Pandora's Box
Kneazle
DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot.
AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach! [Feb. 10, 02]
**-**
I
will dedicate and sacrifice my everything
for just a seconds worth of how my story's ending
I wish I could know if the directions that I take
and all the choices that I make won't end up all for nothing
– Hoobastank
"Crawling in the Dark"
**~**
Chapter Two
Malfoy Manor looked as if it had deserted for years, not months. Sheets were drawn to cover furniture from collecting dust. The drapes were drawn tightly together to keep the light out. Dust had settled thickly on the floor, but there were no footprints to say house elves were employed at Malfoy Manor anymore.
"Be on your guard," Percy warned. "Ghosts… Demetors… house elves. Anything, be on your guard."
"Right," the group chorused in the softest of voices. They began to spread out around the house, looking for the study or anywhere where loose paper could be.
Oliver Wood had found the study with Roger Davis. They crept in the room, muttered, "lumos" and gasped.
"Guys," called Oliver, not taking his eyes off the sight in front of him. The group scuttled into the room, and looked up.
Narcassia Malfoy was hanging from the ceiling, a knife stuck through her heart. She, however, was pointing at a spot on the wall.
Padma and Cho gasped, covering their faces. Fleur paled. Fred and George walked over to where she was pointing.
"Be careful," hissed Percy. "You don't want to trip any alerts."
Fred and George nodded. They began to look around the wall. George ran his fingers lightly up and down the cracks, wanting to know if it was a hidden safe behind.
Oliver and Percy walked right around the body. "Think she was murdered?" asked Oliver, shaking slightly.
"No doubt," muttered Percy, looking at a chair in the corner, which had been placed nicely back. "She couldn't have strangled herself if that's her wand there." He pointed at the wooden wand that lay nicely on the desktop. The desk, itself, was bare.
"Fuck!" swore Fred, as he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked on it. Fleur turned her attention to him.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide and alert.
"There's something here. I got a paper cut," he snapped. His other hand ran through his short red hair. "Help me, here, George?"
George nodded and they began to pull on a spot on the wall that jutted out a bit. After a few grunts, they managed to pull the covering off. Behind it was a foot deep and wide hidden spot. Inside, where a stack of papers yellowed with age and books that smelled musty.
"Let's get the hell out of here," whispered Roger, looking around the room. "Mrs. Malfoy's eyes aren't the only ones in here."
"What?" Percy asked, looking up at him standing in the doorway. "What else has"—
He never finished his sentence as Roger Davis fell to the ground, his eyes wide with horror, dead.
"Davis?" screamed Fleur, jumping back. She hid herself behind the door. Fred looked up and shoved the packet of paper in his jacket, and George took the books. They then looked at each other, pointed their wands out the closed and curtained window, and shouted, "reducto!"
The glass splintered and shards went flying all over the lawn outside. The curtains blew into the room from the cold wind that had swept in over the sea.
Three Death Eaters stood in the doorway.
"Accio Firebolt!" shouted Fred, as it came zooming across the lawn from the forest. He jumped on it, George copying him on his. "Let's go, boys and girls! Playtime is over!"
Cho and Padma nodded, grinning as they both turned to the Death Eaters and shouted together, "stupefy!" two of them hit the floor, but the other yelled, "crucio!"
Cho dodged and Padma jumped to the side as the spell whizzed by her ear.
"A little too close for comfort, there, boys," snapped Padma, her beautiful features turning dark. Oliver and Percy jumped forward and both knocked the remaining Death Eater out with a nice uppercut.
"Can we go now?" asked Percy, sighing. "What a mess."
They stood on the window still, summoning their brooms. A scuffle made Oliver and Percy turn. The Death Eaters had stirred and sent an alarm out. More would be here soon.
And they were. Popping up along the horizon, Percy and Oliver gulped.
"Now or never," Oliver laughed feebly. He jumped onto his broom, Percy right behind him, and they soared after the others.
"They're right behind us, get moving!" He shouted, forcing them to take a straight-up route. They tore through the chilling night sky only in light jackets and pants.
"Stupefy! Avada Kedavra!" voice shouted below them. Spells went hurtling past them, moving their hair.
"Higher!" screamed Fleur. She urged her broom to go further. Another stupefy was heard. Another bright red blast went by them.
"Shit… What are we going to do?" Fred asked, looking back as they hovered high in the air.
"You and George need to keep going – you have the paper!" ordered Percy. "Fleur, you and Cho keep them together! Make sure nothing – FLEUR!"
Fleur
screamed as she was hit with a burning hex. Her skin burned and welted as the
water burned her. "I cannot hold on much longer!"
Percy bit his lip. "Padma –
you take Fleur's old job, hurry! You five head to somewhere… anywhere!"
"How will you find us?" George asked as their flying began to slow. More spells went flying by. Fred tilted his head as one nearly got him in the jaw.
"Go to… to?" Percy looked around the group. They had cuts along the cheeks from whip lashing branches, their eyes stung from the wind, and they were shivering.
"To Hermione's," said Padma suddenly. "I know where it is, we can go there!"
"Good. I know where it is too," agreed Percy. "Stay there. We'll meet you there soon enough. Wood, go with them."
"What? I can't leave you and Fleur out here! I can help! Weasley… don't do this," threatened Oliver.
"You need to help find Harry and the others. You need to go find them to save the world," argued Percy. "Please… we'll be fine."
A red spell went soaring between the two. Time seemed to slow as Oliver's face stared back at Percy's. His brown eyes were illuminated and his hairs seemed to be red, like the Weasley's. Though his face was set deep in a stare, be finally nodded.
"Be safe, Percy." He finally said. "I lead – let's go!"
Percy flew next to Fleur as they watched them go over the woods and disappear into a nimbus cloud. They were nothing but specks in the sky when Percy remembered the spells being thrown on him.
He turned and smiled at Fleur. "I'm sorry for doing this."
"No, I understand," she smiled weakly at him. "Au revior, Monsieur Weasley." She closed her eyes as Percy's wand faced her.
"Obliverate," he whispered. A wispy opaque spell shimmered out and wrapped around Fleur. Her smile fell away as she went limp. Her hair covered her face. Percy settled her in front of his broom and wrapped an arm around her waist.
He turned to face the ten or so Death Eaters below. Pointing his wand at them, he shouted one at a time to each, "Stupefy!" before one blasted back at him.
He and Fleur fell to the ground, unaware of what was going to happen.
**~**
December 31
Hermione has been gone now for four years and four months. I have no idea where she and the others are. I have heard from the Weasley's that two of their lot is gone too – possibly they fought together. Richard is beside himself with worry. He blames Hermione's disappearance on her wizardring friends. I know they are not to blame.
After all, its only because there are no letters of improvement from Hermione that he realized something was wrong. I'm quite sure he wouldn't notice if she had died. I would, I know, I'm her mother. But… I know Hermione's still alive. I step into her room and I feel like she was there. I feel as if I can feel her heartbeat. It's steady and strong. Until I cannot feel that… I will not give up hope.
-- From Catherine Granger's diary, London, England
Oliver kept the group going as far as they could before stopping for rest. Once they found a city near London, they stopped and secluded themselves in an alley.
"Now where?" asked George as he shrunk his Firebolt. The group did the same and looked at Padma.
"We're nearly there," she whispered. "We can make it by tonight, I hope, if there are no Death Eaters walking around."
She began to walk away from the alley when Fred's hand grabbed her upper arm.
"Wait," he whispered. "It will look too weird. We'll go in pairs."
Padma nodded and Fred offered his arm to her. Oliver made sure everyone was ready and led him or her out as inconspicuous as they could. No one offered a second glance, but nerves ran high.
Padma was muttering directions to George who would turn, laugh at Fred and tell him. They soon turned onto the right lane, and Hermione's house came into view. A large Victorian stood gallantly on the block, with nicely trimmed flowers and large oak trees.
Padma went up the block and through the gate. Though nearly ten, she was sure that the Grangers would remember her from so long ago.
Letting the large brass handle drop, she waited for the door to open. Finally, she heard scuffling.
"Yes?" asked a nice-looking lady. She looked down and peered at Padma. "Aren't you… that Parvati girl?"
"Padma, her twin sister," replied Padma. Mrs. Granger paled and said hurriedly, "we don't want you here… none of you."
"Please!" begged Padma. "We have a way of saving your daughter," the twenty-one year old plead. "We think we know where they are banished, but we need a place to rest for the night… we already lost three of our number a week into the journey… we're…"
To her embarrassment, Padma began to cry. Mrs. Granger looked back into the house.
"Well… all right. How many of you?" she asked, opening the door wider.
"Five," she replied.
"Only?" Mrs. Granger's eyes widened. "Out of eight?"
Padma nodded. She looked back and motioned the others to follow. They slowly appeared out of the darkest areas of the lawn. Mrs. Granger gasped.
She nodded at Fred and George, who looked solemn and sad. Her heart ached for them.
"Come in, quickly now, we don't want any Death Eaters looking about, do we?" she asked, ushering them in.
They grinned lightly at her and entered the house. She led them to the living room, where a fire cackled and burn merrily in the fireplace.
Settling them into the couch, she offered them coffee or tea. The unanimous vote was hot chocolate and sleep. She smiled slightly.
"Of course," she said, nodding. She made five cups of hot chocolate and brought out blankets for each of them and pillows. "Now, I'm afraid my husband has taken a dislike to wizards and witches… please forgive him if he… gets angry."
"We understand," said Fred. "You lost your only daughter, we lost that day our baby brother and sister, and yesterday out older brother. We know how you feel."
Mrs. Granger's eyes welled up with tears. "You poor dears. Make yourself comfortable."
They murmured their thanks and succumbed to their nightmares and dreams.
**~**
When Oliver awoke, he saw Mrs. Granger about in the kitchen making breakfast for the whole group. No one else was awake.
He carefully pushed back his blanket and crawled out around Fred, who had slept on the floor by the couch, he was on.
Tiptoeing around him, he walked into the kitchen wearing the same clothes he wore the day before. He sniffed the air and felt his stomach growl. "Smells delicious, Mrs. Granger."
Mrs. Granger looked up. "Please. Catherine."
Oliver nodded. "Catherine. I can't thank you enough for allowing us to stay here the night… it was a terrible risk on your part."
"It was nothing… not for friends of Hermione's," her voice broke at the end and she placed the plate in her hands down. "I wish I knew whether or not she was alive."
"I'm sure she is," replied Oliver. He placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder. "I think they all are. The… the legend now is that Voldemort used an old spell on them… one straight from the Latin days of lore."
"Latin?" Catherine's interest perked. "I have an old Latin spell book – or so my mother said," she laughed.
Oliver stopped smiling. "Catherine? You do?"
"Yes… would it be helpful?" she asked.
"I think it might save their lives." Oliver replied, evenly. He stared at Catherine who was about to say something when a knock at the door startled her.
"I wonder who that could be," she mused. As she walked by Oliver, he caught her.
"Don't… it may be a Death Eater," he whispered. The doorbell rang this time, followed by an impatient knock. "If it's a mailman, he'll leave it there… anyone else will give up…"
Catherine nodded. "To the library," she mouthed. "That's where the book is. There is also a nice secret room off the to turret. You gather your friends. Hide, quickly."
Oliver nodded and started carefully back to the living room. Shaking awake everyone and making sure they were quiet, he used hand motions. "Bring the blankets," he mouthed.
The five then crept into the library, dark and musty and smelling of books. Catherine was waiting for them.
"Here," she hushed. Clicking a button underneath a shelf, the shelving swung backwards to reveal a narrow entrance. "Quickly!" the person at the door was becoming more persistent.
Oliver went last through the doorway. She handed him wordlessly a piece of paper and went to answer the door. The group hurried into the dark room and up the stairs to where the turret ended. They heard the shelving fall back into place and the doorbell stop ringing.
A few words were exchanged between Catherine Granger and the person. The next thing the group heard was a thump.
Someone was dead, and it wasn't too hard to guess whom. Oliver let his head roll onto his chest.
He opened his fist and read in what little light they had, Book of Shadows, my Grandmother's spell book. Under the alphabetical letter 'W', look for Wallace.
Oliver let the paper crumple and he stifled a sob. Hermione's mother was doing so much for them, on the account of what their kind had done to her daughter.
The group said nothing as more feet entered the house. Raised voices could be heard between what must have been Mr. Granger and a wizard.
The footsteps reached the library below them. It seemed like forever until they disappeared.
"Can you hear anything?" whispered Oliver.
Cho put up a finger to silence them. She had always had amazing hearing. After a few minutes, she mouthed, "They're gone. Not coming back."
"Sleep for a bit," replied Oliver. "If they're gone, they won't be here tonight."
Instead, the group opened Malfoy's papers and began to search through them using a lighter Fred and George had in their pockets.
"Comes in handy," they shrugged.
**~**
Hours later, the group had stretched out and the pile of ashes on the floor had grown. They burnt many documents that had evidence to the assassinations of Fudge, Karkaroff and many well-known politicians.
"HERE!" whispered a hoarse Padma. She was pointing at a yellow book page. She read aloud, "The Fellowship has been taken to the desert of O'Sahar, where they will be cast away in a tall tower. They are all locked forever in their icy cages until the reversed spell can be found. I myself do not know what the spell is.
I go there once in a while to visit my weakling of a son, Draco Malfoy. I wish to thaw him out to kill him personally, but the Dark Lord wishes this not; I am to only look, but not touch.
I have written the directions down in order for the body of my late wife's to be transported there. However, I am not too sure anymore."
Padma then read aloud the directions. The group grinned at each other.
"That was easy," laughed quietly Fred.
Oliver nodded. "To the desert of O'Sahar we go." He yawned. "After we sleep."
The vote on that was agreeable.
**~**
Flying to O'Sahar was harder than the group had thought. Worry of Fleur and Percy stayed in their mind as they rode towards the desert.
However, while this was mainly on the other's mind, Oliver thought only of Catherine Granger who they found dead at the front door. Her husband's body was on the stairs and even their goldfish were dead.
While the other's cleaned up, ate some cold breakfast that was still out for them, Oliver stayed in the library and found the spell book of Catherine's grandmother. He began to flip through it, only to realize that there were hundreds upon thousands of pages in her BOS. His heart sunk, but he took it with him in hopes that Hermione could possibly open and decipher it.
Finally, the grassy plains beneath them began to vary. Sand began to take form.
"Oliver, we're almost there – look!" Padma laughed. Ahead of them was a large tower. As they neared, they could see that it was in the shape of a Queen. The top of her crown, thought, was flat. The points came sharply up to make sure no aerial landing was possibly.
At her feet was the opening to the tower. Oliver turned back to Padma. "Any traps written of?"
"None. Just the thawing we need to work on." Answered Padma. Oliver nodded and stared ahead. They were zipping over the sand quickly. They reached the tower within minutes.
Shrinking their broomsticks, they placed them in their pockets again and walked to the front door.
Inside, it was much cooler than the scorching heat of the desert sun. The marble floor was white and smooth. The groups' shoes squeaked on the clean floor.
They paused, aware, but heard and saw no movement. They then proceeded to move forward. Oliver led them up the staircase, a circular wrought-iron railing with flowers and ivies as the railings support.
They walked in circles for hours it seemed until they reached the uppermost floor. There, the floor was red, like blood, and at the end of the hallway was an open chestnut door.
Oliver motioned them forward with him. They walked down the red marble hallway, not glancing up at the designs in the tapestries that hung beside them. They were pictures of Voldemort's reign for the past four years.
Blanching, the group avoided their gazes and tried not to think of the grotesque tapestries. Finally reaching the doorway, Oliver walked in the room. He checked magically that no alarms had been tripped throughout the whole journey, and this room he was extra wary of.
He leaned against a blue-white pillar. "Whew. All right, mates, let's find the Fellowship."
"Oliver… you mind standing?" asked Cho, smirking slightly.
"Why?"
"You're leaning against Ginny Weasley. Or, at least, what looks like a twenty year old Ginny," replied Cho. George and Fred gasped, and went into the middle of the room.
Beneath them, the pattern was of an arrow pointing at each pillar. In the middle of the arrow was a circle and inside the circle was a symbol.
The one Oliver had been leaning against had a unicorn in it. Beside hers was a Weasel, beside that a lion with a crown, then a book with magic coming out of it, a herb, beside that one a canvas with a scene displayed on the tiny picture, then a dragon, a dove, and finally the last two were a snake and two wands like the Beuxbatons crest.
The five looked startled as they looked back in the faces of the fellowship, which had know befallen as a legend.
Fred traced the face through the cold ice of Ron. He had also changed from his eighteen year old self. His face had gotten sharper, gangly. His shoulder's broader. Lavender Brown, his girlfriend, had healed the wounds she had received that day, and her glossy blonde hair was curly and her figure athletic.
George looked back and forth from Draco and Ginny. Ginny's hair was twice as long as he had remembered; it was now halfway down her back, and she was full-figured. Draco had choppy white-blond hair, and his figures were gaunt and sharp, but nonetheless strong.
Harry Potter had changed the most: his glasses were frosty, so no one could see his eyes. His scar had faded to a light skin colour distortion, his body athletic and lanky.
Dean Thomas was stocky with strong muscles, his hair cut like one in the military. His robes were splitting from his chest growth.
Seamus Finnigan could have passes as a computer geek, as his hair was in a 60's retro look, his body tall and gangly. But he was still handsome, not hot.
Neville Longbottom was no longer the chubby boy at school – he had matured into a strikingly handsome man with thick brown hair and a thin figure that seemed like the perfect hero's body, while Blaise Zabini had shrunk in strength but seemed to have excelled in looks. Once a greasy-looking kid in school, though strong, he was know only slightly buff with a large forehead but the hairstyle to suit it.
Oliver was gasping at the girl in front of him. She was gorgeous, he decided. She had slightly curly at the end brown glossy hair. Her lashes were long and curled to perfection, her lips sensuous. Her figure was curvaceous and her robes clung tightly to the right places. All the girls, the men concluded, were gorgeous.
But, Oliver concluded, she was the best looking out of them all.
"Oliver?" asked Padma, staring at him. Oliver turned. "How do we get them thawed out?"
He sighed, settled down in front of Hermione – which he didn't realize it was she – and opened Catherine Granger's spell book.
"I got this from Catherine Granger. It's an old Latin spell book, so maybe it will have the reversed spell."
The group huddled around him, and watched as they flipped through the pages. Finally, as Cho was going cross-eyed, she cried, her finger coming down on the page before Oliver flipped it.
"Hmm?" he read the entry. "To undo the Glacialis curse, simple point one's wand at the frozen living organism, and say "Tabidus, tabidus, tabidus". This shall melt – or thaw – away the icy cage around the living creature. However, the same person can only say this spell twice in a lifetime, as it requires much energy. If used too often, it may result death."
Oliver licked his lips as he looked around the four other people. "There's ten of them," he whispered.
Fred and George nodded. "I've got those four," they said in unison, pointing at Ron, Ginny, Draco, and Lavender.
Cho walked over to Harry and Blaise, and Padma decided on Dean and Neville.
Oliver sighed. So I've got the gorgeous girl and Seamus Finnigan. He pointed his wand first at Seamus and shouted, "Tabidus, tabidus, tabidus!"
The others echoed the spell, and its words bounced off the circular room. At first, the novelty of thawing the Fellowship ran high, but as the seconds passed and the ice didn't melt, the group felt disappointed.
"Well, there goes one life out of two," muttered Fred darkly.
"Wait!" Padma cried, jumping back. At her feet forming was a puddle of water. The ice had begun to melt, and it was cracking as it condensed.
Oliver looked up and watched as ice splintered off Seamus' ice cage. Once the top half dissolved and larger pieces cracked, Seamus' eyes fluttered open. Oliver laughed jovially as Seamus looked around.
"Whoa," he said hoarsely. "So I take it I'm not dead?" Oliver helped him step out of the crumbling ice bits. Holding onto him tightly, Seamus nearly tripped on a slippery piece of ice beneath his feet.
"Oliver Wood?" he asked, looking at the man helping him. Oliver grinned.
"Glad you remember, Finnigan. I saw you play in your sixth year on the Quidditch team. Amazing player, you are," he said. Seamus laughed, his rough voice beginning to loosen up.
Looking around, he saw Ron and Ginny out of their cages, and Neville and Harry. Harry was already talking and standing on his own, by Ron and Ginny, helping them down.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Wood? Get Hermione out, will you?" Seamus laughed. When Oliver didn't answer, he looked at him. "Oliver?"
"That's Hermione Granger?" he choked out. Oliver looked back at the gorgeous girl. Seamus also did, whistling.
"Wow. Hermione sure filled out these months nicely, hadn't she?" he asked.
Oliver tore his gaze from her. "Months?" he laughed hoarsely. "You have no idea how long you've been in here, have you?"
Seamus shook his head.
"Four years, four months, and two days," replied Oliver. Seamus' eyes widened.
"No shit," he replied. Then he looked back at Hermione. "Well, I did wonder," he said, scratching his head.
Sighing, Oliver pointed his wand at the girl's ice cage and said the three magic words over again. "Tabidus, tabidus, tabidus."
Seamus and Oliver waited patiently for Hermione's cage to thaw out.
**~**
Hmm, how many days would it be now that I've been stuck in this cage? Months? Days only? Hours? I have completely no sense of time here. Hermione thought, a REM cycle going on beneath her fluttering eyelids.
I wonder how Mother is, and Father. Are they both well? I wonder if they fed — MY GOD, what was that? I… I thought I could slightly move my left hand… no, I must have been dreaming.
Anyway. It's hard to believe that this is the way we are now. Defeated, disgusting. At least not dead… now here's a scream, can you see us being thawed out hundreds of years later only to be dead once we get out of this? I wonder if – there! Again, I moved of right hand now… am I thawing out?
Are we free? Hermione's thoughts stopped abruptly as she forced herself to open her eyes up. At first, the light was blinding, but she realized it wasn't from the ice that created this light – it was from the sun. The sun! Her mind screamed.
Hermione's eyes were instantly open, regardless to the blinding pain she was in.
"Can you move? Hermione, lift you left foot. Careful now, ice is everywhere," Seamus' voice penetrated the emptiness of Hermione's mind.
She looked around, and found him talking. However, he looked nothing like his teenager self. Had seen changed too? Oh Merlin's beard, I must look like a mess!
A warm hand caught hers. She looked at the fuzzy figure. Tall, handsome, no ring on his finger, hmmm, all these ran through her head as she clung to him as he lifted her from the ice cage.
Finally, the room came into focus and her eyes adjusted to the light. It was actually twilight, so she would have the night and daylight change to adjust.
"Hermione?" a familiar voice coughed. Hermione turned and saw Ron bending slightly over, rubbing and cold spot on his arm.
"RON!" She cried, running over and hugging him. She was glad he was all right.
"Hermione, glad you're okay," another voice said. Hermione let go and saw Harry. She cried out his name too and hugged him tightly – possibly tighter than Ron – she had always had a soft spot for Harry.
She then turned and trotted over to Seamus and her rescuer. "Oh, I can't thank you enough," she said, grasping his hand.
"It's no, not a problem," he choked out. Hermione noticed something in his hands. She looked at it.
"What's this?" she asked, pointing.
"Uh… Catherine Granger's mother's BOS," he coughed slightly.
"Catherine Granger?" Hermione replied doubtfully. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," the man said. He looked like he wanted out as soon as possible. He looked her in the eye and said, "Hermione… I'm sorry, but your parents died last night, protecting us to arrive her safely."
Hermione shook her head and let go of the man's hand. "No," she mouthed. "No."
She then felt her knees go weak, not from the numbness that she had experienced and unknowingly felt for over four years, but because of the loss of family.
The man caught her and hefted her easily into his arms. Seamus walked beside them nervously.
"I think we should get out of here. The last place we went was fired from book to floor," said Oliver, shifted the weight of Hermione in his arms.
The large group agreed, but there were some slight complications.
"Not enough brooms," said Draco.
"We pair up," offered Fred.
The group agreed. As they paired up, old loves (meaning Ron and Lavender) were reunited, and new ones were about to be established (Ginny and Draco). Fred and George opted for sharing a broom, while Ron and Lavender could have Fred's; Blaise was with Cho; Draco and Ginny on what had been Fleur's; Seamus and Neville on Padma's; Dean and Padma together on Oliver's.
However, this left Hermione, Oliver, and Harry were left broomless.
"Can we Accio a broom?" asked Blaise. Harry shook his head; too far away.
"How about transform one?" asked a weary Oliver.
"From what?" asked Harry. Hermione tiredly, and slightly fizzed, asked, "how about the ice?"
"Could work," laughed Harry. He pointed his fingertip at a large piece of ice and shouted, "converto gelo!"
The five newcomers watched in amazement as the ice transformed into two speedy Firebolts.
"Wow," was all Oliver could say. Harry grinned at him.
"Come on, we don't have all day. Now," he said, jumping on to the broom, Oliver behind him on the other, detained a bit by Hermione's discomforted before she passed out. "Where can we go to get everyone together?"
"Uh…" the five searchers shared lost glances. "Everywhere we have gone… has been searched, destroyed or invaded."
"Hmm… not a bad record," laughed Ron. "Hogwarts?"
Fred snorted. "Please. Hogwarts was destroyed the day you ten were frozen. It's now the base for Voldemort."
"What?" snapped Harry, turning to face Fred. "Impossible! What about Dumbledore? When we were caught he was still alive!"
"And he still is," replied a weary Cho from in front of Blaise. "He was stripped of his magic a while back, and now is no more than a Muggle."
There was a tense silence before someone whispered, "How long have we been frozen?"
Oliver repeated, "four years, four months and two days."
Dean laughed. "Make that three for Hermione."
However, this was overrun with a soft, "thirteen or any of its factors are bad numbers for a witch or wizard," from Draco.
Nothing was spoken after that.