Soul of the Enemy
By Willow Spirit
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Everything else belongs to the wonderful J. K. Rowling.
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews. Here's my longest chapter yet, I think. And Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians. Happy Columbus Day to all Americans.
Chapter 24 – Memory
From Last Chapter:
"So, if you all want to, we can go into the memory and take a look. I have to warn you, though, what you see won't be pretty."
"It's okay," Harry put on a brave face. "We're ready for anything."
"Okay," Alex said. "Let's go then."
And as a collective group, everybody leaned forward and dipped a finger into the Pensieve. Soon the room was empty, its occupants having disappeared into Alex's memory.
When all twelve members of the group finally landed on their feet, they noticed that they were in a space quite similar to the room they had just left. Evidently, by the look of things, they were still at Hogwarts, only it was sometime in the future. The room appeared to be another unused classroom, full of dust and dirt from months of neglect. The main difference between this room and the previous one was the huge, long table that was positioned in the middle of the space. As the group got a better look at who was currently at that table, most of them gasped in surprise.
"I know," Alex said quietly to the others. "Just stand back and watch. Things are about to get very interesting."
So every one of the observers backed up against one of the walls to give everybody a clear view of what was happening. No one could believe their eyes. There were seven people sitting around the table: Mr. Weasley was at the head of it, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Remus were along one side, and Ron, Hermione, and Alex were along the other.
Of course, only the two Alex's looked exactly the same. Everyone else seemed so different. McGonagall appeared to have developed that old, wise aura that Dumbledore was well known for. Snape, Remus and Mr. Weasley both had a few more wrinkles and a bit less hair, but other than that they still looked good and fit.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, was Ron and Hermione. Both appeared to be in their early 40s, yet they seemed to be in the prime of their lives. Ron was still as tall as ever, though the rest of him had filled out nicely. So instead of being a tall and gangly teenager, he was a tall and strong man. And Hermione…oh, Hermione! She was definitely a beauty. Her hair was still long and full, but it fell in soft, smooth waves down her back. All the baby fat was gone from her face, leaving her with such a beautifully shaped face. It's often said that many people don't grow into their looks until they get older and these two were no exception.
Even though everyone in this future group looked fine physically, there was still something wrong with the expressions on their faces. At first glance, one might be tempted to say that they were simply tired. That might be true, but a closer look would reveal that there was much more going on here. These seven people weren't just tired, they were completely exhausted. It almost seemed like they hadn't slept in days, which probably wasn't that far from the truth. The atmosphere in the room was so tense; it was like they were waiting for a bomb to explode or something similar. Everyone was very edgy, probably due to stress.
"I hope he comes soon," Future Ron sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't want to continue on until we know it has been done."
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.
"He's not going to be happy about it," Future Alex warned.
"Well, too bad," Future Hermione said dryly. "He'll just have to live with it. You're here and that's that. If he wants to argue about it, I'll set him straight. I'll even smack him around if I have to."
"Hermione!" Future Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I believe her," Ron said wearily. "He'd better hurry up, anyway."
Just at that moment, the door to the classroom opened and an older version of Harry slipped into the room. Everyone from the "past" group got another big surprise. What was it with these Hogwarts students becoming so good-looking when they get older! Harry was also broader and his hair was still wild, though it gave him a kind of handsome roughness. That, in combination with the fact that he obviously hadn't shaved in a couple of days, gave him a look that certainly would have turned a few female heads.
Before he had even shut the door, Future Harry stared long and hard at Alex. She looked like she knew what was coming. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Why aren't you with the others? Does your mother know you're here?"
"I told you," Alex gave a little smile to the others. "He's not happy."
"Of course, I'm not happy…"
"Harry, sit down," Hermione semi-ordered as she pointed to an empty chair. "We don't have time for this right now. I asked Alex to be here, and besides, nothing's happening at the moment. Why can't she be here?"
"Fine," Harry sighed as he sat down next to his daughter. "Have it your way. I know better than to stand in your way when you have some plan going on."
"I have nothing planned," Hermione scoffed. "Now can we get down to business?"
"Good," Mr. Weasley said. "So how's everything coming along?"
"Not too bad," Harry said grimly. "Tonks and Ginny have finished securing the last of the students. We don't know if the barricades will hold. They'll keep them out for a while if they come…but if the rest of Hogwarts falls…"
The "past" group had a hard time understanding what was going on, but everything seemed clear to the "future" group. They nodded in response. None of them appeared to be very enthusiastic.
"In other words, if Hogwarts falls, they'll be dead anyway," Alex said bluntly.
"I still say they should have been taken elsewhere," Remus shook his head.
"And where do you suggest they go?" Snape asked a bit impatiently.
"It was a difficult decision, Remus," McGonagall finally spoke. "Those students really have nowhere else to go. Hogwarts, for the moment, is their last resort."
"The decision has been made," Mr. Weasley agreed, with a hint of finality in his voice. "We'll have to live with the consequences and we can't change our minds now. I suggest we go over some of the recent progress reports and bring everyone up-to-date."
"Right," Ron said as he glanced through a stack of papers in front of him. "I wish I could say that I have good news to report but I really don't. In fact, I almost don't want to tell you what they say…"
"Ronald," McGonagall gently interrupted.
"Right," Ron sighed. "So here it is. As of last night, the death tolls are steadily rising. Canada's now at seven million, America's at fifteen million, China's said to be at twenty two million, but that's a very conservative estimate. It's expected to be much higher but they're having trouble trying to keep up with the numbers. Let's see, there's India at ten million…I could go on but it's all pretty much the same."
"Merlin!" Mr. Weasley shook his head sadly. "It's unbelievable; completely unbelievable. Who would have thought such a thing was possible."
"How can he do it?" McGonagall looked stunned. "How can one person be responsible for such suffering?"
"The whole of Europe is pushing forty five million," Ron said darkly. "He certainly isn't wasting any time."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Harry got up and opened it, revealing a young wizard standing on the other side. This man, who couldn't have been much older than Alex, looked like he was out of breath, like he had been running to get there. Harry stepped aside to let him in. As he entered, Harry shot Ron a quick, worried look. Whatever this was, it would not be good. This wizard was much too troubled about something.
"Sir?" he struggled to catch his breath as he tried to focus on Ron, who slowly stood up from his chair. "We just heard…it just came in a minute ago…a scout came…"
"What is it?" Ron's face turned deadly white.
"It's the French troops, sir," the young wizard managed. "And the German troops. They've been defeated. It's doubtful there's anyone left."
Everyone was absolutely silent, totally convinced that they had misheard what was said. France and Germany? Both of them?
"Are they sure?" Ron forced himself to swallow.
"Yes, sir."
No one really knew what to say. They knew what this meant and it was horrible news at a time like this. In reality, it was everyone's worst nightmare. They knew it might happen but they had hoped with all their might that it wouldn't happen. Now that it had, no one was prepared for what would likely happen next.
"How long ago?" Ron asked in a strangled tone.
"Maybe a few hours ago," the young wizard replied uncertainly. "The scouts weren't really sure."
There was something going on with the messenger. He continued to stand there hesitantly, like he wasn't ready to leave the room yet. It was like he had something else to say, something that was far worse. But what on Earth could be worse than the news they just received?
"What is it?" Ron reluctantly asked.
"Someone also reported that St. Mungo's is gone," if the young messenger could have crawled into a crack on the floor, he would have done so at that very moment. Everyone gasped collectively and women held their hands over their mouths.
"Gone?" Ron's voice cracked. "What do you mean gone?"
"I mean it's gone," the messenger said. "It doesn't exist anymore, there's nothing left. He destroyed the place."
"Thank you," Ron said in a tone that was obviously a dismissal. The messenger quickly left, he was so eager to get away.
As soon as the door closed behind him, everyone let loose. McGonagall and Hermione let out little sobs of grief.
"I can't believe…" Hermione said through her tears. "How could he target St. Mungo's? Why? How?"
McGonagall covered the rest of her face as she broke down and huge sobs shook her entire body. A stunned Remus turned to her and pulled her to him, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. Snape and Mr. Weasley each wore frozen masks as they tried not to show their pain. Hermione launched herself into Ron's arms. She wasn't even trying to stop the steady flow of tears. Harry held onto one of Alex's hands for dear life, like they would slip away into a deep darkness if either ever let go.
Finally, Mr. Weasley seemed to snap. His fist came slamming down onto the table, making nearly everyone jump.
"DAMN IT!" he bellowed, totally out of character. Hermione turned her tear-stained face towards him in awe. "This isn't right. He's gone too far this time! Salazar must be stopped!"
"I agree," Snape said coolly. "But it is easier said than done. With France and Germany gone, we have lost our last major allies in this war. The time has come to face the fact that we are alone. There is no one else to help us."
"What about the Canadians?" Remus asked hopefully, as McGonagall finally pulled away from his shoulder. "Or the Americans?"
"The Canadians can't help us now," Ron said regretfully. "Neither can the Americans. They both have their own problems to deal with. Salazar made sure of that. He made sure to strike at our allies first, so we'd end up in this very situation."
"What can we do, then?" McGonagall asked the one question on everyone's mind.
"I don't think there is much we can do," Ron nearly whispered. In other words, things were pretty much hopeless. They had run out of options by now. They had tried everything they could think of to defeat this monster and his band of followers, but nothing had worked. And now that the future looked so bleak, would anyone have the courage to continue on until the end?
The group from the past, who were still standing against the wall, gazed incredulously at the group from the future. Everything about them seemed so defeated. No wonder they looked so tired. They had obviously spent a long time fighting this war and it clearly showed. Even their spirits had taken brutal beatings during the course of the war. They were broken people and nothing, it seemed, could save them now.
"We have to do something," Harry decided to end the silence. "We can't just sit here and do nothing."
"What do you propose we do, Harry," Remus said weakly. "It's clear that Salazar has cut us off by our legs. Now that we have no allies and no support it will be easy to come in and defeat us too. I wouldn't be surprised if he and his troops were already on their way here."
"Once he has defeated us there will be no stopping him," Snape added darkly. "We are the last army in Europe to stand against him. When we are gone, he will finish what he has started."
"That won't happen!" Harry exclaimed. "We can't let him kill all those people. He's mad if he thinks his plan of killing off Muggles will work."
"It's working so far," Remus hated to admit it but it was true. "His disease has killed millions of Muggles and more will die everyday. He won't stop until they're all dead."
"I refuse to stand here and let this happen," Harry said. "I know that we're probably going to die before the end but I'm not going to make it easy for him. Years ago we all stood up to Voldemort and we won. I'm not saying that we'll win this time; we'll probably lose but we're not known for giving up. And even if there is the slightest chance that we can win, even if it's only one in a billion, then I want to take that chance. We have some of the most brilliant minds of our time here in this room. Now you can't tell me that we can't think of something we can do to give us an edge."
"We've been through it a million times before, Harry," Ron reminded him. "We've tried to find a weakness, tried to find anything of use but it's no good. You know he's always one step ahead of us in everything. I've tried my best but there's only so much I can do. We can't defeat him on our own."
"I wasn't blaming you Ron," Harry shook his head in apology. "I'm sorry. I guess I can't accept that we're nearing the end."
A solemn atmosphere washed over the exhausted group. Harry's words echoed loudly in everyone's hearts; no one really wanted to give up but what other choice did they have? It was a very mind-numbing experience.
"How did this happen?" Mr. Weasley said softly, gazing at some spot beyond the table. "How did we come to be here? There must have been signs; there had to have been. But we missed them somehow and now everything will be destroyed."
Up until this point, Hermione had remained quiet since they had heard of St. Mungo's destruction. Now she was sitting stiffly in her seat, staring into space like Mr. Weasley. Unlike Mr. Weasley, however, Hermione's eyes were slowly narrowing in anger and hatred. Alex, who was sitting next to her, happened to glance over and was shocked to see that her hands were clenched into fists, like she was about to punch something…or someone.
"Hermione?" Alex asked softly.
"Salazar is not going to win," Hermione said icily as she focused her powerful eyes on the rest of the group.
"And why is that?" Snape inquired curiously.
"Because I have something that no one else has," Hermione reached inside her robe pocket and pulled out a small object, which she promptly placed on the table for all to see.
It was a matchbox exactly like the one that Alex from the past had.
"What is that supposed to be?" Mr. Weasley looked between Hermione and the matchbox.
"This little thing is going to save everything," Hermione said with all seriousness.
"But what is it?" Mr. Weasley asked again.
"This is one of my little projects," Hermione explained. "Back when I worked in the Department of Mysteries I developed this object right here. I call it a Time Key. In short, this thing can take a person anywhere they want to go, in any point of time. They can even return to their original point in time after they're done. You take a match from inside, light it, tell the match where you want to go, and then it takes you there. Think of it as a Time Turner and Portkey combined into one tool."
"You can't be serious," Harry gaped at her.
"So this is what you were doing with your time at the Ministry," Ron said, as everything slowly came together. "No wonder you put in so much overtime! And I suppose that's why you were always so secretive about your work."
"It had to be confidential," Hermione shrugged.
"But I thought the Ministry building had been totally destroyed," McGonagall said. "And you haven't worked at the Ministry for several years. How did you manage to save one of those?"
"Actually, this is only the prototype," Hermione explained. "Only a few were ever made, but the Ministry decided to cancel the project. All the Time Keys were destroyed, though I managed to save the prototype and I've kept it hidden ever since."
"Hermione!" Ron reproached.
"What?" Hermione gave him an odd look. "Like I was really going to let them destroy years of my hard work. Besides, I've never used it. I only brought it with me today because I thought it might come to this."
The whole group stared at her with wide, horrified eyes.
"You mean to use this now?" McGonagall shuddered at the idea. "You mean to send someone back in time to stop Salazar from winning this war?"
"I mean to send someone back in time to stop Salazar's entire existence," Hermione's eyes gleamed with determination.
"Hermione," Mr. Weasley started carefully. "You do realize what you are saying, don't you? What you're proposing would change the entire course of recent history."
"Isn't that the whole point?" Hermione challenged.
"Yes, but there are certain rules that we have to consider…"
"Rules!" Hermione nearly laughed out loud. "Do you think that Salazar was playing by those rules when he decided to play God? He is literally trying to eliminate Muggles from the world! Do you think that's fair? Do you think that's right? What gives him the right to play with so many lives like that? He's obviously not playing by any rules, and if he is then they're all his own. I say we stop worrying so much about these bloody rules and start playing dirty ourselves. We'll never win this war if we play it safe and play it fair. Besides, all's fair in love and war, isn't it?"
It wasn't everyday that Hermione vented like this, so needless to say, she had everyone's undivided attention. After the initial shock wore off, Snape was the first to recover his voice.
"I think Hermione may be right," Snape said slowly. "Clearly our strategy up until now hasn't been working. Perhaps we need to go in a different direction."
"And how do you propose we do this?" McGonagall asked almost fearfully.
"Well for starters, I have given this a bit of thought," Hermione said dryly. "This is me you're talking to, after all. I thought that a good time to go back to would be one day before Liberation Day."
"Liberation Day!" Ron laughed at the irony of it all. "The day that Voldemort was defeated. Wonderful choice!"
"Laugh all you want, but it's the most logical choice," Hermione said. "That's when everything started anyway. We know that Voldemort's body was captured not long after the ceremonies. If we can send someone back to that particular day, then that person can stop it all from happening by making sure that Voldemort's body and soul is properly destroyed. Salazar can never harness his powers if Voldemort is completely gone."
"How are we supposed to do that?" Remus asked.
"I've done my research," Hermione assured him. "I've got a spell that should do the job nicely."
"There are still ethical issues behind this decision," Mr. Weasley reminded them all. "By committing such an act we will indeed be changing history. We have no way of knowing what will happen as the result of such change. How do we know things will change for the better?"
"Arthur," Hermione gazed at him almost harshly. "I honestly can't imagine a world worse than this one. The alternative has to be better. Look around us. There are millions dead in the world and we are nearly on death's doorstep ourselves."
Mr. Weasley nodded in understanding. Well, when one put it that way… "There's still the matter of who will go. Sending more than one person would be dangerous and the person who does go would have to be extremely careful."
"I agree," McGonagall said. "They must not be seen by anyone. It will not be an easy task."
For a few moments, the group just sat there in silence, each wondering who would be the best person to send. Hermione, however, didn't have to think about it, and looked directly at Harry.
"Hermione, if you suggest that I go I will hex you," Harry warned her.
"I wasn't going to suggest you," Hermione smirked.
"Good, I've had enough of the hero business," he muttered in return.
"I do have to mention the sign, though," she replied.
"What sign?"
"Arthur, you remember talking about the signs," Hermione abruptly turned to talk with Mr. Weasley. "That we should have seen the signs? Well, they were there, we just didn't see them. Or we didn't understand them at the time. How many of you remember the Enemy prophecy: the world will not know peace until the soul of the enemy has been destroyed, and only the blood of the One Who Lived shall cast the required spell."
Everyone suddenly realized what that prophecy truly meant. It was Trelawney's third and finally prophecy and she had made it just days before Liberation Day.
"It wasn't referring to Voldemort after all," Snape said apprehensively. "It was referring to Salazar all along. He has the soul of the enemy…and the one who lived…"
"And that's my cue," Harry sighed.
"So Harry will go back to stop this?" Remus looked a bit doubtful. "I don't know how well that would work."
"My point exactly," Hermione agreed. "Which is why I would never suggested Harry in the first place."
"Then who…?"
"Dad's blood runs in my veins," Alex spoke for the first time in ages. Her voice was quiet yet firm as she finally realized why Hermione had asked her to come here. "I'm a Potter, too."
"No," Harry said immediately. "Absolutely not!"
"Absolutely not what?" Alex asked.
"You know perfectly well what," Harry told her. "You're my daughter, I know what's going through that mind of yours because I had the same kind of thoughts when I was your age and younger. You are not going back into the past to save the world, young lady."
"Harry," Hermione gently interrupted, knowing this was a tricky situation for him. Risking his own life was one thing, but sitting back and watching his daughter risk hers was something entirely different. "Harry, the spell will only work if one of you reads it. One of you has to do it. It's the only way."
"So then I'll do it," Harry argued.
"Yes, but think about it," Ron piped up. "If Alex goes back, no one will know her. I mean, she still needs to stay out of sight, but if anyone were to see her they wouldn't know who she was. Harry, on the other hand, you would be too easy to recognize. And imagine what would happen if someone found an adult Harry running around Hogwarts."
"Dad, don't I get a say in this?" Alex asked.
"No."
"If I may offer my opinion…" Snape intervened. When no one objected, he continued. "I would like to say that I have taught quite a number of dunderheaded students over the years, many of whom were not capable of completing the simplest of tasks. Miss Potter, however, has always surpassed my expectations in my class. Whatever challenges I presented to her, she always finished them efficiently. If anyone is capable of completing this particular task, it is Miss Potter. I have total faith in her abilities."
"Thank you Professor Snape," Alex smiled gratefully.
"It'll be difficult, won't it?" Harry asked ruefully. "You said that Time Key was only the prototype. Is it even safe?"
"I only got it working at 85 efficiency," Hermione grimaced, but she wasn't about to lie to her best friend. "You know me, though, I'd never be happy with less than 99.9. I managed to get that with the actual models…but, well, they're obviously not around anymore. This is all we have to work with."
"85?" Harry scoffed. "So there's a 15 chance that something could go wrong. What if she gets back there but she can't come back to this time? What happens then?"
"I don't know," Hermione tried to remain patient. "It's a risk we'll have to take. 85 is not that bad. And what's the alternative anyway? Just standing around here, watching while Salazar destroys us and then the rest of the Muggles?"
"I don't know anymore," Harry seemed to be getting very tired of fighting. He slouched back in his chair and covered his face with his hands for a moment. Everyone waited for him to say something. Eventually, he dropped his hands in exasperation. "Okay, we're not getting anywhere here. What does everyone else say about this?"
"I think Hermione has a point, mate," Ron said hesitantly.
"I agree," Remus said. "As much as I would hate to see Alex in any danger, I think she would be the best person for the job."
"You know she already has my confidence," Snape added.
"If we must do this, then so be it," McGonagall said reluctantly.
"Can I just pretend to hold my hands over my ears and not listen to this?" Mr. Weasley gave a weak laugh at his sorry attempt to make a joke.
"Well, then…" Harry started slowly as he spoke to his daughter. "I know you can handle yourself in any situation. Maybe you should give this a chance too."
"How about it, Alex?" Hermione finally asked the big question. "Will you do it?"
"Hmm…let's see. Throw myself into danger in order to save the world?" Alex mused with a hint of bitterness and sarcasm. "Hell, why not? What else is a Potter good for?"
Harry reached out and took one of Alex's hands to give it a squeeze. He knew exactly how she felt.
"Alright!" Hermione quickly pressed the matchbox into Alex's other hand. "You keep this with you at all times, you hear me? Never let this out of your sight. Unfortunately, there are only two matches in the box; one for the trip there and one for the trip back, so don't lose either of them or you may not be coming home. Like I said before, light one match and say clearly where you want to go, the place and the exact date. I wrote the spell that you need on a piece of parchment. It's in the box too. It all has an indestructibility charm on it just in case.
"When you arrive in the past, keep out of sight. There'll be a lot of people around, so be very careful. After the battle is over, you'll have to find some way of getting close to Voldemort's body before it's taken away. When you can, read the spell, then get back here as soon as you can. The spell will be the hardest part. Don't speak to anyone whatsoever, even if they see you. If you absolutely have to, lie about who you are and everything. But you won't let it come to that will you?"
"Of course not," Alex looked determined, even though there was small flash of uncertainty in her eyes.
Before Hermione could say anything else, a huge explosion came from somewhere within the castle. Everyone suddenly froze in wide-eyed fear. A second explosion caused Harry to bolt across the room and throw open the door. His wand was in his hand before he even crossed through the doorway. Looking this way and that, the others in the room could see a few people running by in clear panic. Harry reached out and grabbed a middle-aged wizard by the arm.
"What's going on?" Harry ordered, though he had a sick feeling that he already knew.
"They've gotten into the castle!" the man cried. "Salazar and troops are here! We don't know how he did it, but somehow the castle's barriers are down! They're Apparating in from everywhere! We don't know how to stop them!"
The others in the room were on their feet in an instant. McGonagall, Snape and Remus had their wands drawn and they were practically flying out of the room in pursuit of the intruders. Ron was not too far behind. He paused quickly by Hermione's side, just long enough to give her a significant look and a quick kiss on her cheek. Then he hugged her close against him in a swift embrace and whispered something into her ear. Suddenly he was gone, leaving Hermione standing there with tears in her eyes.
"You'd better get going," Harry said to Alex, who was just standing there in shock. She only nodded in response.
"Alex, I need you to promise me something," Hermione said suddenly.
"What?"
"I need you to promise me that you will go back to the day before Liberation Day, and only that day," Hermione's mood was now deeply serious.
"Okay," Alex said with slight confusion.
"Promise me!" Hermione grabbed Alex by her arms and gave her a little shake. "You can't go back on any other day. You can't change anything else in the past besides what you need to. Don't get any bright ideas about changing this or changing that. We have to change as little as possible. The rest of us will survive anything that happens. We'll live through it."
Hermione looked so desperate by this point, Alex couldn't say no even if she wanted to. "Alright," she said in understanding. "I promise I won't change anything else."
"Good," Hermione pulled Alex close and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. "I know you can do it."
Hermione turned and left the room but waited just outside the door for Harry. Alex turned to her father and didn't quite know what to say.
"Alex…" Harry started uncertainly.
"Dad!" Alex cried as she flung herself into his arms. Harry held her quietly for a long moment, trying to keep his emotions together.
"I never thought you couldn't do it," he whispered softly to her. "I just want to know you're safe."
"I know!" Alex exclaimed as she buried her face into his chest.
"I know you'll be brave," Harry told her. "You're just like your mother, you know. Beautiful and fearless."
"Oh, God," Alex pulled away slightly. "Mom. She won't know…I won't get to say good-bye!"
"It's okay," Harry tried to sooth her.
"I won't get to tell her I love her," Alex said fearfully.
"She already knows," Harry smiled softly. "And you can tell her when you get back."
"I love you, Dad."
"I know," Harry winked at her before giving her one last hug. He pulled away, then turned to join Hermione in the doorway. The two old friends turned to look at each other.
"Just like old times," Hermione said, with a hint of sadness.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Harry replied in a similar tone. Suddenly they were gone, off to join the others in the battle.
Alex was left standing in the middle of the classroom. For the longest time, it didn't seem like she was going to do anything. Her hand was closed tightly around the matchbox. All she had to do was open it and take out a match. Something, though, was obviously going through her mind. The sounds of explosions were still echoing through the halls, a grim reminder of what was going on in other parts of the castle.
The group from the past watched as Alex stuffed the matchbox away in her robe pocket and grabbed her wand. Her eyes were narrowed as she started walking through the door and down the hall in the direction the others had gone.
Most of the observers didn't know what to do, but when Alex from the past slowly followed her future counterpart they decided to follow her. They passed through several hallways, mainly just following the sounds of the battle. Soon enough, they saw the future Alex throw herself behind a suit of armor. Alex had her back pressed up against the wall, and it wasn't hard to see why. A group of witches and wizards had just come around the nearby corner, throwing hexes at each other, left, right and center.
Alex raised her head carefully and peeked around the armor. As soon as she saw how close they were getting her head was back against the wall. Her breathing was becoming deep and heavy. Apparently, she couldn't help seeing what was going on with the fight. Maybe she was even worried about her family, but now it seemed like she was the one in trouble. Alex squeezed her eyes shut, trying to come up with some kind of game plan. When she opened them, it looked like she had made her decision. She tucked her wand away and closed her eyes again.
A look of deep concentration passed over Alex's face and in the next instant Alex was no longer standing there. Instead of Alex, there was a black panther standing in her place.
The group from the past, besides Alex, was transfixed by what just happened. They stared in awe at the sleek animal that now turned its attention towards the fighters. With a twitch of its tail and a backwards shift to gain momentum, the panther quickly hurled itself through the air onto one of the enemy wizards.
Several people cried out loud at the sudden appearance of the black panther. It roared in anger as several hexes flew through the air towards it, but it dodged and avoided them with ease. It continued its path of destruction, taking down many enemy troops. One by one, the panther brought down more and more wizards. It was hard to say if they were being killed or not. At least there seemed to be a minimal amount of blood.
This lasted for a few more minutes, until the panther was hit in its side with some kind of hex. It stumbled and it was hit again. It leapt out of the mass of people and took refuge in a shallow alcove in the wall. A second later, Alex appeared in a crouching position exactly where the panther had been. Her wand was in her hand in a flash, ready to defend herself against the enemy.
A look of dismay crossed her face as a fresh wave of enemy wizards came surging around the corner. This wasn't working, whatever she was planning. With a great flourish, she waved her wand through the air and shouted "Accio Solar Flare!"
In the mean time, Alex was busy trying to avoid the many hexes that were coming her way. In a minute, or maybe it was even a few minutes, Alex's broom came soaring over everyone's heads until it landed right in her waiting hand. She mounted it and was soon circling around the battle. No matter how many hexes came Alex's way, none of them even came close. Alex was obviously much faster on a broom than she was on foot. With her newfound speed, Alex was able to wreak more havoc than ever before. The high ceilings in the hallway worked to her advantage, allowing her more freedom and movement.
Alex was so engrossed in the fight that she didn't even notice the appearance of a few new wizards who were wearing robes of a deep red color. She kept on flying and fighting until it happened…
As fast as Alex was, a powerful hex came out of nowhere and hit her directly in her stomach. The impact of the hex sent her flying off her broom and into the nearest wall. She hit the wall and was suspended there for a split second before she fell down to the floor. Alex landed face down and almost seemed to be knocked out. Slowly but surely, she raised her head to see what on Earth had happened.
A strange thing happened next. The fighting crowd slowly parted and a solitary figure, flanked by two others, slowly made his way through. These three people in their long, red cloaks were heading right for Alex. When she saw them coming towards her, she instantly became stiff and rigid.
The leader stopped several feet away from her and stood there for a moment, his face concealed by the hood of his cloak. Then he reached up with both hands and drew the hood back. The other two people followed his example. When the man finally looked upon Alex, her eyes grew wide with terror. There was nothing extraordinary about the man before her. He even would have been a handsome man, if not for the look of pure evil in his eyes and face. Alex knew who he was though. There was no doubt about it.
"I know you," the man said in a smooth yet spine chilling voice. "You are little Alexandria Potter, aren't you?"
Alex immediately began backpedaling away in horror but she didn't get very far. Her back was killing her from when she had come into contact with the wall.
"You and your people have caused a lot of trouble for me," he continued on in the same tone. "Perhaps I should return the favor."
Alex tried to turn around and crawl away, but the man simply raised his hand. He sent Alex crashing into the wall again, causing her to gasp in pain. While she was there, pinned against the wall, he flicked one of his fingers and it was like someone had punched her in the gut. She doubled over in pain, but then she was flying upwards and she collided with the ceiling.
With her eyes wide and full of pain, she suddenly found herself in a total freefall. Alex heard a sickening crunch as her body came to rest on the floor. She was pretty sure something was broken. She could only moan as she tried so hard to sit up.
"Oh dear, and I thought that the Potter clan was supposed to be strong!" he mocked her as he came to stand beside her. He flicked a finger again and now Alex was flipped over onto her back. She stared up at him as he stared down at her. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to kill you myself. I definitely will enjoy killing the daughter of one of my greatest enemies. Then after I'm done with you, I think I'll work on the rest of your family."
Alex's eyes were shimmering with fear when he made a great sweeping motion with his hand. Alex gasped loudly again as a huge gash opened across her stomach. One of her hands clutched at her middle, only to feel her own blood pouring through her fingers. She tried to look down and saw that she was already lying in a pile of her own blood. When she looked back up into his eyes, she could only see one thing: death. Alex knew at that moment that he was really going to kill her.
He raised his hand, probably to deliver the final blow, but a sudden commotion stopped him from doing so. He turned around to see what was happening and soon had several hexes coming at his face. Using his distraction to her advantage, Alex tried desperately to sit herself up. When she finally did, she saw that he was currently fighting a new group of people that included her father, Ron and Hermione.
Alex looked around herself in a daze. With her blurry vision she was able to see her wand and broom lying just a few feet away. Pooling together all her energy, Alex frantically tried to inch her way over to her belongings. After collapsing on the floor several times along the way, she finally reached them. Alex fumbled to put her wand away, then reached into the pocket that had the matchbox.
Having nearly no energy left, Alex could only lie helplessly on her back as she tried to open the matchbox. Her arms felt like lead and her fingers kept on fumbling with the match. It was becoming harder and harder to concentrate, probably due to her lack of blood. She finally had the match ready, but her eyes caught some of the battle that was going on. Alex's head rolled lifelessly to the side as she saw what was happening.
Ron was on the floor in one giant heap. Alex couldn't see his face but something told her that he was probably dead. Harry and Hermione were left battling the three people in red robes. It was clear that they were losing. The leader made another slashing motion. This time Hermione went down with blood pouring from her neck. Harry shouted in rage and continued fighting, even though it was clear that he would never win.
At some point Harry stumbled, and in that moment he happened to notice that Alex was staring right at him. He hesitated and stared back at her, leaving a huge opening for the leader.
Alex couldn't look. She turned her head away from her father and gazed numbly at the ceiling. Then, as if her hands were moving on their own, she struck one of the matches. Alex felt like she was beginning to slip away so she knew she had to act quickly. With her last remaining strength, she slipped the matchbox back into her pocket and then gripped her broom for dear life.
Her eyes began to slip shut, but before the darkness engulfed her, Alex muttered "Hogwarts…1998…"
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A/N: So there you go. Hopefully more questions have been answered now. As always, please review!
Next Chapter: Everyone tries to deal with all this new information. Many questions are answered.