Ch: 11
Disclaimer: Once again, not mine.
The night swirled around the small group of wizards as Ashland Lane came into focus. 'I really hate portkeys. Whoever invented them needs to be brought back to life and die again. Slowly.' Harry groaned and bent over, lightly clutching his stomach. He really hated portkeys. "Oh my god" some whispered.
Harry glanced up and stared. The whole town was on fire. Every thing from the houses and the trees blazed as small embers flew in the air. "What happened?" whispered Hermione. She picked up a small muggle doll from her feet. It was half burnt and Harry could small the rancid odor of burnt meat- human flesh.
"Isn't it obvious? The Death-Eaters burnt the village. I don't think they found the Staff, though. If they had, Voldemort would be bragging about it." Draco helped Harry to his feet as the small entourage spread out.
"Have your wands at the ready. There might be death-eaters abroad." Snape pulled his wand out and slowly walked towards a house on his left. "If any of you find anything, chant the Finding Charm and we'll meet up." Snapes black eyes stared at Harry for a moment before he turned and slipped into the darkness.
"Draco and I will search the north side of the village. If there are any survivors, send them to Hogwarts immediately, okay?" The couple nodded before they left for the east side. "Come on." The roads were littered with debris but Draco and Harry found no trace of the Staff. Dead bodies littered the way but nothing moved but them and the fire.
Half an hour later as the two men were passing a small schoolhouse, a soft scream sounded from within. They moved as one passed abandoned swing sets and burnt plastic slides towards the open doorways. Out of all the buildings in the village, this was one of the few with little to no damage. In to the darkened halls they went, looking cautiously into darkened classrooms and down the corridors. The sounds were getting louder.
"Shh Tessa, it's okay. Please, calm down. I'll fix your arm in a minute," whispered a soft voice. They stopped at an open door. A sign above it said 'nurse'. Harry glanced at Draco and nodded. "Hello?" he called. He craned his head around the door jam but quickly jerked back as a curse flew past him.
"Stay away!" screamed the voice. The two men stared at each other in disbelief. She, for the voice belonged to a girl, thought that they were Death-Eaters!
"Stop, please! Hold your fire, we're Aurors and here to help you. Please stop!" A tense moment spread through the hall.
"You were an Auror?" asked a shocked Harry. He had never really thought of Draco as an Auror. The pale boy shrugged.
"I had to do something while you were gone," Draco replied.
"If you're an Auror, place your open left wrists through the door. Do it slowly!" The two men complied. Another tense moment passed. Suddenly a body flung itself out of the shadows, clasping them both in a tight grip while they frantically cried. "Thank Merlin, I thought your were evil but you're here to help and are the death-eaters gone? What happened and can you help? I'm Kara and I have a hurt child, please help!"
The blond woman dragged them into the room and they stopped next to a seven- year-old child with sapphire blues eyes that stared at them through a film of pain. Draco leaned down and gently gathered the small broken arm into two of his own. An aura of power flowed around them and tightened painfully. A moment later, the arm was healed and the small girl grinned.
"I didn't know you were a natural healer!" Draco shrugged and wiped his forehead. He scooped up Tessa and gently held her in his arms.
"A talent I learned in training. She's as good as new." He passed the child to Kara and sat on the floor. "What happened?" Kara and Tessa made room on the floor by Draco and retold what happened.
"They came out of nowhere. No warning or anything. I gathered some of the children and came here where we placed some wards. That's the only reason this place is still standing," she rubbed wearily at her brown eyes and relaxed against the up-ended desk.
"Do you know anything about the where bouts of the Staff of Merlin?" asked Harry. Kara's head snapped up and glared at him.
"What do you want with the Staff?" Harry pushed his hair off his forehead and showed his scar. She stared at a moment before her mouth dropped open. "You're Harry Potter!" He winced. She stared for one more moment before she pulled her act together- though it she was helped along by an evil glance from Draco.
"Can you help us?" He waited for a few moments. This woman knew where it was; he could feel it in every fiber of his being. Slowly she shook her head.
"It's up north, five miles up. You'll come to a big cliff just past a small forest of pine trees. Look south and you'll see a cave and in the very back lye the Staff. I warn you though; there are a lot of spells that guard it. I wish you luck if you get past it. I have a feeling you're bound to its fate so take care." Harry thanked her and stood.
"Here," he handed her a portkey to Hogwarts. "If you say 'Merlin's bones' this will take you to Albus Dumbledore. Round up as many children and wounded as you can and go there. They will help you, I swear. Draco, let's go." They turned and walked away, following Kara's direction. After they spelled the others, they agreed to meet them there.
The cave was hard to find in the dark light. They almost missed it. "Come on." They silently followed all the twists and rocky turns through the light of their wands. The slimy dark walls opened suddenly to reveille a small lake. And at it's center, floating above the smooth mirror of water, was the Staff of Merlin. "Let's go get it."
Harry walked to the edge of the lake but a tenticled hand shot up and wrapped around his ankle. "Shit!" Draco lunged foreword just as Harry flew up in the air. "Damn it!" Harry's wand clattered to the stone floor.
Draco cast a boiling charm on the arm. Harry suddenly sailed through the air and landed in the water with a loud splash. "HARRY!" shouted Draco. It was the last word Harry heard as he floated in a sea of blackness.
AN: Sorry about the cliffhanger and I know that it is pure evilness but I thank everyone who reviews. Thank you! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. ~Ta-ta
The night swirled around the small group of wizards as Ashland Lane came into focus. 'I really hate portkeys. Whoever invented them needs to be brought back to life and die again. Slowly.' Harry groaned and bent over, lightly clutching his stomach. He really hated portkeys. "Oh my god" some whispered.
Harry glanced up and stared. The whole town was on fire. Every thing from the houses and the trees blazed as small embers flew in the air. "What happened?" whispered Hermione. She picked up a small muggle doll from her feet. It was half burnt and Harry could small the rancid odor of burnt meat- human flesh.
"Isn't it obvious? The Death-Eaters burnt the village. I don't think they found the Staff, though. If they had, Voldemort would be bragging about it." Draco helped Harry to his feet as the small entourage spread out.
"Have your wands at the ready. There might be death-eaters abroad." Snape pulled his wand out and slowly walked towards a house on his left. "If any of you find anything, chant the Finding Charm and we'll meet up." Snapes black eyes stared at Harry for a moment before he turned and slipped into the darkness.
"Draco and I will search the north side of the village. If there are any survivors, send them to Hogwarts immediately, okay?" The couple nodded before they left for the east side. "Come on." The roads were littered with debris but Draco and Harry found no trace of the Staff. Dead bodies littered the way but nothing moved but them and the fire.
Half an hour later as the two men were passing a small schoolhouse, a soft scream sounded from within. They moved as one passed abandoned swing sets and burnt plastic slides towards the open doorways. Out of all the buildings in the village, this was one of the few with little to no damage. In to the darkened halls they went, looking cautiously into darkened classrooms and down the corridors. The sounds were getting louder.
"Shh Tessa, it's okay. Please, calm down. I'll fix your arm in a minute," whispered a soft voice. They stopped at an open door. A sign above it said 'nurse'. Harry glanced at Draco and nodded. "Hello?" he called. He craned his head around the door jam but quickly jerked back as a curse flew past him.
"Stay away!" screamed the voice. The two men stared at each other in disbelief. She, for the voice belonged to a girl, thought that they were Death-Eaters!
"Stop, please! Hold your fire, we're Aurors and here to help you. Please stop!" A tense moment spread through the hall.
"You were an Auror?" asked a shocked Harry. He had never really thought of Draco as an Auror. The pale boy shrugged.
"I had to do something while you were gone," Draco replied.
"If you're an Auror, place your open left wrists through the door. Do it slowly!" The two men complied. Another tense moment passed. Suddenly a body flung itself out of the shadows, clasping them both in a tight grip while they frantically cried. "Thank Merlin, I thought your were evil but you're here to help and are the death-eaters gone? What happened and can you help? I'm Kara and I have a hurt child, please help!"
The blond woman dragged them into the room and they stopped next to a seven- year-old child with sapphire blues eyes that stared at them through a film of pain. Draco leaned down and gently gathered the small broken arm into two of his own. An aura of power flowed around them and tightened painfully. A moment later, the arm was healed and the small girl grinned.
"I didn't know you were a natural healer!" Draco shrugged and wiped his forehead. He scooped up Tessa and gently held her in his arms.
"A talent I learned in training. She's as good as new." He passed the child to Kara and sat on the floor. "What happened?" Kara and Tessa made room on the floor by Draco and retold what happened.
"They came out of nowhere. No warning or anything. I gathered some of the children and came here where we placed some wards. That's the only reason this place is still standing," she rubbed wearily at her brown eyes and relaxed against the up-ended desk.
"Do you know anything about the where bouts of the Staff of Merlin?" asked Harry. Kara's head snapped up and glared at him.
"What do you want with the Staff?" Harry pushed his hair off his forehead and showed his scar. She stared at a moment before her mouth dropped open. "You're Harry Potter!" He winced. She stared for one more moment before she pulled her act together- though it she was helped along by an evil glance from Draco.
"Can you help us?" He waited for a few moments. This woman knew where it was; he could feel it in every fiber of his being. Slowly she shook her head.
"It's up north, five miles up. You'll come to a big cliff just past a small forest of pine trees. Look south and you'll see a cave and in the very back lye the Staff. I warn you though; there are a lot of spells that guard it. I wish you luck if you get past it. I have a feeling you're bound to its fate so take care." Harry thanked her and stood.
"Here," he handed her a portkey to Hogwarts. "If you say 'Merlin's bones' this will take you to Albus Dumbledore. Round up as many children and wounded as you can and go there. They will help you, I swear. Draco, let's go." They turned and walked away, following Kara's direction. After they spelled the others, they agreed to meet them there.
The cave was hard to find in the dark light. They almost missed it. "Come on." They silently followed all the twists and rocky turns through the light of their wands. The slimy dark walls opened suddenly to reveille a small lake. And at it's center, floating above the smooth mirror of water, was the Staff of Merlin. "Let's go get it."
Harry walked to the edge of the lake but a tenticled hand shot up and wrapped around his ankle. "Shit!" Draco lunged foreword just as Harry flew up in the air. "Damn it!" Harry's wand clattered to the stone floor.
Draco cast a boiling charm on the arm. Harry suddenly sailed through the air and landed in the water with a loud splash. "HARRY!" shouted Draco. It was the last word Harry heard as he floated in a sea of blackness.
AN: Sorry about the cliffhanger and I know that it is pure evilness but I thank everyone who reviews. Thank you! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. ~Ta-ta