Chapter 2 - Give your Life
Five days was too long not to give into the urge. Harry didn't even last three until sneaking off the ship in the dead of night, face hot with embarrassment before stepping a foot in the cavern. The Siren made no comment on Harry's awkwardness, simply pulling him into the pool to join as one again with a hunger that told a smug Harry that he hadn't been the only one who revelled in it. Relieved in more ways than one after a very long night, the visits became more frequent, enough so that several of his crew noticed and wondered aloud where their Captain went as they'd all been ordered to stay aboard. Harry refused to answer any questions, mind filled with hummed notes as he gazed out of his cabin's porthole until inevitably finding his feet carrying him across black rock again.
This time, however, the Siren made no move when Harry sat down at the edge of the pool, simply staring at him from a distance. ''One more hour left,'' it warned, lazily swimming in circles just out of Harry's reach. Restless. Nervous? ''Are you sure you wish to be here instead of saving your subordinates from a massacre?''
''My friends can hold their own,'' Harry defended them, although he did take his feet out of the pool. If it would take only an hour until battle, it would be dumb to participate in anything that would leave his body sore and bleeding – for the Siren had so far always managed to get at least one nip from his neck, arms or legs. ''I suppose it's too much to ask for you to help us?''
Thin lips stretched into a too-wide grin that showed off the many needle-like teeth. ''My lovely captain, I'd gain nothing from antagonising my own worshippers. Nor do I care about your people.'' The answer was expected, yet still slightly hurtful. Harry knew he'd gotten in too deep, that he was nothing more than something to pass the time with, but a spark of hope had grown that perhaps the creature had developed a soft spot for him. Clearly not.
''This is the end then. Of our arrangement,'' he spoke, trying to keep his voice even.
Red, slitted eyes pierced into his own. ''Perhaps.'' It made no move to end their conversation on a pleasant note, had no words of consolation ready. Maybe it simply didn't feel the sentiment to utter any.
Unsettled and at a loss, Harry turned and marched back through the labyrinth of caves, double-checking the traps they'd set. He stood in front of the disturbing drawings for a while, pondering on whether he was taking the best option here. You-Know-Who (the Siren had not once asked to be referred to by any name) was the one who gave these people the powers they possessed beyond regular magic. Harry eased his own conscious by reminding himself that killing it would be no guarantee for them losing those powers. Some magic remained after death, and it could well be that they'd been taught rituals and spells rather than borrowed the power. That they still stuck around and fed the Siren debunked that theory a tad, but Harry preferred to ignore that.
He nervously grasped the locket around his neck, which the creature liked to tap on occasionally as if reminding Harry of its presence. The Siren had not wished to reveal what it was for or how it had been enchanted. It seemed to have no interest in taking it away from Harry either though. By now, the strange metal heartbeat and occasional flashes of magic had become a comfort. When holding it, he almost felt the same way as when securely wrapped in the elongated arms of the Siren. Those had become his favourite moments, the pirate decided with a sad smile. The few times where they'd simply drifted, embracing.
With a deep sigh, he recognised that those moments were over now. Regardless of how this would play out, they'd be on different sides. It had only been a nice fairy-tale that had sated Harry's longstanding curiosity for the monstrous.
Only two people were above deck: Charlie who was on look-out as always, one of his pet mini-dragons circling the ship while he sat high in the crow's nest, and Ron who was checking and reinforcing lines and knots to maintain the highest stability. ''A fight is heading our way, we've got less than an hour to prepare our ambush inside,'' he told his best friend, pretending he didn't hear the follow-up question of how he was so certain about the timing. ''I'll go get the rest.'' Following the sound of laughter, he wandered downstairs into the wardroom, which had been decorated in warm golds and reds. This was their place to come together, to relax and act as family. ''Listen up,'' Harry spoke, all eyes on him instantly. The crackling of bluebell flames was the only sound to be heard in the seconds before he continued, drawing his wand and rising it high up in the air. ''The Death Eaters will arrive soon. We prepared the runes, the wards, everything hinges on our timing and determination now. It took us years to get to this point, we all know what we're doing this for.''
''For Hogsmeade!'' Katie cheered, raising her pint of butterbeer. ''For our friends and family back home!'' She got a round of acclamation, glasses clinked.
''Exactly,'' he affirmed, taking the bottle Dean offered him and taking a swig of the warm drink that felt like home, sweetness lingering on his tongue. For Sirius, he added mentally. At long last, he'd have the opportunity to face his godfather's murderer, to bring the madwoman to her knees.
Followed by his crew, they set to work. There was nothing to be done about announcing their own presence considering the size of the Prongs. No ward granted invisibility and calling forth fog would only give themselves the disadvantage of not noticing the exact arrival of their enemies. Instead, they set up a distraction, most hiding in the maze that was the coves of Hangleton and only a small group staying outside, looking like they'd come upon the island by accident and crashed upon the shore. For good measure, Harry had them smash some empty crates and barrels upon the rocks to imitate a shipwreck. The ruse was completed with a few illusion spells on the hull of their ship.
As Harry turned to head inside, he thought to catch a glimpse of a clawed, pale hand sinking into the water amidst the spraying waves. Against all instincts, he walked towards it and leaned over a boulder to peer into the sea, black stone digging painfully into the palms of his hands. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named unblinkingly stared right back at him from a foot below the surface. The eye contact was brief. With a movement too fast to follow, the Siren had turned and disappeared, even the starkly white tail no longer visible in the murky depths.
A bell tolled in the distance. Harry's head shot up to peer at the horizon, from which a cloud of fog rolled. The bell sounded again.
Hurrying inside, Harry took his own position, hiding in the curve of one of the corridors with his lieutenants and about half of the crew. The rest spread to the caves beyond to ensure no-one would ambush them from behind through possible hidden entryways or in case all the frontmen would go down. With cramped legs, they waited. And waited. Then, shouting sounded from outside and flashes of light illuminated the room, spells zapped past the entrance. It took all willpower not to rush to the aid of those who'd volunteered to act as bait. There was no need to wait much longer: the others had been instructed to lure the Death Eaters in, not to defeat them. Seamus, Neville, Ginny and Michael all sprinted inside, throwing spells over their shoulders as they rushed through the first cave and past their Captain. The Death Eaters filled the room and froze, for a moment stunned as they took in the loss of all their treasure. ''Now,'' Harry hissed, trying to pointedly ignore that Dean had been part of the bait group as well. They could count their losses later, none of them had expected to come out unscathed from this mission.
Fleur and Bill, who'd been right behind him, stood in unison and pointed their wands at the floor, a rune circle starting to glow. The four Death Eaters who'd stood inside of it screamed in pain. Tumult broke loose, members of Dumbledore's Army storming forward to fight head-on one after the other as more Death Eaters poured in from the other side. Harry stayed put, not out of cowardliness, but as he was waiting for their Captain, who hadn't shown her face yet. He saw a few women, but none with the long black curls and heavy-lidded eyes that haunted his nightmares.
A loud wailing of such volume that Harry was positive someone was being subjected to excruciating spells – he'd heard similar screams when the Ministry decided to publicly torture and execute enemies of the state – came from outside. His heart stopped. Dean. Throwing caution to the wind, he sprinted out of his hiding spot, using all Quidditch reflexes he'd developed when stuck on land to his advantage now, dodging curses left and right, skidding on the slippery ground as he ran towards the entrance. It had started storming again, rain drenching him instantly and whipping hair into his eyes that he furiously wiped away.
There she stood, crooked wand pointed at a screaming Dean, cackling audibly even through the thunderous waves that rose ever higher. His friend's limbs were bent in all the wrong places, and with horror, Harry realised that she didn't plan on putting Dean out of his misery anytime soon. Years of built-up hatred bubbled to the surface. With chattering teeth, Harry sent the most painful spell he knew her way, a Reducto curse. With inhuman speed, their Captain spun around, the spell flying harmlessly across the waves behind her.
She laughed upon seeing him, mockingly spreading her arms. ''The brave human who crossed the seas to find me!'' she spoke in delight. ''Ah, but I know you. Those eyes, that determination! Harry James Potter! Crucio!''
Agony like he'd never felt before. Harry didn't notice when his robes were torn by sharp gravel where he fell to his knees, nor that his throat became hoarse from screaming. Not until the curse was lifted and he crumpled on all fours to catch his breath. As powerful as the Death Eaters were, he'd always thought the stories of the spells they knew to have been embellished to make for better campfire tales. Having been subjected to one now, he doubted anyone would be able to exaggerate this kind of magic. If he didn't know better, Harry would have thought he'd have been tortured in the deepest cells of the Ministry for weeks, such did his body ache.
Not that pain was enough to deter him. Gathering all strength, he rose to his feet, a shield charm at the tip of his tongue in case she'd try something like that again. Attempting to ignore Dean's soft cries, he circled around the woman, who didn't appear the least bit bothered. She oozed confidence, her waist-length curls pushed back to reveal a cruel face.
''How do you know my name?'' Harry asked, shouting above the howls of the wind and crashing of waves.
''You're a famous captain,'' she answered with a mocking bow, making him snarl.
''Don't play dumb! You knew my name when I was fifteen years old! When you-''
The hull of her ship breaking through fog. Her wild look when attacking Sirius. Ickle Potter…
She answered only with more curses, which he now was prepared enough for to side-step. The fight dragged on, neon flashes that were refracted in a million drops of water illuminating the darkening air. He threw everything on her that he'd been taught by the mentors he'd had over time: destructive jinxes and hexes, spells to slow her, transfiguration to distract… She countered it all with a laugh and retaliated with whispers and shadows, she turned the storm into sharp needles of ice that pierced his skin and forced a crippled Dean to his feet with a spell that appeared to control his body with magic alone. Harry whispered a disarming spell to fearful eyes in hopes that she'd let Dean go if he was in no state to be used as a weapon, but the pushback of his Expelliarmus was too strong, Dean skidded across the slippery stone and disappeared in unrelenting waves.
''No!'' Harry desperately cried out. The madwoman didn't give time for grief or regret: bit by bit, Harry was forced backwards until he had the sense to blind her with orbs of pure light. It helped only for a moment. She blasted him away, the force hurling him into the first cave once again, which was empty now. He heard fighting in the distance and prayed that everyone was still alive. Harry doubled his attempts to hold her off, but each sizzling hex forced him further into the defensive, each step taking him deeper into the grottos he'd become so familiar with.
''Giving up yet?'' she giggled, eyes flashing with excitement. ''To think you could have held the same power, if only your parents wouldn't have been so weak!''
''What are you-'' he asked, thrown off balance for a second, which he came to instantly regret as she struck, right leg snapping underneath him. Her foul breath was in his face now, she was close enough to see that patches of her skin were green with algae and that on her exposed shoulder, sea pocks grew. In a desperate move, right before she could pluck the holly wand from his fingers, he jabbed it into her stomach and cast a Diffindo, the first spell that came to mind. She stumbled away in shock, hands pressed to her stomach, from which dark liquid now poured. Only, he realised after a short moment of victory, it smelled nothing like blood, the stench of rotting fish reaching his nose. Terrified, he watched as she stood upright, the liquid dripping down slowly like pitch, forming a puddle on the floor.
''What are you?'' he said, gagging at the pungent smell.
She hissed, baring her teeth: ''The one who eats death, who brings death, who feeds death! I am Bellatrix of the noble and most ancient house of Black!''
He stared. The name rang in his ears like a dissonant bell in the middle of a storm. It couldn't be… and still, though her eyes held a mad glint, they were of the same steel as his godfather's had been, her hair the exact same shade… ''But then you killed…. You killed your…'' he choked.
She threw her head back and laughed. ''Oh, is this about poor old Siri?'' she mocked. ''That traitor got what he deserved, an early grave into the ocean he was too cowardly to tame. I knew at once that you took after him,'' she sneered. ''And you'll meet the same fate now. Avada Kedavra!''
He was too frozen to evade. Even with two good legs, there wouldn't have been anywhere to hide in here. He threw up a shield, which the emerald curse ripped through as if unbothered. The light was vaguely familiar, though Harry couldn't recall where he'd seen it before, nor did he know what fate awaited him if it hit.
''No!'' Bellatrix shrieked in rage. ''HOW?''
The green glow had almost faded, only a reflection of it briefly emitting from the locket on Harry's chest before being absorbed completely. The heartbeat that had been synchronised with his own this entire time fell silent. Grasping the object, Harry felt an immense loss when realising it was cold. Dead.
Filled with renewed rage and inexplicable grief, he used the moment she was off guard to continue their duel. The stench grew as he ripped one of her arms off with a Bombarda and grazed her cheek with another Diffindo.
She was on her knees now, throwing him a look of pure hatred. Death Eater or not, no-one could keep living when their head was separated from their necks. He lifted his wand, ready to put his godfather's spirit to rest…
Something crashed against the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. Groaning, he wiped blood out of his eyes, seeing that a few Death Eaters had arrived as back-up. His stomach turned, knowing it meant that his own crew hadn't been able to keep them busy long enough. Was anyone still alive? Did these people take prisoners? Large hands grabbed him, took his wand away and forced Harry to his feet. In the moment they dragged him deeper into the caves, he saw with disgust that another man with remarkable similarities to Sirius reattached Bellatrix' arm with some kind of twisted magic.
Ropes bound his bruised arms, tightening the more he struggled against them. A silent parade of the black-robed witches and wizards accompanied him, more than one adorned with a white skull mask. As they went deeper into the labyrinth, he gazed with sorrow upon the fallen figures: Colin, Fred, Lavender… The Death Eaters behind him collected the bodies, dragging them along.
Before long, he was carried into the painfully familiar central room, where his remaining crew had been lined up in a half-circle. Orbs of light illuminated the cave with its as of now undisturbed pool. With satisfaction, he saw that two Death Eaters lay to the side with eyes that stared into hell, and another four were badly wounded. Whichever magic Bellatrix Black had used to survive her wounds, it was clear that not all of them could apply it.
She didn't appear bothered by the loss of her two men, casting a disgusted look at their corpses.
''We'll need to bolster our ranks again,'' she spoke, smiling down on Harry's crew. ''And I see some candidates here. Hello, handsome.''
''Don't touch them!'' Harry shouted when her filthy finger traced across Cedric's cheek.
''Why, do you wish to join us instead?'' Bellatrix cackled.
''No-one is going to join you, you foul beast!'' Ron yelled. Half of his face was blue and swollen, but his gaze no less fierce for it.
She raised her jaw high, a smile playing on her lips. In that moment, she looked every bit the arrogant, Pure-blooded witch that she once might have been before being corrupted. ''You are wrong,'' she simply stated, summoning a stone from the floor, holding it into the light for all to see. Everyone collectively held their breath, even Harry.
She hadn't used a wand.
''You are all witches and wizards. It is only natural for our kind to strive for power… and as you can see, you'll never receive more of it than here.'' Again wandlessly, she twisted the stone into various shapes, finally creating a small dagger. ''Our master grants secrets to magic that you can barely imagine right now. I know, I was once one of you, staring at greatness without recognising it. Until I was freed.'' With a great amount of show, she pulled back a long, tattered sleeve and dragged the knife across her exposed wrist. In the light, the wizard could now see that the substance that flowed from her wound was evidently not blood: black as tar and slow. ''You can be reborn, as have I.''
''She lies!'' Harry exclaimed, hoping desperately that no-one was actually considering her words. ''It has to be a trick. Look at those two! They're dead without a doubt!''
Their Captain growled and took a few large strides, painfully grabbing his hair. The black stuff got smeared across his cheek in the process, making him nearly vomit. She didn't address him, however, forcing his head up to look at his huddling crew. Those who were left. He knew them well and saw that the fight hadn't faded in any of them quite yet. No, none of them would join this woman of their own free will. They'd all lost something precious to the Death Eater's massacres. People, possessions, a life without fear. ''I will make this simpler, then,'' Bellatrix spoke without emotion. ''The first two to volunteer shall live. The rest will die, gruesomely.''
Harry laughed, sputtering up blood. ''You think there are cowards among us?'' he asked her.
''Not yet,'' she answered with an eerie smile. ''But there will be once they see their fate. I don't know what magical defence allowed you to survive before, Potter, but you are no match for the jaws of the ocean.'' With surprising strength, she dragged him over to the pool and forced him to kneel at the edge. With dread, he stared down into the depths. Was this truly his end? Would the Siren at last devour him for real? The creature had made clear upon departure that it didn't prioritise Harry's life over that of its followers. And why would it?
The dagger pierced Harry's skin, slicing his shoulder. He winced, watching as Bellatrix let the drops of blood fall into the pool. There, a familiar splotch of white in the deep… Harry forced himself to watch as the Siren swam upwards and as last broke through the water, rising high enough to once again tower over him.
''My Lord,'' the woman spoke with devotion. ''We have brought you a feast today.''
''Is that so,'' the creature hissed. It reached out slowly, clawed hands gripping Harry's chin, far gentler than he'd expected. The ruby gaze calmed him somewhat, even though all reason told him it shouldn't. ''Truly, you brought something delicious, Bella. But unfortunately, not something edible,'' he cryptically said. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw her expression morph into confusion.
''My Lord, I don't understand…''
''You took too long to return, Bella,'' he frostily spoke, revealing a row of sharp teeth. ''Far too long. These humans were docked at my port for over a week.''
''I- Is that so? A… and? Your grace…?'' he hurriedly added, clearly out of her depth.
''And,'' he repeated mockingly, while at the same time sliding an arm around Harry's waist to pull the wizard into the pool with him. ''I've decided that this one… is only to be enjoyed in one way.'' Harry flushed when the Siren brazenly pulled away the collar of his jacket and latched onto Harry's neck. His heartbeat grew wild when the creature didn't show any sort of restraint, shamelessly groaning as it took the jacket off and ripped away the shirt impatiently.
''I.. w. what…'' Bella stuttered, eyes bulging in disbelief. The Siren didn't pay her any attention, occupied with his favourite toy.
Though no matter how much the feel of the Siren's cold tongue dragging over the length of his neck froze Harry's brain, it didn't completely make him unaware of where they were any who was watching. ''This is not the right time-'' he ground out, wriggling. The movement was an error on his part, as it only seemed to spurn the other on more, clawed hands gripped his hips and unceremoniously pulling his arse flush against the proof of the creature's carnal desire. The only veil of modesty was the pool's surface, which was hopefully disturbed enough by their movements that nothing was clearly visible.
You-Know-Who answered with a hissed laugh and a sharp nip at Harry's ear that surely left it bleeding. When the Siren appeared reassured that despite his protest, Harry wasn't actively trying to break free, it loosened its grip, wet hands instead lightly travelling up his stomach to the hollow of his throat. Before strong fingers could close around it, the Siren tapped the locket he was wearing in habit. And froze. Harry blinked, hazy mind sharpening, and he just now realised that the Siren had been humming under its breath all this time to dull the edges of Harry's wariness. Mortified, he met the eyes of his crewmates, who were watching in a mixture of horror and disgust.
''What is this?'' The hiss was filled with barely restrained anger, all lust gone from it now as it gripped the locket tighter, pulling painfully. The chain dug into his skin ''It is empty. Lifeless!''
''I was fighting,'' Harry attempted to explain. ''There was a green flash and it seemed to absorb it…''
''NO!'' The Siren roared, releasing him abruptly and whipping its tail to swim around frantically, dangerously baring its teeth at everything in sight. ''Which of you?'' it furiously shouted, at the shore in a flash and addressing his cowering Death Eaters as it once more rose from the water. ''Which of you dared cast a Killing curse within the walls of my own home?''
Deafening silence was the only reply, until Harry spoke up: ''It was her, your other favourite Captain.''
At the words, the previously so arrogant woman stumbled away, shaking her head frantically. ''Your Grace… my Lord, I only attempted to get rid of this little pest. Please, I wished to serve you, to bring you prey!''
''You…'' it spoke, stilling completely now as bloodred eyes gazed at her. Harry couldn't make out the meaning of its blank expression. ''Yes, you only made a mistake, Bellatrix… it is only human.''
She started nodding fervently and dropped to her knees, shuffling to the edge again while bowing her head in submission. ''I'll make up for it. Next time, I won't fail-'' Her words faltered as a deep, almost sad humming started. Harry felt frozen to the core, affected by the sound even though it wasn't directed at him.
Oh, you child of greed
Playing games of chance
Know you lost this once
Fall now into trance
I, who own your life
now claim your life
I claim your life
Listen well my child,
As my song guides you to bed
All your faults can rest their head
There's no longer need for dread
you, who owes your life
Now give your life
Live on in me
As the song ended, the Siren slowly retracted its clawed hand, which had been rammed straight through the woman's chest to pierce her heart. She made a gurgling sound and slumped down in the gravel. Miraculously, she was still alive even with a hole in her torso. It wouldn't last long, Harry knew.
''If even my magic could not lift you above humankind, Bellatrix, then nothing in the future will,'' it smiled down on her as black tar spilled from her lips. ''You indeed won't fail me again, for you only have one last purpose to serve.'' Without further ado, Bellatrix was unceremoniously dragged into the pool.
''Leave in peace, or stay in violence,'' the Siren spoke. As if the words had been a spell in itself – which might be the case – Harry's own arms and legs mechanically brought him to shore, where the confused Death Eaters were untying the ropes of Harry's crew. Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw the two figures disappear into the swirling depths. He shivered, only partially from the cold. He felt like a drowned cat, even when Hermione, without looking him in the eyes, placed her own coat over his bared shoulders. Less than a minute later, a large splotch of inky water drifted to the surface.
His mission had been completed. The feel of victory didn't come.
''Why are you still here?'' a familiar voice asked. The pale creature's upper half rose from the ocean, long arms resting on the rocks of the shoreline which Harry had been resting on, watching the Prongs take off. The pounding rain had thinned into a drizzle, a haze through which he saw his precious ship and crew disappear from view.
''My crew was bound by a purpose, one I betrayed,'' he simply stated. ''I can no longer be their leader. I promised them that we'd destroy the Death Eaters, yet only a few are gone and none through my hand. They know it is you that our enemy worshipped and are now aware of where I went in those nights. They rightfully feel I deceived them. By all means, I should have been killed.''
''Yet they are not up for a beheading and instead leave you here to die?'' the Siren asked with curiosity. ''An interesting form of showing kindness.''
Harry stretched and sighed. ''They know I have enough honour still to attempt to take as many of your followers in the grave with me as possible,'' he stated, then shot a toothy grin. ''I chose to stay in violence, as you so graciously offered, my Lord. Besides, Bellatrix Black knew something about me and my family. I am hoping to find more answers. Speaking of which, you aren't going to tell me why you let them go, will you?''
The Siren scoffed. ''Do what you can't resist doing. Having my own army of living ghosts was fun while it lasted, but they disappointed me greatly. Perhaps it is time for a new pet project. You know where to find me once the island is lonely, Captain. I might just answer your questions once you put me in a better mood.'' With that promise, it slid back into the waves.
Long after the creature had disappeared once again, Harry finally drew his wand and stood.
His battle was far from over.
Soo, I finally got around to posting the second chapter of this fic! I am sorry for it taking so long!
Once again, I sang the Siren song in this chapter, in case you want to listen to it with the melody ^^ This time I wrote original lyrics to the melody of 'No one but You' by Erutan and can be found on my tumblr page (once again, posting the link doesn't work on FFN)
Only one more chapter to go to uncover the remaining mysteries.. and write some more smut haha. It didn't really fit in this chapter.
Please leave a review to tell me your thoughts!
xx GeMerope
