Author's note: I think I should be able to wrap this up in the next chapter. There will be a sequel, so do not fear that there are a few plotholes left unattended. That was on purpose. Thanks for all of your reviews! 

Chapter Nine

The Stone of Fal

Harry shuffled around in his bedroom closet moving clothes aside and setting boxes atop each other until he found what he was looking for: a thick heavy clothing box. He set it on the bed and open the top, carelessly casting it aside. Inside the box wrapped in white tissue paper, which he tossed aside, was something leather. He grabbed hold of the shoulders and pulled it out, shaking it to the side to let it fall open to its full length. It was a mantled leather duster, heavy and dark. He swung it around and slid his arms through to let it settle like it was tailor-made for him.

Crossing to his bureau he dispelled the security charm on the upper left most drawer and opened it. Leaving it, he crossed to the chest of drawers opposite the bed and pushed it to the side like it was on rails. Looking at the chest and judging the appropriate height he pressed his hand against the bare wall and watched as a two foot section was depressed. He pushed it upward as it disappeared into the wall.

Inside were several fireproof containers which he pulled out and set to the side. One of which, a long thin container, he held up and opened. Set in black plush were two wands he had won from Voldemort, his wand's twin and the Elder wand. They were set aside soon after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry's reluctance to battle every would-be contender for control of the fabled wand led him in the decision not to use it at all. However, the situation being what it was gave him reason to introduce its power onto the scene.

He slid the wand into the sheath inside the fold of his duster, closed the box and returned Voldemort's yew wand in the wall recess. Another box was opened and he withdrew two rolled up bundles of British pounds in case he came across the need in Ireland. Moving onto a third he withdrew a sack of galleons, a fourth, his moleskin pouch, and a fifth his invisibility cloak. Storing all of them away in his duster he replaced the boxes into the recess and closed the open portion of the wall and pulled the chest of drawers back into its original position. After securing the bureau drawer and activating the security charm once more he turned and left the room.

In the kitchen he found Su Li, Hannah, and Padma waiting for him. Padma was leaning against the hearth, her eyes downcast to the cold fireplace. Hannah sat on the couch with her legs crossed examining her nails, or she was deep in thought, Harry couldn't tell which. Su Li was staring expectantly at the hallway that Harry had emerged from. Her eyes widened slightly and a sly smile graced her lips.

"Nice coat," she said announcing his return.

Harry's confidant stride led him to the middle of the room. He didn't have to call attention to himself because the other girls were already staring.

"I know I'm spinning my wheels here, but I have to say it."

Padma arched an eyebrow in curiosity, and Hannah stood with interest.

"This is my fight. This thing is coming for me so if …"

Padma let loose a frustrated breath of air. "Harry, shut up."

Tension released in his chest that had been present all morning and he met her eyes in silent thanks. She held his gaze for a few moments and then cocked her head expectantly.

With a smile Harry proceeded. "Come on into the kitchen. I need a drink."

He opened a cabinet when the girls seated themselves at the small breakfast table, withdrew a bottle of Firewhiskey and four small glasses.

"It's been Hastur all along," he began.

Padma's face set in mild confusion.

"I don't think we will ever find out exactly why the Hounds chose the Officers of the Order to kill every seventy years. My guess is some freaked out wizard thought it would be fun or profitable to call them to do a little hit on the officers. Check me if I'm wrong here, Padma."

He set the glasses on the table and unscrewed the cap off the bottle. "The original reason the order was formed, way back when, was to add to the King's political base, yeah?"

Padma nodded.

"So for every new knight he made there was another voice in the House of Lords." Pouring the Firewhiskey he continued. "Was the Royal Wizard part of the political scene?"

She shrugged. "I suppose. It was hard not to be in those days." After a pregnant pause her gaze hardened. "Are you saying that you think it was he that started all of this?"

Harry shrugged. "My best guess? No Muggle would know what to do, and the most powerful wizard in the area is closest to the victims. He obviously didn't want to kill the King, and what easier way is there to reduce the amount of voices in the House of Lords than to take out some of its members."

"Then what about the reoccurrence every seventy years?" she inquired with a small amount of speculation.

Harry tossed back his glass, wincing slightly at the burning in his throat. "You know how these things work. Once invoked, rituals have a way of sometimes getting out of hand." The bottle clinked against the glass when it was refilled. "By summoning the Hounds he made it possible to for Hastur to get a foothold in this reality again. Each time …"

Padma's hand slapped down on the table. "The hearts!"

Harry nodded and smiled when she got it. "The source of life; the human heart. The officers were supposedly the most powerful, influential, and honorable of the choices. The Hounds had a taste on the first run and when Hastur smelled out the weakness in the Planer Gate he made his move. Seventy years is an eye-blink to him. Maybe it's how long it takes to use the power he gained from the hearts to force open the crack a little more. But every time it rolls around here come the Hounds to do his bidding and charge up the inter-dimensional battery."

"Then you came along," she stated flatly.

Harry slid his gaze down to the shot glass and spun it around slowly.

Padma looked over at Hannah and Su then back to Harry. "Why are we going to Ireland?"

"The big dick," he answered.

"The Stone of Fal."

Harry pursed his lips and nodded. "We need something big. The Spear and the Sword proved their worth. Holy items are the only thing I know of that might give us a chance against this thing." At that he looked up in worry. "The Cauldron?"

Padma reached down to her belt and its many pockets to withdraw the small cauldron. "What do you have planned, Harry?"

He took Dagda's Cauldron and replaced it in his duster. "I'm going to fuck Hastur with the big holy dildo right up his evil immortal ass."

O_o

On the hill of Tara, in County Meath, on the Isle of Ireland they stood looking around. Rich green grass covered a tall hill that overlooked the flatlands of East-Central Ireland. They stood in the middle of the Forradh or what was otherwise once known as the Royal Seat, the circular fort of the High King of Ireland. There, of course, wasn't any noticeable remains of the ancient fort; only a large semi-spiral impression in the ground noted where the High King made his rule. A dozen or so tourists roamed the area looking at a solitary grave marker and the areas where once stood a thriving kingdom.

"Thirty-nine hundred years ago the Tuatha De Danann brought forth four treasures…" Padma began before Harry interrupted.

"What the hell?" he said in disgust.

Harry's companion spun around. "What?"

"What's that?" He pointed at a raised stone barely a meter in height.

"It's the Stone of Fal."

Harry rolled his eyes and groaned. "We are so fucked."

"What?" Padma asked in confusion.

He turned to face her. "The picture you showed me looked like this thing was fifty feet tall or something not this pre-Christian appeal for Viagra."

"It is kinda small," commented Hannah.

Su Li walked up and put her hand on it, testing its stability. "I think this is definitely one of those times that size really does matter."

Harry cracked his neck in frustration. "Hannah, Su, lay down Muggle Repelling Charms, and Notice-Me-Not charms. We need to clear this area out." He looked around a sighed. "And what's with all the damn sheep!"

"Harry, calm down."

He shook his head. "No, Padma. I came here to find the Stone of Fal and instead what we get is the Stone of Fail."

At the application of the Muggle Repelling Charm several tourists that were at different area's of the Hill suddenly found something else more important to do and started shuffling off the parts unknown. Padma studied the Stone for a few minutes while Harry paced around looking at the site for the final confrontation.

"Harry," called Padma. "Can you levitate the stone? We need to move it."

He stopped and looked up. "Is it that heavy."

"About four hundred pounds," she estimated. "It's got to be atop the Mound of the Hostages."

Harry looked to where she pointed. About two hundred yards to the north was a mound about sixty feet wide standing about ten feet high. His eyes narrowed and his mind figured the possibilities. "It that thing hollow?"

Padma looked at him with reservation. "It's a burial mound, Harry."

He shrugged in thought. "We might be using it for that exact purpose tonight if things don't go as I'd like."

She waved away his pessimism. "The Stone, Harry."

"Oh, right."

He pulled out the Elder Wand, swished, flicked, and silently cast the Charm. The Stone of Fal rose two feet off the ground and Harry walked it across the lush green grass. When they arrived at the Mound of the Hostages he trudged up the southern slope.

"Anywhere in particular?"

"As close to the middle as you can get it," instructed Padma.

He looked from side to side and then back to front. Scooting over and up a few feet he lowered the Stone.  "What difference does it make where …"

A tremor shook the ground and Harry was knocked down before he knew what was happening. The Stone pushed him out of the way as it grew in width and height. He quickly crab-walked away and looked up in surprise and a certain amount of awe. The Stone of Fal stopped growing at about thirty feet high and fifteen feet wide. The additional weight made the ground give way slightly securing the stone in a two or three foot setting.

"Now that is what I'm talking about!"

Hannah and Su arrived seconds later at a run. "What happened?" Su asked in excitement.

Harry grinned and got to his feet. He dug into his duster and pulled out a roll of bank notes and his bag of galleons. "Su, I need you to go to Diagon Alley and pick up a few supplies. Hannah, see that town over there?"

She turned and looked at what laughably could be considered a small village in the distance. "Yeah."

He handed her a few bills and sent her off for supplies as well.

As the Auror's Apparated away Padma inquired, "What was all of that about?"

Harry's tooth filled grin reappeared for the first time in days. "Just a little surprise I'm going to cook up just in case I have a chance."

O_o

The afternoon eased through with a cool breeze and clear skies as the four of them picnicked and enjoyed what each of them expected to be their last day on Earth. Hannah and Su disappeared for a few hours to set their individual affairs in order should the worse come to worst. Harry thought that they actually snuck off to have an afternoon delight which was what he had in mind for his youthful companion.

"Want to make some good use of the Mound?" he asked Padma adding a slight waggle to his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes in return. "Is it possible for you to be any more romantic? We are sitting atop one of the most beautiful places in the country. The sun is shining, the grass is soft and bug free, the wine we had for lunch is mostly gone, and you present a last chance for a memorable day as 'wanna boink on the mound?'"

Harry looked at her in revulsion. "Huh? I thought we could maybe set up a spear-filled trap or something for tall, dark, and tentacled." He shrugged nonchalantly. "But if all you have on your mind is sex … well far it be for me to deny a lady her fondest desire."

He watched as she squirmed at being called out so he pressed on. "I do have one request though, you have to keep on the batgirl costume. I mean if you are going to take advantage of me like this, in front of the sheep, and all."

Padma's frustration reached its peak. "Harry!"

He blinked. "What?"

She took a deep, calming breath. "Tonight one or all of us will most likely die a most horrible death at the … hands of an unspeakable evil. Can you please do me a favor and reject everything in your demented mind for an hour and just be slightly romantic and caring?"

Harry's face fell and he looked around to make sure nobody was watching then he turned his head back to her. "Just for one hour?"

She eyed him with suspicion and then looked down between his legs in question. "Okay, fifteen minutes. That should be more than enough time. We'll probably even have time for a cigarette after."

Mischief ran across his face. "Oh Ho Ho! Just for that, you're on top; enough of this 'deeper Harry, deeper Harry.' I'm just gonna lay there and sweat."

o_O

"Deeper, Harry! Deeper, Harry!"

"You're on top. Push down harder, dammit!" he snarled. "Bloody hell! Owww!"

O_o

Padma paced back and forth atop the Mound of the Hostages watching as the last remnants of the sun disappeared on the horizon. Harry exited the ancient burial crypt limping slightly and shot an annoyed look at his partner.

She smiled back. "Everything okay?"

His eyes narrowed. "They're bruised."

"Sorry," she said with a wince.

Two cracks of Apparition sounded back in the circle where they originally arrived signaling Hannah and Su's return. Harry's slight limp caused concern in both the girls.

"What happened?" Su asked as she looked for signs of a battle that they might have missed.

Harry waved them off topic. "You two have fun?"

Hannah stiffened slightly, but Su nodded eagerly with a bright, satisfied smile. She saw her friend's reluctance and elbowed her lightly in the side. "Relax, Hannah. Harry knows."

The blonde's, normally pale, cheeks reddened. She turned around wrapping her cloak around her body and shuffled off. Su took a noticeable breath and sighed. "Be nice to her, Harry. She still coming to terms with liking girls too."

Harry's mouth unhinged a little, but he recovered quick enough. "I'm always nice to Hannah… even if I have visions of threesomes and foursomes dancing in my head; then I'm especially nice."

Su sent him a scathing look. "Do we have to do this now?"

His eyebrows waggled and he thumbed over his shoulder. "There's a pretty roomy Celtic crypt back there if you're in a hurry."

Before Su was able to go unhinged on Harry's perversions he held up a hand. His eyes rolled upward and he cocked his head. "I'll have to take you up on your offer after we kill this thing, Su."

Su's head shot up to the sky for she now heard the sound. "What is that?"

Harry's face turned grim. "Something we missed last night. Hannah! Padma! Everyone get to the big dick!"

They scrambled to put the Stone of Fal to their backs as the sound above them increased. WHOMP WHOMP. The feeling of dread Harry remembered from his dream returned.

"Harry," Hannah almost yelled with a shaky voice. "Don't you think we'd be safer somewhere ... I don't know… maybe like inside?

He kept his eyes to the sky, searching for what he knew would be the cause of his future nightmares. "Not much room in there after the set up. Maybe one or two people could fit. Go ahead if you want."

"There it is!" Padma yelled.

Harry jerked his head to the direction her finger was pointing. "Su, you're the sharpshooter. Take it out!"

Su Li stepped out maybe a foot away from the Stone and brought her wand to bear. She saw the shadowy figure flying about two hundred yards out. Extending her left arm straight toward the beast with her fingers following its path, she narrowed her eyes and shifted her weight, taking a determined step forward. Her right arm whipped around and jabbed along the aimed line. "Percucio!"

A red stream of light shot out and raced faster than the human eye could reasonably track, but they knew immediately that her aim was true. I loud shriek sounded in the distance. The creature jerked in the air and then spiraled toward the ground. A few seconds later it was out of sight in the darkness.

"Yes!" she yipped and grinned widely as she spun around doing a victory dance.

Harry released a relieved breath. "I think I just came."

A strong breeze of wind whooshed by causing then all to duck in response. He knew it was only the beginning.

"Light'um up!"

Hannah swirled her wand upward, a flame whip shot out and snapped in the air above.

"Solarus!" Padma yelled to the sky shooting a ball of light a hundred feet up where it broke apart and shot in multiple directions lighting up the sky all around.

"Oh hell," Harry whispered to himself. Hundreds littered the sky obliterating the stars behind. "Su, you and I with Fiendfyre. Hannah, Padma, keep them off of us!

A moment later the sky was awash with cursed flame. After fifty yards the lead of Su's stream took the form of a giant raven and chased Byakhee after Byakhee through the air snapping at their hindquarters, cutting them in twine, and incinerating others that had the misfortune to meet the living flame head on. Harry's flame shot straight up scattering some of the damned creatures while turning others that weren't fast enough instantly into blackened ash.

He took a couple of steps forward trusting that Padma would keep his back. He felt the energy draining from him as he continued to pour forth more and more of the cursed flame. Su had stopped feeding the flame only after a few seconds and was sending it in an erratic pattern through the thickest of the Byakhee. Harry had kept on, trying to make his flame as big as possible. Eventually, feeling the strain, he stopped the feeding and staggered. With his concentration broken he shook his head to clear out the blackness that was squeezing in on him. It wouldn't do to pass out at the beginning of the battle, he thought.

Hearing Padma's screams woke him back to the situation. Looking up he saw the flaming head of a giant serpent heading straight toward him. Raising his wand toward his creation he send forth his concentration through the Elder Wand and watched as it veered back upward into the mass of buzzing Byakhee.

Su jumped backward slamming into the Stone of Fal, as Hannah's flame whip snapped in front of her face decapitating one of the braver creatures trying in vain to attack their enemy.  

The sound of the creature's wings increased making it hard to hear their own voices. Shrieks sounded way too close as Harry directed the cursed flame back down toward them, having it encircle the Stone in an inverted whirlpool of burning death. The heat was incredible and he widened the circle. Hannah fell back and extinguished her whip only to turn to follow the flame upward with her eyes to see several Byakhee landing atop the Stone and crawling their way quickly down.

Several black multi-faceted eyes focused on her from the single head. Its maw opened dripping grey ichor, and she saw its serrated teeth.  Terror froze her when the Byakhee made a leap toward its prey.

A burst of invisible force banished the creature into Harry's Fiendfyre and Hannah was broken from her stupor. Anger took hold of her and she jabbed her wand upward at another that was quickly making its way down. Knocking the creature upward with a strong Banishment Charm it collided with three more and they fell into the cursed fire.

Harry's concentration was at its limit. "Everyone back against the stone!"

With a last bit of effort he rapidly expanded the coils outward taking out a number of them that were vying for a chance to attack from above before the Fiendfyre extinguished itself. He dropped to his knees exhausted. A lance of pain made itself known from his chest at his labored breathing.

THOOM!

The ground shook knocking Padma and Hannah off their feet. Su only stood because she was firmly pressing her back on the Stone.

THOOM!

"Earthquake!" Su screamed.

Padma looked around in panic. "The Byakhee … they're gone!"

THOOM!

Harry looked around. "That's no earthquake." He took to his feet and staggered around the Stone of Fal. Less than a mile away he watched as any artificial light was extinguished in a circular pattern.

"Padma, I need a flare."

Obeying her order Padma waved her wand back and lashed it forward. "Solarus!"

The familiar ball of light shot out and centered itself high over the darkness before exploding and lighting up the night sky. Harry swallowed, wincing against the dryness of his throat. "Well, that's a little bit bigger than I expected."

THOOM!

"What the hell is making that noise?" Su spat.

Hannah took hold of her lover's arm. "I think it's its feet."

Harry looked stunned. "It has feet? Then what are those flipper things?"

Padma shook her head. "I'm more worried about those tentacles."THOOM!

"Last call for alcohol," Harry sniped. He reached into his duster and pulled out a silver flask. After unscrewing the top he took a long pull and passed it to Padma. She didn't even bother to sniff at the opening before tossing back a mouthful and swallowing. Su was next and then Hannah.

Harry took another sip and then screwed the top back on.

THOOM!

"I need all of you on the south end of the hill," he stated flatly. "If things go balls up you need to alert the Ministry."

"They already know, Harry," Hannah informed him. "Su and I filed a report with Kingsley before we came back."

Harry rolled his eyes. "And, of course, we are all by ourselves out here in the middle of nowhere. Nice."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Cocking his head to the side he saw Su give him a reassuring smile. "We're with you, Harry."

THOOM!

Hastur's advance seemed to be making good progress. The ground shook with each step … or whatever it was taking. Harry looked back to where the original place they Apparated in and then back to Hastur's bulk  in the dimming light of the flare.

"We need to lure him directly over the Stone. I can adjust, but it would make it a hell of a lot easier if it would cooperate."

Padma tapped her wand on her thigh. "And how, exactly, are we supposed to direct a thousand ton monster in any direction, much less the way we want?"

Harry's lips thinned. "Bait."

o_O

"A little more to the left," Harry yelled as Su levitated him to the top of the Stone of Fal. "Okay, about a foot higher."

Once he was centered he braced himself. "Okay drop me!"

The Levitation Charm ceased and he dropped. The second his boots touched the surface a deep rumbling sounded within the Stone of Fal, the Stone of Destiny. A rejuvenating jolt shot through Harry's body and a keening whine sounded, growing louder each second until he thought surely that every person in Ireland was alerted to what was happening. The whine changed to a loud roar shaking the ground.

The girls held their hands over their ears and were backing away from the Stone when it started emitting a golden white glow. The sound, however, didn't bother Harry. Instead he seemed to feed off of it. All fear of the coming battle left him. All weariness fell from him. Setting one foot to the side he looked out over the hill to Hastur in all of its nightmarish bulk. Tentacles waved in the air, several hideous maws opened and closed, splattering ichor all over, several fifty foot appendages with pincher-like protrusions snapped hundred year old trees like they were toothpicks. All of mans unimagined horror made up the creature before him.

Harry should have run screaming. Instead he cocked one knee and leaned forward.   

"Come and get some, baby."