Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera. I'm sorry to say it, but it's true.
A/N: I can't believe that I am almost done with this story. Just this chapter and then one more to go. Thanks so much for reading this part up.
Chapter Thirteen: Down Once More...
While pandemonium raged in the Great Hall, Tom was pulling Minerva further down, once again down to his lair below the school. Minerva could not pull her fist free from his death-like grip. It was as if her hand were in a vice and it scared her. What was Tom going to do to her?
"Where are we going, Tom?" she asked breathlessly. He was moving so fast that she had barely enough time to register exactly what was happening.
"Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair!" he shouted back at her, glancing over his shoulder before looking straight ahead and continuing his sprinting through the halls of the building he knew so well. "Down we plunge to the prison of my mind! Down that path into darkness deep as hell!" By then, they had reached the room she knew so well and he brought her up to where the mirror was placed. He turned on her. "Why, you ask, was I bound and chained in this cold and dismal place? Not for any mortal sin, but the wickedness of my abhorrent face!" With that, he ripped the curtain covering the mirror and pointed at his reflection. Minerva felt great sympathy for him, but her fear far outweighed any other feelings she might have felt for him.
Tom looked up at the ceiling as he heard the great mob which was looking for him. He knew they were after him. The only question now was how long would it be before they actually found him? It couldn't be long, he supposed.
"Track down this murderer! He must be found!" they were shouting. Tom closed his eyes as he felt tears prick the back of his eyes. He turned away from Minerva as he leaned against the mirror's frame.
"Hounded out by everyone... Met with hatred everywhere! No kind word from anyone, no compassion anywhere!" He paused, then whispered, "Minerva... Minerva... Why?" He looked over his shoulder at her. "Why?" he asked again. Minerva opened her mouth, but couldn't feel anything come out. The words stopped in her throat. What could she say? Why had she done what she did? She did not know.
Oooooooooooo
Albus and Rose began making their way on foot through the maze which Tom built beneath the castle. Albus never knew it even existed. They made their way down, meeting rats and all sorts of other vile rodents. There were even bats. When one flew past her, Rose screeched an dlowered her hand slightly. Once it passed her again, Rose sighed and kept her guard up, turning her head to glance at Albus.
"Remember, Albus... Your hand at the level of your eyes!" Albus nodded and kept his hand by his head.
"My hand at the level of my eyes," he repeated. They finally reached the lake and Rose stopped, keeping one hand next to her eyes and the other holding a torch. She motioned across the lake before finally resting her eyes upon the Headmaster.
"He lives across the lake, Professor. This is as far as I dare go." Albus nodded. He smiled gently.
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." She smiled, nodded, and turned, taking off at a slight run back up the stairs from which they had come. Albus watched her for a bit before he turned around and sighed. Taking off his coat, he plunged in.
Oooooooooooo
Back where Tom and Minerva were, there was a bit of silence. The dummy of Minerva sat crumpled on a large throne. Tom was dragging Minerva roughly towards it before she finally managed to break free and back away slightly, staring blackly at the dummy. She frowned and addressed Tom angrily, finally overcoming her fear.
"Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?" No reply came. "Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?" Tom stared at her coldly.
"That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood has also denied me thejoys of the flesh. This face, the infection which poisons our love..." He took the bridal veil from the dummy and moved slowly towards her. "This face, which earned a mother's fear and loathing... A mask, my first unfeeling scrap of clothing..." He placed the veil upon her head. "Pity comes too late-" She turned away from him, but he grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. "-turn around and face your fate: an eternity of THIS-" pointing to his face "-before your eyes!" She gently grabbed his hand and forced it away from her face. Frowning, she continued in a voice just as cold as his, though a lot more calmly. She let go of his hands and places a trembling hand upon his burnt face. He winced, but only slightly.
"This haunted face holds holds no horror for me now..." She removed her hand and placed it over his chest. "It's in your soul that the true distortion lies..." Tom wanted to say something, but when he did, he felt another's presence. He looked over Minerva's head towards the closed gate. He sneered as he saw Albus emerge from the water.
"Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest!" Minerva looked over her shoulder and gasped. She turned around, but Tom kept his hands upon her arms, holding her in place. He spoke to Albus. "Sirt, this is indeed an unparalleled delight! I had rather hoped that you would come. And now my wish comes tru-You have truly made my night!" Albus tried to open the door, but there was some power blocking him from entering. Desperately, he placed his arms through the bars and began to plead to Tom... Something he didn't want to do, but that was the only thing he could think of to do.
"Free her! Do what you like with me, only free her! Have you no pity?" he asked coldly. Tom moved Minerva slightly so he could look in her eyes, but he didn't let go. He continued to sneer.
"Your lover makes a passionate plea!" Minerva looked at Albus, angry tears filling her eyes.
"Please, Albus, it's useless..." she pleaded. Albus continued his plea.
"I love her. Does that mean nothing? I love her! Show some compassion!" Tom shoved Minerva to the side, causing her to fall to the floor. He pointed his wand and her and a light spurt from his wand. Before she knew it, her feet were bound with a weight, which was, in turn, chained to the floor. She tried to unloose it, but she couldn't. She attempted to find her wand, but she couldn't find it anywhere. Where did it go?
"The world showed no compassion to me!" Tom snarled at Albus as he took a few steps towards the murky water.
"Let me see her!" Albus demanded. Tom answered him dryly.
"Be my guest, sir..." he said. He made a slight flicker with his wand and the gate began to rise. "Sir, I bid you welcome. Did you think that I would harm her?" He gestured towards Minerva. "Why should I make her pay for the sins which are yours?" With a flick of his wand, his magical lasso came shooting out of the tip of his wand and wrapped itself around Albus' neck before stringing itself around the gate. Albus silently cursed himself for dropping his hand. Oh why hadn't he listened to Rose? He attempted to remove it from his neck, but he had dropped his wand when he saw the rope coming at him. Tom now came up to Albus and began mocking him. "Order your fine horses now! Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes! Nothing can save you now-except, perhaps Minerva!" He turned around and stared at Minerva in a menecing manner. He stretched out his hand to her. "Start a new life with me. Buy his freedom with your love Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death!" He balled up his left hand in a tight fist. Albus felt the rope tighten around his neck and Minerva let out a cry. "This is your choice. This is the point of no return." With his right hand, he vanished her chains. She stood up and stared at Tom, tears finally falling down her cheeks.
"The tears I might have shed for your dark fate grow cold, and turn to tears of hate!" She hated him and now she knew that he was not the angel she thought he was. Albus grew angry before he looked at Minerva and sighed.
"Minerva, forgive me, please forgive me. I did it all for you... and all for nothing." He looked at her despairingly. "Say you love him and my life is over! Either way you choose, he has to win." Tom grinned as he, too, looked at Minerva.
"So, do you end your days with me, or do you send him to his grave?" Albus glared at him.
"Why make her lie to you to save me?" Tom looked at him and laughed.
"Poor fool," he whispered.
"Tom-," said Minerva. He looked at her. "You deceived me. I gave my mind blindly." Tom frowned.
"You try my patience-Make your choice!" Minerva reflected for a moment. What was she to do? Well, there was only one thing she could do! Sadly, she made her way towards Tom and Albus. She looked at the latter and whispered 'I love you' to him before turning her attention to Tom.
"Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God, give me the courage to show you that you are not alone." She was now right in front of him. She didn't look at Albus. She didn't dare. She knew if she did, she could never do what she was about to do. Closing her eyes, she kissed him long and full on the lips, wrapping her arms around him. He copied her movements and they embraced. It lasted for a while as Albus stared at them. His heart broke with each moment. When they pulled back, Tom had tears in his eyes. He pulled back even more and conjured a candle, causing it to float above Albus' head. He looked at Albus and suddenly he understood him in a whole new manner. He looked back at Minerva and saw the love she held for this man. Why else whould she marry another whom she did not love? With one last glance, he nodded and the rope fell from Albus' neck. Albus launched forward as he received the first breath of fresh air he had had since entering the phantom's lair. Resigned, Tom walked back towards his throne.
"Take her, Headmaster," he said, his tears falling. "Forget me-forget all of this... Leave me alone, forget all you've seen... Go now-don't let them find you!" Minerva, who had been incredibly surprised at Tom's sudden turn around, didn't waste any time in helping Albus back up from where he had fallen to the ground. She knew better than to ignore Tom during one of his generous moods. When Albus was up, he hugged Minerva tightly, glad to have her back and breathed happily. He looked up at Tom to say his thanks, but Tom was not looking at him. He was leaning heavily upon his desk. But he continued to talk to Albus. "Take the boat-leave me here-go now, don't wait... Just take her and go! Go before it's too late and they find you down here. Go! Go now-go now and leave me!" Albus and Minerva didn't need to be told twice. Minerva and Albus moved towards the boat. Tom watched them sadly as he looked down at his mask mockingly. To his right lay his magical music box; the one with the wizard waving his hands over the pensieve. It began to fade as he listened to it. He sang along with it. "Masquerade... Paper faces on parade... Masquerade...Hide your face so the world will never find you..."
"Tom?" He turned around sharply at the sound of Minerva's voice behind him. She was only three feet from him and she could see his tears. Slowly, she walked towards him. When she was right in front of him, she placed something in his hand. He looked down and saw the ring he had placed on her finger earlier. He looked at it and then at her.
"Minerva, I love you..." he whispered. Minerva wanted to say something... Anything to comfort him. But what could she say? Instead, she turned and hurried back to the boat with Albus. Within a matter of minutes, they were gone. Tom sighed. "You alone can make my magic take flight..." Then, with anger... "It's over now, the magic of the night!" He walked slowly towards his throne. He sat on it, his cloak beneath him.
Three seconds later, Poppy, along with the others, appeared just outside the phantom's lair. Just before they entered, Tom wrapped his cloak around himself and disappeared. Poppy entered and crossed to the throne, where she picked up his mask in her hand... He was gone. The phantom of Hogwarts was gone.
A/N2: One more chapter to go... Always Hopeful