Chapter Twenty-Four

The Hunt

It wasn't long after Taylor had retired to his Ravenclaw dorm that night that there came a tapping on the window. Jumping out of bed with surprise, he opened it to see Redwing and Zephyra sitting on the ledge, carrying a small piece of ledger paper. Buffing his glasses he put them on and took the note, looking it over carefully.

Aramis ~ In trouble, need help badly. I am going to run away. Please meet me near the creek south of mansion next Saturday at about 2 o'clock. Redwing will show you where. Don't tell anyone! Don't write again! d'Artagnan.

Taylor could barely wait until morning to meet up with the other two to show them the note, let alone the interminable week to come. But after consulting the other two boys, the three of them decided that perhaps they should tell someone where they were going in case something went wrong, but someone they could trust not to try to stop them. And for that, whom else could they go to but Caprica Dusthorn.

The Trophy Room had long been made off limits to students, but Corey had learned right away that he could always talk to Caprica when he needed to. So late Friday night just after dinner, the three made their way to one of the old classrooms in the back of the school, where a sleepy old wizard who reminded Corey of Dumbledore sat in a painting, quietly reading a book.

"Might we speak with Caprica Dusthorn, please?" Corey said when the wizard looked over at them, "She said that it would be alright to come here and ask if we needed anything."

"Ah yes, you're the Willowby boy, aren't you?" The wizard smiled, getting up. "Wait here, and I will go fetch her. I am quite sure she will be very pleased to hear from you," he added as he walked out of the painting.

"Nice chap," Corey commented as they waited. "Pity he's been put back here in the middle of nowhere, it must get boring."

"Corey, he's just a painting," Doug said, rolling their eyes.

"I don't think any paintings in this school are 'just paintings,'" Corey replied with a shrug.

"Right you are, Corey, my boy!" the cheerful voice of Caprica said as she walked into the painting. "What's on your mind?"

"We got a letter from Danny, asking for help," Corey said. "We're going to go rescue her tomorrow, but she told us not to tell anyone." Caprica's eyes flashed and her face looked serious.

"How are you going to get there?" she asked.

"Broom, I imagine." Doug said.

"Then take a spare for Danny in case she doesn't have hers, and some floo powder for emergencies. You should pack a medicine kit as well," Caprica advised.

"How are we going to manage that without telling Mom or Madame Pomfrey what we're up to?" Corey asked. Caprica looked thoughtful then nodded.

"I'll have a chat with the painting of Professor Craw in Snape's office and see if she knows the password. Then you boys will slip down into her office when I open the door. Now, don't look at me like that! If they try and get you for it, I will take the blame, what could they possibly do to a painting anyhow?" she said at their wide-eyed expressions. "This is an emergency, one of our own is in danger. Make sure you all have your wands, of course, and if I were you, I'd think about a disguise in case you get caught. Do you know the spell?"

"I do," Corey nodded.

"Something inconspicuous. And don't forget if you have to travel through Muggle areas to go above the cloud line, and pack some air potions. Where are you going to go once you've got her?" Caprica asked.

"Well, actually, we were thinking of just bringing her back here and hiding her," Corey said.

"Corey, dear, one cannot hide in this school. The more you want to stay hidden, the more likely it is that someone will find you," she said thoughtfully. "On second thought, if she's ready to admit now that she needs help, I think it's time for the direct approach. Once she's safely away from that house, you should take her to Dumbledore."

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" Doug said worriedly. "I mean, he might try to stop us…"

"No, dear, I wouldn't do that to him, the Headmaster needs options in times like this," Caprica chuckled, smiling at their puzzled faces. "Someday dears, you'll find that when you know something can be just as important as just plain knowing something," she said. "Now come, I'll meet you down in the Potions Lab… don't worry, Dewhurst tells me that your parents have already gone to their rooms with books in hand. I doubt they'll be back downstairs tonight."

Even with Caprica's reassurances, Corey felt rather guilty about entering the office without permission, let alone taking potions off of the shelf. Caprica stood on the rocks in the scenic ocean painting, making suggestions on what to take. Filling the last one, Corey finally broke down and left a note, despite Doug and Taylor's insistence not to.

"We're already going to be in trouble no matter what," Corey explained. "I'm definitely not going to worry Mom by thinking someone else broke in her office. We'll be gone before she gets up," he assured them, putting the note under the bottles on the shelf. "We'll leave before dawn. Try to get a few hours of sleep and we'll meet at the Owlery at four."

"Good luck, kids," Caprica said from where she sat in a small picture frame on the desk. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, Professor, we'll bring her back," Corey said, and the three of them left the office.

Danny shivered slightly, but it was not from the cold. The unexpected thaw the week before had inspired her father to hold an event that Danny usually dreaded. She hated it with a passion, more than any punishment, more than the backbreaking chores and hours of ledgers and the curses thrown in rages she had little control over. But today, things would change, one way or another. This off-season hunt would be, without any doubt, the last. She filled her pockets quickly as she heard her father coming down the stairs, and stood stiffly as he appeared, pulling on his gloves, his best riding clothes on.

"Don't just stand there. Change! They'll be here any moment," he said with irritation. "And make sure you watch my signals this time. The last time you nearly cost me a thousand pounds."

"I can't help it, Father. Rocky and Canter are getting too good. They nearly got me last time. Can't they stay behind?" Danny complained. Byron took out his riding crop threateningly.

"If you can't outsmart a pair of dumb-witted animals, you deserve what you get." Byron said.

"And when they kill me, who are you going to get to cover for you when an investment goes into the red?" Danny asked.

Byron's eyes flashed as he pulled out his wand, and before Danny could say another word cast the Cruciatius curse on her. Danny fell and doubled over, even though she felt no pain. The necklace that Caprica had given her had spared her that much, but she knew she had to act as if it had for fear of him uncovering it.

"How dare you talk back to me? I should have known better than to let you go to that school, you've been completely worthless to me ever since. Do as your told and change now, or I will throw you in the dog cage!"

Trembling slightly, Danny changed into her fox form, hoping she hadn't overdone her protest, afraid that perhaps he had become suspicious. But without another word, Nelson put down the fox cage and she climbed in, the door snapping tight behind her. She relaxed then, realizing that even had he wanted to, he couldn't risk putting her near the dogs right now… too much was at stake. No, she thought, it was time for the game…a game Byron had learned not to lose. But he would not win this time.

Several Muggles had gathered out front in their riding clothes chatting merrily away with glasses in their hands, greeting Byron warmly as he came out, setting the cage down as several of the others peered in to look at it.

"Well, Byron, I never thought the weather would clear up in time. I thought this would be a mud ride for sure," one of them said.

"A bit cold still, but the dogs could do with a bit of a run," another said, "and I for one am anxious for spring, so let's welcome it in, shall we?"

"Are you sure this scrawny thing you call a fox is truly as crafty as you say? She doesn't look like much," another said dubiously.

"You'll never catch her, no matter how well bred your dogs are," Byron said.

"Careful, Charles, I hear he's never lost a hunt. Best not put too much faith in those hounds of yours," another man said.

"We shall see, won't we?" Charles said. "Although I'm quite tempted to double my wager after seeing the quarry."

"Done," Byron said, eyes sparkling.

"Without even inspecting his hounds? You are as mad as everyone says you are Nelson," another man laughed, putting down his glass.

"We shall see," Byron said calmly, picking up the cage. "To the kennels, gentlemen, I believe it's high time we began."

Corey, Taylor, and Doug came down from the clouds, looking over the ground while Taylor checked his maps for the third time, his strangely older face perusing them with a scrupulous look as he tossed his feather cap back out of the way. Each one looked to be in their thirties and wearing swords and strange garb they had gotten out of Corey's copy of the Three Musketeers.

"We should be getting close," Taylor said. "It has to be one of these over here."

"But which one? They all look alike," Doug asked, pushing back his cape and shaking his head.

"I don't know, the Muggle address really isn't that clear," Taylor sighed.

"Wait a minute," Corey said, taking a closer look. "Look, the grounds over there isn't like the others. They're too green for this time of year."

"So what? I'm sure these rich Muggle sorts have gardeners and such too," Doug shrugged.

"No, no it's too perfect. I think this is it," Corey said. "Porthos, hand me those Omniculars of yours." Doug handed them over and Corey took a closer look, scanning the grounds. "There's no one by the brook, but I see some people on horseback near the house."

"Well, we still have a good half an hour," Taylor said. "Perhaps we should go down and wait."

"I don't know, Aramis. I think that may be just asking for trouble. We don't know if those other riders are friends or foe," Corey replied.

"No one is going to recognize us in this getup," Doug said, taking the Omniculars back.

"Well, we can't just stay up here. There is a chance someone will see us, and we're going to be in enough trouble without having to worry about the Ministry," Taylor pointed out.

"Your call, Athos, what do you want to do?" Doug asked.

"Let's go down," Corey decided. "Let's head to the trees above the stream and use the Chameleon powder and wait for d'Artagnan."

"What if she doesn't come?" Taylor asked worriedly.

"Then we go after her," Corey said. "We've come this far. We're not leaving without her. All for one…"

"And one for all," the other two said as the three brooms sank down to the tree line. Carefully they dusted themselves with the powder, making sure to get a healthy coating on, and Doug even coated his Omniculars, nearly poking and eye out trying to use them.

"Shh, not so loud," Taylor hissed at him nervously. In the background, the sound of dogs barking had suddenly started to echo in the distance. "What's going on?"

"Considering the amount of horses and dogs, I'd say they've decided to go for an early hunt," Doug said, peering through the Omniculars. Corey suddenly felt a chill go through him.

"Oh no. He wouldn't. Please, someone tell me he wouldn't," Corey's voice said, sounding unusually frightened.

"What a horrible, horrible beast!" Taylor said, a rustle coming from his tree.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Doug asked.

"Don't you see? Danny's an Animagus and she turns into a fox! He's using her as dog bait," Corey said.

"No, I can't believe that, no father would be that cruel," Doug said.

"Believe it," Taylor said. "Let's just hope she's able to get here before those dogs do."

"Porthos, try to get a lock on her so we can try and get to her if she gets into trouble."

"We won't be able to do anything up in these trees, there's no way we'll be able to react in time," Doug pointed out.

"Then we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," Corey said, his tree rustling and a thud hitting the ground as a broom came into view. "Equestrius transformus!" he called out. Suddenly the broom lurched and grew, turning into a rearing white steed that settled back to the ground with a neigh as the reins floated into the air.

"Athos, I can see the horse, you need to powder it," Doug said.

"Nope, actually, I think I'm going to come out," Corey said, brushing off the powder to show his disguised self again. "If we're going to do this, we might as well do it with style."

"But, I don't know how to ride a horse!" Taylor protested. Doug had already jumped down and transformed his own broom, leaping onto a white horse of his own.

"Come on, Aramis, just ride it like a broom," Corey said. "It's really a broom after all, it'll understand if you try and move it like one."

"I don't ride a broom very well either," Taylor pointed out, climbing to the ground and brushing the powder off. "But I'll do it for d'Artagnan."

"I think I got a bead on her, Athos," Doug said, "Are we going to do this or what?"

"Lead on, Porthos! We will win this day or die in the attempt!" Corey said, nudging his horse forward.

"No need to go that far," Doug complained, but kicked his horse into gear.

Danny jumped into the hollow of a tree and out onto a branch, leaping onto the next and scurrying down into a water puddle, taking a moment to catch her breath before heading out over the rocks. She had lost track of the time, and she wondered if ten minutes had passed or ten hours with only the ringing of the barking dogs to keep her moving. She had close calls before…snared in holes with few options, and more than once she faced the jaws of one nipping at her tail. It was always to the same result…either she let her father's dogs catch her, or the others would, and that would almost assuredly mean her death.

A howl could be heard over the barks and Danny realized she was running out of time. She was going to have to find a hiding spot they couldn't get to and fast; and the hollow she normally hid in was not an option this time, for she did not wish to be found by her father's dogs either. No, her only chance now was to get to the stream and travel along it until she could find a safe place to change back and join her friends.

But the barking had started to get closer, and her path along the trees apparently hadn't fooled one of the packs of dogs. Striking across a muddy patch, she decided her best chance was now to run for it, for there was only open rocky ground between her and the stream. A horn blew in the distance over the dogs' howls and Danny picked up the pace, wishing not for the first time that she could cast in this form. She could have thought of much better endings for herself than this, but she could also think of much worse ones, such as continuing the way things were. Her indecision began to drain some of her energy when she realized that only part of her wished to go on. She suddenly lost all feeling inside, only retaining the knowledge of the game... but she was aware that she wasn't going to make it to the stream in time.

Across the field, Byron Nelson pulled slightly back, cursing to himself as he saw her chosen path. She knew better than to take that route, he had taught her better, and she was about to cost him dearly. The idiot girl, he growled, pulling the wand out of his riding crop. But at the last moment, he glanced at it, debating whether or not to intervene before slowly putting it back. She had made her own choice in the matter, and it wasn't as if anyone would ever find out what happened to her. Besides, it would finally get the blasted school off of his back.

"Nelson?" Charles called out, his gallop slowed to a trot as he stared off in the distance. "Who in bloody hell is that? And why are they wearing those ridiculous clothes?"

Byron looked up in surprise just in time to see three white steeds charging over the field, realizing with sudden clarity what was at stake. Taking out his wand again, he kicked his horse into a thundering gallop and raced to head them off. But Byron soon noticed that the horses they rode were going at a speed that shouldn't have been possible. One of them cut off the hounds, while another leaned over and grabbed the girl that had suddenly appeared there, helping her onto his horse before turning back the other way. In front of him, the other riders pulled up in complete confusion, while Byron pushed his horse even faster.

"Boy, am I glad to see you! Who are you, anyhow?" Danny shouted as the three of them steered the steeds towards the trees.

"It's me! Aramis!" Taylor said cheerfully. "Do you know how to ride this thing?"

"Hand me the reins," she answered, quickly taking over and matching her speed with the others.

"Once we're past the trees, change to broom form and get above the cloud mark," Corey shouted.

"We're going to be seen," Doug shouted back.

"It can't be helped, look behind us!" Corey shouted back. The others looked back to see that the steed had suddenly began to catch up, fire burning in its wake as it was spurred forward, its eyes glowing an unnatural red as it thundered towards them.

"Nightmare!" Danny said. "We'll never make it! We have to change now!"

"You first, Aramis, we'll cover," Corey ordered, falling in behind them.

Taking a deep breath as he got out his wand and mustering up a confidence he didn't really feel, Taylor cast at the steed before him. As the steed turned back into a broom he barely managed to stay on without falling, grabbing wildly at Danny as she pulled up on the handle, shooting into the air. As Nelson cried out in fury, the other two transformed theirs too and pushed their brooms forward, angling upwards out of wand range and quickly catching up with the other broom.

"Hooray! We did it!" Doug laughed as he looked down at the clouds before turning his attention forward. "All for one and one for all!"

"Welcome back, d'Artagnan," Corey grinned.

"Back? Back to where?" Danny asked, suddenly sober. "We can't go back to Hogwarts. He'll find me for sure!"

"We have to go back, Danny," Taylor said. "You've got to tell Dumbledore the truth, the truth about everything," he said insistently.

"Yeah, Caprica says you have to," Doug added, knowing that would have some sway with her. "Dumbledore will make sure you never have to go back there, not ever. But you have got to tell him what's been going on."

"What if it doesn't work? What if he says I have to go back?" Danny asked.

"He won't," Corey said. "I know it isn't going to be easy, but you have got to trust him. What have you got to lose at this point?"

"Everything," Danny said, but soft enough that only Taylor had heard.

Those passing in the halls would come to see the strangest sight they had seen all year as Athos, Porthos, and Aramis stood before the gargoyle with their hats in their hands, and Danny Nelson standing between them. They spoke not a word as the door opened of its own accord, and the four of them glanced at the spiral staircase then at each other.

"I could be wrong, but I think you need to go up by yourself d'Artagnan… Danny, I mean," Corey said. "We've done our part, the rest is yours to do." Danny looked at each one of them, and then turned around to face the staircase again.

"Go on, Danny. Just know that no matter what happens, we'll be here for you," Taylor said. Danny nodded and went up the stairs, and just as they expected, the door closed right behind her. It was something best handled alone.

"Come on, guys, we'd better get out of these costumes before anyone else sees us and figures out who we are," Corey said, heading down the corridor towards the back of the school.

"Oh, go on, Athos, nobody is going to figure out who we are," Doug said as they turned the corner. Suddenly the three of them stopped short when they saw a lone figure leaning on the wall with his arms folded as if he had been expecting them. Snape looked the three over before rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"I should deduct points off just for your lack of originality," Snape said expressionlessly. "Office. Now."

"So much for happy endings," Doug said as they went down the back stairs. "Bet we'll be scrubbing cauldrons for weeks."

"Just as long as Danny's safe," Taylor said. "I can think of worse things in life than being expelled."

"Having two irate professor parents comes to mind for some reason," Corey muttered as the three of them turned into Snape's office.