A Hero's Defeat

Chapter Eight

Harry Potter never took chances anymore. Too many people could get hurt if he was wrong. So when he found himself in front of Luna's house and saw the five Death Eaters, he debated on what to do. He knew that he couldn't leave Luna and Katherine defenseless but he still couldn't walk blindly into a situation where the odds were against him.

Without another thought, he shifted form.

~~~

"It is to be known," George said to what remained of his family, "that Harry Potter is, indeed, a Death Eater. He confirmed it to me a few minutes ago before he left, undoubtedly, to go to Azkaban to be with his lord."

Silence closed the room, suffocated all present. No one moved, for fear that they had, perhaps, heard George wrong, but the Minister didn't falter, didn't say anything. He just collapsed into a chair, exhausted.

Not a person in the room could say anything. The repercussions of Harry Potter being a Death Eater were disastrous. He was the only hope of the world and now he served Voldemort.

Hope was lost and the world would fall to the Dark Lord. They all knew it. There was nothing left to fight for anymore and no one to protect because everyone with any sense had already gone to Voldemort.

~~~

Hogwarts was in mourning. The day before, hundreds of Death Eaters had marched upon the school and fought to take over. Teachers and students were dead, but none of that could measure up to the sacrifice made by Albus Dumbledore.

The ancient wizard had stood before the Dark Lord and had died. The only person Voldemort had ever truly fear was dead and now all hope rest in Harry Potter.

After Dumbledore's death, the young man, barely of age, had retreated to the dungeons of the school to further his studies of the Dark Arts. No one had known why he was really down there. No one could have known what happened that day after the attack.

No one, except Severus Snape.

Severus sighed as he stirred the potion he was working on. It was a difficult potion, a recent discovery made that could end the after effects of a Cruciatus Curse. He figured that they would need something when Harry decided to go into Azkaban.

He looked over at the phoenix that was watching him. Fawkes. The bird that always seemed to know everything. It always had even before Dumbledore had been killed. It was highly unnerving at times.

"We have a small problem."

Severus looked up from his potion to see Greg Goyle standing in the doorway.

"What is it?"

"Luna and Katherine. They're in danger, but Luna refused to come with me," Goyle said.

"Where's Harry?"

"Last I checked, still at Hogwarts. Weasley thinks that he's working for Voldemort."

"I told him to confirm their suspicions." Severus sighed. "He's readying himself to raid Azkaban to look for Black."

"Is he suicidal?"

Severus shrugged. "Possibly, but that doesn't matter. Go check on Luna and Katherine. If something seems wrong, take them to Grimmauld Place." Goyle nodded and left.

Severus finished the potion and poured it into vials. When did everything get so complicated?

~~~

Darkness spread through his bones like the cold of the stone floor. He had no sense of time anymore, so he had no idea of how long he'd been in the cell. Voldemort had left hours before...or was it days? He wasn't sure anymore.

The only thing he was sure about, was that he was ready to die. He had prepared for death and he wished it would come soon and take him home to his friends. This life was far too hard and the man knew he had nothing else to live for. Death was waiting for him and him, for death.

~~~

"When did this happen?" the woman asked.

"Last night," a male voice answered.

"Where is Harry?"

"We're not sure. He left Hogwarts after telling Weasley that he served the Dark Lord."

"And Hermione is at Azkaban?"

"Yes."

"Leave, Anarkas."

"Yes, milady." Anarkas bowed and left the room. The woman sat, looking thoughtful for several minutes.

"What are you up to, my child? Yes, you are a powerful mage, but you are not ready to fight Voldemort, not yet, not until the circle is complete. Jupe!" she called out.

"Yes, milady?" a soft, childlike voice asked.

"Prepare to travel. Have Anarkas find Severus and Harry, I wish to speak with them both."

"Yes, milady," Jupe answered and rushed out of the room.

"Is that wise, Makara?" a cloaked figure asked, stepping out of one of the few shadows in the room. "After all, you yourself are in no shape to protect the boy."

"You underestimate him, Tom, and you underestimate me."

He laughed, a shrill, frightening laugh, but Makara didn't even look at him.

"I underestimate no one. Perhaps you underestimate me."

"When the battle wages, Tom, I will be by Harry's side. The circle will complete, but I will not tell you how."

"We shall see, milady," he said and then he Disapparated.

"Oh yes, Voldemort, we shall see who will win this battle. My kingdom will not fall to the drow." She stood and with a small movement of her hand, the chair she'd occupied disappeared.

"What am I to do, Father?" she asked of the air around her. "I cannot protect our people much longer. They grow weary as each day passes. Tom Riddle is prepared to kill Harry and I fear that I cannot protect him for much longer. My own Life Force is growing weak. If I should fall, who will protect our people from the drow? Who will protect Harry?"

She fell to her knees, her head bowed, waiting for an answer.

"Do not fear, my daughter. Young Harry is more powerful than you believe. He will be even more so when he finds his godfather."

"How can I help him, Father?"

"You must save Sirius. That is all you can do, Makara. With his help and with yours, Tom will not be able to win this battle."

Makara took a deep, shuddering breath. "Thank you, Father," she said before standing up.

~~~

Goyle Apparated to Luna's house just in time to see a griffon run inside. Without thinking of the consequences, he followed Harry into the house, his wand ready for a fight.

But all was quiet. Harry transformed and nodded to the stairs. Goyle followed and they silently ascended to the second floor of the mansion. Goyle went down the hall in one direction and was vaguely aware that Harry went the opposite direction.

They had to protect Luna and Katherine.

They had to be safe.

Because Gregory Goyle would accept nothing less. He had sworn to protect Luna and Katherine and he would keep that oath until his own death.

~~~

"We are ready, milady," Jupe said. "Anarkas has already gone."

Makara nodded distantly. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air. Someone would die before dawn.

She bade farewell to her people and began her descent into darkness. It would be a short descent, she knew, but it was something she had to do. She knew she wouldn't survive but her people would if Harry Potter succeeded in his goal. Her people and the fate of the wizarding world were the only things that mattered and Makara would do anything to make sure the two worlds survived Tom Riddle.

~~~

Lights exploded around Harry as he walked into the room at the end of the second floor hall. He dodged out of the path of a killing curse and rolled to the other wall and took his battle stance ready to fight.

"Hello, Potter," a familiar voice said.

"Should have known," Harry replied. "Evanesco."

The man shrugged. "You must do better than that, Potter. Granlito."

Harry dodged the curse with a small sigh. "I would have thought that you would actually be a challenge, Malfoy. It seems that I was mistaken." Harry threw two more curses at Malfoy, Senior in rapid succession. One hit and the other bounced off the wall.

"Avada Ked..." Malfoy began, wand raised.

"Stupefy!" Goyle said, walking into the room. "That was intelligent," he told Harry.

"It would seem," Harry replied. "Is there anyone else?"

"I stunned two down the hall, but I haven't found any more. I haven't seen Luna or Katherine."

"Katherine's room is upstairs. Let's go." Goyle nodded and they walked up the flight of stairs to the third floor. Harry watched. The other two Death Eaters had to be on the third floor. He led the way into Katherine's bedroom and was at the door when an explosion sent him and Goyle flying through the other wall. Harry pushed himself and Goyle out of the path of Cruciatus curses. One caught Harry but he worked past it and threw another hex at the nearest Death Eater.

Harry and Goyle both got to the feet and Harry fought to keep his balance. He was far too tired to be fighting this much in one night.

"Avada Kedavra!" Goyle yelled out and one of the Death Eaters fell. The other, seeing his fallen comrade, Disapparated.

~~~

'The elven lands were once considered untouchable. They were isolated and hidden by the most complex of elven magic. Elves are magic, so these charms could not be detected by human witches and wizards. Unless those humans were being helped by drow.

Drow or 'dark elves' as they may be known are elves that have been cast from their cousins for serving darkness in any way. Since the first war against Lord Voldemort, all drow have joined his ranks and have vowed revenge on their 'light' cousins.

For many years, the drow worked to create their own ranks, their own lands, but after Lord Voldemort's rebirth, they gained a new objective-to take the lands of those cousins who had cast them out; Kylmisti.

They could not, however, make a move on elven lands that were protected by wizards so they waited. Lord Voldemort would help them achieve their goal.

But the Dark Lord would not come. He refused to help those who had not helped him when he was bodiless. The drow were alone in their battle, but they did not despair, because they knew they would succeed.

The battle began when Lord Valerian died and his daughter, Makara was new to the task of leading the elves. The drow came in quick and killed hundreds of their kin. Makara herself was badly injured while trying to protect others. The leader of the dark elves knew that when Lady Makara died, he would control Kylmisti.

He withdrew and began to wait. Soon Makara would die and all would be his. He would not have to wait long because others were planning her death as well.

Two months after the dark elves attacked, Kylmisti was breached again, this time by wizards, by Lord Voldemort. He requested to speak with Lady Makara alone, something she did not want to do. None know what was said during that meeting, but it was reported that Lord Voldemort was pleased afterwards.

What is known, however, that one week after the meeting, Lord Voldemort called the drow to him and forced them to make an agreement not to attack Kylmisti. They agreed, but for a price.

Since these events, Kylmisti has fallen from notice of the wizards. All this is known now is Lady Makara is still very ill and quick to tire. Some claim that she hasn't much longer to live. Despite this, she continues to thwart Lord Voldemort's plans and continues to aid Harry Potter for some unknown reason.

The young man laid his quill down and looked at the words he had written. With a smile of satisfaction he took the parchment across the room and laid it one a table topped with other scattered pieces of parchment. His last words had been written in blood and he only hoped their significance would reach the minds of those who needed awakening to what was really happening.

"May all be well, my friends. May the Light shine upon you until Death."

And with those words, the man fell to the floor, dead.