Rigel Black Oneshots

Fire Burns The Exposed

***

 
Fire. The entire restaurant went up in flames, churning and deadly sentient flames. 
 
It seemed to run at them and they ran as far away as they could from the strange shape taking fire.
 
Harry blew open one wall of the restaurant, muttering,"sorry,".
 
"Get out through here," she gestured, then added, "Please. Don't follow."
 
Then she turned around and made her way deeper into the fire, calling out, "Jason!? Mr-?!"
 
But Pansy couldn't leave, and this was not just because of her moral conscience. Everywhere was burning. All the stalls and restaurants in the vicinity were charred and writhing in alive flames. Pansy stared in horror.
 
"Help.." Someone choked out, "..me"
 
Pansy swallowed and headed towards the voice, opposite the direction of Harry, but into the fire nonetheless. It seemed to envelop her completely, but Pansy put most of her magic into a fortis, though she could still feel the unbearable heat.
 
A young woman burning away on the ground, crying and screaming in agony.
 
Pansy couldn't do anything. She dropped her Fortis to cast another charm, but the fire, taking on shapes of chimera and other predators, seemed to turn on her. She cast the strongest freezing charm her magic would allow her without dangerously depleting, but that barely stalled the fire for a second. The woman died. Pansy stared in shock, tears falling uncontrollably, but evaporating in a second. The fire touched and burned her arm. She was going to die too.
 
Suddenly there was a strong voice calling, "Victus est ignis." And the fire around and on her disappeared.
 
"Miss Parkinson." It was Lionel Hurst, the Aldermaster's son who she'd met not too long ago, "Are you fine?"
 
She wasn't. Her charred and burnt arms and dizzy head wasn't even the worst of it. She'd let someone die. Pansy nodded, and before she was asked, pointed the other way, realizing with dread that the fire had spread alarmingly indeed, "Harry went that way. She was looking for a boy named Jason."
 
Lionel cursed, "She can't extinguish this. It's Fiendfyre. The counter curse is really difficult and she's had no practice. She probably doesn't even know it. Even I cannot control too much of it at once."
 
Pansy's eyes widened. Oh no. She'd heard the worst of stories about Fiendfyre, but couldn't recall anything right now.
 
He turned to the older boys next to him, "Marek. Solom. Get everyone out of here."
 
The second one, Solom, hauled Pansy up and with his support, she left the restaurant.
 
She knew she should go back and help, but Pansy was so tired, her mind fell into black depths.

***

 
Harry was running around as fast as she could. It was Fiendfyre. Of all the stupid things- Fiendfyre.
 
What were the odds that today of all days...?
 
And she didn't even know the counter curse.
 
She was pulling a distressed old man by the arm as fast as she could without hurting him too much, her wand in the other hand.
 
"Young lass," the man said in a croaky voice, "I'm telling you only the countercurse works."
 
Harry froze, then kept running. Of course, shield! But she couldn't risk the Depasco yet, it would drain her reserves enough to not be able to produce it for long. It would be her last resort, then. She had tried to apparate earlier, but some clever idiot had set up anti apparition Wards. She tried not to think about that.
 
The fire was swarming towards her and him, and as she was nearing a wall, she heard Jason's voice at last,"H-Help! Margo- Cora- somebody help me!"
 
Harry took the man to the exit, then, swallowing hard, went toward the voice.
 
She was just in time. Jason was surrounded with fire which would in a second consume him, and her Depasco covered him head to toe.
 
"Don't touch the red shield!" Harry shrieked at the top of her lungs, "It'll consume everything it touches!"
 
Sure enough, the Depasco protected him from the fire, but the fire kept coming, and she couldn't let it down at all. Fiendfyre started circling her too.
 
"Jason, run towards me." Harry yelled, "Keep your arms in and run!"
 
She tried her best to keep the depasco around him as he did so without hurting him. When he neared enough she stretched the shield around both of them. Jason was crying. Harry was sweating.
 
"I can't… keep this up for much longer" she muttered. She, Jason, and the depasco ran towards the nearest opening they could find. Midway, her shield flickered. No no no. We're almost there. It flickered again, but held.
 
Three fourth the distance to exit, it flickered dangerously. Harry's eyes were closing.
 
"Jason." Harry said softly, "Run as fast as you can."
 
The shield became very tiny, just enough to shield the boy two sides at a time. Harry's head felt like lead. She was magically, and therefore mentally, exhausted.
 
The boy stared at her.
 
"Run."
 
And he did, crying and sobbing, he ran as fast as he could, the shield following him until he was out of sight.
 
Harry collapsed.
 
 
***