A/N:In case anyone is interested, Ravenna is from Snow white, Jadis is from Narnia, Bane from Batman, Miraak from Skyrim and Kaelthas from WOW. I figured it was better than completely new characters.

Chapter 22: Dark Forest (Part I)

Fiendfyre. The arrival of Grindelwald elicited a lot of responses. None more volatile than Nott Sr's. The fear of a Dark Lord, one not his own, spurred the man into an erratic action that caused more mayhem than the small area they were fighting in could withstand. Hellish fire spawned beasts of fire that consumed all in its path. It's first victims were a hapless auror and a centaur as the fire surged towards Jadis.

The white witch almost fell to the fires of hell, but with an echoing laugh, Grindelwald swooped in to wrest control of the flames, his superior will prevailing over the casters with ease. Fiendfyre was no joke. The first thing you learnt about it was how difficult it was to control and what happens if you lose control. Nott Sr's screams rent the air as he burned to death.

Even as the fiendfyre turned on the rest, Harry and Zico yelled out the same order. The only one that made sense anymore. "Split up and run into the forest". After all, nothing in the forest could be worse that what stood before them.

The group, or what remained, scattered in earnest. People like Amelia, Dom and Soleil stayed back, unleashing bright lights and smoke to provide cover, even as they yelled at their children to run for their lives. The humans ran blindly through the undergrowth, while the centaurs tried to guide as many as possible away from the zone of fire.

Harry shepherded the biggest group away from the infernal blaze. Everything had gone to shit but the only saving grace were his two girlfriends running ahead of him, alive and unharmed. And he intended to keep it that way. A shout behind him caught his attention, "They are getting away. Bane, Let's go after them."

Harry didn't need the Hat's "They're after your girls!" to figure out what part of the League's objective was.

"Grindelwald! How? This is unthinkable. I can't... Oh Sweet Merlin!" The frightened pant came from Rita Skeeter, her finely groomed face in disarray. The others in their little group fared little better. It included some of the adults like Rita, Aida Zabini and Percy and most of the students like Su Li, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Greengrass sisters, Nott, Malfoy, etc., Firenze and Rox had also found themselves with the group and Harry was grateful for that. The centaurs were making sure nobody deviated too far and got lost as they ran.

"My mom... " Su Li was muttering with a blank expression, looking at her clothes that had chunks of her. Daphne caught her hand and pulled her onwards.

"Don't stop running. But stick together," Rox called out, her manticore bow pointed back from where they came, ready to fire at any pursuing enemy. Firenze called out to Harry, "They are definitely coming after us. I can hear the chimaera."

"I might have a plan though. Head for the Druids ruins."

"Seriously?"

"Come on," Harry said, urgency lacing his voice. "We need to move fast. The sooner we get there, the longer we'll have to prepare."

The clearing that had hosted a fierce battle but a few minutes ago was as still as a graveyard, which in some ways, it was now. The beaten and bloodied forms that knelt were only marginally less hurt than those that were unconscious. Walking upto them, Grindelwald recognized a few like Moody and Lucius Malfoy and others he had heard about but only just met, like Amelia Bones and Dominic Delacour. Slowly and deliberately, he ran a finger over his most precious possession, the Elder Wand. It crooned in his hand and he almost crooned back at the power that coursed through him.

With the last of the defenders rounded up or dead, Miraak and Kaelthas approached their leader from either side. Their deadened expression gave nothing away. "Important people," Miraak spat. "Perhaps we should separate their heads and put it where the world can see."

Even with nearly half his body missing, Moody shot back, "Why don't you seperate my prick and put it in-"

An electric blue spell, courtesy of Kaelthas, had him convulsing violently, albeit silently. "Noisy. Too noisy."

"So? Shall we kill them and leave?" Miraak asked.

"And what a tremendous waste that would be," Grindelwald spoke, his cultured voice almost lilting. "I can think of at least one good use for them all. Now that we're this close, I think I would like to see my old friend again."

"Let go of me, Auror Tonks. I need to get back to my wife and children."

"Stop it, Lord Greengrass. Your children were safe and they ran into the forest with the others. Going back there now is suicide."

"But my Soleil! She was fighting those monsters. I have to-"

A powerful set of arms caught Jamison Greengrass and lifted him off his feet. He found himself staring into Zicos fierce eyes. "Listen to me," the centaur spoke in a measured voice. "We are extremely lucky to have no one following us. The best thing that you can do is go to the castle and get help."

"But it'll be too late!"

"It may not be," Tonks muttered, wincing in pain from her many injuries. "I heard Grindelwald give the order to stun instead of kill. Zico's right. We need to let Dumbledore and the ministry know. This is not something we can handle on our own." Behind her, the rest of the group including Amos Diggory, the Germans, Hagrid and a few others looked ready to keel over.

Sense warring with emotion, Lord Greengrass finally relented. He pointed his wand at no one in particular. "Expecto patronum. Albus, the party was ambushed by the League. They have several hostages. Grindelwald is here."

The chimaera crashed through the forest like a wrecking ball through glass, hot on the scent of it's prey. The polar bear-wolf chimaera was good enough in a fight, but truly shined at tracking and killing weakened prey. The three members of the league simply had to keep up.

Ravenna, who had been trying to glimpse the escapees in her magic mirror, cursed. "Damn this forest. It interferes with my clairvoyance. Jadis, do you know how it works? There may be a work around."

From atop her seat the chimaera, the white witch sniffed, "No idea. I have never stepped foot into this forest before."

"Did you not spend seven years at Hogwarts?"

"And what of it? Students are forbidden from coming here."

"Your old master didn't share any secrets with you?" Ravenna goaded.

"Tom was never my master," Jadis snarled. "I left shortly before he began to brand his followers. No self-respecting sorceress would let that happen to her."

"Hmmm. And yet here you are, doing the bidding of another Dark Lord."

"No more than you, my dear. Now hush, I don't want my puppy to get irritated and tear you asunder."

Bane tried to ignore the two. He knew where this was going. Ravenna and Jadis got along almost as well as oil and water. Unfortunately, no such luck presented itself as their attention turned to him. Having just returned to the league after a long time, they were still trying to guage him, test him...put him n his place, as it were.

"So Mr. Bane? What plans for when you finally get your daughter? Going to ride of into the sunset? Just the two of you?"

He tried not to show his displeasure at Ravennas flippancy show. "A question for another time. Why are we slowing? Jadis?"

The white witch took a moment to feel her beast out before answering, "They are right ahead. But the beast is sensing some kind of odd magic. Perhaps we should split and flank them."

"Why?" Ravenna sneered. "It's a few hapless kids and centaurs."

Bane stepped in. "I agree with Jadis. They must have stopped for a reason. No sense in taking risks. I'll go right and Jadis can go left."

"Whatever," Ravenna licked her red lips with an even redder tongue. "I can already taste the blood I'm about to draw. Let's get on with it."

A slew of aurors led by Rufus Scrimgeour stood right outside the Hogwarts front door, wands drawn and ready to charge at a moments notice. Despite protests, some of the foreign aurors had also joined their ranks. Not that it made any difference to the problem at hand.

Jamison Greengrass was among those who had escaped the forest but had refused treatment to be present, even if as nothing but a spectator. His wife knelt at the edge of the forest along with the likes of Dominic, Moody and Amelia Bones.

Two wizened figures in long flowing robes stood in the middle of Hogwarts grounds, barely fifteen feet apart. For all anybody knew, it could have been just two old friends reuniting after a long time. But everyone who was watching the scene unfold with bated breath, knew better. In fact, they were all plastered to a castle window or in front of the castle doors to get a better view. Students and teachers had been warned to stay indoors by the aurors and the aurors had been warned not to interfere. If they did, it had been made abundantly clear that the twelve hostages that Miraak and Kaelthas were currently standing behind, would summarily be executed.

Yet none of this seemed to matter to the two that were the cynosure of all eyes. They stood gazing at one another, each seemingly trying to outdo the other with a pleasant smile.

"My dear friend Albus."

"Gellert old boy."

"Surprised I'm here?"

"Only at the how," Dumbledores smile disappeared, to be replaced by one of great aplomb. "Was all this bloodshed necessary?"

"I think it would have been worse had I not been here," Grindelwald seemed amused at that prospect. "Besides, anything for the greater good."

"I think our definitions of "good" has diverged considerably, Gellert. Whatever it is you want, I doubt I have it."

"As always, I disagree with you Albus," a touch of avarice entered the Dark Lords eyes that wasn't missed by his oldest friend. "What I seek is inside your precious castle. Give me the cloak and the hostages are yours. Your country will never be troubled by the league or I again. Refuse, they all die and we'll never stop haunting you."

"The cloak is not in my possession Gellert."

"But it is inside your precious castle. At least that's what my wand says." Grindelwald rolled it between his fingers, displaying it almost enticingly to Dumbledore.

"Most impressive," Dumbledore muttered, "I don't suppose you know where the other one is."

Grindelwald burst out laughing at that. "Still obsessed with the same dream Albus? I told you before and I'll tell you now. Together. Together, there's nothing beyond our reach. Even. Little. Ariana."

For a moment, avarice beckoned at the Headmaster before it was replaced with sturdy determination. "Gellert old boy."

"Albus dear friend?"

"I told you before and I'll tell you now. The only way you get what you seek is if I lie dead first."

Gellert Grindelwald sighed and Albus Dumbledore drew a deep breath. They both raised their wands in unison and everyone in the vicinity felt the hair-rising impact of two spells colliding.

"Oh Sweet Merlin. I can hear that beast again. Have you lost your marbles? Why are we just waiting?" Rita's panicked whimpering was accompanied by that of the children. Rox did her best to calm them, a hard task as she wasn't feeling so herself.

They stood under a solitary dead oak on an open field, the setting sun throwing it's last light onto them. A circle of stones surrounded the oak, evenly spaced and glinting in the light.

"This place used to belong to druids who lived and worshipped here long before us," Firenze explained. "They left protections as a way to stop future visitors from desecrating their holy land."

"Protection? You mean wards?" Nott Jr. asked with hope lacing his voice.

"Umm... No. We don't know what kind of protections. Jus-"

"You don't know?! Well why are we just waiting her then? Let's just keep running." Susan Bones sounded absolutely terrified even as Hannah and Su Li sobbed next to her. The rest of the students, even slytherins like Nott and Greengrasses couldn't keep the fear out of their expressions.

"Just wait," Daphne offered grimly. "Harry said he had a plan."

"Some plan. He's just sitting there. Now is not the time to screw around." Malfoy's response was met with a glare from Jasmin. She knelt next to Harry, who sat cross-legged inside a hastily drawn ritual circle with the Sorting Hat covering his head and eyes. He had been in that position for nearly the last ten minutes and the group had become steadily antsy. Another guttural growl came from the tree line and yelps emanated from the group.

The yelps turned into outright screams as the chimaera came into view. From other directions approached Ravenna and Bane causing the terrified group to huddle together. "Oh no! Oh Merlin! What do we do now?!" Rita blubbered in panic, the children growing even more scared at the adult's reaction.

And yet, the members of the League moved slowly, with caution. For their highly tuned magical senses had picked up what the others had not. The entire area within the stones was saturated in magic, ancient and crude, but still impressive.

Bane spoke first, "There is no where to run. Atleast nowhere we cannot follow. Jasmin and Fleur, all we want are you two. Come with us and no one need be harmed. Jasmin, I swear I'll take care of you."

The dark-haired veela didn't miss the fact the promise had only extended to her. "Who are you?" her voice quavered. "Why? Why won't you leave us alone?"

For the second time, she saw a look of vulnerability in his eyes. "I... I am... I just-"

"To hell with this. I'm done wasting time," Ravenna laughed, blood red tentacles appearing around her with a wave of her wand, two of which shot towards the veelas. On the other side, Jadis finally dismounted and the chimaera charged at the group it's growl freezing some of them in place. Bozo, Rita's cameraman ran away screaming. Others were about to follow when a sharp bark of "Stay where you are!" from Firenze stilled them.

Rox fired off poisoned arrows and Aida Zabini added silver arrows of her own. A moment later, Percy joined them with his wand up. But their offense was brushed aside as little more than a nuisance by Ravenna's many tentacles and if the chimaera was poisoned, it showed no reaction. It pounced, with no regard for who came in between it's maws. Firenze threw himself in front of the cowering children, his massive frame almost buckling under the chimaeras weight. Strong, muscled arms keeping the snapping beast at bay, earning a few seconds. He gave a strained plead, "Now or never Harry Potter."

Harry didn't move. But as if in response to Firenze, a sharp branch penetrated the chimaeras hide near it's shoulder before exiting on the other side. The beast immediately fell off Firenze with a yelp and tried to back off only to find another branch smash into its front leg, buckling it. Even as it made to stand back up, the massive dried oak tree came to life in earnest, a massive root uprooting itself from the ground and placing the weight squarely on the chimaera, restricting movement. The rest of the tree creaked impressively as a face formed on its bark, complete with crude eyes and mouth- a treant.

Jadis eyed it with equal amounts caution and curiosity. "Ancient necromancy. I remember Dumbledore removing all knowledge of it from the library as soon as he became headmaster." She turned to Ravenna and Bane, "Don't get too close to it. These stones form a ritual circle and the treant can't move too far away from it but it's quite the problem inside it."

"It's the boy," Ravenna snarled as her tentacles were handily outmaneuvered by the treant's many branches, stopping them from reaching the veelas. "Bane you lump, stop pining and make yourself useful. Get that boy out of the ritual circle."

A dangerous curse almost sliced off Ravennas nose and she stumbled backwards. "Careful with your words witch," Bane's deep metallic voice reached her. "I don't exactly need you alive to finish this."

Before Ravenna could retort, Jadis snapped at them, "How about we save this for when we're done?"

More arrows and spells headed towards the league members. Now that the treant provided some manner of defense, Daphne and Fleur joined the adults with stunners.

"A splendid suggestion," Bane said without taking his eyes off a glaring Ravenna. "I think we've had quite enough entertainment for one day." And with that he unleashed a barrage of curses that lit up the clearing in flashing lights. Even the magically resistant treant had it's many branches shattered, raining those it was protecting with wood and once again putting the defenders on the backfoot. Bane's barrage had also freed the chimaera that began circling the treant, trying to find a weak point. The group huddled closer underneath the bark and between the roots.

Jadis began to transfigure ice wolves as Bane's second barrage took chunks out of the treant, it's face now disfigured even more.

Fleur and Jasmin stood side by side next to Harry, shields weathering the relentless onslaught. The last of the branches surrounding them broke and the chimaera pounced. The shields of the two veelas did little to stop the beast as it caught Fleur by her leg and began dragging her towards it's mistress.

"Excellent my pet" Jadis crowed. "Bane, get your prize and we can leave."

Bane's eyes had returned to their manic state. He stuck out a hand at Jasmin, "Don't make me force you my dear. Come with me. You belong with me."

Desperation at Fleurs plight clouding her mind, Jasmin barely heard him. Throwing caution to the winds, she charged towards the Chimaera that had her sister in a vice grip, firing what spells she could. Bane smiled. That worked just as well. She had now stepped completely out of the Treants reach and a simple, but well aimed incarcerous caught his daughter and Jasmin went down with a scream, matching Fleurs.

Ravenna got up and dusted herself, frowning. As it turned out, she hadn't been needed after all. Their targets had been secured and all that was left was to make the get away. She briefly entertained killing the rest before deciding the hassle of dealing with the treant wasn't worth it. But something still felt off about the whole thing. This ritual circle, the magic around them... And as someone who specialized in blood magic, it all felt somewhat familiar.

Fleur and Jasmin were both mere feet from their respective captors when it happened. Silence fell. A silence so grave that almost everyone looked around to see what had changed. It was so quiet in fact, a muttered incantation echoed loudly.

Pestis Incendium Patronum

It was common knowledge that emotion was key to esoteric magic. And hatred was a powerful emotion. But when you corrupt something as pure as a patronus with it... It led to an aberration. Where a normal patronus shined bright, the fiendfyre patronus that rose out of the ground, covered in menancing dark flames, burned black. Bane almost yelled in surprise as he threw himself out of the way but the chimaera had not been so lucky. It flew in the air like a pinata before being snapped in half, it's wolf bottom landing near Jadis and the polar bear top near Ravenna, very very dead. Fleur immediately got to her feet and ran to release her sister.

As one, the three league members turned their wands towards the massive basilisk patronus that towered over them, engulfed in black flames. In that moment, they shared the same thought. Somewhere along the line, there had been a terrible miscalculation.

Just as the last of the sunlight faded and darkness set, a quiet voice reached them. Calm. Pleasant. Deadly. "Did you know this forest only truly comes to life at night?" If not for the sheer hostility that surrounded them, the league members would have thought it was making conversation. They turned to the one it came from.

Harry hadn't moved from where he sat, but his eyes were open. There was no green. There was no white. Only inky black darkness staring at them from sunken hollows.

"You have invaded what you don't comprehend and attacked us in our territory. By the time the sun rises again, the priccccce," Parselmagic saturated the area and the silent forest suddenly erupted in hisses. Every living thing felt a chill crawl up their spine, "will be paid in full. I ssssswear it."

A/N: I'll never know how some authors are able to just sit down and type. Every time I try, there are only a 1001 distractions. If anyone has any pointers, I'm all ears.

As always, DBAA. Leave a review.