Okay, so this is to try and make up for taking so long with the last one. Since there's still exams going on (though mine are over and study leave was only last week, so I have to go into school) there's about half the class missing, so we can't do very much, so I don't have a lot of work right now, so... ta da! Another chapter!
I sincerely want to thank everyone for the lovely reviews on the last chapter - I deserved horrible ones for abandoning the story, but I was really panicked about the exams and if I don't do well in these, well... I want to study medicine at university, so I need practically top grades, so... yeah. These exams are muy muy muy muy importante!
I'm also really excited because we've found out who our partners are for the spanish exchange! Yay! I'm sooooo looking forward to it! The spanish come for a week in March (2nd-9th) and then we're going to spain in october! Can't wait! Plus, there's the fact that my birthday's in october, so there's a chance that I may be in spain for my 18th...
Please R&R!
I meant to say, in the last chapter, if you can, listen to the soundtrack as you read, and you'll hear the atmosphere I tried to create, though I'm not entirely sure I did it justice...
Chapter Twenty-One
I was blinded by the pain in my forehead and leg, and I didn't hear much either, but I did hear Rai's sharp intake of breath and then I was being flung backwards through the air, landing hard against the Riddle family headstone. The reaper statue on the side was moved so that the scythe prevented me from dropping to the ground and I quickly brought my hands up to scrabble for purchase against it. I couldn't reach the ground and tried not to move my injured leg too much, but in general, I couldn't move, for fear of choking.
I opened my eyes from where they had slid shut in pain to see Rai bound and gagged, tied to another headstone across from me, a giant cauldron that I hadn't noticed before between us.
I heard shuffling footsteps approaching and struggled to turn my head in their direction, a fresh wave of fear sliding through me when I did. It was Wormtail. Wormtail was hurrying towards the cauldron carrying a bundle of robes and placed it gently by the cauldron. "Hurry up!" the now familiar voice hissed and Wormtail hastened to open the robes on the floor.
At the sight of what was inside the robes, my eyes widened further, seemingly impossible amounts of fear rushing through my veins. It was like a child, only a gruesome, half-there mockery. I turned to Rai again, jolting in shock at the sight of Chase Young lounging against the headstone Rai was tied to, eyes fixed on the cauldron.
Wormtail lifted the…thing…(though he didn't look too happy about doing so) and dropped it in the cauldron, which bubbled, an acrid stench filling the air.
Drawing out his wand, Wormtail turned towards me, walking forwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rai's wide eyes and struggling, and the sick, sadistic grin on Chase Young's face.
However, Wormtail stopped some distance away from me and pointed his wand at the ground below. "Bone of the father, unwillingly given…" he muttered, as a bone rose from the earth and levitated towards the cauldron and dropped in with a splash. "You will renew your daughter!"
Wormtail moved back towards the cauldron, unease and reluctance clear in his every move. This time, he drew out a small silver dagger. "Flesh – of the servant – willingly s-sacrificed…you will revive your master!" Screwing his eyes shut and turning his head away, Wormtail brought the knife down through his right wrist. I winced, closing my eyes as he did so, and heard the 'plop' as the hand dropped into the cauldron too.
He turned back to me again, after he had regained hold over his pain, and began heading towards me, not stopping this time, knife still raised. Even though I knew it would only cause me more pain, I still struggled. Wormtail caught my arm and ripped through the sleeve, digging the knife into the flesh of my arm until he drew blood, collecting it in a small vial.
Moving back towards the cauldron, he dropped the contents of the vial into it, muttering "Blood of the enemy…forcibly taken…you will resurrect your foe…"
Once the last drop fell into the viscous liquid, Wormtail fell to his knees, sobbing and holding his bloody wrist. The potion was bubbling fiercely, hissing and emitting sparks.
My breathing quickened as I quickly glanced from Rai to the cauldron. We knew exactly what was happening. And I couldn't have been more terrified.
The cauldron melted down and the liquid disappeared, leaving a lone figure standing where it once did, wearing a purple robe and her long red hair tumbling about her shoulders.
"Wuya…" I muttered, practically ready to faint with fright.
She turned towards me then, a wide, twisted grin spreading across her face, her piercing green eyes boring into mine. "In the flesh."
Chase moved from his position behind the tombstone and halted at her side. "Wuya."
"Chase." She smiled; a twisted, evil grin. "My wand." She held out her hand and he placed the long, thin wand in it. Her grin widened as he did so and I felt the balance of the world shift. Oh boy, were we in for it now…
Turning away from Chase, who went back to his previous position, Wuya regarded Wormtail, who scrambled to kneel before her. "My lady…" he whimpered. "My lady…you promised…"
"Hold out your arm."
"Thank you…thank you…" he held out his right arm, the sleeve saturated with blood, but Wuya merely stared down at him.
"The other arm, Wormtail."
"B-but…my lady…please…you promised…"
Wuya rolled her eyes at his protests and grabbed his left arm in a tight grip, pushing the sleeve back to reveal the tattoo…the Dark Mark…The area around the marking was a vivid red and the tattoo itself was a grey-ish colour.
"It is back." She said softly, grinning that twisted grin once more. "They will all have noticed…and now, we shall see…now, we shall know…" she pressed her finger to the mark and searing pain shot through my forehead. When my vision cleared, I saw that the mark was now black and seemed to be burning. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" Wuya mused aloud, sharing a grin with Chase before turning to stalk towards me. "And how many will be foolish enough to run? To stay away?" She grinned again, sparing a glance for the tombstone. "You stand, Kimiko Tohomiko, upon the remains of my late father. A Muggle and a fool…much like your dear father. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your father provides you with love…and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death…"
She continued to taunt me, telling me of how the house on the hill was her father's house, soon turning to talk of family. "You and I are very alike, you know. Our mothers, both powerful witches, fell in love with filthy Muggles…both died in childbirth – under different circumstances, of course – though my father left my mother before I was born. He found out about her, you see. Because of him I had to grow up in an orphanage. Oh, but I got my revenge… I swore to find him… And I changed my name… unable to keep his vile name! 'Riddle'! Hah! Oh, but look…my true family returns…"
The Death Eaters formed a circle around her, Chase watching in amusement as she tore at them for their abandonment, one by one. I glanced at Rai as our suspicions were confirmed. Marcus Spicer was a Death Eater. She analysed the gaps, speaking of some in Azkaban, some dead, one too terrified to return, one to have turned from them and one – the most faithful – at Hogwarts, who had orchestrated this meeting.
She told the story; the whole story: what happened twelve years ago, how what had just happened was possible. She told them how my grandparents' sacrifices had protected me against the evil of her. She answered a question that had been floating about my head since the first dream – why did it have to be me? Why not simply any other enemy?
She had taken in my blood, and thus the protection charm. It was no longer valid. She could harm me now.
She told how the three of them had abducted Bertha Jorkins, the missing ministry worker, and extracted the wanted information before disposing of her.
When she had finished her tale, she turned to me again, raising her wand with a malicious smirk. "Crucio!" The pain was excruciating, especially as I writhed, knocking my injured arm and leg against the harsh texture of the tombstone. Finally it stopped, and I slumped back, panting.
"You see," Wuya grinned, "I think how foolish it was to suppose that this little girl was more powerful than me. Could ever be stronger than me." Her grin morphed into a vicious snarl as she came closer. "The power of the fire should've been mine!" she hissed, before she stepped back again, smirking. "But I want there to be no doubt in anybody's mind. Kimiko Tohomiko escaped me by luck alone. I am going to prove that by killing her here, now, in front of you all. Of course, I will give her the chance to fight…not that it will be of much difference."
With a flick of her wrist, the scythe moved and I was dropped to the ground, grunting in pain as I landed on my injured leg. Leaning back against the headstone, I slowly raised myself to stand on my one good leg. Wuya continued to grin at me. "First, we bow." Wuya started, but I don't see why, as neither of us did. Not that I could've, but that wasn't the point. "And now – we duel."
Since I was unable to move, I couldn't dodge the Cruciatus curse she quickly threw at me and I slumped back against the headstone again, sliding down it slightly as she lifted it.
"A little break." Wuya taunted. "That hurt, didn't it? You don't want me to do that again, do you?" In truth, I didn't, but I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of a reply, and I especially was not going to beg. "I asked you whether you want me to do that again. Answer me! Imperio!" she snapped.
I felt the familiar floating sensation and the little voice, telling me to say no. I resisted, though. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction, I wasn't. I was stubborn, and after all, Moody had taught me how to entirely throw off the curse.
Her eyes flashed as the curse failed and I saw – with my Quidditch and Xiaolin-trained eye – her raise her hand to undoubtedly use the Cruciatus curse again. This time, though I still couldn't put any weight on my leg, I managed to gather enough energy to use my elemental transport, moving to the other side of the headstone.
"Come back here, Kimiko Tohomiko!" I heard Wuya shrieking, enraged. "I want to look at you when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!"
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, steeling myself, and transported back; away from the tombstone this time, closer to Rai. Locking eyes with Wuya, she grinned malevolently and raised her wand, shrieking "Avada Kedavra!" and at the same time, I called out the first spell that came to mind "Expelliarmus!"
Shockingly, the spells collided in mid air and turned an odd gold colour, connecting our wands. I felt myself stumble backwards, only to be caught by Rai, who had obviously attempted elemental transport too. Chase appeared over Wuya's shoulder, staring in shock at the gold thread, just as Wuya was.
Small beads appeared and, sensing it was the right thing to do, I forced them back towards Wuya. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the Death Eaters pulling out a wand, but Wuya screamed, "NO! Leave the girl to me!"
Her eyes widened in the beginnings of fear as the last bead disappeared into her wand tip and ghostly figures began to emerge from it. First came Cedric and Cho, then the old man from my dream ("She was a real witch, then? Killed me, that one did…you fight him, lass…"), a woman, who I assumed to be Bertha Jorkins ("Don't let go now! Don't let her get you, Kimiko – don't let go!"), and finally…my grandparents…
I felt tears welling up as I looked at the ghostly figures of my grandparents. "When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments…but we will give you time…you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts…understand?" I nodded numbly.
"Kimiko…" Cho looked at me, whispering with tears in her eyes. "Take our bodies back? Please, take them back to our parents…" I nodded again, fighting to keep control of my vibrating wand.
"Do it now…"
I wrenched the wand away, using elemental transport as I felt Rai do so as well, landing next to where Cedric and Cho's bodies lay. I grabbed Cho's arm and Rai grabbed Cedric's. Stretching out my wand arm, I called "Accio!" and Rai and I grabbed a handle each, in unison, feeling the swirl again, leaving behind Wuya's frustrated screams.
Eep, I've so been looking forward to writing this end of the story! I just love the atmosphere at this point! And Patrick Doyle's music just embodies it! The best part of that movie - the score! Anyway, I'm writing the next chapter now, so it should be up tomorrow.