Chapter Five
Mysterious Caverns
Harry helped Anna to her feet and looked out of the window just as Craw and Lupin dove into the popcorn.
"Where are they going?" Harry asked Hermione, who was opening the top latch on the ceiling of the car. Justin helped her pull it open.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think they went to find Pettigrew," Hermione said, giving Justin's owl a note. The owl took it and flew out of the opening. "Lupin said he smelled a rat and the two of them took off."
"But Pettigrew is in prison!" Justin said. "Certainly that's not who they're after." Hermione cast a Levitation spell on herself and floated just high enough that she could look out of the hatch.
"I saw a rat," Anna said wearily, "a strange rat with a silver foot. It was in the baggage car. Perhaps that's what he smelled, if he really meant what he said."
Harry, Ron, and Ginny stared at her.
"That's not good," Ron said, glancing at Harry. "Harry, I know what you're thinking, but we'd better stay here like Professor Craw said."
"It's all right, everyone!" Hermione shouted from above. "I see brooms approaching and there are some professors standing beside the field. Help will be here any moment."
"I don't think everything's all right," Harry said with a hand on his forehead. "Ginny, you stay here with Hermione and Anna. Come on, Ron."
"Well, I'm not staying. I want to see what's going on," Anna insisted. "And I want off this train before it tries to take off again!"
"It's too dangerous, Anna, you should probably stay here," Harry said, working his way to the back of the car. Ron quickly followed, and the two disappeared into the popcorn. Up top, Hermione waved to Professor McGonagall who had flown over to the train on her broom, unaware that Ron and Harry had made a quick exit.
"Is everyone all right?" McGonagall asked.
"For the most part… nothing too serious, at least. What happened was…"
"That can wait a moment, Miss Granger. Tell everyone to get down. Dumbledore and the rest of us are going to move the train back onto the tracks so we can get to you quickly." Hermione sank back down, looking at Justin.
"Tell the other prefects to make everyone sit down and be quiet. The professors are going to try and get the train back over to the track," Hermione said.
"You mean this thing is going up in the air again? That's it. I'm getting off," Anna said and dove into the popcorn before anyone could stop her.
"No, wait!" Hermione called out. But just then the train began to move, rising gently in the air like a balloon, hovering above the ground. It was then that Hermione noticed movement in the fluffy field as Ron and Harry made off in the direction they thought Craw and Lupin went. She saw neither Craw nor Lupin.
"Ginny, you let Ron and Harry go out there?" Hermione asked. She crawled back into the car, not wanting to risk falling between the locks.
"You expect me to stop Harry from doing anything?" Ginny asked quizzically. "I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about Anna. Maybe we should jump off and try and go after them?"
"It's too late now," Hermione said, nodding to the window. Looking out the window, Ginny could see they were now quite a ways above the field, drifting slowly above the buildings surrounding the station. Beside it stood Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hooch, Pomfrey, Flitwick, Sinistra, Sprout, Hagrid, and even Trelawney, their wands aimed at the train as it descended gently onto the track. Just before it reached the ground, Madame Pomfrey jumped on board. As it settled into place, Dumbledore hurried inside, followed by the rest of the staff.
"Wow, can we do that every year?" a voice called out in the silent pause that had fallen when they hit the track.
"Oh, shut up, Corey," another student said.
"Everyone who is able, please exit the train and form house lines along the platform. If you are injured, please stay where you are until Madame Pomfrey reaches you," Dumbledore instructed. Although he spoke in a quiet tone, everyone on the train heard him. "Hagrid, please collect the first years and go over the roll call."
"Right away, Professor Dumbledore, sir."
"Where are Professor Craw and Mr. Lupin?"
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione walked quickly up from the back of the train. "They went after Pettigrew. He was on the train, and then while I was talking to Professor McGonagall, Harry and Ron went after them. Then Anna found out the train was going to move again, and she bolted."
"Good heavens," Dumbledore said with a worried expression. "Take care of the students, Professor McGonagall. Professor Sprout, see what you can do about that field. I'm going to go find her," he said, stepping off the train.
"He's gone into the stone cottage," Remus said as they cleared the last of the popcorn out of their way.
"I wouldn't doubt it. That's where Severus used to meet Death Eaters at any time they wanted to speak with him. They're very familiar with this part of the forest," Jennifer explained. Remus nodded.
"He wants to be followed. If he didn't, he would have Apparated by now. It might be better if you return and inform Dumbledore about Wormtail and let me take care of this." Remus suggested.
"If Dumbledore wouldn't send Sirius after Pettigrew alone, he wouldn't send you alone, especially when it's obvious that he's baiting us. Let's go in," Jennifer said.
The cottage was dusty and abandoned with dark symbols on the walls placed to ward away enemies. Remus and Jennifer glanced at each other. There was little doubt now that they should have had trouble entering this place with all the spells placed on the room.
"I smell death in the air, Jennifer."
"I smell a trap." Jennifer said.
"That too," Remus agreed. "Should we go back?"
Just then, they heard something scurry around the corner and they instinctively whipped their wands around to where they had heard it. They waited for some time, but everything had grown still again.
"No, let's finish this," Jennifer finally said. It was at that point that Jennifer realized she was actually considering killing the man that they were hunting. Jennifer, who couldn't even bring herself to hurt Voldemort, was coming to the cold realization that if Pettigrew was recaptured, he would somehow find a way to get out again.
As they cautiously crept around the corner, a foul stench met Jennifer's nose. She knew at once it was coming from the large trap door leading down to a dark cellar.
"'Welcome to my parlor,' said the spider to the fly," Remus muttered as he stepped forward. They carefully stepped down a narrow rickety stair and into a strange, dark, unfinished basement. There was little doubt that magic was the only thing keeping the roof from collapsing; in every direction was a magic-made corridor, leading into darkness.
"Which way?" Jennifer asked quietly, calling a tiny wisp light to her hand so she could see.
"I can't tell. The scents are too strong down here," Remus whispered back, and then inspected each corridor thoughtfully. "This way, I think," he decided at last.
Jennifer stayed close behind, listening anxiously for the slightest sound. They had gone quite a ways without the corridor turning, and the dirt-packed tunnel kept leading them further and further out. Finally they came to a junction with three pathways that led into tunnels with rough, half-finished appearances. As she held up her wisp light to inspect them, Jennifer noticed what at first looked like scribbling on the wall next to her. Turning the light towards it, Jennifer discovered a complex map magically drawn on the wall.
"Remus, come look at the size of this place," Jennifer whispered. The tunnels went in every which direction, some of them dead-ending like a maze. Many of them probably went under the forest, Jennifer concluded as she studied them. "It's as if they're looking for something. Ways into the school, maybe?"
"Pettigrew knew how to get into the school," Remus growled softly. "But Dumbledore has those passages charmed so that he can't pass through them."
"But what else could they be looking for?" Jennifer asked. "Perhaps they're trying to find one that everyone has forgotten about."
"Well, one thing is for certain; we're sitting ducks in here. These are too extensive to follow, and Pettigrew probably knows them very well. We should get out of here quickly and tell Dumbledore what we've found."
"You're right, of course. Let's go," she agreed.
They quickly turned around, Jennifer keeping an eye on their backs as they went. But when they arrived at the ladder, they noticed something a bit strange… the trap door was closed. Remus suddenly dove up the ladder in a panic, pushing it open with a loud clang. He relaxed then, glancing back with a relieved expression on his face.
"For a moment there, I thought we were in trouble. Come on, Jennifer…"
"Wait a minute. I thought I heard voices," she said, pausing to listen.
Remus removed the door off its hinges and tossed it across the floor.
"There, I heard something again," a voice in the distance.
"Harry?" Jennifer said with surprise, peering down one of the dark corridors.
"Professor! Are you all right?" Harry asked.
"Harry Potter! You were supposed to stay with the train!" Jennifer said angrily. Remus slid down the stair, trying to hush them.
"We heard Pettigrew escaped," another voice said.
"Ron? Anyone else down here I should know about?" Jennifer growled.
"No, just us and a rat. We followed him in here," said Harry.
"Harry, stay put and be absolutely quiet. Douse any lights you have, we're coming to get you." Remus said, taking one of the corridors opposite the one they had originally gone down.
"I should have copied that map," Jennifer whispered.
"Well, it's too late now. Look for another one as we go, and if you see one, make a copy." Remus whispered back.
It seemed only a few steps later that the tunnel broke off in many directions, and Remus had to study them for some time before he finally discerned which way they went. Once again, the path broke off into several directions and Remus paused, waiting for a drifting breeze. Suddenly, they heard voices crying out for help and Remus darted in that direction.
"Wait, Remus! That didn't sound like-"
A hand came up over her mouth and pulled her back as another arm grabbed her right forearm, squeezing it with such force that she cried out in pain and dropped her wand.
"Quietus mute," she heard someone intone quietly, removing his hand from her mouth. She wrestled to get her arm free as he dragged her farther down the tunnel and around another corner.
"Jennifer?" she heard Remus say, but his voice seemed very far off.
Jennifer realized there was little she could do muted and without her wand, but somehow she had to either stop Pettigrew from taking her any further down the corridor or find a way to mark their path. She grabbed her mirror out of her pocket and dropped it at a crossroad just as they turned a third corner, and then dropped a pen as they went down a fourth. It was then that she found her letter opener and struggled to get to her feet. Transforming it into a dagger, she then took a wild stab above his silver arm, causing him to stop and toss her down, casting a holding spell on her. A strange light entered the room, a ghost light, Jennifer thought in annoyance, the sort that couldn't be seen outside of the room itself.
"Ah, Jennifer, such bravado you show when you're afraid!" Pettigrew said with a smile, quickly bandaging his arm with a spell. "You'll have to pay for that. I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to resist following me after the persistence you showed that night in Hogwarts. You've always been drawn to me, haven't you? Ever since that first night you handed me the mirror in the Dark Forest."
Jennifer then angrily began mouthing words at him. Even with the mute spell it was easy for him to discern what she was saying. He laughed.
"My, my, my, temper, temper. The temptress of Unicorns has quite a foul mouth when she's provoked, doesn't she? Or is that the traitor's influence on you? Either way, it doesn't matter," he said, kneeling beside her and pulling her hair out of her face.
"You'll forget about him soon enough, and in any case, they'll never find us where we're going," he said, and forced a phial of liquid down her throat. Jennifer struggled, trying to spit it out, wishing she could move her hands. She was already becoming disoriented and she tried desperately to calm herself down, wondering what he just gave her. It couldn't be poison; it sounded like he wanted her alive. Somehow she was going to forget… it must have been some sort of bewitchment potion, she thought, fighting through the fuzziness. Bewitchment, bewitchment... it needs eye contact to get a response! Close your eyes… close your eyes. CLOSE YOUR EYES!
She forced her eyes shut, wishing she had her wand, fairly sure she could get a blind spell out without verbal. Her body began to relax from the potion and she knew she couldn't do much about it. Potions, unlike regular spells, worked from the inside, making will power useless. What she needed was stamina, she thought blearily. What she needed was her voice back.
"Open your eyes! Come now, it's no use fighting," Pettigrew said impatiently. "We need to get going. Imperio!" Jennifer shook her head fervently as he tried to force her eyes open, launching her willpower full force towards the spell to show her defiance.
"Get away from her!" she heard Harry shout. "Spectacularus!" A blinding ray of colored lights burst into the room, surging through the side corridors.
"Whipsnare!" Ron shouted right after, throwing Pettigrew against the wall as ropes tried to lash him in place. But Pettigrew quickly fought free of the spell, growing furious.
"Enough! Let's see how you like it in a cage for twelve years. Rodentia!" he cast at Ron. He blocked it easily, sliding to one knee. Pettigrew took out a phial from his pocket it and threw it at him. Then there was a bright light and a cloud of smoke, knocking Ron out and turning his face an unnatural blue.
"Ron!" Harry yelled. "Expelliarmus!" he cast at Pettigrew. He dodged it easily, turning his full attention to Harry.
"Crucio!" Pettigrew snarled. As the spell came barreling towards Harry, a strange white glow encompassed him and it seemed to pass right through him as if he hadn't even been there. Pettigrew hesitated, taken aback by what had occurred. Harry was just as surprised but had little time to think about it as Pettigrew quickly changed to the Mortification Curse. Harry nimbly jumped out of the way, but soon realized he didn't have to; the strange glow returned, fading again once the spell had dissipated.
It was then that something flashed through the air, and it took Harry a moment to realize it was a wand, smacking into Jennifer Craw's hand. A blindfold appeared over her eyes, and Harry saw her silently try to mouth a spell.
"Oh, no you don't! Mortify!" Pettigrew intoned, his attention so undivided on getting her back under control that he missed the fact that someone else had entered from one of the corridors.
"Stupefy!"
Remus blasted Pettigrew from behind, tossing him across the room. But as the wizard was tossed against the wall, there was a loud 'BANG!' and a * pop * and Pettigrew disappeared.
"Didn't anyone think of putting an earth bind on him?" Remus panted. Harry was shaking Ron in a panic, while Jennifer was trying to sit up, apparently all right. Remus knelt by Ron.
"He's not dead, Harry, it looks like he got hit with a gaseous potion called Cat's Breath. We'll need to get him to the school as soon as we can, though," he said, removing Jennifer's blindfold.
"Remus, wait. Professor Craw put that on herself. I'm sure there's a good reason…" Harry warned. But in her daze, Jennifer had opened her eyes, gazing deeply at Remus.
"Now you tell me," Remus said as Jennifer wrapped her arms around him. How could she not have noticed before how daring he was? And such eyes! And how brilliantly he had he rescued her, Jennifer thought, not to mention saving them from a similar fate on the train. She was quite certain without the shadow of a doubt that Remus Lupin was the perfect match for her. No one could have convinced her otherwise.
Remus was frowned at her uncertainly, wary of the dreamy look in her eyes. It was easy to guess now what she had been trying to avoid, and he worriedly began to wonder how potent the potion was that had been given to her.
"Remus, she's under a mute spell," Harry said. "I saw her trying to cast a spell a moment ago and she couldn't voice it."
"Perhaps we should just leave it for now," Remus decided, awkwardly trying to convince her to put her arms down. "Can you manage to get Ron up to the surface? It looks like I'm going to have my hands full," he said, picking her up. Jennifer stopped fighting, instantly content.
"Oh boy," Remus muttered. "I don't know exactly what potion Pettigrew gave her, but we need to get her to the hospital wing as soon as we can."
"Preferably before Snape sees her," Harry said, carrying Ron over his shoulder.
"Most definitely," Remus agreed.
Jennifer sat up in her hospital bed and looked around. Dumbledore was sitting next to her, Poppy was on the other side of her, and Minerva hovered near the door as if trying to get Dumbledore's attention.
"I think she's all right now," Dumbledore said, watching her carefully.
"I want Ron and Harry's heads on a platter," Jennifer muttered.
"Then again, I think we may have uncovered Severus instead," Dumbledore smiled.
"They deliberately disobeyed me…"
"I know, I know, it'll be dealt with. They shall be expelled immediately," Dumbledore agreed.
"No! Don't do that," Jennifer protested, becoming alarmed. "I know they just meant to help, but gosh darn it, someone has got to chain that boy to the school if he's going to keep insisting on barreling into trouble like that!"
"Ah! There's Jennifer!" Dumbledore said, pleased.
"Dumbledore, we really can't wait much longer. The first years need to be Sorted so that we can get them settled in their houses, and it's getting late," Minerva insisted.
"Wait! I want to go!" Jennifer said, getting gently pushed back into her pillow by Poppy.
"No, you're staying here, Jennifer. We need to make sure you've got all your senses back before you go anywhere," she chided her.
"But I want to see Corey Sorted," Jennifer protested. "I'm in my right senses, really, I'm fine. Dumbledore, convince her that I'm okay to go."
"Well, I like that," Poppy said, folding her arms.
"Jennifer, do you remember what happened?" Dumbledore asked. Jennifer looked thoughtful.
"The Death Eaters tried to sabotage the train," Jennifer said slowly. "They took out the bridge, and if we stopped… it looked bad, I'd rather not imagine what would have happened." Dumbledore nodded somberly. "So Remus had all of the students help us lift the train, and we somehow managed to get it back here. I had the students pop the field while Remus and the engineers slowed the train as best they could. Once we were down, Remus said he smelled Pettigrew, so we had the prefects take over with the train so we could try to get to him before he could cause any more trouble. We tracked him to the cottage near the farm and found out there were extensive tunnels underneath. We knew it was a lost cause trying to find him down there by ourselves, so we were actually going to head back for more help. That's when we heard Harry and Ron," she muttered. "Remus and I got separated, and when… that is… Pettigrew had set up a trap for me and I fell right in it," she finally admitted with a sigh. "And honestly, I'd rather not talk about it right now. What potion had he given me?"
"Most likely Chains of Enthrallment from what Remus said, not that I'm any expert," Poppy said. Jennifer groaned.
"Please don't tell me how badly I behaved. I don't want to know."
Dumbledore smiled and patted her arm.
"Not as bad as you might imagine, I assure you. Remus and Harry whisked you and Ron in here quite speedily after the incident, and I understand you had a mute spell on you the entire time."
"Severus?"
"Severus has yet to return, but I will let you be the one to tell him all about it… or not, if that's what you want. I'm quite sure you can trust the other four not to say anything."
"Other... four?" Jennifer repeated uncertainly.
"Yes, although you may not have known it, Anna was there with you as well. But she too, is safe and sound. However, we should leave that discussion for another time. As Minerva has already pointed out, it is starting to get late, and we should be getting ready to go down to dinner. Don't you think so, Poppy?" Dumbledore smiled at Poppy, who reluctantly nodded but made Jennifer promise to go to bed right after dinner.