Attack

"Harry" indicating speech

'Harry' indicating inner thoughts

Last time:

Tanya took her mother's words in, and gave her a rare smile, "I'm going to meet him now," she declared with a note of finality, daring anyone to dissuade her.

Senka smiled mischievously but before she could speak-

"BOOM" an explosion sounded out with a loud "CRASH" right after, they were under attack.

This time:

Luthor was bragging, "Then I taught the little lord how to deflect, telling him to focus on the point that the spell is most dense and to strike it directly at a 47-degree angle to deflect the spell with the most ease." He boasted loudly and proudly

The soldiers weren't buying it if the flat looks they gave him meant anything. "Didn't the little lord flatten you within seconds last time?"

"Luthor puffed his chest and spoke pompously, "Well if you must-

"BOOM" an explosion sounded out with a loud "CRASH" right after, they were under attack.

Instantly all traces of humour left the soldiers ' faces.

Moving as one they all ran to the source of the disturbance, sprinting down the corridor, they saw three figures.

There was a small girl, wearing a mask at the forefront, with a larger man resembling her to his right, accompanying them was Elder Merigold much to the shock of the soldiers.

"Open the Portal," commanded the taller man.

Elder Merigold scowled but made to do as he said.

That doesn't sound good, thought Luthor firing a blasting curse at the visitors.

His soldiers imitated his lead and more than a dozen blasting curses struck the three figures enshrouding them in smoke.

But to their shock, the man had simply raised a shield, blocking their combined efforts with ease.

Luthor grit his teeth, the shield didn't even have a crack on it. Not good he thought, to be able to block so many curses at once and not show a flicker of emotion means he was strong. Very strong.

But that didn't mean they would back down, "Fire at will, don't hold anything back, cast unforgivables, don't hold anything back!"

"Yes Captain" echoed the soldiers.

'Fools' the man, also known as Richard disdained, 'To believe they have a chance against me is quite arrogant, the man thought missing the irony'

But the man showed that he wasn't all bark as he raised part of the floor up with a gesture, easily reinforcing it against the several spells colliding against it.

"Merigold, what's the holdup?" Richard asked impatiently.

Merigold was sweating with effort, "I'll be done in a second." He shouted back.

Three loud BOOMs resounded, each in different sections of the castle.

"DONE" shouted Merigold.

Richard grinned, it was a grin filled with bloodlust, "That means I can stop holding back," with that statement Richard flicked his wand expanding the wall he was holding to defend them and with another gesture a wave full of earth was moving towards the soldiers.

 The wall was large and even with magic no longer maintaining it the soldiers could only watch with dismay, most of them atleast, "I refuse to be done in so easily" Roared Luthor as he poured his magic into a blasting curse, "BOMBARDA MAXIMA"

A large bright light smashed into the moving wall, causing an explosion as smoke billowed as a result of the collision.

Richards's interest was piqued, "Oh how interesting, I didn't expect for there to be someone like you here."

Luthor looked back at him grimly, ' The other soldiers will serve as nothing but a distraction in this fight, I must go all out.'

"Do you know what we are called intruder?"

Richard was growing more and more interested, the Elthurian barely managed to stop a casual display of magic, where was this confidence coming from he wondered, "Enlighten me." Richard challenged with the same bloodthirsty grin."

"We are called the oath potrayers, because it is only when you become a threat to the Royal Family can we potray our true power." Luthor grinned back, it wasn't bloodthirsty, just one that promised a world of pain.

With that, blue chains appeared on Luthor's body and they started unravelling, with their unraveling came Luthor's true might, as his magic set in the air, he spoke to the Soldiers,

"Leave you will only be a liability."

"HAHAHAH I agree, didn't you have a score to settle with the princess Ms. Ilya."

'How dare they!" Luthor was enraged, but before he could make a move on the exiting Elder and girl, a spell came his way forcing him to stop, glaring at the man he knew that he would be of no help, 'It's up to you my lady.'

and the Battle begun.

Back with Tanya and her Parents

Senka acted instantly, "Dimitrious, gather up some men, the oath potrayers must be here, I feel a strong presence, yet he wouldn't be foolish enough to come alone, I fear there will be more, I will move to secure the top you move to secure the bottom."

"I have to get to Harry." Tanya said firmly daring her parents to stop her.

They both looked at each other, "Fine," Senka sighed knowing there would be no convincing her otherwise, "But you will go with the guards outside the door, and you will stay with them is that CLEAR." Senka demanded sternly.

Tanya was unimpressed but nodded her assent, and she was off with an entourage of guards, 'Harry would be in the simulation grounds, that's where he goes whenever he wants to vent' deduced Tanya as she made her way to the training grounds.

Coincidentally Ilya and Elder Merigold, had also come that way and as Tanya rounded the corner she saw them, Elder Merigold and a girl about her age she would presume with white hair.

Elder Merigold instantly took the offensive, firing off a spell and killing two of the soldiers accompanying Tanya.

"Merigold." Snarled Tanya, even as she silently cast a bone-breaking curse at the Elder, well former Elder, however before the spell could reach the Elder the white-haired girl intercepted it as she glared at Tanya, taking off her mask, Tanya could see blood red eyes that hatefully glared at her.

"Princess, you will die," promised the girl, Tanya's magic saturated the air in response, and she could see the white-haired girl respond in kind, but then to her surprise, the white girl turned around, moving to a wider area.

"I will rip you from limb to limb, but I will do it fairly, come princess, and let the fodder play amongst themselves.

Tanya snorted but walked past a wary Elder Merigold who looked like he would attack her but was quickly distracted as the soldiers started firing spells at him.

Tanya stood parallel to her opponent, but before the duel started she felt like she had to ask"So why exactly do you hate me?"

Ilya growled, "You took everything from me" and before Tanya could question what "everything" was she was forced to sidestep a particularly sickly-looking green spell.

Tanya fired back, her spell meeting the opposing spell cancelling each other out.

Ilya was relentless as she fired hex after hex forcing Tanya onto the backfoot as she was forced to defend.

Tanya pulled a trick out of Harry's book and transfigured the errant rubble into two ferocious dogs.

'Fool' thought Ilya, taking care of the dogs in an instant, she fired off a piercing curse at Tanya which was absorbed by her shield, however, she wasn't expecting a blasting curse to land right in front of her shield breaking her focus and causing her to drop her charm.

Ilya took advantage as several spells all designed to maim or kill her opponent were aimed at Tanya, who threw up shields Hastily, having to throw up a new one for every shield that broke, unable to form a proper one.

Tanya strained under the spell fire, 'I can't go on like this,' with that conclusion, she tapped into her Elven blood and fired off an icy projectile with her other hand while defending.

Ilya scowled looking at the incoming projectile and deflected it with grace, she then put up a shield which absorbed Tanya's spellfire with ease, taking Tanya aback.

Frowning Tanya noticed her magic couldn't do much, at least not with the amount of power the other girl had at her disposal. 'Damn it, she isn't fazed, I'll have to go in deeper.

Tapping further into her Elvish bloodline, an Icy blue ring surrounded Tanya's Ice as she directed Icy bolts of energy from her wand's surface, testing her opponent's shields which held up too easily for her liking.

Ilya fired back, this time with a blasting spell, but Tanya shielded it with ease with her other hand raising a block of ice, However, she wasn't prepared for the follow-up, in the form of a piercing curse which struck her side, ripping a bloody hole in her shirt and leaving her clutching her side, grimacing.

Ilya grinned in delight, "So much for the powerful Elthurian princess, is there anything you can accomplish alone."

Angered Tanya stopped holding back, she was the Elthurian with the highest percentage of Elvish blood in a long time and she let it be known as the floor quaked as Tanya unleashed her pent-up power, it was devastating, far eclipsing what Arnold had shown.

One second it was absent and then the other it was there, and suddenly everything was encased in Ice, including Ilya who was trapped up to her neck, glowering as tears formed in her eyes.

Tanya panted, exhausted but relieved she had done it and as she went to asisst the remaining soldiers.

"I refuse."

"I refuse."

"Harry died because of you, I refuse to lose!"

'She killed him, I can't lose to her I refuse, no matter what I have to kill her' thought a desperate Ilya.

That desperation led to power and even as a confused Tanya looked back at Ilya she was blasted off her feet as Ilya broke the Ice, her body surrounded by a red aura, exhausted Tanya could only watch as Ilya stepped towards her prone body before llya too collapsed.

They both looked at each other, physically and magically exhausted, Ilya glared her eyes seething, full of hate, while Tanya's only belied her confusion.

"By Harry, do you mean a boy with maroon hair and green eyes, sassy, charming and someone who rarely takes anything seriously?" Questioned Tanya, breaking through Ilya's haze of hatred.

"Yes, but how did you know.." trailed off Ilya even as realization dawned.

Tanya looked at her flatly"He's alive and in this castle."

Ilya's mouth opened in shock, "Oh."

She couldn't fathom the fact Harry was Alive, it had been almost a year, she left the orphanage early that night and when she asked to go back the evening the next day, they told her the Elthurians captured the orphanage and killed everyone inside for the princess's sake.

She hadn't believed it, Harry couldn't die, he just couldn't, she was in disbelief, that had turned into anger, and she promised she would topple, the Elthurians, so she researched, researched the magic of the castle, how with the help of an Elder's seal they could subvert the words,

It was the one thing she was good at you see, research and to hear that not only was Harry alive, but she was the one who put him in danger put her in a near catatonic state.

'If something happens to Harry, it'll be my fault, I'm... I'm a curse to him aren't I, always burdening him, ruining his new life as well.' She mentally berated herself.

"Enough," Tanya commanded, blame yourself if we die and don't make it out alive, I would never forgive you if you died, because that would mean Harry would think he failed a second time.

"He did fail though Princess, now I get to claim both prizes" a smug Elder Merigold said, walking up to the two prone bodies.

But before he could reach them an arrow made of fire landed between the Elder and the two bodies

Harry dropped down from high above and landed lightly on his own two feet, he titled his head at Elder Merigold.

"Did I?"

AN: Consider Voting with Powerstones, it's a great motivator and it's free :)

Well I lied, It's late as heck for me but here's the promised chapter, hope I delivered, still getting a hang of the fighting scenes, and any suggestions would be welcomed.

Also we go to Hogwarts next chapter;)