Chapter 10

Harry liked the cool wind that rushed past his fast. It was a strange sensation to have the wind press against his cheeks as his hair danced cheerfully in the air. He still needed a haircut. It had been a long while since he had this kind of fun and adventure, despite the fact he was on the job. The roof of the train car shook as it rode along the tracks. He turned his head and saw the man he was chasing run and jump frantically across the rooftops of the train cars. The Auror could hear the horn blaring in the distance and see plumes of smoke rise from the coal engine.

"Harry," a voice cried out from beneath him. Harry looked over the edge of he roof and saw Hermione leaning out from the back door of the caboose. "This is crazy and feels so cliché for some reason." Both her hands grasped tightly on to the poles of car. Her knuckles, and face, were white. Her hair was not as bushy and uncontrollable like it was when they younger, but the wind did have fun torturing her it.

"I know," Harry did not even try to hide his enjoyment. "It's this exciting? C'mon, lets get him." The Auror crouched down and extended an open hand to his love. The young witch bit the bottom of her lip as she contemplated her choices, but gave in and took his hand. Harry pulled her up onto the roof and helped her onto her feet. "You good?"

"Yes," her voice was shaky. "Where is he?"

Harry pointed at the small figure in front of them "He's over there." The man managed to create a gap of five car lengths between them, but he had barely covered a third of the train. It was strange for a transport train to be so bloody long.

"Wow, he's quick." Hermione yelled into his ear.

"I know," Harry shouted back as he took off after the suspect. Before jumping the gap between the caboose and the car in front of him, he looked over his shoulder for moment to see that Hermione was close behind him. The Auror was happy he had her covering his back, and he had a strange gut feeling that this was going to be more difficult than expected.

"Why are we chasing after him again?" Hermione asked, her words almost covered by the torrents of wind and whaling horn.

"We can ask him after we catch him," Harry replied playfully as he crossed over another gap. The roofs of the cars shook continuously, but that did not slow him down or frighten him. The cars were relatively wide and the roofs were leveled, providing an adequate surface if were to trip and fall. He could hear Hermione yelp and curse as they made their way up the train, even though she was in no immediate danger.

"That is really backwards thinking," Hermione argued.

"What do you mean by that? I'm looking forward to future."

"Were chasing a man for the sake of chasing him. Doesn't that concern you? We were ordered to simply observe and investigate."

"We are allowed to act on our own discretion."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Not my fault he ran."

"Yes, yes it is. You drew your wand on him and threatened to sacrifice his children in the name of bloody Merlin!"

"It's an interrogation technique."

"And why did he need to be interrogated?"

"You're just ruining the fun, now. I knew I should have brought Ron along instead."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!" Harry was not being serious, he knew Hermione was aware of this, but he could not help himself. It was just a jest. This was their way of flirting and showing appreciation for each other. Hermione was his best friend and love, and he was the same to her.

"Look out," Hermione grabbed Harry's robe to stop him. A top hatch of the car they were on opened up. A man popped his head up and he was wearing a Vanguard's mask. Harry did not hesitate for a second and took immediate action. He drew his hand and hit the unsuspecting wizard with a stunning spell. The small door fell shut as the wizard disappeared back into the car. Hermione followed suit and sealed the hatch with an enchantment.

"Thanks, love," Harry cooed as he continued their chase.

"So you keep telling me," Hermione replied, he could see her smile through the back of his head. However, the little distraction with the random wizard cost them. They made great headway in terms of catching up with their suspect, but the man had returned into one of the cars while they were occupied. Harry did not waste any time as he jumped down from the roof and descended towards the door of the car in front of him. With a flick of his wand, the door flew open before he could collide with it. The Auror landed on his feet and braced himself like a cushion when he felt Hermione land against him.

Before the couple could make their way through the cargo transport, the door opposite of them opened up. Two Vanguards were standing in the doorway with their wands drawn. Harry did not wait for them to make the first move. He quickly went on the offensive and would not allow them to get the upper hand. Hermione followed suit and they quickly fell in sync with each other. Harry was the sword while Hermione was the shield in this combination. The two Vanguard wizards were dispatched in a matter of seconds.

"Any idea of where he is?" Hermione asked as they jumped over the two unconscious bodies.

"Not yet," Harry replied as they carefully entered the next car. The contents of the transport were certainly strange and bewildering to the mind. He was finally at a loss of words, and Hermione would poke fun at him for days, but the containers distracted her too. The young wizard stopped for a moment so he could digest the scene before him. However, when Hermione bumped into him, his trance was broken, and he was returned to his senses.

"What was that?" Hermione asked as she shut the door behind them.

"I have no idea, 'Mione," Harry responded, his voice was hollow.

Harry peered through the windows of the door ahead of him. He managed to catch a glimpse of the wizard's robe being pulled up. The man was climbing back onto the blood roof. Instead of moving through the car, Harry wasted wanted to waste no time and quickly ascended the ladder beside him. He hid his smile from Hermione when he heard her curse their misfortune. Before he could get his body over the edge of the roof, he looked forward and realized the train was entering a tunnel.

"Stay down," Harry ordered as he quickly lowered his body below the threshold of the tunnel. He could feel the wind and stone rush over his head as the train entered the hole beneath the hill. Hermione quickly dropped back to the wooden floor of the car to give Harry enough space. The Auror was thankful for Hermione's fast reflexes, in more ways than one.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked him as the darkness of the tunnel consumed them. Even though Harry could barely make out her face, he leaned down and gave her soft kiss as his response. Her lips tasted sweet and a faint aroma of cinnamon clung to her hair. The witch was little more enthusiastic than he, but she quickly pulled herself away before the excitement and adrenaline could take over her senses. When their car exited the tunnel, Harry was already standing up on the roof.

"Ooh, I see him," Harry shouted as he pointed in the direction of their suspect. The wizard was on his stomach, clinging to the edges of the roof. Poor man must have had quite the fright. Harry took advantage of this opportune moment and started vaulting across the train cars to shorten the distance between them as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the man had some kind of sixth sense. He lifted up his head and looked over his shoulder in time to see Harry rushing for him. The man again took flight.

"Bloody hell," Hermione cursed loudly.

"He certainly knows how to run," Harry laughed. "You have to give him that.

"I'll give him a beating, that's what I'll give him."

"Hey, no 'donnybrooking' when on top of the train."

"That's why I'll throw him into one of the cars."

"Sounds like my kind of action," Harry quickly jumped over one of the gaps, but he failed to notice the bending in the tracks. The cars shook as they changed directions and cause the Auror to misjudge his step. He fell between the openings, but managed to catch the edge of the roof of the next car. His arms clung to the wood while his legs kicked furiously in the air, as if they were trying to find the invisible steps beneath him. Hermione got a running start and launched herself over him. What a woman. The young witch grabbed onto the back of his shoulders and mustered all her strength to pull him onto the roof.

Harry tried to flash her smile to show his gratitude, but instead pushed her hard onto her back as a jet of light whizzed by his face. He looked up and saw that the wizard was no longer running, but was now on the offensive. Before his next spell could hit them, Hermione quickly deflected it with a wave of her hand. Her speed often amazed him.

"Way to catch us of guard," Harry shouted when he pulled out his own wand to engage the wizard. The exchange of spells lasted for several minutes, but they were getting nowhere. It appeared that neither of them could end the duel, and Hermione became impatient.

"Enough," the young witch pushed Harry aside with her shoulder and sent a spell at the man's feet. The iron beneath him rusted while the wood began to rot and erode. The roofing quickly collapsed due to the wizard's wait, causing him to fall through into the car. Hermione took the control of the chase and dropped into the hole she created with Harry close behind her.

It was a passenger car, but lucky for them, it was empty. There was no risk of collateral damage and the booths provided them with adequate cover and protection. The fight immediately continued Harry entered the car. While the wizard across from them was at a disadvantage, the chairs negated it. They were once again at a stalemate.

"Any ideas?" Harry asked as he deflected a hex and took cover behind a chair.

"Um, no," Hermione responded as she tried to push forward.

"Brilliant," Harry smiled. Before the Auror could say anything else, a jet of light collided with the booth in front of him. It produced a massive explosion and ripped a giant hole in the side of the passenger car. The vacuum was created by the hole pulled Harry out of the car and into the open air.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out in horror as she watched him exit the train unwillingly. Harry looked at her and then at the ground below him, however, there was no ground for him to land on. The track the train was riding along was built along the edge of an ocean cliff. He was not sure if this was a good or bad thing. Then the Auror suddenly focused on the deep blue waves crashing against the sharp black rocks beneath him. This was definitely bad.

The young wizard bent his neck upward and saw that the train was moving along without him. The passenger car he was recently thrown out of was in the distance. He could see the flashes of light from their spells peak out from the hole and windows. However, he needed to return his attention to situation at hand. The Auror put his wand into a pocket inside his robes to keep it safe. With his arms extended and legs held together from knee to toe, Harry took a diving formation. The surface tension of the ocean was easily broken and lessened the pain of initial impact.

"Merlin's beard," Harry gasped for air. The water was freezing, but the waves were luckily calm, making it easier for him to tread. He looked at the cliff above him and could barely see the train, but it was already gone. He could hear the horn of the train in the distance and see the smoke from the coal engine dissipate. Hermione was left alone to fight that man. He had to find a way back to her, but the problem was, how?

"Harry," a voice called out to him. The young wizard turned his head towards the direction of the voice, but he failed to find its source.

"Harry," the voice called out again. Harry looked frantically, but could not find its owner. Then he spun around in the water and saw Ron. What was Ron doing here, of all places? And how was he standing on the surface of the water? His friend was standing on the water as if it were solid ground. Harry stared at him carefully, and realized that Ron was not looking at Harry. He was looking past him.

The Auror looked over his shoulder and followed his gaze. The ocean was miraculously covered in fresh snow. The realization and strangeness of this reality hit him. He noticed too bodies in the distance. One was on the ground while the other was hunched over it. The person on the lying on the ground was he, Harry, and it was Hermione who was bent over him, screaming his name.

"Is he alright?" Ron called out as he ran towards them. Harry looked down at his feet and saw he was wearing boots covered with snow. The ocean had transformed into Winter's Crest and they were right outside of the Snowflake Inn. Harry examined his robes; he was dressed for the winter. The Auror slowly walked over to his body and two friends.

"Harry, please wake up," Hermione pleaded. Tears rolled down her face and dripped onto Harry's. It was a strange sensation. It was like déjà vu, but it lacked the feeling of coincidence. Was this some strange dream he was living? The train felt so real. His love for Hermione felt so real. However, his confidence was shaken when this reality became more "real." He could feel the tears land on his face, yet it was not wet.

"C'mon Harry," Ron muttered.

Then Harry started to shiver as his body temperature began to drop. He rubbed his arms and sides to warm his body, but it was not working. It was a fruitless effort. The young wizard closed his and felt the world around change again. The ground beneath him was cold as ice and the tears that rolled down his cheeks were freezing. He could feel the warmth being admitted from his two best friends. While his bones felt like hardened glass and his muscles and joints were sore, his body became revitalized against the soft snow beneath him. The voices that were calling out to him fueled his drive to come back to reality.

"Harry," Hermione whispered this time. "Please wake up. Don't leave me again."

"I don't plan too," Harry groaned. He took a deep breath, the chilly air burned his lunges, but he was thankful to be breathing. The pain just meant he was alive. He slowly opened his eyes. The world around him blurry and lacking definition, but he recognized Hermione's beautiful face through the haziness. "Last time I saw you, I was falling out of a train…"

"What? A train? Harry, you just died," Hermione cried out hysterically. There was a mixture of joy and terror in her voice.

"Again." Ron added.