The Sallow Saga - Vol. 1 - In the Shadows of a Legacy [a HL fanfiction]

Chapter 17. The Repository

With Sharp heading the group, they marched across the bridge toward the cavern doorway. As they drew closer, the sounds they had heard muffled from above, became clearer.
Sebastian frowned, "I don't suppose anyone else is hearing sounds that don't sound... normal?"
"Indeed Sebastian," Sharp's face looked grim. In all his years as an auror tackling some of the more prolific dark witches and wizards before his injury; never had he experienced anything like this.

Cassy had learned about the screams of banshees during her school years in Defence against the Dark Arts with Professor Hecat. The sounds they were hearing seemed to resonate in her mind as the wails of a chorus of the tortured spirits, accompanied by nails on a chalk board. Vibrations under their feet sent ripples across the bridge they were traversing. At the doorway, an almighty explosion from beyond the entrance was followed by a roar, the likes of which caused each member to look at one another apprehensively.

"How should we work this sir?" Cassy hesitantly asked Sharp, "go in wands raised? Or covertly?"
Sharp barely spent a moment to think through his decision, before casting the disillusionment charm on himself. The rest of his team followed suit and steadily opened the door. The scene that they observed from above was nothing short of pure chaos.

Swirls of ancient magic, in hues of red and black raced around their heads. They viciously charged and violently projected their attacks on an army of Marvolo's followers below. At least now Cassy knew what was causing the scraping sounds. To add to the cacophony the tainted ancient magic appeared to be defending itself against a swirling black mass, the culprit of the explosions and banshee like screams.
"What in the name of Merlin?!" Ominis gasped by her side, his hands covering his ears from the torturous sounds, his eyes wide with shock.
"It's as we feared Ominis," Cassy ran her hands through her hair with desperation "there's an obscurial!"
Sharp cursed and looking over the crumbling parapet he took in the whole scene below, before grabbing Cassy's arm.
"There!" He pointed toward a darkened corner of the space below where a group of terrified children, bruised, battered and with haunted expressions; stared in outright fear at what was happening. They all clung to each other, all pulling each other closer for protection.

Cassy turned to Sebastian and Ominis, "our main priority are the children over there," she hastily whispered. She turned to Sharp.
"Sharp and I will create a diversion which will keep Marvolo's followers occupied, Seb – you and Ominis get those children out of here and back to safety up top!"

Sebastian and Ominis nodded in unison and stealthily slunk down the rocky pathway to the children. Sharp and Cassy surveyed their progress. The disillusionment charm was perfect for these scenarios. It didn't make you invisible par-se, but instead, convinced onlookers that you were a trick of the light. In this environment, Cassy was relieved that there was enough light and magic bouncing around the cavern, enabling the two wizards to pass by the army, undetected. She could just about make out Sebastian and Ominis' figures moving in a steadier path in contrast to the sparks and ripples encompassing the shimmering goblin silver orb.

"Ready sir?" She asked Sharp.
Sharp nodded and pointed toward an outcrop of stalagmites across and up from the platform below them.
"I will position myself there. Upon my mark, remove the disillusionment charm and focus your attention on the followers directly below me. I will focus mine on those below you. Use these rocks as additional support and protection! Above all, stay safe!" Sharp rested both his hands on Cassy's shoulders in comradery before apparating.

Cassy only had a moment to prepare herself before Sharp stood tall, atop the platform opposite and in full illumination across from her. His yell echoed around the chamber; "EXPULSO!" The ground below her reverberated with the blast and many of the followers below her turned their attention toward the auror, casting an array of jinxes and curses in his direction. Sharp dodged and dived behind the rocks swiftly. In turn, Cassy removed her own disillusionment charm and bellowed, "CONFRINGO!" The group of witches and wizards on the opposite side of the platform below, who managed to escape the ball of fire which exploded from her wand, turned their attention toward her.

All the while the obscurial screamed relentlessly and lashed out at the repository and its content. With an almighty burst of energy, the mass engulfed the silvery orb before breaking the entire encasing in half. The haunting wails from the ancient magic was overwhelming as each whisp of negatively charged beam of energy tried to latch on to a suitable source.

Cassy dived to her left as a dark wizard cast the killing curse in her direction. The jet of green light burst off the cavern wall she'd been standing in front of not a moment before. As she made contact with the ground, her wand flew from her hand, just as another witch with wild silvery hair apparated by her side. Before Cassy could scrabble for her wand, she heard a familiar voice yell "BOMBARDA!"

Sebastian had hurried to her side in time to blast the witch over the edge and down the ravine below. Steadily, he helped Cassy up and returned her wand.
"Thank you!" Cassy gasped, "I thought I was done for!"
Sebastian grinned, "not under my watch. The children are safe, the battle up top has ended, the grounds are clear of Marvolo's followers. Professor Weasley is seeing to the children now, with Ominis. I came back to..."

Sebastian trailed off, as he glanced over the boulder they were crouched behind. He had a look of horror dawning on his face. Cassy followed his lead and peering over the domed edge, her jaw dropped. One of Marvolo's followers was screaming and yelling in agony. Cassy observed that the whisps of tainted, ancient magic had vanished. The obscrurial swooped directly by them and attached itself to the wall behind them, like a disturbing, ensnaring curtain. The duelling had paused momentarily as everyone watched on, transfixed with the contortions and violent shaking the follower was demonstrating. The stillness and silence were deafening. Sharp apparated to Cassy's side, breathless.
"A word of advice for the wise..." he nodded in the direction of the helpless wizard below, "do not cast accio on the tainted magic, in the hopes of using it as a projectile."
"Why's that sir?" Sebastian gulped; his stare transfixed on the events below.
"Well, it seems that delightful soul below, summoned a series of rocks to throw at me. Unfortunately, some of this tainted magic happened to have settled on said rocks. They appeared to latch to his wand, wrap around his hand, arm, torso and... in short. Apparently, the damnable stuff possesses you!" Sharp's expression was that of bewilderment.

The trio watched on as the man below them screamed in agony, convulsing, and frothing at the mouth. Finally, a stout haggard looking witch stepped forward.
"Will someone put that man out of his misery?!" She spat.
No one moved. No one dared. All watched on with morbid curiosity.
"Oh for..." the old witch snapped. She casually pointed her wand at the hapless man and without a flicker of emotion, she cast the killing curse.

In an instant, the possessed wizard flew into the air. His body split into multiple strands of black, red, and green mist. The mass of energy swirled into the air growing, until it seemed to fill the space around them. Cassy grabbed Sebastian's arm and stifled a scream of horror as it took on the form of a figure with fiery eyes and a flowing cape of emerald, green. Its body was ebony in colour and rippled without a solid outline. There it hovered in the air as the spectators looked on, mortified.

Only the old witch made a sound, as she laughed, crazed, pointing upward.
"Well?! What are you louts waitin' for? Destroy it!" she cursed. She twisted around to face the force, just in time to witness it raising tendril like arms in the air, before swinging them down with immeasurable speed. In an instant, the platform below them disintegrated, taking the witch and many of her accomplices with her.

Sebastian shuffled across to Sharp and cleared his throat.
"I don't suppose your auror training might offer an indication as to how we might stop that... thing?"
Sharp shook his head slowly, he was transfixed.
Cassy shuddered and looked around her helplessly, wishing that her old mentor Professor Fig were close at hand, he'd have known just the right thing to say at this moment. Her gaze rested on the obscurial latched to the wall behind them. As she watched, a small pale face emerged out of the cloud of swarming shadows. Its large sorrowful eyes met Cassy's. It smiled weakly at her and in a timid voice, it whimpered, "I might be able to help..."