Chapter Twenty-Six
Daphne kept screaming Harry's name over and over, but it was as if he couldn't even hear her. He simply continued roaring in pain, his face twisted in agony as he struggled in vain against the skeletal chains anchoring him to the ground. Almost as worrisome were the inky black tendrils creeping out from the corners of his eyes as they continued to darken.
Unfortunately, she was faring little better. Dobby, Scylla, and even Zael and Kael were also straining against their bindings, but to no avail. Whatever was responsible for this had to be incredibly strong, and incredibly dangerous.
"TONIGHT, A GOD WILL WALK THE EARTH AGAIN! TONIGHT, RHASSEL'THOTH SHALL REJOIN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING!"
Daphne turned towards the source of the cry, and her eyes widened in shock at the arrival of seven unfamiliar people, seemingly appearing out of thin air. The one in the centre appeared older than the others and was carrying a dark staff in his left hand. Daphne gasped when she recognised the book chained to his waist as the same one Granger had tried to use in Harry's memory. The man's eyes focused in on Harry, and at that moment he drew a long dagger from within his robes and started stalking towards them.
Daphne descended into panic as the hierophant steadily approached them with the dagger, mumbling the beginning words of a ritual while his companions circled around them. She called out to Harry again, but he just continued to scream, seemingly unaware of anything that was happening around him.
Just when she was about to give up hope, the sights and sounds of spellfire erupted all around them. Somehow, yet another group of mysterious people had arrived on the scene and were rushing the cultists, wielding both magic and traditional weaponry.
"MEHARJHAI!" they called out as they charged, forcing the cultists to break off their chanting and turn their attentions to their age-old enemies.
"Protect the ritual circle!" Varrard'Thoth snarled as he recognised their enemies' war cry. He raised his staff to the sky, and a wall of purple flames shot out of the ground, separating the cultists and their prisoners from the attacking Meharjhai.
"Complete the ritual!" he commanded, raising the dagger and turning to Harry with a frantic look.
There was a spark of recognition when Daphne heard the new arrivals' war cry. If those people were the Meharjhai, then there was no longer any doubt who was attacking them. Harry had been convinced that the Followers of Rhassel'Thoth weren't an immediate threat, so why were they here? In Harry's past, the Longbottoms hadn't come across the necromancer's tome until they went to Egypt, something like ten years from now. What purpose could have possibly brought them here?
Meanwhile, the Meharjhai had not been discouraged by the cult's swift defence. The warriors wielding swords and spears were taking the fight directly to the Followers of Rhassel'Thoth by leaping over the purple flames, aided by their comrades' magic, while the others worked to bring down the fiery barrier. It wasn't long before some of the wizard members of the Meharjhai managed to get through, and a fierce battle broke out between the two opposing factions.
At that moment, more glowing red lines appeared on the ground. With a thunderous crack, several tombs and mausoleums exploded outwards, their decaying inhabitants crawling out from within. Knowing that failure was unacceptable, the cult had meticulously prepared the scene for any eventuality. Their inferi swiftly joined the fight against the Meharjhai, swinging the momentum back in their favour.
Even amidst all the chaos, Daphne only had eyes for Harry. He had finally stopped screaming, but instead he had collapsed onto his back and was spasming on the ground. The cult leader positioned himself over Harry, dagger in hand.
"HARRY!" she screamed again. Daphne put all of her magic into breaking free, but she simply wasn't strong enough. Scylla was thrashing about, trying to get into a position where she could gaze at the monkey who dared threaten her pet, but it was no use.
"I know not why my master has decided you are so important, but it is of no consequence," the man mumbled in his native tongue, raising the dagger over Harry's spasming chest. "Through you, Rhassel'Thoth shall rise once again! Your life for..."
"NO!" Dobby screamed.
In a flash, a monstrous pulse of magic burst out of the elf, blowing apart the bone chains that had been restraining him. He pushed his hands towards the hierophant, and the man with the dagger was violently banished away from Harry. Dobby then realised that the chains had been suppressing their magic, and it was with renewed vigour that he set to freeing the others from their bonds.
The moment they were released, Zael and Kael made a beeline for the hierophant, who was already on his feet and directing a furious glare towards the elf and his group. Dobby and Scylla took up protective stances in front of Harry, who was still on the ground, while Daphne knelt down beside him.
"Harry!" Daphne called, lightly patting his face. She tried casting a few of the minor medical charms she recently learned from Madam Pomfrey, be he remained unresponsive.
"Mistress, we need to take him away from here," Dobby said, as his attempt to curse their foe splashed harmlessly against the hierophant's red shield.
With but a wave of his staff, the hierophant Varrard'Thoth cast a bright purple spell that blew Zael into pieces, then followed up with a yellow spell directed at Kael. The latter spell was intended to subjugate the massive snake to his will, but unfortunately for him, Kael was not an actual living creature. The yellow jet of light splashed feebly off the jaws of the fast-approaching snake, forcing the man to dive out of the way. Kael reared up to strike again, and the hierophant was barely able to save himself by casting a blue curse that succeeded in destroying the golem's head.
"You cannot stop me!" the man shouted furiously, rising to his feet as a translucent red shield shimmered into place around him. Daphne immediately recognised the shield from Harry's memory of his encounter with Titania and warned Dobby.
"Dobby, no magic can penetrate that shield," she informed him. "Use indirect or physical attacks!"
At once, Dobby hurled a tombstone towards the hierophant, who was forced to cast a spell to blow it apart. He was readying himself for another attack when a powerful blue spell crashed against the hierophant's shield, and everyone's attention was drawn to the white-haired man now standing between Dobby and Varrard'Thoth.
"Elf, take your master and your mistress and leave this place," the man commanded as he defended himself from the hierophant's purple curse. "This scum belongs to me."
"Wards were raised," Dobby replied. He understood that the white-haired man was Meharjhai, though he didn't recognise him from their previous life.
"Then stand back," the man responded, and then moved away to focus on his battle with the hierophant.
~BREAK~
Harry awoke to find himself in the centre of a large cavern. He blinked rapidly as he tried to get his bearings, only to realise he was back in the Chamber of Secrets. His confusion abated slightly once he figured out that he wasn't in the actual Chamber, but rather the version of it that existed within his own mindscape.
That in itself wasn't unusual. What surprised him was that his body seemed almost ethereal, and that he was surrounded by a raging maelstrom of magic that appeared to be originating from himself. He frantically looked around the room for a few moments before his eyes were drawn upwards, where he saw a black and green shadow attempting to enter his mind through a rip in the ceiling. It was just barely being held at bay by a combination of the magical storm pouring out of him and his guardian Bael, which was flying on the current of Harry's magic and attempting to fight back the encroaching shadow.
What troubled Harry the most was that the shadow seemed to be winning.
"What the hell is going on?!" he said to himself.
"Do something!" Harry heard his own voice shout. "I know you can't hear me, but do something! Stop him! Fight him!"
"Who's there?" Harry asked in surprise, looking around and seeing no one else.
"You can hear me?"
"Yes..." Harry replied, recognising the disbelief in the voice.
"Then do something! They can't do it alone, and I can't help!"
Harry could actually feel the anger directed at him by the disembodied voice.
"Fight the shadow. Help them as they helped you!"
Harry stood rooted to the spot, too stunned to react.
"Please...help them," the voice whispered one last time.
Something about the desperation in the voice snapped Harry out of it. He had no idea what was happening, but one thing he knew for certain was that having dark shadows invading his mind was a bad thing. He braced himself, and with a roar he focused all of his magic into pushing out the invading force.
~BREAK~
"There is something inside him," Dobby declared, feeling something sinister blocking the link he shared with Harry. "Something dark, evil, and powerful."
He shivered at the feeling of decay coming from the dark presence within his master.
"Is...is it... Rhassel'Thoth?" Daphne muttered fearfully, struggling to believe what was happening. They had levitated Harry's body and were fleeing the battle, having no interest in being a part of it.
Dobby nodded gravely.
"How?"
"I don't know, Mistress," he answered.
That's when the glowing red lines running along on the ground caught his attention.
"A ward?" Dobby thought, following a line with his eyes to a large tombstone, near which a savage looking Meharjhai warrior had just ripped the head off an inferius with his bare hands.
"No, it's not just a ward line, it's an artificial ley line. They must have used it for the ritual, and all rituals can fail with the slightest tampering."
Formulating a plan, Dobby turned to Daphne with a face of utmost resolve.
"Mistress, if I don't return, tell Harry that it was an honour to serve him. I wish him all the best, and please make sure he lives a happy life. He deserves it."
"What?" Daphne asked in confusion, but Dobby had already drawn a knife and was running along one of the red lines. Scylla hissed in surprise at seeing Dobby running away from Harry, but Daphne was completely shocked, unable to do anything but watch.
The elf used his magic to blow the legs off an inferius attacking a Meharjhai warrior, and then cast a fireball curse at an enemy wizard before he could overpower another. Dobby reached the tombstone he had identified, and a quick check revealed several hieroglyphs carved into the base. Dobby groaned. He couldn't read the hieroglyphs, so he had no way of knowing what purpose they served. That left him with only one option, and a desperate one at that.
Dobby cast a powerful curse at the tombstone, reducing it to rubble in a flash. His eyes glinted in triumph as the red lines vanished, the resulting pulse of magic powerful enough that everyone in the graveyard could feel it. Unbeknownst to the elf, his actions caused a few of the black and purple robed wizards to smirk in satisfaction.
There was another surge of magic, and a huge explosion blasted Dobby through the air until he crashed into the side of a mausoleum. His last conscious thought was that the tombstone wasn't only a node for the ritual lines - it was also a trap.
Daphne cried out as she saw Dobby slam into the mausoleum and slump to the ground, which unfortunately attracted the attention of one of the cult's witches. The woman dispatched a Meharjhai warrior with a yellow curse that made his skin rot and then melt away, then with a crazed growl, she turned her attentions towards Daphne.
Seeing no other alternative, Daphne went on the offensive with a Bone-Breaker Curse, which the elder witch easily batted aside. The cultist next tried to subdue Daphne with an Incarcerous, but she ducked out of the way and responded with another Bone-Breaker, then followed it up with a Lightning Spear and a Blasting Curse. Though Daphne's spells were quite advanced for her age, they proved ineffective against the significantly more experienced witch.
"Is that it?" the elder witch taunted, speaking in heavily accented English. "Is that the best the famous Daphne Greengrass can do?"
"You know my name, but I don't know you," Daphne responded, scowling at the witch while she frantically tried to come up with a plan.
"I am called Jarissa Anivari. I will be the one to deliver you to the Great One in chains, as he requested of his servants. I know not what he wants with you, but the ritual is nearly complete. Today, Rhassel'Thoth will return, using your boyfriend as his vessel."
"No..." Daphne gasped, her worst fears now confirmed. "I will not let you touch Harry!"
"It's not as if you have a choice, little girl," the woman mocked. "Lower your wand and surrender, and I will show you mercy."
"Never!" Daphne spat angrily, sending another barrage of spells at the witch. Once again, her attacks proved ineffective, and Daphne's anger morphed into to desperation as her opponent's rebuttal blasted the tombstone next to her into rubble.
"I will say it again, surrender and AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Jarissa Anivari cried out in pain as a pair of sharp fangs pierced her thigh. The witch looked down at the source of her pain, and the last thing she ever saw was a set of yellow eyes staring back at her. Daphne took advantage of the distraction to land a Cutting Curse across her opponent's throat, but by that time, the older witch was already dead.
"Impressive," a feminine voice said from behind Daphne, and she turned around to see a blonde woman kneeling next to Harry.
"Who are you?" Daphne yelped in surprise, her wand pointing shakily towards the new arrival.
"My name is unimportant. All you need to know is that I am an enemy of your enemy, and I can help your boyfriend."
"You're a Meharjhai?" Daphne asked, and the woman raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I am... But how do you know that name?"
"Does it matter?" she replied, her wand having finally stopped shaking.
"I suppose not," the woman responded with a soft smile before turning back to Harry. "I can help your boyfriend, but your assistance will improve his chances."
"How?" Daphne asked, kneeling down on Harry's opposite side. Scylla slithered up beside her, looking suspiciously at the new woman.
"He's under a heavy possession," she explained. "The easiest way to deal with possession such as this is to kill the vessel."
Daphne practically growled at that, and she was preparing to go for her wand when the woman smiled at her approvingly.
"I too detest that method, seeing as how I am primarily a healer and a priestess. I prefer to exorcise the spirit from the vessel, regardless of how difficult it may be. Unlike some of my companions, I do all I can to avoid wasting innocent lives."
"What... What do you need me to do?" Daphne asked, and the Meharjhai grasped her left hand and directed Daphne to put her right hand on Harry's chest.
"Do not fear," the woman assured her. "Focus on your boyfriend and call to him. I will take care of the rest."
The priestess's hands started to emit a soft, golden glow, making Daphne feel warm all over. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Please, Harry…"
~BREAK~
The pressure of the foreign shadow was crushing down on his body, his magic, and his soul. Harry gritted his teeth and tried pumping out more power, knowing that if he lost this struggle, it would all be over. The shadow redoubled its efforts, and Harry went down to one knee as beads of sweat started forming on his ethereal brow. He knew he was losing, but he was all out of ideas.
"We're going to die, aren't we?" the other voice asked resignedly.
"No!" Harry growled, and he somehow managed to squeeze out a little more power and slow the shadow's advance.
"They were able to protect us that other time, but he's too strong for them now," the disembodied voice told him. "I don't think you can beat him even with their help."
"Who are they, and who is he?" Harry asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "And who are you?"
"You mean you don't know?" the voice muttered.
"Know what?"
"I think it's your enemy from your other life."
"Oberon and Titania?" Harry growled. "Impossible!"
"NO!" the voice shouted. "The necromancer! The Thoth, or something."
"Rhassel'Thoth?"
A new fear gripped Harry as he looked up at the malevolent shadow. If it really was Rhassel'Thoth, he was in even more trouble than he thought.
"Yeah..."
"HOW?!" Harry yelled. It didn't seem possible. The book should still be in Egypt somewhere, and there was no reason for the Followers to be in Britain.
"I don't know," the voice replied.
"Who are you, and why are you in my head?"
"Your head?" the voice replied angrily. "Last time I checked, this was my head. You were the one who forced your way in here and trapped me in my own body."
Harry's eyes shot wide open, his effort against the shadow momentarily faltering.
"You...you're… That's..."
"I am you. I'm the Harry Potter who existed before you came back and trapped me in my own body," the newly identified voice snapped. "One day I was just sitting around, brooding over my friends' betrayals, and then suddenly I'm locked inside my own mind, unable to do anything. I can't move, I can't talk, but yet I can see and experience what my body is doing with someone else controlling it."
Harry was dumbfounded. What the voice, no…what his younger self was describing shouldn't even have been possible.
"But…we merged... Our souls should have..."
"Not all of us did," the voice of young Harry replied. "I figured out that I could see your memories as if they were mine, which is how I discovered who you were and everything you'd done. I hate you, you bastard."
Harry didn't say anything for several moments, but he was jolted out of his reverie by the sound of thunder, as the shadow of Rhassel'Thoth pressed down on him. With a tremendous effort he pushed it back once more, but then there was a loud crack and Bael fell to the ground, its skull split in two.
"Shit..."
"He's too strong," younger Harry said desperately. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Harry responded as the pressure from above increased. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, and sooner or later the shadow would break through and devour everything in its path.
"I really don't know."
Harry looked up again, and for the slightest moment he thought he could see two glowing figures standing within the roaring maelstrom of his magic, helping to fight the shadow.
"Harry!"
A distant voice called out to him, and Harry instantly knew it was Daphne.
"Harry, listen to me," the voice called again. "I love you, and you need to come back to me. Rhassel'Thoth is trying to possess you, but you have to fight him! You have to come back!"
"Daphne..." Harry mumbled, as a spark of hope filled his chest. Somehow, he was starting to feel warmer. In fact, the entire Chamber was warming up. A soft, golden glow started to fill the space around him as the sound of soft chanting began echoing in the Chamber. He felt a sudden surge of benign magic within him, and he was instantaneously restored to full strength.
"What is happening?"
Judging by younger Harry's awestruck voice, he was experiencing the same feeling.
"I don't know, but I'm not going to waste this chance," Harry replied, redoubling his efforts.
This time, the shadow actually shrank back as Harry's magic pummelled it. Somehow, the strange magic that filled him earlier seemed especially damaging to the shadow, and with its help, Harry started to believe he could actually win. Up in the magical maelstrom above, the two newly empowered ethereal figures Harry had seen earlier poured their efforts into helping him, and the necromancer's shadow was finally forced to retreat.
~BREAK~
Varrard'Thoth stood triumphantly over his fallen opponent. The white-haired leader of the Meharjhai forces had put up quite a fight, but the hierophant had managed to connect with a black-tinged Embalming Curse, which caused the victim to rapidly experience the entire mummification process. It was doubtlessly a painful way to die, but Varrard'Thoth found it a fitting end for the man who had for so long opposed the Great One and his Followers.
The tired hierophant looked around and saw that four of his brethren were dead. Though it was of small consolation, ten of the damned Meharjhai had also been killed, either by spell or inferius bite and claw. Of the inferi they had previously prepared, only three remained – all of which were attempting to assist his two remaining companions in breaking a stalemate against the Meharjhai wizards. Of the Potter boy, his master's intended vessel, there was no sign.
Varrard'Thoth had not felt his master's presence in several minutes, so he had assumed all was well and the subjugation of the boy's body was going as planned. He had just started moving to assist his comrades in their battle when he was overcome by intense pain and feelings of unadulterated rage. The Great One's presence had unexpectedly returned to his artefact, and the hierophant knew that something had gone terribly wrong.
"KILL THEM! KILL ALL THE MEHARJHAI!" his master's voice shouted in his mind, the power behind the command forcing him to flinch. "THEY DARED TO INTERFERE AND SABOTAGE MY PLANS! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!"
"My Lord, most of your servants have been killed," Varrard'Thoth informed him. "The rebirth ritual is crippled."
"THEN YOU HAVE FAILED ME!"
"My… My Lord, I beg you for another chance," Varrard'Thoth pleaded. "Your rebirth can still happen; I know it is within your power..."
Rhassel'Thoth remained silent for a time, planning his next move. Thanks to his minion's failure, he had lost the chance to use Potter's body for his vessel. He knew he could take form within another living body, but the flesh was weak. Very few mortals were durable enough to withstand his tremendous power, leading to the vessels deteriorating and ultimately destroying themselves in a matter of days.
That had perhaps been his greatest failure. For all his power and meticulous planning, he had never accounted for the idea that his godlike soul and magic could not be contained within a mere construct. He had tried for centuries, losing several artefacts in the process, but never managed more than a few days among the living before the vessels failed. The rituals he designed were more than adequate for wizards like Voldemort, but none could hope to contain his divine essence.
Harry Potter, however, was a different story altogether. His body was strong, and his magic even stronger. He saw in Harry Potter the chance to finally walk the earth once more, and he had carefully crafted the ritual and set events along the path to bring the boy to him. And now his plan was in jeopardy due to the incompetence of his servants, but it wasn't over yet.
"FULFIL YOUR OATH TO ME!" he commanded, and Varrard'Thoth felt a brief moment of unease.
"You mean..."
"DO IT, MY SERVANT! PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO ME!"
Varrard'Thoth's hands trembled as he fell to his knees - not out of fear, but out of excitement.
"I have learned the words from my father, as his father before him," Varrard'Thoth mumbled to himself, happiness filling him at the thought of being chosen by his master. "I have always believed in them...and I will live by them."
Varrard'Thoth opened his robes, revealing the dark skin underneath. He once again took up the ornate dagger and held it up in front of him, this time with the blade pointed at himself.
"My life for the Great One's return!"
With a grunt, Varrard'Thoth plunged the dagger deep within his chest, and at once felt the ancient magic invading his body. Normally, such a wound would cause blood to pour from one's chest, but in this case, not a drop was spilled. He gasped at the feel of icy cold fingers gripping his chest, as his body stiffened and went into shock. His arms shot out to his sides while his was head flung backwards with his mouth and eyes wide open. The man was in immeasurable pain, yet he revelled in the feeling as his own soul and magic were consumed by his master.
"My life...for…your...return..."
Those were the last words ever spoken by Varrard'Thoth, Hierophant of the Followers of Rhassel'Thoth necromantic cult.
~BREAK~
When Harry's eyes finally fluttered open, the first thing he saw was Daphne staring down at him from above.
"Daph?" he asked in a raspy voice.
"Harry!"
Daphne practically dove on top of him and squeezed him tightly. The last several minutes had been harrowing, but Harry had come back to her. Tears of relief ran down her cheeks as the knot in her chest finally started to loosen.
"My pet, you're awake," Scylla hissed, but it was another familiar voice that grabbed Harry's attention.
"Curious. That was...easy," the blonde Meharjhai woman spoke, if not a little uncertainly. Harry turned towards the voice and recognised her at once.
"Mother Danica..." Harry whispered, and a look of shock appeared on the woman's face while Daphne looked back and forth between the two of them.
"How do you know my name, child?" Danica asked, more curious than concerned.
"Rhassel'Thoth... Is he…?" Harry asked as started to get up, only to be immediately forced back down by Daphne.
"I see you know things you shouldn't know," the woman answered, shivering slightly at the name. "How in Moranna's name do you..."
"My life to stop his return," Harry intoned in an unfamiliar language. Daphne didn't understand the words, but she could tell that Danica did by the way her eyes widened in surprise.
"How?" she asked, and Harry shook his head.
"He tried something with me. He tried to possess me...it's like he was invading my mind and my soul."
Harry grimaced as he described his experience, and Daphne realised this was the first time she'd seen him even remotely afraid of something.
"Why me? And how?"
"I know not, little brother," Danica responded, before looking over at Daphne.
"You didn't tell me you were one of us."
"I'm not," Daphne replied dismissively, her attention still focused on Harry.
"Daphne needs to leave," Harry declared, but the girl in question clearly didn't appreciate his attempts to send her away.
"I have to leave?" she retorted fiercely. "What about you?"
"I..." Harry started, only to be interrupted by Danica.
"You both need to leave," she urged them. "You have achieved much this day, but this battle does not belong to you. We need to discover why the great enemy is interested in you, Harry Potter. Until we do, you must go as far away from here as you can. Now, stay put and I will heal some of your wounds before you go."
Danica started chanting in a low voice, and Daphne couldn't help but look on in interest at the display of unfamiliar healing magic. While he was being worked on, Harry closed his eyes and tried to reach out to his younger self.
"Harry, are you there? Harry, do you hear me?"
To his disappointment, there was no reply. Harry was stricken by feelings of guilt for what he had put his younger counterpart through. Their souls should have combined just like Dobby's, so why had young Harry been kept separate and a prisoner in his own mind?
Before undergoing the time travel ritual, the Dark Lord Potter had convinced himself that fourteen-year-old Harry would have welcomed the merging, or at least wouldn't have minded. His life up until that point had been hardship after hardship, and the child he remembered being would have gladly merged with an older version of himself if it meant he could escape the misery of the Dursleys. Had he been mistaken? Was it the result of a miscalculation with the ritual?
He was still pondering these questions when Danica finished tending to him.
"There, that should be enough to..."
The Meharjhai's words were interrupted by an enormous surge of magic coming from the area they had only recently fled. Daphne felt nauseated as the magic washed over them, and she shivered involuntarily. For one, the power behind the magic was absolutely massive - more than she had ever felt from Dumbledore, Voldemort, or even Harry. On top of that, there was something irredeemably vile, even sinister about it. If magic reflected the intent of the caster, then its source could be nothing less than a being of pure malice.
"What is that?" Daphne asked, in barely whisper.
Harry thought he had a pretty good idea. He dragged himself to his feet and stepped in front of Daphne, prepared for the worst. He was still in a fair amount of pain, but Danica had patched him up well enough for the limited time she had. He turned back to look at his one-time acquaintance and saw that she had paled considerably, the fear plain on her face.
"You need to leave...NOW!" Danica shouted. As soon as she said it, the sky lit up purple as two beams of light blasted a pair of Meharjhai wizards backwards, killing them both instantly. Even from a distance they could see that the blast originated from the hierophant himself.
A Meharjhai warrior wielding an axe shouted his war cry and charged at the wizard, only to be frozen in place only steps from his target. A dark green spell tinged with black left the hierophant's hand, and the warrior's body started rapidly drying out as if it were a piece of leather being baked in a kiln. After several moments of what must have been pure agony for the victim, nothing but dust remained.
The two remaining Followers of Rhassel'Thoth fell to their knees, all thoughts of battle forgotten. The handful of remaining Meharjhai, who had been winning the fight up to that point, stepped back to determine what was happening and regroup. They barely had a moment to look around before purple flames suddenly appeared out of nowhere and engulfed them.
They all died screaming.
"You have to leave!" Danica practically screamed, terror gripping her voice. "Leave, now!"
The hierophant turned back to the sound of the voice. In the blink of an eye, he went from being all the way across the cemetery to standing directly in front of them. Daphne blinked in confusion when she saw the hilt of a dagger protruding from his chest, but she wasn't given time to dwell on it.
Danica raised her wand to try a spell, but with a wave of the hierophant's hand, her throat was slit wide open. She collapsed to the ground, grasping at her gurgling neck before falling still. Having lost his holly and phoenix wand at some point during the battle, Harry drew his secondary wand and cast a silent Blasting Curse, only to have it splash harmlessly against the familiar red shield.
Harry gave the man a calculating look, but his expression quickly turned to shock when he saw that the hierophant's eyes were now entirely black.
"Harry Potter..." the man spoke in a dark, sibilant voice. His lips were moving, and yet it seemed as if the sound had not come from his mouth, but rather somewhere else; somewhere distant, and deeper.
Harry knew at once who, or rather what, was standing before them. He had felt this same magic twice before; once in his past life, and once again this very day, as he battled it within his own mind.
"You..." Harry whispered.
Daphne was frozen in terror, and then she saw something that she had never thought possible before tonight. Harry was scared. Daphne gasped when the thing waved his hand and they were both lifted into the air, their arms and legs spread out wide so that each of their bodies formed the shape of an X.
"Harry!" Daphne called, as they struggled to free themselves.
Scylla attempted to attack the new enemy, but he raised his hand and immobilised her without a second thought.
"You…You're Rhassel'Thoth," Harry spat. "How are you here? Why are you here?"
His eyes flitted towards Daphne.
"What do you want with me? With us?"
"From your woman, I want nothing," the necromancer spoke as he walked towards Harry. He reached out and grabbed him by the neck, forcing the teen to look into his blackened eyes.
"From you, I want your soul and your body. You will pay for destroying my artefact, and I will use your life and your flesh to create a new vessel for myself. Soon, the world will bow before me once again."
"What are you talking about?" Harry protested. "I destroyed nothing."
"Don't be a fool, Harry Potter," Rhassel'Thoth replied with a mix of amusement and irritation. "Don't tell me you still haven't figured it out?"
"W-What?" Daphne asked, attracting the attention of the necromancer.
"Ah, Daphne Potter. Your wife..." Rhassel'Thoth said darkly. "Younger than I remember from your memories, but still unmistakable."
He turned to Harry once again and noticed that his remaining servants had approached them.
"Great One?" one of them dared ask, a look of awe on his face. His master, however, was not impressed.
"You failed me!" Rhassel'Thoth growled, and with a wave of his hand they both fell to the ground, dead.
Harry and Daphne felt the world shift around them, and suddenly they found themselves positioned near the cauldron where the Followers had been hiding while Harry duelled Voldemort.
"HOW!?" Harry angrily shouted. The necromancer's words had given him a clue, but still he didn't understand how it happened.
"How are you here?"
"It was all thanks to you, Dark Lord Potter," Rhassel'Thoth mocked, as he casually levitated the corpses of his Followers and the Meharjhai over the cauldron and began draining their blood into it.
"What? H-How does he know about your past?" Daphne asked in pure disbelief.
"I am the greatest wizard who has ever lived. I am an immortal god of life and death," Rhassel'Thoth proclaimed. "I crawled back from the pits to which you banished me and started to recover my power. I was weak for a long time, but I was eventually able to establish a small link with my last tool and escape my torment. When you designed the ritual to come back, I followed you. I merged the memories of my future self with those of my present self and set to planning both my revenge and my return."
"Who was it?" Harry seethed. "Who was it that discovered you and betrayed me?"
"Who else?" Rhassel'Thoth asked in a condescending tone. "Yourself, of course."
"W-What?" Harry and Daphne exclaimed in unison.
"Did you really think you had won?" Rhassel'Thoth demanded, anger returning to his voice. "Did you really think that an insignificant ant such as yourself could ever hope to defeat me?"
He cast a foul-looking yellow spell at Harry, who immediately started screaming in pain. Daphne could tell just by his reaction that the unknown spell was even worse than the Cruciatus.
"Harry! Fight back!"
"He can't, Daphne Potter," Rhassel'Thoth said in response, lifting the spell after a few moments and looking at down at Harry.
"Not anymore. I admit that residing within your mind was frustrating at times, especially during that Christmas holiday of yours, when you would always contemplate killing yourself. Fortunately, my power grew to where I could influence you enough to stop your whining, though I still couldn't force you to do my bidding. Then, a brilliant idea occurred to me. A subtle suggestion here, a small push there, and before long you started looking for a way to come back in time, just as I wanted. Well done, my loyal servant."
Rhassel'Thoth laughed cruelly as Harry paled at the implication. Daphne saw the despondent look in her boyfriend's eyes, but she refused to give up.
"Harry, don't believe him!"
"And now, thanks to you, Harry Potter, I shall walk this world once again," Rhassel'Thoth proclaimed, casting the last body aside. All of them had now been fully bled to the cauldron, Danica's included.
"I planned carefully for this day. I even sent my servants to propose an alliance to your kin, the one who called himself Voldemort. He was a foolish wizard, believing he had all the power when he was nothing more than a tool to bring you to me."
"All those weeks ago, was it you?" Daphne asked. "Was it you that caused Harry to have that weird attack?"
Rhassel'Thoth scowled at her question.
"I was expanding my power and managed to establish a link, but I was not expecting such strong defences," he said, glaring at Harry. "I realised then that you needed to be weakened before I could claim you. A simple ritual would suffice. All I needed was blood violently shed - on sacred ground, and in my name..."
He gestured widely to the graveyard that had been that evening's battlefield.
"Much blood was spilled here tonight, but that wasn't all. In order to power the transformation, a soul with ties to the new vessel needed to be sacrificed, hence the grooming of Voldemort for you to kill. For a short moment, I thought the Meharjhai would ruin everything, but here you are. My new vessel, weakened and compliant."
"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded. "How can I be your new vessel?"
"Because, Harry Potter, I claimed your soul that day in Longbottom Manor," Rhassel'Thoth laughed.
"You're lying," Harry spat defiantly. Daphne looked shocked, but she couldn't help but feel a small tinge of pride on her boyfriend's behalf.
"I studied you. You lie, you corrupt, and you always make yourself look greater than you are. You're not the god you claim to be, you're just an overpowered maggot that should've turned to dust a long time ago."
"Careful now, Harry Potter," Rhassel'Thoth threatened. "Words bring consequences."
"If you could do anything, you would've done it already," Harry scoffed. "You obviously need me for something, but I will not help you."
"You have no choice," Rhassel'Thoth replied angrily, an idea coming to him as he looked to Daphne.
"You are correct, though. I do need you, if only for your body. But what should I do with...her?"
"Leave her out of this!"
"You are not in any position to make demands, Harry Potter," the necromancer responded, taking great pleasure in tormenting the couple. "But fear not, my idea is a simple one. Why should I risk possessing your body with only one soul to power the ritual, when I have your wife's soul right here?"
"NO!" Harry shouted, as Rhassel'Thoth laughed maliciously.
"Now, how should she be sacrificed?" he asked. "Should I have you kill her? Perhaps curse her as you did Voldemort? Or..."
He chuckled darkly when he caught sight of Scylla, her body still frozen by his spell.
"Or we can use your pet basilisk."
He reached his hand out and Scylla flew to him, where he grasped her just below her head.
"No! Leave her alone!" Harry shouted in a panic, putting all his effort into freeing himself from Rhassel'Thoth's magic. Daphne closed her eyes as tightly as she could, terrified that this would be the end. Rhassel'Thoth walked over to Daphne, taking care to ensure Harry would see it all, and then raised Scylla into the air. He positioned her head directly in front of Daphne, whose eyes were still firmly shut.
"Wake up, little basilisk," Rhassel'Thoth whispered, and the spell was lifted. Scylla twitched slightly as she regained consciousness, though she still couldn't fully control her body.
"Scylla, whatever you do, don't look at Daphne!" Harry shouted.
"My pet?!" Scylla asked, still unable to move.
"How amusing," Rhassel'Thoth hissed back, and Harry looked shocked by the unexpected use of Parseltongue.
"Use your glare on the girl and kill her."
"NO!" Scylla refused, finally realising what was happening.
"You think you can defy me, little snake?" Rhassel'Thoth challenged, casting a spell on Scylla that made the young basilisk hiss in pain. "Kill her. Obey me, and the pain will stop."
"I will not kill my pet's mate," Scylla hissed, but the necromancer only chuckled, seemingly amused by the snake's defiance.
"Then I shall force you..."
Being the only one present who could not understand the Parseltongue conversation, Daphne tried to block it all out and concentrate on keeping her eyes closed.
"Harry..." she whimpered over Scylla's angry hissing. Harry turned back to her and saw a tear falling from her closed eye. "We're not going to survive, are we?"
"Of course, we are! We..." Harry started, but Daphne ignored him.
"Whatever happens... I want you to know that I love you, and that I am very proud of all you did in both of your lives."
"Stop talking like that, Daph," Harry insisted, fearing the worst. A Gryffindorish attitude from Daphne was not what he needed at the moment.
"Even if we die today, thank you for this chance... For us..."
"Daph..." Harry whispered, tears starting to pool in his own eyes. He struggled to release himself, not willing to accept losing her all over again.
"Love..." Rhassel'Thoth mocked. "How pathetic... Now, open your eyes, Daphne Potter."
"DON'T OPEN YOUR EYES, DAPH! SCYLLA! CLOSE YOUR LIDS!"
All of a sudden there was a flash of blue, and Scylla was banished away from Daphne. Both Harry and the necromancer turned towards the source of the spell, and Daphne even opened up one eye to peek. Leaning heavily against a tombstone was Dobby, tired and bleeding. He was holding a wand in each of his hands, both of them Harry's.
"Dobby!" called Harry, relieved at his best friend's intervention but also concerned by his visible injuries.
"You're still alive, elf?" Rhassel'Thoth asked, seeming surprised by Dobby's appearance but otherwise unconcerned.
"I am a Potter elf, you expired mummy," Dobby retorted, wheezing slightly. "Leave my master and mistress alone."
Rhassel'Thoth raised his hand towards the elf. "I have always rewarded loyalty," he said in a low tone. "I shall grant you a quick demise in appreciation for your devotion, even in the face of death."
"Before you kill me, there's one thing you should know," Dobby wheezed. He slipped a little further down the tombstone supporting him, but somehow still managed a confident smirk.
"My master has one last servant able to fight you."
"Shit..." Harry spat. In all the chaos, he had somehow forgotten his secret weapon.
"Oh? And who would this be?" Rhassel'Thoth taunted, clearly not troubled by Dobby's threat. "You? Who are dying where you stand?"
"VAEL!" Harry shouted, as loudly as he could. "COME FORWARD AND DESTROY YOUR MASTER'S ENEMIES!"
There was a tremendous surge of magical energy, and a green pillar of light shot up from the ground and into the atmosphere. The column slowly expanded outwards as lightning danced within it, the ominous sounds of humming magic and crackling energy filling the otherwise silent graveyard. The magic only seemed to intensify as a gigantic black mass started to take shape within the green column.
Daphne looked from the pillar of light to Harry, her mind flashing back to a memory Harry had shown her during Christmas, one she hadn't really thought about in months.
"You are Vael, the biggest and most powerful one. The strongest ever, that one who can protect us and everyone else, and fight the bad people," Daphy replied with a shy smile. "You're the Daddy."
With one final pulse, green light dissipated and revealed an enormous black snake. Vael was double the size of Bael, making even the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets seem small by comparison. Its eyes were ablaze with emerald light, which stood out in stark contrast against Vael's midnight-black hood, which resembled that of a king cobra. It opened its jaws and unleashed a deafening roar, revealing its sword-like fangs before leaping at Rhassel'Thoth.
Daphne cried out as the giant snake hurtled towards them, but to her relief she felt herself being summoned away from the scene, along with Harry. Dobby had come to their rescue yet again.
Rhassel'Thoth was too busy protecting himself from Vael to realise his prey had escaped. He managed to create a sphere of pure magic around himself the moment before the snake descended on him, shielding him from damage as the powerful jaws clamped down around him. Vael reared up, the encapsulated necromancer trapped within its maw, and shook its head back and forth in an attempt to break through the barrier.
Back on the ground, Harry and Daphne were freed from the necromancer's spell and regrouping. Dobby returned Harry's wands to him and tried giving Daphne hers, but she was so focused on the scene in front of them that she barely noticed.
"Daph, we have to leave," Harry said while he checked Dobby's injuries.
"That's Vael... You made Vael?" Daphne said in an awestruck whisper.
"Daph, we need to go. Now!" Harry insisted.
"You're right. Let's go," she replied, shaking herself out of her daze and taking her wand back from Dobby.
They were making to leave when Vael roared again, and they turned to see an explosion coming from inside its jaws. Something dropped from its mouth and fell to the ground, while the snake fell backwards onto the graveyard with a crash, crushing several tombstones under its massive weight.
"Shit, he's still alive?" Daphne spat, nearly as angry as she was terrified.
"Daph, as much as I loathe the idea of putting you in danger, did you ever master Fiendfyre?"
"N-No, I didn't..." she replied, having an idea of what he was intending.
"That's too bad," he replied, pulling her to him and passionately kissing her.
"I love you too," Harry whispered into her ear. "I've loved you for so long, and I missed you for all that time. Now that I have you, I will fight even harder for our future."
"No, you can't!" Daphne pleaded as she held tightly to his arm.
"I have a plan, Daph," Harry replied confidently, and Daphne deflated at the realisation that they really had no choice. They had to defeat the necromancer now, while they still had a chance.
"Dobby, take care of Daphne."
"Of...course," he responded weakly.
Daphne frowned. "I'm going with you," she declared.
Harry looked like he was about to argue, but Daphne's determined glare was enough to make him change his mind.
"Just because I haven't mastered the spell yet doesn't mean I don't know how to cast it."
"But if you can't control it..." he started, only to falter at her expression. "Fine, just stay safe and out of the way at the beginning. Once I release my Fiendfyre, you hit him as well."
Daphne nodded her acceptance of the plan and went in for one last kiss, only to be interrupted by a roar of anger.
They shared a final look, and then Harry took off running between the tombstones, curses on the tip of his wand just ready to be unleashed. He found the necromancer standing with his clothes torn, the dagger somehow still lodged deep in the flesh of his host's body. He had a broken leg that was in the process of magically repairing itself, and he was covered in severe gashes that were oozing the already cold and coagulating blood of Varrard'Thoth's body. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed that Vael was also beginning to rouse itself.
"POTTER!" the necromancer bellowed. "I have had enough of your resistance!"
He unleashed a lightning spell towards Harry, but he dodged it easily.
"Too bad," Harry retorted, fighting back with several curses of his own. "I couldn't help but notice your surprise when I summoned Vael. For one who claims to have manipulated my life, you sure didn't see that coming."
"Insolent little ant, I will claim your body and rise again!" Rhassel'Thoth roared, unleashing another barrage of spells.
"I don't know how you came back with me, but as I'm the cause of this, I will fix it! MY LIFE TO STOP YOUR RETURN!"
"I should have known, Meharjhai scum!" the necromancer growled as their battle continued.
Harry was putting up an impressive fight, but he was already beyond fatigued and the necromancer's spells were too powerful. He was just starting to believe that they would need a miracle to survive the day, when one arrived in the form of Scylla.
While Rhassel'Thoth was focused on his duel with Harry, the young basilisk leapt at him from the shadows. He flinched away at the last second, forcing Scylla's attack to be slightly off target. Instead of sinking her fangs into her enemy's throat, her jaws clamped around the hilt of the dagger buried in the vessel's chest. She jerked her head away sharply, dislodging the dagger and sending it flying before dropping back to the ground.
Rhassel'Thoth cried out in shock as he felt his own power fading and his hold over the host body diminishing.
Harry felt the change at once and charged ahead, launching spells at the weakened necromancer in order to keep him on the defensive.
"Scylla, move away, now!" he commanded, and Scylla did as she was told and slithered off.
"VAEL!" Harry shouted, and Vael lifted its head and rose to its full height. Its lower jaw had been almost completely destroyed, but the damage didn't make it look any less fearsome.
"BURN HIM!"
At Harry's command, the inside of Vael's hood lit up with fiery golden runes. What remained of the lower jaw dropped open, and a torrent of Fiendfyre burst from its mouth, completely engulfing Rhassel'Thoth.
The necromancer raised his red shield and attempted to endure the flames, but he no longer had his full power at his disposal. The dagger had been his anchor, and without it he could not maintain his strength inside the host vessel. He had to focus all of his magic on maintaining his shield, so he had no opportunity to recover the dagger or attempt to draw power from the tome at his waist.
"Curse you, Potter!"
"FIENDFYRE!" Harry roared, and a second torrent of cursed flames hit the necromancer. As soon as she heard Harry's spell, Daphne jumped out from behind a tombstone and added her own jet of Fiendfyre to the onslaught.
"Go back to whatever pit you escaped from," Harry shouted over the roaring of the flames. "Go back to whatever hell awaits you and leave the living alone!"
Rhassel'Thoth could feel his shield cracking under the pressure and felt fear for the first time in his unnatural life. If his final two artefacts were destroyed with him, he would lose everything. Regardless of what he had claimed, his link to Harry was tenuous at best and almost certainly wouldn't survive the destruction. Once again, he was on the verge of being defeated by an ant; a mere mortal who dared to challenge a god.
With a howl of rage and desperation, Rhassel'Thoth put all of his remaining power into one final attack. As his shield failed, he directed a sinister black bolt of magic at Harry, who failed to see it through the flames. The pained screams of Rhassel'Thoth were echoed by Harry Potter as the necromancer's spell connected.
"HARRY!"
"MY PET!"
"MASTER!"
All three of Harry's companions cried out when they saw Harry thrown backwards by the dark spell. Dobby rushed to him in panic as he felt his master's life fading over the bond they shared, while Daphne reined in her spell with great effort. They all reached Harry just as the Fiendfyre consumed the body of Varrard'Thoth, along with the dagger and the tome – the last two artefacts of the ancient necromancer Rhassel'Thoth.
"YOU MAY HAVE DESTROYED MY ARTEFACTS, BUT YOUR LIFE IS MINE! MAKE NO MISTAKE, I WILL FIND A WAY TO RETURN TO THIS WORLD, AND I WILL TAKE MY REVENGE!" he screamed from within the flames, before even his ghostly shadow was engulfed and reduced to nothing.
None of them paid him any mind, being much more concerned with Harry.
Vael stopped breathing the Fiendfyre the moment its master's enemy was destroyed. Being a construct, it simply remained in place awaiting new orders.
Scylla slithered to Harry and nudged her head against her unconscious pet, but he was unresponsive. Dobby fell to his knees, no longer able to feel Harry's presence through their bond. Tears pooled in his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. His master was too strong, too determined to die here, so why wouldn't he wake?
Daphne clutched Harry's lifeless body in her arms, begging him to get up.
"Wake up, wake up, Harry, wake up!" she cried, even as she realised she couldn't feel his chest drawing breath or the beat of his heart. "Wake up, Harry. Wake up..."
Daphne hugged Harry tightly and broke down sobbing. Scylla rested her head on Harry's chest while Daphne rocked him gently.
"Harry, please...I love you. You promised me. You promised me, so you have to wake up..."
Dobby was the first to feel it - a small spark of magic in the bond, but he quickly realised something was off. Scylla suddenly felt the first few beats of Harry's heart and raised her head in surprise, which quickly turned to joy.
Harry suddenly gasped and his eyes shot open, startling Daphne. The three of them all stared at Harry in disbelief as he coughed violently for a few moments while trying to catch his breath.
"My pet!"
"Harry!" Daphne cried out in happiness. She grabbed his face and kissed him passionately, only to pull back after feeling some hesitance on his part. Harry's reluctance to return her kiss surprised her, as did the small blush lighting up his face.
"Harry? What's wrong?" she asked, but the answer didn't come from her boyfriend.
"Who are you?" asked Dobby in a mix of anger and shock, drawing one of his daggers and leaning it into Harry's neck, making him gulp.
"Dobby, what are you doing?" Daphne demanded over Scylla's hissing.
"That is not my master," Dobby replied angrily, tears falling from his eyes as he scowled at Harry, who looked to be in shock. "You are not Harry Potter; I can feel it. You are not my master, my best friend. WHO ARE YOU TO DARE USE HIS FACE?!"
Daphne gasped at Dobby's outburst and inspected Harry's face more closely.
Scylla just looked confused. "My pet, what is going on?"
"Dobby..." said the boy who Dobby claimed was not Harry. His voice sounded the same, and yet Dobby and Daphne both noticed that something was missing from it. When he spoke, he seemed to come across as both sad and insecure, displaying a nervousness that seemed incompatible with their Harry.
"I'm sorry, Dobby. You too, Greengrass...Daphne."
They both flinched slightly at way he addressed them, almost as if they were strangers.
"Who-Who are you?"
"I…I'm Harry Potter," he responded, looking sadly at Dobby while trying to avoid seeing Daphne's confused, hurt expression.
"I am the Harry Potter that existed before you and your master came back to the past in November," he revealed, leaving both Daphne and Dobby gaping.
"I've been trapped in my own body ever since."
"H-How?" Dobby asked in shock, but Harry lowered his eyes and shook his head.
"I have a message for you. He asked me to tell you that...he's thankful for everything you did for him. For all your help throughout the years."
Tears were running down Harry's face, but he still refused to look at either Dobby or Daphne.
"Harry?" Daphne asked, and Harry took a deep breath and looked up at her.
"I also have a message for you, Greengr…Daphne," Harry started, gathering up his courage while looking into her tear-filled eyes. "He asked me to tell you that he wants you to be happy. He wants you to become the wonderful woman he knows you can be, and to live your life to the fullest."
"Harry, what happened?" Daphne sobbed, either not understanding or not wanting to accept what was happening.
"He's dead," Harry told her, his own voice hitching. "The man you loved, the one who came to the past to save you...he's dead."