The Hunt
Chapter 51
Department of Mysteries
Hedwig glided into the Room of Requirement as the door began to close. She was not going to let Harry out of her sight at least until she knew that he would be alright.. The tree in which she sat in stood just behind the circle of Elves and the plinth that they had laid Harry onto. There was something strange about this tree. Something strangely comforting to her but her concern was focused onto Harry.
She noted that the tree limb, in which she sat, moved. Its leaves came up to obscure her from anyone else noticing yet the leaves strangely parted so that she could have a clear view of what was happening below. When he is healed…, It was not Hedwig's thoughts that had spoken to her. He will need the Arch. The words that entered into her mind were not threatening, they were…, comforting. Hedwig wondered where the thoughts came from but her focus still remained on what was happening below and with Harry. The Archway is the gate to the Forbidding and I am weakening against the Dark one's assertions.
Hedwig watched and listened as the Elves continued to chant their strange song, and her own mind wondered against her will. Visions of that wonderful little child swam through her minds eye. She is the lively one. Hedwig thought to herself, iAnd gifted too. She is so smart and she looks just like…, why is she so familiar/i? Hedwig tensed as the keening cry from the Elves rose up to where she perched and she felt a caress of leaves as a branch moved closer towards her and rested on her back. It was almost as if the tree did not want her to leave its branches, almost as if it held her back. It was holding her back. Hedwig felt the soft pressure of the branch against her back as she tried to leave the branch. She had to go to Harry, something was wrong and she had to be with him.
You can do nothing, child of love. The thought that had intruded into Hedwig's mind was not harsh. Hedwig's body trembled as her mind's voice howled in grief as realization of what was happening below reached her. I am no longer strong enough to aid him on my own. The voice sounded regretful and despairing as the soft words entered Hedwig's body.
"Dobby, Nooooo!"
The tree in which Hedwig sat trembled as Hedwig watched with alarm at what was happening below her. What had Dobby done? Hedwig thought to herself. The caresses from the tree leaves seemed stronger now and the voice which had been speaking to her seemed stronger now. He will live now! There isn't much time. You must find the Arch and take it to where the man child below will need its use and when all is done you must find a way to repair it. The Dark one has leaned against the gate for so long he has ruptured its opening and others will come! You must go. Go now!
Hedwig flew as she was commanded but she had to wait for someone to open the door. While she waited a plan began to form inside of her. Little Molly would help her. The time spent with the young girl told her of the child's strength with magic and Hedwig knew that she could teach Molly what she would need of her. It will be a game. Hedwig thought. I will make it a game and Molly will learn!
Missy Molly giggled as Hedwig described the best way to de-gnome Grandma Molly's garden.
"Ger-off me, ger-off me!" grunted the tiny brown gnome as it struggled to bite the tiny hand that had snatched its feet from underneath it.
Molly did as Hedwig instructed her and swung the little brown gnome in a giant and sweeping circle gaining speed as she did so. After a moment Hedwig hooted and Molly let go only to shriek with laughter as the gnome sailed in a great arc through the air and landing with a small thud several feet away. Molly was now jumping up and down; laughing loudly as the gnome stood up staggering as if in a drunken stupor. Crookshanks delighted himself in the play by batting the gnomes on the ground with his paws and leaving their unconscious forms where they lay. To him the gnomes were no longer fun once they stopped moving. The ones that Molly had thrown were of greater fun. They're rambling movements provided Crookshanks with a greater challenge. He would poise to swat a paw at them and would then hit nothing but air as the gnome would suddenly stagger out of the paws giant swing.
Molly took great delight in swinging the gnomes about and then watching Crookshanks stalk the unsuspecting pests. Hedwig joined the raucous exuberance with a fluttering of her wings and strings of hoots which could only be interpreted as laughter of a sort. Inside the house Hermione stood to look out the kitchen window to see what amused her daughter so much and to witness Hedwig's obvious excitement and humor. Hermione suppressed a giggle herself as she watched her daughter fling another gnome into the air only to see Crookshanks leap into the air as if to catch the brownish pest and then stalk it as it walked drunkenly around in circles. Grandma Weasley stood to look out the window also, placing an arm bout her daughter-in-law's shoulder.
"If only the boy's were that happy to de-gnome my garden." She sighed.
The two of them stood for a long while watching and enjoying Missy Molly at her play and marveling at the two animals, Hedwig and Crookshanks, as they not only watched over the child but indulged her in her games.
"There's something going on between those three." Hermione said as she turned to face Mrs. Weasley. "Oh, Crookshanks has always been smitten by her." She explained as the elder Molly looked at her. "But Hedwig, she has not left her side since we returned with Harry. Don't you think it odd that she didn't leave with Harry and Ron? Its as if they've become inseparable and Molly seems to have learned a great deal lately."
"Learned? What do you mean? Do you think Hedwig is teaching her?" Molly seemed amused by that statement.i If only they knew/i. Molly suppressed a giggle as her thoughts nearly betrayed her slights behind Ron and Hermione's backs. iLet them continue to think that it's been her Uncles who have been doing the teaching/i. Hermione thought she had seen a mischievous glint in her mother-in-law's eye's if only for the briefest of seconds.
"Come on now. We need to finish outlining the plan before the D.A., shows up." The two Weasley women returned to the kitchen table where Hermione had several rolls of parchment laid out each outlining tasks and back-up plans for the various teams they had pre-selected and paired up. This was something that Molly had insisted upon. The members of the D.A., were to work in teams of two or three. "This was the biggest reason why we were so successful during the first fall of He-who-must-not-be-named, when Arthur and I were just leaving school and Albus recruited us. Arthur was at the top of the Order you know." Molly had said with such pride that Hermione was forced to look away and it reminded her just how much pride she held in her heart for Ron too.
Hermione went back to the kitchen window, leaned out and called, "Molly dear, why don't you bring Hedwig and Crookshanks inside now. Mummy's friends are about to arrive."
Missy Molly smiled back at Hermione and then called to the animals, "Cookchanks, Hed-dig we have to go in now." She turned and ran to the kitchen door not bothering to see if either Hedwig or Crookshanks were following. She knew they would.
Once inside Molly led the two animals upstairs to the room that was now hers and plopped herself onto the bed. Hedwig landed softly onto the footboard while Crookshanks leapt softly onto the mattress and settled himself next to Molly. It almost appeared as if Hedwig had gathered them in for a class.
"Hed-dig tell me a story again. One about Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny." Hedwig launched into a series of hoots barely audible while molly sat cross legged on her bed with her elbows on her knees and her chin propped up in the palms of her hands. She sat quietly and listened as Hedwig told her the story of how her Uncle Harry and her Aunt Ginny got into trouble with a very mean and very wicked witch named Dolores Umbridge. Molly sat wide eyed as Hedwig described how this wicked witch made her mummy and Uncle Harry go into a very dark forest and how her Aunt Ginny fought to get loose from the mean wicked little witches and wizards who had trapped and held them as prisoners.
Crookshanks had obviously heard this story before because when Molly looked down at him to see what he was doing, Crookshanks was lazily cleaning himself and seemed very disinterested in the story. Hedwig stopped her hooting long enough for Molly check on Crookshanks and then picked up where she left off when Molly turned to face her again.
When Hedwig reached the part of the story where Ginny and Harry rode on thestrals, Molly's elbows slipped off her knees. She had been leaning closer and closer while her eye's got wider and wider. Again, Hedwig politely waited for Molly to straighten herself and then began telling the story. By the time Hedwig reached the point of the great fight in the Department of mysteries and about how her Uncle Harry could hear voices behind this veil, Molly was so engrossed in the story that she failed to notice that Hedwig had hopped off of the footboard of the bed and had perched on one of Molly's knees.
"Uncle Harry heard voices and no one else could hear them? Where were the people who were talking then?"
This caused Molly to laugh out loud. Especially when Hedwig tried to describe the strange faces everyone had made when she told Molly of how everyone searched behind the veil and all around and how her Aunt Ginny had to lead Uncle Harry away to another room.
Hedwig hooted her answer.
"They were behind the veil? Didn't Aunt Ginny see them or mummy or daddy?"
"Well why didn't Uncle Harry go inside the veil thing and ask the people inside what they were talking about?" Molly asked after Hedwig had told her that Harry thought the voices were coming from inside the veil.
Hedwig hooted for a very long time while Molly listened and then Molly answered her.
Uncle Harry needs this veil where he is now? Does he need to talk to the people behind it?"
Hedwig hooted some more and them Molly sat upright and said "I can take you there. I can take you to where Uncle Harry was" Hedwig hooted some more and Molly's face looked quizzical. "The partment of Mini-trees?" If Hedwig could have laughed she would have yet her body trembled with mirth. Hedwig made Molly practice what she wanted for what seemed to her to be an eternity but Molly was quick. She had to sound out the words Dee-Part-ment of Miss-Ter-Ree's. Molly did not understand the three D's Destination, Determination, and Deliberation, so Hedwig took several days and taught her how to say One – Where did she want to go, the Department of Mysteries, Two – I am going to the Department of Mysteries, and Three – I am at the Department of Mysteries. Hedwig made a game out of the three D's by playing the game of hide and seek. She would have Little Molly move from one room to another while Hedwig would pretend to look for her. Of course Hedwig knew right where Molly had gone because Molly would say the One-Two-Three's out loud, but Hedwig took her time swooping into a room and then hopping about as if looking for Molly.
Hedwig found her young friend one last time and as Molly giggled and clapped her hands in utter delight Hedwig landed on the little girls shoulder and hooted.
"Are you ready?" Molly asked. "One – Two – Three."
The all too familiar feeling of being drawn through a hose pipe assailed Hedwig and her talons dug deeper into Molly's shoulder. Hedwig felt as if her eye's where nearly ready to pop out and then it was all over. She blinked once, twice, and then a third time. They were not only in the Department of Mysteries; they were exactly where she wanted to be. They were in the Death Chamber and at the bottom of the stadium like chamber stood the Arch with a thin veil covering its center on top of a small platform.
Hedwig marveled at the fact that a small child of only three years old and with only a full day of practice was able to apparate them to where she wanted to be. There is a reason for this child. Hedwig thought to herself. A truly gifted child.
The two of them, Hedwig and Molly, stood for a long moment before the little girl whose shoulder she still sat on asked. "Hed-dig, why are we in here? I don't like it and I hear people talking." Hedwig hooted her answer. "Uncle Harry needs that thing down there?"
Molly lifted her arm and pointed down to the Arch and Hedwig hooted her affirmation.
"But why does Uncle Harry want that? There are bad people behind there. I can hear them. I don't like it here Hed-dig. I want to go home now."
Molly was not whining nor crying but simply stating a fact. There was no fear in her voice when she spoke and Hedwig sensed that Molly would still do what was asked of her. Hedwig didn't like being there either and she too wanted to leave but her destination was somewhere other than taking Molly home. She had to find a way to get the veil to Harry's side. The voice that came from the tree said that was what Harry needed to end the darkness that was still rising even after Voldemort had been vanquished.
Hedwig had hopped down to the dais and began hopping back and forth and then around to the back side of the Arch and then back to the front of it. She studied it from top to bottom and then from side to side and then back to front again. She stopped only for a moment and then rustled her feathers in frustration.
"I can send it to where Uncle Harry was."
Hedwig had not realized that she had been thinking aloud. Was she actually speaking or could this amazing child hear thoughts too? The next string of hoots from Hedwig's beak asked Molly just how she planned to send this very large Arch to where Harry and Hedwig had camped out before he was injured.
"The same way Gandma Molly clears the house silly."
Molly took her wand from behind her ear and flicked it. Hedwig must have blinked because when she looked again, the Arch was gone. Where had this child learned such things? Hedwig had not even realized her own cognizant abilities which had been steadily increasing over the last three years as she again marveled at the abilities Molly had been exhibiting. She catches a glimpse of a spell done once and the child knows it!
"I sent it to where Uncle Harry was when I visited him when he was sick." Molly's piping voice answered Hedwig's query of what had just happened and where the Archway had gone.
Hedwig looked at her with doleful eyes for a long moment and Molly looked back at her with her head cocked to one side as if trying to understand what Hedwig's expression might have meant.
"Didn't I do what you wanted?" Molly asked plaintively and yet apologetically at the same time.
Hedwig's response caused Molly to clap her hands to her cheeks while her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She had sent the Arch to the wrong place. Hedwig meant to take the Arch to where Harry was at that moment. Her amazing sense of direction told her exactly where Harry was and something else within her told her that Harry needed the Arch now!
Molly sensed Hedwig's concern but didn't know what to do about it. Hedwig was obviously flustered and agitated but what could she do. Molly had to think this one through/ She sat down cross legged and propped her elbows onto her knees and rested her chin on her hands. Her eyes narrowed as she began thinking.
"Shh, I'm thinking." Molly answered Hedwig.
Hedwig hopped 'round and rustled her feathers several more times trying to get Molly's attention but each time Molly only shushed her and told her that she was thinking. Molly was thinking very hard. Her face had reddened lightly and her face had screwed itself tightly and her bottom lip stuck out just a little as if she might have been sulking. She had to figure out how to fix her mistake. Hedwig had no choice now. She hopped up onto Molly's lap and nipped her hand.
"Ouch!" No biting!" Molly said very crossly, but Hedwig nipped her again and then hooted before Molly could say anything and this time Molly listened. When Hedwig had finished, Molly did what she had seen her father Ron do countless times before, she smacked herself on the forehead, clicked her teeth, that was something mummy did a lot, and then said, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Molly grabbed up Hedwig and said, "One – Two – Three."
A squirrel darted up a nearby tree as the sound of a pop startled it. Missy Molly with Hedwig held tightly in her arms, dis-apparated into a small clearing hedged by tall evergreens and leather leaf trees. It had been Harry's campsite only a few days earlier. Where Harry's tent once stood, stood a tall object. It was the Arch that had been stored in the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of magic in London. Molly has sent the Arch to where she thought Hedwig had meant for it to be.
Hedwig was delighted to see it still in one piece. After several long hoots admonishing Molly to stay where she was, Hedwig took to the sky and flew in ever increasingly wider circles hooting a long cry. Molly watched her until she could no longer see Hedwig anywhere. After a long while Molly at down on the ground cross legged again and waited. Hedwig had told her to do that and to not wander off. She had said that she would only be gone for a few moments but to Molly it seemed as if her friend had been gone for hours already. Molly was bored and there was nothing for her to do.
The squirrel they had frightened when they arrived chattered from up in the trees and Molly looked right at it. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I didn't even know you were there." She answered the squirrel's complaint. "I don't have any food. What did you do with yours?" The squirrel chattered rapidly causing Molly to frown. "Are you going to come down here and get them then or shall I use a charm and send them up to you?"
Molly had taken her small wand out again and with a swish and a flick she chimed the incantation "Wingardium Leviosa." A nut from the ground in front of her floated upwards towards the squirrel. A chitter of sound erupted from the squirrel as it accepted the nut that had risen to where it sat high up in the tree. It thought that it had hidden itself rather well when it scrambled upwards for safety,
"You're welcome." Molly replied to the squirrel.
Before long Molly had a small audience as other animals began to gather in the old campsite. They had come to see the girl child who could talk to them.
"It has been long since one of you have returned. The story has been passed down many times over of how we used to live in peace with the enchanted one's." it was a wizened looking deer with very large antlers protruding from his large head.
"Aren't those heavy?" Molly asked pointing at the antlers on top of its head. "They look very heavy to me." She continued to say.
Chitters erupted from several of the other animals and Molly joined in their laugh. It must have been a joke that the others shared with her. The old deer pawed at the ground and grunted at the others and then held his head high, erect, and proud. Molly looked upwards just as the old deer cocked his head. Several of the other animals that had assembled did the same. The smaller animals cried out in alarm and dashed off leaving Molly calling out after them. "Don't leave it's only Hed-dig and she's my friend. She won't hurt you."
'They are food to the owl High One. The old stories are but old are but old stories to them. Stories that mothers tell their young one's to get them to sleep or to behave." Molly understood the growls that came from the huge black bear that remained alongside the old deer.
"But, you're not afraid of her?' Molly complained.
The laugh from the bear sounded like a deep rumble and it stood tall on its hind legs and pawed the sky. "I eat her kind when I am hungry." Replied the bear as it limbered back down on to all four paws.
As Molly glanced upwards again, she noticed that behind Hedwig many larger type owls also flew with her and they were coming directly to where she sat.
"We had best leave brother." The elder deer said to the bear. "By your leave High One." The deer bowed its head at he neck and as Molly looked at the bear it did the same and then they both turned and left the campsite just as Hedwig angled downward.
As Hedwig landed on the ground at Molly's knee's the other owls landed atop the Arch each vying and angling for the better perch near its center. Hedwig hooted several times and then pointed her beak upwards and received answering hoots from the other owls. Hedwig then turned her attention to Molly.
"Hed-dig, they kept calling me High One." Molly had said in answer to what Hedwig had asked her. "What does that mean?"
Hedwig stared at her for a long while before answering her.
"They said that too. They said that it was old stories but the one with the big horns called me a, a, ..," Molly frowned and then put her finger to her mouth as she had always dine when trying to think hard. "It said I was an en-en-enchanted one."
Hedwig did not know how to explain this to Molly nor did she have the time to try. She had to get the veil up to Harry and she had to do it now. Something within her breast demanded all the necessary speed she could give right now.
Her next string of hoots were harsh and severe and Molly kept trying to argue but after only a few short minutes, Hedwig exacted Molly's promise to stay where she was and to not move from the campsite.
"I pwomise." Molly said in her sweetest of voices. But I didn't say Witches Honor. Molly grinned inside her cheeks. She would stay here where Hedwig had told her to say provided her help was not needed. She was very helpful. Her mummy and Gandma Molly had told her that many times including her daddy, and her uncles. Even Uncle Hagrid had told her that too.
The large owls gripped the edge of the Arch with their powerful talons and spread their wings. With very powerful down strokes of their wings, the Arch rose into the air. Molly watched them as they dwindled out of sight flying upwards towards the top of the center most mountain peak until they were no longer visible. Only the squirrel came down out of the tree to keep her company.
"Mummy!" Molly sat up straight with fear on her face. Hedwig had been gone for nearly twenty minutes now when Molly felt something bad had happened and it frightened her. She stood and peered upwards towards the mountain peaks when she fell clutching her leg tightly.
"Mummy! My mummy's been hurt. I have to go to her right now!" She exclaimed to the only other person near her. The squirrel looked at her and chattered "Go now! Your purpose is at hand child. Go now enchanted one."
Molly stood with her wand in hand and said aloud "One – Two – Three." She took a step forward and turned.
"MOL-LEEE NOOOO!"
"You hurt my mummy and I'll hex you!"
Missy Molly stood in front of her mother with her wand pointed directly at Grindelwald's chest. Hedwig was no where to be seen.
"Step aside little girl, this does not concern you." Grindelwald spoke gruffly to Molly
"I mean it. You hurt my mummy and it'll be the end of you!" Molly's face was red with rage and her hand did not shake.
"Step aside I say! Step aside!" Spit flew from Grindelwald's mouth as he spoke.
"M-Molly dear, Please baby move away, Please baby listen to mummy." Hermione pleaded with her daughter but Molly did not move and her wand arm remained steady..
"Step aside child you need not die today. Step aside I say!" Grindelwald was shaking in rage now as he spoke to Missy Molly.
"Molly, listen to Uncle Harry come over to me now c'mon." Harry beckoned to Molly to come to him but she remained where she stood.
"You're a bad man. Go away and leave us alone!" Molly was shouting at Grindelwald now a red sparks were showering from her wand tip as if to demonstrate her meaning. "I'll hex you if you don't go away.
M-Molly listen to your Uncle Harry please baby, be a good girl for mummy and go to Uncle Harry. I-I need you to do this for me." Tears were flowing down Hermione's cheeks and she winced in pain as she tried to push Molly out of the way.
"You were there when it happened last and if that blasted girl won't move I'll kill her first and then finish you off like I should have done then." Red sparks drizzled from the tip of his wand too as he spoke and then he flicked his wand and a purple jet caught Neville in the chest. Neville had seen what had happened and had crept up behind Grindelwald and was just about to cast his spell when Grindelwald, not looking behind him, fired a spell that Harry had never heard of before.
Harry could only stand there and watch it happen all over again and he shook with the rage that he held suppressed deep within him. It was the Ministry all over again when he lost Ginny forever and now he was faced with losing Hermione and Ron's daughter too! I have to do something, he thought, but if I move…, must keep my mind clear…, a distraction, that all I need. Just one second of time and he's mine! Harry's mind worked furiously while at the same time he fought to keep his emotions plain and empty. He knew what he needed but it was so far away from him right now.
The veil. I need the veil and I can end this. Harry thought to himself.
"M-Molly p-please listen to mummy, p-please b-baby." Hermione held both arms outstretched as she choked out her words. "P-please baby go to Uncle Harry. Y-you c-can't help mummy. Pleeease."
Harry couldn't stand to hear Hermione's begging and he took a step towards Molly and a spell blast at his feet stopped him short.
"Let me take the child out of the way!" Harry bellowed and in a much softer voice Harry turned to Molly and coaxed, "C'mon Molly. Come over here please. Molly, do as your mummy asks, do it for me, please Molly."
Molly never took her eyes away from Grindelwald and her wand never wavered as she spoke plainly and evenly to Grindelwald. "Go away and leave my mummy alone!"
"The child does not matter Potter! Oh yes, I know who you are now, stay right there no one needs get hurt but one today and if that little girl does not move…," his wand lowered to meet Molly's size. "Avada Kedav…,"
A strange sound filled the chamber and Grindelwald stopped his incantation to see what it was. Several large barn owls were flapping their wings and carrying a very large item underneath them. Harry's jaw dropped. It was Hedwig in the center of the owls and they were carrying the veil beneath them.
The owls dropped the veil just feet behind where Grindelwald stood and then several more owls dropped an elf. It was Winky. Winky went immediately to Hermione's side and then she was what was happening and moved quickly.
The veil! Harry thought to himself. How did Hedwig know, why did she bring Missy Molly with her and the elf? Harry had to time it just right. He had to get Grindelwald in and through the veil.
Harry had seen that Molly was ready to make good on her promise to hex the man and as she began to speak, he lunged forward. Time seemed to slow to an eternity as he dove through the air to knock Grindelwald through to the other side and in that time, fear seized his heart. Grindelwald had cast the killing curse. If only he could reach him before the finishes the curse.
Chapter 51 Completed
