Rias cringed back slightly, genuine fear flickering in her bright blue eyes. I didn't blame her-these fuckers were horrifying. Even if you knew you could kill them, they still exuded a kind of primal dread, an instinctual terror embedded in the very essence of their existence.
"My brother always told me demons were filthy, disgusting monsters," Rias spat, her voice tight with revulsion and defiance as she glared fiercely back at them. "No wonder the original Lucifer kicked your kind out of Hell!"
Her words had an immediate effect. The Dementors froze in mid-air, their shadowed forms trembling violently, rage rippling outward. I could feel their fury intensify, rolling over us in cold waves.
If they'd had faces, I'm certain they'd have twisted into expressions of absolute hatred.
"You dare mock our exile?" one screeched, its voice filled with a venomous mixture of humiliation and fury.
"Kill the red-haired bitch first!" another shrieked, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of rage. "Tear her apart!"
The majority of the Dementors turned their murderous attention fully toward Rias, surging at her in a single, vengeful rush. Rias paled further, visibly overwhelmed for a split second by the raw hatred suddenly aimed directly at her.
But their brief, single-minded distraction was exactly the opening I needed.
"Rias! Stay close to me!" I shouted urgently, thrusting my arms wide as I rapidly channeled an enormous surge of magic. My Sitri crest glowed fiercely in front of me, pulsating with vibrant blue light. "I've got you!"
A deep roar echoed from my circle, and instantly, a massive half-spherical barrier of swirling, pressurized water burst outward around us. The shield was thick and violently turbulent, a living wall of raw elemental force that completely surrounded me, Rias, Madam Bones, and the two remaining Aurors.
The Dementors collided violently with the barrier a heartbeat later, their shadowy forms impacting the dense water and immediately recoiling, shrieking in pain as the violently rotating currents shredded their cloaks and limbs like they were made of wet paper. Those closest to the barrier lost whole chunks of their spectral forms instantly, screaming horribly as they were killed.
Rias's blue eyes widened, staring up at the colossal, swirling dome of water surrounding us, her mouth parted in awe. "Harry..." she breathed softly, her voice tinged with surprise and admiration. "This is incredible."
I shot Rias a cocky smirk, unable to hide how damn proud I was of this spell myself. After what had happened to Tonks. I had been thinking of ways to protect people close to me. I'd quickly realized the glaring flaw in my fighting style. I had absolutely no defensive magic.
But being a devil had its perks. The power of imagination combined with my demonic energy made solving that particular issue easy as hell. The massive, swirling barrier of viciously spinning water around us was the result. It was an almost impenetrable wall of elemental fury that acted as both an unbreakable shield and deadly weapon. Anyone stupid enough to try breaching it would be ripped apart in seconds.
Those Dementors had learned that fact the hard way.
I had been hoping to slaughter more than just a handful of the disgusting bastards in their reckless initial rush at us, but unfortunately, they weren't quite as stupid as I'd assumed. The moment several of them exploded into ribbons of spectral gore, the rest had swiftly retreated. I could practically see their hooded shapes hanging warily in the air outside the barrier, hesitating cautiously and shifting positions as they searched desperately for any way in.
I grinned darkly to myself. They wouldn't find one.
"Take a second and gather your full power," I told Rias quietly, keeping my eyes trained on the circling Dementors. "These bastards aren't going anywhere. Once you're ready, you can take them all out in one shot."
Rias turned to me, a radiant and vengeful smile spreading across her beautiful face. "Oh, I can definitely do that," she said, her voice dripping with barely restrained eagerness.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and I felt the air itself in the barrier tremble as she began channeling every ounce of magical power within her.
The Dementors surrounding us clearly sensed the sudden spike in her power. I heard their rasping, disgusting voices hiss in alarm from beyond the barrier, the panic spreading among their ranks.
"Stop her!" one screamed harshly. "Kill the devil witch before she unleashes her filthy power again!"
They surged forward again, a dozen shadowy forms rushing frantically toward our defensive dome. They must have believed their numbers would let them pierce the barrier this time, desperately trying to reach Rias before she could strike.
I merely folded my arms casually across my chest, standing protectively at Rias's side and watching with grim satisfaction as the Dementors impacted my barrier at full speed. The swirling currents immediately shredded several more Dementors, ripping them apart like wet paper as they shrieked in agony. Their spectral bodies exploded violently into oily mist, splattering harmlessly across the ground outside the dome.
Rias continued building her energy, eyes closed, her slender body outlined perfectly in the glow of her demonic aura. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her even if I'd wanted to. She looked like a fucking goddess. She was beautiful and terrifying all at once, ready to unleash divine wrath on these foolish demons.
"Get ready," I whispered softly, leaning closer to her. "They're lined up perfectly for you now. Time to erase these fuckers once and for all."
Her blue eyes snapped open at my words. The crimson-black destruction energy swirling around her surged dramatically brighter, crackling with immense power. "Let's do this, Harry," she purred dangerously, a triumphant smile curving her lips. "Let's show these disgusting demons exactly why the original Lucifer threw their worthless asses out of Hell."
I dropped my hands, letting my water shield unravel in an instant. The immense swirling dome of magically compressed water collapsed outward, cascading around us harmlessly and drenching the grass in a sudden torrent.
For a split second, everything went eerily silent.
In that breathless moment, the Dementors hovering above seemed to finally realize just how thoroughly fucked they were.
With my barrier down, the full brunt of Rias's channeled demonic energy roared outwards unchecked, exploding around her in crackling waves of raw, crimson-black power.
A vicious, vengeful smirk spread across her soft lips. "Burn in oblivion, you miserable fucks," she whispered fiercely, raising her hand as her magic reached its peak, ready to unleash hell itself.
And right as her destruction magic surged, something bright flew directly toward us.
My eyes narrowed sharply as the silvery glow raced through the air, hurtling straight into our midst.
A Patronus shaped like a panther.
It leapt, landing directly between us and the Dementors. As it landed, it brushed against Rias's outstretched hand.
Rias screamed-utterly shocking me to my core. My heart leaped into my throat as I whipped around toward her.
The gathered demonic energy that had been poised to eradicate the Dementors abruptly shattered, collapsing in on itself in an instant. The backlash sent a shockwave rippling out from her, but otherwise harmless as her magical attack failed catastrophically.
"Rias!" I shouted urgently, immediately stepping to her side. Her face was twisted in pain, tears gathering at the corners of her tightly shut eyes. She was clutching her hand. I saw that her delicate porcelain skin had turned an angry, blistering red right where the Patronus had touched her.
A Patronus charm actually fucking hurt devils? I'd never experienced any discomfort around them myself. Hell, Hermione's Patronus-a shimmering silver otter-had always just seemed cute and warm to me. Was it because I was only half-devil?
Either way, whatever the fuck had just happened, it wasn't good.
Worse still, the Dementors seized upon that precise distraction to escape. The eight surviving monsters didn't waste another second. They spun and scattered, fleeing as swiftly as their ragged cloaks would carry them.
They shot back over Hogwarts' grounds and disappeared into the distance, fleeing from Rias's us while they still had the chance.
I was pissed off. Those fuckers were supposed to die here. Instead, they'd just slipped away thanks to the intrusion of that stupid Patronus.
And just as I was wondering who the absolute fucking moron was that had managed to so spectacularly ruin everything, an irritatingly familiar voice rang out across the grass. "Haha! You're all welcome for the rescue!" called the voice in a smug, self-important tone that made my blood boil. "Fear not! Where students and fair maidens find themselves in peril, there I-Gilderoy Lockhart-shall always be, ready to save the day!"
You've got to be fucking kidding me.
Gilderoy fucking Lockhart managed to cast a perfect Patronus charm?
I whipped my head around as that flamboyantly dressed idiot casually sauntered down the grassy slope toward us. He flashed an idiotic grin at the group of Aurors. He strode as though he hadn't a care in the world.
Lockhart immediately launched into a loud, boastful monologue, his voice echoing obnoxiously across the grounds. "Ah, yes!" he announced grandly, puffing out his chest and flashing his pearly-white teeth in an exaggerated smile. "Fear not, good people of Hogwarts! It was fortunate indeed that the famed Gilderoy Lockhart happened to be nearby-though of course, heroes like myself always seem to find themselves precisely where they're most needed. Why, I shudder to think what might have happened to all you helpless students and dear Aurors had I not arrived exactly when I did!"
I rolled my eyes so hard I could practically see the inside of my skull. Ignoring Lockhart's bullshit completely, I quickly conjured a gentle stream of fresh, ice-cold water in my palm. With careful precision, I guided it softly over Rias's injured hand, slowly cooling the angry redness and easing her pain.
Rias let out a relieved sigh as the icy water began soothing her burns, her shoulders relaxing as the tension melted from her delicate frame. She glanced up at me with genuine gratitude in her bright blue eyes, lips curving into a small but heartfelt smile.
"Thank you, Harry," she murmured softly, her voice full of sincere warmth. Her other hand reached up to gently grasp mine, her slender fingers wrapping around me tenderly. "I'm so sorry I messed that up. Right at the end, too-I really screwed up..."
I shook my head immediately, squeezing her fingers reassuringly. "Hey, no," I said firmly, meeting her worried gaze directly. "None of this was your fault, Rias. You didn't mess up at all. You were fucking amazing out there, honestly-your power was about to erase those bastards entirely."
Her cheeks flushed faintly pink at my earnest praise, and she bit her lower lip softly as a shy smile flickered over her lips. But before she could argue further, I nodded sharply in Lockhart's direction, my tone darkening instantly. "You got screwed over by that absolute fucking idiot, plain and simple."
We both turned our heads simultaneously, fixing equally irritated glares upon Lockhart, who seemed utterly oblivious to our disdain. He was still loudly rambling-mostly to himself-his pompous voice carrying across the grass as though he expected everyone to hang eagerly on his every idiotic word.
"-and indeed," Lockhart continued cheerfully, gesticulating dramatically with one hand while the other rested confidently on his hip, "this wasn't even my most daring rescue, not by far! Why, this lot of Dementors was nothing compared to the massive horde I single-handedly fended off a few years back at the German wizarding conference! They were swarming everywhere-children and fair witches shrieking in terror, grown wizards fleeing helplessly-but did I flinch? Certainly not! For Gilderoy Lockhart never fears darkness! With a mere flick of my wand, I summoned a Patronus so powerful, the Dementors fled like terrified mice before a mighty lion-"
Madam Bones had finally heard enough of his bullshit. Her already grim expression had darkened further, jaw clenched so tight I was surprised her teeth weren't cracking. Her eyes were filled with barely contained fury, a dangerous storm brewing behind her sharp gaze.
"Mr. Lockhart," she snapped coldly, interrupting his monologue with sharp, icy authority, "perhaps you'd like to tell that grand story to the family of the young Auror whose soul was just ripped out right in front of us? I'm sure they'll be positively enthralled by your heroic exploits."
Lockhart faltered briefly, his charming smile dimming ever so slightly as he finally seemed to realize just how inappropriate and insensitive his bragging sounded. But, being Lockhart, he recovered quickly enough, plastering on another artificial grin and shaking his head dismissively. "Oh, of course, terribly sad. Such a shame about that unfortunate fellow-but I'm sure he would've been inspired knowing he gave his life so that heroes like myself could prevail!"
Madam Bones went visibly pale with rage at that, her hands shaking slightly at her sides as if she were barely resisting the overwhelming urge to hex Lockhart into oblivion.
Gilderoy glanced down at the cage that Amelia Bones had carelessly set on the grass beside her feet. He bent forward slightly to get a better look. His overly theatrical expression turned faintly disdainful as he took in the filthy, trembling rat locked within the bars. "Quite an ugly rat you've got there, Madam Bones," he said dismissively, waving a gloved hand dramatically in front of his nose as if disgusted by the creature's very existence.
She shot him a glare. "It isn't a rat! This pathetic piece of shit is actually a Death Eater named Peter Pettigrew, one of the Dark Lord's most loyal and cowardly followers."
Lockhart visibly stiffened, his arrogant expression slipping momentarily as a flicker of something unreadable flashed behind his eyes. His eyes narrowed slightly, almost calculating, as he muttered quietly, mostly to himself, "Interesting... very interesting."
My eyes narrowed sharply, suspicion prickling along the back of my neck as I gently rubbed the lingering redness on Rias's delicate hand.
Something about Lockhart's strange shift in demeanor bothered me deeply. From what Hermione and the others had told me, Lockhart was an incompetent fraud. All of his supposedly heroic adventures detailed in his countless books were complete bullshit stories he'd obviously made up.
