Her head felt like it would explode. As she moaned, trying to open her eyes the sound of something hitting metal rang inside her ears, only adding to her headache. She hissed in pain as she opened her eyes completely to realize she was in a different place.
It was a small space, carved out in stones with metal bars in the front. She didn't fail to notice the runes engraved on the bars and her on the other side. She smiled. "So you're the bitch he prefers to fuck over me," she said looking at Ava.
"Didn't think you'd get caught, did you?" said Ava as she activated the runes inside the cell causing Delphi to scream in pain. It went on for a few seconds before Ava turned it off. Delphi breathed hard, drool dripping out of her mouth as she looked at Ava with pure hatred. "No one's gonna complain if I kill you right here and now but I have my doubts."
"That I, too, have made horcruxes?" said Delphi. The smile never left her face.
"Yeah, you know what they say about children growing up to be like their parents," said Ava. "And even though we can't properly kill you right now that doesn't mean we can't give you pain." She activated the runes again as the entire cave echoed with Delphi's screams.
"I think she's had enough," said George as he came and stood beside Ava. She stopped Delphi's torture and looked at her closely.
"When I get out I will savor every moment I make you scream," said Delphi looking at her.
"Enough," said George. "We have some questions for you. We are hoping you to cooperate."
"Of course, go ahead," she said.
"Yes, let's start," said George before he activated the runes, filling the caves with her screams again. "I completely expected a serious answer," he said as he turned the runes off. "Now, what will it be?"
She glared at them before spitting in Ava's direction. "You wanna know how big he is?" she said looking at her. She smiled looking at Ava's look of jealousy. "That's right, I've seen it. I've felt it with these hands, these lips and," she sat back and spread her legs towards them. "I can still feel it inside me and it makes me happy…" Ava stepped back as George activated the runes once more. She closed her ears, trying to stop listening to Delphi's screams. George stopped her torture.
"We were thinking that you would cooperate with us," he said as he selectively tapped on to some of the engraved runes on the metal bars which, in turn, caused a few of the runes inside the cell to glow. "But it seems like you are not in the mood." He tapped the exterior wall of the cell once with his wand and Delphi screamed her lungs out. This time it was a lot more painful than before as she thrashed her legs and arms. It went on for thirty seconds before going quiet.
She was breathing hard, looking at them as if she would eat them alive.
"I've modified the runes a little bit," said George. "Every two minutes you will be subjected to extreme pain for thirty seconds unless someone cancels the charm. We will turn it off if you comply with our requests. If you don't then it will only get…" he was stopped by her screams as the runes activated again. Once it had stopped for the moment he continued. "If you don't comply then with each two minutes the pain will increase. We can be savages too, you know? Because you are forcing us to be one."
As they left the place her scream once again echoed throughout the caves. "You okay?" he asked looking at Ava.
"I'm fine," she said in a flat tone as they left the underground tunnels.
00000
The table consisted of James, George, Pan and Ava as they sat and discussed what options they had to initiate a rescue plan for Harry, Hermione, Daphne and Gohan. The first thing that mattered but want known to anyone was where was Tenille's real hideout? Where was it that she actually operated from? Even today morning they received information about a newly discovered hideout. It was a small one and didn't have much of her armies so they could go there and finish it off but it wouldn't matter because time was running low and they needed to rescue the four captured by her.
"I looked into dad and Gohan's memories again today," said James. "There's nothing about her previous hideout either. Although Piccolo, Gohan's mentor did find an underground base of hers when he was captured by her last time. That base is destroyed though so that's a no-go."
"What about the ministry?" asked Ava.
"The ministry is too obvious," said George. "She does, however, have the minister of magic in her control so getting to him could give us some answers."
"We can't just go into the ministry building and kidnap the minister, especially when we're all wanted criminals outside these walls," said Pan.
"Am…Delphi isn't talking so that's out of the question," said James when he remembered something. "How important is the Malfoy manor to her cause?" he asked. "Mom told me that the place had the most security which means it definitely holds some secret. What if that is her base?"
"It can be a possibility but I am not so sure," said George. "The last time we raided that place when your fathers were captured," he said looking at James and Pan, "she only came when Pansy, Draco's wife informed her about the raid. Between the time of our arrival there and the arrival of Tenille we did a thorough search of the entire place and found nothing of importance."
"Let's think of other places she can turn her base into," said Ava. "The Malfoy manor is a no-go and so is the ministry. What does Tenille like?"
"Killing people?" said Pan.
"Absorbing life energies and residual magic," she said. "Every day hundreds of people are dying and she is under constant intake of their souls and magic. But she's not stopping just at that. She also feeds off of the wards and residual magic of inanimate objects – buildings."
"The buildings with most amount of residual magic would be an ideal base for her," said James.
"That would drastically shorten our list then," said George. "There aren't many buildings in magical Britain with enough residual magic which Tenille would see fit. We know she has her base in this country."
"Did the Founders have their own castles?" asked Ava.
"No," said Pan. "As per the obtained records they never lived in huge manors or castle…for however long they were able to live. Only Ravenclaw's house's location is known even today but that place now has a whole city over it. Even if her place had any residual magic then it would've been vaporized when broken."
"So not the Founders' houses," said George. "Gringotts?"
"It is still operating even today so that's a no," said Ava. "Goblins hate her and would rather die than work for her. More so if she'd occupied the Gringotts building and the goblin nation underneath it."
"That leaves Hogwarts," said Pan. Everyone looked at her. "It has the residual magic of the four founders, of the guardian of the castle, of all the generations who studied there and of Hogwarts herself."
"If Hogwarts really is her base then going there is nearly impossible," said George. "Not only is that castle surrounded by mountains but it's also isolated. We will be immediately caught."
"I don't think so," said Pan as she waved her hand and made a roll of parchment appear out of thin air. She then put it on the table and opened it, placing her wand on top of it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she said as the map of Hogwarts revealed itself." Your father once told me that there were hidden passages underneath Hogwarts which led straight to Hogsmead," she said looking at James. "Your grandparents and their friends used these hidden passages to smuggle candies, whiskeys and all sorts of things from the village into the castle."
"But those seven hidden passages were long since discovered," said Ava. "Most of them are closed now and those which are open they will definitely be under surveillance."
"But what if there were more secret passages than just these seven?" said Pan. "In the book 'Hogwarts – A History' I read that the Founders had asked the goblin nation to build the castle." Everyone's brows rose with realization.
"You really are your mother's daughter," said George looking proudly at Pan.
"There could be other underground passages," said James.
"But there are no records of such tunnels," said Ava.
"There were none of the seven passages but now there are because they were found out," said George. "It is possible that there are more secret tunnels underneath the castle, one of which will lead us into Hogwarts."
"But how do we know which?" asked James.
"We ask the goblins," said Pan. "They have a reputation of keeping record of every single thing that their ancestors did. It's kinda creepy but it's worth a shot."
"The goblin nation has gone hostile ever since Tenille took control, though," said George.
"We will have to convince them somehow," said Ava as she looked at James.
"Why are you looking at…" he stopped realizing everyone was looking at him. "What's happening?" he asked.
"You are a Gryffindor heir," said Pan. "The goblins trusted him the most amongst humans."
"You are also a Potter, a name the goblins still haven't gone hostile towards," said George. "You will have to ask them to help us."
James nodded.
"You will also need your sword," said Ava. "Seeing that sword will convince the goblins that you are not their enemy."
"What sword?" asked James.
"The sword of Godric Gryffindor."
00000
Thanks for reading…