Fic: Skinwalker (6/6), by ladychi
To: lyras
Title: Skinwalker [Chapter Six: Let The Bodies Hit the Floor]
Author: ladychi
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Ginny, Neville Longbottom, Ron/Hermione, OCs
Word Count: Final word count ~12,000, this chapter: 2228
Rating: Older Teen. This chapter contains violence and blood, and talk of blood.
Summary: What does the Harry Potter fandom need more of? Zombies, pirates and things that go bump in the night, of course! Harry and Ginny use much-needed holiday time to help out an old friend protect the children at his school from a threat much more insidious than it first seems.
Previous Chapters: One | Two | Three | Four | Five
Author's Note: WHEW! It's done! And during finals week, too! I just wanted to thank r_becca for unrelenting patience in the face of doughboy-like flakiness, lyras for supportive understanding, and all of the participants and readers of the takingitinturns fest. I know some of you are weary about WIPs, but there were some of you that read and faithfully reviewed every chapter, which was just the fuel I needed to complete this project.
To lyras: I hope you enjoy the final installment of this fic. Thank you for everything, including being so up to such a quirky idea. I loved writing for you. Happy writing to you in future.
Chapter Six: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor
Neville snapped his eyes open and looked around him in horror. The events of the past few minutes or maybe hours slowly filtered back into his brain. He recalled sending Harry and Ginny away, and walking with Lonnie down a dark path until they'd almost reached her house and then - then a flash of pain to the back of his head and darkness. Nothing but darkness.
He sat up. “Lonnie? Lonnie are you all right?”
He couldn't see his hand in front of his face, and the little girl was nowhere to be found. Slowly, he began to try to force himself to stand up. His legs, however, were weak, and getting himself upright was more than of a task than he was anticipating.
A sliver of light broke the unrelenting gloom of the dark room and the scuffle of small feet told him someone had entered his realm. Focusing on remaining motionless, he waited.
“Professor Longbottom?” Lonnie's voice.
“Over here,” he whispered, reluctant to speak any louder
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine,” Neville said, brushing his robes off. “What happened?”
The little girl rushed to his side, burying herself into his side. “Professor Longbottom, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry.”
“Lonnie Phillips, have you done something foolish?” Neville could hear the echo of Professor McGonagall in his voice and he smiled at the thought.
“Yes, I think so,” the little girl said, and tugged on his hand. “Professor Longbottom, we've got to run. We've got to get to the caves before your friends do.”
**
February 2000, cave outside of Aberdeen.
Smit had been sleeping for a very long time when he snapped back to awareness. As near as he could tell, he woke when the woman in the depths of the cave awoke. He reckoned that his fate was to listen in horror as she devoured her victims - the ones worthy of skinning, unlike himself, powerless to do anything to stop her, because he couldn't grasp anything with his non-corporeal hands. No matter how much he shouted, the men and women that came once a decade to open the cage and release the beast seemed determined to ignore him. Mouths set in thin lines, they came in groups of two or three and marched the march of the damned, unable or unwilling to sway from their course. They left as quickly and efficiently as they came, locking their daughters in houses safe from her threat.
A sense of dread washed over him as he pried himself away from his skeleton and headed toward the mouth of the cave. Maybe this time he could convince her to stop - or convince the Phillips to stop their mission to help her find her lover, whoever he was...
Maybe this was the year that he would be able to help.
**
Harry and Ginny dropped from the cliffside on long ropes attached to the side of the cliffs. It was like dropping off the edge of the world - like falling from a broom, with the assurance that the landing wouldn't kill her. Beside her, Harry laughed with delight, throwing his head back at the thrill in the pit of his stomach.
“I should have gone to Auror training!” Ginny shouted at him, teasingly. “You didn't tell me you got to jump off of cliffs.”
“I jump off cliffs, you dodge Bludgers, it's all the same,” Harry called back. The ride down never seemed to end. Ginny got a rush from looking up and down and all around. She wasn't really in control of her own destiny, though the belt Harry had conjured allowed her to take control if something really went wrong. Failing that, however, she was able to enjoy the slightly-too-fast ride to the bottom of the cliffs.
They reached the bottom and Harry unhooked her efficiently before he removed his own equipment. Then, with one accord, they took off over the rocks to the mouth of the cave they could see in the distance.
It was hard going, and Ginny was once again glad she'd decided to go with practical all-weather boots since the water from the sea was frigid enough as it soaked through her jeans. Her hands felt practically frozen solid, even encased in gloves, and when the sky finally rumbled with lightning, she grumbled.
“Oh, this is just perfect.”
“I know!” Harry beamed over at her, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store. “It's a perfect dark and stormy night!”
“And we're going to go catch a mad zombie-creator girl-murderer.” Ginny scrambled up a rock next to him.
“Nearly there. C'mon!”
**
Ron and Hermione ran to the edge of the cliff, only to see Harry and Ginny removing their rappelling equipment.
“Oi!” Ron shouted down. “Harry! Mate! Wait up, you giant wanker!”
“Would you mind being useful, Ronald?” Hermione asked, studying the edge of the cliff. “I think I can see how he managed it. Do you trust me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think I can see how Harry managed it but I've got no intention of rappelling down a cliffside.”
“What do you suggest?”
Hermione waved a hand and muttered a spell and soon, they were both floating lightly. “Just kick with your legs,” Hermione instructed. “This isn't really flying, it's more like... highly-controlled falling.”
“Whoa, this is brilliant.”
“And classified,” Hermione said, “so... don't tell anyone.”
“Wicked.”
They landed on the beach and took off running after Harry, legs and arms pumping with the effort. Ron could hardly see in the newly-falling rain and Hermione, it seemed, was faring no better.
“We've got terrible luck,” he said to her as he helped her up the last summit of a particularly slippery rock.
“I don't think it's luck. I think the siren in there is making it difficult for us to go after her snack.”
“Just when you think it can't get creepier, nope... there it goes. Upping the creep factor,” Ron said, under his breath.
“There's the entrance to the cave. I think I can hear Harry and Ginny now,” Hermione said, and their legs found a new burst of energy.
**
Harry and Ginny breached the entrance to the cave. With a quiet word, their wands illuminated, bringing light to every part of the earthen crevice. “Beautiful,” Ginny whispered.
“For the first one hundred years, all right,” a voice said, startling them both. Harry jumped.
“Who's there?”
“You can hear me?” Floating into the light, a ghost appeared. One very terrified looking ghost parrot clung to his shoulder, and his clothes were tattered and worn.
Ginny raised her eyebrows. “Of course we can. How long have you been a ghost?”
“Since 1819. If you can hear me, then you've got to run. You've got to get out of this place. She's already got her victim. She'll take more if she gets the opportunity.”
“Who? Who does she have?” Harry's voice was low and intense.
“A man, this time. Which is a bit strange, but the little girl who brought him here seemed quite intent on it. Neither of them could hear me. Course, he was unconscious.”
“A little girl?” Ginny's voice was horrified. “Lonnie! Lonnie's got Neville!”
“Where'd they go?”
“Into the inner rooms of the cave, but I'm telling you, it's not worth it, you should just turn back now.”
“Ark! Beware the ides of March!”
Harry shuddered. “Birds shouldn't talk.”
“The name's Smit and I completely agree.”
“Show us the way,” Ginny demanded. “That's our friend in there and we can't just leave him.”
“Harry! Ginny!” Hermione finally was within hearing range, and they whirled around to see her and Ron. “We've got so much to tell you!”
“We've got so much to tell you,” Ginny countered.
“Less telling, more running to save Neville. Better yet, run and tell at the same time,” Harry suggested. “Smit, you lead the way.”
“There's a legend,” Hermione began. “It's buried underneath mountains of paperwork about the nineteenth century, but it's recorded, about a family from here and a deal they struck with a siren.”
Harry looked over his shoulder at her. “We're dealing with a siren? I thought they were mostly into destroying ships and...”
“More like destroying men. This one, anyway.” Hermione fought to draw enough breath to run and talk. “Long story short...”
“...that'd be a good idea, love...”
“...shut it, Ronald. They promised her that she could live, protected down here, with sacrifices every ten years to keep her young and beautiful, so long as she promised to aid them with Dark Magic, help them prosper, and as long as she promised to avoid eating their young.”
“And the skinwalkers?” Ginny asked.
“Reanimated corpses of the bodies whose skin and blood she's stolen to retain her youth... It's sort of a side-effect. And it's a useful scapegoat so that the real kidnapping, murdering bastards won't get caught,” Ron said quickly.
“Let me guess. The name of this family of kidnapping, murdering bastards is...”
“Phillips,” said a sweet Scottish voice from the center of the room they'd just come upon. “And they are indeed such lovely people.”
“Lonnie,” Harry said.
“No, I'm afraid not. Lonnie's been dead for quite some time. And such a bothersome little thing she was too.” Before them, the little girl morphed, becoming a voluptuous woman with bright red head. “All her simpering over Longbottom, her addled-minded parents. Can you believe they had the audacity to try to stop me? Well, no matter now.”
“Oh?” Harry was edging around the room, feeling along the wall, keeping her eyes on him. “Why no matter now? And where is Neville?”
“It turns out Longbottom is the perfect vehicle to resurrect my Lancelot. He is brave and noble and true, with such a good heart. And most importantly, a weak mind. It will be easy enough to call back the soul of my lover and override Longbottom's pitiful personality.”
“Even Voldemort wouldn't have attempted that magic,” Hermione said, her eyes widening as she noticed where Harry was heading - a twitching writhing sack behind the siren. She grabbed Ginny's hand. “You must be a powerful witch. A powerful Dark witch.”
The siren threw her head back and laughed. “How amusing that you seek to flatter me!”
Harry quickly had Neville unbound and was reaching for his wand when the siren whirled and reached out a hand. “Be still!”
At her command, they both stopped. Hermione and Ginny reached for their wands.
“Ah ah ah, girls. I wouldn't do that, if I were you.” She reached out another hand, stilling them as well.
Ron grabbed his wand. “Stupefy!” He shouted, but it was no good. The siren-witch easily dodged his spell and soon had him frozen as well.
“So many meals,” she muttered, her face morphing until her mouth grew large enough to swallow her nose. “But where to begin?”
“With me!” Smit shouted. He charged in, sinking into her body and releasing her spells. He wouldn't be able to hold the possession long, but... he would be able to hold it long enough.
Harry ran towards Smit, now in the witch's body. “I'm sorry, Smit. You know what I have to do.”
Smit's head, in her body, slowly nodded. “I'm grateful. It will be nice to rest.”
“Sectumsempra,” Harry muttered, and the witch exploded in two, the blood she'd drunk to sustain her vitality seeping from her body. It was too much for Ron, who swiftly became sick. Ginny and Hermione followed suit, and Neville and Harry felt distinctly woosy.
With one accord, they moved to leave the cave.
Epilogue
There was a soft rapping at the door, and Ginny kissed Harry's cheek once more before she opened it to reveal a very sheepish-looking Neville.
“I just wanted to say thanks,” he said, his eyes dropping to the ground. “And uh, I'll try not to put you two in mortal danger the next time I call you to help out.”
“No problem,” Harry said, and clasped his shoulder. “Don't worry about a thing, mate, yeah?”
"What about the Phillips family?"
Harry shrugged. "We're pressing charges against the whole lot. Aiding and abetting a dark creature, murder, that sort of thing. Legal's taking care of it. It's not really my area of expertise."
"Oh, good." Neville coughed. “I just didn't think it would be so exciting. I feel a bit pathetic about the whole...being kidnapped by a kid thing.”
“She was hardly a kid. She's got supernatural strength and that... creepy song thing,” Ginny said. “Don't worry about it, seriously. We were happy to come. It was nice to get out of London, do a bit of running around Scotland.”
“Like old times, yeah?” Neville grinned tentatively.
“Better than old times,” Harry said firmly. “We're about packed up and ready to leave, but... do you want to go get a pint?”
Neville smiled slowly. “Yeah, I... I think I'd like that.”
Title: Skinwalker [Chapter Six: Let The Bodies Hit the Floor]
Author: ladychi
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Ginny, Neville Longbottom, Ron/Hermione, OCs
Word Count: Final word count ~12,000, this chapter: 2228
Rating: Older Teen. This chapter contains violence and blood, and talk of blood.
Summary: What does the Harry Potter fandom need more of? Zombies, pirates and things that go bump in the night, of course! Harry and Ginny use much-needed holiday time to help out an old friend protect the children at his school from a threat much more insidious than it first seems.
Previous Chapters: One | Two | Three | Four | Five
Author's Note: WHEW! It's done! And during finals week, too! I just wanted to thank r_becca for unrelenting patience in the face of doughboy-like flakiness, lyras for supportive understanding, and all of the participants and readers of the takingitinturns fest. I know some of you are weary about WIPs, but there were some of you that read and faithfully reviewed every chapter, which was just the fuel I needed to complete this project.
To lyras: I hope you enjoy the final installment of this fic. Thank you for everything, including being so up to such a quirky idea. I loved writing for you. Happy writing to you in future.
Chapter Six: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor
Neville snapped his eyes open and looked around him in horror. The events of the past few minutes or maybe hours slowly filtered back into his brain. He recalled sending Harry and Ginny away, and walking with Lonnie down a dark path until they'd almost reached her house and then - then a flash of pain to the back of his head and darkness. Nothing but darkness.
He sat up. “Lonnie? Lonnie are you all right?”
He couldn't see his hand in front of his face, and the little girl was nowhere to be found. Slowly, he began to try to force himself to stand up. His legs, however, were weak, and getting himself upright was more than of a task than he was anticipating.
A sliver of light broke the unrelenting gloom of the dark room and the scuffle of small feet told him someone had entered his realm. Focusing on remaining motionless, he waited.
“Professor Longbottom?” Lonnie's voice.
“Over here,” he whispered, reluctant to speak any louder
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine,” Neville said, brushing his robes off. “What happened?”
The little girl rushed to his side, burying herself into his side. “Professor Longbottom, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry.”
“Lonnie Phillips, have you done something foolish?” Neville could hear the echo of Professor McGonagall in his voice and he smiled at the thought.
“Yes, I think so,” the little girl said, and tugged on his hand. “Professor Longbottom, we've got to run. We've got to get to the caves before your friends do.”
**
February 2000, cave outside of Aberdeen.
Smit had been sleeping for a very long time when he snapped back to awareness. As near as he could tell, he woke when the woman in the depths of the cave awoke. He reckoned that his fate was to listen in horror as she devoured her victims - the ones worthy of skinning, unlike himself, powerless to do anything to stop her, because he couldn't grasp anything with his non-corporeal hands. No matter how much he shouted, the men and women that came once a decade to open the cage and release the beast seemed determined to ignore him. Mouths set in thin lines, they came in groups of two or three and marched the march of the damned, unable or unwilling to sway from their course. They left as quickly and efficiently as they came, locking their daughters in houses safe from her threat.
A sense of dread washed over him as he pried himself away from his skeleton and headed toward the mouth of the cave. Maybe this time he could convince her to stop - or convince the Phillips to stop their mission to help her find her lover, whoever he was...
Maybe this was the year that he would be able to help.
**
Harry and Ginny dropped from the cliffside on long ropes attached to the side of the cliffs. It was like dropping off the edge of the world - like falling from a broom, with the assurance that the landing wouldn't kill her. Beside her, Harry laughed with delight, throwing his head back at the thrill in the pit of his stomach.
“I should have gone to Auror training!” Ginny shouted at him, teasingly. “You didn't tell me you got to jump off of cliffs.”
“I jump off cliffs, you dodge Bludgers, it's all the same,” Harry called back. The ride down never seemed to end. Ginny got a rush from looking up and down and all around. She wasn't really in control of her own destiny, though the belt Harry had conjured allowed her to take control if something really went wrong. Failing that, however, she was able to enjoy the slightly-too-fast ride to the bottom of the cliffs.
They reached the bottom and Harry unhooked her efficiently before he removed his own equipment. Then, with one accord, they took off over the rocks to the mouth of the cave they could see in the distance.
It was hard going, and Ginny was once again glad she'd decided to go with practical all-weather boots since the water from the sea was frigid enough as it soaked through her jeans. Her hands felt practically frozen solid, even encased in gloves, and when the sky finally rumbled with lightning, she grumbled.
“Oh, this is just perfect.”
“I know!” Harry beamed over at her, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store. “It's a perfect dark and stormy night!”
“And we're going to go catch a mad zombie-creator girl-murderer.” Ginny scrambled up a rock next to him.
“Nearly there. C'mon!”
**
Ron and Hermione ran to the edge of the cliff, only to see Harry and Ginny removing their rappelling equipment.
“Oi!” Ron shouted down. “Harry! Mate! Wait up, you giant wanker!”
“Would you mind being useful, Ronald?” Hermione asked, studying the edge of the cliff. “I think I can see how he managed it. Do you trust me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think I can see how Harry managed it but I've got no intention of rappelling down a cliffside.”
“What do you suggest?”
Hermione waved a hand and muttered a spell and soon, they were both floating lightly. “Just kick with your legs,” Hermione instructed. “This isn't really flying, it's more like... highly-controlled falling.”
“Whoa, this is brilliant.”
“And classified,” Hermione said, “so... don't tell anyone.”
“Wicked.”
They landed on the beach and took off running after Harry, legs and arms pumping with the effort. Ron could hardly see in the newly-falling rain and Hermione, it seemed, was faring no better.
“We've got terrible luck,” he said to her as he helped her up the last summit of a particularly slippery rock.
“I don't think it's luck. I think the siren in there is making it difficult for us to go after her snack.”
“Just when you think it can't get creepier, nope... there it goes. Upping the creep factor,” Ron said, under his breath.
“There's the entrance to the cave. I think I can hear Harry and Ginny now,” Hermione said, and their legs found a new burst of energy.
**
Harry and Ginny breached the entrance to the cave. With a quiet word, their wands illuminated, bringing light to every part of the earthen crevice. “Beautiful,” Ginny whispered.
“For the first one hundred years, all right,” a voice said, startling them both. Harry jumped.
“Who's there?”
“You can hear me?” Floating into the light, a ghost appeared. One very terrified looking ghost parrot clung to his shoulder, and his clothes were tattered and worn.
Ginny raised her eyebrows. “Of course we can. How long have you been a ghost?”
“Since 1819. If you can hear me, then you've got to run. You've got to get out of this place. She's already got her victim. She'll take more if she gets the opportunity.”
“Who? Who does she have?” Harry's voice was low and intense.
“A man, this time. Which is a bit strange, but the little girl who brought him here seemed quite intent on it. Neither of them could hear me. Course, he was unconscious.”
“A little girl?” Ginny's voice was horrified. “Lonnie! Lonnie's got Neville!”
“Where'd they go?”
“Into the inner rooms of the cave, but I'm telling you, it's not worth it, you should just turn back now.”
“Ark! Beware the ides of March!”
Harry shuddered. “Birds shouldn't talk.”
“The name's Smit and I completely agree.”
“Show us the way,” Ginny demanded. “That's our friend in there and we can't just leave him.”
“Harry! Ginny!” Hermione finally was within hearing range, and they whirled around to see her and Ron. “We've got so much to tell you!”
“We've got so much to tell you,” Ginny countered.
“Less telling, more running to save Neville. Better yet, run and tell at the same time,” Harry suggested. “Smit, you lead the way.”
“There's a legend,” Hermione began. “It's buried underneath mountains of paperwork about the nineteenth century, but it's recorded, about a family from here and a deal they struck with a siren.”
Harry looked over his shoulder at her. “We're dealing with a siren? I thought they were mostly into destroying ships and...”
“More like destroying men. This one, anyway.” Hermione fought to draw enough breath to run and talk. “Long story short...”
“...that'd be a good idea, love...”
“...shut it, Ronald. They promised her that she could live, protected down here, with sacrifices every ten years to keep her young and beautiful, so long as she promised to aid them with Dark Magic, help them prosper, and as long as she promised to avoid eating their young.”
“And the skinwalkers?” Ginny asked.
“Reanimated corpses of the bodies whose skin and blood she's stolen to retain her youth... It's sort of a side-effect. And it's a useful scapegoat so that the real kidnapping, murdering bastards won't get caught,” Ron said quickly.
“Let me guess. The name of this family of kidnapping, murdering bastards is...”
“Phillips,” said a sweet Scottish voice from the center of the room they'd just come upon. “And they are indeed such lovely people.”
“Lonnie,” Harry said.
“No, I'm afraid not. Lonnie's been dead for quite some time. And such a bothersome little thing she was too.” Before them, the little girl morphed, becoming a voluptuous woman with bright red head. “All her simpering over Longbottom, her addled-minded parents. Can you believe they had the audacity to try to stop me? Well, no matter now.”
“Oh?” Harry was edging around the room, feeling along the wall, keeping her eyes on him. “Why no matter now? And where is Neville?”
“It turns out Longbottom is the perfect vehicle to resurrect my Lancelot. He is brave and noble and true, with such a good heart. And most importantly, a weak mind. It will be easy enough to call back the soul of my lover and override Longbottom's pitiful personality.”
“Even Voldemort wouldn't have attempted that magic,” Hermione said, her eyes widening as she noticed where Harry was heading - a twitching writhing sack behind the siren. She grabbed Ginny's hand. “You must be a powerful witch. A powerful Dark witch.”
The siren threw her head back and laughed. “How amusing that you seek to flatter me!”
Harry quickly had Neville unbound and was reaching for his wand when the siren whirled and reached out a hand. “Be still!”
At her command, they both stopped. Hermione and Ginny reached for their wands.
“Ah ah ah, girls. I wouldn't do that, if I were you.” She reached out another hand, stilling them as well.
Ron grabbed his wand. “Stupefy!” He shouted, but it was no good. The siren-witch easily dodged his spell and soon had him frozen as well.
“So many meals,” she muttered, her face morphing until her mouth grew large enough to swallow her nose. “But where to begin?”
“With me!” Smit shouted. He charged in, sinking into her body and releasing her spells. He wouldn't be able to hold the possession long, but... he would be able to hold it long enough.
Harry ran towards Smit, now in the witch's body. “I'm sorry, Smit. You know what I have to do.”
Smit's head, in her body, slowly nodded. “I'm grateful. It will be nice to rest.”
“Sectumsempra,” Harry muttered, and the witch exploded in two, the blood she'd drunk to sustain her vitality seeping from her body. It was too much for Ron, who swiftly became sick. Ginny and Hermione followed suit, and Neville and Harry felt distinctly woosy.
With one accord, they moved to leave the cave.
Epilogue
There was a soft rapping at the door, and Ginny kissed Harry's cheek once more before she opened it to reveal a very sheepish-looking Neville.
“I just wanted to say thanks,” he said, his eyes dropping to the ground. “And uh, I'll try not to put you two in mortal danger the next time I call you to help out.”
“No problem,” Harry said, and clasped his shoulder. “Don't worry about a thing, mate, yeah?”
"What about the Phillips family?"
Harry shrugged. "We're pressing charges against the whole lot. Aiding and abetting a dark creature, murder, that sort of thing. Legal's taking care of it. It's not really my area of expertise."
"Oh, good." Neville coughed. “I just didn't think it would be so exciting. I feel a bit pathetic about the whole...being kidnapped by a kid thing.”
“She was hardly a kid. She's got supernatural strength and that... creepy song thing,” Ginny said. “Don't worry about it, seriously. We were happy to come. It was nice to get out of London, do a bit of running around Scotland.”
“Like old times, yeah?” Neville grinned tentatively.
“Better than old times,” Harry said firmly. “We're about packed up and ready to leave, but... do you want to go get a pint?”
Neville smiled slowly. “Yeah, I... I think I'd like that.”