//------------------------------// // In Which Sebastian Learns the Truth, and Sunset Gets Her Wish (part 1) // Story: Hogwarts: Sunset's Legacy // by witegrlninja //------------------------------// It took no time at all for Sebastian and I to find Ollivander's wand shop. A small bell rang with a pleasant chime as we walked inside, finding the man in question tending to his shelves stuffed so full of wand boxes they were all tilted and bowing from their weight. He was elderly with a tonsure of bushy white hair sticking out like a halo around his head, attached to his beard with equally-fluffy mutton chops and a mustache. He also wore large spectacles that magnified his eyes and made them appear larger than they really were, and was dressed neatly in a dusty mauve and dark gray suit. "Hello, you're Ollivander, right?" I asked quickly. "I am... how may I help you two?" "Good, good, I have a bit of an odd request for you," I said as I dug through my pocket dimension for the four artifacts and held them out to him. "How fast do you think you can put this wand together?" "Oh... my," Ollivander breathed as he took the items and examined them. "How extraordinary... remarkable design!" "Can you do it? We need this wand assembled as quickly as possible," Sebastian gently goaded. "Yes... I will be honest - I have never crafted a wand in this fashion," the old man nodded pensively. "Repaired broken wands, of course, but this is something else entirely. Keeping me on my toes, aren't you?" "Yea, sure. Please, we're in a bit of a hurry," I prodded, trying not to become impatient with the old man's small talk. "If it's a matter of Galleons, that's no problem at all." "I think I can work with what you've brought me," he nodded once with a faint smile. "Let me see what I can do." And with a hum he turned on his heel and walked behind the shop's counter, through a threshold into his workspace. Now all we could do was wait... again. With a grunt I conjured a pair of stools for Sebastian and I to sit on, and tried to ignore the gently-ticking clock on the back wall. Despite the maddening silence, I couldn't really think of anything to talk about to pass the time; evidently, neither could Sebastian. On occasion I heard Ollivander coo and chirp to himself in his workspace, and the occasional flash of blue-white light pulsed from the threshold. Outside I could see the sun beginning to set, the sky turning from blue to yellow as shadows grew and villagers headed inside out of the cold. I was just too anxious about finally nearing the end of my quest. With this wand in my hands I would finally have access to a massive storehouse of ancient magic, the power I had so eagerly sought ever since Celestia showed me my destiny in the Crystal Mirror. My fingers twitched in anticipation as I imagined myself, body and soul being engulfed by so much raw power, electrifying my nerves and forever flowing through my veins. It filled my stomach with butterflies, made my heart shiver with a menthol-like heat that slowly expanded to fill me entirely. So much ancient magic... the sensation would be thrilling! Exultant, sublime, nearly orgasmic- Suddenly another thought burst through my reverie, instantly annoying me. I had just remembered that with every trial, I had absorbed a reservoir of magic into my being, received a boon of power to aid me in my quest... ...But I just realized that I had received no such boon from Bakar's trial. Man, what a jerk that guy was! I could've really used it, considering what I was up against. You cheap bastard. The sky had faded from yellow to orange by the time an especially-bright flash of light pulsed from the threshold, and Ollivander released a triumphant chuckle. A few moments later he walked out towards us, cradling a thin, dark green box in his hands. "It is done." "Sweet," I muttered as Sebastian and I stood up. Ollivander opened the box with reverence, revealing the assembled wand as it lay on a bed of azure velvet. The dark red-brown wood was delicately wrapped with threads of gold that reached up from the black-brown handle like vines. It was likely invisible to the others in the room, but I could see a faint blue glow emanating from it, hinting at its true purpose. "I should warn you," the old man spoke as he closed the box and handed it to me, "I've never seen a wand like this before. My suspicion is that it serves a unique purpose... I doubt you shall find much use for it otherwise." "Understood," I nodded as I pulled a small satchel of Galleons from my purse and placed it in Ollivander's hand. "Thank you." "Let's go," Sebastian pressed his lips together as the old man happily retreated to a back room, jiggling the satchel. We quickly left the shop, a blast of chilly spring wind hitting me in the face. But that wasn't what made me freeze in my tracks. The cobblestone streets were completely deserted... except for Victor Rookwood slowly, casually approaching us with a smug smirk on his face. We reached for our wands. While I got mine out I heard Sebastian gasp in alarm as his voice suddenly changed position behind me. My head whipped around to see that two of Rookwood's men had grabbed him by the arms and were preventing him from moving. "I'm afraid you're on your own," sneered Rookwood as he pointedly turned to look both ways up and down the street. "I've ensured that we have a moment to ourselves." Despite his attempt at intimidation, I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Oh, please... how predictable. You really think holding him hostage is gonna work on me?" "Or me?" Sebastian added, covertly snapping his fingers. In an instant he was out of their hands with his back against mine, wand drawn. The two mooks blinked and shared astonished glances once they realized he was no longer in their grasp. "Impressive... but no need for such theatrics," Rookwood doubled down as he raised a hand like one might do to calm a barking, defensive dog. "In light of what Ranrok now knows, you must agree that our... interests are aligned." "Our interests?" I reemphasized, laughing once. "What, now you're proposing we team up to take him down?" "Precisely," he grinned. I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. "Well, geez," I groused as I counted on my fingers, "Maybe if you would've just been a man and asked me that in the beginning instead of, oh, I dunno... throwing a pair of trolls at me, or trying to kidnap me, or sending your pathetic thugs after me, then maybe, juuuuust maybe... I would've said yes! Maybe I was totally up for an alliance!" I gasped mockingly, clapping my hands to my cheeks before my widened eyes narrowed. "...Then I would've stabbed you in the back, taken over your gang, seduced your woman and become exponentially more successful at Dark wizard criminal stuff than you ever were." Sebastian snickered behind me. Rookwood blinked uncomfortably as his body tensed. "You would let goblins take what is rightfully ours?" "Pfft, no? I'm off to go kill the little cabbage man myself. And you're sorely mistaken if you think any of that ancient magic is yours... I think you really mean to say that it's mine," I smiled darkly. "But the final repository belongs to wizardkind... we would be fools not to work together," the villain purred, matching my grin as he tried his hardest to trick me into a truce. I knew far better than that, however. There was no such thing as "honor among thieves"; he would certainly stab me in the back as soon as I served his purpose, exactly like I would do to him... not that I even needed his help, a cowardly weakling like him would only get in my way. I regarded him with disgusted silence for a few moments before replying with a flat glare. "What kind of idiot do you think I am?" Rookwood exhaled roughly through his nose as he took a step back, considering his next move. "...What's that you've got there?" he gestured suddenly to the box in my other hand. "Oh, this?" I snarked as I held it up for him to see before stowing it safely away in my pocket dimension. "A gift for your mom." "Hmph... might this sudden visit to the wandmaker have something to do with our... mutual pursuit?" A dangerous snarl was beginning to stretch across Rookwood's face. "Like I said... what makes you think any of this magic belongs to you? Can you even see it?" I threw out a hand in a shrug. "You sure aren't much of a groveling sycophant, considering all that power is my birthright." "That repository is my birthright!" he finally snapped, his patience at its end. "Sucks to suck, doesn't it?" I cackled in his face. "Just admit it... a goblin outplayed you, and now a child outplayed you. You clearly aren't cut out for much more than being just a simple street rat. But hey, if you pledge your loyalty to me, then maybe I'll let you work underneath me after I become rich and powerful." Rookwood drew back with a furious hiss, his breathing growing slow and heavy with anger. "...The arrogance!" he seethed as he began pacing back and forth. "Should've known better than to try and reason with a child." The last word in particular dripped with venom as his voice lowered even more. "...I've always said children should be seen... and not heard." Suddenly I felt Sebastian's body jolt against mine. He spun around so he could face Rookwood, at first staring at him wide-eyed. I blinked a few times wondering what had gotten into him, searching through my mind for a possible reason... ... ... ... ...And then I remembered: those words were what both he and Anne heard over a year ago, back in Feldcroft, near Isidora's old manor. Just before she was cursed. I gasped in shock, my entire body trembling in anger as I glared at Rookwood while he stared at us quizzically. It can't be... it was you! It was you all along! My eyes flicked over to Sebastian again... his entire body was taut and rigid, like a piece of rubber stretched to its very limit. His eyes narrowed into viperous slits, and his lips curled downwards into a deep frown, his teeth bared like a rabid animal as he breathed deeply with increasing rapidity through them, his chest rising and falling like bellows stoking a furnace far past its heat threshold. "You... bastard!" he spat, the sheer hatred and vitriol in his voice making even me shiver. A cruel smile bloomed across Rookwood's mouth. "Seems as though I've struck a nerve." I felt hands grab onto my arm and begin pulling me away, away from Sebastian. I reached out and began to shout out his name as my head turned, my heart dropping to see one of Rookwood's men doing the same to him, just barely preventing him from grabbing my hand. Before I could react my ears rang with a loud pop and I felt the squeezing pull of human Apparition. My world went dark for a split second. When I opened my eyes I didn't recognize my surroundings. My head whipped back and forth as I tried to make sense of the kidnapping - I was in what appeared to be the dungeon of an unknown castle, plunged into darkness. "Now, be a good little girl and hand over that wand box-" Whoever was behind me didn't get to finish his sentence before I tore him in half with a Diffindo. I felt his blood splash against my cloak and heard his wet dying gurgles as his body crumpled to the floor. I wanted to slash his corpse into many more pieces but fast remembered I had been separated from Sebastian. I wasn't worried about him, he could easily take care of himself... but the emotion still gnawed at my heart and mind. Cloaking myself in Disillusionment I made my way quickly and quietly through the castle's dim halls, listening intently for his voice. Along the way more of Rookwood's men stalked through the corridors in search of me, all of them dispatched as brutally as I could think of. Heads were crushed between flying bricks, bodies were paralyzed with Petrificus Totalus and then set on fire to light my way, skulls with spinal cords still attached were ripped from their shoulders and used to bludgeon others until the bones splintered apart, and entire segments of flooring, walls and ceilings swiftly flew outwards and smashed them flat like bugs underfoot. Oh, Rookwood had struck a nerve, alright... for the mere crime of touching my boyfriend, he'd just sentenced what remained of his criminal enterprise to a painful, gruesome death, the likes of which would never again be seen until I inflicted the same upon Ranrok. And that wasn't even including what Sebastian planned on doing to Rookwood after we'd caught him. Something told me the villain was going to wish he'd never even been born by the end of it. Finally I reached the main foyer of the castle. The light from the sconces stung my eyes as they'd become accustomed to the darkness, but they burned brighter than ever before as a group of about ten men gawked at me in surprise. "Out of my way!" I commanded as I fired an augmented Depulso that took up the entire space, the force of the blast sending them all flying into the walls as though thrown by a hurricane. One of them bounced awkwardly off of a windowsill as the glass in every window shattered, slicing him to ribbons as he flopped outside. The barred doors to the outside snapped off their hinges and collapsed with a heavy thud. The lit sconces were all knocked over, the hot embers inside quickly setting the dry floorboards and decorative tapestries on fire. And then I heard his voice... and I smiled. I strode calmly out of the growing blaze, smirking as I admired how the ground glittered red with blood like a field of garnets and rubies. Sebastian had clearly had no trouble at all fighting off the bulk of Rookwood's men - there had to be at least fifty of them spread around the smoldering remains of the camp in the castle's courtyard, torn apart even more viciously than I had done. He was about twenty feet away from me, having frozen an enemy in the air with Levioso. She screamed for mercy, but instead he cut her open with a Diffindo and Accioed her heart right out of her chest. "Ah, there you are," he remarked casually as he canceled the Levitation Charm, letting the corpse drop to the ground. "Had to fight my way out of a dungeon. What about you?" "Found myself in that cage over there," he gestured over to what remained of a twisted pile of metal, complete with one of Rookwood's men skewered on top of it. "Look at you, not even needing my help," I grinned, barely paying any attention to the new wave of Ashwinders Apparating in all around us. "These idiots made a huge mistake pissing you off." "They made a grave mistake stealing you away from me," he growled as he turned to face the largest grouping of them. "Aww, how sweet." I heard one of them take a single step forward - without even looking I launched a Confringo at them, laughing once as I heard it connect with a howling scream. "You and I really do make the perfect team." "That we do... I couldn't ask for a better partner," he smiled as I took my place by his side. "Now, let's finish this. I have much to discuss with Rookwood." "Agreed." My eyes flared to life as he vanished. Half a second later Sebastian reappeared on top of the castle's highest tower, raining down Bombardas on the thugs below. To keep them in place I raised my wand into the air, ancient magic-touched hands of earth and stone reaching up and grabbing on to their legs. A few managed to Apparate away, but most of them were hit by the spells and blown to pieces, a shower of limbs and blood flying through the air from the concussive force. Those that had Apparated reappeared, immediately flopping on the ground and shouting in agony, missing part or all of their Splinched legs as the hands continued to grasp them. More Ashwinders appeared to replace those that had been defeated, unnerved by the screams of their comrades. Taking advantage of their distraction I repeated the previous spell, summoning even more earthen hands to grab and trap them all. This time Sebastian conjured a hailstorm of Confringos at our enemies, the explosive fireballs blasting holes of gore into their bodies and setting their flesh on fire. It spread like napalm as they writhed in desperation, and soon the entire courtyard was aflame again. I was already Accioing all of the metal in the vicinity towards me as the next wave appeared, casting Aguamenti and Glacius in an attempt to douse the flames. A cage of twisted iron surrounded me in a spinning vortex, shielding me from their attacks as I made a few calculations in my head. Seconds later the metal instantly disintegrated into powder with a wave of my wand, flying through the air in an invisible wind, microscopic sharp edges scratching their bodies like the roughest sandpaper and scraping off their skin. Another wave of my wand caused all the powder to fly together and congeal into a misshapen, humanoid lump that stood about fifteen feet tall. While the enemies tried to staunch their bleeding or stared in confusion, a simple flick of Incendio set the thermite golem ablaze with a deep roar. Burning white-hot, It rushed towards every Ashwinder it saw, its mere touch melting their flesh, boiling their blood and lighting their entire body on fire. They ran screaming as it chased them around, seemingly forgetting how to Apparate in their attempts to flee. A few of them more bravely tried to extinguish it with spells but both liquid and dirt burned away to nothing as soon as it made contact. After about twenty seconds of this the golem sensed its end and charged towards the castle's open doors. I flicked my wand as it crossed the threshold, then enveloped myself in a Protego as a massive explosion followed. Every single remaining window and door in the building was blown out, and huge cracks formed in the castle's walls as though it was entirely made of glass, only to crumble seconds later as the ground shook from the blast. "Now you're just being excessive," Sebastian quipped as he reappeared next to me, within my Protego. "I'm trying to flush the street rat out," I shrugged. "He thinks he's playing it smart hiding like a coward while we annihilate his entire gang." "Yes... the vermin are just as awful as he is," he nodded, summoning up a Ventus to feed the flames, the gust of wind blowing them at an Ashwinder who had managed to remain mostly unscathed. She screamed as her trousers caught fire and she tried to run from her own flaming legs, the fire eventually crawling up the rest of her body. She succumbed to the pain and dropped limply to the ground moments later. Evidently, these Dark wizards had never heard of "stop, drop and roll". But then I glanced up to the sky, nearly as red as the flames that surrounded us. As fun as inflicting just a taste of my power on these insects was, it was taking up too much time. I cast a quick Sonorus Charm on myself and shouted upwards so my voice traveled as far as it would go. "You're just sending all your henchmen out here to die, Rookwood! Get your coward-arse out here or I'll turn this entire hill into an active caldera!" There was silence for a few moments as I canceled the charm. It was quiet, but I heard a faint pop behind me. Stupid moron. "Arresto Momentum!" I cast blindly in the direction of the noise, already smirking confidently. A grunt while I was still in the process of turning around was all the confirmation I needed. "H-How are two wretched children like you so bloody p-powerful?!" Rookwood stuttered in shock as Sebastian and I sauntered over to him. The blast had already done quite a bit of damage to him - he was covered in dust, one side of his face was burned, his fancy coat was in tatters and the top of his top hat was on fire. While my smirk remained, my boyfriend's face quickly fell into a dark, disgusted grimace. "Crucio!" Sebastian heaved his wand at Rookwood, red light arcing towards him. Rookwood immediately convulsed in my magic grasp and keened, the sound of which made me flinch. Images of that night in the scriptorium flashed through my mind, phantom pains tingling all over my body. But as I pressed a hand over my heart I kept my breathing slow and level, forcing the fear back where it came. Sebastian was casting the curse on the man who had cursed his sister... not me. There was no deadly dilemma at play here, and while I would gladly take another Crucio for him if it came down to it... ...well, better him than me, after all. "You... evil... son of a bitch...!" Sebastian hissed through his teeth as the spell ran its course. "Long have I awaited this moment." "W-What... w-what have I e-ever-" "The countercurse!" he demanded, his wand nearly stabbing Rookwood in his right eye as his free hand clutched around his throat. "If you value your life, you will give it to me this instant!" "C-Countercurse...?" Rookwood muttered, clearly confused. "Two Christmases ago, in Feldcroft! You cursed my sister!" he shouted in his face. "She was only trying to help those who might've been caught in the fire!" Rookwood's eyes swam back and forth a few times, widening slightly in realization... then narrowing arrogantly. "Ah, yes... that foolish little girl," he sneered. "She's lucky I didn't just kill her where she stood." Twin fires of pure rage ignited in our souls. I glanced over to Sebastian; his arms dropped to his sides as he stared at him in indignant shock. And then a moment later, his fist tightened around his wand's handle, then his arm cocked back and shot forward, punching Rookwood square in the nose. He flinched and grunted in pain as I heard the sound of cartilage snapping. "Nice shot," I complimented with a smirk. "Thanks," he mumbled, shaking his hand as his eyes slid back towards Rookwood. "You are in no position to mock her... what you did to my sister will be nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you don't answer me!" "And... if I don't?" Rookwood drawled, a cruel, crooked grin spreading across his mouth as he glared defiantly at Sebastian. The mere look in his eyes gave me the command. "Wrong answer," I glowered, my own eyes beginning to glow with three dark colors. "Crucio." Even though he was already winded, Rookwood's body still managed to convulse a little as the curse ripped through him. Seeing him writhe in agony brought a smile to both our faces; was it truly Unforgivable to use such a spell on someone who deserved it so badly? But even as he wriggled like a worm in a crow's beak, the sadistic grin on Sebastian's face fell. "I'll only say it once more," he warned, his entire body hunched and tense like a coiled snake ready to strike. "Give. Me. The countercurse." We waited for Rookwood to speak once the Cruciatus Curse wore off on him. He was silent for a few moments, his eyes closed... ...and then he began to laugh. Sebastian and I drew back a little, unnerved by this sudden show of bravado. "Stupid boy," he snickered, his eyes flashing with malice. "You really think I bothered to come up with a counter for that curse? One I specifically created to deal with nosy little children like her? Why would I? Now, how about the both of you let me go, and I'll refrain from casting it upon either of you?" "You're really not making the best of choices right now," I groused, Equestrian Dark magic smoking from my eyes again as I cast Imperio on him. His eyes pulsed with green light as I took hold of his mind, his body relaxed and a dumb grin spread across his face. "Give him the countercurse for his sister." "...I cannot," Rookwood answered slowly but easily. "There is no counter for that curse." "I order you to give it to him!" I shouted, the smoke from my eyes flaring like fire. "...I cannot." "I have total command over your pathetic little mind! Give it to him or I'll tear it apart!" "...There is no countercurse. There never was. I never felt the need to create one. Nothing can cure the pain." A grunt of frustration escaped my lips. Veritaserum wasn't exactly easy to get a hold of, but there was no way in hell this weak-minded swine was resisting my empowered Imperio. This could only mean that what he was saying was... unfortunately, the truth. After all this time, all his painful effort... Sebastian's quest to find a cure for his sister had finally, officially failed. I shook my head as I released my hold on his mind, ignoring Rookwood's jeers and taunts. "See? I told you," he snarled. "There is no cure for the curse I inflicted upon your useless little sister! Now unhand me before my patience wanes entirely and I choose to kill you both!" "Well, whaddya think?" I sighed. "We could always keep him Petrified or something and hide him somewhere until we can get some Veritaserum." ... ... ... I looked over to Sebastian when I didn't hear any reply from him. He stared at Rookwood in silent fury for what felt like an eternity. Then he closed his eyes and slowly raised his wand. When he reopened them... ...they were glowing a frightful green. "Then you... have no value to me." The sneer fell from Rookwood's face. Even I didn't expect what happened next from him. "...Avada Kedavra!" Crackling jade lightning snapped from his wand and struck Rookwood directly in the chest. His body instantly went slack in my magic hold, and his final half-breath rasped out from his empty throat. Though at first I recoiled slightly in shock, my lip curled in disgust as I tossed the corpse aside, the limbs flailing as it hit the ground with a graceless thud. The bastard was dead. Only one left to go now. ... ... ... A soft breeze blew through the burning castle ruins, camouflaging Sebastian's heavy breathing. After a few moments he dropped to his knees, his head bowed low. I watched him carefully, worrying as his shoulders heaved. He turned his head upwards to face me, a tear streaming down his cheek. "...Why does it feel like nothing's changed?" he whispered miserably, a half-stifled sob wracking his body. I merely sighed, for I had no answer for him. Instead I knelt down beside him and held him close as he quietly cried, over a year of bitter anguish, despair and hatred finally exorcised, finally releasing itself from his soul. It was finally over for him. He had finally learned the truth behind his sister's curse, and he had finally tasted sweet, satisfying vengeance... And, with any luck, he might've finally cured Anne. Some curses broke the instant the caster died - it was a long shot, but maybe this had been one of them. Something in the back of my mind told me that this wasn't the case, though. I suspected Sebastian had the same feeling. "I c-can't believe it..." he droned. "All this time... it was Rookwood. It wasn't one of Ranrok's Loyalists who cursed Anne... it was Rookwood. It was Rookwood all along! But the night she was cursed, all she saw were goblins!" "Once the two of them became allies, both of them became interested in Isidora's manor," I suggested. "That has to be why he was there that night... and when he saw Anne he cursed her, I guess to shut her up." "Even though she didn't see a thing... and she's never been the same. How cruel," he hissed as he glared at Rookwood's corpse. A few moments later however, he slumped as he turned his gaze to the ground in front of him, releasing another shuddering sigh full of guilt. "All this time I thought goblins were the enemy... but it was never that simple." "...Well, technically they still are," I shrugged gormlessly. "Ranrok and his army are probably on their way to Hogwarts as we speak." "Hmm... I suppose you're right." After a few seconds of contemplation Sebastian suddenly bolted to his feet. "Merlin, what am I doing?! We need to get back to Hogwarts with that wand!" "It can wait a few minutes... At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore," I shook my head as I stood up again with an exhausted smile. "Of course you know the Killing Curse... and you've been holding out on me." "Well, it's... not exactly something any witch or wizard should brag about knowing," he looked away with unease. "I've only ever read about how to cast it... and after seeing Bakar cast it on Isidora in that memory, I-I thought it didn't seem that hard to replicate." "Maybe not," I agreed, "but knowing it would definitely come in handy for later... especially if we end up being too late and I need to stop Ranrok immediately." "That is true," he bowed his head before nodding and holding up his wand. "Very well... you're the only one with whom I'd entrust such knowledge. Hold your wand steady... focus. Your intention must be clear." He drew his wand down in a simple lightning bolt shape, which I found easy to mimic. After copying the motion a few times I nodded to him. "Thanks... now, we'd better get going. Who knows what we're gonna come back to at the castle." Sebastian nodded as well, and I took his hand before teleporting away. ~ It was worse than I thought. As soon as we reappeared I heard the sounds of machinery and war. We peeked around the thick trunk of a tree and gasped. The meadows surrounding the castle walls were filled with goblins. Their shouts of effort melded together into a cacophonous din as they tried to pierce the school's defenses with melee attacks and arrows from crossbows - a massive Protego shield of magic that easily repelled their attacks, as well as a ring of black fire that surrounded the entire castle grounds. It did seem that Fig had been successful in warning Professor Weasley about the coming invasion, however, as an army of sentient suits of armor was fighting on the front lines against them. But they were outnumbered by a factor of ten to one. In addition to sheer numbers the goblins were accompanied by a contingent of siege weapons: from old-fashioned trebuchets and mobile towers to more modern cannons and one of Ranrok's drilling machines. High overhead a quintet of blimp-styled airships hovered at a distance, klaxons blaring as they slowly floated closer towards Hogwarts. Neither of these two threats had been fully set up yet, but once they were in position I feared the shields wouldn't hold for long. "...This is way more firepower than I thought he had," I gulped. "I grew up with goblin raids on our hamlet... but I never imagined they'd attack the school," Sebastian breathed. "We can't possibly sneak through all of them to get back to the Map Chamber." "And even if we did, they'd all be right behind us." I pressed my lips together as I considered the best way of moving forward - we couldn't use stealth and we couldn't teleport... my mind led me to only one conclusion. Nobody else even came close to our level of skill, our prowess in battle. If it were anyone else other than the two of us, this plan would end in catastrophic failure. But together, Sebastian and I were unstoppable. A malicious smile bloomed on my face. "...Have you ever dreamed of singlehandedly winning a war?" He turned towards me in surprise, but eventually came to match my expression. "Only in my wildest of daydreams." "Well... don't let those dreams be dreams." He nodded once, then pointed his wand at a loaded trebuchet and cast Deprimo. The weapon instantly sank into the ground and fell over, its payload of a boulder wrapped in flaming oil-soaked rags rolling out and knocking into a siege tower, catching it on fire. Goblins began spilling out of it, loudly shouting that the tower had been filled with explosives - it blew up in a shower of splintered wood and metal seconds later. "Let's take out the siege weapons first," he yelled as we broke our cover. "The school's Protego Horribilis and Diabolica won't last against them forever!" "The goblins have air superiority, though," I countered. "They can see everything from up there. Take those out, and they won't be able to coordinate as effectively!" "Can't we just pop their balloons from down here?" he asked. I hummed to myself as I tried to remember the differences between manned flight in Equestria and on Earth. Ponies had mastered the technology, yet our airships seemed only slightly more advanced than the goblin-built ones above our heads. Wizards and Muggles alike employed their use, but wizards were the only ones who could control them reliably - they had magic, while Muggles hadn't quite yet invented the internal combustion engine to be able to do so themselves. Either way, both pony-built dirigibles and those for use in the Wizarding world had balloons crafted from the hides of beasts generally impervious to magic. Simply popping one was likely to be a difficult task. "It'd probably take something really powerful to do so... I'll handle those if you can disable their siege equipment." Sebastian nodded once in confirmation. "Very well. Be careful!" he called out before disappearing in a flash of light. I stared up at the five airships for a moment, then pulled out my broom from my pocket dimension and flew up to meet them. As I ascended I could already hear things exploding uncontrollably below me. I chose to land on the deck of the rightmost airship in the formation, about a thousand feet up from the ground. The goblin crew immediately took notice and began surrounding me, aiming crossbows and brandishing shortswords, axes and hammers. I merely rolled my eyes as they burned with magic, my wand barely moving as I Accioed one of the crossbows straight out of its owner's hands. Another wave of my wand and I Transfigured the crossbow into a futuristic weapon that confused the hell out of these primitive fools: a long, elegant barrel of yellow-painted metal attached to a red stock, traced over with golden, glimmering flames reaching up from the shining trigger. Back in Equestria, some Earth ponies had to resort to more inventive, non-magical methods to keep monsters and predators away from their farms. One such method was the Ponycor Apple-Jackhammer, a shotgun created by Salome "Slack-Ma-Girdle" of the Apple family some twenty-ish years ago. They generally weren't all that useful to Unicorns for obvious reasons, but they had still found their niche in the world. Perhaps because it was the closest they could ever come to performing offensive magic on their own, guns like this were quite popular with the Muggles. Wizardkind had never adopted them because there was just no need; Protego could stop a bullet if you knew it was coming. Unfortunately for goblins, however... they couldn't cast Protego. The shots were deafening as I enchanted the weapon to fly around and fire on its own. The goblins stumbled backwards as hot lead blasted bloody stars into their bodies, throwing some of them over the deck railing. Once they'd all been dealt with I Transfigured the rest of their weapons into similar pieces of firepower and attached them to the railings with a wave of my wand. The enchanted weapons began firing in rapid volleys as well, seeking out the closest enemies below they could hit. Then I headed over to the captain's seat of the airship and sat down, the controls simple enough to figure out what they did pretty quickly. I pushed a lever to ramp up the steam-powered engines and turned the rudders, aiming straight for the other four ships. Spells and buckshot might not have been enough to pop their dragonhide balloons, but a whole 'nother ship ramming into them at full speed ought to do it. I could hear the goblins on the closest airship screaming as they tried to steer out of the way, but I was coming at them way too fast. A crazed grin spread across my face as I tugged on the whistle cord, a shrill noise filling the twilight air. My ship collided with the balloon of the enemy ship seconds later, the force of the impact throwing me overboard. But I simply laughed as I pulled out my broom and flew back into the air. A deafening POP ripped through the air like a shockwave, the balloon deflating within seconds. Now the goblins screamed to abandon ship, donning parachute packs and throwing themselves into the sky. A simple mass Accio yanked all the weapons dangling from their sides towards me, puncturing holes through the parachutes, and I Transfigured them all into more guns. These I enchanted to flank and hover beside me, sticking out from my sides and back like the rays of the sun. The airship I had commandeered flew for a while longer until it struck the stern of the center ship, shearing it off as the bow crumpled in on itself. As I Accioed the shotguns from the falling ship and added them to my floating arsenal, I watched as a hundred metal orbs the size of beach balls rolled out of the back and began plummeting to the ground. A few of them ruptured and exploded, tearing the hole apart even wider. Bombs. That wouldn't do, especially if Sebastian was focused on destroying the siege equipment. I swooped down to catch up with them and Transfigured all but one of them into bats. The last one I caught in my magic, and it hovered at my side as I flew back up to meet the fourth airship. The thaumaturgical physics calculation required to scale up the explosive a hundred times flashed through my mind, and I grinned down at the panicking goblins as the bomb suddenly inflated to become fifty times its size. I chuckled once as I ended my spell and let the giant bomb fall directly onto the ship's deck, and flew off towards the final airship as the previous one exploded in a gargantuan fireball. The goblins on the deck of this ship were trembling in terror as I landed. With one wave of my wand, golden sword-like bayonets slid out from the trigger guards of my weapons, and another wave sent them flying towards my enemies in a whirlwind dervish. Due to the barrels behind the blades being thicker than they were, the cuts they formed weren't too deep. It was a strange combination of both blunt-force trauma and slashing damage. But it was still more than enough to cause mass hysteria among the crew. Half of them leapt out of the airship, some of them forgetting their parachutes in their haste to get away, while the rest struggled to keep the ship afloat. Soon the bow was pointed directly at the ground and gaining speed. Gleefully anticipating the explosion this would cause, I leapt off the doomed ship and back onto my broom, summoning my weapons back to my side as I watched the airship drive itself into the earth. The aftermath resembled a small volcanic eruption. As the last of the flames flared into the sky I landed in the eye of the storm of ash and smoke, using them as both cover and shield as I prepared my next complex spell. A hundred goblins surrounded me as I made my calculations, but I only regarded them with a cruel smile and a pulse of light from my eyes and wand. The collection of fifty shotguns at my sides began to glow with ancient magic, and they rose into the air and took aim. And then in a dance of death and destruction, they swung and flew around me like a graceful flock of swallows caught in a tornado as they fired upon my foes. My own movements were dancelike within the center of the storm, twirling and spinning in place to catch a glimpse of the next wave of enemies approaching, my wand soaring in dips and spirals to guide their aim, my foot occasionally nudging the butt of a shotgun to move it into the correct angle. Sure, magic was second-nature to me... but there was definitely something to be said about fear-inspiring peals of thunder accompanying such sheer kinetic force. As I danced, the world around me lit up with blinding firelight, exploding siege engines resembling fireworks at a gala. Sebastian appeared at my side a few seconds later, just as I shot the last goblin within five hundred feet of us in the face. "Muggle weapons, eh? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just showing off at this point," he smirked as I levitated the barrel to my lips and blew away the smoke with a grin. "...Ice cold. I knew I was the Chosen One." He laughed through his nose as we surveyed the battlefield - all of the siege weapons had been reduced to burning piles of twisted trash, the five airships were now splintered skeletal remains strewn all over the ground, and Ranrok's total ground forces had been successfully reduced by at least a third. Without the airships to guide them and the general mess we'd made of everything, the goblin army seemed much less organized now. The sentient suits of armor from the castle were finally beginning to gain ground. "How pathetic... thought they could take the school," he murmured confidently. We shared a fond glance at each other, my body heating up as I watched the light of the flickering flames dance across his face. But then the ground began to shake, more fiercely than I had ever felt before. I stumbled in place as the tremors seemed to approach from the southeast, pass directly beneath my feet and then continue onward. The heat within my body condensed and froze solid as I realized those were probably Ranrok's drilling machines on their way to the final repository, and there was still two-thirds of a goblin army to wade through before we could get inside Hogwarts. Even though Sebastian and I were likely two of the strongest magic users in the entire school, maybe even the strongest, period... we just weren't killing everything fast enough. At this rate I'd never make it to the repository in time... Ranrok would steal my ancient magic, my birthright, my prize, right out from under me! I would simply have to settle for the consolation prize of- "Mr. Sallow! Miss Shimmer! What in Merlin's name are you two doing out here?!" Startled by the callout, our heads jerked upwards to stare into the sky. Madam Kogawa was zooming through the air on a broomstick, headed right for us. She came to a stop hovering a few feet off the ground. "What are you doing out here?" Sebastian reiterated, as surprised to see her as she was to see us. "Keeping an eye on the goblin's assault," she answered curtly. "If it hadn't been for Professor Fig's warning, we would have been taken completely off guard!" "Fig..." I breathed, relieved that the other professors had taken his warning seriously. I heard a distant noise coming from the direction of the Beasts pens; looking over I saw Professor Howin on the back of one of the school's thestrals, leading the entire menagerie of creatures into the fight. The other thestrals and the pair of unicorns trampled goblins under their hooves and bucked and gored with all their might, the kneazles stalked and pounced and clawed at their faces, the hippogriffs, diricawls and jobberknolls swooped down with their beaks and talons to gouge out their eyes. On the back of another thestral sat Professor Garlick, pulling her own arsenal of mandrakes and chomping cabbages out of her pocket dimension to hurl at our enemies. Professor Shah and a few other instructors from classes I didn't have rode alongside her, casting spells and acting as her support. A sigh passed my lips as my confidence returned... the army would be taken care of without our further assistance. "I saw both the siege weapons and airships being destroyed... surely that wasn't because of your efforts?!" Kogawa asked incredulously. "I don't know how you managed it, but thanks to the two of you, it seems the tides of battle have changed." "Happy to be of help," I quipped. "Now, I take it you want us to get inside the castle for our safety?" "Post-haste!" she affirmed with a nod. We quickly pulled out our brooms and followed her as she made a beeline for the Astronomy Tower and its open balcony, flinging spells at any goblin that looked our way. The Protego Horribilis parted slightly to allow us in, and as it sealed shut once again the roar of the battle suddenly disappeared. My ears rang in the absence of the noise, barely registering the sound of my feet making contact with the balcony floor. "Get to your common room and shelter with the other students... do not make any detours!" she barked. "Wouldn't think of it," I replied, waiting for her to fly off and leave. Once she had I smirked at Sebastian, copying my smile as we ran straight for the Map Chamber. ~ Professor Fig was pacing anxiously in front of the Keepers' portraits as we raced down the steps. "There you two are... I was worried you'd gotten caught up in the battle!" he gasped as he turned towards us. "Oh we did, and more," I panted, skidding to a stop in front of him to catch my breath. "First Rookwood tried to kidnap us after finishing the wand so we had to kill him, and then we took out a good chunk of Ranrok's army before making our way into the castle." "Godric's heart... are you both alright?!" "We're fine... that bastard got what he deserved," Sebastian replied with a glare. "He thought we'd be stupid enough to join forces so he could get access to the repository, but I know a double-crossing snake when I see one," I smirked. "Indeed... well, the Keepers have been waiting," Fig sighed heavily, gesturing towards the waiting portraits. I nodded once and quickly walked onto the starlit map to address them. "Alright, I've got the wand. Now what?" "You have completed all of our trials... and you have done so under circumstances even I did not foresee," said Rackham. "You understand, now, why all of this was necessary - the Portkey, the vault, the locket, the book, the trials... To ensure that one with the ability you and I share would make the same choice that San, Niamh, Charles and I-" "Yeayeayea, whatever!" I snapped, swirling my hand in a circle. "We don't have time for this, just hurry it up already!" "Now that you have witnessed my memory, you understand all that is at stake," Bakar picked up where Rackham had left off. "Not everyone is what they seem." "Light does not exist without shadow, nor shadow without light," added Fitzgerald. "Simply because you can eliminate darkness does not always mean that you should." "Even the most well-meaning and competent amongst us cannot possibly know the consequences of manipulating what should be beyond our reach," Charles joined in. "What lies in the repository must never be released. Resist the temptation to destroy or control-" "MERLIN'S SAGGY LEFT TESTICLE, SHUT UP AND LET ME IN THE GODDAMN CAVERNS!" I cut Rackham off, screaming at the top of my lungs with an empowered Sonorus Charm, my eyes flaring almost demonically. "DO YOU WANT RANROK TO GET THERE FIRST?!" The elder Keeper's mouth clapped shut as the others gaped in astonishment, then after a few moments he shook his head as he bowed it and closed his eyes. I felt the floor shift underneath me. The pinpoints of light winked out all at once, and the inch of water covering the black marble drained away as the stone sank into the floor. I stepped off before it had moved more than six inches, watching impatiently as it melted away as though it had all been formed from ice, now revealing a short staircase leading to a gilded doorway at the bottom of a pit. "You have the wand... you will know when to wield it," Rackham sighed in resigned disappointment. "We leave our legacy in your hands." "Good... finally," I groused as I stared grimly at the door to the caverns. My heart began to pound inside my chest... I was so close now. So close to my long-promised power. Suddenly the entire chamber trembled, dust and pebbles clattering to the floor all around me. The impact both felt and sounded like it had come from directly above. Had Ranrok's army breached the castle's defenses? Thoughts of my friends raced through my mind... thoughts of Hogwarts crumbling to the ground with everyone trapped inside, thoughts of being buried beneath thousands of tons of stone and debris, gaining my promised power but joining the ghosts that haunted the castle, cursed to never be able to enjoy it. There were still far too many goblins outside, trying fanatically to raze the school to the ground. As long as they were still there... no one was safe. Someone needed to take care of that little problem, too. "We can only hope that we're not too late," Fig's lips thinned as he walked to my side, "and that we find nothing but a repository undisturbed beyond this door." "Ranrok's drilling machines are already on their way there," nodded Sebastian, turning to me. "We need to hurry if we're to beat them to your prize." I swallowed thickly, already feeling awful about what I had to say. "...No, Seb. You can't come with me. Not this time." "Wh... W-What?!" He took a step back and stared at me in shock. "Why?! If we have to fight them, then I shall stand with you!" "I know you will... but one of us has to stay behind," I sighed, turning towards him. "It's not because I think you're not strong enough or anything, because you are... It's because Ranrok is clearly throwing everything he has left at the castle, and I can't stop him from claiming the ancient magic and his army from razing Hogwarts at the same time. Natty, Poppy and Ominis are probably terrified of what's going on, they need your help to keep them safe... And between us, I'm the only one who can see or use the stuff." "My help? But..." He exhaled roughly, eyes darting back and forth as he considered my words, knowing I was right but still trying to think of a way he could come with me anyway. His pained expression hurt to see. "B-But... you and I are a team," he finished mournfully. "A perfect, unstoppable team!" "We are. And I'll be with you, in a way," I smiled softly as I reached into my pocket dimension with one hand and flicked my wand with the other. A swarm of palm-sized quartz crystals came flying out, the vast majority of them sailing through the air towards the open doors leading to the castle's dungeons and vanishing from sight. Four of them refrained from joining the group; two of them floated a foot above either of our shoulders. "Part of a Cheering Charm of my own I've modified," I explained. "I see..." He stared at the ground to hide his face. "I understand what you're saying, but... are you certain about this? If anything should happen to you down there, if there was a chance I could've saved you... I-I shall never forgive myself." I closed my eyes for a moment to will away the desire to change my mind and take him with me anyway, taking a deep breath as I laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I can do it... I've been training my entire life for this moment. Ranrok will rue the day he ever crossed me." His eyes dragged themselves upwards to meet my gaze. A few beats of silence passed before his face filled my vision, and I felt his lips smash against mine. Warmth flooded my body, drowning out all other thoughts as our arms wrapped around each other. I cared not what Fig nor those gutless portraits thought. For all I knew, this could very well be our last embrace, our last kiss. But I was determined to not let that be the case, and I trusted that he wouldn't let it, either. This stupid little cabbage man was going to die once I'd found him... painfully. All too quickly Sebastian broke away, though a hand still pressed against the back of my head kept us close. "Don't you dare die down there," he breathed, his forehead pressing against mine. The sentiment brought a smile to my face, thinking how cute it was that he was still concerned for my safety after all these months, after countless battles fought together. "...I love you too, dear," I smirked, gazing into his eyes as he finally let go. "Now... go show those little cretins why I believe you to be every bit my equal." He inhaled slowly as the compliment rolled through his head, an appreciative smile stretching from ear to ear on his face. It rolled through mine, too... there was zero doubt about what I had said. It was the pure, honest truth. This boy... he absolutely was my equal. No one else would ever come close. "Quite an honor, coming from you," he hummed as he turned to leave, glancing back at me over his shoulder. "I'll make you proud, love." I watched as he dashed out of the Map Chamber back up to the surface, feeling a regretful pang in my heart to see him go. It was quickly forced out by the castle shaking from another big impact. I scowled and set my gaze upon the staircase into the caverns, nodding to Fig that I was ready. Without another word, I opened the door and we slipped through.