The Keeper
SPOV
It started with the sickening crunch of breaking bones.
Crunch… crunch…
An enormous entity had stirred in the darkness, awakening to the sound of its prey. I heard it again… and again… but no creature came lumbering into sight. I waited for another few moments but nothing came. A minute, then more. I was about to remove the cloak when Al sent up a flair with a wand I didn't recognize. I didn't have time to contemplate the beautiful instrument of magic because just as the flare reached the summit of its arc, I saw them. Fear itself leapt through me like cold fire as a sea of shadows raced over the great waste of bones that was the forest floor.
Shadows scurrying, shadows crawling, shadows slithering. Ten fold thousands towards the throne. There they writhed and coiled, forming a twisted mass in its cradle. At first there was but a black skeleton, the mere outline of a great beast. Too soon was woven its sinew and muscle and flesh. The general shape of a man that looked more creature than not. Its every surface was covered in pitch black fur as dark as night itself. Its head was the head of a jackal. What manner of devilry could have given birth to this much foulness? It looked at Al with pure blackness, there were no eyes. There was but void and emptiness. My ears cried as he opened his mouth, the mere sound of it was horror.
"You shouldn't be here young Peverell. My master will be displeased that his ilk should so soon presume to enter this place since he has yet to relinquish the throne." The voice rasped like sandpaper on raw bone, like thunder and disease and malice. I grew sicker when the smell reached me. It was all I could do to keep from retching.
"I was curious Keeper. About my heritage." I could see that he was planning twelve steps ahead but… he was shaking like a leaf. How could he speak so confidently when his body betrayed him? I had no idea what was going on between the two of them. All I could tell was that… this thing, whatever it was, was so clearly malign… Al. Please… be careful…
"I am Ignotius's heir after all." he continued smoothly, concealing the fear in his voice. I was trying to keep up with what was happening.
"That you are young one. At least perhaps."
Don't talk to it Al. We need to leave now. Come on… "A great power resides within you, but you should have known not to trespass here." The beast spewed his words with fetid breath, seating himself in the throne with contempt sewn into his toothy grin. His teeth were sharper than knives.
"Hmph. It is not trespass if I merely came to learn." Al said approaching the creature with casual indifference. Why would he get closer to it? Get away Al.
"Bah! Wizards have come here before claiming as much! They stole the Archway while my master was asleep. I was charged with its protection and I failed him. The Saxons. The Angles. The Jutes, the Celts, the Scotts. Countless have come and trespassed. Why should I allow you to study here when I ate them all for the same offense you now commit?"
"Well… I'm rather fun to get to know." Al offered with a smile. The creature laughed at that. It wasn't what I expected. Not a sickening evil laugh. It was a rumbling almost jovial sort of laugh. I couldn't fathom how such an evil creature could laugh like that. It was disturbing. Yet it gave me hope that we might escape. Al effected the world around him more mysteriously than anyone else I had ever met. If there was any chance of escape, it lay with Al. What was I thinking? This was too strange to be real. This whole night must be a dream…
"You do remind me rather of a young wizard I once knew. Perhaps you are the one to finally replace Ignotius. So rarely are fontlings ever crowned I was beginning to think— "
*Sniff Sniff*
*Sniff*
It had paused so startlingly abruptly that for a split second I'd thought he'd been frozen stiff. The keeper, as Al kept calling it had forgone speech to begin urgently sniffing the air with its snout. The empty sockets bulged, extending as far open as possible, as though his vacant eyes might spy something. He was looking for me!
"Another! You dared presume to bring another fontling here!" the creature screamed, rising violently from its seat. His shout was like a thunderstorm that sent ripples into my skull. His head darted inhumanly about, all the while searching the courtyard for any sign of me. In seconds he had gone from mildly amused by Al to furious and insane.
"WHERE IS HE?" The creature shrieked leaping towards Al, growling dangerously at the little boy before him. Death dripped from the creatures snarling maw. All the fondness he had at first exhibited for Al had vanished.
"You'll never find him. I've veiled him from your sight, Keeper. Now…calm yourself…"
"You would dare!" howled the creature flailing violently away from Al, smashing an already crumbling statue to pieces in its rage. Its hair bristled dangerously, a clear sign of his anger. Al's eyes widened at that. As though he'd just deduced something important. I was still having trouble understanding what was happening to me. It was like a dream. Wait… It hadn't hurt Al! Maybe…
"It would seem you are forbidden from harming me." Al ventured carefully. This was a dangerous move.
Al had obviously learned a great deal about this place from that book… but I had also shut it before Al could gleam whatever other horrors were contained within its pages. My idiot was playing a guessing game with the creature and I had to stand here watching helplessly as the twit gambled with his life. I took the stone from my pocket… I don't know what possessed me to, but I took it in my hands as though to pray.
I watched as the creature barked, rounding on Al and picking him up as if he were no more than a pebble. "No child. I was bid not to hurt your kind unless I must. I may, however, use my discretion to determine whether or not you are to be deemed a threat!" Al had guessed wrong! The creature had no loyalty to anything but this place. It squeezed its massive hand once and I collapsed in abject terror. My heart had shattered when I heard the sickening crunch of Al's bones as they snapped like twigs beneath the force of it. Fire… water? Light? No… bones… stone… maybe… no… it wouldn't work… my mind raced with scenarios.
I could do nothing but watch in horror as my best friend turned towards me. Those green eyes plead with me not to move, to stay still, to do anything but show myself.
I couldn't take it… All I could think was that this creature needed to DIE!
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" I screamed pointing my wand at the it-thing.
"SCOR NO!"
An enormous green bolt erupted from my wand in the form of a leviathan. The spell exploded outward like a flash of serpentine lightning, crashing violently into the creatures face. The beast snarled its fury, dropping Al to swipe angrily at its snout. It shook its head wildly in its discomfort as rancid air shot from its nostrils. The beast reared backwards, leaping to safety. How could a killing curse do so little?
"RUN SCOR!" Al shrieked crumpling to the ground in a broken heap. I barely registered his words, choosing to ignore them.
The monster quickly recovered from the impact of my spell and turned rabidly towards me, roaring ferociously as it positioned itself to strike. I had already pounced to stand between Al and the now enraged monster. This demon would not hurt Al if it was the last thing I did!
Jaws snapped angrily, advancing now on all fours. "FIEND! THIEF! DECEIVER! I WILL REND YOUR FLESH FROM YOUR BONES AND ADD THEM TO THE OTHERS FOR THIS!"
APOV
Scor couldn't win. We were going to die… The only way was… the pillars… that or…
"You will have to go through me first wretch!" Scorpius screamed standing defiantly over my broken form.
"BOMBARDA!" Scor managed hurling a devastating detonation charm at the creature. "Al run… now!"
The blond was throwing more and more spells at the Keeper, creating a mist of magic smoke. The heat from it all sent waves through the open air.
"Scor why didn't you stay still" I laughed while tears began trickling down my face. If he had stayed still… but now we were both going to die…
"Run!" Scor yelled louder as the Keeper recovered from the blasts. We were children and yet we were going to die.
"AL!"
"Scor… my legs…" I started sadly. "I can't feel them."
"I am not letting you die. Do you hear me? You have to live. You have to fight. I will drag you from here if I have to." Scor wouldn't move. He had to leave me. He had to go.
"FIENDS! FIENDS!"
He… wait. I might not be able to get myself out of this mess… but I could still save Scor…I could save him… I could…
I shouted loudly as I threw three charms at the nearest columns. The runes flickered weakly but finally illuminated. It had worked! Only four more…
"Enough!" Cried the creature pulling out… No! A wand… how could it have a wand? How much more could we handle…
I groaned, bending what functioning parts remained of my already broken body to fire three more blasts. Only one more I thought excitedly, watching the three other pillars light successfully. If i could just-
"Scor run now!"
"†Ω∆" The beast shrieked.
It was too late…
"PROTEGO" Scor's shield charm barely had enough time to form around the both of us.
'Its over' I thought sadly looking at the beautiful blond… watching the sheer power of the Keeper's spell rip through the shield like a butcher carving a cake.
A concussive wave blasted Scorpius into the air and towards me. I knew then that we were finished.
"What grief you have caused me you foolish boy! To kill a Peverell… My master will not be pleased… but Peverells always did taste the best. I am bound in service to my master… not his whole family."
The bones in the courtyard crunched sickeningly beneath the weight of him. Rotting insects and dead rodents scurried out of larger skulls as he approached. With each stride came a louder expression of twisted death.
I just barely managed to reach over and grab Scor's limp hand, squeezing as hard as I could. 'I can still save him, I have to save him.'
"Wake up Scor! I need you to run!"
But he just lay there unmoving. Blood had began to pool beneath me and I finally realized it was my own, I was dying. I could see shattered pieces of white, sticking out oddly through my robes. Ribs, femur, ulna, lower spine… Through all that pain, and despite my now useless legs, I still somehow managed to drag myself protectively towards Scor. My fingers scraped horridly on the stone as I tried with all my might to pull myself to him. The pain as my broken bones ripped through my skin, resonated through my head like waves crashing against stone.
"I need… I need… Scor, where are you? Scor" I tried, collapsing onto him from the strain. I leaned down to kiss the unconscious mess. It would be the last time.
Just as my vision began to blur I glimpsed a winged shape descend from the crack in the sky…
Impossible… I thought faintly as I heard its cry. This whole thing must be a dream… nothing but a nightmare.
The Keeper snarled, rounding upwards to snap angrily at whatever was responsible for distracting it from its prey.
As the bird pulled out of its spiraling dive it caught flame. It descended, a comet of fire and life, screaming and pecking wildly. It had aimed directly at the Keeper's putrid face. Dad was saved once before by a phoenix. It was the last lucid thought I had before losing consciousness. This is really the weirdest dream…
0. Please forgive the super long author's note. (If anyone is wondering whether i make them confusing on purpose... you might be right)
I want to make a few announcements. (No I'm not stopping the story… [although I might if people don't leave more reviews for longer chapters like the last one…])
~~~~~~ 1. Upon the request of a friend, I will be releasing a new, much shorter story for the same characters. (Don't know exactly when though)
a) This does not mean I will take any longer to release content for this story. (A lot is pre written so my upload speed corresponds to the number of reviews I get.)
b) None of you should feel obliged to read it, it will not be nearly as epic as this one and you won't miss out on any plot details for this story. The two are entirely independent of each other. If i decide to break this story up into "Parts" Like the real HP books. I will let everyone know way in advance. (The story is getting pretty long in my pages file... hmmm now that i think about it... i probably should save that sometime soon... just in case. XD)
~~~~~~ 2. Stuff to come:
a) I Promise that aside from some scandal in the next chapter the insane amount of outlandish additions will cease or dramatically slow down for awhile so you will get a brief reprieve from the craziness of dark elves, strange books/ wands and new creatures. (Unless you guys want more insanity)
b) MOST IMPORTANTLY. The coming summer will be spent dealing with other points of view: Louis, Rori, BUT more importantly the Valois. Which means you will see from their perspective, you will get hints as to their intentions and you will witness the wizarding drama of the nobles. The politics took me a while to sketch out. I have a massive family tree with marriages / alliances that I came up with for fifteen or so families but its too large to scan and put up somewhere.
~~~~~~ 3. Please more reviews for the last chapter… and someone for god's sake tell me if this chapter was a little too crazy. I've reread it a hundred times and while I love the writing itself (With the exception of mistakes i'm too lazy to correct), I'm not sure how I feel about it as a whole.
~~~~~~ 4. EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY!: I WANT FRESH REVIEWS FOR CHAPTERs 51 and 55 or i will burst into flames. Meaning i will not be able to finish the story... sad for me... worse for any of you want to see how it ends. THIS IS AN OFFICIAL WARNING (i'd rather you review those chapters than this one). I literally released this chapter early ONLY for the people i name down there at the bottom VVV. The last chapter was 4,000 words... that translates to fifteen pages in a paperback book... IN SMALL PRINT thats a lot...
Although if anyone sends me cookies i might just keep writing for those too. XD
If you do review i can have the next chapter up by tuesday or thursday. Promise!
Hope you all are well and enjoying the spring.
Special Shout out (AND MY UNDYING GRATITUDE) to:
Anonononon *****
Crazed slash fan
Photonic
Krista
Red Blood Black Death :)
Danny
If you were named above you get a prize. Ask me what you want at the end of a review and i will include content. XD
