Labelled Caustic

Chp 13: The Battle

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"Lucius, outsmarted by a mudblood I see," Voldemort said seriously. He was getting impatient and very, very testy. "You´re a disgrace Malfoy. Ousted by a mudblood, your own son cavorting around with filthy muggle-loving fools," Voldemort let out a sigh and looked at Lucius, whose head was bowed deeply in embarrassment.

Voldemort growled deeply and his face tensed into a magnificent glare that sent shivers down everyone´s spine. Lucius stared breathing deeply; bracing himself for the pain that would be inflicted on him for his stupidity and under-estimation.

With a cry of spells that flew from Voldemort's lips, Lucius screamed from the pain as he was hurled to the bookshelves that came crashing down. A domino effect was released and the bookcase fell onto another bookcase and so it continued. They had to do something!

They split up and ran to the sides of the walls. The invisibility cloak taken by Harry, Hermione and Ron, Ginny should have gone with the dream team but she stubbornly held on to Draco´s hand and they tried to hide in the dark corners. Hoping that they weren´t seen just yet. They huddled bending as low to the floor as possible. Harry and the rest on the other hand saw that Voldemort had transfigured the lamp beside him into a huge sword that gleamed in the firelight, looking majestic.

He handled the sword with ease and spoke through curled lips of disgust. "You have failed me Lucius; I have no use for you any longer. Macnair!"

Macnair took a step forward and took a bow before going over to Lucius and picking him up as if he was a child and making him kneel before their master. Voldemort gave an almighty laugh and lifted the sword up ready to strike him, the hilt gleaming regally.

Lucius head turned away and he saw something that made him start yelling.

"Draco! The child! They are here! They - " unfortunately Voldemort´s sword interjected before he could finish and a dull thud was heard as his head landed to the floor.

Narcissa screamed and she was gripped firmly to be held in place, Draco stiffened as he saw what had happened and couldn´t move an inch as the Death Eaters suddenly swept over the bookcases to come and retrieve him. Ginny´s frantic cries woke him up and he was replaced with a boiling rage and a sense of relief as he saw in his mind his first tormenter dead and with such irony that it was at the hands of the person he worshipped. He didn´t deserve death though. It was too easy and pain free. He should have been tortured and made to feel pain and endure it and beg for mercy. Ginny shook him again and this time he got his bearings and stood up. He saw a flicker from the other end of the room and knew that this was it. This was the right time.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried towards the death eaters.

Draco delved for his wand, "Averte Stacius!"

The death eaters had made a blunder. A monumental one, they went ahead without thinking that they had wands with them. `How could they have reacted so irrationally?´ Draco thought. Death eaters were flung everywhere but Voldemort had yet to be swayed and his wand was still in his spindly fingers. Giving them a look of mockery.

"Get Ginny out of here and get help!" Draco cried as he and Harry advanced onto Voldemort who was studying them carefully.

Ginny was screaming with violent objection as Ron came and made a mad grab at her. She tried struggling away from him but she couldn´t, as he was much stronger than she was. He placed her over his shoulder and made a mad dash to the front entrance with Hermione hot on his heels, as the entrance they had used to come up to the library had been blocked by the fallen bookcases. Unfortunately as they were running towards the entrance, several death eaters had managed to get up and barricade the door under the watchful eyes of Voldemort. They just didn´t know that Hermione was really that good at her magic and soon she was hurling hexes and curses onto them until finally the door exploded behind them sending wood and splinters flying all over. They crossed over the hexed victims and made a quick run to find help.

"You wouldn´t dare kill me," Voldemort surmised at their advancing bodies. They had managed to get the death eaters all tied up. Harry had thrown all their wands into the fire that crackled merrily at its new contents. "Two against one, not very noble is it?"

Draco just gave a smirk but didn´t say anything as Voldemort still had his wand and well he was rather powerful wasn´t he but he was just too dense to kill them right now. Draco couldn´t stand all this talking and decided to end it once and for all. Voldemort seemed to have read his actions and stiffened as he muttered a few spells under his breath.

Draco looked in surprise as he was levitated and pain coursed through his body once more. This time much worse than the Cruciatus curse. It made him feel weak and tiny. It made every single movement pure torture as if he was sleeping on a bed of nails. He bucked in horrendous pain and blood seeped from his ears and nose. The pain was excruciating and he feared his brain would explode. Draco knew that this was going to kill him. Slowly. Draco closed his eyes and that already hurt too much as it is.

Harry made a weak attempt at fighting off Voldemort but he couldn´t. He was far too strong now for feeble curses.

"This started with you Harry and it will end with you. Any last words?" Voldemort grinned evilly and gave a dry laugh at Harry´s face, which seemed crossed between anger and fear.

Voldemort took a step forward and was pleased as Harry took a reflexive step backward himself. He was being cornered like an animal. His thoughts were screaming at him to do something. To just hurl any curse that was at the top of his tongue. He had to do it. He had to.

Harry screwed his face up in anger and trembling he raised his wand to Voldemort´s amusement, "Avada Kedav-"

"NO!" a voice screamed and they both whirled around to see Lavender Brown. Harry looked confused and it dawned on him that she wasn´t among the death eaters that were tied up. He had completely forgotten about her. She must have been hiding somewhere.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted at Harry and his wand zipped out of his hand and went flying into her awaiting hand.

Voldemort gave her a pleased look and turned back to Harry. " See how the fates have turned against you? You have been living an extended life all this while. It would have been better if you just died as a baby," he said simply.

Harry refusing to believe the helpless situation he was in shook his head and surveyed his surroundings quickly with darting eyes. Praying that someone would come or any form of help would come through those broken doors. He saw Draco dangling in the air, having sporadic spasms that proved he was still alive.

"There is no way out for you Harry, none at all. It´ll be a pleasure watching you die," Lavender said sweetly.

Voldemort gave a vindictive smirk and raised his wand and Harry took in a sharp breath and braced himself against the wall.

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[A/N: With that Cliffy onward we go!]