Disclaimers and Notes: Good Gad, you get it by now!
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Well, I certainly did get this out faster than last time you have to admit. Less than a week this time! The test for "The Shaman's Voice" will be out soon, sometime within the next week, but please keep in mind this I have finals, and my WHOLE weekend from Friday to Sunday is jam packed from morning to night (literally) and I doubt I will have time to write much.
Hope you like, so READ and REVIEW!!!
Geuna~
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Author: Lady Geuna
Official Editor: Giesbrecht
This Chapter Rated: PG-13 for cursing and some blood.
Summary: You should know by now. ^__~
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"..." - speech
'....' - thoughts
/..../ - with italics means a part of a flashback.
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Body Tag (Part 2 of 2)
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It was cold… It hung in the air. James could actually feel himself breathing it, how it chilled him from the inside out. It seemed to bring back memories… Horrible memories…
Lily…
~ James Potter, Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", Body Tag: Part 1, by Lady Geuna
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"There are two of them, two of them…"
"One of them wants you to be afraid… You aren't running, though… The other… it wants to tear you… It wants to kill… Rip you
~ Remus Lupin to Sirius Black, Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", Body Tag: Part 1, by Lady Geuna
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The day had been going splendidly. The Prankster hadn't struck that day, and Dumbledore should've been able to relax, but that wasn't possible without some measure of suspicion and dread.
But he was just a silly old man, what did he know?
Snape had come to discuss how the reconstruction of the dungeons were going (how boring…) and that he needed to send out right away for a few ingredient he would need later in the semester. Dumbledore, however, was too interested in the Muggle candies he had acquired; "sour patch kids." They were some kind of gummy candies shaped like little Mandrakes (or at least he thought they looked like Mandrakes) covered with a sour-tasting sugar.
It wasn't long after Snape has disdainfully spat out the candy Dumbledore had given him into a trash bin (he never did have a sweet tooth, the poor soul) and was profusely apologizing when Harry burst into the room. It was a wonder how the boy could figure out his passwords…
Though on more important matters, it was clear by the expression on the boy's face that the situation was dire.
Without hesitation Dumbledore swept out of the room, heading toward the staircases, Harry explaining what he could on the way, though with much difficulty (for an old man he was very quick), and Snape followed along with him.
From what he heard, Dumbledore knew that his suspicions were true.
Upon arriving he quickly checked over Hagrid, relieved to find he was alright, then looked to Sirius for explanation.
"Albus, sir, we have a situation…"
They had to find Lupin.
Dumbledore then ordered the four of them split up, and had Harry go send for and assist Madame Pomfrey in picking up Hagrid and taking him to the infirmary for treatment.
Heading in different directions, Snape and James headed upwards while Dumbledore and Sirius head for the floors below. Sirius gave no arguments over these pairings, and for once kept silent. He probably knew perfectly well that an argument was the last thing the situation needed.
He knew they may already be too late.
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Got to rip, got to tear, got to bite…
Finding me, hunting me, they're all after me. Must escape, must escape…
Someone coming! Must kill-kill-kill…
Ah… fresh meat…
They didn't have the chance to scream.
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Sirius and Dumbledore cautiously walked along the halls of Hogwarts, now and then running into a student. Many of them who saw Sirius in his dog form hurried by quickly while one boy had done a double take when seeing Sirius in his human form. He shook it off, though, perhaps thinking it was a trick of the lighting. There was no way Sirius Black was in Hogwarts! Walking with Dumbledore, no less!
They had all but given up on tracking Remus by scent alone. It led them in circles. And this most definitely wasn't due to bad luck.
"Animal instinct," Dumbledore had said.
Now they moved in silence. Obviously it was better not to make much noise, as that might give them a sort of advantage… Of course, despite this logic, Sirius felt he had to say something.
"This is my fault…"
Dumbledore did so much as glance at him, speaking in an emotionless tone, "Not now, Sirius."
"I'm a hypocrite," Sirius continued, inwardly cursing himself. "I told Remus not to hesitate, even when it came to attacking Hagrid. But I didn't follow my own advice. Now he could attack any number of innocent people and he would never—"
"Sirius, now is not the time." Then in a softer tone he added, "Of course it's not your fault. It's my fault for not noticing this thing. When the signs were so obvious, I don't see how I missed it. And I am sure James is feeling just as guilty, as it was he who brought this to Hogwarts."
Sirius' response was suddenly halted when they both heard a noise from around the next corner… No, it wasn't that sound of footsteps, but rather something dragging along the floor, perhaps scraping along the walls…
Then it stopped.
Sirius and Dumbledore already had their wands raised, and rather than waiting for it, whatever it was, to come to them, they advanced ahead.
"Show yourself!" Dumbledore called in a commanding tone, just as he and Sirius turned the corner together, looking down the darker hall.
There a hunched figure stood, their right hand gripping the wall. The sound had been that of shoes shuffling along the course stone floor.
"Remus…"
Remus' head looked up sluggishly, his eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. His robes were torn in various places, blood seeping slowly from what looked to be claw marks all along his arms, torso, left cheek and forehead.
Sirius knew these wounds were self-inflicted.
"Sirius… Albus… You…" His voice faltered and suddenly his eyes rolled up into the back of his skull and he tilted to the side.
Throwing caution to the wind Sirius dashed forward. Sirius hand was the only thing that stopped Remus' head from colliding with stone. Dumbledore was there it seemed the whole time, though Sirius didn't see him move, and was carefully helping Remus slide down the wall, trying not to hurt him anymore than he already was, his old, bony hands gripping fast the werewolf's quivering shoulders.
"Don't," he said, tiredly, though still with a bit of strength left, "don't touch me right now, please, sir." He didn't try pushing them away, this was a simply request that he obviously hoped they would accept.
Dumbledore respectfully removed his hands from Remus' person, nodding, "Of course, but you will have to be cared for soon, understand."
Sirius reluctantly released Remus' head as well, gently setting it upon the wall, careful not to damage him anymore than he already was. He hadn't dealt with this sort of situation in years. How long had it been since he'd last seen the damage the wolf could inflict on his friend…
"Sirius, please be so gracious as to assist our friend to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey can see to him." And Dumbledore stood, lifting Remus to his feet with strength that seem unnatural for a man his age.
Sirius quickly took over, looping one of Remus' arms around his neck, grunting in the effort to hold the other man's weight. "What are you going to do, Albus?"
Dumbledore smiled, shaking his head. "I shall continue my search without you." He then reached into his robes and took out what looked to be a book. He handed it to Sirius, saying, "I picked this up off the stairs." 'when did he do that?' "Return it to Mr. Ron Weasley, we'll all need it eventually."
The cover read, "A Shaman's Voice."
Sirius, knowing better than to question Dumbledore's logic, slipped it into the folds of his robes with a free hand before readjusting his grip on Remus, who seemed to have blacked out. "But sir, it's too dangerous for—"
"Whoever this creature is possessing at this moment surely isn't strong enough to get away if I tie them up. And have no fear," his eyes twinkled, "I'm not as feeble as I look, dear boy. Help your friend." With his robes flowing ever so slightly as we turned, he walked on, swiftly disappearing from view…
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"Faster, Potter, I don't have the time for you to lag behind!"
James rolled his eyes. "I'm looking, Snape, we are here to find someone, not to run a marathon!" Walking that fast was making his bloody flow faster and made the outrageously large lump on his the back of his skull throb. His body was just a center of punishment, now wasn't it?
Snape halted and spun on a heel, glaring daggers. "Now I know where that blasted boy of yours gets it from…"
Oh, that was crossing the line. "Don't you dare talk about my son, Snape. He's done nothing to you."
"Hardly so," Snape muttered sardonically. "I've wasted years protecting that boy, and for what?"
James of course had no idea of what Snape was talking about, but it had to be a lie. Why in his right mind would he ever protect Harry?
Snape sneered, almost as if reading James' mind. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you? Oh, he's just like you, Potter. That same reckless disrespect of authority—"
"You with that same lack of adventure," James cut on matter-of-factually without even looking at the other man. "Or humor."
"Don't be childish," Snape said, disgusted. "You would think after all that's happened you would have matured, but of course that's asking too much of you."
"You lying, big-nosed arse–"
"And just look what you've done now," Snape bellowed, picking up his pace is if to leave James behind but with no success as the other dark haired man made sure to follow close behind. "You've brought something to Hogwarts, this is your fault!"
"I know that!"
"But you most certainly don't seem to care how many people you kill because of your own carelessness!"
James brought both of them to a halt by stopping and grabbing Snape's shoulders, wheeling him around so he could grab the front of his robes. "Never say that," he hissed. "Never. My wife died, you bastard! My wife!" James was seething, feeling so angry. He remember feeling this angry toward Snape before, but he could hardly remember when. How could Snape be so cold!? "But that makes you happy, doesn't it, Snape? Are you satisfied that she's dead?! She's just another thing to you, isn't she!? Something you can taunt me with!"
Snape, who's face had remained placid this whole time when dark. He pushed James away roughly, purposefully looking him straight in the eye as if daring him to look away. "Don't twist my words, Potter."
"Then tell me what you are saying, Snape!"
"I wouldn't wish death on anyone unless they deserved it, Potter." His voice was like a low growl. "Your wife didn't deserve it, and neither does your idiot son, or half of the people living here." A pause… "Now either we can stay here and argue and we can make sure that no one else dies. Under the influence or something else or not, you do realize that if Lupin is caught with a student's bloody corpse between his jaws he will shipped off to Azkaban for life."
James stopped, blinking. He…
"I am sorry for your wife," Snape sniffed disdainfully, nose in the air. Somehow James expected him to say more, but he didn't…
After about a minute of walking in silence, Snape did speak…
"Of course," Snape went on, "death is too simple. Torture is a finer solution, as death is too quick."
Now James couldn't tell if Snape was just a sadistic bastard or if he was trying to cover up that fact that he didn't necessarily have a black soul.
James thought he would say something, a joke, cheerfully egg the other man on like in the old days. He'd honestly never had a calm, seriously, and civil conversation with Snape before, and the thought of starting now was somehow unnerving. But he never had a chance when Snape stopped in his tracks.
"Look," he hissed.
Ahead of them was the Gryffindor porthole, the portrait half open.
There was a body laying on the floor. James could see the legs laying across the threshold.
His heart immediately began to race, and all at once both felt the urge to run away or run to the figure, to see if he could help them. Of course it was a Gryffindors' duty to proceed...
Oddly enough in his moment of hesitation Snape had strode on ahead of him, taking the lead. James followed hurriedly just short of Snape's billowing robes, noticing as they came closer that the Fat Lady didn't appear to be there, the portrait empty. When they reached the porthole Snape took no notice of the body, instead shoving the porthole open and stalking inward, ward raised.
James himself would have taken the time to check the body (which so happened to be a young girl with flaming red hair, whom James didn't recognize), but the common room caught his eyes.
There were probably eight bodies laying across the floor.
"Oh Merlin, Moony, what have you done...?"
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"Sirius..."
"Don't talk right now, Moony." Sirius was literally dragging the other man's weight as they reached the Hospital Wing. Remus had lost all his strength, but still, he persisted.
"I wouldn't let it kill them…" Remus smiled, a real smile, and that was odd considering his condition, and the bloody trickling out of the corner of his mouth. "I wouldn't let it bite them, I wouldn't… I can remember it… But then… Neville …"
Sirius tensed. "Who?
"You have to know, have to help them…"
"Help who? Moony!"
Remus' eyes had slipped shut just as Madame Pomfrey dashed from Hermione's bedside to assist…
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"Lupin didn't do this."
James blinked then starred at Snape, who was pointing his wand to the floor, going from person to person. Finally he stopped and actually kneeled next to one, and James followed in suit. There was no creature here, James could tell that was what Snape was checking for. It made him wonder... How did Snape know how to tell in the first place? Had be been so aware of it all this time?
"They've all been knocked out," Snape explained, gesturing toward one body then the next. "Lupin wasn't the one that attacked them."
"Then it must've switched again."
"Indeed."
James recognized George Weasley laying prone against the wall toward the opposite side of the room. He could tell of course because of the knitted sweater he wore had the letter "G" on the front.
George, unlike the others lying around the room, was armed, a wand in his hand. James quickly checked for a pulse, and was more than relieved to find it beating steadily. But oddly enough another wand lay next to him. Now, whose would that be? "Snape, do all these children have there wands?" James didn't look but could feel Snape's eyes on him before he answered,
"As near as I can tell, though I'm hardly search them. They must be taken to the Hospital Wing at once."
But James was busy examining the wand in his hand and one in the unconscious Weasley's. It was nearly identical to George's... It could easily be Fred's, of course, but…
"Fred."
"What?"
"Fred, Fred Weasley."
"What of him."
"He's not here..."
They would discover later Fred Weasley had all but disappeared, and was nowhere to be found at Hogwarts, or the grounds surrounding it...
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To be continued in... The Final Game
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Dissendium: A spell Harry uses in PoA though for a slightly different reason. Means to " sever or divide," or more literally, "part/separate here, now!" Harry used it to open the trapdoor (the one that led to Hogsmeade of course) in the statue witch's hump after tapping it with his wand. 0_o
Next chapter/chapters to come:
Secrets are out, enemies revealed, more than one life may be put on the line, nothing is as it seems, and the fate many may lie in the hands of a strange darkness that no one can touch...
But is it the Weasley twins who suffer worst of all...?
Okay, that totally sucked, didn't it? But I got a really good response and I said I would have this out! (pulls at hair) I'm sorry!
Geuna~