Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Fooling Fate sequel to Bound	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 44179 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That lucky duck JK Rowling does. I don't make any money from this fanfic. I just play with her toys and put them back in relatively good condition.

Chapter List
- 35
- 36
- 37
Melody and Alex zipped up to the seventh floor to find out what happened to Whorple. They had to know or else they’d have a loose end and they couldn’t afford that. What they found in the front room made them sick to their stomachs. Whorple wasn’t dead, but she probably wished she was. She was hanging by the ceiling from a noose, though her neck wasn’t snapped and she was still breathing. The ropes tying her hands to the ceiling above her head probably were preventing it. Her feet were tied spread eagle as well. Her clothes had been torn to shreds, exposing several curse marks. Blood pooled under her from numerous cuts.

“Holy fuck,” Melody breathed. “I didn’t think Sanders had that in him.”

“This was Sanders’ work then,” Alex growled, carefully cutting the woman down and lying her on the floor to stabilize her. She let out a feeble moan but nothing else.

“No doubt,” Melody sighed and froze, seeing something on the other side of the door. “Oh Gods its Matt.”

“WHAT?” Alex yelped, trying to figure out what Melody was panicking over.

“Matt!” She cried and ran into Whorple’s office.

Matt was unconscious on the floor, bleeding profusely from several cuts on his arms. His head had a large knot on the back. Melody shakily stabilized him and levitated him through the door, placing him beside Whorple.

“Damn,” Alex growled. “They worked him over good.”

“What should I do?” Melody asked, drawing her wand.

Alex instructed her on how to tend to Matt’s wounds while patching up Whorple as best he could. The Headmistress was still barely clinging on to life. She’d lost too much blood. Matt, on the other hand, was starting to come around.

“What happened?” he groaned.

“You’ll have to tell us,” Melody said, helping him sit up. “We just walked into this.”

Matt rubbed the back of his head and looked around, flinching when he saw Whorple. “Well, I saw Her-em Mrs. Malfoy running to the infirmary. I was on my way back from a tutoring session in Care of Magical Creatures. She didn’t say a word but she looked terrified so I ran to the dorms to find –erm- someone and heard screams coming from Whorple’s office.” He shuddered. “I saw her trussed up and someone was cackling and I drew my wand to stop them but…I guess they were faster. I don’t remember anything after that.”

Melody bit her lip and looked around for a bit. “You threw a shield, a very nice one. It probably saved your life…and Whorple’s.”

Matt looked a bit green as he glanced at the woman lying still as death on the carpet. “No one deserves that. I can’t even… imagine. Will she be okay?”

“Not if we don’t get some blood in her,” Alex growled.

Melody flipped open her compact and called for Hermione. There was no answer and it made her stomach flip. She called Draco next. He answered but he looked terrified and mad as hell all at the same time.

“Where is she?” Melody asked.

“In the corridor next to the infirmary. She’s cornered, Sanders, MacNeeley, and Gregory.”

“Son of a bitch,” Melody roared. “How far out are you?”

“Two flights down,” Draco said. “What’s wrong?”

“Whorple’s damn near dead, needs a replenisher.”

“Hermione has them. Be there soon,” Draco said, snapping the connection shut.

“Alright,” Melody breathed. “Matt, stay with Whorple. If she stops breathing, keep hitting her with an enervate and that CPR spell I taught you last class. Remember it?”

Matt nodded shakily. “What if I lose her?”

“It won’t be your fault,” Melody said gently before her and Alex rushed out the door.

Hermione was racking her brain trying to think of a way to stall the three guys. She could easily take them out but it would be too suspicious and she couldn’t kill them. They needed the information. A whoosh to her right startled her and she almost blasted but pulled at the last moment. It was Alex.

“Hello gentlemen,” Alex said in a hard voice. “It’s a little late for a stroll isn’t it?”

“Oh look,” Sanders sneered. “It’s a vampire in shining armor.”

“But it’s not shining very brightly is it?” MacNeeley said slowly. “Allow us to help you with that.”

MacNeeley cast the sunlight spell, making everyone in the corridor flinch. It provided the perfect moment for Melody to sneak up and hold Sanders at wand point, cackling the entire time.

“That was perfect MacNeeley,” she taunted. “Now you should make purple sparkles fly out of your ass.”

“But…but,” MacNeeley stuttered as he stared at a completely unharmed Alex.

Hermione snorted. “Do you honestly think the husband of the DADA professor and best friend of the Potions Master wouldn’t have the good sense to combat his weaknesses?”

Before anyone could move, Sanders managed to grab hold of a portkey and vanish, taking Gregory and MacNeeley with him.

“Fuck,” Melody yelled. “Should have fried the bastard.”

“No time,” Draco said, panting as he reached them. He’d sprinted the entire way and was cursing the fact that he’d let his workouts slide. “Potion and then downstairs.”

“Right,” Melody said. “Hermione, I need a replenisher. Whorple’s gonna bite it if we don’t hurry.”

Hermione numbly handed over a bottle of blood replenisher and followed her to Whorple’s office. Her heart broke in two when she saw Matt furiously casting the CPR spell over Whorple’s lifeless body. Tears were streaming down his face as he cast over and over again.

“Stop,” Draco said, stilling the large boy’s hands. “It’s too late.”

“No,” Matt growled. “She was just breathing a second ago.”

Melody dropped to her knees, urging Matt into her arms. “It only takes a second. Her soul is gone Matt.”

“I’m sorry,” Matt wheezed.

“It isn’t your fault,” Hermione said quietly, kneeling in front of him. “We weren’t fast enough. I’m so sorry you had to be here.”

“This is just the beginning, isn’t it?” Matt asked.

“Afraid so,” Alex said. “The first is always the hardest but it never gets easy.”

Matt nodded. “What’s going on?”

“The war is starting,” Melody said. “We must fight or we’ll lose more.”

“Cadence,” Matt breathed.

“They’re meeting the boys down stairs,” Draco said.

Matt’s grief stricken face immediately disappeared, replaced by a steely determination that almost frightened the adults. They’d seen that face before. It was on every member fighting during the war. Matt was ready… and now his innocence was gone. He marched out the door and headed towards the stairs.

“Follow him,” Melody said. “We’ll take care of the body and meet you in a few.”

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Rhapsody was frantic. She’d just seen the Master give the orders to strike. That meant that the other half of the family was going to be under attack. Her visions were coming too quickly for her to make sense of. They needed to find the boys and rally…now.

“Cadence,” Rhap called blindly. “Can you see the boys?”

“No,” Cadence growled. “They must be on a different floor.”

“Shit,” Rhapsody breathed. “Um.. ARA! Touch me.”

Ara didn’t even question the move. If Rhapsody needed her as a center, she was going to do it. She held Rhapsody up, expecting a scream and a near fainting spell. She didn’t expect her to shock her with a magical zap. She yelped in pain and drew back, watching Rhapsody’s eyes flicker open to reveal no irises.

“Holy shit!” Cadence yelled and tapped her sister on the shoulder. “Rhap, come back!”

Rhapsody blinked, slowly coming to. She hadn’t expected such a flood of visions but she was thankful for them. They would give her the edge…for a few moments anyway. She’d seen several different scenarios and quickly picked out the best one to follow.

“They’re in Melody’s office. We’ll meet them halfway. Let’s go.”

The girls ran full speed down the stairs and through the halls, trying desperately to make their time separated from the boys as little as possible. No one was under the illusion that this was going to be an easy fight. It only took a few moments before they ran into them.

“Thank Merlin,” Scorpius breathed, grabbing Ara and Rose and hugging them in relief. “We were worried about you.”

Cadence scanned the crowd in concern. “Where’s Matt.”

The blood drained from Scorpius’s face. “Shit. I went down. I forgot he was still here.”

“Hold on,” Rhapsody snapped, grabbing Cadence’s wrist before she could take off on her own. “I see him. He’s…oh Gods… he’s headed down stairs.”

“Oh Gods, what oh Gods?” Cadence snapped.

“We’ve lost Whorple. Matt was trying to keep her alive until they could get some potions. She was too far gone. He lost her.”

“How is he?” Cadence breathed.

“Ask him yourself,” Matt said softly as he trotted up behind her.

“Matt!” Cadence cried and launched herself into his arms. “Gods are you okay?”

“No time to think about it,” Matt said, holding her close. It wasn’t hard to see that they would be fine together… if they both survived.

“Let’s take this outside,” Draco commanded, running into the crowd. “We’ll minimize damage if we keep them out of the castle.”

“Quite!” Lorna snapped as she pushed her way into the crowd. “First year boys have been sealed in. I’m headed for the girls.”

“Thank you Lorna!” Hermione called as the Transfiguration teacher marched on, sparing a wave of acknowledgement before she disappeared around the corner.

“Where’s Melody?” James asked.

“She’ll be here in a minute,” Draco said. “They had to deal with Whorple’s body.”

“Who got her?” Albus asked gravely.

“Sanders.”

The family turned to see Melody and Alex coming to a stop behind them. There was no time to discuss things. They had to have a game plan and soon or they’d be sitting ducks.

“Alright,” Melody called. “Sanders, MacNeeley, and Gregory are already out of the castle. They portkeyed out a few minutes ago. Gregory’s involvement makes me think that the gang is in action. The question is, where are they and where will they strike. Not only do we have to protect ourselves, but we must protect others not expecting this as well. It’s one of the rules of battle, minimize casualties any way you can.”

“But our partners aren’t here,” Ana said quietly.

“Some of them are,” Melody said. “Cadence and Matt, you are a match and have the strongest magical link in so far as how to use defensive spells in a way we understand. I’m charging you with tracking down the Gang on the girl’s side. Emily, did you hear Mary Alice’s plans?”

“That’s why we were outside,” she said quietly. “They’re planning an ambush.”

“That’s what I thought,” Melody said with a frown. “Alright, so Cadence and Matt, Emily and Jacob, Rose and Hugo, James, your group will go to the girl’s side. Emily, pick out everyone in the resistance… everyone else drag them to a classroom and lock them in. Any questions?”

“How do we get in?” Matt asked. “We don’t have someone of every age.”

Melody frowned. “Jacob… Rose… take the dampeners off and blast through the doors. There is no Whorple to stop you now. Use the necklaces to reconvene when it’s done. Cadence, you know how to block. Try to keep them safe.”

Cadence nodded and took off for the second floor, her group hot on her heels. Melody studied the rest of the group, hoping that splitting them up wasn’t a mistake.

“Scorpius and Lizzy, Ara and Colton, you will be the strength to take out the boys. They’re stronger and better organized. Take the dampeners off and fire at will. Rhap, you’ll keep them on course?” Rhapsody nodded. “Good. Let’s see, does that leave? Violetta, Anastasia, Albus, you go with them. You’re stronger than you know. Don’t hesitate to go with your instincts.”

Albus looked torn as they rallied to go. Melody went to whisper in his ear. “We’re keeping them with us. We’ll keep them as safe as we can.”

Albus nodded and took off, wand at the ready. He looked so much like Harry in that moment. Hermione had a vision of Harry walking off to die at the hand of Voldemort and shivered. Draco held her close, knowing how she was feeling and unable to offer words of comfort. She’d been right.

“Okay,” Melody breathed. “That leaves us. Cecil, don’t let Lily go for any reason. Cast any defensive spell you know. Lily, you know shields. Use Cecil’s magic to do it. You’re not balanced anymore. Use it to your advantage.”

Lily frowned. “Can we block the killing curse then?”

“Yes baby,” Melody said, hugging her granddaughter close. “You most certainly can if you set your mind to it. Do NOT hesitate to use it, alright?” Lily nodded and Melody looked at the last member of their motley crew. “Martin, are you okay?”

Martin looked up, a haunted look sliding across his features. “Emily isn’t the only one who is special you know.”

“I do sweetheart,” Melody said, her breath hitching in her chest. “But you haven’t learned how to use your gift properly. You don’t know what’s real and what’s just a tangent.”

“But I do,” Martin said quietly. “And so does everyone here.”

“Don’t say that,” Melody said. “I’ve seen the fates change their minds at the drop of a hat. Nothing is set in stone Martin. If you don’t believe that, they win.”

“He’s a seer,” Draco said quietly.

“He’s like Addie Mae,” Melody acknowledged. “Their magic has taken a hit to give them the gift though.”

“I’m the weak link,” Martin said.

“No you aren’t,” Melody said fiercely. “You are not weak Martin. Not everyone needs to be indestructible. Just tell us what you see and we’ll shield you, okay?” Martin nodded slowly. She changed tactics. “You love him don’t you?”

Martin looked horrified. “I-I don’t know what-“

Melody grinned. “Do try not to lie please. Albus is my grandson, after all.”

Martin hung his head. “I think so.”

“Good. Fight for him.”

Martin’s face changed, innocence and fear draining from his face. He nodded and did an about face. “Outside then?”

“Let’s head out. Shields up though,” Alex said, zipping in front. “I can smell them.”

“Why didn’t you tell us he was a bloody seer?” Draco muttered angrily under his breath.

“Because he just came into it a few days ago,” Melody murmured, “when Albus admitted quite by accident that he thought he was hot.”

“Love,” Hermione said sadly. “It does crazy things.”

“That it does,” Melody agreed, darting out in front of the group. “Gods there are so many of them.”

“Number please?” Draco asked.

“Hundreds. They have apparently gained the sympathy of the local werewolves. I had no idea there were so many. Harmony saw at least thirty headed their way. There must be at least a dozen here.”

“Silver then,” Hermione said. “Anything else?”

“Most are Death Eater sympathizers. They wear the Master’s mark. There are a few teenagers as well, none under a curse. That combined with Gregory’s gang…we’re not looking so hot guys.”

“We can shield everyone,” Hermione said. “But we can’t advance that way.”

“I know,” Melody said. “I just hope that the kids can take out the gang. Gods why didn’t we go with them?”

“That’s why,” Draco said as they burst through the door. Cygnus was standing in front of a long line of hooded men, his white hair gleaming in the full moon’s light. “Do you honestly want them to get in?”

“Nope,” Melody said. “Let’s go.”

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“Hold on, let me listen,” Emily said as her group skidded to a stop outside the second year’s dorms. She stayed silent and still for long moments before sighing. “I don’t hear anything.”

“I don’t see anything either,” Cadence confirmed.

“What is going on here?” Lorna asked as they backed away from the door.

Cadence cleared her throat and pushed towards the front of the group. “They’re planning an ambush from within.”

“Merlin! Did I seal them in already?”

“No,” Cadence reassured her. “And you can seal this one as well. There’s another group checking on the boys.”

“Carry on then,” Lorna brushed them away and began the procedures for sealing the doors.

Third years revealed no one as well. Emily almost fainted when she heard the fourth years. Jacob scooped her up and encouraged her to keep going.

“It’s almost all of them. There’s only a few that aren’t.”

“Shit,” Cadence spat. “Now what?”

“We lure them out,” James said, looking at Rose and Emily.

“No,” Jacob snapped.

“We don’t have a choice,” James said quietly. “Rose?”

Rose nodded. “I can do it.”

“Let me down,” Emily said faintly. “I can do this.”

Jacob closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. His sister and his mate were going in there. He could lose them both in one swoop. He blew out a breath and nodded before setting Emily down and yanking Rose’s bracelet off with his own. Their released powers made the ground shake for a moment.

“Holy shit,” Matt breathed.

James smirked. “Wait ‘til you try yours out.”

“Ready,” Rose called, swiping her hand in front of the door knob to unlock it. “Get ready to catch.”

“Duck,” Cadence warned, noticing the trained wands through the door.

The girls crouched down and opened the door, a stream of hexes flowing from it. Rose threw up a shield and dragged Emily with her through the room, using her directions to literally throw girls through the door. It was easy after Mary Alice was disarmed and bound. Her supporters all screeched and lost concentration. Those that didn’t follow huddled against the back wall. It only took a few moments, a pile of bound girls at their feet by the time Lorna reached their floor.

“All of these?”

“Yep,” James said, sneering in disgust. “If we put them in the first classroom, can you seal them in there? The bonds will last a while but they’ll be able to get out eventually.”

“Do you have their wands?” Lorna asked, peeking in to make sure that Rose and Emily were calming the remaining girls down.

“All of them,” Matt said, producing a handful of wands.

“Good,” Lorna said. “Move them. I’ll be along in a second.”

“Are you alright?” Cadence asked softly, noticing the old professor panting.

“I’ll be okay child. These old bones don’t move as fast as they used to. I’m running back and forth for each year. I can’t take that many stairs.”

Cadence frowned and dug through her robes, producing a bottle of tangerine colored potion. “Drink this. You’ll be able to keep up for about an hour.” She snickered at the look on the Transfiguration professor’s face. “Don’t worry, Severus made it.”

Lorna accepted the bottle and downed it, shivering at the burst of energy. “What is that?”

“Essence of youth… temporarily.”

“Thank you,” Lorna said, turning to seal the door after Rose and Emily flew out.

If every floor went this well, they could be done in a few minutes.

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Scorpius paused outside the sixth year dorms. The rest of the extractions had gone rather smoothly. Gregory’s reach hadn’t extended to the younger years as his sister’s had. He paused, looking over towards his group. They’d been troupers, quickly binding everyone they’d found without much fight. This time, Rhapsody was worried. She kept looking at Albus when she knew he wasn’t paying attention. He felt his stomach twist. Something very bad was about to happen. Rhapsody met his eyes evenly, tears forming in them. Shit.

The door swung open before they group could counter, hexes flying out into the hall. Ara barely managed to block them, using Colton to ricochet some back on their attackers. Albus, in true Potter fashion, barged in first despite everyone’s protests. He held a fire shield up, more for looks than anything. It wasn’t effective at blocking hexes, but it would singe anything in its path…and it created the perfect diversion.

There was no time to lose. Rhapsody picked the gang members out, barking directions at everyone. Scorpius shoved Lizzy out of the way of a nasty slicing hex before countering with a scissor-legs jinx, making his opponent’s knees pop painfully out of place. He’d be incapacitated for a while…and draw attention. Multicolored lights illuminated the room as Ara and Vi went to work knocking the innocent boys back while Rhapsody, Ara, and Colton took turns binding and stunning the gang members.

They had most of them taken care of when Rhapsody let out a blood curdling scream and a stream of hexes. Scorpius couldn’t breathe as another scream joined Rhap’s. No. Not now. In a fit of rage, his magic spiked, sending every person careening to the floor. Glass shattered, books and cloth were torn to shreds, and the lights flickered. Everyone not in their party was unconscious. Lizzy managed to grab his hand and somehow calm the maelstrom inside of him.

“Oh Al,” Rhapsody sniffled in the aftermath.

She crawled over to his prone form. Scorpius had to bite back the urge to vomit…or destroy the castle. Al’s curse had been blown back on him. His skin was red and blistered, nothing that couldn’t be fixed. But that wasn’t the problem. There was a large dagger sticking out of his chest. The words etched on the silver handle made him see red. Puritatem Vincet: purity will overcome.

“There’s still time,” Rhap croaked. “It hasn’t hit his heart yet.”

“What hasn’t?” Ara whispered.

“The poison,” Rhapsody whimpered. “Bind the last two and then we have to split up.”

“How,” Scorpius asked, snapping back into war mode. His father had told him long ago that battle made the mind snap or become stronger. It was a choice as to which you let overcome your senses. He wanted to be like his father, brave and strong and levelheaded. He’d be strong… even if he was dying inside.

“Vi, Ana,” Rhap said, her voice wavering. “Take him to the main entrance. You’re passage will be a safe one, but keep a shield up just in case. Levitate him…and hurry.”

The girls sprung into action. Violetta carefully levitated Albus off the ground while Anastasia cast a shield around them. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. There was no sense in the others waiting. They still had one more floor to clear and then they’d join the real battle.

“Prognosis,” Scorpius barked as the sprinted up the final flight of stairs.

“Poor,” Rhapsody growled. “Very poor. But we aren’t going to give up.”

“No we’re not,” Ara snapped, surging ahead. Her magic was dangerously unstable, having nearly come to the breaking point as Scorpius’s had. She was straining to keep it under control.

“Let it go Ara,” Rhapsody said, stopping in front of the seventh year dorms. “There are very few in this year that aren’t on their side.”

“I could kill them,” she breathed.

“Colton, bring her around if she gets too wild.”

“How?” Colton asked in bewilderment.

Rhapsody gave him a sad smile. “You’ll know.”

“C-can I blast the door?” Lizzy asked.

Rhapsody grinned. “Be my guest. Colton, a shield if you please.”

It happened in seconds. Lizzy threw such a powerful blasting curse at the door, the stones gave way, crumbling the entrance. Colton shielded them as hexes flew. These were even more deadly than the sixth years had been. Ara shook like a leaf, trying to calm herself but Rhapsody shook her head fiercely. Now was not the time to hold back… so she released.

No one could have catalogued the damage that she did in five seconds but Colton knew instinctively that he had to shut her down. He grabbed her from behind, encircling her waist and begging her to calm down. It worked like… well, like magic. When the debris cleared, every person in the room was unconscious.

Rhapsody laughed. “I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t go in. Come on, bind them, let’s go.”

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“Draco, Hermione,” Melody started as they marched toward the line of cloaked figures. “Are you willing to do what the Fates have deemed necessary?”

“Can you tell if they’re all truly unredeemable?” Hermione asked, sticking close to Draco’s side as they held a shield over the three young teens with them.

“The older members… gone. They believe in the cause through and through. I would relate them to Bellatrix, unwavering in their beliefs. The teens, brainwashed. It would take years to undo the damage and even then… I’m not sure.”

“The others?” Draco asked.

“The werewolves are in it for an alternate purpose, though I couldn’t say what without Emily. I doubt Rhap or Harmony could read them at this point. Martin, do you get any visions?”

“None,” he frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Melody sighed. “You are a traditional seer then. You only see overviews, not details. It’s quite normal actually, well, it’s super special but still normal within your gift.”

“How does it work then?” Martin growled in frustration.

“You see a vision, a clear picture of a moment in time and interpret from that. The seer who predicted Harry Potter’s future never even knew she’d done it. Your gift is different in that you can see and explain, but not in depth.”

“So it’s useless.”

“Wrong,” Melody said. “Is it better to fight through a window or a door?”

“Depends on the hex,” Martin snapped.

Melody cackled. “That it does. So then it becomes, can you see your enemies better though a window or a door.”

“You’re saying I’m the window.”

“That you are Martin. What do you see?”

Martin closed his eyes, trying to grab some sort of image that wasn’t coming. He had no clue how to do this. He’d been in a very embarrassing conversation with Albus when he got his first vision, a very unpleasant one at that. Albus had been covered with blood and burned. It made his chest ache. He saw it again, only it seemed to flash red. The feeling was too much and he screamed Albus’s name.

“Fuck,” Melody gasped, turning back toward the castle, only for the doors to burst open a moment later. Vi and Ana were out of breath, toting a ghostly pale Albus behind them.

Alex raced over after barking that Draco and Hermione should hold the line. If they were anyone else, it would have been a fool’s move. However, he was talking to the pure couple, the one the Fate’s touched and allowed to do their dirty work. They could hold the line.

“We need more time,” Hermione growled.

“They look to be waiting for the gang to join them,” Draco said, eyeing the opposition.

“A glamour and then a shield,” Hermione breathed. “Make it look like we’re just standing here… and keep them from attacking.”

They kissed briefly, nipping at each other to draw a little blood. Their bond was strong, but it never hurt to strengthen it a bit more. When they felt the magic strumming in their veins, they cast, allowing the spell to encompass the whole of the castle. When that was set, they rushed to help Alex.

Albus looked inches from death, his breathing labored as Alex worked furiously over his body. They each joined in, casting in tandem. The girls were muttering about a poison but they didn’t know which one. Melody took a blood sample and started analyzing it, something Severus had taught her over the years. When the results came back, she screamed in agony.

“There’s no antidote, is there?” Martin asked quietly.

Melody shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “We can slow it down, but it will consume him. It’s… it’s a derivative of Nagini’s venom, but it’s been engineered to counteract vampire venom.”

“Did you say venom?”

Melody spun, wand at the ready, only to crumple. “Sergei.”

“He will not turn?”

Melody shook her head. “No. It’ll be about as effective as biting me.”

“A painful death,” Sergei said sadly.

Melody nodded and fished a tiny metal vial out of her robes. “Your wife is inside. Take this and go to her. It will make you immune to silver for two hours. It won’t counteract the sunlight potion.”

“Severus had truly outdone himself,” Sergei said quietly. “Thank him for me.”

Melody nodded and went back to Albus, cradling him in her arms. “Oh Al, I’m so sorry.”

“Gramma?” Albus mumbled, turning his head to look at her. “’S ‘appening?”

“You’ve been poisoned.”

“No phoenix then?” Albus croaked.

“I wish it would work,” she said sadly. “Oh honey.”

“Doesn’t hurt bad.”

Martin knelt beside him. “Al?”

“Hey,” Albus said brightly but his voice came out weak.

Martin frowned. “Al… I just… I love you. I wanted you to know.”

Albus beamed. “Love you too. Kick arse for me.”

Martin exhaled shakily, looking to Melody with pleading eyes. She nodded and lowered Albus to the ground, sniffling when Martin placed a tentative kiss on Albus’s lips. It was sweet, innocent, and full of everything a young teenager should feel on their first kiss. It broke her heart.

Melody cleared her throat after a few moments. “Al, I’m going to place you by the main doors. Martin, can you watch over him?”

Martin nodded. “Always.”

Draco and Hermione clung to each other, fighting back the urge to level the entire area to the ground. They could do it too. They knew they could. It was so tempting.

“The werewolves are being tricked,” Alex whispered in their ears. “Didn’t you just hear them?”

“Can’t hear anything over the pounding in my ears,” Draco said darkly.

“They’re whispering about a reward, freedom.”

“They’ve been given a deal of Voldemort proportions then,” Hermione said.

“And they are foolish enough to once again accept,” Alex said. “I do not believe they learned their lesson last time.”

“We flatten them all,” Draco said, his voice hard.

“But we do it incognito,” Melody said, coming up behind them. “Lily and Cecil have agreed to stay with Albus and Martin as well. They’ll shield.”

“How long does he have?” Hermione croaked.

Melody let out a shuddering breath. “He probably won’t see the dawn.”

“Then let’s end this before it begins,” Draco growled.

“We have to wait for the children,” Melody said. “Remember, we must capture Cygnus and make it look like we’re just lucky.”

“Here,” Rhapsody yelled, bursting through the doors. They’d managed to meet up with the other group and were forming ranks.

“James,” Melody said quietly.

“With Al,” Rhapsody sniffled. “I…I had to make a choice. It was him or someone else. He had the least impact on the whole. I… I had to choose. I… oh Gods, I sentenced him to death!”

Melody gathered her in her arms. “Sshh, you did the right thing. The greater good is not always the least hurtful route. Sometimes we must make sacrifices and you did well. But we can’t dwell on it now. We have to fight fast. They’ll realize that the gang isn’t coming soon enough. We need a plan.”

Rhapsody nodded, drying her eyes and stepping back. “We have five minutes. We’ll have to split up. We can take the werewolves ourselves. I think we all know the silver spell. We’ll use a disillusion spell. That leaves a split for you.”

“Who captures Cygnus?” Draco asked.

Rhapsody took a sharp breath. “I’d rather not answer that.”

“We’re going to lose another,” Melody said sadly.

“I…I can’t tell. Possibly three right now.”

“You said two,” Hermione couldn’t help but snap.

“I said two for sure,” Rhap said quietly. “But three each is a possibility. And we’re already going to lose one.”

Before they could plan anymore, Cygnus held his wand out, flinging the mark of the Master in the air. It was green, just like Voldemort’s had been and the adults couldn’t help but feel their skin crawl. It was just like old times… times they’d rather forget. It distracted them enough to let the glamour fall.

“We have fifteen minutes before they pull back,” Rhapsody murmured. “And the Fates won’t be happy to see any escapees.”

“We’re to kill them all then,” Hermione gasped.

Rhapsody looked at her, eyes hard. “Would you rather them kill us?”

“Chances?” Hermione said warily.

“Fifty-fifty if you don’t take them out.”

“Thoughts on how to do it so they won’t see?” Draco asked.

Rhapsody tilted her head. “From behind of course. Funny, the night air is perfect, don’t you think?”

Draco and Hermione nodded. They wouldn’t be able to shield anyone in their bird forms, but they could sneak up behind the ranks and blast them. If they didn’t see it coming, they couldn’t stop them. And there would be no witnesses. They marched back to the castle to change under cover of shadows.

“What’s the matter brother dear?” Cygnus called. “Did you lose your bravery?”

Draco growled, knowing that he was being baited. “Why no brother dearest,” he called back mockingly. “I simply decided it wasn’t worth my time.”

Cygnus let out a mighty howl and called for a charge. They used that moment to disillusion themselves and transform, flying high and wide to miss the arch of spells. Colors lit up the night sky as the family collided with the ranks of the Master. The children were holding well. Cadence and Matt were holding a shield while the Malfoys and Rhapsody knocked down the attacking werewolves with shockwaves. The rest of the children shot spell after spell of silver. The horrified sounds of dying werewolves brought back painful memories. They flew on, trying to reach the back.

Alex and Melody were doing beautifully, felling wave after wave of attackers with earthquake spells while holding shields. The eerie green light of killing curses filled the air but they bounced back into the enemy, knocking them down. They’d be able to hold their own for a few moments. Finally, Draco and Hermione found the back of the army and landed, transforming back but staying under cover of darkness.

“We can’t cast an unforgivable,” Hermione whispered.

“No, but we can stop their hearts,” Draco said gravely.

Hermione nodded, pulling out her wand. It was a rather useful spell, designed to stop the heart in order to examine it. The proper procedure was to put the patient in stasis and then stop the heart for no less than a minute at a time to prevent brain damage. More than three, the patient wouldn’t make it. Using it without stasis…fatal. They had to be careful though. They couldn’t hit any of the children. They let their power build up, careful to keep it from manifesting visibly. It crackled through their veins, burning through them until they felt the familiar lift into the sky. They released, aiming at every member of the invading enemy. They fell like flies in the face of bug spray and that’s what it felt like, an extermination.

While the army fell, the children managed to subdue all the werewolves, most burned beyond repair. Melody and Alex realized that their portion of the enemy was gone and flew to help the children sort through the remains. No one realized that there was a very important thing they’d forgotten.

“Well, well, well,” Sanders purred as he marched through the main doors of the school, Gregory hot on his heels. “Seems as though you’ve got a few more tricks up your sleeve.”

Cecil and Lily sprung up, James behind them, wands at the ready to protect Albus and Martin. Sparks flew quickly, the children giving better than they got. They had their opponents on the run in minutes, unable to get a bead on them to capture and question. Before they could regroup, the two disappeared into the night. Another porkey then. They turned to check on Martin and Albus… but they were gone.

James searched the grounds frantically, his heart stopping when he realized what was happening. Martin was helping Albus walk… straight to Cygnus who had his back turned. They’d never make it! He thought about shouting a warning but stopped short. That would only make it worse for them. He gritted his teeth and barged in, whispering for Lily and Cecil to stay put. His brother might be dying, but he’d be damned if he let him go out like that. There was always hope… always.

Hermione and Draco were spent, the spell taking most of their energy from them. It wasn’t so much the power levels as the emotional strain of ending so many lives. It weighed heavily on them. That was the reason why they didn’t see Cygnus until it was too late. He already had a dagger plunged into Martin’s chest and was dueling James. They staggered over to stop it but Cygnus apparently learned more than just dueling from Lucius. He disarmed James and snatched him up, holding him at wand point.

“Yield or he dies!”

“Let him go or I’ll kill you,” Draco threatened.

“It’s just two little words,” Cygnus said. “Or another dagger if you’d prefer. I have a few left, a gift from mother.”

“Bastard,” Draco spat, watching as Cygnus drew out another dagger and held it at James’s throat.

“Perhaps,” Cygnus drawled. “But it looks like I’ve got the upper hand… and you’re down a few.”

“Look around,” Hermione snarled. “You’re on your own. Give up.”

“Never,” Cygnus roared. “We will be Gods among men.”

“You’re insane,” Draco breathed. “You are the Gods’ plaything.”

“We shall see about that,” Cygnus said softly, fiddling with the dagger in his hand. He was gone before they realized what it was…another port key. And James was with him.

“NO!” Draco and Hermione screamed, lunging for the spot they’d disappeared from. No trace magic in the world could follow a port key, especially an illegal one.

“Idiot,” Martin wheezed, holding his chest where a dagger was firmly embedded. “Why did he have to follow?”

“Why did you go in the first place?” Draco yelled.

“It was the only way.” Martin took a handful of things out of his robes pocket. “Mum and Dad were dead broke for a long time, had to knick things to survive. They taught us well.”

Draco and Hermione watched through tear filled eyes as the missing soul necklaces, a talisman like that of Moira’s, and a few pieces of parchments fell onto the ground. Martin collapsed beside them, wheezing pitifully.

“It was my first vision,” Martin whispered and crawled over to an unconscious Albus, laying his head on his chest. “I’ve never seen another one. I never will.”

AN: Well, I got this part done. For the record, I absolutely hate this chapter. I'm pretty sure it's the worst piece of crap I've written in a long time. I'm ready to punch Muse in the face and then go have a nice long cry because I really liked those boys damn it. Once again I had to split this up. The battle at the Ranch and the other half of the family will happen next time... if I decide to speak to Muse again. Stupid Muse. *shakes fist* Sorry this took so long guys. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed (and expressed your distaste for losing part of the family. I agree, it sucks). Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing. Until next time, love you guys.

Oh Lucidia - there's going to be a nice fluffy chapter of Locked In right after this. Hope it helps. :( I'll try to do better next time.
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Fooling Fate *sequel to Bound*

Fooling Fate sequel to Bound