Ch. 20: Ministry of Magic
Apparating, Gilbert discovered, was nothing like travelling with Raven. It was weird, uncomfortable, even if he didn't count Break all but hugging him, and made him feel vaguely sick. He almost fell upon landing, Break's weight not helping the situation, but he managed to right them on time. He didn't appreciate the idea of falling down in front of the wizard.
'Dumbledore,' somebody called as Gilbert was trying to regain his bearings. They must be in the Ministry, he figured, and the relative silence told him that they didn't materialise in the same place as the Deatheaters, which probably was good.
'That was disgusting,' Break muttered with distaste, letting go of Gilbert and straightening his clothes. The latter looked up to see a large hall, lined with human-sized fireplaces on one side. It looked weird at best.
The man who called Dumbledore was running up to them from a small group gathered a couple of meters to the right. They were no more than ten. Even considering the meagre numbers of the Order, this was disappointing. As Gilbert watched, another person popped into existence, then one more. They were still very few.
'We think that the Deatheaters are already here,' the man, whom Gilbert has seen before in the Order meetings, said somewhat breathlessly.
'Well then what are you waiting for here?' Gilbert asked, knowing that he sounded genuinely concerned. He was concerned because the longer they waited the more probable it was that he would break his promise to Oz. The man glared at him for daring to speak and looked back at Dumbledore.
'Is everybody here?' the headmaster asked, even though it was obvious they weren't. The man started listing off the people who they were still waiting for, adding comments about whether or not he expected them to arrive or not. It was a horrible waste of time in Gilbert's mind and he was not sure how the headmaster could be so relaxed.
'Raven,' Break said quietly, effectively calming him. Looking at his partner, he was reminded that he needed to make sure this guy didn't get hit by a spell as well. 'Headmaster,' Break spoke to Dumbledore calmly. 'I believe we are wasting our time here, while Harry Potter could be in serious danger, if he really is here like you suspect.'
'Focus on your task, Hatter and don't tell me how to deal with mine,' the headmaster replied with hostility and turned to the member of the Order, telling him that they should move in immediately, leaving one person here to send in the others. Gilbert knew that Break wanted to hit the man, but he didn't.
'Let's focus on our task, Raven,' he paraphrased Dumbledore's words, as though reminding Gilbert of their agreed strategy. A part of Gilbert hoped that Voldemort would not be there, because he wasn't really looking forward to using Raven's power to send him into the Abyss. He would much rather simply shot the man, but Dumbledore insisted that parts of Voldemort's soul were detached from his body and would continue living in that case.
He followed Dumbledore and the members of the Order as they ran towards the Department of Mysteries. He listened to the words they exchanged, deciding who should go where and do what, knowing that Break was doing the same.
Arriving to a large hall, he noticed three things immediately: the lack of Chains, the presence of Voldemort and a cold pull of a door to the Abyss. Searching for the latter, he noticed an arch with a veil, standing in the middle of the room. It was unmistakably the door and, he realised with some horror, it was open.
The Deatheaters were surprisingly few but outnumbered the members of the Order approximately two to one. They paused in their attack on the six students, huddled together near the wall. At least they were still standing, Gilbert noted. It was difficult to assess their state since many spells left no physical injury. They were all protecting Harry Potter in a remarkable show of sacrifice.
'Get going, Hatter,' he hissed at the man just as Voldemort turned to look at him. The unnatural face that missed its nose made him shiver, but didn't stop him from cocking the gun and aiming it at the closest Deatheater. Break needed time to draw an outline of the circle that would hopefully immobilise the Dark Lord.
Gilbert's gesture seemed to snap the Deatheaters out of their stupor. No less than five wands aimed at his chest and he hoped he could take whatever they would throw at him because if he moved the spells might hit Break, who was surely too focused on his task to hear the faint swish of the light on time.
'What are you waiting for?' Voldemort's voice hissed through the silence. His gaze never left Gilbert. 'Get me that prophecy,' he added at the same time as Dumbledore yelled at the kids to move and get out of the room.
Many things happened at the same time. Bursts of light erupted around the room, aiming in all directions. Somebody yelled in pain. Only one Deatheater flung a curse at Gilbert, dying from a bullet to the head before the latter stumbled with a gasp as the curse hit him painfully.
'Harry,' Dumbledore panted to his right. He was making his way towards the kids, but was stopped by a Deatheater who attacked him. Recovering from the curse, Gilbert aimed at another of the Deatheaters, too aware that Voldemort was still looking at him and Break. Could he know what they were going to do? But if he did, why didn't he order them killed?
He shot, eliminating another enemy without hesitation. Voldemort laughed, ignoring the fighting that was going on around him. A woman with crazy hair and a crazed expression, standing next to the Dark Lord, glanced at him and then at Gilbert, raising her wand. Voldemort put a hand on her shoulder and said something Gilbert couldn't hear over the shouts.
'Hatter,' he hissed, not turning to look at his partner. He aimed at the woman, who was now glaring at him hatefully. Voldemort moved towards him and the woman followed a couple of steps behind. What the hell was that man thinking? Gilbert wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer, pointing his gun to the man and the woman in turns. Who to shot first?
'Almost there, my impatient, little Raven,' Break replied in a sing-song voice, as though they were having a coffee, rather than being in a middle of a violent fight.
'Hermione, watch out,' somebody shouted to his right and Gilbert turned to see a Deatheater aiming a wand at the girl. She was, together with the other kids, much closer to him than before, obviously trying to get to the door that was behind him. She turned towards the person who shouted and Gilbert knew that she wouldn't be able to duck on time. He shot.
Hermione screamed as blood splattered onto her. Harry stared at Gilbert with a mix of horror and disbelief, but he ignored the gaze. It was probably similar to his own expression when he had killed for the first time, but that has been years ago.
'Get out of here you stupid kids,' he yelled, killing another Deatheater who aimed his wand at Elliot's girlfriend, determined to get her out of the room alive for the sake of his younger brother.
'Such a cruel mind,' hissed Voldemort's voice way too close and Gilbert turned back to look at the man who was about halfway through the room. How was it that he even heard the man through the racket of cast spells and screams?
'Such a dark soul you have, Gilbert,' the man hissed. Gilbert's hand trembled momentarily, before he gripped the gun tighter. That man was reading his mind, he thought, slightly panicked. 'Indeed I am. And I can help you. I can grant you the power to protect those you hold dear.'
In the last moment, Gilbert saw somebody pointing a wand just behind him. Break, he thought and shot without hesitation. Voldemort complimented his marksmanship, but he just gritted his teeth and ignored the words that, he knew now, were echoing in his head.
He stumbled and gasped in pain as a spell hit him.
'The power you have is truly extraordinary,' Voldemort hissed, now speaking normally, since he was close enough for Gilbert to hear. 'Do you know that the first curse that hit you tonight should have rendered you unconscious?' he asked. Gilbert didn't care. 'This one just now should have brought you incredible pain.'
'Break,' he yelled, forgetting about the codename because Voldemort was so close he was now touching the gun aimed at his chest. It took all of Gilbert's willpower to not shoot the terrifying man in front of him with the last bullet. It took all of his willpower to not turn around and run from that cold and cruel gaze.
'Go,' Break said behind him and Gilbert took a couple of tentative steps back, not daring to lose sight on the man in front of him.
'Are you afraid, Gilbert?' Voldemort asked with a cold smile, stepping forward to maintain the distance. He was afraid of course: who would not be afraid of that man? He took another step back. 'If you join me-'
Voldemort never got to finish his sentence. As he took the last step, Break knocked on the ground with his sheathed sword. A luminous circle, inscribed with a powerful spell, appeared around Voldemort, who collapsed to his knees with a pained scream.
'What is this magic?' Voldemort yelled. Everybody in the room seemed to freeze, shocked at the sight of the most dangerous wizard kneeling in front of Gilbert. With a deep breath to calm his wrecked nerves somewhat, Gilbert took off the glove from his left hand. Even as he extended his hand towards the wizard, he couldn't quite believe he was going to do that.
Forgetting about everything and everybody around, Gilbert put his hand against the head of the man he was about to sentence to a fate worse than death. He did his best to not shiver as he touched him, realising that Voldemort's forehead was already colder than a living body should be.
He ignored Voldemort's questions and avoided his eyes, taking a deep breath.
'Tom Marvolo Riddle,' he started, having learnt the name of the evil wizard beforehand. 'I, who bear the Chain of conviction, shall now pass judgement upon you,' he said, forcing his tone to stay calm and firm. Were the words really necessary? He didn't know, but that was the only way he knew to do it, the only way he has ever seen it done.
Black feathers swished in the air and he knew that Raven was behind him, visible to everybody. Damn Break for making him do this, he thought absentmindedly. Explaining Raven will be a pain.
'Your sin is your greed to seize the Abyss for yourself,' he proclaimed, the words supplied to him by Raven. Voldemort yelled as chains shot out from the ground, wrapping around his arms and legs, around his neck and torso. He tried to claw them away, shouting incoherently, but they tightened and pulled and then, in a flash of light, he was gone.
Gilbert inhaled shakily. He has done it. His mind was blank, except for the echoing thought: he has done it. In the dead silence of the hall, he let his hand fall to his side, numb and feeling nearly as tired as when he had first used his Chain. He has done it.
'No,' somebody wailed sorrowfully and he looked up to see the crazed woman with wild hair. She was right in front of him and she pointed a wand at him before he had time to process the fact that his right hand still held the gun with one bullet inside. She yelled words he didn't understand and a jet of green light shot at him.
Shit, was the only thing he had time to think, as the green hit him, before everything turned black.
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As the gleaming circle showed around Voldemort, Harry felt weirdly weak. His head filled with fright and confusion and he realised that they were Voldemort's feelings. His own fear added to those feelings when a huge raven appeared behind Raven, with a skull instead of a head and with chains that looked as though they were restricting the thing. What the hell was that?
With a corner of his eye, Harry could see Hatter standing next to him with a small smile on his lips. Did that man enjoy watching this? With a strangled gasp, Harry realised that this was nothing else than a public execution. How could the Hatter smile?
'Your sin is your greed to seize the Abyss for yourself,' Raven said in a cold tone that sent a violent chill down Harry's spine. A pained shout escaped Harry as chains from nowhere wrapped tightly around Voldemort. The Dark Lord was so scared! This was going to be his end and Harry saw it as clearly as Voldemort did. He shouted in pain again, feeling as though a part of him was being ripped out, but it was drowned by Voldemort's helpless roar.
He stumbled as the blinding light exploded where Voldemort was. When he could see again, the Dark Lord was no more. The enormous bird was also gone and only Raven was standing in front of a fading gleam of a circle on the ground, looking almost surprised at what he has done. There was a while of shocked silence, broken by Bellatrix's sorrowful wail.
Standing close to them, Harry could see everything more clearly than he would have wished to: the fatal jet of green light hitting Raven square on the chest and the man's surprise, even though he was actually looking at Bellatrix when she cast her curse. As Raven's body hit the ground with a dull thud, Harry could see surprise flicker on Hatter's previously smug face, quickly replaced by a frown. However, he didn't have the time to process the situation, because Bellatrix's attack snapped everybody out of their shock.
The demented woman was laughing through her tears, flinging curses left and right, not caring what they hit. Three, hideous creatures appeared in the room, roaring, and Harry saw the Order focus their efforts on them, leaving them open for the attack from the remaining Deatheaters. Almost immediately, two wizards fell, hit by evil spells. This was bad, Harry though, because the only people who really knew how to fight those things were-
Harry didn't finish that thought, because, as he turned, he saw Hatter kneeling next to Raven whom Harry knew to be dead. The knowledge hurt more than he expected it would. He clutched the prophecy that was the reason for this mess. Somebody pulled his hand, and he turned to look at Hermione, her expression a mix of horror and sadness.
'We have to get out of here, Harry,' she said urgently. Behind her, the twins, Ron and Ginny were being evacuated by a very worried looking Arthur Weasley, who was all but carrying Fred. Sirius appeared out of nowhere and pushed Harry towards the exit, saying stuff about being safer outside.
Suddenly, Hatter jumped up and, in blindingly fast moves, reached Bellatrix and beheaded her with a snarl, avenging his partner. Harry gagged as he watched the head roll on the floor towards him, leaving a trace of blood. Hatter didn't seem to care in the slightest. He didn't even look as Bellatrix's body crumbled in front of him, hitting the ground with the same thud as Raven's did minutes before.
Sirius pushed Harry towards the entrance again, but they were both distracted again, when something appeared over Hatter's head. "Something" was the best description Harry could muster. It was a shadow, vaguely shaped like a cloak, topped with a decorated hat. The three hideous creatures cowered as the shadow opened a red eye. Something exploded.
'Take cover,' somebody shouted and Sirius flung himself over Harry, blocking most of his vision and cracking Harry's head against the floor, glasses flying away. His vision hazy, Harry thought he could see a dark shape nearing him, but crashes sounding everywhere around distracted him to look up. The ground shook as something particularly heavy collided with it, with a sound of a stone hitting against a stone. Dust filled Harry's lungs and he coughed.
More collisions sounded, smaller but just as frightening. Somebody screamed, the sound cut short with a wet kind of splash. Something next to Harry cracked, like a lollipop or a broken bone. Somebody coughed. Something smashed into Harry, knocking the air from his lungs.
Everything went black.