I stared back at him, utterly confused and more than a little disgusted. "I did what to your what?" I asked incredulously, completely baffled. "Man, you need some serious psychiatric help-"
"GIVE IT BACK, DEVIL THIEF!" he shrieked hysterically, almost unhinged now, his bony claws trembling violently. His entire serpentine form began to shiver with uncontrolled fury. He lifted both hands suddenly, fingers curling sharply, gathering streams of dark green and black energy into his palms.
Instinct screamed at me to move, fast. With a furious flick of his wrists, Voldemort hurled multiple dark, violently sizzling curses straight at my hovering body.
"Shit!" I snapped my wings sharply downward, jerking myself hard sideways through the air. The curses exploded viciously against the stone ceiling behind me, blasting chunks of rock and debris in every direction. A chunk of stone clipped my shoulder, sending a hot stab of pain racing down my arm.
"You little shit!" I snarled angrily, diving lower to evade his next volley of spells. "Can't we at least finish our conversation before you have another psychotic episode?"
"I will strip that soul fragment from your still-beating heart, you insolent half-breed!" Voldemort bellowed, his long serpentine body surging forward aggressively, his twisted expression pure, frothing madness. "I will devour you alive!"
Another wave of deadly curses hurtled toward me, streaking violently through the air. I jerked aside again, weaving and twisting desperately as the magic ripped past my head and wings. The heat and force of the spells scorched painfully against my skin.
Frustrated and pissed off, I shot backward, wings pumping hard to gain a bit of distance. Voldemort's heavy tail whipped forward suddenly, aiming to smash me into the stone. I reacted purely on reflex, thrusting both hands outward, gathering a thick, dense wall of swirling water directly in front of myself.
His massive tail slammed hard into my makeshift shield. Water exploded violently, spraying everywhere and temporarily obscuring Voldemort's vision for a few seconds I used to my advantage.
I thrust out my right hand, channeling raw demonic energy. Moisture rushed from the chamber's stagnant pools and trickled violently from the dripping stone walls, rapidly gathering into a long, sharp blade of pressurized water. It solidified in my grip, cold and razor-sharp. I flexed my fingers tighter around the handle, feeling the smooth, swirling flow beneath my palm, ready to carve snake meat.
In my left hand, I called on my Sacred Gear. I drew on the magic I'd gained from bonding with Fleur, Gabrielle, and even Apolline-the Veela flames roared into existence across my palm, stronger and brighter than ever before. The vivid, passionate pink fire surged between my fingers, blazing hotly in my palm with a heat so intense it left a visible shimmer in the stale chamber air.
Shit, the flames felt even more potent than before-probably because I'd recently fucked another Veela senseless. Guess that boosted my magical potency, somehow. My Sacred Gear was awesome...
I didn't give Voldemort even a single second to think. Cocking back my arm, I hurled the burning pink flames straight toward his hideous serpentine form.
Voldemort reacted immediately, but in the most idiotic way possible. Instead of conjuring a barrier or casting a counterspell or a shield, he swung around his massive, slimy tail to intercept my flaming projectile. Was he completely insane, or was he just that arrogant?
Either way, he was about to learn how stupid of a decision that was.
My Veela flames smashed violently into Voldemort's thick, scaly tail, exploding in a scorching wave of fire and heat that instantly filled the chamber. Scales cracked and blistered, blasted clear off in smoking chunks. The air filled with the rancid scent of burning snake flesh. Voldemort's pained, furious scream tore through the chamber, echoing off every surface as he violently writhed and twisted.
"You damned filthy half-devil!" he howled furiously, thrashing his tail in agony. Smoke rose thickly from the blackened wounds as bits of burnt flesh peeled away, revealing raw muscle and sinew beneath. "How dare you damage my perfected form!"
"Perfected form?" I snapped back with a snort, feet hitting the stone floor hard as I dropped out of my hover. "Dude, you look like the illegitimate offspring of a snake and a pile of rotting garbage."
I charged forward without pause, my blade of swirling pressurized water clenched firmly in my grip, ready to slice straight through him. Voldemort's hateful red eyes flashed dangerously, his lips curling into a twisted, manic grin.
"Oh, you enjoy playing with fire, do you, Harry?" Voldemort snarled. His bony fingers curled viciously. "Then how about this! PROTEGO DIABOLICA!"
A rush of dark, chilling power surged outwards from his body. Deep blue flames instantly erupted into existence around him, twisting into a violently swirling inferno. They roared outward, forming a living wall of blazing heat and destruction, expanding rapidly to surround his body in a blazing protective vortex.
Shit-my instincts screamed at me. I planted both feet hard against the stone floor, skidding abruptly to a halt inches from the furious wall of blue fire. My water blade clipped the very edge of Voldemort's new flames-and the instant it did, something fucking impossible happened.
My blade of demonic water caught fire!
The sword in my grip erupted into violent flames, burning hotter and hotter by the second, scorching my palm painfully. I cursed loudly, forced to drop my weapon immediately. It shattered into sizzling droplets, vanishing in a burst of steam against the stone floor.
"What the fuck kind of spell is that?" I demanded angrily, backpedaling quickly to create distance. I stared warily at those swirling azure flames-unnatural, demonic, and radiating a frightening amount of heat. My demonic instincts screamed a warning, whatever the hell he'd just conjured, it was genuinely dangerous.
Voldemort let out a hideous, mocking laugh. The smug bastard stood confidently amidst the roaring blue inferno, scales gleaming and eyes blazing with pride. "Witness the legendary signature spell of the great-and equally foolish-Gellert Grindelwald!" he crowed triumphantly. "A dark wizard who nearly conquered the entire world through the terror of this very magic!"
"Grindelwald, huh?" I muttered, glaring into those deep, raging blue flames. Yeah, I remembered Hermione briefly mentioning that psycho wizard in her lectures about magical history. "Figures you'd rip off another guy's spell, you unimaginative fuck."
Voldemort's grin twisted into a nasty sneer, his tail lashing sharply through the air, sending sparks and embers flying in every direction. "I'll show you firsthand why it terrified nations!"
He thrust his scaled arms forward sharply, and the swirling demonic flames suddenly surged straight toward me, roaring hungrily forward like a living, ravenous beast eager to devour my flesh.
"Shit!" I hissed sharply, reacting immediately. I threw both hands outward, desperately pulling moisture from everywhere-the pools lining the chamber, condensation on the stone walls, even conjuring water directly from my own reserves of demonic power. Every drop of water rushed obediently forward, swirling into a massive, roaring wave.
My conjured tsunami slammed violently into Voldemort's blue inferno. For several tense, grueling moments, fire and water wrestled fiercely for dominance. Violent explosions of steam erupted between us, scorching hot vapor burning my exposed skin and forcing me to squint through the haze. My muscles strained as I pushed harder, pouring even more demonic energy into the fight until finally, slowly, painfully-my water snuffed out every last remnant of Voldemort's demonic fire.
I stumbled slightly as I felt the massive drain on my reserves. Fuck, that cost me far more demonic power than I intended. That damn spell wasn't a joke, it was genuinely powerful.
But I could also sense he used a tremendous amount of his own power as well. Demonic power could copy wizard spells perfectly, but they were heavily draining since in the end, it was magic meant for humans and not devils. Voldemort obviously did not know that because all he'd been using against me was wandless dark wizard spells.
Across from me, Voldemort hissed furiously, glaring at me with open hatred and barely concealed disbelief. The bastard probably hadn't expected me to actually survive that.
"Well," I panted roughly, straightening back up and forcing myself to maintain a confident stance despite the weariness seeping through my bones. "Guess Grindelwald's fancy spell wasn't quite as unstoppable as you thought, huh, Snakeface?"
He snarled, red eyes glowing brighter, slitted pupils narrowed to vicious points. "You arrogant devil-spawn," he hissed dangerously, sharp teeth clenched tightly. "Do not mistake momentary survival for victory. I'll tear the limbs from your body and consume you piece by agonizing piece!"
"No, you fucking won't!" Lilja's voice sliced sharply through the chamber, echoing harshly off every wet, stone surface.
Voldemort spun around in startled confusion, barely having time to register her presence behind him. His furious snarl became an agonized scream of pure pain as Lilja's blade flashed brutally downward, cleaving straight through scale, muscle, and bone. His entire right arm dropped with a thick, wet thud onto the partially melted stone floor. The severed limb flopped grotesquely for a moment, blackish-red blood spurting messily from the stump and pooling into steaming, bubbling puddles.
Lilja darted swiftly around him, moving with a speed and precision that made my breath catch in admiration. Her vivid red hair whipped out behind her as she blurred past Voldemort, landing smoothly at my side. She spun to face the monster once more, tossing her crimson hair back and lifting her gleaming sword threateningly, her green eyes flashing like emerald blades in the darkness.
She turned briefly, and our gazes locked. I couldn't help the genuine, delighted grin spreading across my face.
She matched it instantly, her lips quirking up at one corner into a playful yet fierce smirk of her own.
"You little bastard!" Voldemort shrieked, his distorted face twisting in agony and fury. Dark blood continued pumping from his wound, staining his white scales black. He clutched uselessly at the bleeding stump with his remaining hand, crimson eyes flaring wide with rage. "You cowardly piece of devil shit! You didn't even have the courage to fight me alone, you pathetic whelp!"
"Uh huh," I drawled sarcastically, waving him off dismissively. "Keep crying about it, Snakeface. Honestly, you just got owned by a girl half your size-maybe work on your fighting skills before throwing around insults?"
His face contorted hideously, lips peeling back to bare rows of needle-sharp teeth dripping with saliva and blood. "For this disgusting arrogance," he snarled, his voice trembling violently with barely restrained hatred, "I'll tear apart my hostage right in front of-"
His rant cut short as he glanced backward and finally realized Jasmine's unconscious body had vanished completely. His gaze frantically searched the ground around him, finding only empty space where Jasmine had lain moments earlier. His confusion twisted immediately into incandescent fury, his entire serpentine form trembling with barely contained rage.
"WHAT IS THIS?! WHERE IS THE GIRL?!" Voldemort shrieked hysterically, spinning violently toward us once more, his grotesque features utterly livid.
Lilja stepped forward slowly, sword pointing directly at Voldemort's grotesque face. Her expression was cold, disgust radiating palpably from every tense muscle in her beautiful form. Her emerald eyes burned with fury as she spoke, her voice dripping venom. "Voldemort," she spat his name like a curse, far more intensely than when she'd spoken Pettigrew's earlier. "You disgusting, pathetic monster! After everything you've done-everyone you've hurt-I swear you will pay tonight. You're dying in this chamber!"
Voldemort let out a deranged laugh that echoed sharply, cruelly. His bloodied lips twisted into a savage sneer as he drew himself up to his full height, his grotesque form towering menacingly. "I will do no such thing, little Valkyrie slut," he growled hatefully. "I am immortal! You fools can't comprehend the power I command!" He raised his head and let out a horrifying hiss that slithered sickeningly through the air. "Come, my child! Come to your sire's aid!"
Suddenly, behind Voldemort, the enormous stone carving of Salazar Slytherin's ugly-ass head began to shift, scraping loudly. Its mouth opened slowly, with a heavy grinding of stone on stone. From inside the dark cavern of that ugly mug's mouth came a wet, slithering sound.
"Oh, fuck me," I groaned, watching in disbelief as yet another giant basilisk-just as fucking enormous as the one I'd fought before-slowly began crawling out of the statue's mouth. Its huge, armored head emerged first, followed by a muscular body that seemed endlessly long, slick scales glistening in the dim torchlight as it slid forward. Its pale, yellow eyes glittered maliciously as it turned to glare directly at Lilja and me, massive jaws opening slightly to reveal long, dripping fangs.
"I will kill anyone who dares bully my mother!" the basilisk hissed angrily, its voice a deep, guttural rumble echoing loudly off the chamber walls.
"..."
Wait-WHAT THE FUCK DID IT JUST SAY???
I blinked, shook my head, and stared incredulously. "Did that giant snake just call Voldemort its mother?" I muttered aloud, feeling an absurd laugh starting to build uncontrollably in my chest.
No matter how serious the situation was, the mental image that conjured was simply too damn ridiculous.
Without meaning to, I threw my head back and laughed! Unable to hold it back even though I knew this was probably the absolute worst fucking time for it!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Voldemort's glare swung sharply toward me, eyes bulging madly with insane rage. "What's so amusing, Sitri?!" he demanded furiously, his voice quivering dangerously. Beside me, Lilja glanced sideways, her eyebrows raised in clear disbelief, probably wondering if I'd lost my mind.
But I just couldn't stop laughing. Finally managing to catch my breath, I shook my head slowly, a wide grin plastered across my face. "Seriously? Did I hear that right?" I asked, still chuckling despite the deadly tension in the air. "That giant fucking monster snake just called you its mother! How exactly did that work? Did you squat down here in the chamber and pop an egg straight out your asshole, Voldy?"
