Chapter 111
Two minutes—that’s exactly how long it took Mia and me to get dressed, arm ourselves, and leave the girls’ bedroom. Checking my trusty MP5 as we went, I was the first to dash out of the living room and run for the stairs, Hermione close behind. Naturally, we weren’t even thinking about quiet steps or any kind of disguise at that moment, so after a dozen meters, we heard a loud male voice behind us.
– Stop! – I turned around and saw a mercenary running towards us.
Fuck! How could I forget that Malfoy had his men posted at the entrance to every common room? Although, maybe it’s a sign? Maybe I shouldn’t go after the Filth Shard alone? I should probably pay attention, so I didn’t play catch-up and stopped, but I didn’t let go of the machine gun. Meanwhile, the battlemage quickly appeared across from me and gave us a disapproving look.
“Fräulein, why aren’t you in your beds?” the mercenary asked with a slight German accent. “By Lord Malfoy’s orders, all students are to be in the common rooms after lights out. Please return to your room.”
– Excuse me, Herr? – I looked questioningly at the mercenary.
“Herr Lichtsteiner,” the wizard introduced himself, continuing to glare at us. “That wasn’t a request, but an order! Return to your faculty common room immediately, or…”
“Herr Lichtsteiner, this is a matter of utmost urgency and we need your help.” I interrupted the mercenary. “It’s a matter of life and death!”
– What happened? – The battle mage suddenly became serious.
“Well, this is going to sound stupid, but you have to believe me.” I looked the Herr in the eye. “Right now, in the Chamber of Secrets, a fragment of the dark lord is preparing the ritual of its resurrection.”
– What Dark Lord? – The mercenary was taken aback. – Grindelwald?!
– No, our dark lord, the British one – Mia stepped forward. – Voldemort!
“Couldn’t you come up with anything smarter?” Lichtsteiner considered our words for a few moments and then chuckled cheerfully. “Okay, Fraulein, that’s enough laughing, now get going to the living room!”
“It’s true,” my best friend muttered.
“Of course, of course, and Merlin and Faust are helping him.” The mercenary chuckled. “Girls, I’m asking you for the last time: go back to bed. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to use force, tie you up, and throw you in the living room.”
– One minute! – I demonstratively took the Miracle Phone out of my pocket and quickly found the right contact. – Lord Malfoy?
“Miss Hellsing, were you expecting to see someone else at such a late hour?” A sleepy blond man looked at me from the screen. “What happened?”
– Voldemort is about to rise again!
– What? – Lucius instantly woke up and stared at me with wild eyes. – Where?! When?
“Our whole life is a game!” the words from a famous TV show from a previous life involuntarily echoed in my head. I almost sang them out loud, but bit my tongue in time and looked the interim director seriously in the eyes.
“Lord Malfoy, do you know what a Horcrux is?” Lucius swallowed and nodded. “One of them is at Hogwarts and is now preparing to be resurrected.”
– Where…
“Believe me, this is verified information.” I interrupted the blond. “He’s in the Chamber of Secrets now and is about to start the ritual…”
“Miss Hellsing, you realize that this sounds…” Malfoy came to his senses a little. “To put it mildly, implausible…”
– Fuck! I understand that perfectly well! – My mood began to worsen. – But I have a verified source!
– Who?
– My familiar.
– Wait, you mean to say…
– Vasya, come here. – I spoke in Parseltongue.
“I’ve come at your call, oh great one… Ugh, fuck! I’m so fed up! ” The snake poked its snout out from under its robe and shook its head. ” Mistress, fuck them! They’ve made a mess of things here, prove it, show me…”
“Shut up, ” I hissed at the scaly one and turned my gaze to the pensive Malfoy. “Do you believe me now? I wouldn’t just show off an ability like that.”
– Where?! – Judging by the twitching image on the screen, the interim director jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed.
“In the Secret Room, the entrance to it is on the stairs leading to the hospital wing.” I had to force myself not to roll my eyes. “But your mercenary won’t let us in…”
“And he’s right to do so!” Malfoy barked. “Who detained you? Hand him the artifact! Immediately!”
Shrugging my shoulders, I handed the Miraclephone to the efficient mercenary.
“Herr Malfoy.” The battle mage nodded as he looked at the screen. “Instructions?”
“Otto, escort Miss Hellsing and Miss Granger to the central hall.” Lucius activated the commander. “Keep your distance from the girls, their safety is your responsibility! I’ll call a general meeting of the battle group. Proceed!”
– Yavol! – The mercenary nodded and, disconnecting, returned the artifact to me. – You heard everything.
Without waiting for an answer, the battlemage quickly headed for the stairs, and my friend and I followed him. Now that’s what I call a professional. Malfoy’s mercenary didn’t ask stupid questions, but immediately began carrying out his orders, no matter how idiotic they seemed to him. A few minutes later, the trio of us found ourselves on the first floor, where another pair of silent wizards awaited us, wearing battle robes that differed from the usual ones in their dragonhide inserts and thicker material. Thanks to the torches on the walls and the light streaming through the huge stained-glass windows, I had no trouble examining the equipment of Malfoy’s warriors. After all, in addition to their impressive robes and the silver chainmail beneath them, the mercenaries boasted blades and battle staves.
Before I could properly examine the magical special forces’ attire, Malfoy burst out from around the corner, accompanied by seven more mercenaries. Outwardly, the illustrious lord was little different from his men, save for the blade at his belt. As they approached, I grew increasingly respectful, both for the mercenaries and for Lucius himself. Firstly, this entire warlike crowd moved completely silently, and secondly, they looked perfect, as if they’d been preparing for hours, not just leaped out of bed a few minutes ago. Seriously, the blond man had even managed to shave! In a word: magic.
“Miss Hellsing, Miss Granger.” The interim director approached, nodded, and looked at us sternly. “Lead the way! You can fill us in on the details along the way.”
The mercenaries, without a word, gathered us into a “box,” and the entire assault team trotted toward the hospital wing. I matched Malfoy’s pace and spoke quietly.
“According to the Order, one of the students brought the Dark Lord’s Horcrux to Hogwarts in September.” Lucius’s questioning look made me shrug. “I don’t know who, but I do know it was a girl, a girl.”
– Did your familiar tell you this too? – The blond glanced sideways at Vasya.
“No, Codpiece, that’s the name of Slytherin’s basilisk; he still lives in the Chamber of Secrets.” Some of the mercenaries faltered after my words. “Don’t be afraid, he’s blind and harmless, I suppose…”
– Mein Gott, what have I gotten myself into… – muttered one of the fighters.
“Do you know what a Horcrux looks like?” Malfoy ignored his subordinate’s words.
– Presumably, this is a black diary, marked as the property of Tom Riddle.
“The problem is, almost every Hogwarts student has a notebook like that,” Mia grumbled as she walked alongside. “I have about ten of them.”
– I agree. – I nodded to my best friend. – At first, we…
“You are childish fools!” Lucius barked angrily, then took a deep breath and continued quietly. “You knew everything from the very beginning and kept quiet. Why?! Why didn’t you tell Dumbledore everything?! Why didn’t you share this information with me?! Do you even understand what the return of this insane monster could lead to?!”
“Um…” It was the first time I’d seen Malfoy angry. “So what would you have done? Like finding a needle in a haystack? Or tested every student for mental influence and searched the entire school?”
“I would have thought of something!” the blond hissed. “I’ll still have a word with your mother…”
“We’ve arrived.” Hermione’s serious voice interrupted us. “Only Rigel can open this door.”
“Shayse,” one of the mercenaries couldn’t help but exclaim at the sight of the scene that had appeared. “What an abomination…”
“Maybe we should burn it?” added his brother in arms.
“So, Miss Hellsing, you’ll now open this…” Malfoy grimaced at the sight of the ancient artist’s work. “Mordred’s door, and then, in Otto’s company, you’ll return to the living room and sit there until the morning! Is that clear?!”
– No way. – I shook my head. – It won’t work.
“Why?” the blond whispered tiredly.
“There’s another door down there, and it also opens with a command in Parseltongue,” I began to explain calmly. “Besides, after a while the doors close automatically, and you simply won’t be able to get out without me.”
– Damn it! – Malfoy turned his eyes to the ceiling, then sighed and looked me in the eyes. – Fine, you’re coming with us, but you obey me like a mother! – I nodded. – Otto, you’re responsible for protecting the girls! The lives of children are above all else!
– Yavol! – the mercenary answered.
While the assault team regrouped, I approached the vile painting and recited a silly rhyme in Parseltongue. A few moments later, a massive door appeared before us. One of the fighters gently pushed me aside and, putting up a magical shield, stepped inside first, followed by two more. About ten seconds later, a tiny green light erupted from the gloomy corridor, and the others hurried after it. Mia and I brought up the rear, well, almost, with Otto breathing down our necks, ready for anything. A quick descent, and we found ourselves before the massive metal gates.
“Miss Hellsing, you and your friend will remain here under the protection of Herr Lichtsteiner.” Malfoy looked at me sternly. “Open the door on my command…”
“And the basilisk?” I interrupted the illustrious lord. “He may be blind, but he is very strong and might mistake you for enemies, and then…”
“Mordred…” Malfoy cursed again. “Remember, you’re the last ones in and you’re going to stay behind us, okay?! Don’t stick your head out, and if there’s a threat, activate the emergency portkeys immediately!” Malfoy looked at me sternly. “Rigel, your job is to open the door and calm the basilisk, and leave the rest to the adults. Otto, don’t leave the girls alone!”
I nodded silently in response, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. The mercenary commander switched to German and began issuing short commands, with Lucius taking Otto’s place as guard. After waiting for the stormtroopers to take up position, I whispered, “Open” in Parseltongue. The gates had barely begun to open when the first three battlemages rushed into the Chamber of Secrets.
Watching the magical world’s special forces, I took the MP-5 off safety and checked the loadout. Mia lovingly stroked Nemesis and cocked her monstrous rifle, while Otto swapped his wand for a combat staff. When the last of our bodyguard’s colleagues ran inside, we ran after him as fast as we could. And just in time! As soon as I crossed the threshold of the Chamber of Secrets, a familiar girl’s voice reached my ears, this time in Parseltongue.
– Guard! Kill the intruderss …
The old serpent may be blind, but he’s not deaf, and he’s fast and incredibly strong. Of course, he’s been feeding on Hogwarts’ magic for nearly a thousand years, and his source is one of the most powerful in the world. My instincts told me that even Avada wouldn’t be able to take this monster down, so I ignored Malfoy’s orders and rushed forward.
– Codpiece! The filthy maiden is lying! – I didn’t know you could shout in Parseltongue. – These people are with me, they are defending the castle!
The enormous basilisk accelerated so fast that it skidded to a stop just a few meters from me, then began swiveling its head from side to side. I exhaled and relaxed my lower brain a bit, as the sight of a locomotive rushing toward me evoked less than pleasant emotions and desires. At that moment, like that paratrooper, I could have bitten a crowbar with my buttocks. But, praise be to the Creator, the mighty Hogwarts guard heard me and assumed a proud pose, then licked his lips and loomed over me.
“Greetings, Rigel the Speaker and Hermione the Servant. ” The Serpent nodded respectfully and continued thoughtfully. ” At such a late hour, when dogs howl mournfully to the sky, what draws you beneath the vaults of this fortress? And these warriors, worthy men, who have marched under your arm, why do you need them here? This vale of knowledge bears no seal upon them; they should not trample upon the magic stone…”
“Forgive me, wisest one, but we came here for a possessed maiden whose soul was captured by an evil demon…” I began pompously, but was interrupted.
– Sssguard! Are you deaf?! I command you to kill the intruders! Immediately! – The girl’s voice rang out again. – In the name of Ssslytherin, cleanse Hogwartsss of filth! – Why drawl?
“Oh, Wise One, listen to the lips of your unworthy disciple! ” Vasya appeared from under his robes, a menacing expression on his face. ” Teacher, you do sense that this rotten girl is fucking nuts, right?! So why the hell are you listening to her?!”
“You are a careless youth, staining your lips with foul, filthy abuse! But you speak the truth…” Basilisk nodded. “However, I have no right to harm this maiden, shrouded in a putrid stench, for she bears the seal of the vale of knowledge… What shall I do?! Oh, my Great Creator, where are you?! The divine wisdom of your words has always granted me both the joy of knowledge and the blessed assurance of a bright path…”
” Gulfik, maybe you just won’t interfere? ” I interrupted the ancient serpent’s thoughts. ” We’ll sort this out ourselves. Consider this a dispute between two careless maidens.”
“Hmm… You are wise, Rigel-speaker, though your youth is characterized by fervor. Your words are pure and laconic, but your path lies far and long before the sayings of the Great Father.” The basilisk scratched the back of its head with the tip of its tail. ” But I like you, child; I sense sincerity and strength in you, and only for that reason will I listen to you… Know this, and tell your servants, I will not interfere! But first ,” the codpiece bowed its muzzle, its mouth a few centimeters from my face. ” Swear by your very essence that the armed men who came with you are not wicked enemies, nor are they invaders of this nest, which I swore to protect as long as my heart beats.”
“I, Rigel Integra Hellsing, swear by my life, magic, and essence that Hermione Jean Granger, Lucius Malfoy, and his mercenaries, who came with me to the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts, are not currently invading Hogwarts. ” I raised my wand to the ceiling. ” Let someone bear witness!”
Naturally, I spoke all these words in Parseltongue, and I was also very nervous, as making such oaths is incredibly dangerous. I can’t believe what those mercenaries are thinking! What if one of those Germans dreams of blowing up Hogwarts?! So I removed the word “enemy” from the oath; it’s relative, after all, but someone or something heard me, and a strange black and gold glow enveloped my body. Then I cast Lumos, and when a yellow glowing ball appeared at the tip of the concentrator, I nearly sat on my arse with relief, but I still let the treacherous “whisperer” go.
“Rigel the Speaker, this is a sign of the Higher Powers’ agreement that they have accepted your oath. I will follow their decision. ” The Basilisk jerked its head up. ” But I am dejected, smelling the scent of your fear… Believe me, and carve upon the stone of your memory that I will do no harm to you, nor to that servant of yours who does not understand the Highest Speech. And now, heed me: I have heard your words and accepted your oath, and this night, beneath the light of the Sun of the Dead, I will not stand in the way of the path that Fate has already laid before your feet.”
“Thank you, O Wise One. ” I bowed respectfully to the basilisk and turned to the tense mercenaries standing behind me. “You may!”
I didn’t need to be told twice, and the fighters rushed forward, unlike Malfoy, who stood frozen in place. Only now, when Codpiece had crawled aside, was I able to properly look around, and I was shocked by the sight. To the left of the statue of the great Salazar, one of the rune circles glowed, with Romulus Malfoy, clad in a white tunic, lying in the center. Seven naked, bloody bodies were laid out around the first-year, and Diana Malfoy, thankfully dressed in a Slytherin uniform, was overseeing this entire mess. Furthermore, I spotted the unconscious body of Severus Prince in the corner of the magical seal. And all this beauty was covered by a protective, translucent, dark blue dome, and my gut instinct was practically screaming at me not to touch this protection under any circumstances. Yeah, that’s the kind of ass I’m in.
The mercenaries quickly surrounded the protective dome and began pelting it with diagnostic spells. Mia and I hurried closer. I’m no expert in German, of course, but from the fighters’ conversations I could tell that, while the defenses were quite powerful, a single, concerted strike on one point would be enough to breach them. At that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Malfoy approach, wince in pain, clutch his left forearm, and fall to one knee.
“Luciusssss, I’m glad you decided to greet your lord properly,” Diana-Tom smiled. “Now order your mercenaries to leave the Chamber of Secrets, and, of course, have them guard us outside.”
“I don’t…” The blond tried to protest, but immediately winced in pain and collapsed to the floor. “Gunter… Cough… Order… Leave the premises… Don’t call… Ugh… Help…” The interim director was seized by a spasm and vomited. “Wait for me…” Tears and sticky drool streamed down the proud wizard’s face… “E-outside… Ugh… Don’t let anyone in or out… That’s an order…”
“Acknowledged, Herr Malfoy,” the commander of the militants replied, gritting his teeth, and the entire group of mercenaries slowly moved toward the exit.
“The weak point is the lower hemisphere, strike closer to the base,” Otto whispered in my ear and followed his comrades.
Diana, whose body was occupied by the stub of Scum, waited with a smile until the mercenaries left the Secret Chamber, and when the door slammed behind them, she burst out laughing. Having finished laughing, Scum (I can’t call him anything else) looked closely at the blond lord.
“Lucius, do you even realize what an honor you’ll be bestowed upon yourself?” The blonde with silver eyes turned haughtily to Malfoy. “Soon you’ll become the father of the Lord of Fates, Voldemort! Be proud of it!”
“My son…” the temporary director croaked, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Romulus…”
“I’ve been watching him for a long time and I’ve realized he’s not worthy of the title of pureblood heir.” Diana-Tom smirked. “Not only is your son magically weak, but he also befriends Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers. Aren’t you disgusted?”
“You wouldn’t understand…” Malfoy tried to get up, but the pain wracked him again. “He’s my son…”
“Alas, such is his destiny…” The blonde girl spread her hands dramatically. “But Romulus’s sacrifice will not be in vain! Be proud! The body of your negligent heir will become the vessel of the most powerful wizard in the world! It is your son who will rule Magical Britain for many centuries, and perhaps the entire world! And you, Lucius, will help me with this.”
“My daughter…” The blond looked pleadingly at the possessed girl. “Spare her…”
“Oh, come now, Lucius, your beautiful daughter will be fine, for Lord Voldemort is merciful to his servants.” Diana-Tom raised her head to the ceiling. “She resisted for a long time, but in the end, I subdued her! After all, no one can resist my will! As soon as I take over Romulus’s body, I will leave the girl’s body, and then she will take the Dark Mark and join our ranks!”
I watched the chaos unfold, silently stunned. The bastard was talking like a movie villain! Just look at his ego! Yeah, this idiot doesn’t suffer from delusions of grandeur, he enjoys it! And I was starting to get annoyed by the fact that this bastard was blatantly ignoring me! Or did he seriously think Mia and I couldn’t do anything to him?! I examined the protective dome again and glanced at my friend’s rifle. Nemesis’s power should be enough, in theory. Not on the first shot, but the wonder weapon should penetrate the defenses… However, first, I wanted to know something.
– Tom, why today? – I feigned curiosity.
“Don’t call me that!” Diana-Tom screamed furiously. “My real name is Lord of Fates Voldemort!”
“Of course, of course!” I nodded a couple of times. “And yet, why did you decide to perform the ritual today? Why not yesterday, or, say, in a week? You could have waited until you arrived at Malfoy Manor and…”
“That’s exactly what I want to change! When I come to power, the first thing I’ll do is change the curriculum of this wretched school!” The possessed girl stamped her foot. “How I hate the stupidity and incompetence of modern wizards! Miss Hellsing, you should be ashamed! The heiress of an ancient family and she doesn’t know the most basic things! Lucius!”
“Yes, my lord…” Malfoy relaxed a little, and he was able to kneel.
– What day is it today?!
“June 22nd, today is a holiday – Lita,” the blond answered. “It’s also called the summer solstice.”
“That’s right,” the Slytherin nodded contentedly. “Today is the perfect day to perform the resurrection ritual.”
– I see, thank you… – I shook my head thoughtfully.
Now it’s clear why the Potter films didn’t kidnap him in the middle of the school year, but waited until the tournament’s final challenge. They didn’t give an exact date, but the adventure in the labyrinth took place towards the end of June. And something tells me it was the 22nd.
“My lord, what is Severus doing here?” Malfoy was shaking all over, but he managed to get to his feet.
“I graciously allowed this coward to atone for his betrayal through service. I admit, I might not have managed without his help.” Diana-Tom glanced sideways at the Potions Master. “But he proved too stupid and short-sighted. Severus never grasped the wisdom and greatness of the Lord of Fates, Voldemort. When he learned whose body I wanted to occupy, he tried to stop me, the cowardly wretch.”
– Is he alive? – The blond swallowed.
“Of course! How could I kill a Potions Master?! There are very few specialists of his caliber in our country.” Scum thought theatrically. “But I’ll remove him from his professorship; he’s a terrible teacher.”
– Can I ask a question? – Mia raised her hand, just like in class.
“Of course, Miss Granger.” The possessed girl turned her gaze to my friend. “I’ve been watching you, and I admire your diligence and thirst for knowledge. These qualities more than compensate for your unworthy origins. Moreover, I would be glad to see you among my loyal supporters.”
“And what were these attacks for?” The curly-haired girl ignored the tempting offer. “What was this performance for?”
“Exactly, a performance! At least someone figured it out!” Diana-Tom smiled contentedly. “The old Muggle-lover could interfere with my plans, so he had to be expelled from Hogwarts! So I came up with the idea of doping several purebloods with a special potion to raise more noise. And, as you can see, my brilliant plan worked.”
– What did you dislike about Elvira? – I looked angrily at Mrazota.
“Miss Hellsing, I’m sorry I had to do the same to your friend, but I had no choice.” The possessed Slytherin shrugged. “Miss Smith figured out my true nature. Believe me, she’ll wake up in a couple of days and she’ll be fine.”
“Tom, you understand,” I bowed my head and smiled. “That you won’t leave this room alive?”
“Don’t call me that disgusting Muggle name!” Diana’s face twisted into a grimace of hatred.
– I don’t give a shit! – I smiled sarcastically. – If you want, I can call you Faggot, or Scum, I like the latter better.
“Miss Hellsing, I’m not stupid, so I won’t fall for your provocations.” Scum chuckled and, walking over to Romulus’s body, patted the unconscious boy on the cheek. “And when I’ve fulfilled my destiny…”
“I’ll kill you.” A predatory grin appeared on my face. “Again.”
“For what?” Mrazota looked at me with genuine surprise. “Rigel, I’ve never done anything bad to you or your friends. Why do you hate me so much? On the contrary, after the ritual, I wanted to extend my hand and ask for friendship.”
– What the f*ck?! – I admit, I’m genuinely shocked.
Taking a quick glance around, I saw a similar reaction from Lucius and Hermione, both of them staring at the possessed girl with wide eyes and open mouths.
“Together, we will change this rotten world!” Diana-Tom looked at me with silver eyes flecked with red and continued enthusiastically. “Rigel, understand, in ten years I will be Minister of Magic, and you will be the head of the Order of Protestant Knights! Why should we fight when we can join forces? Look around, our small country has long since turned into a sewer, this needs to be changed urgently! I don’t aspire to the Great World, Magical Britain is enough for me. Don’t you need a loyal and grateful ally? By working together, we can establish a beneficial partnership between Muggles and wizards! That’s what I want! I don’t need war, I’m against war, because there are very few wizards and every drop of magical blood is precious.
– I see you don’t value the blood of commoners? – I glanced sideways at the bloody bodies.
The ritual’s victims weren’t completely naked, just down to their underwear. So I easily spotted the men wearing boxers, and one of the girls was wearing a purple, translucent lace thong. Wizarding world types don’t wear such things, so the Scumbag had dragged ordinary people here.
“Rigel, you shouldn’t judge me, but thank me.” Diana-Tom gestured at the bodies. “These creatures, mistakenly called humans, deserve a far harsher fate! I carefully selected the materials for the ritual, and I swear to you that these Muggles are the worst of Muggles. They are all thieves, murderers, and rapists! See that sweet woman? Well, that drug-addicted prostitute deliberately infected her clients with an incurable disease, and then, when she didn’t have enough money for her next fix, she murdered her own mother in cold blood. And do you see that burly man with an anchor tattoo on his shoulder? He broke into old people’s homes at night and murdered them, then stole everything of value. None of these worthless scum deserve to live! There’s even a lover of little boys here who raped his adopted son for years! Should I continue?”
– Enough… – I thoughtfully looked the blonde girl up and down. – You’re not just chatting with us, are you?
“The ritual must begin at a certain time…” Malfoy’s quiet voice came from the side. “We have…”
– Lucius, shut up! – The blond lord arched his back and fell to the floor, writhing in pain.
– Okay, Tom, it’s time to die, again. – I turned to my best friend. – Mia, come on.
– Well, finally, I’m fed up with this arrogant asshole. – The girl dropped to one knee and aimed her monstrous rifle at the protective dome. – BANG! BANG! BANG!
I didn’t just cast a spell on the Scum either. I was waiting for a sweet and rather bloodthirsty vampire to appear. Immediately after the mercenaries left, I activated the discreet ring on my little finger, but it seems the Secret Chamber is well shielded. Right! Codpiece told me that even the Archdemon couldn’t escape from here. Fine, we’ll have to cope on our own. After the third hit, the magical shield flickered and rippled, and disbelief appeared in Diana-Tom’s eyes, which after the fourth shot turned to panic.
– Lucius! Stop them! Immediately! – the possessed girl screamed. – I order you! Protect me!
– Cough… – Malfoy struggled to squat down, spat out blood and smiled. – Yes, my lord.
The blond wizard pulled out his wand and tossed it aside, then slowly rose to his feet and staggered toward me. As he approached, he spread his arms wide and attempted to grab me, but his movements were awkward and slow, so I dodged them easily.
“Forgive me, Lord Malfoy.” I hit him with all my strength on his conveniently exposed chin.
A powerful uppercut sent the interim director into a daze, and I added some Somnium for good measure. Turning around, I saw that Mia had almost broken through the magical dome, as the thing was flickering mercilessly. Another shot finally knocked the shielding off, and a heavy bullet hit one of the victims, literally tearing the poor guy to pieces. Romulus, Diana, and the entire ritual circle were splattered with blood and chunks of human flesh. Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be in the crosshairs of a blast like that; my ancestral artifacts certainly wouldn’t help.
“No one can interfere with the plans of the Lord of Fates, Voldemort!” Diana-Tom pointed her wand at Hermione and me. “I will teach you humility!”
Mia aimed her monstrous rifle at the Slytherin, but couldn’t pull the trigger, and I, too, dropped the machine gun. I’d become quite close with Diana over the past two years, and I simply couldn’t kill this sarcastic, slightly arrogant, but still reasonable girl. So I had to grab my wand and recall the duels I’d fought in Defense of the Ancients. The bastard didn’t want to kill us either and used only non-lethal spells.
The next few minutes were the most idiotic fight of my life. Mia and I could have shot down Scum’s vessel at any moment, and he could easily have envied us, but he used Stupefy and Expelliarmus. Of course, other, far more dangerous spells were thrown, but they were all deflected by the shields. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord’s shard proved to be a very skilled duelist and successfully repelled our combined attacks. Mia held the shields, and I rained down my entire arsenal on Scum, but the bastard easily dodged or took the attacks on the tip of his wand. His spells, however, were incredibly powerful, and my friend barely had time to renew her defenses. Naturally, this couldn’t continue indefinitely. I reached for a trauma grenade, but it was too late. He paralyzed Mia first, and then I fell to the floor, bound by rope like a caterpillar. It’s fucked up, but it’s okay, we still have some trump cards.
“Very good, indeed. You are quite promising witches.” Scumbag came closer, clapping his hands. “You lack experience, but that will pass with age.”
– What next? – I looked at Diana-Tom with a smirk. – Tomorrow the Order will declare a hunt for you, sooner or later they will catch you.
“My dear, I’ve already thought of that.” The possessed Slytherin knelt down in front of me and ran her hand over my cheek. “After the ritual, I’ll simply erase your memory, that’s all. Lord Voldemort is a master of mental magic and will easily make you forget the events of this night.”
– Hm? – I looked skeptically at the intestines lying in the ritual circle.
“You’re right…” Scum followed my gaze. “But Lord Voldemort is wise and merciful, so I won’t use you or your friend as a sacrifice. Alas, I’ll have to use the Prince. He’s a good specialist, but a traitor…”
– Tom, do you know what your biggest problem is?
– Enlighten me.
– You lie too much!
A silent Finite vaporized the ropes binding me. With one hand, I grabbed Diana by the tie and with the other began to strike her sweet face. When she tried to point her wand at me, I grabbed her hand. The Slytherin wasn’t exactly in good physical condition; a moment later, something snapped in her fragile limb, and her fingers loosened. Then came the well-practiced move, and a screaming Diana-Tom found herself on the floor, and I, with a satisfied expression, sat on top of her.
Meanwhile, Mia also cast off the paralyzing spell and, after making sure I was coping, went to look for the black notebook. After a couple of minutes of Mrzota hissing curses and threatening me, Nemesis fired, and then another and another.
“Riya, we have a problem,” came her best friend’s thoughtful voice from behind. “Bullets just bounce off this crap. I’d better take this abomination to the mercenaries and let them burn it in Hellfire.”
– Wait, I want to try something, just hold the Scum.
– I am the Lord of Fates, Voldemort!
– Shut up! – I gave the girl a tasty bream.
Mia and I swapped places; she was now holding the girl, who was kicking and cursing vigorously, while I was pensively examining the black notebook. Out of curiosity, I fired a couple of shots at it, but the pistol bullets didn’t even leave a scratch. In the movie, Harry pierced the Horcrux with a basilisk fang, but Codpiece would hardly want to bite such a nasty thing. And then, succumbing to an impulse, I materialized the athame Alucard had given me, swung with all my might, and stabbed it into the cursed object.
The black blade pierced the cover with ease, cutting like a hot knife into melted butter. A moment later, a heart-rending howl erupted, and ink gushed from the journal. At the same time, Diana arched her back and began shrieking in a single note, but soon fell silent and lost consciousness. In the ensuing silence, I continued to stare at the now plain black notebook with a silly smile. I thought I understood the special properties of the athame Alucard had spoken of, but I’d deal with that later. Right now, I had more pressing matters.
Straightening up, I spat disgustedly on the remains of the Horcrux and approached Romulus, who was fast asleep. I lifted the boy’s body with a spell and carried him out of the ritual circle, then laid him next to his unconscious sister. Then, with the same spell, I dragged the barely breathing Prince’s body over. Mia had already revived Malfoy, who immediately rushed to his children and began pelting them with diagnostic spells. Lucius, convinced they were alive, breathed a sigh of relief, then dropped to one knee and looked at Hermione and me.
“Miss Hellsing, Miss Granger, I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, owe you a life debt, magic be my witness!” The blond wizard was enveloped in a golden mist, and a silver bracelet flashed and disappeared from my wrist. “Rigel, Hermione,” the wizard stood and bowed, “the Malfoy family owes you an unpayable debt. From now on, I am your faithful ally; you can always count on me.”
– The same, Lord Malfoy, the same. – I smiled and took a step forward.
– For you, just Lucius. – Malfoy couldn’t resist and went for a hug.
Mia was the first to get hit, and then his greedy little hands reached me.
“Okay, we’ve dealt with the Scum’s stub.” I pulled away from the interim director and began to think out loud. “All that’s left is to decide what to do with the victims of the failed ritual, since they’re still alive…”
“And how can we explain Diana’s behavior? When the students wake up, they’ll tell everyone who attacked them,” her best friend chimed in. “It’s unlikely that people will believe that Voldemort took over her body.”
“I think the sacrifice issue is settled.” Malfoy nodded towards the ritual circle, and I turned around.
Your mother! Codpiece! You insatiable bastard! While we were hugging and talking, he crawled up silently and brazenly devoured the unfortunates. Before my very eyes, the last body of a young woman disappeared into his enormous maw. Well, let’s hope that Scum wasn’t lying, and they truly deserved such a fate.
“And regarding this whole story with the attacks, I’ve had some ideas…” Malfoy continued to stare thoughtfully at the huge basilisk. “Rigel, Hermione, can I count on your help?”
– Well, it depends on what you’re asking for… – I looked slyly at Lucius. – Go ahead and explain…
To be continued…
