Kyugan: As promised, Two-Chapters for the price of one!
Scout: Ey! Alright!
Spy: Finally, we can move on to ozer things!
Scout: Where'd Doc go?
Medic: WHERE IS ZE MONEY?!
Scout: Nevermind...eesh, that is NOT how a scalpel is supposed to be used.
Kyugan: Aheh...yeah...in any case, The Wheel of Fate is turning, let's see what the Continuum Shift has wrought.
Chapter Nineteen: Return and Retribution.
The moment Mordred's sword buried itself in the book a piercing scream, long and dreadful, shattered the air, though whether it came from riddle, who was clutching his chest in agony, or the diary itself was debatable. Ink spurted out of the wounded soul anchor in torrents, gouts of it spraying out of the wound, staining the Knight's sword, partially obscuring the Fairy Runes that adorned the blade, only to dissolve with a hiss while the rest pooled on the floor.
Throughout the cacophony Herwald remained calm, his features impassive as he listened to the death throes of the Effigy with nary a sign of discomfort. It wasn't the first time he'd heard tortured screams after all, putting aside Quirrel the year before, the Einzberns did NOT suffer failure well, and he like all other children in the castle was made to watch whenever one of his peers was made an example of.
And so he stood there, his face as impassive as Salazar's statue as he watched the Heir of Slytherin, Tom Marvollo Riddle, the Boy-Who-Would-Become-Voldemort, writhe and twist on the ground, screaming in a strange mixture of human and Parseltongue, his limbs flailing frantically, as if searching for something to brace himself against the agony, something to keep him from falling deeper into the embrace of death.
And then he was gone, just like that, no puff of smoke, no ash to sweep up, one minute he had been writhing in agony not five feet away, the next there was nothing but the dying echoes of his screams, and the steady drip of ink still oozing from the diary.
"Ruhe in Frieden…" Herwald muttered, subconsciously crossing himself as he said so. Personally, he'd like nothing more than for the memory to burn in the infernal pits of hell, but better to be safe than sorry when it came to grudges from the deceased, the adopted Einzbern turning to face Mordred as the now corporeal Knight pulled her sword from the book "How does it feel to be amongst the living once more, Mordred?"
"It is…strange…" the Masked Knight admitted, her voice distorted by her helmet to sound more menacing, doubtless one of her Noble Phantasms "It is as if I have been half asleep, and only now stand awake." She admitted, gazing down at her sword as the last of the cursed ink was dissolved by the holy presence of the Fae Runes before turning to look at Herwald "How did you know this would work?"
"I didn't." Herwald admitted, smiling self-consciously as he imagined the look of shock on her face, bending down to pick up Riddle's diary, making sure to use a handkerchief, not daring to risk touching it with his bare hands.
It was one of the basic rules of the Heaven's Feel Ritual that a Master or Servant that had lost their partner could enter into a new pact provided the Master hadn't lost their Command Seals. It was one of the reasons the Seals were hoarded so religiously, a master that squandered his seals was considered an idiot of the highest calibre.
Still, that was no guarantee that the ritual would work with Mordred. When he'd summoned Assassin, he'd used an antique assassination tool, a relic recovered from the ancient order of Assassins during the crusades, in order to summon his Servant. Summoning a Servant without a catalyst required pot-luck, and more often than not the selection was random. In short, had Mordred not entered the summoning circle when she did, it was highly likely that some OTHER Epic Hero would've been summoned.
'And considering where we are, I'd bet any money it would have been Salazar Slytherin himself.' Herwald muttered, shivering at the idea of having to face not only Slytherin's heir and monster, but the man himself.
"Still, it is good to breathe the air of the living world once more…" Mordred opined, the Black Knight reaching up to remove her helmet, Herwald marveling at her resemblance to Arturia once more, unable to help a small smile as she scrunched up her nose in distaste "Though I must admit, this is a poor place to draw one's first breath."
"On that I will agree with you." Herwald chuckled, smiling wryly as he took in the damp, dimly lit Workshop of the legendary Salazar Slytherin, which had clearly been built with Salazar's particular tastes in mind "Could use a little more light in here, but with a little work, maybe some bookshelves, I think I could make it work."
"Mages…" Mordred scoffed, the Knight shaking her head in disbelief, a wry smirk adorning her lips that would've looked out of place on Arturia but seemed perfect for her as she watched Herwald eye their surroundings like a paleontologist in a bone yard "Always plotting something."
"Get used to it; we're going to be working together for some time." Herwald shot back, pausing in his examinations of the chamber to eye the knight when she scoffed "By the way, which class were you summoned to?"
"It would appear I have been summoned as Saber of Red." The Knight revealed, blinking in surprise at the look Herwald sent her "Is something amiss, Master?"
"Saber of RED?" Herwald repeated, the adopted Einzbern eyeing his recently summoned Servant in surprise, wondering if, just maybe, something had gone wrong with the ritual after all "You're certain that's your class?"
"I am." Mordred assured him, the Servant seeming just as confused with her Master's reaction as Herwald was at his Servant's title, a frown marring her features as she regarded the youth "Is there something wrong with my class?"
"What? No! Not at all…" Herwald countered, waving a hand to dismiss such a thought, even as he tried to make sense of it all in his mind. One of the main tenants of the Grail war was that it was to involve SEVEN Masters and SEVEN servants, who would be summoned from SEVEN Classes.
The one time the Einzberns had tried to alter the rule to better their chances, during the Third Grail War, it had backfired, summoning one of the weakest Servants imaginable, who had been amongst the first to fall. As a result, the Einzberns had forsworn going against the system again, and had instead focused on summoning the most powerful Servants of their respective classes for the upcoming wars, Arturia and Heracles being prime examples.
A faint moan from the end of the feet of Salazar's Statue snapped Herwald out of his musing, the Einzbern whipping round to see that Ginny was slowly stirring, the Einzbern turning to look at his Servant, only to sigh in relief as Mordred, without a word, returned to astral form, vanishing from sight.
'Well at least she seems aware of proper Servant procedure…' he muttered, putting his thoughts on the matter to the side for now as he knelt down by Ginny's side, helping her sit up with a firm, yet gentle hand on her back "Are you alright, Frau Weasley?"
"H-Harry?" Ginny stammered, blinking up at the Einzbern in confusion, only for realization to dawn in her eyes, the redhead sitting up straighter, taking in the towering chamber, the massive form of the dead basilisk.
"It's alright, Frau Weasley." Herwald assured her soothingly, placing a hand on her shoulders to get her to focus on him "It's dead, it cannot hurt you now."
"Dead?" Ginny repeated, as if surprised at the revelation, only to glance down, her eyes widening as she spied the ruined diary in his hand, her breath catching before she promptly tackled him, her arms wrapping around him as tears trailed down her face "Oh Harry! I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy…" she took a shuddering breath "it was me, Harry. Bu I s-swear I d-didn't mean to!"
"It's alright Frau…Ginny." Herwald assured her, deciding to use her name as a means of comforting her better, the Einzbern patting the girl on the back as he did so "I know, Riddle told me everything…just before I finished him off anyways."
"He's gone then?" Ginny asked, torn between confusion, wonderment and relief as she sat back, allowing Herwald to breathe easier "But…how? How did you find me? How did you…" she glanced towards the still form of the Basilisk and flinched "How did you kill that thing?"
"Magic." Herwald replied, smiling at the look of stunned amazement on her face as he helped her get to her feet "Never mind for now, let's see about getting you out of here."
"O…okay…" Ginny stammered, blushing as she accepted his outstretched hand, Herwald guiding her out of the Chamber, but not before retrieving her wand from where it had fallen, the redhead staring at it sadly as he led the way towards the tunnels beyond "I'm going to be expelled, aren't I?" she asked, fighting back the tears, though her voice trembled as she said it "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since Bill came, and now I'll have to leave and…" she swallowed, torn between shame and fear "what'll Mum and Dad say?"
"That you're worrying about nothing." Herwald assured her, his voice calm as he led her through the caverns, following the spectral form of Mordred as the Servant led the way "It was Riddle that made you do those things, and Ron's told me all about your father's experience with Magical tomes, so they shouldn't be too harsh on you."
"You think so?" she asked, still a little shaky, though there was a tinge of hope in her voice as she glanced up at him, a faint blush adorning her cheeks.
"I know so." Herwald assured her, though his smile soon fell as they came to the end of the tunnel, where the entrance to the shaft coming to a halt at the base of the tunnel "Now then…how the Hölle are we supposed to get back up there?"
"I…I think there's another way out…" Ginny stammered, the redhead blushing nervously as Herwald turned towards her "I remember another door that I…Tom…RIDDLE would use to get back to the surface without relying on the tunnels, it comes out near Hagrid's hut."
"Trust a serpent to have more than one way out." Herwald muttered, his tone laced with approval as he nodded subtly to Mordred, the invisible Servant following the pair as Ginny led the way back down the tunnels, up a concealed flight of stairs that emerged just inside the Forbidden Forest, within walking distance of Hagrid's hut.
"Mein Gott, look how late it's gotten…" Herwald muttered, the Einzbern blinking as he took in the Sun's position on the horizon "Must have been down there for over an hour…Draco's probably up in arms by now."
Ginny's POV...
Ginny said nothing, the redhead sending a distraught look towards Hagrid's hut, no doubt recalling how the Groundskeeper had been hauled off under suspicion of being the culprit for Riddle's actions, to which she herself was an unwitting accomplice, only to look up as Herwald clapped a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Come on," he urged, tilting his head towards the castle proper "Let's get you inside, I'm sure Professor McGonagall will be glad to see you're safe."
Ginny blushed, both at the feel of her crush's touch and his concern for her, the redhead taking his hand once again as he led them towards the castle, unaware of the silent form of Mordred as the Knight followed in astral form. No sooner had they stepped into the Great hall however, did they run smack dab into none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, the ponce looking greatly surprised at their arrival. Under his arms he carried several boxes, and two large trunks were levitating behind him.
"Ah…Mr. Potter…" the fop stammered, attempting his usual charming smile, though it looked more like a death grin as he glanced about, as if looking for some other means of escape "Fancy meeting you here…"
"Indeed…" Herwald opined, standing in front of Ginny, his emerald eyes narrowing as they roamed over Lockhart, glancing towards the boxes in his arms and the trunks "Going somewhere, Professor?"
"Ah, well, yes…" Lockhart stammered, the fop sweating under the force of Herwald's emerald stare, though he managed to maintain a semblance of his nervous smile "I received an urgent call, one of my colleagues from the Dark Defence League needs my assistance on a rather pressing assignment. It's simply unavoidable so I have to go."
"What about Ginny Weasley?" Herwald cut in, his tone cool, Ginny, hiding behind him, apparently catching on and keeping silent "I would have thought the fact she's been taken into the Chamber of Secrets would be a more urgent matter."
"Well, as to that…" Lockhart stammered, the fop now avoiding Herwald's eyes as he tried to subtly step past, only for Herwald to stand fast, his emerald eyes never leaving Lockhart's face "Most unfortunate, no one regrets more than I..."
"Are you not the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Herwald pressed, his voice cold as the Basilisk's blood as he continued to glare at the man "Is it not your duty to this school to protect your students from harm?" he carried on, not giving Lockhart space to gather his wits to respond "One would assume a man as EXPERIENCED as yourself would laugh in the face of such a challenge." He narrowed his eyes coldly "Unless, of course, you've been lying all this time."
Ginny blinked, the redhead looking on, unnoticed behind Herwald's back, as Lockhart froze, the man's eyes widening as he stood gaping down at the Boy-Who-Lived, his mouth hanging open in mid-retort.
"I did a little background research." Herwald continued, his tone calm as he continued to glare into Lockhart's eyes "The Einzbern Family is good at getting information on people that might prove…useful to us down the line."
Ginny shivered, a sentiment that was apparently shared by Lockhart, as the man was looking decidedly pale at the idea that the Einzberns had been tracking him.
"Imagine my surprise," Herwald continued, when our contact within the Magus Association's Enforcers revealed they had never heard of a Gilderoy Lockhart, or at least were unable to confirm that anyone by that name had been involved in the cases you claimed to have solved."
"Well…" Lockhart stammered, plastering on a weak smile as he did so "As I said, I was only ever an HONORARY member of the Dark Defence League…"
"Because all OFFICIAL MEMBERS are meant to register their achievements and Missions for screening by the Wizengamot." Herwald cut in like a whip-crack, actually causing Lockhart to flinch "The only people who AREN'T required to do so are the Enforcers, who answer only to the Magus Association, and those who wish to be left alone for various reasons."
Herwald's POV...
Lockhart said nothing, the man looking like a rat caught between a snake and a wall, only to suddenly smile, a confident, sickly smile that reminded Herwald far too much of Tom Riddle for his liking. "I suppose I should've expected so much from you, Harry." he applauded, ignoring the scowl Herwald sent his way "Indeed, I must admit that I wasn't entirely, TRUTHFUL, about my adventures. I admit I might have…rewritten a few things, yes." Lockhart admitted, apparently without losing a beat "But then again, I highly doubt my books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things."
"You've been taking the credit for other people's work." Herwald accused, his eyes like frozen emeralds as he glared at the man "Probably the work of Hermits that managed to escape the Enforcers and simply wished to be left alone."
Hermits and Philosophers were Magi who'd received a Sealing Designation, yet had managed to escape from the Enforcers before they could be turned into test subjects. Whereas Philosophers were considered a viable threat, and were pursued mercilessly, Hermits were generally left alone provided they didn't do something to reveal themselves to the non-magical public.
"Sharp as ever, Harry." Lockhart noted, that strange smiles still adorning his face as he continued to eye the boy "It wasn't easy tracking them all down, and even after I found them, it wasn't easy getting them to reveal their secrets." His eyes twinkled with some strange emotion "After I'd gotten them to spill the beans however, it was a simple matter of modifying their memories before letting the Enforcers know where to find them."
"You're a coward and a thief, Lockhart." Herwald growled, the Einzbern's features as dark as his hair as he scowled up at the man "You're nothing more than a vulture, and that's an insult to carrion eaters worldwide."
"Everyone's a critic." Lockhart simpered, before tossing his boxes in the air, as if to distract the teen, even as he leveled his wand at his chest "OBLIVI-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!"
Herwald snorted, sneering down at Lockhart as he lowered his foot, the fop dropping his wand to clutch at his family jewels as he collapsed on his side, gaping like a landed trout.
"You have NO idea how long I've wanted to do that." Herwald muttered, a satisfied expression adorning his features as he noted the growing red stain forming between Lockhart's legs before kicking the fraud in the side so he was lying on his back. "Petrificus Totalus." he ordered, smirking as the fraud's arms snapped to his sides with a forcible crack, Lockhart's eyes widening in horror as he gazed up at his tormentor through a wall of pained tears.
"Don't worry, Scheißekopf, I've no intention of hurting you any further." Herwald assured the man, towering over him like the proverbial Sword of Damocles "Not physically anyway. After all, they say revenge is a dish best served cold..." he smiled coldly "and I can only imagine how your fans will react when they learn just how much of a fraud you are."
Lockhart's eyes widened, it was all he could do really, though Herwald was surprised to note several veins in the man's head were twitching, a sure sign that he was struggling against his bonds. "Don't bother," he mocked, "I've no intention of letting you go until the proper authorities arrive. And just in case you were thinking of using your ill-gotten fame to your advantage…" he gestured over his shoulder at Ginny, who was standing nearby, torn between alarm and shock at what she'd just seen "I'm sure Miss Weasley will be MORE than willing to testify against the man who left her for dead."
So saying, got to his feet, his wand coming up to open a nearby Broom closet, directing Lockhart's petrified form into it, none too gently either, before sealing it with a locking charm, ensuring that Filch wouldn't be opening it any time soon without a staff member to help.
"Glad that's over with." He muttered, putting his wand away with a sniff of disgust, looking down in surprise as something tapped against his boot, only to smile wryly as he picked up Lockhart's new wand "And I even got a souvenir out of it…not bad at all."
"Was that…all true?" Ginny asked, the redhead finally finding her voice as she looked between her idol and the closet that now contained Lockhart "Did he really do all those things?"
"A little something that my Grandfather taught me." Herwald revealed, shivering as he recalled Jubstacheit's lessons on deception and manipulation "A braggart loves the sound of his own voice, he'll wax poetic about his achievements till you're blue in the face, ESPECIALLY when he believes he has you on the ropes."
"I see…" Ginny murmured, torn between her admiration for the older boy and her disgust at just what kind of man Lockhart truly was "I hope they throw him in Azkaban."
"Unlikely." Herwald countered, looking grim "As he said, most of the people he plagiarised were Hermits, which meant they were already on the Magus Association's Blacklist, even if they weren't high priority." He smirked "Not that it matters, as I've been looking into ruining the Scheißekopf ever since he vanished my arms, by this time tomorrow, there won't be a paper in Britain that isn't broadcasting what we just learned today."
Ginny's POV...
Ginny blinked, eyeing her crush with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a little wariness. Her brothers, predominantly Ron, had told her that Harry, Herwald rather, wasn't what everyone made him out to be. The fact he was a Slytherin had been a shock, certainly, but she hadn't cared about that, as he was still Harry Potter regardless what colours he wore.
It turned out, however, that the Harry James Potter she'd grown up hearing about was nothing like the Herwald von Einzbern she'd come to know over the year. He was charming, certainly, and polite when it suited, but he was crafty as well, as Fred and George could vouch, and did NOT appreciate slander, whether it was directed at him or any of his friends. He wasn't a Quidditch fan, which was a rarity in boys his age, and seemed to prefer the company of a good book to sports, though that didn't mean he was unsociable.
In other words, compared to the ideal, 'Golden Boy' that Ginny, and most of the Wizarding World, had grown up expecting him to be, Herwald von Einzbern was decidedly more real, more relatable, and as such, all the more approachable. It was actually quite reassuring actually, to learn that the Boy-Who-Lived was just as human as she was, rather than Merlin reborn as some of the tabloids proclaimed him.
"Now then." Herwald spoke up, snapping the redhead out of her thoughts once more as he dusted off his hands "What say we see about finding the Headmaster's office?"
Something trilled, the students and Spirit looking up to see a large, winged creature swooping down towards them, trilling softly, filling their chests with a warm, indescribable feeling.
Herwald's POV...
"That's a Phoenix." Mordred murmured, her voice audible only to Herwald, her emerald eyes wide with amazement at the sight of the immortal firebird "They were rare even in my time."
"Grandfather mentioned that Dumbledore had a Phoenix familiar." Herwald recalled, eyeing the phoenix with a mixture of wariness and intrigue as it alighted on the banister of the great staircase "You must be Fawkes."
"Pretty…" Ginny opined, eyeing the beautiful creature with a look of wonder, reaching out hesitantly to touch it, Fawkes crooning softly as he allowed her to stroke his plumage, before flapping it's wings and rising into the air, the trio looking on as it flew up the stairs, alighting on the upper level, one golden eye looking back at them expectantly.
"Are you here to show us the way?" Herwald asked, honestly not surprised when the Phoenix bowed it's head slightly in acknowledgement, Mordred following in the pairs wake as they followed the glowing golden bird up the stairs and down a long corridor, coming to a halt outside a room which Ginny identified as Professor McGonagall's office, having come here once before in an attempt to tell her head of house about the diary, only to lose her nerve at the last moment.
"If only I'd told her none of this would have happened…" Ginny stammered, eyeing the door to the office warily, only to blink as Fawkes alighted on her shoulder, the phoenix crooning gently, sending a wave of warmth through her.
"What's done is done, Frau Weasley." Herwald assured the girl, his tone soothing as he stood beside her, the invisible form of Mordred at his back "What matters now is what you do next."
Ginny blinked, smiling gratefully at the elder youth, one hand coming up to stroke Fawkes' plumage before reaching out to knock on the door, pushing it open when the Professor's voice called them to enter.
For a moment there was silence, before a deafening scream tore through the corridor, Mordred, still in astral form, actually going for her sword until Herwald mentally ordered her to stand down.
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley cried, the girl's parents leaping from their seats in front of McGonagall's fireplace, all manner of decorum forgotten as they flung themselves on their daughter, tears of relief falling freely as they held her close, as if fearful she would disappear once more "Oh Ginny, Ginny, Ginny…!"
"Mum…Dad…" Ginny managed to get out, the youngest Weasley eyeing her parents in wonderment, as if seeing them for the first time, tears of relief forming in her eyes as she returned their embrace, burying her face in her parent's chests as she did so "I'm sorry…"
There, two chapters for the Price of One, enjoy.
As explained, expect this and Philosopher's stone to undergo an overhaul before Prisoner of Azkaban is released. Don't worry, won't be removing Famelheim. Simply making some edits to address issues brought to my attention.