Sweet Release
"It's been two weeks," said Sirius with exasperation. Every second that passed the wizard felt his strength weaken. He didn't know how, but he could feel Harry was waking. He didn't like it, particularly if it meant he would have to go back to the boring Hogwarts mind-room. "Tell me you at least have something," he said, his voice rising.
"Not yet," said Stefan standing on the other side of the barrier. "Klaus still has four witches to find, then your bodies."
Sirius paced around his prison. He was starting to get why Harry didn't like being confined. It meant that he couldn't do what he liked, that he was under the power of someone else. This was why both he and Remus had wanted so much to have their own bodies not caring what happened to Harry's mind.
"I don't get why you want to leave that body, anyway," said the Ripper in a musing tone. He walked closer to the barrier but did not pass through it. "Won't you lose your power if you do?"
Sirius stopped, looking at the Ripper with interest shining in his eyes. Sirius shrugged. "My power lies in my blood," he said. "At least that's the theory shared between me, Remus, and Harry. But we could be wrong, and in that case, it's why we're having our minds transferred to witches." Sirius smiled. "Why are you here, Ripper? From what Elena Gilbert said about you, you're no longer the person who would go around following Niklaus."
"He and I have mutual interests," said Stefan.
"Do tell," said Sirius and when the Ripper hesitated he added, "we're about to be allies, Ripper, the least you can do is tell me what I have to look forward to in my new life."
"What do you know about the Five?"
"Nothing at all," answered Sirius.
"Then you don't know what you've been protecting all this time," said Stefan.
"What Harry has been sitting on, and as I've told Klaus, mate, I'm not Harry."
'Tell him to say your name,' said Remus. 'I want to test something.'
"I'd like you to do me a favour, Ripper, and in return I will owe you, and I don't think I need to remind you how opportune it is to be owed by someone of my power."
"Name it."
"My name is Sirius Black. Call it would you?"
Stefan shrugged. "Sirius Black," he said and a sigh rang through Sirius' head.
"What does this mean?" Stefan raised a brow in question to which Sirius shook his head.
'Magic sees us as different from Harry,' said Remus. 'The wards will stop us from entering Harry's house.'
"That's going to be a problem."
'We'll need the wand.'
"That's if our magic is the same as Harry's. Merlin I wish we knew wandless magic."
'Back to the matter at hand, ask him about this Five business.'
"Do you mind continuing with this Five talk?"
Stefan continued. "The Brotherhood of the Five are a group of hunters Klaus and his siblings had to deal with nine centuries ago. Their special in that they were given their abilities by a dying witch. Their sole purpose is to kill vampires."
"If this is the case, then why would Niklaus still be keeping Connor alive?" asked Sirius.
"Because he also has a tattoo which is the map to the Cure," said Stefan, capitalising the last word.
"There are many things that can be Cured, you can't expect me to know what you're talking about," said Sirius stopping once in his pacing to glare at the Ripper.
"The Cure to Immortality," Stefan elaborated.
"Holy crap you have got to be kidding me," said Sirius, his last words because the next second he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Harry's head was pounding as he awoke. This had been the strangest sleep he had ever experienced, he remembered nothing of it, only being asleep and waking up; the only reason he knew he had slept for a long time was that he was no longer tired. He felt far more invigorated than before, he felt he could conjure Fiendfyre and not feel the slightest bit weary for it.
He pushed himself to his feet and looked around. He was in a room, and from the magic at the four corners of the room, Harry guessed he had been caught in the Binding Spell.
"Merlin be damned," Harry muttered under his breath.
"You back," Harry whirled around and came eye to eye with the Ripper.
"You're here, I can't say I'm surprised," said Harry. "You're working with Niklaus, and I guess that telling Lexi of Niklaus' disappearance was all a ploy to get me here." Harry walked forward until he hit the barrier. The perfect shield and he was bound by it. He couldn't Apparate or Portkey out of the room less he kill himself, and there was the small matter that anyone he called in could be stuck too, then again he hadn't tested that fact in Bree's shield.
Harry took a breath. It was shaky and he hated it. He felt restricted, like the walls were closing in with each passing second.
Stefan shrugged. "You don't like me. I don't like you, and as you used my friend to get information from me, I thought I would sully yours," said Stefan.
"You have made a powerful enemy, Stefan Salvatore. When I kill you, I will enjoy it."
"Powerful words," said Stefan not the slightest bit fazed. "It's a pity they mean absolutely nothing." There was something in the Ripper's tone which just gave Harry a chill through his spine.
"This shield can't hold me forever," said Harry his voice burning with fury. "When it falters it will do you well to run because I will hunt you to the ends of this endless earth."
"Noted," said Stefan. "You don't look like you want my company and since I know someone who does; I think I'll go visit her. Lexi has been a bit distraught since she lost you. She fears you might be dead."
Anger the likes Harry had never felt burned at him. He had to hold back a snarl, his fist though wouldn't be held back; with as much force as he could muster Harry slammed his fist against the shield.
Lexi, at least, was still alive, but what of Connor and Bree? Harry felt a sinking in his stomach. Something was desperately wrong and Harry couldn't figure out what, the fact that many things could be wrong part of the reason. A vengeful part of Harry suddenly awoke and though the wizard felt terrible for even thinking it, he had to do something.
"Lexi, here, now," Harry didn't even have to wait. Lexi appeared and her hands were immediately around him.
"Harry, you're okay. Where have you been? I thought you were dead." She pushed Harry back. "Where the hell have you been?" she asked again this time her voice filled with anger.
"I just woke up," said Harry, "and unfortunately I've trapped both of us in what I assume is Niklaus' house."
For the first time Lexi looked around. "You've been here all this time?"
Harry nodded. "Do you mind telling me what happened?" Harry asked. "The last I remember I was fighting a trio of witches who cast spells in a language I didn't know, and, for some reason, they didn't even try to dodge my curses."
"It was an ambush," said Lexi. "Bree didn't even have time to finish her spell. Klaus appeared and he snapped her neck. I was about to fight him but these witches, about eighteen of them, appeared out of the forest like roaches and started chanting. Stefan saved me before Klaus could kill me."
At the name Harry grit his teeth. "Unfortunately your dear Ripper friend played us," said Harry. "When I woke up he was the one keeping watch over me."
Lexi stepped back. "No," she whispered.
"Unfortunately, yes, and he seemed to delight in having me trapped. I'm sorry Lexi but when we get out of here, I will make him pay."
"There has to be a reason for this," Lexi whispered still shaking her head. "Two weeks, Harry. Two weeks and he didn't tell me anything! That's not Stefan."
Harry had gone wide-eyed with shock. "Two weeks?" Harry asked his own voice having gone into a whisper. How could he not have felt two weeks? Even in his most exhausted Harry had never lost that much time during sleep. Ever since the thirty year sleep Harry had been able to feel the passage of time in sleep, and to lose it now was disconcerting. What had changed? For one, two parts of him had become aware, but what did that have to do with sleep? It had to be the spell which had been cast on him by those witches, those who had beings looming over them clutching their hands; was this the power of Expression? Harry thought. It was a power he had never seen before, and from the bloodied hands he had noticed, he could see why other witches would not like it. Harry himself would not like it if it meant bloodied hands all the time, blood which would have to be taken from someone, and Harry couldn't help wondering how hadn't seen the signs. The deaths of thirty six, that in itself was sign enough that Expression wasn't all that good. But Harry had felt he could change that. If he had a high enough gathering, he had thought, then killing wouldn't be required. That couldn't work when the magic required blood now did it?
Harry clutched his head and winced. Too many thoughts at once, he had to find something most important to think about and stick only to it: Getting out, he chose. He could deal with losing two weeks later; right now he needed to get out of his prison.
"Lexi," Harry said. "I need you to keep your wits about you. I don't know how many hybrids are still here, whether Connor is alive or not, or if Niklaus is here. We need to think. How can we get out of here?"
"Don't you have your wand?" Lexi asked.
Harry shook his head. "Even if I did, this is the same manner of spell I had Bree perfect. I can't break through it as far as I know."
"If it's the same as Bree's then it's bound to something. We find what it's bound to and break it."
"We don't know what it was bound to," said Harry, "and even if we did, we can't find it since we can't leave." Harry shook his head. "What we need to do is manipulate," said Harry. "Obviously we have nothing Niklaus wants, but you, the Ripper will want out of here, and there's someone else. Alaric, Alaric, Alaric, Alaric, Alaric, Alaric, Alaric." The man appeared and cluttered on the floor. "I didn't think that would actually work," said Harry as the man rose to his feet. "But since it did, now we have Leverage. Good day, Alaric."
The man sighed. "You're alive," he noted.
"And you're very good at pointing out the obvious," said Harry. "No matter, when our dear Ripper returns he will have to drop down the shield."
"Stefan knows you're here?"
Harry looked at Lexi. "It seems Stefan did not only deceive you," Harry said. "I am starting to regret why I did not kill the man." Lexi looked stricken by the comment and there was a growl from Alaric. "Oh, shut it, vampire," Harry snapped, glaring at the man whose eyes had taken the tell-tale veiny look. "Don't you think you can bloody intimidate me with your snarling."
"Harry," Lexi said, taking hold of the wizard's shoulders. "I need you to calm down."
Harry took a calming breath, trying to get his reigns over his emotions. "Is Connor still alive?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, he disappeared like you two weeks ago," said Lexi.
"Connor," said Harry. No one appeared. "He's still alive," said Harry. "Which means one of two possibilities; he was captured by Niklaus, or he escaped. The latter seems unlikely since he hasn't tried to contact you."
"But why would Klaus capture him? He's more the type to kill," said Lexi—Alaric disappeared, then he appeared a second later being hurled back into the air and slamming into a table. Lexi moved the man's side and picked him up, "That won't work," she said. "This entire place is bound."
Alaric sighed.
"It just doesn't make sense," said Harry walking around and pacing. "Why would Niklaus not kill Connor and me? The both of us killed his hybrids, at least that's how it looks, he should have killed us the moment he set eyes on both of us, and yet he didn't. That must mean he wants something from the both of us. I know what he could want from me, my power, but I don't think the same can be said for Connor."
"Except if he knows you didn't kill the hybrids," said Lexi. "You say you just woke up, maybe he thinks Connor knows where they are."
"It makes sense," said Harry. "And knowing Connor he'll be stringing him along until he can think of a plan." Harry rubbed his chin. "Do any of you by chance have a phone?" Harry asked.
Lexi shook head, but Harry could see by Alaric's expression that he had one. Harry held out a hand. "I wonder if I may borrow it," Harry said when the taller man took it out; it was one of those touch-screens Harry had seen Muggles use.
Alaric didn't give it to him, instead he dialled a number and put the phone to his ear. "Stefan," he said. "I think it's time you told me what's going on."
"What are you talking about?" asked the Ripper.
"For one, why didn't you tell us Harry Potter was still alive, and second, when did you start working for Klaus?"
"Where are you?" asked the Ripper.
"Locked up with me," said Harry. "This is your incentive to get me out of here, Mr Salvatore, less I feel antsy and kill your friend."
"I'll be there in half an hour," said the Ripper then he hung up.
There was an awkward silence, Harry still pacing around the room, trying to get his surging anger under control. If he had his wand right now, Harry was sure he would be blowing stuff up.
Thirty minutes passed rather slowly after a murmur of conversation between Stefan and what Harry thought were the hybrids he and Connor hadn't sent to Godric's Hollows, then the Ripper walked in.
"Stefan," said Lexi coolly, though her eyes burned with anger. "I can't believe this," she said sounding hurt.
"I can explain," the Ripper said.
"Let me guess," said Alaric. "It has something to do with Elena." Harry could make out the Ripper grit his teeth, this was true, then. It was worrying, Harry could see from the man's expression that he was in-love with the girl, and love could cause a person to do the most unlikely of things.
But he couldn't even to feel sympathy for the guy—though even as he told himself this Harry did feel sympathy. He remembered his mother, who had died for him, he too had died for his daughter Primrose, and Harry felt that he would have done just about anything for Ginny as well. Harry grit his teeth as the thoughts came back unbridled; he pushed them back into the vault that they belonged. He didn't want to fall into the depths of depression for the fourth time because of his fallen family.
Harry focused back on the situation at hand. He might not have a child, nor family that kept him in the world, but the Other Side would be his prison if he died. Harry needed to get out of here, proceed with trapping Niklaus, then work on the Veil of Death so he could leave this world before his luck turn and he was stripped of his magic.
"Elena Gilbert," said Harry, "the girl who told me to give you a second chance. I know people like her. I've met a whole lot of them. They're the sort of people that value the lives of others more than their own. You love her, it seems, and I will use that love to your disadvantage. I give you an hour to find a way to get me out of here," said Harry his tone brooking no argument. "If you don't, I'll return Alaric to the Other Side, and I don't need to tell you how bad that would be for him."
"Harry no," Lexi whispered.
"He has an hour, and nothing you say will change my mind," he said still serious.
Stefan shook his head. "You don't have your ring," he said.
"I don't need the ring," Harry answered his voice rising with exasperation: why did people think they knew his magic better than him?
Stefan shifted from side-to-side, looking between Lexi and Alaric. Harry could see it in the man's eyes that he wasn't going to do it. They hardened as he tried to choose between his love and his friends. Harry decided to push.
"I should remind you that when this spells falls, I'll be next to that girl you love, telling her of how you sacrificed her friends so easily," Harry said and he could see a chink in the man's armour. "I'm sure she won't like you one bit after that."
Stefan took out his phone and started walking out. Harry could make out the word 'Bonnie' before Stefan stepped out of Harry's range of hearing.
"He's just confirmed Connor's been captured," said Harry to Lexi.
"How do you figure that?" it was not Lexi, but Alaric who asked. The man sounded put-off.
Too caught up in his thoughts Harry answered, "He spoke like he knew where my ring was. The only way he could know that is if he knows where he is, and I'm guessing it's not with Connor either."
"Again why?" this time it was Lexi.
"Niklaus would be dead and Connor would be free," Harry said simply. "I needed a third plan to increase our success rate. It would have meant a victory," Harry muttered to himself. "I'm sure the third should have at least worked, if nothing else. The why didn't it? It doesn't make sense? Nothing makes sense so far."
"Is he always like this?" Harry heard Alaric ask thought it was so far from his mind that he didn't feel enough need to pay attention.
"No," said Lexi. "This is new." Her voice sounded like she too was lost in thought, and she was only answering for the sake of not being rude. Though Harry could feel her eyes stuck on him.
"You said Bree died," said Harry.
Lexi nodded. "Klaus snapped her neck and she hasn't woken up since. But I haven't seen her on the Other Side as a ghost."
"Which means she's like Alaric," said Harry. "She won't wake until I spell her to, which is uncertain until the Ripper gets us out of here."
Harry paced, his mind going over and over what had happened two weeks ago. He had fought well, but it had been a trap. Niklaus had gathered witches to face them, he had predicted that Harry would try and kill the remaining hybrids. How though? Harry didn't think he was so predictable that his moves could be read before he even made them.
Half an hour passed, Harry didn't have an watch but passage of time was something he was good at. He kept on pacing, even as he felt himself begin to feel hungry; he tried to think through it but the anger was threatening to be the sole purpose of his thoughts. Harry perked as he heard footsteps, a moment passed then a man, obviously a hybrid appeared, he carried a tray of food in his arms.
"Food," the man said putting the tray down and sliding it across the barrier. There was slight surprise when the man noted the two ghosts with Harry but then he just shrugged and moved on.
Harry felt hungry, yes, but he didn't trust the food, especially since it was so convenient that he be fed. He had been drugged once. It wasn't going to happened again.
Harry continued pacing.
Fifteen minutes until an hour was about to pass and Harry felt anxious. He hadn't thought that Stefan would not even attempt to save his friend. Frustration welled up in Harry, he didn't like involving innocents, the undeserving, in anything he did, but in this case if he didn't make good on his threat then future threats would be compromised. He would have to send the man back to the Other Side, he could get him back when he got the ring.
Harry closed his eyes; tapping into the only magic that stuck to him on a personal level. He tapped into the same magic that he tapped into every time he called a ghost towards him, but this time he reversed it. Banished Alaric not from the room, but from this side of the veil.
Harry opened his eyes, and turned to look at the ghost.
"You've done it, haven't you?" Alaric asked looking at his hands; the man couldn't see it but he looked a little off colour, not exactly the same shade as the world.
"Unfortunately, yes," said Harry. "I'm sorry, Alaric,' the wizard said and meaning it.
"No you're not," Alaric said his voice with heat. "If you were sorry you wouldn't have done it in the first place."
"Then the Ripper wouldn't have learnt would he?" Harry asked, his jaw clenched. Harry felt dirty. He had just taken something he had gifted the man, returned him to a fate Harry himself feared. He shuddered to think what his friends from his home world would think now, what Ginny or Dumbledore would think; Harry knew deep within his heart that they would be sorely disappointed.
Lexi's eye were on Alaric and they looked sympathetic, making Harry feel all that much more worse for what he had just done. They turned to Harry, narrowing in a betrayed glare; she crossed her arms, shook her head, and walked off into a corner.
Harry ground his teeth. I'm not going to feel guilty, he thought, hoping that he could lie to himself. I am not going to feel guilty. I am not going to feel guilty. But the guilt was filling him up more and more with each passing second.
Footsteps resounded from outside and pretty soon the door opened. Harry expected to see Stefan, he even gotten ready to lie to himself further and shift the guilt he felt to the Ripper, but when his eyes fell on the Original Hybrid, Harry felt what little hope he had leave him all at once.
"Harry Potter," the man said after a moment's pause in which he had taken in Lexi and the panicked look that Harry had. "I can't honestly say it's good to see you awake," he said with a smirk. "I think I quite liked you the way you were before."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, his voice cold and not showing even the ounce of fear that he felt. He was locked up and wandless, but then as a memory flickered that fear abated if only a little. Plan A hadn't worked, Plan C had not come into fruition for some reason, but Harry still had Plan B.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," said Niklaus, he took out a phone and dialled it. It rang and when it was picked up Niklaus spoke. "Care to tell me why you aren't here?" he asked.
"I had business to take care off," said Stefan's voice on the other side of the phone. "He's woken up and threatening to send Alaric to Other Side. I'm currently talking to Bonnie, maybe she can find a way to stop his spell," said the Ripper.
"Well I'm sorry to tell you, friend, but that may have already happened. There is no Alaric here, only the blonde your brother killed."
There was a sigh from Stefan. "Damon's going to kill me for this," Harry heard the man mutter before he said, "When will you start?"
"Fifteen minutes," said Niklaus with a chilling look straight at Harry.
At this point Harry was filled with adrenaline, and his mind was prepared to fight even though he knew he was at a disadvantage without his wand.
"Will you stand with me, Lexi?" Harry asked, hoping the woman would say yes. Lexi, who too had taken an alert stance when Niklaus had appeared, gave a jerky nod.
"This will be close to impossible," she said softly.
"We still have Plan B," Harry said. "We'll make due."
Niklaus chuckled. "Planning to fight me?" he said in a jovial tone. "I'm sorry to disappoint but I have other plans for you." The man left with brisk footsteps, more footsteps sounded from outside, too many for Harry to count, but he was feeling a lot more scared than he had a moment ago. Was Niklaus that weary that even when Harry was wandless he would have the aide of his hybrids? Or maybe it was that the man was giving Harry to his remaining hybrids to be played with, after all Harry alone had taken more than four of them, and the wizard doubted the others knew the hybrids were safe and sound in England.
The footsteps got into the house and filled in; Harry reached into his pocket, pulled out a silver ball and with his right had pulled out a dagger from him chest pocket and hid it so it couldn't be seen from the door. Harry took a breath and tried to calm his shaky nerves. He could still Apparate around the room, Harry reminded himself, and he was still an apt fighter.
"This is your subject," said Niklaus, the first to appear. On his shoulders were the bodies of two men in their early twenties, on had bright blonde hair while the other looked slightly burly and was dark-skinned; both looked to be snoozing. More filed, they were a large number, ranging in ages from their late teens to the early thirties; there were so many that Harry didn't think he saw all of them.
"What is this?" Harry asked.
"Witches," said Niklaus. "Fourteen witches," and Harry's stomach fell. Whatever was about to happened was not going to be good. There was the sound of something splintering behind Harry, and when he looked back, Lexi had two stake in her hands.
"Are you so cowardly that you need witches to fight me, Niklaus?" Harry asked, hoping that he could bait the man into coming into the room and get the chance to stab him with the dagger.
Niklaus chuckled again. "As if you are the first to try that tactic with me," he drawled. "It will not work." Niklaus turned to the eldest of the witches, a man whose hair was starting to grey though he looked in his early thirties. "There is an Isolation Spell around this room, bound to the full moon, will you be able to break it or do we need to wait?"
"It will take some doing, but seven times two will fuel our power," the man returned. "It would have been better if we had another group of seven, but," the man shrugged, "there is only so much we expect you to do."
Niklaus nodded. "Get started," he said. "In the meantime." Niklaus whirled around and charged straight at Lexi. Harry quickly turned on the spot but by the time he had appeared Lexi and Niklaus had already collided and they were grappling behind the wizard. Harry spun, facing Niklaus' back and not hesitating in stabbing the hybrid with the dagger.
For a second Harry thought they had one; the stab from the dagger distracted Niklaus for enough time that Lexi won their grapple and threw the Original to a wall. Niklaus hit the wall hard, embedding the dagger only that much deeper; the man screamed a chilling scream, and Harry didn't feel any sympathy for him. He was beginning to smile for their victory when Niklaus' scream stopped, instead the man grit his teeth, making a grab for the dagger in his back.
No, Harry thought, his heart beating fast against his chest. This couldn't be happening. The magic of the dagger had been specifically made to take down an Original, even Lexi had known about it. Harry would have given the matter a lot more thought were his life not in imminent danger, but for the moment he had to react. The wizard chucked the silver ball in his hand towards the Original, hoping that the use of a Portkey to go through the barrier would tear him to pieces; unfortunately today was not one of his luckier days. Niklaus dodged, moving so fast that only caught him as a blur. Harry was smacked off his feet and slammed into the table, but the protections Bree had afforded were enough that he didn't get hurt.
Harry got to his feet, already reaching into his pocket for another silver ball. Unlike Connor, Harry hadn't thought to bring more weapons than necessary, he'd held faith in his wand and the power that it held, but with it not here, Harry felt like an idiot for getting one of his Muggle Repelling charmed swords—not that they would work on vampires who were magic, Harry allowed himself to think before turning on the spot to get a clear shot at Niklaus.
He appeared, but the clear shot disappeared as Niklaus stabbed Lexi with one of her wooden stakes then whirled her around to use as a human shield, one hand around his neck.
"A message from Remus," said Niklaus, looking straight at Harry with eyes shining with glee. "This is no Cruciatus Curse, but it will hurt like a mother."
Harry's stomached dropped—how did he know? He thought in the desperate second before; Lexi's neck snapped; a pain started at the pit of Harry's being as something was viciously ripped off. Pain surrounded Harry, throbbing like an infected wound at his core; another started almost immediately, a burning pain that tore through his Occlumency barriers like a hot iron. Harry let out an unbridled scream, fighting to keep the edges of darkness away from him.
He felt a hand close around his throat, it didn't strangle, but as Harry blearily opened his eyes he heard a voice. "Don't resist," said Niklaus, his word filled with power that broke through the last of Harry's Occlumency barriers and became the entirety of Harry's mind. "Let Remus out."
The darkness engulfed him, and Harry's body became slack.
"Let me down," Remus ordered, shooting a cold glare at Niklaus.
Smiling ruefully, Niklaus did as ordered, then took a step back. "I thought you would be happy to finally be let out of your prison," the man teased.
"I would have been happier if it were sooner," said Remus. The man was looking around, taking the room in, and though he tried not to show it, the memory of all the sensations going through him, were nothing when compared to the real thing. To be alive was exhilarating, perhaps this was the reason he and Sirius had yearned so much to be alive. "Do you know how close Harry got to getting out of here?" he asked.
"No," said Niklaus a bit put-off, "I don't, because I have been busy flying around for the last two weeks, looking for witches that would be able to do this ritual of yours. Try and sound grateful, wizard, this is more than I would have done for any other."
"My apologies," said Remus. "It felt like twenty years, I've spent in there."
"No trouble at all," said Niklaus giving the man a pat on the back. "We should get to work, then, hmm?"
Remus nodded. The witches, all through the fight, had been preparing, drawing lines with salt outside the barrier and getting into positions of powers. They held out their hands and Remus prepared himself. Sirius had said that to sense magic was one of the most jarring experiences he had ever felt and it was indeed true. Power rose from the ground, grating against his skin as it passed, moving through the barrier and finding weakness; Remus felt his teeth tingle, his hands shake, and his legs threatened to give out at the sweet agony which surrounded him. He swallowed, relishing in the sensation only for it to stop.
"It's done," said a grey haired man who looked in his early thirties, "and now to begin with the ritual." The man took out a silver knife from the inside of his coat. "We will need your blood."
"I know," said Remus. He was the one who had come out with this plan. He had thought it over; spent countless hours thinking while Sirius had done nothing but whinged, and finally came out with a plan that required his to have full proficiency of the mind arts—it was lucky, he mused ruefully, that he had had twenty mental years in which to learn. Remus had spent days practising his mind until he had gained view of the outside world from Sirius. But then Sirius wasn't Harry when it came to the mind arts, and he had known Harry would be a lot harder. But he had won.
Remus held out his arms as the man with the knife came closer with two others; woman in their mid-twenties each carrying gilded goblets. The man cut through each of them, and Remus winced, but he found himself chuckling as he was hit by euphoria. He was alive, and this minute pain was nothing in the path of the greater plan of gaining his own body.
His blood fell into the goblets until they were half filled, another of the witches bound the wound on Remus' arm to staunch the bleeding. The room around them was surprisingly cleaner, furniture had been lugged out by Niklaus' hybrids and Lexi's sleeping form had been moved, Remus thought that it might have been done by the Ripper who watched the entire scene with interest.
The bodies of two men, one dark-skinned with short cut hair and a slightly burly build, the other short and blonde, were laid out in the middle of the room in the middle of a circled of salt. The two woman walked into the circle, muttering under their breaths—the salt parted of its own volition—and put the goblets in the hands of the sleeping men. Then they walked out, the salt closing behind them.
A hybrid came in with a wooden chair and put it so that it looked towards the men, though there was a small distance between the chair and the men. Remus walked to the chair and sat, then watched as a line of salt was drawn around the chair, then connected to the circle of the men. A witch walked up to him, clapped his hands together, then threw a yellow powder at him, Remus was pushed back.
Harry was suddenly awake, aware of a throbbing pain at his wrists. He looked down and so that his arms were bound with cloths and magic; the former was around his wrist while the latter stuck him to a chair. He looked around and found he was confused, the last thing he remembered was Niklaus giving him a message from Remus of all people, then there had been a lot of pain, and now he was surrounded by the fourteen witches.
Harry didn't get time to think, because the chanting started and his entire existence was pain a thousand times worse than the Cruciatus Curse.
AN: I have another chapter in the works, after which 'A Hero's Journal' will be on hiatus for a month. I want to finish 'A Hero on a Foreign Home' which I have utterly ignored when the craze of The Vampire Diaries hit me. I'm hoping the month will be enough time that I will get that story done so I can start part two of the 'Hero Chronicles' since I'm starting to get ideas of which universe I want to tackle next.
Rest assured though, by sometime next week you will know of Harry's fate in terms of all that's about to happened.