Hey hey everyone!
It's finally beginning to be really chilly here, and my bad knee doesn't like it. :(
But anyway, onwards! Chapter 20. (already!)
***
The bandages unwrapped slowly and lazily, detaching from the layer beneath with an odd, rather off-putting sound of skin being peeled off and cracking, as the resin broke to release the ancient, very ancient fabrics swathing the mummy. Isis continued to chant, weaving her fingers as Dolohov was keeping the jackal stunned and immobile. He could hear the animal make doglike whimpering sounds of fear. But the worst of it all, was that the mummy was moving.
It shouldn't be anything too much, Dolohov was vainly trying to convince himself, to see a corpse being animated, but this was different. The whole room had dimmed, and the roaring crackling fire of the fireplace had petered out, licking the logs pitifully with thin, bluish tongues. The ex-Death Eater had assumed when Isis had first recruited him that she was something like Bellatrix- batty but very powerful, and that was why she was wearing the headdress and keeping everything in a distinct Egyptian style around her, when she was not hiding.
But now, Dolohov knew she was the Isis- the ancient goddess of the Egyptian pantheon, and the living proof that the theory that at least some of the ancient gods had been wizards or witches was true. Dolohov shivered, and wished he could just not listen to the creepy ancient tongue chanting spells so powerful that challenged even Nature itself. Dolohov had thought that there would be no line he wouldn't be willing to cross for power, but this… pressing of impeding doom upon his heart… this was frightening:
Before his eyes, Isis' words seemed to make the very fabric of reality ripple, and in the darkness of the room as the light dimmed- despite the fact that it was still daylight time outside- an odd sort of mire and silt materialized, slithering like contaminating ooze up the walls nearest to where the mummy lay, the canopic jars and chest right next to it. Dolohov stared as he realized it was a gate.
It was a gate, and it was opening with the deep, heavy groan of an ageless iron guard that had never before been breached to allow for Hell to vomit one of its claims from its infernal innards.
Except now.
***
Hodd gasped, opening his eyes, but they were glassy, unseeing, and his body barely responsive under Nikos' powerful magic. The Healer spelled the necessary potion in the boy's stomach, and the faster acting one he had had brewed exactly for this purpose, in his bloodstream. Hodd yelled at the intrusive sensations of the potions, but he did not slip back into unconsciousness. Nikos grinned at him in between the few seconds of wait for spells to kick in.
"Wakey, wakey, kid," he said buoyantly. "We need to chat!"
Hodd blinked at him, swiveling on the mattress but without much success of moving his body. When he realized he couldn't move, fear filled the Slytherin fifth year's eyes.
"Who… who are you?" the boy slurred. Nikos grinned a little too much.
"Me? I'm Mr. Snape's godfather, and here just for you."
Hodd began to scream and Nikos laughed, swishing his wand. Poppy began to hover, but Nikos shook his head.
"Not to worry, Poppy love! Screaming like a banshee will help bring him to better awareness! Viguratus Mens!"
Poppy Pomfrey simply stared, but then she shook herself into action.
"Do stop screaming, Mr. Hodd!" she huffed at the boy. "Mr. Galanos is a Healer."
Nikos simply cast a silencing charm along with his healing ones when Hodd just continued his yelling, and chuckled again. The Healer's charms and spells were massive in power, and what would normally need hours to yield effects, did so now in minutes. Poppy had seen nothing like it before- because not only did the spells work faster, but because the extensive wand work did not allow the body to be shocked by the healing speed. Even if he is on something- and I am quite certain he is- this takes skill, brilliance, she couldn't help thinking, and about turned to quickly leave. Such a Healer would need to be salvaged, and Poppy would be damned if Nikos Galanos was not.
Nikos leaned back, lowering his wand as he inspected his work. The boy was breathing heavily, looking at him, now saving his breath because of the silencing charm. There was only the faintest sign of tremor in his movements, a very small lack of focus in the pupils, and the heart palpitations would set to proper beats of a teenage heart with bedrest. Yes, if the boy didn't exert himself and stayed in bed for the week- and he knew Poppy would even employ sticking charms to keep him there- with a few metabolism leveling potions, he'd be right as rain. Not bad at all. Thanks Apperception potion! You made me shrink three days into three hours!
"So," Nikos said cheerfully, "Hodd, lad, will you tell me some things I desperately need to know?"
Hodd just stared, and Nikos chuckled and removed the silencing charm.
"S-s-sorry! I- I won't ever trouble Sn- Rasmus again!" Hodd whimpered, gripping at his blanket tremulously.
"That's nice," Nikos nodded. "That makes me happy. Now, here's what I need to know: who set you up, kid?"
Hodd swallowed.
"I-I …never wanted to …but… my mind… I-I- was told-" the boy sniffled. Nikos nodded.
"That was the Imperio curse cast on you. That much I already knew from what Harry Potter told the Headmistress. What I want you to tell me is who helped you or told you to lure Rasmus in the courtyard. Because that's what happened, isn't it?"
The cheerfulness was suddenly gone from Nikos' voice, and Hodd's skin crawled. He knew not to lie to this clearly insane man.
"R-rita. Rita S-Skeeter," he said. "She t-taught me the j-jinx, and g-gave me some of the questions for th-the owls for… this year. Y'know… in- in return."
Nikos shook his head.
"And who attacked Rasmus?"
Hodd's eyes widened even more and his breath caught. He cowered even more below the covers.
"No! You- nobody will believe me! Nobody!" he gasped.
"Tell me anyway," Nikos said. "Now- I haven't got all day, and I can be irritated. An irritated healer is a nasty thing, mr. Hodd."
"Skeeter," squeaked Hodd, "and… and P-professor Bai… and F-f-f-filch…"
Nikos stood, scraping the chair backwards.
"Thanks, kid," he said. "You rest now."
He started for the door, and Hodd began to relax, but then Nikos pulled his wand again and nearly pounced the boy.
"Oh, and Hodd?" he whispered. "If you ever even think of hurting Rasmus again, I will know- and then you will know what sort of pain spells a medic knows." Nikos smiled and tapped Hodd's cheek with his wand's tip as he straightened again. "Sweet dreams, kid."
And he jogged out, and towards the north wing. Such was his hurry that he didn't even see Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rasmus who were lingering at the door.
"Remind me never to get on your godfather's bad side," Ron whistled, and Rasmus chuckled.
***
Very soon the room was completely dark, like a never-ending tunnel, and in the deepest end, Dolohov could see the ember glow of whatever fire the souls of the damned fueled. He back stepped, glancing once at Isis- her back was turned to him, facing the glowing crimson glow, expectant, her arms spread to her sides like the falcon wings that were her symbol so much. He didn't want to have been lured to this ceremony only to be sacrificed for the mummy she was seeking to animate. He didn't want to be shoved towards the tunnel in place of-
Of the tall, spindle-like shade of a figure that seemed to emerge, with two smoldering coals for eerie eyes that glowed as it began approaching.
"One more step, Antonin, and your nightmare shall be granted," purred Isis in English, her voice light and dreamy as she waited for the shadow to approach. "Ready the jackal, Antonin…"
Dolohov swallowed, his skin crawling and didn't dare utter a word. He jerked his wand once and the jackal was thrush towards the pile of bandages as Isis resumed her chanting and the figure of the spindly shadow approached more and more, until it stepped up to the feebly spastic body the bandages were still slowly unwrapping. Then Isis seemed to cup her hands, still murmuring in her ancient tongue, and the casket containing the Heart Scarab opened. The pendant rose from inside, and dipped in the blood until it somehow absorbed every drop.
Then, the scarab's wings shivered, and the pendant flew towards the mummy, and buried itself inside. As if that was a cue, the bandages unwrapped all the way extremely quickly, revealing the body of a very tall, broad shouldered, fleshless man with green tinted skin lying on his back, arms flailing but still returning to their folded up position on his chest. The moment the bandages revealed the body, the spindly shadow dove inside it, and the tall man arched backwards with a horrible gasp that made Dolohov want to disapparate- he didn't dare.
"Osiris, my Ausar, my Heart of Hearts, feast upon the blood of Death, and let the Hearts of your enemies take the place you abandoned," Isis coaxed and commanded and compelled in the same time, making feather-gentle movements in the air with her gold-tipped fingers.
Osiris sat up and his fleshless, pin-sharp fingers latched upon the jackal's head as his mouth opened to devour the flesh and reach the arteries at the neck, where he suckled like a vampire. Dolohov let up the spell, and hoped he was not drawing attention to himself. The canopic jars began to glow, as the dead body began to lust for life. But they didn't open. The stylistic heads that served for lids came to life instead, and from their mouths a sort of essence ensued, that Osiris' body absorbed. The more he did, the more he fleshed out, muscles regrowing and knitting securely on and around the bones, until it was not a mummy any longer, but a man that was killing the animal with the same coolness and efficiency of a spider sucking on its web's victim.
Isis restored the canopic jars to the chest, and then their lids opened, and the two hearts she had stolen from the tombs in Hogwarts were claimed inside. The eyes of the jackal head lids glowed. The chant was complete, Osiris was here. She smiled triumphantly. One more step left before she could go to where she could reclaim her seat of power.
Osiris stood up in his full height, and raised his arms fingers splayed until the dark tunnel his soul had come from disappeared, the fire in the fireplace resumed its crackling burning, and the daylight was again filtering in the room through the blinds. The bandages merged like quicksilver into one single strip, and wrapped around Osiris' chest to keep the Heart Scarab secure inside- and then they disappeared upon his yet greenish-looking skin. Dolohov could see very thin lighter-coloured scars criss crossing his entire body, as if it had once been chopped into pieces and then fused together again. The jackal fell to the side, fleshless and dry of any living juice and the man threw it with force away from him. It landed near the ex-Death Eater. He shivered, and knelt for good measure. Isis is definitely the real deal. If she does not kill me, she can bring me back if I get dead but she still needs me. So I'll make sure she does.
"Isis, my Usat," Osiris finally spoke. "Have you my life?"
Osiris' voice was a deep baritone. Dolohov noticed that while he was bald, hair was beginning to grow thick, growing longer as the minutes passed. He seemed unconcerned with nakedness, just as Isis was if she chose to be.
"Call for it, and it shall come," Isis said, taking a single step towards her lover.
Osiris splayed his fingers in the same manner Isis had, and the lapis lazuli ankh flew in his hand, where it transfigured into a deep sycamore-coloured wand inlaid with the dark blue gemstone. It was then that he called Isis to his embrace, and kissed her deeply, the remains of the jackal's blood still coating his dark lips.
Isis moaned.
***
"Pomfrey doesn't seem to be here, so I'll just help myself to my potion," Rasmus said and walked to the matron's desk, where she had a small array of four one-dose vials of Blood Replenisher. Snape's son took one, uncorked it and drank.
"Hodd! You're awake!" Hermione exclaimed, amazed that the boy had broken through his coma so fast.
"Godfather did say he'd cure Hodd today," Rasmus said, opening Poppy's top drawer and retrieving a chocolate frog from inside, taking the usual reward for swallowing potions. "Not that he deserves it."
"That loon of a healer threatened me, Snape!" Hodd screamed from his bed, keeping his blanket tightly around himself. "What kind of healer threatens a sick kid?"
"Not many," Rasmus drawled, "but I guess uncle Nikos saw through your charade and realized you're just a sleaze dungball, Hodd."
"-and he questioned me!" Hodd still ranted, shaking a very shaky fist.
Harry approached and tilted his head.
"Well, it's what you get for messing with Snape," he said with a smirk. "What did he ask you?"
"And do you know where he's going?" Hermione asked.
"I'm going to tell my dad about this!" Hodd screamed instead. "I'll tell him I am dying, and he'll have your heads!"
Ron was about to smirk and threaten with transfiguration into a bouncing ferret, but he was never given the chance. Harry winced, grabbed at his temples and sank to his knees near Hodd's bed, his eyes wide and fearful as they gazed upon things nobody else could see.
"Oh, shit," Rasmus' voice was heard in Greek.
***
And that's that! Tomorrow, we finally get to meet our two new bad guys- a bad guy couple, how cute! Isn't it? *crickets* Oh, come ON! Two hot ancient people that may or may NOT be mummies! (Well, technically, Isis IS a mummy, ya know… Horus' mummy… *ducks flying frame from Snape*)
Also, we get to see what we are looking against here- as in, what the stakes and goals (ok, maybe SOME of the goals) are. So here's the deal:
NEW QUESTION FOR Y'ALL: How much do you want me to turn the Evil!Meter? As we have it now, it can go from Evil, to MegaEvil, to HumongousEvil. (I'll up the rating accordingly). Anyway, you tell me. My version of evil is truly scary evil as my bad guys don't get caught monologuing often. *snickers*
Zoe Bright: Yes it is! I have decided to take weekends off to read (and review abundantly) the fics of everyone who leaves me comments. And when I run out of those, go see what else is out there. :D I'm happy you like the trio and Rasmus! We'll see them a LOT. (and Snape's portrait, too)
RebeccaRoy: 'Twas intended ;)
Sindie: Yay someone laughed with that one! (I did, too. I laugh at my own jokes…) You liked Rasmus' spell? I forgot to say what the words meant, as they are Greek. It roughly (as it is ancient greek meaning, not modern greek meaning) it would mean something like "Cut [like] a sword the allure of the wizard's tongue, herald dreams' protection" with horribly bad ancient greek syntax. ;) You remember your Egyptology too! That's quite right, and more or less the basic premise. Now on to the second premise… and maybe explain why Isis wound up in Britain!
Anon: Yay, hello lurker! I am SO HAPPY to hear from you! We will definitely find out all about his past before the story is done, and Isis too is to be explained.
And that's that! Till tomorrow!
Review please, I need your thoughts and opinions and I will reply (and if it gets too much, put up an 'author's note')