The Battle of Perfecto

The pillar-elevator rose at breakneck speed, so that when it stopped, the three occupants took a great breath of air as they spilled out of it. They were now on the 7th floor. Like the first floor, it was dark, broken only by the ray of light produced by their wands. And the flash of light as a protective barrier was broken.

“From the lowest floor to the highest,” Junix said, taking in large gulps of air. “How dramatic. A bit obvious though, if you ask me.”

“Maybe,” Don Rage said, holding the pillow like the crown jewels of the Queen of England rested upon it. “But P-700 is the most magically secure place next to the storage downstairs. It’ll be safest here.”

Room P-700. On a normal day like, well, yesterday, it was Perfecto’s own mini-theater. Small events, like seminars, production shows, or departmental pageants were held here. Now, apparently, it was about to play host to a very dark artifact.

Junix opened the metal gate that preceded the wooden door of the P-700, and allowed his two comrades to enter before him. Guided by wand-light, and led by Don, they mounted the black steps of the mini-theater and headed to the rear.

Don stopped. They were at the very back now, the technician’s booth just beside them. Gesturing with his head, he said, “Tap my wand on the wall directly in front of me. I’ll recite the incantations.”

Jolo, who held two wands, did as instructed, and Don began muttering again. In the silence of the theater, they could hear explosions coming from outside. The flashes of lightning and the flashes of the barriers being broken now lit the dark sky.

When Don finished reciting the incantations, a small door, following the outline of a glowing square, opened outwards. A small, clear space was revealed within. Don very reverently placed the pillow with the amulet inside. He retreated, but there was now a haunted look on his face.

Noticing something, Junix prodded his arm. Don did not respond. Fearing the worst, Junix pulled both wands out of the keyhole. The door and the glowing lines vanished instantaneously, like it had never been there in the first place.

“Don?” Junix said apprehensively. While he pointed his own wand directly at Don’s chest, he threw the two other wands towards Jolo.

Don’s head snapped towards Junix, his face bearing the expression of someone who had just been unjustly slapped. A golden glint that did not come from their wand-light pulsated in his eyes.

Junix and Jolo backed away quickly, their wands pointed at Don.

“Snap out of it, Don Rage,” Junix said. “It’s us.”

But whatever insane force that had overshadowed Don did not respond to Junix. Trembling in anger, he raised his bare hand and shouted: “Confringo!”

Junix’s eyes widened when he saw a large ball of light burst from Don’s palm and pelted towards them like a glowing bullet. He jumped out of the way. It was useless blocking it, he thought. That Blasting Spell looked far more powerful than normal…

However, Jolo reacted differently. Waving his wand and Don’s in an arc before him, he yelled, “Protego Maxima! ” A large, translucent shield appeared before him just in time. The moment the curse hit the shield, it exploded into a great ball of fire. Jolo, with his arm still raised keeping the shield up, was pushed several inches back.

The smell of melting plastic filled the confined space as fire now burned the Monobloc chairs in the room. The fire did not show any signs of letting up. Behind it, Don only stared at them, eyes glowing with a light that had nothing to do with the fire.

Jolo, although protected from damage by his Shield Charm, was not impervious to the smell of burning plastic. He choked and staggered. In a matter of minutes, they would be suffocated, and then burned…

Junix appeared, casting, “Repello! Impedimenta! Stupefy! Incarcerous! ” simultaneously from behind the shield.

The first spell parted the fire, allowing the other spells to pass through.

Unable to see anything clearly with the air rippling from the heat, Don failed to spot the spells speeding towards him. He had raised his hand reflexively and managed to parry the Impediment Jinx. But the Stunning Spell hit him squarely in the chest, and instantly rendered him unconscious. Snakelike chains wrapped themselves tightly around him before he collapsed to the floor.

“Nice one,” Jolo gasped. His hands were trembling from having to fend off such a powerful spell, but he still managed to wave his wand to kill the fire. “I wouldn’t have been able to cast that many spells in one breath.”

“And I wouldn’t have been able to cast a shield that powerful,” Junix replied, returning the compliment. He was still pointing his wand at Don’s unconscious form.

“He’s gone insane…” Jolo correctly observed. “It’s amazing what the amulet did to him. That Blasting Spell! I’ve never seen a cast that powerful and with only his hand!”

Junix nodded grimly. “If Don had been wearing the amulet, doubtless it would have granted him more power. All the more reason why someone as evil as Hidalgo should not get a hold of it.”

They now stood over Don’s enchained body. “Rennervate, ” Junix muttered.

Don woke up at once. He tried to get up but realized he was tied up in chains. He frowned and looked around. His glasses had been shattered by the Stunning Spell, and he had trouble seeing what was in front of him.

“Well, that was interesting, wasn’t it?” he said, a bit slurry. “I’m lucky I had the right guys to back me up.”

“You idiot, did you touch the amulet when you were putting it in?” Junix said Vanishing the chains. Jolo grabbed Don by the arm and pulled him upright. He did not hand him back his wand, though.

“Not sure,” Don said massaging the spot on his chest where the Stunning Spell had hit him. “I guess I must have, because when I retreated, I could feel immense power flowing through me… it was so weird… I wanted to get more, but then you closed the magic vault. Pissed me off for some reason…”

Just then a silver Labrador retriever bounded through the P-700 walls and stopped right in front of them. It spoke in Jinn’s voice:

“Hidalgo’s almost through the barriers. And any chance you can get me out of this classroom so I can join the fight? ”

“Well, I guess I have to go,” Don said, rolling up his sleeves. “My wand, please?”

“We’ll go with you,” Jolo offered as he handed Don his wand.

Don regarded the both of them, sighed, and said: “I was hoping you two would volunteer to guard the amulet.”

“Excuse me?” Junix’s eyes narrowed.

“Well,” Don said, repairing his broken glasses with his wand. “Since you—” he pointed happily at Jolo, “are capable of producing quite a powerful shield, and you—” pointing at Junix “are capable of quick-casting, I have concluded that you two are fit to be guardians of the amulet.”

Before the two could protest, there was another blinding flash of light as yet another layer of the barriers was broken.

“Almost…” Don muttered. “Well, no backing out of this now, gentlemen. We are out of time. Do a good job.” And he rushed back into the elevator he had created in the lobby’s pillar.

Jolo stared at the window, where dark, winged shapes were flying past. “Does it bother you that he speaks like he’s about to attend a cool party, or something?”

Junix sighed in resignation, he chose not to answer. “Cast all the Protective Charms you know on the P-700 entrance. Perfecto might be protected, but this room will need its own set of protection once Hidalgo finally breaks through our outer shields.”

Jolo wove his wand in various patterns as he cast his spells, with Junix doing the same. When he finished, he took a step back, admiring his handiwork. The doorway did not look any different than it did before they had cast Protective Spells at it, but there was an ominous buzz in the air around the entrance, as though one would be electrocuted if one got too close.

“Is it true,” Jolo suddenly said, “What they say about you?”

Without turning around or even pausing, Junix replied, “What do they say about me?”

“That you used to…you know, work for…” Jolo hesitated.

“That I used to work for Lord Voldemort?” Junix finished for him. He turned around and jabbed his wand-tip on his left upper arm. From where the wand touched his skin, black lines began to appear. They crisscrossed and webbed, until they formed a tattoo in the image of a skull with a snake for a tongue.

*

In the awkward silence that followed, they positioned themselves towards the paths anyone would take to get to P-700. Junix faced the corridors, and Jolo faced the stairs.

“With the protective spells covering that door, I guess only Hidalgo can go through it now…” Junix said, darkly. The prospect of having the leader of the enemy coming there himself was in no way reassuring.

“Well, he’ll have to go through us first,” Jolo said, bracing himself. “Besides, you’ve dealt with Dark Wizards before, haven’t you?”

“Yes, but in the past I was fighting alongside them, not against them. Big difference. It was so much easier fighting White Wizards… they don’t bother to use the Unforgivables…”

“Well, isn’t that still an advantage?” Jolo asked, “You know what to expect from them.”

Junix swallowed. Too right he knew what to expect. And he did not like what he was expecting…