Chapter 14 – Broken Bonds

Septimus surveyed the situation calmly, but he didn't like what he was seeing. He recognized that both the Chosen One and the Greatest Witch had totally acclimated to the Philosopher Stone.

"We must be careful sister," he said quietly. Thankfully, for once she nodded obediently in agreement, apparently having conducted a similar evaluation of her own.

Septimus gestured and several English hit wizards appeared. There was no reason for him and his sister to fight a personal dual against such individuals as the Potters. They had much better means at their disposal.

"The Potters cannot be allowed to leave this place alive," Septimus said. "If they do they'll continue to raise armies against your homeland."

The hit wizards didn't say anything, but looked grimly determined to do their duty. They wheeled their dragons and nudged them off toward where Harry and Hermione were resting on their levitating footwear.

"Our fight is not with you," Harry called out to the approaching hit wizards. There were seven of them; this could complicate things immensely. He recognized Derdiarian, the head of the hit wizard corps, who was flanked by Harold Koffman and Dahlia Seph. Circling around to divide their attention was David Geary, Jonathan Wegner, Steven McByrde, and Timothy F. Palsgraf III, the hit wizard who had testified against them at their trial. After their encounter with them, Harry had read profiles prepared by their remaining insider sources. They were all very capable, perhaps even approaching the skill Dumbledore had once been famous for. Certainly they were within his league. With the power of the stone they would still have been hard pressed to take on all seven at once. Against them and the sorcerers the task was impossible.

"Well our fight is with you," Derdiarian said. "You're going to pay for all the people you've murdered."

"You're wrong," Harry said. "But if nothing we say can convince you of that then the responsibility for what happens will be yours, not ours."

"This is your last chance," Hermione said. "We don't want to fight you, but we will."

"We won't be bluffed," Palsgraf said contemptuously. "The distance between our abilities and yours is not so great. Against all of us and our allies you won't be able to win this time."

Hermione peered at the hit wizards, circling like vultures around them, with narrowed eyes as she began to conjure her opening attack. Her breath was visible as small puffs of vapor as she sucked heat out of the air around her to amplify the reaction she was about to create.

"This is-ones-lling-English forces-immediately," a choppy voice said. The hit wizards pulled up on their mounts, backing off slightly, though their eyes and their wands never left the cornered couple before them.

"This is Derdiarian," Derdiarian said gruffly. The small device in his hand glowed as he amplified its abilities using his own power.

"This is Minister of Magic Amelia Bones," Madam Bones' voice came through clearly.

"Madam Minister?" Derdiarian asked questioningly. "Where is Minister Fudge."

"Minister Fudge has been removed by order of the Wizengamot," Madam Bones announced. "I am Minister now."

"Madam," Derdiarian repeated questioningly.

"All English forces are ordered to stand down," Madam Bones said. "The Wizengamot has declared cease fire, I repeat, cease fire. Military operations are suspended until further notice."

"You can't be serious," Greary exploded. "Sir, it's obvious that Amelia Bones has overthrown the Wizengamot. There is no way that they would have voted…."

"That's enough David," Derdiarian said after a moments pause. Emotions warred across his face before finally he let out a disgruntled huff. "She has the codes and the proper authorization. Protocol dictates that this is an official order from headquarters, one that we're bound to obey. Everyone, holster your wands, we're withdrawing."

Derdiarian lifted his wand into the air and sent a magical signal racing into the sky. Other signals responded to him and Harry could see that the English forces were breaking away from the main army.

"David, I said holster that wand," Derdiarian said.

"I can't do that sir," Geary replied.

"Neither can I sir," Palsgraf said. Dahlia Seph and Harold Koffman let their dragons drift over toward the pair made up by Palsgraf and Geary.

"This is insubordination and I won't allow it," Derdiarian snapped.

"No, this is treason, by you!" a red faced Geary yelled. He snapped his wand and released a small purple bolt that was barely deflected by Derdiarian's hasty shield. The hit wizards all wheeled their dragons and started jostling each other for dominant positions, spiraling away from a befuddled Harry and Hermione. Their brawl turned wizards duel couldn't have come at a better time though. The young couple transformed into their bird forms and sped toward their real opponents.

"The English are withdrawing," General Tycus noted.

"Indeed they are," Septimus said angrily. His mind worked quickly. If they had lost the English then they had lost their reason for being here and that was something that he could not allow. "Based on the information you received earlier it would seem that our allies have been illegally overthrown. It is now our duty to restore legitimate wizarding government, as well as carry out the commands of Minister Fudge. Those retreating forces have clearly joined the other side. They must be stopped before they can reinforce those who oppose the Ministry."

"Yes sir," General Tycus said. He turned and snapped off a series of hand signals to his underlings who in turn began putting his men into motion. One unit at a time the massive Treaty Force army wheeled and began pursuing the withdrawing English.

"Would you look at that," General Early said. He wouldn't have believed it had he not just seen it. The English wizards had attempted to leave only to be set upon by their European allies. Dragon's fire streaked across the sky like lightening, along with the flashes of spells, as the two forces clashed together heedlessly.

"This is our opportunity," General Longstreet said after a moment. "General Hood, General Early, assemble what remains of your divisions and form up for another advance. Harry Potter has obviously had some kind of success with his kinsmen and now it is time for us to return the favor."

"We're badly injured, I'm not sure we can make a difference," Hood replied.

"We've already got them divided," Longstreet said. "With the English acting as the anvil it is our job to become the hammer. Are there any Morgans left?"

"Unknown, but since none of them reassembled they may all be dead," Early replied.

"That is unfortunate, we could use their talents right about now," Longstreet said. He counted good friends among the Morgans, but there would be time for that later…if they won. The disorganized and battered Americans slowly began to wheel around from their rout. They would have one more chance to keep their country safe.

"I can see why Tom Riddle had such trouble with the two of you," Septimus said as Harry and Hermione transformed in front of him. He could feel Sense becoming giddy next to him as she too measured their strength against her own. The Potters had been exceptionally powerful wizards. Now that they had become accustom to the Philosopher's Stone he had little doubt that they were exceptionally powerful sorcerers too. Fortunately, he still had one trick that he could use against them; something that they could not counter. With any luck they would destroy themselves.

"This war is over, the Ministry is no longer under Fudge's control," Hermione said. "So stop this. There's no reason for you to be doing this anymore."

"He doesn't need a reason," Harry said when Septimus didn't respond. "At least, not a reason that would make any sense to us, but whatever it is that motivates him he won't stop. Will you?"

"No, I won't," Septimus said. "And unlike those weak fools who try to pretend that they're not going to do what they're going to do, I declare it. So here it is at last, the defenders of wizard kind against us, the true magic users of this world. Stop us if you can."

With a peel of laughter Sense leapt forward, flying toward them at an incredible rate. She threw her arm back behind her head like a muggle pitching a ball and when she whipped it forward the very fabric of the air around her seemed to tear with the tremendous power she drug with her. Hermione used her wand to shove Harry out of the way of the core of the attack, but both of them had to throw up their most powerful shields to weather the shockwave that the edge of Sense's assault carried with it.

"Harry Potter," a magically enhanced shout carried over as the residue of the blast dissipated. "We're here to assist you."

"Stay back," Harry shouted. He recognized a detachment of Americans, though he didn't know any of their faces.

"But we were ordered to help you," the man called again.

"If you want to help us," Hermione screamed as she blocked another attack. "Then get those anti-apparation wards down."

The Americans saluted in response and put their dragons into steep dives. Thankfully the sorcerers seemed not to care about the erstwhile Americans; they were too concentrated on the young couple before them.

Sense and Septimus glided around each other effortlessly, their robes billowing in the wind, as they channeled their power into an onslaught against the pair before them. The magical force seemed to gather behind them, rushing around them like a torrent of water, to wash over Harry and Hermione. Harry raised his best barrier along with Hermione and together they huddled behind it. Within moments the fierce energies had all but eaten away their protection and their bodies were being torn ragged by the attack. With immense effort Hermione reached out into the gushing magical energy conjured by the sorcerers and used herself as a conduit to channel it back. Rather than stop the flow she bent it, turning it back onto itself in a loop. Harry saw what she was doing and together they rolled the attack back on its creators.

"Fools, how long do you think you can keep that up?" Septimus asked. With practiced ease Sense and Septimus duplicated Hermione's technique, but instead of merely completing the circuit they continued to pour more of their own power into the loop. An increasingly thickening loop of raw magical power began to build in a bubble around the four combatants.

"We can't keep this up as long as they can," Harry said.

"Get ready, I've got a plan," Hermione said resolutely. Harry never got to ask her what it was because an easier solution presented itself. They both felt a heavy weight lifting from their shoulders as the anti-apparation wards were brought down. Of course, that didn't help most of the wizards fighting because they were high in the air too far away from any location that they could apparate to. For Harry and Hermione, however, it meant speed and mobility.

The bubble of magical energy that had been building dissipated with a whispered sigh as the loop was broken by the sudden disappearance of two of its points. Now it was the sorcerer's turn to be on the receiving end of a barrage of deadly spells. Green lightening twisted through the air around a green pillar of fire that descended as a torrent of pure death. Masses of conjured stone rubble began falling down like rain as Sense and Sepitmus wrapped themselves in layer upon layer of solid material to keep themselves alive.

Septimus raised his arm protectively, a cone of rapidly thickening granite forming around his forearm, as he warded off heavy projectiles moving at speeds so fast that their edges were glowing with frictional heat. He charged his fist with magical energy and counter attacked. To an outside observer it appeared as if two points of light were glancing off of each other.

Hermione didn't even flinch as the edge of her face was burnt away. The Elixir was already healing it as she caused thin fiery wires to erupt from her finger tips to seek an elusive Sense. The older woman dodged most of them and swatted away the ones that got too close as she homed in on Hermione's position. Hermione tried to apparate and groaned as a jinx inhibited her movement temporarily. With her body screaming at her as if it were being pulled apart Hermione summoned the mental fortitude to cast a counterspell right into the heart of the inferno of Sense's elemental spell as it threatened to vaporize her. The shockwave blew both women in opposite directions careening through the air haphazardly.

"They got me too," Harry's thoughts trickled into Hermione's consciousness as he slid to a halt next to her. Though the anti-apparation wards were still down, the sorcerers had trapped them inside a spell to prevent them from apparating all the same.

Immediately they were set upon by a blast of ferocious magical energy as the sorcerers tried to build up a loop of uncontrollable power yet again. There was nothing that Hermione and Harry could do except try to outlast them. Again and again the power was reflected and amplified by all four combatants as they passed the torrent of energy around to each other. Below them the waters of the Atlantic began to churn until a large depression formed on the surface of the ocean as if a giant invisible ball were being pressed into it, displacing the water.

Again the magic increased in density until it took on the appearance of a thick shimmering wave of air flowing like a river of water around the four combatants. Sense's gleeful laughter could barely be heard over the maelstrom of the roaring magic as it built up, thicker and greater, until it seemed to flow around water and sky all at once.

Harry felt as if his very bones were going to shatter as he continued to take the magic into himself, amplifying it and redirecting it back out toward Septimus who in turn sent it to Hermione, before sending it to Sense who began the cycle over again. The sorcerers still had the advantage. Harry could tell that it was only because of the Elixir's ongoing healing of his body that he was able to continue, but the sorcerers had no such enhanced healing, yet they continued on recklessly.

"This is bad," Hermione said. She was feeling the strain as well. "We fell into their trap."

"What is that?" General Hood asked.

"I can feel its power all the way over here," Early added.

"There's going to be a reaction," Longstreet replied. His amplified voice rang out over the battlefield where his battered men were engaging the continentals. "Brace yourselves!"

There was a flash of light in the darkness greater than that of any muggle weapon. The atmosphere heaved and boiled as enough energy to crack open mountains was released all at once. From the sky to the ocean below a pillar of pure fire was unleashed that burned down everything in its path as it expanded out in all directions. Dragons and wizards were sent crashing through the air as an unprecedented shockwave slammed into the clashing armies. Many men who had failed to adequately shield themselves were crushed by the blast in midair, while others barely managed to keep from passing out even as they huddled behind their most powerful enchantments.

"So this is the reaction that occurs when you combine too much natural and alchemic sorcery," Hermione thought to herself as she hurtled through the air from the force of the blast. She could feel Harry through their connection, but he was off in the distance. Like her, he had only been able to survive as a result of the Elixir combining with his own powerful shielding spells.

Invisible chains glowed bright red for an instant as Harry broke the enchantments that prevented him from apparating. His body flickered as he apparated through the churning atmosphere back into close range of the sorcerers. Lashes of lightening coiled within his hands before leaping out to strike at the sorcerers. Sparks flashed as Septimus tried to block lightening, but Harry sent it flying toward him from every direction. Sense rejoined the battle at that moment, but she too was hard pressed to keep up with Harry as he rapidly apparated around them. Rather than attempting to match Harry move for move Sense shrouded herself in a wall of glowing embers. Tiny, red hot coals drifted through the wind, thickening reflexively to absorb Harry's lightening.

"Avada Kedavra," Harry yelled. The twisting arcs of power went from vibrant blue to deadly green in an instant.

Septimus had been waiting for his opening and he finally saw it. Sense's shimmering cloud of burning specks had served to obscure the battlefield and clog it with magic. While he and his sister were both still within that hazy cloud of confusion Harry had just pointed a large arrow at himself by carving out a path with his killing curse elemental spell.

Hermione had taken longer to free herself from the anti-apparation spell. The chains holding her in place were just beginning to fall away when she realized that something was going wrong. Harry had been frantically hurling bolts of lightening in an attempt to overwhelm Septimus' defenses when he tried to throw both their opponents off balance with a killing curse. However, as soon as he raked the sky with a massive burst of lightening he was instantly outflanked by both of the sorcerers. Moving as one they threw conjured spears into Harry that ignored his own shields and impaled him. The physical matter kept the wounds open against the power of the Elixir and before Harry could recover he had been hit repeatedly with powerful elemental spells. The atmosphere reverberated with the light and shock of the assault. Blood gushed from Harry's lips and his eyes closed reflexively under the brutality of the assault.

"Harry," Hermione shrieked. The last of the anti-apparation spell fell away and she tried to leap to Harry's side only to rebound. Sense grinned at her wickedly as Hermione's head rang with the force of the counter spell that had been used against her.

"Too late," Sense mouthed. Behind her Septimus raised his clenched fist above his head, charging it until it glowed white with power, and slammed it into Harry causing him to rocket down toward the ocean below where he hit bodily against the roiling waves before disappearing into the darkness.

Hermione sagged back in midair as she clawed frantically at her head, pulling her hair and twisting her body until finally she screamed with anguish.

"I can't hear him….can't hear….he isn't there," Hermione babbled as she desperately called to Harry in her mind. "He's gone."

She looked up at the two sorcerers with wet, red eyes. "You killed him." She spat venomously.

Sense and Septimus sprang forward. With Hermione distracted by Harry's death now was their chance to end the battle. Their spells reflected off of the barrier Hermione effortlessly created with her rage. Septimus moved aside, disturbed by Hermione's firm grip on her magic despite the loss of the bond.

"What is she doing," Sense asked.

With shaking hands Hermione had pulled the Philosopher's Stone from around her neck and snapped it off of the small chain that had held it in place.

"No!" Septimus exclaimed as he realized what was happening. "Stop her!"

With one swift motion Hermione plopped the stone into her mouth and snapped her head back, swallowing it. The air around Septimus began to smoke as intense cold wrung moisture out of it before a broad column of ice reached out to encompass Hermione. As quickly as it formed the ice shattered away.

Hermione clutched her stomach and coughed deeply; a thick substance, as black as ink, spilled from her mouth to pool in mid-air where it began to writhe as if alive.

"What is that thing brother?" Sense asked, her voice sounding frightened.

"It isn't anything," Septimus said. "She's created it, with the stone inside her body she is something entirely different. It's a new magical creature."

"I'm going to kill you now," Hermione said, her voice quivering with derangement. The black creature's body was beginning to look more like a stone or a crystal than a liquid. It had six angular legs, four fleshy wings, and a mouth full of teeth. "And then I'm going to kill your men, and the Ministry for bringing you here, and the Americans for putting us in this situation. And…"

"She's insane," Septimus thought as Hermione continued to babble death threats against the world. He glanced at his sister who was giggling at Hermione's outpouring of rage.

"Be careful," Septimus said warily. "Instead of breaking her, the loss of the bond has made her completely unpredictable. She's acting on instinct; she probably doesn't even fully realize what she's doing."

"She's quite mad isn't she, brother dear?" Sense said. "Quite mad indeed! Just like that old man…"

With lightening speed and ferocity the created creature struck out at Septimus and Sense. They were quickly driven apart as sharp stabbing legs drove at them, extending themselves many times their original length. They tried to evade the creature, but it took all their concentration just to keep the jabbing spines from skewering them.

Sense counterattacked, but the creature turned into a puff of black smoke where Sense's spell should have connected and instead of harming the creature it passed on through as if it weren't even there. The siblings apparated wildly trying to lose Hermione's creation, but she followed them relentlessly.

Acrid smoke and fire rained down all around the swarm of dragon riding soldiers as the American, European, and English armies clashed again over the open water. The air was filled with the screams of man and beast as deadly energies burned away countless lives.

"The line is faltering," General Early yelled over the din.

"Rally, rally!" General Longstreet urged. Dragons that had been in retreat wheeled to converge on his flare. He pointed his wand toward a place where the European lines were thin and exhorted the troops that had gathered with him to surge forward. If only they could break through and attack from within the European formation they could cause enough chaos to potentially turn the battle in their favor.

Early kicked his mount to urge it forward as he saw Longstreet put his dragon into a dive. A bright cone of white light formed in front of his charging dragon, protecting him and burning through anything that he collided with.

General Tycus sat, his back straight, wand holstered, and continued to calmly deliver orders to his troops.

"The Americans are making a push toward our center line," Tycus noted. "Continue to fall back, but don't let them through. Maintain the defense to the rear while the forward units drive into the English lines. Inform the squad leaders on the flanks that as soon as the Americans get a bit further in they're to swing around to their sides and attack with full force."

Over the cacophony of sounds arising from the battle a new noise suddenly overwhelmed everything else. Sense and Septimus reappeared in the middle of the battle, Hermione and her beast in tow.

"Curses," Septimus thought as he dodged another close call. He hoped that bringing the beast and its master into the mass of soldiers would distract them. The creature remained focused on him and his sister, but that seemed to be slowly changing. The mounting casualties amongst the armies were at first mere collateral damage to the unhinged Hermione, but then some of the soldiers unwisely made some tentative attacks on her and she began to take notice of them.

"She's gone mad," General Longstreet said. With a wave of her hand Hermione decimated any formation in sight. Longstreet dodged a black spine as the creature, howling with rage, lashed out at him. He conjured shields and stone as ebony chitin tore at him.

"We're your allies, Hermione Potter," General Early screamed. He tried to apparate, but before his body could disappear a black spine was thrust into his shoulder and tore back out of his flesh.

Hermione clutched her wand, waving it wildly, appearing uncontrolled at first, but it quickly became clear that she was weaving a terrible cursed spell. Thick black magical smoke began to gather around everyone, twisting and snaking to encircle anyone within range. Hermione smirked sinisterly as her body began to waft away into the same tangible blackness. She raised her ashy hands, preparing to deliver her blow when suddenly a familiar dark haired figure appeared in front of her.

"Its time to come to your senses Hermione-darling," Harry said softly. Hermione let out a sharp breath and then coughed. Harry's glowing white fist was buried in her stomach and with a snap the black vapor dispersed.

Early peered through the blood and pain to see Harry whispering something into Hermione's ear as his hand sank into her stomach deeper and deeper until he found what he was looking for.

"Don't let go of this," Harry said as he pressed the retrieved Sorcerer's Stone into Hermione's hand. The creature, which had frozen upon Harry's reappearance, shattered away with a pitiful wail.

"You wretched woman," Sense said between breaths as she gasped for air.

"You may have been able to recover from the shock of the broken bond, but we've still got one more strategy," Septimus said.

"This time there will be no coming back," Sense said.

"You're the ones who won't be coming back," Harry said venomously.

Sense pointed her finger straight up in the air and uttered a single word.

"Temporo"

As soon as she finished the incantation immediately a hundred seals appeared in the sky to surround Harry and Hermione. Each of the seals, tiny portals of deep vibrant blue, sent forth a burst of pure magical energy toward Hermione. She didn't even have time to register her surprise as the beams of magical light enveloped her.

"Hermione…" Harry called out, not realizing what was going on. He reached out for Hermione, but his hand only passed through empty space. She was gone.

"So much for the Greatest Witch," Sense said.

"Now we destroy the Chosen One," Septimus said. "After this day no one will challenge us ever again. This is our victory."

"Goodbye, Harry Potter," Sense said with a smirk.

"Temporo"

AN: I know that I have not updated in so long that there is really no good excuse, though I do have what I consider good reasons. Please accept my apologies and this new chapter as the story approaches its ending.