Harry Potter and the Fantasy Quest

Chapter 11 - The Final Battle

The group members used their magic wands to heal the few wounds sustained, wanting to save their spells. Then, they sat down to discuss how to proceed. Ron, as the acknowledged master of strategy, took the lead.

"All right, when we go in there, don't clump together," he said, drawing diagrams on the dusty floor. "That makes it too easy for him to get us all with one spell. Each spellcaster will be paired up with a fighter. Everyone, stay back a ways when we get in there. Give the magic-users a chance to do their thing. Fighters, protect your spellcasters at all costs. I'll be with Hermione, and we'll head to the right. Harry, you cover Ginny and go up the middle. Fred, George, and Siofra will be together on the left. Once the spells have weakened him, or if it looks like they're not working, we'll start to move in, but not all at once."

"You know he's probably using some kind of mind-reading spell right now," Hermione pointed out.

"It won't work on me," George commented, indicating his ring.

"It can't be helped," Ron answered Hermione. "We have to have a plan so we don't stumble over each other. Anyway, Harry and I will close into melee first. If we fall, Hermione and Ginny step in. If they don't make it, it will be George and Siofra's turn. Fred, you're the exception to this. If you see an opportunity at any time to use your sneak attack, by all means, do it!"

Ginny and Hermione had gasped a little at the suggestion of Harry and Ron falling in battle. For his part, Harry was impressed with Ron for sounding so calm about it. He was sure his friend was just trying to see them all as chess pieces, distancing himself from the dangers that lay ahead.

"Suppose the wizard does something to spoil our plan?" Ginny asked her brother. Ron gave her his trademark lopsided smile.

"Then we do what we always do. Improvise."

Siofra stretched her right hand out to the middle of their loose circle.

"Whatever happens, I want you all to know I've enjoyed meeting you and fighting by your side," she said. Picking up the signal, Harry and Hermione laid their hands over hers. The Weasleys seemed confused but followed suit.

"Go team," Harry said, half-jokingly. Everybody pulled their hands back and begin making preparations. Harry took off his sword and shield and took the Potion of Enlarge. To his dismay, although he grew to about seven feet, it did not make him big enough to wield the huge greatsword stored in the Portable Hole. He left it lying on the floor but did place his shield in the Portable Hole, deciding to use his regular sword two-handed for the extra strength. Since the first attacks would be ranged, however, he drew his crossbow.

Hermione took a Potion of Wisdom and invoked her karma prayer bead. George cast Mage Armor and Stoneskin on himself. The others prepared ranged weapons. Fred found no traps on the double doors. Apparently, the wizard was confident either in his own abilities or that no one would make it this far. As soon as Fred had opened the door, a fog appeared in front of it. Siofra moved into it briefly, then came back.

"You can hardly see or move in there," she told them. "And it stings."

"Acid fog," George clarified. He took his Potion of Endurance while Fred took a Potion of Intelligence.

Harry cast Endure Elements (acid) on Ginny to protect her from the fog. Ginny tried to magically dispel the fog but failed.

"It's no good. We'll have to run for it," she said. Theoretically, they could have simply waited until the spell ended, but no one seemed inclined to suggest that. Everyone was ready and anxious for battle.

"If it's a square, the shortest distance out should be to the sides," Ron advised. He and Hermione then headed to the right, disappearing after five feet. Siofra took off to the left.

"So much for the plan," Fred commented, following Siofra.

"Like the man said, we improvise," George replied, and he went after his twin. Harry and Ginny ran to the right. He caught up to Hermione but lost sight of Ginny. The acid fog did sting, but it wasn't too bad. He just wondered how long it would take them to get out of it. He thought he heard an unfamiliar voice casting a spell, and it made him nervous to not be able to see what was going on.

"Ray of Enfeeblement!" the unfamiliar voice called as Harry and Hermione ran a little further. Harry thought he heard the twang of a bowstring. Hermione cleared the edge of the fog shortly before Harry. As she did so, the same voice declared, "Cower before the might of Evil Wizard Periwinkle!"

Periwinkle? Harry thought disbelievingly, and he swore he heard Ron snort.

"I'm thinking of changing it!" the wizard shouted. He followed this up by casting a Fireball. There were some additional sounds of ranged weapons being fired, and George cast his own Fireball.

At last, Harry was out of the acid fog, and he stood beside Hermione, trying to assess the situation. Ron and Ginny stood in front of him, Ron nocking another arrow on his bow. All three of the others had burns on their bodies, indicating the target of the wizard's Fireball. A strange, flamelike creature lay about 20 feet in front of Ron.

"Ice Storm," Ginny called out, creating a cylinder of hail across the room, where the evil wizard was standing. He cried out in pain, but this appeared to be the first damage Periwinkle had sustained. Ron fired two arrows at the wizard, but both rebounded off invisible magical protections.

"Flame Strike!" shouted Hermione, using one of her new spells as well. Again, this seemed to do significant damage, and Periwinkle turned to her in rage. He attempted to hit her with Melf's Acid Arrow, but the combination of Ron providing her with cover and her own dexterity prevented it from reaching her.

Two crossbow bolts and an arrow shot from the far side of the fog; one crossbow bolt hit Periwinkle, but he didn't seem to feel it. Harry realized that he, like George, had probably cast Stoneskin on himself. George sent a Lightning Bolt toward the wizard, but Harry noticed that it oddly seemed to stop just before it reached the wizard and continued a distance behind him.

Deciding to follow the original plan, Harry moved past Ginny and began to walk toward the center of the room, firing his crossbow once. Ginny followed him, staying behind him at his gesture. Ginny also cast Protection from Elements (fire) on Harry. When he looked at her questioningly, she shrugged.

"Call it a hunch," she said simply.

"Get ready to close in," Ron instructed loudly, shouldering his bow and drawing his longsword. Harry agreed that it was probably time to begin the second phase of their plan. Hermione tried one more spell, Holy Smite, which had no noticeable effect.

"Our weaker spells don't work!" she exclaimed.

"He's got a Globe of Invulnerability," George called in agreement from the other side.

Periwinkle proved the accuracy of Ginny's hunch by casting a Fireball to encompass her, Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Harry avoided the worst of it, and Ginny's spell took the rest. Ginny and Hermione, however, did not fare so well, getting badly burned. Ron didn't look too bad, though the combination of his prior injuries was beginning to take its toll. Harry saw Fred out of the corner of his eye, shouldering his bow and drawing his rapier. He still couldn't see George or Siofra, but he heard Siofra cast Displacement and George casting Improved Invisibility. This caused Fred to disappear, which Harry thought a clever strategy, as it would make it much easier for Fred to sneak up on the wizard. In the meantime, Harry put his crossbow away, turned, and laid hands on Ginny, healing most of her damage, and she healed the rest herself. Ron and Hermione also used spells to cure Hermione's wounds.

"Evard's Black Tentacles!" shouted Periwinkle, causing 15 or 20 writhing tentacles to spring up through the middle of the room. Undaunted, Siofra took a running leap, clearing the tentacles and landing ten feet beyond them. Harry was astounded at the length and height of her jump until he remembered that she now had a Ring of Jumping. He drew his own sword and simply plunged forward into the mass as he heard George cast Resistance on himself. A sling bullet soared over his head, missing Periwinkle completely. Ron also moved into the area of tentacles, while Hermione stayed back to cast another healing spell.

"Prismatic Spray," the wizard cast next, causing several multicolored beams to shoot around the room. A bluish-purple beam hit Harry, but he resisted whatever effect it was supposed to have and felt nothing. Glancing back, the same seemed to be true of Ginny, who showed no impact from the blue beam that landed on her. Ron and Hermione were not so fortunate, however, Ron getting burned by a red beam and Hermione showing acid damage from an orange one. At the same time, the tentacles lashed out and tried to grab at the two boys. Three wrapped themselves around Ron, and one caught Harry by the leg. Siofra cast Greater Magic Weapon, and George cast Cat's Grace. Ginny shot two more sling bullets that went wide as Harry struggled against the tentacle holding him, eventually pulling free and lurching forward. Ron managed to free his sword arm, but the other two tentacles held firm. Hermione healed herself even further, causing Harry to wonder what kind of damage she must have sustained before he had emerged from the acid fog. She was now looking nearly untouched, though.

A tentacle caught Harry again, and an additional one attached itself to Ron as well. Harry heard Periwinkle casting yet another spell, but he was now completely focused on the tentacles and could spare little attention to the other events taking place in the room. Wielding his sword in both hands, Harry hacked at the tentacle holding him, destroying it in two swings. Ron sliced at two of his restraints as well, damaging one and destroying the other. Hermione helped by using her Wand of Magic Missile to eliminate the one Ron had not been able to hit.

Sounds of battle came from the far end of the room, and George shouted something about drawing the wizard out. Another tentacle wrapped itself around Ron, and Harry jumped to help him, damaging it severely. Ron finished it off and the one he'd previously sliced. Seeing that he was free, Hermione put her wand away and began edging around the room against the wall, out of tentacle range.

Now that Harry had moved, four more tentacles found him in range and grappled him. Harry struggled against all of them, managing to free his sword arm from one. Ron returned the earlier favor, striking at another. Ginny in tiger form leaped into the fray, clawing at a third. The one Harry had broken free from grasped him again, this time around his waist, and another squeezed him painfully. Resisting again, Harry threw off two of them, both of which Ginny was able to finish off. Ron destroyed the one he'd already hit and moved on to the last. The last tentacle squeezed Harry before he obliterated it with his sword and ran out of range. Ginny rushed past him, pouncing on the evil wizard, who was using a quarterstaff against Siofra. Ginny's claws penetrated, but her bite attack missed so badly that she lost her grip and fell away.

Periwinkle seemed a little the worse for wear, so it seemed that either Fred or Siofra had successfully caused him injury. In addition, a magical arrow was lodged in the wizard's shoulder. Ron and Hermione came up behind Harry, out of tentacle range. Harry could not see George and reasoned that he must have cast an invisibility spell on himself while Harry had been occupied.

"Siofra! Ginny! Get back!" Ron shouted, glancing at Harry in a silent instruction to move forward and engage. Harry nodded his acknowledgement. Periwinkle attacked Siofra twice with his quarterstaff, hitting her once. She pulled back and cast Slow, but it didn't seem to affect him.

"Lightning Bolt," George said, and lightning five feet wide shot from his hands at Periwinkle, clearly hurting him. Harry came in between the disoriented Ginny and Periwinkle, slicing the wizard with his sword but doing no damage. Harry couldn't see Ron, but he heard him activate a wand and heard Hermione cast a healing spell on him.

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw the acid fog vanish. Since Harry was now the only person in melee range (visible, at least - there was some evidence that an invisible Fred was attacking from behind), Periwinkle turned on him, hitting two solid blows. Siofra withdrew even further, toward the wall, and turned invisible. Periwinkle stumbled forward as he was apparently struck in the back. Harry tried two more strokes with the sword but couldn't penetrate the Stoneskin spell. Ginny was now out of Harry's line of sight, but Ron rushed in to the space left by Siofra. He swung his sword, rebounding it off a magical force.

"Searing Light," Hermione called out, causing enough damage with the light ray to that the wizard fell to the ground. Periwinkle's body jerked suddenly, then stilled. This was explained shortly, when Fred suddenly appeared, pulling his rapier back out of the body. Siofra and George reappeared soon thereafter. Everyone just looked around at each other for a minute, catching their breath.

"Excellent work," came a voice from everywhere. "Think about what you have learned."

"Why did he just keep fighting? Why didn't he use more spells?" Ron asked in confusion, placing his arm around Hermione. George grinned.

"That last spell he cast was Tenser's Transformation," he replied. "It made him a great warrior, but he could no longer cast spells or even activate a magic item like a wand or this rod." He indicated the magic rod that had apparently been part of the wizard's gear.

Harry didn't pay much attention to any of this. Instead, he turned to Ginny, who had returned to human form. He knew that they would soon be sent home, now that their objective had been achieved. In fact, he could already sense the world around him becoming somehow fuzzy. Only Ginny's face was perfectly clear, and he moved toward her, enveloping her in a hug.

"Oh, well," said Siofra, and not to be left out, picked one of the twins to hug (Fred). George shrugged and hugged her from behind, creating a Siofra-on-twin sandwich. They remained like that as the world went grey.