The Black Locket – Part II : The Path of Fire and Shadows
As Tonks watched her allies arriving from the sky, she let out a sigh of relief just as a broom came speeding down. Sirius Black was riding it, his expression tense, and without stopping, he threw someone straight toward her.
The witch barely managed to catch him in time.
"Fletcher?" she muttered in surprise.
"This idiot knows how to unlock things and break through wards. Use him. Grab the object quickly," Sirius said in a firm voice before spinning on his broom and skillfully defending himself from several spells flying in his direction.
Tonks didn't waste a second. She grabbed Mundungus by the arm and dragged him at full speed toward Bellatrix's room.
"Why are you bringing me here? I should be far away from the battlefield!" Mundungus shouted, eyes wide as he saw walls exploding and spells streaking through the air like furious lightning.
"The faster you do it, the faster we get out of here," Tonks replied, taking a defensive position at the door while casting basic protection spells. Her entire body was tense, ready to block whatever came through.
"Tsk," Mundungus clicked his tongue as he knelt before the pedestal. His face was already drenched in sweat while he examined the magical layers protecting Slytherin's locket. "Do you have any idea how much a professional thief would charge for this?"
Above them, the mansion's roof exploded as if an invisible force had torn it off entirely. Debris rained down like black hail. Instantly, the members of the Order of the Phoenix formed a defensive wall in the sky, casting spells from their brooms to hold off new enemies descending from above.
The situation kept worsening.
Moody positioned himself at the mansion's main entrance, wielding his staff like an extension of his body. With every swing, a burst of fire incinerated zombies that dared to cross the threshold.
He looked up at the sky, his face marked with annoyance.
"Hmph. At least now the living are showing up," he grumbled, noticing that the reinforcements arriving on brooms weren't corpses, but Death Eaters.
"What about the Ministry's men?" asked Cedric as he rushed over, his clothes soaked in dried, putrid zombie blood, but his eyes still sharp.
"They're on their way. We either hold out long enough or take the damn thing and get out. Depends on which happens first," Moody answered, never taking his eyes off the enemy. He raised his staff and unleashed a wave of fire across the field, scorching multiple undead in one sweep.
Cedric nodded and dove back into the fray. He raised his hand, conjuring another fire atronach that roared to life amid the chaos. Then he drew his swords and tore through the undead with brutal precision.
Moody watched him for a second and gave a silent nod of approval. Despite everything, the boy was proving to be a real warrior.
Elsewhere, Bill and Arthur fought side by side on the ground, guarding the mansion's doors and windows. Meanwhile, Charlie flew above the battlefield, dodging spells with swift maneuvers while launching offensive curses from above.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just call Einar?" shouted Bill, blocking a bolt of dark energy with a shield.
"We can't. He's protecting the students on the train in case of an ambush," Arthur replied while reinforcing their magical defenses.
"The new Minister should've taken office by now. Couldn't he get rid of that stupid rule about returning by express train when we're clearly at war?" Bill muttered angrily before launching an explosion that sent two Death Eaters flying.
Amid the battle, the crystal orb Moody carried began to heat up in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly, still casting spells with his free hand.
"Moody, the werewolves and vampires are on their way. Hurry!" said Lupin from the other side of the field, his face covered in sweat and worry.
"Where the hell are those Ministry idiots?" Moody roared, then shouted toward the inside of the mansion. "How much longer?"
"Ten minutes!" Mundungus yelled back from the room, not looking up as his wand continued to trace rapid patterns over the locket.
"Make it five, or we're dead!" Moody shouted again. That was all it took for Mundungus to double his pace, though his face was that of a man about to collapse.
"Mundungus, if you don't hurry, we'll die here. And I don't want to die with you," snapped Tonks, blocking another spell that flew in through a window while magically rebuilding a section of the wall. The roof was completely gone, but the Order's members were still holding the aerial line.
"I know, I know! I don't want to die either!" Mundungus shouted. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. A green glow flickered across the locket. "I did it!"
"Then grab it and let's go," Tonks said immediately.
But at that very moment, a blast of energy struck Mundungus in the chest, flinging him across the room. Tonks spun around.
Right in front of her, a Death Eater had just removed an Invisibility Cloak and was holding the locket with a smug grin.
Tonks raised her wand, ready to strike.
But something strange happened.
The moment the Death Eater gripped the locket tightly, a black shadow crawled up his arm like a living stain. His eyes widened in horror. Then he screamed. His hand disintegrated in seconds, followed by the rest of his body, until only ashes and a final echo of pain remained.
Tonks stood frozen.
"Uuuugh," groaned Mundungus from the floor, clutching his chest and still struggling to breathe.
"I said I broke the barrier, not the curse on it," he muttered weakly. "You can grab it now. I just saved us a few minutes of work."
"Are you sure?" Tonks asked, her tone both serious and furious. "If I die from touching it, I swear I'll come back and kill you as a ghost."
Mundungus looked at her with resignation, then approached the locket and passed his wand over it several times.
"It's safe. You can take it," he said at last, though he clearly had no intention of touching it himself.
But Tonks now eyed him with clear distrust.
"You're all idiots. This is not the time to joke around," growled Moody, who had just arrived as the others kept fighting outside. Without a word, he extended his arm and took the locket without hesitation.
Tonks and Mundungus both exhaled a deep sigh.
"We're leaving," Moody ordered.
"I think that's going to be difficult," said Sirius as he approached on his broom, pointing around them with his wand.
The air had grown cold.
They were completely surrounded by Dementors.
"Where did so many come from? I thought Einar had taken care of all of them!" Tonks exclaimed in shock.
"Do you really think it's that easy to kill something that multiplies like fungus?" Moody muttered with annoyance.
And then, as if fate itself were mocking them, a new wave of enemies appeared on the horizon.
Vampires.
"Bloody hell," muttered Moody through clenched teeth, watching the enemy numbers grow.
But just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a new column of green light shot into the distant sky.
The Ministry reinforcements had finally arrived.
"It's about time," said Moody, showing a faint smile for the first time. "Regroup!" he shouted, his voice rising above the chaos, rallying the Order once more.
He then grabbed the crystal sphere and sent his signal.
A second later, the bearded face of a half-giant appeared inside the orb.
It was Hagrid.
"Make us a path!" Moody ordered as everyone braced for one final push.
Hagrid gave a solemn nod before his face vanished from the sphere.
"These things are actually useful. Once this stupid war is over, those kids could become millionaires," Moody remarked, as the members of the Order began regrouping. Despite the chaos, they continued to shield one another with spells, forming a living barricade.
With the Ministry's reinforcements joining the battle, everything became even more destructive. A storm of spells fell from every direction, shaking the ground with their force. The Order held their defensive line, backs to one another, fighting as a single unit.
Then came a tremor. A deep rumble that rolled through the earth.
Zombies were sent flying into the air from the rear line, like rag dolls hit by a hurricane.
Everyone turned to look.
And there he was.
Hagrid charged forward, clad in an imposing full suit of black armor, a massive metal shield held in front of him. Every step he took crushed the ground beneath. Nothing slowed him down. Spells, explosions, fire… he barreled through it all like a magical locomotive. Only the killing curses made him duck and roll with surprising agility, and even then, he never stopped.
Allies and enemies alike stared at the scene. The half-giant looked like a war colossus, a living wall smashing through the chaos.
"Let's go," he said in his deep voice, turning to head back the way he came.
This time, everyone ran after him.
They threw up shields, blocked attacks, some turned to strike back… but no one left the path Hagrid cleared. He bulldozed through everything with sheer momentum, slamming enemies aside with his shield and sending them flying.
In the midst of the charge, Hagrid raised his voice.
"Give me the Horcrux. You split off. I can take the hits."
Moody nodded without hesitation and tossed him the locket.
"Split up. Now!" he barked.
The group scattered in multiple directions. Some members of the Order pretended to guard Moody, making it appear as though he still carried the Horcrux. It was a tactical distraction, and it worked. Several enemy units chased the decoys while the others disappeared into the chaos.
Cedric, Runa, and Tonks stayed close to Hagrid, covering him with protection spells as he carried the real target.
After several minutes of intense running, brief skirmishes, and close calls, the group managed to gain some ground. Thanks to Runa—who mercilessly eliminated anyone who got too close—they finally caught a moment's breath. They hid within a forest, concealed beneath the thick canopy.
"Aaah… that was way too much adrenaline for one day," Tonks groaned, collapsing onto the ground, arms dangling.
Runa, on the other hand, remained on her feet, sharp-eyed and alert. She usually behaved with a carefree attitude, but when she was on the job, she became something else entirely. In battle, she was serious. Focused.
"How are you holding up, Hagrid?" asked Cedric, glancing at the half-giant, who was breathing heavily.
"I'm alright. The armor Einar gave me is still as amazing as ever," Hagrid replied with a small smile, though his breaths were labored. Even for him, wearing that much heavy armor while sprinting at full speed was no small feat.
"Damn… the anti-Apparition wards are still up. Did these bastards put barriers all over the bloody city?" muttered Tonks, glaring at the sky.
"Keep moving. We don't want to get caught again," Cedric said, unrolling a map and scanning the terrain.
"There's a village a few kilometers ahead. Let's go. If we make it in time, we can use the Floo Network to escape," he added. The others nodded in agreement.
They quickly picked up the pace, jogging swiftly toward the village.
"Someone's coming," Runa warned, suddenly looking up at the sky.
Everyone stopped and raised their wands, ready to fight.
But as the figures approached, Tonks lowered hers with a sigh of relief.
"They're Aurors from the Ministry," she said. "I recognize them."
Five witches and wizards landed near the group.
"We're from the Ministry. Give us the Horcrux. We'll keep it safe," one of them said without delay.
"How do you know we have it?" asked Cedric, his voice tense, eyes locked on them.
"We didn't… but now we do," the man replied, just before firing a spell.
All five attacked simultaneously.
"Spies," Tonks muttered, stepping back and conjuring a shield.
But it wasn't necessary.
Runa stepped forward and, with a single motion, all five collapsed unconscious.
Tonks, Cedric, and Hagrid stared at her in stunned silence for a moment.
"I poisoned them the moment they said 'Horcrux,'" Runa said matter-of-factly. "Let's go."
Without wasting time, she sprinted ahead. The others followed. If one false team had found them, more would surely come.
As they ran, a man appeared in the path ahead. He saw them and opened his mouth to shout.
Runa sped up, ready to silence him. But before she reached him, a spell struck the man's back, knocking him flat.
Remus Lupin emerged from behind a tree.
"The werewolves are coming from this side. You should go right," he said without meeting their eyes. He then knelt beside the fallen man and, with a silent spell, buried him into the earth.
The group nodded and continued along the new path.
Once they were far enough, Lupin raised his wand and launched a green flare into the sky.
It was a signal.
A call.
Moments later, the werewolves would respond.
And just like the Order had planned, they would be chasing the wrong trail.
Lupin didn't look back. He knew what was at stake.
His role was clear: guide them away… so the real Horcrux could escape.
…
Meanwhile, at King's Cross Station:
Einar stood still, his face unreadable. Around him lay several lifeless bodies, all dressed in dark robes.
"The area is secure. No more enemies," Avento reported as he approached, adjusting the black rune-covered glove on his hand. His brothers were gathering at different points of the platform, all wearing the same steely expression.
"Let the students disembark," Einar said quietly.
The immediate threat had passed.
But the war was only beginning.
From the far end of the platform, Luna and Ginny came running, both visibly shaken.
"Professor… we can't find Ron," said Ginny, her voice filled with dread.