The Love Story of Harriet Potter and Tom Riddle

Chapter 122 - The Fall

Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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Harriet and Arthur quickly went about their errand.

Several stops were easy enough to make, first to Ron and Hermione's house, then to Seamus's remote residence, but Hogwarts was the most time-consuming destination.

The group apparated to the hill near Hogsmeade before they trudged towards the castle as fast as their legs would carry them.

Harriet gently pushed her way to the front of the troupe that gathered around the door of Hagrid's hut once they finally reached the gamekeeper's humble home.

Arthur, Hermione, Ron, and Seamus all watched Harriet knock on the door before thunderous steps sounded from the other side.

A moment later and the door swung open to reveal the castle's favourite half-giant.

They all watched as a confused scowl formed on Hagrid's face while he peered out at his unexpected group of visitors.

"Hello, Hagrid!" Harriet greeted him.

"Hello, Harriet......" Hagrid nodded, before he glanced at everyone in turn, "And Hermione.....Ron.....Seamus......Arthur."

As Mr. Weasley nodded and smiled, Harriet briefly contemplated the notion of remarking that Arthur Weasley and Hagrid were on a first name basis, but her situation drew her thoughts back to more pressing matters.

"We've um......." She began.

".......I'm just glad to see you're alright......All of ya." Hagrid sniffed, "Don' think for a minute I wasn't trying to do anythin', for you most of all, Harriet. I heard about what happened, ya see, but they haven't let us leave and it's been-"

"Who hasn't let you leave?" Harriet scowled.

"..........Them." Hagrid repeated as he dropped his voice to a whisper, "The Ministry guards."

"........They've sent Dementors to Hogwarts?" Hermione scowled.

"No, not Dementors. These are um......Well, there's one now." Hagrid interrupted himself as he pointed behind the group, towards the leftmost edge of the Dark Forest's beginning foliage line.

Harriet scowled as she watched the colour fade from Hagrid's face before she turned around with the others.

Behind her glasses, her eyes widened as she watched two, tall, faceless creatures walk towards her and her friends.

No skin, no scales, no fur, instead of anything recognizable as either human or animal, those dark creatures strode forward with a viscous black coating their bodies like running ink.

Although they had no face or eyes, there was some roundness towards their tops where perhaps a head may have been, shoulders a bit lower, which gave way to long, too long, arms that ended in four, talon-like spikes.

The others reached for their wands as Harriet pulled her own from her pocket before she looked at Hagrid and nodded, "Let's go!"

Hagrid didn't have the chance to protest before Harriet pulled him towards her.

As the group led him away from the castle, he shouted one question after another at Harriet.

In between the curses fired by her and her friends, Hagrid could barely hear her answers.

"Where are we goin'?!"

"To end this, once and for all!" She roared.

"You know I can' use magic!" Hagrid yelled as he ducked to avoid a shocking burst of purple light that had emanated from one of the advancing guards, "I can'"

"-You know about dragons, don't you?!" Harriet shouted.

"..............Dragons?" Hagrid blinked.

As soon as Harriet crossed the threshold that contained Hagrid's Anti-Apparition charm, she grabbed Hagrid's wrist and vanished with the others, leaving the Ministry's new guards to hiss in frustration.

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While Harriet secured her support, Tom tried desperately to be his daughter's hero.

Having fallen through the open window, Tom clung to the outer side of the castle while he attempted to avoid falling as he clutched his wand in his right hand, letting the nails of his left hand dig into the surprisingly soft mortar.

One thought echoed in his mind, he had to reach her before it was too late.

He gasped for breath as he did his best to grasp his wand.

He closed his eyes as he whispered the incantation he used to enter broomless flight.

A screech rang out as Mae opened her mouth.

Under his closed eyelids, Tom saw the blinding flash of light.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the bright streaks of purple highlighting the dark plum sky.

Annoyed, he quickly tried again, and upon his second failure, his pulse began to race as his grip on the stone wall tightened.

Tom Riddle junior had never encountered such a horror.

As his monstrous daughter spread her massive, black, scaley wings and looked down on him from her perch high atop the makeshift palace assembled by the evil Tom had so often touted, he realized his magic had left.

That was perhaps Tom Riddle's most foolish mistake yet, to boldly assume his daughter would fight fairly.

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Mark remained blissfully oblivious to his father's plight, to his sister's transformation, to the lot of it entirely, at least until Mae's castle at last came into his view.

His eyes widened at the dragon sitting on top of that dark, stone castle.

Purple lightning shot across the sky again, highlighting the gleaming, white fangs that lined that formidable creature's mouth, each one as tall as Mark.

Mark had never been brave.

Mark had never been strong.

Mark had never been remarkable in any way, and yet, instead of caving into his own fear and turning his plane around, he narrowed his eyes and steered his plane towards that castle.

Fortunately there was enough fuel in his tank to carry him there, and so he went towards his destiny, with his teeth grit and his hands white-knuckled as they gripped the plane's steering wheel.

Mae let out a loud, ear-piercing screech as Mark's small plane approached, seeing him as an irritating fly and nothing more.

She didn't realize what that muggle machine carried.

In his heart, Mark carried Lily and James, he carried the want for his mother's safety, and his own.

He even carried a lifetime of resentment after watching Tom fawn over his sister while he was left unmentioned and ignored.

That small plane crashed directly into the side of the castle, just under Mae's right paw.

The impact gave Mark a violent shake, sending him flying forwards and backwards, but he knew then his mission would be successful.

As Mae growled and bent her long neck down to end her enemy, Tom's words echoed in Mark's ears while he reached for the Portkey Arthur had placed inside the plane.

"And so he took up his brother's axe....."

With the single bite that she placed to crush that plane, she inadvertently destroyed herself.

Mark's fingers touched the Portkey the same instant the bomb exploded.

As Mae, the castle, and the small island underneath it became engulfed in a large, blue cloud, Mark found himself flying through the air to safety and to what he hoped would be a better life.