Chapter 9: Timely Intervention
Albus barely had time to react as two vampires came hurtling at him from the front, and one from behind. Dropping to the floor, he rolled to his left, away from the churning confusion of bodies. He pulled out his wand and brought it slashing down at the same time that he reached up under his overcoat and pulled out the hidden dagger. The vampire nearest him, who had just reached out a hand to grab him, went flying back, hit by the silent spell.
Another vampire threw himself into Albus before the young wizard had the chance to move, sending them both crashing back into the hard rock wall.
Albus gasped as pain shot up and down his body. Bringing his knee up in one swift movement he drove it into the vampire's ribcage.
The vampire grunted, but didn't back up. He brought his mouth down towards Albus' neck, his mouth wide and fangs protruding.
Albus wriggled desperately and managed to get his arm that held the dagger free. Bringing it up with a yell of anger he drove the hilt into the side of the vampire's head. The vampire staggered to the side, his hands groping for the wall, before collapsing in a heap to the floor.
Albus pulled himself to his full six foot height, pointed his wand straight at the chest of a charging vampire and yelled, "Tarantallegra!" The vampire was hit square on by the jet of light, and his legs proceeded into a wild tap dance that sent him skittering across the silken carpet.
Albus just caught a glance of more vampires pouring in through two of the doorways before another one was on him. The vampires were substantially slower and weaker than they would be at night, but they were still fast in comparison to most humans. Albus barely had time to react before the vampire had knocked his hand with such force that the dagger went spinning from his grip.
Albus responded by punching the vampire in the face with his now-free fist. The vampire barely noticed, but it was just enough for Albus to flick his wrist and mutter, "Levicorpus!" causing the vampire to suddenly be pulled up into the air by his ankle.
Without a pause Albus lunged forward, toward the new wave of vampires that were rushing to meet him. "Accio! Accio! Accio!" Albus called with quick succession.
Two couches and a chair came flying to Albus, bowling over a dozen or so vampires who stood in their way as they came. Albus himself only dove out of the way an instant before the furniture all smashed together with a horrendous crash, sending splinters of wood raining in all directions.
Albus pulled himself to his feet right at the moment that he felt something heavy drop into his pocket—the pocket that held the Sorting Hat. Reaching his hand inside, he closed it around the hilt of a sword that was cool to the touch. Courage and renewed energy flooded into his body as he tore it out with a cry of surprise, holding aloft the mighty sword of Gryffindor, the rubies seeming to gleam and glow with their own light.
The vampires that had already pulled themselves back to their feet hesitated for only a moment, before rushing forwards once more, intent on finishing Albus off.
Albus sprang into the vampires' midst, dancing this way and that, into and out of the vampires' reach. In his right hand he clutched his wand, sending salvos of spells off as fast as he could. In his left hand he held the sword of Gryffindor, which he swung with startlingly accuracy, slicing at vampire calves and thighs.
But eventually one vampire managed to avoid the swing of Albus' sword. Throwing himself past Albus' guard, he crashed into the wizard, taking them both to the floor with himself on top.
Albus knew that he was on the verge of being done for, but struggled anyways as the vampire wrestled his body down to the floor, pinning his arms to the carpet.
With one last desperate attempt to get free, Albus bravely head butted the vampire in the face. But the result was that Albus fell back, stars dancing across his vision, swiftly followed by the vampire head butting him in the face. The sound of shattering bone rung in Albus' ears as blood spurted from his broken nose.
It was at that moment that a voice rang forth across the din of the fight, "Hoooooold it."
Everyone in the room froze and turned their heads, all movement ceasing in an instant at the command.
Scorpius stood in one of the doorways, stretched to his full height, his gray eyes as stormy and unreadable as always beneath his long blonde bangs that hung low on his forehead. He looked commanding and authoritative dressed in all black clothes with silver lining. Not even the smallest of expressions crossed his face as his gaze ran around the room, sliding across Albus without his friend having the smallest inkling as to what he was thinking.
"Voughan," said Scorpius, his voice low and dangerous, "what is going on here?"
Voughan moved from somewhere out of Albus' vision to stand in front of Scorpius. "Master, these humans intruded without permission. We did not wish to wake you—"
"Silence, Voughan," snarled Scorpius. "Lying does you no credit. Get out of my sight—I will deal with you later."
Voughan growled deep in his throat, his eyes not leaving Scorpius'. For a moment it seemed as if something unpleasant might take place, but then Voughan twisted away and glided from the room.
Scorpius took a step forward, and went off on a long rant in German. Albus understood only a few words, like "guests," "food and drink" and "don't want to see." When he finished the vampires all slid away without making a noise, including the one that had been sitting on Albus' chest, allowing the dark-haired wizard to finally pull himself to his feet.
The first thing Albus did was look toward Elsa and Klaus, to see how they had fared. Elsa was very pale, but standing. She had a long, bloody gash in her thigh, but that appeared to be her only serious wound. Klaus was cradling a broken wrist and had many smaller injuries, but nevertheless was grinning like mad and seemed very pleased with himself.
As for the battleground—well, it seemed quite the worse for wear. The entire place had been upended, with very few scraps of furniture surviving in any way shape or fashion. Even the rug had gotten several large tears in it.
Scorpius stood surveying them. He was distant, with his arms crossed, his expression masked. Albus had thought that he had seen a gleam of warmth in those gray eyes for a brief moment, but he couldn't be sure—in any case, Scorpius was as cold as could be at the minute.
"You fool, Albus," said Scorpius with a small smirk. "I assume this crazy plan was your idea, wasn't it? I must say, your face definitely looked sharper the last time I saw you."
Albus slid his wand into one of his pockets and the sword of Gryffindor into his belt, and then wiped the back of his hand across his face. It was true, if his appearance in anyway matched the way he felt, he most certainly did not look his best.
"Elsa, are you okay?" asked Albus, crossing to her in a hurry. Her face had only paled further, and she appeared to only be standing because she held one arm outstretched against the wall.
"Elsa, too, does not quite look as chipper as I remember her," mused Scorpius, not moving from his place just inside one of the doorways.
Albus ignored his friend as he quickly pulled off his overcoat, pushing it against Elsa's injury. In just a couple of moments it was damp with her blood.
Klaus was by their side in a moment, his wrist already healed and back to its original state. "Has your friend always been such a merry and encouraging fellow?" he whispered to Albus. Albus merely shook his head, not taking his eyes from Elsa's hurt.
"Here," said Klaus, pulling Albus by the chin to look at him. "Episkey!" A brief shock of pain went through Albus' nose, followed by a small crunch.
"Thanks," said Albus under his breath, briefly feeling his newly mended nose with one hand.
"Step aside," said Klaus. "I can heal this, but you need to get out of my way." Wordlessly, Albus did as he was bidden.
"Who is this old man that you've taken to running around after, Albus?" called Scorpius, still unmoving.
"Old—man. I'll show you exactly how old I am when I walk all up and down your bloody disrespectful little arse," muttered Klaus, not turning from where he had kneeled by Elsa. He removed Albus' coat from the wound, and quickly began to run his wand up and down the long cut, speaking low incantations as he did so.
"Elsa, are you all right?" asked Albus in concern. She still hadn't spoken a word, and had her eyes screwed shut, her lips pressed together tightly.
"If I had to put forth my very best guess, I'd say she wasn't," put in Scorpius helpfully. Albus decided he had the moment to shoot him a look of poisoned daggers. "Now, Albus, is that the way to look at your long-lost friend?"
"There we go," said Klaus, as the last bit of Elsa's wound resealed, leaving pale, but unmarked skin beneath the torn legging of her jeans. "You'll be all right, though no doubt you'll feel very dizzy and unsettled on your feet for a while. You've lost a lot of blood."
Elsa's lids rose slowly, revealing hazy and glazed over eyes. She looked at Albus for a moment, before her legs suddenly gave out beneath her. Albus caught her just a moment before she hit the floor. "Klaus?" questioned Albus in alarm.
"Don't worry. She's fainted, but she'll be her..." Klaus looked for a word, "sunny," he hazarded, "self in a day or two."
Albus lowered Elsa's limp body slowly to the ground. Resting her head on his blood-drenched, but comfortable coat, he got to his feet.
Without really knowing what he was doing, Albus sprang across the room, crossing the space between him and Scorpius in a moment. Wildly, he threw out a punch, aiming recklessly for the other boy's face.
Scorpius, however, had always been faster than Albus, and it appeared he still was. Scorpius rolled to the side, leaving Albus' fist to soar harmlessly through air. Scorpius now had his wand out, and was pointing it at arm's length towards Albus.
"Calm your bloody self down, Albus," snapped Scorpius.
"How can you just sit there so calmly?" demanded Albus, in a rage. "Elsa almost died because of you and your stupid vampires, and all you do is sit there, looking on, and making—making snarky comments!"
"Look here, and stop blithering," ordered Scorpius. "I didn't ask you to become the hero and come traipsing in here looking for me. I've been quite fine without you. Look at me, for blast's sake! I am the first human to ever rule a vampire clan. You think I need saving from that?"
"You're the first human to ever rule a vampire clan, exactly," yelled Albus. "What the hell are you thinking? If someone else isn't going to kill you for that, your own wonking vampires are."
"You presume too much. I'm more capable than you give me credit for. And what type of word is 'wonking?'"
"Even the most capable of witches and wizards die, Scorpius." Stepping forward despite Scorpius' wand, Albus grabbed his friend roughly by the shoulders.
"And if I die, so what?" replied Scorpius, cool gray eyes defiant.
"I care if you die. Elsa cares. That's what," Albus said, fury practically overflowing his burning emerald orbs that stared daringly back into Scorpius' stormy ones.
The two young wizards stood with less than two feet of distance separating their shaking bodies, adrenaline and emotion coursing through their veins. Scorpius still had his wand between them, trained at Albus' chest. And Albus still had his fingers curled into the fabric of Scorpius' jacket, gripping his blonde friend's shoulders with all the strength he had, having no intention of letting go.