seconds, students started to file into the corridor. Nearly every upper year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff showed up, along with the majority of the Ravenclaws and a surprising number of Slytherins. Every returning student from the DA was there, and Harry noticed the three girls that had been pleasuring him just a few minutes ago standing nervously at the back. Overall, nearly a hundred students presented themselves. More than Harry had been expecting, actually. Presently, Hermione came back from the engineer's compartment with her report.
"Okay, Dumbledore's on his way with the staff, but the Death Eaters have wards up all over the area. It's going to take them twenty minutes to get here. They'll have to..."
Ron cut her off, also dressed in his basilisk hide robe.
"Sorry, 'Mione, but we've got no time for detailed explanations. First, we need to decide on a commander."
Hermione glared slightly, but a fresh barrage of explosions along the ground added emphasis to Ron's point. As soon as the redhead mentioned needing a commander, almost every pair of eyes in the corridor flew to Harry, who nodded in acceptance and stepped forward. Adrian Pucey bristled slightly at what Harry assumed that the Slytherin thought to be his supposed usurpation of Pucey's authority as Head Boy, but a sharp glare from Cho caused him to back down, though he remained scowling. Harry completely ignored him and spoke up.
"Okay, everybody, here's the plan. We've got roughly a hundred people total and two fronts to maintain. Obviously, we're going to have to divide up. Cho and Adrian will be in charge of holding off the frontal squadron up here, and Ron and Hermione are likewise in command against the rear assault. Hermione, Ron, you two go over to the far edge of the compartment, and thirty of the rest of you go with them. Thirty more with Cho and Adrian at the front. I want priority on the defense teams to be given to the best trained among us. You guys know the skills of your classmates better than I do. This is no time to wrangle for glory. However, I want a few Prefects to remain behind with the rest. I have another job for you."
The students scrambled to follow Harry's orders. Among the Prefects remaining were Luna Lovegood, Ernie Macmillan, Katie Bell, and Tracey Davis. Harry nodded approvingly and spoke again.
"Ron, Hermione, please lead your team into position at the rear of the train. Prefects, I want each of you to take five or six of the remaining students and form patrol teams. The Death Eaters are our primary concern, but we can't discount the possibility that those among the current student body that support Voldemort might try to jump into the fight and stage attacks inside the train even as we hold the entrances. I knocked Malfoy out earlier, so I'm not as worried about this as I would have been otherwise, but it's still an issue. Your jobs will be to safeguard against it, as well as to relay information between the two fronts. Get to it."
The rest of the students assembled into patrol teams as ordered and went about their assignments. Harry stayed at the front and watched as Cho and Adrian ordered their people into formation, instructing them to concentrate on defense, and to keep a particular eye out for Killing Curses. Harry trusted that Ron and Hermione would do likewise at the rear. He didn't have long to ponder matters, as a final barrage of spells caused the Hogwarts Express to come grinding to a halt. The battle was on.
Harry observed the battle from his position behind the frontal defensive line. He would have preferred to be up fighting with the others, but it was his responsibility as defense commander to quickly adjust to any changes in circumstances. The Death Eaters' curses had blasted the ceilings off of a few compartments, and Harry took advantage of the newfound openings to take potshots at them with curses of his own as they whizzed by. He actually managed to hit one, who fell off of his broom into the train, landing near Harry's feet. A quick swipe of the kodachi left the Death Eater's throat gushing blood. Harry felt an odd sensation as the crimson flowed along the compartment floor. It was the first time he had actually killed another human being, and he wanted to do it again. He would get his opportunity. A few moments later, a loud whizzing sound signaled the Portkey arrival of four additional squadrons of Death Eaters on foot, facing the main entrance at the center of the Hogwarts Express. A Death Eater in a pure white mask led the main force. A commander, most likely a member of Voldemort's Inner Circle.
With a wave of the commander's hand, the front three squadrons advanced toward the train, keeping a tight formation. The last squadron remained in reserve, as did the commander. Cho's force had its hands full just holding off the aerial assault. Nearly ten among them had fallen, thankfully none with serious injuries, but only three of the enemy squadron had been taken out, including the one Harry had killed. He hoped that Ron's force was faring better. All of the Weasleys had gone with the rear guard, and they were among the most skilled that the DA had to offer, not to mention Hermione, who was probably the best after Harry. Harry quietly left for the main entrance alone, resolving to use all of his considerable skill to hold off this newest threat, calling for Grindelwald and Khariana as he walked.
Harry arrived quickly enough, steeling himself for what would be the next in his succession of desperate, nearly hopeless battles. It would be Harry and his two pets against forty-nine Death Eaters, including the overall commander. Those weren't good odds, even for a Dumbledore or a Voldemort. Harry closed his eyes and focused his chaotic energy into his palm. He would have to take out this first wave without sustaining any damage. He waited right inside the entrance, feeling the room shake as the Death Eaters closed in and assaulted the door with curses. The entrance blasted open, and Harry likewise opened his forest green eyes and gazed upon the enemy. Lazily, he took aim, and the enemy forces raised their wands again in response.
It was in vain. Harry flung the gathered chaotic energy much as he had that night in the village. The same miniature comet burst forth and exploded into the middle of the formation, the same threads of energy cascading languidly behind. The thirty-six Death Eaters that formed the main assault fared no better than the trees behind Kenzo's house had. Thirty-one human bodies decomposed into glowing rot, the stench of decaying flesh assaulting Harry's nostrils as he breathed heavily from the exertion. Five survived the attack: a group of four grunts at the rear and a lieutenant near the front of the array. Harry could see the shock in their eyes through the slits in the Death Eater masks. He would relieve them of their difficulties.
Harry took only a moment to reflect upon what would happen if his solitary stand failed. He thought of Bellatrix cackling as she tortured Neville into insanity, as she had his parents. He thought of Voldemort killing Hermione with his own hands, yet another victim of the serpentine madman's crazed quest for vengeance against all things muggle, real or imagined. He thought of Draco Malfoy forcing Cho's panties down her toned legs and violently ripping away her innocence, and then allowing Crabbe and Goyle a turn. A truly terrifying smile crossed the face of Harry Alphonse Evans..
These Death Eaters were filth.
Kill.
They deserved no mercy.
Slaughter.
He would slaughter each and every one of them.
Annihilate.
He drew his masterpiece wand, motioning towards the few survivors of his initial assault.
"Novus Incendio. Avada Kedavra."
An enormous fireball consumed the four regulars, burning their bodies into a smoldering pile bone and ash. A sickly green wave of death blasted into the lieutenant. He fell, never to rise again. Deep inside Harry's soul, Zharrghast laughed triumphantly. It had finally begun. Harry drew his kodachi and pointed straight at the Death Eater commander. With a borderline Satanic laugh that could only barely be described as coming from his own voice, Harry charged straight toward the remaining thirteen enemies, Grindelwald and Khariana rushing loyally alongside.
Things were not going well for the frontal guard, Cho thought. Fourteen of their number had fallen, one to a Killing Curse. She wasn't able to tell who it was, only that it was a Hufflepuff. She had allowed one of Cedric's housemates to die. Cho wondered if he would have forgiven her for that. More importantly, she wondered if Harry would forgive her. He had trusted her with protecting the lives of their classmates against the evil hordes, and she had already failed him. Speaking of...where was Harry, anyway? He had mysteriously disappeared about five minutes prior, had left without a word. Had he abandoned her to die? No, he had left only because he trusted her, and had gone to secure another front. Not another one of her troops would fall. She would not allow it. Closing her slanted eyes for a split second, she fired off her next volley of spells, her spirit redoubled.
Next to Cho, Adrian was dueling with a Death Eater that touched down behind their lines. Dark curses spewed forth like water from both wands. Aside from him, six bogeys remained in the sky, raining increasingly violent curses down upon the defenders of Hogwarts. In front of the Chinese Ravenclaw, one of her classmates knocked a Death Eater from his broom with a bludgeoning hex. The enemy soldier fell to the ground and shattered his collarbone upon impact. He would live, but would be in a lot of pain. After his successful hit, Michael Corner turned about and pumped his fist in the air. He didn't see the Death Eater swooping down upon him, wand raised and prepared to end his life.
Cho did, however. Her eyes fierce, she quickly muttered a long complicated incantation in Chinese and pointed her wand. This spell, taught to Cho by her late grandfather, was an ancestral magic passed down through the Chang family. A fork of golden lightning exploded from her wand, severing the head of the approaching Death Eater at the neck, and then branching out to incinerate three others nearby. Blood splashed onto Cho's beautiful china doll face, adding crimson streaks to her shining raven hair. She glanced down at the head that rolled to a stop near her feet. It was Roger Davies, her old Quidditch captain. Tears came to her eyes, but only for a second. With a deft flick of her leg, Cho kicked the offending body part over the edge of the train, glaring contemptuously. Adrian struck down his opponent with a pain curse, and the last enemy fighter fled. The line had held. None of that mattered to her. Cho Li Ling Chang had killed. She would never be the same again.
Things were much the same at the rear guard position. Despite the best efforts of most of the upper year Gryffindors, the Death Eaters just weren't going down. Five of their number had been taken out of the battle, and only one of the enemy. The statistics were absolutely infuriating Ron. He didn't understand that the problem was. They shouldn't be able to be able to dodge that effectively in the downpour outside. A barrage of assorted dark curses took out three more Gryffindors, and Seamus was one of them. He wasn't critically injured, but he'd fight no more this day. Finally, a second Death Eater fell, knocked off his broom by a stunner from one of the twins. Ginny had gotten a third with her patented bat bogey hex, though that one was still technically in the fight. Ron decided to remedy that fact. A quick banishing charm sent the Death Eater cascading to the ground. That left only five. Wait, Ron thought. That couldn't be right. There should be nearly twice that number. He turned about to see the remaining four Death Eaters landing inside the corridor behind them, having blasted through the ceiling. Ron's squad was pincered in.
Of course, the disadvantage only lasted for a second, as a barrage of hexes and jinxes from behind felled three of the inside party. Ron blinked for a moment, surprised that their saviors had been Slytherins, of all people. Three cute girls whose names Ron couldn't recall, and a few younger ones. Maybe the snakes weren't all bad after all. The lead one, a girl with a right nice pair of stems, winked at the group and turned about, heading back onto her patrol with the rest of her group. Ron almost forgot about the fourth Death Eater, at least until he came out of hiding and bore down on Hermione with his wand drawn. She was still fighting the scums outside, and had no chance of defending herself.
Ron had no time to cast a spell, nor did he have the inclination to. He grabbed a metal bar that had originally been a part of the ceiling and rushed at the lone Death Eater. Hermione turned about at the last second, brown eyes widening in terror as an unseen enemy began the final syllable of the Killing Curse with his wand aimed right at her head. Visibly resigning herself to the end, her life was saved by Ron, of all people, as he crushed the enemy soldier's skull with a metal bar, and kept beating on the corpse after it had slumped to the ground.
"GOD...DAMNED...BLOODY...SON...OF...A..."
Each screamed expletive signaled another strike with the bar. Hermione watched, both intrigue and horror at the barbaric rage exhibited by her friend flashing through her eyes. As for Ron, he had never felt better. He knew what he felt for Hermione deep down in his heart, even if he would never admit it. He was in love with his constantly nagging friend, and had nearly lost her at the Department of Mysteries. He hadn't even known how close to death she had come, until Harry had told her. And it was Harry and Sirius that had saved her, Merlin bless them for it. But not this time, and not ever again. Ron would be there from now on, for Hermione, and for Harry as well. Killing bastards like this guy to protect his friends and loved ones was something that Ron would do a million times over, and he'd enjoy it every single time. Ronald Bilius Weasley had killed. He would never be the same again.
From behind Ron, a hulking figure emerged, a similar course of action in mind. Still looking at Ron, Hermione was able to see him approach. It was Vincent Crabbe, face still covered in frostbite from his earlier encounter with Harry. Crabbe had grabbed a huge stone that had fallen from the ruined wall and advanced on Ron, seeking to take the opportunity to avenge the death of one of the Dark Lord's followers. The redhead was too flushed with both rage and pride to bother noticing him. Hermione took aim, her eyes blazing with determination to repay her friend's protective devotion in kind.
"Ballano!"
This basic spell, perfectly legal, caused a large gray ball to fly at a high speed towards the opponent, usually with enough force to render them unconscious. However, Crabbe's flesh and bone had been severely weakened by the frostbite, and when the ball made contact with the skin on his face, it broke right through, shattering his skull and spraying blood and brain matter all over the floor, an obviously fatal blow. Hermione dropped her wand in shock. Ron whirled about on the spot, seeing what she had done. Even in the heat of a battle, Hermione dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Ron looked on sympathetically, knowing her scruples for what they were. Even if it was one of Malfoy's goons, who would have gladly done as much and worse to her given the chance, Hermione couldn't bear the thought of what she had just done. Ron did the only thing he could, neglecting the battle himself and giving her a hug and a shoulder to cry onto. Hermione Anne Granger had killed. She would never be the same again.
Oblivious to the plight of Harry's two friends, the rest of the rear guard battled the five remaining Death Eaters in the air. The battle was still going badly, as four more Gryffindors had fallen. Colin Creevey had taken a powerful blasting curse to the chest and was bleeding profusely. He likely wouldn't survive. The twins backed off the battle for a moment and ran into a nearby compartment, carrying a box of something as they returned. Wearing identical smirks, they placed the box just outside the front line and told their comrades to back off. They raised their wands and spoke as one.
"Incendio!"
The box was filled with their patented Filibuster Fireworks that had been utilized to such great effectiveness in protest of Dolores Umbridge the previous year. Nearly four dozen of them lit and exploded from the box, soaring through the air towards the confused Death Eaters. The air around the rear of the train exploded in an aurora of colorful fire despite the rain outside, setting three Death Eaters ablaze and incinerating their brooms. The Death Eater lieutenant motioned for his last remaining soldier to abandon the attack, and the celebration commenced. The heroes of Gryffindor had emerged victorious.
Harry held his kodachi behind his body as he charged headlong into the array of the remaining Death Eater squadron. He cared not for the progress of the battle inside the train at the moment. His dakaathi bloodlust was burning too strong, and his one desire was to sate it. Still laughing maniacally, he charged up the kodachi with chaotic energy, ignoring the fatigue that still gripped him from his previous effort. He was nearing the enemy now, and they were starting to shift their formation to meet his crazed attack, firing curses that either missed or deflected uselessly off of his assorted armaments. Grindelwald and Khariana separated themselves from Harry, running around on either side to attack the Death Eater flanks as the fodder concentrated on their master. Harry prepared a spell, a sickly yellow buzzsaw of pure magical energy forming on his wand as he ran. He released it with an incantation as he reached the enemy front line.
"Merhersag!"
The blade tore through the enemy ranks, slicing a good two or three Death Eaters apart at the torso as it zipped along. Harry leapt into the untouched part of their center line, slashing his kodachi about in a fury, cutting down every enemy in its path with chaotic power. Harry found himself in the center of a general melee, and all sides turned about to attack him. Blood poured in torrents to match the rainfall, and Harry became nearly drunk on the taste. Meanwhile, the Death Eaters had quickly learned that getting near him was suicide, and backed off. He was now forced to fight with his wand, surrounded, though only eight enemies remained, including the commander, who had still not made a move and was watching him guardedly. He darted about to avoid Killing Curses and deflected the rest both with his gauntlets and with protection spells, countering with curses of his own. He saw one Death Eater taking aim, and decided instead to take the initiative.
"Glycolycium!"
The spell sped up the target's rate of cellular respiration a thousand times over, causing the body to overload with excess metabolic energy and burn from the inside out. A most painful way to go, as one unfortunate Death Eater was finding out. Harry slid backward, dodging the next volley of Unforgivables. He was rather disappointed with the lack of variety being exhibited.
"Stein Skulptor! Abolesco! Neken!"
Three more fell, one turning to stone and shattering with a second wave of Harry's wand, the other two bleeding to death internally and having his lungs figuratively torn apart, respectively. Meanwhile, Grindelwald and Khariana reached the cluster and tore into the flanks like a pair of whirling dervishes, teeth and claws shredding apart the two Death Eaters within immediate reach. The male beast's victim melted into a puddle of boiling liquid, while the female's solidified at the subcellular level. After a final exchange of curses, the last regular Death Eater fell dead, leaving only Harry and the commander remaining on the bloodstained battlefield. Harry flipped his drenched hair and exposed his scar, and his final opponent strode forward.
"Quite impressive, ickle wee Potter. Didn't think you had it in you, all this killing. And you're pretty good at it, too. I can't wait to see what else you've learned."
Harry could recognize that voice anywhere. The cryptic smile remained on his face. He'd show her exactly just how much he'd picked up. It would make for a most fascinating exhibition.
"Bella...sweetheart...I've missed you. Tell me, how's your husband doing?"
Bellatrix Lestrange removed her mask, heavy lidded violet eyes glistening in the rain. Her smile was torn between being mocking and genuine. She wasn't going to be provoked into making mistakes as easily as the likes of Draco and his ilk could typically be. He had managed to anger the madwoman at the Ministry, but that hadn't been an actual duel. She would be much more collected here.
"Oh, he's been better, though Azkaban is hardly a new experience for him, now is it? Now you tell me something. What did it feel like, killing your first?"
"Why, natural, Bella darling. It felt like the most natural thing in the world."
Bellatrix nodded quickly, as Harry pondered just how to open against her. This wasn't going to be an easy battle, and he was already half exhausted. Perhaps he could catch her off her guard and end it without exerting any effort. He doubted it, but it was worth trying.
"Natural, you say? You felt no hate, no desire for more? Are you lying to me, Harry?"
"Would I ever lie to you, my love? Avada Kedavra."
Bellatrix blanched slightly at the unexpected attack, but swayed back to avoid the lethal curse and took aim with her own wand at the same time.
"Crucio! Syre Pil!"
"Protego."
Harry blocked the Cruciatus Curse and dodged the incoming jet of acid. It burned a hole in the ground where he had been standing. He jabbed his wand at Bellatrix and then held it like a sword and pulled backward, first sending a spray of boiling oil at her. She blocked that with a nameless protection spell, but only noticed the tree falling behind her at the last second and moved out of the way. Harry was prepared to continue the pressure.
"Deletrius."
Bellatrix shrieked and ducked the latest attack. It struck another tree behind her, which wavered for a moment and then phased out of existence. Now serious about the fight, the Death Eater unleashed a barrage of her own, culminating with her stabbing her wand towards the ground like a stake.
"Stupefy! Neken! Morendo!"
Harry deflected the stunner with a swirl of his battle robes, and flipped out of the way of the two darker curses. He was a split second too late in noticing the stone spikes shooting up from the ground below him. One caught him on the upper portion of his right leg, drawing blood and causing him to draw back with a grimace. Bellatrix sneered.
"Looks like I draw first blood today, loverboy. Crucio!"
"Can't you come up with anything better?"
Harry moved gingerly out of the way of the Unforgivable. The sneer never left his opponent's face, instead broadening.
"Careful, wee Potter. Words like those sent my cousin Sirius to his death."
Harry wasn't fazed by the obvious attempt to rile him up.
"Point taken. Novus Incendio."
Bellatrix rolled forward to avoid the fireball but found herself dangerously close to Harry as a result. With quick footwork, she dodged the series of five kodachi swipes, but got caught with a roundhouse kick to the stomach from Harry's uninjured leg that sent her sprawling to the ground. Harry immediately pressed his advantage.
"Watch that gut, Bella darling. Pugile."
She was unable to regain her bearings in time, and took the powerful bludgeoning hex on the right shoulder, splintering the bone. Her wand flew from her hand into the mess of corpses nearby. Harry took a step forward, leveling his wand at the defeated Death Eater. He decided not to kill her. She was too useful to him, what with her unknowingly informing him of Voldemort's plans through Narcissa. However, he could still have some fun with her. Glancing over towards the train, Harry saw that the mounted Death Eaters were no longer hovering about, meaning either that the students had defeated them, or they had boarded the train and were slaughtering at will. While he was looking away, Bellatrix had quickly drawn a second wand from inside her robes. Harry wasn't able to react in time.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
His eyes widened as the Killing Curse impacted him directly in the chest. The pain was immeasurable, as not even his arkanite breastplate could completely absorb a spell with as much sheer power and hatred behind it as what Bellatrix had sent. The beam washed over Harry's entire body, bathing him in an emerald green light. He fell to a knee as Bellatrix rose to her feet, screaming victoriously as she had upon killing Sirius. Soon enough, the pain began to subside, and Harry rose again. Bellatrix turned about immediately, shocked beyond words at seeing him alive and back on his feet.
"You look so surprised, my love. Surely you didn't actually believe that you could kill me? Not even your master is capable of that, despite what he would have you believe. Crucio."
There was no righteous anger this time, and Harry could easily summon up enough pure malice to properly use the Cruciatus Curse upon this particular witch. He reveled in her screams, watching with morbid fascination as her back arched from the pain and blood and froth started to pour out through her mouth after a few minutes.
"Do you want me to let you go, Bella? Will you appeal to the dark prince's compassion?"
She couldn't answer, obviously, but he could see the pleading within the woman's eyes.
"You do, don't you? Well, I have no compassion for you, I'm sorry to note. It's the Longbottom ward for you, darling. Rather poetic justice, I'd say. I can only imagine the enlightening conversations you'll be able to have with Frank and Alice, with all of you drooling onto yourselves day in and day out. Enjoy the fruits of your labors, Bellatrix."
Her screams just became increasingly tortured, and her eyes began to shift out of focus. Eventually, Harry released the curse. She couldn't tell tales to her sister as a vegetable, after all. Bellatrix writhed pathetically on the ground, her body nearly broken, living testament to the extent of Harry's cruelty when properly roused. He turned to leave her to her misery, but then decided at the last second to inflict one final indignity upon the woman. He leveled his masterpiece wand languidly.
"Bovini Magus."
Now shaking on the ground was a wasted, violet-eyed dairy cow. Bovine Bella wasn't even aware of her own existence at the moment, and Harry only wished that he could be around when she discovered her state. He started to walk back to the train, seeing the Headmaster approaching down the tracks from the distance, along with the rest of his teaching staff. As per the usual, the fight was over by the time the old man managed to show up.
"Hope you like grazing, Bella dear. I daresay nobody's going to find you for a good while yet. Until the next date, love. I'll send flowers."
Chucking to himself, Harry stalked over the litter of corpses that his bloodlust had left in its wake, not caring in the slightest about what he had just done. He only hoped that his friends back aboard the Hogwarts Express had managed to avoid any serious tragedy. Despite his attempts at acting nonchalant, he was aching all over and completely exhausted. That duel with Bellatrix had really depleted the last of his reserves.
(End Chapter Twelve)
Well, there's the next chapter, and our first big battle scene. I hope you enjoyed it. I originally was going to have Bella's force at six squadrons, but was advised, and perhaps rightfully so, that having Harry charge alone into a field of nearly forty Death Eaters at the end and walk out unscathed wasn't very realistic. Still, I hope I've mollified any concerns about Harry not being powerful enough. And, I am completely exhausted, so I hope you'll forgive the brevity of this note. I'd like to ask for input about how I handled the battle scene, particularly the Harry/Bella duel, but other aspects as well. Until the next time, amigos.
Many of the spells used in this chapter are borrowed from Damien Darkstar's excellent "Spells & Creatures" compilation. Take a look at it, good stuff.