Chapter Ten, Battle of Volterra

It was a few hours before dawn when the wards Sirius had set went off, just two days after the runes were set. The wards he had set were in a fifty mile radius so they had time to be prepared. Emmett and Riley who were sat on either side of a sleeping Ardelle quickly woke her up telling her what was happening. "Go. I'll be right behind you." Ardelle said as she jumped out of bed. But instead of heading to the Throne room they waited for her outside of her room so she would not be taken from them if someone snuck this way.

While inside the bedroom Ardelle was quickly changing into her leather armour placing her wand to her arm holster. She added some holsters holding daggers and others holding all sorts of traps the twins, Fred and George had made all over her body. She finished the look putting on her leather boots and braiding her hair in tight french braids tucking them under the hood of her Volturi cloak; she left her room. Once Emmett and Riley caught sight of their gorgeous mate they couldn't help their jaws dropping open in shock and awe. She looked sexy and badass as hell. "Come on." She said as she ran towards the Throne room her mates right behind her.

"How far away are they?" Ardelle asked as she stalked into the room. Carlisle and Esme were rather shocked at the sudden change in the sweet girl they saw flying around on a broom. "What?" She asked when she noticed the looks not only from them but from others around the room. "I they're starring dear sister, because of the sudden change." Alec told her coming to stand on her left, Jane on her right, and emmet and Riley behind her. With the Witch twins on either side of her, to the others she looked rather much like them with how she was dressed. "They're coming to kill my family of course I'm going to fight!" Ardelle exclaimed in frustration. "I'm not going to hide away in my room like some scared little girl! My mum and dad died fighting for me and I will not lose anymore family!"

"It's okay sweetheart." Sirius said coming over to his Goddaughter holding her tightly in his arms kissing her forehead. "You're not going to lose anyone, I promise. But if we do start to lose I want you to touch Marcus' throne and it will transport you to your room sealing you in. It will only open if I touch it if I am of sound mind and body. If anyone tries to make or Polyjuiced as me try to it will not open. You know I'd never give up your location, even under torture."
"I don't want to lose you Siri. I can't go through that again! I can't!" Ardelle cried tears running down her face.

"And you won't Pup. I promise. As soon as Dumbledore steps in this threshold he's stripped of his magic and transported to the dungeons along with Edward, Bella and Alice." Sirius assured.
"Right get into positions!" Sirius shouted to those gathered and they all took off to cover every entrance of the castle waiting for the attack.

They didn't have to wait much longer as the sounds of battle could be heard throughout the castle. They had planned for the eight of them to remain in the Throne room to better protect Ardelle if anyone was able to escape the other vampires not to mention all the traps Sirius and Ardelle had set two days previous. Demetrius returned the day before in the early hours of the morning after killing Sanguine after he had extracted every ounce of information out of him and was now on the front lines with Felix, Benjamin, Garrett, Jasper and Peter. Their goal was to lead Dumbledore, Edward, Bella and Alice to the runes that would disable them and transport them to the dungeons. They have been split off into pairs to cover every entrance just in case they were to come in at different entrances from each other.

As a precaution against Edward's mind reading abilities Sirius had spent the last two days and nights carving runes into everyone's clothes so he couldn't read anyone's mind and find out their plans. He hoped they would work but only time would tell. Which is why he only told of Ardelle's escape and sanctuary to a select few, he would do anything for his pups protection. "They're in the dungeon." Sirius called our feeling the magic he had set in place go off. The door to their left suddenly burst open revealing the three Lestranges, Lucius, Dolohov and Yaxley with their wands raised though they froze when they saw Sirius standing there with bright red eyes and fangs paired in a crouch but also with his wand in hand.

"Well, well, well." Bellatrix purred obviously the leader now Voldemort was no more, she was always obsessed with him. "It seems dear cousin after shirking our family you embrace the darkness in you after all and become a vampire."
"Oh, look who it is! Itty bitty baby Potter!" Bellatrix cackled madly when she spotted Ardelle. But Ardelle just smirked at them as Alec let out his black vapour paralysing them and Jane used her power on them and she threw two daggers at them killing Yaxley and Dolohov. All the while the remaining four screamed out in pain. "Not so fun when your on the other end is it, dear cousin?" Sirius asked Bellatrix mockingly as he, Marcus, Emmett and Riley raced forward killing the reaming four, their mouths covered in their blood.

Another rune that Sirius had placed which coincided with the tune that lifted compulsion and the Imperious Curse was that if they were not there of their own free will they would be transported to the dinning hall where the family sat with Ardelle when she had her meals. Whether it would be used or not Sirius was not sure but he had a gut feeling that Remus was here and he hoped with all he had his dear old friend was not here of free will or was tricked and was safely in the dinning hall. He didn't want to think that his old time friend would try to take Ardelle away from where she was safe and happy. But he couldn't think of that now and as more wizards were pouring into the Throne room whether because the vampires out there were busy or dead they didn't know but they weren't thinking of that now.

All that was going through their minds, and all who lived permanently in Volterra was; protect Ardelle. The battle seemed to rage on for an age but in reality it was little over two hours. The speed and ferocity of the vampires insured not many if at all had survived in the first few waves. They hadn't sustained many losses on their side as they had worked as a team and Jasper's hard relentless training had paid off. The had lost Amun and his mate as they had tried to sneak away during the battle so Felix had killed them. Most surprisingly Carlisle and Esme had survived the attack from the wizards despite being slower as they drank animal blood but they had been injured from a curse but had been saved by Charlotte and Rosalie who had torn the heads off the wizards.

Marcus and Sirius had gotten their revenge on Umbridge and Fudge for the torture Ardelle had endured the previous year though they knew the scars on her hand would never go away. Emmett and Riley had protected their mate from Fenrir Greyback they had tore of his arms while Caius tore off his head. Demetri has returned with information Dumbledore had planned to use Greyback to torture Ardelle if he succeeded so they had taken great pleasure in killing the sick werewolf. As for Aro he had protected Ardelle along with Jane and Alec making sure no one got to close to her during the battle all the while ushering her slowly to Marcus' Throne at one point when it seemed they were going to lose but luckily they had traps around the room and Ardelle had threw a few of her traps she had on her person.

Once the battle was over Heidi, Felix and Demetri helped Sulpicia and Athenadora gather all the bodies of the wizards setting them outside in the courtyard to burn them. Along with Amun and his mate Kebi. Aro has been greatly disappointed when his wife has told him of the twos betrayal and attempted escape as he had wanted to torture them for their attempts to abandon his niece in her time of need. "Jane, Alec why don't you go down to the dungeons and have a little fun with our four prisoners." Aro demanded.

"Thank you Master." They says in unison racing off to the dungeons. Jane couldn't wait to use her powers on Bella now that had shield had been disabled. It was quite funny really as Edward had found his mate in Ginny but he had ignored the mate bond as he was too infatuated by Bella. Not that it mattered as Ginny had died along with her brother Ron, along with her mother and Hermione at the hands of Jasper and Peter and Edward would not last the day either. "Remus is here Pup he's in the dinning hall." Sirius said coming back into the Throne room after he had left to see if anyone had been transported to the dinning hall but it had been only Remus which Sirius was forever thankful for especially after he had questioned his friend and found out he had been placed under several compulsions.

Out of all the Weasleys and Ardelle's supposed friends only Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Molly has joined Dumbledore as they were blinded by power and greed and didn't care if Ardelle was happy living in Volterra. Unlike the other members of the Weasley family who had stayed out of the battle apart from sending traps and warnings to their friend along with Neville and Luna. They could see how happy Ardelle was living in Volterra and after finding out she had been abandoned their in first place they were very content to let her stay there. Ardelle smiled at Sirius and got out of Emmett's tight hold racing over to her Godfather who picked her up and took her to the dinning hall to Remus and away from the Throne room where it was now being used as a torture chamber.

"Remus!" Ardelle cried happily as she raced into his outstretched arms. Wrapping her arms tightly around him as he did her.
"Oh cub I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry." Remus apologised burying his head into her hair breathing in her sweet scent that was finally calming Moony down in the first time in years now that he was finally free of compulsions. He felt terrible for even listening to Dumbledore never mind he had no control but that still didn't mean he didn't feel terrible especially after Sirius had filled him in on everything that had happened. "It's okay uncle Moony." Ardelle said into his chest. "I'm just glad your here now."

"I'm not going anywhere I promise." Remus swore as Sirius joined his mate and pup as they collapsed to the floor in a heap hugging the life out of each other. Finally feeling complete for the first time since she was a baby. The pack was together again.