Chapter 12: The Long March to Summer

[A/N: This is long]

[1991-1992: 3rd year, Harry's 1st. Winter – Age 14]

"Did you hear?" asked Roger as he closed his book on the Hogwarts Express. "Penelope Clearwater is dating Percy Weasley from Gryffindor."

Mary groaned as Alaric grabbed another motion sickness candy.

"That much time alone in Hogwarts halls must have worn her down," said Alaric.

"I don't want to be a prefect anymore," said Mary as she kept trying to animate a paper mâché bird.

"Why don't you just transfigure a bird?" asked Roger.

"I want to be able to animate suits of armour and metal birds," said Mary. It made sense to the three Ravenclaws; animating can be either easier or more difficult than transfiguring something that can move. If you had an already filled doll with moving joints, it could be easy, but a stone statue would be far more difficult. Density, size and magical conductivity were all factors.

"You have to visualize the different parts becoming able to move," said Alaric. "That's how I was able to get branches to move like arms."

"You also could have just made them whips," said Roger as he took out a block of wood to transfigure.

"Whips need at least one joint at the end to generate force," said Mary. "A snake's muscle system would have been smarter."

"Well, maybe," said Alaric. "The goal is to get a tree to be able to walk around."

"That's not going to work, mate," said Roger.

"Yeah," agreed Mary. "Trees don't walk."

"For now," said Alaric.

"Why don't you get a root that moves like a snake?" asked Mary with excitement.

Mary and Alaric both looked over at Roger; his wood was now formed into a wooden snake trying to whip itself.

"Roots need to be long, thin and numerous," said Alaric. "One big enough to be of use would need a lot of small roots to support it."

"Which would make it useless," agreed Mary.

"Trees don't walk," said Alaric with a sigh.

"Still though," said Roger after he reversed his transfiguration. "She's with Percy?"

The three could only laugh at the odd choice before they continued to discuss other magical possibilities. Mary was enchanted by the idea of metal soldiers following her will. At the same time, Roger wanted to learn advanced charms for new magical items. Alaric, as always, was trying to focus on Plant Magic.

When the Hogwarts Express arrived, Alaric tried to not think about his slight motion sickness as he was embraced in a soft hug from his unofficial Aunt Andromeda. She was picking him up alone, so they quickly apparated back to her home where Ted watched football. Alaric never appreciated the game. Instead, Alaric called for Missy to say hello before he and the Tonks' sat down for dinner.

After a week with the family, Alaric had had Missy' pop' him to his forested island.

Alaric arrived on the edge of the island with Missy early in the morning. His breath released a visible mist in the cold air, and his ears were filled with the sounds of crashing waves assaulting the island's cliffs. From a distance, one would only see high peaks with tall, ancient trees standing tall.

"Leave me for now," said Alaric as he started to walk into the island's forest.

"Yes, sir," said Missy with an exaggerated bow before she 'popped' away.

Alaric's magic resonated with the many trees he passed, trees he had gained control of with his plant magic. The days he spent casting the seemingly simple Incrementum Dominus were too numerous to forget. As he walked deeper into the forest, the more magical plant life came into view as Venomous Tentacula and various Vampiric vegetation sheathed their thorns and pulled in their vines to give way to Alaric.

"Incrementum Dominus!" called Alaric as he came close to the young plants that he had yet to take control of. He spent his day walking the outer depths of the forest, casting his spell on any plant outside of his control that he could find. When he could feel his connection to the trees fail to penetrate deeply into the island's earthen core, Alaric would cast Kelahiran semula air and Semino to grow the roots deeper.

"Missy," called Alaric as the sun began to touch the ocean, and sweat ran down his forehead.

With a 'pop,' Missy appeared next to Alaric and swiftly brought him back to the Tonks residence. It would take nearly two weeks before Alaric finished dominating the outer forest's magical plant life.

As he moved past the Venomous Tentaculas and Vampiric vegetations that would stop most travellers, Alaric entered into the core of the forest, which held a myriad of plant life of the like of Cobra Lilies and the ever-dangerous Snargaluff, a stump-like plant that would attack with thorned vines.

After Alaric increased his control and advanced roots into the earth's depths, Alaric moved to the core of the forest. There, trees stood wider than most and what hung from the thick branches were the most dangerous plants Alaric could attain, the Pachypoda. Also known as the 'Doll's eyes,' the Pachypoda is characterized by its bright red stems, which held white berries that each had a small eye-like dot that seemed to watch for any who dared approach. The plant is extremely poisonous as the 'eyes' would pop into a deadly mist if they were approached by any living being. Alaric made sure to control every single one of these plants as their seeds were planted on the island. This gave him the power to have them burst-out poison on his command.

Still, these deadly plants would find their growth hindered on specific paths for now. The painful death in an empty forest was a future Alaric kept in mind – if only to avoid.

The secret killer, though, were the many mundane trees that filled the island. Alaric was working on a spell to control their limbs and make them move through his will. None would be safe inside the forest if he perfected it.

As the winter break neared its end, Alaric made one last trip to his island. He took the time to walk slowly through the forest, feeling his magic sway with the trees, and command all of the predator plants to defer to his steps as they formed a path that was safe only for him.

Once he reached the forest's core, Alaric went to the largest tree and took hold of a wooden knife that he had carved himself. No magic went into the wooden blade, a necessary step to avoid contamination. Alaric used the knife to carve off a patch of bark, and then he spent near a half-hour scraping through a few dozen layers of wood.

Next, Alaric took up his nine-and-a-half-inch Yew and Dragon Heartstring wand. He closed his eyes in concentration. Minutes passed as he withdrew all excess from his mind and brought forth the 'need' his magic would follow.

"Floris Industria Accumula!" Alaric intoned as the natural energy, magic and nutrients of the forest flowed up his legs and into his very being.

Readying his wand at the largest and most ancient tree in the forest, the tree which had a large portion of bark and outer wood missing, Alaric called to heel the wild magic inside him and moved his wand in a seasoned dance.

"Kelahiran Semula Yang Ajaib!"

The dirt-brown magic ran through his glowing wand and burst forth. The ancient tree cracked loudly as the magic entered its core while the opened wound was soon enclosed by bark once more.

Alaric did not collapse, yet he wished to. He stood in defiance of the weakness he felt as he watched the ancient Giant Sequoia's trunk expanded and rise. The tree seemed to twist as it grew like a monster defying the heavens.

With a heavy breath and a quick potion, Alaric stepped forward and readied his wand once more while the tree was still expanding.

"Semino," he called as the tree was granted nutrients.

"Semula Air," he called as his magic hydrated the tree.

"Kelahiran Semula Air," he called as his magic helped sustain the rapid growth with magic and water.

Next, he observed as the Giant Sequoia's redwood expanded and shifted like a feline finding comfort. The stretches and turns gave illusions of a creature made from more than wood.

"Augmentum Contexitur," chanted Alaric in a near whisper. An invisible spell entered the tree to find and resonate with Alaric's dominating mark hidden within the tree. The tree began to settle, and the odd twists and bends reformed into a straight tree once more.

The now magical Giant Sequoia settled into the vision of mundane, if not for its size. The red bark rose from the earth to a height of nearly 200 meters, or 656 feet, and it looked wide enough for fifteen men to hold abreast. The green leaves in the distant sky looked insignificant to the eye, a joy for they would not be pulled too fiercely by the ocean's winds.

Alaric closed his tired eyes and felt his magic resonate with the tree. He felt the tannic acid inside and somehow knew its resistance to fire to be exceptional. The wind in the sky sent vibrations into Alaric's core, and he could feel the many cones and seeds fall from the tree and spread along the island, each holding a connection with the tree. The roots dived into the earth and broke into an underwater lake; pure water filtered through the island's minerals and provided for the tree more than Alaric's spells could hope to do themselves.

Alaric stumbled as his hazel eyes opened; the flakes of red remained, yet his core felt pure. His hand touched the ancient tree for support, and a small smile appeared on Alaric's face. He was still years away from turning this tree into a throne, yet he grew closer on this day.

-XxXx-

Alaric ran through the invisible passage, or far-too-visible passage, to the Hogwarts Express after saying goodbye to his aunt Andromeda. His first reaction was to cringe as he remembered Hagrid's dragon. He should have set something up to get the dragon for himself, even if that meant purchasing a Dragon Reserve in Romania or another country.

He always liked dragons.

"Hey!" called a voice from Alaric's rear.

Alaric jumped and moved out of the way of the next student who had run through the passage only to be greeted with a young Alaric standing there.

"Sorry!" called Alaric as he ran over to the train without looking back, his face not betraying the embarrassment he felt.

His suitcase was the size of a briefcase, and inside, next to his Grimoire-linked leather journal, was an old tome that would bite any who tried to open it – save Alaric. He would proceed with caution, likely never delving too deep, yet he would study the Dark Arts until he felt confident in defending himself.

He boarded the long train and walked to the unofficial 'third-year' section to find his friends.

"Never again," Mary yelled as Alaric opened the door.

Alaric watched as Mary turned away from Roger and stared out of the window with an angry red face. Her freckles were almost unnoticeable – like she had wintered in a country experiencing summer.

"Mary," whined Roger as he tried to get her to listen with indignation. "I didn't know he wasn't real!"

"Who?" asked Alaric as he sat beside Mary.

"Santa Claus!" spat Roger. "Mary lied to me that he was real, and when I tried to meet him during my visit, she got mad at me."

Alaric could not hold back his laughter, so he settled for muffling it behind his hands.

"You weren't even invited for Christmas!" yelled Mary. "You showed up two days early with a bag full of magical traps!"

"Christmas greetings?" asked Alaric through his growing laughter. Mary simply shot him a look that warned of a newly learned jinx.

"My Dad was paralyzed all day because of you!" said Mary with a redder face.

"Well, the trace," said Roger quietly.

"Yes!" said Mary. "The trace should have thought of that before you booby-trapped my home without telling me or my parents."

"In my def-"

"Shut it!" yelled Mary.

"No, no," said Alaric with a giant grin and bravery enough to ignore Mary's glare. "I want to hear his defence."

"Her Dad was dressed up as Santa!" said Roger, exasperated. "He grew a beard for Merlin's sake!"

Alaric closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat as he stopped fighting the laughter. Whatever jinx he would get was worth letting himself continue to erupt in laughter.

"My sister had to wake up to see him frozen by the tree with a bag of presents," said Mary. "Now she knows that Santa isn't real."

"Why…" Alaric tried to say between laughter. "Why didn't you hex Roger yet?"

"The trace," said Roger with a smile.

"Can't use magic till the train moves," said Mary as she fiddled with her wand while giving Roger an odd look.

"It's about time I go say high to some friends before we go," said Roger calmly before he nearly ran out of the room.

Mary sighed in disappointment and put her wand away.

"Good Christmas?" asked Alaric after his excessive laughter was under control.

"It was great," said Mary. "Except the frozen Dad part."

"It's funny," said Alaric.

Mary shot him a look, so he put his hands up in mock surrender.

"How was your Solstice?" asked Mary.

"Good," said Alaric. "Tonks kept practicing her detection charms on everything Aunt Andromeda cooked until the spells started to detect things. She showed me a few that were easy to learn; I can teach you if you want?"

Mary smiled at that; she knew Andromeda was a fierce Witch.

"Wait," said Mary. "How did you cast magic?"

"My wand?"

"What about the trace?"

"Oh," muttered Alaric dumbly. "I'm legally an adult?"

"What!"

"Back in October, on my birthday, I asked you and Roger to wait with me for a letter I was expecting. It was my emancipation."

"Why did you need to be emancipated?" asked Mary. "I thought you liked the Tonks."

"I do," said Alaric. "There are just a lot of things I can do if I'm 'Lord Blackthorn.'"

"You could have told me," said Mary as she placed her hand on Alaric's forearm; Merlin knew she worried about the boy.

"I know," said Alaric. "It's just… there's a lot of family legal stuff I have to do, and the sooner I start, the better."

"If you need any help…"

"I know," said Alaric. "Aunt Cassiopeia set most of this up with the Black family lawyers, I really just need to be a legal adult to start the wand's chant."

"Wizard slang is so weird," laughed Mary.

"No better than Witches slang," joked Alaric.

The train lurched forward, and Mary gave Alaric a long hug. Alaric felt glad that he could find a friend like her despite his family's reputation. Mary felt happy that Alaric was willing to open up to her more than he had in the past. Mary pulled away and rubbed her still-red face before she stood up and took out her wand.

"Well," she said. "The trace is over; I'm going to go hex Roger."

"Don't make him ruin the feast," said Alaric with a smile.

She laughed and opened the door to find their errant friend. Alaric put his suitcase down on the floor and returned it to its standard size. When he opened it, he waved his wand again and with a whispered 'Accio,' a book flew into his hand from an unseen pocket. His other hand then found some magical motion sickness be-gone candies that always accompanied him. They worked wonders but always seemed not to be enough.

'The Dark Arts: A Legal Companion' was not a banned book, nor was it frowned upon. It was merely an explanation of the current laws surrounding the Dark Arts. Alaric was going to dive into the Dark Arts. First, he would legally cover his bases and find a few loopholes. The loopholes were already found and well documented in the pages of notes he received from the ever-helpful Mrs. Graeme and his collection of lawyers; he just needed to read the laws himself to trust the notes.

Later, Mary returned to the cabin with a smile and took out her own book to read next to Alaric. It was a charms theory book that had a mark by the animation section.

Much later, Roger returned looking fine, surprisingly so. His hair was still straight, and his thin face was its usual white. No wrinkles or boils adorned his face. Roger simply sat and took out a book on enchantments and magical items. He would later rant to Alaric that Mary was practicing the Dark Arts, in essence, as she hexed him with a rare cramp hex that took prefect Penelope Clearwater over an hour to reverse.

Well, Percy reversed it. Roger still couldn't believe that Penelope would date him. Alaric figured that Roger just had a crush on the fifth year Witch.

-OoOoO-

Alaric had been acting… odd lately. He was never an avid fan of 'The Chosen One,' the boy known as the 'Vanquisher of Evil,' the illustrious owner of a thousand Valentines, Harry 'The Boy Who Lived' Potter. Yet, now he was. Or, at least, Alaric seemed to be. He would follow Harry with his eyes, sit near the boy when he was in the library – rare as that was – and try to ascertain if Harry would visit Hagrid… for some reason.

Roger did not hope to understand the new, odd behaviour of his favourite roommate. He simply complained to Mary whenever Alaric snuck back into their room late in the night or tried to befriend Hagrid. Hagrid was perfectly decent as a person, but a fan of Blackthorn, he was not. Most were not fans of Blackthorn solely based on his family's name. The notion that his parents were dark wizards who killed an innocent in Diagon Alley had not disappeared.

It was not until Alaric received a rather long string of detentions for being caught out of bed that he seemed to give up on Harry Potter.

-OoOoO-

Alaric walked back to the Ravenclaw common room, massaging his sore forearms after the long detention scrubbing floors. He was quite upset as well. He was not upset that he had detention, nor that he would have another detention tomorrow and the next few days as well. Detention was the goal. Detention in the Forbidden Forest with a quadrant of First Years, a rude groundskeeper and a cowardly guard dog, to be specific.

Professor Flitwick was impressed, though, that Alaric was honest when he was caught and stated, clear as the morning snow, that he deserved detention. Professor Flitwick was so impressed that he decided that Alaric could spend eight days scrubbing the floors and walls on the fourth floor – without magic.

Alaric privately thought that Professor Flitwick did not even know that many First Years would be given detention in the Forbidden Forest in two days. A responsible Head of House like him would probably also be against such a punishment, what with the giant spiders and all.

So, Alaric had to sigh to himself that his plan to confront – not defeat – the weakened Dark Lord with the help of a Centaur was a failure. He also would not have a chance to get closer to the 'Golden Trio,' a connection that could save him a lot of trouble next year.

It was a simple plan. This year Alaric gets Harry to owe him a favour. Next year, he gets Harry to open the Chamber of Secrets after the basilisk was slain. The beast's venom was a valuable tool for self-defence and not-self assault.

Plan two, the less simple one, was in development.

"You smell like dust," said the Ravenclaw Knocker to a quite dusty Alaric.

"That's not a riddle," said Alaric as he used a simple charm to clean himself.

"What room can you eat?"

"A mushroom," answered Alaric.

"Correct," said the Knocker as the door swung open.

Alaric walked through the common room and up to his room quickly. He, again, woke Roger as he dragged himself over to his bed. The boy was a light sleeper.

"Welcome back," mumbled Roger as he turned over to his other side.

"Thanks," said Alaric as he collapsed into bed. "I'm sick of riddles."

"I'm sick of being woke up."

Alaric ignored that and simply fell asleep in his robes. Cleaning without magic was taxing. Knowing he had to start physical exercises also bothered him.

The next morning, Alaric cleaned himself thoroughly and changed his robes. As he went through the motions, he was silently planning his new routine. He had to start training his body. That meant waking early for cardio and eating more meat. He walked over to an empty spot next to his bed and drew his wand. A simple transfiguration created a pull-up bar from a small part of the stone ceiling.

Next, Alaric transfigured two hand-holders on the floor so he could do push-ups without hurting his wrists. His morning would be started with simple body-weight exercises every day, while he ran three days a weak. It was far too cold for swimming.

He also had his new secret book on the Dark Arts, though it was merely a beginner one. When Alaric gave it some thought, Roger was right when he said that Mary was studying the Dark Arts – in essence. The Dark Arts started with jinxes and hexes. Everything from the Jelly-Legs Jinx, the toe-nail growing hex and the unforgivable curses were part of the Dark Arts. Mary learned some legal jinxes and hexes like most students for pranks and protection.

Alaric spent the rest of the year moving through all of the basic Dark Arts he could find, nothing illegal yet. The Bedazzling Hex was one of his favourites, if only for its name. He also stuck to his workout schedule, as difficult as that was. He knew cardio would be necessary if he was going to stand a chance in the war.

That is how Alaric spent the rest of the term, studying like a Ravenclaw and exercising like a Gryffindor. It was not until the end that things went the way of a Slytherin.

Alaric had spent many days in his patch of forest, and every now and again, the pants would tell him that someone, or something, was approaching. It never came too close. He kept feeling an odd child at the base of his neck, even after he stopped going to the Room of Requirements.

Paranoia was growing, and he spent his days with his Occlumency protected mind at half-ready. He would feel any mind attacks that came, and, hopefully, he would stop them.

-OoOoO-

Alaric walked to his little strip of the forest after his classes had ended for the day. It was almost time for the confrontation between Voldemort and Harry Potter. It would likely be one of the next few nights. Alaric wished he remembered the exact day if it was ever mentioned in the books.

He did know that the First Years snuck out at night after McGonagall ignored their request for aid. A reasonable thing for her to do in Alaric's mind.

'Well,' thought Alaric. 'Can't mess up the story.'

Alaric walked over to the clearing where there once stood a tall tree and started to feel his magic enter the plants in the surroundings. The burnt husk of the dead tree sat atop a slight hill that acted as a dead-zone. His first attempt at Kelahiran Semula Yang Ajaib had caused the once-proud tree to absorb all the nutrients in the surrounding earth.

Alaric was continually working on controlling the tree branches to attack like arms or whips, so he stood in the center of his 'territory' and focused his mind and magic.

The branches creaked as one or two from each of the surrounding trees began to slacken and then curve like snakes. The movement was slight at times and clumsy at others. Then, near the tree's trunk, a part of a branch changed into an odd, joint-like feature that could send the limbs snapping out. It was like someone strong was snapping a wet towel, but instead of the loud crack of the towel whipping against the air, all Alaric could hear was the loud creaks and moans of wood.

A jolt of magic alerted him, an experience he had felt before. A guest was walking along his path. This time it was not his stalker; it felt different somehow.

'I should find a way to get real details,' thought Alaric. All he knew was that someone, or something, was moving slowly towards him.

Alaric stopped the branches and had them appear as if they were normal, while really they were at the ready. He was a paranoid sort, so he backed away to the base of the small his opposite his guest. It was only a little over a foot high, but it may act as cover if he needed to lay prone. After a few tense minutes, a seventh-year Slytherin student appeared before Alaric with his wand ready.

The student snapped his wand as Alaric swished his down. The student's monotone voice droned out a spell as Alaric's own voice roared.

"Protego!" "Expulso."

The student's explosive curse stuck Alaric's shield just as it formed, causing Alaric to nearly fall. Yet, the boy caught himself with an awkward stumble.

The shield faded.

"Expulso," the student droned again.

Alaric dived to the side as the blue spell whipped past him.

A deafening band resounded behind Alaric as a tree erupted in a blue explosion at its base and wooden shrapnel shot out in all directions.

Alaric screamed as his body hit the ground; a few chunks of wood found his leg. Fighting the pain, Alaric drew up his wand and swished it downwards.

"Protego!" Alaric roared.

"Confringo," mumbled the student as a fiery red light shot from his wand and exploded against Alaric's shield.

Alaric felt the vibrations from the blasting curse ripple through his body, yet he stood firm.

"Confringo," repeated the student in his monotoned voice.

The blasting curse again stuck Alaric's shield, yet Alaric's magic held.

Alaric then called on his magic in the trees. A heavy branch curved out as it folded in on itself to prepare for a deadly whip.

"Expulso," said the student as he fired the explosive curse while walking casually towards Alaric.

The spell struck Alaric's shield and blew it away, sending Alaric flying back. His magic was unfocused from commanding the branch to move.

Alaric pushed himself up as he favoured his left leg. Warm blood leaked from his right leg between deep splinters of wood.

"Confingo."

The Slytherin student again swished his wand as Alaric's branch snapped out like a whip.

The fiery red light shot out, and Alaric could only raise his left arm in defence.

The branch struck the student on his back, sending him flying with the sickening thud of flesh being hammered and the snap cracks of bones breaking.

Alaric's instinctual defence had the blasting curse explode against his arm as he collapsed backwards in pain. Blood covered Alaric as his mind dimmed.

Another blasting curse hit behind Alaric in the distance. Far enough to cause him no harm, yet loud enough to stop him from passing out.

Alaric rolled to his side and remained low. The slight his was like a trench holding against an army's fire.

"Episkey," eked out Alaric as the wounds on his leg began to heal. It would not remove the splinters of wood from his leg, but it might stop him from bleeding out.

"Episkey!" eked out Alaric again as he pointed his wand at his bloodied and broken arm. He could only feel pain below his elbow, and the burnt view showed him that he had lost a large chunk of flesh and most of his bone.

Another blasting curse flew over Alaric's head as he used the simple healing charm again and again. It did little but lessen the bleeding.

After another fiery streak of magic sailed over Alaric's head to explode in the distance, Alaric pushed himself up to take a look at the Slytherin student. The student still pointed his wand at Alaric, but he did not try to stand. His eyes held a milky glaze, and no pain was shown on his face despite him laying in an unmoving heap. His body had a deformed twist at his back, and the student did little other than point his wand.

Another whisper had Alaric dropping to the ground just before another fiery light shot over him. The cracking boom in the distance helped focus Alaric's mind in his lightheaded state.

"Drop your fucking wand!" yelled Alaric as four long branches began to snake above the Slytherin student.

No response was heard except another blast of fiery red light and a loud explosion in the distance.

"One last chance!" screamed Alaric. The branches began to fold as he prepared the barrage of wooden whips.

The red flash of magic overhead and the not-so-distant boom was Alaric's only response.

The creaking wood was that of a hurricane as the four heavy branches pulled themselves downwards faster than one could track.

"Accio!"

The thundering hammers of wood flattening earth rumbled below the forest, followed by the popping sound of wood splitting under far too much pressure. The creaks and moans earlier paled before the tearing crack of branches and trees being torn apart from within.

Alaric could not hope to calm his heart, so he opted to push himself up as he tried to control some of the remaining branches with his meagre magic supply.

Professor Snape was standing in the distance, tired from an apparent run towards the duel. Below him, the student lay in a heap.

"What are you two fools doing?" asked Professor Snape as he looked at Alaric with his wand ready.

"He ambushed me!" yelled Alaric. The pain he felt consumed half of his mind, and his adrenaline commanded him to ready an attack against the Professor in case it was needed.

Alaric watched as the student reached out his arm to try and pull himself forward.

Professor Snape stood stunned at his pupil's continued attack or at least the attempt.

"Somnum," called Professor Snape, a gentle pink spell rested on the student and lulling him into a deep sleep. Professor Snape then locked eyes with Alaric, Alaric still held his wand.

"Cancel whatever spell you have controlling those trees," demanded Professor Snape.

Alaric looked at the Professor between sneaking a glance at the Slytherin student. After catching the Professor's eye, Alaric pulled on his magic to reaffirm his surrounding connections.

"Drop your wand!" roared Alaric with a determined look.

"Mister Blackth—"

"Drop your wand!" yelled Alaric as dozens of more branches sprung into action.

Alaric could not tell how his wand was wrenched from his grasp; in fact, he barely felt it leave him. He then felt a small push against his chest and drifted backwards as if he was surrounded by water. The dark grasp of unconsciousness wrapped his mind and held him close.