A/N – There seemed to be a problem with FF last week notifying people of updates so you might need to go back and read Chapter 18 first to catch up.
Chapter 19 – Snakes On A TARDIS
Wondering idly around the TARDIS console, Romana couldn't help but marvel at the activity from the teen witches and wizards. The five of them were carefully plotting how to retrieve Nagini from Voldemort's side. Various ideas had been instantly rejected due to their improbability or sheer stupidity. Others such as using the TARDIS to materialise near the snake were also removed from the list. Romana didn't want to risk one of the last relics of Gallifrey falling into the hands of a madman. The chances of Voldemort actually working the ship were remote but she didn't want to take the risk.
Finally the only real option to them was to draw Voldemort directly into the castle. It wasn't the ideal plan but in their mind, it was unlikely that the Dark Lord would allow Nagini to wonder free. Inviting the most fearsome Dark Lord in centuries into your sanctuary might not be the smartest plan but it was the most logical.
Romana had left most of the strategic planning to Ron, mainly because the youngest Weasley son had an aptitude for the subject. The near loss of his older brother Fred had also ignited a fire which the Time Lady wanted put towards a useful purpose. The last thing she needed was Ron running off on a misguided attempt at vengeance. "So that's the plan", Ron announced to the group, "we get Harry to issue an open challenge to Voldemort".
"Make sure to cite the rite of magical conquest", Neville added, "the Sacred Twenty Eight believed heavily in that. If he wants to save face with the Death Eaters he'd have no choice but to accept".
The Time Lady nodded at Neville suggestion, she was impressed with the leadership and confidence that the teen had acquired in the last year, "Happy with that plan Romana?" Ron asked.
"Honestly I think it's ridiculous and suicidal", the Time Lady snorted, "right up our street really", she added with a small grin. She moved towards the TARDIS door which was slightly ajar. Pulling the door shut, the Time Lady grabbed the Sword of Gryffindor which had been propped up against the wall, "This should be able to destroy the Horcrux within the snake", she added.
"Not an ideal weapon", Ron carefully took the sword from the Time Lady, "we'd have to allow Nagini to get really close. Dunno about you but I don't want to be staring down the pointy end of that bloody great snake". The red head went to hand the weapon to Harry but Neville confidently held out his hand. Ron cast a quick glance over to Harry who nodded gently, "Rather you than me mate", Ron added.
Neville carefully inspected the sword, testing its weight, "Gran made me take fencing lessons when I was younger, said it was only right that a young Lord learned the noble art of swordsmanship".
Romana frowned slightly, recalling the human memories that lay deep within her brain. Neville Longbottom was many things but graceful certainly wasn't one of them. In fact she couldn't think of anything more frightening than Neville wielding a sharp sword, "Oh yeah, how did that go?" Ginny vocalised the Time Lady's mental question.
"Could've been worse", Neville shrugged with an embarrassed expression, "Maybe one day I'll be able to pay to repair the damaged portraits". Romana rolled her eyes, which sounded like the Neville she knew, "Still have all my limbs though", he added with a sheepish grin.
"Humans, always looking on the bright side", Romana snorted, "we can use the TARDIS to broadcast the signal".
Harry nodded slowly but there was a dark look behind his eyes. Romana suspected that the teen was thinking about the final Horcrux. The Time Lady didn't know an awful lot about the subject but it seemed pretty clear that to destroy a Horcrux, the vessel had to be totally destroyed. In the case of a living Horcrux, that could only mean the death of the vessel. This was purely conjecture though until she had a chance to do more research, "I promise you Harry, I will find a way to eliminate the last Horcrux", she stated firmly.
The dark haired wizard looked at her curiously, "You know?" Romana nodded in confirmation, "how long?" he asked darkly.
"Hermione figured it out a while ago", Romana began, "don't think too badly of her, would you have liked to break that piece of news to someone?" Harry appeared to grumble and reluctantly back down, "If there is another way I'll find it, we can go to The Library there's bound to be something there".
"Didn't Hermione already look there?" Harry asked.
"I'm not talking about the school library, I'm talking about The Library", Romana replied, "it's a planet sized library built in the Fiftieth Century holding every book ever written". Harry smiled broadly before breaking into a small laugh, "Yes I know, even now I'm trying to persuade you to go to the library".
"Erm sorry we're a little lost", Ron interjected, "can someone fill us in".
Romana paused, wondering if now was the right time to tell everyone that Harry was a living Horcrux. As she contemplated this, she heard a shuffling sound at the back of the console room. Looking around she noticed a puzzled expression on Ginny's face, "Did you hear that too?"
"If you mean that scratching, hissing noise then yes", the red head responded. Another frowned passed across her face, "Sounds like someone is saying trapped over and over again", she added.
"Now that you mention it", Ron added with a concerned voice, "I can hear that too".
Romana quickly punched a few commands into the TARDIS console to scan for human life forms. It was unlikely that anyone had infiltrated the TARDIS without her knowledge but she wanted to rule it out. With the Rani still wondering around the castle, she wouldn't put it past the renegade Time Lady to unlock the TARDIS to grant anyone access. "Five human life signs", Romana commented, "and one Time Lady, just as it should be", she read from the screen.
"What about something smaller", Harry commented, "I've suddenly got a very bad feeling", he added with a shudder.
The Time Lady looked curiously at the teen but acquiesced to his demand. Scanning for all forms of know life would take some time though, however, her search would soon prove unnecessary, "I believe I have found the source of the strange noise", Luna pointed towards the TARDIS door. Attempting to slither through the door was possibly the largest snake Romana had ever seen, "I do believe we have wasted the last few minutes planning", the blonde added airily.
Ignoring the accurate yet understated comments of the Ravenclaw, Romana cursed her luck. Having the snake wonder into the TARDIS was a bonus but a hindrance. Knowing the snake's connection to Voldemort it was highly likely that it had relayed much of their plan to the Dark Lord. In addition she couldn't risk discharging her sonic blaster inside the TARDIS. The risk of damaging a vital system was too great, "Everyone stay perfectly still", Romana whispered to the group.
The whisper wasn't quiet enough though as Nagini's head quickly snapped around, "I have been discovered", the beast hissed in perfect English and began to advance on the group. Romana watched wide eyed as the great beast decided that attack was its best defence and lunged towards the party.
The assembled teens and Time Lady leapt out the way of the gaping jaws of the serpent and Nagini slammed head first into the side of the console. Everyone slowly spread out, backing away from the console and towards the outer wall. Romana spotted the wizards and witches immediately reaching for their wands, "Don't do that", she cried in desperation, "do you have any idea what could happen if a stray curse hit a delicate piece of eleven dimensional engineering?"
"Something bad I'm assuming", Harry responded but refused to lower his wand. Nagini too seemed to have caught onto the hesitancy of the magicals to attack. The giant serpent cautiously slithered around the console, using it as a form of sanctuary, "We can't keep staring at it for hours", the dark haired wizard reasoned, "and if we let it get away then who knows if we'd ever see it again".
Romana had to agree with Harry, this serendipitous event was too good to pass up. The TARDIS did come equipped with containment fields but they could only be activated from the console. Cautiously the Time Lady stepped forward, inching closer to the console, Nagini spotted the movement though and hissing angrily at the alien woman. With the direct approach out, Romana decided to try something different, "I know what Voldemort did to you", she attempted to reason with the snake, "come along quietly and I can remove his taint from your body".
Nagini cocked her head towards the Time Lady, something which Romana took as curiosity rather than as a threat, "You are a speaker", she hissed in response.
"You can speak snake?" Ginny asked the Time Lady, "hang on, I understood that too".
"TARDIS translation circuit", Romana answered the witch, "can translate any language including parseltongue apparently", she added with a shrug, "strange, I didn't know the Time Lords were aware of the language of snakes".
"Strange words", Nagini interrupted the Time Lady's verbal musing, "you must be the off worlder my Master told me about".
Romana nodded, "That's right, so you know I can follow through on my offer". Taking another couple of cautious steps, the Time Lady opened her arms in a welcoming gesture, "You could be returned to the wild or taken to any planet of your choosing", she added, "I hear there is a planet where snakes are worshipped as Gods".
For a few tense seconds neither snake nor Time Lady moved a muscle. Romana couldn't get any mental sense from the reptile due to its inferior biology so she hoped that the creature was genuinely considering its options. "I live to serve my Master, I have no other purpose", Nagini finally responded.
"Why doesn't anyone ever take the offer of help", Romana grumbled under her breath. With a louder voice she addressed the giant snake directly, "That's not true Nagini", she began, "you are a sentient creature with your own wants and desires. The influence of Voldemort's soul fragment is suppressing those and replacing them with his own". She paused and allowed those words to sink in, "I implore you, take this offer because if you don't then I will have to remove the Horcrux from your body and that's something you will not survive".
Once again Romana wished she could pick up on the brain patterns of the snake to prepare herself for the next move. The answer came quicker than she was expecting though, "You are right", Nagini began, "I do have my own desires". Romana breathed a small sigh of relief, that didn't last long though, "I desire to kill you for my Master".
Romana watched in horror as the giant snake lunged for her, its fangs dripping with venom and her life, current life that was, flashed before her eyes. It wasn't a long flash, she didn't really get a lot of time to find out much about her current incarnation. She only hoped the next Romana wasn't stuck in the body of a teenager.
The pain from the snake fangs piercing her skin never came though. There was a loud swishing noise and the head of the giant snake came free from its body. Nagini let out a strangled cry as some wispy, black smoke floated into the TARDIS. Romana turned her head and spotted a stunned Neville with the Sword of Gryffindor in his trembling hands, "Looks like those lessons paid off Neville", she stated once she regained the power of speech.
The teen witches and wizards carefully approached the carcass of Voldemort's familiar, apart from Harry who looked very unsteady on his feet, "Mate you feeling alright?" Ron asked.
The answer came moments later as the dark haired wizard slumped forward, grasping his forehead with both hands. He let out a strangled cry of pain before collapsing to his knees, "He knows about the snake", Harry wheezed, "I don't think we need to worry about drawing him into the castle".
"He's coming here?" Neville squeaked, almost dropping the sword.
Harry nodded, "Looks like he's bringing his whole army too". He turned to Romana and asked, "Are you sure about this plan of yours".
Romana paused for a split second, she was more confident that she was a few minutes ago. With the snake down that just left the Horcrux inside Harry which could be dealt with another time, "Absolutely", she answered in most reassuring tone, "we need to evacuate the hall though, again". It seemed a little callous to evict the sickness, deceased and grieving from the Great Hall but it would be for their benefit in the long run, "Think you lot can help with that, I get the impress they didn't like me".
"We'll do what we can", Ron stated firmly, "so this is it then", he continued, "let's hope this works". For once Romana completely agreed with the red head, with all of Voldemort's army heading their way the consequences of failure was dire.
A/N2 – One more chapter of this part to go then we start moving away from The Deathly Hallows and into proper AU territory. Also means were getting closer to our favourite Time Lord...