Bear's Beauties: Existential Crisis 48 (Patreon)

[center]<<Hyacinth Potter>>[/center]

I swallowed nervously as I sat with Taylor and Luna in the Leaky Cauldron. Most of the civilians had either left Diagon Alley or fled for the shops, due to Taylor calling up her swarm. Rhonda was at the entrance to the alley, the Sword of Gryffindor hidden under her robes. Nikhol (I pushed down the part of me that started to blush at just the thought of her) and Lana were both on the steps leading to Gringotts, Voldemort’s snake in her hand. Cameron was hiding under my dad’s cloak. Kara was disillusioned and floating over the alley. Then there were over a dozen wizards and witches in place, waiting for Voldemort to show up.

Everyone had their role in the upcoming battle, mine was to dump as much power as I could comfortably manage into the spells and jinxes to keep Voldemort and his Death Eaters from escaping. It was a simple enough spell, but if a witch or wizard were more powerful than the once casting it they could get through. The typical way around this was to have multiple casters coordinating, but, thanks to the ritual we did with Bear, I could keep all of them in Diagon once they arrived. This was it, this was when we finally stopped Voldemort, and if I fucked it up, he’d get away and…

A hand on my own snapped me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see Taylor giving me a gentle smile, “It’s okay. We got this. You’ll do just fine.”

“Thanks,” I said. It was so hard to believe she was the same age as me, Taylor seemed so much older, most of the time. I wondered what she’d seen, what she’d gone through to be like that, but didn’t feel comfortable asking. Not right now, anyway. I might ask once we left for the next world, but if she didn’t want to tell me that was fine.

Taylor’s body stiffened, and at the same time I felt a chill run down my spine. Despite sitting next to the Cauldron’s hearth, and the blazing fire crackling inside it, my breath became visible in front of me.

“Dementors,” I whispered, pushing back the memories and feelings that threatened to come up.

“Let me,” Luna said, her voice unusually firm as she stood up and made her way to the alley. As soon as the entrance opened enough, she stuck her arm through and growled out, “Expecto Patronum!”

As the near blinding silver hare leapt off into the sky, hunting down the dementors, I stared wide eyed at Luna. It was obvious why Luna disliked dementors, like me she had seen a parent die in front of her, but she was old enough to understand it when it happened. All that aside, I couldn’t help but note that there was something sexy about Luna when she looked like that. I didn’t mean that she wasn’t sexy already, just tha-

“He’s here,” Taylor said, letting me focus. Closing my eyes, I held up my wand and cast the spells. I felt them settle into place, and almost immediately they were tested as some of the Death Eaters tried to apparate away. I smiled as I felt their attempts bounce off my spell. I barely felt them, their efforts being a lot weaker than I’d been expecting.

[center]<<Rhonda Weasley>>[/center]

As You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters appeared, I took the Sword of Gryffindor out from under my robes and started circling my magic in my body. It had taken a while to get the hang of it, but now I could do it without focusing on it, which I’d need for this. Luna’s hare patronus was taking care of the dementors, leaping from one to another and biting at their necks, each dementor dropping as it did so.

“So, you are the one who has the gall to threaten the Dark Lord Voldemort,” You-Know-Who hissed at Nikhol and Lana. “The suffering you will feel for that insult will be remembered for a thousand years.”

“How unoriginal,” Nikhol drawled. “You see, Thomas, that would have been intimidating; if you were… well intimidating.”

“Spare us your speeches, you don’t have anything to say that we haven’t heard already,” Lana said, moments before there was the snap-hiss of a lightsaber, and a scream like the damned, before she continued. “You also don’t have any horcruxes left. Nagini was the last one.”

That was my cue. Readying the sword, I pushed off with my left foot, all but flying into the crowd of Death Eaters. Twin beams of red shot into the crowd from the sky, and each time they did, one of the Death Eaters shouted something about their wands. Spellfire came down on the Death Eaters from the rooftops. Swarms of bugs filled the air, preventing the Death Eaters from getting clear lines of sight. Nikhol and Lana both had their lightsabers out, batting away spells sent their way as Nikhol unleashed bolts of lightning into the crowd.

I was expecting to need to brace myself when the blade in my hands met flesh, instead it cut through the Death Eaters like they weren’t there. The lack of resistance threw me off balance, and my left hand let go of the hilt to reach out in front of me. My hand landed on another Death Eater, and I used that moment to regain my balance. There was a loud cracking sound, a wet goo covered my hand, and I looked at the Death Eater I’d used to regain my balance.

My eyes widened, and bile threatened to bubble up into my mouth. It was obvious in retrospect, but my magically enhanced strength had made me strong enough that I’d… I… I pushed my nausea down, I couldn’t stop, I had to keep moving, had to keep focused. I brought the Sword of Gryffindor up, driving the blade point first into the head of another Death Eater, piercing under the chin and all but cleaving the front of their face off.

Things sort of blurred together after that, the lack of resistance to my blade making it hard to tell how many Death Eaters I was hitting. There was an almost constant barrage of twin red beams into the crowd, and it was only when one passed over my shoulder that it dawned on me what it was: Kara was using her heat vision to target the Death Eaters’ wands. Someone in the Order must have disillusioned her, because Hyacinth had mentioned loaning her cloak to Cameron.

I hopped over a Death Eater that collapsed, pointedly ignoring the way that their mask wobbled and the growing swarm above it. There was an explosion, and Flourish and Blotts collapsed, moments before You-Know-Who bellowed, “Pestis incendium!”

A snake, almost as large as the shed basilisk skin in the Chamber of Secrets, made of fire appeared, coiling around You-Know-Who and letting out a hissing roar. It snapped at Nikhol and Lana, who leapt out of the way, causing it to smash into the pillars at the entrance to Gringotts.

“Is that your best, boy?” Nikhol taunted, the grin audible in her voice. “Let me show you a taste of real power!”

The entire battle came to a pause, as with the sound of cracking and splintering rock, the entire front of Gringotts tore free. My eyes widened in shock as I realized that it wasn’t the front that she lifted with her power. Nikhol broke the entire Gringotts building off its foundations and broke it apart to use as weapons and barriers. A crack of thunder pulled my gaze skyward, and my jaw dropped as dark storm clouds began to form over Diagon Alley. I turned to look at Nikhol, a wide grin on her face that looked almost sexual as her eyes glowed with purple light and arcs of lightning danced along her arms.

“Have a taste of the power that conquered the Eternal Empire. Feel the power of Darth Nox!” Nikhol bellowed, moments before the chunks of Gringotts fell upon the fire snake, tearing chunks out of it faster than it could reform, as dozens of bolts of lightning fell from the sky, each and every one of them hitting a Death Eater.

I couldn’t see what happened next, the lightning making it impossible for me to see. I did my best to get out of there, to clear the spots in my vision. When I could finally see again, my jaw dropped. All of the Death Eaters were down, the only one still standing was You-Know-Who. Well, he wasn’t standing, he was floating in mid air, with his arms and legs stretched out, spread eagle as Nikhol strutted up to him, her hand out towards him.

“Dear, dear Thomas. You were such a fool. You had a measure of power, I will admit that. But really, mutilating your soul? That was the best you could come up with?” as she spoke, she spread her fingers out wider, and even from near the entrance to the alley I could hear the cracks and pops as she pulled You-Know-Who’s limbs out of their sockets.

Taylor’s swarm coalesced in front of Nikhol, TORTURE WAS NOT PART OF THE PLAN, DARTH NOX.

“You say that like he’s undeserving,” Nikhol shot back, her voice annoyed.

WHAT PURPOSE WOULD IT SERVE? BESIDES, WE HAVE OUR ORDERS. HE HAS OUTLIVED HIS USEFULNESS.

“Oh very well,” Nikhol groused, twirling her hand and forming a fist. “I really should thank you, Thomas. I wouldn’t have been able to make this without your… pet.”

You-Know-Who’s arms and legs snapped shut, like he’d been hit with a Full Body Bind, before he was spun around, facing the entirety of Diagon Alley. I heard a quiet, deep breath, and turned to see Hyacinth at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, her eyebrows furrowed in focus and determination, her gaze locked on to You-Know-Who. I looked back, just in time to see You-Know-Who’s own eyes widen, his mouth opening to say something. There was a gleam of silver in the air between where I was and You-Know-Who, and the next thing I knew, there was a knife, buried in You-Know-Who’s forehead.

There were the cracks of apparation, and dozens of Aurors appeared in the alley. I quietly handed the Sword of Gryffindor to Hyacinth, and slinked into the Leaky Cauldron side of the barrier. Minister Fudge stepped out from behind one of the Aurors, staring wide eyed at the carnage and devastation that the battle had caused.

“Well, well if it isn’t dear old Minister Fudge,” Nikhol tutted. “Late to the party, as always.”

Fudge turned to look at Nikhol, his face paling upon seeing Taylor’s swarm form. He stumbled back, pointing towards Nikhol, Lana, and Taylor’s swarm, “Aurors, arrest them!”

You could hear a pin drop, as everyone who’d seen the battle tried to comprehend what Minister Fudge was thinking. The silence was broken by Nikhol’s laughter, her creepy, mocking laughter.

“That was the funniest thing I’ve heard since my old teacher thought she could hijack my body,” she said as she got her chuckles under control. “For that, dear Fudge, I’m not going to kill you. You are far too entertaining a fool to waste.”

WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PLAY WITH HIM ANYWAY, DARTH NOX, Taylor’s swarm chided.

“Indeed, Love. We have spent too much time in Britain as it is. We were supposed to leave over a year ago,” Lana said, placing a hand on Nikhol’s cheek and drawing a finger along the taller woman’s chin in a way that, even this far away, sent a jolt down my back.

“Oh very well, I suppose the bounty on the local ‘Dark Lord’ will have to suffice,” Nikhol groused with a pout. “Can we at least pick up some venomous animals from Australia? I have so many experiments I want to run.”

“We’ll see, Love,” Lana said in a placating manner, before her and Nikhol’s portkeys activated, and Taylor’s swarm collapsed.

Hyacinth, Luna and I all quietly slipped back into the Leaky Cauldron, taking the Floo back to Grimmauld Place, as Fudge started bellowing orders, demanding to know what happened. I couldn’t help but wonder what the headlines for the Daily Prophet were going to say for tomorrow. Would the battle be on the front page or the note Hyacinth was going to send in telling them that we were leaving and wouldn’t be back at least until her daughter was old enough to get a Hogwarts letter?

We arrived at Grimmauld just in time to be the recipient of a hug from Mum, before being herded to the dining room and having tea and a spread of food placed in front of us. Soon, others started filing in. Tonks had her left hand on her shoulder as she rolled her right arm, Cameron handed the folded cloak to Hyacinth and thanked her for letting her borrow it, but the most surprising part was when Sirius came in and pulled me out of my chair to give me a hug.

“Thank you for getting that traitorous rat,” he said before letting go. Huh? My confusion must have been on my face because he explained, “You were the one who got Pettigrew, grabbed him before he could turn into his animagus form and slink away.”

Grabbed? The only one I grabbed was the one when I… when…

“Here ya go,” someone whispered as a bucket was pushed into my hands, just in time for the food I’d only just had to come up. A pair of hands rubbed circles on my back, as another hand pulled my hair out of the way of the next heave. “S’alright, this’s ta be expected tha first time ya squash someone’s head lahke a pimple.”

“Harley,” Bear said with disapproval in his voice as, despite what I’d thought, more came up out of my stomach. I felt his hand on my back, between my shoulder blades, his thumb rubbing small circles over my clothes. “It’s okay, Rhonda. You’re fine, we’re all fine. The worst to be hurt was Tonks’s dislocated shoulder. Riddle’s gone, forever.”

Hyacinth, Luna, and Hermione joined Bear in rubbing my back, whispering words as my mind replayed Pettigrew’s death. I hadn’t meant to… I didn’t even realize… it was so easy. Even the pumpkins we harvested every year had been harder to crush than a person’s skull had been. I… I needed to talk to Kara, I needed her to show me how to better control this strength. What if it’d been Luna? Or Cameron? Or Bear?