Harry Potter and the Wyvern's Crown

Chapter 24: Draconis Capit

Stephan smiled, 'I see the desire in your heart, Gryffindor. Very well then, Bethany, travel to the man you have no care for. Straight across the heart of the Crown!' He caught her shoulder, and his jaw opened wide, biting her neck, tearing it open.

He gave her a push towards Gregory, 'Go to him, Hawksmoor. Go to him.'

Bleeding, but seemingly not aware of it, Bethany began to walk. The blood running out of her neck was a gruesome sight, but all the more hideous was the fact that Stephan was smiling. Raphael suddenly screamed, 'Oh magic above all else, her blood! If it touches the center panel...'

'Magician's before! She'll awaken the Dragon!'

* * *

'My blood wouldn't have worked anyways,' Raven told the wounded man with a twist to her lip, 'it has to be the blood of an innocent-minded woman. Unfortunately, I don't happen to fit the requirement,' Raven smiled coolly, heading into the center of the playing field, 'Do you know what happened here, at the Wyvern's Crown, over 2000 years ago, Harry?' She tapped the bloodied sword against the ground in the center of the square. 'A battle was fought here, and won, by the founders of Hogwarts,' Blood ran from the sword touching the center panel. Nothing happened.

'Capture the dragon,' Draco breathed.

'Yes, indeed,' Raven told him, 'that old Witchball warm-up game has an actual historical basis. The four founders, with their different skills and magical abilities, fought what was known as Hogwarts Wyvern.'

'Well, we already knew that,' Draco called to her, 'Anyone who took third year History learned the mythology and legends of Hogwarts. The dragon they fought gave them the idea to start the school, big deal!'

'It is a big deal,' Raven told him, 'because that dragon is asleep. Right under our feet, in fact,' she smiled, 'Rowena Ravenclaw, my family's idiot founder, made up her spell with a loophole; that the dragon would sleep, for no innocent woman would ever have her blood shed by it again. Every Hawksmoor girl is told this story as a bit of a good luck charm. It's been passed down for generations. But there is the wonder...could it ever wake, IF an innocent woman's blood was spilt on it? Randell Hawksmoor, a charms master, seemed to be concerned, and so the Wyvern's Crown was built, a place for the Head Boys to watch over. And no girls were allowed, whatsoever,' She smiled, 'As you discovered was the Wyvern's Crown motto. No one ever found out whether this loophole worked, that is, until an unlucky Hawksmoor named Bethany happened to get involved with both a Gryffindor and a Slytherin head boy.' Her grin was wicked now. 'The Slytherin happened to cut her while they were in the Crown, and her blood spilt. And according to the books and scrolls I happened to take out of the library before Harry and I could go looking for them.' Her face grew a little sad, as the day when they couldn't seem to find anything out. 'The dragon escaped. But because all four heirs were there, they were able to stop it, and put it back to sleep. Afterwards, the Crown was closed to everyone, and no one was permitted to enter the forest to go look for it, either.'

* * *

Bethany was struggling to complete her dark lord's command. She was struggling now, her blood running from her so fast that she was losing strength faster than she could walk. Gregory, horrified, but too afraid to step from his square could only watch in tearful frustration. As she lost her blood, so too, the curse was wearing from her. Soon her eyes were filled with pain, and desire. If only she could make it to Gregory, she would be alright. And with each step, she drew nigh to the center panel of the Crown. The one with the Dragon's mark. Gregory could feel a tremble beneath his feet. He knew what he would have to do to stop this. He looked to Raphael, then Henry.

He drove a hand through the forces and tried to hold her back with the wild magic within himself. If she fell before reaching the center, Stephan's plan to release the dragon (for whatever sick purpose he had in mind) would end, and Gregory would be able to leave his square with no fear. But Stephan raised his own hands and a battle began. And Gregory could see the harm it was doing to Bethany. Still under the influence of Stephan's spell, she was driven to her destination, mixed with her desire to be with her love pushed her forward one step after another. Gregory knew what this would mean. She would be driven apart by the spells. And he couldn't do it any longer. He loved her too much to be the cause of her death.

He bowed his head, and dropped his hands to his sides. Bethany, pushed from behind, fell directly on the center panel. The earth began to shake, the puddle of blood growing wider around the dying girl.

* * *

'But every account is missing the same information. And finally, when I was listening to the occasional bout of nonsense you two were muttering in your sleep, I finally understood why. Bethany's fate was never described in my books. It was clear that she had died, but it did not say how or why. I had assumed she had died because the Slytherin boy had killed her. But I was wrong. Remus, would you come here, please?'

Harry had been watching and listening in a numb silence, when he looked over. Lupin was walking towards Raven, his face clear of emotion. It was then that both Harry and Draco realized what was wrong with this. Lupin was in his human form during the full moon. And the way he was responding to Raven...

'My God, you've still got him under that Impero curse!' Harry gasped.

'Very good, Harry. I was trained to control werewolves and mysticats since I was very young. It was my shocking abilities that caused my father to try and give up his life as a Dark Fate. I was given permission to send my mysticats after him, Mynx, Tigra and the others. And I did. My mother suffered a similar fate a few nights ago. I'd had more than enough of her nonsense. And guess who my were-of-honour was?' She touched Lupin's rough face gently. 'Remus, here, has allowed me to control his altering abilities. I knew a few spells that would permit him to chose his shape as he wished. But every time he practiced it, he was simply accessing my Imperius curse over what phase of the moon he was acting under. Over and over again. Lupin, kneel.'

The teacher did so, and Harry finally turned to Dumbledore, looking at him in desperation.

Dumbledore gave him a very dark look that read, if there is something to be done, I am not the one to do it. Only those with founders blood have any sort of magical ability here. The question is, will you do anything?

Harry swallowed, 'Raven, please, don't do this. This...this isn't you.'

Raven laughed and patted Lupin's head, 'Isn't me? Really?' She smiled, 'Lupin, I want you to cast the forgetting spell on me, then cut my neck, here,' she pointed to her jugular, and made a small cutting motion, 'with this sword. You understand?'

'Of course, Raven,' Lupin's voice was rough. It must be hard on him to be resisting his physical change so much. He was looking up at Raven the way a dog eyes up his master, waiting for permission to act.

'Lupin, don't do it!' Draco cried from his corner, 'Don't!'

Harry joined him, 'Please Professor, you're stronger than her! You can beat her!'

'Wait a moment, Remus. Kiss me first. Like the dog you are,' Raven smiled at Draco just a moment before Lupin stood and drew her into his arms with a growl, locking her in a forceful and lengthy kiss. He held her tightly, Harry could hear her short breaths. Lupin broke away, an odd, sensual being, waiting.

'Again,' she said, this time addressing Harry. The kiss was longer this time, more fervent. Raven held Lupin tightly, as the werewolf crushed her to himself. Harry could feel his stomach turning. Here was a man-beast, mauling his girlfriend. Here was his girlfriend, like a whore, enjoying every sick moment of it. And the trust he had in her, his confidence, his love of her was shattered. Tears ran down his face, those of rage, and those of betrayed sadness. He had loved her so completely. Lupin again broke away from her. She touched his chin. 'Now, cast the spell, and cut me.'

Lupin seemed to be moving a little slower, but he still drew his wand, and cast the spell on Raven. Her eyes went from their wicked cat's glow, to an innocent crow-yellow. She looked honestly shocked when Lupin finished his instructions, and grabbed her hair, slashing her neck open, though it was only a small cut, it was well placed. She looked at Harry in desperation, confused simply because she couldn't recall her evil ways. Lupin was beginning to come out of his daze. Her blood struck the ground as she looked at Harry, holding her throat. Lupin shook his head, spotting Draco, and walking towards him. As he did so, he dropped his wand, and then fell to the ground, his body changing to that of his were-self. Hagrid leaned in and snatched Lupin away, and headed out of the Crown. Raven fell to her knees, looking up at the ceiling. Then with a gasp, she flopped to the side.

'She's fainted,' Draco remarked.

* * *

'What have you DONE?' he screamed.

Stephan laughed over the sound of the walls as they began to rattle, 'Do you not understand what will happen? The blood of an innocent girl will wake the dragon, and whoever wakes the dragon -- controls the dragon.'

* * *

'That's what he said!' Draco shouted, 'That's what he was talking about!'

Harry nodded, looking at the fallen figure of both Raven, and her former master, Voldemort, as the ground began to shake. 'But what can we do?'

'I have no idea! Professor, can't you help?' Draco looked over at Dumbledore, 'You must be able to do something!'

'I cannot,' the troubled headmaster said softly, 'Only the Heir of Hufflepuff may.' He took a step backwards, looking at Filch coolly, 'if you please.'

Filch wrinkled his nose, shaking from side to side with the thunder underfoot. 'Just because I can talk to old Henry doesn't mean anything, Professor. I am still a squib.'

'Don't let Tom Riddle's words get to you as they always have, Armus,' the professor told him rather calmly for all he too was being thrown around, 'You have Animagus gifts, and you are a direct descendant. You even share his last name.'

'Filch? I thought...it's Finch, isn't it?' Draco looked up at Harry with question in his eyes, trying to keep his balance, while shouting over the noise.

'It is not,' Filch growled. 'Henry Filch is my great grandfather about 40 times removed! And he was a bit of a squib too. Could only really do hand charms, or so I've been told, and they don't even teach those here anymore.' He held up his hand, a glowing yellow rune on it. 'Funny ain't it? The two kids I'm chasing from one end of the school to the other half the night turn out to be my allies?' Rather stuffy, he headed to his square, brushing by Harry, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. 'And you'll both be serving a month's worth of detentions for this, just so you know.'

'Glorious.' Draco rolled his eyes as Filch took his position.

And it was not a moment too soon. The floor began to rumble underfoot. Raven was still lying there. Harry couldn't help the tears that streaked his face. He swallowed and wiped them away. He was still in a state of shock over her betrayal, but she had taken down Voldemort. Out of revenge for her father? And why do this? Why wake the dragon? For some reason he still had hope that she had done this in some act of kindness. She had woken the dragon to save him in some way. People had mis-read her before, why not now? She had struck down Voldemort. Perhaps she had only claimed to kill her father and step-mother? But why this? Why kill herself?

'Raven.' He closed his eyes. 'Why?'

He was answered with a thunderclap. An explosion of white light flew up from the dragon's panel, engulfing Raven's body, and nearly blinding the three heirs who stood to ward off the blast.

When the initial smoke and dust cleared, Harry looked under raised arm to the center. Raven's body no longer was lying there. But as he dropped his arm in shock, his stomach dropped within him. Raven was hanging in the air, her black robes fluttering in an unseen breeze. She turned slowly, her black hair shimmering in the white light that held her. Harry was stunned at both her beauty and in fear for what would happen next. There was a sudden shattering, and Raven spilt in two. The gothic version in black, and how she should have looked before her Animagus marking, dressed in white. They circled each other almost lazily. It was then that Draco called out a name.

'Bethany. My God! It's Bethany!' And indeed it was.

Harry gasped as the gothic Raven looked at her unmarked self. The two girls seemed to know each other. Each reached towards her double. But Bethany was sinking down to the ground and Raven continued to hover, her china-perfect skin shimmering as Bethany's robe. The plain-looking girl stared in utter amazement as Harry saw what was happening though both his eyes and Gregory's from all those years ago. Tears ran down his cheeks as Stephan cried out in rage, seeing that he had failed. The only one who could wake the dragon was an innocent girl's blood. And the dragon would rise...only to take the body of that girl to serve its own cruel purpose.

And he heard the spell cast by Raphael. That Bethany would be spared death as the sick Wyvern if only a more suitable host be found. Raven had now become that host.

The others had sealed her, for all those centuries, so that if this ever happened again, Bethany would be spared.

Only Raven hadn't known this. And as the change began to happen to her, she began to scream. Her perfect flesh was torn asunder, showing the pulsating scales and skin of the Hogwarts Wyvern. Her scream became a snarl, and then a roar. But Harry saw her look at him, before her face was gone. A tear had dropped from her eye, her mouth moving with the words 'I'm sorry' on them. Then she was gone, still trapped within the light. But without the Heir of Slytherin's support, it was failing. The spell was breaking, and the wyvern seemed to know this.

It was hideous, black, enormous. With a long scaly body like a snakes, it was more foul than the basilisk Harry had slain, all those years ago. It's large bat wings were clawed, flapping dark wind at battered at the spell as it writhed and squirmed. It flailed within the light, screaming, shaking the very foundations of the Crown. Harry felt his own will being drained as the old enchantments accessed his own magical powers. He knew now from what Gregory had done that only his wild magic source would be useful here. Only Draco could seal the dragon, but then only Flitch could paralyse it, and only Voldemort could get into it's head. But the dark wizard was slain, lying on his square, his blood like thick ichor was split. Harry looked at the dragon, but in order to give the other Heirs the raw power needed to cause the spell to work, he couldn't access his Parseltongue. There was only one solution. Throwing another blast of his own energy that was depleting rapidly, he looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore, and called out to him,

'You must revive Voldemort!'

'What?!' Draco screeched, 'Are you mad!?'

'You can't make your spell work until that serpent is calm enough to be put to sleep. I can't give you enough power to do it and talk to it at the same time. We HAVE to wake Voldemort...or we're all going to DIE!'

Dumbledore nodded gravely, then walked to the body of the fallen wizard. He pulled the body back to the Slytherin square with some effort. The headmaster began to chant over his body as Flitch feel to his knees. Holding the dragon still was almost too much for the old squib. It was writhing in his grasp, despite the glowing runes he wielded with great authority. Harry could feel himself slipping, his force was flowing evenly to the other three, even the fallen dark wizard who was slowly beginning to come around. Suddenly, like a snake rearing it's head, Voldemort woke in Dumbledore's arms, teeth bared, he hissed across the room in Parseltongue. at Harry. And with a dull shock, Harry suddenly realized that he had not understood him. The dark gift had fled him, and whether that was permanent or not, only time would tell.

Feeling the dark lord reconnect, the barrier around the playing field strengthened. And Voldemort was fed by the leftover energies from his predecessors who stood there in times past. Harry for the first time could honestly say he was completely relieved by Voldemort's presence. For only the dark wizard would be able to talk the dragon down. But the wizard, for all he was supporting the efforts of his fellow heirs, was oddly silent. He simply looked at the hideous creature, fascinated. And Harry knew, though he knew not how, what the evil man was thinking.

'It is not as other serpents!' Harry/Gregory called out to Voldemort/Stephan.

Voldemort looked at him, suddenly an angry boy. 'I would wish, then, for all of you to die, along with me,' He turned, but instead of stepping away from his square, he came face to face with Dumbledore. Harry's view was obscured, but he saw and felt the attack. And heard it, clearly.

'Imperio!'

Dumbledore, to save the lives of others, his friends, had used a forbidden curse. A crime worthy of life in Azkaban. Harry would have been more stunned if Voldemort had not suddenly joined in the struggle, using his silvery Parseltongue. to talk down the wyvern. The winged serpent slowly and surely began to listen, and its writhing began to slow. And Draco cast the final spell, once and for all. And Harry understood it.

'This dragon shall never rise again. No man, woman or otherwise will ever be able to wake it. Ever.'

And though Harry mourned for Raven, he knew it must be so. And so he bowed his head, and sent the last of his energies to those others who were working in tandem to send the serpent back where it belonged. There were tears on his cheeks as he fell unconscious. And all he felt was a cold hard lump in his chest. A pain, he knew, that could never quite be healed. And Bethany knelt by his side, sobbing silently, knowing why.