Chapter 21
Harry was sitting in his office at Hogwarts going through some papers. With all that had been happening he had fallen behind a little on getting ready to send out letters for the next class of first years. He was looking at some information on a group of triplets from Scotland that came from a mixed family but financial assistance was needed since it was three at a once. Triplets? That would prove interesting. He was interrupted by a knocking on his door.
"Harry, are you there?" the voice of Professor Vector called to him.
"Please come in, Professor."
His door swung open and the Professor entered, a sheaf of parchment in her hand. She was smiling.
"Here you are, Harry. The complete translation of that story Merlin had wanted you to read."
"So your friend is done?" Harry asked taking the offered sheets.
"Not everything, Harry. But we knew this was of particular importance so he did this one first. He said he triple checked it to make sure."
"Terrific. I'm assuming that we can trust this old fellow not to reveal this to anyone?" Harry asked, his eyes skimming the first sheet.
"I'm sure of that, Harry. He comes very highly recommended and quite frankly isn't of the mind to do anything but bury himself in his work. He lives in a very secluded villa in the north of Greece and doesn't come out unless someone goes to get him. That's what we had to do to get him here."
"Okay, I'll get right on this," Harry said.
Professor Vector nodded and left the room. Harry sat back and began to read.
***The family of man is young, but the land is old, old beyond imagining. In our short, fleeting lifetimes the land changes little, but in it's lifetime it has changed much, many times, and in ways that would confound the very wisest among us. But our wisest are not the only wise, nor the wisest of those that have lived on the land during its lifetime. In the same way it can be said that the most powerful among us were not the only powerful ones or the most powerful to walk the land. Nor was the power the same. If there is a story that tells us how we came to hold the power we do, it has been lost. But hold it we did, and do, and will through wand or staff, the chant and the potion.
The other ones required no such aides and could, so we are told, work great works with a thought or gesture. But their power had limits for they could not go far from their high places or their powers would weaken and soon they would be no different than the weakest among us. But their high places commanded much of the land in those times and from those places they could control the land and those who make use of the land. Perhaps a way could have been traveled where those that lived in the shadow of the high places and those who dominated from the high places could have existed in proximity had it not been for the arrogance of the high ones.
And they were not alone in their power and arrogance in the high reaches for there were also those who sought their places among the heights, for it was there that they found their lairs and rode the air upon their mighty wings. If the other ones and the winged ones strove in conflict with one another for their high places, the stories do not tell. And the winged ones did not impose themselves upon the affairs of the family of man unless times were hard and the great herds of beasts moved elsewhere and the winged ones had to hunt among what was ours.
But arrogant were the ones who lived in the high places and their demands were many, and their offerings meager and few. And their numbers were few as well and the family of man came to resent these arrogant few and as the family of man grew ever larger and likewise the number who could work power, albeit with aides, also grew, the control of the high ones was threatened and they found the reach of their power was not enough. So they sought allies among the mundane of man, to beguile them with false promise and strange gifts and they deceived them into believing that those among them with power were to be feared and reviled and should be destroyed.
And so the war of power began, fought by power against power, with the mundane used as tools. It lasted long, fought in varied ways, places and times, for no one could endure for long if the full power was unleashed without restraint. But none of the powerful realized that they did not truly hold the power. The land held the power and it would decide how it might be used. And the land decided that the arrogant high dwellers had misused what was provided, and that the powerful among the family of man had misjudged what should and should not be theirs and the land changed.
Much of the story of this time is lost to us but we know that places that were are no more, and places that weren't are now many. And it is said that the places of the high ones lost their power and the power available to the wand or staff, the chant and the potion was greatly diminished. It is also said that the mundane suffered mightily in the upheavals and they cast blame on all of power. They went up into the high places and cast down all that was of the other ones and seized those of man that they could and cast them onto the flames. But many survived and fled and hid what they were.
Only the great winged ones of the high places had remained aloof and those foolish enough to seek them out to be cast down were never to be seen again, only their burned or melted implements were left behind to give testimony to the might of the winged ones. So we few of man who possess the power remain to carry on our way of life. To attempt to uncover what was lost, to find those who are born to the power, and to guard against the day when the land may once again decide to grant power to the high places.***
Harry put the sheets down on his desk and took off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes and then took a small cloth and cleaned the lenses and then put them on, picked up the sheets and began to read again. He started from the beginning and read slowly and carefully. When he reached the end he pulled out his small notebook and muggle pen and made some notes as he read it for the third and final time. Then he took the sheets and put them in his leather brief case and left for home. When he got home he took out the copy of the report that he was given by Anthony Goldstein summarizing all the information that they had been able to gather from the wizard that Mr. Monty had subdued outside the grounds of Meadow Crest.
The man had not been particularly helpful. In fact, when he first woke up and realized his situation, he dissolved into a state of near panic. He was frantically looking around as if he expected to find a dragon ready to eat him. He began to carry on about demons and the horrible consequences of his failures. The finally had to force a potion down his throat to keep him from hurting himself with all this flailing about. In this tranquilized state, they were able to convince him that he was safe for the moment and he would be better off if he started to answer some of their questions.
What he provided was meager. His name was Alfie Hereford, a British born wizard but never having attended Hogwarts. He gave no information about how he came to be associated with whoever it was he was associated with. He said he was just out on a nature walk when he was attacked by a huge fearsome beast and he doesn't remember anything else. When it became clear he wasn't interested in providing anything further, he was thoroughly examined by Dr. Medford, who insisted he was not the victim of any lasting brain injury, nor could he find any indication of compulsion, which didn't mean there wasn't one, it just meant it wasn't one the Healer could do anything about.
Bill Weasley, disguised as an anti hexing specialist, also checked the man over for any signs of magical meddling or booby trapping but found nothing. If he was subject to the same form of conditioning as the others had been that caused their minds to be wiped clean, it wasn't anything that showed up with any of his testing. Finally, the last resort was called in. Dressed in the garment of a cleaning lady, Abagail spent some twenty minutes in the room, washing the floor, polishing the furniture, cleaning the windows and generally tidying up.
In that twenty minutes, the highly gifted girl got down through several layers of the onion and what she determined was very interesting. The wizard's name was indeed Alfred Hereford. He was a native of Great Britain, the outskirts of Manchester in fact and he had had no formal education in magic at any known institution. What he didn't mention was that he was a frequent denizen of the pre Harry Knockturn Alley and his record with the Ministry would likely be found under one of several alias'. When Harry instituted the crackdown on the activities in the Alley, Hereford had taken the hint and made his way out of the country.
He had become passingly familiar with what had been going on with the smugglers ring that Harry and his team had broken so he headed in the direction of Eastern Europe, by slow moves, engaging in some petty crimes along the way. He got more permanent work as a leg man for a small gang operating in and around Budapest. It was there that he got his first taste of what was to come. Abagail didn't have time to ferret out all the details but the gang leader seemed to be the last link in a chain that led back to the source of the strategies, orders and where necessary, the conditioning of those they had been dealing with of late.
The wizard was unaware that he had been peeled, and Abagail was working with Goldstein and Milligan to plan out getting the additional information. She had found over the years, that the more relaxed and unguarded an individual was, the easier it was to read them. Harry had planning of his own to do. A picture was coming together and he was absolutely certain it was a picture he'd need to share, for should something happen to him during what he was sure was coming, others would need to know in order to carry on. The question was who, and when. He took out a sheet of parchment and began to write down names, crossing out some, adding others.
The adults weren't the only ones making plans. At the moment, Ted and some of his confederates had their heads together, desperate to come up with some way of finding out what was going on. As far as Harry was concerned, that would have been like trying to squeeze pumpkin juice out of a turnip. They had no way of tapping into what the family members associated with the Ministry knew. Any one of them would have simply told the kids to keep their noses in their books and out of adult business. And then promptly inform Harry and all the difficulties that would cause.
"What about Professor Firenze? Didn't you say that he was doing all kinds of predictions about Professor Potter? He's gotta know something," one of the young wizards asked.
"I'm sure he does," Ted replied. "And when Victoire tried to get something about those predictions out of Lavender Brown, it almost got me and her kicked out of school. Not gonna happen."
"Maybe we can bug the Deputy Head's office," a muggle born witch suggested.
"What good would it do to put insects in his office?" someone asked.
The girl rolled her eyes and proceeded to explain. Ted listened with interest and then said,
"No good. Muggle electronics don't work very well around magic, the more magic, the worse it gets. Around Professor Potter in this place, they probably wouldn't work at all. But that rings a bell, let me think about it. And maybe I can get something out of Abagail Westwood, if I ask the questions carefully. Alright, that's enough for tonight. Like I said, I'm positive Professor Potter knows we have something going on but he's willing to look the other way for now. For now. So don't get sloppy."
The meeting broke up and Ted was the last to leave the room, blowing out the candles that were used instead of any magical illumination in case anyone was looking for traces of magic. When he pulled the door shut he looked over at Stan Shunpike and gave him a brief nod. Stan nodded back and used one of the many keys on his ring to lock the door and then followed the small group of students up out of the deepest dungeon in the castle.
James' plans were not nearly so grand or complicated. It had three steps. First, locate the Marauders Map. He was betting that it was somewhere in the library, maybe locked in the desk. Second, get his hands on the map. Third, learn how to use it. Actually, there was a fourth step but since it was more of a foundational issue to the whole thing it was more like step zero. In other words, figure out just what it was he would do once he had his hands on the map.
As it stood, he was unaware that anything or anyone involved in the current circumstances were anywhere inside the grounds of the school. The Forest maybe, but he didn't know if any part of the forest was on the map. Well, first things first. Get the map, figure it out and then let it suggest how he could put it to use.
If both the young wizards had known what Harry had in mind for the upcoming weekend, they would have given anything they owned to be flies on the wall of the library at Meadow Crest. Harry had decided on his list of non family confidantes and had invited them to the house on Saturday afternoon. As each arrived they were shown to the library. The attendees included Chief Maxwell and Deputy Chief Milligan, Special Tactical Squad leader Muntab and of course, Anthony Goldstein. From Hogwarts were Professor Sprout and Professor Vector. Those with dual hats were Ron and Bill Weasley and Hermione. Abagail was also present.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. I thought it was important to get you all together and fill you in on what's been going on and for some of you, bring you in on some information that has been closely connected to all this. I have a feeling things are going to get more, how should I say, active before too long. And that means risks, and that means the information needs to be shared. But only with those in this room," Harry said and then smiled as he looked at Hermione. "Back at school, when we formed Dumbledore's Army, Hermione came up with these," and he held up the special galleon. "They allowed us to communicate in a way, but it also hexed anyone who betrayed us. I don't think we need do that, but the need for confidentiality is the same."
Hermione blushed a bit, but smiled as she, Ron and Anthony produced their own galleons. Harry then began to tell the tale of the various instances in his life that had brought him, and the rest of them, to the present state of events. He described the journey to Romania, the coming of the dragon, the cavern and the flows, the discovery of the Tome, leaving out the direct roll of Merlin. He talked about his visits with Dumbledore, the presence of his mother in the house, the contents of the direct message from Merlin as well as the recently translated story of the power or magic war. In the beginning there were some widened eyes and head shakes.
As the story progressed with one wonder after another, the visible reactions died away. Some knew various bits and pieces. Some suspicions were confirmed. A couple were looking at Harry as if they had never seen him before. By the time he was winding down they all had a different picture of the unassuming, still young wizard sitting before them.
"So, based on all the bits and pieces that have been accumulating over the years, it looks as if we are facing a new episode in this ancient war of magic, perhaps on a smaller scale, but still a danger. But at least now we have a clearer picture of what we're facing and some idea of how to come to grips with it."
Bill was the first to speak. He was of course aware of pretty much everything that Harry talked about but the last revelation of the ancient war. He had spent a lot of time watching Harry and he asked a question.
"Harry, as my dear wife would say, 'what are you afraid of'?"
"I wouldn't say afraid, Bill, but I am concerned. If this goes bad, really bad, some of us might not see it through to the end. That means we all need to know the details."
"Some of us, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Despite recent events, I know I'm not indestructible, Hermione. And the first things that need to be done, only I can do, so far as I know. And since Lavender and Firenze refuse to tell me anything, I have to make sure we're prepared," he told her, his face somber.
His best friend simply nodded.
"Chief, we have some more information," Milligan began, ignoring the scowl, "we managed to peel a few more layers off our friend, Mr. Hereford."
"How'd you manage that, as if I didn't know?"
"They tossed me into Azkaban for a couple of days, Harry," Abagail said with a smile.
"Excuse me?"
"Yup. They put me in a cell right next to that Hereford character. At first it took a while for him to settle down enough, but I guess he was pretty tired and his resistance went down. I filled up a fair amount of parchment," she said, looking very pleased with her self.
Harry smirked at her a bit and then turned his attention on his former chief investigator.
"And?"
"Our friend Hereford was a low level operative but he did have some interaction with those a few levels above him. Those are now our focus and we have people looking for them now. We locate a couple of them and the little miss here can turn her attention on them," Milligan said.
"You're alright with this, Abagail?" Harry said, "I can only imagine what those people have in their heads."
"I'm a big girl now, Harry," she replied and then chuckled, "figuratively speaking of course. I can handle it. Like you said, this is a war. We're all soldiers, fighting as we can."
He just nodded, and then he was pulled up short.
"Wizard."
"Dragon?"
"I have been listening. It would appear that those that came before me held themselves apart in the previous conflict. I imagine they had their reasons but that was then. I will join you in this conflict."
"Thank you, my friend. I will need your strength and your wisdom."
"You shall have it."
"Harry?" Professor Sprout said.
"My apologies, ma'am. My large green friend was volunteering his services."
"The dragon is out there, Harry?" Abagail asked eagerly.
"Somewhere, little one. I have no idea how far apart we can be and still talk."
"I am in the place above the greater habitation of your kind. When necessary, the distance can be considerable, Wizard."
"He's still up above Hogsmeade, little one, sorry."
The young witch was visibly disappointed. Harry had to smile. The little witch had acquired a few preferences from her time around Hagrid and an appreciation for big creatures was right at the top of the list. He'd have to make sure that at some point she got to see the dragon again.
"Well, everyone, that's all I can think of right now. Does anyone have any questions?"
There were more than a few. As could be expected, the wizards from the Ministry were interested in details that might impact on the investigation, whereas the professors were focused on issues of a more academic nature. One of the more interesting ones was when Professor Vector asked about Harry's mother and what the nature of her manifestations really were.
As if on cue, Lily Potter materialized out of thin air, with none of the look of a ghost about her. She walked up to stand beside her seated son and placed an arm around his shoulder.
"Good evening, everyone. I'd like to thank you for all you've done and will do to help my Harry. And dear, please pass my thanks on to your large friend."
With that she bent down and kissed Harry on the forehead and then faded from view. Ginny had called Harry a show off from time to time. Maybe she was right, and now he had an idea where it came from. The last question focused everyone's attention.
"So what's next, Harry?" Anthony asked.
"My big friend and I join forces and we go looking for the old ones," he replied matter-of-factly.
He could sense an eager anticipation, and not just from the dragon. There was, however, one person in the house that wasn't so eager.
"Seriously, Harry? Again?" Ginny asked. "You're going to join with the dragon again after finally getting yourself healthy and go prowling around in those flow things?"
"I really don't see any other way, love. All the information we've gotten points back to those beings. Besides, weren't you the one that expressed some regret that I didn't have the apparent invincibility of the dragon anymore? And if you'll recall, the times I spent in the flows are the only time I came out of one of my adventures without any damage."
"Harry," Ginny began, squinting at her husband, "I love you more than anyone could imagine, but I have to say, I really hate it when you get all logical on me. You know, one of the reasons I pushed you to leave the Ministry and go to Hogwarts was so I wouldn't have to worry about whether or not you'd come home. I don't like that we're back there again."
"Considering what's been happening over the past year, we've been there for a while, haven't we? This might be the answer to that," Harry replied.
"There you go with the logic again. At least I know where Albus comes by it," Ginny said with disgust. "Just you remember this, if you come home all banged up, I'll finish the job."
It took Harry a while to get things arranged. He had Hagrid contact the Centaurs to alert Ronin, Bane and Morgotta. He made arrangements with Ron, Charlie and Bill and of course, Abagail. To Harry's surprise she relayed a request that Angus be invited along as well. The trek to the cavern in the Dark Forest was set for the Saturday before Halloween.
His reuniting with the dragon was much easier to manage. When he inquired of the dragon as to what he had in mind, he was told,
"Simply sleep, Wizard. I will handle matters as before."
So that's what Harry did and when he awoke the following morning, he sought the dragon in the vaults of his mind.
"Dragon?"
"Wizard," the voice replied, echoing out of that corner that Harry had for so long associated with his other self, and which had remained quiet since the separation in the mountain chamber.
"Good morning. If your reply hadn't told me you were back, the very large hole in my midsection would have been enough," Harry thought back, the growling in his stomach the only sound heard in the bedroom.
He dressed for the trek in jeans, his hiking boots and a heavy shirt. Ginny had rolled out of bed as he dressed, pulled on her robe and walked out without a word. When he got to the kitchen he found her there, giving the house elves their directions. Harry saw a significant breakfast laid out on the table and what appeared to be supplies for a lengthy stay somewhere. He could only marvel at the magic of the elves. He sat and began the systematic destruction of everything that was put in front of him.
Ginny sat down across from him and picked at the little bit of food that she had on her plate. When Harry was half way through his second serving of everything, she reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out the galleon every DA member had been given. She put it on the table and slid it across to him. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"I'm feeling pretty helpless at the moment, Harry. Take this. At least let me feel that I'm lending you some luck," she said.
He merely nodded and took the coin and put it in the same pocket where he kept his own. It was just past sunrise when Harry stood at the back door exchanging a tight embrace with his wife. She looked up at him and said,
"Make sure you tell that big green friend of yours that he better bring you home in one piece or I'll hunt him down and make him regret it."
"I'll be sure to mention it, although I'm sure he already heard you."
With a final kiss he left through the back door and made use of the fire place to ride the Floo Network to Hogsmeade. A ten minute walk had him to Hagrid's hut. His giant friend was sitting on the steps in front, Wully prancing about. Harry made sure to give the large head plenty of rubs.
"How's it lookin', Harry?"
"As you're so fond of saying, Hagrid, it's looking dicey. I only have a vague notion of what I'm going to be looking for. To say the least, I'll be playing this thing fast and loose."
"Aye, Harry, dicey and then some. Summat big is always buildin' around ya. You be watchin' yer step, Harry. It's startin' ta feel like bein' near a tree just before the lightenin' strikes," Hagrid said, his expression grim.
"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry said, but then smiled a bit. "Maybe this time, I'll be throwing the lightening bolts."
It took another fifteen minutes or so for the others to gather.
"Well, you know what I'm trying to do. I have no way to know for sure who or what I'll find in there or what the reaction might be. If something happens, you'll just have to figure it out for yourselves."
"Don't worry about it, Harry," Bill said. "We've all had some experience with this sort of thing. Well, almost all of us," he finished looking at Angus.
"Nae worries, Professors. Ai'm guit at followin' instructions," he offered with a grin.
"Alright, in we go."
The group of humans hadn't reached the first small clearing before they met a trio of Centaurs standing across the trail, two large males and a slightly smaller female.
"Hail Friends, Ronin, Bane, Morgotta."
"Hail, Serpent King."
"Thank you for agreeing to be part of our undertaking."
"It is our privilege, and our duty, Friend Harry Potter," Bane said. "I see the three brothers, the quiet warrior, but I do not recognize the other."
"Friends, this is Angus MacAskill. A wizard of great intellect and unique perspective. Traits which may prove valuable this day. He is also the beloved of Abagail Westwood," Harry explained.
Harry saw Bain and Morgotta nod, but Ronin seemed to be examining Angus in some detail. When Harry looked to the younger wizard he saw he was somewhat uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Harry began to have his suspicions. The Centaurs stepped aside to allow Harry to pass and then fell in with the others. Morgotta stayed alongside Harry.
"You are well, Friend Harry Potter?" she asked.
"Well enough, Friend Morgotta. We'll have to see if that remains true after we complete today's effort," Harry replied looking up at her.
"Then I will hold any discussion about our continuing efforts to educate our young to the trek out of the forest. To do so now might be viewed as presumptuous and cast us under unfavorable stars."
Harry was a little surprised to hear the otherwise logically minded Lore Master make such a statement but he said nothing. The mixed group was mainly silent. When they arrived at the now well traveled path that led to the cavern entrance he saw not the usual single sentinel but three and when they approached the reconstructed stone entrance way, it appeared several dozen armed Centaurs were ringing the formation. Harry looked to Morgotta but it was Ronin who spoke, coming up from behind.
"Better to be too well prepared, Serpent King, then too poorly."
"I suppose so. I'm wondering now if we should have brought along a few more witches or wizards. I guess it's too late for that now," he said and began to lead his small band into the cavern.
He hadn't been to the cavern in a while and he took the time to examine the fit of the stone work as the boulders and small stones had been reset, both by Centaurs and student and faculty volunteers. The bridge made of poles had been replaced by a more substantial, albeit still wood, structure. The stone door was still there, and with a thought and a push Harry had it open and they began to walk down the spiral stair case, the still air of the cavern swallowing the sound of boots and hooves on stone.
Lumos spells provided sufficient light to move through the main chamber around to the 'front' side of the structure and its openings. Harry motioned for Abagail to join him and together they checked on the stone pillar in the central room. To Harry it still had the feel of the faint glow, although it didn't provide any light in the room. Both he and Abagail put their hands on the slightly warmer stone and after a moment they looked at each other.
"It seems the same, don't you think, little one?" Harry asked.
"It did to me, too, Harry."
"Alright, let's get on with this."
They left the room and Harry said to the rest,
"You might as well get comfortable, this is likely to take a while."
"Telling you to be careful in there is likely to be a waste of time, Harry," Bill said, "but for my sister's sake I'll say it anyway. Be careful."
"I intend to, Bill. Think of this as a scouting mission. I don't know if I'll be able to find any shadows in there to sneak around in, but I'll try."
Bill and his brothers nodded while Abagail gave him a hug around the waist. While Harry made his way to the middle of the chamber, the others moved to a spot along the wall and set up camp. They watched as Harry lay on the floor, face down and then within a moment, the great bulk of the dragon was there. The slight rush of displaced air caused the wizard robes to rustle and then it was still again. The sound of moving air was replaced by the sound of scrabbling claws as the dragon moved backward enough to get its tail into the room and pressed against the pillar.
Very quickly, the chamber took on the glowing green of dragon scales and the tone of a bell passed through and was gone. Bane, who had a dislike for such spaces but chose to come along anyway looked about and said to no one in particular,
"The Serpent King travels paths most could not even guess at."
No one responded directly but Abagail said quickly,
"He's gone," her voice shaky.
"Be strong, small warrior," Ronin advised, "this time you know where he goes and that he will return."
"I know, but knowing doesn't make the loneliness any easier to bear," she said, pushing up against Angus, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
After a moment she slid away from the young wizard and hurried over to the dragon's head. Fearing a return of the panic attack the others started to move toward her but after a moment she turned to the them and said,
"I'm not sure but I think the dragon went with him."
Charlie hurried up to the side of the great creature and pressed his ear against the hide. After a moment he turned to the others.
"His breathing and heartbeat are slow, but strong and steady," but shrugged as to anything else.
While those on the outside wondered what was going on, Harry had already tapped the flows and pushed his consciousness out of the dragon and into that world within the world. As he was trying to get his bearings, a very familiar pair of eyes emerged from the swirl. They were large, green, with vertical pupils.
"Dragon?"
"Indeed, Wizard."
"But how and why?"
"How are you here, Wizard? Knowledge and strength of mind. Your previous forays to this place provided the knowledge. The strength of mind has always been."
"And the why?"
"Have I not stated my commitment to your cause? And I must admit to a not insignificant curiosity. Are these not thought to be contemporaries of my distant forebears?" the dragon asked.
"You have and that is the working theory. I welcome your assistance. So, can you sense anything as you did when we showed you the three mind wiped wizards?"
"Indeed I can, Wizard. It is all around us. It proves what you surmise, but does not allow me to guide you toward your goal."
"Perhaps there is another way," Harry said, then tried to shut out the sensations from around him.
He recalled the image of the eleven robed figures standing around the pillar and tried to imagine them within the flow as he had with the idea of the snake and then the snake-man figure of Voldemort. All he got was a faint, barely discernible glimpse of a robe. Was the problem he lacked the ability to call them up, or was the image the key and he was getting it wrong?
"Wizard, when you were trying to understand the many images were the old ones always presented such?"
"No, they weren't. There were differences both in numbers and location," Harry said with a 'nod'.
Harry then opened his mind to try and sort through the numerous images of the robed figures among the seemingly innumerable images that had flooded his consciousness during his earlier explorations. As he did, the image of the robe waxed and waned in the obscuring mist. But nothing would coalesce like Voldemort had. Harry was beginning to get annoyed. He thought he 'heard' the dragon chuckle before it said,
"Caution, Wizard, do not allow your emotions to cloud your vision. There will be ample time to vent more than just frustrations."
"So speaketh the wisdom of age," Harry replied as he tried to calm himself.
He thought he 'heard' the dragon snort. Once again he shut out the images floating in the mists before him and he tried to think of how the old ones could be imaged. While this was going on time was passing in the cavern. While Harry worked with the aid of the dragon, the others remained in their small camp along the wall. Several blankets had been spread out, Harry's small camp stove was being used to brew tea for the human members of the team.
Harry had once asked Morgotta if Centaurs had a custom such as tea drinking and after the whinnied laugh of her kind, she told Harry that it was incomprehensible to them why humans chose to ruin a precious commodity such as pure water by boiling weeds in it. At the time that Harry was becoming frustrated with his lack of success in raising an image of the robed figures, the cavern pulsed with heavier shades of green, tinged with red. It was Abagail who said,
"Oh, dear. Harry must be vexed."
"If he gets bleeding angry," Ron began, "I'm heading for the stairs."
While the other humans laughed, the Centaurs wondered what bloodshed had to do with it.
Meanwhile, Harry struggled with his 'search'. But his actions weren't just attracting the attention of those in the cavern. Twelve individuals seated around a table were also taking note.
"Something is amiss," the first voice remarked.
"Nearly everything is amiss," observed the second. "Could you be more specific?"
"The flows. Something is amiss with the flows," replied the first.
"How can one tell in this time? The anchors shift, the nodes degrade, the power levels fluctuate. Even should we regain the surface, what will we be able to accomplish?" asked another.
"Is it a threat?" asked the one who did not speak often.
"It cannot be determined. But there is unease," replied the first.
"When the unease becomes real, be sure to inform us," retorted the last, dismissively.
Harry tried again to alter the number of figures in his imagery. While he had never before seen them grouped with more than eleven, he finally added another. The robe in the mist jumped into sharp relief. His mood improved greatly and in the cavern, a sharp bell tone rang out.
"Excellent, Wizard. Now, how might a group of such gather? I know nothing of such human habits."
Harry began to run through the possibilities. He started by adding a twelfth to those arrayed around the pillar. Nothing. He tried to think of outdoor settings and still nothing. He reconsidered, since they always appeared to him as being in a cavern or some other enclosed space. He filtered through images of figures in a room, sitting in chairs, then at a table. The mist around the robe began to pull back. He altered the table and when he placed twelve robe figures spaced about a round table, the scene emerged clearly from the mist as if he was watching it from a short distance away.
"As you would say, well done you, Wizard. Shall I?" the dragon asked, the question full of unspoken menace.
"Not now, no. For one thing, we don't know for certain these are the ones we seek. For another, we need to know how they are connecting with their human agents. Please be patient, my friend."
The dragon didn't answer but from the feeling of frustration, Harry knew he wouldn't act on his own. Harry tried to think of a way to overhear what was being discussed by the twelve. An idea occurred and remembering the technique that Abagail had introduced him to, he thought inward. To conduct a test, he called to the dragon.
"Dragon, can you hear me?"
"Wizard, where are you? You seem very far away. I can barely discern your presence."
"I'm right here. It's a trick Abagail taught me. I'm going to try and sneak up on the old ones and hear what they might be saying."
"Have a care, Wizard. I will remain vigilant," the dragon replied.
As he had on previous occasions, he willed himself to close the distance between his present 'location' and where he perceived the dozen to be. Unlike the previous occasions, he wasn't going for speed but stealth. He slowly floated closer and the vision began to resolve itself to a much more detailed image of twelve figures seated in high backed chairs of an ancient design positioned evenly around a large round table. The table was completely bare. Harry had to wonder, if only briefly, why they were bothering with the table. Perhaps he caught them in between meals or something.
He was able to make out more details about the room they were in as well. The walls looked very familiar. While not the same color, the walls had the same appearance as those that currently surrounded the dragon's physical being and those of his family and friends. Another piece dropped into place. Across from him, the corners of the room appeared to be lost in shadow and there didn't seem to be any visible source of illumination. Judging the distances as best he could he positioned himself into what he thought was a corner.
Harry was still largely ignorant of how the flows worked, and what other ways might be used to tap the power they carried. What he was sure of was as he seemed to pass through what would be the barrier of a wall, the sense of presence in the room became very strong and he could hear what was being communicated. He couldn't conclude that words were actually spoken since faces weren't visible.
"Am I to believe that none of you can sense what is occurring?" asked the first.
"Again, yes, we can. What cannot be discerned is the nature of the occurrence and what implications it has," replied the second.
Harry was very interested to hear that these supposedly most powerful beings were certainly not all knowing.
"Let us consider," began the one who spoke little, but seemed to say much, "we know that the one who leads has entered the flows on several occasions. What if the hunted has now become the hunter. Are we assured that the barriers will hold?"
Interesting, Harry thought. Either the barriers had indeed failed, or they were of a nature he didn't understand and might preclude direct intervention. He also didn't have any idea what kind of power they possessed and how they might bring it to bear during a confrontation. But he thought he might try a bit of an experiment.
"Dragon, can you hear me?"
"Barely, Wizard."
"That's enough. Can you direct a blast of dragon fire into the mists away from the perceived room?"
"I can. You wish to send a signal?" the dragon asked.
"Not as such. It is more in the way of a test."
"It will be done."
If Harry could have seen them, he would have seen the dragon's eyes look off to the left and squint a bit. He released a moderate jet of plasma into the mists. The results were interesting to say the least. Any number of images exploded out of the mists to flow past the dragon and disappear. In the cavern the heavy bell tone sounded and the walls and floor shuddered a bit. The Centaurs above looked about in alarm as the ground vibrated and the branches of the trees waved. In the chamber of the twelve, a lesser tolling of the bell tone sounded, mixed with shouts of surprise.
"Tell me now that you failed to feel that," the first said above the sudden furor.
"Was that…?" the second began but didn't finish.
"How could one of those have gotten into the flows?" asked the third.
"Is it not suspected that the one who leads has an association with one of the winged ones? Perhaps they too have evolved in ways we have missed," suggested the speaker with much to say. "Perhaps there is much more with which we need to be concerned."
As Harry pushed himself back towards the dragon he smiled to himself. He intended to give these creatures a lot more to worry about.