Harry Potter And Bellatrix Lestrange

Xerina and Hiscophney shared a glance before the Count shrugged and gestured for her to take the lead. "Legends tell that sometime during the reign of the House of Polairix, before this fortress was built, the seat of the North was on a different island, the location of which has been long lost. About fifteen hundred years ago, the reigning Lord Polairix was involved in a number of wars with neighboring kingdoms, as they aided the Ice folk against a number of dark creatures that had sought to invade our lands. Our historians only have sketchy records of that time, at best, mainly because the invasion succeeded, and vampires, ghouls, and evil spirits drove us out of our home."

"So what happened?" Neville asked before Harry could.

"Lord Polairix brought his armies to our aid, and they drove the dark armies away," Xerina told them. "But they did not stop there, taking the fight to their own areas, laying siege to their forts. It was then that it was discovered that a dark wizard was behind the army of darkness that had swarmed across the lands. It is rumoured that this same dark wizard gave Alaric the First the might he needed to invade and plunder Rome. When Lord Polairix and his army destroyed him, they thought that had been the end of the war, and it was. We had peace for another two hundred years. And then he returned."

"Returned?" Harry questioned, a note of alarm creeping into his tone. This was starting to sound much too familiar for his taste.

The queen of the Ice people nodded. "It started with small things, random deaths here and there, unsolved murders, and uprisings of dark creatures. And then we found ourselves besieged by a dark army once more. When our soldiers returned from the battlefield, most were shaken deeply, telling stories of the undead walking amongst the living, and the unnaturalness that surrounded the area. The few that had survived their encounter with the enemy general claimed that the dark wizard from two hundred years hence had returned, only that this time he claimed to be immortal, stripped of the weakness of his flesh, and reeking of the stench of death. Deep wounds seemed to trouble him none, and even when our most powerful magic destroyed his corporeal body, he would simply move to another body and inhabit it."

Harry frowned and shared a concerned look with his wife. Bella shrugged and shook her head. "I've never heard of Voldemort being able to shrug off injuries that easily."

"He can't," Hiscophney interjected. "At least, not yet. During out battle, I managed to hit him with a few spells, and so did Harry. He definitely felt them, though they were not enough to take him down."

"It's the 'yet' that worries me, though," Harry admitted. "We all know Voldemort is looking for immortality, and this guy from the Ice people's legends sounds rather like what he's after."

"That is why I suggested that the Rod of Dominion may hold the key to destroying Voldemort." Xerina frowned at the dubious look Hiscophney was sending her. "The heir of Polairix at the time was a talented mage and artificer - he was an excellent duelist, but according to legend, he had absolutely no grasp on tactics. He left the fighting decisions to his generals, but insisted that only he face the dark wizard in combat. After weeks of constant fighting, he had crafted a unique artifact that would allow him to completely sever the magic that contains a soul. No one knows how it was done, but when he arrived on the battlefield with the Rod of Dominion, he was able to destroy the dark wizard and his soul so completely that nothing remained. Deeming the Rod too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands, it was secluded away, as no one, not even its creator, could find a way to destroy it."

"So, it's still out there?" Understanding dawned on Harry. He had been worried about how to defeat Voldemort, especially if his spirit was immortal, but if there existed a weapon that could destroy him in spirit form, then suddenly, he stood a chance again.

"According to some," Hiscophney grumbled. The sorcerer looked highly skeptical. "Milord, we cannot afford to waste time by going off on a treasure hunt. Voldemort will eventually make his move, and we have to prepare our armies to meet him."

"I disagree-" Xerina began, only to be cut off by her general's hand on her shoulder.

Rotan shook his head as he explained. "My queen, while it is true that the Rod of Dominion may be the key to destroying Voldemort, its location is unknown, and so are its defenses. It isn't even known if it still exists, and placing all of our hopes on something so vague is not a good idea."

"But we can't outright dismiss it, either," Hermione spoke up for the first time since the meeting had started. "If we did, and it later turned out that it was real and could have turned the tide, we'll be in big trouble. Or even worse, if Voldemort finds out about it and gets his hands on it-"

"That'd be just… bad," Neville finished. "You're right."

The seven people in the room lapsed into silence as they tried to come up with a working plan. Finally, it was Bella who made the decision. "Okay, how about this - Harry, you, Hiscophney, and General Rotan take care of the troops. Harry knows Voldemort best, and Hiscophney and Rotan need to be there to command their troops. Xerina and I will work on researching the Rod's location and existence."

"I can help, too," Hermione added, and Bella nodded at her.

Neville raised a hand. "I can have a few people from Potter's Legion go through the Hogwarts library and see if they can find anything. It's unlikely, but who knows, maybe we can find something."

"That's a good idea, actually," Bella agreed.

"Is there anything else you want us to do?"

Harry picked that point to join his wife. "No, Neville. This is going to be all-out war pretty soon, and as good as you and the others are, you're just students, and I'm not going to willingly place you in harm's way. Tell the others to lay low, help out where they can, but warn them not to take unnecessary risks. I'll have to arrange emergency portkeys for all of you so you can come here in case of an emergency."

"What about the Order?"

"The Order is not important. I've got the go-ahead from the Minister of Magic, and the Aurors are going to be on our side in this. I don't think Dumbledore is going to get in our way, especially since he finally got it into his skull that we're on the same side in this," Harry grumbled at the mention of the headmaster. "As for Snape, Moony, and Tonks, could you please inform Snape about what we discussed here, and have him replay it to the others?"

Neville nodded enthusiastically. "Consider it done."

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