Chapter 5 - Apprehension
By the time the dust had settled on the mountain it was well into the night. The moon shone down on the scene of the battle between the Inferno and Block, Harry, Hagrid and the Welsh Green dragon, Sarphin. Block spent a while alone with Sarphin and then motioned to Harry and Hagrid to come forward. Hagrid was delighted to be so close to a dragon. Harry followed cautiously behind.
Block was stroking Sarphin's neck and whispering things in its ear in the way that one might comfort a jittery horse. Sarphin stood slightly higher than Block.
Hagrid talked in a hushed but reassuring voice 'well you're a handsome fella,' and approached slowly holding out one hand.
'She's a girl,' corrected Block.
'Oh! Sorry - no offence meant,' said Hagrid looking sheepish and Harry chuckled at the bizarre conversation.
Hagrid held out his hand a short distance from the dragon and then waited for the dragon to make the next move. Sarphin stood observing Hagrid for a few moments blinking and tilting its head one way and then the next. Then slowly it leaned forwards and sniffed Hagrid's hand. Sarphin then allowed Hagrid to stroke its neck briefly before it drew its head away again. Block smiled and said a few more words to Sarphin. Hagrid stepped back and nudged Harry saying, 'your turn - slowly does it.'
Harry swallowed hard. He wasn't at all sure about this but he followed Hagrid's approach and moved forwards with his hand out. He then waited for a considerable time. Finally Sarphin leaned forward and allowed him to stroke her neck very briefly. To Harry it seemed that Sarphin had been far from at ease which hadn't been the case with Hagrid previously. Block however was pleased and beamed a big smile and so then did Harry and Hagrid. Sarphin gave a long high pitched whistle that rang clear and sweet.
Hagrid and Harry withdrew and left Block and Sarphin alone.
Hagrid went to examine the van, which was in a very sorry state while Harry went to look at the body of the Inferno that lay silent in the moonlight. The creature was still terrifying to behold. The armour plates that formed an outer hide were glassy smooth and covered in razor sharp angles and spikes. Harry cautiously reached out and touched the beast and the shell was cold and solid to the touch like iron. Harry wondered at the power of the wizard who had managed to tame and command such a beast. Harry then returned and joined Hagrid who was emptying the contents from the back of the van.
'It looks like we're walking home,' said Hagrid.
'That was very brave, what you did Hagrid,' said Harry 'you saved us back there...thanks.'
Hagrid hunched his shoulders and said 'tweren't nothing Harry. You did your part as well with your wand an'all and Block proved to have a bit of metal when it came to a pinch. I've got a feelin' that between us we've got a useful team. I've still no idea what we're going to do next though.'
Harry and Hagrid lugged the contents of the van to the nearest cave. There were cauldrons, packs of various shapes and sizes, Hagrid's hunting crossbow, ropes, firewood, spare clothes, and a broomstick.
Harry picked up the broomstick eagerly. It was only an old 'Reliant 2 Stroke' but it was better than nothing by a long way.
Block stepped back from Sarphin who opened its wings and began pacing back and forth in a strange fashion. It then took to the air briefly and returned next to Block, it lay on the ground and curled up as if asleep and then leapt up. It appeared to be trying to tell Block something, Block was watching intently and nodded silently from time to time to show that he understood Sarphin's meaning. These strange motions went on for a few minutes and then gracefully the dragon launched itself into the air one last time and sailed away up into the night.
Block had been able to understand the basics of what Sarphin had been trying to say. Sarphin had explained in her own language of whines and bobs that she had watched from afar as the dragons and the hooded rider had attacked the camp. She had seen the trolls rounded up and disappear as the Infernos including the largest Inferno which carried the rider blasted white flame towards them and at the same time the hooded rider produced an equally dazzling blue flame from his wand. The dragon-fire and the flame from the wizard's wand had intertwined and enveloped the whole group of trolls. Then in an instant the whole clan had disappeared. Sarphin had then seen Block seemingly incinerated by the dragon rider.
Sarphin had also explained that since the attack at least one Inferno had remained at the camp, normally hidden among the crags and trees in the nearby hills.
'What could they have been waiting for?' Hagrid mused, 'you don't think they were waiting for us do you?'
Harry thought about this - the wizard had sent Block to seek him out and he may have guessed that Harry would try to help. If so, there was only one place that Harry would be likely to take Block. But why? Harry had no idea.
Block also explained that every couple of days the dragon waiting at the camp would be relieved from its watch duty by another dragon. Sarphin had seen the replacements arrive in the early morning twilight from the west and the waiting dragon would then head off west.
'There's not much to eat here so I suppose they would have to get back to base once in a while,' said Hagrid who was once again talking from the perspective of the dragons rather than someone that had nearly been cooked and eaten by dragons.
Harry was struck by a sudden thought and felt a strong jolt of excitement.
'Did Sarphin mention when the last changeover was?' he asked Block.
'Yes,' said Block 'the day before yesterday.'
'So that means...' said Harry with a look of triumph in his eyes, 'that another Inferno will arrive here in a few hours.'
Hagrid frowned looking skeptical. He said to Harry, 'I don't see what's good about that. We were lucky this time not to get cooked and eaten and now we've lost the van.'
'But don't you see?' said Harry, 'the replacement will arrive and see that the other Inferno is dead and as long as we stay hidden it will be bound to head back to wherever it came from as fast as possible.'
'And?' said Hagrid; still not following Harry's train of thought.
But Block, who had been listening, suddenly erupted, 'we can follow it and find the trolls! We can rescue them.' Block was beaming.
'That's right' said Harry, 'all I need is the broomstick and I can follow the Inferno to find where they all are.'
'Whoa there!' exclaimed Hagrid, 'this just sounds much too risky. What if the big fella spots you?'
Harry gave Hagrid a look and said 'I'm not being big headed or anything but I am the Griffindor seeker - if I can catch a snitch I'm sure I can avoid a dragon. I've seen one of them fly and although they're quick there's no way that one of them would be able to catch me.'
Hagrid shook his head. 'I don't like the idea one bit. No I can't let you do it,' he said.
Block looked crestfallen but then Harry said 'Hagrid this is the summer holidays - we're not at Hogwarts - that means I can do what I like,' and he winked at Block.
'I suppose you have a point,' said Hagrid 'but I do feel kind of responsible for yer.'
'I tell you what Hagrid,' said Harry with a wry grin, 'the three of us will vote on it. All in favour.' Harry put his hand up and after a few moments so did Block once he understood what was going on. 'OK, that's settled then,' said Harry 'I'd better try out the broom.'
Harry disappeared into the nearby cave used to store the van's contents and a few seconds later flew out and climbed steeply turning back and forth to get the feel of the broom. Hagrid and Block watched Harry in the way that people watch fireworks with looks of admiration and awe on their faces. Hagrid had to admit to himself that Harry certainly could fly as well as the large Inferno that had attacked them earlier that day. Harry landed softly beside them. Block burst into applause and gave Harry a high five with such exuberance that Harry's right arm went numb for a few minutes.
'We'd better find a hiding place,' said Hagrid.
A few minutes later with Hagrid now carrying his hunting crossbow and Block with his crackit sling tied around his shoulder and his club in his hand the three of them headed uphill away from the camp. They chose a westerly facing wooded slope about a mile away. Block lead them in the darkness using his intimate knowledge of the terrain. It was now well past midnight and they had only about four hours before the daybreak and the arrival of the next Inferno.
While they waited they discussed what they might do once they had found the location of the other trolls. From where they were in the Welsh mountains, heading westwards they would quickly be over the sea hence a boat trip may be required. This of course also severely reduced the possible destinations. There was of course Ireland and a few smaller islands but that was about it. In any event, it was agreed that Harry would return directly back to Hagrid and Block once he knew where the dragon was headed.
They also talked at length about the Welsh Green dragons as of course Hagrid was very interested in them and Block knew as much on the subject as anyone. In fact, Welsh Greens were quite common and there were several hundred of them in secluded parts of the Welsh Mountains. They were however very timid and relatively small as dragons go hence they were able to keep a low profile without much difficulty.
Harry listened on and was unable to sleep as he felt a mixture of trepidation and excitement at the prospect of the task in hand and soon enough the sky to their backs in the east was beginning to turn from black to deep blue. The sky to the west however was still black although Harry could tell that there was heavy cloud rolling in from the sea and as the sky lightened he began to make out colossal grey black clouds looming up. Soon the wind began to pick up. As the clouds reached land they started to rise with the hills and as they did so they started to boil and reel. It started to rain and lightening bolts dazzled them.
Suddenly a huge dark form swept above them flying low over the trees. It was another Inferno - right on time.
They were shocked at how easily it had approach without them noticing. Even though they were beneath the wooded canopy they nestled down into the ferns to get as much cover as possible. In a few moments the dragon had reach the troll camp to their rear and immediately there was an strangled high pitched roar as the Inferno found its dead companion. There were additional flashes now as the dragon circled the camp blasting fire into caves and anywhere else nearby that anything could be hiding. Harry, Hagrid and Block waited in silence. They were safe enough where they were but the fury of the creature was evident and Harry was beginning to have doubts about whether he could go through with the plan. The black form passed over them a second time this time heading west - it was now or never. Harry collected himself nodded to Hagrid and Block and set off on his broom.
As soon as Harry had cleared the top of the trees the force of the wind and rain buffeted him hard and his grip on the broom became less sure. Another problem was that the dragon was already disappearing into the maelstrom of cloud and wind and rain. Harry laid himself flat on the broomstick and accelerated after the Inferno that was heading downwards towards the sea.
To keep the dragon within sight Harry had to stay close. Closer than he had intended in his original plan which had been to follow as far behind as possible. Thankfully with the rain and wind it was unlikely that the dragon would spot him. Harry hung on and tried to keep his distance as best he could. They were flying low and Harry occasionally spotted trees and fields not far below.
After about 20 minutes flying the dragon suddenly disappeared from view having dived sharply Harry followed and realized that they had reached the west coast of Wales. Harry dived and followed the dragon out to sea then to Harry's surprise the dragon turned northwards and in doing so brought Harry into is field of vision. Harry dived further down towards the sea to avoid being spotted and was soon relatively safe behind and beneath the dragon. They appeared now to be following the coastline although from time to time the shore would disappear as the dragon cut directly across an estuary. They continued like this for over an hour and Harry guessed that they were now level with the Cumbrian coastline. Once again the dragon suddenly changed course this time returning inland heading east. Harry followed. He was extremely wet and cold and he was having difficulty maintaining control of the broom with his numb fingers. They were now climbing as the hills rose.
Suddenly they were out of the clouds and into clear sky and Harry was far too close to the dragon for comfort. He slowed and allowed the dragon to move ahead. When he was a safe distance behind, he then accelerated to match the speed of the dragon.
The dragon kept close to the ground and several times it reach a lower summit only to dip back down into the next valley. Eventually the dragon dropped steeply into a wide valley with a lake between the steep hills on either side. The dragon flew low over the water scooping mouthfuls of water as it went. As Harry followed he felt terribly exposed as there was no cover. At the far side of the lake the dragon began to beat its wings hard to enable it to climb the next set of hills. To flew upwards first over a steep slope of scree then past a cave opening from the hillside. The dragon started to make shrill screeching noises as it climbed. It did not slow however and it continued upwards towards the top of the mountain.
They were now heading up into the highest mountains of the Lake District and the dragon was flying along the steep sided valleys hence from time to time Harry would lose sight of the dragon as it turned a sharp bend or crested a ridge. Each time this happened Harry would follow cautiously half expecting the dragon to have turned in wait for him to fly straight down its throat. Each time however, the dragon would be speeding away forwards and Harry would speed up to close some of the distance. They had climbed progressively up through the hills until they arrived among the highest peaks in the area. The dragon was heading directly towards the highest of the peaks and as it did so it started to let out a series shrill screeches. Harry guessed that it was nearly home and was alerting its fellow dragons of the trouble back at the troll village. The dragon approached a rocky outcrop at the highest point of the mountain and Harry, sensing that the dragon had reached its final destination, banked and dived to his left where a jumble of rocks would offer him cover.
This sudden change of direction saved Harry.
He had been so intent on following the dragon that he had totally missed the fact that two other Infernos had taken to the air and had been closing behind him. As he turned there was a blast of fire from behind. It was a trap! The force and the shock of the blast stunned Harry and he tumbled through the air somersaulting towards the ground. He managed to regain control of the broom just in time and skimmed the ground for a moment before darting away down the side of the mountain.
He was aware of a great commotion behind him as several dragons were now in the air all screeching and chasing after him. They were coming from several directions and so Harry's only hope was to fly low and fast downwards using the natural cover and taking advantage of the fact that he was much more maneuverable than the dragons. Harry could not get away however because the dragons were flying high and straight avoiding the rough terrain. One after another they would close in on him and send flames to engulf him and each time Harry was just able to turn and avoid being incinerated. He dipped down into a rocky gorge and one dragon flew down into the narrow canyon-like valley behind Harry. It was about to blast flame at Harry when they arrived at a sharp bend. Harry managed to take the corner at full speed but the dragon first hit one wall then the other and span out of control onto the rocky valley floor.
Harry dropped over a cliff edge above the same lake that he had crossed moments before. He went into a vertical dive and was levelling out to avoid the scree at the base of the cliff when right in front of him two more dragons emerged from the cave that he had spotted earlier. He narrowly managed to avoid colliding with them by banking first one way then the other. They both saw him and joined the pursuit as he sped across the lake.
Harry's mind was racing. He would soon be down out of the mountains on the relatively open ground and then it would simply be a test of speed. He had no idea how many dragons were after him but he guessed that there were at least five and maybe more. Now to his left he could see another dragon practically level with him. This ruled out heading south. Harry sensed that the dragons were working as a team as if they were hunting in a pack.
Harry turned north and headed for the edge of the lake. He followed the lowlands around the north side of the mountain and sped towards some woods. Most of the dragons fell in behind him screeching in unison. Without slowing he flew into the wood and started to weave low between the tree trunks. His plan was to stay in the wood for as long as possible all the while heading roughly east and then south and hope to have lost the dragons who were too large to follow having to remain above the trees. It was a very dangerous game of cat and mouse and right now it seemed to Harry that being a single mouse chased by a large group of very agitated cats was not a comfortable position.
Harry could see that the edge of the woods was approaching and he burst from the trees only to find himself flying straight at a hovering Inferno. Luckily the dragon did not have time to draw breath and instead could only snap at Harry with fierce jaws as Harry hurtled past.
Harry banked and turned sharply back into the wood as another blast of fire erupted behind him setting fire to several of the trees. A now familiar screech erupted from the dragon. Harry again headed through the woods and all the while he was aware of dragons swooping low over the treetops. Once again Harry came to an opening in the trees but this time the opening was man-made. He had come to a railway line running through the woods and he turned to follow the line southeast away from the dragons - he hoped. He kept low and flat on the broomstick trying to cover as much distance as quickly as possible.
Some distance behind he again heard a screech. Looking over his shoulder he saw one of the dragons dropping into the avenues cut in the trees behind him. He pushed onwards but the urge to look back again was irresistible. He looked back and now there were dragons in procession behind him all screeching. To his dismay, Harry noticed that they were actually gaining on him. He was going too fast to turn sideways into the woods and he was following the railway line around a shallow bend. Harry was desperate. His arms ached with the strain of hours of flying and his hands were blistered.
Harry focused on the apex of the bend hoping to find some means of escape. The line forked and a secondary branch line turned west back towards the mountains. Standing on the track of the branch line was another Inferno with its wings spread wide. They seemed to be everywhere leaving Harry with no choice but to press onwards. Harry was forced to keep to the main line and in any case he did not want to return to the hills that were the dragon's lair. He checked behind him again and found the dragons following had cut their lead by half - the leader would soon be within firing range.
Harry reached down and pulled his wand from his belt. In desperation, he cast a fumos spell and smoke started to pour from his wand. He held his wand hand high above his head without slowing. There was a risk that he may totally loose control of the broomstick with only one hand but the smoke would make life difficult for his pursuers.
Around the corner the railway line disappeared into a tunnel. In an instant Harry was inside. Behind him the lead dragon whose vision was impaired by the smoke crashed into the parapet at the tunnel entrance. The other dragons all followed suit and end in a pile-up of scales and talons and screeching.
Harry then cast a lumos spell and passed through the tunnel as fast as he could. He was intent on keeping his speed up and he prayed that he would find the far end of the tunnel unguarded. All of his pursuers had been stopped so this was his chance to escape. He now felt hopeful that he would get away. He quickly flew out of the far end of the tunnel and suddenly was engulfed in light and flame that had been blasted across the tunnel exit. He hit the ground hard having lost his broomstick.
The flame and light disappeared and the last thing he saw before he passed out was a figure in a grey cloak hovering above him on an Inferno. Beneath the hood of the cloak red eyes gleamed and a grating voice hissed 'now you are mine Harry Potter!'
By the time the dust had settled on the mountain it was well into the night. The moon shone down on the scene of the battle between the Inferno and Block, Harry, Hagrid and the Welsh Green dragon, Sarphin. Block spent a while alone with Sarphin and then motioned to Harry and Hagrid to come forward. Hagrid was delighted to be so close to a dragon. Harry followed cautiously behind.
Block was stroking Sarphin's neck and whispering things in its ear in the way that one might comfort a jittery horse. Sarphin stood slightly higher than Block.
Hagrid talked in a hushed but reassuring voice 'well you're a handsome fella,' and approached slowly holding out one hand.
'She's a girl,' corrected Block.
'Oh! Sorry - no offence meant,' said Hagrid looking sheepish and Harry chuckled at the bizarre conversation.
Hagrid held out his hand a short distance from the dragon and then waited for the dragon to make the next move. Sarphin stood observing Hagrid for a few moments blinking and tilting its head one way and then the next. Then slowly it leaned forwards and sniffed Hagrid's hand. Sarphin then allowed Hagrid to stroke its neck briefly before it drew its head away again. Block smiled and said a few more words to Sarphin. Hagrid stepped back and nudged Harry saying, 'your turn - slowly does it.'
Harry swallowed hard. He wasn't at all sure about this but he followed Hagrid's approach and moved forwards with his hand out. He then waited for a considerable time. Finally Sarphin leaned forward and allowed him to stroke her neck very briefly. To Harry it seemed that Sarphin had been far from at ease which hadn't been the case with Hagrid previously. Block however was pleased and beamed a big smile and so then did Harry and Hagrid. Sarphin gave a long high pitched whistle that rang clear and sweet.
Hagrid and Harry withdrew and left Block and Sarphin alone.
Hagrid went to examine the van, which was in a very sorry state while Harry went to look at the body of the Inferno that lay silent in the moonlight. The creature was still terrifying to behold. The armour plates that formed an outer hide were glassy smooth and covered in razor sharp angles and spikes. Harry cautiously reached out and touched the beast and the shell was cold and solid to the touch like iron. Harry wondered at the power of the wizard who had managed to tame and command such a beast. Harry then returned and joined Hagrid who was emptying the contents from the back of the van.
'It looks like we're walking home,' said Hagrid.
'That was very brave, what you did Hagrid,' said Harry 'you saved us back there...thanks.'
Hagrid hunched his shoulders and said 'tweren't nothing Harry. You did your part as well with your wand an'all and Block proved to have a bit of metal when it came to a pinch. I've got a feelin' that between us we've got a useful team. I've still no idea what we're going to do next though.'
Harry and Hagrid lugged the contents of the van to the nearest cave. There were cauldrons, packs of various shapes and sizes, Hagrid's hunting crossbow, ropes, firewood, spare clothes, and a broomstick.
Harry picked up the broomstick eagerly. It was only an old 'Reliant 2 Stroke' but it was better than nothing by a long way.
Block stepped back from Sarphin who opened its wings and began pacing back and forth in a strange fashion. It then took to the air briefly and returned next to Block, it lay on the ground and curled up as if asleep and then leapt up. It appeared to be trying to tell Block something, Block was watching intently and nodded silently from time to time to show that he understood Sarphin's meaning. These strange motions went on for a few minutes and then gracefully the dragon launched itself into the air one last time and sailed away up into the night.
Block had been able to understand the basics of what Sarphin had been trying to say. Sarphin had explained in her own language of whines and bobs that she had watched from afar as the dragons and the hooded rider had attacked the camp. She had seen the trolls rounded up and disappear as the Infernos including the largest Inferno which carried the rider blasted white flame towards them and at the same time the hooded rider produced an equally dazzling blue flame from his wand. The dragon-fire and the flame from the wizard's wand had intertwined and enveloped the whole group of trolls. Then in an instant the whole clan had disappeared. Sarphin had then seen Block seemingly incinerated by the dragon rider.
Sarphin had also explained that since the attack at least one Inferno had remained at the camp, normally hidden among the crags and trees in the nearby hills.
'What could they have been waiting for?' Hagrid mused, 'you don't think they were waiting for us do you?'
Harry thought about this - the wizard had sent Block to seek him out and he may have guessed that Harry would try to help. If so, there was only one place that Harry would be likely to take Block. But why? Harry had no idea.
Block also explained that every couple of days the dragon waiting at the camp would be relieved from its watch duty by another dragon. Sarphin had seen the replacements arrive in the early morning twilight from the west and the waiting dragon would then head off west.
'There's not much to eat here so I suppose they would have to get back to base once in a while,' said Hagrid who was once again talking from the perspective of the dragons rather than someone that had nearly been cooked and eaten by dragons.
Harry was struck by a sudden thought and felt a strong jolt of excitement.
'Did Sarphin mention when the last changeover was?' he asked Block.
'Yes,' said Block 'the day before yesterday.'
'So that means...' said Harry with a look of triumph in his eyes, 'that another Inferno will arrive here in a few hours.'
Hagrid frowned looking skeptical. He said to Harry, 'I don't see what's good about that. We were lucky this time not to get cooked and eaten and now we've lost the van.'
'But don't you see?' said Harry, 'the replacement will arrive and see that the other Inferno is dead and as long as we stay hidden it will be bound to head back to wherever it came from as fast as possible.'
'And?' said Hagrid; still not following Harry's train of thought.
But Block, who had been listening, suddenly erupted, 'we can follow it and find the trolls! We can rescue them.' Block was beaming.
'That's right' said Harry, 'all I need is the broomstick and I can follow the Inferno to find where they all are.'
'Whoa there!' exclaimed Hagrid, 'this just sounds much too risky. What if the big fella spots you?'
Harry gave Hagrid a look and said 'I'm not being big headed or anything but I am the Griffindor seeker - if I can catch a snitch I'm sure I can avoid a dragon. I've seen one of them fly and although they're quick there's no way that one of them would be able to catch me.'
Hagrid shook his head. 'I don't like the idea one bit. No I can't let you do it,' he said.
Block looked crestfallen but then Harry said 'Hagrid this is the summer holidays - we're not at Hogwarts - that means I can do what I like,' and he winked at Block.
'I suppose you have a point,' said Hagrid 'but I do feel kind of responsible for yer.'
'I tell you what Hagrid,' said Harry with a wry grin, 'the three of us will vote on it. All in favour.' Harry put his hand up and after a few moments so did Block once he understood what was going on. 'OK, that's settled then,' said Harry 'I'd better try out the broom.'
Harry disappeared into the nearby cave used to store the van's contents and a few seconds later flew out and climbed steeply turning back and forth to get the feel of the broom. Hagrid and Block watched Harry in the way that people watch fireworks with looks of admiration and awe on their faces. Hagrid had to admit to himself that Harry certainly could fly as well as the large Inferno that had attacked them earlier that day. Harry landed softly beside them. Block burst into applause and gave Harry a high five with such exuberance that Harry's right arm went numb for a few minutes.
'We'd better find a hiding place,' said Hagrid.
A few minutes later with Hagrid now carrying his hunting crossbow and Block with his crackit sling tied around his shoulder and his club in his hand the three of them headed uphill away from the camp. They chose a westerly facing wooded slope about a mile away. Block lead them in the darkness using his intimate knowledge of the terrain. It was now well past midnight and they had only about four hours before the daybreak and the arrival of the next Inferno.
While they waited they discussed what they might do once they had found the location of the other trolls. From where they were in the Welsh mountains, heading westwards they would quickly be over the sea hence a boat trip may be required. This of course also severely reduced the possible destinations. There was of course Ireland and a few smaller islands but that was about it. In any event, it was agreed that Harry would return directly back to Hagrid and Block once he knew where the dragon was headed.
They also talked at length about the Welsh Green dragons as of course Hagrid was very interested in them and Block knew as much on the subject as anyone. In fact, Welsh Greens were quite common and there were several hundred of them in secluded parts of the Welsh Mountains. They were however very timid and relatively small as dragons go hence they were able to keep a low profile without much difficulty.
Harry listened on and was unable to sleep as he felt a mixture of trepidation and excitement at the prospect of the task in hand and soon enough the sky to their backs in the east was beginning to turn from black to deep blue. The sky to the west however was still black although Harry could tell that there was heavy cloud rolling in from the sea and as the sky lightened he began to make out colossal grey black clouds looming up. Soon the wind began to pick up. As the clouds reached land they started to rise with the hills and as they did so they started to boil and reel. It started to rain and lightening bolts dazzled them.
Suddenly a huge dark form swept above them flying low over the trees. It was another Inferno - right on time.
They were shocked at how easily it had approach without them noticing. Even though they were beneath the wooded canopy they nestled down into the ferns to get as much cover as possible. In a few moments the dragon had reach the troll camp to their rear and immediately there was an strangled high pitched roar as the Inferno found its dead companion. There were additional flashes now as the dragon circled the camp blasting fire into caves and anywhere else nearby that anything could be hiding. Harry, Hagrid and Block waited in silence. They were safe enough where they were but the fury of the creature was evident and Harry was beginning to have doubts about whether he could go through with the plan. The black form passed over them a second time this time heading west - it was now or never. Harry collected himself nodded to Hagrid and Block and set off on his broom.
As soon as Harry had cleared the top of the trees the force of the wind and rain buffeted him hard and his grip on the broom became less sure. Another problem was that the dragon was already disappearing into the maelstrom of cloud and wind and rain. Harry laid himself flat on the broomstick and accelerated after the Inferno that was heading downwards towards the sea.
To keep the dragon within sight Harry had to stay close. Closer than he had intended in his original plan which had been to follow as far behind as possible. Thankfully with the rain and wind it was unlikely that the dragon would spot him. Harry hung on and tried to keep his distance as best he could. They were flying low and Harry occasionally spotted trees and fields not far below.
After about 20 minutes flying the dragon suddenly disappeared from view having dived sharply Harry followed and realized that they had reached the west coast of Wales. Harry dived and followed the dragon out to sea then to Harry's surprise the dragon turned northwards and in doing so brought Harry into is field of vision. Harry dived further down towards the sea to avoid being spotted and was soon relatively safe behind and beneath the dragon. They appeared now to be following the coastline although from time to time the shore would disappear as the dragon cut directly across an estuary. They continued like this for over an hour and Harry guessed that they were now level with the Cumbrian coastline. Once again the dragon suddenly changed course this time returning inland heading east. Harry followed. He was extremely wet and cold and he was having difficulty maintaining control of the broom with his numb fingers. They were now climbing as the hills rose.
Suddenly they were out of the clouds and into clear sky and Harry was far too close to the dragon for comfort. He slowed and allowed the dragon to move ahead. When he was a safe distance behind, he then accelerated to match the speed of the dragon.
The dragon kept close to the ground and several times it reach a lower summit only to dip back down into the next valley. Eventually the dragon dropped steeply into a wide valley with a lake between the steep hills on either side. The dragon flew low over the water scooping mouthfuls of water as it went. As Harry followed he felt terribly exposed as there was no cover. At the far side of the lake the dragon began to beat its wings hard to enable it to climb the next set of hills. To flew upwards first over a steep slope of scree then past a cave opening from the hillside. The dragon started to make shrill screeching noises as it climbed. It did not slow however and it continued upwards towards the top of the mountain.
They were now heading up into the highest mountains of the Lake District and the dragon was flying along the steep sided valleys hence from time to time Harry would lose sight of the dragon as it turned a sharp bend or crested a ridge. Each time this happened Harry would follow cautiously half expecting the dragon to have turned in wait for him to fly straight down its throat. Each time however, the dragon would be speeding away forwards and Harry would speed up to close some of the distance. They had climbed progressively up through the hills until they arrived among the highest peaks in the area. The dragon was heading directly towards the highest of the peaks and as it did so it started to let out a series shrill screeches. Harry guessed that it was nearly home and was alerting its fellow dragons of the trouble back at the troll village. The dragon approached a rocky outcrop at the highest point of the mountain and Harry, sensing that the dragon had reached its final destination, banked and dived to his left where a jumble of rocks would offer him cover.
This sudden change of direction saved Harry.
He had been so intent on following the dragon that he had totally missed the fact that two other Infernos had taken to the air and had been closing behind him. As he turned there was a blast of fire from behind. It was a trap! The force and the shock of the blast stunned Harry and he tumbled through the air somersaulting towards the ground. He managed to regain control of the broom just in time and skimmed the ground for a moment before darting away down the side of the mountain.
He was aware of a great commotion behind him as several dragons were now in the air all screeching and chasing after him. They were coming from several directions and so Harry's only hope was to fly low and fast downwards using the natural cover and taking advantage of the fact that he was much more maneuverable than the dragons. Harry could not get away however because the dragons were flying high and straight avoiding the rough terrain. One after another they would close in on him and send flames to engulf him and each time Harry was just able to turn and avoid being incinerated. He dipped down into a rocky gorge and one dragon flew down into the narrow canyon-like valley behind Harry. It was about to blast flame at Harry when they arrived at a sharp bend. Harry managed to take the corner at full speed but the dragon first hit one wall then the other and span out of control onto the rocky valley floor.
Harry dropped over a cliff edge above the same lake that he had crossed moments before. He went into a vertical dive and was levelling out to avoid the scree at the base of the cliff when right in front of him two more dragons emerged from the cave that he had spotted earlier. He narrowly managed to avoid colliding with them by banking first one way then the other. They both saw him and joined the pursuit as he sped across the lake.
Harry's mind was racing. He would soon be down out of the mountains on the relatively open ground and then it would simply be a test of speed. He had no idea how many dragons were after him but he guessed that there were at least five and maybe more. Now to his left he could see another dragon practically level with him. This ruled out heading south. Harry sensed that the dragons were working as a team as if they were hunting in a pack.
Harry turned north and headed for the edge of the lake. He followed the lowlands around the north side of the mountain and sped towards some woods. Most of the dragons fell in behind him screeching in unison. Without slowing he flew into the wood and started to weave low between the tree trunks. His plan was to stay in the wood for as long as possible all the while heading roughly east and then south and hope to have lost the dragons who were too large to follow having to remain above the trees. It was a very dangerous game of cat and mouse and right now it seemed to Harry that being a single mouse chased by a large group of very agitated cats was not a comfortable position.
Harry could see that the edge of the woods was approaching and he burst from the trees only to find himself flying straight at a hovering Inferno. Luckily the dragon did not have time to draw breath and instead could only snap at Harry with fierce jaws as Harry hurtled past.
Harry banked and turned sharply back into the wood as another blast of fire erupted behind him setting fire to several of the trees. A now familiar screech erupted from the dragon. Harry again headed through the woods and all the while he was aware of dragons swooping low over the treetops. Once again Harry came to an opening in the trees but this time the opening was man-made. He had come to a railway line running through the woods and he turned to follow the line southeast away from the dragons - he hoped. He kept low and flat on the broomstick trying to cover as much distance as quickly as possible.
Some distance behind he again heard a screech. Looking over his shoulder he saw one of the dragons dropping into the avenues cut in the trees behind him. He pushed onwards but the urge to look back again was irresistible. He looked back and now there were dragons in procession behind him all screeching. To his dismay, Harry noticed that they were actually gaining on him. He was going too fast to turn sideways into the woods and he was following the railway line around a shallow bend. Harry was desperate. His arms ached with the strain of hours of flying and his hands were blistered.
Harry focused on the apex of the bend hoping to find some means of escape. The line forked and a secondary branch line turned west back towards the mountains. Standing on the track of the branch line was another Inferno with its wings spread wide. They seemed to be everywhere leaving Harry with no choice but to press onwards. Harry was forced to keep to the main line and in any case he did not want to return to the hills that were the dragon's lair. He checked behind him again and found the dragons following had cut their lead by half - the leader would soon be within firing range.
Harry reached down and pulled his wand from his belt. In desperation, he cast a fumos spell and smoke started to pour from his wand. He held his wand hand high above his head without slowing. There was a risk that he may totally loose control of the broomstick with only one hand but the smoke would make life difficult for his pursuers.
Around the corner the railway line disappeared into a tunnel. In an instant Harry was inside. Behind him the lead dragon whose vision was impaired by the smoke crashed into the parapet at the tunnel entrance. The other dragons all followed suit and end in a pile-up of scales and talons and screeching.
Harry then cast a lumos spell and passed through the tunnel as fast as he could. He was intent on keeping his speed up and he prayed that he would find the far end of the tunnel unguarded. All of his pursuers had been stopped so this was his chance to escape. He now felt hopeful that he would get away. He quickly flew out of the far end of the tunnel and suddenly was engulfed in light and flame that had been blasted across the tunnel exit. He hit the ground hard having lost his broomstick.
The flame and light disappeared and the last thing he saw before he passed out was a figure in a grey cloak hovering above him on an Inferno. Beneath the hood of the cloak red eyes gleamed and a grating voice hissed 'now you are mine Harry Potter!'