The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Battle Continues

"No! You won't touch my sister!" Jacob yelled. 

Selene shrieked in fury, then fired back at Jacob. He blocked her spell and sent out a jet of flames, which Selene just managed to transfigure into bubbles and bat away, though her eyebrows were singed. 

Sarah joined in with her brother, and together they pushed Selene back. She stumbled and nearly fell over a bit of railing that had fallen from the grand staircase. The castle was falling apart. Sarah had heard that the northern battlements had been crumbled like a cookie. 

"Expelliarmus!" 

Selene's want erupted from her hand and flew into Jacob's. He grinned in triumph at his upheld trophy.

Selene growled like a deranged tiger, pulled a knife from a strap at her belt, and chucked it at Jacob.

Sarah's panic enabled her to act. She stepped forward and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" with her wand pointed at Selene. 

A ball of green shot from Sarah's wand. It hit Selene in the chest. The dark witch swayed, all the color drained from her body, then she slumped against the railing, and landed on the floor. She wasn't dead--Sarah hadn't done the spell properly--but she was too weak to defend herself or run when a large suit of armor carrying a halberd spotted her and swung its axe down and into her body. 

Satisfied, the suit of armor moved on. Sarah stared, horrified by what she'd just witnessed. What she'd just done. Selene clutched at her open gut with one arm, and beckoned Sarah over with the other. Spellbound by the sight of such blood, Sarah obeyed. 

She cast the basic healing spells she remembered from school. She wasn't sure why; perhaps she felt guilty about the curse she'd used, or perhaps she just felt no one deserved to die like this. Selene's wounds began to close and she seemed to be breathing a little easier, but Sarah didn't have the skill to undo the damage completely. Selene was dying. 

Selene grabbed Sarah's robes and pulled her down to crouch over her. Selene's eyes were dim and distant, like they'd frosted over. When she spoke, it was with great difficulty. 

"Where's...my son? I must see..."

"I don't know," Sarah choked, tears threatening to spill out onto Selene's face. "I don't know where he is."

Selene blinked, and a tear ran down her face and to the floor. "I just want to see...one more time." She pulled Sarah close, the last of her strength used to clutch at the young witch's robes. "You must...stop Drystan."

With blood-soaked and shaking hands, she began fumbling with a ring, attempting to remove it. Sarah took it off for her and tried to hand it to her, but Selene shook her head, swallowing hard several times before she could speak again. 

"Give it to my son. To Barnaby. Tell him..."

But what she was to tell him, Sarah would never know. Selene clutched Sarah's hands, and tried for a minute or more in vain to speak, then to swallow, then to breathe. All alluded her. Sarah saw the life leave her, saw Selene Lee vanish, leaving a destroyed husk behind. 

Sarah pulled her hands, stained with the witch's blood, out of her grip. Unable to look at the body anymore, she stared down at the ring. It was stained red, but Sarah could see that it was beautiful. Like a golden tree branch sprouting fresh blossoms, embedded with rubies and emeralds, and in the center, a diamond. She felt a sharp intake of breath as she realized, with more certainty than she'd had over anything in months, this is mine. 

"You have fought valiantly."

Sarah jumped to her feet. Those left standing in the Great Hall ceased battling as the high, cold voice sounded throughout the building once more.