Chapter 132: Spilling Blood
Durmstrang Grounds, Oct 17th
Dropping out of the air, Harry, Viktor, and Calypso touched down onto the soft, marshy, ground.
"Disgusting," Calypso spat, smacking a mosquito that landed on her arm. "This is the last time I'm coming this far out to practice until you learn a decent insect-repelling charm."
"Agreed." Viktor released a burst of fire from his wand, killing all the bugs in the immediate area. "Ask Kosarev if you must, Harry. The insects will only grow more insufferable until the first frost, and we'll be long gone by then."
"Alright, I'll look it up when we get back," Harry said for what seemed like the tenth time. "You could always find one yourselves, you know."
"Viktor and I are not the ones who insist we practice this far beyond the wards," Calypso reminded her boyfriend.
"Think of it as Occlumency practice," Harry said irritably. "If you can't keep calm around some bugs, how will you maintain your emotions under a Legilimency attack?"
"Fine," Calypso conceded, "but you will find an insect repelling charm or you can practice by yourself."
"I'll get right on it."
Viktor grimaced as he smacked a bug that had landed on his neck. "Let's just hurry up, okay?"
Knowing that his friends' patience was approaching their breaking limit, Harry withdrew a small goblet that he had appropriated from the Main Hall during lunch. Setting it down on a reasonably sized rock, Harry carefully waved his wand around the goblet before intoning, "Protego Totalum."
A brief gold glow emanated from the rock and goblet, and Harry stepped away, giving Viktor and Calypso a clear angle.
"We can destroy the stupid thing now?" Viktor asked.
"Yes."
Calypso's wand was moving before Harry had finished speaking. "Vicero!"
"Expulso!" Viktor echoed a moment later.
Harry withheld a grimace, and he silently hoped he'd never need to guard against an evisceration and an explosive curse at the same time.
The two spells crossed the short distance to the goblet, and the ward flared green from the impact. The small goblet rattled slightly, but, other than that, there was no sign it had been affected at all. Unwilling to admit defeat, Viktor and Calypso both slipped into spell-chains, sending curse after curse at the goblet, eventually overwhelming the rudimentary ward, and sending the goblet flying into the marshes after a few more spells.
Feeling quite proud of himself, Harry said, "Well, that lasted a lot longer than last time. Viktor, are you up for testing the anti-disapparition ward, again?"
"Anything to get away from this place. Tell me again why we can't practice closer to the Quidditch pitch?"
Rolling his eyes, Harry replied, "Because the sheer intent behind the wards cast over Durmstrang would provide a very small boost to any protective magic that is cast within them, at least according to Professor Kosarev. I want to make sure I know exactly how strong my wards are, so I don't want to practice anywhere near them."
"Didn't you say you didn't believe that theory about warding?" Calypso asked. "Something about the caster's intent?"
"Well," Harry felt his face heat up a bit. "I didn't say the theory is wrong, just that people who are already protected by ridiculously powerful wards are likely to feel more at ease when casting their own. I'm not sold that it's the already existing wards that make the additional wards stronger, but rather the caster's more relaxed state. Still, I don't know if I'm right or not. There is a lot written about magical transference, especially when you look into higher level enchanting and lay –"
"Harry," Viktor interrupted. "Are you going to cast the spell or not?"
Realizing that his friend wasn't in the mood, and might just disapparate to get away from the area anyway, Harry went about casting the anti-disapparition ward. "Whenever you're ready, Viktor."
With a slight twist, Viktor disappeared with a sharp 'crack.'
"Damn it," Harry spat. "That is supposed to be one of the easier spells to cast."
Viktor quickly returned with another 'crack' and said, "Sorry, Harry."
"Did it feel any different than last time?" Harry asked. "Harder to leave, maybe?"
Shaking his head, Viktor said, "No. It felt the same."
"Just great. Viktor, can you go fly a mile away or so? I'll set up an anti-apparition ward. Maybe I'll have more luck with that."
With a grin, Viktor summoned his broom, leaping into the air just as it arrived, and raced off into the sky.
Determined, Harry paced around the area, an intent look on his face. Waving his wand above his head, he cast the anti-apparition ward, carefully keeping the exact area he was trying to ward in mind. Once he was finished, a soft-yellow hue appeared at the tip of his wand. The small glowing yellow dot lifted up off his wand and into the air before it expanded outward in a bubble before vanishing completely.
"Did it work?" Calypso asked, looking suitably impressed.
"I don't know, maybe." Harry looked around the area. "Viktor's not here, so it might have worked."
"Or Krum has just taken to flying around because he doesn't want to come back and deal with all the bugs," Calypso pointed out, causing Harry to falter slightly.
"Yeah, or that."
"Well, we don't have anything to do until Viktor gets back," Calypso said. "Why don't you practice the ward you worked on last time?"
"Cave Inimicum?" Harry seemed to consider it. "I guess I could, though I think I've got it down reasonably well."
"Practice makes perfect, Potter," Calypso teased. "Don't get arrogant just because it took Viktor and I a few more curses to break down your overblown shield spell."
Realizing that Calypso had a point, Harry reached into his robes and withdrew a small plate. Placing it on the rock, he enlarged the object before carefully pacing around the area, muttering quietly and waving his wand.
"Cave Inimicum!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Harry felt an immediate connection to the ward, and, for a fraction of second, his senses flared, opening his mind to every threat, human and animal within the immediate area. As soon as the feeling left, his eyes widened in horror. Raising his wand, he grabbed Calypso, pulling her close to him.
Pointing his wand at a nearby group of trees, Harry's wand blurred, and he slipped into a spell chain.
Calypso stared in shock as Harry suddenly released a bone exploding curse, a series of explosive spells, and a cutting curse into the nearby foliage. Her surprise was doubled when there was a loud scream, and several shields sprang into existence. Before Calypso could so much as raise her wand, Harry had turned around to send a blasting curse behind them, but, before he could complete the spell, the entire area erupted in spell fire as a half-dozen curses rained down upon them.
His wand already in motion, Harry just barely managed to raise a shield charm, blocking the first few curses. Unfortunately, with no spell protecting his back, and Calypso caught off-guard, a bone breaking curse struck his left elbow, snapping his non-wand arm.
Harry's howl of pain was what finally snapped Calypso out of her inactivity, and she waved her wand above her head, a massive torrent of fire exploding into the air. Moving her wand in an intricate circle, Calypso guided the flame to wrap completely around Harry and herself before willing it to dig into the earth.
At her command, the fire kicked up a great deal of rock, heating it considerably before the fire blasted outwards at their opponents. As the surrounding foliage and trees started to burn, Calypso heard the shouts and screams from the various disillusioned figures as they rapidly tried to cast flame freezing charms. As the first attacker became visible, Calypso unleashed a barrage of curses upon them.
Meanwhile, Harry had just finished numbing his arm and securing it to his side with a sticking Charm. Not knowing how many attackers they were facing, he cast Homenum Revelioand tapped his wand against his and Calypso's temple.
As soon as the spell took effect, Harry and Calypso tightened the grip on their wands. There were nine soft blue hues that encircled them, and only two of them were not moving, meaning at least seven had managed to avoid their initial attack, which had likely caught them by surprise.
Unwilling to give up their advantage, Calypso sent a laceration curse followed by a bone exploding curse at the nearest target. The person narrowly dodged the first spell only to take the bone exploding curse in the arm, dispelling her disillusionment charm.
As the dark skinned girl fell to the ground, clutching her arm and screaming in pain, Harry's eyes narrowed when he recalled just where he had seen her before. While he never bothered to learn her name, she and her twin sister were among the numerous people not allowed to go to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament.
Judging from the look on Calypso's face, she also recognized the girl; however, before either of them could send a follow up spell, the remaining attackers regained their bearings and unleashed another round of curses.
Having no choice, Harry and Calypso threw themselves to the ground, just avoiding the overhead spells. Sweeping his wand across his body, Harry sent another explosive hex, quickly followed by a Gauging curse. The nearest two attackers were instantly pushed on the defensive, but the rest, seeing an opportunity, sent another round of spells.
Scrambling, Harry and Calypso barely dodged the incoming curses – the first semblance of doubt and fear creeping into the back of their minds. Frantically, they both unconsciously began mirroring each other as they shielded, parried, and dodged as fast as they could.
Deflecting a suppression curse, Harry jabbed his wand forward, releasing a powerful gust of wind at his attackers. The three opponents in front of him were blown momentarily off-balance, giving Harry just enough time to slip into one of the most vicious spell-chains he had practiced for the Tri-Wizard. Blood-boiling, bludgeoning, explosive, and bone-exploding spells flew from his wand faster than his opponents could possibly defend against.
The closest attackers couldn't so much as dodge the incoming curses, and it was only bad luck that the blood-boiler missed high; however, the bludgeoning curse hit the first attacker in the hip, flinging him into the burning woods. The explosive curse struck the dark skinned girl's twin, sending a spray of rock into her face, and the bone exploding curse struck the third's left leg, throwing him into a nearby tree.
Harry was just about to finish them with a round of stunners when he felt a sharp stab of pain in his shoulder, and, a second later, his body was slammed painfully into the earth, his nose breaking on contact. Dazed, he spit out a great deal of dirt, his entire body feeling like it had just been pummeled.
Managing to turn his head, Harry saw the black girl Calypso had injured at the start of the duel raise her wand, levitating his body into the air. His eyes were wide with horror as the girl flicked her wand, violently banishing him into a nearby block of trees.
Smashing through the foliage, Harry tried to cover his head with his arms, but his extremities were barely responsive. It wasn't until his leg struck a passing tree, snapping his femur, that feeling finally fully returned.
Screaming in pain, Harry took in several labored breaths. Rolling over onto his broken arm, Harry felt his vision swirl. Tears falling down his face, he tried to climb to his feet, only to fall flat on his face. Clawing his way up to his hands and knees, he could just make out his girlfriend trying to keep the remaining attackers back with a flame whip.
Helplessly watching from the woods, Harry saw Calypso get hit by a Conjunctivitis curse before being dropped by a stunner, her flame whip flicking out. Looking for anything to help, Harry saw a few decaying logs that were a few feet away. With a wave of his wand, Harry cast a disillusionment charm on the nearest one before angrily banishing it at the closest wizard to Calypso.
With a scream, the boy's body was rammed, the log breaking in half against the side of his body.
Banishing a few more logs, Harry shouted, "Accio Calypso."
Unfortunately, now that the other three attackers realized he wasn't as out of the fight as they thought, they were able to quickly destroy the banished objects before they got close. In one terrible moment, Harry realized that by summoning Calypso, he'd not only exposed his unconscious girlfriend, but given away his position.
Trying to cast a shield charm over Calypso, Harry was shocked to see a stream of stunners and blasting curses rain down on the few remaining attackers. Looking up in the sky, Harry saw Viktor streaking down on his broom, a burst of fire leaving his wand as he descended.
Doing his best to catch the summoned Calypso without crushing his injured arm or leg, Harry countered the Conjunctivitis curse before waking her up.
Eyes snapping open, Calypso raised her wand, a spell already on her lips. Recognizing Harry, she spat, "I'll kill them."
"Wait." Harry grabbed Calypso's arm, wincing as his leg shifted uncomfortably. "Do you know the bone-mending charm?"
Her eyes softening, Calypso shook her head sadly. "I can numb it, but that's it."
"I already did that," Harry said, his entire body aching painfully.
If possible, Calypso grew more enraged. "No more holding back, Harry. Viktor's outnumbered, and you're too injured to keep going much longer. We need to finish this. Now."
Harry didn't need Legilimency to know what Calypso was telling him to do. He was a fraction of a second away from shaking his head when he saw one of the people he sent into the marshes limping out of the woods – their wand pointed directly at Viktor's back.
Fearing that more people might be about to rejoin the fight against them, and knowing he couldn't keep fighting the way he was injured, Harry channeled all the pain he was feeling into a single spell. Pointing his wand at the boy, he spat, "Crucio!"
Idly, Harry heard his girlfriend echo him a moment later, but his eyes were locked straight ahead, following the path of his spell. When the unforgivable struck the boy in the side, the effect was almost instantaneous. Dropping like a marionette with its strings cut, the boy screamed in absolute agony, a sound that was soon joined by the girl Calypso had hit with her curse.
For a moment, the two duelists facing down Viktor froze. All around them the marshes burned while the people who accompanied them were either unconscious or screaming in pain.
Viktor, on the other hand, was in no mood to stop, and he used his opponents momentary distraction to drop them with a pair of bludgeoning curses to the head. Almost as an afterthought, Viktor stunned and bound the two before surveying the area.
Several fires were starting to spread, and, summoning his Firebolt, Viktor took off, trying to find anyone unconscious around the flames. When he spotted an injured attacker, he quickly stunned and levitated them away from the fire. When everyone was accounted for, and Calypso had helped Harry walk out of the woods, Viktor stared at his friends in complete astonishment.
"What the fuck happened?"
"I have an idea, but I can't prove it unless we wake one of them up," Calypso said. "Come on, we need to get Harry to the hospital wing, his leg is broken."
"So is my arm," Harry pointed out, tiredly.
Seeing the purplish limb, Viktor winced. "Then we should go. What do you want to do about them? We can't leave them here with the fire."
Tiredly lifting his wand, Harry closed his eyes and muttered an incantation. Slowly, the fires started to die down until only the smell of ozone and burnt trees gave any hint that the marshes were once burning.
Staring wide-eyed at her boyfriend, Calypso had to stop herself from gaping at her boyfriend's impressive command of elemental magic. Deciding to simply bring it up later, Calypso pointed her finger at a round-faced brunette that was lying unconscious at her feet. "That's Nicole Stevens. She's a sixth year in my Dark Arts class. She confronted me a few days ago, and said it was unfair that Harry and I were granted exemptions to join the Hogwarts delegation. Apparently, she has a half sister at Hogwarts that she wanted to see, but she wasn't allowed to go because she's only sixteen."
Using Viktor's broom as a crutch, Harry hobbled over to the stunned group and pointed at the dark-skinned twins. "I recognize them. They're fifth years. They were in the meeting at the start of the semester with us." Looking closely at one of the unconscious wizards, Harry frowned. "Isn't that..."
"Demarcus Muller," Viktor said, nodding his head. "He's also 16."
"Let me guess," Harry said, starting to understand, "He wasn't allowed to go to Hogwarts either?"
Shaking his head in disgust, Viktor said, "We should leave them. They'll wake up in a few hours, and by then it'll be past curfew."
"It seems too easy for what they did." Harry eyed the group with the utmost disdain.
"Do you think any of them are good at healing charms?" Calypso asked. "I'd hate for them to just cast the bone mending spell and shrug off what happened here."
"It won't matter," Viktor said, not wanting to see what would happen if his friends followed that trail of thought. "The bone-mending charm only works if the break is fresh. It'll be skele-grow for virtually all of them."
Nodding, Harry summoned the broom he flew out on and carefully mounted it, Viktor and Calypso following soon afterward, each doing their best to help Harry as they took off. As they flew towards the castle, leaving behind a beaten, bloody, and brutalized group of witches and wizards, a thought crossed into Harry's mind.
"Hey Viktor?" he asked. "Did the anti-apparition ward work?"
Looking at his friend in complete disbelief, Viktor simply nodded his head.
"Oh, well, that's good," Harry said lamely. "I'll have to figure out what I did wrong on the anti-disapparition ward. Maybe Professor Kosarev will know."
"Harry," Viktor laughed ruefully, "Don't ever change."
It wasn't until they were nearly back at the gates of Durmstrang that Harry bothered to break the silence that had descended around them. Glancing over at Calypso, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Slightly taken aback, Calypso quickly said, "Nothing."
Grinning, Harry tapped his wand against his head. "Not going to buy that, Calypso. What's bothering you?"
"You mean beyond the massive fight we just had?" she asked, heatedly.
Harry nodded.
"It's nothing," Calypso lied. "Don't worry about it."
Not believing his girlfriend for a second, but too tired to press the issue, Harry just nodded his head and focused on landing. Touching down on the ground, he nearly blacked out when he accidentally put pressure on his broken leg. As Calypso and Viktor rushed to his side to help him, Harry made a mental note to learn some advanced healing charms.
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