Chapter Eleven - An Experience In
The wind howled and wailed across the dark island fortress. Bitter air swept the stones of the gaol smooth and splashed salty water against the lowest points jutting over a cliff of the far south rampart. The rocky shoreline displayed a dangerous welcome to any who would alight upon it.
Those within the prison paid little attention to the storm outside as they ran through the halls looking for their enemies, moving carefully over the rotted floors. The dank stone walls glittered black in the torchlight as they passed, the wood doors of the various cells showing a stark contrast at regular intervals.
When those of opposite sides, the ones remaining in the upper levels of the building, met in these malignant passageways, the dark was lit with a myriad of colours, curses dancing through the shadows. Yelled spells and wounded cries echoed along every level of the gaol. As the members of each group of opponents had now spread over the entire complex, neither side was sure just who had the advantage.
The Praesidium warriors who had been left as guards in the deep hallway around the trapdoor let the others battle one another. They knew their place, and knew that they had taken care of the majority of the dark combatants above ground, leaving the Order and the Aurors to down the rest. Without knowledge of their compatriots' movements in the bowels of the prison, they could do little more than follow the orders set by their leader, and keep everyone else away from the area they watched over.
Several levels below, their comrades stood on the shore of a vast buried lake, staring towards the outcropping of rock where their leader was rising. Everyone of them had heard the wizard's quiet declaration and waited with bated breath as he gained his footing.
The water of the underground lake slapped gently at the shoreline of stone, though the air was mostly still. Harry glanced at it for a moment as he centred his balance, then looked into the concerned eyes before him, smiling slightly as both the Vampyr and Elf reached out to secure his stance.
"I am all right," Harry murmured. His expression darkened. "But we are in trouble."
Shaking his head, Carnifex gazed sharply at his friend. "Ateraes. What the hell just happened?" He glanced at the Elf beside him, then back to Harry. "One moment Laminae wasn't sure you'd survive, and the next you're just fine and saying you know that which we have been questing for these past few months."
Sighing, Harry looked back over the lake. "I don't know what to tell you, amice. Somehow my magic must have assisted Laminae's in healing me, I suppose. I'm not certain." He turned and locked his eyes with his second. "I do know about the enemy. He spoke to me, manipulated my mind."
"How?" Carnifex questioned, ignoring the several soft exclamations from the others behind him.
"Unfortunately, it seems I have a connection with this Dark Lord, one similar to the one I had with Riddle." Harry ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as his fingers felt a mass of tacky liquid and came away stained red. He muttered a quick cleaning charm, then continued his explanation. "This Lord is a mix of a man, with a Dementor."
More startled whispers broke out, then quickly died down when Harry glanced toward those speaking. They stilled, gazing at him, now standing at attention. Harry looked back at Carnifex, noticing that the Vampyr's shock was shown by nothing more than the widening of his eyes.
Harry went on quickly. "Apparently, Voldemort made the creature as a type of experiment. According to him, years ago I developed a link with the Dementors which allows him to communicate with me. For some reason he decided to show himself, though I'm not certain why. But it is obvious that he must know that I am the leader of our group."
Carnifex sighed. "Damnation. How powerful is this thing?"
"Enough to make this rather interesting."
"Wonderful. Are things always so exciting here? I should have came to England a long time ago," Carnifex muttered dryly. He looked Harry over. "Are you certain you are well, Imperator?"
"Yes. Is everyone else?" Harry scanned the others. At Laminae's affirmative, he nodded. "Good. We had best go. The Order has no idea what they are dealing with."
"A moment, Imperator," said Laminae, running a glowing hand in front of his leader's body. Satisfied that Ateraes had truly healed, the Elf nodded. Looking into the green eyes of the man, he then asked, "Do we have any idea what this Man-Dementor wants from the Containment Ward? Is he down there?"
"He's down there, I'm sure of it," Harry answered. "As to what he wants, I do not know. But we would do well not to let him get it."
Carnifex nodded, then gestured to the rest of the warriors. "They have been searching this chamber. I do not know if they have managed to find an exit."
"My commander," spoke the sultry voice of a Veela as she stepped forward between the rocks surrounding the three males, her silver hair swinging loose over her shoulders. She gestured behind her. "My partner and I have found an opening beyond that partition that seems to be the only entrance to this chamber at our level. None else have found anything besides the one which we fell through."
Harry glanced where she indicated. "Very well. Thank you, Gloriae. Show it to me."
With that, Gloriae spun on her heel and swiftly led the way to a low archway set deep into a crevice of stone. Inclining her head toward it, she pushed back her hair with a delicate hand, though the dirt and smudges of crimson marring the pale skin belied her seeming fragility. Harry gave her a nod and slipped by both her and her Elfin partner, who had stood guard at the opening.
Patting his robes, Harry swore under his breath when he realized his wand wasn't on him. Preparing to call it wandlessly from where ever it had fallen during their little slide, he was startled when Carnifex suddenly held up the piece of holly.
"Looking for something?" smirked the Vampyr, chuckling when Harry growled softly and wrenched it out of his hand.
"Thank you," Harry snarled in mock-annoyance, shaking his head. He quickly secured his cloak back over his body, and reset the charm to keep the hood in place. Turning back to the crevice, he ducked into the immediate opening. "Lumos!"
The blast of light lit the passageway much too brightly, and Harry quickly eased the strength behind the spell, blinking rapidly. His vision clearing, he eyed the seemingly quiet hall before him suspiciously.
"Follow me, and keep your senses on high alert." Harry glanced past the others toward the lake behind him. "Higher alert."
Harry stepped through the arch of stone, straightening up as the ceiling reached higher. Scanning the walls, he held his wand before him and started a careful, but quick, stride down the passage. The others followed, some creating their own light, and kept pace after their leader. Moving close directly behind him, Carnifex spoke softly.
"Ateraes, do we have any idea if this leads to the Containment Ward?" the Vampyr asked, brushing his dark hair back and pulling his hood higher as he walked.
"No." Harry smiled wryly, though the other couldn't see it. "I figure that we fell through some old means of protection, meant to trap those trying to make it down to the lower levels without, perhaps, a password or something. But they would need some way to enter the chamber nonetheless from some point, and given how far down I think we are, it would be a good guess that this leads to the Ward."
Carnifex nodded, and they continued their journey. For several minutes they travelled in silence, seeing nothing distinctly odd, and the passage remained a straight path. The air was stale and wet, making breathing difficult for those that had to, and salt water dripped from cracks in the stones along the left wall, giving the Praesidium compatriots some idea of their location.
Suddenly Harry walked into a bitter cold, causing him to suck in a sharp breath. Not allowing his movements to falter, he continued further, the temperature decreasing with each step. Forcing his body to stop its instant shivering, Harry heard the various members of his group make quiet noises as they too entered into the chill.
"I do believe we are getting quite close," Carnifex muttered, though he gave little more indication that he even noticed the change in the air.
Harry kept the light spell at the end of his wand holding, increasing the power on it as they continued moving. Deeper into the iciness, he noticed a despairing influence pushing at his mind, and quickly set his mental defences to their max.
The darkness itself became suffocating, attempting to close around the intruders. As they rounded a corner in the passage, a sharp bright light illuminated the hall, then flared out, leaving a dimmer one far before them. Harry had recognized the streaming white to have come from the Patronus Charm, and knew the constant light still showing must be from torches. They had found the Ward.
Quickly covering the rest of the tunnel, Harry halted and leaned flush against the dry wall, peering beyond the opening. Before him was an enormous chamber, larger than the one they had left behind, with craggy walls of blackened stone lit by torches upon them and Ever-last Candles floating high near the tall ceiling.
Along the edges of the walls was another lake, this time circling an inclined grey platform in the middle as opposed to being surrounded by the stone of the floor. On the dais stood a multitude of wizards and witches, some clearly in Auror uniform, others in various garb. All were turned with their backs to the crevice in the wall where the Praesidium stood, allowing Harry time to scan the area without their notice.
In front of the gathered Aurors and Order members, encased in a glittering cage hovering over the far area of the moat, were an extreme amount of Dementors. There were apparently more in the containment than was safe, as the glowing bars were bending outward and looked ready to snap.
A sharp noise caught Harry's attention to his left, and turning, he was startled to see the water solidifying to a semi-translucent ice. Following the path of the frost, Harry watched as a darkly cloaked figure stepped from a well hidden entrance onto the lake, his strides somewhat uneven, but steady.
None of the people on the platform had noticed this new arrival in the slightest, much to Harry's surprise. The form stilled on the middle of the ice, and seemed to shake his head at the group. Harry assumed that the figure was male, which was confirmed when it turned and rose a strong, tanned hand in his direction.
With a quirk of a finger, Harry was abruptly wrenched from his position and pulled onto the frozen water. His eyes widened when he couldn't fight the movement, but he knew better than to make a sound. He heard scrambling behind him, and registered that his men were coming after him, but then he was brought up short and turned his attention to the figure now directly in front of him. Regaining control of his body, Harry nodded in taunting friendliness and looked unblinking into the other's face.
"Hello, Regulus," he whispered, receiving a sneering smile in return. "Long time, no see. Oh, wait, I guess not."
The human side of the face raised an eyebrow. As it pulled the skin further off the cheekbone, it was rather disgusting, and Harry was hard pressed not to grimace.
"Thou flippancy is much wasted on me, my friend," answered Regulus in the same low tone, their close proximity making it easy to speak only to one another. "I have heard of your act at Hogwarts, but there is no need to use it with thee."
Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head, then turned to glance at the still unknowing Aurors and Order members, his hood well in front of his face. Cracking and banging sounded from the cage before them, and they were all to busy with that to notice anything else. Looking askance at both them and the Man-Dementor, Harry sensed his comrades moving carefully into position flanking him, but Regulus ignored it.
"They are fools, are they not?" the half-Dementor asked, gesturing to those standing on the platform. "Their best work is in ignoring the true threat. They have no idea that I was the one to call all of the Dementors down to this forsaken chamber."
"What do you want, Regulus?" questioned Harry, turning his attention back to the creature.
Regulus focussed on Harry, but stayed silent as the younger wizard's attention was drawn to the wall behind him. Several figures stepped out of the opening in the wall where the Dark Lord had walked through, moving silently behind their master in much the same way the Praesidium had behind their leader. Harry now assumed that Regulus had cast Notice-Me-Not charms, or the like, for surely the Order should have heard something.
Once his men were in position, Regulus chuckled quietly. "Allow me to introduce my Spectral Knights. Quite a dedicated calvary. Our sheep are such good little soldiers, are they not?"
Harry heard Carnifex growl deep in his throat and gestured for the Vampyr to stand down. "I will ask again, Regulus. What do you want?"
"From you, an agreement. At least for the moment." Regulus smiled grotesquely, and Harry now raised his eyebrow. "Reveal not thee, and your identity shalt not be revealed."
"And of what use would that be?"
With another smile, Regulus' eyes glittered. "Come now, friend. Surely you wish not your secrets shown, nor am I of a mind to have mine aired. You reveal not what you know of thee, and your position is not mine to state. Though you are quite free to name my legion."
"What is this about?" Harry asked, his eyes narrow, his green gaze boring into the other's blue.
"I have no illusions that we are the true enemies, friend," said Regulus. "We need to know one another, for no battle can be won without knowing thy opponent. The fools need not."
"Very well. What you are shall not be told by me or mine, should I remain as such with you," Harry murmured tensely.
"Excellent." Regulus clapped his hands together, skin meeting decaying bone. Harry's jaw twitched. "Now, down to business."
Suddenly a flash of light burst from the Dark Lord's hands, then faded just as quickly. Harry realized that the creature had just removed several spells blocking the two groups from notice, and he waited for the Order and Aurors to detect their presence.
It didn't take very long, and Harry found himself concealing a slight smirk at the startled reactions they garnered. Shocked gasps and muted shouts echoed around the chamber, as the wizards and witches on the dais spun to face them. Making his way through as the group parted to let him, Albus Dumbledore came to the front, facing the two contingents with his wand raised.
"Who are you?" Albus questioned in a commanding tone.
When no one spoke for a moment, Regulus chuckled. "Since no one else is forthcoming, allow me," he drawled, bowing his cloaked head in a mocking gesture, swinging his living hand to indicate his men. "I am Lord Vivnecis. My followers are known as the Spectral Knights." As he straightened, his power flowed around him, causing his robes to swirl.
Harry recognized the meaning behind Regulus' chosen name more than most. Living murder, of course, Harry thought sarcastically. How wonderfully melodramatic. Turning slightly, Harry watched for the others' reactions.
Everyone of the Order and Aurors had their wands out, trained at the cloaked men before them. As Regulus finished, their aim had turned to him. Few showed emotion, being as experienced as they were, but Harry still noticed their heightened respiration and sense of unease. He knew that the Dark Lord did as well, and was enjoying it. Another silence fell, as if the various enemies were content to wait each other out.
Albus finally broke the silence. "Very well," the leader of the order stated, the epitome of calm, even as he exuded power. He turned toward the Praesidium. "And you?"
Instead of answering, Harry flicked his hand. The air above them blazed slightly as flames shot into it and danced, before they settled into the double moon image that would identify the Defence.
As the fire burnt out, Regulus abruptly flicked his hand, and a loud crashing came from the other side of the chamber. Dark creatures rose into the air, freed from the cage that had held them. The Order and Aurors immediately shot their Patronus spells into the air, but the Dark Lord whispered an incantation in a language Harry distinctly remembered. The Egyptian curse flew over them, cancelling the silvery animals as soon as they were made.
Harry quickly ordered his men to protect the Light wizards and witches, as he sent a flash of light straight for Regulus. The Man-Dementor merely allowed the curse to pass through the open side of his ribs, ignoring the Spectral Knight behind him that cried out in pain. Raising his hand, Harry grabbed his dagger and leapt for the creature.
Around them the Dementors swirled, pulling what essences they could, but the members of the Praesidium beat them back. The collected powers of the various species pounded into the flying corpse-like spectres, and soon the Order's and Aurors' Patronus Charms rang out again, assisting.
Still on the ice, Harry reached Regulus, raising his blade to strike. The Dark Lord stepped backward, pulling one of his own Knights in front of him to take the blow. With a gesture, he sent the others at Harry, who pulled back. He raised his wand, turning his body to block it from the majority's view, and cast several spells in quick succession.
Moving on the frozen lake was difficult, and ducking curses shot by the Knights, Harry was forced against a wall easily. Conjuring a shield, he unsheathed his sword, and braced himself. Releasing the blocking spell abruptly, he charged the startled dark wizards, raising his blade to deflect hastily flung curses.
Reaching the first wave of Knights, Harry cut into them, thrusting his sword into any flesh that he could reach. Sliding on the ice, he grabbed onto one of his opponents, righting himself and pushing the man into the others. As they fell, a flash of silver caught his eye and he spun, parrying the lunge as a sword came for his side.
Pushing up, his blade ground against the Spectral Knight's, the metallic sound grating. Curling the sword under his cloaked assailant's, Harry rose and kicked out, catching the man in the stomach. As he fell, Harry jerked his blade up and knocked the other's sword out of his hand, the weapon landing and skidding on the ice.
A burst of blue light hit his arm, and Harry wrenched back, sliding. Falling on his hip, he raised his hand and sent a surge of power at the many enemies moving toward him. As it hit, they flew backwards, crashing into several of the highest flying Dementors and screaming as the creatures grasped them, sucking their souls from their mouths.
Ignoring the pain in his arm, Harry jumped back to his feet, scanning the area for Regulus. He found him surrounded by a group of Spectral Knights, gesturing wildly to them. Harry made for the group, taking down hostiles as they neared him.
Regulus and his men pulled out small objects from their robes, holding them in the air and speaking a rapid incantation that Harry was too far away to catch. Several of his Praesidium comrades had taken over fighting the other Knights, and Harry continued for the Dark Lord.
Suddenly, streams of black light shot from the objects the Dark wizards held, reaching toward the Dementors, all of which were circling along the ceiling. The essence lanced through the creatures, and with wails resounding in the chamber, they were contained in the blackness and pulled to the Dark wizards.
As abruptly as it burst out, the streams sucked all of the Dementors into the objects with violent jerks of energy. The Spectral Knights staggered as they held the small containers, but Regulus seemed barely bothered by his task. When the collection was finished, the Dark Lord swiftly turned toward Harry, who had finally reached him.
Flinging out a hand, Regulus grabbed Harry before he could react and pulled him close. "Remember our agreement, friend," he breathed. "We both have much to lose. We are the most wanted of men, as you well know."
"You are no man," Harry spat, jerking against the grip that held him tight.
"I am more than man," Regulus answered.
Holding the younger wizard still, the Dark Lord opened their connection and allowed his magic to spear into his enemy. Harry cried out, his body jerking against the pain reminiscent of that he'd felt so long ago in Egypt. Then he'd had no ability to fight it, but he now knew of the connection he'd created.
Blocking the agony ripping through him, Harry reached into his own core, concentrating on the power that would hurt the creature. Using the same type as what created a Patronus, he mentally grasped the bond he shared with Regulus and shot his own magic into the Man-Dementor.
Regulus didn't scream, he wailed as the Dementors had when he'd captured them. A flare of light rose between Harry and him, blasting out and sending the enemies away from each other, to land several feet apart. Their connection cut for the time being, Harry and Regulus pushed themselves to their feet, unmindful of their audience of every person and creature in the chamber.
"We will meet again," stated the Dark Lord, reaching into his robe. His followers did the same, and with a muttered travel-word, the Spectral Knights portkeyed away before anyone could stop them.
As Regulus smirked and spoke his own word, Harry returned the expression and held up one of the objects the man had used to contain the Dementors. Anger filled the Dark Lord's ghastly face as he too sped away, leaving the chamber behind.
Harry quickly concealed the object in his robes before anyone else saw it, and thanked Myrddin silently that his hood had remained in place. Every thought was cut short as suddenly he felt someone directly behind him, and felt a wand press against the neck of his cloak.
"Impressive fighting," Albus Dumbledore stated. Pushing his wand harder against the man's neck, he then said, "Perhaps now we can have your name?"
A/N: Hope everyone is enjoying. I give a witches oath to have the next chapter up much quicker. Let me know what you think of where it's going!
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Zenn