The Legend of Chime

Chapter twenty-one

"Well, what are you waiting for?" growled Moody. "Spit it out, boy."

"It's difficult to explain . . . about fifteen kilometers east of here . . . deep in the woods . . . close to a small clearing," said Harry, looking around at the others. He shook his head at their identical looks of frustration and confusion, knowing that his description wasn't telling them much and a more adequate description would take to long. "I know where to go," he growled as he walked outside onto the balcony, determined to transform back into Talon.

"A moment, Harry," said Dumbledore briskly, walking toward him. He raised his wand and quickly waved it over Harry as he muttered, "Dissilo Veneficium." Harry felt a shiver run down his spine as the strange spell wove its way through him. "When you land, we will follow."

Harry gave him a quick nod then transformed into Talon and took flight, taking the same path he had used when he had returned to number twelve, Grimmauld Place that morning. He flew as fast as he was possibly able, afraid he wouldn't reach Elizabeth in time. But he sensed Voldemort had no idea that they were on his trail. He felt an overwhelming confidence and delight, along with the normal burning sensation in his scar, whenever he thought of him. Time might be on his side. God, he hoped so.

Fifteen minutes later, he slowed his pace as he drew near the area, afraid he might miss it in the darkness. Then the clouds parted and he saw her. She was standing in the middle of the stone ring surrounded by Death Eaters. Her arms were bound and she looked terrified. Voldemort stood in front of her. He could see his red eyes boring into her as he spoke. Everything in him wanted to fly into the group and start throwing curses, but he knew to do so would be foolish. Elizabeth would get hurt. So he landed in a tree, twenty yards from the clearing. Then, remembering that Dumbledore would soon be following, he fluttered down to the ground and resumed his original form. He crouched down low as he pulled his wand from his pocket and strained his ears to hear what Voldemort was saying, but couldn't make out the words. He squinted through the darkness trying to see what was happening to Elizabeth in the faint moonlight, but the circle of Death Eaters was blocking his view. Come on, Come on. His eyes cautiously scanned the surrounding trees. There was no sign of the others. Harry knew he wouldn't wait much longer. He had to give Elizabeth a chance to escape, even if he had to do it alone.

Suddenly, a familiar thick, icy mantle slid through him, chilling him to the bone. A rushing noise filled his ears. Instinctively, Harry swung around, his mind locked on the memory of Elizabeth's smile as he came face to face with hundreds of dementors gliding toward him.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The silver-white stag burst from his wand and charged directly at the towering, hooded figures, scattering them through the trees. But the dementors didn't retreat completely as they had normally done in the past. They only drifted far enough away to keep out of reach of the charging stag. Harry realised that Voldemort must have done something to keep them near, to guard this area until his purpose was fulfilled. And now Voldemort knew that he was here. Harry turned back toward the stone ring and cursed underneath his breath as several Death Eaters abandoned the circle. They were headed straight toward him.

********************************************************************************

Elizabeth knew Harry was near. She could sense his presence. She forcibly averted her gaze and stared at the ground, refusing to maintain eye contact with Voldemort, afraid he would see the knowledge there.

"Very good, Giles," Voldemort said almost pleasantly. "I am pleased it did not take much to elicit the correct response. You will be a suitable asset in the future."

Subtly, Elizabeth tried to get Malfoy's attention, but he was staring at something on the ground. Her eyes followed the path of his gaze. Her wand was laying in the grass, to the left of where Voldemort was presently standing. It was barely a foot away from Malfoy. She silently wiggled her finger loose from her rope bindings and pointed it at her wand. The wand slowly inched its way through the grass and came in contact with Malfoy's foot. He flicked his gaze toward her briefly, but remained motionless.

"You see, Chime. In the past, a Dark Lord would use the ones closest to you to gain your compliance. Then with the wonderful discovery of the Imperius Curse, it became unnecessary and the curse was used to acquire your blood. But the curse can be fought by one with a strong will or dissipated by another. Neither will I chance with you," Voldemort continued, holding up the ring so that it shined in the faint light of the moon, "With this . . . your every thought and action are but a reflection of my will . . . and you will give to me that which I desire without hesitation."

Elizabeth watched helplessly as he slipped the ring upon his pale thin finger and she immediately felt every worry and thought seep from her mind. Her body was no longer frozen by the night air, but warm and relaxed. She felt the ropes fall to her feet, but didn't think to run. Her eyes remained on the ring that now glowed upon Voldemort's hand. She was only dimly aware that a bright light had burst to life in the trees behind her as she slowly drifted toward him.

"Aw, we have a guest it appears. I had hoped he might show up. See to him," said Voldemort and several Death Eaters left the circle.

She heard Voldemort's voice as if through a deep tunnel, but his words did not register until they resonated inside her head.

"Take the knife."

She walked slowly over to the stone altar and picked up the menacing blade that lay there.

 "Lay down upon the stone."

She pushed herself up onto the altar and lowered her body down to rest against it as the sounds of battle filled the air. A muffled echo prickled in the back of her mind, but she ignored it as her eyes turned toward the heavens.

"Lift the dagger toward the sky."

She wrapped both hands around the hilt and stretched out her arms, pointing it upward. Voldemort began the blood ritual, but spoke the words in urgency as the night seemed to turn to day.

"Blade of steel with Orion's light

 guide Chime's hand this sacred night."

The knife burned red in Elizabeth's hands as if being fused to her skin.

"Creature of power

this blade of steel

dost end thy suffering to heal

seep from this world

as your blood doth drain

where Chime in past

have peacefully lain"

Flashes of light reflected against the blade of the dagger as she turned it in her hands.

"Now end it!"

********************************************************************************

Flashes of colour permeated the air. Harry rolled across the ground and dodged the curses that ricocheted off the trees as the night was filled with numerous loud cracks. Dumbledore and the others had finally arrived. About bloody time! Harry thought as he threw a stunning spell at the nearest Death Eater and missed.

The forest became as bright as midday light as several more Patronuses joined Harry's stag in fighting off the dementors. Harry immediately recognized Hermione's otter and Ron's stallion as they ran past. The dementors instantly swooped away from their brightness and into the night, defeated. But as soon as they were gone, the Patronuses turned and charged toward the attacking Death Eaters. They did no damage as their transparent forms raced through the surging wizards, but they successfully distracted them long enough for the Aurors' aim to find their marks. But moments later, the rest of the Death Eaters, who had remained in the circle, descended into the forest. The Aurors once again became engaged in battle.

Harry's eyes found Dumbledore as he threw a curse at the nearest Death Eater from behind a tree. The Death Eaters scrambled out of Dumbledore's path as he calmly strode toward the clearing as if out for a nighttime stroll. His eyes were focused on only one person. Voldemort.

Harry sprinted forward, ignoring the darting bodies and the flashes of light, intent on making it to the clearing as well. But suddenly, he came face to face with two converging Death Eaters whom he had not seen. He threw himself behind the nearest tree just as they raised their wands.

"Vulnificus!

"Stupefy!"

The two different spells came from two different directions by two different voices, but both found their marks. One voice he recognised as Ron . . . the other, Malfoy. One Death Eater screamed as his hood was ripped from his head and his nose exploded and splattered his face with blood. The other fell limp to the ground. But Harry barely noticed as he again ran through the thick trees, desperate to reach Elizabeth.

As he rushed into the clearing, he saw Voldemort throw several spells at Dumbledore, but Dumbledore only deflected them and did not attack. A second later, Harry knew why. His heart froze in his chest as he saw Elizabeth lying upon the stone altar directly in front of Voldemort, a deadly knife in her hands swiftly descending toward her chest. In an instant, Harry raised his wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

Suddenly, the knife flew out of her hands and sunk into the ground before it had a chance to pierce the cloth of her robes. Voldemort cursed then waved his wand once more, and a stream of fire burst toward Dumbledore, burning Elizabeth's hands in the process. But Dumbledore deflected it easily and took no notice of Elizabeth's burnt flesh.

Voldemort laughed as Dumbledore strode toward him. "You can not defeat me, Dumbledore. We both know this." Elizabeth sat up on the stone and pushed herself off. She placed herself directly between Dumbledore and Voldemort, using her body as a human shield. "What will you do, Dumbledore? Kill the Chime to get to me. You could never do that. Looking at her is like staring into the face of your mother once more, is it not?" Elizabeth raised her hands and Dumbledore flew backward. Voldemort laughed once more, but Dumbledore vanished before he hit the ground and reappeared behind Voldemort.

"You'll not have her, Tom. Her power does not belong to you. It is foolish to think otherwise," said Dumbledore calmly, striding toward Voldemort once more.

Harry ran forward and vaulted over the benches, in an attempt to remove Elizabeth from immediate danger as Voldemort and Dumbledore proceeded to battle. But Elizabeth turned toward him at the last second and he caught a glimpse of her vacant expression as she jerked out her hand. He felt as if he had been hit with a massive two by four as he went flying backward over the benches, completely taken by surprise. Then Elizabeth held out her outstretched palm slowly toward the knife and it pulled itself out of the ground and landed in her hand. Harry's startled mind raced as he scrambled to his feet. Elizabeth would never knowingly attack him.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted, pointing his wand at her.

But nothing happened. Elizabeth put the knife to her throat, but hesitated as a confused expression crossed her face briefly as she looked into his eyes. Then she started to slowly drag the blade across with a trembling hand. But before she could cut more than an inch along her flesh, Harry hit her with a stunning spell. Elizabeth staggered and dropped the knife, but didn't fall. She reached for it again as blood ran down her neck and mingled with her hair and stained her robes.

"Accio dagger!" Harry bellowed and the knife flew into his hand. He watched as Elizabeth turned to raise her hand to call it back, but Harry's reflexes were faster. He gritted his teeth as he raised his wand a third time against her. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Elizabeth's arms and legs snapped to her body and she fell hard to the ground. Harry ran to her, but was at a loss for what to do as he slid to a halt in the dirt and turned her over. If he got rid of the spell, she might try to hurt herself again and the cut on her throat wasn't healing. There was so much blood. Harry started to panic as he watched it pour freely from her wound and he placed his hand over it to try to stem the flow. Harry heard the familiar rush of a curse cutting through the air and ducked his head as the green light ricocheted off a nearby bench, barely missing him. He whipped his wand over his shoulder and took aim at the charging Death Eater.

"Percutio!" he growled.

The Death Eater was blasted off his feet and into a nearby tree.

"The bloody ring, Potter! Get the bloody ring!" Malfoy yelled as a jet of green hit the tree he was crouched behind and sent splinters raining down on his head.

"Voldemort's got the Ring of Oenone, Harry!" Hermione screamed as she hit a Death Eater with a stunning spell then dodged behind one of the stone benches.

Harry glanced up at the two powerful dueling wizards and saw immediately what Malfoy and Hermione were talking about. On Voldemort's finger glowed a silver ring.

"Accio ring!"

The brilliant band slipped to the very tip of his finger before Voldemort clasped his hand around it, preventing its escape. But Dumbledore took advantage of his momentary distraction and hit him with a powerful spell before he could block it. Voldemort vibrated with force of the blow and the ring fell from his grasp as he disappeared in a burst of flame. Then the sounds of battle ceased as the Death Eaters disapparated all around. But the resulting silence was eerily unsettling.

 

 Harry knew Voldemort was not gone this time. He could still feel his presence and his eyes frantically searched the surrounding darkness. Suddenly, his scar exploded as a blazing inferno spewed from the ground like a raging volcano and jetted into the air, where the ring had been seconds before. He focused his mind through the pain as he flung his body over Elizabeth and covered her face to protect her from the intense, scorching fire. His jeans felt like they were melting into his skin as thousands of fiery embers rained down from the sky, setting fire to the surrounding trees. He could hear the faint screams and shouts of warning coming from the others in the nearby forest over the roaring of the fire. He could smell the stench of burning flesh and prayed that it was his own as he screwed up his face against the agony.

"Aestuartium!" Dumbledore bellowed from somewhere in the distance and the massive blaze transformed into a powerful waterspout, instantly extinguishing the ignited forest and mercifully drenching both Harry and Elizabeth in the process. Suddenly, the night was filled with hundreds of loud cracks as if filibuster firecrackers had been let loose.

Then he heard the pounding of several people running toward them. A moment later, Harry felt himself being lifted away from Elizabeth. He winced against the white-hot pain of his burned flesh being touched then opened his eyes. He was surrounded by familiar faces.

"Thank God, Harry," breathed Lupin, shakily. His face was pale. "It's going to be all right. Reinforcements have arrived from the ministry. We're going to get you and Elizabeth to St. Mungo's . . ."

Harry turned his head toward Elizabeth and a ragged sound was torn from his throat as chills coursed through his body at the sight of her. Dumbledore was crouched over her, his face grief-stricken as he searched for a pulse. She was no longer stiff from his full body lock, but slack and unresisting. The skin on her legs and hands were blistered and charred. The knife wound on her neck was still bleeding furiously. The hard, cold ground was saturated with her blood, as well as her robes. If she breathed, Harry could neither see nor hear it and he gave an anguished cry as fear gripped his very soul. He shook his head and pushed away from the hands that supported him. The pain of his heart numbing the pain of his body as he reached for her.

Not Elizabeth! Not her too!

Spectral whispers of the past became the sound of the wind stirring through the nearby branches as he clasped her cold hands to his face.

Love . . .

a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than the human intelligence, than forces of nature . . .

"So be with me"

"I am with you"

"Forever"

Harry shook his head furiously. He would not accept the loss as the whispers reminded him of the power they had shared then gradually receded. He couldn't. He closed his eyes and held Elizabeth hard to his body, willing her to awaken, to look at him, to smile . . . to live. He was barely aware of all the people still standing motionless around him as he spoke, "Hear me, Elizabeth. You will not leave me. I won't let you."

The faint voices of the wind again threaded through the trees and resonated deep inside his mind. He saw her as she once had been, lying in the snow laughing with tears streaming down her face. A soft song mingled with the whispered voices and they seemed to surround them. A phoenix song. Pure and beautiful.

Love . . . goes . . . on . . .

Hope . . .never . . . dies . . .

Open your eyes, Harry, and see . . .

She is awake . . .

She did not leave . . .

 The whispers and song silently vanished as he felt life rushing through Elizabeth's body once more. He opened his eyes as Elizabeth stirred within his tight embrace and emitted a soft moan. The wounds that had been there seconds before were gone. Her eyes fluttered open and her arms came up to hold him.

"Harry." His name was a trembling whisper on her lips.

 Harry felt warmth radiate from her once cold body and bleed into the core of his heart. His skin greedily absorbed her heat and he felt the sting of pain disappear as if it never had been. He heard a collective gasp come from those still watching and Dumbledore softly smiled.

"I believe there has been enough healing for one night. Don't you agree?"

Harry reluctantly allowed them to take Elizabeth from him as an overwhelming relief invaded his body, making him a bit lightheaded. His eyes found hers and she gave him a weak smile.

She was safe. She did not leave.

********************************************************************************

"I'm bloody fine. So don't come near with that foul potion. You'll just be wasting it. Give it to Harry. He looks a bit peaky . . . No . . . I'm not jesting . . . put it away . . . I'm a Chime for god' sake . . . and you can put that vile goo away too . . . who cares about a bloody scar . . . gives a person character, I'd say . . . fine . . . if it will make you feel better . . . get rid of the scar . . . but you won't convince me to take that vile potion. I've had enough of that in the last few months to last me a lifetime. Thank you very much."

Harry chuckled under his breath as he lay in the next bed at St Mungo's, listening to Elizabeth vent. She had been giving the Healers a very hard time ever since she had awakened this morning. She had started off refusing treatment very politely, using all the charm she could muster, but had become increasing more agitated with each healer who had since arrived to convince her otherwise. He personally didn't like being fussed over either. Elizabeth just choose to be more verbal about it. But he could definitely see Elizabeth's point. There was clearly nothing physically wrong with them. After the first day, they were both more than ready to be discharged. It was just hard to keep a straight face when Elizabeth was so obviously put out about it. This was definitely a side of her he had only seen glimpses of in the past. But Harry was brought out of his silent musings when he was suddenly, unceremoniously hit in the side of the head with a rather large, fluffy pillow.

"Stop laughing. It's not funny. Doctors have always given me the creeps. No offense, Healer Smethwyck," Elizabeth said sourly, wrinkling up her nose as Healer Smethwyck smeared the healing balm on the mark left by the dagger, appearing slightly miffed as he did so.

"I'm not laughing," Harry lied, catching the pillow in his hands. His eyes lingered on the red mark on her neck and he lost his smile. He had come extremely close to losing her. Dumbledore had told them the dagger was the same one used to kill numerous Chime in the past. It had been forged with an ancient dark magic that caused the wounds that it inflicted to never heal. It had been stolen from the Department of Mysteries where it had been kept for research. No one knew how Elizabeth was able to recover from it. He guessed that's why the Healers were so interested in her and used every excuse to examine her.

"Imagine that. A Healer afraid of Healers," Ron said, shaking his head and not even trying to hide his smile. "Go figure."

Elizabeth flashed him a disgruntled look, but remained silent.

"I'm sure the Healers will let you and Harry go soon, Elizabeth. They're only doing their job, after all," said Hermione soothingly. "Besides, there a few things that need to be worked out before they let you leave."

Elizabeth's expression became more placid at Hermione's words. "I know." She gave Healer Smethwyck a grateful smile as he placed the cap back on the healing balm and placed a fresh bandage on the area. "Thank you, Healer Smethwyck. I'm sorry I snapped at you," Elizabeth said then gave him a thoughtful look. "You must be very busy to work here AND make house calls."

"Actually, Elizabeth. I don't usually make house calls. But Lady Isabella was a long time friend of the family so I made an exception in your case," said Healer Smethwyck, stuffing his wand back in his pocket and lifting his eyebrows. "And now I find that you are one of my favourite patients. Such a sweet temperament." He patted her hand then quickly left the room.

"I guess it could be worse," Elizabeth admitted, sliding back down into her pillows. "At least my grandmother hasn't shown up yet to berate me for getting captured and risking the future of the Fairchild line." She bit her lip and became contemplative, missing the looks exchanged by Harry, Ron and Hermione. No one had told her the news. They had assumed she already knew since she had been there. "It seems rather odd, that," she continued, "I wonder if anyone has told her that I'm here. Not that I mind it at all. I just hope she doesn't give Professor Dumbledore too much trouble."

Harry was quiet for some time. "You don't have to worry about that, Elizabeth." She looked up at him suddenly and his gut twisted. "Death Eaters killed several people at your grandmother's dinner party . . . i-including her."

Elizabeth looked for a moment as if she hadn't heard Harry's words. Then her face went void of emotion and she was still for several minutes. Harry wasn't certain what was going through her head. If someone told him that the Dursley's had been killed by Death Eaters, he would feel bad he supposed. They were his only blood relatives, after all. Well, at least, Aunt Petunia and Dudley were. But he also knew he would feel somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to go back there anymore. He wondered if Elizabeth was feeling anything like that.

"She thought she was safe, being a pureblood," Elizabeth said in a quiet numb voice. "Most everyone at the party did, I suppose. Arrogant fools."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," said Hermione softly, taking her hand. "We all are."

"Funny . . . in a small way . . . I'm not," Elizabeth said sadly. "I'm sorry she died. But no more sorry than I would be if someone I didn't really know died. Does that sound heartless?"

"No," said Harry. "That sounds honest."

********************************************************************************

Draco silently stood in the doorway of the hospital ward, neither fully in nor completely out, much like his life had become. He stood there watching Elizabeth as she spoke with Potter, Granger and Weasley. He was too far away to hear their conversation, but he could clearly see the look in Elizabeth's eye as she spoke to Potter. She loved him. Draco's jaw absently clenched. He had seen them so many times before. Seen them walking hand in hand down the corridor. Seen how they spoke to each other without using words. He had witnessed their strong bond as they held each other in the stone ring. But still he had hoped she might feel something for him other than bloody friendship. Though he knew, she owed him even less.

"It's difficult, isn't it?"

Draco turned to find Ginny Weasley standing beside him, looking at him curiously. He was slightly surprised that she spoke to him. She rarely had so before. And never pleasantly.

"What's difficult?" he sneered.

She ignored his tone and gave him a strange smile. "Watching someone you care for be so in love with someone else."

 Draco snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about, Weasley."

She briefly turned toward the others. "Of course, you don't. That's why you risked everything to save her," she said sarcastically. She paused then looked back at him. "You can drop the act, Malfoy. I saw how you looked at her when you thought nobody was watching. But don't worry . . . I'll keep your secret . . . If you keep mine."

"Yours is hardly a secret, Weasley. Everyone knows you pant after, Potter," Malfoy said maliciously.

Ginny gave him a small evil grin. "That wasn't exactly a denial. Now was it, Malfoy?"

Draco didn't respond to her question. Instead, he silently studied her, trying to make her uncomfortable so she would go away. He didn't care for people reading him as well as she was doing. Only Elizabeth had done so before and that was merely because she was Chime. He suppressed a grin when she didn't turn away from his appraisal, but brazenly returned it, allowing her gaze to wander up and down his body as well. She had spunk, he had to give her that. Not many girls dared challenge him. Strange, he had always thought of her as shy and immature before.

"Do you like what you see, Weasley?" he purred, taking a step closer to her to see if she would step away from him. But she stood her ground.

"I like what I see when you don't open your mouth, Malfoy," she said, defiantly.

He allowed a soft chuckle at her comment, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she suddenly reminded him of Elizabeth. But then again, Elizabeth had never told him she liked what she saw when she looked at him. This little girl had no such qualms. Correction . . . he allowed his gaze to admire her breasts through the thin fabric of her shirt . . . this woman.

She suddenly rolled her eyes as she noticed were his gaze had wandered. "Let me know when Draco shows up again because Malfoy is a pain in the arse," she said smoothly. Then she strode gracefully toward the others, thoroughly dismissing him.

 Malfoy slowly smiled as he watched her walk away.