Labyrinth of Illusion

PART TWENTY-THREE

Harry winced as Akkei lifted up a golden rope. It shimmered and gleamed, magic flowing though it. Giggling softly, Akkei took Voldemort's wrists, turning them over. She bent down, laving her tongue over the green flesh, over the pulse. She wrapped half the rope around Voldemort's wrist. "Do you, Lord Voldemort, take me, Akkei, the Mistress of Illusion, as your wife, your soulmate?"

He nodded. "I do."

A growl escaped her lips. "What do you offer me?"

"My life, my magics, all that I am..." He used the same condescending tone he had used before.

The rope shone brighter, clamping down on Voldemort's wrists. He hissed, bracing himself. He took the other end of the rope, wrapping it around Akkei's wrist.

Harry's breath quickened. If a few moments, Voldemort and Akkei would be bound. Hogwarts wouldn't stand a chance against them. He needed to think quickly, he needed to...

"YASHA!" Harry yelled out.

Akkei turned her head. "What did you say?"

"Yasha... Don't you want your daughter here?" Harry stammered out. "You love her. She's your heir, after all."

"Shut up, boy," Voldemort snarled. "Or I'll-" He reached for his wand, but the length of rope was too short.

"Where is Yasha, My Lord?" Akkei asked. "I did want her to be here."

Harry couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, Voldemort. Why don't you tell her where Yasha is. Tell Akkei where her daughter is."

***

Hagrid held the tessen in a trembling hand. "I dunno, Sakura- 'm not exactly great with spells. I didn't get too far with m' lessons."

"Hagrid, we know you better than that," Remus said, pulling the oversized coat tighter around himself. "You've dealt with dark creatures you're entire life. You know all the spells to control them, even if you've never used them."

"Besides, Hagrid, you're huge!" Ron added, "You've got enough power to keep control." "Granger, Lupin and Tsukino will coach you along." Snape kept prodding Gwendolyn forward. "Come on, Gwen. Keep moving."

Gwendolyn whined, slapping at Snape's hands. She forced her hands through her snarled hair, tearing out clumps. "Bad touch!" She hissed. "Bad man!"

Snape recoiled, shutting his eyes tightly. He clenched his fists. "Someone else move her along."

***

"if you can't keep your tongue from wagging, Potter," Voldemort hissed "I will have to cut it out."

"Ask him, Akkei! Ask him where Yasha is!" Harry yelled, struggling to his feet. "You can see it in his face. He's hiding something!"

Akkei studied Voldemort carefully, moving away from the altar. "He's right. You are hiding something from me."

Turning the altar upside down, Voldemort flew into a rage. He grabbed Akkei, throwing her. "You would believe this child over me, your Lord?"

"In dealing with illusion," Akkei snarled savagely, bearing fangs, "I have learned how to recognize a lie. That boy tells the truth. Where is our daughter?"

"*Your* daughter." Voldemort brought his hand down against Akkei's cheek. "That wretch is your get. I had nothing to do with her." He pulled out the small white ball, beginning to crush it slowly in his palm.

Akkei began to scream out grabbing her throat. Voldemort smacked Akkei again, keeping her down on the ground. Once she was sprawled out, he kicked her in the stomach.

"Once so *proud*," Voldemort laughed. "Look at you Akkei."

She raised her head, a snarl on her lips. Eyes glowing, Akkei threw her hand out. The ball flew from Voldemort's hand into hers. "Mine." She brought the ball to her lips, swallowing it easily. She growled ferally. "Where is she? Tell me now, Voldemort!"

"He let her die!" Harry yelled, fighting against his bonds. "He watched as she was destroyed!"

Stalking Voldemort with pure predatory ferocity, Akkei brought her hand up. "You let our child die?"

"Your child! I would never father something that could be felled by a werewolf, a schoolgirl and a traitorous coward!" Voldemort was destroying anything he could get his sinuous hands on. "I should have gotten rid of you years ago, Akkei! Such a whiny, clingy creature. You would think with your power you would have a brain in that head. But no-- Sex and violence, sex and violence. That's all you think about. You never deserved the power you wielded."

Akkei grabbed Voldemort by the throat. "I bore Yasha from your power." She pulled Voldemort close, snarling and snapping her jaw. "If there was any weakness within her, it was your doing. Probably from your Muggle father."

"Shut up," Voldemort growled, grabbing at Akkei's hand, which just dug in deeper to her neck. "He is playing us against each other."

"I asked you for one thing. I would have given you all that I had. I just wanted you to love me. You betrayed me by letting the product of our love die." Akkei's face contorted from her beautiful woman visage to a horrible fox/human hybrid. "All I ever wanted was your love. To stand by your side and watch the world fall."

"AKKEI!" Voldemort choked out.

Akkei raised a hand. A crimson vortex began to swirl around her fingers. "Tom... Get out of my world."

She snarled once more, shoving Voldemort through the portal. With a desperate yelp, he fell through. Swirling closed, the portal disappeared.

Falling to her knees, Akkei shifted back to her human form. She put a hand to her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Voldemort..."

The bonds that held Harry fell away. Hesitantly, he moved forward. "He didn't love you, Akkei. Voldemort isn't capable of love."

Slowly, Akkei looked up. She turned her head to Harry. "He did love me. Until you came along." She stood up, eyes turning red. "And wait until you see what I'm capable of."

***

"Concentrate!" Sakura hissed in Hagrid ear. "Point the fanÉ. Yell gyuujiru. My dad used to use that on his dragons."

"Then," Hermione said, "Try regnario. It should have a good effect in controlling him."

"I wish Sirius were here," Remus murmured, "He's got an international spellcasting license. He knows control spells in over twenty-five dialects."

"Where is he?" Ron asked. "Do you think he's--"

"We'll see Black when we get out," Snape cut in. "The man is annoyingly resilient."

Nobert began roaring as Gwendolyn pounded her hand against the ground. She was crawling on hands and knees. "Radish radish gromit frodis!!" She squealed, pounding her fists on the ground. She grabbed Ron by the collar, pulling him to the ground.

"I afraid I don't speak crazy woman." Ron extracted himself from her grip.

Liam slunk to Gwendolyn. He conferred with her for a moment, point. "There."

***

"He use to be beautiful, you know." Akkei gripped Harry's collar, hauling him a foot in the air. "Up until the day he faced you he was the most gorgeous creature in your world."

Harry gasped for rapidly depleting oxygen. He pounded his hands against Akkei's claws.

"And he loved me," Akkei hissed. "I never, ever doubted his feelings for me. Then you came in... You twisted him, took away my beautiful Dark Lord."

"He didn't-" Harry gasped.

Now I'm going to do what he couldn't!" Akkei laughed, throwing Harry. He slammed hard against the wall, bones cracking. He head slammed against the stone as he let out a mournful cry. Akkei brought her foot up, the heel of her boot connecting with Harry's face. His head took the full impact, his neck painfully snapping back. He fell to the ground, spitting out gobs of phlegm and blood.

"I don't like quick deaths." Akkei picked Harry up again, carding her claws down his face. He felt the flesh rip beneath her sharp fingernails. "You don't get a green glow and nothingness like your pathetic parents. I'm going to make it hurt. Cruiciatus would be a light tickle. "

She tossed him again. She then knelt beside him, licking up a rivulet of blood from his cheek. She purred softly. " I'm going to break you down until you beg and..." She buried her fangs into Harry's cheek, tugging at the flesh. He yelled out as she chuckled. "Then I'll make it hurt just a little bit more."

Akkei began to drag a claw over Harry's throat. He shivered, breathing heavily as she steadily moved closer to his jugular. She was so close. In a moment... Just one moment...

The door burst opened, the black dragon roaring.

"Release the control spell!" Hermione shouted to Hagrid. "NOW!"

"Liberario!" Hagrid bellowed. A glow surrounded Norbert. The dragon reared up on its hind legs, ignoring the ones who had brought him to the place. He trained his focus on the most troublesome presence.

"NO!" Akkei howled.

Norbert snapped his jaws at the diminutive woman. She rolled, avoiding his sharp teeth. Throwing her hand up in the air, flames shot from Akkei's hands.

Opening his jaws, Norbert let out a burst of fire. Both Akkei and Norbert's flames met each other. Harry ducked, avoiding the flames as they bounced off of each other.

"HARRY!" Remus yelled. He threw out his hand. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

Slowly, his legs shaking, Harry stood up. He began running towards Remus.

"NO!" Akkei shrieked. She threw flames towards the human intruders.

"Hermione!" Harry threw himself onto her, screaming as he took the brunt of the flames for her.

Akkei didn't take time to gloat. She turned back to Norbert, engulfing herself in flames. She turned into her fox form.

This did nothing to calm down Norbert, jaws snapping at the fox's fluffy white tails. The Fox growled, its eyes focusing on Norbert. Norbert let out a roar. The dragon and Kitsune both let out fire, combating against each other.

Tired, both creatures stopped releasing flames. Leaping up, Akkei jumped on Norbert's head, attempting to jump over the long beast.

Norbert was faster, knocking the fox down with a flick of the tail.

Howling, Akkei hit the ground with the thud. She lifted her head. Akkei watched as the large, clawed hand came down.

Twisting and writhing, Akkei tried to escape from Norbert's grasp. She yowled as Norbert opened his jaws, bringing his mouth down.

Akkei's howl filled the air as the world went white.