Chapter 9
Fifth Floor: Potions, Wands, Dark Lord Grindelwald
-.-
Hermione, Phoebe, and Paige orbed into an abandoned section of the Underworld, all three of them silently praying that the sound of Paige's orbing wouldn't have alerted anyone who might be nearby.
"Make sure nobody heard us." Hermione told Paige, who moved off to check the one of several passageways the branched off of the room.
"I still can't believe you talked me into bringing her." Hermione said to Phoebe, who was checking the condition of the vials of potions she carried in her pocket.
"She can help." Phoebe replied.
"Of course she can help." Hermione said. "But she could also die. I didn't want to risk anyone we didn't have to."
"Yet you're risking your own life by coming down here." Phoebe shot back. "Look, Mi, we need you. Voldemort, Grindelwald, we can handle them on our own. Dumbledore, though… he's a completely different story."
"I don't think anyone knows we're here." Paige said, stepping up to them.
"Alright then." Hermione said. "Let's go.
Together, the three of them set off along to dark, twisting passageways, doing their best to avoid detection. Several times they had to silently subdue a Death Eater guard, or carefully slip past a patrol. These tactics worked very well until the group reached a small chamber where at least half a dozen Death Eaters were gathered.
Hermione motioned toward a low, sloping incline that was dotted with large rocks. Together, they began to climb toward the Death Eaters, who remained oblivious to the three witches silently approaching them. Hermione stopped less than ten feet from the Death Eaters, ducking behind a large, boulder-sized rock that appeared to have fallen from the ceiling. She quietly pressed her back against the rock and lifted herself just enough so she could look over her shoulder and peek above the rock at the Death Eaters.
Ducking back down as a Death Eater glanced their way, Hermione used hand signals to tell Phoebe to pass her a potion vial. Taking a deep breath and peeking once more over the rock, she tossed the vial over the rock. It soared through the air and shattered in the middle of the group of Death Eaters. The blast that resulted blew out with the force of a small bomb. The shockwave washed over Hermione, Phoebe, and Paige, covering them with dust, smoke, and bits of rock.
After waiting several seconds, the trio slowly stood up. The Death Eaters were nowhere to be seen, having been vaporized due to their proximity to the blast.
"So much for stealth." Paige muttered.
"What in God's name was in that?" Hermione asked Phoebe, who shrugged.
"A bit of everything." Phoebe admitted, examining the seal on three more potion vials.
"What?" she asked, noticing the look Hermione was giving her.
"I didn't ask for a nuke." Hermione told her. "We could've used that on Grindelwald." Phoebe smiled.
"I've got four more." Phoebe told her. "Besides, I didn't give you the nuke. Paige has that one." Hermione glanced at Paige, who smiled innocently.
"Do I even want to know what you put in it?"
"Well, Catherine made a few suggestions." Phoebe began. "First, we…"
"Never mind." Hermione interrupted, shaking her head. "If Catherine had a hand in it, it'll blow San Francisco off of the map. Let's go."
They pressed on quickly and quietly, encountering no further resistance until they reached the Source's lair.
"Okay," Hermione said softly. "Remember to stay behind me. Don't make your move until I've got Grindelwald distracted. If he sees you coming, we'll blow it."
"Don't worry about us, Mi." Phoebe said. "We can handle it."
They slowly entered the dark, stone chamber. Grindelwald stood near the far wall with his back to them. He turned as they approached.
"Ah, Miss Granger!" He said as though he were delighted to see her. "It's quite good to see you again."
"I'd say the feeling's mutual," Hermione said. "But, you know…"
"And the Charmed Ones!" Grindelwald said, ignoring Hermione. "That's disappointing; you appear to be one witch short. I was so very much looking forward to ending the Charmed Ones all at once. Saves time, you see. Ah, well, I suppose I will have to hunt the last one down later."
"We don't plan on giving you the chance." Phoebe said sharply.
"Always so confident, aren't you?" Grindelwald mused. "Perhaps a fatal flaw on the good side?" Without warning, Grindelwald's wand appeared in his hand a flash black energy streaked away. It struck the ground at Hermione's feet and lifted all three of them into the air. Phoebe and Paige landed on the far side of the room, behind a low rock wall. Hermione had been blasted back toward to the door. She quickly scrambled to her feet and rushed into cover behind a stone pillar.
The battle began in earnest; spells crossed and crisscrossed the room. Flashes of green and red and strobes of purple of white. Explosions from missed spells blasted chunks of rock from the walls and ceiling. As a break in the fighting came, Hermione made to run to a more defensible position. A bolt of blue light caught her before she was even halfway there. She uttered a small yelp of pain and fell to the ground. Smiling, Grindelwald turned and walked over to where he knew Phoebe and Paige would be hiding. To his surprise, however, they were nowhere to be seen.
"They're already gone." Hermione said, holding a hand over her thigh, where Grindelwald's spell hand burned through her robes. The exposed skin was blackened and cracked. "They've gone for help."
"No they haven't." Grindelwald said, striding toward her and pulling her upright. "They would never abandon a friend!" Grindelwald lifted Hermione up and held her tightly in one arm and pressed his wand to her neck.
"Come out from where you're hiding or she dies!" He shouted. Across the room, Phoebe pulled an Invisibility Cloak off of herself and lowered it to the floor.
"I'm sorry, Mi." Phoebe said sadly. "He didn't leave me much choice."
"There's another!" Grindelwald roared. "There are three of you! Show yourself or they will both die!" Paige took off her own Invisibility Cloak and dropped it as well.
"A poor plan." Grindelwald told them. "Did you really think you could trick me so easily?"
"Obviously we did." Phoebe said. Both she and Paige tossed vials filled with black liquid straight at Grindelwald and Hermione. Grindelwald blasted Phoebe's out of the air, but as he turned to take down Paige's, Hermione seized her only chance. She reached up and grabbed Grindelwald's wand, knocking it off-target. Shocked by this sudden move, Grindelwald lost his grip and Hermione and she fell, unable to support herself with her injury. With seconds to spare, Hermione dragged herself behind a large rock to shield herself from the blast. The potion struck the ground and exploded. Grindelwald was engulfed in flames. Waves of fire washed over and around Hermione, who was only saved by the rock that shielded her.
When the smoke cleared, Phoebe and Paige hurried over to her.
"Not exactly according to plan." Phoebe said, as Paige began to healing process. Hermione shrugged and winced.
"I improvised." Hermione said airily.
"There you are." Paige said, lifting her hands from Hermione's wound. "Good as new."
"Thanks." Hermione said. "C'mon, let's get…" She broke off, listening. A sudden crumbling noise sounded throughout the chamber.
"You know," Phoebe said worriedly. "Perhaps we shouldn't have used such a powerful potion down here. This chamber might not be stable."
"We should go." Hermione advised, just before the ceiling collapsed.
