Chapter 15-(last chapter in book 2)

Stephen yelled, “Helmets on! Go!” In a flash, the Four were ready for action. The figure had descended into the room, wand raised. It said in a cold female voice,

“You were always a filthy Potter, Andromeda. None of them can ever hold to their convictions.”

Andromeda said, “My grandfather may be a blind fool, but I've come to realize he didn't want to hurt anybody. You, on the other hand, have always been bloodthirsty.”

“That's Dark Magic for you.”

“Is it really? What was our purpose? Power? Sean had it all in his fist. What were we then?”

The black robed figure paused and said, “We were nothing but plaything then. Now, however, is MY time. I AM in power. I AM POWER!” The figure flicked her wand forward and Andromeda dodged the jet of light that ripped the cabin wall behind her clean from the foundation. Rose strung her bow with arrows coated in sharp ice spikes. Tika ignited her hands with white fire, Stephen caused the wind outside to howl about them, and Troy pulled the sword from it's scabbard. The figure stopped in her advance and said,

“Oh. The Four, or should I say, the four Babies. You sniveling cretins shouldn't dabble in what you don't understand. I don't have to kill you, but if you get in my way, I will.”

Stephen said, “If you want to get to Andromeda, you have to get through us, and we're not babies.”

“Suit yourselves.” The Four suddenly found the ground torn from beneath them and soon they were hurtling through the air. Thinking quickly, they used the suits to right themselves in the air and darted forward for an attack. Tika breathed a stream of fire from her mouth while drawing a symbol in the air with her staff. Troy swooped down, dodged around a spell and lunged with his sword. The woman dodged, but Troy caught her hood and split it open. A pale face gleamed where the hood once covered. High cheekbones and drawn skin accentuated the woman's face. Her eyes were large and almost completely black with red streaks showing through. She screamed and fired the Killing Curse at Troy. He nimbly used a block of stone to guard himself. Stephen slammed the woman from above with a furious gust of wind and she found herself crouching from the air pressure. Rose took this opportunity to surround her with water and encase her body in a foot-thick block. The four landed around their captive as the woman struggled to move her arms and legs. Andromeda walked forward and said,

“Good job guys. I've never seen magic like that, it was amazing.”

Stephen smiled slightly and said, “It's what we do.” The woman screamed,

“You will not take me! I am the Dark Lord!” Rose looked at the woman and a thought occurred to her, what had happened to her companion. Rose moved over to the body lying face down in the snow. Turning it over, she saw Scythe's blank, staring eyes. Rose said,

“Guys, look! It's Scythe! He's dead!” The other three rushed over to see. Stephen said,

“Whoever that woman is, she just threw him away. He was like bait.” He marched back to the woman and said,

“Do you know the initials CMK?”

“If I do, you don't expect me to tell you, do you?” Stephen raised an eyebrow and said,

“We have methods of persuasion. Tika?” Tika nodded and walked up to the woman. She ignited her hand and held it up to the woman's face. Tika said,

“This suit amplifies my power nearly tenfold. At the moment I'm making a concious decision to hold back my power but if I were to...I don't know...become a little forgetful. Your head would be charred faster than you can say 'No'.” Tika grinned sweetly. Suddenly, the woman took a deep breath, drawing the fire from Tika's hand into her mouth. She then breathed over the ice block covering her and in a flash had her wand raised. Before anybody could react she flicked her wand at Andromeda ane bellowed,

“SECTUMSEMPRA” Deep, bloody gashes appeared in Andromeda's chest and she stumbled backwards with the force of the spell. The woman screamed,

“MUDBLOODS AND LIGHT WIZARDS MUST DIE!” She then Disapparated, leaving them all stunned. Tika's yelp of,

“Andromeda, no!” shook them all out of their stupor. The Four rushed over to her and saw the blood flowing profusely from her wounds. Stephen pulled the Staff of Light from his belt but Andromeda shook her head and said,

“No. It won't work. Come close, hurry. I must tell you all something.” The Four knelt around her and Stephen held her head up so she could breathe. As the life left Andromeda slowly, she said,

“I've lived in this mountain hideout for years. Hoping that someday my family would accept be again. The fact that you are here is enough answer, I know I am loved. That woman you saw is...well was Karyn Caroline Mainwaring, or KCM. She changed her initials around to throw off anybody who intercepted her owls. She is the one that killed Hermione Granger and Minerva McGonagall. If she gets her chance, she will kill the current Hogwarts Headmaster...” Andromeda coughed and spat blood onto her already soaked shirt. She said,

“I'm fading...but listen closely. The Dark Warlock are growing in number again. This time, they are not using human subjects. They have...other...darker methods. They have discovered powerful magic that can reanimate the dead...called Necromancy. Lesser versions of such spells have been used before...but now...dead are fast...strong...and nearly limitless numbers...” She took a ragged breath and continued,

“They will...overrun...this world. You cannot stop them...not now...later...keep...safe....keep family and friends safe...Continue training...keep...hope.” Andromeda's last breath left her body and she slumped in Stephen's arms. The Four rose in silence and cleaned up the wreckage from the battle. Stephen closed Andromeda's wounds and wrapped her body in a white sheet. He siad,


“We have to warn Hogwarts and we have to tell Harry. I don't know how much time we have...but apparently this time, the Dark Warlock are going to win.”

Tika said, “We can't stop them?”

“You heard Andromeda. Not now, later. We must prepare.”