Chapter 26 – A Change in the Wind
The Ministry of Magic had been evacuated earlier in the day due to circumstances that none wished to talk about. News of the incident had traveled by word of mouth and had gotten to Hogwarts in due course. Many wizards had blamed it on Voldemort while others had come to the conclusion that the inability of the Minister to do his job had been the problem. Whatever the cause was, the Ministry of Magic hadn't seen a wizard stroll through the doors almost all night – until now.
Ron stood in the doorway leading to the room where the doors would spin and spin until he couldn't place even where they had walked through. Shivers had been running up and down his spine since he had entered the building. All he wanted to do now was return to Hogwarts where everything was safe – well, for the time being. Since the attack his nerves hadn't been the same, or anyone's for that matter. Hermione almost hadn't let him go to begin on a journey that he knew nothing about. Harry had questioned Isis as to the reason why Ron was leaving with her and not him, but she wouldn't give him a reason and had skirted around the issue. Ron had hung his head in shame because he was leaving his best friend out of the loop for the time being. While he wanted to tell Harry everything, Dumbledore had shook his head silently to do no such thing. It was a signal that the secret would wait until all could be sorted out. For his own sake, Ron hoped that it would be very soon when he could figure out what Fate had in store for him.
"Step through the doorway, Ron," Isis said from behind him.
He shook his head. "I can't do this."
All that was in front of him was a blue reflection on the floor of the flames from the candles that illuminated the room. It made him feel eerie, as if replaying the night that Sirius had fallen behind the Veil. He couldn't go through another night, alone this time, where the DA had practically been destroyed by Death Eaters. If it hadn't been for Dumbledore's help, he was certain that the group would have been killed without remorse.
"Let me shed a different light on the subject." She smirked as the flames turned from an iridescent blue to an almost blinding white light. "There's nothing to fear here tonight, Ron. There will be no Death Eaters and none of Voldemort's followers know we're here. They are preoccupied with the task of how to infiltrate Hogwarts better than they did only a few hours ago. This is a time for you to practice your new skills. It is a time for me to free the man that I promised."
Ron cautiously took a step into the room and looked at the twelve doors that were surrounding him. None were distinguished or even gave him a clue as to where they were going. It didn't seem to worry Isis but it worried him. The Department of Mysteries held too many secrets that many wizards didn't know about – including himself. How was he supposed to just walk into a room without knowing what it was? How were they supposed to save Sirius when only an immortal could escape the Veil?
"Maybe this is a bad idea, Isis," Ron stammered. "I'm sure that you could save Sirius on your own…" He gagged as Isis grabbed him by the collar and turned him away from the open door – his only escape route. "Or not."
"Did you not, only hours ago, claim that you wanted to show the Wizarding World that you were greater than people deemed you to be?" She watched him closely as he grimaced from the repetition of his words. "I am giving you the chance, before the final attack, to hone your skills. We don't have much time and I am sorry for the speed training…but it's all we can afford. Sirius will be thankful for the help, and so will I."
He jumped in fright as Isis slammed the door shut behind her. The doors began to whirl around him, like a cyclone just beginning to form. The light reflecting on the doors and the floor was blinding, making him dizzy. Isis held him steady as the doors came to a screeching halt. Glancing around the room, he had no idea which room they needed to step through to find the Veil. Twelve doors that held no indication as to the ideal destination they needed to reach. There was no way he would repeat what they had done several years ago. By stepping through each one without any clue, the DA had almost gotten lost and almost never found the way back to where they had begun.
"We'll never find Sirius this way," he commented, exasperated.
Isis just took several steps forward and closed her eyes, as if listening for something. "It's time you let instinct guide you, Ron. Channel your strength and blow out the candles."
He looked at her in shock. "Why the bloody hell would I want to do that?! That would leave us in complete darkness!"
"Not quite." She turned and showed the flames in her eyes that were brighter than ever – as if they were a nightlight. "I want to see the force you have behind your powers. Before we enter where we must, I want to test you. You'll be fine – I promise."
Ron took a deep breath and a step back from Isis. There had been no doubt in Isis's mind that he was the Wind Element. It had been hard to believe but seeing the sight behind him in the Potions classroom had brought up more fear and doubt about what she had said. Now that he had power, he wasn't quite sure he wanted it. Being an Element had its benefits and its downfalls. He saw what Isis and Poseidon had to go through in order to survive and to make sure others did as well. Was he strong enough to do that? Could he protect others before himself? Well, he had in a way. Hermione was his to protect and he had felt helpless when Fenrir had attacked her on several different occasions. Although she had the Heart to aid her, he still felt some obligation to protect Hermione. He hadn't been able to do that and just stood off to the side as she fought the werewolf on her own. It had made him angry to the point where, Isis had assumed, the Wind Element had come to the surface. It was time to prove to himself that he could do what he had to in order to save his girlfriend and his friends in a time of need. If he indeed was the Wind Element, it didn't bother him so much that Regulus had taken his wand during their trip to Azkaban. Ron smirked at the idea of his new found skill. He wouldn't need a wand in the upcoming battle. The newfound powers could be controlled with just a flick of his wrist…
Isis laughed as the room was shrouded in darkness and she felt a slight breeze blow across her skin. Her eyes illuminated a small part of the room where she and Ron stood. She noticed the shocked expression on his face as she approached him.
"Did I do that?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
"You did that, Ron." She waved her hand and the candles were lit with an orange tint to the flame. "You withheld the Wind Element and now he just wants to show himself. It won't take you long to master the powers you control. The Wind Element is one of the calmer of the four, although can be a force to be reckoned with if the need be. I hate to say this, Ron, but you are the reasonable one of all of us."
He quickly shook his head. "I can't be the Wind Element. Isis, I can't even handle a wand correctly."
She chuckled and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Your power is much simpler than a wand. I can't even master a wand." He smiled at her comment as she continued, "There are reasons why I didn't tell Harry about you before we left. Dumbledore wished to address both Harry and Hermione while we came to do what I needed to do. The Keeper of the Veil is a being that will do what he must in order to protect his domain. I needed someone to keep him occupied while I rescued Sirius. It is a perfect time for you to test your powers and see what you can do."
"But I thought only an immortal could escape the Veil," Ron said simply. "I'm not immortal, Isis. You're the only one who is immortal."
Ron's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. It was as if a surge of energy was coursing through his body. Isis's gaze never left his and neither did her grip that had tightened on his arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her pull out Harry's invisibility cloak and drape it over her free arm. The surge didn't stop for several moments. The feeling had taken his breath away. The flames that illuminated the room only seconds before had died in Isis's eyes. For a brief instant, they shone in Ron's.
"We don't have much time and it took a great deal of energy to give you my immortality for a brief amount of time." Before Ron could ask any questions, Isis pushed open a door toward a darkened room. "We have to do this, Ron. There can be no questions. You will know what to do when you meet the Keeper. Do whatever you must in order to keep him occupied. I don't know how long it will take to free Sirius."
Ron was still standing there, bewildered by everything that was happening. He was immortal now? Was that even possible? "Isis…," he began.
"Whatever you do, don't let the Keeper touch you," Isis warned. She kept a sharp eye on Ron as he walked through the door. "He is privy to everything that is going on around him. There is no room for error. If he touches you, we will both be trapped within the Veil with no way of getting out."
"I understand." Ron's voice echoed throughout the room.
He took in the sight before him and saw the Veil not thirty feet from where he was standing. The black curtain that hid the entrance blew in the breeze. He held out his hand and smirked as he saw the curtain blow back through the Veil the opposite way. Ron was scared to death of what was going to happen, but was anxious to see if Isis was right. If he was the Wind Element, he was about to show the Keeper what he was made of.
Without any hesitation, Ron brushed the curtain out of his way and stepped through the archway that led to the place many wizards feared. His eyes opened to the sight that he was unprepared to see. When Isis had described the Veil to Harry, Hermione, and him it was as if the Veil was a lush forest that had been hidden away from the world. What he saw now was nothing like he envisioned it. Instead of a vast meadow with a forest just beyond a hill, there were tall skyscrapers and hard paved roads. Ron felt as though he were in London and was prepared to see Muggles roaming the streets. Rain had seemed to have saturated the ground only moments before he had entered. Puddles were scattered about and rain clouds were skimming across the sky, allowing the full moon to illuminate the city below.
"The Keeper enjoys the changes in surroundings," Isis whispered, hidden from sight beneath Harry's invisibility cloak. "Do not let him play mind tricks on you. Remember who and what you are, Ron. You are an Element and you are to do what you must in order to protect yourself. Allow yourself to explore the vastness of your powers."
"Suddenly there are many visitors that wish to step through the curtain," said a husky voice a distance away. "First there were wizards that were shoved through the archway against their will. Then an Element visits me to see an 'old friend' to gain knowledge about the upcoming war." The voice was silent for a moment before continuing, "Who visits me now?"
"Ronald Weasley," he replied with a high pitched voice.
The voice's laughter echoed all around him. It was mocking him because of his name. He hated the fact that the Weasley name had been dragged through the mud for so many years. Now he began to wonder if he would be able to rectify the situation. Could he be the Weasley to bring the family back into the Light?
"And the reason for a Weasley entering the Veil of his own accord?" A figure had stepped up behind Ron and caused the young man to jump. The figure laughed and shook his head. "After all, a smart Weasley would know that a mortal could never escape the Veil. Although I am sure that this is much less painful than a wizard suicide and I am more than certain a Weasley would take the escape route."
Ron turned quickly on his heel and nearly gasped at the sight before him. The dress and the manner of which the man stood before him seemed all but normal. The man's jet black hair and Muggle outfit Ron could live with. It was the white orbs that were the Keeper's eyes that scared him half to death. How was he supposed to know what the Keeper was feeling without seeing his eyes? The Keeper's voice had remained calm since he had first spoke. Ron knew that it was going to be hard to keep this man occupied long enough for Isis to break Sirius out of whatever prison Sirius was being held in.
The Keeper smirked as he seemed to look at Ron with curious eyes. "If I remember correctly, you are merely a student at Hogwarts. What do you think deems you worthy of even standing in my presence?"
Ron's clenched fists were shaking by his sides. The anger that was boiling inside of him wanted to be released in such a way that it would make the Keeper fall to his knees. His family was a good family. They loved one another and tried everything they could to be good wizards. It was hard for him to swallow and ignore most of the comments wizards had been saying over the years. Maybe it was high time to let out some of the pent up frustration he had been feeling.
Ron slowly let his fingers uncurl and felt a surge of energy rise within him. Out of nowhere, street signs began to blow fiercely. The Keeper glanced up and shivered as he felt the cold wind growing around him. The sound of cracking windows echoed up and down the empty streets. All Ron could do was smile as the Keeper turned his gaze from the sky back to where Ron was standing.
"There is no possible way that a Weasley would become an Element," he said as the wind continued to whip around him. "A wizard needs to be strong…and aware of his surroundings."
Glass shattered and fell to the ground in pieces. Ron took a cautious step toward the Keeper, still unsure of what either of them could do. "The Weasleys are a lot stronger than you could possibly imagine."
"Ha!" the Keeper exclaimed. "You are not the Wind Element. If all you can do is blow a few street signs and break a few windows, it isn't even worth my time to be standing here talking with you. Only the worthy can stand before me and even then they are still sent to their fate."
As Ron's arms slowly rose, the Keeper's body climbed to new heights. Ron smirked as a small cyclone of wind had formed beneath the Keeper to keep him aloft. His head tilted as he spoke, "I believe you and I have a few things to discuss."
Sirius's finger ran across the dust and grime that had been building on the stones of his cell. He had lost track of time and had no idea how long it had been since he had spoken to Harry. It felt like an eternity. All he had wanted to do was die in peace and away from everything that would cause him sorrow. It was then Isis sauntered back into his life as if it would have no effect. It had been like an arrow that had pierced straight through his heart. He wasn't quite sure, but the day she had appeared before him it was as if a little piece of him had broken at the sight of her. There had been too many memories that resurfaced after their brief meeting. The thought of James and Lily's death hung high on his head. While he had thought Isis had all but died, she had told him that she thought the same of him. He had pushed her aside long ago, rid of all of the memories they had created. Now, more than ever, he was afraid that he would never see her again. The Veil was too tricky, too intricate for even an Element to infiltrate. Her promise to him would be broken, along with the rest of his heart.
Out of the darkness he heard feet shuffling. The nearby prisoner had made pacing a late night hobby. It had grown tiresome but gave Sirius something to do. He began to keep track of how many times the prisoner had walked back and forth across the cell a night. Keeping count had been something to pass the time even though he had no idea what day it was.
It was odd for the prisoner to keep moving at such a regular pace. Sirius slowly glanced toward the darkened corridor and smirked at the sight of the pink glow outside of his cell. The flames were a constant reminder of what Isis felt toward him. She still protected him, even though he was a lost soul. Shadows crept on the wall as the flames danced, giving the rest of the corridor light it didn't have before. The shuffling had stopped and he placed that the footsteps stopped right before his cell door. He slowly rose and moved toward the bars that had turned from a bright red to an iridescent blue. As his hands wrapped around the bars he jumped back as a pair of hands appeared, hovering just above them. A cloak slid from the figure before him and his eyes widened with joy.
"I always keep my promises," Isis said, smiling.
Sirius smiled in return. "Isis." He took a few steps forward but hesitated to touch the hands that were only inches from his. "If the Keeper finds you here…"
She shook her head. "I'm here to save you. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a plan."
"A plan?" He looked at her curiously. "You have a plan for us to get out of here?"
"It requires a little help from the Wind Element, but yes I have a plan," she replied. "He's holding the Keeper at bay for the time being. I am sure that we don't have much time. Ron has my immortality…"
Sirius grasped her hands tightly, taking them away from the bars on the cell. "Ron is the Wind Element?"
"Why is everyone, including him, finding that so shocking?" Isis shook her head in shame. "He is a find wizard – much more powerful than many think. He is capable of so much, but he's just afraid of it. I think the Creator knew that when she chose him. All he needs to do is come out of his shell. The Wind Element will help him do that."
Sirius couldn't argue the point. Isis knew better than anyone else what a wizard needed in order to control an Element. Dumbledore had been a perfect candidate. He wasn't quite sure who the Water Element was, but he was certain that the wizard was more than capable of handling the duties of one of the more powerful Elements. Whatever Ron possessed to have the Creator deem him worthy had to be something that no one saw. Maybe Isis was right. Maybe whatever Ron had been hiding would be pushed to the surface because of the Wind Element. Sirius just hoped that the trait Ron possessed would unveil itself in time.
Isis rubbed her hands together and watched the cell bars change color once again. She noticed Sirius watching her cautiously. "All I have to do is time this correctly and it should work."
"Isis, did you say Ron has your immortality?" He took another step forward and noticed her gaze turned from him to her hands. "Isis, do not tell me you are here without your powers."
"For the time being," she began, "Ron needed my strength in order to distract the Keeper. Without my powers he would have been cast from the Veil and the Keeper would have been here in an instant. It is for a brief time and something I can only do once every few decades." Her fingers hovered just above the still changing bars. "I don't have much time, Sirius. Soon Ron will have no protection and I will have no time left to save you. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to do this before everything comes crashing down around us."
Before Sirius could protest to anything Isis was about to do, her hands grasped the bars and she screamed in agony. The magic that had been protecting his cell coursed through her veins. The colors began to fade as Isis's eyes filled with the colors that had once been there. The brief touch that she had made during a previous trip had been magnified. Sirius grimaced as he watched Isis absorb the energy that was the Keeper. It was as if he felt it, the pain she was experiencing. Although she wouldn't die from the encounter, he could only imagine the suffering she was going through. With one last scream, the bars disappeared along with the spell that had been holding him captive. Isis's hands grasped at thin air as she began to fall to the stone floor beneath her. Sirius moved quickly and caught her in his arms. He cradled her in one arm while his other hand searched for a pulse. Her eyes were tightly shut and her body unmoving. Sirius knew that there was something wrong – she had never felt cool to his touch.
"Isis," he whispered in her ear. There was no response to his voice when there usually had been. He tried again, "Isis."
The flames that had been constantly burning on either side of his cell slowly dwindled down to nothing. The pink glow had all but disappeared, but had suddenly reappeared in Isis's open eyes. Sirius smiled as she returned the gesture. Her body was feeling warmer by the second and he could feel her strength returning.
"I thought I was supposed to be saving you," she muttered. "I thought I would be holding you in my arms."
Sirius gently brushed the hair from her face. "We'll hold each other from now on. I'm not letting you go this time."
"Do you promise?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"You're asking a Marauder if he promises?" He smiled as she chuckled. "You aren't the only one who can keep their promise. I swore to you, a long time ago, that I would find you again and keep you safe. I plan on completing my promise."
Sirius looked at her copper-colored eyes and saw them fill with tears. It had been so long since he had held her in his arms that it almost felt foreign to him. Even though there was no time to spare, his head slowly lowered so that his lips could touch hers. He sighed when he felt her arms wrap around his neck in order to deepen the kiss. It was gentle and sweet. The kiss he had dreamt about for so long had finally become reality. Isis was real and no longer just a figment of his imagination. He could feel her silky skin and her fiery power that boiled just beneath the surface. The kiss was simple and short but everything he had wanted and more.
"As much as I would love for this moment to last forever," Isis began.
Sirius finished, "We need to get to Ron. I am sure that he and the Keeper are through playing games."
Isis felt Sirius walking directly behind her beneath the invisibility cloak, but that didn't deter her from stopping short at the sight before her. The setting that surrounded them was nothing like what she had seen just moments ago. There were no city streets or tall skyscrapers. Familiar corridors loomed in front of her. The darkness of Hogwarts seemed all too eerie for her and she wasn't quite sure how it all came to be.
As her lingering gaze of the sight of Hogwarts continued, she noticed that Ron and the Keeper were still standing before one another – a battle of wills. Just before she had returned to the place where Ron had remained, her powers had returned to her in full force. Ron had been facing the Keeper with his own strength. She smirked as the Keeper was thrust into the air and dropped abruptly to the ground with a thud.
"I am tired of everyone dragging the Weasley name through the mud!" Ron shouted angrily. "Just because…"
The Keeper stood on shaky legs and glared at Ron with his haunting white orbs. "Just because, what?! You are proving nothing to us. From tales and legends, the Wind Element is much stronger than anything you have shown us. You are…"
As Isis approached the situation, she pondered what the Keeper had just said. Instead of saying 'me', the Keeper had said 'us'. The Keeper wasn't alone this time. There was someone feeding him, fueling everything he was doing. It didn't take long for Isis to figure out who it was.
"And how long have you been a follower of Voldemort?" Isis interjected before Ron could do any more damage to the Keeper.
Ron's gaze turned from the Keeper to Isis – his eyes showing shock and confusion. She didn't need to know what the Keeper was thinking. The expressions on his face all but confirmed what she had come to the conclusion of. Everything the Veil was, everything the Keeper was, had been Voldemort's. Voldemort had found a way to infiltrate the Department of Mysteries. He had found a way to pry his way into the Ministry.
"I should have known that the Weasley child was but a mere distraction, Isis," the Keeper coolly said. "You must tutor him more on the ways of the Elements. He is not even strong enough to keep me at bay."
"Did you get him?" Ron questioned. "Is he safe?"
Isis pulled the cloak off of Sirius, exposing the escapee. Sirius proudly stood up and ignored the Keeper's stare. She knew what she was doing. There was no longer the fear of getting both Sirius and Ron out of the Veil without harm. She knew that all it would take was for them to exit the same way that they came in.
"Ron," she began, "Test your powers out on the prison just down the corridor a ways. You cannot miss it. The moss and ivy are growing along the rocky sides. Inside you will find hundreds of captives, waiting patiently to be set free. Use your powers and destroy the building." She watched Ron begin to protest and she quickly put up a hand. "I assure you that you will harm no one inside. Use this as a time to learn about your power. Do it and quickly."
Without protest, Ron ran off down the corridor and past the Keeper that had kept his focus solely on Isis.
Sirius took a step forward and placed a gentle hand on Isis's shoulder. "Do you think that this is wise?"
"I do not like repeating myself, Keeper, for future reference. So, this will be the last time I will ask you nicely how long you have been a follower of Voldemort." After waiting a few moments for a reply, and receiving none, she turned to Sirius. "Walk through the curtain of the Veil and then walk back through."
Sirius quickly shook his head in protest. "I won't be able to leave, Isis."
"Trust me," she simply said.
Sirius walked solemnly down the corridor and hesitated before the black curtain. Glancing back at Isis, he noticed that she wasn't looking at him or what he was about to do. He took a deep breath and walked through the curtain, fearful that he would be gone for all time. Several minutes passed before Sirius reappeared within the Veil. His eyes were wide with shock while he looked over his figure to make sure everything was as it should be.
Isis slowly walked toward the Keeper, his body unmoving. "For decades you have led the Ministry to believe that this was a place that preserved souls trapped between life and death. The occasional few who fell through the curtain were condemned to serve the Keeper because no one could escape the Veil. Instead it was you, serving Voldemort and keeping innocent wizards and witches to help aid the war."
Her hand flicked and a small fire began just inches from the Keeper's feet. She could feel the fear pouring off of him. He knew the only way to destroy an Element was the Heart, but to make an Element weak he had to transfer the power. It would have been enough to do damage to her body – enough for her to almost never recover. Now he feared her unlike he did the first time she had entered the Veil. He knew that she would never allow her guard to drop enough for him to touch her. She knew that it was time for him to suffer like the prisoners trapped within the confines of the Veil.
"How long have you been a follower of Voldemort?" With no answer, her hand shot out again and the Keeper stumbled backwards away from the flame. "I am sure I already know the answer. I am also sure that you will suffer the same fate as all of the witches and wizards that you have condemned for so many years."
Life returned to the Keeper's eyes while flames raged in Isis's. His hazel eyes showed fear and sadness in them as he took in the thoughts of his fate. Hundreds of witches and wizards began to run past Isis and the Keeper and through the black curtain. They were returning home – to loved ones and family members that thought they had been lost for all eternity. They were free of the shackles that Voldemort had seen to bind them with. The Veil's occupants would fight along side the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry to repay Voldemort for all they had suffered. The side of good was gaining strength. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort would fall.
Isis stepped before the Keeper as he turned away from her gaze. "You have made the innocent suffer so that a wizard could grow in strength. If Voldemort had his way, all witches and wizards would be gone by the time his true return had come. Now it is time for the tides to turn. The Veil is no longer his domain – it is the Creator's. I am judging its first prisoner on her behalf." Her hands rose and shackles, surging with fire, bound the Keeper's feet and hands together. "Voldemort no longer has ties to the Ministry. If he calls upon you, you may tell him that."
Isis watched as Ron raced down the corridor that was slowly changing into the field that she had told him about. Beyond the hill was a lush forest that held a demolished prison that no longer had any occupants. There was only one that would remain within the Veil and he had no choice about the matter. She knew the Keeper understood his Fate and that he had understood it as soon as he had made the deal.
Keeping her eyes locked with the Keeper's, she spoke to Ron. "It's time to go."
Ron nodded in acceptance and moved along side of Sirius to wait patiently for her. Isis stood before the Keeper for a moment as she took in the deflated state of the man standing in front of her. He no longer had the quality she had seen in him when they first met: power. Everything that was his had been taken away. There was no longer a Veil but a prison for all eternity.
"I will grant you one thing," she said quietly so that no one else would here. "You may change your surroundings to whatever you wish it to be. You need to be punished for all you have done, but I will allow you some peace for your eternity here. Do what you must to not feel alone. It is the only thing I can give you." She didn't say anything else and left with Ron and Sirius through the black curtain.
The Keeper stood stoically, keeping mind of his surroundings. The fiery shackles that held him there didn't sting or burn as he thought they would. There were no more echoes of voices that traveled to him from the prison. He was truly alone in the Veil – his prison. His eternity would be lonely but with a glimmer of hope. Isis had not taken his curiosity away from him. It had been left intact. He would be able to survive, and that was his Fate.
Hogwarts shimmered into existence as the wall of fire diminished from around the trio. Isis watched Sirius carefully as he peered around the empty corridor as if seeing it for the first time. Ron stood back and waited patiently for anything to be said to him. Instead of Isis keeping her gaze on Sirius, she turned to Ron and knelt before him. He looked at her curiously as he watched, over Isis's shoulder, Sirius disappear into the darkness.
"You did well, Ron," she praised. "It took a lot of strength to do what you did."
Ron smirked. "Did I really?"
Isis grasped Ron's shoulders and smiled. "Ron, there were hundreds of witches and wizards in that prison. You saved them so that they might return to the lives they had been taken away from. It was you that was the hero." She continued to beam as Ron stood there and pondered what she had just told him. The Wind Element did what it needed to. It showed him that he was a talented wizard and didn't lack in any ability having to do with magic.
"There were so many, Isis," he said. "I could have never imagined, or believed, that the Veil was something Voldemort had taken control of. He had held so many wizards there, it would have made him only that much more powerful. It felt…" He paused for a moment, looking for the right wording. "…good to save them. Is this how you feel when you save someone? Do you have this feeling deep inside of you? I wish I could find the words to describe it."
Isis gently placed her hand over his heart. "It's in your heart, Ron. It was there all the time. You just needed to see it."
"Ron!" Hermione's scream echoed down the corridor.
Ron turned just in time to catch Hermione in his arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, not wanting to let go. Isis just smiled at the sight before her. Ron and Hermione had too much potential for their relationship not to work out. She was sure that the young couple would have to work through many hardships and trials before their happiness would finally set in. Their relationship reminded her much of how hers started out with Sirius. It was refreshing.
"Dumbledore told us about everything after you left," Hermione stated. "I just can't believe it. I can't believe that you're the Wind Element!"
Ron shrugged, as if her declaration was nothing. "It's not a big deal, Hermione. I mean, I can just control wind – that's all."
She punched him in the arm. "Don't be such an idiot. Being the Wind Element is a big deal."
"I know it is," he agreed. "That just means if I tick you off that you could kill me with the Heart."
Isis shook her head as the bickering continued. Out of the darkness stepped Poseidon and Dumbledore with Harry and Sirius following close behind. Harry and Sirius had seemed to quickly rekindle their relationship in the few moments that they had since his return. Harry's smile practically illuminated the corridor. Isis knew that Harry felt stronger knowing that he had Sirius back to help him on his final journey.
"You did well, Isis," Dumbledore said, stepping before her. "I did not even ponder the Veil being another venture for Voldemort."
"I don't think anyone did," she commented. "I am more than certain that the wizards and witches that were freed will be more than happy to help with the upcoming war. I am sure that many wish to exact revenge for all that has happened to them."
Dumbledore nodded. "Of that I am certain. Although I fear that we have a greater issue at hand."
Isis looked at Dumbledore and Poseidon curiously. Sirius and Harry had joined Ron and Hermione off to the side. Whatever Poseidon and Dumbledore wanted to say to her had been kept from the group. She was afraid of what was about to be revealed.
"What is the greater issue?" she questioned.
Poseidon hung his head as he addressed her. "Professor Dumbledore and I believe we have found the final Horcrux."