It didn't take too long this time, did it??? Hope you'll like it and that you won't hate me very much for leaving you with a cliffie like that. :evillaugh Anyway....please Read and Reply...oh! the chanting Artemis does is in my native language Creek, I though it would be more creepy that way...
Chapter 33 part 2
“What are we doing now?” James whispered to his father.
The Death Eaters beneath them had formed a more conserved circle, while Artemis started chanting in some ancient sounding language and they couldn’t make out a word. Yaxley had placed the book in front of her, but she wasn’t really reading from it; she must have learnt the incantations by heart. Ginny was still struggling with the ropes around her hands, but failing to loosen them.
“We save your mum”, Harry replied.
“How?”
“No idea”, Harry shook his head.
“I think that we’re gonna have to attack them and hope for the best”, Hermione said. “I know we’re outnumbered but at least we have the element of surprise, right?”
“Think again!”
All three of them jumped and turned around. There stood none else than Dolohov, accompanied by two large, masked Death Eaters. Ironically Harry had just realized that he wasn’t among the Death Eaters beneath them. All three of the Death Eaters had their wands already pointed to them and they could curse them before any of them even reached for their own.
“You again”, James hissed under his breath, feeling his blood pressure rising just by looking at the man.
Dolohov smirked and motioned them to stand up. It was Harry who placed a restraining arm this time, to no one else but James, as he remembered the last time he had encountered the Death Eater; though Harry wouldn’t quite blame him if he wanted to rip him into pieces.
“Drop your wands”, Dolohov said.
Harry was thinking fast. The Death Eaters had Ginny and they had just lost the element of surprise, which was the only thing on their side. And anyway at this point it seemed like getting into a fight with the Death Eaters wouldn't help. If they allowed them to caught them they would lead them into the main room themselves and then they'd be close enough to save Ginny.
He turned to Hermione and nodded both of them dropping their wands on the ground at the same time.
“You too kiddo”, Dolohov spat at James.
“I don’t…dad had mine”, James replied. Harry chanced a glance at the boy and a quick approving nod, as Dolohov considered this for a moment. Harry knew that if he chose to actually search the boy’s cloak he would find his wand in his pocket, since Harry had returned it to him, but thankfully Dolohov believed it and turned to the other Death Eaters.
With a nod of him one of them grabbed Hermione and the other James, pushing both of them forward. Dolohov turned to Harry, who narrowed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to punch the man on the face.
“Seems like you’re gonna have honorary seats at the show”, he laughed.
Minutes later they entered the main room; the Death Eaters actually dragging them in despite the fact that they didn’t try resisting. James knew that he would have to wait for the right moment to use his wand, but when they entered the room and he got a clear view of his mother tied on the big round table in the centre, all he wanted to do was cast a spell to free her.
“Harry!” Ginny yelled when they walked in, her eyes founding her husband first. Just by the tone of her voice, James understood that she had met his father before and that she already knew that he was alive; though probably thinking she wouldn’t get to see him again before she died. Then her eyes fell on him and then on Hermione. “James…? What…?”
“It’s gonna be okay, Gin”, Harry said and Dolohov sneered pushing him forward.
Just then Artemis lowered her hands and opened her eyes, which immediately found Harry and stayed on him.
“Good”, she said. “You’re right on time”.
“You knew we were here?” Hermione asked confused.
“Of course”, she smirked. “Next time you want to orb somewhere make sure the place does not have surveillance” she pointed out to Hermione, her eyes still not leaving Harry.
“Surveillance?” Hermione repeated. “What you have Muggle cameras?”
“No”, Artemis repeated looking at her for the first time, though only to give her a petty look. “Though we kind of stole the idea from them. We have magic mirrors, concealed in every corner of this castle, all of them transmitting back to one mirror, a mirror I happen to have. I knew you were here all along”.
“Then why did you let us…?”
“It was more fun this way”, Artemis answered Harry’s question. “But fun is over now, hopefully there will be time for it later”.
She made to turn back to the book in front of her, but then looked up.
“Oh, I almost forgot our late arrivals”, she smirked, as more Death Eaters burst in dragging Ron and Teddy with them.
“Ron!” Hermione exclaimed running to him. There was a big gash on his cheek and his arm looked broken. She hugged him and he looked around over her shoulder, his eyes widening when they found Harry, a small sign of relief appearing into them, to be extinguished completely when he spotted Ginny tied up.
“So now we’re all here”, Artemis giggled this time really turning her full attention back to her book.
“Harry!” Teddy exclaimed as he looked around and spotted his godfather. He made to run to him but Dolohov stopped him, by pointing his wand right on his chest.
Harry caught Ron’s eye. He pointed at Dolohov’s wand, then at James and then back at Ron. His friend gave him a small nod of recognition. Meanwhile, Artemis had started chanting again, this time, reading everything from the book.
“AΥΤΗ ΤΗΝ ΩΡΑ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΗ ΤΗ ΣΤΙΓΜΗ ΚΑΛΩ ΤΗΝ ΑΡΧΑΙΑ ΔΥΝΑΜΗ, ΕΓΩ ΠΟΥ ΣΤΕΚΟΜΑΙ ΕΔΩ ΖΗΤΩ ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΠΥΛΗ ΝΑ ΑΝΟΙΞΕΙ, ΤΗΝ ΠΥΛΗ ΠΟΥ ΜΕΣΑ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΤΟΙΚΟΥΝ ΤΑ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΑ. ΑΚΟΥ ΤΙΣ ΛΕΞΕΙΣ ΜΟΥ, ΑΚΟΥ ΤΗΝ ΚΡΑΥΓΗ ΜΟΥ, ΠΜΕΥΜΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ ΑΛΛΟ ΚΟΣΜΟ ΕΛΑ ΣΕ ΜΕΝΑ, ΣΕ ΚΑΛΩ, ΠΕΡΝΑ ΤΩΡΑ ΤΟ ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΤΟΙΧΟ”.
She raised her hands again and closed her eyes, repeating those words over and over. Ron looked over at Harry and at the same time they both grabbed the wrists of the Death Eaters in front of them, trying to take their wands off their hands. Dolohov turned and raised his wand, ready to shoot a curse at them.
“Jamie, now!” Harry yelled, but James didn’t need to tell him twice. He had already taken out his wand and his curse sent Dolohov flying about two meters in the air and then crashing at the opposite wall.
Harry snatched the wand out of the Death Eater he had grabbed and punched him in the face, just as James was stunning two more that rushed towards them. Hermione helped Ron to deal with his Death Eater and took his wand, and then they turned to face all the others.
Surprisingly, neither Artemis nor the Death Eaters that formed the circle around her had moved an inch. All of the Death Eaters that had been sent to capture them were out but those that were already there didn’t seem to care about attacking them or breaking their circle. Ron turned to Harry, who shrugged and pointed his wand at the table Ginny was tied up to and was watching them fight terrified.
“Relashio” he said but while his spell flew towards Ginny, it didn’t touch her; instead it changed its direction and hit the opposite wall. Harry turned to Hermione.
“Stupefy!” she yelled pointing her wand at one of the Death Eaters. Same thing happened or rather didn’t happen.
“You can’t untie me?” Ginny asked, trying to properly see them between the Death Eaters around her.
“We’re trying, Gin, but nothing happens”, Harry replied and then pointed his wand to her again, trying to free her, but again nothing. “What the hell?”
“It must be some kind of spell from that damned book!” Ron said frustrated.
“We can’t break into their circle?” James asked. “Then how are we going to save mum?”
Harry grunted and handed Albus' wand over to Ron.
“Hold this for me for a minute”, he said and then he run towards the circle of the Death Eaters. It was like he hit a wall; or more specifically an electrocuted wall, because it threw him forcefully back and he crashed on the floor.
“Harry!” Ginny yelled as the others run to him. Harry sat up, greeting his teeth and rubbing his chest.
“Well, it worth a shot”, he said as James helped him stand up.
“What do we do?” Hermione asked as Artemis’ chanting got faster and louder.
Harry stared helplessly around for something that could help them, break through the circle the Death Eaters had formed, yet he couldn’t find anything. He was starting to panic, knowing that Artemis’ chanting couldn’t last forever. He was right. Suddenly she stopped, she opened her eyes and turned around, not facing them, but the wall opposite from them. She didn’t really seem to notice Dolohov as he lay on the floor beneath the wall, but focused on it. Then she started talking in the unknown language again.
“ΙΔΟΥ ΤΟ ΣΩΜΑ ΣΤΟ ΟΠΟΙΟ ΜΠΟΡΕΙΣ ΝΑ ΚΑΤΟΙΚΗΣΕΙΣ Ω ΕΣΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΕ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΣΚΟΤΟΥΣ! ΠΝΕΥΜΑ ΠΕΡΑΣΕ ΣΕ ΑΥΤΟΝ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟ, ΣΕ ΠΕΡΙΜΕΝΟΥΜΕ! ΕΔΩ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟ ΣΩΜΑ!”
This time she only said it once and then she raised her wand and a part of the wall seemed to turn around and revealing the other side of it, upon which tied up was…
“Albus!” Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening with fear.
Ginny, tied up as she was, couldn’t see the boy, but her breath got caught up in her throat when she heard Harry, who was staring at his son’s unconscious form. The boy appeared to be fine physically, though without his consciousness. His hands, neck and legs were tied up on the wall and his head was hanging in front of him. Artemis started chanting again. Harry turned to the others, who all seemed as scared and confused as he were. He couldn’t understand. Since Artemis already had Ginny to sacrifice what did she want with Albus? Hermione gasped.
“Oh, my God!” she exclaimed walking forward to stand next to Harry, her hand covering her open mouth.
“What?” Harry asked.
“She…Albus…she’s gonna…oh, God!” she mumbled.
“What?” Harry asked again more forcefully.
“Voldemort is dead for about 22 to 23 years now Harry”, she said. She glanced to Artemis and her circle of Death Eaters, but none of them seemed affected by the use of his name from her. Actually she doubted that anyone from the circle was actually giving them any attention; well, apart from Ginny of course who was listening closely to what Hermione was saying, wanting to know what Artemis wanted from her son.
“So?” Ron asked.
“So his body doesn’t exist anymore”, Hermione said impatient for them to understand. “If she’s gonna bring his soul and spirit back, she has to have a body for him to live in and…”
“NO!” Ginny screamed fighting with her ropes more than ever, as Harry’s eyes widened even more and then flew to his son’s figure on the wall.
“Al?” James asked with a hoarse voice. “She’s gonna use Al’s body?”
"She doesn't have a body for Voldemort to live in, so she's gonna evict Al from his?" Ron exclaimed freaked out.
“No”, Harry said shaking his head. “No!”
And he started shooting curse after curse at the circle of Death Eaters or tried to free the boy, but nothing seemed to get passed the circle. Harry groaned audibly as he felt himself sunk into panic. This couldn’t happen. Voldemort in his son’s body? The thought was so absurd, so disgusting, so vulgar, so rude that he couldn’t even imagine it. His son being the body Voldemort’s soul would live in, while Al's soul would be imprisoned in his own body? He turned to the others begging them with his eyes to do something, but none of them seemed to know what would work against the circle the Death Eaters had formed.
“You can’t do this!” Ginny screamed at Artemis as she was still fighting with her ropes so forcefully that she had made her wrists bleed. “You can’t do this to my son!”
“We can’t break through that stupid circle!” Hermione said in the verse of panic herself, just as Artemis threw her head back and let out a cry.
The wall behind her seemed to vanish or rather like a huge hole opened on it. A huge, purple, sucking hole that looked very much like a Portkey.
“Oh, my God!” Hermione exclaimed again.
“It’s happening!” Ron said as the wind that blew through the hope ruffled his hair. "I can't believe it's actually happening! She opened a damned portkey to the other world!"
A dagger appeared on Artemis’ hand and she held it above Ginny’s chest still chanting.
“NO!” Harry screamed, tears running from his eyes.
“We need to break that circle!” Hermione yelled.
“Wait, that’s it!” Teddy, who had remained silent, observing the terrifying spectacle in front of him, said.
“What?” James asked.
“You said that some of those Death Eaters are just kids Artemis has tricked or dragged into this”, Teddy told Ron. “That most of the old ones are dead, that most of them don’t even know what Death Eaters really are about!”
“So?” Ron asked confused.
“So if we convince one of them, just one of them, to break the circle…”
“We’ll be able to shoot spells at them”, Harry finished his logic. “But can they hear us?”
“I can hear you, right?” Ginny yelled back at him, doing her best to ignore the dagger that the other woman held above her.
“Worth’s a shot”, Hermione sighed. “This is wrong!” she yelled walking forward.
“You can’t do this!” Ron said too.
“She’s not trying to help; she’s trying to destroy everything we built all of those years!” Hermione said again.
“If she promised you that she will also bring back someone you lost she won’t”, Harry said. “Voldemort only kills people, he doesn’t bring them back to life, he was afraid of the dead”.
“If she told you that she’s doing this for her mother, then perhaps you should know that her mother murdered mine!” Teddy yelled.
“Yeah, because that’s what all the Death Eaters are about! Murders and Torturing and destroying lives!” James said.
“My son is only fifteen!” Ginny called. “Are you gonna let her make him a carrier of that monster?”
“And my wife just had a baby”, Harry said. “Our baby is barely two weeks old. Are you gonna leave her without her mother?”
“Just take a step back and break the ritual”, Hermione begged. “It’s not too late!”
“Just take it all back and we’ll help you to get past this!” Ron said.
“Just take a step back and break the circle!” Harry shouted. “Don’t let her kill my wife and do that thing to my son, please!”
“We’re begging you!” Hermione yelled.
“If there’s anything good in you, you have to do it!” Teddy yelled.
Just at that moment Artemis stopped her chanting. A large smirk appeared on her face as she raised the dagger above her head, holding it with both of her hands, muttering a few last words under her breath and then she opened her eyes again, looking tauntingly down at Ginny.
“Say goodnight, honey”, she smirked.
-Angie-