Ravenclaw

Chapter 87- End This Madness

Song for the chapter: Pillowtalk by Zayn

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Rowena ran up to the two towers of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and quickly brought those willing to fight down into the bottom few floors, where the battle was so intense. Curses, jinxes, an array of spells flew over their heads, under their feet, and the best anyone could do was dodge them, for who knows which one could lead to a worse fate of death?
Flaura had not yet come back from the depth of the Hufflepuff and Slytherin common rooms, so Rowena busied herself by taking on three Resistance members, who were wearing silver and black masks to shield their identity. It was cowardice, Rowena thought, to support something wholeheartedly, yet not enough to show the world your true colours. She ducked to avoid a Stunning spell before firing one herself, hitting one of them right in the chest, the man falling to the floor in a crumpled heap, unmoving.
It was if they were dancing-- the two other attackers, so burly and fierce, lunging towards her and retreating to avoid the spells she cast. Rowena, however, was graceful on her feet, easily dodging the spells as they made contact with the floor at her feet, making holes in the wooden flooring and tiles to be burnt. The way she flicked her wand effortlessly made her seem more intimidating, and the determined look on her face made the rest that approached her wary.
When the two men finally fell at her feet, Rowena spotted her sister duelling fiercely with another man, who was proud enough to show face. Without hesitation, she rushed over to her, firing a few quick spells to the attackers of students that were struggling.
"Avada Kedavra!" The man Flaura fought fell to the floor. She let out a breath; upon spotting her sister, she managed to smile.
"Alright?" She asked, and Rowena nodded.
"We need to find Salazar," Rowena shouted over the noise. Screams and yelps filed the entire castle, and the two could only hope that those on their side were winning.
"Why-- duck!" Flaura yelled as another spell was fired in their direction. They jumped opposite ways and fell to the floor, before scrambling to get back up. They couldn't resume their conversation-- not when more people found their way to them and started to duel.
Back to back, the two sisters cast spell after spell, jinx after jinx, as the Resistance realised that the students weren't the threat-- the teachers were. The biggest threat was the two of them, and the moment one dropped to the floor, another quickly took their pace. A never-ending stream of Resistance members came to them; what they needed was a distraction...
BOOM. A foul smell filled the air, just as Godric came flying into the Great Hall on his broomsticks, releasing more of what looked like Dungbombs everywhere. Students quickly hid underneath tables, and teachers cast spells to shield themselves from the downpour, but the Resistance members, with less experience with these troublemaking toys, merely looked up and welcomed the stream of brown.
"Aargh! Geroff!" One nearby the sisters shrieked, and soon, the battle quickly resumed as those of Hogwarts started firing jinxes at their confused opponents. Godric flew from his high perch down to the ground, where Rowena and Flaura had exited the Hall and hid in a secluded area to discuss their next move.
"They've got more people than we thought," muttered Flaura, who shook her head in dismay.
"Godric, what's the situation on the people of Hogsmeade?" Rowena asked her husband after giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
"They're keen to help. Some have volunteered to escort the children out since there's not many people attacking from the Hogsmeade front-- it's quite quiet there, no sign of incoming attacks or anything." He replied. They all jumped as someone nearby let out a horrible wail, before returning to the conversation.
"That's highly suspicious... reckon there's something there that they want?" Flaura said.
"No, it mustn't be something they want that's there... if not they'd just have Salazar take it, there's no need for all this chaos..." Rowena replied, furrowing her brows and crossing her arms, deep in thought. "Unless..."
"Unless what?" Godric said blankly.
"That's where they're planning their next attack!" Rowena said brightly as the thought crossed her mind. "They want to keep it safe and quiet there so their plans would not be messed up-- I reckon that's where Salazar is!"
Godric scrounged up his nose at the sound of his name. "Why would we want to find him?" He said rather distastefully.
"Because he's their leader," Rowena replied calmly.
"So?"
"The attacks would stop once their leader has fallen... and if we can take out those who are sure to take over after him, they'd retreat! Genius, Ro!" Flaura exclaimed, smiling broadly at her sister. "What are we waiting for, let's go!"
The three of them quickly sprinted out of their little hiding place and scurried forward to the path leading to Hogsmeade. Along the way, they met Professor Lilac and Professor Forfax, and they decided to tag along. Curses flew towards them, as the Resistance tried to stop the five of them from leaving the main building.
"Take that!"
A voice cried into the night, and those firing the spells from high up gagged as they got strangled to death; the five turned and spotted Helga waving at them, setting some of her dangerous plants on the loose.
"Remind me not to cross Mrs Weasley," Helena muttered under their breath as the castle was hidden from view behind the fog that had settled and the peaceful Hogsmeade came closer, only a few of their fellow Hogwarts members standing guard at the entrance.
Godric nodded to them as they slipped their cloaks on, hoods over their heads so that they blended in with the shadows cast onto the streets. They stealthily moved in between houses, peering into the windows and entering them separately in order to make a quick and thorough search of the place. But only one building had its lights on...
"Salazar's pub," Godric whispered as they reunited with the only possible building left for the Resistance to hide in. "D'you reckon it's in here?"
"I suppose so," Professor Forfax replied. "Though it is a tremendous loss to have Rose turn over to them."
Quietly, fter looking through the front windows and realising they were blocked, the five of them crept to the back entrance of the pub, and Rowena pointed her wand t it.
"Alohomora."
The door unlocked itself with a soft click, and swung open to a dark corridor. They snuck inside one by one, and closed the door behind them as quietly as possible.
"Lumos," Three of them mumbled, and soft lights lit up the small space. They were in some sort of pantry; the door leading to what should be the main pub was the only other source of light.
Rowena led the way-- she crept towards the door and looked out of it. It led to another corridor; to the left, there were some stairs leading to the second floor of the building, where a private seating area was and the home of Rose. To the right, the main pub could be seen, and a few figures stood around a table. Rose and her husband were tied to chairs, gagged-- their wands lay on a tabe far from them.
"Alohomora," Rowena muttered again, and the door unlocked itself. She opened it slightly, just enough so that they could hear the conversation going on.
"I'm glad you decided upon yourself to start the war today, Salazar," The horribly familiar voice of Mariana Slytherin reched their ears-- Flaura Mae stiffened slightly. "I was starting to grow tired of hiding in your disappointing cousin's pub and putting the Imperius curse on her."
"Mind you, she was under my control." A woman snapped. She sounded unfamiliar-- she was the fourth and last person in the room except for Salazar and his mother. She turned, and they saw her face-- Rowena was glad that they hadn't brought Helga with them. It was Maria, Salazar's wife. She had a bit of belly since the last time they saw her; she was probably pregnant.
"Conflict among ourselves will not win us the conflict going on out there." This time, Godric stiffened-- Helena and Raziel had to restrain him from running out the door. It was none ither than Aurora Lestrange, the woman responsible for his parents' divorce and his father's death. For her to abandon the children she had had with his father was cruel enough; to pretend she had never led that huge part of her life was another. She was pure evil-- it took all of Godric's strength not to run in and attack.
"As I was saying, the attack is running smoothly." Salazar. The way he spoke-- it ws calm, amused even; it made the five of them sick to their stomachs to hear him talk about the place he loved getting destroyed. "I'm almost certain that this time, we will be victorious."
Mariana was about the speak again, but then a knock at the door came. The four of them turned their heads towards the entrance as Aurora approached it and opened it carefully. Four people stepped inside. Aurora's horrible grin returned.
"Ah, finally you've arrived. Quickly, take them away." She gestured to Rose and her husband, who continued to strugge against their bonds. The larger two stuffedn their wands in their pockets, before hauling the couple away. The five in the pantry looked sadly at them, for they could not save them at that moment. The other two stayed behind and stood gaurd at the door.
"Now's our chance," Flaura said. "It's five against six, and we definitely can manage."
"Are you sure? It might be too risky... we are technically outnumbered--" Professor Lilac said, but then Godric interrupted her.
"Yes, but we have better skill, don't we?" He said fiercely. "If we don't do it now, we might never get the chance again. Pus, we might not ever know where they are taking Rose!"
"Guys, please be quiet," Rowena said as she glanced towards the table, but they all ignored her.
"Godric, we can't risk it. They might be discussing Rose's location now, so why don't we just listen?" Raziel offered, but Godric shook his head indignantly.
"We can get it out of them later. We should do it now!"
"I agree with Godric," Flaura said. Nobody seemed to notice Rowena panicking to make them lower their volumes.
"No, we are not doing it!" Helena said firmly. "If we do--"
"Shh! They're coming!" Rowena said with wide eyes. The four of them immediately shut up and pressed themselves to the walls as Rowena closed the door as softly as possible. She looked out and watch the table carefully.
"Did you hear that?" Salazar said. The other five in the room nodded; they all had their wands out.
"Now you lot have done it." Rowena said, rolling her eyes. "Guess we're making our move after all."
They stood, wands pointing at the door, ready to Stun whoever opened it. It was quiet-- the only sound was the footsteps inching towards the pantry door...
Someone placed their hand on the doorknob. The shadow of their feet could be seen through the gap between the floor and the door. They waited anxiously-- the doorknob creaked as it turned, and then the door opened slowly--
"Stupefy!"
Salazar jumped aside right in time-- the numerous red blasts hit the sink, and a jet of water streamed out of where the tape was supposed to be. Crying out, the five charged in the room, quickly taking on their opponents in a match to the death.
It was Hogwarts all over again-- flying spells hit every wall, floor and furniture. Some burst into flame but was quickly put out; others cracked and spit into half, leaving a compete mess in what used to be a quanit little pub. The skill of these wizards and witches were hgher-- the dodging was more efficient and the type of spells used seemed to be in one category-- the Unforgivable curses.
Green and red bolts of light flew everywhere-- a window was smashed open and a jet of light flew out into the streets. Smoke quickly filled the room, and the battle for vision became just as hard.
"Stupefy!" Maria hit the ground. Flaura Mae couldn't possibly kill a pregnant woman. It just wasn't right. She moved her aside into the pantry, so as to ensure her life was spared. But as she did so, someone grabbed her by the throat-- she dropped her wand as she got pinned to the wall. Aurora smiled wickedly at her...
"Now you'll find out what we do to traitors," she hissed. Her wand pointed directly at her niece's heart, ready to strike...
"Expelliarmus!" Aurora's wand flew out of her hand and into a far corner-- glaring she turned to find Helena looking at her with a horrible expression on her face. Anger coursed throught the professor's veins. "No one messes with my students!"
Aurora dropped Flaura; she sunk o the floor, gasping, wheezing, her face had turned white as she tried to regain her breath. Aurora ran to retrieve her wand and started to duel even fiercer with Helena.
Only Professor Lilac and Flaura managed to take down her opponent, the man who stood guard at the door; the rest were still locked in a furious battle with one another. Godric and Salazar were duelling with each other once again, and Rowena put up a good fight against Mariana. Raziel, who was originally fighting Aurora, pulled Flaura to her feet.
"Get help," he said to her, and Flaura nodded, running back to the castle as quickly as possible to call Helga. Raziel turned to Aurora as a Stunning spell grazed Helena's arm.
"I've got you," He said, as he joined Helena in duelling Aurora. But the younger woman was far quicker and more agile compared to the two older professors; she grinned evilly as she turned to doge a spell and fired one of her own as she spun back round.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Helena widened her eyes-- but it was too late. Even as she lunged to the side, the green spell hit her; momentarily, she stood, as she was illuminated by the light of the killing curse. Then she fell onto the ground, lifeless, her body turning cold in the immense heat of the battle.
"HELENA!" Raziel roared, before lunging at Aurora, forgetting that he could quickly eliminate her with his wand. He aimed a punch at her; Aurora quickly ducked, before repeating her movements.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Soon after he watched Helena's body do the same, his own eyes widened, and his body stopped moving. His wand fell to the floor with a clatter, and his pale body, which had grown even paler, followed suit. His large physique hit the floor with a rather loud thud beside his wife's-- Aurora looked down at her two fallen opponents gladly.
"Professor!"
Aurora swivelled round to see Rowena, wide-eyed, staring shell-shocked at her fallen teachers. Unspeakable rage filled her-- she kciked Mariana in the shin and in places that shall go unmentioned, before running towards the evil woman and casting spells like never before.
Rowena must've finally found her match-- it seemed that the two women were of the same skill, managing to dodge and fire spells easily, gracefully. Not one spell hit or grazed the other, not one spell managed to harm anyone else. In that moment, where Aurora felt pure glee and Rowena felt pure loss, it was just the two of them, one fighting for pleasure and the intent to kill, the other fighting to avenge the loss of her teachers, her friends.
"Oh I wonder what you are to do without your instructor," Aurora cackled. "Shame she had to go, isn't it?"
"Shut up," Rowena growled. "Avada Kedavra!"
Miss. Aurora continued to laugh, even though her spell missed Rowena too.
The smoke had started to clear; it seemed that only Rowena and Aurora were battling so intensely. As a spell neary hit Aurora, she managed to dodge by pure luck. Her eyes widened, then hardened-- it is no longer fun and games.
"Leave, and never come back!" The two women heard Godric yell. There was a loud bang; but both women were too preoccupied to notice what was happening outside of their fight. "They're both gone, he must've took them!" Another familiar voice called, but now was not the time to look away, it should be the time to concentrate...
"Mobilicorpus!" Someone outside of their fight had intervened-- Aurora's eyes widened, she felt to the floor, frozen, unabe to move, Her wand slid before coming to a stop at Rowena's feet. Without hesitation, she raised her foot then stomped; the wand broke into half, pieces of wood littering the already cluttered floor.
"You are an evil woman," Rowena muttered as she looked at the woman before her.
She blinked once, twice; extreme fatigue took over her body, and she closed her eyes, falling to the floor-- hoepfully, it is over.

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