Anything that rings a bell belongs to JK Rowling
Chapter Thirty Seven: Fall to Darkness
"Red sparks again?"
"I hope its Krum." Ron muttered into Ky's ear, and she smiled, she hoped so too, considering the alternative would be Harry or Cedric. She wondered if Mi was hoping that it was Cedric.
"Score!"
Ron laughed manically next to her as they removed Krum from the maze. The Durmstrang lot booed and Mi looked worried. Ky looked around the crowd, Hogwarts faces were happy, and why not? It was a definite win for them. She guessed this must be what a school quidditch match was like, each of them cheering on a house.
She caught Nott staring at her from across the stands, he smiled his strange smile, and she rolled her eyes, turning back to the maze. The idiot in front of her decided to stand and she couldn't see a thing anymore, she moved to her left, then her right, trying to get a better position, getting dizzier and dizzier.
She found the right spot and looked through the shoulders, a lightness coming over her.
Her eyes drooped and a mist suddenly creeped around her until darkness claimed the scene.
"Yeah…we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got 'stake it together." The two dark haired boys picked up their hands, " one…two…"
A flash of green highlighted the stones surround them... a thud… empty grey eyes.
A large steaming cauldron… blood… red eyes in a pale face.
Harry behind a large stone, a cold voice piercing the air, speaking words she couldn't decipher.
Buzzing
Buzzing
Green light
Grey eyes
Red eyes
Green eyes
Mist
More mist
Blackness
Ky closed her eyes and gritted her teeth at the piercing pain that shot through her skull. It was like a thousand pins poked at the crevices of her brain.
She opened her eyes, looking desperately at Mi, who was engrossed in a conversation with Dean next to her, laughing. Her lips parted in slow motion, and Ky processed the sound long after her mouth closed.
Ky opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She couldn't move, immobilised by the pain.
Then the images assaulted her, processed at double speed, green lights, and empty grey eyes. The cup?
The cup!
Ky opened her mouth to tell them. Still no sound. She tried harder.
Nothing.
Ky felt something drip onto her lap. She watched the scarlet drop spread through her blue jeans.
Blood?
Red eyes. Pale face. The cup.
She closed her eyes, trying to stop the pain. It dulled slightly, she managed to stand up. With eyes shut she took a step down.
"Ky?"
She didn't stop though. She tried to open her mouth again but still nothing. She took the next step and the next, surging forward as if hypnotised by the need to inform Nonno about what was going on in the maze. That cup was going to take Harry and Cedric away!
Empty grey eyes.
She walked faster down the stands, the pain stronger but she willed herself to move her legs.
She was bustled in the crowd, the faint sound of Mi calling her name as she struggled after her in the crowd that was immune to her dilemma, all attention on their champions, but once she felt solid ground, she opened her eyes. The pain shot fiercely through her skull; she clutched her head as if physically fighting the assault.
She spotted the familiar oily hair and black cloak. Sev was right there.
She parted her lips but still no sound. She closed her eyes and moved forward. She willed herself to take the next step and then the next.
She stopped.
Swaggered.
She felt her knees buckle, not feeling the hard impact she expected but warmth.
Warmth from a body….and then she felt it.
Cold hands.
-x-x-x-
Ky's eyes fluttered open, but her heavy lids slid them shut again. She could only keep them open in a slit. The pain dulled but it was still there, the pins assaulting her blunted brain. She was in a corridor. A familiar one. She glanced at a torch. She knew this place. She tried turning her head as they floated on, but she couldn't.
She was jostled and her view was obscured by the curtain of black that was her hair. Suddenly she was in the air and then the hardness she expected earlier caught her.
Her back ached and she looked up from the floor she had been thrown onto.
Then she saw it.
Saw him.
Designer slacks.
Cashmere sweater.
The tiny logo of the gold wizard on a broom over his heart.
Thin.
Broad shoulders.
Black eyes.
No mask…
Pale face.
Pink lips held in a sneer.
High cheekbones.
Black hair.
The face of an angel… a devil.
He pulled his pants legs up and he crouched down. A glint of light hit her eye, reflected off the badge on his sweater, 'Elliot Hutchinson, media'.
He brushed the hair from her face, and she recoiled inside from his cold touch.
"I can't have you running off now, can I? As much as I love playing cat and mouse with you, we can't have you ruining anything. You fainting over yourself about Salazar knows what, might gather enough attention for them to halt the task…. we can't have that just yet, now can we? We just need them distracted. And your disappearance will do that just fine."
He smiled down at her as she concentrated a glare, ignoring the pain.
"Fine. I admit I was just waiting for you to wander from the flock so I could sink my teeth into you. I didn't have to wait as long as I thought though, it seemed your peers were more than willing to help with my mission considering they were blind to everything but what was going on in that maze."
The door to the right opened and Ky finally realised where she was. It was that secret passageway, that Malfoy took her through the night of the Yule ball. The one that led directly to the quidditch pitch.
An unfortunately familiar face poked through the door.
Barriston Blishwick entered, saw her lying on the floor and sneered down at Ky. The bastard that hovered over her though didn't seem to appreciate the intrusion, "Did I not tell you to keep look out Barriston?"
"I know Bastian, it's just that he's calling you and I don't know what to tell him."
"You moron, what did I tell you about using my name! You're lucky everything will be clear tonight or else you'd spend another night rolling on the floor in agony." The Bastard straightened up and looked down at Ky hungrily, "I'll have you later…idiot, guard her." And he exited.
Bastian.
His name was Bastian.
Barriston Blishwick came forward like an obedient dog and ducked down quickly, "Oh and I'll have this."
He grabbed Ky's wand from her hand, the pain still leaving her defenceless. She just needed to overcome it. She glared up at Blishwick. Her eyelids were so heavy as she fought off sleep. It was a losing battle as she knew that was the only thing that would keep the pain away.
"Not so tough now are you."
Oh, how she wanted to wring his neck, she tried to, but the pins piercing her brain got sharper and she felt something drip from her face.
"You know I don't see why he's so fascinated with you. You're not that pretty. I've seen better…he's fucked better for sure. It must be that feisty nature of yours; he always did like a challenge. Dumbledore's precious granddaughter that he has been hiding away from the spotlight. You know he's kept you out of the papers by outright threat, my father says he has never known the man to do that before. Skeeter had a whole article about you but the Prophet put an embargo on it. And you've got those Two overprotective brothers that have apparently inherited Dumbledore's gift with the wand…do you even know how tongues have been wagging in our circles about you?"
He knelt down and ran a finger down the side of Ky's cheek. She was then flung against the wall with the force of his slap.
"That's for your little face transfiguration spell and this is for the last time…. cru-"
He didn't get to finish the curse as he hit the opposite wall hard. He barely managed to get to his knees when he was flung again and again and again until he fell to the floor unconscious.
Ky looked around, seeking the attacker and for once she was not annoyed to see his green-brown eyes. Theodore Nott smirked at her as the rest of his body became visible; he tossed an invisibility cloak onto the floor.
"Knew this would come in handy sometime…. he really did a number on you Kitten. Took my eyes off you for one second and you disappear…here."
He knelt down and Ky felt something warm on her cheek as he frowned, "Your nose won't stop bleeding. Kitten, you're awfully quiet."
She gritted her teeth and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to her so he could hear, "The Cup…"
"I know, I'll get you water once we get out of here, I don't fancy Blishwick coming around and seeing me."
"The cup-"
He bent down and picked her up, slinging her arm around his shoulders, he walked down the passage.
Ky had to tell someone, Cedric and Harry were in danger. They walked into the dungeon corridor through the portrait.
"The Goblet…the cup…portkey."
"Just hold on Kitten."
And then she heard it, just as they turned the next corridor. Footsteps behind them. This was so frustrating, she needed to tell someone!
The cold empty grey eyes flashed through her mind followed by green ones filled with fear, as she heard the footsteps draw closer, but as their assailant approached something just occurred to her…
A tingle of energy surged through her veins, and she thought the spell and Nott was disarmed.
She grabbed his wand and before he could react, she sent him flying into the wall.
"Let me go through Nott! Let go of me!" She stunned him and ground her teeth so hard the nerves in her mouth were on fire.
The Bastard, Bastian, turned the corridor and looked to Ky and then Nott lying on the floor, unconscious.
"That's a surprise. Little Theodore Nott. Poor boy thought he could take on my lamb." He spoke the term like an affectionate pet name. "Silly boy….my lamb couldn't be defeated that easily. The boy must be commended for trying, I'm sure Travis will be happy to hear his son isn't completely useless. Punished for failing, though. But how rude of me, all that can be done later. I have a guest."
Bastian took a step forward and Ky straightened up, wiping the blood from her face with the back of her sleeve.
He licked his lips menacingly, "Such fun…always such fun."
He whipped his hand to the side, and she ducked as the flame he conjured singed her hair. He conducted nonverbal, wandless magic with such ease. She coughed, out of breath, "Expelliarmus."
He lazily side stepped the spell. "Come now Lambie, you're so much better than that. Don't disappoint me now."
She didn't have time for this! She had to get help. She had to find Nonno! She touched the place where her locket usually sat…Harry.
She stood up straight, she swung Nott's wand down hard and saw the water gush at him, he dodged again, with a sneer.
But that's just what she wanted.
Ky moved her hand quickly, pushing the pain from thought. The water hardened into ice, and she changed the shape, the pointy edge curved like a sickle and went straight for his chest, he sidestepped quickly, but it slashed his arm.
He laughed manically, "Now my little lamb has come to play."
He sent ropes at Ky, but she erected a shield. The ropes bounced off it and then she saw red and yellow sparks fly off her shield in succession.
As the shield began to fade, she sent a tripping jinx at him that he lazily dodged, but she already began the wand movements of the next spell, anticipating his move.
He quickly conjured a shield charm and then dropped it sending a white spell her way. Ky jumped to the side, but it was a second too late, she felt the blinding-hot sting in her left thigh. Just her luck, the adrenaline was doing so well as a numbing agent and now she got more pain.
Ky flung herself flat on the floor as the next spell went whizzing passed her head. She turned quickly as she heard footsteps and swung her leg out catching him on his knee. She heard a thud and scrambled to her feet. Unfortunately, he rose quickly as well,
"You dare use filthy muggle tricks on me!"
He moved his wand in a flourish, and Ky quickly put up a shield charm, a line of black mist hit it and rebounded. She was picking her next move when she felt it. She gasped for breath and fell to the floor, clawing at her neck, the black mist surrounding her, entering from the back of the invisible defense which faded quickly now due to her distraction.
Ky clutched at her neck, begging the air to come through. Her head hit the ground and she caught a glimpse of her shirt, drenched in scarlet.
Red eyes…blood red eyes.
She threw her hand up, slashing at the air in haste; She felt the wind leave her wand and heard a thud as he hit the opposite wall.
Ky lurched forward, throwing up on the floor, gasping for air but forcing herself to her feet. That's when she felt it again; the mist….
The darkness wrapping her up again….
He stood tall, skin so pale Death would have been jealous…serpentine nose…ruby eyes…he flourished his hands and laughed aloud. It was high pitched and piercing and his movements were jerky. A circle of masked black cloaks stood around him, and in the centre was a large tombstone. And tied to that tombstone was a limp and bleeding Harry. The buzzing that was coming out of the pale figures mouth stopped suddenly, he stopped walking around the circle and looked at Harry.
"Crucio"
Ky felt Harry scream in her soul, she had never heard a scream so raw. So broken. And then he stopped.
Buzzing
"Now untie him Wormtail and give him back his wand."
Buzzing
Red eyes
Green eyes
Red light meeting green light.
Gold light
Gold web
A piercingly beautiful sound
Cedric transparent, "Hold on Harry".
Fearful scarlet orbs
A smoky outline of a beautiful woman "your father is coming…. he wants to see you…it will be alright…. hold on…."
Whispers of a smoky shadow of a taller Harry
Shocked red orbs
"NOW" screamed taller Harry.
It was as if someone had set Ky's skull on fire and held her brain in their hands, squishing it together as tight as they could. Suddenly the pain spread to every bone, every muscle fibre, every skin cell of her body. It stopped and was localised to her head again.
"Crucio"
Fire.
Everything was on fire. She was burning alive. She could hear a blood curdling scream vaguely, the voice familiar.
Fire.
She felt the darkness claim her, just go with it, just go.
Fire.
And then it stopped.
And all she could think was Harry was going to die or was dead and Cedric was dead or dying. She stopped shaking, ceased her writhing on the floor. She breathed, forcing calmness from her soul to take on physical manifestation. Nobody knew. But she knew.
The calmness was replaced by a fierceness to take control of this situation. To go to Harry. To get someone to Cedric. A fierceness to stop wasting time with this scum.
"Imperio"
Ky didn't even let the lightness descend on her like the last time with Moody. He chose the wrong time to try to take hold of her. Ky remembered what she had done in Moody's classroom.
Constant vigilance.
She didn't even let Moody know that she had flung off the curse.
Constant vigilance.
Being able to throw off the Imperius curse should be kept secret… This curse could work in her favour.
She listened out for his words.
"Come to me"
She walked towards the blurry figure.
She stopped.
"Get that filthy shirt off you."
Ky started automatically doing so.
First button… Harry.
Second button… Cedric.
Third…Harry.
And then she saw it.
What she was waiting for.
Black eyes burning with hunger.
She stopped on the fourth.
Took a deep breath…
And ran!
She ran like a dozen hungry dogs were at her heels. Like Death itself was chasing her.
Harry, Cedric. Harry, Cedric.
She couldn't feel her heart beating or her heavy breathing. She couldn't hear her pursuer's footsteps. It was against every fibre of her being to fly.
She fought, never fled.
But she knew what was most important. Dying fighting would be a selfish and vain death, and she needed to help Harry. To help Cedric.
Harry. Cedric. Harry. Cedric.
And then she saw it. Like the light at the end of the tunnel,
"Open!"
She barged in, the force of her speed only allowing her to stop in the centre of the room. She turned and watched the Bastard barge into the waterfall like door of her quarters and then was flung back.
Ky didn't wait to see if her room eventually let him through.
She flung the other door open and flew through it.
She took the stairs two at a time.
Potions lab. Open door.
Corridor. Turn right. Corridor. Turn left. Corridor. Stairs. Corridor. Stairs.
Entrance hall. Doors. Grounds. Pitch.
People all around.
She caught sight of bushy brown hair. Of red hair. Of black hair. Of black bun.
Ky didn't stop. She ignored the voices.
And then saw it.
Her target.
Long silver hair. He stood talking to two people.
"Nonno!" Her voice pierced the air, out of breath and grating. "Harry! Cedric!"
And just like that the pain was back. The pins. The knives. The fire.
Ky clutched at her skull, pulling her hair. That blood curdling scream again. The last thing she saw was blue eyes.
Blue eyes with no twinkle.
And blackness.
A/N: Quite a fast paced chapter - hopefully that all made sense, I understand if it's confusing because she's not the most reliable protagonist because of her pain right now, but things will be explained better in the next chapter - let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!