Much to the shock of everyone except maybe Blaise who had seen Haylan face Voldemort, Haylan started to laugh.
Dumbledore's wand didn't waver from where it pointed at the laughing emperor, but Dumbledore was looking a little confused.
"Oh Albus Dumbledore. You speak like your words actually matter." Haylan's grin was sharp and a little bloodthirsty looking. Haylan takes several slow purposeful steps closer to Dumbledore, Haylan's crown looking sharp and deadly in the dim lighting.
"You accepting me as Emperor doesn't change anything. I am still emperor, I am your emperor and you will kneel." Haylan commanded, his power mixing with what was left in the air from Lady Magic and Lord Death, forcing Dumbledore to his knees in front of Haylan. There were gasps and shouts from Dumbledore's group and even from some others in the crowd, but everyone else was dead silent, nearly holding their breaths to see what the new Emperor would do with the Leader of the Light Dumbledore.
Dumbledore struggled to keep his wand pointed at Haylan, it was humiliating enough to be forced onto his knees, but he would not drop his wand in the face of this threat.
"You are just another tyrant trying to take over the magical world. I will not let you spread any more dark idealogy!" Dumbledore shouted but Haylan still didn't lose his grin.
"Seeing the Gods you keep bad-mouthing and denying was scary for you wasn't it Dumbledore? You will keep your blinders on and tell everyone that I am tricking them, that it was a mere illusion even if they had been standing right here feeling the power of the Gods in front of them. You just don't want to be wrong. As Tom Riddle is afraid of Death in all its forms, you Albus are just as afraid now. What happens when you die and you meet the Gods you told so many not to worship? What happens when they stand in front of you and know that you dirtied their name and image to increase your own power? What happens when Lady Magic denies you entry into the Summerland because you almost killed Magic by denying her in front of the world? What will your pride and greed cost you in the afterlife I wonder?"
Dumbledore was pale as Haylan talked, rubbing salt in the wound that Dumbledore could ever be wrong.
"Illusions! They were just illusions and you are trying to trick wizards and witches alike into following you!" Dumbledore argued, starting to sound a little unhinged.
"Liar," Haylan said in a singsong voice, getting closer to Dumbledore, stalking him like prey. Dumbledore kept his wand pointed at Haylan, arm trembling with the effort.
Dumbledore had clearly had enough at this point, firming his hold on his wand he cast, "Avada Kedavra!"
Everyone cried out in shock as the green light left Dumbledore's wand. The Romanian Aurors were too far away to protect Haylan.
Narcissa and Sirius both cried out in shock also not close enough to protect him.
But Haylan's smile never faltered even as the green light hit him.
Everything inside the hall seemed to freeze the moment that light hit Haylan head-on.
But then the light faded and Haylan was still standing there grinning.
No one moved, no one breathed.
Haylan's smile got wider, leaning in closer to Dumbledore before quietly saying, "Boo."
Dumbledore felt fear down into his bones. "Impossible." He rasped.
"No. What is impossible is that you think you can harm me with a wand that rightfully belongs to me. That is the elder wand and I do believe I will be taking it back now." Haylan said while plucking the wand from Dumbledore's shaky grasp. Haylan then turned and walked back toward his throne, leaving Dumbledore kneeling on the cold stone floor.
"Aurors, please escort Mr. Dumbledore down to the dungeons. I don't want his filth further contaminating my coronation day." Haylan ordered with a careless wave. As the Aurors converged on Dumbledore, the rest of the order found their spines to speak up.
"You can't just take him away!" Doge shouted, pushing his way to the front with the others close behind him.
"Did you or did you not just watch your leader, your 'Light' leader use the killing curse to try to kill me?" Haylan questioned bemused.
"It was for the greater good!" Hermione shouted at Haylan, red in the face and hair frizzing in response to the magic in the air.
"Ah, one of my troublemakers. How is the lack of magic treating you? You are the only one to not apologize for your actions at the beautillion ball." Haylan couldn't help himself but try to rile up his old friend. "So you too have fallen under Dumbledore's thrall of every action can be explained away as long as it's for the greater good."
"We would be better off with you gone!" Hermione tried to argue.
"Ah but I wouldn't just be gone, I would be dead. This hypocrisy of the so-called Light side disgusts me. At least Voldemort's people admit to their faults and don't hide behind pathetic excuses like you." Haylan sneered. Hermione looked like she had been slapped, falling into a stunned silence.
"If that will be all for the dramatics. Aurors take Dumbledore away. I will deal with him later." Haylan ordered, turning away from the Order of Phoenix to address the Romanian aurors, which in hindsight was a mistake.
Suddenly Haylan felt a sharp pain in his back and the feel of warm blood beginning to coat his skin.
There were several shouts of alarm and Haylan was careful to keep his pain concealed as he slowly turned back around to see more of the aurors surrounding the group known as the Order of Phoenix.
The whole hall watched on in fear and expectation. If Haylan didn't put a stop to this now, there would be terrible repercussions later.
"Which one?" Haylan asked with a deadly calm voice, ignoring the pain and the blood bleeding out of him.
Bellatrix joined the aurors standing guard over the Order and grabbed one of them to throw at Haylan's feet.
"This cowardly scum decided to stab you." Bellatrix's smokey-sounding voice intoned with disgust. Her voice and intonations had changed quite a lot after being healed both physically and mentally, and if Haylan wasn't related to her or flamboyantly gay, he would say she sounded quite sexy now.
Haylan looked down at the small man paling in front of him. He remembered quite clearly the day this man bowed to him in his violently purple tophat in front of Petunia before Harry even knew he was a wizard, and then again in the Leaky when the man kept coming back for yet another handshake. If the man only knew who he really was.
"Dedalus Diggle." Haylan purred dangerously. "Following in your Master's footsteps a little too closely aren't you? You were smart enough to not use magic on me, but stupid enough to attack me in the first place. You want me to be a tyrant? Because I can show you a tyrant." Haylan spoke slowly as he approached the small unremarkable man. Leaning down, ignoring the flash of pain from what he assumed was a knife in his back, and wrapping his right hand around Diggle's neck.
Diggle began to gasp and tried to pull Haylan's hand off of his neck to no avail. Diggle's skin looked as if he was beginning to wither and dehydrate. Haylan looked into each Order member's eyes.
"I am Emperor Caliban. I am above you in all things. I am the Voice of Lady Magic and the Hand of Lord Death. Do desist in trying to defy me. The Caliban line is your beginning and your end. I have tried to be patient with you but enough is enough. You do not attack me, you do not touch me, and if you so much as breathe wrong from here on out I will end you and your line. That goes for everyone." Haylan announced in a hard voice to the entire silent hall. Diggle was no longer struggling and everyone looked horrified as Haylan dropped the now mummified-looking corpse of what once was Deadlus Diggle.
Lord Haylan Caliban has literally drained the life out of the man without any effort while injured.
Everyone felt fear in their hearts at the sight.
Haylan no longer cared. He would be feared first if they couldn't respect him or his position.
—-
Blaise made his way back to the private living area of the castle quickly. What Haylan did to Diggle was terrifying but Blaise was more concerned over his boyfriend being stabbed.
Blaise was also still trying to recover from nearly cumming after Haylan made Dumbledore kneel before him like an errant child. Oh, it was so much worse than when he had seen Haylan snap Voldemort's wand. Not only did he make Dumbledore kneel, lecture him, take his wand away, and take him into custody but he also killed one of Dumbledore's most stringent followers and caused the rest of the Order to both hate and fear him as Emperor.
Gods above, his boyfriend was so hot it was unreasonable.
Also seeing Haylan wear his crown also did something to Blaise that he couldn't explain but definitely needed to explore at a later date.
The aurors already knew Blaise so they were helpful in pointing Blaise to the right room where the rest of the Black family was gathered. It was so weird to see a sane-looking Bellatrix standing next to Andromeda, who could have been mistaken as her twin, and Narcissa. All three women seemed to be silently worrying over a protesting Haylan as one of the medi-aurors tended to his wound. The knife had been pulled free from his back already and Blaise was grateful he didn't have to watch them pull out what looked to be an eight-inch ritual knife from Haylan's body. Sirius was pacing on the other side of the room with a silent Nymphadora watching over him.
Blaise suddenly felt nervous about whether he would be welcome into this very family-oriented gathering, but once Haylan saw him and smiled at him softly Blaise felt his insides relax and melt. He quickly approached Haylan, sitting near his head so he could hold Haylan's hand as they worked to seal the wound.
"You scared me," Blaise murmured quietly, squeezing Haylan's hand.
"I'm sorry. I never meant for you to see the extent of some of the magic I can perform now." Haylan apologized with a wince, watching Blaise warily from where he lay on his stomach.
"Not Diggle you dolt. You being stabbed scared me. Dumbledore casting the killing curse at you terrified me. I thought I was going to lose you." Blaise harshly corrected.
Haylan blushed but smiled, grateful that Blaise wasn't afraid of his growing magic.
"I'm fine truly Blaise. I will heal up from this quickly and then I will deal with Dumbledore and his lot as they have annoyed me more than even the Spanish have." Haylan tried to joke.
"As long as you are careful. I can't lose you Haylan. I think I am falling in love with you." Blaise admitted quietly. This wasn't how he wanted to tell Haylan but the stubborn man needed to know how he felt so maybe he would take some precautions in the future.
"Really?" Haylan asked in hopeful surprise.
"Yes really. I'd be a fool not to fall for you, you strange and wonderful man. Although you may make me turn gray early with some of your stunts." Blaise smiled softly.
"Love me enough to initiate a proper courting?" Haylan asked sounding nervous. Blaise blinked, surprised.
"If that is what you want, then I would be honored to court you Haylan. I just thought you may have wanted to keep pureblood traditions out of it since you weren't raised with them like I was. I know most of the new-bloods don't like the stuffiness of courting." Blaise kissed the back of Haylan's hand, causing Haylan to smile wider than he had ever seen him smile before.
"I want you to court me. I want a contract and all of the frills that come with it. I may not have been raised as a pureblood originally but Narcissa and Andromeda did pretty much take over raising me a couple of years ago and I have fallen in love with the wizarding world and all of the traditions that come with it. Our bond will be stronger if we court properly and then Lady Magic can bless our bond." Haylan informed Blaise.
"Then we will court properly and I will show you just how much I have fallen for you Haylan. You are the center of my world and I cannot imagine being without you now." Blaise leaned forward and kissed the top of Haylan's bright red hair.
For as much as Haylan turned on Blaise sexually, he made Blaise love him twice as much.
He wouldn't let Haylan leave him if he could help it. The world was darker when Haylan wasn't around filling up Blaise's life with brightness and wild magic.