Disclaimer: Not mine.
The Chasm
Chapter 10
The City of Dis
Hermione held on to Ron's waistband as they slowly edged along the shale ledge that gave them just enough room to slide their feet sideways, keeping their backs flush to the black rock. As each new tremor reverberated through the range Hermione stopped and squeezed her eyes shut as Ronald took the opposite approach and inched more quickly along the crumbling path, forcing her to move behind him.
The last tremor took the narrow outcropping they had just transversed, plunging it down the abyss to the crashing waves below, leaving Hermione feeling nauseous and weak. She fought not to look back to where they had been, now cut off and making it impossible to return.
"Ron, I need to sit down," she said softly.
"Let me know when we come to a chair," he said lightly, studying her face. "Wait." He stopped and fought to take off his jacket on the narrow ledge. "Put this on…I know…it's not cold but you're dehydrating. This may help. Come on, just a little farther. As soon as we get off this bloody thing we can find a place to hole up."
"If there is a way off," she muttered, voicing her fear that in this place all that remained was more of the same. After what seemed hours, the ledge gave way to a wider path, and stepping around the last bend in the path they were able to step up to the summit.
"Fuck," Ronald sighed, turning to Hermione. "Not the place I would choose to spend the night."
"Don't tell me," she said flatly, looking at the flat expanse, dotted with dozens of small piles of rocks, all of uniform size, spaced in regular intervals.
"Yep," he sighed. "We could look on the good side. If there are burial mounds there has to be people here to bury."
Hermione sat down heavily, drawing up her knees and lowering her head on them. "I need a minute. Please, just…just a little while."
"Ummm, Hermione, you need to see this," Ron said from the edge of the summit where he could see for what looked like miles across a flat plain that lay below.
She rolled her eyes and stood up, walking wearily and holding onto his arm once she reached him. Looking out with him, she was horrified at the number of burial mounds she saw below them. Grabbing his elbow, she turned away from the plains and back to the sea that was barely visible in the dark. "I think we better plan on climbing down this damned thing. I am not…not…going that way. Got it?"
"Other than the fact there is a stream down there I'd agree with you. We have to. If we don't get water soon we won't make it."
"Then…not till morning." She nodded toward the horizon. "It looks like it's getting darker. I think we should stay here for the night. Down there…it's too open."
Ronald sat next to one of the rock piles, leaning his back against it and pulling up his legs. "At least it's not cold."
"Ron?" Hermione looked at him tearfully, sucking in her upper lip. "I'm sorry. I should have thought this out better. I…I didn't know it would be like this, and Harry…"
"Harry made it. We have to keep thinking that." He looked at her oddly and held out his arms to her. "Come on, you never could sleep by yourself."
She hurried to him, sitting between his drawn up legs, her back to his body and laid her head down on his knee, nodding and sniffing back her sob. "I keep seeing that damned thing falling on him, what if…"
"I was beneath him, stop. I saw him disappear, I didn't see it actually land on him."
"We don't know how long it takes to pass through. We don't know if he made it to the other side before it hit the bottom. We don't even know if he did make it if he could survive the walk to Durmstrang pulling two kids in that bitter cold. Fuck…we don't even know if he can find it from the rune. Remember? It was an optical illusion."
"Go to sleep," he whispered, raising his hand to stroke her hair but letting his arm fall before touching her. "Just keep telling yourself that Durmstrang has wards that will alert them. We can't do anything about it from here and you will just make it worse worrying about it."
"What you said back there, about…you know, that you still loved me…did you mean it?" She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to deny his declaration.
"Go to sleep." He sighed, leaning his head back and looking up into the endlessly black sky.
"I didn't sleep with him," she said softy. "If we…don't make it back…if we die here…it's important to me that you believe me." She did not move until she drifted off to sleep and instinctively wrapped her arms around Ronald's leg and snuggled her head, rubbing her nose against his trousers as if he were a pillow.
Through the night, Ronald woke to the sound of screams in the distance. Gently disentangling himself from Hermione, he crept to the edge of the summit and looked out across the plain, where several fires now burned, trying to see what had made the sound and lacking that to see who had set the fires. Laying on his stomach, he waited until almost dawn when he felt Hermione join him.
"You should have woken me," she whispered. "My gods, what is this place?"
"Mum made us read a lot of Muggle stuff," he said thoughtfully. "She said it would be good for us to round out our knowledge. Thought it was…"
"Ron? This is not a good time to be nostalgic."
"Ever read Dante?"
Hermione looked out at the plain. "The City of Dis? There aren't any gates or iron, or bodies withering in the flames." She tried to smile. "Lets go, and like I said, I 'm not going that way."
"The river has to run into the ocean." Ron crawled backwards from the edge. "Maybe we can find the mouth at the bottom."
"Or a gate," Hermione agreed. "According to Sirius most places have two circles, sometimes more."
"Right," Ronald snorted. "We better find one soon. I have a bad feeling about this place."
Again they headed across the rocky cliff face, this time intent to reach the bottom and follow the shore, hoping to find more than what they had seen from the top. Silently they picked their way ever lower, both knowing that the constant darkness, even in the lighter shade the daytime afforded them, gave them some cover from anyone, or thing, that may be watching.
As Ronald leaped off the last few meters and landed in soft sand, he turned and encouraged Hermione to do the same. Catching her, he helped her sit, pulled off his shirt, and dipped in the salty seawater to wrap around her.
"This may cool you down. You look flushed," he said, looking off in the distance. "We need water. I want you to wait here until I…"
"Oh no, I'm not sitting here alone. Ron, I have the sea to my front, the blasted rocks to my back and only one way out, and that is the same way you are going."
"Then we better get moving." He pulled out his wand and tried to cast a spell again, grinning meekly when it still did not work. "I should have learned wandless when I had the chance."
"I haven't even felt any magic." Hermione began to walk along the shore, keeping as far from the black stone cliff that rose to her right as she could. "Even in London I get a glimmer now and then, but here…nothing."
"You feel it," Ron said solemnly. "You just don't recognize it. It's all…dark here. That's part of what is bothering you."
"I would know…"
"This is old magic, Hermione, older than I have ever felt, and believe me …I've worked on spells a thousand years old. You feel nauseous, sometimes it feels like your heart is going to pound out of your chest, and that headache, right under the surface won't go away. Your hands start shaking but you don't know why, and it feels like someone is watching you all the time."
"Water, I need water. That's all it is."
"Right, the shore veers off to the right up ahead, maybe that's where the river comes out. This place is cursed, truly cursed…its old. It's as if the ground its self is holding the blackness. Don't tell me you don't feel it. It makes you scared to talk to loud, as if whispering will help keep something away, only you don't know what it is. You just know that if it ever finds you…you feel it, I know you do."
They walked all day, occasionally stopping to rest, at times walking in the shallow water of the sea to skirt around an outcropping of rock. Noticing the wall of stone did not raise quite as high, affording more sky to show, they decided to continue on, eventually seeing the rock formation taper down to meet the land. At the end of the sandy beach the stepped onto firmer ground and could at last turn back to look across the land to where they had been.
"It's not doing any good to worry about them." Ronald said, seeing Hermione unable to keep her eyes off the black mountain of stone. "We should stop and rest."
"Not until we know if there are tides here. Would there be if the moon never moves?"
"Good question," Ronald said with a frown. "Let's go further inland."
"It's getting cold and I can hardly see. We better find something quick." Hermione stopped and looked back the way they had come. "Ron?"
He brushed of his trousers and looked at his hands, not knowing if he should bother trying to clean at all. Squatting down at the water line, he managed to rinse his hands and slash water on his face, scrubbing at the black rock dust that he knew covered him. "We better find fresh water."
"What if we went the wrong direction?"
"Then we are stuck here. What? You wanted to hear me say it out loud."
"I guess so." She tried to smile. "I think we should wait to see if there is another rock slide. Maybe it will open up another fissure like it did before and we can get back to Sirius."
"Two days back with no water? More like three since half the path is gone and we don't even know if the shore line is passable. Wait here. I want to try something."
He left her sitting in the tall dried grass where the sand gave way to the firmer land and jogged back to the ocean. After several minutes, he came back with a sheepish grin.
"Nothing, I was hoping to find something to eat. I thought maybe clams…or even seaweed. I've eaten that before."
"We should keep going. If we were home I'd say those were storm clouds coming in." She licked her parched lips and swallowed hard.
"Come on," he agreed. "We can find something to trap water in. A good storm may be just what we need."
Running up the higher ground, they continued on following the shore, rounding yet another bend in the shoreline they encountered a scene not unlike the one they thought they had left behind. Spinning in a circle Hermione could only see the towering cliffs behind and in front of them, the sea to the north and the plain they had seen from above to the south.
"Fuck," Ron said dully, putting her thoughts into a single word.
"My sentiments exactly." She pursed her lips together and began to walk toward the burial mounds. "Do you have any thing to cut with?"
"Not on me, but the shale around here is sharp enough."
"Cut off one of my trouser legs, we can use it to catch water." She began to tug down her trousers, lifting only one leg out. "Ron, why didn't you wear dragon hide? With every thing else gone we could use more."
"If I had known we would be cutting it up I would have…" He stopped suddenly and smirked. "You now have a tee, trousers with one leg, and a pair of mangled boots. If we hadn't shrunk the tarp at least you…"
"How was I to know?"
"I said we. I'm not blaming you."
"Fine. Anyway, if you were so worried about me, why didn't you wear dragon hide?"
"It doesn't matter," he said, avoiding her eyes as he cut and ripped the fabric, opening the side seam.
"You must have paid a bloody…oh," she muttered, seeing his discomfort in the way he hunched his shoulders over his work. "Ron, you should have told me. I would have helped with the cost. I didn't realise how much I put on your list. Ginny once said a pair of boots alone cost a month's pay when she bought some for Harry and he makes more than you."
"It's too late to worry about now," he said flatly, shoving the cutting tool he had fashioned into his pocket. "Here, if it rains lay this out on the ground, prop the edges up. It may hold a few mouthfuls."
"I keep thinking about the cheese and bread we left on the ledge," she admitted. "Keep on the lookout of something edible."
They walked onto the plain, staying as far to the side as they could, Ron's eyes searching for any sign of the river that had been clearly visible from above. Hermione watched the ground, occasionally glancing at dried brush that clustered around the piles of stones, unwilling to get too close. She heard Ron's shout and looked to where he pointed, seeing a thin line of darker grass.
"It will be there," he announced.
"Do you think it's safe?"
"We don't have much choice." Ron stopped and dug in his pockets. "Fuck, Mara must have emptied my pockets when she cleaned my clothes. I had water purification tablets."
The stench of the creek reached them before they could see it. Even in the semi-darkness, it was obvious that it was undrinkable and seeing it, they both became more keenly aware of their thirst. Finding the narrowest place, they were able to jump to the other side, avoiding even its touch. They walked silently; keeping their eyes on the dark woods ahead of them both thinking of what they would find.
Hermione bent down and picked up a piece of shale slightly larger than the palm of her hand, and another smaller piece that she used to chip the first into a point. Tucking it into her waistband she picked up as many small pieces as her pockets could hold. Seeing Ronald's questioning look she shrugged.
"I used to be pretty good with a sling shot. Don't look at me like that. Us Muggle kids didn't sit in front of the telle all day watching Stargate. I can ride a bike, play video games and drive a car as well as…"
"I want to hear more about the sling. Somehow I can't see you taking down a rabbit."
"No, but I could take down a pigeon. My mum still hung out the laundry and the dirty things would sit on the line and shite on her clean sheets."
"How are they, Mione? I haven't seen them for a year."
"Oh, fine I guess. I haven't spent much time with them, only a few minutes now and then."
"How'd they take the divorce?"
"Dad… not so good, Mum worse. He acted as if I was such a disappointment. That it was all my fault."
"I could talk to him. If you think it would help."
"What? And air our problems to my parents? No, I …"
"Give me some credit," Ronald sighed. "I always liked your folks. They were always decent to me, even if they never understood what I was talking about."
"I think that's why they were so upset that we split. They are worried they won't get to see you anymore."
"We better get a move on. I want to be out of this damned grave yard before it gets darker." Ronald changed the topic quickly.
"Keep to the edge of the forest, maybe we can…"
"No, we head down the middle." Ronald said decisively. "If someone is out there that wants us they will have to face us in the open."
Having no choice Hermione followed his lead ad they began their walk across the plain littered with burial mounds that still held the smell of smoke. She began to lag behind, forcing Ronald to stop, as she repeatedly slowed and sat down to rest.
"We have to keep going. I know it's hard."
"I just can't." She looked up from the place on the ground. "Give me a few minutes."
He sat down heavily and studied her face, suddenly reaching out and laying his hand on her cheek. "You are burning up."
"It's nothing." She swatted his hand away.
"Right," he said tersely. "How long has this been going on?"
"I noticed it last night," she admitted. "It's nothing, and it's not like you can do anything about it."
"Let me see your arms." He yanked her hands to him, lifting them and inspecting her skin for any lesions. "Turn."
"No," she pouted. "I was bit."
"When?" Ronald snapped his eyes up to her face.
"Last night, there was nothing we could do about it."She sat on her hip and pointed to the back of her thigh where an ugly red welt had risen. "It felt more like a sting…nothing big."
"Here every thing could be big," he grumbled. "You saw the water, anything that touched it and landed on you …sorry."
"I don't think it's the fever. I 'm just knackered and thirsty as bloody hell," she sighed looking to the end of the plain. "Ron, why don't you go on ahead and see if we are wasting our time. I'm just slowing you down."
"I'm not leaving you out here by yourself."
"You go on." She said firmly. "I can make my way or if you find clean water you can come back."
"I said no." He stood and reached down a hand to her. "We both go or we both stay."
"We can't stay here."
"Exactly. If we find somewhere that offers some cover I will scout around, but not until then."
It was nearly night when the reached the end of the plain and collapsed under a canopy of dead tree branches. Hermione rolled onto her back and looked up to the sky, too exhausted to move as Ronald lay down with her, using her stomach for a pillow.
"Give me a minute," he sighed. "I'll go ahead and see if anything looks promising if you don't move from here. I don't need to be loosing you out here."
"Ron, I don't have the energy to sit up let alone run off."
"Good." He lay still for a few minutes only t sit up and study her face. "You look like shite."
"Thanks." She grinned. "And you stink."
"I mean it. Let me see that leg."
She rolled over on her stomach exposing the bite mark to him as she rested her head on her arms and sighed loudly. "How much farther? Sorry. I just want to hear someone say we are almost there. Remember when you were a kid…and it seemed like ever to get where you were going? And you kept asking over and over until your folks got angry?"
"We are almost there," he said flatly, seeing the area round the bite now a deep purple, angry lines running down her leg, knowing this was not a simple insect bite. "You stay here and rest, I am going to the end of this patch of woods and see if there is anything up ahead."
"It's okay, just sore…I must have picked up an infection. The blister was on the same leg. You go. I'm going to sleep."
Hermione woke slowly, aware of the burning on the back of her leg and the sweat pouring off her body. Fuck, she moaned, as she rolled to her back and struggled to sit up. Ronald still had not returned, and although she had no way of knowing how much time had past, she felt uneasy with his absence. She stood and gingerly put weight on her leg, testing its strength and finding it impossible to flex her thigh. Twisting around until she could see the bite, she was horrified to find a large festering sore.
She touched the area lightly, hissing at the pain and pressure form the wound that travelled though her whole body. Digging in her pocket, she found one of the sharpened pieces of shale and with a quick jab opened the wound, letting the pus and blood run unchecked down her leg. She fell to one knee, taking in huge gulps of air, waiting of the initial pain to pass, soon able to stand again. Although she could still feel the burning infection it no longer felt s if her leg was ready t explode. Ripping the bottom half of her tee, she fashioned a bandage, pulled it tight around her leg, and at last felt some relief.
She set off in the direction Ronald had gone, forcing herself to walk without a limp, forcing her leg to work. She had not gone far when she heard laughter and male voices. Dropping to her knees, she crawled closer. Needing to make sure Ronald was safe before rushing ahead, thinking of how Harry had been taken unaware.
There was a fire, fed by the dead tree branches. A man was sitting, swilling down what looked like mead as two Red Caps did his bidding. Hermione had only heard of Red Caps in relationship to their ferocity and unwillingness to work with man, and now puzzled how these two seemed willing to not only work with, but to take orders from the man that seemed too drunk to stand.
Flattening to the ground, she waited until her eyes adjusted to the light around the fire, and searched the clearing, slapping her hand over her mouth at the sight of Ronald, bound and gagged on the far side of the fire. Furiously she searched for another man, knowing there must be at least two from the laughter she had heard.
Digging in her remaining pocket, she pulled out the sharpened stone and hefted it in her hand. It was light, too light and too short to be of much use to her and the place she was hiding did not afford her a clear shot with her sling. In order to use the sharpened stone she would have to be too close, within an arm's length, close enough to be stopped. Squatting down and watching Ronald, she looked back at the man and saw a small silver dagger at his feet and an oddly shaped axe resting next to him.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. If she could get behind Ronald, sneak in unseen, she may be able to cut the ropes. If she were found, she knew the knife would be out of her reach and find its way to her throat. Even from her place in the dark under growth she could see Ronald's nostrils flare, trying to suck in enough air to breath. She saw his face bulging and red from the rope that snaked around his neck, holding him too tightly to let him so much as shake his head or take a deep breath.
Hermione started to skirt around the clearing, staying low to the ground and keeping to the shadows. She figured she would only get one chance and if she missed it, all her plans, and perhaps their lives would be forfeit. No longer confident that there was a way out of this forsaken place, she only wanted to get to Ron. With one more glance at him, she lowered to a crouch and started, knowing if she did not get to him soon he would suffocate.
Opening her mouth to breath, she silently made her way, keeping as far into the forest as she could and still see the circle of light thrown off by the fire. Her foot snapped a twig, sending a sharp retort echoing into the clearing. Hermione froze. Fuck, she thought as a hand wound in her hair and pulled her up so quickly her homemade weapon fell from her hands.
She was propelled face first into a thick tree trunk, slamming the side of her face against the rough bark and leaving her to slide to the ground cut and bleeding. She instinctively began to crawl as a well-placed boot landed in the middle of her stomach, pushing her up and over onto her back.
"Bastard!" She hissed reaching for the silver handle, barely visible among the debris on the ground, only to feel a boot stomp down on her forearm.
"Now," he said with a leer, couching down and yanking her head up by her short-cropped hair, "who do we have here?"
"None of your fucking business!" She punctuated her statement by spitting a gob of blood and mucus into his face.
He stood, dragging her by the hair into the middle of the clearing, Hermione trying to pry his hand from her hair at the same time she fought to gain her footing, he legs kicking out as she skittered to keep up. Once they neared the fire, he flung her to the ground, and again kicked her in the side, the toe of his boot catching her at the base of her ribs, eliciting a cry of pain.
"Any more out there?" Karl asked.
"Nah." Peter turned and spat on the ground. "Just her. Must be with the other one. Two in one day. How about that? Ain't done a bloke for a while but he's going to have to wait now. This one is ripe."
He laughed and crossed the clearing, picked up canteen and slowly walked back to where Hermione lay, fending off Karl's foot as he kept kicking at her, causing her to crawl backwards toward the fire.
"Hold her," Peter yelled, as he emptied the canteen of water on her face, washing off the caked mud and blood. 'Want to see what I'm getting."
He fell to his knees and nodded to Karl. "Hold her shoulders down." Crawling between her legs, he sat back on his knees and began to unbutton his trousers.
Hermione twisted to her side, raised her knees and kicked as hard as she could, biting at the hands that held her at the same time. Sinking her teeth in his soft flesh, she felt him let go and she managed to roll over to her stomach and get to her knees.
"Leave me alone you son of a bitch," she spat as she tried to stand and vainly searched the ground for the knife or anything she could pick up and use. Peter was behind her, on his knees, his arm around her neck as he pulled at her waistband.
"We'll see how much fight you have left when we get done with you bitch!"
Hermione lowered her head and waited until she heard the zipper on his trousers. Taking deep breaths, she fought to remain still as she raised her eyes, looking up from under her brows at Ron. She saw him stain against the bindings, the vein in his forehead standing out in stark relieve against his face that was beginning to take on a whitish cast. Hermione locked her eyes on his and waited, wishing away his tears of anger and frustration.
"Get me that damned knife. I'll cut the bitches clothes of. Fucking dragon hide won't rip."
Hermione took a deep breath and lowered her head, leaned her body back on her knees and pushed against his erect penis, soliciting a laugh as he began to rub against her. Fisting her hands into the dry soil, she waited and at the last possible moment brought her head back as fast and hard as she could. Head butting his face she heard a sickening crunch and his yelp of pain as he sat back on his heels grabbing his nose.
Without hesitating, she threw her body forward and rolled to her back, throwing handfuls of dirt into his face as she brought up her right leg, kicking him in his already broken nose as her left foot found his groin. Hearing Peter's thunderous rage she kept rolling to the side, pulling the cut trouser leg they had fashioned to hold water out of her waistband, wrapping it around her hand as she did, and thrust it into the fire. Grasping a piece of burning wood, her hand wrapped in the impervious dragon hide, she spun to face her adversaries.
"One step and I set your arse on fire," she hissed, backing up toward Ron, waving the flaming torch in front of her. "Ron? Ron…please, hang in there….try to breathe…gods. Just don't die on me now."
She saw Karl run back to their supplies and rummage around, knowing he was looking for a weapon, she stepped forward, putting the tip of the flaming wood to the ground and setting the floor of the clearing on fire. Without losing a second, she spun back to Ronald and began hacking at the ropes, first releasing his hands and then working on his legs as he pulled the bindings from around his throat.
"Hermione! Watch out!" He gasped, looking over her shoulder.
She turned in time to see one of the Red Caps step through the fire and raise its blade, beginning to bring it down in a circular arc. Pushing Ronald back, she tried to stand over him, to give him time to unravel the rest of the ropes, but moved too slow and felt the crippling blow as the steel blade hit bone. Crumbling on the ground, she heard Karl's laughter.
"Ah, less work for me. Although I still plan to have my fun with her before I have her for dinner. Haven't had fresh meat in a while."
"Mione," Ronald gasped, rolling her over and pulling her to his chest, as he pushed his hand against the open gaping cut on her thigh, looking into her blank eyes. "Mione!"
"Ah what's the matter?" Karl laughed. "Think she's going to answer you?" He strode over and pulled her off Ronald as Peter grabbed Ronald's hair, holding him back.
Throwing her on the ground and unbuckling his trousers, Karl spat on her face. "She's not going to fight this time."
As Ronald threw himself at Peter's back with a growl, the clearing was hit by a sudden light, white and glaring. Ron squinted into the centre of the beam, using the element of surprise to push Karl away and try to reach Hermione. Two black clad legs stepped between him and his destination, a swirl of back cloth cutting the night as magic blasted into Karl and Peter, throwing them across the burning clearing and the Red Caps hissed, disappearing into the darkness. Ron, his eyes still on Hermione's still form, began to crawl forward.
"Leave her, she's dying." A silky voice cut the night. "If you want to live I suggest you get off your arse and come with me."
Ronald snapped his head up and stared into the face of a man he recognized. "Snape?"
Severus spun on his heel and locked his eyes on him, then turned slowly back to the woman who lay on the ground.
"Get her out of here," Ronald hissed. "It's Granger. Leave me, just take care of her."
"How…?" Snape spun back to Ronald, his face showing shock and disbelief, his voice choked with utter bewilderment. "I cannot carry both of you."
"Take her, she…hurry…she's bleeding out. I don't have magic…help her. You have to save her."
Snape went down on one knee, quickly casting healing spells, closing the ripped muscle and staunching the blood loss. "It may not be enough."
He hoisted her up, draping her over his shoulder and without a backward glance at Ronald, lifted his arm as he muttered an incantation and flew off into the night.
Ronald could not take the time to wonder about what had just happened. Picking up the axe dropped by the Red Cap after he had struck Hermione down, he turned and hacked at creature, making sure it was dead before turning to the two men that lay cowing on the ground. In one stroke, he cleaved Peter's head, separating it from his body and spun on Karl. Seeing movement from the corner of his eye, he saw Peter's body twitch and wither as if trying to regain its feet.
"Fucking idiot," Karl laughed. "He was dead already."
Ronald stumbled back, the horror of the withering corpse bringing the taste of bile to his mouth. Grabbing the end of the torch Hermione had used, swinging it in front of him, he jabbed at Karl's clothes. He began to step forward, knowing retreat was not an option, almost laughing as the thought of telling Hermione to control the ranks and files flashed in his mind. He had to attack if he was to drive this thing, this creature, away. He tore his mind off Hermione and found himself strangely calm as he turned to a clutch of Inferi that began to slither toward him from the darkness.
Holding the torch with one hand, he hefted Red Cap's the axe with the other, holding it menacingly over the heads of the white bloated creatures as he jabbed the flame at them again and again, driving them back. Hearing footfalls, he stepped to the side and saw two more Red Coats enter the clearing. Dropping the flame, he grasped the battle-axe with both arms, bringing it up in an arc and letting its own weight pull it down and sink into one of the creatures neck at the point it met the shoulder, slicing it in nearly in two.
Using one foot to hold the dead creature still he yanked the axe out of the soft flesh and began to circle the remaining Red Cap. Suddenly, another set of boots touched down next to him, staying behind him, quietly matching his steps as if guarding his back. He felt Snape's magic and saw his hand reach for the torch. He pushed forward, swinging the axe and hearing Snape's soft voice call out incantations.
"Well done," Snape muttered, when the Inferi turned away and Red Caps no longer streamed into the clearing. "They will be back."
"Hermione?" Ronald gasped, going down on one knee as he trying to catch his breath.
Snape looked down at him coldly and shrugged his shoulders. "She was alive when I left her."
"Left her where?"Ronald looked up at him angrily.
"Does in matter?"
"No, I…no," he said shakily, struggling to stand.
Snape brushed off his robes and studied Ronald before reaching down a hand. He schooled his face to show no emotion at the visible evidence of how long he had been trapped in this place in front of him in the guise of an adult Ronald Weasley. "If you don't want to do this again I suggest we leave. If they come back they will not be as unprepared."
