Repercussions
"I want to attack Niklaus," Harry said. "Convince me otherwise." The room was absolutely silent for a long while, everyone in the room looking at Harry with expressions between excitement and worry.
Not minutes from getting his wand, Harry had used it to call back all those he trusted. He'd decided to forgo Connor, afraid the man could begin killing allies, and woken up both Bree and Lexi, and fully explained what had happened to get them to this point. Bree looked a little shaken that she had been forced to miss three weeks, none of which she could remember, but she seemed to be a lot more shaken that their first attempt at hurting Niklaus had deteriorated so much. Lexi on the other hand looked reserved, her eyes habitually shifting to Harry and though the wizard said nothing, he was starting to feel uncomfortable.
"You're bound by contract," said Bree. "It would make things a little uncomfortable if you bound Niklaus now."
Harry shook his head. "The contract said I won't kill Niklaus, and it's more for my benefit than anything else," Harry said. "Niklaus can't kill me, nor I him, but I've never been trying to kill him in the first place; and anyway, my lessons for Sirius and Remus should not be affected by me trapping Niklaus."
"Except that you mentioned Sirius actually likes Niklaus," said Lexi. "He might fight for him, the odds would be further against us."
"I don't think we have to worry about odds," said Harry. "We have four hybrids willing to help us on this side, while the other eleven in Mystic Falls, who are closer to Niklaus, will feel they have to fight if they want their freedom; that fourteen hybrids against fourteen witches, only three of which I've seen with a prowess for magic, and even then it was Gregory in the lead."
"The same Gregory who tethered you," said Bree. "What if he Bound you to him?" Bree asked. "His pain your pain, his death yours?"
"If doesn't feel that way?" said Harry. "It feels more like a way to find me than anything else, which is why I want us to work fast. The possibility that he might use the tether to find me and Apparate hear, bypassing the wards completely scares me."
"But wouldn't that be better? At least here we have home court advantage."
"It's dicey. First of all they would have to find us now, which I don't think they will, I have to be in Mystic Falls on Monday to tutor Sirius and Remus. They could just wait for me and use the day to pilfer my house. You have no idea the things in my vault."
"Seems like you really want to do this," said Lexi. Harry nodded. "Then let's get it out of the way, third times the charm after all."
Harry couldn't help smiling. "You're all up for it?" he asked.
There were a series of nods and then Lexi said, "And of course there are the obvious problems; your hybrids haven't broken the Sire Bonds."
"Already taken care off," said Harry. The wizard took out a book from his desk and banished it towards Lexi, he felt a thrill at the use of magic, a rush that surged up his arm. The spell was a simple one, Harry used a permanent version on himself and with a little tweaking he knew he could get the desired effect; when Harry had first cursed himself with supersenses, he had taken some time to get used to how loud the world was in both sound and smell, but his control over his senses had meant nothing the first time he'd heard gunfire with them. The sound had sent him reeling, he hadn't been able to focus over the pain of his exploded eardrums, after being deaf for a few hours, he had come up with a spell to decrease the volume of loud sounds, case in point his Pello Cohibeo Curse.
Harry could do the same with enchanted earpieces, but instead he would make them block out Niklaus' voice. Without the man's voice, Harry doubted that the Sire Bond would be effective. Fool proof, he thought, then, damn just jinxed it.
Telling the hybrids they would be fighting did not turn out to be so easy. Most, if not all, were scared that they would be taking on the former leader, because, not matter how much they had thought about it, they had always considered the day they would have to fight Niklaus as one that loomed in the far distance.
"We haven't broken the Sire Bond yet," Adrian was first to point out. The man looked visibly shaken, beyond all others he feared Niklaus the most and yet he had still said he would fight, something Harry had found he'd commended in the younger man.
"I know," said Harry, "and within the hour I will have something that will make Niklaus' words ineffective."
"Isn't this all a bit sudden?" asked Samantha, the blonde-haired woman sat beside the dark-haired Caleb who looked just as tense as her. "I thought the plan was, we break our bonds and when the others in Mystic Falls have done the same thing, we scale a full on attack, disable the witches from inside before Klaus knew what was happening."
"And that still is the plan," said Harry. "Only tweaked a little. This way we get Gregory; if, no, when we get him, the other witches become useless, some will even run I guess, but at the end of it we can take Niklaus."
"You're confident this will work?" asked Caleb in a slow drawl. Harry nodded.
"It's just that, some of us would prefer to work with Klaus than die," said Adrian, his voice shaky.
"You won't die, Adrian." Harry turned his gaze to each of the in kind, Tim, Caleb and Samantha. "None of you will. We have the element of surprise on our side, I don't think the others would guess I would turn the stone into a wand so quickly, and even if they did they wouldn't expect me to attack with what little they think I have on my side. If we hurry about this, before Sirius, Remus and Niklaus begin to make plans, before I have to go tutor them, the Mystic Falls will be ours, and Niklaus will be trapped."
"I'm with you, Harry," said Tim after a moment.
"What have I to lose?" said Samantha. "He's bound to find out some of us are still alive."
"Yeah, sure," Caleb drawled.
Harry waited on Adrian. "I don't want to die," he said.
"You won't." Begrudgingly Adrian agreed to stand with them.
Planning went by fast, Harry and Bree's incantations as they warded armour went by even faster with Bree drawing power from the left over pieces of rock from Silas' tombstone. Harry didn't use much magic beyond the armour, he'd learnt his lesson from the last time, he was never going into battle exhausted ever again.
Harry appeared with a burst of blue light. Light coming alive around him and illuminating the cluttered vault. The wizard didn't miss a beat, his wand began at rapid motions; a blob of blue light shot out and it wasn't even a second before it shot away with a windless whoosh. The tether settled and with the distance less, Harry could feel the magic of it get stronger, he turned on the spot, Apparating to his bedroom.
"He's in the house," he heard Gregory's voice sound from the hall directly outside Harry's bedroom.
"Where?" asked Remus and Harry could note worry in the man's voice. The man knew Harry well enough to know he had something planned, but the difference between knowing there was a plan in action and knowing that plan was large.
Harry felt the tether tug, but he ignored this, focusing instead on his wand work. "Immensus Serpensortia," the wizard muttered and he had only a moment to see the snake shoot out and begin growing before he Apparated to another room.
"He's moving," Harry heard. "Teleporting across room."
A surge of fire bellowed from Harry's wand, forming a large dog with matted fiery fur and large fangs. He turned on the spot a second before he felt a shield settle over the room he had stood in.
CRACK!
Remus had left, calling re-enforcements, Harry guessed but he didn't pay much attention to it; his wand moved at familiar motions and in moment another animal, this a thin wolf appeared from the flames. Harry felt the shield start to settle against the corners of the room, the wizard pointed his wand at the door, concentrated, and intoned, "Oppugno!"
The wolf lunged at the door, splintering it as though it had been hit by heavy metal. The wolf turned left, its sharp teeth bared and looking more solid, and a snarl ripping through its throat.
CRACK! CRACK!
The animal didn't have time to lunge as a chant immediately started, Harry turned on the spot, the attention having diverted from, and appeared in his lawn. A figure wearing a solid black cloak over her stood next to the wizard.
"Five voices," said Harry in a low voice. "Gregory is one of them, Bind the house." Harry didn't hear anything, but he knew well enough the woman must have heard the message as he felt power start to rise up, faster than it had with Bree's previous attempts at the spell.
CRACK!
Harry heard a chant start from inside the house, barks and snarls erupting; a window from upstairs exploded and a figure was thrown out, wrapped in a coil of thick and bulbous fire. When the fire hit the ground it dissipated, leaving the figure writhing in pain as he was engulfed by fire.
"Lexi," said Harry. A series of blue lights came into life, Adrian, Caleb, Samantha and Tim, all wearing black Kevlar and balaclavas, the only thing visible their eyes. A figure, Emma, looked out of the window, her eyes first taking in the witch who had fallen to his death before coming to rest on the five figures standing on the lawn.
Harry felt power rise around her and he knew at that moment that he had been wrong in underestimating her. A word of Latin and power rose, hurtling towards Harry and his small army.
The wizard swished his wand. "Protego Maxima!" Her spell and the shield collided with a dry thud, its effect stopped, but its force didn't; Harry felt a jolt run up his arm at the hit, but the pain was not enough for Harry to dismissing the rising chant.
"Incendios Grata," Harry shouted and a plume of fire erupted from his wand, moving faster and surging wider as it went. The woman ran back, missed by the fire which hit the wall causing it to cave in; the hybrids took of moving fast and jumped up into the house using the large piece of missing wall.
Harry lost all distinct feeling of magic as the fight began. Cracks echoed inside the house, Remus and Sirius appearing, there was gunfire and there were screams, shouts and snarls all coming from the house. Harry turned on the spot appearing in the fire engulfed room—
"Pello Cohibeo," there was a cannon like bang and a scream that didn't sound like Harry's own hybrids. This wasn't the plan, they had more of an advantage it they were outside, Harry caught the flash of a figure, a young witch who looked at him with a hint of fear. The man flicked his hand just as Harry called a shield, the spell hit and rebounded; Harry swished his wand and the witch was hit by a purple curse in the chest. He only had a moment to look shocked before he clattered on the ground. Dead.
Harry pushed down the feeling of guilt that started at his chest, rushing out to the hall in time to see a black dressed hybrid hurled through a wall by a hex from a dark-haired woman in her late twenties. A bright green curse left Harry's wand and hit the woman as she turned towards him, she was thrown back and slammed viciously against a wall.
"Crucio!" Remus' voice shouted. Harry ducked the unseen curse and but it wasn't meant for him, a woman's voice tore off into a loud scream. Harry quickly got to his feet and ran towards the scream but a curse he hadn't felt caught him; he flew back, all air leaving him and he slammed into a wall.
The witch Harry had killed stood at the end of the hall, his eyes firm and determined. "Merlin," Harry muttered just as the witch flicked his hand. Harry jabbed his wand at the floor and it caved, he fell down into the kitchen which was somehow empty of all the fighting. Harry hadn't noticed, but for some reason seem to be staying upstairs.
A bang echoed from above and Harry caught a fading of light; a light appeared, Prongs and he said in Harry's voice. "Hayley says, 'nine hybrids on their way'" Another bang came from upstairs and this one came with a grunt. Harry turned on the spot, appearing the fray of two fighting hybrids, both dressed in black and Remus staring at them with a glee that quickly dissipated when he saw Harry.
The both cursed, but Harry was faster, the lime curse hissed as it passed through the air and shot Remus back, a sickly crack reverberating as he hit the wall. Harry turned his wand on the fighting hybrids, flicked his wand and both were caught by an invisible rope and left dangling in the air. Imperiused, Harry thought, but he didn't know which of them had been bewitched. He didn't have time to find out as ball of fire slammed into him and hurled him out a window, he turned before he could hit the ground.
"Arresto—" He stopped short as suddenly all momentum left him and he was hurled up into the sky like a speeding bullet, then back to the ground. "Arresto Momentum!" Harry stopped seconds before hitting the ground, the landed hit a soft thud. He quickly got to his feet. Bree was no longer covered by the Cloak, but inside had was chanting with her eyes closing and colour draining from her in front of three witches, Victoria leading them.
Harry brought up his wand pointed at the woman. He flourished and a scarlet curse shot out, hitting a shield of solid air before it could connect. Victoria took him in for only a second before her chanting moved faster, the three not even breathing as their spell took effect, stopping whatever counter Bree was in the process off.
"Pestis Desino!" The spell shot out, hitting the shield and shattering it; a purple curse left Harry's wand and hit Victoria square in the chest, the two other witches flew back as Bree's spell won over. Harry didn't notice this however, instead he was transfixed by the sight of Victoria: a second woman with red hair had appeared, looking identical to Victoria, she had elastic looking roped connected to her and they were being pulled back and far way, but with a snap the second Victoria flew into the first and Harry saw the woman start breathing again.
Merlin be damned, the wizard thought, furious. How far could the witches of this world stretch their magic? Harry had killed her for Merlin's sake.
Bree had dropped to her knees, breathing hard and looked far paler than was safe for both of them. Harry heard fast moving footsteps and within the trees saw figures speeding towards them. Reinforcements, Harry thought with glee.
"Kill the witches," Harry said as he saw a familiar face amongst the hybrids. Tyler for only a moment looked around, the he gave a quick order to the others and the moved; Victoria was the first to go, she fired a Pain Curse at the advancing hybrids, but they were overwhelmed by the greater numbers.
"Attack them, kill them!" shouted Remus from above, the man had an arm hanging limply against him and two black dressed hybrids standing in front of him. The hybrids jumped from the large hole of wall missing and they were met in kind by two hybrids, Harry could see Remus' weight shifting, preparing to Disapparate, the wizard quickly pointed his wand skyward.
"Nefacio Disappario!" the spell shot out, hit something in the air and broke apart into a semi-dome shape. Remus stumbled but caught himself before he fell, Harry could make out the smallest signs of fear in the man's eyes.
Harry felt the tether tugged and he was pulled forward but met a solid block where there was usually a tube. Shock wrote over the wizard's features, he'd almost been summoned through Apparition. How? He didn't have time to think, one of the hybrids have moved closer to Remus and he too was caught under the Imperious Charm as he snapped the neck of his fellow hybrids.
Harry turned on the spot, appearing beside the man. Remus had been waiting for this it seemed, a Cruciatus Curse was sent at Harry as he appeared; the wizard quickly jumped to the side, letting lose a Hurling Hex that missed by the barest inches. Another red curse was shot at him, Harry intercepted it with one of his one, the two curses breaking into a furry of sparks.
"Expelliarmus," the spell left faster than any other. It caught Remus before he could fire his own spell. It hit, the Elder Wand flying out of Remus' hand. Harry caught it instinctively and immediately regretted it as he was overcome by malicious magic not belonging to the wand; his hand burned and opened, the wand fell, disappearing into thin air, and with its disappearance so did it vanish the call of the Elder Wand.
Harry heard a chuckle from Remus who was curled up and clutching his arm against himself. "The Elder Wand is ours," he whispered. Anger instantly boiled in Harry at the words. "Ho—" The stirring of magic was stopped as Remus was struck by a scarlet curse; his back arched and a chilling scream left him. Harry held the curse, filling no remorse, but his anger, his hate fuelling the spell to greater depths.
"Harry," the man snapped back into the real world, Lexi was there and so was Bree, Tyler Lockwood, and Adrian was with him, his balaclava off and his face bloodied; there were others and they all looked horrified. "Enough."
Harry looked down at Remus and though the man wasn't dead, he looked lost to this world; his eyes glazed and a demented cackle leaving him. Pity didn't even touch Harry's heart as he stared at the man, remorse didn't hit him as he thought of the depths he'd just trudge through.
Harry flourished his wand, conjuring ropes which bound the demented wizard tightly; then he looked at Bree and for a second didn't understand why she was leaning on Bree when she looked better than she had before; her colour had returned and she looked in-tune with the side of the world.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked her nonetheless. She gave a nod that wasn't shaky but still looked queer.
Tyler walked up to Harry, he looked tensed. "Hayley said you had a plan to take care of Klaus," he said.
Harry ignored him, turning his gaze at the room. Adrian looked shaky but alright and beside him the same could be said for Samantha. "Where are Tim and Caleb?" Harry asked.
A said look passed over both as Harry asked, Samantha looking at the ground and a sniffle leaving her. Harry shook his head, "No, not possible. How?"
"The witches came back after we snapped their necks," said Adrian. "One of them did something to the other, she looked like she was having a heart attack, and then Caleb and Tim began to desiccate."
"Tim, Caleb," Harry said starting to feel guilty. He had to apologise, tell them that he'd fix this, that he would bring them back. Nothing happened. "Tim, Caleb," Harry tried again.
"They're here," said Lexi looking at Harry with worry. Fire erupted from Harry's wand, tearing a gaping hole through the floor and revealing a thick mist below. He couldn't see ghosts anymore, two thirds of the Hollows no longer belonged to him, but to Sirius now; the thought of just Apparating to the Mikaelson Estate passed Harry but it quickly disappeared as he noted the obvious problem: Niklaus bloody Mikaelson.
"Bree, would you be up for another fight?" Harry asked, the woman shook her head.
"They took a lot out of me," she said and Harry, his mind working quickly, looked at Tyler.
"You're friends with the witch, Bonnie Bennet, yes?" Tyler nodded. "Would she be willing to help you fight against Niklaus?"
"I don't know, maybe," Tyler answered.
"We'll need her help with this," said Harry talking out loud. "I want this over with before they day is done."
"Wait," said one of the hybrids, a girl with tanned skin and shoulder length hair. "Nothing was said about us fighting Klaus," she said.
"Either way, love, you'll have to fight him, because no matter which way you look at it, he's going to be coming to kill you when he finds out you went against him," Harry said, shooting her a cool look that made her shiver.
"I already know," said Niklaus, his voice low with fury; all of the turned, looking out of the hole and to the ground below. Niklaus stood at the edge of Harry's property, an axe in one hand and a gun in the other.
"Merlin," Harry muttered as curses started around him. "Lexi, Bree, find Bonnie Bennet, tell her I'll being back her grandmother if she comes and helps us." The two disappeared. "Protego Maxima!" The shield blazed into life, covering the entire front half the house, just as the Unbreakable axe hurtled towards them; a furry of sparks erupted as it hit and rebounded.
Harry held the shield in place, but his wand pointed behind him; a blue curse shot out, hit the opposite wall and tore another hole through the top part of the of the wall. Harry moved his wand in a series of motions and from the roof fell a door and a set of stairs.
"Grab any weapon and prepared to fight," said Harry and he faltered as his shield snapped from three fiery bullets from his gun; the hybrids didn't argue, only taking off and climbing the stairs. "Incendios Grata!" Fire erupted from Harry's wand, shooting like a bullet towards Niklaus. The hybrids dodged, but Harry had been expected it; a flick of the wand and the fire turned, breaking apart into a flock of more than a dozen birds all shooting towards Niklaus.
Niklaus shot a bullet, the gun seemed to sense his intent because instead of fire it shot out a bullet made entirely of ice, catching a bird and killing it. Niklaus smirked, shooting in rapid fire as Harry tried to will the birds into dodging and attacking the hybrid. The fire was ending, and Harry starting to feel at little fatigued, the wizard let go and turned on the spot, appearing on the roof of his house as he heard Tyler descend behind him.
Fire started around him, burning so hot he was starting to sweat; he twirled his wand over him, the fire getting hotter and hotter, and larger in diameter with each successive twirled. Clans of metal against metal echoed below, snarls and sometimes screams, but Harry ignored the focusing on his spell. Mid-twirl he brought down his wand, and like torpedoes the fire shot down as a blinding swarm. Harry looked down, only one stood, he reached into his pocket as the turned and as he appeared beside Tyler Lockwood, he snapped the pencil in his hand, they disappeared just as the fire rained down.
The lights where on, and even from inside Harry could feel the heat from outside. Harry doubted the fire would kill Niklaus, but it would still burn the man, and countless others who might have been alive: You'll get the ring, Harry thought, you'll bring them back to life. He stood, taking a glance at Tyler who seemed to be clutching at his stomach a sword driven through. Harry could see him try and pull the sword back, but it didn't budge; the wizard tapped it with his wand and the sword lid smoothly off.
"Tyler," Harry said. "We need to get him into the basement." Pain laced the hybrid's eyes and Harry had no idea whether or not he knew if he could understand. "Tyler!" Harry shouted, punctuating this with a Stinging Hex. The hybrid pushed through the swords pain and his eyes met Harry's. "We need to get Niklaus to the basement. Help me."
Blearily Tyler stood, shaking his head as he did. "I'm fine," he said, though his voice was shaky. "I'm fine," he repeated and this time it rang of a hurt Harry understood too well; those he had cared for had died. A new anger arose in Harry, but he didn't have time to be angry. He descended the stairs, Tyler following sluggishly behind him: everything was in shambles, the hall was littered with rubble, walls had caved in and some places showed signs of having been burnt. At the edges of the hall were there were the stairs, Harry could see the thick mist of his Limbo Mist creeping he had to end it, but first Niklaus.
The two moved through rooms until they stood before the gaping hole and staring into the fiery mess below as it crackled, getting larger with each second.
"How do we find him?" asked Tyler.
Harry summoned Prongs, and the stag backed by his will shot towards the fire. "Partis Temporus." The fire parted at where Prongs had landed, revealing charred human remains and burnt weapons. The charred remains moved, Harry cursed, so did Tyler; Harry flourished his wand but the black man, who had speckles of red in places, moved three notches above human speed.
Tyler red Harry's thoughts before the wizard spoke, jumping down and taking off before tackling him to the ground. The charred Niklaus tried to fight, but in his current form was not strong enough and in too much pain to be effective. A fist from Tyler collided with Niklaus' face, then another, then another, then three more, all in a blind fury.
"You killed them!" Harry heard as meaty and crunchy thud reverberated through the crackles of the flames around Harry.
"Tyler," Harry said. "Basement. Now." Harry turned his wand to the door, a burst of light shot out and parted the fire. Tyler hurled Niklaus over his shoulder and took off towards the house, straight into the mist, but that didn't seem to stop him as he moved on the roof searching through the mist and finally disappeared towards the basement.
Harry felt heavy, his breaths laboured and the heating even parted causing him to start burning up; things had escalated far further than he had thought and Harry didn't know where he was better or worse off for it. Harry gripped the cold stone in his hand and focused, but before he could start the spell he was overwhelmed by a rush of blow that totally extinguished the flames in one fell rush.
There magic caused Harry's skin to tingle, he looked in the direction it had come and saw the dark-skinned woman at the edge of the property, panting and looking the slightest bit haggard. Harry's legs threatened to give out as he stood, but he managed.
Harry turned towards the house, he had to make sure that Niklaus was imprisoned; he waved his wand at complicated patterns, "Finite Incantatem." The mist receded, pulling itself back, it took five minutes—the spell had grown since Harry had last cast it—but it was finally sucked into Harry's wand. Harry walked in, headed straight for the basement. He descended the carved stairs and walked into the darkness, the tip of Harry's wand illuminated and revealed a sight that made Harry's heart sore: the charred Niklaus, already starting to heal, albeit slowly, was in the middle of the basement, within the barrier.
Harry took a glance at Tyler, his aged looked might have looked comical had this situation not been dire. Harry turned as he heard footsteps, Bree, Lexi and Bonnie all stepped down the stairs. "That's Klaus," said Bonnie sounding shocked. All of them looked shocked, Harry included.
"We lost a lot today to get to this point," said Harry, thinking of the hybrids who had died, the wand he had lost, the dark power he had let overcome him. "We can't let it be in vain." All of them were looking at him. "No one beyond the five of us is to ever know we have Niklaus," Harry said. "No matter what it that clear?"
Tyler nodded, so did Bree and Lexi. Harry's eyes sat on Bonnie for the longest time, she looked between him and Tyler; the hybrid's time worn eyes were enough to tide her feelings.
"I won't tell anyone," she said, deadly serious.