a/n Sorry it's taken a little while to get this chapter finished. Me and my son have recently moved back into our house following an arson attack and I've been somewhat preoccupied with getting the house sorted.
I hope you all enjoy, please rate and review afterwards
Chapter 34 The Caves
"VOLATILIS LUTUM!" Yelled Ginny while using the Phoenix wand.
The spell hit Delamere with such force, she was thrown backwards, hitting the archway as she flew past. She tumbled as she fell through the air and landed in a heap on the floor on the far side of the room. Though she was not knocked unconscious she was clearly dazed. She struggled to pick herself up off the floor using one hand, while her second hand was batting at the bat bogeys that were now climbing out of her nose and attacking her face.
Ginny took advantage of Delameres condition to locate Harry. Doing a quick sweeping glance over the room she took in the stone archway, the stone throne like chair and found him lying unmoving near the chair.
Hurrying over to his side, she dropped to her knees and rolled him onto his back. She started shaking his shoulders while calling out his name.
"Harry"
"Harry"
"HARRY!"
Thirty minutes Earlier
The plain black car flew up the road quicker than it had travelled down it. The car was travelling so quickly up the road the only accurate description of its speed would be reckless. Despite the cars reckless speed and driving, only two of the cars occupants were seemingly worried.
The first was Hermione. Being raised by muggles meant she understood better than everyone else in the car the dangers of speeding in a car. She was fortunate though in that she was able to distract herself to some degree by studying the research diary they had found in Delameres office while discussing Ginny's plan with her.
The second was poor Percy. Who had somehow ended up sat in the front seat next to Kingsley who was driving. The ministry driver had been quickly and firmly removed from his seat behind the steering wheel by Kingsley, who had instructed him to make his way to Peverel castle with a message for Auror Robards.
Everyone else had climbed into the magically expanded back seat.
"M...M...Minister! There is a turn coming up" yelled Percy.
"I can see that thank you Percy" replied Kingsley calmly without showing any hint of slowing down.
"But it's a ninety degree turn with a wall dead ahead!"
Kingsley kept the car speeding up the road until the last possible second before he slammed on the brakes and swung the car sideways and to the left. The rear end of the car swung out causing the car skid sideways. Thankfully it didn't hit the wall but it did slide into the wrong side of the road leaving the car facing another car coming the other way.
Changing gear quickly, Kingsley revved the engine and it launched forward until he swung it back to the left and drove around the oncoming car. Fifty feet up the road he swung the car to the right and around a second corner, constantly accelerating while they flew around the right hand bend.
Ahead lay a straight road leading through the town centre, the pavements on either side were narrow and filled with shoppers. The car flew down the road at breath-taking speed, startling the locals and tourists alike.
They were now quickly approaching a mini roundabout, but Kingsley was showing no intention of slowing down.
"Minister the roundabout" cried Percy.
If anything Kingsley's only response was to speed up.
In the back seat Hermione was talking to Ginny.
"Ginny you can't do this"
"Why not?"
"These spells are untested! We don't know what they do!" argued Hermione.
"It says what they do in the damn book Hermione" replied Ginny testily.
"No it says what Delamere thinks they do or possibly what she wants us to think they do"
"What she wants us to think?"
"Aren't you the one who said she has been one step ahead of us all along? Don't you think that research diary was rather easy to find? Don't you think it's possible that it is a plant, put there to distract us and give us false hope?"
Ginny paused before answering, she had to concede Hermione had a point and it was a point she hadn't considered. Was she making a mistake? Rushing in when she should be holding back and thinking? For reasons she couldn't fully explain she was certain she was right and that there was no double play with the research diary. It was clearly started by her husband, the person she was trying to bring back, it didn't make sense to Ginny that she would use her revered husband's research diary to set up a trap.
"Ok you've got a point there, but I'd don't think there is any double play with the research diary" Ginny finally answered.
"Why not" asked Hermione.
"It's hard to explain clearly why, but I think I understand her and I don't think Delamere would use her husbands research diary to set a trap. If she was to set a trap I think she would use a completely fake research diary"
"Ginny you are basing this all on guess work" exclaimed Hermione.
"I think I get what Ginny is getting at" interrupted Charlie "Try and imagine for a moment a situation where Ginny has lost Harry and she's gone like Delamere"
"I'd rather not, but go on" said Hermione.
"Well could you imagine Ginny using something of Harry's to set a trap? Could you imagine Ginny using Harry's Phoenix wand or his photo album as the bait in a trap?"
Before Hermione could respond Ron cut in with a comment.
"Hell no! Those two are so dedicated to each other, there's no way Ginny would use something that meant so much to Harry as bait in a trap. She simply wouldn't be able too. Even if it was somehow the best course of action".
"Thank you Ron" commented Ginny.
"And that is my point and I think Ginny's. Delamere is so dedicated to her husband she couldn't use his research diary as bait in a trap, she too emotionally attached to it" finished Charlie.
"But you also think she has written in the research diary?" Hermione asked.
"I'm convinced she has, you can clearly see there are two different types of handwriting. She has continued his research and written in the research diary with the same care as her husband did"
Once again Hermione was interrupted before she could say anything else, only this time the interruption came in the form of desperate scream from the front seat.
"MINISTER! The roundabout!" screamed Percy.
They had finally reached the mini roundabout Percy was worried about. It was little more than a lump of tarmac in the road painted white, but there were cars pulling into a side road. If someone happened to pull out of the side road without looking, they would have a very messy accident.
Seemingly unconcerned about dying in a high speed car crash, Kingsley approached the roundabout at speed and practically flew out onto the roundabout. The front driver side wheel hit the roundabout, causing a deafening bang within the car and for the car to lurch wildly to the left. Kingsley responded by jerking the steering wheel to the right, then having overcompensated jerked it back to the left before regaining control of the car, amid a cacophony of car horns and terrified yells from the pedestrians.
"KINGSLEY!" Yelled Ginny "We can't help Harry if you get us all killed!"
"We might not have much time" replied Kingsley.
"We won't have any time if we are dead! For Merlin's sake slow down!"
Despite the fact that she was yelling at Kingsley to slow down, she was certain she understood why he was driving so recklessly. Before they had left Delameres house, they had realised that if Ginny was right and Delamere was using a bond to drain Harry's powers, he may not be fit to perform magic and Ginny's hastily put together plan relied on Harry being able to perform at least one spell. So Kingsley had offered to go to St Mungo's and use his position as Minister to acquire a fast acting rejuvenation potion. Unfortunately he had underestimated the level of influence he had at St Mungo's. The healers had felt that Kingsley was overstepping his boundaries as Minister of magic by demanding powerful potions that were regulated by the hospital and the ministry. It was obvious to Ginny he was feeling guilty at causing the delay and was driving the way he was to make up for it. The odd thing to Ginny was that when asked how he had managed to obtain the potion from the healers, Kingsley had avoided the question and hurried everyone out of the house and to the car.
However at this point in time Ginny didn't care how he had obtained the potion. She was just glad he had. If there was to be repercussions from them obtaining and using the potion she would deal with them afterwards.
Suddenly Kingsley slammed on the cars brakes causing everyone inside to be thrown forward and then sideways as Kingsley turned to the left. Ginny's own yell of "Kingsley" was lost in the identical shouts coming from everyone else in car.
"We are here" said Kingsley in his usual calm steady voice that was the complete opposite of his drive through the town centre.
They had stopped in front of a closed gate that was blocking their access to the peak caverns. Before anyone else could move, George jumped out of the car and ran up to the gate. After a quick look left and right he hunched himself over lock, discreetly using his magic to unlock the gate. Within moments he was pushing the gate open and waving the car through. Once the car was clear he pushed the gate closed again.
In front of them was a single story building. To their right was a doorway marked exit that appeared to lead out of a gift shop. To their left was a doorway marked as the entrance. Kingsley pulled the car to a stop in front of the entrance and everyone got out of the car, while George jogged over from the gate.
As they approached the door Kingsley waved his wand through the air in a pattern that was becoming familiar to Ginny
"Detection spells?" she asked.
"Yes" answered Kingsley "though my readings are odd"
"What do you mean odd?" asked Charlie.
"I was expecting to find a lot of low to medium level magic, which would indicate magically locked doors and booby traps. But instead I'm only picking up a single large magic source, somewhere below ground"
"What does that signify?" asked Ginny.
"Nothing detailed at the moment I'm afraid. We will need to get closer to get a better idea. Though it does confirm to me that the castle was a diversion. I'm certain Delamere set it up to look like it was where she took Harry. By not doing anything magical to this building she made it less likely to stand out"
A quick glance around to make sure they weren't being observed and they had the door unlocked and opened. Hermione picked up an tour guide and map as they went past the tourist pay desk.
Following Hermione's directions they walked through a number of tourist areas before they finally came to a secure door that had been left unlocked and open.
"Clearly Delamere didn't think we would get this far" commented Ron.
"How do we know the muggles didn't leave it unlocked?" asked Charlie.
"From what I remember reading, Caving is considered a dangerous activity if not done correctly. This door should be and would be locked to prevent thrill seekers from going down into the caves" answered Percy.
The passageway behind the door was clearly man made, cut into a square with neat straight sides and extended forward for a few feet before descending at an fairly steep angle. The floor was stone that was cut into stairs. Bolted to the top of each step was a piece of wood with a thin layer of rubber stuck to it, to provide grip underfoot. Down either side of the stairs were modern and well maintained hand rails.
At the bottom of the stairs the passageway opened out and seemingly transformed from man made to a naturally occurring passage. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of natural irregular stone. Though there was clear signs of people being in the passageway on a regular basis. The walls had cables and lights attached regular basis. The walls had cables and lights attached to them, while the floor had corrugated metal bolted to the floor to provide grip underfoot.
The lights on the walls were turned off and the only source of light was coming from their illuminated wands. With only one way forward they moved down the dark passageway. As they walked down the passageway it continued to get wider and wider with the path in the centre. Down either side were a mixture of naturally occurring "cones" some were hanging from the ceiling and some were protruding from the floor. The cones were known as stalagmites and stalactites. There was also the occasional stalagnate mixed in, a naturally occurring column where the stalagmites and stalactites had met and connected. With it being a naturally occurring cave the walls, ceiling and floor were all wet to the touch. The sound of the occasional drip of water could be heard all around them.
"Creepy sort of place isn't it" commented Ron.
"Having been in the forbidden forest, I would have thought you would have found this place was an easy stroll by comparison" remarked George.
"Compared to the forest it is easy. I just can't believe muggles come down here for fun"
"When did you go in the forest?" asked Kingsley.
"Towards the end of our second year" answered Ron "Hagrid sent me and Harry into the forest to speak to his pet acrumatula, in order to establish his innocence, when he was arrested for being the heir of Slytherin...Ouch what was that for?"
Ron's cry out was in response to being hit in the arm by Hermione on one side and George on the other. Having hit Ron they both stood glaring at him while pointing at Ginny. In response to Ron's comment Ginny had pulled herself ahead of the others and was purposely keeping her back to the others.
"Oh Hell" muttered Ron before picking his pace up to bring him in line with Ginny. "Sorry Ginny, that wasn't clever of me, now is not the time to be bringing up bad memories"
"No it wasn't clever at all Ron" replied Ginny while staring straight ahead. "I can still remember what it feels like to have him in my head. Did you know that?"
Ron for once kept quiet and shook his head.
"I've never said anything, because I didn't want people babying me. Harry is the only person that has ever made me forget"
"We'll get him back Ginny"
"We'd better" whispered Ginny.
What Ron said next was said so quietly Ginny barely heard him.
"Talk to him. If anyone would understand it's Harry"
Ginny simply nodded her response.
As they continued walking Ginny felt a change in the space around her. She suddenly no longer felt closed in. Rather she realised that the walls were no longer there. Moving her wand around simply moved the shadows, she couldn't see anything beyond the wand light.
"Lumos Maxima" she shouted while using the phoenix wand.
The ball of magical light that was produced was bigger and brighter than any she had ever seen. Once her eyes had adjusted to the bright light, what she saw took her breath away.
"Oh My!"
They had walked into a cavern far bigger than anything they had seen so far. The ceiling of the cavern was some twenty feet above them and the cavern was at least thirty feet across. There were more stalagmites protruding from the floor and the corresponding stalactites hanging from the ceiling, however the size of both had grown substantially. The ceiling walls and floor all had tiny crystals in them that reflected the light from Ginny's spell, so the walls, ceiling and floor all glittered in the spell light. Weaving around the stalagmites was a worn path that led through the cavern to the far side.
"Are we in the right place?" asked Ron.
"I'm not sure" replied Ginny.
"We're not there yet" came Hermione's voice "This cavern is a smaller cavern before the err Devils Arse cavern"
"If nothing else we now know why muggles come down here" commented Charlie "This place is amazingly beautiful and I would guess most wizards and witches don't even know about it"
"And we are only here discovering this place thanks to Delamere" observed Percy.
Percy's comment served to remind them why they were there and the group fell silent and without further comment picked up the pace.
Following the path they soon found themselves at the far side of the cavern, where they found a thin vertical crevice in the wall, that was too narrow to walk through normally, forcing them all to turn sideways to get through.
"Surely she didn't drag Harry through this?" said George "I can barely make it through as it is".
"She bought a helmet" stated Ginny.
"Your point being?" asked George.
"I had assumed she bought it for herself" replied Ginny "Now I'm not so sure. I'm beginning to think she got it for Harry"
"So she could offer him some protection while still levitating him unconscious through this passage?"
"Yes, she needs him alive, so it would make sense"
"None of this makes sense Ginny!" replied George.
"Not to us, but you've got to look at this from Delamere's perspective. She believes she needs Harry to bring her husband back. So giving him a degree of protection makes sense to her".
"Please don't take this the wrong way Ginny, but the way you understand Delamere so well is a tad creepy. You sure you aren't working with her in some way?"
At George's question Ginny stopped dead causing everyone behind her to stop suddenly as well. Turning as best as she could, she turned to face George, to find him grinning at her.
"Not the time George" though she couldn't help a small smile "you'll have to pay for that one later".
"No fair! I saw you smiling!"
"Did not" replied Ginny as she started moving again.
"Now, now children, remember why we are here" chastised Charlie, though, truth be told he was smiling as well.
At the end of the passageway it suddenly widened out into a vast open area. A couple of Lumos Maxima spells from Ginny revealed how big the underground space was. The cavern was at its longest point over three hundred feet in lengths and over two hundred feet at its widest point. Around the edge were a collection of stalagmites and stalactites. However the centre of the vast chamber was largely clear, leaving a large, flat, open area.
"I this the place?" asked Charlie "Is this the Devil's Arse?"
"I'm not sure" replied Ginny "Hermione you have the map"
"If the map in the tourist information leaflet is correct then yes this is it"
"Delameres notes said the entrance way to the chamber was hidden by a stalagnate. A column created by two of the spikes meeting each other and joining together. It's supposed to be fifty feet down the right hand side from the entrance to this cavern"
Following Ginny's statement the group turned around as one and looked back towards the entrance. Slowly the heads of all seven members of the group, turned to the left, following the wall, looking for a stalagnate column. As one they all stopped at the first stalagnate they came to.
"This seems like the likely candidate" said Kingsley stepping forward once again and waving his arms in front of it. "The column is filled with magic and I can detect a large source of magic somewhere behind it"
"Is the column part of the door or just blocking it?"
asked Ginny.
"Just blocking it. Why?" asked Kingsley.
"BOMBARDIER" Yelled Ginny in response. She was using the Phoenix wand and aiming the blasting curse at the column they were stood in front of.
The effect was impressive if nothing else. The magically formed column was utterly destroyed and turned to dust. The explosion produced a shock wave that appeared to bounce off the cavern walls knocking everyone off their feet and keeping them on the floor until it had dissipated. The accompanying sound wave had the effect of temporarily deafening everyone.
"That was rather reckless don't you think Ginny?" said Percy.
"Sorry everyone, that was more powerful than I intended" Said Ginny "Brace yourselves"
"What do you mean Brace your..." Percy said, though his last word was drowned out by the sound of another explosion.
Ginny had fired another blasting curse. This one was better controlled than the last, though not as powerful it was still effective. Ginny had aimed it at the wall behind where the stalagnate column had stood. The second explosion had revealed a door. From what they could see through the dust the door had collapsed into the hidden chamber, amazingly the illusion charms that had been put in place were still working, though they were starting to flicker and fail. One moment the door would be there and the next a seemingly solid stone wall would be there instead.
Ginny quickly checked she still had the special rejuvenation potion, then withdrew her own wand and started walking towards the door, armed with a wand in each hand, Harry's "Draco" wand in her pocket.
She took two steps forward when there was a sudden loud cracking sound, followed by a rumbling and a cloud of dust falling from the ceiling. Looking up she saw there was a newly form crack in the ceiling of the cavern.
"Get back to the tunnel everyone. It looks like we might have a cave in" shouted Kingsley.
Everyone moved at Kingsley's words running back the tunnel. Everyone except Ginny. When he realised she hadn't moved Charlie stopped and turned back to her.
"Ginny come on. Harry wouldn't want you to be killed trying to rescue him"
Ginny turned to look at her brother but didnt go to him. Instead she turned and ran towards the flickering doorway. As she ran the rumbling got worse. Shaking the cavern more and more, until a boulder finally fell from the ceiling between her and Charlie.
"GINNY!" bellowed Charlie as he was grabbed and dragged backwards by Ron and Percy.
Ginny kept on running. Focused solely on getting though the doorway. As she approached the doorway there was another crack and the Stone cross beam of the doorway cracked and slipped downwards. Seeing that Ginny doubled her efforts to get to the doorway.
As she got there the crossbeam broke and fell. Acting on instinct, she dived through the doorway as the stone beam fell. She landed on the stone floor and rolled as the doorway collapsed behind in a deafening rumble and cloud of dust, blocking the way out of the hidden chamber.
Using the dust cloud as cover Ginny quickly rolled onto her. As she stood up she saw her target, Delamere stood directly in front of her.
"VOLATILIS LUTUM!" Yelled Ginny while using the Phoenix wand.
The spell hit Delamere with such force, she was thrown backwards, hitting the archway as she flew past. She tumbled as she fell through the air and landed in a heap on the floor on the far side of the room. Though she was not knocked unconscious she was clearly dazed. She struggled to pick herself up off the floor using one hand, while her second hand was batting at the bat bogeys that were now climbing out of her nose and attacking her face.
Ginny took advantage of Delameres condition to locate Harry. Doing a quick sweeping glance over the room she took in the stone archway, the stone throne like chair and found him lying unmoving near the chair.
Hurrying over to his side, she dropped to her knees and rolled him onto his back. She started shaking his shoulders while calling out his name.
"Harry"
"Harry"
"HARRY!"
"Ginny?" Replied Harry quietly and confused. Slowly opening his eyes.
"Harry we don't have time to discuss things. Do you trust me?"
"Bloody stupid question. Of course I do!"
Ignoring Harry's comment for now Ginny replied with "Then don't argue. Just do what I say without asking questions"
"Ok"
"Drink this" commanded Ginny having pulled the rejuvenation potion out of her pocket.
She pulled the cork out of the bottle, then used her right hand to lift Harry's head up off the floor. Pushing the bottle to Harry's lips, she upended the bottle. Making sure not to pour it too quickly so Harry didn't choke and spill any.
As Harry finished drinking the potion a spell flew over their heads, causing Ginny to let go of Harry and to roll sideways. Shouting Protego as she stood up she put a shield between herself, Harry and Delamere.
"HARRY! Get up!" bellowed Ginny, while a series of spells bounced of her shield.
Harry pulled himself up onto his feet and staggered briefly before getting his balance back.
"What now?" Harry asked.
"Take this and this" said Ginny as she pulled Harry's Draco wand out of her pocket.
"Whats this" asked Harry confused while looking At the piece of paper.
"It's a spell. Perform it. On me. Now" replied Ginny in short clipped sentences, while trying to maintain her shield to protect them from Delameres onslaught.
"YOU?" exclaimed Harry
"JUST DO IT!" Roared Ginny.
Picking up on her tone more than anything Harry took two steps backwards and pointed his wand at Ginny.
"Da Mini Vim Vitae" yelled Harry, his voice echoing around the chamber. As Harry completed the spell there was a flash of bright blue light and momentarily there was a blue line connecting Harry and Ginny.
The spell caused Ginny to stumble and drop to her knees, clutching her chest. They didn't need to worry about Delameres onslaught as it stopped with the flash of blue light.
"You fool" screeched Delamere laughing. "You haven't saved him. All you have done is add yourself to his fate and ensured my success"
Harry ran over to Ginny and helped her back onto her feet.
"Ginny what was that spell?"
"Later. I need to do something. Stand over there" instructed Ginny to Harry. She was pointing to a space that would put Harry and Delamere on opposite sides of the room with Ginny in the middle.
Harry didn't ask any questions, putting his trust in Ginny and her plan. He stepped back and stood where she had. His wand in his hand ready should he need it.
Ginny stood in the middle of the room directly between Harry and Delamere. Harry on her right and Delamere on her left. She absentmindedly rubbed her chest where the spell had hit her. It was odd. She could feel herself getting weaker. Realising she needed to act quickly she pulled her own wand out of her pocket and held it in her left hand. The phoenix wand in her left. Looking to her left she spoke to Delamere.
"This ends NOW"
"And how do you intend to do that?" asked Delamere, her tone amused and mocking.
"Where do you think I got the spell Harry used?"
Delamere paused before responding "What?...No!...you couldn't have!"
Ginny didn't comment on Delameres sputtering. She instead put the tips of the two wands together and raised them above her head.
"Sever Hoc Magicis Vinculum" yelled Ginny.
As she spoke the words of the spell, Ginny did two things. She forced as much magic as she could into the spell while swinging her arms downwards. As she swung her arms down she kept the tips of the two wands together. As she completed the spell there was another blinding flash, though this time it was purple in colour. The spell sent out a shock that was centred around Ginny. Harry and Delamere were both knocked off their feet and a cloud of dust was picked up and thrown around the room.
As the dust settled Ginny was revealed to still be stood in the middle of the room, her arms held out sideways from her body. She was still holding on tightly to both wands, from the tip of each wand there was beam of magical energy, one from the tip of the phoenix wand leading to Harry's chest and the second from the tip of Ginny's own wand was leading to Delameres chest.
Turning away from Delamere to face Harry, Ginny raised her right hand and placed the tip of the Phoenix wand to her own chest. Now she was operating in the unknown. Delamere, having worked out how to severe a magical bond in case of an emergency, had simply stopped investigating how the spell worked. She had simply hypothesised what would happen. So far her hypothesis was correct. Ginny could only hope the rest of her hypothesis of correct as well.
"Da Mini Vim Vitae" she made sure to say the spell clearly and loudly.
For the third time there was blinding flash in the chamber. This one was bright blue again, matching the one produced by Harry. Once again the force of the spell caused Ginny to stumble and waver where she stood. The combined effect of the spells proving to be overwhelming she staggered and fell to her knees. Her vision darkening she didn't notice her hands loosing their grip on either of her wands or them falling to the floor. The severed bond connected between Ginny's wand and Delamere seemingly disconnected and disappeared.
As she continued to loose consciousness she fell sideways and found herself looking at the stone archway in the centre of the room. There was something happening with the stone archway. Delamere had clearly supplied it with power, the "doorway" was active but unstable and flickering in and out. Despite fighting a loosing battle with unconsciousness Ginny was sure there was something there in the doorway when it wasn't flickering out of existence. Before she could figure out what it was she was seeing the archway rumbled and shook with increasing tempo until it finally cracked. As it cracked the magical energy Delamere forced into it was released in an instant. As the wave of energy hit her, Ginny finally lost her fight and slipped into unconsciousness.