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Entry tags:
Scars, Part 30
Rating: NC-17 overall
Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa (OMCs), and a few other minor pairings
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts.
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III. (These stories are archived on my website and also on Moonshadow.)
Summary: Lukas confronts Greyback; the rescue party arrives in the fens. Sorry--ends on another cliffhanger; see afterword for details. (I promise I'll finish the battle in the next chapter for sure!)
Part 29
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Meanwhile, after Lukas grabbed the Portkey, he found himself transported into the middle of what looked like a swamp, his feet sinking slightly into the damp, mucky ground. He was standing in front of a small house, a little too big to be called a cottage, but still a far cry from your typical pureblood manor. It was made of weathered wood built on a sturdy stone foundation, probably because the moisture from the ground would have rotted through wood, but it also made Lukas think about underground dungeon chambers, which brought to mind images of Ash being chained and tortured in some dank, dark cell.
"Where are you, Greyback?!" Lukas shouted towards the house, and a moment later, a man with gray hair and a wolfish grin strutted out. He was big--taller than Lukas with a rangy frame that seemed a little too thin for his size, but he exuded strength and confidence. And his eyes were filled with the bloodthirsty hunger of a werewolf during the full moon with no Wolfsbane, but tempered with human intelligence and cunning that made the gray-haired man look even more dangerous, not less.
"So you did come, like a good little doggie," Greyback said with a condescending sneer. "I was afraid that you might be sensible and stay away. But on the other hand, your pack probably wouldn't want to follow a coward, would they? So you have no choice but to show up and prove yourself the alpha male."
"Where is Ash?" Lukas demanded. "I came here for him, not you!"
As if on cue, a young, dark-haired wizard emerged from the house, leading Ash by a length of silver chain attached to a silver collar around his neck. Silver shackles bound his wrists and ankles, and more silver chains wrapped around his torso to pin his arms tightly against his body, but his legs had been left free to allow him to hobble forward, moving slowly and awkwardly because of the shackles. To Lukas's relief, Ash appeared to be mostly unharmed, although there were some half-healed scratches on his face, and dried blood stained his robes and matted his hair--a hank of it near his face had obviously been cut off to provide the souvenir that had been sent to Lukas along with the Portkey.
The young wizard--Warren Macnair, he assumed--tugged on the chain, and Ash followed obediently, his eyes dull and blank; they must have used the Imperius Curse on him. The sight of Ash being led about like a dog on a leash caused Lukas's blood to boil, and by the smirk on Warren's face, they had probably done it deliberately to provoke him.
"Ash!" Lukas shouted, and his pack brother's eyes flickered with a spark of recognition as he turned in Lukas's direction.
Warren frowned disapprovingly, and with his free hand, he pointed his wand at Ash, saying, "Imperio! Behave yourself and remain still like a good dog."
Ash subsided, his eyes glazing over again, and Lukas snarled, moving towards the house with the intention of tearing Warren apart limb by limb. The young wizard hastily raised his wand again, pressing the tip of it into Ash's cheek.
"Stay back, Diggory!" he warned. "Two simple words is all it would take to kill him, and not even a werewolf can withstand a Killing Curse!"
"If you kill him, then there's nothing to stop me from killing you!" Lukas growled, but he came to a halt nevertheless.
Warren turned pale, taking Lukas's bluff seriously, although Greyback only laughed. Then a beautiful young woman, obviously Warren's sister, came out of the house to stand beside her brother, wand in hand.
"But if you really didn't care about your friend, you would not have come here in the first place," Imogen Macnair pointed out in a cool voice, looking calm and composed and not at all intimidated by the sight of an angry werewolf. So Snape was right about her being the alpha of her pack; her brother immediately looked to her, obviously expecting her to take charge of the situation, and even Greyback was gazing at her with a look of admiration and respect. The admiration was tinged with lust, but he kept it in check, which was further proof of Imogen's dominance. Lukas might have been impressed if he hadn't been so furious and worried about Ash.
"If you didn't care," Imogen continued, "you would have given the Portkey to the Aurors, and we would be facing Shacklebolt or Dawlish instead of you. I don't even detect any tracking spells on you. Therefore, you must care about your friend enough to risk your life for him, in which case, you won't exchange Randolf's life even for the pleasure of killing my brother." Warren swallowed hard, turning even paler, and Greyback snickered, causing the other man to glare at him.
"Therefore, I propose a bargain," Imogen said. "You and Greyback will fight as planned. If he wins, then he will take control of your pack. If you win, then we will release Randolf unharmed."
Lukas knew better than to trust her. If he defeated Greyback, he was sure that the twins would try to kill him themselves. And two against one, they might actually succeed, even if they were a couple of upstart cubs. He would be weakened from the battle, and they would still have Ash as a hostage, and on top of that, they were clearly skilled in Dark Magic, if they were able to keep a brute like Greyback under control and dominate Ash so completely with the Imperius Curse. He frowned at his pack brother in concern and confusion. Imperio was a powerful spell, of course, but a wizard with a strong enough will could fight it off, at least partially, and Ash was one of the most stubborn and willful people he knew. Yet he didn't even seem to be trying to struggle against the spell.
"Very well," Lukas agreed, having no other choice. He would try to draw out the fight with Greyback as long as possible, to give Shacklebolt and the others a better chance of finding him. He was beginning to regret not having consulted the Aurors, or at least Snape, before recklessly heading out on his own, but there was no point now in thinking about what he should have done. If he and Ash both managed to survive somehow, then he would gladly submit to being chewed out by the Aurors, Snape, and anyone else who wanted to tell him what an idiot he was.
"Oh, and one more thing," Imogen said sweetly, flicking her wand. "Accio!" she cried, and Lukas's wand flew out of his pocket and into Imogen's hand. "To keep the duel fair, of course. You werewolves prize physical combat over spells, don't you?"
Lukas made no reply, but just turned to face Greyback, who grinned widely, exposing a set of teeth that looked pointed even in his human form. "Let's get down to it, then," the other werewolf said, striding forward to meet Lukas. The two men circled warily around each other, waiting for an opening as they sized each other up. "You were wondering why Randolf isn't trying to fight off the Imperius, weren't you?" Greyback asked slyly. "Well, it's because I broke his spirit. I humbled him and showed him who's top wolf around here."
Lukas snarled and lunged forward, and he and Greyback grappled with each other, punching and clawing and biting, while the twins watched, Imogen with cool amusement and Warren with concern.
"We should just kill him," Lukas overheard Warren mutter, although most of his attention was focused on Greyback. "Why bother with this stupid duel at all?"
"Because Greyback says that the pack won't submit to him unless he defeats their leader personally," Imogen replied patiently. "An unmarked body slain by a Killing Curse isn't good enough. He needs to show them a bloody and battered corpse, both to prove that he was the one who killed Diggory, and to demoralize them and break their spirit. And besides, Greyback's been chafing for a good fight. We need to allow him an outlet for his aggression so that he won't be tempted to break his Vow."
Greyback managed to kick Lukas hard in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. The soft, muddy ground cushioned the impact of his fall somewhat, and he quickly scrambled back to his feet, ready to face his opponent. But Greyback had not taken the opportunity to follow up on his attack, and was merely standing in place with one hand resting on his chest and a look of intense concentration on his face.
And then Greyback's body began to change, a more subtle transformation than the normal monthly change at the full moon. His arms and face sprouted gray fur, his fingernails lengthened into talons, and his face elongated into a wolf's snout. Greyback opened his jaws wide to howl out a challenge at Lukas, exposing a set of long, razor-sharp teeth.
Lukas involuntarily took a step back; he knew that Greyback possessed the medallion that allowed him to transform at will, but actually witnessing the process was more unnerving than he had expected. There was a sense of, well...wrongness...in Greyback's hybrid form, neither man nor wolf, but some monstrosity in-between, as if the transformation process had been frozen halfway through.
"You're an abomination, Greyback," Lukas growled.
"Funny, now you sound like those mealy-mouthed humans who call us monsters," Greyback retorted in a low, raspy growl, his voice sounding slightly distorted in his new form. "The difference between you and me is that I'm proud to be a monster!" He flexed his hands, showing off his talons, and grinned widely, showing off his fangs. "I'm proud of the strength of my new body. Werewolves like you whine about wanting to become human, about wanting a cure. But why would I want to be trapped in a weak shell of a 'normal' human body? Deep down in your heart you know it's true, Diggory; I can smell your fear. You might as well show me your throat and surrender now. If you submit and agree to serve me as your new master, I'll ask my Lady to spare your life."
"Go to hell!" Lukas snarled, knowing that he'd made a mistake by that momentary lapse of weakness when he'd backed away from the other werewolf, but fear was a natural instinct when faced with such an opponent. In human form, he was obviously at a disadvantage against Greyback's teeth and claws. His only chance was to force his own transformation, but the only way to do that would be to allow himself to be so severely injured that his body would automatically transform in self defense. The danger was that Greyback would kill him outright before he had a chance to transform...but that was a chance that he was going to have to take.
He gathered up his nerve and charged at Greyback, who spread his arms wide, as if to embrace him. Their bodies collided with more force than the other werewolf had expected, judging by the startled look on his opponent's face as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. However, he quickly recovered and Lukas howled in pain as he felt Greyback's claws ripping through his robes and into his flesh. Then Greyback used his superior height and weight to roll over, reversing their positions and pinning Lukas beneath him.
{This might not have been such a good idea, after all,} Lukas thought as Greyback's jaws snapped at him, trying to close around his throat. He struggled against a surge of panic, then gave in and surrendered to the fear, hoping that it would summon up his inner wolf.
He managed to protect his throat, partially because Greyback seemed to be toying with him, not wanting to finish off his prey too quickly. So Greyback's teeth tore into Lukas's shoulder instead of his neck, but that was enough to finally bring the wolf to the surface, and for once, Lukas welcomed the pain that always accompanied the transformation, as muscles and skin and bone compressed and stretched and twisted themselves into new configurations.
Greyback didn't seem unnerved in the least to find himself wrestling with a large, angry wolf instead of a man. In fact, he just laughed as Lukas clawed wildly at him, tearing open a gash on his face. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek towards his mouth, and his tongue darted out to catch it, his eyes lighting up with satisfaction and a twisted sort of pleasure. "Good!" Greyback exclaimed. "Now we can have a real fight!"
"Hurry up and finish him off, Greyback!" Warren shouted impatiently, then cursed under his breath; the latter didn't seem to be directed at Greyback, and Lukas risked stealing a glance at the Macnairs, who were still standing near the entrance of the house. Ash was staring at him, and his eyes no longer looked quite so dull and glazed, but rather, were filled with confusion and distress, and his body was twitching jerkily.
{He's trying to fight off the spell!} Lukas realized with relief and triumph. Maybe the sight of his pack leader being attacked had finally weakened the hold that the Imperius had over him. He tried to call out Ash's name, momentarily forgetting that he was a wolf, but was instantly reminded of it when all that came out of his mouth was a howl.
It changed into a howl of pain when Greyback's claws raked across his chest and belly. "Forget about the pup," Greyback snarled. "I'm the one you're fighting, and you'd best pay attention to ME unless you want to die! Then again, you're going to die no matter what, so why prolong the agony? Give up now, and I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death, since young Macnair seems to be in a bit of a hurry."
But Lukas could tell from the savage hunger in Greyback's eyes that he didn't want to grant his opponent a quick death; no matter, because Lukas had no intention of giving up. He reluctantly turned his focus back to Greyback as they bit and clawed at each other, although he could hear Warren shouting, "Imperio!" and then for good measure, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Well, at least that was better than a Killing Curse, but Lukas had little time to spare for worrying about his beloved pack brother when just trying to stay alive was requiring his full concentration. Greyback was lean, but he was big, and with his superior weight and the flexibility of his half-human form, he had a distinct advantage over Lukas.
Greyback managed to grab hold of Lukas's front legs with a crushing grip that threatened to break the bones, preventing the wolf from clawing him. Lukas growled in frustration, trying to scratch at his opponent with his hind legs, but couldn't really do so effectively with Greyback straddling him and pinning him to the ground. The other werewolf gave him a malicious grin, then leaned in, opening his jaws wide as Lukas snarled and snapped at him frantically. He managed to rip open a shallow wound on Greyback's face with his teeth, but Greyback ignored it, and clamped his jaws around Lukas's throat.
Lukas howled, his body writhing and twisting, trying to buck Greyback off of him as he felt sharp teeth trying to force their way through his thick fur and into his flesh. He thought that he was going to die, when Greyback suddenly went rigid and his eyes went wide with fear and shock. He released Lukas and threw back his head, howling in rage as his body spasmed and twitched, much as Ash's had earlier.
Lukas finally managed to push Greyback off of him, and he scrambled to his feet, backing away from the other werewolf as Imogen shouted, "Greyback, what's wrong?"
Greyback ignored her, still caught up in whatever unseen force he was battling. Lukas circled cautiously around his opponent, wondering if he ought to attack now while Greyback was distracted.
But he had hesitated too long; Greyback clutched at his chest, and his howl turned into a roar of triumph; apparently he had won the battle.
"Greyback!" Imogen said sharply. "Is the medallion malfunctioning?"
"No, my Lady!" Greyback declared confidently. "Everything is fine!"
Lukas barked out a challenge, and Greyback turned to face him, grinning confidently, looking far more animal than human. "Fine, let's fight tooth and claw, wolf to wolf! I'll show you that I'm stronger than you in any form!"
"Greyback!" Imogen shouted, but her servant was already transforming smoothly into the shape of a large gray wolf. The wolf's yellow eyes were filled with hunger and malice and sheer unbridled glee, and Lukas knew instinctively that this was the form that Greyback preferred out of all three--man, half-man, and wolf. This was Greyback's true self, and before he had the medallion, he must have looked forward to the full moon with as much fervor as most werewolves dreaded it.
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The two wolves lunged forward, tearing into each other with a single-minded ferocity, blood and fur flying. Warren started to call out to Greyback, but his sister stopped him.
"It's too late," she said. "Can't you see that they've gone completely wolf? Even invoking the Vow won't get through to him now."
"If we can't control him, maybe we're better off without him," Warren grumbled.
"We still need him," Imogen insisted. "For one thing, if you kill him now, we'll have to deal with Diggory ourselves."
Warren turned a little pale as he watched the wolves move in a blur of gray and yellow-brown and red, with such speed that he wouldn't have been able to target just one of them with a Killing Curse. It was possible that he wouldn't be able to hit either of them, even if he didn't care which wolf he killed. He wondered uneasily if he would be able to throw up a Shield Charm in time if the wolves decided to charge him, or if the spell would be able to stop a werewolf at all.
"For another, we cannot take control of the wizarding world by ourselves," Imogen continued, watching the battle with a look of calculated interest in her eyes. Warren shivered; he loved his sister, and he knew that she loved him and their father, but sometimes he suspected that ice water ran in her veins instead of blood.
"We need Greyback and the werewolves that he will bring under his control," Imogen finished, then smiled with satisfaction. "A werewolf army to do our bidding--imagine that, dear brother!"
As far as Warren was concerned, dealing with the three werewolves they had here was more than enough; he would rather not imagine an entire pack of them. He glanced nervously over at the enspelled and chained werewolf standing by his side and saw that while Randolf was still immobile, his eyes were darting about restlessly. Warren gripped his wand more tightly, beginning to wish they had never gone through with this plan in the first place, but how else would they get the chance to free Father? Attempting to change the subject, Warren asked, "What if Diggory's friends manage to follow him here somehow?"
"I don't know how they would manage that without a tracking spell, but never fear, my brother," Imogen replied calmly. "I've prepared a few surprises to greet any uninvited guests."
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Snape, Henry, and Shacklebolt were flung out of darkness headlong into a pool of muddy water. Fortunately, it wasn't deep enough to drown in, but Snape was not pleased to have his robes drenched, nor to be spitting up mucky water, and from the look on his face, neither was Shacklebolt.
"Feh!" the Auror spat, clearing his mouth as he tried to wipe the mud from his eyes with the back of his hand. "You couldn't have given us a smoother landing, Bletchley?"
"I did my best," Henry's voice said indignantly. He was still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, although his position was clearly marked by the patches of mud floating in midair. "It felt like there was some sort of anti-Apparation barrier around Greyback's location, so we were hurled outside the range of that barrier. You should be thanking Merlin that none of us got splinched!"
"It's just as well," Snape said, as he noted that neither the Macnairs nor Greyback were within sight, although he could hear wolves howling off in the distance. "As I said before, Apparating into the middle of a fight between two werewolves is rather dangerous, and this way, we have a chance to sneak up on them." Feeling much better about the situation, he cast a few quick cleaning and drying spells on himself and his companions, which improved all their moods.
"Sorry I snapped at you," Shacklebolt apologized gruffly. "You did your best under the circumstances, and I am grateful that you got us here in one piece."
Henry pushed the cloak back and became visible once more. Sounding mollified, he replied, "Well, now that I have a better fix on the location, I should be able to return and bring the others in more smoothly."
However, that turned out to be unnecessary, because Lupin, Tsubasa, Tonks, and Potter emerged out of thin air a second later, accompanied by the usual cracking noises of an Apparition.
"Looks like the tracking spells worked!" Tonks said cheerfully. Meanwhile, Tsubasa was glancing around, getting his bearings and obviously searching for signs of their enemies, relaxing slightly when he saw they were alone. But his gaze immediately turned in the direction that the howls were coming from.
Snape half-expected Tsubasa to go charging in after his lover, but the crane man continued to behave with a remarkable degree of common sense--he definitely would not have been a Gryffindor, had he been Sorted at Hogwarts. "They're obviously somewhere in that direction," he said, gesturing towards the howling noises. "But we should move in carefully, circling around the perimeter and checking for traps."
"Agreed," Snape said approvingly; apparently all that tengu training had taught Tsubasa discipline and good strategy. "I also think it wouldn't be a bad idea to set up a few anti-Apparition wards of our own, in case the Macnairs decide to flee. They can dispel their own barriers easily enough, but they won't be expecting ours."
"Good idea," Shacklebolt agreed. "Why don't we split up into two groups? Tonks, Harry, and I will go this way; Snape, you and Lupin can take Professor Tsubasa."
Snape bristled slightly at being ordered about, but it was a logical suggestion and besides, he didn't particularly want any of the Aurors in his group--especially the youngest. They might be grudging allies, but after seven years of teaching Potter junior, he was more than happy to let Shacklebolt take responsibility for the boy.
"I'll be leaving, then, if you don't need me any longer," Henry said, sounding relieved.
Shacklebolt nodded. "Yes, we appreciate everything you've done for us, but there's no need for you to endanger yourself any further. Please go back to Hogwarts and bring the Headmaster up to date."
Henry nodded and handed the cloak back to Potter, saying, "All right, I'll--"
He never finished his sentence; it was cut off abruptly by a cry of surprise and pain as he toppled backwards into the mud. Snape turned towards him, startled, drawing his wand, as did the others, except for Tsubasa, who drew his sword instead. A large, spiky, dark red plant had shot forth several barbed tentacle-like vines that had wrapped around Henry's legs, pulling him off his feet, and were now also attacking his torso and arms.
Snape, Lupin, and the Aurors attacked the vines with Incendio spells, causing them to reluctantly withdraw back into the main plant; Tsubasa lopped off a few that were particularly stubborn, and the rest of the vines retreated with more haste.
"Venomous Tentacula," Potter said. "I remember seeing them in Herbology class. But this one's bigger than any of the plants in the greenhouse."
"I see that you paid more attention in Professor Sprout's class than you did in mine," Snape said dryly as he knelt down to check on Henry. His robes were torn and stained with blood (as well as a liberal amount of mud), but the wounds were shallow. However, the main danger posed by the Venomous Tentacula was not blood loss, but as the name implied, the venom that it injected into its victims. The skin surrounding the puncture wounds was red and inflamed, and Henry's eyes were glassy, and his breath shallow and rapid.
"This specimen seems to be more virulent than usual," Snape observed as he reached into his pocket for a healing potion; Henry drank it down, but didn't look much better. "I should have brought a few bezoars with me," he muttered to himself, then asked Henry, "Are you well enough to Apparate?"
"Yes, I think so," Henry replied.
"Good," Snape said. "Get yourself to St. Mungo's before something else decides to attack us."
Henry nodded weakly. "Good luck, Severus, and...be careful."
"I don't need you to tell me that," Snape said sourly; Henry just smiled and vanished with a loud crack.
Potter was staring at the Tentacula. "That doesn't usually grow in a swamp, does it?"
"No," Snape replied. "Which means that someone--no doubt the Macnairs--deliberately planted it here. Which means there are probably other nasty surprises awaiting us."
"All the more reason to be on guard and watch for traps, as Professor Tsubasa suggested," Shacklebolt said. "Let's head out as planned, but be careful, Harry. You might as well go ahead and use the cloak since Bletchley doesn't need it any longer. Tonks and I will take the lead and deal with any traps we find; you be prepared to come our defense if necessary, but try not to reveal yourself unless absolutely necessary. We'll only get one chance to surprise Greyback and the Macnairs when we find them."
"You're our trump card, Harry," Tonks said with a smile.
The boy looked as though he had been about to argue about not having a more active role until Shacklebolt explained about keeping him in reserve and Tonks mentioned the bit about the "trump card". Then he nodded and donned the cloak without objection. It was unnecessary inflating of Potter's ego, Snape privately thought, but then, that was nothing new, and they had more important things to worry about. He mentally shrugged it off, and the two groups split up, each heading obliquely towards the source of the howling.
Lupin and Snape detected and disarmed several magical traps along the way, and paused a couple of times to cast anti-Apparition wards. Tsubasa, who still had his sword out, allowed them to take the lead and handle the traps, although he remained alert, constantly scanning the area, and pointed out another Venomous Tentacula, as well as a patch of Devil's Snare, enabling them to avoid the plants. Snape debated with himself briefly about whether he should ask the question that was on his mind, then decided that no one really expected politeness of him, so he might as well go ahead.
"No offense, Professor Tsubasa, but wouldn't it be more useful to have your wand out at the moment? I have no objection to you cutting Greyback up into tiny pieces, but wouldn't a wand be more effective at dealing with magical traps than a sword?"
"None taken," Tsubasa replied calmly. "The crane folk have no aptitude for combative magic. I'm slightly better at it than most, thanks to my education at Salem, but I'll never really be good at it. However, I am good with a sword, and since it's difficult for me to wield both a sword and a wand at once, I prefer to use the sword."
"But what if you need to deflect a spell attack, especially from a distance?" Lupin asked curiously. "A sword is a weapon meant for combat in close quarters."
Tsubasa smiled. "I explained to one of my classes that a wand is merely an object to focus and channel a wizard's power. The tengu are able to channel their magical power into their swords."
"Really?!" Lupin exclaimed. "How fascinating! So swords are like wands to them?"
"Well, not exactly," Tsubasa replied. "The tengu don't have as wide a range of magical abilities as humans do. Most of it is related to combat and defense, and their swords act as a very limited type of focus object. They can channel defensive magic through the blade and use it to deflect magical attacks, and they taught me how to do it when I was training with them. Defensive spells are also forged directly into the steel when the swords are made. You and Professor Snape seem to be handling the traps adequately, but I can use the sword to dispel minor magical wards if necessary."
"We're getting closer," Snape said. "It might be wise to cast an obscuring spell before we get within sight of our opponents." It wasn't as effective as an Invisibility Cloak, of course; it didn't actually render a person invisible, but made them difficult to notice unless they did something to draw attention to themselves. If they were careful and quiet, they should be able to get close enough to launch a surprise attack on Greyback and the Macnairs.
However, before he had a chance to cast the spell, a large creature suddenly exploded out of a nearby patch of peat, sending bits of moss and dirt flying. It was humanoid, but definitely not human, with warty, dark green skin and short horns pushing through the tangled mass of black hair on its head.
"Swamp troll," Lupin said succinctly, turning to point his wand at it. "A subspecies of the river troll."
"Thanks for the lesson, Professor Lupin," Snape said acerbically as the troll roared at them, brandishing a large spiked club. Off in the near distance, a wolf howled in pain, but Snape couldn't tell whether it was Greyback or Lukas. For all he knew, it might even be Ash.
From the way his eyes suddenly narrowed, the same thought had probably occurred to Tsubasa. "Go," he said curtly. "I'll handle this."
"But--" Lupin started to protest.
"Go!" Tsubasa repeated. "Lukas and Ash need help, and physical combat is my specialty, after all." He grinned fiercely, reminding Snape of the tengu warrior Karasu. "Don't worry; I've fought many oni in Japan--they're similar to trolls, only much more intelligent. This will be a piece of cake compared to that."
The troll had paused, club still raised, frowning at them with a slightly confused look on its face; it seemed to be trying to decide which of them to attack first.
"Don't underestimate it," Lupin cautioned. "Trolls have very tough hides--"
"Not tougher than tengu steel, I'll wager!" Tsubasa retorted. The troll finally made up its mind and started towards Lupin, but Tsubasa ran forward, shouting, "Hey ugly, over here!" The troll grunted, turning its head in Tsubasa's direction, then roared again when Tsubasa's sword darted out to nick at its leg. It was only a minor wound, but it served to get the troll's attention, and it charged after Tsubasa.
"Let's go, Lupin," Snape said, grabbing his lover's arm and urging him on in the direction of the battling wolves.
"Are you sure it's all right to just leave him there?" Lupin asked doubtfully.
"He's risking his life to give us this opportunity, so let's not waste it," Snape replied. "Besides, you remember that sword dance he performed at Chizuru's and Karasu's wedding, don't you? I think he'll be able to handle that troll without too much trouble."
"I suppose so," Lupin conceded. "He is a master swordsman, and he's certainly faster and smarter than the troll."
"Indeed," Snape said. "So let's concentrate on Greyback and the Macnairs, who will likely be far more difficult to defeat than a troll."
They paused long enough to cast the obscuring spell, then continued on their way until they finally reached the safe house. Greyback and Lukas were fighting each other in wolf form while the Macnair twins watched; Ash was in human form, bound with chains and apparently enspelled.
Snape had to stop and take a deep breath when he saw the werewolves, their bodies torn and bleeding, their eyes maddened with rage and little if any human consciousness visible in them. It brought back vivid memories of being attacked by Lupin in the Shrieking Shack as a teenager, and it was also a reminder of how vulnerable he was. Werewolves could move with incredible speed, and it would only take a single bite from Greyback--or Lukas, for that matter; in the heat of the moment, he might have trouble distinguishing between allies and enemies--to infect him with lycanthropy. And as much as Snape loved Lupin, he didn't particularly want to become a werewolf himself.
He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, firmly but reassuringly, and turned to see Lupin gazing at him with concern in his eyes. "Are you all right, Severus?" he whispered.
Lupin's touch steadied him and restored his courage, although he also felt a bit sheepish. Yes, a werewolf was a dangerous opponent and not to be taken lightly, but he had already faced down the Dark Lord and all of his Death Eaters in battle. He certainly wasn't about to let a single, mangy, flea-bitten werewolf intimidate him!
"I'm fine," Snape said, keeping his voice low to avoid attracting attention and thereby breaking the spell of obscurement surrounding them. "I'll go after the Macnairs; you'll have to help Lukas with Greyback..."
"Since I'm the only one who can safely deal with him, because I'm already a werewolf," Lupin finished with a nod.
"There's nothing 'safe' about Greyback," Snape warned. "Just because he can't infect you doesn't mean that he can't kill you. Don't let down your guard."
"I understand, Severus," Lupin said, a sudden fierce protectiveness flaring in his normally gentle blue eyes. "But I am a wolf, too, and it would be a mistake for him to underestimate me. You take care of the Macnairs; I won't let him get near you."
"How reassuring," Snape said sarcastically, although he was secretly touched and a little embarrassed. Lupin just gave him a feral grin, looking more like Lukas than his normal self at the moment. "All right, let's do this," Snape said, and they moved forward with their wands raised.
Part 31
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Afterword: Sorry for another cliffhanger! I meant to finish the entire battle, but it 's taking longer than I planned. I'll have family visiting this week and won't have much time to write, so I thought I'd post what I have now, rather than make you guys wait another week or two. Btw, there' s no such thing as a swamp troll in the books, but if JKR can make things up on the fly, I don't see why I can't, too. ^_^
Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa (OMCs), and a few other minor pairings
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts.
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III. (These stories are archived on my website and also on Moonshadow.)
Summary: Lukas confronts Greyback; the rescue party arrives in the fens. Sorry--ends on another cliffhanger; see afterword for details. (I promise I'll finish the battle in the next chapter for sure!)
Part 29
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Meanwhile, after Lukas grabbed the Portkey, he found himself transported into the middle of what looked like a swamp, his feet sinking slightly into the damp, mucky ground. He was standing in front of a small house, a little too big to be called a cottage, but still a far cry from your typical pureblood manor. It was made of weathered wood built on a sturdy stone foundation, probably because the moisture from the ground would have rotted through wood, but it also made Lukas think about underground dungeon chambers, which brought to mind images of Ash being chained and tortured in some dank, dark cell.
"Where are you, Greyback?!" Lukas shouted towards the house, and a moment later, a man with gray hair and a wolfish grin strutted out. He was big--taller than Lukas with a rangy frame that seemed a little too thin for his size, but he exuded strength and confidence. And his eyes were filled with the bloodthirsty hunger of a werewolf during the full moon with no Wolfsbane, but tempered with human intelligence and cunning that made the gray-haired man look even more dangerous, not less.
"So you did come, like a good little doggie," Greyback said with a condescending sneer. "I was afraid that you might be sensible and stay away. But on the other hand, your pack probably wouldn't want to follow a coward, would they? So you have no choice but to show up and prove yourself the alpha male."
"Where is Ash?" Lukas demanded. "I came here for him, not you!"
As if on cue, a young, dark-haired wizard emerged from the house, leading Ash by a length of silver chain attached to a silver collar around his neck. Silver shackles bound his wrists and ankles, and more silver chains wrapped around his torso to pin his arms tightly against his body, but his legs had been left free to allow him to hobble forward, moving slowly and awkwardly because of the shackles. To Lukas's relief, Ash appeared to be mostly unharmed, although there were some half-healed scratches on his face, and dried blood stained his robes and matted his hair--a hank of it near his face had obviously been cut off to provide the souvenir that had been sent to Lukas along with the Portkey.
The young wizard--Warren Macnair, he assumed--tugged on the chain, and Ash followed obediently, his eyes dull and blank; they must have used the Imperius Curse on him. The sight of Ash being led about like a dog on a leash caused Lukas's blood to boil, and by the smirk on Warren's face, they had probably done it deliberately to provoke him.
"Ash!" Lukas shouted, and his pack brother's eyes flickered with a spark of recognition as he turned in Lukas's direction.
Warren frowned disapprovingly, and with his free hand, he pointed his wand at Ash, saying, "Imperio! Behave yourself and remain still like a good dog."
Ash subsided, his eyes glazing over again, and Lukas snarled, moving towards the house with the intention of tearing Warren apart limb by limb. The young wizard hastily raised his wand again, pressing the tip of it into Ash's cheek.
"Stay back, Diggory!" he warned. "Two simple words is all it would take to kill him, and not even a werewolf can withstand a Killing Curse!"
"If you kill him, then there's nothing to stop me from killing you!" Lukas growled, but he came to a halt nevertheless.
Warren turned pale, taking Lukas's bluff seriously, although Greyback only laughed. Then a beautiful young woman, obviously Warren's sister, came out of the house to stand beside her brother, wand in hand.
"But if you really didn't care about your friend, you would not have come here in the first place," Imogen Macnair pointed out in a cool voice, looking calm and composed and not at all intimidated by the sight of an angry werewolf. So Snape was right about her being the alpha of her pack; her brother immediately looked to her, obviously expecting her to take charge of the situation, and even Greyback was gazing at her with a look of admiration and respect. The admiration was tinged with lust, but he kept it in check, which was further proof of Imogen's dominance. Lukas might have been impressed if he hadn't been so furious and worried about Ash.
"If you didn't care," Imogen continued, "you would have given the Portkey to the Aurors, and we would be facing Shacklebolt or Dawlish instead of you. I don't even detect any tracking spells on you. Therefore, you must care about your friend enough to risk your life for him, in which case, you won't exchange Randolf's life even for the pleasure of killing my brother." Warren swallowed hard, turning even paler, and Greyback snickered, causing the other man to glare at him.
"Therefore, I propose a bargain," Imogen said. "You and Greyback will fight as planned. If he wins, then he will take control of your pack. If you win, then we will release Randolf unharmed."
Lukas knew better than to trust her. If he defeated Greyback, he was sure that the twins would try to kill him themselves. And two against one, they might actually succeed, even if they were a couple of upstart cubs. He would be weakened from the battle, and they would still have Ash as a hostage, and on top of that, they were clearly skilled in Dark Magic, if they were able to keep a brute like Greyback under control and dominate Ash so completely with the Imperius Curse. He frowned at his pack brother in concern and confusion. Imperio was a powerful spell, of course, but a wizard with a strong enough will could fight it off, at least partially, and Ash was one of the most stubborn and willful people he knew. Yet he didn't even seem to be trying to struggle against the spell.
"Very well," Lukas agreed, having no other choice. He would try to draw out the fight with Greyback as long as possible, to give Shacklebolt and the others a better chance of finding him. He was beginning to regret not having consulted the Aurors, or at least Snape, before recklessly heading out on his own, but there was no point now in thinking about what he should have done. If he and Ash both managed to survive somehow, then he would gladly submit to being chewed out by the Aurors, Snape, and anyone else who wanted to tell him what an idiot he was.
"Oh, and one more thing," Imogen said sweetly, flicking her wand. "Accio!" she cried, and Lukas's wand flew out of his pocket and into Imogen's hand. "To keep the duel fair, of course. You werewolves prize physical combat over spells, don't you?"
Lukas made no reply, but just turned to face Greyback, who grinned widely, exposing a set of teeth that looked pointed even in his human form. "Let's get down to it, then," the other werewolf said, striding forward to meet Lukas. The two men circled warily around each other, waiting for an opening as they sized each other up. "You were wondering why Randolf isn't trying to fight off the Imperius, weren't you?" Greyback asked slyly. "Well, it's because I broke his spirit. I humbled him and showed him who's top wolf around here."
Lukas snarled and lunged forward, and he and Greyback grappled with each other, punching and clawing and biting, while the twins watched, Imogen with cool amusement and Warren with concern.
"We should just kill him," Lukas overheard Warren mutter, although most of his attention was focused on Greyback. "Why bother with this stupid duel at all?"
"Because Greyback says that the pack won't submit to him unless he defeats their leader personally," Imogen replied patiently. "An unmarked body slain by a Killing Curse isn't good enough. He needs to show them a bloody and battered corpse, both to prove that he was the one who killed Diggory, and to demoralize them and break their spirit. And besides, Greyback's been chafing for a good fight. We need to allow him an outlet for his aggression so that he won't be tempted to break his Vow."
Greyback managed to kick Lukas hard in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. The soft, muddy ground cushioned the impact of his fall somewhat, and he quickly scrambled back to his feet, ready to face his opponent. But Greyback had not taken the opportunity to follow up on his attack, and was merely standing in place with one hand resting on his chest and a look of intense concentration on his face.
And then Greyback's body began to change, a more subtle transformation than the normal monthly change at the full moon. His arms and face sprouted gray fur, his fingernails lengthened into talons, and his face elongated into a wolf's snout. Greyback opened his jaws wide to howl out a challenge at Lukas, exposing a set of long, razor-sharp teeth.
Lukas involuntarily took a step back; he knew that Greyback possessed the medallion that allowed him to transform at will, but actually witnessing the process was more unnerving than he had expected. There was a sense of, well...wrongness...in Greyback's hybrid form, neither man nor wolf, but some monstrosity in-between, as if the transformation process had been frozen halfway through.
"You're an abomination, Greyback," Lukas growled.
"Funny, now you sound like those mealy-mouthed humans who call us monsters," Greyback retorted in a low, raspy growl, his voice sounding slightly distorted in his new form. "The difference between you and me is that I'm proud to be a monster!" He flexed his hands, showing off his talons, and grinned widely, showing off his fangs. "I'm proud of the strength of my new body. Werewolves like you whine about wanting to become human, about wanting a cure. But why would I want to be trapped in a weak shell of a 'normal' human body? Deep down in your heart you know it's true, Diggory; I can smell your fear. You might as well show me your throat and surrender now. If you submit and agree to serve me as your new master, I'll ask my Lady to spare your life."
"Go to hell!" Lukas snarled, knowing that he'd made a mistake by that momentary lapse of weakness when he'd backed away from the other werewolf, but fear was a natural instinct when faced with such an opponent. In human form, he was obviously at a disadvantage against Greyback's teeth and claws. His only chance was to force his own transformation, but the only way to do that would be to allow himself to be so severely injured that his body would automatically transform in self defense. The danger was that Greyback would kill him outright before he had a chance to transform...but that was a chance that he was going to have to take.
He gathered up his nerve and charged at Greyback, who spread his arms wide, as if to embrace him. Their bodies collided with more force than the other werewolf had expected, judging by the startled look on his opponent's face as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. However, he quickly recovered and Lukas howled in pain as he felt Greyback's claws ripping through his robes and into his flesh. Then Greyback used his superior height and weight to roll over, reversing their positions and pinning Lukas beneath him.
{This might not have been such a good idea, after all,} Lukas thought as Greyback's jaws snapped at him, trying to close around his throat. He struggled against a surge of panic, then gave in and surrendered to the fear, hoping that it would summon up his inner wolf.
He managed to protect his throat, partially because Greyback seemed to be toying with him, not wanting to finish off his prey too quickly. So Greyback's teeth tore into Lukas's shoulder instead of his neck, but that was enough to finally bring the wolf to the surface, and for once, Lukas welcomed the pain that always accompanied the transformation, as muscles and skin and bone compressed and stretched and twisted themselves into new configurations.
Greyback didn't seem unnerved in the least to find himself wrestling with a large, angry wolf instead of a man. In fact, he just laughed as Lukas clawed wildly at him, tearing open a gash on his face. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek towards his mouth, and his tongue darted out to catch it, his eyes lighting up with satisfaction and a twisted sort of pleasure. "Good!" Greyback exclaimed. "Now we can have a real fight!"
"Hurry up and finish him off, Greyback!" Warren shouted impatiently, then cursed under his breath; the latter didn't seem to be directed at Greyback, and Lukas risked stealing a glance at the Macnairs, who were still standing near the entrance of the house. Ash was staring at him, and his eyes no longer looked quite so dull and glazed, but rather, were filled with confusion and distress, and his body was twitching jerkily.
{He's trying to fight off the spell!} Lukas realized with relief and triumph. Maybe the sight of his pack leader being attacked had finally weakened the hold that the Imperius had over him. He tried to call out Ash's name, momentarily forgetting that he was a wolf, but was instantly reminded of it when all that came out of his mouth was a howl.
It changed into a howl of pain when Greyback's claws raked across his chest and belly. "Forget about the pup," Greyback snarled. "I'm the one you're fighting, and you'd best pay attention to ME unless you want to die! Then again, you're going to die no matter what, so why prolong the agony? Give up now, and I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death, since young Macnair seems to be in a bit of a hurry."
But Lukas could tell from the savage hunger in Greyback's eyes that he didn't want to grant his opponent a quick death; no matter, because Lukas had no intention of giving up. He reluctantly turned his focus back to Greyback as they bit and clawed at each other, although he could hear Warren shouting, "Imperio!" and then for good measure, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Well, at least that was better than a Killing Curse, but Lukas had little time to spare for worrying about his beloved pack brother when just trying to stay alive was requiring his full concentration. Greyback was lean, but he was big, and with his superior weight and the flexibility of his half-human form, he had a distinct advantage over Lukas.
Greyback managed to grab hold of Lukas's front legs with a crushing grip that threatened to break the bones, preventing the wolf from clawing him. Lukas growled in frustration, trying to scratch at his opponent with his hind legs, but couldn't really do so effectively with Greyback straddling him and pinning him to the ground. The other werewolf gave him a malicious grin, then leaned in, opening his jaws wide as Lukas snarled and snapped at him frantically. He managed to rip open a shallow wound on Greyback's face with his teeth, but Greyback ignored it, and clamped his jaws around Lukas's throat.
Lukas howled, his body writhing and twisting, trying to buck Greyback off of him as he felt sharp teeth trying to force their way through his thick fur and into his flesh. He thought that he was going to die, when Greyback suddenly went rigid and his eyes went wide with fear and shock. He released Lukas and threw back his head, howling in rage as his body spasmed and twitched, much as Ash's had earlier.
Lukas finally managed to push Greyback off of him, and he scrambled to his feet, backing away from the other werewolf as Imogen shouted, "Greyback, what's wrong?"
Greyback ignored her, still caught up in whatever unseen force he was battling. Lukas circled cautiously around his opponent, wondering if he ought to attack now while Greyback was distracted.
But he had hesitated too long; Greyback clutched at his chest, and his howl turned into a roar of triumph; apparently he had won the battle.
"Greyback!" Imogen said sharply. "Is the medallion malfunctioning?"
"No, my Lady!" Greyback declared confidently. "Everything is fine!"
Lukas barked out a challenge, and Greyback turned to face him, grinning confidently, looking far more animal than human. "Fine, let's fight tooth and claw, wolf to wolf! I'll show you that I'm stronger than you in any form!"
"Greyback!" Imogen shouted, but her servant was already transforming smoothly into the shape of a large gray wolf. The wolf's yellow eyes were filled with hunger and malice and sheer unbridled glee, and Lukas knew instinctively that this was the form that Greyback preferred out of all three--man, half-man, and wolf. This was Greyback's true self, and before he had the medallion, he must have looked forward to the full moon with as much fervor as most werewolves dreaded it.
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The two wolves lunged forward, tearing into each other with a single-minded ferocity, blood and fur flying. Warren started to call out to Greyback, but his sister stopped him.
"It's too late," she said. "Can't you see that they've gone completely wolf? Even invoking the Vow won't get through to him now."
"If we can't control him, maybe we're better off without him," Warren grumbled.
"We still need him," Imogen insisted. "For one thing, if you kill him now, we'll have to deal with Diggory ourselves."
Warren turned a little pale as he watched the wolves move in a blur of gray and yellow-brown and red, with such speed that he wouldn't have been able to target just one of them with a Killing Curse. It was possible that he wouldn't be able to hit either of them, even if he didn't care which wolf he killed. He wondered uneasily if he would be able to throw up a Shield Charm in time if the wolves decided to charge him, or if the spell would be able to stop a werewolf at all.
"For another, we cannot take control of the wizarding world by ourselves," Imogen continued, watching the battle with a look of calculated interest in her eyes. Warren shivered; he loved his sister, and he knew that she loved him and their father, but sometimes he suspected that ice water ran in her veins instead of blood.
"We need Greyback and the werewolves that he will bring under his control," Imogen finished, then smiled with satisfaction. "A werewolf army to do our bidding--imagine that, dear brother!"
As far as Warren was concerned, dealing with the three werewolves they had here was more than enough; he would rather not imagine an entire pack of them. He glanced nervously over at the enspelled and chained werewolf standing by his side and saw that while Randolf was still immobile, his eyes were darting about restlessly. Warren gripped his wand more tightly, beginning to wish they had never gone through with this plan in the first place, but how else would they get the chance to free Father? Attempting to change the subject, Warren asked, "What if Diggory's friends manage to follow him here somehow?"
"I don't know how they would manage that without a tracking spell, but never fear, my brother," Imogen replied calmly. "I've prepared a few surprises to greet any uninvited guests."
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Snape, Henry, and Shacklebolt were flung out of darkness headlong into a pool of muddy water. Fortunately, it wasn't deep enough to drown in, but Snape was not pleased to have his robes drenched, nor to be spitting up mucky water, and from the look on his face, neither was Shacklebolt.
"Feh!" the Auror spat, clearing his mouth as he tried to wipe the mud from his eyes with the back of his hand. "You couldn't have given us a smoother landing, Bletchley?"
"I did my best," Henry's voice said indignantly. He was still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, although his position was clearly marked by the patches of mud floating in midair. "It felt like there was some sort of anti-Apparation barrier around Greyback's location, so we were hurled outside the range of that barrier. You should be thanking Merlin that none of us got splinched!"
"It's just as well," Snape said, as he noted that neither the Macnairs nor Greyback were within sight, although he could hear wolves howling off in the distance. "As I said before, Apparating into the middle of a fight between two werewolves is rather dangerous, and this way, we have a chance to sneak up on them." Feeling much better about the situation, he cast a few quick cleaning and drying spells on himself and his companions, which improved all their moods.
"Sorry I snapped at you," Shacklebolt apologized gruffly. "You did your best under the circumstances, and I am grateful that you got us here in one piece."
Henry pushed the cloak back and became visible once more. Sounding mollified, he replied, "Well, now that I have a better fix on the location, I should be able to return and bring the others in more smoothly."
However, that turned out to be unnecessary, because Lupin, Tsubasa, Tonks, and Potter emerged out of thin air a second later, accompanied by the usual cracking noises of an Apparition.
"Looks like the tracking spells worked!" Tonks said cheerfully. Meanwhile, Tsubasa was glancing around, getting his bearings and obviously searching for signs of their enemies, relaxing slightly when he saw they were alone. But his gaze immediately turned in the direction that the howls were coming from.
Snape half-expected Tsubasa to go charging in after his lover, but the crane man continued to behave with a remarkable degree of common sense--he definitely would not have been a Gryffindor, had he been Sorted at Hogwarts. "They're obviously somewhere in that direction," he said, gesturing towards the howling noises. "But we should move in carefully, circling around the perimeter and checking for traps."
"Agreed," Snape said approvingly; apparently all that tengu training had taught Tsubasa discipline and good strategy. "I also think it wouldn't be a bad idea to set up a few anti-Apparition wards of our own, in case the Macnairs decide to flee. They can dispel their own barriers easily enough, but they won't be expecting ours."
"Good idea," Shacklebolt agreed. "Why don't we split up into two groups? Tonks, Harry, and I will go this way; Snape, you and Lupin can take Professor Tsubasa."
Snape bristled slightly at being ordered about, but it was a logical suggestion and besides, he didn't particularly want any of the Aurors in his group--especially the youngest. They might be grudging allies, but after seven years of teaching Potter junior, he was more than happy to let Shacklebolt take responsibility for the boy.
"I'll be leaving, then, if you don't need me any longer," Henry said, sounding relieved.
Shacklebolt nodded. "Yes, we appreciate everything you've done for us, but there's no need for you to endanger yourself any further. Please go back to Hogwarts and bring the Headmaster up to date."
Henry nodded and handed the cloak back to Potter, saying, "All right, I'll--"
He never finished his sentence; it was cut off abruptly by a cry of surprise and pain as he toppled backwards into the mud. Snape turned towards him, startled, drawing his wand, as did the others, except for Tsubasa, who drew his sword instead. A large, spiky, dark red plant had shot forth several barbed tentacle-like vines that had wrapped around Henry's legs, pulling him off his feet, and were now also attacking his torso and arms.
Snape, Lupin, and the Aurors attacked the vines with Incendio spells, causing them to reluctantly withdraw back into the main plant; Tsubasa lopped off a few that were particularly stubborn, and the rest of the vines retreated with more haste.
"Venomous Tentacula," Potter said. "I remember seeing them in Herbology class. But this one's bigger than any of the plants in the greenhouse."
"I see that you paid more attention in Professor Sprout's class than you did in mine," Snape said dryly as he knelt down to check on Henry. His robes were torn and stained with blood (as well as a liberal amount of mud), but the wounds were shallow. However, the main danger posed by the Venomous Tentacula was not blood loss, but as the name implied, the venom that it injected into its victims. The skin surrounding the puncture wounds was red and inflamed, and Henry's eyes were glassy, and his breath shallow and rapid.
"This specimen seems to be more virulent than usual," Snape observed as he reached into his pocket for a healing potion; Henry drank it down, but didn't look much better. "I should have brought a few bezoars with me," he muttered to himself, then asked Henry, "Are you well enough to Apparate?"
"Yes, I think so," Henry replied.
"Good," Snape said. "Get yourself to St. Mungo's before something else decides to attack us."
Henry nodded weakly. "Good luck, Severus, and...be careful."
"I don't need you to tell me that," Snape said sourly; Henry just smiled and vanished with a loud crack.
Potter was staring at the Tentacula. "That doesn't usually grow in a swamp, does it?"
"No," Snape replied. "Which means that someone--no doubt the Macnairs--deliberately planted it here. Which means there are probably other nasty surprises awaiting us."
"All the more reason to be on guard and watch for traps, as Professor Tsubasa suggested," Shacklebolt said. "Let's head out as planned, but be careful, Harry. You might as well go ahead and use the cloak since Bletchley doesn't need it any longer. Tonks and I will take the lead and deal with any traps we find; you be prepared to come our defense if necessary, but try not to reveal yourself unless absolutely necessary. We'll only get one chance to surprise Greyback and the Macnairs when we find them."
"You're our trump card, Harry," Tonks said with a smile.
The boy looked as though he had been about to argue about not having a more active role until Shacklebolt explained about keeping him in reserve and Tonks mentioned the bit about the "trump card". Then he nodded and donned the cloak without objection. It was unnecessary inflating of Potter's ego, Snape privately thought, but then, that was nothing new, and they had more important things to worry about. He mentally shrugged it off, and the two groups split up, each heading obliquely towards the source of the howling.
Lupin and Snape detected and disarmed several magical traps along the way, and paused a couple of times to cast anti-Apparition wards. Tsubasa, who still had his sword out, allowed them to take the lead and handle the traps, although he remained alert, constantly scanning the area, and pointed out another Venomous Tentacula, as well as a patch of Devil's Snare, enabling them to avoid the plants. Snape debated with himself briefly about whether he should ask the question that was on his mind, then decided that no one really expected politeness of him, so he might as well go ahead.
"No offense, Professor Tsubasa, but wouldn't it be more useful to have your wand out at the moment? I have no objection to you cutting Greyback up into tiny pieces, but wouldn't a wand be more effective at dealing with magical traps than a sword?"
"None taken," Tsubasa replied calmly. "The crane folk have no aptitude for combative magic. I'm slightly better at it than most, thanks to my education at Salem, but I'll never really be good at it. However, I am good with a sword, and since it's difficult for me to wield both a sword and a wand at once, I prefer to use the sword."
"But what if you need to deflect a spell attack, especially from a distance?" Lupin asked curiously. "A sword is a weapon meant for combat in close quarters."
Tsubasa smiled. "I explained to one of my classes that a wand is merely an object to focus and channel a wizard's power. The tengu are able to channel their magical power into their swords."
"Really?!" Lupin exclaimed. "How fascinating! So swords are like wands to them?"
"Well, not exactly," Tsubasa replied. "The tengu don't have as wide a range of magical abilities as humans do. Most of it is related to combat and defense, and their swords act as a very limited type of focus object. They can channel defensive magic through the blade and use it to deflect magical attacks, and they taught me how to do it when I was training with them. Defensive spells are also forged directly into the steel when the swords are made. You and Professor Snape seem to be handling the traps adequately, but I can use the sword to dispel minor magical wards if necessary."
"We're getting closer," Snape said. "It might be wise to cast an obscuring spell before we get within sight of our opponents." It wasn't as effective as an Invisibility Cloak, of course; it didn't actually render a person invisible, but made them difficult to notice unless they did something to draw attention to themselves. If they were careful and quiet, they should be able to get close enough to launch a surprise attack on Greyback and the Macnairs.
However, before he had a chance to cast the spell, a large creature suddenly exploded out of a nearby patch of peat, sending bits of moss and dirt flying. It was humanoid, but definitely not human, with warty, dark green skin and short horns pushing through the tangled mass of black hair on its head.
"Swamp troll," Lupin said succinctly, turning to point his wand at it. "A subspecies of the river troll."
"Thanks for the lesson, Professor Lupin," Snape said acerbically as the troll roared at them, brandishing a large spiked club. Off in the near distance, a wolf howled in pain, but Snape couldn't tell whether it was Greyback or Lukas. For all he knew, it might even be Ash.
From the way his eyes suddenly narrowed, the same thought had probably occurred to Tsubasa. "Go," he said curtly. "I'll handle this."
"But--" Lupin started to protest.
"Go!" Tsubasa repeated. "Lukas and Ash need help, and physical combat is my specialty, after all." He grinned fiercely, reminding Snape of the tengu warrior Karasu. "Don't worry; I've fought many oni in Japan--they're similar to trolls, only much more intelligent. This will be a piece of cake compared to that."
The troll had paused, club still raised, frowning at them with a slightly confused look on its face; it seemed to be trying to decide which of them to attack first.
"Don't underestimate it," Lupin cautioned. "Trolls have very tough hides--"
"Not tougher than tengu steel, I'll wager!" Tsubasa retorted. The troll finally made up its mind and started towards Lupin, but Tsubasa ran forward, shouting, "Hey ugly, over here!" The troll grunted, turning its head in Tsubasa's direction, then roared again when Tsubasa's sword darted out to nick at its leg. It was only a minor wound, but it served to get the troll's attention, and it charged after Tsubasa.
"Let's go, Lupin," Snape said, grabbing his lover's arm and urging him on in the direction of the battling wolves.
"Are you sure it's all right to just leave him there?" Lupin asked doubtfully.
"He's risking his life to give us this opportunity, so let's not waste it," Snape replied. "Besides, you remember that sword dance he performed at Chizuru's and Karasu's wedding, don't you? I think he'll be able to handle that troll without too much trouble."
"I suppose so," Lupin conceded. "He is a master swordsman, and he's certainly faster and smarter than the troll."
"Indeed," Snape said. "So let's concentrate on Greyback and the Macnairs, who will likely be far more difficult to defeat than a troll."
They paused long enough to cast the obscuring spell, then continued on their way until they finally reached the safe house. Greyback and Lukas were fighting each other in wolf form while the Macnair twins watched; Ash was in human form, bound with chains and apparently enspelled.
Snape had to stop and take a deep breath when he saw the werewolves, their bodies torn and bleeding, their eyes maddened with rage and little if any human consciousness visible in them. It brought back vivid memories of being attacked by Lupin in the Shrieking Shack as a teenager, and it was also a reminder of how vulnerable he was. Werewolves could move with incredible speed, and it would only take a single bite from Greyback--or Lukas, for that matter; in the heat of the moment, he might have trouble distinguishing between allies and enemies--to infect him with lycanthropy. And as much as Snape loved Lupin, he didn't particularly want to become a werewolf himself.
He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, firmly but reassuringly, and turned to see Lupin gazing at him with concern in his eyes. "Are you all right, Severus?" he whispered.
Lupin's touch steadied him and restored his courage, although he also felt a bit sheepish. Yes, a werewolf was a dangerous opponent and not to be taken lightly, but he had already faced down the Dark Lord and all of his Death Eaters in battle. He certainly wasn't about to let a single, mangy, flea-bitten werewolf intimidate him!
"I'm fine," Snape said, keeping his voice low to avoid attracting attention and thereby breaking the spell of obscurement surrounding them. "I'll go after the Macnairs; you'll have to help Lukas with Greyback..."
"Since I'm the only one who can safely deal with him, because I'm already a werewolf," Lupin finished with a nod.
"There's nothing 'safe' about Greyback," Snape warned. "Just because he can't infect you doesn't mean that he can't kill you. Don't let down your guard."
"I understand, Severus," Lupin said, a sudden fierce protectiveness flaring in his normally gentle blue eyes. "But I am a wolf, too, and it would be a mistake for him to underestimate me. You take care of the Macnairs; I won't let him get near you."
"How reassuring," Snape said sarcastically, although he was secretly touched and a little embarrassed. Lupin just gave him a feral grin, looking more like Lukas than his normal self at the moment. "All right, let's do this," Snape said, and they moved forward with their wands raised.
Part 31
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Afterword: Sorry for another cliffhanger! I meant to finish the entire battle, but it 's taking longer than I planned. I'll have family visiting this week and won't have much time to write, so I thought I'd post what I have now, rather than make you guys wait another week or two. Btw, there' s no such thing as a swamp troll in the books, but if JKR can make things up on the fly, I don't see why I can't, too. ^_^
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