A/N: Sorry for the long delay! I've been dreadfully busy with college and other things life decides to hurl at me. So this chapter is pretty transitional, not much happens. I tried to keep it fairly brief, and hopefully next chapter will see more action :)

Chapter 4: The Board is Set

Orcus used the tip of his dagger to pry a pomegranate seed from its fleshy fruit, before lifting it delicately to his lips. "So you're telling me this witch, this little chit of a girl, has the Flute in her possession? And she is trying to come find me?" He pursed his lips mockingly. "Well, this should be entertaining."

The demon standing stiffly before him allowed himself a small smile. It had been too long since his master had found a plaything, he knew. Orcus had been getting dangerously close to being bored.

"Yes, my Lord," he said, watching Orcus closely. "And she is coming even closer as we speak."

"Ah, good, very good, Ravanok." He closed his eyes a moment, savoring the sweet taste of the seed. Then Orcus abruptly snapped his eyes open and pushed his chair back. "Well then," he said brightly, carelessly tossing the pomegranate back onto the platter. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer, the god strode from the dining hall, black robes billowing behind. The demon followed his master at a slower pace. Ravanok knew how Orcus liked to play his little games with mortals; he enjoyed them himself, certainly, and had assisted Orcus on many occasions. But this one was different, he felt...there was a fire in this human's eyes. Well, he thought, running his tongue along sharp teeth, that would just be more fun for him. He liked playing with fire.

Orcus made his way swiftly through his castle, knowing intimately every loose flagstone, every hidden corridor and nook. At last, he arrived at his garden, a grim and wild-looking place with twisted vines and ivy and tall, gnarled trees. Rock formations surrounded a pool of clear water in which dwelt no life of any kind. He bent to it, and let his fingers trail over the surface, gazing intently into the depths.

"Show me, my sweet, show me the girl," commanded the god softly. His eyes narrowed. "Show me this 'Hermione Granger'.

For a moment, the waters remained still. Then ripples appeared, flowing out from Orcus' hand, and Ravanok leaned forward for a better look.

A girl appeared, lying in the snow by a small fire. She held a wooden flute to her lips, and, eyes closed, was playing a soft, plaintive melody. Then the song began to change, growing darker and harder, as shapes swirled over the snow...

The waters shivered, and another image swam up.

"A flea, the universe, what does it matter?" asked the girl, a smirk forming around her lips. "I'd rather you tell me what I am, anyway..."

The Three cackled, and then one asked sharply, "Will you die for the man who is dying?"

A cloud passed over the girl's face, before a grim determination settled over her features. "Yes. If it meant I could save him, I'd give my life--"

There was another movement in the water. This vision seemed blurred strangely, as though unwilling to appear through the water that forced it. Though he made no movement, beads of sweat pearled on the god's brow.

The girl was sleeping, curled and limp on the snow, a thick cloak covering her form. She was accompanied by a woman, red-haired and fair, who rested a white hand on the girl's brow, soothing her into a deep dreamless sleep...

When the vision disappeared, Orcus knelt for a moment, perfectly still. Ravanok wisely kept his silence until his master spoke softly.

"So she's getting involved in this," he said quietly, his face darkening. "I had wondered if the others were up to something."

Orcus cupped the water, letting it run through his long white fingers. Ravanok watched him, still wary, as the god continued.

"The Three have found her already. And she passed their test." He snatched his hand back from the pool as though it had burned him, and rose gracefully to his feet.

The demon shrugged. "She has not mastered the Flute yet, my Lord. Nor did the Three bother to inform her of its true powers. Surely--"

"They let her go!" Orcus snapped, glaring at his servant. "Do you even know how long it's been since someone answered their questions and got away with it?"

Ravanok stepped back, respectfully bowing his head. "No, my Lord."

"Well, I do. And did you notice anything else? Anything peculiar on her hand?" He slapped his fingers on the silvery trunk of a tree. "The Ring! She has the Ring. How did she manage to find it, when I, the Lord of the Underworld, after centuries of work..." He trailed off abruptly, and fastened his gray eyes on the demon. "But no matter, no matter. Her companion will help her find her way here, and then we will have our way with her, as we always do with those mortals."

"As you command, Lord Orcus." Ravanok said softly, keeping his eyes averted.

"I do," sniffed the god, whose temper seemed to have vanished as quickly as it had sprung up. "She will give us the Ring and the Flute and her soul, and you shall enjoy her almost as much as I will. For now, however, we shall wait."

"Yes," answered Ravanok, smiling grimly in answer to the sudden predatory gleam in the god's eyes. "We shall wait."

Hermione awoke at the first light, feeling warm and well-rested. Yawning, she pulled herself to a sitting position, glancing around.

She jumped when her eyes lit on the tall woman with flaming hair, who was seated a few yards away, stroking a white and tawny owl. "Oh! Who are--what are you doing here?" Hermione stuttered.

The lady turned, and Hermione was suddenly met with vivid sea-green eyes. She smiled. "I am glad you're finally awake. Sleep well?"

"I...yes, thank you, as well as can be expected." Hermione watched the woman warily. She didn't seem a threat, and, Hermione wryly thought, if the woman had meant to harm her, she would have done so while she was sleeping. Not wanting to give offense, but needing answers all the same, she chose her next words carefully, palming the wand she had stowed in her sleeve. "It is good to see another person in this wild place; but who are you? Where are you journeying to?"

"You can call me Briony," said the woman, smiling warmly. "You're right, Hermione, it is lonely in these woods, and dangerous besides. It is safer, I think, to travel in numbers."

Hermione returned the smile cautiously. Briony seemed benevolent enough, though Hermione didn't miss her her evasion of the second question. And she was more than slightly unsettled that Briony somehow knew her name. Shrugging, she pulled some bread and fruit from her haversack, and a flask of water. Still no reason not to be friendly.

"Care for some breakfast?" Hermione offered.

Soon Briony and Hermione were companionably sitting by a merry fire with toast, apple, and a spicy, warming tea. While eating, Hermione decided that, whoever Briony really was, she was willing to accept her help. The woman seemed to know much of living in the wild, and more, she felt...good. Hermione had caught no bad vibes or sinister intentions, and she trusted her instincts. They were usually right.

They set out immediately after eating. Hermione had revealed nothing of her quest...yet Briony seemed to know which direction to go, and simply expected Hermione to follow. Despite her bookworm tendencies, Hermione was quickly realizing that Briony knew way more about...well, everything than Hermione did. And she was wicked observant, often pointing out wild animals Hermione would never have seen, and half of which she did not even recognize. She seemed constantly alert, her sea-green eyes noting the easiest paths, quirking her head every now and again to listen to the noises of the forest.

At noon, the companions halted briefly by a stream for a midday meal. Briony opened her cloak slightly to check on her owl, whom she had stowed safely in her pocket. The bird had been napping contentedly, nestled against the warmth of Briony's side; now, he blinked his eyes crossly in the daylight.

Briony chuckled. "Just checking on you, no need to glare at me, Argos." The owl eyed her balefully. "Alright, alright, go back to sleep, I won't bother you again."

"He's beautiful," Hermione remarked, fascinated by his eyes, which appeared to match those of his mistress. "I've never seen that coloring in an owl."

The woman pulled her cloak more snugly about her shoulders, still smiling. "Don't let Argos hear you complimenting him, Hermione; his head is too big as it is." Whispering confidentially, she added, "I rather agree with you, though. He is quite an unusual bird."

"How so?" Hermione asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"As grumpy as he likes to be sometimes, Argos is utterly loyal to me. And he can signal me when the darkness approaches."

Hermione twisted her fingers in her lap. "I had a cat. Crookshanks. He hated everyone but me," she said, smiling sadly at the recollection.

Briony nodded sympathetically, bright eyes intent upon the girl.

"And he was very clever. He knew things Ro--my friends and I didn't."

"Animal wisdom," said Briony, tilted her head thoughtfully. "There are some who believe people can someday gain enough human knowledge to remember the animals' wisdom."

Hermione perked up. "How do you mean?"

"It begins with an understanding of the facts, cold hard science. And then, once you learn as much as you can that way, your comprehension expands, eventually transcending empirical evidence. You become aware of everything as it is nothing."

Hermione frowned. "Everything as it is nothing? How is that possible?"

The woman seemed far off for an instant. "Perhaps you will understand, in time. The universe is contained inside a single grain of sand; one could not exist without the other." Briony gathered her pack and stood, eying her sternly, "But we digress. You don't have much time, Hermione."

The girl copied the woman's example in silence, mulling over the strange statement. How much did this woman know?

After washing their hands in the freezing water of the stream, they resumed their journey, walking, walking, walking through the endless trees.

Severus Snape was eating supper, feeling restless as a caged hydra. He had spent much of the day brooding, and the rest of it reading. But no matter how he tried to take his mind off things, he could not sit back and let others do the dirty work. No, he had always been a man of action.

So he had asked the chest for books, on every subject that might help. Now the old tomes, dozens of them, were stacked in untidy piles throughout the cabin. Yet still, his search thus far was fruitless.

He began pacing slowly. He was still weak, but old habits died hard. How could he have let Hermione go? She was brilliant, yes, but innocent still. She hadn't even graduated from Hogwarts, and now she was taking on an impossible quest, on an impossible hope that she might save him. He harrumphed. What was it with her and saving people?

Severus carded his fingers through his hair wearily. At least she had had some experience on impossible quests; Potter and the youngest Weasley boy had carted her off on various harebrained schemes over the years. He shuddered to think what might have happened to the boys without her influence.

Well, he thought grimly, at least he had a means of checking up on her.

He went to the wooden chest, concentrating on his need for scrying materials. When he lifted the lid, a gleaming silver basin filled to the brim with clear water met his eyes, and he smirked. Thank Merlin for Albus' brilliance.

Taking care not to spill, Severus carried the basin to the table, where he sat and closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing his muscles and clearing his mind. When he felt ready, the man placed his left hand on the pendant that hung about his neck, his right fingers lightly upon the water. "Fiat veritas," he murmured. "Fiat veritas, fiat veritas."

Opening his eyes, Severus let his mind sink, entranced, into the water.

He saw Hermione, laughing, munching on an apple. She was swathed in that heavy cloak she had set out in, and seemed to be speaking with someone. Frowning, Severus bent closer to the water, squinting at the tall red-haired figure.

His eyes widened.

"It cannot be..." He breathed. Shaking his head, he said softly, "Well, I suppose even she sees something in you, Hermione. And that's something."

Feeling marginally better, Severus withdrew from the vision. Wishing he had a wand, Severus fetched a rough cloth to cover the basin, and then slid under the covers of his bed.

Perhaps there was some hope, after all.

But that night his dreams were dark and murky, his head filled with the sinister voices of the Shadows he knew too well. He saw a flame in the night, burning bright, but the Shadows were circling like crows, and he could feel their power growing. In the clutches of his nightmare, Severus cried a desperate warning to Hermione, to the flame, to his only hope--

And then the darkness fell upon him.

Caught in sleep, Hermione shifted and turned, unable to find peace. When she awoke, she remembered nothing of her dreams, but felt infused with a sudden urgency. She looked at the woman sleeping deeply a few feet away, and bit her lip. She had been so quick to trust her...did she really know as much as Hermione expected? Or was it simply Hermione's desire for someone to give guidance that made her perceive Briony as such?

A frown creased her brow as Hermione rose and went to sit on one of the boulders away from camp. It was bizarre, inexplicable, but true. She needed Briony. Hermione couldn't explain how she knew, but she felt it deep in her bones. The question was why? And where was she leading them?

Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated :)

~Vanya