Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[65] Light And Dark

The Order of the Phoenix had closed in on the Malfoy Manor from all sides, severe curses and hexes were being exchanged between them and the Death Eaters defending their headquarters. The jets of light from the curses was almost blinding and slowly but swiftly the protective enchantments around the Manor were being torn down.

Nathan Whitburg was at the head of the squad leading the members as they penetrated through the defenses put up round the Manor. His withered features were set in a determined look for he knew he would go to extreme lengths to retrieve Eridanus and so would the others because the boy meant a lot to all of them. 

Perseus was right beside him as the two battled fiercely with the Death Eaters, forcing their way in despite the heavy resistance they faced. Emmeline and her squad had targeted the Manor from the back with a stealthier approach and they gained access to the dungeons so they penetrated inside, battling the guards that were set up on the torture cells that the Death Eaters used to keep their victims in.

Most of those cells housed dead bodies of the poor missing wizards as well as Muggles, the dungeons reeked of torture and death and Emmeline's heart churned in anxiety as she looked in through each cell for Eridanus. Her wide green eyes searched desperately, hoping that her friend was still alive and not among the clutter of dead bodies hoarded in there.

There was an intricate network of tunnels in the dungeons and as the Aurors edged forward, they noticed that one of the tunnels led up to the main room. But before they could step in, they were blocked by a shield charm.

The caster of the charm however was none other than Eridanus and he had sensed their presence so he removed the shield, revealing himself.

"Danny?" Emmeline stepped forward but he gestured her to stay silent. Her gaze fell on his bloodied wrists and features that depicted clearly that he had gone through severe torture, eyes widening in alarm and pain.

But then there was a loud thundering roar that shook the whole underground network. All the Order members held their wands at the ready, knowing that something awful was about to happen.

Eridanus clutched his head as he fell down, intense pain shooting up through each nerve of his body. He could see an intense dark mist sweeping through the dungeons and settling around the dead bodies in the torture cells yet he was fully aware that the others could not see it. Emmeline had bent down beside him concerned as she made him stand up, her arm placed on his back to support him.

"All of you, evacuate the dungeons right now," Danny's voice was shaking and his grey eyes were wide in terror as he absorbed the darkness spreading through the cold stone walls, "me and Emmeline will go up. You all take that tunnel and get out instantly."

"Danny, what's going on?"

He gestured to the torture cells, holding on tightly to her. And sure enough to their utter shock, the dead bodies had started to rise. Their eyes were clouded and milky white, their bodies a deathly pale yet a terrifying mania seemed to grip those reanimated corpses as they tore at the iron bars.

"Inferi," the word escaped Emmeline in a terrified whisper but Danny had taken her hand in his, the two of them breaking into a run through that tunnel that led up to the main room. The Inferi had broken out of their prison cells and were dispersing all around akin to hundreds of zombies, bent upon destroying and killing whatever came in their path.

The rest of the Order members had taken the tunnel which Danny had pointed to, frantically escaping the dungeons though they were met by a hoard of Death Eaters up front and had to battle them as well as protect themselves from the Inferi chasing them.

Eridanus felt as if his brain would explode for the energy used to create Inferi was intolerably dark and as he could sense it, the severity of that cursed magic was taking hold of him, invading him mentally.