Hogwarts 5th Year - Finale
BREAKING NEWS: Britain Declares War on Grindelwald and Germany!
In a historic and chilling escalation of the ongoing conflict, the Wizengamot convened and decisively voted to declare war on Grindelwald and Germany. This momentous decision, reached after hours of intense deliberation, has sent shockwaves reverberating throughout the wizarding world.
Analysts are characterizing this move as a long overdue response to the ever-growing threat posed by Grindelwald and his sinister allies. The dark wizard's insatiable lust for power and conquest has left nations trembling with fear, and Britain's declaration of war is perceived by many as a necessary step in confronting his tyranny head-on.
However, skeptics in Paris and Moscow have voiced doubts about Britain's motives, insinuating that the declaration of war coincides suspiciously with Grindelwald's recent losses in the Battle of Stalingrad. Some argue that Britain's entry into the fray comes only when victory appears more certain, rather than from a genuine concern for the welfare of the magical community.
Amidst the fervor of war preparations, one notable voice of dissent arose. Albus Dumbledore, the esteemed wizard and esteemed member of the Wizengamot, adamantly opposed the declaration of war. Despite mounting pressure from his colleagues, Dumbledore passionately argued that British forces were ill-equipped for such a monumental commitment, citing years of neglect and budget cuts.
Yet, amidst these political maneuvers, a grim shadow looms over the allied forces. In a retaliatory move, Grindelwald has committed heinous atrocities, launching massacres on numerous Veela, Goblin, Merman, and Bucca enclaves in occupied territories. This brazen act serves as a stark warning, a chilling reminder of the consequences of challenging his authority. An estimated total of 90,000 have been killed.
In response, the Allied forces have unanimously condemned Grindelwald's barbarism, vowing to bring him to swift and decisive justice. As Britain braces itself for the harrowing trials of war, the wizarding world holds its breath, hoping for a resolution while steeling itself for the sacrifices that lie ahead. Stay tuned to the Daily Prophet for further developments on this unfolding crisis.
Recon
Dumbledore winced as he reverted from his animagus transformation. While his magic remained as powerful as ever, his physical body was certainly getting weak. The kneecap audibly creaked as he got from the floor and glanced around the massive chamber. While Grindelwald's wards were fascinating and such, they couldn't account for everything. Fortunately, his phoenix was a part of the exempted category. He had met Fawkes long after his journey with Gellert had come to an end. As such, Fawkes was able to pop in and out of many places to conduct aerial surveillance of ground targets below. Aberforth had insisted that they simply use the "flaming chicken" to teleport in and out of Hogwarts – Albus was hesitant to be so wholly reliant on it. They had already pushed too hard and fast in this investigation without conducting proper espionage. Albus was certain that Grindelwald was already on his tail, and it was a matter of time before he figured out where exactly he was in Axis territory. Just as Albus knew Gellert was hiding the worst of his sting in anticipation of when Allied forces launched their attacks.
Unfortunately, Albus was forced to toss caution to the wind. He knew that if he was to salvage the situation before they fell to Grindelwald, he needed to uncover whatever Grindelwald was doing. Fortunately, he still had some goodwill in the ECLIPSE who had shared some total of Mariam Shah and Giovanni Manor's intel reports. Whatever was happening here was distinctly linked to blood magic. Magic as dark and abhorrent as those left traces. Traces that were easy to spy upon if it was your own mother who was involved in it. Albus was glad that despite his rather rude departure from ECLIPSE, they were still mature enough to see the greater game at play here. He sensed a familiar magical sense and discreetly nodded to a polyjuiced Henri Potter who joined in lockstep with him as they discreetly took a breather in a discreet corner.
"Merlin's Beard, this place is massive," Henri said as he glanced about the compound. "Almost lost my cover in the potions department when some numbnuts spilled all over me."
"Did you find anything of use?" Albus asked and Henri nodded negatively.
"As far as everyone else is concerned, this is simply a recuperation site alongside manufacturing potions." He said, "But there's a catch."
Albus raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"During evaluation outside, two of the house elves were talking about another peer who accidentally went into the forbidden area." Henri said, "Poor bastards were weeping because the evil witch mounted his head on a pike."
Albus grimaced in disgust and conjured a map, "I see no mention of a basement level in our schematics."
They both exchanged a look once they realized what was happening.
"We need to get down there right away," Henri remarked and Dumbledore nodded. He seemed to ponder the blueish light conjuration as the map was wiped away from it and a series of runes and other things appeared that Henri couldn't even begin to describe. Leaving the enigmatic genius to his devices. Henri took a moment to analyze his surroundings lest one of the foremen get too irritated by two people doing nothing but stand around. The only thing is none of them were doing anything.
They were simply standing there, frozen in time.
A foreman was red in the face berating two bored-looking wizards but there was no sound coming from any of them. A witch was paused in the motion of stirring a cauldron as the potion bubbled dangerously. Another wizard paused in the motion of waving to somebody. The entire scene felt very wrong. Goosebumps rose on Henri's neck at such a morbid spectacle.
"Er, Albus?" He managed to choke out, not bothering with codenames anymore. Whatever was happening, stealth should be the least of their concerns right now. "Something's wrong, let's leave."
"Oh?" Albus muttered still not fully committed to the danger.
"Yes, these people are just standing there. This is not natural." Henri muttered as gulped down a restoration potion and pulled out his wand.
"Ah yes." Dumbledore replied, "We were discovered at least two minutes and three seconds ago. A sweeping set of wards crossed over cross-section and issued us an authorization challenge."
"You succeeded in the check, right?" Henri asked.
A white light flashed over his face and a loud bell's gong rang in his ears as several stunners shattered upon Dumbledore's shield. Henri didn't waste a moment but simply relied on his muscle memory to leap back behind a weak wood table.
"Portego." He conjured a shield to further reinforce his cover.
"I believe that answers your question, Master Prongs," Dumbledore yelled over the pandemonium and Henri rolled his eyes in annoyance over the stupid codename. Weirdly enough, they could stay and chat in this position for a while and still come out all the better. The aim of their opponents was way off. The enemy spell fire was off by several margins and rarely struck their covers. Although Henri mentally admitted, they weren't lacking in zeal as they maintained a constant rate of fire. As if sensing his confusion over the events, Dumbledore once again shouted,
"They are not themselves. They are attacking us under a compulsion. These people are not fighters."
Henri snorted. He didn't care. If they worked for Grindelwald, they lived for him. As such, they died for him. Just like how Grindelwald didn't give two wits about who or how many died in his pogroms. As soon as the rate of the spell fire faltered on account of the enemy's exhaustion. Henri ignored Dumbledore's caution of planning to only stun them. He got up, held his breath, and leveled his wand at the first two idiots too dumb to seek cover. He launched a massive fireball at them, and they incinerated in a wailing echo. Without hesitation, he leveled his wand at another sending forth chain lightning that held them to their spot as it electrocuted them. He didn't care if he was performing borderline dark magic here, punishable by life in Azkaban, in front of Dumbledore of all people. He turned back to see Dumbledore staring at him in disappointment.
"We could have incapacitated them." He remarked, "They were forced against their will in this servitude."
"If they live for Grindelwald, then they die for Grindelwald." Henri forcefully replied and ended the conversation.
Dumbledore wanted to speak but the sound of a hundred footsteps put an end to any further debate. They exchanged a look and Dumbledore recognized reality for what it was. Forgoing fancily disabling wards or anything else, he simply aimed his wand at the ground. A wide circle was drawn on it and then a large volume of hissing green liquid fell on it. It sizzled before dissolving the ground below it, leaving a vast hole behind. Dumbledore simply jumped through it and Henri followed him.
Human Weapons
Henri felt the same level of nausea and dread that he felt when he was snooping around the earlier Grindelwald outpost. The same heinous experiments were happening here as they did over there. Rows after rows of humanoids and other sentient beings were locked inside pods and hooked up to compounds and runes that rendered them into grotesque abominations. Dumbledore seemed to be showing more resolve than he did. The duo silently walked through the horror alley as at long last they came up to a brightly lit floor room holding a stone coffin with no lid. Dumbledore audibly gasped as he saw the occupant inside. He rushed towards it and Henri tried to grab him to stop but he yanked himself free and chased after it. Approaching it, he gingerly took the occupant's head, a young woman, in his hands and then fell on his knees begging for forgiveness. Henri looked over to the barrage of research reports and charts lying beside her. Henri stammered once he saw the occupant's name, Ariana Dumbledore, and for a brief understanding of what Albus was going through.
A sound of sarcastic clapping distracted them as Henri swirled around and aimed his wand at the newcomer. It was the woman from the Giovanni manor reports, Kendra Dumbledore. She stood at medium height with long hair framing cruel red eyes and wet, bloody lips. She seductively licked as her eyes pierced the duo.
"Bravo, Albus, bravo." The woman mocked, "I knew you were stupid, but I never knew you were this stupid. This was all too easy."
Henri, not the one to be outdone even when all his instincts roared at him that they had walked into a trap, simply snarled back at her.
"Oh, screw you already, dark tosser. I will simply burn this one down like I did to the last one."
Kendra annoyedly stared at him before smiling again cruelly.
"Oh dear, you really have no idea what's about to happen, do you?" She said. "Tell me, did Albus dear ever tell you what Ariana truly is? What his little miscalculation that led to his greatest failure – did to Ariana?"
Albus was still on his knees lying in front of the coffin. Henri discreetly nudged him with his foot, but Albus was unresponsive. He really needed to get the old man back up into the game. Especially now when a dozen pairs of glowing red eyes were starting to appear from the shadowy pools around them. They were now significantly outnumbered and in enemy territory. Albus sent him a psychic indicating him to stall Kendra out. Henri didn't reply except for the subtlest of nods.
"Whatever he did, was I'm sure an honest mistake." Henri shot back, "You on the other hand have no right to do these heinous experiments."
Kendara ignored the last part and simply at Henry, "Not talking are you, Albus? No worries. Mommy will tell everyone all about what you did."
"Fucking get on with it already." Henri roared at her and was greeted in return by several snarls and hisses as the vampire reacted badly to the insult toward their mistress.
"The moment when I left the house to put food on the table for these worthless sons of mine, Albus neglected his duties. Little baby Ariana wandered out of the house. She was full of magic even when she was a baby. Her potential, control even as a young child, far exceeded anything even Albus had to offer." Kendra sighed dramatically as she brought her hands to her chest in a wistful expression. The expression of proud motherhood appeared utterly monstrous on her undead face. Her nerves and muscles had been dead for a long while. Kendra ignored his disgusted look and continued her tale.
"In his jealousy, Albus deliberately began to ignore her. A group of muggle teenagers from the local priesthood saw her in the local playground one day and saw her blatantly violating the laws of nature around her." Kendra said, "The thing is, these boys weren't just ordinary teenagers. Oh no, they were trainees of the Inquisition order sworn to combat Maleficarum." Kendra said and Henri began to uncomfortably fidget. It was partly due to him not liking where this story was headed and partly due to slowly being surrounded by vampires from all sides. "She could've been the Morgana Le Fay of our age."
"They held my baby for 12 hours in their basement. Would you like to know what they did to her?" Kendra smiled cruelly, "They ripped off her fingernails, gouged her eyes out, and shattered her knees. When they were done, they didn't ever spare her childlike virtue. Over and over, they drilled into her head to confess till she could do nothing but say sorry."
Albus sobbed audibly and Henri briefly glanced towards him but kept his wand firmly trained her.
"Eventually she came to hate her magic for subjecting her to such a cruel fate, not knowing it was due to the actions of her worthless brothers." Kendra spat out, "Tell me young lordling, do you know what happens when a child forcibly represses their magic?"
It took a while for Henri to connect the dots and all places led to one conclusion, "Obscurus" he muttered, and Kendra nodded rapidly.
"Obscurus." She said, "A true abomination in the eyes of magic. A child represses their magic to the limit. It's not long before magic starts to push back in a bid to be free and pushes back."
She purred throatily and gasped, "And by goodness when it pushes back! An orgy of the raw power of creation tainted by hate. An explosion that puts even the grandest of muggle bombs to shame."
"My beloved, Gellert, came to me one night when my baby laid her hand on my lap, spending her last days in utter agony." She said, "Through spell and ritual he extended her lifespan and whispered his plan to me. He could not save all these children, but he could grant them the one thing they wanted above all, vengeance. Vengeance on the people who wronged them killed them, and turned them into wretches. They are the wunderwaffe that will deliver us the world!"
At this, a loud squelching sound followed and Henri looked down and gasped. The illusion had been broken. Dumbledore wasn't simply kneeling down, a dark curse had caught his arm in the coffin. The body of Ariana too disappeared. Henri felt nauseous again as he saw Dumbledore's arm – it was black and cracked up to his elbows."
Henri knew whatever happened was mostly likely irreversible without a significant cost. Such magics rarely took prisoners.
"You are wrong, Kendra." Dumbledore spoke in a deathly calm voice, "Ariana would have never consented to be turned into a weapon of mass destruction that indiscriminately kills innocent."
Dumbledore opened his hand and a wand materialized in it.
"All she ever wanted was peace and quiet. This entire ruse was of your making to get into Gellert's good graces and maintain your riches." Dumbledore said, "In effect, you sold out your own daughter at the altar of your vanity."
Magnificent blue arches of hot flame began to materialize around him. Two vampires from the shadows lunged at them but were instantly incinerated by Dumbledore.
"I have worked hard for my redemption. I have had the privilege of training the finest youth of our country to become wonderful mages." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling with tears now. Henri felt a surge of dark magic around him as both sides geared up for a fight, "In fact, Ariana just forgave me in the moments you were ranting."
"I have made my peace with life." Dumbledore said, "It's time I finally help you do the same."
Dumbledore psychically transmitted a message,
Henri. This is the end of the road for me. Fawkes can only manage a single trip with a single passenger since I can't lend you my magic. Kendra will ward the room against him as soon as she sees him. You must warn ECLIPSE of what's about to happen. Tell them to pull back forces immediately including Aurors!
Henri pocketed the documents he had been carrying earlier.
"You were never a worthy son you bastard!" Kendra screeched at him like a banshee, "You are a worthless waste of my blood. I should have smothered you with my own hands in your crib you bastard! Gellert was more of a son than you ever were!"
One moment it was calm and the other a storm erupted. Fiery orbs materialized around him and pounded the entire room. A bright flash materialized in the room as Fawkes appeared and landed on Henri's shoulder. One moment he was there and the other he was not. Dumbledore didn't pay much attention to that. His focus was solely on killing as many around him as possible. A martyr's death was much more preferable to the slow death seeping through his veins right now. Dumbledore transfigured several coffins around him into stone giants and lunged at them. These stone behemoths surged forward with a silent roar, their massive fists swinging at the vampires with relentless force. The vampires, possessed of preternatural strength, met the onslaught head-on, their claws slashing through the golems with deadly precision. Yet, to their astonishment, their attacks yielded no effect as the golems simply shrugged off the blows, continuing their relentless assault.
One grabbed a vampire by his arms even as the leech used his considerable strengths to kick holes in the construct. The golem simply stretched his arms and the vampire exploded in a pool of blood. Several vampires, realizing the futility of their efforts, retreated, conjuring darkened violet rays of blood magic that seared through the constructs, causing them to crumble to dust.
In a blur of motion, a young neonate rushed forward with supernatural speed with his fangs and claws ablaze, aiming to sink its claws into Dumbledore's flesh. But before it could reach its target, a surge of intense heat enveloped it, and with a brilliant flash, the vampire was reduced to ash, its ashes scattering across the laboratory floor. Its dreams of glory vanished as fast as they materialized.
Dumbledore stood unwavering and locked eyes with Kendra daring her to approach. She was still panicked over Henri Potter successfully slipping through her fingers. She failed to recognize the soul of a man with nothing more to lose anymore, willing to go any mile to combat her. Meanwhile, Dumbledore raised his occlumency shields to their maximum, not wanting to deal with the poison's pain right now. But even he could feel the exhaustion crawling in now. He had spent too much magic. The wards were too oppressive, not even Fawkes could swoop in now to save him.
This was it.
He glanced above to see Kendra's eyes had completely gone black and she waved her arms in a wide ark. Dumbledore glanced around as he was covered in the darkest darkness. He tried to illuminate his wand but it was as if the darkness merely ate the light instead of letting any sort of reflection happen. Even his hearing had gone along with his vision.
Crucio! A familiar dull voice shouted, and Dumbledore crashed on the floor as hot knives tore at his flesh. The darkness lifted to reveal Gellert Grindelwald standing before him in all his glory. With a malevolent grin twisting his features, he launched himself at Dumbledore from behind, catching the venerable wizard off guard with a sudden, brutal assault. Dumbledore grasped at his wand and conjured a blue shield around himself.
"Oh no sonny boy! That's not gonna work a second time!" Kendra screamed. Grindewald aimed a strange wand at his body and Dumbledore recognized it for what it was.
By Merlin, he thought. The madman has actually found the death stick.
Those were Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore's last thoughts as a green streak of light shattered his shield and struck him squarely in the chest. He was dead before he even hit the floor.
"Kindred!" Kendra roared to her surroundings, "Feast!"
The snarling leeches lunged at Dumbledore and tore at his body with their fangs and gulped down the pouring lifeblood.
The most ignoble end of such a life.
A Grim Toll
The house elf appeared with a pop and its master wasted no time in lowering a wand to its temple and whispered, "Imperio". The house elf's eyes went blank, and it readily accepted a vial of enhanced adder venom from his master and apparated away. The wizard then steadily lay against and sighed in agony as the pain from his wounds flared again. In the privacy of his own gardens, he wept for the first time since he was 6 years old. He lost track of time and was reigned back into the present by the sudden throbbing of his arm. He calmly stood up, smoothed his blonde hair, and proceeded to enter the Malfoy manor.
Abraxas walked to maintain his leisurely gait through the gardens, but somebody had other plans. He grits his teeth as his left arm flares in pain. He leaned against a polished marble statue at glanced above. It was of his grandfather, Etrius Malfoy, a legendary dragon hunter and auror in the old glory days. The afternoon shone brightly on the surface making Abraxas squint as he stared up at him. Even through his impaired vision, he could make out Etrius's features. He looked down at his progeny with a mixture of disgust and disappointment. Abraxas turned his head down in disappointment, half a century of dominant politics was about to come to an end due to his failed campaign.
His parents had entrusted him with this mission. An entire century of Malfoy's accumulated wealth, power, and connections led to this moment. Capturing a parselmouth after its emergence from centuries of silence was to be their swansong. The moment they left worthless scum like the Blacks, Redwoods, and Lestranges in the muck while they ascended to British royalty. Another jolt of pain ripped through his being and compelled the Malfoy lordling to move forward.
His parents were in the parlor, casually drinking tea from ornate cups and lounging on their individual thrones. His mother was the one who noticed him first and burst into cheer, "Abraxas!" She cooed and raised her mug in a greeting, "I didn't know Gringotts let you leave early today." However, the cheer left her as soon as she took in her son's bloodied and battered appearance.
"Merlin's Beard!" His father exclaimed, "What happened to you boy?"
He swiftly moved to lend his son a helping shoulder and immediately conjured a chair for him to sit on.
"Relax my boy." His father said, "Tell me exactly what happened! I will have the bastards who did this to you hanged in our lawns!"
Abraxas didn't reply to his father and merely whispered, "Forgive me."
"Forgive?" His mother said, "Abraxas, dear, what are you talking about?"
A gurgling sound distracted her, and she screamed in horror at the sight. Her husband was puking blood, and the ground below was crimson-clad. She yelled at Abraxas to get help, but no sound came from her mouth. She felt dizzy as lightheadedness took her and fell to the ground below, her last memory was Abraxas staring down at them and repeatedly whispering,
"It's for the good of the family." He wheezed through tears, "She would have killed us all if I hadn't. There would have been no more House Malfoy."
Hogwarts
It was weird. He was doing something and nothing was going horribly wrong. He had free time where he wasn't dodging or running away from danger. The feeling was most alien to Harry. His long-time dream of owning a company was now realized. MystiTech Ventures was now pulling in money despite Dippets malaise and Dumbledore's objection to the manufacturing of weapons within Hogwarts. A single letter to Gloria Bones had her scrambling to test the systems. It felt nice when networking paid off in big ways and the head of DMLE owed him a lot. After rapid trials under the shadow of combat deployment, Gloria had placed a large order for armor systems. Harry was worried that implementing mass production systems within Hogwarts would be a reach. Fortunately, not everyone was of a similar mind to those two professors. Professor Brightstar, Herbology, had taken a keen interest in his project and offered help. The only thing he was worried about was his OWL exams, but they were still some distance away.
"We need to collaborate more here, boy," Professor Brightstar said with a fiery Scottish accent, her voice resonating with urgency. "A few armors here and there are a good thing, but unless we go total war here – Grindelwald will kill us all, boy!"
Harry furrowed his brows, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean, Professor?"
Brightstar leaned in, her eyes intense with determination. "I mean that a few armors scattered about won't help anyone. I've seen the war coming."
Harry's eyes widened with concern. "But what can we do about it?"
Brightstar sighed heavily, frustration was evident in her voice. "I've raised the issue with Dippet. Told him that Hogwarts has the best facilities, ingredients, and intellectual minds. But that foolish geriatric just mumbled about not having enough support and budgetary concerns."
She shook her head in disbelief. "The most shocking resistance came from Albus Dumbledore himself. Can you believe it? He religiously blocked the program, citing some nonsense about the Founders not approving of turning Hogwarts into a weapons research program."
"Hogwash!" Brightstar exclaimed, her voice rising in indignation. "Godric Gryffindor was a warrior, for Merlin's sake! And all the founders had fought in wars. This school is a freaking castle of all things!"
A strange gleam entered her eyes and Harry was worried she was entering a manic phase. She excitedly pointed at him, "But you! You have changed things! Whatever scheme you pulled with DMLE and Dippet, has worked. Now that there is a precedence here for such things, I don't need to hide my own operations anymore."
"Harry my boy, I lead an underground research group comprised of various like-minded individuals that have been researching weapons since last year. If it helps, we even have the support from the Charms professor." She spoke. "We will do whatever it takes to get our boys and girls back home safely."
Since then, the group has been working on various projects. He had even involved Helena and Dorea in the initiative given their experience working with him on the armor project. The trio was the only one that was not part of the 7th-year students working on the project. Harry believed that it would be a valuable opportunity for them to gain experience. And who knows? If push comes to shove, it could become a potential recruiting ground for his nascent organization. Throughout the opening seminar, he saw Charlus trying to get near him, but Harry resolutely avoided him and switched spots or distracted himself with a conversation. Dorea looked at them worryingly but kept to herself. Harry was grateful that she had respected his privacy and not taken to playing the peacemaker between her secret boyfriend and business partner.
He was broken out of his musings by a worried Helena approaching him.
I knew it was all too good to be true. Harry internally moaned as he took in Helena's appearance.
"Where have you been?! We have been looking all over for you." Helena said and interrupted him as he tried to reply, "Haven't you heard what happened? There have been murders at Hogwarts!"
"Was it Grindelwald?" Harry asked immediately. He knew that magical Britain had thrown in their lot with the allied forces. Retaliation against Britain was expected by all. She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him towards the Great Hall.
"From what Dorea had heard, Dippet was missing for a few days." She said, "Dumbledore went into his office and found him lying dead." She said and fear gripped Harry. He didn't know nearly enough about Dippet or Hogwarts history. Thus, he didn't know if this was meant to happen or was another change due to his presence here.
"You mentioned murders?" Harry said.
"Yeah, a student too is missing." Helena said, "Myrtle is dead."
Harry's mind was clouded by a fog of the past for all two seconds before everything came crashing down on him.
Myrtle. Moaning Myrtle. He recalled. Killed by Tom Riddle for stumbling upon the Chamber of Secrets.
Morrigan had struck and was further down the path of becoming like her future, past twin. Harry grits his teeth as a crowded great hall comes into his view and he sees an older-than-usual Dumbledore addressing the nervous crowd. Harry and Helena exchanged a glance and stalked towards their respective house tables. The crowd of juniors parted as if they could sense an angry Harry's hateful aura. As if by providence, the parting crowd revealed a direct line of sight to reveal Morrigan impassively staring at him. Despite his insides roaring at him to not directly look into her eyes, Harry ignored rationality. He was too angry to be subtle and glared at her. Morrigan raised an inquisitive eyebrow and Harry felt a familiar prickling sensation behind his eyes. She was probing his mind, but Harry was not worried. His rage overpowered his caution and fear and redirected his thoughts into a singular focus. He forced his thoughts to echo with a single message,
I know it was you. I am coming for you.
Harry got the read receipt when he saw Morrigan flinch and turn her eyes away. He couldn't help but smirk in bitter satisfaction. Killing a few enemy soldiers in self-defense was one thing, but cold-blooded murder of innocent students in Hogwarts was another issue entirely. He had been more than accommodating towards her fantasies, it was time to take her down for good. Dumbledore will deal with Grindelwald soon. And he will deal with the muggles in some other way when the time comes.
A Bloody Day
The Daily Prophet
Bloody Tragedy Strikes Eldermoor: Malfoy House Mourns
In a harrowing turn of events, the noble and ancient House of Malfoy has been shaken to its core by a brutal murder. Lord and Lady Malfoy, pillars of Eldermoor society, were found slain in their own home. As the wizarding world reels from the loss, their 19-year-old heir, Abraxas Malfoy, is left to pick up the shattered pieces of his family legacy.
Despite efforts to reach out, Abraxas Malfoy remains unavailable for comment, leaving many to wonder about the future of the Malfoy name. In a rare public statement, Miss Parkinson, the fiancée of the young Malfoy heir, pleads for privacy during this tumultuous time.
But the darkness does not end there. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a beacon of hope and learning, is also marred by tragedy. A seventh-year student, identity undisclosed, was discovered lifeless alongside the esteemed Headmaster Armando Dippet.
Aurors are yet to determine foul play in these heinous acts, yet whispers of Grindelwald's sinister influence loom large. Could this be a retaliatory strike against Britain's recent declaration of war on Germany? As Eldermoor mourns, questions remain unanswered, and fear grips the hearts of wizards and witches across the land.
Most classes were canceled today. Even the remedial study sessions for OWLs weren't being held today. The entire school alongside the broader society was still in shock over the bloodbath that had happened in the last 24 hours. An entire noble family excluding their heir had been poisoned with nothing the wiser. A girl and a Hogwarts headmaster lay dead. Under normal circumstances, these would have been treated as separate cases, but the wider specter of war made everyone deeply suspicious. Already the rumor mill was in overdrive that the killers were meant for Dumbledore but fumbled and accidentally killed Myrtle and Dippet. Harry glared down at the sink with the serpent to its side in his mind's eye. The vision from another lifetime constantly intrudes in his waking space.
A gapping maw coming to swallow him whole. Magic that could kill with a glance. A tooth inches long broke his bone.
hoot
He gripped his sides as another painful shudder ran through him. He had no idea who Nargulith would support this time around. He took deep breaths to calm himself. He was still a beginner when it came to the practice. Dumbledore preferred working with him on much more complex matters such as Animagus transformations and alchemy. The last time he assigned it "chores", Morrigan had easily overrode his orders. If he confronted Morrigan on her own turf, it could prove problematic to say the least. At best, he would basilisk discharge. At worst, she would do heinous things to him over time to break him. Furthermore, she hadn't emerged from the chamber either. He hadn't spotted her in the common room, and he didn't feel like risking it all by infiltrating the girls' quarters.
hoot
No, it wouldn't do to confront her at all in her lair. There would be a time for that but not now. Morrigan had bit off far more than she could digest. The baby serpent has yet to grow into the monstrous anaconda of his time. It was time for another heart-to-heart with Dumbledore. He would do his best to spare Nargulith of his inevitable fate. In return, if Dumbledore learned more of his secrets including parselmouth, then so be it. Stopping Morrigan here was paramount. With a wave of his wand, he summoned his satchel and began penning a letter to Dumbledore.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I hope this finds you well. I know you are probably busy with everything that has happened at Hogwarts. However, we must talk as soon as possible. I believe I have valuable information on
HOOT!
Motherfu Harry snarled as he turned to address the persistent source of disturbance and was met with a ferocious owl whose annoyed scowl immediately withered any protests that Harry might have had. He put forth his leg and Harry immediately received the letter. He made peace with the owl by offering him a piece of grapefruit but hooted indignantly at it, puffed up his chest, and flew away. Harry glared at the puffed-up piece of feather before opening the letter. The wand dropped from his hand with an audible clutter on the floor. His face paled and he was unable to process the shock any further.
Mate,
I need help.
Ron Weasley.
The full might of the trauma he had been holding behind his shields overwhelmed him in the moment and Harry turned into a cob on his bed. He would think things through when his mind was more completely under his command.
He would burn them all.
The Chamber of Secrets
Harry slowly made his way down the Chamber of Secrets, his steps deliberate and filled with determination. Unlike his first visit, where every sound and image had filled him with terror, he now marched with righteous fury. He was stronger now, much stronger than he had been in his second year. The gargoyles and snake statues that had once terrified him now seemed nothing more than overly edgy, annoying design choices.
As he approached the main hall, he saw Morrigan Riddle seated on one of two tall, regal chairs. A single orb illuminated the setting below, casting eerie shadows across the chamber. Harry couldn't help but snort at her theatrics as he boldly walked towards her, taking a seat beside her without a second thought. Though a voice inside him screamed to flee as far away as possible from her, he ignored it. He didn't care anymore.
Morrigan's voice, smooth as silk but laced with subtle disdain, broke the silence. "Well, well, if it isn't the brave Harry Petrov, venturing into the oh-so-evil Morrigan's den alone," she drawled, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "Since there are no professors here, I assume you haven't snitched on me."
"I would wipe the smirk from my face right the fuck now," Harry said and Morrigan's expression visibly faltered. Never before had Harry displayed such outright aggression towards her. He had always been either afraid or submissive, "Two innocents lie dead. One of them is a student. And for what exactly? They didn't bow at your altars low enough?"
However, at the last statement, anger seeped through Morrigan.
"I suppose 'tis providence when you do it? When you use the basilisk to murder a student in the dead of night and then order it upon hapless muggles?" Morrigan said, "Or is murder more moral when you enlist my help to cover it up for you? Since you are too stupid to do it stealthily?"
Harry stayed silent and Morrigan leaned forward to meet his gaze, "What the fuck was that?"
"You." Harry heavily emphasized his words, "Can't even begin to imagine what I did and how I did it. I shoulder burdens you can't possibly conceive of. All my actions are for the greater good of our people."
"Funny you mention our people." Morrigan spat, "Yet you pay only lip service to the culture of said people."
"As opposed to torturing all my underlings." Harry fired back, "Congrats! Truly you are the second coming of Salazar and Merlin for behaving like a petty Muggle warlord. I am sure all those people will remain lifelong supporters."
"Oh no, Petrov. It should be as opposed to sitting on your derriere while trying to hide all the covert muggle interventions in our world and stealing evidence from ECLIPSE so that they cannot act further." Morrigan, "Little Mr. Bonaparte trying to be a petty muggle warlord by selling bullets and bandages to the highest bidder."
Harry glared at her, but she was undeterred, "So what was the original plan here? When the dust settles after our wars with Grindelwald and Muggles, you will simply sweep in and take control with all the wealth you have been hoarding?"
"The plan is to prevent the wars before they even start," Harry said and Morrigan laughed at that.
"If that was your plan, Petrov, you would have simply marched to the nearest unspeakable and demanded to be interviewed under stringent circumstances." Morrigan said, "Where you came from and for whatever, you are playing here for the keeps."
Morrigan leaned, "You already split the Black vote and got that Ravenclaw pixie on your side along with the Potter heir. Although, for whatever reason you are deadest on burning that particular bridge." She said, "Face it, Petrov, you are no worse than me."
"Perhaps not, Morrigan." Harry said as he got up, "But under my watch, no innocent will die needlessly. Not unless I can help it. If that means locking your deranged self up, I am willing to."
As soon as he finished Morrigan instantly whipped out her wand and paralyzed him. Harry glared at her, and she backhanded. Something crawled behind him, and Harry felt the sheer weight of a serpent crawling all over him. It wrapped its coils around his body and menacingly hissed at him.
"You insignificant little shit, after everything I did for you. Saving you from that wretched prison where the muggle made a mincemeat out of you." Morrigan backhanded him again, "Maybe if I am such an evil, I should simply make you disappear right here right now. Let your skeleton lie in the chamber forever. Nobody will check here, and I will be rid of one very loose end."
She painfully poked her wand in his cheek, "What do you think now, Petrov?"
Harry was silent for a while as he glared at Morrigan and vice versa. Silence echoed throughout the chamber.
Harry giggled.
He tried to stop it but then it happened again. In short, he was having full bursts of laughter, unable to control himself. Morrigan looked at him in bewilderment, truly afraid she had done something wrong here.
"You stupid cow." Harry managed to wheeze out through bursts of laughter, "You think I would truly be stupid enough to face you on your turf without a contingency."
"Oh no, you dumb bint." Harry spat out; all traces of merriment evaporated. "As of right now, thirty minutes have passed. Right outside, Helena and Dorea are waiting for my arrival. If I am not out without 15 minutes, they receive mail instructing them precisely to grab which professor and enter the chamber."
Morrigan looked down at him.
"Beyond that, if I am late for a whole hour, a few charms will be triggered that will immediately alert Gloria Bones at the DMLE." Harry said, "You know her, don't you? She is an old friend. I turn all the foreign drug dealers to her, and she turns a blind eye to my other goods. She would just love to have a chance at a thousand or so year-old basilisk, the murders, and more."
"So go ahead Morrigan, kill me. I dare you. I triple dare you." Harry snarled at her. "Go ahead, dig two graves. One for each of us. We will meet again in hell!"
"You are lying," Morrigan said and Harry laughed again.
"Tick tock Morrigan. Tick tock." Harry said, "If you are that confident, go ahead. Close the coffin on my head. Just be careful it doesn't smack you on the way down."
"If I go down, I will take you with me." Morrigan said, "I know things about you."
Although she didn't sound THAT confident this time around.
"Oh please." Harry sarcastically remarked, "I have plea agreements and a dozen other connections in Aurors. At best I will get a suspended sentence and will have to turn over my network. Neither the Potters nor your own Rookwood, Lestrange, or Black will be with you. A single interview and they will be pleading their guts over what you did to them."
Morrigan twirled her wand.
"Obliviate, murder, or make me vanish." Harry said, "No magic trick will get past Helena and Dorea. Hell who knows, maybe Charlus is outside too. He is Dorea's soon-to-be."
Morrigan kept twirling her wand and after a brief silence she asked, "What do you want?"
"Good girl." Harry said, "Put it simply, I own you, Morrigan. When I say jump, you don't say why? You simply ask how high."
Morrigan's anger was apocalyptic and her features twirled into rage as she glared at him.
"Oh, stop pouting." Harry remarked, "I will treat you eons better than you did Abraxas. Serve me well, and I will make it all go away."
Morrigan then once again stared at him, "Just like that?"
"Just like that," Harry remarked.
"I find that hard to believe." Morrigan, "So much for your righteous justice."
"I don't know." Harry said, "Maybe I do have a bit of Bonaparte tendencies, to borrow your oh-so-muggle lines."
"Muggles are not an enigma to us." Remained unsaid between the two. Morrigan relented and Harry felt himself becoming free.
"I believe Mr. Petrov. We have an agreement." Morrigan said. Harry nodded and turned about to get out of this miserable place.
"Oh and Petrov?" Morrigan called from behind and Harry paused, "If I were you, I would head to the hall right away for breaking news."
She paused before continuing, "I would a little more carefully these days, especially if my fairy godfather was just found dead."
Harry continued walking with an urgent step. What the hell had happened while he was away?
The End
Author Notes: One of my more violent chapters I admit. But that's what happens when war picks off in high gear. Please please review!