I'm finally back….did I die or something? Here you go…
And the Forest Grew at Night
The fireplace at Hogwarts gleamed brightly against the headmaster's silver trophies and glass cases, like a romantic dance of light. And the old headmaster himself, strung and withered glanced at a frantic letter composed by a rather unpredictable creature. It was soggy, scribbled with fainting ink and blotched with the slime from the most repulsive of places. Upon the arrival of another owl, much more pristine than the other, Albus Dumbledore called together the Order in a rush to save innocent lives. A tear threatened to tremble down his cheek, but he knew he had to take his own initiatives to not abandon the soul involved in power's greedy hold.
"We have to do WHAT?" exclaimed Ron, nervously eyeing the rat-faced creature sniveling in front of him. He turned to Hermione for reinforcement. She bore the identical expression.
"Stupid boy!" Peter growled. "It is how I said it is!! You do what I tell you and that will get you out of here, do you understand me?"
"But the manner is odd!" Hermione squeaked. "I've never done that charm on a person!"
Peter rolled his eyes, gaining much more confidence than they had ever seen him have. "Foolish! A charm is a charm regardless. I need to make sure you dolts don't screw this up! Potter's life debt cannot risk this failure! Do you understand?"
They did. It was an odd one. They were to be led out, hidden beneath a cover for a wagon bearing the load of the dead in the dungeons. Dead were dead. Once reaching the area of burial outside the forest, then were to use the Shrinking Charm to become ant-like in size.
"The portkey will be ready. In such a small size the magic will not locate or detect you. Your headmaster will be awaiting your return."
Ginny was terrified. They were leaving Harry?
"He's coming with us!" Ron ordered loudly, indicating to Harry lying on his stomach in the other cell. "We're not going without him."
Pettigrew sneered and chirped irritably, "You have no choice! It was decided by Potter himself and will be carried out as he says. I owe him nothing else!"
Ron seethed in anger. "Nothing else? That's all you can say? I think you owe him more than what you can ever give, you good-for-nothing rat!"
"ENOUGH!"
The room fell silent and the drip drip of the water triumphed yet again. It was settled.
A gentle touch woke Harry from the darkness in which he was sleeping. Was it his mother tugging him into the afterlife at last? Was it his imagination? A female called his voice softly.
"Harry, we've come to say goodbye. Dumbledore will be on the way soon!"
"Hermione?" he whispered.
"Thank you, Harry. We wouldn't be able to get out of here without you. We are indebted to you. I just wish you could come with us!"
Harry shook his head. "I'm too weak, and I will just slow you down. I need you three out, not me. Peter wouldn't go that far, I know that. I could only save you."
Hermione said nothing. The dripping inside the cave echoed in the silence, and only her soft hands caressing his back gave him comfort. If they could escape, then everything would be fine. It was all he could manage, and he had hoped that it was all they needed.
"You will be saved too, Harry," she whispered. "We won't leave you in a place like this for long. I promise you."
Harry smiled a little and closed his eyes. "Knowing Dumbledore, I won't count on it." He laughed and Hermione's face twisted into one as well. Even with all he suffered through he could tell jokes. "Where is Ron and Ginny?"
"Here, mate," Ron's voice echoed softly. "We owe you everything."
"He's right" replied sweet Ginny.
The memories that came back to his mind were of Ron. He could sense the guilt from him even now, and the horrible feelings of remorse and animosity brewing like an old potion deep inside. Ron's face now was streaked with dirt, hiding the eyes of a tired being that loathed itself. Harry's heart softened.
"It wasn't your fault, Ron. I know it was them that made you hurt me. You're too good of a friend to do that."
Ron's face fell into his hands, "Oh, merlin, don't mention that, please."
Harry tried to get up but his body felt numb. It seemed as if his body was already giving up on him, but he didn't want his friends to realize this. He had to remain lying down.
"Want help, Harry?" asked Ginny timidly. He felt her grab his arms, but he resisted. "No?"
"I don't need to sit up, I'm fine here." It was a hasty remark, but he hoped it went unnoticed. Hermione knew, of course. What didn't she know?
The steel creaked down the black hallway where a faint white light bobbed in the distance. It was time to escape from the pits of the dungeon. Creak, creak, creak. There was the death cart. It was stopping for its victims they had heard screaming throughout the night, and whimpering in the darkness. Would these haunting sounds ever leave them?
Hermione gasped and clutched Harry's hand harder than before. She had an idea.
"Harry! I know how to get you out of here! I know we can do it!" Her excitement alarmed the others and sent confusion in Harry.
"What do you mean, Hermione?" Ron wondered in a whisper. "The deal was just for us…"
"No! See, Harry, what we do is simple. I can do a Switching Charm to have something look like you. Then as we are taken away on the cart, we can already perform the Shrinking Charm on you so you fit in our pockets!! You don't have to die here alone, or suffer humiliation by Voldemort."
"YES!" Ginny exclaimed. "We can do it! Hurry, they're coming over here soon! Perform it, Hermione, you are the best at them than any of us."
"I can't!" Harry whined. "I'm not physically able to travel. I can barely move, you guys. I'm going to die here, all right?"
"Were doing it no matter the circumstances," Hermione remarked, ignoring Harry's plea. "If you die on the way home, then you don't pass away here. We will NOT allow you to do that here. Do you understand?"
"But the agreement-,"
"To hell with the bloody agreement, Harry, you're life is more important!" Ron's response shocked everyone, but it motivated Hermione even more.
The creaking became louder, and Ginny whimpered to hurry up. They had to move it or the opportunity would be lost.
"I know you don't want to do this, Harry," said Hermione, "And I know it will hurt, but please stay with us. We will get you out."
Harry had no choice. He was weak beyond help, but they were shoving hope into him. He couldn't move to avoid the spell. He didn't even hear it with her whispering, and before he knew it she towered immensely above him like a giant. The voices sounded muffled and disfigured, as if they were different people. The whole experience was alarming. Ron found the rusted tin pan used for Harry's food, and gave it to Hermione. Immediately it turned into a sleeping form of Harry, as if nothing ever happened.
"Let's go," moaned Ron's deep voice above Harry. Hermione gently scooped little Harry from the ground and placed him gently into the pocket of her tattered robes. He wondered if they could here his tiny shrieks of pain, like the squeaks of a terrified mouse.
The creaking became louder and deafening to Harry, and he felt Hermione suddenly rise to her feet with the creaking slowly stopped in front of his cell.
"Hurry up," Peter hissed. "We have more rounds to do!"
Harry felt hesitancy in his friends. "We're supposed to lie down in there will all those…people?" Ginny's voice sounded traumatized and Harry silently pleaded with her to brave it. It would be okay.
"Hurry! Do you want to get out of here or what?"
Harry smelled the stench of decay before they even laid onto the cart. Hermione's whimpers sounded above him and once they were situated in the cart, and laying perfectly still did they move on.
"Now don't move or look at anything! You are supposed to be dead, do you hear?"
Harry was glad he was minute in size so his voice could not be heard. He was in a great deal of pain, and he felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Were the wounds in his ribs the cause of this? Hermione pushed down on the fabric where he was present to calm his squirming. She was sensing his distress. Harry only hoped that it would not be long before they were to be led outside. He knew that the dead were buried in mass graves outside of the dungeons, the Death Eaters were happy to let him know that. But how long before they reached the outside? Would it be hot? Cold? He forgot what season of the year it was already.
They creaked along the uneven road, occasionally bumping into the walls of the narrow passageway, and each time he clenched in agony. Why did they do this to him? He would have been fine to die in numbness than to deal with his bones on fire.
Creak, creak, creak.
They paused now and again to retrieve other lost souls, which in reality weren't that many. Two more bodies joined the wagon, and Ron's moan could be heard slightly as one landed on his body.
Creak, creak, creak
The cart came to a halt suddenly and Harry bared his teeth. What was going on?
"No, sir," he heard Peter mutter, "Just making my rounds, as usual. What was in that food you had me serve Potter's friends? They are all DEAD! Didn't you know they were a great bribe for Dumbledore?"
Harry didn't recognize the Death Eater, but he was obviously in charge. "Are you kidding? All three of them?"
"All three! It was ridiculous! I saw Potter lying in his cell just now. He's gonna go soon too, you know. Better tell the Master."
"Let me see the brats!"
Hermione immediately tensed up and Harry wished that she wouldn't. Unless she was faking Rigor Mortis, he didn't think the Death Eater would believe she was dead. Hands were digging around the cart and it came close to grazing Harry and most likely causing him to scream. He kept his mouth sealed shut and the pain pushed away. He hoped they could pass this and escape! Would he find out?
"They don't look like they have been dead long."
"Well, good for them," Peter responded hastily. "Now if you don't mind, Warner, I need to get these vermin out. If I don't they stink up the place."
"Don't talk that way with me, Wormtail. Stanley may listen to you but you're just a smelly rat yourself. Get them out of here and report to the Dark Lord when you are finished."
As he left Peter mocked his voice and carried on with the job he was given. Harry relaxed and gave a sigh of relief. They were moving on.
"Don't you kids think that just because I'm doing this I'm changing my ways. The Dark Lord has given me more privileges than ever. And ever since Snape tried to dispose of me, which the Dark Lord himself protected me from. I have his rank of a true loyal Death Eater. He wanted to see if he could trust Snape, but then of course he got himself killed, the idiot."
No one said anything because the cart halted once again and the sound of a door opening made the effort of talking useless. They had made it. The sound of stone vanished, and now they could tell they were treading on grass and mud. It had been raining.
Peter parked the cart next to a hanging tree and began removing the dead off of Ron and Ginny. "Now you need to perform that Shrinking Charm. This tree will hide your movement, but you must do the charm. We are being watched out here by the guards near the entrance."
"Thank you, Peter," Ginny whispered.
He hissed in rage. "What did I say about that? This means nothing to me!"
"Thanks anyway."
Hermione tapped Harry once more for reassurance, and he felt her rise slightly with her wand. He suddenly wondered where she had gotten it. Had Peter given it to her back in the dungeons? He had completely forgotten about how she could have transfigured him.
Hermione muttered the spell and it was muffled in the pocket, but Harry heard the others suddenly shrink and their voices became normal again.
"This is bizarre!!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.
Peter ignored them and started removing bodies again. Harry understood this was their indication to leave. "Come on," Hermione said. "Let's find the portkey. It's behind the tree here."
Peter casually held his hand out, then pretending to pick something up off the ground. The three of them leaped off his grubby hands and scrambled for the item that would take them back to freedom. A tin cup was placed before them as they rounded the tree, and Hermione took their hands. She was the first to touch it, and in a whirlpool of white, Harry found himself spinning and being sucked into another dimension, it seemed. Ginny screamed in fear, but it was barely heard, and before Harry knew it the sensation stopped, and he knew they were finally home.
