Dark Force Rising
Chapter 10
Harry stumbled on a piece of rubble littering the mountain plateau he was on. Playing hide and seek with a clan of mountain trolls had cost him precious time, and he was still nowhere near the Forest of Reflections. He walked along a barren, stone slope, which was way too steep to climb. Instead he just followed it, hoping to find a canyon through which he could walk, or maybe a mountain pass, that would allow him to reach the right side of the mountain.
His eyesight was almost at its worst, and he ineffectually tried the Oculus Reparus Charm again, nearly poking the wand into his eye in frustration. His vision was still a blur, and he could only discern objects clearly, a few paces away at most. Any further than that, and he had to identify things by smell or hearing.
He heard the roars of the trolls again, and thereby deduced that they were near! They had probably picked up his trail again. He started walking faster, smashing the tips of his boots and by extension, his toes, against the many small boulders that were strewn around the plateau.
He finally found the canyon he'd been hoping to find about two hours later. It occurred to him that it was an excellent place for an ambush, but he had to take his chances and go through it.
Behind him, he could now hear the thundering footsteps of the trolls, and he knew he had run out of time. He ran into the canyon hoping there was somewhere to hide. A stream was coming his way, and he walked into the water and trudged his way upstream, hoping that it would at least mask his trail a little.
As time passed by, and Harry walked deeper into the canyon, it ended at a cave from which water came rushing out, and Harry had no choice but to go into the cave. It was too small for the trolls to follow him, and then it dawned on him that the trolls weren't following him anymore anyway. He'd lost them! He smiled as he kept wading through the knee-deep water. The cave was becoming foggier and foggier, and warmer for some reason. Then he realised that the water he was wading through should be frozen, because of the cold at this altitude.
He reached a point where he could go two ways: one was to continue in the water, but he opted to take the second path, for that cave seemed larger, whereas the cave from which the water was pouring seemed to narrow a bit, as far as Harry could tell.
The heat grew even more intense as Harry walked farther into the passage he'd chosen, and he suddenly had an idea why the trolls hadn't followed him in. A faint orange glow was reflected on the cave wall up ahead, and Harry's nose caught the scent of the many gasses associated with volcanoes. The mountain was a volcano, and he had this sinking feeling that he was headed straight towards the lava.
Turning back was not an option, since he would probably run into the same or another clan of mountain trolls, and he guessed that the passage through which the stream ran wouldn't take him where he needed to go either. If he could get around the crater somehow he was sure to reach the right side of the mountain, where he could descend towards the forest. He would just have to take the heat…literally.
The gasses were starting to get to him, and he knew he'd be poisoned if he kept inhaling the polluted air. He grabbed his wand, and he felt a tingle rush through his fingers. It was working! He bit his lip in frustration. Somehow, instinctively, he knew that his wand had only gathered enough juice for one charm. He briefly pondered where this sudden knowledge came from. He didn't know how he knew, but he guessed he was attuning himself to the mirror realm a little.
Harry concentrated and performed the Bubble-Head Charm. Immediately he had a supply of air as the bubble filtered the noxious gasses out and produced breathable air. He peered through the bubble and cursed. It didn't exactly improve his vision so he had to be really careful. Unfortunately, the intense heat disabused him of any thoughts of going slowly, because he knew he'd be roasted if he stayed near the crater too long.
He continued forward and when he reached the magma conduit, his flesh felt like it was on fire. Harry recklessly hurried along a narrow ledge with the liquid fire far below casting its heat towards him, at times nearly stepping on Ashwinders and fire salamanders that seemed to crawl and slither on the ledge in large numbers.
Going as fast as he deemed safe along the ledge, he never noticed a particularly large salamander. He stepped on one of its front legs, and it snapped at his heels in retaliation, and whipped its tail around his ankles.
Harry lost his balance and went down, falling on the ledge, and rolling off the side! He just managed to grab the edge, and the blistering heat of the rock tortured his hands, punishing him brutally for his mistake. But he couldn't let go, for that would mean certain doom in the lava far below. He needed to survive! Ignoring the searing pain in his hands he hoisted himself onto the ledge and continued.
He finally got to what seemed like a tunnel hacked into the rock, and he went in, hoping that it would take him to where he needed to go. He absently wondered who made it and what would await him in it, but he didn't ponder it too long, for the heat of the lava made him disregard any dangers that might have been lurking in it.
As he marched on, the heat grew less and less, and he was almost glad he'd be back in the chilly mountain air as he reached the end of the tunnel.
He looked over his blistered hands after he finally noticed their relentless throbbing. He heard the rushing of water not too far in the distance, and deemed it safe to look for it, not expecting to find any trolls on this side of the mountain.
Harry followed the sound and reached the stream quickly, and he submerged his hands and his face in the water. Now that the bubble charm had worn off, the icy cold water stung his face, which felt like it had been severely sunburned in a very short time, from the heat. But it refreshed him as well.
He decided to head back towards the tunnel to camp out there for a while, for he needed time to recover. Once there, he opened the bag Carey had made him, and took out one of the fruits he had got from the caretaker who lived amidst the sharp grasses. It was highly nutritious, and Harry felt full after just one fruit. He knew he wouldn't have to eat for a couple of days now. Then he took out a water skin that never ran out of water, and drank to sate his enormous thirst. The intense heat seemed to have sucked the moisture right out of him.
At the bottom of the bag, he saw the miraculum weed. It seemed unchanged, and fresh. Harry guessed the bag preserved anything it contained. He wondered…
He took one leaf of the weed and crushed it, rubbing it against his palms. The pain in his blistered hands disappeared instantly. Then he rubbed the leftover sap in his hands on his face, and the milder ache in his face also drained away almost instantly. The weed's healing properties were astounding!
No longer in too much discomfort, Harry reclined against the tunnel wall. He would wait until the following night, before moving on again. It was a gamble, given his poor eyesight, but he'd rather have a couple of stubbed toes than take his chances with a clan of mountain trolls.
*
Having almost instantly recovered from his burns with the help of miraculum weed, Harry slowly and carefully made his way down the mountain for a couple of days. The air was getting thicker and more breathable again, and in the distance he saw a dark blur that had to be the Forest of Reflections. Joy surged through him. He was nearly there!
Lower and lower he went. The barren slopes of the mountain started to get some mosses and other simple forms of vegetation, and it gradually increased as he reached the valley below, where the forest began.
It was eerily quiet for some odd reason. He could feel that someone, or something was watching him. Then he heard the sound of a branch snapping, and a growl following it. Something whistled through the air and Harry flattened himself against the forest floor. A projectile of some kind passed through the space his torso had occupied half a heartbeat earlier. His Ranger training had sharpened his reflexes and his experience with dodging Bludgers had also contributed to his quick reaction that had probably saved his life just now.
'Great…just great. Forest trolls!' he thought, as he shot up and darted into the underbrush. The growl of the forest troll had a higher pitch than the typical mountain troll roar, and he could hear them behind him, closing in slowly.
His grass cloak got snagged on a branch and it yanked him off his feet, causing him to land rather painfully on his back. He saw something vaguely like a spear whistling through the air where he would have been if his cloak hadn't got caught on the branch. It buried itself in a nearby tree, where it remained vibrating for a moment.
He quickly got to his feet once again and ripped the spear out of the tree. He could see the blurry image of the trolls now, so he knew running was of no use no use.
'This is it. Nowhere to run.' He didn't feel fear…just anger. He hadn't come this far to die like this! He screamed in frustration and threw the huge spear at the largest troll he could discern. A meaty 'splunch' ensued, and the troll howled in agony and collapsed on the forest floor, shaking ground and the surrounding trees with the sheer force of impact caused by its tremendous bulk.
The other trolls screamed in terror and retreated into the trees with extreme haste.
Harry wasn't sure what had happened. He carefully approached the downed troll and nearly vomited as its awful smell awful smell filled his nasal cavities. He squinted and peered at the motionless body. The spear had gone straight through its body, and troll blood was soaking the forest floor.
The young wizard frowned. There was no way he could have thrown that spear that hard. He simply wasn't strong enough, and in hindsight he found it surprising he'd even been able to throw it in the first place. He had just thrown it in anger, because he was about to die anyway… He'd thrown it in anger! Harry blinked as he realised that he'd probably used wand-less magic in his desperate attempt to save his own life.
He smirked slowly. This troll must have been the chieftain. Harm the chieftain and the other trolls retreat, he thought, remembering his training. At least these particular trolls would leave him alone now!
Knowing he had to get away from the carcass, lest he also face the scavengers that would soon tear into it, Harry grabbed his bag and walked deeper into the forest. After a few hours, in which he found remarkably few life forms and the forest got denser and gloomier, a tree lit up with many red lights as he drew closer to it. It was obviously full of Clabberts, tree-dwelling creatures that looked like a cross between a monkey and a frog. The red lights started moving away from him, and he saw some shadows jumping from tree to tree. The Clabberts were fleeing!
Harry was puzzled. He didn't think he was that much of a threat to them and a dull ache spread through his chest as he remembered that Hagrid had once told him that, while skittish, Clabberts rarely fled at the sight of a wizard. Maybe these Mirror Realm Clabberts were afraid of him because they had never seen a wizard before. He knew he'd be wary of something he'd never seen before.
He smiled cockily in the darkness. Or maybe the Clabberts were afraid of him because of the mere sight of him, alive. He knew Clabberts were fairly intelligent, and maybe they thought he might be dangerous because the trolls and other creatures at the top of the food chain hadn't managed to kill him.
His smile faded as he heard an unpleasantly familiar sound behind him. A sound he had learned to recognise on his mission in Greece. Or maybe the Clabberts know something I don't, he thought grimly as he broke into a run. He really didn't want to deal with a Chimaera. Not without a working wand!
As he ploughed through the underbrush, he knew it was too late! The beast had probably picked up his scent way before he'd heard it coming, and it was now coming after him. He ran faster, and the sounds of heavy footsteps grew more frequent.
He frowned. The Chimera was pacing him, not trying to overtake him, and making a lot of noise. He knew they were capable of very stealthy movement…It had to be herding him towards another Chimera that was probably lying in ambush. Though these creatures tended to be solitary, he knew he must have had the misfortune to wander into the territory of a breeding couple.
He needed to be smart if he wanted to survive this, Harry kept thinking feverishly as he ran! From what he could tell by listening, the beast was coming up behind him from his right. Logically speaking, this would mean that the other Chimera was somewhere in front of him to the left. If he timed things just right…he could sprint to the right at the last possible instant, putting both creatures behind him and giving him slightly more options, and a little more time. Of course, the painfully apparent flaw to his plan was that he couldn't see a thing and that his stalkers were known to be very stealthy plus he doesn't know how far it is ahead of him. Harry groaned in frustration as the anger in him started to mount again. He started to physically tremble with rage.
Harry reached a clearing in the forest and saw a group of bushes at its centre. He grimaced as he remembered Greece. That Chimaera had chosen a very similar spot for an ambush. He fixed his eyes on the bushes. He'd seen Voldemort do this, so he had to be able to do it as well! "Incendio!" he screamed
The bushes burst out in flames before he even pronounced the last syllable, and an anguished howl met his ears. A large creature came crashing through the burning bushes and started to roll around on the forest floor, its monstrous body consumed by flames. Harry bolted past it at top speed and launched himself into the underbrush after he reached the other end of the clearing.
He glanced back at his handiwork and vaguely saw that the other Chimaera had given up on the chase to aid its mate. He knew he should feel a pang of regret…or something, but he didn't. He couldn't. Such feelings had no place in moments like these. It was either him or them, he thought grimly as he ran into the woods.
*
Harry had known the forest would be big! He had seen its vastness stretching out and covering the horizon when descending the mountain. Well, actually he'd only seen a dark blur, but he had known it was the forest.
He dragged one foot in front of the other. It couldn't be very far anymore…according to the caretaker of the winds. He had to be near the centre of the forest!
He'd left the grass lady in the beginning of March…it had taken him a week to get to the mountain…then it had taken him about a week and a half to get over the mountain, but he couldn't be sure since the thin air hadn't exactly promoted thinking. Neither had the situation in the blasted forest!
Harry hadn't dared to sleep too deeply, for fear of being attacked. So now he was both mentally and physically exhausted, and all concept of time was lost to him for the time being. He guessed it could be mid March to late March. Early April at worst!
He chuckled ruefully. He might as well have waited for the eclipse. It would have saved him a lot of trouble, and in the end the difference in time wouldn't have mattered much. And he still hadn't found the portal!
On the bright side, he'd been left largely alone after the Chimaera attack, he thought, as he listened to his stomach grumbling. He hadn't eaten in five days, since he'd had the last of the fruit he'd been given. He was feeling faint with hunger, and weak. He'd also received some Doxy bites a couple of days ago after narrowly escaping from a swarm, and the wounds were starting to get infected. The mild but irritating effect the poison from the bites had also didn't make his life any better, and he'd found out that Doxy Venom was one thing that miraculum weed didn't counter, at least, not in its pure form.
His attention was suddenly drawn to a flash of sunlight reflected off a silvery surface. He looked up and saw a strange tree with a dense canopy of purple leaves, with a huge mirror-like circle in its trunk. Even with his bad eyes, Harry could see the energy pulsing out of it. The Portal! It looked a lot like the portals in Concordia!
He grinned…chuckled…and finally let out a roar of triumph as he sprinted towards the tree. He stopped in front of it and tentatively reached out to touch the shimmering surface, as if to check if it was really there. It felt extremely cold and liquid-like. The liquid came out and wrapped itself around his hand, then his arm, before it jumped out and completely enveloped the young wizard.
Harry felt cold, like he'd felt in the underground river that had sent him into the mirror realm. The cold was so intense that it made his head hurt incredibly, as if he had an ice cream headache, only infinitely worse. The pain kept increasing steadily, and Harry felt as if he was being shaken all about as he floated in the viscous substance. He clutched his scar…and as he struggled to stay conscious, he felt the bile rising in his throat, much like it did after long Floo trips. Maybe the side effects of this portal were much more unpleasant than those caused by Floo travel.
All of the sudden he doubled over and rolled himself into a foetal ball. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. He balled his fists and his mouth opened in a silent scream, as the darkness that had nibbled at the edges of his consciousness whisked him away.
***
Draco ran his hand through his silvery-blond hair. Freedom was getting very popular with elves, and he and Weasley were getting buried beneath all the requests for all kinds of licences regarding elves. He'd put out a request for two new staffers, one to boost the workforce and the other to replace him after he left the Ministry in June.
His mother had got used to the idea of his marrying a Weasley. After all, she was a pureblood and the Weasleys were no longer poor, although for some odd reason his future mother-in-law insisted on living in that pigsty.
Draco smirked. In about two months he would be married to Ginny Weasley, and he'd finally be able to pluck her flower.
Draco chuckled. He had thought that Lenoir, whom he knew by reputation, had made short work of her virginity. But apparently, the stupid half-blood hadn't had what it took.
In a meantime, Draco knew he'd have to contain himself. The Weasleys still had him watched. Ginny, bless her innocent little heart, had told him so!
"Wipe that smile of your face, Malfoy," Ron Weasley grumbled.
"It's a free wizarding nation. Harry Potter made sure of that, remember?" he said, not bothering to look in Weasley's direction, and to his satisfaction he heard Weasley's cheap quill crumble. He knew it was below the belt, but he just hadn't been able to resist. He just loved to torture his colleague emotionally. He continued, "You know, if he were alive, he'd probably be marrying Ginny…"
"Shut up!"
Draco straightened himself. Time to move in for the kill! He pretended to glance around nervously. "You know…I never told anyone this, but he threatened to kill me, after the trial."
That got Weasley's attention. He glanced down at something in his desk, the Sneakoscope that no doubt still lay hidden there, and Draco had to resist with all his might not to smirk. Come on, Weasley! Still think that Sneakoscope is going to give me away?
Weasley looked back at him. "Why didn't you tell anybody about this?"
"And hurt Ginny? You know how she feels about Potter! Besides, nobody would believe me!"
"So why did you tell me?" Ron asked, eyeing him sceptically.
"Come on, because you know how he really was. I only felt truly safe when I heard he was dead. Do you know how afraid I was that he might come back to get me…" Someone knocking on the door interrupted him. Seconds later, the door opened a little a pretty face framed by red hair poked through the gap.
"Ginny?" Ron frowned
"My love!" Draco said delightedly. "Have I told you that your mere presence brightens my day?"
"Oh please," he heard Weasley mutter, and Ginny glared at her brother.
"Keep your comments to yourself," she said icily, before bending down over Draco's desk and kissing him on the lips. Then she glanced at her brother again. "Can I have some privacy?"
"No. I have too much work to do," Weasley replied nastily.
Draco smiled. He was really missing sex with Pansy…and even Millicent, but tormenting Ron Weasley almost made up for it. "I'm almost done for the day. I just have to finish up here."
*
Ron balled his fists after Ginny and Malfoy left the office. So Harry had threatened to kill Draco? And he hadn't been lying. The Sneakoscope would have alerted Ron if he had.
And to think that his resolve had started to fade…that he'd actually been entertaining the notion of Harry, maybe not being evil… At least Malfoy was good for something!
How he longed to tell the world this new bit of information, but doing so would alienate him from his family even further, and they wouldn't believe him anyway. He ground his teeth together in frustration.
Harry still managed to torture him! And it was also Harry's fault that Ginny had fallen for Malfoy. Ron had once overheard Ginny telling their mother that the thing she liked the most about Draco was the fact that he wore Harry's cologne. The memory of Harry! That blasted Harry Potter!
*
Ginny strolled down Diagon Alley, hand in hand with Draco. They'd had dinner together at the Leaky Cauldron. She knew her mother would give her quite a bit of trouble for missing the Friday family dinner, but she knew she had done the right thing. Even though Percy had made peace with the fact that she was seeing Draco, he still didn't want to be in the same room with him if it could be avoided. The same thing went for Charlie, and she knew George would have shown his displeasure as well, but he was still in Concordia.
Apparently the shop had been such a hit that he'd decided to stay and personally oversee it for a little while longer while he looked for a suitable person to run the shop after he left. Angelina, who'd be giving birth in about two weeks, if all went well, had voiced her fears that George wouldn't be present for the birth of his children. She'd also told Molly about her suspicion that George might be interested in another woman, a colleague of Hermione's, and while Ginny knew it was plain ridiculous, Molly had taken it quite seriously, and she really pitied George for the Howler Molly must have sent him.
"A penny for your thoughts…" Draco said "And a fortune for your heart."
Ginny blushed. He always said the sweetest things, and he was so sincere Although, at times, a look that reminded her of Draco at Hogwarts, would return, and make her uncomfortable. "I was thinking about my family."
"It must be nice to have a family like that." Draco sighed. "I try not to think about mine."
He looked at her with sad, grey eyes, and she felt her heart tear a little. He had beautiful eyes. Yet they weren't the emerald ones she saw in her dreams…she blinked to clear away those treacherous thoughts. "Why not?"
"Come on, Ginny! You know how they are. I was surprised you still wanted to marry me, in spite of my family."
"Funny, I thought the same thing about you."
"Ginny, you have a wonderful family! Why wouldn't I like them?"
"Maybe because they all hate you?" she offered mournfully.
"Your mum too?" Draco asked, surprised and shocked.
"She's willing to keep an open mind." Ginny said, shaking her head, causing her red hair, to sweep over her cheeks. She had it cut till it just fell over her ears, and left two tendrils to curve along her cheeks. Her mum hadn't liked it.
"Good to hear." Draco smiled and brought up her hand to kiss it. "Why don't I take your mind off things? I know this bloke who has Port Keys to the Caribbean. We could stay awake, and go for a night-time stroll on the beach." He pulled her to him and ran his hand across her back and started to kiss her lightly on her neck. "We could have a few cocktails, and…"
Ginny knew where this was going. "Draco, please…we've discussed this already. Besides, I'm not just ready, but I promise I will be, on our wedding night."
"Come on, we're practically married…we're going to get married anyway!" As he said that, she saw anger flash in his grey eyes, for an instant reminding her of the Draco Malfoy she used to know at Hogwarts.
"Draco? Why does it matter so much? If you love me, what are two more months?"
He sighed in frustration and stepped away from her.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked, her voice wavering.
Draco locked his eyes with hers. He had to do damage control. "No, I'm mad at me, for doing something that stupid. I lost control just now…I could lose you because of that!" he lied smoothly. He called up some tears to his eyes, something he had practised a lot, using the thought of losing his secretly-amassed fortune. He went down on his knees and hugged her around her middle. "Can you forgive me?" he sobbed.
"Of course, Draco." She smiled sweetly, and Draco sighed with relief inwardly, cursing himself for losing control at the same time. He really had to find a way to satisfy his needs covertly.
He pulled away from Ginny. "Well, it's getting late. If you want to spare me a lecture from your big bad brother Percy on Monday, you'd better Apparate home."
"Right…bye then!" Ginny said, bending down and pecking him on the lips, before Disapparating.
A hooded figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere and started applauding him mockingly. "Bravo, Mr Malfoy! Seldom have I seen such convincing acting!"
"I meant every word I said…and who the hell are you?" he sneered.
"Allow me to tell you that I am a mind reader, and that my faction knows all about your little fortune in Petra."
Draco paled. It was all over…all he had worked for… "What do you want?"
"That is my line, Mr Malfoy. I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse, and I doubt you would want to. I commend you. It was highly difficult for us to find out about you, and I must say, I admit I am a bit curious to know how you managed to fool all those lowlifes and maintain your disguise. You are very crafty and resourceful, and my master would like to have you in his camp."
What was this all about? Was there another megalomaniac wizard out there, bent on taking over the world?
"I assure you this is not the case, Mr Malfoy. Either way, it would be unwise for you to refuse…now that I have approached you. At the very least, you will lose that fortune you hold so dear. But my master does not require open loyalty, like Voldemort did after he thought he had it made. Even after my master takes over, your role in this whole issue need never be known."
Draco smirked. "A very tempting offer, and I clearly see I have no choice in the matter, and I understand this isn't a Ministry trick. You can't be an agent; you've… broken all the rules of lawful entrapment. But how do you know I won't go to the Ministry?"
"We are much more efficient than Death Eaters, Mr Malfoy. You simply wouldn't live long enough…ah, I see you have a request? You would like us to…"
Draco nodded. "If your faction is as efficient as it seems, you could kill Percy Weasley and make it look like an accident."
"Ah…yes… and your suspicions are right, by the way, he is having you watched, though we are not watched by Ministry people right now," the mysterious figure said. "We could perform this little favour, as a show of goodwill towards you. Do you have any particular time in mind…Ah, you believe that if Percy Weasleys dies at your wedding, people will be less inclined to believe that you were behind it," the figure said, reading his mind. "And you want to test our strength as well. I see it was wise to contact you. Your mind works in the right way!"
Draco was going to ask a few questions, but the figure cut him off on both accounts. "No, mind reading cannot be taught to another, for it is a highly rare inborn gift, and only three wizards are currently capable of it…and we will contact you, when the time is right. Oh and you might want to owl the girl a romantic present. You underestimate her intelligence. She wasn't completely convinced by your act!"
***
"I'm sorry Hermione!" Ron said, looking at the floor. "I've been a fool. I reckon what came over Harry probably would have happened to me to if I'd been in his shoes. I hope you can forgive me?" he asked, looking hopeful.
Hermione just looked at him dumbfounded.
"Hermione…Hermione…Hermione…wake up!" Someone was screaming and hammering her door.
Her eyes snapped open, and the image of Ron faded into the back of her mind. It had only been a dream, of course. Ron would never come around like that. It had been wishful thinking on her part.
"Hermione!" She now recognised the voice as her annoying housemate Heidi's. What did that nose in the air snob want now?
"Alohomora!" she heard Heidi say, and the doors to her room suddenly burst open.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hermione asked angrily.
"One of our Orbital Eyes monitored a huge spike of magical energy in the Sahara!" she said, her face shining with delight. "It has Harry's signature…he's alive!" she squealed as she launched herself on top of Hermione, and hugged the bewildered, bushy-haired girl.
"What?" Hermione mumbled, thinking that maybe she wasn't awake yet.
"Didn't you hear a word I said! Harry's alive! Come on to the Citadel…I'll show you!" she said, dragging Hermione out of her bed.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked sceptically, waking up quickly. Maybe it was some kind of a sick joke. "April Fool's was yesterday, you know!"
Heidi looked hurt. "I know you and I don't get along very well, but I can't believe you would think that of me."
"I'm sorry." Hermione sighed. "But are you absolutely sure?"
"You've trained with the analysts! You know how thorough they are!" Heidi said.
"I know…and I know they couldn't find him after he disappeared," she pointed out.
"I know," Heidi said impatiently. "But they are positive."
"Listen, I want to believe he's alive as much as you do, but maybe someone just found his wand at the grave site. You remember those fanatics who tried to dig up his body. Maybe they found the wand and chose not to tell us, and now someone's using it."
"That individual would have to be as powerful as Harry is to cause such a large power spike. Clara said so!"
Hermione smiled, and her heart felt like it was about to pop. Maybe Harry was alive! "All right then. I'll be right over. Just give me a chance to shower."
Hermione made her way to the Control Room as quickly as the tight security would allow, where the analysts and special golems and even a select few non-Ranger personnel were working feverishly. She had missed all the displays and consoles in the room, and she missed working with these analysts to catalogue and classify all the dangerous elements, before dispatching teams of Intel field operatives and Combat Rangers to deal with the threats. She looked at the large holographic projection of the Sahara and saw a blinking blue spot.
Her Brazilian housemate, Clara, pointed at the spot as she hurried by. "That's where the energy surge occurred."
Hermione nodded. "But we've lost him, haven't we?" she asked. She had worked with the analysts long enough to be able to sense their frustration in the air when something wasn't going as planned.
Lieutenant Li, a Chinese witch with a deeply wrinkled face and full head of grey hair, even though she was just in mid-forties, turned around to look at her. "We are certain it was Potter's wand. But we cannot be certain it was Potter."
Hermione frowned. That fact by itself raised a lot of questions. If it wasn't Harry, how did whoever acquired the wand, do it? Due to some kind of magical interference, the Rangers hadn't been able to remove the rubble entombing Harry. If it was Harry, why hadn't he immediately sought contact? Maybe he'd lost his memory? She shook her head. It just didn't make sense.
A dishevelled-looking Commander Nehanda Nomvete hobbled into the control room in a long night dress, drawing curious glances from her subordinates. She obviously hadn't bothered to change or touch up her appearance. "What is the situation, Lieutenant?"
"A large magical energy surge. Positive identification of the focussing tool as Harry Potter's wand, but nothing more. Our Orbital Eyes cannot detect him now."
"He was wearing a Confundus Amulet when he disappeared, wasn't he?" Nomvete asked.
Li nodded. "But it was tuned so that our equipment would not be hampered by it. In fact, it doubled as a tracking device."
Nomvete smiled slowly. "That's what I meant! I may be old but I'm not completely ignorant of all the capabilities of the magical toys our artificers have invented, you know!"
"Ah, of course," Lieutenant Li said, obviously embarrassed.
"Maybe he changed the frequency?" a hopeful Heidi offered.
Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Now why would he do that, honestly?" It was as she feared…someone must have got their hands on his wand, and that someone had to be very powerful. "We have to find out who it is, and what his intentions are. I think it isn't Harry. If it were, he would have contacted us."
Li sighed. "Once again, an excellent deduction! Pity you left us to become a nurse, Granger."
"Hermione flushed red. "I am not a nurse!" she muttered.
"I want a team dispatched to investigate what is going on there," Nomvete said. Li started to protest, but the old witch cut her off. "I know we can't spare anybody, according to the duty roster. It will have to be a volunteer mission."
"Count me in!" Hermione said quickly.
Nomvete shook her head. "We do not know what we are dealing with, and I am not about to send a trainee into such a situation."
"But Commander, if it really is Harry, I can help."
"Nice try, Granger, but you said it yourself, it probably isn't." She looked at the Hawaiian analyst, Noelani Winters, who was sitting at a console nearby. "Code Delta. Issue a full recall. Cancel any leave the Rangers might have and call them to the Citadel. Patch these images through to the main briefing amphitheatre. I want to be able to brief everybody in an hour. And get Commander Ironheart over here!"
"Would you like Mayo with that?" Winters muttered, as she got to work issuing the Code Delta and the recall of all off duty Rangers. Then she set up a connection to Ironheart's communications mirror.
Aria Ironheart's very displeased face appeared on Noelani's console. "What do you want?"
"Mrs Ironheart…" she began.
"Donovan is busy. Don't bother us!"
Hermione glanced around as she heard various Rangers groan. She knew Aria Ironheart was a notoriously difficult woman to deal with. It was no secret that she was trying to pressure her husband into retiring, and she didn't like it when any Rangers called her home.
"But…"
"I told you, he's busy!" the woman snapped and the mirror went blank.
"Call again," Nomvete said calmly. "Let it flash a long as is necessary."
Noelani hesitantly complied, and after a few minutes they were again staring at Aria's glaring face.
"I told you…"
Nomvete shoved Noelani out of the way and fixed her stare on Aria. "Now listen you shrew! We have a serious emergency, and we need Donovan over here now! I want you to get him, and if you don't, I'll come down to the city myself, and I swear by all that is holy, that Donovan will end up the city's most eligible senior widower if I do!" she hissed. "So don't make me came down there!"
The other woman visibly paled and nodded, before hurrying off to get her husband.
Cheers, applause and whistles burst out all around the Control Room as Nomvete backed away from Noelani's console.
She beamed. "I've waited thirty long years to do that!"
Hermione had never seen this many Rangers assembled. There were about ninety Rangers in all, and about thirty of them were out in the field at the moment. Most of the ones she knew were out on missions, so she saw a lot of unfamiliar faces. The Control Room had to remain fully staffed, so no on-duty analysts were present, and to her surprise the artificers who weren't out on a mission didn't show up either. In fact, she had rarely seen Helga lately.
The amphitheatre, which could hold a comfortable forty, was filled to capacity. In the upper seats, Hermione saw Heidi and a confused-looking Galatea sitting and quietly discussing some things, probably speculating about what was going to be done. She ascended the steps to join them.
The present Captains and Lieutenants were sitting in the front rows. She recognised the German Captain Faust, the head of the Combat Rangers, like Harry had been, stroking his handlebar moustache. She didn't see Captain Sharif and guessed that he couldn't leave his post in the medical wing, since there were no other Medical Rangers in the Citadel, besides Galatea and herself.
There were three Lieutenants she only knew by name and face, but had never interacted with, and most of the Rangers present were the off duty Intel Analyst Rangers, and the Intel Field Rangers and Combat Rangers in between missions. All of them were staring at the projection that was being redirected from the Control Room.
Ironheart and Nomvete walked in, Nomvete in uniform this time, and everybody rose and saluted, sitting back down after the two most senior Ranger returned their salute.
Nomvete pointed at the blinking blue dot. "Most of you have heard by now what that represents," she began. "Our Orbital Eyes have registered a huge surge of magical energy, focussed by what has been positively identified as Harry Potter's wand. However, evidence indicates that it may not have been Harry Potter who used the wand. Our reasons for concern are obvious. The amount of energy channelled by the wand was so great, that it must have been a very powerful wizard. Powerful enough, to succeed in piercing the magical interference field that obstructed our attempts at the recovery of Ranger Potter's body."
"You want us to find out who it is?" an African wizard called out.
"As most of you know, our artificers and non Ranger magical-engineers have been working tirelessly on two new ships…the Hurricane and the Typhoon. As some of you might have deduced from their names, they differ from our other four ships in the manner that these are designed for combat," Ironheart said.
"You all realise that it is imperative that we find out what caused that magical energy surge, and find out what its intentions are," Nomvete continued. "I want volunteers to man the Hurricane, which was completed yesterday, to go and find this being."
"You speak as though you are not sure if it is a wizard." Sahid Khan, a veteran combat Ranger from Pakistan frowned.
"We aren't." Nomvete nodded. "Only Voldemort and Potter had that kind of power in recent times, and only Voldemort unleashed it in the registered quantity. It is probably a wizard, though, since he was able to use the wand, but it would be unwise to dismiss other possibilities."
"Like humanoid demons?" Ranger Gavin Carey asked. Hermione had met him after Harry's memorial service, but had never seen him since.
"Like humanoid demons." Ironheart nodded.
The briefing room erupted in murmurs, and Ironheart raised his hands to calm them down. "Now you understand the urgency of the situation. All of you are on duty effective immediately, until this matter is resolved. Every able Ranger will be deployed to that sector in a monitoring capacity. Combat Rangers will be paired up with Intel field operatives. Assignments will be given to you tomorrow. Those of you who have relatives in the city are not allowed to speak to them about this. Just cancel your plans, and give no hints about the magnitude of the situation. It will only alarm them."
Hermione frowned. She had no doubt that a few observant people in the city must have noticed the sudden absence of Rangers on leave in the city. It was already a little late for Ironheart's words of caution.
The senior Ranger looked in their direction. "Ranger Gravenstein?"
Heidi swallowed and nodded.
"Time to show us how good you are. You have to spin a suitable story to quiet suspicious minds. For now, you can tell them that we are embarking on a large scale exercise."
"Yes sir!" The Austrian woman nodded.
"Good. Go…now!"
Heidi rushed down the steps and swept out of the room.
Nomvete cleared her throat. "Now, about the volunteers to form the principal investigation party."
Hermione's hand shot up. "I'm the only medical wizard available!" she said quickly. "Ranger Angelou and Captain Sharif are needed here!"
"All right then," Nomvete said, with great reluctance.
Sahid Khan rose. "I'll go!"
"And I!" Caleb Mordecai called out.
Hermione felt a bit more at ease now that she knew she'd be going with Khan and Mordecai. They were the best Combat Rangers, and very experienced.
"You will need an Intelligence operative," a witch from one of the Russian States, judging from her accent, said.
"That is enough!" Ironheart smiled. "It looks like we have a team. Lieutenant Gaal will be the Ranger in charge and Ranger al-Kuwari will also be going."
Hermione frowned. She didn't think it was standard procedure that two Artificer Rangers were being sent on one mission. She guessed that the ship they were going to use still had to be tested, so Ironheart was sending them along in case any problems with the operation of the ship presented themselves.
Hermione also felt a bit inadequate since she was 'a not even official Ranger', among veteran 4th class Rangers and a Lieutenant. She sighed.
"Volunteers, be ready to ship out in six hours," Ironheart called. "Report to the hangars."
The two Commanders left, and the Rangers poured out of the amphitheatre.
"Are you sure about this, Hermione?" Galatea asked, as she and Hermione made their way to the medical wing.
"There is no turning back now, is there." Hermione sighed. "Someone has to be there in case of injury. The Sahara didn't seem like a good place for you, so I volunteered instead. Your workload with Max will increase, though. But don't worry. I'll give you all my notes. I think we can boost the power of yesterday's potion by adding more lacewings and salamander blood. In theory, that is! I wouldn't give it to Max just yet. It has to be tested first."
Galatea didn't say anything, and Hermione gave her a sidelong glance, noticing that the older woman was on the verge of tears.
"What's wrong?"
Galatea's lips trembled. "I'm afraid Max will never wake up." She sniffed and wiped away the tear that was rolling down her cheek. I know it is silly of me to worry about this, especially with that thing out there…that has Harry's wand."
Hermione grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "We'll find something that works! We'll bring him out of it."
"I wish I were that optimistic."
"Don't lose hope, Galatea. Never lose hope."
Seven hours later, the Hurricane was hurtling through the skies over the Sahara desert and Hermione was able to look over the controls of this new ship. They looked very similar to the controls of the older ships.
Al-Kuwari explained the workings of the ship to her. Like the other Cruisers, this ship had a tank full of potion that ran through conduits all over the ship. This had to be done because it took massive amounts of magic to animate something this large, and the potion regulated the flow of magic. Over time, the potion degenerated and had to be replaced by a fresh batch, and the more magic the ship used, the more quickly the potion degenerated. It was much like fuel.
At the moment, they were running silent and invisible, and those two features barely consumed magic, compared to shields, and Port Key mode, for example, where the ship would instantly transport anyone anyplace in a flash.
"The degeneration process is point one percent faster than anticipated," Gaal said. "That's not good."
"Relax, Janos," Yousef al-Kuwari said. "What is point one percent?"
"It may be an indication that more things may go wrong, on a much larger scale."
"Do you always worry when things are going well?"
"I don't have time to worry when they're not," Gaal said evenly. "There, I see the problem! The targeting charms were on."
Hermione turned her attention towards Caleb, who was talking to Valentina Malkova, a round-faced Belo-Russian witch.
"…Harry Potter and Okan Izzet. And Wolfe's gone crazy!" He sighed. "My wife asked me to quit, because she thought they were signs that my number was up next. I can't really blame her for feeling that way, but I can't quit. If we don't do this, evil will overrun the world in no time at all!"
"You do not have to tell me." Malkova nodded sympathetically. "I was married too, briefly, but my ex-husband could not cope with my lifestyle. So your wife left?"
Mordecai nodded. "She's staying with her parents in Israel…"
This gave Hermione a lot to think about. Maybe she'd be better off by herself. Being a Ranger was very tough on the individual, and even tougher on the family. It could be considered miraculous that over half of them were married!
"We're here!" Yousef said, as the ship slowed down and hovered over a spot in the dune-sea. It was the spot where the power surge originated. "Scanning…I don't see anything!" he said, sounding completely shocked. "The detection equipment is malfunctioning. I knew we should have let Helga reinforce the charms…she isn't experienced enough…"
"The detection charms are working fine," Gaal interrupted him. "This is just like India!"
"The spot where Harry was buried?" Hermione asked.
Gaal nodded.
Hermione's mind was working in overdrive. Harry had disappeared in an area where for some reason, magic didn't work. Now, Harry's wand reappeared again, in a similar area. "Lieutenant, could you please scan the dune to the right of this spot?"
"Why?" the ageing Hungarian Ranger asked.
"Don't you want to know how large the area of distortion is?"
"Oh, right," the old Ranger said. "Always good to have an analyst with you when you don't think like one yourself…thought didn't even cross my mind. I have to get out of the workshop a bit more often." He grinned. "Good to have you with us."
Hermione blushed. "It's just the way I think."
"Readings are crystal clear." Al-Kuwari frowned. "I know exactly how many sand-fleas reside in that dune."
"It looks like the whole blank area is about four by four metres," Gaal concluded. "It's time we inform the Citadel of our findings."
"I'm setting up a connection with the Citadel…the Control Room should be seeing our telemetry right…now!" Yousef al-Kuwari reported. He barely finished his sentence, when Ironheart's face appeared on his console.
"I don't know what kind of information you're sending us…but it certainly stirred things up around here. What did you find, Janos?"
"A magical blank spot similar to the one we found in India, Commander. We don't know if we can connect this to India, or Potter, but it is highly curious."
"I agree, Janos. But there is no sign of whatever caused that energy surge, is there?"
"Nothing whatsoev…"
"Hold it…we're picking up another spike," Ironheart said, looking away from the screen, and Hermione saw his brow knot up in worry. "Oh dear…."
"What is it, sir?" Gaal and al-Kuwari asked in unison.
"It's in Petra, Jordan!" Ironheart sighed "And it is definitely hostile! You have to get there as soon as possible. Standby for further instructions, C&C out!"
"You heard the Commander," Gaal said as the Ironheart's image faded. "Prepare for Port-Key mode."
"Are you insane? That hasn't been tested yet!" the younger artificer countered.
"We don't have that luxury, Yousef! Don't worry, the charm on this ship is identical to that of the older cruisers. It'll work!"
Hermione wasn't at ease about the whole situation, and she crossed her fingers as the two Artificers prepared the ship for instantaneous Trans-location to the city of Petra. She felt a sudden jerk, and seconds later the view outside the main view-port was completely different. She saw the mountainous region that held the city of Petra. In ancient times, the city was a popular resting spot for traders, and Muggles thought it was now deserted, while it actually held a wizarding settlement three and a half times the size of Hogsmeade, though not nearly as large as Eldorado.
"See? No problem," Gaal said reassuringly.
"Oh, we do have a problem!" said al-Kuwari, glancing at one of his displays. "He's still here!"
"Err, not that I doubt Ranger Khan and Ranger Mordecai's skill, but shouldn't we wait for reinforcements?" Hermione asked.
Khan, Mordecai and Malkova stepped onto a large circle, and the circle lowered them to the cargo deck.
"Relax, they won't engage it," Gaal said soothingly as he took the ship in for a landing. "They'll use invisibility charms, and their V.E.G.'s will transmit whatever they see back to us!"
"But what if that thing has enough sense to turn itself invisible?"
"Were you paying attention when we taught you about our equipment, in November?" Al-Kuwari frowned.
"Oh, right!" Hermione blushed. She had forgotten that seeing invisible creatures was one of the many things these goggles could do.
Minutes ticked by, and the three Rangers watched tensely, as the images transmitted to them by the other three Rangers were showing up on displays. She saw a light flash, and knew that the images were passed on to C&C at the Citadel.
She gasped as she saw several bodies…men…women…even children, strewn around. She saw one of the children move, and Valentina, through whose goggles they were seeing those images, was rushing over to help the child. "Oh, what is this monster?"
***
