Box,” Harry called out. “Everything can’t be picture perfect all of the time…”
‘Sir Box? Why did she call me that?’ Box wondered. Then the penny dropped, and he smiled waving his stumpy little wand...
His patience wearing thin, Holdavort sent his deadly attack screaming towards Harry. Then they appeared; having been summoned by Box, every last person and animal from out of the paintings came flying through the gaping holes in the roof. To say Holdavort was confused would be a lie – he was baffled, bewildered, bamboozled and completely surprised by this development.
His attack? Did it find its mark? Did it kill Harry? No, it most certainly did not. It never reached her – there were far too many distractions flying about up there, for it to get anyway near, let alone touch her.
The animals and people, the distractions that came out from the paintings? They unfortunately fared worse. Many of them, shielding Harry from Holdavort’s despicable attack, died for a second time, the first in life and the second in paint, and this time it was forever – such a terrible waste of life.
Harry’s mind, having cranked up a gear, had thought of something, an idea that might, just might save them. However, for it to have any hope of success it was imperative that Holdavort was caught off guard; that was the reason for all this confusion atop the roof. “Quickly, everyone, to the ground below!” she called out. “I have an idea…”
“Holdavort!” Harry yelled. “If I’m not mistaken it’s my turn now!”
“And mine!” Miocene added, waving her wand before her.
“And me!” said Box, withdrawing his two fragments of wand.
Holdavort laughed, he laughed at the stupidity of the children, that they could possibly think themselves a match – for him.
Waving her wand, Harry began speaking, and ever so quietly, in a loose mixture of English and Arcanum, she said, “With this wand, this electrical trick, I call on its powers – a cristatic mind shift, to lend me a hand at this time of appeal, cristosis, cristopholous, cristaecis – so be it.” She had done it; Harry had spoken almost the very same words she had used earlier, to open the gates of Hades… But already being open, they followed her to the ground below.
Fearing more demon-beasts lurking within, neither Miocene nor Box relished the thought of seeing the gates, again. But desperate times call for desperate remedies, and this was most certainly a time of desperation.
“So, you have moved the gates of Hades,” Holdavort boomed. “For what good it will do!”
Every last pupil, joining them at ground level, watched on in silence.
“You must be desperate to have tried such a thing,” Holdavort continued. “And as to why you have done it, I cannot begin to guess. The demon-beasts are gone. They were as nothing against me– you know that.”
“Then you will have no objections to finishing our fight within those very gates?” Harry suggested. “And to the loser, Hades – Hell itself!”
Despite his all-consuming arrogance, Holdavort was surprised by this suggestion, thinking she must be up to something. But his arrogance being what it was clouded his judgement for a second time, and he said, “It is agreed, we will finish our fight within the gates of Hades, and to the loser – Hell!”
A Debacle!
It was certainly a strange sight, a very strange sight indeed, the gates of Hades slung open with Harry and Holdavort standing defiantly inside, with Miocene, Box, the pupils and the animals and people from out of the paintings – and all of them watching with baited breath
“At least we’re now on the ground,” said Box, “I was getting quite light-headed up there.” He pointed to the roof a large part of which suddenly caved in. “And just in the nick of time by the look of it.” Looking behind him, he added, “And all the pupils got down, okay. That’s also good.” Miocene hardly noticed Box speaking, so concerned was she in watching, waiting for the fight to begin.”
“And what makes you think you have any chance of winning, famous girl mystic?” Holdavort asked mockingly.
“And what makes you think you have?” Harry replied nonchalantly.
“Because I have all the marbles?”
He was right, Harry thought, Holdavort had every last one of them. But, surely, he also had an Achilles Heel. He must have an Achilles Heel, something she could use to her advantage – but what? She had dared him to fight within those very gates, thinking, hoping she could get the better of him. She had to get the better of him! Then it came to her, in a flash of pure inspiration Harry knew what Holdavort’s weakness truly was, and she laughed. She laughed so much Holdavort thought she had finally, totally lost the plot, and lost her very own marbles, for sure…
“Come on, then,” said Harry, laughing and giggling like crazy. “Or can’t you decide on how to finish me off?”
“How I finish you off is of no concern,” Holdavort retorted. “My only concern is that you die.” But Harry, moving quickly, ducking and diving, had other things on her mind rather than dying.
His wings catching on the gateposts, as he constantly turned, trying to keep up with her rapid circling movements, Holdavort roared in anger, “Keep still and fight.”
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, as she nipped in between his huge legs, and emerged from behind. “Too slow?”
“You said you wanted to fight,” Holdavort roared. “Is this how you do it – running about like a scared rat?”
Laughing all the more, Harry said, “There are more ways than one to skin a cat,”
A cat? Now you speak about CATS? You are as moronic as that stupid Muddling cousin of yours.”
If it had been earlier, Box would most surely have felt like punching him on the nose, for such an insulting remark, but he had grown up, matured in an incredibly short time, while adventuring with his wayward cousin, so he was quite happy to ignore it.
Although she was still moving fast and furious, ducking and diving between Holdavort and the gates, Harry tried to catch Miocene and Box’s attention. Miocene was the first to see this, and nudging Box, she said, “She’s ready…”
Waving discreetly in reply, Box signalled their understanding. Calling the children, the pupils, to come closer, he instructed them to be at the ready. Withdrawing their wands, each and every child stood to attention, feeling incredibly proud to be a part of what they all hoped would be the final solution…
It was now all up to Harry, the poor, unfortunate, troublesome, wayward and incredibly bold girl mystic, the girl who had sought the Philosopher’s Marbles for her own self-centred intentions, and thus started this whole series of unfortunate events… They watched; Miocene, Box and every last child watched, waiting for the signal, for Harry’s signal for them to begin…
Harry had just dipped in between Holdavort’s huge legs for the umpteenth time, and although his reactions were getting faster, his dangerous clutches ever closer, and the danger her actions posed all the greater, she kept up the pressure for that bit longer. As she ran around Holdavort’s huge frame yet another time, Harry could see that her confusing tactics were beginning to work – and she ran even faster.
Running around and around the evil being, speeding so fast his red piggy eyes struggled to keep up, narrowly escaping his huge hands as they lashed out trying to catch her, Harry saw him begin to wobble and stumble... Holdavort was dizzy. He was actually dizzy – NOW was the time to strike. Signalling to Miocene and Box, Harry waved like her life depended on it – and it did.
“Hurry!” Miocene shouted to her fellow pupils, “HURRY!” Obeying her, every child aimed their wand, in readiness. There was no need for Miocene to say anything to Box, for he already had his two little remnants pointing at their quarry – Holdavort. Raising her own wand, Miocene said, “On my mark…” They watched, everyone watched, even the occupants from out of the painting, both people and animal, watched for her order.
Seeing Harry darting away from Holdavort, after he had made a particularly menacing sweep, trying to grab her, Miocene shou
ted, “NOW!” At the top of her voice, she yelled, “NOW! NOW! NOW!” With that command every last wand burst into life, sending powerful magic screaming its way towards the bane of their lives – Holdavort – catching him entirely off guard. They all knew their attack had no hope of defeating or killing him, or indeed anything faintly resembling that aspiration. But that wasn’t their intention, they weren’t trying to kill him, no, all they wanted to do was to give him a helping hand – that was all, just a little helping hand…
“What are you doing?” Holdavort grumbled. “Are you so stupid as to think you can hurt me?” And it was true; their attack was in reality no more than a minor irritation.
“Tilting the odds in our favour?” Harry suggested, daring to hope that her little plan might actually work. Then it did – it really did; Holdavort, already quite dizzy from trying to follow Harry’s crazy antics, losing his balance, began to fall over.
Seizing her opportunity, perhaps the only one she might get, Harry let rip with her own electro magical wand, which combined with her newfound powers, sent Holdavort careering through the gates, into Hades itself. He was gone. Was he gone? Dared they hope that he was gone?
Leaving the celebrations for later, Harry moved on to the last part of her plan – resealing the gates forever. But a huge, red coloured hand, shooting out through the gates, grabbed hold of her leg and began