Ch 15 December Twentieth
It was Tuesday December twentieth, twenty-twenty-two. Harry woke up at 6:00 AM, as he usually did, but this morning he was terrified. Ginny woke at the same time, looked over at Harry, and saw the distress in his face. "Have you done everything you could do?" Ginny wondered.
"I don't know," Harry sighed, rubbing his face. "This is worse than the Battle of Hogwarts, in some ways. How did your parents stand it, at the Battle of Hogwarts, with all of you there?"
"They were terrified, Harry. Terrified they would lose us all," Ginny somberly replied. "You heard dad in the Gryffindor common room, after the battle. They were afraid they would lose all of us, that the whole family would be dead."
"I don't see how we can avoid having Albus and Rose, Cleo and Scorpius all there," Harry thought. "Not and get Cleo's great-grandmum and grandmum there. Ted says that Cleo's parents are allies, and we should give them wands as soon as Great Grandmother appears.
"Cleo and Scorpius have to be there, and Albus and Rose are just insistent that they both be there. All the prophesies suggest that Cleo AND Al have to take down her great-grandmother. Rose will not leave Scorpius. Getting her to leave Scorpius would be as hard as keeping you from The Battle of Hogwarts.
"I've have more back-up that I've ever had, and Al VanLente has almost every Auror in the world on standby in case we really can get into the Island. There is no way we can win without it costing us casualties."
"Do we have a choice?" asked Ginny as she came up behind him and held him.
"We could choose not to confront evil," Harry replied, leaned his head back on her shoulder. "It's just that if we choose to confront evil once in a while you are faced with these horrible risks, and what could be more horrible than risking your child, your niece, their soon to be we hope spouses."
"And grandchildren," Ginny added. "Cleo and Rose are pregnant."
Harry turned to Ginny and held on tight. "They are going to be losses before the end of the day," Harry growled. He gave Ginny a kiss and got up to face the day, and Ginny followed.
Ron and Hermione woke up and looked at each other. "I'm scared," Ron admitted.
"I'm scared too," Hermione agreed. "We have to do it, though. We have to let Rose be with Scorpius."
"I know," Ron responded. "The worse thing is that I feel like I have two children going into battle, Rose and Scorpius. If anything happens to Scorpius, it'll be like losing Hugo." Ron held on tight to Hermione and began to cry. "How the hell did I go from hating him, or maybe hating the idea of him, to tolerating him, to accepting him to, he's like another son. I'd be devastated if anything happened to either of them!"
"Are you scared, Scorpius?"
"Yes, but we have to do this."
"Don't be too much of a hero and get killed, please!"
"Being too careful is not always the safest thing, Rose. In chess if you never go on the attack, never sacrifice a piece, you don't win. I have no intention of being a pawn, but if I have to be a knight or bishop and go into battle so we win I have to do it.
"I love you too much to throw my life away, though. I'll do my best."
"Thank you, Scorpius. I want us to actually marry. I want to see your father's face, and your grandfather's, when you introduce yourself as Scorpius Hyperon Granger-Malfoy."
"I'm not fond of these robes," Cleo noted. "I've spent most of the last few years trying to get away from the stupid pure blood old fashion nonsense. They are good for hiding your wand in the wand holster, though."
"You are not scared?" Albus asked,
"Not for me," Cleo replied. "I was born to confront my great-grandmother, and if she shows up I will get my chance. I'm worried about everybody else, and the sooner we kill Jezebel the sooner we can help everybody else.
"I love life and babies and marriages and people and life. I never thought I could try and kill anyone, but Jezebel is such an evil person, such an evil presence, that … we have to do this!"
"I'm not as scared for my own life as I thought I would be," Albus concurred. "Dad says that people are going to lose their lives today, though, and that really worries me."
Dobedo took Harry into Narcissa's office at seven in the morning. "Already Anti-apparition spells up, but not for Elves," Dobedo let Harry know. "Have been up since yesterday."
"I'm expecting even stronger Anti-apparition spells will be up soon," Harry reflected.
Narcissa came into her office. Harry, who was under the Invisibility Cloak, took it off.
"Put it back on, Harry," Narcissa told him. "I'm going to take you to your niche to hide."
"I need to go to the Floo first, and then I will follow you," Harry replied.
Harry installed George's bombs, and then followed Narcissa, and hid in the recess.
Narcissa and Harry watched as one Magi after another came through the Floo. Both Harry and Cho watched on their copies of their magical map as Magi stationed themselves in every room.
Cleo and Scorpius came thru the Floo at eight-thirty, accompanied by Albus and Rose. All were wearing dress robes. Scorpius announced, "Rose and Albus are our witnesses."
"I don't like having them here," Draco snarled.
"I don't like this forced marriage, father," Scorpius answered back.
Draco took Astoria's hand and backed up to the panel on the wall where he could escape.
More Magi came thru the Floo. Harry thought there may be twenty-five of them in the living room. About ten o'clock many of the Magi took out wands and pointed them at the people in the room. They put handcuffs on Scorpius, Rose, Albus, Cleo, Narcissa, Draco, Astoria, and great-grandmother Black. Not, Harry noticed, the Elves or great-grandmother Malfoy. They then proceeded to take the wands from the four youngsters, having no idea that the wands in the wand pockets were duplicate wands, although to do it they had to remove the wand pockets, cut the part of the robe that had the wand pocket out of the robe.
All four of the young Magi were relieved that no one suspected that their own wands were still on them, in the wand holster on their arms, concealed by the sleeves on their robes and by some concealment spells.
A short way away from the Manor, well hidden, there were over one-hundred Aurors, including Teddy Lupin, with maps of the island, Dan VanLente and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Ron was there with a magical map of the manor showing who was inside and outside, including twenty or so from Jezebel outside, a dozen in various rooms, and about twenty-five in the living room.
"Do you recognize any of these people?" Kingsley wondered.
"I do, and I recognize the spells they are using, I think," Teddy replied. "We are going to have to get to those wizards to take down the wards."
About 10:15 AM Cleo's parents showed up, coming through the Floo. "Hello Mom and Dad," Cleo greeted them, and indicated that she thought they were her parents. They looked like they had been Imperiused. About five minutes later grandmother came through the Floo. Cleo greeted her, too. "Hello Grandmother. I want to introduce you to Scorpius Malfoy."
Grandmother looked very nervous, but just stood there.
Finally, great-grandmother Jezebel Nukpana came through the Floo.
Albus and Cleo did some spell to open all of the handcuffs. The four youngsters released their wands from the hidden wand holsters on their arms.
Harry pushed the button to destroy the fireplace, and the Floo connection was destroyed with a loud BANG, surprising Jezebel.
Several Elves pushed Jezebel into the entrance hall and, when Albus and Cleo ran into the hall, put up a barrier to confine the three, and keep anyone else out. Albus and Cleo started to battle Jezebel.
Harry said, "Now," in the communicator that he was wearing, and Cho and eight other Aurors Apparated into the living room.
Narcissa drew her wand and started to fight the twenty-five. Harry looked at Cleo's parents. Harry saw the spell Imperiusing them had been freed, and they looked like they wanted to fight too. Harry tossed wands to both of Cleo's parents', and they started to fight.
As soon as they saw Jezebel arrive at Malfoy Manor Ron shouted out, "Level five International Auror Alert. Badly outnumbered in Britain!"
Kingsley sent the alert, and spent the next minutes with Patronus stressing that this was real, no drill, and they needed all the help they could get.
Al and Cleo held hands, and fought as one person. Al was mostly on the attack, and Cleo on the defense, but occasionally they would switch. Great grandmother was keeping up.
'This is as bad as the Battle of Hogwarts,' thought Harry. 'People are dying.' Harry furiously tried to protect his Aurors, years' worth of hard practice put into action. Dobedo did not leave Harry's side, but with his little wand and spells, the deadly meat cleaver by his side but not used, concentrated on protecting Harry.
Albus and Cleo were doing a good job of fending for themselves.
Harry glanced at great grandmother Black. She was making a couple of tentative moves to shield people from the attacks, so he left her alone.
Ron was almost immediately notified that there were about seventy-five enemies in the Floo network. They were trying to confine and redirect then; should they send them to the auditorium in the ministry and what else should they do? Kingsley was in communication with the Ministry, and he and Arthur Weasley looked at the situation, with seventy-five enemies being directed to the Ministry Auditorium and who knew what going on at Malfoy Manor.
"We are needed at the Ministry to try and contain and redirect those in the Floo network, Arthur," Kingsley said, and he and Arthur Weasley Apparated away.
Ron was notified that there was a big fight going on at the Ministry, with casualties.
Meanwhile over five hundred Aurors had arrived from all over Europe. Ron was in contact with the Magi running the Floo network. Apparently Cleo's great grandmother had taken well over one hundred fighters with her, and seventy-five had been trapped in the Floo network. Ron told the Floo network to hold the seventy-five remaining attackers while they got the auditorium at the Ministry of Magic ready, and he had over one hundred Aurors go over to the auditorium and get wards ready so the seventy-five could not escape. Once they thought they had the auditorium ready the seventy-five were directed into the wards, and as soon as they were in the Floo network disconnected from the fireplace and the wards directed the enemy away from the fireplace.
Fifty of the attackers were safely confined to the wards, but twenty-five escaped and a big battle ensued in the auditorium.
Three Elves appeared in Malfoy Manor crack crack crack thunk thunk thunk crack crack crack thunk thunk thunk crack crack crack. The enemy fighters were wearing armor on their legs, and the Elves had been only a minor irritant. They were soon back with big knives, but within a couple of minutes two of the three Elves were injured and the third house elf disappeared with the others. Harry thought there may be other Elves there, but the scene was so confusing he was not sure.
The fight was not going well. There was no hint of a victory. The enemy was fighting like they were possessed, throwing killing spells and other nasty spells. The armor was a major help, but more Aurors were getting hurt. Scorpius noticed that a couple of the enemy were hurt or partly disabled by the knives of the Elves. Scorpius said to no one in particular, "Where is the Sword of Gryffindor when you need it? I wish I had it." Like the magic that it was, the sword appeared in Scorpius´ hand.
Scorpius waded into the fight. With a mighty swing of the sword he decapitated one of the enemy, slashed down and cut another one almost in two, cut the arm off a third, and decapitated the fourth.
Curses were raining down on him but he fought like a man possessed. Harry saw what was going on and directed all his attention to protecting Scorpius, but Scorpius' main protection was Rose, who was right next to Scorpius protecting his back. More slashing and stabbing. The bright sword flashing and the blood spurting seem to terrify Jezebel's Magi, not to mention that Jezebel was obviously fighting for her life.
At least one of the enemy wizards had a wand in one hand and a knife in the other and was slashing at Scorpius.
Great-grandmother Black seemed to be protecting Scorpius as well, so Harry left her alone. As Scorpius was wading into the enemy and Rose was following him Harry saw out of the corner of his eye the distinctive color of the Avada Kedavra curse heading towards Rose. There was nothing he could do, but great-grandmother Black jumped towards the curse, and intercepted it with her wand and hands. The curse did not hit Rose; Harry saw the wands of great-grandmother Black and great-grandmother Malfoy explode. Druella Black fell to the floor.
Godiva Greengrass Malfoy and her house elf Gritrude were both in the room, but Harry could not see what they were doing. Great grandmother drew out a wicked looking knife, but she fell or was tripped, and fell on her knife. The next time Harry looked Godiva Malfoy was convulsing in agony on the Floor. The two house elves, Godiva Malfoy's Gritrude, and Druella Black's Rapier, joined the fight on the side of Harry and against Jezebel's Magi.
While this was going on, and in large part because it was going on, a couple of Aurors and Elves were getting on top of the situation, along with more Elves who had appeared.
"We've taken down the wards, but we are still fighting out here," Ron told Harry. He didn't tell Harry that there were dead and wounded among the International Aurors as well as among Jezebel's Magi.
"I need more Aurors in here, and healers," Harry replied. "Albus and Cleo are still fighting."
Aurors and healers Apparated into Malfoy Manor and began to treat the wounded, and confine the few of Jezebel's Magi that were not grievously wounded.
Harry watched in awe as Albus and Cleo fought and fought with great-grandmother. The fight lasted almost 20 minutes, and the closest Harry could come to describing it was like the battle between Dumbledore and Riddle in the Ministry main floor, but faster and going on and on and on.
Ron saw Draco and Astoria appear from the Manor property, slinking away. They walked as far as they could from the Manor and still see the border of the property. Ron sent a couple of Aurors to stand behind the Malfoys to keep them from interfering or disappearing.
Outside the wards everybody was going crazy. Ron could see that Scorpius was key to attacking the enemy, and said a couple of times, "See my boy, see my boy."
Meanwhile Harry was watching the continuing fight. About twenty-five Aurors were still inside the wards. Great-grandmother Black was on the Floor. Scorpius was standing in the middle of the bloody mess obviously exhausted and badly injured, with Rose and an Auror/healer frantically working on him.
Harry went over to great-grandmother Black. She was alive, but her vital signs were very weak, and he had a healer take her to St. Mungo's. Great-grandmother Malfoy was feebly convulsing. Gritrude, her house elf, sneered, "She tried to kill Rose Weasley. The knife is poisoned. She will die. I will be free of the evil woman."
Harry pointedly ignored Great-Grandmother Malfoy, wondering as he did if he was doing the right thing just letting her die in agony on the floor, and turned his attention to Albus and Cleopatra.
Finally, there was a huge clash of spells, and great-grandmother Jezebel was down, her wand flying through the air. Harry thought that it must look like Riddle's wand flying into his hand had looked to other people. Cleo transferred her wand to her right hand and caught the wand in her left hand, yelled to Al, "Keep her here," and getting down on her knees, put both wands to great-grandmother's temples, and started to withdraw memories.
Frerin and Dis removed the shield so Harry could get to Al and Cleo.
Harry and the other Aurors felt the most wicked, terrifying, evil presence they had ever felt. They said the presence made Dementors look like kindergarten evil next to this fully formed totally evil presence. Al was talking to it.
Al saw the most horrible evil being you could ever imagine come for great-grandmother. "You can have her, damn her to hell, but not yet," Al insisted.
"Master of the Deadly Hallows," the presence moaned. "Who do you want me to get for you? You have the power to raise the dead."
Al snapped, "That power is an illusion. You do not call people back from the dead, as the first owners of the resurrection stone learned."
"I can give you all the riches in the world," the presence continued.
"No thank you, I will accept what has been foretold and is rightfully mine, and no more. I will do what is right," Al replied.
"I can show you how to Apparate interstellar distances, and save you the lives of your children and grandchildren and thousands more," presence insisted, "as long as you worship me."
"Go back to hell, you evil being," Al glowered. "Go back to hell, or even now repent and leave that place of suffering and torture."
"Repent and tell that God that he is The God. I would rather rule in hell than relax in some heaven, and bow down to what I will never acknowledge," the presence scoffed. "Albus Severus Potter, I know who you are, your choices will not be without cost, terrible cost, to you and your family. Know that it is your fault and despair…despair…despair."
"I will never give in to despair," Al shouted, "Even when I have reason to, but I will grieve and cry and even get angry at God. In the end evil, you, you creature of hell, and all like you, I utterly reject. I will do the right thing, not the easy thing, for as long as I live, as well as I can. Despair over me, creature of hell."
"Despair because the body dies and you cannot keep her here much longer. The memories are tied to her physical body, and as the brain cells die you cannot keep her here," presence added. The presence turned to Cleo. "The children of your body will die unless you worship me."
Cleo screamed, "GO TO HELL, EVIL BEING!"
"Others have died for you again, Harry Potter," the evil being persisted. "Is that how you are going to go through life, having dozens, hundreds die for you?"
Harry knew that the evil being was attacking him where he was most vulnerable, but he did not have a response.
The evil being kept on with, "Albus and Cleopatra, if you get what is foretold for you know that it will come at a TERRIBLE price, hundreds, thousands killed and wounded, including your own offspring."
Cleo again screamed again, "GO TO HELL, EVIL BEING!"
"GO TO HELL!" Albus yelled.
About this time great-grandmother's soul rose up from her body. "I have served you faithfully, powers of evil. I have come for my reward."
"Everlasting torture is your reward," presence sneered. "Torture in the measure you have given it. There are few who will suffer as much as you will, forever…forever…forever."
"Physical torture of the dead is a myth," great-grandmother scoffed.
"HA HA HA HA HA," the presence grimly laughed, and great-grandmother had a horrible look on her face, one that showed that she was being physically tortured. She started to wail, and the evil presence took out a terrible looking whip and started to draw blood with long terrible evil looking gashes.
"HA HA HA HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha," went the presence as great-grandmother's soul left this world.
Harry and the rest only heard Albus's side of the conversation, but it was enough. Harry let Ron know that the battle inside Malfoy Manor was over.
As soon as Ron knew that most of the battle at Malfoy Manor was won Ron directed another one hundred and fifty Aurors to the Ministry, so there were two hundred fifty Aurors surrounding the seventy-five enemy. Still not good enough odds per Al VanLente. The Aurors at the Ministry were able to subdue the attackers, suffering only wounds themselves, but killing ten of the twenty-five attackers and seriously wounding another five.
Everybody breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. "We need to rescue my sister right now or she will be tortured and killed, as will many others," Cleo insisted. "We leave for great-grandmother's island. MY Island now! I have the wand of Circe, the other ancient wand! Apparate to the Ministry; we need all the help we can get."
Cleo told Harry and the other Aurors, pointing to Jezebel's body, "Take her body to the department of mysteries."
As soon as the wards were down, the healer who had been working on Scorpius Apparated a bloody and stunned Scorpius to where Ron was standing. Scorpius was carrying the sword of Gryffindor, and said as he came out, "The sword came to me. The sword of Gryffindor came to me."
Ron ran up to Scorpius, hugged him, saying, "Good job, son. Good job, son."
Scorpius moaned, "Thanks, dad. Thank you, dad," as he hugged both Rose and Ron, just before he collapsed.
Another healer ran over to where Scorpius, Rose and the first healer were, charmed a stretcher, and looked with concern at the cut up mess in Scorpius's gut. "Lift him onto the stretcher," the healer yelled. "No magic."
The healer picked up the middle of Scorpius, and Rose picked up his legs. Rich Hudson, who with his parents was a reporter covering Malfoy Manor, picked up Scorpius's head. Once Scorpius's body was on the stretcher, Scorpius, Rich, Rose and the two healers disappeared.
Meanwhile Draco and Astoria, who had been way in the background so they could get away quickly if they needed to, saw Ron and Scorpius hug, but did not try to approach their son.
Cindy Base Hudson saw Draco and Astoria walk away from the action, and had her husband Henry photograph the couple trying to avoid anyone and anything.
Harry ran outside with Albus and Cleo, plus Cleo's parents.
Cleo said in a loud and commanding voice, "We must go to Jezebel's hidden island and rescue my little sister and many other slaves, and shut down her evil operation. Dad (speaking to Harry), here are the co-ordinates of the island." They were the same co-ordinates as Teddy's maps! "It is not charted but I can get there and take the rest of you. We will take the Floo-Closet network to south Florida.
Harry shouted, "Let Cleo and Al go. Dan, Teddy, go with them, as well as," and Harry pointed to about twenty Aurors, and indicated that they should go as well. Teddy and Dan stayed right next to Cleo and Al. "I want to talk to the rest of you."
Ron tugged at Harry and pointed in horror at the map he was holding.
2022