Chapter 684 - Ruse Ⅶ (1/2)
Battling up the steep slope towards the smoking cottage situated on top of the hill, the figures of Auror's Gideon and Fabian Prewett lead the fight and rapidly advanced forward. Closely following behind them is the polyjuiced Damocles Belby, who is in fact Auror Percius Clements. Spells flash left and right with some successfully hitting the Auror's despite their best efforts. Still, they stubbornly pressed forward bruised and battered until they manage to break through the encirclement of Death Eaters to arrive at the top of the steep slope.
Breathless and wild-eyed they arrive at the scene only to find a bleak scene. Laying on the ground is the bleeding is the weak and severely wounded polyjuiced figure of Auror Percius Clements. Standing nearby is the irked figure of Voldemort, who points his wand at the polyjuiced Damocles Belby. ”Where is Damocles Belby, Auror Clements?” Voldemort hissed irritably causing his crimson snake-like eyes to flash with a tinge of old madness.
The tortured, polyjuiced figure of Auror Percius Clements whose body quivered visibly with the violent aftereffects of the Cruciatus (torture) curse. Lifted his voice and sneered, before his eyes go wide for a moment catching sight of the nearing Auror's, before spitting on the ground before him. ”Kill me, and be done with it,” he gasped with a bloody sneer.
”Crucio!” Voldemort roared as he tortured the wizard again. The polyjuiced figure of Auror Percius Clements against his will begins to scream under the effects of the vile curse. Despite his obvious agony, he curled his fingers together to gather the last remnants of his strength for one last move, and reached for a fistful of mud, before hurling it at Voldemort's crimson snake-eyes and blinding him.
Voldemort shrieks in pain and rage as he moves to wipe the mud from his eyes. The trembling polyjuiced figure of Auror Percius Clements despite the respite weakly crawls to his knees panting as his body trembles with the aftershocks of the Cruciatus. It was a miracle that he was on his knees despite the violent trembling of his body that threatened to cause him to slump forward face down onto the cold, hard ground. Still, he struggled with a determined expression to rise to his feet.
Three wizards rush forward with one of them in the lead. ”Relashio,” the handsome, red-head Gideon Prewett roared causing the outstretched wand to forcefully be released from Voldemort's grasp.
Whirling about, Voldemort shouts, ”Nagini!” With robes flapping wildly behind him, he rushed forward reaching down for his fallen wand, while the poisonous serpent darts from the shadows with fangs bared at those that dare to harm her kin!
”Reducto!” The long-nosed Fabian roared casting the Reductor Curse in the defense of his brother.
Sensing the curses intent, Nagini curls back abruptly as the curse hits the dust in front of her and disintegrates it. The curse certainly would not have killed her but would have painfully gouged out a deep wound into her flesh. It was most vexing.
”I'm standing right here, Voldemort,” shouted the polyjuiced Damocles Belby drawing the attention of Voldemort and nearby Death Eaters, who were rushing up the hill to aid their Master. ”Come face me, if you dare.”
Voldemort curls his lips in disdain and does not even merit to answer the question. Instead, he points his wand at the annoying Potions Master and shouts, ”Avada Kedavra!”
The polyjuiced Damocles Belby does not move, but in slow motion, he sees a figure dart between him and the spell, the polyjuiced figure of Percius Clements, who had unnoticed risen to his feet and made his way forward. What seems to be in exaggerated slowness, the polyjuiced Percius Clements falls slowly to the ground with a satisfied expression on his face. His body bounces once or twice, before settling in the dust as his eyes become blank, but a smug expression remains on his face as though he had won a wizarding chess match.
”Good riddance,” Lord Voldemort hissed as he triumphantly leered paying no further attention to the corpse on the ground. With the polyjuiced Percius Clements now dead, the Polyjuice potion reverted unto the potion drinkers' true form that of Potion Master Damocles Belby.
Seeing the figure of polyjuiced figure of Auror Percius Clements fall to the ground, Gideon and Fabian Prewett let out cries of pain, but refrain from letting down their guard. ”Protego!” Fabian shouted as he began to retreat backward dragging the stunned polyjuiced Damocles Belby behind him.
Gideon quickly followed as he sent curse after curse at Lord Voldemort as they hastily retreated down the hill. Voldemort with ease parried the curses as he followed closely after with Fabian barely managing to keep Nagini at bay. However, Fabian missteps and loses his grip on the polyjuiced Damocles Belby, who begins to revert to his true form revealing his true identity as that of Auror Percius Clements.