Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter characters.
Chapter Twenty: What dwells below
Eight years later...
"Fan out people."
"But there's nothing here?" Katie complained, twisting her head to and fro, searching for non-existent enemies.
"Intel says this is the last known location of our missing person." Harry returned blandly.
"Well she must flown away or...?"
Everyone's eyes turned downward noticing the innocuous placement of the sewer grate at their feet.
Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously and he tapped his com link. "Two,thisisone...byanychanceisthereasewergratesituatednearyourlocation-over."
"This is two-good call Harry.The place is riddled with them."
Harry smiled grimly. Twenty seven missing persons over the past six months and all had one thing in common- the victims seemed to disappear into thin air. No apparition or port key signatures. No ransom notes, no bodies, nothing. Nothing, but terrified families who's all but given up hope in recovering their missing loved ones.
Knight Watch had been called in, but due to civil unrest over the political regime, secrecy was the order of business, hence-Harry's team.
The Marauders had played a sensational charity game against the Egyptian national squad, barely winning by a few scant goals. Now, they were attempting to win once again as they had covertly been doing these past five years.
The world renowned Marauders were, on the face, the International Quidditch League's premier team; having won three straight World Cups and a total of six since their inception eight years ago. Three straight cup wins was a feat having never been achieved before and most likely never again, unless by the Marauders themselves. Off the record, they were Knight Watch's most elite covert squad. The team's road crew, equipment and medical personal were among the most highly trained tactical, demolition and field medic units respectively. The players themselves were top investigators and field agents. Each led their own team and were among Knight Watch's most accomplished, second only to Draco and Harry's units, but then again, they were Magical Knights, after all.
Draco Malfoy had been knighted by the Confederation only a year after the Marauders had taken the qudditch league by storm.
Harry had personally trained and vouched for Draco's honor and discipline and that alone was all the validity the Confederation required, although Draco's record with both the Unspeakables and now, Knight Watch, was equally commendable.
Draco had been the first of a new generation in knights, all trained and supervised under the careful tutelage of Harry Potter, himself.
To date, there were now five Magical Knights oath sworn to protect and serve. They were brothers in all but blood and a credit both to themselves and to he who trained them.
The five were spread across the world, spearheading investigations and missions, all save Draco Malfoy.
Draco had elected to remain at Harry's side. It had been a matter of some contention amongst both the Confederation and between Harry and Draco themselves.
Harry had implored Draco to explore his options and make his own mark on the world. Draco had countered that the only option he cared about was seeing to Harry's personal safety by guarding his right flank.
After much deliberation and posturing that culminated with Draco threatening to withdraw from service; Draco was given free rein to serve in any capacity he so desired which for Draco, was Knight Watch, the Marauders and at Harry's right hand, not necessarily in that order of importance.
Draco and now; Lt. Vance had married the year after he'd accepted Knighthood. The wedding itself had been nothing short of near royal in its public response throughout the magical world, but had been a quiet affair attended only by close friends, family and Phoenix foundation personnel. Only those off duty had attended, of course, for Lives Came First.
Harry had stood up as best man for Draco. It was the first and last time that he would stand at Draco's right hand and not vice versa, accordingtoDraco.
Commander William Hoag had not only the pleasure of walking Abigail down the aisle, but of officiating for the ceremony, as well.
Many happy tears had been shed that day.
Harry had gifted the happy couple by restoring Draco's family name and honor for a wedding present.
All monies and estates were returned to Draco, having been released from the British Magical Ministry's custody.
They had in turn, gifted Harry by naming him Godfather of their first born son, Benjamin.
Harry frequently and ardently maintained that he'd gotten the best of the deal.
Shortly after Benjamin's birth, Harry had petitioned Draco to reconsider his current placement as the two of them on the same team exponentially increased the risk of orphaning Benjamin, of both his father and Godfather, should the worst occur.
Draco had adamantly refused and argued against Harry's suggestion, but in the end, it had been Benjamin's mother who had decided the argument by laying into Harry,up one side and down the other, that the two of them together increased not only their success rate, but also that of their survival and that Harry's unwillingness to see the logic in this was but testimony that he wasn't looking after her and Benjie's best interest.
Her opinion wasn't quite expressed that nicely or in those exact words, but that was the gist of it.
It was the first and only occasion that those amongst Knight Watch had the displeasure of seeing the famous Harry Potter, whose courage was the stuff of legends, beat a hasty retreat from a fiercely protective mother-bear.
Katie and Fred, George and Alicia all got engaged only last year and were eagerly anticipating a Christmas wedding, a double Christmas wedding, of course.
Harry was to officiate the ceremony and had been impressed upon by the female contingent, (the whole of Knight Watch's female contingent), to perform at the reception.
His initial misgivings, regarding contact with the family to which he was still estranged, had paled in face of the twin's insistence that he perform in a clown costume, complete with bulbous red nose and white makeup.
It was a small concession, but the twins made it seem otherwise, reluctantly agreeing to forgo their demands if, in place of a wedding gift, he would agree to perform for the reception, thus appeasing their future brides and female comrades.
It would mark the first time Harry had performed since he left England seven years ago. It would also mark the first time Harry would see the rest of the Weasley family since that day. He'd kept in contact with Ron and Hermione through the twins, but ventured nothing independently. Harry, Ron and Hermione's reunion after nearly three years of separation, had been a tearful and joyous one.
He was nothing if not a man of his word.
Harry, unfortunately true to his word, had not sought out any member of the Weasley family, during Arthur Weasley's term as Minister of Magic. That included his name sake, in whom he had also refused to assume the role of Godfather for. Though initially devastated, Hermione had reluctantly acquiesced in view of the cool logic that he simply wasn't bodily available for such a solemn responsibility. Incidentally, that was three children ago and the fourth was due in the spring.
Hermione and Ron had yet to discover the prank Harry had played by switching their wand's ability to cast a prophylactic charm with a fertility one and mimicking the twin's magical signature on the spell so that they were blamed with the responsibility for said prank.
Hmm, innocently letting Ron and 'Mione in on that might make for an interesting wedding gift for the happy couples? Harry mused with a devilish grin.
He'd considered returning the same favor to the twins, but then he'd lose two of his three starting chasers to pregnancy and that would dash his team's hopes for a fourth World Cup.
Such a dilemma.
As for the rest of the Weasley's; he and they all encountered each other regularly, how could they not with the twins and him on the same team. There had been victory parties after the World Cup and an engagement party for the twins held at the Foundation's reception hall.
Arthur Weasley was still Minister and was up for reelection in the spring. At one time hopeful he wouldn't succeed in his bid for reelection, now Harry couldn't care less. Deciding it was easier not to go back and renew old ties.
That's what he told himself.
It was going on nine years now since he'd left England, nearly nine years since he'd last saw...her.
The twins had tried many times over the years to play match maker, unsuccessfully so. Ginny was not ready for a serious commitment, or so she said. And Harry,... well, he'd given his word and like it or not, he lived by it. It had been said many times that his adherence to keeping his word of honor was part of his charm. It was also most probably his greatest unhappiness and subsequent regret.
There had been no one for him. No one was allowed to get close over the past nine years. There had been a few sporadic dates and numerous attempts by the 'female contingent' to hook him up, but nothing had sparked in him.
The night terrors had continued throughout this time and Harry had consoled himself that it was for the best that he remain alone. Intimacy, like in a witch spending the night, was wholly impossible, given the danger inherent by his condition.
Ginny, on the other hand, Ginny was a frequent in the magazine such as 'Witch Weekly' and "Witch's World' with a new date on her arm practically every month.
It was sore spot amongst her family, but one that seemingly didn't disturb Harry in the least. Although, he was notably less than cordial during a time or two correlating with reports that Ginny was seriously entertaining matrimony with one of her more enduring suitors.
He appeared to have become numb to Ginny's romantic antics, not that the twins would willingly let him. They wheedled him, incessantly trying to get a rise out of him. They'd succeeded once, though their victory, as they saw it, was short lived.
George had pushed Harry too far and Harry had responded that he "wasn't interested in hearing about his slag sister's newest conquest".
George had made the mistake of blindsiding and breaking Harry's nose in defense of his sister's 'would be' honor. Only his training in Knight Watch had spared him when Harry had regained his feet.
They could laugh about it now, albeit painfully.
Present...
Harry's drifting thought's returned to the task at hand. Harry tapped the com link at his tunic's lapel.
"This is one I want groups of three. All units move a half click out and converge on my current location. Copy?"
"This is two, acknowledged."
"Three, acknowledged."
"Four...five..six...seven..eight...acknowledged."
"Flush what ever it is my way." He ordered smirking; Katie and George snickered at the pun.
"This is two... you've been spending too much time with the twins-over."
Harry lowered into a crouch and heaved up the solid iron manhole cover, dropping it casually aside.
"Show off." George snarked.
"Katie was impressed." Harry offered cheekily, flexing his bicep for effect, to which Katie rolled her eyes.
Harry grimaced from the odor that wafted up, George paled and Katie wrinkled her nose in disgust taking a half step back in trepidation.
Harry mocked bowed and waved his hand over the portal offering, "Ladies first."
Katie turned a greenish hue, easily discernible despite the poor lighting from the streetlamps nearby.
"Thanks no, but I'm not that curious."
"What's to worry?" Harry mocked.
"I hear the muggles flush alligators down the toilet." George offered uncertainly eyeing the beckoning hole.
"That's rubbish." Harry scolded, adding, "Its crocodiles, everyone knows that."
"Crocodiles?" Katie half shrieked, just catching herself and checking to see if anyone had been alarmed by the outburst.
"Live off the rats." Harry continued. "I heard they mutate from all the toxic waste that gets flushed down there. Get twenty, even thirty feet long sometimes."
"You're having us on." Katie groused, then asking timidly, "Aren't you?"
Harry shrugged, waving his hand at the portal. "See for yourself."
Katie fidgeted, appearing ready to bolt into the night, and George didn't look far behind her.
With a smirk of triumph, Harry dropped thru the manhole and disappeared from view.
After a few tense moments, he called up, "Whew! And I thought the smell was bad up there? Come on in, the water's nice."
Katie looked at George."You go, I'll keep watch."
George rolled his eyes and grabbed a last breath of fresh air, he dropped into the hole.
Moments later, she could hear George retching violently below.
"That'll bring out the crocs that will" Harry guffawed.
"Shut up" George grumbled.
"Katie,... Oh Katie? Do be a dear and join us down here." Harry sing songed up sweetly from below.
With a whimper of dread, Katie took a deep breath and dropped into the sewer, joining her comrades.
Normally the three of them did not team up together, but several members of the Marauders were fighting an intestinal bug so they'd seized the rare opportunity to work together. Right now, Katie and George were regretting that decision.
"So what'd you think... a few pictures, maybe a loveseat over by that slimy drain pipe, maybe a an easy chair or two?
"I think you're an idiot." Katie managed to gasp out, wiping the bile from her lips and casting freshening charms anywhere and everywhere.
"I like the idea." George agreed, conjuring light globes that drifted down the waterway, lighting the tunnel ahead. "Add a coat of paint here and there, maybe a woodstove?"
"Let me guess where this is going?" Katie responded drolly. "It's already got indoor plumbing, right?"
"There's the ticket." Harry cheered, clapping Katie across the back appreciatively, causing the girl to begin retching all over again.
All joking was cast aside and the three immediately took flanking positions when warning came back over their com link that there was movement ahead and something large was heading their way.
"Merlin what is that?" a voice crackled over the com, it sounded like Fred, but was difficult to distinguish as the amusement that was usually in the twin's voice was suspiciously absent, replaced by fear.
"Incendiaries on my mark." Draco barked over the com. "Three...two...one..NOW!"
They could hear the 'whoosh' of flames erupting followed by an inhuman howl of pain and fear.
"Track it, Alli." Draco called out."
"One, it's,.. whatever it is, its veered off a side tunnel heading west of your position-Copy?"
Harry tapped his com. "One to three, its heading your way, Ollie."
"Three here- acknowledged one.
"One to two...What is it?"
"Unknown,but its big, fast and...squishy." Draco called back with a hint of alarm in his usually cool demeanor.
"Harry shared a puzzled expression with his comrades... squishy?
"Did you tag it?"
"Affirmative."
"Give it a hundred or so meters then pursue but don't engage, maybe it'll lead us home?" Harry ordered, not that he needed to, Draco knew his business."
"Affirmative."
They moved silently ahead in the direction Draco had indicated. George took point, conjuring light globes as he went to light the way and provide them a trail to follow in retreat, not that they'd ever needed one up till now.
Harry kept Katie close as she continually scanned the water around them. The murky water they trudged along in was waste deep and had an oily, cloying quality that was unsettling. The walls were covered in slime and filth and every once in a while a rat or two would scurry along an overhead ridge. There was a ledge about two feet above the water line that ran the distance of the tunnels, but was too narrow to prove effective for a cat had tried several times to her dismay, falling back into the water each time. Thus far she had been lucky and not fallen under the filthy water.
Eventually the trio encountered a fork in the tunnel.
"Should we split up?" George ventured.
Katie nearly jumped out of her skin at that.
Harry smirked. "Katie, how about you take the tunnel to the right?"
"How about you go fu.. ..."
"Katie Bell, such language." Harry admonished, cutting her off before she could finish, pretending to be offended while grinning at her expense.
"I'll take point, Katie you stay between George and I. George you cover the rear." Harry ordered.
"Negative." George refused. "I'll stay point you cover the rear, one."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Two's orders, sir." George explained in a serious tone, that was surprising even for him.
The twins completed the standard Knight Watch training a year after joining the Foundation. Between Quidditch, training and continually developing new products for both Knight Watch and their joke line, few had saw them outside of their daily quidditch practice. How they found time to woo their now fiancés' was anyone's guess, but they had.
The two had grown up and become responsible, not that they'd ever admit to that.
Harry wrongfully assumed, as many did, that they would continue with their inventing and quidditch, leaving Knight Watch duty to the professionals.
He was both surprisingly gratified and worried for their personal safety when they chose to enter advanced training and become field operatives.
Many felt it was too great a risk having them in the field as their services were wholly invaluable in product development.
Harry was one of those individuals and he'd argued vehemently against their decision. His personal feelings were in evidence when he'd asked them straight out to reconsider placing themselves at risk.
The Weasley stubborn streak had won out and the two graduated the program with top marks.
He wasn't there to see it, obviously; given the current climate between he and the rest of the Weasleys, but he was reliably informed that instead of upset, Molly and the rest had been thrilled to tears when the twins returned home on leave- uniformed as Knight Watch officers.
Harry's gaze hardened. "Do I impress you as needing to be coddled, Lt. Weasley?" Harry never pulled rank with his friends, and his doing so now, caught George off guard.
"No, sir" George returned uncomfortably.
"Cover our rear, lieutenant." Harry ordered in a no-nonsense voice.
"Yes, sir"
Though she was smirking at his subservience, Katie wisely held her tongue, something both of them were grateful for.
They continues on with Harry casting light bursts down the tunnel ahead and conjuring blue bell flames on the ledge over head, every ten or so paces.
"Aiyeee!" Katie shrieked, disappearing beneath the water.
"Katie!" George shouted, jumping forward, his hand desperately searching beneath the surface.
Katie emerged scant moments later, gasping and sputtering. "I-I stepped in a h-hole!"
"Euwww..." she whined holding out a strand of her sodden hair, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the smell of herself.
Harry and George erupted in howls of laughter as Katie began furiously casting cleaning and drying charms on herself.
That split second of distraction cost them. A blackened, slimy tentacle snaked out of the darkness, wrapped around Harry's waist and ripped him from his feet before he could so much as utter a single syllable of alarm.
"Harrryyyy!" Katie screamed, launching herself into the darkness.
"No!"George's arm shot out and grabbed her shoulder pulling her back.
"But it's got... we have to..?" Katie stuttered out anxiously, her eyes desperately scanning the darkness ahead.
"That might just be what it wants us to do?" George warned.
George tapped his lapel while still keeping a firm hold on Katie's arm."Two this is seven, its got Harry. I repeat,phoenix is compromised-acknowledge."
George heard the last vestiges of a sworn epitaph before Draco's voice erupted over the com,
"Explain?"
George gave what little information they had.
"Its not ours," Draco returned worriedly. "The one we're tracking is still heading west."
George tapped the com. "A diversion?" he suggested.
Draco swore again, but before he could regroup. Oliver's voice came over the com link.
"This is four. One's activated his tracker. He's a half click from our location. We're moving to intercept."
"Negative, do not intercept, repeat do not engage!" Dracoordered, amending, "Proceed with caution. Hold position at fifty yards out, but do not engage until we arrive, copy?"
Oliver's voice returned.. "A-Acknowledged, two.Four over.
Katie began pulling George in the direction of Oliver's group before he could so much blink.
"Wands out. Fire first- questions later, Katie." he growled, smiling in grim appreciation at the way she was tugging him onward, her former fears completely forgotten.
"Copy that." Katie returned, taking point without the slightest hesitation. She already had her wand brandished in front of her. She was in chaser mode now. Battle, quidditch it was all the same to her.
Only Harry and her team mattered now.
Katie and George caught up with the other teams outside a central hub that was eerily lit, emitting a faint greenish glow the tunnels had descended upward to this point, blessedly arriving at a point above the water line.
With a hand signal from Draco, all team members donned their field glasses and scanned the area ahead. Now that they were on relatively dry ground there glasses would function. The Weasley twins invention worked wonders. Its only downfall being ineffective in rain or watery environs as this tended to disrupt the glasses signal feed.
They were working on the problem and few doubted they would solve it, geniuses that they were.
Katie stifled a gasp of alarm. Her glasses revealed Harry's crumpled signature at the base of a gigantic wreathing mass of a tentacles that joined into a tree trunk like body before branching out again across a cavernous floor.
"Hydra..." Draco grimaced, whispering the same assumption that the rest held.
Before he could so much as begin to outline a plan of attack, swords were drawn with a faint hiss as the team began quietly casting inflambre spells; super heating the metal of their blades.
There was only one way to deal with a hydra: cut off each of seven heads and cauterize the stump before it could re-grow two new heads in its place.
Heating the swords would eliminate the middleman. They could cut and cauterize in one swipe.
"Phoenix is our first priority, engage only if threatened, otherwise we retrieve and evac. Do not catch the Hydra's gaze- it's hypnotic and its bite is deadly. If bitten evac to medical A.S.A.P." Draco ordered calming heating his blade.
The tunnel they occupied began to glow an orange hue as their blades heated up.
Draco further detailed. "If phoenix is down or dead..."
"He's not dead." Katie hissed vehemently, interrupting him.
Draco continued without preamble. "If phoenix is down or dead, then engage the beast with extreme prejudice until he or his body can be recovered then evac. I repeat, once Phoenix is recovered, all team members are to evac to base-understood?"
All surrounding agents nodded their understanding, save one.
"Katie?" Draco prompted the lone holdout.
"When, and only when, its dead." Katie returned coldly. Many nodded their agreement with that.
Harry would not go un-avenged by them.
Though he felt the same way, he couldn't give into his baser desires. "Harry wouldn't want that. He'd want us safe. We exist to help the living, not avenge the dead. Lives Come First." Draco argued his point.
Reluctantly, eyes lowered in shame faced agreement with him. Even Katie was forced to concede to what she knew would be Harry's first and only priority-their lives.
Harry did not heal her only to throw away her life in a futile attempt at vengeance.
Side by side in a column of two they line up, intending to seperate upon entering the chamber. They would split into two lines of attack, flanking the hydra. One would launch a diversionary assault, whilst the other attempted to reach Harry while the creature was distracted.
Draco counted down with his fingers...Three..Two...One...Go
They erupted into a large circular chamber: Twent-three Knight Watch agents with smoldering sword in one hand and wand in the other, only to come up short in consternation; Harry was sitting calming, hissing a parselmouth conversation with a thirty foot Hydra, who was looming over him.
On noting their arrival, Harry called over his shoulder, "Bout time you lot showed up."
Draco rolled his eyes, grumbling a cooling charm over his blade, dissipating the heat so that he could safely scabbard his sword. His comrades did likewise, grumbling along with him, though they were emphatically relieved that Harry was alright.
When his comrades tentatively stepped up alongside him, casting wary eyes toward the massive beast undulating in front of them, Harry introduced them to each other.
"Everyone, this is Helga, Hagar, Hephzibah, Hanna, Hestia, Helena and Heloise. Ladies these are my friends and comrades, my family."
To everyone's astonishment, the Hydra bent down in what was unmistakably a bow of recognition in greeting.
A sharp glance from Harry drew them from their own surprise and returning the friendly gesture.
The hydra's middle head hissed something to Harry to which he responded.
"Sadly, no, I am the only one who can interpret your elegant tongue."
Further hissing followed from the one that was second from the left-Helena.
"That's probably Alicia." Harry gestured toward the blonde hovering near Fred.
"What?" Alicia asked curiously.
"She says that one of you is in heat."
Alicia's mouth fell open as he friends broke into laughter.
Harry turned back politely to Hagar who was now adding something to the conversation.
"Really?" he asked intrigued.
Further hissing.
"That's quite a compliment. I'm sure she'll be most gratified to know that."
Recovering from her initial shock and having quelled the snorts of laughter around her with an evil glare, Alicia asked through gritted teeth..."What did it say now?"
Firstly, Harry corrected her that the hydra was a sentient and intelligent being, seven beings actually. Each head had its own distinct personality. Then he answered her question.
"Hestia claims you have fine hips and should bear many young." Harry paused as the others broke into raucous laughter and Alicia flamed in embarrassment.
He added with a smirk. "Hanna, whose a bit of a seer, she claims that you're going to have a large brood, all males,...pity that. Her opinion, not mine." he credited.
At that the twins had fallen to the slime covered floor, oblivious to the filth as they rolled around holding their sides, howling their amusement.
When they were all somewhat able to calm themselves, Katie boldly asked if the hydra had any other predictions.
Harry asked and waited patiently as the hydra sniffed the air and considered the question.
Eventually Hanna answered and Harry translated.
"Hanna says that she thinks you're afraid, but needlessly so. You will bear many fine daughters, the image of their father."
Fred all but crowed at that. "Mum will be so pleased!"
Katie shot him a withering look. "Who says they'll be your daughters, Fred?"
At that the rest of the party broke into laughter again.
Whilst they were distracted, the hydra in its entirety lowered down and hissed conspiratorially to Harry who listened intently with a closed, even pinched expression, then hissed a reply that had several of the heads writhing in dismay, upset by his answer.
Not all of them were entirely distracted by the remarks at Katie's expense. Draco noticed the interaction and asked what the Hydra had imparted to him.
Harry waved off his concern with a vague placating remark that did anything but.
The group sobered immediately when Draco grabbed Harry's arm in a vice like grip and demanded. "What-Did–She-Say?"
"Not-Your-Business." Harry wrenched his arm from Draco's grasp with a strength that surprised even Draco, by the expression on his face.
"Bullocks!" Draco recovered and spat back angrily stepping up into Harry's personal space.
The air super heated around them and even the Hydra withdrew cautiously.
Green eyes burned into gray and the gray one's weren't backing down.
"She told you something about yourself,.. what did she say, Harry?" deep concern evident in his voice.
Harry's jaw worked soundlessly as his senses began screaming danger. Whatever he was going to answer was lost as another, much smaller, hydra slithered into the room, hissing madly.
The Knight Watch team immediately went on its guard.
"Form up behind me people: V formation- Draco on my right flank, Ollie my left. Chasers, incendiaryspells on my command. Beaters in the air, hit hard and heavy when it clears the tunnel mouth!" Harry barked out in command.
"It ?" Draco commented half in question, half in alarm.
If Harry heard him he didn't answer as he was hissing rapidly between the madly undulating hydra that had just arrived and the larger specimen they had been communicating with. It didn't take a genius to realize that the second was most probably the offspring of the larger one.
The alarming part was that whatever was approaching through the indicated passage, had the two hydras, (titanic beasts that they were), absolutely terrified.
With a last hiss from Harry, the conversation between the three ended abruptly with Harry nodding his head toward a side passage and the two hydra's slithering away as if all hell was at their back.
Hell was exactly what emerged from the tunnel mouth.
Screams of horror and despair came from a multitude of mouths as something out of a madman's nightmares erupted from the slime covered mouth of the tunnel ahead. It was as if Satan's own was birthed from the mother of all monstrosities.
Black and grey mottled necrotic flesh covered what could only be described as some twisted mockery of the mighty hydra that had slithered away to safety, mere moments ago.
Only, this unseemly version's necks did not end in hissing snake heads, but in that of the multiple missing persons lost over the past many months. Young women all; whose mouths echoed the screams of the damned. Vacant silvered, soulless orbs begged for release from the cruel mockery of their once vibrant, young existence.
The stench that wafted off the thing like a sulfurous cloud sent already tear filled eyes watering as the whole of Night Watch, battle hardened veterans all; stepped back in fear and revulsion.
"Take to the air!" Harry barked and the entire squad blurred into action, enlarging miniaturized brooms pulled hurriedly from their battle uniform's hidden pockets with a well practiced ease.
"Use incendios -only. Harry its flanks." He called out, unable to conceal a smirk at the irony of his command.
He left unsaid to remain out of the thing's range, knowing instinctively that they would follow his orders to the letter.
"Beaters seal all avenues of escape. It stays here!" Harry yelled out, noting with a grin. Gred and Forge's whoop of pure joy as they and their fellows began to madly fire reductorcurses down from above, collapsing tunnel mouths and spraying the writhing grotesquerie with debris. Its many heads screamed in rage and pain as jagged edged scraps of mortar and shards of burning iron tore through its mass.
The violent orange of a dozen or more incendios sizzled into the many limbs of the thing, burning away great gouges of necrotic flesh that sloughed and fell away, turning to ash as it hit the slime covered cement of the sewer.
"Harry- Get into the air!" Draco yelled in warning as an enormous tentacle snaked out furiously to seize him up in a death grip.
Harry's blade flashed from its scabbard and the thunderous roar of battle enraged dragon ripped through the air, nearly knocking those above from their brooms as the writhing monstrosity paused just long enough, in uncertainty, for his blade to cleave away the offending appendage, turning it to ash that floated away in the whirlwind created by the many brooms screaming by overhead.
The leviathan wreathed and bellowed its pain and terror as Harry answered Draco's warning by launching himself into the air. His neck elongated impossibly as scales erupted from flesh and formed a ridge that ran down his spine, ending in a long spiked tale that turned black, all in scant seconds. With a last rending explosion of bone and sinew, an enormous, night black, Obsidian Dragon with glowing green eyes, hovered before the battered and burning creature.
A primal roar of purest loathing split the air as Harry spit a torrent of eldritch green fire into the bulk of the beast, burning an enormous gaping hole right through its center.
The creature collapsed within itself. Its once many heads, what few remained, groaned and wailed piteously as the mortally wounded, undead thing tried to drag itself away to the once safety of the filth laden ancient sewers the new system was built upon.
With a last bellow of feral triumph; Harry poured great gouts of eldritch flame over the thing burning the rest of its remains to ash.
The battering wind from the Obsidian's wings died as it drifted back to the ground transforming back into Harry Potter the instant its first talon hit the floor.
"Whew! Gods... and I thought it smelled bad before?" Ollie grimaced in disgust pulling his tunic collar over his nose to fend off the offending stench.
Katie was retching violently at the other end of the ruined junction, Alicia patting her back supportively as she held her friend's hair safely away to keep her from soiling herself.
Angelina was slumped against a nearby wall, pale as a ghost. She watched her friends wearily, perhaps silently wishing she could rid herself as easily of the nightmare they'd just witnessed.
The whole skirmish was over in sparse minutes, but would leave memories that would last a lifetime for those that chose not to obliviate them away.
Harry set the twins and their fellows to repairing the damaged tunnels and ordered the rest of the team back to their quarters for debriefing in one hour; giving them times to clean up and decompress a bit.
Draco moved silently to his side, watching as Harry toed a clump of ash that was only moments ago an undulating mass of death and destruction.
"Too easy" he growled under his breath, voicing his thoughts out loud.
"A test?" Draco asked, also of a like mind.
Harry nodded, wiping a sleeve across his sweat covered brow. "I think so, yeah."
"Someone or something is testing us, looking for weaknesses, gauging our strength?" Draco elaborated.
Harry shook his head. "Not ours, mine." he corrected.
"This damned thing didn't just evolve, it was manufactured. It's necromantic in nature. You can sense it yourself. The whole thing stinks of dark magic."
Draco shuddered slightly at that, but countered. "That doesn't mean it was conceived solely for your benefit?"
Harry growled in frustration as he swept his hand over the ashy remains. "Come on Dray, you saw it? The damned thing was made up of those missing girls. The heads were left intact merely to mock us. You saw their eyes, they were soulless prior to being enmeshed into the body of that thing. Whatever killed those girls and stole their souls is still out their bidding it's time, planning..." Harry paused, his lips curling in disgust as he voiced his final thoughts.
"There's only one reason for harvesting souls and you know it as well as I."
At length, Draco nodded his reluctant agreement with dread filled eyes, adding stubbornly. "That still doesn't mean all of this was directed at you?"
Harry contemplated that for long moments before he ordered. "Send a message to command and have them contact the knights. Have them work in teams at all times. I want you to team up with Jimmie and his squire in the immediate."
Harry held up his hand to halt the coming argument before it could begin by explaining... "He has the least experience of all of us and will need your guidance should the worst occur. Rawlings is still his charge and his responsibility, but Jimmie is yours. Please, Dray... keep him safe?" Harry all but begged.
He and Draco both had a deep fondness for James-Jimmie Collins. All the knights shared a bond of mutual respect and loyalty; a kinship that was unparalleled. They were brothers in any and every way that counted. Each had trained the next knight in turn, but Harry and Draco had taken Jimmie under their wing and shared in his training. Not out of necessity, but of fraternal love. He was the younger brother that neither ever had.
"A-Alright Harry,.. if you answer one thing?" Draco bargained, knowing Harry would forgo his stubborn pride in this if he pressed.
Harry shifted worried eyes toward the distant twins and then back to Draco's, knowing already what his friend wanted to know.
"The Hydra warned that when next I bring voice, it shall be in sorrow tones."