Harry Potter: 19 Years Later

Chapter 77: Running Towards Danger

"Only one of us can bask in the glory when we finally rid the wizarding world of Muggleborns," Salazar said to Lucius, who was writhing in pain on the ground. "And that person can only be me. Avada Kedavra."

Scorpius was completely silent as he watched the last bit of humanity leave his grandfather's eyes. In the last millisecond before Lucius collapsed to the ground, fear and even remorse crossed his wicked features, and he no longer looked like a power-hungry murderer. But there was nothing Scorpius could do but watch the man he only knew as a Death Eater and not his grandfather fall to his death.

Salazar had nearly killed his friends. Not once, but twice. Though they were only close calls, Scorpius had never screamed so loud in his life, which was terribly ironic since no one could hear him. He'd lost all control of his own body, and now Salazar was using him as a killing vessel. A killing vessel that had just used the killing curse on his own grandfather.

It shouldn't matter to him. Lucius was a monster and deserved to die. But Scorpius knew he'd never recuperate from the guilt that he was the one who murdered him. No, it wasn't his fault, but the spell came from his wand and from his magic. How was he supposed to ever forget what he'd done?

What would his friends think of him from now on? What would his parents think?

You think too much, Salazar hissed at him. He was an entirely different person than he was throughout his and Scorpius's time together. Scorpius was still having a hard time grasping that this man had been acting as a mentor and even a friend to him for all this time. Salazar was seriously an impressive man, but in all the wrong ways.

Then, without warning, Salazar Disapparated from the courtyard. You think Apparition is rough when you're actually in control of your body? Try doing it when you're not. Scorpius felt like the walls of Salazar's twisted mind were constricting his conscious-self for a few seconds, then they expanded back to normal when they landed. They were now in the Astronomy Tower.

What are we doing here? Scorpius couldn't help but ask.

Salazar let out a deep chuckle, which sounded weird coming from Scorpius's own lips. It sounded more like he was coughing something up than laughing.

"You'll see soon enough," Salazar said, pulling out Scorpius's wand and walking over to the window. Gazing out, Scorpius noticed the once impenetrable barrier that surrounded the entire school was gone, and an army of wizards in navy uniforms were charging onto Hogwarts campus. They were Aurors! A twinge of hope filled Scorpius; maybe the whole school wasn't doomed after all.

"They arrived just in time," Salazar muttered, smiling maliciously. Then he aimed Scorpius's wand out the window towards the sky and incanted, "Protego Maxima. Fianto Duri. Repello Inimicum."

Several blasts of silvery-blue light shot out from Scorpius's wand, flying all the way past the Quidditch field until it stopped, forming a massive dome that stretched across the entire campus. Aurors watched in perplexity, some even casting spells in the air to test the barrier's strength. The spells merely bounced off the dome like it was made out of spongy material.

Salazar, what are you doing? Scorpius questioned nervously, already dreading the answer.

"You ask far too many questions," Salazar replied, watching the people outside the window scatter around the courtyard in a panic. "But if you insist on knowing my plan..."

Suddenly, his plan was exposed to Scorpius, who reviewed each and every intricate and cleverly-plotted detail. It was insane. It was dastardly.

And knowing what Salazar Slytherin was capable of, it was most likely unstoppable.

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