Author's Note – Yet, another chapter. This next part of Fire Dragon, here until the end, is by far my favorite part of the entire fanfic. Let me know what you think.
Another Note – The chapter title means, "Haven," in Latin. Interesting tidbit to think about. The spell, colloportus, that seals a door, has portus as its root. Also, the name Haven plays another role in Fire Dragon, but you won't find out until chapter fifty six.
Disclaimer – I own nothing except the concept of the Ignius.
Chapter Fifty Four
"Portus"
It was a late hour of the night, or early morning depending upon one's view, when the DA Core arrived at the end of the tunnel. In various stages of exhaustion, nearly all of them having some sort of injury, they stood on dead feet. Six beams of wandlight focused upon the smooth, unmarked wall that stood at the end. No visible handle, latch, or other means of entry made itself known. Harry reached out, pressing a hand against the wall, testing it to no avail.
"Well, what now?" Ron asked.
"There has to be a way out," Hermione said, stepping forward. Reaching up, she ran her hand along the wall and over to where it joined the tunnel at the corner. "A tunnel that leads nowhere makes no sense."
"This whole night has made no sense," Ron muttered.
"Bloody Snape," Harry added maliciously.
Ginny aimed her wand along the corner's seam, guiding it for Hermione's benefit.
"Ah ha!" Hermione exclaimed, everybody leaning in towards where she crouched in the bottom left-hand corner.
"Did you find a way in?" Harry asked.
"I think…just about…there!" The wall clicked, swinging outward the tiniest degree. A slant of warm light entered the tunnel.
"How'd you do that?" Ginny asked.
"There's a small hole down here, just big enough for a finger," she said, gesturing to where, sure enough, a hole had been drilled into the wall. "There's a button I pressed, and it opened."
Harry, at the forefront of the group, pushed on the wall, it swinging out the rest of the way. The DA Core stood up and peered out into what looked like a cozy sitting room. Gripping the edge of the tunnel, Harry took a tentative step outward, poking his head into the room.
"You think it's safe?" Neville asked. Luna still remained unconscious in his arms, but her breathing was steady and constant.
The DA Core shared a look.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Draco said. He leaned to one side, a hand braced against the wall. "And I don't know about you, but I don't know how much longer I can stand."
You ok? Hermione took his arm.
For now…in five minutes I might not be.
She gave him a worried glance, slipping an arm around his waist.
Harry glanced at them before venturing out further, stepping down onto what appeared to be a platform. Looking down at his feet, the sounds of a crackling fire somewhere below and the floor at least a meter or two downwards, he realized that he stood on a mantle to a fireplace. Turning around, he crouched down, slipping his wand into his back pocket.
"Didn't Moody ever tell you that you'll blast your arse off if you do that?" Ginny asked.
Harry glanced upwards at her, glaring, as he carefully lowered his body to the ground.
"I'd like to see the day that happens," Draco muttered to himself.
"Shut it, Malfoy," Harry shot back, "or I'll blast your arse off."
Draco weakly sneered, the effect lost in the veil of fatigue and pain that clouded his features.
Harry rolled his eyes and reached up to help Ginny down, Ron clambering down afterwards. Neville, next, floated Luna down, Harry taking her, before awkwardly climbing down himself, landing unsteadily on his uninjured ankle. Hermione glanced back at Draco.
You first, she said.
He shook his head. Ladies first.
She planted a fist on one hip. Oh? Then who's going to help you down?
I'll manage on my own.
With a broken wing?
"Oi, what are you two waiting for?" Harry asked, craning his neck upwards.
"Hold on, he's being stubborn," Hermione responded.
If you go first, then I'll be able to help you, she said to him. There's no shame in it, Draco.
Groaning, he complied, stepping out onto the mantle, facing her. Wincing, he knelt down, Harry and Ron spotting him from behind. Squeezing his eyes shut, he gingerly lowered himself towards the ground, Hermione grabbing onto his arms to prevent him from loosing control. Then, with a small jump, he landed, stumbling a few steps into Ron.
"Whoa," the red head said, grabbing his friend before he made a face-plant into the floor.
Draco cursed, taking a deep breath and holding it.
See? Nothing to it, Hermione said as Harry helped her down, her ribs protesting the entire way. Now, remember to breathe, love.
He let out a shaky breath, the sharp pains receding. Breathing's overrated.
The wall they had exited through turned out to be a portrait, empty of any occupants, that hung over the fireplace. Once it clicked shut, the DA Core wilted visibly, the after-effects of battle finally having a say in what they did. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Draco collapsed on the overstuffed chairs and sofas arranged around the fireplace. Neville, who had gently laid Luna down on one of the couches, sat down on the floor beside her. He leaned against the couch, one hand holding hers as he watched her chest rise and fall to a constant rhythm. She was still breathing, he thought, focusing on that one positive.
"Where do you think we are?" Neville asked, glancing about the room.
"I don't bloody care, Longbottom," Draco, laying on his belly, growled from the opposite couch. Hermione lay curled up at his feet, eyes closed, the beginning veils of sleep dragging her down.
Ron, who had flopped into one of the cushy armchairs, had already passed out and let out a soft snore, mouth hanging open.
"I think Ron's got the right idea," Harry said, words slurring. "We can figure it out in the morning."
"Mmhm," Draco said, resting his head on his folded arms.
Neville, feeling exhaustion's pull within him, agreed silently.
Eyelids grew heavy, the warmth and quiet of the room, broken only by the gentle crackling from the fire, lulled the DA Core into a heavy state of sleep.
As Hermione woke the next morning, she became aware of one thing, and one thing only. She had an urgent need for the bathroom. Sitting up, she quietly disentangled herself from Draco's legs. The DA Core had fallen asleep where they had dropped, their positions having not changed all night. That was, with one exception. On the adjacent couch, Luna had rolled over onto her side, her back to the room. Hermione took that as a good sign, carefully stepping over Harry's legs that were propped up onto the low coffee table. Maneuvering around the furniture in the unfamiliar room, she bent down over Luna. The girl had the peacefulness of sleep rather than the deadness of an unconscious state written upon her features. Hermione sighed in relief.
Straightening up, she took a brief glance about the room. The fireplace, above which they had arrived, still crackled with a roaring fire. Above, the painting's occupant had returned. Hermione frowned, it being the exact same painting that hung in the Hide Away, the same one through which they had escaped. The pixie girl was once again frozen. Sighing, she turned around to face the rest of the room, plush, overstuffed couches and chairs filling the space. Their upholstery, a warm mix of maroon, gold, and cream, coordinated in a pleasing manner with the Oriental rug spread across the hardwood floor.
Two ornate windows sat within the wall adjacent to the fireplace, the tops a semi-circle of stained glass. Cream curtains hung from each window, brushing against the hardwood floor bordering the Oriental rug. Hermione took a peek outside.
An overgrown and poorly tended yard stood on the other side of the window, weeds taking control of the landscaping. A shadow loomed over the yard, giving the impression of an overcast day. Hermione wondered if it would rain. To the side of the yard, almost out of sight, an old, half-dead tree stood, a broken tree swing dragging along the ground. She wondered where they were, the vantage point outside not being a friendly one.
Shrugging to herself, she passed by the archway to a hallway and moved into the next room, the kitchen. A door sat directly to her left. Impulsively, she opened it, crying in relief as a small bathroom revealed itself on the other side. A toilet and a sink, it was all she needed. Reliving herself, she turned on the tap, the water flowing into the porcelain basin. A bar of soap sat on the edge of the sink.
Hermione?
She looked up. Yes?
Where are you?
Bathroom. Go into the next room. I'll be out in a moment.
Finishing up, she exited the bathroom. Draco stood by the sink, staring out the window. From behind, she could tell that he had a wild case of bed-head. On the wall above the kitchen table, a coo coo clock chimed once. Hermione glanced up, the time being a quarter to eleven in the morning. From the clock, crafted into a charming little house made from sticks bound together with vines, the sort of house that would be just at home in the middle of a forest, a tiny fairy, dressed in pink, popped out of the door. Curtsying, she giggled, covering her mouth with one hand, and disappeared back into the house, her wings fluttering.
Hermione stared at the clock for a moment before returning her gaze to Draco. "I wonder who's house this is," she said as way of greeting.
He turned, Hermione suppressing a grimace. Draco's skin was ashen grey.
"Are you alright? Sit down," she instructed, pulling out one of the kitchen chairs at the large, oak table.
Draco sat sideways in the chair, hunching over. "We need to set my wing," he said.
Hermione tutted over him, recasting the numbing spell to relieve some of his pain. Gently, she ran her hand over the damaged appendage.
"We're all such a mess," he said, leaning against the back of the chair.
She thought of the state everybody was in when they tumbled out of the tunnel and into the strange house. Their clothes had been torn, blasted in some spots by stray curses. Blood smeared their faces, their bodies bruised and injured. Once everybody woke, those would need tending to. And that wasn't even mentioning their mental scars, the ones that would haunt them at night and possibly for the rest of their lives.
Hermione sighed though her nose. "But we're alive," she said. "Flex your other wing."
Draco unfolded his uninjured wing, Hermione studying the structure of the bones and joints. Then, gently, almost hesitantly, she examined the other. Draco closed his eyes, his breath catching in the back of his throat.
Breath, love, she reminded him. "Well, it's definitely a break."
I could have told you that, he grumbled.
In the other room, a cry of surprise diverted their attentions. "Luna!"
Standing up, Hermione rushed to the doorway.
Luna sat up on the couch, her hair mussed and her face smeared with dried blood. However, she was awake and alert. Her eyes blinked owlishly at the rest of the DA Core staring at her.
"Hello," she said. "I presume we're not at Hogwarts anymore."
Across the room, Ron snorted. "I could have told you that."
"What happened?" she asked. "All I remember was that ugly man…and Ginny and…and…" She blanched.
Neville scooted closer to her, grabbing her hand in an act of comfort.
"Oh, yes," she said softly. "I remember now." Her hand went to her nose, a small bump marring the button-sized facial structure.
"But you're ok, right?" Neville asked hopefully.
"I expect so," she said and looked up. "Is everybody else alright? Where's Draco?"
"In the kitchen," she said. "We need to set his wing."
What's the hold up? He asked over their connection, appearing in the doorway beside Hermione.
"Luna's awake," she said audibly. "Go sit down."
Luna tilted her head to the side. "What's happened to his wing?" she asked.
"It's broken," he answered.
"Oh, I could set it for you," she said. "I've done it many times with Daddy."
Draco looked at Hermione.
Don't look at me, it's your wing.
He deliberated in his head, the throbbing appendage adding insult to what he surmised would be future injury, or at least a great amount of pain. Luna continued to gaze up at him serenely. The vision was disturbed by the blood smeared across her face. Closing his eyes, he sighed and let his head fall back.
"Fine," he said. "Let's just get this over with."
Ten minutes later, Draco sat on the floor, the expression on his face letting on that he was not a happy camper. Luna sat behind him. Five minutes earlier, Ginny had ventured down the hallway leading off from the sitting room, finding a linen closet, a bathroom, and three bedrooms. She brought back a white sheet. Luna was currently immersed in tearing the sheet into several wide, long strips. The DA Core circled them, watching in rapt attention. Hermione sat beside Draco.
"If you need my help, let me know," she said to Luna.
Luna smiled. "I will, but I don't expect that I will need to. Daddy and I have mended dozens of injured birds over the years. Did you know there's a muggle profession all about healing injured and sick animals? Daddy's very interested in that sort of thing, especially birds. Birds are his favorite animal."
In front of her, Draco grumbled. "I'm not a bird, Lovegood," he said indignantly.
"No, you're not," she said, tearing the last sheet strip. "However, you have wings like a bird. Your wing anatomy is very similar to a bird's." She hummed to herself, tilting her head this way and that as she studied Draco's wings. "It makes me wonder…"
"Wonder what?" Draco snapped.
"It makes me wonder what came first…the bird or the Ignius," she mused, quite seriously, before instructing Draco to fold his good wing flat against his back.
In Draco's head, Hermione snorted.
Finding this amusing?
She smiled. Only for my own benefit, she said before explaining the humorous parallel between what Luna had just said in regards to birds and Ignii and the Muggle counterpart about chickens and eggs.
You're hilarious, he said dryly, hissing sharply as Luna, with Neville and Ron's help, carefully set Draco's broken, folding it across his back.
Using the long strips of torn sheet, Luna carefully bound Draco's wings tightly to his body, the rest of the DA Core helping in one way or another. Finished, Draco breathed a sigh of relief, the constant sharp pains, lessened somewhat by Hermione's numbing spell, were even further relieved.
"You know, that is a lot better, Lovegood," he said, standing up. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," she said quietly, sitting on the couch beside Neville.
The next few hours were devoted to filling the DA Core's basic needs. Luna wrapped Neville's ankle, a tap to his foot reducing the swelling, guaranteeing a quicker recovery than the Muggle alternative. Hermione had her ribs poked at by Luna, the blond-haired girl having quite the affinity for healing, the DA Core discovered. Ginny's hand was looked after, the DA Core agreeing that no bones were broken, her fingers just bruised, but that the next time they came across Amycus Carrow, he would truly learn what wrath the DA Core could invoke. Cuts were healed, bruises treated with St. Alabaster's Bruise and Abrasion Cream, a jar of which was found in the bathroom cabinet. All the while, the DA Core shared their own stories from the battle, Harry and Ron finishing off with their account of Lord Voldemort and the eventual death of Albus Dumbledore at the hand of Severus Snape.
By the early afternoon, the DA Core had congregated in the kitchen, the remains of a small feast crowding the table. In contrast to the dimly lit, cozy atmosphere of the sitting room they had spent the night in, the kitchen was light and airy, a country appeal to the décor. Pale blue and white tiles covered the floor, oak cabinets covering one wall, the wood a match to the table along the opposite wall.
"I wonder if there's food here," Draco had wondered earlier. A bowl of lemon sherbets sat on the kitchen table, one of which he grabbed, popping it into his mouth.
Hermione, a purpose set before her, set out to investigate the cabinets, Ginny along side her.
"It's completely stocked," she said in amazement, holding one of the cabinets open. Boxes of cereal crowded one shelf, a canister of oatmeal above that with more boxes, these ones of crackers and biscuits.
Ginny moved along the row of cupboards, opening each one, some containing cans, jars, bag, and boxes of food while others stored dishes, cups, and the required equipment for cooking.
"Oi, the cold box is packed too," Ron said, bent over in front of the cold box, his head emerging from over the door, an apple in hand, his teeth crunching into it a moment later.
That commenced a scrambled feast, the DA Core raiding the cupboards, pulling out anything and everything, breakfast on the menu.
"I never thought battle could make me so hungry," Ron said over a bowl of Wizard O's.
"Everything makes you hungry, mate," Harry said, buttering a large stack of toast.
"That's true," he responded.
Ginny snorted.
The next several moments were silent, cereal pouring into bowls, oatmeal being properly flavored, oranges, bananas, and apples from the fruit bowl disappearing. Quiet sounds of eating filled the kitchen, the quiet ticking of the clock an accompaniment. Nothing was said, the DA Core having only eyes for the food set before them. Even Draco and Hermione paused their inner commentary in lieu of a meal. Above them, the coo coo clock chimed in the first hour of the afternoon, causing them to glanced upwards. Four fairies spilled out of the house as the tinny, metallic chimes brought in the new hour. Aflight on gossamer wings, they danced together midair, diving a swooping, before disappearing once again into the house, the DA Core's attentions returned once again to their breakfast, albeit a late one.
Neville sat with his hand in Luna's. Reaching halfway across the table, he grabbed for the box of Wizard O's, but Draco got to them first.
"Need something Longbottom?" he asked, his tone a playful mix of humor.
Draco waggled the box in front of Neville.
Neville rolled his eyes. "Don't be a prat, Malfoy," he said.
"A prat, me?" he asked, gesturing to himself innocently. Then, laughing, he tossed the box of cereal to Neville.
Catching it, Neville shook his head and opened the box. However, something caught his attention.
"That's strange," he said, staring into the box.
"What is?" Hermione asked, her spoon chasing after the last few bits of cereal in her bowl.
Draco, beside her, cocked his head to the side, his bowl of sweetened oatmeal half eaten.
"Wasn't this box half empty?" Neville asked, shaking it experimentally.
"Yeah? What of it?" Ron asked.
"It's completely full," he said, tipping it slightly, cereal pouring into his bowl.
"That doesn't make sense," Hermione said.
The half empty fruit bowl on the table suddenly was victim to a series of pops. Wide eyed, the DA Core watched as the half-dozen pieces of fruit consumed that afternoon suddenly reappeared. The butter dish, bearing several knife-gouges courtesy of Harry, became smooth and whole again while the pitcher of pumpkin juice refilled itself as if some unseen entity were pouring more juice into the pitcher. Following suit, the milk too replenished itself, a full jug sitting on the table where a half-filled one sat previously. Stunned, the DA Core stared, their mouths hanging open.
"Self-replenishing charms," Hermione then said. "The kitchen must have self-replenishing charms on it."
"Those are really complicated," Ginny said admiringly.
"Well, that's handy, then," Draco said.
Neville nodded. "We won't have to go out to the market," he said.
Draco sneered lightly. "Draco Malfoy does not go to market," he said.
Ginny looked over. "Why are you speaking in third person?" she asked.
Yeah, I'd like to know that too, Hermione quipped.
He shrugged. "Because I can," he said simply, downing the rest of his pumpkin juice.
Once the kitchen had been charmed clean, the DA Core finally set about figuring out the answer to the one question they all were asking.
"If the tunnel led from Hogwarts," Harry said, the DA Core lounging about the sitting room, "then we must still be either in or near Hogwarts, maybe in or on the outskirts of Hogsmeade."
Hermione shook her head. "Look out the window," she said, sitting up and gesturing to the dreary view outside. "Does that look like Hogwarts to you, or anywhere you've ever seen?"
"Alright, then maybe we're not at Hogwarts," he said, getting up to look out the window.
Neville stood at the other window, there being two in the room. A rod-iron perch stood in the corner beside this window. "Oi, come here," he said. "All of you."
The DA Core crowded around Neville.
"Do you see that?" he asked.
"It's a ghost," Luna said.
The transparent form of a woman glided slowly through the yard, an arm trailing through one of the bushes along the back of the property, and disappeared into the side of a derelict and half-collapsed building just within sight.
"Who is she?" Ginny asked.
"Dunno," Neville said.
"This makes no sense," Draco said, backing up and heading for the kitchen. The DA Core followed. "I was looking out the kitchen window this morning and…" He pushed aside the white, lacy curtains. The DA Core peered outside.
"Hogwarts," Harry said.
Out the kitchen window, Hogwarts sat off in the distance, the lake between them. Ripples grew out from the center of the body of water, the giant squid's tentacle curling up from the water's surface. Contrary to the cloudy, overcast day viewed from the sitting room's window, the kitchen window showed a bright and sunny day.
"Oi, where's all the snow?" Ron suddenly asked. The DA Core gave him confused looks. "It was snowing yesterday, and now…blimey, the trees have leaves."
A look out the window showed that, sure enough, every tree on Hogwarts' grounds had a full crown of deep green leaves, the type of leaf one would expect during Summer. All seven of them traded mystified looks, an inkling of a question forming between them.
You don't think? Hermione asked Draco.
Only if you're thinking what I'm thinking…
As a group, the DA Core moved into the next room, the dining room. A handsome, mahogany table, with matching high-backed chairs, stood in the center of the room, adorned with a cream-colored table runner. On one wall, between two windows, a coordinating China hutch sat, a collection of blue and white, willow-patterned china on display within. The DA Core moved to the windows.
"This one's different too," Ginny said.
Harry creased his brow, a hand running through his hair. "Weird, this is just weird."
Out the dining room window, the DA Core peered down and down; the street far below them boasted a busy, metropolitan area, the sidewalks packed with masses of people. A skyline sat in the distance.
"The Empire State Building," Hermione blurted out, pointing with one finger towards a very tall building amidst other towering structures. "This is New York."
"New York?" Ron asked.
"It's in the States…"
"I know that," he said indignantly.
"My parents and I visited a few summers ago," she said, ignoring Ron.
Before anyone could comment, they were moving into the next room in rapt anticipation. Bookcases lined the walls, great mahogany shelves, packed with books, reaching from floor to ceiling with a desk of similar design. Hermione ached to run her fingers across their spines; she made a mental note to spend some time in this room later on. A tall office building sat outside the window, large windows reflecting the sunlight. Muggles passed by clad in business suits, briefcases clutched in hand.
Draco leaned forward, trying to make out the lettering on the office building's sign. "Smithe and Bosworth," he read and glanced at Hermione.
She shrugged. "I have no clue where that is," she said.
Their investigation soon continued onward, an arched doorway leading into the hallway that would take them back to the sitting room. Along the hallway were five doors.
"This one's the linen closet," Ginny said, opening the door to reveal shelves of clean sheets, blankets, towels, and the like.
The door between the linen closet and the library opened up to reveal a bathroom. From the doorway, they could tell that the view outside brought in bright light. Close up, the window revealed an expansive field filled with long grasses and a forest along the border. Off in the distance, a lone tree stood as if on guard.
Three bedrooms occupied the hallway, each having a different scene outside their windows. The first bedroom, decorated in tones of blue, displayed a muggle suburb out its window, a play park with swings, slides, and a climbing structure to the right. Across the hallway, the yellow bedroom featured a forest scene through its two windows, sunlight filtering down through the treetop leaves. The last bedroom, this one a more earthy blend of brown and tan, boasted three circular windows, set high into the wall. Ron climbed up onto one of the wooden chairs that occupied the room and looked outside.
"It's an ocean," he said, glancing down at his friends.
One by one, the DA Core stepped onto the chair, their noses peeking out. And, sure enough, the sight that met them was one of a calm, blue sea, the horizon a flawless line.
Stunned, and in a confusion of thoughts, the DA Core returned to the sitting room. One question, and one question only, encompassed their minds.
Where were they?
