Elemental Alchemy

Chapter Eleven

3:06 am - The Great Hall - Hogwarts

No one in the room showed any signs of anger or outrage. No one shouted judgments or condemnations at Paolo. With Blaise Zabini's life - or at least his normal life - on the line now, each and every person in the room focused on the task Harry just laid out for them. It was imperative that they rescue Blaise. Worrying about things like Paolo's motivation towards murder, or a suitable punishment for same would have to wait until later.

Remus Lupin, a burst of adrenaline now masking and dulling his pain, shot toward Draco Malfoy. Malfoy was at least two inches taller than Remus, but in his grief and growing sense of guilt, he shrunk under Remus' glare.

"This was all my fault." Draco sobbed. "We knew what Professor Zabini was doing - going after the prophecy for You-Know-Who! Even after there were three murders, we didn't do anything to stop him! We had no idea he'd get dementors to kiss Blaise! We... we thought it would mean You-Know-Who could come back stronger, take over the school. It's what I've been taught all my life is the best thing! I thought it would get my father and the others - Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, McNair - out of Azkaban!" O Draconian Devil...

"Malfoy." Remus placed his hands on Draco's shoulders. Malfoy sneered in mild disgust. "Draco. I know and I understand. I don't like it, not one bit, but I understand. However, if we're going to prevent another death and get your friend Blaise back, you have to work with us - with Dumbledore - for a change. Not against us - not on the side of Voldemort - do you understand?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, but my father, he's still in Azkaban, and it's all because of Potter and Dumbledore and...!"

"Malfoy," Snape intervened. "Your father's presence in Azkaban has nothing to do with Potter. Potter merely acted to save his own life, and Dumbledore to save everyone else's. You should know first-hand by now that Potter's instinct for self-preservation is keenly honed. Do you not know that the Dark Lord nearly killed Potter two years ago - possessed him utterly? If anything, Malfoy, your father's being in Azkaban is due only to prideful carelessness on the part of the Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters! I hate to say this, but if your father had followed through, killed Potter and the others right away, and taken the prophecy orb from the Department of Mysteries when he had the chance..."

Harry shifted uncomfortably where he stood. It was obvious to Robert that whatever happened was an event that Harry was loath to relive. Clearly, something happened two years ago where Harry had a run-in with Voldemort that nearly cost him his life - and that confrontation had to do with the prophecy. Robert continued to listen with rapt attention.

Snape continued. "... he would not be where he is today. Frankly, Mr. Malfoy, even if the Dark Lord were to take Potter, I seriously doubt he would follow through with his promise to release your father. If he wanted your father out of Azkaban, he would be out by now. The dementors follow him now, they obey him, and they no longer care about guarding Azkaban."

Draco hung his head. Robert could tell that Draco Malfoy had great respect for Severus Snape, and he clung tightly to Snape's advice. For Snape to say such things to Draco - that must have been an intense wake-up call for the boy. Draco looked up at Harry for a moment, with an expression of intense hatred and jealousy, tears of frustration now streaming down his face. "Potter," he spat.

"Yes, Malfoy." Harry's voice showed no sign of hate, no sign of malice - only concern.

"Get Blaise back. If anyone can do it, you bloody well can - you'd better." Snape's speech obviously, and thankfully, worked.

A brief, flickering smile crossed Harry's face. "I'll do my best, Malfoy."

Robert sprang into action. "Now, what do we do?"

"Malfoy, you must go to Dumbledore. As much as you hate to, you must. Tell Dumbledore what happened, although I imagine he probably knows. Help him gather the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. We will, I imagine, need backup," Snape ordered. Draco turned on his heel and hurried out of the Great Hall. Robert could hear his footsteps echo through the hallways toward Dumbledore's office.

Snape turned toward Robert and Remus. "The rest of us, we will proceed to the Common Room and inspect Zabini's locker. If it is as I suspected, we should find the Portkey left behind. The Dark Lord would not chance Zabini's ability to return to Hogwarts by planting a two-way Portkey."

"Yeah," Harry said, "but isn't he chancing us coming after him?"

"Frankly, Harry," Remus mused, "I think that's exactly what Voldemort wants. And we'll have to be sharper than ever."

That feeling of dread felt earlier in the Great Hall, Robert decided, that butterfly-in-the-stomach, I'm-going-to-be-sick-any-minute-if-I-don't-get-out-of-here feeling...it just increased again, by a power of a thousand. Can I click my heels together now???

Robert swallowed. "I take it we're going to use that Portkey if it's still there?"

"Absolutely," said Remus. "Wouldn't have it any other way, now would we?" He smiled at Harry.

"What about Paolo?" Robert pointed at the crumpled up heap that was his friend.

"He comes with us. He needs to see the result of his doings." Snape ordered.

Minutes later, Remus, Robert, Severus, Paolo, and Harry stood outside the Slytherin Common Room. Severus gave the password, "Sang Real," and the door swung inwards. Severus stepped inside first. "This way."

Robert was the last of the group to enter the room. He had caught a glimpse of the damask red and rich gold decorations in the Gryffindor Common Room. By contrast, this one was also interesting. The dominant color of this room was a washed-down, patina green, with touches of silver and black. All of the tables and wooden furniture were covered with a high-gloss black enamel, detailed with shimmering silver serpents.

Fire and water, Robert thought. Passion and coolness. This room was definitely the opposite of that belonging to Gryffindor.

The couches and chairs were Spartan, with minimal cushioning, and minimal comfort. The fireplace hearth was immense, and the mantelpiece was shaped like a winding, writhing jumble of serpents. There were numerous paintings on the walls, all of straggled or scruffy looking wizards, and all of which looked as if they were purveyors of Dark Magic. Thankfully, each of the portraits was fast asleep.

This Common Room, unlike the Gryffindor one, was deserted. Apparently, the Slytherins were either asleep, or gathered up in the dormitory. Other than the loss of their comrade, Blaise, there seemed little concern from this House about the horrible happenings of the evening.

Robert followed the group up a winding staircase to a wide open dormitory. The seven beds in this dormitory were arranged in a semi-circle around a central pot-belly stove. The hangings and bedclothes were varying shades of green and silver. The room was full of students, jam-packed into the area around Blaise Zabini's bed locker, staring wildly into it.

One boy turned and saw Snape. "Professor Snape, sir! Blaise Zabini! He went in his locker and...what's Potter doing in here?" The other boys turned and stared at both Snape and Harry, with mixed looks of reverence and hatred shadowing their rather stupid-looking faces.

"Yes, Goyle, I know Zabini's gone." Snape ignored the boy's comment about Harry. "Malfoy told me all about it, I don't need to hear it again from your doddering mouth. Step aside now, all of you. Back to your beds before you all get detention and lose ten points each from Slytherin before classes even begin!"

The threat had the desired effect. All of the Slytherin boys scattered like cockroaches when the light turns on. Paolo sank down on Blaise's bed and sobbed anew. "Blaise, Blaise, mio figlio, what did I do? What did I do?"

Snape wheeled in disgust. "Snap out of it, Zabini, right now. Dramatics will not get your boy back. You must cooperate."

Remus and Robert bent low over the locker. Each of the items within looked harmless enough. "Don't touch anything," Remus warned, "let me try something first."

Remus took out his wand, muttered, "Trovimagica," and moved the wand in circles over each of the boxes in the trunk. One of the boxes - a box marked "chocolate frogs, one dozen" - shook violently, and gave off a yellowish glow. Remus held his wand over the box, and muttered another incantation: "Revelius Incantatem."

Robert stood transfixed. The box continued to shake, and gave off a small amount of steamy smoke. This smoke billowed and curled itself into a single word. Portus.

"There's your Portkey, Severus."

Harry leapt forward. "Then let's touch it, let's go!"

"Wait," said Robert. "You mean to tell me we just touch that box, and we're transported to wherever Blaise is? What - is that like Star Trek or something where our molecules are all scattered and scrambled and then put back together again? I mean, what can happen? Anyways, we don't know what we're getting into! Voldemort could be waiting for us on the other side!"

"Robert," Remus stood and laid a hand on Robert's shoulder. "It's all by magic. Travel by Portkey is perfectly safe. You don't get scrambled up as you say, and you don't get scattered. More people have died from Muggle airplane crashes than Portkey travel..."

"Yeah," said Robert. "That's because Muggles outnumber you people by millions to one!"

Remus gave a wan smile. "Just trust me, Robert, you have so far." Robert nodded reluctantly.

Remus aimed his wand at the box again. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The box levitated. Remus moved it with his wand, and set it back down at the foot of Blaise's bed. "On the count of three, we all place our hands on the box. Snape, you ensure that Paolo's hand gets on there. One. Two. Three."

Robert reached out a tentative hand, and jerked it back, still uncertain. Harry grabbed hold of his hand and forced it onto the Portkey.

Robert felt a strange sensation, as if someone had tied a string to his middle and gave an immense jerk. He felt his feet leave the ground. He could not remove his hand from the box. It was stuck there, and it felt as if it would remain stuck until the end of the ride. Robert became slightly dizzy from the whirling, swirling images and color around him.

Robert felt like he was again falling down the abandoned well, and that he would again land in ten feet of frigid water. With that image in his head, Robert could feel his panic rise for at least the tenth time that night. The world continued to spin and eddy, the wind continued to rush past his ears and in his hair, when suddenly, it stopped.

Robert felt his feet hit ground, and he fell forward, onto his hands and knees. The ground was muddy and marshy with small bits of dead, dried vegetation sticking out at sharp angles. It smelled of earthy decay and mold. Robert pushed himself up, got to his feet and looked around. Snape, Harry, Remus and Paolo were scattered around him in a twenty-foot arc. Each of them was slowly getting to their feet. Robert looked wildly around for the box - the Portkey. It was gone. Like Blaise before them, their seemingly only way of returning to Hogwarts was left behind.

Without warning, Paolo took off in a mad dash toward the edge of the field. "Paolo!" Robert shouted. "Paolo, where are you going?"

Paolo did not respond and did not look back. Robert looked around to the others momentarily, and then took of in a sprint after his friend.

"Robert, wait! Robert!" Remus bellowed. "Come back!"

With a sudden jolt, Robert was wrenched backwards, and knocked off his feet. As the others came closer, he heard Snape bellow, "Impedimenta," his wand aimed at Paolo. He looked ahead and saw Paolo fall in a similar manner, howling with anger and pain. Harry and Remus ran past Robert, gathered up Paolo, and began to drag him back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Robert yelled, getting to his feet. "I almost had him!"

"Yes, Langdon," Snape sneered. "And you also almost ran right into a swarm of dementors." Snape pointed to the sky above. About two hundred yards away, there was a tightly-packed group of tall hooded figures - some floating in the air, some hovering inches off the ground.

It was all Robert could do but stare in horror. The dementors were swarming and flying around a single, central spot. During the occasional breaks in the swarm, Robert could see within the apex of the dementors - a small portion of old, broken wall. Upon that wall was a tall post. Tied to that post was a young man. He was thrashing wildly and screaming in terror.

"Blaise." Robert breathed. "We're too late."

The words, "we're too late," sent a shockwave through Paolo. Paolo cried anew, rocking back and forth on the ground, his face buried in Lupin's cloak. Lupin looked up at Robert with pleading eyes, as if to say, "come here and help your friend."

Robert approached Paolo and turned him around. "What's done is done, Paolo. All we have to do now is get him out of here. They have him, yes, but they haven't kissed him yet! No one cares right this very minute why or how you did it man, but we need you here. We need you sensato, Paolo, in your right mind, ready to go. Your mourning, your dolore, will do nothing for Blaise right now."

Paolo looked past Robert -- toward the sky -- in increasing horror. At the same moment, Robert felt an immense chill course through his body, starting at the top of his head and flowing mercilessly through to the ends of his toes. As if played by a movie projector, every horrible thought from his lifetime began flooding back to him.

Robert heard the cavernous 'splash' as he hit the bottom of the well as a child, watched his father die. He saw the mangled body of Jacques Saunière, and the branded body of Leonardo Vetra. He watched Vittoria Vetra glare, murder in her eyes, at the Hassassin as he laid his hands violently upon her body. Robert saw the flash and heard the concussion of the anti-matter bomb exploding over Rome. Finally, he felt the kiss of death as he fell two miles from an exploding helicopter with naught but a few yards of fabric to slow him down.

Everything around Robert started to swirl, fog over, and mist into nothingness. "What, what... what is happening?" He muttered.

No one answered. Silence. No one would ever answer again. Robert was finished, dead, and he didn't care. He did not want to live anymore. He felt as if he would never be happy again. Why bother? Why go on? Why not just...let...go... and...

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A booming voice rent the air, scattering the increasing, enclosing silence. Robert suddenly found himself able to look up, able to lift his head again. When he did so, he saw an incredible sight. There were two dementors - and they were fleeing - but what were they fleeing from?

A stag. An immense, glowing white stag. Robert slowly started to feel normal again, the haunting images, wishes for death, and terrifying sounds fled from his mind. He looked to his right and saw Harry Potter, his wand still extended, and a bright, white glow emanating from the tip. The ethereal stag was still gamboling around in the sky, driving back dementors.

Harry looked at Robert. "All right there, Professor Langdon?"

"What the hell was that?"

"That, Robert, was a dementor." Remus said. "Being around a dementor is a wholly unpleasant experience isn't it? See now why they used dementors to guard Azkaban?"

"What... what did it do to me? I wanted to die!"

"Dementors, Robert, feed on every happy thought you have, drain them right out of you, and replace them with every horror and every nightmare you've had in your entire life." Remus explained, as he helped Snape to his feet. "I relieve the day I was bitten. Potter here, whenever the dementors are around, hears his mum and dad being murdered by Voldemort."

Harry lowered his wand, the two stray dementors now having rejoined the swarm.

"All right there, Harry?" Remus asked. "Nice Patronus, there. Prongs would have been proud."

"Thanks, Remus," Harry said. "But I don't think it can take on all those dementors out there."

Remus shrugged. "Likely not. We'll just have to come up with a plan as we go. Here, I brought this just in case, and it seems to be coming in handy." Remus handed Robert a large chunk of chocolate. "Eat it. It'll make you feel better."

"Chocolate?" Robert asked.

"Yes, chocolate. Undoes the effects from a dementor, gets you right as rain again in no time." Remus distributed pieces of chocolate to Severus, Harry, and Paolo.

Paolo, however, refused, shoving Remus' hand aside. "No. Let me suffer here. Let the dementors come for me, I deserve it!"

Feeling newly warmed and energized from the chocolate, Robert grabbed the candy from Remus and wheeled on Paolo. "Didn't you hear a damn word I just said?! No one here gives a crap right now. Snap out of your pity party and let's go get your kid! That's my 'nephew' out there, too, you know, and if you want to sit here and wallow in your own misery, then, well, screw you." Robert shoved a piece of chocolate in Paolo's mouth and began walking toward the swarm of dementors. Harry, Remus and Snape just stared, wide-eyed.

Paolo stood, brushed off his robes, and followed.

Chapter Twelve

3:25 am - The Open Field - Unknown Location

Paolo caught up to Robert in three long strides, and tugged at Robert's robes. "Delfino, amico mio, we need to talk." Robert turned and glared at Paolo, anger now starting to course hotly through is veins.

Before Robert could tell Paolo not to touch him, Remus, Harry, and Snape approached.

"The Aurors need to know where we are," said Snape. He aimed his wand high in the air and shot red sparks from the end of it. They flew up toward the cloudless sky, and fanned out in firework-type patterns. "A beacon. They'll be here in no time."

"What's an Auror?" Robert asked.

"My dad was one," Harry said. "It's like a wizarding policeman. Like your CIA or FBI, or Scotland Yard. They hunt down the bad guys, so to speak, and put them in prison."

As Robert opened his mouth to comment "about time we got them involved," two wizards popped into view, their appearances ripping the air and making a loud "crack" noise. One was a tall, black man with a bald pate and a large gold earring.

The other was a statuesque and muscular woman. From what Robert could see in the dark, this woman had bright pink hair and wore a plethora of piercings in her ears, nose, and eyebrows. Despite her punkish appearance, Robert thought she was rather attractive.

"Wotcher, Harry!" the female Auror said. "Dumbledore said you might be needing us. What's the fuss?"

Harry pointed at the dementors and the dais where Blaise was bound and gagged. "Them, Tonks. We need to get Blaise Zabini away from them."

"And who's this handsome bloke?" Tonks asked.

"This is Professor Robert Langdon, Nymphadora," Remus introduced a now blushing Robert.

"Ah, c'mon Wolfman! How many times have I told you to call me Tonks?" she groaned. She winked at Robert, and held out a hand. "I'm Tonks, and this here's Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Pleasure to meet you sir," said Kingsley silkily. He had a deep, baritone bass voice, smooth as melted chocolate.

"Pleasure's mine," Robert replied. "Remus, will you be all right here if I take Paolo aside for a moment?"

Remus smiled. "With Kingsley and Nymphadora here we are in good hands."

Tonks snorted. "Remus, you ruddy windbag!"

Robert turned back to Paolo. "Let's have that talk now, the Aurors are here. They can take care of things for five minutes."

Like Paolo did earlier, Robert put his arm around his friend's shoulder and walked him away from the group, into the darkness. "Paolo, level with me. What happened to you?"

Paolo sniffled and shook his head, no.

"Paolo, if you don't tell me I can't help you. Do you want to go to that Azkaban place for killing...."

"Of course not, Robert, but what choice did I have? I had to obey him! I had to do what he said! You-Know-Who was merciful to me, though - when I killed those people, Professor Matado and Professor Vector, I wouldn't do it. I refused, but he has ways. He... he..."

"What did he do, Paolo?"

"Imperius curse. The Imperius curse. I didn't know what I was doing! I didn't agree to those murders, but he literally, physically made me do them." Paolo lifted his hand to his mouth as if he were going to be sick.

"But how did he get to you in the first place?"

"He's been here all along! Stalking in and around my house! I got a note a few weeks ago that the other..." his voice caught, "...Death Eaters, wanted to see me. I allowed them into my house, into Victoria and Blaise's house...and they brought You-Know-Who." Paolo sobbed anew.

"I was horrified. I had never seen him since he came back two years ago. I broke away from him. I never wanted to go back, ever! When I was in America with you, my mark - the Dark Mark never once burned me. Never once showed up on my skin and I was thankful. But when I came back here. It flared up constantly. I had to wear long sleeve shirts every day to keep Victoria from seeing it!"

Robert just stared.

"He came into my house, Delfino! My house! He threatened me. Threatened my household. He said that his other faithful devoted servants were in Azkaban, and they deserved to rot there for their failure to get the prophecy! He said if I could get it for him, he would spare Victoria and Blaise! If not, he would feed them to his dementors - both of them."

"Why is the prophecy so important to Voldemort?"

"In his hands, that prophecy is his greatest weapon. Right now, Harry Potter and Dumbledore are the only ones who know what the real truth is - how the final confrontation between Harry and You-Know-Who will turn out. That puts Harry at a significant advantage. He had to get it somehow. He couldn't get it out of Dumbledore's head. He's been trying for two years now to get it from Harry, but Harry's too strong...too good an Occlumens."

Robert bit his lip. He suddenly felt very exposed, very threatened knowing that he was one of the few who was privy to the full prophecy.

Paolo started furtively into Robert's eyes. "You-Know-Who - he provided the cryptex to me, and said he'd make me start killing one after the other until the prophecy was revealed, and I could deliver it to him. That is why, Robert, the clues contained within the cryptices - that's why they constantly referred to the prophecy, on the chance that someone would say the entire thing in front of me."

"That's why you didn't want to leave Dumbledore's office! That's why you insisted that there was more to the solution of the puzzle than just those six words we gave you."

"Yes, Robert. I was so close. So very close to seeing my family to safety."

"But why bring me?" Robert asked. "Why did you have to put me in such danger, and in such a weird situation? Why expose the wizarding world to a Muggle like me?"

"I told you, Robert. Dumbledore asked me to! I couldn't refuse! I had no choice in that matter either. If I could have somehow kept you away I would have. I know you almost died tonight, more than once, and I regret that."

Robert felt his ire bubble up again. "Then why the hell did you put me in that Shack with Lupin? You know he could have torn me to shreds! Yes, Paolo, I almost did die, thanks to you! You are feeding me such a line of bull right now, Paolo, I can see right through it, and I'm not even a Legilimens, or whatever the hell you people call it!"

"I will make no more excuses, Robert. But know this. I was still under the Imperius Curse when I took you there. I had just finished bringing Lupin and chaining him up, and arranging his clothes and case with the blood. I was cursed every hour on the hour, and I could not avoid it. I have no idea how the Dark Lord did it, or why he felt he couldn't trust me to save the lives of my family. The Dark Lord was essentially acting through me right then. I have no memory whatsoever of bringing you up there. When Lupin said that he..."

"I still don't believe you, Paolo." Robert said, coolly.

"But, Delfino! I knew what was going to happen! I saw the clue that the Dark Lord was going to put in that cryptex - the Mickey Mouse clue - the Muggle will get the kiss clue. He also told me that he was going to 'use Lupin's presence' to his advantage!"

"So what? So you did purposefully take me there!"

"No, Bobby, don't you see? The Wolfsbane in the cryptex! I gave you your way out! I gave you a means to tame Lupin and to escape! I have also been dropping you hints as to the solution to that cryptex since we met at Hogsmeade station! The color of your robe, the explanations of the Slytherin symbols, the hints left with the bodies. I thought you, of all people, would certainly put all of that together, and I am happy that you did! Robert, I even gave you the very solution when we were trying to open the first puzzle. Air, earth, fire, water!"

Robert couldn't believe his ears. He glared at Paolo with increasing fury, increasing distrust, and a blossom of hatred. How could Paolo betray him like this? How could Paolo chance his only child for a silly prophecy? "I've heard enough, Paolo. Enough."

Robert turned and started to walk back toward the group, Paolo following closely, still muttering apologies and apoplectic explanations. Robert stopped and threw his arm out to stop Paolo. He pointed. "Look."

There was a mass blaze of red streaks, seemingly shooting out of wands on either side of the dais where Blaise stood, still struggling, and still screaming. "What the..."

Paolo's eyes became wide. "Stunning charms," he shouted. "There must be Death Eaters there."

The two ran toward the dais. As they got closer, Robert could see the ground littered with slumped bodies, their robes billowing out with the slight breeze now picking up. He did not recognize any of them. Robert looked around, peered through the darkness into the faces of those others around him. They were all shaken and panting, but they were all in one piece.

"Is everyone okay?" Robert asked.

"Yeah," Harry panted. "Except Snape and Kingsley. They both took stunners to the chest. They'll be all right soon enough, though."

Robert stepped over a Death Eater to examine Snape's limp form. As soon as he did so, an all-too-familiar feeling swept over his body, for the second time in an hour. Dementors.

He looked up. The entire swarm of dementors was now circling right above Harry, Tonks, Paolo, Remus, and Robert, forcing them into a tight circle themselves. One of the dementors broke free of the enclave and swooped toward Blaise.

Paolo rushed forward. "No!" He ran directly toward Blaise, and tried mightily to undo the bindings. They were too tight and too firm. Paolo looked up at the dementor. "If you want Blaise, you have to take me, first."

A second dementor, as if taking Paolo up on his offer, dove in next to the first. From behind, Robert saw the dementors lift long, talon-like hands and push back their hoods. The heads behind the hoods were skeletal and gray, covered with a scaly, leathery substance. Both dementors leaned in close to Blaise and Paolo each. Paolo's body shook violently in the presence of his dementor, his arms and legs failing madly as if he was suffering a grand mal seizure.

"The Kiss," Remus shouted. "No!" He raised his wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

Remus' Patronus, in the form of a large dog, loped over to the two dementors and chased them away, just like a real dog would chase a rabbit or a squirrel. As soon as the two dementors left, two more took their place, lowered their hoods, and leaned in for the kiss. Paolo's body was once again plunged into vigorous throes of pain.

Harry, in turn, tried with his Patronus. Just like Remus' dog, Harry's stag was only able to scatter a few dementors. Like before, two additional dementors swooped in to take their places.

Tonks, in her turn, tried also. Her lizard-like Patronus had the same effect, and two more dementors approached hungrily.

Remus swore loudly. "It's not enough! We need a stronger Patronus! We need more than one!" Remus eyed the skies again. "There are hundreds of them! In order to get rid of all of these dementors we will need a Patronus at least four times normal size."

"But how do you do that?" Robert asked.

Remus' eyes glinted briefly. "Not me, Robert....us." He pointed at each one of them - including Robert. "All four of us."

"What?" Robert startled. "I can't do that."

Tonks looked around on the ground. She spotted what she was looking for, aimed her wand at it, and said, "Accio wand!" Paolo's ebony wand shot up from the ground, and Tonks caught it deftly. "Here you go, Robert." She handed him the wand. "Have a go at it with us. Ever conjure a Patronus before?"

"Nymphadora," Remus said hastily. "Robert's a Muggle."

Tonks' eyes widened. "Well, then he'll just have to hang on to us then, won't he?"

"Robert, come stand here." Robert didn't move. "Come now, Robert, there's no time to lose! Those two dementors are going to suck the very life out of your friend and his son if you don't help us! There are hundreds of dementors up there just waiting to take their turn! We have to get rid of them all in one shot, or Blaise and Paolo are done for!"

Robert stared at the wand in his right hand, and then walked briskly toward Remus. "What the hell do I do?"

"When I give the signal; there's not much time. Robert, think of the happiest thought you possibly can. Dig deep into your memories, your experiences. Harry, Tonks and I will hold on to you. Even though you're a Muggle, I hope, that our combined magic will flow through to you, and you can add to it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't - but we can't say we hadn't tried, then right?"

Robert was still skeptical.

"Okay, then Robert, on the count of three, I want you to think of that thought, and we will together say the incantation, Expecto Patronum. Got it?"

Robert nodded.

"One. Two. Three..."

Suddenly, Robert felt his resolve, whatever there was of it, failing. He stumbled over his feet and felt himself falling with the weight of the terror welling up inside him. As Harry caught him up, Robert sensed the remaining dementors, aware of the growing fight against them, dive lower. Robert could feel ten times their effect. He saw again all of the horrible images he saw before. His memory also flashed to the flaming death of the camerlengo Carlo Ventresca and the dead body of Professor Vector he saw earlier.

No, Robert...you need to think happy thoughts. Making love to Vittoria, being rescued from the well, getting his appointment to Harvard, playing in the water polo national championships and winning, his first publication, learning about and kneeling at the location of the Holy Grail. Yes, those would do fine. Those would be the memories.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Harry, Tonks, and Remus' wands produced blinding sheets of white light. But the shapes of the Patroni were different this time. There was no stag, no dog, no chameleon. Robert couldn't quite tell what animal was produced from what wand, but he could clearly make out a lion, a badger, and a large bird - a raven. Robert screwed up his eyes and thought harder about the memories. "Expecto Patronum," he repeated.

He felt heat flowing through his body, culminating and pooling up in his right hand. His own wand, Paolo's wand, began to shake violently. He opened his eyes and looked up. The wand in his hand was glowing brightly, producing the same white light, forming a shape in the air above them. But the shape was unexpected. It was not the snake, the fourth Hogwarts symbol. Robert's Patronus, instead, was a dolphin. A large, sleek, bottle-nosed dolphin.

Earth...air...fire...and now, water. Combined.

The four Patronuses did just that. They combined into a mishmash of all four creatures. It had the head of a lion, the body of a bird, the feet of a badger, and the flipper tail of a dolphin. And it was beautiful.

"A Chimera!" Remus bellowed, laughing loudly and boisterously. "A ruddy Chimera!" Remus laughed again. "Go, go, get 'em!"

The Chimera was four times the size of any of the Patronuses that they, individually, had conjured before. It dispelled each and every one of the dementors, scattering them in all four directions, including those that were hovering over Blaise and Paolo. The Chimera cantered and swooped for a good five minutes until, its work finished, it disappeared.

Harry, Tonks, and Remus were still laughing with amazement and awe. "Looks like you really can do magic after all, Robert," Harry said.

Robert laughed. Then he saw Paolo and Blaise, and the mirth drained immediately out of him. They were both limp, pale, and unconscious. Blaise was still hanging from the pole, looking like a beaten up scarecrow. Paolo was passed out on the ground beneath.

"Paolo..." Robert murmured, and crossed the field to the wall and post. He started at a fast walk, his pace quickening with every step to a full-out dash. While Blaise was stirring slightly, and moaning, Paolo lay stock-still, his eyes unmoving, vacant.

"Oh, God, no...." Robert screamed. "Paolo!" He reached the wall. Harry, Remus and Tonks, who had followed, stopped behind him.

"Cor," said Tonks. "That doesn't look good."

"Please, Remus. Look at Paolo, is he...?" Robert couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew "dead" wasn't the right word for it. "Has he been...the d-d-dementor, did it k-k-kiss?"

Harry and Tonks undid the bindings holding Blaise in place, and slid him carefully off of the post, Tonks cradling him in her strong arms on the ground. Robert, aghast, fell to his knees next to his friend. Remus genuflected on the opposite side, peering into Paolo's staring eyes.

Remus flickered his hands in front of Paolo's eyes. There was no reaction. No sign of life. The pupils were open wide and dilated. Robert lifted Paolo's wrist and felt for a pulse. Paolo's heart did beat, but weakly. His skin, however, had turned cold and the color had all but drained from his face. Even before Remus said, "Yes, Robert, he's gone," Robert knew. One of those things - those dementors - sucked Paolo's very soul from his body. He was now a vacant, empty shell.

Robert buried his face in his hands, his fingers curling against his forehead in grief. "Oh, God, Paolo." This was the very last thing Robert would have expected tonight, with all the wondrous things he saw and experienced. Not once did he think he would be grieving over the loss of a friend. Especially this friend. Tired as Robert was, overwhelmed as Robert was, he could not hold it in anymore. He could no longer put on a brave face. He could no longer keep up the façade of Gryffindor-like strength.

He had been transported to a strange world. He had been nearly killed by a werewolf. He had seen a horribly mangled dead body. He had been attacked by an unworldly creature called a dementor - twice. Moreover, he learned that one of his very best friends was a murderer. A cold-blooded murderer and was likely a psychopath. Robert was spent. He'd had enough.

Robert sucked in a long breath, shivered, and then let go. He let all of those fears and emotions building up over the past twenty-four hours come pouring out. The tears flowed freely, unencumbered, and naturally.

Robert had not cried this hard for a long time. A very long time.

Robert barely felt it when Tonks lifted him up and embraced him. "It's okay, Robert. I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry Robert." Remus joined the embrace, as did Harry. Robert couldn't stop the tears.

"Let it all out, Robert." Remus said. "Let it all out."

Robert pulled away from Tonks, and rubbed his robe sleeve over his soaked face. "What do we do with him now?"

"Dad?" Robert turned quickly. Blaise was now sitting up, rubbing his head. "What happened?"

Remus rushed to Blaise's side. "Here, eat this. This will help you feel better." Blaise eyed Remus with distrust. "It's chocolate, Zabini. Didn't you learn anything in my class third year? You were attacked by dementors."

Blaise ate the chocolate. Remus passed the remainder around to Harry and the others. Blaise spotted Robert. "Uncle Bobby?"

Robert sobbed through a feeble smile. "Yeah, Blaise my boy. It's me."

"How did I get here?" Blaise stood on wobbly legs. He slipped on a wet patch of grass, and Robert caught him deftly. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't remember?" Robert asked.

"No. I was in my room getting some chocolate frogs from my trunk, and next thing I know I'm here, with all of you." Blaise looked down and saw his father. "Dad!" Blaise rushed toward Paolo's body. "Dad! Merlin's beard, Uncle Bobby, what happened!"

"Blaise, I am so sorry. We were too late," said Harry.

"Too late for what?" Blaise was panic-stricken. "The dementors, they didn't - they - they..."

"Kissed him, yes, Blaise. Your father is gone." O Lame Saint...

Blaise grabbed fast to Robert's robes and buried his face in Robert's chest. Just as Robert did moments ago, Blaise keened with grief over the loss of his father. But he would not be able to mourn for long. There were other, more pressing problems to attend to. Harry, as he did in the Great Hall, bent over, clutching at his scar, and screaming in pain.

"Now, Potter, just how does one dispose of a body that has been separated for eternity from its soul by a dementor?" A cold, steely, emotionless voice wafted from behind the crumbling wall. "The answer is, thusly: Evanesco Corpus!" A dazzling blue light shot from behind the wall, hitting Paolo's body square in the chest, and disintegrating it, inch by inch, until there was nothing left. Not even a speck of dust.

Blaise screamed. "Father!!!" Robert embraced him tighter, holding him fast, keeping him from running toward the source of the vanishing spell.

Harry slowly looked up from behind his hands. His face still showed a grimace of pure torture, but Harry was strong. He stood straight and defiant despite the burning pain in his scar. Robert followed Harry's gaze, his eyes resting upon a tall, skeletal, hooded figure emerging from the shadows. The man - the thing - had glowing red eyes and pasty white hands. Those hands were holding a long, thin wand.

"I knew you would be here," Harry sneered, "Voldemort."

O Draconian Devil....