Chapter 7

It was midday, and Diagon Alley was bustling with witches and wizards running their errands. Not one of them cared about the two of us apparating on the sidewalk next to Ollivanders.

"This way," Sebastian said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me with him.

Some things really didn't change, and Sebastian taking the lead when there was danger lurking around the corner was one of them.
We took the next corner, peering into a dark grey alley.
Knockturn Alley… Merlin's beard that place made my fingers itch… maybe that came with being an Auror.

"The 'Crimson Scale' is three buildings down on the left," Sebastian spoke into my ear quietly. "There is a Seeing Eye on the door, and the door itself won't open unless one speaks the password," he concluded, his eyes scanning our surroundings.

"I take it you know it?"

Sebastian looked down at me, grimacing.
"Ryna, the last three years, I did many things I'm not proud of. To survive and to keep the two of you safe,"

I let out a breath. Despite all his efforts, we were in one hell of a mess right now.

Think, witch, think!

"You'll need a disguise. If any of Thompson's men in the taproom and see you, they might get suspicious. You have no reason to be here when you're supposed to bring me back to their boss."

"You're right. I know some spells… What about you?"

"I'll sneak in behind you. That should draw as little attention towards you as possible. Once we're inside, we'll search for Ominis. Quietly, of course. Disillusionment and some potions should help with that."

Sebastian nodded at me with a serious look on his face.
"I have to warn you, though. You're going to see some things that might get to you. The people in there are ruthless criminals," he warned.

"Sallow… I am an Auror, you know. Bloodhound of the Ministry, Vanquisher of Darkness…" I joked, trying to lighten the mood, despite the knot forming in my stomach.

Still, for a moment, I couldn't help but wonder what he must have been through the past three years. The things he had seen and the deeds he had done were clearly haunting him.
A brief smile brushed over his lips as he tipped his wand against his face.

"Then follow me, o fearless Vanquisher!" He said, casting a spell on himself.

I watched as the stubble grew into a pointy black beard, his hair also turning black, with silvery strands running through it. His face turned older, soft lines dancing around his now watery-blue eyes.

I raised my eyebrow at him, "Headmaster Black, really ?"

There was just a resemblance, of course, but it was uncanny.

"Like what you see?" Sebastian purred with a wink.

I groaned; three years later and he was still incorrigible.

"Let's go," I stated before casting the Disillusionment charm and disappearing from his sight.

Getting into the pub's taproom was easier than I had thought. The door opened as soon as Sebastian had uttered the phrase, 'Sanguis pluet' .
'Blood will rain'… how charming, I thought, rolling my eyes while trying to stay close to Sebastian.

He navigated his way through the almost empty taproom. It was midday, after all, not many dark deeds to be done in the brightness of day, apparently.
As my eyes scanned the few patrons currently present, I stifled a gasp.

Is that a… Runespoor1?
I watched the three-headed serpent being cooped up in a far too small cage within one of the taproom's dark alcoves.
It was just a hatchling and was being prodded through the bars by two men... poachers, most likely. Its typically beautiful and vibrant scales looked sickly pale in the dim light of the pub.
Its left head was already hanging low, looking defeated but still hissing at its captors whenever their wands prodded at it. The right head was hissing at the left one, almost as if telling it to get back up and do something against their situation. Meanwhile, the middle head, the dreamer, stared straight ahead.
No, not straight ahead... it was looking directly at me, through my disillusionment charm and letting out a soft hissing sound.
Despite Ominis' efforts to teach me some Parseltongue, I could still not form a coherent sentence, lest of all understand any of it if the serpent wasn't kind enough to repeat itself several times.
Sebastian must have felt my hesitation to move forward, for I could see him trying to get my attention as inconspicuously as possible by the bar.
With one last apologetic look at the caged Runespoor, I followed.

"I have a delivery for the Underground." He told the innkeeper.

The man nodded. "Be quick about it. I wouldn't disturb them for too long if I were you. Everybody is tense down there. Rumour has it they captured themselves an Auror. A Gaunt of all sorts." The innkeeper spat out in disgust. "Such an embarrassment to the bloodline..."

I gritted my teeth, my hand tightening around my wand.
Watching Sebastian, I could see him struggling to keep his composure as well.
Now's not the time…
I softly lay my hand on his back, hoping this would calm him down.

"Thank you— for the warning," he added before going through a door behind the bar, with me trailing closely behind him.

After climbing down several flights of stairs, Sebastian got a hold of my wrist, pulling me behind an immense metal crate.
A hissing metal crate.

Sweet Merlin!

When I peered through the far too-small breathing holes, my breath got stuck in my throat. Iridescent scales that reflected the low light in a multitude of colours and hauntingly beautiful eyes which reminded me of distant galaxies.

"An Antipodean Opaleye…" I whispered in awe.

The hot ball of rage already burning within me only got worse as I noticed the bad state the rare dragon was in.
Bloody… if Poppy were here, she'd go mental, I thought before Sebastian shook me by the shoulders and to my senses.

"Focus, Wright!" He told me, snapping me back to reality.

"Where do you think they might be keeping him?" I asked.

"There are some magic-resistant cells at the far end of the complex. Thompson likes to keep his… opposition there before—" his voice broke off at the end.

"Before what?" I demanded. There was no need to sugar-coat it.

"Before getting rid of them in the creature fighting pits," Sebastian concluded.

Of course… Of course, that cruel, sadistic bastard would be too much of a coward to get rid of his opponents in a fair duel. And, of course, he'd use innocent creatures to do his dirty work.
I produced two vials from my coat.

"Here, drink this," I told him.

"What is it?" Sebastian inquired, leading the flask to his lips.

"Mixture of Edurus2 and Exstimulo Potion3… just to be safe, I don't know what's awaiting us," I told him, uncorking my own

"But, yours is different…." Sebastian noticed, peering at my potion.
Damn his keen eyes!

"Yes, mine is Invigorating Draught. I don't tolerate yours," I imparted.

It was true, somehow, but I couldn't tell him the actual extent of what might happen to the Ancient Magic residing in me if I took Exstimulo Potion. Not now, at least.
I could tell that Sebastian was still sceptical but downed his potion, nonetheless.

The two of us tiptoed through the deserted corridors, hidden behind our disillusionment charms and with only the occasional rat to keep us company.
After what felt like an eternity, we reached something that resembled a large vault.

"Seb—?" I whispered.

"The cells are through this door; maybe we should—"

My hand found his mouth instantly to make him stop talking.
The voices were wafting through the door, which was barring our way.

"That bastard still doesn't talk?" An unpleasant voice inquired.

"No, steadfast as a Graphorn. And here I thought he'd cave in immediately once we'd use Crucio on him. Marvolo thought so at least…" another despicable voice said.

My insides froze, and I prayed to anyone willing to listen that what I heard was some horrible misunderstanding.

Ominis… I let out a ragged breath.

"Marvolo Gaunt has always been an idiot. The only thing about him that matters is his family name."

No, it wasn't a misunderstanding.
I could feel the Ancient Magic inside me roar in anger, feeding off my feelings of fear and fury, getting stronger and more violent.

Easy… not yet… I willed it to calm itself. A futile attempt, if there ever was.

"Where is Boss' prisoner now?"

"Still within the cell at the fighting pits. Marvolo wanted to have a go at him himself."

I saw red, nothing more, nothing less.

I heard Sebastian call my name, but his voice died in the ear-shattering bang of my blasting spell as it made short work of the door ahead of us.
The two thugs were surprised for about a split-second before I ripped their bodies open with the severing charm.

Only a dead torturer is a good torturer. I chuckled to myself when I dashed through the vault.

I stopped in my tracks to take a quick moment to get a picture of my surroundings and plot my next move. There were rows of metal doors on each side of the hall, most of them likely the prison of some poor creature and a large pit in the middle of the hall with a cage surrounding it. The fighting pit…
That's when I heard it. Ominis cry of agony, going through marrow and bone.
I focused my hearing, my eyes following the path from where the sound originated.
There...
A heavy metal door was all that stood in my

"Ryna, No!" Sebastian implored.

He could as well have tried to stop an enraged Veela from charging.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw several people apparating, wands at the ready.

"Take care of them!" I grunted at Sebastian, blasting two horrified wizards against the nearby wall, leaving only scorch marks and crumbling stones behind.
I could hear Sebastian casting curses at the three remaining attackers, spells swooshing over my head as I bolted to the door.
When I peered through the grates, I saw him tied to the chair, eyes shut in agony, body trembling as the Cruciatus curse wrecked through him.
A figure stood right in front of Ominis; their back turned towards the door.

"Still not enough, Ominis? My, my, you were always a stubborn one. A stubborn little blood traitor and a disgrace to our family!" Marvolo snarled, his voice alone making me gag.

"Fuck. You. And be done with it." Ominis pressed through his lips.

Defiant despite his situation.
"I can't believe your own life matters so little to you, little brother. Do you realise how futile your efforts are? We'll get your sweet witch, and neither you nor that traitor Sallow will be able to save her from what's to come," Marvolo spat out.

Sweet witch? My lips curled into a malicious grin.
The sweet witch was going to rip him a new one.
I looked at the lock on the door. It may be resistant to regular magic, but not to what I had in mind.
Producing a vial of acrid poison from the insides' of my coat, I melted the lock with nothing more than a low sizzle.

I could still hear the sounds of fighting behind me, but a quick look over my shoulder told me that Sebastian was more than capable of handling it. That man had always been a nasty opponent in any duel.

"What's with that commotion out there? I told you stupid half-bloods I didn't want to be disturbed!" Marvolo hissed.

Sweet Merlin, that bastard was dense...

"Expelliarmus!" I aimed the spell at him, his wand flying out of his surprised hand. He spun around quickly, glaring at me as I caught it mid-air.

"You ! Good thing you came on your own… they're already on their way. Everyone…" he spat at me before harshly grabbing Ominis by the back of his neck. "See, Ominis; your lamb comes to her slaughter willingly." Then he chuckled maliciously. "Oh, I forgot, of course, you can't…"

The need for violence was irresistible. I knew the curse, and my insides craved for me to cast it, but not now, not with Ominis right next to him.

"Petrificus Totalus!" I called instead.

When Marvolo's petrified body hit the ground, I hastily rushed over to Ominis, untying him.

"Ryna… you shouldn't have come here. I wish I had been more careful and I wasn't wearing the bracelet…" he muttered, the weakness in his voice terrifying me.

"Hush now, we'll be out of here in no time," I told him.

"No, it's a trap. Get out of here, now!" Ominis urged while I was still fumbling at his ropes.

That moment Sebastian darted into the cell, a gaping wound on his head but otherwise fine. He slammed the door shut behind him, conjuring a large stone boulder to bar it.

"There's more of the on the way; somebody must've alerted Thompson," he warned.

I almost couldn't understand a word he was saying over the roaring of the Ancient Magic inside me.
The urge for violence… it craved for an outlet. The power was rushing through my veins, through my arms, into my fingertips, making my hair stand on end in sheer anticipation.

Bloody…
I needed the two of them out of here and far, far away from here.

"Get him out of here. Now! No direct apparating!" I commanded, pulling Ominis up by his arms, almost succumbing under his weight as he couldn't stand on his own.

Sebastian got a hold of Ominis instantly, staring at me in terror.
"No, I'm not leaving you here!" he contradicted, shaking his head.

The sound of people apparating outside the cell reached my ears, and I felt the tingle of Ancient Magic about to burst out of my fingertips.

"For once in your life, stop being so damned stubborn! Go! I'm right behind you." I snapped at him.

"Promise?" Sebastian breathed, an imploring look in his eyes.

"Promise."

A lie… but a necessary one.

I raised my wand, with Sebastian doing the same. "Now!" I told him as the sound of blasts became louder.

Sebastian listened and disapparated, supporting Ominis' limp body.
I whipped my head around to Marvolo Gaunt, still petrified on the cell's floor. I saw Ominis' wand poking out of his pocket as I walked over. I'd recognise it anywhere.
I took it, tucking it into the insides of my coat, staring down at the bastard, ignoring the sound of magic blasts behind me. It would take those idiots some time to get through that boulder.

"Today, you made a grave mistake, Marvolo." I hissed, going down to one knee.

He stared at me unmoving, hatred in his cruel eyes.
"Ominis is twice the man and wizard you or anyone else in your family has ever been. Now, this is how it will be…"

I took out his wand, snapping it in two in front of his eyes. By the look on his face, the bastard was screaming inside…

Good….

The furious sizzling inside my hands was unbearable, but the right outlet was just in front of me.
I grabbed Marvolo by the throat, letting the Ancient Magic do the rest.
It burned as the jolts of electricity went through my skin, burying themselves inside his body and making him twitch in agony.
I wasn't done, but at that moment, the boulder behind me was blasted into a million pieces.
Finally, one of those idiots had managed to cast Bombarda Maxima… good for them.
I let out a breath, closing my eyes.

Hurting one of them wasn't enough for the beast inside me. Today, they'd all pay the price. The price for hurting innocent creatures, the price for torturing people and the price for almost destroying what I most held dear. The one person who had kept me sane throughout the last three years and before.

I heard their screams of terror and pain as the Ancient Magic tore through them, incinerated them, and obliterated them.
The air was heavy with the scent of burned wood and flesh as I blasted my way out of the cell and through the hall with the fighting pit.
The creatures held captive within the cages screamed, hissed and croaked at me, waiting to be released.
When I blasted open their cells, the hell I had just set loose finally got some lovely yet deadly inhabitants.

By sheer number of legs, the odds were now definitely in my favour.

I ducked as a five-legged hairball flew over my head, landing on one of its captors and devouring her whole.
A Quintaped4 … guess they had it coming. I thought, dodging an incoming spell.
When my ears picked up the distinct growl, I knew I had to make a run for it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Nundu5 emerge from one of the cells I had just blasted open.
Three of its captors were stupid enough to stand in its way, trying to stun it. Had they learned nothing about beasts?
I had just reached the door into the hallway when it inflated its mane, ready to release its deadly breath. I quickly shut the heavy door behind me, thus muffling the poachers' screams of agony.
I could have just disapparated, but I wasn't done here, not yet. There were still two creatures to be saved from these monsters.

I rushed through the corridors until I reached the immense metal crate containing the Antipodean Opaleye.

"Ready to leave this wretched place, beautiful?" I asked, unlocking the lock on its cage.

I stepped back as the creature emerged from its confinement, stretching its wings and limbs. A female, and injured…
After a quick look at her wings, I knew that the poor thing was unable to fly. Her captors seemed to have removed some of her iridescent scales… to sell them to the highest bidder, most likely.
It looked at me as if trying to decide whether I was a threat or a snack. I needed to tell her I was neither.

"I'm getting you out of here; try not to eat me afterwards, okay?" I asked, whipping out my wand and casting a shrinking charm.

I watched as the dragon shrunk to pocket size, now looking up at me.
I held out my hand, and instead of snapping at it, she climbed into my palm, crawling up to my shoulder to perch there like a little scaly parrot.

Smart girl… Now the little Runespoor.

I ran up the stairs, taking two steps at once, when I heard a familiar voice, making me stop dead in my tracks. I cast the Disillusionment charm quickly and made my way up slowly.

"I wouldn't go down there, Sir; the Nundu is on the loose. As are all the other creatures. Mathis barely apparated out of there alive. He's on his way to St. Mungos." A female voice sounded through the door.

"Who did it?" the familiar male voice inquired.

"Word is it was the work of one individual, a young woman, wreaking havoc. Mathis didn't get a good look at her. He feared—"

"Was Thompson present?"

"No."

"Good, get word to him to come to see me. This plan of his is getting out of hand."

"What about the Nundu and—?"

"Send word to the Department of Magical Creatures. They'll know how to handle it. Get rid of any evidence first, of course."

"Of course, Mr Anderson, I'll see to it immediately."

I stood there in shock. Carlisle Anderson, head of the British Auror Office and my superior, was in league with Oliver Thompson?
Merlin's flaming pants, what had we gotten ourselves into?

That wasn't a hornets' nest this time but a bloody Horntail den!

When I heard the sound of people disapparating, I snuck my way into the taproom. It was completely deserted now. Those cowards had fled the scene after what happened downstairs.
The Runespoor, however, was still there, sitting in its cage.

"Come on, let's get you out of here, too," I whispered, grabbing its cage, while the shrunken Opaleye dug its claws into my shoulders not to fall off.

The Runespoor's left and right heads were hanging low, eyes closed, while its middle head watched me through the Disillusionment, hissing softly.
Thank you…

That, I understood.

Footnotes:

1 A three-headed serpent: The left head is the planner; it decides what the creature was to do next. The middle head is the dreamer and the right head the critic; it evaluates the efforts of the left and middle heads with a continuous hissing, and its fangs are venomous.
2 Enhances the drinker's defences by creating a rocky film on their skin
3 Enhances the caster's spellpower significantly
4 Quintaped: A highly dangerous man-eating magical beast with five legs, each ending in a clubfoot, covered with thick, red-brown hair.
5 Nundu: Deadly Magical Beast resembling a gigantic leopard. Moves silently and has a extremly toxic breath.