I feel loved. I'm going to cry. Well not really. But you've all made me so happy. Here's the next chapter. :blows nose: Ahem…sorry. I'm just so touched. Oh and I did make my deadline! Huzzah! Well just barely. But still. Excuse me. :continues sobbing into handkerchief:
Chapter 5
Showdown
Harry set out to find Sirius and brought him home to nurse him back to health.
And knowing Sirius, he probably refused any sort of help.
Once they went inside, a rather creepy looking snowman moved and Peter popped out, running to Tom to tell him the good news.
"Siri? Siri? Are you awake? Answer me!"
Sirius opened his eyes, then closed them again. "Harry? That you? My head hurts like hell. Did I get drunk again or something?" he asked while sitting up.
"No. Don't you remember anything Siri? What happened in the last few months or so?"
"Umm…wait…Harry?" Sirius inquired, realization starting to dawn on his face.
"Yes?"
"How? When? Why are you here? That monster said he'd lock you up! In his castle! Forever! How the hell did you escape?"
"He let me go."
"That thing let you go?"
"He's…different now Siri. He's changed somehow."
"Hiya Harry!" Ginny said popping out of the bag.
"Ginny! How'd you get in there?" Before she could answer there was a knock at the door and Harry got up to answer it.
Lucius Malfoy smirked evilly. "Good evening. I have come to collect Sirius Black."
"What?"
Lucius moved out of the way to reveal a huge mob surrounding a wagon with 'Asylum for Loons' on the side.
"My godfather is not crazy!"
"Oh really?" Peter said, coming out from the crowd, "Just yesterday he came into the pub raving about a beast."
Sirius chose that moment to come out of the house. Great timing he has, I mean really.
"Hey Black! Why don't you tell us about the beast?"
The question sent him off into a rant. "He was eight-no ten feet tall. He had huge fangs and claws that looked like they could rip you apart in seconds!"
"Not crazy hmm? I say he's a lunatic!"
The mob cheered and screamed, roused by Peter's shouts. Suddenly Tom 'just happened' to appear right at Harry's side. In a moment of temporary insanity, Harry turned to him for support.
"Tom, you know Siri isn't crazy! Say something!"
"I will. I can make them all go away Harry. On one condition…"
"Name it. I'll do anything."
"You have to agree to marry me."
"What?"
"Just say the word Harry, and they'll all go away and never return. All it takes is one little word."
"Never!"
"Your loss. Take him away!"
Harry thought quickly and grabbed the magic mirror from inside. "Show me Draco!"
Sparks shot out of the mirror, blinding the whole mob. When it cleared, Draco was seen rearing his head and growling fiercely. Their screams drowned out most attempts Harry made to calm them.
"Is he dangerous?"
"No! He only looks vicious. He wouldn't hurt anybody."
"If I didn't know any better Harry, I'd say you cared for this monster."
Harry turned to face Tom and glared at him with all the anger he could muster, "He's not the monster Tom. You are."
Once Tom figured out his plan had failed he wrenched the mirror out of Harry's grasp. "He's just as loony as Black! That monster will destroy our village! He'll kidnap our children at night! Nobody's safe until that monster's head is stuffed and mounted on my wall."
"No! I won't let you!"
Colin: We're not safe until he's dead
Arthur: He'll come stalking us at night
Alicia: Set to sacrifice our children to his monstrous appetite
Percy: He'll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free
Tom: So it's time to take some action, boys
It's time to follow me
Through the mist
Through the woods
Through the darkness and the shadows
It's a nightmare but it's one exciting ride
Say a prayer
Then we're there
At the drawbridge of a castle
And there's something truly terrible inside
It's a beast
He's got fangs
Razor sharp ones
Massive paws
Killer claws for the feast
Hear him roar
See him foam
But we're not coming home
'Til he's dead
Good and dead
Kill the Beast!
"No! You can't! I won't let you!"
"If you're not with us, you're against us. Get Black. Throw them both into the cellar. We can't have you running off to warn the Beast now can we, Harry?"
Before they were thrown in, Tom made Harry another offer. He leaned into him, "I'll give you one more chance Harry. Come with me. Or rot here forever. Or until you die. Whichever comes first."
"My answer is still the same Tom. I'll throw myself off a cliff before I marry you."
"Very well then. Men, continue."
Harry got up and started pounding on the door. "Let us out! Let me out of here damn it!"
Tom paid no attention to him. "I'll get rid of that creature for everybody. Who's with me?"
"I am!"
"Me!"
The shouts of agreement were deafening.
Mob: Light your torch
Mount your horse
Tom: Screw your courage to the sticking place
Mob: We're counting on Tom to lead the way
Through a mist
Through a wood
Where within a haunted castle
Something's lurking that you don't see ev'ry day
It's a beast
One as tall as a mountain
We won't rest
'Til he's good and deceased
Sally forth
Tally ho
Grab your sword
Grab your bow
Praise the Lord and here we go!
"We'll lay siege on his castle and bring back his head!" The mob set off, leaving Harry and Sirius in the cellar.
"Oh Siri. It's all my fault. Now they'll go there and kill him!"
"It's alright Harry. We'll find a way. We will."
Mob: We don't like
What we don't understand
In fact it scares us
And this monster is mysterious at least
Bring your guns
Bring your knives
Save your children and your wives
We'll save our village and our lives
We'll kill the Beast!
Meanwhile, Ron, Hermione, and the other objects were still grumbling about Harry's leave.
"I knew we shouldn't have gotten our hopes up!"
"Maybe it would've been better if he'd never come at all!"
There was pounding on the doors and they all ran, or hopped if you prefer, to the window.
"Can it be?"
"Is it he?"
"Bloody hell! Invaders!"
Mrs. Weasley noticed the mirror in Tom's hand. "And they have the mirror with them!"
Hermione took over. "Mrs. Weasley," she said in her 'bossy, authoritative, don't mess with me voice', "Go warn Draco. If they want a fight, they'll get one! You all with me?"
A chorus of yeses met her question.
She grinned evilly, "Then, let's go."
Outside, Tom told the mob what to do.
"Take whatever you want. But the beast is mine."
Objects: Hearts ablaze
Banners high
We go marching into battle
Unafraid although the danger just increased
They all marched to the door, carrying the battering ram with them.
Mob: Raise the flag
Sing the song
Here we come, we're fifty strong
And fifty Frenchmen can't be wrong
Let's kill the Beast!
"Draco, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, appearing in his doorway, "I don't mean to interrupt, but I have to tell you something very important."
"Leave me Molly. I want to die in peace."
"But Draco! The castle is under attack!"
Mob: Kill the Beast!
Kill the Beast
In the foyer, all the objects leaned against the doorway in an attempt to keep it shut, but they were failing miserably.
"This isn't working is it?"
"Oh Ron! We must do something!"
"Wait! I got an idea."
Mob: Kill the Beast!
Kill the Beast!
They emphasized each line by hitting the door.
"What do we do?"
"Let them come. Just let them come."
Mob: Kill the Beast!
Kill the Beast!
Kill the Beast!
They finally broke down the door and strode in only to see nothing. Peter walked in, picking up a candlestick as he walked further in. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Ron spoke.
"Now!"
All the objects leapt into action, attacking the person closest to them. A trunk swallowed one guy and it burped. In the midst of it all, Tom made his way up the stairs searching for Draco.
Back in the village, Ginny had managed to sneak out of the cellar and was firing up the machine. She got it working, aimed it for the cellar door and let it go.
"Harry move!"
The machine blew up, making a hole big enough to escape in. Sirius and Harry watched as Ginny bounced up and down on a spring from the destroyed invention.
"You guys have got to try this sometime."
They headed towards the castle.
The battle between man and enchanted object raged on. It seemed to be going in the objects' favor. The men were having tomatoes thrown at them, hot tea poured all over them, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley and her children, and Parvati running wild, jumping and landing on any guy she saw.
Meanwhile, up above the little war going on, Tom opened door after door, finding nothing but empty, dusty rooms and no Draco.
Down below, one poor, unfortunate guy landed inside Parvati's wardrobe. He came out looking like a cheap hooker complete with fake wig, horrible makeup, and skimpy clothes. He ran out of the castle screaming.
Meanwhile, Ron was being cornered by Peter, who was holding a torch in front of his face, slowly making him melt. Hermione, in a Napoleon hat, came sliding down the banister with scissors in hand saving Ron by getting Peter in the ass with them.
Then Fleur shrieked as some other goon pulled out her feathers. Ron came behind them and made his fire flare up, making the guy drop her and run away. She fell right into his arms.
"Thank you."
The remaining men ran after the dog-turned-footstool who led them all to the kitchen. Soon after they ran out screaming after seeing the stove laugh maniacally as his flames went higher, and the knives gleamed, assuming the attack position. They all ran into the rain and scattered into the woods running and never looking back.
The objects all cheered and hollered as they disappeared from sight. Ron pulled Hermione into a kiss, the excitement getting to him. They both pulled away shocked and Ron stood there stammering before Hermione grinned brightly and pulled him back to her for another kiss.
Tom finally found Draco in the West Wing. He looked at him sitting there depressed and sulky. He burst in, and Draco just kept sitting there, his eyes pleading silently with him. Tom readies his bow and arrow, but he still doesn't move. He shoots him and Draco howls in pain.
Later they both end up on the roof. Draco still hasn't attempted to defend himself.
"Get up! What? Are you too kind and gentle to fight me? Get up!"
He kicked him with every word and Draco still didn't do anything. Tom smiled viciously. He tore off a piece of the castle and raised it over his head, ready to strike.
"Draco!"
He looked down below and there was Harry, looking at him. "Harry…" he whispered.
"Tom, don't!"
Draco blocked the hit before it reached him. They both struggled, neither one giving up, while Harry rode into the castle, then hurried up to the roof.
Draco led Tom to another part of the roof. Tom hit's the first thing he sees, but it turns out to be a statue. The lightening flashed, revealing a whole row of them.
"COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!" Tom panted as he caught his breath, then lowered his voice. "Are you in love with him? Did you think he was in love with you? Why would he be? Why would he love a monster like you when he has me? Harry is MINE!"
Draco leaps out from behind him and picks Tom up by the collar, hanging him over the edge.
"Let me go! Let me go! Please! I'll do anything!"
He suddenly realizes what he's doing and drops Tom on the ground. "Get out," he hisses to him, "And never come back here if you want to live."
Draco turns from him and sees Harry standing there.
"Draco?"
He smiles and he reaches his hand up to Harry, who takes it. Behind them, Tom pulls out a knife, then plunges it into Draco's back making him roar in agony, but before he can fall, Harry pulls him back up. Tom falls to the cliffs below, mostly unnoticed by the two lovebirds.
The others watch the scene unfold from inside.
"You came back to me. Why?"
Harry gives him a half-smile. "Because. I couldn't let them hurt you."
"Maybe…maybe things are better this way, Harry."
"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that! Everything will be okay. You'll be alright. We're together now," Harry said through his tears.
"At least…at least…I got…to see you…one…last…time."
"No! Draco no! You can't die you hear me? Do you hear me? You cannot die!"
Draco's eyes roll back and his head falls to the floor limply.
"You can't die," Harry whispers.
"I love you."