Chapter 24: Earth
"George you stood on my foot!" hissed a voice from behind her.
Kaisha spun round, "Be quiet, we can't let them find us first!"
The group behind her shut up immediately before following her along the shadowy path.
There was little light coming though the trees in this part of the forest. It was the same one that lay behind the estate, but they far deeper in than they usually dared wonder. The forest was dense and very little light made it through the layers of leaves in the natural ceiling above their heads.
It was said in the neighbouring wizarding village that dark creatures lived in these parts - as a result no-one came close to the forest. However, recently, murmurings of something strange had cause the normal inhabitants of this area to move. Hearing this, Kaisha and Snape had taken it upon themselves to spy out the area. They were horrified at what they found - a death eater camp - at the point they had found it a death eater meeting was going on - Lord Voldermort at the centre.
"We're getting close," whispered Snape, " My suggestion would be to place the invisibility clock over the two girls…"
"Don't you dare!" hissed one of the girls from behind him.
"Yer, we're of age now!" exclaimed the other.
Kaisha ignored their bickering as she placed a finger on her lips, signalling everyone to be quiet, "we're here."
The eldest Potter peered round the tree she was hidden behind. Before her she could see the large black tent in the back of the clearing. In the centre stood a large cooking pot and roosting spit, with the remains of their previous nights dinner covered in flies. There appeared not to be anyone else at the moment, other then two sentries on guard duty.
"Ok…Listen…."
"Ok…Listen to me people!" exclaimed Albus Dumbledore from the edge of the forest, the crowd before him stilled, "the mission before us is dangerous and anyone who doesn't wish to go any further may remain to guard base. Any takers?"
As expected, no one raised their hands, they were with him for this mission…
"Ok, in which case everyone is to follow orders from their group leader - to the letter or else - who will receive instructions from me. The path ahead of us could be very dangerous and is essential I can come out of the forest with as many people as I went in with. Any questions? … Alright then, follow me…"
He jumped swiftly down from his makeshift stage, a rotting old tree stump, before gesturing for the group to follow him.
Entering the unknown wood brought a strange sense of uneasiness within the group. No-one was quiet sure what lay, hidden, in the shadowy patches around them. As the forest grow denser Albus stopped and called back to the group,
"Remus Lupin?" he asked to the crowd.
A man in ragged robes, echoing in a long suffered despair, came up to the front of the crowd, leaving a black haired man behind in his wake, "Yes Headmaster."
"Any signs of life?" asked the old man, peering down his nose at the abysmal excuse for a human being.
"Yes sir," answered the werewolf, "I have picked up smells of an unknown centaur heard and of a lone female werewolf in these parts - though I do not recognize the scent."
"We will not have to worry about her - though I do suggest you coming back at the next full moon and discovering which side she is on," instructed the headmaster, "I would like to request Lupin, that you and Mr Black walk ahead of me so that you may warn us of any danger…."
Not having any choice in the matter, the two men walked in front of their old headmaster, and most hated enemy, to the front of the queue.
"Nott, what are you doing?" squeaked a rat like human being.
"Keeping guard, what does it look like?" replied the gruff man sarcastically.
"Snape?" asked Kaisha from her position, "who's the new man, talking to Nott."
"The man I told you about. Peter Pettigrew, he's been living under the protection of the dark lord since he betrayed your parents," explained Severus in a low hiss.
"Sis," whispered a voice from behind.
Kaisha turned face her younger sister, "what is it Kirsty?"
"Don't give me the evil look, I'm just trying to help," Kaisha relaxed her facial features, "I just spoke to a grass snake he say's that there is a huge python in that that tent and…"
"We know that already!" exclaimed Kaisha.
"There's more, so shout up for a minute!" spat Kirsty, "he's heard that, apparently, another group, lead by an old, strict man, has entered the forest."
"Dumbledore?" questioned Severus worriedly.
"Who else do you reckon is mad enough to come in the direction of him?" asked Kaisha sadly, "we need to go, we can't let them see us. Kirsty how far away are they?"
"The other side of the clearing…."
Remus Lupin had reached the side of the clearing, stopping for a moment, he sniffed the air.
"Sirius," he murmured to his friend, "I smell them!"
"The Death Eaters? Well their camp is right in front of us," replied the man grumpily.
"No... It's them! It's Lily and James' kids!" Remus whispered excitedly.
The black haired man's eyes lit up for a moment, "we can't let Dumbledore find them, we promised Lily and James we wouldn't let Albus get his paws on them."
Remus nodded, "exactly."
They both turned as they heard the group approaching.
"Any news?" Albus asked.
"None sir."
Albus looked carefully around the clearing. Everything seemed normal until he heard a loud crack of twigs from the opposite side of the clearing, then a pair of frightened hazel eyes meet his and disappear into the leaves…