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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 72: Remnants
The armored knight moved at an impossible speed, closing the gap between them in an instant.
"Obice!" Harry only saw a flash of light and, the next instant, his shield was receiving the powerful impact of the knight's sword.
"Celeritas!" He hurried to link another spell to enhance his own speed and moved backward, just in time before his shield failed to stop the blade.
Harry had no doubt now. This was the signature technique of Lancelot — the fastest of all the Round Table Knights.
As the translucent shield dissipated, he gave his wand a flick before performing a stabbing motion aimed at his opponent's chest. "Punctus Invius!" (The Inevitable Puncture)
This was his most potent piercing spell, capable of going through any defenses.
He figured that something like this would be necessary after taking a single glance at that enchanted armor.
The Knight was not able to move in time and was hit by his spell square on his chest plate, producing a loud clanking noise.
As Harry predicted, his magic pierced the chest of the knight completely, leaving behind a large gaping hole.
The knight seemed to freeze for a moment after receiving the deadly injury, even though no blood could be seen pouring from the wound.
Harry could see that there was something inside the armor at least, and it was not just an empty chunk of metal. However, whatever was inside was clearly not human.
He heard a humming sound, and the symbols engraved on the armor seemed to come to life, gaining an eerie shine.
The gaping hole started to close very quickly, as if the armor had the capability to self-repair.
A low, grinding chuckle emanated from the sealed helmet, a sound like stone grinding on stone. The eerie glow from the sigils pulsed in time with it.
"Are you laughing or crying?" Harry wasn't sure if this 'thing' could even speak.
The knight didn't charge. He took a single, deliberate step forward, and the ground trembled.
The air around 'Lancelot' warped, forming a strange shape on his left arm. It wasn't a shield or any physical object, but a distortion...a gravitational lens that made the space around him seem to bend and ripple.
Harry felt a sudden, sickening pull, as if the very ground was trying to drag him toward that shimmering field.
"That's new…" Harry muttered. This was some kind of magical ability. The Knights of the Round Table were extremely skilled fighters, but they possessed nothing of the sort. King Arthur being the only exception.
"Depulso!" Harry grunted, casting a powerful repelling charm at the ground beneath his own feet. He shot backward, skidding across the stone and breaking the gravitational pull.
The knight advanced; the warping field was making his form look like a blurry nightmare.
Harry threw a barrage of spells to stop his approach. Slicing hexes, bludgeoning curses...but they all disintegrated or were dragged harmlessly into the distortion.
No doubt it was a very effective defense against magic, and if he let the knight get too close to him, that sword was going to turn him into mincemeat.
'Lancelot' jumped into the air, descending upon him with his gravitational shield, while his sword came down in a shimmering arc, intended on cleaving him in two.
Harry then had an idea. A different kind of attack that he had yet to try. "Legilimency!"
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as he dived into the mind of the knight.
What he found inside was something broken and incomplete. An aberration that shouldn't exist. But he also recognized some remnants of what it once was. An honorable knight of Camelot… one known as Sir Lancelot.
Harry used this connection between their minds to communicate with him, sending some of his own memories in the process.
He was not close enough to Lancelot to be called a friend, but he knew the man quite well. And he also knew what he loved the most in the world.
Images of the lovely Guinevere would cause more damage than any spear or sword.
The knight's mind was assaulted by the memories of his former lover, and despite his current decayed form, the effect on him was immediate.
The creature that once was Lancelot lost control over his gravity pulse and allowed Harry to recover his full mobility.
He moved back just in time for Lancelot to miss his attack completely, and Harry quickly followed this with a relentless assault.
"Tredecim Hastae!"
Thirteen spears of stone were conjured and shot out at Lancelot, impaling his chest, arms, and legs and pushing him back against the wall.
The spears had been carefully aimed at the spots where Harry had previously seen the glowing symbols, as these were likely the power source that was keeping the knight bound to the realm of the living.
He rushed at Lancelot while aiming his staff forward. The crystal shone with intensity, and bolts of lightning emerged on its surface.
"Fulmen Ultor" (The Avenging Lightning).
A single ray of pure energy shot out from the tip of his staff and impacted Lancelot's chest plate.
Harry had poured a tremendous amount of power into this sorcery, and the heat generated by it was such that even the enchanted metal of Lancelot's armor was unable to withstand it and started to melt.
The armor turned into a pool of molten liquid that pooled beneath what remained of the poor knight.
Stabbed onto the wall by his spears were now the bones of the ancient warrior. It was all that was left after the cursed armor that had been keeping him in this realm was destroyed.
Harry approached the bones. He could not detect any trace of Lancelot's soul left behind. Only bones. Which meant that the dark magic used to bring him back was only able to use his physical remains to manifest a cheap copy.
"How despicable…" To disturb the rest of such an honorable knight was not something he was willing to forgive so easily.
He could only think of one individual who hated Lancelot enough to do this to his memory.
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