The thestrals seemed to take ages to get to London, and all the while, Harry's blood was pounding, his heart hammering in his chest. They didn't understand – Sirius had to be saved. They hadn't seen what he had seen, they didn't know what he was going through. Harry did. How could he not? He'd been through it himself. His Godfather had broken out of Azkaban for him, the least he could do was break out of school when Sirius needed him most. It was like a cruel joke where the punch line was literally the next punch in the face.
When they landed he took off running to the elevator, forcing his friends to run after him. He might've left them behind in his hurry had they not all been good runners – in this day and age you needed to be. The fitness training through the Combat lessons had vastly improved his physical health – but that was at the bottom of his 'important thoughts' list at the moment. He didn't even think about it.
The lack of elevator music was a mixture of worrying and gratitude – he didn't think he could stand the stupid replayed chimes that so often played, but nor could he stand the silence as they waited, waited to get to what could possibly be his Godfather's death scene.
He practically stumbled out of the elevator into the tiled corridors and a flash of almost pain swept through him as a sickening thud hit his stomach.
"This is it. Through this door." He panted, bursting through.
"Harry!" He heard Hermione's voice, but didn't register it "Harry! Wait!" How could he wait? It was simple: he couldn't. He was muttering the numbers under his breath, the vision accurately clear in his mind. One row after another of shelves filled with glass orbs, the light dim overhead. He ran to the spot, but there was no one there.
"But, he was right here! I swear! Right here!" He checked the name of the shelves again and turned as his friends caught up with him, dragging with them the sickening truth, that he had been tricked. Sirius wasn't there. If he had been, there would be blood, a body, something. There was nothing. The room hadn't been touched.
"Harry, we have to go." Hermione said quietly "He's not here."
"Harry," Neville said slowly, all eyes turned to him. He was staring at an orb in particular, his back to them. "It's got your name on it." He turned to look at Harry, and Harry looked back before walked over. Neville pointed to it, and Harry stood on his tiptoes to look. The orb went cloudy inside, and he reached up slowly. He picked it up, his breathing echoing through the room. He stared at it, and as he stared the clouds swirled even more, and a face seemed to sweep through them, just as white and wispy as the clouds themselves.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches." A voice rasped as Harry's breath hitched. The voice seemed to be coming from the orb itself. "And the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not. For neither can live while the other survives."
"Harry!" Hermione's voice brought him back to reality. He suddenly noticed how cold the room had gotten. He turned to look at her, and saw what his friends were seeing. A figure, clad in long black cloak and mask, was approaching them.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, his voice more confident than his mind.
"You know," the figure said "you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams…" The figure raised his wand to his face, and the mask melted away. "…And reality." Lucius Malfoy finished, and Harry stiffened. Of course he'd known Lucius was a death-eater, but the fact he was here was bad. And, Sirius wasn't here, which was both good and bad. He hadn't been tortured, but at the same time, they needed him.
"You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see." Lucius finished. "Now, hand me the prophecy."
"If you do anything to us I'll break it." Harry said instantly. There came a cackled laugh from down the corridor behind Lucius as another figure emerged.
"He knows how to play!" She announced. "Itty, bitty, baby, Potter." She sneered. Harry noticed her face was slightly bloody, but even without the blood she would have been on the worse side of ugly. Not as ugly as Umbridge, as if she had been pretty once. Just, not any more.
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Neville almost whimpered.
"Neville Longbottom is it? How's mum and dad?" She smirked.
"Better now they're about to be avenged!" Neville thrust his wand up as arms went out to stop him. Lucius's own wand had raised in the same moment.
"Now, let's just everybody, calm down, shall we?" He said slowly. "All we want, is that prophecy."
"Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?" Harry asked.
"You dare speak his name," Bellatrix whispered "You filthy half-blood!" She nearly screamed at him.
"It's alright, he's just a curious lad, aren't you?" Lucius said, his wand still raised. Harry noticed Neville glancing around, and guessed they were surrounded by more death-eaters.
"Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they are made." Lucius said "Which is lucky, for you, really." His friends made a circle around him, each pointing their wands outwards. The death-eaters were closing in.
"Haven't you always wondered…" Lucius continued, his voice going deadly, quiet. "what was the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord?" They were moving closer, slowly. "Why he was unable to kill you, when you were just and infant. Don't you want to know the secret or your scar?" He was within an arms distance now. "All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do, is give it to me. Then I can show you everything." He couldn't help but look down at the cloudy orb in his hand.
"Hey," A new voice spoke up from behind Bellatrix, and she moved quickly before a fist smashed into her nose.
"Running away from a fight? Now that is not cool." Valkyrie grinned grimly as she eyed Harry.
"I quite agree." Another voice from behind them, and then a gunshot sounded, and a death-eater was down, revealing Skulduggery behind him, looking absolutely terrifying with his hat pulled low and the shadows dancing off his skull. "It is most impolite."
The room was engulfed in black smoke as the death-eaters took off into the air Valkyrie ran to them and grabbed Harry's hand.
"This way, quick." She took off running, the students behind her "What were you thinking? Coming here?" Valkyrie asked, panting as she ran. She turned a sharp corner, pulling them after her and a death-eater jumped down. Her palm flew at the air and it rippled, slamming like a wall into his body. She clicked her fingers and lobbed a fireball at his head. He dodged it at the last second, turning back into smoke.
"Where's Skulduggery?" Someone panted from the back.
"Trying to take 'em out. He's meeting us back when everything's safe!" She yelled back. She threw a fireball into the sky, illuminating the ceiling and the black tunnels of smoke shooting above them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. One dodged down the middle of the group.
"PetrificusTotalus!" Neville yelled.
"Well done Neville," Luna said, panting in that far-away voice of hers. A shadow came down far in front of them and Ginny ran to the front.
"Reducto!"A jet of light shot from her wand, sending an explosion blasting towards them.
"Time to go! Other way! Other way!" Valkyrie steered them down a different path. The door came to them as if Valkyrie was summoning it. She threw it open and then moved.
"In! Now! Now!" Harry jumped through, and then Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna before jumping through herself. It closed behind them as they landed.
"Shit. Wrong room." Valkyrie said, panting. There was an empty arch that didn't seem fully empty, stood in the middle of the room.
"Is everyone ok? Everyone here?" Valkyrie asked. They nodded "What the hell were you thinking?" She said, an exasperated look on her face.
"Sirius, my god-father, I thought he was in danger. It's my fault." Harry said, panting himself. The room above rattled, and then everything went dark. Valkyrie felt herself reaching out instinctively and caught someone's hand in hers. The light came back on, and everyone but herself and Harry had been taken by the death-eaters, held with a wand to their throats in each corner of the room. Valkyrie let go of Harry's hand, realising it was his she had been holding, and faced the only empty handed death-eater.
"Kill him" Darquesse whispered to her "He deserves it. KILL HIM." Valkyrie raised her gun and pointed it at him, clicking back the hammer.
"Let them go or it'll be your brains on the wall." She snarled.
"I think not." Lucius said, almost triumphantly. "All we want is the prophecy, and we'll leave. That's not so much to ask, now, is it? One, little prophecy for the lives of all these young people. It's more than fair."
"You're this close to being shot. Trust me, it's painful. I'd let them go if I were you." She was still snarling, Darquesse voice getting giddier, more excited.
"KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"
"Hand over the prophecy, Potter, and we'll let your friends go."
"Don't do it Harry!" Neville called from across the room. It was the distraction Valkyrie needed. She lunged forwards, grabbing Lucius's arm and snapping it up, sending a foot into his stomach, sending him to his knees, before spinning and sending her boot into his face. There was a satisfying crack of the nose breaking, and in a split second Valkyrie's gun was at his head.
"Now, you let them go or he's dead!"
"Why would we care?" Bellatrix hissed from across the room, and Valkyrie's strength faltered before she pushed the gun barrel further into his head.
"Maybe you should care more," Valkyrie said, her voice bitter "We have senstivies, people who can read his mind and tell us exactly where Voldemort is and what he's planning, so suggest you think of him as a more valuable asset.
"How dare you speak his name!" Bellatrix screeched "You filthy Mudblood! Who do you think you are?!"
"I am Valkyrie Cain!" She said loudly, strongly "Last known descendant of the Ancients, of the first humans ever to wield magic. And you, have royally pissed me off."
The room broke into chaos as shadows erupted from the walls at the death eaters and light enveloped the room. Tunnels resembling the death-eaters, but made of white lights instead of shadow. She had a feeling they weren't bad guys, but you never could be too careful. She moved closer, back to Harry, gun still pointed at Lucius's head. The death-eaters disappeared, the lighter ones turning back into people, looking around, gathering the students. One appeared right behind Harry, and he turned.
"Sirius," He breathed, and Valkyrie looked at him. Curses were flying around the room and Valkyrie pushed at the air with her palm, sending a death-eater slamming into the wall.
"Now listen to me," the man called Sirius said to Harry as they ducked behind a large rock. Valkyrie followed them, covering them while they talked, and unintentionally eavesdropping. "Take the others and get out of here."
"What? No, I'm staying with you."
"You've done beautifully. But, let us take it form here."
"Black!" Someone called, and Valkyrie looked to see Lucius, back up and standing, his good hand holding his wand, pointed at Sirius. Valkyrie threw a fireball at him, cursing under her breath.
Another death eater appeared beside him and Valkyrie snapped up a shield of air.
"Go, I got this. Harry, I would never normally say this, but do as you're told, get out of here." Sirius grabbed Harry by the arm and ducked behind another rock as Valkyrie dropped her shield and pushed at the air. One of them deflected it, so she threw a fireball at their chest that sent them shooting up in black smoke. She ducked under cover just in time to see Bellatrix jump onto a tall rock and point her wand at them.
"AvadaKadavra!" The curse hit Sirius full on in the chest, and the world seemed to slow. The death-eaters disappeared, Bellatrix grinned and stepped back into the shadows as Sirius stumbled through the empty archway, and disappeared. Her necromancy ring tingled. She knew he was dead, but the pain on Harry's face was unlike anything she'd seen before. She'd probably had the same expression on her own face at some point or another, but to see it on someone else's… Another man held Harry back as he screamed. Valkyrie stood straight, breathing heavily as she spotted the other students being huddled away, but when she turned away Harry was gone, the other man stumbling away as if he had been pushed off. Bellatrix was gone too. She looked around quickly.
"Where's Harry?" She found herself asking stupidly before she spotted the corridor he must have run down. She ran after him, someone calling her name. She ran out into the larger room, the opening of the Minsitry where Fletcher had teleported Skulduggery and her in. Harry was stood over Bellatrix, who was whimpering slightly on the floor. And then a darkness seemed to swarm behind him, the air chilled.
She knew then that Voldemort was with them.
He was as ugly as Harry had described, his voice whispering in a, cruel, cold, raspy voice that reminded Valkyrie all too much of her inner demon.
"
"You've got to mean it Harry." Voldemort whispered "She killed him. She deserves it. You know the spell Harry." Bellatrix began to laugh as Valkyrie neared, sticking to the walls, the shadows covering her every move "Do it."
Harry turned and Voldemort swept the wand out of his hands. There was a clatter as it span across the floor, out of reach.
"So weak."Voldemort said, strongly now. Valkyrie stepped out.
"Hey ugly!" She called, (and was actually amused to find he turned to this call) before firing three bullets into his stomach. His body jutted backwards with each shot as it pierced him, sending him stumbling backwards slightly. Then he stood and glared at her, his own wand pointed to his injuries as they healed.
"Harry move, move now!" Valkyrie said, and Harry did, running. Bellatrix dodged and burst into green flames n a fireplace. Voldemort shot a curse at her. She deflected, dodged, span, fired her gun, pushed at the air.
"KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM!" The chants seemed to simulate the firing of attacks from either side, Darquesse's mixture of glee and rage spurring Valkyrie on. The shadows wrapped themselves around Valkyrie's legs but were no restraint, merely fuelling her as they warped and shifted.
"KILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHIM!" Valkyrie was tempted to yell back 'I'm trying!', but held her tongue, focusing on her magic and her gun. Voldemort fired a curse and then screamed in outrage, the air pulsing and shattering every window in the building. Valkyrie tried to manipulate the air but it had been sucked away from her. She ducked her head behind her arm as glass shattered over her, not piercing her protective clothes, but a few shards grazing across her cheeks. She threw fire in response, pushing it forwards with the air, but another attack drove her back, a third making her stumble out of the way to avoid it hitting her feet. 'No' she thought 'I am not losing to this ugly asshole'. She couldn't get close enough to punch, her gun was out of bullets, and although strong, his curses were more dangerous than hers. She had fire and air. He had death and pain. Well, technically she had death too, but she wasn't really sure if she did want to kill him - put him through a lot of pain, yes, but kill him, without Harry having the opportunity to spit his face? Nope. Not by a long shot. Valkyrie dodged a curse that came too close before a burst of green fire cut them off. Professor Dumbledore appeared from the smoke and took a quick look around. Voldemort's face fell.
"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom." He said, looking at Voldemort, then he glanced to Valkyrie "Detective Cain, please get Harry out of the way." Valkyrie paused, and looked at him, seeing the seriousness in his eyes, before she nodded.
"Yes sir." She moved over to Harry, who looked up at her with wide eyes that were more shocked than afraid. But now wasn't the time for chit-chat. If they stayed where they were, they would be in the firing line.
"C'mon." She grabbed his arm and tugged him out of the way, around the fireplace to the side. A wave of fire rushed past them just in time for them to duck out of the way. Dumbledore whipped up a ball of water that surrounded him, and then burst open to drown Voldemort in a giant bubble, but the dark wizard threw it aside, breaking free. Curses flew back and forth. Valkyrie concentrated her shadows as she watched them and made a tendril snake around Voldemort's ankle. Too late did he look down as Valkyrie's jerked her arm and he went tumbling to his back. Another shadow stabbed at his side as he staggered to his feet, growling and howling in outrage. He snarled at the three of them as Valkyrie disappeared.
"What? No!" Valkyrie stood, swearing. Harry pushed himself to his feet and managed to walk a few steps before collapsing.
"Harry!" She knelt at his side, looking for wounds, blood, anything. He hadn't been caught in the crossfire while she had been fighting had he? Was he injured? Hurt? Or just overwhelmed at watching his Godfather die? He began to convulse, his head twisting.
"You're a fool old man," Harry's lips were the one's moving, but it was Voldemort's voice that spoke to Dumbledore. Valkyrie seethed inside. Harry twitched, his face pale as his head jerked from side to side.
'Help him,'
"Why should I?"
'Just do it Darquesse. Do it now.'
"There doesn't seem to be anything that I would gain from th-"
'Goddamn it I said do it now!'
"Jeez, so aggressive nowadays." Valkyrie put her hand to Harry's shoulder and felt a wall in her mind break down as Darquesse send tendrils of magic through her arm and into his. She searched for his soul, found shards of darkness embedded into his heart.
"If I pull them out he'll die." She almost let out a sob. She couldn't help him. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. She moved the magic away from his heart and instead focused on his mind, trying to slash away at the darkness that was threatening to invade it. She focused her strength, giving it to him through sheer will as she felt her own body draining some million miles away.
"You'll never know love," Harry whispered, in his own voice, and Valkyrie knew he was speaking to Voldemort "or friendship," she withdrew the magic. Harry was strong enough on his own. "And I feel sorry for you." She felt her own mind connect back to her body, Darquesse whispering in her mind,
"You owe me." Harry convulsed one last time before an array of dust flew up in a cylinder around them. Voldemort appeared again.
"You're a fool Harry Potter." He whispered. There was noise, footsteps, a crowd of people was coming. Voldemort looked up behind them, saw something they didn't and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Valkyrie turned her head and saw the Minister of Magic standing at the front of the crowd.
"H-he's back." Fudge half spat and half whispered. Dumbledore moved closer to Harry, who had half-fainted. Valkyrie noticed the other students, stood far in front of them with a group of adults she presumed to be the causes of the bright lights. And , casually on the wall, half hidden in shadow, his façade now active. She could hear photographs being taken, and ducked out of the way. She didn't want to be seen.
"We should get him out of here." She muttered, and Dumbledore nodded, propping Harry up so his head wasn't on the ground anymore. Dumbledore helped him up, not bothering to spare a glance to the media and gestured his head to the others. Valkyrie nodded and shadow-travelled to Skulduggery's side. The man who had held Harry back took over from Dumbledore when they reached the crowd. Fletcher appeared beside them, unusually morose, and teleported them back to Hogwarts.
It passed like a blur, a dream. Harry and the others were taken to the hospital wing, Dumbledore stormed to Umbridge's office and dismissed her, banishing her from the grounds. Fletcher disappeared. McGonagall fretted. Parents were alerted. They themselves were ushered to the hospital wing. Harry was still only partly conscious, the others a bit bloody and bruised, but they'd live. Valkyrie had barely noticed her own wounds. Broken nose, bruises, cuts across her hands and face. Minor injuries. She could deal with them. Skulduggery appeared to be fine, but then, there was no skin to damage when he went without his façade, as they had done at the Riddle house.
Of course, Kenspeckle fussed, blamed Skulduggery, fussed some more, as he had always done. It was strange to be treated at his hand again, but felt subconsciously pleasing. A pleasant reminder of old friends, bickering and bantering.
Hermione approached her as Skulduggery went to talk to Kenspeckle and Madam Pomfrey.
"We thought you were dead." Hermione said bluntly.
"Why on earth would you think that?" Valkyrie replied just as bluntly – she wasn't really in the mood to be scolded, much less by someone younger than her.
"Facing you-know-who is the most stupid and reckless thing anyone could have done."
"So why did you do it?"
"What?"
"You went to the Department of Mysteries knowing there was a 50% change he would be there, that Harry's godfather wasn't really in danger. So, why did you go?"
"We're not talking about me-"
"This is my job, Hermione. We go in, we get the bad guy. That's what I do. But you, no disrespect, but you're a kid. I mean, I used to hate it when people called me that, but it's what you are. You weren't ready for that. I'm trained, you're not."
"We trained with the D.A."
"Small spells taught by another kid, admittedly a very brave kid, but a kid nonetheless. It was stupid, and you know it."
"I might have known it." Hermione said quietly "But there was still the 50% chance that Sirius really was down there. Harry was going, we weren't going to abandon him."
"Which is what a true friend would is , but still good." Valkyrie stood. "Well, I'll be off."
"Where are you going?" Hermione's tone suddenly sounded worried.
"I have work to do. Voldemort's still out there. We've still got to go and get him."
"Actually, we don't." Skulduggery's smooth voice interrupted them. Valkyrie turned to him and he gestured to the door. Valkyrie glanced to Hermione in a silent 'goodbye' before following him out of the door.
"We've been taken off the case." Skulduggery said as soon as they were in the corridor, "Apart from the fact the Ministry hates us, now that Voldemort's presence is official, the Ministry is launching its own investigation. They're sending Aurors as we speak."
"Aurors?"
"Wizard versions of us that are less amazing."
"Ah."
"We're handing over the information we've gathered about where his possible locations may be as well as all the identities of the people at the house and the Department of Mysteries. Usually the Sanctuary would be less gracious about it, but as it's Harry's life at stake, we've agreed to comply."
"That's good."
"It also means we're not staying at Hogwarts after this."
"Not so good."
"Mmm. We're leaving at the end of the school year, which is, two weeks away, with the other students. The Combat lessons over this last period of time are going to be optional, although I doubt anyone will take them."
"Is that just so we have something to do?"
"Absolutely, though you're training will also be starting again."
"Damn."
"How very insulting."
"You need an insult every now and again – it lowers your overly large ego."
"My ego is of a perfect size for someone so brilliant."
"Oh of course." Valkyrie rolled her eyes, and then paused, and sighed.
"Harry could have died today."
"But he didn't."
"He could have done."
"But, as I just said, he didn't. Harry and Voldemort are connected through the scar on Harry's head. I'm still working out what it means, but so far it's obvious that they share some of the same powers, and after tonight, we can be fairly sure they can see each other's thoughts, at least some of the time."
"So, like me and her?"
"A little. Except Harry and Voldemort are two different people, you are Darquesse are just varieties of the same person."
"'The bad mood', right?"
"Indeed." There was a moment of silence "You tapped into her magic, didn't you?"
"What?"
"I know magic when I see it Valkyrie. You're an elemental, not a… I don't even think there's a word for someone who practises pure magic. There should be one. I'll make one up. But, at any rate, that's what you did, isn't it."
"No. Well, not really. Possibly a little bit."
"It was very dangerous."
"I know," Valkyrie sighed "But what else could I do? He might have died."
"I know, I'm just saying you have to be careful. That's all."
"I know." Valkyrie sighed "I'm trying."
