Moths to a Flame

29. The Fight of a Lifetime

Aria pov

Days were going by slowly. Everyday felt like it could be the day. It made me anxious and paranoid. At any moment I could be fighting anyone. It also made me irritable towards the boys because all they wanted to do was help me and keep me calm but it wasn't working, it was actually making me more nervous. If this was going to be anything like fighting Victor Rookwood or even Ranrok then I need to be prepared.

Sebastian has been a great coach in helping me prepare, and get a grasp of my ancient magic again. Ominis has been a great support system in all of this as well. He tells Sebastian when to call it quits for a night. He always seems to know when I've had enough for a day. Ominis cuddles me at the end of each practice. Sebastian comes over too after a while. Sebastian's taken to journaling my practices, what we worked on, how I was doing with it and what's left to work on. In between sessions of practice we have classes and homework to do. It's quite stressful, especially with NEWTs coming in only weeks at this point. Today though, I didn't feel like doing anything.

"Sebastian I don't feel like practicing today" I say.

"Sorry but we're on a strict schedule. It could be any day now" he tells me.

"Please one day off" I ask sweetly I even bat my eyelashes at him.

"As beautiful as your eyelashes are and how sexy you are when you beg I need you to practice, as your mentor in this, it's part of my responsibility" he tells me.

"I never asked you, you just did it to yourself" I giggle.

"Yes, because I love you and I want you to be prepared. If I can't prevent this or if I'm not there, I need to make sure you can protect yourself again. I know it's there, your an amazing duelist. We need to bring it out of you" he says.

"Fine but can practice be only for a few minutes today" I ask sweetly.

"Fine thirty minutes" he says.

"Ten" I say.

"Twenty" he counters

"Fifteen" I say countering him.

"Fine" he said agreeing with me. I smiled and kissed him.

Then the Undercroft door clinks open and Ominis walks in. He kissed me and gave Sebastian a nod, and went to sit on the couch. Ominis amazes me. How he knows all these things like where people are and where to go, all without seeing. But I guess you get used to it.

"Alright darling wand at the ready" Sebastian said. We have a friendly duel. I didn't want to hurt him. But he's a good partner in dueling. He knows how good he is. He dodged everything I threw at him.

"Excellent darling. You're really improving well. How's the ancient magic, are you able to control it better now?"

"A little more, I still don't want to use it if I can avoid it" I tell him honestly.

"I know but it's vital you get a hold of it you never know what he could cast at you and you need to be able to catch him off guard" he says.

"I know. Are we done?" I ask.

"Yes, but tomorrow is a longer session" he says walking to the desk to journal.

"Don't you have quidditch finals soon, isn't Imelda drilling the team" I ask Sebastian.

"Yes but I make this a priority, because I want you safe" he says to me.

"Fine, but can I come to the practices for your quidditch" I ask.

"You know I'll never say no to that" he tells me.

I sat with Ominis. I lay my head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my cheek. Then he started to play with my hair. It was relaxing. When Sebastian was done he sat on the other side of me pulling my legs over his lap. He took my Mary-Jane's off my feet. And my stockings. To run his fingertips along my calf's. We just spent the evening together. Eventually we had to do homework but it was easy enough with Sebastian there and Ominis with his dictation quill. We all fell asleep together.

It was a non-assuming day like any other. When I was walking to my beasts class with Natty. I saw the boys off to the side of the lawn today I know they wait around for me to be done with classes. Today was no different. Only that's when I felt an odd sensation take over me and I lost my train of thought. As if I had no thoughts at all. I stood up and left the beasts class and walked into the corridors past everyone, and didn't seem to notice anything.

We were going into long corridors many stairs down into the depths of the castle. It seems vaguely familiar, but also like a distant memory to me. The map chamber? What are we doing here.? The repository! I'm being impiro'd, Randell must have found a way in and is here.  Already. I try to fight it off. I hear heavy footsteps behind me and the door banging there's no one coming in, the room, it's locked them out. Then there were more cautious footsteps. I fought off the curse.

"Very good poppet" I heard a voice. I spin around quickly and out of the shadows was Randell Sweeting himself. He was walking towards me. Instinctively I backed up.

"Relax I have no use of you once the door is open so open it and let get this over with, I've waited two and a half years for this" he says to me.

"Never!" I said. "It's not yours to take! How did you even find it" I say.

"You know I knew you were stubborn but I don't have time for all this, I could force you" he says. I raise my wand to be ready for a spell. And he did.

"Protego!" I said and the shield around bounced off his spell.

"Ooh, putting up a fight, I see okay you want to fight, let's fight then" he says.

"Bombarda!" I shouted. He flew back. I have no ideas what he's doing. I see spells coming at me.

"Confringo!" He shouts.

"Protego" I said. "Stupify" "Levioso" "Confringo"
"Diffindo" he shouts. I roll out of the way.

I feel my ancient magic coursing through me. It's time. I fling a rock toward him with my hand. He dodges it. I do it again. I hit him this time. It slowed him down. I heard the crackle of lightning I brought it down towards him. He didn't see that coming. Aria remember all the pain and suffering this man has but you through. Show him no mercy. He doesn't deserve it. I shoot spells at him relentlessly. He dodges it and it makes me even more angry.

"You think you can defeat me child" he says taunting me.

"I defeated Rookwood and Ranrok. I can defeat you too" I say.

"They were fools, I however am not" he says.
I shot a barrel towards him.
I need to do this the boys will understand.

"Patrificus totalaus!" "Crucio!" I shouted at him.
He wasn't expecting that. He was hit squarely in the stomach. He fell back, writhing.

"How do you like it" I shouted. Remembering all he put me through. "Confringo!" I shout.

It hit him singeing his robes. I channel my ancient magic once more this is it I can feel it with my magic. I strike him once more with it and he was on the ground. Not moving. I walked closer to him to make sure. I nudged him with my foot, nothing. The fight didn't take very long as far as I'm concerned. He's dead. Then it dawns on me. I killed him. I used an unforgivable. I crumpled to the floor crying. I promised to never do anything like this again, but here I am. I did do it again. The door to the map chamber swung open because I heard a bang. I don't care who it was. I was consumed with grief. I did that. I felt hands around me.

"Aria! Aria darling are you okay" I heard Sebastian's far off voice.

I had no reaction. I heard voices talking but I wasn't focusing. I was being escorted out of the room. My legs were like pudding. Then I was swept off them and carried off somewhere. The hospital? the headmasters? the ministry? Azkaban? Could be anywhere.