Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading. Sorry it's taken so long to update with another chapter. It's been a tricky two months. But here is the next chapter (and one of my favorites)! I'm so excited for the ones to come and I can't wait to hear all your comments on it. Enjoy!

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Trials

Amber stepped through the waterfall just behind George. Somehow they emerged into a large, mountainous area as if they were standing at the bottom of a cliff, surrounded by rocky terrain. The high ceiling and torch-lighting tainted the illusion, but the grand sight was still incredible. A mountain inside a castle.

"This is the test of the earth," the badger said delicately. "Are you strong enough to reach the top?" And with that, she scurried up the mountainous terrain as if it were nothing.

"Okay, so how are planning on doing this?" Rose asked nervously as her eyes scanned the tall monstrosity. She had been challenging her fear of heights with flying lessons. But the idea of climbing this cliff without magic made her stomach sink.

George glanced back up at the mountain, and then back at the group. "We follow the trail of the badger," he said simply.

He was answered by questioning stares, which made him chuckle softly. "Animals always manage to find the easiest way up bloody-difficult terrain like this. From my experience, it's always best to look for animal trails and follow in their footsteps," he explained.

"Did the badger even leave a trail with that one trip?" Rose asked.

"In a manner of speaking," George said with a shrug. "Won't be too visible, unfortunately. But I watched how she managed to get up the mountain, and I think I can copy it."

"Guess it's you in the lead then," said Fred as he patted his brother on the back.

"That would probably be best. And you'd better take up the rear to be safe," George said to Fred. He turned to Amber and spoke softly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Amber, you follow right behind me, okay?"

Amber nodded with a sweet smile. "All right, let's do this," she said.

They started up the small mountain, which didn't turn out to be as difficult as Amber had thought. It just consisted of a lot of walking with the additional challenge of climbing over rocks and large boulders. It felt like an adventurous hike, which was more tiring than anything, but George and Fred made up sea shanties as they trekked, which helped them all push on through the fatigue. But as the terrain became steeper and dustier near the top, it became harder for Amber to climb the trail.

She glanced back at Rose, who was clinging to a rocky wall as she shuffled across a thin ledge, trying not to look over the edge as she shook nervously. Fred kept whispering supportive words to her from behind.

"Bloody hell," George sighed, as his neck craned upwards. "Here comes the tricky part."

Amber followed his gaze up a steep, vertical wall of stone and shivered.

"You mean this isn't already the tricky part?" Rose called out, too afraid to look up as she watched her feet inch across the narrow ledge.

"Afraid so, luv," Fred said from behind her as he stared at the before-mentioned cliff face that George was standing beneath.

"Perfect," Rose grumbled under her breath as her knees trembled.

"Hey, I've got your back," Fred whispered as he placed a steadying hand on Rose's mid back to help her feel more stable.

Rose exhaled appreciatively, closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded to herself reassuringly and she kept pushing forward.

She and Fred finally made it across the ledge to Amber and George, who stood on the shoulder beneath the cliff.

"Blimey," Fred said now that he could see the cliff wall up close.

"We'll have to climb this last part," George said hesitantly. "It'll take some bloody strength to hold onto the rocks and branches sticking out of the wall as we climb, so we should all take a short rest here."

"I don't have any bloody strength," Rose mumbled under her breath as she stared at her shoes.

"It's okay," Fred said as he stepped up beside Rose, somehow having heard her. "Rest as long as you need. You've got this."

After a short rest, George stood up with Amber and approached the cliff wall.

"We'll take it really slow," he assured her, "so just copy me. Watch where I step with my feet and use those as your handholds, okay?"

Amber nodded, and George started up the cliff side. He looked like a professional rock climber as he scaled the wall.

Amber, not wanting to fall behind and forget what handholds to use, started up behind George. She certainly wasn't used to this kind of strenuous activity, and she felt uneasy each time she let go of a rock and outstretched her arm to reach for a new one.

After a few minutes, she glanced straight up and saw George's legs disappear over the top. He popped his head over the edge and looked down at her with a great big grin on his face.

With a rush of excitement inside her, she lunged a little too quickly for her next handhold, whilst impatiently pushing off with her right foot to give herself a little more reach. With a slice of pain and a sharp yelp, her left foot slipped from its intended foothold and her knee ground against the sharp rocks as her other foot braced against the rock. The slip yanked her left hand from its new grip, and her entire body weight tugged heavily at her right arm, which was holding on for dear life.

She heard Rose yell her name worriedly from below. Amber frantically shuffled her left foot along the wall, feeling for somewhere stable to put it, and she waved her empty hand around desperately for something else to grab onto.

Suddenly, a steady hand gripped her lost one. She looked up and saw George on his stomach, bending far over the edge of the cliff with one arm bracing against the rock for stability, and the other outstretched to her.

"Don't worry; I've got you," George said calmly, but with a slight strain in his voice.

"I don't know what to do," Amber said, panicked.

"It's okay. Trust me."

"I'm not strong enough to pull myself back up."

"Trust me," he said slower.

"But what if you fall?!"

"Trust me, not possible," he smirked.

That smirk somehow blanketed over the anxiety that was fanning fires in her stomach. Amber felt calmer and pushed away the panic to make room for just one focus. Trust him.

"Okay, now I want you to lift your leg up about two feet. There's a foothold sticking out," George instructed, looking past her. "It's okay to look down to find it. I've got you," he said, squeezing her hand tighter.

Amber did as he instructed and shakily lifted her left leg, and glanced down hesitantly to see where George wanted her to put it. Once her foot found the steady rock, the weight that had been pulling on her right shoulder lessened. Partly thanks to George, who was still holding her left hand.

"Okay, now I'm going to help pull you up," George said, "but you're going to have to keep your eyes down and focus on those footholds. I've got your arm. The other one can feel around for holds. But focus on your feet, okay?"

"Okay."

Amber took a deep breath and looked down, lifting her right leg to a new rock that looked good, and she felt more weightless as George simultaneously pulled her hand up. Like a rhythm, she found foothold after foothold, too afraid to stop and risk making George fall. Until finally, she took another step, and George's arm pulled hers over the ledge. Without missing a beat, his other arm quickly wrapped around her torso and helped pull the rest of her up with him.

Their balance pulled Amber over, pushing George onto his back as she landed on his stomach, his arms still wrapped around her torso.

His eyes were wide, and his body tensed.

Amber was still filled with adrenaline, and took little notice of this awkwardness.

"I did it," Amber breathed. "You helped me. Thank you," she said, sitting up on his lap.

"I told you you could trust me," George smirked between deep breaths, as he too, sat up to face her.

Amber just smiled appreciatively.

They were so close. She was sitting on his thighs, and his hands had slipped to her hips. And all she had to do was look up, and there was his face, gazing down at hers. She felt something stir inside her stomach. Probably just the adrenaline, Amber told herself.

"Okay, you rest here, I'm going to guide the other two up safely," George said.

"Okay," Amber sighed, rubbing her hands over her face, exhausted.

"Uh...Amber?"

"Yeah?" Amber asked, pulling her hands away from her eyes.

"Could you—I mean, you're gonna have to—uh….. I can't get up until you let me," George stammered.

"Oh of course," Amber said quickly as she scrambled off of his lap, her ears flushing red.

George smiled appreciatively and then leaned over the ledge again to call down to Rose and Fred.

Rose was even more terrified after almost seeing Amber fall, but after a few panicked breaths she started to climb. She was shaking the entire way up, taking it much slower than Amber had. Fred climbed just below her, and he placed a hand on one of Rose's ankles from beneath when he could, which helped ensure her she was safe before she had to lift each foot to another foothold. Eventually, they both made it up without any more incidents thanks to George's helpful directions and he helped pull them up over the edge.

The stone badger reappeared from the rocks, startling Amber into a little gasp.

"Well done," she said proudly. "You have passed the first test of Gryffindor. Strength. Follow this path to find your next test."

And with that, the badger scurried off into the rocks.

. . . . . .

Rose followed the others on the dimly lit path, which led into a tunnel, grateful to have passed the last test. She was relieved she didn't have a pain flare while climbing that monstrosity. And Amber almost fell, herself. Rose couldn't help but wonder what test they would face next. She only hoped it would all be worth it.

This path was plain and dim, but Rose's mind was spinning as she imagined every possibility of what might happen next.

Finally, the small tunnel path opened up. They passed under the tunnel's arch, and were faced with an enormous cavern of some kind. It was very dark, and five feet away, the stone ground became oddly layered, like a pastry. On the other side of the room, it looked like there might be another tunnel entrance.

"So what's supposed to happen now?" George asked.

"Not sure…" Rose said cautiously.

"Do we wait for something?" Amber asked.

"Waiting certainly isn't a Gryffindor value. I'll go first," Fred said confidently as he stepped from the smooth, stone ground onto the flaky, layered one.

They immediately began to hear cracks and crumbling reverberate throughout the entire cavern. George grabbed Fred immediately, and pulled him back to the safe side of the floor as the cracking noises just echoed louder.

The stone floor before them began shaking violently, making everyone retreat to the tunnel archway.

Chunks of floor started crumbling away and falling through the hollow foundation into nothingness. Everything shattered, cracked, crumbled, and fell, all except for an unusually straight line of floor about one foot in width and height that reached from their side of the cavern all the way to the ledge in front of the other tunnel.

While the rest of the floor fell and disappeared, this balancing beam was all that was left behind, like some kind of thin bridge stretching over the deep abyss.

Before they could react to each other about what they had just seen, a small figure moved in the shadows on the other end of the cavern, outlined in a luminescent blue. It glided through the air straight toward them. The torchlight caught its grey wings in its beams, and the entire stone eagle came into view as it landed carefully in front of them.

"This, is the test of the air," spoke the eagle in a deep, regal, feminine voice. "Are you brave enough to reach the other end?"

The eagle then spread her wings and flew across the cavern, landing safely on a little ledge on the other side.

"The bridge can only support one body at a time. I will ask you to cross one by one," the eagle announced, her voice carrying powerfully across the cavern.

A small circle of blue light drew itself around Fred's feet and then faded.

"Guess that means I'm up," Fred said with a grin as he stretched his back. "See you all on the other side."

He stepped up to the bridge, peered over the ledge to see nothing but consuming darkness, and straightened his posture again.

He took careful steps across the thin beam, but he did not take it slowly. He moved with determined speed and balance that caught Rose off guard. He was a beater, she recalled, though, and that position demanded high discipline in balance.

With not so much as a wobble, Fred made it all the way across the cavern and landed on the safe ledge with great satisfaction.

"Piece of cake!" he called back.

"My congratulations," said the eagle. "One wizard down, three to go."

Across the cavern, the blue light drew itself around Amber's feet.

"You've got this," Rose encouraged.

"Thanks," Amber said with a smile. But Rose could tell she was still scared.

George walked her up to the bridge, holding her hand until she balanced herself out and took her first step, her fingers slipping away from his as she placed her arms out to her sides for balance. She didn't replicate Fred's reckless approach in the slightest. She took her time, looking down at the spots in front of her to place her feet, refusing to look anywhere else. She had a few wobbles, but she recovered herself well. She looked to be on autopilot, and before long she reached Fred, with much surprise to herself.

"Two wizards down, two to go," the eagle said, clicking her tongue.

George and Rose both stared at their feet, waiting to find out who would be chosen to cross next. After a moment, the light flickered on the ground beneath George's feet.

A part of Rose was relieved, but it quickly swarmed with dread.

But she had been working on this. She learned how to fly, for crying out loud. She just climbed a cliff! So why were her knees still shaking?

George studied the bridge for a moment, and then stepped onto it. He had excellent balance, much like his brother, but he was more cautious and gentle as he crossed with near perfect precision.

"Show off," Fred teased as he punched his brother's shoulder on the other side, making George chuckle.

And on the other end of the cavern, Rose was left alone. She hadn't thought this would bother her so much...so why did it?

"One left," said the eagle.

The entire ground beneath Rose glowed and she stepped up to the bridge.

Just one foot in front of the other. Remember to focus. Release my fear. Take back control.

Rose blinked her eyes open and started to walk across that balancing-beam of a ledge. She kept her focus on the beam ahead of her, never looking down, (her knees wobbling the entire time).

She was almost half-way across when the cavern began to shake again.

The thin bridge she was crossing began to tremor as well, throwing off her balance and knocking her to her hands and knees. The violent shaking knocked her right knee over the thin edge, and she immediately scrambled to pull it back up, which shifted her balance. The tremors shook against her, tying to throw her entire body over the edge, and in an attempt to shift her weight in the other direction, her other leg slid off the same side, dangling beside the other. Her stomach quickly slipped off the beam as well, and her arms frantically wrapped around the other side of the thin walkway for dear life, struggling to hold her chin above the edge.

The tremors froze and Rose's heart was pumping so loudly it drowned out all other sound from her ears. As her hearing started to clear, she heard someone calling her name. She strained to twist her neck toward the source of the voice.

And there was Amber, hurrying back across the bridge to save her.

Rose hadn't seen this, but Amber didn't even hesitate when it became apparent she had to save Rose. Without pausing to explain her plan to the others, Amber took out over the bridge the second the tremors froze. George tried to go after her, but was stopped by the eagle who told him that the bridge may not be able to hold the weight of two. And it would definitely collapse under three.

Amber finally reached Rose, dropped to her knees on the thin beam, and carefully grabbed her hands to make sure they were secure.

"I can't pull myself up," Rose strained to say.

Amber tried to help Rose back onto the beam, but she just wasn't strong enough.

Rose heard more crackling.

"Amber, run!" Rose urged. "The bridge can't support us both. You have to get back across, now!"

"I came here to help you, and I am not turning back now," Amber said, straining to hold on with all her strength. "We…are…in this…together!"

The tremors shook the cavern again, and Amber held tightly onto Rose's hands. The temperature began to rise rapidly, and light rose from the dark abyss beneath the bridge as a sea of fire began lapping at the areas where the flaky floor had once been.

The tremor knocked Amber onto her stomach, and her legs wrapped around the beam, her hands still clinging to Rose's, one above the other.

Rose heard the bridge creak and moan even more under the stress of the rising temperature, and she knew it would never hold the both of them. She also knew Amber would never agree to leave her there. But this wouldn't be Amber's choice.

"You guys will beat the challenges, I know you will," Rose said.

"What are you talking about?" Amber demanded, straining to keep her grip solid.

"I won't let you fall with me," Rose said.

As a loud crack rippled through the beam, Rose pushed her arms out from under Amber's grip. As she passed through the angry flames, she heard a muffled scream before she was blinded by light, and then consumed by darkness.