The Wandering Devil
Chapter: 31
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story.
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance.
(An Abrupt Exit)
-{Zephyrion Gremory}-
He swiped his hand and the fire was redirected with some visible effort.
He raised his hand, a massive golem erupting from the ground and encasing his entire body. Stone formed into a massive body and turned into metal within seconds.
Dumbledore stood within the towering golem, its metallic surface gleaming under the light.
It was massive.
Seriously.
I moved first.
A wave of my hand sent a barrage of molten fire toward the golem's chest, each sphere burning white-hot. The space around the fire was distorted by the sheer heat.
The flames shot through the air and struck true, splashing against the metal, but instead of doing any damage to it, the golem seemingly absorbed the heat.
I really needed to continue my magic study.
Just as I went to send another attack, the golem's massive hand came crashing down.
My body blurred as I darted to the side, narrowly avoiding being slammed onto the floor. The impact sent stone and debris flying in every direction, dust clouding my vision.
I flew around and gained speed, I sent a punch towards the Titanic Golem's chest and a shockwave erupted from the impact.
Dumbledore regarded me with open shock as I displayed a level of strength that was beyond the wizard's magical enchanted bodies.
The Golem stumbled back. Cracks appeared on its frame.
I moved quickly, shifting my approach.
With a snap of my fingers, the air crackled with demonic energy.
I made a large blast of wind that slammed into the Golem. The metal groaned under the pressure. Dumbledore's retaliation came quickly as his sharp bespectacled eyes stared at me calculatingly.
The golem's arm swept through the space between us, carrying the force of a collapsing building. I leapt backwards, twisting midair as I conjured a shield of stone.
The sheer impact that followed destroyed the stone shield and rattled my bones, forcing me to skid across the air and onto the ground. My feet dug trenches into the stone as I struggled to stay upright.
That hurt.
Raising both hands, I forced the temperature in the area to plummet.
I frowned at the drain on my demonic reserves.
Frost spread across the ground, creeping up the golem's legs. The metal groaned, ice seeping into every joint.
Then, I clenched my fists and jagged spikes of ice shot out from the ground, piercing through the golem's arms and legs.
The construct stumbled and Dumbledore raised one of the Golems' hands as it fell back, a truly massive metal spear forming and launching at me with a speed that didn't match its sheer size.
Transfiguration was just cheating at this point.
I could see the damage already mending on the Golem's body.
I dodged and a mass column of wind followed after the spear.
I didn't hesitate.
A flick of my wrist sent a dozen spears of stone toward the golem's head, each strike aiming to disrupt whatever magic kept it moving.
The Golem raised its hand and blocked. With a wave of his wand from inside the construct, the ice shattered, exploding outward like a rain of deadly shards.
I covered myself with a barrier, the impact sending deep reverberations through my magic.
Then the golem lunged.
A massive fist hurtled toward me, and this time, I had no time to dodge. It crashed into me, sending me flying through the air. My back slammed against a stone pillar, the force knocking the breath from my lungs.
My vision blurred for a moment, pain radiating through my ribs.
I scowled.
Fuck it.
Static red tore through the space around me as I just let go. A ball formed with an extreme amount of effort as I concentrated through the building rage I was beginning to feel.
I did enjoy fighting but that didn't mean my Sin of Wrath enjoyed being hurt.
The ball exploded up and easily tore through the Golem's arm, sending sparks that ruined the rest of its body as they stabilised in the air and acted as lasers while the Golem fell back.
Dumbledore quickly formed a platform from the Golem's head as the rest of its body was eviscerated.
His sharp eyes widened with shock as he looked at the display of destruction.
The red blast floated and arcs of destruction became solid within the air as they floated, zapping everything out of existence when it came too close to it.
An unfortunate bird found that out as it coincidentally found itself landing on one of the thick arcs of destruction.
My breathing was slightly heavy as I got up. Not hesitating as I blasted a massive wave of fire at him that he instantly blocked.
My eyes caught sight of Aurors gathering and looking ready to join in.
It looked like it was time to go.
"It's been fun," I said to Dumbledore, whose breathing was slightly heavy from sheer magical usage.
Summoning my energy, I slammed my palm onto the floor, sending a pulse of magic through the stone. Instantly, the entire battlefield shifted.
Sections of the ground crumbled away, creating sudden pits and jagged spikes that reached up to the heavens.
I winced at the Demonic energy drain.
Imagination magic was overpowered. But elemental magic was draining. Especially when it was conjured directly. However, having a strong imagination helps.
With a wave of my hand, I summoned a dark smoke to cover me further.
Dumbledore's voice remained steady. "A clever trick."
And I could feel the rumble as he instantly went on removing the massive spikes of earth by the dozens.
But he couldn't see me now.
I took that as my cue to leave.
I moved quickly, jumping back into the castle.
My heart pounded in my chest, mostly out of excitement as I manoeuvred through the castle and past the many Aurors gathering, keeping my steps light like Rivera had taught me to do with varying success.
Then I heard it, the faint sound of something whistling through the air behind me.
I spun around, barely dodging a glowing golden chain.
Dumbledore had seen through my distraction faster than I expected.
It moved past me and I watched curiously as hundreds of others glowed through the spoke.
Or maybe he hadn't found me but was probing for me.
The chains let off a suction-like effect a moment later and all the smoke began to drain from the area. As I went to make more smoke to cover my retreat, someone else whispered a spell and a massive amount of dense magical fog filled the area.
Unlike my fog, the chains seemed to have a harder time absorbing it.
My eyes turned to a single girl. She had her wand stretched out and was breathing heavily. The sheer amount of spoke she had made evidently took quite a bit out of her.
I memorised her face.
Long black hair, sharp features, eyes that held something between curiosity and danger along with a deep intensity that was focused solely on me. Her cheeks were slightly red and within her eyes, I could see… want?
She didn't speak. Just stared.
I smirked, inclining my head slightly before moving past her without a word. There was no time to linger.
I quickly ran, making my way through the many corridors. Occasionally passing by students.
Could I have killed Dumbledore? Probably. I'm sure he had more trump cards though and I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle the armies of Aurors that would follow after.
I was a High-class devil but even I had my limits. Dumbledore was most assuredly in the high class with his magical reserves. Probably just touching it, and that wand of his I imagine was powering up to the point he could match me. I had to briefly wonder just how strong an ultimate-class being would be.
Considering the sheer amount of destruction two High-class beings had just done in a battle that wasn't even intended to cause any damage.
The castle felt eerily silent in contrast to the chaos I had just escaped.
My breathing was steady, my mind already calmly running through possible routes.
The Aurors would be searching for me right about now. I'm sure I had already caused quite the commotion due to the battle. I had got what I came for and now it was time to leave.
Then, as I rounded another corner, I caught sight of a single girl.
A blonde-haired girl.
Her expression was one of surprise, her icy blue eyes wide as she took a step back. I didn't recognize her.
That didn't last for long as I realised she looked like Reginald.
It couldn't be right.
-{Reginald Greengrass}-
Reginald had braced himself for this possibility.
So he wasn't surprised when the admittedly impressive duel between the two seventh years was brought to a halt as Aurors stormed the stadium.
His new Lord had many good traits he found himself agreeing with, but he also had a few bad ones.
Such as a lack of subtlety and a hint of recklessness as shown when he decides to fight a Dragon. Which was to further gain an exit from the most famous magical bank in Britain that he robbed on a whim.
With his wife in hand, who looked slightly nervous he didn't feel much need to rush. As everyone else did the Aurors announced the attack of the Dark Lord Gremory.
Now, had this been Voldemort? That was a different case altogether. His Death Eaters were monsters and he was as sure he could imagine what fate would become of him along with his wife.
Right now the Aurors sought to protect him, the headmaster sought to protect him and the Dark Lord sought to protect him. He was in a weird position.
He watched the family of Malfoy scramble away with a cold amused smile.
No. The only worry he had now was that he couldn't find his daughter. He was sure Lord Zephyrion hadn't planned this attack from the start. From what he had gained, this was mostly likely a case of self-defence. But he couldn't help but worry for his daughter.
He watched as dozens of Aurors filled the place and took up guard positions. More and more appeared. Half were sent off to join the army that was looking for his Lord and the other half stayed to defend.
'Amara, just where have you gone?' He thought worriedly.
"Reginald," a familiar voice called out.
Reginald turned, and his eyes met the gaze of Lord Abbott, who approached flanked by his wife and a nervous-looking son.
Lord Abbott's face was a study in restrained concern, the stiffness of his posture betraying more unease than he likely intended.
It wasn't surprising, he would look the same in this case.
The Abbots weren't on either side just like the Greengrass.
"Abbot," Reginald greeted his friend coolly, inclining his head. "A pleasure as always."
"A pleasure?" Abbott scoffed, his lips curling into a dry smile. "Only a Slytherin would find pleasure in a scene like this."
He rolled his eyes.
Their friendship was rather odd, considering they were in different houses and had met purely by chance. Both of them didn't know how they had ended up as friends but they didn't mind it.
Reginald's smile became larger. "You mistake practicality for enjoyment, my friend. The Ministry enjoys chasing its tail. I see they are putting on quite the spectacle."
Lord Abbott glanced around before stepping closer, voice dropping to a low murmur. "You seem untroubled, Reginald. Remarkably so. A Dark Lord on the loose, an attack on Hogwarts, most are losing their heads, a reasonable reaction to such a thing."
"And?"
"What do you know?" He asked, with narrowed eyes.
His lips tugged up. "Am I not correct to feel safe with so many Aurors protecting us?"
"We know it's more than that, I'm in the position you are in after all. I know how you normally act." Lord Abbott replied. A hint of annoyance crept into his tone.
Reginald admittedly wasn't trying to hide anything.
In truth, he would rather Abbott join him. The more influence he could gain within this new Faction he found himself in, the better. And while the weaker and more normal wizards could be as excited as they wanted about being treated as more than useless.
Bloodlines and power were two very real values.
Years of magical beings breeding naturally caused a purer magical child.
"Yes, perhaps. Let's just say that if you stay by me you won't need to worry about a single thing." Reginald decided to indulge his eldest friend.
Lord Abbott appraised him before his eyes narrowed further.
"I want in."
"It's not that simple," Reginald replied smoothly.
It really was.
Lady Abbott looked over the two with concern, sneaking a glance at the most relaxed Lady Greengrass.
"Please, tell us. Times are hard and rumours of raids on any unaffiliated house are spreading around." Lady Abbott pleaded.
"Is it the new dark lord then?" He deduced.
Reginald stayed silent, affirming his suspicions with a lack of words.
Lady Abbott gasped. "Reginald, why would you join one of them? Don't you remember why we stayed impartial in the first place?"
He sighed. "It's… hard to explain. It was mostly done on a whim but I don't regret it."
"Tell me what you know." Lord Abbott asked seriously.
He glanced around, putting up a silencing ward just for safety. Considering they were surrounded by Aurors and panicking people.
"The Daily Prophet paints him out as a monster but he isn't like they say. He is a teenager with a lot of power and many people flocking behind him. That raid? It wasn't even done with his knowledge, that attack on the ministry? A mistake, he entered the ministry accidentally and they attacked before he could reply." Reginald said, noticing his wife watching closely as well and deciding this would be a good time to explain his reasoning too.
"So he can be trusted?" Lord Abbott questioned.
"He isn't bad. I joined him on the condition that he protect my family and he agreed, giving me an artefact that allowed me to summon him once. Join him, become his follower and you can have that protection too." He tried.
Lord Abbott looked conflicted.
"I know it sounds very strange, especially for me." He chuckled. "But I took a chance to join him and I've only been awarded so far. That isn't considering his generosity and power… I've watched him give a weak wizard magical power. He is beyond just a wizard…"
And wasn't that the truth?
He was a Demon, or, well, a Devil.
Lord Abbott blinked. "He increased someone's magical power? How does that even make sense? Not even Merlin could do such a thing."
"That's exactly how I felt, yet, I've seen it. The ministry is trying to make him seem bad but I can see a much brighter future with him. He is reckless and makes mistakes, but takes a leap. Follow him and you won't regret it." Reginald said passionately, feeling his loyalty to Zephyrion grow deeper as he worded the absurd man. "With the way things are going now, you'll even be wiped out by Voldermort or forced to join a side."
That last part sealed the deal.
Lady Abbott looked concerned but trusted Reginald at the end of the day, which went double for Lord Abbott, who gave a firm nod.
"I- will think about this more later." He replied, but Reginald could see he was mostly doing that to see how this played out.
"I have to wonder why he is attacking Hogwarts then." Lady Abbott frowned.
"He isn't," Reginald replied.
Everyone, including his wife, sent him confused glances.
He sighed.
"He came here to retrieve something, he must have been caught. Trust me, only he is here. He has gained many followers and none of them are here." He replied.
"I see, that does make sense. Why are the Aurors sending so many of themselves then?" Lord Abbott asked.
Reginald chuckled. "Trust me, they are going to need it. And I suspect that the Ministry truly feels threatened by him. Two Dark Lords are a threat enough but while one has slowly built himself up, the other seemingly over the course of less than a month is rising at a rapid pace. So many neglected weaker witches and wizards flock to him, and there's only so much that quality can gain over sheer quantity."
They all had looks of realisation.
"He's also really powerful." Reginald sheepishly added, hiding his concern for his daughter.
'Where are you, Amara?'
-{Zephyrion Gremory}-
I stared at the beautiful blonde-haired girl who took a step back.
She instantly raised her wand and I raised an eyebrow in return. Her cold icy eyes glanced at my crimson hair and unique eyes.
"Amara Greengrass I presume?" I said, listening carefully for if the Aurors were close.
Her eyes widened slightly. "You know my name?"
"Of course." I smiled.
She frowned slightly, glancing assuredly at her wand. As if she was measuring if she really had a chance.
"How do you know about me?" She finally asked the million-dollar question, her voice was laced with concern.
"Your father," I admitted, keeping an ear out for any incoming Aurors.
She flinched, and a spell whipped out a moment later.
"You lie."
I dodged the fast blob of light and gently grabbed her arm, aiming it towards the ceiling.
A quick glance behind me showed the plain wall was covered with lacerations.
An advanced version of the cutting spell perhaps?
I kept her arm held steady even as she tried to back away while I invaded her personal space. Her cold blue eyes contained a hint of fear and I rolled my eyes.
"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you, as for your comment. That's something you're going to have to speak to your Father about." I replied calmly, hearing the faint footsteps coming in on our location. "You people really need to learn some control, seriously shooting spells at everything isn't healthy."
She blushed slightly, a red hue forming on her pale cheeks out of what I perceived to be embarrassment. She perked up as shouting came from the distance.
I gave her a boyish grin.
"Goodbye for now," I said, letting her wand arm go and quickly running away in what she probably perceived as a mere blur.
While the magical humans here seemed to have advanced physiques due to the strange magic they wielded, that didn't mean they were up to the level I was at.
In danmachi terms, they were mostly lower-end level two, with the Aurors being at the lowest point of level three if I had to make a wild guess. It was mostly in the sheer processing and perception power they had.
It wasn't long until I found the place I entered through and left the castle.
As I made my way outside, I casually sat on a rock, awaiting Reginald. I suspected it would take a while for everything to calm and for a calm exit to be made.
So I wasn't too bothered that it had already been thirty minutes.
That whole situation had been annoying.
The Ministry would be pulling its hair out for weeks over that. I'm sure Dumbledore would find out what I took eventually. This had meant to be stealthy, a quick exit.
James Potter would have thought that his cloak was stolen and it would be a case of theft.
Now, it was a Dark Lord stealing one of the three Deathly Hallows.
In Dumbledore's eyes anyway. Fighting him confirmed one thing, he was smart. Despite the old age of his body, fighting him had been surprisingly hard.
For this relatively low-level world in all consideration, he was without a doubt at its peak and it showed that.
Movement caught my eye.
Two figures emerged from the treeline, one walking with composed confidence while the other's nervousness was written all over her posture.
Lady Greengrass looked suitably intimidated, her gaze flicking from me to the shadows as if a monster might leap out.
Reginald, on the other hand, was as collected as ever, only a slight furrow in his brow betraying any concern.
"Lord Zephyrion," Reginald greeted, inclining his head with a touch of formality.
"Reginald," I returned, hopping off the rock.
My eyes flicked to his wife, who stiffened under my gaze. "Lady Greengrass."
"Lord Zephyrion," she said, her tone wavering slightly before she steadied herself.
The mask of a proper pureblood lady slipped into place, but I could see the tension in her shoulders.
I gave her an easy-going smile. I didn't do that while ruling by fear shtick.
It wasn't sustainable and I wasn't exactly great at ruling in the first place.
Reginald's gaze swept over me. "You're unharmed, my Lord?"
"Fine," I said, shrugging.
"What happened?" He questioned.
"Just two nosy Aurors getting involved, and things spiralled from there," I smirked. "It became... eventful."
He sighed, but before he could press for details, I added, "Dumbledore got involved too."
Reginald's eyes widened a fraction. His wife openly gawked, disbelief etched on her face. "You fought Dumbledore?" she questioned.
"Yeah. He's incredibly powerful and no doubt a magical genius. The old man's got some moves," I admitted with a grin. "He's probably one of the most powerful beings in this world."
That was true.
Unless the stories about death were true I would have to reevaluate my stance on this world.
Reginald noted my weird way of phrasing it but didn't call me out.
Reginald pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something under his breath. "At least you're in one piece," he said.
I nodded. "Got what I needed from Hogwarts."
He seemed relieved but didn't comment further. I let the pause hang for a moment before adding, "Oh, and I ran into your daughter."
Reginald stiffened, eyes narrowing. "Amara? Is she-"
"She's fine," I assured him. "A brief chat. She was eager to blast me with some spells at first but we parted on... not hostile terms. Though you'll need to explain a few things to her."
Reginald's shoulders slumped, tension melting away. "I see. Thank you."
He gave a rare, genuine smile.
His wife watched the interaction in bafflement, whatever idea she had in her head shattered as we casually spoke, even if Reginald still held a deferential tone.
I stepped closer, hand outstretched. "Let's get back to the base."
Reginald put a hand on my shoulder.
The familiar, worn hall of our base greeted us, torches flickering along the stone walls.
Reginald sighed, letting his mask slip now that he was away from prying eyes. He gave me a respectful nod. "My Lord."
"Reginald," I replied.
I had to admit, he was growing on me. And I was seriously considering taking him back with me. Though I'm not sure he would appreciate the sudden lack of privacy or housing.
He gave me a nod, as he apparated away with his still silent wife.
Now, to let things cool down. I had a few more days before I went back so I wasn't rushed on time.
-{Dumbledore}-
Dumbledore frowned softly as he stared at the strange red ball that floated in the air, he watched as the many arcs that had stabilised and froze in the air slowly withdrew.
Good.
It was a sign that the magic was fading.
Despite that, Dumbledore already had plans to make this place inaccessible for further monitoring and testing.
Such magic was foreign and that worried him.
Even though Dumbledore had firmly stuck to the light side of magic, he had studied the darker arts and magics to gain an understanding. Along with their weakness and vulnerabilities.
Never had he seen such magic that caused this level of… destruction.
He had seen cursed fires and many other such powerful magics had turned towns or even cities into wastelands, but even that left remnants behind in their stead.
Cursed fire could be put out with much difficulty as could the various other destructive magics that could only be performed by what magical society dubbed as powerhouses.
This, however…
He stared at the ball of red, and his elder wand came up. Releasing a soothing light that attempted to entwine one of the smaller branches of the strange red power.
Only to be snuffed out.
There was no struggle, no change to increase the magical flow and power of his attempt. Simply there one moment and not in the next. The magical power was gone, the spell was gone.
Dumbledore wasn't shaken by many things, but this managed to truly shock him.
This was a power God's from myths and legends wielded. Not a teenage wizard with too much power on his hands.
His mind went through various situations as Aurors investigated the scene around him with awe watched on. He would chuckle at the newly-gained looks of respect he was being given if it wasn't for the dire situation at hand.
"How bad is it?" Jacob Jenkins said, approaching Dumbledore from behind.
"Certainly not ideal." Dumbledore mused, still staring at the strange dissipating power.
Jacob looked at the magic with no small amount of fears
"What is this?" He questioned, more of a whisper than anything. "No, more importantly." He turned a small glare towards Dumbledore, but it noticeably lacked any heat.
"Just how did he enter Hogwarts?" Jacob questioned.
Dumbledore sighed.
It seemed the new Dark Lord was already gaining that level of infamy, which wasn't surprising when you considered the sheer respect for power that was ingrained in Magical Society.
The damage caused by their battle was visible to dozens of Aurors. Along with many other witnesses, his eyes glanced towards the young lady staring at the battlefield.
Bellatrix Black.
His lips creased into a frown.
"He had help," Dumbledore said calmly, his eyes twinkling with thought. "Most likely a hidden entrance, Hogwarts has more than a few, after all."
"One of my Aurors said he was under the effects of a polyjuice potion. That was how he was first caught." Jacob said, pacing around nervously.
Dumbledore wasn't surprised.
The Ministry had come out full force here as a show of just how much power they possessed and had ended up the fool. Embarrassed as one man snuck past entire teams of Aurors vigilantly looking out for anything.
They would have the magical news outlets play it to their advantage as much as they could but there was only so much they could.
"Ah, yes, that would indeed explain how he roamed so freely within the castle grounds. A most clever use of Polyjuice Potion, though a method not without its limits. The entrances were safeguarded with multiple anti-polyjuice measures, quite thorough ones, I might add. No, he did not accomplish this feat alone." Dumbledore said slowly, playing through multiple scenarios. "He had...assistance."
"Are we sure? From who?" Jacob quickly asked.
They had no leads towards the new Dark Lord. None had been captured in the single raid that had taken place and no other activity had transpired, making it hard.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore replied softly, a hint of regret colouring his tone. "It is quite likely that a current or former student guided him to one of the castle's hidden entrances. Hogwarts has many secrets, and those who have walked its halls long enough often learn more than they ought to."
"Do you think you have any idea of who and where?" Jacob questioned further, his eyes staring at the destruction. "We need to regain control, not even Voldemort has done this much in so little time."
Dumbledore's eyes glanced towards Bellatrix.
"No, I don't believe I do," Dumbledore murmured, a contemplative look in his sharp blue eyes. "Though I suspect a former student, long since departed from Hogwarts, may have provided him with the necessary information."
"That leaves one question," Jacob said, staring at the battlefield. "Just what was his purpose for coming here?"
The twinkle in Dumbledore's normally serene eyes vanished.
That was the main question…
-{Zephyrion Gremory}-
I lazed in a comfortable chair as I read through some books.
It had been two days since the incident and as expected it had blown up. I didn't pay much attention to that though as I was more focused on my next move.
The cooldown on my eyes had vanished overnight…
Meaning another world was open, potentially my home world.
That left me wondering what to do.
Technically I was meant to spend a few more days here but… the temptation of going to another world wasn't small. I had learnt so much about this world already. My power and magical attack power had risen massively.
Yet, there was one more thing I wanted to do before going. Breaking Grindelwald out of prison and making a deal for his knowledge. He was another magical titan who had been able to fight Dumbledore, so I imagine his information would be invaluable.
A sharp knock echoed through the room, and I looked up as Reginald barged in, face pale and eyes wide.
"The Abbotts are under attack!" he blurted out, breathless.
I inspected him, rarely was he ever so panicked.
I stared at him, unimpressed. "And?"
He blinked rapidly, stammering, "They, they were planning to join you. They've been in contact with me, discussing terms."
Oh.
I see.
I arched my brow. "Who's attacking them?"
I had an idea, judging by his panic it wasn't an Auror raid, even as corrupt as some of them could be they wouldn't elicit that amount of panic.
"Voldemort's forces. Death Eaters and Voldemort army of Inferi."
A sigh slipped past my lips as I stood, brushing off my robes. "Show me."
I could see a glint in his eyes and I had a feeling this would solidify his loyalty.
I'm sure many would think that making a power base in this world was pointless. But having an army of wizards that wielded versatile magic was never going to be useless. This was a goldmine for devils who wanted to recruit magicals.
This was what they were at a base, with an evil piece who knew how strong they would get. I held my hand in recruitment for now though, even if I didn't select anyone, having a base away from home could be helpful if anything unfortunate happened.
Reginald nodded, quickly leading me out of the room.
Lady Greengrass was outside, seeming to be a bit more comfortable with my presence even as she watched me critically and with no small amount of nervousness.
"W-wait, let me join you." She blurted out.
Reginald paused, taken out of his panicked state for a moment before he frowned tightly.
"So this is why you wanted to come? Absolutely not." He replied instantly.
"Don't treat me as if I couldn't hand you your wand." She scowled lightly.
Reginald gawked. "The answer is still no, Amara needs someone to look after them in case something unfortunate happens to me."
"We will be fine, and don't forget that the Abbotts are my friends too!" She retorted.
He scowled.
"You're being unreasonable."
"Are you implying that our Lord can't protect us?" She replied.
He sighed, sending me a glance. "F-fine, just stay close to me."
I hummed.
I think I'll make a display of this.
Reginald led me to a place we promptly apparated from with a sharp crack.
-{Lord Abbott}-
The ground trembled as curses struck the manor's wards, casting eerie shadows through the flickering candlelight.
Lord Abbott's hands were steady, but his eyes betrayed a storm of dread.
He wanted to curse.
Just what was his luck?
The heat of everything surrounding the wizarding world had gone up exponentially. Something he knew to be due to the new Dark Lord.
The slow uprising that was happening and the inevitable full-blown war that was to come in a few years had its date pushed up massively.
Due to the second Dark Lord's erratic and quick movement, Voldermort had suddenly felt the need to compete, as had the ministry. Two Death Eater raids had happened in the past few days as Voldermort seemed to play catch-up.
The ministry had begun its raids and retaliatory actions, the standard stunners that Aurors were meant to use had been pushed up to harmful but none-lethal spells. Non-lethal being no cause of death. That was a broad term and it had upper the scales massively.
Now, here he was. The third Death Eater raid as Voldermort decided random muggle villages weren't going to cut it.
Just as he was about to join Reginald, he cursed.
The rhythmic thud of explosions echoed from the outer grounds, growing closer with each strike.
The wards strained, shimmering with desperate resistance.
He turned to his wife and daughter, clutching their wands tightly, eyes wide with fear. "The cellar. Now," he ordered voice firm despite the pounding of his heart.
"Father, we can-" his daughter began, but he cut her off.
"Go!" he barked. "Lock yourselves in and don't open it until I return!"
His wife pulled their daughter away, though she cast a pleading glance back at him.
She was a powerful witch, she'd be able to put up a fight if it came down to it.
He gave a nod, one filled with more confidence than he felt. The heavy door slammed shut, muffling their hurried whispers.
The wards shattered with a deafening crack, and the air pulsed with a rush of cold, dark magic.
Death Eaters poured into the entrance hall, robes billowing, masks reflecting the flames now licking at the garden.
Lord Abbott's grip tightened on his wand. He flicked it, and a silver badger erupted, darting away in a blur, the Patronus message sent to Reginald.
The first Death Eater to step through pointed his wand.
Lord Abbott dove, the green light searing past and slamming into a portrait. The painting's occupant screamed before disintegrating.
Abbott retaliated, slashing his wand down.
The curse missed but the Death Eater wasn't prepared for the sheer power that was put into the first spell that was thrown back as a massive explosion erupted, blasting the Death Eater off his feet.
He crumpled, mask cracked and blood pooling beneath him.
That alone had taken the front end of the building off, which made it easy for Two more to walk in.
One flicked his wand with a lazy sneer.
Lord Abbott twisted aside, but the curse grazed him, red-hot agony lancing up his arm.
He stifled a scream, firing a Blasting Curse.
The Death Eater deflected it with ease, pushing forward. Abbott raised a Shield Charm, but the second attacker shattered
The backlash threw him back, head spinning as he crashed into a table.
"Your bloodline ends tonight, Abbott," one of them mocked. "You should have joined us while you can."
Lord Abbott gritted his teeth, forcing himself upright.
He lunged forward, a whirlwind of curses flying from his wand.
Flames erupted, forcing one attacker back, but the other sidestepped and sent a bone-breaking curse that slammed into Lord Abbott's ribs.
By now, everything was destroyed. The once grand front room that greeted guests was ablaze and ruined, he retreated up the steps onto the second floor.
Pain exploded through his chest, but he roared, pushing through it. He conjured a large sharp jagged stone from thin air, launching it with a Banishing Charm.
It grazed a Death Eater's mask, cracking it, but not enough to slow him.
The large stone exploded through the walls behind that and left a hole from which multiple Death Eaters poured in.
Another Death Eater walked in and Lord Abbott grimaced, he was obviously a higher-ranking one. With a flick of his wand sent a blast of crimson light that Abbott barely blocked.
The force nearly knocked the wand from his grip. The six Death Eaters advanced, forcing him back with a merciless barrage of spells.
He barely managed to slow their advance as he was forced to practically spring back as the hallway was ruined in the next few seconds.
Six powerful wizards shooting at him wasn't exactly good for the environment, the fact he was still alive was a miracle he suspected was because they wanted him alive.
Lord Abbott's chest heaved. Bruises throbbed, blood trickling from a cut on his brow. His wand felt heavy, each spell more sluggish than the last.
He roared and the floorboards and walls were destroyed in a blast.
The massive hole in the mansion only stopped them for a few moments as a new floor was built.
The higher-ranking Death Eater sent a powerful spell that Lord Abbott just couldn't deflect, sending himself flying back as his wand fell to the ground.
Laughter echoed as the Death Eaters closed in.
A curse lashed out, carving a line of fire across Lord Abbott's back.
He tried to stumble back up only to collapse fully, struggling to push himself up even as booted feet surrounded him.
The masked leader sneered. "I expected more."
Abbott forced himself to his knees, vision swimming. His vision tunnelled, as he heard distant screams.
A few distant explosions later he found his daughter along with his wife dragged next to him. To which they were all dragged outside onto the lawn.
He really wished he had just joined Reginald.
A flash illuminated the area and made the dozen Death Eaters step back.
Out of the light stepped a figure that would terrify most but at this moment couldn't have looked any more beautiful.
Multi-coloured eyes lazily glanced around, with two sets of eyes alertly glaring from behind.
"What a mess."
-END-
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