Chapter 24: Subdue
The beautiful weather on the island contrasted with the occupants' moods. Tonks paced as she did the math on the potions they had in stock. They needed to have extras of everything. At least her mother had stopped insisting that she needed to stay in bed 24 hours a day as her bleeding had stopped. She rubbed her belly gently. Her little one was restless. It was as if he or she could tell that Daddy was in danger. Tonks had forgiven her husband the night before. Merlin forbid something were to happen to him while they were still at odds.
Healer Andromeda readied side tables with magical bandages, basic potion dosages, and both IV and surgical kits. Lady Greengrass had split the large potion batches in the small vials earlier. After that, she went to her room to ready for battle. Andromeda wasn't happy with being left without the extra hands of a capable Healer, but she wasn't about to say this to the woman. Lady Greengrass was still in mourning, and the pain of a mother that lost a child could only be truly understood by another mother who had lost a child. Andromeda's loss was during pregnancy, not because of a psychopath with dictator aspirations. Lady Greengrass was a great help, but she deserved to avenge her child.
Molly had spent days by Ginny's bedside reflecting on everything that brought them to this breaking point. She needed to help her family. Every single one of her children were at risk. Today, her heart would be hanging by a thread until her children came back. Ginny was not speaking to anyone except for the monosyllabic answers she was giving to Andromeda. She had been incensed when she was told that she had been sedated for over a week. Luna had come to see her once she was awake, but all this got her was insulted and attacked. Molly had to knock her daughter out with a spell.
By the time she reached the girls, Luna had her face scratched and quickly forming bruises on her forearms. Molly had apologized profusely to the girl, but Luna had not come back to the Infirmary since that day. Even her brothers kept their distance. They would ask about her, but they wouldn't go see her. At least Ginny was eating again. Only because Molly would cook her all her favorites, but still. Andromeda had been concerned about how much weight Ginny was losing, so her eating a bit more was a welcome change. Molly was working on cleaning the Infirmary with her nifty family spells when she heard the general flurry of activity outside as their fighters started to prepare to leave.
"Mrs. Weasley?" Dobby popped next to her.
"Yes, Dobby?"
"The grimoires you requested. The goblin didn't believe Dobby at first, but your howler worked," Dobby smiled with amusement.
Molly chuckled, "Thank you, Dobby."
Molly sat on a bed and drew the curtains closed around her. She did hasty wards and opened both Grimoires side by side. She went to the Prewett section on Health: Animosity, Amnesia, Allergies, Bones, Blindness, Bowel Issues, Cold, Chronic pain, Cough, Dizziness, Elf fever, Ear Infections, Endurance (Molly copied the content to her recipe notepad). Let's see what else, she thought as she read. Fever, Headaches, Heart Issues (Molly made a mental note to circle back to that later), blah, blah, blah... Mind Health! Yes! She copied the entire section to read later and made a copy for Andromeda. The Prewett family had been into healing magic and potion for the most part.
The Weasleys were into spell and artifact crafting. Molly went through the index and copied the sections on Attack, Boycott, Con, Defense, Eliminate, Empower, Fabricate, Gag, Handicap, Infiltrate, Instigate, Joke, Kill –Molly smirked. It was a thick section. Lure, Lynch, Mangle, Manipulate, Mask, Multiply, Murder, Neutralize, Obscure, Outlast, Pain, Pester, Quarrel, Rage, Raid, Scald, Shoot, Terminate, Trample, Trespass, Wrangle... All sounded promising to Molly.
She rushed to imbue some protective spells and runes into the necklaces she had prepared for all the kids. Armor would take a lot longer, and she didn't have time now, but she would make sure to add it for the following battle. She barely managed to give the necklaces to her kids before they left. They had all thanked her. Harry and Hermione looked a bit confused but grateful. The general had looked about to say something, but a look from Harry deterred him. Apparently, this woman could do no wrong in his eyes.
As they fell, Hermione thought about how terrible it would be if their own ploy to make the Death Eaters unable to leave Hogwarts were to kill Harry Potter. Harry held her tightly as they fell. Both shared a thought, at least we are together. The two braced for an impact that didn't come. General Xu didn't make a sound as they fell. He was mentally screaming that he couldn't believe the maps were incomplete. He was a firm believer in the whole 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!' They hadn't planned for caves to be there. As a result, they hadn't planned for the effect the explosions would have on the caves they didn't know existed, and now they were falling on water? Tā mā de!
Remus looked at Sirius, concerned for his sanity, as Padfoot laughed all the way down as they all fell. It wasn't that the irony of their predicament was lost to Moony, but this was no time for humor! Fortunately for them, Grawp fell faster to the water, and as such, he pushed down with him all the large rocks that fell before them. Harry and Hermione did their strongest arresto momentum, not at themselves but at the rocks that were raining down after them. The water was icy, and the height from which they fell made them plunge down several meters before they could even recover from the temperature shock.
Longwei barely had a chance to do the ear-plugging spell to protect his ears as he jumped over a large stone. Neville and Luna were crouched next to him. General sounds of explosions rattled throughout the forbidden forest. The soldiers ran and threw Molotov cocktails into the previously strategically poured gasoline pools. Death Eaters started to run out of the castle, flanked by dementors. The wizards and witches began casting patronus spells left and right as the army began attacking from their positions. Arrows, bullets, and spells began raining on the Death Eaters and the giants that went out with them.
Minerva moved in between the ninjas that had been assigned to kill for her. In front of her, Charlie Weasley made sure any attacks had to go through him and his most vicious creatures first. The professor was wearing the invisibility cloak. Behind her, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy walked stealthily with Lady Greengrass between them. They were counting with the school still recognizing her as Headmistress. As soon as she stepped into the castle, she felt the magic inside Hogwarts embrace her as Headmistress. YES! She stepped in and animated the soldiers on the walls, glad that she finally got to use the piertotum locomotor spell. With this move, they wanted to trap the Death Eaters in between Hogwarts' stone soldiers and Longwei's soldiers. The general should have his people coming from the sides as agreed.
"You have 1 hour," Minerva said over her shoulder. "Meet us at the agreed location."
Draco, Narcissa, and Lady Greengrass shared a look, nodded at each other, and took off. They would be going to the dungeons first. They were certain Lucius would be underground, hiding like the rat he was. Now that he had no legs, he had little to offer Voldemort. They ran side by side. Draco tried the password that Astoria had given him, and it worked. Hogwarts was still under its connection to McGonagall. He was barely able to push both his mother and Lady Greengrass back against the wall before an Incendio Maxima turned them to toast. Lady Greengrass threw a blade over Draco's shoulder, and someone could be heard choking in the dark.
"Lumos maxima!"
A banged-up Lucius was in his wheelchair, the blade deep in his throat, but he wasn't bleeding. He couldn't speak. The blade had apparently gone through his vocal cords. Draco lunged at him with uncontained fury before he even thought of whether anyone else was there. Narcissa disarmed Lucius and did a containment sphere to go protect her son while Lady Greengrass looked for any other minions. Lady Greengrass moved swiftly toward the entrance of the students' rooms. She could hear hurried steps. What she saw made her see red.
"SNAPE!" she threw an exsangue that was blocked by a transfigured statue.
"Greengrass?!" the man replied, throwing spell after spell. The mother was a beast with a wand.
"You raped my daughter!" Lady Greengrass screamed as her spells broke glass, burnt furniture, and had Snape jumping and running around the room.
He replied, short of breath, "I never touched her!"
"I don't believe you!" She sent a wave of fire toward the Potion Master, who responded with a wall of ice.
"I can swear that on my magic!"
"You allowed them to rape her! My husband trusted you, and it cost him his life, you piece of shit!" Lady Greengrass pushed a table toward Snape, trapping him against the wall. She took her long blade and stabbed his side, twisting the weapon as he grimaced.
"You can't kill me yet, damn it!" Severus ripped her hand off the handle and pushed her away by hitting her chest with the heel of his wand hand. As she fell backward, she saw him using a large muggle needle to inject something transparent and shimmering in the cut as he pulled out the blade. He transformed into a bat and flew out of one of the broken windows. Lucius deserved to die by his son's hand.
Draco pummeled his unarmed wheelchair-bound father like every punch would return pieces of Daphne back to life. His knuckles were bleeding, but he couldn't feel the pain. His father had stabbed him twice. Once on his arm and another time on his thigh. Draco felt nothing, but Narcissa managed to take the knife. It cost her deep lacerations in both her hands, and one finger was barely connected to her hand, but she would not allow her husband to hurt her son again. All both wanted was for Lucius to suffer. Lucius closed his eyes when the pain was too much. He struggled in vain against his stronger son.
"TELL ME THEIR NAMES!" Draco pulled the blade and did several healing spells on his injured throat.
Lucius looked at his son through swollen half shut eyes with all the hatred he felt for him, "N-Names?"
"All the men that hurt Daphne! I want their names!" Draco choked his father, knowing that recently healed stab wounds hurt like a motherfucker when any pressure was applied.
Lucius laughed and spat blood. "NEVER. Just know that I had her first instead of you!"
"THE NAMES!" Draco roared, barely containing his core.
Suddenly, Lady Greengrass was next to them. She pulled Draco off his father in one clean adrenaline-fueled motion and threw him into his mother's open arms. This is no time for questioning. This is the time for bludgeoning. "Aperi animum tuum!" [Open your mind!] This spell from her family grimoire was one of her husband's crown jewels. It acted like a bombarda maxima combined with fyendfire against whatever barriers the legilimens had in their mind.
Draco watched as his father seemed to be in the worst pain ever. He writhed with the woman still on top of him. Lady Greengrass's expression was one of fury mixed with the enjoyment that his pain gave her. Narcissa's expression was partial horror and enjoyment. Draco was a bit more scared of Lady Greengrass than of Riddle right now. He was in awe of her power. Once she was satisfied that she had all the information she wanted and then some, she stopped. Lucius was limp.
"Ennervate!" she commanded.
Lucius looked around and then at her with more fear than Draco ever saw in his eyes.
"Dolore iaculis!" Draco whispered, pointing his wand at his father's crotch. He screamed in agony. Lady Greengrass looked at Draco with respect. She stared at Narcissa, who nodded.
"Turn around, son. You don't want to see this," Narcissa said to Draco.
He shook his head. "I need to see it all!"
"Fine. Summus sensus!" she whispered, pointing at his crotch. [High sensitivity]
Lucius struggled in vain to get her off him, but Draco had hit his upper joints the hardest, as Longwei had taught him.
"Help me keep his legs open!" Lady Greengrass ordered.
Draco did as he was told with an ugly vengeful smirk on his face. His mother took the other leg and pulled it open with rage.
"This is what you did to Daphne while all those men raped her after you had already had your fill, isn't it?!" Lady Greengrass pulled another blade from her hair, and with a clean move, she castrated Lucius Malfoy, whose screams could be heard even in the Infirmary, where Bellatrix was growing more concerned by the minute.
Draco stared at his father as he bled out. He asked for a blade. Once he had it, he carved Daphne's full name on his father's chest. Memories of Daphne's injuries flooded his mind, and he cut deeper than he intended. Voldemort needed to know they were no longer the kids that fought back defensively. They were on the offensive, and they were collecting what was owed with interest. Narcissa grimaced at the grizzly scene. Her son had lost any childhood he had managed to retain when he grabbed that knife. Any good memory he could have had of his father vanished the moment he admitted brutalizing Daphne. Draco was aware that no pain and no overkill would bring Daphne back or even out the score, but what Daphne had endured needed to have a price.
Lady Greengrass squeezed Draco's shoulder. "We need to go. This whole castle may collapse by the time the hour they gave us is back."
Narcissa stared at her dying husband. Lady Greengrass feared for a second that she would try to help Lucius. Narcissa placed her foot over his mangled crotch and stepped on it.
"Daphne was like a daughter to me. You destroyed our family. You deserve every second of the agony you are in. 'The universe does not carry debts. It always returns back to you what you gave it,'* Lucius. I will be a very happy widow," Narcissa said. She crucioed her husband and watched the light drain from his eyes.
Voldemort wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. Between the bouts of nausea that kept hitting him out of nowhere and the madness that surrounded them. He tried to apparate for the umpteenth time. This blasted school refused to embrace him as headmaster. Bellatrix was locked in Madam Pomfrey's office with the bound and gagged, imperiused healer. The floo network wasn't working either. His tattoo showed many strong soldiers had fallen at Gringotts. As did most of the recent recruits. Damn it all to hell! Moving to the Headmaster's office, he moved the stone top of the desk, and taking out his dagger, he cut down his forearm, bleeding directly over the core of the school.
"Sanguis testamenti probare virtutem meam," Voldemort said with a grimace. His raw power had to be able to overcome the barrier. Blood magic was powerful. His blood was the most powerful among magic folk. No one surpassed his magical ability. The crystals lit up in green when the blood reached the base. [Blood of the covenant prove my power].
"Who awakens the spirit of Hogwarts?" an echoey voice resounded.
"Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin," Riddle replied. "Why are you refusing me as Headmaster?"
The voice chuckled, "You are nothing but a pretender, Tom Riddle. There is an heir, true, but that heir isn't you. The Headmistress I have chosen and the students that will end you are here."
"I opened the Chamber of Secrets! I am the heir! I demand to be acknowledged as Headmaster!"
"There is an heir by conquest. You cannot make such demands. You have no power as Headmaster because there are no students for you to lead here. Even if there were, they wouldn't follow you. You killed many of my kids. Those kids' magic powered the lay lines beneath my soil. Their ingenuity, their creativity, their accidental magic, their energy... all of that fed my magic. All my extra power has been spent keeping the school from crumbling down," the voice replied.
"You will not stop me from taking over!" Voldemort growled.
"You are not strong enough to bind me to your service!" the voice taunted. "What's left of a soul inside you cannot overpower me as long as the true Headmistress lives and chooses to hold on to her power!"
"Magia est potentia. Haec schola mea potestate possidet," Voldemort replied as he waved his wand. He could feel resistance in the air. The school was putting up a hell of a fight. The walls began to shake. The windows and chandeliers rattled. The pipes began to screech. The noise penetrated Tom's skull with the same softness of an electric drill. [Magic is might. This school belongs to me].
All over the grounds, wards screeched horribly as they fought against Voldemort's chokehold. His blood bubbled as it boiled against the crystals that were putting up a fight as well. They didn't want to absorb the man's polluted blood. They were trying to hold onto their chosen Headmistress' core. McGonagall's strength, her goodness, and her energy were all much preferable. The school embraced her. They acknowledged her as their leader. Down by the Great Hall, Minerva fell to her knees as she felt the magic linking her core to the school hold on to her. Charlie wrapped his arm around her to help her up. McGonagall could feel how the school's magic tried to cling to her core, but somehow, she knew it was a losing battle.
"He's taking over the school!" Minerva exclaimed as she threw a strong diffindo at a masked figure that had just come down the main staircase severing the person's head.
"What?!"
"Riddle!" McGonagall said with a grimace of pain.
"Everyone, Plan B!" Charlie yelled at the soldiers, who turned around, placing their shields on their backs, and began running after the school soldiers. The soldiers knew how to move out of the castle the safest, and they were trained to blend into the darkness. Their lead pointed them, and they ran on their tiptoes, making no noise. A thought struck Charlie. Everyone always left their creatures behind, "Professor! The elves! Free the elves before you are no longer in control!"
Minerva called the Head Elf, "Ruki!"
"Headmistress!" the elf looked around with concern.
"All Hogwarts' elves are hereby released from service to the school. In my authority as Headmistress, I free you all. Leave and save yourselves!" Minerva commanded.
Hundreds of elves appeared around her. They sparkled as they accepted their freedom with pain and shame in their eyes.
"Go! Things are about to get much worse!" Minerva pleaded.
"No. We want to fight beside you and Harry Potter!" Ruki said with resolve in her eyes.
Minerva could have cried with how grateful she felt, "Thank you, elves. Follow me!"
Before the connection severed entirely, Minerva apparated with Charlie next to their people in the Forbidden Forest. Hundreds of pops from elves materialized from thin air and stood in between both members of the P.A. and the general's army. Their hands were covered with elven fire as they looked at their common enemy with rage. Longwei could have jumped for joy. Elves had powerful magic that they didn't know, and they decided to fight.
Harry and Hermione coughed as they were grabbed and pulled out of the water and thrown to solid ground, soaked to the bone. Harry stood first, only to be grabbed by the neck of his combat robes before he could protect himself.
"What the-?! F-Firenze?!" Harry spluttered as he saw the centaur holding him up.
"Harry Potter! What are you doing here?! You need to leave, now!" the centaur said with a growl.
"Friend or foe, Potter?" the general asked. The tip of his blade against Firenze's skin right where he knew the heart was.
"FRIEND! General, stop!" Harry exclaimed.
The general stepped back but kept hold of his sword. Many a military man had been killed by a centaur with a chip on their shoulders. Harry was put down next to Hermione.
"Where are we? How do we leave?" Harry asked, looking around. It was all quite dark
"Below the Black Lake... The merpeople are very upset at you for destroying their main cave!" Firenze snapped.
"Their main cave? How many are there?" Sirius spluttered through clattering teeth.
Remus and Sirius did drying spells on themselves and the kids while the general tried to help Hagrid out of the water. Grawp was splashing around, catching the slow-falling stones to prevent them from hitting anyone.
"We didn't mean to do that! We didn't even know there was a cave here!" Harry exclaimed. He shut up when Hermione grabbed his arm.
"Of course, you didn't," Firenze narrowed his eyes at them.
"Firenze, we apologize. Truly. We promise the merpeople to help rebuild the cave. Just tell us how to get out of here," Hermione pleaded.
"Do not order me around, human!" Firenze roared.
"I am not! I am just trying to get Harry out of here, and time is of the essence!" Hermione replied, trying to warm her hands.
Firenze looked shocked for a moment. "Those exact words were uttered to me almost 17 years ago by his mother Lily..."
Harry gasped, "You knew my mom?"
"Firenze, please. For everything that Lily did for you... tell us how to get him out of here," Remus pleaded. He looked at Harry in a way that meant, 'We will explain.'
Firenze frowned, "Stay away from me, Lupin."
"Oh, for fucks sake! Firenze, that joke was almost twenty years ago! Forgive us! Please! The Most Noble and House of Black will protect you and your clan! Just tell us how to leave!"
Firenze sighed, "Get over yourself, Lord Black! I truly can't. It's not that I haven't forgiven you. It's that I literally can't. My clan was killed. I am the only centaur left here. I have sworn fealty to the Merchieftainess Murcus as she and her people saved my life. They helped me get to the goblins so they could heal me. Without them, I would have died long ago. The merpeople will decide what happens to you."
Remus and Sirius shared a look. None of them spoke Mermish. Fuck.
"How are we supposed to speak to her when we can't understand her language?" Remus complained.
"I will interpret," Firenze walked to the edge of the water and knelt, putting his face underwater.
Sirius and Remus shared a look, Since when can centaurs speak mermish? Both thought, a bit puzzled.
A few seconds later, Murcus came partially out of the water. Her small dark eyes were full of anger. She pulled Firenze back down and seemed to be doing the Mermish equivalent of whisper shouting in his ear. Once she was done, Firenze pull his head back out and shook it to get rid of the water. "Murcus wants assurances that House of Potter and House of Black will help evacuate her clan out of Hogwarts in 72 hours without asking for anything in return."
"That's preposterous!" the general said with a frown. "3 days is not enough time!"
"At the very least, she needs to agree to either a fealty oath or sign a blood pact of no aggression."
Firenze frowned and went back down to listen to the reply. He came back out with a surprised expression. "She refuses. What she offers in return is to get Madam Pomfrey here safely in return for safe passage out of Hogwarts."
"How can she-?"
"Her clan can't be out of water!" Sirius blinked, perplexed.
Firenze went back under. He came back out, "The how is none of your business, dog."
"HEY!" Sirius complained. Remus swatted at his head to shut him up.
"Harry Potter... She will be here, and you can come to get us all out."
Harry and Hermione shared a worried look. They had a hurried conversation in their thoughts. "We will agree to her terms as long as the Chieftainess promises to get us Ginny Weasley's file from the Infirmary as well."
Firenze looked really confused at this, but he went back underwater. After some strange sounds and indignant bubbles, the Chieftainess stared at Harry and Hermione, analyzing them slowly. Everyone held their breaths. Murcus pulled her arm out of the water and offered her hand to Harry. Harry knelt by the water to shake it.
"No, Harry Potter, merpeople bind agreements with blood," Firenze explained.
Harry frowned as Murcus used her sharp teeth to break through the skin of her wrists. Deep purple blood started flowing out. Hermione handed him a knife, trying not to look too horrified. He cut himself in the same area. Firenze grabbed Harry's cut arm and held it over Murcus, who opened her mouth, to the humans' horror. She didn't bite. She just waited for the blood to fall into it. Then, Murcus offered Harry her blood. Harry looked at Remus and Sirius, terrified, seeking any advice. Both were as lost as he was. The general grimaced but nodded. Harry went on his back and opened his mouth. A few drops went into his mouth. Harry was confused at the taste. It tasted like salty, mossy water. Harry looked a bit surprised at his wrist, which was healed now. No one had done anything. It healed on its own.
"Thank you, Murcus."
"Thank you, Harry Potter," Murcus replied in a croaky voice. Harry blinked in shock. Murcus smirked, "Taking human blood, especially human blood that is as powerful as yours, allows me to speak human tongues for a while. Why do you need that file?"
"Ginny Weasley is part of my family. She is seriously ill. We need all the information in that file to properly treat her condition, and we don't think Madam Pomfrey's memory is up to remembering details about patients right now," Harry replied.
Murcus nodded, "It probably isn't. You always did have a savior complex, Harry Potter. At least you have finally bonded," she smiled at Hermione, who returned the gesture even when she had no idea how Murcus knew that.
"Murcus, how will you get Madam Pomfrey down here?" Harry asked.
"Have you heard the myth about mermaids luring men to their deaths?" Murcus smirked.
"Yes, why?" Harry frowned.
"It is not a myth, and it isn't just mermaids that do that," Murcus' expression left no doubt that she would deliver. "Harry Potter and friends, do a bubble head charm, and we will get you out to the surface of the Black Lake."
Remus and Sirius did each other's charm, and then together, they did Grawp's. No one had ever seen such a big bubble-head charm. Harry and Hermione did their own and Hagrid's, while the captain did his own. He didn't look happy. At this point, the Black Lake had probably seen war like not many other territories.
"Murcus, there is a battle going on out there. We can't swim out in the middle of it," the general protested.
"We will take you to Dumbledore's grave. You can summon brooms from there or well... run," Murcus nodded.
Harry frowned as he listened. Something about Murcus tone didn't sit right with him. "Why do you want us there specifically?"
"I figured you were here for the Elder Wand... Better you than him," Murcus rolled her eyes.
"So, it's true?! Dumbledore was buried with it!?" Sirius blinked. Remus had buried his hails into his friend's side to stop him, but it was too late.
Harry turned to his godfather, betrayal all over his face. "What the fuck do you mean it's true?! How long have you known this?!"
"You can bite each other's heads about that later!" the general snapped. "With every second we spend here, our survival out there is less likely!"
"You pretend for us to desecrate a tomb and rob a dead man?!" Hermione was shocked.
"Either you take it, Harry Potter, or I will!" Murcus bared her teeth. "But it is your family's anyway."
"Potter! We have to go!" the general insisted.
"You will explain that to me later, Murcus!" Harry jumped into the water. Many heads propped up from the dark waters. Harry never realized they had an audience.
Murcus and another selkie grabbed Harry and Hermione. All the other selkies and merpeople grabbed everyone else and swam fast out of there and up into the Black Lake. The humans were shocked at the speed they were moving at. It took five selkies to move Hagrid and twenty-five mermen to move Grawp. Outside over Hogwarts grounds, it was madness. There was screaming, explosions, a rainbow of jets of light caused by spells, and several morsmordres.
Voldemort breathed with difficulty as he finally felt the resistance that was pushing him away give up. Hogwarts and McGonagall had put up a fight for a while, but suddenly the connection finally snapped, and he was able to take over. He had hoped Hogwarts would give him more power. After all, even without the students, hundreds of elves and other creatures powered the school, but instead of feeling reinvigorated, he felt an immense pull in his core. Since one of his Horcruxes was destroyed, he didn't go back to feeling quite like himself, and the pull made him feel very tired and weak. His magic ability wasn't quite like it was before he split his soul or, rather, before he lost more than one of those pieces. Unbeknownst to him, Minerva had uttered her resignation down by the woods, and only when she did that did the school give up. She felt like the worst betrayer, but if she didn't sever the connection, Voldemort would take her core along with the school's magic.
"Everyone, stay down!" Harry instructed. "Thank you, Murcus. Remus, a mirror."
Remus gave Harry one of the new mirrors, and Harry handed it to Murcus. "We use this to communicate. It's similar to a floo call. We will call you on it as soon as we can to arrange your evacuation. Give it to Firenze once you can't speak our language. Please, stay away from the conflict as much as you can Chieftainess. Your people need you."
Murcus looked strangely touched but nodded and grabbed the mirror, disappearing with her people into the dark waters. "You have three days, Harry Potter."
Sirius looked up in the distance and took out something he had been working on. It was a modification of the regular spyglass that allowed him to see further away. Up in the Infirmary, the unmistakable silhouette of his cousin Bellatrix and her crazy hair. Sirius felt liquid hatred moving in his veins. Remus, who had been following the line of sight of the spyglass, grabbed his friend and angrily mouthed, 'Remember your oath.' Sirius nodded, but just as he was about to pocket the spyglass, Bellatrix turned slightly as she rummaged through the office, and Sirius saw her slightly rounded belly. He began to gasp but gagged at the same time. Remus frowned questioningly. 'Later,' he mouthed.
Grawp complained as he tried to stay afloat. Before, he had been splashing around because his feet reached some solid ground below. Giants didn't swim, and Grawp had huge lacerations all over his body. He had always tried to get the Death Eaters to hurt him instead of his brother. Hagrid tried to calm him down. The general groaned as he tried to open the tomb. He said something that sounded like 'Preposterous!' Solid, thick marble sealed by blood magic. Fucking fuckity fuck! I know... The giant!
"Hagrid, we need Grawp's strength! This marble is protected by blood. We need him to try and break it," the general said.
"Is it safe?!" Harry asked.
"Doubtful!" the general bit back.
"We can't force Grawp to-" Hermione began.
"Grawpy, can you help us? I need you to smash this!" Hagrid pointed at the tomb.
The giant blinked, confused. He was always being told not to smash "Grawpy smash?"
"Yes, Grawpy, smash," Hagrid nodded.
Grawp managed to get out of the water with Hagrid's help and used his fists and all his considerable force to break the marble slab. But the blood magic on the marble reacted to the school's new Headmaster, and the slab threw Grawp back into the lake, unconscious.
"Grawpy!" Hagrid jumped into the water.
The slab was levitated away by Remus and Sirius. They expected a horrible stench to come out, but Dumbledore's corpse was entirely uncorrupted. His arms were over his chest, holding a particular-looking wand that was adorned with several knobs of different sizes. Hermione helped Harry climb onto the open tomb, and he grabbed Dumbledore's wand feeling all sorts of wrong about this whole situation.
However, as soon as his fingers wrapped around the knobby wood, power like he had never felt before, surged from his fingertips and up his veins. His eyes lit up in white, and he felt more than saw Hermione's body crash against his own as if pulled by a magnet. She held onto him as the power of the wand went into her as well. The magic of the wand enveloped them. Harry felt the wand lift his arm and blue lightning came out with the force of an explosion, lighting up the smoky night sky. Hermione's hand was pulled up Harry's arm until it reached the wand too.
Back in the castle, Voldemort looked out of the window and saw the biggest show of raw power and lightwork he had seen in a really long time. He tried to apparate straight to the tomb, but he couldn't. He was too tired. He tried going somewhere closer. He apparated to the Astronomy Tower, and using the telescope, he searched for the tomb. The sight made his very blood run cold. Bloody Harry Potter holding the unbeatable wand he had coveted all these years. The wand had always been within his reach, and no one managed to get him its precise location. They had been seconds away from capturing Gregorovitch, but his factions there had failed him. Worse still, the wand had accepted Potter as its owner. Who is that? Granger?! A mudblood owning the Elder Wand!? I don't think so! Voldemort roared as he flew down, throwing all the hexes he could left and right. Where in the hell were the people he sent to Gringotts?
Longwei threw spells and a couple of grenades as he ran from tree to tree to check on their progress. When lightning shot upwards from the ground by the lake, he saw with horror as Voldemort flew out of the castle using no broom.
"SNAKE!" Longwei roared, and the non-magical soldiers in his army took position and began shooting at Voldemort while witches and wizards held protective shields in front of the shooters. They had settled on that word as a code name for Riddle for today's mission: subdue as much as possible.
Voldemort felt a sharp pain pierce his thigh and his side, and he fell from the sky toward the Black Lake. He turned toward the people shooting at him and began throwing all hexes and curses all over the place while zig-zagging in the air.
Harry and Hermione jumped off the tomb, still trying to get accustomed to the additional power they were feeling. Remus and Sirius pulled the teens away, where they were less visible. Hagrid managed to pull Grawp out of the water, but the giant wasn't reanimating regardless of the spells both Sirius and Remus had tried. The general saw the giant with concern. The blood magic that hit him was ancient, and very little had been studied in healing giants.
"Is he breathing?" the general asked.
Hagrid placed his head on Grawp's chest to check his vitals. His heart had stopped. "Grawpy is d-dead..."
Harry crawled in all fours to Hagridas the weight of the power pushed him down. "NO! FUCK! I'm so sorry, Hagrid!"
Hagrid shook his head as tears rolled down, "It's not your f-fault. He was not h-healthy anymore... You must leave. I need to bury G-Grawpy."
"No! Hagrid, you have to come with us! They will kill you!" Hermione pleaded as she saw a flying figure looming closer, their army was shooting at him, and he had to turn to defend himself.
"Harry! Snake headed the army's way!" the general exclaimed.
"DAMN IT!" Harry struggled internally, but Hagrid pushed him to Remus and Sirius.
"LEAVE!" Hagrid exclaimed as tears continued to fall. He grabbed Harry by the back of the robes and pushed him toward firm land, "You are more important!"
"GO!" Remus pushed a very torn Harry and Hermione toward the general. "We will deal with this!"
"GET OUT OF HERE!" Sirius insisted.
"We are not splitting up!" Harry tried to go back, but both Hermione and the General grabbed him.
"Harry! We have to go! NOW!" Hermione yelled as she pointed at Voldemort, who was throwing fiendfyre at their people at a distance. Harry growled but took off with Hermione and the General.
The Army saw in frozen horror how Longwei and his father jumped into the way of the incoming fyendfire as everyone else scrambled to move away. Longwei and Jing joined their imperial bracelets, they summoned their crested serpent eagle. Xìnshi ˇ flew out of the joined bracelets, and to the shock of many, it ate the fiendfyre gush as if it was just a snack... and as it ate it, Xìnshi ˇ grew to be almost as long as big as Salazar's basilisk.
Voldemort had been very shocked to see this. To his knowledge, nothing could stop fiendfyre. Fortunately for everyone else, Voldemort tended to discount that other people knew magic too and had been studying different weapons for their entire history as a military power was considerably longer than England's. Voldemort changed his course and tried backing away, but Xìnshi ˇ had momentum and managed to bite his scrawny left calf, pushing some venom into him while it could.
Voldemort growled and cursed at the winged serpent. He then apparated away and called his forces back. They retreated in a panic as Xìnshi ˇ kept flying over the army with a screech of pain. They too believed that fyendfire was unstoppable. The P.A. and the general's army roared in celebration, but Longwei and his father looked grief-stricken. Xìnshi ˇ would die. They called it back with a whistle, and to the shock of everyone else, the gigantic creature went back into the two bracelets tail first, spitting out the fire in the direction Voldemort's minions were running off to. It turned at least five of them to a crisp. Once it was back inside the bracelets, the bracelets separated.
The General, Harry, and Hermione reached their trenches and did an identity oath while Longwei and Lord Chang pointed their weapons at their necks.
"Where's Hagrid?" Minerva asked in between coughs.
"Burying his brother," Hermione replied as she moved to help the professor stand straighter.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked, trying to catch his breath.
"We couldn't get to her," Charles admitted as he spat blood.
"FUCKING HELL!" Harry snapped.
"We have to get out of here, Potter. Before he sends in reinforcements," the general said.
An explosion made them all jump and turned outward in defensive stances. Elves surrounded all humans, ready for anything. They all waited for an attack, but nothing happened.
"Professor, how are the elves here?" Hermione whispered.
"I freed them all, but they chose to stay and fight," Minerva couldn't be prouder.
Harry felt humbled and grateful. Hermione pushed him behind her as a twig snapped nearby.
Padfoot ran toward them barking, and he transformed back, immediately providing an identity oath.
"Sorry about that. We needed a large hole to bury Grawpy. Remus and Hagrid will be here in a couple of minutes. Hagrid is devastated," Sirius explained quickly.
"Former Hogwarts' elves?" Harry called them.
"Yes, Harry Potter?" Ruki replied in representation of all other elves with tears in her eyes.
"You are hereby welcomed to join us in our Headquarters," Harry smiled at them.
"We can be serving the great Harry Potter?!" Ruki sounded hopeful.
Harry and Hermione shared a silent conversation. "If you wish to do so. Provided that you accept similar conditions to the ones our current elves have."
Ruki seemed to be feeling around for other elves as if to sense anyone that didn't want to participate. She found none. "We will be goings with Harry Potter."
Remus half dragged Hagrid toward them. They provided an oath to prove their identities, and Remus looked in awe at all the elves, "We have to go."
"How, though? Our transport isn't-"
Dobby, Kreacher, and Maki appeared in their fighting uniforms, "Master!"
"Are you okay? How did it go?" Harry patted Dobby and the other two elves but found only minor scratches, and considering the circumstances, that was nothing.
"We are okay. We have the cup, and humansies are back home," Dobby nodded, feeling proud.
"YES! Thank you! Dobby, we need to get everyone here back home," Harry looked around, concerned. They were not expecting to have to pop more people back. Harry and Hermione shared a frown. Those in the island blood wards could only side-apparate one person safely. It was too far away.
"Lucky for you, a present from Madam Bones," Dobby produced several long branches.
Harry stared, stunned. Considering she was hanging by a thread in her position, Harry didn't expect any help from her. "Portkeys?!"
"International Portkeys from Madam Bones. She is doing this, then quitting and joining us at Gringotts," Dobby replied.
Sirius could have fainted at the news. Would she move to the island too? He felt a surge of pride. Amy was one of them still.
Kreacher added, "20 per portkey. Portkey's work back and forth three times each. Then, we pop them from Cueva del Indio!"
"Let's do it!"
Dobby gave Longwei one Portkey that his core Army rushed toward but didn't touch. They would leave last as agreed.
The non-magical army encircled Jing, who vanished right away with them. They had agreed to get those most vulnerable out first.
Minerva grabbed one and moved toward the P.A. "Come on!" The students moved as fast as they could to hold onto the branch. They vanished.
"Let's go," the general commanded. Everyone else held onto the remaining portkey, and with a flash, they were gone.
The island's infirmary looked like a battlefield. Blood, burnt clothes, pieces of armor, weapons, broken potion flasks, bloodied bandages, and people waiting for healing standing up, crouching, or lying down on the floor. Everyone who wasn't gravely injured was helping others. When newly freed elves landed on the island, they stared in awe. It was beautiful there.
"Harry?" Remus turned to his pup. Both he and Hermione fell to their knees, pale.
"I... n-need..." Harry tried.
"Rest..." Hermione finished.
Remus and Sirius grabbed them and apparated them to the Master Bedroom.
The elves looked at Minerva, confused as to what they should do. She called the resident elves.
"Those of you who worked the Infirmary with Madam Pomfrey, please follow me. Those of you who used to help make potions, follow Maki," Minerva pointed at the female elf who bowed. "Those of you who worked in the kitchens, follow Kreacher," Kreacher nodded. "Those of you who worked around the castle and helped keep things working and organized, follow Dobby," Dobby snapped his fingers, and all the elves that had moved toward him vanished.
"Professor?" Ruki called her.
"Yes, dear?"
"Thank you... Many would be leaving us behind to die in his hands," Ruki bowed low.
"You coming here was long overdue. We need you, Ruki... And you, you need to talk to Harry as soon as possible, Ruki," Minerva patted the elf's head.
"I will be trying," Ruki nodded with teary eyes and vanished.
Draco groaned and grimaced as he removed his dragonhide vest. His whole back was a constellation of various shades of purples and reds. As he escaped Hogwarts with his mother and Lady Greengrass, he had been hit by rebounding curses and direct attacks from some of the youngest recruits. Some had been two years below him at Hogwarts. Draco had carried his mother to the Infirmary. She had suffered a concussion from one of the explosions. Lady Greengrass had taken several potions and gone straight to work. Her healing hands were needed.
Draco jumped, wand in his hand, as the door behind him opened. Astoria stood beneath the doorframe. Her healer assistant robes were covered in blood splatters. She looked at him, detailing his injuries. Then, she ran to his arms regardless.
"Thank Merlin, you are okay," Astoria breathed against his shoulder.
Draco smiled despite the pain. "He's dead."
"I know. Mother told me. She wanted me to tell you that your mom will be fine by tomorrow evening. The hardest part is her finger, but she doesn't have to stay in the Infirmary while it heals," Astoria squeezed his hand. "Now, let me patch you up. You should have stayed with your mom so that we could heal you."
"No, Tory. Thank you. There are people who need you more... I... I need to be alone right now."
Astoria frowned slightly but nodded. Regardless of the monster Lucius was, he was still Draco's father. Having had a wonderful father, the concept of patricide was insane to her, but Lucius deserved every bad thing imaginable. She handed him a bruise balm and essence of dittany for the cuts on his face, hands, and neck. She also gave him three potions to help with the pain, with the healing, and to help him sleep. He needed to rest.
Draco drank the potions and placed the balm and the dittany on his small bedside table. "Thank you, Tory. Go back. They need you," he tried to smile, but he was sure it looked awful.
Astoria turned to leave, but before she did, she held him again, squeezing him tighter than before. "I am so glad you came back... I am so sorry for being a brat... For hitting you and blaming you. I hope you can forgive me one day."
Draco looked up and thought of Daphne smiling down upon him. "You are family, bunny. It's all in the past," Draco kissed the top of her head, and she left, wiping away tears.
Far away, in a cold, damp prison, an old man opened his eyes wide as he let out a deep creepy cold cackle. When Riddle had come to him, he had sworn on his magic that he didn't know where the wand was. It was somewhat a truthful statement, and that's the only reason why he lived to tell the tale. He really didn't know for sure anymore. Last he heard, Gregorovitch had been the last one to keep it for a while. Then, he had no clue. However, one night many moons ago, he saw it all with his Third Eye.
He saw Albus holding the famous wand, some blonde Death Eater wannabe disarming him, and that simp Severus Snape murdering him. The grief he felt as he saw Albus fall in slow motion was so strong that it gave him, to his surprise, physical pain. All those feelings that he thought were long gone came back in an instant with such force that he was overwhelmed by the purity of the sensation. It had been years since Gellert had felt anything but sadness, dejection, and frustration. For the first time in over a decade, Gellert felt tears leave his eyes. Tonight, long after Albus' death, Gellert rejoiced in knowing that the reason the man he once loved was dead would not achieve his goals. Voldemort had lost the Elder Wand in his metaphorical backyard to Harry Potter. He had searched for it throughout the world, killing left and right, and torturing dozens of people for it. The most obvious location evaded him. Voldemort could be very much willfully obtuse.
Worst still, this discovery was the final nail in Snape's coffin. Gellert never understood why Albus trusted that man so much. But after this development, Voldemort would know for sure now that Snape had to have seen the wand up close, and he said nothing, and now Harry Potter was the Master of Death, not to mention the most powerful wizard since Merlin himself. The humor of this whole situation was too much for him, and he kept cackling for hours in the dark. His laughs sent chills down the guards' spines outside of Nurmengard.
A/N: Thank you for reading! :) This was a wild ride to write. As habitual readers know, I do not post this often. However, when I end things in a 'cliffie' as I did in the previous chapter, I try not to torture you for too long. Also, I was shocked to realize that this story is over the 200K word mark. Can you believe it? Whoa. I know I write long chapters... I have the dark circles to prove it lol... but damn. That's a lot of words! My longest story posted here so far is Tones of Gray at over 250K (which, for those of you also following that one, I am still working on it, I promise!). None of my stories are abandoned. If they were, I would write a note or at least mark them as completed.
For those of you who are new to my stories, let this be a blanket apology for future issues that will undoubtedly happen regardless of how hard I try to make the writing I post here okay. In the words of Miss Swift: "It's me. Hi. I'm the problem it's me." I am sorry about any spelling and punctuation issues in my stories. The blame is all mine. I do all the reviewing and editing myself, and some of you are annoyed about repeated issues. Don't think I don't read your reviews and messages about this. I have taught adults for years, and I know it's frustrating when people keep doing what you keep correcting. Sorry.
I have two 'excuses'... First, this doesn't pay the bills, unfortunately, and I have a real-life job in which I am looking at text in over 20 languages every day, cruising for errors, and requesting fixes from colleagues (translators and linguists) around the world. So, when I have the time and the inspiration to write, my eyes are often tired from all the reading and spotting other people's errors that catching my own can be tricky. Second, I am not a native speaker (and I have never pretended to be one), and so as my brain is wired a bit differently when it comes to core grammar stuff (my native language is Spanish), I realize some things may not come across as I thought they would because of my phrasing or choice of words. So, if you wanted a reason or a guilty party, this is it. I appreciate your understanding. I hope you are safe, happy, and healthy wherever this chapter finds you. -Lux-
*"The universe does not carry debts. It always returns back to you what you gave it." ―Drishti Bablani