Ekrizdis - The Lord of Azkaban! (II)

With the first wave of his wand, Lord Ekrizdis summoned the 60-foot-long Basilisk.

Boom!

The serpent's massive body boomed against the castle's walls as it landed on the ground. It was pitch black and it reeked of rotten flesh. Pieces of black flesh could be seen all across its body through the torn skin. In many places, even the bones were visible.

But the maddened hiss and roar that came out of its mouth was as alive as anything could ever be.

-Kill them all.- the Inferi hissed, commanding the undead serpent in Parseltongue.

Hissssssssssss!

The Basilisk opened its eyes and looked at the Unspeakables.

Those who were too slow to look away or close their eyes got petrified instantly, losing their lives.

Only a few moments had passed since the ridiculous appearance of the Basilisk. Neither Madam Villanelle nor Dumbledore and Grindelwald got the chance to lift their hands to counter the magic.

The Lord of Azkaban moved again.

With the second wave of his wand, the Horcrux conjured 10 skulls.

The skulls were so small that at one glance they looked as if they belonged to children. However, their bone structure was just too different from humans. In their hollow sockets, green, ghostly fire burned furiously, their jaw opening and closing, cackling.

Kekekekekekekekek!

Dumbledore's eyes went hard, his face going white. He recognized those skulls. They all belonged to House Elves. "You…" But before the Headmaster could say anything, the ten skulls disappeared, melting into the air.

A chill ran down the spines of Madam Villanelle, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald.

On the ground, two Unspeakables had already died. Now two more got sent to the afterlife as the huge Basilisk lunged and ripped apart their bodies between its sharp, venomous fangs.

It was then Lord Ekrizdis grinned and looked at the book hovering next to the dragon-riding witch. "Fool!"

With the third wave of his wand, he snatched half the control over the Grimoire.

Great, geyser of sinister black flames erupted from the book, making Madam Villanelle fly away from it, the Staff still bobbing up and down above her head as if it was attached to her.

The pillar of black flames divided itself into ten unequal parts, with three parts occupying the largest share, accounting for 80% of the black flames.

From the remaining 20%, 7 blue-and-green, spike-winged dark magical beasts came flying out. They looked like extremely large butterflies but with wolf-like skulls in place of ordinary heads.

Swooping Evils!

From the remaining 80%, three enormous beasts emerged simultaneously, roaring out of their lungs, their fury echoing against the old walls of the castle.

The first beast was a huge feline-like beast, resembling a saber-tooth tiger. It was hump-backed, with grayish-purple skin that seemed tougher than dragons. Under the two golden horns, its mouth had tentacle-like appendages. Its entire torso was letting out bursts of orange-colored glow, bordering red.

Graphorn!

The second beast that came out even shadowed the Basilisk in length as it unfurled its huge bat-like wings and let out a heart-wrenching roar. It had dark rough scales, ridges along its back, and a tail tipped with an arrow-shaped spike. When it looked at others, shaking its massive head, its brilliant purple eyes seemed to glow with hellish fire.

The dragon…

… Hebridean Black!

But it was the third magical beast that settled fear on Madam Villanelle's face for good.

It was a monstrously large feline-like beast with a striped body, scraggly mane, four fangs that curled out of its mouth, long sharp claws, and a disproportionately long, ruffled multicolored tail.

Zouwu!

"Close the Book!" Dumbledore roared, putting the wand on his throat. Then he hurriedly waved his wand. Brilliant fire erupted around him, and a phoenix came flying out, crying majestically. "Fawkes. I am counting on you. Grindelwald, help with the Basilisk. It's undead. I will handle Lord…"

Just as Fawkes flew toward the giant serpent, aiming to puncture its petrifying gaze…

… and just as the Headmaster prepared himself to hold the Inferi by himself, sending the Grindelwald to handle the blind Basilisk…

… and just as Madam Villanelle was about to close the book, forcing all conjured beasts to return…

Lord Ekrizdis waved his wand the fourth time, looking at Dumbledore. "Haha… Haha!" he let out a broken, rotten laugh. "You must be a terrible Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher… Professor Dumbledore."

10 house elves' skulls, carrying green, ghostly fire in their sockets, appeared right over the heads of the freshly conjured magical beasts.

Kekeke!

The skulls cackled darkly, and before the beasts could run away, they attached themselves to the top of their heads. In the case of Swooping Evils, the skulls shrunk and twisted, exactly gaining the shape of their wolf-like heads. In the case of Zouwu, Graphorn, and the Dragon, the skulls enlarged, shrouding their heads thoroughly.

Then they burned.

The magical beasts roared, cried, and hurled themselves left and right as their flesh charred, becoming ash.

In a matter of moments, the house elves' skulls had disappeared, leaving behind 10 skeletons, their eyes now brimming with dense, green, and sinister, ghostly fire.

Simultaneously, Madam Villanelle shut the book.

The Peruvian Vipertooth, still flying overhead, became a mist and vanished.

The ten undead, magical creatures remained at their place, now completely under the control of the Lord of Azkaban.

The Swooping Evils fell on the Unspeakables.

Gellert Grindelwald conjured flames, trying to hold back the blind Basilisk and the venomous Swooping Evils as they unleashed hell upon the wizards.

The Hebridean Black roared out purple flames, closing the gap between it and the Headmaster in one jump. Dumbledore waved his wand silently and massive chains sprung out of the ground. They coiled around the dragon's skeleton like serpents, restricting its movements.

Afraid to open the book again, Madam Villanelle contended against the undead Graphorn on the ground herself.

The undead Zouwu could be seen nowhere.

Ekrizdis descended upon Professor Dumbledore with his full wrath, firing bolts of magical energy.

The Supreme Mugwump countered the spells, backing away, while simultaneously casting protection charms to ward off the purple pillars of fire spat out by the dragon.

All hell seemed to have gone loose, engulfing the entire Nurmengard Castle.

Booms and Bangs rang out in the craziest corners of the colossal structure. Walls crumbled, the ground came peeling off as if it was skin, and the houses burned to ash with each dragon's breath dodged and countered by Dumbledore.

On the ground, Madam Villanelle ran, shooting spell after spell at the massive undead Graphorn chasing her murderously. The beast had lost its tough, magic-repelling skin, but it had retained the property anyway, ricocheting all spells that got fired at it.

Among all the wizards gathered here, she was the last one Madam Villanelle could afford to lose. The imprint of the Merlin's Staff overhead was attached to her. If something happened to her, then the Staff would lose its connection to the material world and would disappear, along with the Bounded Field.

Dumbledore knew it, too.

It was he who had contacted the Order through Madam Villanelle after so long, laying this trap for the Inferi. He didn't like the Six because of their differences, but the Lord of Azkaban was their mess. Moreover, one of his staff members had disappeared. As the Headmaster, he couldn't have just brushed it off, no matter if he had to walk over his feelings against the Order.

So, to keep the Inferi trapped, along with countering Lord Ekrizdis and blocking the Dragon's fiery breath, he kept deflecting some of the spells toward the undead Graphorn as well.

The Lord of Azkaban also noticed the ridiculous level of multitasking Professor Dumbledore was performing, standing up to his name. "You…" Ekrizdis said, grinning, firing killing curses, "… can't possibly keep it up for long, Dumbledore. Not even with that Wand of yours. Haha!"

Albus Dumbledore's eyes let out a blinding brilliance at the mention of the Wand. He was panting now. He turned his head and looked at Grindelwald. The tired, old man was almost contending against the mad Basilisk and Swooping Evils by himself. Half a dozen petrified and poisoned Unspeakables surrounded him, their memories vanishing under the effect of undead wolf-headed creatures.

Dumbledore looked back at Ekrizdis… and smiled. "No." He nodded, directing the dragon's flames toward the Swooping Evils. "No, I can't keep it up. But… unlike you, we have the advantage of numbers, Lord Ekrizdis. I had already informed the ministry before coming here. So do expect hundreds of Aurors to join us. One way or another, you will pay for all your crimes today."

The Horcrux's eyes narrowed, a hideous scowl surfacing across his scabbed, worm-filled mouth.

"Advantage of numbers…" the Inferi repeated, sending a menacing chill through Dumbledore's body. "Yes. It would seem so, yes. How about… we change the battlefield and even out the odds? Ha...ha...ha-haha!"

Dumbledore's mind shook. With utmost urgency, he spun around and flew toward Madam Villanelle.

It was already too late.

A massive portal opened up just ahead of the reincarnated Witch of Endor as the ghost-eyed Graphorn chased her.

From the portal, the undead Zouwu leaped out. Madam Villanelle had always been on guard against the magical beast. She waved her wand, creating a magical wall between the huge, elephant-sized feline undead and her.

The Zouwu again disappeared before it could slam into the wall and reappeared on Madam Villanelle's left. She again waved her wand, now keeping both undead on the other side of the magical walls.

However, she mistook the beast's intentions.

The beast hammered its paws on the magical protection, leaned over, and gulped down the Merlin's Staff hovering above Madam Villanelle's head.

Then, under the stunned, and utterly terrified, gazes of Madam Villanelle, Dumbledore, and Gellert Grindelwald, the undead Zouwu leaped, disappearing into a dimensional tunnel.

The Bounded Field was still active, though. It couldn't prevent the magical beast from apparating and disapparating, but it had already marked everyone within its range, locking them in, including the newcomers.

So, when the Merlin's Staff disappeared…

… everyone, whom it has locked onto, also disappeared.

Cracks after cracks resounded as the Unspeakables, the undead magical beasts, Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Madam Villanelle, and… Lord Ekrizdis disapparated, leaving the castle in utter ruins.

BOOOOM!!!

When they had gone, the single tower reaching toward the skies also collapsed, debris raining down the mountain on all sides, causing massive landslides.

After decades of acting as the most secured prison, Nurmengard Castle couldn't survive even the first half of this world-ruining battle.

*******************

AN: Break Tomorrow

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