10

"Stupify!"

A torrent of red flashes converged onto Benedict's location. With a flick of his wrist he launched himself into the air, jumping over the weakest link in the encirclement, the third years. As he landed behind the youngest members with two quick thrusts of his wand he sent the poor children flying straight towards the other students, making them fall down.

"Susan, Neville and Padma cover them with your shields. Ginny, Ron, Alicia and Hermione help me keep him under fire. The rest of you try to incapacitate him with what you know best." Harry ushered his orders.

A salvo of differently colored spells locked onto the blond teen. Five strong beams of red soon followed behind them, making a small explosion as they hit their target. A cloud of dust brew up, impairing their visibility and mobility.

"Stay on guard!" Harry shouted as they got submerged by the wall of dust. "This cloud isn't normal."

Laughter reached their ears, making them look around in vigilance. The echos clashed against the enclosed space, making it hard for them to figure out where the enemy was hiding.

"It's as if he was everywhere, Harry." Hermione coughed next to him. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief. "Ventus."

A squall of wind furiously blowed from her wand, dispersing the dust in her close vicinity. Ginny and Russell first showed up in their field of view. Seeing the brown haired witch's charm working Ginny used it as well under the cover of Russell's shield.

"Hmm, not bad. Not bad at all." Benedict's chuckle sent shivers down their spines.

Harry heard a couple of thuds on their right. Ginny tried to cast a Stunner, but Harry stopped her.

"We don't know if he's there." The raven haired teen gritted his teeth. "Everyone!Use Ventus to get rid of the cloud."

Spirals of winds wrecked havoc to the haze. Parts of armor and destroyed furniture got caught by the forceful gales and collided in the air.

"I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but I can't let you get out of this that easily."

A wave of black smoke descended from above, rendering their previous work useless. The sheer mass of absolute darkness made some of them despair.

"Keep using Ventus. He can't possibly outdo us by himself." Ron's voice echoed within the tumultuous darkness.

"Oh, but I can." A snicker reached the redhead from behind.

The ginger looked back only to see a red light accompanied by two blue orbs approaching him.

"He's here!" Ron exclaimed in his final moment, before succumbing to a stunner hitting his chest.

Benedict covered himself with a spherical shield, bouncing back the incoming spells back to their senders.

"Shit." Harry heard a lot of bodies crashing against the floor after his friend's cry. "Dobby!" He tried calling the house elf. However, the small over-enthusiastic creature didn't reply.

'Damn it. Did he find a method to keep house elves away?' Harry blocked a stray blue charm with his shield.

"We have to regroup somehow, Harry." Hermione was waving her wand over the fake Galleon they've been using as a method of contacting each member from the DA. "This should help us."

She turned on the scanning feature the prime Galleon possessed. Because of its connection with every single coin she had enchanted, she could use it to find other bearers by proxy. With her targets locked in, both she and Harry moved slowly towards the strongest pull they've felt from the coin.

"Harry, you've found us." Neville was standing on guard as Susan was trying to reinvigorate the fallen Padma.

"We need to move." Harry revived the Ravenclaw witch.

"Ugh."

"Can you move, Padma?" Susan brought the Indian girl to her feet.

"I..." She stiffened and almost made the Hufflepuff fall down with her.

"He must see us somehow." Harry grimaced as his shield was pummeled with a constant wave of spells from the left. The casted barrier was slowly cracking under the relentless assault.

Neville and Hermione shot into the dark spells of their own. Trying to hit whoever was hurling charms towards them. They've stopped after hearing a crack in the distance.

"I think we've got him..." Neville couldn't finish his sentence as a red blast hit him from above.

The two Griffindors and Susan raised shields above their heads. They kneeled under the pressure of the raining spells and from the tiredness that was making their movements sluggish with each passing second.

"It's all lost." Susan's eyes teared up.

"We can still win this." Harry pulled the girl away from a Stunner that came from behind.

"No, you can't." Benedict's voice reached them once more.

The black cloud started to slowly set down. Harry could see the ceiling and then the walls coming into view. There were scorch marks all over them. Some of the armors that decorated the room were missing parts and riddled with holes. As the haze reached the floor they could see their friends laying firmly on the ground, binded with ropes.

"I'm here."

Harry turned his body towards the voice, his hand still gripping his wand for dear life. The remaining trio could see Benedict sitting on a chair, drinking a cup of tea as if nothing happened.

"How have you been, my lovely wizard and witches." He smiled. "I see you've been through something very arduous and gruesome."

"You bastard." Hermione yelled.

"Ah, ah, ah." Benedict waved his finger. "A prefect should uphold the highest of standards at all times, Ms. Granger."

"How could you do this?" Harry struggled to stand up. "You know we don't have another way to prepare for what awaits us behind Hogwart's walls."

"You believed us when we told you about Voldemort." Hermione looked at the teen with hatred. "Or was it a rouse?"

The teen stood up. "Oh, I believed you." His steps echoed in the silent and destitute room.

"Then why?" Harry couldn't even move as the older teen hit Susan with a Stunner.

"Does it matter?" Benedict readied his wand at Hermione.

"I'll not allow you to hurt her." Harry rushed towards the teen. "Experliar-"

"Be nice." With a swish of his wand Benedict slammed the boy against the wall. "I'll deal with you later."

"Harry!" Hermione watched as her boyfriend slid down the stone wall. His head dropping to his chest.

"Don't worry, he's alive." Benedict summoned her wand. "I don't exactly want to go to Azkaban for killing our lovely hero."

"How could you betray our thrust!?" If looks could kill he'd have been dead ten times over with how she glared at him as he came closer to her.

"And what happened with keeping yourselves out of trouble, Ms. Granger?" He tooted. "You were such a darling, always obeying the rules. Frowning with every overstep the teachers or students took. I liked how you made my job as a Head Boy easier. I still have a sliver of thought to obstruct the hand of justice from reaching you, making them take all of the blame. What do you say, Ms. Granger?"

"I won't forgive you, Everest." She looked like a wounded prideful lioness with her unruly bushy brown mane of hair. Her honey brown eyes looked at him with the promise of vengeance flickering within them.

"I don't need your forgiveness." He sighed, stunning her. The witch's body tumbled to the side.

With this out of the way Benedict approached the still trying to move Harry Potter. He could hear the boy mumbling something under his nose.

"Hermione..."

The blond kicked the boy's trembling legs, making him fall flat on his behind with his back clashing against the wall. Benedict raised the younger boy's head by his chin.

"This is what happens when you're too full of yourself, Mr. Savior. One would have thought... that the last couple of years would have shown how inadequate and foolish you truly are." Benedict couldn't help but sigh.

Green orbs looked into his blue eyes. Benedict Everest could see the hatred, helplessness and sorrow swimming like raging currents within them. The boy's face was filled with unwillingness, still waiting for a sudden miracle to happen, just like they've always had in crucial moments of his life.

"You've tried your best." Benedict smiled. "Your adaptability and leadership are a class of their own. It's surprising how many people you were able to rally up. Especially with all of the smear campaigns you've had to endure since year one."

"However you've hit a dead end, me." Benedict chuckled. "I still think the highlight of your school life was to actually bag that friend of yours. Quite the ferocious little lady. She had so much potential and yet it was wasted by your recklessness."

Harry Potter tried to say something, but his throat couldn't squeeze out a sound. He teared as he saw unmoving figure of Hermione from the corner of his eye.

"I can't have you casting spells, now can't I?" Benedict had locked the boy's jaw as well so he couldn't bite.

"It's a shame... If they had groomed you properly then you could have made a difference in this sick world. Alas, we can't turn back time. What has been done can't be changed."

Benedict released the boy's chin. Harry used his last piece of strength to keep his head up straight.

"But it all ends here. After you wake up all of this will be over. You'll be free from your struggles."

Harry saw the teen's wand brighten up in crimson red.

"Goodnight, Harry Potter."

As the spell hit, the teen's head rocked back; his body stiff against the wall, unmoving. The fight between the DA and Benedict Everest came to an end. No fanfare or aplauz awaited the sole victor of this battle. Only the deadening force of silence greated him as he walked towards the center of the room.

"Is this what you wanted."

Benedict ignored the inquiring voice. He raised his wand. With each wave the room was slowly repairing itself, coming to its previous state. Next he motioned the bodies of the students to gather in front of him.

"Remember what you've promised."

The man reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a small pouch. After he opened it small vials filled with green liquid started to float out of it.

"I've never forgotten our agreement," he paused. "Remember to keep yours."

"Hmph. Don't make me regret placing my faith in you."

"I'm not him." He rebutted. "I'll give you want you want. One way or another."

"We shall see." The voice got quietter. "I have to rest."

"Then I wish you a pleasant night." He could feel the chilly presence dissappear. "As for me, the night has only just begun."