CHAPTER 10
Harry had been trying for months to come up with a way to be able to fly. He had made one broom but even though it could fly by itself, it did not hold a passenger. He had been very frustrated. Last week he had found a stone/ crystal like material with amazing magical properties. It took very little of his magic to rise and stay aloft. He had not had the time to conduct trials with him flying it.
There seemed very little time left and much to do. Harry thought to himself 'No time like the present to find out if it will work. Preparing defenses was just too important. He needed a plan to negate to coming armies six to one advantage over his army. He also realized he had to be ready in case Bella's plan failed to neutralize the river forces. The whole valley was wide open to the river.
He found the crystone, as he called it and began a series of spells to chip away its irregular shape to make it more discs shaped with a curved bottom. He finished within fifteen minutes and balanced on top of it. Once he had his balance he began to push his magic into the disc and felt a slight rise. He was beginning to become disappointed as he was pushing a lot of his magic into it and getting marginal results.
As he was about ready to give up, he felt the rush of wind blowing his hair. He looked out and realized he was higher up than he believed. He was slightly above the treetops. He felt the Crystone and then turned to mage sight and found that very little of his magic was powering his flying disc but at his feet was an immense amount of power stored in the disc. He gave a small smile as he realized that his little device could be charged and used for later.
Harry continued to raise his elevation and was soon almost above the rim of the valley. As he looked over the rim it soon became apparent that there were only three natural entrances as the rest of the rim was too craggy and dangerous to bring a sizable force through. They could get a smaller detachment but with minimal manning he could defend and negate any advantage that would bring. What route should he try to bring them in? As he scanned the rim and its outlands he determined that he should block one of these routes from being used and deny the enemy access and then force the enemy to attack on a position that was more advantageous to his defense.
With his back to the river he had three choices to come and go from the valley. The right looked good but the outlying land was soon flat and easy for an evading army to spread out. With his forces being smaller that did not help him. The left had many hills behind it but that meant an army could have many places to hide and even more to sprout from and surprise him. It would be much harder to concentrate his forces at the key spot they would choose. It would be better to deny this terrain to his enemy.
Harry looked to the middle and found a wide ingress point that narrowed the closer it came to the rim. Smaller space means that the attacking army would have to stack their troops and not bring the full forces to bear on him at one time. Harry knew that was much better for him. The next advantage he saw is that each side had a plateau of land that could overlook the narrowing pass. He could put troops there and fire upon the enemy all the way to the cities new gate.
Harry smiled "The middle then." Harry softly said. Harry flew over the center and the sides of the pass and found that the sides were very hard to get on top of from the outside. His troops would have very good ingress and egress to mount the pass walls and could retreat quickly to the cities defenses if they should breech the rim. Harry decided to fly back and join Bella and Hermione for lunch and inform them of his findings.
When Harry arrived he landed softly on the balcony Hermione looked over and her eyes got very big. "Harry, you did it! You found a way to fly." She stated with excitement.
Harry smiled "I hate flying, you know that. He nudged the disc with his foot "This thing attacked me and kidnapped me to force me home." Harry said it with a lopsided grin on his face and caused Hermione's small smile to quirk up for just a second.
"Harry James Potter the day that anything that flies and you are not on it of your own free will, is just not possible." Hermione walked up to him and ran her fingers through his hair and looked at him as if for the first time "I have missed this hair style; it is the look you get after playing quidditch. I find it very, very sexy." Hermione then gave him a quick kiss.
Harry followed Hermione as they went to the table they had been working on. Harry briefed them on what he had found and what he was going to do; Harry expanded a parchment to be poster size and then stuck it to the wall. He chanted a spell and lines started appearing on the parchment. After two minutes the outline of the valley was recognizable as was the river.
Within ten minutes the outer lying lands to about ten miles was recognizable. The lines kept being drawn for another thirty minutes and the level of detail was outstanding. Hermione kept looking at the map in deep thought. She went to the computer screen and pulled a specific book before pulling Sirius's final journal. Three quarters of the way back she smiled when she found what she was looking for and then practiced for the next three minutes.
Hermione sat the book on the table and drew her wand in delicate patterns. It was another minute later that Hermione stowed her wand and looked at the map in satisfaction. Harry looked at the map and then looked at her trying to figure out what she had done "Ok, Hermione for those of us that are mentally challenged could you please tell us what you did?" Harry saw her smile grow a little and then added "Before I am forced to tickle you mercilessly."
Hermione gave a sigh "I thought it would be obvious to a marauder's son."
Harry looked at her and then tapped his finger to the map "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map glowed a soft blue for a second and then little tags began to reveal themselves with names on them. Hermione grinned "Show the location of Bellatrix." The map began to zoom in and centered on Bellatrix's name with two tags that revealed Harry and Hermione."
Harry leaned her back and gave her a very delightful kiss. When he finished he looked into her eyes "Have I told you how sexy a girl with a brain is?"
Hermione giggled "A time or two Mr. Potter but I love hearing it anyway."
Bella smirked "You two stop as I will not be able to see Veldane until tomorrow…unless Hermione you are willing to share?"
Harry looked up and turned beat red which caused Bella and Hermione to start laughing. Harry just rolled his eyes at both of them. Then Harry went into a curious stare at the window. It wasn't noticed at first but then Bella became concerned "Harry it was just a joke. Don't get so serious." Bella told him.
Harry turned back to them with a little grin on his face "Bella I just realized something and the magnitude just hit me like a ton of bricks." Harry looked down for a second.
Hermione looked at him with much curiosity "What did you realize? Was it something for our preparations?"
Harry shook his head "No, it was something entirely unexpected and I thought it would never happen…ever but it did. Bella the thought of you in that way didn't disgust me. I was embarrassed because in my mind it was possible." Hermione crossed her arms and frowned.
Bella stood there very puzzled "Hunh? What was possible?"
Harry looked at Hermione and knew he was in trouble "No, Hermione I didn't mean I would ever let it happen or that I want it to happen. What I meant was that I was not disgusted by the thought of it and took it as it was intended, as humor and a way to distract us back on topic. Do you understand?"
Hermione leaned over and gave him a kiss "Yes, Harry I do and I pretty much did the same. We have made a very major shift in how we viewed things as compared to when we first came here." Hermione turned to Bella "Come to think of it you have made a dramatic change since we first arrived too."
Bella stood there for a second "So, because you like the thought of sleeping with me, not that you would, but I don't disgust you anymore and this made you realize you see things differently?" Harry and Hermione both nodded Bella threw up her hands "I don't know whether to be insulted or take it as a compliment?"
Harry moved closer to her and stood within inches of her. "Bella the last time we stood this close to each other… what happened?"
Bella looked into his eyes and it took her a second to think about it and then comprehension dawned on her and then the shock came over her face as she thought about it and then a troubling thought sprang to her mind before Harry broke into her thoughts "I trust you and more important I respect you for all that you have done."
Bella peer into his eyes and then smiled "To get the boy who lives trust is a rare thing." Bella sighed "But don't be so quick to forget about the things I have done in the past."
Harry responded with a smile "A truly repentant person finds it far harder to forgive them self than for other people to forgive them." Harry cocked his head "As for me, either whip out your knife or return my hug…Bella."
Bellatrix began to laugh at her new title but then shot back as she returned his hug with equal zeal "That is Psycho Bella if you please." They were laughing as Hermione switched with Harry.
The next two days they did not get around to laughing again or see too much of each other either. Harry and Hermione took a break from their work to see Bella and Veldane off with their three ships. Bella was on the dock side directing the High Guard while Veldane saw them and called her over. Bella grabbed him by the waist and rest her head on his shoulder.
Harry and Hermione briefed her on what they had accomplished and what they still needed to get done. Bella smiled at them "Wow, that is a lot more than I expected and Hermione you say the wards are specially designed?"
Hermione smirked "Oh, they are indeed. I do not think the Vatswaine will be pleased and by leaving them unknown it will cause fear. I even put a pictograph sign and a normal sign to warn people before they enter that only the pure of heart may enter… or else."
Bella asked "Or else what?"
Hermione responded "Wait and see." Bella rolled her eyes.
"Is there anything else we need to be concerned about?" Bella asked
Harry responded "No, in two days we will have done all that we can to prepare. I wish we had a way to communicate with each other during the battle. It bothers me that we become isolated from each other until this is done."
Bella sighed "That concerns me to."
Hermione coughed "Well then I am very glad that the brains of this outfit thought of something. They aren't perfected yet but I think they will do and Harry when we see your godfather or Remus we are going to give them a great big smooch because they came up with it originally."
Harry and Bella looked puzzled as Hermione handed them a mirror each and one to Veldane. Hermione grinned "Think map, don't say it, just think it." She told them.
Bella looked at her mirror and saw a view of the map in the shelter and gasped "Bloody fantastic I can still see what is going on."
Hermione grinned "Oh, it gets better my queen. " Bella just rolled her eyes as Harry and Hermione had been giving her grief since the council named her the queen. "Ask to view the docks."
Bella stated "Docks." The view changed to show the four of them standing there. "Bloody…"
"Fantastic! You already said that." Harry laughed at her.
Bella "Well it is bloody brilliant!" she stated with excitement.
Hermione just smiled again "It gets better."
Harry turned to her "Better?"
Hermione really smiled "Bella I put a bigger mirror on your ship by the main rudder. It acts like a muggle radar and shows you what is around your ship."
Bella asked with concern "What's radar?"
Hermione smiled back "Use it on the way there and you will find out." She stated with smugness. Hermione turned and placed her arm around Harry's waist as they both waved to an astonished Bella who was looking between them and the picture frame mirror attached to her ship.