The night was dark, and crisp with the sense of foreboding as things fell into place. It was a weak move to entrust children with such important tasks better handled by more skillful individuals, but he had seen firsthand the dark jealousy that had claimed her mind of late, and that was enough for Albus to decide Hermione Granger was the perfect candidate for the task he gave her.

Such emotions were so easily influenced, and manipulated, and the wizened man was an unparalleled expert in both of those things. Influencing the minds of others, and manipulating them until they were at his mercy, whether they knew it or not and most didn't. The ignorance and stupidity of others had made it easy to become the iron fist in the velvet glove that most accurately described one Albus Dumbledore. And tonight, he would control the very thing that could be both the undoing of all of his elaborate plans, and the power he needed for them to succeed.

Tom had always been a foolish boy, and easily enough manipulated to Albus' needs, but he had never played so well into one of the older wizard's hand. It was almost too easy, and that was enough to have a certain small amount of wariness in the twinkling blue eyes. But the very idea that by the end of the night he would have succeeded in gaining back all the control he had lost in one fell swoop greatly outweighed any misgivings he had. The only thing that could go wrong was that Miss Granger could somehow develop a conscious strong enough to override her currently jealously warped mind, but that seemed incredibly unlikely. The old wizard had taken precautions for that, because he was not willing to gamble all of his plans on unsure hands.

When evening had struck with no one but himself the wiser of the attack that would be launched on the party in the great hall, Albus had sat behind his desk, stroking his long, white beard as he fancied himself the king. Once he got his hands on the young Riddle, it would be game over for the other parties who sought to dethrone him. She was the answer to the many problems he had been dealing with, but one still remained. His short and few moments spent in the company of the young witch made it clear she was not one to be controlled. Willingly. However, unwillingly, she would, and it was a prospect the old wizard anticipated tonight as his eyes twinkled merrily at the metal collar sitting atop of desk.

It was a cruel and dark device, one that was against the law and one that suited his need as far as controlling the wild young slytherin witch. Once it was upon her neck, his control over the girl would ensure her cooperation in the ritual he planned on performing, in which he would transfer her magic to him. He would deplete her magical core until it no longer existed within her, and he was unsure whether her body would sustain itself without the life force of the magic it used, or if it would adjust without it. Thus, it was very likely that by the end of tonight, he would be more magically powerful than anyone, and one Skyler Riddle would be either dead, or a mere muggle. Either option suited Albus, as either meant she was no longer a threat.

When the clock struck the appropriate time the old wizard stood, looking out his window and down into the grounds to watch the army of spiders launch their attack. Hundreds of the creatures scurried over the lawns and into the castle, and an unhinged smile twisted the lips hidden beneath the beard. The beginning of his plot was in motion and now he only need wait for the rest to happen. In due time he knew Miss Granger would get the young Riddle to the anti-chamber as directed, where she would be met by a house elf who had been ordered to never speak of any of it to anyone. Albus was no fool, and he thought of all routes before putting plans into action. He could not show up in the great hall and neither could he go unnoticed walking through the castle with the young witch.

House elves were amongst some of the most interesting magical creatures in the world. They were powerful magically, in their own rights, but all of that power hinged completely on their ownership and ties to wizards and witches. Albus was manipulating that power by having the elf aparrate from the anti-chamber to his office, with Miss Riddle in tow after it delivered the note he had written to Miss Granger stating that she should rejoin the attack to avoid suspicion. With luck the gryffindor witch would die in the fight and take his secret to the grave but Albus didn't rely on luck and had his own plans on how to keep her silent. The wizened man stood before his desk, leaning against it with the metal collar in hand and fingering it as his shocking blue eyes twinkled with their cruel anticipation.

Now all he had to do, was wait.

Skyler hated the feeling of apparration. Especially then, when it was combined with the pain in both sides and in her head. The brunette knew by now she must have looked like a complete mess, with both wet and dry blood smeared across the right side of her face now, and spider slime and guts streaked across her outfit. But none of that mattered once her feet felt solid ground beneath them again.

What mattered was the way her head seemed ready to explode, and breathing had only been made more difficult by the travel methods. Where the hell was she anyways? The teen made herself focus, blinking her eyes before merely ripping the small, black mask from her face and using the back of her glove-covered hand to wipe blood from her eye. It was only a matter of seconds but it seemed sluggish in her mind as she took in the room and the man she now faced.

The Slytherin fought back a hiss and forced herself to focus on the situation she was now in versus the pain and everything else. For a second she had been struck completely by fear, but her rage quickly replaced it. The one clear thought she had in that moment was that this was so not good. It was not a good situation for Skyler to be in at present time, because the teen was already angry enough to kill, and had gotten her first fast of it too. Maybe not on a human, but she didn't consider the headmaster much of one anyways.

This was the man who had killed her family. And more than likely had ordered the attack happening down in the great hall, where the only loved ones she had left were fighting to protect themselves and all the rest of the damn castle. It made her blood boil to be standing in such a confined place with the old wizard, and her eyes narrowed, teeth gritted behind sneering lips. Skyler didn't have the will to pretend with the old man. She wanted him to know just how much she hated his guts, and that sometime in the very near future, he would pay for what he had done.

But the brunette was not a rash person when the stakes were so high, and thrived under pressure. She was a cunning and clever individual, so even if she wasn't going to pretend with the man, neither was she going to make any hasty choices. Not to mention she had promised Harry to heed his advice on dealing with both her uncle and the Headmaster, and his advice had been to not ask for death. In not so many words.

Sky was sure there had been more to it than that, but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to remember exactly. Could anyone really blame her? In a matter of maybe twenty minutes all hell had broken out and now here she was, facing one of the most dangerous people she could possibly be facing, alone, without a wand, and most likely with no one else the wiser. Things couldn't get much worse for her if she tried, and it felt like she was stating death in the face without having even asked for it.

So really, Harry's command to follow his lead on things regarding the headmaster didn't really matter at the moment. Seeing as he wasn't here, thank Merlin, and seeing as this was probably one situation neither of them had considered.

All of this passed through her mind in a matter of a few seconds after she had arrived in the office, and she found herself falling into an almost casual stance across from the man who leaned against his own desk with something in hand that Skyler desperately hoped wasn't what it appeared to be. However, just like with the spiders, the muscles in her body were tensed, prepared for an attack. Her magic she could literally feel, crawling under her skin, and she reigned it back in, waiting for the perfect moment to strike like the true predator she really was.

The teen was so focused on finding this moment, this hole that would allow her the attack she craved, that she found it easy to ignore the pain. Against all rhyme or reason, the brunette smirked. "Evening, Headmaster. You're missing one hell of a party downstairs. But you already knew that." It wasn't a question. She knew without a doubt he was behind all of it. "Seems like an awful lot of work to go through to get me here though, when you could've just sent an owl asking for a meeting. Unless you were too afraid I would bring Harry." Said boy would kill her for baiting the old man the way she was, but the teen needed to.

If she could get Dumbledore talking, she might get a better understanding of the situation. Which meant she could get a better idea on how to escape it still alive and relatively whole. And if that failed and she only managed to piss the old wizard off, well...people were known to make more mistakes when angry and overconfident. Of course, she also risked the man's wrath, which couldn't possibly be anything good or nice. But it was a risk she had to take. It wasn't like she could go anywhere. Sure, the door was behind her, but Sky wasn't idiot enough to try it. It would only mean a second or so of lost focus on him, and that would be, by far, the more dangerous of the options.

Before much time had passed, the elf that he had enlisted for the task arrived, with the teen in tow. To that effect, things were going along as planned. However, as the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore fell onto a very awake and conscious Skyler Riddle, that was where the plans became faulty. The man's jaw clenched beneath the long, white beard and for a fraction of a second the blue eyes flashed with his anger and displeasure. He had specifically directed Miss Granger to stun the girl. That was a very important detail he had made sure to stress to the gryffindor.

The wizened man reevaluate the situation for a fall back solution now that that the student he had entrusted the task to had failed to follow directions so thoroughly. Albus was not going to underestimate the young witch who stood to casually before him with a smirk that had no business being there, especially as her clever little mind had already drawn the correct conclusions as to who was behind the attack launched in the great hall. Time was wasting however, and he needed to get the collar on the girl and perform the ritual before she was missed.

Therefore, his eyes swept over the young witch and noted the blood from a gash to her face. There was also the acid green splashed over her that was a clear indicator of how she had participated in the battle. What Albus was really looking for he found no sign of and the plan formulated behind those twinkling eyes once he realized her lack of a wand. "Not afraid, Miss Riddle. It suits my plans better if our daring and brave friend isn't here for what is to come." Albus replied to her words in that calm and grandfatherly tone that was more often than not used to manipulate those around himself.

The man had found many years ago such a tone could be an advantage, lulling another into a false sense of security and making them relax even under strenuous circumstances. He employed it now to subliminally force that kind of reaction. Albus knew it wouldn't buy him enough time to force the collar around her neck but it would buy him enough to pull his wand on the young witch. It was at this time that he dropped his facade and a cruel glint normally masked by the twinkling of his eyes showed through. "It seems Miss Granger has failed in her task to dispose of consciousness. It is too bad. I had hoped not to hurt you more than necessary. You can thank Miss Granger for this."

Albus slashed his wand through the air and sent a silent crucio at the young witch. It was proof how dangerous the old wizard was that he could perform the curse at such a level, and the silence of it meant it would most likely be too late for even the girl's reflexes to save her from the pain it would have her in. He had to be careful, however. He couldn't afford to torture her into insanity. He needed her incapacitated enough to get the collar on her. Then the real fun could begin, and Albus could taste the power he would be stripping away from the young witch on his tongue.

Skyler was trying very hard to keep her panic at bay, and not let it show. On the outside, the teen scoffed at the man and his words, looking for all the world as if she didn't believe him one bit. If the things she assumed about the elder wizard were true, he had plenty of reason to fear Harry. Especially given this newest betrayal of the Gryffindor. On the inside, however, ice cold fear ran through her veins. His words didn't give her much, but it gave her enough. The brunette could tell from them that whatever the Headmaster had planned, it was definitely not anything she was going to like. At all.

But what? What was his angle? The Slytherin was rather perplexed as to what the wizard could want that she had. Her allegiance? That didn't make sense at all. The entire scenario, from the attack of the spiders to sicking Granger on her would only ensure Sky would be more dead set in dying before ever joining the old man. The brunette supposed his angle could be to use her against certain parties, but that didn't make much sense either, seeing as nothing about any of what had happened so far that night led to that conclusion really. But still, it was a possibility, and the teen would put up one hell of a fight no matter what.


In the end, Sky knew one thing for sure. Whatever he was after, he wanted if badly. Badly enough to concoct such a half baked scheme, where every loose end would lead back to him. And there were several loose ends. But if there was one thing she had learned about the wizard before her, it was that he was as deceiving as he was cunning and manipulative. Those together were a dangerous combination, and the brunette knew any chance of making it out of this alive or mostly intact or even without him getting what he wanted, whatever it was, was pretty slim to none.

The very real possibility of death set in, and the teen found her fear and panic growing. Sure, she had been faced with that possibility before. Had lived with the fact that ever since arriving at Hogwarts, she might meet her end sooner rather than later. But never before had Skyler faced a situation where she knew without a doubt it could cost her her life. Not even when Parkinson had cornered her and carved into her skin with that dagger. Not during either of her meetings with her uncle. She was faced with a cold blooded murderer. One who had murdered her parents, or who had been behind their murders at the very least, simply to try and turn her to his side of this insane, out of control war she had landed herself in the middle of.

Sure, her uncle was a murderer too. She knew this. But he needed her, and reason to want her alive. There was no way for her to tell what this old man before her wanted, but the teen did not doubt that he would find no reason to keep her alive once he got it. And there was no way for her to make any kind of real plan if she didn't know what the hell he was after. This left her feeling frustrated, along with the fear and panic, and the ever present pain coursing through her body.

But maybe not all hope was lost. She may not have a wand, and she may not even be any kind of match for the Headmaster to put an end to his life before he did hers. But she had enough to stand her ground. To buy time. Sky knew her Alpha. And she knew her boyfriend. Both Draco and Harry would notice she was missing. It was only a matter of time before they figured out who was behind the attack in the Great Hall, and from there, she they would come to the right conclusion. It was only a matter of time before one or both boys found her, and the Slyrherin witch was determined that they should find her alive.

And then, maybe together, they could put an end to one Albus Dumbledore.

Skyler let her heightened senses flow freely. Now that he had his wand, along with that metal contraption in his hand that looked suspiciously like a collar of some sort, the brunette knew she needed to use her every advantage. Her violet eyes drifted around the room, taking in the silent portraits on the walls, some of who's occupants still remained and watched, other who were empty. Interesting that was. It seemed maybe the Headmaster had overlooked a few things in his plot. The very thought had another smirk curling her lips slowly as her gaze returned to the old man.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, her instincts, both cat and human alike, going wild inside. Nyx was roaring to be let loose, to be able to defend from and attack what the panther inside viewed as a threat. Sky couldn't have been in more agreement, and thought maybe, the surprise of a fully grown jaguar might throw the man off long enough for her to sink her claws into him and get her powerful jaws around his head and crush his skull like a peanut shell. The idea had some merit. It would certainly make her feel better.

The teen was uncharacteristically murderous in her thoughts that night, and at some point she would deal with that. Then again, she would like to see anyone face their parents' murderer and not want to kill them. Unless of course, one wanted their parents' dead for some reason. That was an entirely different story for an entirely different time though. The list of people she literally wanted to rip to shreds and watch the light leave their eyes had grown that night, as Sky had now added Granger to it. Harry's friend or not, that bushy haired psycho would pay. The brunette would make sure of that.

Of course, she had to still be alive to do so, and with a new purpose, albeit probably not a very good one, Sky drew strength from the new fury welling up inside her. She did not enjoy feeling like a trapped kitten with no way out, and if one wasn't going to be provided, she would simply make one. Her anger flowed freely, pulsing along with her magic through her veins, building into a storm within her as it so often did. Purple eyes glowed brightly, and the claws of her panther persona extended from her fingers slowly as she watched the wretched curse head for her.

She might have been able to dodge it. But she didn't bother trying. Her split second decision to suffer the intense and unbearable pain she was now experiencing could end up being her best chance at an open shot at the man. Skyler was not an idiot. That metal thing he held was for her, and he had let too much slip. He had wanted her to arrive unconscious, and she was willing to bet it was for the simple reason to get that thing on her. In order to do so, he would need to approach her, and that was not usually safe when she held a wand.

In that split second she had watched the curse stream towards her, the teen had seen his plan unfold inside her mind. She still didn't know what he was after. And she had no clue as to how she came to the conclusion she did, except that it clicked and made sense. What she did know was that once he was done torturing her, he would have to approach her. He would put himself well within range of her deadly claws. And at that point, Sky would show him just how far she was willing to go for her own revenge.

The pain searing through her was unimaginable, and it had her collapsing to the floor, her body twitching and seizing as she gritted her teeth in her attempt to keep the screams that threatened to break through at bay. But her focus on just how close she was to getting the ultimate revenge she so craved had the excruciating pain fueling her rage. It was insane, but it had her wanting more. Every stab of the pain drove away her fear, replacing it with a boiling hatred for the old wizard, and a knowledge that once all was said and done, she, would be the one getting the last laugh. All she had to do was make it through this round, and then the tables would be turned. The prey would become the predator.

Maybe her uncle had been right after all.

His curse hit it's mark dead on and his lips turned up in satisfaction beneath the long, silvery beard that was distinctive to the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The old wizard had to commend the young witch for her attempts to keep her screams to herself, as pure determination to do so was something Albus could admire. If only the girl had chosen sides better, had joined him, then perhaps there would have been a better direction to go than to take what he needed from her in his cruel way. The man didn't enjoy having to be cruel, but he would be if he was forced to. All of this could have been avoided if these children who were so determined to stick their noses where they didn't belong had just put their faith and trust in him as all others did and should.

The wizened old man knew where the plan had become faulty. It all started with that fool of a Black. Albus hadn't enjoyed having to arrange the man's death. Sirius was supposed to help him to keep Harry in line when the boy started to rebel in the way all teenagers did. For years the gryffindor boy had been becoming steadily more independent, and that could not be allowed. But instead, Sirius had encouraged such behavior, instigated it even. Albus had had no other option but to dispose of the man. He was not of much use alive at any rate, and it was Albus' self-appointed lot in life to make the calls and decisions others could not.

This had led to the fatal flaw in his carefully crafted design, which had all the strings of his grand web of lies and manipulations being pulled at and starting to unravel. Harry's loss, rather than driving him back toward the Headmaster as it should have, had caused a rift that could not be fixed no matter how many times Albus tried to bring the boy back into the loop. He had given the boy his space over the summer, allowing for him to come to terms with his loss and come back at the beginning of the year, ready to continue on with his role as Albus deemed fit. But the boy would simply not let go of his misdirected blame. It was Siruis' own fault he had had to die. If he had not encouraged Harry to think for himself and inspired the boy's independent streak then he would still be alive. It was even Harry's fault, for following in Sirius' wild and rebellious footsteps.

Albus felt no remorse for planning out the execution of Sirius Black, and the set up had been played out to perfection.The man was going to die sooner or later, and he was expendable, as so many people were, whether they knew that or not. The man had no conscience, and the lines that separated wrong from right didn't exist in his mind. There was only plans and goals, and the various paths and courses most likely to get him to them. People simply did not understand that sacrifices had to be made to reach the prize. Most were just too conscience-oriented to make the necessary decisions, so Albus made them for them. Everything he did was for the greater good of the wizarding world as a whole. That was why he deserved the highest position over all others, and why so many flocked to him for both approval and help.

Take the young Riddle for example. She was a small thing filled with a powerful magic, that if left unchecked and out of control it could be damaging to everything important he had set up. The moment the girl stepped into the castle she was a liability, and even more so now that she had the backing of students like Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. It was a testimony to how big of a player in this game she was that she could get the two greatest rivals in Hogwarts history to coexist without killing each other. The powerful individuals of the future were banding together right under Albus' very crooked nose in a way he had spent years making sure didn't happen. It seemed to him that Riddle's existed just to attempt to bring his world crashing down around him. He had found ways to deal with Tom, and now he had a way to deal with the younger, female version of the current dark lord Albus had created many years prior.

He had tried to take the young witch under his wing, as he had done with Harry. Unfortunately, the girl chose not to go with that route, and had forced him to devise a new plan. Which was where they currently were, with him holding the dark arts artifact in his hand while she writhed in unbearable pain on the floor. "If only you had chosen the correct path Miss Riddle. Things would not have had to be so painful." Albus ended the curse after he had made her endure it for a good five minutes, throughout which he was sure the cracking and popping sounds that reached his ears meant that there were now several broken bones now ranging throughout her form. His sharp blue eyes had not failed to catch the extension of the sharp claws the girl possessed, and it had not been anything he had expected.

"You are full of surprises Miss Riddle. Let's make sure you cannot cause any unnecessary damage with those talons of yours shall we?" The wizened old man gave a sharp flick and wave with his wand to create a magnetized pull between the claws on each of her hands, ensuring they would pull strongly together, leaving the female unable to force them away from each other and therefore unable to use them. After which he moved swiftly forward, taking advantage of the pain she was no doubt in and her virtual defenselessness to get the metal collar clasped around her neck, sealing it with a charm that would allow for only him to remove it. "Now that should make you more willing to go along with my plans, shouldn't it? I suggest that you do. That collar will use your magic against you in the worst ways if you don't. But you won't have magic for much longer for it to be a worry for too long, I promise you."

He backed away then, to sit smugly behind his great desk like the king he perceived himself to be. The artifact was outlawed, with good reason, but it would use her magic against her if she did not follow orders, or if she tried to force her magic into an accidental bout. Now, he could force her to comply with his plan, and to willingly participate in the ritual that would have all of her magic stripped from her body and passed along to him. "Why don't you come and have a seat Miss Riddle?" Albus smiled benignly, his tone the same warm, grandfatherly tone he was often accused of having. But the blue eyes twinkled not in mystery, but in cruelty. He knew any movement would most likely cause extreme pain to the young witch, something she deserved for all the trouble she had caused so far. "Then we can discuss the next part of this enjoyable night."

Harry barely stopped to give the password to the outer door before lunging through it, still panting heavily. He knew that the arrogance of the Headmaster would keep him from changing the password. Besides, Dumbledore still thought that the dark haired boy was an ally, and changing the password without telling him the new one would have been revealing a dangerous lack of trust. Not that Harry actually believed the crazy and dangerous old man trusted him, any more than he believed the old man was sad when Sirius died, that he fought to protect Lupin, or any of the other lies he told about people Harry actually cared about and Albus used. Still, it was vital to both of them to pretend that the Headmaster fully trusted Harry, so access to the outer office wasn’t a problem.

As he got the door open, he turned to survey the tiger and the redhead behind him. “Stay here, Gin,” he orders, waving his hand to keep her from arguing. “No one gets out unless I say so. No one gets in at all. Curse their legs off or something if you need to.” He wanted to give more instructions, to say something to Sibes to make sure the situation was under control, but he wasn’t entirely sure she would listen and understand while she was still a tiger, and he didn’t really know what to say anyway. The situation would work itself out and they would figure out what to do when it was time. That was the way it had always worked in the past, and he trusted her to follow along and do what needed to be done as if it was a more dangerous Ron at his side.

He charged up the stairs, waving his wand in the same pattern that he had on Hermione a few minutes before, this time on the door that separated the outer office and the inner part, which he had smashed up a few weeks before and where it sounded like his girlfriend was being tortured now. Hopefully the sight of the door to the outer world flying at him unsupported would distract the Headmaster enough that Harry would be able to get a sense of the situation without things getting more dangerous than they already were.

Apparently, that was entirely unnecessary, though, since when he stood in the doorway Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk wearing something close to the grandfatherly look that Harry would never trust again, though the eyes seemed to hold evil rather than curiosity. Or maybe they had always held evil rather than curiosity and Harry had just misread it when he was certain that Dumbledore was the leader of the good guys instead of potentially one of the most dangerous wizards ever to live.

His eyes flicked over his girlfriend, noting the mix of pain and determination on her face first. The Headmaster would pay for making her look like that. Her claws were also stuck together, which could be nothing but very bad, and she was wearing some sort of collar. It seemed the Headmaster might think he had gotten himself a new pet kitty. If that was the case, he was in for a painful surprise, because Harry was beyond pissed off at this point, and it was time to stop pretending he could play both sides of this in any way.

Shaking himself mentally, he stepped forward finally, waving his wand and repeating what he had done at the end of last term, destroying as many of Dumbledore’s possessions as possible and making a lot of noise. As he went, he kept walking forward until he was standing in between Skyler and the Headmaster. Once that was achieved, he stopped destroying things, instead conjuring the shield he had learned with Jaxon and mastered with LeBeau, making sure that it was shielding both himself and his girlfriend both.

The effort of holding up a large version of the shield was proving incredibly draining, and Harry could only grunt to talk as he did so. Hopefully that would serve to draw more of the old man’s attention and make him think that Harry was vulnerable and Sky more so. That should give the Russian a window. If Harry could get the Headmaster talking that window would get wider. With a wide enough window, this could be a success without anything else going wrong. “So, what exactly is your plan here, I mean, assuming that you didn’t leave so much evidence that the rest of your short life is spent in prison? What could possibly be worth killing half of the students at your own school?” Not that half of the school was going to die, maybe even only a few would, but the old man would expect carnage, and there was no reason to disappoint him yet. Besides, the story sounded better this way.

As soon as she’d noticed her General on the move, Sibes had followed, trailing the scent of Nyxy as best she could, feeling rage bubbling in her very soul. How dare someone mess with the younger female? She was a project in a way, and a commanding force all her own in another. Most of all, however, she was the one female who had ever demanded and received respect from Sibes, at least other than her Moonbeam, but they were for two very different reasons.

How dare some filthy old man cheat his way into subduing such a fine feline as Nyxy? He would pay. The tiger darted through the halls, utterly silent and deadly fast, pacing outside the door while she waited for the General to give the password and open the den of the monster that was Albus Dumbledore. Oh, she would rip out his throat if Nyxy was already gone. If the girl was still breathing, well, she might let the man live a little longer.

While Potter barked orders at the feisty redhead who seemed utterly confused at the idea of having to stay out of the action, Sibes slunk to the innermost door and shifted silently into her human form, sneaking through the door just as the General made the first item explode. Amid the shattering glass and exploding artifacts, Sibes stealthily moved behind the Headmaster, knowing that no normal wizard or witch would have spotted her. Of course, this man was not normal by far, but he still couldn’t have such talented eye sight as it would take to spot her feline movements as she gracefully avoided any shrapnel and kept completely silent until she’d reached just behind his seated form.

An evil glint shone in her emerald eyes as she reached out and jabbed a long, sharp nail into his jugular, piercing the vein while using her finger to stop the blood from flowing just yet. ”If you move, my finger will become dislodged and you will slowly bleed out, drowning in your own blood, unable to even speak,” she purred, licking her blood-red lips. Sibes was greatly enjoying the rush of power that was flowing through her at the helpless position she held the man in. ”Now, you take whatever that thing is off of Nyxy’s neck, and I’ll show you mercy. Leave it alone and I’ll let you slowly drown before us all.”

Her face was right beside his ear at this point and she could smell the old man scent of him. It made her gag, and Sibes wanted him to die. She wanted him to suffer. She could smell the blood of Nyxy as well, and she could see the pain and rage in the other girl’s eyes. That simply made her wiggle her claw inside the man’s neck, knowing it would hurt a good bit. ”I am waiting, Predatel.” Sibes used her native word for ‘traitor’ and felt it appropriate. No headmaster should be harming his students. No decent man would attack an unarmed teenaged girl. And no one got to hurt the people Sibes actually cared about.

Skyler had to think that she was likely going to die. That could be the only outcome to the torturous pain she was in. It was all that flooded her mind the longer she was under the terrible curse. There was no controlling the way her body seized and contorted in ways no human body should, and the cracking sounds of breaking bones hardly registered in her mind, as nothing else seemed to get through it except the sheer pain that was exploding all over her body and inside it. It was some horrible combination of all things painful the body could experience, and she had long since given up on even trying to keep her screams to herself.

The Slytherin was unsure if the Headmaster was more powerful than her uncle, or if it had something to do with the amount of time one was held under the influence of the curse, but this time around the experience with the pain inducing curse was worse than any other time she had been under it. Her mind was filled with only pain that fueled her hate for the old man, her vision blurred, whether from the onslaught she was suffering or from the tears she didn't realize were streaming down her face remained to be seen. Her head was full of screams and yells, begging for it to be over, and she was so lost in the torture that she couldn't possibly realize they were so loud because they came from her own lips.

The slight yet distinctive decrease in the intensity of the pain was all that signaled the end of the curse, but it was anything but reassuring as she wheezed in painful breaths, limbs shaking from the abuse they had suffered under the spell. The teen's throat was dry and raw, and Sky didn't have to think to know that she wouldn't be able to talk even if she had the sense to. Her face contorted in pain as she coughed up blood, and a silent scream echoed in her head when her clawed hands were drawn together forcibly by some unknown power, putting strain on a clearly broken wrist and possibly a few fingers.

This only served to further put her mind in a pain induced state, and the teen was unable to coherently think around any of it. All she knew was that she wanted it to be over. She wanted the pain to end. She wanted Draco. Oh Merlin how she wanted her Alpha!! He would make it all go away. He would put an end to her pain. If only he was there, or she could get to him, everything would be alright. Sky could hear the old wizard speaking, but it was as if it was through a tunnel, and none of it was clear, her mind focusing on the one thing that was allowing her to think outside of the pain she was in.

There was no doubt in her mind that he was alive and mostly unharmed, if not completely. Call it intuition, or call it knowing her Alpha, but Draco was much too strong, cunning, and intelligent to fall victim to some overgrown insects with too many legs. No. By now he had probably realized she was missing, and he would come for her, and he would find her. And when he did, she would certainly be alive. Her eyes snapped open with a new determination flaring in the vibrantly colored eyes just as the door was blasted off of it's hinges and in reflex Skyler turned her head away from the blast. It was only then that the teen felt the metal about her neck.

What the-a collar?! The proud feline inside snarled it's outrage, clawing at her to be set loose as the background noise began to fill with the sounds of things exploding, her sense of smell picking up on two distinct scents, neither of which was the one she had expected but both of which she was glad and grateful as all hell to smell. She wondered where Draco was, but knew somehow that if Harry and Sid were there, her Alpha wouldn't be far behind. The brunette couldn't keep Nyx at bay though, as the very need to sink her claws into Dumbledore's very bones and crush his skull with her powerful jaws in the signature killing move of the panther flooded her mind, and Sky could feel her magic start to well up inside her.

But it felt wrong. It felt...traitorous, and she knew without a doubt something was off about it a second before a loud snap signaled another broken bone. This time, in her leg. The Slytherin screamed her pain, but it was garbled and the newly added on pain was putting her into a shock that had her vision blurring even further and darkening around the edges. It was then she caught the scent of the old man's blood on the air, and the teen forced herself to remain conscience long enough to let out a raspy laugh, even if it hurt. "You lose old man." Sky managed to force out in that same raspy tone before blacked out, finally succumbing to unconsciousness. Even if she didn't get to kill the bastard herself, getting the last laugh was enough for her.

Know your enemies. It was a very old saying that could forever be counted on to show the many ways someone was weak, and could be manipulated. It was an old saying Albus had been employing since he was a young man himself, and in doing so, it was usually safe to assume the wizened old man knew more about a person than sometimes they did themselves. In a war, it was what separated the victors from the defeated, because the best defense was a good offense, and one could not win in anything without both.

For more years than anyone could count, people had been employing the idea. It was why there was use for spies, of which Albus had plenty. It could even be said it was a sort of natural instinct by this time in evolution, instilled in the human mind to find your enemy's weak spots and exploit them. He had learned long ago that the going for the most obvious way to land a death blow was all well and good, but it was far from being the most effective when you wanted to make a statement; when you wanted it to really count and leave a mark. It just went to show how truly dangerous he was that he manipulated even death to his own uses and fortunes.

But every dog has it's day, and it seemed that day for his enemies had arrived. Sooner or later enough mistakes and enough loopholes were going to be overlooked to the point of affording his opposition a clean shot. It was inevitable, given the webs upon webs of lies and manipulation the bearded old man had built his life and the lives of others upon. He had overlooked one too many holes in his plans and plots, one too many loose ends that should have been tied, and now it had caught up to him and would cost him the ultimate price. Albus, for the first time, found himself in a situation he was drawing blanks for as far as plans to get out of.

It was a...sticky situation, to be sure, but he was too arrogant and smug to admit that even to himself, and that more than anything would end up finding himself facing his death. The untimely interruption of Harry angered him, and a good amount of said anger was directed at himself. If he had not played so long with the slytherin he might have already succeeded in achieving his end goal. Now with a furious gryffindor on his hands, his plans needed to take a backseat until Harry could be dealt with. This would have been the perfect time for an Imperious if the whelp wasn't able to fight it off, his mind whispered at him, and Albus was in full agreement.

'My dear boy, you are mistaken, and I must insist you cease this childish behavior at once Harry. You are no longer a young boy, but a young man. Blowing up other people's personal belongings solves nothing." His voice was stern as was his look while he watched the young man struggle with the shield that Albus knew without a doubt was not easy to accomplish for very long without the extra magical life force of the opponent's spells. The most the boy would accomplish at this rate was to drain his own self magically, and the wizened old man had to consider just how stupid the boy was in the head to think that was a good idea in his presence.

It became clear though that this was all just a ruse and a means of distraction when a sharp object punctured his jugular and made him jump in both surprise and pain. The bright blue eyes that so often twinkled in knowledge yet unknown to others widened in shock and there was a look of fear in them for once. The thick Russian tone in his ear told him all he needed to know and Albus found himself outplayed and out maneuvered by a group of teenagers. The very idea left a bad taste in his mouth as the blood began to pool there and he choked on it with a sickening gurgling noise, all the little holes and loose ends he had assured himself would not be his downfall coming back to haunt him while he felt everything he worked so hard for slipping between his fingers. To come so close to everything he had dreamed of for so long only to have it slip away made the wizard too angry to think straight or come up with the manipulations he was known for to get himself out of the situation to live and fight another day.

It was check for the teens, but even so, Albus would not be giving into their demands. He was prepared to die, and take all of his secrets with him. It was likely afterwards they would come out, but that was just what he wanted. He would haunt people like Harry and Tom everyday for the rest of their lives once they learned of all that he had done and gone unpunished for. For all the things they would want to torture and kill him for, only to not be able to do so. The very thought brought a sadistic smile to his face beneath the long silvery beard that surrounded it. He would get revenge just by dying, especially once his life force left him completely and they discovered he was the only one who could remove that collar from the slytherin's neck. He would live and torment even in his death, and that was enough to have him going with a last twinkle in his eyes as he dropped his wand, the clear indicator that they could kill him now, because he would not be appeasing them this night.

Checkmate.

Sky continuing to make pained noises, even if some of them were in celebration, and then pass out worried Harry. He was used to being on the other side, and the first thing that he realized about this end of the equation was terrifying. This needed to end as soon as possible so that he could get her to a healer before any of what was done turned out to be permanent.

His eyes snapped back to the Headmaster when the old man spoke, a confident smirk that the old man had never had directed at him before forming. Of course he was a young man, and it was about time that the controlling fool noticed. He was wrong, though. Smashing his possessions had solved everything this time. It had given all the time they needed to win and rid the castle of its crazy puppet master. Harry never remembered seeing shock and fear in those familiar blue eyes before the moment Sibes put the death nail, as it was, in, but he was never gladder to see a new expression.

Immediately, Harry’s brain turned to two things. One was ending this as quickly as possible so that no more damage occurred to Skyler while she was unconscious. The second was making sure they got as much out of the situation as possible, especially since the Headmaster seemed determined to die in as frustrating a way as possible.

Him dropping his wand made it clear that he was surrendering. It also made it clear that he wasn’t fixing Skyler’s hands, removing the collar, or in general doing anything to make sure she came through this. That was all going to be on Harry.

Part of him wanted to follow through on Sibes’s threat and watch him slowly and painfully bleed to death. The smarter part of him knew that would mean watching the girl who was such an important part of his life die too, and that he needed to twist this situation a little bit if they were going to come out of it right.

And then it clicked in. This was his deal, and right now it was the Russian who was set up to take the fall. That would be fine if they were in an actual war situation where death was to be expected, but it wasn’t. It was the office of the highest authority figure in the land, situated in a school of all places. They needed to be ready for an inquiry, and if anyone was going down for it, it was the one who was giving the orders.
‘
“Sibes, get back!” he shouted urgently, grabbing the sword of Gryffindor from where it had hung on the wall since he had rescued it from whatever void it lived in before at the end of second year. He strode confidently over to the Headmaster, and when the Russian was out of the way, held it above his head and swung it hard sideways, putting all the rage he felt towards the old man into it, so that the blow completely severed the old man’s head from his neck. With that done, Harry dropped the sword to the ground and hurried back to the unconscious form of his Impossible witch. There was no time to waste.

There was also only one person powerful enough to help him with the mess that they were in now. “Sibes, go to the Great Hall and find Voldemort. I need him to meet us in the hospital wing as soon as he can. You’ll probably run into Draco on the way. Send him there too. And send Ginny in to me. I’m gonna need her help getting Skyler to the hospital wing without damaging her any further.”

With all the instructions given out, he stood over Skyler, watching her carefully, with love and pain at her situation filling his emerald eyes. It almost killed him being patient enough to wait even a few moments for help, but he knew if he tried to do this on his own he would only make thing worse. A few seconds of tortured patience would hopefully make the next 60 or 70 years of having a fully working Sky around possible.