Disclaimer- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers not
me! Isenguard belongs to Tolkien and I don't know how many other people!
*
Chapter 8
*
Ron looked around: good there was nobody around. With stealth and a grace you would not have thought possible from the tall man, he sneaked up the rocky cliff path. It was steep, slippery and had many loose stones which all made the going treacherous, but it was the first real lead he had come across.
He had discovered a diary belonging to Rosalie Jarvis, one the missing people. In one of her last entries she had spoken of a cave that she suspected to be the place of illegal magic performance.
It had taken him all morning to locate the spot that Rosalie had been talking about and now he was going towards the very cave that Rosalie had wanted to investigate. Ron suspected that Rosalie was kidnapped (for by now Ron sure that people where being kidnapped) because she was near discovering the cave's secret, but that didn't explain the motives for kidnapping the others.
Ron shivered, it was a miserable day. The sky was angry with clouds purple clouds swarming up above. Frosty rain lashed down on him hard and his fingers felt numb. He was very glad when he reached the cave's entrance.
It was very well hidden and incredibly sheltered for such a remote spot.
"Lumos," Ron muttered as he entered the cave to light up his wand.
By the faint glow of his wand Ron could see a wooden bench, with various beakers on it. Near to this was a cauldron with the remnants of a potion in it. Fingering the mushy grass green substance Ron's suspicions were fulfilled. It was Detroide the potion used to power the Franchesi spell. A very powerful magic consuming spell. It was the self-same spell that has transported Ron, Harry and Hermione to Lord Voldemort's stronghold in their final battle against him. The Franchesi spell had the power to lock on to a person and send them to an allocated destination. A bit like apparating only performed by someone else. Ron had begun to suspect the spells use when the muggle had reported Chris Montage disappearing into thin air.
Ron performed a spell to draw up an image of the cave's user but came across a powerful blocking spell. Irritated Ron scribbled down what he had learnt and headed back to the castle. He might not know for certain who it was but the whole thing stank of Malfoy. He was always very good with potions and the Detroide potion was a particularly difficult one to make. *
Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken.
"You haven't seen Eilonwy all day?" She asked Harry.
"No." Harry replied mystified.
"Oh no. Nobody has seen her since last night when you came back from the pub with her." Hermione said, panic in her voice.
*
Ron was discussing his findings with his team when a rather distraught looking Hermione burst in, by an equally troubled Harry.
Ron stared at her, her brown eyes shone with tears and her features were all panicked. Dark curls tumbled around her shoulders messily and a thick red cloak had been flung on in a hurry.
"What?" He asked.
"It's Eilonwy, she's disappeared. She's gone, like the rest," Hermione said breaking down into tears.
Ron got up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," He said soothingly, "We've had a major link. I'm sure that these people are being kidnapped rather than murdered and dumped into a ditch."
Hermione looked up to him, unsure, but yet it seemed she had been comforted by his words. He too had been comforted in a strange way, for this had been the first time Hermione had dropped her barriers of unfamiliarity and allowed him to see her emotions. Ok so it was worry for a friend, but it was a start.
*
Harry was forced to return home for a mission but he made them promise to send him news. Apparently he'd fallen for the elfin princess in the few days they'd known each other.
Hermione sat in the common room, surrounded by friends, all with a worried expression on their faces. The whole station was subdued, Eilonwy had been popular. Hermione found that she could no longer bear to sit by and do nothing and went back to the operations room.
She knocked on the door.
"Come in," Ron called.
She did, he was on his own, frowning over a piece of parchment. He was clearly surprised to see her but she was determined.
"I want to help." She said plainly, "I know this island better than you, I know this station inside and out and I know the people in. You need my help and I want to help my friends."
*
Ron blinked at her surprised and realised what she was saying made sense. They did indeed need her help. He smiled.
"Thank you, I'm sure you can really help."
"So you'll let me?" She asked taken aback, she'd obviously expected more of an argument.
"We aren't getting very far. Ok so we've had a major link but we don't know the lay of the land so to speak." He explained.
*
She crossed the room to sit next to him at the round table, the house elves had done a good job.
"Jacob just got this," He said handing her a piece of parchment.
She took it, it said:
Dear Mr de Winter, You have allowed my daughter to be kidnapped! I shouldn't have let her go to your pathetic station. I knew all along it was a bad idea. I have just received a note of ransom. It demanded sixteen of Herolia's most precious gemstones in return for my daughter and seven other hostages, Herolia can no afford this! Yours Sincerely, Beruse, King of all Herolia.
* Ron watched as Hermione read the letter, he watched her eyes light up with anger and heard her gasp.
"That shows why the others where kidnapped." Ron said, "Whoever the kidnapper is obviously thought Beruse would pay up straight away and not mention a word to anyone for fear of Eilonwy's safety. If eight people disappeared and came back (probably with a memory charm performed ion them) I would never have worked out why theses people had disappeared."
Hermione nodded, "But what was the break through you mentioned earlier?"
And so Ron filled her in on everything, blissful to be working with Hermione, once again.
Ron looked around: good there was nobody around. With stealth and a grace you would not have thought possible from the tall man, he sneaked up the rocky cliff path. It was steep, slippery and had many loose stones which all made the going treacherous, but it was the first real lead he had come across.
He had discovered a diary belonging to Rosalie Jarvis, one the missing people. In one of her last entries she had spoken of a cave that she suspected to be the place of illegal magic performance.
It had taken him all morning to locate the spot that Rosalie had been talking about and now he was going towards the very cave that Rosalie had wanted to investigate. Ron suspected that Rosalie was kidnapped (for by now Ron sure that people where being kidnapped) because she was near discovering the cave's secret, but that didn't explain the motives for kidnapping the others.
Ron shivered, it was a miserable day. The sky was angry with clouds purple clouds swarming up above. Frosty rain lashed down on him hard and his fingers felt numb. He was very glad when he reached the cave's entrance.
It was very well hidden and incredibly sheltered for such a remote spot.
"Lumos," Ron muttered as he entered the cave to light up his wand.
By the faint glow of his wand Ron could see a wooden bench, with various beakers on it. Near to this was a cauldron with the remnants of a potion in it. Fingering the mushy grass green substance Ron's suspicions were fulfilled. It was Detroide the potion used to power the Franchesi spell. A very powerful magic consuming spell. It was the self-same spell that has transported Ron, Harry and Hermione to Lord Voldemort's stronghold in their final battle against him. The Franchesi spell had the power to lock on to a person and send them to an allocated destination. A bit like apparating only performed by someone else. Ron had begun to suspect the spells use when the muggle had reported Chris Montage disappearing into thin air.
Ron performed a spell to draw up an image of the cave's user but came across a powerful blocking spell. Irritated Ron scribbled down what he had learnt and headed back to the castle. He might not know for certain who it was but the whole thing stank of Malfoy. He was always very good with potions and the Detroide potion was a particularly difficult one to make. *
Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken.
"You haven't seen Eilonwy all day?" She asked Harry.
"No." Harry replied mystified.
"Oh no. Nobody has seen her since last night when you came back from the pub with her." Hermione said, panic in her voice.
*
Ron was discussing his findings with his team when a rather distraught looking Hermione burst in, by an equally troubled Harry.
Ron stared at her, her brown eyes shone with tears and her features were all panicked. Dark curls tumbled around her shoulders messily and a thick red cloak had been flung on in a hurry.
"What?" He asked.
"It's Eilonwy, she's disappeared. She's gone, like the rest," Hermione said breaking down into tears.
Ron got up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," He said soothingly, "We've had a major link. I'm sure that these people are being kidnapped rather than murdered and dumped into a ditch."
Hermione looked up to him, unsure, but yet it seemed she had been comforted by his words. He too had been comforted in a strange way, for this had been the first time Hermione had dropped her barriers of unfamiliarity and allowed him to see her emotions. Ok so it was worry for a friend, but it was a start.
*
Harry was forced to return home for a mission but he made them promise to send him news. Apparently he'd fallen for the elfin princess in the few days they'd known each other.
Hermione sat in the common room, surrounded by friends, all with a worried expression on their faces. The whole station was subdued, Eilonwy had been popular. Hermione found that she could no longer bear to sit by and do nothing and went back to the operations room.
She knocked on the door.
"Come in," Ron called.
She did, he was on his own, frowning over a piece of parchment. He was clearly surprised to see her but she was determined.
"I want to help." She said plainly, "I know this island better than you, I know this station inside and out and I know the people in. You need my help and I want to help my friends."
*
Ron blinked at her surprised and realised what she was saying made sense. They did indeed need her help. He smiled.
"Thank you, I'm sure you can really help."
"So you'll let me?" She asked taken aback, she'd obviously expected more of an argument.
"We aren't getting very far. Ok so we've had a major link but we don't know the lay of the land so to speak." He explained.
*
She crossed the room to sit next to him at the round table, the house elves had done a good job.
"Jacob just got this," He said handing her a piece of parchment.
She took it, it said:
Dear Mr de Winter, You have allowed my daughter to be kidnapped! I shouldn't have let her go to your pathetic station. I knew all along it was a bad idea. I have just received a note of ransom. It demanded sixteen of Herolia's most precious gemstones in return for my daughter and seven other hostages, Herolia can no afford this! Yours Sincerely, Beruse, King of all Herolia.
* Ron watched as Hermione read the letter, he watched her eyes light up with anger and heard her gasp.
"That shows why the others where kidnapped." Ron said, "Whoever the kidnapper is obviously thought Beruse would pay up straight away and not mention a word to anyone for fear of Eilonwy's safety. If eight people disappeared and came back (probably with a memory charm performed ion them) I would never have worked out why theses people had disappeared."
Hermione nodded, "But what was the break through you mentioned earlier?"
And so Ron filled her in on everything, blissful to be working with Hermione, once again.